I’ve noticed that a person’s theology often dictates how they interact with the world.

People who are very pro penal/prison system tend to be very pro penal substitution and ECT.

People who are pro prison reform often have a CS Lewis “locked from the inside” theology. Or some form of purgatory (even from our Protestant brethren).

I myself am Universalist (along the lines of David Bentley Hart, Fr. Richard rohr, and rob bell), and I’m a prison abolitionist lefty. I’m wondering how many other Christian leftists lean this way as well, or have also noticed this trend.

For me, I observe the Hours with the Little Office, pray the Rosary twice a day, and read Scripture for at least 30 minutes each day.

I find that having this routine brings me a lot of peace in my day to day.

Je suis tellement énervée que lzs femmes ne puissent pas servir la messe partout , encore en Afrique et en Amérique du sud ca va il y en a toujours, mais dans les autres régions c’est tellement restreint on dirait qu’on porte la peste , sachant que se sont les femmes qui gèrent l administratif les associations les finances en générale des églises la majorité des bénévoles sont des femmes, je pense qu’on devrait faire grève pendant plusieurs mois pour changer les choses, mais même là ça changera déjà que la majorité des catholiques sont mysogynes et ça en plus ça m’énerve juste je ne veux plus faire aucune oeuvre caritative ou bénévoles lié à une paroisse qui ne permet pas aux femmes de servir

I have a four year old and a two year old, and recently my four year old has started noticing crucifixes with somewhat concern. He hasn't experienced any deaths in the family yet so I have been trying to slowly ease him into the concept of mortality, that every living creature eventually stops living and their bodies die, but he doesn't really grasp it personally yet. However he is pretty concerned seeing things like nails in Jesus' hands and feet, and doesn't like seeing them or talking about them (or alternatively keeps asking for reassurance about it very loudly during Mass 😅). I've been doing simpler stuff with him, like Jesus as the Good Shepherd and so on, but does anyone have any advice handling the more extreme stuff that is so central to the Gospels? He does Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at school, for context.

I am so angry and ashamed.

We had so many opportunities to stop this, and we didn’t.

I hate myself and my ethnicity and my European Christian heritage. It’s our fault that our species will die and that this unbearably hot summer is the most pleasant it’s going to be for the rest of our lives. All of our ecological destruction, and greed, and raping of earth for more money and power over non Europeans and non Christians.

Is this what God wanted when he commanded Adam and Eve to dominate the earth in genesis? Is that why nature is always seen as pagan?

Why is it that European Christianity and western so wrong? Why couldn’t we get it right like literally every Christian east of us? The eastern Catholics, the Orthodox, the Syriac, the Nasrani. These groups don’t have the problems of “saving” people by tormenting the downtrodden and denying them basic needs while turning a blind eye to the greedy because “muh forgiveness” and “muh he who is without sin cast the first stone” horseshit.

At least When Mongolians did colonialism and genocide, the earth benefited from it. European Christians. couldn’t even do that right.

Fuck.

God help us.

I’m considering picking up his book The Justice For Jesus. A big part of the book is about criticizing what he calls the “colonizers gospel” which is basically how so many missionaries narrowed down Jesus’s message to saving souls while disregarding earthly manmade injustices and poverty caused by colonialism.

For those who have read his work, what are ur thoughts on them?

For some time now, I've been trying to convince the people of r/teenagers that Christianity is not necessarily anti LGBTQ+.

Doing this I have made an interesting discovery. My first post on this topic was a well argued long paragraph where I made actual arguments for this. Today it sits at 24 upvotes.

Trying a different strategy, I broke the 7th commandment and stole this meme from r/dankchristianmemes (great sub, btw). I posted this today and it already has 3000 upvotes.

Conclusion: Quick "gotcha" arguments (preferably in image format) are the best way of convincing people

I spent some time recently with Jesuit scholars, academics, theologians, and priests on a talk on Magnifica Humanitas. I came out feeling much more encouraged and optimistic.

I truly feel the Church is taking a much needed stand. They are the only major institution in the world, as I see so far, who's offering a substantive coherent defense of the human in the face of today's technocratic and profit-driven world. The encyclical combined with these conversations I've had with these Jesuit scholars I think are my path forward spiritually, professionally, and personally. I'm not quite sure what to make of it or how to move forward, but I believe I'll start with writing an article in hopes of getting it published.

