This Sunday we
celebrate the Ascension of the Lord and also Mother's Day, and all this at the greatest
treasure of the Catholic Church: the Eucharist... In 1961 Pope John XXIII wrote
an encyclical called Mater et Magistra
("Mother and Teacher"), and there he described the Church's beautiful
role as mother of the faithful, but also
her awesome duty as teacher of mankind[1].
In the encyclical he applied the teachings of Jesus to so very specific issues.
One Catholic columnist was upset by what the pope had to say and he wrote an
essay that became known as Mater yes,
Magistra no! It seemed fine for the Church be a tender, loving mother, but
he get angry when she pronounced teachings he did not like.
Sadly
this journalist he summed up the sad state of many contemporary Catholics… Next
month I will have been a priest for thirteen years, and I have noticed that
many want the church as a mother. When a loved one dies –or some other crisis-
people instinctively turn to the Church like an injured child seeking his mom.
This is a wonderful moment, and whereas God is first and foremost
"Father," his church must always be as a mother…
There
is, nonetheless, a massage to this tender image. A true mother must also
instruct. A teacher cannot simply pat a student on the head and say, "keep
up the good work." At times she will have to set a student straight. The
job of correcting is not an easy one. To accept correction is hard. It involves
the cross, a willingness to suffer.
Let
me tell you about someone who did respond to this challenge. A Catholic doctor
once experienced a profound spiritual renewal. He realized his faith needed to
affect not only his role as husband and father, but his entire life. In his
medical practice he had been prescribing the pill and other forms of
contraception. After studying the effects of these contraceptives, he concluded
many of them not only prevent conception, but cause the destruction of a newly
conceived human life. Even though the embryo is very small, still what he
prescribed could destroy that tiny child. This serious reflection led him to
review Catholic teaching regarding contraception. He made the bold decision to
stop prescribing artificial contraception and instead to teach natural means.
This
doctor's decision involved the cross. He naturally lost many of his patients;
his colleagues treated him like he had a infectious disease. They kept their
distance. His family suffered and there was some fear. But, you know, along
with the cross God gives blessings. It brought his family together like they
never were previously. And eventually he built up a practice based exclusively
on natural methods. He now has so many patients he cannot take new ones.
[Anyway],
for us as well it can involve a kind of martyrdom to accept the Church as not
only our mother, but our teacher. Following Jesus is not just a matter of some
pious feelings. Our very minds must be renewed so we can resist the destructive
power of the culture that surrounds constantly. Only by a humble submission to
the Church as our teacher can we, as St. Paul says, discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect[2].
To
sum up: In the long run we cannot have the Catholic Church as our mother unless
we also accept her as our teacher. And as Jesus makes clear, in accepting his
Church, we are accepting him. Amen ■
[1] Mater et Magistra is the encyclical written by Pope John XXIII on
the topic of "Christianity and Social Progress". It was promulgated
on May 15, 1961. The title means "mother and teacher", referring to
the role of the church. It describes a necessity to work towards authentic
community in order to promote human dignity. It taught that the state must
sometimes intervene in matters of health care, education, and housing.
[2] Rom 12:2
