�We need to change�, �Institutionalized religion is a thing of the past�. The constant nagging may be
annoying, but the words hit home. In our world today, one wonders if the church really will die. Can the
church really make it in the modern world? It�s a question that begs answers: hard answers.
The state of faith today is anything but pretty. Attendance at Sunday services has dropped dramatically
since the fifties. The state of Vocations is even worse, many priests are retiring but few men are taking their
place. The youth are leaving the church quickly, a few seeking other less organized religions, more just
leaving altogether. Many parishioners merely sit in pews every Sunday, yet don�t know the very basics of
Catholic theology. Few regular church goers understand the Catholic belief in the real presence, purgatory
or the communion of Saints. Many that do, don�t care to comply. There has been a wide scale movement of
disobedience; many Catholics know the church�s position on many crucial issues, yet simply refuse to obey.
All this makes one ask Christ's question "When the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
What went wrong? Somewhere along the line, society sneaked in and crushed the church. It's members
followed, ignorantly, like sheep gone astray. The past was criticized and questioned with a certain
enlightenment that everything new was better, and anything old was merely uneducated superstition. They
left the past behind them and strutted boldly into the future. This was a future without the hierarchy,
without the church, and as some are finally realizing today: without Christ. This unprecedented break with
the past is what has seriously weakened the church.
These modern �reformers�, defend their actions in the "Spirit of Vatican II". They, erroneously, believe
that Vatican II was convened to change the church and to compromise with the general input of society.
John Paul II, in a recent speech addressed this problem, defended the true faith against such fallacies,
reminding us that �[t]o interpret the council on the supposition that it makes a break with the past, when in
reality it stands in continuity with the faith of all times, is a definite mistake" (John Paul II Online) In reality
what Vatican II called us to do was to return to the basis of our faith, a faith sustained by Christ, reaching
out and permeating the world. It, rather than telling us to abandon the teaching of the past, taught us to find
new ways to bring the ageless message of Christ to our universe. I think Christ, in our day is calling us
powerfully to embrace him in the traditions of the church and thus revitalized his church.
A Call To Faith - Doubt reigns among today�s faithful. Whenever someone has a problem
believing any doctrine in the faith, rather than question themselves, they question God present in the
authority of the church. The church, rather than being seen as a divine institution has been downgraded to
merely a man made institution ran primarily by politics. Naturally, No one can understand why they must
follow the whims of a bunch of old guys in the Vatican. However, the church is the temple of the holy Spirit
founded to bring Christ's message the world.
We must constantly avoid such an earthly attitude in our church. If we don�t approve of certain
teachings of the church, why do we believe the rest? They all come from the same authority. Although we
believe Jesus taught us to love our neighbor, we have no substantial evidence to back this up other than the
scriptures and testimony of a couple �old guys�. It, like the rest of church teaching has been handed down
and maintained by the authority of the church. We must return to the conviction that when we trust these
old guys, we are merely following God. Christ himself promised his disciples �The Advocate, the holy
Spirit that the Father will send in my name - he will teach you everything and remind of all that I told you.�
(Jn 14:26) We, as Catholic believe the teaching ministry of the holy Spirit to be exercised primarily through
the magesterium of the Holy Spirit.
The reality is that the church is NOT merely a human institution, but a divine institution founded by Christ
himself. He stated to Peter: "upon this rock I will build MY church" (Mt 16:18) It belongs to Him , and he
is in control. All the Christian faithful, make up the mystical body of Christ with Jesus as the head. It is by
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that it is animated by grace and brings the message of Christ, and
sanctification to the world. This is not, nor ever could be, by human power. A great explanation by St.
Augustine is quoted in the Catechism "Do you understand and grasp, brethren, God's grace towards us?
Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ. For he is the head, we are the members; he and we together are
the whole man....The fullness of Christ the is the head and the members. But what does 'head and members'
mean? Christ and the Church" (CCC 795)
Only when we renew our faith in the church can we truly live a Christian life. We need to begin to trust
God, and seek God for His will and guidance in the church. What does he want? What does he call us to?
We must not question the message of Christ, for it comes from God who cannot deceive nor be deceived.
We must hold with unshakable faith onto the gift we have received, something precious that "many prophets
and righteous men longed to see but did not see it�(Mt 13:17). For, "Unless your faith is firm, you will not
be firm." (Is. 7:9) When we do this, we will be revitalized with hope and receive Christ's promises.
A Call to Holiness - What does it mean to believe in God, yet not spend time with him,
meet him, talk to him, or do his will? It is utter nonsense. Yet, this is what so many people who claim to be
"Christian" are doing. So many go to church, yet refuse to give up vice and seek a true life of holiness.
Indifference is rampant. All these attitudes are excused with the claim that it's only a little sin and that "no
one is perfect." True, yet all people are called to be "perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect"(Mt. 5:48)
We seem to feel that holiness is something that not everyone can do, and that it's not normal to seek God
in extraordinary ways. Nonetheless, the call to holiness is for all people of all vocations and states of life.
"It is therefore quite clear that all Christians in whatever state or walk in life are called to the fullness of
Christian life and to the perfection of charity .... In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the
strength dealt out to them by Christ's gift..." (Lumen Gentium par 40). To be holy, means to be united to
God. We must all seek this unity completely.
Prayer, is the first essential for a holy life. The body cannot function unless it communicates with it's
head. Prayer, according to St. Therese means "raising one's mind and heart to God" CCC 2559 When we
unite ourselves with God daily, we can identify where God is calling us and seek his will. We bring
ourselves closer to him as beggars before his throne, uniting ourselves to him the divine branch, for
�without him we can do nothing�(Jn 15:5) Without it�s member�s joined to the head in prayer, the church
remains �nothing�.
