united in the reign of Christ
Day 8
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne (Rv 3:21)
On this last day of our week of prayer for Christian Unity we celebrate the Reign of Christ. Christ’s victory enables us to look into the future with hope. This victory overcomes all that keeps us from sharing fullness of life with him and with each other. Christians know that unity among us is above all a gift of God. It is a share in Christ’s glorious victory over all that divides.
| Readings | |
| 1 Chr 29:10-13 | It is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all |
| Ps 21:1-7 | You set a crown of fine gold on his head |
| Rev 3:19b-22 | To the one who conquers I will give a place with Me on My throne |
| Jn 12:23-26 | Whoever serves me, the Father will honor |
Commentary
Jesus Christ is the first born from the dead. He has humbled Himself and been exalted. Christ is not covetous of His victory, but shares His reign and exaltation with all people.
David’s hymn, born of the joy of the king and the people before the Temple was built, expresses the truth that everything happens by grace. Even an earthly monarch can be an image of the reign of God, in whose hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
The king’s psalm of thanksgiving continues this idea. Christian tradition also gives it a Messianic sense; Christ is the true King, full of blessing and life, the perfect presence of God among people. In a certain sense this image can also refer to people. Are not human beings the crowning achievement of creation? Does not God want us to become ‘co-heirs with His Son’ and ‘members of His royal household’?
The letters in the Book of Revelation to the seven local churches constitute a message to the Church in all times and places. Those who admit Christ into their homes will all be invited to share with him in the banquet of eternal life. The promise regarding sitting on thrones, previously announced to the Twelve, is now extended to all who are victorious.
Where I am, there will my servant be also. We can link Jesus’ I am to the unutterable Name of God. The servant of Jesus, whom the Father honors, will be where his Lord is, who has sat on the right hand of the Father in order to reign.
Christians are aware that unity among them, even if requiring human effort, is above all a gift of God. It is a share in Christ’s victory over sin, death and the evil which causes division. Our participation in Christ’s victory reaches its fullness in heaven. Our common witness to the Gospel should show the world a God who does not limit or overpower us. We should announce in a way that is credible, to the people of our day and age, that Christ’s victory overcomes all that keeps us from sharing fullness of life with Him and with each other.
Prayer
Almighty God, Ruler of All, teach us to contemplate the mystery of Your glory. Grant that we may accept Your gifts with humility and respect each person’s dignity. May Your Holy Spirit strengthen us for the spiritual battles which lie ahead, so that united in Christ we may reign with Him in glory. Grant this through Him who humbled Himself and was exalted, who lives with You and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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In what ways do false humility and a desire for earthly glory manifest themselves in our lives?
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How do we express together our faith in the Reign of Christ?
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How do we live out our hope in the coming Kingdom of God?
changed by the Good Shepherd
Day 7
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
Feed my sheep (Jn 21:19)
On this day the Bible texts show us the Lord strengthening His flock. Following the Good Shepherd, we are called to strengthen each other in the Lord, and to support and fortify the weak and the lost. There is one Shepherd, and we are his people.
| Readings | |
| 1 Sam 2:1-10 | Not by might does one prevail |
| Psalm 23 | You are there with your rod and your staff |
| Eph 6:10-20 | Be strong in the Lord |
| Jn 21:15-19 | Feed my sheep |
Commentary
Those who prevail over suffering need support from on high. That support comes through prayer. We read about the power of Hannah’s prayer in the first chapter of the Book of Samuel. In the second chapter, we can find Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving. She realised that some things happen only with the help of God. It was through his will that Hannah and her husband became parents. This text is an example that strengthens one’s faith in what would seem to be a hopeless situation. It is an example of victory.
The Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 guides his sheep even through the darkest places, comforting them with his presence. Those who place their trust in the Lord have no need to fear even the shadows of dissolution or disunity, as their shepherd will lead them into the green pastures of truth, to dwell together in the Lord’s own house.
In the Letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul urges us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power by putting on spiritual armour: truth, righteousness, proclaiming the Good News, faith, salvation, the word of God, prayer and supplication.
The risen Lord urges Peter—and in his person each disciple—to discover in himself a love of Him who alone is the One True Shepherd. If you have such love, then Feed my sheep! In other words, feed them, protect them, care for them, strengthen them—because they are mine and belong to me! Be my good servant and tend to those who have loved me and who follow my voice. Teach them mutual love, cooperation, and boldness as they go along the twists and turns of life.
As a result of divine grace, the witness to Christ that has been confirmed in us obliges us to act jointly for the sake of unity. We have the ability and the knowledge to bear such witness! But are we willing to? The Good Shepherd, who by His life, teaching and conduct strengthens all who have put their trust in His grace and support, invites us to cooperate with Him unconditionally. Thus fortified, we will be able to help one another on the road to unity. So let us become strong in the Lord, that we may strengthen others in a joint testimony of love.
Prayer
Father of all, You call us to be one flock in Your Son, Jesus Christ. He is our Good Shepherd who invites us to lie down in green pastures, leads us beside still waters, and restores our souls. In following him, may we so care for others that all see in us the love of the one true Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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How does the Good Shepherd inspire us to comfort, revive, and restore the confidence of those who are lost?
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In what ways can Christians of various traditions strengthen each other in confessing and bearing witness to Jesus Christ?
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For us today, what can be the meaning of St Paul’s exhortation: “Be strong in the Lord…. put on the whole armor of God”?
changed by God’s steadfast love
Day 6
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
This is the victory, our faith (cf. 1 Jn 5:4)
On this day we concentrate our attention on God’s steadfast love. The Paschal Mystery reveals this steadfast love, and calls us to a new way of faith. This faith overcomes fear and opens our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Such faith calls us to friendship with Christ, and so to one another.
| Readings | |
| Hab 3:17-19 | God, the Lord is my strength |
| Ps 136:1-4.23-26 | His steadfast love endures forever |
| 1 Jn 5:1-6 | This is the victory that conquers the world, our faith |
| Jn 15:9-17 | No one has greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends |
Commentary
In the Old Testament text, it is faith in God that keeps hope alive in spite of all failure. Habakkuk’s lamentation turns to joy in God’s fidelity that supplies strength in the face of despair.
