My normal routine during weekly Eucharistic Adoration is a half hour of prayer, including the Rosary, and a half hour of reading or meditation. I will call it meditation because it sounds better, but may be best described as thinking of whatever random thoughts come into my mind. I believe it is important to just listen at times and God will speak to me. Now, I’m not very good at that. My mind tends to wander off easily. Staying focused is a challenge where I often fail. However, once in a while I am able to concentrate sufficiently that some intellectual clarity will emerge. I would like to believe it is the Holy Spirit speaking to me, but that might be a bit presumptuous.
Very few Catholics in my parish take advantage of Eucharistic Adoration. For a time on this particular day, I was the only one present. While I appreciate the lone time with Jesus, it saddens me that most people do not take advantage of this opportunity. If we truly have the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ before us in that monstrance, why isn’t every Christian in the county trying to get in our doors? Then, I began to think about some of the Protestant ministries in the area who are vibrant with active members, even without valid sacraments. Why are they seemingly more attractive than we are?
Here is where I thought some inspired clarity added focus to the picture. In typical Protestant communities around here, members will say the sinner’s prayer and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They have the opportunity to go to church on Sunday, listen to some preaching, and sing a few songs, usually contemporary music with guitars and drums. They may develop a more personal relationship with the pastor, his or her family, and all of this tends to be more socially entertaining. If they don’t like the sermons or the pastor, they can go down the street and find one more to their liking.
Catholics on the other hand are centered on the Holy Eucharist. The Church has much more to offer with the Sacraments, devotions, standardized prayers, and the various rites. Worship is more vertical and not naturally conducive for socializing. If one is not properly formed in the faith, it can seem overly structured and restrictive, and unfortunately, our faith formation has been weak at best. We have many more paths to connect with God than our Protestant brothers and sisters, but perhaps not as many to connect with one another. Or maybe the social opportunities are there, but take a backseat to the spiritual side. The horizontal component of religion is much easier to maintain in the Protestant form it seems.
Having so many opportunities for Catholics to connect spiritually means we also have many more opportunities to disconnect. In addition to Sunday Mass, there is confession, weekdays Masses, adoration, Holy Days, Fast and Abstinence Days, devotions, prayers, rosaries, lay ministries, the list goes on and on. So those of us who are active in the parish pick and choose what we think we can handle, and usually find ourselves with the same faces, often few and far between. It is so easy to gradually disconnect. “No one can be expected to do all these things, so maybe I will lessen my load.”
What is the answer? How do we grow spiritually and pass that desire onto others? If we truly understood and appreciated what we have as Catholics, our churches would be full. Yet, how dare I find fault with others because they are not doing what I am doing? Am I holier than they? Probably not. All I can do is keep praying and hope God tells me what I should be doing, and gives me the wisdom to hear and understand.
For those struggling in the practice of their faith, my
advice would be to try doing one more thing than what you are doing now. If you are a bare minimum Catholic only
attending Sunday Mass, try adding one weekday Mass, or finding one program on
EWTN that you might enjoy regularly. Stop
in for a quick visit next time you pass the church on a weekday. Spend a few minutes at Eucharistic Adoration. Go to the Catholic Answers website and read a
short tract on some tenet of the Catholic faith. Start small if you must, but do something to tighten
that connection with your Catholic faith. A little effort can go a long way.
