He explained he was not referring to whether they went to church each Sunday, knew the bible and the catechism and accepted the directives of the pope and the bishops. Even the demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God (Luke 4:41). No, what the bishop was asking was how many, among the Catholics of France ont ngage tout leur tre sur la personne de Jsus, have committed themselves totally to the person of Jesus? How many, through prayer and a relationship with the risen Jesus, take risks for justice and for peace in society, in their professional lives and in their families? For Catholic we can write any name; Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, etc.
That is the test and it is also the test for us in our country. We can claim whatever it is (14%?) of the country is Catholic and 20% are some other church and we can claim that so many crowd our churches on Sundays. But how many of us are so in love with the person of Jesus that we hear his words and do what he says? The words that I have spoken are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). He came to bring good news to the poor liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free and proclaim the Lords year of favour (Luke 4:18). He did not tell us to go to church. He told us to love one another.
Catholics, or any other followers of Jesus, can choose what they like about their church, they can select what appeals to them. It could be the social side, coming together to meet others. It could be the security it gives in time of illness or mourning. Or it could be the opportunity to be a leader when other openings for leadership are closed. One can go to church while also living a permanently compromised life, for example, being unfaithful to my spouse, my calling, my profession. I can go to church yet act in a habitually unjust fashion; denying people a fair wage or refusing to help those in need or failing to do the work honestly that I am contracted to. The compromise can become so serious that I make it an idol, the worst sin in the bible. I can make money an idol, or power or position.
So I can be a Catholic without being a Christian. I can use my Catholicism as a badge, a party card. The great cure for all this is a real relationship. And the key is the Eucharist. This is the one great moment in our week or our day when we are stripped of all our idolatries, all are pretensions if only we will it so. This Gift is given to us inviting us to enter totally into what Jesus Christ has done in his life, death and rising and become one with him so that we are transformed and all our falseness is burnt up.
Post published in: Opinions