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In the late-1970s the Australian government recognized
that the natural resources (wildlife, water, land) in
many of its provinces were vulnerable to exploitation
and that it could never afford to staff a comprehensive
network of rangers to protect those resources. If regular
folks in the local communities did not assume ownership
of their local resources and did not feel empowered to
monitor those resources faithfully and consistently,
there was little that the federal government could do
beyond providing unenforceable laws.
The government decided wisely to study what was already
working in the provinces by way of informal volunteer
stewardship and conservation programs before inventing
new ones. Turns out that there were many successful,
multi-generational stewardship programs working in the
provinces – they just didn’t get a lot of
attention or press. The volunteers in those programs
who stayed involved for years and decades did so because
they felt that they “owned” the problem of
managing resources and acted out of some familiar virtues – hope,
persistence, and patience. The Australian government
did not need to “empower” them or “authorize” them
in any legalistic way; these resilient little groups
had already discovered in themselves and in one another
the ultimate authority for doing the work – conviction
that it was the right thing to do. Sustainable, grassroots
devotion to a cause is always bottom up.
Our readings this weekend zoom in on the theme of self-empowerment
through God-given gifts. In our first reading from Isaiah,
we hear that “The Lord delights in you and makes
your land His spouse.” Saint Paul in Corinthians
argues, “There are different kinds of spiritual
gifts, but the same Spirit … to each individual
the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” In
our gospel we see Jesus reluctantly, but firmly, reveal
His power by performing His first public miracle.
Vatican II reminds us that through baptism we are all
ordained (informally) to minister as priests, prophets,
and kings. If you’re waiting for higher authorities
to televise the ceremony in which we faithful Catholics
are all officially “empowered” from above
to save our church, you’re going to need a new
Tivo. Jesus minced no words when He told us, “The
Kingdom of God is within you!” If we could only
believe that we the faithful own this problem the way
that the Australian conservationists owned their problem,
we would see that we possess the God-given gifts to forge
appropriate and lasting solutions. There are millions
of Catholics and Christians and believers of all sorts
throughout the world for whom Plan A involves praying
and waiting for some otherworldly miracle to take place.
Our readings this weekend suggest that Plan B should
be on the table as well – roll up your sleeves
and you fill those empty water jars – the Spirit
within you and beside you will help you when you need
it.
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