Is canon law the most essential thing for parishes?

Many of my friends are circulating on Facebook an article at Crisis by another mutual friend, which addresses the current Beacons of Light project with the title, A Plea for Parishes. 

Before I say any more about the article or its author, I want to be as clear as I can. The author is an admirable Catholic husband and father, whom I respect immensely. I consider him a friend, I believe he would say the same. I do not like that we disagree on Beacons of Light, but such things happen, and they need not jeopardize the fundamental relationship. I intend to pay him the compliment and respect of engaging with the case he's making, in hopes that as "iron sharpens iron" according to Scripture, he and I and all of us can get further toward our shared goals of living faithfully and fully the Christian life here, on the way to There -- that is, Kingdom come.

So here's the question that arises as I have read and reflected on his article. 

*** And, trigger warning: if you find my analytical or rhetorical approach to be at sharp angles to your own way of thinking, that is a feature, not a bug; that experience is often how we come to see things differently. Nothing here is a veiled "attack" or attempt to intimidate, despite what a commenter on another post the other day maintained. So, if my approach causes you upset or provokes only emotion, then please consider that this post, or me, is not your "cup of tea" and drink no more. ***

OK, back to my constructively intended provocative question:

Why should the legal-canonical structures involved in the complex reality we all call "parish" be the sine qua non of parish life? Why is the legal structure the irreducible component on which the whole reality rests? 

To be more provocative: it seems that my friend has -- certainly unwittingly -- made the argument that not even the pastor is as important as the canon- and civil-law structures.

Is that really where we want to end up? 

Let me fill this in, this may take a bit I'm sorry.

Mr. Schmiesing begins with the shocking and depressing scene of a beloved and beautiful church -- a repository of tradition and memory, a truly sacred place -- being obliterated. This is horrible. And for those who don't know me, in my 21 years as a priest, of which 18 were as pastor or administrator, I've devoted great energy and time to the maintenance and improvement of the physical structures, the churches above all. I can show you the wounds, so to speak, that I've incurred in this effort.

The point seems obvious: if we don't sustain parish life, the wrecking ball is coming, one way or another. And essential to sustaining parish life as lovingly described are the underlying legal structures.

Let me pause here to clarify something important about our language. When we use the term "parish," there are actually many realities involved. Previous to this post, I've specified three; today I'm going to add one or two more. This will take a few paragraphs, then back to the Crisis article.

Those five realities (or is it four? See below), as I see it, are, not necessarily in this order:

1. The physical place. When we say, "I go to X Parish," we almost invariably mean, that is the name of the church where we pray and take part in the sacraments, where the school, or religious education program, where members of the family are taught the faith, and where any number of other activities important to the aspect that follows, take place. So let us summarize this meaning as "parish-place."

2. The people. A parish is not merely a place, but it is a place, as Mr. Schmiesing persuasively argues.

That said, what happens when, sad to say, a tornado comes through and flattens the beloved shrine and related buildings. Is that the end of "the parish"? No. If there is no desire to rebuild, then the "parish," understood fully, was already dead. A living parish will act instinctively and with great drive, to rebuild the physical place. Less traumatically, that community of people that corresponds to the place, will often agree to make additions to the physical place, adding a school, or a gym, or play fields or even expand (and in due course, modify and dare I say, to some degree, "destroy") the old church. Sometimes such changes can bring tears, but in the best cases, the outcome is judged better. Let us summarize this aspect as "parish-people."

3. The legal entity. I take it as a given that most Catholics, when they refer to a parish, even "their" parish, they are not thinking primarily of legal structures. Yet this is a very important aspect and I hasten to point out, this plays a central role in the argument Mr. Schmiesing is making. 

By legal structure, I mean this: under canon (i.e., church) law, a parish is a defined reality which also exists, in some fashion, under civil law. It acts together, it has rights, it can engage in business transactions, it can buy and sell property. I am not a canon lawyer and I don't wish to delay this post by running off to copy down sections of canon law. It's not necessary to do that, in order to demonstrate that this aspect of a parish is real, is it? If you want to explore this subject at length, I suggest you go searching online for the Code of Canon Law and for various experts who provide commentary on the same. For now, let us shorthand this aspect as "parish-corporation."

(4) Here's where I add what might be a fourth element, or merely a part of the third, or yet another to follow: the ecclesial relationship. As real as "parish" (in all its facets) is, it never exists without the larger reality of the diocese and the worldwide church. So until I can figure out a better terminology, may we summarize this as "parish-limb," as in a parish is to the whole Church as a limb is to a whole body? 

And let's note, necessarily in passing, that insofar as the parish can only be understood in relation to the whole Church, then we are necessarily talking about a reality rooted in the teaching of the Church, the tradition of the Church, both with upper- and lower-case Ts, and ultimately, rooted in the Holy Trinity. There are theological truths involved that necessitate certain limits on our possible approaches. 

5. Here's what I was going to list fourth when I started the list, until number 4 occurred to me. While number 4 might be better subsumed under another item, this one stands alone all the same: parish-priest. 

If you want to idle away some hours, spend some time investigating the following Latin words: paroecia and parochus. These are the words used in Canon Law (and I bet lots of other writings of the Church) for "parish" and "pastor," respectively, or perhaps more precisely, "parish priest," because the term pastor is used by the church for both a parish priest and for a bishop. 

But here's what I invite you to discover and digest: these Latin words are cognate; they come from the same root. It's not the case in English: priest and parish; priest derives from Greek presbyter and parish from Latin parochia, and -- ding, ding! -- guess where paroecia and parochus come from? 

This etymology unveils a truth rooted deep in our Catholic Tradition: that, in a real sense, the parish (paroecia) essentially relates to, and is even, at a certain point, identified with, the priest who is pastor (parochus). 

This is expressed in church law by designating the pastor, and only the pastor, as the one who can act for the "juridical person" of the parish-corporation; or, in his absence, the "vicar" who stands in his place. Church law often directs the parochus to seek counsel or even cooperation from others, such as a pastoral or finance council, and even the bishop, nevertheless, the parochus never drops out of the parochial picture; if he drops dead, someone else -- a vicar or a temporary administrator -- MUST take on his role. 

At the risk of sounding egotistical, there is no paroecia without a parochus. 

We might think of the family as an analogy; of course a family can have an absent father, an alienated father, a deceased father; and this is a wound; but there is no family without a father having been part of it at some point. 

Of course there can be temporary or abnormal expedients: the vicar (i.e., associate pastor), neighboring pastor, or a retired priest, can step in as needed. But these are temporary and abnormal, note well! Which means they should not be treated as the enduring, i.e., "normal" practice!

Now, let's go back to Mr. Schmiesing's article and the whole battle over Beacons of Light.

My friend is arguing passionately and persuasively for maintaining individual parish-corporations that are centered around parish-places, because they are so necessary to the continued existence of the parish as people. And he talks also about the importance of the parish-priest. 

But here's what he doesn't adequately address.

The sad reality is that not only today -- but for decades leading to today -- it has not been possible to center our existing parish-places, parish-people, parish-corporations, around an individual parish-priest. 

For decades, there has been a gradual shift from the reality envisioned by Catholic tradition and law, to an unhealthy, abnormal "normal": having multiple-personality pastors.

When a priest is asked to be pastor of parish A, and at the same time, pastor of parish B, and C (etc.), he is no longer one pastor; he is three pastors (or more, as the case may be). This is true, whether you who read these words understand the reality or not. 

Or, if you wish, you can think of a parish in such a "cluster" arrangement as having not a whole pastor, but a half- or third-pastor, which is true yet not the full story, which is worse; because it fails to convey the real and insuperable problem of being a pastor to more than one separate parishes; akin to being a parent to more than one separate families. 

I want to reiterate that I believe Mr. Schiesing and those who hear their concerns expressed in his eloquent plea are seeking, in essence, what I am seeking; the glory of God and the salvation of souls. And, to state again, I agree with him about the tremendous, even essential, value of a parish.

What I wonder, however, is how can a parish be healthy if what is demanded of the parish priest is unhealthy? Or, worse, fundamentally flawed at the root because it's contrary to what is intended?

Mr. Schmiesing asks for "pastors willing to do the impossible"; but is it a lack of willingness; or capacity? Is it truly wise to build a plan on people doing what is actually, literally, impossible? 

