Community in Mission

Many years ago, Archbishop Sheen made an insightful point that I am relating to you from memory. I beg your mercy if I do not quote him exactly, but his point related to soteriology, the theology of how we are saved. Now to be clear, we are saved by the obedience of Christ. But not all the consequences of our sinful choice were eliminated by His obedience. The Lord takes up some of these consequences as a means to save us. It is of these consequences that Archbishop Sheen speaks. Again, what I relate is not verbatim, but is as close as I can recall:

Consider if God were conducting a great symphony, a symphony that He Himself composed, one of sublime beauty. Now suppose that he wrote this symphony in the key of A. Having assembled His orchestra, God brings the musicians to attention and begins to conduct the symphony. But suppose that in the front row, the first and second violinists, filled with a sense of rebellion and boredom by the third measure, insist on playing an A-flat, rather than the A-natural called for by the score. This of course creates a terrible dissonance. And so God, the great conductor and composer, brings the orchestra to a halt by tapping his baton. Looking to the first and second violinists, he says, “My symphony has been ruined. I will forgive you, but the note has already sounded and gone forth. It will not be recalled. So, what was that note you played?” The first and second violinists respond, “A-flat.” “Fine then,” says God, “Let us begin our new symphony in the key of A-flat.” And, raising His baton, he begins again …

What is Archbishop Sheen saying here? He is saying that in saving us, God does not merely undo or cancel every effect of our choice. Jesus does obey, saying “yes” to the Father. In contrast, we said, “no” and hence we are saved by Jesus’ obedience. But God does not merely come in and say, “Well, you got that wrong, so I’m just going to reverse everything you did and put it back to the way I want it.” Our all-powerful God has a very deep reverence for our freedom to choose. And so God chooses to write straight with the crooked lines, with the consequences of our sinful choice.

What, then, does God do? Using Sheen’s analogy, He takes our “A-flat” (the consequences of our choice),  and uses it as the keynote in a new symphony. In other words, though God had given life and paradise (A natural), Adam and Eve chose the way of suffering and death (A-flat). Hence, rather than merely erase what they had done, God said, “I will come, and, through the suffering and death of my own Son (A-Flat) and by His obedience, compose a new symphony with an even greater ending. The ending is one with humanity not in some mere earthly paradise, but a heavenly one. It is an ending in which humanity is not just humanly perfect, but shares in Divine nature. Yes, my Son will take A-flat and make of it a new song, an even greater song. “O felix culpa, O admirabile commercium (O happy fault, O wondrous exchange)!

Whereas our demise came through a man (Adam), a woman (Eve), and a tree, our redemption, too, would come from a new Adam (Christ), and include a new woman (Mary), and the tree of the Cross. Through the suffering and death of Jesus, the chosen note of Adam and Eve (A-flat) would now be the first note in a new symphony, bringing life and glory, all by God’s grace.

And our suffering and crosses, too, would do the same in this new symphony, this new song. As scripture says, This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison (2 Cor 4:17). Yes, God took our sour note and with it composed a new song, with a greater ending.

And that brings us the video below. Maybe I’m just zany-brainy, but I saw Archbishop Sheen’s soteriological point in, of all places, this car advertisement for the KIA Soul (yes, aptly named). And I realize that what I’m doing is pure eisegesis, that is, reading a meaning into the video that the originator likely never intended. But go with me on this little journey.

1. As the video opens, a terrible war is raging between two unknown factions. A-flat is in loud evidence. In fact, if you have a good Bose woofer, the pounding A-flat explosions shake the floor. The entire landscape and almost everything in it is in shades of gray; everything is in ruins. Yes, this is the sour note of A-flat, all right: death, violence, and barrenness, not a living thing in sight; even the warring parties are robots.
2. Suddenly, onto this scene comes a bright green KIA Soul with three occupants. Allow the green to represent life, and the three occupants, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (I know they’re hamsters, but stay with me.)
3. The warring parties stop, stunned by this bright green car, and aim their weapons at it. From the car emerge the three living creatures, the Trinity, far more alive than any of the fighting robots. A tense moment ensues.
4. The middle figure is a Christ figure, for he wears purple, a sign of his royalty and his passion.
5. Suddenly, the Christ figure cries out and all three in the Trinity begin to stomp their feet. It is the same pounding A-flat beat that the robots have been creating by their killing; it is a kind of a sound of death.
6. But now the Trinity is using the A-flat beat to dance!
7. One of the robots begins to tap his foot. Other robots quickly join in, and before long, all are dancing. It’s the same A-flat beat, but the Trinity has composed a new symphony around it.
8. Weapons drop and the dancing continues. Some of the dead robots even come back to life. The former flying war machines emanate rainbow patterns in the background.
9. In a very symbolic moment, the Christ figure in purple stands atop a concrete circle in the shape of a tree stump, as if Christ on his Cross in triumph dancing to A-flat. The A-flat of suffering that leads only to death is becoming life. A-flat doesn’t need to lead to war. If accepted, it can lead to glory. The Lord teaches them a new song using the same note.
10. In the final scene, the Trinity drives down a road flanked by enthusiastic praises as the A-flat dance continues. In the distance is the mountain where God dwells on high.

OK, is that too weird? Call me a dreamer, but this is what I see. If all you choose to see is a car commercial, fine. But it never hurts to see Christ wherever we can. Man disobeyed and ushered in an A-flat world of suffering and death. God forgave us and Jesus undid our disobedience. But God, showing a reverence for us even in our struggle, takes our A-flat of suffering and death and makes it a road to glory, the way to Heaven.

