My dear fellow priests, deacons, religious and all of God’s people,
Each year in my privately directed retreat our Lord leads me to reflect on one of his many titles in the Scripture and reflect how the Lord lived out that title in His life here on this earth, and how He calls me to continue to live out that title in my own personal and ministerial life. I write this reflection for the priests and deacons, but also for all religious, and everyone seeking to draw closer to our Lord Jesus.
This year I reflected on the theme of “Christ the King” and “Proclaiming the Kingdom of God.” This year I came away from the retreat with more questions than answers, in relation to who belongs to the kingdom, and to whom and how we proclaim the Kingdom of God in our parishes. We need to ask ourselves to whom we are and to whom we are not proclaiming the Kingdom of God, in relation to the particular situation of our Diocese here in Central California.
Jesus was found mostly amongst the poor, the sick, the lame, the suffering, the oppressed, the marginalized, the leper, tax collectors, those looked down upon and despised by the upper class. It was to these especially that He proclaimed the Kingdom of God, and manifested God’s love. Who are these people in our present society, and those within our parishes? They are the poor, the homeless families, the farm workers and their families, the migrant, the undocumented, the sick, the imprisoned. The vast majority of these people rarely come to Mass.
These reflections are speaking of those that live on the margin of the Church, living in cars, in labor camps, in isolated clusters of homes, and those that work on the farms and dairies found throughout our diocese, so often without the luxury of transportation and of living a normal scheduled life. We should be pastoral, especially to those that our Lord loves in a special way. It is just such as these that the Kingdom of God is comprised. We need to include them in our “Vision for the Future” in seeking to reach out to them with a program of catechetics that may differ from regular church goers in our congregations.
Are we so caught up with those that belong to the parish, those that come regularly on Sunday and support and take an active role in the parish that we forget to reach out and proclaim the Kingdom of God to God’s poor and the marginalized? They are loved by the Lord in a special way, and we have a responsibility to proclaim that love to them.
Most pastors would find it difficult to go out amongst them simply because of time restraints, but are pastors open to others visiting and reaching out and catechizing them within their parishes? Some pastors have parish ministers doing this, and I commend them very much for this. At the very minimum a pastor should allow and cooperate with Religious Women and Ministers trained by the Diocese to do this within their parishes. I emphasize that anyone teaching these children should be approved by the pastor and trained as catechists. I do not advocate freelance catechists.
Most of our Hispanic farm workers and their families are Catholic, but rarely come to Mass on Sunday. But they have faith in Jesus, and also in the Church, and turn to Jesus in their sorrows and struggles, and want very much to hand their faith onto their children. The vast majority of them have no means to come to Mass. There are clusters of houses and camps throughout our valley, where these farm workers and dairy workers and their families live. How are we reaching out to them?
If they come to our parishes for Baptism, First Communion or Confirmation for their children, are we making the same demands on them that we require for those that come to Mass regularly, and have normal living conditions? Are we demanding that they have two-year preparation for these sacraments, when we know that this would be impossible for most of them as they live a life of hardship and struggle every day of their lives?
The guidelines for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation are important, but they are designed for those families that are educated and understand the importance of instruction in the faith for their children, and are living as part of the parish community. Should we not reach out pastorally to those people who are not close to the Church, but who have faith in the Lord Jesus, and faith in the Church, and who are not able to follow the demands that many would put on them? Is the sacrament of Baptism, of First Communion, of Penance, of Confirmation a reward for living the way we think people should be living according to their faith, or are these sacraments for the sinner, to help us all to know more the love of God in our lives and slowly be drawn a little closer to the Lord? Many of these people are already struggling to keep the faith in very difficult situations, and to eke out a living every day of the year, and are often being approached by other Religious Denominations, who do not put such demands on them.
Jesus calls us to reach out to the marginalized in our parishes. Our task in ministry is to seek to bring the marginalized into the community of the Church. The greatest gift given to us by Jesus, to aid us in this, is the Sacraments, which bring to God’s people an encounter with the Lord Jesus Himself, and presents to us the opportunity to catechize, at least rudimentarily. The grace given in the Sacraments reconciles us with God, and would lead us to a deeper involvement in the Christian community. But this is a process and our lives are not changed over night. God gives this grace freely. Is it our place to withhold God’s grace by putting impossible demands on those who come requesting the sacraments which they value and want very much for their children?
Often all we can do is plant seeds in the lives of the people. We should accept people where they are at and seek to show them God’s love, which may not change radically their lives at that moment. We are not to judge; we are but to love. Maybe years may pass when another reaps and those persons to whom we have shown God’s love will draw closer to the Lord Jesus and to the Church. But we should leave this to God.
How sad it is when a poor family comes to the Church to request Baptism for their child, and rather than receiving a warm welcome and joyful congratulations they are told of regulations that they may not be able to fulfill, or told they have to pay so much in advance. I want to thank those parish secretaries and those Parish Catechetical Leaders who truly seek to be caring and compassionate with God’s people. For many of God’s people, this may be the first contact with the parish community. How sad it is if they do not feel welcomed and loved. It is especially such as these that the kingdom of God is comprised, and loved by the Lord in a very special way. Let us show that love to them.
