Within minutes of Cardinal Pell’s death (may he rest in peace), two documents became public, one of them written by him only days before. The second document was written by someone using the pseudonym “Demos” and discussed the many problems within the Church and what the priorities of the next conclave should be. Many believe this document was also written by Pell. They are both worthwhile reading regardless.
Some of what they contain will annoy some people, although the message would have been taken for granted in almost any other time period: “the secret of Christian and Catholic vitality comes from fidelity to the teachings of Christ and Catholic practices. It does not come from adapting to the world …”
Do you feel that you, your children, your parish are living a life of “Catholic vitality”?
I wonder at all of the recent attempts to poll the public on what matters in the faith, the questionnaires, the door knocking surveys. “What issues matter to you?” “What are your feelings on …?” Etc.
How are these questions relevant when we struggle to simply remain faithful to the basic teachings of our faith? Christ is God made flesh. He died to save us from eternal damnation. He left behind a Church, his bride immaculate. He ordained bishops to serve, teach, instruct, and sanctify his people. He gave his literal body, blood, soul, and divinityto feed us and to crown us with grace, his life within us.
How do our feelings and issues compare with this? What issues of our times are not organically dealt with when Christ is first placed on his throne, and truth is served in fidelity? Compromising truth to be more attractive to non-believers doesn’t entice anyone for long.
So, I ask again, are we living a life of Catholic vitality? I read recently that for every convert to the faith, seven members of the Church leave. Bishop Robert Barron is quoted as saying, “I do blame teachers, catechists, evangelists, and academics within the Christian churches for not doing enough to keep our young people engaged.”
While I agree that any child attending a Catholic school should assume nothing less than being faithfully taught the truths of the Church by nothing less than a faithfully believing and practising teacher, and that it is a grave scandal if something else is offered, we cannot blame the teachers and administrators. It is the work of parents and a family to raise Catholic children and to make their home a place of Christian vitality. A child will look to and trust someone who loves him, someone whom he has looked to and trusted his whole life. A parent promises to give this vitality, the day-to-day life of Catholic faithfulness, to his child at baptism.
Our Catholic faith is an exciting gift to give our children. The history of the Church is filled with martyrdoms, battles, miracles, science, kingdoms, charity, kings and queens, art, music, and beauty. We have feast days to celebrate, mystical and ancient chants, candles, incense, mystery. If these are articulately expressed and shared with our children, the chances that they will leave for the absolute banality of popular culture must decrease.
If your deepest prayer is like mine, then it involves the salvation of your children’s souls. And prayer is where it begins, but not where it can end. The faith, feast days, baptismal days, the liturgy must be expressed as the central joy and culture of your home.
My son Isaac will be confirmed this year, and he intends to choose St. Pius X as his patron saint. Well-written novels of the saints have inspired his choice (Saint Pius X: The Farm Boy Who Became Pope) as well as his first name (Isaac and the Indians,” an exciting but horrendous story about the bravery and holiness of the Jesuit martyrs.)
In preparation for his confirmation Isaac is reading through the Acts of the Apostles, reading about the saints, and memorizing Friendly Defender cards, which pose typical anti-Catholic accusations along with Scripture verses and logical points to use in defence.
Unlike my experience, when he starts high school, catechism will not end but intensify. He will start a series of old-school books that teach faith and morality, apologetics, and doctrine, coupled with Bible study.
These tools are a beginning and they have left their mark. I take no credit. I am only grateful to all those who recommended them, as I’m not sure I would have known where to start. It only takes finding like-minded families to open a door to so many riches in our faith.
I believe that our faith is an exciting one. It takes an investment of time, making deliberate choices to be truly Catholic, but those choices can restore hope, joy, and truth to a world seemingly lost in feelings and issues.
