(This is an upcoming bulletin insert I've prepared for my parishes. An earlier version appeared here; I thought I'd show you what I finally came up with.)
Recently, the legislature and governor of New York changed the definition of marriage, to apply to people of the same sex. In recent years, this has been at issue in several states, and in many state courts—and it may come before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Catholic Church opposes this redefinition of marriage. As a result, we’ve been criticized as against “progress” and even called bigots. Because this is so often cast as a question of “rights,” we may wonder why the Church teaches what she does.
Let me briefly explain what the Church teaches and why it matters.
First, a surprise: our stance is not based on religion; marriage existed before anyone wrote the first words of the Bible. Marriage arises from human nature itself. Human beings are designed to come together and make a family. This is part of being human and obviously necessary. Marriage is important to the well being of us all.
What’s the harm?
Still, many will say, “So what? Why not just change the law to accommodate the wishes of those who don’t fit this mold? What’s the harm in that?”
Here are four areas of concern:
1. This is a power-grab by government. This is a fundamental change in the whole of society being imposed by the government. To a great degree, we all must go along with it. We teach our children to respect the laws. Laws express the common values of society.
The Archbishop of New York asked a question we can all ask: Who gave the government the right to do this? Redefining marriage means redefining family and ultimately what it means to be human. This is social engineering.
2. This strikes at the peace and cohesion of society. A society isn’t just a collection of individuals, but a community with shared values. People often say, “we shouldn’t impose our values.” But there’s no avoiding it; this is what laws do—they reflect shared values and “impose” expectations on all of us.
What’s happening is new values are being imposed on all of us already. Consider…
> In 2004, the supreme court of Massachusetts redefined marriage to include same-sex unions; a 2005 law changed how “family” was viewed by the state. The Catholic Church, long involved in adoptions, was told that if it deemed only a man and a woman as “family,” that would be illegal “discrimination.” The Church stopped referring for adoptions, rather than comply. Something similar has happened in Washington, D.C.
> In California, the state now mandates public schools teach “gay history” beginning in kindergarten. Where is this leading? What will this mean in practice? Will this affect textbooks or other programs made available to Catholic schools?
> In Canada, we might see a glimpse of our future. A Protestant pastor was charged with a “hate crime” in 2002 when he wrote a letter to the editor saying homosexual acts are sinful. After a lengthy court process, and much expense, he was finally cleared. This was not an isolated incident; it happened to the Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Calgary.
3. Marriage and family are not merely private matters—society rests on this foundation as surely as our homes rest on their foundations. Can anyone seriously argue it has been good for our society in recent years to have marriage become fragile, to have children grow up in broken homes, or grow up without both parents married at all?
4. This is reckless tampering. In recent years, we are better appreciating the importance of treating our ecology with respect. It is complex system which we don’t fully understand; but we are realizing better that polluting water and air, and not respecting the climate, wetlands, and endangered species can ultimately threaten our future.
And yet, politicians are re-engineering marriage and family. As Catholic writer Mark Shea observes, “what can it hurt?” will eventually be followed by, “how were we supposed to know?”
This raises a much broader question:
What does our Faith say about same-sex attraction?
We don’t fully know why some people (1-5% from various studies) experience this attraction. For some, it is a phase, for others it’s deep-seated. Some feel an exclusive attraction, but others don’t. Some try to change and do, but not all. Coming to grips with this at a young age can be very difficult. Some never share this, others are open about it.
Sadly, teasing, cruelty and rejection take a terrible toll. Some young people go through awful trials, and make rash decisions with life-long or even fatal consequences. A lot of folks have serious soul-searching to do about attitudes and behavior toward gay people.
The truth is, our family and friends who wrestle with these feelings ask the same questions we all ask: who am I? Why did God make me? How do I fit in his plan?
The answers—for everyone—are: We are made in God’s image. God made us to know, love and serve him in this life, to be happy with him in the next. We spend our lives discovering our particular vocation, but we are all part of his plan.
Did God make me this way?
Many say this same-sex attraction comes from God. But can we really say that?
People have all kinds of sexual feelings or desires. Will we say every one of them is likewise “God given”—simply because people experience them? Throughout history, faithfulness in marriage has always been a challenge; and people have seriously claimed that they can’t help being unfaithful. Is being unfaithful also “God-given”?
Whether we look at what nature tells us about human sexuality, or what Scripture and Christian tradition say, the answer is the same: that human sexuality is meant for a permanent union of a man and woman, with procreation an inseparable part of this union.
This is why our Faith has always taught that sex before and outside of marriage (including by oneself and porn), and marital acts involving contraception or sterilization, or which deliberately exclude procreation, are all gravely sinful.
Do I matter to God?
Maybe what we’re trying to say is something different: that whoever we are, God loves us. We have worth and dignity. That is true!
Nothing in our Faith allows us to demean or devalue anyone, for any reason. If we’ve ever treated anyone that way, that is a sin on our part. When we present our beliefs about the meaning of human sexuality and the call to chastity, this isn’t to be “anti” anyone.
As Christians, we believe two things that apply here: that human beings are broken and wounded, because of Original Sin; and that Christ, who died to save us, gives us grace to become new people. Having same-sex feelings is just one form of brokenness.
Facing our own brokenness, and bringing it to Christ, are essential to our salvation. Many people can say, “why did this happen to me?” Many people face life long struggles and shame. Christ accepts us where he finds us, but loves us too much to leave us there.
The virtue of chastity
Jesus said, “Take up your cross.” Why did he say it? Maybe because he knew there’s no other way to become truly human.
Our culture ridicules chastity. A lot of heterosexual folks, even Christians, do not embrace chastity themselves; so it seems unfair to ask it of those with same-sex desires.
So, a reminder: Christ calls everyone to chastity, not just some.
Married people are called to be chaste in their relations with each other and with others. This, along with the dying to self that comes in marriage and family, is costly.
Some heterosexuals find they can’t make marriage work. They either attempt it and it ends badly; or they never marry. They also find chastity hard.
And our Lord specifically called some to be chaste for his Kingdom—which is what brothers, sisters and priests do.
We might recall the words of G.K. Chesterton: “The Christian ideal hasn’t been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and not tried.” No one can seriously claim our culture is too “pushy” about chastity and self-control. Just the opposite: what we experience from all sides is the celebration of not just lust, but greed, gluttony, materialism and anger.
Is this set of values working for our society? For families? For children?
We need the virtue of chastity so we can truly possess ourselves; in order to truly give ourselves fully to others. A society that scorns self-denial cannot say “no” and sacrifice for the future—which is at the heart of both our nation’s fiscal woes and health problems, is it not?
But chastity isn’t just about what you say “no” to; saying “no” to something that feels good, or really is good, means saying “yes” to a greater good. This is what soldiers do; what faithful spouses and parents do. It is what Jesus Christ did! It’s what each of us is called to do.
What is our Catholic answer?
To those who experience same-sex attraction, you are part of the Body of Christ. You are always welcome. Your priests will readily help with the sacraments and spiritual support. (See below for a link to Courage, a Catholic organization of those with same-sex attraction living their faith.) Every Catholic should be equally ready to provide true friendship and support. I’m here to help: call me to speak confidentially if you wish.
It has never been easy to answer Jesus’ call. In every age, some part of his message has always been rejected because it was too challenging.
When the prophet Habbakuk asked God why society was not listening to God’s words, the Lord said, “Write down the vision…the vision still has its time…wait for it.”
—Father Martin Fox, Pastor, St. Mary & St. Boniface Parishes, August 2011
References:
“Bishop Henry calls for overhaul of human rights commissions,” Catholic Civil Rights League, accessed July 28, 2011, online at: http://www.ccrl.ca/index.php?id=4917; “Bishop Fred Henry's letter to the Premier of Alberta,” Catholic Education Resource Center, 2008, accessed online at: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/persecution/pch0185.htm
“California to Require Gay History in Schools,” New York Times, July 15, 2011, accessed online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/us/15gay.html
Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1602-1605; accessed online at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P51.HTM; paragraphs 2337-59, accessed online at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P85.HTM
“Catholic Charities stuns state, ends adoptions,” Boston Globe, March 11, 2006, accessed online at:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/11/catholic_charities_stuns_state_ends_adoptions/
Courage: Catholic Apostolate for those with same-sex attraction: http://www.couragerc.net/
“Same-sex ‘marriage’ law forces D.C. Catholic Charities to close adoption program,” Catholic News Agency, February 17, 2010; accessed online at: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/same-sex_marriage_law_forces_d.c._catholic_charities_to_close_adoption_program/
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Friday, August 05, 2011
Old homily 6 years ago...
I don't know what I'll say in my homily this weekend yet; but here's a blast from the past for your consideration and reflection....
Last Sunday, Our Lord fed thousands on the hillside.
After the miracle of filling so many with so little,
he sends the disciples—the Apostles—ahead, alone.
They’re “Apostles” because he will send them;
They’re “disciples” because they’re still learning.
They go on alone; he comes later, during a storm.
Not an accident; it was a lesson-plan.
Did you notice, it doesn’t say the storm frightened them;
These are fishermen, they understood the sea.
It was when they saw him that they were “terrified”:
“It is a ghost!”
See, they are still learning who Jesus really is:
God himself, come among us, as a true, human being.
But they’re not there, yet.
Notice the boat.
In a previous storm on the sea,
Everyone—including the Lord—was in the boat.
This time, Jesus is out of the boat;
And he wants them out of the boat, as well!
He starts with Peter.
And we see what’s special about Peter:
Because notice, Jesus doesn’t introduce
the idea of getting out of the boat; Peter does!
He has the insight, and Jesus approves:
“Come on out! The water’s fine!”
And Peter steps out, onto the water!
But, he needs training wheels!
He is frightened, and he sinks—like a Rock!
He is not there yet.
As we move through the Gospel of Matthew each Sunday,
We’re progressing with the Apostles
in the growth of their faith.
In two weeks, we’ll come back to when Jesus says,
“You are Peter—you are Rock—
and upon this Rock I will build my Church.”
But we understand that better,
when you see how Jesus is forming the Apostles,
as the foundation of his Church,
as people who stay standing in the midst of a storm.
Who, despite the storm, will cry out, “It is the Lord!”
Who could imagine walking on water?
But Jesus led them there.
Today, many people today can’t imagine
having faith that God is working through the Church.
We can all think of reasons not to believe it.
Maybe we separate God from his Church:
“God’s there, somewhere—but in the Church?
No, that’s a ghost!”
Totally understandable, given sin and scandal.
However, the Gospels are hard-core on this claim:
God came!
In and through human weakness, human failure…
God came!
In the midst of sin, suffering and injustice:
He came, and said:
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!”
And the Gospels are just as hard-core on this point, too:
God came…and he didn’t leave!
God is in his Church!
Christ chose these Apostles: weak, sinful men;
Christ worked through them,
and he works through their successors,
Including our Archbishop and all bishops.
Perhaps we say, “that’s hard to believe.”
Okay.
It takes no great act of faith to believe
God acts in a Church of St. Pauls and St. Francises,
of Mother Theresas and Pope John Pauls!
That’s like stepping out of the boat…onto land!
But you and I called to walk on water:
We see bishops and priests shock and dismay us;
We see scandal and failure; we’re hurt, we’re angry:
Why believe? It’s a phantom—don’t trust it!
We believe it’s not a ghost,
It’s Jesus standing there, on the water:
God vowed to be in the midst of our storm and darkness.
Will we believe it is Jesus, and not a phantom?
Will we hear him, calling us his Church, to walk on water?
The answer to the storms and frights of our time,
Whether scandal, or lack of faith,
Or the assaults on human dignity from all sides…
Is not to huddle in the boat and ride out the storm.
It’s not to give up on Christ in his Church, saying,
“It’s just a ghost!”
No. You and I are called
to step out into the storm, on the water!
When we dress modestly, while “everyone else”
is dressed like, well, everyone else…
When you and I refuse
to treat God’s holy name as a joke…
When we refuse to treat sex as anything less than
the awesome, sacred reality it is: full of God himself;
When you and I speak for mercy, when all around us demand vengeance;
When you and I say Jesus is our true King,
while others tell us to keep God out of politics;
And, when we claim we really see Jesus our Lord—
We really see him!—
where others see only a symbol of bread and wine…
Then, you and I will face a storm!
And there will be every reason not to believe he’s there:
Every reason not to step out of the boat!
Every reason but one:
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!”
Last Sunday, Our Lord fed thousands on the hillside.
After the miracle of filling so many with so little,
he sends the disciples—the Apostles—ahead, alone.
They’re “Apostles” because he will send them;
They’re “disciples” because they’re still learning.
They go on alone; he comes later, during a storm.
Not an accident; it was a lesson-plan.
Did you notice, it doesn’t say the storm frightened them;
These are fishermen, they understood the sea.
It was when they saw him that they were “terrified”:
“It is a ghost!”
See, they are still learning who Jesus really is:
God himself, come among us, as a true, human being.
But they’re not there, yet.
Notice the boat.
In a previous storm on the sea,
Everyone—including the Lord—was in the boat.
This time, Jesus is out of the boat;
And he wants them out of the boat, as well!
He starts with Peter.
And we see what’s special about Peter:
Because notice, Jesus doesn’t introduce
the idea of getting out of the boat; Peter does!
He has the insight, and Jesus approves:
“Come on out! The water’s fine!”
And Peter steps out, onto the water!
But, he needs training wheels!
He is frightened, and he sinks—like a Rock!
He is not there yet.
As we move through the Gospel of Matthew each Sunday,
We’re progressing with the Apostles
in the growth of their faith.
In two weeks, we’ll come back to when Jesus says,
“You are Peter—you are Rock—
and upon this Rock I will build my Church.”
But we understand that better,
when you see how Jesus is forming the Apostles,
as the foundation of his Church,
as people who stay standing in the midst of a storm.
Who, despite the storm, will cry out, “It is the Lord!”
Who could imagine walking on water?
But Jesus led them there.
Today, many people today can’t imagine
having faith that God is working through the Church.
We can all think of reasons not to believe it.
Maybe we separate God from his Church:
“God’s there, somewhere—but in the Church?
No, that’s a ghost!”
Totally understandable, given sin and scandal.
However, the Gospels are hard-core on this claim:
God came!
In and through human weakness, human failure…
God came!
In the midst of sin, suffering and injustice:
He came, and said:
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!”
And the Gospels are just as hard-core on this point, too:
God came…and he didn’t leave!
God is in his Church!
Christ chose these Apostles: weak, sinful men;
Christ worked through them,
and he works through their successors,
Including our Archbishop and all bishops.
Perhaps we say, “that’s hard to believe.”
Okay.
