Dogmatic

I was going to talk about consumerims today, but you are spared that lecture until tomorrow.

Several months ago I was angry/upset at a Catholic friend for doing somthing not very Catholic and the statement was made by this friend that: "New converts are often very dogmatic," implying that other Catholics are not dogmatic.

I'm sorry, a non-dogmatic Catholic is known as an Anglican.

At some point in the creation of the Protestant (and American) ideal the idea that dogma is bad was born. This idealogy suggested that a unwielding belief in something was damaging to the true Christian ideal (of course, every Protestant is - or was - dogmatic about the Trinity, but they never worried about that). The very phrase dogmatic has gained negative connotations, suggesting a belief that is unduely harsh and rigid.

The thing about dogma is that is must be rigid. If one could bend dogma when the situation was convenient, it would be little more than a preffered idea, rather than God's idea. To relax on dogma is to relax on holiness.



Glorious Saint Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet. I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.
To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.
Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate you in all things.
May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life.
Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you.
I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.

May you pray that we are guided forever to the full understanding of God's light and interecdede that we may never turn from his path.

Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.
Amen.