Feast of Pentecost

“A Time for the Spirit”

                        The Solemnity of Pentecost, with the coming of the gift of the Holy Spirit on the community of believers, concludes our Easter celebrations.  Following the Lenten Season, when we have – perhaps more than any other period in recent times – entered into the passion and death of the Lord Jesus, these weeks of Easter have enabled us to find comfort and hope in our firm belief that the Risen Christ is present and active in His Church.

                        Just before His ascension to the right hand of the Father, where He continues to intercede for us, the Lord Jesus promised His Presence and continued action in the midst of “the people He has made His own,” through the Spirit.  It is no wonder that, since the beginnings of the Church, special emphasis has been placed on this gift of the Father, effecting the presence of Christ until He, Himself, “comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”

                        As we live in this challenging “time of the Spirit,” all of us in the Church must pray for the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit brings, which are so essential to each of our lives, if we are to manifest in all that we say and do that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (cf. Gal. 2: 20).  It is, therefore, with special urgency and child-like trust, that we ask for wisdom and understanding, right judgment and courage, knowledge and reverence, and wonder and awe in God’s presence. 

                        A few weeks ago, I wrote to all in the Diocese, with the hope of providing detailed information regarding the procedures that we have followed in our Diocese, to responsibly and compassionately address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy.  Since then, I have felt a deep need to write to you again, as your Shepherd, since my contacts with many of you, faithful and dedicated clergy, members of institutes of consecrated life and laity, have given ample evidence that all of us have been deeply affected by this period of trial.  While it may not appear to be so, faith must enable us to see our present circumstances as a time of grace. 

This time of grace offers us the opportunity to renew our efforts to eliminate the horrendous abuse of minors.  In our Diocese, we are making every effort to ensure the protection and safety of children.  While no words can adequately address the pain experienced by those children who have been sexually abused, we raise our voices, crying out in unequivocal condemnation of such actions.  We wish to extend to those victims our encouragement, assistance and prayers for their healing and personal growth.  We pray for that peace that only God can give.

Ecclesia semper reformanda – “The Church must always reform itself”– an old, yet always valid, adage which expresses the Church’s constant need to look at itself and undertake what can sometimes be a difficult process of change rooted in conversion.  Thus, filled with the Spirit and His seven-fold gifts, and proclaiming the Gospel to every creature, it may shed on all in the world the transforming radiance of Christ (cf. LG, 1).  All of us, faithful members of the Church, must deepen our commitment to personal renewal, if this mission is to be carried out in accord with the saving will of Christ, and in the fullness of God, “whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” (Eph. 3:20)  This is a time for prayer, a time for penance and a time for holiness.

            A time for prayer

                        I have no doubt that, in the depths of grieving hearts, the question has arisen regarding the presence of God in the Church during these trying times.  While our Lenten observance was completed weeks ago, and we have been celebrating in Word and Sacrament the presence of the Risen Christ in our midst, our suffering, confusion and – yes – even anger, may have led us to feel that the Lord has abandoned us.

                        This could not be further from the truth!  Our Lord promised that He would be with us always, even to the end of time (Mt. 28:20).  We need only to look at the Scriptures to strengthen our belief that God is ever faithful to His promises.  Furthermore, many of us need only to look at our own lives, and see that, when we were experiencing a period of trial – personal or family difficulty, the loss of a loved one or of a job, physical or spiritual infirmity – and felt the absence of God, we later have come to realize that He was closer to us than ever before, and that without Him, we would not have been able to endure what came our way.  This is the reason why the Psalmist affirms: “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; and those who are crushed in spirit He saves.” (Ps. 34: 19)

                        However, to be able to recognize the presence of God, especially at times like these, we need to have a vision of faith that can only be achieved through prayer.  Thus, for all of us, this is a time for prayer – a prayer that we must offer with fidelity and love, knowing that prayer can change lives, beginning with our own, and can indeed influence the lives of others.

