Ordinary 8

The Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sirach 27:4-7; Psalm 92; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45

A few years back I received a call from the Vicar for Clergy. We had at that time a Committee on Priestly Life and two positions needed to be filled.

The priests were not going to vote from among the candidates nominated to fill the two positions. Those nominated would enter a process of discernment led by a moderator. I introduced this concept of discernment last week; a process of prayer, reflection and listening to each other to ascertain the movement of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis is inviting participation by the whole Church into such a process.

The Vicar said I had been nominated to enter into discernment. Would I accept nomination? I told the Vicar I was not interested. I had been on enough committees in my day. I find committee work draining. The Vicar said, at least enter into the process. Your insights may help choose who should be on the committee. I reluctantly acquiesced.

There were about ten of us in the discernment group representing three generations of priests.  The day was spent in prayer, reflecting on the qualities necessary for this committee, silence and times we listened to each other. At the beginning of the process, I expressed quite adamantly and clearly to the group that I did not want this position.

What was most encouraging about the process was to hear priests of various generations comment about the gifts that were seen in other priests. Being men of our culture, we priests also aren’t usually open with each other in this way. At one point, Tony said to me that I should be on the committee because I was a good listener. And before I could respond, Carl spoke up, “No he’s not!”  Spoken not in any mean spirited way but simply stating a truth, I responded to Carl, “You’re right, I’m not a good listener”.

In the spiritual life, it is just as important, maybe more so, to be aware and acknowledge what are not our gifts as well as to what the Holy Spirit has given us. In the meantime in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “Guys, I don’t want to be on this committee. Did you not understand me?”

Over the hours it became clear that I was to be one of the priests chosen for this committee. And when that became evident to the group, Bob asked me “But you said you didn’t want this position.” I replied, “Your right, I don’t. But if I – we – trust the Holy Spirit and the process, I will accept the position if the group discerns that I should be chosen”. And as you have figured out by now I was chosen against my will but by the will of the Holy Spirit.

I recall this story to help us understand discernment of the Spirit that Francis is calling the Church to enact in its life. Some Religious Orders now use discernment to choose their superiors general and provincials. Can you image if we chose bishops, national leaders and heads of corporations this way?

Last week I recalled for us the Council of Jerusalem from the Acts of the Apostles and the discernment process over the issues of circumcision and kosher for Gentile Christians. If you remember, the letter sent back to Antioch stated, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us…”

For a time now, I have found myself primarily praying to the Spirit: for guidance, for the right words to be spoken, for calm, for a situation to take care of itself, to know when to be silent. Do you pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance? Do you invite other people into the conversation when you need to make an important life decision? I strongly encourage all of us to pray in such a way.

Francis desires that the Church reclaim this discernment of the Spirit as the way to move forward in how we govern ourselves. And, as in my example, the Spirit does not always lead where we – I – want to go. It takes trust to submit to the Spirit especially when you think you are so sure you are right about a decision or direction in life. We will recall on the First Sunday of Lent that it is the Spirit who led, impelled, drove Jesus into the desert to be tempted. The verbs lead us to believe that Jesus did not want to go. He eventually submitted in full trust as he will again in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Not my will but yours be done…” We pray similar words in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father…thy will be done…” Do we mean these words?

At the back of this Sunday’s program is a Prayer of the Synod. An ancient prayer to the Holy Spirit that was used at all the sessions of the Second Vatican Council. Reflect on the verbs. “We stand before you…gathered together…guide us…teach us…let us find in you unity so that we may journey together”.  This is what it means to be a SYNODAL Church. A Church that doesn’t lead but follows the movements of the Spirit.

I invite you to take this page from the program and post it on your refrigerator, near your bed, the mirror in the bathroom. Pray it. Slowly. Take in the verbs to fully understand what you – we – are asking of the Holy Spirit – and of us.

The Prayer of the Synod: “We stand before You, Holy Spirit”

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path or partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.*

*Every session of the Second Vatican Council began with the prayer, “We stand    before You, Holy Spirit,” which has been historically used at Councils, Synods and other Church gatherings for hundreds of years, being attributed to Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 4 April 636).