I have heard the story told of an elderly priest who, during his sermon, was competing against a crying baby for the attention of the congregation.
The parents had decided to remain in the church rather than remove the disgruntled child and the restlessness of the other attendees was becoming increasingly obvious.
The priest could see the wave of murmurings and disapproving glances being directed toward the escalating distraction so he paused to address the issue.
Many in the congregation, no doubt, were waiting for him to direct the parents to remove the offending child so they could receive God’s message uninterrupted.
Instead the wise priest announced, “What a beautiful joy it is to hear a newborn’s cry in a culture so ready to abort God’s gift”.
He then continued his sermon, but, instead of hearing a child’s cry, the congregation hopefully heard a song of new life.
With Catholics having to face the horrific reality of the sex abuse scandals and the subsequent internal failings of the Church throughout the last year, the wise priest’s message of hope is one we need to embrace.
By sharing the story above, I in no way intend to compare the atrocities of child abuse with the triviality of a crying baby, but rather to highlight a man who chose to see something positive when all those around were focused on the negative.
We are living in a time many consider to be one of the darkest in the Church’s history, with a sense of negativity and foreboding seeming to cast its shadow over everything Catholic.
However, while much of it is warranted and necessary, we must never allow ourselves to lose sight of the reality that the light of Christ can never be extinguished.
What better time is there, having just celebrated the birth of Christianity, to embrace the attitude of this priest and look ahead with hope?
It is easy to understand why we may choose to hide or be embarrassed by our Catholicity or even why some priests choose to venture into public without their collars; however, as many Church leaders have demonstrated in recent years, we have no choice but to acknowledge the shameful acts that have, within the confines of the Church, destroyed the lives of so many.
If we claim to represent Christ on earth, then it should be our heart’s desire to acknowledge this shame, apologise unconditionally, show genuine remorse and do our utmost to make reparation for any wrongs – no matter what the cost.
Jesus told us in no uncertain terms the destiny of those who harm children and we must reflect his wrath.
But we cannot become stuck in this darkness. We cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the atrocities and shame.
We need to hang on to Jesus’ words, “The gates of hell shall never overcome” (Matt 16:18).
It is now time to be thankful that God has allowed the poison that has been infecting the Church to be squeezed to the surface so that true healing can begin for all those affected.
I’m sure it is no coincidence that the full extent of the atrocities in Australia were publicly exposed during the Year of Grace.
The Church has gone through many cycles of darkness and renewal throughout the last two thousand years and will continue to do so.
But each of these times has and must continue to be seen as a sign that we, as individuals and as a Body, have allowed ourselves to remove our focus from God and have fallen into the deception of self-indulgence and self-preservation.
For more information on the Church’s response to the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse in institutions – www.tjhcouncil.org.au.