I have been two pastors in a prior assignment -- i.e., pastor of one parish while also pastor of another. Today, I am three pastors. It is not a matter of how much work I am prepared to do. It is a matter of not knowing how to be three distinct people. One answer is that this is a failure of mine, I readily grant. But are those who urge me to keep trying prepared to consider this: that perhaps one man simply cannot be multiple pastors and we are not considering the destructiveness of continuing to demand that?

I do not mean only destructive of the priest, although this is true and very often is dismissed as the priest being whiny or selfish or lazy. But setting that aside, have you considered the destructive effects on the cherished reality Mr. Schmiesing and all of us want to protect and strengthen: the fruitful nourishing of faith in the context of a "parish"?

Here I'll bring in a reality we all take for granted but not yet mentioned: the familial, and therefore, spousal, relationship of the pastor to his parish. There is a reason we call priests "father." Do we mean it?

I've been told that we really don't: by those who object to Beacons and also, by fellow priests, who see the moving-on from a pastorate as just one of those things, inevitable and even desireable. When I moved on from being pastor, twice, it was wrenching for me. Was I a fool to see those communities as my family? Would I be wiser to give up on that familial/spousal understanding, and see myself instead as just another professional with a job description heavy on executive and administrative responsibilities?

But if we do mean it -- and Mr. Schmiesing's article seems to take the fatherhood of a priest for granted -- then what can we possibly do with a situation where a father of a family must now take on a second family, and a third, and so forth. I mean this question in the full sense of every word: how does he do that?

How does a natural father do it? Does he maintain multiple households, preventing excessive mingling? Does he schedule himself to spend time in each? I am asking seriously: I do not see how this works. I think it necessarily is an artifice, jury-rigged, unnatural and unwholesome, not merely for the father, but for everyone. I marvel that there seems to be little public reflection on this point, other than people telling me I'm wrong to treat my fatherhood as real. It is tempting to agree as it solves many problems. Yet I can't put all the pieces together with that conclusion.

Let me put it this way.

If you identify with Mr. Schmiesing's cry of the heart that the parish reality he describes must be protected and not changed, then I must point out that your complaint is not with changes being undertaken today, or proposed for the next several years. No! You are rightly protesting changes that have been underway for decades, as the traditional reality of a parish centered, not only on buildings, people and legal structures, but also on a priest, has been gradually remodeled and ceased to exist in much of the diocese long before 2022.

A great portion of those who protest Beacons of Light are not asking for the traditional model back (because they concede that such is almost certainly impossible). Rather, they are preferring one hybrid over another. Instead of attempting a parish model with modified legal structures, resulting in a single parish-corporation intended to sustain multiple parish-places and parish-people groupings, they insist the legal structures must be sacrosanct; but at the enduring expense of the relationship to the priest. 

Canon law is a more essential substrate to parish life than the priest. That is the argument being made.

For the last time, I don't believe Mr. Schmiesing believes or intends this. But this seems to be the outcome of his argument, and I'm highlighting it for the mutual benefit of all.

A homily on sloth! (Sunday homily)

We’ve all heard of the seven deadly sins, I hope?

Just to remind you, they are: 

pride, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony, lust; 

and there’s one more we don’t talk about much: sloth. 

What is sloth? It is more than merely being lazy.

This is the sin of indifference; of not caring.

It can poison our zeal for the things we need to do:

Praying, going regularly to confession, being faithful to our obligations,

and providing for the needs of others.

Saint Augustine talked once about this life being a journey.

Sometimes, as for Job in the first reading,  

it is a “drudgery,” and a lack of hope.

When Job speaks of “months of misery,

and troubled nights,” 

lots of people can identify with that.

That discouragement can be lead to a “why bother” sort of attitude, 

And that is a form of sloth. 

Thinking about being on a journey:

Not so much in February, but – sometimes we’re driving home, 

and it’s a beautiful day and you love the scenery along the way.

Or – more usual in February – it’s sleet and snow, 

and you’re white-knuckling it as you slip-and-slide along I-75.

Either way, remember: 

the point of the drive home isn’t the drive, but home!

And this is where a rough ride through storms 

is actually less bad than a beautiful drive. Why?

Because one of the spiritual dangers each of us face –

on our “drive home” to heaven –

is that we fall too much in love with things along the way, 

and forget where you and I are headed.

That, too, is a kind of spiritual sloth:

gradually falling in love with this world and all it offers,

can make us gradually forget our first love, who is Jesus Christ.

Either way, sloth is simply not caring; 

either from being too sad; or from being too comfortable.

One way to identify sloth in our lives:

Are you or I so content with where we are, 

that we’re not actively thinking about what’s next.

So there’s the problem. What do we do about it?

Well, these readings give us some remedies.

Notice Jesus is busy taking care of other people.

If it seems like you’re carrying the weight of the world,

if you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself,

one of the best remedies is to check in with people who need help.

There are lots of ways to help. 

And if you are looking for how to make a difference, 

contact Jennifer Zwiers, our Director of Care. 

Her mission is to help our family of parishes go higher and farther 

in helping all the needy in our community. There’s more to do!

Another remedy for sloth is what Paul does: he keeps to his task.

He says, I’ve got a job to do. Maybe I feel like it, maybe I don’t – 

but I get down to work all the same.

Paul remembers why he’s doing it: he’s thinking of home; of heaven.

A third remedy: when you’re discouraged and tempted to slack off, 

That’s when you double-down. 

If you don’t want to get out of bed to go to the gym,

what does your workout buddy do? He texts you, “Get out of bed!”

You don’t feel like praying? That’s when you pray more.

Someone will say, “but I don’t feel like praying!”…

So what? Feelings are all that important.

I’m talking to our kids right now, are you listening?

I’ve got a secret to tell you, are you ready?

A lot of times, your dad and your mom 

don’t feel like getting up at 5 or 6 am to go to work. 

They don’t feel like making supper.

They don’t feel like helping you with your homework

or leading the family Rosary.

But they push ahead: it’s not about feeling. It’s about love.

Love is a choice, not a feeling; we choose to love God,

We choose to care for people around us, whether we feel it…or not.

It’s nice to have the good feels; but lots of times, that doesn’t happen.

Just keep going. We’ve got a journey ahead of us. 

Another provocative question about Beacons of Light

If you are in an airplane and the plane crashes and you and the other survivors are in the middle of unfamiliar landscape -- maybe a forest or a desert -- you have several options, perhaps more than you realize at first; but very likely, all are variations of bad. The one option you do not have is to roll back the tape and be back in the sky, in the plane, jetting toward your destination. 

What do you do?

One option that is almost certainly not preferable is to attempt to mimic the foreclosed possibility, say: everyone getting back in their seats, and having the pilot sit in the cockpit, and the flight attendants roaming the aisles, as if everyone was back in a better situation. That is to say, if what you want to do is recreate the desired-but-unavailable option, you are probably not choosing well. That is not to say that staying in the plane would be a worse option; it might actually be the best of all undesirable choices. But proceed with realism about what really is available, and what is not, and what the risks and benefits are of the various choices.

If you aren't sure what this has to do with Beacons of Light, ask. Better than assuming the answer and then attacking me, the messenger, for what you imagined I mean.

Do you think your priests are lazy and selfish?

It is a serious question.

In the context of the Beacons of Light project, in which the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is presently immersed, there are many decisions and steps being taken, to address two shortages:

a) People in the pews in many parishes, and

b) Priests suitable to be pastors.*

Some people deny that there is a shortage of pastor-capable priests; or they dispute that the specific tasks demanded of a pastor are really that demanding; any priest should be able to do it. Or, they dispute that a priest is even needed to administer a parish, it can be done by others. Or, they dispute that reorganizing things will do anything helpful.

Or, they ignore all these issues and simply oppose the changes because of the bad effects they foresee.

Most upsetting to many is the plan for the legal structures of parishes to be reorganized: so that, where there were multiple stand-alone parishes, there will be a combined parish, that will include multiple churches and other facilities, or for lack of a better word, "campuses," that correspond to the previously stand-alone, legally separate, parishes.

Nothing I'm saying here is dismissive of the concerns. So let's, please, not get sidetracked into reactions such as, "why don't you care?"

