The Happy Priest on Being a Serious Catholic: How to Keep Your Sanity in an Insane World

Institutions and organizations come and go.  Too many people have too many expectations in leaders and renewal movements within the Church.  They see these apostolic works as an answer to the meltdown, but they are let down by their flawed leaders.  Our hope is in Jesus Christ the Lord, not in organizations and human leaders. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - The following is an excerpt from Get Serious! A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics, a new book by Father James Farfaglia.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

Charles Dickens' words at the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities can describe most periods of human history.  His words certainly apply to the times that we live in.
Only the blind and the apathetic would assert that our times are not challenging.  We do live in a time of upheaval. 

It is easy for many to become discouraged.  However, this is not a possible response for those who call themselves true disciples of Jesus Christ.

Serious Catholics are overwhelmed by the meltdowns around us.  Many are alarmed by the ever increasing collapse of the Catholic Church in this country.  In some parts of the country parishes are closing at an alarming rate.  Clergy scandals continue and the dwindling ranks of priests are replaced by foreign priests that nobody can understand. 

A Muslim extremist wipes out a room full of American soldiers while our bravest men and women continue to fight a war that has no exit strategy or clear plan for victory.  National politics has become alarmingly polarized as radicals attempt to change our great nation into a European-style socialist state. 

Meanwhile, the country continues to morally spin out of control because we have forgotten God.  British historian and philosopher Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975) once said: "Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder." 

Nevertheless, within all of these challenges, there are many signs of hope and renewal.
 
Institutions and organizations come and go.  Too many people have too many expectations in leaders and renewal movements within the Church.  They see these apostolic works as an answer to the meltdown, but they are let down by their flawed leaders. 

Our hope is in Jesus Christ the Lord, not in organizations and human leaders. 

The collapse and failed attempts of renewal by different institutions could be a wakeup call from God.  Is it possible that within the storm peace can be found through detachment?

Detachment means that we are to love God above all other persons, places and things.  "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6: 33).  Jesus does not tell us to only love God, he tells us to love God first.  All other loves must be subordinated to our first love.  To love God first requires a profound spiritual life and a lot of mortification. 

Detachment does not mean that we are supposed to retreat from the world and live on islands.  Detachment does mean that we are to love intensely without clinging to people, places or things.  Material things such as a house, a car, money, our education and a computer are means to bring about greater human progress.  

We can enjoy the use of these things immensely so long as they do not distract us from our first love.  Our career should be seen through the prism of detachment.  Work becomes a means of personal sanctification and it allows us to use our work to help others.  Employers create jobs and profits can be used to help others. 

Meltdowns do not anger me anymore.  The disasters allow me to get closer to God and to keep doing my ministry as a priest with greater joy and greater interior freedom.

Pain and suffering may tempt us to give up on humanity, but as I have already said, the Catholic Church is calling us not to give up.  Pope John Paul II challenged us to be part of the new evangelization; a new springtime for the Church.  However, spring means that snow, ice and mud are still on the ground.  Flowers and leaves are just beginning to bud. 

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Visit Father James Farfaglia, the Happy Priest, on the web at http://www.fatherjames.org and purchase his new book Get Serious! A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics and his first book, Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life.

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