Breeze of Change
Yesterday, in his address to the USCCB, Cardinal Dolan quoted G.K. Chesterton as a call to redirect in a sense where the conference has been focussing. “The premier answer to the question ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ is not politics, the economy, secularism, sectarianism, globalization or global warming … none of these, as significant as they are,” Dolan said, “I am” He repeats in the video, “I am.”His call for personal conversion was for the members of the USCCB. Here is a link to the video and it is about 36 minutes in and about 10-15 minutes long. Well worth listening to. http://bcove.me/fnkykou4Here is my take.I am not the least bit clerical. As with my politicians, I like the person behind the vocation, not simply the vocation. There are many priests that I admire and care for. They tend to have one thing in common, they put the needs of their people first. They want to be pastors and not simply priests. For that reason, they hold a special place in my heart. But I have real issues with the hierarchy. I have an issue with the way they talk out of both sides of their mouth at times. In many ways, I have a problem with the structure. I don’t always like the system. I believe that we are all called to some form of ministry and that until recently many bishops/cardinals would have been happy to be the only ones “sitting on the right and left” side of Jesus. But the Holy Spirit is loose and she is wild. Yesterday, Cardinal Dolan who I have to say, I want to meet, I want to look in his eyes and I want to have a real conversation with him (maybe I should invite him to lunch?) called each of the members of the conference to look within and repent. It was a radical thing to do. It may not seem it, and some people have suggested that it was PR, but I don’t see it that way. He could have doubled-down on the conservative path that many in the conference desire but instead he said essentially, “sorry to break it to you boys, but the problem is here, in this room.” (I am taking liberty yes, but that is what blogging is all about.) But his statement matters. His call to humility matters. It suggests that perhaps there will be a time for listening. If only five members internalize what he said, that makes a difference. Especially to them!So even though it is easy to be jaded about this, especially this year, perhaps we can get our inner Iggy on and give them the benefit of the doubt and maybe we are being called to a similar conversion. A conversion that calls us to a place that can bring real healing in our church. That is not to say, be silent, no…never again can we. Our complacency has costs us too many hearts. But forgiveness doesn’t forget, it moves on. It accepts the past and most importantly, it learns.Perhaps in this proclaimed Year of Faith we may witness and experience true faith, the kind that can only come with diligent prayer…“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?”
Matthew 43-46
Baby steps.
