Hey there. Today I will share with you the three kinds of Catholics/Christians. This is because I have received a few comments in my previous posts and I thought yeah, it seems there are people who are unaware of this. (I too was one of those who don't know these things. )
Apparently there are also people who think members of all Christian denominations are either too sinful and/or extremely spiteful despite being in a religion originally founded by Jesus. Why? Because there are bad apples in the baskets. (I'll share more of this in the next post so stay tuned!)
Anyway, here's what I learned and realized in the past several months since my (what I would call as) spiritual renewal or return to God this year. Find out which one are you or your friends and family members out of the three kinds. 😀
Disclaimer: I am not an expert in Catholicism but I was born, raised and live as a Catholic. Also, I went to a Catholic school for 4 yrs. This post is based on a combination of my opinion, what I've been taught, learned online/offline and/or experienced.
Many Catholics (and Christians) are non-practicing or just Lukewarm in the faith
First let's define lukewarm. Catholic.com says being a lukewarm Catholic (or Christian) is not being antagonistic (cold) nor passionate (hot) in doing our religious duties.
In dictionaries it will say, lukewarm is neither being (1) hot nor (2) cold. In a religious sense, let me define all three.
🤔 What's being "cold" in the faith like?
Cold is being icy or against the religion. Someone who is constantly turning away from the commandments of God and brashly declaring fealty to other gods. It can also be ridiculing and insulting the practices of the Catholic or Christian ways. Or anyone who does not believe or won't listen to the teachings of Jesus in the Bible.
If one is always out to do the opposite of everything a believer of Christ should be, that's definitely being cold in the faith. This also includes the unrepentant sinners (e.g. hardened criminals), the atheists, or those who prefer to justify their actions when they know the Lord's commandments says otherwise.
Anyone who is against the Word of God can be called cold.
Also, in the Bible, Matthew 24:10-13 has this to say:
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
🤔 What is a lukewarm Catholic / Christian?
For me lukewarm means the condition when someone does not care much about one's religious faith/practices. They were baptized and then as they grew older just went on with tradition. As a Catholic they just go through the sacraments as needed, not even caring much especially the third one which is regular Confession. (Hello to the old me, hahaha.)
I believe this is also what some may call the occasional Catholic/Christian. For example, the people who would only go to mass when someone in the family is sick, don't have money or need blessings/good luck to pass an exam, etc. Another example is the parents who bring the family to church only during Christmas and Holy Week.
At times these people also consciously or unknowingly choose idolatry. Let me give you some examples. It means going to faith healers/witch doctors (locally called albularyo) for healing, buying amulets or crystals/stones to be lucky, practicing Feng Shui or even paying for fortune tellers/tarot card readers instead of asking God, Jesus and Mama Mary or even the saints for help or guidance. Syncretism anyone?
🤔 What's it like being "hot" in the faith?
Hot means the person is actively living and doing the teachings of God/Jesus and other related religious practices. They go to Sunday mass without fail, regularly do confession and pray the rosary often. These are also the families that pray together and for each other and/or a group of people who join or organize Bible studies, etc.
Outside of the clergy, these are people who volunteer to be catechists or lay missionaries. They share the Word of God in buses or we may encounter them elsewhere sharing the teachings of Jesus and encouraging us to be followers of Christ. Or they may be those who regularly do food drives, provide shelter for the poor or in need, organize events for charity, etc.
Also they actively seek to be closer to God. Everyday their love grows and they have a hunger for the Lord in their soul. They want to consume religious content more and more. Ordinary/secular music or TV shows, movies and documentaries are nothing compared to Catholic/Christian ones. These people get disappointed with secular or popular shows that depict people committing sins left and right.
For them, having anything or everything about God, Jesus, Mama Mary, angels or saints, etc., is a must! They are constantly reading and learning about the Bible or religious topics at every moment they can. Also their life is full of prayers!
Another sign is, if you see anyone who can't seem to stop sharing information about the things they learn about Catholicism/Christianity, and/or they're constantly bursting at the seams in some way, that's how you'll know! They just wanna help save as much people as they can.
🙏 What does the Catholic Church and the Bible say about Lukewarmness?
Going back to the human trait God also doesn't like... According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 1, Paragraph 2094:
Lukewarmness is hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity.
Lukewarm Catholics/Christians are a different kind of bad because the rottenness is somewhat hidden in plain sight. One wouldn't even notice it either because of ignorance or plain indifference. But God can see everything and He clearly does not like this human characteristic.
In Revelation 3:15-16, NLV:
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!"
This means Jesus/God will not accept into Heaven whoever is on the fence (neutral) in their beliefs.
So, have you met anyone like those I mentioned above? You're lucky if you meet a devout Catholic/Christian regularly. I only see or interact with such people rarely. Sad right?
Next up, I'll talk about another bad characteristic of a Catholic / Christian. See you in my next post! Meanwhile feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
XOXO,
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