Rejoice in our Catholic Church! God has blessed us for nearly two thousands years. Much has come against the Church, and yet she remains. The fullness of Christ’s truth resides in the Catholic Church. May we remain faithful to her because it is right to do so. May we remain faithful so we may share in her glory when Christ the bridegroom embraces his bride at the end of ages.
There is a strong mentality among many leaders in our parishes to reject our past. This antipathy to our patrimony is disheartening. We stand on the faith of those who came before us, saints and martyrs loyal to the Church from the apostles forward. We need to embrace the richness of our history of our tradition - not reject it for a faddish modernism.
I have heard those who are parish leaders, who are entrusted with teaching our faith, speak with condescension about our past. Because the Church is made of humans, there has been scandal, just as we are suffering through scandal now. May we have the strength to address these problems as they occur in the future - as they certainly will in our fallen world.
But far greater than the human weakness within the Church is the richness of our faith. The fruit of the Church has been bountiful and immeasurable. This is where we should point our faithful. To focus on the failings is to stand in judgment. To be in such a place is to tempt us with pride. The pride that we are somehow better than our forefathers, that our judgment is somehow superior.
I have heard those in there late 50s and early 60s complain about nuns they had in school. These nuns taught them the faith. Yet they blame these nuns for giving them guilt and a fear of God’s judgment. I feel sorry for these people. They do not recognize the great contribution to their own lives that these nuns made. These people do not see where the seeds were planted and nourished. They do not see the eternal truths that they were taught. Faith is not easy. One must guard against the snares of the Devil. Many from this generation want to leave out the parts they don’t like, and then blame it on those who gave their lives to impart the wisdom of ages because deep down, they know that they cannot and should not let it go.
I lament the loss of our religious. While decline in priestly vocations increases our appreciation for the former abundance in sacramental life, the loss of our nuns has made me appreciate our former abundance in community life. For the nuns were the glue in our parishes. Their teaching, and humility, examples of obedience, and faithfulness are sorely missed. May the numbers of faithful religious again increase so that the Church may benefit from the sweet fruit of their holiness.
Let us remember who we are and how we got there. Let us listen to those in the Body of Christ who have come before us. Let us look to our heritage for grounding.
Let us also remember in our prayers those who were part of the cultural turmoil of the 1960’s and 1970’s and are stuck with the lens of struggle and revolution. May they find Christ’s peace that has always been here, waiting for them in His Church.
