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Author Topic: Balancing Fighting with Living  (Read 1868 times)

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Offline Matthew

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Balancing Fighting with Living
« on: August 06, 2025, 01:48:49 PM »
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    • In another thread, one member was harshly criticizing a real FIGHTER priest in the Resistance (Fr. Girouard), because he stopped to teach his flock a topic not directly related to the Crisis in the Church.

    But priests who are notorious for constantly fighting -- like Fr. Pfeiffer -- are also problematic! They OBSESSES with "the fight" to the point they are constantly fighting, EVEN WITH THEIR FELLOW-PRIESTS WHOM THEY SHOULD BE ALLIES WITH.
    And they have been adversarial and "fighting" for so long, they forgot what they are even fighting for. They can't even remember the "basics" of how to live a Catholic life -- basic Catholic spirituality (Ascetical & Mystical theology). Bitter zeal has become a way of life.

    We all admire the "fighters" who name names, speak truth to power, fight against whoever they have to, in pursuit of truth and righteousness. The modern-day heroes and martyrs.
    But once in a while you have to put down your sword and pick up your rosary, and in general foster a deep and real PRAYER LIFE.

    As someone above pointed out, these topics of basic Catholic life are EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT as naming the Jew, criticizing the Pope/SSPX/etc. or any other "fighting" or controversial topic.

    You can't leave out these basic topics, just because there is a Crisis.

    Personally, I think priests like Fr. Pfeiffer are a sad collateral damage from the Crisis in the Church. Imagine forgetting how to just stop and be Catholic. Just stop and serve God, meditate on the life of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, enjoy a good Catholic hymn, enjoy the beauty of God's creation, offer praise to God -- you know, stop and "live". Especially doing things constructive (helping new converts, mentoring young Catholics, volunteering at a Trad chapel, etc.) We shouldn't lose sight of these positive things because we've been fighting a bitter fight for so long.

    It reminds me of a soldier who has been at war for 10 years and can barely remember what he was fighting for. He can no longer enjoy most of what he is "defending" in the war -- he has lost all taste for actual day-to-day life in the country he left to fight.
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    Offline Colt

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    Re: Balancing Fighting with Living
    « Reply #1 on: August 06, 2025, 10:50:26 PM »
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    • Quote from: Matthew on August 06, 2025, 01:48:49 PM
    Quote from: Matthew
    In another thread, one member was harshly criticizing a real FIGHTER priest in the Resistance (Fr. Girouard), because he stopped to teach his flock a topic not directly related to the Crisis in the Church.

    But priests who are notorious for constantly fighting -- like Fr. Pfeiffer -- are also problematic! They OBSESSES with "the fight" to the point they are constantly fighting, EVEN WITH THEIR FELLOW-PRIESTS WHOM THEY SHOULD BE ALLIES WITH.
    And they have been adversarial and "fighting" for so long, they forgot what they are even fighting for. They can't even remember the "basics" of how to live a Catholic life -- basic Catholic spirituality (Ascetical & Mystical theology). Bitter zeal has become a way of life.

    We all admire the "fighters" who name names, speak truth to power, fight against whoever they have to, in pursuit of truth and righteousness. The modern-day heroes and martyrs.
    But once in a while you have to put down your sword and pick up your rosary, and in general foster a deep and real PRAYER LIFE.

    As someone above pointed out, these topics of basic Catholic life are EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT as naming the Jew, criticizing the Pope/SSPX/etc. or any other "fighting" or controversial topic.

    You can't leave out these basic topics, just because there is a Crisis.

    Personally, I think priests like Fr. Pfeiffer are a sad collateral damage from the Crisis in the Church. Imagine forgetting how to just stop and be Catholic. Just stop and serve God, meditate on the life of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, enjoy a good Catholic hymn, enjoy the beauty of God's creation, offer praise to God -- you know, stop and "live". Especially doing things constructive (helping new converts, mentoring young Catholics, volunteering at a Trad chapel, etc.) We shouldn't lose sight of these positive things because we've been fighting a bitter fight for so long.

    It reminds me of a soldier who has been at war for 10 years and can barely remember what he was fighting for. He can no longer enjoy most of what he is "defending" in the war -- he has lost all taste for actual day-to-day life in the country he left to fight.
    Matthew, I know that fight is still in you. I remember your posts from 2009 to 2013. You saw through the lies, and you spoke with fire and clarity when it mattered.

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    Offline Seraphina

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    Re: Balancing Fighting with Living
    « Reply #2 on: August 06, 2025, 11:31:05 PM »
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    • You both have a point. Either to the exclusion of the other comes to loss of the Faith. 
    At a certain point, continual railing against this or that Bishop, priest, society, fraternity, docuмent is tiring. It sounds like nonsense to the newcomer or to the very young. Do people ever consider that fewer than half of today’s Catholics were born when V-2 ended?  A half or less remember anything other than the “Conciliar” Church?  There’s nothing “new” about the “new Mass?”  I do remember, but mine are the memories of a child, not an adult. Most people my age were alive, but they have no memories from so young an age.  For souls to be converted, they must hear and believe the basics of the Catholic Faith, not merely how what now exists must be fought against. A soldier must know not only what he fights against, but what he fights for!  
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    Offline Matthew

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    Re: Balancing Fighting with Living
    « Reply #3 on: August 07, 2025, 07:40:32 AM »
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    • Yes, some famous quotes and expressions come to mind:

    "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Nietzsche

    And this very quote inspired a more recent quote, from Batman (2008):

    "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

    I'm no fan of Nietzsche, but there seems to be some truth in this quote. Even a broken clock can be right twice a day.

    A human being can only handle so much evil -- even if it's just studying and reading about evils. I also think different people have different "max loads" of how much darkness they can contemplate before they flip their lid, shut down, switch off, etc.
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