Enjoy this video.

There are some who wince at the notion of praying boldly to God, especially if anger or exasperation are part of that boldness. And yet the Bible itself models and counsels that we should include in our prayers the times when we are angry, exasperated, or disappointed in God. The psalms are filled with such prayers and great figures like Moses, David, and Job cry out to God quite plainly, expressing their anger and disappointment. I have written more on that here: A Meditation on the Role of Anger in Prayer.

At any rate, in this brief blog today I offer this example of a prayer of holy boldness from a great Saint of the Church: St. Catherine of Siena. Here is the background: Catherine’s mother, Lapa, lay dying, but Catherine was convinced that Lapa was not yet ready to die, and so she told God as much. The Lord disagreed, but Catherine remained undeterred in her assessment. And now we pick up the story and prayer …

Lapa died, or so it seemed to all the women who stood around her bed. She had refused to confess and receive the last Sacrament. Catherine lay over her mother’s corpse weeping and praying aloud.

O my dear Lord, is this how you keep the promise you once made to me that none in my house should suffer eternal death? You promised me too that you would not take my mother from this world before she could leave it in a state of grace, and here she lies dead, without having confessed or received the Sacrament. My Beloved Savior, I call to you in your great mercy, do not fail me! I will not go alive from your feet until you give me my mother back.

Speechless and overcome, the women around the deathbed saw that life seemed to creep back into Lapa’s body. She breathed and made some slight movement, … After a short time Monna Lapa was quite well again. [Told by her confessor, Blessed Fr. Raimondo, and inscribed in the Biography Catherine of Sienna by Sigrid Undset, pp 94-95].

And so here is the image of a saint at prayer: reverent but bold, seemingly unwilling to take “no” for an answer. Surely, on account of her usual and deep reverence, Catherine was allowed a bit more leeway than many of us; but do not doubt that God is often listening for us sinners to pray with a little conviction and intensity!

Somehow, too, it reminds me of a place called Cana, where the Mother of Jesus said, “They have no more wine.”  And though Jesus seemed unwilling, I am convinced that Mary gave him a look that only a mother could, a look that wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.  And the next thing you know, Jesus is making dozens of gallons of the best wine imaginable!

Are you praying with me, Church? Really praying? There is a place for boldness in prayer, not a boldness that loses all reverence, but a boldness nonetheless.

This song says, “King Jesus is a-listenin’ all day long, to hear some sinner pray!”

In the Church throughout the world today, we are rightly more focused on evangelization. It is “job one,” and Jesus could not have been clearer: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt 28:18-20).

However, even as we become more serious and practical about effective ways of evangelization, we must also remember the paradox and the mysteries that underlie the growth of the Kingdom. We can and should strive to learn “best practices” and what makes for dynamic parishes and outreach. But even when many of these things are in place (e.g., dynamic preaching, good liturgy, a welcoming parish, eucharistic adoration), growth does not always come; numbers may even continue to decrease. Conversely, even in parishes where preaching is weak, liturgy perfunctory, and devotions hurried, there may be significant growth and pews that are rather full. I know parishes that should be growing, but are not. I also know parishes that are growing almost in spite of themselves.

There ARE mysterious aspects to the growth or decline of the Church. In the gospel from last Friday’s daily Mass, Jesus said,

This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come (Mark 4:26-29).

And thus the Lord teaches that much of the growth in the Kingdom of God is mysterious and works “we know not how.”

Only one thing is clear: we must sow the seed. That’s “job one.” Indeed, we must work ardently to “scatter seed.” By extension, we should do our best to prepare the soil well, and after sowing the seed, cultivate.

But much that is mysterious lies beyond our knowledge or control. St. Paul says elsewhere,

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (1 Cor 3:6-7).

So, the seed MUST be sown; watering and cultivating are also important follow-ups. But in the end, God alone will decide what will be fruitful and grow, and what will not. Sometimes God deems it necessary to prune, or even to let the soil lie fallow for a time. That is His business. Meanwhile, we should do our work, faithfully and persistently. If we discover that we are doing some things wrong, fine, correct them. But sometimes it is not clear that we are falling short. Work anyway and wait for the Lord.

The Lord will often act in paradoxical (surprising) ways. Looking back on Church history, we can see that the Lord often acts out of the blue to bring reform and a bumper crop!

In the 4th century, the Roman Empire, though it had finally accepted Christ, continued to decline. Why? Jerome got so depressed that he went and lived in a cave. St. Augustine agonized aloud by writing The City of God. The Romans themselves caved and Constantine abandoned the great city, moving east to Constantinople! The Barbarians sacked Rome! It was one disaster after another.

But Pope Gregory met Alaric at the gates of Rome and there began a conversation that led to the eventual conversion of the “barbarians” to Christ. Europe would bloom with the faith, but not in the way many of the 4th century had ever thought.

And then, just as the faith was blooming, all of Northern Africa and Asia Minor were lost to the invading Muslims! The cradle of the Church was robbed even as Europe began to bloom.

Beginning in the 16th century, several million Catholics walked out of the Church during the Protestant revolt. But at the same time, nine million Mexicans walked in at Guadalupe.

Today, as Europe continues its decline into suicidal trends, Africa is once again blooming, with a 7000% increase in the number of Catholics over the last 50 years.

