Course Title: Living the Christian Vision in the Contemporary World
UNIT I
LESSON I: SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH
I. HARMONY WITH GOD: Called to Communion
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that we, human beings, have a natural desire
for God- a desire that is as natural as hunger or thirst, yet different in its object
because its operation is in the mind. Hence, it is not as easily satisfied as our
physical desires.
Being rational, we constantly ask questions, whether consciously or
unconsciously. We witness cause-and-effect unfold before our very eyes we
wonder how everything began and how everything will end. This forces us to
push our imagination beyond the available information that the present can
offer to our five external senses – the entry points of knowledge according to
St. Thomas Aquinas. We are not satisfied with sensory knowledge. We want to
know more. We search for answers to the difficult questions of origin and
purpose. Even a person who refuses to acknowledge God’s existence is not
exempt from having to confront the “why” questions of life. We are never
content until we discover the truth. This discontent is the beginning of
spirituality. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “If I find in myself a desire
which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is
that I was made for another world. Probably earthly pleasures were never
meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.” Spirituality
is our search for that “real thing”.
This search, however, can be a blind search for some. We hear of people
trying out various spiritual practices until they settle for one or several that suit
them as if the object of spirituality is a matter of personal preference. But the
“real thing”, the Transcendent One, the person we call God is precisely God
because he is not our creation. True spirituality is anchored on the truth of who
God is. St. John the Paul II wrote, “No one can escape from the fundamental
questions: What must I do? How do I distinguish good from evil? The answer is
only possible thanks to the splendor of the truth which shines forth deep within
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the human spirit, as the Psalmist bears witness: "There are many who say: 'O
that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord' "
(Ps 4:6)”. He adds, “The light of God's face shines in all its beauty on the
countenance of Jesus Christ.” (Veritatis Splendor, 2)
For Christians, this God is more than just a philosophical conclusion to
the necessity of an origin or destiny for all things. This God is knowable. In fact,
he took the initiative of reaching out to humanity to make himself known, in a
most excellent way, through the person of Jesus of Nazareth: the Way, the Truth
and the Life. A Christian, therefore, is someone convinced that Jesus is indeed
who he claimed to be – the Son of God, our Savior and Lord. This conviction is
more than just an intellectual ascent to Jesus’ claims. One cannot be a believer
of Jesus and remain neutral about him. To accept the truth of Jesus is to decide
to enter into a relationship with him and to live one’s life according to his
example and teachings. The objective truth of Christian Spirituality is Jesus,
nothing else.
“Many of us, young people of today, regard ourselves as more spiritual
than religious.” This was the claim of the authors of the Open Letter of the
Filipino Youth to the Catholic Church in the Philippines, written last 2018 in
preparation for the Year of the Youth Celebration. This seems to be the case in
the United States as well. The Pew Research Center Survey conducted last 2015
revealed that Generation Z (comprising those born from the mid 90’s to the
early 2000’s) is the least religious generation. According to the study, people of
this generation do not necessarily claim to be atheists or agnostics, but have
become more open to practices that integrate elements of various spiritual or
religious traditions.
- How do you differentiate spirituality from religiosity?
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- Is Christianity a spirituality, a religion, or both?
In February of 2003, the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue published a document entitled “Jesus
Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Reflection on the ‘New
Age’”, clearly stating the incompatibility of new age practices with
Christian faith.
- What is new about the “new age”?
- How would you describe a “new age spirituality”?
- Why are new age practices regarded as harmful to Christian
faith?
A. Spirituality of Truth
Addressing the Thomasian Community during the Opening of the
Academic Year 2018-2019, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop
Gabriele Giordano Cascia, posed this question: “Why are you here in the
University of Santo Tomas?” He noted that there can be many valid answers to
this question, but he added “I hope there will also be this simple answer:
because I search (for) the truth”. He then reflected on the incident during the
trial of Jesus Christ, when he said to Pilate that he came to give witness to the
truth. Pilate asked, “What is truth?”, but he did not bother to wait for Jesus’
answer. (cf. John 19:37-38). The Archbishop said, “What is the result of the
story? The innocent is condemned.” He added, “If we don’t look for truth, we
are guided by other interests, or fears, or the pressure of the crowd, of the
media, of power, of self-comfort, and we are not free, we are slaves. Jesus said,
‘truth will make you free’. If we are not attached to truth, other lords will govern
our life.”
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Indeed, we see in our present world, even among those who profess to be
Christians, a departure from the timeless truths of Christian faith in favor of
what is fashionable or politically correct. New media have saturated
humankind in a world of information overload, leaving little opportunity for
filtering fact from opinion, truth from error or plain deception.
“We are living in an information-driven society which bombards us
indiscriminately with data – all treated as being of equal importance – and
which leads to remarkable superficiality in the area of moral discernment.”
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 64
- Which sources of information do you consider reliable?
- Who are the persons that influence your views and opinions?
- How do you check the veracity of the information you get from the
internet and social media?
1. The Crisis of Relativism
In his last homily before he was elected as Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger, addressing the other cardinals gathered for the election of a
new Holy Father, lamented, “Today, having a clear faith based on the Creed of
the Church is often labeled as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, that is,
letting oneself be ‘tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of
doctrine’, seems the only attitude that can cope with modern times. We are
building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as
definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires.
(Missa Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice, 19 April 2005)
Relativism is the belief that there are no such things as permanent or
universal truths. All truths, whether in matters of doctrine or morality, are
dependent on the individual, on popular opinion, on society, on culture, etc. but
never on an objective basis such as the Word of God. All opinions are true and
valid, even if they contradict each other. As such, in a relativist society, there
are no standards, no permanent moral values. Good and evil are as fluid as the
changing of an individual’s mind or preferences.
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While relativism seems to be a modern day moral issue, as a philosophy,
it goes as far back to the writings of the 5th century B.C. Greek philosopher,
Protagoras, to whom is attributed the phrase, “Man is the measure of all things.”
Following this line of thought in his dialogue with Socrates, Protagoras said,
“What is true to you is true to you; what is true to me is true to me.”
a. Relativism in Faith
In a 1996 address, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said, “Relativism has become the
central problem for the faith at the present time.” (address during the meeting
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with the presidents of the
Doctrinal Commissions of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America, held in
Guadalajara, Mexico, in May 1996) According to the future Pope Benedict XVI,
even within Christianity, there are those who have come believe that Jesus
CAFETERIA CATHOLICISM is a term used to describe the practice of Catholics who
think of themselves as free to just choose which of the Church’s teachings they will
accept as true and follow, abandoning beliefs and practices which do not suit their
taste or preferences.
- It is possible for a person to continue claiming to be “Catholic” while at the
same time dissenting from the official teachings of the Catholic Church?
Christ is but one religious among others - of the many models and ideal forms
of the Absolute, God, who is too great to just be contained in one historical
person as Jesus of Nazareth. From this point of view, a Christian who takes
seriously Christ’s claim “I am the Truth” is labeled as a fundamentalist, with all
the derogatory connotations of the term. Such “fundamentalism” is the
archenemy of relativism and of what is trendy in today’s world, namely,
tolerance and freedom. For example, there are places in the world where the
display of Christian symbols, or of nativity scenes during Christmas, or just the
very greeting of “Merry Christmas” are considered as offensive to the
sensitivities of non-Christians. No wonder, open dissent to Church teachings by
her very members and attacks against Church leaders are applauded in a
relativist world. Relativism has reduced the truth of Christ to an anachronistic
myth – at least, irrelevant, at most, oppressive.
