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Apologetics How To : Dealing with emotions On some occasions I would hear Catholics reject some teaching of the Church. Initially, I would be shocked and then tempted to be angry. Sometimes, I would be tempted to judge the other person who was denying Catholic doctrine. I find it necessary to first deal with my own emotions so that I can be more effective in helping others. Good Catholic theology has been very helpful to me in this regard. Why was I tempted this way, which I knew would be counter-productive. How could I change my emotional response to a more productive one? So, I would analyze and discern. I would be tempted with anger because now I had a cross to bear. I had to make some sacrifices in order to share the good news. What saves me from myself is the grace of God that I get in the Sacraments, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer, Rosary, love, gratitude, humility. After honest reflection I realized that the gift of orthodoxy was not something I earned or deserved regardless of whatever sacrifices I might have made to that end. I constantly remind myself about this. I am truly the worst sinner I know. And every good Christian should be able to say the same. In regards to my guilt, I see it more clearly than anyone else possibly can, and yet I only see glimpses of it.
God has not blessed others with the same beautiful parents that He so generously gave to me. He has also for some reason also blessed me to trust the priests that are faithful to the Church’s teachings and not to be misled by those foolish priests who are not. I learned to replace the initial reactions of shock, anger, and being judgmental, with gratitude to God, that I knew the truth. When people share their dissent with me, I now am grateful for the opportunity to know what corruption their mind has fallen into and to know what they need to hear. (I don’t judge them. I judge doctrines as being true or false based on what Christ has revealed through His Church.) http://www.defendingthebride.com/mc/love.html#judging I find that many people are actually hungry for truth, as only that really satisfies the mind. Most people’s knowledge of the Catholic Faith is limited to what they have learned from homilies which usually do not have to much in the way of doctrine. It is a journey for them, and for me, as we learn to trust good sources, see how the truth all fits together in a consistent way, and how the first truth, is to love God, and then my neighbor as myself. To help others we need to encourage them to holiness and to humility, to the Sacrament of Confession, to good sources to learn the faith, good books, good CD’s. EWTN, Lighthouse CD’s. And of course good websites, like Catholic.com and their forums. |
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