STEWARDS OF GOD S MYSTERIES. Fr Paul Philbert OP

Transcription

1 Diocese of Nottingham Clergy Conference 2009 STEWARDS OF GOD S MYSTERIES Fr Paul Philbert OP God of all ages, Master of all times and cultures, in your mercy, shed light upon our minds and hearts as we gather as servants of Christ and stewards of your mysteries. By your Holy Spirit, confirm us in the faith of your Church, touch our hearts with your call to follow Jesus as evangelists and pastors, grant us insight, courage, and love as we work and discern together about our lives as bishop and priests. We thank you for our holy calling to devote our lives to the coming of your kingdom. May your Church and our ministry within it always serve your loving Providence and the kingdom of truth and justice, unity and peace that you promised us. We ask this, Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ in the power of his Holy Spirit. Amen 26 to 28 May Hothorpe Hall Theddingworth, Leicestershire 1

2 Session 1 The Context for Ordained Ministry Today 1. Passage from a cultic to a comprehensive understanding of ordained ministry. The priest in Baroque Theology was an alter Christus whose persona was that of a consecrator of the Eucharist. Today s theology understands the presbyter s acting in persona Christi capitis as referring to not only his priestly, but also his prophetic and pastoral roles. CCC 1119: Forming as it were, one mystical person with Christ the head, the Church acts in the sacraments as an organically structured priestly community. [LG 11] Through Baptism and Confirmation, the priestly people is enabled to celebrate the liturgy, while those of the faithful who have received Holy Orders are appointed to nourish the Church with the word and grace of God in the name of Christ. 2. Decisive Polarities that are the Parameters of the Church s on going Reform Tension between Clericalism and Lay Apostolic Life Baptism as sacramental matrix ; LG 33 Ordained ministry of superiority or of service Mk 10:41 45; CCC 1120, 1547 at the service of the baptismal priesthood Maintenance or Mission Fixation on Baroque institutions or attentive to the signs of the times 3. Defining the Current Context of the Ministry Decreasing number of clergy, recruitment issues, declining financial resources, declining participation in the Church, changing family dynamics, changing demographics, youth s increased interest in the Church, consolidated parishes and multiple parish responsibilities, growing number of lay ministers, increasing number of permanent deacons, intergenerational conflicts in the presbyterate, diminished professional image of the priesthood, increasing number of international clergy, continuing gulf between the reality and the potentiality of women s place in the Church, etc. 4. The acceptable time is now: never has the ministry of the Steward of God s mysteries been so critical or important The pastor preaches to and catechizes a prophetic people: awakens apostolic vocations The pastor welcomes and animates an evangelizing Body of Christ: commissions The pastor celebrates, lifts up, heals and consoles as sacramental leader and priest The pastor plays an iconic role through presence, prayer, advocacy, example. 2

3 Session 1 Questions for Reflection 1. Where do you locate yourself in the changing culture of the Church? Are you hopeful or discouraged by the complexity of your circumstances? How do you feel betrayed or let down by recent evolutions in the life of the Church? How do you feel energized or challenged? 2. What are one or two of the greatest challenges that the evolving situation of the church creates for you as priests? 3. Where does your ministry call you beyond your comfort zone? Suggested Reading: J. Ippoloto, Mark Latcovitch, and Joyce Malyn Smith, In Fulfillment of Their Mission: The Duties and Tasks of a Roman Catholic Priest: An Assessment Project (Washington, D.C.: National Catholic Educational Association, 2008). 3

