Author Archives: Fr. Chori Seraiah

The People

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I heard an absolutely wonderful statement today (thank you Margaret) and it struck me with its beautiful simplicity. To quote:

"What if the Anglican Patrimony is people?"

This is not to deny all the practices and perspectives that make up the "culture" of the Anglican Patrimony; certainly not. Yet it is trying to point out something that is often forgotten in all the hustle and bustle of theological blatheration that does more to cloud the issues than to clear them up. The practices only exist if there are people who are doing them, and the perspectives only exist if there are people who are holding them. These things, like love, only exist in the performance of them, and we often forget that it is the people who are the "flesh and blood" of what we are discussing (pun intended).

It is not as though we can discuss a structure of a vestry or parish council and imagine that structure without it being filled by people. Hence, it is those very people's souls which are what we are supposed to be preserving when we seek to obey the Holy Father's wishes in Anglicanorum Coetibus. The academic side of things only exists because there are academicians who are "academizing". To get all caught up in a heated torrent of debate over any detail of the faith will usually mean that we have come to believe that we are discussing Plato's forms rather than the behaviors of men and women who are loved by Christ.

When I see the behaviors of many Christians today, it seems as though they want us to believe that they love their brother enough to kill him. Oddly, I recall the command being more along the lines of loving our brother enough to die for him. Sometimes this dying for our brother means dying to self. There are many ways that you can live out that "dying to self", but if nothing in you changes, then you have not died to self. One can die to self by just shutting his mouth (or putting Chinese handcuffs on your typing fingers); one can die to self by apologizing to a brother (publicly if the offense was public); or one can die to self by saying "yessir" when the Ordinary tells you to do something you do not want to do.

To preserve the human part of the patrimony means that we are to be "our brother's keeper". This is so because these beautiful practices and ideas will become ugly and unholy if we use them as swords against the tender heart of a confused Christian brother. There are some who pride themselves in defending a cause or system as though they were the last defender of the faith, and yet all they are accomplishing is the alienation of one that they should be seeking to help to grow in faith. Better to let the cause go and save the man, than to let the man go and save the cause.

Many of us find great joy in the Anglican Patrimony. Yet, every one of those aspects that you enjoy are mere words on paper (or the screen) if you do not treat the people as more important. To turn a phrase: God made the patrimony for man, and not man for the patrimony. Sometimes we forget this, and it shows when we least expect it.

There are many, many souls out there who have been dragged out to sea by the undertow of either the liberalism in the Episcopal Churches or the cantankerousness of the "continuing" Anglican denominations. Others have merely wandered into the waves because they got confused by much that has happened recently in the Catholic Church. A new ship is setting sail now in the American Ordinariate and the sailors who board her need to do more than keep the deck clean. They need to be going out seeking those who are floating in the sea of modern relativism and immorality; those who have fallen away and yet not found (or forgotten) their true home in the barque of Peter. They have been treading dangerous waters for quite some time and have not found safe harbor; let us seek and find them with all the passion of the Chief Shepherd looking for His lost sheep. This is what it means to preserve the patrimony more than anything else: to seek and save that which was lost.

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Joyful and Happy?

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. . . gaudete in Domino semper (Philippians 4:4) . . . be joyful and happy Catholics!

These words, from Fr. Jeffrey Steenson, the new Ordinary for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter (just in case anyone forgot the authority that has been granted to him by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI), are important for all of us. Whether you are an Anglican preparing to enter the Ordinariate or a non-Anglican Catholic who is just interested in the Ordinariate, the command to be joyful is not one that we are supposed to ignore. We are to be "joyful and happy" because we always are given far better things than we deserve, and we are supposed to trust Jesus to do what is best (even if we think we know a better way).

Yet, from what I have been reading here in the comments section of The Anglo-Catholic (and a few other websites as well) for the past few days, it appears that there are many who are much more interested in being "irritable and grouchy" Catholics. I do not need to expound on what it means to be joyful. We all know how to be joyful, and those who are not joyful know that they are not. Excuses are not a justification to ignore our responsibility of viewing others words and actions in the best possible light. Currently, however, it seems that the words and actions of those who have made decisions for the new Ordinariate are not being viewed in the best possible light. Conspiracy theories abound. Let each of us take a moment to consider the words of the Catechism:

To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way (2478).

