Word to the Wise
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr
[Revelation 4:1-11 and Luke 19:11-28]"Well done, good and faithful servant!"
One of the expressions that we Catholics hear in official pronouncements on "matters of faith and morals" is the "deposit of faith." This refers to the "core tradition" both biblical and non-biblical that has been handed down and is entrusted to ALL of us to profess and "safeguard." But in the light of the parable in today's gospel, one might wonder if the "deposit of faith" is something like the ring in Tolkien's trilogy. Is the role of the magisterium to guard that deposit like Gollum guards the ring? There's no question that they (and WE) will be held responsible for our profession of the truth. But does that mean that we must bury it and stand guard over it? I am reminded of the plot of Verdi's famous opera, RIGOLETTO. The uncle who tries to prevent his niece from being courted by the Duke winds up destroying the very niece he tried to protect. It is not only the authorities in Rome or the local bishop who are charged with responsibility for "handing on" the tradition. All of us share in that task. However, "the deposit of faith" is not an inanimate object like Gollum's ring or a series of written propositions that transcend human history. Our Creeds (Nicene, Apostle's, Athanasian, Pope Paul VI's Creed) are professions of a dynamic and living truth. If we take the position that only the Pope and Bishops will be held responsible for "handing on" the tradition or "developing it" then we make the mistake of exonerating ourselves from any responsibility in the matter. If the Pope and Bishops take the position that they and they alone have the responsibility, they commit the error of exonerating the rest of us from our responsibility. Even though the Lord will sort it all out in the end, we who are not Pope or Bishop cannot plead that "We were just following orders!" If our faith and our church become relics of the past like the artifacts found in the tombs of the Pharoahs, it will be because we buried both faith and church in noble monuments with no one to carry on. Will the Master say,"Well done, good and faithful servant?" AMEN
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