Channel Surfing And The Holy Spirit

To the Editor:

While surfing the channels, on two Saturday evenings ago, I came upon the local cable channel that was running a video on all of “the flaws” of Roman Catholicism. The weekly program is named “In Spirit and Truth.” It was a fundamentalistically — (not found in the dictionary) based program without a strong foundation, at least, in its greater portion. Now, just to be clear, I have no compunction to avoid picking apart problem areas of any religious persuasion, including Roman Catholicism, but I initially, like to do some reasonable homework on the matter. This program was something out of the late 19th Century.

With a host of former Roman Catholics from earlier days, Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli, as well as a number of former Religious from the current Church, the program’s narrative continually took swipes at the alleged “worship of statues, Mary and private devotions,” and the “misdirection” of the Mass and other Sacraments, Purgatory and how to free people who are there, the Religious Pluralism encouraged by Vatican Council II, the age old question of ‘faith vs works,” how one gets to heaven, a personal relationship with Jesus and His Redemption of all, the Bible Alone as the source of all authority and spiritual direction (vs the Church’s concept of Tradition that includes the Bible but also Tradition in its unwritten form (Councils, the Bishops United and the teaching magisterium of the Church). Now, I am certain that there were more issues, but these are the few that now come back to me. After all, I had just returned from watching approximately, 150 wrestling matches for the SWC’s, in which Newtown High participated, and I was not about to “tackle” one more opponent, that evening. I just wanted to unwind (literally) although I must admit that the wrestlers were more inspiring than some of those spouting “Literalism” on the television, that evening.

Christians do need a personal relationship with Jesus — but they also require a community relationship with all of God’s people. We were first called as a community and not, merely, as isolated island dwellers.

Many people had been interviewed outside of St Patrick Cathedral, in New York, following a Sunday Mass (the Liturgy of the Eucharist.) They were asked the question: “How does one get to heaven?” Most had no idea how to answer such and came out with some very embarrassing responses. On the other hand, many of the answers required a bit more dialogue and not a mere one word or incomplete sentence. Perhaps, as the program loudly suggested, “they were never properly taught,” depending on the rote memory they once utilized in Catechism class, several years before. They were “tricked” by the interviewers into some of their answers that made it sound that they chose “good works over God’s saving grace.” Had they been given a decent opportunity, many (not all) would have spoken about “faith based/driven works.” And what intelligent well-read church leader wouldn’t accept that answer?

I have seen some of their anti-Catholic (including Roman Catholic — there’s a difference, you know!) rhetoric continue to be produced in the media without any “spirit of discernment” on the part of the producers. Such discernment of the “Holy Spirit,” a “Gift of the Spirit,” by the way, can be found in the Acts of the Apostles. The producers may also want to read the Letter of James on “faith-filled works” and the impotency of “faith without God’s loving actions.” Where do they think hospitals, hospices, soup kitchens, emergency housing shelters, prison ministries, clothing and food banks and a whole host of current day activities of the Spirit, came from. As to the Holy Eucharist, I would invite these literalists to attend a Scripture Study on the Gospel according to John and to deal with that saying that was too difficult for many of the early believers, “Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you.” You want a literal, symbolic, or sacramental interpretation? The choice is yours! And for those who are deeply engrossed (gross?) in The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, I would suggest that after completing this exciting book, readers may like to see a copy of Fr Andrew Greeley’s recent critique of the same, found at the Newtown Library — you will have a much clearer perspective. Or, perhaps, we can begin a discussion club on all such issues. (Email me: lionofjudah56@hotmail.com.) if you are so interested.

The Rev Leo McIlrath

Corpus Christi Community of Faith

13 Sugarloaf Road, Sandy Hook                            February 25, 2004