At his first Archbishop’s Dinner, Archbishop Richard W. Smith found inspiration in Vancouver residents’ concern with seismic safety, calling Catholics to pray for a different kind of earthquake — a “spiritual” one that topples barriers and rebuilds lives on the love of God.

The Archbishop’s talk, delivered Oct. 22 before a sold-out hall at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, wove the city’s heightened awareness of earthquakes through a reflection on renewal, gratitude and the mission of the Church.

Smith said that since arriving in Vancouver in May, he has quickly learned how much discussion there is about seismic upgrades and how that language offers a metaphor for faith. 

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Acknowledging the importance of strengthening buildings, he reminded his audience that “the Church is not bricks and mortar; she is mission.”

“As we move forward together,” he said, “I invite us also to think of the cry of God’s people for lasting stability not only in buildings but also, and far more importantly, in the foundations of their very lives.”

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He described the instability that shakes the world today: “geopolitical instability, dramatic and at times lethal environmental changes, a widespread questioning of what it means to be a human being, enormous economic pressures… and a broad, often angry polarity separating peoples.” All of this, he said, “cannot help but have a deeply negative and fearful impact in hearts and minds craving stable environments.”

Smith pointed to the “existential earthquakes” that strike individuals through divorce, job loss, illness, addiction or bereavement. For many years, he said, the archdiocese has “stood in loving solidarity with persons who continue to experience the aftershocks and tremors occasioned by a traumatic collapse of hope.”

Recalling the Gospel of Matthew describes Christ’s resurrection as being accompanied by an earthquake, he said when God’s love touches human hearts, “it comes as an earthquake, shifting the foundation of our lives.”

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That quake, he said, replaces “love of self” with “the love of God and His mercy,” breaking down “all the barriers we set up in our lives to separate us from God and one another.” From such “necessary destruction,” he said, “arises the beautiful and indestructible edifice we call the Church, the Body of Christ,” sent to “help rebuild the lives of others.”

That outreach is getting an additional element in a new initiative the Archbishop announced, a new fund to help women in difficult circumstances. Proceeds from the dinner will be directed toward the Living Waters Fund, a charitable initiative helping women facing adversity to find safety, healing and new beginnings.