Word to the Wise
Sunday, May 17, 2020 - 6th Sunday of Easter - A
[Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; John 14:15-21]Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. [1 Peter]
Pope St. John Paul II promoted what he termed "the new evangelization." This effort, still being promoted, is not directed to converting non-Christians or even non-Catholics to Catholicism but to those who are baptized and even practicing Catholics!!! Since the Catholic Church claims a world-wide membership of a billion or more people, the New Evangelization has a big job ahead of it! It is a challenge to renewal of faith in root and branch within the church. As Jesus quoted at Nazareth: "Physician, heal yourself!"
The opening lines of the second scripture for today give us a good recipe for the New Evangelization. We are asked to be "ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope." The sad fact is that the second largest Christian denomination in the U.S.A., in numbers, would be former Catholics who have lost hope in our church! The reasons are many, including the sex abuse crisis, poor preaching, discrimination against women or gay people, disputes with pastors or other ministers in the church, creeping secularism that substitutes civil and economic idols for God, etc. etc.. What would we say to one of these folks who ask us, "Why do you continue to participate in that church?"
During the current pandemic scourge, many are discovering a number of reasons for their hope. The suspension of church celebrations, especially the Eucharist, has really hit hard. The easy substitution of "live streaming" for in-person attendance, important as the digital celebration has been in this hard time, erodes human and sacramental community. The loss of celebration and the reason for the celebrations should alert us to their importance. We can ask ourselves, "WHY is this so important to me?" and then share the answer with our brothers and sisters who have given up hope in our church. Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit as guide can give us courage in this sharing. This pandemic time can be a time for "readiness" for the recovery of the practice of our faith. Hope is a precious gift and it is in our hands to give! AMEN
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