Welcome Russians!

According to my "stat meter," a lot of visitors are from Russia! Добро пожаловать! (That's supposed to be "welcome!" in Russian; I hope it isn't, "my ears are dirty" or something like that...)

Who are you? Where are you coming from?

OK, I just checked my stat-meter, and the past two days I've had a big increase in visits.

Great! Glad to have you!

Usually, my meter thingy tells me where y'all are coming from. But this time, it's lots of "unknowns" and addresses that don't mean anything.

Weird.

Please! Tell me who's sending you here!

Thanks!

My day...

What a day! Here's how it went...

I was "in the office"--meaning downstairs--at 9. Or thereabouts. Made coffee. Finished my homily while taking some calls and returning some.

Confessions at 11. When the folks finish the Rosary, that means I need to be vested, because it's almost time for Mass! I motored up to the sacristy with a few minutes to spare. Offered the Holy Mass at Noon.

After Mass, I had to hurry out to our seminary. The Archbishop gathers the employees from the central office once a year for a day of reflection. I explained I had duties in the parish, and he understood I wouldn't be there till 1 pm.

At the seminary, one of our many fine faculty, Father Earl Fernandes gave a brilliant talk about the Year of Faith. I'm sorry I missed the earlier talks. After that, Mass in Saint Gregory Chapel. First time I've been there for Mass in seven or eight years. Father Fernandes and Father Kyle Schnippel--both of whom were in the seminary about the same time as me--were there. It was neat offering the Holy Mass with them. And, frankly, there's something pretty powerful about offering the Mass with the Archbishop. What I mean is, he's the bishop--a priest's priesthood is complete in the bishop. Most of the time, we offer Mass, mindful of him, but off on our own. Being able to offer Mass with him, is very meaningful.

We finished a little after three. I needed a haircut, and thought about getting it then--but I had a wedding rehearsal at 4:45 to prepare for, and didn't want to cut things close. Headed back, just to be safe.

Not sure why, but driving down Salem Avenue--it was raining--I hit a slick patch. My car spun around! I'm going to have my tires checked. Thank Almighty God no harm, but I gave some thought to a little whiskey when I got back, to calm my nerves. I decided not to; instead I said a prayer of thanks to God for watching out for me.

Back at the parish, I had a number of things to get ready for the rehearsal, plus some calls to make. My first wedding at Saint Rose, and--to be candid--I needed to walk through things on my own, because it's a little different from Saint Mary and Saint Boniface. I didn't want to be uncertain or confusing in my guidance to folks at the rehearsal.

Oh, did I mention that, because there was a wedding at Saint Rose tonight at 6:30, our rehearsal--for a wedding tomorrow--had to hurry along? Everything went well; thankfully, the couple didn't want to have eight couples come down the aisle. Nothing against that, but the truth is, the hardest thing to rehearse, the thing that takes all the time, is that opening procession. I have an axiom: the fewer bridesmaids and groomsmen, the less stress the wedding will be (for everyone). Seems to be holding true, so far.

As we're finishing up, folks are starting to arrive for the wedding afterward. God help the priest who causes any bride unhappiness! We wrapped up; shortest rehearsal I've done so far. The photographer was a little anxious, but the bride was calm.

A little business after that, then down to Newport for the rehearsal dinner. Those can be fun, and this one was. These were two families who seemed to be at peace, and happy to be together. I had some good conversations with folks, and the couple--who are a little more mature--put on a great party. I got home about a half-hour ago.

Now I'm watching a little baseball. I hate to root for the Giants, but--I figure, the only consolation to having the Reds lose in the playoffs, is if they lost to the World Champions, not an also-ran.

Oh, and I did I mention what a day I have tomorrow?

I have confessions at 11, Mass at noon, wedding at 2, Mass at Little Flower in Mt. Airy at 4:30, then back to the parish at 6 for a party for the seminarians.

Who knows? I may see if I can get that haircut in the morning.

Will God agree with the reasons for your vote? (Sunday homily)

In the first reading, the author asks for prudence—
and it says it was given him.
As the elections approach, we need that gift.
Our candidates need that gift.

The Archbishop recently published a letter about
what it would look like if our Catholic values “won” this election.
Notice what he said: not about which candidate,
but which set of values?

I want to share a few things from his letter.

When we look at these things, common sense tells us,
that not all the issues are created equal.
Some are questions of ways and means;
while others are matters of life and death.

For example: the duty to care for the less fortunate.
That is a non-negotiable value.
As the Archbishop of Philadelphia said once,
if we forget the poor, we will go to hell.

But when it comes to the ways and the means,
This is something we can legitimately disagree over.

The Archbishop went on to say 
that some of the issues involve questions of “intrinsic evil.”

That includes all direct assaults on human life—
from the moment of conception until natural death—
There is no time when they are OK.

Again, to quote the Archbishop,
“opposing intrinsically evil actions
that directly threaten the dignity and sanctity of life
should have a special claim on our consciences.”

Religious liberty is also a non-negotiable issue.
Unfortunately, our government has chosen—
in the name of health care—
to coerce most Americans to accept contraception, sterilization
and abortion drugs as part of our health plans.

