Words of the Word

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 19, Sunday. Words of the Word

ANTIPHON (click for full Psalm)

“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.”