Although some are doing this, I have seen more than enough examples of interpreting things in the worst possible way.

On January 1st we received a gift from God that was the answer to many years of prayers. I began to rejoice and give Him praise. Then, for the past few days, I have felt sadness. Sadness that there are voices that are not joyful, but rather miserable. I expect some of those speaking in this manner would complain that Jesus' birth in a stable would make it impossible for Him to influence the religious leaders, that Bethlehem was too far away from Jerusalem, and that the filthiness of the straw in the manger was not healthy for a newborn. God knows how to do things even when we do not understand what He is doing. That is what it means to trust. If everything made sense to us there would be no need for faith.

We are told to rejoice and give thanks in all things. Whether we like the circumstances of life or not, we are to find reasons to praise God and show that He is always wiser and more gracious than we can imagine. He always works things out for our good. We have so much to rejoice over at this time, and yet rather than rejoicing, we read much in the way of complaining, fretting, and criticizing. Think of the example that we are giving to the world and the rest of the Church. You each need to take a personal assessment and look at where your hearts are right now (and maybe some need to be going to confession soon). I have already encouraged people to behave in a manner that gives "joy and not . . . grief" to the Ordinary (cf. Heb 13:17), and I will do so again, for our Lord commands us to "rejoice always" and again I say "rejoice".

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Catholic Online Articles: Part Two

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Here is a link to part two to the Catholic Online series on "Seeds of the Ordinariate". This time they are featuring St. Therese Little Flower parish in Kansas City, Missouri. Go have a good read!

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Catholic Online Articles: Part One

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The well-known website, Catholic Online, is doing a series of articles called "Seeds of the Ordinariate". Part one is about our own Fr. Christopher Phillips and his parish, Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio, Texas. You can read it by clicking the link here.

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The Future Ordinary for the American Ordinariate

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I am sure that most of you have heard the rumor by now; I could have said nothing about it, but it has been leaked, so it is best to deal with it. I am neither going to affirm or deny its truthfulness, but would like only to acknowledge that the rumor exists and then comment on where that puts us. The rumor (of course) is that Fr. Jeffrey Steenson is going to be appointed on January 1st as the first Ordinary for the Ordinariate in America.

Let me begin here by reminding everyone that Scripture tells us that we are supposed to hold our tongues about private matters, but often unexpected things happen and information gets disseminated before it was supposed to. Digging for information that is not yours to have is not a healthy practice, and each of us has been guilty of it at one time or another. Yet the temptation to gossip is widespread today and rumors cause this temptation (and many others) to surface. A rumor is just that: a rumor. If you hear a rumor, be careful that you are not speaking about it like a proven fact. That means that you should consider how you respond to rumors. Regardless of whether we are guilty of spreading a rumor, we are still accountable to react in a godly manner whether we like the rumor or not.

Personally, I always dislike rumors. If they are true, then it usually means that someone spread information that was not supposed to become public yet. If they are false, then it only serves to cause people to shift gears unexpectedly and that is often not helpful to our spiritual walk. The Catechism of the Catholic Church warns us to have "respect for the reputation of persons" and that means that we should neither quickly spread a rumor to others, nor give it too much credence. If we like the rumor we will often rush to let everyone know about it because we want them to share our joy, and if we dislike the rumor, we will do the same thing because we want them to share our grief. God calls us to treat a rumor as just that: an unsubstantiated fact. The only benefit to a rumor is that it allows us to consider our response to it if it is true; it gives us time to prepare our hearts to give the most godly example we can, and that is what each of us can be doing now.

If this rumor is false, then we have not hurt anything by following through with some spiritual exercises. If the rumor is true (and we should not try to know before the proper date of January 1st), then we each can be ready to receive it with joy. If Fr. Steenson is going to be our Ordinary then I look forward to working under his authority (whether as a layman or a clergyman). We can all look forward to getting to know him better as he comes and visits our parishes. We can pray that Jesus will use him mightily to help facilitate and make our entrance into the Ordinariate a quick and smooth process. We can pray that God will use him to help to further the cause of the Catholic Church through the special ministry of the Ordinariate. All of these are things that we should have already been doing, but now as the days grow closer the responsibility for this is even more urgent.

