Everyone else has it so easy. They get to go to parties and drink all they want; they can wear mini skirts, low-cut shirts and bikinis; they're able to sleep with guys and not even worry about pregnancy because birth control and abortion is an option. Why do I have it so hard? Why do I have to follow all the rules?
In this world we are constantly bombarded by images of our peers leading such lives without a care in the world. I'm sure each and every one of us has asked the question, "Why do they get to have all the fun while I have to be the stick in the mud?" And then we come to the conclusion: Being Catholic is extremely lame.
It would be so easy to say "screw the rules" and join our friends in the fun we envy so much. It would be so easy to ignore our values in order to have a good time and live without a care in the world. We start to wish that we could separate ourselves from our Catholicism--it's just holding us back, keeping us away from a "normal" life.
Our faith has turned into our prison.
So how do we break free? Do we just throw away over 2000 years of Church teaching because we think we know how to live a better life? We could do that. We could go to all the late night parties and get so drunk we can't remember what happened; we could sport the skimpy attire to attract guys who don't look at us for more than a one night stand; we could pop pills as an easy fix to sleeping around. We could do all those things.
But at the end of the day, under the guise of "fun" and "normalcy", we will feel used, abused and full of regret. And then we will look back with longing at our faith which has now become the greener side of the fence. We have gone from feeling like the stick in the mud to feeling trapped in quicksand--at first there may be a certain rush, but the only direction it's pulling us is down. And while we're trapped down there we realize that there is no true satisfaction in temporary gratification, and there is no joy in disrespect of one's body and dignity.
Our faith is actually our freedom.
These "rules" of our faith aren't just there because "God said so". They are there to free us from the bindings of a sinful world. Instead of seeing life as full of things we are not allowed to do, we should view life as full of opportunities to choose the path that will fulfill us and lead us to true joy. There is a reason our faith is the way it is.
God knows that if we overindulge in alcohol we won't think clearly and we will make decisions we will later regret. God protects us.
God doesn't want us to give away the most intimate parts of our bodies with revealing attire. God cherishes us.
God wants us to enjoy the fruitfulness of a true relationship, not one of selfishness. God loves us.
When we pick apart the pressures common in this society, can we honestly say they are looking out for our good? Do the pressures in society protect us? Cherish us? Love us? The answer is no. In fact they do the exact opposite.
So when we find ourself in a situation wondering if we should take that worldly road that appears easier, we should make sure to take a look a little further down that road. Chances are, we will only see emptiness, shallow happiness, and a rough ending. If we continue walking on the path of our faith, while we may face obstacles along the way, it will most certainly lead to a much more fulfilling destination.
Amen!
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