Don't Look Back
by Virginia King
I was reflecting
on the role of Catholic Charismatic Renewal in our modern Church. Why did this
"renewal in the Holy Spirit" emerge when it did? Was it that the Church was
ready for this outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Was it that the world was in need
of it? I don’t have a definitive answer to these questions but this scripture
came to mind as I thought about them:
"How deep are the
riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments,
how unsearchable his ways! For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has
been his counselor? Who has given him anything so as to deserve return?’ For
from him and through him and for him all things are. To him be glory forever.
Amen." Rom 11:33
God alone knows the "why" and the "how" of his unsearchable
ways. We can be sure that when the big picture is fully revealed, we will see
how Jesus prepared his Church in every age to respond to the needs of the world
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Where do we fit into this big picture,
both as individuals and as a renewal movement? What is the historical background
for Catholic Charismatic Renewal?
In the year 1897, Pope Leo XIII wrote an
encyclical letter on the Holy Spirit, Divinum Illud Munus. He had the
earnest desire that "piety may increase and be inflamed towards the Holy Ghost,
to whom especially all of us owe the grace of following the paths of truth and
virtue." He exhorted Christians to "daily strive to know Him [the Holy Spirit],
to love Him, and to implore Him more earnestly."
Then, on January 1, 1901—the first day
of the first year of the last century—this same Pope invoked the Holy Spirit by
singing the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus" in the name of the whole Church.
The beginnings of a great revival in the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit
began among Protestants on that exact date, as Christians in Topeka prayed to
receive the "Baptism in the Spirit." It was 66 years later that this same
experience finally emerged among Roman Catholics.
In 1959 when Pope John XXIII announced
that he was going to call the Second Vatican Council, he asked Catholics
throughout the world to begin to intercede for the Council. Many of us are
familiar with his prayer for the Council, "Renew your wonders in this our day as
for a new Pentecost!" He was praying for a new Pentecost, a new outpouring of
the Holy Spirit on the Church to enliven her for her mission in the world.
The Documents of the Council speak of the themes which have
been responded to in a particular way through Charismatic Renewal, especially
the universal call to holiness and the use of the charisms of the Holy Spirit:
On holiness,
"The forms and tasks of life are many but holiness is one—that sanctity which is
cultivated by all who act under God’s Spirit and, obeying the Father’s voice and
adoring God the Father in spirit and in truth, follow Christ, poor, humble and
cross-bearing, that they may deserve to be partakers of his glory. Each one,
however, according to his own gifts and duties must steadfastly advance along
the way of a living faith, which arouses hope and works through love." (Lumen
Gentium, 41)
On charisms,
"The Holy Spirit…gives the faithful special gifts… From the reception of these
charisms there arises for each of the faithful the right and duty of exercising
them in the Church and in the world for the good of men and the development of
the Church." (Decree on Lay People, 3; cf. Lumen Gentium, 12)
When Charismatic Renewal did erupt in the Church in 1967, it
was not in isolation. It was, I believe, in response to many prayers. It could
be viewed as the Holy Spirit’s provision for implementing certain man-dates from
Vatican II. It did not come as the result of a well-devised pastoral plan but as
a sovereign act of God working through a small group of people with expectant
faith. And it has proven to be a powerful force for strengthening faith, hope
and love in millions of Catholics throughout the world.
After 40 years, Catholic Charismatic
Renewal has matured a lot. We have learned from our mistakes and have proven our
faithfulness to the role that we have been given. In 1998, Pope John Paul II
said, "The Catholic Charismatic Renewal has helped many Christians to rediscover
the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, in the life of the
Church and in the world; and this rediscovery has awakened in them a faith in
Christ filled with joy, a great love of the Church and a generous dedication to
her evangelizing mission" (to leaders in Fuiggi).
Our task is
far from over. I believe that we are being called to be even more committed to
living, proclaiming and nurturing the graces of our baptism in our Church and in
our world in these turbulent times.
Many times in the past year, I have read or heard the leaders
of the Church calling all Catholics to commit ourselves to being formed as
disciples of Jesus. We hear of "schools of formation" and "training in holiness"
and "schools of prayer" and the Church as the "school of communion." The context
in which I read these words are not usually referring to a formal educational
process. Usually it means providing an environment where people will learn by
experience how to be holy, how to pray, how to use their gifts "for the good of
all people and the development of the Church." That sounds like a Charismatic
prayer group to me! At least, that’s the ideal to which the prayer groups are
called.
I think that Catholic Charismatic Renewal has a
responsibility to respond in a special way to this exhortation to be formed as
disciples. Through prayer groups, conferences, workshops and other
opportunities, we are called to serve the parishes and the whole Church with our
particular dedication to the rediscovery of the presence and power of the Holy
Spirit. This is key to our training in holiness, in prayer, and in the
spirituality of communion. It’s not the whole picture, by any means, but it is
an essential element.
This is an ideal time to renew our commitment to nurture our
own involvement in this important movement in the Church. Not all of us can make
a weekly commitment to a prayer meeting. But I think that nearly everyone could
make it at least once a month.
"We must consider how to rouse each other to love and good
deeds. We should not absent ourselves from the assembly, as some do, but
encourage one another…" (Heb 10:24). From the beginning of the Church, there has
been the need for coming together for mutual support. We need to receive this
support from others and also give to others the support they need. Each of us
has knowledge, experience and insights to share with others.
Will this be hard? Yes. Will it require much sacrifice?
Certainly. But we have been given "a new Pentecost" not for our own sake, but
for the sake of the Church and, more importantly, for the sake of the world!
Virginia King is the Executive Director
of WWCCR.
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