Matt Fradd's Blog, page 16

Had An Abortion? Read This.

If you’ve had an abortion and now regret it, the pain and guilt can overwhelm you. You may believe you’re beyond healing, but you’re not.

Many other women have been in your position, yet God’s love gave them new life and purpose. He can do the same for you.

Here are a few things you should know as you seek a path forward.

No matter what you’ve done, you are never beyond the mercy of God.
Maybe society convinced you that abortion was necessary for your physical and/or mental health. They made what, at the time, seemed like convincing arguments that the child in your womb wasn’t a human person.

Now you know the truth. But also know this: There is not a single repented sin that God cannot forgive.

As Jesus revealed to St. Faustina: “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy.” Jesus is calling you to offer Him everything, including your guilt over your abortion.

He is waiting to make you whole again. Turn to Him. It’s the only way you’ll find true healing.

Build community with other women who regret their abortions.
It may feel like you’re alone in your suffering. You may have family and friends trying to convince you that your abortion was the right decision.

In reality, there are many other women who have had abortions and repented of them. Hear their stories and build community with them. Contact your local parish or diocese about support groups for women like you.

Live Action’s Lila Rose has a new campaign called Can’t Stay Silent, where you can hear some first-hand accounts.

Know that we love you.
You’ll sometimes hear us speak very strongly about abortions, the doctors who perform them, and the politicians who campaign for them.

That comes from our love for the child and for you. Abortion also wounds you, the mother. The pro-choice community took advantage of you. Now many of them may turn their backs on you.

But we won’t. Know that we are praying for you and thinking about you.

Even now, God is drawing you deeper into His love, preparing you to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

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How to Criticize the Church the Right Way

Many people don’t need advice on how to criticize the Church. That comes naturally — sometimes too naturally. Rather, we need to know how to criticize it the right way.

The pope and bishops exercise Christ’s own authority over us. The Holy Spirit protects the pope and bishops united to Him from error when they proclaim truths of the faith.

But the pope and bishops are human. The indefectibility of the Church applies to the universal Church, not local churches. Nor is the pope protected from error every time he opens his mouth.

This means that the words or actions of members of the hierarchy sometimes invite legitimate criticism.

When criticizing the Church, you don’t want to whitewash things or become a doomsday sayer. Here’s how to strike a balance.

1. Consider why you’re criticizing the Church.
In other words, what’s your goal? Is it the glory of God and the salvation of souls? Or is it the product of a personal vendetta against the Church?

This may seem like a simple test, but the boundary between the two can be subtle. Heretics and schismatics often claim that their disobedience to the Church is based on saving souls. Of course, this is false.

Legitimate criticisms of the Church come from a humble heart that is obedient to the Church’s teaching authority—even up to the present day.

2. Think about how you criticize your family.
Your family undoubtedly argues, but at the end of the day, they’re still your family and you love them.

Through the virtue of piety, you also respect and honor your parents. When you criticize them, you hopefully do it recognizing that they have a claim on your love. There are things you should and shouldn’t say.

Our relationship with the Church is similar. Since you belong to the Body of Christ, the Church has a claim on your love and obedience. Any criticism you offer must take place within that framework. For example, you shouldn’t say that you are free to disobey Pope Francis’ magisterial teachings just because you find his off-the-cuff remarks offensive.

3. Be careful who you’re sharing your criticism with.
You may have a valid criticism of the Church to share, but that doesn’t mean everyone should hear it.

Consider your alma mater. You and your classmates may be able to offer constructive criticism of the school without harming the institution itself. You should not share those thoughts with members of a rival school.

Some people are obsessed with discrediting the Church. They may use your criticism as a weapon to undermine the Church rather than build it up.

4. Some criticism is healthy.
Constructive criticism shows a desire for reform. The Church’s sacraments and dogmas are perfect. The Body of Christ, however, is composed of imperfect people. Church leaders struggle for holiness just like you and me. Your criticism should come from a place of sympathy, with the goal of helping them become better shepherds.

Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit guides our tongues, so that any constructive criticism we offer helps build up the Church, not tear it down.

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The Beautiful Symbolism of the Traditional Russian Hut

Your home says a lot about you, whether you like it or not. It doesn’t tell your full story, to be sure, but we are an incarnational species — we represent spiritual realities by how we arrange and care for our physical environment.

We love the beautiful symbolism behind the traditional Russian hut of folk tales and old villages. Let’s dig deeper to uncover what these huts mean and how they represent the genuineness of the Russian people. This is all the more important since the war between Russia and Ukraine may make us forget how many good Russians there are. We can’t judge them all by their leader.

The Three Parts of the Traditional Russian Hut
Russians love things that come in threes. This partly stems from the emphasis on the number three in Christianity. God is a Trinity. The liturgy makes use of threes in prayers and physical gestures.

