Amanuensis

Being a ghost writer for the Holy Ghost

11/11/2017

Romans 16:3-9, 16 Brothers and sisters: Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles; greet also the Church at their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the Apostles and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.

        Have you ever been an amanuensis? A wut? Are you talking about my momma? No, this is not about your momma. As you can easily figure out from the Latin root word “manu” which means “hand,” an amanuensis is “a literary or artistic assistant, in particular, one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.” So my question – have you ever been an amanuensis? – means: have you ever taken dictation or written something on behalf of someone else? The more modern or colloquial rendition of amanuensis would be “ghost writer,” to write on behalf of another, or write in the name of another.

          Shortly after I returned from canon law school, Bishop Peter Sartain asked me to be his amanuensis, his ghost writer. The bishops of our province, which includes the dioceses of Little Rock, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, decided to increase Mass stipends from $5 to $10. Bishop Sartain asked me to prepare the letter explaining the change that would be signed by the three bishops (one of whom was an archbishop!). Whew! I told the bishop I would be honored to do that but I felt that priests already made too much money and we should not burden the people more. The bishop wisely answered: “You’re right, John, but remember that many priests use their income to help the poor and sometimes put nieces and nephews through school.” And that’s why Bishop Sartain is now Archbishop Sartain in Seattle. Smart guy. So, I wrote the letter as he wished, not as I wished, and that’s what an amanuensis does: convey the content of the actual author’s mind, without inserting his own opinions.

          In the first reading today from Romans, we see another example of an amanuensis, or ghost writer. When I first read the end of Romans, I was startled, maybe you were, too. It says: “I, Tertius, writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.” Whoa, wait a minute, I thought the author of Romans was St. Paul? Scripture scholars generally agree that Tertius was acting as an amanuensis for St. Paul, and not the true author of Romans even though that line sounds like it. Just like I had to leave my personal opinions aside in writing a letter on behalf of three bishops, so Tertius did not insert his own opinions and dilute the authentic intention and content of St. Paul’s mind and message. Of course, it also helps to remember that besides the human author (not the amanuensis), that is, St. Paul, there is also a divine Author of the Bible, namely, the Holy Spirit. In a sense, Tertius was a ghost writer for the Holy Ghost. Ultimately, it’s the Spirit’s message we want to hear and obey.

          Folks, you may never be asked to serve as an amanuensis for another, to take dictation or be a ghost writer. Pray you never have to do that for a bishop! But in a spiritual sense, we are asked to carry God’s message to the world in how we speak, how we act and how we love. St. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3: “You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.” In other words, we have to translate into our own language of life and love who Jesus is and share Him with the world. We, too, have to be an amanuensis for the Holy Spirit, that is, we have to write “his letter.” I once heard a Protestant preacher put it this way: “You may be the only Jesus some people will ever see.” But learn from me and Tertius: don’t insert your own opinion into the authentic message of the Gospel. Rather, try to communicate the clear message of Christ, leaving aside your opinions, objections and obfuscations.

          By the way, that was the first time a bishop asked me to be an amanuensis. And it was also the last time. So, don’t feel bad if you struggle in your attempts to be an amanuensis, a ghost writer for the Holy Ghost. Being an amanuensis is a lot harder than saying “amanuensis.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!