Words of the Word

Showing posts with label New Evangelization Evangelizing Synod Instrumentum Laboris. Show all posts

Week 27, Saturday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

92. Announcing and proclaiming is not the task of any one person or a select few, but rather a gift given to every person who answers the call to faith. Transmitting the faith is not the work of one individual only, but instead, is the responsibility of every Christian and the whole Church, who in this very activity continually rediscovers her identity as a People gathered together by the Spirit to live Christ's presence among us and discover the true face of God, who is Father.

The transmission of the faith is a fundamental act of the Church, which leads Christian communities to articulate, in a strict sense, the basic works of the life of faith, namely, charity, witness, proclamation, celebration, listening and sharing. Evangelization must be perceived as the process by which the Church, moved by the Spirit, proclaims and spreads the Gospel throughout the world. Compelled by love, evangelization permeates and transforms the whole temporal order, assuming and renewing cultures. Evangelization openly proclaims the Gospel and is a call to conversion. Through catechesis and the Sacraments of Initiation, evangelization guides those who have turned to Jesus Christ, or those who have returned to the road of discipleship, incorporating the former and reinstating the latter into the Christian community. Evangelization constantly nourishes the gift of communion among the faithful through the teaching of the faith, the celebration of the sacraments and the works of charity. Evangelization is a constant stimulus to mission, which sends forth all Christ's disciples to every part of the globe to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. Through the discernment which is necessary in the new evangelization, the Church is discovering that the process of transmitting the faith needs to be re-awakened in many communities. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 3: Transmitting the Faith,” paragraphs 92)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. (Psalm 105:8, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

Almighty ever-living God,
Who in the abundance of your kindness
surpass the merits and
the desires of those who entreat you,
pour out your mercy upon us
to pardon what conscience dreads and
to give what prayer does not dare to ask.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Paragraph 92 sounds a challenge that is somewhat new to the ears of the average Catholic: “announcing and proclaiming … is a gift given to every person who answers the call to faith. Transmitting the faith is not the work of one individual only, but instead, is the responsibility of every Christian.” In Catholic Christianity, the popular approach has been to let the ‘religious professionals’ or those specifically designated as ‘missionaries’ to do this work. Furthermore, the popular perception has been that “announcing and proclaiming” are works that are done in a land far, far away from my own. Whether one approaches the question from the perspective of the Isaian texts of hope (e.g. 40:1-11) or the opening of the Marcan Gospel (1:1), “announcing and proclaiming” the glad-tidings (Isaiah) or the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark) are never one-shot activities done my a handful. While the Scriptures will testify that certain members of Body teach (e.g. Acts 2:42), all believers are engaged in the work of “announcing and proclaiming” Jesus Christ.

This work of “announcing and proclaiming” by all is grounded in the waters of Baptism and for very good reason. If you have ever had the misfortune to deal with a flooded basement or a flood on a larger scale, you know that water gets into everything! Water ‘finds’ cracks and holes that you never knew existed and now that the water has ‘revealed’ it, you are able to make the proper repairs. Similarly, where are the baptized? Everywhere. For the longest time, the popular Catholic approach to evangelization was ‘come to Church.’ Now please do not misunderstand this – coming to Church is good, in fact a necessity: a Commandment given to us by the Lord Himself for our good. What about those who have not ‘heard’ the message in the heart to come? That is where ALL the baptized need to be conscious of the mission, sounded by Jesus Himself, to go out! Like water, we are all in different place of life where all sorts of people ‘stumble into our path.’ They happen to stumble because the Lord uses each of us as an instrument to sound the word of Jesus to bring people home to Him.

Consider:

As more and more are 'hearing' the language of The New Evangelization and each person's responsibility, many are voicing concern, "I can't do that! Faith is a private matter and whatever a person decides is OK." How do we care for our brothers and sisters who have lost their connection with and to Jesus?

Week 27, Sunday. Words of THE WORD.

ANTIPHON

“Within Your will, O Lord, all things are established,
and there is none that can resist Your will.
For You have made all things, the heaven and the earth,
and all that is held within the circle of heaven;
You are the Lord of all (Ester 4:17).”

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God,
Who in the abundance of your kindness
surpass the merits and the desires
of those who entreat you,
pour out your mercy upon us to pardon
what conscience dreads and to give
what prayer does not dare to ask.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm)

May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives. (Psalm 128:5).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT (click for all readings)

“Brothers and sisters: He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, " that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering. He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them ‘brothers.”” (Letter to the Hebrews 2:9-11.

REFLECTION

Much is happening this Sunday. Parishes throughout the United States are observing “Respect Life Sunday,” a time of intense prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help all people, regardless of creed or philosophy, to reverence life from the moment of conception to natural death. “Respect Life” also demands not only protection and reverence at the beginning and end of life, but every moment between those two natural poles. In a culture that has appropriately harnessed energies to protect animals and the environment, it should be a ‘no-brainer’ to afford minimally the same respect and reverence towards human life. Prayer, accompanied by the necessary witness, will – in the Lord’s good time – effect a change of heart among all peoples. Thus today is also tinged with more than a dash of hope; it is a day of profound hope that just as any of the impossible situations of salvation history became a reality, so too society will ‘wake up’ to re-discover the preciousness of life as God the Father’s gift. Prayer and witness are effective even when we question the value of continuing to proclaim the Gospel of Life.

Today also marks the beginning of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishop gathering in Rome from 7 to 28 October to discuss “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” Many words have been spoken and written concerning The New Evangelization. A good number have ‘attempted’ a summary and some have even been bold to attempt a definition of a reality that, until the Synod’s work is complete (normally involving an Apostolic Exhortation by the Holy Father), is not possible. There are insights that certainly can assist pastoral ministry presently but these must be grounded minimally in the Church’s pre-Synodal documents: the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris. Both documents demand close reading and a docile mind made pliable by the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit. What has emerged with clarity is that the essence of The New Evangelization places a priority on the encounter with the Person Jesus in which The Person Jesus is proclaimed, lived and witnessed with a new ardor, new expression and new method to elicit the response of ongoing change of heart, mind and body that daily embraces the Cross of Jesus Christ. While it is an address to seminarians, Fr Robert Barron’s first Rector’s Address summarizes The New Evangelization quite well. Perhaps he can be called upon to address the Synod (not that I want to give him more work than he already has as seminary Rector)! No matter what has transpired prior to the start of the Synod, now is the time for prayer and fasting. Call down the Holy Spirit upon the Synod, its participants and its work. Complement prayer with a specific grace-inspired act of fasting so that all may be docile to the breath and the direction of the Holy Spirit.

