“The Lord’s voice flashes flames of fire.” Psalm 28. In it, we face the unleashing of a storm. The Hebrew term qol, which signifies both “voice” and “thunder”, repeated at the beginning of key verses creates the mounting tension of the Psalm. For this reason commentators call this Psalm the “Psalm of seven thunders” for the number of times in which the word resounds. But which, in its innermost meaning is a word of peace and harmony.¹
What we face today in our faith, is in many ways, the conscious restraint of the Word to be replaced by relativity. Here in the Psalm we have such energy, such power and glory: The God of glory thunders. Immense and proud to proclaim the Divine Majesty. Look around. How do we reflect this trust and belief amongst us, in our prayers and within our life?
Those spiritual people who are called by God to discover Him and know Him can testify to the truth of his Word and their life is lived with faith, whilst giving witness to His love and glory. Most likely, these people will not be sitting dully at mass. Perhaps they have been called to a vocation, or have been sent on a mission to make God present amongst the ordinary citizens of a busy town or poor country village. Or maybe they are your neighbour or your friend.
The issue here is the contrast we face. The sleepy, celebrant-centric mass contrasting the voice and thunder described by the psalmist. In fact, church numbers appear to dwindle not just because we are filtering the true Christians from the habitual or non-practicing ones, but because a true practicing Catholic struggles to be satisfied with having God shrunk to a size that fits all. God is uncomfortable, he brings strife, change and wonder. Where do we see that in our Church? In between the “avvisi tal-gimgha” or the woman kneeling at confession throughout the reading of the Gospel? Do we get a sense of joy and feel the communion in the dim light of a few energy saving bulbs? No wonder sometimes that the congregation is totally absent in its response. Where is the message that we are at mass to celebrate the Eucharist, the passing of the Lord and the Resurrection? Will the electricity costs really not justify bringing this message to the faithful? The priest only needs to mention that the parish has chosen to create a more fitting ambience in the church and ask for some more euros at the collection. I am sure that having seen “the light”, there will be more gold coloured coins in the basket rather than brown ones. Trust in God! He will provide! If you don’t trust , you won’t know.
The sense of control by the Celebrant is stifling. How are we supposed to know how much pause to allow between one word and another to suit the pace of the prayer? It is not natural. That is not how people read or speak. There is no unity of prayer and all sense of dialogue is lost. It is of no use to be told to read from the pamphlet. The result is a one-sided mass and the followers are left without that sense of renewal which should be felt and taken away with them. So, maybe, not all persons who do not come to mass are lost souls. It’s possible that they made that choice for the sake of honesty. And although many people still do attend mass, even though they would have hoped to take more from it than they do, the number of church-goers is only one aspect of representing believers in God.
There are thousands of people who have found the mass for them amongst the Groups and Communities, approved by the Vatican. From them, there have come many vocations too and new families open to life. Lots of baptisms and most of all, evangelisation.
Take away the evangelising spirit of the Church and you are left with only the sacramental pastoral, which does not reach those who do not partake in the mass or the sacraments. A wedding is ok and a funeral but otherwise, the thunder is far away from them.
How many times now we have heard Pope Francis telling us to Get up and Move and spread the Word. It is this sense of evangelisation which the Pope wishes to arouse in us. And most of all in his Church. So, why, have we become so complacent here in Malta? The Island of St. Paul, the Apostle, preacher to the Gentiles! From where is the confusion in the way the Church is being led, coming? The message is a simple one. Evangelise! Be evangelical. Wake up and proclaim the word of God. You cannot go wrong with that. To pretend that the time is not right, or that the message is political or the preacher is biased or the people are not interested is to become cathechised by the devil. What better way to destroy the Spirit of God in man, than to silence it and make it into something that people can tolerate? A small mobile phone. An app.
“Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel.” And the people listened and were hungry to hear the word and received it and many converted.
A “katekesi” on the gift of Life, or the sanctity of marriage is not an incite to political unrest. It is an explanation of church’s teachings which lead us to have an adult faith. Maybe it’s not for everyone but for those who want to live their faith in as full a manner as they aspire to, it is very important that they are guided by the teachings of the Gospel and have access to enlightenment, spoken with one voice. They need that point of reference.
So please, let us hear “the Lord’s voice rending the oak tree and stripping the forest bare”. “In his temple they all cry: “Glory!”.
The parable of the talent comes to mind. Remember the last chap who returned one talent back to his master, having feared to lose it, he rather kept it buried until the master returned and he told him, here it is – you gave me one talent and I am giving it to you back. It seems to me that is where we are now. Preserving the one talent instead of going out and making two talents, three talents. Whatever the reason, whatever the motive, if change is needed in the way things stand, it should not be feared. Embrace the many faithful Catholics in Malta who already see what lies before them and then know that there are others who still ask for forgiveness and others still, who are happy to just believe. Or not believe. Either way, the support of the people is not what determines the cause. Of itself, and in itself, if the Church now needs to be administered more inclusively, more energetically, or more lucidly, and members say this, it is by far and in no way, a persecution of the Archbishop or even a judgement on him. The fact is that the change has already happened and the order of administration and power now needs to be put in place.
“The Lord sat enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits as king for ever.
The Lord will give strength to his people,
the Lord will bless his people with peace.”
¹ Pope John Paul II