The following is a reflection on the Feast of the Assumption given by Bishop Wiesner during the Cap-de-la-Madeleine (Quebec) Pilgrimage

The Gospel tells us “Mary set out and went with haste to a Judaean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth”.

In many ways we are like Mary. We have set out from many places and have come with earnest hearts to this sacred place to celebrate.

It is possible that much of our life’s experience is somewhat negative and discouraging. We may be discouraged about our government, about society, about the world economy, and perhaps even the church.

The event that we celebrate, the Assumption of Mary, invites us to see things in a different light; to see them in a spirit of hope. And this in two ways:

First of all, Mary’s assumption into heaven is a reminder of the feast that we will all celebrate. When we look at Mary’s life and our own, while the beginnings of our lives may differ the end of our lives will be the same. We are destined for intimacy with God – God himself.

As we celebrate Mary’s assumption into heave what we are being reminded of is our own hope for ourselves – eternal life, which God himself wants to be for us. We are celebrating what we expect, what we hope for ourselves. Ultimately, nothing more is said of her than what God, one day, we hope, will say to us. Our celebration today is one of true Christian hope.

The second very important point of our celebration today is that Mary is an example for us as to how we are to live in order that our hope be realized.

As we enter the New Millennium our Holy Father strongly encourages us to strive toward a fresh, personal, genuine encounter with Jesus Christ. Further, he reminds us that we are to encounter Jesus through Mary.

Always in life we respond much better to example than to teaching. Mary is such an example for us. The Holy Father notes, “The Mother of Christ presents herself as the spokeswoman of her Son’s will, pointing out those things which must be done so that the salvific power of the Messiah may be manifested. For this reason Mary is the sure path to our meeting with Christ” (CIA#11).

For the early Christian community Mary was the first disciple and the first apostle of Jesus.

We meet Mary for the first time at the annunciation. She is a young woman, 15-16 years of age. Someone fully human: She swept dirt floors, prepared simple meals, carried water on her head. What is so significant at this time is her openness and receptivity to what is being asked of her. This reflects a very humble, prayerful, faith-filled disposition on her part. Hence she is able to respond, “Let what you have said be done to me”.

Our gospel this morning says Mary “went with haste” to a Judaean town. Scripture scholars remind us that this reflects her obedience and response to God’s will for her.

Elizabeth reflects two ways in which Mary is truly blessed. “Blessed is the fruit of your womb”. Mary did for her Son what all mothers do for their children. The fruit of her womb is the Son of God. Thus, Mary is blessed.

Elizabeth also says, “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled”.

Mary’s true blessedness is to be found in her faith; her trust that what was said to her by God would be fulfilled. Mary was truly human and had to make the same kind of act of faith and obedience that you and I have to make. It is here that we find her true blessedness.

This obedience to God’s will is affirmed three times during the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. She followed very simply and respectfully what God’s Law asked of people.

What is very precious to us is to discover how, on two occasions, Jesus highlights the greatness of his own Mother.

Jesus was speaking to a group when it was announced to him that his Mother and brothers were outside wanting to speak to her. Looking around at those with him Jesus replied: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? … Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:48-50).

On another occasion when speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you”. But Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:27-28).

What Jesus is in fact saying is that there is a closer relationship with him than the blood relationship of his own Mother. It is the relationship of keeping his word. The one who does this most perfectly is his Mother.

To be a true disciple is to follow the Master, and to follow the Master totally. Again we find this of Mary when the evangelist tells us, “Standing near the cross of Jesus was his Mother”. This is the ultimate of what it means to be faithful.

Not only is Mary the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus, she is also the first apostle. Mary is the first one to proclaim the Good News. On the occasion of her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, she certainly was a messenger of Good News. So much so was this true that the child in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy.

When the evangelist places on the lips and heart of Mary the Magnificat – the prayerful song of Hannah – he makes of her the first and greatest apostle.

The Magnificat is a “toast to God”. Mary blesses God; she says great things about God; her very being proclaims the greatness of God. It is no surprise to us that from a life of very intimate discipleship should come forth the strong proclamation of such Good News. What is being affirmed in the Magnificat are all the great things God has done – first of all in Mary’s own life, but then of all the great things God has done in the history of God’s people.

Finally we find Mary summing up for us the Good News at the Wedding of Cana. More clearly and briefly we will never find a more challenging and consoling message of Good News: “Do whatever he tells you”.

This Feast of the Assumption is truly a celebration of hope.

It was Sunday evening and five-year-old Sally has just returned from her baby-sitter in time to join her parents for the evening meal. It was in this context that Sally commented: “Mommy, why don’t we go to church on Sunday because my baby-sitter goes to church on Sunday?”

“Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself” (Matthew 21:16).

Perhaps it was Sally’s question that inspired the Holy Father to write a ninety-page Apostolic Letter on the Lord’s Day. In this letter, in observing that the numbers attending Sunday liturgy is strikingly low, the Pope states: “In the minds of many of the faithful, not only the sense of the centrality of the Eucharist but even the sense of the duty to give thanks to the Lord and to pray to him with others in the community of the church seems to be diminishing”.

Among the many things we might do in the Great Jubilee Year when we are being called to a new evangelization – a new appreciation of the Good News – is to ponder anew the meaning of Sunday.

In the liturgical renewal introduced by the Second Vatican Council the centrality of Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is clearly taught. “The church celebrates the paschal mystery on the first day of the week, known as the Lord’s Day or Sunday. This follows a tradition handed down from the apostles, which took its origin from the day of Christ’s resurrection. Thus Sunday should be considered the original first day”(#4).

While Sunday is the only element of the Christian calendar which goes back without interruption to Jesus himself, the Scriptures themselves open and close with the day. The Father begins creative activity in the book of Genesis on the first day of the Jewish week and the sacred writer in the book of Revelation has his vision of the end of all things on that same day of the week, now known as the Lord’s Day.

In Genesis we read, “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy” (2:3). The Sabbath precept, which in the first Covenant prepares for the Sunday of the new and eternal Covenant, is rooted in the depths of God’s plan. Sunday, therefore, is the day of rest because it is “blessed” and “made holy” by God, set apart from the other days to be, among all of them “the Lord’s Day”.

To understand more fully what the Biblical Scripture means by keeping the Sabbath “holy” we need to look at the whole story, which shows how everything, without exception, must be referred back to God. Having sanctified the seventh day with a special blessing and made it God’s own day, will have an important effect on the entire relation of humans with God. What in fact is affirmed is that there exists a dialogue of love between God and humans, which knows of no interruption and is never monotonous.

This dialogue of love involves ordinary as well as more intense means. Consequently all human life must involve praise of and thanksgiving to the Creator. However, people’s relationship with God also demands times of explicit prayer, in which the relationship becomes an intense dialogue, involving every dimension of the person. “The Lord’s Day” is the day of this perfect relationship when men and women raise their song to God and become the voice of all creation.

Flowing from this comes the significance of “the day of rest”. The Lord’s Day returns again and again, interrupting the rhythm of work, to express the dependence of humanity and the cosmos upon God. It recalls that the universe and history belong to God and that without the constant awareness of that truth humanity cannot serve in the world as co-worker of the Creator.

