Regina Archbishop Daniel Bohan greets parishioners.
(Flegel photo)
Religious faith is Good News for our country
By
Archbishop Daniel Bohan
We come together today to give thanks to God for the blessings which come to all of us because we live in this rich and blessed country. We come here as people of faith, as Catholic Christians and citizens of Canada, to pray and celebrate this day.
We recognize that Canada is a country that is struggling to find a way
to see itself in this ever and quickly changing world we live in. We
are well aware that Canada has chosen to see itself as a secular country,
and as a secular society. This is something new in our history. Many
of us who are people of religious faith get upset with this vision of
what our society is supposed to be: a society in which religion has
been moved from the public places and institutions where it held a valued
and honoured position for over four centuries in our country.
Neither can we forget that among the Plains Indians who have lived here
for thousands of years, spirituality was and remains an important, indeed
essential part of their way of life. The Indian people have lived this
spirituality out in public ceremonies and rituals that taught the meaning
of this spiritual culture and gave them an identity as a people. We
as Catholics have done likewise, as we expressed our Catholic culture
with its ceremonies and rituals. The public living of our faith in this
country gave us a sense of our identity as Catholic Canadian citizens.
I have a vivid memory from my childhood, of going on the bus to mass
on Sunday in the early 1950s. The bus was crowded with people standing
and holding on to the hand bars or straps with one hand and in the other
hand the Catholics had their prayer book and rosary and the Protestants
had their black leather-covered Bible, everyone staring suspiciously
at the opposition; but everybody there, going to church, publicly bringing
the outward signs of their faith.
Then all of a sudden it seemed that the world changed. Canada continued
to welcome more and more new arrivals in our country. Only now, they
were not from the Christian countries of Europe, but they are from all
over the world. And seemingly, all of a sudden, there were not only
many religions but there were now many faiths. Now, deep in the Canadian
heart and conscience there is felt the need to respect all who are here
and a strong dislike of offending others. And so our attitude changed.
Religion was moved off of the public bus, as it were, and people are
told now that religion is a private matter that belongs in the privacy
of our homes.
Christians have reacted to this sometimes with anger, as in the case
when Christmas traditions and practices are not allowed in schools or
public places. And, as a result, secularism can be seen as an enemy
or an oppression and is met with anger and frustration on the part of
religious citizens of our country. But is this the best way for us to
deal with this reality in our country? How are we as Catholic people,
for example, best able to speak to this society that is not only around
us, but also of which we are members? For speak to them we must.
As followers of Jesus, whom we know to be the Way, the Truth and the
Life for every person on earth, we know that Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, has called us, not to put the light of our faith and the blessings
of our relationship with him under a basket. Indeed, we are called not
to confine the way we live as Christian people to the limits of our
bedroom walls. Rather we are taught by Jesus that we are to let that
bright light of our faith shine before all people. Jesus teaches us
that we are to be a light for our country and our society, a light that
can dispel the darkness of injustice and oppression, of pain and despair
and can give life and hope to everyone in our country.
After Jesus had healed the man from Gerasene, who, as you remember,
had been possessed by a legion of demons, he told the man to go home
to his family and his friends and he said: You tell them “how
much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”
Here is the mission of the followers of Jesus. We are followers of Jesus
today and we too are taught that we are to tell people how much the
Lord has done for us and what mercy the Lord has shown us.
We are able to speak to our culture with the words which tell of the
blessings we personally have received because of God’s love for
us. We are also able to speak to our culture with lives lived according
to the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel for this mass, Jesus
speaks the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are
the poor is spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The word “blessed” conveys the meaning of happiness and
joy. Many people in our society see religion as a bad thing because
of the actions of religious extremists. They see religion as a dangerous
power urging people to acts of violence and terrorism. They see religion
as bringing about extremism in political life. They see religion as
endangering people’s freedom.
Is it not our duty, to God who loves and saves us, to show our society
that our faith is not threatening but rather is Good News? As our society
seeks a way to be just, fair and welcoming, do we not have something
to say to those around us that will be helpful.
Jesus teaches us then that our friends and neighbours need to see in
us people who are poor in spirit, people who in the sad and tragic times
of life find comfort and peace from God, people who hunger and thirst
for what is just and right. Our neighbours need to see in us who are
Catholic people, people who are merciful in our dealings with them,
people who make peace rather than cause division, prejudice and violence.
And our neighbours need to see in us people who will not give in when
the going gets tough, but remain faithful to the Good News entrusted
to us. People need to see us as “blessed,” as joyful people
whose lives have a special happiness, joy and peace because of our faith
and our relationship with God.
In this way we can truly be Jesus’ witnesses. In this way we carry
out Jesus direction to tell people “how much the Lord has done
for us, and what mercy he has shown us.” And in this way we people
of religious faith can be Good News for our country.
May God bless this land of Canada and all of its people.
Bohan gave this homily at the July 1 Canada Day mass at Blessed
Sacrament Church in Regina.
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