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!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Where the Christmas Tree came from
By the way, you do know where the Christmas Tree comes from? Many seem not to.
The Christmas Tree originated in Germany, in the "Middle Ages" (dumb name, says a lot about the mindset of those who coined it). It was part of the celebration of a particular day--but not Christmas.
A little known fact: every saint, Old or New Testament, has a day on the Church calendar, known officially as the "Roman Martyrology." That includes the patriarchs; including Adam and Eve. Guess what day is Adam & Eve's day? December 24.
And back in the day, communities would have plays on particular feast days, both to teach the faith and for fun. So in Germany, they would have a "mystery play" on December 24, to tell the story of Adam and Eve and what happened in Paradise, so long ago.
So let's go back in time; and the mayor of the town puts you in charge of getting the props needed for the play. "Vat do I need?" "Ein tree, dumbkopf! Schnell!" What sort of tree are you likely to find in late December--in Germany--that's not barren? Why, a fir tree of course.
"Hier ist ein tree!" "Gut, gut! Now, get zome fruiten for das tree!"
"Fruiten? In Dezember? Ach du lieber!"*
What fruit might you find in Germany in December? Well, nothing on trees, of course, but maybe in a basement? How about apples? In Latin--the Scriptures were in Latin then--the word for "bad" (as in "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad") is "malum"; and the word for apples, is "malum."
I'm guessing about why they used apples, but we do know that they did. Also, the decorated the tree with disks of bread--recalling the Eucharist; because of course there was another tree in the Garden, the Tree of Life, with it's own fruit; and those good old Germans understood that the Eucharist is the food that enables us to live forever.
Anyway, this play was performed for centuries in towns in Germany. At some point the plays got out of hand--hmm, a play about Adam and Eve, with forbidden fruit? How could anyone take that the wrong way? So the Church called a halt to the plays. But folks liked the "Paradise Trees" so they continued setting them up--at home.
Along the way, glass ornaments were added, as were cookies. People still put cookies on trees, as well as fruit--either real fruit (cranberries anyone) or ornaments shaped like fruit. I have some apple-shaped ornaments I bought years ago, before I even knew about the actual origins of the tree. Candles were added, then of course, in the 20th Century, lights.
Most people tell me they never knew this; I didn't, either, till a couple of years ago when I went searching information about the Christmas Tree. It's been awhile since I tracked all this down, so if you ask me for a source, the best I can offer from memory is the Encyclopedia Britannica.
(So, by the way, you can forget about all that guff about the tree being "pagan." The Christmas Tree is no more "pagan" than the cross.)
Anyway, when you enjoy looking at your Christmas Tree, think of the passage from Revelation, that describes the New Jerusalem, the City of God, with no sun or moon, because the Lamb is its light; and in the center, along the River of Life, is the Tree of Life, giving twelve kinds of fruit all twelve months of the year.
* Apologies to those who actually speak German.
The Christmas Tree originated in Germany, in the "Middle Ages" (dumb name, says a lot about the mindset of those who coined it). It was part of the celebration of a particular day--but not Christmas.
A little known fact: every saint, Old or New Testament, has a day on the Church calendar, known officially as the "Roman Martyrology." That includes the patriarchs; including Adam and Eve. Guess what day is Adam & Eve's day? December 24.
And back in the day, communities would have plays on particular feast days, both to teach the faith and for fun. So in Germany, they would have a "mystery play" on December 24, to tell the story of Adam and Eve and what happened in Paradise, so long ago.
So let's go back in time; and the mayor of the town puts you in charge of getting the props needed for the play. "Vat do I need?" "Ein tree, dumbkopf! Schnell!" What sort of tree are you likely to find in late December--in Germany--that's not barren? Why, a fir tree of course.
"Hier ist ein tree!" "Gut, gut! Now, get zome fruiten for das tree!"
"Fruiten? In Dezember? Ach du lieber!"*
What fruit might you find in Germany in December? Well, nothing on trees, of course, but maybe in a basement? How about apples? In Latin--the Scriptures were in Latin then--the word for "bad" (as in "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad") is "malum"; and the word for apples, is "malum."
I'm guessing about why they used apples, but we do know that they did. Also, the decorated the tree with disks of bread--recalling the Eucharist; because of course there was another tree in the Garden, the Tree of Life, with it's own fruit; and those good old Germans understood that the Eucharist is the food that enables us to live forever.
Anyway, this play was performed for centuries in towns in Germany. At some point the plays got out of hand--hmm, a play about Adam and Eve, with forbidden fruit? How could anyone take that the wrong way? So the Church called a halt to the plays. But folks liked the "Paradise Trees" so they continued setting them up--at home.
Along the way, glass ornaments were added, as were cookies. People still put cookies on trees, as well as fruit--either real fruit (cranberries anyone) or ornaments shaped like fruit. I have some apple-shaped ornaments I bought years ago, before I even knew about the actual origins of the tree. Candles were added, then of course, in the 20th Century, lights.
Most people tell me they never knew this; I didn't, either, till a couple of years ago when I went searching information about the Christmas Tree. It's been awhile since I tracked all this down, so if you ask me for a source, the best I can offer from memory is the Encyclopedia Britannica.
(So, by the way, you can forget about all that guff about the tree being "pagan." The Christmas Tree is no more "pagan" than the cross.)
Anyway, when you enjoy looking at your Christmas Tree, think of the passage from Revelation, that describes the New Jerusalem, the City of God, with no sun or moon, because the Lamb is its light; and in the center, along the River of Life, is the Tree of Life, giving twelve kinds of fruit all twelve months of the year.
* Apologies to those who actually speak German.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
'Mary Saves'
The past few days I've been reflecting on Mary's role in Christ's plan of salvation--and the idea I've been turning over in my head is expressed in the headline: "Mary saves." Now, before you go apoplectic, let me be clear what I mean: it is Jesus who saves, without qualification; but our Lord has many collaborators in the work of salvation: he chose the Apostles, he founded his Church, and he calls all of us members of his Body. When we are joined to him, we are part of his work of salvation.
An example would be the angels: angels are messengers of God, and they have no other agenda but to bring God's message to humanity. So much so, that you will see in the Old Testament references to the "Angel of the Lord"; and you will see, first, someone addressing him as angel--then the text will describe a dialogue between the human and God himself. It's confusing; but one explanation would be simply this: when you are speaking to an angel who comes with God's word, you are speaking to God. If I call you on the phone, are you speaking to the phone--or to me? The answer is both. Likewise an angel.
This seems plain enough from everything our Lord said, especially in the Gospel of John, about our being one with him. It's just so breathtaking that we draw back; just as many do from the truth of the Mass and the Eucharist. Yes, he really meant it.
So what do I mean when I say--softened with quotes--"Mary saves"? I mean that Mary has been given a significant role in Christ's work of salvation. Although we must admit her role is unique in several respects, it isn't wholly so. Mary is a saint; she is a member of the Church, although the most preeminent and honored member (rightly so). That Mary received unique blessings couldn't be avoided: only one woman could be the God-bearer. But the thing about our Lady is that everything she has received she gives away; everything she has, we are meant to have too.
Our Lord's Plan was so marvelous! He planned for Mary to play many roles: she is Daughter Zion--the summation and personification of God's Beloved, who would produce a Messiah; she is the New Eve, who undoes the knot created by the first Eve's disobedience; and thus she becomes the Mother of all the living: the Eve of a New Creation. Mary continues to be a Mother, and I suppose she will, for ages unending.
And it occurred to me that our Lord was very sensible: he knew that at various points, what his people--and perhaps those he would seek to win--would need a mother. We always need Christ; but sometimes the comfort and wisdom of his Mother is just what we need. And that is who our Lord sends.
Let me give you two examples.
Recently I got called to the hospital--an emergency situation. When I arrived, the patient had been taken for a CAT scan and the husband and other members of the family were very upset. From what I could figure out, the mother had come into the hospital for a more-or-less routine procedure, and things had gone badly. When I arrived, they didn't know what was happening, and they feared the worst.
I went and found the nurse and doctor, and explained that the family absolutely wanted me to pray over her--i.e., if things went badly, they'd want me to go to her. The doctor assured me it wasn't that bad, but I think he understood the request all the same. I went back and reassured the family--and we prayed together for her. I found myself asking Mary to come and watch over this woman, and her family. As we waited, I kept asking Mary to be a comfort to the whole family.
Eventually, the woman came back--and she was still unconscious. What did that mean, the family members were asking? The doctor gave what reassurances he could--and then, after the doctor had stepped out, and the nurses had attached all the wires and so forth, I went to her bedside to pray the prayers of anointing. I imposed my hands on her head, praying silently, and then I anointed her--and I saw her eyes opening. As I finished my prayers, I mentioned it, because I didn't think the family had even seen it. The doctor came back around the point, and was very happy and encouraged the family to talk to her. Of course the scene was wild, and I stepped back out of the way. After awhile, members of the family thanked me; I answered, "Mary did it."
Here's another example, not as dramatic. Yesterday I became ill from something I ate Monday night. As the day wore on, I felt worse and worse, and very little helped (Coca Cola, Pepto Bismol, quiet). Well, these things work themselves out, of course, and after a not-very-restful night, my stomach is no longer doing flip-flops and I'm getting back to normal. But as I sat here last evening, and also during the night, I was pretty miserable and I was praying. I was asking Mary to stay with me. I am convinced she did and I certainly was glad for her watching over me.
There are times we need a mother. Mary has been given some important tasks by her son: she was sent to Tepayac to Saint Juan Diego--and as a result, the people of Mexico were won to her Son. She was sent to Fatima. She has appeared many other places; and besides all those grand assignments, she also comes and supports any number of her children in time of need.
