Two and a half years ago, a book by Matthew Kelly (Rediscover Catholicism) appeared in our parish lobby for sale. In fact, it appeared in many local church lobbies. I bought a copy, read the prologue and immediately recognized the spiritual poison contained therein. I blogged about it then and will not rehash what I wrote; read it here. What I will do is link to the problematic pages in the prologue, since many friends thought "it's not that bad" (making me wonder just how "bad" it has to be for them to recognize real problems). Note: my use of these pages for commentary is fully permissible under the "fair use" doctrine. For those of you who are wondering, I did pose my questions and objections to Mr. Kelly on his website comment area; I never received a reply.
Here are bulletin announcements as they appear in St John Neumann's and St Paul's. Notice in the St John Neumann bulletin the purpose is to "help us become the best version of ourselves". That's new age psycho-babble. Any Catholic speaker worthy of that title will give us food for thought to become holy. There IS a difference!
I googled Kelly. Here's a wikipedia piece. According to that, he's a motivational speaker and management consultant. I can see how these things would dovetail with his "best version of self" talks. I cannot tell if there's a deliberate connection, but the possibility exists. He also had "apparitions" in the 1990s, ones that did not pass the muster of his bishop. To his credit he complied with the bishop's direction not to promulgate the rather odd content of these "apparitions". See #180 in this website. That webmaster says he/she wouldn't trust Kelly's talks or books. I concur. The same mind that produced wacky "messages from God" is the same mind that produced the heresy in the prologue to Rediscover Catholicism. That mind will be the source of words spoken at St Peter's on April 17th.
As you might have noticed in the parish bulletins, Kelly will be appearing with musician Eliot Morris. I googled Morris and found his website. Please notice that there is no mention of "God", "faith", "Jesus Christ", etc. For any "run-of-the-mill" musician or entertainer, that lack wouldn't be so remarkable. However, he allegedly "prepared a unique message inspired by God". So just what are his qualifications for imparting this message? For that matter, what are Kelly's?
For the awesome (?) privilege of having these two fellows help you to "discover God's voice" in two weeks, you will have to cough up $39.00. In the Neumann bulletin we're urged to do so quickly because "the show is expected to be a sellout". "Show"??? Freudian slip, much? I would expect an authentic Catholic talk to be called a "talk" or "address" or "event" - but "show"? That smacks of a performance of entertainment, to me. I hope I'm wrong, but I smell a racket.
I learned of this through an announcement in the parish bulletin. It makes me wonder how - or if - the parish offices take any care to vet these announcement requests before they actually publish them. Moreover, I wonder how the parishes discern what books are allowed to be peddled in their church lobbies. "Rediscover Catholicism" should have been rejected by the parishes.
Before folks waste $39 of their hard-earned money, I'm providing some "food for thought"; and I'm not charging one red penny for it!
Showing posts with label Rediscover Catholicism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rediscover Catholicism. Show all posts
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Rediscover Catholicism By Matthew Kelly
Years ago I became convinced that the evil one is quite clever in deceiving good Catholics into error and sin. I think he knows better than to present us with gross sin such as wild orgies or inebriated debauchery. No, he'll cloak his temptations to us in holy trappings. Please note that I'm not putting those last two words in quotes because often enough, the trappings are very good in and of themselves and can lead to real benefit.
For instance, I mentioned a few days ago the Medjugorje apparitions (that I initially believed). Now at that site many good people are praying. They're going to Confession (some folks for the first time in many years), receiving Holy Communion at Mass, praying the Rosary, etc. For the most part, the proceedings from the apparition are sweet if somewhat trite. However, it's those zingers of indifferentism that are the problem. Because the devotees are predisposed to accept whatever the apparition says, they're less likely to subject it to needed scrutiny and thus they incorporate the indifferentism into their own thinking. Therein lies the danger.
Such seems to be the case with the book Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. Last year it was sold at my church and was announced from the pulpit. It only cost $2.00. I bought one and started to read it. This book's main "zinger" (and it is a big one) occurs right in the prologue. I suppose Kelly was trying to illustrate the magnitude of the Crucifixion of Our Lord and what it cost both Son and Father. He wound up committing what I believe is blasphemy with his attempt.
He devised a hypothetical situation in which a father of a small boy hears that there is a fatal epidemic. A vaccine has been developed but will require blood from someone who hasn't been infected. All are called upon to volunteer blood samples. The father trots his family to be tested. Lo and behold, the small boy is not infected and his blood can be used. However, a lot of blood is required and to draw the required amount of blood from the boy will kill him. The doctors break the news to the father and let him know that if he doesn't give permission for this blood-letting, all mankind may well die. The parents give their "consent" for this procedure. Of course the little boy is bewildered - but it's such a great cause!
