Fr. Robert Barron Comments on People Leaving the Church

As. Fr. Barron points out, the Church recognizes that there are certain aspects of truth in other faiths, however, the Church must point out that the fullness of truth subsists in the Catholic Church.  The Church is a divine institution founded by Jesus Christ.  It's doctrines are unchanging as the Church, the Bride of Christ, must remain faithful to her Bridegroom, Jesus.  The Church proposes the fullness of truth to us and it is for us to freely accept it so as to enjoy the fruits of grace the Lord wishes to joyfully bestow upon us through his Church.  The Church's teachings are not to impose on us or to make us mad, rather her teachings help us to become the best people we can be; to become the people God has created us to be. When we enter deeply into prayer, examine our hearts and study the teachings of the Church (not just what the Church teaches but also the why behind the what), we come to the realization that what the Church teaches is what our hearts truly long for which is authentic love, not a watered down and "I-will-determine-truth-for-myself" version of love.  If we wish to live an authentically Christian life which is to become like Jesus, we must heed his command, "Take up your cross and follow me."  Love demands sacrifice.  But also as Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  The more we examine our hearts and learn what and why the Church teaches what she does, the more we realize the meaning of these words of our Lord.  It may be difficult at times, for example, to say no to contraceptives when we live in a culture that is constantly telling us that contraceptives are good, but to say no to contraceptives is to take the Lord's burden upon yourself and guess what, the Lord's burden is easy and light.  Why?  Because what the Lord offers me is what my heart truly longs for so when I receive what the Lord offers it is not a heavy burden rather it is light and easy and I carry it joyfully.  Saying no to contraceptives is actually saying a joyful yes to something much greater and fulfilling - saying yes to life and authentic love. If you are considering leaving the Catholic Church, I beg you for your own sake, take time to truly learn the Church's teachings and pray deeply; talk to someone who really knows what they're talking about regarding the Church.  There are so many resources available to you, many of which can be found on the sidebar of this blog. I guarantee you that if you learn the truth you will not want to leave because you will discover that all your heart has longed for is found in the Catholic Church.  Why?  Because the Church was divinely instituted by Jesus and if Jesus has given me this gift how could I ever reject it?