Whenever there is a change in jurisdiction or in leadership, there is always the potential for people to be upset. During that initial time when people in a new relationship (like an Ordinary to his people) get to know each other, mistakes can be made and people can misunderstand each other. As I have said before, entering the Catholic Church will definitely be a blessing, yet, that does not mean there will not be hurdles to overcome. Getting to know a new Ordinary will be one of those hurdles. No matter how personable or winsome a man may be, the newness of the situation will always provide the potential for sticky situations. Even if you already know the man, you can still have awkward situations when the boundaries of authority change (especially when you are tempted to say "I thought we were friends!"). This means that it is good for each of us to hear some admonishment about where our hearts should be when the Ordinary (whoever he may be) is announced. Scripture encourages us along these very lines when it speaks to us with these words:

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

In another place we are reminded of our duty toward those that are appointed to serve us with their leadership:

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

I do not personally know Fr. Steenson, but I have heard from many that he is a gifted priest who can "watch for our souls". Some have commented at times about their interest in Fr. Christopher Phillips becoming the Ordinary. Those of us who know him well, know of his capabilities in this regard, and we are thankful for the work that he has done to help support the move toward the Ordinariate. If he is not chosen as the Ordinary, then that will be because God has other plans for him to continue to serve in a wonderful capacity as a priest and guide in God's Church (and also that being appointed as the Ordinary would somehow prevent him from doing precisely what God wants him to do). There is no doubt that with all that he has done for the Anglican Patrimony in the Catholic Church that he will continue to be used in an amazing way.

Again, if the rumor is true, then we can give a voice of thanksgiving that God has granted us the man He has chosen for us at this time. We can rally around God's servant and give him our support, and prayers. At the same time we can continue to grow spiritually as we make new friendships and deepen old ones. If the rumor is false then we can thank God that He will still take care of us and provide the best leader for us. Whoever that is going to be, we are to put our trust and confidence in how God works through His Church, giving thanks in all things through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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The Only Faithful Response

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Someone I know was "gotten to". A friend who was in full support of the Ordinariate just a few months ago is now vehemently against it. It is not because of any shocking piece of new information that he discovered while reading through secret Vatican documents (nothing so dramatic as that). Rather, it is because–as he told me–he spoke to a "continuing Anglican" priest who told him that Rome's real motivation is to bring us under their thumb and then play the "old switcheroo" and force us to give up the Anglican liturgy. Once he "realized" that this was "going to" happen, he stepped back and changed his position.

Aside from the fact that this is a grave misunderstanding of the circumstances (Rome has bigger fish to fry than getting former Anglicans to use the Roman Missal), we have to ask ourselves if this is even a properly balanced concern. True, Rome can change the liturgy and make some people upset, but it is not as though the Anglican Churches have never had to worry about this. Episcopalians know very well what happened with the Book of Common Prayer in 1979, but does further division solve this problem? Division breeds division and the rejection of the papacy is now reaping what was sown. If you bake a cake and it comes out tasting like dog food, it will not solve the problem to throw away the cake and use the exact same recipe a second time (or a third, fourth, or fifth time). As one Anglican clergyman said to me just the other day, "communion with Rome is the only faithful response at this time in the history of Anglicanism".

Anglicanism is at a crossroads, and the status quo is not a viable alternative at this time; something must change. To continue on in the same pattern of, "divide, degenerate, debate, divide, degenerate, debate (ad nauseam)", will not solve anything. As Anglicans, many of us realized some time ago (some more than others) that we really need the Catholic Church. Without her we are only going to perpetuate the dysfunctional habits that have become a part of the ecclesiastical descendants of Cranmer. C.S. Lewis once had Aslan the Lion lament, “O, son of Adam, how cleverly you defend yourself against all that will do you good.” Reunion with Holy Mother Church will do us good. It may bring persecution as well, but then faithfulness to God always does. Moving into the unknown is certainly a concern for many, but the Lord never promises that we will be able to stay in our comfort zones.

