I was talking to a priest the other day who told me the sad story of a family he went to visit. You can see and her me give this Homily on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJvcOXd0hJ8
You see they had been regulars at Sunday Mass before Covid hit us, and he wondered why, since Covid is over, they hadn’t returned. Their answer astonished him. “Oh we don’t need to come to Mass Father. We watch it livestreamed online from home!” He did his best to explain that watching Mass online was not a substitute for the real thing, but they were not convinced. They watched Mass every Sunday, so why bother to actually attend Mass at their local Church?
Their strange idea that they were still good Catholics, provided they watched Mass online every Sunday, might well make us think of a much larger group of good people, including perhaps members of our own families, who have their own reasons for not going to Mass at all, not even online. Of course, there are some who have rejected religion altogether, but there are many more who would still say that they believe in God and try to follow the teaching of Jesus, and yet no longer believe that what happens at Mass has much if any relevance to their lives. These are the sort of people who would love the wonderful 2nd Reading today (Romans 11:33-36) where St Paul proclaims the glory of “The depths of God – how deep his wisdom” And they would point especially to the phrase “All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him.” and then would say “You see it says that God is in everything, so if I can find God everywhere, why do I need to find him in the Church?”
Part of the problem here lies in a disenchantment, not just with the Church but with many other organisations in our society who have been shown to have within them much that is corrupt, or that covers up failings, even plain wickedness, rather than owning up to it. The Catholic Church is but one example. In the UK, we have examples recently from a Hospital in Chester, from the BBC, from Parliament, and from the British Museum. It happens everywhere. This is made worse when so-called “Whistle-Blowers” are ignored or even silenced by those in power; and yet these Whistle Blowers also provide us with an answer to this problem. Whatever the organisation, if everyone opts out, if everyone keeps themselves to themselves, and tries not to get involved, if no one complains, then nothing is done to root out what is wrong and make things better. This is one of the reasons why Pope Francis promotes this idea of synodality. He wants ordinary lay people to recognise that they have a voice, and to stop leaving everything to the priests and the bishops. This doesn’t mean the Church has to turn into a democracy. The Teaching of the Church as developed down through the ages must be listened to, and indeed that development has included times when great saints, the church’s whistle blowers, like St Francis or St Dominic have had to challenge the majority, and have seen the Church purged and renewed by them and their followers. But none of this would have happened if these great saints had opted out, had stopped being part of the Church or formed their own church!
Our Gospel today (Matt 16:13-20) where Jesus gives Peter authority to lead the Church is a great help here, provided we remember what happens next. For Peter then gets things completely wrong. He insists that the idea that Jesus must suffer and die, rather than being a good strong powerful leader is a mistake, and Jesus then has to rebuke him with the very fierce statement that when he thinks like that then he’s in league with the Devil! Jesus shows us that God is a realist, that although he challenges us to be as perfect as possible, he also assures us of his love and support when we fail; and this has to be true of the bishops and priests who lead the Church, and not just of the ordinary church members. So, right from the beginning, the Church has been an imperfect organisation led by imperfect leaders; and our Popes down through the ages demonstrate that very clearly. Some have been good and great, whilst others have been very bad; whilst most have probably been a bit of a mixture … like all of us.
However, although it is true that some people have been driven from the Church by less than perfect priests, I would argue that most have just drifted away because they just don’t see the point. Surely one of the reasons for this, is a growing cynicism, a growing disillusionment, in our Western society, with anyone who seeks to be a leader; mixed with an idea that the only leader that would be worth following must be a brilliant star who can attract millions. This takes us straight back to the mistake that family made, who preferred to watch Mass online. Their error was to see Mass as something you watch, rather than something you are part of. This is why I get irritated by those who describe our British TV’s Songs of Praise as an example of good worship. It’s where they get lots of smiling people packed into a church singing popular hymns and religious songs. We need to realise that, like so much on TV or online, such programmes are created to entertain; and clever TV people use all sorts of techniques to make sure it is entertaining but it is a very limited form of worship.
When Jesus called Peter and the other Apostles to lead the Church, he called them to a life of struggle and service and sacrifice. The Rock on which the Church is built which breaks down “The gates of the underworld” is not a power that the world understands, is it? You and I are at Mass not to receive some kind of shot of religion or spirituality to make us feel good or holy. No, we are at Mass to imitate the service and sacrifice of Christ, and to go out and live it in our world without expecting any recognition or praise. This is the way of God, and as St Paul says in our Reading today, it is not a way the world understands. He writes “How impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Or as he writes in one of my favourite Bible Passages (1 Cor 1:18-31) “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.” Going to Mass, supporting the Church, is a challenge to the world, so presenting it as some kind of entertainment, completely misses the point.
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