Contemplation and Action

Abstract

Contemplation and Action David Rohrer Budiash, PhD This issue of Review for Religious is pleased to lead off with an unusual article—a contemplation of the meaning of St. Joseph on religious life. Such spiritual or contemplative theology is rare, but it fits well with religious life, where "contemplation of divine things and assiduous union with God in prayer" is, according to canon 663 §1, the "foremost duty of religious." In "A Contemplation on the Figure of Saint Joseph from the Perspective of Consecrated Life," Rev. Agustinus Supur, CMF examines a set of characteristics drawn from the Biblical account of St. Joseph and asks what relevance they have for religious life. Contemplative rather than exegetical, the article notices first that St. Joseph rarely is seen as a model for religious life, and then goes on to dwell on a series of characteristics that can shed light on religious life today. If contemplation is an essential component of religious life, it is never far from action; Perfectae Caritatis 2, for instance, insisted that religious know the social conditions of the times to assist people effectively while one sentence later adding that the purpose of religious life must be to follow Christ and be united to God, an activity that takes precedence even over active ministry. Such back and forth can create a tension in the life of a religious that is not easily resolved. Jessica Coblentz explores this through a historical figure in "Set up to Burn out: Lessons from Sr. Madeleva Wolff, CSC's Experiences of and Responses to 'Burnout.'" Examining Madeleva's life as a case study in the workload of a religious—focusing especially on women religious—Coblentz argues that Madeleva showed symptoms of what today is called "burnout." Reflecting on the way religious worker ideals can contribute to burnout, she wonders whether religious and lay alike are being set up to burn out. In "Synodality: The Ecumenical and Ecclesial Charism of Glenmary Home Missioners" N. Ammon Smith grapples with the current ecumenical reality. Drawing on documents from the Synod on Synodality and the charism of the Glenmary Home Missioners, he argues that "receptive ecumenism" has a resonance with certain features of synodality and is exemplified in the Glenmarian mission and charism. Rev. Thomas Massaro, SJ examines the social ethics of Pope Francis in "Pope Francis, the Ethicist: Ignatian Roots, Jesuit Priorities, Contemporary Challenges." Acknowledging that the Ignatian roots of Pope Francis's body of work is already well known, Massaro argues that connecting the dots between [End Page 133] his Jesuit formation and Francis's papal initiatives nevertheless yields substantive and surprising fruit. Paying close attention to those dots, Massaro argues, will enable us to see just how much Francis has done to renew the church's approach to a series of ethical issues. Finally, Eileen Jaramillo returns to the very core of the contemplative/active tension in "The Prophetic Role of the General Chapter." Examining the current cultural situation in the United States and how religious might respond to it, Jaramillo argues that the general chapter, via reflection on mission and then action taken, has a special role to play in calling religious to prophetic missions in light of their journey to the margins. A logistical note. We are behind in our publication schedule—you may have noticed that this is our Summer 2022 issue—but hope to be caught up in the first half of 2023. Your subscription for 2022 will still get you all three issues of 2022, even if they arrive in 2023. We invite you to consider submitting something to the journal—or inviting scholars you know to do so—as we work to get back on our regular publication schedule. [End Page 134] David Rohrer Budiash Managing Editor Copyright © 2023 Conference of Major Superiors of Men