4 Session 2 Christ s Priesthood Lived through the Paschal Mystery 1. Finding the paschal mystery in the contours and conditions of our lives as ministers: living out our pain and distress as spiritual sacrifices that configure us to Christ s dying, in full confidence of his lifting us up to resurrecting life. The Cross of Jesus and his Easter resurrection are the symbols of this paschal mystery: Dying, you destroyed our death; rising you restored our life; Lord Jesus, come in glory! 2. Two different understandings of sacrifice: a. substitution sacrifices: Temple sacrifices that take place outside the context of the ordinary the work of experts b. solidarity sacrifices: the willing, intentional offering of everything ordinary in our time and context in union with Christ s self offering to the Father. Because of our baptismal solidarity with Christ, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, our willing self offering becomes precious in the sight of the Father St. Anselm s reading of sacrifice: God s honor is damaged by sin; God demanded a bloody victim to pay for sin; God s anger is assuaged by the death of Jesus as victim and salvation is won for us. This perspective replaces the Incarnation as the central Christian doctrine and veils from our sight the loving God of biblical revelation. 4. Hebrews, the only NT text that refers to Jesus as priest, gives us the key to sacrifice: Jesus opens up a New Covenant: a. because his priesthood is unique (God and man), not hereditary, b. because it is once for all time, not repeated, c. because it is perfect self offering, not the offering of blood and first fruits d. because it introduces humanity beyond the veil into the court of heaven Christian sacrifice has three moments : the self offering of the Father: Jn 3:16, Rm 8:32 He who did not withhold his own Son gave him up for all of us. Authentic Christian sacrifice is never something that someone does to another; it is always internal, motivated by pure love. the self offering of the Son: the saving action of God within human history through the instrument of Jesus dying and rising. the radical self offering of the faithful in solidarity with Christ (Rm 12:1; LG 34) 6. Celebrating the Eucharist as a sacrifice of solidarity a. Creating the sacrament of the Church in the moment of the Eucharist b. Joining the spiritual sacrifices of the common priesthood to that of Christ c. Surrendering body and soul to the ministry of headship d. Living the mysteries with Christ as prayer. 4

5 Session 2 Questions for Reflection 1. How seriously have we taken the teaching that the Church is a sacrament of Christ and that its people are the visible sign? 2. How does my calling to be at the service of the common priesthood concretely shape my ministry? 3. Have we provided our lay associates and assistants who aid us in the pastoral work of the parish opportunities to study and discuss with us their role in pastoral life? Do they have a vision of an apostolic laity? What difference does it make if they do or they don t? 4. What strengths and weaknesses do presbyters bring to their service of the common priesthood these days? How can we be helped to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses? Suggested reading: Robert J. Daly, Sacrifice Unveiled: The True Meaning of Christian Sacrifice (T&T Clark, 2008). Stephen Finlan, Options on Atonement in Christian Thought (Michael Glazier Liturgical Press, 2007). Stephen Finlan, Problems with Atonement: The Origins of, and Controversy about, the Atonement Doctrine (Liturgical Press, 2005). Paul Philibert, The Priesthood of the Faithful: Key to a Living Church (Liturgical Press, 2005). 5

6 Session 3 The Shape of Ordained Ministry Today 1. CCC 1553 The whole Church, the Body of Christ, prays and offers herself, through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. The whole Body, caput et membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the Body are especially his ministers are called not only ministers of Christ, but also of the Church. 2. Comprehensive responsibilities: a. Prophetic: PO 4 The people of God is formed into one in the first place by the word of the living God, which is quite rightly expected from the mouth of presbyters... it is the first task of presbyters as co workers of the bishops to preach the Gospel of God to all. Effective preaching is mystagogical: related to the rites and to experience It aims to move faith from the notional to the real People seeks out priests who seem to put them in touch with God b. Pastoral Leader: PO 7 Very little good will be achieved by ceremonies, however beautiful, or societies, however flourishing, if they are not directed toward training people to reach Christian maturity. To encourage this maturity presbyters will make themselves available to help people solve their problems and determine the will of God in the great or small crises in life. Sets the tone for real collaboration in ministries across the parish Loss of Catholics to Evangelical groups or to secularism Two options to foster adult ownership of faith: (a) opportunities for caritative service, (b) small (basic) Christian communities c. Sacramental Leader: PO 5 The people are invited and led to offer themselves, their works and all creation in union with Christ Hence presbyters teach the faithful to offer the divine victim to God the Father in the sacrifice of the Mass and with the victim to make an offering of their lives the part of ministry that priests love the best cannot be satisfied to allow Mass to satisfy meaning craving for religious experience teach (and live) the incomprehensible mystery of Theosis (cf. By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity ). 3. A model of human authenticity and of spiritual growth: a. Priests must have a mature capacity to relate to others: man of communion b. They need the rewards and the commitment of genuine friendship: friends help the priest to discover his true happiness in the demanding world of Gospel service 6

