The Church today is very much alive and since it is alive, it is moving and since it is such a diverse entity, it is moving in several directions at once. As Catholics across the world continue to increase, the largest factor causing that increase is simply births in Africa, South America and Asia. The birthrates in Europe and North America continue to decline.
The number of Catholics is increasing but in those last two continents they are dropping principally caused by the enormous number of people that no longer are active in the living of their faith. The ordained and vowed personnel structure of the Church is also undergoing a contraction that is really ominous. The number of religious women, religious priests and religious brothers has dropped dramatically over the last few decades. For religious women, the figures are astounding – 180,000 in 1965 and about 55,000 today.
Some very thoughtful people are saying, however, that while the number of religious is contracting, it is also changing. I think to myself that in my own personal experience that this is true. When I was a kid there were lots of sisters and virtually 100% involved either with education or health care. Today, the religious women in the Catholic Church, while few in number, are everywhere and doing truly great work. Beyond those important ministries, they are no longer just fitting into large established organizational entities. They show great initiative and diversity. Some of our best theologians are religious women. They are committed to helping the poor, have entered law and are doing extraordinary work among people with special needs. For example, I know religious women who are friends of mine working in the field of ecumenical relations, Christian-Jewish relations, nutrition and the environment. Throw in prison ministry and you get a glimpse of what this extraordinary group of women are accomplishing in and through the Church. It is wonderful to see that some communities are organizing associates who will keep alive the spirit of their communities and enable that spirit to be expanded that in a way that was not true in the past, namely lay involvement.
May God bless them all.
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It’s here! It’s finally here! Literalists think that the Jews waited about 6000 years. Scientists don’t know how long this planet has been zipping through space, but it has certainly been around a very long while. WE have only been waiting just four weeks since we first turned our minds towards the approaching redemption which will follow the birth of Jesus. Ideally, tonight we will slip into church before mass, with things quiet other than the shuffling of a few feet. Nothing is going on… and then suddenly, there is an explosion of joyous, happy music and song! “Joy to the world” is not just a title of an old Christmas hymn, it’s the announcement that evil which is always with us will ultimately be overthrown, and people of faith will put sin and pain behind them, living eternally with the God who created them because He so loved them.
Joy to the World!
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Recently, I attempted to describe the beauty surrounding the Sacrament of the Last Anointing. At least it is beautiful when circumstances allow it to be carried out in the fullness of its liturgy. I think that came into my mind because of late I have been saying goodbye to a number of lifetime friends. That happens when you are in your 80’s!
Today, permit me to go in the other direction. I would like to talk about baptism which centers around birth and new life. Today we celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism more effectively than we did before the Second Vatican Council. It may be that in the past many saw baptism as a sweet, cute little ceremony involving this beautiful baby and a family that was so happy because of that child’s arrival. There is nothing wrong with that but there is much more involved. In baptism, the mother and father have given birth to another wonderful human being. Their life has been passed on to the next generation and there is more to life and more levels of life than simply that of natural birth. When the parents have faith they want that child to have their faith which is belief in Jesus Christ and a desire to live a life walking in the footsteps of Christ.
Today baptism is seldom celebrated with just one child or for one family. More properly, families are clustered together so that five, six sets or even maybe ten or more babies may be baptized at one time. Many parishes conduct baptism on one particular Sunday of the month with the entire congregation present. This can produce some logistical problems for families on a tight schedule but it is a reflection of a profound reality about baptism. When a person is baptized he or she enters into the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. He or she is absorbed into the community of faith which binds us to God the Father through Jesus and binds all of us together at the same time.
In baptisms, symbols abound! Candles are burning, the priest or deacon is vested, a large baptistery is present containing water that was blessed by the bishop during the previous Holy Week. The baby or babies are anointed which is a traditional way of declaring the sacredness of the child’s body and the sacredness of the soul that is soon to be joined to Jesus of Nazareth. The central symbol, of course, is water. Water is a symbol of life and was used even in the Old Testament to symbolize a new life, a life that is closer to Yahweh, a life that now makes us one with Jesus. Following the actual Rite of Baptism, the newly baptized is clothed with a beautiful white garment, again symbolizing a change in state of life and of its relationship to God through Jesus, and then finally, an Easter candle is lit which symbolizes Christ’s resurrection, and now symbolizes that the effectiveness of Jesus’ resurrection transcends time and reaches out to embrace this new baby. Altogether it is a beautiful and meaningful ceremony.
