So, what’s on our mind this Pentecost?
Well, you and I have made a lot of adjustments, with more to come.
Even though we are finally back in church,
as you can see, we are keeping lots of pews empty,
and I’m asking lots of you to come to Mass, not on Sunday,
but during the week.
I don’t like that, but it’s simply being practical.
That’s why we created the “Show of Hands” sign-up
which you can access online.
This is just so all of can see which Masses
are likely to have “traffic jams,”
and maybe you will want to shift around to lessen that.
Several times each week, the ushers will be wiping down
the pews with disinfectant.
We don’t need to do it after every Mass, because in many cases,
there’s enough time between, say, Mass on Sunday, at 11,
and then Monday, at 7 pm, for any germs to die.
But for example, from Monday evening to Tuesday morning,
not enough time; so we’ll wipe the pews on Monday evening,
and again on Wednesday – twice –
and then between Masses on Saturday and Sunday.
If you want to help, just check in at the sacristy after Mass.
That would be great if you can do that.
And to emphasize, I just told you Monday Mass is now at 7 pm
as is Wednesday evening Mass. Friday morning Mass is now at 7 am.
This gives more options for more to come during the week.
For Holy Communion, we’ll have someone in front, and someone in back,
distributing the Holy Eucharist. The ushers will guide you.
Those of us who are distributing the Eucharist
will have a dish of disinfectant so that we avoid transmitting germs.
Next Sunday, June 7, at the 11 am Mass, is First Communion.
Obviously the church will be nearly full, so please plan accordingly.
By the way – in all this we’ve been dealing with,
you, the people of St. Remy, have been WONDERFUL.
I know all this change is not easy.
No doubt everything wasn’t explained enough and was confusing,
and it’s certain we didn’t get everything right.
But you have been flexible and understanding and prayerful,
and for that, I THANK YOU. And, forgive me,
but we’ll need your patience to continue, again thanks!
Meanwhile so many challenges are before us.
Many of our fellow citizens have died, and we’re not out of the woods.
Lots of people are on the front lines, whether in health care,
or public safety, or in keeping food and other essentials flowing.
They deserve our thanks and our help.
Most people have taken a financial hit, some very badly.
On the other hand: there’s so much to be thankful for.
A few months ago, there was dread and dire predictions.
Thank heaven the worst we feared did not happen!
Step by step, ordinary human life is resuming, and we all want more,
even as we each do our part to protect and help
those who are vulnerable or have been hit hard
by this epidemic and the fallout from it.
And remember: you and I are not powerless!
Even when we were not able to be at Mass TOGETHER, Mass continued,
and that is not a small thing.
The Holy Mass is the most powerful force in the universe.
I say that because Mass is the action of Jesus,
and what power can even approach his?
So we are not afraid!
Times like these bring out both the worst in people, but also the best.
Lots of people reacting badly,
but also, lots of people being calm and courageous and generous.
Which all leads to the main – and a really simple – point:
What makes the difference? The answer is the Holy Spirit!
He is at work in our prayers, in our patience and courage,
our good humor and generosity.
If we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit,
that is when bitterness and fear begin to grow.
Our task is to heal and build, not to tear apart.
Who would have guessed a big debate would be over…wearing masks?
Again, times like these bring out both the best in us and the worst.
What does the Holy Spirit want? What do you want?
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Mass, like the Ascension, is about us getting to heaven (Sunday homily)
The feast of the Ascension is NOT about Jesus leaving us.
Rather, it’s about where Jesus wants to take us:
he goes ahead of us, to heaven. That’s where he wants us.
The Ascension is about heaven; Jesus wants to take us to heaven.
Likewise, our worship together
is likewise about getting us to heaven.
Not everyone really gets this.
For one, way too many people take going to heaven for granted,
pretty much no matter what.
So if Mass isn’t about heaven, what is it about?
Well, for a lot of people, they see it as helping their outlook on life,
or giving them something to think about, or mainly feeling good.
I know these things are true because people have said them to me.
Not that there’s anything wrong with these things,
but I’m sorry, those are not the point of Mass.
Rather, Mass exists primarily to get people to heaven.
The Mass is essentially the same thing as the Cross.
Jesus did not go to the Cross to make anyone feel good,
or to improve anyone’s outlook on life.
He went to the Cross because of all the ways
God might have rescued and transformed humanity,
this was the best way. It’s what we need.
Had you been there, on Good Friday, as Jesus was in agony,
you would not have felt good.
Not everything Jesus said and taught was comforting.
Much of it was shocking, and if I am doing my job,
sometimes I will be shocking, too:
like an alarm clock that wakes us up,
or a medicine that hurts while it heals.
If you listen closely to the prayers of Mass,
you will hear words like sin and judgment and damnation,
as well as words like forgiveness, grace, conversion and salvation.
The souls of the human race hang in the balance!
Through Jesus, you and I plead for mercy and rescue!
There’s a house on fire, and Christ is the one putting out the fire.
You are here, not to watch, but to help pass the buckets!
It has been painful not to be able to attend Mass the past few weeks,
and how happy we all are to start again this week.
While I’m on that subject, let me do a little housekeeping.
First, I still need 160 people to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
This will help, and it costs you nothing. Please help with this.
Second, I sent out via email a link to an online sign-up.
The only reason we’re doing that is so you can get a sense
of how many people to expect at each Mass this week through Sunday.
No one has to sign up; and no will be turned away.
If more show up than can sit in church,
we’ll have chairs for outside,
or you can join in on your phone in your car.
The idea is that all of us see the whole picture,
which Masses are more crowded, and each of us
can try to spread out over the whole week,
and make it work better.
So please keep checking back to see what days are crowded,
and make your own decision about which one Mass,
between now and Sunday, you will attend.
