One of my close friends is suffering greatly. Right now, she believes that she has a choice to make: to be Catholic, or to be happy. Her past is filled with so much pain and after finding some healing, a huge door has opened to happiness and blessings, but to follow it would be disobedience.
The Catholic Church as understood by Catholics is the true Bride of Christ. I am Catholic. I believe this with all my heart. Yet sometimes, the Catholic Church appears to be heartless, unsympathetic, and unwilling to change with the times.
My own heart is breaking as I witness my friend going through a particular trial. I almost want to advise her to just follow her heart and if it means disobedience, well, this is a very difficult circumstance. God knowing her past will understand....
Yet, I know that this is bad advice. While, I do not understand why all this is happening to her, I do know that disobedience to Christ can only bring more pain; if not now, later.
My friend's situation is somewhat parallel to the story of Abraham and Issac. She is trying to be faithful, but is being asked to completely surrender what seems to be a much needed blessing. Likewise, Abraham probably didn't understand why God would ask him to sacrifice his long waited son, Issac.
Abraham obeyed anyways. God seeing his faith stepped in at the last minute and rewarded Abraham greatly. Not only did Abraham and Isaac prefigure the heavenly Father and the Son, but Abraham was promised that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars, thus extending the covenant to all nations. I am thankful, because as a "gentile", I can now be called a child of God.
Yet, what if Abraham disobeyed, saying, "Well, God couldn't actually want this. Keeping my son ALIVE will be better. It will make me happy and happiness is healthy... Even if I am wrong, God will forgive me later, and it will all work out in the end...." ?
I don't have any answers to "what if", but I do know that there are major consequences that follow disobedience, such as the punishment after the Fall, the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.,. And in contrast major blessings for obedience, such as the Incarnation, forgiveness, redemption, the Resurrection. God has always showed that He is faithful and that when we trust Him, He will not make us do something contrary to His Goodness.
I have no personal words of comfort for my friend; she has the head knowledge that obedience is best..., but is struggling in her heart with the question of whether she will ever be happy in this life, and whether following the Church when it goes against a deep conviction in her heart is indeed God's Will, or a problem caused by man.
In regard to whether she will every be happy, I want to hug her and say, "Yes! Yes! You will be and sooner than you think!" But it is hard to accept these words of hope when in the center of confusion regarding God's Will.
And it would be wrong of me to say to my friend, "This suffering is a good." For no suffering is good; rather, it is what we do with it, that is good. But, I don't wish to preach to her either. I know she knows this and her circumstance is very heart-wrenching.
Again, since this is a matter that will effect her entire life, I just want to bring comfort to her weary soul. In fact, I want to impart into her life bursts of perpetual joy, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Since, I can't give what I do not have in me, I will focus on nurturing this virtue of joy.
I will dedicate all of May to the topic of joy, in hopes that seeing a new found joy in me will help my friend find some peace and healing as she walks on her journey.
The Catholic Church as understood by Catholics is the true Bride of Christ. I am Catholic. I believe this with all my heart. Yet sometimes, the Catholic Church appears to be heartless, unsympathetic, and unwilling to change with the times.
My own heart is breaking as I witness my friend going through a particular trial. I almost want to advise her to just follow her heart and if it means disobedience, well, this is a very difficult circumstance. God knowing her past will understand....
Yet, I know that this is bad advice. While, I do not understand why all this is happening to her, I do know that disobedience to Christ can only bring more pain; if not now, later.
My friend's situation is somewhat parallel to the story of Abraham and Issac. She is trying to be faithful, but is being asked to completely surrender what seems to be a much needed blessing. Likewise, Abraham probably didn't understand why God would ask him to sacrifice his long waited son, Issac.
Abraham obeyed anyways. God seeing his faith stepped in at the last minute and rewarded Abraham greatly. Not only did Abraham and Isaac prefigure the heavenly Father and the Son, but Abraham was promised that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars, thus extending the covenant to all nations. I am thankful, because as a "gentile", I can now be called a child of God.
Yet, what if Abraham disobeyed, saying, "Well, God couldn't actually want this. Keeping my son ALIVE will be better. It will make me happy and happiness is healthy... Even if I am wrong, God will forgive me later, and it will all work out in the end...." ?
I don't have any answers to "what if", but I do know that there are major consequences that follow disobedience, such as the punishment after the Fall, the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.,. And in contrast major blessings for obedience, such as the Incarnation, forgiveness, redemption, the Resurrection. God has always showed that He is faithful and that when we trust Him, He will not make us do something contrary to His Goodness.
I have no personal words of comfort for my friend; she has the head knowledge that obedience is best..., but is struggling in her heart with the question of whether she will ever be happy in this life, and whether following the Church when it goes against a deep conviction in her heart is indeed God's Will, or a problem caused by man.
In regard to whether she will every be happy, I want to hug her and say, "Yes! Yes! You will be and sooner than you think!" But it is hard to accept these words of hope when in the center of confusion regarding God's Will.
And it would be wrong of me to say to my friend, "This suffering is a good." For no suffering is good; rather, it is what we do with it, that is good. But, I don't wish to preach to her either. I know she knows this and her circumstance is very heart-wrenching. Again, since this is a matter that will effect her entire life, I just want to bring comfort to her weary soul. In fact, I want to impart into her life bursts of perpetual joy, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Since, I can't give what I do not have in me, I will focus on nurturing this virtue of joy.
I will dedicate all of May to the topic of joy, in hopes that seeing a new found joy in me will help my friend find some peace and healing as she walks on her journey.
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