                        While the essential habit of prayer can be manifested in multiple ways, we ought to turn to the Word of God in Sacred Scripture as a source of communion with the God Who is speaking to us.  Furthermore, there is something special, more conducive to communion with God, when we pray in a church, and before the Blessed Sacrament – where the Whole Christ is present - as a sign of our faith in the fulfillment of His promise to be with His people. 

                        I am therefore appealing to all – especially to myself as your Shepherd - that we take advantage of this opportunity God is offering to us to grow closer to Him through prayer.  Each of us must look honestly at his/her life, and see to what degree we have been committed to the development of this practice – so essential to our lives of faith.  Ecclesia semper reformanda, it is time for “the Church,” the whole community of believers, to change and deepen our sense of communion with God through prayer, for as Scripture says: “Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you.” (Jas. 4: 8) To achieve these goals, we ask the Holy Spirit for the gifts of wisdom and understanding.

                        Within this context, I call on the priests and deacons, who are entrusted with the responsibility of leading the people of God in prayer, to deepen your communion with the One Who had called you to Sacred Ordination for service in the Church.  The daily and faithful celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours offers you the opportunity to sanctify your days, as you join with Christ, the High Priest, in raising His hymn of thanksgiving, praise and intercession on behalf of the whole Church. 

A solid Eucharistic spirituality remains an essential element for our identity as ordained ministers, particularly for priests, who are privileged to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ on a daily basis.  Through personal prayer and meditation, its effects and meaning are extended to the whole of our lives.

                        I ask members of institutes of consecrated life, who with such selfless dedication and fidelity promote the mission of the Church, to also make a commitment to celebrate some part of the Liturgy of the Hours, realizing that it is the prayer of the whole Church, offered by Christ, the Head, to the Father and in the Holy Spirit. 

With the Eucharist at the center of your lives, I encourage you to prayerfully reflect on your personal and communitarian consecration to follow Christ more closely through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.  By the witness that you faithfully give in the spirit of the counsels and in their concrete observance, we are all reminded of our common responsibility to attain holiness, while keeping our eyes fixed in the realities of the world to come.

                        I also call on our faithful laity, who are such a source of joy, comfort and support to those of us who, despite our human frailties, strive to serve you in the Church.  A personal review of each of your lives will surely surface ways in which you can develop your communion with God through prayer.  It would be ideal if you could join in the celebration of some part of the Liturgy of the Hours and daily celebration of the Eucharist.  I urge you to give consideration to these and other long-tested forms of prayer, by which you would strive to become more aware of the presence and action of God in your lives. 

                        None of us should forget the Rosary, which can be offered practically at any time and in any place, as a way of asking the Mother of the Church to intercede for us during these trying times.  Meditating on the Mysteries that are proposed, we come to a deeper understanding of how salvation was achieved through the events in the life of Christ – especially His passion, death and resurrection – and of the sure hope of life and peace that is promised to those who remain faithful in the midst of trials.

                        In order to encourage the development of the practice of prayer in each of our lives, I ask pastors and staffs in parishes to seriously consider steps that will allow the faithful to gather together for prayer during these challenging times, as well as to pray privately before the Blessed Sacrament.

                        Besides other opportunities for communal prayer that may already be offered in parishes, I ask that one evening each week be set aside for the celebration of a Holy Hour.  Our needs are countless, and those in need of our intercession are many – including those members of the Church most severely affected by the perpetrated abuse, first and foremost the victims, but in charity not forgetting the abusers.  We all need to ask for an increase of the gifts of the Spirit, especially wisdom, understanding, right judgment and courage.  We must not forget those who are in formation and discerning a call to serve the Church in ordained ministry and consecrated life, so much needed in our Diocese and – indeed – the world.  Each of us must ask that he/she hunger and thirst for holiness.

                        Likewise, aware that a number of aspects must be taken into consideration – not the least being the safety of people and the protection of property – I ask that every attempt be made to make our churches available to our people for prayer throughout the day.  Private prayer in the parish church and before the Blessed Sacrament is a privileged opportunity.  With the support and collaboration of the parishioners, may ways be found to offer this much needed option on a wider scale.

