Some people may remember when we were told that it takes three things to be a good Catholic: pray, pay and obey. If we prayed our rosary (often while the priest was praying in Latin during Mass), we were off to a good start. We also had to put money in the collection basket and then simply do what the priests or bishops told us. The image from that little saying was that others ran the Church, and we just got what we could out of it. That was never the Church’s view of what a Catholic is, and we have really tried to go to a deeper level since the Second Vatican Council fifty years ago.
Especially since the Council, but for many ages before, the Church has spoken of the Universal Call to Holiness, the concept that every baptized person is called to take part in the life of the Church and to grow to be ready for the eternal joy of heaven. As Pope Francis said, “Holiness is not the prerogative of only a few: holiness is a gift that is offered to all, without exception, so that it constitutes the distinctive character of every Christian.” In a deeper sense, that means that the Church is not made up of only priests and bishops, with people in the pews just sitting back and enjoying the ride. The truth is that every Catholic is called to build the kingdom of God and to live in holiness.
By our baptism, we are called to build the Church. The most basic way we can carry out that task is to take part in the work of evangelization, trying to attract people to follow Christ. That does not mean that we stand on a street corner passing out pamphlets and, more likely than not, drawing funny looks from the people who pass us by. If we simply live our faith day in and day out, we become attractive to those who are searching for the truth. But at this time, we also have to be ready for the changes that are coming.
At this current point in history, the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh have a special opportunity to shape the direction of the Church. Blessed John Henry Newman once said, “To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” The Diocese of Pittsburgh is currently taking part in On Mission for the Church Alive. The past few weeks, we have been hearing and reading about our need for change. The flyer in today’s bulletin reminds us that we have a role in the entire process. The diocese will be holding special meetings in every parish. Here at St. Malachy, our meetings will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, October 25 and 26. Both meetings are at 7:00 pm in Fr. Weirauch Hall. I invite every parishioner to come and listen to what some of the possible proposals for the local Church might be. And I invite everyone to come prepared to offer our thoughts to Bishop Zubik. He has assured us that no decisions have been made, and none will be made until he has heard from every parish. It is up to each of us to listen with open hearts and open minds, taking into consideration the situation the Church is facing, and to pray about what God is asking of us. It is up to each of us to offer our thoughts on the process to the Bishop. We are the Church, and we have a special part to play in determining the future of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and all of its parishes.
Father H