It makes sense to me that our Lord knew that a feminine, a motherly, presence would be needed and useful in his work of salvation. I suspect we will find, when the story is told in full, that many people came to Christ first through an introduction to Mary.
An example would be the angels: angels are messengers of God, and they have no other agenda but to bring God's message to humanity. So much so, that you will see in the Old Testament references to the "Angel of the Lord"; and you will see, first, someone addressing him as angel--then the text will describe a dialogue between the human and God himself. It's confusing; but one explanation would be simply this: when you are speaking to an angel who comes with God's word, you are speaking to God. If I call you on the phone, are you speaking to the phone--or to me? The answer is both. Likewise an angel.
This seems plain enough from everything our Lord said, especially in the Gospel of John, about our being one with him. It's just so breathtaking that we draw back; just as many do from the truth of the Mass and the Eucharist. Yes, he really meant it.
So what do I mean when I say--softened with quotes--"Mary saves"? I mean that Mary has been given a significant role in Christ's work of salvation. Although we must admit her role is unique in several respects, it isn't wholly so. Mary is a saint; she is a member of the Church, although the most preeminent and honored member (rightly so). That Mary received unique blessings couldn't be avoided: only one woman could be the God-bearer. But the thing about our Lady is that everything she has received she gives away; everything she has, we are meant to have too.
Our Lord's Plan was so marvelous! He planned for Mary to play many roles: she is Daughter Zion--the summation and personification of God's Beloved, who would produce a Messiah; she is the New Eve, who undoes the knot created by the first Eve's disobedience; and thus she becomes the Mother of all the living: the Eve of a New Creation. Mary continues to be a Mother, and I suppose she will, for ages unending.
And it occurred to me that our Lord was very sensible: he knew that at various points, what his people--and perhaps those he would seek to win--would need a mother. We always need Christ; but sometimes the comfort and wisdom of his Mother is just what we need. And that is who our Lord sends.
Let me give you two examples.
Recently I got called to the hospital--an emergency situation. When I arrived, the patient had been taken for a CAT scan and the husband and other members of the family were very upset. From what I could figure out, the mother had come into the hospital for a more-or-less routine procedure, and things had gone badly. When I arrived, they didn't know what was happening, and they feared the worst.
I went and found the nurse and doctor, and explained that the family absolutely wanted me to pray over her--i.e., if things went badly, they'd want me to go to her. The doctor assured me it wasn't that bad, but I think he understood the request all the same. I went back and reassured the family--and we prayed together for her. I found myself asking Mary to come and watch over this woman, and her family. As we waited, I kept asking Mary to be a comfort to the whole family.
Eventually, the woman came back--and she was still unconscious. What did that mean, the family members were asking? The doctor gave what reassurances he could--and then, after the doctor had stepped out, and the nurses had attached all the wires and so forth, I went to her bedside to pray the prayers of anointing. I imposed my hands on her head, praying silently, and then I anointed her--and I saw her eyes opening. As I finished my prayers, I mentioned it, because I didn't think the family had even seen it. The doctor came back around the point, and was very happy and encouraged the family to talk to her. Of course the scene was wild, and I stepped back out of the way. After awhile, members of the family thanked me; I answered, "Mary did it."
Here's another example, not as dramatic. Yesterday I became ill from something I ate Monday night. As the day wore on, I felt worse and worse, and very little helped (Coca Cola, Pepto Bismol, quiet). Well, these things work themselves out, of course, and after a not-very-restful night, my stomach is no longer doing flip-flops and I'm getting back to normal. But as I sat here last evening, and also during the night, I was pretty miserable and I was praying. I was asking Mary to stay with me. I am convinced she did and I certainly was glad for her watching over me.
There are times we need a mother. Mary has been given some important tasks by her son: she was sent to Tepayac to Saint Juan Diego--and as a result, the people of Mexico were won to her Son. She was sent to Fatima. She has appeared many other places; and besides all those grand assignments, she also comes and supports any number of her children in time of need.
It makes sense to me that our Lord knew that a feminine, a motherly, presence would be needed and useful in his work of salvation. I suspect we will find, when the story is told in full, that many people came to Christ first through an introduction to Mary.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
You may have to stand out (Sunday homily)
(Sorry I didn't post this earlier, this is from memory.)
I began with a story about giving a talk some time back to junior high kids about John the Baptist; and how, despite all the care I took with the talk, amidst all the many points I aimed at making, when I asked the kids what stood out, they said: Oh, yeah, he was that crazy guy who wore funny clothes and ate locusts!
So I made the point that John the Baptist stands out--and even seems odd. They thought so then and we would think so now. We might even think he's crazy--just as we would someone rushing and I crying out "fire." Crazy--unless he's right.
This role often falls to us: we have to cry out as John did, calling people to repentance and challenging our bankrupt culture.
My first example I introduced by saying, "this is delicate, I'll describe it delicately" (this, I have learned from experience, is how to introduce a sensitive topic so that folks don't worry about what their kids hear). I talked about how odd it was that we must defend the notion that marriage is a man and a woman, but we must. We risk being called bigots and haters for doing this--more and more voices are trying to silence us. "And if we make our point with bigotry, or hatred, or by demeaning anyone, then shame on us! Instead, we defend the truth without putting people down and without hate."
At one Mass I went off on a jag about this being part of a larger effort to redefine what simply being human is, of which the radical deconstruction of marriage, family is just a part. I talked about how technology was making it possible for us to reject God's design, and substitute our own. I decided at subsequent Masses to leave this out, as I didn't think I developed it so well, and it took too long.
I cannot now recall how I transitioned--i.e., I may be recounting my points out of order--but I did move to asking, "do you ever see things on tv, in ads, or hear things in music, that you find offensive? Of course you do; we all do. One of things we might think about is, do we want to do business with those people?" I cited the example of popular clothing companies Abercrombie and Hollister, saying that I was embarrassed to visit their sites, because I didn't want to look at soft-core pornography. "Parents, if you haven't seen these sites, you should; your kids have."
At some point I shifted to the alternative vision we offered. Rejecting God's plan didn't lead to life; focus on self, on pleasure, on only the present, isn't a full life. The light of eternity changes things. That's why we challenge our culture; we have something better.
I made the point that we may think no one will listen, but that's not necessarily true; there are folks who know the culture is bankrupt and they hunger for something better. We won't attract them if we represent "the culture-lite"--that's why we stand apart. At one Mass I made a further point about different ways we do that.
At two Masses I cited the example of the artwork in the Smithsonian, showing ants on a crucifix--and I said, aside from that being offensive, it makes me wonder, is that the best we can do? Our culture produced beautiful art, but it seems its behind us. Another reason why we call our culture back to Christ.
My conclusion, I think, was that in taking part in the Mass, we might pray for the courage to be John the Baptist for our time, or something like that.
I began with a story about giving a talk some time back to junior high kids about John the Baptist; and how, despite all the care I took with the talk, amidst all the many points I aimed at making, when I asked the kids what stood out, they said: Oh, yeah, he was that crazy guy who wore funny clothes and ate locusts!
So I made the point that John the Baptist stands out--and even seems odd. They thought so then and we would think so now. We might even think he's crazy--just as we would someone rushing and I crying out "fire." Crazy--unless he's right.
This role often falls to us: we have to cry out as John did, calling people to repentance and challenging our bankrupt culture.
My first example I introduced by saying, "this is delicate, I'll describe it delicately" (this, I have learned from experience, is how to introduce a sensitive topic so that folks don't worry about what their kids hear). I talked about how odd it was that we must defend the notion that marriage is a man and a woman, but we must. We risk being called bigots and haters for doing this--more and more voices are trying to silence us. "And if we make our point with bigotry, or hatred, or by demeaning anyone, then shame on us! Instead, we defend the truth without putting people down and without hate."
At one Mass I went off on a jag about this being part of a larger effort to redefine what simply being human is, of which the radical deconstruction of marriage, family is just a part. I talked about how technology was making it possible for us to reject God's design, and substitute our own. I decided at subsequent Masses to leave this out, as I didn't think I developed it so well, and it took too long.
I cannot now recall how I transitioned--i.e., I may be recounting my points out of order--but I did move to asking, "do you ever see things on tv, in ads, or hear things in music, that you find offensive? Of course you do; we all do. One of things we might think about is, do we want to do business with those people?" I cited the example of popular clothing companies Abercrombie and Hollister, saying that I was embarrassed to visit their sites, because I didn't want to look at soft-core pornography. "Parents, if you haven't seen these sites, you should; your kids have."
At some point I shifted to the alternative vision we offered. Rejecting God's plan didn't lead to life; focus on self, on pleasure, on only the present, isn't a full life. The light of eternity changes things. That's why we challenge our culture; we have something better.
I made the point that we may think no one will listen, but that's not necessarily true; there are folks who know the culture is bankrupt and they hunger for something better. We won't attract them if we represent "the culture-lite"--that's why we stand apart. At one Mass I made a further point about different ways we do that.
At two Masses I cited the example of the artwork in the Smithsonian, showing ants on a crucifix--and I said, aside from that being offensive, it makes me wonder, is that the best we can do? Our culture produced beautiful art, but it seems its behind us. Another reason why we call our culture back to Christ.
My conclusion, I think, was that in taking part in the Mass, we might pray for the courage to be John the Baptist for our time, or something like that.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Can we get the Wikileaks' deal?
Let me get this straight...
If you are a law-abiding, patriotic American, who has done nothing to harm your country; on the contrary, you are prepared to make sacrifices to help your country (example: you go along quietly with whatever security measures the government comes up with)...
