By
THE MOST REVEREND WILLIAM E. LORI, S.T.D., BISHOP OF BRIDGEPORT
Fairfield
County Catholic, June 14, 2008
In
these weeks subsequent to the visit of the Holy Father to the United
States, more than a few people are asking what the follow-up will be.
Will the Holy Father's wonderful visit be just a happy memory, or will
it make a real difference in the life of the Church and in society?
I don't
believe every poll and neither do you, but there is one I'd recommend
for your consideration. Both before and after the Holy Father's visit,
the Knights of Columbus sponsored a Marist
Poll - polls that have been reported on in the pages of Fairfield
County Catholic. Without going into detail here, I think it's fair
to say that Pope Benedict moved the needle in the right direction during
those days when he was among us. A large percentage of people formed
a more positive view of the Catholic Church and of Pope Benedict himself.
A goodly percentage felt that the Pope cared about them and spoke in
a trustworthy way to their deeper concerns. And many indicated a willingness
to become more involved in the life of the Church and its mission.
This
presents a great opportunity for the Church in the United States. A
new sense of hope has been awakened among many Catholics, including
those who no longer practice their faith. The larger American society
was surprised and even delighted by the Holy Father's respect for our
culture and his capacity to touch the roots of our culture with reason
enlightened by the truth and love of Christ. Many people have told me
that they took the time to read Pope Benedict's U.S. homilies and addresses,
and others continue to express gratitude that they were able to take
part in the Mass at Yankee Stadium, the Youth Rally, the departure ceremony,
and other important events on the Pope's itinerary. Those who have written
or spoken to me feel that Pope Benedict's visit made a tremendous difference
in their lives.
But
how can we follow up this visit and capture its benefits in the long
run? I would suggest the Holy Father himself has given us a way of doing
just that. Last year, on June 28, 2007, at the Roman Basilica of Saint
Paul Outside-the- Walls, Pope Benedict XVI solemnly proclaimed "The
Year of Saint Paul," beginning June 28, 2008, and ending
in June 2009. This year-long celebration coincides with what
is thought to be the 2000th anniversary of the birth of the great "Apostle
to the Gentiles," an apostle whose life and witness speaks powerfully
to our own times.
In
announcing this year (whose logo is at right), the Holy Father told
us that the world today needs witnesses and martyrs like Saint Paul.
Pope Benedict reminded us that Paul had been a violent persecutor of
the Church; he had even been involved in the martyrdom of the Deacon
Stephen as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. Yet through the intervention
of God's powerful grace and glory, Paul underwent a profound conversion.
His blindness was transformed into spiritual insight. His fury was changed
to zeal for the Gospel. His self-confidence became unyielding hope.
Indeed, Saint Paul became a foremost proponent of the Christ Crucified.
Indeed, it was Saint Paul who spread the message of Christ our hope
to the Gentiles. Paul dedicated his whole life to spreading knowledge
of Christ and the glory of God shining on his face far and wide.
Throughout
his visit to the United States, Pope Benedict - in a manner at once
gentle and profound - called us to conversion. In his moving homily
at Nationals Park, he proclaimed, "I have come to repeat the apostle's
urgent call to conversion for the forgiveness of sins and to implore
from the Lord a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in
this country." To some 25,000 enthusiastic young people at Saint Joseph
Seminary in Yonkers, Pope Benedict repeated the cry of the Church's
Easter Proclamation (Exultet): "Dispel the darkness of our minds!"
Then he spoke of those who would undermine the dreams, aspirations,
and dignity of the young by manipulating their hearts and minds. "How
many young people," he asked, "have been offered a hand which in the
name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or
intellectual confusion, to hurt, to loss of self-respect, even to despair
and so tragically to the taking of their own life?"
Throughout
his visit the Holy Father spoke to us of holy men and women - especially
those who sprang from American soil - as examples of those who, like
Saint Paul, surrendered their lives to the love of Christ Jesus. In
the writings of Paul a spirit of patience and charity, coupled with
temperance and self control, are signs that the love of Christ has overtaken
our minds and hearts.
For
Saint Paul, Christ was not merely an idea, nor was following Christ
adherence to a mere set of rules. Saint Paul makes it vividly clear
that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, and powerfully active in
the hearts of believers. How often in prayer and preaching I find myself
repeating Saint Paul's famous words to the Galatians: "It is no longer
I who live but Christ who lives in me!"
No
one more than the Apostle Paul was aware of his shortcomings. At the
same time, no one was more confident in the power of Christ's love to
conquer every temptation, sin, and obstacle to the Gospel. "I can do
all things in Him who strengthens me," he wrote to the Philippians.
