If you attended Mass in another Catholic Church today you would
have observed that the readings that they used and we used were very
different. The reason being, the other church was continuing to prepare
some men and women for initiation into the Catholic Church at the Easter
Vigil. These candidates have been attending classes for several months
and today is an opportunity for them to continue their integration into
the life of their new faith community. Unfortunately, we do not have any
candidates this year and so we are not privileged to have that very special
ceremony. When adults come seeking membership in our Church they
seldom come alone. They are brought by faith-. lled Catholics who are
so happy with their church that they want to share it with others. The
RCIA Ministry stands ready to share a knowledge of the teachings of the
Church with the candidates. It is dif. cult to believe that the faith life of
the members of our parish has not attracted more inquirers to learn about
- The reason the candidates usually give for not responding sooner was
extending that invitation for next year’s class.
The main character in today’s gospel is Nicodemus, a man who
wanted to learn more about Jesus and His teachings, but was either too
proud or too fearful to come to Jesus in the bright light of the day. So, he
came in the darkness of the night. Even when Jesus told him how to enter
God’s kingdom, he left, only later to return to help with the burial of Jesus.
A religious writer provided these insights into the personality of
Nicodemus. “ He was more interested in judgment and condemnation,
more so of others than himself, and less interested in compassion and
understanding. He had a hard time with people who were “different,”
those who did not think and believe exactly as he did. He kept himself
very busy with churchy things, and was very slow to immediately respond
to God’s word. Even after being instructed by Jesus himself, he turned and
went away.
Although Nicodemus is mentioned several times in the gospels, it
is not clear if or how well he responded to our Lord. Did he realize that
God sent His only son into the world not to condemn people, but to save
people? Did he appreciate that the forgiveness of God was to be measured
by the manner that He forgave other? Did he understand that he was not
to spend his time judging others, but to use his energies to bring people
into the Church, not to exclude them or drive them away.
Nicodemus probably heard and understood, and even totally agreed
with Jesus. We just don’t know if or how well he responded to his word. .
I wonder if the same can be said about us?
FATHER POWERS