I’m not saying people can’t go to Mass more than once a week;
it’s like a family dinner: let’s make sure everyone gets “firsts”
before we go back for “seconds.”
My plan is to try these sign-ups for a few weeks,
and we can get into a rhythm that works reasonably well.
Let’s focus on being patient and flexible this first week back.
Above all, please take reassurance in the fact that all this time,
the Holy Mass has continued to be offered;
here in this and every parish.
I’m glad we have the technical means to send it out over the Internet,
but even if not, the power of the Mass remains.
We don’t need wifi or Facebook or YouTube to connect to heaven:
Jesus does that, through this and every Mass.
It’s a little mind-boggling to say, but this is true:
Jesus is on the throne of heaven, at the right hand of the Father.
We’re part of his Body, so we’re really there with him.
And when we offer Mass, however humbly, through a sinner such as me,
Jesus is the true priest, and however far away heaven seems to us,
it really isn’t! We’re right there! The connection is instant and secure!
Rather, it’s about where Jesus wants to take us:
he goes ahead of us, to heaven. That’s where he wants us.
The Ascension is about heaven; Jesus wants to take us to heaven.
Likewise, our worship together
is likewise about getting us to heaven.
Not everyone really gets this.
For one, way too many people take going to heaven for granted,
pretty much no matter what.
So if Mass isn’t about heaven, what is it about?
Well, for a lot of people, they see it as helping their outlook on life,
or giving them something to think about, or mainly feeling good.
I know these things are true because people have said them to me.
Not that there’s anything wrong with these things,
but I’m sorry, those are not the point of Mass.
Rather, Mass exists primarily to get people to heaven.
The Mass is essentially the same thing as the Cross.
Jesus did not go to the Cross to make anyone feel good,
or to improve anyone’s outlook on life.
He went to the Cross because of all the ways
God might have rescued and transformed humanity,
this was the best way. It’s what we need.
Had you been there, on Good Friday, as Jesus was in agony,
you would not have felt good.
Not everything Jesus said and taught was comforting.
Much of it was shocking, and if I am doing my job,
sometimes I will be shocking, too:
like an alarm clock that wakes us up,
or a medicine that hurts while it heals.
If you listen closely to the prayers of Mass,
you will hear words like sin and judgment and damnation,
as well as words like forgiveness, grace, conversion and salvation.
The souls of the human race hang in the balance!
Through Jesus, you and I plead for mercy and rescue!
There’s a house on fire, and Christ is the one putting out the fire.
You are here, not to watch, but to help pass the buckets!
It has been painful not to be able to attend Mass the past few weeks,
and how happy we all are to start again this week.
While I’m on that subject, let me do a little housekeeping.
First, I still need 160 people to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
This will help, and it costs you nothing. Please help with this.
Second, I sent out via email a link to an online sign-up.
The only reason we’re doing that is so you can get a sense
of how many people to expect at each Mass this week through Sunday.
No one has to sign up; and no will be turned away.
If more show up than can sit in church,
we’ll have chairs for outside,
or you can join in on your phone in your car.
The idea is that all of us see the whole picture,
which Masses are more crowded, and each of us
can try to spread out over the whole week,
and make it work better.
So please keep checking back to see what days are crowded,
and make your own decision about which one Mass,
between now and Sunday, you will attend.
I’m not saying people can’t go to Mass more than once a week;
it’s like a family dinner: let’s make sure everyone gets “firsts”
before we go back for “seconds.”
My plan is to try these sign-ups for a few weeks,
and we can get into a rhythm that works reasonably well.
Let’s focus on being patient and flexible this first week back.
Above all, please take reassurance in the fact that all this time,
the Holy Mass has continued to be offered;
here in this and every parish.
I’m glad we have the technical means to send it out over the Internet,
but even if not, the power of the Mass remains.
We don’t need wifi or Facebook or YouTube to connect to heaven:
Jesus does that, through this and every Mass.
It’s a little mind-boggling to say, but this is true:
Jesus is on the throne of heaven, at the right hand of the Father.
We’re part of his Body, so we’re really there with him.
And when we offer Mass, however humbly, through a sinner such as me,
Jesus is the true priest, and however far away heaven seems to us,
it really isn’t! We’re right there! The connection is instant and secure!
Sunday, May 17, 2020
How to be a disciple (Sunday homily)
Let’s notice some things about the first reading.
First, we see what Jesus promised the Apostles is starting to happen.
He said they would be his witnesses “
in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Second, we learn some things about the sacraments of baptism,
confirmation and holy orders.
This Philip is one of the seven men chosen to be the first deacons;
he goes to Samaria and baptizes new believers.
Then the Apostles come later with the sacrament of confirmation.
There’s another detail that is really important.
This passage teaches us about overcoming
the barriers and prejudices that keep people apart.
The Apostles and first believers were Jews;
Samaritans were looked down upon as not being true children of Israel.
It all had to do with centuries of history I won’t go into,
but suffice to say Jews tended to stand apart from Samaritans –
if not to look down on them – and Samaritans surely resented it.
If we want to apply this to our present day,
we might think about urban versus rural,
“red state” versus “blue state,” Democrat or Republican, and the like.
However deep these divides,
God wants us to be ready and willing to overcome these barriers.
It may be that only the intervention of the Holy Spirit can do it;
if so, then you and I must pray and fast for that very outcome,
rather than just writing people off or walking away
or getting into bitter arguments.
Our task is to bring the Holy Spirit to people,
so they can profess faith in Jesus Christ.
How do we do that? Saint Peter tells us in the second reading.
Notice what he tells us to do:
First, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.”
That means, keep our spiritual life in order. Be in a state of grace.
We don’t have to be perfect, but be penitent.
Then, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone
who asks you for a reason for your hope.”
There it is! That is how you and I, everyone of every age,
can share our Faith!
You don’t have to be a scholar or an expert debater.
