Talking about the "things that matter most" on Sept. 2
4:00 – Direct to My Desk
5:00 – TBA
5:20 – Why Don’t Catholics Talk More About Freedom and Liberty?
Mark Judge is the author most recently of A Tremor of Bliss: Sex, Catholicism, and Rock 'n' Roll. We talked to him last week about the book and he is back today to look particularly about why Catholics don’t talk more about freedom and liberty. Jesus came to set us free and to liberate us from the bondage of sin. So why aren’t liberty and freedom discussed more in Catholic circles?
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Al, I listened to a brief segment of today's program. I really enjoyed the topic and am so glad you addressed it.
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember a single time I've heard a sermon about freedom in Christ. I don't know why that is . . . perhaps poor seminary formation. In any case, I think it is a symptom of how the Church, in it's magisterial teaching capacity, has been for many, many years. I would suggest that we've buried Jesus under many layers of liturgy and doctrine. Those things are all well and good, but I really do not think, as many of your callers seemed to think, that we just need a better delivery or we just need people to learn their faith better, or as your guest suggested, to learn what the Church really teaches about sexuality.
I just don't think that's the issue. I think the issue is we've lost the main thing. The main thing about Christianity is Jesus of Nazareth, who he was and what he accomplished and why he did it. That is not preached in all its simplicity and purity, but instead I feel like we generally hook to Jesus many other things . . . Jesus and the sacraments, Jesus and confession, Jesus and the Eucharist, Jesus and Mary, Jesus and the saints, Jesus and the Church, Jesus and the Theology of the Body, Jesus and, Jesus and. Isn't this exactly what St. Paul preached against in his letter to the Galatians, a Jesus-and gospel?
I submit that when we return to this simple, simple message, our Church will begin growing again.