First the renewal, then the aggiornamento

One of my heroes and guiding lights is Mother Marie William MacGregor, OP, who was the Mother General of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (Nashville Dominicans) from 1964-1976, during a difficult time in the Church, when there was much confusion following Vatican II.  Many in the Church, from the average parish to the biggest religious congregations, began to abandon their traditional way of life for the sake of "modernization."  Ancient practices were abandoned, teaching the fullness of the faith was exchanged with a watered-down mess, and now an entire generation of Catholics is under-Catechized and uninterested in the Church.  

Many argue that religion is no longer pertinent.  Some can't handle that people who consider themselves religious are indeed imperfect.  Others don't realize that there is a difference between freedom and license.  Our culture is screaming for Hope.  They are thirsting for Truth--and looking in all the wrong places.

There are a "rebellious few" out there who know and love the fullness of Truth, of Beauty, of Goodness, found only in the Person of Jesus Christ and His Spouse, the Church, of whom He gave His life for.  We desire all to know this fullness.  We desire to be the tip-of-the-spear leading our generation to the "Springtime of the Church" which Pope John Paul II preached about.  And it is coming.  Do you feel it?

But, before we run off to conquer the world with Love, we must look at our own hearts.  Have we let Him fully conquer ours first?  Have we really surrendered all to Him, that all the holy work we desire to do is truly His work and nothing of our own?  If we desire to preach and love through the New Evangelization, have we allowed that new evangelization to constantly renew our hearts?

"First the renewal, and then the aggiornamento..." were the words of Mother Marie William to her congregation as they set out to serve the post-Vatican II Church.  She understood that the most important thing to face the perils of the quickly-changing culture was to first to renew your own heart and commitment to Christ, then adapt to the times.  

Pope Paul VI said this: "Modern man is more willing to listen to witnesses than to teachers.  If they do listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.  In short, be the witnesses of sanctity."  For us to be witnesses, and hence bring our generation to Love, we must be always renewing our hearts and adapting.  To live is to change, to be perfect is to change often.

As we face the depravity of the world, may we find our Hope in the Divinity that dwells within each of us.  May we constantly, daily, in all things, renew our hearts with the Love of Christ, that we might be always be ready to share our reason for hope--which is something our culture is, quite literally, dying for.  Only then can we be the change the world needs.