pastoral leadership: reflections on sessions participated

THE PRIEST AS STEWARD: A LAYMAN’S VIEW AND EXPECTATIONS


Its curious how the church divides the Christian World in two; the clergy and the laity

The Greek word kleros, signifying “share,” or “inheritance,” is used in I Pet. 5:3 to designate the priesthood of all the faithful. Most Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic, understand the clergy as persons functioning within the priesthood of all the people but ordained, or set aside, for particular service, especially in connection with eucharistic ministry.
A distinction between clergy and laity developed in the 2nd century, although the clerical ministry traces its beginnings to the commission of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy for service. Over the centuries, the distinction between clergy and laity was emphasized by special privileges granted to the clergy, including those granted by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. These privileges were later extended and codified by the Theodosian Code (438). Later progressive legislation in most countries removed the special privileges enjoyed by the clergy. Such privileges, including exemption from secular courts, were an important issue in the Protestant Reformation.
Although the laity as a class are not mentioned in the New Testament, they came into being with the clergy at the end of the 1st century; the laity were identified as the part of the church that is not in orders. If the office of the clergy is conceived as teaching, sanctifying, and governing, then the function of the laity is to be taught, sanctified, and governed. [1]

At the latter part of this description the function of the laity falls at the receiving end as if the clergy possesses access to the tree of knowledge. In our age, this doesn’t hold water anymore strictly speaking. One reality would surface out: in order for the clergy to be effective in their ministerial functions, they must know what to teach to the laity if they are to do this. They must have to hear feedbacks from them. They must need to know the context where the subjects of his ministry are situated into so that they could possibly meet. In a way the laity could teach the clergy regarding the latter’s effectiveness in doing his Christian ministry. Thus, there must needs be a dialogue between the two sides like this topic: The Priest as Steward: a Layman’s View and Expectations.

Thanks for the opportunity the seminary curriculum has given us. This type of feedbacking is very much facilitated in the form of a classroom discussion where the resource persons: Joe Salvador, Dodong Senining and Glenna Parilla expressed their own expectations regarding the ordained ministers as pastors in the parishes.

Valuable indeed were the feedbacks they gave us. They wanted to retrieve from the new breed of priests the good things they observed from the ones during their early years. They noticed that priests of today are no longer as outwardly prayerful as the ones during their early years. The type who recite the liturgy of the hours outside and saying the rosary outside the church, in a pasillo etc. that can be seen as an example of prayer to the people. In a way, this is true. People really look for examples. They do not content themselves on the words uttered by their pastors on Sundays as a form of exhortation, as to how they would live their lives for the rest of the six days of the week, in relation to the gospel digested by homilist for their Christian consumption on Sundays and Holy days of obligation.
One affirmed the clergy “we always hold you guys in high esteem”. Coming from a layman who himself is a manager, this statement very much affirms. He come from this premise when he would dart off his suggestions like this: “be a man of God- a man of the poor”. A man of the poor as he would continue to impart suggestions: “make them (the poor) your friends by becoming one of them” or did he mean one with them? I don’t surely know. But not in his next statement “Pabilin gyud nga pobre ang pari.”

In the area of politics one said: Politics is a relationship it is becoming a daily part of the life of priests. A suggestion comes in which for me is difficult. It says: the politicians, affirm their good deeds and stand firm against their bad deeds. Difficult in a situation where the Church would receive financial supports from these people.

Priesthood is never a bed of roses. This is not an ambition to enjoy. Why would I risk my self to a life without a wife to love and children to bear my name and raise as good Christians? There really are things that when explained would lose their real beauty and fragrance; things like the mystery of one’s vocation.



