‘“live out my vocation” – dinner and laundry’

Don’t sell yourself short! God bless you x10!

Personally I think that what most people could do - even those not born to be internet polemicists or ruthless debaters - is to become better in the basics. A Catholic who buys and reads a couple of introductory books like those books “for dummies” and the likes, learns by heart the commandment (how many Catholics still know the commandments by hearts? Really?), the works of mercy, the sins crying to heaven for vengeance, and perhaps read one or two Q&A of the “penny catechism” before going to sleep will soon be the guiding Catholic authority among friends and family.

The instruction is so bad, that even being at the level of a 10 years old of 100 years ago would be a great benefit for a lot of people.

Mundabor

I’m all for authenticity, since I’m not always as authentic as I should be. And what strikes me about the response you got is the true humility this person showed by admitting that they are not what they would call a “good Catholic”, but recognizing their love and need for Christ. If more Catholics did that online, we’d have a great springboard for authenticity.

What a wonderful post! Thank you!

Great piece, Matt. It really hit home. I feel that we have to get back to the basics and living sacramental lives and the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.

I’m authentically not a very “good Catholic” and I am painfully aware of it. But maybe this can be a good medium to learn more and apply it. As a recent convert to Catholicism from many years of agnosticism, I know I need to pray much more than I do. That would be a good start. I know I love Jesus Christ more than I would have ever thought I could love anyone, and I also know I’m not worthy enough to kiss his feet. But right now I feel like a sponge trying to soak everything up…and I love it. So thank you for your message.

I’m basically a rotten Catholic who wants to be authentuic. I go to Church every week, confessions once a month, adoration weekly, Divine Mercy Chapley, the whole 9 yards. Am the father of 2 teenagers and feel like I’m constantly yelling at them about what they should and should not do—I feel like I’m losing them. Others seem to think of me as religious, a believer.. that drives me crazy because I constantly struggle and know that I’m the worst kind of sinner—One who knows that Jesus suffered and died for all of our sins, zero doubt..that there is a Heaven, a Purgatory, a devil, and a hell, and yet I go right on and sin anyway.

As I’ve grown older, little things that never seem to bother me in my youth bother me a lot more now.  It’s a constant struggle to try to be a nice person..to find ways to help others..

Has Our Blessed Lord ever been Patient and Merciful with the likes of me..Yeah, He still sticks with me, despite seeing the many flaws.  Yet another example of His Utter and Total Goodness and Mercy.

Don’t even talk to me about separatist Catholics who homeschool. They are the scourge and the recluse people of the Catholic church. Most of them are violently opposed to any REAL AUTHORITY IN THE CATHOLIC Church. Thedy are disobedient extremists.

If a priest or a bishop told them not to homeschool, they the homeschoolers would call them the bishops or the priests the weirdos. Then they would call a rabbi or Dr. Scott Hahn who they think is the secret Pope.

These people do not live in Florida b/c they cannot afford it and most of those women and families are on welfare.  Soon here they are going to give drug and health and mental tests to people on welfare in Florida.

Get real.  They do not follow the church because when and before they insecurely believed each other they were absolute hell yons.

Meanwhile they are passing gay marriage issues up north.

We are not going to let them forget it.  Doing this “my church is worse than your church and this is what I did because my bishop is a wacko or more wacko than the whole USCCB” iS NOT TRUE OBEDIENCE. Got that?

Our bishop of St Pete Fl Bishop Lynch and the new bishop of San Antonio Texas agrees with me. He supports getting more good parish schools that do not separate themselves. Don’t tell me otherwise because more than likely you are insecure about what I am writing. Don’t self righteously smirk that smirk.  Here in Tampa we have great schools because the women work and get involved and are not wimps about getting involved. We get involved in our schools and make sure that garbage is NOT TAUGHT LIKE YOU CLAIM. BUT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU INSECURE RECLUSIVES who claim you can’t afford the gas or can’t afford your credit cards or mortgages.
And another thing: most of those homeschoolers have written threats against others. 

There is a lack of obedience.

Homeschoolers are not real Catholics. There is no obedience.

REALLY appreciated this post. Thank you!

