The modern-day narrative is that even if God exists, God does not matter. We can get along just fine without the thought of a creator. On a personal note, I just visited relatives and in-laws on the east coast last week. It seems that those who have left the Church, who are many, have gone on and have made sense and some level of purpose of their lives, have a network of friends, have gotten married, divorced, had families, amazing careers, and have determined what is right and wrong for them, all without recourse to the divine, without ever consulting the creator of the universe.
Yet, with a lifetime pursuit of status as defined by consumer product companies such as financial independence, careers with powerful positions, creature comforts, fast cars, and multiple lovers, they seem really bored with life. Yet, bored as they are, they will stand by their claim that religion makes people guilt-filled, dismal, and unpleasant and so they are either lukewarm at best or “Recovering Catholics” at worst having barely escaped that “guilt-filled, dismal, and unpleasant life” in exchange for being completely in charge.
The sign of our times is that my relatives are not unlike the majority of Catholics who have adopted this modern-day narrative as well. They have concluded that they have seen and experienced enough of their Catholic faith that it has very little or nothing to offer them. So, they have placed God far out in the margins of their life to keep company with the poor, the sick, the aged, and the helpless.
A majority of Catholics have replaced the power of God, and the precepts of the Roman Catholic Church, with the power of the self through consumerism, affluence, and social position placing their hope in human advancements, keeping distracted with the latest technology and the sensual aspects of life – only what can be seen, felt, touched, smelled and tasted. They cannot, however, escape the inevitable suffering in life that comes their way, so they try to suppress their sorrow by trying to extract out of life the most enjoyment possible.
Christ gave us two commandments, which were truly “the great reset” for humanity. The first was “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22: 37-39). These commandments are not optional if we care about our salvation and the salvation of others.
If we don’t love God or even acknowledge He exists, we will never love or care about our neighbor. We see this played out on the world stage and in our neighborhoods. If we do acknowledge God, are we truly devoted to Him? Or do we honor God with our lips, but our heart is far from devotion? Matt 15: 8 – 9
In his book “Introduction to the Devout Life”, St. Francis de Sales calls out Catholics who were living a divided life.
“We can shape our religious devotion according to our disposition. One-man values fasting. So, he does not moisten his lips with wine, but he drinks his neighbor’s blood by slander. Another prays much but thinks little about his angry speech. One will forgive enemies but not pay his debts. Some people appear to be devout but are really not. So, people can believe that someone is spiritual just because they have the garments of devotion.”
St. Francis de Sales says that true devotion is a real love for God. “That love in our soul is called grace. Love that strengthens us to do good is called charity. When charity attains perfection and we act diligently it is called devotion. Consider the ostrich (which never flies), the hen (which acquires brief flight), and the dove (which soars high). These three represent sinners (who do not rise to God), well-meaning people (who rise only slowly and heavily) and really devout people (who rise frequently). Devotion is a spiritual activity by which Divine Love causes us to work briskly. Someone who neglects the commandments is neither good nor devout. A good person keeps the commandments. A devout person keeps them readily. A truly devout person keeps all the commandments and does many good works that are not commanded.”
St. Francis de Sales also said that the devout life is for all people not just the clergy and rather than hinders any profession, beautifies it.
“In the devout life, the noble, the servant, the single person, and the married person bring forth different fruits of devotion. The father of a family cannot live like a monk and workers cannot spend all day in Church like a religious. This would be a ridiculous devotion. Yet, this mistake is often made and causes people to find fault with devotion.
True devotion hinders no profession (nor does it make the devout person “dismal and unpleasant” my words, not St. Francis de Sales’). Whatever hinders your daily tasks is spurious devotion. The bee sucks honey without damaging the flower. True devotion does even better. It adorns and beautifies all professions. As precious stones placed in honey grow more brilliant in color, anyone practicing devotion fulfills their calling much better. Every occupation is better performed when the person is truly devout. Devotion must not be banished from the lives of the soldier, the mechanic or anyone.”
“It is an error, or rather a heresy, to endeavour to banish a devout life from the camps of soldiers, the shops of tradesmen, the courts of princes, or the affairs of married people.” St. Francis de Sales
