Friday, August 19, 2022

 Friday of the Twentieth Week in ordinary Time

(Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 22:34-40)

Whatever the “Spirit of the Lord” meant to Ezekiel, Christians see it as God.  More specifically, it is the third person of the Holy Trinity.  As the prophet sees it raising the dead to life, the Spirit is responsible for all creative action in the Church.  It moves the People of God to praise, to bless, and to give thanks.  Although many are unaware of its actions or loathe to admit its efficacy, the Spirit has worked significantly within the past fifty years.

The Second Vatican Council called the Church to a heightened awareness of the poor.  The response was significant.  Intellectually there was renewed attention to human rights.  Pastorally parishes united to speak to political powers.  But the movement fell under its own weight as church men and women lost a sense of personal holiness.  The Spirit of God then shook up the base in the charismatic renewal.  Emphasis was given to prayer but, where it took a foothold, also to raising social concern and ecumenical relations. 

We might have to reconsider our attitude toward the charismatic renewal.  Often some among us have dismissed it as escapism into private devotion when corporate action is called for.  Those who know the renewal intimately, like Pope Francis, would disagree.  The renewal, largely led by laypersons, has brought hope and comfort to millions.  As a work of the Holy Spirit, it needs to be appropriated so that vigorous life within the Church can reemerge.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest and martyr; Paul Chong Ha-sang, martyr; and companions, martyrs

(I Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 7:36-50)

The Charismatic Renewal has received more than its rightful share of criticisms.  Pastors sometimes want to suppress it or to keep it from gaining a foothold.  They find its participants too emotional and insufficiently submissive to prayer norms and customs.  Yet the movement is perhaps the most effective resource for evangelization in the Church today.  Detractors might consider the message of today’s gospel before launching criticisms.

Of course, the narrative says nothing about charismatic prayer.  Rather, it tells the story of an emotional woman showing gratitude to Jesus.   She likely heard him preach of God’s mercy and came to the house of Simon, the Pharisee, to show her appreciation.  She lavishes affection on Jesus which would appear extreme except, perhaps, at a Charismatic prayer meeting.  To Simon she is giving added evidence of harlotry, but Jesus recognizes a show of genuine contrition.  He forgives her all her sins while pointing out to Simon his complacencies. 

We should see the Pharisees in the gospel as warnings that we do not criticize the ways of others to worship God.  What may seem odd or eccentric to us may please the Lord as much as our rosaries and penances.  Charismatics especially deserve our continual consideration as they both praise God regularly and bring others to the community.  Truth be told, they are more likely than most to participate in join services to the needy.