© Copyright 2002 Catholic Exchange
Rev. John A. Sistare, S.T.L., is a priest at St. Leo the Great Church in Pawtucket, RI.
I find myself with many positive emotions in these early years of priesthood. However, at the same time, there is the frustration of the recent clergy scandals. There is the bitterness and mistrust towards the media. There is sorrow felt for the victims, including the possible falsely accused clergy. There is even, on occasion, anger towards the petty attacks made by columnists and cartoonists on the Church as a whole. Does the public think all priests are guilty of these crimes? Will I spend my first ten years of priesthood trying to simply regain the trust and faith of those hurt by these scandals? What does a new young priest do in light of these dark times? What does any faithful priest, religious, deacon, or lay person do during these times?
Before a solution can be given, let’s not think we’re all so innocent! Place a crucifix before your eyes! Behold, the greatest scandal ever! Behold, the scandal of all scandals! Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, was crucified! My sins and yours nailed Him to that cross! He came to teach us how to love one another and we, humanity, taught him how to die! He came to save us from our sins and bring us back into communion with His Heavenly Father, and humanity pressed thorns into His Sacred Head. We drove nails into the holiest of hands and feet. Humanity killed God, Jesus Christ! We didn’t kill the Father or the Holy Spirit, but we did, truly, crucify and kill the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. If we want to talk about scandals, let’s start with the greatest one of all. We all crucified Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. Perhaps we would all do well to remember the words of Jesus, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone!”
Yes, we have scandals in our day! These days, we don’t have to go much further than our local newspapers to read an article on clergy scandals. A simple turn on of the television will give us the latest scandal of the day. Dark times are upon us! What are the faithful to do?
I propose we look at the very beginnings of the Church. At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist, as well as the Sacred Priesthood. Jesus Christ chose twelve men (the foundation for the male priesthood) to be his first priests. Immediately, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve newly ordained priests, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver! Shortly after that, another one of the twelve proves to also be weak and frail. Peter had just told Jesus at the Last Supper that he would never deny him and would, in fact, lay down his life for him. However, before the cock crowed, Peter ended up denying that he even knew Jesus, not once, but three times! When the going got tough these two, as well as nine others, proved to be weak and undependable. Eleven of them abandoned Jesus at his darkest hour on the Cross. Eleven of them were weak — but remember there were twelve apostles! Yes, here is where the solution is found. This twelfth apostle, St. John, has the answer for the faithful clergy, religious and laity.
St. John was the only one mentioned in the Scriptures to have stood at the Cross with the faithful women and, of course, our Blessed Lady. Do you think that St. John was angry and bitter towards the other eleven apostles for abandoning Jesus? Do you think he felt alone and isolated as he stood at the foot of that Holy Cross, as the crowd yelled ‘Crucify Him’? Despite the darkness, St. John stood there faithfully! St. John has the solution for us all.
St. John remained focused on Jesus Christ. When the going got tough, St. John kept his eyes on the one High Priest, Jesus Christ! He is the one High Priest who freely accepted to lay down his life for our sins. This is why it is foolish for people to leave the Church because of the immoral actions of a priest. Our focus can’t be on a particular individual priest but must be on the one High Priest, Jesus Christ. St. John remained focused on Jesus Christ and so must we. Jesus Christ has not left us alone. He is present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Increase prayer before the Blessed Sacrament! Make a holy hour or small visits before Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
St. John also beheld the Blessed Mother. Upon the Cross, Jesus looked to St. John and said, ‘Behold your Mother.’ Scripture says, ‘from that hour, he took her into his home.’ We must take Mary into our homes! Increase devotion to your Mother, named such at the foot of the Cross. St. John beheld Mary and so must all the faithful during these difficult times. Pray the Rosary, if you are not already, and seek her intercession. Our Mother Mary always leads us to her Son. When we seek her intercession, she says, as she said at that first miracle at the Wedding of Cana, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
St. John possessed the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love. John had faith as he stood at the foot of the cross. When John ran to the empty tomb and saw the wrappings of the Lord, the Scriptures say, ‘he saw and believed.’ St. John had faith! St. John had hope. You can bet that as John stood at the Cross, he was beginning to recall the promise of Jesus that he would rise on the third day. John possessed the virtue of hope as he outran Peter to the empty tomb.
Finally, John is the apostle of love. Scripture calls John the beloved disciple. Jesus had a special place for St. John. St. John laid his head on the sacred chest and heart of Jesus at the Last Supper. Perhaps, that proximity to Jesus on the eve of his death prepared him for what was to come. Faith, hope and love! St. John had all three when others chose to disbelieve, despair and remain full of hatred.
My dear brothers and sisters, St. John saw the Risen Lord! St. John watched the light arise from the darkness. We will rise from this darkness of our times as well! The faithful will see the light of Christ shine forth from these recent scandals. May we keep our eyes fixed on the one High Priest, Jesus Christ, and seek the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother. In doing so, we will increase in faith, hope, and above all, the much needed virtue of our day, love.
