Growing up in age and faith

Mary and I had dinner tonight with a high school friend and her partner who live here in California. It was a great evening, reminiscing about high school and sharing what has happened in our lives since those carefree youth filled days. As we recalled friends from our class, we agreed how facebook is a wonderful way of keeping in touch and renewing acquaintances. We also agreed who it was interesting that some people who request to be friends on facebook were never our friends in those days, and some we did not even recognize as being from our class. My friend said she keeps her old yearbook handy as a reference just in case she does not recognize the names.

  As we sat there I began to think of those days. Many fond memories, but also some that I am not so proud of. We all have them. Actions and events that took place in our past that now, looking back on them, we wonder what would have happened had we handled them differently. As my wife said this evening, people just grow up and understand life in a different way (not her words exactly, but that is the general idea).

  Our faith is like that. As we get older in faith, we see things differently. We begin to understand more of what is required of us to live the life as Christ and get a better idea of how to make that work in the context of who we are. For some this is a blessing, for others it creates problems. Some may even leave the faith as that gift of free choice makes them question whether the beliefs of our church are right or not. 

  As I have matured in my faith, I have been able to understand that the basis of what the Catholic Church believes and what the scriptures teach are extremely important to me. I have also come to understand that all of the leaders of our faith, ordained or not, are merely human beings trying their best to achieve the same goal as me, living a life that reflects the love of Jesus. As humans, they also will make mistakes. I have learned not to let these things sway me from the basis of what I believe and I pray that someday we find all the answers.

   My prayer tonight is that as all mature in faith. May we find that same balance of understanding. Of being able to look at our faith and love it even if we believe some of it may not be agreeable to our lives. Those things can be worked on, but what can never be changed is the love of Jesus for each of His creations. That love comes to us in the scriptures, in the Eucharist, and in the other sacraments and will provide each of us with the strength to help mature our love for all.

   Someone once said to me , 'the church will ever change.' If that were true, we would still have altar boys, not altar servers. There would be no Ministers of Holy Communion. There would be. Less permanent deacons. And mass would still be only in Latin. The church changes on its own time. It will continue to mature.