THEME: BENEDICTINE EDUCATION IN THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION AND MISSION FOCUS: CHRIST CENTEREDNESS and OBEDIENCE “LISTEN AND LIVE IN GOD’S LOVE”
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
DIRECTION SETTING
By: Sr. Mary Ignatius Aquino, OSB
CHRIST CENTEREDNESS
The Battle We All Face
Preferring nothing whatever to Christ, though, applies to all of us, not just those seeking religious or priestly vocations. It applies in how we deal with those daily crosses we face–the little and sometimes large annoyances that God allows us to experience. How well do we accept His will in the moment? Do we complain, get angry or grumble? Or do we offer it up to Him with Jesus crucified for some special intention? Do we thank Him for these opportunities to grow in sanctification?
To prefer nothing whatever to Christ also means that we maintain an attitude of indifference toward everything except God. Do we have inordinate attachments to people, their opinions, or to things? If any created thing, person or their opinion becomes the center of our life, they’re displacing God. We no longer, then, prefer nothing whatever to Christ. Many of us may say that we’re “all in” for Christ. We may believe we actually have abandoned ourselves totally to His Divine Providence.
But are we really “all in” for God? Do we walk the talk with the crosses of our daily lives? In his Meditation on the Two Standards (Spiritual Ex 136-147), St. Ignatius of Loyola asks us to really think about this question. We face a continual battle between good and evil in our lives. Do we fight under the standard–the flag–of Jesus or that of Satan?
At first blush, we might believe we’re living the value system of Christ, and not that of Satan. But the devil truly is in the details. In the details of our lives, what we value in action, and how we deal with challenges, is where we’ll see who’s value system we embrace. Satan’s value system glorifies wealth, honors, and pride. Christ’s, on the other hand, emphasizes dying to self, humility, love of God and neighbor–all the time, not just when we feel like it.
Prefer No Thing Whatever to Christ
As a quick particular examen, we can start by looking at how we view money and wealth. When is enough actually enough? Do we focus on our job, our income, net worth, etc., to the exclusion of our family, our faith and interior life? Will another 60-hour work week really matter when the Lord calls us home? Or, will we be like the man who dies in his sleep, dreaming of building bigger and bigger barns to store the harvest (cf. Lk 12:16-21)?
Consider lifestyle issues as well. What kind of home, car, watch, jewelry, etc., do I need to feel secure? Who am I trying to impress? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having “stuff.” We do need to ask ourselves, “Do I appreciate and use all these gifts of God to help me develop as a loving person? Or, have they become the center of my life? Are they getting in the way of my pursuit of union with God?”
Self-Renunciation and Placing Christ First
In Luke 14:25-33, Our Lord tells us we must make Him our first priority. And all of us are all called to be saints–to join the Church Triumphant in the presence of Our Lord someday. We can predispose ourselves to sainthood by truly placing Christ first, accepting His will for us, and detaching ourselves from anything that gets between Him and us.
OBEDIENCE
Prologue
Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is the advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. 2 The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. 3 This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord.
First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to him most earnestly to bring it to perfection. In his goodness, he has already counted us as his sons, and therefore we should never grieve him by our evil actions. 6 With his good gifts which are in us, we must obey him at all times that he may never become the angry father who disinherits his sons, 7nor the dread lord, enraged by our sins, who punishes us forever as worthless servants for refusing to follow him to glory.
In modern culture, there is a strong emphasis on MY deciding, MY choices, MY way of thinking, etc. In the Rule, the emphasis is on accepting a way of wisdom that comes to us from others. The emphasis is on allowing ourselves to be formed by the wisdom of scripture, of tradition, of the desert monastic ancestors, etc. We must try to live the way they lived in order to understand their wisdom. That means giving up our own will.
In Chapter 3 of the Rule we find the presumption that all the brothers are called to council and that all are able to speak. This chapter actually presumes that every member of the community is both able to speak and able to listen. It is a most important chapter in the Rule.
Chapter 5 tells us that obedience must be free from any grumbling and any reaction of unwillingness; it should not be cringing, sluggish or half-hearted.
He does not expect a community of saints, nor a community of experts, nor a community that is perfect. He expects a human community that makes mistakes, that has sinfulness and that is always learning. Saint Benedict presumes that we will give our whole energy over to becoming a saint through following the monastic way of life.
