Faith is not easy, because as Scripture teaches us, it is based not on seeing but on hearing. Our Lord said to St. Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.” The people of Nazareth could not see that the Son of Mary was also the Son of God. Many on Calvary could not see that the Man on the cross was the Savior of the world. To believe, we must often go beyond what is seen, beyond appearances.
This is also true of our faith in the Church, which today is presented to us as the flock of Christ. We are the sheep of his flock. I’ve often heard that sheep are stupid but this is not true. It’s just that they cannot see well. Sheep are so shortsighted that they mostly look down to the ground. Because of this they easily get lost and wander into danger. Sheep must rely on their hearing more than their sight to follow the shepherd, to stay within the fold, to remain safe. Our Lord does not say, “My sheep
see me and follow me.” He says, “My sheep
hear my voice and follow me.”
When we use only our eyes in regard to the Church we can be disappointed. Today many people are cynical about organized religion and religious leaders. Many say, “I believe in God, I just don’t need the Church.” They describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious” which means, “I can be holy without all the constraints, dogmas and rules that come with being part of a Church.” Their approach is simple: “My relationship to God is what I decide it is.” Jesuit Father James Martin points out that this ultimately comes down to egoism. It creates a God of one’s own understanding and not necessarily how God has revealed himself to us.
Now, it would be naïve of us not to admit there are problems in the Church. Fr. Henri Nouwen described the Church as “a group of sinful, confused, anguished people constantly tempted by the powers of lust and greed.”
What we
see often blocks the full vision of the Church; so we must develop an inner hearing, a capacity to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd so that we might go beyond appearances. His voice allows us to us to grasp that despite its failures, the Church is the “Bride of Christ,” his Beloved for whom He offered his life on the cross.
Fr. Nouwen wrote: “The Church is a very human organization but also the garden of God’s grace.” Baptism makes us a part of this Church. It places us in that garden. It makes one of Christ’s beloved, a member of his flock. The Lord did not call us to be “spiritual lone rangers.”
Listening to the Good Shepherd’s voice gives us the humility to realize there is a wisdom that is simply bigger than what
I think. And being open to this truth, I bind myself to it and base my life on it. Believing in Jesus and believing in the Church are two sides of one faith.
Let’s ask the Good Shepherd to open our ears to hear his voice. May we always cling to God as he has revealed himself and humbly accept the fact that He is greater than I. May we always say...Yes, I am spiritual but
also religious.
