A Year of Jubilee is upon us. A year of celebration, a revival, a time of renewal, a time for discernment. How lucky we are. Grab the ram’s horn, sound the trumpet, tell all the nations ‘this is it’.
The Year of Jubilee is the talk of the entire Catholic community. There is so much we can do, individually and collectively, to enter into this great celebration, but let us consider the year of Jubilee thinking about those who serve God and the community – the ordained members of our Church.
OUR WORLD IS FRACTURED
This Jubilee year falls at a time when our physical and human world is fractured and in pain more than any other time in my life. The environment suffers due to exploitation and neglect, and the human family has grown distrustful of those who are different; we are in need of guidance.
The voices of reason have in many communities been silenced or rejected, but not all of them. And so, we look towards the ‘Servants of God’ who have taken up the burdens of our world, our collective cross, and give everything they have daily for God’s and our good. The prestige of being an ordained member of our community has been lost in these jaded liminal times. Humility is the core of ordained life in the modern day, and thus their guidance, power and inspiration are measured directly and conversely to all worldly evil they push against.
How do our priests, brothers, nuns and deacons find the strength to continue to love and resist the pressure of society? Where do they find the poise required to celebrate the successful and embrace those on the margins?
They are the champions of humanity. They love the best of our actions and lovingly call out our worst. If I were in their shoes it would be so much easier to sit it out and hope that time would soften hardened hearts. Watch from the sidelines and make sure my house was in order. Why risk being a target? It would be quite understandable if they kept their opinions within the walls of the church. Instead they go out to spread the Good News and offer love to those who are vilified.
It is the world and times in which we live that dictate how smooth or difficult their life of service might be. There is irony in this, however, as a life of service is full of both trial and great joy.
ONE MUST ‘DO’
Service is a verb. To serve one must ‘do’. In this year of Jubilee, we celebrate the lived Gospel that is visible in the works of the clergy. All over the world those who have listened to the call and responded to their personal ‘come follow me’, bring Jesus into the world through their action. Enabled by this love they are strengthened for the trials that are encountered and softened to the point that human responses of rejection and suffering are transformed into compassion and agape love. They are able to enter into the pain of the world and bring peace, which is the greatest gift.
In times of peace hearts are restored and closed minds are opened. All is renewed when the Spirit can freely move. This lifegiving source is a wellspring that never dries up. This is the energy that drives the year of Jubilee. Through the laying of hands and the binding vows of vocation, the Spirit provides energy and courage to enter into the world. Our ‘religious’ brothers and sisters offer so much hope and often work with people and in settings that society has given up on, and so the renewal gifted by the Spirit allows them to continue their work.
Our world is full of division and even hatred. The human family is frustrated and resentful of those who are different. There is distrust and marginalisation of those who are different. Being vulnerable or broken is deemed a condition that can be overcome by a strong work ethic and better choices. All too often people are viewed in terms of their situation rather than as human beings who have dreams, feel pain, and lack the compassion and the love of their community.
A BRIDGE
The ordained members of our Church are the bridge between what is and what could be. They are the link between ourselves and those we reject. They intercede for the voiceless and advocate for groups who are attacked and demonised. Their actions and the encouragement they offer us as leaders can be transformative, but to do so we need to be less proud. We are the sheep.
We are called to follow, and who better to follow than those who have given their life to Jesus and us? Our daily life hardens us and presents a vision of being self-reliant. The illusion that we can or should rely only on our abilities and that we can ‘work it out’ is flawed and damaging. If we listen to the words of our servant leaders and mimic their actions, we can resist the temptations of the world and focus on what is important.
Consider the fullness of what a jubilee is. This is the Year of Jubilee. Perhaps we can enter more deeply into this theme and allow the clergy to rest. This is the year where we can step into the pain and suffering of the world and do some of the heavy lifting. Perhaps we can include others and reject stereotypes; we can set the captives free. We can draw on the Spirit, the energy and power that lives within us. We can go forth with courage knowing that we are living our vocation and following the call to transform the earth. We can bring the fullness of jubilee for our ordained members by celebrating them and their work, and by allowing them to rest – just a little.
The trumpet sounds from the mountain top. This is a Year of Jubilee and the call you hear is personal. Go onward, free the captives, love your God, give rest to those who need it. Be guided by the Spirit. This is your year.
