We are living in challenging times. No one would deny that. Who would have guessed a year ago that we would be facing a pandemic that has had life shattering consequences for the economy and for our relational lives. Each of us is trying to manage the crisis as best we can. One of the things I have heard from parishioners recently is their need to shift from thinking that this will be over in a couple months to understanding that this present reality will continue for perhaps another year. We have gone from thinking this was a sprint to realizing that we are in a marathon and many of the tactics we started with are not tactics that we can maintain long-term. Add to our pandemic challenges the Black Lives Matter protests and a new season of mean-spirited political campaigns, and we see that these are tough days indeed.
While we have opened up Cabrini to daily Mass and regular weekend Masses, we are certainly not back to the way we were. Most Masses have fewer than 50 attendees because people are cautious or afraid. We continue exploring ways to be creative as a parish. I continue to ask myself, how can we be church without being able to gather? How can we best help you be a disciple during these challenging days? How can we help you continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus?
God uses every part of life to help us grow. Is he even using this time of testing to make us grow? Or does this time of challenge simply reveal our flaws – as Warren Buffet says in the investing world, “you learn who is swimming naked when the tide goes out?” Is this time of challenge revealing that we are mature disciples of Jesus or that we have a long way to go?
Let me suggest an examination I ran across as a help with evaluating our present level of maturity in discipleship. First, do we apply what we learn from scripture and from the church in our lives? The kind of discipleship that honors God most deeply is knowledge applied in love. Our lives should be different. Our marriages should be different. Our parenting should be different. Our love for our neighbor and community should be different. We should be radically committed to living out our faith. If people around us do not know we are Christians, are we?
Second, true Christian maturity has always been marked by humility. Are we honest about ourselves? And does that honesty about ourselves lead us to honor others?
Third, do we have the heart of a servant? True discipleship comes when our quest becomes about others, not ourselves. Mature Christians live for Christ and live for others.
Fourth, are we obsessed with people who are not in a relationship with God? Do we want them to meet Jesus and experience the freedom and joy that he brings? A true disciple lives life pursuing others, especially the lost and those on the fringe of society.
Fifth, do we have a generosity of life and the pocketbook? Are we investing in the Kingdom of God by giving of our time and our treasure? Are we making any sacrifice for God?
I encourage you to take a little time this week and ponder these questions. Your answers may help you and us in our efforts to “go and make disciples”. Parish leadership will also be pondering these questions as we consider activities and programs that we will be offering this fall. If you have any ideas, we would be happy to hear them. Just send us an email or call one of us at the office.
I certainly hope that we can return to the world that existed before COVID. I would like to go back and start where we were in February, but the longer this goes on, the less likely that will happen. However, Jesus’ invitation to us to be his disciples has not gone away. It may not look exactly like it did in the past, but we must be church for the world in which we live. Some things are closing because they cannot survive a long period of COVID seclusion. It cannot be so for us, we will be Jesus’ disciples now and into the future.
Peace,
Fr. Damian