• Bulletin Board, Announcements, Calendar
• Welcome and Website Protocol
• Editorial - Op Ed
• Article Archive

Print this page

Article Categories

• Book Reviews
• Open Letter
• Editorials
• Notes, Quotes & Comments
• Pastor's Study
• Project Millstones
• Sidebar Comments
• Weekly Message

Links

AMERICA Magazine
A balanced Catholic weekly magazine published by the jesuits of the United States for an intelligent Catholic readership. Go online to subscribe.

Liturgy
This link will keep 'parishioners-at-large' in touch with current creative liturgy sources and resources that respect a variety of 'traditions' within the Church.

Voice of the Faithful
A 'movement' of lay Catholics 'inspired' by the abuse scandal calling for greater accountability of bishops to 'Catholics in the Pew.'

Survivos' Network for those Abused by Priests or Religious
A National Network of self-help support groups for people abused by clergy or religious.

Bishop Accountability
Vital information about the disclosure of sexual abuse and related issues affecting Catholics in the pew and the manner in which Bishops continue to exempt themselves from accountability

National Catholic Reporter
A national Catholic lay newspaper covering events not usually covered or presented with a clerical bias in the local diocesan press or but of concern and interest to Catholics.

COMMONWEAL Magazine
A 'lay' Catholic weekly publication with an accent on an intelligent analysis and commentary on curent issues, trends and concerns of interest to Catholics.

Search

Daily Scripture

+ Ascension Thursday

There is no proof; there are only witnesses.

Readings: Acts 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:14-23 Luke 24:46-53

You are witnesses of all these things. And now I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high. [Luke 24:50-51]

In an age of technology and scientific progress, we have an explanation for everything or at least the promise of the same. Yet, there are still truly human experiences – both positive and negative—that defy human explanation. Death is one such experience. Doctors know the medical reasons for death but an autopsy doesn’t tell the whole story. Conversely, who can explain the field of energy that binds lovers for life?

During his life on earth Jesus created a field of energy that changed the course of history and it did not cease at his death or even at his resurrection. It continues to this day – locally and globally. Or else how explain the heroism of the saints of yesterday and the saints of today? Women and men, energetic witnesses who have said ‘yes’ to unconditional love under any and all circumstances continue to change the course of history in the face of those who attempt to chain the Word of God. No, most of them are not formal preachers or even religious teachers per se, but people who live the message of the Gospel of Jesus day in and day out.

The gospel today is typical of the departure of a hero. We might even consider it the conclusion of a hero story. Jesus assures his disciples that he is not abandoning them. Not only that but he will send an advocate who will empower them to continue his mission. “You will be clothed with power from on high.” They will be clothed with the mantle of Christ just as the ancient Elijah was clothed in the mantle of Elias before Elias departed in his chariot to the heavens. It’s metaphor and allegory, of course but the underlying truth of Jesus mission will continue to be proclaimed as Good News for all.

But hang in there until Pentecost when the gifts of the Spirit will be renewed and we will be empowered once more to preach the Good News—using words only when necessary.

Fourth Sunday of Easter 'C'

Sunday April 29, 2007

Who and where are the shepherds?

Everyone loves the image of the shepherd. Ask your neighbors, “What is your favorite psalm?” I expect that nine out of ten will respond, “The Shepherd Psalm, Psalm 22 or 23, depending on what version of the Bible you read.” It’s a homey and perhaps even a homely image but one that has endeared itself to the hearts of believers and endured for over two millennia.

And yet, I dare say if a genuine shepherd were to come into this assembly from the biblical sheep fields, we would politely distance ourselves one by one from the pungent odor that can overpower even the most fragrant scent of perfume, cologne or room deodorant.

And what if the shepherd decided to bring the sheep from the pasture into our gathering space to protect them from a wandering wolf or fox? If the odor of the shepherd was rank, your sense of smell is in for a real challenge. It will clear the neighborhood for sure!

Shepherds of biblical vintage were dirty, smelly and uneducated but they enjoyed a unique relationship with their sheep and a keen instinct for their needs. They knew their sheep and their sheep knew them. And yes, they would leave the herd in search of the lost sheep, even risking their lives for them. But you know all that.

I reckon that the author of the Book of Revelation had something in mind when in the seventh chapter of his apocalyptic book he described Jesus as the lamb that gave his life for the life of the world—for people of every nation, race and rank; people who will never hunger or thirst anymore because the Lamb will be the shepherd leading them to springs of life-giving water and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. In essence Jesus was the shepherd who became the sacrificial lamb.

This is a beautiful metaphor for the universal love of God so beautifully manifested in the humanity of the Christ. This is the image of the Christ that captured Peter and Paul and Barnabas and Mary and Priscilla and Phoebe and so many others in that early post-resurrection community in Jerusalem. They were filled with the joy of the Spirit and became apostles of light to the gentiles as well as to the Jews to the ends of the then known earth.

Of course we in the twenty-first century need to move beyond the allegories and metaphors to the reality of the true shepherd that in many ways our church institution has abandoned. Over time, pastors have become CEOs and in recent years in the wake of scandal our bishops have abdicated their shepherding role to attorneys who have constructed barricades of stone and steel to keep the sheep away and the wounded at bay.

In an age of rapid cultural decline that has even had a negative impact on Church life, our bishops and we pastors need to become shepherds after the heart of Christ rather than CEOs and middle managers of a large corporate franchise.

I mean no disrespect to CEOs many of which are shepherds in their own right. Alluding to reforms taking place in a major corporation a friend in the corporate world had this to say: “Do you know what some of the goals were in the total reorganization of the company? Honesty, integrity, and ethical behavior were at the top of the list!” Indeed, in many ways, the corporate world is raising the standard beyond that of church leadership.

One of our primary responsibilities as pastors within the community of faith is to know our people and recognize their call. Already baptized into the priesthood of Christ, they are people whose talents and charisms make them suitable ‘partners’ in mission of the Church.

This is nothing more or less than enabling all the baptized to live their priestly vocation in the world. Through their liturgy of service – at home, at work and yes, even at recreation, men and women of every rank are carrying on the work of the church. In fact, women are carrying much of workload in the Church! Why not as ordained ministers?

Questions have been raised in various quarters about whether or not the priesthood is incompatible with other vocations such as marriage or put another way, whether the demands of marriage preclude the possibility that a married man or woman might not also be able to live out the vocation of a priest. It’s a very good question that deserves a frank and open discussion within the Church at every level. I believe the Holy Spirit is challenging us to think out of the box!

I’m convinced that the Holy Spirit is indeed asking us to consider the possibility that married men and women are being called to ancient biblical ministries including the presbyterate not just to solve the vocation crisis but more so to challenge the closed clerical system that continues to dominate and in some respects, decimate Church life. The clerical system is broken. Indeed, there is a cancer in the clerical system that is affecting the inner life of the Church and every level of church life and it is not going to disappear until lay people get serious about their own priestly role as shepherds.

The people of Assumption Parish are blessed with a good shepherd pastor and here are many others but not every parish is so blessed.

The story is told about the gifted pastor who could recite with great eloquence, Psalm 22, ‘The Shepherd’s Psalm.’ On a particular occasion, a parishioner asked him to recite the psalm after his homily. He declined the invitation and then looked out into the congregation and pointed to an elderly woman seated in the last pew. He said, “There is the one who should recite the psalm. Indeed, I know the psalm but she knows the shepherd!”

And what a difference it makes.