It takes no great act of faith to believe
God acts in a Church of St. Pauls and St. Francises,
of Mother Theresas and Pope John Pauls!
That’s like stepping out of the boat…onto land!
But you and I called to walk on water:
We see bishops and priests shock and dismay us;
We see scandal and failure; we’re hurt, we’re angry:
Why believe? It’s a phantom—don’t trust it!
We believe it’s not a ghost,
It’s Jesus standing there, on the water:
God vowed to be in the midst of our storm and darkness.
Will we believe it is Jesus, and not a phantom?
Will we hear him, calling us his Church, to walk on water?
The answer to the storms and frights of our time,
Whether scandal, or lack of faith,
Or the assaults on human dignity from all sides…
Is not to huddle in the boat and ride out the storm.
It’s not to give up on Christ in his Church, saying,
“It’s just a ghost!”
No. You and I are called
to step out into the storm, on the water!
When we dress modestly, while “everyone else”
is dressed like, well, everyone else…
When you and I refuse
to treat God’s holy name as a joke…
When we refuse to treat sex as anything less than
the awesome, sacred reality it is: full of God himself;
When you and I speak for mercy, when all around us demand vengeance;
When you and I say Jesus is our true King,
while others tell us to keep God out of politics;
And, when we claim we really see Jesus our Lord—
We really see him!—
where others see only a symbol of bread and wine…
Then, you and I will face a storm!
And there will be every reason not to believe he’s there:
Every reason not to step out of the boat!
Every reason but one:
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!”
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
A few days off...
I'm spending a few days up north, with some brother priests, with some R&R...back in the parish Friday.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
'What is the Mass "for"?' (Sunday homily)
When we talk about the Eucharist, or communion, or the Lord’s Supper,
all Christians are reading the same Scriptures, and in some way,
trying to do what Christ asked us to do.
And a lot of folks--Catholic or Protestant--ask: isn’t it pretty much the same?
With total respect to our fellow Christians who love Jesus--no, it is not the same;
even though a lot of the language and ritual can be very similar.
So, I want to explain what’s different and why.
But two quick notes: first, this isn’t criticism of anyone; just explanation.
Second, to avoid going too long, this has to be broad strokes.
We Catholics--as well as Eastern Orthodox--believe that the Mass,
offered by a priest, is a true sacrifice.
We believe what happened on the Cross on the first Good Friday,
really and truly becomes present on the altar, but in a different way.
When Martin Luther and others began the Protestant movement,
this was a key bone of contention.
They came to believe that the Mass was not--and could not be--a true sacrifice.
A remembrance? Yes.
But does the sacrifice of the Cross really become present on the altar? No.
This goes with our understanding of the priesthood.
Along with our Protestant brothers and sisters,
we believe baptism gives us a share in Christ’s priesthood.
But as Catholics, we go further. We believe in a unique, ordained priesthood.
Catholics and Orthodox believe that when a man is ordained a priest,
a true change happens in him.
He becomes conformed, in an unchangeable way, to Christ himself.
That alone is why a priest can forgive sins in the sacrament of confession--
because it is Christ in the priest who forgives.
And it is Christ in the priest who makes Calvary present on the altar.
Here again the Protestant movement took a different view,
and they see only the common priesthood of all believers.
As a result, Protestant churches almost never call their pastors “priests,” and for good reason: the essence of a priest is to offer sacrifice. If there isn’t one, there isn’t the other.
When our fellow Christians remember the Lord’s Supper, it’s very important to them;
but it means something different.
This is why when we Catholics visit another church,
we are not to take part in their communion.
Sometimes they will invite us, other times not;
but the right thing to do is respectfully to decline.
And this is why we don’t believe in sharing the Eucharist
until people choose to become Catholic.
There’s actually a rare exception, but ask me later about that.
So…what’s the upshot of all this?
Number 1, this is why coming to Mass on Sunday matters.
We can pray anywhere.
But if you want to be truly present at Calvary--that why we come to Mass.
Second, when we talk about the Real Presence of Jesus--
that the Eucharist truly is Him, His Body and Blood,
this is how that happens:
because a true priest offered the Sacrifice of his death on the Cross.
If there is no priest and no sacrifice, where do the Body and Blood come from?
That’s why so many of our fellow Christians say, it’s just a symbol.
Third is a double-reason.
While this is obviously a reason to want to become Catholic;
it also means that something very powerful happens
for those who, for various reasons, cannot come to communion.
Maybe folks will say, “I can’t come to communion, why go to Mass?” This is why.
We aren’t here, just passively observing, or waiting till we can receive communion.
Some will say, only the priest, or the reader, or others, are “doing” something. No.
Everyone here is called to “do” something as part of the Mass:
to join our hearts and wills together with the ordained priest, and with Jesus our High Priest.
Remember, this Mass is the same sacrifice as Jesus on the Cross.
If we wonder what Mass is for, ask what the Cross was for:
He did it to open heaven and to rescue us from hell.
To save us and to save the world.
That’s what every Mass is “for.”
Our nation is in a financial crisis--and we all wonder how it will work out.
Our world is in a spiritual crisis.
The fate of governments and the economy, the end of wars and famine,
are ultimately about whether we will accept Christ as our king.
And if you want to pray for our nation, for family, for the world--
there is no more powerful prayer than Jesus giving his all on the Cross!
We just heard Paul say that nothing can conquer the love of Christ--it will triumph.
But the “love of Christ” isn’t just his warm feelings for us: it’s his death on the Cross.
It’s the Mass!
In the first reading, God promised to renew his “everlasting covenant” with us.
In the Eucharistic prayer we pray at every Mass, we hear Jesus say,
“this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant…
shed so that sins may be forgiven.”
In a moment, I’ll go to that altar and I will offer this Sacrifice.
Know that I am completely unworthy of it.
It truly frightens me because I am a sinner.
That’s how awesome this is. Pray for me, please. Join with me.
all Christians are reading the same Scriptures, and in some way,
trying to do what Christ asked us to do.
And a lot of folks--Catholic or Protestant--ask: isn’t it pretty much the same?
With total respect to our fellow Christians who love Jesus--no, it is not the same;
even though a lot of the language and ritual can be very similar.
So, I want to explain what’s different and why.
But two quick notes: first, this isn’t criticism of anyone; just explanation.
Second, to avoid going too long, this has to be broad strokes.
We Catholics--as well as Eastern Orthodox--believe that the Mass,
offered by a priest, is a true sacrifice.
We believe what happened on the Cross on the first Good Friday,
really and truly becomes present on the altar, but in a different way.
When Martin Luther and others began the Protestant movement,
this was a key bone of contention.
They came to believe that the Mass was not--and could not be--a true sacrifice.
A remembrance? Yes.
But does the sacrifice of the Cross really become present on the altar? No.
This goes with our understanding of the priesthood.
Along with our Protestant brothers and sisters,
we believe baptism gives us a share in Christ’s priesthood.
But as Catholics, we go further. We believe in a unique, ordained priesthood.
Catholics and Orthodox believe that when a man is ordained a priest,
a true change happens in him.
He becomes conformed, in an unchangeable way, to Christ himself.
That alone is why a priest can forgive sins in the sacrament of confession--
because it is Christ in the priest who forgives.
And it is Christ in the priest who makes Calvary present on the altar.
Here again the Protestant movement took a different view,
and they see only the common priesthood of all believers.
As a result, Protestant churches almost never call their pastors “priests,” and for good reason: the essence of a priest is to offer sacrifice. If there isn’t one, there isn’t the other.
When our fellow Christians remember the Lord’s Supper, it’s very important to them;
but it means something different.
This is why when we Catholics visit another church,
we are not to take part in their communion.
Sometimes they will invite us, other times not;
but the right thing to do is respectfully to decline.
And this is why we don’t believe in sharing the Eucharist
until people choose to become Catholic.
There’s actually a rare exception, but ask me later about that.
So…what’s the upshot of all this?
Number 1, this is why coming to Mass on Sunday matters.
We can pray anywhere.
But if you want to be truly present at Calvary--that why we come to Mass.
Second, when we talk about the Real Presence of Jesus--
that the Eucharist truly is Him, His Body and Blood,
this is how that happens:
because a true priest offered the Sacrifice of his death on the Cross.
If there is no priest and no sacrifice, where do the Body and Blood come from?
That’s why so many of our fellow Christians say, it’s just a symbol.
Third is a double-reason.
While this is obviously a reason to want to become Catholic;
it also means that something very powerful happens
for those who, for various reasons, cannot come to communion.
Maybe folks will say, “I can’t come to communion, why go to Mass?” This is why.
We aren’t here, just passively observing, or waiting till we can receive communion.
Some will say, only the priest, or the reader, or others, are “doing” something. No.
Everyone here is called to “do” something as part of the Mass:
to join our hearts and wills together with the ordained priest, and with Jesus our High Priest.
Remember, this Mass is the same sacrifice as Jesus on the Cross.
If we wonder what Mass is for, ask what the Cross was for:
He did it to open heaven and to rescue us from hell.
To save us and to save the world.
That’s what every Mass is “for.”
Our nation is in a financial crisis--and we all wonder how it will work out.
Our world is in a spiritual crisis.
The fate of governments and the economy, the end of wars and famine,
are ultimately about whether we will accept Christ as our king.
And if you want to pray for our nation, for family, for the world--
there is no more powerful prayer than Jesus giving his all on the Cross!
We just heard Paul say that nothing can conquer the love of Christ--it will triumph.
But the “love of Christ” isn’t just his warm feelings for us: it’s his death on the Cross.
It’s the Mass!
In the first reading, God promised to renew his “everlasting covenant” with us.
In the Eucharistic prayer we pray at every Mass, we hear Jesus say,
“this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant…
shed so that sins may be forgiven.”
In a moment, I’ll go to that altar and I will offer this Sacrifice.
Know that I am completely unworthy of it.
It truly frightens me because I am a sinner.
That’s how awesome this is. Pray for me, please. Join with me.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Caring for Eastern Christians
Here's an unusual item on my to-do list, which I've been working on, on and off, for several weeks.
Several weeks ago, I had a family approach me about becoming Catholic. They are Greek Orthodox.
Inside my head, a little bell goes off. "This requires special care."
Here's what I mean--because this delves into some less well known aspects of the Church.
If a member of an Orthodox Church seeks "to be Catholic," this is very different from a Protestant, or a non-Christian, doing so. Why? Because the Orthodox already have the right faith, but there are some differences that have to be dealt with.
The Roman feeling is that these differences are relatively narrow; sometimes, among the Orthodox, the feeling is they are major. Being Roman, I approach this situation from the Roman perspective.
So first, I have to think about what topics have to involve some instruction. Not nearly as many as others approaching me to enter the Church.
Another little-known fact. If an Orthodox believer wishes to enter into full communion with the pope, he or she does not become Roman Catholic; he or she becomes a member of the Byzantine Catholic Church, which is a distinct "rite" or branch of the Church, in communion with Rome.
Why is this? Because the various Eastern branches of the Church are not eager to be absorbed into the Roman Church--but to maintain their distinct spirituality and traditions. Same Faith; different form and expression. So strict is this rule, that only the Holy Father can make an exception.
So...these folks approaching me would not become Roman Catholics, but Byzantine Catholics--only they didn't know that. I had to explain what that meant. That means I had to do some homework.
Before I explore that, you might wonder, well, why did they come to you?
Because there is no Greek Orthodox Church nearby; nor is there a Greek Catholic parish nearby. So they came to the Catholic church.
So my concern--which I expressed to them--was that in attending Mass at a Roman church, and sending their children to a Roman school, their Eastern traditions would be lost. Also, even if they attend Mass here, which they can, they will nonetheless be members of the Byzantine Catholic Church. If their son seeks ordination, it needs to be in that church; when their children seek marriage, they can only be married in the Latin rite if they marry a Latin Catholic.
So what else does this mean for this family?
1) Eastern spirituality is different; it's important for them to retain that and connect with it.
2) The way Eastern Churches understand some doctrines is slightly different--not in substance but in formulation. For example, the Holy Spirit's "procession" from the Father, "and/through" the Son.
3) The disciplines of the East are different. Eastern Christians fast more, but it is not under "pain of sin."
Anyway, you might think it would be easy to find things for them to read and study. Not so much. Most of what I could find is written for theologians, not regular folks.
Also, along the way I sought advice from the pastor of the nearest Byzantine Catholic parish, insofar as they will become his parishioners if I receive them into the Church, even though they'll routinely attend Mass here.
Well, I finally put together a plan, and I called the mother today, and we will be getting together soon. I won't claim I did the best job on this so far; I have done what I can, amidst other responsibilities.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
'Are we worldly?' (Sunday homily)
These are my notes--they are incomplete. I added in some different illustrations, and I didn't make my points as bluntly as these suggest--because I simply didn't have time to write down everything I wanted to say.
Perhaps if a reader heard me give this homily this weekend, you might offer, in addition to commentary, some mention of any points I made not reflected in these notes--either that you liked, or didn't like, or perhaps didn't understand.
Let’s look at what Saint Paul is saying in the second reading.
Last week, he said that some are “debtors to the flesh” while others “live in the Spirit”: meaning that either we are governed by the Holy Spirit—and Christ-centered—or else we’re rooted in a worldly way of thinking and living.
Are we worldly? Are a lot of Christians today worldly?
I think we know the answer.
Christ our King gives us an audience each Sunday—with lots of times, and that is just Piqua—and how many don’t show up? Not for good reasons—but for the sake of sports or shopping. Is that worldly?
The practice of confession has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Is it really true that people have become a lot more virtuous in the past few decades?
Marriages—when they happen—don’t last. It’s no secret what one of the main uses for the Internet is—and not just other people; us.
Have you ever noticed that at any given time, on TV, you can watch someone prepare food, talk about food, or stuff their faces with vast quantities of food.
Worldly? Living “in the flesh?”
What about our priests. Am I worldly? Yes I am. Pray for your priests and your bishops. We don’t have any special protection from temptation.
(I recall somewhere acknowledging I don't go to confession as often as I should, or pray as well as I should; and my excuse isn't any different from anyone else's: I'm busy. And it's not really a good excuse. I asked everyone to pray for me, and I said I'd get to confession, how about everyone else make the same commitment with me?)
“Worldly” is a good description, I think, of the state of many Christians, and many Catholics.
Paul tells us this week that Creation “groans”—as it awaits full redemption. That redemption comes from Christ—but it comes through the sons and daughters of God.
In other words, from us.
When our lives fully show Christ the world will see something worth seeing.
And there’s no secret about how that happens; and there’s nothing easy about it. It’s living in the Holy Spirit.
