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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

Much ado about nothing or, is there something to it?

Readings: Acts 19:1-8 Psalm 68:2-7 John 16:29-33

Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” [Acts 19:1-3]

Depending on one’s sacramental theology and pastoral practice, this text has been variously interpreted. For example, those who work with the RCIA (catecheumenate) hold that the sacrament of Confirmation should be administered with Baptism as it was in the early Church. It is one of the sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The Eastern Rite of the Roman Catholic Church has retained the tradition of administering all three at Baptism. Yes, the infant receives a small piece of the Eucharist bread. And so in the Eastern Rite, there is no formal celebration of First Holy Communion at the age of reason or Confirmation by the bishop at whatever age the local diocese has determined the age of maturity appropriate for Confirmation. All three sacraments are administered shortly after birth.

Others feel that the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation at a later age ensures the participation of youngsters in parish religious education programs – at least until Confirmation. In this case, many Catholics view Confirmation as the completion of or graduation from religious studies.

In recent years I have become convinced that the RCIA folks and the Eastern Rite Catholics have it right. All three sacraments of initiation should be administered together. First Holy Communion and Confirmation have become more social than spiritual. I do not mean to suggest that there is no connection or that there should be no celebration after sacramental ceremonies but for many, the accent is on the wrong syllable.

The path from Baptism to Christian maturity is life-long and the benchmarks for progress are not easily measured by grouping children by age or grade level for a period of preparation that is largely academic.

This is not to suggest that religious education is optional. Faith development is unique to each person within the context first of family and then of parish. Religious education / formation is intended to provide insight into faith development at an age-appropriate level.

Catholicism has become ‘child-centered’ the result of which, we have an adult population whose religious and spiritual development stopped at Confirmation.

The celebration of Eucharist is the primary setting for faith formation. Religious education is a necessary component but detached from Eucharist, it remain just another subject to master.

Of course this all assumes that the parish celebration of the Eucharist is truly inclusive and meaningful rather than just an empty ritual. The parish at worship should be a rendition of a community of faith that strives to live its faith ‘in the town square’ as I mentioned in Sunday’s homily.

Notwithstanding my commitment to religious dialogue, I do believe that effective dialogue is based on the assumption that although both parties are knowledgeable about the topic. Though they may have different perspectives, they are not based on ignorance of the subject.

Thwenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 'B'

Sunday August 23, 2009

Their story is our story.

The readings this weekend re-ignited in me the memory of the weekly rallies conducted by the revered evangelist Billy Graham during which thousands of searchers and seekers were challenged to make their decision for Christ. In fact, Billy Graham’s televised rallies were aptly titled, “Hour of Decision.”

Although his message was more than emotional rhetoric and surely contained doctrinal information of one kind or another, the tone of his exhortation was strong and emotions ran high in the vast assembly. Moreover, the volume of his delivery combined with the volume of the response of the crowds created a synergism that occasioned even the most hardened unbeliever to consent and conversion. I was deeply moved by the procession of thousands as they moved from their seats to the center of the arena, hands held high with tears flowing freely from their hearts as well as from their eyes to the strains of that great hymn, “_Just As I Am_.”

There seemed to be no doubt about their need to be ‘saved’ and their desire to be ‘born again.’

I am not aware of any statistics that testify to the quality of those ‘decisions for Christ’ and it would serve no purpose to speculate. However, one could make a case if not on empirical evidence at least on psychological theory that decisions based on pure emotion do not long endure without a concomitant commitment to engage in complementary activities such as prayer, study, worship and service all of which are needed to sustain that graced moment of conversion. Nevertheless, this ‘hour of decision’ may well have been the most significant for those who were graced and ready. I would like to think that their lives were never the same despite the setbacks and personal failures that may have pressed them to compromise.

I don’t think it outrageous to suggest that Joshua employed the tools of a successful evangelist as he addressed the Israelites and the unbelieving slaves among them who had escaped the horrors of Pharaoh and who were now mixed with Amorites at Shechem.

It was truly their hour of decision. Would they follow the gods their ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country they were now dwelling. Would they follow the true God who led them, indeed, who carried them through the sea and the desert, feeding them and quenching their thirst lest they grow faint or starve along the way. Of course in the style of a melodramatic epic the author of the Book of Joshua is telling it not ‘like it was’ but as it should have been. But life is frail and there are no guarantees of total success or happiness in this life.

Nevertheless, the people responded to Joshua: “For it was the Lord, our God, who brought us and our ancestors up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great wonders before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

They made their “leap of faith.” Their decision was firm and final — well, firm but not really final. And their story is our story.

Joshua’s address was selected as an introduction to the Gospel lesson of John that concludes his great dissertation on the Eucharist introduced several weeks ago.

This week we are challenged to decide whether or not we will accept the full implications of that teaching. “Many of those who were listening said, ‘This is hard; who can accept it?’”

What was the hard saying? Eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood or accepting the whole Christ and all for which he stood — sacrificial love, justice, integrity, hard nosed compassion, forgiveness and unrelenting attention to the poor?

I have come to the conclusion that we have been getting a good dose of John’s Eucharistic theology and that is why one Sunday would never be enough to cover the lesson or exhaust the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church—in the life of the Christian. No, this is not about cannibalism or anything close to it. This is about the challenge to become so identified with the living Christ that with Saint Paul we can say, “I live now no longer I but Christ lives in me,”— the Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ of faith. They are indeed the same but the historical Jesus was only the beginning. It is the risen Christ that comes to us at this banquet through the power of the inspired word and the sacramental elements of bread and wine.

John has made some outrageous statements over the past four weeks all of them very challenging to Jesus’ disciples and now to us. “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” Then turning to ‘the Twelve’ Jesus asks them if they will abandon him. Peter responds, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.” It was the same Peter who testified his love for Jesus in his response to Jesus threefold question, “Peter, do you love me more than these…” Peter responding impatiently, “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you!” and then on the night of Jesus’ arrest denied him three times. And Peter’s story is our story.

So here we are once more at the Lord’s table, still not fully comprehending the reality, still grappling with the mystery, still struggling with the implications of the invitation to live in Christ, still confused about the relationship of the sinful Church as an institution and the Church as the bride and the Body of Christ.

But we all have our own stories that parallel the stories of the ancient Israelites as they lived under the oppression of Pharaoh and as they lived in fear of drowning in the Red Sea and has they hungered in the dessert. And we all have our memories of how God has saved us in the past. We are all survivors of one kind or another or we wouldn’t be here today!

This is our ‘hour of decision’ — again — and yet one more opportunity to say to the Lord, “Master, to whom shall we go? We have come to believe that you are the Holy One of God.”