It is important to be frank. There is a tendency for Catholics to have a particular sort of dead place in our brains.
The Little dead places in Catholic brains allows us to think that loving our neighbor includes loving what our neighbor believes. “I love my neighbor. He goes to Pastor Bob’s Mighty Mega Mountain Old Time Evangelistical Victory Family Bible Church. He joins thousands of others who stand up in every service, waving their hands in the air. They sway back and forth while repeating “We believe in Jesus and the Bible.”
We know there is something wrong, but we are told: “At our Evangelical Church, we think the most important thing is to believe in Jesus and The Bible.”
What we should say, of course, is that “Jesus founded One Church. He said to its first leader ‘Thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church. . .’ Jesus also said ‘If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood you do not have life in you.’ And, you know as well as I that the only way we can receive That Holy Food is in Catholic Communion. If you do not return to The Only Church He Founded, you risk going to Judgment with the sin of willful disobedience on your head.”
That, or something like it, is what we should say. But, we don’t. We don’t want to admit that we are weak and cowardly. Instead, we cover up our fear by saying “I love My neighbor. Jesus said that we should ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ I approve of what he does, because I love my neighbor, even though I know that he is making a big mistake.”
That is the Little dead place in many Catholic brains. That little dead place is caused by lack of Courage. Courage is a Gift of The Holy Spirit. If Catholics fear to urge a straying sheep back to The Body and Blood and have life in them the only way Jesus said we could, are we on the side of death?
We need to ask The Holy Spirit for the necessary courage. Then, the Little dead places in our brain come back to live.
A complicated excuse for not urging the lost to be found? “Well, maybe God has turned His face from my neighbor and this is His way of getting rid of him. Who am I to argue with God?” That only gives us another reason to be cowardly. Our duty is to His Love and Truth. They have taken living form on earth in only one place, The Church He Founded.
Our duty is clear: Little dead places in the brain should be brought to life.
