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Some months ago Phil Kelly asked me to share with LUKENOTES readers some reflections on being a bishop. As I pondered the request, the logo of Saint Luke Institute loomed large for me. A single hand depicted in the form of the Spirit emerged and the words "compassion is a gift" echoed in my mind and disturbed my heart. Yes compassion is a gift. It is to be sought and prayed for, nurtured, developed and dispensed without bounds.
It is the mark of the disciple, that manner of relating to all God's people in a way that God's embrace is truly known. Compassion is inherent to the character of priesthood, in the founding charism of Religious Life, in the nature of ministry. In my own ministry, however, I find that compassion is not always enough. My desire to emulate that special quality as perceived by many, is often in conflict with the exercise of prudent and/or good judgment. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to relate with charity and justice to the weak and fragile person, the difficult personality, the addict, the sociopath.
Many of the concerns that I face are beyond my educational expertise, human experience and spiritual insight. Yet they are real, an aspect of my ministerial commitment and the struggles which plague my brothers and sisters in ministry in the Church. In many situations I walk that fine line between my limited "therapeutic" background and the need to assess accurately and act quickly in a human being's best interest, and in the best interest of the "whole", whatever that may be in the particular situation.
Prior to being named Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, I ministered as Rector of the major seminary, Dean of Students, and Professor of Canon Law. I also served on the Marriage Tribunal. I am no stranger to human need or vulnerability. However, as a bishop I have become more convinced of our need:
to be astute,
to be attentive to inappropriate behavior,
to be honest in our assessments,
to be challenging aberrant behavior,
to be timely and consistent in our decisions,
and all of this within the confines of the healthy exercise of compassion!
This I find can be overwhelming. There are so many expectations and demands. The Bishop or Vicar for some reason is to have all the answers and the right ones at that! No matter what the dilemma we are to diagnose accurately and outline the "course of treatment" with haste. We often labor under the pressure of time, legal threat, public scrutiny, financial constraint, personal turmoil and that awful pain experienced by the people. We are expected to respond with grace and dignity despite the pity, anger or disappointment. We find ourselves facing the frustration of being temporarily engulfed by an illness or disease we do not understand, or that does not follow a prescribed wellness plan. We are expected to exercise compassion and kindness, empathy, patience, and putting oneself out to understand, regardless of the deed or circumstances. Compassion is in the concrete. It means setting limits, accountability, monitoring, and ultimatums with consequences.
In summary, compassion creates hope. My experience leads me to envision a more complete understanding of the Gospel expression of this gift. I continue to pray for better and greater insight, to be more compassionate. Real compassion leads to hope.
I hope that compassion will lead to vigilance with regard to the vocational discernment process and to those structures within formation programs that address our human needs.
I hope that compassion will enable us to name those struggles which are profoundly disturbing, or those addictions that are destructive and to provide appropriate avenues of response.
I hope that compassion will compel us to challenge the behavior of a sister or brother whose behavior contradicts the Gospel.
I hope that compassion will lead to an honest assessment of skills for ministry, the continued call for personal growth and development and a commitment to wellness and good health.
I hope that compassion urges us to find ways to support one another in our life's endeavors.
I hope that it helps us keep our expectations in check, keeps pressures in proportion, and encourages us to seek counsel and advice for ourselves and those we have been chosen to serve.
In summary, I believe compassion is a gift. My prayer is that we will freely choose to give it to ourselves and to our world in the exercise of Christ's healing ministry.
Gambino Zavala, D.D., J.C.L., is a Bishop of Los Angeles, CA. He is the Auxiliary of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region.
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