The Hole Truth

I’m sure there are some Catholics who would say: “Look at the sins of the priests and bishops; why should I support this corruption.” I know that these Catholics exist; the newspapers seem to be forever quoting them. I admit I can understand their viewpoint, but I do not see why their logic, if correct, should not be applied to other situations. So to the man who overturned his boat and was drowning I would say: “Why should I save you from your stupidity?” And to the man who cries: Lord, Lord --- “Why should I save you from your path to hell?” And to the prodigal son in my family who squanders his inheritance, I would say “And don’t come back.”

But that’s not the logic Jesus would apply. And that’s not the logic I apply, because I know and attempt to live my faith, a faith that ACTS when it sees sin and trouble, and does not stand idly by and criticize.

In this morning’s paper, on Pentecost Sunday, was a front page article criticizing the Catholic Church. It parallels the articles on Easter Sunday which called for the pope’s resignation. Do you think that this is a coincidence, that articles of criticism appear prominently on our holiest days? I don’t. And so I will take the time to write a letter to the editor of the newspaper, trying to be more polite and unbiased than the article was. I will act in defense of the Church. Earlier this week I had heard Sr. Ann Shields on the radio: “This is a time of trial in the Church; the devil is at work to destroy its unity.” And all I can think in response to her words is: Amen.

Pentecost is a great day to talk about action, action WE are to take. Some remember Pentecost mostly as a day in which tongues of fire appeared over the heads of those gathered – “Wow, look at that! Look at WHO they are.” But it was what they DID that day that was the “real happening”, and what we celebrate. The apostles went out and spoke in tongues, spreading the gospel. It didn’t really matter who they were, they were defined by what they did. They started the Church of Christ. The followers of them continued their teaching. I heard a great line in the homily this morning at mass: “While they were scared, Pentecost turned out not to be a time for the apostles to circle the wagons and defend, but a time to go out and attack. God is with us.”

The Catholic Church defines a teaching of infallibility, associated with the teaching of the Catholic faith. Many are confused by this, and think it means the pope is infallible. No, the pope is a man, as are the cardinals and bishops of the Church, and all men, save one, sin. (Rather interestingly, I think, are the first words spoken to the apostles on Pentecost: “Whose sins you forgive …”. The first spoken words are about forgiveness of sins, even before the admonition to go out and preach. You think that was a coincidence??) Now go back and read the first sentence of this meditation. Pointing to the leaders of the Church and saying “Sinner!” is not really important. Of course they sin, and their sins can be forgiven. It’s not important WHO they are, but what they do for the Church. They teach the Catholic faith, and that, we are promised will not be in error.

Some saints and writers have described our growth in holiness as similar to our creating a bucket, to be filled with graces. Some of us have bigger buckets of graces, some smaller, but all will be filled to the brim and our largest desires sated in heaven. Upon reflection, I don’t like that analogy. I think our growth in holiness is more like our creating not a large bucket, but a large sieve. The holier we become, the larger our sieve to receive graces, and pass them through us to others. That’s the “hole” truth. The Church’s leaders and its sacraments are merely great sieves to pass through the graces of the Holy Spirit to us. And those graces are promptings for us to act. That was the great event of Pentecost, the turning on of the graces to the prepared sieves.

If all you are is someone who reads the “news” in the paper, who watches the drowning man, who points at the sinner, I believe you are rejecting the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You’ve sought a faith that would only be something you could define and feel and retain for yourself, like in a bucket, a faith you could use to compare yours to others – “I’m holier than that one.” Your faith is not one defined by how much you could spread it to others. That’s not the true definition of “hole-y”. Holy is like the apostles speaking in various ways, reaching some in this language and some in another. Holy isn’t pointing at the sins of your brother, but consoling and forgiving him and loving him. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another. (Jn 13:35) Holy isn’t banishing the prodigal son, it’s recognizing that we are all part of the family of Christ, and supporting each other in our weaknesses. Holy isn’t abandoning our house when it is leaking, it is working together to patch and strengthen the weak points.

And that's the "hole" truth, as I see it on this Pentecost Sunday.