06/11/2019
Acts of the Apostles 11:21B-26; 13:1-3 In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news
about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas
to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and
encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he
was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of
people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when
he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the
Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the
disciples were first called Christians. Now there were in the Church at Antioch
prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were
worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."Then,
completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.
I was saddened to hear yesterday
that Fr. Jonathan Morris, a very popular writer and television personality, had
decided to leave the priestly ministry. Have you heard that? Many people have
been inspired by his spiritual writings and charming personality. There is
probably a collective twinge of disappointment in the Catholic world today as
Fr. Morris’ decision to depart from ministry became public. Fr. Morris explained
his decision saying: “While I loved and thrived in so many aspects of my
ministry, deep in my interior I struggled for years with my vocation and with
the commitments the Catholic priesthood demands, especially not being able to
marry and have a family.” There are, therefore two reasons for my personal
sadness at this news: first, because Fr. Morris felt priestly celibacy was more
of a burden than a blessing, and second, because some people who loved him may
confuse the message with the messenger. Let me say a word about each of these
two saddnesses, beginning with the second point, confusing message and
messenger.
Whenever a particularly gifted and
charismatic priest preaches the gospel, there’s always a temptation to confuse
the message with the messenger. In a word, we create a “cult of personality.”
Maybe without realizing it, unintentionally, we take our eyes off Jesus (the
Message) and focus too much on the human priest (the messenger). And when the
messenger gives up the ministry, we can doubt or struggle about the
authenticity of the Message itself. I’ve done that in the past, too, so don’t
feel bad.
But the bible is full of messengers
who remind us they themselves are not the message. Noah got drunk and feel
asleep naked (Genesis 9:21), Abraham fathered a child through Hagar, his
maidservant (Genesis 16:4), Moses struck the rock twice in anger and could not
enter the Promised Land (Number 20: 11-12), David committed adultery and later
murder (2 Samuel 11:26-27), Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings
11:3). And not much changed in the New Testament. If there’s one message the
bible emphatically teaches it is not to confuse the Message with the
messengers. The Message is always Jesus Christ and him alone.
The first point I wanted to make
was the blessing of celibacy. I truly honor and respect Fr. Morris’ reasons for
relinquishing the priesthood, and I wish him only happiness and peace in his
future endeavors. Nonetheless, I desperately hope people will not conclude that
clerical celibacy is itself the problem. Maybe some people will argue that if
priests did not have to be celibate Fr. Jonathan Morris would still be a
priest. I do not know if Fr. Jonathan Morris would still be a priest or not.
But here’s what I do know: Fr. John Antony would not be a priest if it were not
for the rule of priestly celibacy. What do I mean? As bizarre and bewildering
as it may sound, celibacy actually attracted me to the priesthood, rather than
repulsed me. Celibacy was the concrete sacrifice I could point to and say,
“See, Jesus, I love you that much, enough to sacrifice marriage and family.”
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying Fr. Morris does not love Jesus.
He probably loves Jesus a lot more than I do. I am just saying that celibacy to
me is not a burden but a blessing.
Today is the feast of St. Barnabas,
an early apostle who worked closely with St. Paul in the ministry of word and
sacrament. We read in Acts 11: “While they were worshiping the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for
the work to which I have called them’.” When a man is ordained a priest in the
Catholic Church, he is set apart for the work and ministry to which the Holy
Spirit has called him. One way – although not the only way – he is set apart is
through priestly celibacy. By not being married and having a family, the priest
enjoys greater freedom to preach and teach and go wherever the Spirit leads
him. Again, we are blessed with wonderful married priests who are powerful
preachers and terrific teachers. Still, who can deny that celibacy affords a
greater freedom to go where the Spirit leads?
Let me leave you with the words of
Pope St. John Paul II in his apostolic exhortation called “Pastores Dabo Vobis”
(I will give you shepherds), that sums up all I’m stuttering to say about
celibacy. The pope-saint taught: “Celibacy, then, is to be welcomed and
continually renewed with a free and loving decision as a priceless gift from
God, as an ‘incentive to pastoral charity,’ as a singular sharing in God’s
fatherhood and in the fruitfulness of the Church, and as a witness to the world
of the eschatological kingdom” (29). By the term “eschatological kingdom” the
pope simply means “heaven.” In other words, in a sense that we cannot fully
quite grasp, we will all be celibate in heaven. Why? Well because we will all
be the Bride of Christ married to Jesus, our Spouse, even Fr. Jonathan Morris.
Praised be Jesus
Christ!
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