In the second reading, the Apostle Paul is confident
the Lord will keep us “firm to the end”
because “you are not lacking in any spiritual gift.”
Saint Paul says we are rich;
but a lot of us aren’t feeling very rich right now.
Like you, I have to put money aside for retirement,
and I have not looked at a statement in months.
When I visit St. Clare Chapel,
I look at the prayers people write in the book—
a lot of us are praying for jobs, and for money to pay our bills.
What can we say? The economy is out of our hands.
But listen again to Paul: you and I are rich all the same,
in the only thing that will count
when the Lord returns to judge the earth.
Now, more than ever, is time to examine that balance-sheet.
Now is time to draw on these reserves—
and if our spiritual reserves are low—
now is the time to build them up!
One way in particular is to visit our Saint Clare Chapel—
open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Along with the Prophet Isaiah, we might cry out:
Lord, tear open the heavens and come down!
But he already has!
Come to our chapel and gaze at Him,
and let Him look intently at you.
The worry and fear so many of us face, and we can’t shake:
This is the one place we can find relief.
A lot of people struggle at prayer;
but the heart of prayer is intimacy;
“intimacy” describes the energy that holds a couple together;
but it also describes the easy closeness of best friends.
This intimacy doesn’t just happen, it takes time and effort.
As it grows, it becomes so powerful
and sustains us on the deepest level.
Well, it’s the same in our relationship with the Lord.
And, as with any other relationship,
there’s no substitute for time together.
Many of us keep a regular hour in the chapel,
or else we drop by sometime during our day.
You do realize that most parishes
do not have a chapel such as ours,
open all day and night, every day of the year?
Our chapel is an engine of prayer;
It is the storehouse of spiritual riches beyond measure!
It is the throne-room of heaven, come down to earth, for us!
We do need people to commit to each hour;
We have a few hours that are vacant.
If you ever said, “one of these days…”
Maybe this is the day?
Please see the bulletin and make the call.
Of course, that kind of commitment holds us back.
So how about this? Sign up for two months; or just a month.
Give it a try!
Soon, we are going to begin bringing our younger schoolchildren
across Miami Street to make short visits to the chapel,
so they learn to pray before the Blessed Sacrament—
to see Jesus lives right here in our midst!—
to help them build their lives on him.
Parents, I’d like to suggest you do the same—
bring your families for visits!
It doesn’t have to be long;
but think of the message this will send:
your children will see that you know how much you need the Lord;
you will give them an example of humility and trust.
What family doesn’t face trouble?
Bring those troubles to the Lord side-by-side
is a powerful way to bond your family together.
Some have tried everything else…
In the Gospel the Lord gave us a one-word command: “Watch!”
We never know how long we have or when the Lord will come;
but when we are close to the Lord in the Eucharist,
that’s something we don’t have to worry about.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Christ the King homily
Sorry, once again I did not have time and/or energy to write out my homily, so what follows are the points I tried to make, as I recall making them:
> I explained the origin of the feast, established by Pope Pius XI, in 1930.* To understand why he felt the need for it, consider what was happening in the world in that year: so much of the world was under the thumb of dictators who needed a reminder of who was the rightful king. Almost 80 years later, many things have changed, yet many in government, entertainment and business need the reminder still.
> We recently had an election and exercised our vote, and we must live with the result--but we have a right and duty to communicate to those elected the reminder of Christ's law, and their duty to care for the weakest--"I mean the unborn, the poor, the disabled and the elderly."
> The first reading struck me particularly as a human shepherd--the Lord said, "I myself will shepherd my people." We human shepherds often fail--"it is hard when you know that some percentage of your decisions are almost certainly wrong!"--and I thanked the Lord for being the shepherd, and ask him to continue to help me, for I cannot do it.
> I talked about how if we want Christ as king of the world, we begin by making him king of our hearts, that is where we can have the most say. That's what we do in the sacrament of confession. I talked about going to confession many years ago, before I entered the seminary, feeling great as I left, and on the drive home, all of a sudden I reflected on this Gospel passage of the sheep and goats, and realized--every time I was curt or rude in driving, every time I was sharp or harsh to anyone, every time I was sarcastic, every time I refused someone help, every wrong I ever did--I did to Jesus! It hit me so hard, all at once, that it was all I could do, not to make an immediate U-turn, and go right back to confession! That was, for me, a moment of deep awareness of what this Gospel passage means.
> At St. Boniface, I talked about the Infant of Prague, because we returned the image to public display and I explained a little about the image's history.
> I concluded by talking about how receiving the Eucharist is when we invite the Lord to be enthroned in our lives in the most personal and profound way; and that if we long for Christ to be king of our world, it is up to us to show the world what that looks like.
* Oops--I realized after my last Mass that I was off by four years, it was in 1926. It doesn't really change anything else I offered.
> I explained the origin of the feast, established by Pope Pius XI, in 1930.* To understand why he felt the need for it, consider what was happening in the world in that year: so much of the world was under the thumb of dictators who needed a reminder of who was the rightful king. Almost 80 years later, many things have changed, yet many in government, entertainment and business need the reminder still.
> We recently had an election and exercised our vote, and we must live with the result--but we have a right and duty to communicate to those elected the reminder of Christ's law, and their duty to care for the weakest--"I mean the unborn, the poor, the disabled and the elderly."
> The first reading struck me particularly as a human shepherd--the Lord said, "I myself will shepherd my people." We human shepherds often fail--"it is hard when you know that some percentage of your decisions are almost certainly wrong!"--and I thanked the Lord for being the shepherd, and ask him to continue to help me, for I cannot do it.
> I talked about how if we want Christ as king of the world, we begin by making him king of our hearts, that is where we can have the most say. That's what we do in the sacrament of confession. I talked about going to confession many years ago, before I entered the seminary, feeling great as I left, and on the drive home, all of a sudden I reflected on this Gospel passage of the sheep and goats, and realized--every time I was curt or rude in driving, every time I was sharp or harsh to anyone, every time I was sarcastic, every time I refused someone help, every wrong I ever did--I did to Jesus! It hit me so hard, all at once, that it was all I could do, not to make an immediate U-turn, and go right back to confession! That was, for me, a moment of deep awareness of what this Gospel passage means.
> At St. Boniface, I talked about the Infant of Prague, because we returned the image to public display and I explained a little about the image's history.
> I concluded by talking about how receiving the Eucharist is when we invite the Lord to be enthroned in our lives in the most personal and profound way; and that if we long for Christ to be king of our world, it is up to us to show the world what that looks like.
* Oops--I realized after my last Mass that I was off by four years, it was in 1926. It doesn't really change anything else I offered.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Invest your Faith that the Kingdom may increase (Sunday homily)
What did we just hear?
A man went on a journey,
and entrusted his possessions to his servants…
The Lord Jesus is the man,
and he has entrusted care of his Kingdom to us.
This is not so much about how we use our natural gifts,
but how we use the supernatural gift of Faith.
And how readily and with how much real investment of ourselves,
we put ourselves on the line, so that his Kingdom can grow.
If you and I put your Faith out there, at risk—it will grow.
If we bury our Faith and do nothing with it, we will lose it.
And when I say, the investment of our Faith will "grow"—I mean;
we really will see other people drawn to our Catholic Faith.
But they will only be drawn, our investment will grow
only if they see our lives are really changed.
The early Christians won their world and even their persecutors
because people said, "they really do forgive their enemies";
"they really do love one another";
"they really do live as if Jesus is Lord—and he’s this close."
Our Catholic Faith, our Catholic parishes, our Catholic schools,
will grow, only if people see the same in us.
I am sorry to say, it is discouraging to me and many others,
that there remains pettiness and division
between our two Catholic parishes.
As soon as I say that, someone brings up something from the past.
You want to bury something—bury that:
all those grudges and bad memories!
What must people in this community think,
when there are Catholics
who won’t pray in each other’s churches?
Do you realize how much I have to walk on eggshells because of this?
What a waste of time and energy—mine and yours!
And, yes, I’m saying the exact same thing at both parishes.
When we talk about the investment of our faith,
putting it at risk, rather than burying it…
let me apply that, to our times, this way:
a lot of folks talk to me about fears and discouragement—
why are things the way they are?
why don’t more people come to church?
why do we have the troubles we do?
If you and I want to avoid experiencing these doubts and fears,
the only way is not only to bury our talents,
but to climb in the hole ourselves,
and pull the dirt over our heads!
Yes, it’s hard—but this is what it means
to put our Faith on the line, to put it at risk.
Remember who we are: we are Christians!
The first Twelve…one was a traitor,
the leader melted like ice on a skillet,
and the rest scattered.
The early believers were nobodies, they had nothing,
and they were hunted and arrested and killed.
In every age, the Church has had trouble—
in fact, when we thought all was well,
that usually meant we had even worse problems
that we didn’t even recognize.
So, here we are, the Year of our Lord 2008,
and we have so many problems.
We are tempted to discouragement and fear and defeat.
We are tempted to turn against one another—who is to blame?
We’re going to want to bury our faith in a hole, and figure,
it is only a matter of time before we close up shop.
I have heard the rumors—and all I can say is,
if you want them to come true—keep repeating that nonsense!
I don’t know what the future—even the next six months—will bring.
But I know this: We have Jesus Christ!
He has put everything on the line, everything at risk,
investing in us!
He believes in what we can be and what we can do,
if only we let him be in charge.
In a few moments, we will behold his Sacrifice for our sakes,
and we take part in the Eucharist,
his greatest Gift, of his own Body and Blood,
please, pray for one another—pray for me, as I do for you—
that we will realize how rich we are in what really counts,
and how much we really can do to increase his Kingdom,
to be ready for Him.
A man went on a journey,
and entrusted his possessions to his servants…
The Lord Jesus is the man,
and he has entrusted care of his Kingdom to us.
This is not so much about how we use our natural gifts,
but how we use the supernatural gift of Faith.
And how readily and with how much real investment of ourselves,
we put ourselves on the line, so that his Kingdom can grow.
If you and I put your Faith out there, at risk—it will grow.
If we bury our Faith and do nothing with it, we will lose it.
And when I say, the investment of our Faith will "grow"—I mean;
we really will see other people drawn to our Catholic Faith.
But they will only be drawn, our investment will grow
only if they see our lives are really changed.
The early Christians won their world and even their persecutors
because people said, "they really do forgive their enemies";
"they really do love one another";
"they really do live as if Jesus is Lord—and he’s this close."
Our Catholic Faith, our Catholic parishes, our Catholic schools,
will grow, only if people see the same in us.
I am sorry to say, it is discouraging to me and many others,
that there remains pettiness and division
between our two Catholic parishes.
As soon as I say that, someone brings up something from the past.
You want to bury something—bury that:
all those grudges and bad memories!
What must people in this community think,
when there are Catholics
who won’t pray in each other’s churches?
Do you realize how much I have to walk on eggshells because of this?
What a waste of time and energy—mine and yours!
And, yes, I’m saying the exact same thing at both parishes.