You get treated like a convicted felon in a super-max prison (with invasive body searches).
If you steal and then publish the nation's secrets, the nation's diplomatic messages, which at least embarrass the United States, and more likely, cause real harm to our alliances and to our effectiveness in defeating our enemies...
You get a stern letter from the State Department.
Really? How do we citizens get that deal?
If you are a law-abiding, patriotic American, who has done nothing to harm your country; on the contrary, you are prepared to make sacrifices to help your country (example: you go along quietly with whatever security measures the government comes up with)...
You get treated like a convicted felon in a super-max prison (with invasive body searches).
If you steal and then publish the nation's secrets, the nation's diplomatic messages, which at least embarrass the United States, and more likely, cause real harm to our alliances and to our effectiveness in defeating our enemies...
You get a stern letter from the State Department.
Really? How do we citizens get that deal?
First Sunday of Advent Homily
(From memory...)
I began by pointing out something that might seem odd: Advent has begun, we're all thinking about the coming of Christmas, and yet the readings at Mass had nothing (directly) about the birth of the Lord. Instead, all the focus is on the Lord's coming at the end of time. Why might that be?
My answer was that each "coming" only makes sense in the light of the other. We needed Christ to come at Christmas in order for a happy outcome at his final coming. We celebrate his coming at Christmas because of our hope in his his final coming. Or words to that effect.
I also explained how when we say Christ will come again, we don't mean he left. I said something like, when I came over here for Mass, I left my house. As far as I know, I'm not there now! But when the Lord returned to heaven, he nonetheless remained here. So when we speak of his return, what we mean is that he will be here in the fullest sense.
I cited the example of the mountain in the first reading: being the highest, lifting up the house of God and drawing all to it. Has that happened yet? No; but it will happen.
From there I explored the mystery of how God involves us in his work. Christ could do it all on his own; he doesn't need us (in the strict sense); yet he chooses to make us part of his work. So the coming of his Kingdom involves us. We are his instruments to build up that mountain and draw all the world to God's house. We are the invitations people receive: our lives, with God's word written in them, are the invitation people need. Our goal, of course, is to be invitations that actually invite, rather than not.
Somewhere in here (I gave this homily four times, and it changed each time) I talked about the Lord's message of being awake. The message is for those who aren't awake; if we're seeking the Lord, looking for him, we're awake. So the question for us is, are we "awake"? I.e., are we aware of his presence, aware of his action in our lives?
I gave examples from my own circumstances: days when I get so busy I barely pray--"does it surprise you that that can happen to a priest? It does; has it happened to you?" And I talked about how I've prayed for God to help me in a difficult situation, only to have the situation go so smoothly, I actually forgot about what I'd asked for, only to realize it days later: that problem that I was so concerned about never happened--and I never said thank you to God for such an excellent answer to prayer!
I gave the example of our 24/7 Perpetual Exposition chapel--another way Christ is present among us, but are we awake to it? I talked about the sacrament of confession. I said, suppose I told you we had vending machines in the back of church, with a pill to regrow hair, or a pill to make us svelte--and the pills were free! How popular they would be! But we don't have that; instead we have the sacrament (I was gesturing to the confessionals) that dispenses mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace...for free! Are we awake to Christ in our midst?
And I came back to the Mass as Christ's supreme presence--the Cross made present, an explosion of grace flowing to us from the Mass, and the Eucharist. Our being awake, being open, means we change; and we become better instruments and vessels of what he is doing in our world: getting the mountain built, and getting everyone to his house. That's our job.
Anyone who heard me deliver the homily, feel free to comment or let me know if my recollection is faulty!
I began by pointing out something that might seem odd: Advent has begun, we're all thinking about the coming of Christmas, and yet the readings at Mass had nothing (directly) about the birth of the Lord. Instead, all the focus is on the Lord's coming at the end of time. Why might that be?
My answer was that each "coming" only makes sense in the light of the other. We needed Christ to come at Christmas in order for a happy outcome at his final coming. We celebrate his coming at Christmas because of our hope in his his final coming. Or words to that effect.
I also explained how when we say Christ will come again, we don't mean he left. I said something like, when I came over here for Mass, I left my house. As far as I know, I'm not there now! But when the Lord returned to heaven, he nonetheless remained here. So when we speak of his return, what we mean is that he will be here in the fullest sense.
I cited the example of the mountain in the first reading: being the highest, lifting up the house of God and drawing all to it. Has that happened yet? No; but it will happen.
From there I explored the mystery of how God involves us in his work. Christ could do it all on his own; he doesn't need us (in the strict sense); yet he chooses to make us part of his work. So the coming of his Kingdom involves us. We are his instruments to build up that mountain and draw all the world to God's house. We are the invitations people receive: our lives, with God's word written in them, are the invitation people need. Our goal, of course, is to be invitations that actually invite, rather than not.
Somewhere in here (I gave this homily four times, and it changed each time) I talked about the Lord's message of being awake. The message is for those who aren't awake; if we're seeking the Lord, looking for him, we're awake. So the question for us is, are we "awake"? I.e., are we aware of his presence, aware of his action in our lives?
I gave examples from my own circumstances: days when I get so busy I barely pray--"does it surprise you that that can happen to a priest? It does; has it happened to you?" And I talked about how I've prayed for God to help me in a difficult situation, only to have the situation go so smoothly, I actually forgot about what I'd asked for, only to realize it days later: that problem that I was so concerned about never happened--and I never said thank you to God for such an excellent answer to prayer!
I gave the example of our 24/7 Perpetual Exposition chapel--another way Christ is present among us, but are we awake to it? I talked about the sacrament of confession. I said, suppose I told you we had vending machines in the back of church, with a pill to regrow hair, or a pill to make us svelte--and the pills were free! How popular they would be! But we don't have that; instead we have the sacrament (I was gesturing to the confessionals) that dispenses mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace...for free! Are we awake to Christ in our midst?
And I came back to the Mass as Christ's supreme presence--the Cross made present, an explosion of grace flowing to us from the Mass, and the Eucharist. Our being awake, being open, means we change; and we become better instruments and vessels of what he is doing in our world: getting the mountain built, and getting everyone to his house. That's our job.
Anyone who heard me deliver the homily, feel free to comment or let me know if my recollection is faulty!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The six saints to be depicted in St. Boniface
After several months in which parishioners have nominated and voted on possible saints, we have six that have been chosen! One was chosen specifically by the young people of the parish, including the children in the religious education program, high school programs, and Piqua Catholic School.
Here are the six saints who will be depicted in Saint Boniface Church when the artwork is completed by next Easter:
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Feast: Jan. 4), b. Aug. 28, 1774 in New York City to wealthy Episcopalian family. Her husband’s business failed; then he died. She became Catholic; her family disowned her. She founded first parish school, initiating Catholic school system. Founded Sisters of Charity, who serve in Piqua presently. Died Jan. 4, 1821; canonized 1975, first American-born saint. Patroness for: in-law problems; death of children and of parents; Apostleship of the Sea; opposition of church authorities; people ridiculed for piety; widows.
Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio (April 1)—along with 8 companions. At the age of 14, Jose joined a rebel military force formed to fight against the Mexican government who was persecuting the Catholic Church. He was captured in January of 1928 by government forces who ordered him to renounce his Faith in Christ. He refused. They cut his feet with machetes and forced him to walk to the town cemetery. At times they stopped him and said, “If you shout ‘Death to Christ the King’, we will spare your life.” He refused and shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!). When they reached the place of execution, they bayoneted him, but he only shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” louder. This angered the commander so he and the rest of the group shot Jose with their guns. Before Jose died, he made the sign of the cross on the ground with his blood and kissed it.
Blessed Jose was the choice of those under 18.
St. Angelo (Feast: May 5), b. 1145 in Jerusalem to Jewish converts to Christianity. With his twin brother, founded first Carmelite house. Sent to evangelize Sicily, won many conversions, was martyred (stabbed to death) by a man whose incestuous relationship he denounced in 1220.
Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta (Feast: Sep. 5), b. Aug. 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia to an Albanian family. Baptized Agnes; youngest of three children; active in her parish youth group; drawn to mission work. Joined Sisters of Loretto, took name of Theresa after the Little Flower, went to India to teach. Heeded God’s call to form Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest of the poor, caring for many lying in the streets of Calcutta. She—and her order—traveled the globe. She died Sep. 5, 1997 in Calcutta. Declared blessed 2003. Patroness of World Youth Day.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Feast: Oct. 1), b. Jan. 1, 1873 to a middle-class family in Normandy, France. Her parents, Louis and Marie-Azelie Martin are both “blesseds”; all her sisters became nuns. Just before her 14th birthday, received vision of the child Jesus. Sought to join Carmelite order but was too young. Traveled to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIII and asked permission to join early! Made final vows at 17 at convent in Lisieux. Her “little way” of spirituality gave rise to her name, “Little Flower.” Died Sep. 30, 1897 of tuberculosis. Canonized 1925; named Doctor of the Church in 1997 and patroness of Australia, France, Russia; foreign, particularly African missions; parish missions; bodily ills, and illness; tuberculosis; AIDS patients; air crews and pilots; florists and flower-growers; loss of parents.