I know of people who have chosen not to join the Ordinariate because they do not want to have to go through a marriage annulment. Another person I know said outright that he does not want the Ordinariate because he does not want to have to submit to the Pope. One man said that it may be right for me, but it is not right for him (!). Mistaken and confused ideas about who and what the Catholic Church is are not in a shortage right now. Those who decide not to join will have different reasons for doing so, and I am not about to stand in judgment on their inner motivations. Yet, coming into communion with the Catholic Church should not be done because we believe that we are going to get what we want. If one's own selfish desires are first in his thought process, then he is not thinking in a godly manner. I (and others) have said this before, but it appears like it needs to be repeated.

I also know of Anglican clergy whose primary motivation for joining the Ordinariate is so that they can find a place where no one is going to try to ordain women to holy orders. Aside from the importance of this concern, this is not a proper rationale for entering into this process. The wrong expectations will always lead to disappointment. How we approach new ventures in life will greatly determine how we respond to the challenges that those new ventures bring upon us. I fully expect that our entrance into communion with the Holy See is going to be a blessed and joyful event. That does not mean, however, that I think that it will be all "wine and roses". Faithfulness to Christ always entails trials, and persecutions will undoubtedly come upon those who wish to serve God with deep commitment. There were many who joined the Church in the first century, but not all of them remained within her fold when the trials arose.

A Catholic lady said to me a while ago, "I don't care what liturgy you use, or whether you are traditional or not, I'm just happy that you are going to be at the altar with us". Her heart reveals the same humility that should be evident in us: joyful for the blessings of God and not murmuring about anything that disappoints (cf. Philippians 2:14-15). My friend that I mentioned at the beginning was led astray and I pray for him that he will come back to the truth. What becomes more difficult is when someone is led astray and yet is still seeking to join the Ordinariate. We all come with the "baggage" of our sins–I have mine and you have yours–but we should be coming with humble hearts that trust God to give us what we need more than what we want (for they are not always the same thing).

To all my brothers and sisters who are getting ready for the establishment of the Ordinariate here in America, I encourage you during this Advent season to use it as preparatory, not just for the proper celebration of the Christmas season, but also for the proper celebration of our entrance into the Ordinariate. Prepare your hearts for obedience; not just obedience to those things that you like, but also obedience to the things that make you uncomfortable. If we only obey the things that we are comfortable with, then can we say we are truly submitting to our leaders? Jesus likes to force us out of our comfort zones, and if you are coming to the Ordinariate in order to find your comfort zone, then you misunderstand how the Church works. Challenges and sacrifices will be in the future, and we are called to rejoice in the midst of them. Yet, we will not be able to rejoice properly if our hearts are not right, and for that we need preparation. The preparation of Advent (as well as the coming Lenten season) is an ideal time to offer "our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto" God our Father.

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All One

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Countries are simply conventions. They are merely agreed upon borders marking off the dominant authorities in various locations. All kings, presidents, and legislators will fade away, for their power is nothing when compared with the King of kings. Ethnicity is nothing more than a marker for certain cultural and geographical backgrounds possessed by a group of people. This is how the Scriptures tell us to think in the Church. There is neither Jew nor Greek, Barbarian nor Scythian, African nor European, British nor Canadian; for we are all one in Christ Jesus our Lord.

National or ethnic identities are useful for distinctions as well as for understanding one's heritage. Yet, in spite of those distinct local customs, there is only one people of God. No matter how many different local practices we may have, those differences are not supposed to separate us from one another, but merely distinguish us from each other. Certainly there are sinful divisions that exist between the people of God–not all are in communion with the Holy See–yet we are supposed to be working to destroy all things that divide, not create more divisions. Anything that would create more wedges between Christians than there already are is wrong, and anything that would create wedges between Christians who are already in union with one another is even worse.