That’s what makes our lives fruitful ground for God’s life in us.
OK, what are practical steps?
1. Go to confession. Regularly. If you don’t think you need it, you may find that going a few times you’ll see it differently.
2. Sunday Mass—you’re here, you understand that.
3. Learn your faith. Even 20 years ago, folks could legitimately say, they didn’t know where to go for reading material, or else their busy lives meant they couldn’t come to church for classes or talks or whatever. But with the Internet, a few clicks and you can find good, solid stuff to learn all about your faith. If you don’t know where to start, EWTN has an excellent site. You will find links to keep you busy, and lots of variety. Just 1 hour a week would be a lot.
4. Pray—even a few minutes at the beginning and the end. I don’t say this lightly. This is where I fall down; I’m busy and it’s so easy to say, “God is happy I’m working so hard.” There is no substitute for prayer.
All the ground gets seed and rain, but it doesn’t all produce the same fruit. God pays us the compliment of respecting our freedom.
We can’t do it without the Holy Spirit; but He won’t do it without our willingness.
Here’s a dangerous prayer. It’s risky. Are you ready?
Holy Spirit, I will do whatever you ask. I will go wherever you send me. I will change whatever needs to change in my life. I want to give up whatever doesn’t belong. I want to make Christ my priority. I am willing to do it if you help me do it.
Perhaps if a reader heard me give this homily this weekend, you might offer, in addition to commentary, some mention of any points I made not reflected in these notes--either that you liked, or didn't like, or perhaps didn't understand.
Let’s look at what Saint Paul is saying in the second reading.
Last week, he said that some are “debtors to the flesh” while others “live in the Spirit”: meaning that either we are governed by the Holy Spirit—and Christ-centered—or else we’re rooted in a worldly way of thinking and living.
Are we worldly? Are a lot of Christians today worldly?
I think we know the answer.
Christ our King gives us an audience each Sunday—with lots of times, and that is just Piqua—and how many don’t show up? Not for good reasons—but for the sake of sports or shopping. Is that worldly?
The practice of confession has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Is it really true that people have become a lot more virtuous in the past few decades?
Marriages—when they happen—don’t last. It’s no secret what one of the main uses for the Internet is—and not just other people; us.
Have you ever noticed that at any given time, on TV, you can watch someone prepare food, talk about food, or stuff their faces with vast quantities of food.
Worldly? Living “in the flesh?”
What about our priests. Am I worldly? Yes I am. Pray for your priests and your bishops. We don’t have any special protection from temptation.
(I recall somewhere acknowledging I don't go to confession as often as I should, or pray as well as I should; and my excuse isn't any different from anyone else's: I'm busy. And it's not really a good excuse. I asked everyone to pray for me, and I said I'd get to confession, how about everyone else make the same commitment with me?)
“Worldly” is a good description, I think, of the state of many Christians, and many Catholics.
Paul tells us this week that Creation “groans”—as it awaits full redemption. That redemption comes from Christ—but it comes through the sons and daughters of God.
In other words, from us.
When our lives fully show Christ the world will see something worth seeing.
And there’s no secret about how that happens; and there’s nothing easy about it. It’s living in the Holy Spirit.
That’s what makes our lives fruitful ground for God’s life in us.
OK, what are practical steps?
1. Go to confession. Regularly. If you don’t think you need it, you may find that going a few times you’ll see it differently.
2. Sunday Mass—you’re here, you understand that.
3. Learn your faith. Even 20 years ago, folks could legitimately say, they didn’t know where to go for reading material, or else their busy lives meant they couldn’t come to church for classes or talks or whatever. But with the Internet, a few clicks and you can find good, solid stuff to learn all about your faith. If you don’t know where to start, EWTN has an excellent site. You will find links to keep you busy, and lots of variety. Just 1 hour a week would be a lot.
4. Pray—even a few minutes at the beginning and the end. I don’t say this lightly. This is where I fall down; I’m busy and it’s so easy to say, “God is happy I’m working so hard.” There is no substitute for prayer.
All the ground gets seed and rain, but it doesn’t all produce the same fruit. God pays us the compliment of respecting our freedom.
We can’t do it without the Holy Spirit; but He won’t do it without our willingness.
Here’s a dangerous prayer. It’s risky. Are you ready?
Holy Spirit, I will do whatever you ask. I will go wherever you send me. I will change whatever needs to change in my life. I want to give up whatever doesn’t belong. I want to make Christ my priority. I am willing to do it if you help me do it.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
In search of thinner altar bread
One of my projects today was searching the Internet for thinner altar breads.
I am finding that many of the older folks to whom I bring the Eucharist, as well as some at Mass, find it difficult to swallow the hosts we normally use. One solution is to break the host; but I know there are altar breads that are made thinner, and seem to dissolve more quickly.
I found two sites online and sent off email inquiries.
Any suggestions?
I am finding that many of the older folks to whom I bring the Eucharist, as well as some at Mass, find it difficult to swallow the hosts we normally use. One solution is to break the host; but I know there are altar breads that are made thinner, and seem to dissolve more quickly.
I found two sites online and sent off email inquiries.
Any suggestions?
Archdiocese's Mass handbook
I have a sample of the booklet the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is printing up to make available to parishes this fall, in anticipation of the improved translation of the Mass prayers which will take effect later this fall.
It is very good.
The booklet is 32 pages, handy size, which will easily fit in pew bookracks.
It begins right away with the Order of Mass, so anyone and everyone can easily follow along from the Sign of the Cross. The prayers are notated for singing in what I believe will be the chant notation that appears in the Missal itself; encouraging priests and the faithful to sing the Mass.
The Kyrie, Sanctus, Pater Noster and Agnus Dei are all provided both in English and in Latin, again, set to a simple chant setting. The Gloria is also set to simple chant setting--as is the Credo! This is the first time I've ever seen a chant for the Creed in English.
All this should serve, let us hope, to clarify that singing the Mass, and using Latin prayers as part of Mass, are not a special agenda of particular priests or music directors, but really are what the Church is calling us to do. When you have a publication of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati taking this approach, I think you can say this is now mainstream.
It's all laid out very well, and there are even notes reminding us to strike our breast at the Confiteor and to bow at the words, "and became man" in the Creed.
Then the second half has four other settings for the Mass. I am not the best one to evaluate these, but they all seem pretty straightforward; one, the Community Mass by Richard Proulx is already familiar; I think it's a pretty good setting. Of course, everyone will have different opinions about such things, but none of these strike me as weird or extravagant settings that distort the prayers.
The book is $1, which is a reasonable price. My music director tells me he has folks ready to donate to cover the cost. I've ordered enough for both parishes plus our chapel. I really hope all the parishes of the archdiocese use them, as they will provide a very good base-line for the common celebration of the sacred liturgy in the Archdiocese.
It is very good.
The booklet is 32 pages, handy size, which will easily fit in pew bookracks.
It begins right away with the Order of Mass, so anyone and everyone can easily follow along from the Sign of the Cross. The prayers are notated for singing in what I believe will be the chant notation that appears in the Missal itself; encouraging priests and the faithful to sing the Mass.
The Kyrie, Sanctus, Pater Noster and Agnus Dei are all provided both in English and in Latin, again, set to a simple chant setting. The Gloria is also set to simple chant setting--as is the Credo! This is the first time I've ever seen a chant for the Creed in English.
All this should serve, let us hope, to clarify that singing the Mass, and using Latin prayers as part of Mass, are not a special agenda of particular priests or music directors, but really are what the Church is calling us to do. When you have a publication of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati taking this approach, I think you can say this is now mainstream.
It's all laid out very well, and there are even notes reminding us to strike our breast at the Confiteor and to bow at the words, "and became man" in the Creed.
Then the second half has four other settings for the Mass. I am not the best one to evaluate these, but they all seem pretty straightforward; one, the Community Mass by Richard Proulx is already familiar; I think it's a pretty good setting. Of course, everyone will have different opinions about such things, but none of these strike me as weird or extravagant settings that distort the prayers.
The book is $1, which is a reasonable price. My music director tells me he has folks ready to donate to cover the cost. I've ordered enough for both parishes plus our chapel. I really hope all the parishes of the archdiocese use them, as they will provide a very good base-line for the common celebration of the sacred liturgy in the Archdiocese.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
New Missal update
I've been working on identifying and ordering resources for the new translation of the Missal, coming later this year.
A later entry into this is Magnificat, which publishes high quality, monthly prayer books that serve both as a daily missal as well as a source of devotional prayer. Magnificat is going to publish a Missal for the priest to use at the altar, and I've checked it out; it not only looks good, but the smaller, "chapel" edition has the best price.
Too bad for them, the discount is good until the end of October, so I'm not rushing to place my order. The bishops conference has also extended it's "early order" discount until August 31. That suggests they aren't getting as many orders as they supposed? I dunno.
Here's my plan; let me know what you think.
I'm going to order a minimum number of the smaller editions; then wait about a year to order additional, larger ones. The larger ones are better on the altar, because I can see the print better! And they should be a little more durable. The smaller ones are more portable, and they are also nicer for younger servers. In the end, I'll end up with about 9 or 10 missals, which sounds like a lot--except I need at least two for each parish church, one for the chapel, one for the sisters' chapel, one for the Mass kit, one for the office, and a couple for the priests to use at home. It's not good to have the missal go missing at an inopportune time!
So why am I holding off buying the bigger, more expensive ones? Couldn't I save money now?
Yes, maybe. However, I have a suspicion that the first editions of these missals will have to be corrected. The publishers are rushing these to print. Once they get past this November, and most of the missals needed around the country have been printed and shipped, and millions of customers get a good look, we're going to find mistakes. Then they'll fix them. Or else the bishops will get feedback that suggests some substantive revisions are in order, and they'll make that happen.
So I'll hold off and let that shake out.
Meanwhile, I've also ordered some booklets from the Archdiocese, which will have both the texts of the people's responses, as well as music settings we'll be using. They cost $1 apiece, not too bad, and my music director--who was on the committee working on it--says it will be a good resource. However, the early-bird discount expires tomorrow, so I had to act.
Finally, at this point I'm also planning on some pew cards, which actually won't make it to the pews; but will be usable at nursing homes and some other settings. They range in price from 20-70 cents, with some being big print, which may be a good idea. No early-bird discount thus far, so I'm waiting.
Meanwhile, I think I'll hold off on bringing missalettes--er, those booklets for which one company has trademarked that name--back into St. Boniface Parish, to minimize the clutter in the pews. Many would like missalettes; I can go either way; but they are an additional expense.
And I'm thinking about new hymnals, because the existing hymnals are now filled with Mass music that's unusable. St. Boniface hymnals, while still in reasonable shape, have given many years' service. St. Mary's are more recently purchased--we may be able to get "supplements" from the publisher; or else we can just punt again, which is probably what I'll do. I hear rumors of a revision in the lectionary again.
A later entry into this is Magnificat, which publishes high quality, monthly prayer books that serve both as a daily missal as well as a source of devotional prayer. Magnificat is going to publish a Missal for the priest to use at the altar, and I've checked it out; it not only looks good, but the smaller, "chapel" edition has the best price.
Too bad for them, the discount is good until the end of October, so I'm not rushing to place my order. The bishops conference has also extended it's "early order" discount until August 31. That suggests they aren't getting as many orders as they supposed? I dunno.
Here's my plan; let me know what you think.
I'm going to order a minimum number of the smaller editions; then wait about a year to order additional, larger ones. The larger ones are better on the altar, because I can see the print better! And they should be a little more durable. The smaller ones are more portable, and they are also nicer for younger servers. In the end, I'll end up with about 9 or 10 missals, which sounds like a lot--except I need at least two for each parish church, one for the chapel, one for the sisters' chapel, one for the Mass kit, one for the office, and a couple for the priests to use at home. It's not good to have the missal go missing at an inopportune time!
So why am I holding off buying the bigger, more expensive ones? Couldn't I save money now?
Yes, maybe. However, I have a suspicion that the first editions of these missals will have to be corrected. The publishers are rushing these to print. Once they get past this November, and most of the missals needed around the country have been printed and shipped, and millions of customers get a good look, we're going to find mistakes. Then they'll fix them. Or else the bishops will get feedback that suggests some substantive revisions are in order, and they'll make that happen.
So I'll hold off and let that shake out.
Meanwhile, I've also ordered some booklets from the Archdiocese, which will have both the texts of the people's responses, as well as music settings we'll be using. They cost $1 apiece, not too bad, and my music director--who was on the committee working on it--says it will be a good resource. However, the early-bird discount expires tomorrow, so I had to act.
Finally, at this point I'm also planning on some pew cards, which actually won't make it to the pews; but will be usable at nursing homes and some other settings. They range in price from 20-70 cents, with some being big print, which may be a good idea. No early-bird discount thus far, so I'm waiting.
Meanwhile, I think I'll hold off on bringing missalettes--er, those booklets for which one company has trademarked that name--back into St. Boniface Parish, to minimize the clutter in the pews. Many would like missalettes; I can go either way; but they are an additional expense.
And I'm thinking about new hymnals, because the existing hymnals are now filled with Mass music that's unusable. St. Boniface hymnals, while still in reasonable shape, have given many years' service. St. Mary's are more recently purchased--we may be able to get "supplements" from the publisher; or else we can just punt again, which is probably what I'll do. I hear rumors of a revision in the lectionary again.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
What we Catholics believe about 'same-sex marriage'
(I wrote this as a handout for members of my parishes. Please let me know if you think it states Catholic teaching appropriately, is appropriate for all ages, is clear, etc.)
The legislature and governor of New York recently acted together to change the definition of marriage, to apply to people of the same sex.
The Catholic Church opposes this redefinition of marriage. As a result, we’ve been criticized as against “progress” and even called bigots. This is so often cast as a question of “rights,” we may wrestle with this, or else feel awkward defending our position.
Let me briefly explain what the Church teaches and why it is important.
This may surprise you, but our stance isn’t based on religion; marriage existed before anyone wrote the first words of the Bible. Marriage arises from human nature itself. Human beings are designed to come together and make a family. This is part of being human and obviously necessary. Marriage is important to the well being of us all .
Still, many will say, “So what? Why not just change the law to accommodate the wishes of those who don’t fit this mold? What’s the harm in that?”
There are several harms, some immediate, some long-term.
First, this is a power-grab by government. The state is imposing a very fundamental change on the whole of society. To some degree, we all must go along with this. What marriage means for our society is changed by this. And we should all ask, Who gave the government the right to do this? Redefining marriage, redefining family, ultimately means redefining what it means to be human. This is social engineering.
