Heading Everyone in the Right Direction
Mark S. Roberti, Director of Stewardship and Development
Heartland Parishes of Ellis County

Several years ago, I was in meeting with a Catholic businessman and a bishop. The man was the president of the Serrans, a diocesan organization that promotes vocations. He said to the bishop, "Your Excellency, if we’re going to head everyone in the same direction, we’re going to have to turn everyone in the same direction!"  That simple statement stuck me as very profound."

That’s what Catholic unity is all about. We’re all supposed to be heading in the same direction. The pope and the bishops set the direction; we follow.  That’s how it works. When that happens -- and whenever that happens -- our Church flourishes. We’re guided by the Holy Spirit. When it doesn’t happen our Church simply struggles along making little progress.

Recently, I was talking to the Knights of Columbus Grand Knight of my parish council. He spoke of the recent Kansas state convention, and how the Knights had been very involved in promoting the "Vote Yes" effort for the April marriage amendment vote. At the convention, they had said, "If we can get 35,000 Kansas Knights headed in the same direction, we can have a profound impact upon this state." To that I said, "Amen!"

What about the rest of us Kansas Catholics? Why is it that, often, we cannot seem to walk in unison? What is it about us that we have to be "independent thinkers?" Jesus, told Peter, “[Y]ou are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.… I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:18-19).  In the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, He says the same thing to the apostles.  Jesus, God, is establishing a command structure.

In an appearance to the apostles after His resurrection, He breathed on them and said, “[R]eceive the holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”(Jn 20:22-23).  At the very end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to the Apostles, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20).

Clearly, there can be no serious doubt that Jesus is doing three things: he is initiating a Church based upon Peter, the Apostles, and their successors; he is sending His Holy Spirit to guide them; and He is promising them – and us -- that He will be with those leaders until the end of time.

We must believe that.   We must believe that Catholicism is the fullness of the Christian faith. Why else would we want to remain Catholic? Because, if I have the truth and the Church doesn’t, why not jettison the Church? Or is it just a nice social club to which I want to belong?

What makes us Catholic? Sure we’re baptized and later confirmed into the faith. That’s a big part of being Catholic, but what’s the sense if we are choosing not to follow our faith? Why be part of an organization I can’t buy into? Where’s the integrity in that?

It’s good to grapple with issues when we don’t understand the Church’s teachings. That’s how we learn. But if we really want to learn about our faith, we need to go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other authoritative Church teaching, not Time Magazine or to some other person who knows about as much about our faith as we do.

Here’s a tip from someone who once thought you could play the fence in Catholicism. You will fall off every time. And, sometimes, you will get hurt pretty badly.

There is absolutely no personal integrity in sitting on the fence. Are we in, or are we out? If we’re in, let’s play by the rules the Church provides. Let’s walk with the Church in her journey to eternal life. If were out, let’s not pretend like we’re in.

Being in means being involved, to the greatest extent possible, in the life of the Church.  It means making a commitment. It means giving our time in prayer, our talent in service and ministry, and our treasure in helping the Church financially. It’s not simply one of the three, or two of the three, but all three. That’s how it works for a healthy life, a healthy family, a healthy Church, and a healthy world.

Are you in, or are you out?