Simply “be ready” to explain the “reason for your hope.”
Do you have hope in God’s mercy in the sacrament of confession?
Hope in God’s providence to lead you through this world of troubles
to eternal life? If so, why?
Your reason for believing and living as a Catholic will be your own;
different from hers or his or theirs or mine.
Of course, all this means living so that people actually notice,
and wonder, “what’s up with her?”
I don’t mean showing off.
But do people see us as cheerful and forgiving and generous?
Finally, Peter tells us, share our faith and our hope
“with gentleness and reverence.”
My gosh, it would be curtains for a lot of websites
if we Christians all practiced “gentleness and reverence.”
It’s so easy to go on Facebook and dash off a few choice words
about the president or the governor or the archbishop
or whoever else has us all charged up.
If that’s your temptation, maybe print out these words,
“gentleness and reverence,”
and past them over the top of your computer.
“Gentleness and reverence.” That’s not so much the way to win an argument,
as Fulton Sheen used to say, but to win souls.
First, we see what Jesus promised the Apostles is starting to happen.
He said they would be his witnesses “
in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Second, we learn some things about the sacraments of baptism,
confirmation and holy orders.
This Philip is one of the seven men chosen to be the first deacons;
he goes to Samaria and baptizes new believers.
Then the Apostles come later with the sacrament of confirmation.
There’s another detail that is really important.
This passage teaches us about overcoming
the barriers and prejudices that keep people apart.
The Apostles and first believers were Jews;
Samaritans were looked down upon as not being true children of Israel.
It all had to do with centuries of history I won’t go into,
but suffice to say Jews tended to stand apart from Samaritans –
if not to look down on them – and Samaritans surely resented it.
If we want to apply this to our present day,
we might think about urban versus rural,
“red state” versus “blue state,” Democrat or Republican, and the like.
However deep these divides,
God wants us to be ready and willing to overcome these barriers.
It may be that only the intervention of the Holy Spirit can do it;
if so, then you and I must pray and fast for that very outcome,
rather than just writing people off or walking away
or getting into bitter arguments.
Our task is to bring the Holy Spirit to people,
so they can profess faith in Jesus Christ.
How do we do that? Saint Peter tells us in the second reading.
Notice what he tells us to do:
First, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.”
That means, keep our spiritual life in order. Be in a state of grace.
We don’t have to be perfect, but be penitent.
Then, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone
who asks you for a reason for your hope.”
There it is! That is how you and I, everyone of every age,
can share our Faith!
You don’t have to be a scholar or an expert debater.
Simply “be ready” to explain the “reason for your hope.”
Do you have hope in God’s mercy in the sacrament of confession?
Hope in God’s providence to lead you through this world of troubles
to eternal life? If so, why?
Your reason for believing and living as a Catholic will be your own;
different from hers or his or theirs or mine.
Of course, all this means living so that people actually notice,
and wonder, “what’s up with her?”
I don’t mean showing off.
But do people see us as cheerful and forgiving and generous?
Finally, Peter tells us, share our faith and our hope
“with gentleness and reverence.”
My gosh, it would be curtains for a lot of websites
if we Christians all practiced “gentleness and reverence.”
It’s so easy to go on Facebook and dash off a few choice words
about the president or the governor or the archbishop
or whoever else has us all charged up.
If that’s your temptation, maybe print out these words,
“gentleness and reverence,”
and past them over the top of your computer.
“Gentleness and reverence.” That’s not so much the way to win an argument,
as Fulton Sheen used to say, but to win souls.
Sunday, May 10, 2020
We want the Eucharist; we need the Mass (Sunday homily)
First let’s talk about something we heard in the Gospel just now.
When our Lord refers to his “Father’s house”
having many “dwelling places,” I bet most of us think of heaven.
That’s not exactly wrong, but there’s a lot more going on.
At that time, people would have heard “Father’s house”
and thought of the temple at the center of Jerusalem.
Jesus and the Apostles spent a lot of time there, after all.
But remember that on another occasion,
Jesus said he, himself, is the new temple: his body.
And recall he also said, I am the vine, you are the branches.
So what really is the “Father’s House,” the new temple,
where the Apostles – and us – are meant to dwell?
He’s talking about the Church!
It is the Church that will do the “greater works,”
as amazing as that is to say.
A great theologian said that reviving someone’s immortal soul,
in confession, is greater work than the resurrection of Lazarus,
and I agree with that.
But this is something of an abstract reality we can lose sight of.
Right now, with all our lives disrupted,
is when you and I are really challenged to ask ourselves:
Do I really believe I am part of this house of God?
Do I really think I’m part of doing greater works than Jesus’ miracles?
Or is my faith shaken because my regular routine is gone?
Because we are deprived for the time being from coming to Mass,
because we haven’t been able to receive the Eucharist for many weeks?
Don’t get me wrong, we need the Eucharist,
and being able to be present for Holy Mass is very important.
Still, while this bad thing is so strange to us,
it is something that has happened pretty frequently to Christians
down the centuries, and to the present.
In the Amazon area of South America, with so few priests,
it is routine for Catholics not to have Mass at all for many months.
That’s been their reality for a really long time.
Don’t get me wrong: this is not good. We don’t want it to go on.
But it’s our decision whether we let it shake our faith,
Or whether we decide to dig deeper.
In the meantime, let’s be grateful for the mercies and graces
that come our way.
As you know by now, Deacon Mike Meyer, Deacon Elijah Puthoff and I
are going to be distributing the Holy Eucharist
at St. Remy Church today from noon to 2 pm.
I’ve put out on Facebook some directions for everyone to follow,
which we also emailed, and I ask everyone to take a look at that.
It’s all common-sense things, but the point is to help us do two things.
Be safe, and be reverent.
I will be very candid with you: I took this course very cautiously,
Because it could go badly.
