Diocesan Council of Catholic Women

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Bishop of Arlington
(From the issue of  7/31/03)

The following homily was delivered to the Diocese of Arlington Council of Catholic Women at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Falls Church.

It is a great joy for me to be among you today. The universal Church is on her Lenten pilgrimage, and it is fitting that the Diocese of Arlington Council of Catholic Women have chosen this time of reflection to consider ways in which you can bring to bear on our society the feminine genius entrusted to each of you by our Creator. I would like for us to reflect on the words of the guards recounted for us in today’s Gospel. When asked why they had not arrested Jesus, they answered: "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." Through listening to Jesus, these guards were receptive to Him and their openness to Jesus truly changed the course of their lives.

Many times people confuse "knowledge" with "knowing." The first, knowledge, is an object, a possession of sorts. The second, knowing, is an action, which carries the reality of a relationship within it. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to both know about Jesus and to nurture a personal relationship with Him. The first, knowledge, does not save us. It is our relationship with Jesus and our surrender in faith to Him that saves us. For this reason, we are all called to know Jesus more deeply through ongoing faith formation and to develop an intimate relationship with Him. How is this done? First of all, we must reflect on God’s word in sacred Scripture: both the New Testament and the Old Testament. Scripture is not an ordinary book; it is composed of living, efficacious words. In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, God tells us: "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout … so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it will accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Is. 55:10-11). This means that when we read Scripture we come into contact with the living Word of God, Jesus Christ, and are touched and transformed by Him.

We can also deepen our relationship with Christ through prayer: vocal and silent, individual and communal. How do we deepen our relationships with others? By having conversations with them, talking to them and listening to them. Essentially, relationships are about sharing ourselves with others and allowing them to do the same. This is what prayer is: we share our lives with Jesus in prayer and He shares His with us in this time of spiritual dialogue. How is your prayer life? We need to ask ourselves this question often, because in this busy world prayer time is quickly relegated to the sidelines. Not only should we spend time talking to God about our day and our needs, our dreams and desires, our fears and apprehensions, we should also allow Him to speak to our hearts about His will for our lives, His love for us, His counsel for our problems. We can only hear when we stop speaking and listen.

A third concrete way to deepen our relationship with God is through an active sacramental life. The sacraments are outward signs of the invisible reality of grace coming into our lives. In the sacraments, we meet the Lord in a tangible way. For example, in the Eucharist, Jesus comes and nourishes us and communes with us in a truly intimate and unique manner. In the Sacrament of Penance, Christ comes and forgives our sins and gives us the strength to continue on the road to holiness and eternal life. We encounter Christ in these sacraments, and through their frequent reception, we deepen our personal relationship with Him.

Last year, we focused our attention during this annual gathering on the three female Doctors of the Church. All three of these women were blessed with theological prowess and expertise, but that is not why they are canonized saints. These three women are canonized saints because of their holiness, and that holiness was the direct result of their deep and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It was their personal relationship with Him which allowed them to penetrate the mysteries of God and create new theological works in the Church. It was their relationship with God, their personal knowledge of Him and His ways, that allowed them to love and serve others.

During your conference, you will hear presentations from various diocesan organizations which need your collaboration. Getting involved in helping others is one of the results or fruits of a dynamic Christian life. Like the Apostles who came to know Jesus and then were sent out to the nations by Him to preach the Gospel, we too are called to go to our brothers and sisters and bring them Jesus. Each of you have particular gifts and talents which can benefit members of our diocesan family.

As you listen to the presentations, ask yourself what gifts and talents you possess that can be contributed. There are many women in our diocese who are struggling and need a sister in Christ to teach them how to balance a checkbook, build a career, care for their children, understand the Catholic faith and live authentically Christian lives, to name but a few examples. Every woman in this church has been given special gifts and talents, and I urge you to find concrete local expressions for those gifts.

Our readings this morning are beginning to increase our awareness that the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ is quickly approaching. Jeremiah prefigures the Lord Jesus as evil men seek to take His life. In our Gospel, we see the Jews seeking the life of Jesus. His life, which will be poured out for each of us, is the example we must follow in our prayer, our family, our professional work and our spiritual journey. Jesus poured out His life in order to give true life to the world.

As the bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, I thank you for taking an active role in our diocese. Our diocesan church needs your genuine feminine Christian witness, and so does the universal Church. May Mary, Mother of our Eucharistic Lord and Mother of the Church, be with you during this Lenten pilgrimage and help you to deepen your relationship with her Son and become the saints He created you to be! Amen.

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