We pay a lot of lip service to our ancient doctrines but many are not living in the faith of the Fathers these days. I like the quote by St. Bernard de Clairvaux at the opening of today’s Insight Scoop: “Some seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge: that is curiosity. Others seek knowledge that they may themselves be known: that is vanity. But there are still others who seek knowledge in order to serve and edify others, and that is charity.”
The indifference of the majority (both priests and laymen) got us to this point. It is a sort of “non serviam” light.
But things are changing: people are hungering for truth and if they don’t get it from their pastors they are going to get it somewhere. That is the reason why good missions like Ignatius, EWTN, etc. are thriving. There is hunger in the land and those missions are faithful servants:
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
From seminary onwards this passage of the “little Apocalypse” in Matthew 24 should be read daily to seminarians and priests. It is a terrifying prospect to be found a slacker by the living God.
Published 28 June 2011.
Carlos Caso-Rosendi 