When the Book of Exodus formulates this commandment of the Decalogue it begins by saying, “Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy” (20:8). What is to be remembered is the grand and fundamental work of God in creation, a remembrance which is to inspire and affect the entire religious life of humanity and so fill that day on which people are called to rest. Rest takes on a very sacred value. People are called to rest not only as God rested, but to rest in the Lord, bringing the entire creation to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving.

To be remembered as well is the great work of liberation accomplished by God in the Exodus: “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15).

It is in bringing these two together, creation and salvation, that one can see the full meaning of the Lord’s Day. The interruption of work is not just any kind of interruption, but a celebration of the marvels, which God has worked. Insofar as this “remembering” is alive, full of thanksgiving and praise of God, the human rest on the Lord’s Day takes on its full meaning. When this happens people enter the depth of God’s “rest” and can experience and celebrate God’s joy when God saw that all he had made “was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

It is not difficult for Christians to move from this appreciation of the Lord’s Day as the remembrance of God’s mighty works in creation and salvation to the divine work of the new creation and salvation wrought by God in Christ. God’s saving works are accomplished fully in Jesus. Jesus’ paschal mystery, his dying, rising and outpouring of the Spirit, is the full revelation of the mystery of the world’s origin, the high point of God’s saving work, and the anticipation of the final fulfillment of the world. What God accomplished in creation and brought about for his people in the Exodus has found its fullest expression in Christ’s death and resurrection. This leads us to the conclusion that for us the true Sabbath is the person of our Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ.

As the day of resurrection it is the day of new life, a new creation. Because one enters this new life of resurrection through baptism, Sunday is clearly the day of baptism. Following from this is that Sunday foretells life without end, hence renewed the hope of Christians and encouraging them on their journey. It is the supreme day of faith. In the Creed we declare the baptismal and Easter character of Sunday making it a day on which in a special way the baptized renew their adherence to Christ and his Gospel.

Upon reflection the Day of the Lord becomes an indispensable day. The Lord’s Day has structured the history of the church through two thousand years. The identity of this day must be protected and above all it must be lived in all its depth. The celebration of the Christian Sunday remains a indispensable element of our Christian identity.

(The Eucharist, the supreme celebration of Sunday, will be discussed in another message.)

A prayerful pondering of the fullness of the Lord’s Day leads one to realize that it is equally the People’s Day. An early Christian document affirms: “On the first day of the week, you shall all rejoice”. Fasting is set aside and prayers are to be said standing as a sign of resurrection. As that weekly meeting with the risen Lord, Sunday is marked by the joy with which the disciples greeted the Master: “the disciples rejoiced to see the Lord” (John 20:20).

As a day of rest Sunday reveals that the alternation between work and rest has bee built into human nature and willed by God. Rest is sacred. It enables people to withdraw from the often very demanding cycle of earthly tasks to renew awareness that everything is the work of God. For many people work is very oppressive. Sunday ensures everyone the opportunity of enjoying the freedom, rest and relaxation which human dignity requires. It provides the guarantee of at least one day of the week where people can both rest and celebrate religious, family, cultural and interpersonal needs. Withdrawing from work the material things about which we worry give way to spiritual values and we can look anew upon the wonders of creation.

This day of rest gives the faithful an opportunity to carry out works of mercy, charity and the apostolate. To experience the joy of the Risen Lord deep within is to share love with others. A gift is fully a gift when it is given away. “I have told you this that my own joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:11-12).

A common day of rest does more than restore our physical and mental energies. True rest, repose, leisure renews us in our whole being. It puts us at peace with God, with ourselves and with others. This day of rest enables us to stand back from our daily occupation to focus on our highest goals and to follow the call of our conscience with renewed commitment.

As a people day, Sunday is to be a day without the push to achieve, to produce, to be “useful” and efficient. It can be a day of playfulness and simplicity, of contemplation and wonder, of praise and enjoyment of life. Rather than doing different things on Sunday, we should consider “doing” less so as to “be” more.

In short, the Lord’s Day becomes in the truest sense, the “day of people” as well. It is with this belief that we face the Lord’s Day with the words of Nehemiah: “Today is holy to the Lord your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep; for today is holy to our Lord. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength” (Nehemiah 8:9,10).

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Gerald Wiesner, O.M.I., to the Diocese of Prince George for the first Sunday of Lent, March 12, 2000, designated “World Day of Pardon and Repentance”.

As one looks at the very title of the day it can be concluded that two things are happening or are to happen. Pardon indicates that something is happening to us or for us: we are being excused or forgiven. Repentance on the other hand places the emphasis on us – we are to do something, and we are to do something because of what has been done to us. Having been excused or forgiven, we in turn are to change our ways. Key to this change on our part is that we, too, are to excuse or forgive.

A biblical image that I find striking and pertinent portraying this twofold action is the account of the woman taken in adultery as given in John’s Gospel. “Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus … said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’” (John 8:9-11).

The woman encounters pardon and repentance : “Neither do I condemn you … from now on do not sin again”.

The pardon she experiences is God’s pardon. What we have expressed for us here is the “boundlessness” of God’s compassionate love and mercy.

It is well for us to stand back and reflect on this boundless love and mercy. To begin we see it in the Lord’s initiative. It is God’s gift. There is nothing the woman does to merit this pardon. She simply stands there, hurting and in need.

God is patient in sharing this pardon. The Lord is not like an eagle, ready to pounce on us at every mistake made. The Prophet Isaiah reminds us, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench” (42:3). Jesus demonstrates this same patience for us in the parable of the barren fig tree. For three years the tree bore no fruit. When it was suggested that it be cut down and not waste the soil, the Master said, “Let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down” (Luke 13:8-9).

This pardon comes from a God who is very sensitive. Jesus demonstrates this for us beautifully with taken in adultery. The scribes and the Pharisees are rough with her, even brutal. She has sinned. Jesus is to choose between this person and the law. Jesus remains with her; he knows her pain. While he does not condone her sinfulness, Jesus does reveal to her that she is a person of value, with human dignity, and loved by God. Because she experiences this sensitive pardon she is able to go and live with new life. Her experience enables her to be repentant.

The Psalmist invites us to ponder God’s sensitivity in our regard: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love … As father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust” (103:8,13,14).

Life teaches us that there is a quality of “toughness” in the Lord’s pardon. The Lord’s pardon possesses a definite resiliency. God is able to withstand and endure our sinfulness. It is the prophet Hosea who leads us to ponder this reality: “The more I called them, the more they went from me … My people are bent on turning away from me … How can I give you up? … How can I hand you over? … My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger … for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath” (11:2,7-9).

It is clear in the Gospel scene that God’s pardon absorbs the evil; annihilates it. When the Lord pardons, there is a new beginning, a new birth. The Lord’s own words, in the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, portrays this in a striking manner: “Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (1:18).

Standing before this monument of divine pardon does two things to us. To begin, it brings us to our knees in gratitude. St. Augustine said: “God works miracles because we fail to see the miracles God is constantly working around us”. One of these constant miracles is God’s pardon.