This Thursday (11 October 2012) marks both the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the opening of the “Year of Faith.” Many voice the praises of the Council; many voice concerns of the Church’s direction following the Council. As seminarians who endure my courses in Church History, unrest follows many of the Councils of the Church unless a war happens to divert attention. True, many errors were committed ‘in the spirit of the Council.’ But the reality of the Holy Father’s aggiornamento, admittedly a difficult word to translate into English, is nonetheless consistent with the Church’s duty to be sure that the Gospel speaks and proclaims clearly Jesus’ missionary mandate to bring Him to all peoples that all people may encounter Him and respond with lives of daily conversion and embrace of His Cross. Such cannot happen without the Gift of Faith and what a marvelous blessing that the same Thursday ushers in a time of reflecting and celebrating this wondrous Gift from God the Father. Far from being a crutch that is engaged in the face of incomprehensible and inexpressible ‘mystery,’ Faith is a connection with and trusting of a Person, the Person Jesus. Faith is not abstract. Faith is neither intellectual nor academic. Faith is relational involving the acknowledgement and profession that as Person, Jesus is God Who desires an encounter with each person that transforms her or his life into a mirror of His.

For this reason, the Sunday reflections posted here will focus on the Letter to the Hebrews, whose proclamation is another unique aspect of this Sunday. Beginning today and continuing until the thirty-third Sunday of this Liturgical year, the Second Reading each Sunday will be from this New Testament Letter that focuses on the Person, Jesus as High Priest Who has entered the Heavenly Sanctuary for our salvation. Similar to the Gospels, Hebrews challenges us with fundamental questions: Do I believe that Jesus is God? Do I believe that Jesus walked this earth at a particular time and in a particular place? Do I believe that, since I ‘call’ myself Christian, Jesus has a claim on my life? As one who spends the majority of the week among undergraduates, I am both amazed and saddened that students will acknowledge the historical reality of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and even Moses. But for reasons that are legion and Legion, the historical reality of Jesus of Nazareth and the confession that He is God is blown away with a casualness not permitted in any academic assignment.

May this first Sunday of October “Open the Door” to a depth of Faith-life that draws you, your loved ones and your friends into a deeper relationship with Jesus the Christ!

Week 25, Friday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

90. As stated in the topic for the synod, the purpose of the new evangelization is the transmission of the faith. The Second Vatican Council recalls the complex nature of this process which fully involves the Christian faith and life of the Church in an experience of God's revelation: "In his gracious goodness, God has seen to it that what he had revealed for the salvation of all nations would abide perpetually in its full integrity and be handed on to all generations." "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the common life, in the breaking of the bread and in prayers (cf. Acts 2:42), so that holding to, practicing and professing the heritage of the faith, it becomes on the part of the bishops and faithful a single common effort."

91. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates that a person cannot convey what is not believed or lived. The Gospel cannot be transmitted in a life which is not modelled after the Gospel or a life which does not find its meaning, truth and future based on the Gospel. Like the Apostles, we, even today, have access to a life of communion with the Father, in Jesus Christ, through his Spirit who transforms us and equips us to not only transmit the faith which we live but also elicit a response in those whom the Spirit has already prepared with his presence and action (cf. Acts 16:14). A fruitful proclamation of the Word of the Gospel calls for profound communion among God's children which is a distinguishing sign accompanying proclamation, as St. John the Apostle recalls: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"(Jn 13:34, 35). (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 3: Transmitting the Faith,” paragraphs 90-91)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! (Psalm 144:1, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

O God,
Who taught the Martyr Saint Wenceslaus
to place the heavenly Kingdom before an earthly one,
grant through his prayers that, denying ourselves,
we may hold fast to you with all our heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

As the Synod for the New Evangelization draws near, perhaps you are finding many people posting summaries, insights, and thoughts – all kinds of statements – concerning the essence of The New Evangelization. Minimally, these insights and summaries that present Christian living in light of The New Evangelization

must be anchored in, tethered to and grafted onto the Person Jesus Christ Who desires each person to encounter Him and respond by living ongoing, daily conversion of heart, mind, body and soul that trusts Him (faith) as the only way to live and whose Word is Truth.
The New Evangelization must be grounded in the Person Jesus Who gave the missionary mandate to His disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teachings them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” All, by virtue of Baptism, are called to be evangelizers.
The New Evangelization requires deeply pondering in a spirit of humility and docility the Church’s teaching at Vatican II, particularly the Constitutions: On the Liturgy, On the Church in the Modern World, On the Church and On Divine Revelation and how that teaching is lived and expressed in the Sacred Liturgy and Catechism of the Catholic Church. The documents published in preparation for the Synod, the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris, must also be prayerfully studied as we await the Synod and the Holy Father’s exhortation afterwards.
The New Evangelization must be grounded in the wisdom of Pope Paul VI as powerfully expressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi.
The New Evangelization must be guided by Blessed Pope John Paul II insistence that all ministerial and pastoral work in the Church aim at putting people in communion with Jesus Christ - with a new ardor, method and expression.
In light of Pope Benedict’s teachings and specific elements raised in the Instrumentum Laboris, to experience the Sacred Liturgy and Family together with the model of the Baptismal Catechumenate celebrated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as graced encounters with Christ that hands-on the Faith to one another in the Holy Spirit.
And coming full circle, the words of Pope Benedict spoken just days ago in Castel Gandolfo: “... [E]vangelization requires starting from the encounter with the Lord, within a dialogue rooted in prayer, which then concentrates on the witness of giving itself toward the end of helping the people of our time to recognize and discover anew the signs of the presence of God.”

While I am not intending the above points to be exhaustive, they are culled from a number of sources (particularly the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris) that continue to insist upon the foundational experience of the encounter with Jesus Christ. Such a point and summary are important as the Instrumentum Laboris moves to consider all that is involved in “Transmitting the Faith.”

“Transmitting the Faith” is an act of handing-on the Person Jesus Who is the fullness of God the Father’s Revelation. Paragraph 90 echoes the Church’s teaching in On Divine Revelation that Divine Revelation is not a ‘what.’ Divine Revelation is not Scripture in isolation to the Sacred Tradition. Divine Revelation is not the Sacred Tradition removed from Sacred Scripture. Divine Revelation is a Person, the Divine Person Jesus Christ Who in His Incarnate nature gives access to His Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. As such, all of Sacred Scripture, all of the Sacred Tradition must be lived in the context of the Person Jesus. It is not a question of Sacred Scripture versus the Sacred Tradition. It is not fundamentally what Sacred Scripture or the Sacred Tradition teach about Jesus. Christian living is the witnessing, the modeling, the imitation of Jesus in day-to-day living that is marked by how each loves and how each serves/builds up the One Body of Christ in charity flowing from the encounter with Him.

Consider:

How have you viewed Sacred Scripture and the Sacred Tradition?
Given your reading of the pre-Synodal documents, what would you add to the summary of The New Evangelization presented here?

