Ministry
Part 3 Theology
Chapter p33 Spirituality of Ministry
Preliminary QuestionsBibliography
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Beginner Pitfalls (cruise ship metaphor)Spirituality of the Parish Priest |
To Think About |
For my introductory, general notes on spirituality,
see chapter Chapter d33 Spirituality
Preliminary Questions
What is spirituality? How would you describe the spirituality of marriage? What is the relationship between faith and spirituality and faith and marriage? Compare the spirituality of marriage and the spirituality of the diocesan priest. What is the relationship between spirituality and theology? Is there a spirituality of the single state (one who is neither married, ordained, or a vowed religious)? How does marriage make one holy? How does marriage "change" the way the couple love one another?
Bibliography
Evelyn Eaton Whitehead and James D. Whitehead, "Spirituality and Lifestyle," Chapter 35, pp 411-424 in Kieran Scott and Michael Warren. Perspectives on Marriage: A Reader (Second Edition). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-513439-7
Beginner Pitfalls
Ecclesiology Metaphor: Taking a vacation on a cruise ship
Sometimes when a person begins to assume a more active role in the ministry of the Church (e.g. by volunteering to be a catechist, or by pursuing a Master's Degree in Theology] they are confronted with a Church that is "less perfect" than they previously believed the Church to be. This "confrontation" is frequently painful, and can tempt one to "doubt one's faith!"
We know that the "Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness [PLEROMA] of divine truth.” (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, #8) but some who are new to the "workings of the Church" are scandalized to find that the Church has not "moved forward" nearly as far as they had previously thought. In this context, some have found the "metaphor of the cruse ship" informative and useful.
Have you ever taken a vacation on a cruise
ship? My experiences of cruses have been very pleasant. You wander around on
this big ship where everything is taken care of for you at a rather modest
price. People are there to wait on you, to serve you, to supply whatever you
need, and you have many possibilities for food and fun. Of course, there are decks that you never see, and
there are doors that say "employees only", but the passengers don't care what goes on
behind those doors and usually don't even give it much thought.
But imagine that instead of being a passenger you decide to work for the cruise line and you go through those "employee only" doors. Another world opens up. [Now, I know that this would never happen on a reputable cruise ship line, but for the sake of the metaphor ... ] The passengers may be completely unaware that their sheets, napkins, and carefully pressed linens have been prepared by a laundry that is run by 54 twelve year old Indonesian girls who have been sold to the cruise ship by their parents to escape debtor prison and are indentured to the cruise line for ten years, never leaving the lower deck of the ship. Nor do the passengers ever hear the disputes among the officers. One officer feels that they should increase their speed during the night so that the passengers would have more time to visit the next port of entry; but another officer feels that the safety of the passengers would be jeopardized were the nighttime speed to be increased. Usually these disputes go on behind closed doors; if they would happen (God forbid) in areas where the passengers might overhear, the passengers would be scandalized for they are under the impression that everything works "like clockwork" behind those "employee only" doors and all is "peace and harmony" just as it is on the tourist decks! These arguments may grow heated; one officer does all in his power to get the other officer fired.
The passengers may also be shocked to learn that there are those high in the administration who realize that the captain who has recently been transferred to this ship from another cruise ship is not particularly familiar with this ship and its capabilities and has made some rather dangerous decisions out of his lack of experience with this particular vessel. The officers may have sent internal memos which the passengers never see. However, should one of the officers happen to make his concerns public and publish an article in the New York Times, the cruise line might feel endangered and worry that it would harm their passenger base and diminish bookings on the cruise line. The article in the Times would probably result in the officer who wrote the article being fired.
Catholic Metaphor: I find there are many similarities between this scenario of the imaginary cruise line and beginning ministry or the study of theology. Most Catholics for a rather moderate price (Baptism) get on board and comfortably go about their lives little disturbed by theology or the inner workings of the Church. They are fed at regular intervals (Eucharist). Should medical needs arise, those are taken care of (Reconciliation / Anointing). They journey from festivity to festivity (Christmas, Easter, First Communion, etc). They presume that behind the "employee only" doors (magisterium, hierarchy, ministry, theology) everyone is in agreement and that "up stairs," everything goes peacefully and works smoothly.
