Sunday, March 31, 2019

Confession: get up and go! There's the Father (Sunday homily)

If you have ever wondered what God is like – 
what our Father in heaven is really like – 
this parable is where you must begin and end. 

Jesus is showing us, in a powerful and moving way –
Who God the Father really is.

I will do what I can with this passage, but not well enough.
Please, whenever you can, re-read this passage in Luke Chapter 15.
Again: Luke, Chapter 15. Read it and reflect on it. 
It will speak powerfully to you, if only you give it time.

Which of these two children do you want to be?
Would you like to seek high adventure on the road? 
Or stay close to home?

Would you enjoy spending money freely? Or working hard every day?
Do you want to end up with nothing? Feeding pigs and envying them?
Or would you rather be the brother 
who thinks he never did anything wrong?
Who can’t think of anything his Father ever gave him?

Do you want to see the Father run toward you, overjoyed to see you?
Wrap his arms around you – crying for so long to mourn over you, 
but now, with bursting joy to have you back again?

Well…are you prepared to open your heart and abase yourself,
Confessing openly your sins? 

Or do you find yourself unable to think of a reason to go to confession?
You see, every one of us is, at one time or another, either son.
Have you ever wandered away from God?
Or, do you see yourself as the good person, who doesn’t do that?
You are one of these children – or both.

As I’ve said before, as Deacon Meyer said last week, 
Lent is all about conversion. 
If you aren’t thinking about, praying about, 
working toward your own conversion, 
you are missing entirely what Lent is.

Of course, maybe you need no conversion? Then Lent makes no sense.
The Mass and the sacraments make no sense.
Our Catholic Faith makes no sense; because it is for sinners; 
for people who stumble and fail and get frustrated because they do.

We’re halfway to Good Friday and the Cross, 
to Resurrection and the empty tomb.
If you’ve stumbled during the first half of Lent, don’t give up, get up!
Don’t be ashamed to struggle – our Father is not ashamed of you!

And in case I wasn’t obvious enough:
If you want to experience the Father Jesus shows us in the Gospel, 
COME TO CONFESSION!

None of the reasons not to go make any sense. Not one of them.

It must have felt awful for that younger son, day by day, 
realizing how foolish he’d been, 
how rotten he’d been toward his Father; 
and as his life spiraled down, each day was a fresh opportunity 
to reproach himself and rehash all his mistakes.

But as bad as that was, there is worse:
You are safe at home, and when you think about your lost brother,
all you do is dwell on how he wronged you, and your Father.
Rehearsing that, day by day. Stoking resentment and anger.

Both sons went wrong. But only one goes to confession 
and experiences God’s endless, unbelievable, tidal wave of love and forgiveness.

And I want to pause here and make one point in bold, CAPITAL LETTERS
WITH UNDERLINING AND EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!

When you and I confess our sins to God, and he forgives,
They are gone. Gone, gone, gone-issimus gone;
Gone to the maximum gone-ness;
Goniest, goney-gone gone!

Get that? Where are those sins? What happened to them?
God forgave them and they are GONE!

No, people don’t do that for you. But God does. That’s Good News!

In the first reading, Joshua and the rest of God’s People 
crossed the Jordan and left behind, forever, 
the reproach of slavery in Egypt.
They entered into a new land and a new life.
That is us, led by Jesus. 
And if passing through the Red Sea was a symbol of baptism, 
What might it mean that they later passed through the Jordan?
Maybe that’s the forgiveness of the sacrament of confession.

So again, Lent is your time and mine to make a similar journey.
And if you feel like you’re going in circles? “I’ve been here before!”
God’s People said in the desert, a lot!
Our job isn’t really to know the way; 
and even if we doubt we can make it, that’s not the worst thing. 

Actually, the only thing you and I have to do is let Jesus lead us.
And when the Holy Spirit says – as he said to the younger son – 
“it’s time to get up and go!” That’s what we do.
Look! There’s the Father, waiting.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

'The Scandal' and the Cross (Sunday homily)

There was a news item last week concerning an opinion survey.
It found that a shocking number of Catholics 
have considered giving up their Catholic Faith, 
in light of reports about scandalous behavior 
by priests and neglect and coverups by bishops.

I have several reactions to this.
Part of me is shocked that so many people 
would consider leaving their Catholic Faith behind.
For those who rarely come to Mass rarely, it was almost half.
For people who attend Mass weekly, it was over 20%.
That’s a lot of people. That’s both shocking and discouraging.

At the same time, there actually is something positive in this.
People are paying attention. 
They are thinking about how this affects them. That is good!

This is not Pope Francis’ Church, or Archbishop Schnurr’s Church,
Or mine. The Catholic Faith belongs to ALL of us.
So while I understand the anger and the questioning – I’m angry too! – 
the answer is not to walk away, but to fight!