Week 21, Saturday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris.

“And they devoted (προσκαρτεροῦντες, proskarterountes) themselves to the Apostles’ teaching (τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων, te didache ton apostolon) and fellowship (καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, te koinonia), to the breaking of bread (τῇ κλάσει τοῦ ἄρτου, te klasei tou artou) and the prayers (ταῖς προσευχαῖς, proseuchais).

And day by day, attending (προσκαρτεροῦντες, proskarterountes) the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook (μετελάμβανον, metelambanon) of food with glad and generous hearts (ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας, agalliasei kai apheloteti kardias) and praising God (αἰνοῦντες τὸν θεὸν, ainountes ton Theon) and having favor (χάριν, charin) with all the people. And the Lord added (προσετίθει, prosetithei) to their number day by day those who were being saved (σῳζομένους, sozomenous) (Acts 2:42, 46-47).”

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. (Psalm 33:12, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

O God,
Who cause the minds of the faithful
to unite in a single purpose,
grant your people to love what you command and
to desire what you promise, that,
amid the uncertainties of this world,
our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

To round out the first action of the newly baptized, we saw earlier that “they devoted themselves to “the … teaching (τῇ διδαχῇ, te didache).” Previously, we examined the critical distinction between teaching that is kerygma and teaching that is didache. The task now is to ask, “Who is ‘doing’ the didache?”

(By way of reminder, we are looking at these verses from the Acts of the Apostles because they open Chapter 3 of the Imstrumentum Laboris.)

The Acts of the Apostles notes the uniqueness of this teaching (didache) as “the teaching of the apostles.” Earlier in Acts, we learn how the infant community understood apostles in light of the need to choose a successor to Judas. “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied (συνελθόντων, sunelthonton) us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become (γενέσθαι, genesthai) with us a witness to his resurrection (μάρτυρα τῆς ἀναστάσεως, martura tes anastaseos).”

Among the many who followed Jesus, He called 12 and ‘sent them out.’ Apostle, in this sense, is more about an action flowing from a call, flowing from a word. The ‘sent out’ is what uniquely constitutes those Jesus chose, in other words, mission is at the heart of one constituted an apostle. Peter knew this and it is why he saw as 1 requirement for Judas’ successor that one “accompanied (συνελθόντων, sunelthonton) us.” As part of a large family of Greek verbs meaning “to go” and “to come,” συνέρχομαι (sunerchomai) conveys a more precise meaning of “being with another on a journey,” a meaning with obvious missionary overtones. Yet elsewhere in the Letters of the New Testament, συνέρχομαι suggests “a journey” that brings all together at the Lord’s Supper, a usage that clearly points in the direction of unity and Eucharist. Hence the “teaching of the apostles” is not about filling the heads of the newly baptized with more data about Jesus and the new life they have been plunged into through Baptism. Apostolic didache is way of unpacking the encounter with Jesus (kerygma) in such a way that the newly baptized is impelled to ‘go out on Mission’ and ‘to journey to the Lord’s Supper’ and build up the Body of Christ in unity. The ‘giving’ of teaching is not to master facts – the teaching (didache) is given that it will be taken out into the world.

This obviously raises many questions, once again, about how we as a Church go about the work of Catholic education (actually, I believe we need to drop the phrase ‘Catholic education’ and use the Biblical and Liturgical language of catechesis and formation). There are certainly many who have been formed and are doing the work of the Lord in the world. Yet it seems there are far more who have approached ‘Catholic education’ as a means to an end that has little to do with the Person Jesus and the mission He commends to each person.

Consider:

While there is certainly individual responsibility, do we as a Church have to examine how we catechize?
In your experience, are elements of formation and mission essential and expected aspects of catechesis?

Week 21. Saint Monica of Hippo. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. (Psalm 96:3, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

O God,
who console the sorrowful and
who mercifully accepted the motherly tears
of Saint Monica for the conversion
of her son Augustine, grant us,
through the intercession of them both,
that we may bitterly regret our sins and
find the grace of your pardon.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

We last considered the meaning of how the newly baptized were living when it came to their new life in Christ Jesus: “they devoted themselves (προσκαρτεροῦντες, proskarterountes)” and we will explore over the course of the next few days that these newly baptized devoted themselves to 4 particular experiences of Christian living. These experiences are termed by some scholars as the ‘constitutive elements of Church’ and they are presented as Chapter 3 of the Instrumentum Laboris begins. In other words, when these 4 experiences come together in the power and work of the Holy Spirit, the result is the Body of Christ, the Church. The first of these experiences is διδαχή (didache), translated here in the Acts of the Apostles as “teaching.”

διδαχή has both a rich usage and meaning in the ancient world. Biblically, throughout all of Sacred Scripture and especially in the New Testament, the usage and meaning of διδαχή is nuanced (a precise variation of a word’s meaning in or for a particular context). From a Christian point of view as evidenced particularly in the Acts of the Apostles, διδαχή presupposes κηρυγμα (kerygma or kerugma). Before “teaching” can properly occur, the ‘one-to-be-taught’ must first have encountered the Person Jesus Christ, be connected to Him through the Gift of Faith and respond with a lifestyle or manner of living marked by metanoia (daily, ongoing conversion from selfishness to selflessness as lived by Jesus culminating in His Cross) and belief (characterized by a radical trust in the Person Jesus that His words and deeds are the path to authentic living). Technically speaking, διδαχή is not so much ‘teaching the Faith’ to lead people to Faith in the power of the Holy Spirit as it is unpacking the Faith already experienced in the κηρυγμα. Meeting, encountering and being connected to Jesus are necessary prior to any genuine Christian teaching.

διδαχή, that teaching which unpacks the Faith experienced in the κηρυγμα, is also revelatory and missionary in scope. διδαχή is not theological trival. διδαχή is not concerned with Divine minutia. διδαχή is not teaching that is meant to help one be a game winner at biblical or theological pursuits. In unpacking the κηρυγμα, διδαχή - as presented by the apostles (more on that tomorrow) – cooperates with the Holy Spirit in leading people to greater depths of connection with Jesus Christ: the Divine Son of God Who took on our nature for our salvation. διδαχή is the work that responds to Jesus’ question of Peter and the apostles, “But you, who do you say I am?” διδαχή is the response to those in the boat who ask, “Who then is this Whom even wind and sea obey?” As one can appreciate, these questions – this work called διδαχή, is ongoing.

But Jesus’ disciples are not afforded a διδαχή experience simply to live in a land of wow. As blessed as life’s ‘wow moments’ are, as wonderful as those times are when new connections are made for us by the Holy Spirit and we grasp them, all of this is given as Gift for the purpose of service. Coming to greater depths of knowledge and experience of Jesus is not to insulate or absent us from the work of heralding Who He is to all in the world. This does not necessarily mean becoming the town crier on a soapbox. It involves gentle moments of responding to questions of family, friends, co-workers and whoever else stumbles into the path of life as to Who Jesus is and His importance and significance for living.