Yes, these are mysteries. Losses here, but sudden increases there. And even in the darkest moments, reform comes, seemingly out of nowhere. In such dark times, God sent the likes of Gregory the Great, Catherine of Siena, Dominic, Francis, and Vincent De Paul. They came as if out of nowhere.

Yes, mysteries, and paradoxes, too.

A paradox is something that surprises us because it is contrary (para)  to the common thinking (doxa). So, paradoxically, when it comes to “having what it takes” to be an effective evangelizer, the Lord often shows that he did not “get the memo.”

Once again, consider the same gospel from last week, in which Jesus goes on to say,

To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade (Mark 4:30-31).

In other words, what looks unpromising, even pathetic, has a way of surprising us. A mustard seed is small, unpromising, and seems unlikley to amount to much. But there is a vigorous spark of life in that little speck of seed!

Jesus’ establishment of the Church was very paradoxical. He never “got the memo” that He should choose only the best and brightest. The twelve He selected were not particularly noted for being eloquent, natural leaders, bright, or fearless. Throughout the gospels, the most frequent picture of them is of their inept responses. Jesus teaches and teaches and teaches, but they just don’t seem to get it. Only after Pentecost do we see them quicken!

Perhaps with this and other things in mind, St. Paul further develops the paradox of God’s ways in reaching the world:

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” 1 Cor 1:20ff.

Yes this passage is dripping with paradox!

1. The Cross, not comfort – Many today exhort us to speak more tenderly to a tender age. We should be more positive, less demanding, more merciful, more known for what we are for than what we are against. Sugar and honey attract more than vinegar and gall. But St. Paul and the Holy Spirit didn’t get this memo, for we are exhorted to preach “Christ crucified” even though this is an absurdity and a stumbling block to the world. Let us not forget to manifest our joy, but even in doing so, let us also not neglect to embrace the paradox of the Cross.
2. Fools more so than formally educated – Studying and learning have their place. Learn your faith well and be prepared to defend it with patience and love. Parishes need to do a better job of teaching the faith to those who would spread it. But in this, we must not be too quick to make easy compromises with the thinking of the world. We are not to look for so many areas of common ground  that we cede the ground of faith to the world. We are wisest of all in Christ when the world calls us fools.
3. Apologetics but not apologizers – Apologetics has its place, so that we can reach the reasonable of this world. But apologetics is a word that originally and more deeply means to explain the faith, not make apologies for it. Paradoxically, a true apologist is on his game when many are calling him foolish, when they are scoffing that faith is weak and despicable. Jesus warns, Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets (Lk 6:26).
4. Pure more than palatable – The paradox is that faith that is made too “palatable” is almost certainly not faith at all. Now this may all be in violation of “Marketing 101.” But again, God is not in receipt of the world’s little memos. True evangelization is often paradoxical, since it does not fit easily into the categories of marketers and sociologists, who are often horrified at how “off-message” the faith can seem to the world. Even in the Church, many demand that the faith be conformed to what the majority of people think. But remember, God has been at this work just a little longer than marketers and publicity folks imagine. His paradoxes have a way of winning the day when the ephemeral and fickle views of the world fade away.

In a final passage from the gospel we have been considering, Jesus demonstrates a surprising technique so paradoxical that it seems downright offensive to modern minds. The text says,

With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private (Mk 4:33-34).

Notice that Jesus was discreet. He spoke to the crowds only in parables and saved more extensive explanations for “private” discussions with His disciples. Jesus says elsewhere, Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine (Mat 7:6).

Now this notion of NOT putting everything “out there” is very paradoxical to us, especially today. Our notion is to get everything in front of everyone. We strive to be on TV, the radio, the Internet. We are exhorted to invite anyone and everyone to come to Mass, attend baptisms, go to weddings, etc. The door is open! The Light is on for you! We televise our most sacred events and share our deepest doctrines with anyone who asks.

Now fine, this may be a necessary stance today. But we do well to at least consider that Jesus did not get this memo either. He was guarded with the crowds.

The early Church also maintained a “discipline of the secret,” wherein only the baptized were admitted to the sacred liturgies. Our sacred doctrines were defended to a degree by the likes of St. Justin Martyr, but they were not simply laid out there for all to see.

The point is this: though we may think that good evangelization depends on openness to be successful (and I do not deny that this is largely true today), the paradox is that it does not necessarily depend on it. Most deeply, it depends on God.

Consider a liturgical example. In the days of the “Old Latin Mass,” all the usual modern rules for effective communication were broken. The Mass was offered in an ancient language; it was conducted remotely at an altar against the wall; it was largely whispered; and the people were not all that “involved” in the sacred action other than to witness it and (hopefully) pray along. The Mass was not easily “understood,” especially by the uninitiated.

But people piled in to Mass! That form of the Mass inspired great music, great architecture, and soaring, art-filled churches. The Mass inspired great devotion and generated a huge number of saints.

Today, the liturgy is in receipt of all the “memos” of the modern world. It is conducted in a language that is intelligible; it is conducted facing the people, who are encouraged to get involved in numerous ways. A key goal today is that the Mass be easily “understood,” even by the uninitiated.

But the people stay away in droves. Mass attendance looms toward 20%, down from nearly 80% in the “arcane” days.

The old liturgy broke all of the marketing rules, but people came. The new liturgy follows many of the marketing rules, but (mysteriously) people have fallen away.