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b. Relativism in Morals
The logical consequence of relativism in faith is relativism in morals. If
one belief is just as true as another belief, then one action is just as moral as
another, and the only thing that can be considered immoral is precisely to judge
something as immoral. Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii
Gaudium points out, “while the Church insists on the existence of objective
moral norms which are valid for everyone, there are those in our culture who
portray this teaching as unjust, that is, as opposed to basic human rights.”
(Evangelii Gaudium, 64)
Moral relativism is the view that there is no absolute right and wrong,
therefore, there is not a single true morality. Good and evil are mere social
constructs employed by individuals or particular groups of people for the sake
of survival or of safeguarding their interests. The end justifies the means. In the
words of Pope Benedict XVI, “there could no longer be anything that constituted
an absolute good, any more than anything fundamentally evil; only relative
value judgments. There no longer was the (absolute) good, but only the
relatively better, contingent on the moment and on circumstances.” In a morally
relativist society, everything is okay. In his encyclical Veritatis Splendor, St. John
Paul II teaches us that there are certain acts that are intrinsically evil and are
never to be chosen. Yet, one who does not adhere to any absolute moral
standard easily justifies abortion, same sex unions, contraception, revenge,
consumerism, etc. Good is just what one likes; evil, what one dislikes.
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In the final analysis, moral relativism is practical atheism. A moral
relativist may not categorically deny the existence of God, but acts if there were
no God who is the source of objective moral values or duties. In the words of
Fyodor Dostoevsky, “If there is no God, everything is permitted.”
“WHO AM I TO JUDGE?” On his flight back to Rome from the World Youth Day
celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil back in 2013, Pope Francis took some questions
from reporters travelling with him. Perhaps, the most quoted of his answers was his
comment on homosexuality. The Pope said, ”If they accept the Lord and have
goodwill, who am I to judge them?” Unfortunately, this response of the Holy Father
is often taken out of context and used as a propaganda statement by Catholics who
wish to defend moral slants that do not conform to the official teaching of the
Church.
- What is the official teaching of the Church regarding homosexuality?
- Was the “Who am I to judge” remark of the Pope referring to
homosexuality as a condition, to homosexual activity, or to homosexual
persons? Why is it important to make these distinctions?
c. Practical Relativism
Pope Francis raised the term “Practical Relativism” in his Apostolic
Evangelii Gaudium (Par. 80) and his Encyclical Laudato Si (Par. 122). Practical
relativism is a form of moral relativism that is self-centered, self-indulgent and
grounded on convenience and material security. It is a lifestyle where one
accumulates and hoards wealth and power at all costs. In the words of Pope
Francis, it is “acting as if God did not exist, making decisions as if the poor did
not exist, setting goals as if others did not exist, working as if people who have
not received the Gospel did not exist.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 80) The Holy Father
laments that there are Christians who have adapted this belief and lifestyle –
concerning themselves with how to live an easy, comfortable life; unmindful of
the sufferings of others, even of the very sufferings they inflict on others as a
result of their inordinate attachments.
Practical relativism goes against the very nature of man as a social being
– a being with others, for others. In his speech to young people who gathered
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the parade grounds of the University of Santo Tomas during his 1995 visit, St.
John Paul II said, “The beauty of life consists in giving oneself to others.” A
practical relativist, however, is chiefly interested with what could be gained,
and is hardly concerned with what could be shared or given for the good of
others. Hence, Pope Francis thinks of this practical relativism as the primary
reason my many Christians do not have a missionary spirit. They have become
numb to the needs of others because their focus is their personal gratification.
A society without God — a society that does not know Him and treats Him
as non-existent — is a society that loses its measure. In our day, the
catchphrase of God's death was coined. When God does die in a society, it
becomes free, we were assured. In reality, the death of God in a society also
means the end of freedom, because what dies is the purpose that provides
orientation. And because the compass disappears that points us in the right
direction by teaching us to distinguish good from evil. Western society is a
society in which God is absent in the public sphere and has nothing left to
offer it. And that is why it is a society in which the measure of humanity is
increasingly lost. At individual points it becomes suddenly apparent that
what is evil and destroys man has become a matter of course.
Excerpt from “The Church and the Scandal of Sexual Abuse”
an essay written by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, April 2019
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2. Proclaiming the Truth from the Heart of the Gospel
We go back now to the fundamental question: What is truth? St. Thomas
Aquinas defines truth as “the equation of mind and thing.” (Summa Theologiae,
I:21:2) When a person’s thinking conforms to what he expresses with words or
actions, the person is said to me morally truthful. When a person’s thinking
conforms to what actually exists in reality and his judgements are based on the
same reality, the person is said to be logically truthful. This objective reality,
however, is but an expression of what originally was just an idea in the Great
Mind that brought it forth to existence – God. Therefore, all things that exist are
ontologically truthful insofar as they correspond to how the Creator imagined
them even before they were made. This is the reason why all truth, no matter
in what field of knowledge, cannot but lead to its source – the Creator. The
Creator, however, is not only the source of all truth, but is Truth himself, for God
never failed to exist.
Christian faith asserts that God, Truth, became incarnate in the person of
Jesus Christ. “For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the
visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) The first chapter of the
Gospel of John refers to Jesus as the “Word”, “logos” in Greek. For the Greeks,
the logos is the principle behind everything – the reason for everything that
exists. Something is as it is because the logos intended it to be as is. The
evangelist boldly claims that this logos is Jesus, the Christ. Without Jesus, we
will be lost and clueless about the purpose of our existence. We will be
compelled to invent our own paths in satisfying the universal longing for
happiness. In encountering the person of Jesus, and accepting he indeed in the
Truth (cf. John 14:6) we get to know what God is like: loving, merciful, generous,
etc. But only that, since Jesus is God-become-man, we see in him the best
version of human being which God intends all of us to become. Hence, the
Second Vatican Council declared "In fact, it is only in the mystery of the Word
incarnate that light is shed on the mystery of man.” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). This
is why it is not possible for a person to claim to be a Christian and yet at the
same time believe that Christianity is just one of the many possible ways to God,
and that Jesus is just religious leader of same importance as others. Without
denying the presence of some truth, goodness, and beauty in the doctrines and
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practices of other religions, there is no one else by which humanity is saved
except through Jesus the Way, not one of the “ways”; the Truth, not one of the
“truths”.
1. A Missionary Key
The truth is we that have read nothing new in the preceding paragraph.
This has constantly been the doctrine of the Church – the truth that has been
faithfully transmitted from the time of the apostles to our present time as the
followers of Christ carried out his command to go out to all the world, make
disciples, and teach all that he commanded. (cf. Matthew 28:19) The ultimate
purpose behind the transmission of this truth is salvation. The primitive
constitutions of the Dominican Order explicitly state that preaching is for the
salvation of souls.
