The Diminishing Church; Priesthood and Religious Life!

The Diminishing Church:  Priesthood and Religious Life!

Is it with or without God’s Presence; now or for all time?  I ask this because when many of us were growing up during the 40’s, 50’s, and into the end of the 20th century, church attendance and affiliation to the Sacraments were a priority.  On any given Sunday, the Protestant churches had one or two services while the Catholic Church always had four or five Masses, and most were overwhelming attendance.  On Saturday evening it was not uncommon to have several lines of penitents waiting for confession.  Novenas were always filled at least once a week and most churches had them at times that were compatible with working people to attend.

One specific trend was for families to promote priesthood or religious life to their children with the hope one of their children would consider that vocation.  Usually it was mom that did the most urging and many priests were added to the Church.  Look at St. Monica; without her constant prodding of her son, St. Augustine would never have become the bishop of Hippo and the most prominent Doctor of the Catholic Church.  

Our greatest problem today has become the reason why the Church has been dropping in attendance and the priesthood has become an empty vessel for God.  Perhaps the mysterium of religious life no longer holds a desire to be one with God since modern society seems to offer more than a potential spot in heaven, something Jesus offered to the original apostles.  The return of the seventy-two;  “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”  (Lk 10: 20).  

Was your decision to give up much of the satisfaction from following Christ by adhering to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience?  Everyone you grew up with are earning loads of money, refraining from pleasures of the flesh, and doing their own thing without answering to one person or a form of obedience.  Even as deacons who work and raise families, and pretty much set their own organized schedules take an obedience to their bishop.  Not as severe as religious but in a manner of speaking still gives some sense of church conditioning.  

However, when a man and woman exchange vows at their marriage, unless they make some type of promises opposed to the standard of; “I promise etc, etc.”  The words “I (name) take you (name) to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”  Promises to some edict affect all of us wherever or whenever our lives are part of a new entry into secular or religious choices.  As parents we try to pass these attributes to those we have reared.  

It is the premise of becoming like the family next door for larger homes, bigger and fancier cars, the center of attention, and the one to go to for information in finances and politics.  Yet, a life of serving God via holy orders or religious life is still the one victory that even though is disappearing, there are five heavenly rewards, referred to as crowns believers can receive:  the Victor’s Crown, the Crown of Rejoicing, the Crown of Righteousness, the Crown of Life, and the Crown of Glory.  All taken from New Testament letters and/or epistles.  These are meant for all believers, but especially if one chooses to follow Christ via holy orders and/or religious life.  

We are in a world that still needs apostles to claim the kingdom of God to anyone who is searching for God and forgot where and how to find him.  

God’s call for those who are willing to leave the world’s attractions as a secondary choice and give themselves for the kingdom is still out there; He calls but once; your answer is forever!

Ralph B. Hathaway