First, we could be overwhelmed,
if everyone’s friends and relatives come from four counties.
And, second, what we’ll do today is not normal and can’t become normal.
It’s a bad thing to disconnect the Eucharist from the Mass.
It was already a problem that too many Catholics really don’t get
what the Mass truly is, which is Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
It really is that simple: the Mass is the Cross;
But people don’t see it with their eyes,
so they don’t “see” it in their faith.
They miss this, and this is a big thing to miss.
And we don’t want to make this problem worse.
I’m not saying it’s not good to hunger for the Eucharist,
I’m saying you and I don’t want to focus on a part and miss the whole.
Oh, and one more thing. Because of what I decided to do,
other priests are going to get pressure, and that’s not right.
I asked permission of the Archbishop and he gave it,
but other priests are legitimately waiting for further instructions.
The Archbishop gets criticized, but he’s in tough spot and he’s trying.
None of us has a roadmap for this situation; none of us.
We don’t always have to see things the same way,
But each of us can and must treat each other with charity.
Fighting each other, accusing each other of bad faith
Undermines the grace and good we seek from the Eucharist!
All that said, let’s try this.
Please keep safe distances and be prayerful and patient
while waiting in line.
You may be waiting outside for awhile –
dress warmly and bring a Rosary or something else for prayer.
This is a temporary measure while we look forward
to resuming Mass starting Monday, May 25.
There is more adjusting to do, more patience needed;
thanks for keeping an even keel so far.
Don’t let these times shake your faith;
But rather, seek to deepen it.
When our Lord refers to his “Father’s house”
having many “dwelling places,” I bet most of us think of heaven.
That’s not exactly wrong, but there’s a lot more going on.
At that time, people would have heard “Father’s house”
and thought of the temple at the center of Jerusalem.
Jesus and the Apostles spent a lot of time there, after all.
But remember that on another occasion,
Jesus said he, himself, is the new temple: his body.
And recall he also said, I am the vine, you are the branches.
So what really is the “Father’s House,” the new temple,
where the Apostles – and us – are meant to dwell?
He’s talking about the Church!
It is the Church that will do the “greater works,”
as amazing as that is to say.
A great theologian said that reviving someone’s immortal soul,
in confession, is greater work than the resurrection of Lazarus,
and I agree with that.
But this is something of an abstract reality we can lose sight of.
Right now, with all our lives disrupted,
is when you and I are really challenged to ask ourselves:
Do I really believe I am part of this house of God?
Do I really think I’m part of doing greater works than Jesus’ miracles?
Or is my faith shaken because my regular routine is gone?
Because we are deprived for the time being from coming to Mass,
because we haven’t been able to receive the Eucharist for many weeks?
Don’t get me wrong, we need the Eucharist,
and being able to be present for Holy Mass is very important.
Still, while this bad thing is so strange to us,
it is something that has happened pretty frequently to Christians
down the centuries, and to the present.
In the Amazon area of South America, with so few priests,
it is routine for Catholics not to have Mass at all for many months.
That’s been their reality for a really long time.
Don’t get me wrong: this is not good. We don’t want it to go on.
But it’s our decision whether we let it shake our faith,
Or whether we decide to dig deeper.
In the meantime, let’s be grateful for the mercies and graces
that come our way.
As you know by now, Deacon Mike Meyer, Deacon Elijah Puthoff and I
are going to be distributing the Holy Eucharist
at St. Remy Church today from noon to 2 pm.
I’ve put out on Facebook some directions for everyone to follow,
which we also emailed, and I ask everyone to take a look at that.
It’s all common-sense things, but the point is to help us do two things.
Be safe, and be reverent.
I will be very candid with you: I took this course very cautiously,
Because it could go badly.
First, we could be overwhelmed,
if everyone’s friends and relatives come from four counties.
And, second, what we’ll do today is not normal and can’t become normal.
It’s a bad thing to disconnect the Eucharist from the Mass.
It was already a problem that too many Catholics really don’t get
what the Mass truly is, which is Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
It really is that simple: the Mass is the Cross;
But people don’t see it with their eyes,
so they don’t “see” it in their faith.
They miss this, and this is a big thing to miss.
And we don’t want to make this problem worse.
I’m not saying it’s not good to hunger for the Eucharist,
I’m saying you and I don’t want to focus on a part and miss the whole.
Oh, and one more thing. Because of what I decided to do,
other priests are going to get pressure, and that’s not right.
I asked permission of the Archbishop and he gave it,
but other priests are legitimately waiting for further instructions.
The Archbishop gets criticized, but he’s in tough spot and he’s trying.
None of us has a roadmap for this situation; none of us.
We don’t always have to see things the same way,
But each of us can and must treat each other with charity.
Fighting each other, accusing each other of bad faith
Undermines the grace and good we seek from the Eucharist!
All that said, let’s try this.
Please keep safe distances and be prayerful and patient
while waiting in line.
You may be waiting outside for awhile –
dress warmly and bring a Rosary or something else for prayer.
This is a temporary measure while we look forward
to resuming Mass starting Monday, May 25.
There is more adjusting to do, more patience needed;
thanks for keeping an even keel so far.
Don’t let these times shake your faith;
But rather, seek to deepen it.
Saturday, May 09, 2020
Dogging the bishops and the governor
The past few weeks of our country being locked down, and of lots of us being locked out of Mass, of work, of our normal lives has been accompanied by a rising and falling level of complaining, conspiracy-mongering and anger over the decisions made by higher-ups.
A more thoughtful and nuanced commentary will follow, but if you want the TL;DR* summary, here it is: Knock it off!
Now for nuance.
Am I saying every decision was correct? Made by the President, his advisors, Congress, the federal bureaucrats, the governors and local officials and their advisors, or the bishops and their advisors -- or, for that matter, parish priests and their advisors?
