What Should Happen, and Not Happen, in Spiritual Direction

A spiritual director can be an incredible help to a man or woman who is working to grow in holiness and knowledge of the spiritual life.  Particularly in critical junctures or moments of trial, spiritual direction can provide important support and guidance to sustain us and help us to not lose our bearings.

Yet it is also the case that spiritual direction can go wrong and actually complicate and compromise the faith of the directee.  Not all who promote themselves as spiritual directors are actually capable of offering good spiritual direction.  

There is no list of "approved" spiritual directors, no accrediting organization, no professional association, and no real accountability process that exists within the Catholic church for those offering spiritual direction.  The most common way that a person connects with a spiritual director outside of a seminary or religious institution of formation is through personal referral or by encountering the director in a parish, retreat, or other pastoral setting.  This referral and encounter system means that the individual seeking direction must be able to discern for themselves whether a given spiritual leader is a competent director and a good fit for them.  And this is where I think we are not providing adequate guidance.  Because it is not always easy to tell whether someone is capable of providing helpful spiritual direction.  

In this brief post I will go over the following considerations:

     - Should I have a Spiritual Director?

     - What Qualities Should I look for in a Spiritual Director?

     - What Should Happen in Spiritual Direction?

     - What Should Not Happen in Spiritual Direction?

Should I have a Spiritual Director?

This is really the first question.  And the answer is that for most Catholic men and women, while they will need spiritual guidance and support throughout life, only a few will need a formal spiritual director, and usually during brief and temporary circumstances.  In a healthy Catholic community there are many sources of spiritual guidance and support that are available throughout life.  Parents, grandparents, spouses, Catholic friends and relatives, parish priests, religious, and other wise and virtuous people are usually more than capable of providing us with the guidance and support that we need throughout life.  The regular life of the parish is meant to provides us with spiritual guidance and support, as we are nourished each week at Mass through the scripture and preaching and the reception of the Eucharist, and as we are given counsel and strength in the Sacrament of Confession.  Retreats and small faith sharing groups can augment these foundations, along with online, radio, and print resources.  Particularly helpful are one on one conversations with trusted relatives and friends of deep faith with whom we can freely discuss what is going on in our lives and receive counsel and support.

These normal ways that we receive spiritual guidance and support from our Catholic community are usually more than adequate in sustaining us in our journey toward holiness.  Yet there are some circumstances where additional guidance makes sense for a lay person in the more formalized setting of spiritual direction for a given period of time.  Normally, such guidance would be sought when navigating circumstances or decisions that would require special expertise and knowledge of the spiritual life.  There is no clear list of such circumstances or decisions, but they could include:

     - Guidance after being received into the Church as an adult (mystagogy).

     - Assistance in the discernment of a vocation to the priesthood or religious life.

     - Help in navigating engagement, marriage and family dynamics involving matters of faith.

     - Assistance with questions and crises regarding faith.

     - Spiritual support when employed by the Church.

     - Guidance for those seeking growth in contemplative prayer.

In the above circumstances, the support of regular spiritual direction can be of great assistance.  Meetings with the director should be scheduled at regular intervals (usually monthly), in a pastoral setting, of a determined length, and focused on the particular circumstances the directee is seeking guidance in navigating.  If the reason for spiritual direction involves a personal or family crisis, the spiritual director will often also refer the directee for counseling - individual, marital, or family.  

Generally speaking, the normal mode of growth in holiness and the spiritual life for a Catholic does not involve a formal director - directee relationship; however, there are a number of circumstances where formal spiritual direction can be helpful.  

What Qualities Should I Look for in a Spiritual Director?

As mentioned above, there is no formal qualification for one to offer spiritual direction in the Catholic Church.  This lack of formalized designation of spiritual directors points to the central truth that holiness and pastoral competence cannot be measured on a standardized test.  Even ordination to the priesthood or consecration to religious life does not guarantee that one is suited to provide spiritual direction to others.  

So what should one look for in a spiritual director?  What qualities are necessary in a man or woman in order for them to provide formalized spiritual direction to others?  Again, there is no defined list, but in general a Catholic should look for the following qualities in any spiritual director:

     - Faithfulness in prayer and reception of the sacraments.

     - Maturity and stability of life.  

     - Wisdom and insight about the world, human nature, and social dynamics.

     - Knowledge and full acceptance of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

     - General knowledge of the Catholic mystic and spiritual tradition and great saints. 

     - Experience and understanding of spiritual direction.

     - Basic pastoral counseling and listening skills.

     - A desire for holiness and manner of life that does not contradict Church teaching.

A spiritual director does not need to be a saint, though certainly the saintlier the better!  Neither does the spiritual director need to be an ancient, wise person, though the more wisdom the better.  Spiritual directors can be priests, religious, deacons and lay persons.  Priests are required to do extensive study and engage in pastoral ministry in preparation for ordination.  It is important that any religious or lay persons offering spiritual direction have extensive study in theology and pastoral experience as well.  There are various courses and other kinds of training that sometimes claim to give degrees or certificates in spiritual direction, but these carry little weight with regard to how capable a person is of providing helpful and faithful spiritual direction.  The main thing to seek out is someone who has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith, lives according to it themselves,  and has experience in helping others to live it.

It is not enough for a spiritual director to be holy or devout.  Just because a person is able to walk their own path to Christ well does not mean that they will know how to guide others.  For this reason, I would advise against seeking out a spiritual director who has had very limited experience in working with others in a pastoral or spiritual setting.  Generally for priests and/or religious I think it is a good idea for them to wait a few years after ordination/final profession before directing others.  For lay persons it may be even later in life before they are able to gain the needed theological, spiritual and pastoral experience required to direct others.

In the case where a person is discerning the priesthood or religious life, I would highly recommend a spiritual director who has personal experience of this process of discernment.  Someone discerning the priesthood should find a priest for a spiritual director.  One who is discerning religious life, a religious from the community that they are considering, if possible, and if not, a religious of a different order.  

I would also recommend staying as locally as you can.  There will be less explaining, less assuming, and less confusion if the spiritual director is familiar with the area and culture where you live.  It can be difficult to find capable spiritual directors, but generally a director is more likely to agree if it is clear from the outset that the direction will not be for an indefinite period of time. 

That being said, it is better to drive further than to settle for spiritual direction that is not helpful.  If you are meeting once a month, which is the common practice, a drive of even over an hour may be worth it if you are able to benefit from good spiritual direction.

What Should Happen In Spiritual Direction?

It is important for a person seeking out spiritual direction to have an understanding of what to expect.  While certainly there is a lot of variation among spiritual directors as to how they engage those they are directing, there are also certain standards and practices that anyone seeking formal spiritual direction within the Catholic Church can and should expect.

Initial inquiry.  After referral or encountering a possible spiritual director, the person seeking direction should email or call the public number of the potential director to set up a meeting to discuss their state in life and the possibility of spiritual direction.  In some cases, it may be that the first number of potential directors you reach out to are unwilling or unable to meet, or simply don't return calls or emails.  This may indicate that they are simply disorganized, but it may also indicate that providing spiritual direction is not a particularly important priority.  A busy pastor or religious superior may be difficult to schedule.  It is up to you to discern whether it is worth working around their busy lives.  If they are particularly insightful and prayerful, it might be worth it.  Don't settle.  Wide open availability may not always be a good sign.  Those who are capable are often in high demand.  The main thing is to try to nail down a first meeting.  