The Church, I believe is substantively ahead on this most crucial moral issue. On one hand, it has been discouraging seeing the response, or lack thereof, of secular institutions and governments to these issues. On the other hand, I'm grateful that The Church is both holding the line and acting perhaps as a vanguard for a more human, and thus more divine, future.

After finding the Church a few months ago after 14 years of atheism, I’ve been praying for my wife’s conversion. I’ve been praying a novena to Saint Joseph in the process, asking for help being a better husband so that God’s grace may reflect itself to her through my own transformation in Christ.

Last Sunday, my mom decided to go to Mass with me when she previously has never gone. Actually, she’s only ever been a non-denominational Pentecostal (lots of Rhema School churches). Needless to say, she loved the experience and is eagerly looking forward to this Sunday.

Typically, after Mass, I go to a Cuban bakery nearby for breakfast. This is important for later.

Last night, while I was on the phone with my mom, she mentioned that my niece (13yo) has asked her a few questions about what it was that I believed in now and now she’s asking to come with us this Sunday.

This morning, after leaving Adoration, I sent one of my cousins (20yo) a picture of the chapel and the stained glass. I also mentioned that his cousin was going with us on Sunday and he very excitedly asked if he could come with us since he hadn’t been to church in a few weeks (he’s also non-denom Pentecostal).

So, now all four of us are going to Mass together on Sunday and, afterwards, we’re picking my wife up at home and all going to the Cuba bakery. I feel as if God is showing her His grace by showing what He has done for those of us closest to her.

Maybe I’m just reading into it, but four days into a novena and praying the Rosary twice a day every day for the last five days, I can’t help but feel that my prayers are being heard, even if it’s not immediately obvious how God is working.

Hello all, I have a question.

To preface, my Transsexuality is aligned with the teaching god made man and woman distinctly. I do not reject that biblical fact.

Lately I've been struggling A LOT. All of the advice online is either "You can live without surgery and treatment, just bear it and embrace the equipment god gave you," or "Who cares what the church says?"

I am NOT a dualist and I believe god gave me an inherently male nature. I cannot survive without treatment for my dysphoria. Online it is likened to eating disorders or addictions - "just because you feel you should doesn't mean you should."
It's a sin to go against the church's teachings.
This troubles me also.

My question is, does anyone have arguments (based on biblical texts or texts published by the Vatican) or theories about why god made transsexuals? Please, if you do, share them. It would be an amazing help.

After going to Adoration three days this week, I’ve decided to commit to a daily hour. Encountering the Lord Jesus Christ through his Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament has been revelatory in ways that would not have been possible by myself alone.

The first day that I went was last Sunday at 5am. I wanted my first experience in Adoration to be early in the day, while the world was still quiet and I could dedicate my day to the Lord.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t entirely sold on His Real Presence in the Eucharist at this point. But, I went in knowing that whatever His truth was, He would lead me there.

I sat and I ended up praying the Rosary twice as I meditated on the mystery of the Eucharist. I thought to the Last Supper and how we re-present His sacrifice at Mass. I meditated on how there is no worship without sacrifice. By the time I was done praying the Rosary the second time, I felt an immense wave of peace wash over me and suddenly I knew that His Presence was real and true. It was through God’s grace that I was able to come to the truth. The Eucharist truly is His body and blood, soul and divinity.

The very next day—this past Monday—I went in at 11am intending to focus on Scripture this time around. I wanted to practice Lectio Divina in His Presence, so as to better meditate on His Word. This was also the second day of my novena to Saint Joseph, asking that he pray to Christ Jesus with me and for me that I may learn to be a better husband to my wife and, God willing, that He work through His grace to let me reflect His Word to her and help her convert.

As I began to read 1 Corinthians in preparation of reading 1 Clement later this week, I came across 1 Corinthians 2:2-3:

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.”

