February 5, 2013 – Catechism 2118 – 2128

Simony is trying to purchase spiritual things. When I was reading the paragraphs on that, I was wondering if a form of simony was when you do a kind act with the expectation of something in return. It talks about ministers are not suppose to do things for something but hope to receive nothing and especially make sure that the poor are not without services, but what about when you give your time to a project or go and help on a retreat. I know I struggle sometimes with my real motivation for doing things. I can catch myself much easier now thinking about it and try to stop those motivations, but I know they are still there and something I struggle against. Even doing this post I catch myself longing for some sort of praise from those that read them. That cannot be the motivation. You receive without pay, you must give without expecting pay, of any kind. That is the struggle.

I think it is interesting to think that Christian believers might be one of the biggest causes in the rise of atheism. I have talked about it before and what the disunity of the Christian faith means to someone on the outside looking in. Also, what does it do to someone who is in the Christian folds, but struggling with the idea of Truth and sees so many different truths? How confusing and frustrating that is and promotes a understanding that there is no truth and ultimately that there is no God.