[1] Encyclopedia Britannica online



MARRIAGE INTERVIEW AND COUNSELLING


The talk was given by Rev. Fr. Eligio Suico a parish priest in Bogo. His introductory line goes like this: FIRST OF AL WEW MUST BE CONVINCED PERSONALLY OF THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE. He also pointed out the bad effect of the mass media in marriage and he refers to the convenient life of movie-stars changing partners as if it were a commodity that expires, as if considering the ,marriage is a contract for a short period of time. The sanctity of marriage commitment is never given any importance let alone the personal whims and caprices of both parties. In a way, the concept regarding marriage is getting more immature than it has been instead of the people maturing into concept of marriage as the time would go by.
According to Fr. Ely speaking in the native tongue these are the most common problems a pastor can encounter in the event of marriage counseling:
· Wa na paulia sa kapikas sa kinabuhi
· Nangitag lain ang usa
· Walay suporta nga gihimo ang kapikas
· Pagkapalahubog
· Pagpangulata
Fr. Ely on the other hand offers some preventive measures to save and acquire harmony in marriage:
Prayer
Appreciation of one another’s giftedness
Avoidance of focusing on the negative side
Maintaining the value of hopefulness that problems be overcome and the situation be made whole again.

MY OWN REFLECTION
There is a beautiful Tagalog song done by the Apo bearing the title barkada. One phrase there is very much true to relationship be it between lovers or among friends and family members. It states: LAHAT NG BAGAY AY NADADAAN SA USAPAN. True enough because communication is a basic necessity among relationships. Communication happens among all sorts of animals not excluding human beings. Even God feels it a need to communicate to us as in the case of Abraham and the other patriarchs and prophets. He even gave us an ultimate communication of himself not contented of his sent word to the prophets. He sent to us a living Word in the person of no less than his only Son. In this way he wanted to tells us that real persons communicate not just in words but by the whole of themselves. It is important to note that communication is not only limited to audible words but to unspoken gestures. This is not only true among the speech challenged persons but also among person who have the eloquence of speech because there are just things that would escape the boundary of words hence the there is a need to be sensitive at all times. USAPAN is the usual communication however it greatly needs sensitivity on both speaker and listener while it is all the more necessary to be sensitive to gestures.
As a person that would eventually be involved in counseling the married couples in this case, there is a necessity for me to live out the thing called sensitivity- the one that I pointed out above. As a would be pastor, I deem it a need to facilitate couples maintain, mend and improve the quality of their relationships. I also have the responsibility to remind and even inculcate it to them the SANCTITY of marriage and our individual call to SANCTITY in whatever state of life a person is in.
One thing that Fr. Ely encourage me is to read the lives of those exemplary Christians that have gone away before us and to learn from them for my own formation and for the formation of couples specifically.



FAMILY LIFE AND MINISTRY

Its good to know of the universal church’s concern for the formation of families but it’s also sad to note that this is one program that is not very much supported by pastors in the parish level. However, the problem may not be of the church’s program let alone the diligence of some pastors because this is not an easy task added to it is the burden of not automatically seeing the results of this program. For pastors that are not process oriented, this might be difficult for them to buy.

PRINCIPLE OF GRADUALISM
One thing that I am most appreciative of regarding this program of the Church is their trust in the idea or principle of gradualism which is expressed in this way.
· belief in the gradual and “ongoing growth of a person within the self;” eventually aiming at developing a sense of faith in the family members;
· the education be by the living of and witnessing to values being promoted; rather than by imposing them;
· that promotion be carried out by the families and with families and therefore, thru participative relationships;
· that formation of a parish core group is not an end in itself, but the beginning of a self reliant, self nourishing and self governing process aimed at change of values, improvement/deepening of husband wife relationships and growth in the spiritual/religious life of the couples and family members.

