To wander in this world

It is easy to wander in this life. After a man has reached a certain age he should have figured out through much prayer, preparation, and perseverance what he must do in his life. The support from a family (Ideally this support should come from the extended family as well) and the good example he has received from his parents and in particular his father should help a young man find his own state in life instead of aimlessly going about in the world. It seems eminently natural for this to be the case. Yet how many young men wander in this world, not knowing if they should follow a vocation or if they should marry or even remain single?

Yet even if a young man has lived a life without that full support and guidance, he is not a lost cause! By no means! Our Lord, His Blessed Mother and the Saints are always there to help. How this takes a great faith to realize! Undoubtedly, it would be foolish and presumptuous to simply say "God will help me with everything" when we do not do our part to get order in our own lives but as Catholics we cannot ever forget this supernatural element. Is prayer useless? Of course not! However, how many times do we actually pray for guidance?

(to be continued)

Catholicism is True

The Catholic should never fear critical analysis of the Faith since it is in harmony with reason but to a certain degree he should fear bigotry masquerading as science and rationality proposed by the pseudo-intellectuals of our world who are puffed up with their pride in a life devoid of God.

Poverty

Living in a consumer society, the idea of being poor is often viewed as the greatest "sin" that can befall an individual or a family. We in the United States, and by we I mean Catholics as well, have inherited the spirit of Protestantism or in particular of Calvinism which equates salvation with one's material prosperity. Bear in mind I am not a theologian so I am open to correction. I am reminded of the words of Nicholas Berdyaev who once said:

"There is nothing more inconsistent with Christianity than the optimistic idea that the economically strongest and most successful are of necessity the best, that wealth is a favour granted to man as a reward for his virtues".

We often look at the poor with a secret disdain as if their worth as human beings who were created in the image and likeness of God and who are meant to be with God in heaven is somehow tainted because they do not possess an abundance of material objects while we bask in our affluence. How false this view is because a man's worth must be based on his virtue and on how close he is to Our Lord Jesus Christ through sanctifying grace. This is what Pope Leo XIII has said in Rerum Novarum:

"As for those who possess not the gifts of fortune, they are taught by the Church that in God's sight poverty is no disgrace, and that there is nothing to be ashamed of in seeking one's bread by labor. This is enforced by what we see in Christ Himself, who whereas He was rich, for our sakes became poor; (2 Cor. 8:9)....From contemplation of this divine exemplar, it is more easy to understand that the true worth and nobility of man lies in his moral qualities, that is, in virtue; that virtue is moreover the common inheritance of men, equally within the reach of high and low, rich and poor; and that virtue, and virtue alone, wherever found, will be followed by the rewards of everlasting happiness."

The "bum" on the street who has no possessions of his own, no house to live in, no luxurious car to drive, no 50 inch tv with a satellite dish, may be closer to God than the man who has a sizeable home (more than he needs since he is more interested in status than sufficiency for his family), who has the newest car which is completely computerized or has the biggest SUV, the fanciest big screen tv, and who goes to Mass on Sunday more out of duty than love but whose life is completely disconnected from the faith.

This is never to argue that the hard-working man who wants to provide for his family is somehow automatically at fault. One has a right to enjoy the fruits of one's labor but one must never become attached to material things which are only meant to help us achieve our supernatural end. At the same time, Catholics should be content with a certain frugality and dare I say embrace poverty not in actuality for no one with common sense would suggest a Catholic living in the world should take a vow of poverty but what seems to be forgotten is that every Catholic should practice the "spirit" of poverty. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" says Our Blessed Lord. This detachment from material things will truly liberate us. This is a difficult thing to practice because of original sin and because our culture bombards us with advertisements to purchase things simply for the sake of having them.

I think if more people acquired the spirit of poverty,and I include myself, our society would be much more just. It takes great fortitude to reject the enticements of our consumer society which produces an environment ripe for avarice but in the end the less we are attached to creatures the more joy we will have in being free to give our entire energy to God who is the ultimate source of happiness. Why would Our Lord tell the young rich man in the Gospel that his perfection lie in abandoning all his riches to follow Him? I think there is a lesson there which we easily gloss over thinking perhaps that it has no bearing on our state in life or that it was merely a "nice" teaching which is unsuitable to "real reality".

Some of the richest men in the eyes of God have indeed been the poorest in the eyes of the world but their joy in Christ was something the world could never take away. The material world was given to man to use appropriately in order to guide him to everlasting happiness. Hopefully, we will never forget this.