In the second week after Easter, the Church suggested that we read from the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the life of the early Christians: “No one among the church was in want, for everyone who owned land or a house sold it and brought the money and gave it to the apostles, who distributed it to those in need” (Acts 4:34-35).
Bible scholars tell us that Luke’s portrayal of Christian communism should not be taken too literally. They tried to help the poor and even raised funds to help them in far-flung places, but the situation was not so idyllic.
There were some less than exemplary situations. Jewish Christians tried to impose the Law of Moses on Christians of pagan origin. There were disagreements and other shortcomings between them. Paul and Barnabas, who had traveled and worked together, had a disagreement and separated.
It is easy to see that the situation has not changed much in modern times: we often hear about scandals involving church members, pedophile priests and monks, their protection by church authorities, misconduct and sometimes cruelty in orphanages and schools for indigenous children run by the church.
If we rethink our expectations of the church, we won’t be so resentful
On the other hand, the Church also runs institutions that show a lot of compassion and love to those under its care. Specifically in Malta, we all know the compassion and love shown to the disabled at the Sigievi Home, the compassion and love shown by the Ursulines, Caritas, the Jesuit Refugee Service, etc. Such compassionate Church institutions exist not only in Malta but everywhere the Church is present.
All this helps us to see the Church as she really is: a saint and a sinner at the same time. Many are indignant at the Church’s sinfulness. “Indignant” literally means to stumble, to trip over a step in the road as you walk and fall.
In some ways this is understandable, but the main reason it happens is because we expect the church to be pure, forgetting that Christ built it on the rock, forgetting that Peter had denied Christ only a few days earlier, and forgetting that the church is made up of fallible and vulnerable human beings.
Some may be tempted to somehow eliminate the wicked, under the illusion that they are righteous, not saints and sinners, like the Church itself. But the Lord had a different solution. He told the servants who were trying to pull out the tares from the wheat field: “Let them grow together.” In the world, we all live together. It should be the same in the Church. Judgment will only come at the end.
Pope Francis calls the Church a field hospital. In war, people get wounded and need immediate medical help. The field hospital responds to this. All of us – all members of the Church – get hurt from time to time. The Church provides healing and comfort.
If we reconsider our expectations of the Church, we will not become resentful: instead of approving of evil, like the Master in the parable, we hope for conversion and we nurture the wheat and the tares together, for God does not abandon anyone.
Father Alfred Micallef is a member of the Society of Jesus.
ajsmicallef@gmail.com
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