What's the joy of the church? Pope
Francis says it's going out to seek the brothers and sisters who are far off.
"When the Church does not do this, then the Church stops herself, is closed in on herself, even if she is well organized, has a perfect organizational chart, everything's fine, everything's tidy. But she lacks joy, she lacks peace, and so she becomes a disheartened Church, anxious, sad, a Church that seems more like a spinster than a mother, and this Church doesn't work, it is a Church in a museum," he said in a homily last week, according to Vatican Radio.
Who are these far off people? Christians who don't get a spiritual feed; those who haven't heard of Jesus; those who live a sinful life; poor people etc.
Then the tomb psychology -- coined by Vatican -- engulfs Christians. Both Pope Francis and Benedict 16 had warned of the gray pragmatism of the daily life of the Church, in which all appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small-mindedness”. This so-called tomb psychology slowly transforms Christians into mummies in a museum.
Many Christians have already become mummies and Churches have turned into museums. The result is there to see: lack of spirituality, moral turpitude, increasing divorces and inter-cast marriages. This has already happened in many European countries. A whole generation is growing up without knowing Jesus, and away from the real God. In Mumbai, we see boys and girls choosing their spouses from other religions without any qualms. Don’t they understand marriage is a sacrament.
All of us -- including laity and clergy, no one excluded -- are caught up in ourselves, in a careerism which thirsts for recognition, applause, rewards and status.
On the other hand, whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. "God's voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God's will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ," Pope Francis had warned in 'The Joy of Gospel'.
It all boils down to several fundamental issues. First of all, most of us have lost the sense of sin. We fail to understand that God doesn’t want us to do, act or talk in a way that make the devil happy. But we are caught up in our interests and concerns.
"Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs." This is the joy of the Church -- to go out of herself and to become fruitful.
"When the Church does not do this, then the Church stops herself, is closed in on herself, even if she is well organized, has a perfect organizational chart, everything's fine, everything's tidy. But she lacks joy, she lacks peace, and so she becomes a disheartened Church, anxious, sad, a Church that seems more like a spinster than a mother, and this Church doesn't work, it is a Church in a museum," he said in a homily last week, according to Vatican Radio.
Who are these far off people? Christians who don't get a spiritual feed; those who haven't heard of Jesus; those who live a sinful life; poor people etc.
Then the tomb psychology -- coined by Vatican -- engulfs Christians. Both Pope Francis and Benedict 16 had warned of the gray pragmatism of the daily life of the Church, in which all appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small-mindedness”. This so-called tomb psychology slowly transforms Christians into mummies in a museum.
Many Christians have already become mummies and Churches have turned into museums. The result is there to see: lack of spirituality, moral turpitude, increasing divorces and inter-cast marriages. This has already happened in many European countries. A whole generation is growing up without knowing Jesus, and away from the real God. In Mumbai, we see boys and girls choosing their spouses from other religions without any qualms. Don’t they understand marriage is a sacrament.
All of us -- including laity and clergy, no one excluded -- are caught up in ourselves, in a careerism which thirsts for recognition, applause, rewards and status.
On the other hand, whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. "God's voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God's will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ," Pope Francis had warned in 'The Joy of Gospel'.
It all boils down to several fundamental issues. First of all, most of us have lost the sense of sin. We fail to understand that God doesn’t want us to do, act or talk in a way that make the devil happy. But we are caught up in our interests and concerns.
Secondly, Bible tells us clearly that sanctification is the will of God. It’s not an option for a Christian but an obligation.
Thirdly, the Church has lost contact with people, poorest of the poor to be precise. Our shepherds don’t go out searching for the lost one or two sheep. The result is that the number of lost sheep is rising. Shepherds must come out from their ivory towers and bring spirituality into the lives of people instead of pushing them into cultural programmes and dinner/ luncheon meetings. Yes, pastoral acedia and clericalism are big issues in Churches across the world. Pastoral workers find it hard to tolerate disagreement, criticism and even failures.
Fourthly, as Pope says, we need to open the doors to the consolation of the Lord. We usually flee from consolation. We have no confidence; we are more comfortable in our stuff, we are more comfortable even in our failures, in our sins, he says. But that’s not the way. We must allow the Holy Spirit to act in our lives. When we seek forgiveness, God’s mercy comes upon us. That’s a big consolation. When the Holy Spirit comes into our life, we come out of the tomb psychology. We are then no longer mummies in a museum.
To sum up, as the Holy Father says, the joy of the Church is to give birth; the joy of the Church is to go out of herself to give life; the joy of the Church is to go out to seek the sheep that are lost; the joy of the Church is precisely the tenderness of the shepherd, the tenderness of the mother.Fourthly, as Pope says, we need to open the doors to the consolation of the Lord. We usually flee from consolation. We have no confidence; we are more comfortable in our stuff, we are more comfortable even in our failures, in our sins, he says. But that’s not the way. We must allow the Holy Spirit to act in our lives. When we seek forgiveness, God’s mercy comes upon us. That’s a big consolation. When the Holy Spirit comes into our life, we come out of the tomb psychology. We are then no longer mummies in a museum.
"Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs." This is the joy of the Church -- to go out of herself and to become fruitful.
