The New (& the Old) Evangelization Reform and tears of the prophets, part 3

Dec 16, 2011

Every so often the Catholic Church, much like an individual Christian, needs renewal. As the letter by Pope St. Gregory VII indicated, he felt overwhelmed by the troubling circumstances of his day. But this was God’s way of working through his weakness. With that said, reform not only comes with tears, it can also be inspired by a righteous indignation or anger. The cleansing of the Jewish Temple by our Lord is one such incident. Another incident is by a contemporary of St. Gregory VII by the name of St. Peter Damien, a cardinal of the Church.

In response to the sexual abuse within the Church and the lack of resolve from his brother bishops, St. Peter Damien delivered to them a fiery message. This, no doubt, would shock today’s Catholic sensibilities. He said, “Listen, you do-nothing superiors of clerics and priests! Listen, and even though you feel sure of yourselves, tremble at the thought that you are the partners in the guilt of others; those, I mean, who wink at the sins of their subjects that need correction and who by ill-considered silence allow them license to sin. Listen, I say, and be shrewd enough to understand that all of you alike are deserving of death, that is, not only do such things, but also they who approve of those who practice them.”

Strong words! But this shouldn't surprise us if we are familiar with the Gospels. There are many times when our Lord deviated from etiquette and conventional diplomacy. In the Gospel of John, for instance, he was engaged in many confrontations with the Pharisees and many of his critics. On one occasion he said to them, "You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins." Yet, further on he makes the following accusation: "You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father's desires." And again, "If I should say that I do not know him [God], I would be like you a liar." Again, strong words! But this cannot be anything but divine love in action coming from our Savior. What is so often missing from today's narrative in the Church is that divine love includes, in addition to tears, righteous indignation.

And as for Pope St. Gregory VII, he excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV for being obstinate and for meddling into the most important affairs of the Church- the election of bishops. As the holy pontiff anticipated, however, this would eventually lead to him being run out of Rome into permanent exile. Indeed, he died outside of the Eternal City. His last words were: “I loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore, I die in exile.”

There is something special about the reformers and prophets who give off the aroma of Christ. But as Pope St. Gregory VII and St. Peter Damien discovered, if we are willing to give off the aroma of Christ for those who are being saved, we have to be willing to be an “odor of death for those who are perishing.” (II Corinthians 2:15-16) To snuff out the odor of death so as not to offend is to extinguish the aroma of Christ that saves. The two must go hand in hand or the Gospel will not take hold!

But even the best of reformers and prophets are human. With the odor of death and the offense it naturally provokes among people, comes, as we have seen, loneliness and suffering. So often, our Lord seems to push his servants to the brink; even to the brink of despair. With each push he seems to ask, "Do you consent? Are you still willing to pay the price?" And with each answer in the affirmative, tears sometimes flow. With the prophet Isaiah, they may have been tempted to say, "I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength." Still, they recall that God's generosity is never outdone. Oh yes! The reward is so much greater than the sacrifice. With a sigh they could say, "Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God."

It must be added that due to the sacrifices of St. Gregory VII, St. Peter Damien and others like them, the Mystical Body of Christ underwent renewal and as such, was put on a better course. Because many of the abuses within the Church were corrected, Catholics –  both clergy and laity – were in a better position to attract more souls to Christ. This is in no small measure was due to the Holy Spirit who, watching over the Church, raised up servants whose fidelity went beyond conformity to the status quo.

There may be a turning point in our lives when a costly sacrifice is needed. Quite often, such sacrifices are absolutely necessary to renew a parish, school, religious order, diocese or even the Church at large. At a moment of crisis the Lord may ask us the following question: "Do you consent?" That is, "Are you willing to pay the price?" And to the extent we say, "Lord, may it be done to me according to your word," we give him the permission to act through us in ways that will exceed our expectations. This is how prophets are made! This is how true reform begins…with sacrifice and tears!