Let me connect this to the readings a little; 
and as a bonus, I can explain that first reading, 
which is pretty obscure.

No doubt you’re wondering what is up 
with the “smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,”
which passed between cut-up animal carcasses!

Oh, and just to lighten things a little.
You may remember that at one time, 
this used to be translated, a “smoking brazier” – 
which sometimes readers didn’t pronounce correctly, 
and so it ended up sounding like an article of clothing, 
and isn’t that a dramatic image!?

So, anyway, dead animals and a flaming torch – what’s up with that?
The ritual was that you cut up the animals, 
and then, by walking between them,
it means, “may this happen to me if I break my word.”

The flaming torch? That stands for God.
In other words, God the Almighty was pledging himself to Abraham, 
may I die rather than break my word!

Abraham must have wondered, how can God pay with his life?
But of course, you and I know the answer to that!
We know Jesus, who is God-become-man, who paid with his life!

That’s what’s going on behind the Gospel reading.
Just before he gives his Apostles this vision,
He had told them: they are on the way to Jerusalem, to the Cross.
That’s the “exodus” that he discusses with Moses and Elijah.

And that Exodus – that Passover – is what the Eucharist is all about.
Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, and we eat his body and blood.
And notice: God went beyond his word:
Because he kept his promise to Abraham; and still he died on the Cross!

This sacrifice of the Cross – this is what the Holy Mass is.
This is what we are privileged to share in each time we’re here.

So here’s the thing about these discouraging news items.
First, no matter what else you and I feel about all this,
The fact remains that this Faith, our Faith, is all about Jesus.
He came, he gave his life for us, 
and he shares his Body and Blood with us.
God help me, God help me, but I can never leave that!

A second point. A parishioner said to me last week: 
maybe this is what a purification looks like?

As awful as it is to see all filth aired out, it is needed.
And the upside is that this helps keep the pressure on
the pope and the bishops. 

I do not say that with any disrespect.
Archbishop Schnurr has said he wants to be held accountable, 
and he wants other bishops held accountable.
The more he hears from you? That helps him.

The Holy Father, I think, is surrounded by people who tell him, 
this is just a few loud voices in the U.S.
The more you and I speak up, that will help the pope be strong.

What else do we do? This is the hardest work:
To help purify the Church, each of us must ourselves grow in holiness.
You might say, but it’s the bishops, the priests, 
who need to be holier! And you are absolutely right. 
But let me tell you, when a lazy priest or a business-as-usual bishop 
spends time with the faithful who are fired up?
Something has to give. 

One of the benefits for me being here is that you challenge me.
Lots of parish priests have a half-hour, or an hour of confessions.
When I arrived here, his parish had over five hours a week,
and you wanted even more! 

For me, sitting in the confessional challenges me 
to reflect on my own sins, and it keeps me going to confession.
I thank you for that.

So, you and I, like Jesus and the Apostles in the Gospel, 
are drawing near Jerusalem. We are headed toward the Cross.
What we do in solemn ritual during Lent 
is what each of us lives with every single day. 
That’s why we do it here, so our lives make sense.

Every generation of Christians, in every culture, 
lives in the shadow of that Cross. 
For so many, it has been persecution.
For you and me, it is this excruciating purification.

Keep praying that God purifies his Church. His bishops and priests.
And remember what this Mass is.
Remember that when we take the Body and Blood of Jesus to our lips, 
that is God keeping his solemn pledge to us.

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Learn the power of 'No' (Sunday homily)

Let me repeat something that is so simple we may miss it:
Lent is all about conversion. 
That’s the point of self-denial, of taking more time for prayer, 
and of giving away money or things to others.

You and I don’t do these things to gain more of God’s love, 
Because He already loves us as much as he possibly can.
We also don’t do these things to fit in with others – 
wrong reason there!

No: the only point, the only value, is the extent to which
these sacrifices or additional prayers advance our own conversion.
The only real point is to move closer to being the saints
we’re destined to be.

So here we are at week one. We start with humility.

In the first reading, the faithful Israelite must confess:
My father was a nobody. My ancestors were slaves.
We didn’t set ourselves free – God did it.
In fact, everything we have comes from God.

And in the Gospel, even Jesus the Lord humbles himself.
He goes hungry – and after 40 days, the hunger is becoming serious.

But perhaps the main thing we might notice
in the Gospel is the power of a single word: NO.

How much you and I need to learn the power of saying “NO”:
No to temptation; No to all the tasty and enjoyable things 
that are too important to us;

No to all the distractions and short-term things 
that occupy us so much, that fill our thoughts,
so that if we ever think about the long-term, 
it’s shallow and rushed, or only at the end of the day 
and we fall asleep before anything comes of it.

Let’s not mince words. This is really hard. 
It’s an essential part of our Lent.
Do you know how we know it’s important?
Because Jesus himself did it. 

