Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - Wednesday in the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Corinthians 3:1-9 and Luke 4:38-44]What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building.
When I preach a retreat for priests or deacons, I know I can get some nods, smiles and "eye rolling" when I mention the problem of factionalism in a parish community! I'm sure I could get the same reaction from a group of bishops or mayors or anyone in charge of an organization composed of more than one person!!!! But the problem is particularly frustrating in a religious setting like a parish or parish school or Catholic high school. St. Paul seems to have faced the same problem. Folks in the Corinthian community were lining up behind different leaders, especially behind the person who may have baptized them or initially evangelized them! It takes effort to re-focus attention on the gospel and away from a particular individual who preached it. Failure on the part of the preacher to realize this lesson has led to the downfall of more than a few prominent evangelists! On a large parish staff, it can be flattering to have "groupies" who think the pastor, or assistant pastor or the Minister of _____________is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It is also destructive to any common efforts. Even where there's not the problem of "groupies," there's the problem of "turf!" It may be expressed in terms like this: "We've always kept our stuff in that closet!" Or, "We've always been in charge of _______________!" Or, "Our booth at the parish fair has always been in this or that particular location!" I suppose it is inevitable that human communities will develop "factions." But we should all (not just leaders) be on the look out for how such groupings may become obstacles to preaching the gospel instead of helping it. Unseemly battles between liturgists and ushers, or between parish organizations over space, etc. take up enormous amounts of energy that could be better spent on what St. Paul refers to as "planting and watering." Jealousy and rivalry are enemies of community life. The fact that this is an ancient problem should not deter us from doing our best to avoid it! AMEN
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