Consider:

Has the distinction between κηρυγμα (kerygma) and διδαχή (didache) been your experience in religious formation?
Is this distinction still valid today?

Week 20, Thursday. Saint Rose of Lima. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Praise the Lord for He is good; sing to our God for He is loving. (Psalm 147:1, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

O God,
you set Saint Rose of Lima on fire with your love,
so that,
secluded from the world in the austerity of a life of penance,
she might give herself to you alone;
grant, we pray, that through her intercession,
we may tread the paths of life on earth and
drink at the stream of your delights in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

As mentioned yesterday, we are going to spend some time ‘breaking-open’ God’s Word from the Acts of the Apostles. The above-cited verses not only open chapter 3 of the Instrumentum Laboris, but they also provide a framework for grasping the Holy Spirit’s various challenges to the Church that are spelled out with clarity in “Transmitting the Faith (chapter 3, Instrumentum Laboris).” Building on yesterday’s reflections of how many came to be baptized (kerygmatic preaching), we turn today to examine how ‘being baptized’ (receiving and accepting the encounter with Jesus Christ) translates into ‘acting as a baptized’ (discipleship in the Lord Jesus).

In verse 42 and 46, we learn the first activity of the newly baptized is to “devote (verse 42)” and “attend (verse 46).” While translated into English differently in each verse, the Greek verb, προσκαρτερέω (proskartereo) – meaning “to remain with” “to stay by” or “to give of oneself” – is the same in both verses. προσκαρτερέω is used in these verses as a ‘present-participle’ meaning that the action is continuous. Biblically, when an action is continuous it can suggest that the activity is a manner of living or how one lives. In verse 42, προσκαρτερέω describes how the baptized live 4 specific facets of Christian discipleship. What προσκαρτερέω ‘does’ is to underscore what we might call the level of commitment or depth of dedication characteristic of the newly baptized. In receiving and accepting the Person Jesus Christ, the new baptized realize that there is something very different about their lives that require, by definition, a new way of living. This new way of living is not just ‘Jesus among other people and things’ in which everything and everyone has equal standing. It is the radical way of living Jesus expressed in the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all things will be given besides (Matthew 6:33).”

προσκαρτερέω, as a unique and total way of living the baptismal encounter in Christ Jesus, is the grounding of what Blessed John Paul II termed the “new ardor and courage” of The New Evangelization. While The New Evangelization embodies Jesus’ missionary mandate, while The New Evangelization seeks to remedy the reality of the baptized who no longer live Christ’s life – The New Evangelization also seeks to encourage more deeply those already engaged in the Christian mission.

Consider:

What practically can be done to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in experiencing a ‘new ardor’ in our parishes and dioceses where apathy and indifference appear so intrenched?

Week 20, Wednesday. Queenship of Mary. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. (Psalm 23:1, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

O God,
who made the Mother of your Son
to be our Mother and our Queen,
graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession,
we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom
the glory promised to your children.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Today’s selection from the Instrumentum Laboris ‘looks’ a bit different from previous entries. The selection is not per se a paragraph from the document, rather a quote from the Acts of the Apostles that now opens Chapter 3 of the Instrumentum Laboris, “Transmitting the Faith.” Insights expressed in the paragraphs that follow do in fact flow from the testimony and life of the infant Church, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. For that reason, it is appropriate to spend a few days breaking open this Word of God that is known by many as the ‘Constitutive Elements of Church.’ Each element ought to be a source of reflection for how our parishes and dioceses exist as a living expression of the Body of Christ and therefore a set of criteria for being Church.

The biblical citation informs us, “And they devoted (προσκαρτεροῦντες, proskarterountes) themselves.” The “they” referred to in the Sacred Text are the newly baptized. As the post-Pentecost apostles preached Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, thousands heard and accepted the preaching in such a way that it moved them to accept baptism in Jesus Christ. “They” sought and accepted baptism after listening to the preaching of the apostles. The Acts of the Apostles makes a distinction between preaching and teaching. The crowds of people listen to the apostles ‘hand-on’ the Person, Jesus Christ. This initial preaching, this initial ‘handing-on’ OF A PERSON, the Person Jesus Christ, is an encounter with Him in which one is blessed with the gift of faith. This initial preaching in the Acts of the Apostles is known as kerugma or kerygma (κηρυγμα). κηρυγμα is a first-preaching. κηρυγμα, technically, is not all the details about Christian belief and theology. κηρυγμα is presenting the crucified and risen Jesus in such a way that, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, a person initially accepts Jesus and begins to live the Gift that has been given in that encounter: faith, that relationship that trusts what the Person Jesus says and does is the way to live the Kingdom authentically as a child of His and our Father. Long before an delving into the finer points of belief (which we will examine tomorrow) and analyzing deeper theological contentions and teachings, κηρυγμα is the first-work of the Body of Christ, a work that fundamentally and foundationally ‘hands-on’ the Person Jesus that all may encounter Him.

Consider:

Do ‘religious education programs’ and/or Catholic schools follow, in your experience, this distinction between preaching and teaching?
Was this a distinction that was needed in the infant Church alone - or - can it benefit us in the present day? If so, how?
Is is possible to present much ‘data’ about Jesus and miss Him as Person?

Week 20, Sunday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

89. No area in the Church is outside the parameters of this program; nor should anyone feel exempt. The Churches of a long Christian tradition, above all, have to deal with the practical problem that many have abandoned the faith. To a lesser extent, the same problem also exists in younger Churches, especially in large cities and some heavily influenced areas of society and cultures. The great social and cultural challenges presently being created by rapidly expanding urban centers, especially in developing countries, are certainly fertile ground for the new evangelization.

Consequently, the new evangelization also concerns the younger Churches. Their work of inculturation demands continual examination so that the Gospel, which purifies and elevates culture, can be introduced into cultural settings and, in a particular way, open them to its newness. Generally speaking, all Christian communities need a new evangelization simply by being engaged in a pastoral ministry which seems increasingly difficult to exercise and which is in danger of becoming a routine matter, and thus little able to communicate its original intent. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 89)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 34:9, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

Almighty ever-living God, Whom,
taught by the Holy Spirit,
we dare to call our Father,
bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts
the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters,
that we may merit to enter into the inheritance
which you have promised.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

How often has any of us encountered a situation similar to the following - ‘Ah great, idea (or plan or words) ... but they don’t apply to me in my circumstance. My situation is unique and you can’t possibly understand it.’ This is the point addressed by the final paragraph of chapter 2: The New Evangelization is everyone’s concern and it is everyone’s work. All areas of the Church, young and old, deal with social concerns that impact living the life of Jesus Christ in a true and authentic way. No local Church can say, ‘we’re doing just fine ... we don’t need to trouble ourselves with this new program (remember, The New Evangelization is not a program and it is imperative to avoid slipping into the program mentality). So on that note, 2 concerns are worth mentioning.

