Monday 20 January 2025
St Fabian; St Sebastian
Hebrews 5:1-10. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek – Psalm 109(110):1-4. Mark 2:18-22.
The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away
Most religious orders are started by a charismatic leader. There is a new vision of service and radical new approaches to ministry. It is a time of excitement and possibility. Youthful idealism finds this attractive, and the group grows in number. Even after the formalities of establishing the order are complete, the excitement remains, as the visionary leader is still there.
Change starts as soon as the founder is no longer the official leader. Rules and structures become more rigid. Monastic traditions limit the possibility of new approaches. Power and control assert their influence. This can happen even before the founder dies. Sometimes the founder doesn’t fit any more.
Maybe the challenge is to return to the original vision and idealism and find ways to live that out today.
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