St. Francis of Assisi (Feast: Oct. 4), b. 1181, Assisi, Italy, to a wealthy merchant. Street brawler and sometime soldier, had conversion while a prisoner of war. He began living poverty and preaching; his family disowned him but he attracted others. In 1210, he began the Order of Friars Minor (“little brothers”), better known as Franciscans. In 1219, went to Egypt and preached to the Muslim Sultan, who allowed him to preach the Gospel there and to visit Jerusalem. Later received the wounds of Christ. Died Oct. 4, 1226. Canonized 1228. Patron against dying alone and fire; for animal welfare; birds; ecology and the environment; families; lace-, needle- and tapestry-workers; zoos. Patron of Italy.
Here are the six saints who will be depicted in Saint Boniface Church when the artwork is completed by next Easter:
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Feast: Jan. 4), b. Aug. 28, 1774 in New York City to wealthy Episcopalian family. Her husband’s business failed; then he died. She became Catholic; her family disowned her. She founded first parish school, initiating Catholic school system. Founded Sisters of Charity, who serve in Piqua presently. Died Jan. 4, 1821; canonized 1975, first American-born saint. Patroness for: in-law problems; death of children and of parents; Apostleship of the Sea; opposition of church authorities; people ridiculed for piety; widows.
Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio (April 1)—along with 8 companions. At the age of 14, Jose joined a rebel military force formed to fight against the Mexican government who was persecuting the Catholic Church. He was captured in January of 1928 by government forces who ordered him to renounce his Faith in Christ. He refused. They cut his feet with machetes and forced him to walk to the town cemetery. At times they stopped him and said, “If you shout ‘Death to Christ the King’, we will spare your life.” He refused and shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!). When they reached the place of execution, they bayoneted him, but he only shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” louder. This angered the commander so he and the rest of the group shot Jose with their guns. Before Jose died, he made the sign of the cross on the ground with his blood and kissed it.
Blessed Jose was the choice of those under 18.
St. Angelo (Feast: May 5), b. 1145 in Jerusalem to Jewish converts to Christianity. With his twin brother, founded first Carmelite house. Sent to evangelize Sicily, won many conversions, was martyred (stabbed to death) by a man whose incestuous relationship he denounced in 1220.
Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta (Feast: Sep. 5), b. Aug. 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia to an Albanian family. Baptized Agnes; youngest of three children; active in her parish youth group; drawn to mission work. Joined Sisters of Loretto, took name of Theresa after the Little Flower, went to India to teach. Heeded God’s call to form Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest of the poor, caring for many lying in the streets of Calcutta. She—and her order—traveled the globe. She died Sep. 5, 1997 in Calcutta. Declared blessed 2003. Patroness of World Youth Day.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Feast: Oct. 1), b. Jan. 1, 1873 to a middle-class family in Normandy, France. Her parents, Louis and Marie-Azelie Martin are both “blesseds”; all her sisters became nuns. Just before her 14th birthday, received vision of the child Jesus. Sought to join Carmelite order but was too young. Traveled to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIII and asked permission to join early! Made final vows at 17 at convent in Lisieux. Her “little way” of spirituality gave rise to her name, “Little Flower.” Died Sep. 30, 1897 of tuberculosis. Canonized 1925; named Doctor of the Church in 1997 and patroness of Australia, France, Russia; foreign, particularly African missions; parish missions; bodily ills, and illness; tuberculosis; AIDS patients; air crews and pilots; florists and flower-growers; loss of parents.
St. Francis of Assisi (Feast: Oct. 4), b. 1181, Assisi, Italy, to a wealthy merchant. Street brawler and sometime soldier, had conversion while a prisoner of war. He began living poverty and preaching; his family disowned him but he attracted others. In 1210, he began the Order of Friars Minor (“little brothers”), better known as Franciscans. In 1219, went to Egypt and preached to the Muslim Sultan, who allowed him to preach the Gospel there and to visit Jerusalem. Later received the wounds of Christ. Died Oct. 4, 1226. Canonized 1228. Patron against dying alone and fire; for animal welfare; birds; ecology and the environment; families; lace-, needle- and tapestry-workers; zoos. Patron of Italy.
Monday, November 22, 2010
What do North Korea and the TSA have in common?
While surfing and reading today, I came across two web sites, and after visiting the second, I saw a connection; I'll let you see for yourself.
First--this morning--I visited Time, and saw this slideshow of photos a Chinese visitor took while traveling in North Korea.
The caption on the last slide read as follows:
When the train arrived in Sinuiju Station, as usual it took a few hours of inspection. Fortunately, after the inspector had carefully examined my wife's Canon G9 camera and deleted a few images, he shouted 'good!' in Chinese, and left. Perhaps he thought we had only brought one camera. Thus, the contents of this trip home were to be saved.
Then, just a bit ago, I read this story at the Daily Caller, about a boy whose shirt gets taken off (by his father) in the course of a "pat down" at an airport. The story includes video, captured by a man standing in line some 30 feet away, and he explains what happened next:
After I finished videotaping the incident I went through the check point myself. I collected my things and went over to talk to the father and son. Before I could get to them a man in a black suit who had been talking with the other TSA officials approached me. He asked to speak to me and I obliged, wondering what was to come. He then proceeded to interrogate me about why I was videotaping the “procedures of the TSA”. I told him that I had never seen such practices before on a young child and decided to record it. The man being frustrated at this point demanded to know my plans with the video, of which I didn’t respond. Repeatedly he asked me to delete the video, hoping his mere presence could intimidate me to obey, but I refused. By this point it became obvious that he felt TSA had done something wrong and that I caught it on tape. After the interview, I left for my gate. I called my brother who told me I should put the tape on YouTube because this had been a recent hot topic in the news.
First--this morning--I visited Time, and saw this slideshow of photos a Chinese visitor took while traveling in North Korea.
The caption on the last slide read as follows:
When the train arrived in Sinuiju Station, as usual it took a few hours of inspection. Fortunately, after the inspector had carefully examined my wife's Canon G9 camera and deleted a few images, he shouted 'good!' in Chinese, and left. Perhaps he thought we had only brought one camera. Thus, the contents of this trip home were to be saved.
Then, just a bit ago, I read this story at the Daily Caller, about a boy whose shirt gets taken off (by his father) in the course of a "pat down" at an airport. The story includes video, captured by a man standing in line some 30 feet away, and he explains what happened next:
After I finished videotaping the incident I went through the check point myself. I collected my things and went over to talk to the father and son. Before I could get to them a man in a black suit who had been talking with the other TSA officials approached me. He asked to speak to me and I obliged, wondering what was to come. He then proceeded to interrogate me about why I was videotaping the “procedures of the TSA”. I told him that I had never seen such practices before on a young child and decided to record it. The man being frustrated at this point demanded to know my plans with the video, of which I didn’t respond. Repeatedly he asked me to delete the video, hoping his mere presence could intimidate me to obey, but I refused. By this point it became obvious that he felt TSA had done something wrong and that I caught it on tape. After the interview, I left for my gate. I called my brother who told me I should put the tape on YouTube because this had been a recent hot topic in the news.
No Peek, No Grope, No Fly
Like many folks, I've been reading closely the stories about the federal government's new policies and procedures regarding searching or scanning passengers before boarding airplanes. Here's what I've learned (a quick Internet search will get you all these articles and more):
> These new scanning machines take naked pictures of you. The government assures us they won't ever be stored, copied or distributed. Of course, we always trust government assurances, right?
> The alternative to a scanning machine is very intimate "pat down"--which one comical member of Congress, Sen. Claire McCaskill called "love pats": har, har. Here's what the "love pat" includes: the government agent moves his or her hands up and down your legs, arms, and torso, including your private parts and--pardon me--between your buttocks.
> Many travelers are saying "opt out" when you go to the airport. Now the alarmed TSA head, John Pistone--who said that you give up many of your rights when you buy an airline ticket (did you know that? Which rights, Mr. Pistone? Am I allowed to know? Or did I give up that right already?)--is now trying to intimidate and shame citizens into going along with the body scans. His tone: how dare someone cause other people problems?
> Perhaps you've heard of the man out west who refused the body scan; and was told, ok then we pat you down; he said, famously, "if you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested." That of course caused all sorts of alarm; since when do cattle talk back to the herders?
> Have you seen the photos and videos? A nun in full habit being subject to this "love pat"; terrified children who cry out, in vain, "stop touching me!" Another boy who strips off his shirt; a bladder-cancer patient who wears a bag, whose explanations and cautions are waved off; and as a result his bag is disturbed and he's covered in his own urine. "Love pat." It's for your own good, don't you know?
> The man who refused to have his junk touched was told, if he refused, he couldn't fly. He said, OK; and turned to leave. He went to get a refund on his airline ticket and left. An agent of the TSA went public with the government's intention to investigate and prosecute this threat to society and fine him up to $10,000. His "crime"? He wasn't allowed to leave. Remember, you gave up your rights when you bought that airline ticket. Oops, sorry we didn't tell you first.
> There are videos and recordings and photos; but did you know the government is confiscating them when they can? One of the rights we apparently gave up was the right to have these actions of our government open and transparent. If police pull someone over to the side of the road, they routinely record it; but the TSA curiously doesn't want anyone taking pictures of how they protect us.
Now, we're all being told that this is all regrettable, but absolutely necessary; the only alternative is fiery death! If you don't go along, you're helping the terrorists! (Remember when protest was patriotic?)
So for our benevolent overlords, I have two questions:
1. How do you explain the fact that Israel does not do this? Instead, Israel looks for people who are likely to cause trouble, rather than look for objects, even on people they know are no threat. (Did you know they were doing all this to the pilots? Did you know they confiscated nail-clippers from U.S. soldiers returning from defending our country? The country is in the best of hands.)
The Israelis have "profiles" and then conduct rapid-fire questions of those who fit the profile. As I understand it, the questions serve to smoke out liars--as common sense would dictate.
