Our world suffers greatly from a deadly illness. This pernicious attitudinal malady, which is leaving millions of silent victims existentially dead, has been rightly termed by the Pope as indifference.

But what exactly is indifference? According to this year's Lenten message issued by Pope Francis, it was explained in the following manner: "As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don't think about those less well off." The Pope added: "Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization of indifference." The Holy Father admitted that faced with this serious problem, we, as Christians, should confront it.

Indifference hurts us deeply because it goes against our real self-giving self that God created in each and every one of us. God is pure self-giving. To illustrate this pivotal point the Holy Father gives us a simple yet beautiful explanation. "God is not indifferent to our world; he loves it so much that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the gate between God and man, between heaven and earth, opens once for all. The Church is like the hand holding open this gate, thanks to her proclamation of God's word, her celebration of the sacraments and her witness of the faith which works through love" (cf. Gal 5:6).

In front of so much love shown by God through his Church, how does the world respond? The Pope said: "The world tends to withdraw into itself and shut that door through which God comes into the world and the world comes to him". Unfortunately, if this is the case, how can the Church help the world to open its door for this saving self-giving love of God? The Church is in an idyllic situation as she can give witness to the Christ she believes in and lives by bringing about in herself that much needed interior renewal wanted for her by the Holy Spirit.

If we Christians are completely open to the Holy Spirit's workings in our community, especially by letting Christ serve us by the word of God and the fruitful reception of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, we would be in an ideal position to "become what we receive: the Body of Christ". God's life-changing word coupled with the sacraments of the faith can truly be powerful means through which we, as Christ's believers, can genuinely live Saint Paul's exhortation, historically written to the Corinthian Community but spiritually addressed to every community which professes that Jesus Christ is the Lord. "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together" (1 Cor 12:26). Thus, in the Church, as communion sanctorum (or the communion of saints), "no one possesses anything alone, but shares everything with others".

But the Church is also represented by parishes and communities alike. Hence, these ecclesial structures are called to portray those pastoral initiatives which have, at their core, the diligent care of "its [Church's] weakest, poorest and most insignificant members". The first step which the Pope suggests is "of uniting ourselves in prayer with the Church in heaven". The saints are those who "have triumphed once and for all over indifference, hardness of heart and hatred" by letting God's self-giving love in Jesus Christ transform them entirely. The second step which the Pope recommends is that of opening the Christian community to serve "the poor and those who are far away". How impressive Pope Francis' appeal is in this regard! "How greatly I desire that ... our parishes and our communities may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!"

Towards the end of his Lenten message, the Pope gives us individually a piece of advice - to bypass indifference and be proactive in the exercise of fraternal love towards the needy. The first one is "pray[ing] in communion with the Church on earth and in heaven". The second advice is "help[ing] by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far through the Church's many charitable organisations".

Are we ready to live this Lent by letting Christ's Spirit renew us interiorly?

 

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

Paola