Second, society lives in harmony because of shared values. Some say, “we shouldn’t impose our values.” But we can’t avoid it; this is what law does—it reflects shared values that shape how we all live together. So this represents an imposition of new values—which may, or may not, work out so well. It is already spawning conflict.
Third, this affects everyone. Marriage and family are so fundamental, that when we deconstruct the very meaning of such things, it pulls out the foundation stones of our common society.
Parents understand this. When you try to maintain certain values in your home, what your children experience in the other houses on the street affects you; how can it not?
Finally, this is reckless tampering. In recent years, we appreciate better the importance of treating our natural environment with respect. It is complex system which we don’t fully understand; but we do know that we depend on it in order to flourish.
So, with our natural environment, we’ve been chastened to be more humble—because we realize how not respecting it ultimately threatens our own well being. And yet, politicians are re-engineering marriage and family. As Catholic writer Mark Shea often says, the “what can it hurt?” phase will eventually be followed by, “how were we supposed to know?”
We might ask more broadly: What does our faith say about same-sex attraction?
Why some people—2-5% it seems from most reports—experience this attraction, no can fully explain. For some, it is a phase, for others it’s deep-seated. Coming to grips with this at a young age can be very difficult. Some never share this, others are open about it.
Sadly, teasing, cruelty and rejection take a terrible toll. Some young people go through awful trials, and make rash decisions with life-long or even fatal consequences. A lot of folks have serious soul-searching to do about attitudes and behavior toward gay people.
The truth is, that our family and friends who wrestle with these feelings ask the same questions everyone asks: who am I? Why did God make me? How do I fit in his plan?
The answers—for everyone—are: We are made in God’s image. God made us to know, love and serve him in this life, to be happy with him in the next. We spend our lives discovering our particular vocation, but we are all part of his plan.
Many say, this same-sex attraction comes from God; it’s how God made us.
On the basis of what? Certainly Scripture doesn’t support this. But set aside Scripture; human evolution doesn’t support this either. People will often say things like, God made me this way, in order to affirm their sense of worth, to combat shame originating from others or themselves.
But every human being learns that one way or the other, our human nature is wounded. No one can claim to be a flawless image of God. This is a result of Original Sin.
So, when we say same-sex attraction is “broken,” or disordered, not according to the norm God created, this is what we also say of those who eat too much, who can’t stay faithful in marriage, who are filled with rage, and so forth. We’re all broken.
But: the wounds in our human nature do not define who we are, or our value.
One of the errors of our society is to tell us, “we’re fine the way we are.” But we’re not. Coming to grips with our own brokenness is part of our salvation. Lots of folks face life-long struggles and shame because of their trials or flaws. Christ accepts us where he finds us, but loves us too much to leave us there.
Jesus said, “Take up your cross.” This has always been a hard sell. Why did he say it? Maybe because he knew that there’s no other way to become truly human.
One of the reasons our message is a hard sell is because our culture demeans chastity so completely. As a result, the idea of life-long chastity seems ridiculous. But is it?
This is the same society that exalts over-consumption and gluttony. Maybe it’s our culture, and its values, that are ridiculous?
Let’s remember, that Christ calls everyone to chastity, not just some.
Married people are called to be chaste in their relations with each other and with others. This, along with the dying to self that comes in marriage and family, are costly.
Still others (with heterosexual feelings) find, for other reasons, they can’t make marriage work. They, too, are called to the same chastity, as divorced or single persons. And then Christ specifically called men and women to be chaste for the kingdom of God—which is what brothers, sisters and priests do. It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
Instead of accepting our society’s (low) value of chastity, we might pause and contemplate how messed up our culture is about these things.
Our society’s warped values about sexuality have created terrible human suffering which we’ve grown used to. We don’t, however, have to accept it as “normal.”
The call to take up the cross is hard; it’s the hardest thing we ever do. We all take up our cross, only to want to put it down as soon as possible!
Everyone, without exception, must come to Christ and admit he or she is broken in some way. We all need his grace throughout our lives to become fully human. Saying these things to those with same-sex attraction is not “hatred” or bigotry—unless we mistakenly think these things don’t apply equally to ourselves.
In every era since Christ came, some part of his message wasn’t listened to, because it was such a challenge to the culture of its time. If, instead of continuing to confront the culture, we had simply re-tailored the Gospel to be “up to date with the times,” the Gospel would have become empty centuries ago.
Jesus told us plainly: his message wouldn’t always be received. We will be criticized and even hated for speaking Christ’s word. He told us to expect that. His command is not to respond in kind, but to turn the other cheek, and to pray for those who persecute or speak ill of us.
The legislature and governor of New York recently acted together to change the definition of marriage, to apply to people of the same sex.
The Catholic Church opposes this redefinition of marriage. As a result, we’ve been criticized as against “progress” and even called bigots. This is so often cast as a question of “rights,” we may wrestle with this, or else feel awkward defending our position.
Let me briefly explain what the Church teaches and why it is important.
This may surprise you, but our stance isn’t based on religion; marriage existed before anyone wrote the first words of the Bible. Marriage arises from human nature itself. Human beings are designed to come together and make a family. This is part of being human and obviously necessary. Marriage is important to the well being of us all .
Still, many will say, “So what? Why not just change the law to accommodate the wishes of those who don’t fit this mold? What’s the harm in that?”
There are several harms, some immediate, some long-term.
First, this is a power-grab by government. The state is imposing a very fundamental change on the whole of society. To some degree, we all must go along with this. What marriage means for our society is changed by this. And we should all ask, Who gave the government the right to do this? Redefining marriage, redefining family, ultimately means redefining what it means to be human. This is social engineering.
Second, society lives in harmony because of shared values. Some say, “we shouldn’t impose our values.” But we can’t avoid it; this is what law does—it reflects shared values that shape how we all live together. So this represents an imposition of new values—which may, or may not, work out so well. It is already spawning conflict.
Third, this affects everyone. Marriage and family are so fundamental, that when we deconstruct the very meaning of such things, it pulls out the foundation stones of our common society.
Parents understand this. When you try to maintain certain values in your home, what your children experience in the other houses on the street affects you; how can it not?
Finally, this is reckless tampering. In recent years, we appreciate better the importance of treating our natural environment with respect. It is complex system which we don’t fully understand; but we do know that we depend on it in order to flourish.
So, with our natural environment, we’ve been chastened to be more humble—because we realize how not respecting it ultimately threatens our own well being. And yet, politicians are re-engineering marriage and family. As Catholic writer Mark Shea often says, the “what can it hurt?” phase will eventually be followed by, “how were we supposed to know?”
We might ask more broadly: What does our faith say about same-sex attraction?
Why some people—2-5% it seems from most reports—experience this attraction, no can fully explain. For some, it is a phase, for others it’s deep-seated. Coming to grips with this at a young age can be very difficult. Some never share this, others are open about it.
Sadly, teasing, cruelty and rejection take a terrible toll. Some young people go through awful trials, and make rash decisions with life-long or even fatal consequences. A lot of folks have serious soul-searching to do about attitudes and behavior toward gay people.
The truth is, that our family and friends who wrestle with these feelings ask the same questions everyone asks: who am I? Why did God make me? How do I fit in his plan?
The answers—for everyone—are: We are made in God’s image. God made us to know, love and serve him in this life, to be happy with him in the next. We spend our lives discovering our particular vocation, but we are all part of his plan.
Many say, this same-sex attraction comes from God; it’s how God made us.
On the basis of what? Certainly Scripture doesn’t support this. But set aside Scripture; human evolution doesn’t support this either. People will often say things like, God made me this way, in order to affirm their sense of worth, to combat shame originating from others or themselves.
But every human being learns that one way or the other, our human nature is wounded. No one can claim to be a flawless image of God. This is a result of Original Sin.
So, when we say same-sex attraction is “broken,” or disordered, not according to the norm God created, this is what we also say of those who eat too much, who can’t stay faithful in marriage, who are filled with rage, and so forth. We’re all broken.
But: the wounds in our human nature do not define who we are, or our value.
One of the errors of our society is to tell us, “we’re fine the way we are.” But we’re not. Coming to grips with our own brokenness is part of our salvation. Lots of folks face life-long struggles and shame because of their trials or flaws. Christ accepts us where he finds us, but loves us too much to leave us there.
Jesus said, “Take up your cross.” This has always been a hard sell. Why did he say it? Maybe because he knew that there’s no other way to become truly human.
One of the reasons our message is a hard sell is because our culture demeans chastity so completely. As a result, the idea of life-long chastity seems ridiculous. But is it?
This is the same society that exalts over-consumption and gluttony. Maybe it’s our culture, and its values, that are ridiculous?
Let’s remember, that Christ calls everyone to chastity, not just some.
Married people are called to be chaste in their relations with each other and with others. This, along with the dying to self that comes in marriage and family, are costly.
Still others (with heterosexual feelings) find, for other reasons, they can’t make marriage work. They, too, are called to the same chastity, as divorced or single persons. And then Christ specifically called men and women to be chaste for the kingdom of God—which is what brothers, sisters and priests do. It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
Instead of accepting our society’s (low) value of chastity, we might pause and contemplate how messed up our culture is about these things.
Our society’s warped values about sexuality have created terrible human suffering which we’ve grown used to. We don’t, however, have to accept it as “normal.”
The call to take up the cross is hard; it’s the hardest thing we ever do. We all take up our cross, only to want to put it down as soon as possible!
Everyone, without exception, must come to Christ and admit he or she is broken in some way. We all need his grace throughout our lives to become fully human. Saying these things to those with same-sex attraction is not “hatred” or bigotry—unless we mistakenly think these things don’t apply equally to ourselves.
In every era since Christ came, some part of his message wasn’t listened to, because it was such a challenge to the culture of its time. If, instead of continuing to confront the culture, we had simply re-tailored the Gospel to be “up to date with the times,” the Gospel would have become empty centuries ago.
Jesus told us plainly: his message wouldn’t always be received. We will be criticized and even hated for speaking Christ’s word. He told us to expect that. His command is not to respond in kind, but to turn the other cheek, and to pray for those who persecute or speak ill of us.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The Boldness of the Eucharist (Corpus Christi homily)
When we think about the Eucharist,
there are obviously aspects that make us ponder.
We see this miracle, and we think about how
God’s power is on display.
Through the priest Jesus makes his sacrifice
of Good Friday present on this altar.
As part of that, Jesus turns ordinary bread and wine
into his own Body and Blood--into his true self.
That’s power--and yet, notice God’s vulnerability.
I put God himself on your tongue, or in your hands.
He’s in my power--he’s in your power.
What will we do with Him?
Sometimes he’s taken lightly;
we give him a moment’s thought and move on.
Priests take liberties with the Mass or take it as a routine.
There’s a boldness to the Eucharist.
Jesus puts himself out there, on the line.
He put the Eucharist--the Mass--in the hands of his Church,
counting on us to be faithful to it,
counting on priests not to mess up.
I’d like to suggest that this demands a similar boldness from us.
One form of that boldness is our procession this weekend.
We aren’t just going to keep Jesus in our churches.
We are going out into the streets of Piqua,
carrying the Lord of the Universe to his people.
Some will respond in faith; others with indifference--
and some even with mockery.
Why should that surprise us--or deter us?
They crowned him with thorns--
why should we be surprised if you or I get similar treatment?
Peter and the Apostles rejoiced
when they suffered for the Name of Christ--and so should we!
How can we not be bold for Christ?
If we’re not being bold in sharing our faith, something is wrong.
It’s surely not because there’s nothing to say;
not because there’s no one who needs to hear it.
You might answer, “I don’t know what to say.”
Jesus said don’t worry about it:
the Holy Spirit will give you words.
But he counts on us to be bold. He’s relying on us.
I can’t fail to mention something. I know it’s delicate.
We know what happened in New York on Friday,
when the legislature redefined marriage.
Lots of people are celebrating that;
and the Catholic bishops of New York--and really, all of us--
are being cast as bad guys, enemies of “progress.”
We’re being called “bigots.”
Why do we say that marriage is only between a man and a woman? Why do we insist?
My answer may surprise you.
But it’s not--I repeat, not--because of what Scripture says.
It’s because that the reality of what human beings are.
Marriage is a product of human nature itself.
We defend marriage and family with a father and mother
for reasons similar to why we defend the environment
and why we care about animals being wiped out.
Our natural world is complex system--
wrecking our environment is a pretty dangerous thing to do.
So why are we so cavalier about the human environment, the family?
A better question is,
who gave the state of New York
the right to redefine what marriage is?
Can the government do whatever it likes,
as long as it has the votes, and interest groups to please?
When the government redefines what marriage is,
it also redefines what the family is--
and, eventually, what it means to be human.
And when they do that, all of us are affected.
Everyone is affected.
And I bring this up, not only because it’s timely--
and I owe it to you to teach our Faith--
but also because this is an example
of where boldness from us is needed.
We’re standing by while this is happening.
God didn’t send us here to stand by and be silent, but to speak up.
Not with any malice at all. We aren’t “against” anyone.
That is not Christ’s message.
But are for marriage and the family.
And if folks mock us or say bad things about us,
we should not be surprised.
We are Christ’s followers, that’s what he told us would happen.
Christ is bold in the Eucharist. He puts himself out there for us.
He calls us to do the same, right beside him.
there are obviously aspects that make us ponder.
We see this miracle, and we think about how
God’s power is on display.
Through the priest Jesus makes his sacrifice
of Good Friday present on this altar.
As part of that, Jesus turns ordinary bread and wine
into his own Body and Blood--into his true self.
That’s power--and yet, notice God’s vulnerability.
I put God himself on your tongue, or in your hands.
He’s in my power--he’s in your power.
What will we do with Him?
Sometimes he’s taken lightly;
we give him a moment’s thought and move on.
Priests take liberties with the Mass or take it as a routine.
There’s a boldness to the Eucharist.
Jesus puts himself out there, on the line.
He put the Eucharist--the Mass--in the hands of his Church,
counting on us to be faithful to it,
counting on priests not to mess up.
I’d like to suggest that this demands a similar boldness from us.
One form of that boldness is our procession this weekend.
We aren’t just going to keep Jesus in our churches.
We are going out into the streets of Piqua,
carrying the Lord of the Universe to his people.
Some will respond in faith; others with indifference--
and some even with mockery.
Why should that surprise us--or deter us?
They crowned him with thorns--
why should we be surprised if you or I get similar treatment?
Peter and the Apostles rejoiced
when they suffered for the Name of Christ--and so should we!
How can we not be bold for Christ?
If we’re not being bold in sharing our faith, something is wrong.
It’s surely not because there’s nothing to say;
not because there’s no one who needs to hear it.
You might answer, “I don’t know what to say.”
