The word \u201creligion\u201d refers to binding ourselves to God.\u00a0 And the letter of James read this weekend should inspire us all in our reform: \u201cReligion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:\u00a0to care for orphans and widows in their affliction\u00a0and to keep oneself unstained by the world.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0 Our religion should be known first and foremost for how we care for those most in need, not by our vestments, our grand churches, our rituals or the brilliance of our teaching.\u00a0 When people think of Christianity, may they come to think first of the thousands upon thousands of selfless people \u2013 laity, religious, and clergy \u2013 who pour their lives out in service at home and around the world.\u00a0 I have a dream that someday when a person googles images of \u201cthe Catholic Church\u201d the first pictures shown will not be of St. Peter\u2019s and the Vatican, but of advocates working humbly, tirelessly and fearlessly to meet the needs of others: teachers, medical professionals, volunteers, and yes, spouses and parents giving their all for each other and their children.<\/p>\nChristianity should be about the way we love God and others, about being a \u201csign and instrument\u201d of intimate communion with God and with the whole human race (Lumen gentium<\/i>\u00a01).<\/i>\u00a0Clergy exist only to support, encourage, and serve the rest in doing that. As Bishop Augustine of Hippo preached so long ago, \u201cFor you I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian.\u00a0 The first is the name of an office undertaken, the second a name of grace; that one means danger, this one salvation.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a \u201ccrisis\u201d point for our Church: a turning point.\u00a0 Who are we as the People of God, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit?\u00a0 The choices we make now are as critical as those made by those holy women and men before us who faced their own challenges to reform the Church to respond the needs of their time.<\/p>\n
What are you and I prepared to do about all of this?\u00a0 This isn\u2019t about bishops, cardinals or even the Pope: we the Church are a communion of disciples, and our response must involve all of us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Read his entire post<\/strong>.<\/a> And pass it along. More people need to hear this message.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From the great Deacon Bill Ditewig, who finds a call to humility and compassion in our present crisis: The word \u201creligion\u201d refers to binding ourselves to God.\u00a0 And the letter of James read this weekend should inspire us all in our reform: \u201cReligion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:\u00a0to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":290199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[11171],"class_list":["post-290196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deacons","tag-deacons"],"yoast_head":"\n
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