If you recognize the title of this inspirational piece, you are really with it. The title comes from the just-issued papal exhortation from Pope Francis. From time to time, popes issue encyclicals and various kinds of exhortation to the Catholic faithful---and the rest of us if we want to listen to his admonition. The newest document in Latin proclaims Gaudete et Exsultate, “rejoice and be glad.” The subtitle, if you will, is “on the call to holiness in today’s world.” I have not read it entirely, but wanted to have a first look at it and invite you into that process.
The Latin phrase comes from Matthew’s Gospel, namely, Matthew’s 5th chapter (the Sermon on the Mount material). Indeed, Jesus says to “rejoice and be glad.” (5:12) In fact, the words come immediately after the Beatitudes---blessed are the poor, the meek, etc. To recognize the context for Francis’ words is extremely important. Obviously, the Sermon on the Mount and, specifically, the Beatitudes have played a huge role in the history of the Church. No doubt, Francis is wanting to lift up and emphasize this importance.
Very early on Francis tells us, the readers, Jesus “wants us to be saints and not settle for a bland and mediocre existence.” I know that a call to holiness is nothing less than becoming saints. In all the classical languages the word for holy is the same word for sacred and that is what saints are---holy, sacred people. As I have said, I have not yet read the entire document, but I am confident the Pope does not mean to insinuate that becoming a saint means we become perfect. This is true if by “perfect” we mean sinless living. Only Jesus could pull that off! Rather saint means to life from that place of sanctity and holiness. It means being motivated by the sacred and called to that holy life. If we make a mistake, we repent and try even harder. In fact, we usually learn by our mistakes.
I like the spirit of the Pope. Francis simply says, “My modest goal is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities.” I can imagine the Pope effectively is claiming he is not doing anything new; he simply is repeating what Jesus asked of those early disciples. If you want to be a disciple, then you opt to live from holiness, not profanity. Your mode of operation is blessing, not cursing. Our lives call people to blessing, not damnation.
Fairly quickly the Pope deals with some saints in the New Testament and talks about the saints in the Church. But lest most of us feel left off the hook because we don’t see ourselves as equals to these folks, Francis addresses us. He says, “Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized.” We can come to be counted among the saints because, “The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people…” I like the way the Pope goes out of his way to include folks who are not Roman Catholic. Others share this call to holiness.
Specifically, the Pope mentions people from the Orthodox traditions, like the Greek and Roman Orthodox Churches. He mentions Anglicans and Protestants. This casts a broad Christian net. I wish he had extended the list of folks even further into the interfaith community of believers. Maybe the Pope will do this later in the document. Even so, I am glad the days are gone when Christians see themselves solely in their own little tribes and want nothing to do with each other. Those were not the good old days!
The Pope then turns to the Vatican II Council and cites an important sentence from one of the documents. That Vatican II sentence reads, “Strengthened by so many and such a great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord---each in his or her own way---to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect.”
I like how the Pope moves to unpack that little phrase, “each in his or her own way.” We are called to holiness---to be saints---and are equipped each in our own way. Francis says, “we are not meant to copy,” that is, we should not try to all be saints in the same way. He specifies, “The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts…rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them.”
This is wise counsel. I can hear the Pope saying, “be yourself.” Be a saint the way God calls you and the way you can do it. Becoming a saint is a step by step process. In the beginning no one really knows how it will work out. God does not offer us a “saint plan.” God calls us, provides guidance---sometimes directly and, more often, indirectly through friends and community---and helps us work through our shortcomings, mistakes and slow progress.
I am confident there are some markers of saintly progress. Humility should be the governing mode. If there is a taint of arrogance, the saint is no saint---and won’t ever be one. Love has to be the modus operandi---the mode of operation. There has to be a great deal forgiveness, patience and optimism. I hope I am in the middle of the process. I look forward to reading more of the papal advice.
Meanwhile, I will rejoice and be glad.
The Latin phrase comes from Matthew’s Gospel, namely, Matthew’s 5th chapter (the Sermon on the Mount material). Indeed, Jesus says to “rejoice and be glad.” (5:12) In fact, the words come immediately after the Beatitudes---blessed are the poor, the meek, etc. To recognize the context for Francis’ words is extremely important. Obviously, the Sermon on the Mount and, specifically, the Beatitudes have played a huge role in the history of the Church. No doubt, Francis is wanting to lift up and emphasize this importance.
Very early on Francis tells us, the readers, Jesus “wants us to be saints and not settle for a bland and mediocre existence.” I know that a call to holiness is nothing less than becoming saints. In all the classical languages the word for holy is the same word for sacred and that is what saints are---holy, sacred people. As I have said, I have not yet read the entire document, but I am confident the Pope does not mean to insinuate that becoming a saint means we become perfect. This is true if by “perfect” we mean sinless living. Only Jesus could pull that off! Rather saint means to life from that place of sanctity and holiness. It means being motivated by the sacred and called to that holy life. If we make a mistake, we repent and try even harder. In fact, we usually learn by our mistakes.
I like the spirit of the Pope. Francis simply says, “My modest goal is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities.” I can imagine the Pope effectively is claiming he is not doing anything new; he simply is repeating what Jesus asked of those early disciples. If you want to be a disciple, then you opt to live from holiness, not profanity. Your mode of operation is blessing, not cursing. Our lives call people to blessing, not damnation.
Fairly quickly the Pope deals with some saints in the New Testament and talks about the saints in the Church. But lest most of us feel left off the hook because we don’t see ourselves as equals to these folks, Francis addresses us. He says, “Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized.” We can come to be counted among the saints because, “The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people…” I like the way the Pope goes out of his way to include folks who are not Roman Catholic. Others share this call to holiness.
Specifically, the Pope mentions people from the Orthodox traditions, like the Greek and Roman Orthodox Churches. He mentions Anglicans and Protestants. This casts a broad Christian net. I wish he had extended the list of folks even further into the interfaith community of believers. Maybe the Pope will do this later in the document. Even so, I am glad the days are gone when Christians see themselves solely in their own little tribes and want nothing to do with each other. Those were not the good old days!
The Pope then turns to the Vatican II Council and cites an important sentence from one of the documents. That Vatican II sentence reads, “Strengthened by so many and such a great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord---each in his or her own way---to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect.”
I like how the Pope moves to unpack that little phrase, “each in his or her own way.” We are called to holiness---to be saints---and are equipped each in our own way. Francis says, “we are not meant to copy,” that is, we should not try to all be saints in the same way. He specifies, “The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts…rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them.”
This is wise counsel. I can hear the Pope saying, “be yourself.” Be a saint the way God calls you and the way you can do it. Becoming a saint is a step by step process. In the beginning no one really knows how it will work out. God does not offer us a “saint plan.” God calls us, provides guidance---sometimes directly and, more often, indirectly through friends and community---and helps us work through our shortcomings, mistakes and slow progress.
I am confident there are some markers of saintly progress. Humility should be the governing mode. If there is a taint of arrogance, the saint is no saint---and won’t ever be one. Love has to be the modus operandi---the mode of operation. There has to be a great deal forgiveness, patience and optimism. I hope I am in the middle of the process. I look forward to reading more of the papal advice.
Meanwhile, I will rejoice and be glad.
Comments
Post a Comment