When we talk about the investment of our faith,
putting it at risk, rather than burying it…
let me apply that, to our times, this way:
a lot of folks talk to me about fears and discouragement—
why are things the way they are?
why don’t more people come to church?
why do we have the troubles we do?
If you and I want to avoid experiencing these doubts and fears,
the only way is not only to bury our talents,
but to climb in the hole ourselves,
and pull the dirt over our heads!
Yes, it’s hard—but this is what it means
to put our Faith on the line, to put it at risk.
Remember who we are: we are Christians!
The first Twelve…one was a traitor,
the leader melted like ice on a skillet,
and the rest scattered.
The early believers were nobodies, they had nothing,
and they were hunted and arrested and killed.
In every age, the Church has had trouble—
in fact, when we thought all was well,
that usually meant we had even worse problems
that we didn’t even recognize.
So, here we are, the Year of our Lord 2008,
and we have so many problems.
We are tempted to discouragement and fear and defeat.
We are tempted to turn against one another—who is to blame?
We’re going to want to bury our faith in a hole, and figure,
it is only a matter of time before we close up shop.
I have heard the rumors—and all I can say is,
if you want them to come true—keep repeating that nonsense!
I don’t know what the future—even the next six months—will bring.
But I know this: We have Jesus Christ!
He has put everything on the line, everything at risk,
investing in us!
He believes in what we can be and what we can do,
if only we let him be in charge.
In a few moments, we will behold his Sacrifice for our sakes,
and we take part in the Eucharist,
his greatest Gift, of his own Body and Blood,
please, pray for one another—pray for me, as I do for you—
that we will realize how rich we are in what really counts,
and how much we really can do to increase his Kingdom,
to be ready for Him.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Firefox-Blogger problems again
I wonder if anyone else is noticing a problem with blogger, using Firefox. Yesterday and today, I couldn't log into this blog using Mozilla Firefox, my preferred browser, but using Internet Explorer, which I dislike, I did fine.
I assume it's the conglomerates Google-Blogger and Microsoft ganging up on Mozilla, but I don't really know...
I assume it's the conglomerates Google-Blogger and Microsoft ganging up on Mozilla, but I don't really know...
Saturday, November 08, 2008
'Provide Fresh Water for our Community' (Sunday homily)
"Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink"—
maybe you remember that line from the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"—
that poem I think all high schoolers learn.
But you and I have fresh water—water that gives life—
the Water of the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel tells us that Water flows from the Temple:
you and I receive this Water from Jesus Christ.
We are baptized here, born again in the Holy Spirit.
We come here to be made clean again in confession.
We come here for the Mass and the Eucharist.
This temple, this House of God, is where we receive the Life of the Spirit.
The occasion we are celebrating today
is the dedication of the Church of St. John Lateran in Rome.
You might wonder why we do this.
Because the Bishop of Rome is the head of the Catholic Church,
Rome is the mother Church for us all as Catholics.
When our Lord was on earth, he said to Peter,
"You are Rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church."
Peter went to Rome—as did Paul—
and thus Rome is the mother Church for us all.
Benedict XVI is the Bishop of Rome, and St. John Lateran is his Cathedral.
So we celebrate the Gift of the Holy Spirit,
and we are grateful that Gift comes to us
through being part of the Catholic Church.
But notice what St. Paul was telling us:
we not only receive the Gift of the Spirit through our Catholic Faith;
we are the building-blocks of the Church,
we are the Temple that gives that Gift to our community!
The water flows out from us to make salt water fresh.
I see this wherever I go in Piqua. Our parishioners are everywhere.
Thursday, I was asked to give a blessing for a new business in town.
A group of people came from the Chamber of Commerce,
decked out in spiffy red jackets—and half of them were our fellow Catholics.
So we have been given a great privilege,
and we can have so much good influence on our community.
That puts an obligation on us:
to share our faith, we must know our faith.
Whether its RCIA, or my Bible Study, or the CDs we offer in the vestibule,
take advantage of ways to know your faith better.
If you have an idea, a suggestion—please let me know!
And to be able to provide Fresh Water to our community,
our own temple, the temple of our lives, always needs attention.
The Lord didn’t tear down the temple—but he did clean it up.
He wanted it to be a place of life,
and that’s always what’s trying to do in our individual lives.
If there’s something he wants us to clean up or clear out, in our own lives,
this is why—so that more Fresh Water of the Holy Spirit
flows out of us, into the lives of others.
When we go to confession,
we’re cooperating with the Lord to do that work in our own lives.
When we find time for daily Mass, or to make a holy hour,
or we give time to the needs of others,
we are opening ourselves up even more as channels of his grace for our community.
The Lord is building a Temple, made up of us, living stones.
He wants it to be a House where our whole community receives life.
That’s a great privilege for each of us! That’s an important task!
The Lord needs us and has a lot of confidence in us.
As we participate in this Mass, we might want to ask the Lord to show us
if anything in our lives needs cleaning out.
As we pray, we might ask the Lord to show us how he wants us to grow in Faith,
so we can share it.
As we take part in the Eucharist, we might ask the Lord to strengthen us
so we’ll step up and step out,
to make the difference he wants for our community.
maybe you remember that line from the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"—
that poem I think all high schoolers learn.
But you and I have fresh water—water that gives life—
the Water of the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel tells us that Water flows from the Temple:
you and I receive this Water from Jesus Christ.
We are baptized here, born again in the Holy Spirit.
We come here to be made clean again in confession.
We come here for the Mass and the Eucharist.
This temple, this House of God, is where we receive the Life of the Spirit.
The occasion we are celebrating today
is the dedication of the Church of St. John Lateran in Rome.
You might wonder why we do this.
Because the Bishop of Rome is the head of the Catholic Church,
Rome is the mother Church for us all as Catholics.
When our Lord was on earth, he said to Peter,
"You are Rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church."
Peter went to Rome—as did Paul—
and thus Rome is the mother Church for us all.
Benedict XVI is the Bishop of Rome, and St. John Lateran is his Cathedral.
So we celebrate the Gift of the Holy Spirit,
and we are grateful that Gift comes to us
through being part of the Catholic Church.
But notice what St. Paul was telling us:
we not only receive the Gift of the Spirit through our Catholic Faith;
we are the building-blocks of the Church,
we are the Temple that gives that Gift to our community!
The water flows out from us to make salt water fresh.
I see this wherever I go in Piqua. Our parishioners are everywhere.
Thursday, I was asked to give a blessing for a new business in town.
A group of people came from the Chamber of Commerce,
decked out in spiffy red jackets—and half of them were our fellow Catholics.
So we have been given a great privilege,
and we can have so much good influence on our community.
That puts an obligation on us:
to share our faith, we must know our faith.
Whether its RCIA, or my Bible Study, or the CDs we offer in the vestibule,
take advantage of ways to know your faith better.
If you have an idea, a suggestion—please let me know!
And to be able to provide Fresh Water to our community,
our own temple, the temple of our lives, always needs attention.
The Lord didn’t tear down the temple—but he did clean it up.
He wanted it to be a place of life,
and that’s always what’s trying to do in our individual lives.
If there’s something he wants us to clean up or clear out, in our own lives,
this is why—so that more Fresh Water of the Holy Spirit
flows out of us, into the lives of others.
When we go to confession,
we’re cooperating with the Lord to do that work in our own lives.
When we find time for daily Mass, or to make a holy hour,
or we give time to the needs of others,
we are opening ourselves up even more as channels of his grace for our community.
The Lord is building a Temple, made up of us, living stones.
He wants it to be a House where our whole community receives life.
That’s a great privilege for each of us! That’s an important task!
The Lord needs us and has a lot of confidence in us.
As we participate in this Mass, we might want to ask the Lord to show us
if anything in our lives needs cleaning out.
As we pray, we might ask the Lord to show us how he wants us to grow in Faith,
so we can share it.
As we take part in the Eucharist, we might ask the Lord to strengthen us
so we’ll step up and step out,
to make the difference he wants for our community.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Our first black President
Instapundit tipped me (and everyone else) to this article which I think makes some good points. I'll make my own in my own way.
None of us who are committed to the prolife cause can be happy to have another president who is committed to legal abortion. We would rather be celebrating the election of an African-American president who didn't have that terrible baggage.
That being said, we can--and should--celebrate something remarkable about our nation. Our nation elected a black president; even five years ago, who would have thought it would happen so easily? It says something good about our country, because don't we want to live in a country where anyone can rise to positions of public or private achievement, regardless of race or ethnicity or their family history?
Why shouldn't we celebrate the fact that our nation, which has things to be ashamed of as far as prejudice and denial of rights to blacks in particular, has come so far, so fast (from a historical point of view), so easily, as compared with so many places in the world? Consider how racial, religious and tribal differences have meant so much shed blood, in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and here we are, we have made the transition from Jim Crow to today, not without some shed blood, but so much less than anyone could have hoped.
We are accused of being a terrible nation, racist from top to bottom. Well, we're sure not perfect, but this mostly-white nation just elected a black president! And did you notice? The polls actually did not conceal a "Bradley affect"--people claiming to be for an African-American candidate, but actually not voting for him.
And while there is anxiety and distress on the defeated side, there is not a terrible sense of disaster...because we elected a black president. Those who are upset, are upset because of the agenda they expect him to press, which is normal, same every four years.
One more thing. I've seen, here and there, some early signs of what might be called "Obama Derangement Syndrome." Whether anyone likes it or not, Barack Obama will be our president. We have a duty to pray for him, and to help and support him in his responsibilities. That doesn't mean we don't oppose him when we disagree. But there's a right way to do it, and a wrong way. It does no one any credit to be hateful or ugly, and really will only work to the advantage of the very agenda you will be opposing, unless it really is just about hate?
I talked to the schoolchildren today about praying for our new president, and about the remarkable fact of this historic moment, and I said we wanted to encourage him to be mindful of protecting all people, including the weakest and most vulnerable. I even suggested they might want to write to him and wish him well, and tell him what hopes they have for him, including in defending human dignity. That's our right, and our duty.
None of us who are committed to the prolife cause can be happy to have another president who is committed to legal abortion. We would rather be celebrating the election of an African-American president who didn't have that terrible baggage.
That being said, we can--and should--celebrate something remarkable about our nation. Our nation elected a black president; even five years ago, who would have thought it would happen so easily? It says something good about our country, because don't we want to live in a country where anyone can rise to positions of public or private achievement, regardless of race or ethnicity or their family history?
Why shouldn't we celebrate the fact that our nation, which has things to be ashamed of as far as prejudice and denial of rights to blacks in particular, has come so far, so fast (from a historical point of view), so easily, as compared with so many places in the world? Consider how racial, religious and tribal differences have meant so much shed blood, in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and here we are, we have made the transition from Jim Crow to today, not without some shed blood, but so much less than anyone could have hoped.
