What Does All This Mean?


I was sitting in a church one morning, lost in prayer, as I prepared for an appointment with my confessor. A man walked in and sat down in the pew across the isle from me. He sat in silence for awhile. I wasn’t really paying attention, until all of a sudden he looked over, gestured in a sweeping motion toward all the artwork at the front of the church and asked, “what does all this mean?” He paused for a moment, quickly turning his gaze back to the front of the church, and pointing toward the statue of Mary, before continuing his thoughts, “I get the mother Mary, but what about the rest of it?”

Kiiiind of a big question...just sayin’.

I know it was the hand of God in this moment, because in and of myself, I had no idea how to help this man. Something in me said to just keep him talking. As it turns out, he was raised in a Protestant church, fell away from his faith and made some really bad choices in life, and felt a desperate need to physically confess his sins to a priest. I can relate to that sentiment. I recall a deep longing for this very thing as a Protestant, long before I had any knowledge of confession or even any desire to become Catholic. I think this is a longing within each one of us, to not do the journey alone, to be truly known by at least one other person, and to express our sins verbally, as we are taught to do in the Scriptures (Matthew 18:18, John 20:22-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18, James 5:14-16 and 1 John 1:19). In the Catholic faith, we are very blessed with the sacraments, the way Jesus touches not only our hearts, but also our needs in the flesh. Our need to physically hear, “go in peace, your sins are forgiven.”

People sometimes ask what drew me to Catholicism. It was first and foremost the love of Jesus in the Eucharist, but a big part of it was also the sacraments. It was in the Catholic Church that I met Jesus’ humanity for the first time. Suddenly, my faith was also something I could touch and feel. I had heard about the resurrection my entire life, but no one really told me about Good Friday, the struggle leading up to those resurrection moments in life, and that it’s okay to struggle, until I saw Jesus on the crucifix. In an era of prosperity gospels, no one told me that life would be a lot of sacrifice, and that it could be used for good, for my sanctification and for the good of the Body of Christ when united to His sufferings (Colossians 1:24). That suffering can be useful and be redeemed, it has meaning and purpose. To be honest, when I first began attending a Catholic church, it took me awhile to even look at a crucifix. I found it unnecessary, and at the same time deeply convicting and compelling. We live this Paschal mystery over and over in life, especially during Lent each year. We die to self, we may spend some time in the tomb, and then eventually, we find the joy of new life born from this time of pruning. Some people would call this the “seasons” we experience in our lives.

The man in church that day had never heard before that Jesus chose it. He CHOSE the cross. Jesus had the power to come down off of it, but He CHOSE to lay down His life as a sacrifice for us. Because He loves us. Because He is real. Because He knows the battle we face, and that we don’t understand (Luke 23:34). This man knew he needed a fresh start and that it began in relationship with God, but also that we need each other. Confessing our sins to one another and accepting accountability for them is so important in order to heal that wound caused by our sins to not only God, but the Body of Christ. Because like it or not, we wound the Body of Christ, His Church, each time we sin, whether anyone ever knows about it or not.

I don’t know what happened to that man after that day. I just remember his last words before we parted ways. He had been struggling with his life choices and whether he was forgiven. He seemed to question whether God could love him, but as he turned to leave, he said, “maybe there was a reason for us meeting here today. Maybe there was something you needed that I had to give, and you had something that I needed.” Little did he know...he reminded me of the value of simply being present to another person in need. I had no way to fix his situation, but that wasn’t what he needed. He just needed the reminder that he was loved by God, that someone cared, and that there was still a chance for him to do something good with his life, and that he wasn’t alone.

The longer I am a Catholic, the more I hear one particular sentiment about this way of faith and evangelization. “Where do I start?” I felt the same way that day in church. I find this faith so deep and so rich that when someone asks me something so general about my faith, I find it almost impossible to know where to begin. I wish I could just show them a snapshot of all that is in my heart and mind, all the beauty of this faith that has been handed on to me and all the rich meaning behind all the little parts of the Mass, the images, the words, the gestures.

I don’t remember everything I said to the man in church that day. I know it was a long conversation and we covered a lot of ground. And while it is important to know the “why” of things, and to learn and pass on the reasons for the things we do and all the truths of our faith, I know now what I would say if asked that question again, “what does it all mean?” I would say, “It means God loved you enough to go to any means necessary to enter into relationship with you, because He loves you so much He can’t take His eyes off of you. He loves us all so much that He reaches out in countless ways so that not one person may be lost. He tries reaching us on every level, whether spiritual, emotional psychological or physical. He does this through Scripture, the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit, and yes, through the sacraments. He NEVER gives up on you, He’s just waiting for you to respond to Him. That’s what this all means.”

The fact that the Church has survived 2,000 years through many ups and downs, good popes and bad, political upheavals, the rising and falling of nations, and even huge splits in Christianity, is proof that God never gives up on a broken humanity and He never will (Matthew 16:18 NRSVCE).

At the end of the day, people all around us, sometimes even within our own church, are hurting and lost, and looking for the truth that is inside each one of us. Sometimes the only things standing between a person and repentance is a listening ear who can stand with them and simply be present to their story without judgement, and when the time is right, offer a word of encouragement to turn to the One who can meet the deeper need underneath. Jesus calls us to be His ambassadors on earth, to share with others the beautiful gift of salvation that has been handed on to us.

I know it’s popular in American culture to be independent, there can be this “Jesus and me” approach that can alienate people, rather than draw them into life-giving relationship and ultimately to Jesus. It isn’t just about our personal salvation. We are a people. The Body of Christ. We have a duty to look out for the welfare of our fellow travelers in this life journey (Matthew 25:31-46). And we don’t need a theology degree to tell others what He has meant in our own lives. We simply need to be present and be willing to share what’s going on in our own lives. If we don’t know the answer, we can simply say so, but the love with which we answer, whether we know what to say or not, will speak volumes. It is this love that can inspire others with the strength to get up again and keep moving forward in life, and it is our testimony that can show them that there really is a savior who loves them. Who knows, maybe you are one of those hurting people looking for answers. And my prayer for you today is that you will find those people in life who can cheer you on in your faith journey, because we all need encouragement to keep going. We all have our good moments and bad.

As I close today, I leave you with a song and a question. How are you sharing your faith with others that you come into contact with? Maybe it is a stranger, but many times, it will just be a friend or fellow parishioner in need. Many times, though, we won’t know the needs until we simply take the time to ask, “how are you doing today?” and then really listen for the answer.

“Does Anybody Hear Her?” by Casting Crowns



“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20 NRSVCE

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