ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

It is a joy to greet all of you, members of the faculty and participants of the Gregorian Colloquium, and particularly to celebrate with you this Liturgy, in which we are all enriched by the Word of God and nourished by the Eucharist, the source and summit of the life of the Church. In a very real way we are accepting Jesus’ invitation in today’s Gospel of Matthew when He says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-30).

We gather today as teachers and students, participants in the Gregorian Colloquium, to listen to, and learn from one another, as we pursue a deeper understanding of God’s life-giving law, particularly as it is reflected in the life, law and canonical tradition of the Church. As we do so we are conscious that in a certain sense we are all teachers, but at the same time all learners, seekers of truth and knowledge who come to listen to Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, present to us in Word and Sacrament in this Eucharistic Liturgy.

As we reflect on the law of the Church we are reminded by Saint Paul in his Letter to the Romans: “For Christ is the end of the law, for the justification of everyone who has faith” (Rom 10:4).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also reminds us: “The moral law finds its fullness and its unity in Christ. Jesus Christ is in person the way of perfection. He is the end of the law, for only he teaches and bestows the justice of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1953).

The prophet Isaiah in the first reading of today’s Mass also speaks of the virtue of justice which has its source in God and is the foundation of the law. He says: “For your way and your judgments, O Lord, we look to you; your name and your title are the desire of our souls….When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world’s inhabitants learn justice.”

In a particular way it is the mission of canonists to reflect upon and apply the virtue of justice to the concrete circumstances and challenges of life and culture in the Church today. To do this well requires learning, prudence and faith coupled with a love for the Church and her teaching and a profound openness to the Holy Spirit. To teach, interpret and apply the law in a compassionate and pastoral manner requires a wisdom that can be imparted only by the Spirit of the Lord. This wisdom is made accessible to us in prayer and study. A sign of this wisdom is to know that our talents are given by God to be shared with others for the good of the ecclesial community, to build up the Church. Isaiah indeed reminds us in our first reading: “O Lord, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.”

Within the Church, the work and generous contributions of canonists are indeed a special and necessary vocation that contributes in a unique way to the life and mission of the Church herself. The life of the saint whose feast we celebrate today also provides insight and inspiration for those called to serve the Church in our day by generously placing their gifts and talents at the disposal of the Church.

Saint Bonaventure lived and worked in the 13th century. He joined the Franciscan Order which sent him to Paris to study. His scholastic ability led to his appointment as the master of the Franciscan school at the University of Paris. In 1257 he was elected minister general of the Franciscan Order, only thirty years after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. At this time the Order was facing a crisis. Different factions claimed to be the true interpreters of the founder’s vision and there was disagreement in particular about Saint Francis’ strict attitude to poverty and the presence of friars in universities. The administrative structure of the Order was failing to cope with the huge increase in numbers, and critics pointed to a falling off in apostolic zeal. Bonaventure adopted a balanced approach in dealing with these issues. His goal was to keep as far as possible to the original spirit of Saint Francis, but he rejected what he viewed as the extremism of the “Spirituals,” who argued that poverty was the single most important feature of the Order and that corporate ownership of either buildings or books should not be permitted. He supported attendance at the universities because he believed study and learning were key elements in the apostolate of the friars, to preach and give spiritual direction to the people. He was largely successful in re-invigorating the Franciscan Order and in confirming its new orientation because he evidenced in his own life how the simplicity, frugal poverty, and personal imitation of Christ preached by Saint Francis could be combined with intellectual eminence, great learning, and the holding of high office. His work earned him the title of the “second founder of the Franciscans.” Later in his life, Pope Gregory X appointed Bonaventure the cardinal-bishop of Albano and he played a prominent part in the Council of Lyons which attempted to bring about reunion between East and West, as well as a general moral reform in the Church. He is also recognized as a Doctor of the Church for his spiritual and theological writings.

Clearly this saint is an outstanding example for all of us called to serve the Church of our time with its varied issues and challenges by generously placing our gifts and talents at the disposal of the Church as we collaborate in her mission of salvation. The revised Code of Canon Law itself, in its final canon, remind all canonists of their participation in this essential mission of the Church when it states: “... the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes” (CIC 1983, can. 1752).

Dear canonists, I wish you well in your discussions and study of the law of the Church during your time together. May your deliberations be fruitful and redound to the good of the Church. May the Holy Spirit enlighten you and Saint Bonaventure inspire you in your service to the Church. And may the Lord bless each of us as we prepare to embrace Him in this holy Mass as He says to us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-30).

Finally, dear friends, it is this meek and humble Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Son of the Virgin Mary, the One who is true God and true Man, divine like His Father and human like His Mother and like us, whom we must continue, by our words and in our actions, to proclaim with Saint Paul as the wisdom of God, as righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Amen.