Which brings me back to the question posed by my headline: Do you think your priests are lazy and selfish?

It really is a serious question and here's why I'm posing it.

Your priests are telling you:

1) They cannot and will not continue with arrangements in which they are tasked with being multiple pastors. The "cluster" model, where a priest is named pastor of parish A, while being pastor of parish B, parish C, and so forth, with each parish a legally distinct administrative entity -- is wholly unworkable. It is BAD.

2) Being pastor is demanding in particular ways, even if that's not obvious to you; so not any priest can do it. That is no more a knock on those priests than saying that not all players on a team can be the pitcher or the wide receiver is a knock on those athletes.

3) The idea of having priests no longer be the administrator of parishes leads places the laity do not want. It may lead places our Lord does not want. In any case, such alternatives have not been well articulated.

4) The consequences of delaying and denying are worse than you think.

5) The Beacons of Light project is certainly not perfect, and there are plenty of legitimate criticisms. Still...

6) The two basic tasks -- reorganizing things to facilitate effective administration, and pivoting to evangelization -- are the best ways forward.

Again, this is what your priests are telling you. The Archbishop is telling you this. Why do you think?

Do you think we are lazy or selfish? Are we all stupid?** If not, then what?

I get that people don't like this. Neither do I. I very much get that many people really don't understand the realities of administering a parish, so they don't see why a priest would be so emphatic about the "cluster" model. But why is dismissing my observation the right answer? I submit the better response is to ask and listen. Especially to find out what I mean by points 3 and 4, because realize: that if these points are valid, the resistance to Beacons of Light may have worse consequences than people understand; wouldn't knowing the costs better make a whole lot of sense?

Finally, attack the messenger if you wish, but that's basically answering the question in the headline with a yes. What else is it?

Update, 2/4:

An anonymous commenter (or two) does not like this question. S/he claims it is an "attack" and an attempt to silence people.

May I suggest contemplating the following. Sometimes people -- say, teachers in a classroom, or speakers giving a talk -- will ask questions that are designed to be "provocative" in the best sense, meaning to provoke thought; to induce the listeners to approach the matter from a different angle.

You may not like the provocative question; you may not understand it. There are many ways to respond. You can ask more questions for clarity, or simply shrug it off. But telling the speaker who is posing a provocative question to shut up is missing the point.

Also, about anonymity: I choose not to disable anonymous comments, yet I tell you, if you choose to be anonymous, that hurts your cause. It's not necessary to sign up for anything in order to be non-anonymous. All you need to do is include a name or pseudonym with your comment. I don't care about your real name; you can be Daffy Duck for all I care. But when a series of anonymous comments are posted, how many actual people are involved? How does anyone know? Don't hide behind anonymity.

____________________

* A fellow priest adds this clarity: it isn't precisely a question of being capable of being a pastor anywhere; but having enough who are capable of being pastor in the great majority of parishes. The tight availability of priests for pastorates means mismatches, and the problems that arise are what I have in mind. Strictly speaking, Father X might be capable of being pastor in certain parishes, but not in many, or even most, others. This becomes a huge problem when your "bench" (to use a sports analogy) is extremely thin.

**I will be the first to acknowledge some are stupid, lazy and selfish. But all of us?

Why have a Catholic school? (Catholic Schools Week homily)

 This week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. 

Since we are a Catholic school, naturally that’s a big deal!

Someone might ask us, why have a Catholic school? 

Why not just have public schools?

The main reason is that we as Catholics 

understand the role of a school in a special way. 

The difference may seem slight to many, 

but it makes all the difference.

We believe that education isn’t just about lots of individual things,

It’s about the whole picture.

Who knows what a jigsaw puzzle is?

You know: it has lots of pieces, sometimes hundreds of pieces.

Some pieces by themselves might be kind of interesting; 

but most are just blobs – you can’t figure out what they are.

But you know what you get when all the pieces are together:

A face, or a building, or an airplane.

In other words, it’s when you get the pieces in place that you see it.

But notice, it’s not only at the end.

No, usually when you get about 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the pieces in place, 

you say, “aha! I know what this is!” 

And you hurry to finish it.

That is how Catholic education works.

We don’t only study the pieces; we bring them together.

So with our school. You study mathematics, reading, art; 

you spend time in the classroom, 

or you go out in nature, or you learn how to play at sports.

Or, you take time to send notes to people in nursing homes.

And you take time to pray and to worship God.

It’s all part of one picture, piece-by-piece.

We have a Catholic school because we want the whole picture, 

which includes the Father who created us, 

the Son, Jesus, who came to die for us, 

and the Holy Spirit who brings us all together.

The God who gives himself to us in the Bible and in the Sacraments, 

shows himself to us in history and chemistry.

Some people say God only belongs in church, not in the classroom. 

But in our school, everything belongs to God.

All of it is God’s gift to us.

One of the glories of education is the realization 

that you and I have not yet fully discovered 

how wondrous God’s Creation truly is! We never finish.

It’s hard to believe that not that long ago,

We didn’t have cell phones, or any telephones!

We didn’t have the Internet or airplanes, or automobiles!

It was only when I was a second-grader 

that human beings first dipped their toe into outer space, 

landing on the moon.

Perhaps when our second-graders are my age, 

Human beings will travel to another star?

The greatest thing God ever created, however, is not out there.

It’s here. It’s you. It’s me!

The human being, each of us, is God’s masterwork.

We know this, because he said so: we’re made in his image,

And we are the ones Jesus died for.

You and I don’t know how high our human abilities can soar.

Unlocking these gifts is what our school exists to do,

but just as much, to put it all together, so we see the face of God.

In the first reading, David’s mistake isn’t obvious.

The reason he ordered all the people to be counted 

was to use that as a measure of how strong his Kingdom was.

But here’s what he forgot: numbers are useful, to a point.

The real strength of his Kingdom was God, and he forgot that.

I want to challenge you, girls and boys.

And: I want you to challenge me!

Not just me, but [our principal], and all our parents and teachers.

Here’s the challenge: how high can we soar?

How deep can we dive, to discover the mystery of God and Creation?

I wish I could go to Mars! Maybe you will.

I wish I could paint like DaVinci or play like Lady Gaga.

Maybe you will.

Maybe you’re the next Einstein or Venus Williams, 

or Pope John Paul II?

God will speak. Share in the prophetic work. (Sunday homily)

 There is a key detail about the first reading 

that occurs in the verses just before what we heard today.

Moses warns the people: don’t go after soothsayers, 

don’t conjure up ghosts. You don’t need to do that. 

Rather, Moses said, God will give you a prophet.

This is a very important principle underneath our entire Catholic Faith. 

So simple that people miss it. But it changes everything. And it is this:

Our God is on our side. 

You and I don’t have to find some magic code to unlock his secrets. 

God wants to reveal himself. And he has!

He not only wants to light up the path for us, he already has!

Jesus says, in another passage, “I am the way.” 

You and I don’t slash our way through a dangerous forest.

No: we are given a big, beautiful highway, well lit, well marked.

Stay on it, all the way to heaven.

Not only need we not consult fortune-teller,

You and I absolutely must not do that. 

Why not? 

Well, first, since God says he doesn’t talk to us that way,

Then if you try to “dial up” God through a séance, 

then who are you really talking to?

You could be messing with spiritual evil.

Notice how Jesus handles demons. He doesn’t chat. He silences them!

The devil is a liar. Why would anyone want to seek his advice?

The second reason we don’t mess with horoscopes 

is because of what we’re truly trying to do:

which is to manipulate God.

There’s an ego thing here. 

We humans don’t want to be told to wait, or be patient, 

To be left out of the “inside story.”

That’s why people love gossip. And why we spread it, 

so people will think we’re wired-in. 

And that does so much damage.

You know works better, but we never want to say:

“I’m not that important; I don’t know anything!”

But Moses’ point – God’s point – 

is that you and I truly on the “inside” to the extent we need to be. 

We’ll get all we need.

So: Moses promised us prophets, and the final fulfillment of that 

is Jesus Christ, who is not merely “from” God, he IS God!

But here’s how we go to the next level. 

You and I aren’t merely along for the ride.

Jesus puts you and me to work in his prophetic ministry.

When you and I were baptized, we became part of Jesus, 

and therefore, we share in his prophetic authority, 

his kingly and his priestly authority. What does that mean?

