Party of God or Satan?
Dividing Lines
I find myself unfollowing and deleting friends from my social media sites this weekend. I find myself making decision to distance myself from acquaintances and others whose paths I cross often. Yes, some friendships are ending this week. I see others on social media proclaiming that whom you vote for doesn't matter and that it will not affect friendships. I am not sure I understand that. I don't know how it can't matter. This time around, things have become very much different and there are distinct dividing lines being drawn. I think that is unfortunate, but I think as Catholics we must determine what side of that dividing line we need to be on. Unity is important, but only unity in Truth, and we can make no compromises on this. So if you are seeking unity but willing to sacrifice Truth as a part of the price for that unity, then you are denying Truth in some aspect, and when you deny Truth in some aspect, you deny Christ, because Christ is Truth.
Christ prayed during His agony, that we all may be one. What exactly though was He praying for. Was He praying that we all be one but within a divided assortment of Truths? I don't think that is what He wants at all. He wants us to be united in Truth, by accepting Him as that Truth. Christ died to save us, but he lived to leave us with a Church that would forever on this Earth guide us, teach us, and make us Saints. He never promised that this Church would be perfect, but She has made Saints in every age, from people of every walk of life, socio economic background, racial and cultural ethnicity and whether young or old. These Saints are united with Christ, both then and now, and they did not sacrifice Truth, many of them died in defense of it. They stepped on a certain side of a dividing line and never wavered, leaving family and friends behind in that pursuit of holiness and sainthood.
So many of the Saints relied on one another, think of Dominic and Scholstica, think of Francis and Clare, and think of all the apostles, Peter and Paul, Felicity and Peretua and the examples go on. These Saints drew those dividing lines when they had too. That didn't mean that they stopped loving those in their lives, but they loved with conviction and with fidelity to Christ, because after all, sometimes that dividing line sheds light on the Truth we are trying to proclaim, Sometimes not painting that dividing line renders Truth null and void in the hearts of those we strive to convince and convert.
Christ said that he came to divide, and that division would occur even in families. I think this is the division he was talking about. The decision to divide into camps of the truly devout and faithful, and those who are adamantly opposed to faithfulness and those who are confused about what faithfulness really is and means. Once we waiver on our faithfulness our witness waivers as well. It is why the Martyrs died and when they did so, the Church grew by leaps and bounds. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Sometimes martyrdom takes on a less drastic form than death, sometimes it is the sacrifice and suffering endured as those dividing lines are drawn and friendships are ended. Sometimes the cross is the sacrifice made in a stand for Truth. I know I am too weak to let the faithless have too much access to me, it is easy to succumb and take on the vices of those in close proximity. It isn't worth flirting with these near occasions of sin, we will come across them even in good company with fellow faithful Christians.
So, yes, I can't tolerate those who promote the sins that cry to Heaven for justice. I can't congratulate victory for those who plan to slaughter innocents. I can't respect fraudulent cheaters who violate the Love of my eternity. I cannot render genuine happiness to those who spit in our Creators face and defy His commandments. I am drawing a line, and that line is on the side of Truth that my Faith has handed down for thousands of years. I stand firm with Christ, and to do less, would be to tempt my steadfastness and stability. So, I will surround myself with fellow saint want-to-be's and we will run this race together to the end.
Jesus did hang out with sinners, but he converted them, he did not commiserate with them in their sinfulness. That is what fellow Christians do, it is hard enough without the faithless, so they will be left. We will convert those who are willing but leave behind those who aren't. And we will strive to win this world for Christ, but we know some don't desire that, and some desire the world of Satan. Those are the choices we all make, and those birds we flock with, help us keep that choice first and foremost in our vision- whether is is Heaven or Hell. So, yeah, I will be leaving some people behind after this week, as I strive for holiness and to be with those striving for holiness as well, and those who revel in filth and sin, they can continue on that side of the line. This is a line I am choosing not to cross, but hopefully some will cross over to my side one day.
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About the Author
I am a wife and mother of two grown sons. Although I am Cradle Catholic, I experienced a profound reversion to the True faith several years ago that motivated and inspired me to dive more deeply into an understanding of the Church and Her teachings, and why She has these teachings and where they come from. Surprisingly, for me, the more I read and discovered, the deeper my love of the Catholic Church and her teachings became. This certainly is a journey that doesn't end, and so as I uncover more amazing facts about our Faith and Church, I just can't help but want to share what I'm learning. So, I began writing for Catholic 365.
I have recently served for a year and a half as the Executive Director of a very active and busy Crisis Pregnancy Center on the West side of Cincinnati. God is so good and does answers prayers, even though He knows at times, we have no idea what we are asking for. The pro life cause is paramount to our times, I am so honored and humbled to have had the experience and opportunity to serve women and the unborn in this capacity! I am also very grateful to God, for allowing me to see for myself, that perhaps such a calling was not His long term plan for me. We go where God seeminly calls us, and for me, that was a return to corporate America. I currently work as a recruiter and sales onboarding specialist where I am helping a Franchising company open and support small businesses that serve seniors and the elderly, giving them opportunities to age in place and live thier final chapters with dignity. It is the other end of the pro life spectrum and such an amazing endeavor!
I love being able to share this great faith of ours and use this platform as a way to express my deep love and devotion to our Lord. We need each other, and this effort has truly become a wonderful way to connect with all of you- my brothers and sisters in Christ!
