Merton raises the question of why The Good News of the Gospel is so easily distorted and rejected by most people
Thomas Merton has these comments on how the Gospel has lost all sense of urgency and good news. It is found in Conjectures, pp.122-24.
“The time is fully come, the Reign of God is at hand: REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOOD NEWS.”
“The greatest temptation that assails Christians is that in effect for most of us, the Gospel has ceased to be news. And if it is not news it is not Gospel, for the Gospel is the proclamation of something absolutely new, everlastingly new, not a message that was once new but is now two thousand years old. And yet for many of us the Gospel is precisely the announcement of something that is not new: The truths of the Gospel are old, deep rooted, firmly profoundly disturbing to those who wanted to cling to well-established religious patterns, the ancient and accepted ways, the ways that were not dangerous and which contained no surprises.
“Repentance is at the same time a complete renewal, a discovery, a new life, and a return to the old, to that which is before everything else that is old. But the old and the new meet in the metanoia, the inner change, that is accomplished by the hearing of God’s word and the keeping it. That which is oldest is also newest because it is the beginning. …The Gospel is handed down from generation to generation but it must reach each one of us brand-new, or not at all, If it is merely “tradition” and not news it has not been preached or not heard. It is not Gospel.
“Any word that comes from God is news!
“But our idea of news, the newspapers’ idea of news, might lead us to believe that any word ac
except what came from God was news. As if what was said by God had to be so fixed , so determined, so rigid in its set form that it could never be anything new, never unpredictable, never astonishing, never frightening. If there is no risk in revelation, if there is no fear in it, if there is no challenge in it, if it is not a word which creates whole new worlds, and new beings, if it does not call into existence a new creature, our new self, then religion is dead and God is dead. Those for whom the Gospel id old, and old only, have killed it for the rest of men. The life of the Gospel is it newness.
“Those who preach the Gospel as if it were not and could not be news, as if it never could be news again, are saying in their own way, and much more terribly than Nietzsche, that “God is dead.” They are declaring it officially, they are proclaiming it not just as the paradox of an eccentric, but as the doctrine of their church.
What makes the Gospel news? The faith, which is created in us by God and with which we hear it as news. This acceptance of faith, this new birth in the Spirit, opens up a new dimension in which time and eternity meet, in which all things are made new: eternity, time our own self, the world around us.”
My comments:
I
These words from Thomas Merton from almost fifty years ago are as fresh as the latest rumor on Facebook. They challenge our faith to the core of our being.
How many parents do we know who are heart-broken and confused that their children have left the Church, often at the earliest opportunity. This is the case often, in spite of the effort of parents, with much sacrifice and generosity, to pass on the faith. It is not only young people, others of all ages are leaving the church in great numbers. In El Salvador, only 44% of the population claims to be Catholic. That is a radical change in the past several decades. In the US, the second largest group behind Catholics consists of those who have left the Catholic church.
Another big question behind these observations is how many who have left the Church have found Jesus? Likewise, how many who are still Catholic really have a meaningful relationship with Jesus?
This reminds me of the great mystery that challenged Paul in the New Testament. Why did not the majority of the Jews accept Jesus? Paul has much to say about it but it is still a great mystery. Likewise, Merton’s observation on the newness of the Gospel do invite us into a profound mystery.
II
Pope Francis’ first document, The Joy of the Gospel, almost seems as he had read Merton’s words and is responding to the prophetic declaration. I think it is relevant to quote the opening passages from Francis
- 1 “The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by its joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come
A joy ever new, a joy which is shared
- 2 “The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasure, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life become caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry, and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.
- 3 “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step toward Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways, I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace….With a tenderness which never disappoints but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.”
III
In his Exhortation in numbers 11 to 13 Francis goes on at length to stress the “Eternal Newness” of the Gospel. The center of the proclamation will always be the same and always new: God has revealed his love in Jesus crucified and Jesus risen!
He says that when we return to the source we will always encounter a newness and freedom in the Gospel. New ways open up and innovative creativity makes possible a proclamation of the Good News that is original and fresh with relevance to today’s world.
The Pope lists three target groups who need the new message of the Good News.
The first group is the entire community of faith that is involved in their religious commitment to varying degrees. The second group includes those who have been baptized but never were truly engaged in the faith. They need a more immediate encounter with Jesus and his message of joy and love. The third group are all those who have not heard the Good News. They need to be invited to their first encounter with Jesus.
Francis goes on to develop a rich vision and outline of a broad pastoral program in this opening statement of his pontificate. It all centers around the Joy of the Gospel always new and always calling us to a deeper encounter with God’s unconditional love in Jesus.
It is interesting to note that Francis offers an extensive section on preaching. He highlights its importance along with the need for the quality of good prefacing as a major priority in our times.
IV
About fifteen years ago, I began to organize my homilies on a repetitive theme of God’s unconditional and unlimited love revealed in Jesus. I bring many other points from the day’s Scriptures and the historical situation. In the end, the message is about Jesus calling us in mercy and love. Then at the end of my homily with proper preparation, I ask the congregation if they want to walk with Jesus. After some prodding I eventually get a generous and expressive, “Yes, Lord!!” with a raising of the arm into the air. It is well received.
This is my small effort to keep the encounter with Jesus fresh at the center our faith journey.
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