Granted, the issue is more complicated than liturgy alone. But the point remains that evangelization and the growth of the kingdom are mysterious things, and often quite paradoxical.

Should we continue to do everything we can to spread the faith in the usual manner using media, training, and the widest possible exposure? Sure! Today, at least, this is how we prepare the soil, sow the seed, and help to cultivate.

But in humility and serenity, we must also accept that there are mysteries as to what works and what does not. Growth sometimes comes out of nowhere for no good (discernible) reason. God often surprises us with sudden growth spurts that are hard to explain. Meanwhile, we work as best as we can and do what seems wisest.

But how about a little humility that allows paradoxical things to work, paradoxical because they do not conform to the rules of the world? How about a little humility that is willing to listen to God? We are always asking God to bless what we do. Why not (at least occasionally) find out what God is already blessing and go do that?

Paradox and mystery may well have a lot more to do with evangelization than all our biggie-wow plans and glossy marketing.

Lord, we seek a miraculous catch of fish in our day and we are open to surprises. Keep us faithful to your teachings, which are “out of season” today. Help us to cast your nets faithfully and be willing, like Peter, to cast them where you say, often in tension with our own instincts. And, like Peter, may we experience the astonishing miracle of a great catch that will make us fall to our knees in wonderment and humility at the mystery and paradox of your work. Have mercy on us, Lord, and work, often in spite of us, to enrich your kingdom in ways “we know not how.” In Jesus’ name! Amen.

Whenever I write on liturgy, I get a lot of comments. Many people obviously care deeply about it.

Yet I also get comments that decry my “preoccupation” with liturgy, saying that it is of minor importance compared to the issues of poverty, abortion, etc. Some on the left will say, “Who cares if the Pope washes certain feet or doesn’t wear a fanon? Get out there and take care of the poor and show compassion. Frankly, your elaborate and expensive liturgies are an insult to the poor.” And perhaps some on the right will say, “Who cares if the Mass is in Latin or English? As long as you’ve got the true presence, why get all worked up about music, altars, and so forth?”

Count me in the camp of those to whom liturgy matters a great deal. A few years ago, there was a saying that summarized this view: “Save the liturgy, save the world.” To those who did not understand, the expression seemed excessive and fussy. But it actually summarizes well an ancient insight, one which Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger beautifully presented in his epic work The Spirit of the Liturgy.

Pope Benedict is currently overseeing the publication of his collected works. Interestingly, he directed that Volume XI (Theology of the Liturgy) be published first. And in the very opening of that volume is the essay from The Spirit of the Liturgy, in which he argues that the liturgy has a saving function for both man and culture.

I’d like to share some of his insights and admonitions here in bold, black italics, along with a few comments of my own in plain red text.

Pope Benedict (as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) wrote,

Man becomes glory for God … when he lives by looking toward God. … Law and ethics do not hold together when they are not anchored in the liturgical center and inspired by it. … It is only when man’s relationship with God is right that all his other relationships … can be in good order. Worship, that is, the right kind of cult, of relationship with God is essential for the right kind of existence in the world. It is so precisely because it reaches beyond everyday life. Worship gives us a share in heaven’s mode of existence … and allows light to fall from that divine world to ours [Joseph Ratzinger, Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy, pp. 7 & 8].

This describes well the fool’s errand of our modern culture, which thinks it can kick God to the curb and stand a chance of surviving. We are engaged in a strange little experiment to see whether we can we have a culture without a shared “cultus.”

Perhaps you noticed the word “cult” within “culture.” In English, cult has taken on a negative meaning, but its original and root meaning is the worship of God or the reverence due to God. Cultures cannot really explain or unite themselves. They must look to something higher and outside themselves in order to exist and hold together. Unless we all look there and substantially agree that God is the source of truth, law, and morality, we simply break down into the tyranny of relativism. It is tyranny because it is not reason or revealed truth that wins the day. Rather, the one who wins the day is the one with the most money or power.

Our little experiment is a failure. We cannot have a culture without a shared cultus.

To be sure, there was always a kind of religious pluralism in America. But in spite of that, there was also always a fundamental agreement on the basics, as articulated in the Judeo-Christian vision. And most Americans agreed that the God of the Bible was to be worshipped and obeyed. Now, that has been swept aside and we have undertaken a fool’s errand that seeks to demonstrate that we can have a culture without a basic and fundamentally shared cultus.

How’s that working out for us? At best, we’re in big trouble. At worst, we’ve become an “anti-culture,” which tears down but has nothing to offer, which smashes the icons of truth but offers nothing but to revel while the city, the culture, and the country burns.

This need not be absolutized to mean that only a theocracy will do. But certain basic agreements about God (that he is due worship and obedience)  and how to worship Him properly are essential for a culture to exist at all.

And thus Pope Benedict rightly reminds us that we cannot have good order without right worship. Yes, save the liturgy, save the world.

And so … Man himself cannot simply “make” worship. … Real liturgy implies that God responds and reveals how we can worship him. [Liturgy] cannot spring from imagination, our own creativity–then it would remain just a cry in the dark or mere self-affirmation. … The liturgy is not a matter of “what you please” [Ibid, p. 11].

Now this is just not the notion that most people have of liturgy today. Too many Catholics think that they have some sort of divine birthright to say what the Mass should be, or that the liturgy should simply bow to every modern notion, convenience, and trend. This is misguided.

