I am not the only person who wants to change the world. I know many, many people trying to change it in many different ways. Enough of us see that it is broken, and we want to fix it. Or at least use a Band-aid. Or do SOMETHING.
The institutional Catholic Church is the same. At the parish level, at the diocesan level, in every group, we are all trying to do SOMETHING. We start programmes, talk series, outreaches, pick a theme for each year, plan fundraisers, start schools and orphanages, have conferences and synods and meetings and conventions.
These are often good and necessary. They are methods we use, means to an end, channels of grace.
But too often the programme becomes the end in itself. We have meetings after meetings, our year is filled with activities, our parish is known as active and lively, and still the world is not changing. People are still furious with each other, programmes collapse as resentment and bitterness reign, or the show goes on but relationships are strained, and those who were won over by an ideal find themselves disillusioned by the reality of ugly human sin in the most 'active' of Church members.
The organization I work with does not have ONE programme. People are often confused when they ask us what we do, and we say "Share Jesus and serve the poor." They want a silver bullet, a foolproof method that will give our service value or effectiveness. I used to feel the same temptation, to put my trust in a programme. A great programme, a useful, effective programme that would change lives.
But this is what our leaders tell us over and over. Be a saint. Deny Jesus nothing. Go love people. Build relationships. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Do what He tells you. Don't be afraid.
Do not be afraid to set your sights higher, to allow yourself to be loved and liberated by God. Do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God’s grace. For in the words of León Bloy, when all is said and done, “the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint”.
Pope Francis, Gaudate et Exsultate
And now I've realized not enough people in the Church are saying that, or living that. We set our sights too low, we ask for too little, and then wonder why everything is the same.
Because finally programmes don't change people. The best programme cannot truly change hearts.
Saints make saints. People who know and love God fully and walk with Him daily are the only ones who can effect true change. Because you can't give what you don't have. Programmes, retreats, conventions, outreaches, and even movements are not only insufficient, but even counter-productive, if they are not being run by saints and disciples. When we see programmes or parishes or communities run by people who gossip, who are cold to certain people, who are quick to judge and condemn, who are defensive or resistant to feedback, who are more caught up with righteous anger than love for those who are ignorant or lost or different, who are harsh or rude or just indifferent, the programme loses all its fire.
The reverse is true too- saints enliven anything that is done just by their presence. Suddenly the retreat works, the programme works, the lay community works... because of the saints who are bringing life to it.
Our witness matters. Only lives shining with the Christ-light can bring the true Light into the world, into the messiness and ugliness of human hearts and relationships, which is where we need it the most.
When I look back at my life, even more than books or theology or talks or retreats I attended, the biggest influences were certain PEOPLE, saints who loved with all their hearts. Saints are ultimately Lovers. 'In the end, it is Christ who loves in us, for “holiness is nothing other than charity lived to the full”.' Pope Benedict XVI
Is your group, community, parish or circle made up of people trying to be saints, or trying to achieve things, or push agendas, or focusing on ideas over people? What about you?
Read: Gaudete et Exsultate, Pope Francis'new exhortation on the call to holiness in today's world.