Should they enter through the "employee only" door and begin, for example, the study of theology, they are often shocked to find that everything is not as harmonious and they had formerly believed. To find that a Church that preaches justice might not act justly toward its own members often comes as a shock. To find that those who are "running the ship" are not in perfect agreement with one another can be disheartening. Should they study the history of the cruise line and find that that there were times when the company was really "off course" in its decision making, they may find this scandalous. When they learn that there are disputes as "how best to serve the passengers" they can end up confused and often wish that they have never entered through those "employee only" doors but had remained in blissful ignorance on the tourist deck.
Spirituality of the Parish Priest
The following essay was originally a talk given by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M., S.T.D. to seminarians at Saint Meinrad School of Theology on October 16, 1996 at the request of Rev. Laurence Richardt, [then] Director of Formation, Saint Meinrad School of Theology.
Spirituality is life by
God’s Spirit When Fr. Larry Richardt asked me to talk about
“spirituality” I wanted to be sure that I knew what the word “spirituality”
meant so that I would talk about the right subject. The dictionary tells me that
spirituality has to do with things that pertain, not to this world, but to the
ideal world, spiritual things, things that are not substantial but intangible,
ghostly, and disembodied. In a word, “spirituality” pertains to the “unreal.”
Am I asked to talk on “The Unreal World of the Diocesan Priest?” Rather than go
down that road I consulted another reference library, Sacred Scripture. There we
find that “spirituality” has to do, not with the unreal, not with the other
worldly, but with “being filled with the Holy Spirit of God.” This is the
starting point and the end point of all that follows. But before I
get to the heart of the matter I would like to mention several presuppositions.
God’s Spirit fills all that is. God’s Spirit fills not only human beings, but all creation waits for the full realization of this Creating Spirit. St. Paul tell the Romans:
“For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:18-23)
Priestly spirituality is not unrelated to the spirituality of
all created things. Priestly spirituality or any Christian spirituality is
ecological.
God’s Spirit fills every human being
God’s Spirit fills not only priests, not only Christians, but every human being.
Because the Spirit fills every human being, every human being is radically equal
before God. This is the first of the “self-evident truths” enumerated in the
Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness.” (The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, in
Congress, July 4, 1776) Every human being possesses access to the Spirit: the
young and the old, the quick and the slow, Jew, Christian, Muslim, Animist,
Buddhist, Confucianist, Hindu or Atheist.
No one can claim more “Spirit” based on status.
No one can claim more “Spirit,” spirituality, or holiness based on rank
or status. Man or woman, ordained or not, vowed religious or not, pope or
priest, Protestant minister, Jewish Rabbi, or Muslim Imam.
The Second Vatican Council was divided on the issue of priestly status. The
scholastic view of priesthood was that the priest was “ontologically” changed by
the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Vatican II does not speak of an ontological
change, but says that the priesthood of the faithful is “essentially” different
from ministerial priesthood (Constitution on the Church, 10) and leaves it to
theologians to “spell out” what that essential difference is. The Council is
explicit in stating that all are called to holiness.
The distinctive feature of Christian spirituality
is that we live by the Spirit of Christ. Although all creation and
every human being possesses God’s spirit, the distinctive feature of Christian
spirituality is that we live by the Spirit of Christ. As we read in the Gospel
according to John: “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors
were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they
saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said
to them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit.’” (John 20:19-22)
The Spirit of Jesus enables us to continue the mission given to Jesus by the
Father. We remember this commission at each Eucharist: “Do this in memory of
me.” That is: “Live as I have lived. Do as I have done. Love as I have loved.”
And what did Jesus do?
Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God.
Jesus came among us announcing the kingdom of God. The first words Mark places
in the mouth of Jesus are these: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom
of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
This proclamation of the kingdom, God’s dream for the world, is the primary
mission of the Church. The Church continues the work of Jesus; the ministry of
the Christian is to continue the ministry of Jesus. The priest is the icon, the
sacrament, of that ministry. The Vatican Council states explicitly that the
first task of the priest is to announce the Gospel. (Ministry and Life of
Priests, 4) Priestly spirituality is first of all a spirituality of
proclamation.
Jesus was the holiness of God. The
Christian community from its beginning recognizes Jesus to be the holiness of
God. As we read in the Gospel of John: “No one has ever seen God. The only Son,
God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.” (John 1:18) Today this
holiness is revealed in the Church. “We believed in one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic Church.” The second ministry of the priest is to “make holy.” He does
this in many ways, but primarily through the Eucharist and the sacraments.
