From time to time, I’m asked a question like the following one. “Father, what do you think about what’s happening?” It is always true that something is happening and often, I have thoughts about what’s happening in the world. Those two facts, however, are insufficient to allow me to respond to the question.  

An adequate response requires an adequate question; an adequate question, in this case, would specify the event the questioner is asking about. Lacking that important information, it is impossible to respond to a question about “what’s happening.”  

Sadly, there are many situations that lack sufficient crucial information. I’m reading a book that is an example of the consequences of inadequate information. The book was written by a professor of philosophy who intended to demonstrate the positive value of human existence to his fellow academics. Those outside the academic discipline of philosophy might wonder why someone would be concerned with demonstrating the meaningfulness of human existence, but the need is obvious to those within that academic discipline.  

From the very beginning of modern philosophy, that is, the early seventeenth century, there have been those who were suspicious of modern philosophy’s exceedingly optimistic view of the world. In the early decades of the twentieth century, those suspicions were fully confirmed, and post-modern thought has become nearly ubiquitous world-wide. Post-modernism takes a rather dim view of the world. Specifically, post-modernism tends to view human existence as being absurd and pointless. Well-known examples of this attitude are found in the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. 

The book I’m reading attempts to address these judgments that human existence is futile, burdened with suffering, and ultimately destined for the meaninglessness of death. Unfortunately, the author is missing some vital information.  

The author was raised a Catholic, abandoned the Catholic Church at an early age, and has spent his life trying to find an adequate replacement for a religious faith. He abandoned religious practice because his experience of Catholicism was one of rigid doctrines, arbitrary ethics, and countless rules. He found his early catechesis to be inadequate for life in the post-modern era. I would concur with his opinion; Catholic catechesis often lacks the information necessary to help the baptized live faithfully in a complex world. 

The author’s judgment about organized religion is not uncommon. Each year, our diocese takes a census of Mass attendance; this has been going on for more than twenty years. Each year, the census indicates a further decrease of participants at Sunday Liturgy. Other religions experience a similar decline in participation. Obviously, there are many who find their religious upbringing inadequate for life in the twenty-first century. This inadequacy is the result of incomplete information; the parable in today’s Gospel reading describes the information that is so sadly lacking in many people’s experiences. 

This parable of the sheep and goats is much more complicated than it appears; consequently, it is neither easy to explain nor understand. Fortunately, we can find the crucial information the parable provides about human existence without discussing the parable’s cryptic and complicated nature. 

In broad strokes, the parable says that the quality of one’s life will be judged on the basis of how one acts toward others, particularly, how one acts toward those in need. The royal judge in the parable says, “whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40) Numerous examples are given of what one should do when others face difficult circumstances. These examples tell us everything we need to know about faithful religion. 

The examples in the parable are illustrations of what the Scriptures mean when we read that we are to love other people. In the Scriptures, the word “love” does not denote an emotional attachment or attraction; strictly speaking, the Scriptural concept of “love” requires only the bare minimum of interpersonal knowledge of the ones we are to “love.” “Love,” in the context of the Scriptures means to do the right thing, to treat others as one wants to be treated. 

What would you want if you were hungry, thirsty, lost, naked, ill, or imprisoned? Obviously, you would want someone to show mercy toward you and assist you in your deprivation. This is the definition of what the Scriptures mean by the word “love.” Loving one’s neighbor does not require liking or even knowing them well; rather, loving one’s neighbor means treating them well – a task easily accomplished. 

The information missing in the book author’s catechesis was about the nature of God and the nature of human persons. The missing information is this: human persons need one another, we need social connections, we need to attend to one another’s needs, and we need to be cared for. God is the one who provides us with the strength and guidance to perform these necessary acts of being fully human. 

If you are concerned about the decreasing numbers of people attending Sunday Liturgy, if you are concerned your relatives and friends who have abandoned religious practice, there are many ways to respond to those concerns but only one way that will make a positive difference. The parable in today’s Gospel says that God expects us to provide for the needs of those who lack the basic necessities of life. Truthful information about religious practice is one of those necessities. The whole world needs sufficient information about the necessity of religious practice; we provide that information when we show love to those in need.