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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

Much ado about nothing or, is there something to it?

Readings: Acts 19:1-8 Psalm 68:2-7 John 16:29-33

Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” [Acts 19:1-3]

Depending on one’s sacramental theology and pastoral practice, this text has been variously interpreted. For example, those who work with the RCIA (catecheumenate) hold that the sacrament of Confirmation should be administered with Baptism as it was in the early Church. It is one of the sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The Eastern Rite of the Roman Catholic Church has retained the tradition of administering all three at Baptism. Yes, the infant receives a small piece of the Eucharist bread. And so in the Eastern Rite, there is no formal celebration of First Holy Communion at the age of reason or Confirmation by the bishop at whatever age the local diocese has determined the age of maturity appropriate for Confirmation. All three sacraments are administered shortly after birth.

Others feel that the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation at a later age ensures the participation of youngsters in parish religious education programs – at least until Confirmation. In this case, many Catholics view Confirmation as the completion of or graduation from religious studies.

In recent years I have become convinced that the RCIA folks and the Eastern Rite Catholics have it right. All three sacraments of initiation should be administered together. First Holy Communion and Confirmation have become more social than spiritual. I do not mean to suggest that there is no connection or that there should be no celebration after sacramental ceremonies but for many, the accent is on the wrong syllable.

The path from Baptism to Christian maturity is life-long and the benchmarks for progress are not easily measured by grouping children by age or grade level for a period of preparation that is largely academic.

This is not to suggest that religious education is optional. Faith development is unique to each person within the context first of family and then of parish. Religious education / formation is intended to provide insight into faith development at an age-appropriate level.

Catholicism has become ‘child-centered’ the result of which, we have an adult population whose religious and spiritual development stopped at Confirmation.

The celebration of Eucharist is the primary setting for faith formation. Religious education is a necessary component but detached from Eucharist, it remain just another subject to master.

Of course this all assumes that the parish celebration of the Eucharist is truly inclusive and meaningful rather than just an empty ritual. The parish at worship should be a rendition of a community of faith that strives to live its faith ‘in the town square’ as I mentioned in Sunday’s homily.

Notwithstanding my commitment to religious dialogue, I do believe that effective dialogue is based on the assumption that although both parties are knowledgeable about the topic. Though they may have different perspectives, they are not based on ignorance of the subject.

Feast of Pentecost

Saturday May 22, 2010

“Agere Sequitur Esse”

Agere sequitur esse. Ergo, age quod age!

For those who favor a return to the Latin Mass, this should keep the franchise.

Those who do not favor a return to the Latin might reconsider if all my homilies were this brief!

No, I’m not in favor of a return to the Latin Mass!

The readings on the feast of Pentecost are a kaleidoscope of images and metaphors depicting a new beginning, a new creation—not unlike the two descriptions of the first creation in Genesis but perhaps a bit more dramatic. There were no eye witnesses to the first creation event but there were many to the second—people of every race and nation. Confused at first, they caught the spirit and got the message that something new was taking place. Jesus was not dead but still very much alive in their midst—really and truly.

Of a sudden the words Jesus spoke, the stories he told, the signs he performed all came together—they kicked in as it were. It was the great ‘aha’ moment of all time. The human nature of believers was turned inside out. They were reborn in the spirit and everyone knew it. The tongues of fire came from one source but landed on people of different people, descendants of the twelve tribes of Abraham. They were changed radically from theinside out but the gifts of the Spirit—knowledge, understanding, wisdom, counsel, courage, piety, and deep reverence for God—were not given to them for their own enrichment or enjoyment. They were imparted to them “for the sake of God’s dominion,” for the sake of humanity—regardless of heritage or nationality and they were recognized as “people of God” by the fruits of the Holy Spirit—charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self control and chastity. “By their fruits you will know them.”

There is an expression in the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, “Agere sequitur esse.” It means action follows being—i.e., acting according to nature. To act in accord with our human nature is one thing and it is more or less instinctive. Our human instincts are not bad. In fact, St. Thomas said “grace builds on nature.” We breathe by instinct; we fulfill our physical and emotional needs by instinct; we avoid danger by instinct. However, our human instincts can be deceptive and lead us into danger as well as out of danger. Despite our drive for independence and our human will to control, we still need something more. Is it possible that this need is also instinctive? In the words of Saint Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts will not rest until they rest in you.” Perhaps this is the key to our understanding and appreciation of the Pentecost event.

The three readings form a triptych, a panoply of metaphors, similes and literary forms to explain the inexplicable. In the same way that we become the bread we eat in Eucharist, so too the Holy Spirit touches the core of our human nature transforming us at the level of the soul wherein our spiritual instincts reside. No, we are not yet fully ‘divinized’ but over time the Spirit empowers us to think like God and act in a God-like manner in a human way. Jesus remains the paradigm.

The description of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles by Luke reverses the mythical story of Babel in the Old Testament. God confused those who would challenge God’s power and God’s rule over creation. There are no towers built by human hands that can reach heaven or bring about heavenly rule. It is God’s initiative and God’s generosity that generates goodness within us. This is what it means to live in grace or better, to swim in the sea of God’s grace.

Carl Jung speaks of the collective unconscious, the mix of dreams and fears that we inherit from our ancestors. However, he makes the point that we are not predestined to cave into evil but destined to realize our full potential. As Christians, we believe this takes place as we identify with Christ who is the epitome or exemplar of what we are destined to become.

Pentecost still has the potential to unlock hearts and effect miracles as we come to a greater awareness of our power as conduits of divine grace for others. Imbued with the spirit of Jesus, we do indeed learn to think like and act like Christ.

I have witnessed it in the healing of memories in victims of abuse, in the healing of seeming irreconcilable differences in marriage, and we hear it in the words of peacemakers searching for common ground in the Kuran and Bible.

Is it too much to expect that miracles can still happen even in the face of terrorist threats? I’m referring to a conversion of hearts that will rule out terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons and daughters of God.” A mighty wind is still blowing and the fire of God’s love is still burning brightly.

Agere sequitur esse. Ergo age quod age!—Be who you are and do what you have been called to do in Christ.