First meeting(s).  The first meeting with a potential director is very important.  Meetings should last no more than an hour - maybe an hour and a half at most.  During the initial meeting, one can expect to discuss what is happening in his or her life that has prompted the request for spiritual direction and  expectations for such spiritual direction.  This discussion should happen without any expectation of future meetings, so that both the directee and director can decide together if spiritual direction makes sense.  If both agree that they seem to be able to communicate well and that spiritual direction could be fruitful, rather than set up an indeterminate meeting schedule in the first meeting, such as the first ____ of every ____, I would highly recommend setting a specific number of meetings concluded with an evaluative discussion about next steps.  For example, if a person were seeking out spiritual direction because of a crisis in faith, it would be reasonable to agree to meet monthly for three months and then to evaluate how things were going and if spiritual direction were still needed.  In the case of potential longer-term spiritual direction, such as of a person discerning the priesthood or religious life, it would be wise to agree to meet for a couple months and then to have a discussion as to whether both director and directee were comfortable with how things were going.  It is very important that spiritual direction begin and end naturally and transparently, without the awkwardness of one party or the other wondering what is going on.  A director should be able to communicate with you clearly about his or her expectations and goals in spiritual direction.    

Frequency of meetings.  As mentioned above, a common frequency of spiritual direction meetings would be once a month.  In crisis circumstances, there may be a temptation to meet more frequently, but my contention would be that often in such circumstances what is needed is the addition of counseling, rather than additional spiritual direction.  Monthly is a general guide - it may be three weeks some months, and five others.  It is important that meetings are scheduled and that both director and directee are faithful to meeting times.  The easiest method is to schedule the next meeting time at the end of each meeting.  If progress has been made and both agree that meetings are not needed or possible with as much frequency, a meeting could be set two or even three months distant to check in.  I would make sure, however, that meetings don't just peter out.  If it is determined by both that there is no longer need for formal spiritual direction - for example, after six months of meeting following a directee's entrance into the Church at Easter - it is important that both acknowledge the conclusion of spiritual direction so that no one is left wondering.  I have seen many cases where director or directee misses a scheduled meeting, and then both spend the next year in passing discussions promising to set up another meeting, before letting the arrangement awkwardly fade away.  This is not a good way to end direction.  Far better to have a concluding meeting, say what needs to be said, exchange thank yous and move on without vague expectations hanging over anyone.

Confidentiality and transparency.  The spiritual direction relationship is predicated on the expectation of both transparency and confidentiality.  The most rigorous level of confidentiality in the Church is the seal of the confessional.  The confidentiality of spiritual direction is a close second to the confidentiality of the confessional, as what is shared is considered "internal forum."  The director is expected to keep everything divulged within spiritual direction confidential, although some important qualifications are necessary.  Unlike the confessional, the director can and often should make reference to previous spiritual direction discussions and revelations during subsequent meetings with the directee.  Also unlike the confessional, the spiritual director is not bound to confidentiality with regard to mandatory reporting laws that would involve the abuse of minors or threat of harm to others or to oneself.  Finally, the spiritual director can acknowledge being a particular person's spiritual director, when and where meetings having taken place, and whether he or she has ended the spiritual direction relationship.  Beyond this information, strict confidentiality is expected by the Church of spiritual directors.

Prayerfulness.  The expectation of any spiritual direction relationship in the Church is that it is led by the Holy Spirit and proceeds under his guidance.  It should therefore be the clear expectation of anyone seeking spiritual direction that their meetings begin and end in prayer and are focused primarily on the experiences that the directee has had in prayer.  Prayer is the grist required for the "mill" of spiritual direction.  Without active prayer lives in both the director and directee, there will be no life of the Spirit to discuss in their meetings.  It is therefore critical that one seeking spiritual direction be committed to living an intentional, active prayer life.

Active vs. Passive Spiritual Direction.  Spiritual direction unfolds in various ways and modes, often between the same director and directee, depending on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  There are various traditions of direction and methods that are often associated with particular spiritual traditions and religious orders in the Church.  Some are more formal, others less formal.  Some are more directive, others more responsive.  Among all of these traditions and methods of direction, a good spiritual director will avoid the extremes: either of an overly directive and authoritative approach, or an overly passive and responsive approach.  A wise director will know when to listen and when to speak, when to challenge and when to console, when to clarify and define and when to leave room for mystery and questions.  It is important for the directee to have adequate trust in his or her spiritual director, transparently relating what is going on in his or her life of faith and being open and receptive to the guidance and suggestions offered by their director.  It can be tempting for the directee to try to compromise the role of the director by deciding that he or she is most aware of how what kinds of discussion, steps, or progress should be happening.  Certainly feedback and clear discussion of how things are going is critical, but it is also important for the directee to recognize that spiritual direction is not a relationship of equals.  The spiritual director is sought out because of his or her knowledge of the faith, experience, and prudence in walking the path to holiness.  In choosing a spiritual director, one humbly asks to be led and guided along the path of faith, trusting that the Lord is at work in the guidance offered by a faithful spiritual director.  If a directee cannot trust that the Lord Jesus is at work in guiding them through spiritual direction, it is time to find a new director.

What Should Not Happen In Spiritual Direction?

The aim of this post is to provide those who are seeking or receiving spiritual direction with a basic knowledge of how spiritual direction should and should not happen.  Unfortunately, there are too many in the Church who claim to offer spiritual direction but who are unqualified or unfit to direct others in the spiritual life.  Except in egregious cases, the leadership of the Church rarely makes any public indication regarding the fitness of particular priests, religious, or lay people to offer spiritual direction.  Even when rumors fly, priests or religious in a diocese would be hesitant to criticize the direction being offered by others, given that their knowledge is very limited because of the confidentiality of the relationship.  Furthermore, many dysfunctional modes of spiritual direction do not fall into clear boundary violations or immoral behavior, but instead provide the directee with an impoverished and unhelpful experience that does not help them grow in the spiritual life.  It is therefore very important that those who are seeking spiritual direction or who are in spiritual direction have clear expectations.  

Gossip and worldliness.  One of the great temptations in spiritual direction is for the very limited time of the conversation to be overtaken with gossip and discussion of worldly concerns.  This is especially a danger when the director and directee are overly familiar with one another and share many common relationships and experiences together.  While it is certainly true that the spiritual life cannot and should never be divorced from the practical realities of life, far too often these realities can entirely overshadow the workings of the Holy Spirit.  Particularly when we are feeling dry or distant from God and when our prayer life is weak, there is a great temptation to flee into the comfortable discussions of inter-personal dynamics, politics, and day-to-day concerns.  These areas of life may need to be briefly discussed in order to give context to a fruitful spiritual direction session, but always in reference to where the Lord is at work in our lives, how he is leading us and guiding us, and how we are responding to him.  Far too many spiritual direction sessions descend into gripe sessions or litanies of shared worldly concern, filled with gossip, hearsay, and detraction.  The transparency made possible by the confidential setting can sometimes lead the directee to feel that direction is where he or she can "spill their guts," giving voice to all frustrations, fears, anger, and resentment.  While such venting may occasionally be appropriate and needed in spiritual direction, if it becomes the major, defining part of it, we can be sure that such sessions are not being led by the Spirit.  Both director and directee have a responsibility to ensure that they focus their time together on God's grace at work - yes, sometimes looking at the obstacles - but focusing most intently on the path to holiness that is walked through personal sacrifice and prayer.

Counseling.  Another danger for spiritual direction lies in a confusion between the spiritual life and the mental health of the directee.  The goal of spiritual direction is to know, love, and serve the Lord in this world and the next. The goal of counseling is much more subdued: mental health.  Mental health is required for spiritual direction and can be improved by it, but it is a far cry from holiness of life. While it is certainly true that the spiritual and psychological are intimately connected, the kind of conversation and guidance needed for each is very distinct.  Spiritual direction is inherently relational in its orientation, having to do with the relationship between the directee and the Holy Trinity, the angels and saints, and the people who he or she interacts with each day.  These spiritual relationships and realities relate to and are heavily affected by our mental states, but are far more extensive than mere psychological phenomenon.  For this reason, spiritual direction sessions should not be dominated by the analysis of introspective experience divorced of reference to the transcendent.  It is important to give proper due to our interior states and emotional responses to what is happening around us, but spiritual direction must not remain on this psychological plain forever.  The goal of spiritual direction is not to better understand ourselves, but to better understand God and grow in union with him.  In doing so we will necessarily come to understand ourselves more fully, but this is secondary and a byproduct of the primary focus of the spiritual life: union with Christ.  Director and directee must pour their conversation through the sieve of our Lord's command: "Seek first the kingdom of God."  