He went into the desert and fasted.
He said “No” to pretty much everything – 
food, drink, entertainment, other people’s company –
before he launched on his great mission of our salvation.

He did it, without needing it, to be in solidarity with us.
And in doing it, he makes clear how much you and I DO need it.

By the way, if you’re wondering why we began Mass 
with the sprinkling of holy water, the answer is, 
we did this to remember our baptism.
Remember that Lent is also about preparing for baptism, and – 
for those of us who have been baptized – 
about renewing and reclaiming it.

And you might recall that when you and I were baptized, 
The priest asked three questions, and we – or our parents for us – 
gave three renunciations. Or, if you will, three “No’s”:

Those questions were:
“Do you renounce Satan?”
“And all his works?”
“And all his empty show?”

That lines up with what Jesus does in the Gospel, doesn’t it?

And notice, Jesus is tempted by the devil after 40 days.
That means his struggle with evil corresponds to Holy Week.
Good Friday represents the devil seeking to kill him,
Perhaps because he would not bow down to him.

In the Garden of Eden, 
Adam was fearful and failed to oppose the enemy.
But the new Adam wades into battle, refusing the devil’s offers,
And instead, renew his total trust in the Father.

You see, when we learn the power of “No” when it’s needed,
We gain the power of a true “YES” when that is needed!

YES to being truly generous with ourselves and our time and our stuff.
YES to trusting God with peace and calm.
YES to going deeper and farther, 
the way Peter stepped out of the boat, 
and walked – albeit briefly – on the water.

So if you want to take something away from this homily,
Take a simple word. That word is “No.”
Use this Lent to learn how to say that word and mean it,
In the face of all those things that get in our way and hold us back.
A “No” to the stomach, a “No” to the eyes, and a “No” to the ego:
So you and I can receive the fullness of God’s life.

That’s a good way to make Lent fruitful, don’t you think?

Saturday, March 09, 2019

'You are worth more than you think': a talk for women and girls of the parish

 https://www.biography.com/people/john-paul-ii-9355652

Every year in March we have a "Women's Day" at St. Remy: a morning of reflection, with Mass, confessions, adoration, a talk and then brunch. Here's my talk from today.

The title of my talk is, “You are worth more than you think.”
I prepared for this by re-reading Pope St. John Paul II’s letter
on the dignity of women, called MULIERIS DIGNITATEM, from 1988.

As you may recall, Pope John Paul would develop things
up from the foundation – so in this letter,
he starts out with the Book of Genesis.
And if you have heard of his “Theology of the Body” –
that is, his exploration of the meaning of God’s decision
to create male and female – you will find some of it here.
It is amazing how much richness Pope John Paul
was able to draw from the first few lines of Genesis!

The other thing you will find in that letter is a lot about Mary,
for two reasons.
First, the pope wrote this letter as part of a year devoted to Mary;
and second, if he is going to talk about the dignity of women,
of course he is going to end up talking about Mary,
who is the woman of all women in human history,
because she was predestined and prepared, through all time,
to be the mother of the Savior, the Mother of God.

So, if we do as St. John Paul did, and begin with Genesis,
then we lay down a couple of very fundamental truths.
First: this world, and everything in it, is God’s special creation.
His work of art.
There is nothing about this world that is not part of his design,
that God does not call “good.”

And then, Pope John Paul reminds us
that at the apex of all this artistry is the human being,
which God designed as “male and female.”

To quote Pope John Paul:
[T]he woman is created by God "from the rib" of the man 
and is placed at his side as another "I", as the companion of the man, 
who is alone in the surrounding world of living creatures 
and who finds in none of them a "helper" suitable for himself.

What does he mean there? He means,
the woman is just as much a person as the man.

But he goes on to say:

In the "unity of the two", man and woman are called from the beginning 
not only to exist "side by side" or "together", 
but they are also called to exist mutually "one for the other".

To say that man is created in the image and likeness of God 
means that man is called to exist "for" others, to become a gift.

By “man” here, he means the human being; all of us.
And notice what he says: we are called to “become a gift.”
This is who we are before sin enters in – which, of course,
this same part of Scripture describes right after.

When the man and the woman sin,
everything about this harmony is messed up.

God asks the man – what happened? And he says:
“The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.”
And later God will tell them their relationship will be poisoned:
He will seek dominion over her;
And to the woman, God says, “your desire shall be for your husband":
Which St. John Paul takes to mean that the woman
will be “closed within her own instincts.”
What does he mean by that?

I think he means this:
That where the man is prone to misuse his power,
the woman is prone to be ensnared, and trapped,
precisely in terms of her qualities of nurturing and loving.

And this makes sense, because in recent times,
the movement for “liberation” of women
has often taken the direction of “freeing” women
from their own special qualities and gifts.
Pope John Paul called this “masculinizing” women.

We can see many examples of this.

