The Catholic Church this weekend celebrates the solemnity of Christ the King.Considering that, as has already been commented from these columns, we are living in a culture where traditional values can no longer be taken for granted, such a celebration offers the Church in Malta another opportunity to reflect deeper on the challenges facing her.
One issue that would appear to crop up is whether we are witnessing some kind of quiet "attrition" by which Catholics may be abandoning the practice of the faith by distancing themselves quietly and gradually from attendance at Mass and identification with the Church.
In other words, people falling by the wayside without consciously rejecting their faith in Christ but, for whatever reason, not drawing life from the liturgy, the sacraments and preaching.
Addressing the bishops of the United States last year, Pope Benedict XVI made, among other things, a very inspiring and challenging observation on the problem of "attrition".
"It is becoming more and more difficult, in our Western societies," said the Holy Father, "to speak in a meaningful way of 'salvation'. Yet, salvation - deliverance from the reality of evil, and the gift of new life and freedom in Christ - is at the heart of the Gospel.
"We need to discover new and engaging ways of proclaiming this message and awakening a thirst for the fulfilment which only Christ can bring. It is in the Church's liturgy, and, above all, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, that these realities are most powerfully expressed and lived in the life of believers; perhaps we still have much to do in realising the Council's vision of the liturgy as the exercise of the common priesthood and the impetus for a fruitful apostolate in the world."
Another problem in today's world is the eclipse of the sense of God that inevitably leads to a practical materialism, which breeds individualism, utilitarianism and hedonism. In fact, in modern society, the so-called "quality of life" is often interpreted primarily, if not exclusively, as economic efficiency, inordinate consumerism, physical beauty and pleasure, to the neglect of the more profound dimensions - interpersonal, spiritual and religious - of existence. Indeed, the neverending quest for a better "quality of life" has become the root of all evil in humankind.
The Archdiocese's DISCERN Institute seems to have hit the nail on the head when, some years ago, it said that a "Here and Now" criterion was emerging as a process that was so diffuse in the culture that it could be considered as a sign of the times of the turn of the century in Malta.
This criterion, derived from the Western culture, continues to make its way into our culture through the globalisation process.
The "Here" represented the individualisation pull in our culture, making sense for the individual to pull things his/her way. The "Now" reflected the other experiential pull that invited people to concentrate on the present moment.
Maybe one of the great challenges facing the Church in this country is that of re-evangelising the culture through cultivating a Christian identity that is based not so much on externals as on a way of thinking and acting, grounded in the Gospel and enriched by the Church's living tradition.
This calls for new ways of thinking and acting based, first and foremost, on a well-studied and sound diagnosis of today's challenges accompanied by a unified commitment in the service of the Church's mission to the present generations, especially the young.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: TOM