John, Cardinal Newman
has been declared “Blessed” by The Church, and is on his way to being Canonized. His life as a Catholic affected me and millions of others in a positive way. It was John, Cardinal Newman who made one of the most famous Catholic statements: “I am created to do something or to be something for which no one else is created.”
The Cardinal confirmed this approach for himself, and by implication, for each one of us: “God has created me to do some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He is not committed to another. I have my mission.”
As each of us works away at what we do, it is comforting to know that our work is special, that it is ours, and that it is our clear and constant duty to continue. As Catholic Fundamentalism continues to be developed, I am grateful for the encouragement that the soon-to-be Saint, John, Cardinal Newman, has provided. We should all be as encouraged as we should be thankful for having all our uniqueness and importance so beautifully understood.
Catholic Fundamentalists, of course, read the soon-to-be Saint’s “God has created me to do some definite service.” and replace “created” with “programmed”, hopefully making his words and the loving God Who inspired them more understandable to those of us living in the Age of Electron Control.
He has also told us how we should persevere: “I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.” “if I do but keep His commandments” is absolutely vital to us and our lives. Without that obedience, we are naught. Without obedience, we have fallen into disobedience; wheat has become tares, sheep coarsened into goats, goodness turned to ashes.
P.S. Came across this a few days after posting the above, and realized that a great difference between the straightforward and the not-so straightforward was made clear by comparing the clear, unambiguous sentences of Newman above with the vastly more opaque: ”Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it.” Mohandas Gandhi. This sort of thing would be called “mindless drivel” if one of us were to say it. Spoken by a non-Christian, of course, it is immediately given weight and credence.
