2nd Sunday after Easter 18 April 2010 Sermon

2nd Sunday after Easter 18.4.10 ‘Catholic’ Church

We say we believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. The word ‘catholic’ means ‘universal’, that is, that the Church covers the whole world, not being restricted to any particular place.

We have come to see the word ‘Catholic’ as a kind of brand name. What sort of Christian are you? Oh, a Catholic one. Sometimes we hear people referred to as ‘Catholic Christians’, to distinguish from Lutheran Christians or Baptist Christians etc.

In the phone book or in street directories you will find ‘Catholic’ listed alphabetically after ‘Anglican’ and before ‘Lutheran’. This will give the impression that all the various ‘churches’ are of the same status and reduces ‘Catholic’ to a brand name, whereas it really means the whole Church, or the only Church - that Church which covers the whole world, thus leaving no room for any other.

Our Lord refers in today’s Gospel to His flock. He has only one flock, to which He wants all people to belong. He did not establish several flocks to give the sheep a choice; only one flock, which He would guide and bless.

We have become accustomed to a proliferation of ‘churches’ but this is not Christ’s will, and must be seen as a tragedy of division.

Variety may be alright in some areas. We can barrack for whichever football team or drink whichever kind of beer, but we are not free to pick which church to belong to.

(The Vatican recently clarified that other groups calling themselves ‘churches’ are not really so but can be called ‘ecclesial communities’.)

The Church has always taught that there is ‘No salvation outside the Church’. This raises the ire of individualistic minded people who then say, No one is going to tell me where to belong or what to do...

But to say one has to belong to the Catholic Church is just another way of saying one has to be in union with Jesus Christ.

There is no other place we can find Jesus Christ in His full reality than in the Catholic Church. He will make Himself known in other places but only so that the ‘sheep’ there can find their way to the one flock, the one Church.

This topic arouses great emotion because of the confusion of issues involved. It is further complicated by the fact that Christians outside the Catholic Church are often better at living the Christian life than Catholics. Individual Catholics are often disappointing in the way they live, but this does not detract in any way from the role of the Church.

The Church is meant to be perfect even if it is not. No amount of sin and failure by individual Catholics can change the status of the Church as the place where Jesus Christ desires to be found.

In the meantime, of course, we address the sin and try to improve how well we live by the Gospel. The Church is ever in need of renewal and we take our part in that. (‘Renewal’ means renewal in holiness, not looking for new doctrines or liturgies)

We pray therefore for growth in the Church, in numbers and in holiness.

It would be easier for those outside to want to come in if they could see greater holiness in the current members. So we try to show them that.

Some would object that ‘one’ Church is too restrictive, and does not give scope to all the different cultures and ways of doing things. We are not saying that every Catholic has to be the same on every point. We need to have unity with Christ, and to have unity in matters of faith and morals, and in liturgical and sacramental practice. There is plenty of room for variety in matters of food, clothing, music etc.

The crucial thing is that we have full union with Christ. He unites all things in Himself. What is false will give way before Him; what is true will find fulfilment in Him.

He is the First and the Last. Let us gather around Him.