Posted on 09/17/2015 7:55:36 AM PDT by Salvation
In the Letter to the Ephesians, St, Paul has this to say:
And [Christ] gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ (Eph 4:11-15).
Coming to maturity is a basic task in the Christian walk. We are expected grow and come to an adult faith. The Letter to the Hebrews has something very similar to say:
You are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Heb 5:11-14).
However, we live in times and in a culture in which maturity is often significantly delayed. In fact there are many in our culture who never grow up. I have argued elsewhere that one of the defining characteristics of our culture is its fixation on the teenage years. In psychological terms, a person with a fixation is one who has not successfully navigated one of the stages of childhood and thus remains stuck to some degree in the thinking and patterns of that stage. Our culture’s fixation on teenage issues and attitudes is manifest in some of the following:
Now it is true that some of the items in the list above have proper adult versions. For example, the “obsession with fairness” can mature and become a commitment to work for justice; aversion to authority can mature to a healthy and respectful insistence that those in authority be accountable to those whom they serve. You may take issue with one of more of the above and may wish to add some distinctions. It is also true that not every teenager has all of the issues listed above. All that is fine, but the point here is that the culture in which we live seems stuck on a lot of teenage attitudes and maturity is significantly delayed on account of it.
Some may also allege a kind of arrogance in my description of our culture as “teenage.” I accept that it is a less-than-flattering portrait of our culture and welcome your discussion of it. But if you reject my categorization then how would you describe our culture? Do you think that we live in a healthy and mature culture?
The call to maturity and the role of the Church – In the midst of all this is God’s expectation (through His Scriptures) that we grow up, that we come to maturity, to the fullness of adult faith. Further, the Church is expected, as an essential part of her ministry, to bring this about in us through God’s grace. Notice that the Ephesians text says that Christ has given Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, to equip the holy ones unto this. The Church is thus expected to be “the adult in the room.” She is to summon us to live responsible, mature lives. She summons us to be accountable before others, to be sober, serious, and deeply respectful of God’s authority over us by living lives that are obedient to the faith. She teaches us, by God’s grace, to master our emotions and gain authority over our passions. She holds forth for us the wisdom of tradition and the teachings of the Scriptures, insisting on reverence for these. She insists on correct doctrine and (as the text from Ephesians says) that we no longer be infants, tossed by the waves of the latest fads and stinking thinking, and that we not be swept along by every wind of false teaching arising from human illusions. We are to be stable and mature in our faith and judge the world by it.
Yes, the Church has the rather unpleasant, but necessary, task of being the adult in the room when the world is mired in things teenage, often exhibiting aversion to authority and rules, and crying out that orthodox teaching is “unfair” or “old-fashioned.”
But here we encounter something of an internal problem. The Church has faced the grave temptation to “put on jeans” and adopt the teenage fixations. Sadly, not all leaders in the Church have taken seriously their obligation to “equip the holy ones for the work of ministry … until we all attain to the unity of faith and … to mature manhood and the … full stature of Christ.” Preferring popularity to the negative cries that our teachings are “unfair,” many teachers and pastors have succumbed to the temptation to water down the faith and to tolerate grave immaturity on the part of fellow Catholics. Although it would seem that things are improving, we have a long way to go in terms of vigorously reasserting the call to maturity within the Church. Corruptio optimi pessima (the corruption of the best is the worst). Clergy and other Church leaders, catechists, and teachers must insist on their own personal maturity and hold one other accountable in attaining it. We must fulfill our role of equipping the faithful unto mature faith by first journeying to an adult faith ourselves.
The Church is not composed only of clergy and religious. Lay people must also take up their proper role as mature, adult Christians, active in renewing the temporal order. Many already have done this magnificently. But more must follow and be formed in this way. Our culture is in dire need of well-formed Christians to restore greater maturity, sobriety, and responsibility to our culture.
By God’s grace, we are called to be the adult in the room.
I realize that this post may cause controversy. But remember, this is a discussion. I am not pontificating (even though my name is Pope). I am expressing my opinion and trying to initiate a discussion based on a text from Scripture. What do you think?
Here’s a video (from a more mature time) on one aspect of maturity: proper self-reliance. It’s a little corny, but it does model something that is often lacking in families and in youth formation today. We should not usually do for others what they can and should do for themselves. Learning consequences as well as the value and need for hard work is part of maturing. And while there is an appropriate reliance to have on others and a complete reliance to have in God, there is also a proper self-reliance in coming to maturity.
Excellent video.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
From the title, I thought this was going to be about Carly Fiorina in last night’s debate.
Carly was the adult in the room!
Within the Catholic Church, this commendable goal was sabotaged by Vatican Council II. Out of the Council came many "lay ministries," e.g., lay people who were given roles in the Mass: lector, communion distributor, etc. In short, we were encouraged to become "little priests," in the name of "empowerment." But it didn't empower us. It completely ignored our true vocation, to become a leaven in society. Our true vocation lies outside the church building, not inside it. The priest brings Christ into the world, through consecrating the Eucharist. Our job is to take Christ into the world, in our families, our jobs, our political activity, etc.
