Our Lord has told us that there will be a separation of sheep from goats so we do know, do we not, that we all carry a label of some kind. Something that defines us; maybe we have several labels, 'right wing goat bigot' 'liberal out of focus goat' or, maybe, 'pious holy sheep'.
I am sure the Lord will have us categorised in best Dewey or Bliss tradition and so I do not think it unreasonable that we identify ourselves or others by labels (for want of a better phrase).
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Sheep going up, basement - goats only! |
Yes, yes, yes...we are all Catholics....but some Catholics do not do as the Church requires them to do whilst others may be totally over the top in embracing what they see as 'right'.
Therefore, if I refer to someone as a 'liberal Catholic' it is not meant as an insult but a means of defining the direction that they are coming from.
Sometimes I think that we need a spiritual slide rule (remember slide rules?) that we can turn and twist to give us that all important series of descriptor answers....'EF Mass goer plus Kneeling to receive Holy Communion minus guitars at Mass = Traditionalist - Bingo!
I also do not believe that arguments are a bad thing although it might be better to call them 'debates'. I grew up in a family of six brothers and sisters with, for some reason, strong links to many young priests and seminarians and so, our house was always full of bodies and full of arguments. It was marvellous and educational for me (as the youngest by a long way).
It was rough and ready apologetics and it taught me a great deal about the faith. More importantly, it taught me to be discerning in my faith; to think about my actions (both in and out of the physical church) and it taught me to speak out for what I believe is right.
Now link this diatribe to blogging - mmm....we have a duty to point out error to those who are in error. And for those within the Church who are anti Christ's teachings, anti the Holy Father and anti social - (I am thinking of the situation in Austria here) but, thanks to a bunch of Bishops who believe that sitting on their hands is doing God's work it could well also apply to England and Wales......
what should they do? Well, on the principle that, if you want to belong to a club you should stick to the club rules - they should leave and seek a faith that conforms to their wishes for women priests, female altar servers, fox trots round the sanctuary, clown Masses and so on.
I seem to recall Our Lord saying "I come not to bring peace but to bring a sword; to set Father against Son..." (I quote from memory but it's factually accurate.
That seems to me to be saying that there is only one way, Christ's way and if you don't like it then do the other thing - in a Christian manner of course!
I think that this is really about you and Shadowlands- both of whom I follow with interest!
ReplyDeleteShe used to have a wonderful little quotation at the head of her blog from, I think, Philo of Alexandria about the necessity of being kind since we are- many of us- fighting a hard battle. I think it speaks volumes about where she is coming from. We can, all of us, at times, hurl out opinions into the blogosphere with little idea of where and how they may land. This is where we need the gift of discernment- on both sides. Labels are both necessary and important but that is why we need to apply them with care defining what we mean by them.
Patricius - wise words, thank you.
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