Well, in the second reading, Paul explains 

that even whether you or I get married, or remain unmarried, 

is part of this prophetic task. 

Sometimes we want to have it both ways. 

When someone else is deciding, you or I might get our back up, 

and insist on telling that person how to do it. 

But then, if the one in charge says, OK, can you help with this? 

Some people say yes, but others will back away and say 

“oh no, that’s not my job!”

Jesus includes you and me in the whole project. 

We really are “insiders.” You want to be a prophet? 

Learn your faith, and be ready to share it.

Moses told us the true prophet says what God says. 

So if you and I want to be true prophets, 

we unite our message with what God speaks 

through the Body of Christ, the Church. 

Jesus gave his prophetic authority to the Church as a whole.

And if you haven’t figured it out, let me connect the dots. 

The “Beacons of Light” project underway in our parishes, 

together under the patronage of Saint John Paul, 

is about being – together – a prophet to our community. 

That’s what Archbishop Schnurr means when he keeps saying, 

and I say it too: we are going to focus on evangelization, 

more and more and more.

You and I, and everyone, from age 1 to age 101 and beyond, 

must get out of the mindset that we’re just…”absorbing.” 

We’re just along for the ride. No!

There’s urgent business of saving souls and changing lives. 

Jesus is on the move, and we’re moving with him. 

There’s work to be done, 

and everyone, without exception, has a part to play.

My version of the Archbishop's homily on the CMA (Sunday homily)

 Jesus has an urgent message in the Gospel. It can even be startling. 

Imagine sitting at the dinner table, 

You’re talking about sports or the events of the day, 

and a family member stands up and blurts out, 

“The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent!”

Something like that might be laughed off.

But if we take it seriously, it’s not change around the margins. 

It’s a total transformation. A new life.

So, for such a message not to be waved off 

requires a certain depth of credibility on the part of the messenger.

Notice the two things I am highlighting:

- Jesus’ call to us to change ourselves and to help others change, 

And

- Our own credibility as messengers for Christ.

That’s a good segue into our annual Catholic Ministries Appeal. 

This is the weekend all parishes in the Archdiocese 

highlight this project. 

Many times you hear an audio message from Archbishop Schnurr. 

I personally prefer to build my homily around his message.

The good parts came from him; any clunky parts are what I added!

The Catholic Ministries Appeal is something 

the entire Archdiocese does, together, 

doing so much to offer help and hope,

far beyond what any of us could do alone.

And the many good works of this fund 

are what show our world that we don’t just talk a good game; 

this demonstrates that we live it. 

That makes us credible witnesses for the Light of Christ 

in a world of many dark places.

Through the Catholic Ministries Appeal you and I support: 

Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio; 

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley; 

hospital, campus, and prison chaplaincies; 

the Center for New Evangelization; St. Rita School for the Deaf; 

Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology; 

and our retired priests and senior clergy. 

This is how you and I serve hundreds of thousands of meals 

every year to the hungry, 

and provide a life-changing education at St. Rita School for the Deaf.

Last year, we welcomed seven people in prison, into the Catholic Faith. Our hospital chaplains, in their outreach, 

made more than 40,000 visits to patients and families.

If you have a family member in college, 

our campus ministries are helping them live their faith 

at a challenging time in their lives.

We ordained seven men to the priesthood last spring, 

along with fourteen men as permanent deacons. 

More than 50 seminarians are studying for our archdiocese, 

and we have more than 100 retired priests, 

many of whom, like Father Tom Shearer, 

are staying active and providing invaluable help. 

The one-day Genesis pre-Cana retreat for engaged couples 

offered throughout the year was made possible by 

the Center for the New Evangelization. 

The same Center also brings Totus Tuus 

to our parishes each summer for our children.

To repeat: this $5 Million fund is a way we, together, 

can shine the light of Christ in our community, 

showing this community we are serious about following Jesus.

Last year’s CMA campaign reached new heights in lives changed. 

On behalf of Archbishop Schnurr, 

thank you to everyone who helped in the past, 

and thank you for your continued involvement. 

If you have not donated to the CMA in the past, 

please consider joining thousands of others this year

in supporting these worthy ministries.

Ultimately, this is an opportunity to give a response, 

not to the Archbishop, but to God. 

This is one practical way you and I say thank you, 

and make a difference. 

'Stay close, stay quiet' (Sunday homily)

(Source: The Pitzviews Blog) 

If you want to boil down these readings to a few key words, 

how about this: “Stay close; stay quiet.”

Samuel is in the House of the Lord. 

God is speaking to him but he’s too quick to act; 

he runs around, and Eli tells him: stay put, stay quiet. 

That’s how Samuel begins to hear God and to know God.

You and I are all different. 

Some of us are all action, no contemplation. 

Others of us are always up inside our head, 

and just getting out and volunteering at a homeless shelter 

or visiting someone who is in trouble might help us rebalance. 

You know who you are. 

If God is nudging you, either toward more quiet, or more action, 

Make Samuel’s words your own: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

Now, let’s talk about the Gospel. 

Did you find the reaction of the two disciples humorous? 

When Jesus asks, what are you looking for? 

Their answer seems odd: where are you staying? 

We might imagine Jesus saying, 

“uh, at the Holiday Inn, why do you ask?”

But it turns out, they ask the perfect question!

They could have asked, “Who are you?” 

Or, “What’s special about your teaching?” 

Or, “what will it cost us to be your followers?” 

But where Jesus is – and being with Jesus – is the perfect focus.

Staying close and quiet with Jesus will give them all the answers. 

Here’s something we’ve all seen.

A small child is in a crowd of people, lost in thought, 

or looking around, assuming mom or dad is right there. 

After a bit, the child looks up with fright: 

"Where's mom? Where's dad?!"

They’re only a few feet away, but it’s still a shock,

and the child scurries to grab mom or dad’s leg.

You and I are that child. It is so easy to focus on our own stuff, 

and to lose track of how close we are to Jesus.

And since we’re not talking about physical nearness, 

but nearness of heart, doesn’t that make it trickier to perceive 

if we’ve drifted off? How do we know?

When it’s our physical health, how do we monitor it? 

We learn to read the signs of our own body, and pay attention. 

Maybe you check your forehead 

or listen for any wheezing in your chest. 

Also, we know better than to go only on what we learned as a kid. 

Don’t we all try to read and learn more about our own health?

And at certain points, we go to the doctor for advice and check-ups. And if we don’t, you and I know that’s the wrong move.

Why be surprised that our spiritual health works in a similar way?

There are too many people who stopped learning about their faith after 8th grade. 

Would you do that with your car, or your checking account?

And there is no substitute for regularly examining our conscience. 

It’s going to be way more fruitful if we put in some real effort. 

There are many resources available online, 

just google, “Catholic examination of conscience.” 

They usually take you through the Ten Commandments. 

Do all ten, not just the ones you think you’re good at!

And that pairs with confession. 

Apologies to all dentists, but not many of us 

really enjoy getting that teeth cleaning. 

It’s not better when you put it off!

And as the spiritual dentist, I can assure you:

going to confession is way, way, less unpleasant

than the pokey-pokey in your teeth and gums! 

If we prepare well, it’s a breeze. 

If you and I keep coming, it will bear great fruit. 

The greatest of that fruit is knowing 

whether we’re staying close to Jesus, 

and learning how to stay quiet in order to hear God speak. 

Notes on 2nd Sunday readings

People often wonder about how priests do what they do. When I'm not too absorbed actually doing it, I do like to write about these things on this blog. Last year I found a little more time to do so; God willing, I will find still more in 2024.

Here is a window.

Today -- Friday -- I finally got around to looking at the readings for Sunday. I'd have liked to have done so earlier in the week, but alas! 

One of my methods is to put fingers to keyboard, and type out thoughts about the readings. Thankfully, I can type reasonably fast (not as fast as a professional, but faster than many), so I can generate a lot of written thoughts in not too much time.

The next step is to reflect a bit on what I came up with, and out of it, draw some ideas or connections to develop further. The ultimate homily doesn't necessarily look a lot like the notes; it's a step toward the homily, which needs to be briefer, and in my judgment, more focused on what the hearer might conclude, or do, as a result of reflecting on God's Word. I have found a little exegesis goes a long way.