Jesus said don’t worry about it:
the Holy Spirit will give you words.
But he counts on us to be bold. He’s relying on us.
I can’t fail to mention something. I know it’s delicate.
We know what happened in New York on Friday,
when the legislature redefined marriage.
Lots of people are celebrating that;
and the Catholic bishops of New York--and really, all of us--
are being cast as bad guys, enemies of “progress.”
We’re being called “bigots.”
Why do we say that marriage is only between a man and a woman? Why do we insist?
My answer may surprise you.
But it’s not--I repeat, not--because of what Scripture says.
It’s because that the reality of what human beings are.
Marriage is a product of human nature itself.
We defend marriage and family with a father and mother
for reasons similar to why we defend the environment
and why we care about animals being wiped out.
Our natural world is complex system--
wrecking our environment is a pretty dangerous thing to do.
So why are we so cavalier about the human environment, the family?
A better question is,
who gave the state of New York
the right to redefine what marriage is?
Can the government do whatever it likes,
as long as it has the votes, and interest groups to please?
When the government redefines what marriage is,
it also redefines what the family is--
and, eventually, what it means to be human.
And when they do that, all of us are affected.
Everyone is affected.
And I bring this up, not only because it’s timely--
and I owe it to you to teach our Faith--
but also because this is an example
of where boldness from us is needed.
We’re standing by while this is happening.
God didn’t send us here to stand by and be silent, but to speak up.
Not with any malice at all. We aren’t “against” anyone.
That is not Christ’s message.
But are for marriage and the family.
And if folks mock us or say bad things about us,
we should not be surprised.
We are Christ’s followers, that’s what he told us would happen.
Christ is bold in the Eucharist. He puts himself out there for us.
He calls us to do the same, right beside him.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Verdi's Requiem
Yesterday afternoon I was with my cousin at the Meyerhoff Auditorium in Baltimore, to hear the Baltimore Symphony present Verdi's Requiem.
Wow, what an awesome experience! I shall never forget it.
You can easily look up the backstory on Verdi's Requiem--he composed it for a fellow composer who died; and although it is based on the texts of the Requiem Mass, it's far from clear this music was ever used for a Mass. Easy to see why: it calls for both an orchestra and a significant chorus.
Nevertheless, it uses the actual texts of the older form of the Mass for the dead. The show-stopper is his "Dies Irae" which is the sequence that came before the Gospel. If you go to Youtube, you can easily find this and hear it for yourself. Now imagine listening to this live. I also imagined it being performed at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, where the dominant mosaic is of our Lord in judgment.
Verdi's work portrays something so important about the spiritual realm and the Mass: that we are always engaged in spiritual combat, for souls, and while the Lord's victory is not in doubt, his victory is a fruit of real combat. The destiny of each soul cannot be taken for granted.
If salvation were so easy as we might suppose, none of our Faith makes any sense. Why should God have become incarnate? Why suffer and die? Why would he have said, so frequently and insistently, that it had to be this way? And then, why the sacraments? Why the Mass? Why any of it, if salvation is easy?
Of course, in one sense, it could be: God could snap his fingers and save everyone. Why doesn't he?
Because salvation is more than fashioning a new creation of automatons. God wishes our cooperation. So much is unknown to us, about the new creation--but what lies ahead must demand quite a lot of us, thus God so patiently--and often inexplicably--seeks both our cooperation, and our efforts to bring more of humanity along.
Verdi's Requiem explored and illustrated the fierce contest over souls. The Dies Irae, in particular, makes clear that God is just and there is such a thing as judgment--experienced as wrath for all that opposes him. That sounds harsh; but things that are ugly and corrupt deserve wrath. Injustice--soul-killing, life-deforming injustice--does not merit wrath?
But that's only part of the story; God's wrath is that which is left when all else God offers has been closed out. Yet it must be part of the story, or else the whole thing, again, makes no sense. Without damnation being possible, there is no drama.
As I sat listening yesterday--mostly with my eyes closed--I thought of how well Verdi illustrated the deeper reality of the Mass: that there is a cosmic drama, into which we are drawn by the Mass. We enter into the Lord's combat for souls. We offer his Body and Blood for the salvation of souls. We plead for mercy with the shed blood of the Lamb.
Again, we could say, "oh but the outcome is certain; we are simply recalling what he already did." Consoling, is it not? Yet are we entitled to suppose this? Christ leads us into combat--what sort of soldiers are we to say, "take it easy folks, our champion is going to win the day no matter what we do"? Do we think the Lord is play-acting and we're supposed to pretend it's all serious? Maybe he really means it?
Everyone sat in rapt silence (well, almost everyone; a handful actually got up and left, which I find amazing. At one point, someone behind me got up, and made a bit of noise; the conductor seemed aware of it, and she gestured as if to say, to the singers, wait...and to the noisemaker, "please stop!") until the final notes died away. For my part, I didn't want to clap, and break the spell; it seemed everyone took a deep breath before putting their hands together. Everyone leapt to his feet and the four soloists and the conductor made three curtain calls. My cousin said he's never seen anything like it.
Wow, what an awesome experience! I shall never forget it.
You can easily look up the backstory on Verdi's Requiem--he composed it for a fellow composer who died; and although it is based on the texts of the Requiem Mass, it's far from clear this music was ever used for a Mass. Easy to see why: it calls for both an orchestra and a significant chorus.
Nevertheless, it uses the actual texts of the older form of the Mass for the dead. The show-stopper is his "Dies Irae" which is the sequence that came before the Gospel. If you go to Youtube, you can easily find this and hear it for yourself. Now imagine listening to this live. I also imagined it being performed at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, where the dominant mosaic is of our Lord in judgment.
Verdi's work portrays something so important about the spiritual realm and the Mass: that we are always engaged in spiritual combat, for souls, and while the Lord's victory is not in doubt, his victory is a fruit of real combat. The destiny of each soul cannot be taken for granted.
If salvation were so easy as we might suppose, none of our Faith makes any sense. Why should God have become incarnate? Why suffer and die? Why would he have said, so frequently and insistently, that it had to be this way? And then, why the sacraments? Why the Mass? Why any of it, if salvation is easy?
Of course, in one sense, it could be: God could snap his fingers and save everyone. Why doesn't he?
Because salvation is more than fashioning a new creation of automatons. God wishes our cooperation. So much is unknown to us, about the new creation--but what lies ahead must demand quite a lot of us, thus God so patiently--and often inexplicably--seeks both our cooperation, and our efforts to bring more of humanity along.
Verdi's Requiem explored and illustrated the fierce contest over souls. The Dies Irae, in particular, makes clear that God is just and there is such a thing as judgment--experienced as wrath for all that opposes him. That sounds harsh; but things that are ugly and corrupt deserve wrath. Injustice--soul-killing, life-deforming injustice--does not merit wrath?
But that's only part of the story; God's wrath is that which is left when all else God offers has been closed out. Yet it must be part of the story, or else the whole thing, again, makes no sense. Without damnation being possible, there is no drama.
As I sat listening yesterday--mostly with my eyes closed--I thought of how well Verdi illustrated the deeper reality of the Mass: that there is a cosmic drama, into which we are drawn by the Mass. We enter into the Lord's combat for souls. We offer his Body and Blood for the salvation of souls. We plead for mercy with the shed blood of the Lamb.
Again, we could say, "oh but the outcome is certain; we are simply recalling what he already did." Consoling, is it not? Yet are we entitled to suppose this? Christ leads us into combat--what sort of soldiers are we to say, "take it easy folks, our champion is going to win the day no matter what we do"? Do we think the Lord is play-acting and we're supposed to pretend it's all serious? Maybe he really means it?
Everyone sat in rapt silence (well, almost everyone; a handful actually got up and left, which I find amazing. At one point, someone behind me got up, and made a bit of noise; the conductor seemed aware of it, and she gestured as if to say, to the singers, wait...and to the noisemaker, "please stop!") until the final notes died away. For my part, I didn't want to clap, and break the spell; it seemed everyone took a deep breath before putting their hands together. Everyone leapt to his feet and the four soloists and the conductor made three curtain calls. My cousin said he's never seen anything like it.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
On the road...
I'm on vacation, so maybe I'll post more? Hard to say, internet connections are hard to come by.
Thursday I was at the ordination of our new auxiliary bishop, Joseph Binzer. Congratulations your excellency! It was a beautiful Mass and at the end, Bishop Binzer was escorted (by Archbishops Schnurr and Pilarczyk) through the cathedral giving his blessing to all the people. It took awhile--Bishop Binzer was obviously delighted to enact ritually the kindness he always gives God's people. Then he was brought back to the sanctuary, and invited to say a few words. His words were pure (Bishop) Binzer: "this is the day the Lord has made--let us rejoice and be glad!" But Bishop Binzer uttered them at least an octave higher than his usual pitch--such was his exhilaration. Applause broke out several times--but I don't wish you to think it was an undignified Mass; it was not; nor was anyone goading on those shows of affection.
After that I hit the road, stopping off in St. Clairsville, outside Wheeling. I made it to Arlington, Virginia Friday, where I'm staying with some brother priests. Yesterday I concelebrated Mass at St. Mary Parish in Alexandria; today I had Mass at St. John the Beloved in McLean, Virginia. That was amusing.
I presented myself to the pastor, Father Paul Scalia, outside church--he was vested from the prior Mass--and I asked if I might concelebrate the next Mass. We went to the sacristy, and he said, well, how about just taking the Mass for me? It turns out he was shorthanded, and I was fine with that. I have no homily prepared, however, I told him--so he returned to preach the homily. As I explained to the altar boys at St. Mary's, offering Mass is not a chore. But--while I am honored to preach God's Word, that can be tiring. Plus, Father Scalia's parishioners had everything very well organized; it was a pleasure to offer the Sacrifice there. The army of altar boys around me did a good job of keeping me from wandering off or tripping over anything.
After Mass, I saw Father's sister. While Father and I had not met before, his sister and I knew each other from years back, and it was nice to greet her again. Another friend--who I had not seen in awhile--turned up and we talked. Now I am pausing briefly at Starbucks for some coffee, before I drive up to Baltimore to see my cousin. We're going to visit the restored Basilica in Baltimore, and then take in a concert by the Baltimore Symphony.
Dear parishioners: I am offering Mass for you daily! Thank you for letting me get away for some rest.
Thursday I was at the ordination of our new auxiliary bishop, Joseph Binzer. Congratulations your excellency! It was a beautiful Mass and at the end, Bishop Binzer was escorted (by Archbishops Schnurr and Pilarczyk) through the cathedral giving his blessing to all the people. It took awhile--Bishop Binzer was obviously delighted to enact ritually the kindness he always gives God's people. Then he was brought back to the sanctuary, and invited to say a few words. His words were pure (Bishop) Binzer: "this is the day the Lord has made--let us rejoice and be glad!" But Bishop Binzer uttered them at least an octave higher than his usual pitch--such was his exhilaration. Applause broke out several times--but I don't wish you to think it was an undignified Mass; it was not; nor was anyone goading on those shows of affection.
After that I hit the road, stopping off in St. Clairsville, outside Wheeling. I made it to Arlington, Virginia Friday, where I'm staying with some brother priests. Yesterday I concelebrated Mass at St. Mary Parish in Alexandria; today I had Mass at St. John the Beloved in McLean, Virginia. That was amusing.
I presented myself to the pastor, Father Paul Scalia, outside church--he was vested from the prior Mass--and I asked if I might concelebrate the next Mass. We went to the sacristy, and he said, well, how about just taking the Mass for me? It turns out he was shorthanded, and I was fine with that. I have no homily prepared, however, I told him--so he returned to preach the homily. As I explained to the altar boys at St. Mary's, offering Mass is not a chore. But--while I am honored to preach God's Word, that can be tiring. Plus, Father Scalia's parishioners had everything very well organized; it was a pleasure to offer the Sacrifice there. The army of altar boys around me did a good job of keeping me from wandering off or tripping over anything.
After Mass, I saw Father's sister. While Father and I had not met before, his sister and I knew each other from years back, and it was nice to greet her again. Another friend--who I had not seen in awhile--turned up and we talked. Now I am pausing briefly at Starbucks for some coffee, before I drive up to Baltimore to see my cousin. We're going to visit the restored Basilica in Baltimore, and then take in a concert by the Baltimore Symphony.
Dear parishioners: I am offering Mass for you daily! Thank you for letting me get away for some rest.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
'Jesus never left!' (Ascension Homily)
This feast of the Ascension comes at the tail-end
of the Easter Season, just before Pentecost.
We might wonder how it fits in.
On Easter, Jesus rose from the dead in his human body.
Then for 40 days, he was with his followers again.
we only know a little about what that was like.
We do know he restored the faith of Thomas and Peter.
We know he “opened their eyes”
to the meaning of his death and resurrection.
And he opened their eyes
to the meaning of the Eucharist:
remember how he made known to them
“in the breaking of the Bread”?
Everything is being readied for a new chapter—
the birth of the Church—and the key is the Holy Spirit.
Let me highlight some parallels:
In Genesis, creation begins
with the Spirit hovering over the waters.
Jesus is conceived in the womb of Mary
by the Holy Spirit who “overshadowed” her—
see how the window depicts it?
Notice how the Church will be born:
Jesus ascends to heaven,
and then he sends the Holy Spirit.
Then—and now—the question always is,
“Who is this Jesus?”
In the Gospels, that’s what everybody asks.
They kept scrambling for answers:
“He’s a prophet” “he’s a teacher,”
“he’s the Messiah we’ve hoped for”…
Yes—but more.
People soon got the scary feeling
that there was a lot more going on with Jesus.
When he silenced a storm on the sea,
His disciples were in shock:
“What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
When he “taught with authority”—
that is, with God’s own authority—
the scribes and Pharisees asked,
“who do make yourself out to be?”
The full truth was beyond anyone’s imagining:
It was after the resurrection
that Thomas finally blurted it out:
“My Lord and my God!”
They could see without question he was human, like them;
now, when they saw him return to his throne in heaven,
they also knew what Thomas had said:
“My Lord and my God!”
Yet, does there not seem to be a contradiction?
Jesus goes to heaven, yet he promised,
“I am with you always, until the end of the age”?
Here’s the thing—and this is a challenging idea,
but here it is:
In the Ascension,
it isn’t really Jesus who changes his “location.”
It seems that way, but it’s not.
He really stays right where he’s always been.
He’s the Lord God; he is always at the center of it all.
His throne is wherever he is.
Heaven is wherever he is.
So when he “ascended into heaven,”
it wasn’t that he moved—but we moved.
When Jesus ascended into heaven,
humanity ascended to heaven.
When he returned to his throne,
our humanity went with him.
