In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus chides the scribes and Pharisees because they do not enter heaven themselves nor do they allow others to do so (Matthew 23). Then Jesus goes further by speaking of the importance of the altar, the temple and heaven. Obviously, all of these are important in the spiritual life as they play significant roles in our relationship with God.
As a bishop, one whose ministry is similar to the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time, these words of Jesus prompt me to examine my spiritual life and practice. As I write, it is late August, and I have begun my personal preparation to participate as a delegate this October to the Synod on Synodality in Rome. The priority of that preparation is to renew my prayer life, my own sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within my heart and, especially, in the life of the Church.
Suffice it to say, there is room for renewal in my spiritual practices of prayer, silence, contemplation and docility to the Holy Spirit. As Jesus spoke about the altar, the temple and heaven, I found these good categories for my own examination and, even more, as an instruction for all of us to hear from Jesus the true priorities of the life of every Christian.
For most of my priesthood, since being ordained in 1992, I’ve felt we as a society and Church would need divine intervention to help us reset our priorities. Even good-hearted people can become wrongheaded when we become absorbed in worldly ways, distracted with day-to-day responsibilities to the point where our lives begin to revolve around self instead of God and others. I do not think that “divine intervention” will come in ways I’d envisioned, as much as it will happen by a grace of God that opens our eyes to the mystery and miracle of life that perpetually surrounds us.
In one parable, Jesus speaks of a man going on a journey who entrusts his possessions to his servants for safekeeping (Matthew 25:14-30). The reality is that all we have, from life itself to everything within this life, is a gift from God, freely entrusted to us as good stewards. Recognizing this foundational reality is the starting point for living each moment of life with and for Jesus Christ. Here we begin to see the importance of the Kingdom of Heaven, the role of the Church (temple) for all the baptized, and the role and importance of the sacramental life, especially the Eucharist (altar), in living well our life in Christ and serving well each neighbor in Christ’s name.
I am grateful the Lord is awakening in me a renewed spirit to better participate in this synod that seeks to renew the life of the universal Church. Like St. Paul, I am grateful for each of you and for your faith in Jesus Christ. He also says: Do nothing to sadden the Holy Spirit. Conduct yourselves to please God, who desires your holiness (1 Thessalonians 4). I ask that each of us pray for the grace to be reawakened in our own faith by spending more time in prayer, receiving the sacraments and serving one another in the name of Christ. Let us make Christ the priority in every aspect of life.