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Reflection for May 7 2006

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Paul Watson was an Episcopal clergyman who prior to the year 1900 had become convinced that the Anglican Church together with its Episcopal branch in America should return to its long ago allegiance to the Church of Rome. Like that great Anglican convert, John Henry Newman, Watson sensed his Church was staggering under the pressures of modern skepticism and secularism and could only regain its stature and firm hold on doctrine by a return to its ancient link to Rome. Watson was so "catholic" in attitude that he even founded (upon a mountain north of New York) a small religious order within his Episcopal Church, which adopted the rule and habit of St. Francis.

Given his passion for Christian reunion, he pushed his agenda by writing and speaking on the subject at Episcopal churches and clerical meetings. And on one occasion at which his Episcopal bishop was present he chose as his text the story of St. Peter's healing of a cripple - referred to in today's first reading. In that dramatic account, Peter and John are entering the Temple to pray when they encounter a lame beggar sitting by the Gate called "Beautiful". The beggar asks for alms and Peter replies, "Silver and gold I have not, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ . . . rise and walk!" Peter then takes the beggar by the right hand, lifts him up and the fellow (who has been lame since birth) "leaped up, stood, walked around and entered the Temple with them, . . . jumping and praising God." Watson then went on to say at some length that the lame man was his own Episcopal and Anglican Communion and that it could regain its vigor only by taking hold of Peter's (i.e. Rome's) hand of friendship and inclusion.

Well, the congregation was understandably offended by the comparison and later on his bishop - quite politely - told Watson that if he himself were so attracted to Rome he should simply cross over himself; that he and Watson's clerical peers felt no similar need to do so. Watson did cross over in 1908 and oddly enough, instead of Rome telling him and his followers to enter one of the established Franciscan orders, Pius X allowed his community to continue as a unit - which made it eligible for a bunch of Irishmen from New York to Nova Scotia to enter and help it flourish (until today, of course, when it languishes for want of vocations like so many other orders).

For Paul Watson back then the reunification of Christendom meant returning lock, stock and barrel to the fold of Peter in Rome. After his death a different kind of ecumenical movement began which approached the issue of Christian unity by way of dialogue, mutual admissions of fault for past schism, affirmative exchanges and joint prayer for reconciliation - something (except for the prayer) Watson could not have conceived of in his day.

Of course, given his passion for Christian unity, we shouldn't be surprised that today's Gospel reading was one of his favorites - the one in which Jesus envisions the world as united into one fold under the guidance of one Shepherd - a good Shepherd and not a hireling - who knows the members of his flock personally - by name - and loves and values each one so much as to lay down his life for him or her. Whether this dream will ever be realized seems at times doubtful - although we can say that our human desire for such unity is at least as strong as our resistance to it.

The thing about Paul Watson however - in his day -was that he had a cut and dried vision of how it should come about whereas today's second reading leaves the future quite open - for it says, "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

-- Geoff Wood