Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (07/01/2007)

Dear People of Holy Name,

When Jesus prayed his heart and mind were in union with Truth. In that union Jesus gained the clarity and conviction he needed to act. Jesus’ prayer and reflection always fed his mission and his mission was to evoke change in the corrupt and bankrupt spirituality of his time. Such change is also at the heart of all political and cultural transformation.

Jesus confronted those who used religion for their own gain, whether it be the man praying in public on the street corners or the Pharisees who kept their control over people by laying heavy burdens of guilt on them and not lifting a finger to help. If Jesus came back today he would do the same. High on his list would be the evangelists who stir the emotions of their followers, preach hate for a scapegoat group of people and fill their coffers with gold.

Jesus would have words too for all religions who preach hate and intolerance. Jesus respected the dignity of every person, male, female, slave or free. For Jesus, all were his sisters and brothers and he would not stand today for any spirituality or any religion that violated any person’s dignity because they are made in the image of God.

I suspect Jesus would have a few words for us too. A man who was willing to die for the truth would not spare speaking to his own if it were needed. Here we could drag out the usual list of hot topics that rightfully call for discussion in our church today, but what we need more are witnesses to the truth, who will be willing to live and speak in a way that will make the truth of God evident to God’s people.

We must be willing to listen to all voices who speak of the truth of their human and divine life, something that is hard to achieve in a church whose leadership is self-perpetuating. It is sad when men like Bishop Gumbelton or Archbishop Rembert Weakland, who are willing to listen and dialogue with all people, and are so rudely treated by fellow hierarchy. It makes one wonder about the spirituality and purpose of those who judge and condemn.

While we may not be able to correct the shortcomings of others, even a church, we can effect a change on our own. We are better to learn to live at peace with the truth that is in us, and to live that truth as Jesus did with the same kind of truth-inspired courage that allowed him to go to Jerusalem to teach the world a lesson, at his own peril.

The first step is to come to the truth by recognizing our own shortcomings, so our minds and hearts will set us on a better course of action, one that will lead to the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

May the Lord bless us in our prayer, lead us to his truth, and through us, transform our Church and our world into the Body of Christ. For this grace, let us pray.

In Christ Peace, Fr. Leo