Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - July 12, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
Revelation in popular media means that a politician or celebrity is spilling all about his or her now-off relationship or a senator is reporting the latest from the Better Lighting Committee. In other words, new disclosures. Some have thought about Christian revelation in the same way. That is, we think revelation occurs when God gives us teaching (truths, dogmas) about, for instance, the commandments, marriage, authority in the church, biblical truth.
If understood this way it’s easy to see how a pope or bishop could spend time declaring a theologian’s writing to be erroneous. E. g., he or she “is no longer a Catholic theologian” or “not to be employed in a Catholic university”, etc.
But revelation in Scripture is more about God’s disclosing God’s self to us, not in statements but in the words and actions of God’s Son Jesus Christ. In Jesus we see that God is loving, forgiving, even self-sacrificing.
It’s similar to the way we warm up to a new friend, how we discover what attracts us to him or her. Revelation in the Christian context helps us get to know and love the Person, God. With this understanding popes and bishops can act like pastors who encourage Christians to follow Jesus, and to know that Christ is in us to make that possible.
From the moment of his election, Pope Francis has emphasized that being a Christian means such a relation with Jesus. And that this brings with it the necessity of caring for Christ’s members, the poor, the suffering and marginalized. Working to make others hopeful and happy and our world and environment safe and fair to all. With Francis it is not about hunting heretics or dissidents. Being a Christian is about a loving relationship with God in the person of Jesus and the members of his Body.
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
