I just decided what my personal motto should be:
Ut visum notitia bona id temporis.
Translated*:
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
*According to Google Translate. Any Latinists, please assist.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Pictures of St. Boniface Renovation
Here are some pictures of the renovation of Saint Boniface now well underway. I hope you enjoy seeing this. But you won't be able to see the whole package deal until Easter!
This is the artist's original proposal for the interior of Saint Boniface.
I had him create this in 2006, as a "someday" project. Since this original proposal (and this photo washes out the colors), we've changed our plan. The ceiling over the sanctuary has been done in a very different fashion, we decided to add a tile floor in the sanctuary, and a hardwood floor in the nave; and we also decided to have six images of saints painted and displayed on the wood paneling behind the altar. The ceiling has been decorated largely as you see, as have the walls. Also, this picture isn't intended to give an accurate depiction of the sanctuary as it was or will be; the artist was focusing on his recommendations, not on the pulpit (which is missing) or the altar, which wasn't being changed.
Here's a picture of Saint Boniface as we began the work. The Nativity Scene (with the Magi just arriving) reveals the day: January 2, Epiphany. That Sunday a crew of parishioners came in and hauled out everything that needed to be moved, and we began taking up the carpet. The windows you see were restored over the past three years by the same artist who is doing a lot of detail work in this project.
Oh, if you're wondering about those stations of the cross...some years back it was the fashion to take perfectly lovely works of art in churches, that were full color, and paint them mono-color. You won't believe this, but the theory was that having art that was so beautiful was a distraction; painting them over like that was the compromise in order to save them.
Thankfully, the iconoclasts have been overthrown, and in many places these unfortunate decisions are being reversed. We have a plan for restoring them to full color, that arose as we began this--but we can't do it by Easter. Something to look forward to.
Here we are hauling out the original pews.
We had a lot of discussion about whether to replace them or restore them. These were badly damaged over many years of being moved (one more problem with carpeting churches); as we moved them, two out of every four fell apart, and the third was only prevented from falling apart by those carrying it, leaving one in four that kept together. A lot of those had very bad cracks and splits. The cost of refurbishing them exceeded the cost of new, and refurbishing them would have left them with many remaining problems to manifest down the road.
The new pews will be similar in style and identical in wood and stain. Folks asked me, "will they have kneelers?" I'm thinking, "folks, this is me!" But I just smiled and said, "oh yes." The new kneelers will be pitched at a better distance from the back of the pew, making it easier on parishioners' backs.
Yes, that is yours truly on the left, wearing a Piqua Catholic sweat shirt. If you're wondering why I'm not in clerical attire, I believe I was wearing my cassock, and judged it prudent to remove it for this sort of work. You know me, a big liberal!
Say goodbye to the carpet.
After this carpet was taken up, we laid down plywood as a sub-floor, and have installed a tile floor (on top of cement board) in the sanctuary, and are--as I type!--installing hickory wood in the nave. We'll keep carpeting in the vestibules, in the sacristies and the stairs. The choir loft is getting a vinyl flooring.
Actually, the carpet wasn't in terrible shape, and if we didn't have to paint the church, and if we didn't have pews desperately in need of replacement, this carpet would have lasted awhile longer. But we decided that if we were going to do all the other work, why not take up the carpet--as opposed to coming back, in a few years, and removing the new pews (expense and damage!) to replace it then?
This carpet was laid by a parishioner who has since gone to his reward, Luke Holscher, who in addition to being an outstanding carpet man, was a hard worker at bingo and an intense player of Bid Euchre.
Before he departed this life, I used to play cards at his house with his wife and some bingo workers; they'd start at 10 pm on Sunday and go till about 3 am! (Part of the reason we went so late is almost every hand was analyzed right after! I can still recall Luke arguing about how a partner played his hand!) Then we started earlier, and still went pretty late. The rest of us have gotten together a few times since Luke left us. Luke did a splendid job laying this carpet--it was flat and tight, no ripples, and it came up easily. Requiescat in pace.
Here is the church after the pews and carpet have been removed. That is, we think, the original floor. Before it was carpeted, it had linoleum tile, which was removed at some point. If you look closely, you may be able to see a row of circles in the floor; this is where the gas lamps were at one point. Wouldn't it be cool if we still had those?
The odd bundle of carpet is our baptismal font. Why didn't we move it? It's three pieces of solid, antique marble, that's why. We used the old carpet to wrap it up safely as you can see. FYI, this font came from Assumption Church in Walnut Hills, in Cincinnati. After some cleaning and some slight modifications, we placed it here a few years ago. And, by the way, we have actually moved the font since this picture was taken in January. Now that we're installing a new hardwood floor, we had to move it. A parishioner with the right kind of equipment did it early today, while I, happily, wasn't here to witness it.
In the background you can see the image of our Infant King, which was restored to the church a few years ago on the Feast of Christ the King. Parishioners have noted that many good things have happened for us since that restoration. No, we don't dress him.
Here are some of the statues in process of being restored. The statue of our Lady, to the left, was in our 24-hour Eucharistic Exposition Chapel for 20 years; we wanted to bring it back to church, and another lovely statue of our Lady took its place. This statue has since been repainted in richer colors than you see here.
The others are, from left, St. Aloysius of Gonzaga, St. Louis, King of France, and St. Teresa of Avila. At least, I think it's St. Aloysius; there is no label on it, and when I searched for images of saints online, St. Aloysius isn't usually shown carrying the infant Lord; but other details suggest it's him, there's no one else it seems to be, so...who gives the ruling? I guess I do. Until someone else convinces me otherwise, it's St. Aloysius. (Pay no attention to his right hand. After the statue was restored, the dopey pastor tried to move the statue, and--like a scene from a horror flick, the hand came off! Agghh! He has since had restorative surgery and I don't get within two feet of this statue!)
FYI, these three statues were on the old high altar that was, alas, destroyed many years ago. A fourth statue, of Saint Clare, is in our all-night chapel which is named for her.
Here's how the apse ceiling--i.e., the sanctuary--looked for many years, until this renovation. (Actually it looked better than this picture, I think.) When we announced the renovation, one of the comments folks made was, don't change this! So our plan was to replicate this as you see it, only with brighter blue and gold.
Then, when the artist was installing one of the stained glass windows here, he saw this ceiling up close, and beckoned me up on the scaffolding. In my cassock, I climbed up and he showed me the indentation of the crosses, pressed into the metal. We wondered what it might look like. So we decided to strip part of this paint away, and then decorate part of it as it might look. If you look closely at the right side of this picture, you'll see a patch with bare tin, and then a patch with the "new look" that partially restores the old. Then we invited parishioners to vote: and they chose the "new/old" look overwhelmingly.
Here's the nave ceiling with the base coat of blue. A lot of folks didn't like it when they first saw it, but this was before the ribs were painted and the gold stars added. Everyone who has seen the ceiling now loves it. The ceiling is all metal; a lot of folks seeing those ripples, thought the ceiling was covered with paper. No, it's just how the metal is shaped, and I don't think we can do anything about it. The stars help conceal that.
Here's the apse ceiling with the new/restored look, still in process. It's "restored" insofar as the crosses were there all along, but had been covered with the design you saw earlier. We think they were gold way back when, but we haven't found a picture to verify it. It's "new" insofar as before, this ceiling was probably gold-on-tin, not gold-on-blue. The whole ceiling is all metal; but now that this is complete, those who've seen it think these ribs are real wood.
Update: here's the website for Michael Blanck, the artist doing the detail work
This is the artist's original proposal for the interior of Saint Boniface.I had him create this in 2006, as a "someday" project. Since this original proposal (and this photo washes out the colors), we've changed our plan. The ceiling over the sanctuary has been done in a very different fashion, we decided to add a tile floor in the sanctuary, and a hardwood floor in the nave; and we also decided to have six images of saints painted and displayed on the wood paneling behind the altar. The ceiling has been decorated largely as you see, as have the walls. Also, this picture isn't intended to give an accurate depiction of the sanctuary as it was or will be; the artist was focusing on his recommendations, not on the pulpit (which is missing) or the altar, which wasn't being changed.
Here's a picture of Saint Boniface as we began the work. The Nativity Scene (with the Magi just arriving) reveals the day: January 2, Epiphany. That Sunday a crew of parishioners came in and hauled out everything that needed to be moved, and we began taking up the carpet. The windows you see were restored over the past three years by the same artist who is doing a lot of detail work in this project.Oh, if you're wondering about those stations of the cross...some years back it was the fashion to take perfectly lovely works of art in churches, that were full color, and paint them mono-color. You won't believe this, but the theory was that having art that was so beautiful was a distraction; painting them over like that was the compromise in order to save them.
Thankfully, the iconoclasts have been overthrown, and in many places these unfortunate decisions are being reversed. We have a plan for restoring them to full color, that arose as we began this--but we can't do it by Easter. Something to look forward to.
Here we are hauling out the original pews.We had a lot of discussion about whether to replace them or restore them. These were badly damaged over many years of being moved (one more problem with carpeting churches); as we moved them, two out of every four fell apart, and the third was only prevented from falling apart by those carrying it, leaving one in four that kept together. A lot of those had very bad cracks and splits. The cost of refurbishing them exceeded the cost of new, and refurbishing them would have left them with many remaining problems to manifest down the road.
The new pews will be similar in style and identical in wood and stain. Folks asked me, "will they have kneelers?" I'm thinking, "folks, this is me!" But I just smiled and said, "oh yes." The new kneelers will be pitched at a better distance from the back of the pew, making it easier on parishioners' backs.
Yes, that is yours truly on the left, wearing a Piqua Catholic sweat shirt. If you're wondering why I'm not in clerical attire, I believe I was wearing my cassock, and judged it prudent to remove it for this sort of work. You know me, a big liberal!
Say goodbye to the carpet.After this carpet was taken up, we laid down plywood as a sub-floor, and have installed a tile floor (on top of cement board) in the sanctuary, and are--as I type!--installing hickory wood in the nave. We'll keep carpeting in the vestibules, in the sacristies and the stairs. The choir loft is getting a vinyl flooring.
Actually, the carpet wasn't in terrible shape, and if we didn't have to paint the church, and if we didn't have pews desperately in need of replacement, this carpet would have lasted awhile longer. But we decided that if we were going to do all the other work, why not take up the carpet--as opposed to coming back, in a few years, and removing the new pews (expense and damage!) to replace it then?
This carpet was laid by a parishioner who has since gone to his reward, Luke Holscher, who in addition to being an outstanding carpet man, was a hard worker at bingo and an intense player of Bid Euchre.
