Matt Fradd's Blog, page 27

Catholics, STOP Causing These 3 Pet Peeves

We all have pet peeves. Some of us have one or two — maybe people smacking their food at the same volume as an overhead clap of thunder. Others have dozens of pet peeves encompassing manners, driving, and ways of speaking.

(If you ask us, chewing ice is one of the most ANNOYING things ever.)

Then there are pet peeves that Catholics especially are prone to commit. Even devout Catholics. Actually, especially devout Catholics!

Here are some of those peeves. If you recognize yourself doing one of them, well, we love you. But please stop!

1. Mumbling prayers during Eucharistic Adoration
We get it: You’re in conversation with Jesus. Your heart is swelling with love for our Lord and you can’t help but whisper it in a silent space where pretty much everyone can hear your mumbling.

Or maybe you just aren’t aware that you’re doing it. Either way, you’re distracting other people from their own prayers. Is that really charitable?

The same goes for loudly jiggling your rosary beads.

2. Keeping your phone on in church
Many of us have forgotten to silence our phones before Mass, adoration, or confession. It happens.

But some people forget a little too often. If that’s you and your phone hasn’t gone off in church, don’t press your luck. It could happen! Some priests are cool about it, but others get really annoyed — along with the rest of the church.

If you’re a forgetful person, find some way to remind yourself to check your phone before Mass. Maybe set a calendar notification on your phone that goes off shortly before Mass and reminds you to silence the device. (Just make sure you don’t set it to go off during Mass!)

If you’re not sure how to silence your phone, either leave it in your car or have someone show you how to do it.

3. Letting children scream way too long during Mass
First of all, it’s incumbent upon parishioners to exercise patience with parents of babies and young children. It’s tough to get children to behave during Mass. And, frankly, any parent who brings them to church these days is a hero.

We’re definitely not saying you need to step out when your child utters a few audible words or is moving around a lot, but not really bothering anyone. Nor are we saying you can’t stay for a little bit and try to stop their crying.

However, if your child is screaming or crying for a lengthy period of time, it’s really better to step out and try to settle them down. Some parents, in an otherwise praiseworthy attempt to train their children to endure Mass, end up distracting everyone else for far too long.

Again, this is one pet peeve where other parishioners should cut parents some slack. If only the days would come when parishes were as full of children as they once were!

We want to know your Catholic pet peeves. Leave them in the comment section of the YouTube video link above or in the social post you clicked on to get here.

Peeves aside, the most important thing to remember is: At the end of the day, we love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Thinking About Homesteading? Here Are a Few Things to Keep in Mind

You would think that living in a world of technological wonders, easily accessible food, and a less physically demanding lifestyle than our ancestors would leave us satisfied.

Yet, there is incredible beauty in a life of self-sufficiency. That’s why homesteading is catching on, even with young adults. Plus, the sense of insecurity many of us feel with the current state of the world has made us realize that we can’t always depend on the outside world to provide for us — 2020 really hit that point home.

If you’re considering homesteading, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Have a realistic perspective of what this means
As we said, homesteading is a beautiful way of life. But it’s not always a life of pure bliss among rolling green hills and beautiful cows.

It’s super hard work! Sometimes you may be walking those green hills. Other times, you’re trudging through mud, shoveling out animal houses, and dealing with an unruly chicken or goat.

But that’s actually part of the beauty of homesteading. It’s a real, honest life that produces concrete results. After a hard day’s work, you feel like you actually did something worthwhile. Sweat equity is a beautiful thing!

2. It’s best to start small
One of the biggest mistakes newbie homesteaders make is biting off more than they can chew. Maybe you’re feeling rushed to create your homestead empire with a dozen varieties of animals, multiple barns, windmills, and waterwheels.

Whoa! Slow down. Homesteading is hard work. If you haven’t experienced that lifestyle before, you need to start small.

For example, you can begin by raising chickens and growing herbs. Chickens are one of the easier animals to keep. They’re a good test as to whether you can handle animals at all.

If the chickens work for you, graduate to the next animal — maybe turkeys or another relatively easy fowl. Build your dream homestead bit by bit.

