Laetare Sunday (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) “A Christians Task, Reconciliation”
Laetare Sunday (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) “A Christians Task, Reconciliation”
The United Nations has met a lot the past few weeks concerning the crisis in Eastern Europe. Watching those sessions, we can get an understanding of what an ambassador is. An ambassador speaks for their country. What they say reflects who they represent. Ambassadors have the trust of their governments. When they speak, their nation speaks.
St. Paul says that we are ambassadors of Christ. As baptized Christians, what we say as well as how we act shows the world what Jesus is all about. We might think that church governance is controlled by the clergy, but that is not the way it is. Vatican II issued a universal call to holiness, but somehow that became an abstract idea. The ordained and religious still governed the church.
Perhaps this has changed. The Curia in Rome is undergoing a huge reform. A document was released on the Feast of St. Joseph called Praedicate Evangelium which means to preach the Gospel. The document will bring about a massive reorganization of the power structure of the Vatican. The most revolutionary change is that the heads of departments may now be lay persons of either sex. The qualification to be the head of a Vatican Office is that one is baptized. The other qualification is to have expertise in a particular area. A cardinal or a bishop need not head an office anymore. Such a shift reminds us that we are all ambassadors for Christ. Evangelization is now the most important department in Rome. The department on doctrine is number two. The shift reminds us that the chief activity of the church is to win souls for Christ.
St. Paul’s words in the Second Letter to the Corinthians remind us of that. He calls all Christians ambassadors, ambassadors of reconciliation. All of us are challenged by that. We are comfortable with a lot of the activities of the church. We know for example to serve Christ is to have a radical commitment to the poor. Certain saints have taken up the challenge of ministering to the destitute through the centuries. People like St. Francis of Assisi or Mother Theresa. Such saints are icons of Christ. No one would argue that this was helping with the mission of the church.
Other Saints were ministers of physical healing. Remember St. Damian of Malakai who spent years ministering to lepers in Hawaii, who died of the disease himself. Aloysius Gonzaga died tending to those who had the plague. We believe they were doing Christ’s work. But when it comes to ministering to the sinner, a lot of people have some caution about how that is done. Many would say they would rather go directly to God as they seek reconciliation. Why should there be an agent in between?
But there are many who are suffering because of the consequences of anger, conflict, domestic violence, and war. The ministry of reconciliation is very important if peace is going to reign. What does the ministry of reconciliation look like?
One of the great ministers of reconciliation died recently. Desmond Tutu was an Anglican Bishop in South Africa. South Africa went through of decades of institutionalized racism. Finally, in 1994, a fully democratic government was formed. But after the founding of that government, the question remained about how to bring people together.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission formed. Victims of racism and perpetrators were brought together. Victims had their stories told. Perpetrators were able to respond. The number one priority was experiencing the healing power of reconciliation. Apologies were made by some. A sense of being heard was celebrated by many. Others had to make amends
The theory of the whole process was that the nation of South Africa couldn’t move forward until the truth was told. We can’t bury history or ignore it because healing will never happen.
We are all called to be ambassadors of reconciliation as Christian people. We are challenged this Lenten season to consider what that means in our personal lives. How do we speak of others? When we have the opportunity to be peacemakers, do we take it? If we don’t engage in the ministry of reconciliation who will? As we see what is unfolding in the world around us, we are challenged to leave division and discord behind. We are reminded that our goal is to agents of charity and healing.
Reflection Questions:
- Am I estranged from others? Would I rather not talk to certain people?
- Is it my responsibility to try to heal a quarrel? Can I be a peacemaker?
Dear Parishioner,
Bishop Tylka announced this past week that he would be reinstating the obligation to attend Mass on Palm Sunday (the beginning of Holy Week). Very soon, all the diocese in the State of Illinois will have made this announcement. There has always been a caveat about the Sunday obligation, which is that if one is sick, the weather is terrible, or a person is contagious they should not attend. Another situation that releases someone from the Sunday obligation is if a person is traveling and there is not church readily available.
There has not been a lot of publicity about the return of the obligation. I would ask that you would inform friends and relatives of this news. Sunday Eucharist is a necessity if we are going to maintain a healthy church community.
Alleman Catholic High School has begun to advertise for the positions of principal, assistant principal and athletic director. The transition team is serving generously, but we would like to get some long-term personnel in place. If you know of any qualified candidates, please refer them to Alleman.
The Partners in Mission planning process is concluding as well. Reports have been written and final strategic plan will be put together soon. I have seen the plan and it is very comprehensive. It is a realistic assessment of where Alleman is. A large part of that plan will concern school governance. I have heard Bishop Tylka say on several occasions that he wants local governance for our Catholic High Schools. This is a positive step. Let’s pray for the future of Alleman as we move ahead. A lot of people are generously giving of the time and resources to try to bring stability back to Alleman High School. I thank them.
May Our Lady bring Peace to our fractured world
Fr. Mark