Catholic Faith Space
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This past Friday afternoon, I sat down and watched the movie, The Passion of the Christ. It had been several years since I had watched it. As hard as it is to watch, I knew I needed a reminder. A reminder of what Jesus did for us and what it would have looked like, beyond what words can convey. Regardless of your thoughts on the film, one thing it does an effective job of doing is showing just how bloody, brutal, and agonizing Jesus’ journey to the cross, and the crucifixion itself, were.
How often do we gloss over the fact that Jesus was crucified? I know many times I have found myself allowing this fact to be just a fleeting thought. Of course, we know what Jesus went through was brutal and bloody. But we often don’t let the reality of it penetrate and pierce our hearts and minds. Every weekend at mass, during the creed, we pray, “for our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried…” But most of us are numb to what this really means. As I watched the movie, I did not make it through without tears. During the scenes of Jesus’ scourging and being nailed to the cross, I was struck once again by the immense and extreme suffering He took on because of sin- my own and that of the whole world. Scourging and crucifixion involve suffering and excruciating pain far beyond what we can comprehend. And it was all because of a love beyond what we can comprehend. He took every whipping, beating, and hammering of the nails with each one of us on His mind, all for love of us. It is a love that we will never find anywhere else. For the times we deny Him in our words and actions, the times we choose other things above Him, may we be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice He made for us. He made this sacrifice in hopes that we would maybe choose to love Him back, knowing that many would not. And He would do it again because He loves us that much. This love that Christ has for us is a love that is life-changing. As we journey through this Holy Week, the most powerful and moving week of the year as Catholics, may we let this love change us just a little more. May we enter deeply into the liturgies and take time to reflect on everything Jesus experienced this week. And may we walk with Him to the cross, remembering just how much pain and agony he went through for us.
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We live in a culture that lives by the motto “Do what makes you happy. You do you.” As Catholics, we cannot have this mindset. In today’s (Monday) gospel, Jesus says to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you.” And oftentimes, that’s where many people in our world would like to end the passage. But Jesus doesn’t take sin lightly. He accepts us as we are, but He doesn’t let us remain as we are, so that we aren’t left thinking that sin is no big deal. In the gospel reading, he goes on to say, “Go, and from now on do not sin any more” (John 8:11). He calls this woman to conversion. And He calls us to the same.
We are all sinners in need of Christ’s mercy and forgiveness. And He freely gives it to us. Just as He doesn’t condemn the woman, He doesn’t condemn us either. He opens His arms to us and invites us to draw closer. In fact, He longs for us to come to Him. Instead of running in the other direction, He deeply desires for us to repent and be reconciled to Him. This is exactly what we have the opportunity to do in the sacrament of confession. To go to confession is to encounter the heart of Jesus in a beautiful way. Partaking in the sacrament is where we encounter love, mercy, and forgiveness. And it is a place of conversion. Whether we think our sins are small or serious, bringing them to Christ with a contrite heart will change us, even if just a little bit. Every time we go to confession and experience grace washing over us, our hardened hearts will become just a little bit more like His. We will fail and when we do, we must recognize the ways in which we have offended God with our sin. But we must not stop there. We must return to Him by asking for forgiveness. The Church offers us the opportunity to be made new, to be changed, and to experience conversion every single time. This is a continual, life-long process. Slowly and in small ways, our hearts and minds will continue to be transformed. Sin is real and we must never let the world around us convince us that it isn’t. Jesus calls us to follow Him more closely, to leave behind anything that hinders us from Him. And when we fall, he waits for us to choose Him again. He opens His arms to us, and calls us to go and sin no more. May we all listen to His challenge and continually allow ourselves to experience conversion in confession. Last Thursday at work, I spent the day with some of my coworkers and staff from other area agencies helping sort and divide somewhere around 100,000 hygiene products that were donated throughout Brown County as part of the Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive. This took place at Green Bay Community Church. I walked into the doors and into the main worship space where they had all of the boxes and bags of donated products. The space was a big, square, auditorium-like space with cement walls, a large stage, and basketball hoops up above. In that moment, I was reminded of how grateful I am to be Catholic and for the beauty of the Catholic faith.
