Nilly Willy Catholics

In the last post, I considered the Collateral Damage Catholic (CDC). The best way for me to generalize this particular person is “all head and no heart.”

Today, I would like to speak about the other side of the coin. Like so many things Mark Shea, I am constantly reminded much of our Faith is a “both/and” not an “either/or.” Consider Jesus for a moment. Some thought He was only God, others thought he was only man. The Church says He is God and Man. Some said He had just a body, others said He was just a soul. The Church teaches He is body and soul. Consider babies. Some say the Church hates children because priests and religious cannot have biological children. Others say Catholics are the cause for over-population. The Church holds both true, celibacy and the fruit of married love.

The Catholic Church, the Bride of Christ, is all you can eat. However, it is not a cafeteria. As a wonderful teacher reminded me, there is no a la carte Catholic, I-had-it-my-way-Catholic. Jesus was very concerned about the Pharisees and He was also very concerned for those that led others to sin.

The other side of the Collateral Damage Catholic is the Nilly Willy Catholic. Let’s think about the parable of the Good Samaritan and mercy. The Nilly Willy Catholic sees the man beaten and on the side of the road. He feels horrible for this man. He walks over to the man, bends down, and just when the beaten person thinks he going to receive help, the Nilly Willy Catholic tells him “Everything is going to be alright because you are loved just the way you are, God does not want to change one thing about you.” In comparison, the CDC sees the beaten man and just gives directions and judgment “Go over there to the inn for help, whatever you did to get beaten, you probably deserved it.” The merciful man knows that God loves each person, reaches down to help the man up, brings him to the inn, and offers to restore the person to health.

The Nilly Willy may be a liberal. The problem is he does not liberate. Jesus desires for us the freedom of being sons and daughters of God, a sharing in the divine life. Yes, His yoke is easy and burden light but we actually must put His yoke on and lift His burden. He is not interested in us picking and choosing whatever yoke and burden we want. The Nilly Willy Catholic may be a conservative. The problem is he does conserve. Sure he keeps the faith, but that is all he does. We are not called to just keep the faith, we are called to evangelize.

The Nilly Willy may seek the Conscious Evolution, when they should be seeking conscious revolution around the heart of Christ. Yes, the spirit is good but the Holy Spirit is not just for those with the special understanding. It is not just the spirit that matters and our bodies mean nothing. In a divine twist, the central event of all humanity started when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. It is both word and flesh that are good.

The Nilly Willy Catholic never judges. In fact, he is so non-judgmental that he only judges judgmentalism. He may love the sinner, but he has forgotten to hate the sin.

The Nilly Willy Catholic is pro-choice, “My body, my choice.” or “My money, my choice.” The Nilly Willy is magisterial but believes the magisterium is the self. He is not more Catholic than the pope rather he is more pope than he is Catholic.

It is our personal vocation whether as a member of Holy Orders, Marriage, or religious life to evangelize. Christ has asked us to take the Gospel to all of creation. I think we can mistake evangelizing with not thinking we need redemption or salvation. Rather than offering a multiple choice Catholicism, perhaps choosing “All the above” is the best option. Instructing the ignorant is a spiritual work of mercy but this means we have to know the instruction and the Instructor.  Remember, the early Christians were noticeably different from their pagan counterparts because of their merciful love. Having been well versed in the Old and New Testament, the early Christians knew God has given commandments to follow and that He forgives when we trespass them. They would have known that Jesus came to save each person regardless of their past but He did not want them to wallow in the squalor. They would not just pick and choose which teachings of Jesus to follow willy nilly because Jesus said (Matthew 28:19-20):

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

When it comes to our initial meeting with someone who is misled, leading willed sinful life, or is ignorant of the Church’s teachings, we would do much better to treat the person as a patient in need of care like a physician that listens to a patient describe an illness. The Good Doctor I know says (1 Cor. 13:4-7) “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”