Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Upon the death of Pius XII in 1958 the conclave that gathered was depleted as cardinals hadn't been appointed for some time. They chose a stopgap (so they believed) successor to Peter, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who took the name John XXIII. They thought him transitional (which he was) and that he wouldn't make waves (which he did).
In the mind of the Roman curia, the old man (he was 77) had essentially two tasks---- bless the
crowds and name more cardinals to the sacred college. He'd be a caretaker pope, so they thought—following the whirlwind papacy of Pius XII, a break in the action was needed so everybody could catch their breath.
Ironically “breath” was exactly what Providence had in mind. In Hebrew ruah is breath, wind– the Holy Spirit. At creation “Ruah moved upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). Jesus said of ruah, “The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from nor where it is going” (John 3:8).
Soon after his election Papa Roncalli (John) called an ecumenical council (all the world's bishops), an idea which came to him, he said, “like a bolt of lightning.” Ruah.
Our church mid-twentieth century had evolved into a fortress— warning all to get on board the barque of Peter before it was too late. The world was evil, even sinister, and the Church the only safe harbor. Relations with other Christians were adversarial. We had closed in on ourselves.
But the new pope spent decades as nuncio to countries with few Catholics. He knew a world where millions did not sail on Peter’s barque nor were they even Christian. Is our role, he wondered, to wag our finger and shake our heads at unbelievers? Fresh from the horrors of World War II, is condemnation what the church is for? John said of his self appointed caretakers inside the Vatican, “I’m afraid we must disagree with the prophets of doom. It is only dawn.”
Meanwhile the Cold War came to a head as the first session assembled (October, 1962). That’s when the Cuban missile crisis scared the wits out of us. Whatever the Church had been doing, it didn’t have impact enough to keep humanity from the edge of oblivion.
In response to this madness, the Fathers issued the document Lumen Gentium, “Light of the nations.” Other Christians are no longer “schismatics” or “heretics” but “separated brethren.” We recovered our Christ light mission as servant and sacrament. There was evil in the world but it was essentially good because the world was created by God (Ruah hovered over the waters…).
Although we are not of the world, we are sacrament to the world, servant for the world, and light for the world. “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)------------------------------ today’s Gospel Acclamation verse.
Illuminating Christ is the task of all the baptized. But how does this work in the nitty-gritty where we live? As the Methodist mantra inspires, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as ever you can.”
Lumen Christi! Deo Gracias!
-Timothy J. Cronin