We are accused of being a terrible nation, racist from top to bottom. Well, we're sure not perfect, but this mostly-white nation just elected a black president! And did you notice? The polls actually did not conceal a "Bradley affect"--people claiming to be for an African-American candidate, but actually not voting for him.
And while there is anxiety and distress on the defeated side, there is not a terrible sense of disaster...because we elected a black president. Those who are upset, are upset because of the agenda they expect him to press, which is normal, same every four years.
One more thing. I've seen, here and there, some early signs of what might be called "Obama Derangement Syndrome." Whether anyone likes it or not, Barack Obama will be our president. We have a duty to pray for him, and to help and support him in his responsibilities. That doesn't mean we don't oppose him when we disagree. But there's a right way to do it, and a wrong way. It does no one any credit to be hateful or ugly, and really will only work to the advantage of the very agenda you will be opposing, unless it really is just about hate?
I talked to the schoolchildren today about praying for our new president, and about the remarkable fact of this historic moment, and I said we wanted to encourage him to be mindful of protecting all people, including the weakest and most vulnerable. I even suggested they might want to write to him and wish him well, and tell him what hopes they have for him, including in defending human dignity. That's our right, and our duty.
Fear Not!
The election is over, the victors are crowing and the defeated are fearful. But there are some things to notice:
I found this article yesterday via Instapundit, which originally appeared at National Review Online, entitled, "He's not the Socialist Superman":
This nation still self-identifies as conservative. Bill Clinton thought he had a mandate to socialize medical care. That miscalculation effectively destroyed his entire agenda. Obama is not going to enter office with anything resembling a popular mandate, either. (And at this very late date, I am beginning to question whether he will enter office at all). I still think he’ll pull out a squeaker, but he’s not going to enter office on a rising tide of popular demand for his socialist policies.
No, it wasn't a squeaker--but Obama's victory is very similar to Clinton's, both in the Electoral College total, and really in popular vote, when you factor out Ross Perot's role in taking votes from Clinton and Bush.
And let me remind you: Here is the makeup of Congress on the day Bill Clinton took office.
Senate: Dem - 57 GOP 43
House: Dem - 258 GOP 176
Obama may end up with a similar bulge in both houses - but what did that buy Clinton? If Obama is stupid enough (as was Clinton) to believe he is being elected because people want him, rather than want the previous President (in both cases, a Bush) gone, he will probably indulge in the same sort of over-reach, with, I predict, the same sort of results.
Think about it this way: if aging hack John McCain, unable to enthuse his own base, running after a disastrous eight years of a George W. Bush administration, in the face of an utterly hostile mainstream media, a collapsing economy, and the as-yet undetermined aftermath of an unpopular foreign war, can still be near or within the polling margin of error, this is not a liberal nation, or one panting for an Obama administration.
I also found this article, substantiating the facts about the basic orientation of the nation:
No matter the results of the election on Nov. 4, and despite the tarnishing Republicans have given to conservatism, America remains a center-right country.
The Battleground Poll is a comprehensive, bipartisan public opinion poll sponsored by George Washington University and conducted by the Republican Terrance Group and Democratic Lake Research Partners.
In January 2000, the poll asked participants to describe their views of politics and government. Fifteen percent described themselves as very conservative, 39 percent as somewhat conservative, 13 percent as moderate, 24 percent as somewhat liberal and 6 percent as very liberal.
Here are the results of the same Battleground Poll question in October 2008: Twenty percent described themselves as very conservative, 39 percent as somewhat conservative, 3 percent as moderate, 26 percent as somewhat liberal and 10 percent as very liberal.
Did you catch that? After all the problems of the last eight years, just last month, the number of Americans seeing themselves as somewhat or very conservative went up--and it was all in the "very" category!
Yes, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, was crowing today the GOP wouldn't dare filibuster--but that's a bluster on his part. He knows he doesn't have enough votes, particularly on the most contentious issues.
One more fact, courtesy of Father Zuhlsdorf, concerns how Catholics voted. It is true, and dismaying, that Obama got a bigger share of Catholic voters this time; but: when you break out weekly attendees vs. non-regular Mass-goers, it's like this:
Mass-goers: McCain 54/Obama 45 Bush 56/Kerry 43
Non-Mass goers: McCain 37/ Obama 61 Bush 49/Kerry 50
That tells me something very significant: that regular Mass-goers, who were just as affected by all the other concerns, understood the prolife issue as much as they did four years ago. Obama did not improve his position with them significantly, in a year when he had every reason to do so, but for one: the prolife issue.
Of course, many will see the 45% that voted for Obama, and be unhappy about that; all I can do is point out Kerry got very nearly as much, and remember, folks were talking about what an accomplishment it was that Bush got 56% of these folks only four years ago. McCain got only a little bit less in a terrible economy.
There's more to say, but I have to run. But be very sure that tens of millions of prolifers are gearing up and they will hold President Obama accountable to his words to be president of all of us and to hear our voices. He's going to start hearing prolifers' voices very soon. And it will be deafening.
I found this article yesterday via Instapundit, which originally appeared at National Review Online, entitled, "He's not the Socialist Superman":
This nation still self-identifies as conservative. Bill Clinton thought he had a mandate to socialize medical care. That miscalculation effectively destroyed his entire agenda. Obama is not going to enter office with anything resembling a popular mandate, either. (And at this very late date, I am beginning to question whether he will enter office at all). I still think he’ll pull out a squeaker, but he’s not going to enter office on a rising tide of popular demand for his socialist policies.
No, it wasn't a squeaker--but Obama's victory is very similar to Clinton's, both in the Electoral College total, and really in popular vote, when you factor out Ross Perot's role in taking votes from Clinton and Bush.
And let me remind you: Here is the makeup of Congress on the day Bill Clinton took office.
Senate: Dem - 57 GOP 43
House: Dem - 258 GOP 176
Obama may end up with a similar bulge in both houses - but what did that buy Clinton? If Obama is stupid enough (as was Clinton) to believe he is being elected because people want him, rather than want the previous President (in both cases, a Bush) gone, he will probably indulge in the same sort of over-reach, with, I predict, the same sort of results.
Think about it this way: if aging hack John McCain, unable to enthuse his own base, running after a disastrous eight years of a George W. Bush administration, in the face of an utterly hostile mainstream media, a collapsing economy, and the as-yet undetermined aftermath of an unpopular foreign war, can still be near or within the polling margin of error, this is not a liberal nation, or one panting for an Obama administration.
I also found this article, substantiating the facts about the basic orientation of the nation:
No matter the results of the election on Nov. 4, and despite the tarnishing Republicans have given to conservatism, America remains a center-right country.
The Battleground Poll is a comprehensive, bipartisan public opinion poll sponsored by George Washington University and conducted by the Republican Terrance Group and Democratic Lake Research Partners.
In January 2000, the poll asked participants to describe their views of politics and government. Fifteen percent described themselves as very conservative, 39 percent as somewhat conservative, 13 percent as moderate, 24 percent as somewhat liberal and 6 percent as very liberal.
Here are the results of the same Battleground Poll question in October 2008: Twenty percent described themselves as very conservative, 39 percent as somewhat conservative, 3 percent as moderate, 26 percent as somewhat liberal and 10 percent as very liberal.
Did you catch that? After all the problems of the last eight years, just last month, the number of Americans seeing themselves as somewhat or very conservative went up--and it was all in the "very" category!
Yes, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, was crowing today the GOP wouldn't dare filibuster--but that's a bluster on his part. He knows he doesn't have enough votes, particularly on the most contentious issues.
One more fact, courtesy of Father Zuhlsdorf, concerns how Catholics voted. It is true, and dismaying, that Obama got a bigger share of Catholic voters this time; but: when you break out weekly attendees vs. non-regular Mass-goers, it's like this:
Mass-goers: McCain 54/Obama 45 Bush 56/Kerry 43
Non-Mass goers: McCain 37/ Obama 61 Bush 49/Kerry 50
That tells me something very significant: that regular Mass-goers, who were just as affected by all the other concerns, understood the prolife issue as much as they did four years ago. Obama did not improve his position with them significantly, in a year when he had every reason to do so, but for one: the prolife issue.
Of course, many will see the 45% that voted for Obama, and be unhappy about that; all I can do is point out Kerry got very nearly as much, and remember, folks were talking about what an accomplishment it was that Bush got 56% of these folks only four years ago. McCain got only a little bit less in a terrible economy.
There's more to say, but I have to run. But be very sure that tens of millions of prolifers are gearing up and they will hold President Obama accountable to his words to be president of all of us and to hear our voices. He's going to start hearing prolifers' voices very soon. And it will be deafening.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
Our 'Life Teen Mass' for All Souls...
It is an old tradition and norm under Church law to allow a priest to celebrate three Masses on All Souls. A lot of folks will be puzzled by this: why "allowed"? Isn't a priest always "allowed"--even encouraged--to offer more Masses day-by-day? The answer is no; the norm is to offer Mass once a day during the week, and perhaps two in need; twice on Sunday (for the sake of the people), three times in need. "In need" is the rationale for priests offering even more Masses, daily or on Sundays and holy days--but the value at stake here is to emphasize the specialness of the Mass and to preserve the priest's spirituality, of which the Sacrifice is the core, by not having him "crank them out."
So why the exception for All Souls? (And also for Christmas, if memory serves; parish priests tend not to worry about these things, because we seldom lack for opportunity to celebrate additional Masses!) For the good of souls, particularly the holy souls in purgatory.
As All Souls fell on a Sunday, the opportunity to offer three Masses was no trick--I had the 4 pm Mass on the Vigil (I am puzzled by the bishops said the Saturday evening Mass would be for All Souls, when All Saints outranks it, but again, I don't have time to puzzle over such things; perhaps I missed something), then the 9 am Mass on Sunday, and then a special, 7(-ish) pm Mass with the high school group. This is our Life Teen group; I thought you might be interested in how our "Life Teen Mass"--first ever--went.
Our excellent coordinator of religious education and youth ministry has wanted to have an evening, around Hallowe'en, on which we'd turn the basement of the former-rectory-now-parish-offices into a "catacombs," and have the high schoolers gather there, after dark for catechesis and perhaps Mass. We'd talked about for a couple of years, but didn't do anything until this year.
I was reluctant to have the Mass in the basement of the building--there is no altar there, no chapel, and one has the Mass outside a sacred place only for very special reasons. There were certainly practical reasons as well--no ventilation--but I can see why he liked the idea. Well, instead, we decided to have a period of catechesis in the "catacombs"--including the basement's whitewashed walls adorned with early Christian symbols--about this part of our history. Then we had a candlelight procession from there, outside, and around to our perpetual-exposition chapel (also in the basement of the church), for Mass. As we walked, we sang a Litany of the Saints.
Mass was not terribly out of the ordinary; I would like to have used incense, however the chapel is a very close space, and we do have at least one high-schooler who has serious allergy issues. We did chant many of the prayers, including several in Latin--the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. I gave the homily you see below, but added some about Hallowe'en and emphasized the idea of our joining a procession of the faithful that stretches across the ages, and forward into eternity, connecting to the catechesis we'd had beforehand. I used the Roman Canon, which has so many saints included.
