A pilgrim Church
Today’s readings: Exodus 16, 2-4.12-15; Ephesians 4, 7. 20-24; Jn 6, 24-35.
Exodus is always a most powerful metaphor that addresses directly the anxieties of people across the board and at all times. In the Exodus accounts there is a condensation of problems and issues that continue to characterise God’s people to this day.
The Second Vatican Council 50 years ago spoke of the pilgrim Church which “carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God”.
These words find a marvelous echo in today’s readings from the complaints of the people in Exodus against Moses and Aaron, to the false expectations the crowds had on Jesus in John’s gospel.
As long as we are all on a journey, we are always in becoming. That is why most significantly the Council chose clearly between the political images of the Church that are dated, and the biblical images that render more clearly the nature and purpose of the Church in the world.
There were times when we believed the Church to be a ‘perfect society’. But speaking of the Church in the world, the Council preferred taking as a point of departure the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of people because nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in the hearts of Christians as well.
This is the vision that needs revisiting. Particularly in times when we feel at a loss where identity and redefinition of our role and function in society are concerned.
In a less homogenous society, there are those who prefer to shut themselves up in cocoon form, opting for false securities.
Our being is in becoming, I would say even where doctrine is concerned. We always preferred to stick to dogma, but the worst thing that can happen to the Church in the transmission of doctrine is precisely when we stick to doctrine, losing touch with the anguish of those whom doctrine should serve.
At a point in time when a true spiritual revolution is underway, there are those who, just like in Exodus, out of fear look back and opt for old security. This is pure nostalgia of times when our beliefs were culturally and socially sanctioned even by the laws of the State. That made things very clear.
But the Church should rather be in the power of the Spirit. The future is in the hands of God because the future is God.
Believing is moving on, looking ahead. It is only fear that makes us look back.
The delicate mission of the Church in a society and culture that are fast moving on is not to bring everything to a halt. It is rather to provide the people with the antidote to all that offers im-mediate gratification, including ready-made answers.
The antidote to permissive living is not to preach the rules again or to become fundamentalist. Our culture is in search of a soul not of new and stricter rule of law.
Ethics without virtue is a little morality. It is like religion without God. We’ve come a long way before arriving where we stand. But that is exactly what we’re still trying to do, re-establish religion without God.
Life is difficult and complex and the Church’s mission in this context is surely not simply to preach what is licit or illicit.
The bread of life that people badly need is wisdom for the journey, it is the virtue that enhances true spiritual growth. This cannot happen without first reaching out to the people’s grief and anguish.
People can stay in for the wrong reasons, as the gospel suggests. They can also complain for the wrong reasons, as in Exodus.
Whichever way, the uphill struggle of the Church demands a public and credible leadership wise enough to interrogate people’s expectations and to listen attentively to their complaints.
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Pule' Carmel
Aug 5th 2012, 15:36
*** “The pilgrim church” seems to suggest a connotation that pilgrims need to form in large numbers as in any community. While I do appreciate this, I feel that there could be allowance for a solitary pilgrim to walk on his own. The reason I am saying this is because on many occasions the community tend to sweep you along with it and it makes you do things which you do not really approve of ,but you do it. I often get invited to donate to the festas, and I do, for I do believe that traditions and cultures are to be kept, though in my heart I know that there is no “religion in this”. Living in a community, I have to accept the smoke from the Chinney of the neighbour’s fireplace, the sound of modern heavy musical sound emitted from the other neighbours, even though there are police laws to stop all this, I have to write to the petitions officers so that I fight for my rights when a stupid traffic warden interprets the laws wrongly. I write to the Tax man and receive no replies , and the banks keep depreciating the value of my saved money which is worse than UZURA , about which mu own government says nothing.
There is a reason for a solitary pilgrim to go it alone. It is difficult, as people are meant to live in a community, but within that community one always finds many imperfect or different people who interpret life their own selfish way, including religious members who lack sensitivity, but in their own mind they have not got the sensors to measure how they hurt others. Our human sensors are never truly calibrated in any manner. There is another reason for people to live in a community, as politicians and other “communities” as insurances, were their own livelihood depends on it as parasites of the community.
