Reflections on the Dehonian Rule of Life.
Through fellowship even above and beyond conflicts, and through mutual forgiveness, we would like to be a sign that the fraternity for which people thirst is possible in Jesus Christ and we would like to be its servants.
Constitutions No. 65
DR. JAMES W. STROUD writes…
What is a sign? Three things are needed for a sign. There are: what is being communicated, how it is communicated, and the person who receives it. Think of the example of a stop sign. Stop signs are distinctive and vary by country. In the United States, stop signs are mostly red with white lettering, octagon-shaped, and placed at the intersections of streets and certain crosswalks. With a stop sign, we can see all three parts of a sign: 1) the legal responsibility to stop while driving a vehicle for the well-being and safety of the community, 2) the sign itself which is red, octagonal, and placed at certain locations, and 3) the person who stops. A sign’s purpose is communication.
What does it mean then for a human person to be a sign? And even more so, a sign which communicates “that the fraternity for which people thirst is possible in Jesus Christ”? Or put simply, how do we become signs of fraternity in a world of conflict?
Pope Francis in his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti states that “social friendship and universal fraternity necessarily call for an acknowledgement of the worth of every human person, always and everywhere” (FT, 106. Emphasis in original). This statement of Pope Francis finds its roots in the words of Jesus: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). Do we see each person we encounter, whether neighbor or stranger, citizen or immigrant, young or old, Christian or non-Christian, as loved by God and called to friendship with God and as worthy of love and dignity as a human person?
Perhaps more boldly we should ask: do we communicate these signs of fraternity and love in us to others? Do those we encounter see the face of Christ and experience the heart of Christ in us and in their midst? When a driver does not see a stop sign, the consequences can be tragic. How much greater a tragedy it is for others to not see the sign of the love of Christ in us! Let us commit ourselves with the help of the Holy Spirit to being known by our signs of love and fraternity rooted in Christ so that everybody we encounter may see and experience the love of God and know that they are, as we are, children of God.
JAMES W. STROUD, S.T.D. is an Associate Professor of Moral Theology at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, WI. In his eleventh year of teaching at SHSST, he teaches in the areas of fundamental moral theology, biomedical ethics, and social ethics. He has published articles in the areas of fundamental moral theology and the intersection of moral theology and scripture, and is currently working on an edited volume on John Paul II’s 1993 encyclical Veritatis splendor.
FR. DAVID SZATKOWSKI, SCJ, writes…
This is a particularly timely constitution to reflect on given the recent inauguration of a new administration. People are either celebrating or they are despairing, depending on their politics. We can all agree that few are indifferent. This is the world, time, and place in which we minister. This is a prophetic time to put this constitution into practice – a time to form fellowship.
As SCJs we must be authentic to who we are in the world we are in. That means working toward social justice. It means dialogue with people we disagree with as we seek to heal and not divide people. Why dare to extend fellowship to those with whom we find ourselves divided? The reason is simply that God has given us this unique charism. God has made us reconcilers. God has given us this grace. And we can make tiny steps just where we are, with people near us.
I was struck by the words “through fellowship.” I believe we are called to create fellowship. Fellowship means relationship. Pope Francis’ theology of encounter is a form of fellowship. Forming relationships with people we disagree with, people we think are “wrong” in their theology or politics, people we call “disordered” or “lacking” due to the ways they live, or those we deem “sinful” is difficult. Yet we must dare to come into relationship. This is hard work. We cannot compromise the gospel, or teachings of the Church. We can act with love, respect, honesty, and sincere care. We can be in relationship with a person, who becomes a friend and who is no longer “them.”
Pope Francis in Fratelli tutti calls us into relationships with people who are different, those from whom we are divided, those we want to “change” to meet our definition of “good.'” The Holy Father urges new and authentic dialogue (Ft, 198). It means allowing the person with whom I differ to be heard in respect, love, and sincerity (Ft, 203). Suddenly, “they” have a name and are real people, not just a target for my anger or disgust. I know their story. I learn their wisdom, insights, and hear about experiences that are different from mine. We are both changed. Relationship allows mutual conversion.
I will use one example that is popular in media today – the police. I am a police chaplain. Today “the police” are either reviled or praised, called thugs or saints, to be defunded or tripled in funding depending to whom you listen. When I began, I knew almost no one in law enforcement. Now? I ride with officers for twelve hours. I know their situations. I hear to their stories and know fears. We know each other’s names. They are not “the police” to me. They are people with whom I have a relationship because we both dared to take a step toward one another. Do I agree always with an individual about everything? No, I do not. But I can create a dialogue that could not otherwise exist and encourage others to do the same.
FR. DAVID SZATKOWSKI applied to become a candidate with the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 1992; he professed his first vows in 1997. He has served in pastoral ministry in Texas and Mississippi, and in recent years, as a police chaplain in Mississippi where he is also a member of the north Mississippi pastoral team. He has served in formation, and in province administration. Besides his M.Div. from Catholic Theological Union, Fr. Dave has a JCL and a JCD (canon law degrees) from the Angelicum in Rome.