The government has no business forcing anyone into that situation.

A third non-negotiable issue for Catholics is marriage.

When the government says it can redefine marriage
in its very nature, and say that is no longer
what it has always been—a man and a woman—
this isn’t just a matter of “choice.”
This is redefining what family is; what right and wrong are.

To argue, “well, we’ve gone a long way down this road”
is not a reason to go further the wrong way! Turn around!

Let’s be very honest; most of us are biased.
We tend to give our own side a lot of leeway,
and we tend to assume the worst about the other guy.

It would take a lot of courage, wouldn’t it,
to stand up to our own side—to our own guy—
and say, “you’re wrong.”
But if we really did that…think of it!

So, how do we decide?

A lot of us simply cannot bring ourselves to vote for those who—
however many good things we can say about them—
endorse things that are intrinsically evil.
If that means voting for a third-party, so be it.
Others will say, you have to go for the one who endorses less of it.

The thing is, on Judgment Day,
we won’t answer for the overall outcome—
because we cannot control that.

But we will answer for the use of our vote.
My one vote—doesn’t sound like much—but it’s mine.
I can cast it anyway I choose, in private.

When we stand before God,
will he agree with the reasons we cast it the way we did?

A mass-murderer went to his reward today

...45 years ago.

Pray for the victims of this bloodthirsty thug, and for all the misguided fools who wear Che shirts without the slightest idea what it means.

Sex, marriage & family go together (Sunday homily)

For folks who wonder where the Church’s teaching on marriage
and related issues comes from,
today’s readings answer the question.

But there’s something to clarify.
When we insist that marriage is a man and woman,
we aren’t basing that primarily on the Bible.
Instead, we refer to “Natural Law.” What’s that?
That’s what we can see written into nature itself, 
simply with the power of observation and the use of reason.

Just as we know that the eye is for seeing and the ear for hearing.
We see that sex and marriage, sex and family,
family and marriage, all go together.
Even without the Bible we can see the harm of breaking it all apart.

So let’s apply all this.

The Church has always taught that marital acts
must respect God’s design and remain open to the gift of life.
When Pope Paul VI wrote his letter in 1968,
he simply restated that teaching,
as it applied to birth control pills.

It’s true this involves sacrifice.
At the heart of Natural Family Planning is a discipline
that requires husband and wife to work together.
It expresses reverence for how God designed our bodies.
And, for those who have a need to space the birth of their children,
it involves sacrifice.

But you who are married taught me this:
no marriage can be successful without sacrifice and dying to self.
NFP is built on this truth;
Which may be why couples who practice NFP
are much less likely to divorce.

Now, the rest of our society may not follow this;
even many Catholics do not follow this.
But when the government seeks to prevent us from living this teaching,
then the government has violated our religious freedom.

That’s the issue with the mandate that would force us
to pay for contraception, sterilization and abortion-causing drugs,
as part of health care.
That mandate is already coercing Catholics who own businesses;
Unless it’s overturned, it takes full effect
for our Catholic hospitals, schools and charities next summer.

Let me say something about the current debate
over what the law says about marriage.
Marriage isn’t merely a religious institution, but a basic unit of society.
When government redefines marriage, it redefines family.
In fact, it seeks to redefine what is right and wrong.

The truth is, we as Catholics should have spoken up, decades ago,
As divorce laws made a hash of marriage. But we didn’t.
Now we must speak up, not to be “anti” anyone,
but to insist that a family is a mother and a father,
and that’s what marriage is.

We may feel alone speaking these truths.
But we as Catholics have seen a lot of societies come and go.
The dustbin of history is filled with every “latest thing” that proved,
through bitter experience, to be a false promise.
Christ promised to be with us until the end of time.
We believe him.

Our Lady of Victory (Homily)

Tonight I offered Mass at Our Lady of Victory Parish on the west side of Cincinnati. As tomorrow is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (the newer name), it is a feast for the parish, superseding the Sunday observed by everyone else. That means different readings as well.

In short, my friend the pastor snookered me into having two homilies to write for this weekend!

Oh well, it gave me a the privilege of preaching about this noteworthy feast. Here's the homily I gave tonight. (I'll be there again at 8 am tomorrow, then back to Saint Rose for 10:30 am Mass.)

What is this feast we celebrate today?
This involves a trip into history.
If you remember the Bulwinkle cartoon,
they had a “Wayback machine.” Let’s step in!

We go back to the year 1571, 431 years ago.
Not only did our nation not exist, the first settlement—
at St. Augustine, Florida, wouldn’t happen for another 11 years.

But Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East
were embroiled in what might, in later years,
have been termed a “world” war.

At the center of the war was the superpower of the day,
the Muslim, Ottoman Empire, which was expanding
at the expense of Christian nations
of north Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

The Ottoman Empire, at this time,
Dominated the Middle East, North Africa,
and already owned a huge chunk of Europe--
and was preparing to gobble up another big bite:
most likely Italy and Germany.

