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Hola and welcome to another edition of All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. If you have a question that you’d like me to address, send it to me. You may use the comment form on the website, or by email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. I invite you to share this podcast with everyone you know!
On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about where we invest our faith. The fallout over the murder of George Floyd has sparked widespread and sometimes violent protests across the United States. In general, the protests are about addressing systemic racism in the country – especially when it comes to policing. But protestors in several parts of the country have destroyed or attempted to destroy statues that some believe are evidence of institutionalized racism, like statues of notable confederate leaders.
But protestors have also targeted churches and religious statues in various parts of the country. Clearly, at least for some protestors, this is no longer about Black Lives Matter. I think there is a group of people, hopefully it’s a small group, who would like to see the artifacts of Christianity erased from public view. That in itself is an interesting if not frightening idea which we will explore next month when we discuss what it means to be a Christian today. But today I want to focus on how the illegal attacks on churches and religious statues affect our faith.
First, what is faith? C.S. Lewis described faith as, “the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”<1> Thomas Aquinas distinguishes between the faith which is an unmerited, undeserved gift from God, and individual faith which is, “the act of the intellect assenting to the truth at the command of the will.”<2> Today when I use the word “faith,” I generally mean individual faith.
Today’s topic, “Wherein Lies Our Faith,” is related to the question, “do Catholics worship saints and statues?” This is a question that I keep coming back to over and over again. Even before I was ordained, I found myself in situations where I had to defend the faith against accusations that Catholics worship the saints or worship statues.
Let me be clear, our faith is in the triune God alone: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit! Period! As Christians, we believe we are saved by the blood of Jesus which he shed on the cross for you and for me. We are saved by Christ Jesus! Period! We are not saved by Mary. We are not saved by the saints. We are not saved by the angels. We are not saved by the Church. We believe that Mary, the saints, the angels, and the Church and all of us cooperate in evangelization – in sharing the Good News with others in order to bring people to Jesus. But only Jesus saves.
We (mainline Christians) believe that Mary and the saints – not just the official saints, but all believers who have passed away – make up the Communion of Saints. The idea about the Communion of Saints or the Cloud of Witness is one of the oldest beliefs in the Christian faith. That we believe in the Communion of Saints has been reflected in the Christian creed since at least the 4th Century.
We believe the saints can intercede for us before God. Now, this idea of intercessory prayer is not as widely accepted by Christians, but this belief is rooted in Scripture. In the Book of Revelation for example, we read, “And another angel came and stood at the altar, with a golden censer; and much incense was given him, for him to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,” (The Revelation of John 8:4). Not to digress, but this is one of many Scripture passages referring to those who’ve fallen asleep and intercessory prayer. The point is while we believe in Mary and the Communion of Saints, we do not worship any saint, not even Mary. We worship Christ alone.
Now what does this have to do with our topic, “wherein lies our faith?” Mary and the saints are part of our faith – they are elements of our faith tradition, but they do not compose the sum total of our faith. Ok, you might be thinking, “fine, but what does this have to do with protests?” Excellent question!
A few years after 9/11, I asked a group of adult learners in a Church History class to reimagine the tragedy. Instead of the twin towers, what if St. Peter’s Basilica had been destroyed? How would they feel? What would it do to their faith? I put the question to you too.
Even then, a few years after the attacks, there was no surprise at the range of emotions undoubtedly shared by many Americans – from shock to anger to profound sadness. The students said they’d probably experience similar emotions if an icon of the Catholic faith, like St. Peter’s, were destroyed by terrorists. But what surprised me were the number of people who weren’t sure how it would affect their faith. The suggestion was so troubling to some, that they couldn’t comment – they didn’t want their imaginations to go there.