So here you have a man's murder of his own little boy being compared with the Crucifixion of Our Lord. Murder is the deliberate taking of innocent human life; nothing justifies that for as any decent Catholic knows, the end of a sinful act, be it ever so noble, never justifies the sin.
I could spend several posts unpacking the moral mess encompassed in these few paragraphs. There is the comparison of Jesus' voluntary act with the horror inflicted on a helpless child. There is the aspect of the boy being utterly betrayed by his parents whose first charge was to protect, not sacrifice him. And of course we have here a thinly-disguised apologetics for both abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
Some might argue that the rest of the book was okay and even very good. Be that as it very well may, it matters not one damned bit. If you knew that the most nutritious meal in the world contained just a little bit of arsenic, would you take one bit of that most nutritious meal? I didn't think so!
After I read this prologue, I immediately alerted the pastor. As I was talking, he completed my sentence for me. That indicated to me that mine was not the first complaint about this heresy. However, the boxes of books remained in the lobby for several more weeks; I don't know why.
I forgot about it until I went to Mass today at Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase - and saw three or four boxes of these books in that church's lobby, just as I saw in St John Neumann last year. I thought to myself, "well, maybe they've removed the offending prologue in these copies." It was still there. In googling the book, I learned that it was popping up in parishes all over the country. I don't know who is making book-buying decisions or what kind of marketing effort is underway here.
I am urging all to be on the lookout for this in your own parishes and to be prepared to sound the alarm at your church. Do NOT use Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly.
For instance, I mentioned a few days ago the Medjugorje apparitions (that I initially believed). Now at that site many good people are praying. They're going to Confession (some folks for the first time in many years), receiving Holy Communion at Mass, praying the Rosary, etc. For the most part, the proceedings from the apparition are sweet if somewhat trite. However, it's those zingers of indifferentism that are the problem. Because the devotees are predisposed to accept whatever the apparition says, they're less likely to subject it to needed scrutiny and thus they incorporate the indifferentism into their own thinking. Therein lies the danger.
Such seems to be the case with the book Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. Last year it was sold at my church and was announced from the pulpit. It only cost $2.00. I bought one and started to read it. This book's main "zinger" (and it is a big one) occurs right in the prologue. I suppose Kelly was trying to illustrate the magnitude of the Crucifixion of Our Lord and what it cost both Son and Father. He wound up committing what I believe is blasphemy with his attempt.
He devised a hypothetical situation in which a father of a small boy hears that there is a fatal epidemic. A vaccine has been developed but will require blood from someone who hasn't been infected. All are called upon to volunteer blood samples. The father trots his family to be tested. Lo and behold, the small boy is not infected and his blood can be used. However, a lot of blood is required and to draw the required amount of blood from the boy will kill him. The doctors break the news to the father and let him know that if he doesn't give permission for this blood-letting, all mankind may well die. The parents give their "consent" for this procedure. Of course the little boy is bewildered - but it's such a great cause!
So here you have a man's murder of his own little boy being compared with the Crucifixion of Our Lord. Murder is the deliberate taking of innocent human life; nothing justifies that for as any decent Catholic knows, the end of a sinful act, be it ever so noble, never justifies the sin.
I could spend several posts unpacking the moral mess encompassed in these few paragraphs. There is the comparison of Jesus' voluntary act with the horror inflicted on a helpless child. There is the aspect of the boy being utterly betrayed by his parents whose first charge was to protect, not sacrifice him. And of course we have here a thinly-disguised apologetics for both abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
Some might argue that the rest of the book was okay and even very good. Be that as it very well may, it matters not one damned bit. If you knew that the most nutritious meal in the world contained just a little bit of arsenic, would you take one bit of that most nutritious meal? I didn't think so!
After I read this prologue, I immediately alerted the pastor. As I was talking, he completed my sentence for me. That indicated to me that mine was not the first complaint about this heresy. However, the boxes of books remained in the lobby for several more weeks; I don't know why.
I forgot about it until I went to Mass today at Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase - and saw three or four boxes of these books in that church's lobby, just as I saw in St John Neumann last year. I thought to myself, "well, maybe they've removed the offending prologue in these copies." It was still there. In googling the book, I learned that it was popping up in parishes all over the country. I don't know who is making book-buying decisions or what kind of marketing effort is underway here.
I am urging all to be on the lookout for this in your own parishes and to be prepared to sound the alarm at your church. Do NOT use Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly.
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