“Easter is drawing new.” At all seven Rites of Election held across the archdiocese the first two weekends of Lent, those words always began the introduction of the catechumens and candidates for continuing conversion. Some 750 persons who are preparing for the Easter sacraments attended these rites. Many others will also be welcomed into the church on Holy Saturday night. Those of us who love the church know what a blessing this will be in their lives.
At the same time, while these folks seek full communion with us in the Catholic community, others, some of our own relatives and friends, have decided to break their ties with us. One man even wrote asking me to nullify his Baptism, something beyond my power. In much the same way, I can’t nullify his life. A woman from Portland also wrote to me to inform me why she is leaving the church with “a broken heart.”
What’s wrong with us? Those walking out the door cite a number of issues. The scandal of child sexual abuse by clergy certainly has impacted some. Others cite our church’s stance on such matters as birth control, a woman’s “right to choose,” women as clergy, homosexuality and other so-called “human” issues. Still others had been waiting for changes that never happened, particularly with respect to our sacramental practice concerning Eucharist and marriage.
All of this, of course, is very painful for many of us. The Portland woman said her departure “feels like a broken marriage. I loved the church, but I cannot live with her anymore, too many arguments and hurts.” In many respects, my heart goes out to her and those who share her displeasure. The fact that we as a church treasure and uphold our beliefs and values seems unacceptable. The fact that the church has always been a home for sinners and saints is apparently a surprise, if not a scandal, to many. All of this can be very frustrating when the grass looks greener where it seems that such problems don’t exist. I guess it will ever be so. Folks never mind hearing the good news but are troubled by the call to conversion, both essential elements in our church’s evangelizing mission.
On the last weekend of February the members of our archdiocesan pastoral council came together for a day of prayer. This was at the request of the members, not the archbishop. As it turns out, it was a wonderful experience, even though I probably arrived as a hesitant participant. Bishops are reminded that a diocese is supposed to be “a community that prays.” The members of the pastoral council may never have read those words but they certainly have heard that message in their hearts and I am truly grateful.
Brother Jeff McNabb, OSF, was the director for our day of prayer. The theme was “Discerning the Presence of the Holy Spirit.” Discern we did, with Brother Jeff’s help. In his first conference Brother Jeff presented us with an icon entitled “Christ of Maryknoll.” The Maryknoll priests, brothers, sisters and lay people always try to see Christ among the least of us and to serve Christ as he lives among the poor, the broken, the oppressed. The icon portrays Christ standing at a window, covered with barbed wire. The question we were asked to ponder as we looked at the icon was, “Is Jesus imprisoned or are we?” It was suggested that we and our institutions generally try to imprison Jesus Christ in a variety of ways.
As I looked at the icon, I began to feel a certain reluctance to address the question, “Is he imprisoned or are we?” When I looked at this Christ, I saw all of us. I made no distinction between Him and us. I was remembering all the folks who had participated in the Rites of Election and who were preparing to be anointed with the holy chrism as other Christs through Baptism and Confirmation. I began to think that through the Easter sacraments we were welcoming them to stand there with the rest of us, imprisoned by our secular culture behind barbed wire, because many folks want us to keep our beliefs and our values to ourselves. They are acceptable in church but they have no place in the “real world,” or so many are led to believe.
All of this is a great challenge to our church’s evangelizing mission. It was my hope that the members of the archdiocesan pastoral council would also not draw such a distinction between Christ and us. As together the council members work to be the lead agents in pastoral planning for our church’s effort to carry out its evangelizing mission, they all need to understand that, in spite of ourselves, we are to be Christ for others. It may not be the plan we would have adopted. Such a church, “God’s surprise” and a scandal to some, as St. Paul has suggested, will hopefully, continue to be, with the help of the Holy Spirit, a blessing for healing and reconciliation in our troubled world.
We priests are often described as “other Christs.” But in most respects we are no more “other Christs” than our baptized sisters and brothers. Together we all share in the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ. We are all commissioned through Baptism to help others see Christ’s face. It’s hard to believe that our friends and neighbors might see the face of Christ in us, but that’s precisely what Jesus asks of his disciples. A surprise? A scandal? Well, folks 2,000 years ago had a hard time believing that the man from Galilee was sent by God. No small wonder that they have the same problem with us today.
All of this is a challenge. No wonder some walk away. How could God ever have entrusted such a sacred responsibility to us and others like us who have embraced the Catholic faith over the centuries? Thanks be to God for the example of the saints, who inspire us and encourage us to carry on, in spite of our failings. I trust in divine providence enough to accept the fact that God can lead folks to himself outside the church, even when they reject the church. But I do fear for them when they try to walk the road to glory on their own. It is so easy to lose their way in a world which demeans the virtuous life embodied in the teachings and convictions of our Catholic faith.
Yes, Easter is drawing near. It will be a joy to welcome the neophytes to our Catholic community at Easter. But we won’t forget those who have chosen to walk away from us. They may decry us, perhaps even belittle us, but they are always ours. We shall hold them in our hearts and in prayer with the sincere hope that they may continue to search for the face of Christ and eventually discover that He remains, surprisingly, right here among us, the sinners and saints that we call our Catholic family.
