A Heart on Fire – What America Needs
“The ‘next america’ we now see emerging–an America ignorant of or cynical toward religion in general and Christianity in particular–shouldn’t really surprise anyone. Its a new America, but its made in America. We can blame the mass media, or the academy, or science, or special interest groups for creating the environment we now face. But we Christians–including we Catholics–helped shape it with our eagerness to fit in, our distractions and overconfidence, and our own lukewarm faith.
“Too many people who claim to be Christian simply don’t know Jesus Christ. They don’t really believe in the Gospel. They feel embarrassed by their religion and vaguely out of step with the times. They may keep their religion for comfort value. Or they may adjust it to fit their doubts. But it doesn’t reshape their lives because it isn’t real. And because it isn’t real, it has no transforming effect on their personal behavior, no social force, and few public consequences…Whatever it once was, now it’s dead.”
A Heart on Fire: Catholic Witness in a New America is a easy read — but tough medicine good to pray over in these final days of Lent.
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