God spelled out what he expects rather clearly on Mt. Sinai. And while some of the norms given there were fulfilled in the New Testament (e.g., we don’t kill lambs since Jesus is the Lamb of God), most of the norms laid out on Sinai are still operative and were also seen by St. John in the vision of the heavenly liturgy.

Liturgy is revealed by God; it is not a human invention. Some adaptation to language and culture may be needed, but in terms of the fundamentals, we have no right to tell God how He is to be honored and worshipped.

The worship of God  is the point of the liturgy, before any human goals such as edification or instruction.  Hence words like “relevant,” “meaningful,” and “welcoming,” while not completely without merit, are subordinate to what God has revealed, no matter how we “feel” about it. 

Nowhere is this more dramatically evident than in the narrative of the golden calf. … The people cannot cope with the invisible, remote and mysterious God. They want to bring him down into their own world, into what they can see and understand. Worship is no longer going up to God, but drawing God down … He must be the kind of God that is needed. Man is using God. … Worship becomes a feast that the community gives itself, a festival of self-affirmation. Instead of being the worship of God, it becomes a circle, closed in on itself. The dance around the golden calf … is a kind of banal self-gratification … a warning about any kind of self-initiated, self-seeking worship. Ultimately it is concerned no longer with God but with giving oneself a nice little alternative world, manufactured from one’s own resources … pointless, just fooling around.

This is practically a laundry list of what is wrong and abundantly visible in most Catholic parishes today.

There is little evidence at all of God as mysterious. If anything, God has been “rendered harmless.” Even biblical references to God expecting to be taken seriously as Judge and Lord of All are usually ignored or watered down by homilists and in hymns that are top-heavy with anthropomorphic imagery.

Physically, many of our churches are now circular, or at least fan-shaped. The Eucharistic prayer is conducted facing the people and the image described by Pope Benedict as a “circle, closed in on itself” seems all too apparent. Surely, the Liturgy of the Word is properly directed to the people. But at the moment of supreme worship, all should turn outward and upward to God.

Banal self-gratification is also too much in evidence, with the frequent announcements congratulating the choir, the children, or a visiting dignitary, etc. This behavior seems expected today of the pastor, and for him to refuse to do so is taken as “insensitive.” Hence the premise seems to be that the liturgy is all about us, our needs, our accomplishments, and oh, by the way, God is invited, too.

The nice little world spoken of by the Pope Emeritus is also emblematic of the parish Church as a clubhouse rather than a lighthouse or God’s house.

Here, too, we ought to avoid blanket condemnations of all attempts to include the faithful in the liturgy or to  make accommodations to assist people in reverent worship. Speaking of the liturgy and the sacraments as mysteries does not mean that they must be arcane. Good liturgical and theological formation (not a dumbing-down) are essential to proper worship. God’s people are not an afterthought.

But our goal is to incite deeper and more reverent worship of God, to help (by proper liturgy) draw people up to God, not to drag God down to us (as if we could).

Yes, save the liturgy, save the world. Part of the reason we in the West are in this mess we are in, is that God is not being worshipped. At the widest level, he has been rejected outright by atheists and secularists. But even in the Church, we have adopted dubious premises and notions of the liturgy that all too often render it neither compelling nor beautiful.

It is doubtful at best, and realistically unlikely, that our culture will ever recover unless the Sacred Liturgy recovers. We have allowed modern culture to influence the liturgy profoundly at the very time when in fact we need the liturgy to influence the faithful and the culture profoundly!

There will be legitimate debates about some of the details (Latin or the vernacular or a combination, musical forms, etc.), but an essential place to begin is to return to the scriptural norms laid out so carefully in Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Revelation. Church buildings and liturgical norms, until quite recently, used to conform quite well to these. (My own church, built in the 1930s, is modeled on both the norms of Sinai and Revelation.) Lately, we have strayed into practices and designs that bespeak anthropocentrism, secularism, and  excessive notions of comfort, accessibility, relevance (in the most ephemeral sense), and brevity. God is marginalized.

To be realistic, simply hoping to set the clock back to 1962 or earlier may not be workable. Pope Benedict himself did not see that as the way forward. Rather, he hoped  for a kind of cross-pollination, wherein legitimate aspects of the liturgical movement (begun around 1900) would hold. However, he also hoped that wider use of the Traditional Latin Mass would help to  address the excesses and unbalanced notions that swept in, creating a rupture with tradition and introducing the ailments of modern liturgy that sadly reflect modern culture more than serve as a medicine for it.

The recent addition of the beautiful Anglican Use (see photo, upper-right) may also serve as a model: vernacular, linked to the new lectionary, but eastward-facing and beautifully traditional.

Let’s keep the discussion going. As well-known blogger and liturgist Fr. Z. says, “brick by brick … “

Here’s a video that shows what liturgy can do.

I write to you in the midst of a semi-“religious” event: the Super Bowl. People have donned their sacred attire and are shouting praises. I enjoy football, but see it a lot less than most since I’m a priest and tend to be busy on Sundays! Yet I remain quite fascinated at how passionate and dedicated many Americans are to their team and to the game.

Would that more Catholics had the same dedication to the Mass and the Church that true football fans have to the game. (Fan is short for fanatic.) Would, too, that all priests and religious had the same sacrificial dedication that football players have.