So here are the notes I generated this morning, over the course of about 75 minutes. Now I have to do the next step. You'll see the homily and you can draw your conclusions.

Notes on the readings…

1. What does it mean to say, “Samuel was not familiar with the Lord…the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet”? This could be a commentary on Eli’s witness and example; yet I think it is saying something more. While we certainly do learn about God from other people, both those who are poor witnesses and those who are faithful ones, nevertheless, each of us must come to know God directly. You can’t be someone’s friend through a third party; you become a friend directly.

2. There’s something amusing about how both Samuel and Eli react to God’s prompting on Samuel’s heart. Notice Samuel springs to action, just like a teenager or young man might. Eli is slowing him down, just as an older man might. But also: Eli is an experienced priest of God – yet it takes him a while to figure out what’s going on! Again, is this a commentary on his spiritual life (which would fit with other details in the rest of the book)? We might hope that Samuel, by his zeal, helps awaken Eli to his identity, parallel to the opportunity that arose when Samuel’s mother met Eli.

3. Eli gave Samuel excellent advice: be still. There is a time for action, but also a time for inaction. If you and I know ourselves, we will realize which way we tend to go. If you are more of a sit-still-and-reflect sort of person, you may need to stir yourself to more action. Getting out of your head, and out of the house, could be the best thing for you. Go volunteer. Turn off the TV or the Internet and all the talkers who don’t know nearly as much as they want you to think they know. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked. However, some of us tend the opposite way: we are all action, not so much contemplation. Follow Eli’s advice and sit still and face the silence. God will speak, although he may make you wait.

4. Notice what the text concludes about Samuel: the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect. What a strong statement! If you were a salesperson, wouldn’t you like every single pitch you make to bring a sale? How is it that Samuel’s word was so powerful? The answer does not lie in Samuel’s merit. While Samuel is an exemplary individual, he like everyone else is a beneficiary of God’s grace. You and I are always tempted to think, it is up to us to win God’s favor, to gain God’s help. Wrong! We start with God’s favor; God’s help precedes every possible move any of us make toward God. 

5. So why does God give Samuel this strong endorsement? I suggest two answers. First, because Samuel stayed close to God. Think of our Lady. She is utterly trustworthy as an example and guide solely and precisely because she is so intimately united to her Son, and thereby, to the Holy Trinity. Maybe the reason Samuel’s words were always effective is because he only repeated what God himself said. Look at our Savior in his temptation: note he merely quotes Scripture. Jesus is the Word Incarnate: anything he says, even, “good morning” is the Word of God! Yet in humility and as an example to us, and as a way to deny the enemy any information he is not entitled to, Jesus simply quotes the written word. If the Incarnate Son would take that approach, then you and I would do well to take note. 

6. The second possible reason for Samuel’s word to be always efficacious is the need of God’s People. This reminds us of how God operates with the Church and her sacraments. The pope, and the pope with the bishops, have the charism of teaching infallibly. The sacraments are intrinsically powerful and efficacious. This is for the benefit of the faithful. God does not need the Church to be infallible – we do.

7. Psalm 40 and its refrain are an obvious match to the first reading. But we might note something in the text about sacrifice and oblation: “Sacrifice or offering you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, ‘Behold I come.’” People point to this and other passages in order to argue sacrifice has no place, and sometimes they argue there’s a contradiction at work in Scripture. But St. Paul, who called us to present ourselves as a “living sacrifice,” and our Lord, who can be seen both relativizing sacrifice, and yet offering himself as the supreme sacrifice, surely knew these Scriptures better than those who make these arguments against sacrifice! So let’s resolve it.

8. The right answer is this: God indeed commanded sacrifice -- for our benefit. God doesn’t need sacrifice; but human beings need to offer it. Further, the sacrifices instituted in the Old Testament were a preparation for the sacrifice of the Cross, which is made present for all humanity, in all time, through the Holy Mass. 

9. And yet, the sacrifice itself – whether of lambs or the Lamb of God – is not an end in itself. Jesus offered himself on the Cross not because some “law” forced him. God could forgive and reconcile humanity any way he chose. St. Thomas Aquinas taught that because of the infinite worth of the Son, any suffering of his, however slight, would have been sufficient to atone for all sins. So, a scraped knee! All sacrifice, including THE Sacrifice, are in service of the great goal of healing the breach between God and Creation. In God’s judgment, it was the best way.

10. Subordinate to that: our offering of sacrifices, our penances and self-denial, likewise are not ends in themselves. They are worthwhile only to the extent they are truly united to Christ in his supreme obedience. So we might recall the words of Samuel, later in this same book: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the LORD’s command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams.”

11. Saint Paul’s words in 1st Corinthians point to many realities. First, we can make an easy and obvious connection: the best way you and I can “glorify” God in our bodies is precisely to “offer” ourselves as a living sacrifice. God understands that our penances help us, but above all, he asks obedience. 

12. Saint Paul is emphasizing here that our bodies are just as much a part of our response as our souls and our wills. There has always been a temptation to treat our bodies as merely “shells” and that how we use our bodies isn’t all that important. So we might misuse our bodies, not such a big deal; it’s the “spiritual” sins or virtues that matter more. But you and I are kidding ourselves if we think we can be physically lax yet be spiritually sharp. God created us as a union of spirit and body; both are “us.” In the end, we get our bodies back, new and improved. That’s the Resurrection. Note that we don’t escape our bodies to live eternally as disembodied souls. That will be our existence for a while, but the goal is the complete restoration and glorification of Creation, including us, as body-spirits.

13. Yes, it is likely Paul is referring particularly to sexual immorality; still, Paul would shake his head if anyone thought his points pertained solely to that. It is all of a piece. If we do not obey God when it comes to our sexual capacity, how does that help us obey God when it comes to any other capacity of ours? Chastity teaches us to put others first, to be generous, and to know how to set our own desires, even the strongest ones, aside for true love: which is seeking the best for others. Some people want to say, oh I’m fine with all “the Church’s” teachings about morality in general, but on sex it’s just all so outdated and not relevant! It’s all of a piece, and it all originates from the Creator, not the Church; and the Creator never gets outdated or irrelevant!

14. The truly startling thing that Paul says is so frequently missed: he tells us that your body, my body, is Christ’s Body! We are all one body. Again, we want to marginalize this as merely a metaphor but Paul couldn’t be more insistent, and rightly understood, more LITERAL. Recall again the great project: to restore Creation; and now let’s note the difference the Incarnation makes: God (while still being uniquely God) has become – in the Son – part of Creation! “One Body.” Every time you and I choose either vice or virtue, Jesus is included!

15. Now we come to the Gospel, and how many interesting connections we can make! John the Baptist has the briefest cameo, fitting because he is the Voice who proclaims the Word, and then recedes, the servant having fulfilled his mission faithfully and to the full. He is another Samuel: was any word of John’s without effect? Samuel had the unhappy mission of instituting a flawed, doomed kingdom, with Saul. John has the happy mission of ushering in the true King! 

16. And of course, don’t miss John’s effective word: “the Lamb of God.” He could have called him king or prophet or priest; yet he summarized who Jesus is as “Lamb of God.”

17. His followers get the point; they immediately follow Jesus, which John wanted to have happen.

18. Their response to Jesus asking, “what are you looking for,” is comical: “Where are you staying?” I wonder if they were just perplexed and didn’t know what to say, and this is what comes out. And yet they lurched unwittingly into a profound insight: their question is actually the best one of all!

19. Consider what they might have asked: “What is your teaching?” Or, “Who are you?” Or, “What will it cost to follow you?” But in fact, their question really is the best. If you and I seek where Jesus is – we stay with him – we will learn all we need. We will discover who he is. We will recognize not only the cost, but what we are prepared to give; and either depart as some do, or see it through to the end, as Peter and all (but one) Apostle did. How did Samuel always have effective words to give; perhaps because he stayed where the Lord was, and absorbed his words. How happy would you and I be if, at the end of our lives, people said of us: all Martin – or Susan or Tom – was about was the Lord!

See the Light, be the light (Epiphany homily)

 This is going to sound hokey, but: 

the title of my homily is: “See the light – be the light.”

We start with the Magi, these Wise Men, 

these seekers, in the Gospel. 

