The Demon in the Catholic Church

It was Feast of Christ the King and as usual, we all joined the procession. I saw this person I knew and that other person. I waved at that lady and said hi to the gentleman at the on my other side.  

All this while, we were still in the procession. I might have even covered people’s eyes from the back just so they could guess who it was. 

I was not the only one. Many others were engaged in conversation while “walking with the crowd”. Then, I saw Dr Saanchi ahead. I run to catch up with him and say hi. He turned in silence as I drew his attention, and still without saying a word, he continued singing when I greeted him. 

After mass, he looked for me to say hi and we had a chat for a few minutes before leaving the church premises. His silence when I had greeted him earlier, spoke volumes. 

We were in a procession, proclaiming Christ as King. Yes, it was exciting that we all got to that together but we did not come first, to see one another. There was going to be time for that.

How many of us, Catholics, take time to understand the “why” behind what we do as a church? And even for those who know, how often do we not take it for granted that we are already familiar with “our way of doing things?”

How often do we not miss opportunities to encounter Jesus personally and in a new way simply because “we know how it goes”.  

For the first time this lent, the Way of the Cross “meant something to me”. It was not just about singing the common hymns of the season that remind us of Christ’s death and resurrection; it was not just about kneeling and rising as we have always done, responding when we have to.

The way of the Cross is the way of every Christian. He travelled that way to show us that we can too.

Jesus accepted the Cross because it was the will of the Father, are we also willing, every day of our lives, to accept the Cross the Father asks us to carry?

Jesus fell under the weight of the Cross, but He got up. Do we rise when we fall or do we give up on the journey because we fell. And do we stay there or refuse to continue? Do we get discouraged by our weaknesses?

Even though Mary could do nothing to help the situation, she stayed by His side all through even when his disciples had deserted Him. How often do we stick with our loved ones in their time of difficulties?

Even the clothes on his back were stripped off of Him. Are we willing to give up everything for His sake? Do we truly love Him as we claim? Would we truly surrender all or are we like the rich young ruler?

And it goes on and on.

The point is not to go and follow the crowd, get your knees dusty to show you were there. But a conscious and intentional introspection and prayer at every stage as you reflect on Jesus’s journey to the Cross in relation to your life.

Many of us Catholics do not read the Bible for ourselves. We engage in the mass mindlessly and miss out opportunities to receive from Him.

The demon in the Catholic Church are its cold members who know doctrine and can fight to the death to defend the Church but have no business with the Master. We know the work of the Lord but not the Lord of the work.

We are that demon when we wear colourful uniforms, during solemnities, walk piously for communion, and dance at the wonderful Catholic tunes, but won’t talk to our neighbour in another society.

The demon is the Catholic priest who has made the beer bottle his companion. And that priest who has a lady to warm his bed because “body no be firewood”.

It is that priest whose love for material things prevents him from leaving certain jurisdictions or accepting assignments to other areas because the collection will be small, there will be no offertory and he might even have to give to the poor from his meagre funds.

So that by this, we make mockery of the Fathers of old who risked their lives enduring pain and disease, learning languages… to spread the gospel and snatch souls from the grip of the netherworld. 

The demon in the Catholic Church is how we choose Church leaders. When the CPC Chair is selected often simply because he is learned, has money or some title. 

It is when we come up with creative ways to get people to give, but have no real plan to support the poor and needy among us.

It is when we choose godparents without vetting their lives and their ability to give their godchildren, Jesus.

The demon in the Catholic Church is when we praise our saints but know nothing about their sacrifices or want nothing to do with their yielded lives that made God use them the way He did.

It is you when you condemn another’s sin because yours has become almost acceptable, even, among the body of Christ. 

You are that demon when you love the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church more than you love the Bible.

It is you when you allow the opinions of men to prevent you from speaking the TRUTH, from speaking forth, JESUS.

The demon in the Catholic Church is when you fight new people/ideas simply because you are the priest, oldest member or more eloquent/talented etc.

This demon is you when you have no personal prayer life, study of the word and time for fasting simply because you attend Mass or daily morning mass, know all the responses and participate in lenten rituals.

The demon manifests in you when you only join in the responding, standing, and kneeling, only to go back to your phone immediately you sit.

It is the grumbling and complaining about so-called long hours in Church or for announcements only to spend the rest of the day gossiping at the church premises.

It is you and me when we dislike certain priests because they tell us the Truth we don’t want to hear.

The demon in the Catholic Church is you when you take everything from the pulpit as the TRUTH because “Father said”.

The demon in the Catholic Church  is you and I, when we point fingers at the sins of others and hide ours.

It is when we allow sexual immorality even the most subtle forms and defend it as love simply because we are young and it’s our time.

The demon in the Catholic Church is you and me.

Despite the atrocities of the past and the scandals of recent times the Catholic Church is/should be a church on Fire For Christ. It is such a treasure but the demon in there is the cold you and me.

I don’t know about other churches because I have only been Catholic. However, if they are anything like the Catholic Church, then, the demon in the Body of Christ is you and I when we reject Christ by refusing to die to self and yield to the Holy Spirit.

It is you and I when we condemn the church without praying for her; when we refuse to declare that these dry bones come alive.

That demon is most alive and powerful when we love our comfort more than the will of God.

We need a revival or maybe a revolution in the Body of Christ. Perhaps, we Catholics can declare, “Let it start with me!”