“How admirable is this ministry!
EDITORIAL by Fr. Ngoa Ya Tshihemba
Superior General of the Augustinians of the Assumption
In the first of seven additional meditations, Fr. d’Alzon speaks of the ministry of the Word: “How admirable is this ministry as Our Lord communicated it to his apostles through the all-powerful action of the Holy Spirit!”
Why return to this ministry in this editorial? I have been on a canonical visitation since March 2nd. I began in Spain, where we have three communities, each responsible for parishes (sometimes two for a single community). After Spain, I visited the community in Montpellier, also responsible for three churches that form a parish, and today I am in Nîmes where I celebrated the Eucharist in the Church of Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity, entrusted to the Assumptionists.
Our brothers who serve in these various parishes were kind enough to invite those who work directly with them to share their experiences with me. It was during these discussions that I realized how admirably our brothers carry out their ministry of speaking and listening in a society that feels its need.
Speaking of accompanying the People of God, the 34th General Chapter offered some fairly clear guidelines: “Our societies are increasingly fragmented; divisions, national isolationism, and conflicts are intensifying. Unfortunately, the Church is not immune to this reality. Therefore, wherever we are, we wish to redouble our efforts for unity, charity, and truth, both among peoples and within the Church and among the Churches.” (Acts of the 34th General Chapter, no. 131). The same General Chapter invited us to cultivate a synodal spirit in accompanying the People of God: “We will strive to strengthen close collaboration with the laity in all the places where we are on mission, in order to foster synodality in the leadership and governance of our parishes… Together, we work for the good of the community.” (Acts of the 34th General Chapter, no. 134).
Love for the Church should be, according to Father d’Alzon, one of the first distinguishing characteristics when this admirable ministry is entrusted to the Assumptionists. “Nothing is more beautiful than dedicating oneself to the cause of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Church” (E.S. pp. 616-617). While it is true that we must not fall into a kind of paranoia by seeing the enemies of the Church everywhere around us, it is also true that we must not be naive. To love the Church is also to take a stand to defend her. If this can be done through one’s life, all the better: a life centered on Christ and in which charity is the Golden Rule.
The ministry of the Word is becoming increasingly demanding. This is why Father d’Alzon insists on proper preparation: “To rush into the fray without the necessary weapons would be supreme imprudence. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves.” We must fight valiantly, but with a certain knowledge, and since this knowledge is not given to us directly as it was to the apostles, we must acquire it through study, and this is sanctification through work, so necessary for those who want to dedicate themselves to the fight of God” (E.S. p. 617).
When it comes to undertaking actions in accompanying God’s people, we must be prepared for every eventuality: success or failure. We live in a time when failure is barely tolerated, especially since a new generation of brothers is serving communities that were once accustomed to a certain way of doing things. It takes time, patience, and courage for changes to be understood and accepted. In a conversation with brothers who felt this way, I urged them to redouble their confidence. Father d’Alzon says that when discouragement takes hold of us, that is precisely the moment to redouble our confidence. He speaks of “the solemn hour of hope.” Because at that moment, we learn to trust in others and in the master of the task: the Lord. Is this not the meaning of Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9)?
The ministry of the word and of accompanying God’s people—that is, evangelization—is admirable but increasingly demanding. It requires that virtue which our Founder described as indispensable to every Assumptionist: humility.