(Death, Heaven, Purgatory, Hell)
Links to Churches and Religions
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
|
|
Baptism challenges faithful to evangelization
By Theresa Kirkpatrick
SASKATOON -- Evangelization and inculturation are intrinsically linked, says Rev. Andrew Britz, OSB, of St. Peter's Abbey, Muenster, Sask.
Speaking at the monthly Ministries meeting for the Diocese of Saskatoon, Britz outlined the challenges and opportunities faced by the baptized in today's church.
"The struggle is: to what are we called when we
are called to evangelize? We often have it in our minds going to missions
in foreign countries . . . coming to them and saying here is the word of
God," he said. "What we need to stress is the uniqueness of the revelation
of Jesus Christ."
But that uniqueness does not equal exclusivity,
he warned.
"When we come with the message of the Gospel, it always needs a culture to carry it," he remarked. "No doctrine is a culture in itself."
When trying to find that synthesis between faith and culture, Britz said it's important to keep three things in mind. First is the recognition that other religions have brought about good. Second is that there are elements of other religions that make sense and third, recognize that we can learn from other religions.
"Pope Paul VI said that the whole message of Jesus is summed up in his proclamation of the kingdom and the kingdom is always bigger than one holy and apostolic church."
The key, he said, is seeking balance between the divine and the reality of an age and that is always the role of the People of God.
To illustrate his point, Britz talked about four parables. The first was the miracle of Jesus, turning water into wine at the wedding, which he said indicated the kingdom of God is in community, in celebrating together. The second was the 11th hour parable, which talks about the paradox of justice and equity and the need to accept that God is sheer grace. The third was the pharisee and the tax collector, which helps us compare the image of God we hold as church and the Good Samaritan which shows us we cannot separate our humanity and culture from our religion.
"Parables always deal with paradox, with ambiguity and can be seen this way or that way. . . . When we look at the parables, the goal is to know ourselves better but ultimately we will never know ourselves and ultimately we have to come and live in faith in Jesus Christ," said Britz.
Balance, he said, does not come from clergy or from the pope. Balance comes from the People of God living in community and balance is the lived reality.
"The Good News is preached to the poor and the suffering of the poor and powerless can unmask us," he said. "As church if we want to know if we're on the right road, if we need assurance we have to act in solidarity with the dispossessed, the victims of power."
In such an ambiguous world, he added, we must find the good in this age.
"When Jesus Christ came into the world, it was not a particularly holy age, and yet if we want to evangelize we must have an eye out for the kingdom of God, working in our midst. Grace is a sheer gift."