John J. Shea
The Spirituality of the Pastoral Minister The author expl01¡es the dynamic inte1¡change bet1veen spirituality and ministry.
Certain questions put to certain people trigger instant guilt. Ask a father busy at work all day and tired at night, "Spending much time with kids, Frank?" He will look sheepish, shake his head, and offer a poor defense which he himself does not even believ~"I just can't seem to find the time." He will then make a firm purpose of amendment. He will take the kids to the zoo or a movie or a baseball game. But deep down he knows that nothing is as shakey as a firm purpose. Ask the Catholic pastoral minister, "How is your spiritual life coming? Praying much, Father?" He too will stammer, say he cannot find the time, and resolve to dust off his breviary and begin again. But given time dust will once again cover the breviary and knee-jerk guilt will be only a question away. In fact for many priests this is exactly what does happen at the annual retreat. The retreat master and the entire group will agree that the priest should be a man of prayer. No one is quite sure what a "man of prayer" is but everyone repents for not having been one. Resolutions are made but the only certainty is that next year they will have to be made again. This cycle of guilt, 43