Mass to Mark the Launching of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Priorities
Homily
[Isaiah 50:5-9; Psalm 116; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35]
A few years ago, as we are all aware, Pope Francis invited the entire Church to enter what he calls a synodal process. This means gathering together in many ways, within a variety of contexts, to listen carefully to one another as we speak about our faith, and offer insights or pose questions pertaining to our life in the Church. It is undertaken with the aim of listening to the voice and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so that our communion in the Christian faith will deepen as we participate together in the mission of the Church.
When we accepted this challenge here in the Archdiocese, we held, in the course of nearly one year, about 350 listening sessions, which generated over 4000 responses. A rich variety of ideas, concerns, and hopes were voiced. From among them all, one entreaty was made most frequently: the appeal for more formation in the faith. This request took such forms as: “We know we are supposed to give witness to our faith in Jesus, but we don’t feel equipped to do so; we don’t know the answers faith gives to today’s difficult questions; we often feel our own awareness of the faith is too weak for us to defend it.”
So, in response to this call from God’s people, beginning today the Archdiocese is entering into what we can call “formation mode”. For the next three years, our parishes will follow locally developed programmes to help parishioners grow in their knowledge of our beautiful Catholic faith, precisely in order to equip us to share it confidently and joyfully with others. To launch us into these waters, let’s pay careful attention to the encounter between Jesus and the apostles in the Gospel text for this mass. It grounds the Church’ s mission to proclaim Christ, and at the same time captures just how challenging and exciting this venture is.
Saint Mark tells us that Jesus takes his disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi. This is highly significant. The site had been for many years the place of pagan worship. There Jesus poses to his disciples the question of his identity. This means that Saint Peter’s confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ is made publicly in a place dedicated to the veneration of false gods. This event captures well the situation in which we find ourselves today. We are surrounded by the public veneration of the many false idols of power, wealth, reputation, autonomy, relativism, individualism, and so on. Precisely in this difficult environment, the Lord ask us, as he did his first disciples, to make him known as the unique Saviour and hope of the world. A challenging summons, to say the least. Little wonder, then, that so many people are seeking more formation in the faith. We need to be well equipped for the mission of evangelization in our day.
Our response to this plea will unfold in our parishes around three pillars: worship, witness and service. These are the columns upon which the Christian life is sustained. From the beginning, the Church has responded in faith and obedience to the Word of God by offering worship to God alone, making known His love to others, and serving in Christian charity people in need. Formation pertaining to each of these pillars will shape our pastoral priorities for the next three years. Let’s all get involved in this as we allow the Spirit of God to move us forward!
With respect to worship, I have asked that our formation give particular attention to the mystery of the Eucharist. Are we celebrating mass worthily and well? Do we understand the reasons behind the rituals and gestures that form the liturgical action? Most importantly, do we hold fast in faith to the mystery of the Real Presence, the wondrous truth that the simple gifts of bread and wine are fully transformed into the true body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ? Do we grasp why the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our entire Christian life, and how it impels us forward into our everyday participation in the mission of the Church?
Formation for witness will have as its aim the development of confidence. We need to be confident in our grasp of the truths of our faith, and convinced of the beauty and rightness of the answers it proposes to the questions of our day. This will mean taking time to identify and articulate those queries – those of our contemporaries as well as our own – and understand well the response that arises from the Word of God and Tradition of the Church.
Regarding service to those in need, there are many avenues for the expression of Christian charity. This Archdiocese has, in fact, a noble history of service in the name of Christ. For this period of formation, I have asked that we give particular attention to the service of marriage and family. These are under great strain, and our faith can form us well to give needed support. What does Jesus say about marriage? Why is the marital bond a sacrament, and how do we invite its grace to flow into the home to enliven, heal, and strengthen family life? Let us all be formed well in the Church’s rich teaching on marriage and family in order to serve this vital cell of our Church and world.
Weaving through all of this, and uniting our varied efforts, must be the question Jesus posed to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi and to us now here in Alberta: “who do you say that I am?” All good formation begins with and rises upon this fundamental question. We should ponder and answer this question daily, of course, but the next three years will be a privileged moment for us all to grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus, and in zeal to proclaim him publicly as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
In this mass, let us pray that the Lord will pour out upon us the Holy Spirit in fullness to shape our every effort and guide all we do to the completion God intends for us. Let us, too, call upon the intercession of the Blessed Mother under her title, Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose image we have here with us in this Basilica. She will be our special companion, mentor, inspiration, and guide as we embark on this exciting project. By the help of her prayers, may we all become confident, joyful, and bold witnesses to the joy of life in Jesus Christ.
Most Reverend Richard W. Smith
Saint Joseph Basilica
September 14th, 2024