Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Always in need of renewal

THIS is how we should always feel. Regardless of the many
things we may already have accomplished or the high esteem we may
already have gained among the people, we should never forget that we
are always in need of renewal.

            The Church itself, already in a state of holiness for
being the very mystical body of Christ, admits that it has to
continually renew and purify itself. This is how the Catechism puts
it:

            “The Church, ...clasping sinners to her bosom, at once
holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path
of penance and renewal. All members of the Church, including her
ministers, must acknowledge that they are sinners.

                “In everyone, the weeds of sin will still be mixed
with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time. Hence the
Church gathers sinners already caught up in Christ's salvation but
still on the way to holiness.” (CCC 827)

            Thus, a Church institution that smugly claims its
spirituality is irreformably perfect is an anomaly, and is, in fact,
sowing the seed for its own self-destruction. It may have the
foundational charism from the Holy Spirit, but it should never forget
that it has sinners in her midst and, therefore, is always in need of
purification and renewal.

            And in spite of the original charism, the Holy Spirit may
make more modifications of that charism due to the changing
circumstances of the times. Fidelity to the charism is never a static
affair, since charism itself is neither a static, frozen or dead
thing. It is always alive and continues to adapt to the changing
circumstances. And our understanding of it can always stand deeper
improvement.

            Of course, it goes without saying that any development,
growth and modification on the original charism is always homogeneous.
The modifications are nothing other than a deepening and enriching of
the original charism, not radically changing that charism. The charism
is not meant to confine or restrict us to a certain way of life and of
doing things. It is always open to what the Holy Spirit prompts us to
do.

            This can somehow be gleaned from some words of Christ
himself. “For them I sanctify myself,” he said, “that they too may be
truly sanctified.” (Jn 17,19) Christ, who is holiness himself, goes
through the process of sanctifying himself still so as to sanctify
everybody else. Imagine that!

            Sanctity and everything involved in it—fidelity,
generosity, development of virtues, whether in the personal or
institutional levels—will always be a never-ending affair as long as
we are alive. It will always demand of us something. It is the
antithesis of the attitude that says enough to what the Holy Spirit
will show us.

            St. Peter also said something pertinent in his second
letter:  “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to
goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to
godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

            “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,
they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is
nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from
their past sins.” (1,5-9)

            We should never stop growing in our spiritual life which
is a matter of growing in our love for God and for others. We ought to
feel the constant need for conversion and renewal.


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