Consider for a moment the players. They spend years coming up through a system of high school, college, and professional levels. Priest and religious do as well. Football players give their all to the game; their whole life is centered on it. Exhausting, year-round practice, weightlifting, and punishing games. They risk injury and suffer many pains, all for the game. Do priests and religious show the same dedication? Are they willing to make the same kind of sacrifices for Jesus? Will they risk injury and attack? I pray we will and do, but I wonder. True, we are not paid millions, but we don’t do it for the money. Are we as dedicated and sacrificial?

And what of the faithful? So many Catholics are dedicated to the game of football. They even come to Church wearing the jersey of their team, often sporting someone else’s name on their back! Let’s compare and contrast some of the aspects of football and see if the same thrill and dedication are exhibited for our Lord, the Mass, and the Church.

Disclaimer – I write a lot of this “tongue in cheek.” I am not brooding over this, just observing. I am also using a technique known as hyperbole. Hyperbole uses exaggeration to make a point. For example the phrase, “There must have been a million people there” is an exaggeration that is not literally true but does convey the idea that a lot of people were present. Please take these comparisons in the light-hearted manner in which they are intended.

That said, the point remains a serious one: we often exhibit unusual priorities when it comes to worldly vs. spiritual matters. We do well to look at ourselves with humor in order to ask God for greater passion for what matters most. Football is about a bag full of air going up and down a field. Faith is about our eternal destiny.

Consider the following Super Bowl behaviors and contrast them to Mass and the faith:

• Super Bowl – Many fans prepare for the game for weeks. They follow the playoffs, review stats, and listen to commentaries and predictions. They make sure they are “up on” the game.” At a bare minimum, they know who is playing, and usually a great deal more. They often plan parties and invite others to join them. They discuss with fellow fans their wishes and the likely outcome of the game. They often boast of their team and loudly proclaim their intent to watch the game and see their team emerge victorious! They anticipate the game and look forward to it joyfully.
• Mass – Little preparation is evident on the part of most who go to Mass. Generally, they do not review the readings or spiritually prepare by frequent confession. Fasting has disappeared from the Catholic landscape. In fact, ¾ of Catholics don’t go to Mass at all. And even of those who do, many don’t anticipate it joyfully. Many even dread going; they try to “fit it in” at the most convenient time and hope for the shortest possible Mass. This is true even on the great feasts like Christmas, Easter, and Holy Week. Most Catholics do not talk to others about going to Mass or invite them to join them.
• Super Bowl – Many fans wear special clothes for the occasion, even at regular-season football games. They wear jerseys, hats with insignias, and other “sacred” apparel. Some even paint their faces and bodies.
• Mass – Sacred apparel for Mass is all but gone. There isn’t much special attire and little care is given to display one’s faith through clothing or other marks of faith. Sunday clothes were once special. Women wore hats and veils; men wore suits and ties and would never dream of wearing a hat into Church. But all that is gone. “Come as you are” seems to be the only rule.
• Super Bowl – People who go to football games often spend hundreds of dollars for tickets. Those who are fortunate enough to go to the Super Bowl spend thousands, gladly. Those who stay home often spend a lot of time and money on parties.
• Mass – Most Catholics give on average 5-7 dollars per week in the collection plate. Many are resentful when the priest speaks of money.
• Super Bowl – Most fans arrive early for the game, and do so eagerly. At regular-season games, many have tailgate parties. Fans at home joyfully anticipate the kick off and spend time in preparatory rites such as parties and beer. Even ordinary games find the fans watching pre-game shows and gathering well before the kickoff.
• Mass – Many Catholics time their arrival for just before the Mass begins. Many—as high as 50%—arrive late. Arriving early to pray or to greet fellow worshippers is generally not something that is planned for.
• Super Bowl – People LOVE the game. They are enthusiastic; they shout, cheer, and are focused and interested in each play. They are passionate, alive, and celebratory. They also care a great deal, exhibiting joy at good plays, and sorrow at bad ones. They are alive, exhilarated, and expressive.  They care passionately about what is happening on the field.
• Mass – Many look bored at Mass. In many ways, the expressions on people’s faces remind one more of a funeral than of a resurrected Lord. Rather than a sea of joyful faces, it looks like everyone just sucked a lemon: bored believers, distracted disciples, frozen chosen. One finds exceptions in many Black parishes, at charismatic Masses, and in some Latino parishes. But overall, little joy or even interest is evident. It is true that many would not think of loud cheers as appropriate in Church, but even a little joy and interest would be a vast improvement.
• Super Bowl – Many fans sing team songs. Here in Washington we sing, “Hail to the Redskins, Hail victory! Braves on the warpath! Fight for ol’ D.C.!”
• Mass – Most Catholics don’t sing.
• Super Bowl – Even a normal football game lasts four hours including the pre- and post-game shows. Toward the end of each half, the game is often intentionally slowed down; incomplete passes stop the clock, etc. Fans gladly accept this slowdown and are even happy and excited if the game goes into overtime.
• Mass – Frustration and even anger are evident in many of the faithful  if Mass begins to extend beyond 45 minutes. Some people even begin to walk out. Many leave right after Communion even if the Mass is “on time.”
• Super Bowl – Fans understand and accept the place of rules and expect them to be followed. Often they are angry when they are broken or when penalties are not called. They respect the role of the referee and the line judges and, even if they are unhappy, accept the finality of their judgments. They seem to understand that a recognized and final authority is necessary for the existence of the game.
• Mass – Some Catholics resent rules and routinely break them or support those who do. They also resent Church authorities who might “throw a flag” or assess a penalty of any sort. Often they do not respect bishops or the authority of the Church. Many refuse to accept that recognized and final authority is necessary for the existence of the Church. Many Catholics resent pointed sermons at Mass in which the priest speaks clearly on moral topics. Praise God, many Catholics are faithful and respect Church authority. Sadly, though, others do not.
• Super Bowl – Many who go to a football game endure rather uncomfortable conditions for the privilege: hard seats, freezing cold, pouring rain. Often the game is hard to see and the sound system is full of echoes. Still the stadium is full and few fans complain.
• Mass – Many complain readily at any inconvenience or discomfort. It’s too hot; it’s too cold; the Mass times aren’t perfectly to my liking. Why aren’t the pews cushioned? (They’re harder to keep clean, that’s why.) Why wasn’t the walk to my usual door shoveled clear of snow? When will the sound system be better? Why do they ask me to move to the front in an empty Church?

