Navigating the Confusion 

   “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the sea.” (Matt 18: 6) 

   I would strongly encourage all the clergy, including the Pope, to reread this passage on a regular basis.  If they are preaching the gospel of society rather than the gospel and truth of the Lord it is speaking directly to them.

   Sadly, it is far too common that the truth of God is twisted in the most abominable ways in the effort to conform to the sinfulness and evil of the society in which we live.  We are faced on a daily basis with the confusion caused by such teaching.  It is up to us, the laity, to try to sort out the truth from the lies and deceptions.

   We must look to scripture and the catechism of the Church for guidance.  Scripture is never wrong, and the catechism contains the wisdom of over two thousand years of experience and faith.  When those who have been blessed with the vocation of the priesthood fail in their duty to correctly lead the flock, we must look to the sources that can be trusted.  We must, as St. Paul wrote, “Test everything, retain what is good.” (1 Thes 5: 21).

   Most of all we must trust in the Lord and His word.  Go to Him in prayer seeking guidance and He will guide us.  Those who would mislead we must not follow.  About them Jesus said, “Woe to you scholars of the law!  You have taken away the key of knowledge.  You yourself did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter." (Luke 11: 52).