Author Topic: Catholic Culture vs. Being successful, making money (Read 2287 times)

Matthew · « **on:** October 21, 2012, 02:06:11 PM »

First, a disclaimer: This isn't meant to become an SSPX bash-fest. That means you, Telesphorus. I know this topic is RIGHT up your alley.

I would like to have a philosophical discussion about something which is certainly an issue.

I believe there are two kinds of priests:
1. Those who focus more on rebuilding Catholic culture, promoting Catholic lifestyle, etc.
2. Those who focus on the vocation of the layman being to earn money to help build up the Church that way. (In other words, we all must help/build up the Church, but only some can/will join the religious or clergy)

So you have some priests who would be OK if all their parishioners had well-thumbed copies of Integrity books (My Life with St. Thomas Aquinas) talking about family, Catholic culture, etc. and they spent lots of resources to acquire land, classic literature, homeschooling, an integrally Catholic home life, allowing the children to see their parents working, etc. but these families probably wouldn't have a lot of extra money.

Summary: Churches will be rustic or humble, but all the parishioners live solidly Catholic lives, and are "low risk" for losing the Faith.

Then you have some priests who would rather have laymen having to kick and scream every inch of the way to being Catholic -- having to constantly hold up a shield to deflect the fiery darts of the world, in particular while studying in a very anti-Catholic college environment. But when all was said and done, these families would have more "resources" to give to the Church, so the Churches would look a little nicer.

Summary: The Churches are beautiful and elaborate, and many parishioners have successful careers, but most parishioners show plenty of battle scars from dealing with the World. They are "high risk" for losing the Faith, or at least compromising with the world too much. Example: Indult.

Now I'm not saying you necessarily have to lose the Faith if you become a doctor, or go to college. I'm saying you are HIGHER RISK for at least becoming a bit more lukewarm in the battle with the World. It's a question of statistics.

Ask Bishop Williamson -- there are ways to increase your chances, and ways to LESSEN your chances for sanctity. Living on acreage doesn't make you a saint, but if you put 1000 people on acreage, and 1000 people elbow-to-elbow with worldly people, you're going to have more holy people in the first group. That's what I'm saying. Grace builds on nature.

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2012, 02:12:25 PM »

In fact, you have people exaggerating both "types".

In the first group, you have Catholic so focused on working in a "Catholic" career/lifestyle that they don't have jobs at all, and spend their days arguing on Internet fora, philosophizing about Belloc/Chesterton, wearing outdated clothing, being unnaturally allergic to computers, etc.

In the second group, you have people carried away with the idea of "being IN the world" but they forget the "but not OF the world" part. Some people compromise so much with the World that they become indistinguishable from the worldly people around them.

Both of these extremes are certainly wrong.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2012, 02:29:53 PM »

These two different "priority types" express themselves differently all the time, in every situation.

Type A (Catholic Culture) type would advise a young, unmarried lady to learn the domestic arts -- how to bake bread, how to sew, etc. so she will be best able to run a house and raise children.

Type B (Success) type would advise a young woman to go to college, so she can work as an accountant or nurse instead of having to work at Target.

You really can't PRIORITIZE both, which is why I believe everyone can be sorted into these two "camps".

JohnGrey · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2012, 02:38:15 PM »

How many saints have prayed for humility, poverty, detachment from all worldly desires? How many have prayed for worldly success to support the Church and foster her mission to convert all men to salvation? The answer is relatively simple and clear enough as to what needs to be a priest's main focus. So often men think that giving money is enough to fulfill their spiritual and corporal acts of mercy. Christ didn't say to give money to the Church so that she could hire people to nurse the sick, to counsel the prisoner, and feed the poor. We are instructed to do these things ourselves.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2012, 03:01:48 PM »

Catholics don't exist to earn money for priests.

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Now if priests are teaching and acting differently, then they have a serious problem.