Much
of how we priests now see our vocation in the Church is determined by the
reality of the decline which is upon us.
First
of all, obviously, is the decline in the good name of the Church – but there is
much more.
The
decline in attendance at Mass; the decline in vocations; the decline in the
celebration of the sacraments (all of them); the decline in understanding among
the faithful about what the Church actually teaches (and an increase in
misunderstanding or sheer disobedience towards Church teaching); the
disintegration of devotional life, as well as moral life; and, painful to say,
a decline in unity. We are a divided Church.
All
in all, we priests, at least those who see the decline and feel it with some
degree of anguished concern, now see our ministry in terms of attempting to
restore and mend and heal the decline, the breaches in the ship which seems to
be sinking – though, fortunately, we know that the ship of the Church cannot
sink.
Perhaps
one of the most debilitating realities in the Church at the moment is the
growing inability of cardinals, bishops and priests to talk to one another in a
meaningful and coherent and sustained way about what ails the Church.
And
this inability is also discernible among the laity. It's like there are two or
three or four Catholic Churches instead of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church. The divisions, even here among us in this small community, are easily
discerned.
So
what do we do? We can disengage, sit in the pew and wait to die. We can leave
the illness to run its course and hope something will happen to cure it? That
would certainly be the easiest option. We could just pretend it's all good, as
they say but, personally I don't subscribe to that idea.
A
harmless and useful little parable can be found right here in this church after
each weekday Mass – when we say the Rosary. I find it a wonderful thing that
there are a number of us willing to say the Rosary together .. but to reach the
point where we are today, we've been doing it since October, we have had to
adjust and readjust the way we go about it to overcome the individualism which
made our first efforts rather … let's say, amusing. Remember, I am offering you
an image of what seems to be happening in the Church as a whole.
The
first thing we did was to realise we couldn't all say the Rosary the way we
said it at home by ourselves. There were some personal prayers, we call them
'trimmings' which, as much as we loved them, we could not inflict on the rest
of the group. So we now have a little booklet which has reduces the Rosary to
bare essentials. I guess no one would prefer it that way but for the sake of
the whole we have surrendered out personal preferences.
Then
came the issue of speed. Some prayed like country farm people often pray, very
fast. I know this is often because when they say a rosary after a hard day's
work and a good meal they need to get a move on before they fall asleep. Others
in the group were different. They had to speed up because they were more used to
a slower, meditative rhythm.
We
have almost got it right now and I must say, I find it wonderful and much more
fruitful to say my personal rosary with the parish community. I feel we are
growing. Firstly, because we were able to let go of our own preferences in
favour of the others. Not everyone is able to do this. Also, now we keep
together more and almost 'chant' our praise to God. It's a matter of sticking
together, praying with 'one' voice.
So
now, as we go on reflecting about the Church as a whole, let us keep our little
Rosary group in mind – especially since that group allowed themselves to be led
by the Magisterium – in this case – me. They sacrificed themselves and adopted
'my' speed – you might say, my teaching – like we all as Catholics adopt 'the
Church's speed, the Church's teaching. That is the only thing which can bring
us together; the only thing which can give us unity. To badly paraphrase St
Paul, if you come to me preaching a Gospel other than the one you were given,
we can never have unity.
I
intend to speak more about this and later to invite you to give me feedback.
Let me offer a thought from Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI who powerfully
underlines the point I will now make. We
are a people gathered round a truth – a truth whose name is Jesus – who
commissioned his Church, the Catholic Church, to preach this truth to the
nations. In our turn we have chosen, yes, deliberately chosen, to sacrifice
to this truth all our personal opinions – our preferred speed, our 'trimmin's',
our personal preferences.
Here
is the quote, it's about the Mass, where I think we need to start: [Some have lost] sight of what is
distinctive to the liturgy, which does not come from what we do but from the fact
that something is taking place here that all of us together cannot ‘make’.