3. Study up on this lifestyle
You don’t need a special degree to homestead. However, you will need to learn some practical skills, especially if you’re not used to working with your hands.

There are tons of great online videos of homesteaders sharing their knowledge. There are also books that pass on the priceless wisdom of past generations — people who knew how to survive much better than most people today.

In other words, be prepared to invest time studying!

Homesteading may appeal to many people, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Before getting carried away by your dreams of a “perfect” self-sustaining life, think hard about these points. If you’re not deterred by the challenges, you may open yourself to a very fulfilling life!

 

 

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Are Transgenderism and Feminism Really Compatible?

You may have noticed that the American Left of today is not the same as the American Left of the past.

There are some similarities between the old guard and the new, such as a radical commitment to environmentalism and abortion. But on the issues of sexuality, we’re seeing some pretty stark differences.

Feminism — including its more radical varieties — was a hallmark of left-wingers in the nineties. Today, transgenderism has become the sacred golden calf for the 21st-century Leftist.

Many left-wingers claim to support both transgenderism and feminism. But an argument can be made that feminism is not compatible with transgenderism. Here’s why.

Traditionally, feminism has taught that pretty much the only difference between men and women is biology.

Feminists react against what they consider to be the rigorous gender stereotypes of earlier ages. They believe that a woman can do anything a man can do — such as hunt, fish, work, and hit a ball. The only difference is that she’s still a woman with a woman’s body.

Of course, more radical strands of feminism take things further by downplaying the usual natural inclinations of men and women. Instead of simply acknowledging that a girl could be interested in, say, fishing or carpentry, some radical feminists wrongly insist she must get into these male pursuits to demonstrate her equality.

Despite some distortions, feminists have generally accepted the truth that there are real biological differences between men and women.

Contrary to traditional feminism, transgenderism teaches that the differences between men and women can encompass pretty much everything EXCEPT biology.

Transgenderism brings us back nearly full circle to the rigorous gender stereotypes of old. Whereas feminism said that girls could be tomboys while still remaining girls, transgender advocates will now try to convince these tomboys that they must “transition” into actual boys.

In other words, if a girl likes fishing, it must be because she’s really a boy! This reinforces the view that feminists have been fighting against for a long time: that certain activities are “only for men” or “only for women.”

The funny thing is that many Leftists say they support transgenderism and feminism, but they don’t see this inconsistency. But we’re starting to see a split between the two sides — for example, female athletes protesting the intrusion of biologically male “females” into women’s sports.

What’s a Catholic to think of all of this?

We believe that there are real biological and psychological differences between men and women. We hold that God created each with a different (yet complementary) vocation — men to physical or spiritual fatherhood, and women to physical or spiritual motherhood.

But we also reject some of the extreme stereotyping we’ve seen in the past. There’s nothing wrong with a girl who has a healthy interest in traditionally masculine pursuits so long as she values and embraces her feminine identity and mission. Same with men interested in growing flowers, interior design, or poetry.

We believe that God created us both male and female. But the female leaves room for both the princess and the tomboy, and among men there is space for both the warrior and the botanist.

 

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Returning to the Church After a Long Absence? Here’s What to Do

If you’re just returning to the Church after being away for a while — or you know someone who is — it can be daunting.

Maybe you now realize how far away from the Lord you’ve wandered and wonder whether you have what it takes to live a truly Catholic life. Maybe you realize how much Catholic teaching and practice you have to catch up on.

Be at peace. You’re not alone! Many former Catholics are returning to the faith after having left for many reasons — such as being scandalized by the priest abuse crisis, not putting enough effort into their prayer lives, or never really understanding why the Church teaches what it does.

To help you ease your way back into the Church, here are a few things to do.

1. Go to confession
If you’re returning to the Catholic Faith, you’ll want to receive the Eucharist as soon as possible. But if you’ve been weighed down by sin — especially serious sin — you should first go to confession.

Going to confession after a long time can be intimidating. But let the priest you’re confessing to know how long you’ve been away and that you’re nervous about confessing again. Many priests are more than happy to gently lead you through your confession.