Think about this: think about this very hard: the Israeli's goal is to get the murderer, the threat, off the plane. But the current tactics of our government seem willing to the let the terrorist get on, as long as s/he's sufficiently disarmed. Which policy makes you safer?
Why can't we do what the Israelis do?
Some will claim it is too intrusive of our civil rights. No, really! Stop laughing! I'm serious! Yes, they would say that's worse than see-through-clothing "body scans" or being groped.
Others claim that what works for a tiny country won't work for us. Really? How many TSA agents do we have? How much has been invested in these machines?
I actually think this is closer to the truth--but the truth being that it's just a whole lot easier--from the viewpoint of the Overlords, our benevolent Protectors--to herd folks through scans, than it is to engage in interrogations. And the first answer, while ludicrous, is also true in this sense: our laws have been so distorted, and we have fostered so much litigation, that the fear is anything that doesn't treat everyone exactly the same, will spawn a lawsuit.
In other words, fellow cattle, they are more afraid of a lawsuit than they are bothered by groping you.
Here's my other question...
2. The government's stated purpose is to frustrate the cleverness of the terrorists in concealing explosives and weapons. OK, then; given what we're doing now, what would a clever killer do to evade these techniques? What would work?
It's not very hard to think of, even if its repulsive to most of us: they will find ways to hide their explosives inside their bodies.
If I were able to ask Ms. Napolitano, the head of the Homeland Security Agency, a series of questions, I'd ask: "have you evaluated the threat of that next step? What have you concluded? And what remedies are you considering against it?"
Because these current procedures--which are justified SOLELY because they are the only way to protect us all--will not protect us from that. Others, far more clever than I am, have said they can think of lots of ways to cause problems on an airplane, while still passing these invasive searches.
Since the government's current answer is simply to see the terrorists' escalation and raise it, by stripping away yet more of our rights and dignity, the logic of the government's thinking is yet more invasive searches. I will let you figure out what that next level of "love pat" might be like.
Well, since the government says I give up my rights when I buy an airline ticket, then I know what I'm going to do.
No body scans; no groping; no flying.
I realize I may face a situation where flying becomes necessary. But I'm going to do my best to avoid flying until this changes. If and when I have to fly, I'll decide then which form of assault on my person, by my government, is to be chosen.
> These new scanning machines take naked pictures of you. The government assures us they won't ever be stored, copied or distributed. Of course, we always trust government assurances, right?
> The alternative to a scanning machine is very intimate "pat down"--which one comical member of Congress, Sen. Claire McCaskill called "love pats": har, har. Here's what the "love pat" includes: the government agent moves his or her hands up and down your legs, arms, and torso, including your private parts and--pardon me--between your buttocks.
> Many travelers are saying "opt out" when you go to the airport. Now the alarmed TSA head, John Pistone--who said that you give up many of your rights when you buy an airline ticket (did you know that? Which rights, Mr. Pistone? Am I allowed to know? Or did I give up that right already?)--is now trying to intimidate and shame citizens into going along with the body scans. His tone: how dare someone cause other people problems?
> Perhaps you've heard of the man out west who refused the body scan; and was told, ok then we pat you down; he said, famously, "if you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested." That of course caused all sorts of alarm; since when do cattle talk back to the herders?
> Have you seen the photos and videos? A nun in full habit being subject to this "love pat"; terrified children who cry out, in vain, "stop touching me!" Another boy who strips off his shirt; a bladder-cancer patient who wears a bag, whose explanations and cautions are waved off; and as a result his bag is disturbed and he's covered in his own urine. "Love pat." It's for your own good, don't you know?
> The man who refused to have his junk touched was told, if he refused, he couldn't fly. He said, OK; and turned to leave. He went to get a refund on his airline ticket and left. An agent of the TSA went public with the government's intention to investigate and prosecute this threat to society and fine him up to $10,000. His "crime"? He wasn't allowed to leave. Remember, you gave up your rights when you bought that airline ticket. Oops, sorry we didn't tell you first.
> There are videos and recordings and photos; but did you know the government is confiscating them when they can? One of the rights we apparently gave up was the right to have these actions of our government open and transparent. If police pull someone over to the side of the road, they routinely record it; but the TSA curiously doesn't want anyone taking pictures of how they protect us.
Now, we're all being told that this is all regrettable, but absolutely necessary; the only alternative is fiery death! If you don't go along, you're helping the terrorists! (Remember when protest was patriotic?)
So for our benevolent overlords, I have two questions:
1. How do you explain the fact that Israel does not do this? Instead, Israel looks for people who are likely to cause trouble, rather than look for objects, even on people they know are no threat. (Did you know they were doing all this to the pilots? Did you know they confiscated nail-clippers from U.S. soldiers returning from defending our country? The country is in the best of hands.)
The Israelis have "profiles" and then conduct rapid-fire questions of those who fit the profile. As I understand it, the questions serve to smoke out liars--as common sense would dictate.
Think about this: think about this very hard: the Israeli's goal is to get the murderer, the threat, off the plane. But the current tactics of our government seem willing to the let the terrorist get on, as long as s/he's sufficiently disarmed. Which policy makes you safer?
Why can't we do what the Israelis do?
Some will claim it is too intrusive of our civil rights. No, really! Stop laughing! I'm serious! Yes, they would say that's worse than see-through-clothing "body scans" or being groped.
Others claim that what works for a tiny country won't work for us. Really? How many TSA agents do we have? How much has been invested in these machines?
I actually think this is closer to the truth--but the truth being that it's just a whole lot easier--from the viewpoint of the Overlords, our benevolent Protectors--to herd folks through scans, than it is to engage in interrogations. And the first answer, while ludicrous, is also true in this sense: our laws have been so distorted, and we have fostered so much litigation, that the fear is anything that doesn't treat everyone exactly the same, will spawn a lawsuit.
In other words, fellow cattle, they are more afraid of a lawsuit than they are bothered by groping you.
Here's my other question...
2. The government's stated purpose is to frustrate the cleverness of the terrorists in concealing explosives and weapons. OK, then; given what we're doing now, what would a clever killer do to evade these techniques? What would work?
It's not very hard to think of, even if its repulsive to most of us: they will find ways to hide their explosives inside their bodies.
If I were able to ask Ms. Napolitano, the head of the Homeland Security Agency, a series of questions, I'd ask: "have you evaluated the threat of that next step? What have you concluded? And what remedies are you considering against it?"
Because these current procedures--which are justified SOLELY because they are the only way to protect us all--will not protect us from that. Others, far more clever than I am, have said they can think of lots of ways to cause problems on an airplane, while still passing these invasive searches.
Since the government's current answer is simply to see the terrorists' escalation and raise it, by stripping away yet more of our rights and dignity, the logic of the government's thinking is yet more invasive searches. I will let you figure out what that next level of "love pat" might be like.
Well, since the government says I give up my rights when I buy an airline ticket, then I know what I'm going to do.
No body scans; no groping; no flying.
I realize I may face a situation where flying becomes necessary. But I'm going to do my best to avoid flying until this changes. If and when I have to fly, I'll decide then which form of assault on my person, by my government, is to be chosen.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Baptism during Mass
Tomorrow I have a baptism during Sunday Mass.
This doesn't happen often, so I am reviewing how to do it. It's a little tricky, because the ritual of baptism is, as it were, broken up and distributed at two or three points during the Mass; and elements of the Mass are changed: the penitential rite and Creed are omitted (because the ritual of baptism talks about cleansing from sin, and the Apostles Creed, in question form, is part of the ritual of baptism). I will need to check with the reader, musician and servers so they are prepped.
I'm always thrilled to confer the sacrament of baptism, but I honestly don't encourage doing it during Mass--but I don't refuse if that is what the family requests. As it happens, recently a parishioner asked me why not. In addition to the issues I just addressed are other concerns:
> It will make Mass longer and the homily is a bit of a challenge;
> You may say, so what if Mass is longer, folks should just go with it. Well, perhaps folks should, but they don't always. Besides, I happen to have 10:30 Mass at the other parish and it's not easy moving from the 9 am Mass to the 10:30 am Mass even in normal situations.
> The family doesn't necessarily enjoy having a baptism during Mass. Children don't always manage the hour or so of Mass and the family is usually a bit nervous about what to do, when to come forward, etc. Also they have to get the godparents and other family members there. On the other hand, when the family has a baptism after Mass, it's a lot less stressful. I always wait till everyone is ready ("Is there anyone you're still waiting for? We can wait")--but I can't hold up Sunday Mass for a late-arriving family member. If, at a Sunday afternoon baptism, one of the children has a meltdown, it's no problem just hitting the pause button--an uncle can take the child to the back of church or outside, or if its the candidate for baptism him- or herself, then we just wait a moment. Most families find it pretty awkward to have that happen in front of 200 folks, but they don't seem to mind it with 10 or 20 family members after Mass.
So why is this baptism happening during Mass? Well, the family requested me to celebrate it, which is an honor, but because of another commitment, I couldn't do it after the Noon Mass; so the only way I could do it this weekend was as part of 9 am Mass.
After that, it became necessary for me to take the 10:30 am Mass (where a couple asked me to be present, as they are celebrating 68 years of marriage).
Now, one reason I'm posting this is so that folks can see the side of priestly ministry that's not always apparent. But I have another reason.
Many folks have been told that baptisms are "supposed" to be done during Sunday Mass, or that it's somehow "better" to do it that way. The parishioner who asked me about it had, I gathered, been told that. And in answering her question--mentioning much of what I just wrote--I said I simply didn't agree with that.
