Graphic courtesy of Paul Rodden, one of our readers
Isn’t it tempting sometimes, but especially recently, to throw in the towel, and give up on being Catholic? Wouldn’t it all be so much easier if you could just veg out, get with the zeitgeist, and “consumer” yourself to death?
In this age of never before attained communication, it seems sometimes to be nothing but bad news for Catholics and their Church. Allegedly weak Bishops, sex scandals, apostasy, liturgical abuses and confusion, fallen youth, the rise of aggressive secular atheism, the worldwide financial crisis, climate change, school massacres etc, etc, etc.
Well, here is the point of this posting: Stop that worrying, and be content instead!
God is in Heaven with His Saints and Angels. Everything is actually under control from their point of view. All of the upheavals in the world at large have been clearly prophesied long ago. These things are the labour pains mentioned by St Paul. The world may end tomorrow, or in ten billion years or more. Nobody but God knows when. We have to live right now with that raw uncertainty. We always have done, and we always will do.
God’s beloved will get to Heaven and be happy with Him there. As God loves everyone, only those who finally reject his Love will fail in this attainment.
We must stop worrying: if we are sorry for our sins, then God will forgive us and open the doors to Heaven. It is that simple: a contrite heart is the first step. How difficult is it to be sorry before God for one’s personal failings?
Suffering happens. It is part of His great plan. The trick is to make your suffering Holy. To do this one must become close to Christ as he walks the Via Dolorosa. The Stations of the Cross and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are the means par excellence to achieve this.
One should not be a Catholic if one is totally allergic to suffering. Remember that nobody would choose to be a coward if they had a choice. The acceptance of unavoidable suffering, as the Father’s Will, is one of the ways in which we most closely imitate Christ. “Not my will, but thine be done”.
Alas, in the final analysis, Christianity is not an easy Creed, though nobody ever said it was, to be honest.
To quote the great Gilbert K Chesterton:
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.
Please take heart my brothers and sisters. It is always the worst of times but it is also always the best of times, in saecula saeculorum.
God loves you. Love Him back. You know it makes sense.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
My philosophy exactly Brother.
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One cannot just stop being Catholic; you all are marked; regardless of the way you choose to hide.
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A variation I created a while ago… 🙂
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Nice one Paul!
Do you mind if I use it as the post picture?
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Go ahead!
– Paul
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swesleymcgranor
All I can say is, thank goodness for cut ‘n paste, because your blog name is very hard to write. I guess you’ll be gone soon, though, so I won’t have to worry about that. Not that I mind sparring with proddies, but looking at your “about me” offering , I’ve got to laugh. Happy Boxing Day.
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“”“Well, here is the point of this posting: Stop that worrying, and be content instead!”
Tremendous advice from Bro Burro. If only we’d all stop worrying about “gay marriage” and naughty priests, and crazed Muslim terrorists, and just “…be content!”
It’s all prophesied, so it’s all inevitable, anyway.
“Suffering happens. It is part of His great plan.”
That’s a bit more difficult for Toad to get his little green head around. If suffering is part of “His great plan,” is it not sinful, as well as futile, to try to cure disease – let alone try to avoid it?
Is suffering really a blessing? Who would say, “Good news! My wife has just been blessed with cancer?” Anyone on here?
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Toad, no one would want a loved one to be blessed with an illness; and to suggest anyone here thinks that way is not very – mmh – bright? That said, illness can be a blessing, as the last post here tells us. Have you read it yet?
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…By “last post” I meant the one about the Catholic Herald piece:
Illness is a blessing for those whose vocation it is to care for them. Think about that, Toad, before accusing caregivers of wanting people to suffer. Illness can also be a blessing for those who suffer from illness. Do I really need to give examples of how illness can bring out the best in people?
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When you see a beggar on the streets, Toad, do you give him the loose change in your pocket? If you do, who do you think benefits more from that exchange?
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“Think about that, Toad, before accusing caregivers of wanting people to suffer. “
Another bit of regurgitated Gil from JH.
When did Toad ever accuse anyone of such a thing?
Why should caregivers “want ” people to suffer?
What would JH’s agnostic relatives make of all this talk of redemptive suffering?
Wonders Toad. All sorts of events can bring out the best in people. Doesn’t mean they are desirable.
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To make it clear, one of Chesterton’s tricks is to put words in other people’s mouths, and then tell us they’re talking nonsense.
Not that JH would dream of doing something similar.
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“All sorts of events can bring out the best in people. Doesn’t mean they are desirable.”
Think about that. Not to put words in your mouth, but what you’re saying is that events which bring out the best in people are not desirable? Right, you’re not saying that. Then say what you mean, and mean what you say.
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No, I’m not saying that. Some events that bring about the best in people are desirable, like, say parenthood.
Other events which do likewise, such as war, are not desirable.
The fact that suffering can bring out the best in people does not, in my mind, make it desirable or necessary. Ineviable, certainly.
If suffering is so beneficial, why anesthetics?
As to giving money to beggars, yes, I do, but would sooner not. I’d rather there were no beggars.
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Thank you for this inspiring post Brother. As Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” We are encouraged, commanded, implored to fix our eyes upon Jesus and not on our fellowmen (who have the tendency to err), lest we grow weary and lose heart.
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