Auspice Maria: A New Podcast from the Bishop of Portland

This is the first episode of Auspice Maria, a new podcast from Bishop James Ruggieri. 

Transcript: Hello everyone, my name is Bishop James Ruggieri of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, and I'm beginning today an inaugural podcast, and I'm calling the podcast Auspice Maria because it is the episcopal motto that I've chosen for my episcopacy. 

And why a podcast? Because I think it's an accessible way to hopefully for people to hear a message or hear a teaching or hear a theme that may be inspirational, may be helpful, may be also curiously provocative in their thoughts and in their hearts. 

But basically, I'm hoping that this podcast is at the service of the mission of the Church, the mission of the Gospel.  

And why Auspice Maria? Because I've chosen that episcopal motto, which means under the protection of Mary, to simply remind myself constantly that I place it all under Mary's protection, meaning it's the episcopal service that I'm able to offer feebly, but hopefully effectively to this beautiful Diocese of Portland.

So the Auspice Maria podcast, the inaugural podcast, and I welcome all of you who may be listening to the podcast. 

I'd like to talk today as I begin this venture, this mission, about the church's mission in the world or to the world. And the Church's mission, of course, is rooted in Jesus' own mission. 

But I think it's very important as a very basic principle that all ministry, all that we do in the church, should serve the Church's mission. 

And I know maybe you've heard that particular mantra, mission over maintenance, but it's really true. 

We are a mission-driven body. The Holy Spirit drives us, moves us.  

I'd like to start in this topic of mission to refer to Jesus' own mission as expressed in Luke's Gospel, chapter four, verses 18 to 19, where Jesus stands up in the synagogue and proclaims, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

Now, that message that Jesus delivered was profound that particular day in the synagogue. And it really defines his ministry. Anointed by the Holy Spirit, he is sent to bring liberty to the captives. Principally, all of us, all of humanity, from Adam and Eve forward, who are captive to original sin. And unfortunately, subsequently, subject to death. 

However, because the Lord has come, lived, suffered, died, and rose from the dead, he has brought us the ultimate liberty, the ultimate freedom from captivity of sin and death, and that is new life, the abundance of life. 

So the Lord knows his mission. It's to come among us, to proclaim the kingdom of God, to establish the kingdom of God here on earth,  in its beginnings, and to establish the Church, to continue his work once he does ascend to the Father. 

And as he sets out on this mission, he is so effective. He only has three years of public ministry, but it is so effective, it is so impactful, that we continue that today.  

Actually, if we look at John's Gospel, John chapter 20, verse 21, when the Lord appears to his disciples on Easter Sunday night, he says to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

We as a Church, collectively, the body of Christ here on earth, are sent in the name of Jesus. 

I'd like to, based on we as a Church continuing the mission of Christ, break it down into three areas. Which are not my original areas, but they're really what I think simplifies this beautiful, beautiful opportunity that we have as a Church to continue the mission of Christ. 

Three areas, one, proclaim the Gospel, two, bring people to Christ, and three, build the kingdom of God. 

Touching upon each area, proclaiming the Gospel, what does that mean? Does it mean shouting out in the streets or from the rooftops? Well, for some, that might be indeed what they are called to do, but for the majority of us, probably not. It does mean sharing the good news of Christ, sharing his good news of salvation, of liberty, of freedom, of the new life that he offers to us, the eternal life, eternal love and relationship with the Father in heaven, sharing the good news in word, deed, and by the manner in which we live.  

We are commissioned by Jesus himself, Matthew 28, the great commission, verses 19 to 20. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age."

And then I also refer to Romans chapter 10 verses 14 to 15. "But how can they call on him whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news."

What beautiful words of both Matthew and St. Paul as obviously the message is that we are sent to proclaim the good news. Jesus is Lord, God is love, and eternal life is what we're made for.

Again, coming back to what I said at the beginning, it's very important that as a Church we be mindful that it's really about mission, not maintenance. Mission over maintenance. Every ministry should be connected to Gospel proclamation. 

The second area of our mission, bringing people to Christ. What does that mean? Well again, if we look at our ministries and our parishes, hopefully our ministries are leading people to an encounter with Jesus, an invitation and an encounter. 

In John's Gospel, chapter one, we see what really the model of encounter is and how each of us has an important role in creating a culture, a community of encounter. 