Today, in preparing for this, I re-read the instructions of the Church on this subject; I thought you might be interested in what the Church actually says about this--as opposed to what some folks' preferences might be, no matter how frequently expressed:
To bring out the paschal character of baptism, it is recommended that the sacrament be celebrated during the Easter Vigil or on Sunday, when the Church commemorates the Lord's resurrection. On Sunday, baptism may be celebrated even during Mass, so that the entire community may be present and the relationship between baptism and eucharist may be clearly seen; but this should not be done too often. (Rite of Baptism for Children, paragraph 9)
Now, please take note of what that paragraph does--and does not--say:
> It is "recommended" during only one specific Mass: the Easter Vigil;
> "Or on Sunday"--i.e., on the day, nothing about being recommended during Sunday Mass;
> It is not required to take place on these occasions--i.e., it need not occur on Sunday (elsewhere the instruction does spell out that baptism is normally supposed to take place in a church or chapel, and that an ordained minister normally celebrates it--but of course in danger of death, it can be done anywhere by anyone);
> It may be celebrated "even during Mass"--i.e., it's allowed, and it does have some advantage: "so that the entire community may be present and the relationship between baptism and eucharist may be clearly seen";
> But totally absent is any language of "should," "preferred" or "recommended"; on the contrary, the one specific recommendation in this regard is, "this should not be done too often"!
If you read this paragraph differently, please let me know what you see in this that says baptisms are "supposed" to be at Mass; I'm not seeing it.
Here again is an example of where some well intentioned folks have taken an idea about the liturgy and run way beyond what the Church actually says. Another example would be those who insist you can't have baptisms, weddings or first communion during Lent (our parishes are having first communion during Lent--why? Because Easter is late and it's the least-bad option; but there's nothing that says we cannot have first communion during Lent). Or that we should take holy water away during Lent, or that sacraments should always be administered during Mass (again, the Church never says that, but many people have been told this), or else you get to any number of things that were done in the name of Vatican II, yet were never taught by Vatican II.
I am very happy to have the baptism for this family and I am honored they asked for me. It's good for me to do this once in a while and it will all work out. And I do hope all those present will realize what a wonderful thing baptism is, and what a privilege to be part of it!
This doesn't happen often, so I am reviewing how to do it. It's a little tricky, because the ritual of baptism is, as it were, broken up and distributed at two or three points during the Mass; and elements of the Mass are changed: the penitential rite and Creed are omitted (because the ritual of baptism talks about cleansing from sin, and the Apostles Creed, in question form, is part of the ritual of baptism). I will need to check with the reader, musician and servers so they are prepped.
I'm always thrilled to confer the sacrament of baptism, but I honestly don't encourage doing it during Mass--but I don't refuse if that is what the family requests. As it happens, recently a parishioner asked me why not. In addition to the issues I just addressed are other concerns:
> It will make Mass longer and the homily is a bit of a challenge;
> You may say, so what if Mass is longer, folks should just go with it. Well, perhaps folks should, but they don't always. Besides, I happen to have 10:30 Mass at the other parish and it's not easy moving from the 9 am Mass to the 10:30 am Mass even in normal situations.
> The family doesn't necessarily enjoy having a baptism during Mass. Children don't always manage the hour or so of Mass and the family is usually a bit nervous about what to do, when to come forward, etc. Also they have to get the godparents and other family members there. On the other hand, when the family has a baptism after Mass, it's a lot less stressful. I always wait till everyone is ready ("Is there anyone you're still waiting for? We can wait")--but I can't hold up Sunday Mass for a late-arriving family member. If, at a Sunday afternoon baptism, one of the children has a meltdown, it's no problem just hitting the pause button--an uncle can take the child to the back of church or outside, or if its the candidate for baptism him- or herself, then we just wait a moment. Most families find it pretty awkward to have that happen in front of 200 folks, but they don't seem to mind it with 10 or 20 family members after Mass.
So why is this baptism happening during Mass? Well, the family requested me to celebrate it, which is an honor, but because of another commitment, I couldn't do it after the Noon Mass; so the only way I could do it this weekend was as part of 9 am Mass.
After that, it became necessary for me to take the 10:30 am Mass (where a couple asked me to be present, as they are celebrating 68 years of marriage).
Now, one reason I'm posting this is so that folks can see the side of priestly ministry that's not always apparent. But I have another reason.
Many folks have been told that baptisms are "supposed" to be done during Sunday Mass, or that it's somehow "better" to do it that way. The parishioner who asked me about it had, I gathered, been told that. And in answering her question--mentioning much of what I just wrote--I said I simply didn't agree with that.
Today, in preparing for this, I re-read the instructions of the Church on this subject; I thought you might be interested in what the Church actually says about this--as opposed to what some folks' preferences might be, no matter how frequently expressed:
To bring out the paschal character of baptism, it is recommended that the sacrament be celebrated during the Easter Vigil or on Sunday, when the Church commemorates the Lord's resurrection. On Sunday, baptism may be celebrated even during Mass, so that the entire community may be present and the relationship between baptism and eucharist may be clearly seen; but this should not be done too often. (Rite of Baptism for Children, paragraph 9)
Now, please take note of what that paragraph does--and does not--say:
> It is "recommended" during only one specific Mass: the Easter Vigil;
> "Or on Sunday"--i.e., on the day, nothing about being recommended during Sunday Mass;
> It is not required to take place on these occasions--i.e., it need not occur on Sunday (elsewhere the instruction does spell out that baptism is normally supposed to take place in a church or chapel, and that an ordained minister normally celebrates it--but of course in danger of death, it can be done anywhere by anyone);
> It may be celebrated "even during Mass"--i.e., it's allowed, and it does have some advantage: "so that the entire community may be present and the relationship between baptism and eucharist may be clearly seen";
> But totally absent is any language of "should," "preferred" or "recommended"; on the contrary, the one specific recommendation in this regard is, "this should not be done too often"!
If you read this paragraph differently, please let me know what you see in this that says baptisms are "supposed" to be at Mass; I'm not seeing it.
Here again is an example of where some well intentioned folks have taken an idea about the liturgy and run way beyond what the Church actually says. Another example would be those who insist you can't have baptisms, weddings or first communion during Lent (our parishes are having first communion during Lent--why? Because Easter is late and it's the least-bad option; but there's nothing that says we cannot have first communion during Lent). Or that we should take holy water away during Lent, or that sacraments should always be administered during Mass (again, the Church never says that, but many people have been told this), or else you get to any number of things that were done in the name of Vatican II, yet were never taught by Vatican II.
I am very happy to have the baptism for this family and I am honored they asked for me. It's good for me to do this once in a while and it will all work out. And I do hope all those present will realize what a wonderful thing baptism is, and what a privilege to be part of it!
Friday, November 12, 2010
New Saint Images in St. Boniface
One of the projects I've been working on at one of my parishes is a plan to include some paintings of saints in St. Boniface Church. We have a nice spot picked out for six images of saints, and for the last two months, parishioners were asked to nominate a saint or blessed to be considered. We also planned for one of the saints to be chosen by the young people of the parish--that is, under 18. So the children in the religious education program, the junior and senior high groups, and Piqua Catholic School have all been working on this as well.
The deadline--naturally enough--was All Saints Day, November 1. We received about 100 nominations from all parishioners, young and old. A committee of pastoral council members took the adults' nominations and came up with a list of 16; the principal and coordinator of religious education came up with a list of six--three of whom, interestingly, were also chosen by the adults, for a total of 19.
This weekend the adults will all vote on their top 5; the children will be voting either at Mass this weekend, at school on Monday, or one group will vote next Sunday (because they meet every other week).
I thought you might like to see who they nominated. Here they are, with some brief bios on each one. Of course, I'll let you know who the final six turn out to be.
FYI, church law allows either a saint or a blessed to be depicted in artwork in a church for the veneration of the faithful. Alas, Pope John Paul II has not yet been named a blessed, so he could not be considered as one of those to be depicted.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Feast: Jan. 4), b. Aug. 28, 1774 in New York City to wealthy Episcopalian family. Her husband’s business failed; then he died. She became Catholic; her family disowned her. She founded first parish school, initiating Catholic school system. Founded Sisters of Charity, who serve in Piqua presently. Died Jan. 4, 1821; canonized 1975, first American-born saint. Patroness for: in-law problems; death of children and of parents; Apostleship of the Sea; opposition of church authorities; people ridiculed for piety; widows.
St. Patrick (Feast: March 17) As a boy of 14, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. He learned the language of the Druids and Pagans who held him captive. He turned to God in prayer. When he was twenty, he had a dream telling him to escape by way of the coast so he left in the night. He was picked up by some sailors who took him home to Britain and reunited him with his family. He studied to be a priest and was later ordained a Bishop and was sent back to Ireland to spread the Gospel. He worked for 40 years converting almost all of Ireland and building many churches. One of his most notable attributes is that he used a shamrock to explain the Trinity – three persons in one God.
Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio (April 1—along with 8 companions). At the age of 14, Jose joined a rebel military force formed to fight against the Mexican government who was persecuting the Catholic Church. He was captured in January of 1928 by government forces who ordered him to renounce his Faith in Christ. He refused. They cut his feet with machetes and forced him to walk to the town cemetery. At times they stopped him and said, “If you shout ‘Death to Christ the King’, we will spare your life.” He refused and shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!). When they reached the place of execution, they bayoneted him, but he only shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” louder. This angered the commander so he and the rest of the group shot Jose with their guns. Before Jose died, he made the sign of the cross on the ground with his blood and kissed it.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla (Feast: April 28), b. Oct. 4, 1922, Milan, Italy, 10th of 13 children. Active in St. Vincent de Paul Society; became surgeon. When pregnant with 4th child, doctor discovered cyst, urged abortion. Knowing the risks, she chose to bear her child, although it cost her own life; she died April 28, 1962. Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004. Patroness of opposition to abortion and for pregnant mothers.
