I’m tired. Are you?
We believers, Catholics, Protestant, Jewish and the rest, we are beleaguered. I don’t know about you, I am tired.
I am tired of having to defend basic morality as if I am some fringe element. This is not what I signed up for.
I am tired of having to make the case, in polite terms lest I be accused of inflammatory or insulting language, that I shouldn’t have to subsidize your sin. I feel like an idiot having to explain such basic things. This is not what I signed up for.
I am tired. I have prayed for years that the bishops would stand up and fight, fight for what is right, so that I wouldn’t have to. I didn’t sign up for this.
This is a battle for things beyond my competency. I am no theologian and no scholar. I am not even a particularly good Catholic. I am a sinner just trying to make my way home.
I am tired. Just leave me be.
Yet…
This may be the moment. This may be the moment when …
March 9, 2012 at 12:31 pm
I, and I believe, many others, identify with all you've said. It's beyond hard, but in faith we will endure. From here in Ireland, I look with some envy at the USA where in recent years more and more Bishops are taking up their mission, and leading the people against all attacks. Unfortunately, here in Ireland, we don't (for the most part) have loyal, courageous Bishops. Here, we still have those "children of the sixties" type Bishops who cast scorn on the faithful while grovelling in their ever-nuanced way to the enemies of God, the Church and objective morality. So spare a thought for us exhausted, persecuted lay people of faith in Ireland who refuse to bow down to the false idols of materialism, relativism, hedonism and have to fight without any Bishop to lead us or give us spiritual comfort.
March 9, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Oh, yes we did, even though some of us have been drafted. We signed up for this in the Sacrament of Baptism.
March 9, 2012 at 12:54 pm
@Lynda" Pray for the Holy Spirit to enlighten and enlived the teaching and preaching authority of your bishop.
March 9, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Pope is talking to us:
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2012/03/to-us-bishops-b16-talks-sexuality.html
He signed up for this.
Best,
Pedro Erik
March 9, 2012 at 1:48 pm
I'm so tired of it that I de-activated my Facebook account yesterday. I joined Facebook 4 years ago to catch up with long-lost friends, not talk religion and politics. But, increasingly, I find myself spending most of my time on there defending the Church from Obama's encroachments.
Finally, yesterday, in response to a fellow parishioner at my church who favors the HHS mandate and who always wants to turn the discussion away from religious freedom and make it about what "men" are trying to do and what the Republicans are trying to do, I lost it and went off on a diatribe about not giving a flying eff about the Republicans and explaining why my faith was so important to me. I closed with a remark that I couldn't understand why any Catholic would willingly trade away their birthright of the Catholic faith and religious freedom for what amounts to little more than the ability to engage in sex without consequences on the Church's dime.
Well, the proverbial poop hit the fan with some of my more liberal "friends", and I just said "To hell with it." I have other things to do than try to do the job the Bishops are better equipped at and should've been doing themselves for the last 40 years.
March 9, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Don't get me wrong … I see this as our moment to take up our crosses and follow Him, and I will continue to do so. In many ways, I relish the fight.
Just not on Facebook.
March 9, 2012 at 2:40 pm
I LOVE THIS POST!! Anyone have any links to help those of us who get over emotional or cannot articulate things particularly well to make the argument to the Baptized Catholics who may be hostile to the faith?
March 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Ugh! I feel the same way. You are not alone!
March 9, 2012 at 3:13 pm
I remember coming across an anti-war blog, back when I still had a lot to learn and wasn't anti-war myself. This woman decided to reduce her income to the point where she wouldn't be paying taxes. She still worked, she just voluntarily lived poorly enough so as not to contribute monetarily to the government. I thought this to be a very commendable way of being true to one's principles.
I am tired too, but I am not so much tired because of a thirty year old woman is wasting tons of our money on a law school- money she isn't going to be able to pay back-, and she's asking us to fund her lifestyle but not even notice that she a slut- no I've had to deal with this stuff. It isn't new. It is normal, the sort of things that have cropped up while you got all comfy in your lifestyle and imagined the latest pro-life faker was going to achieve anything.
No, I am tired because most of those who would be my comrades in arms haven't figured out where they need to be yet. Until you can, maybe that anti-war lady's strategy could work for you.
March 9, 2012 at 4:11 pm
As a prolife warrior I've been in the trenches for years, sometimes in front of the abortuaries, sometimes engaged in electronic warfare, sometimes engaged with my own family and friends and religious leaders…and it does get hard to always be the one getting hammered on…to be the "far right wing fringe" or the crazy aunt who is "just to the right of Atilla the Hun"
But, it is only for a little while, compared to our hope of eternity. If my beloved Lord rose again from the street, dirty, exhausted and dehydrated with his poor body flayed and bloody, and picked up his cross and marched again towards his death…how can I do any less?
This is only the beginning of the coming battle of the faithful here on earth. We must be strong physically AND spiritually. Pray. Fast. Pray some more. Let us encourage each other to stand fast!
I strongly encourage you to go the the Stations of the Cross. Most parishes have them on Fridays, especially during Lent. Let your soul feast on the 7th Station and trust in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God's peace be with each of you today!
March 9, 2012 at 6:42 pm
I did sign up, in 1990. But I do get very tired – and it's not just because of constantly trying to explain. It's that there is no interest in reason or analytical thinking. We are not trying to defend against reasoned argument. We are trying to defend against "I want!"
I understand Jay Anderson's comments – I haven't taken down my Facebook account but I haven't been there since last June. And I've left the community website for the same reason. I got tired of the ugliness whenever I voiced my very unpopular opinions. Discourse is not sought, ugliness prevails, and while I can deal with research and discussion all attempts to do so are met with the screaming of spoiled children who can't bear any thought other than the aforementioned "I want!"
March 9, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Technically we sign up at Confirmation; but this is a really great post and I appreciate it! Thank you!!
March 9, 2012 at 11:14 pm
I'm tired too. I entered the Catholic Church at 23, after finding one, yes one, Catholic who actually believed his faith. I had been searching for answers for so long! My researches were leading there, but it took one living breathing believing person. It only takes one. I know, because I know even more non-believing Catholics now than I did then, never mind everyone else. It can be overwhelming! But in evil times, God chooses saints, even among those who 'didn't sign up for this'. It only takes one, to change the heart of another, and you can never know who's overhearing, and changing, because of you. Be of good cheer; after all, Christ has won, we are just part of the mop-up operation!
March 11, 2012 at 1:20 am
@dancingcrane: "Christ has won, we are just part of the mop-up operation!" Great analogy