I can certainly understand people’s reluctance to even consider such an awful event! But putting that aside, why would this harm your faith? The problem of pain – why would a good and benevolent God allow such tragedy in this world? – is a question older than the Book of Job. That is a huge question with a wide variety of theological opinions which we could consider in a future episode, but here’s the reader’s digest version. There are two types of evil in this world: moral and physical. A physical evil is like the damage caused by a hurricane. Thomas Aquinas tells us that these sorts of events are not evil in themselves. They are only evil in relation to people and the bad results produced. <3>
The idea of moral evil is rooted in free will. God chose to place us in this imperfect world subject to physical evils, and he gave us free will, which is the freedom to choose the right. When we reject God, we all evil to spread into the world. Why does God allow this to happen? Why does he allow people to commit horrible acts of evil? There is an idea in the lumber industry that the trees which produce the best lumber are those which have been subjected to the elements. Those trees whipped about winds, for example, produce a tough lumber. Those trees which have been sheltered to some extent produce inferior lumber.
There are many examples of this with regard to people. Athletes subject themselves to physical hardship and suffering in order to discipline their bodies for better results. No pain, no gain. The same is true for people of faith. In the early church, when Roman persecution began, many quickly left the church to save themselves while other believers willingly faced martyrdom. How can we know our conversion is firm if we are not tested? That’s not an easy answer to accept, but there you have it.
God gives us free will. Some people abuse free will for their own pursuits which allows evil to gain a foothold in our world. Those whose faith is tested by these evils but cling to God are true believers. Does that mean that God abandons us? No. There are who describe encounters with evil and believe that Jesus is there with them holding them, and in some cases weeping alongside them. It’s a powerful image much like that of a parent who tried to raise their child right, but the child chose a path of drug addiction and violence. All a parent can do sometimes is pray and weep. But like Augustine’s mother, Monica, we hold on to our faith and pray for conversion, consolation and deliverance.
Sadly, this world offers us too many opportunities to test our faith from the current threatened removal of statues like of St. Junipero Serra or St. Louis, to the vandalism of other religious statues to the desecration or even destruction of churches. Make no mistake, these are criminal acts of violence to be sure, but we must remember these buildings and statues can be repaired or replaced. Our faith isn’t in the building or the statue, but in God alone.
The clergy sex abuse scandal and cover-up are another opportunity to test our faith. It’s been disheartening to me that so many people have left the Church. Worse still are those who are so disillusioned that they’ve turned their backs on Jesus. This is why such failures of leadership are so scandalous because it can lead people to apostasy. We can be angry, disappointed, or disillusioned, but our faith can’t be invested in the Church or any priest or holy person. These gifts can help nurture our faith, but our faith has to be in Christ alone despite the presence of evil in the world.
Our faith is in Christ alone. Should we fight or resist evil when it comes to our door, like violent protestors? Should we do nothing to prevent the rising tide of secularism or the dangers of Marxism? Does this mean we should just let them in and destroy what they want?
Well, there is that idea of turning the other cheek. But there is also the axiom that a shepherd must tend to his flock, and at times, fight off the wolves. When does it make sense to make a stand? When we have the greatest opportunity to facilitate an encounter with Jesus Christ. When our actions will spark curiosity and a willingness for dialogue. Buildings and statues destroyed by acts of evil can be replaced. Bringing people to Jesus Christ, that must always come first.
Wherein lies our faith? In Christ alone.
Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!
You’re listening to All Things Catholic. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment – I’d love to consider what you’re thinking. If you’re on the webpage, just click the title of the podcast, then scroll to the bottom and you should be able to post a comment. Do you have a question that you’d like me to address? Please send it to me using the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.
This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. All Things Catholic will be back next month, and don’t forget to tune in for the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!
Notes:
<1> C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (New York: HarperCollins, 2009), chap. 11, Kindle.
<2> Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, 2nd, rev. ed., trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920; New Advent, 2008): II-II, Q. 4, a. 2., http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2001.htm.
<3> Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theolgoica, 2nd, rev. ed., trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920; New Advent, 2008): I, Q. 49, https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1049.htm#article1.
References:
1. Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. 2nd, rev. ed., trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (1920; New Advent, 2008). Accessed July 27, 2020, https://www.newadvent.org/summa/.
2. Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Kindle.
3. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.