However, while the truth of Christ is constant and unchanging, the world
constantly and rapidly changes. The challenge, therefore, is how to
communicate the truth is today’s world. Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium,
proposes a “missionary key” in communicating the truth in our times. For a
missionary to convey his message effectively, he must first have a genuine love
for his audience, learn their language, be immersed in their realities. With such
knowledge, the missionary will not attempt to saturate his audience with
doctrines but will concentrate in the proclamation of what their situation
necessitates, simple enough to be understood by all without losing its depth and
richness. (Evangelii Gaudium, 35) The Holy Father asserts that imposing the
truth to others does not guarantee their personal ascent to it. Hence, Pope
Francis proposes that communicating the truth today should not be by way of
imposition but by attraction. In the words of his predecessor, Pope Benedict
What would motivate you to go to Church? Rank these three statements
according to what you think is most important.
- I go to Church to learn more about Christian doctrine.
- I go to Church because of the sense of fellowship that I feel when
I worship with other Christians
- I go to Church to experience the beauty of the liturgy with all its
signs and symbols.
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XVI, it is through the via pulchritudinis – the way of beauty the others are
brought more effectively to the truth of Christ.
2. Hierarchy of Truths
The Vatican II Decree on Ecumenism states: “When comparing doctrines
with one another, they [theologians] should remember that in Catholic doctrine
there exists a ‘hierarchy’ of truths, since they vary in their relation to the
fundamental Christian faith" (Unitatis Redintegratio, 11) That truths are
hierarchical does not mean that some truths are “less true” than others. This
cannot be the case because all truths originate from the same divine author, and
therefore ought to be believed with the same faith.
However, not all truths are of equal importance in relation to the
salvation of humankind. By analogy, for example, a teacher is in reality unable
to exhaust in class discussion the entire coverage of the course he is teaching
considering the parameters of the school setting. Hence he categorizes which
among the course topics are the non-negotiables, and which ones are simply
good-to-know or nice-to-know. The non-negotiables are the essential content
of the course. This does not make the good-to-know or nice-to-know any less
true than the essentials, but if the teacher puts much time and effort in them,
he might not actually be able to unpack the former to the extent that the
students can credibly claim to have necessary knowledge when the course
ends. The same is true in the proclamation of the truth of our faith. The essential
truths are the foundational truths – the truths supernaturally revealed as
necessary of our salvation. In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis exhorts those
who proclaim the Christian faith to focus on the essential Gospel Message – on
the love of God expressed in Christ Jesus who died and rose again (Evangelii
Gaudium, 36) thus building a solid foundation of faith that will later on address
the “basic questions people have about life, death, suffering, justice, love and
sin.” (Bushman, 2000)
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Unit I
Lesson II: Spirituality of Mercy
Prepared by: Ms. Junie A. Quilatan
Before sin entered the world, there is a complete harmony of
relationships or communion. There is harmony within the human person which
springs from his undivided and unbroken relationship with God, his Creator.
And there is harmony not only with his fellow human beings, but also with the
rest of creation. Sin, however, has disrupted the harmony of these relationships
and has also clouded man’s vision to recognize the interconnectedness of these
relationships. It is the saving love and mercy of God that restores this
relationship and communion.
B. Spirituality of Mercy
What is spirituality? One basic understanding of spirituality is it implies
a direct relationship with God and can be approached as the wholehearted
living of the Christian faith1. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium pointed out that “[w]henever we say that something is “spirited”, it
usually refers to some interior impulse which encourages, motivates, nourishes
and gives meaning to our individual and communal activity.” 2 Accordingly, we
now ask what spirituality of mercy is? A spirituality of mercy is a Spirit-filled
movement of the heart “to be merciful just as God our Heavenly Father is
merciful” (Lk 6:36). This spirituality arises from our own experience of God’s
mercy. Hence, we exercise mercy because we have experienced and received
the same mercy from God. The spirituality of mercy lives both the corporal and
spiritual actions of mercy. These are actions that bring God’s mercy to our
neighbor especially the poor and the oppressed, all those who are suffering. It
becomes a deep spiritual experience when forgiveness and reconciliation are
offered toward our enemies—those who have wronged us, had caused us pain,
anguish, humiliation…misery. As followers of Christ mercy is indeed is our
vocation.3 Correspondingly, the spirituality of mercy that is truly faithful to
1 Joseph A. Tetlow, “An Ecologicla Spirituality”(n.d.). Available at http://www.usccb.org/issues-andaction/human-life-and-dignity/environment/an-ecological-spirituality.cfm
2 Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (Vatican: 2013), no. 261. Cited as EG Available at
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazioneap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html
3 Kasper, “The Message of Mercy: What does mercy mean for the life and mission of the church?”
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God’s call is holistic, it therefore includes the natural world and is not merely
extended to it but embraces God’s creation—the environment and non-human
creatures. This spirituality is integral, holistic and harmonious, for it recognizes
its kinship with the rest of God’s creatures, the rest of God’s creation. Pope
Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’ calls each one “to hear both the cry of the
earth and the cry of the poor” (LS 49).
Pope John XXIII, at the opening of the Second Vatican Council said that
the church must use the medicine of mercy. 4 The Church must therefore
“proclaim the mercy of God, provide people with God’s mercy and must allow
God’s mercy to appear and be realized in its entire life.” 5
God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and mercy is the revelation and expression of God’s
essence as love.6
• A spirituality which forgets God as all-powerful and Creator is not
acceptable. That is how we end up worshipping earthly powers, or
ourselves usurping the place of God, (LS 75)
In the environmental encyclical of Pope Francis entitled Laudato Si’ (Praise be
to you) on Care for our Common Home, he emphasizes that everything is
connected: when we show no mercy to the environment it is also showing no
mercy to our fellow human beings especially the poor 7.
1. Crisis of “Throw-away Culture” (Hedonism)
*Notes for Discussion:
Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (2013), in
his Encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015), and in his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
on love in the family Amoris Laetitia: (2016) describe the prevailing culture that
4
JohnXIII (1962). Available at http://vatican2voice.org/91docs/opening_speech.htm
Walter Kasper, “The Message of Mercy: What does mercy mean for the life and mission of the church?”
Amercia Magazine (2014). Available at https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/message-mercy. Accessed
September 15, 2014.
6 Walter Kasper, “What does Mercy Mean?” Walter Kasper, http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estrattowalter-kasper Available at http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estratto-walter-kasper.pdf n.d.; Ephesians 2:4 “But
God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us,” Psalm 145:8 “The LORD is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.”
7 Francis , Laudato Si (Vatican: 2015), nos. 91 and 117. Cited as LS .
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destroys life of both the present and future generations. This is the throwaway
culture which is shown in terms of the following:
• wasting of our resources fueled by consumerism and the market
economy,
• the practice of contraception and abortion,
• abandonment of the elderly and the handicapped,
• exclusion of the poor, exploitation of the weak, and
• discarding of genuine relationships, of married love and marriage vows.
Hence, when man is turned only to himself and seeks pleasure as the “be all”
and “end all” of life, avoids and shuns any form of discipline and valuable
sacrifices that this throwaway attitude develops.
a. Throw-away culture and environmental degradation
(LS 22)
*Questions to ask the students:
1. Is paper bag the solution to plastic pollution (single-use plastic bags)? Why
or why not?
2. Enumerate ecological, practical, doable ways to avoid single-use throw-away
stuff?