Boundary violations.  A spiritual director who does not have the maturity or prudence to adequately direct another within proper boundaries can cause spiritual and emotional confusion and errors in those he or she directs, and in some cases cause spiritual and psychological trauma.  Reviewing appropriate ministerial boundaries in spiritual direction assists a directee to recognize if a spiritual director is acting inappropriately and placing them in compromised or damaging situation.  Common boundary violations in ministerial settings, including spiritual direction, are as follows:

•  Violations of confidentiality.  A spiritual director is bound to keep the content of each session in confidence and should never reference it outside of the bounds of spiritual direction unless it represents a serious threat to you or to another or involves abuse of a minor.  If your spiritual director publicly references things that you have discussed in direction, positive or negative, they have crossed this boundary and you should find another director.  It is critical that spiritual direction happen in the context of trust, allowing you to work through what is going on in your relationship with God and those around you without concern for where that information may end up.
• Inappropriate locations and times.  Spiritual direction should generally take place during business hours and in a professional or spiritual space.  Normally meetings should happen in a parish office or some part of a church complex.  Others should be around and, if possible, there should be windows or doors that open into a public space from the room where you meet.  It is not appropriate to meet for spiritual direction in a private home or late in the evening.  Nor is it appropriate to meet for spiritual direction in an informal setting like a restaurant or park.  If you would not meet for counseling in the setting, you should not meet for spiritual direction there either.  
• Inappropriate personal sharing by a spiritual director.  A spiritual director should never divulge his or her own intimate, personal struggles or issues in the context of spiritual direction, seeking counsel or support from his or her directee.  This is entirely inappropriate.  There may be circumstances when relating previous experiences or difficulties in a general manner can be helpful in providing guidance, but the spiritual director should always be very careful about volunteering personal information.  Is such information necessary or helpful to the directee?  Unfit spiritual directors can sometimes divulge personal information in an effort to establish a sense of vulnerability and trust with the directee, but this is a form of manipulation and places the directee in the very compromised position of feeling that they owe the director a similar vulnerability and trust that they may not be ready to give.  If a spiritual director demonstrates a pattern of disclosing personal information during sessions, he or she is not ready to direct others and it is important to end direction and find someone else.
• Speaking with inappropriate authority.  It is expected, as I noted above, that a directee will humbly receive the guidance and recommendations of a good and trustworthy spiritual director.  However, the authority of the spiritual director must remain within strict limits.  A spiritual director can never claim to know God's will for certain, or to be speaking on behalf of God.  He or she should never order or require a directee to take a particular course of action.  Examples of this misuse of authority would include ordering a directee to: enter the seminary, enter the convent, get married, not get married, get divorced, not get divorced, kick children out of the home, go avoid a wedding outside of the church, receive communion on the tongue, receive communion in the hand, etc...  A spiritual director should likewise never claim to know for certain who or what is influencing the interior life of his or her directee, or claim to have insight into his or her motives beyond what the directee has indicated.  He or she should refrain from definitive pronouncements and judgements about the character, nature, or future possibilities for a directee.  Any violations of these boundaries by a spiritual director are red flags and should result in ending spiritual direction.
• Manipulation by the spiritual director.  It is likewise a violation of proper boundaries for a spiritual director to in any way manipulate a directee.  Manipulation within the spiritual direction relationship can sometimes be quite subtle and difficult for a directee to identify.  The directee should become concerned if at any point the relationship begins to feel oppressive, obligated, exclusive, or all-encompassing.  A spiritual director should never use language of personal request, disappointment or gratitude regarding the spiritual life of a directee, for example "Promise me that you will not go there again."  "I must be a horrible spiritual director if you are making so little progress on this."  "I'm so grateful to God that you have come into my life and given me so much consolation!" These are examples of boundary violations that indicate a lack of maturity and prudence in the director.  They result when someone is consciously or unconsciously trying to meet their own needs through their ministry, rendering them unable to serve the needs of the directee.  These can be difficult director/directee relationships to break free of, because manipulation has caused the directee to feel a sense of obligation to the director, who will likely protest and resent any attempt to end direction.  They may also fear that the director could divulge confidential information or injure them in some other way.  If you find yourself in a manipulative spiritual relationship, it is important to seek out a good friend or guide who can help support you and guide you in finding your way out.  It may also be important to report the manipulative behavior to those with pastoral responsibility in the church, since manipulation is often the beginning of more serious forms of abuse.
•  Physical contact.  It should go without saying, but any intimate physical contact whatsoever in the context of spiritual direction should result in the immediate ending of direction.  In the case of emotional sharing by the directee, this is all the more true.  A weeping or emotional directee is vulnerable and fragile.  The desire to reach out in an embrace or to hold on to someone in this state is natural, but is exactly what a mature and prudent spiritual director realizes they should not do.  It is very easy for such gestures to be misinterpreted or to cause confusion.  What the directee needs in that moment is a compassionate and loving, stable presence with them, reassuring them with clear and healthy boundaries and helping them to turn to God for the healing and consolation they desire.  A hand on the shoulder or sideways hug on the way out the door may be appropriate in some cases, after the point of extreme vulnerability has passed.  But it is never appropriate to for the spiritual director to initiate physical contact in a one on one setting, particularly when the directee is disclosing things that are troubling or embarrassing.  If such contact happens, the directee should immediately let the spiritual director know that the contact is not welcome, should leave, and should consult a local priest or the diocese about whether the incident needs to be reported or not.  

Conclusion

The above reflections are meant to be a guide for those who are seeking spiritual direction in the Catholic Church today, both in terms of what they should expect to happen in spiritual direction and in terms of what they should not expect to happen.  These reflections are drawn from my own personal experience of spiritual direction and my experience as a priest for the last 12 years helping others to find the spiritual support that they need.  Certainly there is much that could be added and probably subtracted too.  I have tried to steer clear of giving my own personal preferences and to instead give the larger, more universal framework that should apply to all spiritual direction offered in the Catholic Church.  I am still learning, as I'm sure is the case for every priest, religious, or lay person who offers spiritual support to others.  We are not perfect, but we trust that our Lord can work through us despite our weakness.

Spiritual direction is a beautiful and fruitful gift that has been lived in the Church from the beginning.  Christ taught us that wherever two or more are gathered in his name he is in our midst.  As followers of Christ, it is critical that we safeguard and teach each generation about the treasure of spiritual direction and encourage and train good and capable spiritual directors.  Please feel free to email or comment if you have any thoughts about where adjustments or additions can be made to the above.  God bless you!

Earthly Tribes and Heavenly Hosts

“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

This seems like a reasonable request of Jesus that St. John makes in the Gospel today. Doesn’t it make sense that Jesus would be concerned if someone was using his name to carry out ministry who was not a follower of his?  There was no way to know what else he was saying or doing or if he might turn against them at some point.  We can imagine what the lawyers would do with something like this today, right?

I think it is important to have a little context.  In Mark’s gospel, John’s request comes immediately after we hear that the disciples were walking along behind our Lord talking about who was the greatest.  Jesus reprimands them for their worldliness and tells them that they should seek to serve, rather than lording authority over others.  Then, perhaps thinking he is on more solid ground, St. John brings up his question: what about this guy who isn’t even an apostle – who isn’t even on the team, and he is trying to claim he acts in the name and with the power of Jesus?  Surely he is on the outs, right?

The apostles are trying to figure out who has authority, who has power, who can be a legitimate witness – who is on the “team.”  They are deeply concerned about who is in charge, who has authority – who is exercising leadership.  The idea that someone who is not known to them is claiming authority makes them apprehensive and nervous. 

Why?  Ultimately, I think we can see that it has to do with control, right?  It is telling that John tells Jesus that the one casting out demons “does not follow us.”  Notice that he doesn’t say “does not follow you.”  What concerns him is not that the man is doing something against Jesus, but that he is not a part of their company – their group.  In this, he expresses a common earthly tribal tendency: to be concerned and suspicious of those who aren't part of or don’t feel compelled to answer to the tribe, those who are not “team players.”  The disciples, like most people, were accustomed to judging others based on the earthly tribe they belonged to, and to working hard to secure their own places in their own tribe. 

How things don't change!  Think about what is playing out now in our national politics and how Senators are so concerned to stay in their tribes – to not be caught out on their own.  They know that stepping out of line will be political suicide. 

And it's not just leadership.  The dynamic of social membership, of being a part of a tribe, effects each of us.  On a very visceral level, isn't it true that most people recoil at the idea of being outside of a social tribe or community.  We know that to be on the outs in a community is dangerous and makes someone vulnerable.  People outside of the circle don’t receive critical information, are vulnerable to rumors and slander, and are treated with distrust.  Being left out is probably the greatest fear most people deal with in the world – being marginalized, being overlooked, being shunned.

With a big mortgage and lots of bills to pay, it becomes increasingly difficult to advocate for decisions and principles in the workplace that would put us on the fringe.  When we need the help of teachers and professors in securing academic opportunities, it becomes risky to hold unpopular beliefs that will be perceived as out of touch or ignorant.  When we have children and grandchildren who we love and who love and admire us, it becomes very challenging to witness to beliefs or ideas that challenge their lifestyle choices and make them feel condemned. 

How many of us experience this, and so many other social challenges on a regular basis as we are trying to navigate living in a community?  How nerve-wracking is it to wonder if we are on our way to being marginalized and left out, especially when we know that such marginalization could mean a lot of pain and suffering for us and those we love?  The more earthly blessings that we have and the more attached to them we are, the harder it is to live with a serenity that is not constantly anxious about falling out of favor, being labeled as one of those who “does not follow us.”  How easy it is to compromise with the devil when we are motivated by this fear that we might be left out, that we might become irrelevant, forgotten. 

I think this is a great demon that our entire Church fights today.  The modern world is moving ahead and moving in a direction that is increasingly tribal and increasingly hostile to the teaching and witness of Christ.  And we feel the pressure, do we not?  It can feel almost on a visceral, survival level that our Church being pushed out of the social main stream and into irrelevant backwaters.

What does Christ have to tell us today?  To be courageous and to follow his example.  What is his example?  First of all, we must pray for increasing detachment from the goods of this world, and a decisive attachment to following him.  Such that we will let go of anything that would keep us from him – our hand, our eye – whatever keeps us from being close to Christ, from the detachment we need to be faithful, we must be willing to offer that courageous sacrifice with Christ on this altar. 
I do not say this lightly.  I know that for many of us, we would probably rather lose a hand or an eye than what we worry about losing: the closeness of a family member, a promising career, a group of friends…  We are not talking about trivial things. 

And yet, do we not know in our hearts that we cannot be authentic and credible witnesses to Christ in our families, our workplaces, our friendships, unless we are willing to run the risk of losing them for the sake of Christ?  There is no such thing as a cowardly Christian – because a Christian must always face the truth and live in love.  And that always requires sacrifice and suffering.  You cannot be a principled person if you are more worried about your earthly tribe than the heavenly host. 

This does not mean that we act imprudently or angrily pick fights with the culture of our time.  We should try to get along when we can.  We should always be humble and recognize that we might not be seeing a person or situation as it truly is.  We need to pray through every decision and work to discern where the Holy Spirit is at work an how he is guiding us.  We should always desire peace and concord.  We should seek unity and collaboration. 

We should work to find common ground and to increase understanding among peoples.  But all of this must be done with the awareness, as Jesus teaches us, that in the end we only answer to him.  In the end our earthly tribe only matters insofar as it helps us to grow closer to him and is an expression of the love we share in him.  Christ alone can give us true communion – love that is rooted in the truth and in generosity of heart.  We must go to him first, trusting that he will not abandon us and that he will gently guide us along the path that leads to eternal life and leads us, not to a mere temporary earthly tribe, but to an eternal communion of love with him and all of our brothers and sisters.

Discerning in War-Time

In the fall of 1939, as the Second World War raged, C.S. Lewis stood up in the church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford to give a sermon to returning students at the university.  The sermon is known to us as “Learning in War-Time:” an articulate defense of the timeless value of study and learning, even in the midst of the calamity of war.  He felt the need to speak to his students who were returning to their studies, questioning whether it was right or even possible to pursue knowledge in the midst of international events so dire and dramatic as the great war.  Should not classes have been canceled and everyone sent to the trenches to battle it out?

As American seminarians return to their studies this fall, they do so in the midst of a great calamity engulfing the U.S. Catholic Church.  The summer of 2018 has ignited what some fear may become a great “civil war.”  Revelations from the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, former Cardinal McCarrick’s resignation, and Archbishop Viganó’s letter have thrown the Church into disarray.  Thousands of lay faithful have called for resignations, priests have voiced frustration and anger, and bishops and cardinals are showing little unity or resolve as to how to face the crisis.  Battle lines seem to be forming across every level of the Church, as shrill voices call for war.  Pope Francis, who has been outspoken on so many issues, cannot or will not wade into the conflagration. 

What does a seminarian, or a man who is seriously discerning a vocation to the priesthood do in such a time, when the very ground beneath him rocks and sways?  Is authentic discernment possible in such a polarized and unpredictable terrain, or should the quest be put on hold?  To where can these men turn to find solid ground and sound guidance?

In answer to these critical questions, C.S. Lewis’ guidance to his embattled students in Oxford some 79 years ago offers some helpful insight.  Those who are discerning the priesthood today will find in his thoughts a helpful path forward as they seek to navigate these troubled times.

War is a New Revelation of an Old Enemy

“War creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it.”   This principle, articulated by C. S. Lewis in his sermon, is certainly true in the case of the abuse crisis afflicting the Church.  The devastating revelations of this summer have thrust the reality of sinful and perverse clergy into the light of day, a reminder of just how sick and twisted, cowardly and duplicitous human beings can be – even those who are entrusted with great spiritual responsibility.  In the face of such horrific revelations, we run the very real risk of thinking that evil becomes real when it begins ‘trending’ or after it hits the 24 hour news cycle, and to think that it goes away once the coverage has ended.  But this is obviously a great illusion.   The evil one is always at work attacking and seducing priests and bishops and any other person he can get his claws into, and many times has succeeded.  The life of Judas Iscariot makes this very clear, as does that of St. Peter and so many other sinful Christians.  The reality of sin and malice and perversion is not new.  Our world is a spiritual battleground.  “Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice,” writes C.S. Lewis.  Christianity is a fighting religion. Christ came to save us from an all-too-real enemy, one that has always existed, and has always been “prowling like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  Christ, in turn, strengthens us to resist him, strong in our faith.  The fight against evil, against Satan, is a Christian duty whether there is public outrage or not, whether there are worldly consequences or not.  This summer’s revelations of the devil’s workings inside of the Church hierarchy should remind us of the larger spiritual battle that is being waged around us and spur us to recommit ourselves to fighting alongside Christ against evil, particularly in our own lives and in the areas of life where we have moral responsibility.  To the extent that they have responsibility or awareness of the Church, laity and clergy must take this battle against evil wherever it leads, even if it leads deep into the hierarchy.  Yet for most of us, our battle against evil plays out more directly and immediately in our own personal lives and in the lives of our family and community.  Those who are discerning the priesthood, whether living in the world or in a seminary, should be careful that the very public battle against evil now unfolding within the hierarchy not distract them from the hidden spiritual war they must fight against sin and temptation and evil in their daily lives.

