In Weakness and Fear

In Weakness and Fear

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Luke 4:28-30

Piety

Let us get up then, at long last, for the scriptures rouse us when they say: "It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13:11)." Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from the heavens that every day calls out this charge: "If you hear God's voice today, do not harden your hearts (Ps 95:8)." And again: "You that have ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 2:7)." And what does the Spirit say? "Come and listen to me; I will teach you to reverence God (Ps 34:12)." Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death may not overtake you (Jn 12:35)." (Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue)

Study

What is God’s secret plan?  Although no one in Nazareth’s temple that fateful day knew it, eventually we learned that it involved God’s son, some wood, some nails and a lot of pain.

If you would have tested the most learned members of the temple the day Jesus unrolled that scroll, all the human wisdom in the world could never imagine the events that would unfold in the months and years ahead. Human wisdom never revealed God’s secret plan.  We only learned that through the cross in the fullness of time.

You might think that a “doctor of the church” like St. Gregory the Great would provide some special insights or know the path which leads to the light. 

W. Eugene Smith

 However, that logic would fly in the face of today’s readings. Doctor of the church implies either a “medical” degree which could help heal the church or a Ph.D. which could help expand “human wisdom.”  While the second is real meaning, even folks like Gregory, Theresa, and others did not have all the answers.

[Doctor of the Church] is a very special title accorded…to certain saints. This title indicates that the writings and preachings of such a person are useful to Christians "in any age of the Church." Such men and women are also particularly known for the depth of understanding and the orthodoxy of their theological teachings. While the writings of the Doctors are often considered inspired by the Holy Spirit; this does not mean they are infallible, but it does mean that they contributed significantly to the formulation of Christian teaching in at least one area. (Emphasis added)

Neither Ambrose nor Anthony, Aquinas nor Augustine had all the answers.

Action

Usually, when we get Gospel readings from Luke 4, the social action message of the Nazareth Manifesto come to the forefront of my reflections. Not today.  It seems providential that Jesus deals with the revolt of the people in the pew and the insurrection of the Pharisees while we are going through similar struggles in the Church today.  Perhaps the Church is going through another Nazareth Manifesto moment. But who is the one reading the scrolls? Who is the truth-teller we want to hurl off the hill? 

We still have the sour taste of the spotlight on Boston in our mouths.  Even though 18 years have passed, the summer confluence of the grand jury report in Pennsylvania, revelations about former Cardinal McCarrick, and the internal and external power struggle over cover-ups and conspiracies pit church insiders, church militants, abuse survivors, outside interests like attorneys general and other factions against each other.  We might as well be witnessing “testimony” tension that rivals that of the Medici and the Borgia families, the Shakespearian Capulets and Montagues, or even the protests of Martin Luther and John Calvin during the Reformation. Some think we might be on the cusp of another schismatic moment. 

We don’t have any answers after years of abuse stories.  We don’t have answers after additional weeks of revelations and accusations.  Premature calls for the resignations of bishops, cardinals and even the Pope are sounding before we know the whole story. People are taking sides before the facts are revealed.

The inefficacy of human wisdom for salvation is (once again) contrasted with the power of the cross. What is God’s secret plan for putting the church through the combination of the on-going abuse crisis and the internal power struggles?

Jesus was the last leader of our church without a flaw.  From Peter through Francis, apostolic succession has passed from one sinful human to another.

So, what should we do?  Until we have a better option, let’s pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus. As we pray in the Cursillo cross ceremony, Christ is counting on you!  And I am counting on Christ.

Sr. Joan’s commentary on Sunday’s selection of the Rule reminds us:

The life laid out in this Rule is a life based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not the prescriptions of a private guru. It is an immersion in the Gospel life so intense that we never forget for a moment what we are really about. We don't just stumble through life from one pious exercise to another, hoping that in the end, everything will be all right. We don't surfeit on this life, even the spiritual systems of it, and forget the life to come. No, we run toward the light, not with our hair shirts in hand but with the scriptures in hand, responsible to the presence of God in every moment and sure that life is only beginning when it ends.

Let’s run toward the light!

(Image credit: "The Walk to Paradise Garden" (1946) – a single photograph of his two children walking hand in hand towards a clearing in woods. It was the closing image in the 1955 Museum of Modern Art exhibition, The Family of Man.