Before he departed this life, I used to play cards at his house with his wife and some bingo workers; they'd start at 10 pm on Sunday and go till about 3 am! (Part of the reason we went so late is almost every hand was analyzed right after! I can still recall Luke arguing about how a partner played his hand!) Then we started earlier, and still went pretty late. The rest of us have gotten together a few times since Luke left us. Luke did a splendid job laying this carpet--it was flat and tight, no ripples, and it came up easily. Requiescat in pace.
Here is the church after the pews and carpet have been removed. That is, we think, the original floor. Before it was carpeted, it had linoleum tile, which was removed at some point. If you look closely, you may be able to see a row of circles in the floor; this is where the gas lamps were at one point. Wouldn't it be cool if we still had those?The odd bundle of carpet is our baptismal font. Why didn't we move it? It's three pieces of solid, antique marble, that's why. We used the old carpet to wrap it up safely as you can see. FYI, this font came from Assumption Church in Walnut Hills, in Cincinnati. After some cleaning and some slight modifications, we placed it here a few years ago. And, by the way, we have actually moved the font since this picture was taken in January. Now that we're installing a new hardwood floor, we had to move it. A parishioner with the right kind of equipment did it early today, while I, happily, wasn't here to witness it.
In the background you can see the image of our Infant King, which was restored to the church a few years ago on the Feast of Christ the King. Parishioners have noted that many good things have happened for us since that restoration. No, we don't dress him.
Here are some of the statues in process of being restored. The statue of our Lady, to the left, was in our 24-hour Eucharistic Exposition Chapel for 20 years; we wanted to bring it back to church, and another lovely statue of our Lady took its place. This statue has since been repainted in richer colors than you see here.The others are, from left, St. Aloysius of Gonzaga, St. Louis, King of France, and St. Teresa of Avila. At least, I think it's St. Aloysius; there is no label on it, and when I searched for images of saints online, St. Aloysius isn't usually shown carrying the infant Lord; but other details suggest it's him, there's no one else it seems to be, so...who gives the ruling? I guess I do. Until someone else convinces me otherwise, it's St. Aloysius. (Pay no attention to his right hand. After the statue was restored, the dopey pastor tried to move the statue, and--like a scene from a horror flick, the hand came off! Agghh! He has since had restorative surgery and I don't get within two feet of this statue!)
FYI, these three statues were on the old high altar that was, alas, destroyed many years ago. A fourth statue, of Saint Clare, is in our all-night chapel which is named for her.
Here's how the apse ceiling--i.e., the sanctuary--looked for many years, until this renovation. (Actually it looked better than this picture, I think.) When we announced the renovation, one of the comments folks made was, don't change this! So our plan was to replicate this as you see it, only with brighter blue and gold.Then, when the artist was installing one of the stained glass windows here, he saw this ceiling up close, and beckoned me up on the scaffolding. In my cassock, I climbed up and he showed me the indentation of the crosses, pressed into the metal. We wondered what it might look like. So we decided to strip part of this paint away, and then decorate part of it as it might look. If you look closely at the right side of this picture, you'll see a patch with bare tin, and then a patch with the "new look" that partially restores the old. Then we invited parishioners to vote: and they chose the "new/old" look overwhelmingly.
Here's the nave ceiling with the base coat of blue. A lot of folks didn't like it when they first saw it, but this was before the ribs were painted and the gold stars added. Everyone who has seen the ceiling now loves it. The ceiling is all metal; a lot of folks seeing those ripples, thought the ceiling was covered with paper. No, it's just how the metal is shaped, and I don't think we can do anything about it. The stars help conceal that.
Here's the apse ceiling with the new/restored look, still in process. It's "restored" insofar as the crosses were there all along, but had been covered with the design you saw earlier. We think they were gold way back when, but we haven't found a picture to verify it. It's "new" insofar as before, this ceiling was probably gold-on-tin, not gold-on-blue. The whole ceiling is all metal; but now that this is complete, those who've seen it think these ribs are real wood.Update: here's the website for Michael Blanck, the artist doing the detail work
Renovation of Saint Boniface (update)
OK, here's an update which will appear in an upcoming bulletin. Sorry to be so preoccupied.
See neighboring post for pictures! Anyway, here's where the project stands:
Ø Our friends at Brian Brothers have completed most of their work, but have a few final details. They have been great to us, as always.
Ø Michael and Ann Blanck are continuing their detail artwork on the walls. The ceilings are—but for the inevitable “final touches”—complete.
Ø A friend of Father Ang’s is working hard on our statues. She is doing this at no charge—simply as a gift to God.
Ø Celia has lovingly restored the three statues that were in storage for many years, as well as St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, and the Sacred Heart statue, and the body of our Lord that is on the crucifix. The angels that hold the lamps have also been repaired and are being repainted.
Ø We hope to be able to restore the statues of St. Anthony and of Mary holding her Son’s dead body as well. Pray for Celia and her family who are helping with this!
Ø A crew from the Floor Store of Versailles is finishing the tile floor in the sanctuary, and just starting on the hickory plank floor in the nave. This is why we relocated adoration to St. Mary until April 6. The pounding from two weeks ago was the sound of installing a substantial sub-floor that has made our floor stiffer, more level, and should eliminate most squeaks, at least for a while.
Ø Bob Paulus, whose company this is, gave us a price that earns him little in worldly riches, may God bless him with eternal wealth for his good price! We will be calling on a crew of helpers to install the floor in the balcony before long.
Ø The carpeting in the vestibules, sacristies and on the stairs will be installed soon.
Ø The bathrooms have been painted and the sacristies will soon be painted.
Ø New light fixtures have been installed in the sanctuary; brighter lighting will also be installed in the back, and the remaining fixtures will also be brighter. If we decide we want still more light, we can make further improvements.
Ø Our new pews will arrive in a couple of weeks.
Ø Soon Michael and Ann will hurry home to Wisconsin to complete the paintings of our six saints we are adding. We’ve asked a lot of them and they’ve worked hard.
Ø Holy Week will be busy as everything comes back together and we handle all the last-minute items.
Please note these three key dates and plans:
1. Reopening of the church at the Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 23, 9 pm.
Please gather in the Downing St. cafeteria—rather than in church—between 8:30 & 9 pm. We’ll begin the Vigil Mass, as usual, with a bonfire outside. While the church will be open for anyone who really can’t walk, won’t it be nicer to walk into church with Fr. Tom bringing the Easter Candle, singing, “Christ our Light!”? (If its raining, we’ll simply gather in church.)
This Mass is lengthy, as we recall God’s plan of salvation from Adam and Eve to the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. We will have a group of women, children and men baptized, confirmed, received into the Church, and make their holy communion. It will be “high church” (incense and chant).
2. Blessing new artwork and restored statues, Sunday May 1, 10:30 am.
This is rescheduled from Easter Sunday. This solemn blessing (with incense) will add perhaps 15 minutes or so to Mass, but will be a one-time event. It was rescheduled to avoid trying to do too much on Easter.
As we are honoring several new saints’ images, invitations will go out to folks with a special interest: to the Sisters of Charity for Mother Seton, to Franciscans for St. Francis, and to the Hispanic and Mexican communities for Blessed Jose.
I have no idea who may want to come, but it occurred to me that our Mexican brothers and sisters might be very joyful to have one of their own honored here in Piqua, so we may have some new faces and voices at Mass. Let’s welcome them!
3. Open House for whole community Saturday, May 7, 11 am. This, too, was rescheduled (from April 30).
This will be an opportunity for anyone who may be interested in a closer look at the church, as well as the sacristies and choir loft.
Here’s an idea: do you know folks who haven’t come to Mass? Or maybe you know folks who aren’t Catholic, but maybe you’d like to share our Faith with them in a friendly, non-threatening way. This is a way to do it. Invite them to this Open House. I plan to be there, along with others involved, to answer questions.
Everything is coming together! Please pray for those who have a lot of work to do, especially Mark Pitsenbarger and our many contractors and volunteers. Please pray for all those whose generosity made all this possible.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Not much time...
OK, I've got to get going soon. Fish Fry at St. Mary's till 7 pm. Couldn't make last week due to responsibilities, and I am the pastor!
Busy day here..."the Pile" is growing. To riff off a line of President Reagan's about the deficit, I'm not to worry about this pile, it's big enough to take care of itself.
You might be interested in a few of items (clock ticking...):
> Had some meetings with folks about personal matters, obviously can't describe them. But I'm praying for them. If you ever wonder what to pray for, or what a priest does, keep this in mind. Some folks bring me serious stuff and I wish I could do more to help.
> Wrote a couple of news releases and worked on a handout, related to the re-opening of Saint Boniface Church at Easter, after our renovation. Trying to plan out the celebratory events. The handout gives a complete accounting of all the saints and all the artwork in the church, including the statues being returned to church after their exile 40 years ago, and the six new images of saints which will be added. The handout is intended to be a "keeper" for all those who wonder about the images, what saints they are, etc.
> Checked on the progress of the work. The tile floor in the sanctuary is almost finished (may be finished now); the painting is progressing nicely, but still a lot to do. The statues being restored are awesome--and being done for free! The hardwood floor for the nave is going to be installed starting in about 10 days. Many more details to work out. Pray for our director of maintenance who is superintending all this, keeping me sane--er, well, as sane as I may happen to be at the moment.
By the way...did you know that on Solemnities, the rules of fast and abstinence are not obligatory? This is the Vigil of St. Joseph! Don't anyone tell the folks at the Fish Fry, where I'm headed next!
Busy day here..."the Pile" is growing. To riff off a line of President Reagan's about the deficit, I'm not to worry about this pile, it's big enough to take care of itself.
You might be interested in a few of items (clock ticking...):
> Had some meetings with folks about personal matters, obviously can't describe them. But I'm praying for them. If you ever wonder what to pray for, or what a priest does, keep this in mind. Some folks bring me serious stuff and I wish I could do more to help.
> Wrote a couple of news releases and worked on a handout, related to the re-opening of Saint Boniface Church at Easter, after our renovation. Trying to plan out the celebratory events. The handout gives a complete accounting of all the saints and all the artwork in the church, including the statues being returned to church after their exile 40 years ago, and the six new images of saints which will be added. The handout is intended to be a "keeper" for all those who wonder about the images, what saints they are, etc.
> Checked on the progress of the work. The tile floor in the sanctuary is almost finished (may be finished now); the painting is progressing nicely, but still a lot to do. The statues being restored are awesome--and being done for free! The hardwood floor for the nave is going to be installed starting in about 10 days. Many more details to work out. Pray for our director of maintenance who is superintending all this, keeping me sane--er, well, as sane as I may happen to be at the moment.
