Msgr. Pope on Staying the Course with the Church

"One of the cultural challenges we face in both living and proclaiming the faith is that the true faith often doesn't fit our frantic pace or our expectation of instantaneous results. Consider that many today, including those of us who believe, demand the 'quick fix.' Whatever the situation - be it sickness, the needed repair of something we own, the delivery of something we've purchased, a resolution of family troubles, or even deeper issues such as inner peace - we want it fixed right now.

"But many things do not lend themselves to a quick fix, especially the deeper matters of the human soul. And the faith we proclaim does not suggest that it is so simple. In this sense the faith is less 'marketable' to our quick-fix culture. We do not (and cannot) say, 'Just come to Mass for six sequential Sundays and your problems will be over.' Rather, we say, 'Give your life to Christ.'

"The solution of God and of the true faith insists on an often slow but steady movement toward God, wherein He draws us in stages ever deeper to Him, to holiness, to perfection. Little by little our fears fade and our sins diminish; we become more loving, patient, compassionate, chaste, serene, and so forth. The process usually takes decades - no quick fixes here.

"And many medicines need to be consistently applied: daily prayer, daily Scripture and spiritual reading, weekly Mass and Communion, frequent confession, and communal life in the Church including helpful friendships, faith-filled relationships, and works of charity."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the slow, but steady, progress we are called to make in our spiritual lives.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: On Staying the Course with Mother Church, As seen on TV (29 AUG 14)