Psalm 136 confirms that the memory of the marvellous deeds of God in Israel’s history is a proof of God’s steadfast love. Because of God’s intervention, the people of Israel experienced extraordinary and surprising victories. Recalling God’s great works of salvation is a source of joy, gratitude and hope, which believers have for centuries expressed in prayer, hymns of praise, and music.
The epistle reminds us that that which has been born of God is what overcomes the world. This does not necessarily mean victories which can be measured by human standards. Victory in Christ involves a change of heart, perceiving earthly reality from the perspective of eternity, and believing in the final victory over death. This victorious force is faith, the bestower and source of which is God. And its most perfect manifestation is love.
In the words of the gospel, Christ assures His disciples of God’s love, the final confirmation of which is the Savior’s death on the cross. At the same time, He invites and challenges them to show love to one another. Jesus’ relationship to his disciples is based on love. He does not treat them merely as disciples, but calls them His friends. Their service of Christ consists in conforming their lives to the one commandment of love, resulting from internal conviction and faith. In a spirit of love, even when the progress on the way to full visible unity seems slow, we do not lose hope. God’s steadfast love will enable us to overcome the greatest opponent and the deepest divisions. That is why the victory that conquers the world is our faith and the transforming power of God’s love.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by Your Resurrection You have triumphed over death, and have become the Lord of life. Out of love for us You have chosen us to be Your friends. May the Holy Spirit unite us to You and to one other in the bonds of friendship, that we may faithfully serve You in this world as witnesses to Your steadfast love; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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How should we express Christian love in contexts of different religions and philosophies?
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What must we do to become more credible witnesses of God’s steadfast love in a divided world?
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How can Christ’s followers more visibly support one another throughout the world?
changed by the peace of the risen Lord
Day 5
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
Jesus stood among them and said: Peace be with you! (Jn 20:19)
Today we celebrate the peace of the Risen Lord. The Risen One is the great Victor over death and the world of darkness. He unites His disciples, who were paralyzed with fear. He opens up before us new prospects of life and of acting for His coming kingdom. The Risen Lord unites and strengthens all believers. Peace and unity are the hallmarks of our transformation in the resurrection.
| Readings | |
| Mal 4:5-6 | He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents |
| Ps 133 | How good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! |
| Eph 2:14-20 | To reconcile both groups to God in one body, putting to death hostility |
| Jn 20:19-23 | Jesus stood among them and said: Peace be with you! |
Commentary
The final words of the last book of the Old Testament convey the promise that God will send His chosen one to establish harmony and respect in all households. Usually we fear strife between nations or unexpected aggression. But the prophet Malachi draws attention to one of the most difficult and enduring conflicts – the heartbreak in relations between parents and their offspring. This restoration of unity between parents and children is not possible without God’s help – it is God’s emissary who performs the miracle of transformation in people’s hearts and relationships.
The psalm shows what great joy such unity among people can bring. The human person was not created to be alone, and cannot live contentedly in a hostile atmosphere. Happiness consists in living in a human community in harmony, peace, trust and understanding. Good relations between people are as dew upon the dry earth and a fragrant oil which furthers health and pleasure. The psalm refers to the goodness of living together as a blessing and undeserved gift from God, like the dew. Living together in unity is not restricted to family members only – this is rather a declaration of the closeness between people who accept the peace of God.
The epistle tells us of Him whom the prophet Malachi announced. Jesus brings unity, because He has demolished the wall of hostility between people in His own body. Generally, a person’s victory involves the downfall and shame of those who have been defeated, who prefer to withdraw. Jesus does not reject, or destroy, or humiliate; He puts an end to alienation, He transforms, heals and unites all, that they may become members of God’s household.
The gospel recalls the gift of the risen Lord, given to His uncertain and terrified disciples. Peace be with you – that is Christ’s greeting and also His gift. It is also an invitation to seek peace with God and establish new, lasting relationships within the human family and all of creation. Jesus has trampled down death and sin. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Risen Lord invites His disciples into His mission of bringing peace, healing and forgiveness to all the world. As long as Christians remain divided, the world will not be convinced of the full truth of the Gospel message that Christ has brought about one new humanity. Peace and unity are the hallmarks of this transformation. The Churches need to appropriate and witness to these gifts as members of the one household of God built upon the sure foundation of Jesus as the cornerstone.
Prayer
Loving and merciful God, teach us the joy of sharing in Your peace. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we may tear down the walls of hostility separating us. May the risen Christ, who is our peace, help us to overcome all division and unite us as members of His household. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, to whom with You and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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What forms of violence in our community can we as Christians confront together?
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How do we experience hidden hostilities that affect our relationship to each other as Christian communities?
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How can we learn to welcome each other as Christ welcomes us?
changed by the Lord’s victory over evil
Day 4
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
Overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21)
This day takes us deeper into the struggles against evil. Victory in Christ is an overcoming of all that damages God’s creation, and keeps us apart from one another. In Jesus we are called to share in this new life, struggling with him against what is wrong in our world, with renewed confidence and with a delight in what is good. In our divisions we cannot be strong enough to overcome evil in our times.
| Readings | |
| Ex 23:1-9 | Do not follow the majority in wrongdoing |
| Ps 1 | Happy are those whose delight is in the law of the Lord |
| Rom 12:17-21 | Overcome evil with good |
| Mt 4:1-11 | Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only |
Commentary
In Jesus we learn what ‘victory’ really means for human beings – that is, happiness with one another in God’s love through His overcoming of all that keeps us apart. This is a sharing in Christ’s victory over the destructive forces that damage humanity and all of God’s creation. In Jesus we can share in a new life which calls us to struggle against what is wrong in our world with renewed confidence and with a delight in what is good.
