Another week of painful headlines for our Catholic Church.
Another week of soul searching …
How do we respond?
How do we evangelize?
How do we continue to love and obey what we believe is the “one holy, catholic and apostolic” church?
My response: Focus on the bread.
The bread of life; the bread of wisdom from the lips of Christ; the flesh of Jesus, which we consume into our bodies – heart, mind and soul – when we go to Mass.
In other words, get back to the basics of why you believe.
Period.
Like many of you, I’ve been cringing every day when I open the daily newspaper. What story will be shaking my faith today?
Which of our shepherds will be “outed” as a wolf in shepherd’s cloth?
I try to keep up with names. Who has been accused. Who has been covering up. Who should be ousted … and why.
I do this because I want to make sure that we get rid of the evil in our midst and start working on replacing it with all that is good.
Is that possible?
Anything is possible with God, right?
Is that so much to ask?
Today’s first reading seems to be aimed right at our hearts. Paul, in a letter to the Church in Corinth … a letter to us today:
Brothers and sisters: It is widely reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans …
Yes … this is true.
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I believe there are a lot of us – including many of our priests and pastors – who feel the same way.
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
Again … focus on the bread.
Imagine, waking up and thinking about the breakfast you hope to enjoy – eggs, bacon, toast.
You head to the kitchen and begin to gather your ingredients … but when you get to the bread, you find it green with mold, black with age … corrupted.
There will be no toast on this day.
So, you get busy; You toss out the old, corrupt bread, and begin to cultivate the ingredients you need to bake the perfect loaf.
A loaf of bread that will sustain.
Never be corrupted.
Never fall victim to the sinful desires instilled in our hearts by the evil one.
Not you and me. We’re not perfect. We need grace, sacraments … especially confession.
And – to be honest – not our shepherds. Our priests, pastors, deacons, religious … even our bishops. They will never be perfect, as hard as they try. And nor shall we, as hard as we try.
And let us not ever stop trying.
Never forget why we are Catholic and why we follow the head of our Church, Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus is perfect and will lead us to salvation. He is without sin. His teachings are never wrong. They may be misunderstood or polluted by those who seek to be in control … to be their own gods. But, His teachings are never wrong.
And we are Catholic because we resist and reject the constant urge to change those teachings in order to bend to the whims of society.
This is not a new struggle. It’s been happening since DAY ONE.
It just seems to be more amplified these days …
Which is why I leave you with this from the Apostle Paul today …
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Focus.
Focus on the Bread of Life … not the nasty mold.
Focus.