MY REFLECTION
Personally would I confess this truth that I am not a process oriented person. I want immediate results. I feel it a need to see them because for me it indicates fulfillment on my part; a success so to speak. But as I come to know, the Church can’t be treated that way. The Church is a loose organization taking into consideration each individuals pacing for growth in the Christian life.
The Church takes into account the various personalities of various members of the Body of Christ. Hence, the Church is promotes un-health in the integrity of the human person should she impose sweepingly and hastily the tenets of morality that she deems important to the Christian life. She can’t be a dictator or else she would cease to be faithful to Christ. She couldn’t be a tyrant to the implementation of behaviors in the families because aside from violating God’s gift of freedom to humanity, she could become very ineffective in spreading the good news of God’s reign. That is the reason why I quoted the principle of gradualism as adopted by the Family Life an Ministry because I appreciate very much this gesture of the Church imitating Christ’s gesture of patience and love to all.
To narrow down, the family is a fundamental society within the community. It’s universal whether the community is Christian or non-Christian at all or mixed. The formation program for me is a must when we talk about its necessity within the church. Why, because homilies are never enough. It doesn’t elaborate much as to the specific needs of the different sectors within the community. Taking it seriously, the formation program like the FLA in a way is intensive and inclusive because it not only deals with growth of the Christian life of the wife nor of the husband nor of the children but the whole family.
When we talk about formation programs within the Church, this one takes precedence over the others. This is very basic and would very much involve the witnessing of the doctrine of the most holy Trinity because primarily, the Trinity is a relationship and we can never “understand” the Trinity practically without our own experience of a loving relationship within our own respective families.



YOUTH MINISTRY

The talk was given by no less than the director of the youth ministry in the Archdiocese. I sympathize with the hardships he is experiencing now and I appreciate his sacrifices as director of the ministry. One adage regarding the youth seeped into my mind as I was listening to him. The saying goes “mas maayo pag pabantayon kog usa ka toril nga baka kay sa pabantayon kog pundok sa mga batan-on” . Even granting that the Asians are not known to be hyperactive nor do the Filipinos, this type of human state the youth are in connotes vibrant energy stemming from their nature.
Personally I am also involved in helping shape the youth in our parish, I still could testify to this energy that is in them. If not guided with proper education and channeled to the right activity this same energy could drag these creatures into activities and habits that would not be helpful to their integral growth. And a fact that I have experienced is their ability to work hard from dusk to dawn and from sunrise to sundown, with the motivation spurred on to them on the right spot. But they are very transient. They are like flowers, here today and gone tomorrow. So much so that in the youth ministry we keep on giving the same introduction because each year come new faces that need to be tamed, new persons that need to be shaped. The others may have landed on good jobs and the others may have contracted marriage- marriage being considered as the end of the person’s all youthful activities.
Nevertheless, the transience of the youth should not be a block to do ministry. The need to help them grow right is a must. The youth is the hope of the fatherland according to Dr. Jose Rizal but they cannot be the hope without the patience of the elders in forming them. Thus the responsibility or irresponsibility of the youth in the future is decided today. It is done by those in the position to educate them.
I for part may not be best suited in the formation of the youth considering my dominant personality but if given the chance I would gladly work with these people and for these people. Mas maayo na lang tingali nang magbantay ta sa mga batan-on nga kiat pas mga baka kaysa magbantay tag usa ka pundok sa mga leyon.


THE CHURCH AND THE URBAN POOR

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Luke 4:18-19


Many poor people now are populating the urban areas. We can almost always see them living in sub-human conditions due to many reasons. Many of them come from the rural areas and have arrived here to look for opportunities of finding jobs. The hope of augmenting their situation drives them to the cities.
Our tendency or I’m sorry, my own tendency is to find the one to blame regarding the mass poverty situation. Next to that is to question the role of the government and the corruption that has been contributing to the demise of our poor. Then follows the lifestyle of priests who supposedly are to live poor at least in spirit now that their lifestyle (perhaps my own too) are not to the service of the poor. Take for example our close association with the affluent than the candle vendors. We easily welcome them who can donate a good sum to the parish than to a poor lad begging for food. Contrasting these realities to Luke 4:18-19, we might be taken aback, much less if we use as standard Matthew 25 :41-45
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them,
'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

