I'm way too long winded sometimes...
http://
reluctantpublicity.blogsp...converting.html
Plenty of "what" and "how," if almost never a good answer to "why?" [Don't get her started on her religious education. "S0-called," she'd say.]
Sounds about right for the time period. I got a bunch of "do this" without the explanation of why we do it. I (we?) also missed out on so much of the depth of Catholicism, and I'm just now learning much of what used to be taught to 10 year olds.
In a very real sense, Dale, you are "more Catholic" than me, simply because you know the faith better, having studied it and consciously choesn to convert. Things I should know but don't are numerous.
Don't learn to roll with the punches...at least, not completely. We need people to be active in defense of the faith.
K:
Thanks for the compliment. As to "rolling with the punches," what I was getting at was "bend but don't break," "not every battle is mine to fight," "take the long view"--that sort of thing. Not compromising--not by a long shot. But remembering that willows lose fewer branches in a hurricane.
Hope that makes sense.
BTW, my Heather has the ultimate "teach yourself Catholicism" book. Maybe she mentioned it to your Heather yesterday?
Over the course of my RCIA formation process, I had several cradle Catholics (not ones involved in the program, mercifully) tell me that I would almost certainly turn out to be a 'better' Catholic than they were. It always made me vaguely uncomfortable (still does, actually).
I think I finally figured out why it bothers me to hear that. It's very much because of the 'roll with the punches' attitude, taken to the nth degree: it's like they're making a joke out of their own poor catechesis, without indicating any desire to change it. It seems to me like they're gladly accepting mediocrity, and why would anyone want to be mediocre when it comes to God?!?
Dale, it makes perfect sense. I think, however, that too often we Catholics (especially cradle-Catholics) bend, and bend too far. In part I think it's due to a lack of being able to defend the faith properly, which gets back to catechesis. Why don't we eat meat on Fridays? If I can't explain that to someone, how can I defend things like the Immaculate Conception or Papal Infallibility?
So bend, but don't become a limp noodle....or when the hurricane comes, you'll just be a smudge.
Kasia, you're absolutely right about being mediocre when it comes to God. Best not be luke-warm about God. But I bet you know the Catholic faith more intimately than I do, and that's directly related to the different paths we took.
I don't know. I'm a cradle Catholic and I still haven't learned the whole "roll with the punches" thing. I think I was always that way, though ever since I went native (traditional) it's gotten stronger.
Every battle strikes me as excruciatingly important, and sometimes I'm overwhelmed to the point where I'm not giving much thought to the whole indefectibility thing.
I do have that to fall back on, eventually. I just don't always do it out of instinct in the way a cultural Catholic does.
Must have something to do with the way I became engaged with my faith, and the fact that prior to a deeper intellectual exploration, I was part of a conservative family that went to folk masses in a small town parish with blue shag carpeting. Maybe that's almost the same as being a convert.
"bend but don't break," "not every battle is mine to fight," "take the long view"
Nicely put; I do think there's much truth there.
As for me (a cradle Catholic who lapsed and reverted by 16), my contact with lots of Protestants in my early adulthood helped to spur me on in learning about the Faith. This was undeniably important - learning the "why" of the Faith has helped me even more in "taking the long view" etc.
I do think at some stage most Catholics have to come to terms with the "why" - although as someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s, often even the "how" and "what" was missing. Appalling. And no, I don't intend to let things just stay that way, which is why I teach the Faith to my own kids and to others when I get the opportunity. Mediocrity certainly isn't good enough.
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