By the way...did you know that on Solemnities, the rules of fast and abstinence are not obligatory? This is the Vigil of St. Joseph! Don't anyone tell the folks at the Fish Fry, where I'm headed next!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Cincinnati priest didn't like my letter
Well, it seems someone mentioned me in a letter to the latest Catholic Telegraph:
Editor:
How sad that Father Martin Fox missed the whole point of Mr. Daley's well-written column (Letters, March 4). In its concern for ecumenical dialogue as well as relationships with non-Christian religions, the Second Vatican Council made bold steps toward eradicating centuries of hostility. The documents from this Council clearly indicate a broad interpretation of the formulary of St. Cyprian: extra ecclesiam nulla salus (outside the church there is no salvation).
In his opening remarks, Mr. Daley cited this phrase with the explanation that a very narrow interpretation had dominated Catholic thinking for many centuries. Such thinking hindered any kind of dialogue with other Christians, much less non-Christians.
However, a broader understanding of this phrase was enunciated in a letter from the Holy Office to the Archbishop of Boston in 1949, which became the foundation for further exploration in the Second Vatican Council. That "open door" led to fruitful discussions and relationships with other denominations and religions.
While there is not sufficient space here for a more detailed discussion, Mr. Daley's use of the the phrase was most appropriate. And he was right on the mark by noting that the Catholic Church has taken a leading role in promoting interreligious dialogue. This, too, is one of the things that keeps me Catholic.
Father Raymond C. Kellerman
Holy Trinity Parish, Norwood
OK; here's the letter I wrote:
Editor:
Michael Daley, a religion teacher at St. Xavier High School, began his article in the Feb. 25 edition of the Telegraph with the phrase Extra ecclesiam nulla salus — outside the church there is no salvation.
In the column that followed, it did not seem to me that he explained what this means to us as we continue to teach this as a doctrine of our church — which we do. Yet without further explanation, it certainly gives rise to confusion.
So what do we mean when we say that? “Outside the church” refers to the Body of Christ understood in its fullest sense. We don’t know how many will be saved ultimately. We hope for vast numbers, but we don’t assume it will be everyone. But whoever is ultimately saved will be members of the Catholic Church in eternity, whether or not they are full members in this life.
In this sense, no one who is saved will be “outside” —salvation means they are “inside.” This is our hope for those who never hear about Jesus in this life, as well as those who, while not receiving actual baptism, may share a “baptism of desire” or “of blood.”
Likewise, reason tells us that if someone rejects Christianity — or the Catholic Church in particular — because of misinformation, then Christ knows the difference between that, and someone who rejects the truth, yet knowing it to be true.
Here is what Vatican II said: “This Sacred Council...teaches that the church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation. Christ, present to us in His body, which is the church, is the one mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved” (Lumen Gentium 14).
Whoever is saved, can only be saved through the merits of Christ, and will be united with Him. No one can be united to the head, yet not part of the body: so those who will be saved will indeed be, not “outside,” but “inside” the church.
The question remains, does it matter whether we are full members of the church in this life? Certainly. Baptism matters. The sacraments are powerful helps to salvation, as is the teaching office (i.e., magisterium) of the church. More help is more help. God acts in the lives of those not full members of the Catholic Church, and He knows their hearts.
Having the fullness of the Catholic faith isn’t a golden ticket for Catholics; it makes us more accountable. But it would be dangerous to think, “Oh it doesn’t matter, I’ll get to heaven somehow.”
Seeking Christ in His church is a wiser course.
Father Martin Fox, pastor
St. Mary and St. Boniface parishes
Piqua
(If you want to see the original article, go here.)
OK, well, let me offer these comments:
> I didn't miss the point of the original article; I didn't address it all. I simply observed that the author didn't really address the meaning of the "extra ecclesiam" doctrine. I think that's a statement of simple fact.
> I am certainly aware of what the Second Vatican Council had to say, as I quoted it.
> It could be that Father Kellerman thinks I was finding fault with Mr. Daley's column. Well, re-read my letter and please show me where I criticized Mr. Daley's essay? I suppose the very fact that I wrote the letter seems an implied criticism--i.e, that Mr. Daley ought to have explained the doctrine. Well, OK, maybe he should have, or else handled it differently. But columns need to be brief, so adding such explanations are hard to do and I don't blame Mr. Daley for not explaining it. And if my letter didn't need to be brief, I might have said as much when I wrote the Telegraph.
> In any case, the question of Church teaching on salvation "outside" the Church does often gives rise to misunderstanding. Or so I have found; perhaps Father Kellerman has had a different experience. I offered some clarity, which as far as I can tell, Father Kellerman finds no fault with.
> I'm sorry to hear Father Kellerman is sad. I hope he cheers up!
Editor:
How sad that Father Martin Fox missed the whole point of Mr. Daley's well-written column (Letters, March 4). In its concern for ecumenical dialogue as well as relationships with non-Christian religions, the Second Vatican Council made bold steps toward eradicating centuries of hostility. The documents from this Council clearly indicate a broad interpretation of the formulary of St. Cyprian: extra ecclesiam nulla salus (outside the church there is no salvation).
In his opening remarks, Mr. Daley cited this phrase with the explanation that a very narrow interpretation had dominated Catholic thinking for many centuries. Such thinking hindered any kind of dialogue with other Christians, much less non-Christians.
However, a broader understanding of this phrase was enunciated in a letter from the Holy Office to the Archbishop of Boston in 1949, which became the foundation for further exploration in the Second Vatican Council. That "open door" led to fruitful discussions and relationships with other denominations and religions.
While there is not sufficient space here for a more detailed discussion, Mr. Daley's use of the the phrase was most appropriate. And he was right on the mark by noting that the Catholic Church has taken a leading role in promoting interreligious dialogue. This, too, is one of the things that keeps me Catholic.
Father Raymond C. Kellerman
Holy Trinity Parish, Norwood
OK; here's the letter I wrote:
Editor:
Michael Daley, a religion teacher at St. Xavier High School, began his article in the Feb. 25 edition of the Telegraph with the phrase Extra ecclesiam nulla salus — outside the church there is no salvation.
In the column that followed, it did not seem to me that he explained what this means to us as we continue to teach this as a doctrine of our church — which we do. Yet without further explanation, it certainly gives rise to confusion.
So what do we mean when we say that? “Outside the church” refers to the Body of Christ understood in its fullest sense. We don’t know how many will be saved ultimately. We hope for vast numbers, but we don’t assume it will be everyone. But whoever is ultimately saved will be members of the Catholic Church in eternity, whether or not they are full members in this life.
In this sense, no one who is saved will be “outside” —salvation means they are “inside.” This is our hope for those who never hear about Jesus in this life, as well as those who, while not receiving actual baptism, may share a “baptism of desire” or “of blood.”
Likewise, reason tells us that if someone rejects Christianity — or the Catholic Church in particular — because of misinformation, then Christ knows the difference between that, and someone who rejects the truth, yet knowing it to be true.
Here is what Vatican II said: “This Sacred Council...teaches that the church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation. Christ, present to us in His body, which is the church, is the one mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved” (Lumen Gentium 14).
Whoever is saved, can only be saved through the merits of Christ, and will be united with Him. No one can be united to the head, yet not part of the body: so those who will be saved will indeed be, not “outside,” but “inside” the church.
The question remains, does it matter whether we are full members of the church in this life? Certainly. Baptism matters. The sacraments are powerful helps to salvation, as is the teaching office (i.e., magisterium) of the church. More help is more help. God acts in the lives of those not full members of the Catholic Church, and He knows their hearts.
Having the fullness of the Catholic faith isn’t a golden ticket for Catholics; it makes us more accountable. But it would be dangerous to think, “Oh it doesn’t matter, I’ll get to heaven somehow.”
Seeking Christ in His church is a wiser course.
Father Martin Fox, pastor
St. Mary and St. Boniface parishes
Piqua
(If you want to see the original article, go here.)
OK, well, let me offer these comments:
> I didn't miss the point of the original article; I didn't address it all. I simply observed that the author didn't really address the meaning of the "extra ecclesiam" doctrine. I think that's a statement of simple fact.
> I am certainly aware of what the Second Vatican Council had to say, as I quoted it.
> It could be that Father Kellerman thinks I was finding fault with Mr. Daley's column. Well, re-read my letter and please show me where I criticized Mr. Daley's essay? I suppose the very fact that I wrote the letter seems an implied criticism--i.e, that Mr. Daley ought to have explained the doctrine. Well, OK, maybe he should have, or else handled it differently. But columns need to be brief, so adding such explanations are hard to do and I don't blame Mr. Daley for not explaining it. And if my letter didn't need to be brief, I might have said as much when I wrote the Telegraph.
> In any case, the question of Church teaching on salvation "outside" the Church does often gives rise to misunderstanding. Or so I have found; perhaps Father Kellerman has had a different experience. I offered some clarity, which as far as I can tell, Father Kellerman finds no fault with.
> I'm sorry to hear Father Kellerman is sad. I hope he cheers up!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Spiritual Combat (Sunday homily)
Sorry, I'm a little late in posting ("yeah, over a month late, Father!"), sorry about that! Lots going on. Each parish has big projects underway: two construction projects planned at St. Mary: a new gym floor and a new roof on the school; St. Boniface Church is being renovated, to re-open Easter; we are having an outreach to our parishioners this Sunday: volunteers are going out visit their fellow parishioners, simply to greet them and see if they are doing OK. And in April, we have a parish mission (April 9-13) with Father Nathan Cromley. All that on top of normal parish and school business.
Here are bullet-points from my homily Sunday, for which I had no text:
> I proposed a theme of "spiritual combat" to look at in relation to the readings.
> I talked about the incongruity of almost everyone, who is surveyed, professing belief in God, but something less believe in the existence of the devil. Yet I think I would have an easier time proving the existence of the devil than of God. Why? We often ask, "where is God?" The Scriptures are full of that expression. But who needs me to prove evil exists? How does one explain such colossal evil, such as the gulags and the Holocaust?
> Notice how our Lord prepared for spiritual combat: he fasted. Odd, that; a soldier wouldn't do that before battle, would he? But this is different. Our Lord first conquered the distraction of hunger. We fast for the same reason: we learn in giving things up just how much power those things have for us. Am I the only one who thinks of a hamburger on a Friday during Lent (laughter); apparently not! But is the flag I'm going to live and die for? The hamburger?
> Notice that the devil is excellent in argument and he can quote Scripture. If we try to debate with temptation, we will lose.
> Not only do we sometimes underestimate the power of evil, we sometimes overstate it. Notice the devil did not know who Jesus was: "If you are the Son of God..." He was trying to find out who this Jesus really was; and notice Jesus did not fall for his tricks and left the devil knowing no more than before. The devil is more powerful than we are, alone; but we are never alone! When we were baptized, we are clothed in the armor of Christ, who stands with us and enlists us in his work. When we are overwhelmed in temptation, we turn and look over our shoulder and ask, "Lord, please help me!" And he speaks the word, "begone!"
