Vivere Christus … And the Universal Call to Holiness

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

In 2009 Bishop Serratelli instituted the Vivere Christus Award, an annual recognition of outstanding volunteers and leaders in each of the parishes of our Diocese. This year’s Vivere Christus Awards were presented at a Prayer Service at our Cathedral this past Sunday, Oct. 16th. I would like to share with you the text of my homily at the awards ceremony, as I believe it provides us an opportunity to reflect on the 60th anniversary of the Opening of the Second Vatican Council and the Council’s teaching on the Universal Call to Holiness.

This past Tuesday, Oct. 11, was the feast of St. Pope John XXIII. I sent an email to all our priests on Tuesday and, for some reason, wished them a Happy Feast of St. Clare, whose Feast Day is Aug. 11. I realized I had made a mistake at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, just a little too late to correct my error in the email that was scheduled to be sent at 8 a.m. Yet, realizing my mistake led me to spend a little more time thinking about “Good Pope John” and appreciating that his Feast Day, now as St. Pope John XXIII, is on Oct. 11 because that was the date of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. I also came to learn that this past Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, was the 60th Anniversary of the Solemn Opening of the Second Vatican Council on Oct. 11, 1962. In the past five days, I have come to appreciate how wonderful and meaningful it is for us to be here today, 60 years after the Opening of the Second Vatican Council. So much of what we celebrate and recognize in these Vivere Christus awards is a sign of God’s grace and the movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in our lives over these past 60 years.

Of the many ways that we can see the guidance and presence of the Holy Spirit since the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, one of the Council’s greatest and most impactful contributions is its emphasis on the Universal Call to Holiness.

Chapter V of the Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium, discusses the Universal Call to Holiness:

... all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; ...They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor.

They must follow in His footsteps and form themselves in His image to do the will of the Father. Another way of saying that (in Latin) is “Vivere Christus” — to live is Christ or, in the words of St. Paul, “for to me life is Christ.”

As many of you are aware, we get the name of the award our recipients receive today from the Episcopal Motto of our Bishop Emeritus, Bishop Arthur Serratelli. Thirteen years ago, Bishop Serratelli instituted the “Vivere Christus” awards. Since then, each year, our Diocese has recognized the contributions and service of women and men, religious and deacons, mainly lay leaders and volunteers who live the life of Christ and respond to the call to holiness by their generous and faith-filled service in our parishes. Immeasurable good has been accomplished, through the power of God’s grace, by those whom we honor today.

There are many ways for us to reflect on the Universal Call to Holiness, that call that each of us receives from the moment of our Baptism, which has been an emphasis of the Church’s teaching in these past 60 years. There are also many ways to consider how the Vivere Christus award helps us, as a Diocesan Church, to promote the call to holiness by recognizing and celebrating those who strive (literally) to “live Christ.” Today, I would like to mention just one way that we can see this connection, and it is related to Pope Francis’ call to be a “Synodal Church.” As we continue to respond to the Holy Father’s call to the “Synod on Synodality,” we reflect on how we encounter and listen to one another, walking together on the journey of faith, discerning, with the help of the Holy Spirit, how we are called to be the Body of Christ, the Church.

I think back to my own days as a pastor, and I am not sure if everyone knows that there are times when pastors receive many requests from the Bishop and the Diocese to fulfill one or another responsibility. An email from the Bishop doesn’t always make your day! But, when the requests for nominations for the Vivere Christus are received, pastors are always happy to honor those who do so much to bring life to the parish community.

Each year our pastors are asked to choose the recipients for the Vivere Christus award. That process of choosing a recipient, I believe, is very much a “synodal” process. I recall my own experience as a pastor when, at times, I was asked to choose a parishioner to be recognized for their service and/or leadership. I remember it being a difficult experience, only because there were so many to choose from. I am sure that many or most of our pastors take the opportunity to consult with staff and other leaders when making this choice. I believe the choice offers each pastor and parish an opportunity to thank God for the people that God brings into our lives, the people we “encounter on the journey.” I think of those “go-to” volunteers, generous parish leaders who can not only get things done but who do so with an inspiring spirit of Faith, Hope, and Love.

The Vivere Christus award also gives me a chance, as Bishop, on behalf of all gathered here today and on behalf of our Diocese, to say “Thank You” to our pastors, priests, and parish staffs who lead our parish communities with dedication and humble service. By that leadership, our pastors allow so many to share their gifts by serving in so many varied ways.

We are so Blessed to be gathered here today, a few days after celebrating the Feast of St. John XXIII, 60 years after the Opening of the Second Vatican Council (and 44 years to the day since the election of St. Pope John Paul II). We thank Bishop Serratelli for giving us the Vivere Christus awards. We congratulate and thank our recipients and their families. We thank our pastors and parish leaders, and we pray for one another that we can truly embrace the fullness of life that we find in Christ and respond, day by day, to that call to holiness that each of us has received.