It really breaks my heart every time I hear someone share with me why they are no longer a Catholic. Most of the time, they will let me know that they were raised a Catholic, but never really give me the real reason why they stopped being one. Some have shared with me why they left the faith, and I can honestly sympathize with their reasons as a person. I have felt many of the hurts similar to what they have described, but I have also felt many blessings that nourished my faith and gave me hope amid my trials. Even though the Church is perfect because she is the Bridesmaid of Christ, her children are not always the best example of what it means to love and be loved as He has for us. Amid many human failures in the Church, it seems easy to walk away or find somewhere else where we can be better fed, but I would like to share with you today what the Church means to me.
We all have different definitions and images that help us to appreciate and love the Church, whether it is a heavily theological one or more mission-minded imagery. I believe we all need to personally reflect on what the Church means to us. Once we understand and appreciate what the Church means for us, we can then reflect on our very own particular roles in how we can offer our gifts of time, talent, and treasure for the greater good of the People of God. If we do not love the Church, she will forever remain an exterior institutional structure for us. If we do not know who we are as parts of the Church, we will forever remain as bystanders and spectators, criticizing, pointing fingers, or getting frustrated, but never taking the time to make her mission our own!
The image of the Church for me has always been a mother with tender and motherly love. She has always been there and will continue to be the Lord’s Bridesmaid and our mother to care, nurture, guide, teach, and help us to grow in our very own understanding of the faith. She has always been there for me, as well as many people, in our time of need. She has inspired me as a child of faith to continue to find creative ways to serve my brothers and sisters instead of remaining frustrated, stagnant, or complacent in expecting others to do what I can to give myself to others. I have come to recognize that even though I might not be able to make big changes, I can personally give myself out of genuine joy and care for those who are around me.
I would like to share with you two images of what I think the Church is for me… and both of them come from my own personal encounters while ministering with the Missionaries of Christ’s Charity in Viet Nam.
The first example comes from how sisters take care of the elderly destitute who have no home or close family members to take care of them. If you have ever worked with the elderly, immobile, or bedridden people, you know that they are not always the easiest to love at times. It is not always because they are mean or unthoughtful; it oftentimes comes from their own personal frustration with the current situation. Imagine ourselves if we were in the same life circumstance! Therefore, it takes a lot of patience, kindness, and forgiveness to truly love and care for those who are forgotten, abandoned, ignored, and rejected.
Nonetheless, the sisters try their best to patiently and personally care for each person. They are doing this, not because they see this as charitable or socially beneficial work, but because they are treating each and every person as if he or she is a Christ-given gift. They are caring for people because they are in love with Christ, who first loves them! For the sisters, what they do day in and day out is much more than chores or duties; it is actually a personal, faith-filled, and Christocentric response to love. As a matter of fact, it is because of their faith that many residents have chosen to become Catholics.
The sisters never force their elderly residents to convert. They simply do an open invite to those who would like to join them when they pray the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, Divine Mercy Chaplet, as well as the Rosary throughout the day. I heard from one resident who told me that she became a Catholic because she could see the presence of God through the sisters. Hence, that simple testimony spoke volumes to me.
The second example came from a young child who was living in one of the orphanages run by the sisters. She was about three or four years old at the time. She ran up to me and hugged my last leg… She looked up to me and asked me in Vietnamese, “Ong Ngoai (which means, “maternal grandfather,” because it is the nickname the Sisters taught the children to call priests), how come my parents abandoned me?”
How are you supposed to answer that?
I remembered kneeling to meet her eyes. I looked at her and responded in Vietnamese, “Child, I do not know the reason… but I want you to know that you are loved! The sisters and I love you dearly.”
That one encounter touched me deeply. From that day on, I promised myself that I would not waste too much money so that the extras that I can save will go back to the poor, forgotten, and abandoned because they are my family. As a priest, I do not have a family of my own, so I always treasure the Church as my family, especially the poorest of the poor.
In a way, I have a close affinity with and am easily moved by the poor because I know what it means to be poor. Some people like to idealize or romanticize poverty… but the truth is, being poor really sucks! However, being poor helped me learn many valuable lessons so I could depend on God and others when I had little. Hence, now that I have a little bit more in life, I can use what He has blessed me to support those who have little.
I gave you two examples of what the Church means to me… She has always been the one who is there in my own life, as well as the life of others, so that they know that they are loved. The Church is not some fancy and exclusive country club of like-minded or perfect people. She is truly a haven for both saints and sinners, people from all walks of life. She is there so that we know that we are never alone, even if the world rejects, abandons, or ignores us! Even though some children of the Church have hurt me in the past, I have also been consoled, nourished, and cared for by many members of the Church. Therefore, I have come to love and continue to love the Church. So, I will end this reflection by asking you the question…
What does the Church mean to you?