21st Sunday: Despite it all, we stay home

We know in the Catholic Church, especially in the United States but also in other European Countries, there are some challenges. One challenge is that people are leaving the practice of the faith. That is the very obvious one. There are a litany of reasons as to why.

Another challenge too, people demand the faith change their own needs and their own ideas rather than let themselves be changed, grow or be transformed. They seek to remake Jesus and the faith to conform to their own views. The results of this are division, disintegration and death.

Why do we remain as believers of Jesus Christ? Why would we allow ourselves to be changed, grow and transformed?

I joke sometimes; I am one of 7 kids and the only one that still goes to mass. I go because I get paid to go to mass. I admit there are days, moments when I ask myself is this all worth it? Moments of doubts and anger; sadness; loneliness; moments when I am challenged in my ways. Moments when I become disappointed in the institution that I work for. Moments when I become disappointed in the people I feel called to serve.  Moments when I become disappointed in myself.  I know that I am not alone in this. Other priests, staff and simply people of the Catholic faith will face these moments.

Yet, I have found these moments important. They can become moments of clarity.  

We are Catholic, we are Christians; we first and foremost believe in one God, the Father Almighty; we believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son; we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life; we believe in a community gathered around these beliefs.

We believe in that higher power of God, the Trinity, someone beyond you or I; so that we can transcend, you and I. We can grow, be pulled higher; challenged.  We believe in a Wisdom revealed to a community and that was wrestled with for centuries and then fully revealed in God incarnated. A wisdom that calls us to see the good in others; a wisdom that calls us to see the beauty of creation. A wisdom that calls us to find life through giving of self for the good of others. A wisdom that reminds us that we limit ourselves when we focus only on our wants and desires.

Jesus revealed the power of forgiveness. Anger is an emotion that we all experience. There is absolutely nothing wrong with experiencing anger, even Jesus had anger. The danger is to retain that anger and let it become part of our hearts. Then it poisons us; trust seeps away, we become weak, frightened, and easily controlled by others. What does our world say--take vengeance, be aggressive, passive aggressive, punish, kill, be a jerk to others….

Jesus frees us from that through forgiveness; that recognition that I do not need to have to take vengeance, I do not have to punish those that I think have hurt me. I can live, be free, and love others.

Jesus reveals the power of humility. Humility offers us growth. When we recognize there is more beyond me, even us… there is this greater wisdom, this greater power, there is the love, being freely offered to us...we transcend, we become greater, we become healed.

Maybe I am speaking to the choir here, so some of us are reinforced.  Maybe I am speaking to those who struggle right now, asking why do I remain?  Maybe some have given up already, and are either here just to be someplace, or are reading this because we have finished everything else on the internet.

Part of our journey as believers, as disciples is to accept the tension, the struggles, but allow ourselves to go deeper to Christ.  Jesus is so much bigger than any institution, than any priest, bishop, Cardinal or pope.  Jesus is so much bigger than democrats, republicans, Americans, or any other nationality.

So big that the person of Jesus can transcend into simple bread and wine, and come to us; reminding us, signifying to us this beauty, this elegance, this faith, this love, to which we are called.  This is home.