Catholic Faith and Reflections

Have been still thinking about forgiveness.  The Gospel reading our pastor used at Mass for Thanksgiving, and his homily, spoke to the point again.  The Gospel was the parable of Jesus healing ten men, only one of whom returned to give thanks.  The one giving thanks was a Samaratan.  The priest preached on how so many of us feel entitled to the gifts we receive, and therefore, seldom give thanks.  He asked the question, “How many of us thank our employer for our paycheck?  We don’t because we feel we are entitled to it. We’ve earned it.”  He said it was this way with the nine men who didn’t return to give thanks because they were faithful Hebrews, who, given the spirituality of the times, felt entitled to health and wealth because they followed the Law.  The Samaratan, though, knew the forgiveness and healing he received was pure gift.

I believe the deeper we acknowledge our need for forgiveness, the more deeply we are called to forgive others.  In this way,  it would seem that those who do not acknowledge a need for forgiveness in their own lives are expected to forgive less deeply.  I find this somewhat of a puzzle, perhaps disconcerting.  I suppose that is why our Church and world need saints who are called to heroic lives of radical forgiveness, to make up for our own shallowness in forgiving others.  Again, Jesus is the prime example.

The greatest evangelizer is perhaps the one who lives from a grateful heart, having ask for and received the forgiveness only Christ can offer in his Spirit.  Jesus stood in our stead, and for us asked forgiveness from the Father and received it deeply and thoroughly.  His entire life was a song of praise and gratitude to God for his bountiful love and forgiving heart.

I am celebrating today’s optional memorial as I pray the Office.  I have so many memories of these two basilicas in Rome, and have spent considerable time in each, especially St. Peter’s in the Vatican. 

I had what I consider a conversion experience in St. Peter’s a couple of years ago, the details of which I will spare you.  It was truly unexpected and but long-awaited. 

I recall in the late 70s when I was living in Rome, only a half mile or so from St. Peter’s, going down to the piazza at night when I was preoccupied about things and just standing in the center of the square, near the obelisk, all alone and taking it in.  Paul VI was pope then, and his apartment window was always lit, so I assumed he was awake like me.  It was so calming to be there, at those times, having the space to myself.  I remember being lector for a Mass in the Blessed Sacrament chapel.  I have vivid memories of watching the election of two popes (John Paul I and John Paul II), the funeral Masses for two (Paul VI and John Paul I), midnight Masses at St. Peter’s, etc. 

I was able to serve Mass for John Paul I at his installation, and greet him afterward.  I am convinced that Papa Luciani, as we called him, was a saint.  I have special devotion to him even today.

All these events link me tightly to that building and those people. The universality of the Church is completely evident there if you spend only a few hours during the day mingling with the pilgrims!

St. Paul Outside the Walls is a basilica in contrast to St. Peter’s.  There you experience quiet, day or night.  I found this ironic, given how I have always thought of St. Paul — loud, eloquent, fiery, preachy.  Yet his basilica is a place of quiet, almost comtemplative in nature.  You get the sense you are in the country rather than the rush of the city.  Even if there are others in the building you feel alone and unrushed, calmed in a different way.  And the mosaics are wonderful.  St. Paul must have had a contemplative side to his ministry and life that are being reflected in this basilica.

So, I remember these basilicas today in this memorial, with a profound sense of gratitude.  I look forward to my return, God willing, to pray at the tombs of the Apostles again some day.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us.

A local newsreporter for the Winona Daily News wrote the following in today’s (Nov. 14, ’08) online edition:  “If you need a reason to stay away from the Church, you can always come up with a  host of sore points.  The Catholic Church is struggling to recruit priests.   The sex abuse continues to rock the Church and thousands of its members have decided not to follow all the Church teachings.”  He went on to state that if you cannot follow all the Church’s teachings, then you should shop around for a different church.  He follows up be saying: “I’ll continue to be a struggling Catholic.”

I agree with the first part of his comment, and the last.  I disagree with his advice to leave the Church if you do not follow all her teachings.  I believe in pluralism in the sense we need diversity in the midst of our unity.  We need people who are willing to respectfully speak what they believe and even offer dissent when necessary.  We need people who know the true meaning of obedience, i.e., the willingness to listen, acknowledge authority, and form their consciences faithfully, while staying in dialogue with the hierarchy of the Church, fulfilling the proper role of the laity in today’s world.  We need people who love the Church, even if they do not always agree.  We need everyone of good will.  We are the Catholic Church, a universal Church, a diverse, multi-cultural Church. 

I say, “Stay with us a while.  We will come to recognize him (Jesus) and each other in the breaking of the bread, and in the community we form together.  We need each of you.”