Ministers, Not Messiahs
- Kathryn Yanik
- Oct 5
- 2 min read
“Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.”
There is a sense of beautiful irony that Bishop Ken Untener’s prayer, “Prophets of a Future Not Our Own” is often attributed to St. Oscar Romero. With all of the powerful stories I have heard about Bishop Untener and his own personal commitment to justice and mercy, I imagine that he would appreciate this – and perhaps even intended it. The pursuit of justice is always underway, and yet never complete. In this way, it will never belong solely to one person or group. We are all just stepping stones on a longer pathway toward peace.
This week’s readings are powerful, especially in the distinctions drawn between “the just one” and “the rash one.” Being rash or impulsive has often come naturally to me – reactivity is sometimes even rewarded in our culture. And, in one sense, justice should be reactive. We should not remain silent today, as we are faced with genocide, political violence, and the infringement of human rights. But what the “rash one” misses is not just patience, but also prudence.
The work of justice needs to be collaborative – and collaboration requires us to engage in deep listening with communities other than our own. The work of justice also needs to engage the Holy Spirit, which calls us to deeper prayer and discernment. And the work of justice calls for sustained effort, diligent study, and collaborative action, the complete opposite from the TikTok soapboxes we see lauded on social media. In my desire to stand up and do something, and especially in my desire to say something, I often lose track of the essence of our Gospel call: prudence is not a lack of action, or even the act of waiting to take action, but a patient call to listen and collaborate for justice.
The “just one” is proactive – and sometimes she is probably rash too, when the moment calls for it. But above all, she recognizes herself as the Worker, not the Master Builder – a minister, and not a Messiah.
Kathryn Yanik is the Director of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, East-West Province. She has a BA in English and Theology from Georgetown University and a MA in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Rob, and their daughter, Clare.
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