With Christians, a poetical view of things is a duty. We are bid to color all things with hues of faith, to see a divine meaning in every event.
— St. John Henry Cardinal Newman
OCIA begins tonight. Last I heard, we had 36 folks signed u,p so it looks like it’s going to be another big year, thanks be to God. The deacon who used to work with the program has recently stepped back from many of his ministerial roles as a sort of prelude to retirement, so it may fall to me to lay-lead the Liturgy of the Word at the beginning of class. Although not (yet) delegated to preach, I have a brief reflection also prepared. This is an easy one; today’s Gospel reading is a portion of the seven woes. The discourse continues tomorrow, and since I was already looking ahead in case Father asks me to deliver a reflection, these words have been on my mind for a few days now.
One of the key elements - maybe the key element of preaching is the assembly. Who and where are they? You’d think that a homily would largely remain the same across four or five masses on the same day and without a doubt, it makes zero sense to write four or five separate sermons. The assembly, though, may require a different emphasis. The early morning folks tend to be older; 11AM is family-palooza, afternoon is sometimes University Catholic-heavy, and evening in Spanish. All of them need the Word proclaimed; all of them need something different. In the end, the Holy Spirit will move them according to His will anyway, so maybe the most I can do is try not to frustrate that movement.
Mutatis mutandis, the readings today and tomorrow concern internal pieties and external demonstrations of them. The Lord is very clear to his listeners that the first drives the second, and the second is no substitute for the first. In fact, hollow externalities may be worse. We will be known by our fruits, and tomorrow we will be able to contrast superficiality with the fruitful piety of Saint Monica. Her steadfast prayers and concern for rhetoric-bro son (yes) make her a natural patron of parents today, but also demonstrate to all of us what can happen when we let an interior life of prayer become the animation of our actions, large and small. Who knows how many Augustines are among us today?
For the seekers and potential candidates, and catechumens, the message is largely the same, but perhaps with a view closer to 35,000 feet. From the outside (or periphery) looking in, Catholicism must look something like a giant coral reef. Endlessly baroque in some places, occasionally chaotic, but nevertheless giving the sense of a larger order and picture. It may be exactly those external expressions of faith that have drawn them in. Many have told us so in the past - the awe of attending mass for the first time, or a piece of achingly beautiful music or art. The faith is physical, sensual. For us, matter matters. Yet all of these things are means to an end, not ends themselves. They draw us closer to Him, who beckons us to Come, to discipleship. To a radical re-reckoning of the world around us, seeing it with new eyes, everything pointing to a deeper meaning. But also not losing the forest for the trees.
We must let these things lead back to ourselves, back to our hearts, so that we can open them anew to God’s grace. If we don’t, we risk loitering in the lobby rather than entering the feast.