For the last couple of weeks, I worked at the St. John’s Hospital here in Springfield as a full-time chaplain. My time at St. John’s hospital was an excellent opportunity for me to experience pastoral hospital ministry in a more intense way than usual. I had encounters that both challenged and strengthened my faith and relationship with God in a different way. I also had encounters that left me reflecting on the condition of our Catholic faith in the present times. One of such encounters was my visit to a mid-aged lady in her hospital room one afternoon, who described herself as a cafeteria Catholic.

When I visit patients, they usually understand that I am a Catholic priest because I dress like one and introduce myself as one. Because of this, they usually expect that I jump into giving them the Holy Communion or the other sacraments. But very often, I do not talk about the sacraments until after getting to know the patient and his or her treatment and health condition. And when I talk about the sacraments, I normally start by inquiring about the patient’s faith condition.

As a Catholic priest-chaplain, I visit mostly Catholic patients. But I understand that there are too many kinds of Catholics in our times. While some Catholics are practicing and are sacramentally disposed to receive the sacraments, others may be practicing but not sacramentally prepared to receive the sacraments. However, there are others who are non-practicing but asks for the sacraments. For these reasons, asking about a patient’s faith condition is, for me, a necessary step before administering the sacraments to them.

So, on that beautiful afternoon, I walked into this patient’s room. When I inquired about her faith, she told me she is a cafeteria Catholic. I never had of “cafeteria Catholicism” before that afternoon. So, I asked her what she meant. She graciously explained that the way I pick my foods at a cafeteria is the same way she (as a cafeteria Catholic) does with Catholic teachings. I smiled and asked about her relationship with the sacraments. I know that one ought to be in good condition with the Church (believing and practicing all that the Church teaches about our Lord Jesus Christ) to be disposed to receive the sacraments.

My encounter with this patient at the hospital left me reflecting on our faith as Catholics. Somehow, many of us have become cafeteria Catholics. Sometimes, intentionally and other times, unintentionally. We all know what the Church should and should not teach, believe, and practice. Our subjective interpretations of the catechetical and biblical teachings of the Church have become more important than the objective interpretations of these divine truths and moral teachings. Unfortunately, the rejection or abandonment of any of the teachings of the Church, catechetical or scriptural, indicates membership in the cafeteria Catholicism. This cafeteria Catholicism is different from the Roman Catholicism into which we are baptized.

This weekend, the first reading comes from the book of Jeremiah. It begins with, “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.” After this scary pronouncement and later in the passage, the prophet proceeded to declare God’s intention to gather the remnant of his flock and appoint shepherds for them.

Jeremiah, one of the Old Testament Bible’s major prophets, lived in a time in Israel when shepherds (priests and prophets) had authorities that transcend religious boundaries. While there were kings and judges, the shepherds were revered authority figures.

During Jeremiah’s time, there were so many challenges and problems. Many of these were social, political, and economic dilemmas, which were rooted in the high moral decadence of the Jewish culture of the time. Some of these problems include infidelity to God, corruption, abuses in the places of worship, idolatry, apostasies, and an increased number of false prophets. The society also faced some difficult challenges. The invasions from their neighboring nations in the north and the long-standing drought were among the more devastating challenges that ravaged the Jewish society during the time of Prophet Jeremiah.

While these problems and difficulties prevailed, the people suffered political instability, economic stagnation, insecurity, and countless social crises. God saw all these and became embittered. His anger was on the shepherds, leaders of the people, who have abandoned the ways of God and preached the ways of men. These leaders engaged in false prophecies, idolatries, false circumcisions, and corrupt practices that destroyed the people’s faith and weakened their relationships with God.

The same problems that attracted the wrath of God upon the shepherds of the people during the time of Jeremiah seem to be present in our own culture today. Infidelity to God? In our times, we have men and women who parade themselves as Catholics but continue to support and enact laws that contradict the teachings of Christ. The abortion law, which directly contradicts the fifth commandment, is one example of this. Abuses in places of worship? The many bad liturgical practices, sexual and financial misconducts among some church officials in our times are abuses in places of worship.

False prophets? Ordained church ministers who agree with some of the teachings of the Church and disagree with others are no less false prophets. Idolatry? People who choose football games or other sporting, shopping, and business activities on Sunday mornings over going to Masses are no less idolatrous. They replace the worship of God with these activities to the detriment of their souls and the souls of the people they influence.

This week, let us pray for God to touch and transform the lives of our leaders (parents and civic leaders) and shepherds (priests and bishops). May they not lead us astray but to God, who is the source of all good things. Amen.