Today I was considering some of the concerns that are being raised regarding the Synod on Synodality, the discussions regarding Traditionis Custodes, voices raised questioning our Supreme Pontiff Francis, and current world issues. The concerns are many and varied. However, as Catholics we are to look toward the never changing Truth which guides the Church and directs us in our faith. One such source would be The Catechism of The Catholic Church. The very end of the Prologue states:
The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love.
The Summary of the Law states:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Charity as defined in Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. states:
The infused supernatural virtue by which a person loves God above all things for his own sake, and loves others for God’s sake. It is a virtue based on divine faith or in belief in God’s revealed truth, and is not acquired by mere human effort.
When considering many of the concerns called out above, one must ask, should we not be practicing the virtue of Charity? Is the never ending love of Christ what we are all striving for? Should we be looking at unification rather than division and derision?
I am not proposing nor am I a proponent of the abandonment or a divergence from the Deposit of Faith. I am simply asking, if much of the concerns being aired today are being voiced in the absence of Charity?
Should we not take into account our own human frailty, and consider with charity, when we question the Magisterium? As the laity, are we even in a position to question the Magisterium? Catholics profess one true and united faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed. When we recite this creed, are we just reciting words long ago memorized, or are we truly professing what we each hold to be true? How well do we actually understand that which we are called to as Catholics?
What saves us is faith in Jesus Christ. And faith makes us equal in the eyes of God. We are all sinners and we are all saved through Christ. Our faith and devotion is not a cause to boast but a call to love, a call to serve and a call to obedience. The challenges that face us demand that we answer this call with Charity.
May the Will of God and the Illumination of the Holy Spirit guide us.
Amen
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