Worried About the Church? Be a Child

Did you want your Catholic faith to simply bolster your own prejudices, support your own conclusions, uphold your personal taste and make you feel comfortable about all things ineffably you?

On the contrary, if the Pope is shaking you up and making you think, that’s a good thing isn’t it? If the successor of Peter rocks the boat isn’t that part of his job too? If he preaches and lives the gospel in a subversive and disturbing way why do you think that you alone should be the only one who remains undisturbed? Maybe you should learn to think outside the box a bit more and try to understand where he’s coming from rather than judge things from where you are.

If the Catholic Church isn’t everything you want it to be just now, well have you thought that maybe you’re not everything the church wants you to be?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Stay close to Jesus and Mary. That’s what the church is supposed to do anyway: bring you to Jesus. If the church does that be not being the happy home that you would like her to be, then that’s okay.

Pray to be more like a child–like the child who brought his lunch to Jesus for it to be multiplied or like the child he gathered up in an embrace.

Check out the illustration for this post. What is your response? Do you judge this picture and say, “Geesh, what a sentimental, piece of devotional tackiness!”

Or do you admit the sentimentality and kitsch and say, “That’s ok. It’s a child. I’ll accept the art as a child too.”

Come to the church like that little child. Leave your distrust at the door.

Have an open heart.

Have faith. Love the church. Love the Body of Christ, but go beyond the church to Jesus Christ himself for he is your true goal, your destiny and your desire.