We Need to Look, Smell, Feel and Breathe More Catholic

Last updated on: May 2, 2022 at 11:02 pm by Sherry Antonetti

We Need to Look, Smell, Feel and Breathe More Catholic 2022-05-02T23:02:11-04:00 Sherry Antonetti

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I watched Superman –Man of Steel, and the fundamental argument is that sometimes, you have to kill “for the greater good.” People did not like this movie for many reasons, but one of them was the fundamental reality –that we don’t want Superman to be morally ambiguous. We want our heroes to be heroic –bigger than life. It doesn’t matter what they do, we want, we long for those we admire to be better than they are. At the end of everything, we want a happy ending, with the bad guys stopped and reformed, and the good guys, helping those who get stuck in the crossfire to thrive. We want it of our politicians, of our priests, of our celebrities, of our athletes, of everyone we ever admire. We don’t want to have to parse our admiration.

This admiration/adoration for someone other than God in many cases, for worthy reasons –charity of spirit, scholarship, service, can lead those who possess such gifts and those of us who admire them into deep trouble.
Part of our problem is we do want them to be perfect, and our affection becomes tied with if they say what our itching ears want to hear, rather than the Gospel. They become wedded to the attention, and we to the affirmation, and through this double bind of toxic adulation, both received and given, neither finds themselves in deeper friendship with their neighbor or Christ as a result.

Yet the reality is, we are all of us, fallen at all times, and in desperate need of more grace than we seek. In Catholic circles, we need to recognize the reality of humanity –we’re going to screw up, we’re going to be tempted, and only the humblest of people steeped in the sacraments and prayer will emerge. They will be scathed and sifted through because all who witness to Christ will be by the world. We will also be challenged –do we believe or do we not.

Witness today is in short supply perhaps because we do not pray as we should. We do not fast as we should. (I know for me, fasting is just about the hardest thing you can ask). We just finished Lent, but have we washed the sand from each other’s feet, and stepped out into Easter? Are we going about the business of trying to bring in more and more or are we going about the business we always have as if nothing changed on Easter? Everything changed on Easter, so everything should change for us. We should live knowing Christ is Resurrected, and that He desires us to share in that infinite reality.

The Church must reveal Christ…and is only successful in reality to the extent she helps the world to see and know Him. The more we reveal Christ, the more people will long to come in. Our whole job is to throw open the door. Christ will do the inviting if we just get out of the way.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 30, 2022

What Must We Do?

Next Post

May 9, 2022 The Road to Heaven is Paved with Effort

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Answered Prayers Blessed Mother Confirmation Devotion of the Sacred Heart Doctors of the Church Easter Family Humor family life Good Friday Growing up Healing Holy Spirit taps Lent Love in the little things Mary Undoer of Knots Not an Apologist Parenting Sacred Heart of Jesus Saint Therese of Lisieux Sin Small Success Saturday Teaching others and myself Uncategorized Waiting Writing Year of Saint Joseph

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz