I recently spoke to a former colleague of mine who has been assigned to an exciting ministry halfway around the globe. “It sounds like you’re doing great,” I said. “Too bad you’re so far from your family.” With the wisdom and insight that explains why I’ve considered him such a good friend for decades, he quickly responded: “Whenever we’re working for the Church, we’re never really away from family.”
Our patron, St. Paul, reminded the members of the Christian community in Ephesus that they were “no longer strangers and aliens,” but family, “members of the household of God.” Through Christ, our common brother, we in the Church are all part of the same family. We don’t simply live in the same space, or worship God from the same pew. We’re called to love each other, care for each other and watch out for each other, all as brothers and sisters. Family is a very appropriate paradigm for understanding the Church.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda
Most families that I know are colorful. I know that mine is. The fact that family members share DNA doesn’t mean that they necessarily cheer for the same teams, agree on matters of politics, have the same view on their pastors, or share the same priorities when it comes to our Church and our country. As family, however, we’re called to be supportive of one another, to listen deeply to one another and speak charitably to one another.
Just as that is true for each of our individual families, it’s true for the Church as well. Charity has to be the hallmark of our community. In Antioch, they observed about the early Christian community: “see how they love one another” not “see how they criticize one another” or “see how they condemn one another.” What made the Church’s message credible was her love, a familial love that led to cohesion and unity.
As archbishop, I’m charged with the task of promoting charity within our archdiocesan family. St. Augustine, who was an astounding theologian and an even better bishop, perceived the primacy of charity: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” I am convinced if we can get the “charity piece” correct, excelling in love of God and of neighbor, everything else will flow.
I am convinced that this needs to be part of our prayer. I am increasingly attracted to the Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs I, which prays for “the Church on the Way to Unity.” I love the part of that prayer, right after the consecration, when we beg the Lord to renew his Church in this archdiocese, and strengthen the bond of unity between the faithful and their pastors, so that “in a world torn by strife, (God’s) people may shine forth as a prophetic sign of unity and concord.” That’s the goal of our family, to shine in that way, even in the midst of a pandemic or in the throes of an election year.
In these days of preparation for All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we are mindful that our Catholic family goes beyond those of us in the pews today. We’re in a great familial communion of charity with our brothers and sisters who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith. To use the classical terminology, we (the Church militant) find hope and encouragement in those members of our family who lived the life of charity while on earth and are already enjoying life in heaven (the Church triumphant), while we lift up our prayers for those brothers and sisters still on the way (the Church penitent, or suffering).
I have been praying that our Archdiocesan Synod is going to strengthen our ties as a family so that we can more consistently shine forth as the prophetic sign of unity of concord that we pray for at Mass. So that we might achieve that goal, and drawing upon our beliefs about our ties with the Church Triumphant, our Synod Prayer Team and Synod Executive Team have discerned and recommended to me that we seek the heavenly patronage of St. Joseph in this second year of our synod preparation. As the guide and protector of the Holy Family, as an exemplar of charity and as a model of discernment, St. Joseph certainly understands the importance of family unity, and I trust that he will be a fitting patron for our synod efforts.
With that in mind, and joining with a number of dioceses throughout the U.S., we will be observing a Year of St. Joseph, beginning Dec. 8, 2020. On that date, the Church Universal will be marking the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church. Our hope is that the Year of St. Joseph will be a source of renewal in our local Church, most especially as we continue our preparations for the Synod of 2022.
Hearing of the great spiritual fruits that are being harvested elsewhere in the United States, I’m hoping that some of you might be willing to join Bishop Cozzens and me in preparing for our Archdiocesan Year of St. Joseph, with a 33-day preparation period, beginning Nov. 6. Resources for that preparation and for the celebration of the year will be made available on our website as we approach the relevant dates.
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