"Where is our faith?"
It is a question that I ask myself all the time. One that comes up often as I am praying at the bricks. This started during the course of the pandemic. As our ability to receive the sacraments was restricted. Then as public Mass was allowed to resume the question has kept coming up every weekend sense.
With the current state of the world. It really isn't that big of a surprise that I'm wondering this. The world keeps moving in a direction that either waters down the importance of God. Or worse moves down a path that demands that we go directly against what God asks of us. Our parishes, for the most part, have suffered greatly because of this. The empty pews on Sunday are a clear indication that we are having a major problem. At it's core that we no longer have faith in Christ. We no longer believe that God is present in our lives. Or that we no longer need to gather inside a building to celebrate Christ and take part in the most important element: The Eucharist!
I would like to believe that the parishes are well aware that this problem exists. However a desire to commit to solid action is limited. Also not consistent across each diocese. We have access to tools and resources that we can use to evangelize. Yet not everyone has a desire to do so. We seem to be silently resigned to our fate as we watch our parishes close one by one. That nothing can be done to change the course of the direction our parishes are headed into. Of course this ties into the deeper spiritual problem that exists in our society. Something that each parish needs to navigate in order to thrive in a world where people no only believe that Christ is our Savior.
As I'm sitting in prayer on this issue. My heart becomes deeply troubled. I worry for the fate of our parishes and the reality that so few attend Mass. We cannot expect much from the parish when no one is able to help in parish life. The various ministries tend to suffer the most as more demands are placed on them. This often with a silent frustration that few of us get to see. The needs of the many become greater while the resources need to help no longer exist. It will take a major act of God to bring a revival and people back to the church. This much I understand. A moment of time when people will open their hearts and realize that God is very much needed and the closer we draw to Him the better our world becomes.
Until that time I will sit in the pew or pray at the bricks and ask myself that same question: "Where is our faith?"
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