March 20, 2019 “I just saw Darcy on TV getting put in handcuffs and the back of a police car.” That was what my twin sister, Deanna, told my parents when she called them from her apartment in the Buffalo area, where we attended different colleges. Was the statement true? Yes. But in her effort to rile up my parents, Deanna intentionally waited to explain that I had been playing the role of the driver in a mock DWI car crash staged as an educational event for students at my college. Deanna’s statement was true, but until she gave it context, it didn’t accurately reflect the full truth. I thought about this incident (which I found hysterical, by the way) as I was reflecting on a discussion I had with an acquaintance, who described herself as “spiritual but not religious.” There was a period of my life where I would’ve described myself as “spiritual but not religious.” Looking back on it, it was a belief system that put me at the center. I could disregard any of the rules or teachings I had learned in my Catholic upbringing. I could tell myself I was a great person, and anything I did was just fine “as long as I didn’t hurt others.” There was nothing to challenge me to do better, to be better or to be holier. Like Deanna’s recounting my apparent arrest, “spiritual but not religious” lacks context. It lacks the fullness of truth. As Catholics, we get the context of Holy Scripture, and we get the context of church teachings and tradition to help us figure out what it all means and how we should be living it. We’re challenged – called, in fact – to keep striving for holiness and to better ourselves and our relationships with the Lord. That brings me to the Rite of Election and Call to Conversion. In this hyper secular, hyper individualistic society, it is awe-inspiring to see so many individuals – 20 from one parish alone – responding to God’s call to conversion and the fullness of the church. These are people saying they want to make God, not themselves, the center of their lives. They’re saying they want to live God’s way, not their way. They want the fullness of truth. Let’s join our prayers with theirs as they move toward the Easter Vigil and receiving the sacraments. And to those making that journey, welcome home. |
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