3. What is Zero Waste? (They can do a research and interview or visit of best
practices on zero waste Pilipinas, Zero Waste Youth)
*Notes for Discussion:
In the Philippines especially in Metro Manila many LGUs have already
banned the use of plastic bags. However, though we have changed the system
from plastic bags to paper bags, we did not change our “throwaway” mentality
because now we are wasting paper bags. As Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ pointed
out:
These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects
the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish. To cite one example,
most of the paper we produce is thrown away and not recycled..... We have not
yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving
resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as
possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption,
maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them. A serious
consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway
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culture which affects the entire planet, but it must be said that only limited
progress has been
made in this regard8.
b. Throw-away culture and social degradation (EG 53, LS
123, AL 39)
The following are citations on another form of throwaway attitude in
terms of how we treat our fellow human beings and how we look at and deal
with relationships: (Emphasis mine)
(EG 53) Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” .... today we also
have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such
an economy kills. This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when
food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality.
Today everything comes under the laws of
competition and the survival
of the fittest........masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized:
without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape.
Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be
used and then discarded..... Exclusion ultimately has to do with what it
means to be a part of the
society in which we live; .......The excluded are not
the “exploited” but the outcast, the “leftovers”. (Emphasis mine)
(LS 123) The culture of relativism is the same disorder which drives
one person to take advantage of another, to treat others as mere
objects, imposing forced labor on them or enslaving them to pay their
debts. The same kind of thinking leads to the
sexual
exploitation
of
children and abandonment of the elderly who no longer serve our
interests. It is also the mindset of those who say: Let us allow the invisible forces
of the market to regulate the economy, and consider their impact on society and
nature as collateral damage..........on human trafficking, organized crime, the
drug trade,
commerce in blood diamonds and the fur of endangered
species? Is it not the same
relativistic logic which justifies buying the
organs of the poor for resale or use in experimentation, or eliminating
children because they are not what their parents wanted? (Emphasis mine)
(AL 39) This is hardly to suggest that we cease warning against a cultural
decline that fails to promote love or self-giving. ....the speed with which people
move from one affective relationship to another. They believe, along the lines
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Laudato Si’ 22 Cf. 211 here the Pope enumerate practical ways to counter the throwaway culture
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of social networks, that love can be connected or disconnected at the
whim of the consumer, and the relationship quickly “blocked” ....We
treat affective relationships the way we treat material objects and the
environment: everything is disposable; everyone uses and throws away,
takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop. Then, goodbye.
Narcissism makes people incapable of looking beyond themselves, beyond
their own desires and needs. ...adults who seek a kind of “independence” and
reject the ideal of growing old together, looking after and supporting one
another. (Emphasis mine)
c. St. Thomas Aquinas on Mercy
*Questions to ask the students:
1. What are the corporal works of mercy? What are the spiritual works of
mercy?
2. Is the corporal works of mercy more important than the spiritual work of
mercy? Explain
3. Who are the Saints that are commonly known for their works of
mercy/charity?
4. In what way St. Thomas Aquinas truly is a man of mercy?
*Notes for Discussion:
In a homily by Rev. Paul Raftery, O.P. entitled “Mercy in the Life
of St. Thomas Aquinas” 9 Fr. Raftery explains that although St. Thomas
was not the likes of St. Vincent de Paul or Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who
spend time on the streets searching out the poor and the infirm, St.
Thomas without doubt is a man of mercy:
But this is where the Church, in canonizing a great teacher like
St. Thomas, challenges us to think a little more deeply about human
suffering, and about what kinds of remedies are required. If man were
only a body, then physical suffering would be the extent of what would
cause him harm and need healing. But man is much more, having been
blessed by God with an immortal soul. There is a suffering that goes
beyond his body to his spirit. There is a poverty that goes beyond a
lack of food and clothing, to a lack of understanding, to darkness in
9
Paul Raftery, 2016 St Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula California, feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.
16
the mind, and confusion about how to live and find happiness.
(Emphasis mine)
For those who are not alert to this deeper kind of human
suffering, Thomas is going to be misunderstood as being aloof and
indifferent to the plight of the poor. And they will fail to see, in fact,
how fervent and dedicated a man of mercy St. Tho mas actually was.
That this deeper kind of human suffering of the soul is what he wanted
to engage, and reach out to, and try to alleviate. He saw that truth is an
ointment for the confused and darkened mind, especially the revealed
truth of Sacred Doctrine. It heals man. It binds up the wounds of the
soul. It restores health not just to the body, but to the spirit.
In fact, St. Thomas will not hesitate to say that this work of mercy
he was
engaged in, what we call the spiritual work of instructing
the ignorant — as important and crucial as the corporal works of
mercy are — was, in fact, the much more crucial.(Emphasis mine)
The merciful outreach of St. Thomas — teaching, writing,
laboring in study — was done with complete generosity, not sparing
himself in healing man’s deepest suffering with the light of the Gospel.
d. Mercy: A Fundamental Issue for the 21st Century10
*Questions to ask the students:
1. Why is mercy a fundamental issue for the 21st Century? Give examples
2. What is the root cause of the lack of mercy?
3. What is the Biblical and Christian understanding of Mercy?
*Notes for Discussion:
What does mercy mean? 11 (Emphasis mine)
Cardinal Walter Kasper [...] What does mercy mean? The term mercy is
present and
fundamental in the Bible and in the Koran as well. Both holy
Kasper, www.paulistpress.com/Promotions/pdfs/Mercy_Reader_Guide.pdf n.d. Mercy—A Fundamental
Issue for the 21st Century “Three popes from the second half of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st
century have, therefore, handed on to us the issue of mercy.” In this section, Kasper reflects on the “medicine of
mercy” that characterized St. John XXIII’s pastoral understanding of the church, the role of mercy in the suffering,
writings and devotion of St. John Paul II, and the theological imperative of Pope Benedict XVI that love, not justice
is the basic principle of Catholic social teaching.
10
11
http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estratto-walter-kasper.pdf
17
books talk of God almighty
and merciful. For the moment being it can be left
open whether the same term, mercy,
has the same meaning in the Bible
and in the Koran. I myself am not at all an expert of the
Koran,
whose
original Arabic language I don’t know. Therefore I limit myself to explain the
Biblical and Christian understanding of mercy and only afterword will I dare to
formulate some questions regarding the Muslim understanding. I will start with
some linguistic observations. They are necessary because the English noun,
mercy, has a
connotation which is very different from the Latin (the
Italian and Spanish) misericordia and the German Barmherzigkeit, which is
derived from the Latin misericordia, whereas “mercy” is derived from the
French merci, what means “thank you”. Mercy indicates in the direction of
gratitude for an unmerited gift and unmerited grace, in the Hebrew language
chesed, which in the Bible also can be used for what in English means mercy.
But the Latin misericordia has a deeper emotional meaning than a feeling
of
compassion. It says: to have a heart (in Latin cor) for the miseri, for
those who are in misery and therefore are miserable.
In Biblical and in Christian Augustinian language the heart (cor) is
the center of the
human person and the seat not only of the
emotions, but of conscience, determination and responsibility. Thus
misericordia is not only passive emotional compassion but acceptance of
active responsibility for the miserable; it touches with the heart and also
with the hands, opens them to help and moves the legs to be present where help
actually is needed. Misericordia does not only lament the evil but seeks to
overcome and to conquers the evil as much as possible. The example of
mercy is the Good Samaritan who felt compassion, then descended in the
dirt of the street, treated the wounds of the poor, who fell in the hands of
robbers, brought him to an inn
and paid what the innkeeper had to spend
for him (Luke 10,25-35).
