For the record, my granddaughter didn’t say “stuff.”
She and her mother were talking about some uptight Christians that they know. During the discussion, my daughter asked her if she felt that we, meaning her family, were uptight. Hence, my granddaughter’s reply.
At first glance, it might seem just a flippant, bumper-sticker answer. But, it”s not when one knows my daughter and granddaughter, A. They are fiercely pro-life. I think A started standing in the Life Chain when she was in the early grades of elementary school.
She has very little tolerance for mega-churches especially those who have big screens and Starbucks in them. After all, “don’t they know they’re supposed to fast before going to church?” (We still talk about that one.)
She truly believes in justice for all and she wants it to be swift for murderers, rapists and child abusers. She has no patience for people who aren’t loyal to their family and friends.
So, what do I think she meant?
I raised my daughters to understand that life is not fair. Life can be hard. Justice sometimes seems elusive even when we work diligently for it. People can and do do evil things. The devil does exist, but so does St. Michael the Archangel.
I think that’s the point. Our Catholic faith is our defense in this world and against Satan. We know that we are meant for heaven and in the words of Blessed Mother Teresa, “to be faithful,” if not successful. We have all the tools that we need to navigate this life: God, Jesus, the Scriptures, Church Tradition, the Sacraments, the Mass, the Eucharist, the Rosary.
So we don’t need to have a joyless, pitiful, uptight spirit when “stuff’ happens.
Dr. Linda L. Powell 