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Beware “Secret Knowledge”

 We have been fighting against factions and spiritual elitism from the very beginning. The thing about public revelation is that it’s public. Jesus wants everyone to know. Heaven is so important to complete our being that the Great Commission makes sense. Water baptism in the Triune Name, and obedience to the teachings of Jesus. Simplifying spiritual practices so that His Apostles could literally reach around the world. A priest serves the teaching mission of the Bishop. A priest without his bishop is a sheep without a shepherd. Fr. Chad Ripperger wants to tell you that the obvious stuff isn’t enough; he wants to make you think that you need special knowledge—his special knowledge—in order to be a saint. At best, he is dangerously misguided; at worst, he is a wolf.

The only thing you really need to know about exorcisms is that they exist. Anything more is dangerous. The true child of the Church obeys. The priest obeys the bishop; the bishop obeys the Successor of Peter. And so on.

It’s good that lots of people know the faith, because it lets a priest do more priest stuff. I asked my friend Fr. Fadi one time, “Hey father, what are you doing this summer?” He laughed and said, “Celebrating Mass, and hearing confessions.” It brought him joy to say that the next day was much like the one before. To paraphrase Eugene Peterson, faith is a long obedience in the same direction.

Sometimes, I wish I were out “doing stuff” again. I loved being a teacher. My body has other plans. I have books and essays to write, anyway. These thoughts here are just reflections; I doubt they become any great thing. But talking with you, so to speak, is better than watching TV. [It’s very clear that you do both.—ed.] Guilty. But I don’t feel guilty!

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