A matter of life and death

'Thinking Anew' column in today's Irish Times.

Michael Commane

Debate concerning the Catholic Church and the State in Ireland seems mainly to concentrate on matters concerning sexuality or topics close to that aspect of our lives. 

It's fair to say that there is a general consensus that sexuality and sexual issues are the defining issues of our Christian faith. 

Sometimes, but seldom enough, the Church manages to get the attention of the media on matters of justice. 

For their part, Church authorities say that the media is only interested in issues that deal with sexuality. That's an ongoing row and like all disputes there are two sides. There are those who get entrenched on either side.

Since Easter Sunday, indeed, why not include Holy Week, the Church has been celebrating what is at the core of its purpose and existence - the resurrection of Jesus Christ and intertwined with that there has been a concentration on the belief that Jesus was human and divine. Added to that is the age-old belief that there are three persons in one God. 

In tomorrow's Gospel, and on almost nearly every day since Easter Sunday, we see references in the readings to the fact that Jesus and God the Father are united in some mysterious way. 

And then tomorrow week the Church celebrates the Ascension, the following Sunday Pentecost, and the Sunday after that the feast of the Holy Trinity, followed by Corpus Christi. It all adds up to a concentration of serious church belief/teaching over a few short weeks.

And these are matters we take for granted. Or do we take them for granted? If there were no resurrection, if Jesus did not die and rise from the dead, then all our religious prayer, liturgy and ceremony is meaningless.

All these Christian feasts have a long tradition behind them. They have been defined, discussed and refined down the ages. 

Is it really feasible for the professed christian to have one foot in this world and the other in the world of faith/religion, and comfortably jump from one foot to the other? Is it really meant to be like that?

One thing is sure - to say anything about God, resurrection, Trinity requires some sort of belief that is almost impossible to mention. Difficult for words to catch it.

When confronted with death and awful suffering, at least for someone who has been born into a christian milieu, surely fundamental questions about life, life after death and God must be asked? Of course, some will dismiss the “God question”.  

Others develop a pious language that veers towards cliché, and then there are those who constantly struggle, all the time asking questions about God.

Life, as we know it, seems so accidental, so fragile, so precarious, at times so unfair, there must be more to it than this. At least that's what many christians say. There are also those who will never be sure. But that too is understandable.

And all the time linked with the mystery of God in the Christian tradition is this talk about the Trinity. Three persons in one God. A relationship of persons.

Is everything that is good about our lives in this fragile existence not a tiny reflection of something to do with God? Our lives involve us in relationships. 

Christian belief says that the perfect relationship is to be found in the Godhead of three persons. In tomorrow's Gospel Jesus tells us how his father loves us.

The Church has a powerful message to tell. Why is it not out at the public square discussing the Good News? Far too often it seems to be reacting to events, and then being caught on the wrong foot.

These days of Easter are a perfect time to be talking, explaining, discussing the Word of God. Trying to make sense of life, death and resurrection.