So Pope Benedict has made the point that Jesus never really “went away”;
the Second Coming isn’t really a “return,”
so much as it is the completion of his coming into the world.
So let’s get this straight:
Jesus never left! Jesus never left!
Saint Athanasius made an excellent point here.
He wrote, “there is no part of the world
that was ever without” the presence of God the Son—
but it was an invisible presence.
“Taking pity on mankind’s weakness…
[the Son] took to himself a body,
no different from our own.”
But not merely to be seen—
above all, he did it to be an offering—
God took a body that could die.
But here’s the thing: if all that—
God-becoming-man, dying on the Cross,
and rising from the dead,
were so important to do at one point in time…
The question remains:
what about all of us who didn’t live back then?
How does God make these things real…to us?
The Mass and the Eucharist!
Again, the key is the Holy Spirit.
Recall the parallels:
The Holy Spirit…at creation;
The Holy Spirit…overshadowing Mary;
The Holy Spirit, descending on Pentecost.
But there’s one more:
Just before the climax of the Mass,
the priest stands at the altar,
and begs the Holy Spirit to come down,
that these gifts of bread and wine
“become for us the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Without the Eucharist,
Jesus’ presence in the world—
goes back to being invisible.
In the bulletin, you’ll see that in three weeks,
Our parishes will honor the Eucharist in a special way.
We’ll have a weekend of adoration,
all day and night, at St. Mary.
This will take the place of adoration at St. Clare Chapel.
Then, on Sunday, June 26,
after the Sunday evening, 5 pm Mass,
we’ll have a procession, with the Eucharist,
from St. Mary Church to St. Boniface Church.
We will carry our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist,
on the streets of our city
You and I will proclaim to Piqua:
“Our Lord and our God!”
Let there be no question: Jesus never left!
We don’t need to gaze up into heaven.
The throne of heaven is not up there, far away:
He is here—until the end of the age.
of the Easter Season, just before Pentecost.
We might wonder how it fits in.
On Easter, Jesus rose from the dead in his human body.
Then for 40 days, he was with his followers again.
we only know a little about what that was like.
We do know he restored the faith of Thomas and Peter.
We know he “opened their eyes”
to the meaning of his death and resurrection.
And he opened their eyes
to the meaning of the Eucharist:
remember how he made known to them
“in the breaking of the Bread”?
Everything is being readied for a new chapter—
the birth of the Church—and the key is the Holy Spirit.
Let me highlight some parallels:
In Genesis, creation begins
with the Spirit hovering over the waters.
Jesus is conceived in the womb of Mary
by the Holy Spirit who “overshadowed” her—
see how the window depicts it?
Notice how the Church will be born:
Jesus ascends to heaven,
and then he sends the Holy Spirit.
Then—and now—the question always is,
“Who is this Jesus?”
In the Gospels, that’s what everybody asks.
They kept scrambling for answers:
“He’s a prophet” “he’s a teacher,”
“he’s the Messiah we’ve hoped for”…
Yes—but more.
People soon got the scary feeling
that there was a lot more going on with Jesus.
When he silenced a storm on the sea,
His disciples were in shock:
“What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
When he “taught with authority”—
that is, with God’s own authority—
the scribes and Pharisees asked,
“who do make yourself out to be?”
The full truth was beyond anyone’s imagining:
It was after the resurrection
that Thomas finally blurted it out:
“My Lord and my God!”
They could see without question he was human, like them;
now, when they saw him return to his throne in heaven,
they also knew what Thomas had said:
“My Lord and my God!”
Yet, does there not seem to be a contradiction?
Jesus goes to heaven, yet he promised,
“I am with you always, until the end of the age”?
Here’s the thing—and this is a challenging idea,
but here it is:
In the Ascension,
it isn’t really Jesus who changes his “location.”
It seems that way, but it’s not.
He really stays right where he’s always been.
He’s the Lord God; he is always at the center of it all.
His throne is wherever he is.
Heaven is wherever he is.
So when he “ascended into heaven,”
it wasn’t that he moved—but we moved.
When Jesus ascended into heaven,
humanity ascended to heaven.
When he returned to his throne,
our humanity went with him.
So Pope Benedict has made the point that Jesus never really “went away”;
the Second Coming isn’t really a “return,”
so much as it is the completion of his coming into the world.
So let’s get this straight:
Jesus never left! Jesus never left!
Saint Athanasius made an excellent point here.
He wrote, “there is no part of the world
that was ever without” the presence of God the Son—
but it was an invisible presence.
“Taking pity on mankind’s weakness…
[the Son] took to himself a body,
no different from our own.”
But not merely to be seen—
above all, he did it to be an offering—
God took a body that could die.
But here’s the thing: if all that—
God-becoming-man, dying on the Cross,
and rising from the dead,
were so important to do at one point in time…
The question remains:
what about all of us who didn’t live back then?
How does God make these things real…to us?
The Mass and the Eucharist!
Again, the key is the Holy Spirit.
Recall the parallels:
The Holy Spirit…at creation;
The Holy Spirit…overshadowing Mary;
The Holy Spirit, descending on Pentecost.
But there’s one more:
Just before the climax of the Mass,
the priest stands at the altar,
and begs the Holy Spirit to come down,
that these gifts of bread and wine
“become for us the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Without the Eucharist,
Jesus’ presence in the world—
goes back to being invisible.
In the bulletin, you’ll see that in three weeks,
Our parishes will honor the Eucharist in a special way.
We’ll have a weekend of adoration,
all day and night, at St. Mary.
This will take the place of adoration at St. Clare Chapel.
Then, on Sunday, June 26,
after the Sunday evening, 5 pm Mass,
we’ll have a procession, with the Eucharist,
from St. Mary Church to St. Boniface Church.
We will carry our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist,
on the streets of our city
You and I will proclaim to Piqua:
“Our Lord and our God!”
Let there be no question: Jesus never left!
We don’t need to gaze up into heaven.
The throne of heaven is not up there, far away:
He is here—until the end of the age.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
'New' Saint Boniface
I've made you wait long enough for pictures. A parishioner took these, and kindly shared his disk. The pictures really don't do justice to the project, especially as you cannot see the before and after. But here you are...
This is one of two niches in the back of church; the other is Saint Anthony of Padua. Both these statues were beat up and needed some attention. A volunteer cleaned them and repainted them at no charge. The artist hired to repaint the church added the shadow of the cross on the wall behind this statue--you can see just a bit of it in the background. If you're wondering where the votive lights are, they're in front of St. Anthony; this statue is so large, there's not room in front of it for candles.
Here's a nice view of the back of church, as well as the new wood floor and the new pews (as well as some parishioners after Mass). The whole floor of the nave was replaced; we removed carpeting and put down a new, stiffer sub-floor, and then hand-scraped hickory planks as you see. The floor has a bit of texture, so it's not too slippery; it has a super-hard finish we expect to last for decades before any refinishing; and the acoustics are much improved. The pews are very close to the original--and, yes, they have kneelers.
The balcony that you see is not exposed wood, as it appears. That was the work of the artist, recreating wood. I don't believe the balcony was actually a good quality wood, so stripping it wouldn't have worked.
The statues you can't quite see on the back wall are St. Louis on your left, and the Infant of Praque on the right.
Here's a reasonably good view of part of the ceiling. It was all white, with blue ribs; now it's blue, with gold stars, and the ribs are made to look like finished wood. The whole ceiling is actually metal.
Here's a nice view of the apse ceiling, but you can't really see the detail. This, too, is all tin, and the crosses are pressed into the tin. The ceiling was stripped of all paint, primed, painted a rich blue, and then each of the crosses was painted in gold. You also get a good look at the walls, which were painted to look like sandstone blocks.
Here are three of the six new saints (from left): Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Therese (the Little Flower), and Saint Angelo. I'd like to have someone do closer photographs of each. Any takers?
Here are the other three (from left): Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio; Blessed Teresa of Calcutta; and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Each of these was painted to look like a mosaic, and they do.
Here is a view of the new-old statue of the Blessed Mother. She was in the church until the 70s, then moved out, now returned. (Another image of Mary took her place, and we are going to put it in the school.) You can see our pulpit, which wasn't changed, but we may do something with that down the road. Also, you can just see the bottom of St. Stanislaus Kostka on the wall.
Here is Saint Joseph, again, newly repainted and restored to church. The image that was there for the past 40 years will be put into the school. You can also see the statue of the Risen Lord, which we bring out during Easter. He also got a new suit of clothes for Easter.
The area behind Joseph (and Mary) is not an alcove in the wall--that was painted by the artist. Before, a panel of wood was behind each side altar, but the squared-off style didn't look right with the rest of the church. That is the feet of Saint Theresa of Avila on the wall, right over where the priest sits. I figure, if I ever mess up, she'll rebuke me by falling on my head! Ora pro me, Sancta Teresa!
Here's an image of the crucifix and the reredos. The crucifix itself was taken down, cleaned and refurbished. The panel behind it had been wood, with a criss-cross pattern that many found distracting; so we took down the wood molding that formed the pattern, and the artist painted this mosaic background on canvas. The gold matches well with the saints' portraits and much of the gold throughout the church. You may not be able to tell, but I do have the "Benedictine Arrangement" on the altar: six candles and a crucifix. The altar cloth does have a "pucker" in it; the lady who made it new for Easter is going to fix it for us.
The floor here is ceramic tile, although the tiles look like stone. I pointed out to the servers that, to help them know where to stand, we installed (grout) lines on the floor! This floor will never get burn marks from candles or incense.
Certainly if anyone has close up pictures, let me know and I'll post them.
Parishioners have reacted with great happiness, saying they are "stunned" by the transformation. The Archbishop--who hasn't seen this yet in person--said he heard about it and was happy with what he heard. Many parishioners cried on Easter when they returned to church, and a lot more have strained their necks looking around.
These pictures, while good, don't do the project justice. There are many other details not captured here; so you'll just have to come and see for yourself!
This is one of two niches in the back of church; the other is Saint Anthony of Padua. Both these statues were beat up and needed some attention. A volunteer cleaned them and repainted them at no charge. The artist hired to repaint the church added the shadow of the cross on the wall behind this statue--you can see just a bit of it in the background. If you're wondering where the votive lights are, they're in front of St. Anthony; this statue is so large, there's not room in front of it for candles.
Here's a nice view of the back of church, as well as the new wood floor and the new pews (as well as some parishioners after Mass). The whole floor of the nave was replaced; we removed carpeting and put down a new, stiffer sub-floor, and then hand-scraped hickory planks as you see. The floor has a bit of texture, so it's not too slippery; it has a super-hard finish we expect to last for decades before any refinishing; and the acoustics are much improved. The pews are very close to the original--and, yes, they have kneelers.The balcony that you see is not exposed wood, as it appears. That was the work of the artist, recreating wood. I don't believe the balcony was actually a good quality wood, so stripping it wouldn't have worked.
The statues you can't quite see on the back wall are St. Louis on your left, and the Infant of Praque on the right.
Here's a reasonably good view of part of the ceiling. It was all white, with blue ribs; now it's blue, with gold stars, and the ribs are made to look like finished wood. The whole ceiling is actually metal.
Here's a nice view of the apse ceiling, but you can't really see the detail. This, too, is all tin, and the crosses are pressed into the tin. The ceiling was stripped of all paint, primed, painted a rich blue, and then each of the crosses was painted in gold. You also get a good look at the walls, which were painted to look like sandstone blocks.
Here are three of the six new saints (from left): Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Therese (the Little Flower), and Saint Angelo. I'd like to have someone do closer photographs of each. Any takers?
Here are the other three (from left): Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio; Blessed Teresa of Calcutta; and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Each of these was painted to look like a mosaic, and they do.
Here is a view of the new-old statue of the Blessed Mother. She was in the church until the 70s, then moved out, now returned. (Another image of Mary took her place, and we are going to put it in the school.) You can see our pulpit, which wasn't changed, but we may do something with that down the road. Also, you can just see the bottom of St. Stanislaus Kostka on the wall.
Here is Saint Joseph, again, newly repainted and restored to church. The image that was there for the past 40 years will be put into the school. You can also see the statue of the Risen Lord, which we bring out during Easter. He also got a new suit of clothes for Easter.The area behind Joseph (and Mary) is not an alcove in the wall--that was painted by the artist. Before, a panel of wood was behind each side altar, but the squared-off style didn't look right with the rest of the church. That is the feet of Saint Theresa of Avila on the wall, right over where the priest sits. I figure, if I ever mess up, she'll rebuke me by falling on my head! Ora pro me, Sancta Teresa!
Here's an image of the crucifix and the reredos. The crucifix itself was taken down, cleaned and refurbished. The panel behind it had been wood, with a criss-cross pattern that many found distracting; so we took down the wood molding that formed the pattern, and the artist painted this mosaic background on canvas. The gold matches well with the saints' portraits and much of the gold throughout the church. You may not be able to tell, but I do have the "Benedictine Arrangement" on the altar: six candles and a crucifix. The altar cloth does have a "pucker" in it; the lady who made it new for Easter is going to fix it for us.The floor here is ceramic tile, although the tiles look like stone. I pointed out to the servers that, to help them know where to stand, we installed (grout) lines on the floor! This floor will never get burn marks from candles or incense.
Certainly if anyone has close up pictures, let me know and I'll post them.
Parishioners have reacted with great happiness, saying they are "stunned" by the transformation. The Archbishop--who hasn't seen this yet in person--said he heard about it and was happy with what he heard. Many parishioners cried on Easter when they returned to church, and a lot more have strained their necks looking around.
These pictures, while good, don't do the project justice. There are many other details not captured here; so you'll just have to come and see for yourself!
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Why no pictures yet?
You may be wondering why I haven't posted pictures of the new Saint Boniface. Well, for the following reasons: First, I'm more incompetent than you can imagine; I simply do not know how to send a picture from my cell phone to anything else. Second, I have been crazy-busy the past few weeks, and no, it didn't get any better after Easter. And third, I really do want to wait until it's essentially finished. As it happens, several key items of artwork were not finished for Easter, despite much hard work. The six, new images of the saints chosen by the parish were all finally set in place last night around 9 pm, and we blessed them before 10:30 am Mass today, along with those that were restored to the church. But there are some additional items still to be completed in the sanctuary this coming week. So...God willing, by next Sunday, all the pieces will be in place, and I'll have some photos.
Meanwhile, if ever your pastor considers having first communions the week before Easter, and confirmation the week after, kindly tell him he's a crazy man! (We didn't have much choice, just the way things played out; but oh! it has been a marathon, not counting many other trials and difficulties.)
