Sometimes, I think the hardest thing about being Catholic is BEING Catholic. Many of us in this world call ourselves Christian and Catholic, but are we really living like Christ and living out the Catholic faith? Often we our living our own version of Christianity, and our own version of Catholicism, the version that makes us the most comfortable and does not rock the boat, much like the priest Amaziah in the first reading from the Prophet Amos today in how he doesn’t want Amos to prophesy in Bethel and make waves against the King and the government.
Many of us, if we were sent out in two’s as Jesus sent the disciples in today’s Gospel reading, would say to ourselves, “Well, I’m going to sneak a little food for my journey. Or I’m going to bring some extra cash, or a change of clothes. That will make me a little more comfortable for my journey. What’s it hurt if I bring a little extra supplies with me? I could be gone a long time! I just cannot trust in other people to provide for me.” But the disciples listened, although they probably had those same fears and concerns. It was dangerous to travel in the desert on foot with plenty of supplies, let alone when you have nothing. But for as much anxiety as they may have had when they started, they had an even bigger trust in God that He would provide for them through other people. That, although there would be many who reject them, there would be countless others who would welcome them and seek Christ’s message and healing through them.
All of us today, as Catholics and as Christians are called by Jesus to go out and spread His Word, and do His will to serve others, to be those same disciples. But all too often, we pick and choose our own rules in our faith, and choose what we want to believe and preach, and what we may want to be silent on. I’m guilty of this. We are all guilty of this in one way or another.
Many times, I want to take some extra money in my belt, or take that extra bit of food even though God is telling me that he will provide for me in my times of need and adversity. And all too often, we know what our Church teaches, and we know what we believe and how we feel, but in the face of criticism or mockery or when someone is challenging our beliefs, we tighten up those lips of ours and just go with the flow. Or we don’t know enough about what the Church teaches and why, and we simply don’t want to look silly and be embarrassed, and we don’t want to be hurt – emotionally or physically. All too often, we are more like the Peter that denies the Lord as the rooster crows, rather than St. Peter the Apostle.
It’s tough in this world, with so much scrutiny and focus on Catholics. The world needs a strong Catholic Church, but it also likes to tear us down. It’s always like someone is looking for a fight, yet we are unwilling to simply move on and shake the dust off our feet in testimony against those who do not welcome or listen to us, as Christ tells His disciples to do in todays Gospel. People don’t like the rules or the “strict” guidelines of the Catholic Church, and say that the Church needs to get with the times. No, actually, the times need to get with the Church. The Catholic Church – is perfect. Our Catholic faith – is perfect. People – we are not perfect. Catholic laity are not perfect. Priests, are not perfect. Nor are Bishops, or even Pope Francis. But we keep trying. We follow God’s will, and His calling that He embeds in our heart, and we continue to try and do better. We try to pray more, we try to embrace and take part in the Sacraments more. And we try to be more like Christ. And when there are those who do not welcome us, or in those times where we fail and mess up, we shake the dust off, and move on, trying again.
But in many cases, we make up our own rules, or our own version of our Catholic faith where we pick and choose what we like and want to believe. Being Catholic is not like ordering a la carte and choosing exactly what we want to eat from a menu. Being Catholic is like getting that five course meal, but we may not like the soup and the salad. But the entrée is amazing, and so it is worth eating the soup. And we know the salad is healthy for us. But before we know it, if we have the meal enough times, maybe we start to actually like the soup and maybe we start to eat a few more salads.
We may not agree with some of the teachings, but we know they are healthy for us, and given enough time through prayer, scripture, and serving others through the parish community, we will come to see why we believe what we believe and why we do what we do. And we will come to understand how we can be Christ-like towards those who question, do not understand, or do not agree with what we do as a Faith. We simply trust in God that in time, He will help us see and understand the truth, and he will use us to set an example for others. The disciples may not have agreed with Jesus when he told them what they could and could not bring on their trip. They may have even questioned Him and were even a little angered with Jesus at what He was asking. But in time they all understood the purpose and the point behind it all. And we should be the same way.
It’s OK to question. And for many of us, whether it’s new converts or a cradle Catholic, we all have certain aspects of our faith that we may still question. But we must know that, to fully embrace Catholicism, we have to take some risks. We have to take some leaps of faith. We have to support the Church and the teachings that Christ Himself founded and that His Holy Spirit built, and trust in God that in time, He will help us understand. We just need to be patient, and steadfast in our faith in Christ and faith in the Church as a whole.
We have to know that Christ will be with us and have our back in times of adversity, anxiety, and confusion. We have to know that the one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is perfect in every aspect. We, as Christians, are not perfect. And because we are not perfect, we need a guide, a map, and a manual on how to get to where God wills us to be. He sent His Son to guide us, and He founded His Church as a means to get us there and maintain us and make us stronger while on our journey. We must trust His guidance, and allow Him to teach us the truth and build the discipline we need along the way, and actually BE who He wills us to be.
