Well, "Happy Easter" is not appropriate, but, "Happy Birthday" is, as today we celebrate the birthday of the Mother Church.. For Joe it is "Happy sixty-second Anniversary", that is of, ordination. On June 8th 1963, in Carlow, Cathedral 30 very nervous young, and one mature adult answered the call. They were each called by name, in latin, and the answer was "ad sum". That was when I was called to the priesthood. Until then we were just candidates for ordination. It was a six year process of vetting as to whether we had what it took to be ordained, or, not. I was all of, 23 years .
In August of that year, three other Corkonians, boarder a plane at Shannon Airport and winged their way from the green grasses of Ireland, to the brown deserts of Arizona. I was immediately immersed in the convulsions of the Catholic Church as she adapted to the resolutions, and revelations of The Second Vatican Council. I like all others are riding out the waves of change, right up to this present moment. It is help-full to know, "the only thing certain, is change" ????? Great consolation to us who are struggling. Adding to the challenge of change here we are adapting to the election, under the guidance of The Holy Spirit, of Pope Leo 14th. Blessing on Him and His Bride as they journey further along the trail , and trials, of an evolutionary journey. " Faith", it helps to know, or not, " is a journey into uncertainty, NOT certainty" Is it not also called, "the dark night of faith." Far cry from all the certainties I came with in 1963. At 85 I find I have to work harder than I ever did in the seminary. Back then one of the funnies was, a seminary was "a home for expectant fathers". There was more truth, than poetry to that, as the Irishman said.
To sing "Happy Birthday, to us" is a very appropriate rhythm for today. As I have mentioned before, one of the books that radically changed me was, "The People are The Church" by Eugene Kennedy. As you know well, one of my favorite sayings is, " Every blessing is a curse, and every curse is a blessing". There were, and are times I wished I was not exposed to the challenge that book proposed and consequently exposed me to, over there 62 years, There was a companion to that publication, " Comfort my People". The challenging truths of the 60's are alive and well in our world today, and as consequence in our church. Every individual, that is you and I, are being challenged as never before, to adopt and adept ourselves to the challenges of our ever evolving realities.
We cannot, we were not chosen and created to live a life of security and safety. The Holy Spirit has directed the evolution of the cosmos, for at least 13.4 billion years, It has guided the relationship with emerging humanity for eons. This guidance into "all truth" is happening within the reality of this present moment. It cannot happen in any other way. The Creative Spirit always looks for the cooperation of human instrumentality to achieve It's evolutionary goals. In this moment your response to the call, will depend the wellbeing of the present creation, and the chance of a healthy evolutionary future. That is why every moment is sacred. Charged with the Glorious Presence, Who reaches out in desperate need of our human cooperation. We do not have to be perfect in all of this. We, as, "perfectly imperfect human beings" are called on to make our best effort at all times. We do our best, and The Creative Spirit, does the rest. That is The Holy Spirit's job description, to bring order to chaos. As it was, so it is, and ever shall be.
Let us all pray for this confident belief, we are not just accidents of nature. We have been part of the eternal plan, that is being lived in you and through all the created universe. Hope your birthday celebrations will reflect the dignity a people, chosen to be, The Gracious Creator's, very own !!!!
Pray for me as I enter the unknown 63 third year of a very mysterious, challenging slog. Gramps.
No comments:
Post a Comment