DISTINGUISHING THE CROCKERY FROM THE TREASURE IT HOLDS

ANOTHER RETIREMENT REFLECTION

 "We ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure."

II Corinthians 4:7

Being familiar with both the "crock" and the "treasure," throughout my fifty-five years of priestly ministry, I have not been reluctant to point out organized religion's weaknesses and limitations. However, I have also been very careful to try to inspire people to not let organized religion’s many failures cause them to miss out on religion’s many positive contributions! Even a "treasure" needs a "container." Without organized religion, we would not have authentic Scriptures passed on to us over centuries to guide us along a common path. Without organized religion, we most certainly would splinter into hyper-individualism or into small little cliques and cults, instead of being a world-wide community of faith and good works. In my estimation, without organized religion, we would certainly dissolve pretty quickly into a bigger mess than we are in now!  

With that said, Vatican Council II reminded us that organized religion, like Catholicism, has it's weaknesses. They said quite bluntly that our organized religion is "semper reformada," "always in need of reform."  Organized religion, in my estimation, is that "fragile clay jar" that St. Paul referred to, while the core message it carries is that "treasure it holds." 

In retirement my attention has dramatically shifted from the "crock" to the "treasure." I am now more free to pay less attention to the "crock" and more attention to the "treasure." This means I am choosing to spend less time going to organizational and structural meetings and more time trying to provide quality ministry to individuals in need of spiritual guidance. In retirement, I have decided to let the younger priests go to the organizational and structural meetings and fuss over the "crock" while I choose to focus on the "treasure" itself!

I have enjoyed my whole fifty-five years of priesthood, but in retirement I can also say this without regret, "Free at last! Free at last!" I am free from so much responsibility for the "crock" itself.  I am now free to focus mainly on the "treasure" that it holds!