Multiple Personality Disorder

Multiple Personality –Noun, Psychiatry: a disorder in which an individual displays more than one functionally dissociated personality, each of a complexity comparable to that of a normal individual. Also called split personality.

Formulating this post is uncomfortable for me for several reasons, not the least of which is the knowledge that several non-Catholic Christians read my periodic musings and I'm, well, a bit gun shy to discuss my faith in anything but a positive light. But I have to be realistic.

Since I strive for frankness and honesty here at DUiB, I'm going to approach you in my own discomfort with pressing, unvarnished questions I regularly search within myself to answer.

1. Are we as Catholics (and to be fair, this particular question could be asked of all Christians) leading unconverted lives?
2. Do we don a face and display mannerisms for Sunday morning only to go back to our normal modus operandi the rest of the week?
3. Do we have "ears to hear" the directive issued by the priest or deacon when, at the end of our Eucharistic celebration it is said, "This Mass has ended. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord"?
4. Asked simply and straightforwardly, are we living what we profess?

Vexing questions, but we can move toward resolution through the study of our faith. Why do I say this? We grow immeasurably through bible study, instruction on the Sacraments, and faith sharing which takes place in adult catechesis. True enough, heart knowledge must take precedence over head knowledge lest we be no better than the Pharisees of old, but we've all seen the Holy Spirit get busy once a Christian makes the commitment to explore his or her faith more deeply.

Without a prayerful commitment to avail ourselves of Truth and understanding, we might fool our co-workers or neighbors. We might fool our friends and family members. If we're good enough, we might even fool ourselves into thinking we're pious.

But as the scripture says in 2 Chronicles, "...the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth." He knows what we're up to and whether we're leading a double life. He knows if we're in the spirit on Sunday and in the flesh the rest of the time. He knows if we're leading unconverted lives.

The Catechism is spot-on (#2467); we have a moral and spiritual duty to close the gap between what we profess on the Sabbath and how we conduct ourselves Monday through Saturday. There will be, quite literally, Hell to pay if we don't.

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An excerpt from a disturbing new survey of American Catholics by the Barna Group, a Christian think tank / research institute:

"The trail of Catholicism in America is a clear example of culture influencing faith more often than faith influencing culture," Barna continued. "The faith of tens of millions of Catholics is affected by the prevailing culture more than by the central principles and teachings of the Bible. Spiritual leaders who are passionate about remaining true to the scriptures and to Catholicism’s historic commitment to Jesus Christ and the Word of God must address this spiritual drift within the body. If they fail to do so, in the next quarter century American Catholicism could well lose its ability to shape people’s minds and hearts in ways that conform to the historic teachings and purposes of Christianity."

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