1) Since The New Evangelization is everyone’s concern, there is a danger of it being nobody’s concern. It is similar to students who read with a highlighter, highlighting the entire page. In highlighting everything, nothing is highlighted. With The New Evangelization, it is vital for each member of the Body of Christ to simply get out there and tap people on the shoulder and offer the inviting Word of Christ to them. If the parish says, ‘we’ll wait to see what the diocese wants us to do’ - if the diocese says, ‘we’ll wait to see what directives come from Rome’ then chances are very good that nothing is going to happen. So what is each person to do? What is each local Church to do? Do what the First Disciples did in the Acts of the Apostles: gather together, fast, pray, call on the Spirit and wait for the building to rock with the Spirit’s guidance and direction for action!

2) Everyone in pastoral ministry - and life in general - can attest to ‘those days,’ those days when you look back and see that it was just the same old, same old, same old. There are those days when simply meeting the demands of what hits you in the face is an accomplishment. It happens; it is called life. The danger the Instrumentum Laboris cautions is when the ‘same old’ becomes the norm, when we settle simply for the minimum. Choosing the minimal runs the risk of being incapable of doing the Spirit’s work of assisting people to encounter Jesus and supporting them in the necessary responses of daily conversion and belief that is a radical trust in Jesus’ words and deeds as the only path for life.

Consider:

How has the Holy Spirit guided you and your parish to engage the work of The New Evangelization?

Week 19, Saturday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

88. The new evangelization is also the name given to a spiritual reawakening and the reanimation of a process of conversion which the Church asks of herself, all her communities and all the baptized. Consequently, this reality is not the concern of well-defined regions only, but the means to explain everywhere the teaching of the Apostles and put those teachings into practice in our day. Through the new evangelization, the Church seeks to insert the very original and specific character of her teachings into today's world and everyday discussion.

She wants to be the place where God can be experienced even now, and where, under the guidance of the Spirit of the Risen Christ, we allow ourselves to be transformed by the gift of faith. The Gospel is always a new proclamation of salvation, accomplished by Jesus Christ, to make every human life share in the mystery of God and his life of love, thereby opening human life to a future of hope, which is inspiring and trustworthy. Emphasizing the Church's call to undertake a new evangelization at this moment in history means intensifying the Church's missionary activity so as to respond fully to the Lord's mandate. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 88)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Create a clean heart in me, O God. (Psalm 51:12, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

Almighty ever-living God, whom,
taught by the Holy Spirit,
we dare to call our Father,
bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts
the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters,
that we may merit to enter into the inheritance
which you have promised.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

The final paragraphs of “A Definition and Its Meaning (regarding The New Evangelization)” also bring chapter 2 (“Time for a New Evangelization”) of the Instrumentum Laboris to a close. As one expects in concluding words, summary and emphasis color the presentation. Yet facets of the New Evangelization emerge as if to suggest that The New Evangelization is much bigger than anticipated. The caution here though is that there is much ‘out there’ on The New Evangelization. Some of what is ‘out there’ is frankly irritating as some are attempting to use the term, The New Evangelization, for any and everything to advance an agenda that has little to do with what the Holy Spirit began to stir in Pope Paul VI and continued through Pope John Paul II and is now a clear focus of Pope Benedict XVI. While it is hoped that everyone will become familiar with all the documents of The New Evangelization, paragraphs 88 and 89 can serve as a quick introduction to the key dimensions that constitute The New Evangelization. We’ll address paragraph 88 today and paragraph 89 tomorrow.

Paragraph 88 begins by ‘adding’ another dimension to the definition and meaning of The New Evangelization: “spiritual reawakening and the reanimation of a process of conversion.” The Instrumentum Laboris has certainly addressed the necessity of conversion (metanoia) in daily Christian living and as a constitutive element of The New Evangelization. Yet “reawakening” and “reanimation” presume that an ‘awakening’ and an ‘animation’ have, in fact, occurred. This is not to call into question the validity of the working of the Holy Spirit and the presence of Grace in the life of an individual believer. Yet for many there is a disconnect between the awakening and animation of the Spirit and daily living. Many good people that are still participating in Sunday Mass hold that their spiritual lives begin and end at the door of the Church ... which is why in some cases it is important to be the state of Grace while moving through a Church parking lot on Sunday!

A prevailing cultural wind of “I’m not getting involved” results in affecting the spiritual life causing a clear break between the hour or so on Sunday and the remaining 167 hours throughout the week (This is another dilemma that needs attention - the Sabbath is to be A DAY - 24 hours of “resting in the Lord” - not minimally fulfilling an obligation of 1 hour in Church and ‘getting it out of the way’ to go about other ‘things.’). What is the cause of the disconnect? While it is a question that must be pondered, it will take much more than this blog to adequately respond. Suffice it to say for now, there is certainly responsibility each believer has for Gifts of Grace lovingly entrusted to him or her by Our Lord. On the other hand, we have to inquire how the Church has prepared people for the ‘awakening’ and ‘animation.’

Initially, we might inquire: what is unique about ‘religion class’ in our Religious Education programs and Catholic schools? In many places, ‘religion class’ is no different in content and pedagogy than a history, social studies, philosophy or world/culture heritage course. Are ‘religion classes’ ‘taught’ in the mode of catechesis (recall earlier blog entry) that “hands-on” the Person Jesus Christ that the listener chooses, in Grace, to respond to Jesus’ desire to encounter her or him? Is Jesus’ command to convert daily (metanoia) and to believe (a radical trust in HIM, that HIS words and deeds are the direction for life and none other) presented and unpacked for the would-be disciples of Jesus in the here and now? What about opportunities for adults to gather and continue being formed through Sacred study in the ways of the Spirit? It is sad that many, decrying the closing of parishes and Catholic schools, rarely see the loss concerning anything related or connected to the Person, Jesus Christ. Loss of a soccer field, sports program, a building to meet for various activities, even nostalgia - all good in themselves - are the object of disappointment, hurt and anger in the school or parish closing. But these miss the central point of the life-giving and life-changing encounter with the Person, Jesus Christ. These ‘goods’ can assist in coming to the Lord as the world is replete with the “seeds of the Logos.” But this also demands that these activities have a very clear focus and purpose: Jesus Christ, period.