The words of the Old Testament give a categorical warning against engaging in wrongdoing and injustice. The attitude of the majority must not in any way provide an excuse. Neither do wealth or other situations in life entitle a person to do wrong.
Psalm 1 draws attention not only to the need to observe the commandments, but especially to the joyful fruits of doing so. A person who loves the law of the Lord above all else is called happy and blessed. The word of God is a sure guide in adversity and is the fulfillment of human wisdom. Meditating on the word of God day and night enables a person to lead a life full of fruitfulness for the good of others.
In the apostle’s admonitions we find encouragement to overcome evil with good. Only good can interrupt the endless spiral of hatred and the human desire for revenge. In the struggle for what is good, not everything depends on human beings. However, the apostle Paul calls for every effort to be made to maintain peace with others. He understands our continuous struggle against our instincts to harm those who hurt us. But Paul appeals to us not to let ourselves be overcome by these destructive feelings. Doing good is an effective way of combating wrong-doing among us.
The gospel reading describes the Son of God’s struggle against Satan – the personification of evil. Jesus’ victory over the temptations in the desert is fulfilled in His obedience to the Father, which leads Him to the Cross. The Saviour’s resurrection confirms that here God’s goodness ultimately wins: love overcomes death. The risen Lord is near! He accompanies us in every struggle against temptation and sin in the world. His presence calls Christians to act together in the cause of goodness.
The scandal is that because of our divisions we cannot be strong enough to fight against the evils of our time. United in Christ, delighting in His law of love, we are called to share in His mission of bringing hope to the places of injustice, hatred, and despair.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for Your victory over evil and division. We praise You for Your sacrifice and Your resurrection that conquer death. Help us in our everyday struggle against all adversity. May the Holy Spirit give us strength and wisdom so that, following You, we may overcome evil with good, and division with reconciliation. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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Where do we see evil in our own lives?
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In what way can our faith in Christ help us to overcome evil and the Evil One?
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What can we learn from situations in our community where division has given way to reconciliation?
changed by the Suffering Servant
Day 3
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
Christ suffered for us (cf. 1 Pt 2:21)
This day calls us to reflect on the suffering of Christ. Following Christ the Suffering Servant, Christians are called to solidarity with all who suffer. The closer we come to the cross of Christ the closer we come to one another.
| Readings | |
| Is 53:3-11 | The man of sorrows accustomed to suffering |
| Ps 22: 12-24 | He did not despise the affliction of the afflicted |
| 1 Pt 2:21-25 | Christ suffered for us |
| Lk 24:25-27 | Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things? |
Commentary
The divine paradox is that God can change tragedy and disaster into victory. He transforms all our sufferings and misfortunes, and the enormity of history’s pain, into a resurrection that encompasses the whole world. While appearing to be defeated, He is nevertheless the true Victory whom no one and nothing can overcome.
Isaiah’s moving prophecy about the suffering Servant of the Lord was completely fulfilled in Christ. After suffering enormous agony, the Man of Sorrows shall see His offspring. We are that offspring, born from the Saviour’s suffering. In this way we are made one family in Him.
One can say that Psalm 22 is not only about Jesus, but also for Jesus. The Saviour Himself prayed this psalm on the cross, when He used its desolate opening words: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Yet in the second part of the psalm the lamentation, the imploring full of pain, changes into praise of God for His works.
The apostle Peter is a witness of the sufferings of Christ (1 Pt 5,1), which he presents to us as an example: it is to this suffering for the sake of love we are called. Jesus did not curse God, but submitted to Him who judges righteously. His wounds have healed us, and returned us all to the one Shepherd.
Only in the light of the presence of the Lord and His word does the divine purpose of the Messiah’s sufferings become clear. Just as for the disciples on the way to Emmaus, Jesus is our constant companion on the stony road of life, stirring our hearts and opening our eyes to the mysterious plan of salvation.
Christians experience suffering as a result of humanity’s fragile condition; we recognise this suffering in social injustice and situations of persecution. The power of the cross draws us into unity. Here we encounter Christ’s suffering as the source of compassion for and solidarity with the entire human family. As one contemporary theologian puts it: the closer we come to the cross of Christ, the closer we come to one another. The witness of Christians together in situations of suffering assumes remarkable credibility. In our shared solidarity with all who suffer we learn from the crucified suffering servant the lessons of self-emptying, letting go and self-sacrifice. These are the gifts we need from His Spirit on our way to unity in Him.
Prayer
God of consolation, you have transformed the shame of the cross into a sign of victory. Grant that we may be united around the Cross of your Son to worship Him for the mercy offered through his suffering. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes and our hearts, so that we may help those who suffer to experience your closeness; You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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How can our faith help us in our response to long-lasting suffering?
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What areas of human suffering are unnoticed and belittled today?
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How can Christians bear witness together to the power of the cross?
changed through patient waiting for the Lord
Day 2
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
Let it be so now, for it is proper to fulfill all righteousness (cf. Mt 3:15)
On this day we concentrate on patient waiting for the Lord. To achieve any change, perseverance and patience are needed. Prayer to God for any kind of transformation is also an act of faith and trust in his promises. Such waiting for the Lord is essential for all who pray for the visible unity of the church this week. All ecumenical activities require time, mutual attention and joint action. We are all called to co-operate with the work of the Spirit in uniting Christians.
| Readings | |
| 1 Sam 1:1-20 | Hannah’s trust and patient waiting |
| Ps 40 | Patient waiting for the Lord |
| Heb 11:32-34 | Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice |
| Mt 3:13-17 | Let it be so now, for it is proper to fulfill all righteousness |
Commentary
Victory is often associated with immediate triumph. Everybody knows the taste of success when, after a difficult struggle, congratulations, recognition, and even tributes are paid. At such a joyful moment, hardly anyone realises that from a Christian perspective victory is a long-term process of transformation. Such an understanding of transformative victory teaches us that it occurs in God’s time, not ours, calling for our patient trust and deep hope in God.