With its navy holding sway over the Mediterranean Sea,
it seemed nothing could stop them.

That is why Pope Saint Pius V felt it necessary
to join with as many Christian princes of Europe
to form a “Holy League” to defeat the menace.

By the way, if you are interested
in reading more about these times,
may I suggest you check out Louis de Wohl,
who wrote two books about the battle,
and the hero, Don John of Austria.

De Wohl wrote dozens of such books,
and they are terrific fun to read,
all about heroes and battles and great moments in history.

In our day, when we send off our armed forces,
the President will give a speech to Congress.
Then, the pope made various entreaties to the people of Europe,
asking them to make holy hours, and to recite the Rosary.

The morning of October 7, the pope himself
was praying the rosary in the basilica of Saint Mary.
What he did not know—could not know—
was that the Christian fleet, hundreds of miles away,
had engaged the Turkish navy in battle,
off the coast of Greece, in the Gulf of Lepanto.

This was the Battle of Lepanto,
and it happened on this very day.
The Christian forces prevailed;
and by a miracle, Pope Pius, far away in Rome, knew it instantly.
In gratitude to our Lady,
he declared this day “Our Lady of Victory”—
which later was changed to Our Lady of the Rosary.
But if you know anyone who has played football,
they like that title, “Our Lady of Victory.”

The readings are all about victory—
the victory the Lord won, for us, over sin and hell.
The first defeat came in the Garden, so long ago.
When the time was right, God sent Gabriel to Mary,
to ask her help—just as Pius V asked her help, 1,500 years later.
Whenever we ask Mary’s help, she always says “yes.”

Today we face some battles every bit as intimidating
as what Don John and his forces faced at Lepanto.

Make of it what you will, but Christians still face persecution
at the hands of militants acting under the banner of Islam.

Meanwhile, we face increasing opposition
under the banner of secularism
and even, bizarrely, “freedom.”
The “freedom” to destroy an unborn child
and the so-called “freedom” to force Catholic institutions
to pay for contraceptives,
despite that violating our religious liberty.
In Pope Pius’s time, many said that Islam’s victory was inevitable;
his crusade was foolish; he was fighting the inexorable hand of history.
They were wrong;
they didn’t reckon on the power of Our Lady’s intercession
to turn the course of history.

The same thing happened in the 20th century, when at Fatima,
Mary asked the world to pray the Rosary to convert Russia.
People, not so long ago,
said communism was the wave of the future,
there was no stopping it.
The Rosary stopped it—without firing a missile.

Whatever battles we face today—
whether in our society or in our own lives—
we will hear the same voices, telling us to give up.
Yet we have the same weapon, Mary’s Rosary.
And she will win the Victory!

Lepanto

Sunday is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, aka Our Lady of Victory, commemorating the Battle of Lepanto in AD 1571. In anticipation of that, here is G.K. Chesterton's stirring poem about that battle.

White founts falling in the Courts of the sun,
And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling as they run;
There is laughter like the fountains in that face of all men feared,
It stirs the forest darkness, the darkness of his beard;
It curls the blood-red crescent, the crescent of his lips;
For the inmost sea of all the earth is shaken with his ships.
They have dared the white republics up the capes of Italy,
They have dashed the Adriatic round the Lion of the Sea,
And the Pope has cast his arms abroad for agony and loss,
And called the kings of Christendom for swords about the Cross.
The cold queen of England is looking in the glass;
The shadow of the Valois is yawning at the Mass;
From evening isles fantastical rings faint the Spanish gun,
And the Lord upon the Golden Horn is laughing in the sun.

Dim drums throbbing, in the hills half heard,
Where only on a nameless throne a crownless prince has stirred,
Where, risen from a doubtful seat and half attainted stall,
The last knight of Europe takes weapons from the wall,
The last and lingering troubadour to whom the bird has sung,
That once went singing southward when all the world was young.
In that enormous silence, tiny and unafraid,
Comes up along a winding road the noise of the Crusade.
Strong gongs groaning as the guns boom far,
Don John of Austria is going to the war,
Stiff flags straining in the night-blasts cold
In the gloom black-purple, in the glint old-gold,
Torchlight crimson on the copper kettle-drums,
Then the tuckets, then the trumpets, then the cannon, and he comes.
Don John laughing in the brave beard curled,
Spurning of his stirrups like the thrones of all the world,
Holding his head up for a flag of all the free.
Love-light of Spain--hurrah!
Death-light of Africa!
Don John of Austria
Is riding to the sea.

Mahound is in his paradise above the evening star,
(Don John of Austria is going to the war.)
He moves a mighty turban on the timeless houri's knees,
His turban that is woven of the sunsets and the seas.
He shakes the peacock gardens as he rises from his ease,
And he strides among the tree-tops and is taller than the trees;
And his voice through all the garden is a thunder sent to bring
Black Azrael and Ariel and Ammon on the wing.
Giants and the Genii,
Multiplex of wing and eye,
Whose strong obedience broke the sky
When Solomon was king.

