Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111811.cfm

Fathers Ken, Donald and Richard
before the world's largest
spruce tree in
Olympic Forest, WA

Judas and his brothers said,
"Now that our enemies have been crushed,
let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it."
So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.

I’m weak on dates but I have this story on good authority. When the English occupiers attempted to suppress Catholicism in Ireland, Franciscans were left with a choice, leave their homeland forever or go underground. The Conventual friars left but many of the “Spirituals” (who would later be gathered into today’s largest Franciscan family) kept the faith by hiding in the homes and barns of their faithful. It was a difficult life with many dangers but they were assisted by the Holy Spirit in their heroic ministry.

When the repression eased these friars settled into rectories. However, their way of life had changed significantly. They were, to all appearances, diocesan clergy. They did not live the common life; they did not pray together; their spirituality made few references to Saints Francis, Clare or Bonaventure, or to any other Franciscan source. 

Eventually the international order of Franciscans rediscovered this isolated, almost extinct group of friars and reached out to them, encouraging them to reclaim the customs and spirituality of the Order. However the men were set in their ways and saw no need to change. Finally the Order shut down the Irish novitiate, where new friars were trained, and opened a new one staffed by European friars who could train the young recruits in our way of life. One by one these younger friars occupied the old rectories, and restored the Seraphic Tradition.

There were no bad guys in this story; but there was real need for reform. Fortunately the European friars devised a novel and relatively painless way to address the problem.

The Church is always reforming and always in need of reform. Historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, in his history of the Protestant Reformation, recalls the continual ferment of accusations and counter-accusations between diocesan and religious priests before the 16^th century. Luther, Zwingli and Calvin’s Reformation was not as novel or original as it has been described; although they thought it was pretty remarkable at the time.

No revolutionary group or organization is ever as pure as its ideals; and no idealist “gets” the Holy Spirit so thoroughly that he or she is above censure. We must continually listen, continually examine our hearts and be frequently rebuked for our lack of faith.

Today’s first story tells how the Maccabean rebels purified the temple after a most unfortunate interlude when it was occupied by gentiles. The Jews celebrated with intense joy their new-found, hard-won, brief moment of freedom.  Their priests reestablished the sacrifices and prayers, the rabbis redesigned their ancient customs for a new historical era; and the people believed once again that God had never abandoned them.

Two weeks from now English-language Catholic Churches will welcome a new translation of our Mass prayers. As reforms go it's not a great matter, but we can suppose it will head off a greater upheaval that might appear were we too put this reform off for another decade. 

The Church must be purified again and again. We repent, confess our sins and beg God’s mercy. Not a day goes by when every moment and every thought is entirely worthy of God’s abiding presence in our hearts. But God in his mercy takes delight in our company and inspires us to rejoice and be glad and listen.