You probably have heard the term “cafeteria Catholic”. This is defined as a person who picks and chooses what they want to accept or reject as Truth, necessary, or “relative to life today” from Catholic teachings. Most of the time, this term is used for the people who support abortion, sexual activity outside a consecrated marriage, keeping the Sabbath, Confession, etc.. But in my opinion, all of us can be “cafeteria Catholics” in our daily lives and do not even realize it.
One point of contention for me is when people are constantly posting/commenting basically saying “a leopard cannot change its spots”.
IMHO, that is being a cafeteria Catholic! To me, what is being said is that the sins of the past cannot be wiped away. There is no true conversion or transformation. We want and maybe even expect God to forgive and forget our sins, but we are not willing or able to do the same for others!
Why did Christ have to suffer? Why did He even have to take on our form? Why did He rise and show His Risen Self to us if we cannot be changed? What is the point, if there is no hope of transformation or turning away from our sins? Why did He not just dispose of the world after Adam and Eve? Are we only to be forgiven and transformed on judgment day? Can we only serve Him and His if we have never sinned?
I saw no less than 15 posts/comments in less than 30 minutes expressing the sentiment of not accepting that someone has changed. I have said it before and I will keep saying it; I do not know if people CAN change, but I am living proof that people can BE changed. The fear that my past sins would come to light and make me look like a hypocrite, kept me from speaking out in the past, but I know that I am changed – so I am speaking out!
My challenge for this post: Truly review your words, actions, and thoughts EVERY day. Replay them with the thought in mind, “Does what I said or did today truly reflect what I profess to believe?”. I know when I do this, I have been horrified with the answer sometimes.
blessedadorer 
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