One of the reasons I continue this blog has to do with the overwhelming silence of the clergy on many issues, such as abortion, contraception, ssm, and how to pray I blog because the hierarchy is not into adult education. How can bishops expect people to understand doctrine without education?
But, more than that, I blog in order to raise the level of education for the Catholic in the pew. Without knowledge of the Faith, and without encouragement to be holy, we would all fall into discouragement and even laxity.
The remnant is small, very small. Most Catholics have lost confidence in their bishops and even local priests. This lack of confidence has been caused by a variety of issues, some which can be "blamed" on the hierarchy and some which cannot be.
Those Catholics who are not in Church to hear sermons or homilies are also the same ones who do not read blogs. So, I write for a small minority of people who want to be Catholic and yearn for union with Christ through His Church.
Like children who have watched sinful parents, many Catholics just do not listen to the clergy. But, more to the point, these same people do not listen to their own brothers and sisters in the Church.
I question how I can reach out to those who are no longer hearing God's word or pursuing God's Word, the Son of God. How can we evangelize those in habits of sin, or those who no longer trust the Church? We have a generation of priests who are "de-skilled", and clerical careerists.
The leadership crisis has affected the Church in the West, which is one reason why the Pope called the Synod.
What we need are leader-saints. We need Bernard of Clairvauxs. Bonifaces, Dominics, Benedicts, Catherines, Teresas, Etheldredas.
The Church needs saints to speak to those who either are so far away they cannot hear, or who do not want to listen.
How does a saint "make" people listen. By a holy life......through the example of personal holiness.
By the conviction of those who love God first, others see the fruit of this love.
Love first, love God first, love the Church....
Pray, then act.....I blog to become a saint myself, and to share this way with others.
Without prayer, there is no way to get to God.
Teresa of Avila warned us: "Don't let anyone deceive you by showing you a road other than prayer."