In Hebrew and Biblical language the seat of emotion is not only the heart
but the viscera, in Hebrew the rachamim, which in the Bible means
misericordia/mercy. This term rachamim is related to the noun
rechem, which is the womb. Mercy expresses therefore a typical feminine
and motherly relation of love and tenderness, which gives the sense of
security and warmth. To talk of God’s mercy means therefore that God is
like a mother, who takes care of her children, who loves them, never can
forget them, suffers with them when they are suffering and whose house and
table is always open for them (Sal 27,10).
18
To say that God is merciful is to say that God is no reality somewhere
above the clouds, happy in himself, unmoved by the human fate and careless
for the destiny of the world as
the Greek gods were; the Biblical God is
the living God. He is relational and isn’t far
from us and our needs; he is
touched by our destiny and is present in all situations, ready to comfort, ready
to forgive and to help. What is evident already by a linguistic analysis becomes
confirmed when we cast a quick glance toward salvation history as the Bible
tells it.
God is the creator of heaven and earth, i.e. of the whole world. He created
human beings because he is love, and wants to communicate and to share his
happiness and his beauty. But when Adam and Eve, which means mankind, said
no to him and lost the paradise to which they were called by God and invited
to life, God didn’t condemn them to death but in his mercy he gave them
garments of skin so that they could resist to the adversities of
whether, to
the heat and the cold (Gen 3,21). God doesn’t want the wicked to die but rather
that they turn their ways and live (Ez 33,11). He always gives a chance for a
new beginning. He is a friend of life (Sap 11,26).
In the revelation of God in the burning bush Moses asked for God’s
name. God’s
answer: “I Am who Am” (Ex 3,14), in Hebrew language
doesn’t mean as the Hellenistic
Septuagint translated: “I am the being”,
but rather “I am who is there”, who is present
and who is with you
and for you, who accompanies you on your way. I am your God and you are
my people” (Ex 6,7; Jer 11,4; 30,22; Ez 36,28).
On a further revelation God tells Moses: “Yahweh, Yahweh is a God full of
pity and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving kindness” (Ex
34,6). This phrase became the fundamental revelation in the Old Testament; it
is often repeated in the Old Testament especially in the Psalms, which can be
called the praise of God’s mercy. This
thesis that the mercy of God is the
fundamental revelation in the Old Testament may be a surprise. For there are
no few statements in the Old Testament which speak of God’s anger, and of
violent bloody actions and massacres in God’s name. Therefore the God of the
Old Testament was seen often as an angry and violent God.
In Christian understanding the Old Testament was seen as an imperfect
preparation, or as the Greek Fathers called it, a patient paideia to the fullness
in the New Testament so that the Old Testament has to be interpreted in the
light of the New Testament, in the light of Jesus Christ. When we come to Jesus,
there cannot be any violence in the name of God.
19
In the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount he called happy the
gentle, the merciful, the peacemakers, not the persecutors but those who
are persecuted (Matt 5,1-11). Jesus goes so far to command to love also
enemies, not to get one’s own revenge but to forgive, and this not only once, not
seven but seventy-seven times (Matt 5,21-26; 38-48; 18,22; Luke 6,27-36).
When Peter, upon the arrest of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane grasped the
sword, he was told: “Put your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die
by the sword” (Matt 26,52). Still from the cross Jesus prayed: “Father forgive
them, they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23,24). [...]
With the phrase “God is love” we reached therefore the decisive point of
the Christian understanding of mercy. “God is love” means, God is not an
angry, condemning, punishing, revenging God, as God sometimes was
portrayed. On the contrary, mercy is the revelation and expression of
God’s essence as love: mercy therefore has to be the very heart of
Christian talk about God. [...]
2. Living “The Primacy of Mercy” (MV 17, MetM 1)
*Questions - Tasks:
1. Compose a prayer on Mercy
2. What are the ways we can be Missionaries of Mercy? (General Plan of Action)
3. Choose a particular advocacy and create a specific plan of action to spread
and live mercy.
*Notes for Discussion:
(MV 17) The season of Lent during this Jubilee Year should also be lived
more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s
mercy........
The pages of the prophet Isaiah can also be meditated upon concretely
during this season
of prayer, fasting, and works of charity: “Is not this the
fast that I choose: to loosen the
bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of
the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share
your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself
from your
own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing
20
shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the
Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, here I am......” (58:6-11).
(MetM 1)........ Mercy cannot become a mere parenthesis in the life of
the Church; it
constitutes her very existence, through which the
profound truths of the Gospel are made manifest and tangible. Everything
is revealed in mercy; everything is resolved in the merciful love of the
Father.
a. “Culture of care” as antidote to the double degradation
brought about by the throw-away culture (EG 193, LS 231, AL 191)
Laudato Si’ mentioned the word “care” 35 times, while “stewardship”
only twice. The subtitle of Laudato Si is in fact on “care for our common home”.
From “stewardship” we notice a shift to “care”. Hence, there is a shift from dutybased ethics to a virtue-based ethics of “care.” Cardinal Turkson, president of
the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, remarks:
“Good stewards take responsibility and fulfill their obligations to manage
and to render an account. But one can be a good steward without feeling
connected. If one cares, however, one is connected. To care is to allow oneself
to be affected by another, so much so that one’s path and priorities change”12
(EG 193) We incarnate the duty of hearing the cry of the poor when we
are deeply moved
by the suffering of others. Let us listen to what God’s
word teaches us about mercy, and allow that word to resound in the life of the
Church. The Gospel tells us: “Blessed are the
merciful, because they shall
obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7)........Here James is faithful to the finest tradition of postexilic Jewish spirituality, which attributed a particular salutary value to mercy:
“Break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing
mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your
tranquility” (Dan 4:27). The wisdom literature sees almsgiving as a concrete
exercise of mercy towards those in need: “Almsgiving delivers from death, and
it will purge away every sin” (Tob 12:9). The idea is expressed even more
graphically by Sirach: “Water extinguishes blazing fire: so almsgiving atones for
sin” (Sir 3:30). The same synthesis appears in the New Testament: “Maintain
Henry Longbottom SJ “Duty free? Virtue ethics in Laudato si’ 10th August 2015 available at
http://greenjesuit.org/?p=218
12
21
constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude
of
sins”
(1
Pet 4:8). This truth greatly influenced the thinking of the Fathers of the Church
and helped create a prophetic, counter-cultural resistance to the self-centered
hedonism of paganism......
(LS 231) Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is
also civic and
political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to
build a better world. Love
for society and commitment to the common good
are outstanding expressions of a charity which affects not only relationships
between individuals but also “macro-relationships, social, economic and
political ones”.[156]That is why the Church set before the world the ideal of a
“civilization of love”.[157] Social love is the key to authentic development:
“In order to make society more human, more worthy of the human
person, love in social life – political, economic and cultural – must be given
renewed value, becoming the constant and highest norm for all
activity”.[158] In this framework, along with the importance of little everyday
gestures, social love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt
environmental degradation and to encourage a “culture of care” which
permeates all
of society. When we feel that God is calling us to intervene
with others in these social
dynamics, we should realize that this too is part
of our spirituality, which is an exercise of charity and, as such, matures and
sanctifies us.
