Sometimes people need to be reminded that they have been given authoritative roles for a reason. Often it becomes easy to forget the reason and just enjoy the position of power. When I say that these leaders and authorities should be challenged, I do not mean that their authority should be questioned, but that they sometimes need to be reminded of the reason they were given the authority and the responsibility that came along with it.
Taking Seriously Our Responsibility
Parish leaders, whether the pastor, his associates, the pastoral council, etc.—have the responsibility of not just keeping the parish going, but growing, of assuring that the parish is not just surviving, but thriving.
“The members of the pastoral council must appreciate that they not only have the responsibility to see that the parking lot is paved and the annual fiesta conducted, but that they share responsibility for making the mission and ministry of Jesus tangible and real at this particular moment in history and in this particular place.”
~ Bishop Gerald Wilkerson
These are some of the questions that should be going through their minds:
- What is our mission as a parish? Are we accomplishing it?
- What is the spiritual state of our parish? Are we centered around Jesus Christ?
- How are we succeeding? How are we failing?
- Have we implemented the plans of our bishop(s)?
- Is our parish growing (apart from new babies being born)?
If your experience provides negative answers to most of these questions, than perhaps these issues are not being addressed by the parish leadership. In this case, it’s your responsibility as a part of the community, of the Body of Christ, to pose these questions to those in authority—with charity of course. Again, the idea is not to question their authority or competence, but express your concern and challenge them to address these issues.
People are quick to complain about the state of things, but they are not getting the message to the right people. Talk to your pastor. Meet with members of your pastoral council. Fall on your knees and pray about it. You are the Church. If you don’t do something about it, who will?
Tend My Sheep, Feed My Lambs, Follow Me
Sometimes the parish leadership can become focused on superficial aspects of running the parish like maintaining the building, but fall short on the more important aspect of the parish, the people. It’s easy to get caught up in the easier, less important stuff. When St. Francis first encountered Christ at San Damiano he heard the message “rebuild my Church”, but he too focused on restoring the run-down church buildings. Later he realized his mission was to bring about a renewal in the Church, to bring people back to Jesus and His Gospel.
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
~ John 21:15
Jesus asks Peter if He loves Him. Peter says “yes”, then Jesus says “prove it”. There are three commands Jesus issues to Peter in their post-resurrection encounter on the beach:
1. Tend My Sheep
The first command to Peter (the authority) is to tend the sheep, to care for them. This could mean both their physical and spiritual needs. He is a priest, a pastor, a shepherd of souls. One of the expressions of his love for Jesus is to love the Church. Peter often needed to be reminded of this both before and after Jesus’ resurrection. The same is true for our pastors and other parish leadership.
2. Feed My Lambs
Obviously, a priests primary role is as a minister of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Without priests we have no Eucharist. Unfortunately, many of our priests are overburdened with administrative duties in the parish and spend less time feeding the lambs, administering the sacraments, and leading the people. What can you do to lighten their burden and allow them to focus more on their ministry?
3. Follow Me
Lastly, Jesus reminds Peter that he must continue to follow Him. Jesus has to be the leader of our leaders. If the parish leadership is not keeping Jesus at the center of everything they do, then they are not doing their job. What can you do to remind them of this?