Tell me why - Declan Galbraith

 

Laity and the mission of the Church

 This morning's reflection on the laity in the church was an interesting one.   Just when I thought and was getting ready to listen to a long series of thoughts we all know, but are unwilling to practice, I was in for a surprise.  

Fr Albert Johnson, citing Christifideles Laici, reminded us that as priests and religious we DO NOT SHARE the mission of the Church with the laity.  Hell, we do not own it for ourselves in the first place!! The laity (defined as those called to holiness in their own way of life in the secular realities of the world) own the Church, as much as priests and religious.  The latter do not have the monopoly over the Church! 

As priests and religious we have a particular role and responsibility to fulfil - the religious aspect of the mission.  Similarly the laity have their role and responsibility clearly cut out by the Church - the temporal sphere or aspect of the mission.  (I guess, the clarity is in the documents and among some sensible people. Most bishops, priests, religious and even lay people themselves are not aware of neither the definition nor the mission!).  But together our collective mission, that of the whole Church is, evangelisation (the Kingdom of God).  

The clergy and religious carry out the pastoral and sacramental dimension of this mission.  The laity carry it out in the temporal or the secular sphere of the world.  The mode and the place are different, but the mission is one and the same!  

The sin of the prodigal son

 In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son after his departure from the house and squandering the property inheritance, comes to his senses and says, "I've sinned against God and my father...!" 

This morning it struck me: What exactly was his sin?  Why did he feel that he has 'sinned' against God? Against his father, I'm willing to understand that he 'sinned'. Although asking for his share of the property is no sin; immature behaviour or lapse of judgement, at the most.  But no sin.  So, then, what was he repentant about, that too to God? 

After much thought and prayer, it struck me.  Hard and fast. It was when I placed myself in his shoes - that wasn't too difficult to do.  And that's when it occurred to me, the sin of which the younger son was aware of, was him pushing away God and his own father from his life. Shutting out God and his father, from himself.  That's the sin.  Denying oneself of the love and concern, of God and the father, and striking out alone, by oneself - that's the shortcoming.  

The famine, the hunger, the pigs, the poverty... all of that was incidental.  Happened to be.  I'm sure, even without these sufferings and struggles, the young man would have sooner or later realised this sin of denying oneself of God's love, of his own fathers love.  Even in his abundance he would have discovered the deficit!  Maybe difficult or late, but for sure.  I say so with confidence, because I know. I feel.   I'm not facing any hardship or great struggle right now.  Yet I feel myself shrivelling. Just, not feeling comfortable.  Something's not right.  It's like watching the rain, up close, and feeling sorry or bad about not dancing in it.  And who's preventing me? Myself! 

Furthermore, even if his request to his father for taking him in merely as a hired servant, and not as his son, were to have been granted, the youngster would have been mighty thrilled.  Just to be in the company of his father, he would do anything.  He would have gladly accepted looking after the pigs of the father, as long as he knew that he was in his father's presence.  The father, on the other hand, even if he were to have accepted him back into the household only as a servant, would never have ill-treated him or looked down on him or even held a grudge for wasting his hard-earned money.  That's the confidence of the father in his love for his child and his upbringing.  (On a side note, I don't think the father would be harsh or disrespectful towards any of his staff or workers!!). 

This is again the insight that connects me to the interpretation of the sacrament of reconciliation that I heard John Dickson speak about to the boys and girls preparing themselves for the sacrament of confirmation at Addlestone, years ago.  The starting point of the sacrament of reconciliation is not awareness or acceptance of my weakness or sins.  It is actually the love of the Father!!  I cherish the love of the Father and therefore approach the sacrament knowing He is merciful.  It is love and not guilt or shame or fear that should move me to confession.  If love is not the starting point, then even after my confession, I'll still feel guilty and sad.  Because my starting point and the whole focus of my approach to the sacrament is myself; not God.  My sin and not God's love and mercy.  This does not discount my need to be repentant. But merely shifts the whole emphasis on God's love and mercy as the most important aspect.  

Making your way into the necrology

 A young dean of studies at the novitiate house of Idaya Deepam, in Yellagiri, had just distributed the Province directories to the novices in the study hall.  The novices were all keenly flipping pages to their community page to see their names printed in the list of community members. 

That's when the young priest told them, "Never mind looking up for your names in the community page now; what's important is that they appear in the Salesian necrology!"

That was quite amusing ... and a real challenge as well! 

Lean on them

 In the 2011 movie, Touchback (writer-director Don Handfield), there is a particular dialogue by the coach Hand, (played by Kurt Russell) that has stayed with me for years.  In the movie, there is a tough American football match on between a small town college team and a professional team.  All eyes are on Scott Murphy, the hero played by Brian Presley, who almost single-handedly fights the opponents to keep in the smaller team in the game. During break, the coach advises the star player: 

Don't forget, you have 10 other players.  You don't need to do it all by yourself. You didn't carry the team here, you led them.  They may not be the biggest or the best players, but they are farm boys.  Lean on them. They won't break!

This is the same advice I'd love to give to very many of our Salesians, especially those who tend to look down upon the lay people working WITH us in our institutions.  There are those who treat them as if they are servants, our servants!  We tend to forget that, far from being servants, we are working WITH them.  We are in it together.  We are not the bosses or the owners.  Nor are they our slaves.  