(AL 191) The elderly. “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake
me not when my strength is spent” (Ps 71:9). This is the plea of the elderly,
who fear being forgotten and rejected. Just as God asks us to be his means of
hearing the cry of the poor, so too he
wants us to hear the cry of the
elderly. This represents a challenge to families and
communities, since “the
Church cannot and does not want to conform to a mentality of
impatience,
and much less of indifference and contempt, towards old age. We must
reawaken the collective sense of gratitude, of appreciation, of hospitality,
which makes
the elderly feel like a living part of the community. Our
elderly are men and women, fathers and mothers, who came before us on our
own road, in our own house, in our daily battle for a worthy life”. Indeed,
“how I would like a Church that challenges the throw- away culture by the
overflowing joy of a new embrace between young and old!”
b. Revisiting the works of mercy today
(MV 15) ....... Let us not fall into humiliating indifference or a
monotonous routine that
prevents us from discovering what is new! Let us
22
ward off destructive cynicism! Let us
open our eyes and see the misery of
the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters
who are denied their
dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry
for
help! May we reach out to them and support them so they can feel the warmth
of our
presence, our friendship, and our fraternity! May their cry become
our own, and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that
too often reign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism!
It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may
reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way to
reawaken our conscience,
too often grown dull in the face of poverty. And
let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a
special experience of God’s mercy. Jesus introduces us
to these works of
mercy in his preaching so that we can know whether or not we are
living
as his disciples. Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy: to feed the
hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger,
heal the sick,
visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. And let us not forget
the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant,
admonish sinners, comfort the
afflicted, forgive offences, bear patiently
those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead.
We cannot escape the Lord’s words to us, and they will serve as the
criteria upon which
we will be judged: whether we have fed the hungry and
given drink to the thirsty,
welcomed the stranger and clothed the naked, or
spent time with the sick and those in
prison (cf. Mt 25:31-45). Moreover,
we will be asked if we have helped others to escape the doubt that causes
them to fall into despair and which is often a source of loneliness; if we have
helped to overcome the ignorance in which millions of people live, especially
children deprived of the necessary means to free them from the bonds of
poverty; if we have been close to the lonely and afflicted; if we have forgiven
those who have offended
us and have rejected all forms of anger and hate
that lead to violence; if we have had the kind of patience God shows, who is so
patient with us; and if we have commended our brothers and sisters to the Lord
in prayer. In each of these “little ones,” Christ himself is present. His flesh
becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the
malnourished, and the exiled… to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by
us. Let us not forget the words of Saint John of the Cross: “as we prepare to leave
this life, we will be judged on the basis of love”.
23
c. Unleashing the creativity of mercy” (MetM 18-19)
(MetM 18) Now is the time to unleash the creativity of mercy, to bring
about new undertakings, the fruit of grace. The Church today needs to tell of
those “many other
signs” that Jesus worked, which “are not written”
(Jn 20:30), so that they too may be an
eloquent
expression
of
the
fruitfulness of the love of Christ and of the community that draws its life from
him. Two thousand years have passed, yet works of mercy continue to make
God’s goodness visible.
..........The culture of extreme individualism, especially in the West, has led
to a loss of a
sense of solidarity with and responsibility for others. Today
many people have no experience of God himself, and this represents the
greatest poverty and the major obstacle to recognizing the inviolable dignity
of human life.
To conclude, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy continue in our
own day to be
proof of mercy’s immense positive influence as a social value.
Mercy impels us to roll up
our sleeves and set about restoring dignity to
millions of people; they are our brothers and
sisters who, with us, are called
to build a “city which is reliable”.
................How many situations exist today where we can restore dignity to
individuals and make possible a truly humane life! Let us think only about the
many children who suffer from forms of violence that rob them of the joy of life.
I keep thinking of their sorrowful and bewildered faces. They are pleading for
our help to be set free from the slavery of the contemporary world. These
children are the young adults of tomorrow. How are we preparing them to live
with dignity and responsibility? With what hope can they face their present or
their future?
The social character of mercy demands that we not simply stand by and
do nothing. It requires us to banish indifference and hypocrisy, lest our plans
and projects remain a dead letter. May the Holy Spirit help us to contribute
actively and selflessly to making
justice and a dignified life not simply
clichés but a concrete commitment of those who
seek to bear witness to
the presence of God’s Kingdom.
24
Sawà vs. Awâ
(Matrix by Leo Ocampo based on the teachings & writings of Pope Francis –
Published Journal to be cited)
Throw-Away Culture
Culture of Mercy
Sawa
Awa
Objectification
Contemplation
Consumption
Compassion
Maximization
Care
Disposal
Communion
SOURCES:
Evangelii Gaudium : Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in
Today's World (24 November 2013)
Amoris laetitia: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on love in the family (19
March 2016)
Misericordiae Vultus - Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
(11 April 2015)
Laudato Si' (24 May 2015)
Apostolic Letter Misericordia et misera (20 November 2016) At the Conclusion
of the Extraordinary Jubilee Of Mercy
Francis. Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home, Study Edition. Makati: Word
and Life Publications, 2015.
JohnXIII. "Vatican II - Voice of the Church." Vatican II - Voice of the Church.
October
11,
1962.
http://vatican2voice.org/91docs/opening_speech.htm.
25
Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ. "usccb.org." n.d. http://www.usccb.org/issues-andaction/human-life-and-dignity/environment/an-ecologicalspirituality.cfm.
Kasper,
Walter.
Amercia
Magazine.
September
2,
2014.
https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/message-mercy
(accessed
September 15, 2014).
kasper, Walter. http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estratto-walter-kasper.pdf.
n.d. http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estratto-walter-kasper.pdf.
Kasper, Walter. http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estratto-walter-kasper.pdf.
n.d. http://www.pisai.it/media/216023/estratto-walter-kasper.pdf.
—.
www.paulistpress.com/Promotions/pdfs/Mercy_Reader_Guide.pdf.
n.d.
www.paulistpress.com/Promotions/pdfs/Mercy_Reader_Guide.pdf.
RafteryOP,
Paul.
https://thomasaquinas.edu/news/fr-paul-mercy-life-stthomas. January 29, 2016. https://thomasaquinas.edu/news/fr-paulmercy-life-st-thomas.
26
UNIT I
LESSON III: SPIRITUALITY OF COMMUNION
STUDY and RESEARCH
1. Crisis of Individualism
a. The many forms of Individualism today
(EG 67) The individualism of our postmodern and globalized era favors
a lifestyle which weakens the development and stability of personal
relationships and distorts family bonds. Pastoral activity needs to bring out
more clearly the fact that our relationship with the Father demands and
encourages a communion which heals, promotes and reinforces interpersonal
bonds. In our world, especially in some countries, different forms of war and
conflict are re-emerging, yet we Christians remain steadfast in our intention to
respect others, to heal wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships and
to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). Today too, various associations for
the defense of rights and the pursuit of noble goals are being founded. This is a
sign of the desire of many people to contribute to social and cultural progress.
(LS 162) Our difficulty in taking up this challenge seriously has much to
do with an ethical and cultural decline which has accompanied the
deterioration of the environment. Men and women of our postmodern world
run the risk of rampant individualism, and many problems of society are
connected with today’s self-centered culture of instant gratification. We see this
in the crisis of family and social ties and the difficulties of recognizing the other.