Ordinariates will be established within the geographical boundaries that we call countries merely for the sake of convenience and clarity of jurisdiction. These countries are allowed certain distinctives but those distinctives are nothing more than common practices (be they good or bad). An Australian Ordinariate has no essential differences with an Ordinariate in Argentina. I may dislike something about another country, but that has nothing to do with the fact that we are called to be Christian first, and national last. There are not supposed to be "Chinese Catholics" or "African Catholics" or "French Catholics" or "Mexican Catholics". These are things that we have created; not what God has commanded. The Ordinariates will be Catholic; not American, nor Japanese, nor anything else. In the Church all such divisions must be abolished because, "He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Ephesians 2:14).

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Something to Be Thankful for

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As my family and I begin to prepare for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, we also begin to think of everything that God has done to us and for us over the last year. He provides us what we need every day. He leads us in righteousness. He sanctifies our hearts. He grants us new friends. He teaches us how to worship Him. We all have much to be thankful for, but this year the ecclesiastical blessings seem to outweigh all others.

Above all things, what should stand out for each of us who are waiting to enter an Ordinariate is the blessing of truth. I have some relatives who not only do not understand the Catholic Church, they do not understand the Christian faith in any form. I know people who show a sincere and deep love for the Lord, but they are vehemently against anything that is even similar to Catholicism. I know Anglicans who think I have gone crazy and am leaving my Anglican heritage by heading to the Ordinariate. I had a Muslim friend years ago who once told me, "You're my friend, but if my Imam told me to, I would kill you in a second for the glory of Allah". Two days ago, while having lunch with my family in a local restaurant, I received one of those angry stares that catches you off guard (I was not sure if it was the collar alone, or something else, but there was clear hatred in those eyes). There is blindness in every direction.

Yet, here we are; we who see the light of God's truth and are ready to submit ourselves to Holy Mother Church. In America we await the establishment of the Ordinariate in just a few weeks, and we are (as has been said many times) on the cusp of a truly historical moment. We are those who have experienced the gospel in its fullness. Whether it happened in your infant years when you were baptized, or later as an adult, the truth has come and we have been set free of this fallen world. Who are we to have been blessed like this? The purpose of the Church is as Jesus told it to the Apostle Paul: to reach out to the lost and "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:18). We are those who have been drawn to the Church. Cradle Catholics, Anglo-Catholics who are returning home, or converts from Protestantism, we have all been given the light, and for this we need to express thanks.

We have received grace to come to the truth of Catholicism. In whatever way it happened, and at whatever time in our lives, it has come as a blessing from God. Jesus opens our eyes so that we can see Him. He teaches us His truth so that we can receive Him in His Church. Let us all remember that this, above all else, is what we have to be thankful for. God has given us His Son, and helped us to believe all that He tells us, and that should fill each of us with a desire to give Him thanks. To all, in whatever country you are in: Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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Serving with a Quiet Mind

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The collect for this coming Sunday (Trinity 21 in the Prayer Book Calendar) was originally taken from the Gelasian Sacramentary.

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The word "quiet" was changed from the original Latin which would have been translated "secure". Although we all want "secure" minds (cf. James 1:8), there is something about a "quiet" mind that is worthy of our attention. Those with a "secure" mind will usually also have a "quiet" mind, but not always. The two are related, but not equivalent. A quiet mind is that which is in submission to the admonition "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

What is the opposite of a "quiet" mind? A "noisy" mind is the obvious opposite; but what does it mean to have a noisy mind? When you are nervous about the future and begin to speculate (even silently) about the possible bad scenarios that you may encounter, you have a noisy mind. When you are talking with someone and you find your mind going back to a situation that occurred a few days ago so that you can replay it over and over, you have a noisy mind. When you neglect to fulfill your responsibilities (school, work, home, etc.) because you keep dwelling on the strained relationship you have with someone, you have a noisy mind. When you try to forget a sin you committed last month but cannot (even though you went to confession and did your penance), you have a noisy mind.

Although a noisy mind is never good in itself, sometimes it can be a useful tool to make us realize our spiritual state (like when you stub your toe on a big rock and it prevents you from falling flat on your face). Hence, we should not just try to silence the noise, but rather ask ourselves why our minds are noisy. It might not be because of anything in the immediate context of life, and thus we have to look deeper to discover how we got here. There are times when the noise of our minds has become such a habit that we have forgotten the reason why it is there, and it thus clouds our thinking even more. This should cause us to do more soul searching.