Oh, assuredly not. Guaranteed not. Even the pope is only infallible in matters of faith and morals, and only then when he is actually proposing teaching to the Church (as opposed to musing about this or that over a cup of mate).
So, first, if you don't agree with every decision these folks have made, that's fine. And your ideas may indeed be better. Voice your opinion.
But stop making everything about good versus evil. I mean: when various higher ups made the decisions they made, they acted on the information they had at the time. No one has a road map for this -- or, at least, few of us have such a thing. Even those in public health didn't really, because they didn't have all the facts about the virus itself at first, and even now, we still don't. How many people have been exposed? We don't know. How lethal is it? Don't know. Why does this group react one way, those folks another way? Don't know. But what about...don't know that either.
Now, I do think it's true that this experience has brought to the surface the basic instincts and mindsets of various leaders. Some people have tended to opt for top-down, micromanaging approaches. Others have opted for lots and lots of communication, while others have said rather little. So it goes. It is certainly fair to consider what we've learned about different folks in this...
As well as what we're learning about how the world works. People are surprised when something becomes more scarce or uncertain, it's price goes up. And it tends to disappear from the marketplace.
Or they are surprised -- or angry -- when various public edicts and policies don't seem to be consistent or entirely logical, or -- every teenager's favorite word -- "fair."
None of this should surprise any of us. Of course the relief efforts enacted by Congress end up with surprising and even stupid details. Of course the bureaucracy messes up its implementation. Of course this public order regarding Home Depot and Wal Mart doesn't seem to make sense in light of what went out regarding churches or backyard barbeques.
Decision-making in this sort of environment is going to be chaotic and urgent and thus with too little reflection. I'm betting assignments were handed out like this:
"You three -- you work something up for the sports leagues. You two -- you handle restaurants and pubs. Bill, Jake? Your job is grocery stores and gas stations. Here, take movie theaters too. It's 11:30 pm. The legal guys need it by 2 am so we can get it to the media shop by 5 am. Everyone get going!"
Of course they don't all line up with each other logically and consistently.
Those of us who dislike big government don't take that view because we expect devils to run things; we do it because we know for a fact that omniscient, all-benevolent angels will not be running things. Who will? Ordinary people, even earnest, caring people; but they will have all their human limits and it will get to be a mess because that's just the nature of the thing. It's not about malice (mostly; sometimes you get a joker in the deck), it's about things and people being what they are, and the better or worse ways to make it all work.
Edit 5/10/20: Let me add also that one other problem with big government is that as it becomes pushier, it will attract people who like to push people around. That's who will tend to step forward, and that's who will tend to be promoted, while those who really don't want to boss others around will avoid government jobs. The problem will tend to feed on itself.
Let's talk about Archbishop Schnurr. He's been the whipping boy for a lot of Catholics in the archdiocese through all this. Initially it was, why did he suspend the obligation to attend Mass. Then gasps everywhere when he said, we're suspending all public Masses. Then when that order was extended until near the end of May, even more anger.
Is he a bad guy? Is he lazy or uncaring? For example, does he not want people to go to Mass? Does he really think that the Mass, and the Eucharist, are "not essential"?
Well, look, I obviously can't peer into his soul, but that all sounds pretty ridiculous. There was a day when being a bishop meant a lot of perks and luxuries, but those days are gone. You get a few perks; and you get a lot of grief. He started out as a priest, and I can tell you, few priests really want to be a bishop, and those that do, I bet they have more than a few moments of regret for that desire.
Let's try some more likely explanations:
- He suspended the Mass obligation (along with other bishops) to relieve people's consciences in a difficult time. It spared a LOT of people agonizing over whether to go to Mass, because they don't feel that bad, and it saved a lot of time from phone calls to parish priests about these matters. Not so parish priests could watch baseball, but so they could attend to other things quickly coming down the Covid-19 pike.
- Schnurr suspended public Masses (and did a lot of other things) because the governor asked him to, and the governor was asking everyone to do these things, and how would it look if those Catholics (the governor's Catholic, by the way) thought they were better than the rest of us? Do you really expect the Archbishop to have known, with moral certainty, back in March, that churches full of Catholics wouldn't spread the virus? Imagine you're him. You don't know; and you are thinking about what happens when a few weeks later, the virus is reported to be spreading from Catholic churches. Think about how that sits with the rest of the state. How wonderful to be remembered for decades to come for helping to spread a deadly illness!
Oh, and let's dispense with this argument that if you have enough faith, bad things won't happen to you. So let's apply that argument to Catholics like Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio, who were executed during the Mexican Revolution: if only he'd had more faith! The bullets would not have killed him! Because this argument is exactly the same: if you have enough faith, you won't spread the virus, you won't catch the virus -- natural laws regarding viruses will not apply to you.
I'm not saying miracles can't happen or don't happen. But what do we call it when you do something reason tells you is dangerous, expecting God to deliver you? Presumption; tempting God.
More recently, I've heard folks say that the bishops should have just taken their own path, regardless of the governor, because the data pointed the way. Even assuming that's right, and the facts we have available are as clear as that, I think folks are underestimating the negative consequences that go with defying the governor, as well as -- to a lesser extent -- the bishops breaking ranks with each other. Making decisions as a group always entails negative consequences, which is why you don't want to do it all the time; but sometimes it's necessary. So the bishops decided to go together on these matters.
Just an aside -- I was reading over the directives we priests got yesterday from the Archdiocese, and it's all classic Schnurr; and I mean that in a good way. I was concerned that we would get fairly restrictive guidance; and, happily, it has much more flexibility. One thing I appreciate about the Archbishop is that he is willing to trust priests and parishes to work things out. He doesn't micromanage. (FWIW, neither did his predecessor, at least in my experience.)
