Sunday, November 5, 2017

Finale


The time has come to close the book on FYCV.  It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have served St. Rose of Lima parish in this modest way.  A heartfelt thank you to Cheryl Jensen for her inspiration and encouragement that originated this weekly column.  Additionally, there is deep gratitude for all the expressions of appreciation from several parishioners during the run of this column. 

FYCV concludes with the following:
"We wish to confirm… that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church. She exists in order to evangelize…”  
Evangeli Nuntandi, Pope Paul VI

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises…” 
Pope St. John Paul II

“The difficulty of explaining ‘why I am a Catholic’ is that there are ten thousand reasons all amounting to one reason: that Catholicism is true.”   G. K. Chesterton.

Faith is a gift from God. Reasons are a gift from an evangelist; shared, as St. Peter tells us, “with gentleness and respect.” 

I pray you "Find your Catholic voice."

In Christ, Ken Donajkowski.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Is It Me? Or the Ene-Me?

After a recent FYCV presentation, a participant commented, “I don’t have the patience to evangelize.  These people just do not get it and it is totally frustrating to talk with them about faith and religion.”

I suggested considering that her view is very likely one that the enemy – the devil – wants her to have.  And if she goes on believing it is simply in her nature with no way to change it, that is perfect – as far as the enemy is concerned. 

“There are people that your personality resonates with, that mine does not.  And those are especially the people that the Holy Spirit wants your help in reaching.  They are also the ones that the enemy does not want you talking to about spiritual matters.   When you are overcome with a sense of frustration and impatience, find some time to reflect on those feelings, thank Jesus for making you aware of them, and ask him to use his grace to help you overcome them so that you can be more effective at serving him.”

While unlikely that this will result in an immediate change, nonetheless, when Jesus promises “if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. (Jn 14:14) this is the kind of request he will honor.  He will help us to find our Catholic voice.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

"Not Catholic, Not Saved." Not True.

The Catechism states clearly that non-Catholics can get to Heaven:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation. (CCC 847)




Does this mean there is no merit in being Catholic?  A Catholic once told me, “If we all get to heaven, I might as well be Protestant.  It’s easier!”

Actually, Catholics have it easier.  For example, Catholics have access to all the grace God makes available through all of the Sacraments. Non-Catholics don’t.

Furthermore, think of each individual being invited to live in an amazing luxury compound located deep in the heart of a massive, dense forest.  Everyone who manages to hike through the forest and arrive at the compound will be heartily welcomed.  Furthermore, maps are available describing how to get to the compound, including where there are vital rest stops along the route.  It is possible to reach the compound without having a map.  It is also possible to have a map, misread it - or ignore it altogether - and fail to reach the compound.

Catholicism is like that map.  One can achieve eternal salvation without being Catholic.  One can be Catholic and not achieve it.  And yet, being Catholic makes it much more likely that one will achieve it.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Who is Good?

Atheists can be morally good people.  In fact, there are some atheists who behave far better than some Christians do.  However, atheists cannot offer a workable rationale for why they or anyone else should behave “morally.” They can only assert subjectively that they “believe” that such-and-such behavior to be “moral” but cannot provide any objective basis for it, “You should behave this way because I think you should.”

A person who does not know God, can choose to follow personal or social standards of morality.  However, it is merely a morality based on personal feelings, opinion, or taste.  Being completely subjective, there is no basis for proposing that everyone or anyone “should” follow someone else’s chosen morality – other than “We have the power to force you.”  With no objective standards, a Bashir Al Assad – indeed, any “evil” person - can have their own subjective morality and there is no basis for an atheist to criticize his conduct.  In fact, it is inappropriate to even use the word “evil” as it begs the question, “Whose definition of ‘evil?’”

Furthermore, there is irony in an atheist asserting that they can be “moral without God.”  Absent an objective standard – i.e. one communicated by a Creator God – there is only a subjective definition of “moral.”  What one person considers moral, someone else may not and no one can evaluate the matter objectively and declare either of them correct or in error.