The second thing this monument of divine pardon leads us to is repentance. Repentance implies: turning from sin, resolving to reform one’s life, manifesting sorrow and regret, changing one’s ways. Jesus said to the woman, “Go your way, and from now on do not sin again”.

Experience teaches us that on our own we are not able to avoid sin. With God’s grace it is possible. It is correct to say that it is mostly with God’s grace that we are able to avoid sin. “Mostly with God’s grace” because we too are expected to contribute. Our contribution may not be very much, nevertheless contribute we must. Again, it was St. Augustine who said: “The God who made us without us will not save us without us”.

Another word that can be used for repentance is conversion. Conversion is a turning around, an about face. Pope Paul VI spoke of conversion as “transforming from within and making new”. In religious terms it is the surrender of oneself to an all-loving God who calls us to the fullness of life. It is God asking us to give what we thought we could not give; to live what we thought we could not live.

Being sent on our way not to sin again involves, to a great extent, pardoning as we have been pardoned. A cursory examination of Jesus’ teaching makes absolutely clear that essential to our life of repentance is our love for (pardoning of) our sisters and brothers. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34).

When we look at the ten commandments, commandments which lead to life, it is interesting to note that three of them deal with our relationship with God, the other seven deal with our relationship with God through our brothers and sisters. When Jesus describes the final judgement he insists, “Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).

One of the most dramatic Gospel scenes of Jesus pardoning is the washing of the disciples’ feet. “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (ref?). In the hymn for Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours we pray: “Your love is at the heart of all creation, Your hurt is people’s broken brotherhood”. God’s hurt is people’s broken brotherhood. God’s hurt is our failure to wash one another’s feet.

It is very interesting to note that where the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) record the institution of the Eucharist at the Lord’’ Supper, the Gospel of John has the washing of the feet. What the Gospel of John is telling us is that the Eucharist is a service the Lord renders, a service that find its true meaning in the washing of feet. It is well for us – it is necessary for us – to reflect on how readily we approach the Lord’s table and how reluctantly we wash feet.

When, in response to their request, Jesus taught the disciples how to pray we notice that only one petition in that solemn teaching has a condition attached: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”. What is interesting to note is that Jesus found it necessary to explain further only one petition of that prayer. It is almost as if Jesus is saying, “By the way, if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:12 & 14).

This teaching on the absolute need to pardon is again emphasized by Jesus: “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-24).

It has been said that the shortest distance between a person and the truth is a story. This little story leads us deeply into the reality of pardon and repentance.

A girl in the fishing village became an unwed mother and after several beatings finally revealed who the father of the child was: the Zen master living on the outskirts of the village.The villagers trooped into the master’s house, rudely disturbed his meditation, denounced him as a hypocrite, and told him to keep the baby. All the master said was, “Very well. Very well.”

He picked the baby up and made arrangements for a woman from the village to feed and clothe and look after it at his expense.

The master’s name was ruined and his disciples all abandoned him.

When this had gone on for a year, the girl who had borne the child could stand it no longer and finally confessed that she had lied. The father of the child was a boy next door.

The villagers were most contrite. They prostrated themselves at the feet of the master to beg his pardon and to ask for the child back. The master returned the child. And all he said was, “Very well. Very well.”

From The Song of the Bird by Anthony de Mello

“‘Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir.” And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’”

In granting pardon our Lord simply says to us: “Very well! Very well!” In living repentance we are to say to others: “Very well! Very well!”

“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus … while they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them … Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures … When he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.”
(Luke 24)

This description of the Emmaus journey of the disciples provides us with a good overview of what happens today when disciples of Jesus gather to celebrate the Eucharist.

To begin, the narrative says: “Jesus himself came near and went with them …” In her official teaching the church says, “Christ is present when the church prays and sings” (S.C.#7). In explaining this further the church affirms: “In the celebration of Mass the principal forms of Christ’s presence in his church are manifested progressively. First, he is present in the assembly of the faithful gathered together in his name” (Eucharistica Sacramentum 1973). After all Jesus did say: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).

Our supreme prayer is the Eucharist. Jesus is present, first of all, in our coming together. All of this reminds us clearly and strongly that when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist Christ is present in and through one another as we gather.

“He interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures”. Again we are reminded, “He is present in his word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in the church” (S.C.#7).

In ordinary everyday life we give greater or lesser attention depending upon varying circumstances and the stature of the speaker. Children pay attention to the words of their parents: more or less. In a school assembly students are inclined to give greater attention to the address of the principal than to a supervisor shouting directives on the playing field. Most would give greater attention to an address of the Governor General than to a member of local government. When the Holy Father speaks most Christians, in fact most people, are very attentive.

In the Scriptures “… the invisible God out of the abundance of his love speaks to men and women as friends and lives among them so that he may invite and take them into fellowship with himself” (D.V.#2).

It is for this reason that we are reminded: “The church has always venerated the divine scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since from the one table of both the word of God and the body of Christ she unceasingly receives and offers the faithful the bread of life, especially in the sacred liturgy” (D.V.#21).

What is happening here is that the whole community is hearing God’s word. God’s word is being proclaimed and God’s word is being listened to. God’s word proclaimed and listened to will be the foundation for all else that this church does.

As the hearts of the disciples burned within them as Jesus walked with them and explained the scriptures, so today, our hearts should burn within us as we become more aware of how the risen Lord is equally present to us and speaks the word of life to us. In order for this to happen we need to be present, attentive, open and receptive in a spirit of faith.

Having met Christ in his word we are now better prepared to meet him in the breaking of the bread. The bread and the wine brought to the altar are symbolic of ourselves. They represent our pain and our hope. In the course of the great Eucharistic Prayer Jesus takes all of this upon himself. The Eucharistic Prayer is Jesus’ prayer to the Father for us and with us. Hence it is the greatest prayer we have.

By its very nature this prayer involves three things: blessing, thanksgiving and petition.

Blessing is our response to all that God has shared with us about God’s very self. We can ask: “Who is our God?” Our answer must be that our God is almighty, transcendent, totally beyond us, the God of mystery. But our God is equally our loving, merciful Father; the God who loves us with a motherly love.

Every act of liturgy blesses God. To bless is ‘to say good things about’. When we bless God this includes everything God has created. Blessing God is acknowledging, praising, rejoicing, glorifying, sanctifying God. A great theologian of our century said: “God is just as appreciative of congratulations and celebrations as we tend to be”. The liturgy is a ‘toast to God’. Since it is Jesus toasting the Father for us and with us, it is absolutely accepted by the Father.

The Eucharist is thanksgiving. We give thanks for the fact that God has become our partner. God has pitched his tent among people. God has taken the life of the world on himself. Our God has entered into a bond of intimate friendship with us. “I do not call you servants any longer … but I have called you friends” (John 15:14).

In this prayer of thanksgiving we remember and give thanks for the magnificent deeds that God has done for us especially in Jesus, but also in the church and in our own personal lives.

The kingdom of God, grace, we ourselves, are pure gift: gifts which ask to be accepted as they are by children. The child shows its gratitude by being totally caught up in its gift without any false shame, by being actively involved and fascinated by it. Prayer is that ‘extra thank-you’ to God in a life which in its entirety is pure gift.