Notice that the collect connects "pardon" (originally "indulgence" in the Gelasian Sacramentary!) with "peace" as being those things that we petition the Lord to grant to His faithful people. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He wants to enable us to be at peace with the Father as well as with each other; but He also wants us to be at peace within our individual selves. All sorts of challenges come at us from different fronts, but when our minds are clouded with noise and distractions, then those challenges can make peace seem like a friend who has been away on vacation for too long. Peace is available, always, through the meritorious work of our Lord Jesus, but that does not mean that we always find it as soon as we need it. He alone is able to give "peace", and yet at times we act as though we have forgotten this and seek it from other sources.

Here in Des Moines at St. Aidan's Church we have a "said-Mass" on Wednesday nights. With no music or chanting, there are a number of points where things are completely silent other than me moving around at the altar (and an occasional sniffle or cough from the pews). For some reason that I am not completely aware of, the ablutions seem to me to be much longer than they actually are. No one is left at the rail, my acolyte is doing some things over by the credence, and I am focused on my liturgical duties. The people, having returned to their seats are silently saying their prayers and waiting for me to finish.

Occasionally, there is the nagging feeling in my gut that I should hurry it up so that we can get on with the liturgy, but I know better. That nagging feeling is wrong. The time after communion is important for prayer and reflection. It should be allowed to go slowly and never be rushed (just like communion itself). It is this "holy silence" that we (especially us modern westerners) need to seek to take full advantage of. Those said-Masses provide a time of silence after communion that is vital to our spiritual growth (and on Sundays when we have a communion hymn–though beautiful–it is actually a bit of a hindrance to this). The people who skip a said-Mass because "it's too quiet without the music" are actually missing something quite important. Learning how to benefit from times of silence is not something that we do merely to fill in that time after communion; it is something that helps to enable us to serve God better.

We are told in Zechariah 2:13 to "Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD". Where, in this life, are we more "before the Lord" than right after communion? Do you allow yourself to be distracted during that time (and, no, I am not referring to things you cannot control) or do you make an effort to be quiet and silent before the Lord so that your heart and mind can practice being at peace? Although some of us will want to fill that time of silence with prayers, that is not necessarily the best spiritual discipline to seek. Yes, those who get out their shopping list to add something, or those who think about what they are going to do when they get home are wrong. Pray, yes, but then just be silent. Do not try to fill that time with anything other than silent submission to the Lord. I recall someone once saying something that took a long time for me to learn. I was told, "you know how to talk real well, but you need to learn how to shut up also." That was some of the best advice I ever received. When I learned how to "shut up" and listen, I also learned how to be quiet and silent before the Lord. That made me able to do this at other important times in life when a silent mind was desperately needed.

Therefore, ask yourself what is on your horizon? Are there things coming up ahead that will require a quiet mind? Are you preparing yourself, even now, to be ready to deal with those things? There are priests who are nervous about their status with the Ordinariates; "will I get my nulla osta?", "will I get a rescript?" "will I have to go through further education?" There are laymen who are anxious about whether their new group will become a full parish in the Ordinariate. There are people who are fretting about whether the Ordinariates will succeed at all. How are you going to handle these (or many other) concerns? Will it be with a noisy mind or a quiet mind?

Pardon and peace allow us to deal with life with a clear mind. Then we are able to confess our sins to God properly and find absolution and make restitution. Only after this can we achieve that state of mind wherein we can serve God to the fullest extent; not clouded by our own thoughts, or confused by the jumble of worries. There are many things that will help us in this endeavor, but practiced silence is one of the most significant. Learn to be "silent before the Lord" when you are in His presence. It will become easier, and it will help you to serve Him with gladness and joy. This is what it means to "be still"; this is what it means to serve Him "with a quiet mind".