The three parts of the Russian home represent the manner in which many Russians approach strangers. Many Americans who go to Russia complain that Russians treat them coldly. This creates a perception that Russians are not friendly.

But looking at the three parts of the Russian hut helps dispel this myth. The first part of the hut is the entrance, which is very cold in winter. This is where you place everything that you’re not worried about freezing.

You have to earn the Russian’s trust to make it beyond the cold entrance to the second part of the hut—the main dwelling room. As you move farther into the house, you are comforted by the warmth of the hearth, and you may be given a hot meal.

The hearth itself is the third part. It’s not in the center of the hut but along a wall. In old huts, it sometimes had a ledge topped by a bed. As this was the warmest part of the home, it was an honor to sleep here.

As you get to know Russians, you’ll find them to be some of the most genuine, caring people you’ll ever meet.

There’s something to be said for this slow approach to welcoming strangers. Some Russians think American friendliness is superficial. They may be right. We wave to our neighbors down the street, but we often leave it at that.

Let’s try to be more genuine and realize that real connection is more than being nice. Not everyone should be allowed within the hearth of our hearts. For those we do let in, let’s move beyond superficial niceties and set ablaze the hearth of friendship and warmth.

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Keeping Your House Clean With Kids Running Amok

It happens to the best of us. We strive to make our homes a sanctuary of order, beauty, and grace, yet children often wreak havoc on our domestic utopia.

How do you control the chaos and keep the sparkling home of your dreams alive? Here are some tips.

Clean part of your house every day of the week.
This is so much easier than trying to squeeze whole-house cleaning into one day (or, more accurately, a mere fraction of that day). You’ll feel less overwhelmed by cleaning the bathroom on Monday and the kitchen on Wednesday, rather than cleaning both on Thursday.

You won’t get the entire house clean at the same time, that’s true. But like with our souls, we can focus on scrubbing a bit of grime off at a time to make substantial progress.

Don’t shy away from splitting tasks with your spouse.
Some couples create well-defined roles for their household. That’s fine, but be flexible enough to say you need help. Remember that the most rigid twigs break the easiest.

For example, if you want your spouse to cook dinner, put in a load of laundry, or drive a child to an activity, clearly express this request. You and your spouse should also regularly ask one another what they can do to shoulder more of the daily load. Marriage is about going beyond what is required, not performing the bare minimum.

It’s okay to let it all out.
Sometimes all you can do is cry, sit on the couch, and drink a glass of wine. And that’s okay! Go easy on yourself. Your house will not be completely tidy 24/7.

In fact, tying your personal happiness to a constantly clean house will chip away at that happiness. Guaranteed. That’s because you’ll feel like a failure for not meeting what are overblown expectations of yourself.

As in most things, moderation is the key to success. Try to keep your house clean on a somewhat regular basis. When it’s not, let it go. In the hierarchy of values, a clean house ranks well below more important things.

Relax. Breathe. And remember you’ll be fine!

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What Abortion Really Does

Many so-called “pro-choicers” have little clue about what goes on during an abortion. That’s not surprising: We’ve sanitized our language to hide its true horror.

We use words and phrases like “choice” and “terminating a pregnancy.” Those don’t sound too threatening, do they? A woman can choose an abortion just like she chooses new clothes or an item off the dinner menu. We don’t have to think about the method or what is terminated.

We need to show people just how barbaric abortion is. Here’s one point to bring up that shows the true nature of this atrocity.

A common method of abortion rips a living child to pieces.
Abortionists may use lethal injections to poison the child. That’s horrific enough, but one common procedure involves LIVE dismemberment! This method is done during the second trimester on viable babies.

The abortionists use forceps with teeth that cut through the child’s flesh down to the bone. They grip the child’s body parts and rip them off one by one. Finally, they crush the skull and remove it from the mother.

The pieces are disposed of as if they were garbage.

We need to emphasize that the child is often alive during much of this procedure. Abortionists have reported feeling the baby fighting back. Pro-choicers often claim that they support abortion so that the child won’t have to suffer in life. Yet, abortion IS suffering. Many babies can feel the pain.

Many pro-choicers don’t know about this method of abortion. That’s why we need to get the word out. We need to shock people out of their complacency.

We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned. Evangelists for the Culture of Death have redoubled their efforts to preserve abortion at all costs.

If we’re going to win this battle and create a new Culture of Life, we need to outdo their energy. Start saying those Rosaries! Do penance. Educate yourself as much as possible about abortion.

Armed with prayer and truth, we WILL continue to turn the tide in favor of life!

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Can Atheists Be Saved?