If possible, try to call the parish to arrange a confession time rather than going to the regularly scheduled (and often short) confession period right before Mass. That way, you won’t feel rushed.

2. Join a parish and get to know the people there
One of the many beautiful things about Catholicism is that our religion is not a solitary practice. Every baptized Catholic is incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ. We are called to worship God together at least once a week at Mass.

Many parishes have events to bring people together outside of Mass. One type of event to consider attending is an adult religion or theology class. Many parishes or diocesan centers have these, and they can be a great way to dive deeply into the rich teachings of the Church.

3. Be patient with yourself and trust in God
Above all, don’t be discouraged by how much you have to do to get back into the rhythm of Catholic life. You’re not going to turn into a perfect Catholic overnight. It’s a step-by-step process.

Put your trust completely in God and start moving forward. As long as you persevere, God is going to give you the grace to grow into a more faithful Catholic.

To close, here’s what Jesus had to say about those who return to Him after having been away: “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).

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Why Should You Go to Confession?

For Catholics, going to confession is an essential part of our spiritual lives. The Church requires us to go at least once a year, and it strongly encourages us to go far more often than that.

Maybe you sometimes wonder why this is so important. After all, most Protestants say that if you simply confess your sins to Jesus, you’re good to go!

But that’s not what Christians have traditionally understood. Here are some reasons why you need the Sacrament of Confession (or Reconciliation).

1. Jesus gave His apostles and their successors the power to forgive sins in His name
In Scripture, we see Jesus instituting the Sacrament of Confession in the Gospel of John 20:21-23: “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”

Notice how Jesus didn’t say, “If you confess all your sins directly to me, they’ll be completely forgiven.” No, He wanted to involve His representatives on earth in this ministry of mercy — even giving them the authority to withhold forgiveness if they thought it necessary.

2. Confession goes with our human nature
The logic of the Sacrament of Confession is also the logic of the other sacraments: We humans are made up of a material body and spiritual soul. Therefore, God saves us through spirit and matter.

The sacraments are visible signs that actually give the spiritual grace they signify. In confession, you receive the spiritual grace of forgiveness, but this comes through the sensible words and gestures of the priest.

3. Your sins hurt not only you, but also the entire Body of Christ
For Catholics, our faith is not merely a private affair. It’s not simply you and Jesus. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, you’re incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ. You are united to everyone else in the Church by bonds of charity.

But just as an illness in one part of the human body can hurt other parts, so the sins of one member of the Body of Christ affect everyone else. By going to confession, you’re not only healing yourself, but you’re also helping to heal the Church.

When you confess to a representative of the Church, it highlights the fact that we are all united in Christ.

4. Being free of your sins is an incredible joy!
A word of caution here: Don’t judge the quality of your confession by how you feel afterward. It’s possible to have made the best confession ever, received God’s forgiveness, and then not feel any joy afterward. And there’s no reason to be concerned over that.

Still, many of us have experienced an incredible sense of freedom and joy after going to confession. For those leaving a life of serious sin, it can feel like an enormous weight has been lifted off their shoulders. It’s amazing!

But even if you don’t experience such elation, you can be at peace knowing your sins have been forgiven and you have another chance to serve the Lord.

Sadly, we’ve seen many Catholics abandon confession over the past half-century. If only they knew what they were missing! If you already go to the sacrament frequently, keep it up. If it has been a while, remember that Jesus is waiting for you with open arms!

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

 

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3 Tips for Overcoming Scrupulosity

Scrupulosity is a spiritual disease that causes you to have an excessive fear of sin. You may think you’ve sinned when you really haven’t or you may go through life paralyzed with anxiety about the possibility of committing sin.

Scrupulosity is a trap set by the devil to weaken your trust in God and — ultimately — lead you to despair of the possibility of your salvation.

Many devout Catholics are susceptible to scrupulosity. Here are a few ways to overcome it.

1. Practice radical abandonment to the mercy of God
Fact: God loves you and is actively working to lead you to heaven to be with Him forever! And He knows that you’re going to trip sometimes along the way. But He’s always ready to forgive you and give you His grace, so long as you don’t run away from Him out of shame, fear, or spite.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by scrupulosity, focus your gaze on Jesus and His merciful heart. Recite a prayer of trust, such as this one given to St. Faustina by our Lord Himself, “O blood and water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You.”