I am not the best of Catholics.  I have a hard time with any religion because it has been watered down by humans.  I believe in God and always pray the rosary.  I do not go to church.  I only now realize that the world must have been so bad for God to have had to send Jesus down to save us.  Why did I not get that after 8 years of Catholic education?  Why did it come 40 years later?  Today I need to say that Mary, the mother of God has answered my prayers.  In need of help, I turned to her.  I have always been afraid to ask for anything in prayer because I did not think I knew how to pray right.  I know now that the answer was usually no.  However in this current crisis in my family’s life the answer to my petition to Mary was yes.  I am grateful and will never doubt the power of personal prayer again.  I only took 57 years.

Jeane,
Your comments are rather irrational.  I think you should do some research on what the church really teaches about homeschooling and the role parents should play in THEIR children’s education.  The real problem today is not with home schoolers, but with the state of Catholic education.  My children attended three “Catholic” schools before I began homeschooling them. 
I pray you will read this document and that all Catholic educators will read this.

We are called to be obedient, this is true, but our obedience is to the Church and Her teachings!  With all do respect, this is not happening in most “Catholic” schools in our country and in many countries for that matter!  We are called to be obedient to our Bishops, yes this is true as well, but they cannot ignore or change Church teaching!  They are there to make sure it is being carried out in their diocese.
So I ask you, Is telling parents they cannot homeschool their children and they are disobedient if they do really following Church teaching? 

The rise and popularity of homeschooling among Catholics in this country is the result of disobedience and dissidence on the part of the “Catholic” school system and the lack of leadership from the Bishops.  I believe the real issue behind the entire problem is money.  Money has become more important then the mission.

God Bless You

“Parents are the first and the most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents.”
Pope John Paul II
Letter to Families

Pope Pius XI wrote the encyclical The Christian Education of Youth which is the classic education document which has directed the Catholic Church and Catholic schools since 1929. It was issued to all the leaders in the Church as well as the Catholic Faithful throughout the world, and has been quoted time and time again in papal documents.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_31121929_divini-illius-magistri_en.html

The family therefore holds directly from the Creator the mission and hence the right to educate the offspring, a right inalienable because inseparably joined to the strict obligation, a right anterior to any right whatever of civil society and of the State, and therefore inviolable on the part of any power on earth. (32)

I agree Lin. If you want a Catholic education and to protect your children from the liberal philosophy you are almost forced to teach your children—at home. In many cases you cannot count on the “Catholic schools” to do the job either. I tried. That does not mean homeschooling parents isolate their children—I have never seen that happen. People should be more aware of what the teachers are actually teaching, I don’t think we have requested that they teach them about sex—but sometimes that is the focus.
You send a child to school to learn reading, writing, math, history and science—and all of a sudden they are being told that homosexuality is acceptable and having sex is the norm, followed by an abortion. No thanks. The homeschooling parents I know are trying to protect and guide their children—not act like fanatics cut off from the world.

<3 amen <3

What a great post.  Thank you Matt for sharing that reader’s response.  It’s nice to know I am not the only one who struggles with balance and a hearty spiritual life.  I am encouraged by this post and it gives me hope so that I too must keep ‘running the race’.  Thank you Lord for accepting me just as I am.  Real.

I think trying your best at being an “Authentic” Catholic is to realize that you, youself, are a sinner.  To go forward with that mentality, you should be aware of your sins, accept that you have sinned and admit your sins during confession.  Asking God for guidance and surrendering to Him to help you be the best person you can be through prayer, meditation, eucharist adoration are also great ways to try to keep oneself as an authentic catholic and to find ways to try to avoid future sin.

The problem today with many “fallen” catholics is that their ego gets in the way, do not admit that they are sinners (such as active homosexuals, poeple that have live in partners and have children without being married)and are ignorant to what God’s law is. 

With this, people “blame” the church for not accepting their sins, when all awhile, these individuals will not “fess up” that what they are doing are sins.  These indiviuals then make up their own rules for life, start living a lie and wonder why they experience such misery and sometimes leads to broken relationships, disease and children that are out of control (If these parents aren’t trying to live to morals and rules—how do they expect their children to?)

People need to start being honest with themselves if they want to be authentic catholics.