The Eucharist is a re-enacting of the Last Supper; a re-enacting and making present of a past saving event. Jesus is inviting all of us to get involved in the Paschal Mystery. Jesus’ Paschal Mystery involves four actions: dying, rising, ascending, pouring out of the Spirit. In this one Mystery Jesus gave himself to the Father and to us. By our getting involved in this mystery we too are to surrender ourselves; we are to become stronger in order to give the Spirit to others.

The Eucharist is also a prayer of petition. In the Eucharist we are begging. Jesus did strongly teach us to ask. In fact, Jesus said: “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it” (John 14:14).

Asking is a beautiful prayer because in it we admit who God is and who we are. This is adoration at its best. Christian faith is relying on another. Until we learn how to rely on Christ we really cannot begin to be his disciples, his friends. The more we become dependent the more we become fascinated, surprised, by God.

We ask the Father to send the Spirit to build up the People of God. We ask the Father to send the Spirit as a sign of the Father’s acceptance of our gifts and ourselves. Further, we ask for the gift of the Spirit to transform the gifts. “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” We ask also for the gift of the spirit in order that we may be transformed, changed. “Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Sprit and become one body, one spirit in Christ.” The Sprit brings forgiveness, peace and a pledge of future life.

The Eucharist is an action and therefore it calls for the full, conscious, active involvement of everyone. This involvement is a manner of “concelebration”. True, the ordained priest has a unique and essential role to play. However, in her official teaching the church repeatedly affirms, “The faithful join in the offering of the Eucharist by virtue of their royal priesthood” (L.G.#10). “By offering the Immaculate victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn to offer themselves too” (S.C.#48).

Looking at the Eucharist with this threefold dimension of blessing, thanksgiving and petition, and looking at ourselves as the celebrants of this action, it becomes clear how demanding it is to celebrate the Eucharist well. Confronted with this challenge we take consolation in the words of Paul: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Sprit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

Having prayed in this way the body of Christ now comes forward to receive the body of Christ. In this Easter banquet Christ himself becomes our nourishment. Sharing in the Lord’s Supper is always communion with Christ, who offers himself for us in sacrifice to the Father.

It is important to be ever mindful that communion with Christ is deeply tied to communion with our sisters and brothers. Sharing in the one loaf which is Christ, we must share in mutual love with one another. We try to do this with the demanding words of Christ in mind: “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Having received the Bread of Life we ready ourselves to undertake with the strength of this Risen Lord and his Spirit the tasks awaiting us in our ordinary life. If we understand the meaning of what we have done we know that the Eucharistic celebration does not stop at the church door. Like the first witnesses of the Resurrection, Christians who gather to experience and proclaim the presence of the Risen Lord are called to evangelize and bear witness in their daily lives.

Mindful of the responsibility that is ours, we return to our everyday surroundings with the commitment to make our entire lives a gift, a spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God. Aware of what we have received in the celebration, we are much like the disciples of Emmaus, who once they had recognized the risen Christ “in the breaking of the bread”, felt the need to return immediately to share with their brothers and sisters the joy of meeting the Lord (Luke 24:33-35).

1. The position of Pastoral Life Director will be established:
   • This person(s) will have the responsibility to participate in the pastoral care of the parish community as outlined in Canon 517, #2, and in accord with the description of this role and responsibility determined by local guidelines
   • This is a pastoral position whose role and responsibility would embrace the issues of pastoral care not reserved to a priest outlined in Canon 528-529. They include:
     • Programs promoting gospel values, including issues of social justice
     • Catholic education of children and young adults
     • Outreach to inactive Catholics
     • Ecumenism and evangelization
     • Programs of sacramental life and preparation
     • Promotion of Eucharistic devotion
     • Enhancement of programs for the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion
     • Inculcation of prayer life, especially within families
     • Effective participation in the liturgy
     • Methods of acquaintance with parishioners, the welcoming of new comers, home visiting, efforts at building community
     • Motivation of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy
     • Special care for the sick and dying
     • Tangible concern for the poor, the afflicted, the lonely, the exiled
     • Fostering of solid Christian life
     • Promotion of the lay apostolate
     • Strengthening Catholic identity with Bishop, diocese and universal church
   • Serious efforts are to be made to have the full Eucharistic celebration on Sundays and Holy Days. In the absence of a priest the Pastoral Life Director will lead, or prepare others to lead, the approved celebrations
   • In addition the Pastoral Life Director will oversee the business management and records of the parish
   • It being understood that the Pastoral Life Director will work collaboratively with the Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Council and other persons in the carrying out of all responsibilities.
   • The Pastoral Life Director will be accountable to a priest who will serve as the canonical pastor for the parish
2. A priest will be named Pastor:
   • To serve as the canonical pastor for the parish
   • The Pastoral Life Director is accountable to the Pastor
   • Canon 530 addresses the functions which are especially entrusted to the pastor of a parish or faith community. They are as follows:
     • The administration of baptism
     • The administration of the sacraments of Confirmation to whose lives are in danger of death
     • The administration of Viaticum and the anointing of the sick
     • The assistance at marriages and the imparting of the nuptial blessing
     • The performing of funerals
     • The blessing of the baptismal font during the Easter season
     • The more solemn celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and holy days of obligation
   • While the Pastor is the ordinary minister of these celebrations there are exceptions, as may be the case with baptism, marriage and funerals.

On January 26, 1999 Pope John Paul II addressed young people gathered in the Kiel Centre in St. Louis as follows:

“We are here in the Kiel Centre where many people train long and hard in order to compete in different sports. Today, this impressive stadium has become another kind of training ground … training that will help you to live your faith in Jesus more decisively.”

Definition of a school:

To understand fully the specific mission of the Catholic school it is essential to name clearly the basic nature of a school. A school is a place that empowers students to:

• Engage in a living encounter with a cultural inheritance
• Consider absolute values in a life-context and seek to insert them into a life-framework
• Exercise their intelligence through the dynamics of understanding to attain clarity and inventiveness
• Discover the meaning of their experiences and their truths

This critical assimilation of culture ensures a formation of students which is systematic and integral. It follows, therefore, that the school must:

• Provide an educational program intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person
• Instill within its students the motivation to attain their fullest potential
• Develop inter-disciplinary strategies that promote a critical assimilation of culture
• Prepare its entire program of formation, both its content and the methods used, to achieve academic excellence
• Form a community whose values are communicated through the interpersonal and sincere relationships of all its members
• Ensure individual and corporate adherence to the outlook on life that permeates the school

Qualities of a Catholic school:

Based upon an understanding of the nature of a school, the qualities of a Catholic school can be examined.

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school. His revelation gives new meaning to life and helps persons direct their thoughts, actions and wills according to the gospel, making the beatitudes their norm of life. The principles of the gospel become the educational norms, the internal motivation and the final goal of Catholic education.

The cooperation required for the realization of this aim is the duty in conscience of all members of the community – teachers, parents, students and administrative personnel. Each has his or her own part to play. The fact that all members of the school community, especially the staff, share this Christian vision makes the school “Catholic”.