St. Peregrine Laziosi (Feast: May 1), b. 1260, Forli Italy. Born wealthy, involved in politics, anti-Catholic. Received a vision of Our Lady, who sent him to join the Servite Order, became priest. Remained mostly silent and worked without sitting down for 30 years as penance for earlier life. Healed of cancer in his foot after a night of prayer. Died May 1, 1345. Canonized 1726. Patron of AIDS and cancer patients, particularly breast cancer; for those with open sores and skin diseases and all the sick.
St. Angelo (Feast: May 5), b. 1145 in Jerusalem to Jewish converts to Christianity. With his twin brother, founded first Carmelite house. Sent to evangelize Sicily, won many conversions, was martyred (stabbed to death) by a man whose incestuous relationship he denounced in 1220.
St. Joan of Arc (Feast: May 30), b. Jan. 6, 1412 in Lorraine, France. From age 13 she received visions from Saint Margaret of Antioch, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Michael the Archangel. Most of France was ruled by the English; Joan’s visions told her to find the true king and help him regain his throne. She resisted at first, but finally obeyed. She led troops and won several battles, till Charles VII was crowned. She was captured, declared a heretic in an illegal trial by a corrupt bishop; executed May 30, 1431 at Rouen. In 1456 the pope reviewed and reversed the illegal “trial.” Canonized 1920. Patroness of: France; those imprisoned; martyrs; opposition of church authorities; those ridiculed for piety; rape victims; soldiers, particularly women in the military.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (Feast: July 14), b. 1656 near present-day Auriesville, New York. Daughter of a Algonquin Christian, captured by Iroquois and was married a non-Christian Mohawk chief. Smallpox left her face scarred with impaired eyesight. Baptized in 1676 by a Jesuit missionary; shunned by her family; she traveled 200 miles to Sault Sainte Marie; there took vow of chastity. Miracles associated with her and even her grave. Died April 17, 1680; called “Lily of the Mohawks.” Beatified 1980 by Pope John Paul II. Patroness of ecology and environment; exiles; loss of parents; those ridiculed for piety.
St. Anne (Feast: July 26). Mother of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Early tradition holds that she and her husband Joachim were unable to conceive until their older years, and Mary was their only child. While Mary was conceived in the normal fashion, God protected her from the stain of Original Sin (i.e., the Immaculate Conception.) In gratitude for a child, Joachim and Anne consecrated Mary in the temple to the Lord as a child; Joseph later became her guardian. Patroness for poverty, sterility and childless people; expectant mothers; broom- and cabinet-makers; carpenters; grandparents; homemakers; horse-riders and keepers; lace-makers; lost articles; miners; old-clothes dealers; seamstresses.
St. John Marie Vianney (Feast: August 4), b. May 8, 1786 in Lyons, France. Born to a farm family, taught other family members their catechism; he struggled in his studies for the priesthood. Assigned in 1818 to a tiny parish in Ars (hence the “Cure d’Ars”), where the faith was lax. He visited parishioners, did penance for them and spent many hours hearing confessions. By 1855 there were 20,000 pilgrims each year to hear him. Died Aug. 4, 1859. Canonized 1925. Patron of priests, especially those who hear confessions.
Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta (Feast: Sep. 5), b. Aug. 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia to an Albanian family. Baptized Agnes; youngest of three children; active in her parish youth group; drawn to mission work. Joined Sisters of Loretto, took name of Theresa after the Little Flower, went to India to teach. Heeded God’s call to form Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest of the poor, caring for many lying in the streets of Calcutta. She—and her order—traveled the globe. She died Sep. 5, 1997 in Calcutta. Declared blessed 2003. Patroness of World Youth Day.
Saint (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina (Feast: Sep. 23), b. May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy, baptized Francesco, son of a shepherd. Joined Capuchin Franciscans at 19; ordained a priest in 1910. While praying before the crucifix in 1918, Padre Pio received the “stigmata” (i.e., wounds of Christ in his hands), which remained till he died. Heard many confessions and read souls of those who held back. Died Sep. 23, 1968; canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
St. Theresa of Child Jesus (Feast: Oct. 1), b. Jan. 1, 1873 to a middle-class family in Normandy, France. Her parents, Louis and Marie-Azelie Martin are both “blesseds”; all her sisters became nuns. Just before her 14th birthday, received vision of the child Jesus. Sought to join Carmelite order but was too young. Traveled to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIII and asked permission to join early! Made final vows at 17 at convent in Lisieux. Her “little way” of spirituality gave rise to her name, “Little Flower.” Died Sep. 30, 1897 of tuberculosis. Canonized 1925; named Doctor of the Church in 1997 and patroness of Australia, France, Russia; foreign, particularly African missions; parish missions; bodily ills, and illness; tuberculosis; AIDS patients; air crews and pilots; florists and flower-growers; loss of parents.
St. Francis of Assisi (Feast: Oct. 4), b. 1181, Assisi, Italy, to a wealthy merchant. Street brawler and sometime soldier, had conversion while a prisoner of war. He began living poverty and preaching; his family disowned him but he attracted others. In 1210, he began the Order of Friars Minor (“little brothers”), better known as Franciscans. In 1219, went to Egypt and preached to the Muslim Sultan, who allowed him to preach the Gospel there and to visit Jerusalem. Later received the wounds of Christ. Died Oct. 4, 1226. Canonized 1228. Patron against dying alone and fire; for animal welfare; birds; ecology and the environment; families; lace-, needle- and tapestry-workers; zoos. Patron of Italy.
St. Mary Faustina Kowalska (Feast: Oct. 5), Aug. 25, 1905, in Glogowiec, Poland, 3rd of ten children. Attended only 3 years of school; as a teenager worked as a maid. Entered Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw. Served the other sisters; received visions and stigmata; wrote her visions in her diary despite being nearly illiterate. In the 1930s she received the message from Christ as Divine Mercy; an image known worldwide was painted from her account. Died Oct. 5, 1938; canonized 2000.
St. Jude the Apostle (Feast: Oct. 28). His background is uncertain but he is frequently identified also as Thaddeus, son of Cleophas, and a relative of Jesus. He is believed to have preached the Faith around the Holy Land, and as far as Libya, and to have been martyred about AD 65 in Beirut, Lebanon, together with the Apostle Simon. Patron of desperate situations and forgotten causes, hospitals and hospital workers.
St. Cecilia (Feast: Nov. 22), martyred in the persecutions of the 2nd or 3rd century; thus very little is known about her; but her grave in the catacombs near Rome was venerated from ancient times and her name is recalled in the First Eucharistic Prayer. Many believe she was a noblewoman who died rather than marry against her will around 230; but evidence exists to show she was martyred in Sicily around 180. The story was told she sang praises to God while being killed—hence she is the patroness of music composers and performers, makers of musical instruments, poets, martyrs.
St. Nicholas (Feast: Dec. 6) Nicholas’ parents died when he was young and left him with a wealthy inheritance. He was determined to use it to serve his community by performing works of charity. There was a man in his town that lost all of his money. He still had to support his three daughters who could not get married because of their poverty. The man felt forced into give his daughters over to be slaves. Nicholas heard this and to protect their purity, he took a bag of gold and under the cover of darkness threw it into the open window of the man’s house. It was enough for the oldest girl to get married. Nicholas did the same for the second and the third. The father recognized him the third time and gave him great thanks. St. Nicholas was a Bishop and is a celebrated figure throughout the world by both Christians and non-Christians.
St. Juan Diego (Feast: Dec. 9), b. 1474 a poor but free man in a very class-conscious society in Tlayacac, near present-day Mexico City. Baptized Juan Diego (Spanish for John James) at 50. On Dec. 9, 1531, Mary appeared to him on the hill of Tepayac; she sent him to bring to the bishop Castilian roses that mysteriously appeared on the hill to convince the bishop; when Juan opened his cloak, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was on his cloak, and the bishop fell to his knees. These events led to the spread of Christianity throughout Central and South America; and the miraculous image can still be viewed in Mexico City, where he was canonized in 2002. Our Lady of Guadalupe is Patroness of all the Americas.
The deadline--naturally enough--was All Saints Day, November 1. We received about 100 nominations from all parishioners, young and old. A committee of pastoral council members took the adults' nominations and came up with a list of 16; the principal and coordinator of religious education came up with a list of six--three of whom, interestingly, were also chosen by the adults, for a total of 19.
This weekend the adults will all vote on their top 5; the children will be voting either at Mass this weekend, at school on Monday, or one group will vote next Sunday (because they meet every other week).
I thought you might like to see who they nominated. Here they are, with some brief bios on each one. Of course, I'll let you know who the final six turn out to be.
FYI, church law allows either a saint or a blessed to be depicted in artwork in a church for the veneration of the faithful. Alas, Pope John Paul II has not yet been named a blessed, so he could not be considered as one of those to be depicted.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Feast: Jan. 4), b. Aug. 28, 1774 in New York City to wealthy Episcopalian family. Her husband’s business failed; then he died. She became Catholic; her family disowned her. She founded first parish school, initiating Catholic school system. Founded Sisters of Charity, who serve in Piqua presently. Died Jan. 4, 1821; canonized 1975, first American-born saint. Patroness for: in-law problems; death of children and of parents; Apostleship of the Sea; opposition of church authorities; people ridiculed for piety; widows.