To the Corinthians he wrote, "The cup of blessing that we bless, is
it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" He was convinced of
the powerful and redeeming presence of Christ in the Eucharist. And
he rejoiced to share in Christ's "ministry of reconciliation."
In
speaking with the bishops of the United States, Pope Benedict reminded
us that "the goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object
of our preaching and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be
to help people establish and nurture a living relationship with 'Christ
Jesus our hope' (I Tim. 1:1)." The Holy Father rightly challenged us
to attend to the problem of declining Mass attendance, the need for
greater participation in the Sacrament of Penance, and the decline of
the family.
Again
in his homily at Nationals Park, Pope Benedict reminded us how close
at hand are the gifts of new life and freedom, gifts which Christ won
for us by his death and Resurrection. In his reflection on "The Eucharist
as the Sacrament of Charity," Pope Benedict shows us how the transformation
of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ has the power
to transform us into living images of Christ. Once we truly grasp the
powerful presence of Christ among us in word and sacrament, we are impelled
- like Paul - to encourage those who no longer practice their faith,
for whatever reason, to return to daily prayer, Sunday Eucharist, as
well as frequent and regular participation in the Sacrament of Penance.
Through
the writings of Saint Paul we also see great emphasis on the living
Word of God. Saint Paul prayed fervently that the word of Christ would
dwell in those to whom he preached the Gospel (see Colossians 3:16).
Indeed, Paul urged his followers to allow the Word of God to expand
their capacity to love and to be receptive to the gifts and fruits of
the Holy Spirit by which we are able to live the Beatitudes. He warned
against false teachers and teachings, and he urged his co-workers to
continue proclaiming the authentic Gospel of Christ.
Pope
Benedict did the same thing when he addressed Catholic educators. His
address began with the words of Saint Paul quoting the prophet Isaiah:
"How beautiful are the footsteps of those who bring the good news" (Romans
10:15-16). In his address he praised those Catholic educators at all
levels but encouraged them to communicate the truth of God's Word as
it comes through the Church to young people of all ages.
In
his homily at Nationals Stadium he praised the progress that is being
made in strengthening catechetical programs but noted the need for still
greater progress. Throughout his visit, he appealed to the hunger we
have for the living Word of God and urged us to read and study the Scripture,
for God's Word leads us into the sacramental life of the Church and
to a life of charity. As the Holy Father noted in his first encyclical,
"God is Love," God's Word, the Church's sacramental life, and charity
presuppose one another and are inseparably linked (see Deus Caritas
Est, no. 25a). Any approach to biblical studies which steers us
away from the sacraments and is a vehicle for distorting or rejecting
the teaching of the Church is neither biblical nor spiritually fruitful.
These
few reflections barely scratch the surface of Saint Paul's witness and
teaching. I hope you will see in them how we can make use of the Year
of Saint Paul to build on the Pope's visit. To bring this point home
more fully, I'd like to outline what is being planned for the Third
Year in our Diocesan Pastoral
Plan of Evangelization. This Plan was launched in the fall of
2006 as a major, five-year initiative that outlines the priorities and
focus for evangelization and catechesis within our diocese.
More
information is on the way, but for now let me offer you a preview: the
third Year of the Plan will be dedicated to renewing our apostolic efforts
in light of Saint Paul's evangelization zeal. The focus will be to instill
a missionary spirit throughout the diocese, seek to vitalize the parish
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults process, and reach out to inactive
Catholics, inviting them to participate fully and actively in the life
of the Church.
The
kick-off event for the Pauline year will be a Missionary Congress
held on October 25 at Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in Fairfield.
Great speakers will enhance our knowledge on the Apostle to the Gentiles.
This will be a blessed opportunity for all adults in the diocese to
deepen in their call to become evangelizers and missionaries.
As
part of the diocesan strategies, major events have been scheduled for
each one of the Pastoral Plan priorities and are open to all parishioners.
For the priority of Liturgy, there will be a Lenten Confession Campaign
offering the opportunity for all to re-discover the graces and gift
of the Sacrament of Reconciliation; for Family Life, a Mass and Educational
Fair for People with Disabilities is planned for mid-October; for
Youth, a High School Apostle Congress will be held in the winter,
inviting teens to joyfully share and grow in the faith; for Adult Formation,
an online training on evangelization through the Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
School will be offered; and finally, in the field of Charity, we
will encourage parishes to evangelize through deeds, by connecting them
with the work of AmeriCares, in order to revitalize properties
of those in need.
In
addition, parishes will be presented with evangelization strategies
which are going to be tailored and implemented according to each community's
needs. Several suggestions and resources will be handed on, so that,
as a family of faith, we may be united in the spirit of Saint Paul's
zeal, following together in the footsteps of Christ.
For
more information on the "Year of Saint Paul," visit www.annopaolino.org.
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