Words of the Word

Week 19, Sunday. Words of the Word

“Look to Your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of Your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend Your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek You. (Psalm 74:20, 19, 22, 23)”

COLLECT

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.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm)

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

GOSPEL EXCERPT (click for all readings)

The Jews murmured (Εγόγγυζον, egogguzon) about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring (μὴ γογγύζετε, me gogguzete) among yourselves (John 6:41-43).”

REFLECTION

Perhaps it is a title of an 80’s REM album. Perhaps it describes an aliment of the heart. Perhaps you are a fan of onomatopoeic words. In this Sunday’s part of the ‘Bread of Life’ discourse, murmur is the word that describes the crowd’s response to Jesus’ continued teaching concerning the meaning of the sign (the feeding with the abundance from the loaves and fish) and the pronouncement of His own identity (I am the Bread of Life).

The Greek word that is translated murmur is γογγύζω (gogguzo). In antiquity, γογγύζω described a muffled, low tone, incoherent noise that conveyed dissatisfaction without the use of words. It was also a means of communicating one’s complaint that the other party, for whatever reason, did not live up to perceived expectations. But γογγύζω is more than simply registering a complaint or announcing one’s displeasure because it also conveys an air of entitlement. In fact, in the biblical era what separates what we call “grumbling” from “murmuring” is that the one murmuring believes she or he is entitled to something from the other. The one murmuring, rightly or wrongly (although in the Gospels is it often wrongly), has a claim on some dimension of another’s life and when that is not realized, murmuring is the response.

This helps to make some sense as to why, after murmuring, the crowds contended that they had Jesus ‘figured out.’ They readily spout their ‘knowledge’ of Jesus in such a way to express a claim that they have on Him to provide bread and fish once again. In claiming to know Him, that air of entitlement sets up a block in their own lives as to Jesus’ true identity and the meaning of the sign of the loaves and fish. As is so often the case in the walk with Jesus, if you think you have Him figured out, you don’t … and never will.

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. Words of the Word.

ANTIPHON (click for full Psalm)

“O God, come to my assistance; O Lord make haste to help me! Your are my rescuer and help; O Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:2,6)

COLLECT

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (click for full Psalm)

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

GOSPEL EXCERPT (click for all readings)

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking (ζητοῦντες, zetountes) for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking (ζητεῖτέ, zeteite) for me not because you saw signs (σημεῖα, semeia)
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work (ἐργάζεσθε μὴ) for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

REFLECTION

When we left the crowd last week, they had been fed abundantly by Jesus Whose pronouncement: ‘take, thank and distribute’ transformed meager portions of food into an abundance that would shock any matriarch’s grand Sunday meal. Interestingly, while the crowds sought Jesus because of the “signs” He was performing for the sick, Jesus initiated the feeding and gave them food in abundance as gift. As the crowd sang His praises as a prophet, Jesus withdrew to the solitude of the mountain. What we do not hear proclaimed this Sunday are the events associated with Jesus’ walking on the water of Galilee to Capernaum, which sets the stage for the action of the crowd, once again, to seek Jesus.

The Gospel proclamation this Sunday opens with the crowds searching for Jesus and then getting into boats with great urgency when they realize He has gone from the place of the Feeding. When the crowds ‘find’ Jesus, He confronts them: “you are looking (ζητεῖτέ, zeteite) for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”

As far as Jesus is concerned, the Feeding is a σημεῖα (semeia) and as a σημεῖα one is called to make a decision to act on the σημεῖα (recall last week’s discussion of σημεῖα). One might argue that the crowds did in fact ‘do something’ as a result of the σημεῖα: they went looking for Jesus. But were they really looking for Him? Jesus declares that the crowd was not really looking for Him, but for the food He provided earlier. On one hand, it is hard to blame the crowd. Life in general and the economy specifically were very difficult in first-century Galilee. While some made a good living on the sea, others did not know when or where they would eat next. But on the other hand when it comes to the Feeding, it is a σημεῖα and there is no getting around the fact that a σημεῖα calls for a decision to act in a particular way. A σημεῖα calls for a particular work.

