Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you…
I got a new attitude, ooh, ooh, ooh!
While researching some things on the Carthusians, I came across the following quote, attributed to Fr. Raphael Diamond, the deceased prior of the Vermont Chaterhouse.
“Davidson was Roman Catholic who had a kind of faith,” as Father Diamond put it, “that did not need to be fulfilled by attending weekly services.” - Joseph George davidson, PhD - founder of the Vermont Charterhouse.
I liked the way Fr. Diamond stated that. I’m adopting that attitude from this day forward, as regards relatives and friends who do not go to Mass, or those I once may have considered “luke-warm” or “irreligious”.
I suppose some ubers will protest, “But! But! We have to tell people they are sinning and warn them they are going to hell! We are required to offer fraternal correction.” Yeah… so…
Anyway - from now on, I’ll certainly hesitate before self-righteously calling other people “lukewarm” or “Sunday Catholics,” simply because I cannot know their level of faith, their interior life, or even if their faith is so strong they do not need to go to Church as often as I do. Instead, I can keep the fact that I am much worse than others, ever before my eyes.
So just talk amongst yourselves in church. ;)
January 31st, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Oh now you got me feeling all guilty, lol
When I refered to “lukewarm/don’t know their faith churchgoers” in a comment in your previous post, I was contrasting them with those who are well-learned in their Faith, as the ones who “should know better.” In fact, I suppose it could be argued that those who are ignorant and just don’t know better are in some ways better off and less liable/culpable for their sins.
And, yes, I’m afraid I did come off as judgmental which I did not intend. (One of my reasons for giving up blogging, in fact! So many of my sins of the proverbial “tongue” can be avoided if I just stop writing my strong opinions in commentaries!)
January 31st, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Georgette - you did not come off judgmental at all! I ran across the quote by Raphael Diamond several days ago and have been meaning to post on the subject since. I have often been too critical as regards the piety of others.
January 31st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Although I don’t know the context of the quote, I suspect the good Father is speaking tongue-in-cheek. For do you realize that all of us, as Catholics are to attend Mass not just for ourselves and for our own faith, but for all those, living and deceased, who don’t know the Lord or the value of the Eucharist?
The Eucharist is, in fact, the source and summitt not only of the Catholic faith, but of all faiths (although those other religions don’t recognize that fact, which is why they’re not Catholic.)
So to say seriously that someone has that much faith so as not to have to go to Mass is actually a serious error.
Although I suspect you posted this just to get a rise out of people.
January 31st, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Julie - you got it right. Fr. Raphael is the one who told me I was not suited to Carthusian life - and so he would have been being very diplomatic about Mr, Davidson. I believe fr. Raphael was with Mr. Davidson either just before, or when he died. I think that attending Mass thing may have been corrected by then.
What you say about Mass attendance is very true however. In addition, our attendance at Mass, is the worship we owe to God - it is a duty and an obligation.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I, too, just did a brief post on the Carthusians.
Anyway, you are correct in withholding judgement from those who don’t always meet either our expectations or our standards. Even though I’m sometimes SORELY tempted to do so, we just don’t know what’s going on there.
February 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Terry: You make a clever point about maybe we are so bad we NEED to actually attend Mass and live the Faith. I prefer to err on the side of caution, however.
Oh, and I KNOW I’m bad.