We had over 20 of our high-schoolers turn out, plus a number of adults, about 30 in total. Not a lot by big-city standards, but good for us. At the conclusion of Mass, I mentioned to those present that next week, I'd do a "dry Mass" (meaning not an actual Mass, but a "show-and-tell" explanation of Mass) and that being part of that would be an excellent follow-up. And I pointed out one of the ways the Mass itself shows evidence of being a procession, reaching way back; we used four languages at Mass: English (rooted in the present); Latin, taking us almost all the way back; Greek (Kyrie) which is the language of the New Testament, and Hebrew (Alleluia, Amen), taking us back to the liberation of God's people from slavery.
Oh, and yes, I used black vestments.
No, we don't routinely do a Sunday evening Mass. Many would like it, but for a number of reasons, I have declined to start one. But a one-time, or once-a-year thing, is a lot easier to say "yes" to.
Before and after Mass, we had a fire going outside--with a parent keeping watch, have no fear!--which provided an opportunity for 'smores' after Mass while we waited for the kids' parents to pick them up.
So why the exception for All Souls? (And also for Christmas, if memory serves; parish priests tend not to worry about these things, because we seldom lack for opportunity to celebrate additional Masses!) For the good of souls, particularly the holy souls in purgatory.
As All Souls fell on a Sunday, the opportunity to offer three Masses was no trick--I had the 4 pm Mass on the Vigil (I am puzzled by the bishops said the Saturday evening Mass would be for All Souls, when All Saints outranks it, but again, I don't have time to puzzle over such things; perhaps I missed something), then the 9 am Mass on Sunday, and then a special, 7(-ish) pm Mass with the high school group. This is our Life Teen group; I thought you might be interested in how our "Life Teen Mass"--first ever--went.
Our excellent coordinator of religious education and youth ministry has wanted to have an evening, around Hallowe'en, on which we'd turn the basement of the former-rectory-now-parish-offices into a "catacombs," and have the high schoolers gather there, after dark for catechesis and perhaps Mass. We'd talked about for a couple of years, but didn't do anything until this year.
I was reluctant to have the Mass in the basement of the building--there is no altar there, no chapel, and one has the Mass outside a sacred place only for very special reasons. There were certainly practical reasons as well--no ventilation--but I can see why he liked the idea. Well, instead, we decided to have a period of catechesis in the "catacombs"--including the basement's whitewashed walls adorned with early Christian symbols--about this part of our history. Then we had a candlelight procession from there, outside, and around to our perpetual-exposition chapel (also in the basement of the church), for Mass. As we walked, we sang a Litany of the Saints.
Mass was not terribly out of the ordinary; I would like to have used incense, however the chapel is a very close space, and we do have at least one high-schooler who has serious allergy issues. We did chant many of the prayers, including several in Latin--the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. I gave the homily you see below, but added some about Hallowe'en and emphasized the idea of our joining a procession of the faithful that stretches across the ages, and forward into eternity, connecting to the catechesis we'd had beforehand. I used the Roman Canon, which has so many saints included.
We had over 20 of our high-schoolers turn out, plus a number of adults, about 30 in total. Not a lot by big-city standards, but good for us. At the conclusion of Mass, I mentioned to those present that next week, I'd do a "dry Mass" (meaning not an actual Mass, but a "show-and-tell" explanation of Mass) and that being part of that would be an excellent follow-up. And I pointed out one of the ways the Mass itself shows evidence of being a procession, reaching way back; we used four languages at Mass: English (rooted in the present); Latin, taking us almost all the way back; Greek (Kyrie) which is the language of the New Testament, and Hebrew (Alleluia, Amen), taking us back to the liberation of God's people from slavery.
Oh, and yes, I used black vestments.
No, we don't routinely do a Sunday evening Mass. Many would like it, but for a number of reasons, I have declined to start one. But a one-time, or once-a-year thing, is a lot easier to say "yes" to.
Before and after Mass, we had a fire going outside--with a parent keeping watch, have no fear!--which provided an opportunity for 'smores' after Mass while we waited for the kids' parents to pick them up.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
All Souls Day 2008 (Homily)
All Souls Day only falls on a Sunday
about every five or six years,
so this may be unusual for many of us.
It’s not a “feast day” exactly—but it is a special day.
The music, the priest’s vestments*, are different.
You might say, it seems like a funeral. Exactly.
November is when we reflect on how fragile life is,
and contemplate what comes after this life.
We recall the “four last things”:
death, judgment, heaven and hell.
We might compare how our culture handles these things
versus how we handle them as Christians.
Our culture tries to buy time!
Remember the Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon?
He was looking for the Fountain of Youth,
and he found Florida instead!
A lot of our technology is all about finding that fountain.
Even when death is near,
it can be hard to acknowledge openly.
If we or someone we love is facing death,
bringing it out in the open can do everyone a lot of good.
Sometimes family, sometimes the sick person,
has things they need to talk about.
This can break the ice.
As a priest, I will often come to a bedside,
and I don’t always know if the end is near;
it may even seem obvious to me,
and yet the person in the bed, the family,
are not facing it.
No one comes out and says, “give him Last Rites”;
And it can be upsetting to offer it in those cases.
The shame is, the priest will leave,
and not get called till its too late.
That can be a huge missed opportunity.
“Last Rites” are a lot more than just anointing—
which we can receive throughout our lives.
Part of it is simply going to confession;
the most important part is receiving the Eucharist,
and even people who can’t swallow can still receive
the Eucharist in the form of wine—
just give the priest some notice, and we’ll do it!
Think of receiving complete absolution,
and the Body and Blood of Christ, at that moment!
What peace! What a gift!
The final part of “Last Rites”
includes a litany of the saints, as if to say,
“Saints, we want you to lead our sister, our father,
safely to Christ.” It’s gives great peace.
This is the Gift of our Christian Faith!
We can’t see what lies ahead, but we fear no evil,
because we know who is there.
We need not be afraid; we have hope!
Every Mass is always offered for the dead,
and prayed in union with all the souls in purgatory.
Purgatory is “finishing school” for heaven
and we offer prayers and penances to help.
God purifies them like gold;
but they are safe in his hands.
We have Masses for the dead, and All Souls Day,
to be consoled by the confidence they aren’t gone;
they are only out of sight. They are ahead of us.
I just found this out recently—
do you know where dressing up for Halloween came from?
It came from France, in the 1500s,
and they did it on this day, All Souls Day.
The idea was to represent the procession of the Faithful,
at all the stages of their journey, from this life,
through death, hopefully to purgatory, finally to heaven!
This is our lives as Christians:
born again in baptism, we stay close to Christ,
with frequent confession, Mass, the sacraments.
My wise grandmother said it best:
being a Catholic can be a hard life—but an easy death!
When the saints go marching in,
we want to be in that number!
At every Mass, we “march” in a procession
at three points: at the beginning, the priest,
in our behalf, goes to kiss the altar;
then the people bring their gifts forward;
and then, after the Sacrifice,
we have a march of saints-in-training,
our hearts hungry for the Eucharist.
We join a long line that stretches through the ages;
it leads from this life, through the dark valley,
through purgatory, right to the throne of heaven!
This is why it is called communion—
it is the culmination of full union
with the entire body of Christ—
it is what those learning about the Catholic Faith seek:
union with the Catholic Church on earth,
union with those who are ahead of us, drawing us on.
They draw us forward to the Lord.
Addendum on Hallowe’en
(I decided to cut this out of my homily so it wouldn't be too long; but I thought readers of the blog would enjoy it.)
Our culture also tends to make death something dark and horrible.
Look at how what Halloween has turned into, all about “the dark side.” That’s a shame, because a lot of folks don’t know Halloween was originally, completely Christian, not pagan at all. It started simply as the celebration the night before All Saints’ Day.
Why did people wear costumes? This is something I didn’t know: it actually came from today, All Souls, in France in the 1500s, as a way to remember the dead.
The origin of “trick or treat”? That came from England, from the time when Catholics were persecuted, anti-Catholics would visit Catholic homes and ask for a treat—beer and cakes!—or else they’d face a “trick.”**
In a way, all we’re doing is the game kids play: I say “boo!”; you jump; you chase me around, and hopefully we end up laughing.
* Yes, I did wear a black vestment at St. Boniface; St. Mary has no black vestments, so I will wear purple.
** The footnote fell off when I uploaded this to the blog; this information came from Rev. Augustine Thompson, O.P., who posted an article at Beliefnet about this. As I add this note, I don't have that citation handy; I'll come back and post it when I get a chance.
about every five or six years,
so this may be unusual for many of us.
It’s not a “feast day” exactly—but it is a special day.
The music, the priest’s vestments*, are different.
You might say, it seems like a funeral. Exactly.
November is when we reflect on how fragile life is,
and contemplate what comes after this life.
We recall the “four last things”:
death, judgment, heaven and hell.
We might compare how our culture handles these things
versus how we handle them as Christians.
Our culture tries to buy time!
Remember the Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon?
He was looking for the Fountain of Youth,
and he found Florida instead!
A lot of our technology is all about finding that fountain.
Even when death is near,
it can be hard to acknowledge openly.
If we or someone we love is facing death,
bringing it out in the open can do everyone a lot of good.
Sometimes family, sometimes the sick person,
has things they need to talk about.
This can break the ice.
As a priest, I will often come to a bedside,
and I don’t always know if the end is near;
it may even seem obvious to me,
and yet the person in the bed, the family,
are not facing it.
No one comes out and says, “give him Last Rites”;
And it can be upsetting to offer it in those cases.
The shame is, the priest will leave,
and not get called till its too late.
That can be a huge missed opportunity.
“Last Rites” are a lot more than just anointing—
which we can receive throughout our lives.
Part of it is simply going to confession;
the most important part is receiving the Eucharist,
and even people who can’t swallow can still receive
the Eucharist in the form of wine—
just give the priest some notice, and we’ll do it!
Think of receiving complete absolution,
and the Body and Blood of Christ, at that moment!
What peace! What a gift!
The final part of “Last Rites”
includes a litany of the saints, as if to say,
“Saints, we want you to lead our sister, our father,
safely to Christ.” It’s gives great peace.
This is the Gift of our Christian Faith!
We can’t see what lies ahead, but we fear no evil,
because we know who is there.
We need not be afraid; we have hope!
Every Mass is always offered for the dead,
and prayed in union with all the souls in purgatory.
Purgatory is “finishing school” for heaven
and we offer prayers and penances to help.
God purifies them like gold;
but they are safe in his hands.
We have Masses for the dead, and All Souls Day,
to be consoled by the confidence they aren’t gone;
they are only out of sight. They are ahead of us.
I just found this out recently—
do you know where dressing up for Halloween came from?
It came from France, in the 1500s,
and they did it on this day, All Souls Day.
The idea was to represent the procession of the Faithful,
at all the stages of their journey, from this life,
through death, hopefully to purgatory, finally to heaven!