The point is underscored further by the use of the Greek verb ζητεω (zeteo). ζητεω, translated in this Sunday’s text as “to seek,” implies more than just looking around for something lost. In fact, in antiquity this verb is generally used when speaking about people being lost or found. ζητεω does not necessarily refer to a physical loss or find when referencing people, it is speaking more about the connection, the relationship, the link people have with one another. Yet what is even more fascinating is that ζητεω involves the work of searching for the other, on the other’s terms! Yes, I realize this sound confusing – how can you search, guided by the other’s terms, when you are not connected to the other person? But that is precisely what the σημεῖα is ordered to do, especially throughout the episodes of Jesus’ Ministry in the Gospel according to Saint John. When Jesus ‘does’ the σημεῖα of the Feeding, that provides the ‘terms’ for ζητεω: seeking Jesus as Person for the connection, the relationship, the encounter He gives.

Saint Augustine commented: “It is as if he said, “You seek me to satisfy the flesh, not the Spirit.” How many seek Jesus for no other objective than to get some kind of temporal benefit! One has a business that has run into problems, and he seeks the intercession of the clergy; another is oppressed by someone more powerful than himself, and he flies to the church. Another desires intervention with someone over whom he has little influence. One person wants this, and another person wants that. The church is filled with these kinds of people! Jesus is scarcely sought after for his own sake. . . . Here too he says, you seek me for something else; seek me for my own sake. He insinuates the truth that he himself is that food . . . “that endures to eternal life.” Tractates on the Gospel of John.

Certainly there is much that rings this Sunday with the Church’s upcoming Synod on the New Evangelization. At the very heart of the New Evangelization is a proclaiming of the Person Jesus Christ Who invites everyone to encounter Him. That encounter, that “sign” to use Johannine terminology, initially requires 2 works, 2 actions on our part: metanoia (the ongoing, daily conversion of heart, mind and body from selfishness to selflessness as lived by Jesus) and believing that is essentially a deep trust in the Person Jesus that what He says and does for me and for us is THE only way to live life. For many ‘named’ Christian, the search for Jesus has become convoluted by all sorts of distractions – some of them ugly, foul and uncompassionate while other distractions may in fact seem and sound spiritual and religious but leave a void in life. Being fed by the Savior is by no means a passive event – it is His invitation to connect deeply with Him for Who He is.

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?

Saint John Vianney - reflections on prayer

From the catechetical instructions by Saint John Mary Vianney:

“My little children, reflect on these words: the Christian’s treasure is not on earth but in heaven. Our thoughts, then, ought to be directed to where our treasure is. This is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a man’s happiness lies.

Prayer is nothing else but union with God. When one has a heart that is pure and united with God, he is given a kind of serenity and sweetness that makes him ecstatic, a light that surrounds him with marvelous brightness. In this intimate union, God and the soul are fused together like two bits of wax that no one can ever pull apart. This union of God with a tiny creature is a lovely thing. It is a happiness beyond understanding.

We had become unworthy to pray, but God in his goodness allowed us to speak with him. Our prayer is incense that gives him the greatest pleasure.

My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the soul and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.

Prayer also makes time pass very quickly and with such great delight that one does not notice its length. Listen: Once when I was a purveyor in Bresse and most of my companions were ill, I had to make a long journey. I prayed to the good God, and, believe me, the time did not seem long.

Some men immerse themselves as deeply in prayer as fish in water, because they give themselves totally to God. There is no division in their hearts. O, how I love these noble souls! Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Colette used to see our Lord and talk to him just as we talk to one another.

How unlike them we are! How often we come to church with no idea of what to do or what to ask for. And yet, whenever we go to any human being, we know well enough why we go. And still worse, there are some who seem to speak to God like this: “I will only say a couple of things to you, and then I will be rid of you.” I often think that when we come to adore the Lord, we would receive everything we ask for, if we would ask with living faith and with a pure heart.”