Hannah witnessed to such patient trust and hope. After many years of waiting to be pregnant, she prayed to God for a child, at the risk of having her weeping prayer dismissed as drunkenness by the priest at the doorpost of the Temple. When Eli assured her that God would grant her prayer, she simply trusted, waited, and was sad no longer. Hannah conceived and bore a son, whom she named Samuel. The great victory here is not that of nations or armies, but a glimpse into the realm of a private and personal struggle. In the end, Hannah’s trust and hope results not only in her own transformation, but that of her people, for whom the God of Israel intervened through her son Samuel.
The psalmist echoes Hannah’s patient waiting for the Lord in the midst of another kind of struggle. The psalmist too sought deliverance from a situation which remains unknown to us, but which is hinted at in the language of the “desolate pit of the miry bog.” He gives thanks that God has transformed his shame and confusion, and continues to trust in God’s steadfast love.
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews recalls the patience of people like Abraham (6.15) and others who were able to be victorious through their faith and trust in God. The realisation that God intervenes and enters into the narrative of human history eliminates the temptation to be triumphant in human terms.
In the gospel, the voice from heaven at the baptism of Jesus announcing This is my Son, the Beloved, seems to be a guarantor of the immediate success of his messianic mission. In resisting the evil one, however, Jesus, does not succumb to the temptation to usher in the Kingdom of God without delay, but patiently reveals what life in the kingdom means through his own life and ministry which leads to his death on the Cross. While the Kingdom of God breaks through in a decisive way in the resurrection, it is not yet fully realised. The ultimate victory will only come about with the second coming of our Lord. And so we wait in patient hope and trust with the cry “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Our longing for the visible unity of the Church likewise requires patient and trustful waiting. Our prayer for Christian unity is like the prayer of Hannah and the psalmist. Our work for Christian unity is like the deeds recorded in the Letter to the Hebrews. Our attitude of patient waiting is not one of helplessness or passivity, but a deep trust that the unity of the Church is God’s gift, not our achievement. Such patient waiting, praying and trust transforms us and prepares us for the visible unity of the Church not as we plan it, but as God gives it.
Prayer
Faithful God, you are true to your word in every age. May we, like Jesus, have patience and trust in your steadfast love. Enlighten us by your Holy Spirit that we may not obstruct the fullness of your justice by our own hasty judgements, but rather discern your wisdom and love in all things; You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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In what situations in our life should we have a greater trust in God’s promises?
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What areas of church life are particularly at risk from the temptation to act hastily?
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In what situations should Christians wait, and when should they act together?
changed by the servant Christ
Day 1
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
The Son of Man came to serve (cf. Mk 10:45)
On this day we encounter Jesus, on the road to victory through service. We see him as the ”one who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life, a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Consequently, the Church of Jesus Christ is a serving community. The use of our diverse gifts in common service to humanity makes visible our unity in Christ.
| Readings | |
| Zech 9:9-10 | A king righteous and victorious – and humble |
| Ps 131 | My heart is not proud |
| Rom 12:3-8 | We have different gifts with which to serve |
| Mk 10:42-45 | The Son of Man came to serve |
Commentary
The coming of the Messiah and His victory were accomplished through service. Jesus wants a spirit of service to fill the hearts of His followers as well. He teaches us that true greatness consists in serving God and one’s neighbour. Christ gives us the courage to discover that He is the one for whom to serve is to reign – as an early Christian saying has it.
Zechariah’s prophecy concerning a victorious and humble King was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He, the King of Peace, comes to his own, to Jerusalem – the City of Peace. He does not conquer it by deceit or violence, but by gentleness and humility.
Psalm 131 briefly but eloquently describes the state of spiritual peace which is the fruit of humility. The picture of a mother and child is a sign of God’s tender love and of trust in God, to which the entire community of believers is called.
Paul the apostle challenges us to make a sober and humble assessment of ourselves and to discover our own abilities. While we have a diversity of gifts we are one body in Christ. In our divisions each of our traditions has been endowed by the Lord with gifts that we are called to place at the service of others.
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mk 10.45). By His service, Christ redeemed our refusal to serve God. He became an example for repairing all relations between people: Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant – those are the new standards of greatness and priority.
In the Letter to the Romans, Paul reminds us that the diverse gifts given to us are for service: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership and compassion. In our diversity we are always one body in Christ, and members of one another. The use of our diverse gifts in common service to humanity makes visible our unity in Christ. The joint action of Christians for the benefit of humanity, to combat poverty and ignorance, defend the oppressed, to be concerned about peace and to preserve life, develop science, culture and art are an expression of the practical ecumenism which the Church and the world badly need. The imitation of Christ the Servant provides eloquent testimony to the Gospel, moving not only minds, but also hearts. Such common service is a sign of the coming Kingdom of God – the kingdom of the Servant Christ.
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, by travelling the royal road of service your Son leads us from the arrogance of our disobedience to humility of heart. Unite us to one another by your Holy Spirit, so that through service to our sisters and brothers, Your true countenance may be revealed; You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for reflection
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What opportunities for service are most threatened by pride and arrogance?
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What should be done to ensure that all Christian ministries are better experienced as service?
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In our community, what can Christians of different traditions do better together than in isolation to reveal the Servant Christ?
week of prayer for Christian unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins next Wednesday, January 18.
I’ve updated my home page with a link to some resources put together by the Vatican, including passages from Sacred Scripture, reflection questions, and prayers for each day.
This year’s theme is taken from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: “We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:51-58)
The image I chose is a photo of the dome of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome.