7 c. They need an inner locus of authority : a freedom that represents a responsible autonomy toward both civil and ecclesiastical authority. 4. The ordained ministry is a model of radical sacrifice, given in love, with Christ. Session 3 Questions for Reflection 1. Look at the following profile of duties of the Catholic clergy. Do they make sense to you? a) Celebrates liturgy and sacraments b) Provides pastoral care and spiritual guidance c) Teaches the faith d) Leads parish administration e) Practices ministry of presence with parish groups f) Participates in the life of the diocesan church g) Engages in advocacy, ecumenical activities, community service h) Engages in professional development i) Engages in personal development. How do you do it all? 2. Realistically, do I experience solidarity and support from my fellow priests? From my bishop? From deacons (priests)? What additional support would I like to see? 3. How can we promote adult faith formation? Isn t it really essential for a fully functioning parish? Where are we failing? Recommended Reading Edward Hahnenberg, Ministries: A Relational Approach (Crossroad, 2003). Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Doubleday, 1979). Kenan Osborne, Orders and Ministry: Leadership in the World Church (Orbis, 2006). 7

8 Session 4 Transformation Through Discipleship In fact, priests exist in the world in three principal ways that are interrelated. Priests exist as human beings. They also exist as believing Christians or disciples of Jesus Christ in his Church. Finally, they exist in a unique sacramental mode, as part of the order of presbyters in the Church. (The Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 2001). 1. The Journey from Identity to Generativity So many questions about the clergy focus and re focus on the priest s true identity. This is an unavoidable question in the sense of needing to clarify role expectations. But the fundamental challenge for the clergy is to focus on generativity the sponsoring of others and their vocations in the Church. 2. Friendship: the blessing and toil of genuine and mutual life giving relationships. Priests are givers people who find satisfaction in helping and healing the danger of the spotlight the nourishment and the demands of appropriate intimacy 3. Friendship with Christ as the Basis of Celibate Love To become a friend of Christ: take time, entrust your secrets, listen patiently, adapt to the ways of the Friend The bearer of the mystery mystagogue is plunged into the mercy of God, insisting on finding and relating to Christ despite (and in the midst of) overwork, stress, ambiguity, and frustrated idealism 4. Celibacy is not the renunciation of love, but the discovery of love as a participation in Christ s own universal love. Celibacy demands real relationships. The happy celibate cannot just put on a mask or pretend to be available as pastor and spiritual leader. In healthy celibacy, there must be an experiential counterpart (a kind of symbolic sacrament) for family, for friendship with God. 5. Remember: Holy Orders is a sacrament, not a miracle! God knows us as we are: unfinished persons in an incomplete world God calls us now as we are: we must model the humility of our own human struggle with imperfections Priests, in general, love their ministry and are being exhausted by overwork. What are the possible options: support, collaboration, vision, contemplation Transformative prayer is neither escape nor make believe (wishful thinking). Transformative prayer comes when and as we accept our creaturely weakness and offer our real, finite person/presence to God as an oblation of service and love. 8

9 Session 4 Questions for Reflection 1. Am I caught in the cycle of being always a giver in search of emotional rewards? How can I better learn to receive? 2. Celibacy is linked to generativity and is expressive of our friendship with Christ. Let s talk about how this really works in our lives. How do we do it? 3. What are the forces that create overwork and frustration among us? Can we share ideas, resources and energies in ways that will make it better? 4. How am I a wounded healer? Can I see God using the weakness in my life for the sake of the Gospel? (Cf. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings 1 Cor 9:22 23.) Recommended Reading Avery Dulles, The Priestly Office: A Theological Reflection (Paulist, 1997). Richard Gaillardetz, Transforming Our Days: Finding God Amid the Noise of Modern Life (Ligouri, 2007). Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Doubleday, 1979). Kevin Seasoltz, God s Gift Giving: In Christ and Through the Spirit (Continuum, 2007). 9

