February 26, 2010
The Bishop's Forum
Strategic Planning Process — Re-energizing our diocese in the faith
by Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger
Third of a series
This is the third in the series on how we are challenged to strive to go about re-energizing the Faith in the hearts of the faithful in our diocese.
The mega-theme uncovered in the refining of the harvest of information gathered in the threshing process was Sacramental and Liturgical Life.
Sacramental and liturgical life challenges even the best of us because it requires us to separate piety and devotion, our personal feeling, our deeply held issues and re-look at the basics of our faith.
We must let loose of our personal preferences and be guided by the Magisterium of the Church if we are to achieve any sense of the unity we hope for in addressing who we are.
In no way does this deny the validity of our personal piety or remove our personal need for devotion.
On the other hand, we must be concerned about and respect each other in spite of our personal religious preferences. That is the challenge as this theme calls us to a common sense of Catholic Community. Allow me to expand on this issue.
What is your weekly experience of the Catholic Community?
To be very candid, I pose these blunt questions:
- Do you attend the same Mass every weekend?
- Do you ever personally meet and know those parishioners who attend the other Masses on a weekend in your parish?
- Are you aware that more than half of your brothers and sisters are not attending any of those Masses including your sons and daughters?
- Do you realize that all too many children in Catholic schools are not attending Masses on the weekends?
Your family experience demonstrates that at a Thanksgiving meal when all family members are expected, dads and moms know which son or daughter is missing or at least why. Brothers and sisters do too! When there is an unannounced or unexcused absence of any sibling, it generates a concern or at least a question for the entire family. Why is he or she not here?
Would it not be considered a cruel and unusual punishment if the parents would decide that due to such an unexcused absence that the son or daughter would be disowned by the family?
There are myriads of excuses one can imagine being presented for not attending Mass on Sunday and most of them would be quite accurate but unacceptable. This is not a “kid” issue. It is a faith issue!
On the other hand, getting caught up in excuses misses the point. I have to avoid it regularly. More critical is the question why any member of Jesus’ family would absent himself or herself from the Thanksgiving dinner at his table for any reason whatsoever???
The latest report we have from the weekend attendance count in October each year is that only 43 percent of our registered Catholics are attending Mass on a weekend. This varies from less than 30 percent in some parishes to more than 80 percent in a few others.
Something is missing. What is there about the sacramental and liturgical life of our Catholic church that does not instill a sense of responsibility of each member to his or her brothers and sisters?
The Church often establishes laws to remedy abuses. There is already one that reminds each of us that we have an obligation under pain of mortal sin to join our brothers and sisters by attending Mass each weekend. The tragedy, as proven by the regular attendance, indicates that law resolves nothing. Oh, yes, it generates guilt but does it instill a sense of belonging? I think not!
My brothers and sisters, what must be the driving force if we are to learn how to be community? The response can be found in the Gospels: “Unless the Lord is the builder . . . .” It is not the law that invokes belonging, it must be the gift of faith!
Setting aside all our personal pet peeves about the sacred liturgy and the sacramental life that Jesus and his Church give us, the gift of faith alone will guide us to a sense of community. Nothing else!
How can we enliven that grace of the Holy Spirit already present to us given to us in Baptism and Confirmation?!
Next week: More on the liturgical and sacramental life