19 August 2018

Do NOT be chased away!

20th Sunday OT
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
OLR, NOLA

Bear with me for a minute or two while I drop into Professor Mode. A little history is necessary for any of what follows to make sense. Way back in the second and third centuries a heresy arose among Christians living in N. Africa. During the Roman persecutions, many Christians, including bishops and priests, apostatized – they renounced their baptism vows and offered idolatrous worship to the Roman Emperor. Not only did they offer worship to a false god they also betrayed their fellow Christians to the enemy, naming them and their families and sending many of them into martyrdom. Those who turned their backs on Christ and his Church were called “traditors,” those who hand over, traitors. When the persecutions ended, the traditors came back to the Church and asked to be forgiven and re-admitted. The laity among them were given severe penances and the clergy were declared defrocked. Some in the clergy though continued to celebrate the sacraments. Several bishops declared that any sacrament celebrated by a former traditor bishop or priest was invalid. They taught that only morally pure priests and bishops could celebrate the sacraments validly. Thus begun the 200 year long heresy known as Donatism.

If you've been paying attention to the most recent clerical scandals in the Church, you know why I started this homily the way I did. You are also probably asking yourself the same question I've been asked multiple times in the last few weeks: why should I remain Catholic? The Church is hopelessly corrupt. I'll give you the same answer I've been giving since 2002: No. The Church is not corrupt. The Church is indefectible, without defect. The Church is impeccable, without sin. Those who govern the Church – from the Pope on down to the parish priest – are not without defect nor sin. But the Church is more than the clergy. More than the religious. More than the laity. The Church includes – even now – more than 2,000 years of men and women who have given their lives to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. That adjective “catholic” means that the Church is universal in both time and space – in heaven, on earth, and in the world to come. You and I do not cease being Christians b/c we sin. And the Church does not cease being holy b/c some of her clergy choose to serve the Enemy. 
 
St. Augustine confronted the Donatist heretics and routed them. The moral state of a priest's or bishop's soul has no effect on the validity of the sacraments he celebrates. The principal celebrant of every sacrament is Christ himself. The ordained minister stands in personae Christi Capitis. So, whether my soul is black with mortal sin or not, this Mass will be valid. Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ” Why should you stay in the Catholic Church? This evening you will be given the Body and Blood of Christ. You will be given true food and true drink. And if you receive worthily, you will walk out of this church tonight as a living, breathing tabernacle of the Real Presence of Christ, taking him – his mission and ministry – out into the world for the salvation of souls. Paul tells the Ephesians, “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise. . .” The foolish person may abandon his/her only source of true food and drink. A wise person would never allow the evil of another to chase him/her away from the Lord. Be angry. Be frustrated. Be disappointed. I am! And I'm ashamed. What I am not is foolish! No matter bad it is or how bad it gets, Jesus reassures us, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” The wise soul will never be far from that altar.


_______________________
Follow HancAquam or Subscribe ----->

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:38 PM

    Spot on!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2:17 AM

    I hardly leave a response, however after browsing some of the responses
    on "Do NOT be chased away!". I do have 2 questions for
    you if it's okay. Is it only me or does it
    seem like a few of the responses look as if they are written by brain dead individuals?
    :-P And, if you are writing on additional sites, I
    would like to follow you. Could you post a list of the complete urls of all your social pages like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Father! So many need to hear this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous9:50 AM

    Ok, I will challenge you and eagerly await your public response, if you so choose.
    If I quit going to mass for the rest of my life (I’m 45), and continue living a life of serving others, obeying the commandments and simply confessing my sins in prayer, am I going to be out of luck on judgment day? All because I refused to be associated with a corrupt institution that has been overrun by evil people? Kindly explain. And by the way, our Pope, you know, Mr. “God loves you as you are” and “Who am I to judge?”- what do you suppose he might say in response?
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This may be the most poignant and apropos homily that you have ever posted on this web blog. May God continually Bless you.
    This should be printed in every Catholic church bulletin throughout the country, next weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous9:52 AM

    An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this
    onto a co-worker who had been conducting a little homework on this.

    And he in fact ordered me breakfast simply because I discovered it for him...
    lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thanks for the
    meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this
    topic here on your internet site.

    ReplyDelete