15 Comments
Nov 21, 2023Liked by Fr. Chris Pietraszko

Thank you Father for this article. Made me think of Mother Teresa’s ‘Do everything with Love.’

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Feb 28, 2023Liked by Fr. Chris Pietraszko

I think this is a good reminder on a number of levels.

For example, on a personal level, it can cause us to reflect on whether our actions, which may have had their roots in virtue, have become routine and are no longer serving the good of the other, i.e, that sometimes what starts out as true charity toward another can, over time, become a routine which leads to a form of enabling. We need to constantly ask ourselves “why am I doing this? Is is for them or for me?”

This, of course, can also be applied on an organizational level, where attachment to “the way we’ve always done it” leaves us blind to changing realities and the need for a change in approach. To be clear, I am speaking of practical actions directed towards the good of the other...not compromise on matters of faith and morals. I believe this is what you were referring to when you spoke of a change to an Apostolic approach, given we no longer live in an age of Christendom. As Mary Eberstadt states in her recent book, ADAM AND EVE AFTER THE PILL-REVISITED, “Evangelization in such a time demands creativity of a new order. It is analogous to explaining to someone who has only lived in apartment buildings what it might be like to live in a house - especially when he has never seen a house.”

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Whatever we consign ourselves to remains an act of our own will even when we consign ourselves in the direction of what is good. Paul speaks of not doing the good that we want to do as an aspect of the law of sin, which is our human weakness (cf. Romans 7:14 thru 8:2; Matthew 26:41). We are strengthened from the law of sin through the influence of the Holy Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). Our own will-power for producing a good consignment is insufficient.

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