For this reason there is a place in any church for the solitary pilgrim to go it alone. It is definite that Our being is in becoming, even where any doctrine is concerned, be his political religious or social. We always preferred to stick to law and dogma, but the worst thing that can happen to the Church and the community in the transmission of doctrine is precisely when we stick to doctrine, losing touch with the anguish of those whom doctrine should serve.
It is hard to go it alone in any community, but sometimes it is worth it as one can find peace within himself. The other day, in addition to people calling at my home to collect for festas and Arka and others assistance to the community, I received a telephone call from a political party representative who told me that a local potential candidate for the next election asked me , if I needed anything?.
I thanked this gentleman for his kindness and I said that for the time being I am managing well on my own. We kept talking for a while and the man on the phone said that he tended to agree with me that communal dogma seem to be so imperfect and he said that at his age he could not find work irrespective of the promises of local politicians. Then he paid me a compliment through saying, “from your voice you sound as if you have peace of mind and going it alone seems to be better than awaiting the results of the promises of political dogma!”
Knowing that there are benefits in people living in a community , I invited this person home, so that we can talk about a dogma that we believe in. I personally believe that our becoming must eventually leads us to form our own dogma till the community as a whole learns to be sensitive enough to care for the anguish of those whom doctrine should serve. Obviously since the human sensors are not calibrated this will never be done so a lonely Pilgrim must be accepted to walk alone with his own dogma, and learn to take the buffeting by other’s people dogmas in which he must live, till he returns home ot some peace of mind through living as a lone Pilgrim.
Mr Emanuel Farrugia
Aug 5th 2012, 12:54
Jesus says "I am the bread of life..."
Our Lord begins by pointing out that their attitudes are wrong: if they have the right attitude they will be able to understand His teaching in the eucharistic discourse. "You seek me", St. Augustine comments, "for the flesh, not for the spirit. How many seek Jesus for no other purpose than that He may do them
good in this present life!
Bodily food helps keep us alive in this world; spiritual food sustains and develops supernatural life, which will last forever in Heaven. This food, which only God can give us, consists mainly in the gift of faith and sanctifying grace. Through God's infinite love we are given, in the Blessed Eucharist, the very author of these gifts, Jesus Christ, as nourishment for our souls.
St. Paul explains that the manna and the other marvels which happened in the wilderness were a clear
prefiguring of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3-4). Going to Jesus means believing in Him, for it is through faith that we approach our Lord. Jesus uses the metaphor of food and drink to show that He is the one who really meets all man's noblest aspirations: "How beautiful is our Catholic faith! It provides a solution for all our anxieties, calms our minds and fills our hearts with hope" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 582).
God, Bread of Life, we hunger for your Word. We thirst for your good news. Open our eyes and ears to you, and you only.
Emanuel Farrugia [TARXIEN] former student Faculty of Theology UOM
Victor Rodenas
Aug 5th 2012, 12:32
Well said, but I am afraid that most can only chew soft meat, it goes down without much efforf.In the meantime waiting for a new Pope to make Vat.Council III. That will be the time when the Church will turn a new leaf.
Stefan Limongello
Aug 5th 2012, 11:44
How is the Church in Malta 'implementing' Vatican II?
http://pro-tridentina-malta.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-not-to-interpret-implement-vatican.html
Victor Rodenas
Aug 5th 2012, 15:09
Latin is the language of the Romans (that killed Christ).I do not think that Crist liked Romans and their Latin much.
Stefan Limongello
Aug 5th 2012, 16:15
Jesus 'hated' Romans so much that he had Roman friends and indicated some of them as good examples for his people to follow. And, of course, he spoke to the Romans in Latin. Unless you think that the Romans had a Junior College where prospective Roman soldiers studied Aramaic and Hebrew.
Please choose the reason of your report below: