We all know the saying: “Change the world, Lord, and start with me.” While the theme for Respect For Life Week (Oct 25 to Nov 1) is Transforming Society to Reflect Gospel Values, we must first examine our consciences to see how we are doing. Have each of us imbibed Gospel values? Is this evident in the way in which we live our lives? And how are we doing at a parish level and in our diocese?
Let us reflect on Pope Francis’ ad limina address to the bishops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on September 12. His words outline clearly our roles and responsibilities as followers of Christ. A Catholic News Agency (CNA) report on the address said the Holy Father assured the bishops “of the necessity of contributing to political life, without replacing political institutions”. He invited them “to work tirelessly for the establishment of a just and lasting peace through a pastoral effort of dialogue and reconciliation among the various sectors of society, supporting the process of disarmament, and promoting effective collaboration with other religious confessions”.
The report added: “While stating that it is necessary for the Church to make her contribution, she should avoid ‘the risk of becoming a substitute for political institutions and temporal realities that must retain their autonomy…pastors must be on guard not to take on roles that rightfully belong to the lay faithful, whose mission is justly that of bearing witness to Christ and the Gospel in politics and in all other areas of their activities.”
The pope was quoted as saying, “The quality of faith in Christ, died and risen, intimate communion with him, is the basis of the Church’s strength…it is of vital importance to evangelise profoundly…I encourage you …to pursue the pastoral care of youth. By providing the greatest assistance possible, especially through the creation of spaces for human, spiritual, and professional formation, you can help them discover their deepest vocation, which predisposes them to encounter the Lord.”
The report continued: “The best way of opposing violence, inequality, and ethnic divisions, he advised, is to ‘equip the young with a critical mind and to offer them the opportunity to mature an understanding of Gospel values. It is also necessary to strengthen pastoral care in universities and in Catholic and public schools, combining education with the clear proclamation of the Gospel’. Faithfulness to the Gospel, Pope Francis reminded the bishops, means that the Church will participate in the building up of civic society. ‘One of the most valuable contributions that the local Church can offer your country is to help people rediscover the pertinence of faith to daily life and the need to promote the common good’.”
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These are powerful words from the Holy Father. Looking at the state of affairs in T&T, we Catholics really need to pray that the Holy Spirit inspires us to think outside-the-box and fill us with a desire for what our Church calls a new evangelisation, new in its ardour, methods and expression.
The New Evangelisation remains the first of our Archdiocese’s three Pastoral Priorities. You may be aware of the recent extraordinary synod of bishops on “the challenge of family in the context of the new evangelisation” held at the Vatican from October 5-19. We look forward to the post-synodal apostolic exhortation which will be delivered only at the end of the 2015 ordinary synod of the bishops on the family.
Another important event that we should be aware of as we seek new methods to transform society is the World Meeting of Families which is to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. Pope Francis says: “Through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.” (www.catholicnewsagency.com)
It is in the family, which Pope Francis calls “the engine of the world and of history”, that we must seek to instill Gospel values. We will only succeed if Jesus is present in our lives and in our families. We have much work to do to fill ourselves and our families with the Good News, while we seek to spread the Good News by the way we witness to our faith.
