Bad Advice

I once knew someone who gave the worst possible advice you can imagine. It was not intentional, but rather just a matter of the combined circumstances of his willingness to help, and his lack of knowledge about life in general. Most people are not that bad at giving advice. Some people will hesitate to give advice at all because they are fearful of the consequences of giving bad advice.

I have heard multiple stories about priests who give bad advice, and sometimes the stories make my gut hurt. A number of people will recognize that it is bad advice and then seek a "second opinion" (thank God!). My gut hurts for those people who cannot tell the difference and they take the advice and then suffer for it. As a result, many of these same people will interpret the event as applicable to all priests and the Church as a whole, and they either end up leaving the Church, or they stay in the Church but never ask advice again!

So, please, hear this: you may have been given bad advice at one point in time from a priest or other clergyman. This is not reflective of the entire Catholic Church. It is actually more reflective of the era of history we are in. One thousand years from now, seminary students will be studying history and when they discuss the 20th/21st century, it will not be called a "dark age", but rather a "foolish age". And, sadly, the Church is not immune from foolishness.

Bad things happen, and people make mistakes. This is why you are never to put your hope in men; not in the Pope, our (wonderful) Bishop, and certainly not in me (for I cannot guarantee I will never give you a bad piece of advice either). Put your confidence and security in Christ alone. He is the only One Who can fix the mistakes that come from bad advice, and He is so powerful that He even wills to use those very mistakes to bring about your sanctification. Put all your faith and hope in God and Him alone.