Parents can be prone to impulsive and wasteful consumption, which then
affects their children who find it increasingly difficult to acquire a home of their
own and build a family. Furthermore, our inability to think seriously about
future generations is linked to our inability to broaden the scope of our present
interests and to give consideration to those who remain excluded from
development. Let us not only keep the poor of the future in mind, but also
today’s poor, whose life on this earth is brief and who cannot keep on waiting.
Hence, “in addition to a fairer sense of intergenerational solidarity there is also
an urgent moral need for a renewed sense of intragenerational solidarity”.125
27
(AL 33) On the other hand, “equal consideration needs to be given to the
growing danger represented by an extreme individualism which weakens
family bonds and ends up considering each member of the family as an isolated
unit, leading in some cases to the idea that one’s personality is shaped by his or
her desires, which are considered absolute”.12 “The tensions created by an
overly individualistic culture, caught up with possessions and pleasures, leads
to intolerance and hostility in families”.13 Here I would also include today’s fast
pace of life, stress and the organization of society and labor, since all these are
cultural factors which militate against permanent decisions. We also encounter
widespread uncertainty and ambiguity. For example, we rightly value a
personalism that opts for authenticity as opposed to mere conformity. While
this can favor spontaneity and a better use of people’s talents, if misdirected it
can foster attitudes of constant suspicion, fear of commitment, selfcenteredness and arrogance. Freedom of choice makes it possible to plan our
lives and to make the most of ourselves. Yet if this freedom lacks noble goals or
personal discipline, it degenerates into an inability to give oneself generously
to others. Indeed, in many countries where the number of marriages is
decreasing, more and more people are choosing to live alone or simply to spend
time together without cohabiting. We can also point to a praiseworthy concern
for justice; but if misunderstood, this can turn citizens into clients interested
solely in the provision of services.
(MetM 18) Now is the time to unleash the creativity of mercy, to bring
about new undertakings, the fruit of grace. The Church today needs to tell of
those “many other signs” that Jesus worked, which “are not written” (Jn 20:30),
so that they too may be an eloquent expression of the fruitfulness of the love of
Christ and of the community that draws its life from him. Two thousand years
have passed, yet works of mercy continue to make God’s goodness visible.
In our own day, whole peoples suffer hunger and thirst, and we are
haunted by pictures of children with nothing to eat. Throngs of people continue
to migrate from one country to another in search of food, work, shelter and
peace. Disease in its various forms is a constant cause of suffering that cries out
for assistance, comfort and support. Prisons are often places where
confinement is accompanied by serious hardships due to inhumane living
conditions. Illiteracy remains widespread, preventing children from developing
their potential and exposing them to new forms of slavery. The culture of
extreme individualism, especially in the West, has led to a loss of a sense of
28
solidarity with and responsibility for others. Today many people have no
experience of God himself, and this represents the greatest poverty and the
major obstacle to recognizing the inviolable dignity of human life.
To conclude, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy continue in our
own day to be proof of mercy’s immense positive influence as a social value.
Mercy impels us to roll up our sleeves and set about restoring dignity to
millions of people; they are our brothers and sisters who, with us, are called to
build a “city which is reliable”.
b. The Effects and Consequences of Individualism: A World Being Torn
Apart
(EG 99) Our world is being torn apart by wars and violence, and
wounded by a widespread individualism which divides human beings, setting
them against one another as they pursue their own well-being. In various
countries, conflicts and old divisions from the past are re-emerging. I especially
ask Christians in communities throughout the world to offer a radiant and
attractive witness of fraternal communion. Let everyone admire how you care
for one another, and how you encourage and accompany one another: “By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn
13:35). This was Jesus’ heartfelt prayer to the Father: “That they may all be one...
in us... so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). Beware of the temptation of
jealousy! We are all in the same boat and headed to the same port! Let us ask
for the grace to rejoice in the gifts of each, which belong to all.
ANALYSIS
2. “At the Service of a Communion that Evangelizes”
(EG 130) The Holy Spirit also enriches the entire evangelizing Church
with different charisms. These gifts are meant to renew and build up the
Church.108 They are not an inheritance, safely secured and entrusted to a
small group for safekeeping; rather they are gifts of the Spirit integrated into
the body of the Church, drawn to the center which is Christ and then channeled
into an evangelizing impulse. A sure sign of the authenticity of a charism is its
ecclesial character, its ability to be integrated harmoniously into the life of
God’s holy and faithful people for the good of all. Something truly new brought
about by the Spirit need not overshadow other gifts and spiritualities in making
29
itself felt. To the extent that a charism is better directed to the heart of the
Gospel, its exercise will be more ecclesial. It is in communion, even when this
proves painful, that a charism is seen to be authentic and mysteriously fruitful.
On the basis of her response to this challenge, the Church can be a model of
peace in our world.
(EG131) Differences between persons and communities can sometimes
prove uncomfortable, but the Holy Spirit, who is the source of that diversity,
can bring forth something good from all things and turn it into an attractive
means of evangelization. Diversity must always be reconciled by the help of the
Holy Spirit; he alone can raise up diversity, plurality and multiplicity while at
the same time bringing about unity. When we, for our part, aspire to diversity,
we become self-enclosed, exclusive and divisive; similarly, whenever we
attempt to create unity on the basis of our human calculations, we end up
imposing a monolithic uniformity. This is not helpful for the Church’s mission.
a. Antidote to Individualism
(EG 67) The individualism of our postmodern and globalized era favors
a lifestyle which weakens the development and stability of personal
relationships and distorts family bonds. Pastoral activity needs to bring out
more clearly the fact that our relationship with the Father demands and
encourages a communion which heals, promotes and reinforces interpersonal
bonds. In our world, especially in some countries, different forms of war and
conflict are re-emerging, yet we Christians remain steadfast in our intention to
respect others, to heal wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships and
to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). Today too, various associations for
the defense of rights and the pursuit of noble goals are being founded. This is a
sign of the desire of many people to contribute to social and cultural progress.
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b. Meaning and Nature of Communion (NMI 43 – 45)
(A spirituality of communion)
43. To make the Church the home and the school of communion: that is the great
challenge facing us in the millennium which is now beginning, if we wish to be
faithful to God's plan and respond to the world's deepest yearnings.
But what does this mean in practice? Here too, our thoughts could run
immediately to the action to be undertaken, but that would not be the right
impulse to follow. Before making practical plans, we need to promote a
spirituality of communion, making it the guiding principle of education
wherever individuals and Christians are formed, wherever ministers of the
altar, consecrated persons, and pastoral workers are trained, wherever families
and communities are being built up. A spirituality of communion indicates
above all the heart's contemplation of the mystery of the Trinity dwelling in us,
and whose light we must also be able to see shining on the face of the brothers
and sisters around us. A spirituality of communion also means an ability to
think of our brothers and sisters in faith within the profound unity of the
Mystical Body, and therefore as "those who are a part of me". This makes us
able to share their joys and sufferings, to sense their desires and attend to their
needs, to offer them deep and genuine friendship. A spirituality of communion
implies also the ability to see what is positive in others, to welcome it and prize
it as a gift from God: not only as a gift for the brother or sister who has received
it directly, but also as a "gift for me". A spirituality of communion means, finally,
to know how to "make room" for our brothers and sisters, bearing "each other's
burdens" (Gal 6:2) and resisting the selfish temptations which constantly beset
us and provoke competition, careerism, distrust and jealousy. Let us have no
illusions: unless we follow this spiritual path, external structures of communion
will serve very little purpose. They would become mechanisms without a soul,
"masks" of communion rather than its means of expression and growth.