> We may not realize we are in spiritual combat, but we are--all the time. The outcome, in one sense, is certain: Christ has won; and yet the outcome for many souls, and for our own, is not. The altar is a battlefield: Christ our champion goes into combat for souls and he calls us here because we aren't mere spectators, he counts us to join the battle. Example: a woman called the parish office just over a week ago, Sister ran in and said, "you have to take this call" and so I did. She told me she was going to have an abortion, she didn't know what to do. I began talking to her, to calm her down and I wanted to get her going in the right direction. Then the line went dead. I didn't have her number to call her back. I don't know what happened. Do you think I have been praying for that woman since then? Do you think there's spiritual combat going on?
> I addressed a point to men, specifically: you have sisters, girlfriends, wives, mothers, daughters. Would any of you turn to them and let them go into battle in your place? Of course you wouldn't. Yet notice that is exactly what Adam did in the first reading. He stood there while his wife was under assault and said, and did, nothing. How different it might have been had he simply spoken up! Men, you are here; you recognize your spiritual responsibilities and I commend you. But we know that when we gather for Mass or other prayer, a lot of our men are absent; they are letting others go into combat in their place.
> I don't recall just how I concluded my homily, except to talk about bringing the people and cares for which we are doing battle, to the altar, to ask Christ's power and intercession for them.
I gave this homily four times, and it was a little different each time as you might imagine.
Here are bullet-points from my homily Sunday, for which I had no text:
> I proposed a theme of "spiritual combat" to look at in relation to the readings.
> I talked about the incongruity of almost everyone, who is surveyed, professing belief in God, but something less believe in the existence of the devil. Yet I think I would have an easier time proving the existence of the devil than of God. Why? We often ask, "where is God?" The Scriptures are full of that expression. But who needs me to prove evil exists? How does one explain such colossal evil, such as the gulags and the Holocaust?
> Notice how our Lord prepared for spiritual combat: he fasted. Odd, that; a soldier wouldn't do that before battle, would he? But this is different. Our Lord first conquered the distraction of hunger. We fast for the same reason: we learn in giving things up just how much power those things have for us. Am I the only one who thinks of a hamburger on a Friday during Lent (laughter); apparently not! But is the flag I'm going to live and die for? The hamburger?
> Notice that the devil is excellent in argument and he can quote Scripture. If we try to debate with temptation, we will lose.
> Not only do we sometimes underestimate the power of evil, we sometimes overstate it. Notice the devil did not know who Jesus was: "If you are the Son of God..." He was trying to find out who this Jesus really was; and notice Jesus did not fall for his tricks and left the devil knowing no more than before. The devil is more powerful than we are, alone; but we are never alone! When we were baptized, we are clothed in the armor of Christ, who stands with us and enlists us in his work. When we are overwhelmed in temptation, we turn and look over our shoulder and ask, "Lord, please help me!" And he speaks the word, "begone!"
> We may not realize we are in spiritual combat, but we are--all the time. The outcome, in one sense, is certain: Christ has won; and yet the outcome for many souls, and for our own, is not. The altar is a battlefield: Christ our champion goes into combat for souls and he calls us here because we aren't mere spectators, he counts us to join the battle. Example: a woman called the parish office just over a week ago, Sister ran in and said, "you have to take this call" and so I did. She told me she was going to have an abortion, she didn't know what to do. I began talking to her, to calm her down and I wanted to get her going in the right direction. Then the line went dead. I didn't have her number to call her back. I don't know what happened. Do you think I have been praying for that woman since then? Do you think there's spiritual combat going on?
> I addressed a point to men, specifically: you have sisters, girlfriends, wives, mothers, daughters. Would any of you turn to them and let them go into battle in your place? Of course you wouldn't. Yet notice that is exactly what Adam did in the first reading. He stood there while his wife was under assault and said, and did, nothing. How different it might have been had he simply spoken up! Men, you are here; you recognize your spiritual responsibilities and I commend you. But we know that when we gather for Mass or other prayer, a lot of our men are absent; they are letting others go into combat in their place.
> I don't recall just how I concluded my homily, except to talk about bringing the people and cares for which we are doing battle, to the altar, to ask Christ's power and intercession for them.
I gave this homily four times, and it was a little different each time as you might imagine.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
I'm alive!
Sorry but it's just been soooooo busy!
I'm sitting here, at 10 pm, having dinner: Kung Pao Chicken, extra spicy. If you live in Piqua, order from Dragon City, and it'll be reasonable and arrive so fast, it'll be too hot to eat!
Had a meeting tonight, which was contentious, but I think some good things came from it.
Before that, another meeting, I couldn't stay for--because of the second one.
Before those meetings, I browsed through the kids' science fair. After the meetings, I came back for the awards. Our kids are so great! Guys, you think about being a priest, and you think, I won't have kids. No, what our Lord said to Peter is true: you'll have many, many more.
Before the science fair, I was down to the hospital for regular visits. Had some interesting experiences...a woman who was a little confused and anxious; I wondered if she even wanted me there, but she held my hand and I prayed for her. A man who, I think, had a kind of aphasia (if that's the right term), which means you can speak, but your words make no sense. I talked to him and prayed for him, but I couldn't tell if he understood me. There was a notepad there--I think a family member left it there for notes--so I took the liberty of leaving a note that I'd been there.
I spent a few hours in the office, and I checked on the progress at St. Boniface; it's so beautiful, you can catch a glimpse if you find St. Boniface's website in the sidebar and look for some photos posted there.
This morning, I had Mass at one of the nursing homes. I was glad to do it--and a huge crowd came, three! (Usually only one would come.) But I was struck by something...
I was in a sort of game- or internet room, and as I offered Mass, I was facing a computer with changing images. There was noise from the hall and it was not the best setting for Mass. That is usually what happens; but it's what the area nursing homes can offer. They just don't have any room that's really suitable.
That's when it hit me: this is the face of secularism. These nursing homes (one is more a retirement community for more active folks) are nice facilities, and they try, and they've created lots of nice areas...but nothing for the soul. No one thought to create a room as a chapel or--if you prefer, a "meditation room." No provision for the inner life or the transcendent.
If anyone ever consults with me about building such a facility, that would be one of my suggestions: provide a chapel or prayer room for the residents. Recognize the importance of the spiritual life.
Well that was my day in reverse order...now I'm finished eating, and I'm feeling good, and ready soon for sleep.
I'm sitting here, at 10 pm, having dinner: Kung Pao Chicken, extra spicy. If you live in Piqua, order from Dragon City, and it'll be reasonable and arrive so fast, it'll be too hot to eat!
Had a meeting tonight, which was contentious, but I think some good things came from it.
Before that, another meeting, I couldn't stay for--because of the second one.
Before those meetings, I browsed through the kids' science fair. After the meetings, I came back for the awards. Our kids are so great! Guys, you think about being a priest, and you think, I won't have kids. No, what our Lord said to Peter is true: you'll have many, many more.
Before the science fair, I was down to the hospital for regular visits. Had some interesting experiences...a woman who was a little confused and anxious; I wondered if she even wanted me there, but she held my hand and I prayed for her. A man who, I think, had a kind of aphasia (if that's the right term), which means you can speak, but your words make no sense. I talked to him and prayed for him, but I couldn't tell if he understood me. There was a notepad there--I think a family member left it there for notes--so I took the liberty of leaving a note that I'd been there.
I spent a few hours in the office, and I checked on the progress at St. Boniface; it's so beautiful, you can catch a glimpse if you find St. Boniface's website in the sidebar and look for some photos posted there.
This morning, I had Mass at one of the nursing homes. I was glad to do it--and a huge crowd came, three! (Usually only one would come.) But I was struck by something...
I was in a sort of game- or internet room, and as I offered Mass, I was facing a computer with changing images. There was noise from the hall and it was not the best setting for Mass. That is usually what happens; but it's what the area nursing homes can offer. They just don't have any room that's really suitable.
That's when it hit me: this is the face of secularism. These nursing homes (one is more a retirement community for more active folks) are nice facilities, and they try, and they've created lots of nice areas...but nothing for the soul. No one thought to create a room as a chapel or--if you prefer, a "meditation room." No provision for the inner life or the transcendent.
If anyone ever consults with me about building such a facility, that would be one of my suggestions: provide a chapel or prayer room for the residents. Recognize the importance of the spiritual life.
Well that was my day in reverse order...now I'm finished eating, and I'm feeling good, and ready soon for sleep.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Piqua Catholic wins $50k grant!
We're planning a community celebration in March, as well as something with our kids and families tomorrow night (if the weather doesn't intervene).
We did it with your help! Thanks!
(Click on headline to see the official word.)
We did it with your help! Thanks!
(Click on headline to see the official word.)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Vote for Piqua Catholic! (bumped)
OK folks, I need your help--more than that, our kids in Piqua Catholic need your help!
Our kids are working hard to raise $50,000 for a new gym floor, as well as exercise equipment and new bleachers.
Good news? I am not asking you for money!
But I do need you--and everyone you can enlist--to go vote for Piqua Catholic.
Here's how:
The Pepsi Company has a "refresh challenge"; every month the company gives away over a million dollars for various good causes that enter the challenge; then, it is up to the groups to promote their cause, to generate votes for their project.
So, our kids, together with alumni and faculty, put together this video. On the post just below this, you can see the video embedded.
Last month Piqua Catholic started out at #319, and over our first month in this contest, we ended in 15th place. But to win our $50,000, we had to reach the top ten.
Well, we learned a lot about how other schools and charities won their grant, and now we're applying that.
As of today, we are in 5th place! That is awesome! Now we have to stay there!
So here's what I need you to do:
Go to this link and you will see a list of worthy causes. Please vote for all of them. Why all ten? Because one of the ways to win is to form "alliances" with other causes, with everyone helping to generate votes.
When you go vote, you do have to register with your email. I can tell that, after a month, I've gotten zero spam from Pepsi. They say they only use it to prevent folks gaming the system.
You can also vote via Facebook. All you have to do is sign in one way; then sign out; then sign in the other way. (I do it every day; takes a couple of minutes.)
And, if you text, you need only send this message: 104632 to this telephone number: 73774 (spells "Pepsi") once a day.
So please, please VOTE and PROMOTE!
Here's the deal...one way or the other, we will raise these funds. But: the payoff of this is when a Pepsi executive comes to Piqua, and all our kids are in the gym--on the cracked, slippery floor they now use--are there to accept one of those oversized checks for $50,000! Our kids will never forget what they accomplished. And I think that's a good thing, don't you?
Please VOTE and PROMOTE!
Our kids are working hard to raise $50,000 for a new gym floor, as well as exercise equipment and new bleachers.
Good news? I am not asking you for money!
