Person of the year

Where are the prophets
That in the old days gave us
The hope and the strength to walk.

In the cities, in the countryside
Among us they are.

Simple thing is death
Difficult thing is Life
When fighting becomes pointless

We were taught the rules to put up with each other
But we were never taught how to love. 
(Song by Ricardo Cantalapiedra translated from Spanish)

The Religious Life as a Prophecy
The tradition of selecting the Person of the Year started with Time magazine in 1927.  The designation is often given to someone who was the news maker of the year, someone who has been admirable, who did something for the humanity, who had an outstanding charisma, and who responded most appropriately to the challenges of his time; someone who was in some sense a prophet.

For example, Barack Obama was the Person of the Year in 2008 and 2012 for being the first black president of the United States, with all said and done in a country where slavery was only abolished in 19th century and racism in 20th century, after Martin Luther King. In 2013 Pope Francis was named the Person of the Year because in a few months he won the admiration of millions of people with his simplicity and symbolic gestures.

In the Old Testament tradition, a prophet is the right man for the right moment; he is the one who knows how to interpret the people’s present situation in light of God's will, who is a messenger, and at times also an intercessor between God and men. As a natural and charismatic leader he would condemn behaviours that were not righteous in the eyes of God, but he would console and instill hope in the bitter times as well, such as during the Babylonian exile.

I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees (Amos 7:14). Unlike the priests in Jerusalem and the doctors of the law, the prophets did not arise from the establishment, or from lineage. It was the Spirit who here and there, in the most crucial moments, would arouse a guide for His people.

In our day we have no ruler, or prophet, or leader, no burnt-offering, or sacrifice, or oblation or incense, no place to make an offering before you and to find mercy. (Daniel 3:38)

As it is evident from this verse the prophet was an important figure for the people; without him, the people felt disoriented, confused, forsaken, alone, insecure...

According to the canonical distinction, there are two types of clergy today: the regular clergy or religious and the secular clergy. The secular or diocesan clergy is more affiliated with the world; they are the shepherds of the Lord's flock.  In this sense, their role is very similar to that of the doctors of the law and the priests of Jerusalem.

The religious, on the other hand, are somewhat set apart from the world so to better understand and help the world, as only by being outside the forest can one see the forest.  In the Old Testament tradition their role is more in tune with that of the prophets.  The religious is called to be a person of the year, a Nobel Prize winner, a superstar for a particular time and place.  He is a prophet who knows how to read the signs of time and says the right word at the appointed time; he recognizes the problems at hand and points to the solutions with his words, actions and talents.

The religious life is in general associated with the Prophetic Mission of the Church.  During the Middle Ages while the states were warring among themselves, it was in the monasteries where culture was maintained; it was from them that schools, universities and hospitals were created.  To the point that even the civil registry was started by the Church recording information of the baptized faithful; which the State along with the Republic took from the parishes in 1910 in Portugal.

Symbolic Acts of the Prophets of Israel
The actions of the prophets in the Old Testament were so bizarre compared to the current secular standards of sanity, that in the present days they would have been institutionalized, or at least be receiving intense psychotherapy.

These prophets were not only proclaimers of the word, they also embodied the teachings with their lives, talents, bearings and actions; all these were part of the message; their choice of clothing and even their body and body language.  Thus testifying with their whole being how transforming and mystifying can the Word of God be.  Words could vanish in the wind but the symbolic and dramatic actions of the prophets spoke much louder and were much more difficult to forget.

• Isaiah, stripped off all his clothes and wandered about naked (Isa. 20).
• Jeremiah, hid his underwear under a rock and after some time came back to look for it (Jer. 13).
• Hosea, deliberately married a prostitute and gave the name "Lo-ruhamah" meaning  "without compassion" to his daughter (Hos.1) 

With the coming of Christ, we can look back and see these prophets as forerunners, not only through prophesies where they spoke of His life, but also through their prophetic actions.  Christ is, after all, the Word incarnate in the richest and most perfect way possible . And, like the prophets, Christ's behavior was at times bizarre, disconcerting and puzzling according to the social standards and conventions at the time.

He was after all, someone who promised that he will rebuild the temple in three days, ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, drove out demons into a herd of pigs, cured a blind man by rubbing his eyes with mud he made with his own saliva, and he walked on water. But the most shocking and dramatic action was without any doubt washing his disciples' feet.  He wanted to perform the most humble act so that his disciples would never forget what he had already said in words: The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mk.10:45)

Consecration as a Symbolic Act
The life of a monk, a friar or a nun is already in itself a symbolic act as they live here and now the  life that all people is called to live in Heaven.  A life that embodies the values of the gospel is like a guiding star that indicates the true path to God, a finger pointed to Heaven.  It exposes the senselessness of certain realities of this world that people tend to self-indulge. Like a lighthouse, a religious is also a beacon that exposes the dangers of navigation, the dangers of losing our life during the pilgrimage to our heavenly home.

In this way the three Evangelical counsels can be seen as gestures or symbolic acts that speak for themselves like the dramatic and symbolic acts of the prophets in the Old Testament:

The vow of Poverty - Declares that possessing material goods beyond what is strictly necessary to maintain life can be an impediment to spiritual growth. As the gospel says, where your treasure is, there is your heart, whoever gives his heart to the riches, sells his soul to the devil; he no longer owns but is somehow owned by things he thinks he possesses.

The vow of Chastity - Considers the value of sex; contrary to what the society wants us to believe; sex is not a necessity of the individual but of the species, nor is it intrinsic to love, it is only one of the many expressions of love.  If love in its natural and physical expressions creates the family and family ties, then in its sublime expression, it creates universal fellowship and solidarity.

The vow of Obedience - Declares power and freedom of comparative value; according to the gospel, power is not to dominate but to serve the needs of others.  As for freedom, I am free until I make my fundamental choice, once I have made it life consists of being faithfull to the commitments made. “Keep the rules and the rules will keep you”, If you observe and obey the rules of the commitment you have freely chosen for your life, these very same rules will protect you and give you a sense of security, identity and purpose.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC