“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
“It’s dull.”
“It’s rigid.”
“It’s outdated.”
“Catholicism is boring and bland. Church is for old farts. Religion is for dumb people.”
We have heard these sentiments over and over, and maybe even have had these same thoughts ourselves. They’ve been haunting our faith and robbing souls, especially the youth.
Young people chase worldly aspirations because they think it’s more exciting. It’s more adventurous. It’s more interesting. If they happen to get exposed to Catholicism, it’s uninspiring and uninviting. It’s usually presented in a sappy, unoriginal manner, with makeshift choirs and shallow messages of love and kindness. They’re told to just try to be good and then, when they die, they’ll meet up with Jesus and all their friends and they’ll hold hands forever. It expects little of them, it demands nothing, and it doesn’t present a challenge.
They look around at the listless faces who are just going through the motions, the stale flowers on the altar, the passionless sermon, and they’ll ditch before the service is over.
Then the faithful will sit back and wonder why.
Really?
Catholicism is being terribly misrepresented, terribly pitched, and terribly received.
This is the best we can do? If we were salesmen, we’d be living on the streets.
Catholicism is anything but “boring.” It is the most gripping challenge that anyone can attempt. It’s the battle between life and death, goodness and evil. It takes your entire being, your entire will, everything you are to win.
It’s an adventure like none other, one that few attempt these days and even fewer finish. Following His will is the utmost wildest expedition. You don’t know what’s around the corner, and you can’t control what comes next. You’re not doing what you want; you’re following whatever He wants.
This radical pursuit has lead saints like St. Isaac Jogues to sail across the ocean to an unknown land, approach vicious tribes like the Iroquois, live amongst them, talk like them, eat with them, and then attempt to convert them! And that he did, converting over 60 natives! He was tortured and held in captivity for days, getting his fingers chewed off, having burning coals placed on his body, his fingernails torn out, all the while still converting and hearing the confessions of other natives! Then, after escaping and returning back to Europe, he packed up his bags and went back again!
Boring?
Or what about St. Joan of Arc? Who was called at 17 years old to rally and lead a literal army into battle? And she did! They won decisive victories with her at the helm and turned the tide of the war, and she stood side by side with Charles as he was crowned king of France. Then, after she was captured, she was burned at the stake for refusing to give in to corrupt authorities…all before she reached the age of 20!
Boring?
Or St. Francis of Assisi, who was called to sell all he had, including the actual clothes on his back, and beg for what he needed! Who lived the life of a beggar and began repairing entire churches by himself, preaching all the while, and then went on to find a new religious order, which now has over 650,000 members!
Boring?
“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” ~ William Carey
God does not call us to boredom. In fact, idleness is considered the devil’s playground! We are invited by God to complete the greatest task humans can ever undertake.
And while we may not called to such high extremes, we are called to come out of ourselves and venture into discomfort each and every day. Every moment, we are petitioned to fight the inner beast within, to slay our natural desires, to live higher. We are called to battle for God. We are called to toss our own plans and live according to God’s playbook.
To live a Catholic life is to be very different than every one around us, to reject the world, to lead life contrary to the norm. In a world where immorality reigns supreme, we are to raise up goodness. In a dog-eat-dog environment, we are to be generous. In an-all-about-me society, we are not to think of ourselves. In a pleasure drunken civilization, we are to resist, to live for truth rather than pleasure.
We are called to live lives where everyone may call us crazy, may insult us, may not understand, yet we will continue on. We will be radical, passionate lovers of Christ, and with that devotion will follow Him wherever He wants us to go and do whatever He wants us to do, and it will not be boring. It will be the hardest task we ever undertake, a most tremendous challenge, an all-or-nothing fight, a thrilling expedition trumping all other tales.
It’s an adventure with the ultimate destination: God.
If we’re bored, we’re doing it wrong. Jesus is not boring, nor are his legions of saints and angels, nor is the history of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic life is a riveting journey, both inwardly and outwardly, especially in today’s world. God summons us to rise above the ranks of men. He asks us to do away with this intoxicating, alluring mess that we live in, to disregard the public’s attacks, and live for Him. He demands us to do away with wealth, to rid ourselves of pride, to strip ourselves of self, which is all so contrary to the world, and to join Him in an all-consuming quest to Heaven.
No one says it better than St. Augustine:
“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.”
