Will you leave 'Me too?

I don't want to keep talking about the Church scandals, or the latest about the Pope. It has to be talked about yes, but I see this situation as a burning building. The fire needs to be dealt with, but the hysterics don't help. But don't misunderstand me. Just because I don't want to talk about it, doesn't mean that I don't think about it. Or have been hurt by it. Or am angry about it. Of course I am. But I need to stay away from the angry judgmental words of others--those who get angry at you if you don't have the right words to say, or want to talk of something else. I don't see getting emotional as helping. I just really wish those who are so angry and spread their angry words around would put all that energy into prayer. What fervent prayers would rise to heaven if we would all do this!

But I am bringing it up this one last time. (Unless for whatever reason, I feel like talking about it again.) As I was sitting in church last Sunday, I began to think about when people left Jesus, because he said something very bizarre. He said that "unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you will not have life within you." (John 6:53) And many of his followers left. Turning to those remaining he asked, "And will you leave me too?" (John 6:67)

I thought about those words as I waited for Mass and thought to myself how fitting and prophetic those words are especially now, with so much scandal and betrayal in the Church. The tragedy has been too much for some, and many have left their faith. There will be more unfolding, and more people will leave. We have to pray for those people. They're are justifiably hurt and angry and probably confused. But I wonder what is the greater tragedy: the sexual abuse and cover up, or the people leaving their faith.

Funny enough, once Mass started, guess what the Gospel reading was? It was a bit of jolt to hear Father read those same words I had running through my mind just a few minutes before.

This is what it comes down to for me. When men fail us, to whom shall we go? Where should we set our sights to? What should we build our house on?

Even if the Catholic Church is only a crumb of what it was before, we're still Catholic. And our faith is as strong as ever if it is in God, not men. We have stopped looking to God for answers and have looked to the world and now we are shaken in our faith. So much that Jesus has to ask us, "Will you leave me too?"

I can only imagine what was running through the minds of Peter and the Twelve when Jesus said these words they didn't understand. Things had suddenly gotten very intense and maybe he was wondering just who this Person was that he had left his family and life for.  But he said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of ever-lasting life." (John 68-69)

But these are the words we should be saying. Not the angry words. It's time to form a plan of reparation and honest evaluation of our own lives of where our prayer life is lacking, where we have gotten lazy or just quit altogether, with making sacrifices and practicing penance.  God will set everything to right. Let's give him back his throne and get on our knees where we belong.

Thank you for letting me express my thoughts, even if you don't agree with them.