In the life of every person, there comes a moment when his or her personal existence must be anchored to a truth which is recognized as final. This is a truth that confers a certitude no longer open to doubt. For Christians, it is the historical fact of God in human flesh. The Incarnation did take place some 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. But the mystery of the Incarnation is repeated time and time again whenever and wherever the Lord chooses to be present among His people. On the day of Baptism, every Christian is anointed to be another Christ. In God’s mysterious providence, baptized believers are called to be Christ for others, the salt of the earth, a light for the world.
The truth of the Incarnation is a scandal to many. I recall the distress of a rabbi in speaking about our belief that Jesus Christ is God. He found that truth to be offensive, scandalous. All the more offensive and scandalous, in my judgment, is our bold Christian assertion that Jesus continues to be present today in the church, namely, in you and in me. As sinful, foolish and weak as we may often be, Jesus Christ is present in us, even in the weakest among us. “When I was hungry, you gave me to eat, when I was thirsty, you gave me to drink. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.”
No wonder, then, that the travesty of child abuse by a bishop, priest or deacon is so offensive and scandalous. Contemporary theologians speak of a priest as an icon of Jesus. What a horror it must be for a victim of child abuse to look at a priest and see not the icon of Christ but the face of his or her abuser. Christmas always seemed like such a “pretty feast.” If only the Incarnation had ended then and there. But Jesus chose to stay on earth after His Ascension in human flesh, our human flesh.
At the end of our June meeting in Dallas, the U.S. Catholic bishops decided to fast, do penance and pray on Aug. 14 of this year, the vigil of the feast of the Assumption. This is to be done in repentance for our failures to prevent priests from sexually abusing minors. We also invited Catholic priests, deacons and lay people across the country to join us. I am hopeful that here in the Archdiocese of Portland you will accept that invitation.
This mid-August commitment to prayer, penance and fasting is not to be a one-time thing. Nor is it an adequate response in itself to the pain inflicted on victims or to the loss of trust that has been caused because bishops treated sexually abusive priests too gently.
It is my sincere desire that a commitment to prayer, penance and fasting for victims of child abuse and also for other special intentions that inevitably arise will become a way of life among us. Therefore I am proposing the re-establishment of Ember Days here in western Oregon beginning this fall.
Ember Days? Nearly two generations of Catholics now have little or no acquaintance with these traditional days of prayer and fasting for the purpose of sanctifying the season. Ember Days were considered especially appropriate for ordinations. I myself was ordained on an Ember Day in Advent.
In years gone by, Ember Days were observed during all four seasons of the year. I propose that we observe one Ember Day each fall, each Advent and each Lent. Where Ember Days have been re-established, they are frequently called “Days of Prayer for Peace.” We have learned quite painfully that where there has been sexual abuse, there is little or no peace. The Ember Days could serve as particularly appropriate occasions for healing services for victims of sexual abuse and for others in our communities who are suffering physically, emotionally or spiritually.
I am asking that our first Ember Day be the last Friday of September, the first Friday of fall, Sept. 27. Dates will also be chosen for the seasons of Advent and Lent each year. United in our determination to eliminate all child sexual abuse, we shall pray and fast in repentance for this terrible sin and for everything in church and society that has allowed or tolerated its repetition again and again and again. After all, it is the Lord Himself, present especially in our children, whom we victimize once more.
Furthermore, I want to encourage a habit of daily prayer, which will both give visible witness to our belief in the Incarnation and to our abiding sorrow over the victimization of children. In recent years, I have noted the renewed practice of praying the Angelus among many of our fellow Catholics, especially those who are active in some of the Church’s lay movements. The Angelus prayer, offered morning, noon and evening, reminds us of and calls us to the reality of the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus in our lives. Like Mary, we too are called to be the bearers of Christ to the whole world. I highly recommend that you offer this prayer at least once a day as a way of keeping your focus on Jesus present among us and, sadly, still a victim for our sins.
When you and I are not a holy sign of Jesus, then the Incarnation is indeed scandalous. We pray that as a church we will be a visible, inspiring and healing sign of the Incarnation of our God. I invite you to conclude this reflection by offering the Angelus prayer with me now.
The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary
R / And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary full of grace . . . .
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R / Be it done unto me according to your word.
Hail Mary full of grace . . .
And the Word was made flesh.
R / And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary full of grace . . .
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
R / That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Pour forth we beseech you, oh Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
