Bishop Mary Eileen
Collingwood, ARCWP, and Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, RCWP delivered the
following homilies at Dr. Shanon Sterringer’s ordination.
Bishop Christine
Mayr-Lumetzberger’s homily:
I chose the image
"universe" or "cosmic egg" for today's ordination service.
Shanon, Hildegard is
your life motto and role model for your pastoral work as a deacon and priest -
you have chosen this life form that you can not and do not want to take off. Deacon,
because this ordination obliges you to have the welfare of the "poor"
in many forms in mind. It also means providing food for people.
Priesthood also means to
lift the necessities of life out of daily use and place them in the light of
God.
"Give them
food" has many meanings.
I have read all sorts of
explanations and interpretations of the picture - mainly of men. Now I put
everything aside and offer you some meditative thoughts:
Hildegard is a woman, a
wise woman. She knows the universe from her observations, from her studies,
from her experiences. She senses that the universe outside is also present in
her:
the fire of the sun, the
darkness, water and earth, heaven and hell, diversity and desert, a breeze and
deadly storm, the cycle of the moon and the planets, the heat of the day and
the cold of the night.
Hildegard draws her
experiences, paints them with love of detail in wonderful colors. Hildegard
paints her life into this picture herself. With this she gives inexpressible
informations. All life comes from the woman. The divine is in her. In her
writings she systematically rationalizes what is expected of her. Hildegard is
smart. She can not be convicted by the men.
But I see the smiling
Hildegard when she tells in mystery/brain teaser what only women can read. She
replaces the real information with pictograms.
The cosmos is in our
view the space of infinity. Our work as a priest may be just a pictogram in
time and space and size, a very small symbol of something great. In the great
things of the world and the church, we are perhaps only small dots, stars, a
flower, a delicate breeze, sometimes perhaps the glow of a sun or the moon.
Sometimes we are bread for people or water, or wine, when we try to give them
food for the soul.
Being a priest means in
the sense of Hildegard
Know the ways - being a
scout for the people - to seek and find ways to lead people to God,
Healing for ourselves,
for those entrusted to us for church and the world.
In the church, however,
the divine visions remain - to follow the spirit of God and, in the spirit of
Ignatius, to consider the distinction of the spirits. In the rule of St.
Benedict – this ist he order of Hildegard - this is called the
Discretio.
An important point in
Hildegard's teaching is food. We are called to gather people together, to
remember the good news of Jesus, and to give them the food of bread and wine.
Bishop Mary Eileen Collingwood’s homily:
Wisdom has been given to me… and she who
makes others friends of God and prophets will find a home in Wisdom.
Rays of sun shine upon you and you will
flourish, and you will be gathered into God’s bosom.
You have been pruned and will live on in me;
my joy will be yours and your joy will be complete; I have made known to you
everything I have learned from Abba God.
I choose you to go forth and bear fruit that will endure. Whatever you
ask will be given to you.
The scripture
passage that summarizes all our readings today is from Luke 12: 48: “From
those who have been given much, much will be required; from those who have been
entrusted much, much more will be asked.”
As
many of us present here today know, this journey is not for the faint of heart. We have been called and entrusted to bear
witness to what is true and just--what needs to be proclaimed for future generations.
Yes, we have been given much, and, therefore, much more will be asked.
This
journey that you are entrusted with today, Shanon, is a courageous one that
will need strength and vision as you go forth. But you need not carry this
responsibility alone. In fact, if you
try to go it alone, you will fail. Jesus
formed a community of disciples and sent them out two by two. It is within community—the Roman Catholic
Women Priest Movement-- that you now find yourself and will be here with you
and for you. While you have been given
much personally and communally through your past academic, ministerial and
spiritual experiences, you will now find yourself needing the support and strength
of this new community of prophets.
The Spirit
of God has plainly shown us what is required for our journey in the passage
from Micah (6:8): “simply do justice, love kindness, and walk with integrity in
God’s presence.”
From
these inspired words of scripture, we launch our mission. Now is the time to fully grasp that this
mission of ours is a communal mission.
Only by understanding this will your strength and grace of character remain
strong and vibrant.
Yet,
communication is part of the life force that drives us, shapes us, brings us to
fullness of life. And the way we communicate will determine the quality of our
own lives as well as the lives of those we touch.
Great
women and men are all around us. Great people will share their vision and
ministries, great people will tell you their secrets. Look for them, call
them on the phone or buy their books. Go where they are, get around them,
talk to them. They will give you all they have. For being “great”
is exactly what you are called to be and called to do. Shanon, you have
been entrusted with much, and therefore, more will be asked of you.
These
are exciting times for prophets in our church—and we are very fortunate and
blessed to have you among us! This is a holy mission. Your presence
increases our holiness!
And
so you are sent forth in the words many an Irish lass would say:
They
rose in dark and evil days
To
right their native land;
They
kindled here a living blaze
That
nothing shall withstand.
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