They rush in red and purple from the red clouds of the morn,
From the temples where the yellow gods shut up their eyes in scorn;
They rise in green robes roaring from the green hells of the sea
Where fallen skies and evil hues and eyeless creatures be,
On them the sea-valves cluster and the grey sea-forests curl,
Splashed with a splendid sickness, the sickness of the pearl;
They swell in sapphire smoke out of the blue cracks of the ground,--
They gather and they wonder and give worship to Mahound.
And he saith, "Break up the mountains where the hermit-folk can hide,
And sift the red and silver sands lest bone of saint abide,
And chase the Giaours flying night and day, not giving rest,
For that which was our trouble comes again out of the west.
We have set the seal of Solomon on all things under sun,
Of knowledge and of sorrow and endurance of things done.
But a noise is in the mountains, in the mountains, and I know
The voice that shook our palaces--four hundred years ago:
It is he that saith not 'Kismet'; it is he that knows not Fate;
It is Richard, it is Raymond, it is Godfrey at the gate!
It is he whose loss is laughter when he counts the wager worth,
Put down your feet upon him, that our peace be on the earth."
For he heard drums groaning and he heard guns jar,
(Don John of Austria is going to the war.)
Sudden and still--hurrah!
Bolt from Iberia!
Don John of Austria
Is gone by Alcalar.

St. Michaels on his Mountain in the sea-roads of the north
(Don John of Austria is girt and going forth.)
Where the grey seas glitter and the sharp tides shift
And the sea-folk labour and the red sails lift.
He shakes his lance of iron and he claps his wings of stone;
The noise is gone through Normandy; the noise is gone alone;
The North is full of tangled things and texts and aching eyes,
And dead is all the innocence of anger and surprise,
And Christian killeth Christian in a narrow dusty room,
And Christian dreadeth Christ that hath a newer face of doom,
And Christian hateth Mary that God kissed in Galilee,--
But Don John of Austria is riding to the sea.
Don John calling through the blast and the eclipse
Crying with the trumpet, with the trumpet of his lips,
Trumpet that sayeth ha!
Domino gloria!
Don John of Austria
Is shouting to the ships.

King Philip's in his closet with the Fleece about his neck
(Don John of Austria is armed upon the deck.)
The walls are hung with velvet that is black and soft as sin,
And little dwarfs creep out of it and little dwarfs creep in.
He holds a crystal phial that has colours like the moon,
He touches, and it tingles, and he trembles very soon,
And his face is as a fungus of a leprous white and grey
Like plants in the high houses that are shuttered from the day,
And death is in the phial and the end of noble work,
But Don John of Austria has fired upon the Turk.
Don John's hunting, and his hounds have bayed--
Booms away past Italy the rumour of his raid.
Gun upon gun, ha! ha!
Gun upon gun, hurrah!
Don John of Austria
Has loosed the cannonade.

The Pope was in his chapel before day or battle broke,
(Don John of Austria is hidden in the smoke.)
The hidden room in man's house where God sits all the year,
The secret window whence the world looks small and very dear.
He sees as in a mirror on the monstrous twilight sea
The crescent of his cruel ships whose name is mystery;
They fling great shadows foe-wards, making Cross and Castle dark,
They veil the plumèd lions on the galleys of St. Mark;
And above the ships are palaces of brown, black-bearded chiefs,
And below the ships are prisons, where with multitudinous griefs,
Christian captives sick and sunless, all a labouring race repines
Like a race in sunken cities, like a nation in the mines.
They are lost like slaves that sweat, and in the skies of morning hung
The stair-ways of the tallest gods when tyranny was young.
They are countless, voiceless, hopeless as those fallen or fleeing on
Before the high Kings' horses in the granite of Babylon.
And many a one grows witless in his quiet room in hell
Where a yellow face looks inward through the lattice of his cell,
And he finds his God forgotten, and he seeks no more a sign--
(But Don John of Austria has burst the battle-line!)
Don John pounding from the slaughter-painted poop,
Purpling all the ocean like a bloody pirate's sloop,
Scarlet running over on the silvers and the golds,
Breaking of the hatches up and bursting of the holds,
Thronging of the thousands up that labour under sea
White for bliss and blind for sun and stunned for liberty.

Vivat Hispania!
Domino Gloria!
Don John of Austria
Has set his people free!

Cervantes on his galley sets the sword back in the sheath
(Don John of Austria rides homeward with a wreath.)
And he sees across a weary land a straggling road in Spain,
Up which a lean and foolish knight for ever rides in vain,
And he smiles, but not as Sultans smile, and settles back the blade....
(But Don John of Austria rides home from the Crusade.)

Preaching about how to dress at Mass

What do you think of this approach?

Do you consider this a "gimmick"? Do you object? Let me know what you think.

Cross-posted at Heart of Christ.
(Biretta-tip to Over the Rhine and Into the Tiber, where I saw this.) 

Free money! Come and get it! (Sunday homily)

Let’s talk about money:
the thing we all work for, the thing that buys us what we need.
In this country, we have the dollar. In Europe, it’s the euro;
in Mexico, it’s the peso.
What about heaven? What money do they use there?

