It was one of the obligations of members of the Oratory of Divine
Love to serve the Church. The two major obligations besides attending
the prayer groups were to do works of charity for the poor and needy
and to give good example of reverence and prayer at Church. Today we
ought to turn our attention to our obligation to work for the Church.
Everyone knows that the Catholic Church in the English-speaking world
is in trouble. There are alarming signs of decline on all sides: the
lack of discipline and silly tinkering with the liturgy, the scandal
of the clergy and the decline and impending collapse of what were once
thriving religious orders, loss of faith among many and the disappointing
performance of Catholic education. In fact, that is why we refounded
the Oratories of Divine Love in the United States. When Saint Catherine
of Genoa and Ettore Vernazza started the Oratory in 1497, it was one
of the darkest moments in Church history. Early members of the Oratory
did not waste time lamenting; they set to work. They undertook the spiritual
and physical care of the sick, especially plague victims by the thousands,
and they worked in religious education, which was just beginning as
a formal discipline. They catechized not only children but also adults,
some of whom knew little of the faith other than superstition. When
parish priests welcomed them, they worked at every task, beginning what
we call today voluntarism. When a parish did not welcome them, they
went on to the next or to another apostolate where they were welcomed.
Their teaching was always orthodox, realistic, and deeply devout, values
reflected in Saint Catherine's life. Members of the Oratory were concerned
with their own spiritual lives and those of others. Catherine's Spiritual
Dialogue is a catechism of the struggles and battles of the spiritual
journey (see Hughes and Groeschel, Catherine of Genoa, Paulist Press).
What can Oratorians do today? Look for any kind of Church work you will
be able to do it well and in accord with the mind of the Church. Hopefully
this can be in your own parish or some endeavor near where you live
or work. It can be a simple humble task done well for God's love: helping
to clean the church, preparing the bulletin, being a minister of the
sacraments to the sick or an usher. It can be more complicated and time-consuming.
Religious education, with all the necessary preparation, is, to my way
of thinking, the best use of your time if you can do it and it is available
to you. There are lots of activities related to what we used to call
Catholic Action. For example, pro-life activities of many kinds, working
with immigrants who need to be welcomed and assisted, welcoming new
parishioners, ecumenical activities, assisting the parish with wedding
preparations and funerals, visiting the sick, and especially bringing
them the Blessed Sacrament. Where does it all stop? It doesn't; it goes
on, according to Our Lord, until the end of the world. There are many
ways of helping the Church from organizations to silent, unnoticed activities.
They are right in front of you, but perhaps you have not seen them.
We must always do these things out of love, disinterested love. That
means trying to do them with all your heart and with great care and
not looking for any personal reward. Outside my little office in the
garage there is a sign with Mother Teresa's words: DO NO GREAT THINGS,
ONLY SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE. That says it all.
Quotation for Meditation
Testimony of Hope (Pauline Books and Media, 2000)
The following quotation is taken from the stirring account of Francis
Xavier Cardinal Nguy?n Van Thu?n of Vietnam. It is part of the description
of his imprisonment by the Communist government. Anyone interested in
growing spiritually would do well to read the whole book.
During my voyage toward North Vietnam, I was put in chains three times
with a man who was non-Catholic, a member of the parliament, and someone
known for his fundamentalist Buddhism. Yet, being together in the same
terrible situation touched his heart. Later I learned that after his
liberation, he willingly related how he had felt honored to be chained
with me and had, in fact, always tried to be chained with me, and that
we had become friends. On the ship and afterward in the re-education
camp, I had occasion to dialogue with the most varied people: ministers,
members of parliament, high civil and military figures, as well as religious
authorities among the Cao Ðài, Hoà, Håo, Buddhists, Brahmanists, Moslems,
and people of different Protestant denominations including Baptists
and Methodists. In the camp I was elected bursar, which gave me the
responsibility of serving everyone, distributing the food, getting the
hot water, and carrying on my back the coal to keep us warm during the
night. All this because the other prisoners considered me a man worthy
of trust. Upon my departure from Saigon, Jesus, crucified outside the
walls of Jerusalem, made me understand that I had to engage in a new
form of evangelization. I no longer acted as a bishop within a diocese,
but extra muros; as a missionary ad extra, ad vitam, ad summam-going
outside, for all my life, to the very limits of my capacity to love
and give of myself. Now, yet another dimension opened itself, ad omnes-for
all. In the obscurity of faith, in service and in humiliation, the light
of hope had changed my vision. I understood that at this point, on this
ship, in this prison, was my most beautiful cathedral, and that these
prisoners, without exception, were the people of God entrusted to my
pastoral care. My prison was divine providence. It was the will of God.
I spoke of all of this to the other Catholic prisoners and there was
born among us a profound communion, a new commitment. We were called
to be together witnesses of hope for all people.
Quiet Time and Then Discussion
Questions for Meditation
1. What am I actually doing for the Church?
2. What more could I do?
3. What should I do when some of the activities of the situation seem
not to be in harmony with the mind of the Church?
4. Can I change others, or should I leave and work for change somewhere
else?
Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, You have called us to serve
you in our brothers and sisters. This is especially true in the Church,
but it extends to all those who are potential members of the Church
and all those You have called to eternal salvation by Your death on
the Cross. Give me the grace to serve Your Church and, by serving the
Church, to make myself available to all my brothers and sisters in the
human race, even those who see themselves as my enemies and enemies
of the Church. Amen.