Audrey Assad - Mapping the Landscape of Catholic Voices

"Flying in the face of the Protestant faith my family has held for many generations, I crossed the Tiber and became a Roman Catholic during the Easter vigil in the year 2007. To this convert, the Catholic Church presented herself as the answer to many questions that had plagued and rattled me for decades; I wrestled as a Protestant with why, like Bono, I still hadn't found what I was looking for. I set off on a journey to discover the truth and, to my shock and great delight, discovered that Rome was indeed "home."

I did and do take solace in the Church, as a sparrow makes a nest in an old, solid oak; the Church's very age and wisdom speak quietly for themselves, silently drawing in wanderers like me. Jesus loves wanderers and prodigals; and the Church must welcome them with open arms -- in my case, she did, and warmly at that.

I find it beautiful about Catholicism that worship, in her way, is not so much an experience as it is an act of the will; yes, the senses are engaged by the sweet, thick smell of incense at the alter, the soft flickering of candles, the otherworldly melodies of chant; but ultimately, as a Catholic, I go to Mass to worship -- to give Jesus the honor and glory He is worthy of; I go to Mass because I love Him.

I love Pope Benedict XVI particularly because it is the Church's very historicity that he symbolizes. He stands, unmoved, against the tides of post-modernism and materialism that ravage the West, (often) a lone voice in the battle. I admire and respect his staunch willingness to be Catholic -- theologically, intellectually, volitionally, and emotionally Catholic -- in a world where religious freedom and tolerance are preached by many, but where the Catholic voice has for centuries been either stifled or diluted. On the heels of the much-beloved John Paul II, any flimsier man would perhaps have been cowed; but Benedict, speaking with both grace and power, has preached Christ, and Him crucified, as the answer to the questions of every man -- Jew or Greek, Muslim or Hindu, black or white, man and woman.

Many despise his unwillingness to budge from a traditional, conservative position. I, on the other hand, rejoice in it. The Church doesn't need a babysitter or a mentor to sit in the seat of Peter; she needs a man with principles, a man of conviction. Pope Benedict XVI is "being" that for us. Americans in particular, I think (and I am obviously speaking as one), have issues with entitlement. We don't want rules and regulations; we want a pat on the back or the license to do as we please. Thankfully, Benedict is refusing to acquiesce, which in itself reveals his great respect for the dignity of man. He will not water down the message of Christ for the sake of seeker friendliness." -Audrey Assad

Oh, relativism.

Something I reread the other day from my journal about the idea of "cultural holiness" ...which has really come up recently. It affects the way we perceive the world, others, and ourselves.

Many of us have felt in our hearts a personal call to holiness, that God has called us to be "conformed in His image." And this is a great truth of our Christian lives. But many times we set the bar too low because we don't realize the great heights to which God desires to have us reach. The idea of holiness becomes relative. I'm "holy" compared to so-and-so. Christians become caught up in this idea of "adapt(ing) to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around..." them. "As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself (I'm not sure who the author was...)."

Holiness begins with God - not ourselves. Only in looking to Him do we come to know and are able to live true holiness.

"Purity is not something negative; it is not just an unopened bud; it is not something cold; it is not ignorance of life. Is justice merely the absence of dishonesty? Is mercy merely the absence of cruelty? Is faith merely the absence of doubt? Purity is not merely the absence of sensuality; it is selflessness born of love and the highest love of all."-Archbishop Fulton Sheen

"How liberating it is to be a Christian!"...For those in Christ, "positive things [become] a reason for gratitude and joy. Negative things [become] an opportunity for abandonment, faith, and offering. Everything [becomes] grace!" - Fr.Alfonse Navarro

"Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: “Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me.”
- Benedict XVI

"Be the kind of man that when you wake up in the morning the devil says 'Oh crap he's up' "
-Nathan Wiatrek

LOL.

Pope Benedict XVI - WYD Prayer Vigil Message (not the full text)

"How can a young person be true to the faith and yet continue to aspire to high ideals in today’s society? In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus gives us an answer to this urgent question: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9).

Yes, dear friends, God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful. We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life originates as part of a loving plan of God. To abide in his love, then, means living a life rooted in faith, since faith is more than the mere acceptance of certain abstract truths: it is an intimate relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God.

If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true happiness and joy. Faith does not run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and perfects those ideals. Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ.

Nowadays, although the dominant culture of relativism all around us has given up on the search for truth, even if it is the highest aspiration of the human spirit, we need to speak with courage and humility of the universal significance of Christ as the Saviour of humanity and the source of hope for our lives. He who took upon himself our afflictions, is well acquainted with the mystery of human suffering and manifests his loving presence in those who suffer. They in their turn, united to the passion of Christ, share closely in his work of redemption. Furthermore, our disinterested attention towards the sick and the forgotten will always be a humble and warm testimony of God’s compassionate regard.

Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world."