A teaser:
When Jesus’ disciples disputed over “who was the greatest” (Mk 9,34) it was clear that this impulse was strong. But Jesus’ reaction was very simple: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk 9,35). These words speak of victory through mutual service, helping, boosting the self-esteem of those who are “last”, forgotten, excluded. For all Christians, the best expression of such humble service is Jesus Christ, His victory through death and His resurrection. It is in His life, action, teaching, suffering, death and resurrection that we desire to seek inspiration for a modern victorious life of faith which expresses itself in social commitment in a spirit of humility, service and faithfulness to the Gospel. And as he awaited the suffering and death that was to come, he prayed that his disciples might be one so that world might believe. This “victory” is only possible through spiritual transformation, conversion. That is why we consider that the theme for our meditations should be those words of the Apostle to the Nations. The point is to achieve a victory which integrates all Christians around the service of God and one’s neighbour.
As we pray for and strive towards the full visible unity of the church we – and the traditions to which we belong – will be changed, transformed and conformed to the likeness of Christ. The unity for which we pray may require the renewal of forms of Church life with which we are familiar. This is an exciting vision but it may fill us with some fear! The unity for which we pray is not merely a “comfortable” notion of friendliness and co-operation. It requires a willingness to dispense with competition between us. We need to open ourselves to each other, to offer gifts to and receive gifts from one another, so that we might truly enter into the new life in Christ, which is the only true victory.
December 17
advent calendar 2011
My online Advent calendar is being updated for 2011… and the first door opens today (Thursday, December 1).
If you’d like to add this Advent calendar to your website, you can copy and paste the code below:
<a href="http://www.doxaweb.com/advent/calendar.asp"><img src="http://www.doxaweb.com/advent/calendar_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="120" height="100" /></a>
You can change the height and width as needed to make it fit on your site.
thanksgiving 2011
Here is my rough, home-video summary of some highlights of the past year… a few of the moments from 2011 for which I am grateful.
a bit of CS Lewis trivia, and more
Interesting fact: C.S. Lewis died in his home at 5:30pm (GMT) on November 22, 1963. About two hours later, President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX at 1:21pm (CST) and exactly six hours later, at 5:21pm (PST), Aldous Huxley, author of “Brave New World”, died in Los Angeles, CA.
Dr. Peter Kreeft has written a delicious fictional dialogue among these three men titled Between Heaven and Hell. The whole conversation takes place shortly after their deaths.
Hat tip to Brandon Vogt of The Thin Veil blog…
pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace
Pope Benedict XVI gave an insightful speech at the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi on Thursday. What was unique to this interfaith gathering was that the Holy Father invited agnostics to the gathering, and he concluded his remarks by speaking about them:
Such people do not simply assert: “There is no God.” They suffer from his absence and yet are inwardly making their way towards him, inasmuch as they seek truth and goodness. They are “pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace.” They ask questions of both sides. They take away from militant atheists the false certainty by which these claim to know that there is no God and they invite them to leave polemics aside and to become seekers who do not give up hope in the existence of truth and in the possibility and necessity of living by it. But they also challenge the followers of religions not to consider God as their own property, as if he belonged to them, in such a way that they feel vindicated in using force against others. These people are seeking the truth, they are seeking the true God, whose image is frequently concealed in the religions because of the ways in which they are often practiced. Their inability to find God is partly the responsibility of believers with a limited or even falsified image of God. So all their struggling and questioning is in part an appeal to believers to purify their faith, so that God, the true God, becomes accessible. Therefore I have consciously invited delegates of this third group to our meeting in Assisi, which does not simply bring together representatives of religious institutions. Rather it is a case of being together on a journey towards truth, a case of taking a decisive stand for human dignity and a case of common engagement for peace against every form of destructive force. (source)
memorial of Blessed John Paul II
Today, for the first time, the Church celebrates the memorial of Blessed John Paul II in Rome and throughout Poland.
Here’s a photo I took on May 1 during my pilgrimage to Rome for the beatification of John Paul II. I wasn’t able to be in Saint Peter’s Square for the beatification Mass, due to the large crowds, but I was able to enter the Basilica of Saint Peter that evening to pray before his casket, which was available for review until about 2 am the next morning. An estimated 250,000 people filed through the basilica that day to pay their respects and to pray.
The atmosphere that evening was solemn and an interesting coincidence of joy and sorrow. The security staff was trying to keep people moving through the basilica because of the enormous crowds waiting — I waited about three hours in the square before I was able to enter — but people simply wanted to linger and to pray. Seven years after his passing from this life to the next, people were still grieving his loss as they celebrated his life. The scripture that came to mind was the encounter of Jesus with Mary of Magdala after the resurrection:
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her. (John 20:11-18)
Catholic News Agency has posted an article about Sr. Bernadette Pike, MG, who is spreading the word about John Paul II’s charism, spirituality and writings via new media.
Previous blog posts about John Paul II are available here.
Blessed John Paul II, pray for us.
Communications Day 2011
I was able to attend a day-long conference last Thursday on leveraging media technologies in the service of the Church’s mission. This event, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, was very well planned, well attended, and well executed.
Matthew Warner of flockNote.com, who was one of the presenters and panelists, blogged about his experience here.
When I have more time, I’ll post some highlights.
I recorded all of the talks using my iPhone. While the quality of some of the audio is not great — especially (and unfortunately) the lunchtime presentation by John Allen, Jr. — I’ve made all of it available as an audio podcast feed here:
feeds.feedburner.com/communicationsday2011
The Catholic Spirit has many of the resources from the day available at the following link:
thecatholicspirit.com/communicationsday2011
Definitely worth your time if you’re interested in ways to serve your parish or church organization with some of the new media of communication. Lots to think about.
let nothing disturb thee…
In honor of the feast day of Saint Teresa of Avila, here’s a clip about this sixteenth-century mystic from Fr. Robert Barron’s new 10-part series on the Catholic faith. He references her poem that begins with the words “Let nothing disturb thee.”
More about the Catholicism video series here.
Hat tip to Matt Warner.