God can be worshiped and praised anywhere. But churches are the house of God and He deserves our best. He deserves places that are set apart and different from other spaces. We are all drawn towards beauty, and it is one of the three transcendentals. I think many people on the outside looking in may not recognize the goodness and truth of the Catholic Church, but they often cannot argue with the beauty found. It may be the beauty that leads them to see the truth and goodness. Walking into a Catholic church, our minds are raised to God. There are stained glass windows, murals, and other artwork depicting different religious events and scenes. Statues of saints that remind us of the holy men and women who are interceding for us in heaven and who serve as examples and inspiration for each of us still walking the journey of faith. Even the candles that are lit make the space beautiful. From large and intricate cathedrals adorned with marble, to small, humble country churches with wood paneling, and everything in between, the beauty that is found in Catholic churches points us to God, who is beauty. The crucifix is one of the central things we see as we look above the altar. The ultimate sacrifice of Jesus is something that strikes us in a powerful way. The crucifix reminds us of the painful, bloody, and brutal death that Jesus endured for us on the cross, defeating death. And that is beautiful. To be loved so much that this sacrifice would be made for us reveals a God who loves us so deeply. The Catholic Church is not only beautiful because of the way the churches are built and what is in the spaces, but also because of Who is in the churches. We have the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, in the gift of the eucharist. To receive Jesus in the eucharist is truly the most beautiful encounter we can have with Him. The Catholic Church truly is the most beautiful faith, as it is from Jesus Christ Himself. Our hearts and minds are drawn closer to God and we experience beauty that cannot be found anywhere else. Next time you walk into your church, or any Catholic church, thank God for this beautiful faith. May we never take it for granted. Seven years ago, I attended a retreat, called CEW, for the first time. I had been on retreats before, so I didn’t think it would be anything different, just another retreat. But this past weekend I was on this same retreat, and as I reflect back on that first experience, I would’ve never imagined I would be in the position I am now, having the opportunity to be a part of the team in a whole new role. All I can think about is how great is God to allow me to be part of something like this. As I experienced the last three days, I was reminded of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, the love of Christ, and the community that this retreat is.
I’ve written about this before, but it is the coolest thing to see the Holy Spirit working so clearly in front of you. To watch people on the weekend be transformed right in front of your eyes in a short period of time is evidence of the power of prayer. This past weekend, I saw people set on fire and filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit get up at the front of the room to give powerful witness talks. I saw people have their hearts changed by the Holy Spirit and watched as others allowed Him to work through them. There was no doubt in my mind that God was working. It is something that I wish every single person could see and experience. Another thing I was struck by on this weekend once again, was the love that is present on these retreats. To watch people serve so selflessly, give of their time so generously, and to encourage and lift up others so well is evidence of the love of Jesus shining through. When you’re on these weekends, you don’t have to question His love for you. This is another thing I wish the world could experience. There are so many people out there who feel alone and unloved, and they are just searching and thirsting to know Him. If they could only get a glimpse of how much they are loved by Christ and how much other people love them through Him, their lives would be changed. Watching the Holy Spirit work and the love of Jesus fill people up, it is evident that there is a strong and supportive community that helps make it all happen. To be supported and lifted up in prayer by so many is something that is hard to find. This community is truly something special that makes a profound difference in my faith journey. And it is something that I hope everyone can find their way to, whether it’s CEW, or another community. It’s essential to growing closer to God and deepening your faith. It’s not possible to do it on your own. As I continue to reflect on and absorb all that happened this past weekend, all I can think about is how grateful I am and how amazing it is that I get to be a part of something so cool. I think this quote from Sister Clare Crockett sums it up pretty well as she says, “I love ending the day tired, but filled with an interior joy, knowing that if I am tired, it’s because I have served the Lord.” It was a tiring weekend, but a weekend that brought so much joy, knowing I could serve God in a very small way. All I can say is thank you, Lord! |
AuthorStriving to share hope, joy, God's love, and all of the good stuff, one blog post at a time. Categories |
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