Reflection for the Vigil of the Feast of the Dedication of Consecrated Churches

As we commemorate the consecration of our church, the Gospel reminds us that the place where we worship is not as relevant to salvation as the manner in which we worship. I just returned from the Philippines which has recently been shaken, literally and figuratively, by a series of typhoons, earthquakes and stunning revelations of the extent of the political corruption that the people have battled for decades.

Rather than merely worshipping in churches, each Catholic there was called by the cardinal-archbishop of Manila to participate as they were able in the massive street rallies against corruption that were being held throughout the country on the Sunday that the gospel was that of the dishonest steward. Huge Masses were held not in churches but in the parks and streets where the people were assembling, and the cardinal himself led the most prominent one in Manila. Truly, here was the witness that “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Let’s face it, showing up in a building is not much of a test of faith. As with the Samaritans and Jews in Jesus’ time, there are many today who practice a religion for national, cultural or social identification. I am certain that, every Sunday in some church buildings around the world, you can find drug lords, corrupt politicians, sexual predators, unscrupulous business people, greedy exploiters of the poor and of the earth right there among us ordinary sinners. 

What we do inside the building is totally meaningless if we do not take our faith out the doors. 

A worship space is just the beginning of the journey, but certainly can be an important first step. For the month of October, the Philippine people have been instructed to replace the usual intercessions at Mass with a special prayer invoking the protection of God. Beyond the plea for protection from natural disasters, though, it addresses the scandals and reminds the people of their collusion: “… in our silence, in our compromises, and in our indifference. … Forgive us, Lord, and cleanse our hearts of this grave moral evil that robs the poor of bread and the nation of hope. Give us leaders after the Heart of your Son: shepherds who serve, not wolves who devour.” 

There was also a national day of prayer for the country in which Catholic churches and other faiths participated. If you would like to see, or even better, pray those prayers, there will be copies available outside the chapel or can be found online (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2118514/manila-archbishop-calls-for-oratio-imperata-amid-corruption). This movement uses the place of worship as a springboard for recognizing both personal and societal sin and moving the participants to action.

Our country, probably every country, could benefit from such a universal call to conversion. When Pope Francis spoke out against the environmental crisis and Pope Leo spoke out about migration, critics said they should stay out of politics and stick to talking about the faith. I can’t think of anything that is more about our faith than the survival of creation and the inhumane treatment of human beings. What if all people of faith in the United States were encouraged by their bishops to say a specific prayer in their churches every week for the tragic mistreatment of the vulnerable taking place in our country today? Would we have the courage to proclaim and act upon Jesus’ words that worship takes place wherever we honor the God of truth and justice by professing our collusion, witnessing our belief in a better world, and working towards that time Jesus promised when we no longer care as much about where we worship as we care about making every place on earth consecrated to God.