They saw the light. 

A star caught their attention, and they followed it.

God has a lot of ways to get our attention. 

It may not have happened to you, but it has happened to a lot of us. 

A lot of folks here can remember a time when God set them straight, 

turned them around, answered a prayer. 

 

When I was 19, I was in my first year of college, 

and I was at a point in my life 

when I was starting really to ask questions about God, 

about being a Christian. And I was going to a Bible study. 

And out of the blue, I heard Christ speak in my heart. 

I can’t really put it into words, but it was clear: 

he was calling me to follow him, 

just like he did with Peter and Andrew, James and John and others.

That was my experience; other people have different experiences.

One way or the other, God gets your attention.

For these Seekers in the Gospel, it was a star. 

They saw the light, and they followed it.

And that light brought you here, whether you realize it or not.

But notice what the other readings talked about. 

Isaiah told us that the Light would shine first on his people, Israel. 

But then, the light would shine to the world. 

How does the Light reach the whole world? That’s your part, and mine.

The Magi did their part; later the Apostles, 

and those who knew them; 

and generation by generation, the light has been passed to you.

I am speaking right now to our kids – you have to listen now!

Kids, teens: do you realize what happened when you were baptized? 

The priest or deacon handed a light – a lit candle – to your godparent. 

And that godparent’s job, with your parents and family, 

is to get that light of faith into your hands, 

so it’s not theirs, but yours.

That candle stands for the light you and I receive in baptism, 

and no matter what any other people may do – or not do –

nothing can extinguish that flame. Only you and I can do that.

When we’re kids, or in our teens, we might say:

Oh, mom and dad didn’t tell me, they didn’t push me.

And you know what? 

There is always something more mom or dad could have done. 

That’s one of the heartaches of a parent: “I could have done more.”

But if you are hearing my words, even very young, 

then the candle, the flame of faith, is already in your hands.

And you can make things happen if you really want to.

That goes for everyone here.

One of the great gifts God gives us, is to rekindle that flame

when we go to confession. God wants us filled with light. 

The fuel of that flame is the Holy Spirit.

You know what a saint really is? 

An ordinary person like you, 

who invites and allows the Holy Spirit to make that flame explode! 

Be that light. Let it happen in you.

You and I will not know, until eternity, 

how even the smallest words or actions of ours 

can set great things in motion. 

When you are out and about, eating a meal, 

don’t be afraid to make the sign of the cross and say grace. 

It’s a small thing, but powerful.

Each of us has been at the store and 

seen someone who was grouchy and difficult. 

Maybe we were that grouch!

It can make a hard-working person’s just to add some kindness.

A day’s worth, a week’s worth, of faithfulness and grace 

can become a life’s worth of witness, 

and it adds up to a blazing sign of God’s grace.

You and I are here: we have followed the light, 

whether we knew it or not, leading us here – in Jesus’ presence. 

Ask him, invite him, to make you a light.

Measuring up to the Holy Family! (Sunday homily)

 If you have been keeping track, 

we heard about eight people in these readings: 

Abraham and Sarah and Isaac; Simeon and Anna; 

Mary and Joseph, and the Lord Jesus.

Each one, in a different way, had faced hard blows. 

Think of Sarah’s heartbreak in not being able to have a child. 

Anna who lost her husband after only seven years of marriage. 

Mary and Joseph having their lives turned upside down by God’s Plan.

So, a simple lesson. You are not alone. 

If you think your life is a mess; 

or if you are discouraged, or even ashamed, 

by the problems your family has, you are in good company.

And I will make a further point. 

When God asked these folks to take a step of faith,

Each of them could have said, “Not me!” for good reasons.

Too old! Abraham and Sarah could have said.

I’ve suffered enough, Anna could have said.

I have no experience, Mary could have said.

On this feast of the Holy Family, 

it is really important to remember that no family, 

including the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, 

fits the “ideal” – 

that is, the ideal that is portrayed in happy stories, 

or which we concoct in our own imaginations.

No family is like that, because it does not exist!

And the thing is, that’s an invented ideal; it’s not God’s.

Realize that holiness is not something we will eventually get to, 

after the holidays, after the bills are paid, 

once things settle down at work, once the children are a little older, 

when we have a little more financial security…

You get the idea? Later, later…

No. The Holy Family is holy not in idyllic serenity 

but in hectic, even frantic circumstances. 

They have money problems. They are looking for housing. 

Joseph is looking for work. 

They face prejudice and gossip. Their taxes are too high. 

The Romans push them around. They are in danger of death – 

they have to flee to another country. 

They are separated from friends and family. 

In the midst of all this, somehow they find time to worship; 

Joseph, after a long day’s work, finds time to pray and listen to God.

Mary ponders all these things in her heart.

They find holiness not apart from, 

but precisely in these circumstances.

That’s how it was for the Holy Family, 

and that’s how it is for you and me.

The many musical Christmases

During Christmas week, I especially like to listen to Christmas music, and I enjoy pretty much all of it. Relaxing after a particularly demanding few days, I am considering the taxonomy of Christmas music. Or, to put it another way, when it comes to music, there are many Christmases:

Pelagian Christmas

Pelagius was a figure from the early age of Christianity; he argued that our salvation depends, at least to some extent, on our own effort. This is heresy, yet there's a Pelagian in all of us, and this mindset shows up at Christmas time: "He knows who's naughty or nice..." ("Santa Claus is coming to town") and "I ain't getting nuttin' for Christmas" (because I ain't been nuttin' but bad).

Mythical Christmas

It's fascinating how capacious Christmas is! It has plenty of room for themes that have developed their own rich traditions, but like a very old family tree, the junction point with the main line is very far in the past. Here I place "Frosty," "Rudolph," "Grinch," and the like.

Cozy Christmas

This is where I place all the songs emphasizing family and home: "There's no place like home for the holidays," "The Christmas Song," and I think I just heard, "Cozy Christmas."

Party Christmas

Lots of the music we love is just about celebrating, almost to a manic level: "Rock around the Christmas Tree," and "Jingle Bell Rock" come to mind; but what about, "Deck the Halls"? 

Weather Christmas

Here's where all the songs that are really about the weather go, and probably number one is "White Christmas." I bet you can think of more?

Winter songs (not really about Christmas)

Did you realize how many songs we associate with Christmas, have nothing to do with it? "Sleigh Ride," "Winter Wonderland," "Baby, it's cold outside," "Let it Snow" all come to mind.

Romantic Christmas

This is a huge category, from the terribly unsubtle, "All I want for Christmas is you," to the lovely "Christmas Waltz." 

Sad Christmas

More Christmas music is sad, I think, than people notice. For example, "I'll be home for Christmas," (if only in my dreams), and "Blue Christmas." This overlaps with the romantic category: "Baby, come home!" Shall we put here, "Do they know it's Christmas"? I also put here, "I saw Mommy kissing Santa" -- think about it. Nat King Cole did one called, "The little boy that Santa Claus forgot."

Materialistic Christmas

Here I put "Jolly Old Saint Nick," "Christmas comes but once a year"; but the definitive take must be, "Santa Baby." That said, Eartha Kitt's gem, or Chuck Berry's "Spending Christmas" are really wry commentaries on materialism, aren't they?

Cynical Christmas

"Grandma got run over" might be number-one here. And you can do a search for "anti-Christmas songs" if you wish. 

Jesus Christmas

And then, of course, there is the Reason for the Season, the Incarnation, for the salvation of humanity. These are still the chart leaders. Three that stand out to me are, "Of the Father's Love Begotten," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "Joy to the World." But please don't fix the lyrics.

Would you create any categories? Where would you put any songs you have in mind?

Why are you here? (Christmas homily)

 For almost everyone, 

this time of year is a jolt of emotional caffeine.

Not only do many of us eagerly anticipate this season of cheer, 

we make sure we gulp down every drop of it, 

punctuating every “Ho” and ringing those Jingle Bells like a maniac.

Why do sensible people crawl around on their roofs, first in November, 

and then again in January, to put up and take down lights?

Why do you and I load up our charge cards and our grocery carts? 

There’s a reason ads for gyms and diets show up in January!

People will say, oh the advertisers make us do it! They force us!

Gimme a break! Let’s be honest: We love it!

My question is, why?