Week 17, Saturday. Saint John Vianney. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

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

78. According to the various responses, this examination resulted in three basic requirements: 1) the ability to discern or a capacity to place oneself within the present circumstances, unwavering in the conviction that, within this context, the Gospel can still be proclaimed and the Christian faith lived; 2) the ability to live forms of fundamental and authentic adhesion to the Christian faith, whose simple character can already serve as a witness to the transforming power of God in our history; and 3) a clear and visible bond with the Church, capable of making her missionary and apostolic character perceptible. These requirements are submitted to the consideration of the Synod Assembly in the hope that, through its deliberations, the Church might receive assistance in following the path of conversion called for by the new evangelization.

79. Many particular Churches, at the time they received the text of the Lineamenta, were already engaged in examining and re-planning their pastoral programs based on these requirements. Some used the term "missionary renewal" to describe their work; others "a pastoral program of conversion". All were in strong agreement that the heart of the new evangelization is the Church's renewed commitment to her missionary mandate, given by the Lord Jesus Christ, who willed her and sent her into the world, so that she might be guided by the Holy Spirit in bearing witness to the salvation she has received and in proclaiming the face of God the Father, who took the initial step in this work of salvation. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 78-79)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Lord, in your great love, answer me. (Psalm 69:14, Mass).

COLLECT

Almighty and merciful God,
who made the Priest Saint John Vianney
wonderful in his pastoral zeal,
grant, we pray, that through his intercession and example
we may in charity win brothers and sisters for Christ
and attain with them eternal 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)

The selected paragraphs today finish the topic “Mission ad gentes, Pastoral Care and a New Evangelization” and do so in a very clear and convincing manner. We are seeing once again actions at the heart of the New Evangelization: discerning, witnessing, bonding (to the Body of Christ, the Church) and converting (ongoing, daily conversion of heart, mind and body). In drawing together responses to the Lineamenta, this Instrumentum Laboris notes the renewal that is happening in parts of the Church centering on missionary work and ongoing conversion.

The Instrumentum Laboris is presenting an initial path for ecclesial renewal and the renewal of each believer. While we await with expectant faith the work of the Holy Spirit in the Synod this October, deepening reflections on what it means to witness to Jesus Christ as one sent forth (mission) and the requirement of ongoing, daily conversion of heart, mind and body to the Person, Jesus Christ are works that have a timeless and eternal validity for the individual Christian and the One Body of Christ. Too often, renewal at various levels of the Church attempt, albeit with good intentions, a ‘re-invention of the wheel.’ Our Savior has provided all: 1) the Kingdom is present, therefore 2) turn from the selfishness of sin to the selflessness of service in My Name (metanoina, conversion) and 3) bind yourself to Me and trust that My words will lead you on the path of life in this world and in the world to come (belief, faith).

Consider:

Among some, terms such as witness, conversion, personal relationship with Jesus Christ sound foreign and distant. How do we loose the baggage of false meanings associated with these Gospel terms and embrace the call to action that they summon?

Week 17, Friday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

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

76. Discernment for a new evangelization clearly acknowledges the profound change which is presently taking place in the Church’s evangelizing mission. Traditional, established concepts — formally denoted by the terms “countries of ancient Christianity” and “mission lands” — are no longer suitable. At present, these terms seem overly simplified and referring to outdated situations; they fail to provide useful models for Christian communities today. Pope John Paul II observed: “The boundaries between pastoral care of the faithful, new evangelization and specific missionary activity are not clearly definable, and it is unthinkable to create barriers between them or to put them into watertight compartments. [...] The Churches in traditionally Christian countries, for example, involved as they are in the challenging task of new evangelization, are coming to understand more clearly that they cannot be missionaries to non-Christians in other countries and continents, unless they are seriously concerned about the non-Christians at home. Hence missionary activity ad intra is a credible sign and a stimulus for missionary activity ad extra, and vice versa.”

