Back in the days of the Wild West in the United States, the primary means of transportation was the stagecoach. We’ve seen people riding in stagecoaches in Western movies. What we might not know is that the stagecoach had three different classes of tickets. However, the distinction between classes had nothing to do with the size of the seat or the kind of food served. Instead, it was about what was expected of the ticket holder in the event of the stagecoach encountering a difficult situation, such as a deep bog of mud or an incline too steep to negotiate.
If you had a first-class ticket, you could remain seated during the entire trip, no matter what happened. If you had a second-class ticket, you could also remain seated until there was a problem, but then you would be expected to get out of the coach until the issue was resolved. You didn’t have to get your hands dirty – you simply watched as others did the work. However, if you had a third-class ticket, not only would you have to get off the coach, but you also had the responsibility of solving the problem. You had to help fix a broken wheel or push the coach through the mud or up the hill.
If I use the stagecoach as a symbol of our parish communities, it offers a striking—and perhaps somewhat harsh—reflection on the state of the Church today. The journey is difficult and challenging. Many of the reliable ‘wheels’ of the past have fallen off. It is harder to find drivers, at least the ones traditionally considered qualified. The only way we can get through this difficult journey is if everyone plays their part. Unfortunately, it seems to me that we may be carrying too many first- and second-class ticket holders.
Appreciate
I appreciate that there is a growing number of people who don’t want to be on the coach at all and have chosen other forms of transport for their spiritual journey. Nevertheless, a significant number hold first- and second-class tickets, using the stagecoach to take them to their children’s baptisms, First Communions, and Confirmations. The stagecoach brings them to their weddings, their family funerals, and many other occasions and rites of passage. However, as holders of first-class tickets, they don’t see it as their concern to help repair the coach or even to provide financial support to keep the show on the road.
Based on my own experience, I suspect that fewer than 25% of the passengers on the stagecoach contribute financially to the upkeep of the parish. While they expect all church facilities to be available when they request them, the other 75% assume that it is someone else’s responsibility to shoulder the financial burden for all the passengers.
Beyond the financial aspects, there are quite a few first- and second-class ticket holders who are committed to their faith journey. Many of them attend Mass every weekend. They may even be among the 25% who financially support the parish but have no inclination to get involved when the stagecoach runs into mucky territory or faces an uphill climb. Not only do they shy away from participating in parish life, but they can also be very critical of those who do step up and live out their baptismal commitment.
Yes, priests were the traditional drivers of the stagecoach, but we all know that the pool of drivers is getting smaller and smaller. Our parish communities can only find new life if more people take up the challenge and develop a sense of responsibility for the future of our Church. Otherwise, we will be left with only first- and second-class passengers – either sitting idly in the stagecoach, going nowhere, or standing outside, watching the wreckage when the horses and drivers have all bolted or collapsed from exhaustion.
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Team spirit
A man got lost while driving through the countryside. As he reached for a map, he accidentally drove into a ditch. Though uninjured, his car was stuck in the mud. He walked to a nearby farm for help.
“Warwick can get you out of that ditch,” said the farmer, pointing to an old mule. The man was sceptical but agreed. The farmer hitched the mule to the car and shouted, “Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick!” The mule pulled the car out with ease. Amazed, the man asked, “Why did you call all those names before Warwick?” The farmer grinned. “Old Warwick is nearly blind. As long as he thinks he’s part of a team, he doesn’t mind pulling.”
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Prayer of St Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands.
Yours are the feet.
Yours are the eyes.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Amen