Not everyone’s answer will be the same.

For some, it is a way to combat 

the gloom of darkening skies and poignant memories.

Others might simply ask, does having fun really need a reason?

So let me tighten the focus of my question.

Why should all this merriment include our presence here, tonight?

Why are you and I here?

Now, some might not want to admit out loud, that the truth is, 

“mom” – or grandad or spouse – “made me come.”

Or, “it’s just what we do.” Or, “it’s for the kids.”

But if you think about it, there’s still an unanswered “Why?”

Why is it “for the kids”? Why should anyone be here?

See what a mean priest I am,

Making you do a little work before the celebration.

In case it’s not obvious, or in case no one ever explained this:

The Christian Faith is founded on assertions of fact.

Not stories. Not theories. Not dogmas.

The bedrock underneath everything is summed up 

in three words in the Creed we profess every Sunday; 

and tonight/tomorrow, we kneel for these three words: 

“And became man.” 

God out there – somewhere! – came here, 

became human flesh in the womb of Mary, 

without the help of St. Joseph.

God became what we call a “fact.”

A material, physical, fact.

Either that happened, or it did not. 

Either Jesus is God, “true light from true light,” 

or he is just a tragic figure from long ago.

There is no half-way position here.

I understand why people might say, “I don’t believe it.”

Obviously, I don’t agree, but let’s recognize that

it takes a fair amount of courage to commit yourself, 

to take a definite stance that, there is no God, there is no savior, 

other than what we human beings might be able to do for ourselves.

But since I already started making you uncomfortable, 

I will go a little further. 

While it is certainly polite not to blurt out, 

Over Christmas dinner, “I don’t believe in God!”

It doesn’t make sense to waffle on the question. 

It makes no sense to say, “I’ll wait and find out!”

Would you take a job, or buy a house, that way?

“I’ll wait and find out!”

Why would anyone wait until That Day, 

to think about, and prepare for, That Day?

After all, why would God go to all this trouble – 

Being born, one of us, living among us, going to the Cross, 

dying a horrible death, rising from the dead, and along the way, 

instituting the Church, the sacraments, and above all, 

the Holy Mass to “do in remembrance of me” –

If everything would wash out just fine, in the end?

God came here and became a fact for a reason.

And if there is a God, and he acts in time,

then you are here – on earth, and in this church – 

also for a reason.

Either God came to give bad news… 

In which case, “Boo-to-the-factor-of-Infinity-hoo!” 

(this is a really SAD day!)

Or he came to give Good News:

In which case, don’t you want to know what that is?

He actually gave us both bad and Good News:

Jesus came to tell us, to enter Eternity, you and I need to change;

and he came to offer us the grace to do that.

Don’t you want to ask for his help?

Here, you thought you were just coming to make grandma happy.

Little did you realize, God would meet you here tonight!

Planning Christmas Dinner

TOP* and I are planning dinner for Christmas. My mutual agreement, the menu is thus:

Antipasto w/aperitivos (yes, I know, this is a violation of Italian law):

Mixed cured meats, cheeses and olives. I plan a Martini.

Main course:

Rib Roast

Sauteed asparagus

Baked potatoes

Gravy

Yorkshire pudding

Dessert:

Apple pie a la mode

Digestivos:

Limoncello, Tuaca or Kahlua

To make this happen, some things have already been prepped. A very large rib roast was ordered (larger than I realized, we'll have more leftover than we'll eat), and has been rubbed down with Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, basil, thyme and rosemary. That went in the fridge Friday afternoon. (Sorry, no pictures, but when I park my car in the garage, I can't easily get to the garage refrigerator, and I'm enjoying my recliner at the moment before the second of three Masses today. Just another lazy priest.)

Just now I made some Yorkshire pudding batter -- that took about five minutes -- and it's going to sit in the fridge overnight.

I small discursus: one thing I've learned about cooking is to learn what things can substitute for other things, and other ways to improvise. Example: the recipe for Yorkshire pudding called for "whole milk." Except neither I nor TOP drinks milk, so there's none in the house. But we do have heavy cream (for coffee); so I improvised by using cream, plus some extra water to approximate milk; I bet it works, we'll see.

I've printed out recipes for everything else (oh, you think I have all this stuff in my head? Hah!). They are on the counter, ready for tomorrow.

My plan is "low and slow" with the roast, so that requires a "Critical Path" timeline to be worked out, which follows (revised slightly from print-out shown in photo above): 

8:30 am - start roast @ 150 degrees

9:30 am - check roast before Mass

11:30a    - check roast after Mass

2 pm       - check roast

2:45 pm   - prep potatoes

3:00 pm   - remove roast, rest 

                - oven to 400 degrees

        - potatoes in

        - fix antipasto

        - wine in fridge**

                - prep asparagus

                - finish gravy; keep warm

3:30 pm    - Evening Prayer

4 pm - potatoes out -- in warmer

                - oven to 550 degrees

                - sour cream, horseradish sauce out.

                - make drinks

        - Serve antipasto

4:10 pm   - roast in to sear

4:20 pm - roast out

        - yorkies in

        - fix asparagus

4:35 pm   - yorkies out

        - oven set for pie

        - pie in

4:35 pm - Main course

5:30 pm - pie out to cool

6 pm        - Dessert, coffee and digestivos ad libitum.

That's the plan, there's plenty of time between noon and 3 pm to get ahead on some things as I may be inspired. If things go well, I'll update with photos tomorrow.

Update, 6:11 pm...

The roast seems to be resting comfortably:

That's a six-bone roast; I didn't remember ordering that large a roast, but when I picked it up, it was all trussed up so nicely, I didn't want to untie it in order to slice it in half. We'll see what's left and freeze the rest if needed. FYI, I got a great deal on this: it was $9.99/pound when I ordered it; marked down to $7.99 when I went to pick it up. Rib roast or steak is normally between $15-17/pound. So when I ordered it, I got a whole loin, with the rest sliced up for steaks to put in the freezer. Perhaps people wondered why a priest was carting around so much beef at the store, but it was too great a savings to pass up!

Update, 2:30 pm...

The roast is closing in on the target temp, perhaps a little slowly, so I raised the oven temp.

Meanwhile, I've prepped everything else; the gravy is on a low flame to keep warm, the potatoes are ready to go in the oven when the roast comes out, and the asparagus is ready to sautee when the potatoes come out and the meat gets it's final sear, and then the yorkshire puddings go in.

Update, 3:30 pm . . .

The wireless meat probes weren't working all day, till a decisive suggestion by TOP worked: the meat came out of the oven around 114, now it reads 121, so we're in great shape. It'll go back in at the end for a sear. The potatoes are in the oven now, and it's time for Evening Prayer.

Update, 5:29 pm...

It all came together, a little messy but great. I was using a new set of wireless meat probes, and I hadn't quite figured them out. But in the end, they worked, and we had to speed up, then slow down, the roast, to get it to about 130 degrees. The yorkshire puddings had too much fat, so they were a little doughy, but I still loved them. The asparagus got a bit overcooked, but very tasty. The potatoes were perfect, and inebriated with butter and sour cream, they were sublime.

The roast was a lovely rose color, leading me to think that 125 would have been better (meaning, *redder*). It's always tricky getting these devices to measure just exactly how *I* think they ought to. All the same, the roast was awesome, and TOP reminded us: $7.99.

He's graciously handling the dirty dishes while the pie finishes in the oven. We wrapped up the remains of the roast; a small bit for the fridge, the bones, plus a full half of the roast, for the freezer. After taking care of God's People and praying our prayers, such a nice meal! Thank God for all his abundant blessings, above all, the Gift of His Son!

Update, 6:15 pm...

TOP came through! He kept an eye on the pie, and when the fullness of time had come, brought hot pie with Graeters vanilla ice cream! La dulce finita est! It will soon be time for the digestivos...

*The Other Priest.

** I'm assured by experts that red wine should be consumed somewhat cooler than room temperature.

Who is the 'mirror of eternity'? (Sunday homily)

You may have heard me say that Advent is mainly about eternity; 

it is about Christmas only because Christmas 

is a down-payment on eternity.

This helps us understand the readings. 

They are looking ahead to eternity, and that may be confusing.

But, see, Christmas, too, is really looking ahead – not back.