Grace.

You might say, wait a minute, grace isn’t money. Grace is free!
Yes; but just as it takes money to buy the things we need,
just as we store up money to have security in this world,
it is grace that gives us security in eternity.

And it’s isn’t true to say, grace is free.
It’s free to us--but it came at a great cost.
Our Lord went to the Cross,
which he makes present for us in every Mass.
Every Mass we are confronted with the true price of grace.
He paid the price of our admission.

Grace is our golden ticket to heaven. Do we have it?
Or have we lost it, traded it away?
That’s what we do when we sin.
We trade the gold of God’s grace
for some cheap thrill on the Internet,
or the cold satisfaction of an act of revenge,
or for the false security of a lie.

And as we heard in the Gospel, hell is real.
It’s not a good place.
We don’t want to go there, or help anyone else end up there.

But I’ve good news!

When we trade the gold of heaven for a worthless sin,
there way to make an exchange. That’s what confession is!
 If you go to Macy's for a 90% off sale, there's a catch: no returns!
That's why they give you the discount--they don't want that junk back!
But we have a better deal.*

In churches all over downtown and around the area, at various times,
a priest is here waiting for you.
At Saint Rose, it’s every Friday and Saturday at 11 am.
At the Cathedral--listen to this--
you can come after the 7 am Mass on weekdays,
and again at noon to 12:30 pm, and again at 4:30 to 5;
and on Saturdays, noon to 3!
Bring all that worthless stuff here!
Get a full measure of God’s grace, the gold of heaven!

Moses said, oh that God would bestow his Spirit on them all!
He does! Come and get it and get you some!*

* Added extemporaneously.

Prayers for and with our Jewish elder siblings...

Tonight begins the most solemn time for the Jewish People: Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.

I meant to post something earlier, but didn't get home till just now.

I don't know how many Jewish believers read this blog, but to those who do: a blessed Yom Kippur!

The rest of us would do well to reflect on:

1) The uncountable debt we owe the Jews. God chose them to know his Name, to enter into covenant with him, and be--as Isaiah said--a "light to the nations."

2) This is the day each year when the high priest would offer sacrifice to atone for the people. Those of us who are Christians, of course, think of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need the very same mercy; and the cost paid by our Lord was awful. We can never give enough reflection to what the Cross really means.

3) We Christians must always remember what Saint Paul said in his letter to the Romans: that the role of God's Chosen People in the plan of salvation remains incomplete. God's plan is bigger and more profound than we can possibly imagine. Never dare to think that God would forget his covenant or reject his chosen!

4) We Christians have a duty to consider the special repentance that we owe for the sins committed, in the Lord's name, against his own people, by Christians. The history is more complex, not so cut-and-dried, as some would suggest--for example, there is an inspiring history of the popes being very solicitous and just toward the Jews of Italy, and much of the hostility to the Jews was inspired not so much by Christianity as by the vices Christianity opposes.

And yet, how can it not break ones heart to consider that our Jewish elder brothers and sisters would see the Cross, and the name of our Lord, as instruments of oppression? And how did this happen?

It happened because of what Christians did.

So maybe on Yom Kippur, we might do well to pray for mercy too.

Let's go to Fatima & Lourdes!

I'm leading a pilgrimage, first time!

In association with the Holy Spirit Center, we're going to Fatima, Lourdes and Barcelona next April.

Here's the link for what you need to know.

Reds Clinch Central! I was there.

I didn't decide to go to the game until yesterday; and I was thinking the game was at seven, so my initial plan was to go down earlier, get something to eat at Oktoberfest, and saunter down to the game. Father W., our pastor, stopped in around 2:30 pm--he had two weddings yesterday afternoon at Saint Rose, and was in the rectory between them--and he said he thought the game was at 4 pm. So it was! So I left here around 3 pm, and after hunting for parking, got to the park as our team came onto the field.

I knew one of our other priests was at the game, with some friends, so I called him on the way down to see if we could meet up. Thanks to the kindness of a generous layman, Father and his friends were in a prime location, in the field seats along first base. I was planning on standing-room-only if I couldn't get a ticket off a scalper for a reasonable price; in the end, I got a level-100 seat for $35, out in the outfield. So I met up with Father and his friends as the game began. He said there were four open seats next to him; I figured I'd sit there for a bit before the owners of those seats showed up. Well, only two of them--a couple of young kids, whose family was seated somewhere nearby (judging by trips back and forth). So I had a great seat for a great game.

All the years I've lived in Cincinnati, I've never been to a game when they clinched the title. It was a full house, which makes it fun; and winning helps! That said, I was at a few games this season, and it was disappointing to see the place less than full, when we have such a good team and a winning season.

I realize a lot of folks figure it's terribly expensive to go to a game, but here's something I suspect many don't realize. Did you know you can bring your own food and drinks to the ballpark? No, you can't bring glass bottles or metal cans--and no alcohol--but you can bring food, even a soft-sided cooler,  and drinks in sealed, clear-plastic bottles.