Paragraph 88 raises another dimension of the work of The New Evangelization: “Through the new evangelization, the Church seeks to insert the very original and specific character of her teachings into today’s world and everyday discussion.” Many would respond that such is laudable and necessary given the cultural narcissism metastasizing exponentially as a cancer on life. Yet once again it presupposes that there are sufficient disciples - lay, religious and ordained - who are properly formed to speak the authentic teaching of Jesus in “today’s world and everyday discussion.” When competent disciples are present at work’s water cooler, sports field or supermarket and can respond gently and charitably to the inaccuracies and falsehoods expressed about Jesus and His Body the Church, that is a moment of The New Evangelization. This suggests that specific points of Christology, Sacred Scripture, Ecclesiology, Dogmatic theology and Apologetics - all tailored to and in service of The New Evangelization are sorely needed.

Finally (not that paragraph 88 or for that matter any other content of the Instrumentum Laboris has been exhausted), paragraph 88 offers a very interesting insight: “The Gospel is always a new proclamation of salvation, accomplished by Jesus Christ, to make every human life share in the mystery of God and his life of love, thereby opening human life to a future of hope, which is inspiring and trustworthy.” This, in my reading, is quite rich. Minimally it does raise a caution about The New Evangelization: avoid the program mentality. How often we have embraced ‘renewal programs’ in our dioceses and parishes? Well intentioned? Absolutely! Yet the program mentality - 1 size fits all - does not work when it comes to the life of the Spirit. Yes there are aspects of the Spirit’s life that all believers have and must have in common. Yet to infer at the diocesan level or parish level that this or that ‘packaged program’ is the answer, forget it. The authentic grunt work of The New Evangelization is not to look for a program, but to meet one another in the ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles,’ tap one another on the shoulder and give a word from The Word that invites encounter, conversion and belief.

Consider:

Much has been presented in today’s ETD. What point has ‘grabbed’ you in paragraph 88?
How are you going to run with what (Who) has grasped you?

Week 19, Friday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

86. Consequently, these texts indicate the geographic area for the new evangelization, though not exclusively, as primarily the Christian West and identify the persons to whom it is directed, namely, the baptized in our communities who are experiencing a new existential and cultural situation, which, in fact, has imperiled their faith and their witness. The new evangelization consists in viewing real-life situations, areas of living and pastoral activity in such a way as to allow these people to leave the “interior desert”, an image used by Pope Benedict XVI to represent the current human condition which is caught in a world that has virtually eliminated from view any question of God. The specific task of the new evangelization is having the courage to raise again the question of God in these places and situations and to restore a high quality and motivation to the faith in many of our Churches of ancient origins.

87. This definition, however, serves as an example and is not intended to be exclusive. In other words, the West is one of many places of the new evangelization and is not the only place for its activity. The definition allows us to understand the extensive work of the new evangelization, which cannot be reduced simply to updating certain pastoral practices, but, instead, demands the development of a very serious, thorough examination and understanding of the root causes of the situation in the Christian West. The urgent nature of the new evangelization, therefore, is not limited to the above situation only. Pope Benedict XVI stated: “In Africa too, situations demanding a new presentation of the Gospel, ‘new in its ardor, methods and expression’, are not rare. [...] The new evangelization is an urgent task for Christians in Africa because they too need to reawaken their enthusiasm for being members of the Church. Guided by the Spirit of the risen Lord, they are called to live the Good News as individuals, in their families and in society, and to proclaim it with fresh zeal to persons near and far, using the new methods that divine Providence has placed at our disposal for its spread.” These same words are to be applied by Christians to particular situations in America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, continents where the Church has long been active in promoting the new evangelization. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 86-87)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Indeed, how good is the LORD, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age. (Psalm 100:5, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

In continuing to explore “A Definition and Its Meaning” of The New Evangelization, the remaining paragraphs of this section are blunt and even then, some would consider “blunt” an understatement. The Instrumentum Laboris is blunt in identifying unique challenges posed by particular geographic regions (notably the West); blunt in identifying a root problem and blunt in what the Church must do. The Instrumentum Laboris certainly is not presenting a band-aid approach to the peril of the “interior desert” as the text clearly articulates that the “task of the new evangelization is having the courage to raise again the question of God in these places and situations and to restore a high quality and motivation to the faith in many of our Churches of ancient origins.” Restoring and motivating the Faith in all places will require the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit to accurately and precisely read the ‘signs of the times’ and respond appropriately from the Tradition’s Sacred Treasure of both the old and the new - both tailored to the needs of leading people into communion with Jesus Christ. Such a work moves a person from the emptiness of the “interior desert.”

(Permit a necessary aside on the point of the “interior desert.” This is a term that Pope Benedict has been using to describe the solipsism, myopic malaise, apathy, narcissism and the intentional, active railing against any dimension of life connected to God. The “interior desert” is not to be confused with the biblical desert experience (e.g. Jesus‘ battle with Satan in the desert or Israel’s journey from slavery to freedom through the desert). The biblical desert and subsequent experience is necessary for maturity on all levels of human existence. The “interior desert” is the antithesis of the biblical desert.)

Consider:

What ideas has the Holy Spirit given you to assist the entire Body of Christ in being restored and motivated to a “high quality” of Faith?

Week 19, Wednesday. Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

85. The convocation of the Synod and the subsequent establishment of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization provide still another step in refining the meaning of the term “new evangelization.” Addressing the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI specified its content: “Making my own the concerns of my venerable Predecessors, I consider it opportune to offer appropriate responses so that the entire Church, allowing herself to be regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, may present herself to the contemporary world with a missionary impulse in order to promote the new evangelization.

Doctrine of the Faith further clarified the meaning of the concept of the new evangelization by proposing a definition: “In its precise sense, evangelization is the missio ad gentes directed to those who do not know Christ. In a wider sense, it is used to describe ordinary pastoral work, while the phrase ‘new evangelization’ designates pastoral outreach to those who no longer practice the Christian faith.” This definition was later taken up in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae munus. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 85)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold. (Psalm 45:10, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

Almighty ever-living God,
who assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
the Mother of your Son,
body and soul into heavenly glory,
grant we pray, that,
always attentive to the things that are above,
we may merit to be sharers of her glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

After examining 84 paragraphs, the final section of Chapter 2, “A Definition and Its Meaning,” devotes 5 paragraphs to defining The New Evangelization. One might wonder why the document waited to define “The New Evangelization,” at this point in the text instead of the beginning. The Instrumentum Laboris has been clear that The New Evangelization is not about ‘new’ content rather a ‘new’ way of presenting the essentials of Christianity beginning with the Encounter with Jesus Christ.

