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I have
gotten involved in the setting up of a parish pastoral council in my local
parish. I figured that, as a young catholic, I would have something to offer,
but I am not blind to the fact that there is so much dissent and liberalism
in the Church today, and parish pastoral councils, whilst having a valid
role with the potential to do good, have the potential to turn into destructive
dissenter's groups. At the first meeting, there was a lot of talk about power,
finance, lack of priestly vocations and the pastoral group needing to have
“teeth”, and talk about the bishop in guardedly critical ways etc...
I was wondering to myself if the desire for holiness and sanctity feature
in these lay people’s thinking, or was it more for them the desire to
be part of a group of elites to “change the Church” and feel good
about themselves? I was wondering what I should aim to achieve by being part
of such a group, or really if it is a waste of time. I know that if orthodox
Catholics do not involve themselves in these things, then modernists and
progressivists will be only too happy to take over. The question is, can
a lone person make much impact with people whose minds are already
closed?
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 es, a lone person can be effective
in the Church. Moreover, in fulfillment of our
obligations [1]
as Catholics, we should all be trying to exert a
healing influence on others, whether those persons be inside or outside
the Church.
One Wise
Counsel
I recommend that you engage in
this sort of holy work, however, with no expectations of having any visible
effects on others. This counsel will protect you in two ways.
First, it will protect you from
the temptation of believing that you
are “special” and that the Church needs you to protect Her from
the rising flood of apostasy that surrounds us all. The truth is, Christ
promised us that the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail (Matthew
16:18). The Church is in His hands. He knows very well what is happening
these days, and He will raise up servants to do His work. But never forget
that the work is His, not ours, and that His ends
remain beyond our comprehension.
Second, the counsel will protect
you from the disappointment of seeing
that your work is met with indifference and ingratitude by others. Remember
that Christ worked miracles of healing, rose from the dead, and ascended
into Heaven, and, in spite of it all, He was treated with
indifference and ingratitude. And, even to
this day, and even by His own anointed, He continues to be treated with
indifference and ingratitude. So, as His servant, expect no better treatment
than He Himself receives. Only in the Kingdom of Heaven will the effects
of our temporal work be revealed, everything—even the least blade of
grass—be accounted for, and justice be administered.
Notes
1. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
2472).
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