The key word in my sermon is going to be “healing,”
because as we go through our book for Lent,
the Seven Secrets of Confession, this is the second “secret.”
And, looking ahead to next Sunday,
I’m going to cover the next two chapters at once,
so you may want to read ahead.
And if you don’t have this book, there are some at the exit.
So, pop quiz: when we receive the sacrament of reconciliation,
the main thing we are there to get is…
No, not forgiveness – as important as that is, and it’s very important!
But that is really a part of something larger that we need,
and that’s healing.
It’s like when you build a house or a barn.
You have to dig a solid foundation, or else the whole structure will fail;
but the foundation isn’t the house.
Similarly, forgiveness is the foundation of the healing
that we really need.
So to drill into this, let’s think about
how healing works in general terms.
One of the first thing that comes to mind
is that you have to restore wholeness.
So if you have a cut or a wound, what do you do?
You have to clean it and close it up. If there’s a broken bone,
it has to be set, so the body can knit back together.
So what would be a spiritual wound?
Well, if every time I come, I am confessing fights with my wife,
or with my coworkers – that’s a wound.
Yes, I will be forgiven for my harsh words and yelling;
but there’s still something that needs to be repaired and reset:
Like how I deal with my family, or what I expect from my coworkers.
In the same vein, getting healed often requires a course of treatment.
Maybe the doctor tells us, take these pills twice a day for ten days.
Now you might do what the doctor ordered
and take the whole course of pills.
Or maybe you don’t bother with it.
But would it make sense to take one pill,
then wait months or years, and take another?
You know right away, that won’t work.
It’s the same with this sacrament. The real healing in our lives happens,
not because we go only when things get bad enough,
but when we regularly receiving the grace of this sacrament.
And yet, this causes frustration, because we end up
confronting the same sins and habits.
But there is a real grace here.
This forces to face reality; and it also leads us to humility.
I’m forced to admit: I really can’t do this without God;
and I can’t do it unless my pride is bowed down.
A lot of us don’t even like going to see the doctor.
Even if our insurance pays for it, we put it off. Why?
Isn’t it because you and I know the doctor is probably going to tell us
something we don’t want to hear. “You have to lose weight.”
Or, “no more spicy food,” or “you have to start exercising more.”
In other words, the doctor is going to ask us to change,
and we’d rather not deal with that.
And it’s the same in the spiritual life.
When folks come to receive this sacrament from me,
I don’t always have any special advice.
And if I do, time is short, and sometimes the line is long.
So sometimes I will invite you
to pursue this with me outside the sacrament.
I can’t make anyone do that of course, but the thing is,
sometimes, for healing to happen, more needs to be talked about.
This is where we can make a connection
with the Scripture readings we heard.
It may not be obvious, but something similar is at work
with both Abram in the first reading, and the Apostles in the Gospel.
Why did God tell Abram to get up and move hundreds of miles away?
Why couldn’t he stay where he was?
The answer is, because God knew that’s the change Abram needed,
to become a new man of faith. This was the healing he needed.
Likewise, Jesus knew what Peter, James and John needed.
This revelation of Jesus’ full divinity
happens not long before Jesus is arrested and crucified.
That would be a grave crisis for the Apostles.
This is the inoculation that will get them through it.
As it is, Peter loses courage,
and James is nowhere to be found on Good Friday.
But what would have happened without this booster shot?
Notice the other apostles aren’t there.
Could it be that he was relying on these three
to strengthen the others?
That leads to another reason why it matters that each of us
receive this sacrament of reconciliation frequently.
It isn’t just for me; it isn’t just for you.
If you’re not healthy, does that affect anyone else in your house
or at school? And of course it does.
As your priest, I go to confession two to three times a month.
What if I only “took the treatment” once or twice a year?
What if I never received this sacrament?
Would you be OK with that?
I can hear you say, “No, but you’re the priest.”
But is it really true that I am the only one
whose spiritual health affects you, and affects this parish?
We know that’s not true.
Our parish has a lot of life, but that doesn’t just happen.
It happens because there is health in the Body of Christ,
of which each of us is one member.
So if you’ll forgive me borrowing words
from President John F. Kennedy,
this isn’t just about what Christ is going to do for you;
it’s also about what you will do for Christ,
by growing in grace through this wonderful sacrament.
This Tuesday, every parish in the Archdiocese, including St. Remy,
will have two hours of confessions, from 7 to 9 pm.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
GOP Health Care Flim Flam in 'three phases'
“Rep” Congress, salesman: OK, Mr. Citizen, we’re ready to replace the car we sold you. Unfortunately, as you know, it doesn’t run very well, and it costs you way more to operate than you were promised.
Joe Citizen: No s*** Sherlock! That’s what I’ve been telling you for years! I complained in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. Gah! What does it take for you folks to listen?
Congress: No, you’re right. As you may know, your complaints got my predecessor fired—
Citizen: That was over four years ago!
Congress: Yes, I know, terrible; but the company has a new president, and he takes a different view. That changed everything.
Citizen: Well, that’s great to hear, finally. So what’s the deal?
Congress: Well, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to completely replace your car! Your new car will work much better, it will get you where you need to go – and won’t take you places you don’t want to go. We stripped off the extras you didn’t want—
Citizen: And which you made me pay for all this time!
Congress: Yes, terrible. And, the new car will be cheaper! All the things we promised you! Here’s the paperwork…
Citizen: Wait – what’s all this? It’s awfully hard to read…
Congress: Oh, don’t worry about that; all these contracts have, you know, codicils and addendums. Perfectly normal. “Fine print.”
Citizen: Hmm. I think we better look this over.
Congress: Oh, absolutely! Take all the time you need. Say, would you like some coffee? We have an espresso machine now! Would you like a Caramel Kiwi Latte? I’m having one…
Citizen: Err, no thanks. What’s this? This says that today, I’m only getting parts of my new car. What’s that about?
Congress: Oh, that? Well, you see, we can only deliver your new car in three stages…
Citizen: three stages?
Congress: Yes, I’m afraid those are the rules.
Citizen: So what does that mean? How will these three stages work?
Congress: Well, first, let me tell you, it’s gonna be great! You’re going to love it! Your modified car is going to be awesome! You—
Citizen: Hold on. You just said “modified car” – you promised me a new car.
Congress: Oh yes, well, eventually…
Citizen: “Eventually”?
Congress: Yes, don’t worry! Here’s how it works. We’re going to take your car, and we’re going to install some new parts on it. We’ll make it work, trust us. We’ve gotten in a good supply of baling wire and duct tape! This duct tape, boy, my dad could do wonders with this stuff!
Citizen: But you promised me a new car.
Congress: Oh yes, for sure. But, see, we have to wait. That’s phase two and three. See, next we are waiting for the President to tell the research department to issue new rules, so that we can get rid of those extra items you didn’t want…
Citizen: New rules? You mean…
Congress: Yes, our service department isn’t allowed to take them off. Not yet. But we’re working on it.
Citizen: So when does that happen?
Congress: Oh, soon, soon!
Citizen: Do you think I’m stupid? You guys – in fact, you yourself! – have been telling me that since 2012!
Congress: Well, you got me. I shouldn’t have said that then. But I mean it now! And, then…
Citizen: Wait. Something weird just happened. There’s…there’s an asterisk floating over your head! How did that happen?
Congress: (under his breath: “Dang!”) Er, that’s… “The Footnote.”
Citizen: “The Footnote”?
Congress: Yes, it’s right here. (Points to even smaller writing at the bottom of the footnote.)
Citizen: (Straining to read) “New rules and regulations will be issued pursuant to directives of the President of the Corporation regarding accessories and mandatory options, at the discretion of the President, according to his timetable, provided they are in accordance with existing corporate policy, and are not overturned or modified by the Board of Directors.”
So what does that mean?
Congress: Oh, it’s nothing to worry about…
Citizen: I’m not so sure about that. Tell me what it means, or I’m walking out.
Congress: Wait! Don’t be hasty! Look, all that means is that the new regulations, that we need to give you the full car you want…well, it’s like this…we…ahem…
We don’t know exactly when they’re coming.
Citizen: (Eyes narrowing) And? I can see there’s something else.
Congress: Well, there’s just the slightest chance that the new rules won’t be found to be…legal.
Citizen: Wait, what? What did you say?
Congress: It all depends on the head of the review board. She’s a swell gal, that Sue Premecourt! I’m sure she won’t find any problems. Not this time!
Citizen: But what happens if she does?
Congress: Well, then we may not be able to give you the full package, but look! No reason to get dire! It’s gonna be just fine! Just fine!
Citizen: And at that point, I have my new car?
Congress: Well, not exactly. That’s only phase two. There’s still phase three.
Citizen: “Phase three?” What the h*** is this? Why is it in three phases? Why can’t you just give me a new car, like you promised?
Congress: Well, see, it’s like this. We have a board of directors, and, boy! are they a strange bunch! Under the rules of the company, we have to get 60% of the board to sign off on a bunch of this. It's all the fault of this one fellow, Filibuster. But not all! No Sirree! Only on some of it! That’s why we’re doing it this way.
We can give you parts with only a majority of the board – so that’s phase one. The stuff with phase two? Those crazy birds won’t even get to look it! And all the stuff the board doesn’t like…well, we’re saving that for phase three! We’re no dummies!
Citizen: So let me get this straight – the reason you aren’t doing it all at once, is because you can’t get it past the board of directors, right?
Congress: Yes, but just some of it, only some…
Citizen: But without that “some,” I don’t get a new car, right?
Congress: Well…technically. But it’s fine, really! Say, how about I turn on the TV? Steve Harvey’s doing this special on Dallas Cheerleaders – you don’t want to miss that, huh?
Citizen: No thank you. I’m still wondering about the rest of the car you owe me.
Congress: Oh, but I already explained that. That’s phase three. It’s all baked in. Nothing to worry about.
Citizen: But you said the board might not approve phase three. Because of that Filibuster guy.
Congress: Oh, but it’ll be fine.
Citizen: How? How do you get past Filibuster?
Congress: Well, that's a trade secret! But believe me, you'll have a new car. Or, at least, you’ll have most of your new car. At least a majority. Maybe two-thirds. It's gonna be great, I guarantee it!
Citizen: No, I want to know: what do you do about the Board? That seems to be the real problem. You can't do anything about that?
Congress: Oh, I didn't say that. The members of the board are elected, so...
Citizen: So, you're saying we could get new board members?
Congress: Well, yes, technically...
Citizen: And who votes on that?
Congress: Well...you do.
Citizen: So, why don't we do that?
Congress: Oh, that's too haaard! This is better, really! We've got a secret plan for getting past Filibuster. (Winks)
Citizen: Uh huh. And if not... then all I’m getting is "most" of a new car? But I’m getting rid of all those expensive options, right?
Congress: Well, that’s one of those things that the Board has to approve. I shouldn’t tell you this, but ole Sue has been a little unpredictable lately…
Citizen: And what about my payments – they’re going down, right? You promised me that four years ago!
Congress: Well, see…that depends on Sue…and and also, getting phase three through. That Filibuster, he's a tough bird.
Citizen: This is really screwed up! So tell me, what, exactly, am I getting today? Right now?
Congress: Floor mats!
Citizen: (Incredulous) FLOOR MATS?
Congress: But they’re really nice Floor Mats! And you’ll only pay another $99 a month! Isn’t that a sweet deal? Wait – Mr. Citizen? Where are you going?
(Sigh.) Sheesh. There’s no pleasing some people!
Sunday, March 05, 2017
Sin turns us from God; confession turns us back (Sunday homily)
As you may have noticed, there are copies of a book
at the doors of church called the Seven Secrets of Confession.
We are providing this to everyone to help us all grow this Lent.
If you’ve started reading it, in the first few pages
You saw the author describe the idea he had
about confession growing up:
it was something he had to do; it was a chore;
he went unwillingly, with his “grocery list” of sins, and moved on quickly.
As he said, this isn’t bad, but there’s so much more.
And he added, this understanding kept him, and keeps others,
“from discovering the real beauty and value of this sacrament.”
So for the Sundays of Lent, we will go through this book,
in order to discover all that’s wonderful about this sacrament.
After all, Jesus gave us seven sacraments – seven special gifts.
Not six, not eight. This is one of them.
Why should any gift from God cause us unhappiness or worry?
Surely we are missing something if that is the case.
Now, let’s look at the Scripture readings, and as we do,
let’s bring the first chapter, about the first “secret,”
which is that our sin doesn’t change God – rather, it changes us.
And in that chapter, Mr. Flynn quotes a wise priest
who told him that “sin is turning your face away from God.”
And that’s what you see in the readings:
Adam and Eve turn their faces from God, while Jesus never does.
And that makes all the difference.
It’s a shame the first reading ends where it does,
because if you read on in Genesis, here’s what it says next:
“When they heard the sound of the LORD God
walking about in the garden…the man and his wife
hid themselves from the LORD God….
The LORD God then called to the man and asked him: ‘Where are you?’”