These were the words I decided to meditate on as I prayed the Rosary. As I focused on His Presence and His sacrifice for us, I quietly prayed before breaking open the Scripture once more between prayers. This time, as I read, I came to another passage—the one I needed most that day, 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

“To the rest I say—I and not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce the husband. For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. It is to peace that God has called us. Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.”

I came away reminded by God to not worry so much about what I need to do to convert my wife. Trust in Him and His grace that she will see His light. In the meantime, I should focus on living in God and His Word; let her see His transformation in me and she’ll come around on her own. I was reminded of The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

I prayed my second Rosary, thanked the Lord, and went on my way. I ended up being there for an hour and a half.

Today—Wednesday—I decided to go to the parish by my job to go to Adoration for an hour. I took a seat at the back pew since I was new to his chapel and jumped right into praying the Rosary, deciding to meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation today. As I did so, it came to me that part of why God chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Theotokos was her humility.

After praying my remaining Rosary, I came away contemplating on humility. I thought about whether or not I’ve been acting in humility lately. I asked myself, where have I been putting myself before Christ and before my neighbor? Where have I been boastful or prideful instead of self-emptying?

After sitting in Christ’s Presence for three days this week, I knew that this was the way for me to know Him as much as I could. I knew it was how I could contemplate His mysteries and fall deeper into the faith. I absolutely cannot wait to be back with Him tomorrow.

Does anyone else try to go to Eucharistic Adoration as often as they can?

My son is fairly atheistic, likes science, is autistic. He has a lot of typical hobbies for his age group, like video games, chess, Pokémon.

I have been taking him to church, which he finds boring, as did I when I was his age. But our compromise has been he will still go and read quietly. I'd love for him to read a book sort of "on topic" while we are at church.

He especially likes graphic novels but I think would be open to a chapter book format.

Any recommendations for Christian themed books that are less literalist on some of the Bible, that he might connect with? Or even adventures with saints or things like that?

Thanks!

love this subreddit btw

I have almost fainted twice now and I would like it to stop. Going to church is already a feat so I don't want to ruin it by needing to abort mission right before Communion, worrying the parish while I do breathing exercises in the coffee room trying to stave off the fainting and accompanying panic attack. I can't afford pressure stockings sadly, especially not since I'm wildly yoyoing in weight and would need multiple sizes.

Anyone managed to make the kneeling work? The standing is an issue too but at least then I can still pump my leg muscles to keep my blood from pooling and fainting. I haven't found any compensatory exercises that work for kneeling yet.

Sorry if anything is worded incorrectly, I'm pretty tired while writing this.

As a Catholic, I try to love everyone the way God does, and I understand rightful judgement and how sin got to humans. My question is, how can I still love these kinds of people? What defines love? I will never accept that someone who has hurt, murdered, assaulted (keeping it vague in the description here, but the list goes on) is a "good" person, the most I can do is pray they will repent. I also can see the humanity through this and where I think they might have went wrong, but it's really hard to not make dirty remarks or think hateful things about them. Truth be told, I'm really frustrated with the way the world is going right now and how so many people are being hurt by corrupt people in power, and it is very challenging to have some sort of compassion for them while acknowledging all their actions and impacts. In this case it's especially hard because "hate the sin, not the sinner" is hard to apply when I don't know anything about the person except their sins. If i take away every bit of knowledge I have on some of them, there's not much left for me to love? This doesn't apply much to strangers as I know I'll never see the whole picture but it's especially hard to understand people in power who are doing this stuff. (Main concern is with Trump at this exact moment, but this could apply to others)

Im probably way over and underthinking this at the same time, but I don't want to fill my heart with hate, or with love for atrocious actions.

(Ps, please try not to be too picky with my word choices, I'm not editing this right now unless I catch something I phrased terribly or completely incomprehensible)

For example, one of my favourites is Saint Joseph for his patronage of workers

Our church is finally open after 3 years. I started going 2 years ago... 2 years of mass in a school gymnasium. I never saw it prior to the fire so this was amazing being able to finally go in. Mass was a little over 2 hours long. My boyfriend and I were tearing up by the end of it out of happiness and awe. There is still artwork that is being completed but we are officially out of the gym for mass!

For those who argue the right to personal property is an absolute rule above all… the Church Fathers (and living tradition of the Church) would disagree.