For many years there was a “double standard.”
Men would be impure and unchaste in their behaviors,
and people would wink at it, saying, oh, boys will be boys!
But if women behaved similarly, they were shamed.

The so-called solution to this was not to demand
a higher standard of men;
but for women to lower their standards.
This was part of the so-called “Sexual Revolution.”

This was the context of the birth-control pill
being heralded as a great “liberation.”

The trouble is, women and men really are different;
and unchaste behavior – wrong for both –
has different consequences for each.

And it’s interesting how the words of Genesis play out:
Men, when they sin in this regard, tend toward power:
Domination and aggression.
And for women, they experience
a greater sense of betrayal and devastation.

Another “masculinization” of women is abortion.
A true liberation of women would be to treat
the uniqueness of women as something to honor and value.
But what do we do? We treat what is special about women
as something to be suppressed, as a sickness to be cured. 

Three more examples of “masculinization” of women:
The idea that there is something wrong with a woman
who makes her children and family a priority.
Second, the push to have women in combat roles in the military.
And third, the notion that women are “lesser”
if they are not ordained as priests.


Let me quote Pope John Paul again:

In our times the question of "women's rights" 
has taken on new significance in the broad context 
of the rights of the human person. 
The biblical and evangelical message sheds light on this cause, 
which is the object of much attention today, 
by safeguarding the truth about the "unity" of the "two", 
that is to say the truth about that dignity and vocation 
that result from the specific diversity and personal originality of man and woman. 

Let me repeat that phrase:
“the specific diversity and personal originality of man and woman.”
This is an important truth that is almost lost in our society.
And Pope John Paul goes on to say that if, in order to remedy injustice,
Women try to “appropriate to themselves male characteristics contrary to their own feminine ‘originality,’”
The result will be to “deform and lose
what constitutes their” – that is, the woman’s – “essential richness.”

“Deform and lose!” And listen a little more to Pope John Paul:

It is indeed an enormous richness. In the biblical description, 
the words of the first man at the sight of the woman 
who had been created are words of admiration and enchantment, 
words which fill the whole history of man on earth.

What were those words?
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”!

So with that foundation, let’s talk about more specific things.

St. John Paul talks a lot about the two most basic vocations
of a woman: motherhood and consecrated virginity.
Now, don’t misunderstand what he’s saying.
He’s not saying that women shouldn’t be doctors, artists,
athletes, lawyers, business owners, farmers, teachers, and the rest.

Instead, what he’s saying is that underneath these specific paths –
which arise out of our diverse gifts and opportunities –
there are more fundamental choices that are universal.
And as valuable and meaningful as these particular choices can be,
they aren’t as central to our identity as a man being a father,
or a woman being a mother.

To use myself as an example: I’ve been a student; a journalist;
I worked in politics; I worked in public relations; I did fundraising;
I worked in marketing research; I sold clothing at one point –
all before becoming a priest.
All these things I did were meaningful, and part of me,
but they don’t go to the heart of my own sense of purpose, of calling.

While I did all those things,
I was thinking also about being a husband and father.
For various reasons, I did not meet the right girl.
And at a particular point, the idea of being a spiritual father
was planted in me, and it grew, and one thing led to another,
and here I am.

Now: as a priest, guess what? Sometimes I am a student.
Sometimes I am a “journalist” – I write articles;
sometimes I raise money, and organize projects.
Sometimes I even have to “sell” things!

So it is for each of us.
And just as a man is always reflecting on what it means to be a father,
a woman reflects on what it means to be a mother –
even if we do not have our own children;
because you and I can still be fruitful and life-givers in other ways.
And if we never find those ways, that is the greatest sadness of all.

So Pope John Paul talks about motherhood bringing about,
on the woman’s part, “a special gift of self” – and, wow, WHAT a “gift of self”!

It is astounding to think of how warped we are as a society.
Women have this incredible gift and responsibility: to be life-bearer.
And look how we treat this miracle?
So often, this is something “in the way,” a “problem,”
something to be “fixed” or escaped.

Both in the order of nature, and later, in the order of grace,
notice how central the woman is!
Adam – and with him, each individual man –
can never transcend himself, be more than himself,
without the woman.

Obviously, both men and women
participate in the stewardship of human life.
Both a father and a mother can look at the child God gives them,
and say, “mine!” But the words, “This is my body,” “This is my blood,”
mean something only a mother can understand.
Eve understood that when she had her first child.
Mary understood that when she carried the Messiah.
And finally, when Jesus himself inaugurates salvation,
these are his words which we remember at every Mass.

The pope took a look at an episode in Scripture,
when someone cried out to Jesus,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you…” And Jesus responds,
Yes, but even more, “those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
And Pope John Paul points out that

The motherhood of every woman, understood in the light of the Gospel, 
is similarly not only "of flesh and blood": 
it expresses a profound "listening to the word of the living God" 
and a readiness to "safeguard" this Word, 
which is "the word of eternal life.”