This is one of the saddest lines of the Bible.
Think of it: God has created his beautiful Garden,
and created his son and his daughter, and given this garden to them.
Now, something has wrecked it all.
Worst of all, his children are wrecked.
As our author said, our sins don’t change God – but they do change us.
So Adam and Eve went from being happy in God’s presence
to being fearful.
Of course, isn’t that how we approach the sacrament?
A lot of us are afraid to go – but why? Why are we afraid?
Well, because it’s embarrassing to admit our failures and our vices.
And, second, it’s humiliating to own up to our repeated failures,
week upon week.
True enough. But how often have we also thought this:
God is angry. Just like Adam and Eve. See how that works?
On the contrary, God has not changed toward us.
Nothing we can ever do, nothing at all, can ever change God.
Many here are parents. Isn’t it true that,
despite all that is frustrating and all your own weaknesses,
the love you have for your children…
it just can’t be put into words, can it?
I saw a video last week of a new father,
holding his tiny child, born prematurely.
As he gazed as his daughter, with just a finger,
he kept stroking her back, over and over.
Every father and mother here knows what that is like.
And that’s just the flicker of a match
compared to the heat of a thousand suns
with which our Father in heaven loves us.
When we come to confession,
it may feel like we’re being called to the Principal’s Office,
but in reality, we’re being welcomed back into God’s friendship.
God, for his part, has not changed toward us! He never does.
OK, you may ask, then why does anyone go to hell?
And the answer is, because sin changes us: we turn our faces from God.
And some, after turning, never turn back.
The danger of neglecting to come to confession
is that we get used to being away, it gets to feel normal,
and whatever makes it hard to go back only gets worse,
the longer we stay away.
At some point, our stubborn pride kicks in.
Or laziness, or procrastination, or waiting till we’re “good enough.”
The devil will tell us a thousand different lies,
all aimed at the same outcome.
Sin takes us from enjoying the light and warmth of God’s life,
to the darkness of being off by ourselves.
As with Adam and Eve, that may not have been the sales pitch;
the enemy convinced them they were putting one over on God.
So it can be with us. When temptation comes,
it looks pretty fine, doesn’t it?
But we always end up somewhere cold and empty.
The Gospel, on the other hand, shows us Jesus,
who despite all that assails him, never turns his face from his Father.
That fact alone explainseverything* so much about Jesus.
How can go through all these temptations?
How can Jesus face the frustrations, the misunderstandings
and the rejection, as he walks that long road to the Cross?
His face and the Father’s face are always toward each other.
Love can inspire unbelievable courage.
And the reason this Gospel is good news for us
is that Christ came to share this courage with us,
by sharing his Father with us.
This gives us the courage to turn from sin
and turn our face back to the Father.
Now, we all know that this doesn’t just happen all at once.
When we’re in the habit of turning to the bottle, or to anger,
or to gossip, or to dark places on the Internet,
we will find ourselves so easily returning to those sins,
and be ashamed that we turned from God’s love so readily.
Once again, the voice of the tempter will say, “God has had it with you!”
But Christ meets us in the sacrament of reconciliation,
as often as we return, again and again – as often as necessary.
His courage becomes our courage. His strength is ours.
He will teach us, if we let him, to fix our gaze on the Father.
* I made this change when I delivered the homily.
at the doors of church called the Seven Secrets of Confession.
We are providing this to everyone to help us all grow this Lent.
If you’ve started reading it, in the first few pages
You saw the author describe the idea he had
about confession growing up:
it was something he had to do; it was a chore;
he went unwillingly, with his “grocery list” of sins, and moved on quickly.
As he said, this isn’t bad, but there’s so much more.
And he added, this understanding kept him, and keeps others,
“from discovering the real beauty and value of this sacrament.”
So for the Sundays of Lent, we will go through this book,
in order to discover all that’s wonderful about this sacrament.
After all, Jesus gave us seven sacraments – seven special gifts.
Not six, not eight. This is one of them.
Why should any gift from God cause us unhappiness or worry?
Surely we are missing something if that is the case.
Now, let’s look at the Scripture readings, and as we do,
let’s bring the first chapter, about the first “secret,”
which is that our sin doesn’t change God – rather, it changes us.
And in that chapter, Mr. Flynn quotes a wise priest
who told him that “sin is turning your face away from God.”
And that’s what you see in the readings:
Adam and Eve turn their faces from God, while Jesus never does.
And that makes all the difference.
It’s a shame the first reading ends where it does,
because if you read on in Genesis, here’s what it says next:
“When they heard the sound of the LORD God
walking about in the garden…the man and his wife
hid themselves from the LORD God….
The LORD God then called to the man and asked him: ‘Where are you?’”
This is one of the saddest lines of the Bible.
Think of it: God has created his beautiful Garden,
and created his son and his daughter, and given this garden to them.
Now, something has wrecked it all.
Worst of all, his children are wrecked.
As our author said, our sins don’t change God – but they do change us.
So Adam and Eve went from being happy in God’s presence
to being fearful.
Of course, isn’t that how we approach the sacrament?
A lot of us are afraid to go – but why? Why are we afraid?
Well, because it’s embarrassing to admit our failures and our vices.
And, second, it’s humiliating to own up to our repeated failures,
week upon week.
True enough. But how often have we also thought this:
God is angry. Just like Adam and Eve. See how that works?
On the contrary, God has not changed toward us.
Nothing we can ever do, nothing at all, can ever change God.
Many here are parents. Isn’t it true that,
despite all that is frustrating and all your own weaknesses,
the love you have for your children…
it just can’t be put into words, can it?
I saw a video last week of a new father,
holding his tiny child, born prematurely.
As he gazed as his daughter, with just a finger,
he kept stroking her back, over and over.
Every father and mother here knows what that is like.
And that’s just the flicker of a match
compared to the heat of a thousand suns
with which our Father in heaven loves us.
When we come to confession,
it may feel like we’re being called to the Principal’s Office,
but in reality, we’re being welcomed back into God’s friendship.
God, for his part, has not changed toward us! He never does.
OK, you may ask, then why does anyone go to hell?
And the answer is, because sin changes us: we turn our faces from God.
And some, after turning, never turn back.
The danger of neglecting to come to confession
is that we get used to being away, it gets to feel normal,
and whatever makes it hard to go back only gets worse,
the longer we stay away.
At some point, our stubborn pride kicks in.
Or laziness, or procrastination, or waiting till we’re “good enough.”
The devil will tell us a thousand different lies,
all aimed at the same outcome.
Sin takes us from enjoying the light and warmth of God’s life,
to the darkness of being off by ourselves.
As with Adam and Eve, that may not have been the sales pitch;
the enemy convinced them they were putting one over on God.
So it can be with us. When temptation comes,
it looks pretty fine, doesn’t it?
But we always end up somewhere cold and empty.
The Gospel, on the other hand, shows us Jesus,
who despite all that assails him, never turns his face from his Father.
That fact alone explains
How can go through all these temptations?
How can Jesus face the frustrations, the misunderstandings
and the rejection, as he walks that long road to the Cross?
His face and the Father’s face are always toward each other.
Love can inspire unbelievable courage.
And the reason this Gospel is good news for us
is that Christ came to share this courage with us,
by sharing his Father with us.
This gives us the courage to turn from sin
and turn our face back to the Father.
Now, we all know that this doesn’t just happen all at once.
When we’re in the habit of turning to the bottle, or to anger,
or to gossip, or to dark places on the Internet,
we will find ourselves so easily returning to those sins,
and be ashamed that we turned from God’s love so readily.
Once again, the voice of the tempter will say, “God has had it with you!”
But Christ meets us in the sacrament of reconciliation,
as often as we return, again and again – as often as necessary.
His courage becomes our courage. His strength is ours.
He will teach us, if we let him, to fix our gaze on the Father.
* I made this change when I delivered the homily.
Friday, March 03, 2017
Trump's 'Russia connection': my theory
The story this week about complaints that Attorney General Jeff Sessions wasn't properly forthcoming in the testimony he gave in the process of being considered for his present job, is only the latest in the drip-drip-drip of items in this "Russian interference" file. The whole thing has become so unwieldy that it's hard to keep track of just what we're talking about. But it all seems to boil down to two things:
-- an attempt to influence the 2016 election, and
-- a claim that the someone in the Trump Campaign was coordinating with the Russians.
My cogitations always come back to the same place: does this really seem plausible?
I have a theory, but let me get there through a bit of a circuit. Let's start with some assumptions. Let's assume both the assertions above are true. Here are the questions that occur to me:
1) Regardless of whose idea it was (Russia's or Trump's), why would the Trump Campaign think this was a good idea? Why trust the Russians? If Trump's people pursued this to any degree, doesn't that give the Russians a juicy bit of blackmail material? Are we to believe no one in the Trump organization could see that?
Think about it: the Russians would have all the cards in such a negotiation. They could always decide, later, that they didn't need the deal, and make the whole thing public. If they decided Mrs. Clinton was going to win, such a move couldn't do them any harm. Alternately, they could wait until Trump is elected, and then blackmail the new administration for even more than was called for in the original bargain. What leverage would the Trump side of this ever have?
2) If you are the Trump people, considering this sort of deal, how do you know the Russians will deliver?
3) It also occurs to me that if the Russians wanted some sort of deal, it's no good unless Trump is certainly on board; after all, who else can deliver whatever consideration they sought out of the deal? So if there was a deal, it must have included Trump.
4) The thing about conspiracies (this is one of many reasons you should automatically reject conspiracy theories with extreme prejudice) is that they are really, really hard to keep secret. Doubt me? Look at this conspiracy!
5) What would the Russians really have to gain by a deal with Trump? For that matter, just why would tipping the election his way be to their advantage? What could he do for them, realistically? Yes, he was negative about NATO, but think about it: what do you think would happen to any President who wrecked NATO, to the advantage of Russia? (Note that Trump has moved to give strong support for NATO.) What else could they realistically expect?
Other than his noise about NATO, what else about Trump's campaign would appeal to the Russians?
6) If there was a deal, why was there all this activity which we're learning about now? The thing the Left is glomming onto is the very thing that makes me doubt the story: the supposedly abundant contacts between Trump's people and the Russians. If you were going to make a sordid deal like this, the one thing you would certainly do is keep it as quiet and hidden as possible.
If you're not with me, I ask: if there was a corrupt bargain between Russia and Trump, is there any scenario under which either side wants it to become known? I can't think of one.
There's a scene in the film, Minority Report, where one of the characters -- a police officer -- comes on a crime scene with all manner of evidence, spread out in full view. He calls it an "orgy of evidence," and explains that it's cause for suspicion -- it was all obviously planted in order to be discovered.
That's exactly what all these "contacts" look like to me.
If you think there really was an attempt at a corrupt bargain, you have to wonder why neither anyone on Trump's side, nor anyone on the Russian side, had sense to make sure the contacts were as minimal and secret as possible. In short, you have to claim they were all idiots, and that seems utterly implausible. A businessman like Trump -- and certainly a former KGB officer (i.e., Putin) -- would know better.
So what would be the possible reason to have all these contacts, all this sloppiness, this "orgy of evidence" that you can guarantee would be discovered?
That's the point: the Russians weren't looking for a deal, and no deal was made. Instead, the Russians wanted to create confusion and chaos. If their goal was to destabilize and undermine the new President, whether the information becomes public or not, they win. If secret, it might be useful as leverage; if it becomes public, it undermines the new President.
What do you think?
'Salmon Scampi' and a first sung Latin Mass
This has been an adventurous week, helped along by preparations for Lent, Ash Wednesday activities, and a special funeral Mass.
With Lent coming, we had to get some things together. The daily Mass moves an hour earlier, allowing schoolchildren to attend; and we have high school students serve as readers and altar servers. So we had some things to do with that this week. I dug out our supply of ashes -- enough for 20 years, I calculate.*
Ash Wednesday itself wasn't any great chore; in fact, I got to sleep in! I usually have a 5:45 am Mass each Wednesday, but since Ash Wednesday has two additional Masses, I drop the super-early Traditional Latin Mass. Maybe someday we'll have the 7 am Mass as a TLM, but we're not ready for that.
The first two Masses (7 and 11:45 am) had to be quick, given work and school schedules, so I used the 2nd Eucharistic Prayer, which I really don't like doing. The 7 pm Mass was a "high Mass" -- with incense and lots of servers and the Roman Canon, which is our default Eucharistic Prayer.
As the day went along, I was thinking about dinner, which I had after the 7 pm Mass. I had some shrimp left over from Monday, and I figured, I'll fry that up with some butter and garlic: Shrimp Scampi!
Well, when I finally got to the kitchen to get everything out, my stomach growling, I got a whiff of the shrimp. Eew! I tasted one (they were cooked) and spat it out. Now what? I didn't have any soup without meat; no other fish; no bread. Hmm.... Then I noticed a can of salmon. How about "Salmon Scampi"?
That's what I fixed up...but I wouldn't recommend it. The bones don't make it better.