I am the head of my parish greeters ministry. It is to welcome both parishioners and visitors. Call me a “little priest” if you want, but hospitality is part of that “leaven in society.”
“I am the head of my parish greeters ministry. It is to welcome both parishioners and visitors. Call me a “little priest” if you want, but hospitality is part of that “leaven in society.”
I guess this is one of those times when I cannot tell the truth without offending. Some would say that I should not speak under those circumstances. I would disagree. I am entitled to my opinion, even if others (wrongly) disagree.
I deplore that protestant accretion. I do not like to shake hands, and I especially dislike shaking hands with strangers when I’m trying to prepare myself for Mass. If you want to be useful, make people be quiet before and during Mass. If you want to be a leaven, identify people who need help and try to get them some.
As a member of a parish with 6000 members, the pastor wouldn’t be able to handle everything without a lot of help.
We need more hospitality and fellowship in the Church. Developing fellowship allows discussion and discussion allows us to our religion with others.
Thanks for your service in welcoming us to Church.
Sorry. I forgot the word “share” our religion with others.
To correct you, the ministry of greeters can be found not only in the Protestant churches, but in many Catholic parishes as well. It is Biblical, it is part of being the doorkeeper.
Thank-you and God Bless.
Plus, love your brothers and sisters in Jesus who are Protestant. Remember we are Christians by our common baptism.
“To correct you, the ministry of greeters can be found not only in the Protestant churches, but in many Catholic parishes as well. It is Biblical, it is part of being the doorkeeper.”
To correct you back, it is a post Vat II innovation and is no more Biblical than the protestant misapprehension regarding the Real Presence.
Protestants may do as they wish, without any hindrance from me, and I liked it when Catholics were Catholic, without these protestant accretions.
I remember having gone to a protestant church with my mother (1911 - 1968), and on the walk home listening to her opining on the lack of dignity. The “greeting” was one of the things that bothered her most (after the guitar).
“Developing fellowship allows discussion and discussion allows us to our religion with others.”
At the door on the way to Mass is not the place for discussion. How about some Bible study groups, or just a coffee social?
Just one’s IMHO.
Let us just agree to not agree, okay.
I can cite the Bible passages, but I just do not have the time to post the passages.
AMEN to what you have posted, it is very much is TRUE.
I disagree with your point of view.
Fellowship and friendship is always welcome and can change a bad attitude into a positive one.
Generally at Mass it is just a warm hello or Good Morning and a smile. If you don’t appreciate that, then you can be quiet and just enjoy your peace with God.
Sometimes at Mass, either just before or after is the only time I get to speak with the priest.
Yes Bible study and donut Sunday are very worthwhile, but many do not attend these functions.
Mass is not simply about “me and God,” and we do not put ourselves into the presence of God. God draws us to himself, and he usually does so through the mystical body of Christ—in other words, through his Church. That means that there is a communal aspect to the Mass.
I think back to how Abraham welcomed the three visitors that appeared.
“Fellowship and friendship is always welcome”
That may be true for you. It is most emphatically not true for some other people. Some people just want to be left alone.
“and can change a bad attitude into a positive one.”
There’s that “bad attitude” thing again. Tell you what, I’m going to claim that your attitude is the bad one and mine is the good one. When I jerk my hand back and tell you to get away, that is a good attitude. When you try to force your protestant goopy-goopy on me, that is a bad attitude.
“Generally at Mass it is just a warm hello or Good Morning and a smile.”
And that is *far* too much. The rule before Mass is silence.
“If you don’t appreciate that, then you can be quiet and just enjoy your peace with God.”
No, I can’t, because you’ve already irritated me by sliming me with Protestantism. Further, everyone is supposed to be quiet, not just me. Everybody.
“Sometimes at Mass, either just before or after is the only time I get to speak with the priest.”
And when you speak with him just before Mass, are you annoying people who are trying to pray? Or are you out of hearing of the pews?
“Yes Bible study and donut Sunday are very worthwhile, but many do not attend these functions.”
Part of the dignity of the Catholic faith was not crawling all over people.
“Mass is not simply about “me and God,”
Neither is it about “me and you and God.” Unless you are a priest, you stay out of my experience of the Mass.
“and we do not put ourselves into the presence of God.”
And neither do you put me into the presence of God. You have nothing to do with it. Leave me alone; maintain a reverent silence, and allow me to ignore you.
“God draws us to himself, and he usually does so through the mystical body of Christ—in other words, through his Church.”
Usually? Really? You’ve counted? God draws people to him any way He pleases, and in my experience greeters have driven more people away from the Church than they ever drew to it.
“That means that there is a communal aspect to the Mass.”
No, it doesn’t. Bad theology. Bad liturgy.
“Just one’s IMHO.”
No, it’s Catholic theology and Tradition. It’s the way Catholics everywhere always did things until VatII ushered the smoke of Satan into the sacristy.
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