And miles to go

Year of the Eucharist

Even though our Diocesan celebration for the Year of the Eucharist took place on October 9th, I am still aglow with the memory of that marvelous, religious experience. It was truly remarkable in many ways! It was certainly not a throw-back to the past, but a lived, real experience of our local Church today as it journeys on pilgrimage.

In my homily that day, I made reference to Bishop Paul Zipfel’s “trajectory” of the Holy Eucharist that takes us from private devotion to ecclesial worship to social outreach. This truth, dynamic as it is, reminds us that our Sunday observance of Mass does not end with the final hymn. We are “commissioned” to go forth and bring the love of Christ, which we have received in the Holy Eucharist, to others, especially the sick, the poor, the stranger, and the marginalized. Without that kind of outreach, our participation in the Eucharist falls flat. It is simply incomplete.

In June of 2004, the Vatican Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace published a Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Its purpose is to present the foundations of Catholic social doctrine, based in the Natural Moral Law and confirmed by Scripture and Tradition. It contributes to the “New Evangelization” by placing the human person and society itself in a proper relationship to the Gospel. Faith seeks to transform the social, economic and political spheres by bringing to those areas an understanding of the meaning, dignity and destiny of human life and its activity.

The Compendium was called for by the late, beloved Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in America, specifically directed to our continent. There in paragraph 54 the Pope suggests a development of that section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which concerns the seventh commandment of the Decalogue.  This development would serve as a synthesis of Catholic social doctrine as it pertains to the family, human work, politics, the environment, peace and justice. Thus this present volume aims at the promotion of an integral and solidary humanism that can enjoin business people, politicians, military personnel, labor leaders, teachers, preachers and researchers. It is a guide for Pastoral Leaders in their teaching and a handy tool for their ministry. It ought to sit on every pastor’s desk right next to the Catechism.

The Compendium begins with the probing question of what we understand the truth of the human person to be, especially in relation to nature, technology and morality. This provides a basis for accepting personal and collective responsibility in society. The second great challenge is understanding and managing society’s pluralism and differences at every level of interaction. A third challenge is found in an expanding globalization that requires more consideration than just that of economics. In fact, our era has opened all nations to a new period of history in which the destiny of each has been joined to all the others. To these three great challenges, the disciple of Christ brings the definitive Word of God and its plan of salvation, justice and brotherhood. The vocation of the Church is to serve the world with the practical applications of this message, freely bestowed by God and dynamically empowered with his grace to mold humanity according to the dignity and true freedom of every human person.

The Compendium places great emphasis on the formation of the laity as agents of faith for building a better, more just and peaceful world:

           “The lay faithful are called to cultivate an authentic lay spirituality by which they are reborn as new men and women, both sanctified and sanctifiers, immersed in the mystery of God and inserted in society.” (no. 545)

As I read through this marvelous work, I realized how appropriate it is for the Season of Advent wherein we, as Catholics, not only prepare for a commemoration of Christ’s first coming and ready ourselves for his future coming at the end times, but also attend to his present coming in the midst of today’s world happenings.

As we look about ourselves, we see so much rebuilding that needs to be done: the victims of the tsunami, those of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, those who suffered loss in the earthquakes of Pakistan and India. Many of you have already responded generously to one or all of these tragic situations and yet still more help is needed.

May I suggest that perhaps our Christmas shopping should focus more on these needs than those of our friends or even our own families. Perhaps this is a year when the money spent on a Christmas “social” might more fittingly be directed to the “social” needs of building up the lives of those who have been so unexpectedly deprived of economic security and livelihood. Something to think about . . .

God love you!

(December 2005)

Falta Mucho por Recorrer

En junio del 2004, el Consejo Pontificio para la Justicia y la Paz publicó un Compendio de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia. Su propósito es presentar las fundaciones de la doctrina social, basadas en la Ley Moral Natural y confirmada por la Escritura y Tradición. Esto contribuye a la "Evangelización Nueva" poniendo a la persona y a la sociedad en una relación apropiada al Evangelio. La fe busca transformar las esferas sociales, económicas y políticas trayendo a esas areas un entendimiento del significado, dignidad y destino de la vida humana y su actividad.

El Compendio fue llamado por nuestro último Papa Juan Pablo II en su  exhortación apostólica Ecclesia in América dirigida a nuestro continente especificamente. En el párrafo 54 el Papa suguiere un desarrollo en la sección del Catesismo de la Iglesia Católica que se refiere al séptimo mandamiento del decálogo. Este desarrollo serviría como síntesis de la doctrina social católica ya que se relaciona con la familia, trabajo, política, ambiente, paz y la justicia. Para que este volumen tenga como finalidad  la promoción de un humanismo integral y solidario que pueda imponerse con personas de negocios, politicos, personal militar, líderes de trabajo, profesores, predicadores e investigadores. Es un guía para líderes pastorales en su enseñanza y una herramienta práctica para su ministerio. Este guía debe estar en el escritorio de cada sacerdote al lado del catequismo.

Al leer este trabajo maravilloso, me doy cuenta lo apropiado que es para la temporada de Adviento, porque como católicos nos preparamos para la conmemoración de la llegada de Cristo y alistarnos para su llegada al final de nuestros dias, pero también ayudar en su presencia en medio de los eventos que ocurren hoy en día.

Mientras nos ponemos a reflexionar, vemos tanta reconstrucción que se está llevando a cabo y que aún falta bastante por terminar: las victimas del Tsunami, del huracan Katrina y Rita, los que sufrieron pérdida en los terremotos en Paquistán y la India. Muchos de ustedes ya respondieron generosamente a uno o a todas las situaciones trágicas aunque aún necesitan de nuestra ayuda.

Podría sugerir que en vez de hacer compras navideñas para nuestra familia, se podría enfocar en ayudar a los má s necesitados. Quizá s este es un año en que el dinero que va a gastar por navidad lo podría donar para ayudar a los má s desafortunados economicamente. Algo para ponerse a pensar...