Paragraph 85 notes phrases such as “refining the meaning of the term The New Evangelization,” “… clarified the meaning of the concept of The New Evangelization” as well as a brief history of the term’s use in recent documents. Perhaps in this period of time prior to the Synod, the term The New Evangelization should be somewhat fluid and flexible raising as many appropriate concerns as possible for the Synod, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to direct and to guide. This does not mean that The New Evangelization is presently a free-for-all. We are given some clear direction: “In its precise sense, evangelization is the missio ad gentes directed to those who do not know Christ. In a wider sense, it is used to describe ordinary pastoral work, while the phrase ‘new evangelization’ designates pastoral outreach to those who no longer practice the Christian faith.” These insights certainly give the Church direction presently and precise objects of pastoral efforts.

Consider:

How can the term “The New Evangelization” positively express a new approach to pastoral ministry and not just another ‘buzz word’?

Week 18, Thursday. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

84. Separate consideration is given to the question of the lack of priests. All the responses voiced concern about the insufficient number of priests, which negatively affects a calm, effective exercise of the manner of “being Church”. Some responses made a detailed analysis of the problem, treating this crisis alongside that of marriage and Christian families. Many mentioned the need to envision a more integrated organization of the local Church, involving lay people along with priests in the animation of the community.

These responses mentioned that synod discussion could bring clarity to the matter and result in prospects for the future. Almost all the responses call for the whole Church to engage in a strong pastoral programme on behalf of priestly vocations, which begins in prayer and calls upon all priests and clerical religious to live in such a way as to bear witness to the attractiveness of their vocation and to seek ways of speaking to young people. The same applies to vocations to the consecrated life, especially those for women. In view of the new evangelization, some responses also stressed the importance of an adequate formation programme not only in seminaries and novitiates but also in academic institutions. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 84)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Create a clean heart in me, O God. (Psalm 51:12, Mass).

COLLECT (click for Readings)

God of our Fathers, Who brought
the Martyr Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
to know your crucified Son
and to imitate him even until death,
grant, through her intercession,
that the whole human race
may acknowledge Christ as its Savior
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Today’s selection, paragraph 84 concludes chapter 2’s examination of “Parish Transformation and the New Evangelization” by addressing the topic, ‘lack of priests’ particularly when it comes to “a calm, effective exercise of the manner of “being Church.” The Instrumentum Laboris notes that many responses to the Lineamenta reflected on this reality “alongside that of marriage and Christian families.” Perhaps the following 2 observations are worth some discussion:

1) Maybe the phrase ‘lack of priests’ needs some critiquing and nuancing. The document raises an interesting point when it speaks of “a calm, effective exercise of the manner of “being Church.”” The question worth raising is what exactly is “a calm, effective exercise of the manner of “being Church” that a ‘lack of priests’ apparently impacts negatively? Are we talking about “being Church” of a previous era? If that is the case, the Instrumentum Laboris has presented clearly that the New Evangelization may involve new expressions, new ways of “being Church” (more on this in the following chapter on Christian Initiation). If that is the case, could or might the label and reality of ‘lack of priests’ in the present expression and experience of Church be the Spirit moving the Church in a direction that is not presently and clearly seen?

Another caution with the phrase ‘lack of priests’ is that it could, in the minds of some, suggest that the Lord is not adequately providing for the His Body, the Church. We know of many lessons recorded in the Sacred Scriptures, lived throughout the Sacred Tradition and continuing to unfold in our midst of the Lord providing all that is necessary (not luxurious) for life. While it is certainly valid and necessary to ask whether or not men are responding to the Lord’s call (more on that in the following section), to suggest that we might not have all that is needed for “being Church,” could in fact call into question whether or not we really, honestly trust Our Lord and Savior.

2) On the proverbial other hand, both the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris have identified a key hermeneutic of the New Evangelization: the Encounter with the Person, Jesus Christ that sparks actions of metanoia (a radical turning in body, mind and heart from selfishness of sin to the selfless of Jesus lived ultimately on the Cross) and believing (a radical trust - called faith - in which I as an individual and we as a community of faith commit with body, mind and heart to Jesus’ actions and words as the only Way of living in this world with a view towards the World to come). This Encounter reaches its most intimate and deepest level in the Most Holy Eucharist and other Sacramental celebrations all of which are Encounters with the Divine Person Jesus, Who leads all in the power of the Holy Spirit to communing with His Father. In this context, it is fair to ask, are there sufficient priests to offer the Sacramental celebrations at times that reflect most visibly the assembled Body of Christ and that are offered at a reasonably accessible time for all the members of Christ’s Body? The Lineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris (even more forcefully) made the point that life has changed significantly in the various examined sectors and perhaps as a result of these changes, maybe the times that Sacramental celebrations have been offered need adjustment. Perhaps Baptism only after the last Mass on Sunday, Penance only for 30 minutes on Saturday late afternoon, the Sunday Holy Eucharist only Sunday morning - to name only a few - are areas for discernment (another vital action sounded throughout the pages of the Lineamenta and Instrumentum Laboris) to know what the Lord wants and where our communities are along journey of faith. Discernment is also necessary in that these ‘time adjustments’ MUST enhance the sense of Sacred Time and especially Sabbath Rest which many contend have all but sadly vanished in our culture.

On a personal note, as one who teaches part time in our Archdiocesan Seminary, it is privilege to be part of the formation of the Church’s next generation of priests. More and more are responding to the Call from Our Lord to be priests and these men are good and balanced seekers of holiness, sociable and imbued with a deep sense of service to the Body of Christ. Thank you, Lord, for these seminarians and may your Spirit, Who has begun a good work, “bring it to perfection” through Christ our Lord. AMEN!

Consider:

What thoughts cross your mind about the ‘lack of priests’?

Week 18, Tuesday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

83. In recounting these obvious hope-filled signs, the responses to the Lineamenta indicate that the path taken is a slow but effective work of reforming our manner of “being Church” among people and avoiding the pitfalls of sectarianism and a “civil religion,” all the while retaining the form of a missionary Church. In other words, the Church must not lose her image of being a Church near to people and their families. Even where the Church is in the minority or the victim of discrimination, she must not lose her prerogative of remaining close to people in their everyday lives and, in that very place, announcing the life-giving message of the Gospel.

Pope John Paul II stated that the “New Evangelization” means to remake the Christian fabric of human society and the fabric of the Christian communities. It means assisting the Church to continue to be present “in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters,” so as to animate their lives and direct them to the Kingdom that is to come. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 83)

PSALM (click for full Psalm)

The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory. (Psalm 102:17, Mass).

