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Following the Truth: Lent: Becoming Uncomfortable About Being Comfortable [Catholic and Open]
Following the Truth.com ^ | March 1, 2012 | Gary Zimak

Posted on 03/14/2012 10:52:43 AM PDT by Salvation

Lent: Becoming Uncomfortable About Being Comfortable


“I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” (C.S. Lewis)

One of the biggest mistakes that we can make in our lives is to become comfortable. While this attitude is common among atheists and those with little faith in God, it is a BIG problem for believers as well. The fact that we are Christians doesn’t stop us from retreating into our comfort zones and transforming the Lord and His teachings to fit our own personal needs. In fact, it’s astonishing how often “our God” is willing to overlook and even condone the sins we commit each day.

We are blessed that the Church gives us the season of Lent to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). It is a time to begin anew, to be “cleansed from our idols” (Ezekiel 36:25). Rather than focusing on what makes us comfortable, we are urged to focus on what makes us uncomfortable. About what should we be uncomfortable? For starters, let’s look at the fact that OUR SINS are responsible for Jesus suffering and dying on the cross (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 598). How is it then that we have become so comfortable in ignoring this fact? The main reason is that we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the effect our sins. Every time we sin, we not only hurt God but we hurt the entire Church. Since we are all connected as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, my sins have an effect on every member of the Church.

OK, Gary…what about me? I’m a good person and go to church every week. I try to lead a good life. I haven’t committed any sins lately. Am I off the hook? Let’s look at how Saint John answers that question in the pages of the Bible:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 8-9)

The good news is that, even though we are sinners, THERE IS HOPE! Jesus is standing by, waiting to forgive our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In order to obtain that forgiveness, however, we first need to acknowledge that we have sinned. We should pray every day for the grace to see our sins AS GOD SEES THEM. Then, we can repent and seek out the Lord’s pardon for the damage we have done.

In his Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola suggests that we imagine Christ present before us on the cross. While looking at His battered and bloody body, tortured so that we can be redeemed from our sins, he proposes that we ask ourselves 3 questions:

“What have I done for Christ?”

“What am I doing for Christ?”

“What ought I to do for Christ?”

If we think about these questions long and hard enough, it’s likely that we’ll become uncomfortable…and that’s good. Because becoming uncomfortable about being comfortable is what Lent (and our Catholic Faith) is all about.



TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; choices; lent
We are into the second half of Lent.

Are you comfortable or uncomfortable?

Which is best for you?

1 posted on 03/14/2012 10:52:50 AM PDT by Salvation
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To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...

Catholic Ping!


2 posted on 03/14/2012 11:00:21 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Following the Truth: Lent: Becoming Uncomfortable About Being Comfortable [Catholic and Open]
Following the Truth: Spiritual Exercises – Week One [of Lent] In Review
Following the Truth: Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 5 (Losing Jesus), [Catholic Caucus]
Following the Truth: Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 4 (The Magnificat) [Catholic Caucus]

Following the Truth: Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 3 (Submission) [Catholic Caucus]
Following the Truth: Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 2 (Humility)[Catholic Caucus]
Following the Truth: Listening To Mary’s Voice: Part 1, Confusion [Catholic Caucus]
Following The Truth: 3 Suggestions For Hearing And Responding To God’s Voice [Catholic and Open]
Following The Truth: Layoffs, Death and Preparation [Catholic and Open]
Following The Truth: Contemplating Death [Catholic and Open]
Following the Truth: The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Had To Do… [Catholic and Open]
Following The Truth: The Priesthood — A Priceless Gift (Catholic and Open)
Following The Truth: Parents…Are You Doing Your Job? (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Confession – Is It Still Necessary? (Catholic or Open)

Following The Truth: The Feast Of St. Stephen – A Case Of Bad Timing? (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers? (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: What If Mary Said “No”? (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Jesus Is Waiting – Don’t Forget To RSVP! (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: So, You Just Received Jesus…Now What? (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: An Advent Challenge: Love Your Enemies! (Catholic and Open)
Following The Truth: The Journey To Bethlehem is Not Comfortable! (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Does God Want Us To Worry? (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: The Morning Offering – Pray Without Ceasing! (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: A (Lenten) Advent “Weight” Loss Program (Catholic or Open)