And then he says, “The history of every human being
passes through the threshold of a woman's motherhood.”

Now, the other fundamental choice is consecrated virginity,
that is, “renouncing marriage and thus physical motherhood.”

But according to Pope John Paul,
this “makes possible a different kind of motherhood:
motherhood "according to the Spirit" (cf. Rom 8:4).

He says further,
[I]t can express itself as concern for people, 
especially the most needy: the sick, the handicapped, the abandoned, 
orphans, the elderly, children, young people, the imprisoned 
and, in general, people on the edges of society. 

John Paul says this, too, is “spousal love,”
which “always involves a special readiness
to be poured out for the sake of” others. 

So let’s make this more practical.

As a woman, you have a special vocation and privilege of nurturing life.
Both men and woman contribute to the giving of life,
but women have a special gift of nurturing it.
This is true no matter how old you are
or whether you are single or married.

So one thing you can say, as a girl or a woman: “I am a life-nurturer.”

As Jesus said, women have a gift of “receiving” the Word of God.
It is so often the case that women
have a special aptitude for spiritual things.
Women will more often sign up for a Bible study,
And if men come, it will be because the women bring them.

Even so, it is essential that the father provide leadership,
because if he isn’t there, the sons won’t be there.
Fair or not, that’s how it tends to work.

The result, I think, is actually a partnership,
with the father and mother, boyfriend and girlfriend,
brothers and sisters, reinforcing each other.

The harsh reality is that these truths
are not being reinforced by our larger culture.
And it is obviously true that many men
will be seduced by the values of the culture.

It is not fair, but girls, you have to insist.
You have to remember your value, even if the boy does not.
So many young men are consuming entertainment and imagery
that tells them that he should have what he wants when he wants it –
and you should give that to him.
So often, that boils down to particular pleasures,
and to attention focused all on him.

Original sin makes all of us selfish.
A lot of our culture reinforces this.
And if a boy or a girl, a man or a woman,
gets drawn into fantasy and the imagery that drives it,
then that selfishness goes absolutely crazy.

This is wrecking marriages and families.
What happens is that a husband and a father
gradually becomes enmeshed in a fantasy world –
which he thinks is secret.

In that fantasy world, he is king – the Emperor!
Everything goes exactly as he likes.
Little by little, how he looks at everything,
and other people in particular, becomes skewed.
It’s all about what they can do for him.

Even someone who is otherwise a good guy
will become distorted by this mindset,
and he won’t even realize how selfish he really is.

You know how I know this?
I read an account of a father who had a terrible habit
of viewing ugly materials online. He thought no one else knew.
But he knew it was wrong, and he sought help.

Thankfully, he was able to get away from it.
Then something amazing happened.
He was driving somewhere with his young son,
And his boy turned to him, in the car, and said:
“You know what? I like the new daddy!”

That man was stunned. He had no idea
how much he’d been twisted by that secret vice.

Now, the cultural messages I referred to, that encourage men
to be all about self and pleasure and right now, are aimed at you, too.
And they tell you that this will make you happy;
And that people like me and your parents who tell you not to listen,
Are trying to spoil your fun.

Your value does not lie in making men happy,
but in being who God created you to be.
One of the flaws of men –
made much worse by our culture –
is that we tend to value only a few of the gifts women have to give.
And if we men get them too easily, we don’t value them very much.

So here’s my dating advice:
You hold out for a man who values you across the board!
That will not only be better for you, but far better for him.

Here’s some more advice – and I say this as a son, and a brother,
and in my own way, a father:
Don’t ever let any man treat you with disrespect!

That doesn’t mean you have to have to strike back,
either with words or in a physical way.

All of us have been insulted or been treated rudely,
and we all know the value of keeping cool and turning the other cheek.

My point is that too often, women get the idea
that they’re just supposed to take it. That this is normal. 
No, it’s not.

It occurs to me that maybe I could be more helpful.
If you think so, I’d be grateful for anyone here
who came to me and said, “here’s how you can help.”
I’m open to ideas of how I as a priest, and our parish,
can be part of the solution.

To draw this to a close, let me say this.
If you want to know what Christ thinks of women,
Look at the role he gave to his own mother.

She was there, in a sense, before the beginning.
God the Father came to her, through the Archangel Gabriel:
Her “yes” opened the door to the Messiah.
She was there at every moment of his life,
Above all, at the Cross and at the tomb.
She was there when the first Christians
were praying for the Holy Spirit.

And when her life on earth came to a close,
Jesus desired her to be with him, body and soul, in heaven.
And now, notice how much he has entrusted to her.
We can pray any way we want. No one is required to pray with Mary.

Yet look what has happened over the centuries.
Mary has quietly become the mother of us all!
Helping us in so many ways: keeping us company,
comforting us, praying for us, praying with us,
showing us how to come to her son.

