Long time readers of this blog will recall that I've sounded alarms about previous stunts of his. He has written books that contain serious errors regarding faith and morality; I've detailed these problems. FYI, I've sent emails to him regarding these errors, hoping to gets some sort of clarification or even correction of these problems. I've yet to receive the courtesy of a reply.I'm seeing signs like the one to the right in parishes in the DC area. Now think about the arrogance that is all over the language in this poster. Kelly has the chutzpah to say that his program will give to its users their "best lent ever"? Moreover, he dares to make jokes about the time-honored tradition of mortification and self-denial, holding them to be inferior to his dubious programs?
The attitude communicated in this poster is at best flippant and smart-alecky: two attitudes unbecoming the Catholic who purports to offer spiritual benefits. Please don't reward this snarky behavior. Pass up this dubious offer and stick to the Church's time-honored prescriptions for Lenten penance and reform. They are the three activities described in yesterday's Ash Wednesday Gospel: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Of course be certain to make a good Confession this Lent season.
I can't believe people actually continue to give money to these groups.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing this out. My parish, like countless others,is awash in this pernicious nonsense. Matthew Kelly promotes the "Catholic"version of Joel Osteen's big-smile gospel, which is all about becoming your "best self" rather than becoming the saint God created you to be. Now, becoming your "best self" is relatively easy, and potentially enjoyable as well. After all, you yourself (rather than the Almighty) get to say when you are doing your "best." This attitude fits in rather nicely--doesn't it?--with Amoris Chapter 8, and its self-serving contention that flawed human beings can't actually be expected to conform their lives to the Ten Commandments. As long as people are "doing their best" within the complexity of their concrete limits, then that is good enough for Pope Francis. Quote-unquote "dynamic catholicism," in other words, is nothing but heretical Bergoglianism dumbed down and prettily repackaged. What Matthew Kelly is hawking is the spirituality of the Culture of Death.
ReplyDeleteYou don't speak with an informed perspective - I can tell you that his system of "being the best version of yourself" (you can't even get the name right of the concept) is fundamental to being human and to being Christian. Had you actually any knowledge of this concept, you'd know that in practice this translates so well into being a better Christian - when you work to better yourself, you necessarily are a better person toward others and actually take the to practice Christian values everyday instead of just enough on Sundays to call yourself a Catholic.
DeleteGet informed - your ignorance is manifold - clearly you have no idea about what you are writing.
Ladies and gentlemen, I had originally consigned this post to the spam folder, for this individual links back to his/her own site, which is quite pornographic. I reconsidered for I thought it useful to see the caliber of some of Matthew Kelly's defenders. Perhaps he/she unwittingly proves my point in that Kelly is catering to "positive feelings" as opposed to the actual Gospel.
DeleteConsider the moniker this individual has assumed and the pornography that he/she publishes (if you have the stomach to peruse the site). Does this sound like an individual who has the foggiest notion of "being the best version of yourself" let alone a "better Christian"?
Pray for this individual that he/she might be converted to the Gospel. I regret that he/she hasn't been told the truth by Matthew Kelly.
I saw the "Don't give up Chocolate for Lent " flyer posted near the entrance to a Church here in the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana...but I did not stop to read it. Thank you for the warning.
ReplyDeleteActually, when Matthew Kelly talks about being the best version of yourself, he defines it as being the person God intends you to be, not some version you have decided to be be. One thing he promotes strongly is listening carefully to the Mass on Sunday,to allow God to speak to you through the prayers and readings, about how to reform your life that week so as to grow in holiness. His packaging, as you call it, is not aimed at people like you, who obviously already take the gospel seriously, but at those many many Catholics who are attracted by the
ReplyDeletepull of feel good a la carte catholicism, and who can be introduced to a more robust practice of their faith through his materials. Itwuldbeinteresting to knowwhat errors you have found in his materials.
The phrase "best lent ever" speaks of the future as well as the past. Therefore it is at best presumptuous and probably dishonest. As for the errors,please click on the link. That will take you back to posts where I did discuss them.
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