Hallways of fun!!

It is so easy to look at the Church and see all of its faults. It’s easy to do that with any organization. But because of what the Church stands for—God—it is easy to have higher expectations for it. Yet, it seems as if it keeps failing for so many people. But why is that?

In his book, The Holy Longing, Fr. Ron Rolheiser gives his take on this. And I must say, I agree.

I was told once by a priest that the things we criticize of others are usually problems we ourselves have. I think that this is what Fr. Rolheiser is trying to get across. He says, “What is too painful to deal with is not the Church’s imperfection but my own fantasies about my own goodness.” We focus on the negative aspects of others so often that we forget about the negative aspects of ourselves.

This is something I have struggled with because I know I am not perfect. But is that supposed to make me stand by and watch another sin?

At any rate, what matters is we pay more attention to the good aspects of ourselves and the bad aspects of others. I do this, too. The struggle is to focus also on the bad aspects of ourselves and the good aspects of others. And from that comes a sense of humility and need of a community. And it is then that we find we need the Church the most.