Doesn’t this tell us everything we need to know
About what God thinks about the role and dignity of women?

Friday, March 08, 2019

8 Reasons to Sing the Proper Chants of the Mass

In my last post, I explained about the proper texts we are supposed to be using at Mass, including what is sung at the beginning, at the offertory and at communion. The use of familiar hymns it turns out is the least-preferred option precisely because they displace Scripture-based prayers that are meant to be used. It shouldn’t have to be said, but the Word of God is always the best option, isn’t it?

Still, someone might well ask: Why do we have to sing at Mass at all?

A lot of people prefer a quiet Mass, and would be fine if there were much less music, or even none. The traditional “low” Mass includes no singing, and is dominated by silence. Many people love this, despite not being familiar with Latin. Lots of people don’t like to sing. So why sing – at all? In other words, who cares?

Well, God cares.

It’s true that our worship adds nothing to God; he does not need it. Even so, God commands us to worship him. Why? Because it is good for us. Worship demands our best, including our best effort. Singing demands more of us. Singing creates unity and expresses solemn purpose. When was the last time anyone recited the National Anthem? No; we always sing it!

The Holy Mass is the highest expression of worship; indeed, it is the most important thing we do as Christians. Ideally, virtually the whole Mass can be sung. More usually, the Church envisions various parts to be sung, depending on how special the occasion and the capacity of those participating. Thus, it’s entirely reasonable to have some Masses with very little sung, and others with a lot. That tends to satisfy more tastes, to boot.

So what am I planning at St. Remy? To quote a Broadway show from 50 years ago: “something for everyone!”

We have the Traditional Latin Mass five times a month. Most Masses involve congregational singing; on more solemn occasions, the priest will sing his prayers as well. Our 9 am Mass is the most solemn, involving lots of chant and incense. Again: “something for everyone.”

As far as restoring the use of the proper chants I’ve been talking about: During the past two years, at my direction, Carla Meyer has been slowly introducing some of the proper chants intended to be sung during communion. She has generally sung them herself, but that is only because she is still teaching herself. These can be sung by a choir, and they include a refrain that everyone could sing as easily as the psalm response, or a refrain for a hymn.

Will hymns disappear? No! My intention is that we routinely include at least one of the proper chants each Sunday, and routinely at weekday Masses. We’ve been using the communion chant, but it could be one of the others. Since hymns are allowed, we will continue to use them. Since different people have different preferences, there will be variety. My goal is that the proper chants go from being exotic and unheard of, to being a familiar part of how we worship together. And I’d like to see a day when on some occasions – such as the 9 am Sunday Mass –  we would have Mass using only the proper chants.

Finally, I realize that all this may seem a lot of trouble. Here are eight reasons this effort is worth pursuing:

1. God’s Word is better than mere human words. The point of this isn’t that hymns are bad, but rather, that hymns are an inadequate substitute for the texts of Scripture. The Proper Chants, which we aren’t using, are drawn from Scripture. Some hymns draw on Scripture, but most do not.

2. The Proper chants are integral to the Mass – so maybe the better question is, what justifies slicing them off and forgetting about them? For a long time, they were only available in Latin, so that limited their appeal. But today, we have many resources, in English. Shouldn’t we restore to the Mass those parts that got left out?

3. This is what Vatican II called for. Consider two points from the Second Vatican Council: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 116). And in “sacred celebrations there is to be more reading from holy scripture, and it is to be more varied and suitable (Ibid., 35). When we sing the Propers in English, that isn’t Gregorian chant, per se, but it is based on it.

4. Using the Proper Chants connects us with our Tradition. These texts – translated into English – are ancient; they have been part of the Mass beyond memory. These are prayers that Mother Seton, Francis of Assisi, Gregory and perhaps even our patron, St. Remy, would have known and prayed. Since they are mostly psalms, they are texts that Jesus, the Apostles, and the Virgin Mary would have known and prayed.

5. We aren’t really supposed to sing “songs” at Mass; we sing prayers. That simple statement bears some reflection, in order to see the difference.

6. Mass music is not “mood music.” If I go for a drive on a beautiful day, I might turn on some up-tempo music to suit my mood. Or, when I get home in the evening, I might like something relaxing. In many ways we use music to get “in the mood” – and sometimes people will object to liturgical chant at Mass, because they think it’s not “upbeat” or cheerful enough. But when we sing the Our Father, does anyone want that to have a jazz tempo?