Meanwhile, if ever your pastor considers having first communions the week before Easter, and confirmation the week after, kindly tell him he's a crazy man! (We didn't have much choice, just the way things played out; but oh! it has been a marathon, not counting many other trials and difficulties.)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
At last!
We made it!
We reopened Saint Boniface Church tonight with the Easter Vigil. I just got home to have a lamb sandwich and a beer.
Sometime in the next few days, I hope to have some pictures to post. We had a fairly full house for the Vigil. If you were there, what did you think of our "new" church?
The Lord is risen!
We reopened Saint Boniface Church tonight with the Easter Vigil. I just got home to have a lamb sandwich and a beer.
Sometime in the next few days, I hope to have some pictures to post. We had a fairly full house for the Vigil. If you were there, what did you think of our "new" church?
The Lord is risen!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Taxes finished, one form yet to file...
OK, taxes are finished.
My taxes weren't any harder to complete than past years; thankfully, my situation doesn't change much year to year, so I can pull out my prior year's forms to recall how I worked it out before.
The city of Piqua's forms remain an obscurantist's delight. The whole thing irritates me, because what happens is folks don't even bother to fill out their forms. Instead, they go downtown, and line up, for city employees to fill them out. What a waste of valuable time on the part of our city employees, and thus tax dollars!
Also, here's a lovely thing the city does. If you file your form on time, but you make a mistake, you are penalized as having not filed on time. This is true even if you overpay, and are due a refund! The penalty is deducted from your refund!
Even the federal beadles don't do that! If you overpay, you pay no penalty for making mistakes on your forms.
I have paid penalties twice, even when my mistake was in the city's favor! I.e., they found I was due even more money...then took part of it back.
Now you understand why so many city residents have the city do their taxes.
Good news/bad news: I was due a refund from all arms of Leviathan. I could have had it months ago, but various circumstances made filing my taxes sooner hard to do.
Parting shot: I advocate a tax reform that no one will adopt: everyone who earns any income, however slight, should have to file a federal and state income return--and pay something. Even if you earn only $1,000 in income, then you pay...I dunno, a dime. A penny. But everyone pays something. I really disagree with past tax changes in which the pols brag about "millions of Americans are taken off the tax rolls." If all Americans had to go through the labor of filling out these tax forms, they would be attuned to questions about how simple or complex taxes are--and what's really good for the country. Also, I think it's only right that everyone pay something, even a minimal amount. Even if you get a refundable tax credit. Maybe folks could deposit their dimes at the post office. But the way I look at it, if you want the government to tax anyone's income, you should take part as well.
All right, end of rant. I'm a little grouchy which is what happens when I have to bring my bricks in for Pharaoh.
My taxes weren't any harder to complete than past years; thankfully, my situation doesn't change much year to year, so I can pull out my prior year's forms to recall how I worked it out before.
The city of Piqua's forms remain an obscurantist's delight. The whole thing irritates me, because what happens is folks don't even bother to fill out their forms. Instead, they go downtown, and line up, for city employees to fill them out. What a waste of valuable time on the part of our city employees, and thus tax dollars!
Also, here's a lovely thing the city does. If you file your form on time, but you make a mistake, you are penalized as having not filed on time. This is true even if you overpay, and are due a refund! The penalty is deducted from your refund!
Even the federal beadles don't do that! If you overpay, you pay no penalty for making mistakes on your forms.
I have paid penalties twice, even when my mistake was in the city's favor! I.e., they found I was due even more money...then took part of it back.
Now you understand why so many city residents have the city do their taxes.
Good news/bad news: I was due a refund from all arms of Leviathan. I could have had it months ago, but various circumstances made filing my taxes sooner hard to do.
Parting shot: I advocate a tax reform that no one will adopt: everyone who earns any income, however slight, should have to file a federal and state income return--and pay something. Even if you earn only $1,000 in income, then you pay...I dunno, a dime. A penny. But everyone pays something. I really disagree with past tax changes in which the pols brag about "millions of Americans are taken off the tax rolls." If all Americans had to go through the labor of filling out these tax forms, they would be attuned to questions about how simple or complex taxes are--and what's really good for the country. Also, I think it's only right that everyone pay something, even a minimal amount. Even if you get a refundable tax credit. Maybe folks could deposit their dimes at the post office. But the way I look at it, if you want the government to tax anyone's income, you should take part as well.
All right, end of rant. I'm a little grouchy which is what happens when I have to bring my bricks in for Pharaoh.
St. Boniface update
Full disclosure: this post is a dodge from doing my taxes...
I stepped into St. Boniface Church a little bit ago to see how work was progressing, here's an update:
1) As reported already, the ceiling and walls are finished--well, almost! We have some special touches behind several statues that we may not have finished by Easter.
We did, along the way, see a need for redoing the stations, for example; but that will have to be done down the road.
2) The tile floor is finished, but it needs a good cleaning. The wood floor is (very nearly) finished: we have some edging or whatever you call it in several places to do. The vinyl flooring in the choir loft is being installed today. The carpeting for the vestibules and sacristies is about to go in.
3) The pews are all in place, and the kneelers--yes, we will have kneelers, no fear!--are being installed as I speak. The new pews are very handsome.
4) The young lady who is restoring the statues is finishing up on the Pieta and a couple of others. They'll be in place by Easter. We had a discussion about the Lord's body not looking too "healthy."
5) The altar is back in place, which is so important spiritually. I am very happy about that.
6) The sanctuary lamp is in place, but not lit yet of course; it will be lit at the Easter Vigil.
7) One sacristy has been painted; the other one, not yet.
8) The six paintings of the saints will be installed next week; the artist is back in Wisconsin, executing them. I haven't talked to him, I hope all is well with him; otherwise, that may move back a week.
9) Still a lot of stuff has to be moved around and put back in place. Holy Week here we come!
10) We will have the Vigil Mass here, no matter what.
I stepped into St. Boniface Church a little bit ago to see how work was progressing, here's an update:
1) As reported already, the ceiling and walls are finished--well, almost! We have some special touches behind several statues that we may not have finished by Easter.
We did, along the way, see a need for redoing the stations, for example; but that will have to be done down the road.
2) The tile floor is finished, but it needs a good cleaning. The wood floor is (very nearly) finished: we have some edging or whatever you call it in several places to do. The vinyl flooring in the choir loft is being installed today. The carpeting for the vestibules and sacristies is about to go in.
3) The pews are all in place, and the kneelers--yes, we will have kneelers, no fear!--are being installed as I speak. The new pews are very handsome.
4) The young lady who is restoring the statues is finishing up on the Pieta and a couple of others. They'll be in place by Easter. We had a discussion about the Lord's body not looking too "healthy."
5) The altar is back in place, which is so important spiritually. I am very happy about that.
6) The sanctuary lamp is in place, but not lit yet of course; it will be lit at the Easter Vigil.
7) One sacristy has been painted; the other one, not yet.
8) The six paintings of the saints will be installed next week; the artist is back in Wisconsin, executing them. I haven't talked to him, I hope all is well with him; otherwise, that may move back a week.
9) Still a lot of stuff has to be moved around and put back in place. Holy Week here we come!
10) We will have the Vigil Mass here, no matter what.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Busy days
Here is a condensed account of my past few days, made busy both by the liturgical season, the wrapping-up of the school year, tax season, and a parish mission:
Saturday: the calm before the storm. I had 4 pm Mass at St. Boniface, but also had to coordinate meeting with Father Nathan, our mission speaker who was arriving "between 3 and 4" and was scheduled to preach at the 4 and 5 pm Masses, plus all Masses the next day. He arrived in time, we worked out plans for the weekend, and after preaching at the 4 pm Mass, he booked over to St. Mary to take the 5 pm Mass. That was helpful, because my parochial vicar is ill at the moment.
After 5 pm Mass, we had a "spring social" at that parish, which raises funds to help students attend Lehman High School. But I had promised to take our visiting priest out to dinner; so I quickly made the rounds at the party, then the vicar and I took our visitor to dinner. That was the only time, till now, we all sat down to dinner together and about the only time I had much of a conversation with our mission priest.
Sunday: I was up early, made coffee for our visitor who had a long day, preaching at 5 Masses, and offering two of them. My first Mass was 9 am, then I had noon. At 1 pm I had two baptisms; at 2 pm I was meeting with the high school students to get their input on our new, 5 pm Mass on Sunday. Between 4-5:30 I was with the junior high group, and I met with some of the 8th graders who are preparing for confirmation. At 6 pm we had a pizza party with the high school students, I stopped in there for a few slices of pie. At 7 pm our mission began, so I was in church making sure all was in order. During the talk, I heard confessions, along with our ill vicar. At 8 pm, I began exposition, for a holy hour, then back for more confessions; we concluded the holy hour at 9 pm, and Father Nathan, our mission speaker, stayed for individual conferences.
Monday: my off day. I had a few things to do at the office, and then I had the mission at 7pm, same plan as the night before.
Tuesday: a morning of reflection with the staff and our mission speaker, then an appointment and a busy afternoon in the office. Same plan at the mission with 2 hours of confessions. Ate dinner around 10 pm.
Today: had some quiet time this morning, then an appointment; then busy day in the office. About to head to the chapel for confessions, then Mass. No Bible Study tonight, due to the final evening of our mission; but more confessions tonight.
I have a penance service in McCartyville tomorrow night, and that means I can't attend the school board meeting, and I need to call the school board chairman beforehand--maybe later tonight.
Oh, and I have to do my taxes. Friday I guess.
Saturday: the calm before the storm. I had 4 pm Mass at St. Boniface, but also had to coordinate meeting with Father Nathan, our mission speaker who was arriving "between 3 and 4" and was scheduled to preach at the 4 and 5 pm Masses, plus all Masses the next day. He arrived in time, we worked out plans for the weekend, and after preaching at the 4 pm Mass, he booked over to St. Mary to take the 5 pm Mass. That was helpful, because my parochial vicar is ill at the moment.
After 5 pm Mass, we had a "spring social" at that parish, which raises funds to help students attend Lehman High School. But I had promised to take our visiting priest out to dinner; so I quickly made the rounds at the party, then the vicar and I took our visitor to dinner. That was the only time, till now, we all sat down to dinner together and about the only time I had much of a conversation with our mission priest.
Sunday: I was up early, made coffee for our visitor who had a long day, preaching at 5 Masses, and offering two of them. My first Mass was 9 am, then I had noon. At 1 pm I had two baptisms; at 2 pm I was meeting with the high school students to get their input on our new, 5 pm Mass on Sunday. Between 4-5:30 I was with the junior high group, and I met with some of the 8th graders who are preparing for confirmation. At 6 pm we had a pizza party with the high school students, I stopped in there for a few slices of pie. At 7 pm our mission began, so I was in church making sure all was in order. During the talk, I heard confessions, along with our ill vicar. At 8 pm, I began exposition, for a holy hour, then back for more confessions; we concluded the holy hour at 9 pm, and Father Nathan, our mission speaker, stayed for individual conferences.
Monday: my off day. I had a few things to do at the office, and then I had the mission at 7pm, same plan as the night before.
Tuesday: a morning of reflection with the staff and our mission speaker, then an appointment and a busy afternoon in the office. Same plan at the mission with 2 hours of confessions. Ate dinner around 10 pm.
Today: had some quiet time this morning, then an appointment; then busy day in the office. About to head to the chapel for confessions, then Mass. No Bible Study tonight, due to the final evening of our mission; but more confessions tonight.
I have a penance service in McCartyville tomorrow night, and that means I can't attend the school board meeting, and I need to call the school board chairman beforehand--maybe later tonight.
Oh, and I have to do my taxes. Friday I guess.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Missalettes: pro or con?
With the new, improved translation of the Mass coming this fall, I'm thinking very seriously about adding pew missalettes (may be a trademarked term by J.S. Paluch Co., I mean this in the generic sense) at the one parish that doesn't have them.
This gives me the opportunity to look at the various versions of them.
I've found three so far:
OCP: cheapest; has many options, including a Spanish mini-missal. Cover art is reasonably good.
Paluch/WLP: next cheapest; cheap option has boring cover art; what we use now at one parish. Has an edition with a Spanish insert, adds $1 per copy per year.
Leaflet Missal Co.: much more expensive as far as I can tell; $35 per year, not volume discount--seems geared for individual use. Ghastly artwork. No mention of anything Spanish at all.
I know the Mass settings in these are usually dreadful. We never use them. But it would be nice to get one that actually had music and Mass settings we wanted to use.
So...before I settle on one of these, any suggestions?
This gives me the opportunity to look at the various versions of them.
I've found three so far:
OCP: cheapest; has many options, including a Spanish mini-missal. Cover art is reasonably good.
Paluch/WLP: next cheapest; cheap option has boring cover art; what we use now at one parish. Has an edition with a Spanish insert, adds $1 per copy per year.
Leaflet Missal Co.: much more expensive as far as I can tell; $35 per year, not volume discount--seems geared for individual use. Ghastly artwork. No mention of anything Spanish at all.
I know the Mass settings in these are usually dreadful. We never use them. But it would be nice to get one that actually had music and Mass settings we wanted to use.
So...before I settle on one of these, any suggestions?
Parish Mission in Piqua April 9-13
The Cross of Christ, Source of True Hope with Fr. Nathan Cromly
Come to Piqua this weekend to hear Father Nathan call us back to the Cross of our Savior!
Father Cromly has a powerful message that will speak to all hearts. He was very well received at a recent "Cast Your Nets" youth rally, and is a frequent and popular speaker at mothers' retreats in this area.
Schedule:
Saturday & Sunday: Father Nathan will preach at all Masses (Saturday, 4 pm at St. Boniface and 5 pm at St. Mary; Sunday, 7 am at St. Boniface, 9 am at St. Mary, 10:30 am at St. Boniface, Noon and 5 pm at St. Mary).
Evening talks at 7 pm Sunday-Wednesday in St. Mary Church, 528 Broadway, in Piqua Ohio. At 8 pm, a holy hour will follow, with confessions available as well as spiritual direction.
Monday morning will feature a special day session on Scripture and the Mass, beginning with Mass at 8 am, followed by Father's talk. Also at Saint Mary Church.
Father Nathan is a member of the Community of Saint John, which sponsors a youth program called Eagle Eye.
This is not only an opportunity to strengthen your own faith, but also to invite others who need a spiritual boost.
Come to Piqua this weekend to hear Father Nathan call us back to the Cross of our Savior!
Father Cromly has a powerful message that will speak to all hearts. He was very well received at a recent "Cast Your Nets" youth rally, and is a frequent and popular speaker at mothers' retreats in this area.
