The Heart of Catholicism

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 18th, 2014

Liturgical texts here

THE very heart of Catholicism is not Mary; it is not the Pope nor even the Sacraments. It is not even Jesus, per se. Rather it is what Jesus has done for us. Because John writes that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But unless the next thing happens…

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14)

…the existence of the Church, the salvation of the world, and the very future would be lost. Yes, the very heart of the Church is the saving message—the Good News—that God entered into time to save us from sin.

I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (First reading)

It is the message that no matter how wretched our past has been, a new future can been born today through our faith in Jesus and His unconditional love…

…for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. (Today’s Psalm)

It is the news that Jesus continues to meet each of us personally, where we’re at, to draw us from the slavery of sin into the freedom that belongs to the dignity of every human being. What is required on our part is to “repent and believe the Good News.” ^[1]cf. Mark 1:15 Today’s Gospel reveals what that means: it is simply to love the Lord back, even if all we have to give Him are the tears of our sorrow and the oil of penance.

Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears… So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.

Part of the weariness of so many today is that, like this sinful woman, they are burdened with the sorrow of having failed a thousand times. So let me repeat the words of Pope Francis’ apostolic letter so that the reader may return again this very moment to the heart of Catholicism: the Cross of Jesus Christ.

I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”. How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. —POPE FRANCIS, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 3

But we cannot stop there. Once we have discovered (or rediscovered) the joy of Christ’s mercy, we are commissioned to share this Good News with others.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matt 28:19-20)

You see, Jesus begins with the heart of it: making disciples. And from this flows the Sacraments, the teachings, and the liturgical life of the Church. But if the heart is not pumping, everything else dies.

Brothers and sisters, the heart is not pumping in very many places. Not ony the Church, but the world is dying. Today, I hear the words of St. John Paul II as if they were spoken yesterday:

I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church’s energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gente (to the nations). —JOHN PAUL II, Redemptoris Missio, n. 3