But what really kept me on my toes this week was preparing for a funeral Mass, in the older form. While I offer the Traditional Latin Mass regularly, I've never offered a Requiem Mass; in addition, I wanted to do it as a sung Mass, because it's a funeral. Thankfully, I had some warning several weeks ago, and so I begun at that time to get things together.
This meant calling around for singers who could form the choir, and also to find someone to serve as a liturgical Master of Ceremonies -- that is, someone who could guide me through. Thankfully, I found some folks who could advise me, and we got everything together. Part of what I needed was a black cope and a black pall for the casket, which the TLM parish in Dayton kindly lent to me, along with a supply of books for those attending. A gentleman who has served as an MC for the older Mass was extremely helpful in providing advice, sending me sound files to listen to for practice, and many other helps. And he graciously offered to drive up the day of the Mass to serve as MC.
With all that, I was still stressed. I had wanted to practice more than I had. In addition, I'd had some difficulties rounding up the six servers we needed. The hard part was finding men who had experience with the older form. Thankfully, I saw one of our college men at the 7 am Mass, who had such experience, and he mentioned he was on Spring Break! So I asked if he'd be willing to come back for the funeral? He graciously agreed.
So, at 11, he showed along with the others I'd recruited, plus another gentleman who'd been recruited by a parishioner who'd told me she'd "put the word out." Everyone was on time and we were ready for the MC, who was due at that hour, and was going to put everyone's mind at ease.
We were still waiting for him at 11:15. And 11:30. The funeral was at Noon. I had been waiting on him to be sure we lit the right candles; at 11:40, I sent the boys to light six of them. I was going to let the MC decide where to stage the various things we'd need; I made my best guess about that. At 11:45, I looked at the college student, who I'd recruited that morning, and who I knew had the best experience, and said, "You know the old saying, 'No good deed goes unpunished!' Can you serve as the MC?" He didn't blink an eye (but he did gulp a little I think).
So, at Noon, we executed the first sung Requiem Mass at Saint Remy in about 50 years. God helped me a lot! It all seemed to go reasonably well -- having great servers makes a huge difference. There were a couple of flubs, but nothing major. By the time we got to the cemetery, I was unsure about which parts I was supposed to chant and recite, and ended up reciting the last bits, including some I think I was supposed to chant. The schola was great; they even walked out the cemetery, undeterred by the cold and blowing snow. The family was very happy.
The MC never made it, and now, a day later, I still haven't heard anything, which concerns me. I know he wouldn't just blow it off; but I don't know the man, and other than call him as I did afterward, I don't have any way to contact him or his family. I've been praying for him.
Would I do it again? In a minute! But there are two things we need. First, we need our own schola which can execute the music, and that takes dedication. Second, we need someone who can serve as the MC. If there are folks who are interested, let me know. I'd love to be able to do sung Latin Masses more often.
Now, with that behind me, I have to begin working on my Sunday homily; it's going to be part one of a series of sermons on the sacrament of confession. Back to work!
* Is it bad that we don't have new ashes every year? The strict tradition is to burn old palms each year, and these become the ashes for that year. But collecting and burning palms is a chore -- they have to be thoroughly burned, and then the clumps strained out -- and you end up with a pretty good supply of ashes; why not keep using them? Am I bad?
With Lent coming, we had to get some things together. The daily Mass moves an hour earlier, allowing schoolchildren to attend; and we have high school students serve as readers and altar servers. So we had some things to do with that this week. I dug out our supply of ashes -- enough for 20 years, I calculate.*
Ash Wednesday itself wasn't any great chore; in fact, I got to sleep in! I usually have a 5:45 am Mass each Wednesday, but since Ash Wednesday has two additional Masses, I drop the super-early Traditional Latin Mass. Maybe someday we'll have the 7 am Mass as a TLM, but we're not ready for that.
The first two Masses (7 and 11:45 am) had to be quick, given work and school schedules, so I used the 2nd Eucharistic Prayer, which I really don't like doing. The 7 pm Mass was a "high Mass" -- with incense and lots of servers and the Roman Canon, which is our default Eucharistic Prayer.
As the day went along, I was thinking about dinner, which I had after the 7 pm Mass. I had some shrimp left over from Monday, and I figured, I'll fry that up with some butter and garlic: Shrimp Scampi!
Well, when I finally got to the kitchen to get everything out, my stomach growling, I got a whiff of the shrimp. Eew! I tasted one (they were cooked) and spat it out. Now what? I didn't have any soup without meat; no other fish; no bread. Hmm.... Then I noticed a can of salmon. How about "Salmon Scampi"?
That's what I fixed up...but I wouldn't recommend it. The bones don't make it better.
But what really kept me on my toes this week was preparing for a funeral Mass, in the older form. While I offer the Traditional Latin Mass regularly, I've never offered a Requiem Mass; in addition, I wanted to do it as a sung Mass, because it's a funeral. Thankfully, I had some warning several weeks ago, and so I begun at that time to get things together.
This meant calling around for singers who could form the choir, and also to find someone to serve as a liturgical Master of Ceremonies -- that is, someone who could guide me through. Thankfully, I found some folks who could advise me, and we got everything together. Part of what I needed was a black cope and a black pall for the casket, which the TLM parish in Dayton kindly lent to me, along with a supply of books for those attending. A gentleman who has served as an MC for the older Mass was extremely helpful in providing advice, sending me sound files to listen to for practice, and many other helps. And he graciously offered to drive up the day of the Mass to serve as MC.
With all that, I was still stressed. I had wanted to practice more than I had. In addition, I'd had some difficulties rounding up the six servers we needed. The hard part was finding men who had experience with the older form. Thankfully, I saw one of our college men at the 7 am Mass, who had such experience, and he mentioned he was on Spring Break! So I asked if he'd be willing to come back for the funeral? He graciously agreed.
So, at 11, he showed along with the others I'd recruited, plus another gentleman who'd been recruited by a parishioner who'd told me she'd "put the word out." Everyone was on time and we were ready for the MC, who was due at that hour, and was going to put everyone's mind at ease.
We were still waiting for him at 11:15. And 11:30. The funeral was at Noon. I had been waiting on him to be sure we lit the right candles; at 11:40, I sent the boys to light six of them. I was going to let the MC decide where to stage the various things we'd need; I made my best guess about that. At 11:45, I looked at the college student, who I'd recruited that morning, and who I knew had the best experience, and said, "You know the old saying, 'No good deed goes unpunished!' Can you serve as the MC?" He didn't blink an eye (but he did gulp a little I think).
So, at Noon, we executed the first sung Requiem Mass at Saint Remy in about 50 years. God helped me a lot! It all seemed to go reasonably well -- having great servers makes a huge difference. There were a couple of flubs, but nothing major. By the time we got to the cemetery, I was unsure about which parts I was supposed to chant and recite, and ended up reciting the last bits, including some I think I was supposed to chant. The schola was great; they even walked out the cemetery, undeterred by the cold and blowing snow. The family was very happy.
The MC never made it, and now, a day later, I still haven't heard anything, which concerns me. I know he wouldn't just blow it off; but I don't know the man, and other than call him as I did afterward, I don't have any way to contact him or his family. I've been praying for him.
Would I do it again? In a minute! But there are two things we need. First, we need our own schola which can execute the music, and that takes dedication. Second, we need someone who can serve as the MC. If there are folks who are interested, let me know. I'd love to be able to do sung Latin Masses more often.
Now, with that behind me, I have to begin working on my Sunday homily; it's going to be part one of a series of sermons on the sacrament of confession. Back to work!
* Is it bad that we don't have new ashes every year? The strict tradition is to burn old palms each year, and these become the ashes for that year. But collecting and burning palms is a chore -- they have to be thoroughly burned, and then the clumps strained out -- and you end up with a pretty good supply of ashes; why not keep using them? Am I bad?
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Deeper into the Mystery this Lent (Sunday homily)
In the 2nd Reading we hear about “the Mysteries of God.”
For Paul, mystery didn’t mean something opaque
or unable to be penetrated; but rather,
something that we can explore endlessly.
Mystery wasn’t something hidden,
but something we were invited into by God.
That’s the whole point of God’s Plan, to bring us into his life.
We often talk of mystery in our faith. If you listen,
you’ll hear the word a lot during the prayers of Mass.
What does this mean?
Think of someone flying over the surface of the ocean –
from above, you’d see the water and the waves.
But once you go below the surface, what you see? A whole new world –
coral reefs in brilliant colors,
fish and clams and other fascinating creatures.
But you never see any of this unless you enter in.
This is what we mean when we refer to “mystery”
Lent starts this Wednesday – the point of Lent
is to help us enter into the mystery of our own human nature,
damaged by sin, as well as the mystery of God’s plan of salvation,
which culminated in Jesus Christ being born, living, teaching, healing –
and then going to the Cross.
Like that world below the surface of the water,
we can miss it if we don’t take time and effort to enter in.
Lent gives us tools to do this.
We deny ourselves things and we step up our prayer,
in order to leave behind what is familiar and go deeper –
to challenge ourselves.
Reminder: during Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
are days of fasting, meaning just one full meal,
although you can have just a little something to tide yourself over
at the other times.
This applies to everyone 18 to 59.
Also, be sensible: if your health situation
makes fasting risky or harmful, you are not obliged to fast.
And remember that Ash Wednesday and every Friday
are days of abstaining from meat,
and this applies to everyone over 14 years of age.
So now is a good time to think about, and make our plans for Lent,
so we can enter into these mysteries – again, the mystery of my sinful, fallen self,
and the mystery of how Jesus Christ is saving me and changing me so I can be a saint.
Let me highlight some things we’ll be doing during Lent that might help.
First, the books at the exits of church, Seven Secrets of Confession.
These have been paid for – they are free to you, please take one.
I thought about not doing this, given the tightness of the budget,
but if folks kick in a few extra bucks in the collection,
we can cover the cost of this. But be sure to take one if you want one.
Each Sunday in Lent, my homily will tie into a chapter from this book.
That way, we’ll go through the whole book.
When we talk about the mystery of our faith,
The sacrament of confession is right in the middle of it.
What do we always say about why Jesus came and died for us?
To save us from our sins, right? But did you ever stop and ask,
OK, exactly how does that apply to me?
The answer is the absolution we receive in confession.
On the Cross, Jesus said, “It is finished!”
But where do I go to claim my part of this?
Well, yes, first in baptism, but after that, what do I do when I sin again?
I get that forgiveness in confession.
I’m going to go so far and say this –
and this may sound pretty aggressive, but it’s absolutely true:
If you’re not going to confession,
you’re fundamentally missing out on what our Catholic Faith is about.
It’s about Jesus forgiving us and changing us.
Yes, the Eucharist is at the center,
but in order to receive eternal life from the Eucharist,
we must first receive forgiveness in confession.
Confession is the door that leads to the Holy of Holies.
Second, I’m going to have a special event
for the women and girls of the parish, of all ages!
on Saturday, March 11. Mass – adoration + confessions –
a talk on prayer – I’m calling this
“A woman’s prayer is the heart of the church,” so that’ll be the topic.
After that, we’ll have brunch and we’ll finish by Noon.
Now, men, here’s what I’m asking from you.
I’ve already recruited some men to do the meal.
The rest of you, I’m asking you to step up that day,
and take care of chores, take care of the kids, take care of whatever needs to be taken care of,
so that the women – of all ages! – can attend this.
Third, I’m going to give a series of talks every Tuesday at 7 pm –
just one hour – on “How to defend the Faith.”
We’ll talk about marriage and divorce and same-sex issues;
assisted suicide; devotion to Mary; and the Eucharist.
There are two Tuesdays when we’ll have confessions,
but the other four, we’ll have these talks.
If you look in today’s bulletin, you’ll see a handout that looks like this.
It gives lots of opportunities to grow in Lent. And of course, there are more besides these.
Whether you or I go deeper into the mystery of our Faith
is a decision we have to make. It won’t just happen. Go deeper!
Find Jesus and know Jesus better, and let him change you, this Lent!
For Paul, mystery didn’t mean something opaque
or unable to be penetrated; but rather,
something that we can explore endlessly.
Mystery wasn’t something hidden,
but something we were invited into by God.
That’s the whole point of God’s Plan, to bring us into his life.
We often talk of mystery in our faith. If you listen,
you’ll hear the word a lot during the prayers of Mass.
What does this mean?
Think of someone flying over the surface of the ocean –
from above, you’d see the water and the waves.
But once you go below the surface, what you see? A whole new world –
coral reefs in brilliant colors,
fish and clams and other fascinating creatures.
But you never see any of this unless you enter in.
This is what we mean when we refer to “mystery”
Lent starts this Wednesday – the point of Lent
is to help us enter into the mystery of our own human nature,
damaged by sin, as well as the mystery of God’s plan of salvation,
which culminated in Jesus Christ being born, living, teaching, healing –
and then going to the Cross.
Like that world below the surface of the water,
we can miss it if we don’t take time and effort to enter in.
Lent gives us tools to do this.
We deny ourselves things and we step up our prayer,
in order to leave behind what is familiar and go deeper –
to challenge ourselves.
Reminder: during Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
are days of fasting, meaning just one full meal,
although you can have just a little something to tide yourself over
at the other times.
This applies to everyone 18 to 59.
Also, be sensible: if your health situation
makes fasting risky or harmful, you are not obliged to fast.
And remember that Ash Wednesday and every Friday
are days of abstaining from meat,
and this applies to everyone over 14 years of age.
So now is a good time to think about, and make our plans for Lent,
so we can enter into these mysteries – again, the mystery of my sinful, fallen self,
and the mystery of how Jesus Christ is saving me and changing me so I can be a saint.
Let me highlight some things we’ll be doing during Lent that might help.
First, the books at the exits of church, Seven Secrets of Confession.
These have been paid for – they are free to you, please take one.
I thought about not doing this, given the tightness of the budget,
but if folks kick in a few extra bucks in the collection,
we can cover the cost of this. But be sure to take one if you want one.
Each Sunday in Lent, my homily will tie into a chapter from this book.
That way, we’ll go through the whole book.
When we talk about the mystery of our faith,
The sacrament of confession is right in the middle of it.
What do we always say about why Jesus came and died for us?
To save us from our sins, right? But did you ever stop and ask,
OK, exactly how does that apply to me?
The answer is the absolution we receive in confession.
On the Cross, Jesus said, “It is finished!”
But where do I go to claim my part of this?
Well, yes, first in baptism, but after that, what do I do when I sin again?
I get that forgiveness in confession.
I’m going to go so far and say this –
and this may sound pretty aggressive, but it’s absolutely true:
If you’re not going to confession,
you’re fundamentally missing out on what our Catholic Faith is about.
It’s about Jesus forgiving us and changing us.
Yes, the Eucharist is at the center,
but in order to receive eternal life from the Eucharist,
we must first receive forgiveness in confession.
Confession is the door that leads to the Holy of Holies.
Second, I’m going to have a special event
for the women and girls of the parish, of all ages!
on Saturday, March 11. Mass – adoration + confessions –
a talk on prayer – I’m calling this
“A woman’s prayer is the heart of the church,” so that’ll be the topic.
After that, we’ll have brunch and we’ll finish by Noon.
Now, men, here’s what I’m asking from you.
I’ve already recruited some men to do the meal.
The rest of you, I’m asking you to step up that day,
and take care of chores, take care of the kids, take care of whatever needs to be taken care of,
so that the women – of all ages! – can attend this.
Third, I’m going to give a series of talks every Tuesday at 7 pm –
just one hour – on “How to defend the Faith.”
We’ll talk about marriage and divorce and same-sex issues;
assisted suicide; devotion to Mary; and the Eucharist.
There are two Tuesdays when we’ll have confessions,
but the other four, we’ll have these talks.
If you look in today’s bulletin, you’ll see a handout that looks like this.
It gives lots of opportunities to grow in Lent. And of course, there are more besides these.
Whether you or I go deeper into the mystery of our Faith
is a decision we have to make. It won’t just happen. Go deeper!
Find Jesus and know Jesus better, and let him change you, this Lent!
Thursday, February 23, 2017
NPR: sex isn't objective reality, it's religious dogma!
I was appalled and amused this morning by an interview on NPR's "Morning Edition," discussing the decision by the Trump Administration to revoke an Obama-era letter that mandated how schools should handle access to bathroom and changing facilities for "transgender" individuals. In the course of the interview with an official from the Obama Justice Department, co-host Rachel Martin made the following assertion about why people oppose letting men who claim to be women into women's locker rooms:
"And especially conservatives say this is, this is a moral issue. And this is now the federal government telling me how to understand an issue that I think of in religious terms." (Sorry there's no transcript posted at the link; Ms. Martin's comment comes at about the 5:20 mark on the recording.)
I might add, my transcript of the quote omits the many uhs and ums by Ms. Martin as she clearly struggled to articulate the position of those who objected to such an enlightened policy. I strongly suspect Ms. Martin has not really absorbed -- if she has even encountered -- the actual arguments opponents make; we appear to have been given access to the actual moment in which the poor woman attempted to process this idea for the very first time; and the quote above is what resulted.
The mind boggles. According to Ms. Martin, to believe that penises and vaginas exist, and have some actual significance -- is now in the same category as believing in the Holy Trinity and transubstantiation. Now, I firmly believe in in the existence of all the things itemized in the prior sentence; but I have always understood that sexual attributes (and their effects and consequences) belong to the objective realm and are capable of verification, whereas belief in the Real Presence and the Trinity require faith. But not according to NPR! It's all dogma.
Elsewhere in the same program, there was another segment: "Should Scientists March? U.S. Researchers Still Debating Pros And Cons." This reflected a concern that respect for science and actual facts -- as opposed to "alternative facts" -- was declining in our present age. Perhaps the scientists might want to march past NPR's offices? Would it do any good?
"And especially conservatives say this is, this is a moral issue. And this is now the federal government telling me how to understand an issue that I think of in religious terms." (Sorry there's no transcript posted at the link; Ms. Martin's comment comes at about the 5:20 mark on the recording.)
I might add, my transcript of the quote omits the many uhs and ums by Ms. Martin as she clearly struggled to articulate the position of those who objected to such an enlightened policy. I strongly suspect Ms. Martin has not really absorbed -- if she has even encountered -- the actual arguments opponents make; we appear to have been given access to the actual moment in which the poor woman attempted to process this idea for the very first time; and the quote above is what resulted.
The mind boggles. According to Ms. Martin, to believe that penises and vaginas exist, and have some actual significance -- is now in the same category as believing in the Holy Trinity and transubstantiation. Now, I firmly believe in in the existence of all the things itemized in the prior sentence; but I have always understood that sexual attributes (and their effects and consequences) belong to the objective realm and are capable of verification, whereas belief in the Real Presence and the Trinity require faith. But not according to NPR! It's all dogma.
Elsewhere in the same program, there was another segment: "Should Scientists March? U.S. Researchers Still Debating Pros And Cons." This reflected a concern that respect for science and actual facts -- as opposed to "alternative facts" -- was declining in our present age. Perhaps the scientists might want to march past NPR's offices? Would it do any good?
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Our plans as a parish to 'step it up' (Sunday homily)
In the Gospel we just heard, the key words are when Jesus says this:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
That is the key.
Jesus is what Moses and the Law and all the Prophets hoped for.
Another way to understand what Jesus teaches is this:
Moses gave us the bare minimum.
Jesus says, “let’s step it up; let’s get to the heart of it”:
which is, that we don’t just follow rules,
we seek to know God, to follow him closely, to share his life.
We might think of what happened when the Apostles James and John,
and Andrew and Peter first met Jesus,
he didn’t give them commandments or any task,
but he simply said, “Come, follow me” – and they did.
This is a good time to talk about something
that I’ve been working on for two years, something big.
It’s time to make an announcement.
If you read my column a few weeks ago,
you saw me mention some “Pastoral Priorities”
that I’ve been working on with the staff and the Pastoral Council.
It’s time to share this with you. But I have to back up a bit.
When I first came to Saint Remy,
and after talking with so many parishioners,
you may recall what I said that,
despite all the good things going on in our parish,
I wanted to make sure we weren’t complacent.
So I began sharing with our staff and the Pastoral Council
a book I had just finished,
called Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Waddell.
I’d heard her give a talk in Dayton three or four years ago,
and I’d been impressed: she made sense.
But the first thing she talked about that was so powerful
was her diagnosis of what’s wrong with the Church in our country.
If you pick up this book, prepare yourself:
the first two chapters are brutal!
Let me share some of that with you now.
Ms. Waddell shared the following points – all carefully documented:
- Of all American adults who were raised as Catholics in this country,
how many still practice their faith? 30%.
- One in ten American adults were once Catholic, but no longer.
- When people leave the Catholic Faith,
4 out of 5 of them are gone by the age of 23.
Where are they going? Many are joining other religions,
especially Evangelical Christianity.
But many others are becoming so-called “nones,”
meaning they have no religious affiliation.
And one more sobering fact:
- Mass attendance, by age group, breaks down like this:
of those over 65, it’s almost half. Of those between 41-64, it’s 20%.
And of those just out of college, so called Millennials? Only 10%
What does this mean? It means that something is badly wrong,
and if things don’t change, a storm is going to hit.
Churches that are accustomed to seeing 500-600 people
on a Sunday will, before very long, see only 100-200.
The word for that is “collapse.” There is no other word.
Now, this isn’t what we’re experiencing in Russia,
and in this part of the diocese.
But we’re not walled off from the rest of the world.
So let’s not kid ourselves; we’re affected by this too.
Ms. Waddell says it simply:
“what worked before doesn’t work anymore.”
And I think she has that exactly right.
OK, that’s the end of the bad news.
I didn’t come here to deliver an obituary.
All that was simply to get your attention.
Now you see why I feel this strongly,
and why I’m now coming to you to communicate this urgency to you.
The reason I like Ms. Waddell’s book so much
that the staff and Pastoral Council and I took a year
to read it together, is this: after two chapters of bad news,
she lays out a compelling – and practical – way to respond.
And it boils down to this: the new way
must be to go beyond just following
the rules and emphasizing checking the boxes
of baptism, confirmation, first communion and marriage.
The way forward must be helping one another
to grow in our personal and intentional relationship with Jesus Christ.
Just what Jesus said in the Gospel:
following the commandments is good; that’s a starting point.
But he called us to step it up: get to know him –
that’s the whole point of it all!
That’s the whole point of the sacraments;
of the Mass; of our parish; of the Bible; of the Catholic Church.
The whole point is knowing Jesus;
following Jesus; letting Jesus change our lives.
There’s more to say, but that’s our task in one sentence.
From today, the reason this parish exists,
and the goal everything we do must aim at,
is to help everyone to know Jesus, to follow Jesus,
and to experience him changing our lives.
One more data point from the research.
When people were asked,
why they left the Catholic Faith to become Evangelical,
70% said, “my spiritual needs weren’t being met”;
62% said, “I felt called by God.”
In short, people don’t leave because they want LESS;
they leave because they hunger for MORE.
Now, let’s get into the specific priorities
the Pastoral Council and I have identified. They are as follows:
Our first priority is devout worship.
The first commandment, after all, is to love God and put him first.
As a parish, we will “foster worship and prayer that is full and faithful,
especially through the Mass and other forms of prayer.”
That’s not to say we aren’t doing that now;
but we identified that as the starting point.
Second is more disciples: it will be my task and yours
to help each other
“discover and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.”
I will be asking every organization, every group,
from pre-school to senior citizens,
to ask how they can grow in a personal encounter with the Lord.
As part of this, we will be seeking to discover
the spiritual gifts Christ gives us,
and how these can be put at his service in our parish.
A third priority is “better welcome.”
This means how we open our doors in every way:
here at church; in our encounter with our friends and neighbors;
in all our activities.
It also means how we reach out to those who are mourning,
those who have experienced a crisis, perhaps a divorce,
and how we treat those most in need.
The fourth priority is, quote, to “seek out.” Who? Everyone.
Catholics who are inactive; people who have no church home;
people who have never really met Jesus.
We will help each other find the ways
to share the gift we’ve been given.
And the final priority is simply “to pay for it.”
Not very exciting, but it’s important to mention
that some of these things may cost something,
and that’s something we’ll talk about as we go along.
Yes, there are storms and troubles out there, and sooner or later,
they will come here. But there’s no reason to be fearful,
and absolutely no reason just to sit still.
Jesus told us in the Gospel to step it up; know him in full.
It’s hokey to say, but it’s so true:
you and I don’t know what the future holds,
but we know who holds the future, amen?
We don’t have to reinvent anything; we don’t have to discover anything.
We only have to share with others what God shared with us:
Jesus Christ!
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
That is the key.
Jesus is what Moses and the Law and all the Prophets hoped for.
Another way to understand what Jesus teaches is this:
Moses gave us the bare minimum.
Jesus says, “let’s step it up; let’s get to the heart of it”:
which is, that we don’t just follow rules,
we seek to know God, to follow him closely, to share his life.
We might think of what happened when the Apostles James and John,
and Andrew and Peter first met Jesus,
he didn’t give them commandments or any task,
but he simply said, “Come, follow me” – and they did.
This is a good time to talk about something
that I’ve been working on for two years, something big.
It’s time to make an announcement.
If you read my column a few weeks ago,
you saw me mention some “Pastoral Priorities”
that I’ve been working on with the staff and the Pastoral Council.
It’s time to share this with you. But I have to back up a bit.
When I first came to Saint Remy,
and after talking with so many parishioners,
you may recall what I said that,
despite all the good things going on in our parish,
I wanted to make sure we weren’t complacent.
So I began sharing with our staff and the Pastoral Council
a book I had just finished,
called Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Waddell.
I’d heard her give a talk in Dayton three or four years ago,
and I’d been impressed: she made sense.
But the first thing she talked about that was so powerful
was her diagnosis of what’s wrong with the Church in our country.
If you pick up this book, prepare yourself:
the first two chapters are brutal!
Let me share some of that with you now.
Ms. Waddell shared the following points – all carefully documented:
- Of all American adults who were raised as Catholics in this country,
how many still practice their faith? 30%.
- One in ten American adults were once Catholic, but no longer.
- When people leave the Catholic Faith,
4 out of 5 of them are gone by the age of 23.
Where are they going? Many are joining other religions,
especially Evangelical Christianity.
But many others are becoming so-called “nones,”
meaning they have no religious affiliation.
And one more sobering fact:
- Mass attendance, by age group, breaks down like this:
of those over 65, it’s almost half. Of those between 41-64, it’s 20%.
And of those just out of college, so called Millennials? Only 10%
What does this mean? It means that something is badly wrong,
and if things don’t change, a storm is going to hit.
Churches that are accustomed to seeing 500-600 people
on a Sunday will, before very long, see only 100-200.
The word for that is “collapse.” There is no other word.
Now, this isn’t what we’re experiencing in Russia,
and in this part of the diocese.
But we’re not walled off from the rest of the world.
So let’s not kid ourselves; we’re affected by this too.
Ms. Waddell says it simply:
“what worked before doesn’t work anymore.”
And I think she has that exactly right.
OK, that’s the end of the bad news.
I didn’t come here to deliver an obituary.
All that was simply to get your attention.
Now you see why I feel this strongly,
and why I’m now coming to you to communicate this urgency to you.
The reason I like Ms. Waddell’s book so much
that the staff and Pastoral Council and I took a year
to read it together, is this: after two chapters of bad news,
she lays out a compelling – and practical – way to respond.
And it boils down to this: the new way
must be to go beyond just following
the rules and emphasizing checking the boxes
of baptism, confirmation, first communion and marriage.
The way forward must be helping one another
to grow in our personal and intentional relationship with Jesus Christ.
Just what Jesus said in the Gospel:
following the commandments is good; that’s a starting point.
But he called us to step it up: get to know him –
that’s the whole point of it all!
That’s the whole point of the sacraments;
of the Mass; of our parish; of the Bible; of the Catholic Church.
The whole point is knowing Jesus;
following Jesus; letting Jesus change our lives.
There’s more to say, but that’s our task in one sentence.
From today, the reason this parish exists,
and the goal everything we do must aim at,
is to help everyone to know Jesus, to follow Jesus,
and to experience him changing our lives.
One more data point from the research.
When people were asked,
why they left the Catholic Faith to become Evangelical,
70% said, “my spiritual needs weren’t being met”;
62% said, “I felt called by God.”
In short, people don’t leave because they want LESS;
they leave because they hunger for MORE.
Now, let’s get into the specific priorities
the Pastoral Council and I have identified. They are as follows:
Our first priority is devout worship.
The first commandment, after all, is to love God and put him first.
As a parish, we will “foster worship and prayer that is full and faithful,
especially through the Mass and other forms of prayer.”
That’s not to say we aren’t doing that now;
but we identified that as the starting point.
Second is more disciples: it will be my task and yours
to help each other
“discover and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.”
I will be asking every organization, every group,
from pre-school to senior citizens,
to ask how they can grow in a personal encounter with the Lord.
As part of this, we will be seeking to discover
the spiritual gifts Christ gives us,
and how these can be put at his service in our parish.
A third priority is “better welcome.”
This means how we open our doors in every way:
here at church; in our encounter with our friends and neighbors;
in all our activities.
It also means how we reach out to those who are mourning,
those who have experienced a crisis, perhaps a divorce,
and how we treat those most in need.
The fourth priority is, quote, to “seek out.” Who? Everyone.
Catholics who are inactive; people who have no church home;
people who have never really met Jesus.
We will help each other find the ways
to share the gift we’ve been given.
And the final priority is simply “to pay for it.”
Not very exciting, but it’s important to mention
that some of these things may cost something,
and that’s something we’ll talk about as we go along.
Yes, there are storms and troubles out there, and sooner or later,
they will come here. But there’s no reason to be fearful,
and absolutely no reason just to sit still.
Jesus told us in the Gospel to step it up; know him in full.
It’s hokey to say, but it’s so true:
you and I don’t know what the future holds,
but we know who holds the future, amen?
We don’t have to reinvent anything; we don’t have to discover anything.
We only have to share with others what God shared with us:
Jesus Christ!
Sunday, February 05, 2017
'Make America great again' -- what does God think? (Sunday homily)
The main thing to notice about first reading
is that Isaiah wasn’t merely speaking to his fellow Israelites
as individuals; he was speaking to them as a people and as a nation.
So let’s keep that in mind
when we hear Isaiah speak of sharing our bread with the hungry,
and sheltering the oppressed and the homeless,
and when he promises that “light shall rise” for us
and our “wound quickly healed” –
these are things that will happen for them collectively.
So when we think about applying this to ourselves,
it’s more than about how each of us acts individually;
it’s about how we act, first, as a parish; second, as the Archdiocese;
and third, how about as a nation?
So first, what does this mean for us as a parish community?
We can have a good conscience,
because the people of our parish are doing a lot.
We are providing food for the hungry and clothing for the cold,
especially through St. Vincent de Paul.
Rustic Hope and Elizabeth New Life Center
are sheltering women and saving the lives of unborn children
in difficult circumstances;
New Choices in Sidney shelters women and families facing violence;
and our local group, RACK, makes a big difference for many.
To be clear, I am not saying our parish can take credit for all this.
But our parishioners are definitely involved in these efforts.
And the point is not to congratulate ourselves,
or to be satisfied with these efforts,
but simply to say, we’re doing a lot – and let’s do even more!
What about what we do beyond our local parish,
as part of the Archdiocese?
This is a good time to mention the annual Catholic Ministries Appeal.
Everyone should have gotten a letter from the Archbishop about this,
describing the six projects that are included.
And, as happens every year,
this Sunday is when I invite you to make a pledge to support this fund.
If you are ready to do that right now,
there are pledge forms and pencils in the pews, and if you want one,
I’m sure your neighbor will pass one down.
Please feel free to do that as I keep speaking.
All six projects are worthy causes. Just a quick run-down,
while you write in your name and address and so forth:
- Supporting more priests through Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary.
This is where Elijah Putoff is studying right now,
and after Ethan Hoying and Joseph Stickel
finish college studies, will join Elijah there as well.
You’ve met many of the men who have recently been ordained,
and others who are there. Do they impress you? They impress me.
So that tells you, our seminary is doing a good job.
- Care for our retired priests.
The pension fund for our retired priests needs to be strengthened.
Archbishop Schnurr deserves credit for taking this on,
and he has made good progress, but this will help further.
- St. Rita School for the Deaf. Obviously a worthy cause.
Think of what a difference they must be making!
- New Evangelization projects. You know the Formed.org programs
we’ve been sharing with you, which many find so helpful?
Our parish was already on it;
now the Archdiocese is spending money
to get it into all the parishes.
- Chaplains for colleges, hospitals and prisons.
All these are important, but think especially about jails and prisons.
They can be a dark place, full of despair. What a way to bring light!
- Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Services.
The work these agencies do ranges from providing food and help for rent and utilities,
to providing counseling for people in trouble. They are also helping welcome refugees.
They are doing precisely what Isaiah was describing!
Those are the six priorities of the Catholic Ministry Appeal.
I personally support this fund each year
and I invite you to do what you can.
Our parish has been very generous to this fund over the years,
exceeding our goal each year.
You may be interested to know that when we surpass the goal,
some of that comes back here,
and we put that toward our youth and children’s programs.
You can of course write a check, or provide credit card information –
or else, you’ll get a follow up letter.
Finally, let’s talk about what Isaiah’s words mean for our nation.
Of course, we have done a lot over the years
to help the rest of the world;
but I think there is room for some self-examination.
We all know President Trump issued an order recently
regarding immigration from seven specific countries,
and also refugees, especially from Syria.
And we all know there is a lot of confusion about this situation,
and the situation seems to change daily.
But let’s consider some basic facts.
According to the Department of State,
something near 60,000 people had visas revoked,
all in a matter of a few days.
These are people who had previously been cleared to enter the country,
and made plans to do so.
That’s a lot of husbands, wives, children and families
whose lives have been disrupted.
Some of them were coming here for medical treatment.
Some were people who had – at great risk –
assisted our troops when they were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We all know that the refugees we’re talking about have endured tremendous suffering,
especially in Syria.
And while we didn’t cause that suffering,
decisions our government has made over the years
have played some part in the whole situation.
What many don’t realize is that the refugees
who were on their way when the order took effect
had all been subjected to rigorous checks and examinations.
They don’t just walk in.
The President says more needs to be done,
and he is doing this for our safety.
No one can fault him for these concerns.
To go back to Isaiah: what does God expect of us as a nation?
The President has assured us
that when he has better procedures in place,
we will still welcome refugees,
and he also has endorsed “safe zones” for them in Syria.
I think part of our task as being salt and light
is to hold him to these commitments.
We all want our country to be great –
but I think we want to be great the right way, don’t we?
Great as God sees greatness. That’s what Isaiah was talking about.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Jesus is speaking directly to you, right now (Sunday homily)
Notice what we just heard: Jesus went up a mountain;
he sat down; and he began to teach.
In these actions Jesus is showing himself to be the new Moses.
Moses went up the mountain, he received the Law of God,
and then he gave it to the people.
But here is a difference:
Jesus does not receive anything on the mountain,
because he already has it – because he is more than Moses.
Moses received the Law from God. Jesus is God!
That’s why Moses would say, “Thus says the Lord,”
while Jesus simply says, “I say”!
This moment on the mountain is what Moses and the Prophets
and God’s People all looked forward to.
And you and I are there with them, hearing Jesus speak to us.
He is speaking directly to each one of us.
So what matters here, right now,
isn’t what Father Fox or anyone else says about this passage,
but what Jesus says, to you and me, to our very hearts.
What is Jesus asking of you?
How does your life measure up to these commandments of the New Law?
These words are like an examination of conscience for each one of us.
Jesus tells us: this is what my Kingdom is like.
Do you want to be part of my Kingdom?
Or, to put it another way, do you want to go to heaven?
Yes, Lord, we do, of course we do!
This is how. These beatitudes – these ways of being –
define what it means to be heavenly, to be citizens of heaven.
If you and I want to be in heaven, live this way, now.
Be these things, and you will fit into heaven;
Ignore them, leave them aside, and heaven will be alien to you.
You won’t go there, because you won't want to go there;
It will be an alien place where you will be in torment.
These beatitudes define what it is to be happy in heaven –
and it starts by living these laws here and now.
“Poor in spirit” means living as one
who is radically dependent on God, and knows it.
Is that who I am? Is that how you and I live each day? Each hour?
Is each day “my” day? Or is it God’s?
Who does God ask me to mourn for? How far does my concern reach?
To put it another way: am I accepting my task, each day,
of being my brother’s keeper?
And do I know that every man and woman, without exception,
is my brother and sister?
Am I meek, or am I proud?
The proud inherit nothing – they have no share in the Kingdom to come.
Many of us live strongly by the hungers and thirsts
we feel hour by hour – for food, for recognition,
for entertainment, for getting our own way, for pleasure.
We go to great lengths to satisfy these hungers,
sometimes in shameful ways.
Jesus says, hunger rather for righteousness. For justice.
And not just for myself, but for my neighbor.
Especially, above all, for the neighbor who looks different,
acts suspiciously, isn’t welcome and is easy to condemn.
What justice is owed to the stranger, the foreigner, the lawbreaker?
Do I hunger and thirst that justice be done for them, too?
Do I thirst enough for it to speak up when no one else will?
The merciful will be shown mercy, measure for measure.
If I give only a thimbleful of mercy to others,
that’s all I will get from God;
but a good measure, pressed down, running over?
What I give, will be given to me.
Who will receive mercy from me – not because they deserve it,
but simply because Jesus commands it?
Will I work for my nation to be merciful,
foreswearing torture and the death penalty,
not for the sake of the one who deserves punishment,
but for the sake of Christ, who asks it of me?
“Blessed are the clean of heart.”
Will I banish from my words, from my heart, from my entertainment,
my computer, my phone, all that is not clean, so that I may see God?
Teach us, Lord, to see each person, as made in your image;
to see you, God, in every man and every woman, born and unborn.
What price will you and I pay for peace?
Not only in faraway places, but at our jobs, in our homes,
in our families?
What words will I swallow, what pride will I set aside,
How many extra miles will I walk, to bring peace?
Jesus has spoken to each of us today.
He claims you and me as his own.
How do we respond?
What are you, what am I, willing to let go of,
to throw away and be rid of forever,
to be empty of, so that we may be filled up with his word?
To become those children of God
whom Jesus calls “blessed, blessed, blessed”?
he sat down; and he began to teach.
In these actions Jesus is showing himself to be the new Moses.
Moses went up the mountain, he received the Law of God,
and then he gave it to the people.
But here is a difference:
Jesus does not receive anything on the mountain,
because he already has it – because he is more than Moses.
Moses received the Law from God. Jesus is God!
That’s why Moses would say, “Thus says the Lord,”
while Jesus simply says, “I say”!
This moment on the mountain is what Moses and the Prophets
and God’s People all looked forward to.
And you and I are there with them, hearing Jesus speak to us.
He is speaking directly to each one of us.
So what matters here, right now,
isn’t what Father Fox or anyone else says about this passage,
but what Jesus says, to you and me, to our very hearts.
What is Jesus asking of you?
How does your life measure up to these commandments of the New Law?
These words are like an examination of conscience for each one of us.
Jesus tells us: this is what my Kingdom is like.
Do you want to be part of my Kingdom?
Or, to put it another way, do you want to go to heaven?
Yes, Lord, we do, of course we do!
This is how. These beatitudes – these ways of being –
define what it means to be heavenly, to be citizens of heaven.
If you and I want to be in heaven, live this way, now.
Be these things, and you will fit into heaven;
Ignore them, leave them aside, and heaven will be alien to you.
You won’t go there, because you won't want to go there;
It will be an alien place where you will be in torment.
These beatitudes define what it is to be happy in heaven –
and it starts by living these laws here and now.
“Poor in spirit” means living as one
who is radically dependent on God, and knows it.
Is that who I am? Is that how you and I live each day? Each hour?
Is each day “my” day? Or is it God’s?
Who does God ask me to mourn for? How far does my concern reach?
To put it another way: am I accepting my task, each day,
of being my brother’s keeper?
And do I know that every man and woman, without exception,
is my brother and sister?
Am I meek, or am I proud?
The proud inherit nothing – they have no share in the Kingdom to come.
Many of us live strongly by the hungers and thirsts
we feel hour by hour – for food, for recognition,
for entertainment, for getting our own way, for pleasure.
We go to great lengths to satisfy these hungers,
sometimes in shameful ways.
Jesus says, hunger rather for righteousness. For justice.
And not just for myself, but for my neighbor.
Especially, above all, for the neighbor who looks different,
acts suspiciously, isn’t welcome and is easy to condemn.
What justice is owed to the stranger, the foreigner, the lawbreaker?
Do I hunger and thirst that justice be done for them, too?
Do I thirst enough for it to speak up when no one else will?
The merciful will be shown mercy, measure for measure.
If I give only a thimbleful of mercy to others,
that’s all I will get from God;
but a good measure, pressed down, running over?
What I give, will be given to me.
Who will receive mercy from me – not because they deserve it,
but simply because Jesus commands it?
Will I work for my nation to be merciful,
foreswearing torture and the death penalty,
not for the sake of the one who deserves punishment,
but for the sake of Christ, who asks it of me?
“Blessed are the clean of heart.”
Will I banish from my words, from my heart, from my entertainment,
my computer, my phone, all that is not clean, so that I may see God?
Teach us, Lord, to see each person, as made in your image;
to see you, God, in every man and every woman, born and unborn.
What price will you and I pay for peace?
Not only in faraway places, but at our jobs, in our homes,
in our families?
What words will I swallow, what pride will I set aside,
How many extra miles will I walk, to bring peace?
Jesus has spoken to each of us today.
He claims you and me as his own.
How do we respond?
What are you, what am I, willing to let go of,
to throw away and be rid of forever,
to be empty of, so that we may be filled up with his word?
To become those children of God
whom Jesus calls “blessed, blessed, blessed”?
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Being Christ's light: here are 3 ways (Sunday homily)
Every year at this time the Archdiocese kicks off
its annual Catholic Ministries Appeal.
The Archbishop sends out a recorded message,
and invites pastors to play it at Mass.
While I’m happy to help the Archbishop,
playing a recording can be a little awkward,
and sometimes, hard to hear.
So what I’ve done in the past is to incorporate
as much of the Archbishop’s homily into my own.
The readings we heard today emphasize light and darkness –
and the invitation for us is
“both to follow the light and to be the light.”
“The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.”
This sentence from the Book of Isaiah in today’s first reading
refers to a light much more profound than any torch or lamp.
As the Archbishop explains, this passage,
“Written more than eight centuries before Christ…
comes from a section of Isaiah
known as the Immanuel Prophecies.
In these twelve chapters the prophet of Israel looks ahead
to a savior who will free His people
from the yoke of oppression and bring great joy.
The Church, beginning in the New Testament itself,
has always seen the Immanuel Prophecies as applying to Jesus.”
St. Matthew obviously makes that connection by quoting Isaiah.
We might recall what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount –
speaking to all who follow him:
“You are the light of the world . . .
your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
So the light is not Jesus alone,
but Jesus with his mystical Body – all of us.
Christ is light in us, and each of us bears that light to the world.
Think about that: there are a lot of implications in that.
If I am bearing the light of Christ, what makes it burn brighter?
What will nourish that flame – and what dims it?
And, to quote the Archbishop again:
“Who can doubt that our increasingly secular world today
desperately needs that light?
In the face of poverty, crime, addiction, ignorance, despair, violence,
discrimination, and injustices of all kinds,
we are all called to be disciples making disciples.
“Tens of thousands of you throughout the Archdiocese
do that every day by giving generously of your time and talent
as volunteers in schools, parishes, athletic programs,
hospitals, prisons, and other areas of need.
This is both discipleship in action – letting your light shine –
and good stewardship of God’s gracious gifts.”
Going beyond what the Archbishop said, there are two particular ways
that task of being Christ’s light might stand out to us at this moment.
Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade,
the 1973 Supreme Court decision that imposed abortion on demand
on our country.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of Americans
of all ages and backgrounds will go to Washington
to bear witness to the urgency to protect all human life;
including many from our area.
Many more will take part in prayer vigils and gatherings
around the country.
There is a prayer vigil in Sidney on Sunday evening at 7 pm,
at the courthouse, for example.
As important as this is, this task of light-bearing
is needed every day, everywhere we go.
One very powerful way you and I can be light and hope
is to support and help to women who are facing difficult situations,
to avoid making a terrible choice.
Moreover, nothing is more Christ-like than when you and I
wrap our arms lovingly around those who make this decision,
and help them find God’s mercy and healing.
If you know anyone bearing this burden, please tell them:
God’s mercy is without measure!
Of course the sacrament of confession
gives us this mercy from the source.
But also tell hurting people about Project Rachel,
Which exists to bring healing to wounded women and families.
There’s another way our role as being light stands out today,
and it’s in the context of a new president and a new chapter
for our country.
It’s our duty to give voice to values of human dignity, for all people.
Important decisions will be made in the months ahead.
Don’t be a spectator; it’s your task and mine
to bring the word of God and the ways of God into those decisions.
By ourselves, each of us is limited,
and perhaps you think you haven’t much to offer;
you don’t have the time.
This is where the Catholic Ministries Appeal is so powerful.
It is the combined impact of hundreds of thousands of Catholics
in 19 counties of the Archdiocese – that’s a mighty force!
Let’s recall what the Catholic Ministry Appeal enables us to do:
• feed the poor
• take care of retired priests
• ensure a Catholic presence on local campuses, prisons, and hospitals
• provide for evangelization efforts
• help students at St. Rita School for the Deaf
• support vocations of priests, deacons, lay ministers
Let me conclude by quoting the Archbishop once more:
“Those who carry out these ministries and programs
are grateful on a daily basis
for your participation in their work through your generous donations.
As Archbishop, I share that gratitude.
Thank you for being a light in the darkness.”
its annual Catholic Ministries Appeal.
The Archbishop sends out a recorded message,
and invites pastors to play it at Mass.
While I’m happy to help the Archbishop,
playing a recording can be a little awkward,
and sometimes, hard to hear.
So what I’ve done in the past is to incorporate
as much of the Archbishop’s homily into my own.
The readings we heard today emphasize light and darkness –
and the invitation for us is
“both to follow the light and to be the light.”
“The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.”
This sentence from the Book of Isaiah in today’s first reading
refers to a light much more profound than any torch or lamp.
As the Archbishop explains, this passage,
“Written more than eight centuries before Christ…
comes from a section of Isaiah
known as the Immanuel Prophecies.
In these twelve chapters the prophet of Israel looks ahead
to a savior who will free His people
from the yoke of oppression and bring great joy.
The Church, beginning in the New Testament itself,
has always seen the Immanuel Prophecies as applying to Jesus.”
St. Matthew obviously makes that connection by quoting Isaiah.
We might recall what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount –
speaking to all who follow him:
“You are the light of the world . . .
your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
So the light is not Jesus alone,
but Jesus with his mystical Body – all of us.
Christ is light in us, and each of us bears that light to the world.
Think about that: there are a lot of implications in that.
If I am bearing the light of Christ, what makes it burn brighter?
What will nourish that flame – and what dims it?
And, to quote the Archbishop again:
“Who can doubt that our increasingly secular world today
desperately needs that light?
In the face of poverty, crime, addiction, ignorance, despair, violence,
discrimination, and injustices of all kinds,
we are all called to be disciples making disciples.
“Tens of thousands of you throughout the Archdiocese
do that every day by giving generously of your time and talent
as volunteers in schools, parishes, athletic programs,
hospitals, prisons, and other areas of need.
This is both discipleship in action – letting your light shine –
and good stewardship of God’s gracious gifts.”
Going beyond what the Archbishop said, there are two particular ways
that task of being Christ’s light might stand out to us at this moment.
Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade,
the 1973 Supreme Court decision that imposed abortion on demand
on our country.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of Americans
of all ages and backgrounds will go to Washington
to bear witness to the urgency to protect all human life;
including many from our area.
Many more will take part in prayer vigils and gatherings
around the country.
There is a prayer vigil in Sidney on Sunday evening at 7 pm,
at the courthouse, for example.
As important as this is, this task of light-bearing
is needed every day, everywhere we go.
One very powerful way you and I can be light and hope
is to support and help to women who are facing difficult situations,
to avoid making a terrible choice.
Moreover, nothing is more Christ-like than when you and I
wrap our arms lovingly around those who make this decision,
and help them find God’s mercy and healing.
If you know anyone bearing this burden, please tell them:
God’s mercy is without measure!
Of course the sacrament of confession
gives us this mercy from the source.
But also tell hurting people about Project Rachel,
Which exists to bring healing to wounded women and families.
There’s another way our role as being light stands out today,
and it’s in the context of a new president and a new chapter
for our country.
It’s our duty to give voice to values of human dignity, for all people.
Important decisions will be made in the months ahead.
Don’t be a spectator; it’s your task and mine
to bring the word of God and the ways of God into those decisions.
By ourselves, each of us is limited,
and perhaps you think you haven’t much to offer;
you don’t have the time.
This is where the Catholic Ministries Appeal is so powerful.
It is the combined impact of hundreds of thousands of Catholics
in 19 counties of the Archdiocese – that’s a mighty force!
Let’s recall what the Catholic Ministry Appeal enables us to do:
• feed the poor
• take care of retired priests
• ensure a Catholic presence on local campuses, prisons, and hospitals
• provide for evangelization efforts
• help students at St. Rita School for the Deaf
• support vocations of priests, deacons, lay ministers
Let me conclude by quoting the Archbishop once more:
“Those who carry out these ministries and programs
are grateful on a daily basis
for your participation in their work through your generous donations.
As Archbishop, I share that gratitude.
Thank you for being a light in the darkness.”
Sunday, January 15, 2017
It's not a quick sale, it's about relationships (Sunday homily)
One of the jobs I had, when I was in my 20s,
was as a salesman in a men’s clothing store.
I had that job for about a year or so.
It was a good job, and I learned some valuable lessons.
The way it worked was that as customers came in,
each sales person on the floor would be “up” –
meaning, your turn to wait on a customer.
And, if you made a sale, you got the commission on that sale.
Of course, not everybody walking in would buy something;
But a smart salesman knew that Mr. “I’m just looking today”
might well come back a week later, or an hour later,
and make a purchase. And, if you took good care of him,
you’d see him again, and again.
So, one thing I learned
was that it wasn’t just about making a quick sale,
but rather, about creating a relationship.
Someone has a need and comes to me.
If I can help them find what they need – that’s valuable.
That’s not just a good day’s work,
it’s a good way to live your life
And all that came to mind as I thought about our parish patron,
Saint Remy, whose feast day we celebrate today.
Saint Remigius, as he would have called himself,
was a Roman; he lived in northern part of the province of Gaul,
in an area near the present-day border between France and Belgium.
As a boy, Remy was very bright and well read;
he was renowned for his learning and his holiness.
When he was 22, he was recommended to be bishop –
and he wasn’t even a priest!
Remy was born in AD 437.
This was a time when Roman society was falling apart.
Foreign peoples were moving across the borders,
Public order was breaking down,
And when people sent for help from Rome, little help came.
This is how the Kingdom of the Franks – what later became France –
was established, with Clovis as the first King.
And Remigius, as Bishop of Reims, was in the middle of it all.
Remy had a choice. He might have wanted to stay away
from these barbarians, and just stick with his fellow Romans.
That would have been a lot easier and more comfortable.
Instead, Remy sought out Clovis and his wife, Clotilda.
While Clovis was a pagan, Clotilda was a Catholic.
Remy was eager to share the Gospel with Clovis,
but the king wasn’t very interested.
Remy wasn’t after a quick sale;
he and the king and queen formed a friendship,
despite all that separated him from them.
He may well have been influenced
by Saint Paul’s words in the second reading:
“I have become all things to all, to save at least some.”
Because Remy made himself available to the Lord,
not only was King Clovis baptized, so were many of his advisors.
That set the whole kingdom on the path to becoming Catholic;
and thus the future nation of France.
Now, in case it’s not obvious, let’s notice how our situation is similar.
Our society is in the midst of dramatic change.
I don’t mean technology, I mean in values.
Some of us can remember taking for granted
that our society around us knew who Jesus Christ is.
If that was ever really true, it’s not true now.
Like the situation in St. Remy’s time,
you and I can retreat into what’s comfortable and familiar –
or we can seek out relationships that take us outside our usual circle.
Those are our opportunities to share our Faith,
and to make a difference in people’s lives.
Just as a practical step, ask yourself:
Do you know all your neighbors – say, on all sides of your house?
How about the next house, in each direction?
What about the other students in your grade at school?
Are there students you don’t know very well?
Maybe they don’t go to St. Remy – or maybe they aren’t Catholic?
As I said a moment ago, the point is not making a quick sale,
But about being able to help people.
The call that God placed on Isaiah’s heart, and later,
his call to Peter and Andrew, James and John,
was to make a difference in people’s lives
by helping them know who Jesus is
and the life and hope Jesus gives.
And who does God send? He sent St. Paul; he sent St. Remy;
and he sends you, and me.
was as a salesman in a men’s clothing store.
I had that job for about a year or so.
It was a good job, and I learned some valuable lessons.
The way it worked was that as customers came in,
each sales person on the floor would be “up” –
meaning, your turn to wait on a customer.
And, if you made a sale, you got the commission on that sale.
Of course, not everybody walking in would buy something;
But a smart salesman knew that Mr. “I’m just looking today”
might well come back a week later, or an hour later,
and make a purchase. And, if you took good care of him,
you’d see him again, and again.
So, one thing I learned
was that it wasn’t just about making a quick sale,
but rather, about creating a relationship.
Someone has a need and comes to me.
If I can help them find what they need – that’s valuable.
That’s not just a good day’s work,
it’s a good way to live your life
And all that came to mind as I thought about our parish patron,
Saint Remy, whose feast day we celebrate today.
Saint Remigius, as he would have called himself,
was a Roman; he lived in northern part of the province of Gaul,
in an area near the present-day border between France and Belgium.
As a boy, Remy was very bright and well read;
he was renowned for his learning and his holiness.
When he was 22, he was recommended to be bishop –
and he wasn’t even a priest!
Remy was born in AD 437.
This was a time when Roman society was falling apart.
Foreign peoples were moving across the borders,
Public order was breaking down,
And when people sent for help from Rome, little help came.
This is how the Kingdom of the Franks – what later became France –
was established, with Clovis as the first King.
And Remigius, as Bishop of Reims, was in the middle of it all.
Remy had a choice. He might have wanted to stay away
from these barbarians, and just stick with his fellow Romans.
That would have been a lot easier and more comfortable.
Instead, Remy sought out Clovis and his wife, Clotilda.
While Clovis was a pagan, Clotilda was a Catholic.
Remy was eager to share the Gospel with Clovis,
but the king wasn’t very interested.
Remy wasn’t after a quick sale;
he and the king and queen formed a friendship,
despite all that separated him from them.
He may well have been influenced
by Saint Paul’s words in the second reading:
“I have become all things to all, to save at least some.”
Because Remy made himself available to the Lord,
not only was King Clovis baptized, so were many of his advisors.
That set the whole kingdom on the path to becoming Catholic;
and thus the future nation of France.
Now, in case it’s not obvious, let’s notice how our situation is similar.
Our society is in the midst of dramatic change.
I don’t mean technology, I mean in values.
Some of us can remember taking for granted
that our society around us knew who Jesus Christ is.
If that was ever really true, it’s not true now.
Like the situation in St. Remy’s time,
you and I can retreat into what’s comfortable and familiar –
or we can seek out relationships that take us outside our usual circle.
Those are our opportunities to share our Faith,
and to make a difference in people’s lives.
Just as a practical step, ask yourself:
Do you know all your neighbors – say, on all sides of your house?
How about the next house, in each direction?
What about the other students in your grade at school?
Are there students you don’t know very well?
Maybe they don’t go to St. Remy – or maybe they aren’t Catholic?
As I said a moment ago, the point is not making a quick sale,
But about being able to help people.
The call that God placed on Isaiah’s heart, and later,
his call to Peter and Andrew, James and John,
was to make a difference in people’s lives
by helping them know who Jesus is
and the life and hope Jesus gives.
And who does God send? He sent St. Paul; he sent St. Remy;
and he sends you, and me.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
The Maltese Straw that breaks the Church's back
Everyone knows about the debate over Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia, and whether it is ambiguous in places, and whether it needs to be clarified. Many -- four prominent cardinals in particular -- have publicly asked for clarification, saying that without clarification, the ambiguities in the document will invite distortions or even implicit denial of constant Catholic teaching and practice. Others have responded by dismissing, and in some cases, ridiculing, this concern.
Well, it appears a document from the bishops of Malta may have gone exactly where Cardinal Burke and others' worst fears dreaded.
From the "Criteria for the Application of Chapter VIII of Amoris Laetitia,
just issued, we find this paragraph:
Paragraph 10: If, as a result of the process of discernment, undertaken with “humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect response to it” (AL 300), a separated or divorced person who is living in a new relationship manages, with an informed and enlightened conscience, to acknowledge and believe that he or she are at peace with God, he or she cannot be precluded from participating in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist (see AL, notes 336 and 351).
If so, then why shouldn’t the following likewise be true:
If, as a result of the process of discernment, undertaken with “humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect response to it” (AL 300), aseparated or divorced person who is living in a new relationship same-sex attracted person who is living in a ‘same sex marriage’ manages, with an informed and enlightened conscience, to acknowledge and believe that he or she are at peace with God, he or she cannot be precluded from participating in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist (see AL, notes 336 and 351).
Or indeed, why not:
If, as a result of the process of discernment, undertaken with “humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect response to it” (AL 300),a separated or divorced person who is living in a new relationship any person persisting in a state of mortal sin who manages, with an informed and enlightened conscience, to acknowledge and believe that he or she are at peace with God, he or she cannot be precluded from participating in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist (see AL, notes 336 and 351).
In short, doesn't this mean that all those who, in confession, says they are committing mortal sin of any sort, and because they believe they are "at peace with God" about it, they won't change that behavior, they are to receive absolution, and then can receive communion?
In other words, priests must grant absolution in such cases? What happens if a priest refuses to do so?
Are you telling me this isn’t a break from Catholic teaching?
Tell me what I'm missing here. Specifically, please explain how this is not in direct conflict with the Catechism, paragraph 1650, and the explicit teachings of Pope Benedict and Pope St. John Paul II.
(Note: I understand many people are upset about this, and are upset with Pope Francis over this. Injudicious comments will be deleted. Expressing unhappiness at the pope's decisions is one thing; calling the pope a heretic is something else. Be wise, be charitable, please.)
Update: I see my friend Father Zuhlsdorf has addressed this, and he links Canon Law expert Ed Peters.
Well, it appears a document from the bishops of Malta may have gone exactly where Cardinal Burke and others' worst fears dreaded.
From the "Criteria for the Application of Chapter VIII of Amoris Laetitia,
just issued, we find this paragraph:
Paragraph 10: If, as a result of the process of discernment, undertaken with “humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect response to it” (AL 300), a separated or divorced person who is living in a new relationship manages, with an informed and enlightened conscience, to acknowledge and believe that he or she are at peace with God, he or she cannot be precluded from participating in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist (see AL, notes 336 and 351).
If so, then why shouldn’t the following likewise be true:
If, as a result of the process of discernment, undertaken with “humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect response to it” (AL 300), a
Or indeed, why not:
If, as a result of the process of discernment, undertaken with “humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect response to it” (AL 300),
In short, doesn't this mean that all those who, in confession, says they are committing mortal sin of any sort, and because they believe they are "at peace with God" about it, they won't change that behavior, they are to receive absolution, and then can receive communion?
In other words, priests must grant absolution in such cases? What happens if a priest refuses to do so?
Are you telling me this isn’t a break from Catholic teaching?
Tell me what I'm missing here. Specifically, please explain how this is not in direct conflict with the Catechism, paragraph 1650, and the explicit teachings of Pope Benedict and Pope St. John Paul II.
(Note: I understand many people are upset about this, and are upset with Pope Francis over this. Injudicious comments will be deleted. Expressing unhappiness at the pope's decisions is one thing; calling the pope a heretic is something else. Be wise, be charitable, please.)
Update: I see my friend Father Zuhlsdorf has addressed this, and he links Canon Law expert Ed Peters.
Sunday, January 08, 2017
'The Next Chapter' (Epiphany homily)
This feast of Epiphany may be more important than you realize.
In many places outside the United States,
the celebration of Epiphany is as special, if not more special,
than Christmas.
That may seem odd to us; but then, to these other Christians,
who really enjoy celebrating this day,
it may seem odd that we in the U.S. don’t make much of Epiphany.
Why is Epiphany important?
Because it’s the next chapter.
A lot of folks think of Christmas as the goal –
the place to arrive, sort of like Joseph and Mary,
who make their journey, and then the Magi make their journey too.
Christmas becomes a destination.
Isn’t it sort of like that?
We have this great build-up to December 25, and then what?
We have a food coma for a week!
The day after Christmas, everything is half-off!
But because that totally misunderstands Christmas,
it also means we misunderstands Epiphany.
Christmas is much more a beginning than an ending-point.
After all, Jesus wasn’t born just to receive visits and gifts;
He came to do something.
That’s the next chapter. The meaning of the Magi
is that the light of Jesus is now beginning to reach out,
beyond the stable, beyond Bethlehem,
and beyond God’s Chosen People of Israel.
As the first reading talks about,
the light goes out to the nations, to all the world.
That is symbolized by the arrival of these seekers from the east.
They do not belong to Israel.
They probably worshipped false gods;
but they were looking for the truth,
and they followed the light of a star till it led them to the Light itself.
There are several ways we could go with this,
but at the head of the year of our Lord 2017,
I want to talk about what this means for us as a parish.
Very simply, what star will we be following, and where will it lead us?
As you know, I’ve been talking frequently
about the mission of this parish,
to share Christ with the people of this community.
The Prophet Isaiah described how God wanted his holy people
to be a light to the nations, to draw them to himself;
so that, as we prayed in the psalm,
“every nation on earth will adore” Him.
That was Israel’s mission; and it is the Catholic Church’s mission.
It is St. Remy’s mission. It is Father Martin Fox’s mission.
And it is your mission; I mean, each person listening to me,
however young or old. We all share it.
But how? What are you and I supposed to do? Is there a plan?
That’s something I’ve been working on with our parish staff
and with the Pastoral Council.
In a couple of weeks, the Pastoral Council and I hope
to fine-tune some pastoral priorities.
Then, we’ll share with the parish some concrete goals and tasks
that will get us up and moving.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we as a parish
aren’t already “in motion.” A lot of good things are happening.
There’s a lot of light in this parish, thank God.
But let me be very blunt. In recent decades,
the Catholic Church in our country,
throughout North and South America and in Europe, is in crisis.
In so many places, the practice of the Faith has collapsed.
Universities and high schools and hospitals,
built over many generations with great love and sacrifice,
have mostly or entirely lost their Catholic identity.
And we all know people who have walked away from the Faith.
The natural question is, why did all this happen?
I’ll save the longer answer for another time.
But a partial but pretty good answer is that
what worked 60 years ago isn’t working now.
The world has changed. So how you and I share the Faith –
with our children and our community – likewise must change.
The good news is, that we are doing a lot of things right in Russia,
thanks to the deep faith of our community
and the leadership of others who have gone before us.
My message isn’t meant to be negative but positive:
We don’t have to watch and wait;
you and I can do things to make a positive difference.
This is what I’ve been discussing
with our staff and our pastoral council, and now, in 2017,
it’s time to start talking with you about it.
You’ll hear more as the year goes along,
but in one sense it’s really simple:
how do you and I help each other deepen and grow in our Faith together?
How do we invite others, and what might we do
to ensure they feel welcome?
And what do we do when they show up?
And then, what do we do after that?
With God’s help, together,
you and I are going to answer these questions, and more.
There’s a star that is going to lead us, we can be sure of that.
God will provide it.
But with all that, there are two simple steps that must happen
to make everything else happen:
You and I have to look up and see the star, and then decide,
“I think I’ll see where that will lead me.”
In other words, as a parish, we can’t be content with where we are.
We’re in a good spot.
But Jesus didn’t save us and call us and equip us
just to find a good spot;
he called us to find souls and bring them in.
As a parish, you and I have to want more;
to be hungry and thirsty for it.
God will send the star. It’s there already.
Our decision is whether to get up,
and follow it, wherever it may lead.
In many places outside the United States,
the celebration of Epiphany is as special, if not more special,
than Christmas.
That may seem odd to us; but then, to these other Christians,
who really enjoy celebrating this day,
it may seem odd that we in the U.S. don’t make much of Epiphany.
Why is Epiphany important?
Because it’s the next chapter.
A lot of folks think of Christmas as the goal –
the place to arrive, sort of like Joseph and Mary,
who make their journey, and then the Magi make their journey too.
Christmas becomes a destination.
Isn’t it sort of like that?
We have this great build-up to December 25, and then what?
We have a food coma for a week!
The day after Christmas, everything is half-off!
But because that totally misunderstands Christmas,
it also means we misunderstands Epiphany.
Christmas is much more a beginning than an ending-point.
After all, Jesus wasn’t born just to receive visits and gifts;
He came to do something.
That’s the next chapter. The meaning of the Magi
is that the light of Jesus is now beginning to reach out,
beyond the stable, beyond Bethlehem,
and beyond God’s Chosen People of Israel.
As the first reading talks about,
the light goes out to the nations, to all the world.
That is symbolized by the arrival of these seekers from the east.
They do not belong to Israel.
They probably worshipped false gods;
but they were looking for the truth,
and they followed the light of a star till it led them to the Light itself.
There are several ways we could go with this,
but at the head of the year of our Lord 2017,
I want to talk about what this means for us as a parish.
Very simply, what star will we be following, and where will it lead us?
As you know, I’ve been talking frequently
about the mission of this parish,
to share Christ with the people of this community.
The Prophet Isaiah described how God wanted his holy people
to be a light to the nations, to draw them to himself;
so that, as we prayed in the psalm,
“every nation on earth will adore” Him.
That was Israel’s mission; and it is the Catholic Church’s mission.
It is St. Remy’s mission. It is Father Martin Fox’s mission.
And it is your mission; I mean, each person listening to me,
however young or old. We all share it.
But how? What are you and I supposed to do? Is there a plan?
That’s something I’ve been working on with our parish staff
and with the Pastoral Council.
In a couple of weeks, the Pastoral Council and I hope
to fine-tune some pastoral priorities.
Then, we’ll share with the parish some concrete goals and tasks
that will get us up and moving.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we as a parish
aren’t already “in motion.” A lot of good things are happening.
There’s a lot of light in this parish, thank God.
But let me be very blunt. In recent decades,
the Catholic Church in our country,
throughout North and South America and in Europe, is in crisis.
In so many places, the practice of the Faith has collapsed.
Universities and high schools and hospitals,
built over many generations with great love and sacrifice,
have mostly or entirely lost their Catholic identity.
And we all know people who have walked away from the Faith.
The natural question is, why did all this happen?
I’ll save the longer answer for another time.
But a partial but pretty good answer is that
what worked 60 years ago isn’t working now.
The world has changed. So how you and I share the Faith –
with our children and our community – likewise must change.
The good news is, that we are doing a lot of things right in Russia,
thanks to the deep faith of our community
and the leadership of others who have gone before us.
My message isn’t meant to be negative but positive:
We don’t have to watch and wait;
you and I can do things to make a positive difference.
This is what I’ve been discussing
with our staff and our pastoral council, and now, in 2017,
it’s time to start talking with you about it.
You’ll hear more as the year goes along,
but in one sense it’s really simple:
how do you and I help each other deepen and grow in our Faith together?
How do we invite others, and what might we do
to ensure they feel welcome?
And what do we do when they show up?
And then, what do we do after that?
With God’s help, together,
you and I are going to answer these questions, and more.
There’s a star that is going to lead us, we can be sure of that.
God will provide it.
But with all that, there are two simple steps that must happen
to make everything else happen:
You and I have to look up and see the star, and then decide,
“I think I’ll see where that will lead me.”
In other words, as a parish, we can’t be content with where we are.
We’re in a good spot.
But Jesus didn’t save us and call us and equip us
just to find a good spot;
he called us to find souls and bring them in.
As a parish, you and I have to want more;
to be hungry and thirsty for it.
God will send the star. It’s there already.
Our decision is whether to get up,
and follow it, wherever it may lead.
Sunday, January 01, 2017
The importance of your name (Mother of God homily)
If I were to give this homily a title, it might be, "what's in a name?"*
There are three things we emphasize on this feast day:
Mary’s title as Mother of God; Jesus’ circumcision as a baby;
and his naming. Let’s focus on the last one.
According to the law of Moses,
a boy was to be circumcised on the eighth day;
and at that time, he receives his name publicly.
When you think about it, isn’t it obvious
that one of the most consequential decisions parents make,
is the name they give their child?
(Here I added something about how the Archangel Gabriel took the trouble to tell both Mary and Joseph that the Messiah's name would be Jesus -- so obviously, this was important to heaven. And I also explained the first reading; namely, that it recalls when the High Priest would invoke the Divine Name over the people, once a year, otherwise, the Name was never spoken. However, we are privileged to speak the name of God: Jesus!)
If you go through the Scriptures,
you see many examples of the importance of names;
so much so, that many times, God will change someone’s name.
Abram becomes Abraham; Jacob becomes Israel;
Simon becomes Peter.
Our name goes a long way in defining who we are.
The giving of a name is a great responsibility.
So I want to encourage our parents to consider carefully
the names you give your child.
A few weeks ago, I read a story about a priest
who was asked to baptize a baby with the name of Lucifer.
That’s right, Lucifer!
Meanwhile, I’ve also heard about children being named for pagan gods,
such as Thor, Jupiter or Aphrodite.
Don’t forget about the famous tennis player whose name is Venus.
There’s no requirement to name your child after a saint,
but I would like to encourage parents to do so –
at least to have one of the names you give your child be that of a saint.
Indeed, even before you choose a name,
may I suggest that you pray about what to name your child?
Ask the Holy Spirit, ask your child’s guardian angel,
to guide your decision.
And when I say, pick a saint’s name,
that includes names from the Bible –
that is, those who were exemplary.
Pilate, or Herod, or Ahaz are not names to pick!
Another point: when you pick a saint’s name for your child,
you are giving your child a patron saint.
A priest I knew some years ago
told me about being called to the hospital for an emergency;
when he got there, he found a child had just been born,
and the boy wasn’t going to survive.
So he only had a few minutes to baptize the baby.
The parents didn’t have any name in mind,
so the priest named him for the saint of the day: Polycarp!
I know, that sounds like a kind of fish!
It doesn’t sound like a name we’d want.
But if you remember to do it, when you get home,
look up Saint Polycarp.
It’s an inspiring story of a faithful witness to Christ.
And when that child breathed his last a few minutes later,
and went to heaven, he had a patron saint, waiting to meet him!
It’s a wonderful thing to have a patron saint
who you know is praying for you throughout your life.
Your patron saint becomes a special, spiritual friend and companion.
I am so looking forward to meeting my patron, Saint Martin de Porres,
and I am grateful my parents gave me someone to watch over me.
So that leads to another suggestion which might seem obvious:
Know what patron saint you have in mind –
and teach your child about that saint.
I’ve talked to a lot of kids over the years
who had no idea who their patron saint was. No one had ever told them!
Now, if you are listening, and you’re thinking,
I have no idea who my patron saint is, that’s no problem.
First, of course, you can ask your parents.
But if that’s not possible, you can still look up your name
and see which saints have the same name.
And if, after all that, you can’t find any saint with your name,
then I suggest you simply pick a saint for yourself.
Speaking of names, let me make a point
about the name which the Church gave to Mary,
and that is “Mother of God.”
The point of this title isn’t primarily about Mary, but about her son:
He is truly God, and so she is truly the God-bearer.
And this title is one of the ways we express our joy
at what God has given us in his Son,
and our gratitude to Mary for saying yes to God’s plan.
How fitting then that the Church grants a plenary indulgence
to encourage us to recite on Dec. 31 the Te Deum,
and on January 1, the Veni Creator.
The indulgence is granted
when we also make a good confession and receive holy communion –
within eight days is a good rule of thumb –
and say a Hail Mary and an Our Father
for the intentions of the holy father.
So at the end of Mass, instead of the Saint Michael Prayer,
we’ll pray the Te Deum/Veni Creator together,
plus an Our Father and a Hail Mary.
The prayers are in the books in your pews, and are in English.
* Additions during Masses today.
There are three things we emphasize on this feast day:
Mary’s title as Mother of God; Jesus’ circumcision as a baby;
and his naming. Let’s focus on the last one.
According to the law of Moses,
a boy was to be circumcised on the eighth day;
and at that time, he receives his name publicly.
When you think about it, isn’t it obvious
that one of the most consequential decisions parents make,
is the name they give their child?
(Here I added something about how the Archangel Gabriel took the trouble to tell both Mary and Joseph that the Messiah's name would be Jesus -- so obviously, this was important to heaven. And I also explained the first reading; namely, that it recalls when the High Priest would invoke the Divine Name over the people, once a year, otherwise, the Name was never spoken. However, we are privileged to speak the name of God: Jesus!)
If you go through the Scriptures,
you see many examples of the importance of names;
so much so, that many times, God will change someone’s name.
Abram becomes Abraham; Jacob becomes Israel;
Simon becomes Peter.
Our name goes a long way in defining who we are.
The giving of a name is a great responsibility.
So I want to encourage our parents to consider carefully
the names you give your child.
A few weeks ago, I read a story about a priest
who was asked to baptize a baby with the name of Lucifer.
That’s right, Lucifer!
Meanwhile, I’ve also heard about children being named for pagan gods,
such as Thor, Jupiter or Aphrodite.
Don’t forget about the famous tennis player whose name is Venus.
There’s no requirement to name your child after a saint,
but I would like to encourage parents to do so –
at least to have one of the names you give your child be that of a saint.
Indeed, even before you choose a name,
may I suggest that you pray about what to name your child?
Ask the Holy Spirit, ask your child’s guardian angel,
to guide your decision.
And when I say, pick a saint’s name,
that includes names from the Bible –
that is, those who were exemplary.
Pilate, or Herod, or Ahaz are not names to pick!
Another point: when you pick a saint’s name for your child,
you are giving your child a patron saint.
A priest I knew some years ago
told me about being called to the hospital for an emergency;
when he got there, he found a child had just been born,
and the boy wasn’t going to survive.
So he only had a few minutes to baptize the baby.
The parents didn’t have any name in mind,
so the priest named him for the saint of the day: Polycarp!
I know, that sounds like a kind of fish!
It doesn’t sound like a name we’d want.
But if you remember to do it, when you get home,
look up Saint Polycarp.
It’s an inspiring story of a faithful witness to Christ.
And when that child breathed his last a few minutes later,
and went to heaven, he had a patron saint, waiting to meet him!
It’s a wonderful thing to have a patron saint
who you know is praying for you throughout your life.
Your patron saint becomes a special, spiritual friend and companion.
I am so looking forward to meeting my patron, Saint Martin de Porres,
and I am grateful my parents gave me someone to watch over me.
So that leads to another suggestion which might seem obvious:
Know what patron saint you have in mind –
and teach your child about that saint.
I’ve talked to a lot of kids over the years
who had no idea who their patron saint was. No one had ever told them!
Now, if you are listening, and you’re thinking,
I have no idea who my patron saint is, that’s no problem.
First, of course, you can ask your parents.
But if that’s not possible, you can still look up your name
and see which saints have the same name.
And if, after all that, you can’t find any saint with your name,
then I suggest you simply pick a saint for yourself.
Speaking of names, let me make a point
about the name which the Church gave to Mary,
and that is “Mother of God.”
The point of this title isn’t primarily about Mary, but about her son:
He is truly God, and so she is truly the God-bearer.
And this title is one of the ways we express our joy
at what God has given us in his Son,
and our gratitude to Mary for saying yes to God’s plan.
How fitting then that the Church grants a plenary indulgence
to encourage us to recite on Dec. 31 the Te Deum,
and on January 1, the Veni Creator.
The indulgence is granted
when we also make a good confession and receive holy communion –
within eight days is a good rule of thumb –
and say a Hail Mary and an Our Father
for the intentions of the holy father.
So at the end of Mass, instead of the Saint Michael Prayer,
we’ll pray the Te Deum/Veni Creator together,
plus an Our Father and a Hail Mary.
The prayers are in the books in your pews, and are in English.
* Additions during Masses today.
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