I am happy about the fact that people instinctively understand this and you usually find that people are exuberantly happy when present at the celebration of baptism.
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Today is the day that most of the world has been looking back to for 2,000 years. Today is the day to which the ancient world looked towards, not with clear knowledge but with undying hope. Today is the day that makes up for everything else that is sad and disappointing in the human story.
Today is the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth.
The fact that medieval historians were about four years off regarding the date of the birth of our Lord is of no consequence. What does matter is that HE CAME; that God stepped into the human story and joined us in our lives, in our travails, in our journey and, ultimately, in our triumph.
I would like to say something very profound about Christmas but I can’t. The day speaks for itself. All that I can say is that HE CAME and by that fact, we are all eternally blessed.
Have a happy Christmas.
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December 4th, Second Sunday of Advent
Last Sunday, the Church placed before us our Lord’s very serious words about how to live our lives as though at any given moment we might be facing the judgment of God. Such a view, of course, requires that we live constantly looking into the future knowing that sooner or later we will account for the gifts that God has given us.
Now we look not so much at the Advent Gospel texts but rather at the first readings for each of these Sundays. All are drawn from the book of Isaiah. Each of these readings will involve looking into the future but it will be looking with confidence and optimism. To appreciate Isaiah’s optimism, we have to be conscious of how difficult was the world in which he was living. The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed, the nation of Israel had been crushed and carried off into exile, and the people were, to a tremendous degree, unfaithful to Yahweh. When you take that into consideration, today’s first reading is really beautiful and encouraging.
Isaiah sees a mysterious person in the future, one whom the Spirit of the Lord will be upon, be just and protect the weak, will destroy evil and justice will abound in the country. When that mysterious person comes and ultimately triumphs, all the signs of conflict and destruction will be eliminated. The wolf will be a guest of the lamb, the calf and the young lion will browse together, the cow and the bear shall be neighbors and a baby shall play by the cobra. The Gentiles will seek out this mysterious person and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Needless to say, the early Church gravitated quickly to this text and saw it as a foretaste of the Messiah, namely our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The main spirit of Advent is anticipation of the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ as Lord of history. We all have problems, we all have burdens, we all suffer but ultimately all of these will pass and we shall live with God forever.
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This week, the world saw the birth of a new nation. So far, it looks like Southern Sudan is going to be allowed to go on its independent way. Citizens voted overwhelmingly for that several months ago. The results of that vote are coming to fruition this week.
All of Sudan has suffered terribly over the last 20 years with the Northern part of the country, overwhelmingly Arab and Muslim, mercilessly punishing the South, which is Black, Christian and Animist. The problem is most of Sudan’s oil potential is located in the South so it is touch and go to see how this one comes out. Let’s hear it for freedom. Shooting continues on the projected border but let’s hope that it will not develop into full-scale war.
On the negative side, under the dictator, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the Church is really suffering and the government is treating the Church as though it was a major internal enemy. Priests are routinely subjected to arbitrary arrest and questioning and parish priests reported that even wearing a Roman collar is extremely dangerous. Peace services or any other gatherings not pleasing to the military are routinely broken up by riot police. Frequently priests are arrested at the end of Mass if their homily contained anything displeasing to the government.
Africa is making progress but it is all too slow.
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Yesterday I mentioned that people who find themselves embarrassed in discussions following a death should NOT be. Everything that needs to be conveyed can be handled by a hug, a kiss, or a simple expression of sorrow. But, time marches on. When we see our friends following a recent death, there is no need to be fearful of engaging in a simple, relaxed conversation about the lost friend or relative.
That person is dead. That is the simple reality, and the person in mourning already finds him or herself in the process of moving on. To discuss the good qualities of the deceased, to verbally celebrate that much-loved life is relaxing and encouraging for everyone involved.
Two things mix well in dealing with death: laughter and tears, and they are not contradictory. If you work at this, you will see that your friend may very well be laughing and crying simultaneously, and both reflect an element of reality. Neither is to be shunned.
It is regrettable, that while we are all joyful with the birth of a healthy child, we find it difficult to celebrate or discuss a friend’s journey into eternal life, which we hold as unending joy. Birth and death: the bookends of our life on this planet, live together and should not be feared.
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The Church today is very much alive and since it is alive, it is moving and since it is such a diverse entity, it is moving in several directions at once. As Catholics across the world continue to increase, the largest factor causing that increase is simply births in Africa, South America and Asia. The birthrates in Europe and North America continue to decline.
Themocracy