This Is Hard; Who Can Accept It?

21^st Sunday Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Ephesians 5:21-32;

John 6:60-69

I had one of “those” moments recently. I'm sure you've all had a similar experience. Someone says something to you and you’re not sure how to answer them back. Ten minutes later, you think of the perfect response, but it’s too late. The moment has passed.

My family was in northern Ohio on vacation. While there, we visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I was wearing a St. X alumni shirt. A gentleman approached me and asked if I was Roman Catholic. I answered yes. The gentleman introduced himself as Jeff. I told him my name and then added that I was a deacon in the church. This man took this as an invitation to tell me all of the problems with the Roman Catholic Church today. It seems Jeff was born and raised Catholic, left the church as a young adult, and only recently had found Jesus in one of those non-denominational mega-churches.

Jeff told me that the Catholic Church spends a great deal of time educating our children, but once they have been Confirmed, the church abandons them. There are no places for an adult to learn more about the faith. People become discouraged and they stop attending mass.

 

Jeff said that the Catholic Mass is boring. The same thing happens week in and week out. The people occupy the pews, mindlessly standing, sitting, kneeling and reciting prayers memorized long ago, without a second thought to the meaning behind the words. They don’t want to be there. They come out of sense of obligation. They think that by being at mass, the attendance card gets punched and the score will be higher when tallied on the last day.

Jeff said that in an age where women are assuming major leadership roles in all walks of life, the Catholic church seems to be moving backwards. The recent controversy involving the Leadership Conference of Women Religious demonstrates that Rome is trying harder than ever to assert its dominance and keep women everywhere underfoot. 

Why would anyone choose to be catholic?

When the man had finished his rant, I wasn’t sure how to answer him. I wasn’t bothered so much by his bitterness toward the church. No, what bothered me the most was the amount of truth that his words carried. I’ll admit it. I couldn’t counter any of his attacks until later, after he had moved on. By then it was too late. But just in case Jeff followed me back to Louisville and is here with us today, here is how I would like to answer him.

Yes Jeff, the Catholic Church does spend a lot of effort to educate its youth. And yes, there used to be very few options available for adults wanting to learn about their faith. But times have changed. In addition to RCIA classes, we now have bible study for adults, prayer groups and other forms of adult formation. We engage today's youth at universities through campus ministry. There are retreats and spiritual direction available for those seeking a closer relationship with God. We have “Why Catholic” which breaks open our beliefs and traditions, and makes them easy to understand. These new opportunities allow the Catholic faithful to grow and evolve beyond what was learned as a child. You should take advantage of them.

Secondly Jeff, you need to remember that the Mass is a celebration. I was invited to attend a birthday party not too long ago, and I did not want to go. I felt obligated to attend. All I wanted to do was show up, make an appearance, drop off a gift, and get out of there. There have been times in my life where I felt the same way about the celebration of mass. But the great thing about the catholic liturgy is that it is a communal prayer. On those occasions when I’ve arrived at mass in the wrong frame of mind, often, the joy and the prayerfulness that I see in others can lift me up and help me to redirect my focus to Christ. I can only hope that when someone else comes to church feeling out of sorts, that my joy and enthusiasm will reflect God’s love back to them. Mass is a celebration of transformation. The bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. But it goes much deeper than that. Through the reception of Eucharist, we become one with that paschal sacrifice. We become the sacred vessel that takes Jesus out into the world. We carry out his mission of bringing about the Kingdom of God.

Finally Jeff, you stated that the church is oppressing our women. I'll be honest here, Rome's treatment of women has been a frustrating point for me as well. We should all recall that some of Jesus' most faithful and beloved disciples were women, and that is still true today. Women around the world, both vowed religious and lay women, continue to serve Jesus and his corporal works of mercy. They run our schools, staff our hospitals and ease suffering everywhere with our missionary presence. But more basic than that - women are the family leaders in proclaiming the Good News. Take a look at any family that you consider to be faithful or devout. Nine times out of ten, you will find that the woman of the household is the primary spiritual leader. Ask yourself this simple question: Who has had a greater impact on my spiritual formation – my mother &/or wife or the pope and bishops?

Are today's women bothered by their absence within the church hierarchy? I'm certain that many of them are. To quote today's gospel, “this is hard; who can accept it?” I'll tell you who - those who understand that is is God whom we love. It is Jesus whom we follow. It is our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we serve.

In conclusion, I will acknowledge that the church is fallible. It is run by people and people are not perfect. We’ve made our share of mistakes and blunders. We have our blind spots. But I truly believe that the Catholic Church, from Rome down to each individual, wants to do God’s will and carry out Christ’s mission. The path we take in choosing to follow Jesus is not always an easy one. We are called to stand with Christ even when it’s not popular or politically correct. Jeff, I can’t tell you why everyone should be catholic. But for me, I have to ask “to whom shall I go?” Jesus has the words of eternal life. He is present within the Catholic Church in the Word, in his people, and in the Eucharist. Nowhere else on earth can you find Jesus present in all three forms. 

That’s why I am catholic.

 Deacon Darryl Diemer

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 26, 2012