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Think of the neighbourhood or area where you live. All looks normal and pleasant on the outside. But we know that inside each of those homes, there are varying degrees of pain. One has a teenager in full-scale rebellion. Another is on the edge of marital breakdown. Another is facing betrayal of a friendship.
If you were given a handheld meter to measure pain, what would you find as you walked through your neighbourhood? I am sure that we would often be surprised by the intensity of the readings. Although pain is mostly invisible, I am sure that we would be shocked by the readings we found.
It is important for the urgency of our work, that we as priests are aware of the level of pain that results when people are living apart from the life of God. Our work as priest has a twofold thrust: to prevent pain, and to relieve it. We do not do that by any skills or powers we have, but through agents of Christ, who has the power to heal and transform pain.
Contemporary Christians often confuse being "pastoral" with compassionate listening. Compassionate listening is always important. But to be pastoral we must move beyond that to leading people into the way of Christ.
Living in the way of Christ is both preventative and curative. It is also a gift that keeps on giving. Our aim is not to make people dependent upon our counselling skills, but to rely on Christ who will nourish them eternally.
Ministry is a great privilege because we are ambassadors for the one who has love and a transformational presence big enough to handle the quantum of pain in our neighbourhoods.
| Sources of Pain: |
Transformation: |
| 1. Self-centeredness |
1. God-centeredness |
| 2. Guilt |
2. Grace |
| 3. Anger |
3. Love |
| 4. Isolation |
4. Community |
| 5. Loneliness |
5. Family of God |
| 6. Desperation |
6. Peace |
| 7. Hopelessness |
7. Faith |
| 8. Grief |
8. Hope |
| 9. Resentment |
9. Perspective |
| 10. Moral confusion |
10. Direction |
What a privilege to be stewards of this mystery.
Item 73
©2006 Ronald C. Ferris
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