OK, that’s enough. Remember, I use hyperbole here and intend this in a lighthearted manner. We humans are funny, and what we get excited about is often humorous. The truth is, people love their football. But this one point is serious: would that we who believe were as passionate as football fans. We need to work at this on two levels.

Clergy and Church leaders need to work very hard to ensure that the liturgy of the Church is all that it should be. High-quality, sacred music, good preaching, and devout and pious celebration are essential. Perfunctory, hurried liturgy with little attention to detail does not inspire.

The faithful, too, must realize more essentially what the Mass really is and then ask God to anoint them with a powerful and pious awareness of the presence and ministry of Jesus Christ. They must ask for a joy and zeal that will be manifest on their faces, in their deeds, and in their dedication.

Enjoy this video by Fr. Robert Barron, who also uses a sports analogy.

There are four aspects of powerful preaching displayed by Jesus in this passage. Jesus is not just a powerful preacher Himself, but also models what it means to be a powerful and effective preacher.

In using the word “preacher” here we ought to be careful not to reduce preaching merely to what takes place in a church. For surely the clergy have churches in which to preach. But all Catholic parents ought also to learn from Jesus here, for they have the church of their home in which to preach, and the pulpit of the dining room table, the living room couch, or even the family car. Therefore we must all learn from Jesus’ model of powerful preaching and teaching. Note, then, four basic qualities of Jesus as a preacher and teacher:

I. PERSONAL – The text says, Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

(The picture at the upper right is one of me and fellow parishioners standing in the ruins of the synagogue mentioned in this passage. It is a very moving thing to stand atop the foundational ruins of the synagogue where Jesus preached both this sermon and the Bread of Life discourse. Some of the ruins are later than Jesus’ era, but the foundations are clearly from that time. It’s amazing.)

Note that the text says that Jesus spoke “with authority.” The Greek word translated here as “authority” is ἐξουσίαν (exousian), meaning, at its root, “to (speak) out of one’s being or substance.” In other words, one speaks of what he knows by experience. He is not simply quoting what others say, nor is he merely quoting slogans and common sayings.

Jesus is distinguished from the scribes, who were famous for quoting each other and reputable, safe sources only. Of itself, this is good. But if it merely stops there, what makes preaching different from staying home and reading a book?

Too many Christians, including Catholic preachers, are content to live and preach by inference rather than experience. Too many are content to repeat what others have said rather than to speak out of what they personally know, have seen, and have experienced.

To preach with authority (exousia) means to be able to proclaim the Word of God with personal knowledge and experience. It means to be able to say, “What the Lord and the Church have always proclaimed, I know personally. For I have tested and experienced the Word of God in the laboratory of my own life, and found it to be true. And now I speak to you, not merely of what others have said, but what I know and experience to be true. Out of the substance of my own being (exousia) I announce this truth to you.”

This is what it means to preach personally and with authority (exousia).  Jesus did not simply quote what others said. He said what He personally knew.

What of you and me? Are you able to speak with authority? Well, do you know what the Lord is doing in your life? Have you personally experienced the truth of what the Scriptures and the Church have always announced? Or are you just quoting slogans, passages, and what others have said? Of course the Scriptures and the authoritative teachings of the Church are the essential beginning and foundation of what we know. But do you personally know it is true? How? Do you speak to your children of what you know or do you merely say, “the Church says … “?  Clearly you are to say what the Church says, but to teach with authority means that you know and have experienced that what the Church says is true, and that you can personally attest to it. This is the basis of preaching and teaching with authority.

II. PROVOCATIVE – To say that something is “provocative” is to say that it elicits a response. When Jesus preached, His words did not leave His listeners unmoved. It called forth a response, whether mad, sad, or glad.

The text has already pointed out that many were glad. But there is one man who is mad. The text describes his reaction: In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”

Every experienced and authentic preacher knows that if he preaches effectively, a response will be forthcoming. And while it is natural to want a positive response, every preacher must also be willing to accept that his word may also bring forth anger or ridicule. The Church announces good news but she is also a sign of contradiction to a sinful world. Thus every preacher faithful to the Gospel must expect some degree of negativity, and even persecution, ridicule, and anger.

Jesus’ Word angers a demon-possessed man in the congregation and he confronts Jesus, blaming Him with being hateful and causing hurt, and saying that Jesus wants to destroy him. (So, too, many today react with anger and call the Church hateful, bigoted, intolerant, and hurtful even unto destroying lives.) But, as we shall see, Jesus does not back down.