            A time for penance

                        We are all appalled by the horrific actions that have been committed by a few of our number, and the deep suffering and confusion that these have caused in the lives of victims and in the community of the Church.  While this is a most natural and justified reaction, our spiritual response must move beyond it.

                        In my previous letter to you, I reflected on the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.  I tried to share information within the context of our basic belief that “we, though many, are one body in Christ and individual parts of one another” (Rm. 12:5); furthermore, “if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” (1 Cor. 12:26)

                        As a result of the intimate union that we, as members of the Church, share by our baptism, we also believe that our individual lives have an effect on the community of the Church – all of us share in the responsibility for the ‘spiritual health’ of the Body of Christ.

                         There is no doubt that the present crisis has evidenced the negative effect that the actions of some of its members can have on the whole community.  We need only to reflect on the suffering of innocent victims of sexual abuse and their families, the pain, anger and confusion that are so deeply felt by all of us, the embarrassment of so many good and dedicated priests, the sense of guilt and shame of the perpetrators.  As I succinctly stated in my previous letter to you, “this is a time of trial, and all of us who are members of this Body are suffering.”

                        Like many others, I have felt a deep, personal anguish as a result of this situation.  However, it is my conviction in faith that all of us must find in the suffering that we are experiencing a redemptive meaning.  One of the most basic revelations in the life of Christ is that suffering, accepted in faith and joined to the sufferings of Christ, can save us and, indeed, others.  This is the reason why so many of our great saints – such as Saint Therese of Lisieux - prayed that God would grant them opportunities to be tried and to suffer, and that is the reason why they became effective participants in the saving mission of Christ.

                        However, I would dare to propose to you that each of us must make a serious effort to integrate the redemptive value of this suffering into our lives.  We must look into our hearts and honestly admit before God that – to one degree or another – we, too, are sinners, and our lives and actions have had a negative effect in the ‘spiritual health’ of the community of believers.  This self-awareness ought to be one of the results of an honest and intimate communion with God in prayer.

                        Such a realization – and admission – must move us to hear in the depth of our beings that call that Christ, through His Church, will continue to cry out until the end of time: “Reform your lives and believe in the gospel!” (Mk. 1:15).  It involves a response by which each of us turns away from sin and makes a serious effort to live in fidelity to the example and teachings of our Lord.  And one of the principal ways in which this ‘conversion’ is carried out in our lives is through penance. 

God, Who knows us better than we know ourselves, is very much aware of the need that we all have for assistance in fulfilling his command to “be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48)  The Catechism of the Catholic Church rightly notes that “there is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle.” (n. 2015)  That is why all of us are bound to do penance by virtue of divine law.

                        Unfortunately, this serious Christian responsibility has been neglected, or at best, ‘watered-down’ in our time.  The spiritual meaning of penitential practices such as fasting and abstinence often has been reduced to a legalistic observance of minimal requirements, lacking the experience of solidarity and self-sacrifice that must accompany such concrete manifestations of internal conversion.  To live fully Christian lives, we need to move beyond this limited understanding.

                        Each time we profess our faith, we declare our belief “in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”   We believe that the Church is holy because of her intimate union with Christ, the Son of God, Who delivered himself up for her, and this holiness is evidenced in the lives of so many of her members, who give witness to the transforming power of the Spirit of God working in their lives (cf. LG, 39, ff.).

                        At the same time, however, the Church, “the sinless one,” is made up of sinners (CCC, n. 867).  Thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “all members of the Church, including her ministers, must acknowledge that they are sinners (n. 827).  Our debt for sins has been paid by the Sacrifice of the Son of God made Man, and yet we continue to struggle with temptations, sometimes even falling into sin. 

