27th Sunday October 3rd, we are called to stir into flame the gift of God!
A little boy wanted $100 badly and prayed for two weeks but nothing happened. Then he decided to write a letter to the Lord requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to the Lord, USA, they decided to send it to then President. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5.00 bill, as this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5.00, and sat down to write a thank-you note to the Lord. It said: Dear Lord, Thank you very much for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington, DC and as usual, those jerks deducted $95.
This Story interestingly speaks of the state and attitudes of people. What is the state of politicians? What is the state of our life in America and what is the state Catholicism in America?
The state of the Catholic Church in America is a mixed bag. On the one hand, we have been hit by a scandal of unprecedented magnitude. Some parishes have been closed not merely because of the shortage of priests but also because some dioceses and archdioceses have been run bankrupt in paying damages to the victims of abuse. More and more people are unsatisfied with the education they get from the pulpit and sometimes the authoritarian nature of the clergy leads people away from the church. On the other hand, men and women continue to be gripped by God’s call and make the ultimate commitment. The Catholic Church is the only religious institution that is prophetic in the stand it takes. Its stand on war and violence, its unflinching support of life from the moment of conception to its natural end, its efforts to hold fast the sanctity of marriage, and its actions in favor of the poor and oppressed are not popular positions to take in today’s world. The church in America today is truly a counter-cultural institution. When we add to these things the soundness of its doctrines, the unity its represents, its contribution to human civilization over the centuries, its uninterrupted apostolic tradition and its inimitable organizational structure, one cannot but admit that this has got to be the work of God.
Our faith is at crossroads. We are very generous with ourselves. The church cannot forget the voluntarism of the Catholic community. In some quarters there is even an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Many of us take our beliefs very seriously and are returning back to what faith meant to us when we were children. But we are also caught in the battle between liberalism and conservatism and sometimes our political and economic outlook become more important than our religious faith. Sometimes our passion for the nation and sports is not matched by our passion for religion. More importantly, while people are received into the Church in large numbers each year through RCIA, more and more Catholics do not think, it is necessary to attend Church every Sunday, more and more Catholics do not believe the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, more and more Catholics do not think that the sacrament of reconciliation is necessary and Catholic’s financial support to the church is on the decline.
It is in this context that I believe that today’s Scripture is important. Let me offer three ways that I believe God is putting before us here in America.
1. The first challenge before the Church in America is what St. Paul said to Timothy in today’s first reading: “…stir into flame the gift of God that you have…” (2 Tim 1:6). Paul asks Timothy and his community to be on fire. The secret behind the growth of the church in the early Christian times was that the persecution kept these Christians from being complacent. Instead, they were on fire. Come hell, fire, or the Roman Empire, as Paul says to Timothy, they “…did not give into the spirit of cowardice but rather to the power of love…” (2 Tim 1:7). They lived their faith with the “help of the Holy Spirit that dwelt within them” (2 Tim 1:14). In an environment where we are totally secure and there are no challenges to our faith, it is easy to get complacent or lukewarm. Today, God is calling each of us to “stir into flame the gift of God…”(2 Tim 1:6), to be on fire. In simple words, this is what “stir into flame the gift of God” would mean: that we take Christ’s teaching seriously, that we live it unceasingly, and that we let our lives becomes a witness to Christ’s life within us.
2. The second challenge to the church in America comes from the first reading. The prophet Habakkuk says, “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith shall live” (Habakkuk 2:4). In the gospel reading, the disciples come to Jesus and request him, “Lord, increase our faith” (Lk 17:5). I do not want to approach faith in the same way and talk about faith in God. Each of us is here because we have faith in God. But the real challenge for us is to take that faith and grow in it. The challenge is to take scripture and devour it. The challenge is to find ways to connect what we celebrate here to our daily practical living. For example, how can we take the commitment that Jesus shows to us in the Eucharist and express that in our daily life? Or, how can we take the forgiveness that we experience here and make it real in our world? Or, how can we relive the self-giving of Christ in our families? Let us remember, “…the just one, because of his faith shall live” (Habakkuk 2:4).
3. The third challenge to the church in America concerns all those who are in some way associated with positions of leadership, work for the church or assume voluntary positions. To us Jesus says, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’” (Lk 17:5-10). At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the following was the advertisement for priests who would work in the new world. It read, ""We offer you: No salary; No recompense; No holidays; No pension. But: Much hard work; A poor dwelling; Few consolations; Many disappointments; Frequent sickness; A violent or lonely death; An unknown grave." Our leaders and all who work in the church are trained to be good stewards and good administrators. I would suggest that all of us who either work or volunteer at the church learn more about being “servant disciples.” Jesus had “No salary; No recompense; No holidays; No pension. But: Much hard work; A poor dwelling; Few consolations; Many disappointments; A violent or lonely death; An unknown grave." This is our only model when it comes to serving the people of God.
As we celebrate the Eucharist, let us ask Christ “to stir into flame the gift that God has given us.” Amen.