Matthew 14 is a powerful Scripture passage that teaches us how to practice radical trust. In it, Jesus walks on water to a boat the Apostles are sitting in during a storm:

“But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart, it is I; have no fear.’ And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘O man of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

In other words, look at Jesus, not the spiritual storm engulfing you.

2. Don’t go overboard in the confessional
The Sacrament of Confession is the font of God’s mercy. Yet many scrupulous Catholics fear the sacrament because they think it requires more of them than it really does. In confession, you are required to list at least your mortal sins and make a firm resolution to amend your life.

You don’t need to feel any emotional sorrow for your sins to be forgiven because, frankly, we as humans don’t have complete control over our emotional state. It’s the will that counts.

If you unintentionally forgot to mention a sin — even a serious one — don’t worry! You’re still forgiven, although you should mention any forgotten mortal sins in your next confession.

And don’t make a general confession of your entire life each time you go to the sacrament. As long as your last confession was sincere and complete, you only need to confess the sins you’ve committed since your last confession.

3. Find a spiritual director
This is advisable for most scrupulous people, but it’s especially important for those who have become so scrupulous that they can’t function in day-to-day life.

A scrupulous person can’t entirely rely on their own judgments and feelings about their spiritual state. The anxiety caused by scruples distorts these. That’s why an outside assessment provided by a wise spiritual director is needed. And — as many saints have taught — you need to be ready to obey your director.

In your journey to overcome scrupulosity, it’s crucial that you are patient with yourself. Just as you won’t conquer all your sins overnight, you won’t overcome all your anxieties right away.

By putting these tips into practice, you’ll learn to grow in your trust in our merciful Lord, who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

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Why Church Art, Architecture, and Music Should Be Beautiful and Reverent

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Catholics love debating the aesthetics of worship — especially church art, architecture, and music. While these debates have always existed, they’ve become more intense since the Second Vatican Council opened 60 years ago and ushered in changes to the liturgy.

You have Traditionalists defending Gregorian Chant, Baroque paintings, and breathtaking altars. You have liberals wanting to sing “Gather Us In,” while carrying Velcro banners in the Mass’ opening procession. And you have churchgoers who fall somewhere in between.

Here’s where the Church stands on this topic.

The Church (even Vatican II) wants Church art, architecture, and music to be beautiful and reverent.

The Church is open to modern forms of architecture, art, and music, so long as they are reverent, not too jarring, and truly express the beauty of the liturgy.

Some people mistakenly think that the Second Vatican Council did away with traditional forms of art and music. But that’s not the case, as the following passages from the council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy show:

“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy; therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.” (#116)

“In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.” (#120)

The council also emphasized the need for the liturgical arts to be worthy of divine worship:

“Holy Mother Church has therefore always been the friend of the fine arts and has ever sought their noble help, with the special aim that all things set apart for use in divine worship should be truly worthy, becoming and beautiful, signs and symbols of the supernatural world.” (#122)

“Let bishops carefully remove from the house of God and from other sacred places those works of artists which are repugnant to faith, morals and Christian piety, and which offend true religious sense either by depraved forms or by lack of artistic worth, mediocrity and pretense.” (#124)

The liturgy is, above all, a sacrifice, not merely a social gathering.

The liturgy is the re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In the Mass, we offer ourselves to God in union with the sacrifice of Christ. Its main focus is on God, not us.

Of course, we are united at Mass with other members of the Body of Christ. And, in a sense, the Mass is a sacred meal. But that’s secondary to its sacrificial aspect.

More traditional church architecture, art, and music tend to better emphasize the Mass as a sacrifice. Some modern styles overly emphasize the community meal dimension of the Mass at the expense of the sacrificial aspect.

Ultimately, our attitude to the liturgy — including its art, architecture, and music — should be to treat it reverently as something received, not as something we manufacture out of nothing. The essence and spirit of the Mass are indeed passed down from Jesus and the Apostles. And while certain elements of worship do change over time, they are always bound to serve the same liturgical spirit that connects us with two millennia of Christians who came before us.