COLLECT (click for today’s Scriptures)

Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you
as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

In continuing the reflections on “Parish Transformation and the New Evangelization,” paragraph 83 speaks of caution, challenge and communion. In acknowledging the slow work of evangelization, there can be a tendency to loose focus. For this reason, the document cautions that in the efforts to promote the New Evangelization, the Church can never loose sight of the missionary mandate. Jesus Christ must be preached and lived at all times. Being clear that we are about the preaching and living of a Person Who desires an encounter and ongoing communing with us, this will be the hermeneutic that prevents Catholic Christian living from falling prey to becoming a “civil religion” that amounts to nothing more than a culturally or customarily nice thing to do on occasions such as Christmas, Easter, Baptisms, First Communions, Weddings and Funerals. Many involved in pastoral ministry know when the reality of ‘cultural Catholicism.’ The Instrumentum Laboris views this approach to the Church as an opportunity to invite and to call back into the fold, those who - for whatever reason - have grown lukewarm or cold to the practice of the Faith. This is challenging for those in ministry as it is for those who have left. In both cases, there is often the need to “remake,” re-tool or re-express practices that while still Catholic on the surface, have lost their connection to the Person, Jesus Christ. Preaching and living Him in such a way that we permit ourselves to connect with Him as Person is at the core of responding to His declaration, “The Kingdom of God is at hand!”

Consider:

How does your parish and/or diocese keep life’s moments such as Weddings and Funerals, to name only 2, centered in and on Jesus Christ?

Week 18, Monday. Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

82. In this regard, the Church has many resources at her service. The responses agree that the first resource is the great number of baptized lay people who are engaged in and decisively continue their voluntary service of building up the parish community.

Many responses refer to the flowering of the vocation of the laity as one of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council and list other resources, namely, communities of consecrated life; various ecclesial groups and movements which, through their fervour, their energy and, above all, their faith, give a strong impetus to renewal in ecclesial settings; and the many devotional shrine-centres, which, in particular Churches, serve to call people to the faith. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 82)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 97:1, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of your Only Begotten Son
confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Fathers
and wonderfully prefigured our full adoption to sonship, grant,
we pray, to your servants, that, listening to the voice of your beloved Son,
we may merit to become co-heirs with him.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Given some of the email responses to yesterday’s entry (thank you, but please - please - please use the comment feature so that all can benefit), it is clear that parish vitality and a previously examined topic, the pain caused by family and friends not practicing or leaving the faith, have resonated with a good number of people. To that end, the remaining 3 paragraphs that examine “Parish Life and the New Evangelization” will be treated individually over the course of this week.

Paragraph 82 celebrates “great number of baptized lay people who are engaged in and decisively continue their voluntary service of building up the parish community.” This indeed is wonderful and is recognized as a fruit of the Second Vatican Council. In places where this wondrous fruit is sowing seeds that eventually lead people to salvation, the Church must actively support and express gratitude, truly valuing the gifts of the Spirit operative and generously placed at the service of the Lord and His Kingdom.

Respectively, though, I wonder about the phrase “voluntary service” to describe what are essentially ministries flowing from Baptism. While any ministry requires the “yes” of the minister, ministry is first and foremost a call that one responds “yes” or “no.” Volunteering technically puts the emphasis on “my choice” and not on the reality that one is responding to a call that has been sounded by the Lord and echoed in His Church.

Additionally, the reality of call implies some type of formation for the particular ministry and again, many can testify to laity formed well in and for particular ministries. But there are places where a sound theological and ecclesial formation are lacking. While people may be generous in the gift of time, talent and treasury, the absence of formation means that advice and decision making are often skewed and governed by principles of the secular business world, a nostalgia for a bygone era or simply the always popular, “we’ve always done it that way.” I am certainly not advocating an avoidance of good business practices and reporting that can help us be good stewards but decisions but a way of ministry that clearly does not have the Face of Jesus Christ in focus, will not hasten the coming of the Kingdom.

Consider:

What has been your experience of the various ‘lay ministries’?
Are these people ‘volunteers’ or ‘ministers’?

Week 18, Sunday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

80. Many responses describe a Church strongly engaged in the work of transformation by being present among people and within society. The younger Churches are working to enliven parishes which are oftentimes extensive, animating them internally through a program, depending on geographic and ecclesial contexts, called “Basic Christian Communities” or “Small Christian Communities.” Their stated purpose is to foster a Christian life which is better capable of sustaining the faith of their members and illuminating, through their witness, various areas of society, particularly in large, sprawling cities. The older, more-established Churches are reviewing their parish programs which are being administered with increased difficulty as a result of a decrease in the number of the clergy and a decline in Christian practice. They are seeking to avoid the danger that their work become merely bureaucratic and administrative and lead to undesired effects, namely that particular Churches, already too busy with operational problems, might, in the end, become exclusively concerned with themselves. In this regard, many responses refer to the idea of a “pastoral unity” as a means of combining a parish renewal program with a cooperative endeavor among other parishes, so as to create a more community-minded particular Church.

81. The new evangelization is a call to the Church to rediscover her missionary origins. According to many responses, the new evangelization can devote work in this area to leading Christian communities to be less concentrated on themselves inwardly in the midst of the changes already taking place and more engaged in proclaiming the faith to others. In this regard, much is expected from parishes that are seen as an entryway, open to everyone in every place on the globe, to the Christian faith and an experience of the Church. In addition to their being the place for ordinary pastoral life, liturgical celebrations, the dispensation of the sacraments, catechesis and the catechumenate, parishes have the responsibility to become real centers for propagating and bearing witness to the Christian experience and places for attentively listening to people and ascertaining their needs. Parishes are places where a person receives instruction on searching for the truth, where faith is nourished and strengthened and where the Christian message and God’s plan for humanity and the world is communicated. They are the prime communities for experiencing the joy that comes from being not only gathered together by the Spirit but prepared to live one’s proper vocation as a missionary. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 80-81)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord gave them bread from heaven. (Psalm 78:24, Mass).

COLLECT

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Today and tomorrow’s selections from the Instrumentum Laboris addresses “Parish Transformation and the New Evangelization,” a topic that many people are feeling as dioceses once known for their large numbers are having to consolidate parish schools, operations and even the parish itself. Yet at the same time, news of vibrant communities experiencing explosive growth dots the ecclesial radar throughout the world. Paragraph 80 references “Basic Christian Communities” as instrumental in helping to foster Christian living. Many of these communities flourish throughout the world, particularly in areas marked by poverty and/or persecution. It does raise a question though – why is there growth in poor, persecuted areas and, generally speaking, decline, apathy and indifference in ‘traditionally Catholic’ areas? These paragraphs also provide another valuable contribution to current pastoral activity: a description, beyond canonical language, of who and what constitutes parish identity. The Instrumentum Laboris describes parishes as “places where a person receives instruction on searching for the truth, where faith is nourished and strengthened and where the Christian message and God’s plan for humanity and the world is communicated. They are the prime communities for experiencing the joy that comes from being not only gathered together by the Spirit but prepared to live one’s proper vocation as a missionary.” Such a quote can serve a parish well in mapping an experience of renewal as opposed to planning for a parish’s closure.

Consider:

How have you described parish prior to reading today's selection from the Instrumentum Laboris?
How can insights expressed in these paragraphs assist your parish right now?