Today is the Feast of the Holy Family in Ireland and in the TLM. For a family to be holy is not rocket science. I am going to rant and rave today as I have listened to two conversations in the last two days of families, married couples, young people, blaming priests for their lack of holiness and for falling away from the Faith.
I said that on the day of our death, at our particular judgement, God will not say, "Oh, enter into heaven because you could not help it that Father Google was a bad shepherd," or, imagine Jesus stating, "Poor adult Christian, you committed all those sins because you did not read, or listen, or pray."
(Photo is of Blessed Louis Martin, father of Doctor of the Church, St. Therese, the Little Flower).
Not a chance that we shall get off the hook. As adult Catholics, the acceptance or denial of our Faith is in our own hands. We live in the age of information. We have The Catechism of the Catholic Church and most of the encyclicals of the past 125 years free online. We have EWTN, books, Catholic stores, newspapers, journals, blogs, etc. all about the One, True, Holy, Apostolic Church. Families are holy if parents are holy, not if priests are holy, although that helps. My Faith was passed on to me by my parents, not the schools I attended (all private and Catholic), not the governments and their programs. Do not blame the Pope, the Cardinals, the scandals, the lack of vocations. Lay people, look at yourselves.