The talk given by Fr. Oscar Camomot wrings my imagination challenging my weak will. The austere challenge he gives me wakes me up to a realization like this: I don’t have to do many great things. If I can only educate a few children, I could make a difference. In a situation like this that we are steeped into we might as well rethink of our own lifestyle then our own capacity and the power at hand that we given of.
The idea of education as posed by him as he takes it from Mother Teresa of Calcutta is not impossible. It is not even more difficult if taken in the micro level. A priest can of course do these if he only has the will.
The talk liberated me from the ideal of helping the poor via dole-outs however for me, it is always good to help those in need however meager the help is given and no matter how small the assistance is extended because in the end, it’s the attitude that counts more than the quantity and the quality of help is measured in the heart.
The desire to change the world is like a wish to uproot the Everest to the Pacific but according to the Chinese we can uproot a mountain by starting to carry off its pebbles.





THE PRIEST AND THE FAMILIES OF OCWS


The phenomenon of Filipino Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) has become an inescapable reality in Philippine society. To date, there are about three million of our fellow Filipinos who labor abroad, 80 percent on land while the rest at sea. A great number of these are women.
Their foreign employment has of late been encouraged by a government who has seen the value of the sizeable foreign money they remit to its cash-strapped coffers. Our government leadership has in fact referred to them as “unsung heroes” helplessly aware of the great sacrifice they endure to lift families, and even themselves, from the state of destitution which the lack of opportunity in their homeland has forced them into. Indeed, employment, however menial, in the First World countries and the Newly Industrialized countries of Asia, offers far more attractive remuneration than the low wages, and even unemployment, the OCWs face here at home. Then, too, in the case of those who seek well-compensated professional advancement such as those in the medical and scientific fields, these same countries provide the more challenging arena for career development.

But while the OCWs present apparent advantages, there lies beneath, insidious situations and consequences, both social and psychological, not only to the workers themselves but to the society as well.

An excerpt- Pastoral Letter on Illegal Recruiters of OCW’s Beware of Labor Hirelings! Circular no. 94-39; Series of 1994 July 18, 1994



Driven by poverty, lack of employment opportunities and cheap waging system, many of our skilled and competent workers opt to work abroad than rot here in our beloved country. There are more things to do however than to throw blames on different sectors of our country. The situation even if it calls for another prophetic voice to chant off the litany of misfortunes over our heads, also calls for a pastoral action. Action might speak louder than words. At present, the church continues to do apostolate to OCW’s but more specifically to sea-based workers. This she does through the Scalabrinian Missionaries.
The Scalabrinians have a variety of services for migrants. In addition to spiritual ministry and community building, they provide education in schools, local organization for cultural activities, care for the sick, counseling and legal referral, advocacy and care for the elderly. They also encourage the study of migration through research centers and the dialogue with political and civil groups through specialized magazines.
In the Philippines, currently, the missionaries are involved in the care of seafarers, the assistance to departing Filipinos and to refugees, the formation program of young missionaries, the service of the local Church to migrants and activities of research and publication.
Fr. Reynaldo Saavedra C.S. – a Scalabrinian and a seaman himself gave a talk to us concerning their apostolate to the Filipino sea-based workers whether in commercial ships or in the fishing industry where many unaccounted Filipino workers have suffered injustice and maltreatment in the hands of their foreign employers. The efforts exerted by this congregation is very laudable and commendable. However, their apostolate is not as expansive as parishes are scattered over the Philippines. Parish priests as part of their pastoral care might well include in their parish programs the families of the workers and also accompany them in their journey through counseling and other activities.
To sum up all the seminars we have attended so far, I have felt the difficulties of a priest’s life especially that of the parish priest. he has so much to attend to. He has so much sheep to feed. But it’s not a stranger that needs the help of the shepherd because every stranger is no stranger in the eyes of Jesus and everybody should be a brother to a Christian and everybody should be a pastor’s concern.
Looking into myself and viewing at the near distance I could not see an easy life for me but a meaningful life despite the many people to care for in the many sectors of the society.