Schedule:
Saturday & Sunday: Father Nathan will preach at all Masses (Saturday, 4 pm at St. Boniface and 5 pm at St. Mary; Sunday, 7 am at St. Boniface, 9 am at St. Mary, 10:30 am at St. Boniface, Noon and 5 pm at St. Mary).
Evening talks at 7 pm Sunday-Wednesday in St. Mary Church, 528 Broadway, in Piqua Ohio. At 8 pm, a holy hour will follow, with confessions available as well as spiritual direction.
Monday morning will feature a special day session on Scripture and the Mass, beginning with Mass at 8 am, followed by Father's talk. Also at Saint Mary Church.
Father Nathan is a member of the Community of Saint John, which sponsors a youth program called Eagle Eye.
This is not only an opportunity to strengthen your own faith, but also to invite others who need a spiritual boost.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
New Roman Missal comparisons
Today I was looking online for information about the new editions of the Roman Missal. As I hope everyone knows by now, at the end of November, we'll all begin using the ne
w, improved translation of the Mass in English-speaking countries. Hence new Missals for church and chapel and Mass kits.
Here's what I found, and I welcome input:
U.S. Bishops.
Both a "Ritual" and "chapel" edition, the latter being smaller.
At first I was suspicious, because I assumed this would be the same Catholic Book Publishing that currently produces so many ritual books for U.S. Catholic parishes--but it's not (see information on that outfit below).
All we can see so far is th
e cover (at right) and a few inside pages. My reaction? The cover looks OK, the interior art looks good. What I can see of the layout looks fine, but too little to judge. Price? It's $169, but with a 25% discount if ordered by June 30.
Liturgical Training Publications.
I have a ritual book from LTP, a bilingual ritual for visiting the sick. It's not bad, but could be laid out better. That makes me wonder if I'll have the same experience with a missal from LTP.
The cover is, to my mind, better looking (at left). The inside art? Well, it's by Matthew Alderman, whose stuff I
like--but it's executed in black-and-red, while two other publications produced full color art. I am sorry to say I wasn't so keen on this artwork. At $175, the price is slightly higher than that of the bishops, and no discount--but some discounts can be negotiated.
Midwest Theological Forum.
OK, this is the one I really like. It comes in a "regal" edition with real leather and a fancy cover (who needs that?) and a "classic" edition that seems very similar, but faux leather and not as many bells and whistles.
I really like the art in this one, but when I showed it to other folks in the office, one liked the bishops' edition better for that. I also like this cover best, but again, one of my employees here didn't agree (at right).
How about price? Well, this is the highest: "classic" is $350; "regal" is $500.
Catholic Book Publishers.
Here's the company that produces so many of the books we currently use in parishes in the U.S. Sorry to say, I hate their books. The art in them is horrible, there is no imagination or style about them--these books seem to be published by people who have no romance or poetry in their hearts. Some will say, "who cares, they're serviceable"--these are the folks who are content with gruel if it's nutritious; who cares how it tastes or smells?
But, I thought, maybe they will step up their game; when I went to the bishops' site, I thought they had, till I realized it wasn't the same company. So what are they offering? Here's the image of their top-of-the-line edition:
I know, you're thinking, that's not bad--but that's their "regal" edition. Hint: the cover is almost exactly the same as what they're producing now. Upping their game? Not so much.
But wait, you say, let's look inside. I click on the link for inside pages, for typography and artwork--and what appears?
That's right--nothing (if you get it to work on your browser, let me know). I don't know if they have any artwork uploaded, but they haven't posted any details on features so far. Price is $159--but no discount mentioned.
And just to give you a treat, here's the cover of the "chapel" edition:
Impressive, isn't it?
w, improved translation of the Mass in English-speaking countries. Hence new Missals for church and chapel and Mass kits.Here's what I found, and I welcome input:
U.S. Bishops.
Both a "Ritual" and "chapel" edition, the latter being smaller.
At first I was suspicious, because I assumed this would be the same Catholic Book Publishing that currently produces so many ritual books for U.S. Catholic parishes--but it's not (see information on that outfit below).
All we can see so far is th
e cover (at right) and a few inside pages. My reaction? The cover looks OK, the interior art looks good. What I can see of the layout looks fine, but too little to judge. Price? It's $169, but with a 25% discount if ordered by June 30.Liturgical Training Publications.
I have a ritual book from LTP, a bilingual ritual for visiting the sick. It's not bad, but could be laid out better. That makes me wonder if I'll have the same experience with a missal from LTP.
The cover is, to my mind, better looking (at left). The inside art? Well, it's by Matthew Alderman, whose stuff I
like--but it's executed in black-and-red, while two other publications produced full color art. I am sorry to say I wasn't so keen on this artwork. At $175, the price is slightly higher than that of the bishops, and no discount--but some discounts can be negotiated.Midwest Theological Forum.
OK, this is the one I really like. It comes in a "regal" edition with real leather and a fancy cover (who needs that?) and a "classic" edition that seems very similar, but faux leather and not as many bells and whistles.
I really like the art in this one, but when I showed it to other folks in the office, one liked the bishops' edition better for that. I also like this cover best, but again, one of my employees here didn't agree (at right).
How about price? Well, this is the highest: "classic" is $350; "regal" is $500.
Catholic Book Publishers.
Here's the company that produces so many of the books we currently use in parishes in the U.S. Sorry to say, I hate their books. The art in them is horrible, there is no imagination or style about them--these books seem to be published by people who have no romance or poetry in their hearts. Some will say, "who cares, they're serviceable"--these are the folks who are content with gruel if it's nutritious; who cares how it tastes or smells?
But, I thought, maybe they will step up their game; when I went to the bishops' site, I thought they had, till I realized it wasn't the same company. So what are they offering? Here's the image of their top-of-the-line edition:
I know, you're thinking, that's not bad--but that's their "regal" edition. Hint: the cover is almost exactly the same as what they're producing now. Upping their game? Not so much.
But wait, you say, let's look inside. I click on the link for inside pages, for typography and artwork--and what appears?
That's right--nothing (if you get it to work on your browser, let me know). I don't know if they have any artwork uploaded, but they haven't posted any details on features so far. Price is $159--but no discount mentioned.
And just to give you a treat, here's the cover of the "chapel" edition:
Impressive, isn't it?
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
When death is near
I wrote this today, originally to be a bulletin item, but it grew too long. I may still insert it in the bulletin at some point. Help me edit it--let me know what you think. If something isn't clear, let me know.
I get many emergency calls as you can imagine, and I witness both inspiring and heartbreaking situations, let me tell you some stories.
Too often the priest is called at the last minute, or even too late. At such times, we come quick as we can and do all we can. Things can chaotic; when the patient isn’t responding, I often wonder, would this patient have had a question, or gone to confession, had I come earlier? Many times the patient receives Last Rites alone. Or, I’m called after the patient has died. Of course I come and pray—but I can’t give sacraments after death.
Sometimes it can’t be avoided. But if it can, why delay?
Calling the priest doesn’t mean giving up hope. Anointing is for healing—and I’ve seen folks at death’s door recover after the anointing. When things are calmer, the family can be present, and the patient can speak privately with the priest if desired.
I cannot stress enough that you must be very sure the hospital has put you or your family member on the list of Catholic patients, even if you’re in “for just a day.” Things happen. Some “too late” calls are for patients who were in the hospital days, even weeks.
Many priests and volunteers from several parishes visit weekly, so not only call your parish, but also tell the hospital. Be insistent; I cannot explain it, but some names do get left off.
Waiting too long sometimes means it’s too late to receive communion, the most important last sacrament. I realize some patients have trouble swallowing; I can give a patient a tiny portion of the host, or even bring the Precious Blood, with a day’s notice.
A hard lesson: don’t assume your family knows—or will carry out—your wishes.
A man called me once to see his dad after he died. He actually told me his father wanted a priest before he died, yet didn’t call me till too late! I was flabbergasted. Don’t assume. Pick someone you trust the most and tell him or her—in detail—what your wishes are, when you can’t act for yourself. If I can help, let me know.
Only some stories are so sad; others are faith-inspiring.
One of the most awe-inspiring things I see is when I visit and the family is present and praying. I recently visited a parishioner who was very ill, yet hopeful. Her family was present as I anointed her and gave her holy communion.
The next day it turned bad and I was called back.
I anointed her again, gave her “the Apostolic Pardon,” a special blessing and plenary indulgence from the Holy Father, reserved for “Last Rites.” And with her family around her, we prayed beautiful prayers of “commendation,” invoking the saints to watch over her and to be with her as Christ called her to Himself. I told her she was “well fortified with the sacraments” and remained as her family kept praying, with her leading, until her last breath.
But that experience didn’t just happen. It was the well-earned fruit of a lifetime of practicing the Faith and teaching her family to do the same. My grandmother used to say, “being a Catholic can be a hard life—but it’s an easy death.”
Last Rites are more than the anointing, which, by the way, is not just for our final hours. It also includes confession, communion, and prayers entrusting our loved one to God. Many times I come into a hospital room, and I suspect things are really close to the end—but I don’t know for sure and it’s risky to assume! Sometimes the patient, or the family, may not be ready to face that reality.
When the priest comes, we may be hesitant to suggest Last Rites, but if you ask, we’ll eagerly give you every consolation we can.
Finally, Last Rites can be repeated—I gave my own father Last Rites three times. It can be great consolation for everyone involved.
These situations are rough, emotional roller coasters for everyone involved. Your priests want to do all we can to make things a little more bearable and hopeful.
I get many emergency calls as you can imagine, and I witness both inspiring and heartbreaking situations, let me tell you some stories.
Too often the priest is called at the last minute, or even too late. At such times, we come quick as we can and do all we can. Things can chaotic; when the patient isn’t responding, I often wonder, would this patient have had a question, or gone to confession, had I come earlier? Many times the patient receives Last Rites alone. Or, I’m called after the patient has died. Of course I come and pray—but I can’t give sacraments after death.
Sometimes it can’t be avoided. But if it can, why delay?
Calling the priest doesn’t mean giving up hope. Anointing is for healing—and I’ve seen folks at death’s door recover after the anointing. When things are calmer, the family can be present, and the patient can speak privately with the priest if desired.
I cannot stress enough that you must be very sure the hospital has put you or your family member on the list of Catholic patients, even if you’re in “for just a day.” Things happen. Some “too late” calls are for patients who were in the hospital days, even weeks.
Many priests and volunteers from several parishes visit weekly, so not only call your parish, but also tell the hospital. Be insistent; I cannot explain it, but some names do get left off.
Waiting too long sometimes means it’s too late to receive communion, the most important last sacrament. I realize some patients have trouble swallowing; I can give a patient a tiny portion of the host, or even bring the Precious Blood, with a day’s notice.
A hard lesson: don’t assume your family knows—or will carry out—your wishes.
A man called me once to see his dad after he died. He actually told me his father wanted a priest before he died, yet didn’t call me till too late! I was flabbergasted. Don’t assume. Pick someone you trust the most and tell him or her—in detail—what your wishes are, when you can’t act for yourself. If I can help, let me know.
Only some stories are so sad; others are faith-inspiring.
One of the most awe-inspiring things I see is when I visit and the family is present and praying. I recently visited a parishioner who was very ill, yet hopeful. Her family was present as I anointed her and gave her holy communion.
The next day it turned bad and I was called back.
I anointed her again, gave her “the Apostolic Pardon,” a special blessing and plenary indulgence from the Holy Father, reserved for “Last Rites.” And with her family around her, we prayed beautiful prayers of “commendation,” invoking the saints to watch over her and to be with her as Christ called her to Himself. I told her she was “well fortified with the sacraments” and remained as her family kept praying, with her leading, until her last breath.
But that experience didn’t just happen. It was the well-earned fruit of a lifetime of practicing the Faith and teaching her family to do the same. My grandmother used to say, “being a Catholic can be a hard life—but it’s an easy death.”
Last Rites are more than the anointing, which, by the way, is not just for our final hours. It also includes confession, communion, and prayers entrusting our loved one to God. Many times I come into a hospital room, and I suspect things are really close to the end—but I don’t know for sure and it’s risky to assume! Sometimes the patient, or the family, may not be ready to face that reality.
When the priest comes, we may be hesitant to suggest Last Rites, but if you ask, we’ll eagerly give you every consolation we can.
Finally, Last Rites can be repeated—I gave my own father Last Rites three times. It can be great consolation for everyone involved.
These situations are rough, emotional roller coasters for everyone involved. Your priests want to do all we can to make things a little more bearable and hopeful.
A new auxiliary bishop!
Congratulations to my friend, Father Joseph Binzer, just named auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati!
Father Binzer has a deserved good reputation as a hard working, humble priest who is very wise and very attentive in his many roles. He currently serves as chancellor for the Archdiocese, a position of great importance for the local church: he advises the Archbishop on legal matters, and makes sure legal matters are well handled. He is also a resource to pastors and parishes, and I can tell you when I've sent him emails or called him, he's always been very responsive and helpful. He has also served as pastor of Saint Louis Parish in downtown Cincinnati. Even though it's a downtown parish, I'm sure it still places plenty of demands on his time.
Father has also taught at the seminary, and he taught me--but do not hold that against him, he tried his best! I had him for a course in canon law, and another course in business matters. As far as I can tell, he receives a lot of respect. I certainly respect him.
Of course, now every priest in the archdiocese is wondering, or making confident predictions about, who will replace him as chancellor! We'll find out eventually...
Father Binzer has a deserved good reputation as a hard working, humble priest who is very wise and very attentive in his many roles. He currently serves as chancellor for the Archdiocese, a position of great importance for the local church: he advises the Archbishop on legal matters, and makes sure legal matters are well handled. He is also a resource to pastors and parishes, and I can tell you when I've sent him emails or called him, he's always been very responsive and helpful. He has also served as pastor of Saint Louis Parish in downtown Cincinnati. Even though it's a downtown parish, I'm sure it still places plenty of demands on his time.
Father has also taught at the seminary, and he taught me--but do not hold that against him, he tried his best! I had him for a course in canon law, and another course in business matters. As far as I can tell, he receives a lot of respect. I certainly respect him.
Of course, now every priest in the archdiocese is wondering, or making confident predictions about, who will replace him as chancellor! We'll find out eventually...
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Six years ago today...
Six years ago today, Pope John Paul II went to his eternal reward. This is a photo of him the last time we saw him, on Palm Sunday that year. (Photo from: http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/?p=2492)Santo subito!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
My personal motto
I just decided what my personal motto should be:
Ut visum notitia bona id temporis.
Translated*:
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
*According to Google Translate. Any Latinists, please assist.
Ut visum notitia bona id temporis.
Translated*:
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
*According to Google Translate. Any Latinists, please assist.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)