We are told in John chapter 1 verses 41 to 42, "He, [meaning Andrew,] first found his own brother Simon and told him, 'We have found the Messiah,' which is translated anointed. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas,' which is translated Peter."

Andrew has simply been a conduit, a connector, an agent of encounter for his brother Simon, bringing him to Christ, bringing him to the Messiah, the Anointed One. 

And again in John 12, verse 32, we hear Jesus himself say, "and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."

The Lord is referencing here how we as a Church are called to be agents of drawing people to Christ. 

In Acts 2, verse 38, we are told, "Peter said to them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Peter's calling people to an encounter, to a real relationship with Christ through his Church, through the beautiful sacrament of baptism. Perhaps some of you listening were recently baptized at Easter, and I offer you my congratulations. Or perhaps some of you listening are parents considering baptism for your children. Baptism is indeed, we could say it's the door, the entryway for souls to encounter Christ through his Church as they are brought into the body of Christ through that beautiful sacrament of initiation. 

Again, I might come back to this repetitive theme, mission over maintenance. Hopefully, as we again, we examine our ministries, we look at the efforts that we are making in our parishes, that we hopefully see these ministries, these efforts, helping people to encounter Jesus. And through an encounter with Jesus, the result is conversion, a change, a change of heart and a change of mind. 

The third aspect of the mission of the Church and our mission as local Church is to build the kingdom of God. And what does that mean? 

Well, the Church, the kingdom, is called to embody God's justice, peace, and mercy.

In Luke chapter 17, verses 20 to 21, we are told, "Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, 'The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, "Look, here it is," or "there it is." For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.'"

Very important, sometimes we think the kingdom of God is out there, sort of this Camelot that is non-existent or idyllic, but the kingdom of God is right in our midst, the Lord tells us. In fact, as a church, we are called to be builders of this kingdom of God as members of the church, meaning agents of God's justice, his peace, and his mercy.

In Romans 14, verse 17, Paul writes, "for the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Hopefully, the Scriptures are shedding some light for us on qualities of the kingdom because it can be sort of this nebulous concept, like "what is the kingdom of God?"

In our earthly limitations, we think of kingdoms with a king and a queen or royalty, and we think of opulence. We think of things overdone or perhaps over the top materialistic, but the kingdom of God is quite contrary to that: justice, peace, mercy, righteousness, joy in the Holy Spirit.

Matthew chapter six verse 10 says, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

It's a very familiar line that the Lord teaches his disciples to pray in the Our Father that we are still praying today, probably multiple times during the course of the day, praying for God's kingdom to come, for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

And as we pray for the kingdom to come, I hope we realize that for the kingdom to come, we have to get our hands dirty. 

And as a Church, again, the ministries, the efforts that we put forward are hopefully geared towards building this kingdom of God. 

Justice, peace, mercy, righteousness, joy in the Holy Spirit. Again, I come back to the mantra, mission over maintenance. Our actions...our words must manifest God's reign and invite others into it. 

So almost now in conclusion, I simply want to call to our attention the risk of maintenance, of becoming caretakers of decline if we confuse activity with mission. 

And maybe a question perhaps to ponder when we're considering a ministry, we're considering perhaps a parish initiative or even a diocesan initiative, "Does this initiative help proclaim the Gospel? Does it help create more a culture of encounter where people can encounter Christ?  And does it contribute to the building up of the kingdom of God, where God's mercy, God's peace, God's justice, righteousness, where the joy of the Spirit is allowed to be born in the hearts and minds and the lives of those who proclaim Christ?"

1 Corinthians, Paul writes, chapter 9, verse 16, "If I preach the Gospel, there is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach it."

Paul was a driven man, a driven missionary. I could say a missionary disciple. And he recognized his great calling, his great responsibility. But I think the danger there is to think that that calling to preach the Gospel, to live the Gospel, to proclaim the kingdom, to create a culture of encounter, to proclaim the liberty that Christ has come to set us free, that we think that might be someone else's responsibility. But it's really, it's all of us. We're all called to do that as missionary disciples. So Jesus declared his mission in Luke 4. The Church continues that mission. You and I are part of that mission. 

And a reminder of that, 1 Peter 2, verse nine. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Thank you for listening today for this inaugural podcast of Auspice Maria. 

I just want to leave you with a question. Are your ministries truly missionary? Are your ministries truly missionary? 

God bless you, and I just would like to conclude with a Hail Mary asking Our Lady to intercede for us.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Again, thank you for listening. God bless you.