Resisting the Drama of Conflict

Waging war can never be the goal of life.  War is always a means to an end, and as such must always be in the service of the good.  G. K. Chesterton once said that a moral soldier fights, "not because he hates who is in front of him, but because he loves who is behind him."   And yet, from the beginning of the fall of humanity, this requirement to defend the good, even sometimes through violence, has been twisted into something else entirely.  In every age and in our day there are many people for whom waging war becomes a way of life, and even something that they find enjoyable.  There is a "rush" of war, a kind of "euphoria" that many soldiers experience in surviving a life or death situation and coming out alive.  We can think of the many "professional" soldiers and mercenaries who have, over the centuries, become so twisted as to take pleasure in asserting their dominance by killing or torturing others, even innocent people. 

This can never be the case for a Christian soldier, no matter how many battles he must fight.  Any authentic crusade engaged in by a Christian must be a battle undertaken as a last resort to protect or secure a good.  In order to keep this perspective, the Christian soldier must often allow himself to be reminded about what and who he fights for.  He must make sure to get his head up above the fight often and take a breath of the clean air of truth, beauty, and goodness.  One cannot be all fight and remain a true Christian soldier for long. 

What does this mean for someone who is discerning in the midst of Church conflict?  It means that balance must prevail.  No, we should not ignore the conflicts and troubles that assail the Church, sticking our heads in the sand.  Yet at the same time, it is a spiritual disease to be constantly searching for enemies to slaughter, to the detriment of neighbors to be served.  Just as a traumatized soldier discerns less and less who is friend or foe and can fall prey to a kind of blood lust that turns even against his own allies, so also a Christian who constantly immerses himself in the scandals and failures of the Church can begin to thrash about the pews, injuring those of simple or weak faith or innocent devotion.  How often those who make it their life’s work to destroy every evil that threatens the true faith end up destroying the faith of many people around them and their own faith in the process?

I have watched this play out in the Church among faithful Catholics and clerics.  Injured, sometimes grievously, by the sins of someone within the Church or frustrated by the weakness of its members, they begin to grow more and more obsessed with calling out the sin and corruption within her.  This preoccupation grows and becomes an obsession, blocking out their ability to see any good or to enjoy the goodness of life in the Church.  Nothing seems as important to them as fighting the enemy that they are convinced threatens at every corner or lies hidden in every closet.  A kind of ecclesiastical paranoia takes over, removing their ability to trust anyone in the Church.  Those who dare express joy in the face of their desperate shadowboxing are viewed with suspicion.  Peacefulness and contentment is treasonous to their all-consuming cause.  These poor souls pile upon their shoulders an ever-increasing weight of darkness, sin, and misery, and become bowed down and resentful of those unwilling or incapable of doing the same.  Their lives are swallowed up by war against evil – all that remains is the fighter, but a fighter who can never return home because he no longer recognizes the home he fights for.  Consumed by hatred for the devil, he has lost his love for Christ.

Like the emperor Constantine learned, the Christian must keep his eyes fixed on the sign by which sin and death is conquered and affix it like a shield before him.  He must recognize that every battle in this world is, in the end, a battle for his heart.  To win an earthly victory but lose one’s soul in the process is exactly the sort of tragic triumph that the devil relishes more than any other.  The Christian who is discerning in wartime must be very careful to guard his heart, ensuring that through prayer, leisure, friendship and loving service it remains warm and beating.  As C.S. Lewis encouraged his students in the midst of World War II: they should not feel guilty or lazy for living a normal life in England during the midst of the fighting; for that life was exactly what men and women across the channel were dying to protect.  In their daily study and normal routines of life, they were a reminder to the soldiers in the field of who they were and why they fought.  So too, Christians must remain faithful to their daily work of prayer and service in the midst of ecclesial conflict.  In fact, they should be especially vigilant to the normal, daily life of the Church: their prayers and reception of the sacraments (particularly the Eucharist and confession), their study, their engagement at the parish and in the corporal works of mercy, their attentiveness to their primary family and ministry responsibilities, and their diligence at work.  As Christ the Lord taught in so many parables and through his own example, our task is to follow the will of our Heavenly Father by loving him and our neighbor.  If we are faithful in this task, our victory is assured even in what seems a disastrous earthly defeat.

Prioritizing the Immediate Circumstances of your Life

C.S. Lewis raises in his sermon a critical question of discernment: how should students know, in such a trying time, whether they were called to leave behind the tranquility of the classroom and take up arms against the enemy?  When it is clear that some are called to front lines of the battle, how does one who is capable of being a soldier determine whether or not he should enlist?  Lewis’ response to this question is quite simple and straightforward:

A mole must dig to the glory of God and a cock must crow. We are members of one body, but differentiated members, each with his own vocation. A man's upbringing, his talents, his circumstances, are usually a tolerable index of his vocation. If our parents have sent us to Oxford, if our country allows us to remain there, this is prima facie evidence that the life which we, at any rate, can best lead to the glory of God at present is the learned life.

Healthy discernment looks to immediate circumstances as a key indicator for what God is asking of us at this time.  Yes, it may very well be that there is a great need for troops out on the battlefield, but that does not mean that we are called to take our place among them.  Discernment requires a clear-headed look at where we stand: who are the people, the circumstances, and the implications of the terrain that we walk upon?  For in the end, the raging of even a great war not far removed from us has relatively little bearing on what we are called by Christ to do each day.  A mother in Syria, just miles from the bloody fighting and bombardment still finds her day comprised of waking at a regular hour, assisting the children with getting ready for the day, cooking breakfast, shopping for food, visiting the neighbors, cleaning the home, loving her husband, taking care of elderly parents, etc…  The same is the case for the butcher down the street, or the engineer a few doors down.  Society does not come to a screeching halt, even in the midst of conflict, because our daily lives depend directly on the simple efforts of others, and their lives depend directly on the simple efforts that we make. 

In discerning what to do in a time of conflict, then, the answer is usually quite simple: do what is needed of you in the place and time where you are, just as you normally would.  It can be assumed, barring exceptional circumstances, that where you are is where God needs you to be.  If you were needed elsewhere, someone would come to tell you – someone would make a request – there would be a sign.  If that has not happened, then stick with what lies before you and do it as well as you can, humbly offering your efforts to God.  If you are a layperson raising a family, do your best to live a life of prayer and virtue that you can share with your spouse and children and seek to grow and deepen your knowledge and love of God.  If you are a young person in high school or college, be diligent in your prayer and study and in building up strong and healthy friendships.  If you are a priest, look to those entrusted to your care in your assignment and care for them with as much skill and generosity as you can.  If you are trying to discern your call in life inside or outside of the seminary, continue to discern as you would otherwise: pray, read, speak with wise guides, and be generous and courageous in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

How do you know if it is your time to fight?  How can you ensure that you are not being a coward and seeking solace in selfish trivialities?  When should evil be called out?  When should letters be written?  When should demands be made and warnings issued?  We must ask ourselves constantly: What is Jesus asking of me?  What will he hold me responsible for at the end of my life?  How much do I, in good conscience, need to say or do in the face of this evil?  Is it enough for me to pray and to go about diligently doing my work, or must I step into the conflict to protect one who is innocent or to strengthen one who is failing?   Can I engage in this battle without neglecting the primary responsibilities of my life or greater goods that I could be pursuing?  Is this fight the best use of my gifts, my time, my energy, or should this battle be left to someone more capable than I? 

In the end, I would submit that even in times of great conflict and turmoil in the Church the overwhelming majority of the People of God are not called to be in the midst of the fight.  Most of us are called to the daily work of sowing and reaping, of shaping and building, of putting out into the deep and lowering our nets for a catch.  This is the work God sets before us as the pathway to heaven, the talent entrusted to our care until he returns.  Only rarely are sheep called to take up arms and fight off the wolves.  Normally we are called to find the green pastures and to stay close to one another and to our Good Shepherd.

The Three Ways Conflict Wages War on Discernment

In what I think is the most helpful section of his sermon, C.S. Lewis examines important mental exercises that he says are important defenses against three particular ways that war threatens the scholar, and in our case, the discerner.  The three enemies that Lewis identifies are excitement, frustration, and fear.

Excitement.  Lewis writes: “If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favourable conditions never come.”

There will always be something urgent to distract us from doing God’s work, particularly in our time of mass communication and social media.  Drama abounds, and it is particularly easy for one who cares deeply about the Church to think that following every up and down of the latest ecclesiastical crisis is a kind of Christian virtue.  But it is not.  At the end of our lives, Christ will not quiz us on how many cardinal’s names we know or on which bishops have been the most courageous in their teaching.  He will ask us about the responsibility that he entrusted to us, the talents that he left in our care.  C.S. Lewis acknowledges that in war time there are some events that one simply cannot ignore – certainly this is the case for the horrible revelations about the Church in the U.S. over this summer.  There is nothing wrong with being aware of what is happening and of doing what we can to contribute to a positive and good response through prayer and good works.  However, we must always be on guard against things that disquiet and distract us from doing the primary tasks that God has set before us. 

Frustration.  Here, C.S. Lewis speaks of the heightened sense in war-time of not having time to finish our work, or of one’s work not being able to come to fruition.  Again, Lewis points out that this sense of the tenuousness of our efforts, heightened in war, is the manifestation of a reality that is part of life even in the most peaceful of times.  The future is never ours to control – it belongs to God.  We never have any guarantees about what will happen as a result of our efforts.  Lewis encourages us to remember that we pray each day for “our Daily Bread,” and to keep our eyes fixed on the work of each day, entrusting the future to God.  This is a critical lesson for all of us, and especially one who is working to discern his or her vocation: do the good today, and trust that God will lead you where you need to go and will bring your efforts to happy effect.  Scandals and conflict in the Church do not change the fundamental obscurity of what the future holds – there is still as much opportunity to become a saint as there ever was and ever will be.  God’s will is not circumscribed by the natural order of things and his ways are not our ways.  We must do the best we can with each day that is given us, trusting that in the end nothing offered to God will be wasted.  Even though our efforts may be frustrated in this world, we know that his eternal designs will never be frustrated.

Fear.  In the midst of conflict, fear raises its ugly head to menace even the strongest of us.  As we see our Church racked by sin and division and beset by a thousand scandals, a deep inner anxiety can begin to take hold.  What will become of the Catholic faith?  How will people hear the good news of Jesus Christ?  Who will provide the sacraments?  How many innocent people will suffer because of this great scandal?  How long will this go on, and how much can people endure?  

Fear is a natural and good response to a threat.  Yet we must think clearly about the true nature of the threat posed to the Church by any scandal.  The Church is not a human institution that survives based on institutional strength or efficiency.  Her presence on earth is of divine origin and is sustained by the very life of Jesus Christ, continually poured out among us.  His life and his mission of loving service is so much greater, more complex, more beautiful, and more compelling than any particular earthly instantiation of the Church.  The liturgy of heaven is only faintly echoed in our paltry liturgies on this earth.  The truth of Christ’s teaching is only clumsily, disjointedly, and dimly hinted at in the teaching of the Church.  The beauty of life and the sacredness of the human person, made in the image and likeness of God, has not even remotely been captured by the thousands upon thousands of human attempts at creating the beautiful in fine art and music and architecture.  And our shepherds, our leaders in faith – they are generally miserable wretches, just like St. Peter and the first batch were.  They can barely get out of their own way, and we disciples who are caught up in our own selfish concerns only trip them up more.  The Church is a big ol’ sinking ship, and she always has been.  Jesus didn’t make the Braque of Peter watertight, he made the water holy and lifegiving so that when she sinks we will not die.  The Church was given the gift of eternal life in Christ, her head, but that does not mean that she no longer dies in this world.  Indeed, if Christ himself had to die in order to rise to new life, so too his body the Church must suffer death as part of her earthly pilgrimage.  Indeed, the Church has died a thousand deaths with Christ already and sunk beneath the waves of sin more times than can be numbered.  C.S. Lewis reminded his scholars:

All the animal life in us, all schemes of happiness that centered in this world, were always doomed to a final frustration. In ordinary times only a wise man can realize it. Now the stupidest of us know. We see unmistakable the sort of universe in which we have all along been living, and must come to terms with it. If we had foolish un-Christian hopes about human culture, they are now shattered. If we thought we were building up a heaven on earth, if we looked for something that would turn the present world from a place of pilgrimage into a permanent city satisfying the soul of man, we are disillusioned, and not a moment too soon.

Yes, Christ dwells with us and is alive in his Church, which is his body.  But Christ is also infinitely greater than any earthly institution, any earthly epoch of his Church.  Because of this, we should fear no earthly power, nor any evil that rails against the Church in this world.  Jesus will continue to provide us with his teaching and sacraments, no matter how weakened the power of his earthly bride might become.  Compared to his power and majesty she has always been weak and miserable.  What makes the Church strong and beautiful is not who she is, but whose she is.  The Church’s life is Christ, and so the various deaths and sufferings endured in this world can only be for her a deeper sharing in the life of her beloved.  For those for whom life is Christ and death is gain, there is no need to fear.

Running into a Burning Firehouse

The first thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a fire fighter.  I’m not exactly sure what so captured my imagination.  It may have been the children’s book “The Fire Cat,” which I really loved.  It could have been that my favorite color was red.  It could have been the fancy trucks and cool tools.  But that was what I wanted to do.

As I’ve grown older, I would not say that my appreciation for firefighting has ever been extinguished (I know, that’s a horrible pun).   It is lifesaving work, and involves the saving of a life that is facing a most horrible and cruel end.  In fact, I can think of very few life-threatening circumstances that I would more profoundly value being saved from.  How can we not have a great appreciation for men and women who risk their lives to save others from burning to death?  We should pray in a particular way this week for those who are battling the fires in northern California.

Fire is one of the most powerful forces on earth and is also a very powerful image used throughout human history.  It was associated with various gods and forces in ancient times and continues to be used as a powerful spiritual and religious symbol throughout the world in almost every culture.  Like many powerful forces in our world, such as water or wind, fire has come to symbolize many things for many different peoples, both positive and negative.

Catholics are very familiar with fire as a religious symbol.  In the Catholic tradition, fire symbolizes critical mysteries of our faith: the new life of Jesus Christ risen from the dead which is celebrated each year at the Easter Vigil and the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in the upper room as “tongues of fire.” Candles, symbolizing the light of Christ, adorn every Catholic church, and each person who is baptized receives his or her own personal “fire” – a light of faith that is “to be kept burning brightly” until the Lord returns in glory.

Yet within the Catholic tradition, the symbol of fire is not exclusively viewed in a positive light.  Fire, after all, is used by God throughout the scriptures as a means of punishment and destruction.  And, most poignantly, Jesus speaks of fire and burning when he describes the torment and misery suffered by those who experience eternal damnation.

Lastly, fire is spoken of throughout the Christian scriptures in another, moral sense: as a symbol of depraved sensual desire.  There are a number of passages in the scriptures where lust is referred to as a kind of fire.  The book of Job refers to lust as a “fire the burns all the way down to the netherworld (Job 31:12).”   Proverbs asks, “Can a man take coals into his lap and not expect to get burned (Prov 6:27)?”  St. Paul speaks of lustful men as “burning with lust” or being “on fire” with lust (Romans 1:27, 1 Cor 7:9).”   And certainly this use of the image of fire as a symbol of intense sexual desire or lust is not exclusive to Christianity.