Following The Truth: Hurry Up, Lord…I’m Waiting! (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Evangelize? Sorry, But I’m Catholic! (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!) (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Letting Your Conscience Be Your Guide(What Jiminy Cricket Didn’t Tell You) [Catholic or Open]
Following The Truth: Catholic “Fluff” – The Enemy Within (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Appreciating The Gift Of Suffering (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Satan’s Attack On The Church – What You Can Do! (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: Saying “Y-E-S” to God During Lent (and Advent) [Catholic or Open]
Following the Truth: Spiritual Dryness: “I Don’t Feel Anything!” (Catholic or Open)
Following The Truth: A Biblical Roadmap To The One, True Church (Catholic or Open)

3 posted on 03/14/2012 11:01:48 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

21 days. No Heineken or anything else. I feel great! Rosary tomorrow while the Red and Gray Corned Beef for the Saint Pat’s dinner at the church cooks tomorrow after the 4:00 Mass.
Best Lent ever!


4 posted on 03/14/2012 11:07:05 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: massgopguy

Our Knights are doing a corned beef and cabbage dinner on Saturday too.

I judge that my Lent needs something more. Trying to figure it out.


5 posted on 03/14/2012 11:12:15 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

700,000 Sudanese Christians are being driven from their homes by the Saracens. Wheres the Pope and the Vatican on this?


6 posted on 03/14/2012 11:17:36 AM PDT by jmacusa (Political correctness is cultural Marxism. I'm not a Marxist.)
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To: Salvation

CS Lewis is really a treasure!


7 posted on 03/14/2012 11:44:41 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: PGR88
700,000 Sudanese Christians are being driven from their homes by the Saracens. Wheres the Pope and the Vatican on this?

This thread is about lent, where are you on this?

8 posted on 03/14/2012 11:50:47 AM PDT by infool7 (Thy will be done O Lord)
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To: Salvation

I’d have to skip dinner. Gave up meat for Lent.

The worst part is, I still have to cook it most days for the kids. Roasts are fine, but the bacon at breakfast is sheer torture!

I too feel something missing. Not sure what though, and my prayers are not exactly being answered at the moment.


9 posted on 03/14/2012 12:13:29 PM PDT by EnglishCon (Gingrich/Santorum 2012.)
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To: Salvation

I am becoming ever more uncomfortable. Gave up tobacco products for lent. But that’s not the source of my discomfort.

Just last week our office went to a funeral memorial service for the husband of my boss. That man was diagnosed with stage for Cancer (abdominal)on January 8 and died March 9. A gonner; this was nothing less than a train wreck for him, his wife and family. He was 60. Our time here is short.

The growing source of my discomfort is the slow dawn of realization that while I’ve kept true to the observation of the Churches proscriptions, keeping holy the sabath, observing Holy Days of Obligation, going to confession, keeping Lenten duties, Stations of the Cross and daily prayer, I’m not “doing” the doings that Jesus really commanded we do. I contribute to the church each week; I contribute to DSF each year, but in terms of helping the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoners in jail, clothing the needy, I’m not so good. The “Christ” event that has always troubled me is the story of the rich young man told to give his wealth away to the poor and to follow Jesus. If that’s the measure of our “justification” in the Lord, I come up perilously short. I’m not a “people” person; I prefer to keep my neighbors at arms length. I can love my neighbor....at a distance, but up close and personal, not so much.

It is troubling.


10 posted on 03/15/2012 7:19:51 AM PDT by Rich21IE
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To: Rich21IE

I’ll preface this by noting that I’m not Catholic.

But we’re all sinners, brother, and we’re not justified by our works, because our works will always fall short. We should, of course, strive to be better and to do better and to ensure that what we do—as my old Jesuit teachers would say—is for the greater glory of God.

If you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it’s Good News. Don’t be troubled. You are going to fall short, no matter what you do. But that’s OK. Christ already paid your debt.


11 posted on 03/15/2012 7:28:10 AM PDT by Publius Valerius
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To: Publius Valerius

I thank you for your encouragement; unfortunately, I’m only too well aware of the fact that Christ is still paying for my debt and all our debts and that we are all charged with reducing that debt to the best of our ability.


12 posted on 03/15/2012 7:34:53 AM PDT by Rich21IE
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