I admire those who can speak the truth in all seasons. Those whom I am bringing to mind have a holy zeal that doesn’t allow them to remain silent in the face of untruths. They are bold in their love of the Lord. We are in a time where not speaking up to keep the peace, is in fact still speaking. Your silence is deadly.

Thank you for those who witness and give us courage.

It seemed in years past that my lips were sewed shut in the face of overwhelming dissent. Part of the problem was my stunned shock by the unexpected realization that we Catholics are not all on the same page even in basic tenants of the faith. No kidding, Sherlock! (big belly laugh from the peanut gallery!) It is an especially hard lesson when one works for the Church. It is there, at times, where some of the most unexpected resistance can occur. What my limited experience of almost twenty years has shown me, is that “personal theologies” don’t always mesh with Church teachings.

I had a conversation just the other day with a woman. When asked about her Catholic belief and practice I was given a cacophony of relativistic views meshed in with plenty of erroneous statements.

Where do I begin to catechize that mess and is she willing to listen?

Another important lesson I continue to learn, is there may be several ways to look at the same truth. Not black and white to grey, rather, that my measure is not THE measure. My expectations are not God’s expectations, and most importantly, people don’t know what they don’t know. Their family and formation (or lack there of) play a huge role. The outside voices, (and there are many in our current times), can actually speak untruths, misguided tolerance, and out right lies.

To whom do we listen? Where do we seek truth?

What saddens me most, is we cannot always expect to hear the complete truth from those we should expect to hear it from. Just because someone works in the Church, and collects a paycheck doesn’t mean they have a hot line to heaven. Always check the Catechism if it sounds too good to be true. Even in Mother Church, you will find wolves in sheep’s clothing.

What? No way.

Evil will get where it can do the most harm, cause confusion and doubt.

Perhaps it was poor formation, poor role models, decades of misinformation passed down in an attempt to make the load a little lighter on the faithful. Maybe a softer more non- judgmental approach kept people in the pews. So instead of truth they handed out lollipops, where a good spiritual whooping was required.

I don’t know?

Servant of God, Madeline Delbrel wrote this, “For, even in the midst of a world populated with good people, the goodness of a heart converted to Christ does not resemble other forms of goodness…It demands that we love no matter whom, all the way to the end, and no matter when it may be. It accepts no good excuse for not being good.”

Yes the world is populated with lots of good people. What she is writing about I believe, is there is still a distinction between ordinary worldly goodness and God’s goodness. God does not see as man sees. What convicted my heart more than anything was this little line, “…it accepts no good excuse for not being good.”

I’ve used a lot of excuses over the years.  What I even felt were good excuses for not speaking up when I should have; even if it meant the loss of a job or a thousand arrows in my heart. I have found new courage again and again when the brave, bold voices of truth do not remain silent.

Thank you for your witness, for it gives us all courage to go and do the same.