We've all had experiences of non-Catholics telling us what Catholics believe. This happened to me (again) a few nights ago when an old friend from back in our race horse days called to ask what I thought of the reversal of Roe vs Wade.
She's a cradle Episcopalian and goes to an Episcopal church that just got a new pastor. My friend said, "...and he's got a husband!" I said, "Oh. So he's a sodomite." She never skipped a beat, saying, "Yes, but I'll never - never, mind you - leave my church." In the next breath she suggested I "go get a miracle from the apparition".
Me: Go get a miracle from the apparition?
Her: Yes. You do believe in miracles, don't you? Catholics believe in miracles.
Me: What are you talking about?
Her: Medjugorje. The apparition there.
Me: Oh. That.
Her: People go there to get a miracle from the apparition. You should go.
I wasn't sure if she was being facetious and having no idea where she got this information (the new sodomite pastor?) I tried to set her straight on the subject of apparitions, Medjugorje especially.
Beginning with the seers..."What's a seer?"...I tried to tell her the difference between the seers of Fatima..."What's Fatima?"...and the seers of Medjugorje. In the middle of this I thought perhaps she was mixed up with Lourdes where people actually do go to try to get a miracle of healing.
She accused me of not believing in miracles because of being more than highly suspicious of Medjugorje. She thinks I don't believe in miracles because ever since becoming Catholic 35 years ago I'm "too serious". Replying that, since converting, hopefully I'm more mature than when we were young and clueless, I stated that life is serious.
Me: Life is serious. What do you think we're here on earth for anyway?
Her: We're here to have fun.
Me: Fun?!
Her: Yes. Why? What do you think we're here for?
Me: We're here to try to work our way to Heaven.
Her: (laughter, then...) I don't want to argue!
It isn't arguing when we try to explain Catholic teaching to a person who has initiated a conversation concerning things they know nothing about. They consider the truth as argumentative. I love my old friend dearly, however was relieved when the call ended.
This is a small example of what happens when prejudice meets truth. Does truth have a chance against deeply rooted prejudice? All I can do is shake my head in sorrow at my friend's ignorance, pray that something I said might reach through the thick mire of years of ingrained prejudice then leave the rest to Our Lady of Fatima.
The related conversation seems disturbingly familiar these days.
ReplyDeleteWhy did God make me? To know, love, and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in Heaven.
ReplyDeleteThe existential dilemma was solved in the second grade in 1958, and thank God, never forgotten. By 1966 that pedagogy was abandoned. Catechesis evaporated. The nascent New World Order had taken the critical step of accomplishing a council which castrated Catholicism. Many of my generation were effectively reprogramed.
This week we have a Jesuit in the Chair of Saint Peter greeting Madame Moloch -- a woman who regards the murder of fetal life at full term a human right -- in the Vatican and facilitating her reception of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ at Holy Mass.
And an Episcopalian believing we are here to have fun. Tragically, she is not alone. Girls [and boys] just want to have fun.