Dear Parishioners,
Many of us run into the local
convenience store to pick up bread, milk, a cup of coffee, a sandwich or
something similar. We’re in and out,
usually in a couple of minutes. These
stores are usually busy, but still make it easy for us to shop quickly.
Unfortunately, too many people
have brought this mentality into church life.
They run to the church when they need to have their child baptized, to
obtain a certificate of eligibility to be a godparent, to get a Mass card,
etc. “Church” is available to me when I need something, rather than being
an integral part of it. There’s no real commitment, just some service rendered.
For the Catholic Church to
flourish in this or any parish, it needs a commitment
by its parishioners to help build the Kingdom of God. This may sound like some lofty ideal, but, essentially
it means helping people to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. It means to make disciples. And this task involves commitment rather than just some occasional appearance on an as needed basis.
Remember how God through history
made a covenant with His people. I will
be your God and your will be My people (Ex. 6:7, Jer. 30:22). All the covenants of old culminated in Jesus’
new and eternal covenant sealed in
His Blood. We are reminded of this
during the Eucharistic prayer of every Mass. We are told:
Do this in memory of me. Covenant involves total commitment. Just look at the cross for Jesus’ commitment
to us.
Granted there are all too many
excuses that people have for not making a serious commitment to church:
“There’s just too many rules,” “The people who go to church are all
hypocrites,” “I can pray on my own,” “All they want is my money,” “All religion
is pretty much the same,” “As long as I believe in God . . .,” “I am just too
busy,” etc., etc. Have you used any of
these?
At times, the Church shares some
blame. When people did make an
initial commitment, they became disillusioned or felt betrayed. Their parish was merged, and their lifelong
church permanently shuttered. Some
scandal (financial, sexual) upset them.
The priests, religious or parishioners did not seem welcoming or even
interested. The experience of church,
for some reason, did not seem relevant to everyday life.
I am frustrated as much as anyone
with the lack of interest or apathy among young adults (millennials) and their
families. As someone involved in high
school teaching/ministry for 20 years, I look for the young at Mass and am
frequently disappointed that they can be counted on one hand. Knowledge of the faith is rapidly diminishing
along with its practice.
We need outreach. We need evangelization. We need more youth ministry. We need a commitment to Christ and His Church. And I alone
cannot do any of this without your
assistance. We should be quite aware
by now that the number of priests and religious in our area is insufficient to
reach the multitudes.
As we prepare for our Catholic Strong campaign this fall, I
have prioritized funds to help us with evangelization
and outreach to young adults and their families. I think it is urgently needed.
I also need committed volunteers. Please look in the mirror and see if you meet
the qualifications.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
No comments:
Post a Comment