“One can be a good person even if not going to church.” This statement is often heard during conversations with non-practising Catholics. “The most important thing is to be a good person,” they would add. Interestingly, those people would presume a split between being religious and being righteous. Indeed, since the Apostolic times there have been several moral issues concerning those more involved in the Church life. We know, however, that Christianity is not merely a political system or charity organisation. Our faith is about a real encounter with God.
An encounter with the Lord transforms. A part of the change is the internal move towards living a morally righteous life. That is why a behaviour that may seem to those outside as Christian hypocrisy is not Christian. The Church does not promote hypocrisy but integrity, according to the example of Our Lord.
Part of the problem is that the belief in the afterlife, in eternal life, has started disappearing in our society. That is why it may seem like not harming others was enough. We must agree that no one may harm or misuse others. But Jesus tells us in the Gospel today that “a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, either can you unless you remain in me.” What is that fruit? A common individualistic view is that if we do something wrong or sinful, it is either “his business” or, at most, an offence causing harm only to the individual spiritual life of the sinner. The Church, however, teaches that every sin harms the whole community. Furthermore, it also brings harm to the relationship with God Himself.
“Cut off from me you can do nothing.” Without being in a relationship with God and without His grace, relying only on our strength, firstly, we would easily claim our success to ourselves. Secondly, we would not bear fruit in merit towards holiness. We are saved by God’s grace and we are forgiven our offences by God’s grace. That is why, in whatever we do, we should be looking towards our final destiny as Christians rather than concentrate only on the temporal ethical perfection, isolating it from growing in holiness to which the relationship with Our Lord is necessary. Jesus speaks very clearly about it in several passages of the Gospels. In particular, He reminds us this truth today, saying that not remaining in Him may lead only to a disaster. Not only what is visible – human actions, as much as necessary for Christians – but also the invisible grace of being one with the Lord matter.
Łukasz Gołąb – Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Sydney, Australia.
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