The cheapest seats at Great American are $5. So with four kids and two adults that's $30 plus tax. Then you bring a cooler and drinks if you don't want to spend a lot on the concessions. There's $5 parking if you don't mind walking a few blocks; and you can get free street parking if you know where and when to look. Parents, you tell me: compared with what other things cost--such as movies or amusement parks--how does that stack up?

Let me also say this:  I think our Reds have done a very good job over the years fostering a family atmosphere. Of course, you will always have some joker who drinks too much or gets too loud, but even when there are fans of the opposing team, our fans seem to keep their good humor. And the management does make it clear, from the get-go, that if anyone is crude or offensive, the ushers will deal with it if prompted. My sense is that the Reds want families to feel welcome.

So the game builds toward the climax; the strikeouts are being racked up (if they get 11, all those in attendance can use their ticket to claim free pizza at LaRosas and ice cream at UDF!), and Father B., sitting next to me--as we passed around the peanuts he brought with him--is wondering if Lato will stay in for the full game. He was pitching a great game, no runs so far; it would be nice to see him finish the game. When the home team got a nice rally going in the eighth, I wondered if the coach would just leave Lato in, since we had a good lead; but he pulled him for a pinch-hitter in hopes of sustaining the rally.

When the bottom of the eighth ended, everyone was on his feet cheering the home team, as they now took the field for--we hoped--the final three outs. Here comes Aroldis, the "Cuban Missile" to close it out! Everyone stayed standing for the final three, and with the final out, the whole team rushed the field. The Dodgers in the visitors' bullpen had to trudge past; rough for them, but they can still make the post-season as a wild-card.

We hung out a bit as the players hugged and jumped on each other; when they cleared the field, we headed over to one of the new places near the park, Toby Keiths, where a whole bunch of other fans flooded in after us. Have you noticed, Reds fans, that in the past few weeks folks at the game have taken to letting out howls? There was a bit of that at TKS as the six of us--another of Father B.'s friends joined us after the game--had some fun conversation and of course something to eat and to drink.

When the band came on around 10, we were ready to go. And I never did make it to Oktoberfest! But what a great day for the home team.

Go Reds!

Why be a Catholic? (Sunday homily)

If someone asked you, why are you a Catholic, what might be your answer? 

You might say, because you think it’s true. 
Maybe you would point out how Scripture predicted Jesus’ suffering and death--
such as the first reading. 

But is this why we choose to follow Jesus Christ? Because someone proved it to us? 
For some of us, that’s part of it. 

When I was 19 and in college, I left the Catholic Church and joined another church--
because I thought that was where I would be close to the Lord. 
So, in my situation, I needed to be convinced of the truth of the Catholic Faith. 
It took me ten years more. 
But even then, what brought be back-- what “closed the deal”--was the Lord’s call. 

I was living in northern Virginia and one day, as I drove by a Catholic church, 
 I heard the Lord, in my heart, ask me: “What holds you back?” 

 Now, till that moment, I would have cited many reasons. 
But instantly, every argument dissolved. I said, “nothing, Lord.” 
A day or two later, I went to that same parish for confession. 

So just a note: if someone you know says, I don’t know how to go back, that’s how you do it. 

But back to the question: what makes us choose to follow the Lord? 
Have we actually made a choice? Or are we just going along? 

One of the reasons our Lord explained to the Apostles what lay ahead 
was because they needed to choose. 
Were they expecting power and glory? 

After he makes it clear they, too, will face his same Cross, 
all the Apostles--save one--stay with him. Why? 
What did they experience that would make it worth it? 

I’m going to tell you. But realize that it’s not enough to grasp it in the mind. 
We must know it in the heart. 

The answer is Life. New Life. True Life. Life with God. Life in Christ. 
To have our sins forgiven and forgotten. 
And to be united with God for eternity, his Life, our life. 
What we will have in eternity begins here on earth. 
The fullness of it is beyond us. 
But the saints, in their radiance, in their calm, show us a sign, a foretaste, of glory divine. 

“How do I get there?” Begin here. 
“How do I gain that promise?” Give yourself to Christ. 
“But I’m not ready!” That’s what our life as Catholics is about. Getting ready. 

If you were training for the Olympics, 
you’d have a series of things you’d need to do, every week, if not every day; 
and you’d give things up that would get in the way. 

To be a Christian--to live the Catholic life-- is fitness training for heaven. 
And when the Lord helps us glimpse what we have to look forward to, 
We know why we choose this Faith.

An argument for ad orientem

Recently I was attending a Mass at which I was concelebrant--and because the number of concelebrants was many, we did not all assemble around the altar, because  of lack of room. As a result, many of us were facing the altar throughout the Mass.

The celebrant--who I did not know--was, by all indications, a faithful priest. He prayed the prayers in the Missal, and--with a few small things, followed the indicated ritual. In short, he largely "did the red and said the black" as my friend Father John Zuhlsdorf says. Father seemed to be a genial, friendly, cheerful fellow. I did not get to meet him after Mass, but I'm sure we would have had a pleasant conversation.

And yet...I wish Mass had been ad orientem--literally, "toward the east," meaning toward "liturgical east," or toward the apse of the church. I.e., all of us facing the same way.