The Church teaches that no one can attain salvation outside the Church, but that teaching should be understood in the context of the Church’s other teachings. So let’s talk about whether or not non-Catholics (even atheists) can be saved.

Do We Know Atheists Go to Hell?
The Church has never made a claim about any particular person being in Hell. But that doesn’t mean that the Church doesn’t think people can and do go to Hell — Christ himself teaches that Hell is a real possibility. But as far as any individual, the Church doesn’t make any definitive claims. Instead, the Church entrusts each person after death to the mercy of God.

So What About Invincible Ignorance?
Sometimes people will say that non-Christians can be saved because they have “invincible ignorance.” This means that they never could have accepted the Church due to extenuating factors, like never hearing the Gospel. But you have to be careful here because we’re not saved by a lack of something, or nothing. Rather, we’re saved by something — namely, Christ!

What this means is that you can’t just be saved because you “didn’t know enough.” Instead, Christ offers every person enough grace to know and love God sufficiently for salvation.

What IS Required For Salvation?
Thomas Aquinas draws this principle from Hebrews 11:6, which says “And without Faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”

This means that everyone must believe in God’s existence and his providence. Aquinas then schematizes that to mean that we must believe — at least implicitly — in the Triune God and the Incarnate Lord for salvation. After Christ’s public revelation in the Gospels, the responsibility for explicit knowledge is much higher: salvation generally requires an actual assent to Faith in the Triune God and his Incarnation.

Our Responsibility in the Drama of Salvation
This means that it is our responsibility to help everyone to accept the faith of Jesus Christ. Of course, it is God who actually provides the grace, but it is often the case that it is through us that grace is mediated! It’s not enough to just hope that “God will send some other means;” it’s very possible that YOU are those means!

We have to try to help our atheist brothers and sisters to know the message of Faith, for God’s glory and the salvation of everyone. God’s mercy is powerful, and we must commend every person to it. But we must also be willing to be protagonists in God’s plan as he sees fit to include us.

Do not be afraid to help others on the road to Christ. They need it, and so do you.

 

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We NEED to be vocal about our Faith!

How many times do we shake our heads over something that goes against our Catholic values but not voice our opinions on the matter?

We may worry that speaking up will result in ugly conflicts with family and friends. Recently, fear of being “canceled” and labeled a hateful bigot leads us to remain silent when we’re burning inside to speak our minds.

We must realize that by doing or saying nothing, we are confirming that it’s okay to trample on Christian values!

If we believe in the teachings of Christ, we have to be willing to live them and defend them. That may seem terribly difficult, especially today, but proven steps can be taken to make it happen.

1. Pray on the matter.
When you read or hear about something that goes against the teachings of the Church, take a moment before speaking up to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. The Spirit will help you determine the best way to voice your concerns.

2. Spend less time reading secular publications and more time reading the Gospels.
If you are first and foremost solid in your knowledge of the Truth, you will have greater confidence and courage to share it with others. Rather than get bogged down in the news of the day, become overjoyed with the Good News of Christ. Then, you will see the challenges before you as wonderful opportunities to bear the Truth to the world.

3. Follow the lead of Catholics you respect.
It may not be feasible for you to stand in front of everyone in your office and declare that a company policy goes against Church teaching. You might not be willing to start a YouTube channel countering the evils of modern society. That’s okay! Everyone is called to speak to the Truth in different ways. Yours could be praying the Rosary at your desk to show coworkers your commitment to the Faith, or writing a letter to a business to voice displeasure about a campaign they’re running. Even small gestures make an impact in the world.

4. Be okay with the fact that a lot of people won’t agree with you.
When you speak out against anti-Christian behaviors, you will no doubt encounter opposition. You may even make enemies along the way. Guess what? So did Jesus! Remember, though, the many, many people He drew near to Him and who still cling to His word today.

Imagine the number of hearts and minds you could change by standing up for the Faith. It’s truly limitless!

 

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What Is a Thomist?

Broadly speaking, a Thomist is someone who follows the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas (or at least claims to do so). This doesn’t mean they accept every single opinion uttered by the Angelic Doctor. As great as St. Thomas was, he occasionally got things wrong!

The bulk of his theological teaching has stood the test of time. To understand what a Thomist is, let’s look at key aspects of the Dominican saint’s thought.

St. Thomas was a great synthesizer.
St. Thomas is famous for synthesizing different strains of thought, such as faith and reason. While he was faithful to revelation, he drew from pagan, Jewish, and Islamic sources when they made claims that supported the Catholic faith.

A word of caution: Some people treat St. Thomas Aquinas as a synchronizer who mixed and molded aspects of different religions. They ignore the fact that he believed the Catholic Church to be the one true religion and merely drew on other religions to support the faith. In other words, they emphasize his methodology at the expense of his content. To be a Thomist means to be invested in both.

