Daily I peruse a dozen websites for Catholic thought and reflection, to keep my finger on the pulse of the faith as well as to foster my own growth in holiness. Regularly I want to echo articulate points made by salient authors but hold back—I am not an editor, but merely an amateur contributor, as others say things so much better than I do. Though I will break silence when something profoundly affects me, as from the post today by Fr. Perricone at Crisis Magazine: “Does Jesus Love You Just the Way You Are?”
Fr. Perricone echoes a sentiment which I deeply share: that justice is frequently misperceived and Catholic truths are improperly stated too often by those professing to be informed. We are sinners, rather wretched at that, if you want my gut feeling, highly favored by the Divinity for no reasons of our own but for His own glory and mysterious purposes. When I hear a fellow priest eulogize the deceased at a funeral, “they’re in heaven now,” I get queasy at his ill-timed presumption. My fond hope is that, at my funeral, friends, family and associates would get down on their knees and plead with God for mercy on me, a sinner!
What does our faith teach? That we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12-13). Again, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" (Mt 7:21-23).
Way too often, we excuse one another’s moral faults and failings out of misguided compassion if not from a spirit of complicity, lest we ourselves be judged. But judged we will be, and if I do any good here on earth, it will be to help all I know prepare themselves for that great and glorious day when the Lord judges you worthy of himself (or not—God forbid!).
Read Fr. Perricone’s article that is short enough and worthy, in my estimation, of intruding on your thoughts with a word of invaluable humility and true charity. And please, remember me in your prayers! Rightly, then, would you expect me to remember and pray for you.
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/does-jesus-love-you-just-the-way-you-are?
Father, I learned in later life, that silence can be dangerous. I love Mother Church but find too much false hope and false Gospel being preached. Your post explains the ramifications very well. One thing that makes me queasy is hearting someone say, "But they're a good person." As Bernard Of Clairvaux said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
In addition, to those who remain silent, I recall a quote from St. Ambrose: "In some cases, silence is dangerous." Allowing the flock to venture toward the wide road (freeway), away from the narrow path, is misguided.
Fr. Jon, I read the original article from the website. It was excellent. However, this paragraph seemed poignant:
Truth be told, this is “just the way we are”: prisoners of sin. Even when we have been bathed in the graces of Confession, we are hostages to the wages of concupiscence. So it is that Mother Church calls us by our proper name, “poor sinners,” or “poor banished children of Eve.” Our whole existence on earth is, in the trenchant title of Dom Scupoli’s classic, The Spiritual Combat.
My mother had The Spiritual Combat on her bookshelf. It was well-worn and I keep it safe for sentimental reasons. But I found it as a .pdf and printed it out and have…
I am old enough to remember what the Church taught prior to Vatican II, and at that time, nobody was eulogized at a funeral. We - or rather - the Church did not emphasize the merits and good thought of those who knew the deceased, because final perseverance is a free gift of God. Not based on any merits, certainly not on the things known by close friends and relatives. The Church, in fact, taught us to pray to God for the gift of final perseverance - a free gift given by God alone for reasons He alone knows.