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Homily
for the Chrism Mass Day by day, day by day O dear Lord, three things I pray: To see Thee more clearly, Love Thee more dearly, Follow Thee more nearly day by day.
Bishop Robert Morneau of Green Bay began our inaugural Bishop Lucker Lecture Series right here in Redwood Falls last month by quoting these words from St. Richard’s Prayer. The Bishop went on to say that these three desires summarize the essence of the spirituality of the Second Vatican Council as they point to our relationship with the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
To see more clearly, we must direct our concentrated attention to the Father’s love.
To love more dearly, we must adhere more closely to the self-giving deeds that Jesus performed.
To follow more nearly, we must abandon our wills and, therefore, our desires to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Modeling our spiritual lives, then, on the life of Father, Son and Holy Spirit provides the motivation for our three-fold Lenten practices of prayer, asceticism and service.
This three-fold munere is present in today’s Gospel passage from Saint Luke in which we find Jesus in a house of prayer, reflecting on his mission in light of a Scriptural passage from Isaiah. The ascetical response of Jesus is found in his identification with the anointed one on whom the Spirit of the Lord has descended. But that identity is not sufficient in itself until it is directed to the mission of service that the Father commands and the Spirit directs, namely:
to bring good tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, to restore sight to the blind, release to prisoners, to announce a year of the Lords’ favor.
This is, therefore, a Trinitarian mission that is integrated into the prayer, asceticism and service of Jesus and forms the basis for what theologians term a communion or communio between the three divine Persons. This term “communion” derives from the words “cum munus” which translates as a common duty, common task or common undertaking. What is implied in the term “communion”, therefore, is more than the sense of mere community which involves physical proximity and even common interests or concerns. Rather, “communion” reflects a more intimate commitment of life, love and truth as can be perceived in the mystery of the triune God. You can have community without communion, but you could never have communion without community.
This notion of “communion”, or in Greek “ koinonia ”, has been identified as the central teaching of the Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium , of the Second Vatican Council. It has been said that “the concept of communion lies ‘at the heart’ of the church’s self-understanding.”
As you well recall, the first conciliar draft on the Church submitted to the opening session of the Council was rejected by the bishops because it posited an overly juridical vision of the Church, which gave priority to its organizational structure. In the redrafted document that was ultimately approved overwhelmingly by the Council’s third session, the first chapter was entitled, “Church as Mystery,” wherein that mystery is described as a “communion of faith, hope and love,” called into being by the Trinitarian God. The emphasis on mystery moves us from thinking more about the external reality of an institution in order to allow our first and predominate focus to fall on the Church’s internal reality of grace. Mystery bespeaks a two-fold communion: a vertical communion between the Triune God and believers and a horizontal communion between believers.
Naturally where the vertical and horizontal lines intersect we recognize the cross and on that cross we find the central figure of our Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus, whom the author of Revelation tells us in our second reading is “the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Professor Michael Lawler and Fr. Thomas Shanahan commenting on the centrality of Christ in the document, Lumen Gentium , point out:
“The Church exists only since Christ, only in Christ through his Spirit, only by Christ, and only for Christ and the God he reveals. If it is ever separated from Christ, absolutized in itself, considered only in its institutional aspects, it ceases to be a Christian Church and becomes just one more human institution among many in the world. The Church is not only an institution which Christ established; it is also, and mysteriously, his body in the world (LG 7; cf. Eph 1:23 ; Col 1:18 ). As his humanity provided a body for the historical Jesus, so now does the Church provide a body for the glorified Christ to continue his saving presence and action in the world. Hence it is ‘ the universal sacrament of salvation’ (LG 48), the outward sign in the world of the grace who is God’s Christ. Where this Church acts for the salvation of humankind, it is Christ who acts. Where this Church preaches the gospel, baptizes, cares for the afflicted, in Augustine’s words, it is Christ who preaches, baptizes, and cares.
‘Christ is the light of the nations.’ Any light in the Church is but a reflection of the light of Christ. Christ is the sun and the Church but a moon reflecting the sun’s light to the world.”
This reflection on “communion” in Lumen Gentium leads us, therefore, to understand that the Church exists precisely to be the sacrament of Christ’s salvation to the world, directed and energized by the Holy Spirit.
This is, then, the background of self-understanding that we bring with us to this Chrism Mass. It is in light of this “ecclesial communion” that we understand both the loving recommitment that our ordained priests will make public in our midst here tonight and which the faithful will acknowledge with their own pledge of prayerful support. It is in light of this “ecclesial communion” that the oil of catechumens, the oil of the sick and the sacred chrism will be blessed and consecrated for the future spiritual needs of God’s holy people, made up of clergy, religious and laity alike. It is in light of this “ecclesial communion” that we will be nourished and strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus in a holy communion whereby the presence of Christ continues to direct us in the mission of the Triune God.
Yet, I am also painfully aware that there are forces present in our Church these days that threaten our “ecclesial communion” and would reduce it to a weaker state of relationship.
In an address he gave in St. Louis last June on the impact of the Sexual Abuse Scandal on the Church, Bishop Wilton Gregory said: “The great danger of the present moment is that the Church becomes alienated among itself. Clergy from their people, bishops from their priests and their people: This is the greatest danger that we face.” In a related context, the priest psychologist from St. Luke’s Institute, Father Stephen Rossetti has commented that the most striking aspect that he experienced from the media reports on the Sexual Abuse Scandals was the anger and judgementalism which was expressed from within the Church, both from the right, the left and the middle. He went on to say that the Church, like a family, ought to pull together in times of crisis to dialogue, to take charge of the situation and work together for its resolve. Instead, he has witnessed the Church in our country fragmenting and factionalizing into opposing camps, each casting severe judgments on the other. The hope he expressed was that the Church could once again come together as a “communion” and be united in faith, love and compassion.
