Spiritual Growth in the Church: Beyond Personalities. Homily, 2nd September

Saint Paul speaks very sharply to the Corinthians because they have begun to divide themselves around personalities.

One says, “I belong to Paul.” Another, “I belong to Apollos.”

Paul calls this spiritual immaturity.

They have begun to look too much at the servant and not enough at God.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

That principle matters especially in the life and worship of the Church.

The priest has a real office, but the Mass is not about the priest. The altar is not a stage, and the sacred liturgy is not something to be shaped around the personality of the celebrant or the preferences of the congregation.

We receive it because something greater than ourselves is taking place.

Christ acts.

The Church worships.

God gives the grace.

The Gospel shows what grace actually does.

Jesus enters Simon’s house and finds his mother-in-law sick with fever. He rebukes the fever, she is healed, and immediately she rises and serves.

Christ acts first. Then her life changes.

That is important, because spiritual growth does not simply mean feeling better, more comfortable, or more affirmed.

Grace heals us by bringing us into greater conformity with God.

Sometimes that consoles us.

Sometimes it corrects us.

Sometimes it exposes something in us that must change.

The truth can be uncomfortable precisely because we are not yet perfectly conformed to it.

We should therefore be careful about judging the faith by whether it feels agreeable to us.

A doctor is not unkind because he tells a patient the truth about an illness.

And the Church would not love souls by hiding from them the truth about sin, grace, judgement, conversion and eternal life.

Truth without charity becomes harsh.

But charity without truth becomes sentimentality.

Neither is Catholic.

Christ gives us both.

Later the crowds want to keep Jesus with them. They have received something wonderful from Him, and naturally they want Him to remain.

But He says:

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also.”

Even their desires must submit to His mission.

That is spiritual maturity.

Not asking Christ to conform Himself to us, but allowing ourselves to be conformed to Him.

Not asking whether the Church reflects the opinions of the age, but whether she faithfully teaches what God has revealed.

Not asking whether the liturgy expresses us, but whether through it we are rightly worshipping God.

Paul plants. Apollos waters. Christ heals. The woman rises and serves.

And God gives the growth.

Not growth into whatever we would prefer to become.

Growth into the likeness of Christ.