When you think about a Jehovah’s Witness, the Amish, or a Buddhist, images come to your mind of people knocking on doors, communities living off the grid in simplicity, and men and women attempting to attain peace though meditation.

Now, compare that with the Catholicism. How are we seen?

According to most of the world, we are…

• Gay haters
• Women’s rights-withholders
• Science negators
• Murderous crusaders
• Wealthy collection basket-takers
• and the list goes on…

Of the aforementioned, any knowledgeable Catholic can not only argue, but prove that those accusations are erroneous. But such debates aren’t even necessary because there is one issue that has surpassed them in gravity, media coverage, and, unfortunately, truth.

The sexual abuse crisis.

The Catholic Church is currently most well-known for the horrifying sins committed by our priests and Bishops, those whom we hold to the highest expectations of morality. To make matters worse, these crimes were committed against our children and young people, those whom we acknowledge to be the most innocent among us. Worst of all, the systematic cover up of these atrocities for decades has added to the weight of this already heavy cross.

Jesus said that if we are to be His disciples, we “must deny ourselves take up [our] cross, and follow Him” (Mat. 16: 24). He also made sure to teach us that when one suffers in his mystical body, we all suffer (1 Cor. 12: 26). When one sin enters into the world, it affects the people around it, causing a chain reaction of vice and disorder that tempts us into pride, depression, and ignorance. After such a hard blow to the Church by part of the one’s who were meant to lead us, we are currently all in a fallen state.

And the world knows it.

From here on out there is only one thing we can do: We must live lives of heroic virtue.

Gone are the days when people would convert to Catholicism (or remain Catholic) based solely on the Church’s high moral standards. Now, we must rediscover the one thing necessary for salvation- love, which the Bible tells us is God Himself.

How do we actually DO that? How do we rediscover God so as to overshadow the darkness that we are currently in?

Jesus teaches us how to properly love in three very difficult steps:

Pray

It may seem simple, but maintaining a constant and consistent prayer life is anything but easy. Our attention is fragmented by our multiple tasks, the distractions of our technological toys, and our inability to prioritize what is needed over what we want. Prayer is the great equalizer that, when done right, brings us to Divine heights to provide a bird’s eye, no, a God’s eye view of what our lives should be.

Fast

We must take up our crosses and “fill up in the flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the Church” (Col. 1: 24). We do this best by fasting from the pleasures of our flesh. When we limit our intake of optional foods (desserts, snacks, restaurants, etc.), we return to the simplicity of our appetites thus enabling us to hunger and thirst for righteousness which brings us true fulfillment.

We can also limit our intake of optional digital activities like social media, gaming, online shopping, and the like so that we can remain focused on living our real life. The rule of thumb is to only use apps and screens that will increase your virtue, not distract you into vice.

Go

Praying and fasting are the most effective means of bringing about peace during these most difficult times. The fruit of these virtuous acts is charity, which demands that the one who participates in them manifest the love of God in their daily acts of service to the greater community. This is the mission we are all called to complete- to go out and show the world what sacrificial love is all about.

Now, the world knows us as not just criminals, but guilty culprits of the most horrendous crimes known to man.

In the future, they will know we are Catholic because of our love.

We’ve got a lot of work to do… and a lot of saints to become.