Each of us, must become responsible for his/her own actions. We cannot say, for instance, “I am unhappy and it is the community’s fault.” Nor can we say, “I am unhappy and it is this or that brother’s or sister’s fault.”
We will only be able to take such personal responsibility if we have a life of prayer. That is why the life of prayer receives such emphasis in the Holy Rule. Whatever we do, we must do it with prayer. No matter what decisions we take in our lives, we are invited to pray about them first and to try to take such decisions from our prayer.
Obedience and prayer. These are the cornerstones of our life and we seek to love God and our brothers and sisters more faithfully. May the Lord lead us all to everlasting life. May God give us deeper faith, strong obedience and a lively life of prayer.
THE KINGDOM AS GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
The Kingdom of God in Jesus’ message is God’s unconditional love for creation. This love revealed in Jesus Christ, has the sole purpose of leading all human beings and ultimately all of creation to participation in God’s own life and love. (Parable of the Prodigal Son).
THE CHALLENGE OF THE KINGDOM
A CALL TO CONVERSION
1. Turn Around: “Let it into your life”
To convert means to turn toward, to respond to a call, to let oneself be overtaken by such a real and great love.
2. Well Up: “Let it well up within you”
Conversion means to let the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit well up from within us and bring us to life. The early Church Fathers understood this to mean the Kingdom is in our reach; it is so close and intimate that we can take hold of it if we really want it.
3. “Becoming a Child”
“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (MK 10:15)
At the time of Jesus, children ranked very low since they were not yet knowledgeable of the Torah, they had no merit before God. The child was considered a person of no importance, meriting no attention or favors.
The child opens a vast area of kingdom qualities: trust, humility, obedience, a forgiving spirit as well as helplessness and dependence.
Instead of seeking prestige and status, the Kingdom requires that we humble ourselves, get rid of our self-imposed importance measured in worldly values.
Jesus’ demand of “becoming a child” expresses the necessity for adults to make a new beginning, to have a new responsiveness and openness to God and other people. We are asked to learn and relearn the ways of God. Only then will we discover lost potential and gain integrity and wholeness.
4. To become Christlike: Let Christ make His home in you”
Conversion from this perspective means to let Christ take shape in us and to lead us from mere image into likeness.
5. Think differently: “To look at reality with the eyes of Jesus”
The Greek word “Metanoia”, conversion means to “think differently,” to look at reality the way Jesus did. It means to accept his perspective and hi frame of reference, to use his “eyeglasses” when looking at the world and human reality. The Kingdom wants to free us from the constant temptation to be our own masters and to determine the world in our own way. Only when God becomes the lord of our whole life and the Lord of the whole universe will the fullness of the kingdom be accomplished.
6. Commitment to the Values of the Kingdom
Only the experience of being loved to the utmost bears fruit in a love of neighbor which itself endures through all disillusionment and setbacks. This love expresses itself in two characteristic ways: Forgiveness and Service.
Readiness to forgive becomes then the ultimate measure of how far one has truly become a disciple of Jesus (Mt.18:21-22;Lk.17:3-4;Mt.5:43-45). Yet the disciple cannot forgive except when he or she has experienced God’s forgiving love first. It is only in the strength of the forgiveness received that we are enabled to forgive those who have wronged us.
“Service of neighbor”- concern for the neighbor’s well being above everything else.
The acid test of true discipleship will always remain whether the community of Jesus’ disciples lives the “creed for all times”: righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
SYNODAL PROCESS
The mission of the Church requires the entire People of God to be on a journey together, with each member playing his or her crucial role, united with each other. A synodal Church walks forward in communion to pursue a common mission through the participation of each and every one of her members.
Synod comes from two Greek words that literally mean “on the way together.” A “synod,” then, is the Church journeying together, dialoguing together, discerning together. This is the first Church Synod in history in which the whole Church—clergy and faithful—have been invited to participate together.
“Synodality is the way of being the Church today according to the will of God, in a dynamic of discerning and listening together to the voice of the Holy Spirit (Pope Francis).
Purpose of the Synod is “to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to be nourished, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another, and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.”
Attitudes for Participating in the Synodal Process
The following are particular attitudes that enable genuine listening and dialogue as we participate in the Synodal Process.
