A few weeks ago I was scrolling through my facebook page and came across a meme that has not stopped bugging me since I first saw it. The fact that it was posted by a supposed "Catholic" who is big on Catholic schools, having all her children graduating from them goaded me even more. The quote stated: " You don't have to go to church on Sunday to love Jesus."
Obviously, to those of us who really do love Jesus and understand what loving Jesus means and entails, this casual dismissal of the Eucharist, the Church as the Bride of Christ and His body as well, is about as heretical as it gets. The number one obligation we have as Catholics is to attend Mass every Sunday. It is not OPTIONAL.
Furthermore, those of us who understand that loving Jesus is not about sentimental feel good emotions and highs, and it is about willing the good of the other; also knows that promoting others to not attend Church (Mass) is the exact opposite of what loving Jesus entails and demands!
This philosophy or relativistic way of looking and celebrating our Savior drives me crazy! I know that I need help, so pray for me please, patience is not my strong point.
I know that these individuals promoting such heresy are ignorant and don't know any better, but that is the problem, they should! We all should, ignorance of the civil law does not excuse us from the consequences of breaking such laws, and so I can't help but recognize that ignorance of our obligations as Catholics will not excuse us from the consequences of not abiding by them as well.
I get it, there are some of us who just don't have or get the means or opportunity to learn these things, and so we entrust these souls to God's infinite and unfathomable mercy, after all, He knows our hearts, and He will judge accordingly, because He is a very Just and Good judge. The problem that really bothers me though, are those of us who do have the opportunities and means and just simply ignore the effort. So many of us cannot find time to learn the faith because we are so absorbed in worldly matters that we have deemed more important; yet there is nothing more important than understanding and growing in our knowledge of God.
The more we know God the more we can love Him, and anyone denying the importance and magnitude of the Grace and intimacy we receive in the Eucharist would never utter words to the effect that denying and forgoing the opportunity to receive Christ in this way still mirrors and reflects our "love" for Him. When we love someone we want to be in their presence, as much as possible, and the chance to become intimately one with that person is foremost and utmost on our hearts and minds. So, when we utter the phrase that, "we can love Jesus without going to Church on Sunday", what we really mean is that we don't really love Jesus, we like him and are a fan, but getting to Church is too much of a bother to receive him Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist and the idea of getting up and making the effort to actually experience Jesus' real presence in the Eucharist isn't making us feel warm and fuzzy, so we'll will just stay home or go where we please, because we need the warm and fuzzy feeling that these other efforts will provide for us more.
Believe me, I am sure that the Cross did not give Jesus warm and fuzzy feelings. In fact, Scripture tells us of the torment Jesus suffered anticipating His cross. I will venture that the anticipation of the physical suffering was secondary to the suffering caused by the realization that although he would die in such a horrific way, it still wouldn't be enough to move some hearts. Honoring and celebrating Jesus' death to save us, would still be too much of a bother or inconvenience for so many, who would prefer to indulge their own whims and desires. Jesus knew the tragedy of so many who would still strive to disengage from the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that he left us and he mourned for them, such was His distress for those of His creation that would dismiss him, He sweat blood.
Remember, Jesus' prayer at Gethsemene was that we all be one, as he and the Father are one.
He lamented over the fact that the divine cataclysmic event he would undergo, wouldn't be enough to gather us together as one, as evidenced by stupid phrases such as the above, posted on social media outlets. Yet, He went through with it anyway. Why? Because Jesus loves us truly, he wills the good for us, and what is the greatest good for any of us? Why, Heaven of course. The thing is, it is our choice ultimately to reject that gift and opportunity, or to embrace it by loving God with everything we have, are and can be.
Please, do not be fooled by these blatantly unloving, heretical and damning quotes and promotions, wherever and whenever you encounter them. They are pleadings from Satan to drive us away from Christ and into the sufferings of Hell. That is what denying the Eucharist and participation in the praise and glory God so deserves will get us. First of all, an empty and lifeless existence here on Earth, and if not corrected, the possibility of that same empty and lifeless existence for all of eternity.
