Bridge or Barrier?

In today’s Gospel, many of Jesus’ disciples decide to no longer follow him. His teaching on the Eucharist and the necessity to eat His body and drink his blood was too much for them too handle and so they departed. Jesus’ teaching was a barrier to them. The twelve, however, took his teaching and accepted it. Peter says, "To whom shall we go, you have the Words of eternal life." Peter and the other eleven saw the teaching as a bridge instead of a barrier and drew closer to Christ.

Bridge or Barrier?

Many of the teachings of the Church are viewed as either bridges or barriers for people. Before giving some examples, let me first qualify what I mean by the Church. Lately it seems that many people are throwing the term around very loosely when discussing the Church. The Church is said to be oppressive, alienating, contradicting, etc... I agree that members within the Church can fit that description. However, if we are speaking about Mother Church, the spouse of Christ, the bride of the bridegroom, then we need to be careful. How would any husband appreciate someone insulting their wife? Why should it be any different for Christ and his spouse, the Church. The Church is the spouse of Christ and as such, is all holy and the guardian of the Truth that Jesus has revealed. Therefore when the Church teaches authoritatively on matters of faith and morals, we take it as God’s revealed truth spoken through his Church.

Let me give a few examples. I love to give examples, so let me use the very image of the bridegroom and bride since our second reading in Ephesians is about the love of Christ and His Church. Let me illustrate how some hot topics in our modern day are viewed as barriers to Christ instead of bridges. The image of the bridegroom-Christ and His Bride- the Church is a foundational image for many teachings.

Let’s start with the teaching on the priesthood. The priest acts in the person of Christ when he confers the sacraments. Christ is the bridegroom and thus, the priest when acting in the person of Christ, likewise acts as bridegroom. Did you know I am married?! As a priest acting as the bridegroom I am married to the Church, the bride. This is why the priesthood is reserved to men alone. Here is where many see a barrier. "Why can’t women be priests?" To start, it is the teaching of Christ himself. He chose twelve men and for 2000 years that succession has followed. This is why Pope John Paul II stated in 1994 that the Church has no authority to change the teaching and it is to be definitively held by all the faithful. It thus is an infallible teaching, meaning that will never change because it was given to us by Christ himself.

Bridge or barrier?

Another example pertains to the vocation of marriage itself. Married couples are asked to love one another as Christ loved the Church. Husbands as bridegrooms are called to love their wives, their brides and vice versa. This is why we hear in the letter to Ephesians that a man leaves his father and mother and joins his wife and the two are made one. In our day many people have a problem seeing a marriage as God has designed it. There are groups advocating same sex marriages and think that there should be alternative families. However, God made marriage for male and female to compliment one another, becoming one and to bring forth children. Every marriage is asked to be a model of Christ the bridegroom and His Church, the bride. Notice Jesus did not say there could be a bridegroom and bridegroom or two brides. St. Paul, also touches this matter in his letter to the Romans (1:27) in case we think this is just a new thing in our day!

Bridge or barrier?

Finally, while I’m on the topic of marriage and couples coming together as one in a unitive way and bringing forth children responsibly, let me tackle the hot topic of contraception. Marital love, as Paul VI in Humanae Vitae stated, is called to be human (using reason), total (100% self-giving), faithful and fruitful (God willing, bringing forth children and educating them). The total 100% self-giving love that Christ has for his Church is the model for all marriages. This is why whenever anything blocks the total self-giving and natural end of the conjugal act (procreation and unitive or "making babies and bonding") it goes against God's design and the natural law. Contraception is not open to life and blocks the unitive and procreative element. I know many see this teaching as a barrier and hard to accept. However, the Church asks her sons and daughters to unlock the grace of the sacraments (confession and the Eucharist), prayer, and natural means of planning like NFP (natural family planning) to see this authoritative teaching as a bridge to Christ and his grace instead of a barrier.

I want to make it clear that I am aware that this is a tough teaching for many. However, I was ordained to bear witness to the Truth and must be obedient by preaching what the Church has asked her priests to preach. Listen to what the Church has asked her priests in Humanae Vitae, "So beloved Sons, preach with full confidence and be certain that the holy spirit of God, who guides the Magesterium in its teaching, will illuminate the hearts of the faithful and invite them to give their assent."

Bridge or barrier?

I invite you all to give your assent and to see this teaching and all the teachings of the Church as bridges to Christ instead of barriers. These are "hard sayings", just as the teaching on the Eucharist was for the disciples of Jesus. However, Peter says, "to whom shall we go, you have the Words of eternal life." Jesus and his bride invite us to hear these words of eternal life. The bridegroom and his bride ask us all to see His teachings as bridges rather than barriers, so we may grow in holiness and reach our final end.