For the past five years, he had the opportunity to spend Holy Week in Rome. There, over 1,000 young people from all over the world gathered together. They spent the Paschal Triduum close to the Pope, visited the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul to pray, share their faith with one another, and experience the Church's universality.
For the first few years, his heart was drawn more to visible things: magnificent buildings, long history, and the beauty of Rome. However, as time passed, his perspective gradually shifted. He began to live Holy Week more inwardly—within the liturgy, in silence, and in prayer. Amidst this, there was a scene that particularly touched his heart: the sight of people from different cultures, languages, races, and life backgrounds coming together to confess the same faith. Though they possess distinct sensibilities and paths, at the center of it all lies Christ.
He often conversed with people from other countries in St. Peter's Square. It was a very simple activity, but he realized many things. When you step out of your familiar surroundings, you naturally come to realize that there is not just one way to follow Christ. In the past, he often spoke of the Church's universality as an "open mind directed outward". This time, he wants to reflect on how that universality is lived out "within" the Church.
There is not just one way to approach Christ. Diverse spiritualities and paths exist. Our goal is the same: holiness. However, God does not call everyone in the same way. For some, silence is important, while for others, action becomes more accessible. Some encounter God within the liturgy, while others encounter Him through concrete service to their neighbors. Yet, all these paths are connected as one within the same faith and sacraments in the Church. Church unity does not come from everyone doing the same things, but from walking different paths within the same faith while moving toward the same Lord.
Recalling my time in my hometown in Spain, I saw many believers living out their faith within diverse communities. While Sunday Mass was celebrated together in the parish, the concrete practice of faith—education, spiritual guidance, and retreats—was filled within distinct spiritualities. From the Society of Jesus, the Salesians, the Neocatechumenal Way, Opus Dei, and the Regnum Christi, to countless other religious groups.
In that scene, he often felt the church's universality. Diversity is not a division, but rather a force that helps each person find their place. This is because, while the paths are different, the destination is the same. We are not merely inside the church; we are the church itself.
We need to reflect on ourselves. We stop learning the moment we think we are doing the right thing and doing the best. We need the humility to learn from one another and a heart open to dialogue. It is also important to have a heart that knows how to rejoice with others' joy. We must be able to rejoice in their successes as if they were our own and give thanks together.
The attitude of absolutizing a specific way within the church and demanding it from everyone ultimately obscures the church's richness. The power of the church does not lie in uniformity. It lies in different aspects harmonizing to form one. It is not a diversity that divides, but a diversity that embraces.
In the past, it was not easy to encounter diverse forms, but if we turn our eyes just a little, we can discover how the church is alive and breathing in so many different ways. This should be a reason for joy, not anxiety.
When that joy fades, and when it becomes difficult to accept the goodness revealed in places that are not 'mine', it is not a matter of the head, but of the heart. Perhaps we have not yet fully lived out the 'universality' that we often speak of. Living more Catholicly is not about doing more, but about living with a bigger heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment