Go Out to All the World and Tell the Good News...

Let's have a little lesson in etymology, shall we? Catholicism. Root word: catholic. Meaning of the adjective catholic: 1. including a wide variety of things; all-embracing.

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

It is so important not to secularize the message of the Catholic church. However, let's not forget the fact that the message is meant to be universal, accessible to all, available for the masses to partake. And the most important role of a Catholic is to preach the Gospel, using words if necessary. (That's St. Francis, right?)

Suchitoto, El Salvador

We enter edifices of brick or of stone, architectural snapshots of history or the result of eclectic modernity, every Sunday. We hear a beautiful message that is as new as it is ancient, meant to be as timeless as it is universal. But what is important to remember is that even as we find refuge for our wandering hearts and beckoning prayers within the shadowy cool refuge of the physical church, we must remember that we are the Church, that as we recess toward the doors at the end of mass, we are charged to venture into a brilliant world, a world rife with the joy and beauty of God, and to be eyes for those who cannot see it.

Suchitoto, El Salvador

These images are of a little church in Suchitoto, El Salvador. I have a friend who is currently saving the world in that tiny country. He's not Catholic. He's not big into organized religion. He's prefers Einstein's view of God over St. Augustine's. Yet, I'm pretty sure if he were to sit in a room with St. Francis, they'd get along famously (they're both marvelous writers, and they're both a little crazy...). I value this friend, because he sees religion very differently than I do. That challenges me to define and re-define what I believe, it challenges me to find the connections and the parallels between us, not just the differences, and it challenges me to remember the root of my Catholicism. A heart that is open to the wonders and joys of the world, even as it balks at the definitions of the unknown subscribed to by organized religion, is still a wonderful companion in the journey of life.

Suchitoto, El Salvador

Though my church is built of marble, my house is built of glass. Before passing judgement, share joy. The Glory of God, defined in different terms, is still truly magnificent.