Jesus was servant leader.
Jesus taught. While he taught with authority, as we read in Matthew’s gospel,
“he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes,” (Matthew
7:29) and gave this authority to his disciples, “[H]e summoned his twelve
disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to
cure every disease and every illness,” (Matthew 10:1) at the same time his
authority was not “that of the world.” As we read in Matthew’s Gospel, “Jesus
summoned [the disciples] and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But
it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall
be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just
so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life
as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20:25-28)
The authority of Jesus presents us with paradox. We see his authority exercised
most clearly as he hangs on the cross: naked, abandoned, powerless. Clearly
authority is distinct from power. The authority of the Church -- and the
Church’s ministers -- is the authority of the cross.
Jesus prepared the disciples for this authority on the night before he died. For
during that supper which we have come to call “The Lord’s Supper” Jesus got up
and “took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry
them with the towel around his waist... So when he had washed their feet (and)
put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, ‘Do you
realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and
rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have
washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model
to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.’” (John 13:2-15)
Fr. Kenan Osborne, in a talk to the National Federation of Priests Councils,
suggested that the best gift one can give a new priest or a new bishop is a
towel -- the symbol of his authority.
This servant ministry was perhaps the most difficult aspect of Jesus for the
apostles to grasp. When he spoke of suffering, they didn’t want to hear it. When
he spoke of being lifted up, they wanted thrones. Often it takes a serious
“wound” in the minister himself to be able to understand the hymn quoted by Paul
in his letter to the Philippians:
“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
The "second founder of the Franciscan Order" St. Bonaventure
spoke of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. However, this three-fold model was
not widely used by the Scholastics. It was popularized by John Calvin at the
time of the Reformation, and consequently, Catholic theologians seldom used this
understanding. Catholic theologians explained the function of the presbyter
narrowly, focusing on his priestly role and particular saying Mass and hearing
confessions. The Second Vatican Council wished to expand the ministry of the
presbyter and speaks of the three-fold function of Christ proclaiming,
sanctifying, ministering.
Ministerial spirituality is an encounter with the
Spirit in ministering. What I have said thus far forms the
background for what I am now going to say about the spirituality of the
ministerial priesthood. The priest -- in particular, the parish priest --
encounters the Holy Spirit in ministry. It has taken me some years to
become convinced of this fact because it so contradicts what I learned in those
days before the Second Vatican Council when I was being prepared for parish
ministry.
Perhaps, my recollections are inaccurate (I know that many
seminarians cannot recall from month to month what a professor taught, much less
remember after thirty years) but the message I received was that I drank in the
Spirit in quite times of prayer and meditation and gave that Spirit to others
during times of ministry and liturgical prayer. Each time I entered the “world”
I became less spiritual. (Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ, 1418
C.E.) For example, the Roman Missal provided me with prayers to say
before and after Mass -- presuming that during Mass I would be too distracted
with rites and rubrics to do much praying. Even the Divine Office was not always
seen as prayer. And if Mass and Office were "distractions" from spirituality,
how much more so was ministry and the care of God’s people. (I acknowledge
that there are times "drinking in the Spirit and times of giving that Spirit to
others." The passage back and forth between these two is, I think,
explained in a very helpful manner in the
Oscillation Theory developed by
Bruce Reed.)
Today, however, we see that ministry is not a distraction for the priest --
ministry is the very place in which we encounter the Holy Spirit. Pope John Paul
II writes (Pastores Dabo Vobis, #24) “An intimate bond exists
between the priest’s spiritual life and the exercise of his ministry. ...
the Spirit leads the priest to evaluate all things in the light of the Gospel,
helping him to read in his own experience and the experience of the Church, the
mysterious and loving plan of the Father.”
This new perspective was already beginning to be voiced in the
years preceding the Second Vatican Council. We see this development reflected in
the naming of The Decree on the Ministry and Life of Presbyters. Was the
document to treat the life, (essence, ontological status) of the priest first
before considering his ministry? This position was rejected by the bishops. The
document treats first of the ministry, the function, of the
presbyter and from this ministry flows the presbyter’s life and spirituality.