Why?

Our celebrant had an expressive face; everything he was feeling, showed on his face. And, during the Eucharistic Prayer, Father chose to gaze out at the assembly when speaking many of the words of the prayers.

What's wrong with that, you ask?

Nothing, if we had been in a conversation. Had we been sitting at a meal, or enjoying a snack or a drink together, it would have been very engaging.

And that is the problem.

We weren't there to engage with him.

Now, I am not including the homily--which in this case, was delivered by another. But had he given the sermon, again, I would have been happy to have the priest be every bit as expressive as he was.

But when we are praying--when the assembly is praying--why should the priest be our focus?

When the priest is standing at the altar, in particular, how much of the prayers during the second half of the Mass, are directed at the others present?

Stop and think about that.

The priest says, "pray, brothers and sisters"...then offers a prayer to God. Then he says to us, "Lift up your hearts," and two more invitations, to which we respond. Then he prays the Preface--again, to God. Then the Eucharistic Prayer, which--contrary to what many seem to think--is 100% directed to God. Same with "Through him, with him," etc.

Then the priest addresses us briefly to pray the Our Father, then the prayers--again--are to God. Then, briefly, wishing us peace once more, before his attention is back to the Lord with the "Lamb of God." Then he shows us the Lamb, and then he prays, again, to the Lord--with us--in the response. Then his communion and then ours. Then the prayer is again to God, before the blessing and dismissal.

My point is, during the second half of the Mass--when the priest is standing almost entirely at the altar--relatively few of the words are directed to us. They are directed to God.

To be a priest is to a mediator; the priest mediates our prayers to God, and God's response to us. This is most fully at work in the Mass. Think about it, and you'll see that explains almost everything the priest does in the Mass.

So when the priest is at the altar, while obviously the Mass is "for us" to the extent it is for our salvation, the priest's focus is on God. He's pleading for us. He's offering the Eternal Sacrifice--in the person of Christ--for us. Not to us. For us.

Please don't misunderstand me. I can hardly blame a priest for feeling joy and love for the Mass, and for it showing in his face. On one level, you could say, "oh, I love seeing it, because it's so inspiring." I get that, too.

But I hope people don't come to Mass to see my face--but the face of Christ.

A friend of mine (in fact, he has a new blog; click here and go visit!) often refers to priests as "faceless"--meaning, he wants as a priest to "decrease" as St. John the Baptist said, so that He may increase. I understand and agree.

It's a reason I think ad orientem serves the good of the people. Because as important as it is to have priests who convey warmth and joy and faith, it is also important that it not be about us.

Let me know what you think.

What will you do to bring folks to the Faith? (Sunday homily)

This weekend, after all the Masses, we’re taking up a special collection. 
This will support an effort planned for Christmastime, 
To invite back those Catholics who--for whatever reason-- aren’t so active in their Faith.

It’s well planned; the ads and materials are top quality. 
It’s worked well in other parts of the country. So I feel good about asking you to support it. 

But now we have a dilemma--I bet it happens to you. 
We want to bring back folks who’ve drifted away, or been turned off. 
And the temptation is to say, oh, let’s not press not press a particular point. 

 It’s very tempting! 
Every week I prepare a homily. 
One day, I must stand before the Lord, 
and he will ask me to account for how well I taught about him. 
Suppose, on that Day, I tell him: 
“Lord, I always left out all those parts that caused heartburn; 
 that people didn’t like or found difficult.” 

What will he say? I fear he may say what he said to Peter in today’s Gospel. 
Because then I will have made the same mistake, trying to have Christ without the Cross. 

As Bishop Fulton Sheen used to say, if we try to have Christ without the Cross, 
we get little more than cheap, sugary sentiments.
Not something worth fighting for, and certainly not worth dying for. 

When the Gospel was first preached, in the first few centuries, 
what was it that drew people to the Catholic Faith? 
It wasn’t because it was easy. T
o be a Christian was to be viewed at least with scorn, if not as an enemy of the state. 

The early Christians were known for living changed lives. 
They were faithful in their marriages and refrained from the sexual excess of their culture. 
They did not throw away their infants if they were “defective”-- as the pagan Romans did. 

We might examine ourselves. 
Today, all the studies say that we Catholics no longer stand out from the culture. 

Also, the early Christians for doing as Saint James suggested: 
 walking the walk, not just talking the talk. 

 So here’s the challenge--for me and for you. 
We’re not only asking you to kick in a few bucks to help with the Catholics Come Home project. 
We do need that help--thank you. But sharing our Faith isn’t just about good brochures and ads. 

What am I and what are you prepared to do to help bear witness to our Faith? 
To help bring folks to know Jesus Christ-- and the life he offers?

My new blog

If you look to the right side of my blog (your right, not mine!) you will see a new blog, "Heart of Christ." this is my new blog.

This won't be like Bonfire, which is my personal blog. I created this in service to my task as Director of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese; that'll be my focus.