St. Patrick (Feast: March 17) As a boy of 14, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. He learned the language of the Druids and Pagans who held him captive. He turned to God in prayer. When he was twenty, he had a dream telling him to escape by way of the coast so he left in the night. He was picked up by some sailors who took him home to Britain and reunited him with his family. He studied to be a priest and was later ordained a Bishop and was sent back to Ireland to spread the Gospel. He worked for 40 years converting almost all of Ireland and building many churches. One of his most notable attributes is that he used a shamrock to explain the Trinity – three persons in one God.
Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio (April 1—along with 8 companions). At the age of 14, Jose joined a rebel military force formed to fight against the Mexican government who was persecuting the Catholic Church. He was captured in January of 1928 by government forces who ordered him to renounce his Faith in Christ. He refused. They cut his feet with machetes and forced him to walk to the town cemetery. At times they stopped him and said, “If you shout ‘Death to Christ the King’, we will spare your life.” He refused and shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!). When they reached the place of execution, they bayoneted him, but he only shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” louder. This angered the commander so he and the rest of the group shot Jose with their guns. Before Jose died, he made the sign of the cross on the ground with his blood and kissed it.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla (Feast: April 28), b. Oct. 4, 1922, Milan, Italy, 10th of 13 children. Active in St. Vincent de Paul Society; became surgeon. When pregnant with 4th child, doctor discovered cyst, urged abortion. Knowing the risks, she chose to bear her child, although it cost her own life; she died April 28, 1962. Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004. Patroness of opposition to abortion and for pregnant mothers.
St. Peregrine Laziosi (Feast: May 1), b. 1260, Forli Italy. Born wealthy, involved in politics, anti-Catholic. Received a vision of Our Lady, who sent him to join the Servite Order, became priest. Remained mostly silent and worked without sitting down for 30 years as penance for earlier life. Healed of cancer in his foot after a night of prayer. Died May 1, 1345. Canonized 1726. Patron of AIDS and cancer patients, particularly breast cancer; for those with open sores and skin diseases and all the sick.
St. Angelo (Feast: May 5), b. 1145 in Jerusalem to Jewish converts to Christianity. With his twin brother, founded first Carmelite house. Sent to evangelize Sicily, won many conversions, was martyred (stabbed to death) by a man whose incestuous relationship he denounced in 1220.
St. Joan of Arc (Feast: May 30), b. Jan. 6, 1412 in Lorraine, France. From age 13 she received visions from Saint Margaret of Antioch, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Michael the Archangel. Most of France was ruled by the English; Joan’s visions told her to find the true king and help him regain his throne. She resisted at first, but finally obeyed. She led troops and won several battles, till Charles VII was crowned. She was captured, declared a heretic in an illegal trial by a corrupt bishop; executed May 30, 1431 at Rouen. In 1456 the pope reviewed and reversed the illegal “trial.” Canonized 1920. Patroness of: France; those imprisoned; martyrs; opposition of church authorities; those ridiculed for piety; rape victims; soldiers, particularly women in the military.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (Feast: July 14), b. 1656 near present-day Auriesville, New York. Daughter of a Algonquin Christian, captured by Iroquois and was married a non-Christian Mohawk chief. Smallpox left her face scarred with impaired eyesight. Baptized in 1676 by a Jesuit missionary; shunned by her family; she traveled 200 miles to Sault Sainte Marie; there took vow of chastity. Miracles associated with her and even her grave. Died April 17, 1680; called “Lily of the Mohawks.” Beatified 1980 by Pope John Paul II. Patroness of ecology and environment; exiles; loss of parents; those ridiculed for piety.
St. Anne (Feast: July 26). Mother of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Early tradition holds that she and her husband Joachim were unable to conceive until their older years, and Mary was their only child. While Mary was conceived in the normal fashion, God protected her from the stain of Original Sin (i.e., the Immaculate Conception.) In gratitude for a child, Joachim and Anne consecrated Mary in the temple to the Lord as a child; Joseph later became her guardian. Patroness for poverty, sterility and childless people; expectant mothers; broom- and cabinet-makers; carpenters; grandparents; homemakers; horse-riders and keepers; lace-makers; lost articles; miners; old-clothes dealers; seamstresses.
St. John Marie Vianney (Feast: August 4), b. May 8, 1786 in Lyons, France. Born to a farm family, taught other family members their catechism; he struggled in his studies for the priesthood. Assigned in 1818 to a tiny parish in Ars (hence the “Cure d’Ars”), where the faith was lax. He visited parishioners, did penance for them and spent many hours hearing confessions. By 1855 there were 20,000 pilgrims each year to hear him. Died Aug. 4, 1859. Canonized 1925. Patron of priests, especially those who hear confessions.
Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta (Feast: Sep. 5), b. Aug. 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia to an Albanian family. Baptized Agnes; youngest of three children; active in her parish youth group; drawn to mission work. Joined Sisters of Loretto, took name of Theresa after the Little Flower, went to India to teach. Heeded God’s call to form Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest of the poor, caring for many lying in the streets of Calcutta. She—and her order—traveled the globe. She died Sep. 5, 1997 in Calcutta. Declared blessed 2003. Patroness of World Youth Day.
Saint (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina (Feast: Sep. 23), b. May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy, baptized Francesco, son of a shepherd. Joined Capuchin Franciscans at 19; ordained a priest in 1910. While praying before the crucifix in 1918, Padre Pio received the “stigmata” (i.e., wounds of Christ in his hands), which remained till he died. Heard many confessions and read souls of those who held back. Died Sep. 23, 1968; canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
St. Theresa of Child Jesus (Feast: Oct. 1), b. Jan. 1, 1873 to a middle-class family in Normandy, France. Her parents, Louis and Marie-Azelie Martin are both “blesseds”; all her sisters became nuns. Just before her 14th birthday, received vision of the child Jesus. Sought to join Carmelite order but was too young. Traveled to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIII and asked permission to join early! Made final vows at 17 at convent in Lisieux. Her “little way” of spirituality gave rise to her name, “Little Flower.” Died Sep. 30, 1897 of tuberculosis. Canonized 1925; named Doctor of the Church in 1997 and patroness of Australia, France, Russia; foreign, particularly African missions; parish missions; bodily ills, and illness; tuberculosis; AIDS patients; air crews and pilots; florists and flower-growers; loss of parents.
St. Francis of Assisi (Feast: Oct. 4), b. 1181, Assisi, Italy, to a wealthy merchant. Street brawler and sometime soldier, had conversion while a prisoner of war. He began living poverty and preaching; his family disowned him but he attracted others. In 1210, he began the Order of Friars Minor (“little brothers”), better known as Franciscans. In 1219, went to Egypt and preached to the Muslim Sultan, who allowed him to preach the Gospel there and to visit Jerusalem. Later received the wounds of Christ. Died Oct. 4, 1226. Canonized 1228. Patron against dying alone and fire; for animal welfare; birds; ecology and the environment; families; lace-, needle- and tapestry-workers; zoos. Patron of Italy.
St. Mary Faustina Kowalska (Feast: Oct. 5), Aug. 25, 1905, in Glogowiec, Poland, 3rd of ten children. Attended only 3 years of school; as a teenager worked as a maid. Entered Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw. Served the other sisters; received visions and stigmata; wrote her visions in her diary despite being nearly illiterate. In the 1930s she received the message from Christ as Divine Mercy; an image known worldwide was painted from her account. Died Oct. 5, 1938; canonized 2000.
St. Jude the Apostle (Feast: Oct. 28). His background is uncertain but he is frequently identified also as Thaddeus, son of Cleophas, and a relative of Jesus. He is believed to have preached the Faith around the Holy Land, and as far as Libya, and to have been martyred about AD 65 in Beirut, Lebanon, together with the Apostle Simon. Patron of desperate situations and forgotten causes, hospitals and hospital workers.
St. Cecilia (Feast: Nov. 22), martyred in the persecutions of the 2nd or 3rd century; thus very little is known about her; but her grave in the catacombs near Rome was venerated from ancient times and her name is recalled in the First Eucharistic Prayer. Many believe she was a noblewoman who died rather than marry against her will around 230; but evidence exists to show she was martyred in Sicily around 180. The story was told she sang praises to God while being killed—hence she is the patroness of music composers and performers, makers of musical instruments, poets, martyrs.
St. Nicholas (Feast: Dec. 6) Nicholas’ parents died when he was young and left him with a wealthy inheritance. He was determined to use it to serve his community by performing works of charity. There was a man in his town that lost all of his money. He still had to support his three daughters who could not get married because of their poverty. The man felt forced into give his daughters over to be slaves. Nicholas heard this and to protect their purity, he took a bag of gold and under the cover of darkness threw it into the open window of the man’s house. It was enough for the oldest girl to get married. Nicholas did the same for the second and the third. The father recognized him the third time and gave him great thanks. St. Nicholas was a Bishop and is a celebrated figure throughout the world by both Christians and non-Christians.
St. Juan Diego (Feast: Dec. 9), b. 1474 a poor but free man in a very class-conscious society in Tlayacac, near present-day Mexico City. Baptized Juan Diego (Spanish for John James) at 50. On Dec. 9, 1531, Mary appeared to him on the hill of Tepayac; she sent him to bring to the bishop Castilian roses that mysteriously appeared on the hill to convince the bishop; when Juan opened his cloak, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was on his cloak, and the bishop fell to his knees. These events led to the spread of Christianity throughout Central and South America; and the miraculous image can still be viewed in Mexico City, where he was canonized in 2002. Our Lady of Guadalupe is Patroness of all the Americas.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)