Cultural catholics or a life worth living?

Dr Christine E. Wood, Director of the Office of Evangelisation & Catechesis

Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles once said, “Jesus Christ did not come to suffer and die so that he could make ‘cultural Catholics’.”

These words echo the famous second century Catholic theologian, Origen, who wrote, “For what profit is it to you, if Christ came in the flesh, unless he also comes into your soul?”

It’s a good question especially in light of the great number of people in our community who identify as Christian but who are rarely seen engaging in the life of the Church. 

Certainly, we cannot judge superficially the interior dispositions of people’s hearts. But as Christ himself said, “You will know them by their fruits.” True Christians are those who live by a Christian faith enlivened by love of God. When there’s no discernible difference between the character of Christians, secularists, or atheists, then one has to wonder what motivates these so-called ‘Christians’?

Although we require a Catholic culture to carry Catholics along, helping to form our worldviews and providing us community support in the Christian life, it isn’t cultural Catholics that the Church seeks to produce.  Christ suffered and died to set the world on fire with love. Our loving fidelity to him cannot be lukewarm; rather, it must consume us.

What does it profit us to admit Christ lived and died for us if it doesn’t change us? Do we simply slide through everyday life, as though the Gospels were akin to a commercial break or some other fleeting distraction? Is it a case of, “well, amen to that, now what’s on Netflix?” 

If we were to take the Gospel seriously we would set the world on fire! If we were intentional about our participation at Mass – paying attention, praying with all our might for ourselves and those around us – then the sacraments we’ve received would bear amazing fruit. No longer would we exit Sunday Mass without a discernible change. Rather, our lives would manifest Christ to the world. 

Inspired by Christ, our family lives would improve. We would be more focused on each other, rather than our digital devices. We would be more present to one another, bearing one another’s burdens, listening to each other’s problems, and finding solutions together. The anxiety, loneliness, and isolation many of us experience would significantly diminish. Life would be a life-lived-for-others out of love for Christ. We wouldn’t serve the poor simply because that is what Christ teaches. Rather, we would serve the poor because we believed we were serving Christ himself.

Now wouldn’t that be a life worth living?