77. Despite varying emphasis and factors related to cultures and history, the responses to the Lineamenta well understood the different nature of the new evangelization. They see it not as simply replacing older forms of pastoral activity (the first evangelization, pastoral care) with newer forms, but rather as initiating a process of renewal in the Church’s fundamental mission. Questioning herself on how to evangelize today, the Church does not exclude examining herself and the quality of evangelization in her communities. The new evangelization is the duty of everyone in the Church (individuals, communities, parishes, dioceses, bishops’ conferences, movements, groups and other ecclesial realities as well as religious and consecrated persons) to examine the Church’s life and pastoral activity by closely considering, according to the Gospel, the caliber of one’s life of faith and the ability to be actively involved in proclaiming the Gospel. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 76-77)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Lord, in your great love, answer me. (Psalm 69:14, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, protector of those who hope in you,
without whom nothing has firm foundation,
nothing is holy,
bestow in abundance your mercy upon us
and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide,
we may use the good things that pass
in such a way as to hold fast even now
to those that ever endure.
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)

Under the heading “Mission ad gentes, Pastoral Care and a New Evangelization,” the next few paragraphs address present realities in the work of evangelization. Additionally, this section also speak to the hermeneutic of the New Evangelization: not new content, not a change in content but a renewal in how the content is expressed so as to speak to the specific and unique situation of present ecclesial ministry in the world. Once again, this pre-synodal document calls the Church to examine current efforts and activities. While never abandoning the missio ad gentes (the mission to the world), it is also necessary ‘to keep an eye on the home front.’ The laudable work of going forth is grounded in a base that continues to grow and to fuel the missionary work Jesus entrusts to ALL members of His Church.

Consider:

In many Catholic circles, ‘missionary work’ is perceived by the vast majority as the work ‘special people called missionaries’ do in lands far, far away. What can be done to help everyone know deeply her/his role as evangelizers by virtue of Baptism?

Week 17, Wednesday. Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

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

74. The responses describe a very different situation in those places where the Church is in the minority. In those cases where Churches are free to profess their faith and live their religion, minority status is seen as an opportunity to give Christianity greater visibility, to seek avenues of involvement in the world and to work to bring about change. However, where persecution is part of the minority status, evangelization is more closely aligned to what Jesus experienced in his being faithful, even to the cross. Such a situation reveals the bond existing between evangelization and the cross. These Churches bear witness to this close association as a gift to the entire Church, a fact which these Churches should not overlook themselves. These Churches rightly serve as a reminder that evangelization cannot be measured in quantitative terms of success.

75. The renewal to which we are called is greatly assisted by the Eastern Catholic Churches and those Christian communities which, either in the past or in the present, are hidden, marginalized, persecuted and experiencing intolerance of an ethnic, ideological or religious nature. Their faith-witness, perseverance, resiliency, enduring hope and the intuitive character of certain pastoral practices are a gift to be shared with those Christian communities which, having had a glorious past, are now showing signs of weariness and a dispersion of energy. Churches unaccustomed to practicing the faith in a minority situation can certainly benefit from hearing experiences which can instill the necessary courage required in the work of a new evangelization. Even more spiritual benefits can come from welcoming those who are forced to leave their homelands because of persecution and who bear in their spirit the untold richness of the signs of martyrdom which they have personally experienced. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 2: Time for a New Evangelization,” paragraph 74-75)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

God is my refuge on the day of distress. (Psalm 59:17, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, who constantly raise up in your Church
new examples of virtue,
grant that we may follow so closely
in the footsteps of the Bishop Saint Alphonsus
in his zeal for souls as to attain the same rewards
that are his 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)

It is hard for many to grasp the reality of a Church that is universal. Often the experience of Church is limited to one’s parish and anything bigger, even on a diocesan level, is simply not on a person’s or community’s radar. While there is something natural about this, it has the potential of creating a rather insular view and experience of Church. Today’s selected paragraphs reference places in the world where the Church is a minority presence in culture or a persecuted community, or both. Due in part to a lack of knowledge of contemporary Church happenings, many people think persecutions refer only to those atrocities that happened centuries ago, in a land far removed from one’s sphere of living. Even when news of these difficulties are brought to people’s attention, there is an air that somehow this is unreal and does not affect me in my circle of Church life. The Instrumentum Laboris is clear that these communities have much to teach the rest of the Christian world that has perhaps become too comfortable, too cozy with the world. Hence the warning to the ‘bean-counter’ and assessment approach to evangelization: “evangelization cannot be measured in quantitative terms of success.”

Consider:

When I hear of martyrdom or persecutions for the faith, what comes to mind - something remote in time and place or a current reality?
How comfortable have I become in living the life of Jesus Christ to the neglect of bearing the Kingdom in my life?