Is St. Mary’s Cathedral, “not worthy to have” our pastor, Bishop Zurek, “enter under” our “roof“❓
Indeed, this week His Excellency thought that both our rector and parochial vicar were worthy of some time off; however, His Excellency also seemed to believe that his Cathedral parish was not worthy of his presence for an ordinary “Sunday Eucharist, which is celebrated every week,“, let alone ensuring that we had the regularly scheduled weekday daily Eucharist that provides the “nourishment that sustains us on the path of conversion and mission“; conversely, Msgr. Rex, despite being in the hospital last Friday, felt that the smallest parish in the city of Amarillo was worthy of having its pastor “enter under” their “roof” for not only the Sunday Eucharist celebrations, but also for the daily Eucharist each weekday and Saturday of this week; consequently, is it a shortage of priests our diocese has, or is it a shortage of pastors, like Msgr. Rex, who are willing to be “a sign of the unceasing gift of grace that conforms us to Christ and makes us members of his Body” ❓
XVI ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS
How to be a missionary synodal Church
for the Second Session (October 2024)
Part I – Relations
In Christ and in the Spirit: Christian initiation
24.
“If, on the one hand, missionary synodality is rooted in Christian initiation, on the other hand, it must illuminate how the People of God lives the journey of initiation, making it its own for what it really means. This includes overcoming a static and individualistic vision of initiation that is insufficiently linked to the following of Christ and life in the Spirit and so recovering the dynamic and transformative value of Christian initiation‘”; nonetheless, here in the Diocese of Amarillo I am wondering if Bishop Zurek’s mission is “insufficiently linked to the following of Christ and life in the Spirit” since by showing us that his own Cathedral is not worthy of its pastor’s presence, even when his rector and parochial vicar are away; moreover, is he not rather showing “contempt for the Church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed“❓
“In the early Church, Christians reading the words of the Book of Genesis “on the sixth day”, God said: “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness” (Gen 1:26), saw how relational dynamism was inscribed in the anthropology of creation. They saw in the image that of the incarnate Son and in the likeness the gradual possibility of conformation, the manifestation of the beneficial adventure of the freedom to choose to be with and like Christ. This adventure begins with listening to the Word of God, through which the catechumen gradually enters into the following of Christ Jesus“; however, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, doesn’t it seem that the ones who are off on, “This adventure“, are our priests; nevertheless, do we not go on the best we can with lay led Communion services that, “Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again!“❓
Alleluia, alleluia,
“Baptism is at the service of the dynamism of the likeness, and for this reason, it is not a punctual act closed at the moment of its celebration but a gift that must be confirmed, nourished and put to good use through the commitment to conversion, service to mission and participation in the life of the community. Christian initiation culminates, in fact, in the Sunday Eucharist, which is celebrated every week, a sign of the unceasing gift of grace that conforms us to Christ and makes us members of his Body and nourishment that sustains us on the path of conversion and mission“, yet here in the Diocese of Amarillo, even if our pastor, Bishop Zurek, doesn’t find us as worthy “members of (Christ’s) Body” at St. Mary’s Cathedral, and he seeks the “nourishment that sustains” him elsewhere, do not we parishioners at St. Mary’s Cathedral still believe that, “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life“❓
Alleluia, alleluia
“But we should be particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our midst, whereby we continue to tolerate some considering themselves more worthy than others; therefore, should I not be indignant if our pastor, Bishop Zurek, especially when all other priests are away, does not enter under the roof of St. Mary’s Cathedral, while Jesus still comes even though all of us proclaim, “for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof❓”