I'll be posting items of interest primarily for priests: anything that will help them pray better, make a good retreat, be better able to preach, offer Mass, counsel, run their parishes and otherwise, be a better priest.

If you're a priest, please link it; please spread the word. Be ready to offer input--I'll be asking for  ideas and contributions in the weeks ahead.

Sunday homily: about miracles

I didn't have a text this week, so I don't know how long my homily was! (I don't know about other priests, but a text keeps me from going on and on and on...)

It was hard to come up with just what I wanted to say; it wasn't until late last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, that I developed what I aimed to do.

I posed--and answered--several questions about miracles, such as was described in the Gospel.

First, people wonder if these things really happened, or if the Gospel writers made up the stories. My answer is that the Apostles, who told us these stories in the Gospel, gave up everything, ultimately their lives, for what they proclaimed. Why would they do that for a lie? As Blaise Pascal said, "I readily believe those witnesses whose throats are cut."

Second, people wonder why miracles like this happen. My answer was that miracles do happen, more than we realize. I talked about the miracles that are documented through the intercession of those being proposed as saints, and I have witnessed things I can't explain.

I also said the problem is that no matter how many miracles the Lord performs, people don't change. What happened in the Gospels?

And I said: in our own time, God performed a miracle that the whole world witnessed. Really.

I recounted how, in 1917, Mary appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal, and laid out how history would unfold in the 20th century, including a second world war, whole nations annihilated, and--that if people prayed for the conversion of Russia, there would be a period of peace. Then I pointed out how this  prophecy was fulfilled--in the end of the Cold War without firing a shot--before the entire world.

The third question I posed was, I admitted, the hard one. Why doesn't God perform the miracles we ask for? Honestly, I can't recall all I said here, except that I somehow moved to the point that God didn't come to earth to perform miracles, but to change us. And that lies with us: will we respond?

This is where I wanted to make a point but I forgot: namely that when our Lord was on earth, he was always explaining that the main thing he would do is go to the Cross--and people were always fighting that idea. In other words, the transformation we look for will come through death and resurrection. No  other way.

Along the way I mentioned the dear Little Sisters of the Poor who were collecting funds after Mass, how being part of their work would show us God's  power at work.

I did make the point that God's power is readily available; in a moment, on the altar, God will perform a miracle right before  us. If we're  open to it. That's up to us.

If you were at Saint Rose today for 10:30 am Mass, let me know if I recounted this correctly!

Traveling...

...to Virginia to visit family, so no homily; took my iPad which I find difficult to use to type, so no psts, sorry!

On to Ann arbor tomorrow for a meeting Tuesday, home Wednesday.

Christ's marriage with us (Sunday homily)

(This is the homily I prepared for this Sunday.)

The Gospel teaches us about the Eucharist and the Mass,
so let’s get into that.

To review: we believe Mass is a sacrifice.

Three things make a sacrifice:

First, something is offered.
In the Old Testament,
they brought the best lamb
and slaughtered it on the altar.

That’s a sacrifice.

Second, the sacrifice makes a covenant.
If you and I have a covenant,
I owe you, you owe me;
not a set amount,
but everything—it’s total.
You are faithful to me, and I to you;
not just for a day,
or a time, but forever!

That’s a covenant.

And third, those who make
the covenant-sacrifice
do something to share it—
to be part of it,
and to obligate themselves
to the covenant:

So, after they burnt
part of the lamb on the altar;
the rest they shared as a sacrificial meal.
Doing that pledged them,
solemnly, to the covenant.

And that is called communion.

The second reading from Paul
connects this to marriage.
Do you realize, what we believe
about Jesus’ sacrifice and the Eucharist,
is what we believe about marriage:
Total, forever, nothing held back—and note:
it is consummated how? By communion!

So in this context, we understand why our Catholic Faith
has always taught that contraception—
barriers and pills—are gravely sinful,
because they ruin the communion
of a married couple.

How can there be communion with a barrier?
How can it truly be communion,
if an essential part is deliberately excluded?
That’s not total—that’s not communion!

Now, let me connect to the second reading.
We get distracted by the men v. women aspect.
I think for a lot of people,
it seems like Paul is telling women
to let men have power over them;
so you get men smirking and women rolling their eyes.

But look again at the reading: it’s not about power.
That’s the last thing on Paul’s mind.
Paul, if you listen closely, is referring to the Cross:
He tells both men and women to imitate Jesus self-surrender.
That’s not power; that’s service.

So, men: you want your wife to serve you? Serve her.
Women: if your husband will give his life for you,
will you do the same?

That’s what a marriage covenant is;
And that’s what Christ does for us:
He gives himself totally to his Bride, the Church.

When we come to communion, this is not a casual thing;
it’s our renewal of the covenant-sacrifice
God made, on the Cross, with his people.

The last part of the Gospel ought to shake us up:
Notice that some of Jesus’ own followers,
As they heard what he said, were unsure they could go where he was going.

So before we take communion at this Mass,
We might ask ourselves: am I really ready?
Taking the Body and Blood of the Lord on our lips
is pledging to Christ what he pledged to us: EVERYTHING!

“Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.”