[Propertalk] Proper 20 c 2016 part 2

[Robert P Morrison]

Part 2 - 
I hope you enjoy happy worshipping this weekend!
Bob

	 I don’t know how often I think and talk about our Baptismal
Covenant. You know: “Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? Will you
persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent
and return to the Lord? Will you proclaim by

	word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Will you seek and
serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will
you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the
dignity of every human being?” 5

	 In other words, will you keep working on following Jesus, and all
that that entails?

	 For those who’ve been a member of a Christian congregation for a
while, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Even for those who’ve
attended only a few services, the implication about how we’re called
to be followers of Jesus shouldn’t be a secret. There’s to be a
tension in life, say the Gospels. We should look critically, with open
eyes, at ourselves; and we should look compassionately, lovingly at
everyone else; in other words, the exact reverse of the steward, who
had had in his hands the opportunity to do great things for the Lord
of the Banquet, but who blew it.

	 “Narcissistic, manipulators, defenders of their own causes,
auctioneers of vain crusades.” Perhaps we can see where this
headline may be pointing now. And that fellow who wanders around in a
long, white coat? That’s Francis, Bishop of Rome, spiritual father
to the Roman Catholic Communion. And while he’s not been shy about
criticizing business, and governments, and so on, that’s NOT whom he
was describing last week.

	  “Pope Francis met 154 recently appointed bishops from around the
world. They were attending a week-long seminar in Rome for new
bishops.

	 “In a nearly 40-minute prepared talk, the Pope warned new bishops
against using their office to be self-serving, but rather to share the
holiness, truth and love of God.

	“Pope Francis again underlined how important it is bishops be good
Samaritans with concrete ‘palpable’ acts of mercy.”

	But what Francis said directly to bishops, he expected the same to be
said to their priests under their care and, in turn, to the
congregations under THEIR care. And, we must add, the congregations
then have to assume the same mantle and, as forgiven and renewed
people, they themselves are not to abuse the gifts with which
they’ve been entrusted. Everyone one of us, lay AND ordained, must
be there to be able to nourish the gifts with which God has blessed
all in creation, and which are waiting to be released and affirmed,

	 As Francis put it, “So many people need and seek mercy, he said.
They know full well they are hurting and ‘half dead,’ so if they
sense a merciful soul is passing, they will respond.

	 “They are fascinated by [mercy’s] capacity to stop when so many
walk on by; to kneel when a certain rheumatism of the soul keeps many
from bending down; to touch wounded flesh when a preference for
everything to be sterile prevails,” he said.

	 “Never forget the ‘shiver’ of love and trepidation felt when
God called and still calls you, the Pope told the bishops. It is not
necessary to put up a front or ‘invent a profile’ when we have
God, ‘who is greater and does not scorn’ what

	little we have or ‘become scandalised by our wounds’.” 6

	 And every place where Francis said “bishop”, insert your own
name.

	 It’s a heck of responsibility, being a steward, and we can and do
stumble so often. When we hear this parable, we can mutter under our
breaths, if we wish, there, but for the grace of God, go I.

	 The parable leaves us, leaves the church, with a question mark,
however. Will we find the parallels between the situation and
ourselves in time for us to make a course correction? I feel that
that’s why Jesus told the story, that the Church, all its
constituent members, may not squander the property we have from God.

	 God help us!

	NOTES:

	[1] “Steward” by Br. Curtis Almquist Society of Saint John the
Evangelist [1] 12th September, 2016 http://ssje.org/word/?p=12981 [2]

	2 “Steward” by Br. Curtis Almquist Society of Saint John the
Evangelist [3] http://ssje.org/word/?p=12895 [4] 

	3 StoryPeople 16th September, 2016 "The Crew at StoryPeople"
www.storypeople.com [5]  

	4 Linda McMillan, Shanghai, China.
https://www.facebook.com/messages/hannukahlinda [6] 

	5 _“The Baptismal Covenant, Holy Baptism”_, Book of Common
Prayer, Church Publishing Corporation, New York. Pages 304-5

	6 _“Pope Francis tells new bishops: the world is tired of
‘trendy’ priests” by_ CAROL GLATZ [7] posted Friday, 16 Sep 2016
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/09/16/pope-francis-tells-new-bishops-the-world-is-tired-of-trendy-priests/
[8] 

Links:
------
[1]
http://ssje.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=344ed142b391b2b520df4080c&id=84bb52eb92&e=d3bff814a3
[2] http://ssje.org/word/?p=12981
[3] http://ssje.org/
[4] http://ssje.org/word/?p=12895
[5] http://www.storypeople.com/
[6] https://www.facebook.com/messages/hannukahlinda
[7]
http://mail2.charter.net/HTTP://WWW.CATHOLICHERALD.CO.UK/AUTHOR/CAROL-GLATZ/
[8]
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/09/16/pope-francis-tells-new-bishops-the-world-is-tired-of-trendy-priests/

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