Anyway, maybe all this is going to recede now that the bishops have announced we can soon start having Mass together again (starting Monday, May 25). But I think there are some things we learned about ourselves through all this. Times like this bring both virtue and vices to the surface. It would be far more fruitful (and unpleasant) to examine our own choices in all this, rather than looking around for people to blame and criticize.
* "too long; didn't read"
Friday, May 01, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Please let us have the Eucharist!
This is a somewhat difficult homily to give.
The readings are all about hungering for the Holy Eucharist –
a great thing to talk about for a Catholic priest! –
but how am I supposed to talk about this, now,
when you and I cannot come together at Holy Mass
to satisfy that hunger? It seems cruel to talk about this!
And to make it even worse, today was supposed to be
First Communion for our second graders!
So, there’s no getting around our bad feeling about all this.
Still, let’s encourage each other with this knowledge:
Our forced-fast from the Body and Blood of Jesus
cannot go on much longer.
And now that I think about it, maybe trying to increase your hunger for the Eucharist
is exactly the right thing to do –
Because perhaps that longing will be the fuel for our prayers,
as a community, for this exile from Holy Mass to end at last.
This is a good time to recall something Pope John Paul II talked about:
“Eucharistic Amazement.” He meant that when you and I
really ponder deeply the reality of the Mass –
the reality of God becoming human, solely for our sake,
with the Cross being the goal all along…
Taking in this astonishing fact: that Jesus did all this by choice!
That the Father would, in the words of the Exsultet Prayer,
“ransom a slave by giving away his Son”!
It is astounding that God would love each of us, every single one of us,
that much. And yet the Cross – and the Eucharist – are proof.
A few years ago I made a trip to Italy with a group of pilgrims,
And we visited a site of one of many Eucharistic miracles.
We were able to behold and adore a Sacred Host that had –
in the hands of a doubting priest – become human flesh.
That is one of many such Eucharistic miracles over the centuries.
At Mass, during my homily, I gestured toward the miracle,
right in front of us, and I asked the pilgrims: “What more do we need?”
And I ask you the same question, as Mass is happening right now,
And the miracle of transubstantiation will happen in a few minutes,
And I will lift up the true Body and Blood of Jesus before your gaze.
I ask you: what more do you we need?
You have experienced a kind of “Babylonian Exile”
from Mass for the past few weeks.
Why has God allowed this? What does this mean?
We can only guess.
Is it a call to repentance?
Is it a rebuke to those who treated the Mass as not very important?
And could it be an invitation from heaven for each of us, all of us,
To examine ourselves, and above all, to beg heaven.
I was about to say, to beg for the end of this exile from Mass,
And of course that’s what we all want.
But it occurs to me that something else is even more important:
That our love for Jesus, for the Mass, for his Body and Blood,
grow stronger and stronger.
And I say that to myself first and last.
It’s very easy for us priests to congratulate ourselves on our learning,
our experiences, and whatever sacrifices come our way –
as if they don’t come your way as much, or more.
It’s very easy to have a kind of “insider” mindset and get lazy.
Many times I have had God remind me and challenge me
By showing me the depth, not of my faith, but yours!
Maybe it’s those who kneel for a long time
on cold, hard pavement outside St. Remy Hall.
Or those second graders who have inspired me over many years,
Including those who not only were eager for their First Communion,
But kept coming back, again and again and again.
So let’s do this together, brothers and sisters:
Pray for me as I pray for you, that our desire for Jesus will grow.
And may that longing be the driving force of prayer
that storms heaven and begs, please!
Let us please come back to Mass again!
The readings are all about hungering for the Holy Eucharist –
a great thing to talk about for a Catholic priest! –
but how am I supposed to talk about this, now,
when you and I cannot come together at Holy Mass
to satisfy that hunger? It seems cruel to talk about this!
And to make it even worse, today was supposed to be
First Communion for our second graders!
So, there’s no getting around our bad feeling about all this.
Still, let’s encourage each other with this knowledge:
Our forced-fast from the Body and Blood of Jesus
cannot go on much longer.
And now that I think about it, maybe trying to increase your hunger for the Eucharist
is exactly the right thing to do –
Because perhaps that longing will be the fuel for our prayers,
as a community, for this exile from Holy Mass to end at last.
This is a good time to recall something Pope John Paul II talked about:
“Eucharistic Amazement.” He meant that when you and I
really ponder deeply the reality of the Mass –
the reality of God becoming human, solely for our sake,
with the Cross being the goal all along…
Taking in this astonishing fact: that Jesus did all this by choice!
That the Father would, in the words of the Exsultet Prayer,
“ransom a slave by giving away his Son”!
It is astounding that God would love each of us, every single one of us,
that much. And yet the Cross – and the Eucharist – are proof.
A few years ago I made a trip to Italy with a group of pilgrims,
And we visited a site of one of many Eucharistic miracles.
We were able to behold and adore a Sacred Host that had –
in the hands of a doubting priest – become human flesh.
That is one of many such Eucharistic miracles over the centuries.
At Mass, during my homily, I gestured toward the miracle,
right in front of us, and I asked the pilgrims: “What more do we need?”
And I ask you the same question, as Mass is happening right now,
And the miracle of transubstantiation will happen in a few minutes,
And I will lift up the true Body and Blood of Jesus before your gaze.
I ask you: what more do you we need?
You have experienced a kind of “Babylonian Exile”
from Mass for the past few weeks.
Why has God allowed this? What does this mean?
We can only guess.
Is it a call to repentance?
Is it a rebuke to those who treated the Mass as not very important?
And could it be an invitation from heaven for each of us, all of us,
To examine ourselves, and above all, to beg heaven.
I was about to say, to beg for the end of this exile from Mass,
And of course that’s what we all want.
But it occurs to me that something else is even more important:
That our love for Jesus, for the Mass, for his Body and Blood,
grow stronger and stronger.
