When I first read the phrase “life is synthetic,” all I could think of was polyester.
That is not what that author intended, but rather, that Catholics must strive for a synthesis of faith and culture. We are called to create a just world in which our faith informs the culture. A challenge for many Catholics is uncertainty about primary beliefs in this unstable and mercurial quarter-century mark of the new millennium.
We have had plenty of people to help us understand our values. There is no lack of books, articles, podcasts and videos to help us know what is expected of faithful Catholics. If we put our heads in the sand to avoid confrontation with the culture, it is due to our own hesitation or lack of initiative. If we have chosen not to read the documents designed to help us decide our role at this turbulent time in history, that may be due to our own cowardice. Perhaps we don’t want to rock the boat. We would rather fit in than challenge people.
Well, that is called lukewarm. It is choosing not to be hot or cold but somewhere in the middle. John of Patmos, author of the Book of Revelation, states “because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16). What an image.
As Catholics, we must educate ourselves about what it means to be a Catholic and then be willing to stand firmly for our beliefs, which will likely be unpopular, or even detestable, to others. Our identity as Catholics begins and ends with respect for all life, from the moment of conception to natural death, and is referred to as “a consistent life ethic.” We fight for the dignity and preservation of all life.
Our Catholic identity is a gift to guide us through the decisions we make each day. The better we understand and embrace our identity, the more we help create a just society. Our identity is guided by Catholic social teaching and the guiding principles are: dignity of the human person, common good and community, preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, rights and responsibilities, role of the government and subsidiarity, economic justice, stewardship of God’s creation, promotion of peace and disarmament, participation, and global solidarity and development.
ACTION PLAN
- Read about Catholic social teaching. Find one area to act in and have the grit to follow through.
- Read about the life of a saint to learn about difficulties that person faced. Realize we are called to similar courage and holiness.
Through a clear understanding of these guiding principles of our faith, and our daily alignment with these precepts, we help create a just world. According to Msgr. James Shea, a life characterized by the love of God and others “lived as a member of the new humanity, no matter how troubled by suffering, no matter how obscure or difficult or filled with seeming failure, is a triumphant success that will end in a crown of blessedness and beauty.”
The courage of one person, standing firmly for the message of Christ, can influence the decisions of many others to act in accordance. Ours is not, and has never been, the faith of the weak and faint-of-heart, but rather one of courage. If we look to the saints, we find thousands of examples of human beings, just like us, who challenged the leadership of their day and made decisions that aligned with the Catholic faith rather than with the culture.
This is our time to stand firmly for what we believe. Our task is to educate ourselves about the foundations of our faith and stand firmly on the core of those beliefs. If we do this, we can expect ostracization and ridicule. Do we have the mettle to withstand such treatment? Will we choose to be like the saints, or will we compromise and collapse our values? Will we contribute to the synthesization of our faith and culture?
Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. Learn more at her website ifhwb.com.
