Tempted to Leave the Church? DON'T! Fr. Z has some good advice for you.

Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. [John 6:67-68]

I occasionally receive emails from folks who want to leave the Church because they are so disgusted with the scandals, the corruption, and the example of the evil bishops, so numerous in our day!

I get it! I really do!


I've had to argue with myself many times about why I absolutely MUST stay in the barque of Peter instead of jumping off into shark infested water with nothing but a flimsy inner tube of my own strength. How stupid would that be! And how long would I last before drowning?

Read Fr. Z's post. He offers sound advice to all of us. Here's my favorite "bullet:

• What do you suppose priests to be? All priests are unworthy of their calling. He doesn’t choose men who are worthy. He chooses those whom it pleaseth Him to choose. God chooses and uses us anyway. It has ever been so. While He was still alive, 1/12th of the bishops sold the Lord and 10/12ths ran away from the Cross. What hubris infects us now to think that today’s priests are better than they? We only know and have more stuff, now. We aren’t any more worthy than they were. And they had Christ face to face every day! We, unworthy, see Christ as if through the dark glass. This is one reason why the traditional Mass is so helpful. It constantly reminds the priest, and the people, about who he is and who he isn’t. From the very beginning of Mass he declares himself a sinner and begs for your forgiveness. To you, friend, and to all, please forgive me, unworthy, in the place of all and every priest who has ever been stupid, wicked and low. Don’t punish yourself by staying away from the Church due to my sins and those of my unworthy brethren. Try to see, instead, the love and might of God at work even in us unworthy sinners. That’s His way of doing things, and we must submit to this unfathomable plan. Help us to be better. We are for you, in the manner of priest and also the victim offered. If I tell you to “man up”, then please help us to “man up”.

And after you absorb Fr. Z's advice, listen to St. John Bosco's dream about the two columns.

Please...if you are discouraged, disillusioned, and despairing about the state of the Church, knock yourself upside the head and go to Confession. I'm not saying those feelings are sins, but you need the grace of the sacraments to persevere and Confession is a powerful help and the best preparation for receiving Holy Communion which we all desperately need. When we consume Christ in the state of grace, we become more like Him. If you are able, go to daily Mass. Imagine yourself as you approach for Communion that you are one of the little ships from Don Bosco's dream rowing furiously to the column with the Host where you will quickly anchor yourself.

 Next pull out your rosary and attach your little boat to Mary's column. She is our 12-star general and when we join her legion of saints and angels, we are in an unbeatable company. The demons will be quaking in their boots seeing Mary "dressed in battle array!"