And I say that to myself first and last.
It’s very easy for us priests to congratulate ourselves on our learning,
our experiences, and whatever sacrifices come our way –
as if they don’t come your way as much, or more.
It’s very easy to have a kind of “insider” mindset and get lazy.
Many times I have had God remind me and challenge me
By showing me the depth, not of my faith, but yours!
Maybe it’s those who kneel for a long time
on cold, hard pavement outside St. Remy Hall.
Or those second graders who have inspired me over many years,
Including those who not only were eager for their First Communion,
But kept coming back, again and again and again.
So let’s do this together, brothers and sisters:
Pray for me as I pray for you, that our desire for Jesus will grow.
And may that longing be the driving force of prayer
that storms heaven and begs, please!
Let us please come back to Mass again!
Sunday, April 19, 2020
His mercy is our joy (Sunday homily)
Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, which completes the Easter Octave.
As you’ve heard me say before, for us as Christians,
The resurrection of our Lord Jesus
is such a HUGE reality to celebrate, that one day is just not enough;
So the Church creates a special eight-day “day.”
That’s what an “octave” is, and it’s what the past week has been.
It reminds me of an old newspaper I saw last week, from August, 1945:
the headline blared, “Japan surrenders!”; it was the end of World War II.
A little lower it said, “today and tomorrow are national holidays.”
It’s the same idea.
You and I know this is the weirdest Easter we’ve known, but so be it.
Honestly, I’m getting tired of talking about
the you-know-what that has turned everything upside down.
I’m tired of giving that virus so much attention!
I want to talk about Jesus!
I want to talk about his victory over death!
About his power over everything!
And I don’t know about you,
but I’m tired of being moody and disoriented.
What happened when Jesus appeared to the Apostles?
They were moody and disoriented, and what did he say?
“Peace!” “Peace be with you!”
Ever since I was a boy, I’ve heard this reading, and wondered:
What was it like for Thomas to be invited
to put his hands into the nail marks, into the wounded side, of Jesus?
Did Thomas actually do it, as Jesus welcomed him to do?
Or maybe, once Thomas saw Jesus, he no longer needed that.
But for me, the thought of actually putting my hand there,
and feeling those wounds endured by my Lord and Savior,
has always been the most wonderfully consoling thought.
No matter what sins I dread, no matter what cares keep me awake,
to have Jesus say, “Bring your hand there,”
Gives me peace, and he wants it to give you peace, too.
Do you realize that Jesus is talking about you and me in this Gospel?
You didn’t know you were mentioned in the Bible? But you are!
He says, “blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe.”
That is you. That is me. We are even more blessed than Thomas!
How wonderful, how peace-giving, that is!
So we celebrate Jesus’ boundless mercy today.
Of course that is about forgiving sins,
and opening the gates of heaven to each of us, and all who believe.
But his mercy goes beyond that: “his mercy endures forever”!
So no matter what happens in all this mess,
In the ways that really matter, we will be all right.
If the entire world turned upside-down –
I mean, literally upside down –
Jesus is still Lord, he is in charge,
because he is the only one who can take the earth and flip it.
This coming Saturday, something wonderful,
something we’ve all looked forward to, will happen in Cincinnati.
Our own Elijah Puthoff will be ordained a deacon by the Archbishop.
Now, of course our original plan was to transport
half of Shelby and Darke counties down to Cincinnati for that.
And now, bummer, that’s not possible.
But he is still going to be ordained, and in a week,
we’ll all see him dressed as a deacon for the first time.
Maybe I’ll talk him into giving us a homily sometime soon.
I know the rest of the Puthoff and Richard families
are not letting anything dim their happiness,
and that’s good advice for you and me.
Normally we would be gathering in church this afternoon
to observe Divine Mercy Sunday, but we can’t this year together.
Obviously, we should not all show up at 3 pm at church.
But we will have four hours of Exposition this morning,
outside St. Remy Hall, just as we’ve been doing,
and will keep doing, during this lock-down.
You and I know that nothing blocks Jesus;
so we don’t have to be all in the same place at the same time,
to ask for, and to receive, and to give thanks for, Jesus’ Divine Mercy.
Jesus and his mercy is everywhere, for all; and what did he say?
“His mercy endures forever.” Amen!
As you’ve heard me say before, for us as Christians,
The resurrection of our Lord Jesus
is such a HUGE reality to celebrate, that one day is just not enough;
So the Church creates a special eight-day “day.”
That’s what an “octave” is, and it’s what the past week has been.
It reminds me of an old newspaper I saw last week, from August, 1945:
the headline blared, “Japan surrenders!”; it was the end of World War II.
A little lower it said, “today and tomorrow are national holidays.”
It’s the same idea.
You and I know this is the weirdest Easter we’ve known, but so be it.
Honestly, I’m getting tired of talking about
the you-know-what that has turned everything upside down.
I’m tired of giving that virus so much attention!
I want to talk about Jesus!
I want to talk about his victory over death!
About his power over everything!
And I don’t know about you,
but I’m tired of being moody and disoriented.
What happened when Jesus appeared to the Apostles?
They were moody and disoriented, and what did he say?
“Peace!” “Peace be with you!”
Ever since I was a boy, I’ve heard this reading, and wondered:
What was it like for Thomas to be invited
to put his hands into the nail marks, into the wounded side, of Jesus?
Did Thomas actually do it, as Jesus welcomed him to do?
Or maybe, once Thomas saw Jesus, he no longer needed that.
But for me, the thought of actually putting my hand there,
and feeling those wounds endured by my Lord and Savior,
has always been the most wonderfully consoling thought.
No matter what sins I dread, no matter what cares keep me awake,
to have Jesus say, “Bring your hand there,”
Gives me peace, and he wants it to give you peace, too.
Do you realize that Jesus is talking about you and me in this Gospel?
