St Chrysostom: Zeal for the Flock of Christ

Things are beginning to return to some normality and order in the Steel home. The study is organised (mostly) and the home is almost completely in order. Last evening it was a wonderful privilege to have my SD, Father Gerard Bradley and a dear friend Dcn Gerard Hatton over for a house blessing followed by a BBQ. It was a true celebration indeed! As always, it was wonderful to have some time chatting with my SD.

This morning, I have been able to enjoy praying the office and doing some spiritual reading and ordering some books for further spiritual reading. I ordered the Carthusian series of six books titled Prayer of Love and Silence, Interior Prayer, Wound of Love, Call of Silent Love, They Speak by Silence, and Way of Silent Love. These books will make up some spiritual reading for me over the next several months.

I have picked up Chrysostom's work On the Priesthood again and have begun another reading of it. My aim is to read one of the books per day during the summer holiday. In Book II, Chrysostom offers great wisdom to the pastor or any Christian who is concerned with the heart of a loved one who has lapsed from the faith. The words he uses to describe the posture of the priest for the knitting together of the Church can also be words of comfort to those who are related to the lapsed. Note the gentle patience which is called for!

For the pastor of sheep has his flock following him, wherever he may lead them: and if any should stray out of the straight path, and, deserting the good pasture, feed in unproductive or rugged places, a loud shout suffices to collect them and bring them back to the fold those who have parted from it: but if a human being wanders away from the right faith, great exertion, perseverance and patience are required; for he cannot be dragged back by force, nor constrained by fear, but must be led back by persuasion to the truth from which he originally swerved. The pastor therefore ought to be of a noble spirit, so as not to despond, or to despair of the salvation of wanderers from the fold, but continually to reason with himself and say, "Peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil." Therefore the Lord, when addressing his disciples, said, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant?" For he indeed who disciplines himself compasses only his own advantage, but the benefit of pastoral function extends to the whole people. And one who dispenses money to the needy, or otherwise succors the oppressed, benefits his neighbours to some extent, but so much less than the priest in proportion as the body is inferior to the soul. Rightly therefore did the Lord say that zeal for the flock was a token of love for himself.