Spiritual Life Committee
Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity

Monthly Reflection: October, 2004

 

RESISTANCE TO SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

Fr. Michael Barth, S.T.

 

“Our own passionate desire to be faithful to the vowed life is challenged by a resistance to take full advantage of the spiritual resources available to us in our Constitution and Rule of Life…” Acts of the XIIth General Cenacle of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, 2003.

 

 

            Amos Wilder, an American theologian, has said, “In every age we instruct Christ as to what He was and is, instead of allowing ourselves to be instructed by Him.”

 

            In these years when we have been called to reflect on our Religious Identity as Missionary Servants, why is it that we instruct the charism as to what it was or is, instead of allowing ourselves to be instructed by it? Why do we (or, I) feel resistance when we are invited, called and summoned by one another (e.g., General Cenacle) to use the gifts that we have (Constitution, Rule of Life, Monthly Reflections, Retreats) for our renewal?

 

            We usually resist things because they are unknown, or when known, we fear that they might summon us to act in a way, or venture into a place, that pulls us out of our comfort zone. I resist to exercise or lose weight because it might require me to give up the food that I crave for or get out of bed early. Although I know physical exercise is good for me and that  I should do it, yet I resist it or  put it off for tomorrow. Usually we fail to get it until a crisis occurs and then, we regretfully have to act (ask Bill Clinton!), hoping it’s not too late.

 

            Our last General Cenacle stated that we, the Religious (not only ST’s), are experiencing a crisis, that it has “become urgent that we change the way we live Religious life.” I don’t know whether we need a bypass surgery or not, but we are being called to change, to do something different, to leave the “tried and true”- the comfort zones – and once again allow the charism to instruct us and lead us and let the Spirit’s blood flow once again freely through our  veins!

 

            Fr. Vincent, in his January 2004 Reflection said, “The identity of the Missionary Servant is already adequately described in the Constitution, Directory and Rule of Life. I don’t believe that the request for a further study of Identity comes from lack of information. What I feel ought to be examined is a term we can borrow from the computer world, ‘upgrade.’”

 

            And yet we resist the upgrade. Is it stubbornness, laziness, apathy, fear of what we might be called to, the business or busy-ness of the apostolate? I suppose we can in one sense call it a sin – resisting the call to conversion.

 

            Renewal – personal and communal – is not as easy (unfortunately) as hitting the “download” button and sitting while everything is conveniently dumped into our hard drive. Oh, how I wish!  The renewal that we have been called to by our Documents, the Church and the people we serve is done only through prayer, reflection and attending passionately to our spiritual life.

 

            The Divine Architect, the Holy Spirit, desires to continue building the charism within us – for the sake of our world and our time. And yet we ( I ) resist.

 

            As we gather this month in our Cenacles, let us reflect communally or personally on this resistance. Do I use the Documents that have been passed to us from our ancestors (Constitution, Directory, Rule of Life) as sources for renewal and identity? How often do I open them, pray with them? If not, why not?

 

            Has the devotional life of the Cenacle been a source of “living water” nourishing in us an authentic apostolic life? If not, why not?

 

            What obstacles, what sources of resistance, need to be removed from my life in order to honestly respond to the call to renewal sop that we can change the way we live Religious life?

 

            Do I plan on making one of the upcoming retreats using the Cenacle Spiritual Exercises? If not, why not?

 

            Let us pray together for a generous outpouring of the Spirit’s gifts as we move together into the future- yes, a future rife with fear and many unknowns – but always, yet always in the hands of God.

 

            Blessed be the Holy and Undivided Unity, now and forever!