This is easy to misunderstand, 

especially because of how our society approaches Christmas.

Notice what happens every year.

We start seeing ads and TV specials hinting at Christmas 

back in September, even August.

Once Hallowe’en is over, it’s all Christmas, all the time, for two months.

It’s relentless; everywhere; till we arrive at December 25, FINALLY! 

See what we’ve done? We’ve turned Christmas into the climax.

But what if that’s all wrong?

Christmas isn’t the END; it’s the BEGINNING. 

It is the down payment on the complete redemption of humanity; 

on the New Creation, on what lies ahead for each of us.

When Christmas happened, 2,024 or 2,027 years ago, 

was the first, concrete beginning of salvation –

of a relationship with God being possible, of heaven being opened.

That explains the angels in the sky over Bethlehem.

If someone asks, why be a Christian, the short answer is, 

because of the eternity Jesus invites us to.

Jesus came to fix what went wrong with humanity.

That’s why he was born; that’s why he died and rose.

That’s what our Catholic way of living is all about.

You and I join our lives to his, living in him, watching for him, 

Till he comes again, if you will, to finish the job;

Not only for each of us, but for all Creation.

Our life is to be what Advent models for us:

Keeping our gaze on the far horizon of eternal life.

This is a good time to explain the ancient Christian practice 

of giving up marriage for the sake of the Kingdom, 

which lives on in priests and religious, of course. 

Why should anyone give up marriage for the sake of the Kingdom?

So many people, especially in our time, simply do not understand it.

Nor do they get why anyone would take vows in religious life, 

and enter a convent or monastery. 

Is it because we think marriage is something bad? 

Hardly: we call it a sacrament. Marriage is something very, very good.

And that is precisely the point. 

There’s nothing noteworthy about giving up a bad thing. 

But when someone gives up something extraordinarily good, 

the natural question is, why?

And the answer is, they are awaiting something even better. 

Eternity. Religious brothers and sisters, and priests, 

embrace celibacy in order to be a sign of contradiction – 

a sign of that “more” that lies ahead. 

In addition, those in religious orders take a vow of poverty as well;

And the point is that by living their consecration,

Their lives are lit by an other-worldly light. 

It’s not that all Christians can’t do this. 

Actually, what those who choose religious life do for each of us 

Is to be an amped-up, intensified example for the rest of us,

Showing us in a hyper-vivid way what our lives are meant for.

To be in religious life is to be a mirror of eternity,

so that people see in your life, not the ordinary things of this world, 

but the New Creation that we hope for.

That explains the celibacy, the attire, and living in a community.

How do you know if you are called to the religious life?

Well, if you find yourself longing for more: for more prayer; 

for more Mass; for more than this world can offer; for more Christ:

Then this calling may be for you. 

I want to remind you we have a second collection today 

to benefit those retired brothers and sisters 

who gave up so much of this world, 

precisely to be a shining witness of what lies ahead.

You are always generous, thank you in advance.

All the same, it is not only priests and religious 

who are called to be a witness to hope. 

Every single Christian – every one of us – 

is asked by Christ to be such a mirror of eternity.

Those in religious life aren’t living as they do 

merely to get themselves to heaven. 

They do as they do to get all of us to heaven.

The Immaculate Conception is hope for us (homily)

There is frequently confusion about what we are celebrating today. 

I am determined to correct this mistake every chance I get.

Pop quiz: whose conception – whose beginning of life – 

are we commemorating today? 

Is it (a) Father Martin Fox? No.

Is it (b) Jesus Christ? No, because that would mean

he was conceived on Dec. 8 and born 17 days later. 

So that leaves (c) "Someone else." And that someone else is Mary.

Mary's birthday is September 8; back up nine months: December 8.

It’s Mary who is conceived immaculately, or, without sin.

We mark Jesus’ conception on March 25, 

nine months before Christmas.

So, again, the Immaculate Conception is about how Mary began her life.

If you’re wondering, then, why we use this Gospel, 

it is because it most clearly points to Mary’s Immaculate Conception. 

That’s in Luke’s choice of words – kecharitomene – 

which we translate, “full of grace.”

And the interesting thing is, to say Mary is “full of grace” 

is actually not strong enough.

Here’s a more literal sense of what the Archangel Gabriel said:

Hail, You who have been, and now are, 

perfectly, completely, and uniquely graced.

Get that? Mary was, and remains, 

perfectly, completely, and uniquely graced by God.

There it is: Mary has been free from sin 

from the very first instant of her life. 

Otherwise, it would not be true 

that she was “perfectly and completely” graced. 

Then there is another detail that confirms this. 

Later, Gabriel says, “the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” 

This unusual phrase refers back 

to the place of worship God told Moses to create at Mount Sinai.

God insisted that tabernacle be prepared perfectly.

How can we believe that God would have a higher standard 

for a tent in the desert, than he would for Mary herself?

The tent is a foreshadowing; Mary is the true tabernacle.

Remember, the first Eve – in the Garden – was conceived without sin. 

Would God do less for his own mother, Mary?

We might ask, what does all this mean to you or me?

This fills us with both confidence and joy.

God went to a whole lot of trouble, a terrific amount of planning. Why?

You are the reason. And so am I.

You and I were chosen; we were destined.

This all wasn’t done for Mary alone, or for Jesus alone.

The whole point is our eternal happiness!

Never doubt that you matter to God!

Today’s feast is the proof!

What Advent is really about (Sunday homily)

  I want to make three points in this homily.

First, I want to explain what Advent is really about – 

it’s not exactly what you may think.

We often say Advent is about preparing for Christmas, 

but that’s not exactly right. 

After all, what do the readings we just heard 

have to do with Christmas? It’s hard to see, isn’t it?

That’s because what Advent is primarily about 

is preparing for eternity; 

and only about Christmas, 

to the extent that Christmas, too, is also about eternity. 

So look again at the readings – 

doesn’t that explanation make a better fit? 

This is all about eternity!

The second thing I want to call to your attention 

has to do with the details of that first reading. 

This is such a powerful passage, it is deeply moving: 

God’s people are crying out to heaven for God’s grace:

“Why do you let us wander, O LORD…

 why do you let us “harden our hearts”? 

They are asking for the help of God’s grace, to be converted! 

It’s such a powerful prayer, isn’t it what so many of us pray? 

This prayer, this prophecy by Isaiah, do you know how it is fulfilled?

In the sacraments of the Church.

Beginning in baptism, the sacraments open us up 

to all the graces we need to be saved, 

beginning with the grace of conversion. 

But this is not a one-and-done process.

Since that’s not how we creatures of time operate –

We grow in maturity, we change, we’re up, we’re down –

So, God in his goodness, works with our frailty.

Our conversion is a process and we get constant help.

Yet this prayer is our prayer: we want to want it!

We need the Holy Spirit to give us the desire, 

to have that longing for conversion and holiness and heaven 

to grow in us.

And our Faith, our sacraments, help us with this.

So, I’m going to suggest:

This Advent, decide you want to begin a new habit, 

of coming regularly – if not frequently – to confession.

Sometimes people will object, 

“but I don’t know what to say in confession!”

What can I say? Unless your daily life is like that of Mary and Joseph, 

I’m guessing there’s plenty to say. 

Start there, with how you get along with your family, your spouse, 

your kids, your coworkers.

There will be extra opportunities during Advent, 

on top of the five hours we regularly have each week for confessions.

And I want to say something more. 

The other priests and I talk frequently 

about offering more times for confessions on a permanent basis.

But here’s what we priests have no clue about:

What day, what time of day, would work for you,

with your busy schedule of work, or school, or family.

So, we guess, and add hours on this evening or this morning.

Your feedback would be very helpful. 

Tell me if this or that time works. 

The more information I have from you on this topic, the better.

Here’s the final point to make: 

God wants to forgive us! God wants to forgive us!

Why do I make that point so strongly? 

Because there are many who express great fear:

Maybe I didn’t confess my sins exactly right, 

maybe I need to do it all over again.

And I want to ask: Do you think God is setting you up to fail? 

Do you imagine God is playing tricks on you, 

as if we were all in some cosmic game show – 

and if you or I answer wrong, whoops! Oh, too bad!? 

Stop and think about who you really think God is.

And so I repeat: God wants to forgive us. He wants to help us.