In many ways, Lent is about dying: dying to self as you embrace the cross of Christ; dying to the world as you live as a citizen of heaven; dying to material wants and sensual pleasures that you may be raised by God to new heights; dying to fleeting things that you may take hold of eternal life. And all along, it is God who sustains you, gives you strength and directs your path. Lent, then, is a journey into the wondrous and beautiful heart of God.
Roots of the Cafeteria Catholic Phenomenon
While “Cafeteria Catholic” is a somewhat new term, it is not an entirely new phenomenon; its roots are found in Renaissance humanism, Enlightenment philosophies and some of the subsequent errors of Modernism. Although some people today think that a self-guided moral autonomy is the intelligent way to live, it is not the path leading to human fulfillment but its opposite.
How You Can Help Retard the Exodus
It’s no secret that large numbers of Catholics have drifted from the Church, which can happen slowly and progressively over time due to indifference, lack of piety and tepid devotion, or take the form of a more rapid departure. The heart of the lukewarm soon cools. If there is little love for what is true, there is little love for truth in its fullness.
Words of Wisdom from the Mother of God
Completely confident that her Son will do what she suggests, knowing he would never deny his mother any good thing, Mary turns to the servers and says: “Do whatever he tells you.”
Sola Scriptura: the Religion of the Book?
Sola scriptura is untenable and has produced a great deal of turmoil and division. It is responsible in a number of ways for ongoing rupture and disunity among Christians, and is not an element of historical continuity between the first Christians and those of contemporary society. If anything, history shows a conspicuous absence of sola scriptura from the belief of the early Church.