44. Consequently, the new century will have to see us more than ever intent on
valuing and developing the forums and structures which, in accordance with
the Second Vatican Council's major directives, serve to ensure and safeguard
communion. How can we forget in the first place those specific services to
communion which are the Petrine ministry and, closely related to it, episcopal
collegiality? These are realities which have their foundation and substance in
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Christ's own plan for the Church,28 but which need to be examined constantly
in order to ensure that they follow their genuinely evangelical inspiration.
Much has also been done since the Second Vatican Council for the reform of the
Roman Curia, the organization of Synods and the functioning of Episcopal
Conferences. But there is certainly much more to be done, in order to realize all
the potential of these instruments of communion, which are especially
appropriate today in view of the need to respond promptly and effectively to
the issues which the Church must face in these rapidly changing times.
45. Communion must be cultivated and extended day by day and at every level
in the structures of each Church's life. There, relations between Bishops, priests
and deacons, between Pastors and the entire People of God, between clergy and
Religious, between associations and ecclesial movements must all be clearly
characterized by communion. To this end, the structures of participation
envisaged by Canon Law, such as the Council of Priests and the Pastoral
Council, must be ever more highly valued. These of course are not governed by
the rules of parliamentary democracy, because they are consultative rather
than deliberative;29 yet this does not mean that they are less meaningful and
relevant. The theology and spirituality of communion encourage a fruitful
dialogue between Pastors and faithful: on the one hand uniting them a priori in
all that is essential, and on the other leading them to pondered agreement in
matters open to discussion.
To this end, we need to make our own the ancient pastoral wisdom which,
without prejudice to their authority, encouraged Pastors to listen more widely
to the entire People of God. Significant is Saint Benedict's reminder to the Abbot
of a monastery, inviting him to consult even the youngest members of the
community: "By the Lord's inspiration, it is often a younger person who knows
what is best".30 And Saint Paulinus of Nola urges: "Let us listen to what all the
faithful say, because in every one of them the Spirit of God breathes". 31
While the wisdom of the law, by providing precise rules for participation,
attests to the hierarchical structure of the Church and averts any temptation to
arbitrariness or unjustified claims, the spirituality of communion, by prompting
a trust and openness wholly in accord with the dignity and responsibility of
every member of the People of God, supplies institutional reality with a soul.
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ACTION
c. A Witness of Communion to a World torn Apart
(EG 98) How many wars take place within the people of God and
in our different communities! In our neighborhoods and in the workplace, how
many wars are caused by envy and jealousy, even among Christians! Spiritual
worldliness leads some Christians to war with other Christians who stand in
the way of their quest for power, prestige, pleasure and economic security.
Some are even no longer content to live as part of the greater Church
community but stoke a spirit of exclusivity, creating an “inner circle”. Instead
of belonging to the whole Church in all its rich variety, they belong to this or
that group which thinks itself different or special.
(EG 99) Our world is being torn apart by wars and violence, and
wounded by a widespread individualism which divides human beings, setting
them against one another as they pursue their own well-being. In various
countries, conflicts and old divisions from the past are re-emerging. I especially
ask Christians in communities throughout the world to offer a radiant and
attractive witness of fraternal communion. Let everyone admire how you care
for one another, and how you encourage and accompany one another: “By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”
(Jn 13:35). This was Jesus’ heartfelt prayer to the Father: “That they may all be
one... in us... so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). Beware of the
temptation of jealousy! We are all in the same boat and headed to the same
port! Let us ask for the grace to rejoice in the gifts of each, which belong to all.
(EG 100) Those wounded by historical divisions find it difficult to
accept our invitation to forgiveness and reconciliation, since they think that we
are ignoring their pain or are asking them to give up their memory and ideals.
But if they see the witness of authentically fraternal and reconciled
communities, they will find that witness luminous and attractive. It always
pains me greatly to discover how some Christian communities, and even
consecrated persons, can tolerate different forms of enmity, division, calumny,
defamation, vendetta, jealousy and the desire to impose certain ideas at all
costs, even to persecutions which appear as veritable witch hunts. Whom are
we going to evangelize if this is the way we act?
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(EG 101) Let us ask the Lord to help us understand the law of love.
How good it is to have this law! How much good it does us to love one another,
in spite of everything. Yes, in spite of everything! Saint Paul’s exhortation is
directed to each of us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good” (Rom 12:21). And again: “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right”
(Gal 6:9). We all have our likes and dislikes, and perhaps at this very moment
we are angry with someone. At least let us say to the Lord: “Lord, I am angry
with this person, with that person. I pray to you for him and for her”. To pray
for a person with whom I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love, and
an act of evangelization. Let us do it today! Let us not allow ourselves to be
robbed of the ideal of fraternal love!
d. Communion in Difference
(EG 117) When properly understood, cultural diversity is not a
threat to Church unity. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son,
transforms our hearts and enables us to enter into the perfect communion of
the blessed Trinity, where all things find their unity. He builds up the
communion and harmony of the people of God. The same Spirit is that
harmony, just as he is the bond of love between the Father and the Son.93 It is
he who brings forth a rich variety of gifts, while at the same time creating a
unity which is never uniformity but a multifaceted and inviting harmony.
Evangelization joyfully acknowledges these varied treasures which the Holy
Spirit pours out upon the Church. We would not do justice to the logic of the
incarnation if we thought of Christianity as monocultural and monotonous.
While it is true that some cultures have been closely associated with the
preaching of the Gospel and the development of Christian thought, the revealed
message is not identified with any of them; its content is transcultural. Hence
in the evangelization of new cultures, or cultures which have not received the
Christian message, it is not essential to impose a specific cultural form, no
matter how beautiful or ancient it may be, together with the Gospel. The
message that we proclaim always has a certain cultural dress, but we in the
Church can sometimes fall into a needless hallowing of our own culture, and
thus show more fanaticism than true evangelizing zeal.
(AL 139) Keep an open mind. Don’t get bogged down in your own
limited ideas and opinions, but be prepared to change or expand them. The
combination of two different ways of thinking can lead to a synthesis that
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enriches both. The unity that we seek is not uniformity, but a “unity in
diversity”, or “reconciled diversity”. Fraternal communion is enriched by
respect and appreciation for differences within an overall perspective that
advances the common good. We need to free ourselves from feeling that we all
have to be alike. A certain astuteness is also needed to prevent the appearance
of “static” that can interfere with the process of dialogue. For example, if hard
feelings start to emerge, they should be dealt with sensitively, lest they
interrupt the dynamic of dialogue. The ability to say what one is thinking
without offending the other person is important. Words should be carefully
chosen so as not to offend, especially when discussing difficult issues. Making
a point should never involve venting anger and inflicting hurt. A patronizing
tone only serves to hurt, ridicule, accuse and offend others. Many
disagreements between couples are not about important things. Mostly they
are about trivial matters. What alters the mood, however, is the way things are
said or the attitude with which they are said.
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