What should I do when I see others sin?
- Michelle Arnold, "The Rise and Fall of a Catholic Convert."
- I firmly believe that, sooner or later, each and every convert to the Catholic faith — whether that person chose to become Catholic as an adult or was brought into the faith as a baby by his parents — is going to have to face the scandal that the Church is not what he believed it to be when he signed up. The test will be whether he will persevere because he knows it to be the Church Christ founded, or whether he will fall away because he decides it is merely a human institution that has disappointed him.
Prudential judgment required
If it is a crime, report it to the proper authorities.
If not:
- Repent.
- Forgive.
- Make reparation for the sin.
- Leave that person in the hands of God.
Distinguish between gnats and camels.
Be prudent. Calculate the cost of battle before going to war on the hard-hearted.
Choose the right good.
"He should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).
Bi-focal vision
My sins are my problem
God has not put me in charge of others.
No amount of sin in them justifies sin in me. I cannot say that the sins of Judases set me free from the law of love.
The grace I need to repent of my sins, do penance, and amend my life is available to me in superabundance, regardless of what other people are doing in their lives with that same grace.
- Patrick Coffin, "Catholic Answers Live."
- "Be a saint. What else is there?"
Their sins are a different kind of problem
It is not rocket science to see that the Church is beset by sin.
I do not have to minimize, alter, or deny the wrongdoing that I see among members of the Church.
I am allowed to decide whom I will trust and with whom I will spend my time and energy. Some relationships are more rewarding than others.
I can identify such people as my enemies.
Then I am obliged to love them, forgive them, and intercede for them.
Cutting the Gordian Knot
Whining about the sins of others cuts me off from communion with God.
Whining about people who whine about the sins of others is just whining about the sins of others. In the very act of condemning people who condemn people for not being holy, I condemn myself.
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Rom 7:24).
Splat! "I've fallen into the pit, Jesus! Save me!"
Love the unlovable
- Saint John of the Cross
- “Where there is no love, put love, and you will find love.”