This is our lives as Christians:
born again in baptism, we stay close to Christ,
with frequent confession, Mass, the sacraments.
My wise grandmother said it best:
being a Catholic can be a hard life—but an easy death!
When the saints go marching in,
we want to be in that number!
At every Mass, we “march” in a procession
at three points: at the beginning, the priest,
in our behalf, goes to kiss the altar;
then the people bring their gifts forward;
and then, after the Sacrifice,
we have a march of saints-in-training,
our hearts hungry for the Eucharist.
We join a long line that stretches through the ages;
it leads from this life, through the dark valley,
through purgatory, right to the throne of heaven!
This is why it is called communion—
it is the culmination of full union
with the entire body of Christ—
it is what those learning about the Catholic Faith seek:
union with the Catholic Church on earth,
union with those who are ahead of us, drawing us on.
They draw us forward to the Lord.
Addendum on Hallowe’en
(I decided to cut this out of my homily so it wouldn't be too long; but I thought readers of the blog would enjoy it.)
Our culture also tends to make death something dark and horrible.
Look at how what Halloween has turned into, all about “the dark side.” That’s a shame, because a lot of folks don’t know Halloween was originally, completely Christian, not pagan at all. It started simply as the celebration the night before All Saints’ Day.
Why did people wear costumes? This is something I didn’t know: it actually came from today, All Souls, in France in the 1500s, as a way to remember the dead.
The origin of “trick or treat”? That came from England, from the time when Catholics were persecuted, anti-Catholics would visit Catholic homes and ask for a treat—beer and cakes!—or else they’d face a “trick.”**
In a way, all we’re doing is the game kids play: I say “boo!”; you jump; you chase me around, and hopefully we end up laughing.
* Yes, I did wear a black vestment at St. Boniface; St. Mary has no black vestments, so I will wear purple.
** The footnote fell off when I uploaded this to the blog; this information came from Rev. Augustine Thompson, O.P., who posted an article at Beliefnet about this. As I add this note, I don't have that citation handy; I'll come back and post it when I get a chance.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Anniversary of Dedication of St. Boniface
This weekend, we celebrated the anniversary of the dedication of St. Boniface Church in October, 1865.
The readings differed from the regular lectionary, as this is a solemnity for our parish. I chose a passage from 1st Kings, recounting King Solomon's prayer as his temple is dedicated; Psalm 84, with the refrain, "Here, God lives with his people"; the Epistle was from 1st Peter, about the Living Stone that is Christ, and we are also the living stones with which Christ is building his Church; the Gospel was the meeting of Zacchaeus with the Lord as told by Luke, which I chanted at 10:30 am.
We had incense and the bell choir at 10:30 am, and began Mass with "Laudate, Laudate Dominum!" a very nice chant with English verses. Scroll down the links column to "Laus Deo" to see all the music. I chanted most of the prayers, including the Roman Canon.
I am sorry I don't have the text of my homily, but my principal points were:
> Solomon was right--God did not dwell in the temple; I described the layout of the temple and the ark of the covenant, containing the tablets of the 10 Commandments and the jar of Manna--and those have disappeared; but we have the Word made Flesh and the Bread of Life in our tabernacle--God truly does dwell here!
> These are difficult times, we are concerned about the parish, the economy, the city, the nation and the future. Recall when this church was built: the 1860s, dedicated 1865. What was our nation going through? Only our worst crisis, the War Between the States! How many parents cried over sons that would never come home? How much wealth was consumed by a destructive war? Our forebears had less than we did--and yet, they built this church. They made an act of faith, in God and in those who would follow--in us.
> Each generation has built on what they did, and we are doing the same. Some requests are out for funds, including to restore our windows--will you pray for success of that? We are making an act of faith in those who will come after us.
> We might wonder, why did God put us here--in this place, in these times? Because as St. Peter said, we are called to make Christ present. This building, strong as it is, can fall; but Christ will never fail, and we, bound together by the Holy Spirit, will not fall! We are here to be Christ to those in pain, those in need, especially in the months ahead. That's why we're here; and Christ has, as it were, made an act of faith in us!
> At 4 pm Mass, I cited Zacchaeus caring for the poor as something we can do in this community--maybe that's why we're here--but I neglected to repeat that point this morning.
The readings differed from the regular lectionary, as this is a solemnity for our parish. I chose a passage from 1st Kings, recounting King Solomon's prayer as his temple is dedicated; Psalm 84, with the refrain, "Here, God lives with his people"; the Epistle was from 1st Peter, about the Living Stone that is Christ, and we are also the living stones with which Christ is building his Church; the Gospel was the meeting of Zacchaeus with the Lord as told by Luke, which I chanted at 10:30 am.
We had incense and the bell choir at 10:30 am, and began Mass with "Laudate, Laudate Dominum!" a very nice chant with English verses. Scroll down the links column to "Laus Deo" to see all the music. I chanted most of the prayers, including the Roman Canon.
I am sorry I don't have the text of my homily, but my principal points were:
> Solomon was right--God did not dwell in the temple; I described the layout of the temple and the ark of the covenant, containing the tablets of the 10 Commandments and the jar of Manna--and those have disappeared; but we have the Word made Flesh and the Bread of Life in our tabernacle--God truly does dwell here!
> These are difficult times, we are concerned about the parish, the economy, the city, the nation and the future. Recall when this church was built: the 1860s, dedicated 1865. What was our nation going through? Only our worst crisis, the War Between the States! How many parents cried over sons that would never come home? How much wealth was consumed by a destructive war? Our forebears had less than we did--and yet, they built this church. They made an act of faith, in God and in those who would follow--in us.
> Each generation has built on what they did, and we are doing the same. Some requests are out for funds, including to restore our windows--will you pray for success of that? We are making an act of faith in those who will come after us.
> We might wonder, why did God put us here--in this place, in these times? Because as St. Peter said, we are called to make Christ present. This building, strong as it is, can fall; but Christ will never fail, and we, bound together by the Holy Spirit, will not fall! We are here to be Christ to those in pain, those in need, especially in the months ahead. That's why we're here; and Christ has, as it were, made an act of faith in us!
> At 4 pm Mass, I cited Zacchaeus caring for the poor as something we can do in this community--maybe that's why we're here--but I neglected to repeat that point this morning.
Friday, October 24, 2008
A swinging night in Piqua
Wednesday night was a great night for the City of Piqua, and I had the privilege of being there.
Over the past few months, the city has been renovating and restoring the old Fort Piqua Hotel, a massive edifice in the center of the city, built in 1891, but which fell on hard times some years back, and finally sat unused and decaying for the last few years. For years people have debated what to do. The cost of simply tearing it down would have been substantial, and no one really liked that idea, but the cost of doing something else always seemed too great.
Well, the city finally pulled together enough money--about $20 million!--from federal and state funds, and private funds, to redo it top to bottom. The plan was to relocate the city library there, and rent space on the first floor for a restaurant and a coffee house, and have the ballroom and other meeting space available for rent.
Sunday, the ribbon was cut, and fireworks exploded over the city. Wednesday night, we had a gala celebration, featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra (under new leadership) and a duo that carries on the tradition of the Mills Brothers--who, you may not realize, were from Piqua.
I was at this black-tie celebration, in a packed ballroom, along with lots of my fellow Piquans, including many of the upper crust as you might imagine. It was a very nice event, and I'm grateful for being provided a ticket.
One striking thing was that almost no one danced! If I weren't a priest, I certainly would; although the Jitterbug is the one dance I never mastered, I always managed to improvise. A bunch of high schoolers were there, splendid in tuxes and evening gowns--they were there as go-fers and helpers--but most of them didn't dance either! Too bad, because this was some of the best music ever composed for dancing. Someone told me the dance floor up front was pretty crowded with tables, and that could be, I was sitting in the back.
The ballroom at the Fort Piqua Plaza (that's what it's called now that it's no longer a hotel) will be the site of a Roast and Toast in honor of Father Angelo Caserta, on December 7, 2008, from 6-9 pm, in celebration of his 90th birthday and 64 years of priesthood. It will be a fundraiser to benefit repairs and restoration of St. Boniface Church and Piqua Catholic School. The tickets are $100, only 320 will be available, and many have already been purchased, so if you are interested, send a request for tickets to:
"Roast and Toast for Father Caserta"
c/o St. Boniface Parish
310 South Downing Street
Piqua Ohio 45356
Over the past few months, the city has been renovating and restoring the old Fort Piqua Hotel, a massive edifice in the center of the city, built in 1891, but which fell on hard times some years back, and finally sat unused and decaying for the last few years. For years people have debated what to do. The cost of simply tearing it down would have been substantial, and no one really liked that idea, but the cost of doing something else always seemed too great.
Well, the city finally pulled together enough money--about $20 million!--from federal and state funds, and private funds, to redo it top to bottom. The plan was to relocate the city library there, and rent space on the first floor for a restaurant and a coffee house, and have the ballroom and other meeting space available for rent.
Sunday, the ribbon was cut, and fireworks exploded over the city. Wednesday night, we had a gala celebration, featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra (under new leadership) and a duo that carries on the tradition of the Mills Brothers--who, you may not realize, were from Piqua.
I was at this black-tie celebration, in a packed ballroom, along with lots of my fellow Piquans, including many of the upper crust as you might imagine. It was a very nice event, and I'm grateful for being provided a ticket.
One striking thing was that almost no one danced! If I weren't a priest, I certainly would; although the Jitterbug is the one dance I never mastered, I always managed to improvise. A bunch of high schoolers were there, splendid in tuxes and evening gowns--they were there as go-fers and helpers--but most of them didn't dance either! Too bad, because this was some of the best music ever composed for dancing. Someone told me the dance floor up front was pretty crowded with tables, and that could be, I was sitting in the back.
The ballroom at the Fort Piqua Plaza (that's what it's called now that it's no longer a hotel) will be the site of a Roast and Toast in honor of Father Angelo Caserta, on December 7, 2008, from 6-9 pm, in celebration of his 90th birthday and 64 years of priesthood. It will be a fundraiser to benefit repairs and restoration of St. Boniface Church and Piqua Catholic School. The tickets are $100, only 320 will be available, and many have already been purchased, so if you are interested, send a request for tickets to:
"Roast and Toast for Father Caserta"
c/o St. Boniface Parish
310 South Downing Street
Piqua Ohio 45356
Sunday, October 19, 2008
What our new Archbishop said about the Extraordinary Form of the Mass
Dear friends in Christ,
Last month,* The Northern Cross reported on the Holy Father’s decision to relax restrictions on the use of the Tridentine Mass, the Latin-language liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council. Pope Benedict XVI said that Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal, commonly referred to as the Tridentine Rite, should be made available in every parish where groups of the faithful desire it. The Holy Father’s decision was promulgated on July 7 under the title “Summorum Pontificum” and will take effect on Sept. 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Over the past weeks, I have received questions about the implementation of these norms in the Diocese of Duluth. Put quite simply, of course, the response is that, on Sept. 14, “Summorum Pontificum” becomes the universal law of the church. As such, the norms must be followed in every parish and diocese throughout the world.