It is primarily for education in faith that the Catholic school forms part of the saving mission of the church. This mission places demands on the entire school community:

• To provide an atmosphere in which the gospel can be preached, heard, known, celebrated and lived out in service
• To foster a sense of community through shared prayer, liturgy and through the search for justice, love and peace
• To integrate Catholic Christian values into the totality of the school – courses of study and operating practices
• To construct the life and activities of the school around liturgical moments, religious themes and spiritual projects
• To form students to a lived realization of a personal mission in the world
• To witness to the faith professed through lives of faithful, committed and responsible discipleship and service
• To provide training to live the faith in Jesus more decisively

Responsibilities of those in charge:

At the same time, this mission of education in faith places equally serious demands upon those directly charged with religious instruction. It is their responsibility:

• To be as well qualified and professionally prepared as possible
• To approach religious instruction as a scholastic discipline with the same systematic demands and the same rigor as other disciplines
• To present the Christian message and the Christian event with the same seriousness and the same depth with which other disciplines present their knowledge
• To engage in a necessary inter-disciplinary dialogue at that level at which every discipline forms the personality of students

In such a way, religious instruction will underpin, activate, develop and complete the educational activity of the school.

Cooperation of all in the enterprise of Catholic education – teachers, parents, students and administrative personnel – given in the spirit of the gospel, is by its very nature a witness not only to Christ as the cornerstone of the community, but also as the light which shines far beyond it.

Role of the Catholic community:

For over 40 years Catholic schools in Prince George have been called to bear witness. Their future role will be determined by the support shown by the Catholic community. The practical signs of this support are:

• Demanding the highest standards of excellence in all aspects of the school program
• Providing the leadership and financial support to achieve this goal
• Enrolling students in the Catholic system
• Receiving the support of a broad cross section of the Catholic community, indicating that the support of the schools are the responsibility of the whole, not just the part

The vision for our Catholic schools is to fulfil the promise of Pope John Paul II to the young people gathered in the Kiel Centre in St. Louis:

” … training that will help you live your faith in Jesus more decisively …”

We need the wisdom, insight and guidance of the entire Catholic community on this important matter.

To begin it must be noted that the church’s social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. This is rooted in the preaching of the Hebrew prophets and in the teaching of Jesus himself (Luke 4:18; Matthew 25:45).

So much so is this true that the church’s proclamation of the gospel is incomplete without it. If our Catholic education and formation does not hand on the church’s social teaching it is not fully Catholic.

In the Apostolic Letter on the Coming Jubilee, Pope John Paul II affirms: “A commitment to justice and peace in a world like ours, marked by so many conflicts and intolerable social and economic inequalities, is a necessary condition for the preparation and celebration of the Jubilee.”

Catholic social teaching must not be treated as something optional. Without it, schools, catechetical programs and other formation programs would be offering an incomplete presentation of our Catholic tradition. What something as basic as this does is reflect on all of us as Catholic educators, on all levels, the responsibility of incorporating more fully and explicitly Catholic social teaching in all of our efforts.

I believe it is true to say, and this in true charity, that the social teaching of the church is not known by many of us; that it is not shared or taught in a consistent and comprehensive way in many of our schools, religious education programs, colleges and universities. Perhaps many of us are not aware of nor familiar with the basic content of the church’s social teaching, nor do we see it as an essential part of our Catholic faith. As a result of this our very capacity to be a church that is true to the demands of the gospel is weakened.

Central to our identity as Catholics is that we are called to be a leaven for transforming the world; we are to be agents for bringing about a kingdom of love and justice. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, we are praying for God’s kingdom of justice and peace, and committing ourselves to break down the barriers which obstruct God’’ kingdom of justice and peace and to work to bring about a world more respectful of human life and dignity. “Catholic social teaching proclaims that we are our ‘sisters’ and brothers’ keepers’ wherever they may live.”

Clearly the church must practice what it preaches and teaches about social justice and human rights. A church that ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just in the eyes of people. Within the church rights must be preserved. No one should be deprived of their ordinary rights because they are associated with the church in one way or another.

The theological basis for this teaching is the principle of sacramentality. The church is a sign as well as an instrument of the presence of God in Christ. As such, it must embody in its own internal life and practice the values it proclaims to the other institutions of society.

Looking to Jesus and his teaching in this regard we are led to the Lord’s description of the last judgement.

1. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ and the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:37-40 NRSV)

In this parable the righteous were surprised at the king’s reply. The surprise was not in hearing that they would be judged by their acts of love, mercy and justice. Rather, they were surprised at where these acts of mercy and justice were to be done: among those who were hungry, thirsty and in need of clothing, among strangers, prisoners and the sick; among those who lacked the basic necessities of life; among those who were least able to return the kindness.

In John’s Gospel we read of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:1-11). Jesus then tells them that they should do to one another as he has to them (v.15). A little later (v.34) Jesus tells his disciples: “I give you a new commandment that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

The gospel could not be clearer. To be followers of Jesus Christ – to be Christians – means above all that we love one another precisely because God has loved us. To love as Jesus loves calls us to serve any one in need, without questioning, without judging, without expecting a reward. “Do to one another as I have done to you.”

Jesus proclaimed the good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). Throughout his ministry Jesus addressed the daily physical needs of people, especially those who were poor, those who were struggling in any way, those who were vulnerable.

The church that Jesus founded also reaches out, as part of its central mission, to people as part of its central mission, to people with these same needs. Particularly for the past 100 years the church has been developing its teaching on social, economic and political issues. What the church is attempting is to take the gospel and weave it into the daily living of people. This teaching offers fundamental principles about the human person and about society. I will attempt to summarize these main principles.

Every human being is created by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ and called to communion with God. For this reason every person has a sacred dignity; each of us has a special place within God’s creation. Each of us is so loved by God that the only possible response we can offer is to love God in return, and to love and respect all that God has created.

1. In this sacred dignity all humans are equal. Respect for the dignity of others allows for no distinctions or discriminations based on gender, race, language, religion or social conditions. Respect for the dignity of others does not allow oppressive economic and social differences within God’s human family.
2. The dignity of the human person means that all life is sacred. Christians respect the lives of all humans and extend this respect to all creation. Life is a loving gift of the Creator. Our response – always and everywhere – must be to show loving respect for such a gift. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of the church’s teaching about people and how we organize our society.
3. We hear very much today about individual rights. Many of us are quick to claim personal rights against the claims of others – sometimes even against the good of the community. Catholic social teaching offers a balanced view of individual rights. Human rights flow from our God-given dignity, belonging to us precisely as humans and so belonging to all people. Rights are not optional. They are not granted by human laws or by individual accomplishments. They are part of what it means to be a human person, and so human rights surround and protect the dignity of each person.
4. Among the most fundamental rights one can have is the right to life. From conception to natural death, people have the right to live their lives as fully as they can. Catholic teaching condemns abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide as grave sins against the Creator of all life.
5. Flowing from the right to life is another fundamental human right, namely the right to means enabling one to live life with dignity. The right to life means that every person on this planet has the right to a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one’s family. Every person has the right to adequate food, clothing, housing, health care, education, employment and a safe environment. One cannot speak of the right to life without acknowledging the right to live that life in a manner that reflects the dignity of creatures made in God’s image.
6. When discussing individual rights one must necessarily discuss the responsibilities that come with these rights. Rights and responsibilities always go together. It is especially necessary to balance individual human rights with community responsibilities. Every time we claim an individual right, we must consider the impact of that claim on the larger society. For example, ownership of private property must never be regarded as an absolute right. The right to own carries with it a responsibility to sue one’s property in a manner that respects the neighbor and contributes to the common good.Christians understand that responsibilities have as their source love of neighbor. We have responsibilities to one another, to our families, to our communities, to the larger society. Our response to God’s love for us must itself be a loving concern for people around us and for the community and societies we build. “The one who loves the parent loves the child.” As Christians we must never focus only on our own needs, on claiming our own rights, without asking how our actions affect the larger community.
7. Humans are social beings. We realize our dignity, exercise our rights and live out our responsibilities in relationships with others. Our full human development, our movement toward God, take place in a social context – in our families, among friends, in the work place, in our communities.Families are especially important settings for us to realize our dependence upon others. Families are where we first experience how much we are loved and how we are to love in return. It is in families that we learn moral principles and how to contribute to the building of community.