But I do need you--and everyone you can enlist--to go vote for Piqua Catholic.
Here's how:
The Pepsi Company has a "refresh challenge"; every month the company gives away over a million dollars for various good causes that enter the challenge; then, it is up to the groups to promote their cause, to generate votes for their project.
So, our kids, together with alumni and faculty, put together this video. On the post just below this, you can see the video embedded.
Last month Piqua Catholic started out at #319, and over our first month in this contest, we ended in 15th place. But to win our $50,000, we had to reach the top ten.
Well, we learned a lot about how other schools and charities won their grant, and now we're applying that.
As of today, we are in 5th place! That is awesome! Now we have to stay there!
So here's what I need you to do:
Go to this link and you will see a list of worthy causes. Please vote for all of them. Why all ten? Because one of the ways to win is to form "alliances" with other causes, with everyone helping to generate votes.
When you go vote, you do have to register with your email. I can tell that, after a month, I've gotten zero spam from Pepsi. They say they only use it to prevent folks gaming the system.
You can also vote via Facebook. All you have to do is sign in one way; then sign out; then sign in the other way. (I do it every day; takes a couple of minutes.)
And, if you text, you need only send this message: 104632 to this telephone number: 73774 (spells "Pepsi") once a day.
So please, please VOTE and PROMOTE!
Here's the deal...one way or the other, we will raise these funds. But: the payoff of this is when a Pepsi executive comes to Piqua, and all our kids are in the gym--on the cracked, slippery floor they now use--are there to accept one of those oversized checks for $50,000! Our kids will never forget what they accomplished. And I think that's a good thing, don't you?
Please VOTE and PROMOTE!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Why do you believe? (Sunday homily)
We just heard John the Baptist say--twice--"I did not know him."
That got me thinking--maybe you as well--
because I have always supposed Jesus and John knew each other growing up.
After all, Mary visited Elizabeth while she was expecting John;
and if they visited once, why not more than once?
Other scriptures seem to say John knew Jesus.
Well, maybe they didn't know each other all that well;
or maybe it means something else.
It could be that what John is saying is,
I knew him in a human way, yes;
but I didn't know, for certain, that he was the Messiah
until I received the sign from heaven.
If so, that means John, knowing how important this was,
wanted to be absolutely certain that Jesus was the Messiah.
That makes sense; he only gets one shot at this.
So that raises a question for us:
How do we know?
Why do we believe Jesus is the Messiah?
I'm not going to do it, but--if I started calling on folks,
to ask you that question...
I know, you'd never come back to church!
But if I did, I think it would be good to hear everyone's answer;
I think it would be a good experience.
But perhaps some would find it hard to put into words;
and maybe some would candidly say something like,
"I guess I believe because that's what my family believes"
or "because that's what I grew up with."
What do you think? Are those good enough reasons?
Is being a Christian a tribal thing--
we believe in Jesus because that's our tribal god?
Let's put it another way:
If a friend or family member came to us and said,
I'm going to become a Muslim--or a Jew--or a Buddhist--or a Wiccan,
what reason would we give for not doing so?
This is why we study our Faith.
We believe; but we also need to be ready to give a reason for what we believe.
The Father sent Jesus to be a light to the nations; and he doesn't do it alone.
Through our baptism we share in that task.
I've studied the Scriptures, Church history, and the teachings of our Faith,
and I have to say, the more I do,
the more awed I am by the power and coherence of what we believe.
I know what you're thinking: you're a priest, you're a company man,
you're supposed to say that!
But I didn't always believe it.
Many of you know I not only spent 10 years as not a Catholic, but as an anti-Catholic.
I didn't just slouch into this. I had to be convinced.
Let me share some thoughts on this.
First, our Faith is a reasonable faith.
It is founded upon certain facts: Jesus was born in a specific place and time.
He did wonderful things, he taught certain things,
and then, above all, he suffered and died and rose from the dead.
And we know these things because people who were with him, told us,
and they were prepared to die rather than deny what they saw.
As the great mathematician of several centuries ago, Blaise Pascal, said,
"I readily believe those witnesses whose throats are cut."
Also, our Faith is a human faith.
By that I mean it corresponds well to what we need and what will make us happy.
This is a point where our Faith is under attack today.
Many voices in our culture say, don't listen to Christianity, with it's rules;
do what you want; have what you want, no limits, no sacrifice.
All that matters is choice, freedom without boundary.
But is that really what will make us happy?
If we could look back at the end of our lives,
and let option "a" be someone who did exactly that:
no sacrifice, never putting himself out for anyone,
no commitment, no dying to self--what would he have?
No children, no family, he would have nothing.
Then consider the one who does give of himself to others:
that one is surrounded by family, grandchildren, and friends.
Who is truly rich then?
The Cross is hard--but it corresponds best to true human need.
Our society's values don't make us happy--in the end they make us empty.
Finally, our Faith is a powerful faith.
We don't just believe in a series of propositions.
We believe in a God who isn't just out there, somewhere,
but who acts in our world--who is here, now, acting for our salvation.
This, above all, is what the Mass is.
We aren't just listening to stories or reflecting on God;
in the Mass, Christ is here, pleading his blood for the salvation of the world.
And we are called here, because we are part of his work of salvation.
We come here, we receive power from him, and we go out of here, changed.
Ultimately, that is what makes us persuasive witnesses for Christ;
beyond the reasons and the logic of our Faith,
do people see in us the power of Christ at work?
When John saw Jesus, God gave him a sign so he would know, he is the Messiah.
When people see us...what do they see?
That got me thinking--maybe you as well--
because I have always supposed Jesus and John knew each other growing up.
After all, Mary visited Elizabeth while she was expecting John;
and if they visited once, why not more than once?
Other scriptures seem to say John knew Jesus.
Well, maybe they didn't know each other all that well;
or maybe it means something else.
It could be that what John is saying is,
I knew him in a human way, yes;
but I didn't know, for certain, that he was the Messiah
until I received the sign from heaven.
If so, that means John, knowing how important this was,
wanted to be absolutely certain that Jesus was the Messiah.
That makes sense; he only gets one shot at this.
So that raises a question for us:
How do we know?
Why do we believe Jesus is the Messiah?
I'm not going to do it, but--if I started calling on folks,
to ask you that question...
I know, you'd never come back to church!
But if I did, I think it would be good to hear everyone's answer;
I think it would be a good experience.
But perhaps some would find it hard to put into words;
and maybe some would candidly say something like,
"I guess I believe because that's what my family believes"
or "because that's what I grew up with."
What do you think? Are those good enough reasons?
Is being a Christian a tribal thing--
we believe in Jesus because that's our tribal god?
Let's put it another way:
If a friend or family member came to us and said,
I'm going to become a Muslim--or a Jew--or a Buddhist--or a Wiccan,
what reason would we give for not doing so?
This is why we study our Faith.
We believe; but we also need to be ready to give a reason for what we believe.
The Father sent Jesus to be a light to the nations; and he doesn't do it alone.
Through our baptism we share in that task.
I've studied the Scriptures, Church history, and the teachings of our Faith,
and I have to say, the more I do,
the more awed I am by the power and coherence of what we believe.
I know what you're thinking: you're a priest, you're a company man,
you're supposed to say that!
But I didn't always believe it.
Many of you know I not only spent 10 years as not a Catholic, but as an anti-Catholic.
I didn't just slouch into this. I had to be convinced.
Let me share some thoughts on this.
First, our Faith is a reasonable faith.
It is founded upon certain facts: Jesus was born in a specific place and time.
He did wonderful things, he taught certain things,
and then, above all, he suffered and died and rose from the dead.
And we know these things because people who were with him, told us,
and they were prepared to die rather than deny what they saw.
As the great mathematician of several centuries ago, Blaise Pascal, said,
"I readily believe those witnesses whose throats are cut."
Also, our Faith is a human faith.
By that I mean it corresponds well to what we need and what will make us happy.
This is a point where our Faith is under attack today.
Many voices in our culture say, don't listen to Christianity, with it's rules;
do what you want; have what you want, no limits, no sacrifice.
All that matters is choice, freedom without boundary.
But is that really what will make us happy?
If we could look back at the end of our lives,
and let option "a" be someone who did exactly that:
no sacrifice, never putting himself out for anyone,
no commitment, no dying to self--what would he have?
No children, no family, he would have nothing.
Then consider the one who does give of himself to others:
that one is surrounded by family, grandchildren, and friends.
Who is truly rich then?
The Cross is hard--but it corresponds best to true human need.
Our society's values don't make us happy--in the end they make us empty.
Finally, our Faith is a powerful faith.
We don't just believe in a series of propositions.
We believe in a God who isn't just out there, somewhere,
but who acts in our world--who is here, now, acting for our salvation.
This, above all, is what the Mass is.
We aren't just listening to stories or reflecting on God;
in the Mass, Christ is here, pleading his blood for the salvation of the world.
And we are called here, because we are part of his work of salvation.
We come here, we receive power from him, and we go out of here, changed.
Ultimately, that is what makes us persuasive witnesses for Christ;
beyond the reasons and the logic of our Faith,
do people see in us the power of Christ at work?
When John saw Jesus, God gave him a sign so he would know, he is the Messiah.
When people see us...what do they see?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Homilies on Hebrews
Several years ago, when I was at Saint Albert the Great parish in Kettering as parochial vicar, I prepared a series of homilies on the Letter to the Hebrews, which was read at daily Mass all during January.
Now that I'm a pastor of two parishes, I don't have time to put as much preparation into my daily homilies. But I remembered these, and thought someone might enjoy seeing them. Here are two related to this week's readings.
(Heb. 3:7-14; Ps. 95; Mark 1:40-45)
We continue to reflect on the Letter to the Hebrews.
In a paragraph right before today’s reading, Moses is mentioned. Then comes what we just heard, which quotes Psalm 95: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
All this recall the covenant at Mt. Sinai—so let’s paint the scene.
Moses led God’s people from slavery, to Sinai, where we went up and met God; Moses mediated the great covenant between God and his People. God revealed himself, his Law, to Israel, and gave his unbreakable pledge to his people.
Up on Sinai, God was enshrouded in fire and cloud, untouchable, terrifying in his power and glory. The mountain shook at the thunder of his Voice.
In the fullness of time, comes Jesus: Jesus not only brings God’s Word—he is God’s final Word to humanity; Jesus leads all mankind from slavery to sin; he is the deliverer, who brings us to God, for a new and everlasting covenant.
In Jesus, the fearsome, unreachable YHWH comes down the mountain, and pitches his tent in our very midst, becoming our brother!
Moses went up a mountain—Jesus ascended Calvary! Moses offered animals in sacrifice; Jesus offered himself as the Lamb of God! Moses sprinkled the people with the blood of goats; Jesus pours out his own Precious Blood, one tiny drop of which would have been sufficient to save everyone who ever has, or will, exist!