St. Thomas recognized the divine authority of Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium.
You can’t be a true Thomist without recognizing God’s revelation and the authority of His ministers. St. Thomas submitted all his work to the teaching authority of the Church.

St. Thomas treated Sacred Scripture as the soul of theology. Protestants who claim that Catholics ignore Scripture should read his writings, which are full of Biblical quotes.

He draws on the Church Fathers, recognizing that these men have a high degree of authority due to their learning, sanctity, and proximity to Christ and the Apostles.

Thomists don’t just repeat what St. Thomas said, but they use his principles to engage the issues of their time.
If you read the great Thomists of the past century, you’ll notice how they masterfully take St. Thomas’ teaching and use it to better understand modern topics, such as evolution, phenomenology, and economics. The great saint’s teachings have proven fresh and relevant, as they offer insights into these issues.

We could add that a real Thomist is a person devoted to prayer and the sacraments. Not that one can’t master the saint’s thought without these, but St. Thomas himself was fueled by prayer and the Eucharist. If we are as well, we will see deeper into the riches of his teachings.

 

 

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What to Do When a Spouse Leaves the Faith

The beauty of Catholic marriage is that you and your spouse are united on the thing that matters most: your faith. Sadly, it’s common for one spouse to leave the Church. There can be many reasons for this, such as losing trust in God due to intense suffering.

This situation is heartbreaking for the other spouse. Here are some tips to encourage the love of your life to come back to Christ.

1. Consider whether you’ve played a role in his or her decision.
Maybe you’ve inadvertently behaved in ways that encouraged your spouse to leave the faith. This can happen if you judge your spouse too harshly for mistakes or weaknesses and he or she begins to associate the faith with fear, rather than love. If this is the case, ask God to help you become more merciful, understanding, and loving toward your spouse.

2. Pray and make sacrifices for your spouse.
There may be a time and place to charitably make the case for faith, but prayer and fasting are your two most powerful gifts.

Offer your Rosaries up for your spouse. Go to a Holy Hour for him or her. Periodically skip your favorite snack and offer up that suffering for his or her salvation.

3. Remember that God is the one who changes hearts.
In 1 Cor. 3:6, St. Paul reminds us who’s really in charge of conversion: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

You’re understandably anxious about your spouse and could think the decision he or she made is all on you. It’s not.

God calls you to plant the seeds, but it’s His job to draw your spouse back to the Church. Don’t let your anxiety lead to despair.

4. Continue to love and respect your spouse.
Faithful love is a powerful thing. Make sure your spouse knows how much you love him or her. It may not draw your spouse back to the Church right away, but it can work wonders over time.

Also, don’t speak negatively about your spouse to your children. You may have to explain what’s going on, but be sure to show your love and respect for your spouse.

Above all, remember our Lord is a God of boundless mercy. He desires to draw your spouse back to Him. He wants you to be involved by being an image of His never-ending love for your family.

Never give up on your beloved, for you have the heavenly Bridegroom on your side.

 

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Can Catholics Be Libertarians?

Ten years ago many conservatives branded themselves Libertarians. Some still do, but the culture wars have made it harder to stay neutral when transgender ideology and other social ills are being forced upon us.

Can Catholics be Libertarians? There are different ways of conceptualizing Libertarianism, but we’ll look at some principles many Libertarians embrace and see whether Catholics can get on board.

The Non-aggression Principle
For many Libertarians, this means that it is only acceptable to use physical force against a person if they have initiated force against you. They say this is true on an individual basis and on the state level.

There is some validity to this belief, at least in certain circumstances. Many of us can agree that the U.S. government has gone overboard in regulating our lives. Our religious freedom as Catholics is a divine right that no government can take away.

Individualism
The Church also teaches that we are responsible for the common good. We are, to some extent, our brother’s keeper. So while we can debate how much control the government should have over our lives, we can’t adopt a radical individualism that undermines our responsibility to our neighbors — especially the poor, who are Christ among us.

Social Issues
One of the worst definitions of Libertarianism is that it is “social liberalism and fiscal conservatism.” That is not accurate. Libertarianism focuses mainly on the power of the state, not on whether people should change their genders.

Some Libertarians do take liberal positions on abortion and LGBTQ+ issues. Others don’t. And there are some who really don’t care.

Catholics need to follow the Church’s teaching. Abortion is murder, so it can’t be accepted. Same-sex relations and transgenderism are contrary to God’s will, so they need to be called out. There may be some legitimate debate as to how these issues are handled, but we can’t simply ignore them.

There is no straight answer as to whether Catholics can be Libertarians. It depends on what principles you hold and how those align with the Church’s teaching. As long as you’re adapting your politics to your Catholic beliefs — and not vice versa — you’re on the right track.

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