   Communities also shape and individual’s growth as a responsible and loving human person. Cultural norms and expectations, laws and public policies can influence that development. When people live in poverty or have to struggle for basic rights, it is difficult for them to realize their dignity, to grow as loving and responsible persons, and even to contribute to their community.

8. People in any kind of need deserve our help. We know that as Christians we are obligated to practice the corporal works of mercy. Acts of charity, helping people meet their immediate needs, are a necessary way of living out our faith. They are tasks of our faith but they are not enough. While charity is essential, it is not a sufficient response to the poor and the needy within our diocese or anywhere else.Beyond charity, our faith calls us to work for justice. We are to serve those in need, to pursue peace, and to defend the life, dignity and rights of all our sisters and brothers. But more than this we are called to work for structural changes – changes in economic and social institutions that will make it easier for everyone to care for themselves and contribute to society. It was said, “Give people fish to eat”. Then it was affirmed, “Giving someone a fish enables them to live for a day. Teach them to fish and they can live for life”. Now we need to say, “Stand up for changes to stop the water pollution that is killing the fish”.
9. The Catholic Church has always shown a special concern for persons who are poor and vulnerable. The Hebrew prophets remind us that fidelity to God is tested by our attitude toward the weaker members of society. (Isaiah 1:11-20; 58:1-12; Jeremiah 7:1-7). Jesus’ parable of the Last Judgement teaches us that Christian discipleship requires caring for those in need, especially those in economic poverty. Over the past century papal and episcopal documents have named this obligation the “preferential option for the poor”.This option for the poor does not mean that the church should neglect the many needs of those who are not poor, but calls us to give particular attention to the needs of the economically poor.

   This preferential option means that as individuals, parishes, diocese, we address these needs in our communities and beyond. It means that we strengthen already existing programs like food shelves, meals for the needy, shelters for the homeless. It means that when we contribute to programs or to individual needy persons, we do so out of our substance rather than from the spare change in our pockets.

   Again this preferential option for the poor means that we not only respond in charity to the needs of the poor through our contributions of money, time or through programs we initiate. It also requires that we bring about changes in our society that will make it easier for people who are poor to move out of their poverty. It means supporting legislation, programs, public policy changes that are of particular benefit to those who are most in need, even when these changes might not benefit ourselves. This is a serious test of our Christian faith and love: “As long as you did it to one of these, the least of my sisters and brothers, you did it to me.”

Poverty has many faces and touches all of us. Presently I am told, Prince George has an unemployment rate of 17 per cent. That is almost double the national average. One in five children in Canada lives in poverty. Likely the fastest-growing segment of the poverty population is single-parent families headed by women. We have much spouse abuse, physical and sexual abuse of children.

People find themselves in poverty for many reasons. Lack of work or adequate income from one’s job, a health crisis, a major financial setback, divorce, lack of education – and the list continues.

Poverty has many other forms and people have many other needs. Some of these we find particularly difficult to acknowledge and to receive into our communities – persons with mental illness or chemical dependencies, individuals or families who are homeless, former prison inmates now on parole – on and on goes the list.

Having outlined the general principles of the church’s social teaching, I have tried to help us reflect on the application of these principles on the local scene. As Catholics we belong to a universal church. In that same way we must see our connectedness to all members of the human community. We are one family, regardless of our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. Whether it is our neighbor next door or our neighbor across the globe – we all share the same Creator; all of us are redeemed in Jesus Christ; all of us are called to communion with God. We all possess the same dignity as God’s children and the same rights and responsibilities that protect this dignity.

Pope John Paul II asks us to be in solidarity with all people and to work for a just social order, where goods are fairly distributed and the dignity of all is respected. This solidarity crosses national and regional boundaries. It recognizes that the denial of dignity and rights to people anywhere on the globe diminishes each of us.

This call to solidarity is strongly emphasized in the preparation for the Great Jubilee and received particular focus in the Synod For America.

One way of attempting to respond to this is by committing ourselves and our communities to prepare for the Great Jubilee by reclaiming the Three R’s (not reading and riting and rithmatic), the three biblical themes of release from bondage, redistribution of wealth and renewal of creation.

1. Release from Bondage
   A theme flowing throughout Leviticus 25 is the remission of debt. In most countries of the world, including Canada, the control of the national debt by faceless and publicly unaccountable international financiers, leaves people with less control over social and economic policies.Especially in the poorer countries of the South, debt repayments demanded by various financial institutions are many times higher than spending on health care. Southern countries now pay the rich West and North three times more in debt repayment than they receive in aid. Large populations are forced into poverty each year because we have refused to change this unjust situation.

   Several religious organizations, including the Vatican, have already called on financial institutions and the wealthy countries of the world to declare 2000 a Jubilee Year of release from debt, especially for severely indebted low income countries.

   We need to commit ourselves to the efforts of others to have the backlog of unpayable debts owed by the world’s poorest countries, and to work to make effective international reforms that can help avoid this structural injustice from reoccurring. What is essential in the cancellation of debt is that it must affect the poor.

   Another important Leviticus theme was release from slavery. To proclaim liberty for captives today requires us join the campaigns of the international labor and human rights movements to end child labor practices and the inhuman working conditions of women workers. Part of this is the task of pressuring transnational corporations to adopt codes of conduct with respect to their labor practices – NIKE, LEVI-STRAUSE.

2. Redistribution of wealth
   Deuteronomy affirms, “There must then be no poor among you” (15:4). Still as we draw near the celebration of Jubilee we experience a world with rapidly-growing disparities between rich and poor.The share of the poorest 20 per cent of the world’s people in global income is decreasing. Some 1.3 billion human beings survive on less than the equivalent of $1 US a day. Nearly a billion people are illiterate. Well over a billion lack access to safe water. Some 840 million go hungry or face food insecurity. Nearly a third of the people in the least developed countries are not expected to survive the age of 40.

