It's doom and gloom time again

The National Catholic Reporter recently ran an article detailing a survey pertaining to the Catholic Church.  The conclusions do not look good.  Low Mass attendance, fewer and older priests, and a general discontent within the pews.  The article offers some solutions though such as married priests, greater lay leadership, and flexibility on various Church teachings.  This sounds fairly easy and clear cut.

Taken alone this survey looks pretty bleak for the Church.  But in the context of other recent surveys and polls, including CARA and PEW research, the Church and the desire for a faith community are alive and well.  Almost like the U2 hit, many people today, especially young people do not know what they are looking for.  But the fact of the matter is that they are looking.  While it is easy to take out the old idea that priests should marry (That seems to be the solution for so many things) returning to the Gospels shows us another way of ministry.

In our recent memory, say 1945 - 64, the Church seemed vibrant and alive.  We had packed seminaries and Catholic grade schools were bursting at the seems.  By the numbers everything seemed fine and good.  We had  become used to passing on our religion, but I am not sure we were passing on our faith.  Our children were baptized, sent to the catholic grade school, and they were married in the Church.  I have begin to wonder whether we were strong in our faith, that is our relationship to Jesus Christ.  Or sis we simply go through the motions of being good Catholics.

What these surveys report, and what the experience of Pastors affirm, is that many, especially the young, are looking for a spirituality.  Presently they embrace eastern religions and more humanistic styles.  We have two thousand years of spirituality within our religion.  More so, devices such as Facebook and Myspace do not fulfill the need of basic supportive communities.  Several months ago a young child was trying to explain to me his weekly schedule of being shuttled between a father and mother, with some other half relatives in between.  We crave community and intimate relationships.

Our youth minister was reflecting upon how much some of the young people are very attracted to adoration of the Eucharist and meditation.  These same young folk are the first to volunteer for service projects and the like.  For many today the depth of what we believe in has never been explained.

Our ministry must convey the mystery of the cross.  Out proclamation of faith is set upon solid principles of belief and tradition which does not lend itself to negotiation.  I believe it is in Mark's Gospel where as people wander away from Jesus as he details discipleship.  Like Peter our faith has to be bolding pronounced, 'Lord you alone have the words of eternal life.