I think that we need to take these observations quite seriously and evaluate what the “quality” of our “communion” may be and what, therefore, is implied in the renewed promises that are made and accepted tonight. Despite the difficulty of the present historical moment, we cannot permit the sacramental identity of the priesthood to be lost, nor can we allow the role of the laity to be over-clericalized. Respecting, if not reverencing, the complimentary roles given to the ordained and the baptized alike, we must welcome the wisdom and understanding of each other’s viewpoints and strive to resolve differences in order to build up “communion”, here in this local Church of Christ, which is the Diocese.
I also point this out tonight with a view to our immediate future as a Diocese when, in a few weeks’ time, the new draft for the Plan for Parishes is to be distributed. In this new draft, the distinction between “communion” and “community” will be fully exposed. Some communities that had been known as small parishes will be re-designated over a five year period as oratories or missions. This does not mean a total loss of community identity, but it will call for a greater participation in an Area Parish or Area Faith Community. The idea behind the plan is to build on our strengths, rather than to duplicate our limited resources. Thus instead of having five Worship Committees in a given area, we will have seasonal liturgical planning taking place in a combined gathering with representatives from four or five Sunday Mass sites. Instead of four parishes each having its own Wednesday night Religious Education program, perhaps there will be two sites offering programs at different times. The vision builds on the “communion” of life, love and truth we share as the universal Body of Christ in this diocesan church. Again, that “communion” must be supported by smaller communities, but the communities being proposed will be larger and more expansive than those we have previously known. This will require a new way of thinking on the part of local parishioners and their weekly routines will have to be adjusted. But the constant, unchanging reality will be the “ecclesial communion” that we continue to share and we will need to appeal to that concept often as adjustments are made. A prayerful cooperation and patience on the part of everyone involved will be required as we move to a new understanding of how this “ecclesial communion” is expressed in practice.
At this time, I would like to address a special word to you, my brother priests:
You and I are living through a period of time that is even more complex and challenging than when we were ordained. I have heard some say, “This is not the ship I signed on to” and, of course, there is some truth to that. But it is the ship we are on, as vulnerable, weak and sinful as some of the crew members may be. But just as Jesus told Peter and his companions who were buffeting a major storm on the Sea of Galilee , we cannot be afraid and we must not let our hearts be troubled.
You and I can say with Peter, “Lord, we have put aside everything to follow you.” And there can be some regret in our saying so, but that regret should turn to confidence and joy when we hear Jesus’ ageless reply, “I give you my word, there is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for me and for the gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property – and persecution besides – and in the age to come, everlasting life.” (Mark 10: 29-30)
Jesus is present to us in our strengths and in our weakness. He is present in the successful moments of our ministry and in those that are most disappointing.
He is present because we are his priests, ordained to serve his people with his love, his compassion and his joy. We are so much more than mere functionaries; we are his “other self” even as we struggle to be his holy and humble servants.
Surely we do not need to add any more programs to our already demanding schedules, but we can encourage each other to do what we are already doing with greater fidelity, with greater attentiveness, with a spirit of greater joy. The surest way to do this is through our relationship with Jesus and that is only accomplished in quiet moments of prayer, meditation and contemplation. We must encourage one another in this regard whenever and as often as we gather together.
Finally, I wish to address all of you dear brothers and sisters in Christ in offering for your prayerful reflection the words of Cardinal John Henry Neumann who once consoled others on how to love the Church in difficult times: “Trust the Church of God implicitly even when your natural judgment would take a different course from hers and would induce you to question her prudence or correctness. Recollect what a hard task she has; how she is sure to be criticized and spoken against, whatever she does; recollect how much she needs your loyal and tender devotion; recollect too, how long is the experience gained in 1,800 years; and what a right she has to claim your assent to principles which have had so extended and triumphant a trial. Thank her that she has kept the faith safe for so many generations and help her to transmit it to generations after you.”
Las lecturas de hoy nos hablan de la oración, espiritualidad y el servicio de Jesús como al “consagrado” de Dios. El satisface la voluntad de su padre a través del poder del espíritu Santo. La misión de la trinidad es de “comunión” y por consiguiente, eso se convierte en la misión de la iglesia.
La comunión es la enseñanza central de la constitución dogmática Lumen Gentium del Segundo Concilio del Vaticano. Como tal, hoy se debe centrar en nuestra misión en esta diócesis. Debemos estar dispuestos a poner a un lado nuestras necesidades personales para edificar esta comunión de vida, amor y verdad. Mientras que nuestras parroquias son llamados para ser una comunidad, pero aún más, ellos son llamados para ser una “comunión” en oración, espiritualidad y servicio.
As you and I continue this Eucharistic celebration and are fed with the very Body and Blood of the Lord, let us open our hearts and our wills to live in that “ecclesial communion” of life, love and truth to which we have been called.
Day by day, day by day O dear Lord, three things I pray: To see Thee more clearly, Love Thee more dearly, Follow Thee more nearly Day by day by day by day by day.
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