At Sinai, with all the wonders the people beheld, Moses said: God is in your midst: yield to him; don’t harden your hearts!
The Holy Spirit, whose glory enshrouded Sinai with cloud and fire, says the same to us: YHWH-Jesus! Hear his Voice!
The Gospel actually connects to this. It strikes us odd that Jesus keeps saying, “Don’t tell anyone.” Here’s why: like the people at Sinai, they see—but they don’t see. At Sinai, the people saw the fireworks, they saw the Manna—“free bread!”—but missed the reality of God coming to save them; and the same thing happens in Jesus!
What do people see? A potential new king; a military leader; a giver of goodies! They don’t really see: God became man, to be the priest—and offering!—of a new and everlasting covenant!
Now lets come right to the present. We wonder how those folks missed it; well, here we are, and a greater than Sinai happens here! We’re the new covenant people—it’s us! Sinai—Calvary—the Covenant—right here!
The same Spirit comes down, right here! The Lamb—his Flesh and Blood—offered here!
What’s it about for us? Do we come, saying, “Gimme, gimme, Jesus”? “Ho hum, another boring Mass”? Do we fuss about the nothing-stuff: “Why do they bring their kids?” “Why can’t I have it just as I want Mass?” And then we miss what is really happening?
Holy Spirit: help us not to harden our hearts!
***
(Heb. 4:1-5, 11; Ps. 78; Mark 2:1-120
The Letter to the Hebrews, the first reading we heard this morning, tells us that God promises a “rest” for us.
What the reading calls “rest” isn’t just the life we’ll have with God in heaven. It’s the life we have with God now, too. It comes when God is important in our lives and we try to stay close to God.
And the key to that is prayer.
I don’t mean just prayer here at Mass. And I don’t mean a quick “Our Father” or “Hail Mary” here or there. I mean time we spend, every day, alone with God—with no one and nothing else distracting us.
If you think that’s hard to do, you’re right. It is hard—no matter who you are, no matter how old you are. It’s something that you have to work at.
There’s always something else you’d rather do. A TV show. Having fun with your friends. Sometimes you’re just too tired.
How many here play sports? How many play a musical instrument? How many like to read, and are trying to earn points at school for your reading? OK—with sports or music—how often do you practice if you really want to be good? How often do you read?
Prayer is the same way. If you let it slide, it just won’t happen. You have to make it happen.
Here are some things to help you do it.
First, decide. Tell yourself: “I’m going to make this happen. I’m going to set aside, say 10 minutes every day for time alone with God.”
Then, ask God to help you! You’ll never do it any other way.
Then, look for some time in your day—maybe it’s early in the morning; maybe at lunch or right after school, or maybe it will be in the evening—whenever you can be alone and not be interrupted.
Then find a place you can go to be alone. Maybe there’s someplace at home where you can be alone. Or maybe you can visit church. Tell your mom and dad what you want to do, and I bet they will help you.
When you sit down to pray with God—or maybe you want to take a walk alone—you can read something from the Bible or something else that tells you about God. Just make sure you don’t just read—talk to God about what you’re reading.
That’s what I do. I read psalms, like the one we recited a moment ago—and I talk to God about what it means. And I pray for the people it reminds me of.
I’m going to tell you a secret. God wants to be your best friend! And he will spend as much time with you as you want!
But if you want to be friends with God, you have to find time to spend with him, too. That’s how it is with our friends here on earth. It’s the same with God. And he is the best friend to have.
Now that I'm a pastor of two parishes, I don't have time to put as much preparation into my daily homilies. But I remembered these, and thought someone might enjoy seeing them. Here are two related to this week's readings.
(Heb. 3:7-14; Ps. 95; Mark 1:40-45)
We continue to reflect on the Letter to the Hebrews.
In a paragraph right before today’s reading, Moses is mentioned. Then comes what we just heard, which quotes Psalm 95: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
All this recall the covenant at Mt. Sinai—so let’s paint the scene.
Moses led God’s people from slavery, to Sinai, where we went up and met God; Moses mediated the great covenant between God and his People. God revealed himself, his Law, to Israel, and gave his unbreakable pledge to his people.
Up on Sinai, God was enshrouded in fire and cloud, untouchable, terrifying in his power and glory. The mountain shook at the thunder of his Voice.
In the fullness of time, comes Jesus: Jesus not only brings God’s Word—he is God’s final Word to humanity; Jesus leads all mankind from slavery to sin; he is the deliverer, who brings us to God, for a new and everlasting covenant.
In Jesus, the fearsome, unreachable YHWH comes down the mountain, and pitches his tent in our very midst, becoming our brother!
Moses went up a mountain—Jesus ascended Calvary! Moses offered animals in sacrifice; Jesus offered himself as the Lamb of God! Moses sprinkled the people with the blood of goats; Jesus pours out his own Precious Blood, one tiny drop of which would have been sufficient to save everyone who ever has, or will, exist!
At Sinai, with all the wonders the people beheld, Moses said: God is in your midst: yield to him; don’t harden your hearts!
The Holy Spirit, whose glory enshrouded Sinai with cloud and fire, says the same to us: YHWH-Jesus! Hear his Voice!
The Gospel actually connects to this. It strikes us odd that Jesus keeps saying, “Don’t tell anyone.” Here’s why: like the people at Sinai, they see—but they don’t see. At Sinai, the people saw the fireworks, they saw the Manna—“free bread!”—but missed the reality of God coming to save them; and the same thing happens in Jesus!
What do people see? A potential new king; a military leader; a giver of goodies! They don’t really see: God became man, to be the priest—and offering!—of a new and everlasting covenant!
Now lets come right to the present. We wonder how those folks missed it; well, here we are, and a greater than Sinai happens here! We’re the new covenant people—it’s us! Sinai—Calvary—the Covenant—right here!
The same Spirit comes down, right here! The Lamb—his Flesh and Blood—offered here!
What’s it about for us? Do we come, saying, “Gimme, gimme, Jesus”? “Ho hum, another boring Mass”? Do we fuss about the nothing-stuff: “Why do they bring their kids?” “Why can’t I have it just as I want Mass?” And then we miss what is really happening?
Holy Spirit: help us not to harden our hearts!
***
(Heb. 4:1-5, 11; Ps. 78; Mark 2:1-120
The Letter to the Hebrews, the first reading we heard this morning, tells us that God promises a “rest” for us.
What the reading calls “rest” isn’t just the life we’ll have with God in heaven. It’s the life we have with God now, too. It comes when God is important in our lives and we try to stay close to God.
And the key to that is prayer.
I don’t mean just prayer here at Mass. And I don’t mean a quick “Our Father” or “Hail Mary” here or there. I mean time we spend, every day, alone with God—with no one and nothing else distracting us.
If you think that’s hard to do, you’re right. It is hard—no matter who you are, no matter how old you are. It’s something that you have to work at.
There’s always something else you’d rather do. A TV show. Having fun with your friends. Sometimes you’re just too tired.
How many here play sports? How many play a musical instrument? How many like to read, and are trying to earn points at school for your reading? OK—with sports or music—how often do you practice if you really want to be good? How often do you read?
Prayer is the same way. If you let it slide, it just won’t happen. You have to make it happen.
Here are some things to help you do it.
First, decide. Tell yourself: “I’m going to make this happen. I’m going to set aside, say 10 minutes every day for time alone with God.”
Then, ask God to help you! You’ll never do it any other way.
Then, look for some time in your day—maybe it’s early in the morning; maybe at lunch or right after school, or maybe it will be in the evening—whenever you can be alone and not be interrupted.
Then find a place you can go to be alone. Maybe there’s someplace at home where you can be alone. Or maybe you can visit church. Tell your mom and dad what you want to do, and I bet they will help you.
When you sit down to pray with God—or maybe you want to take a walk alone—you can read something from the Bible or something else that tells you about God. Just make sure you don’t just read—talk to God about what you’re reading.
That’s what I do. I read psalms, like the one we recited a moment ago—and I talk to God about what it means. And I pray for the people it reminds me of.
I’m going to tell you a secret. God wants to be your best friend! And he will spend as much time with you as you want!
But if you want to be friends with God, you have to find time to spend with him, too. That’s how it is with our friends here on earth. It’s the same with God. And he is the best friend to have.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Christ gives himself--what will you do? (Homily for Baptism of the Lord)
Today’s Feast—the last one of the Christmas Season—
recalls when Jesus, now an adult, comes to be baptized.
This is the next chapter of the Christmas Story:
God becomes man; he is revealed to the nations;
and now, the God-man comes to stand with us.
This also begins Vocation Awareness Week.
We especially think about the call to be a deacon,
a priest, a religious sister or brother.
And you might wonder, what’s the connection?
When Jesus came to be baptized,
Now, as an adult, he again accepted the challenge
of what the Father sent him to do.
We all go through that.
Most of us were baptized as babies.
As we grow up, we begin to wrestle with our Faith.
Maybe we wander or rebel.
But then something happens to make it matter.
In high school or college, we start to ask tough questions.
We think about marriage, or our first child arrives,
And we start asking, “what do I really believe?”
Sometimes folks think being a priest, a brother or sister,
is somehow harder than being a husband or a wife.
Based on what I saw in my parents; and what many of you share with me,
I don’t see that at all.
Instead, the two vocations mirror each other.
A priest can’t be much of a priest
unless he—like our Lord—offers himself to the Father,
But it’s exactly the same for a wife or husband, a parent.
This dying to self blesses a marriage with peace.
Now, some can’t get past the celibacy thing.
Our society is messed up on this subject;
And, sadly, when a priest fails, it causes so much harm.
When a spouse goes on a business trip;
or is far away in the military, you remain faithful.
What do you say, wives and husbands?
“No thank you—I have someone I’m waiting for.”
When you meet a brother, or a priest, and you say,
“why don’t you get a spouse?”
We answer the same:
“No thank you—I have Someone I’m waiting for.”
When priests and religious embrace celibacy,
It reminds the world that Heaven is real,
it is where our true hope lies.
Perhaps you noticed some prayers in the pews
(or at the entrances as you came in).
This is a prayer Archbishop Schnurr composed,
and he asks that all parishes
begin praying it at all Masses.
We will pray this together, in a few minutes,
after our intercessions.
Please feel free to take one with you if you like.
A moment ago, I said that marriage, and priesthood,
are mirrors of each other.
We see this particularly at Mass.
Mass is when all that Christ did for us,
all that he is for us, is summed up;
it is summed up in the Cross:
everything for you; I give my life for you.
That is what a sister says in her vows;
It is what a priest becomes when he is ordained;
and it is what a couple declares on their wedding day.
Then…you live it, day-by-day!