In solidarity with our brothers and sisters, for our spiritual well being as well as for their own, we are obliged to do penance.  The Lord Jesus – “a man like us in all things but sin” (Eucharistic Prayer IV) - took upon Himself the sins of humanity, and His Paschal Mystery – His passion, death and resurrection - has saved us.  In imitation of Him, we who are sinners must accept, not only responsibility for our sins and failings, but also must concretely express our solidarity with others who have sinned, by prayer and penance, and thus share in the redemptive mission of Christ.

                        So as to promote this Christian responsibility that ought to flow from our practice of prayer, I am inviting all the adult Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn – the Counties of Kings and Queens – to voluntarily perform a penitential act one day a week of their own choosing.  This could include, for example, fasting, abstinence from food, liquor or entertainment, and most especially an act of charity.  I, personally, will look for ways in which I can share in the Cross of Christ, and offer them as reparation for my own weaknesses and failures, and I encourage you to do the same.  

                        I also wish to announce that I will be leading public penitential observances in the Diocese, with the hope that we will re-discover the sense of solidarity that we share as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, and offer prayers and sacrifices in reparation for the harm caused to those who have been sexually abused, and to the community of the Church.  It is my hope that local parish communities will do the same, aware of the spiritual benefits that sacrifices and supplications can have in the lives of all.

                        In the spiritual movement of prayer, conversion and penance, there remains a most important element that ought to be the goal of our sincere participation in this journey, accompanied by circumstances given to us by Divine Providence.  The goal is forgiveness and reconciliation – precious gifts that must govern our relationship with God, and indeed, with one another.

                        There is no more immediate and personal way of experiencing these gifts as individuals than through the Sacrament of Penance.  Because all of us are weak, and to one degree or another have not followed the example of Christ and the teachings of His Gospel, we are in need of purification, in order to, sometimes, restore, but always strengthen our relationship with the God of holiness, as well as with the community affected by our unfaithfulness.  In His loving wisdom, God grants us all forgiveness and reconciliation – and, I might add, peace – through this sacramental sign.

                        There is little doubt that a culture of ‘benign neglect’ has gradually developed with regards to this important Sacrament.  While various reasons for this attitude have been advanced, our Holy Father has reminded us that we must all continue “to make every effort to face the crisis of ‘the sense of sin’ apparent in today’s culture.” (Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei, April 7, 2002) 

Our reception of the gifts of forgiveness and reconciliation must lead us to share them with others.  Whenever we sin, we confidently call on the Father of mercies in the Sacrament of Penance.  Our God is only too willing to forgive, after all, it was He Who, while we were sinners, sent His Son into the world to free us from sin and death (cf. Rom. 5: 8; 1 Jn. 4: 10).  Every time we pray as the Lord Jesus taught us, we dare to ask God to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  In the parable of the “merciless official” (cf. Mt, 18: 21ff.), Jesus’ message is clear: The Father’s forgiveness will not be ours, unless each of us forgives our brothers and sisters from our heart.

 To avail ourselves of these graces - penance, forgiveness and, yes, the ability to forgive others - we pray that the Holy Spirit will grant us the gifts of right judgment and courage.

                        In a very special way, I call on priests who, through the power of the Holy Spirit and sacred ordination, have received the authority to reconcile repentant sinners with God and the community of the Church.  In order to undertake a vigorous revitalization of the Sacrament of Penance, to which our Holy Father has recently appealed, we must share our conviction of its essential role in the lives of God’s people, not only by our availability to administer the mercy of God, but by our frequent reception of its gifts of grace. 

I cannot help but attribute some of the genesis of the present crisis in priestly identity – so common in vocational discussions – to our inattentiveness to the promotion of this sacramental gift both, in the lives of others, as well as our own.  I echo the words of Paul to the presbyters of Miletus: “Keep watch over yourselves, and over the whole flock the Holy Spirit has given you to guard.” (Acts, 20: 28)  Rediscover Christ as what our Holy Father so aptly calls the mysterium pietatis - the One in Whom God shows us His compassionate heart and reconciles us fully with Himself” (John Paul II, Misericordia Dei) - not only in yourselves as dispensers of this gift, but also in your brother priests, whom you need to approach for sacramental reconciliation.