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Glory in the Church

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Was the Church of the first century a failure? None of us would even imagine it was so. There were, however, a number of things that did not go as many thought they should. Jesus told many that His mission was to the Jews and not the Gentiles (Matt 10:6, 15:24). Yet, it spread among the Gentiles more than the Jews. We know that Jesus was not surprised by this, but is this what the Apostles foresaw? It does not appear to be so. Most of them viewed their mission to be to the Jews for quite a while after the Day of Pentecost (cf. Gal 2:7-8) and apparently assumed that they would eventually come around. At the same time, the Apostle Paul was planting new Churches among the Gentile communities throughout the Roman Empire. One might surmise that the first Jewish converts thought of Paul's mission as something of a "side project" but not the real hope of the future.

Jesus gave the leadership of His Church to the Apostles, and they proceeded to spread it throughout the Roman Empire within a generation (and we know very little of what they did in the far East). Yet, by A.D. 67 an enormous persecution had come against the Church by the hands of both the Jews who rejected Christ as well as from the Roman authorities under the leadership of Nero Caesar. The combination of these two attacks led to a terrific apostasy that we often do not think about. Large numbers of Christians fell away and many Churches were stretched thin (cf. Heb 6:4-6). Jesus predicted this (cf. Matt 24:11) around A.D. 30 so no one was surprised by it. The Apostle Paul repeated this prediction about twenty years later (cf. 2 Thess 2:3) calling it a "falling away". The Apostle John (ten years after Paul wrote his prediction) said that it had begun to happen in his day (cf. 1 John 2:19).

The Church of the first decade after the resurrection of Christ saw itself as a small faithful group of Jews who were still attached to the Judaism of their youth and acted something like a revival movement within Israel. They continued to go to the temple for many of its ceremonies, and did not yet see themselves as anything like the international organization they were soon to become (cf. Acts 8:1). By the time Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70, the Churches outside of Judea had become smaller, but stronger. There were apparently still a number of Jews in them, but they had become predominantly Gentile. The numbers continued to head in that direction until those who descended from Jewish bloodlines became a vast minority in the Church.

The Apostles eventually accepted the ministry of Paul to the Gentiles. He reached out his hands to pagans and told them of the One True God. The ramifications of his little act were not seen for many years to come. The Apostle knew that Jesus would be victorious over all (1 Cor 15:25), yet he did not know how that would look, or how it would come about. It is often the case that we do not see the consequences of our actions. We are called to be faithful to Christ and not to see the future. He knows where things will lead and usually does not tell us. Even the blessed Apostles may not have understood the full ramifications of the growth of the Church into the Gentile world, but Jesus brought fruit from their works.

What will be the fruit of the Holy Father reaching out his hands to us? It may not be something that any of us can foresee at this time. There may not be large numbers of people coming into the Ordinariates at first. Some may change their minds at the last minute and choose not to move forward. There may even be some who join, but then after a time they fall away. Does that mean that Anglicanorum Coetibus failed (as some nay-sayers have been barking lately)? Never. Even if only one baptized child of God is reconciled to Mother Church then this is worth it (and there is already more than just one). Reconciliation is what the Church is all about. Days of "small beginnings" (Zech 4:10) are usually what leads to grand conclusions. Like He did with Gideon, God prefers to do great things with small numbers.

So people ask me about numbers, "how many parishes in the USA?" "how many priests have been approved?" "are other countries applying for Ordinariates?" We want to hear big numbers, and that is not bad. Yet, small numbers are not bad either. The offer of Ordinariates is an open ended offer. It is so open that we do not know just how it will develop. It was offered to Anglicans, but that does not mean that God is necessarily going to use it in the way that any of us intended (who are we to bind His hands?). Just as the gospel went first to the Jews and it was the Gentiles who made the greater response, the ways that God can use these developments are beyond any of us to fathom. It may even be many generations before the fullness of this work is seen.

I prayed many years ago that something like this would happen. Even as a Protestant pastor, I knew that division was wrong, and I pleaded with God for unity, asking Him to let me be a part of it. Our prayers, however, are usually far too small. We pray only what our imagination can come up with, but the mind of God is far beyond our limitations. Though the Apostle Paul may not have grasped the full extent of what God was doing through him, he did grasp that God was not limited by our hopes. He knew that God always did greater work in the Church than we expect Him to. This is why he said:

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph 3:20-21).

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