Sartre’s vision of hell
From time to time — and most especially when I don’t have time to write anything new — I’ll post something on my blog that I wrote years ago, long before the advent of blogs and the internet. I scan in old manuscripts, use character recognition to convert them to editable text, clean them up slightly, and then post them under the category of “papers.”
My most recent addition: a paper from college about Sartre’s play No Exit.
A short passage:
Jean-Paul Sartre, a twentieth-century author and philosopher, offers a rather unique view of hell: In his play entitled No Exit, hell is not a place where people are confronted with steaming coals and ghastly spirits. Instead, the torture of the damned is a group dynamic.
The rest of the essay is available here.
Steve Jobs
When Steve Jobs passed away yesterday, he left behind a legacy. The first thing one thinks of is, of course, the products he helped create… products many of us now use every day.
But his life was significant not only for what he created, but for who he was. By way of tribute to him, a few miscellaneous clips: his 2005 commencement address at Stanford, an article about a Catholic priest who inspired his love of typography, and a short video reminding us of a few of the many blessings that have come into our culture by way of those who have been adopted.
* * *
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Steve Jobs, Commencement Address at Stanford University (2005)
* * *
One of Jobs’ teachers and mentors: a Catholic priest
In 1972, Steve Jobs graduated from high school and enrolled in Portland’s Reed College. Although he dropped out after only one semester, he continued auditing calligraphy, while sleeping on the floor in friends’ rooms, returning bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local Hare Krishna temple.
His calligraphy teacher was Robert Palladino, a former Trappist monk and future archdiocesan priest.
“Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country,” Jobs said during a 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. “Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this.”
Palladino taught him about serif and sans serif type faces and about varying spaces between combinations of letters, and everything that makes typography good.
“It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture,” Jobs said.
Ten years later, when Jobs was desigining the first Macintosh computer, his calligraphy lessons came back to him. He even called his old teacher for advice.
“He introduced me to something called a ‘mouse,’” Father Palladino says.
Jobs and his partners designed the artistry into their machine and it became the first computer with lovely typography instead of robotic characters.
* * *
Catholic New Media Conference 2011
Yesterday, I attended the Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City, KS. Sponsored by SQPN, this annual conference allows people involved in all kinds of media apostolates to meet each other, hear from Catholic speakers who are using new media, and share ideas.
I attended the first CNMC in Atlanta in 2008, and it was a blessing to be able to participate again.
I captured the audio from two presentations over the weekend:
- a keynote by Sr. Anne Flanagan, FSP
- a presentation by Matthew Warner, CEO and founder of flockNote.com
Both talks are now available on my podcast feed.
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Sr. Anne Flanagan, FSP keynote (MP3) With a lively online presence, Sr. Anne mainains five blogs, three Ustream channels and designs apps for her community’s apostolate, Pauline Books and Media. An author and a blogger as well, her mission, and that of the Daughters of St. Paul, is to spread the Word of God through all available forms of media. Duration: 46 minutes. |
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Matthew Warner presentation – New Media in the Church: The good news, the bad news, and the hope (MP3) As CEO and Founder of flockNote.com (a communication and registration tool for Catholic parishes), a blogger for National Catholic Register and FallibleBlogma.com, Matt has his finger on the pulse of all things in Catholic media. Duration: 59 minutes. |
Many of the presentations are available over at MidsouthCatholic.
on the feast of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
St. Thérèse teaches us authenticity: to love the ordinary, to seek out the hidden, and to expose every small movement of the heart to the heart of God. No façade. No exaggeration. No presumption.
from a post on October 1, 2008
seven years
James J. Emmer, 1929-2004
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
airing Catholicism series on Twin Cities Public Television
If you’re in the Twin Cities area, please contact Twin Cities Public Television to ask them to consider airing Fr. Robert Barron’s Catholicism. The email to use is:
viewerservices@tpt.org
Here is the trailer:
I wrote TPT this morning:
Any plans to broadcast this series on Twin Cities Public Television? I see it scheduled on public television stations nationwide, but not in this market.
http://www.catholicismseries.com/watch/tv-schedule
Please advise.
I received this reply:
Dear Clayton,
Thanks for contacting member supported tpt. We appreciate hearing from you regarding the program Catholicism.
This program is not currently in our broadcast schedule, however we will let our Programming Department know of your interest in seeing it on tpt and let you know if it is scheduled in the future.
Regards,
UPDATE (10/28/2011): I have just learned that TPT has decided against airing the series. Here’s the text of the letter they sent to someone inquiring about the possibility.
I’ll write more about the reasons given later, but I find it interesting that TPT seems to have an editorial policy about its programming that is at variance of that of many other public television stations… at last count, 80 stations have plans to air four 60-minute episodes of this 10-part series.
Archbishop Dolan’s letter to President Obama re: marriage
Mr. President, I respectfully urge you to push the reset button on your Administration’s approach to DOMA. Our federal government should not be presuming ill intent or moral blindness on the part of the overwhelming majority of its citizens, millions of whom have gone to the polls to directly support DOMAs in their states and have thereby endorsed marriage as the union of man and woman. Nor should a policy disagreement over the meaning of marriage be treated by federal officials as a federal offense—but this will happen if the Justice Department’s latest constitutional theory prevails in court. The Administration’s failure to change course on this matter will, as the attached analysis indicates, precipitate a national conflict between Church and State of enormous proportions and to the detriment of both institutions.
News release and full text from the USCCB website.
soft bigotry?
I recently read a post over on Michael Bayly’s blog, The Wild Reed, which was written in reaction to an op-ed piece by Fr. Jim Livingston that appeared in the September 11 edition of the Minneapolis StarTribune.
In the op-ed, Fr. Livingston addressed the question of the pastoral care of homosexual persons. It’s a timely matter, given the upcoming vote on a marriage amendment here in Minnesota and the rhetoric that surrounds it.