            A time for holiness

                        The great mystic and Doctor of the Church, Saint Teresa of Avila, teaches that two of the essential elements of a life of holiness are prayer and penance.  Together with compassion, these make up the three elements that must be present and operative in the pursuit of holiness.

                        As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “united with Christ, the Church is sanctified by Him; through Him and with Him, she becomes sanctifying.” (n. 824)  We profess our belief in this truth whenever we pray the Creed.  At the same time, an obvious paradox must also be affirmed: The Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect (LG, 48); “in her members, perfect holiness is something yet to be acquired.” (CCC, n. 825) 

                        There seems to be a misunderstanding among some members of the faithful that the call to holiness is the privilege of a few, rather than the serious responsibility of all.  I have often said that “it is by striving to be holy that we become holy.”  Furthermore, by our efforts in this essential quest, we become promoters of a more human way of life in our society.  To confirm this, we need look no further than the examples given to us by family members or friends who have witnessed to this quest, and the effect that their lives have had on ours.

                        Christ has given each of us – in our own state of life - the gift of the necessary strength to respond to this call.  We must make use of it at every moment in our life’s journey to “follow in His footsteps and mold (ourselves) in His image, seeking the will of the Father in all things, devoting (ourselves) with all (our) being to the glory of God and the service of (our) neighbor.” (Loc.cit.)   In order for all of us to persevere in this quest, we ask the Holy Spirit for the gifts of knowledge, reverence, and wonder and awe in God’s presence.

                        Those of us who share in Sacred Orders must make every effort to make our ministry the source of our own sanctification.  Because of the public nature of our service, people look to us for example, encouragement and solidarity in their own struggle to respond to the call to holiness of life. 

Yes, I know that sometimes “we have been placed too high on a pedestal,” and this has been yet another source of pressure in our already demanding ministry, as well as an obstacle to the recognition of the shared gift of our “humanness”.   Recognizing our unworthiness, weaknesses and limitations – and indeed, our sinfulness – we are more than aware that it is God Who “gives success to the work of our hands.”  

We share the gift of the vocation to holiness with all the baptized, and all of us must pursue perfection despite our human weakness.  Nevertheless, the fact that we have been consecrated to God by the gift of Ordination, binds us in a special way to the attainment of perfection.  As a result, with the help of God’s grace and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, each of us needs to regularly and honestly review his life and ministry to ensure that he is living and serving with priestly integrity.  The essential role of a spiritual director and confessor in this process is more than evident.  Furthermore, our commitment to priestly fraternity obliges us to become true brothers of each other, actively concerned especially for the spiritual well being of those who may have failed. 

Paul the Apostle summarizes these reflections in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, when he reminds the community of the Church that “we possess this ministry through God’s mercy...for God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ.  This treasure we possess in earthen vessels, to make it clear that its surpassing power comes from God and not from us.” (4: 1, 6-7)

In order to achieve this, especially during this time of trials, we must re-commit ourselves to “continually carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed.  While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.” (Ibid., 4: 10 -11)  In God’s mysterious plan, while death is at work in us, life is at work in those whom we serve (cf. Ibid., 4: 12).  

Conclusion

My dear sisters and brothers in the Lord, I have sincerely tried to share with you some reflections that  - I pray – will shed light on the present darkness that we are all experiencing.  For some time, I have wanted to offer you some guidance as to the way in which we might all respond in a spiritually constructive fashion to the challenges of these days.  What I believe, I have written, “knowing that He Who Raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in His presence.” (2 Cor. 4:14)

I firmly believe that everything in life is ordered to our benefit (cf. Ibid., 4: 15), and because no trial, or distress, or persecution – indeed, nothing - can separate us from the presence and love of Christ, in all this, we will be “more than conquerors because of Him Who has loved us.” (Rom. 8: 37)

As we go through this strengthening process of purification, let us re-commit ourselves to prayer, penance and the quest for holiness, through which the true renewal of our Church will take place.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!