March 18, 2005

You've heard the expression “don't shoot the messenger.” I like that expression, because many times I am the messenger. In fact, at ordination, deacons and priests kneel in front of the Archbishop. They place their hand on the book of the Gospels and the Archbishop says,

“Receive the Gospel of Christ,

whose herald you now are.

Believe what you read,

teach what you believe,

and practice what you teach.

In effect, we're ordained to be messangers. And, sometimes, the messenger might just get shot.

Jeremiah was not a popular guy. The people of Jerusalem thought they were protected by the covenant with King David. Sort of like some of our modern-day protestant brothers and sisters, they thought they were saved without having to do anything. Jeremiah thought that judgment was at hand and tried to warn the people. They didn't want to hear his message and they didn't like him.

“All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine.” Many of them wanted to kill him.

The same can be said of Jesus in today's Gospel. He's probably the most unpopular person in Jerusalem. The people want to put him to death. Like Jeremiah before Him, He brings an unpopular message. In fact, the message He brings is the best possible news of all. He is the Son of God. But His message requires action from them.

So what about today? The truth of the Gospel seems to be unwelcome news for a lot of people. How many people call themselves Catholics but ignore the Church's teachings when they don't agree with them? How many Catholics practice artificial birth control? How many Catholics are divorced and remarried without even trying to have the first marriage annulled? I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but how many Catholics go to mass when they feel like it? On Easter Sunday, this church will be nearly full for all three masses. Well, maybe not nearly full, but fuller than usual. How many of those twice-a-year Catholics will present themselves for communion? St. Paul tells us that if we receive the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily, we're guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. How many of us choose to ignore that fact?

Here in St. Louis, we've seen what happens when people don't follow the faith. Parishes are being closed in North County and South City. Just like the citizens of Jerusalem hated Jeremiah for his prophesies, and just like they hated Jesus for speaking the truth, we have people today actually hating the Archbishop, or the Pope or “the church” for closing parishes when the fact is, parishes are closing because people aren't going to church. Some have moved out to the county. Some have moved out of St. Louis. But, a lot of them have just stopped going to mass. Whose fault is that? The Archbishop's? The Pope's? The pastor's?

So many people I visit at the hospital are listed as “Catholic” on their chart. But when I ask them about communion, or being anointed, they will tell me that they haven't been to mass in a long time. But they still call themselves Catholics. Obviously we have a problem with delivering the message.

As Easter approaches, we have an opportunity to bring people back to Christ. If you know someone who hasn't been to mass in a long time, why not ask them to come with you? Hopefully they won't be like the citizens of Jerusalem and want to shoot the messenger. Hey, it can't hurt. It might just turn out to be the best thing you've ever done for them.