In response to Bayly’s claim that Fr. Livingston was expressing a form of bigotry, I wrote:
In what sense is Father Livingston’s article an expression of bigotry?
One definition of bigotry is “intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.”
Caricaturing others — and painting entire groups of people with a single brush — can be a form of bigotry. I did not see Fr. Livingston doing this in his article. In fact, he wrote, “The plain truth is that people with same-sex attractions experience them differently.”
It is one thing to disagree with an idea — such as the idea that homosexual relations are normal and ought to be endorsed by society. Someone can hold such a notion without being a bigot.
Holding beliefs up to scrutiny is one thing: it is called critical thinking. Attacking persons because of what they believe is another: it is called bigotry. I just don’t see any bigotry in what Fr. Livingston has to say here.
In response, Bayly wrote a second post to address my comment: More on the “Soft Bigotry” of Fr. James Livingston’s Recent Op-Ed
What follows is an extended response to that second post. I’ll discuss Bayly’s post a small section at a time.
That’s why it’s called “soft” bigotry, Clayton. There’s no overt name-calling or condemnation, but the whole argument is built on the belief that gay people are inherently inferior or, in the words of the Vatican, “intrinsically disordered.”
This is a misrepresentation of Church teaching. Having had many exchanges with Michael Bayly over the past seven years, I’m fairly certain that he is familiar with what the Church actually teaches about homosexuality. I’m referring, in particular, to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say (paragraphs 2357-2359). But it’s worth looking at these paragraphs in detail, to get a sense of what it says and does not say.
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.”142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
First, notice that the Church uses the word “disordered” to describe homosexual acts and the inclination toward these acts. Much ink has been spilled over the use of this word in the Church’s teaching on homosexuality. Whatever else one might say about it, one thing seems clear: When the Church speaks about “disordered” acts and inclinations, the term is being used in a sense that is philosophical, anthropological and theological. All sinful acts, and the inclination to sinful acts (what the Church’s tradition calls concupiscence), are disordered. (See this article in the spring 1998 edition of Communio for further discussion of these points).
The Catechism does not indicate that persons are disordered. All human persons are willed into being by the Creator and are called to beatitude. (See, in particular, the introduction to the section on the moral life, which has an extensive section on the dignity of the human person… in particular, see our vocation to beatitude and man’s freedom.)
The Church does not teach that any person is disordered. The only way to get such a meaning from what the Church teaches is to say that a person is essentially defined by his or her inclinations or acts. And the Church doesn’t teach that. Otherwise, we’d be left with only two people in human history who could be said to be rightly ordered: Jesus of Nazareth and his mother.
Nor does the Church teach that those with a homosexual orientation are inferior. I challenge anyone to find a reference in Church teaching that would say otherwise. Instead, people with deep-seated homosexual tendencies are to be “accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.” This seems to me to be the Church’s way of saying: Don’t treat these people as inferior… because they are not. There is no such thing as an ‘inferior’ human being.
Yet, surprisingly, Livingston fails to clearly articulate this foundational tenet of his argument. Indeed, his op-ed is quite “soft” when it came to spelling out what the clerical caste of the Roman Catholic Church actually says about gay people and relationships. Perhaps this is not surprising, given that he’s writing for a secular newspaper. Most people (including Catholics) don’t buy into the Vatican’s take on sexuality – gay or straight.
First off, notice that Bayly is again speaking in terms of “gay people and relationships,” whereas the Church’s teaching concerns homosexual acts and inclination. I mention this because a lot of political rhetoric in support of specifically gay rights, including an alleged ‘right to marriage’, depends on conflating these things. It does a disservice to gay people, and it does a disservice to the truth about what the Church actually teaches.
Bayly seems to imply that Fr. Livingston is soft-peddling the Church’s teaching in his op-ed. I disagree. Right in the heart of the article, Fr. Livingston writes:
Like it or not, heterosexual behavior is rooted in human nature and the universal moral law. Both the body and the Bible witness to this truth in their own ways.
Traditional marriage is rooted in this ancient if inconvenient truth, and it can’t be scolded or legislated away by one misguided generation. History is not and never will be on the side of gay marriage.
Fr. Livingston has hardly skirted the issue of what the Church teaches. (As an aside: the term ‘traditional marriage’ is a bit of a misnomer, I think, because it implies the existence of another kind. It implies that one can conceivably speak of marriage between members of the same sex. But what, exactly, would constitute a conjugal or marital act between members of the same sex? How does one consummate a so-called gay marriage?)
Bayly continues:
So let’s be clear: According to the framework from which the clerical caste operates, homosexuality is understood as a damaged or defected form of heterosexuality, as a condition of moral weakness (akin to alcoholism) resulting from “the Fall.”
The Church does not see homosexuality as a damaged or defected form of heterosexuality… but as a disordered expression of sexuality as such… as is all sexual activity outside of marriage. (If a man has sexual relations with a woman who is not his wife, to take one example, it would be absurd to classify the act as a damaged form of heterosexuality.) Bayly seems to be drawing upon a modern way of talking about sexuality that is, in fact, opposed to the Church’s anthropology. To quote from the Communio article:
The very language that has become entrenched and that we are obliged to use in speaking of homosexuality carries with it a second difficulty and a dangerous ambiguity, for it seems to imply that “sexuality” is an abstract and neutral term, to which two apparently symmetrical versions are added only later: “hetero-” and “homo-” sexuality. In this way, normal sexuality is redefined as a later specification and implicitly placed on the same level as abnormal behavior. The ideological and manipulative character of this contrived system of language must not escape us. The apparent symmetry is in reality false: sexuality is constitutively relative to the gender difference and is thus in and of itself “normally” heterosexual.