10 Session 5 The Practices of the Spiritual Life CCC 1105: The Epiclesis ( invocation upon ) is the intercession in which the priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may become the body and blood of Christ and that the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God. In other words, presbyters are instruments of the Holy Spirit. The challenge is for that relation to the Holy Spirit to grow and grow in us Formed by the Word of God: busy ministers can treat the word as a ministerial resource, rather than as living bread. God s word has a prophetic expandability that only patient listening, heartfelt honesty, and pastoral passion can open up and explore. Some form of lectio divina (contemplative reading) simply must be a part of the minister s spiritual discipline. group lectio in preparation for Sunday preaching scripture sharing, either in pastoral teams, or in a parish pastoral setting 2. Dynamic Silence: God s preferred language a language that demands humility and love for its clear translation 3. Spiritual conversation and discernment: need for some one other person with whom you can be utterly honest and open. Seeking God s will is a real, possible quest but it cannot be done effectively in isolation. 4. Reconciliation as accountability: acknowledging gifts as well as weaknesses, accepting the burdens of wounded soul, learning the skills of guiding souls 5. Liturgy of the Hours as the Prayer of the Church (cf. SC 83) praise and intercession. 6. Little Prayers intentionally offering a priestly existence, with Christ, to the Father. 7. Minister of Epiclesis in things large and small: spontaneous pastoral prayer. SC 83 Jesus Christ, high priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout all the ages in the realms above. He joins the entire community of humankind to himself, associating it with himself in singing his divine song of praise. For it is through his church that he continues this priestly work. 10

11 Questions for Reflection 1. Do I work on my Sunday preaching throughout the preceding week? Have I learned to make that part of my prayer life? Do I ever get together with staff members or parishioners to read and study the reading of Sunday in preparation for celebrating and preach ing? 2. Do I have a place or space and time scheduled for personal prayer? If not, can I think of one that s right for that? 3. Does the diocese provide a roster of names of priests and of others who are skilled in spiritual direction for priests and deacons? Can religious men and women of the diocese be encouraged to provide skilled spiritual direction for priests and deacons? 4. Do I have a spiritual director? A regular confessor? Do I feel like I need help and encouragement to continue to grow in the spiritual life? Recommended Reading: Kevin Seasoltz, God s Gift Giving: In Christ and Through the Spirit (Continuum, 2007). Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer (2003). Richard Rohr, Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality (2008). 11

12 Session 6 A Fresh Call for Renewal Recent sociological surveys of priests in the U.S. have indicated that the respondents report above average satisfaction with their choice of a life of ministry (profession as clergy). These responses are clearly significant in showing a higher degree of satisfaction than can be found among secular professionals. In general, Catholic priests are happy in their calling and fulfilled in their ministry. At the same time, there are generational and ideological differences among priests that are often felt very acutely. One way of summarizing these differences is in terms of two ways of describing their style or perspective on ministry: 1. John Paul II Priests : suspicious of Vatican II, no personal experience of the council s ferment during or immediately following its sessions, suspicious of the culture (while being immersed in it), and persuaded that things in general were probably better before the council 2. Vatican II Priests : possessed by a vision of aggiornamento or reform, seeking a rapprochement with the culture, eager to renew the institutional protocols of the church (including the discipline for ordination) With these differences creating tensions among priests (and with bishops), a multitude of changes are making the exercise of ministry more difficult for both types of priests: 1. Changing demographics (including increasing multicultural parishes) 2. Consolidated parishes and individual responsibility for a multiplicity of parishes 3. Co responsibility with lay leadership, both inside and outside parish ministries 4. Increasing number of international clergy 5. A growing number of faithful seeking a more intense Christian life 6. A growing ultramontane neoconservative voice that is often shrill ( liturgy police ) A fundamental challenge: What is the basic role of the ordained minister? Anecdote from Bishop Carter about Pope Pius XI Mission or Maintenance rediscovering the church s task of evangelization PO 8: All priests are bound by an intimate sacramental brotherhood linked to their brothers by ties of apostolic charity, ministry and fellowship need to make the effort to understand one another s outlook at least enough common life to allow sharing of intellectual and spiritual life inventory of possibilities for a common life... Together they are servants of Christ and stewards of God s mysteries. 12

13 Session 6 Questions for Reflection 1. At the end of these days together, choose one dominant helpful insight that has allowed you to re imagine your task and mission as a Roman Catholic Presbyter. 2. Likewise, as we come to a close, what dominant challenge do you take away from these conversations? 3. What is the most appropriate way to describe the manner in which you relate to your faithful people: a. leading them in the Christian life b. partnering with them in the mission of the Church c. calling them forth and helping them discern their apostolic insertion d. some other expression? 4. What might you have hoped for from these sessions that did not occur? 13