7. The music of Mass must not sound like anything else. Music has a unique power to evoke a mood and to spark memories and associations. As a result, I need only hum a few notes of a familiar tune, and you will immediately think of a TV commercial, a TV show, or a play or movie associated with it. One unfortunate feature of many contemporary hymns is that they were composed in a style very similar to Broadway tunes or other popular songs. “Here I am, Lord,” by Dan Schutte, has a section that reminds many of the theme from the TV show, “The Brady Bunch.” In many funerals, one of the final prayers is sung to the tune of “O, Danny Boy,” because it’s Irish and a sentimental favorite. The result is that such music doesn’t draw us toward the awesome mystery of the Mass, but away from it – to some other association.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has her own unique music, intended for – and associated with – one thing: worship of God. Isn’t it curious that in recent years, Catholic monasteries have released CDs of this ancient music, which people use for prayer and meditation in their cars or in their homes. Why does this music have such power? Because it doesn’t sound like anything else – it evokes heaven and longing for God. As such, it is perfect for Holy Mass, which is the closest we can come to heaven while still on earth. As much as we can, our experience of Holy Mass should take us out of our everyday life, and bring us to experience eternity – and to hunger for more.

8. Obedience, fidelity and humility are attractive and fruitful virtues. The Church has given us guidance on how best to celebrate the Holy Mass. Being docile to that guidance will bear great spiritual fruit. What’s more, many younger-generation Catholics are attracted to the celebration of Mass that is more timeless, more transcendent and more reverent. This has drawn such Catholics to our parish, and similar things are happening in parishes around the country, where there is a kind of “new traditionalism.” What I think would probably be best would be a “something for everyone” approach, using more hymns at some Masses, but pursuing the use of the proper chants at others.

(Adapted from St. Remy Parish Bulletin.)

What are the 'proper chants' for Mass and why should we use them?

Suppose I told you that there are prayers which the Church intends to be included with Mass, but we never pray them? You are never given access to them. They have been left unused for a long time. Would that not seem odd? Wouldn’t you be curious? Wonder why we never pray them? Wouldn’t you want to know more about this?

This is not a hypothetical; it is the actual situation in most parishes.

There are, indeed, proper chants assigned to every Sunday Mass, meant to be sung. But what usually happens each week is that Mass begins instead with a hymn, substituted for the prayer text which is designated. The same thing happens while the offering is taken and the bread and wine go to the altar and during communion.

But this is not what the Church intends. Instead, Holy Mass is intended to begin with a psalm-prayer called the “Entrance Chant,” or “Introit” – it accompanies the priest and servers entering the church. The people are encouraged to join in singing this prayer, or else a musician or choir can chant this prayer. When the bread and wine (and collection) come to the altar, another prayer – drawn from the psalms is meant to be sung: the Offertory Chant. And a third prayer is sung during Communion. Once the priest or deacon says, “Go in peace,” that is the end of Mass, and nothing is called for afterward (although prayers or hymns can follow; or silence).

It is important to realize, these are prayers, meant to be sung. They accompany processions (entrance, offertory, communion), they are drawn from Sacred Scripture, and they vary with the calendar.

This is something I’ve written and spoken about before. For the past three years, as a parish we’ve taken some modest steps to re-incorporate these proper chants. Periodically, we use the proper communion chant at Sunday Mass and on some feast days, and we use two of the proper chants at every funeral. Over the next few weeks in this column, I’ll explain more about this, including the small steps I propose we continue to take. Nothing sudden or wholesale. Yet I hope you’ll see this as an opportunity to deepen our faith.

So the obvious question: how did it happen that these sung prayers the Church intends to be used at Mass have been habitually omitted, and replaced by hymns?

It had to do with the old form of the Mass. The Traditional Latin Mass ideally is offered with the priest, deacon, choir and people singing everything – but for various reasons, this was rare. More common was the “low” Mass, in which nothing is sung, and the priest offers a lot of his prayers in a low voice. So, for example, the Traditional Latin Mass offered at St. Remy early on Wednesday mornings and on First Fridays, is a “low” Mass. Before the Mass was reorganized in 1970, this was the most familiar form of Mass for centuries.

As the prayers were all in Latin, and often prayed in a low voice, in many places it became customary for the people to add devotional songs – in their native language – while the priest prayed his prayers silently. When the Mass was revamped in 1970, and it became possible to have Mass in English, and also for much of it to be sung, the old habit of substituting hymns continued. Re-introducing all the proper sung texts of Mass was a part of implementing Vatican II that was left undone. Only recently have a variety of musical settings even been provided, so that parishes can begin to use them. And then, only if a pastor actually cares to bring it up (like me!) That brings us to the present moment.

To be clear, substituting hymns for these Mass texts isn’t “wrong.” The General Instruction for the Roman Missal allows for it, but makes clear that it is the least-preferred option:

(1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another setting; (2) the antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. (Also see GIRM paragraphs 47, 74, 86-87.)

Did you notice? The first three options all are a “psalm” with an antiphon – in other words, texts taken from Scripture. That’s what we ought to give preference to. As mentioned last week, my intent is not to upturn everything. Rather, I want to make modest additions of these proper chants here and there, which is what we are gradually doing now. It really is “baby steps” at this point. I realize someone might say, “why change”? And I understand, change can be frustrating. But obedience – in this case, to the teaching and norms of the Church – is a virtue. God will bless us and our parish if we are open to greater use of Sacred Scripture in our worship.