Prayer is the man offering himself to God, yet God must also come, in some way, to man. This is done
through the sacraments, active sources of God's grace. When we fail to participate in the sacraments, we fail
to meet God where he is present most. Many Christians are missing Sunday mass, due to a overwhelming
entourage of excuses. Yet it is precisely in the precious sacrament of the Eucharist that Christ is present,
body, blood, soul and divinity. It is here, that he unites himself to us in a way that no earthy union can
compare. If we as a church want to survive at all, we must return to the channels of grace which God
instituted for our sake.
Sin, on the other hand, is anything that impedes our search for holiness. When we are unwilling to let go
of sin, we are unwilling to come to God. Christ's first message to the world was "Repent and believe the
Gospel" (Mt 3:2). We, if we want to share in Christ's promise, must "leave everything behind" and simply
follow him. This, radical as it sounds, is not as difficult as the world would make it seem. It means to let
go of all things that are in the way of God, simply because they impede that relationship. Sins of habit may
be hard to break, but it is just as important, for: "The way of perfection passes by the way of the cross,
There is no holiness without renunciation." CCC 2015 When we let go of sin we make room for God, and
when we make room for God, the church will flourish.
Unless we return to the first call of all Christians to be holy, to love Christ above all things, and seek his
Grace, the church cannot flourish. It is us, the individual parts of the body that must become strong, before
the rest of the body is to be strong. The church is dying, whenever it refuses to remain joined to Christ, the
source and fountain of life.
A Call to Action - So many Christians today are disgusting bags of concentrated sloth. They
go to church, some pray, some even have fancy religious bumper stickers, but their faith never leaves their
home. They are afraid to be active in their faith because of the effort it would take, and the effects it would
have on their lifestyle. Yet, how are we to claim to be the body of Christ if we do not reach out with His
sacrificial service and sincere charity? St. Therese commented that if the church is to be the body of Christ,
" it must have a Heart, and a Heart BURNING WITH LOVE."(CCC 826) This is not fanatical, but merely
fulfilling the second great commandment for all Christians is to "Love your neighbor as yourself". Fueled by
God's grace, in prayer and the sacraments, we are called to be active.
The most primary and central form of Christian charity is that of evangelization. Christ, upon returning
to his father in glory called us to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you." (Mt 28:19-20) Evangelism meets another�s most basic spiritual need to know the truth. This will
liberate them from the tyranny of sin and bring them close to God. By bringing the revelation of Christ to
our world, we will melt hearts and transform our fallen culture.
In our present world, however, many people simply refuse to evangelize. Evangelism is seen, as an
unjust theory in which we impose our views on others. If we sincerely believe the gospel to be the good
news, the fullness of truth, announced from God's mouth, it is ridiculous not to share this gift with others.
Evangelism is extremely necessary today, as expounded by Paul VI in his apostolic letter: "the presentation
of the Gospel message is not an optional contribution for the Church. It is the duty incumbent on her by the
command of the Lord Jesus, so that people can believe and be saved" (Paul VI Online) We must, as
Christians, boldly and fearlessly proclaim the kingdom of God through our actions and our words. By doing
so we will sanctify and transform our culture.
The church must not stop at satisfying ones spiritual needs. It must be constantly aware of the temporal
need of humanity here on earth: �it is a mistake to think that, because we have here no lasting city, but seek
the city which is to come, we are entitled to evade our earthly responsibilities; this is to forget that because
of our faith we are all the more bound to fulfil these responsibilities according to each one's
vocation.�(Guadium et Spes #43) Our culture, like none before is founded on greed, materialism and want.
As a result, the poor and weak are abused manipulated and oppressed. It is our job as Christians to help the
poor, whomever they may be, through both works of charity and justice, for �if anyone says he loves God
but hates his brother, is a liar� (1 Jn 4:20) We must share our resources with those in need, and work to
seek a fair treatment of all people in our individual action, our culture, and our laws. The justice the church
must seek is not polarized or centered on the temporal, but rather one that recognizes all men as spiritual
beings in the image and likeness of God. Although social justice movements are having a good start in the
church, they are still being ignored by a majority of the faithful, and some lack unity and collaboration with
the hierarchy. When we act we must act together, in obedience to Christ's design as dictated by our faith,
for "no town or house divided against itself will stand" (Mt 12:25).
When the church is united and active, it will begin to fulfill it's vocation given by the Father. We, through
our action, become the hands and voice of Christ in the world. We truly transform the world by our holiness
and bring it closer to God. It is only when we reach the step of active Christian Charity that we can fully
claim to be the body of Christ and the universal sacrament of salvation. We must follow in Christ's example:
�I am among you as one who serves� (Lk 22:27)
****
The church is not dead, she is only growing. We as Christians are each pilgrims, on an intimate journey with
Christ, only to be fulfilled in heaven. When we begin to work together and return to the message of the
Gospel, we will begin to see our weakness and our strength. It is God that shaped the past, and he will
shape the future. He calls us to his church to be his adopted sons. When we each answer this call, in all it's
mystical fullness, we will see the rebirth of the Catholic Church. Let the new Springtime Begin!!!!
Works Cited
Gaudium et Spes Vatican Council II Editor Austin Flannery, OP
Costello Publishing Company 1996
Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Catechism of The Catholic Church.
English Translation by United States Catholic Conference Inc.
: United States of America, 1994
Lumen Gentium Vatican Council II Editor Austin Flannery, OP
Costello Publishing Company 1996
John Paul II, Vatican II was Spirit�s gift to the church Online at:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JJP2VAT2.HTM
New American Bible with Revised Psalms and Revised New
Testament. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine: Washington D.C.
1991
Paul VI EVANGELII NUNTIANDI (On Evangelization In The
Modern World) Online: http://www.ewtn.com/libr
ary/PAPALDOC/P6E VAN.HTM
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