26th Sunday after Pentecost (Readings from 6th Sunday after Epiphany) 17.11.13
The Church is to be the leaven in the bread. This means we should be enriching and enlivening the faith of those who have faith, and drawing to the faith those still without it.
It does not help in this process that we hear so often of scandals within the Church – the more sordid ones which make the news, or the more commonplace examples of lapses from Christ-like behaviour - when we fail to be charitable, or tell the truth etc, and our neighbours notice.
The impact of the negative example gives an idea of the power we would have for good effect if we could achieve it. It shows at least that the Church is noticed and a lot of eyes are upon us as to how we behave.
A lot of our present struggle is whether the Church is leavening the world or the other way round. Much of worldly thinking has infected the Church, eg an over-emphasis on individual freedom, or an indiscriminate syncretism of religions.
We have to be very clear that the Church is teacher of the world, and not the other way round.
Yes, we can learn from the world sometimes, but only as to detail, never as to basic belief and policy. So, for example, if we have an atheist neighbour who is generous with his possessions we can learn from him to be generous, but not to be an atheist.
Two things we must do.
One, to be on our best behaviour anyway, because good is always preferable to evil.
Two, we must give to the world a clear and consistent picture of the value of holiness and the need and advantage of following Our Lord.
To follow Him is not just an option we might get around to someday, but absolutely essential.
He is the only God, our Creator and Saviour. There is nowhere else to go.
Yet we have the situation where many will say (because of the scandals), Why would you want to belong to a corrupt organisation like the Church?
It still remains true, however, that while we deplore the scandals, everyone should be a member of the Church (a good member).
No amount of sin by individual members of the Church will change the fact that God does exist; that Christ is the Saviour; that the Church is the vehicle of His salvation.
While He may sometimes operate outside the boundaries of the Church it is His preferred will that everyone be a member of that Church. The Church is to be a tree whose branches are so big that it covers the whole world.
As Christ is King of all, so His kingdom, embodied in the Church, stretches to all corners of the earth – not only geographically, but culturally, morally, in authority and practice.
We do not proclaim ourselves. We are not saying that we are better than anyone else, only that the Church is a better place to be than anywhere else.
For ourselves we must avoid the obvious evils which give scandal, but also attend to the more subtle things – like being charitable, forgiving, generous etc. Even when others are not doing these things.
And all of this without being smug or self-satisfied. None of this is possible just by our own will power but joined to Christ we can do it.
Only He can provide the increase, as He has done so far. In spite of the Church’s frailties we have grown in size, and many good fruits have been achieved.
Let us be assured and re-assured in our mission and pray that the Lord will continue to multiply our efforts, advancing our good intentions, directing, strengthening, and purifying us at the same time.
May His kingdom come.
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