Some Values Vatican II

Evangelizing Catholic Culture with Father David Tickerhoof

Some Values of Vatican II ~ Episodes 27

Many in the Catholic Church have no or little awareness of the key values of Vatican Council II. Rarely is it referred to in homilies or significantly proclaimed in religious education programs. I suppose we could say it is ignored by most Catholics. When an Ecumenical Council is officially held in the Church, it always ushers in a tremendous time of renewal and reform. Vatican Council II was no exception to that reality.

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Vatican Council II presented a renewed vision of what it means to be the church. It shares in the joys and sufferings of the real world in which we live, and presented a new appreciation of the roles and worth of lay people in the Catholic Church; especially a deep regard for the role and place of family life. The Council promoted full and active participation which made it necessary to translate the Mass into local languages, which then fosters communication between the celebrant and the people. Yet we all have experienced this in many ways, and it also includes the continuation of the celebration of the Latin Mass.

The teachings of the Council strongly encourages all Catholics to respond to the holiness of life in this age and to take up the call to be missionaries by evangelizing others to embrace the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and to live their lives in the Kingdom of God here on earth. This is done not primarily by going to other lands, but to respond to evangelizing through the various vocations that they choose in their lives. We pray that the Church flourishes in all the nations of the world, but before all else in the family. It is the family which provides a strong spiritual life and foundation for each believer.

The Council provides the opportunity to relate to other Christians and members of other Religions. It encourages a spirit of respect and dialogue. It most importantly encourages all roles and vocations in the Church to work together in ways that they did not in the past. This is not always easy to do, but through prayer and charity, many good things can come about. The recent Popes saw Vatican II as a chance for deep and personal renewal in a complex changing world. This resulted in reforms that would make the Church more accessible to others, for example, shared prayer and the Mass in English.

However, a primary priority is to return the Church to its roots. This means a renewed appreciation for Scripture, which would make it more accommodating for others to join the Catholic Church. It also made it a significant priority to invite women to be more equally involved in decision making in the Church, and many other aspects of Church life. The Council has made many opportunities for spiritual and pastoral renewal for all members of the Church. And the Council declaring Mary the mother of Jesus as Mother of the Church, which gives Catholics an opportunity to share about this beautiful mystery, and why she is so important to us in light of the abundant and splendor of who she really is for us.

And lastly, the foundation and the most important of all is what Pope Benedict declared when he stated that the most important message of the Council is to draw the whole Church into the experience of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus: the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and the full experience of the Pentecostal experience and the gifts of the Spirit. (Some of the above was taken from various presentations of Archbishop Gregory Aymond of the Archdiocese of New Orleans)

May We Pray!

Father, we pray in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, in order that we may be filled with the true spirit of Vatican Council II. May the sixteen Documents of the Council be for us the core and foundation of the ongoing spiritual renewal and reform which enables the Church to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. Amen.

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