We all live the Cross…or we’re sterile and empty.
Each of us is here because our parents
chose to surrender themselves to each other in love—
they risked the future, the unknown,
and cooperated with God in creating us.
No infant feeds herself, no child raises himself.
I watched my father go off to work each day;
10-12 hours.
I saw my mother make a home,
and she was determined to turn the seven of us kids
from barbarians into civilized people!
My father wore out his body; my mother gave up dreams; they spent themselves.
They did it for us.
This is what Christ did on the Cross.
And because men answer the call to the priesthood,
Christ comes to us in the Eucharist.
Everything for us.
Christ asks you: what will you choose?
recalls when Jesus, now an adult, comes to be baptized.
This is the next chapter of the Christmas Story:
God becomes man; he is revealed to the nations;
and now, the God-man comes to stand with us.
This also begins Vocation Awareness Week.
We especially think about the call to be a deacon,
a priest, a religious sister or brother.
And you might wonder, what’s the connection?
When Jesus came to be baptized,
Now, as an adult, he again accepted the challenge
of what the Father sent him to do.
We all go through that.
Most of us were baptized as babies.
As we grow up, we begin to wrestle with our Faith.
Maybe we wander or rebel.
But then something happens to make it matter.
In high school or college, we start to ask tough questions.
We think about marriage, or our first child arrives,
And we start asking, “what do I really believe?”
Sometimes folks think being a priest, a brother or sister,
is somehow harder than being a husband or a wife.
Based on what I saw in my parents; and what many of you share with me,
I don’t see that at all.
Instead, the two vocations mirror each other.
A priest can’t be much of a priest
unless he—like our Lord—offers himself to the Father,
But it’s exactly the same for a wife or husband, a parent.
This dying to self blesses a marriage with peace.
Now, some can’t get past the celibacy thing.
Our society is messed up on this subject;
And, sadly, when a priest fails, it causes so much harm.
When a spouse goes on a business trip;
or is far away in the military, you remain faithful.
What do you say, wives and husbands?
“No thank you—I have someone I’m waiting for.”
When you meet a brother, or a priest, and you say,
“why don’t you get a spouse?”
We answer the same:
“No thank you—I have Someone I’m waiting for.”
When priests and religious embrace celibacy,
It reminds the world that Heaven is real,
it is where our true hope lies.
Perhaps you noticed some prayers in the pews
(or at the entrances as you came in).
This is a prayer Archbishop Schnurr composed,
and he asks that all parishes
begin praying it at all Masses.
We will pray this together, in a few minutes,
after our intercessions.
Please feel free to take one with you if you like.
A moment ago, I said that marriage, and priesthood,
are mirrors of each other.
We see this particularly at Mass.
Mass is when all that Christ did for us,
all that he is for us, is summed up;
it is summed up in the Cross:
everything for you; I give my life for you.
That is what a sister says in her vows;
It is what a priest becomes when he is ordained;
and it is what a couple declares on their wedding day.
Then…you live it, day-by-day!
We all live the Cross…or we’re sterile and empty.
Each of us is here because our parents
chose to surrender themselves to each other in love—
they risked the future, the unknown,
and cooperated with God in creating us.
No infant feeds herself, no child raises himself.
I watched my father go off to work each day;
10-12 hours.
I saw my mother make a home,
and she was determined to turn the seven of us kids
from barbarians into civilized people!
My father wore out his body; my mother gave up dreams; they spent themselves.
They did it for us.
This is what Christ did on the Cross.
And because men answer the call to the priesthood,
Christ comes to us in the Eucharist.
Everything for us.
Christ asks you: what will you choose?
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Renovation of Saint Boniface Begins
Today, after the 10:30 am Mass, Saint Boniface Church closed for a series of projects; the church will reopen for Easter Vigil Mass, April 23, AD 2010. (Er, AD 2011! Thanks to readers for catching this! See what happens when I dash it off fast?)
We will be repainting the interior, replacing the stark white walls with a faux sandstone design; statues once in church are being restored and will be returned to church; six new images of saints will be painted and installed behind the altar. The ceiling will be painted a rich blue, with gold stars.
We are installing a new floor, a combination of hardwood and tile, replacing the carpet; and new pews.
This afternoon, a group of volunteers showed up and we begin taking out the old pews, to put in storage for the time being. They will ultimately be made available to parishioners. We are replacing them because they are in such bad shape. The new pews will be very traditional and will match the old as much as possible. And, yes, they will have kneelers; in fact, they will be easier to kneel at than the old ones.
We also began tearing up the old carpet. We will reclaim as much of it as we can for other uses, but it's showing a lot of wear. If we weren't doing all the other work, we'd have gotten 5-10 more years out of it; but with the church needing painting, it made sense to deal with the pews; and then it made sense to deal with the floor as well.
Everyone is excited about this; it has been in the works for several years, and we have been gearing up for it for about 9 months now. Now we are finally starting on the work.
Meanwhile, we will have Sunday Mass in the gym, and daily Mass in the chapel. We have a lot of kinks to work out with that! Please pray for a smooth project.
As we go forward, if parishioners who are snapping pictures send me some to the parish email, I'll post them.
We will be repainting the interior, replacing the stark white walls with a faux sandstone design; statues once in church are being restored and will be returned to church; six new images of saints will be painted and installed behind the altar. The ceiling will be painted a rich blue, with gold stars.
We are installing a new floor, a combination of hardwood and tile, replacing the carpet; and new pews.
This afternoon, a group of volunteers showed up and we begin taking out the old pews, to put in storage for the time being. They will ultimately be made available to parishioners. We are replacing them because they are in such bad shape. The new pews will be very traditional and will match the old as much as possible. And, yes, they will have kneelers; in fact, they will be easier to kneel at than the old ones.
We also began tearing up the old carpet. We will reclaim as much of it as we can for other uses, but it's showing a lot of wear. If we weren't doing all the other work, we'd have gotten 5-10 more years out of it; but with the church needing painting, it made sense to deal with the pews; and then it made sense to deal with the floor as well.
Everyone is excited about this; it has been in the works for several years, and we have been gearing up for it for about 9 months now. Now we are finally starting on the work.
Meanwhile, we will have Sunday Mass in the gym, and daily Mass in the chapel. We have a lot of kinks to work out with that! Please pray for a smooth project.
As we go forward, if parishioners who are snapping pictures send me some to the parish email, I'll post them.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Please keep voting for Piqua Catholic! (bumped!)
Another bump!
Our school is now at 15th--five more places to go, for the $50,000 grant!
Please vote!
I posted this a few days ago...here's an update:
Piqua Catholic School (my school) is in the running for a $50,000 grant from Pepsi for a new gym floor. It would be safer for the children, would make our school even more attractive, and be a benefit to everyone who uses the gym.
Our kids put together a great video presentation, and if we generate enough votes to get the video into the top 10, by the midnight gongs of New Years--our kids win!
The "button" below will take you to the "Pepsi Refresh" site where you can see the video, and vote for it!
You do have to register (free) with email.
But wait, there's more!
You can vote again from your Facebook account.
Don't go yet, there's still more!!
And you can vote by texting! Text the message "104632" to 73774 (spells "Pepsi") to vote a third way!
That's three votes, every day!
We started this on Dec. 1--very first time we entered this competition--ranked 319 or so. We are now ranked #17! So far, we've only moved up--not back. The next seven steps are going to be progressively harder. But we're slowly doing it, so your vote can and will make a difference!
Here's the button: mash it and vote, please and thank you!
Our school is now at 15th--five more places to go, for the $50,000 grant!
Please vote!
I posted this a few days ago...here's an update:
Piqua Catholic School (my school) is in the running for a $50,000 grant from Pepsi for a new gym floor. It would be safer for the children, would make our school even more attractive, and be a benefit to everyone who uses the gym.
Our kids put together a great video presentation, and if we generate enough votes to get the video into the top 10, by the midnight gongs of New Years--our kids win!
The "button" below will take you to the "Pepsi Refresh" site where you can see the video, and vote for it!
You do have to register (free) with email.
But wait, there's more!
You can vote again from your Facebook account.
Don't go yet, there's still more!!
And you can vote by texting! Text the message "104632" to 73774 (spells "Pepsi") to vote a third way!
That's three votes, every day!
We started this on Dec. 1--very first time we entered this competition--ranked 319 or so. We are now ranked #17! So far, we've only moved up--not back. The next seven steps are going to be progressively harder. But we're slowly doing it, so your vote can and will make a difference!
Here's the button: mash it and vote, please and thank you!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
True Grit, then and now
Yesterday, the two seminarians helping out over Christmas break and I went to see True Grit, the remake by the Coen brothers, starring Jeff Bridges in the role made famous by John Wayne.
I enjoyed it; and I am a fan of the Duke and his 1969 performance, for which he won his only Oscar. I was both interested in the new version, as well as how the seminarians, younger than I, saw it.
They weren't familiar with John Wayne's performance, so they didn't make that comparison. While they enjoyed the movie, they were less taken with it than I, whatever that means.
We all liked Jeff Bridges; he really is a solid actor, someone I always seem to enjoy. He did a great job, and I can't argue with the reviewers who said he out-did John Wayne.
To Mr. Bridge's credit, he paid respect to Wayne, saying he wasn't going to try to fill the Duke's boots. That was classy, and takes nothing away from Bridges.
But I was struck by comments from the Coen brothers, who have made many fine films (I think "Brother, Who Art Thou?" is one most would remember, but they've made a slew of well-regarded films); they were dismissive (I thought) of Wayne's version of the film, trying to claim they weren't doing a remake. Well, you are; deal with it. If you don't like being compared, don't do a remake.
Maybe the Coen brothers didn't really mean to give John Wayne and his film the back of the hand, but that's how they came across to me, saying in an Associated Press interview,
As for the earlier film version of the novel—which came out in 1969 and is most famous for winning John Wayne his first and only Academy Award—they didn’t bother to re-watch it, having seen it years ago when they were kids.
“It’s weird,” Joel said, in an interview held in one of the hotel’s suites earlier in the day, where his tall, wiry frame was sprawled out on a sofa, one long leg propped up on a coffee table. With his thick-framed glasses, graying beard, and wild, shaggy hair, he looked like a professor on his coffee break. “I remember a couple points in production, actually saying, ‘You know, I should rent the movie and see it.’ And I just never got around to it. It’s really funny. It sounds unbelievable, but I just didn’t get around to it.”
“Yeah,” chimed in Ethan, the quieter of the two, who seems more like a grad student, with short, curly hair, and less prominent spectacles, “We just weren’t interested enough.”
Maybe it's just me, but I think, show some class, be generous, and tip your hat to those who went before you.I'd read their comments at the Daily Beast, but realizing it was just one interview, I did a search, and found the AP item I also quoted, along with Bridge's more generous remarks.