● Being synodal requires time for sharing: We are invited to speak with authentic courage and honesty (parrhesia) in order to integrate freedom, truth, and charity. Everyone can grow in understanding through dialogue.
● Humility in listening must correspond to courage in speaking: Everyone has the right to be heard, just as everyone has the right to speak. Synodal dialogue depends on courage both in speaking and in listening. It is not about engaging in a debate to convince others. Rather, it is welcoming what others say as a way by which the Holy Spirit can speak for the good of all (1 Corinthians 12:7).
● Dialogue leads us to newness: We must be willing to change our opinions based on what we have heard from others.
● Openness to conversion and change: We can often be resistant to what the Holy Spirit is trying to inspire us to undertake. We are called to abandon attitudes of complacency and comfort that lead us to make decisions purely on the basis of how things have been done in the past.
● Synods are an ecclesial exercise in discernment: Discernment is based on the conviction that God is at work in the world and we are called to listen to what the Spirit suggests to us.
● We are signs of a Church that listens and journeys: By listening, the Church follows the example of God himself, who listens to the cry of his people. The Synodal Process provides us with the opportunity to open ourselves to listen in an authentic way, without resorting to ready-made answers or pre-formulated judgments.
● Leave behind prejudices and stereotypes: We can be weighed down by our weaknesses and sinfulness. The first step towards listening is freeing our minds and hearts from prejudices and stereotypes that lead us on the wrong path, towards ignorance and division.
● Overcome the scourge of clericalism: The Church is the Body of Christ filled with different charisms in which each member has a unique role to play. We are all interdependent on one another and we all share an equal dignity amidst the holy People of God. In the image of Christ, true power is service. Synodality calls upon pastors to listen attentively to the flock entrusted to their care, just as it calls the laity to freely and honestly express their views. Everyone listens to one another out of love, in a spirit of communion and our common mission. Thus the power of the Holy Spirit is manifested in manifold ways in and through the entire People of God.
● Cure the virus of self-sufficiency: We are all in the same boat. Together we form the Body of Christ. Setting aside the mirage of self-sufficiency, we are able to learn from each other, journey together, and be at the service of one another. We can build bridges beyond the walls that sometimes threaten to separate us – age, gender, wealth, ability, education, etc.
● Overcoming ideologies: We must avoid the risk of giving greater importance to ideas than to the reality of the life of faith that people live in a concrete way.
● Give rise to hope: Doing what is right and true does not seek to attract attention or make headlines, but rather aims at being faithful to God and serving His People. We are called to be beacons of hope, not prophets of doom.
● Synods are a time to dream and “spend time with the future”: We are encouraged to create a local process that inspires people, with no one excluded to create a vision of the future filled with the joy of the Gospel. The following dispositions will help participants (cf. Christus Vivit):
o An innovative outlook: To develop new approaches, with creativity and a certain audacity.
o Being inclusive: A participatory and co-responsible Church, capable of appreciating its own rich variety, embraces all those we often forget or ignore.
o An open mind: Let us avoid ideological labels and make use of all methodologies that have borne fruit.
o Listening to each and every one: By learning from one another, we can better reflect the wonderful multi-faceted reality that Christ’s Church is meant to be.
o An understanding of “journeying together”: To walk the path that God calls the Church to undertake for the third millennium.
o Understanding the concept of a co-responsible Church: To value and involve the unique role and vocation of each member of the Body of Christ, for the renewal and building up of the whole Church.
o Reaching out through ecumenical and interreligious dialogue: To dream together and journey with one another throughout the entire human family.
Guide Questions:
This Synod poses the following fundamental question: A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together.” How is this “journeying together” happening today in your local Church, in our society and in our school community? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”? (PD, 26) In responding to this question, we are invited to:
· Recall our experiences: What experiences of our local Church, our society and in our school community does this question call to mind? – Re-read these experiences in greater depth: What joys did they bring? What difficulties and obstacles have they encountered? What wounds did they reveal? What insights have they elicited?
· Gather the fruits to share: Where in these experiences does the voice of the Holy Spirit resound? What is the Spirit asking of us? What are the points to be confirmed, the prospects for change, the steps to be taken? Where do we register a consensus? What paths are opening up for our local Church, in our society and our school community?