   What can I do for so many? (Little boy and the star fish along the sea shore). What can be done to make the Great Jubilee a true celebration for all, especially the impoverished, the outcasts, the slaves and the disinherited of the 20th Century?

   Any celebration of the year 2000 which would not attempt to redress yesterday’s wrongs, seek new approaches to overcome today’s problems, and celebrate our faith as a commitment to social justice and renewal, could be little more than simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing (1 Corinthians 13:2).

   That those who have give a little (like: equitable food distribution, end wasteful spending on military hardware, declare a moratorium on nuclear weapons) – in order that other may have a little.

   In Canada, where one child in five lives in poverty, and where the major political parties have pledged to eliminate child poverty before the great Jubilee, we can do no less than actively support Campaign 2000, the initiative that pressures our lawmakers to keep this pledge. What a joy it would be to celebrate that “they and their children with them shall go free” (Leviticus 25:4).

3. Renewal of Creation
   In the covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:9-11) we remember that human beings are relationally interdependent with all of creation. In Leviticus, the land was to lie fallow every Sabbath year, and was seen as a sacred gift that could not be sold in perpetuity (25:23). In fact the way to keep the covenant with God and benefit from the goodness of creation that was intended for all, was to practice Jubilee.Today, as the degradations of environmental destruction surround us and threaten our very survival, a new covenant of caring for the earth and sharing its bounty is sorely needed.

   At other Jubilee periods throughout history, a pilgrimage was a means of travelling respectfully and prayerfully over another person’s land in a quest for spiritual growth. Today we commit ourselves to a Jubilee pilgrimage that means travelling light without all the consumer items that unnecessarily burden us and prevent care for each other, other forms of life and the earth. (How we abuse Mother Earth! Imagine if Mother Earth stopped conserving!).

   The description of Jubilee in the Bible made pointed demands not only to care for the land, but also its return to its original owners whenever they had been dispossessed of it. The call for land reform today is not just relevant in countries of the South, where peasants have been displaced from the best lands by huge land owners and huge projects designed to produce for export. In Canada today, recognizing the original owners of the land and their need for redress of their rights would mean much more serious efforts to settle Aboriginal land claims in a just manner. Many prairie farm families have lost their farms. Governments and the public need to consider and act upon the serious recommendations for deep-rooted change enunciated in the report of the Royal Commission for Aboriginal Peoples.

   The approaching Jubilee Year claims the need for people of good faith to begin the Jubilee journey by renewing our spirituality in these very relevant and necessary manners, and to begin now.

   To be a Christian means that we love our neighbor both near and far. Love of neighbor includes doing what we can to ease one’s suffering. It means giving what we can to meet someone’s immediate needs. It also means trying to understand why people today have such serious unmet needs. It means acknowledging our own contribution – as individuals and as a nation – to the suffering of others. It means, finally, acting to change whatever causes people to be dependent upon another’s charity. This love and this action must be shown to people in need here in our own diocese and throughout the world. For this is what it means to be Christian, to be the church, to be a parish.

Questions have arisen surrounding these devotional practices and hence some clarification is called for.

Clarification and directives that we are to follow have been given to us in the following official teaching documents of the church: The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963), Instruction on Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (1967), On Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery Outside of Mass (1973), and the Ceremonial of Bishops (1984).

A general statement that should preface every consideration of devotion to the reserved Eucharist is that because the Eucharist is so central to the life of the church, anything pertaining to celebrating the Eucharist or to devotion toward the reserved sacrament should be done with utmost care and in the context of the entire liturgical reform since Vatican II, which focuses on the celebration of the Mass.

Current norms regarding the reserved Eucharist place any devotions in a historical context and emphasize that any such devotion must be related to the celebration of the Mass.

“The original and primary reason for the reservation of the Eucharist outside Mass is the administration of Viaticum: the distribution of Holy Communion and the adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament are derivative. For in fact the reservation of the sacred species for the benefit of the sick led to the admirable practice of adoring this heavenly food reserved in our churches. This practice of adoration is essentially proper and rational because faith in the real presence of our Lord spontaneously evokes a public and external manifestation of that faith” (HCWEOM #5).

While reverence and devotion to Christ present in the reserved sacrament are to be encouraged, particular attention needs to be given with respect to exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The directive of the church affirms:

“Care must be taken that in exposition the worship of the Blessed Sacrament should clearly express its relation to the Mass. In the arrangements of the exposition everything should be carefully excluded which might in any way obscure the intention of Christ, who instituted the Eucharist primarily in order to make himself available to us as food, as healing and as consolation” (HCWEOM #82).

The official documents of the church speak of two types of exposition: Lengthy Exposition and Brief Period of Exposition. When speaking of the latter it affirms:

“Shorter expositions of the Eucharist are to be arranged in such a way that the blessing with Eucharist is preceded by a reasonable time for readings of the Word of God, songs, prayers, and a period for silent prayer” (HCWEOM #89).

It teaches further:

“During the exposition there should be prayers, songs and readings to direct attention of the faithful to the worship of Christ the Lord. To encourage a prayerful spirit, there should be readings from scripture with a homily or brief exhortation to develop a better understanding of the Eucharistic mystery” (HCWEOM #95).

Devotion to the reserved sacrament is to be encouraged. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is clearly a particular devotion and thus calls for particular attention. In attempting to summarize and clarify, the following guidelines are given:

• The primary and original reason for reservation of the Eucharist outside Mass is the administration of Viaticum.
• “Celebration” of the Eucharist is the centre of the entire Christian life
• Exposition should carefully avoid anything which might somehow obscure the principal desire of Christ in instituting the Eucharist, namely, to be with us as food, as healing and as consolation
• The “celebration” of the Eucharistic mystery includes in a more perfect way the internal communion to which Exposition seeks to lead the faithful.
• No liturgy or devotional rite should be celebrated unless the “spiritual good of the faithful” ultimately requires it, not merely a personal devotion or that of a parish group
• While a service that includes Exposition and Benediction can help foster devotion both to Christ’s presence in the scriptures as well as in the sacrament on the altar, a parish’s first priority is well-planned and well-celebrated Masses.
• Genuflection in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration, is on one knee.

From the general guidelines of the church, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is to be exercised with reserve and in keeping with the mind of the church. All Eucharistic devotion is to lead to a better understanding of a participation in the full Eucharistic celebration.

“The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed; at the same time it is the fountain from which all her power flows. For the good of apostolic work is that all who are made children of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his church, to take part in her sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s supper” (S.C. #10).

Some Practical Guidelines:

• The ordinary ministry for Exposition of the Eucharist is a priest or deacon. In the absence of a priest or deacon or, if they are lawfully impeded, an acolyte, another extraordinary minister of communion, or another person appointed by the local Ordinary may publicly expose and later repose the holy Eucharist for the adoration of the faithful
• During the Exposition there should be prayers, songs and readings to direct the attention of the faithful to the worship of Christ the Lord. To encourage a prayerful spirit, there should be readings from Scripture with a homily or brief exhortations to develop a better understanding of the Eucharistic mystery. It is also desirable for people to respond to the Word of God by singing and to spend some periods of time in religious silence.
• Pastors should see that churches and public oratories where … the holy Eucharist is reserved, are open every day at least for some hours, at a convenient time, so that the faithful may easily pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament
• Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is clearly one form of adoration and is judged by the church as a solemn form.
• Public and private devotion to the reserved Eucharist outside Mass is also highly recommended. The presence of Christ, who is adored by the faithful in the Sacrament, devises from the sacrifice and is directed toward sacramental and spiritual communion.

