Dear People Whom God Loves,

I

REFLECTIONS ON

VATICAN COUNCIL II

This is taken from the book Keys to the Council  by Richard R. Gaillardetz  and Catherine E. Clifford, pp. XVI & XVII of the Introduction.

The Jesuit church historian, John O’Malley, writes about an often overlooked feature of the documents from the council.  That is the change in the rhetorical style of these documents compared to the rhetorical style of most documents of previous councils.

The previous rhetorical style was juridical or legal and often included penalties for those who did not comply.

The rhetorical style of Vatican II sought to persuade readers to be drawn to an ideal rather than to use the harsh language of condemnations and penalties.  Examples:

“Horizontal” terms like “brothers and sisters”, “people of God”, “the priesthood of all believers”, like “cooperation”, “partnership” and “collaboration”.

“Humility words” like “pilgrim” and “servant”.

“Interiority words” like “charisma”, “conscience”, and “joy and hope, grief and anguish”.

My thoughts.  The juridical, legal style sees what is perceived as good and chooses to enforce it using penalties for non-compliance. The primary virtue then is obedience and underlying that is often fear.  The obedience may be virtuous and constructive; but to the degree that it is fear-based, there may be external compliance but little inward spiritual growth.

The persuasive style also sees what is perceived as good and chooses to present the good as attractive so that people will be drawn to it and choose it because of its goodness.  When fear is diminished, the choice is love-based.  Choices which are love-based rather than fear-based draw us into interior spiritual transformation.  That transformation is what I believe that Jesus was talking about when he invited us to enter the reign of God.

Fear is at times necessary to keep public order.  That is why we have fines and prisons.  Our mission as church is to foster our growth into the reign of God.  That is why I think that we, as a church, should strive to use as little fear as possible and as much love as we can.

Smile, God Loves You,

Father Clay

Dear People Whom God Loves,

II

REFLECTIONS

ON VATICAN COUNCIL II

On page 9 of that book Keys to the Council Richard Gaillardetz and Catherine Clifford quote this from the Vatican II Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

“For since Christ died for everyone, and since we all are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery.” (G522)

This calls me and other Christians not to narrow God’s love and concern to us Christians.  There is this human tendency to think of our group as special.  We see this tendency show itself in religious, social, racial, ethnic, economic, sexual orientation, and gender groupings.  It is pervasive.

We need the healing love that is God to purify us by healing the wounds that show themselves in our prejudice and discrimination.

We are all called to the same destiny of being transformed into compassionate servants of each other.  We are called to begin that journey in this life.  Jesus told his disciples that to be number one in the reign of God is to be a servant of the rest.  When that transformation is complete, we call that state heaven.

The council document humbly acknowledges that the way that that is accomplished is beyond our knowing.  It is only known to God. We are called to bow to the mystery of the infinite love we name God.  We bow to that mystery and let it transform us, and we acknowledge that that transformation is from grace.  Grace is the name we give to the divine love working in us.

Smile, God Loves You,

Father Clay

Dear People Whom God Loves,

III

REFLECTIONS ON

VATICAN COUNCIL II

On page 9 of Keys to the Council the authors say: “Karl Rahner spoke of grace as the love of God outside the Trinity, the overflowing of God’s self-giving in the exchange of love between the Father, Son, and Spirit.”

Let us reflect on that.  The scripture says that God is Love.  This is much deeper than saying God loves us.  To be God is to be Love. God is the love that flows in and through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The theological term for this is perichoresis.  A popular way of saying it is to call it the dance of love that is the Holy Trinity, the love dance that is God.  Our words fail us, but they are valuable pointers to the mystery in which we believe.

For me, Love is a more valuable symbol than symbols such as powerful ruler, majestic king, and all knowing judge and punisher.  We tend to be in our lives like the symbols of God that we use.

When we put these latter symbols into our own life, we tend to be controlling, needing adulation, thinking we possess the whole truth, and to be vengeful.  When we love with authentically with self-giving, warm-desiring love, we will be entering into the reign of God.

This kind of loving may seem impossible to us.  I know that this is true if we are left only to our own efforts.  Fortunately, we are not left to our own efforts.  We have the grace of God.

Grace is the name we give to the healing, forgiving, dancing Love that is God that is in us.  We call it grace because that Love cannot and doesn’t need to be earned.  It is a free gift.  All we need to do is to get out of the way and allow Love to transform us.  We get out of the way when we start to see ourselves as we are, warts and all, and to allow Love to heal us any way that Love chooses.  We need to become aware of our pride, anger, lust, greed, gluttony, envy, and sloth and to acknowledge how these good, human energies have been used by us to hurt others and ourselves.  This is a long, difficult and never-ending journey.  Gratefully, Love is the primary energy.  Our part is to surrender to Love and let Love work.  Astoundingly, Love helps us to do our part.

We can never exaggerate the depth and power of Love.

Smile, God Loves You,

Father Clay