“How to Renew the Church is Staring Us in the Face”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
November 16-17, 2019
Scripture: Luke 21:5-19
I did a wedding on Saturday that really made me feel my age…it reminded me of my mortality. The bride married a nice guy; I married her parents 30 years ago before the Army sent me overseas for sun and fun. Afterward, I baptized all of their kids. Wow..I’m getting really, really old! This morning, I got another reminder when I could do only six minutes on the elliptical machine when at one time I was able to do an hour.
When I think back over my life in the Church, I’m sad to see that it is falling in to terrible shape and has been for a long time. But, we’ve always had problems in the Church; however, bishops think we need something to revive it. I’ve seen so many programs like Catholics Come Home, Renew, RCIA, etc. We are going to do this and that and have all these new programs, but we need money and even more money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been wasted which is an interesting renewal; money goes from your bank account into theirs.
Some people have a lot of zeal and a lot of hutzpah. They make things up and brow beat us into obedience. Yet, we’ve always had the remedy, for the past 2,000 years, and it has been overlooked. Bishops, priests, and many lay people have it. All they need to do is take the book (Butler’s Lives of the Saints) off the shelf, dust it off, and read about the lives of the saints and how they followed the teachings of Christ. We don’t need to spend any money, we don’t need to form prayer groups, we don’t need to create new committees…please, no more committees!
Saint John Vianney wasn’t particularly bright and was taught Latin one smack at a time. He had no money, but he lived a life of prayer and penance. As a result, he changed the Church and renewed the faith. Saint Francis of Assissi was a deacon who never aspired to become a priest. He formed the Franciscans and required members to beg for food while preaching. Today, Franciscans look like they are a little late in leaving the table. There was a young girl in France, St. Therese de Lisieux, who never left the convent, who died in her early 20’s, but changed the Church with her “Little Way.” Saint Theresa of Calcutta worked with the sickest of the sick…people afflicted with leprosy. What she did, she did with great love. She had a passionate love for Christ. Saint Isidore led a life of learning and holiness and was able to unite a country split in its faith. These are just a few of the saints who followed the teachings of Christ and who changed the Church as a result.
So, how do we renew the Church? Go back to the saints and look at what they have done for the Church by becoming holy. We are all called to live a holy life by following the teachings of Christ which is also the best way to evangelize. People will see the change in you and want what you have. The power of God’s word is not found in any program. The power is in the tabernacle, the Sacraments, in your soul and in your very will.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you model your life after the Saints? Will you live the teachings of Christ?