Then I found a review by the New York Times, which made me laugh because of its obvious, mean-spirited axe-grinding and admitted score-settling: "Maybe the picture will also settle some old business in the film world," referring to disagreements, in 1969, about Wayne meriting his Oscar. The Times dredges up producer Robert Evans to say,
“It was a token Oscar,” said the producer Robert Evans when queried this week about the best-actor trophy that went to Wayne on April 7, 1970. Mr. Evans was head of production at Paramount at the time, but while Paramount released “True Grit,” it was produced independently by Hal B. Wallis, and Mr. Evans reckons his own creative input to have been “zero.” (He does say he was happy with the film.)
Gee, no hint of any score-settling there!
The Times also points out,
It was also the year of countercultural statements like “Easy Rider,” “Medium Cool,” “Alice’s Restaurant,” “The Sterile Cuckoo” and “If”; the European flair of “Stolen Kisses” and “Z”; and the retro sophistication of “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?,” “The Wild Bunch” and “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”
In the face of all that, Paramount made what many saw as a clumsy attempt to position “True Grit” as part of the revolution. One program for an early studio screening, now preserved at the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, called it a “Brand New Brand of American Frontier Story."
The Times' article goes like that, finding more reasons to compare Wayne and his film unfavorably. The funny thing is, of the films just mentioned, how many are remembered? Some, deservedly so. Apparently, Wayne's "True Grit" doesn't deserve such company.
One wonders why the Times--or anyone still around from those Hollywood days--would feel the need, in promoting the new "True Grit," to drag Wayne through the dirt to do so. Then one reads the following:
By the time the Oscar was awarded, Wayne was being described as a “sentimental favorite.”But other film devotees were less charmed, particularly when they viewed “True Grit” through the filter of Vietnam-era politics and Wayne’s conservative principles — which he had said were illustrated by a scene in which Cogburn shoots a rat after demonstrating the futility of trying to treat it under due process of law. (The new film has no such moment.)
Writing in The New Yorker, Penelope Gilliatt complained of the movie’s “very right-wing and authoritarian tang.” She was particularly put off by the frontier stoicism, which she described as “near-Fascist admiration for a simplified physical endurance of pain.
Heh. It's been 40 years, and the Times, and the cultural elites to whom they cater, and for whom they speak, still resent the h*** out of John Wayne and all he stands for. So, naturally, they drag out his corpse so they can give it a few kicks, saying all the while, "Wayne? Who? No one anyone remembers!"Heh. Yeah, right.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
After Midnight Mass
It takes me awhile to settle down after Midnight Mass--my favorite Mass of the year.
The choir was awesome again this year. And--thanks to the presence of our parish's seminarian, which meant he could explain things to the other servers--I was able to sit and enjoy the music before Mass. How wonderful! The folks who decorated both churches did a splendid job as usual.
I wore my biretta for Mass--I wear it once a year at Mass, for Midnight Mass--and that always generates some interest. Midnight Mass of course is an excellent opportunity for lots of chanting and incense; almost the entire Mass was chanted, including the Gospel and the Roman Canon--as well as the Christmas proclamation, which I chanted at the beginning of Mass.
After Mass, folks stayed and visited; which is always a good sign, don't you think? Eventually, we locked up church--I left the Christmas lights on so church will be a bit more cheerful in the morning. Then back home.
On Christmas Eve, I always put on all the lights in the rectory; so after Midnight Mass, I came back and turned them off. I had a snack, and looked at the tree for a bit. Now I'm about to head to bed.
Merry Christmas!
The choir was awesome again this year. And--thanks to the presence of our parish's seminarian, which meant he could explain things to the other servers--I was able to sit and enjoy the music before Mass. How wonderful! The folks who decorated both churches did a splendid job as usual.
I wore my biretta for Mass--I wear it once a year at Mass, for Midnight Mass--and that always generates some interest. Midnight Mass of course is an excellent opportunity for lots of chanting and incense; almost the entire Mass was chanted, including the Gospel and the Roman Canon--as well as the Christmas proclamation, which I chanted at the beginning of Mass.
After Mass, folks stayed and visited; which is always a good sign, don't you think? Eventually, we locked up church--I left the Christmas lights on so church will be a bit more cheerful in the morning. Then back home.
On Christmas Eve, I always put on all the lights in the rectory; so after Midnight Mass, I came back and turned them off. I had a snack, and looked at the tree for a bit. Now I'm about to head to bed.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Not what you expect (Christmas Vigil homily)
What we heard just now in that long Gospel,
in that long list of names, is a family tree.
It is Jesus’s family tree--at least the part of it
that goes back to Abraham.
I am sure you wonder why we read that.
It’s long and seems to go on forever.
Well, maybe one reason we read it
is because it reminds us of what it was like
for God’s People, waiting for the Messiah:
the years went by, turning into centuries.
When will the Savior come?
Maybe you’ve waited a long time
for God to answer a prayer.
Maybe you are still waiting. When will he come?
Remember also that when the King came,
it wasn’t what folks expected.
The answer you look for to a prayer
may not be what you expect.
As you can imagine, so many times
I am visiting people in the hospital.
Or else people come to me and they are sick.
They are afraid.
They are begging God to answer their prayers.
Now--here’s something you may not know.
I didn’t know it until I became a priest.
When someone is sick, and he or she is praying,
do you know what they are often praying for?
For their own healing, of course; and for strength.
But a lot of times, they are praying for others:
that their family will be OK.
And I can tell you, that prayer gets answered!
In those times, there is a lot of healing that happens--
but not always what folks expect.
And what I have witnessed very often
is that folks facing such troubles
show me a peace I cannot imagine;
they shine with a light
that does not come from this earth!
Where does that come from?
It is the Lord--coming in silence and surprise,
when things seem so dark.
Let me mention something else about that Gospel--
that Family Tree. It involves some of the names.
We don’t know those names--maybe we recognize a few.
But for God’s People in Jesus’ time,
they would have known more of them.
And if the younger members of the family didn’t know,
the older ones would tell them:
“Abraham…he was called from a foreign country.
He had a child--God gave him that child.”
“Perez and Zerah…well, that was a scandal…”
“Rahab--she was a prostitute! Who let her in?”
“Ruth--she was a stranger--but God welcomed her…”
“David was the great king--we had such high hopes for Solomon…
but then it all went south…”
“The Exile--we thought we were finished then--no hope…”
And then, when that long list of names
maybe was about to put us to sleep, we heard…
“Jacob…Joseph…Joseph?…Mary! JESUS!”
He’s here! He’s come at last! God is with us!
It was a long wait, but God came.
God became part of our family;
he was born into our Family Tree, with all its bad apples!
Notice where God was born: in a barn, where animals lived.
Joseph and Mary would have made it
as clean as they could--but it was such a poor place.
God did not complain.
God never complains when we invite him into our hearts.
The moment God arrived in that stable,
it became the Throne of Heaven.
The moment Jesus is given a place in our hearts
that’s what happens there, too.
One more detail from our Christmas scene:
the shepherds.
They were told by the angels, go see!
They just happened
to be in the right place at the right time.
But you have to wonder, what became of them?
Did they just go back to their lives before?
Did they say, “well, that was something?” and that was it?
Or did that night change them? Here you are--
how did you happen to be here tonight?
Whatever the reason,
you, too are in the right place at the right time.
Oh, sure, it’s crowded. It’s noisy.
When those shepherds came around,
they were probably tired, hungry, maybe cynical.
Maybe they expected something a lot more impressive.
It’s just possible some of those shepherds went away,
Thinking of the cold, of their obligations--
and they missed it.
How about you?
in that long list of names, is a family tree.
It is Jesus’s family tree--at least the part of it
that goes back to Abraham.
I am sure you wonder why we read that.
It’s long and seems to go on forever.
Well, maybe one reason we read it
is because it reminds us of what it was like
for God’s People, waiting for the Messiah:
the years went by, turning into centuries.
When will the Savior come?
Maybe you’ve waited a long time
for God to answer a prayer.
Maybe you are still waiting. When will he come?
Remember also that when the King came,
it wasn’t what folks expected.
The answer you look for to a prayer
may not be what you expect.
As you can imagine, so many times
I am visiting people in the hospital.
Or else people come to me and they are sick.
They are afraid.
They are begging God to answer their prayers.
Now--here’s something you may not know.
I didn’t know it until I became a priest.
When someone is sick, and he or she is praying,
do you know what they are often praying for?
For their own healing, of course; and for strength.
But a lot of times, they are praying for others:
that their family will be OK.
And I can tell you, that prayer gets answered!
In those times, there is a lot of healing that happens--
but not always what folks expect.
And what I have witnessed very often
is that folks facing such troubles
show me a peace I cannot imagine;
they shine with a light
that does not come from this earth!
Where does that come from?
It is the Lord--coming in silence and surprise,
when things seem so dark.
Let me mention something else about that Gospel--
that Family Tree. It involves some of the names.
We don’t know those names--maybe we recognize a few.
But for God’s People in Jesus’ time,
they would have known more of them.
And if the younger members of the family didn’t know,
the older ones would tell them:
“Abraham…he was called from a foreign country.
He had a child--God gave him that child.”
“Perez and Zerah…well, that was a scandal…”
“Rahab--she was a prostitute! Who let her in?”
“Ruth--she was a stranger--but God welcomed her…”
“David was the great king--we had such high hopes for Solomon…
but then it all went south…”
“The Exile--we thought we were finished then--no hope…”
And then, when that long list of names
maybe was about to put us to sleep, we heard…
“Jacob…Joseph…Joseph?…Mary! JESUS!”
He’s here! He’s come at last! God is with us!
It was a long wait, but God came.
God became part of our family;
he was born into our Family Tree, with all its bad apples!
Notice where God was born: in a barn, where animals lived.
Joseph and Mary would have made it
as clean as they could--but it was such a poor place.
God did not complain.
God never complains when we invite him into our hearts.
The moment God arrived in that stable,
it became the Throne of Heaven.
The moment Jesus is given a place in our hearts
that’s what happens there, too.
One more detail from our Christmas scene:
the shepherds.
They were told by the angels, go see!
They just happened
to be in the right place at the right time.
But you have to wonder, what became of them?
Did they just go back to their lives before?
Did they say, “well, that was something?” and that was it?
Or did that night change them? Here you are--
how did you happen to be here tonight?
Whatever the reason,
you, too are in the right place at the right time.
Oh, sure, it’s crowded. It’s noisy.
When those shepherds came around,
they were probably tired, hungry, maybe cynical.
Maybe they expected something a lot more impressive.
It’s just possible some of those shepherds went away,
Thinking of the cold, of their obligations--
and they missed it.
How about you?
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