How does embracing the Church’s authority challenge us to deeper conversion?
We know that the Church will prevail, no matter what 'kwap' is thrown at it, no matter how much the evil one desecrates it. There are too many in the hierarchy who I no longer respect. There are individual priests for whom I have a great deal of respect; they follow the true teachings and thus far have not wavered.
This deepens my conviction because I have learned (and continue to learn) what is right and what is wrong. When I see bishops waffling over whether or not to give Our Beloved Lord in Holy Communion to people who are diametrically opposed to tenets of our faith, my blood boils! Even a greenhorn like me knows NEVER to receive Our Lord in a state of mortal sin, yet our bishops - our shepherds, our teachers - flipflop.
Karen, you are quite kind in saying the bishops "flip-flop". Being they are the ones in whose hands the faith is entrusted to their safeguarding I would suggest they (not all) more abdicate their authority and desecrate our Lord in their self-serving permission of this. Still though they are our shepherds (Mt. 23:1-3).
Anyway, to the point of submitting to, or embracing the Church's authority aiding in our conversion and deepening it. To do this is to be humble. To be humble is to know that God is God and I am not: "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'" (Mt. 18:2-4). In this Jesus asks the child to trust him. The child submits to his authority and, by approaching Jesus when he's called, he trusts him. He points out the difference between the child and those who are with Jesus. He says to the disciples there that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven they need to humble themselves and trust in him - he says to them, "Unless you turn and become like children"; to seek daily conversion. He sees they way his disciples are - and we are them, are we not? As many as would follow him around and tell of his great words and great works, who among them were willing to embrace him completely all the way to Calvary? Do we? I know I fall short - way short - and recognize how much discipling is necessary for me to truly put everything I have into his care; to turn in conversion out of trust for his bride, the Church. Only through my unceasing effort might I become like that child Jesus held up as an example.