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Why Catholicism Is Better Than Protestantism

We live in an age where you’re expected to treat all religions as equals, otherwise, you’re a hater. To many people, it doesn’t matter whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, or whatever else, so long as you don’t try to put your faith on a pedestal.

But while we should respect members of other faiths — as many are sincere in their quest for truth — it is completely false that all religions are equal.

Nor are all forms of Christianity equal. Despite the fact that Catholicism is sometimes seen as merely another denomination of Christianity, there are major differences between Catholics and the rest of the Protestant world.

As the true Church established by Christ, the Catholic Church possesses gifts that no other Christian community has. And we shouldn’t shy away from holy boasting about that fact — not to inflate our egos, but to invite our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters to join us!

Here are just a few of the reasons why Catholicism is better than Protestantism.

1. We have Jesus physically present among us
It’s easy for Catholics to take the Eucharist for granted, but we shouldn’t. After all, what is more awesome than having the Second Person of the Trinity physically present with us?

Many Protestants, sadly, don’t have this real presence of Jesus because they don’t believe in it (they see Holy Communion as merely symbolic of Jesus’ body and blood). Other Protestants do believe in some form of sacred presence in the host, but the Catholic Church has decreed that Jesus is not really physically present in their rites due to their lack of a valid priesthood.

2. We have an authoritative hierarchy
Maybe you’re scratching your head over this one. Who wants to be told what to do? Sure, if you’re a Catholic, you may try to be obedient to the pope and your bishop. But you may not revel in it.

To see why having an authoritative teaching Church is so freeing, just look at the consequences of not having one. Most Protestants hold to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura — meaning they believe that Scripture alone is the sole rule of faith and ultimate authority for all Christians.

But while this may sound nice in theory, it hasn’t worked out for them practically. There are thousands of Protestant denominations and many teach contradictory things, yet claim their teachings come straight from Scripture.

Catholics, on the other hand, have the magisterium (the authoritative teaching office of the Church) to declare and define what truths are actually contained in the divine revelation present in Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. This is freeing because then we can know with certainty what the truth is without having to rely on our own judgments.

3. We have the saints and can talk to them
Catholics don’t worship the saints. This is a common misconception among Protestants. But we do pray to them, by which we mean we ask them for their intercession.

And why not? The saints are in heaven united with God and there’s no reason to think that they’re completely unaware of what’s happening on earth. We ask them to pray for us just as we would ask a close friend or family member here on earth to intercede with us.

The difference is this: Since the saints are in the presence of God, we are guaranteed that God hears their prayers.

This is just scratching the surface of all the unique gifts found in the Catholic Church. We invite any Protestant friends reading this to dive deeper into the rich teaching and ceremonies of Catholicism. We promise it will be an awesome journey!

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What We Lost Because of Social Media (and What to Do About It)

Most of us use social media. That’s probably how you found this blog. And most of us can point to good experiences from that — maybe seeing photos of a close friend’s wedding you couldn’t attend or that inspirational quote that popped into your feed on a bad day and made you smile.

Then there’s the dark side. You’ve probably experienced some of that as well.

We’ve lost a lot through the rise of social media. Here’s an in memoriam to some of these.

1. Face-to-face contact
Social media is contradictory. It puts us in virtual contact with people all over the world, yet we’re isolated, stuck in front of a screen in our rooms. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with virtual communication. But when it gets to the point where you’re hardly ever going out to see people in person, then you miss out on many potentially memorable moments.

2. The nuances of communication
Communication via social media is much more susceptible to misinterpretation than talking to someone on the phone or face-to-face. Our voices and facial expressions help make our meaning clear. Unless you’re video chatting, you miss these cues when messaging on social media.

So many problems can be averted by simply picking up the phone and calling someone or meeting them in person.

3. Kindness
Social media is one of the main kindness killers. Few moments are as toxic as debates on social media, whether it’s something as serious as politics or as light-hearted as food preferences. It’s as if the anonymity of the screen draws the inner monster out of people, causing them to say things they’d think twice about in someone’s presence.

