Wednesday
of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 6:12-18; Luke 12:39-48)
St. Augustine once told his priests, “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. Certainly 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 have
no reason to claim ignorance if they abuse 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 and share
in episcopal authority. 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. If they fail to fulfill their pastoral responsibilities,
many will be jeopardized.
