The principle of dogma is set in contrast, first of all, to human creativity: “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.” The Church’s faith is received from God, not manufactured by man. It is not a collection of merely human ideas. Nor does our knowledge of God come from our own cleverness or insight. Our faith comes from Christ’s heavenly Father. He has spoken His Word into the world in such a manner that we can not only receive it but also hand it on. But our fallen human nature doesn’t want to receive anything. That would indicate a lack of freedom. We prefer to imitate Eve and grasp. We are so enslaved to our autonomy that we reject even the given/received nature of our own bodies and choose to self-identify as something else.
What is The Catholic Way in this time of Church-wide crucifixion? It will vary, but here are some thoughts: An intensified prayer life; at least one hour each day. Living out our vocational call to holiness through daily sacrifice. More frequent reception of the Eucharist and visits to the Adoration chapel. Increased service to the poor and corporal works of mercy. Deepening our devotion to Mary. More frequent confessions. Increased time with Scripture and spiritual reading.
Parishes are not supposed to be fast food establishments offering services on the go to busy people. Instead they must demand more from their members, for them to slow down, and adapt their lives around their faith and their parish (and not the other way around). Note I’m not saying that parishes should just be demanding more volunteers and more “activity” in the parish. The reconfiguration first and foremost would come in the home and in the communities that support the parish. It’s not a matter of being more involved in the parish; it’s a whole new way of living in which home life is centered around the parish’s sacramental and devotional life.
So we see that God expects us, in the present devastation of His vineyard, to respond first of all by growing in faith, hope, and love; secondly, by being especially watchful lest we be infected in any way; thirdly, by struggling against the devastation with all the means at our disposal; and fourthly, by not forgetting that the absolute truth of the deposit of the Catholic Faith objectively remains untouched by all the empty talk of certain theologians.