Practically speaking, I anticipate some challenges with implementation in the Diocese of Duluth. Primary among them is one that the Holy Father himself mentioned in a cover letter to “Summorum Pontificum,” which he addressed to the bishops of the world: “The use of the old Missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and knowledge of the Latin language; neither of these is found very often.” In order to celebrate the Tridentine Rite, or the “extraordinary form” of the Mass as it is called by “Summorum Pontificum,” a priest must be suitably qualified. This means that, for a legitimate use of the extraordinary form, a priest must have the minimum rubrical knowledge of the Mass as it was celebrated before the Second Vatican Council and the minimum linguistic ability to reverently and precisely recite the prayers of the Mass in the Latin language.
It should be remembered that the Second Vatican Council did not prohibit the use of the Latin language in celebrating the Mass. The Mass that is celebrated in our parishes today can properly be celebrated by any priest in either the English or Latin language, or for that matter in any other language, provided that the texts used have been authorized by the Holy See.
What the Second Vatican Council did do was modify some of the prayers of the Mass, allow for the priest to celebrate Mass facing the people, and promote greater participation on the part of the faithful in the celebration of the Mass.
“Summorum Pontificum” aims to provide more ready access to the Mass as it was celebrated prior to the modifications permitted by the Second Vatican Council. In addition to the Latin language and position of the priest at the altar, the difference between the celebration of the Mass as permitted by “Summorum Pontificum” (pre-Vatican II) and the celebration after the Second Vatican Council (post-Vatican II) might be summarized as displayed in the box that appears on this page.
In the cover letter to the bishops that accompanied “Summorum Pontificum,” Pope Benedict mentions what prompted him to make access to the pre-Vatican II Mass more available: “At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it did not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of the earlier Missal. .. . Afterwards, however, it soon became apparent that a good number of people remained strongly attached to this usage of the Roman Rite. . . . [Others] desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them . . . because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear. . . . And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the Church.”
These latter comments of Pope Benedict XVI echo those of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II: “It must be lamented that, especially in the years following the post-conciliar liturgical reform, as a result of a misguided sense of creativity and adaptation, there have been a number of abuses which have been a source of suffering for many. A certain reaction against ‘formalism’ has led some, especially in certain regions, to consider the ‘forms’ chosen by the Church’s greatest liturgical tradition and her Magisterium as non-binding and to introduce unauthorized innovations which are often completely inappropriate.
“I consider it my duty, therefore, to appeal urgently that the liturgical norms for the celebration of the Eucharist be observed with great fidelity. These norms are a concrete expression of the authentically ecclesial nature of the Eucharist; this is their deepest meaning. Liturgy is never anyone’s private property, be it of the celebrant or of the community in which the mysteries are celebrated.. . . Our time, too, calls for a renewed awareness and appreciation of liturgical norms as a reflection of, and a witness to, the one universal Church made present in every celebration of the Eucharist. Priests who faithfully celebrate Mass according to the liturgical norms, and communities which confirm to those norms, quietly but eloquently demonstrate their love for the Church” (“Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” 52).
With these words, we are reminded that, in the churches and chapels of this diocese, the observance of liturgical norms cannot be arbitrary. If Mass is to be celebrated according to the extraordinary form, it must be celebrated by a priest who has the minimum rubrical knowledge of the Mass as it was celebrated before the Second Vatican Council and minimum linguistic ability to reverently and precisely recite the prayers of the Mass in the Latin language. In such instances, too, the congregation must participate in the Mass by observing all the liturgical norms and using prayer books that translate the prayers and rubrics for them.
When Mass is celebrated in our churches and chapels, whether according to the ordinary rite or the extraordinary rite, there are also important liturgical norms that help to raise the mind and heart to God through the sacred mysteries celebrated. Here I mention just a few, but I encourage those who are interested to give a full reading to the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” (GIRM) promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Before the celebration of the Mass, “it is commendable that silence be observed in the church” (GIRM, 45). The chalice and other sacred vessels are to be made from precious metals. If they are made from less than precious metals, at least the chalice and paten are to be gilded on the inside. The use of glass or ceramic chalices, patens or ciborium is not permitted (GIRM, 328-329). For the priest, the chasuble is to be worn over the alb and stole (GIRM, 337). On entering and leaving the church, all genuflect to the Most Blessed Sacrament if the tabernacle is present in the main body of the church (GIRM, 273-274). The tabernacle is to be located either in the sanctuary or in a chapel that is connected to the church and suitable for private adoration and prayer (GIRM, 315). If churches do not have a chapel that is truly distinct and separate from the main body of the church, the tabernacle is to be located in the sanctuary. During the celebration of the Mass, people “should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason” (GIRM, 43).
In his encyclical “Sacramentum Caritatis,” Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the faithful adherence to the liturgical norms has for 2,000 years sustained the faith life of all believers (38). This is the purpose of liturgy, regardless of the language in which it is prayed and celebrated.
With prayerful best wishes, I am
Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr
Bishop of Duluth**
* This article appeared in the newsletter of the Diocese of Duluth, in August, 2007.
** Now Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati
Last month,* The Northern Cross reported on the Holy Father’s decision to relax restrictions on the use of the Tridentine Mass, the Latin-language liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council. Pope Benedict XVI said that Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal, commonly referred to as the Tridentine Rite, should be made available in every parish where groups of the faithful desire it. The Holy Father’s decision was promulgated on July 7 under the title “Summorum Pontificum” and will take effect on Sept. 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Over the past weeks, I have received questions about the implementation of these norms in the Diocese of Duluth. Put quite simply, of course, the response is that, on Sept. 14, “Summorum Pontificum” becomes the universal law of the church. As such, the norms must be followed in every parish and diocese throughout the world.
Practically speaking, I anticipate some challenges with implementation in the Diocese of Duluth. Primary among them is one that the Holy Father himself mentioned in a cover letter to “Summorum Pontificum,” which he addressed to the bishops of the world: “The use of the old Missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and knowledge of the Latin language; neither of these is found very often.” In order to celebrate the Tridentine Rite, or the “extraordinary form” of the Mass as it is called by “Summorum Pontificum,” a priest must be suitably qualified. This means that, for a legitimate use of the extraordinary form, a priest must have the minimum rubrical knowledge of the Mass as it was celebrated before the Second Vatican Council and the minimum linguistic ability to reverently and precisely recite the prayers of the Mass in the Latin language.
It should be remembered that the Second Vatican Council did not prohibit the use of the Latin language in celebrating the Mass. The Mass that is celebrated in our parishes today can properly be celebrated by any priest in either the English or Latin language, or for that matter in any other language, provided that the texts used have been authorized by the Holy See.
What the Second Vatican Council did do was modify some of the prayers of the Mass, allow for the priest to celebrate Mass facing the people, and promote greater participation on the part of the faithful in the celebration of the Mass.
“Summorum Pontificum” aims to provide more ready access to the Mass as it was celebrated prior to the modifications permitted by the Second Vatican Council. In addition to the Latin language and position of the priest at the altar, the difference between the celebration of the Mass as permitted by “Summorum Pontificum” (pre-Vatican II) and the celebration after the Second Vatican Council (post-Vatican II) might be summarized as displayed in the box that appears on this page.
In the cover letter to the bishops that accompanied “Summorum Pontificum,” Pope Benedict mentions what prompted him to make access to the pre-Vatican II Mass more available: “At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it did not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of the earlier Missal. .. . Afterwards, however, it soon became apparent that a good number of people remained strongly attached to this usage of the Roman Rite. . . . [Others] desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them . . . because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear. . . . And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the Church.”
These latter comments of Pope Benedict XVI echo those of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II: “It must be lamented that, especially in the years following the post-conciliar liturgical reform, as a result of a misguided sense of creativity and adaptation, there have been a number of abuses which have been a source of suffering for many. A certain reaction against ‘formalism’ has led some, especially in certain regions, to consider the ‘forms’ chosen by the Church’s greatest liturgical tradition and her Magisterium as non-binding and to introduce unauthorized innovations which are often completely inappropriate.
“I consider it my duty, therefore, to appeal urgently that the liturgical norms for the celebration of the Eucharist be observed with great fidelity. These norms are a concrete expression of the authentically ecclesial nature of the Eucharist; this is their deepest meaning. Liturgy is never anyone’s private property, be it of the celebrant or of the community in which the mysteries are celebrated.. . . Our time, too, calls for a renewed awareness and appreciation of liturgical norms as a reflection of, and a witness to, the one universal Church made present in every celebration of the Eucharist. Priests who faithfully celebrate Mass according to the liturgical norms, and communities which confirm to those norms, quietly but eloquently demonstrate their love for the Church” (“Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” 52).
With these words, we are reminded that, in the churches and chapels of this diocese, the observance of liturgical norms cannot be arbitrary. If Mass is to be celebrated according to the extraordinary form, it must be celebrated by a priest who has the minimum rubrical knowledge of the Mass as it was celebrated before the Second Vatican Council and minimum linguistic ability to reverently and precisely recite the prayers of the Mass in the Latin language. In such instances, too, the congregation must participate in the Mass by observing all the liturgical norms and using prayer books that translate the prayers and rubrics for them.
When Mass is celebrated in our churches and chapels, whether according to the ordinary rite or the extraordinary rite, there are also important liturgical norms that help to raise the mind and heart to God through the sacred mysteries celebrated. Here I mention just a few, but I encourage those who are interested to give a full reading to the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” (GIRM) promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Before the celebration of the Mass, “it is commendable that silence be observed in the church” (GIRM, 45). The chalice and other sacred vessels are to be made from precious metals. If they are made from less than precious metals, at least the chalice and paten are to be gilded on the inside. The use of glass or ceramic chalices, patens or ciborium is not permitted (GIRM, 328-329). For the priest, the chasuble is to be worn over the alb and stole (GIRM, 337). On entering and leaving the church, all genuflect to the Most Blessed Sacrament if the tabernacle is present in the main body of the church (GIRM, 273-274). The tabernacle is to be located either in the sanctuary or in a chapel that is connected to the church and suitable for private adoration and prayer (GIRM, 315). If churches do not have a chapel that is truly distinct and separate from the main body of the church, the tabernacle is to be located in the sanctuary. During the celebration of the Mass, people “should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason” (GIRM, 43).
In his encyclical “Sacramentum Caritatis,” Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the faithful adherence to the liturgical norms has for 2,000 years sustained the faith life of all believers (38). This is the purpose of liturgy, regardless of the language in which it is prayed and celebrated.
With prayerful best wishes, I am
Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr
Bishop of Duluth**
* This article appeared in the newsletter of the Diocese of Duluth, in August, 2007.
** Now Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Coin & the Eucharist (Sunday homily)
It may not be obvious,
but there are a lot of politics in today’s readings.
The first passage refers to Cyrus.
