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"Turn to the Truth"

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Let us turn back to the Lord in a time of testing, in time of trial, in time of doubt, in time when it is easier to walk away in disillusionment.

Fr. Gerry Creedon's homily delivered at St. Charles on April 7, 2002

We celebrate Easter through sacraments of initiation especially Baptism. Twenty people joined the church at the Easter Vigil. New members choose a new name in confirmation. One candidate, Chris, chose a different name for his confirmation, Charles Borromeo.

The Scandals Face Us With a Turning Point

I had time to look at the morning newspapers and learned of the questions being raised in Los Angeles. This is at a time when the revelations and questions about Boston still resonate and shock us. From one end of the country to the other, questions are being raised about abuse of minors by clergy. It is easy to react and criticize the media for publicizing these issues. For far too long we as a church had a cloak of secrecy like a seal of the confessional hiding all. We need to be a church that is open, transparent and accountable.

The scandals facing the church in this country face us with a turning point. The church in Europe is half dead. In Dublin, upheavals affecting the Church decimate the practice of faith. Let us pray that the issues and questions that address the US Catholic Church not lead to a collapse of belief or our Catholic culture. If handled honestly they may generate a renewal and resurrection of faith in a church that is reformed, purified and cleansed.

The Fire of Truth and Disclosure

The second reading seems to be so relevant today. "In this you rejoice although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials so that the genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire. May it prove to be for praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ". Trials need to happen when there are crimes, because you can't dismiss them as sins. The fire is often the fire of truth, honesty, and disclosure.

At the first Easter what happened to the chosen apostles of Jesus, His special few, who had gone through 3 years of apprenticeship by His side? They all fled except for John who stayed at the cross with the three Mary's. Where was Peter, the first Pope, the leader? Three times denying Him by saying he didn't even know the man.

Disillusionment of the Early Church

The past week's daily scriptures detailed the disillusionment of the early church. The leaders thought they were out of a job with the death of Jesus. Peter says to the others in a wonderful act of leadership, "Let's go fishing." That wasn't a symbolic word for let's go into pastoral ministry! It meant, let's go back to what we used to do before Jesus came along. It was an act of despair and discouragement. The hopes they had built up for themselves and for Israel gave way to sadness with this horrible crucifixion.

Remember the disciples walking along on the road to Emmaus. There were various descriptions of their faces. They had 'sad faces'. Other translations say they were 'downcast', remembering what had happened. Even when they go back to fishing, they find futility. Apparently they weren't great fishermen to start with and they were looking for fish in all the wrong places. After fishing all night long, they still had caught nothing. Jesus came to help them do their own job. He told them to cast to the other side of the boat where they had not tried. They caught 153 fish, but they still didn't recognize who was with them.

They got to shore and found Jesus preparing a charcoal fire for breakfast with fish and bread. He asked them to bring some fresh fish for breakfast. When they shared this meal they recognized that it was the Lord.

Jesus dealt with Peter in a way that Peter probably didn't expect. Instead of examining and questioning him about his denials, He asked him three times in view of three denials, "Peter do you love me". Peter then responded three times and Jesus said, "Then go ahead feed my lambs". It is written elsewhere that Jesus said; "Now you are forgiven. Go strengthen others in the faith". Later Peter finds a disabled person who had lost hope for recovery begging for money. Peter said, "Silver and gold I don't have but what has been given to me by the Lord, I give to you freely. Get up and walk". He lifted up this physically challenged person so that he walked again.

The Church should be about good news, resurrection, new life, and healing. The Church isn't about bad news or a veil of tears. It is about lifting people up because we are lifted up by a healing, resurrecting, and forgiving Savior.

Today's gospel presents Thomas, the skeptic, the agnostic, and the one who won't take things on faith from other people. He was like the teenager who won't listen to inherited wisdom. They want to find out for themselves. They want to break away and find out if this is what they want. Maybe it happens to some in mid-life. You want to figure out if this is your faith or are you just buoyed along by a family tradition like a cork in the stream. Thomas wanted to examine his faith and question it. He wanted evidence. He was like a scientist, believing only what he would see. Did Jesus reject Thomas' questions or reject Thomas because of his disbelief? No, he accepted him. He accepted his questions and let him touch the nail marks. Thomas then came to believe it was the Lord.

The Church's Early Tests Were Greater Than Today's

The issues of faith facing the church today are really secondary issues compared to the issues facing the church in the early days. The issues of faith facing us as Catholics today are: Can we believe in the Church? Can we believe in the hierarchy? Those are real but secondary questions. The church should be credible, but the question facing the early Church was can we believe in Jesus?

The Vatican has proposed that the priest should take the Book of the Gospels to the altar and the pulpit. Every priest and the whole church need to recognize more clearly that the church stands under the Gospel and under the judgment of the word. For it is that word, that good news that opens our eyes so that we can see.

The bread of the Eucharist is what's given to all for us to know that in the dying and rising of Jesus, we have our only hope. This is a hope not only for all of us in our own individual denials and discouragement but hope also for our communities and institutions. Let us turn back to the Lord in a time of testing, in time of trial, in time of doubt, in time when it is easier to walk away in disillusionment. We will become an Easter people, a risen people, a people of hope, and a people that can stand up and call ourselves by new names, even Charles Borromeo.

Let's stand.

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  or  2002 Homilies 
 
Revised/reviewed April 30, 2002