A question frequently asked today is, “What is a practicing Catholic?” The Code of Canon Law, when speaking of a sponsor (godparent) at baptism, affirms:

“In so far as possible, a person being baptized is to be assigned a sponsor. In the case of an adult baptism, the sponsor’s role is to assist the person in Christian initiation. In the case of an infant baptism, the role is together with the parents to present the child for baptism and to help it to live a Christian life befitting the baptized and faithfully to fulfill the duties inherent in baptism.One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:
1. Be appointed by the candidate to baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
2. Be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
3. Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
4. Not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5. Not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a Catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism.” (872, 873, 874)

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults underlines the role of godparent saying:

“Their godparents (for each a godmother or godfather, or both) accompany the candidates on the day of election, at the celebration of the sacraments of initiation, and during the period of mystagogy. Godparents are persons chosen by the candidates on the basis of example, good qualities and friendship, delegated by the local Christian community, and approved by the priest. It is the responsibility of godparents to show the candidates how to practice the Gospel in personal and social life, to sustain the candidates in moments of hesitancy and anxiety, to bear witness, and to guide the candidates’ progress in the baptismal life. Chosen before the candidates election, godparents fulfill this office publicly from the day of the rite of election, when they give testimony to the community about the candidates. They continue to be important during the time after reception of the sacraments when the neophytes need to be assisted so that they remain true to their baptismal promises.”

Teachers in Catholic Schools sign a contract, which frequently states:
“The Teacher acknowledges that:
If during the term hereof he/she is a Catholic:

1. it is an essential condition of the continuation of this Agreement that the Teacher exhibit at all times conduct and a way of life that are consistent with Catholic standards;
2. the determination of what are Catholic standards shall be the right and prerogative of the Employer; and
3. a breach of this paragraph shall constitute just cause for dismissal.”

The Knights of Columbus recruit new members who are to be “practicing Catholics”. It is presupposed that if one is to exercise a leadership role in the Catholic community as, for example, a member of Parish Pastoral Council or School Council, teacher, that one be a practicing Catholic.

Who, then, is a practicing Catholic?

In attempting a response to this query one often receives the impression that Catholics are people who, more than anything else, have additional rules to keep. Somewhat akin to this is the opinion that being a Catholic is a matter of membership in an institution with various rights and duties attached.

While it is clear that a pattern of behavior flows from the gospel, it cannot be reduced to a moral code. At the heart of the gospel lies a call that is far more important than that. St. John’s Gospel speaks of it this way: “To all who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God” (1:12). The invitation of the gospel, then, is not just to a particular way of life but a radically new life itself. It is a call to life on a different level. The call of the gospel takes us beyond ourselves into a communion of life with God. For St. Paul it is “in the Lord”.

What, then, does constitute a practicing Catholic?

The question is not a simple one. First of all, it must be admitted that no one, save God, is a fully practicing Catholic. All of us fail in some aspects to live the faith; everyone has gaps in their faith practice. Strictly speaking none of us can ever claim fully to be practicing our faith. However, beyond this necessary and important confusion of ambiguity, not all is vague. There are some essential components to Roman Catholicism that can and must be named.

Thus, at some point, one can define what constitutes the practice of that faith.

• Full initiation into the community (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist)
• Communion with the church through compliance with legitimate authority
• Regular participation in the Eucharist within the local community, including within that a sensitivity to the liturgical rhythm of the church’s life. (This component is so emphasized because, as Roman Catholics, that which essentially defines us is that we are a Eucharistic community).
• A life of prayer and private morality
• A commitment to the social teachings of the church
• A sense of responsibility for ministry and leadership within the church, including financial
• A concern for the universal church, its unity, its spread and its maintenance
• A concern and respect for the public forum with the community; that is in the public forum not being at variance with respect to major doctrinal or moral teachings of the church

In the final analysis, allowing for the fact that only God practices the faith perfectly, to do public ministry within the church, be it teaching or serving on a board, one should, as a minimum, meet these criteria. In Jesus’ own community some found the “package” of following him to be tough and so they stopped going with him. Hurt by this Jesus said to the twelve: “And what about you, do you want to go away too?” Jesus continues to ask the question, and continues to look for an accepting, positive response.

For Persons Ministering with the Diocese of Prince George

Preamble

As members of parish and/or diocesan staffs, we are people who are baptized in Jesus Christ and bound together in faith. We are also people who struggle with our roles, our expectations and communication styles. The differences that we experience in our relationships need to be looked at with Christ as our centre and the meaning of all that we do.

The purpose of conflict management is to help clear up simple misunderstandings before they become grave. As part of Jesus’ discourse on the church he said:

“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17).

Taking this into account it would follow that the Christians should try to resolve issues prayerfully and charitable in this manner:

1. For the individuals to work things out themselvesThe first step is informal consultation between/among those directly affected, or with the immediate supervisor as appropriate. It is helpful before the meeting begins to:
   1. Begin with a prayer
   2. Identify the issue
   3. Establish boundaries
   4. Structure the process
   5. Search together for common goals

   The objective is to “work through” conflicts, so a neutral and supportive environment is created to help both parties clarify the issues and understand what is important to each other. It is not to decide who is right or wrong but to explore possible solutions and come to an agreement that is acceptable to the parties involved. Hopefully, at this level, the parties concerned will have come to a better understanding of each other and have discovered ways to work together more effectively. It may be helpful to provide a written summary of any decision reached.

2. This failing, that the individuals concerned involve others in the discussions The second step would be written communication and the establishment of a review committee. At this first formal level of conflict management, written statements by both sides can help to clarify the issues and lead to resolution. A Review Committee at the parish or organization level would be formed. The Parish Pastoral Council or other appropriate body could serve as a source of members. Each side would choose one member and a third would be chosen by the two already chosen committee members. The committee’s role would be to hear statements and question each side, attempt mediation and recommend resolution. As in step one, a neutral and supportive environment should be created to help both parties clarify the issues and come to an agreement that is acceptable to the parties. If a mutual resolution is not achieved at the meeting, the Committee will have a mandate to form a decision. Within five days after the formal meeting, the Committee will inform both parties of their decision in writing.
3. If the decision of the Review Committee is not deemed acceptable by either party, a further appeal will be that of the community This will take the form of an Appeal Committee appointed by the Bishop and composed of a priest, a female religious, a female counselor and a male counselor. These members should not be immediately connected with the situation. The grievance must be presented in writing to the Bishop with copies being sent to the parties involved in the dispute. The Bishop will forward the written grievance to the Appeal Committee who, within 10 working days of receiving the grievance, will set a date for a formal meeting with the persons involved. The committee will have five working days after the formal meeting to inform both parties of their recommendation to the Bishop. The Bishop’s decision will be final.