One of my Catholic magazines is so full of complaints about the church that I’m cancelling my subscription. Still, the articles made me think about this church of ours and what our attitude toward her should be.
From the moment he began his public ministry, Jesus was building his church. He selected 12 close companions. He also had a larger group that sometimes traveled with him or provided hospitality (and probably funds) when he visited their town. This larger group formed the core of the church that sprang into life following Christ’s resurrection.
More than half of the New Testament deals with the growth and welfare of Christ’s church. We see the early believers struggle with theology, ministry, morality and finances. We see the development of the sacraments, an ordained clergy, religious education and social ministry. We see how increased numbers and increased persecution revealed the need for a stable church government and authoritative Scripture.
The Holy Spirit worked through a few famous apostles and countless humble believers in the early church. That same Spirit guides and nourishes the church today. So, our attitude toward the church should include hopeful expectancy. We should be alert to what’s going on in Rome — and in our parishes, expecting to see the hand of God.
For example, my friend and I attended a church whose pastor was a poor preacher. It was hard to get enthusiastic about going to Mass. We prayed about it, asking God to feed us through these feeble homilies. It worked. We trusted we would hear something we could use, and we did. It might be as simple as, “Don’t gossip.” Then we spent the following week considering, and trying to resist, that particular temptation. When we looked expectantly, we found God, even in a boring sermon.
St. Paul tells us the church is one body. Some members are more publicly prominent than others; all are necessary. There are some members I think I could live without, but God disagrees. He cherishes the cheerful and the cranky believers. He loves liberal nuns and conservative bishops, parish secretaries and popes, those who speak in tongues and those who mop the floor. Some members have shamed the Body, but we don’t amputate unless it’s a matter of life and death. God doesn’t want to drive sinners out. He’d rather hold us close and help us change.
The church is the Lord’s, and the church is us. When there’s a problem, we lay folk don’t need to wait for the hierarchy to tackle it. Consider the pro-life movement. It’s not led by “single men in skirts,” as one critic claimed. It’s led by mothers and fathers who know intimately the value of every child’s life. It includes sons and daughters who know intimately the value of an aging, easily confused parent. It includes ordinary politicians and voters who believe the death penalty violates our commitment to life.
Where we see flaws in our church, we the laity should look for opportunities to respond. We can train religious educators and parents to recognize and report possible cases of child abuse. We can serve on finance committees and insist on proper accounting procedures. We can open a food pantry or help build transitional housing. We can invite a small group to our home for prayer or Bible study.
The church is not a building we sometimes visit or a charity we sometimes support. It is a living being. One part of this being cannot reject or deny another. Rather, we must work together with the Holy Spirit for the good of a troubled world — and our own souls.
Kathleen welcomes comments. Send them to Kathleen Choi, 1706 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720, or e-mail: kathchoi@hawaii.rr.com.
