Over the years, I have encountered many fallen away Catholics. Most of them had pretty lame reasons for their split with the Church. My favorite is the grown man who is still ticked because Sister So Mean smacked his precious little knuckles. I always ask if he deserved to have his knuckles smacked, and he will readily agree that he was a hellion and deserved everything that Sister doled out in his direction.
Others ran right up against those boundaries that the Church in her infinite wisdom has given us, and decided their will should be done, not His. You can usually plug sex, alcohol or drugs into that little equation.
But the saddest of all are the ones who just drift away. Usually their religous formation was quite poor and life just got in the way.
I have a 75 year old friend from AA (who shall remain anonymous) who was what I call a "drifter". Raised in a convent, she was caught up in the life of an alcoholic, which just runs smack up against those boundaries. Sober now for 39 years, she just never made it back into the fold. Every so often over the past few years, I would ask her if she would like to go to church. I even snagged her one Easter with the promise of a big meal.
About six months ago, she came up to me after our AA meeting and asked if she could go to church with us the following Sunday. Careful to keep my expression neutral, I simply said, ok. After church, she suggested that it was time to perhaps have a meeting with Father Bill, our fearless leader. More neutral face - ok.
Father Bill graciously went to her home and the rest is history as they, whoever the heck "they" are, says.
Several weeks later, she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. I'm on my way this morning to take her breakfast and bring her communion. Food for the soul and food for the body. What an unbeatable combination!!
What's the point? Glad you asked. When my Catholic friends get frustrated about the "state of the church" or the "drifted away", I simply tell them to concentrate on the "one" and forget the "many". The "many" is made up of lots and lots of "ones". That is the reason you don't use a shot gun in a shooting gallery. These folks have become my "clay pigeons", and I pick them off one at a time. Just picture a shooting gallery with all these little clay pigeons scooting along, and as they go by, you just pick them off - one by one.
I suggested to Father that we should be able pick a prize, perhaps a purple stuffed St. Francis, for each returning Catholic. We could even hang all our prize choices behind the altar as an incentive. He tabled that suggestion along with the one for selling indulgences as a way to raise money for the building fund.
Have a glorious and holy day.
8 comments:
Reasons do indeed abound for leaving the Church, and yes, many have left due to lack of religious formation. There are many "Sister So Mean" stories, which resulted in formed opinions at an early age which left no room for a desire to return to the Church and learn more about it at a later age. One such story has to do with a friend who really, really had to go to the bathroom, and Sister So Mean wouldn't let him. He had an accident and was mortified. Now as an adult, he's never looked back except to regard the Church as full of mean people.
The thing we all need to remember is that the Church is both a devine and human institution. It's populated by a diverse group of people, including many throughout its long history who were less than savory, and to a degree, that continues today. The fact that it has a long history, however - some 2000 years worth, is its own testimony. Because and only because the Church IS a divine institution, it's still here.
'...concentrate on the "one" and forget the "many". The "many" is made up of lots and lots of "ones".'
Excellent thought. I really like your multicolored pigeon, too!
One bead - good thoughts. You are one of those deep thinkers. Has to do with being a convert
melody - bless me Father, for I have sinned. I stole the picture - at least, I think I did. I knew what I was doing and did it anyway. I will do my best to not do it again.
I was a fallen away, poorly formed Catholic once. The "last straw" for me was the sex abuse scandal in early 2002. I vowed I would NEVER set foot in a Catholic church again. That was April. By Dec.1 I was on my knees in the church wanting back in. Someone asked me what prompted me to look past the scandals - I said it was the Eucharist. It's always been the Eucharist.
Angela, have you learned not to say "NEVER" to God? He seems to use such situations to prove one wrong ;-)
and Adrienne, didn't selling indulgences lead to 95 theses being tacked to a Church door in Wittenberg? (Of course my favorite indulgence to buy is a hot fudge Sundae!)
Welcome to my humble blog, archangel.
I think what everybody was really torked about re:indulgences was that they wern't getting in on any of the loot.
I'll say it again and again - "who needs soap operas when you have the Catholic Church." So much fun!
Very good posting. The best approach is so often the hands off with lots of silent prayer.
Once I was reading the EWTN fora and one person was lamenting how many people have fallen away...the priest wrote back that he was a priest for 50 years and that many, many people come back to God on their death beds.
I like this story.
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