Readings;  JOS 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B,  EPH 5:21-32 OR 5:2A, 25-32,  JN 6:60-69

When I was younger, I was taught that if you did something wrong, it would be a lot easier on you if you confessed that sin upfront rather than someone finding out about it later. The church is currently going through one of those times where she has committed multiple wrongs on multiple levels. She needs to come clean and be open about it, so we can begin to heal.

Many people are proposing ways to accomplish this, and most of these folks are more qualified to offer their input and suggestions on the way to root out the evil that seems to have taken up residence with some clergy members. Just as we are asked to confess our sins, we are now in a position where the church needs to confess all its sins. Like our feeling of cleanness and relief, the church can avail itself of this same feeling.

We hear today the last installment of four in the Bread of Life discourse. Jesus reminds us that the words he speaks to us are Spirit and Life. He is telling those around him that he is genuinely sacrificing himself for the sins of the world. He does this so that we can be closer to God, not further away. While the thought of eating another’s flesh and drinking their blood is a teaching that is hard to fathom, much less participate in, we do so in every Eucharistic Celebration we attend. Jesus, through the priest, changes the bread and wine to his body and blood.

With this great mystery comes an interesting phenomenon where he can strengthen us from within allowing us to live as he would like to see us live. Not in a world of violence, subversion, corruption, and immorality, but a world where there are no labels, and nobody needs to hide because of their actions.

This strength helps us to serve God as we hear the tribes of Israel proclaim in the first reading. I received as a gift for my ordination a needlepoint piece with the line from the first reading.
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” There are many people within the church and outside the church who have forgotten this statement. Do we truly serve the Lord or are we giving this lip service and serving the Lord only when it suits us?

The pain and suffering that has been inflicted on countless people by the actions of the church, as Pope Francis reminds us, never goes away. The church is in a position now to accomplish something that can show the beacon of light in the darkness that it is supposed to be. The evil needs to be confronted head-on and dealt with. No more hiding behind the walls of the church but bring the evil into the light and expose it for all to see. When this is done, we can all begin to heal together.

The reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians has the famous line about the wife should be subordinate to the husband. It stirs up in many a visceral reaction to that statement. However, the husband is supposed to be as Christ is to the church allows this statement to have a deeper meaning. As the wife is compared to the church and the husband to Christ we are called to work together for a happy marriage.

When one or the other of this pair act in a way which makes trust difficult the only way to overcome this is to go back to what we learned as kids, it is better to be upfront about any sins, rather than waiting for the other to find out. When we work together in a marriage, we find that no problem is too large to solve. We understand that there is a covenant between husband and wife that allows both to be equal partners in the marriage with the Father. Well, at least that is how it is supposed to be.

The fact that there is a covenant entered into at the time of marriage and God has given us various covenants means that through Christ we are to work with him. This means that we all need to work together to root out the evil that invades our lives, our homes, and our church. When we work as a team, it will be difficult if not impossible for evil to win. As in a marriage when we look at solutions for a problem, we look at all the solutions available and pick the best strategy. Even if that strategy leads to additional pain, we do this to be rid of the problem.

This type of solution works in business as well because everyone knows what the end goal is and agrees to work together to attain that goal. When one does not hold up their end, they should be held accountable. This is much easier with oversight.

It can work the same within the church. While we are currently in a tough spot as a church, that could have been avoided, and we now have the opportunity to help the church recover and not be put in the same position again. How this will be accomplished is yet to be decided, but in my opinion, it should be something that is taken up across the entire church, not just in the US. Not just in the diocese where folks have known about it, but in every diocese within the world. This may lead to more disturbing revelations, but they will be out in the open where the evil will be confronted and defeated.

There are many good men in the presbyterate and the episcopate who would like this resolved so they can get back to the work of Christ. We are led by such a priest and bishop. Some have stated their thoughts on addressing this, and some members have come out and seemed tone deaf to what has happened. While it is easy to say these folks could care less, we should leave the church. The harder thing is to do what the Apostles did. As Peter speaks for the apostles when he says “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” I believe our church, a divine institution run by fallible men,  holds the truths that Jesus taught, and we should work to help her.

With a renewed focus on being a parish, diocese and worldwide church centered on upholding our end of the covenant entered into by Christ at the crucifixion, Christ will hold up his end we will not only survive but thrive as a church.