Are we making an effort to reach out to the imprisoned in our parishes? A number of prisons have chaplains, but many chaplains are not priests. Could not a pastor, who has the responsibility for the spiritual care of the imprisoned in his parish, make an effort to celebrate Mass, at least once or twice a month, not on Sunday, but on any day of the week, for those who are imprisoned in his parish? The imprisoned belong to the Kingdom of God and they above all need to be provided with the nourishment of God’s Word and God’s Sacrament. Could not pastors arrange to have Eucharistic Ministers if they do not have a deacon, to have Communion Services in those prisons? Where this is possible, this could be facilitated through our Diocesan Director of Detention Ministry.
There is a great difference between the laws of the Church and the guidelines of the Diocese for receiving the Sacraments. We should always follow the law of the church, but we should interpret those laws always in a pastoral way. According to Canon 1752 the salvation of souls is always the supreme law of the Church. Certainly one may not administer a Sacrament if one has an impediment for receiving that Sacrament. But, could we not pastorally dispense the two year requirement to receive a sacrament, or even the full instructions for Baptism, if this is an excessive burden for some of God’s people? Most parents coming to baptize their children want very much to bring their children up in the faith. Are we trying to be welcoming of those people that are not seen each Sunday in our Churches, or not at all? Most have faith in God, faith in the Lord, and are trying to be good loving parents often in the midst of great difficulty and in the midst of poverty. Many pastors worry that their catechetical programs would be undermined by allowing people in their parish to not follow the guidelines. Those guidelines are important and are for the good of the children and most parents who come to Mass regularly realize this. I do want to complement those pastors who seek to follow the guidelines of the Diocese, but encourage all our priests to also be flexible. Those same guidelines can also chase people away from the church, especially if they are living in circumstances that make it impossible for them to follow. This is where pastoral judgment must be exercised. May we proclaim the Kingdom of God especially to the poor, the migrant, the farm workers and their families. Of such is the Kingdom of God.
The above reflections present thoughts for discussion amongst our priests, and for our deanery meetings. To fill out the last page, here are a few excerpts from my personal reflections on my recent retreat. There is nothing earth shattering in these reflections, but it is about us priests and all of God’s people called to proclaim the Kingdom of God. God bless you all—the greatest priests, deacons and religious and laity in the world.
WHAT IS MY LIFE ALL ABOUT? My life is about proclaiming God’s love, living in that love, sharing that love so that others may come to know the Lord Jesus, His love, and come into His Kingdom. My life is living with Jesus, laboring with Jesus to proclaim His kingdom of love, of justice and of peace. Everything else is secondary in my life. All the activities, meetings, appointments, conflicts with which I deal, must be seen in light of this task that the Lord Jesus has given me. How do I proclaim God’s love in a meeting, in an appointment? How do I proclaim God’s love in the conflicts in my life? This must be the discernment I must ask of the Spirit.
PASSING THROUGH THIS WORLD. I am called to help people keep their eyes fastened on that eternal kingdom in which You live now at the right hand of the Father. It is this hope that leads us on to be one with You in this world, not succumbing to the enticements and allurements of this world, not succumbing to the pull to selfishness and to the desire of worldly things and pleasures.
We are passing through this world. The kingdom of God is here, as the Lord Jesus, our King, is with us, but we like Him must continue to proclaim God’s kingdom, to live with love and meekness, to serve and reach out to the needy and poor, to suffer as our Lord suffered, to eventually pass through death, so that we may also come to the resurrection and be glorified with our Lord, King and Savior. This is only possible with the power of God in our lives.
SERVING CHRIST OUR KING. (Matthew 25: 31 ff) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, he will sit upon his royal throne….” Who comprises His kingdom?—the poor, the captives, the blind, the migrant, the oppressed, the hungry, the thirsty, all of those in need. These are the ones that the “proper” people in society often look down upon. Our Lord also emphasizes that His kingdom is not for the Jewish people alone. He has come for foreigners, the Gentiles, also, whom the “proper” Jewish leaders looked down upon.
How blest we are to be able to serve those that comprise the Kingdom of God here on earth. “I was hungry and you gave me to eat.” “I was thirsty and you gave me to drink.” By reaching out and serving the poor, the oppressed, the disabled, the elderly, the unborn, those looked down upon by the “proper” people in society, we are serving Christ and proclaiming the Kingdom of God by loving those closest to the Lord.
How infuriating it is to hear political leaders and media hosts call all the undocumented “criminals” and would harass them, incarcerate them, and force them and their children to leave this country, taking away their homes and means of livelihood. One cannot help but think of the words of our Lord Jesus that “tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you.” How true it is that “criminals” and prostitutes, who so often are forced into prostitution, will enter the kingdom of God, before the powerful and rich who oppress God’s people.
ALL OR NOTHING. O Lord, You ask me to proclaim the Kingdom of God. I know this means simply proclaiming You as Lord and Savior. But to do this you call me to discipleship. And this discipleship is meant to be total and complete. With you it is all or nothing. You ask me to give You everything in my life, my wants, my desires, my possessions, my thinking, turning over everything to You, to live solely for Your glory.
All or nothing! It is by constantly striving to give You all, that we love you and become part of the kingdom. This is the work of a lifetime. Basically it means not being satisfied loving You a little, not being satisfied in believing in You but holding on to persons or things for my own comfort and security. You must be my security, my all. Help me Lord to always strive to give myself totally to You. If I start slacking off, help me to catch myself and begin anew. This really is the Christian struggle, beginning over and over and over, to try to love You with my whole heart and soul. Only You can give me this power, this grace. + VIVA CRISTO REY +