I’ve been thinking about discussing this for sometime, I thought I was moving on from this issue over the last few months, but recently it has reared its ugly head again with something that has happened yesterday and today that has caused me to look at and discuss this issue again. What’s happened is, I started following Christopher Ferrara and the stuff he’s said and written, not that I was against him before, in I’ve always found most of what he’s said quite reasonable and informative. It was that he has associated a lot with The Remnant and I’m not a fan of The Remnant because a couple of stuff things I’ve read and watched on there seemed a bit dishonest, and the tone just rubbed me the wrong way. But the main thing I want to discuss here why I started following Christopher Ferrara namely, I was watching a video on YouTube by another group of Catholics, whose names I won’t mention, and they were discussing something politics-related, and they were so dishonest, fallacious, and condescending about it, that I ended up almost completely loosing faith in Libertarian politics, thus, am turning to Christopher Ferrara for a better understanding of proper Catholic socio-political teaching. The concern I have is that, it was being angry at those other Catholics that caused me to turn to Christopher Ferrara’s work, not that I found Christopher Ferrara’s work helpful to look at. That’s the issue that I’m concerned with, there have been several instances in my journey back to the Faith where I’d end embracing some aspect of the Faith, not because I loved that aspect, but because I got disgusted, offended, or outraged by the thing contrary. For example, I started becoming fan of Latin, not because I loved Latin, (although I do now) but because I got angry with Conservative Catholics constantly mocking Traditional Catholics and started becoming a fan Latin to sort of get back at them. I also at one point considered refer to Our Lady with the upper-case Her and She just to upset Protestants. Should I be concerned with this approach? Is there something I should do, to change the way I approach these things?
The only person who attempts to define itself in the negative is satan...like as in “I am that which is not”. If you encounter something that repulses you into truth, I’d just focus on the true thing and not what repulsed you in the first place. Always keep your eyes on beauty.
I would just try to remember what Our Lord said, that we should remain at peace and pray for those who offend us or wish us ill. This way we can practice a virtue that will help both them and us greatly and we may also be granted the grace not to lose our peace at the same time which IMO is critical to remaining in grace. I have always had a tendency to internalize things and nurture resentments. Resentment for me for many years meant that I wanted to get back at whoever it was who offended me and I often did in some way whether they knew it or not. I am not saying that is what you are doing but that is something I really battled with and still do at times. I remind myself when those moments occur, how often in my own ignorance I have offended someone without knowing it at the time. I am sure it is quite a bit, because I can be very insensitive. So, when it happens I make myself look at what I may have done to cause it. Did I say something which prompted someone to be rude or to offend me in some way in retaliation? I have to remember that I am not looking at them and so their fault whether real or imagined on my part is not important here. If I did, I own up to it and I seek forgiveness. If I did not then I simply forgive them in prayer and pray for their well being which can be quite the process for me at times before it really sinks in. I have also learned when to just say enough and limit my own exposure to things or people that offend me. I don't know if this makes sense but any time I take action and do anything to "get back at" or to get the goat of anyone whether they know it or not I know that I am not at peace.
Hi RW, As you have stated many times, you have anger issues. There is nothing wrong with that per se, we are all made differently and that is your cross. I would suggest though avoiding watching/listening to speakers who are inflammatory. Mr. Ferrara is good, but you can virtually see him shaking his fist when you read his articles. In your case it might be best to take a step back from the kind of rhetoric that gets your anger up. Just some food for thought. Keep up the good work and don't be too hard on yourself. You're trying and that is what God wants
RosaryWielder, you may enjoy reading good edifying things from the Doctors of the Church. E.g. St. Francis De Sales, Intro to the Devout Life, or St. Therese, Story of a Soul. No need to worry too much about Protestants or anyone else. It's best for us to read and meditate on those things that are spiritually profitable for us. If you would like to read something about the Passion of Christ - which St. Montfort says is among the most profitable subjects for meditation, so much so that a Christian gains more from 15 minutes of meditation on the Passion, than if he read the Psalms every day for a year - you could pray the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary, or read something, if you wish, from Servant of God Luisa Piccarretta or from Maria Valtorta on the Passion, revealed to them by the Lord Himself. Meditation on the Passion is the best and most helpful remedy, imho and in my experience, to all the things the world - including some time even the Catholic conservative and traditionalist world! - tells us are needed. It is the one thing necessary: to love and meditate on Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, as even St. Paul says.
