Bishop Hanchon participates in leading the rosary outside Sacred Heart Major Seminary to end the sin of racism .
Congar to serve on the preparatory theological commission . As the council progressed , his expertise was quickly recognized , and he became the single most formative influence on Vatican II , particularly in the areas of ecumenism , theology of the laity , and the theology of the Holy Spirit .
In his introduction to his three-volume work on the Holy Spirit , Father Congar writes , Each one of us has his own gifts , his own means and his own vocation . Mine are as a Christian who prays and as a theologian who reads a great deal and takes many notes . May I therefore be allowed to sing my own song ! The Spirit is breath . The wind sings in the trees . I would like , then , to be an Aeolian harp and let the breath of God make the strings vibrate and sing .
Let me stretch and tune the strings — that will be the austere task of research . And let the Spirit make them sing a clear and tuneful song of prayer and life .
Father Congar ’ s life bears testament to the conviction that no matter what hardships and obstacles we encounter , if we remain faithful in obedience , fidelity , and surrender to God , the Holy Spirit will make the strings of our lives vibrate and sing of God ’ s victory .
Conclusion
How might these witnesses provide guidance through our current impasse ? Their lives reflect an ardent faith in God despite the difficult circumstances outside their control . Each set their hearts on God and trusted in his providence . Today , our accustomed ways of acting and living have come to a standstill in the midst of a worldwide pandemic , yet we are called to respond with the same faith as Etty , Thérèse and Father Congar .
The purpose of the dark night is to lead us to a reprioritization of what provides meaning in our lives . We are to have faith in God for God , hope in God for God , and love of God for God . Not for what God can do for us , but for what we can do for God . In the end , Etty says it best : “ We should be willing to act as a balm for all wounds .”
Dr . Patricia Cooney Hathaway is professor of spir-ituality and systematic theology at Sacred Heart . shms . edu 5