Catholic’s are being called; it’s our time
Monday, 22 August 2011 19:13 Editor
I woke up this morning to a gray and drizzly day. I stayed up late the night before and I’m in no mood to go to Church, but I’ve missed the last three Sunday’s so I decided I should go. It was late, so I threw on whatever was handy and headed out the door. I knew I would be late, but “hey” I thought, “at least I’m going”!
Something was different this time. There was no organist, no music. It is so awkward when silence replaces song. I noticed there were no altar servers either. The candles were not lit and Mass had not started. I thought I was late. Maybe it was daylight savings time and I got away with being early, but I waited with the others and soon I heard grumbling and complaining coming from behind me. I thought, “This is ridiculous!” Finally someone walked up to the lectern. “I have an announcement.” He said. “There will be no Mass today. Father has been re-assigned to another Parish. Apparently the shortage of Priests continues and our Father has not been welcomed here, nor have the other Priests who have stepped up for our sake. We have pushed them away with our selfishness and bickering. There is no replacement.” What will we do now? The Devil has prevailed.
We all, as Catholics, should be ashamed of ourselves. We are all good at justifying our excuses, no matter what they may be. It makes it easier for us. It’s true; yes we have fallen victim to a hurtful past- the Devil’s playground. Many of us found it easier to just walk away. We gave up. “Who cares? We don’t need this!” In the end… who wins??
We’ve fallen. Now, we have no way to be forgiven of our sins. We have no way to receive Christ, who has given His all for us! We have pushed away our intercessors. We’ve hurt the ones who have given their all for us! What are we doing!! Who have we become? Our Faith has been tested and we are taking the easy way out. We know we can always go to another Church. It’s just easier and more convenient even if it isn’t right.
We, as a Parish, have an opportunity to strengthen our family and to give Christ a Church that He deserves. Don’t turn your back on Him. Stop hurting the very one who is always there for us. Sacrifice for His sake. It’s time to begin again. Be proud of who we are and show our community that we are the best Catholics we can be by sacrificing in His name. God is giving us this opportunity. It’s a gift given to us. Can’t you see it?
When we suffer, we have the ability to offer our sufferings as sacrifices. When we do this, we are in union with Christ’s suffering. We need to appreciate our suffering and offer it up to God in appreciation for His suffering for us. When we do this, we never suffer in vain. It is a sacrifice we give for God and in turn, for others. The more we suffer unto God for the sake of others, the more we gain.
We also need to be respectful to our Priest and his position. He is in a position to heal us from our sins and allow us the opportunity to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. No one else can do that! He is our Father and we are his children. He and all who are in the Catholic hierarchy lead us and guide us in our faith. We are nothing without them. Don’t be presumptuous that “someone else” will always be there.
Being a Catholic in today’s world is not easy, but as I look back, being Catholic has never been easy for those who fight for it’s very existence. But because of our Priests, Martyrs and Saints, we are still able to practice our faith. We need to step up and make an effort to do what is necessary to bring our family back together. It is what we are being called to do. The new Church is an opportunity for us to stand tall and be proud to announce who we are. We are being called to do this.
Please understand I’ve been where you are. I’m a life-long St James Parishioner. I’ve endured my share of hurt, illness, financial strain and despair. I was a product of the mistrust in our Parish and even thought about leaving, but I decided to take more away from the experience than anger and resentment. God was testing my faith. In the end, He is the one I am accountable to. He, through all of this remained steadfast on the altar, in the Tabernacle. I learned to appreciate His presence in the Church and through the Eucharist. God calls men to come forth in order to provide us with the ability to receive the gift of God through the Eucharist. We need our Priests! We need each other!
In our darkest hours, we find ourselves turning to Christ. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. He has chosen us. It’s time for us to choose Him. He deserves all we can give Him. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Sue Wilson
St James Parishioner
Devout Catholic
No comments:
Post a Comment