“If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.”
jN 13:17
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are.
From the dialogue On Divine Providence by Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor
It appears that laity who are “restless” and seek reform among the clergy have much in common with St. Catherine of Siena, and actually are, “A Reflection on Christian Life”.
You no doubt have heard of or perhaps even read the now infamous accusations against myself, your Rector and the associate Rector. These were obviously made by ‘a few’, emphasis on a few, souls that appear to be quite restless.
From A Reflection on Christian Life by Patrick J. Zurek, Bishop of Amarillo
In recent homilies Bishop Patrick J. Zurek has put forth the Encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, as the standard for love and unity in our diocese. Today, let’s reflect upon paragraph #199 in that regard:
CHAPTER SIX
DIALOGUE AND FRIENDSHIP IN SOCIETY
SOCIAL DIALOGUE FOR A NEW CULTURE
199. Some people, like Bishop Zurek it seems, attempt to flee from reality, taking refuge in their own little world “under the dome”;
others, as Bishop Zurek has accused “the few” of doing, react to it with destructive violence. Yet “between selfish indifference and violent protest there is always another possible option: that of dialogue. Dialogue between generations; dialogue among our people, for we are that people; readiness to give and receive, while remaining open to the truth.
Pope Francis leads his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican April 28, 2021. The pope reflected on the theme of meditation as he continued his series of talks on prayer. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
A country/diocese flourishes when constructive dialogue occurs between its many rich cultural components:
Pope John Paul I, who served as pope for 33 days in 1978, is seen in this photo released by the Vatican Dec. 7, 2010, to highlight the restoration of its photo archive. In an April 28 statement, the John Paul I Vatican Foundation announced the recovery of a collection of the late pope’s writings. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)
popular culture, university culture, youth culture, artistic culture, technological culture, economic culture, family culture and media culture”.[196]
St. Catherine of Siena, as part of the laity you had a strong influence on those who lived, “under the dome”. Pray that we in the Diocese of Amarillo not only understand the value of “dialogue”, but “do it” as you did.
