We are often asked to fill in questionnaires. Some forms have a religious belief section, in which you may be given a selection of choices. You can check one of the major religions, or indicate that you are an atheist, or you can choose SBNR. What is SBNR? It has become a popular choice in the last few years and it stands for "Spiritual But Not Religious." It’s somewhat understandable why many people choose this. They want something spiritual in their life but don't want to get involved with the rules and regulations and the controversies and scandals that can be associated with organized religion. Most probably, they avoid the effort of having to come to worship.
But on the other hand there are dangers in only being spiritual. People may become very individualistic, with themselves at the center of everything. Or they may get involved with weird ideas about the supernatural without the wisdom of the community to guide them.
What does our Catholic faith say about this? During this Easter season we are reading the Acts of the Apostles, which describes what happened at the beginning of the Church. First came Pentecost. You could not have a more spiritual occasion than this. The Holy Spirit comes with power in wind and fire to each of the apostles. In today's reading from Acts, St. Peter speaks filled with the Holy Spirit. The healing he has performed was only possible in the name of Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified and whom God raised from the dead. But how do we share in the power of the risen Christ? St. Peter did not tell the crowds at Pentecost just to enjoy themselves and let the Holy Spirit take them over. No, he told them that they must be baptized. They must become a member of the body of Christ, to join this community, the Church.
Religion has many weaknesses and at times is in need of reform, and sometimes we need it to give our spirituality a push in the right direction towards justice and charity, to preventing it becoming too self-centered.
Our Christian faith tells us that we are saved as individuals, but as part of a people or community. After baptism the early Christians shared their possessions with each other and broke bread together. It was a religious community. Being alone and spiritual is not defense enough to withstand those powers that tried to destroy Jesus. Jesus tells us in the Gospel today that we are called to be part of His flock. At the heart of this flock, this community is a God who shows His face in Jesus the good shepherd. He respects our freedom and nourishes and cares for us. He is willing to lay down His life for us when the wolf comes to attack. The hireling lets the sheep scatter because he is only interested in payment. Jesus will sacrifice His own life in order to bring His sheep together, united in the one fold.
Take, for example, Aaron Fies. There are many words that could be used to describe Aaron Feis: Selfless. Giving. Loyal. Resilient. But when it came to his everyday life at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, the word "ubiquitous" might fit best.
Coach Feis had an all-encompassing presence that both athletes and non-athletes knew and loved, a presence that extended beyond the school walls to the Parkland, Florida community. In a piece written for ESPN.com, not one friend or former player interviewed expressed surprise that Coach Feis ran toward the gunfire and take a bullet for the students at his school, the place where he played football, graduated in 1999 and returned to help his beloved community. They want everyone to know: This is who Aaron Feis was — every minute, every day.
Feis, a school security guard and assistant football coach at his high school alma mater, was one of 17 killed in the Ash Wednesday shootings at Stoneman Douglas. He died shielding two students from the gunfire. He was 37.
Feis — nobody ever called him Aaron — was a loving father and husband and coach — more than a coach, especially to kids at-risk. His colleagues and friends all said that Feis thought about others more than he thought about himself.
College recruiters also got to know Feis because he made it his business to know them. Feis wanted his players to find opportunities to keep playing. He spent countless hours making highlight DVDs for any player who'd ask. He did this on his own time, on the same salary he made as a school security guard. Feis would say to a college coach about one of his players, "Here's a DVD of a player who needs help. If he doesn't fit at your school, Coach, could you please talk to your other colleagues and help him find a home?" Feis helped get 50 to 70 players into college who might have fallen through the cracks.
Brower County Sheriff Scott Israel said of his friend, "Before you even heard how he died, you knew he died putting himself in harm's way to save others. That's who he was. [He died] running toward danger while others were correctly running away from danger.
"Head coaches have come and gone [from Parkland] but what's the one constant? Big Feis. Kids would do more for Feis because they never wanted to let him down."
And Feis never let them down.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Christ the Good Shepherd walks among us still in the lives of people like Coach Feis, whose love and compassion enable them to "lay down their lives" for their parishioners, their students, their patients, their soldiers, or the mentally and physically challenged entrusted to their care. In Christ, we belong to one another; in imitating Christ, our lives are at the service of one another. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, may we give thanks for the courage and love of those who have laid down their lives for us and for others and seek for ourselves the grace to "lay down" our lives for the sake of justice and mercy for all the members of the "one fold" – the community – The church!
Mary, Queen of All Hearts, pray for us!
