Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear from St Paul…He is writing a letter to his friends again in Corinth..In this letter he is addressing how people view religious leaders and their role in spreading the gospel message…..St Paul warns people not to get “caught up” in placing any priest on a pedestal…But to view that priest merely as an instrument…As we all know…Just like in every profession in life…There are good priests and there are bad ones…..But ultimately that reality should not distract us…..The priest is merely an instrument…As St Paul rightly says….”Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men? What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers”
Never let the actions of a priest, neither good or bad distract you from the purpose of true worship…..The Catholic Church is full of saints and sinner alike…If you search out the saints…You will find them…Find them!
From the very beginning of the founding of the Catholic Church one of the original twelve disciples “dropped the ball”….And to this day that is still the case…There are some members of the clergy today, who lets just be charitable…”Could be doing a better job”…However, far too many people focus all their attention on “Judas” and disregard the remaining “eleven good disciples”….In some Catholics social media circles many people focus all their attention on every error they see the clergy commit, both big and small…Now please don’t get me wrong…In many cases, the errors pointed out are valid, some can be egregious too and some can be trivial depending on who views them…...However, obsessing on all the wrongs of wayward priests and bishops can distract us from the goal of true worship…To grow closer to Jesus Christ through the Sacraments…..Ultimately we can not change people and when we witness the sins committed by the clergy within the Catholic Church to be honest, it’s heart breaking!…However, I have a hard enough time keeping myself in line!!!!…What has given me great amounts of peace when I personally witness wayward clergy is every Wednesday for the last few years…My wife and I fast for the Church aggressively…I channel all my aggravation and frustration towards my fast for the purpose of purifying the Church…And do you know what?…This practice has brought me great amounts of peace…I am also sure Jesus uses my fast to help purify the Church…So it is a “Win - Win”
St Paul goes on in the first reading from Mass today…….”For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building”…..Each and every Baptized Catholic is part of the Body of Christ…….We each have a task to do and Jesus himself has given us the “tools” through the one Church he founded to get that task done!…Never let the actions of a “bad apple” distract you or rob you of the joy in being a practicing Catholic…..Do not lose sight of the goal and do not focus all your attention upon “Judas”……Jesus himself tells us in the gospel today….“To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent”…In this statement Jesus is addressing each and every Baptized Catholic - That means YOU!….The devil will do his very best to distract us from the task at hand…..The universal call to holiness is not just for the clergy…That means each and everyone one of us are called by God to live and strive to live a holy life, which by the way is possible if we cooperate with God and utilize the “tools” he gave us through the Catholic Church….We each must make a choice and no choice is a choice!
“The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint”
I have said this before and I will say it again..Only saints change the world….All the “things” we see around us…All the “great accomplishments” will all soon be forgotten…However the actions of the saints and the saints themselves live on……Its the greatest goal in life to have…To become a saint….Its the greatest impact a person can have not only in his / her immediate social circle but as a person gets closer and closer to God…Their circle of influence grows and grows!….Do not let the actions of wayward clergy or the example of “bad Catholics” distract you!….If you look close enough, there are enough good examples out there in the Catholic Clergy and fellow Catholics in the pews to nurture our faith…However, if you are looking for “perfect people” - You will never find them…If you are looking for a “perfect parish” to attend - You will never find it….Don’t allow the good to be the enemy of the perfect…..And remember the wise words of St Paul……”Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth”……The Catholic Church is full of saints and sinners alike…If you search out the saints…You will find them
No comments:
Post a Comment