Wednesday 5 September 2012

Faith development - based in the Sunday community, or not?

So my diocese is holding a Mass to launch the Year of Faith - a normal enough thing, I suspect that many places around the world will be doing the same.

Problem is, it's at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

So there will be some holy-Joes who attend their parish's Sunday Mass and this special one - but is that really healthy faith practise?

There will be some who skip their parish Mass, and go to this one instead. There will be some who go to be seen or to curry favour with the bishop - not actually what Jesus recommended, but common enough human behaviour.

And where will the faithful be? Back home in their parishes, proclaiming the scriptures, handing out the newsletters, making the tea, teaching the children, welcoming visitors, praying for the weary and caring for the needy.

I don't know what the aims of this "year of faith" are (yet), but undermining the place of local communities is not a good way to start.

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