The House is on Fire

Using the symbol of fire in this way,  we must today acknowledge clearly: Western culture is currently engulfed by a hellacious fire of sexual depravity, perversion and abuse.  It is a fire that has spread throughout society, leaving few people unharmed or unaffected.  Like the recent wild fires that continue to ravage Northern California, burning down homes and destroying lives, the wild fire of sexual liberation unleashed some 50 years ago continues to rage on unabated, destroying marriages, traumatizing innocents, destroying careers, and corrupting even those who would seem to be safe.  Nothing has been spared from the burning heat: not even those who are supposed to be our moral and religious leaders.  Within the Catholic Church, this has been so very painfully apparent.  The recent revelations surrounding former Archbishop McCarrick represent a new and demoralizing chapter in the Church’s battle against the particularly demonic flames that have threatened to consumer her.  Every time the blaze seems to be contained, a wisp of smoke gives away a previously unnoticed hot spot and another conflagration ensues.  One begins to wonder: who will it be next?  Whose reputation will be the next to go up in flames?  Is there anyone who is not embroiled in this?  Will there be anything left standing?

A fire fighter can tell you about the “fire triangle:” the three critical elements necessary for a fire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and heat.  All three are required in order for a fire to burn, and the more that all three are present, the more severe and hot the fire will be.  I would submit that we are facing a similar cultural “fire triangle” in the area of human sexuality.  The fuel: an epidemic of estranged, lonely people who are lacking real connection, love, and affection.  The oxygen: a driving cultural wind of arbitrary individual power that rejects objective principles about the human person, dismisses traditional moral and religious values, and promotes self-fulfillment as the primary goal of life.  The heat: a vast corporate entertainment complex that is content to profit from the sale of a depraved mix of sexual allure, deviance, exploitation, and violence.

And unlike the fires in California, this fire is not even remotely contained.  Some would see in the media attention given to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, sexual abuse in college and Olympic athletic programs, and the  “Me Too” movement signs that our culture is beginning to hold the line against the flames.  It is true that we are becoming more aware of the damage, of the way so many have been burned by sexual harassment and abuse in ways that have been tragic and life-altering.  But I am not convinced that this awareness is yet translating into any concrete actions that will help put out the fire.  It is not enough to merely express deep concern, outrage and frustration about how people have been so deeply traumatized.  Certainly, this recognition is a first step; you have to care for those who have been injured.  But a genuine response cannot stop with outrage, trauma counseling and financial payments.  As long as the fire of sexual immorality continues to rage, victims will continue to come forward and the suffering will continue.  At a certain point, the fire itself must be fought. 

Yet I am not convinced that our culture is prepared or ready to tackle this fight.  There is a disorienting quality to fires.  Smoke is blinding, the air is suffocating.  It is not easy to see what is going on or to think straight.  Sometimes it is difficult to tell what is on fire and what is not, and how serious the fire truly is.  Fires are unpredictable and powerful – even well intentioned and good people are overwhelmed and afraid to approach them.  Many times tactics that seem unrelated or drastic are required.  Without experience and knowledge, the task is daunting.  Firefighting is a science.   

Arson at the Fire Station

Pope Francis has called the Church a field hospital.  This is a wonderful analogy for the Church, highlighting the pastoral and ministerial dimensions of her work in caring for those who are sick and suffering.  I would propose that another fitting analogy for the Church, when speaking about sexual immorality as a fire spreading in a culture, is that of a fire station.  The Church has battled against this fire from its earliest years.  Both Greek and Roman societies were aflame with sexual immorality and perversion at the time when Christianity burst onto the scene.  Christians rushed into the burning streets and went to work.  Thousands of men and women vowed themselves to perpetual virginity.  Thousands more married Christians faithfully lived out their marriage vows and were open to children, turning away from divorce and contraceptives, which were common at the time.  Pastors, picking up from the apostles themselves, preached directly against all forms of sexual immorality and boldly encouraged their flocks to live chaste and virtuous lives. 

It was a fight. Purity, virginity, chastity – words that described weakness or naivete in the larger pagan world, were virtues prized in the Church, and men and women died to uphold them.  A number of the martyrs of the first centuries who we continue to honor today were Christian women who refused to give in to the sexual demands of pagan men.  These women were encouraged and admired for their steadfast conviction and refusal to bend, despite the very real torments they faced.  They were held up as witnesses and soldiers for Christ, true defenders of the faith and heroes to all believers.  In the centuries that followed, Christians began to create a culture of beauty that lifted human dignity out of the gutters of sexual objectification and called for the respect of all men and women as temples of the Holy Spirit.  Religious communities of vowed men and women sprang up all throughout Europe, bringing with them a new freedom and relief to many diverse cultures of the pagan world that had been tormented by centuries of sexual deviance, exploitation, and abuse.  A parish or a monastery or a convent was a fire station in a world on fire with the flesh, a firehouse dispatching fire-fighters who knew how to battle against the flames of the passions and tame them.  A huge treasury of knowledge and experience fighting against sins of the flesh was gradually amassed over the centuries in the writings of thousands of saints.  Laws, practices, and social mores organically developed in a way that encouraged and safeguarded chastity and sexual health in marriage, religious life, and other aspects of society.

Obviously, there were still many occasions of sexual immorality in Christendom during the first millennia.  But what is clear is that, unlike so many other cultures throughout the world and throughout the centuries, sexual exploitation, abuse and immorality was not promoted or condoned among Christians.  On the other hand, one could argue that over the course of the second Christian millennia there has been a general and gradual eroding of Christian sexual mores and practices in Western society.  The Judeo-Christian tradition was increasingly dismissed as a “medieval” tradition based on a belief system that subordinated women, promoted shame of one’s body, and forbade any sensual pleasure.  But it wasn’t until the second half of the 20^th century that the real revolt began.  Contraception, no fault divorce, the normalization of pornography, the embrace of homosexual activity, and the redefinition of gender itself are the final push of a great sexual revolution against Christian sexual morality that has all but demolished every firewall the Church carefully built over the centuries.  Virginity and chastity have ceased to be prized even by Christians, even by some of those who share the marriage bed or have taken vows.

And as all these walls have been tumbling down and the fires getting out of control, the Evil One made a very cunning and strategic move.  He turned arsonist, snuck in, poured gas around the firehouse and threw the match.  The fire of priest sexual abuse struck at the core of the credibility of Catholic Church to speak on issues of sexual morality.  The institution with the greatest knowledge and dedication to the science of chastity and tradition of virginity in the West was itself set aflame.  Struggling to address the fire spreading within its own ranks, the Evil One worked to overwhelm and demoralize the leadership of the Church, forcing her to neglect the larger social inferno for lack of credibility and resources.  It was a brilliantly diabolical move.  Now, not only were the streets burning, but the firehouses themselves were burning. 

How many of us, walking onto this scene have been throwing up our hands to the heavens as we cry out “to whom shall we go?”  Is there not one place of refuge on this scorched earth?  Must everything be consumed by this fire of the flesh?

Fighting Fire with Fire

But all is not lost.  We must take heart.  It is true that many of the traditional means and institutions that have been used to fight fires have been lost or are badly damaged.  But fires can be fought in many ways.  I remember well when I was in high school we visited a “smoke jumpers” station out west.  These guys were crazy.  They did not have big trucks, they carried no water.  They would get flown out into these remote areas where forest fires had started and they would parachute down into the trees, many times getting stranded up in them before rappelling down to the ground to begin their work.  They fought fire with non-traditional means: instead of water and foam, they brought chainsaws and axes.  They cleared whole sections of woods and then lit them on fire, destroying the needed fuel for the approaching blaze.  They fought fire with fire.  And they were able to put out large fires with very little in the way of institutional or mechanical support.

I suggest that the approach of these smoke jumpers may be a good analogy for an approach needed in our society today.  We must fight fire with fire – fight the fire of sexual immorality with the fire of the Holy Spirit, not a fire that destroys, but a fire that purifies and binds us to God and one another.  Men and women need to courageously step forward and be willing to be dropped into the current cultural conflagration armed only with the fire of the Holy Spirit.  