Spirituality is found in ministry.
This is not exactly the same thing as saying “my work is my prayer.”
Emptying the dishwasher, doing the laundry, changing the oil in my car are not
necessarily encounters with the Holy Spirit. However, assisting the dying,
proclaiming the homily, preparing a couple for marriage -- these are (or can,
and should, be) encounters with the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit and proclamation. First
of all, I encounter the Spirit in proclaiming the Gospel. My work as a priest
necessitates that I spend many hours with the Word of God -- daily homilies,
numerous weekend liturgies, funerals, weddings, anointings, reconciliation ...
There are many “methods” for preparing a homily. They all involve familiarity
with the Word of God.
Long years ago one of my seminary professors suggested that each
time we prepare a homily we would do some serious exegesis on the text. Through
the years I have always tried to do this. I find that seldom do I have time to
sit down and read a book on recent developments on our understanding of the
Scriptures. However, I have those books in my library and each time I prepare a
homily I do not only the exegesis needed for the homily but more exegesis than
is needed for the homily. And in this way I try to keep contemporary in my
understanding of the Scriptures.
Whatever method of homily preparation you may employ, one of the steps will
involve preaching the homily to yourself. Unless I myself find meaning,
inspiration, and challenge in the homily, I have found that the congregation
won’t either. Consequently, I must be in touch with my own life and how the
Spirit is active in my life and how that life is a response to the Word of God.
My daily life must be a meditation on the word to be proclaimed.
I cannot preach to others unless I know these others: their hopes and fears,
their joys and sorrows. This means that I must live in the world. I must know my
parish and the real world in which they live. This, of course, takes time.
Visiting homes, attending wedding receptions, helping build a house -- these
things all take time. However, they are not distractions from prayer but again
are the source of prayer.
Ministerial spirituality is reciprocal. We become holy in and through the people
to whom we minister. They are not obstacles to our holiness, they are the means
to holiness. The parish is the sacrament, the window, through which I view God.
I have come to see that commitments are woven together to form our common human
fabric. When I see the commitment of parents to their children. Particularly to
a sick child who may require medical treatment at great financial sacrifice.
When I see the commitment of married couples, faithful to one another through
the most difficult of circumstances. At this time my own commitment is
strengthened.
Each time I witness a marriage my thought is not “Gee, I wish I could do that.
Why does the Church demand a celibate clergy?” These are not my thoughts, rather
I see in the love and trust of this couple a visible sign of God’s love for me.
Ministerial spirituality is reciprocal. We receive by giving; we are helped in
helping; we are graced in gracing.
The Spirit and sanctification.
Similar remarks could be made for the ministry of sanctification. When I stand
at the altar to celebrate the Eucharist, the congregation which surround me is
the congregation which is and becomes the Eucharistic Body of Christ, the Body
which strengthens me and supports me in my day to day ministry. “This is my Body
given for you.” It is the “Body” standing around the altar in which I recognize
the sacrament of Jesus given and Jesus broken.
Reconciliation is larger than a dark box on Saturday afternoon. Reconciliation
is my life. Unless the parish sees me as a reconciled and reconciling person,
who would ever approach me to celebrate the sacrament?
And when the deepest secrets of the human heart are entrusted to me, how can I
help but feel that I am standing on the threshold of mystery immersed in the
Spirit of God.
When I anoint the sick and as so frequently happens, witness healing of spirit,
mind, and body, the overwhelming sense of being a channel of God’s grace
is often tangibly present.
The Sprit and leadership.
The ministry of authority in today’s Church is not found in usurping the
ministry of the baptized. Rather, the authority of the presbyter is to assure
that the ministry of the faithful is indeed “faithful,” that is, consistent with
the ministry of Jesus. Are the lives and ministry of my parishioners consistent
with the actions and attitudes of Jesus regarding racism, economic opportunity,
stewardship, capital punishment, nuclear disarmament? Christian attitudes
can so easily become “American” attitudes and the presbyter continually calls
the baptized to Christ.
The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of reconciliation. Reconciliation is at the
heart of the Ministry of Jesus. The presbyter continually reminds the parish by
word and example that they are ambassadors of reconciliation.