To be continued in another post...

Sunday, March 03, 2019

'It's game time, let's go! Let's make the best Lent ever!' (Sunday homily)

The first reading said, 
“When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear”;
and that’s a good image for what we want to do with Lent:
We want to get those unsavory parts of our lives up on the surface –
and, of course, get them out.

If you are thinking about Lent as something to be “got through” – 
just grit your teeth and march through to Easter – 
then you’re not going to gain much of anything from Lent.

The whole point of Lent is conversion. We all know that Jesus said: 
“Repent, and believe in the Gospel. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
All Christians know that. 

But what we as Catholics do – that not all Christians do – 
is give ourselves six weeks of focusing on that repentance, 
that turning back to God, that getting ready for the Kingdom.

Now, you and I can shake the sieve,
But truly, the conversion – the change – only happens with God’s help;
With the help of his supernatural grace, that is, his divine life poured into our lives.

So, again, this isn’t just a matter of ritual or rules.
Those exist in service to something far more important, which is – 
To repeat myself – our conversion. Our becoming heavenly.

One day every one of us will leave this life, we know not when.
But when you depart this life, where will you go?
Do you want to go to heaven? Of course you do.
You might kid yourself and think it’s a foregone conclusion – 
but really, what exactly in the words of Jesus lets you think so?

Seriously now – does what Jesus says really make sense, 
if heaven were something we can all count on?
Jesus keeps saying, wake up! Get ready! Change your life!
Why would he do that if we could just cruise on auto-pilot 
straight through the Pearly Gates? 

Here’s a lesson that each of us can – and will learn – during Lent:
Change is hard. Conversion is hard.
If you give up bacon or beer for Lent, 
How long before you’re looking for a loophole?
Will it be a week? Or only a few days? Maybe hours! 
Me too!

One reason to give something up is precisely to humble ourselves, 
and to face the reality of our weakness and our spiritual flabbiness.
And I say it again: me too.

In the second reading, St. Paul talked about resurrection.
When the discipline of Lent becomes a real drag, 
remind yourself of what lies ahead. 
By the calendar, Lent leads to Holy Week and then to Easter:
The way of the Cross to Calvary, to the grave and then to new life.
The way of our life is to purgatory, one way or the other, 
and then to heaven and one day to resurrection.

One day you and I will live again, flesh and blood, new and improved.
What is mortal will clothe itself with immortality.
That’s what Jesus told us to get ready for. 
The classic tools of this conversion are fasting, prayer and giving alms.
We deny ourselves food and other things we love;
We pray with greater intensity;
And we give money or other things away to help others.

No matter who we are, or what our age is, these are things we can do.
You may think that giving money or stuff away is for grownups.
But if you’re a kid, you can do it to.
Talk to mom and dad about how to do this; but just ask yourself:
What do you have that you can share?
What could you give away?
I repeat, again: talk to mom and dad about this.

In today’s bulletin are a couple of handouts.
Our Life Committee has organized some movie nights; 
each film was chosen as a way to grow in faith.
The other handout gives all manner of helps to grow in holiness.

I especially want you to notice some opportunities for prayer:
Daily Mass – Morning Prayer before Mass – Stations of the Cross –
Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist.

And I want to invite you to come to the sacrament of confession.
Not only is that when we “shake the sieve” of our lives;
It’s also what helps us be transformed from bad trees into good.

Is there anyone here who wonders if you’ll make it to heaven?
Here’s one – me! I am a sinner and I know I have a lot to answer for.
And I know I’m far from alone.

Here’s a promise I would not make if I did not truly believe it.
It is my conviction that if you keep going to confession, 
no matter what else happens, no matter what struggles you have, 
no matter how long it takes and how weak you are,
Keep going to confession, and you WILL GO TO HEAVEN.

Why do I believe that?
Because hell is the place of the proud. Too proud to ask.
Confession, on the other hand, is a lot like purgatory. 
We know just how weak we are and how much we need to change.

When you are in confession, and Jesus tells you, “I forgive you,” 
You and I are the thief on the cross, 
Empty-handed, but filled with absolute peace!
In all the Bible, Jesus gave so many assurances to people,
But only one person heard him say, 
“This day you will be with me in Paradise”?

Please look at this handout, to notice all the times for confession. 
During Lent we’ll start confession a little earlier on Thursdays.
You can also see all the opportunities in nearby parishes.
And lots of confessions during Holy Week, but why wait?

It’s game-time, let’s go! Let’s you and I make this our best Lent ever.
I’m praying that this will be a time of conversion:
For myself, for you, and for our parish.
Will you join me in that prayer, and in making that happen?