We should remember the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, heat.  A fire needs all three in order to burn.  It will be too difficult in the near term to shift the modern winds of individualistic will to power or dampen the heat of a sexually debaucherously entertainment industry.  The Church lacks the institutional and cultural credibility and strength.  Instead, Christians can set about destroying the fuel of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection, not with the old fire of selfish sensuality, but with a new fire of genuine love and community.  This new fire, the consuming fire of genuine love of neighbor, is the only way that I see the Church fending off the flames of sexual abuse and sin.  Only true love can destroy the pain and misery that fuels the twisted loves of this world.  Only a pure fire can fight the destructive fire of sexual immorality.

The fire blazes, but the Fire Fighters are Few.

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”  Jesus Christ seeks men and women to dedicate themselves to lighting this world on fire with his love, destroying the loneliness and isolation the Evil One uses as a fuel for his burning fire of sexually transmitted pain and destruction.  We must pray for a new generation of firefighters: Christian men and women dedicated to living a generous and chaste life.  And we should once more work to build up and foster within our community a deep and abiding appreciation for virginity, chastity, and sexual morality.  Priests and religious who make promises and vows of chastity should not be pitied or viewed with suspicion, but instead raised up as visible signs of the continued deep and abiding Catholic commitment to promoting sexual morality and holiness of life.  We should not forget the thousands of heroic chaste single and married men and women, seminarians, novices, priests, religious, and bishops who are running in and out of our burning firehouse, courageously fighting fires both within and without with limited support and resources, encouraging one another and reassuring us all by their daily efforts.  We need to pray for one another, encourage and defend one another, strategize and fight with one another, and remind one another that this fire will not burn forever.

Disciples Must be Willing to Shake the Dust from Their Feet

Homily for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2018

“Whatever place you enter that does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet as testimony against them.”

This seems to be a challenging teaching!  Why wouldn’t Jesus say something like “If your teaching is rejected, stop, do some thinking, and try to figure out if you’ve said something offensive or what is causing the problem.”  Or at least encourage some mercy and forgiveness!  Is he assuming that the Christian disciples will always be in the right?  That they won’t ever mix up the message, and therefore that any resistance to them must be in error?  Can’t towns get a second chance?

I think our first reading gives us a key insight toward figuring out how to interpret Jesus' instructions today.  In our reading from the book of Amos, we hear about a battle between two prophets: Amos and Amaziah.  Amaziah was a professional religious figure, a priest of the local temple.  He had a vested interest in making sure that the copacetic message got out – a message that would bring people together around the temple and the social and political leaders of that time.  His livelihood was based on saying what people wanted to hear about God – he was concerned to make sure that religious teaching was well received in society.  And so he tailored his message to meet where the people were at that time, which unfortunately happened to be a time of profound immorality and decadence.

Amos, on the other hand, was not a professional prophet.  He was, as he said in the reading, a dresser of sycamores.  He liked doing that simple work, and it sounds like he would rather have continued on dressing sycamores, if God had let him.  When he was called from the trees to prophesy, he did so not to make a living off of what he said, but because he felt compelled to obey when he had heard from God.  Because of this, he has a certain detachment from whether what he said was well received or not: and that gave him a freedom to speak the uncomfortable truth.  And speak the uncomfortable truth he did.  My old scripture professor used to say that whatever you find in the book of Amos that is positive was probably added by someone else later.  He was a prophet of doom, and he did not mince words.  He called out the immorality of the people and he called out their decadence, and he told them that there would be consequences.

In today’s reading we see sparks fly between these two prophets – Amaziah confronted Amos and told him to get lost.  Amos was upsetting the apple cart.  He was causing a stir, making people uncomfortable.  The collection was going to go down.  The people did not want to welcome him or to listen to him.  Off with you – back to the sycamores!

Amos responded to Amaziah in the way that Jesus teaches his disciples.  He was detached enough from the worldly success of his ministry to go back to tending sycamores.  He said his piece, it was rejected, and he was happy to shake the dust from his feet and move on.  He knew that getting rid of him would not get rid of the truth he preached.  And he was vindicated in hindsight – the decadence and immorality of the Hebrew people led to their destruction, just as Amos had said it would.

A danger for all of us as we seek to teach and give witness to the Gospel is the tendency to speak of God according to our own liking, to make Him in our own image.  But there is also another challenge that I would say is far more common, and far more destructive.  And the danger is this: that a desire for human affection, esteem, advancement, or other forms of earthly success compromises our ability to proclaim the truth of the Gospel.  And this is what Jesus was working to counteract by his instructions to his disciples and to all of us today.

Why does Jesus send them out with so little and insist that they leave if they are not listened to?  Because he knows human nature and he knows that if we are too concerned with earthly success, we are very likely to justify changing the message.  Instead of walking away and kicking the dust from our feet, we will stay and adapt our lives and message until what we say is well received.  But in the process of conforming to the culture around us, what happens?  Rather than being a light in the darkness, rather than bringing good news to the poor, we become just like everyone else: getting along just fine in our worldly ways.  I'm okay and you're okay and we all feel great about ourselves...  but the Gospel, the truth that Jesus Christ asks us to preach?  Well, that is nowhere to be found.

The reality is that, when faced with a choice between losing the love of neighbor or betraying the love of God, fallen nature has given us a tendency to favor the neighbor we see, rather than the God we don’t.  We have are inclined to avoid negative repercussions that must often be endured from the neighbor when we speak the truth.  Instead, we are very good at convincing ourselves that worldly success must be a sign that we are on the right path. 

So think about Jesus’ instructions in this context: he told his disciples that in the face of resistance to his message they were to leave and shake the dust from their feet.  It is clear that his instructions were not given to encourage spite or malice, not as some kind of retaliatory gesture toward those who resisted the Gospel, but so that the disciples would not be tempted to gradually water down and weaken their proclamation, eventually losing their ability to bear witness to the Gospel altogether.

What is the lesson for us?  If someone is unwilling or incapable of accepting our witness of the faith, and we keep pushing, I think we need to ask ourselves “Why am I doing this?”  Is this what God is asking of me?  Or am I pushing because of my own needs: because I want to be successful or right, or because I want this relationship to work out, or because I am uncomfortable with conflict or disagreement?  Why am I not willing to let go of this desire for the person to accept what I am saying?  Why can't I shake the dust from my feet?  Have I forgotten that Jesus Christ is the savior, not me?  If he gives people the freedom to reject him, why do I insist on forcing the issue?  Have I become selfish with the Gospel, relying on a favorable response to my teaching and witness to the faith to prop up my sense of self worth?

Jesus wants his disciples to be selfless in their proclamation of the faith so that they can remain true to it.  This selflessness creates a kind of detachment because the truth is that we should not need others to listen to us, to believe us, or to accept us in order to be at peace with our witness.  We should ask ourselves regularly: am I at peace even when my witness is not accepted?  Can I walk away and shake the dust from my feet, giving the people around me the space and freedom to respond to God as they choose, or do I feel the need for them to respond in a particular way for me?  How much is my ego involved?  How much is my desire for affection and worldly success involved?  Have I forgotten that Jesus Christ, the perfect witness, was rejected and scorned, met with very little earthly success and was killed as a common criminal?  Have I forgotten St. Paul and all the saints who have suffered and been driven away from one community after another because of their faithfulness to Christ?

This weekend, let us pray for the freedom and detachment of Amos, and of every authentic prophet who proclaims the Good News selflessly.  May we shake the dust from our feet when we need to: not out of spite, but in confidence and trust that the truth about God is much bigger than any of us, and his grace will find a way to reach hearts that are open to him.  Our responsibility is to cling to Christ and give witness to him by our love for him and others.  As Mother Theresa always said: “God does not ask us to be successful, but to be faithful.”