Cyrus was the king of Persia,
and God calls him "his anointed"—
the word in Hebrew is "Messiah,"
the word in Greek is "Christ"!
How strange! What can this possibly mean?
It means this: God has a larger plan,
and whether he knew it or not,
Cyrus going to play a role in carrying out God’s plan.
To put in the terms of the Gospel,
even great Caesar himself, in all his pride and ambition,
ends up rendering to God, whether he wants to or not,
whether he knows it or not, because God is God.
Notice, Jesus asked for a coin.
"Whose image is this?"
Caesar gets what bears his image.
Picture the scene:
They thought they were asking just a preacher,
the way you and I ask each other,
"what do you think of the political situation?"
But they were asking the King of Kings!
All around him swirls
lust and greed and grasping for power—
and he alone has true power, in the snap of his fingers!—
What does he do?
Unnerving them with his calm, he says, give Caesar his due.
It is very hard for many of us
to remain so calm right now.
Many of us are especially focused on the issue of abortion,
so many lost children, so many wounded mothers and fathers.
It is the fundamental human-rights issue of our time.
As a result, so many have great fears
about one candidate, and repose great hopes in the other.
And then, we fear an economic storm bearing down on us—
how bad will it get?
Too many already lack work,
and many more fear they are next.
Many are fearful for the future—for our Church,
our nation, our businesses, our jobs, our parish.
"If you can keep your head
when all about you are losing theirs"—
people will get very cross with you, have you noticed?
"How can you remain calm at a time like this?"
Yet the Lord did remain calm.
The coin that bore Caesar’s image; he handed it back.
But what about what bear’s God’s image?
That’s you and me—
our body and soul, our heart, our will and our lives—
that is what belongs to God!
Many want me to tell you how to vote on Election Day.
Okay: Vote according to your Catholic Faith!
If no candidate is completely in line
with Catholic teaching, look to see who comes closest.
And remember, while almost every issue involves some moral dimension,
all issues are not of equal weight.
Some are non-negotiable, such as defense of human life,
defense of marriage, rejection of bigotry and racism,
and fundamental human dignity and human rights.
But I ask you, how are we doing on remaining calm?
Many of you know I used to work in politics—
I’ve been through a few elections,
and many of you have been more than I, and you know:
every four years we hear it: "this election, this is it!"
McCain, Obama, the judges, Congress,
will all try their best, but:
they will not have the final word!
The Lord claims what belongs to him:
the hearts of all kings are in his hands.
So, we are active, we speak out, and we vote.
But do we trust?
Do cares about Caesar and the world
tense us up even now,
as we gather in the very presence of the King?
Once again, we are about to behold the Sacrifice,
the true and only power that can and will save the world!
Considering how easily we are dismayed and distracted,
what a gift it is that he does this,
in the Mass, day after day, year after year,
until His Plan is brought to completion.
Let Caesar have his coin, his ambition;
it is all a house of cards.
We have the Eucharist:
not an image but the Lord himself—
and in Him alone do we find grace and peace.
but there are a lot of politics in today’s readings.
The first passage refers to Cyrus.
Cyrus was the king of Persia,
and God calls him "his anointed"—
the word in Hebrew is "Messiah,"
the word in Greek is "Christ"!
How strange! What can this possibly mean?
It means this: God has a larger plan,
and whether he knew it or not,
Cyrus going to play a role in carrying out God’s plan.
To put in the terms of the Gospel,
even great Caesar himself, in all his pride and ambition,
ends up rendering to God, whether he wants to or not,
whether he knows it or not, because God is God.
Notice, Jesus asked for a coin.
"Whose image is this?"
Caesar gets what bears his image.
Picture the scene:
They thought they were asking just a preacher,
the way you and I ask each other,
"what do you think of the political situation?"
But they were asking the King of Kings!
All around him swirls
lust and greed and grasping for power—
and he alone has true power, in the snap of his fingers!—
What does he do?
Unnerving them with his calm, he says, give Caesar his due.
It is very hard for many of us
to remain so calm right now.
Many of us are especially focused on the issue of abortion,
so many lost children, so many wounded mothers and fathers.
It is the fundamental human-rights issue of our time.
As a result, so many have great fears
about one candidate, and repose great hopes in the other.
And then, we fear an economic storm bearing down on us—
how bad will it get?
Too many already lack work,
and many more fear they are next.
Many are fearful for the future—for our Church,
our nation, our businesses, our jobs, our parish.
"If you can keep your head
when all about you are losing theirs"—
people will get very cross with you, have you noticed?
"How can you remain calm at a time like this?"
Yet the Lord did remain calm.
The coin that bore Caesar’s image; he handed it back.
But what about what bear’s God’s image?
That’s you and me—
our body and soul, our heart, our will and our lives—
that is what belongs to God!
Many want me to tell you how to vote on Election Day.
Okay: Vote according to your Catholic Faith!
If no candidate is completely in line
with Catholic teaching, look to see who comes closest.
And remember, while almost every issue involves some moral dimension,
all issues are not of equal weight.
Some are non-negotiable, such as defense of human life,
defense of marriage, rejection of bigotry and racism,
and fundamental human dignity and human rights.
But I ask you, how are we doing on remaining calm?
Many of you know I used to work in politics—
I’ve been through a few elections,
and many of you have been more than I, and you know:
every four years we hear it: "this election, this is it!"
McCain, Obama, the judges, Congress,
will all try their best, but:
they will not have the final word!
The Lord claims what belongs to him:
the hearts of all kings are in his hands.
So, we are active, we speak out, and we vote.
But do we trust?
Do cares about Caesar and the world
tense us up even now,
as we gather in the very presence of the King?
Once again, we are about to behold the Sacrifice,
the true and only power that can and will save the world!
Considering how easily we are dismayed and distracted,
what a gift it is that he does this,
in the Mass, day after day, year after year,
until His Plan is brought to completion.
Let Caesar have his coin, his ambition;
it is all a house of cards.
We have the Eucharist:
not an image but the Lord himself—
and in Him alone do we find grace and peace.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Cincinnati has new bishop
Email from Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk this morning:
I am happy to inform you that the Holy Father has appointed Bishop Dennis Schnurr, till now Bishop of Duluth, to be Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati.
I know of all you join me in offering thanks to God and welcome to Archbishop Schnurr.
That's all I have for now.
I am happy to inform you that the Holy Father has appointed Bishop Dennis Schnurr, till now Bishop of Duluth, to be Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati.
I know of all you join me in offering thanks to God and welcome to Archbishop Schnurr.
That's all I have for now.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
On my way to Dayton for 'Theology on Tap'
Sorry I didn't post this sooner, but life happens.
I'll be at Oregon Express at 7 pm tonight, telling my story. I picked up a cold from someone on Sunday, so I've been coughing and sniffling, but it's not big deal really--just distracting for everyone else, sorry about that--so maybe it won't be so entertaining as the organizers hope!
They billed this as "political hack to priest" or something like that, so I expect I'll get asked more political than theological questions, since priests who answer theological questions are a dime a dozen, aren't they? More the worse for the folks tonight, because I'll have to be careful, or else they'll be exposed to my wacky political theories!
Maybe I'll see you there? It's not too late! Put down the keyboard right now!
I'll be at Oregon Express at 7 pm tonight, telling my story. I picked up a cold from someone on Sunday, so I've been coughing and sniffling, but it's not big deal really--just distracting for everyone else, sorry about that--so maybe it won't be so entertaining as the organizers hope!
They billed this as "political hack to priest" or something like that, so I expect I'll get asked more political than theological questions, since priests who answer theological questions are a dime a dozen, aren't they? More the worse for the folks tonight, because I'll have to be careful, or else they'll be exposed to my wacky political theories!
Maybe I'll see you there? It's not too late! Put down the keyboard right now!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Stewardship
This will be brief, as I can only connect for a few minutes.
I'm in Chicago for the International Catholic Stewardship Conference, lots of good stuff. But boo to Hyatt for not providing free internet despite high room rates!
Heading home Wednesday afternoon. More later.
I'm in Chicago for the International Catholic Stewardship Conference, lots of good stuff. But boo to Hyatt for not providing free internet despite high room rates!
Heading home Wednesday afternoon. More later.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Preferential Option for the Poor (Sunday Homily)
When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians,
he was in prison. He did not know if he’d be set free,
or if he would be executed.
He was powerless; he had no choice
but to depend on others to provide his needs.
When Scripture talks about being poor,
this is primarily what it means:
not so much about what stuff we have,
but about being powerless and dependent.
This is why the Lord said,
“blessed are the poor in spirit”—
not that it’s blessed to go hungry; rather, it’s a blessing
to understand we depend completely on God.
The illusion we have control runs deep—
especially in our country.
So when we see the financial structure
of our nation and the world wobble, we can’t believe it:
Can it all really be that fragile? Yes!
Saint Paul has exactly the right answer:
whether I am well fed or hungry, I have Jesus Christ!
Meanwhile, people out of work,
folks in danger of losing their homes,
families going without food—demand our attention.
If we are headed into a recession as it appears,
such needs will demand a lot more of our attention
during the next year or so.
One important part of our Catholic Faith is called
“the preferential option for the poor.”
I am not poor. Thanks to you,
I have all my needs supplied.
I am considered “respectable”—
if I walk into a store or a restaurant,
no one tags me as “suspicious” and follows me around.
When I go and pray in the chapel,
no one shifts around uncomfortably.
The preferential option for the poor
helps to correct for all the ways
that those who are poor and powerless
get the short end of the stick.
Let me cite an example.
On the ballot is a measure concerning “pay day loans.”
These places will lend you money against your paycheck.
But the interest you pay is extremely high,
far higher than even credit card rates.
You don’t go there unless you have no other alternative.
But if you’re already in the hole…?
On the other hand, if we outlaw these places,
people who work there will lose their jobs;
and someone less savory
will step forward to make these loans.
So what do we do?
If nothing else, we recognize that the needs of the poor
aren’t just government’s concern,
or the Bethany Center’s, or someone else’s—
but our personal concern.
We are our brother’s keeper.
As your pastor, I have an uneasy conscience about this, for two reasons.
First: I am aware of the contradictions involved
in using Bingo to raise money.
I’d love to find another way,
but I don’t want to torpedo our school in the process.
If someone has a solution, and will help make it happen?
Please let me know.
Second, I wonder if we doing enough?
Each parish has a St. Vincent de Paul fund, and you are generous.
But what do we do with that money?
Some we use for individual situations,
but most of it goes each month to
Bethany Center or Salvation Army.
They use your money to help people with food, clothes, or medicine,
and they give us an accounting each month
of how they spend the money.
But the original vision for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society
was that volunteers would take personal interest,
visiting those in need,
finding out what was going on in their lives.
Sister Joan and I have often talked about
trying to recapture that vision.
If you are interested, call Sister Joan.
Also, here are three ways you can help right now:
> The Bethany Center always needs workers.
November is St. Boniface’s month.