The problem in the synagogue is not the Word that Jesus proclaims; it is the man’s inner condition. And thus, when the authentic Gospel is proclaimed, the wrath that sometimes follows does not bespeak a problem with God’s Word but with the listener’s inner condition. Note that the man is demon-possessed. That is, his heart and mind are under the influence of Satan and the sin he inspires. The greatest obstacle to our being able to appreciate and understand the Word of God is our sin. And the greatest help in appreciating and understanding God’s Word is a docile and humble spirit, granted by the grace of God.

A powerful preacher, whether a priest or a parent, preaches in order to provoke a response, whether of joy and consolation or of repentance and godly sorrow. And to be sure, while no authentic preacher intends or desires a fight or a hostile response, he must be willing to accept such a reaction. For when someone is accustomed to the darkness, he finds the light harsh, and calls it such. Anyone who preaches the Gospel authentically will both comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable; he will both console and confront (where necessary); he will reassure but also awaken the need for healing. He will speak the truth in love.

Good preaching provokes a response, and one who hears the Gospel preached with authority cannot come away unchanged.

III.  PRODUCING – Powerful and effective preaching brings results. As Jesus preaches, a man is set free. The text says, Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The aim or point of the Word of God is not merely to inform but to transform. It’s not enough for the Word of God to be attractive, informative, or entertaining. It’s full purpose is to, in power, drive out demons and bring God’s grace. Good preaching works to drive out demons of ignorance, sorrow, rebellion, and sin. It works to give godly sorrow, joy, hope, confidence, knowledge, courage, and conviction. Good preaching changes people’s lives.

IV. PERSEVERING – Note that Jesus did not immediately back down in the face of opposition. He persevered with the opposing man and, by his Word, drove out the demons that were afflicting him. We see the man go through three stages.

1. He is mad, for he confronts Jesus.
2. He is sad, for he struggles and convulses as Jesus works to free him by His Word.
3. He is glad, for he is set free and able to rejoice with the others.

And thus every preacher, every parent, and every prophet must not give up easily. For it is often the case that people must go through these stages.

In my own life, I can say that there was a time when, afflicted by the demons of ignorance and youthful rebellion, I would cross my arms and listen angrily to the priest. I was mad. I would often scoff at the “silly priest” who was “trying to tell me what to do.” But after some years of hearing the preaching of the Church, I gradually understood that I had to change. But change does not come easily, and thus came the stage of sad and a time of struggle, learning new virtues, and forsaking old vices. And now I can say I am glad, for the Lord has brought me a mighty long way. His preached Word is powerful. When effectively preached, it has the power to transform. And I have experienced transformation.

I am glad that the Church persevered, that my parents persevered, and that good priests and religious persevered in preaching to me and teaching me. I am glad that my parishioners continue to persevere in witnessing to me and preaching by their lives.

A preached and lived Word is powerful indeed. Jesus shows the way and it is for us to follow His example.

Here is a video that shows how a preached and sung Word  reaches sinners and draws them to conversion. “Shug” is a preacher’s daughter who in anger (mad) left the Church. Now she weeps for her sins (as her father weeps for his) (sad),  and then she gets glad. She looks like the woman at the well leading the Samaritans to Christ. There are five conversion stories going on in this scene from The Color Purple all at once, if you are familiar with the movie. This song says, “God is Trying to Tell You Something!”

Here is Jesus preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum on another occasion.

We have more than ever. Not just more things, but more options, more capacity, and more ability. Several hundred years ago a young peasant living in Europe seldom ventured more than a few miles from where he was born; longer journeys were rare and for serious reasons only. Much of a person’s life was “decided” by the place he was born. Even the person whom he married was decided by others, or at least limited to a very few candidates in his little village or section of town. The life of the average peasant was very circumscribed and he had limited knowledge of what was even a hundred miles away, let alone across the ocean.

Today, most people, even those of moderate means, can get on a plane and by the end of the day be thousands of miles from where they woke up that morning. Most do not live where they were born and most have virtual access to the entire world via the Internet. It is quite reasonable to know people from all over the world, or at least to know those who have been all over the world. Most people travel frequently to distant cities and sometimes to other countries and continents. Our options, though not limitless, are practically so, since most of us could never exhaust all the possibilities that modernity offers.

Are we happier? Probably not. I would argue that we are less happy. One thing is certain: wealth and modernity have brought comfort and variety but also stress and disappointment. Disappointment is increased because expectations are higher. Indeed, expectations are often premeditated resentments.

Our faster pace also makes us prone to boredom. Slowing down to the actual pace of human life and not having noise freaks us out. So if it is not stress that gets us, it is boredom, depression, and resentment. Welcome to the world of psychotropic medications in order to stay sane, or self-medication that leads to addiction.

Well, you get the point. Modern life is more diverse, comfortable, and affluent, but also stressful and ultimately discouraging because it promises what it cannot deliver: happiness. Happiness is ultimately an inside job and those who find it often do not have a lot or even need a lot. Most who discover happiness find that less is more, that simpler and slower win the day over glitzy and mesmerizing.

Something in this video sparked these thoughts of mine. I dunno, see what you think. But for all the biggie-wow ways this guy has available to him, in the end it is the simpler, slower, low-tech mode that wins the day. Modernity has its place, but also its price. Have a plan B for when all the techie stuff fails.