To help people explore this fundamental question more fully, the following themes highlight significant aspects of “lived synodality” (PD, 30). In responding to these questions, it is helpful to remember that “journeying together” occurs in two deeply interconnected ways. First, we journey together with one another as the People of God. Next, we journey together as the People of God with the entire human family. These two perspectives enrich one another and are helpful for our common discernment towards deeper communion and more fruitful mission.
The questions accompanying each of the following TEN THEMES can be used as a starting point or helpful guideline. Your conversation and dialogue do not need to be limited to the following questions:
1. COMPANIONS ON THE JOURNEY
In the Church, in society and in our school community, we are side by side on the same road. Who are those who “walk together”? Who are those who seem further apart? How are we called to grow as companions? What groups or individuals are left on the margins?
2. LISTENING
Listening is the first step, but it requires an open mind and heart, without prejudice. How is God speaking to us through voices we sometimes ignore? How are the laity/lay partners listened to, especially women and young people? What facilitates or inhibits our listening? How well do we listen to those on the peripheries? How is the contribution of consecrated men and women integrated? What are some limitations in our ability to listen, especially to those who have different views than our own? What space is there for the voice of minorities, especially people who experience poverty, marginalization, or social exclusion?
3. SPEAKING OUT
All are invited to speak with courage and parrhesia, that is, in freedom, truth, and charity. What enables or hinders speaking up courageously, candidly, and responsibly in our local Church, in our society and in our school community? When and how do we manage to say what is important to us?
4. CELEBRATION
“Walking together” is only possible if it is based on communal listening to the Word and the celebration of the Eucharist. How do prayer and liturgical celebrations actually inspire and guide our common life and mission in our community? How do they inspire the most important decisions? How do we promote the active participation of all the faithful in the liturgy?
5. SHARING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR COMMON MISSION
Synodality is at the service of the mission of the Church and the Vison-Mission of SSA-SF in which all members are called to participate. Since we are all missionary disciples, how is every baptized person called to participate in the mission of the Church and of the school? What areas of mission are we neglecting?
6. DIALOGUE IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY
Dialogue requires perseverance and patience, but it also enables mutual understanding. To what extent do diverse peoples in our community come together for dialogue? What are the places and means of dialogue within our local Church, our society and our school community? How do we promote collaboration with neighboring dioceses, religious communities in the area, lay associations and movements, etc.? How are divergences of vision, or conflicts and difficulties addressed? What particular issues in the Church, society and school community do we need to pay more attention to? What experiences of dialogue and collaboration do we have with believers of other religions and with those who have no religious affiliation? How does the Church dialogue with and learn from other sectors of society: the spheres of politics, economics, culture, civil society, and people who live in poverty?
7. ECUMENISM
The dialogue between Christians of different confessions, united by one baptism, has a special place in the synodal journey. What relationships does our Church community have with members of other Christian traditions and denominations? What do we share and how do we journey together? What fruits have we drawn from walking together? What are the difficulties? How can we take the next step in walking forward with each other?
8. AUTHORITY AND PARTICIPATION
A synodal church is a participatory and co-responsible Church. How does our Church community identify the goals to be pursued, the way to reach them, and the steps to be taken? How is authority or governance exercised within our local Church, our society and school community? How are teamwork and co-responsibility put into practice?
9. DISCERNING AND DECIDING
In a synodal style we make decisions through discernment of what the Holy Spirit is saying through our whole community. What methods and processes do we use in decision-making? How can they be improved? How do we promote participation in decision-making within hierarchical structures? Do our decision-making methods help us to listen to the whole People of God? What is the relationship between consultation and decision-making, and how do we put these into practice? What tools and procedures do we use to promote transparency and accountability? How can we grow in communal spiritual discernment?
10. FORMING OURSELVES IN SYNODALITY
Synodality entails receptivity to change, formation, and on-going learning. How does our church community form people to be more capable of “walking together,” listening to one another, participating in mission, and engaging in dialogue? What formation is offered to foster discernment and the exercise of authority in a synodal way?
Participants are encouraged to share with honesty and openness about their real-life experiences, and to reflect together on what the Holy Spirit might be revealing through what they share with one another.
Thank you and God bless…
THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED
Sister Mary Ignatius Aquino, OSB
Directress