www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West How do you respond to this.....

Orthodox Catholic, I understand you (almost) completely and I also understood the original argument and struggle. Please forgive those Catholics that are lost and also those that have a perennial veil of blindness toward their Eastern brethren. Their behavior does not come from insecurity but from pride and ignorance. Please pray for them.

You wrote: "To instruct the ignorant is not uncharitable - it is a virtue in fact." And I agree 100% with you on that.

The argument I am making is that we need to [b][i]NOT ALLOW OTHERS' BEHAVIOR to get UNDER OUR SKIN and destroy our own peace.[/i][/b] When you express that: "Eastern Catholics have had it up to here ...", this is the very thing that I am trying to warn to avoid. I have been there and done it, although under different circumstances. It is destructive and, at times, truly diabolical.

The bottom line is that Satan is constantly trying to undermine everything that is good, especially the Unity of the Church. If we go down one of his trails, not only is it against the Will and the Way of the Lord but, in addition, it can be tenaciously entrapping. Hence, we need to find ways to engage in a charitable mode, even if the other person is not being charitable.

In the end, the question we all must contemplate is this: Do I go down the road of bigotry and self-righteousness that this extremist seems to adhere to, or do I allow God's Grace and Love to live in me through it all? Remember, St Peter tells us to "always be ready to give a reason for the HOPE that lives in us". Nowhere in there does he say ANGER.

Additionally, Jesus ordered us to pray for our enemies. These 'foolish people' aren't even our enemies in the full sense of the word. Therefore, since they are blind, or prodigal, or foster children of the Church (as I like to think of them), it is much more and of a greater [i][b]responsibility for those who know the truth to pray for the ones who are ignorant or blind[/i][/b]. In the end, those who do this type of prayer grow closer to becoming PERFECT, as Our Father in Heaven is Perfect—another commandment from the Lord Jesus.

Regarding the sacrilegious comment. I believe that the Church does not need us to defend her of fools who, by pride or ignorance are being sacrilegious toward Her; it is their sin. We must be hurt and be offended because She is both the Bride of Christ and our Mother. These latter feelings are wholesome, if lived properly.

We should always try to show them the sin they are committing, or that the behavior is not in accordance with Jesus' teachings, but, just like when dealing with rebellious teenagers, the possibility of producing good fruit is not guaranteed. A perennial blindness is generally deeply ingrained in them.

So, the best recourse that we have, just as Our Lady of Fatima asks, is to pray for them. It is their sin, not ours. The Church needs us to be MILITANT by being faithful and obedient to Her. She needs us to be TRUE witnesses of Christ in this crazy world we live in.

Most of my life I have been dealing with Protestants. It has been so enlightening and enriching to encounter my Eastern Catholic brethren.

Great info that you guys/gals(?) are sharing. I have been learning a lot.

Thanks!

Orthodox Catholic, I disagree with your "Confusion!" statement because we want "to be all-embracing and ecumenical".

Unity comes from God. Confusion comes from Satan. So let's be sharp in discerning what the Lord asks of us and not allow these RCs that bother you BOTHER YOU.

On another topic, but continuing, I had never heard of Our Lady's apparition in Laus. Thanks for that info. The reading was wonderfully edifying. The things that reverberate ALWAYS in the Heavenly Mother's message are reflective of my words when dealing with some [b]uncharitable RCs[/b]:

1. "Pray continually for sinners."
2. The assurance of Her great intercessory power by Jesus when She says: "I asked My Son for Laus for the conversion of sinners, and He has granted it to Me."
3. Christian charity toward others. Don't allow them to [b][i]get on our nerves[/b][/i], or "[i][b]fill us up to here[/i][/b]". The Virgin Mary made (Benoite) Her instrument for the conversion of sinners. [b]"Faithful to her mission, Benoite never stopped praying, suffering and exhorting"[/b].

One thing that is continually conveyed about this apparition is the humble nature of Benoite. She was able to be such an amazing instrument of God by her tremendous humility. Humility is the ONE THING that Satan has no grasp of. He can not get a hold of us if we are truly humble. Some thing to learn from Benoite and practice in our lives.

Another saint that I became aware from reading this thread (and there are tons of saints to discover) is St. Josaphat. Reading about his orthodoxy and zeal for unity with Rome cost him his life. Yet, would he have attained as many conversions (specially from his Orthodox opponents) had he not been martyred?

Doubt it! St. Josaphat thrived for unity and the opponents for division. Who do we want to imitate?

In Christ's love, Antonio.

Dear Toninho,

I think you are overly sensitive on certain things, which may be a good thing - or not.

I do not have anger against traditional Roman Catholics. They can annoy us EC's - but anger is not something we are about.

To be critical of them - or anyone - is not an evil enterprise. It could be, but it does not have to be. In fact, the anger I experienced was from that traditional RC lady who seems to villify the Byzantine tradition - which is every bit as Catholic as any other.

We EC's have experienced evil from Western Catholics throughout our history. The burning and desecration of our churches and shrines, discrimination, the denial and degradation of our traditions in the name of the "one great Roman tradition" and so on.

Forgive me, but I fear you've no real idea what we have gone through from our RC brothers and sisters.

If we jumpt to defend ourselves - that is why.

And, yes, EC's have left the communion of Rome because of precisely such attitudes and behaviours on the part of RC's.

I don't see how any of that is our fault as we are the victims.

Even our Lord, when struck in His Face, asked, "Why do you strike Me?"

Alex