Tuesday of the
Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 5:12.15b.17-19.20b-21; Luke 12:35-38)
Sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the United
States has more than sinful and scandalous; it has been outrageous. About three thousand priests over a period of
fifty years have been accused of such crime, according to the Church’s Promoter
of Justice at the Vatican. Could any
good come out of such a cesspool? Now it
is safe to answer, “Yes.” The Church’s
response, at least in the United States, has been thorough and effective. At one time the Church was lax in supervision:
now it is exemplary. The checks to abuse
that it has positioned have made it a model for curtailing the evil. The process can be sighted as an example of
what St. Paul means in today’s reading from his Letter to the Romans that
“where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.”
Paul is writing of the fallen state of human nature which
goes back to the first man and woman.
Even with the aid of the Covenants, humans were unable to curtail sinful
activity. Then Jesus came to stem the
downward thrust. He not only lived
righteously but died to make manifest the egotism at the root of sin. His death, however, left no trace of personal
disgrace as he rose in glory, the first instance of the blessing that is
promised to all his followers.
The Holy Spirit has given the Church a resiliency to
overcome scandals like sexual abuse fifteen years ago. The Spirit works through each of us. It urges us to abide by the norms that have
been set up and to always examine our consciences so that we always act with
prudence. With the Spirit’s guidance the
Church has become the template for sexual temperance in the U.S. and beyond.
Wednesday of the
Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 6:12-18; Luke 12:39-48)
St. Augustine famously told his people, “With you I am a
Christian, for you I am a bishop. The second fills me with terror, the first,
with great consolation.” The fear flowed from the responsibility he had to
guide his diocese. He knew that God
would judge him harshly if he failed to discharge his duties or if he used the
episcopacy for his own gain. It goes
without saying that Augustine took note of the gospel passage we read today.
In the passage Jesus warns his apostles that they are
susceptible to a stricter judgment than others.
Because he has taught them himself, they can have no excuse for abusing their
authority. The bishops today are the
successors of those apostles with the same responsibility of guiding the Church. Priests do not share the fullness of the
apostolic mandate, but they are likewise well tutored in the gospels. Both bishops and priests can expect stiff
punishment if they fail to give judicious pastoral care.
Sometimes in hearing the Eucharistic Prayer we may wonder
why the clergy are given special mention.
Some priests, you may have noticed, change the wording to include all
ministers or all people. This is a forgivable
sin. But surely it is charity that moves
us to pray especially for bishops, priests, and deacons. They bear grave responsibility which they may
fail to handle well leaving everyone in jeopardy.
