I recently had a conversation with the Archbishop about the possibility of getting an advanced degree in Canon Law. I have a passion for the laws of the Church and have made this known to my superiors since seminary, so it was not surprising that, now that Archbishop Etienne has gotten settled here in the Archdiocese, he asked to Zoom with me to see if I should serve the Archdiocese in some canonical capacity as well. The short version is that this was a very preliminary conversation and I do not expect anything to come of it any time soon.
But the conversation got me thinking again about maintenance versus mission. One thing I made clear to the Archbishop (other than how supremely happy I am here at Assumption) was that I would likely not be fulfilled as a priest clocking into the chancery for a 9-5, M-F office job, working on one marriage case after another. It is necessary work and I would be happy to do my part, but I really find my life and my joy as a priest in helping the Church grow – both in number of souls won to Christ and in adapting the Gospel to new and changing circumstances – and that is a big part of my call to the priesthood.
I knew to bring this up to the Archbishop because the same interplay between maintenance and mission already exists in parish work. Much of my time as Priest Administrator is spent with maintenance – answering e-mails, planning liturgies and other events, supporting staff, dealing with finances and facilities. And again, this is good and necessary work. But I am truly happiest when I am teaching the faith in a classroom or when I am preparing a parish letter about some new initiative or program reform that we are implementing. My best weeks are weeks where there is a proper balance between necessary maintenance and fulfilling mission.
I imagine I am not alone in this, even if it might look differently in our different parishioners’ lives. Think about marriage, for example. Have we fallen into a routine that feels like pure maintenance without any growth? Is there a way we can become excited about each other again and build toward something new? Or think about our faith lives. Do we spend all of our prayer time trying to fulfill different obligations we have made for ourselves? Or is there a way we can use that time to try to know or experience God – who is inexhaustible – in a different way?
(P.S. My grandmother has passed away. I will be there for the funeral. Thank you again for your continued prayers.)
Fr. Moore 