The Stacks Of Error

I took a walk over to the university library on my lunch break this afternoon to do some writing. All the computers in the lab were taken, so I decided to wander among the stacks. I ended up in the religion section on the 3rd floor (big surprise), and as I was perusing the shelves it hit me how much we need the Holy Spirit.

We need the Holy Spirit to guide our Holy Church and keep Her from teaching error. Thankfully we have that assurance, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it (Mt 16:17-19).

We need the Holy Spirit to change hearts, because all the intellectual arguments and reasons and miracles do not have the power to do that. But the Holy Spirit does have that power.

We need the Holy Spirit to impart the gifts we need to live virtuous lives pleasing to God: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

We need the Holy Spirit to heal us from our wounds, both physical, emotional, and spiritual. When a member of Christ's body prays for and over us and healing occurs, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit--God Himself--that such a miracle takes place.

We need the Holy Spirit to guide us into all the truth (Jn 16:13). Because without the Holy Spirit, we are lost.

I attended a liberal graduate program, eschewing a more orthodox program faithful to Church teaching at the local seminary. I did check out the seminary, though, and I remember meeting with the Dean of the Theology program there and mentioned where I was considering and that it seemed to suit my sensibilities, to which she replied, "but we teach the Truth here." I found her calm statement arrogant and off putting--"what is Truth anyway?" and went with the other program. Given where I was at in my faith life and the formation I had had until that point, it did fit. But just why it fit should have been reason for concern. But I had no one to guide me otherwise.

I had a Jesuit spiritual advisor for a number of years. I didn't know any better. It took me as many years to 'unlearn' how I was advised, because it withheld hard truth and placated me with soft affirmations in my sin.

I read books by Teihlhard de Chardin and John Dear and Richard Rohr and Ronald Rolheiser because it was either eclectic or pushed boundaries or because it was just what was available and I didn't know any better. I figured this was what Catholic was. It wasn't until years later that I learned the books were better off in the trash.

I was so happy when I started working at a Catholic university years ago, but realized later in talking with the students "what is it that makes ___ University Catholic?" the answer was more times than not, "We do service." Even atheists do service. I asked why the National Catholic Reporter was in the library and not the Register, and was ignored. I started to realize something was amiss.

Take, for instance, the life of a new Catholic. It is an impressionable and somewhat vulnerable time. You read everything you can get your hands on. That is why I take such offense at the dissidents and the dangers they pose. If I were fresh in the faith and thinking to myself "wow, what a selection!" of anything with "God" or "Catholic" in the title and just started innocently picking books off the shelf--Hans Küng or Charles Curran--and started your formation there, it would be disastrous. You wouldn't know any better, sure, but without anyone to tell you, "better be careful," or "here, read this instead," it's a spiritually perilous position one is in.

It can't be presumed that just because a school is "Catholic" that it authentically is, or a person who is a priest or religious that they will teach the Truth as the Church understands it. But God can lead us back to truth when we have strayed, lead us back to grace when we have turned away from it, and lead those outside of it to the Church despite all the obstacles and heterodox landmines in the way. By His grace, he did for me, and I give Him thanks and praise for sending some joyful orthodox guides to gradually correct my course and open me to seeing the danger in those who did not hold to correct teaching. Were it not for the Holy Spirit and the mysterious and gentle way He works, I don't know where I would be.