Address your 'special responsibility'

January 18, 2004 -- 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Bishop Robert Morneau

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. How do you particularize God's tenderness? 2. Is holy obedience a central part of your spirituality? 3. What are the special concerns of your family or local community?

In writing about Quaker spirituality, Thomas Raymond Kelly (1893-1941) spoke about the importance of social concern, our responsibility for the well being of others. According to the Quaker thought, each person is given a special responsibility, be it respect for life, advocacy for the poor, world peace, and by responding to that social issue each person "particularizes cosmic Tenderness." That is, in our responding to the common good we become instruments of God's tenderness and love for people in need.

Jesus, in today's Gospel, had a special concern. As an invited guest at a wedding in Cana and realizing that a major difficulty had arisen (lack of wine), he responded by providing for their needs. In other words, Jesus made particular God's love in an embarrassing situation. It was a miracle of love and compassion. The disciples, as well as the other guests, were impressed for the glory of God is revealed whenever love is made manifest.

St. Paul writes to the Corinthians about the many gifts that God has bestowed upon his people. These gifts, when named, nurtured, and shared, become channels through which God's tenderness can find expression. The teacher or parent gifted with wisdom particularizes for students and children what is pleasing to God. Those who have the gift of healing particularize God's compassion for those who suffer. The gift of faith is given so that people might believe and give their life in working for the kingdom. Varied gifts, one and the same Spirit wishing that the concerns of the world might be addressed through the service of gifted individuals.

Isaiah the prophet, like St. Paul, was a "particularizer" of God's tenderness and love. Isaiah addresses a special concern, namely, do the people know or not know that God delights and rejoices in them? What Isaiah does is to give us an image of God that is transformative. The people are God's crown, God's delight, God's espoused. So keenly did Isaiah see God's extravagant love for his people that the prophet could not be silent, he could not remain quiet. He shouts out that God's tenderness is meant for all.

Part of our Catholic spirituality, besides a life of prayer and asceticism, is that of service. We are to respond to the concerns of our time. Each of us is given a "special responsibility" that we must address with vigor and enthusiasm. For some that may be prison reform, for others a radical commitment to life issues (abortion, capital punishment, war, cloning), while for still others it may involve the strengthening of the family, a commitment to education, or working with the homeless. Whatever the issue, the vocation is the same: particularize God's cosmic tenderness.

Thomas Kelly, in speaking about Quaker spirituality, stresses the importance of holy obedience. God is the initiator in our lives and our challenge is to say "yes" to God's faintest whisper. We are to do God's biddings gladly, urgently, and promptly. And we are to do this NOW. Kelly states that the fruits of such obedience are holiness, humility, suffering and simplicity. It is precisely this obedience that empowers us to become "particularizers" of God's plan.

At Cana Jesus made manifest God's concern; in Corinth, St. Paul lead a community into the halls of obedience; in ancient Israel, the prophet Isaiah reminded the people that God is indeed a God of tenderness who wants divine love to become incarnate.

(Bp. Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay.)