4. Reality
Social media fuels fake perceptions about people. We’re talking about all those obnoxious photos and videos that are obviously staged to make it look like the person is living the perfect life.

This can make you feel depressed about your own life. Just remember that these photos and videos aren’t telling the whole story. Recent cases of popular social media personalities struggling with addiction or being brutally murdered show that their lives weren’t all they seemed to be…

How to restore what social media destroyed
We’re not telling you to completely get rid of your social media. But there are actions you can take to bring more balance to your life.

You can start by only having social media accessible on your computer, rather than your phone. That way you’re forced to plug for a while, as you go about your daily activities.

Also, consider whether you’re signing up for a certain social media platform for legitimate reasons or simply to be part of the in-crowd. For example, maybe you enjoy Facebook because you can keep up with family on the other side of the country and you enjoy posts from your favorite organizations. If you have the urge to join another platform, say TikTok, ask yourself why that interests you. Don’t do it just because it’s trendy.

Finally, make time to actually get together with people and connect with them over the phone. The connection social media gives us to people can’t beat the experience of hanging out with someone and enjoying their company without a screen and keyboard getting in the way.

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4 Ways to Avoid Being a Cringey Catholic

Cringe is that inner embarrassment and turmoil you feel from something someone else says or does. This makes you pity them and want to flee their presence.

People in the 21st century are hypersensitive to cringe. Part of this is fueled by the excessive sense of irony that many millennials and Gen Zers aim at older generations or politicians who behave in cringey ways.

But anyone can be cringey — including Catholics. And it’s something you should strive to avoid. Here’s how.

1. Cultivate basic self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-forgetfulness
A big problem in our spiritual, political, social, and family lives is thinking we’re something that we’re not.

You need to know and accept who you really are in order to flourish as a human being. If you’re always rebelling against, or overshooting, your true self, you’re going to be a constant source of affliction for everyone you live, work, and hang out with.

No one is talented at everything and that’s okay. You don’t need to be a sports superstar or musical virtuoso. You are the fruit of God’s love. That is enough, even if you stink at millions of other things.

Be open to your real life and seek to be reconciled to it.

2. Just get out of the way
People shouldn’t have to contend with your holiness. In other words, your pursuit of holiness shouldn’t be an obstacle to other peoples’ devotions.

This happens a lot among Catholics. For example, many of us know someone who mumbles their prayers audibly during Holy Hour. But while they may be engaged in a deep moment of spiritual communion, they really shouldn’t be disturbing other people who are trying to pray in silence.

Or maybe you want to kneel on the bare floor instead of a kneeler during Mass to make a small sacrifice. That’s fine, unless you’re sharing the pew with someone who wants to use the kneeler.

3. Leave room for mystery
Many Catholics behave in subtly cringey ways while trying to be helpful. For example, well-meaning greeters in the parish vestibule may be overbearingly helpful to people walking in for Mass who simply want to find their pews.

Then, there are the generally pointless introductory remarks before Mass about who the celebrant is, how happy the church is that visitors are there, etc. This can become excessive and interfere with people’s attempts to encounter God through the rites of the Mass itself.

Mass should keep an aura of mystery and not feel too much like a social club. The Mass itself should shape the people who attend; you should avoid trying too hard to shape the experience in your own image.

4. Strive for genuine humility
While you don’t want to hide your faith, your pursuit of holiness should be a private interaction between you and God. Otherwise, you may start doing it for show. Strive for spiritual simplicity and eschew opportunities for virtue signaling.

Avoid saying things such as “During Holy Hour, Jesus said x, y, z to me.” You may inadvertently be making your listeners depressed over the fact that Jesus has never spoken that personally to them during Holy Hour.

Here’s another example. When someone praises you, don’t give a long speech about how “It was all God and I’m a nobody.” While, in a certain sense, that’s true, it’s hard to speak that way without sounding proud about your “humility.” Rather, simply respond with “thank you” and leave it at that.

We are all called to evangelize through our words and actions. But these cringey behaviors can interfere with that mission. Commit yourself to overcoming them now, so that the light of Christ can shine more brightly for you.

Ultimately, He is what matters.

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