AUGUST 2009 REFLECTION

A BISHOP'S PLACE IS IN HIS HOME

by Martin J. Doe

Last month I shared a somewhat light-hearted but deeply personal story of an eight-year-old "bishop" and his family whom I have come to know and grow fond of from my parish work.  This month I would like to share some thoughts with you about what a bishop in the Catholic Church should be.  We will study the issue with some Scriptures and quotes from someone I feel is one of the greatest bishop and the Second Vatican Council.

SACRED SCRIPTURE

St. Paul speaks the most directly on the issue of bishops in his first letter to the bishop Timothy, "This saying is trustworthy: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.  Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable, married only once temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with perfect dignity; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household how can be take care of the church of God?  He should not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and thus incur the devil’s punishment.  He must also have a good reputation among outsiders. So that he may not fall into disgrace, the devil’s trap." (1 Timothy 1 – 7).  Now before I go further I would like to make one comment on the passage, "married only once" because I can see biblical ears going up and questions rolling around in people’s minds.  Celibacy came later and is a Church discipline, not a doctrine.  Remember, St. Paul himself was unmarried, 1 Corinthians 7:8.  If you would like an in-depth reflection on the issue of celibacy and the priesthood please let me know via my JMJ e-mail address.

Of interest to us in this reflection is St. Paul’s usage of the word household in the above passage telling Timothy that a bishop should be able to manage his own household before undertaking the management of God’s household.  This household theme is continued in verses 14 – 15 when Paul tells Timothy, "I am writing you about these matters, although I hope to visit you soon.  But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." Once again a reminder that the Church is Gods' household, his family and as a bishop he is charged by Paul to guard and protect this household.  And where does Paul get this teaching, this understanding of God's Church being his household?  I would suggest that this comes from the Lord Jesus himself.

In the Gospel of St. Matthew Jesus gives a rather long sermon on the last days and the need to be vigilant for we know not the day or the hour of His return.  Now, all this takes place in the 24th and 25th chapters of Matthew but I would like to focus on the final section of chapter 24 starting with verse 45, "Who then, is the faithful and prudent servant (oikonomas in Greek) whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.  Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.  But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."  So who is this steward that is placed in charged of the masters household? I would suggest to you that they are our bishops.  They are given charge to feed the household with God’s Word and with great feast of the Holy Eucharist.  It is because they are present in a diocese that we as Catholics can have the Sacraments. They are to be the faithful "oikonomas" stewards of God’s "oikos" His household. Note that Jesus tells us that there will be a severe punishment for those unfaithful stewards for at the unknown hour, Jesus himself will return with his justice. The office of bishop in the Catholic Church is not to be taken lightly or to be used as a stepping-stone to higher office. It is not a political office, although too many bishops treat it as such. No, the office of bishop is an office of maximum stewardship of God’s household the Church.

ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH (ca. A.D. 107)

St. Ignatius is believed to have been a disciple of St. John the Apostle.  Arrested and sentenced to death by wild animals, Ignatius the bishop of Antioch was sent to Rome to have his death used as entertainment for the Roman mob.  While on his journey to Rome from Asia Minor he was able to send seven letters to seven churches, dioceses if you will, which are held by the Church as treasures more valuable than gold.

In his letters it is worth noting that in all of them, all of them, St. Ignatius exhorts the faithful to be obedient to their bishop.  Here are but a few examples:  "I exhort you to be careful to do all things in the harmony of God, the bishop having the primacy after the model of God…" (Letter to the Magnesians Chap. 6)  "In the same way all should respect the deacons as they would Jesus Christ, just as they respect the bishop as representing the Father and the priests as the council of God and college of the Apostles.  Apart from these there is nothing that can be called a Church."  (Letter to the Trallians, Chap. 2)  "For all who belong to God and Jesus Christ are with the Bishop.  And those, too, will belong to God who have returned, repentant, to the unity of the Church so as to live in accordance with Jesus Christ…"  (Letter to the Philadelphians, Chap. 3)  "[Shun schisms, as the source of troubles.] Let all follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ did the Father…Apart from the bishop let no one perform any functions that pertain to the Church.  Let that Eucharist be held valid which is offered by the bishop or by one to whom the bishop has committed this charge.  Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.  It is not lawful to baptize or give communion without the consent of the bishop.  On the other hand, whatever has his approval is pleasing to God.  Thus, whatever is done will be safe and valid."  (Letter to the Smyrneans, Chap. 8) The early Church was a hierarchical Church with the bishop as the head of the household, without whom nothing could be validly done and Vatican II did not change this.

VATICAN COUNCIL II  (A.D. 1962 – 1965)

Much ado has been raised about so many things from Vatican II and I have previously written about them.  But in this reflection I just want to point out what the Council Fathers said about the role of the bishop in the "modern world" and ask you the reader if what a bishop is supposed to be doing now really different than what a bishop was supposed to be doing during the time of St. Ignatius of Antioch? 

EXCERPTS FROM THE DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH, LUMEN GENTIUM: 

#24:  "The bishops, in as much as they are the successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord, to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth, the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain to salvation through faith, baptism and the observance of the commandments (cf. Mt. 28:18; Mk. 16-15; Acts 26:17 f.).  For the carrying our of this mission Christ promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles and sent him from heaven on the day of Pentecost, so that through his power they might be witnesses to him in the remotest parts of the earth…"

#25:  "Among the more important duties of bishops that of preaching the Gospel has pride of place.  For the bishops are heralds of the faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers, that is teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people assigned to them, the faith which is destined to inform their thinking and direct their conduct; and under the light of the Holy Spirit they make that faith shine forth, drawing form the store house of revelation new things and old (cf. Mt. 13:52); they make it bear fruit and with watchfulness they ward off whatever errors threaten their flock…"  Now, I can’t go on to my last quote without one simple observation.  My dear bishops, you are to be watchful and ward off whatever ever errors threaten your flock.  This does not mean that you are to be "open to dialogue" or "accept diversity of belief and be willing to embrace the new" (whatever the heck that ever means).  NO, NO, NO PROTECT YOUR FLOCK FROM ERRORS OUTSIDE THE CHURCH BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY FROM THE ERRORS WITHIN THE CHURCH, THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD!  SO WAKE UP SOME OF YOU GUYS!

#26:  "The bishop, invested with the fullness of the sacrament of Orders, is "the steward of grace of the supreme priesthood" above all in the Eucharist, which he himself offers, or ensures that it is offered, form which the Church of Christ is really present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful, which, in so far as they are united to their pastors, are also quite appropriately called their own localities, the new people called by God, in the power of the Holy Spirit and as the result of full conviction (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5).  In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated "so that, by means of the flesh and blood of the Lord the whole brotherhood of the Body may be welded together…"

Please pray for our bishop and especially pray for the bishop of your diocese.