I too need to follow this advice.  Learn to delegate.  Trust.  Share responsibility.  

Religious community life is heterogeneous

 Religious life, by nature, strives for heterogeneity. Being multi-cultural, multi-dimensional and multi-EVERYTHING is innate to religious community life. 

However, we tend to make religious life homogeneous.  Like-minded people, individuals with similar interests and likings, similar age-group... But look at the apostles of Jesus. That was not a homogeneous group. It was an assortment of all species!  Fishermen, writers, tax-collectors, what not (except women, perhaps!). The early Catholic communities and monasteries and religious communities were a wide range of people.  All from different walks of life, age groups, varied interests, differently qualified and gifted. 

Yet look at what the apostles achieved.  Just with a 3-year formation. Mere 3 years with Jesus and they were a totally possessed group of men.  They shook the world.  They worked wonders.  They changed the face of religion, eventually across the globe.  Among the divine and spiritual gifts they were bestowed with, which they utilised to the maximum, setting themselves aside, is this attitude they embraced: singular focus on the mission.  Bearing witness to Christ, becoming alter-Christus, was their whole and sole mission.  

It is because of this, they bonded with everyone.  Disparities and differences didn't matter.  Not that those were absent.  They abounded. But what trumped them was their love for Jesus.  That bonding is what aroused curiosity among the people: These men are not related by blood, yet look at their bond. Look at their passion and their team work.  That curiosity led to questions.  And the apostles were happy to answer those questions.  Seeds of vocation! 

They didn't have to plead or beg with people to become Christians or disciples or eventually religious!  They truly, joyfully and openly witnessed to Jesus and his Gospel values.  People naturally followed them.  All sorts of people!  

Truly a religious community or life is heterogeneous in composition; but singular in mission! 

Help me Lord

 For quite sometime now I have been missing Mass and prayers in the morning. There is the travel and all that fatigue. But there are also times when I just don't get up in the morning. Sometimes it is the alarm that doesn't ring - strange, but true.  But mostly it is my lethargy that prevents me from getting my arse out of bed!  

However, does my work suffer?  Not at all!  In fact, I am known work-alcoholic and I am one! So working late into the night is a regular feature.  In that sense, I'm more of an owl than the early morning bird. So the work part of my responsibility is quite taken care of. Then what/why is it that I'm talking about? Why is it that I'm not comfortable about it? 

Because it does matter!  I may be putting in more hours of work, but the quality of my apostolate is questionable.  The point is this: If I'm not keen about making it to the Chapel in the morning; being part of the Holy Mass, then there is someone or something that has taken the place of Jesus.  Not that I do not love Jesus or that I deny his presence, it is just that I love something more than Jesus.  Therefore my time, energy, resources, interests, are invested accordingly.  The logic is simple: where my heart is there will all my efforts be. 

This is one realisation of my retreat.  I love my work, more than the Lord himself! I'm working for work sake, to fulfil a responsibility.  Not for His sake.  But I wish to regain and cherish that love for Jesus.  I wish to attend Mass and be present for morning prayers and meditation, not for fulfilling the attendance, but because I love Jesus and prefer to be with him.  I wish to spend time with him.  That, and that alone, should be my reason.  

So help me, Jesus! 

Animation

 Animation, in religious and ecclesial terms, is something that touches the anima! The soul. Something that enlivens one's whole self.   

It is not a seminar, or a conference or a talk.  Perhaps that is only a means in achieving that intended result of touching the lives of people.  And what if the event (animation) does not achieve that transformation?  

In the Province, and I'm sure across the region, and even in the whole congregation or the church, there are numerous efforts at 'animating' the confreres.  Yet, in spite of all these attempts, we still notice inconsistencies, lack of integrity, vocational fragility, unbridled negativity... in fact, some or all of these are on the rise!  

Why is that so? Perhaps it is because in the mind of the one attending these 'animation sessions', there is a fixed mentality.  A mentality that reinforces I-know-it-all. What's lacking is an openness to see the possibilities and opportunities.  Constant renewal, change, growth.  Perhaps our 'animations' need to focus on changing that mindset.  

Well, easier said than done! 

Silver lining?

 A priest boasting of his silver jubilee of ordination celebrations kept repeating at the function that he has 25 years of experience.  Someone who knew him well, commented: Not 25 years of experience, but one year of experience repeated 25 times!

Motivation and competence

 Fr Albert Johnson spoke about four types of religious - in fact, four type of people in any group or organisation... based on motivation levels and competence. 

Those with high motivation and high competence. Individuals falling under this category are an asset and offer much to the congregation and province.  They are mostly self-propelled and can be trusted, relied upon to bring out change, growth and impact. 

Those with high motivation but low competence. Those in this group need guidance and constant upskilling or training. But since their motivation levels are high the encouraging factor is that they will not do much harm. Moreover if they see the value in something, they will, by themselves, acquire the needed competency to achieve that output. 

Those with low motivation and low competence.  This groups needs to be followed up.  Good to give them clear, definite and time-bound tasks rather than leave them to themselves to figure out what needs to be done. 

Those with low motivation but high competence. Whew! This is a dangerous group!  Persons in this category need to be constantly kept in check.  One also needs to be extremely careful because they are fully capable of hijacking a whole enterprise in a totally different direction, if one is not watchful.