This is in harmony with what most studies indicate that the laity expect in
their minister. “When asked to rank the trait they most value in a pastor,
parishioners named sensitivity to the needs of others by a wide margin over
holiness, learning, good preaching skills, good organizing skills, or anything
else. They want a pastor who understands them, who consults them, who respects
them as contributors to the common life of the parish.” (David Leege. “The
American Catholic Parish of the 1980's” in The Parish in Transition, USCC
publication 967, p 16.)
A seminarian’s spirituality is not the spirituality
of the parish priest. A seminarian’s spirituality is not priestly
(ministerial) spirituality simply because what you do day by day is different
from what a parish priest does day by day. And if the premise is true that
priestly spirituality flows from priestly ministry, then this type of
spirituality is available only to those involved in this type of ministry.
Consequently, the spirituality of the seminarian is not the spirituality which
we have been describing here.
What is the “Seminarian’s Spirituality?” I know that there are various and
sometimes conflicting answers to this question and I will not attempt to give
one here. However, I am convinced that talking about something is not the same
as doing it. For example, during marriage preparation I can talk about the
meaning of sexual intercourse in a loving marital relationship. The couple can
describe the role they expect sex to play in their married life. But talking
about it is different from experiencing it -- or so they tell me. A
seminarian’s experience of ministry is different from that of a parish priest
and while he can talk about it, talking about it is different from doing it.
Seminary life is a “ministry” but it is not the ministry of the parish priest.
You are not presiding at the Eucharist and preaching each day. You are not
hearing confessions, counseling, visiting the sick, burring the dead, comforting
the bereaved, receiving advice from the parochial council, and coordinating
meetings with the parish staff.
Seminary “ministry” can prepare you for priestly
ministry. However, the seminary can, and I believe should, prepare
you for the transition to priestly spirituality. Even now you know --
intellectually if not experientially -- what a priest does. And you can prepare
yourself to do those things. For example, you can begin now to become
immersed in the Scriptures. You can begin now to be comfortable dealing with the
holy, especially by knowing your own sinfulness and shadow. You can
prepare for the ministry of reconciliation by being right now a reconciling
person -- a person of compassion and understanding. You can begin now to empty
yourself of the spirit of arrogance and judgment. Who would come to you for
compassion and reconciliation when it is evident that you don’t get along with
your classmates, teachers, bishop, etc. A priest encounters the Spirit
when people entrust to him the secrets of their heart. Who would trust you
with their secrets when they know you are the class gossip. Some things don’t
change with ordination.
Even now, as a seminarian, though you perhaps cannot have a priestly
spirituality because you are not yet a priest, you can and should look to what
priestly spirituality is and prepare yourself for that ministry and
spirituality. Following Christ as a seminarian and being filled with the Spirit
of Christ is the best preparation for ministerial spirituality.
Ministerial spirituality implies that the Holy Spirit is guiding our decisions.
Even now you know that the Spirit of Christ is not the spirit of ignorance and
rivalry, the spirit of prejudice and apathy, the spirit of narrow mindedness and
hatred, or the spirit of arrogance; but rather the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge
and reverence, the spirit of wonder and awe in God’s presence.
To Think About
1. When and how can we catechize regarding the spirituality of marriage, and regarding spirituality in general?
2. What can priests learn from the spirituality of marriage that is applicable to their own lives and spirituality?
3. If as Gaillardetz says (page 12) "For Christians salvation is never a private undertaking," how does the "private" spirituality of the diocesan priest become Christian? Where does he enter into relationship with another human being?
4. Navajo Spirituality: Navajo sister Gloria Davis said, "I noticed that the holy people in our community, the ones we turned to for spiritual guidance and who conducted the blessing and healing ceremonies, were always the people who had the keenest sense of humor. You could spot them by the laugh wrinkles near their eyes." The hallmark of holiness was not a gaunt, hollow-cheeked, aesthetic look or one of otherworldly serenity, but just a common lively sense of humor, honed from birth on the lathe of life’s ups and downs, its absurdities and sorrows, its joys and unpredictable encounters. Humor is a side effect of living deeply. Are applicants to Catholic seminaries ever checked for a funny bone? (Rich Heffern, writing in NCR May 2, 2003 p 13)
© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights Reserved. This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M. Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas are not my own. Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become aware of it. This site was updated on 10/07/08 . Your comments on this site are welcome at tomrichs@psci.net.