Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop | Diocese of Honolulu

I recently had a conversation with a gentleman who has been a Protestant all his life but is now seriously considering entering the Catholic Church. He has struggled with some of the doctrines, but after studying them, he now understands and accepts them. However, he did offer some observations of his experience visiting many Catholic parishes as a “seeker.” He mentioned that in very few parishes was he welcomed by anyone. Neither an usher nor a parishioner noticed that he was a newcomer and offered him a word of welcome. He also mentioned that, since he is not familiar with the ritual of a Catholic Mass, he has only found a couple of people who noticed his discomfort and tried to give him a brief orientation by guiding him discreetly through the ritual. In most places, he was simply left guessing.

He obviously saw things that the rest of us can be blind to since we are so accustomed to what we do and how we do it. I appreciated his honesty, and it was very eye-opening.

Jesus today heals a man who was deaf and mute, and as Isaiah pointed out, the signs of the Messiah would be one who opens the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, who loosens the tongue of the mute and makes the lame leap like a stag. But we must never read the Gospel as simply a record of what Jesus did in the past. Jesus is risen and alive today, and he still performs these miracles of love for us. In the case I just cited, he opened the mouth of this seeker and the eyes of someone who may not see things from the perspective of a newcomer. But there are many other ways Jesus opens our eyes and ears today, and many ways he tries to loosen our tongues.

It is very easy for us to turn a blind eye to the homeless, for example, perhaps even having an attitude toward them that St. James condemns in his letter. If we truly see them, we must then respond in some way. This does not necessarily mean giving them a handout but does move us to reflect on what we can do to prevent this situation and alleviate their sufferings. Giving to Catholic Charities or volunteering for parish outreach ministry may be ways of opening our eyes and hearts to them. Or working with our elected officials to provide resources that address root causes of poverty is another way of getting over our lameness and engaging in action.

We can choose not to hear a friend suffering because of discord in their family. We may even know this friend has issues with drinking or violence but say nothing, turning a blind eye to their suffering. If we accept Jesus' healing, we might take the risk of having an honest talk with our friend about their destructive behavior while offering compassionate support.

The widespread destruction of unborn human beings is another significant evil easily ignored. We can remain silent about such inhumanity or accept Jesus' healing by becoming advocates for unborn children’s dignity.

Although no one likes criticism—and it was hard for me to hear what my Protestant “seeker” friend pointed out—his refusal to remain silent about these situations is indeed beneficial for all so that we can reform our ways into being more welcoming and loving people. His criticism was liberating because it came from love rather than condemnation.

Sometimes this is also why pastors change periodically—to bring fresh perspectives that affirm goodness while correcting faults within parishes. We pray your new pastor will work compassionately yet powerfully like Jesus so that our tongues will share His good news effectively; our eyes will recognize surrounding suffering; feeble limbs will strengthen towards helping those in need; ensuring everyone knows Lord Jesus continues His healing work through us today.