> The Piqua Compassion Network helps connect people in need
with a variety of sources of help.
They need people to answer the phones.
> The Sidney Women’s Center helps women in trouble,
often facing pressure to get an abortion.
They need level-headed people who can be mentors,
bringing calm and wisdom to troubled situations.
We know that Christ comes to us
in the person of the poor;
I don’t want to be guilty of brushing him off!
Christ is coming to our parishes in all those rough-edged folks
who walk up and down Broadway and Downing Streets.
What shall we do?
he was in prison. He did not know if he’d be set free,
or if he would be executed.
He was powerless; he had no choice
but to depend on others to provide his needs.
When Scripture talks about being poor,
this is primarily what it means:
not so much about what stuff we have,
but about being powerless and dependent.
This is why the Lord said,
“blessed are the poor in spirit”—
not that it’s blessed to go hungry; rather, it’s a blessing
to understand we depend completely on God.
The illusion we have control runs deep—
especially in our country.
So when we see the financial structure
of our nation and the world wobble, we can’t believe it:
Can it all really be that fragile? Yes!
Saint Paul has exactly the right answer:
whether I am well fed or hungry, I have Jesus Christ!
Meanwhile, people out of work,
folks in danger of losing their homes,
families going without food—demand our attention.
If we are headed into a recession as it appears,
such needs will demand a lot more of our attention
during the next year or so.
One important part of our Catholic Faith is called
“the preferential option for the poor.”
I am not poor. Thanks to you,
I have all my needs supplied.
I am considered “respectable”—
if I walk into a store or a restaurant,
no one tags me as “suspicious” and follows me around.
When I go and pray in the chapel,
no one shifts around uncomfortably.
The preferential option for the poor
helps to correct for all the ways
that those who are poor and powerless
get the short end of the stick.
Let me cite an example.
On the ballot is a measure concerning “pay day loans.”
These places will lend you money against your paycheck.
But the interest you pay is extremely high,
far higher than even credit card rates.
You don’t go there unless you have no other alternative.
But if you’re already in the hole…?
On the other hand, if we outlaw these places,
people who work there will lose their jobs;
and someone less savory
will step forward to make these loans.
So what do we do?
If nothing else, we recognize that the needs of the poor
aren’t just government’s concern,
or the Bethany Center’s, or someone else’s—
but our personal concern.
We are our brother’s keeper.
As your pastor, I have an uneasy conscience about this, for two reasons.
First: I am aware of the contradictions involved
in using Bingo to raise money.
I’d love to find another way,
but I don’t want to torpedo our school in the process.
If someone has a solution, and will help make it happen?
Please let me know.
Second, I wonder if we doing enough?
Each parish has a St. Vincent de Paul fund, and you are generous.
But what do we do with that money?
Some we use for individual situations,
but most of it goes each month to
Bethany Center or Salvation Army.
They use your money to help people with food, clothes, or medicine,
and they give us an accounting each month
of how they spend the money.
But the original vision for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society
was that volunteers would take personal interest,
visiting those in need,
finding out what was going on in their lives.
Sister Joan and I have often talked about
trying to recapture that vision.
If you are interested, call Sister Joan.
Also, here are three ways you can help right now:
> The Bethany Center always needs workers.
November is St. Boniface’s month.
> The Piqua Compassion Network helps connect people in need
with a variety of sources of help.
They need people to answer the phones.
> The Sidney Women’s Center helps women in trouble,
often facing pressure to get an abortion.
They need level-headed people who can be mentors,
bringing calm and wisdom to troubled situations.
We know that Christ comes to us
in the person of the poor;
I don’t want to be guilty of brushing him off!
Christ is coming to our parishes in all those rough-edged folks
who walk up and down Broadway and Downing Streets.
What shall we do?
Brazilian food orgy
Last night a friend and I had dinner at "Cena," a Brazilian churrasceria (sp?) at the Dayton Mall; given the restaurant name is Latin for dinner, and the style of serving food was--according to the menu--Roman style, and the objective of eating as much as possible was facilitated, then "food orgy" is certainly apt. (Hint: "orgy" can be used more broadly than you may think.)
Here's the set-up: the restaurant has three options on the menu: you can have the full "feast" which involves both a buffet table with lots of fillers but also some tasty delicacies, plus the roving waiters carrying skewers of varieties of roasted meat, from which they will carve you a chunk and move on. They roam around all night, and you can have as much of all this as you want. Option two is the buffet without the roving meat-bearers visiting you; option three is to order from a menu of "tapas," which were various small plates of various appetizers--I imagine one could easily make a meal of two or three of them.
I have not a clue about any of the tapas because I came for the roving meat-a-thon. It was all very tasty, but I confess I was a bit queasy this morning! (Now, I am sure you are wondering, "but father, but father! It was Friday, what about penance?" In fact, I did do penance yesterday of a different sort, precisely because of these plans.)
The restaurant is very nice, the meal was a bit pricey, although not surprising given the circumstances; unfortunately, it was not crowded. I always want new businesses to do well.
And I will say, cryptically, I had an ulterior motive in this post--I wonder if you can figure out what it is?
Here's the set-up: the restaurant has three options on the menu: you can have the full "feast" which involves both a buffet table with lots of fillers but also some tasty delicacies, plus the roving waiters carrying skewers of varieties of roasted meat, from which they will carve you a chunk and move on. They roam around all night, and you can have as much of all this as you want. Option two is the buffet without the roving meat-bearers visiting you; option three is to order from a menu of "tapas," which were various small plates of various appetizers--I imagine one could easily make a meal of two or three of them.
I have not a clue about any of the tapas because I came for the roving meat-a-thon. It was all very tasty, but I confess I was a bit queasy this morning! (Now, I am sure you are wondering, "but father, but father! It was Friday, what about penance?" In fact, I did do penance yesterday of a different sort, precisely because of these plans.)
The restaurant is very nice, the meal was a bit pricey, although not surprising given the circumstances; unfortunately, it was not crowded. I always want new businesses to do well.
And I will say, cryptically, I had an ulterior motive in this post--I wonder if you can figure out what it is?
Sunday, October 05, 2008
'How are we doing with the Vineyard?' (Homily for Respect Life Sunday)
Again, I didn't have time this week to write out my text, so I can only give you some bullet points after the fact:
> I began with the refrain from the psalm: 'the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel' -- since we are grafted in, this applies to the Church; since the Lord is concerned for justice (in the first reading), then we can apply it to the whole world.
> The point is clear enough: God expects us to take good care of the vineyard--of people--and insofar as this is Respect Life Sunday, we might look at how we are doing taking care of human life.
> "Justice" -- respect for human dignity, from conception to natural death, care for the poor.
> So let's ask ourselves, how are we doing?
> Both good and bad. The fact that the Catholic Church is recognized as powerful witness for human life and human dignity, opposing abortion and the death penalty for example, in our society, is something promising. We are bearing witness. How much worse things would be were we not here; we have influence out of proportion to our numbers. We are prominent. Another positive: so many parishioners do so much to bear witness.
> But the society is heading in the wrong direction. We can't be complacent. I cited the move toward euthanasia, and cited Martin Sheen's ad against assisted suicide in Washington, using his argument about how it would target the poor and weak. I cited "research" using unborn babies resulting from "in vitro" fertilization, and pointed out both candidates for president were for it and for us paying for it. This is not one of the positives.
> I also cited the younger generation is more prolife and I cited the Life Chain today and invited everyone to attend or say a prayer at the time.
> I made the point that we have a duty to bear witness and a right as citizens, contrary to those voices who say Catholics should keep their beliefs to themselves. I said it was a scandal to have Catholics in prominent positions, in office, using their power to advance abortion, and we have a duty and right to communicate directly with them, and urge them to change direction. We have to be concerned for their eternal salvation.
> I said we have no right to be discouraged, we have Christ! We have the consolation of the peace that St. Paul spoke about in the second reading. We can make a difference, we are making a difference.
> I pointed out that Respect Life Sunday began in 1972--before Roe; the bishops saw what was coming; the trends were underway.
> I said there was a prophet who warned us: Pope Paul VI, in Humanae Vitae, and that his words weren't accepted because the teaching on contraception was hard for many to accept; many Catholics do not accept it. But he said if we attempt to control the gift of life this way, governments would seek to do this, and they have; that abortion and promiscuity would follow, and it did. We should take another look at what this prophet told us because what he predicted has come to pass.
> I ended by emphasizing trust in the Lord being with us and helping us to turn things around; I'm sure I said it better but I cannot recall just how.
Sorry, have to run to the Life Chain. Please pray with confidence that the Lord will bring conversion and healing to our society!
> I began with the refrain from the psalm: 'the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel' -- since we are grafted in, this applies to the Church; since the Lord is concerned for justice (in the first reading), then we can apply it to the whole world.
> The point is clear enough: God expects us to take good care of the vineyard--of people--and insofar as this is Respect Life Sunday, we might look at how we are doing taking care of human life.
> "Justice" -- respect for human dignity, from conception to natural death, care for the poor.
> So let's ask ourselves, how are we doing?
> Both good and bad. The fact that the Catholic Church is recognized as powerful witness for human life and human dignity, opposing abortion and the death penalty for example, in our society, is something promising. We are bearing witness. How much worse things would be were we not here; we have influence out of proportion to our numbers. We are prominent. Another positive: so many parishioners do so much to bear witness.
> But the society is heading in the wrong direction. We can't be complacent. I cited the move toward euthanasia, and cited Martin Sheen's ad against assisted suicide in Washington, using his argument about how it would target the poor and weak. I cited "research" using unborn babies resulting from "in vitro" fertilization, and pointed out both candidates for president were for it and for us paying for it. This is not one of the positives.
> I also cited the younger generation is more prolife and I cited the Life Chain today and invited everyone to attend or say a prayer at the time.
> I made the point that we have a duty to bear witness and a right as citizens, contrary to those voices who say Catholics should keep their beliefs to themselves. I said it was a scandal to have Catholics in prominent positions, in office, using their power to advance abortion, and we have a duty and right to communicate directly with them, and urge them to change direction. We have to be concerned for their eternal salvation.
> I said we have no right to be discouraged, we have Christ! We have the consolation of the peace that St. Paul spoke about in the second reading. We can make a difference, we are making a difference.
> I pointed out that Respect Life Sunday began in 1972--before Roe; the bishops saw what was coming; the trends were underway.
> I said there was a prophet who warned us: Pope Paul VI, in Humanae Vitae, and that his words weren't accepted because the teaching on contraception was hard for many to accept; many Catholics do not accept it. But he said if we attempt to control the gift of life this way, governments would seek to do this, and they have; that abortion and promiscuity would follow, and it did. We should take another look at what this prophet told us because what he predicted has come to pass.
> I ended by emphasizing trust in the Lord being with us and helping us to turn things around; I'm sure I said it better but I cannot recall just how.
Sorry, have to run to the Life Chain. Please pray with confidence that the Lord will bring conversion and healing to our society!
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