Back to Bayly:
It’s understood as a “disorder,” as an inclination to engage in morally evil acts. Archbishop Nienstedt is even on record as saying that those who encourage or support such acts are themselves cooperating in evil. That statement galvanized local Catholics. Indeed, over 300 of us gathered in protest on the steps of the Cathedral on a bitterly cold winter’s day. I think the local hierarchy learned something from that. Hence Livingston’s “friendlier” and “softer” op-ed. It’s a strategy that, quite frankly, I find quite dishonest.
I mean, I had one person write to me saying that he was “glad to see that Livingston said it was wrong for the Vatican to call LGB people disordered”! That’s the impression he received from Livingston’s op-ed. Yet I seriously doubt that Livingston is in any way challenging “official” church teaching.
I agree with Michael on this point: The person who wrote to him misunderstood Fr. Livingston’s article. But more on that later. I think he seriously misreads Livingston’s article as a new approach in response to recent protests. The approach Fr. Livingston takes is really nothing different from what is recommended in Persona Humana, the Catechism, or other church documents on the matter.
Speaking of which, the Vatican also teaches that gay people who fully embody their sexuality are engaging in immoral acts that separate them from God and endanger their very souls. They are also acts that supposedly threaten the common good.
Wait a minute. The Church teaches that gay people should not fully embody their sexuality? Talk about loaded language. Does “to engage in homosexual acts” represent the way that homosexuals fully embody their sexuality? That may be how Michael sees it, but not the Church. I bring it up because the sentence begins with “The Church teaches…” and then immediately flips into the rhetoric of an anthropology that is radically opposed to the Church’s. Do celibate men and women, or single men and women who are exercising chastity according to their state in life, not fully embody their sexuality? Does the Church really tell them to shelve their sexuality because they are not married? I think not. The reality of human sexuality is not limited to genital activity. Sexuality, male and female, is a constitutive part of what it means to be human. In the words of Blessed John Paul II: “Human life is by its nature ‘co-educational’ and its dignity as well as its balance depend at every moment of history and in every place of geographic longitude and latitude on ‘who’ she shall be for him and he for her.” (General Audience of October 8, 1980)
Returning to Bayly:
Again, none of this is articulated by Livingston. Rather, he actually expresses gladness that Ron Bates, whose op-ed he is responding to, has come to accept himself as loved by God – an acceptance that Bates makes clear is linked to his acceptance of himself as a gay man capable of being in a loving same-sex relationship. Now, it could be argued that Livingston’s expression of gladness puts him at odds not only with Archbishop Nienstedt (after all, couldn’t being glad for someone and the life they’re living be construed as supporting and encouraging that life?) but also with the Vatican, in whose eyes it doesn’t matter if the “immoral” acts of gay people take place in a loving relationship and/or in a marriage sanctioned by the state. No, according to the Vatican, they are always and everywhere wrong.
Let’s see exactly what Fr. Livingston wrote about Ron Bates:
I am glad for Ron Bates that he was able to overcome the guilt and shame that burdened him for years and find that God loves him.
What was the gladness about? That Ron Bates overcame guilt and shame, and discovered that God loves him. That, it seems to me, is being glad for the right reasons. There’s no opposition between saying this and being clear that homosexual acts are disordered.
Fr. Livingston only mentions the word disordered once in the op-ed, in the section where he is talking about Saint Paul and his struggles with sinful tendencies:
St. Paul confided in a letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 12:7-10) that he had a “thorn in his flesh” that wouldn’t go away. What God said to him was not “you’re going to hell” or “you are disordered.” He said, “My grace is sufficient for you.” In the midst of his weakness, Paul found both steady direction and contentment in his friendship with Christ.
Which brings us back to my first point: people are not disordered, and so it would be absurd for God to say “you are disordered” to any human being. Certain acts and inclinations are. And from the point-of-view of a pastoral response to people inclined to homosexual activity, it makes sense to note, truthfully, that God extends to these people — as he does to everyone inclined toward sin — His gift of grace, and the Church recommends to them everything that is useful in progressing toward beatitude, and in particular: the virtue of self-mastery, disinterested friendship, prayer, and the sacraments.
Bayly continues:
And why is this? Because gay people have something deep within them that, according to the Vatican, is inherently inferior to what it is that God actually intends for humans when it comes to sexuality. The Vatican views this “something,” this sexual orientation, as broken and wrong. Accordingly, it’s also viewed as dangerous. We know this because the clerical caste is spending millions of dollars supporting constitutional amendments and issuing politically-charged statements – ranging from Bishop Tobin’s hard-hitting stance to Livingston’s “soft” one – in a concerted effort to prevent not just Catholics but all members of society from recognizing and accepting gay people in their totality – a totality that includes sexual relationships. Such activism, together with the beliefs and presuppositions that it is built upon, is an expression of bigotry.
And that’s a reality that, try as they might, members of the clerical caste cannot soften or make palatable.
What is notable here is the way Bayly chooses to read the Church’s support for efforts to explicitly define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He sees it as an attack on people of homosexual orientation, rather than an affirmation about the nature of marriage. That’s a decision he and many other gay activists make. At best, it is unhelpful, for it contributes unnecessarily to the erroneous conclusion that the Church wants gay people to understand themselves as second-class citizens. To misrepresent the Church’s motivations, as well as her teaching, is a service to no one.
In conclusion, I found Fr. Livingston’s op-ed to be striking the right tone. (I doubt he chose the headline — “Some people can make the gay go away” — which is extremely tangential to his argument.) He spoke truthfully and pastorally. I’m reminded of what then-Cardinal Ratzinger once wrote about the pastoral care of homosexual persons: “Only what is true can ultimately be pastoral. The neglect of the Church’s position prevents homosexual men and women from receiving the care they need and deserve.”
So what does the Church teach about the homosexual person? That he or she is, like all people, created in God’s image, endowed with freedom, called to beatitude, and deserving of the compassion and respect of others.
There’s nothing bigoted about that.
A few resources on the Church’s teaching:
- Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics, 1975
- Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994
- Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, 2003
- Previous Weight of Glory posts on human sexuality
