Practicing Faithfulness: Loyal or Staunch?

The connotations of words is an interesting piece of language that effects us all on a day to day basis. If someone were to call another "youthful," it could be considered a compliment, while "childish" could be construed as an insult. "Thrifty" vs. "stingy," "confident" vs. "egotistical," "unique" vs. "peculiar" are just a few more examples. That being said, how we view being a "faithful" follower of Christ, spouse, or employee can have a huge impact on our attitude toward life.

Connotations are developed not only by years of evolution in society, but also by personal experiences that shape our life. For example, a child could grow up hearing swear words anytime their parents got mad and be faced with negative emotions when they hear cussing as an adult. Conversely, a child could hear curse words integrated with positive expressions (i.e. 'I love you so d--- much') and experience positive connotations with swearing as they get older. A similar effect can take place when discussing how to be a faithful person.

It is not unheard of to learn that a cradle Catholic adult feels they were not well catechized as a child. There may have been a list of 'to dos' like go to mass every Sunday, pray before dinner or maybe even an evening rosary, but the 'whys' behind these actions were never fully explained. This expression of faithfulness could develop a connotation of piousness or obligation; sincerity and devotion never understood.

A similar situation could develop in witnessing a parents' marriage. A husband may remain married to his wife, but he may do so out of pure obedience to the core value of not believing in divorce. This could create more of a dutiful or staunch view of faithfulness to a spouse, leaving out the affectionate or dedicated feelings one may recognize while observing a marriage.

The question would then remain: how can I overcome feelings of duty or obligation and experience being faithful in a more lovingly devoted and dedicated way? Well, the first step is always awareness. We cannot change an attitude or mode of behavior until we are conscious of our actions.

From there, we can seek wisdom through reading the Bible, meditating/praying, seeking friends who find joy in the Faith, asking a priest targeted questions about Doctrine, attending daily mass or doing a weekly holy hour... The list goes on and on, but one thing's for sure: We are assured that if we seek, we will find. If we knock, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:7). Pursue the type of faithfulness you want to experience, and it is promised that God's grace will bring it to you.