You didn’t know you were mentioned in the Bible? But you are!
He says, “blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe.”
That is you. That is me. We are even more blessed than Thomas!
How wonderful, how peace-giving, that is!
So we celebrate Jesus’ boundless mercy today.
Of course that is about forgiving sins,
and opening the gates of heaven to each of us, and all who believe.
But his mercy goes beyond that: “his mercy endures forever”!
So no matter what happens in all this mess,
In the ways that really matter, we will be all right.
If the entire world turned upside-down –
I mean, literally upside down –
Jesus is still Lord, he is in charge,
because he is the only one who can take the earth and flip it.
This coming Saturday, something wonderful,
something we’ve all looked forward to, will happen in Cincinnati.
Our own Elijah Puthoff will be ordained a deacon by the Archbishop.
Now, of course our original plan was to transport
half of Shelby and Darke counties down to Cincinnati for that.
And now, bummer, that’s not possible.
But he is still going to be ordained, and in a week,
we’ll all see him dressed as a deacon for the first time.
Maybe I’ll talk him into giving us a homily sometime soon.
I know the rest of the Puthoff and Richard families
are not letting anything dim their happiness,
and that’s good advice for you and me.
Normally we would be gathering in church this afternoon
to observe Divine Mercy Sunday, but we can’t this year together.
Obviously, we should not all show up at 3 pm at church.
But we will have four hours of Exposition this morning,
outside St. Remy Hall, just as we’ve been doing,
and will keep doing, during this lock-down.
You and I know that nothing blocks Jesus;
so we don’t have to be all in the same place at the same time,
to ask for, and to receive, and to give thanks for, Jesus’ Divine Mercy.
Jesus and his mercy is everywhere, for all; and what did he say?
“His mercy endures forever.” Amen!
Thursday, April 16, 2020
A message for my younger parishioners
Here's something I taped yesterday for the children and teens of my parish:
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Easter Joy in Dark Times (Easter homily)
With so many readings, I can only give a general overview:
These are chosen in order to trace two lines through history.
I’m going to say this out of order and I’ll explain why in a moment.
The second line is the course of human action:
human rebellion against God, things getting worse and worse,
sometimes up and sometimes down. We started in Paradise;
and at various times we were in slavery to false gods in Egypt,
or enjoying great prosperity and success, or suddenly in exile,
or finding our way back again. That is the second line.
The first line traces God’s action;
and because it is about what God does, that makes it first;
but I mention it second because we almost always start
by thinking about ourselves, our accomplishments,
and only when things go badly do we wake up and ask, “Where’s God?”
The other reason I come back to what God does
is because not only does God have the first word, he has the last word.
Before time began, God simply was, from everlasting.
Time began with God creating this world and us.
Redemption began the very first moment man showed his back to God;
because in that moment, God knew what he would do, not merely –
this part is exciting, listen! – not merely to restore us;
no, God’s plan, even before Adam sinned,
was to give us something entirely new and infinitely better!
To restore us not merely to an earthly Paradise,
but to give God-life to us; divine life; heaven!
So we begin in the darkness;
and it’s darker for our sorrow that we cannot gather,
because of our hunger for Jesus in the Eucharist,
and the doubts and grief that come from these chaotic times!
And so, yes, it is dark, and we are sad, and honestly,
we may well be saying, “it doesn’t feel like Easter!”
But despite all that: this is the night! Jesus rose from the dead!
God’s hand – sometimes acting with mighty power,
but other times so mild and hidden that we wonder if he is still there –
brought the lines of human action and divine providence together
in one place and moment of time: Jerusalem, not quite 2,000 years ago,
when we nailed the Son to the cross and he said Father forgive them,
they know not what they do.
He died, taking our sin and guilt with him to the grave.
Yet the grave could not contain him; he lives! He lives!
And this is the invitation he gives: live in me!
Not merely a human life, but a divine life! Jesus-life; resurrection-life;
life that cannot be conquered by a cross or a grave,
a virus or a recession, a lost job or an empty church
or separation from those we love.
Nothing can overcome the life Jesus has and is and gives!
You and I cannot pretend we don’t experience this present strangeness so we won’t even try.
And pointing out that in all these centuries,
Christians have been through worse doesn’t make us feel any better.
So the question is, what do we do about joy? Shouldn’t we feel joy? Where is it?
Well, we know where that joy is, because we know where Jesus is.
But it is still dark, and just like the very first disciples were afraid –
and that was even after they were told Jesus rose,
and even after they saw the empty tomb, they were afraid!
So it’s OK for us to feel afraid, too.
Being afraid doesn’t change the fact that we have heard,
“He is not here, he has been raised.”
It doesn’t change that we have seen the tomb is empty.
Notice, Peter and John and Mary Magdalene did not stay at the tomb;
they went and told people what they had seen.
They were confused; they were uncertain; but they believed.
In time, the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid!” finally sank in;
and it will be so for us.
This moment will not last forever.
We’re getting too much Good Friday right now, but that happens;
and it’s just all happening too much at once right now.
But it won’t last forever. Digging deep, the joy is there,
it has always been there: Jesus is alive! Jesus reigns!
So don’t just find joy; share it. People in darkness need it.
These are chosen in order to trace two lines through history.
I’m going to say this out of order and I’ll explain why in a moment.
The second line is the course of human action:
human rebellion against God, things getting worse and worse,
sometimes up and sometimes down. We started in Paradise;
and at various times we were in slavery to false gods in Egypt,
or enjoying great prosperity and success, or suddenly in exile,
or finding our way back again. That is the second line.
The first line traces God’s action;
and because it is about what God does, that makes it first;
but I mention it second because we almost always start
by thinking about ourselves, our accomplishments,
and only when things go badly do we wake up and ask, “Where’s God?”
The other reason I come back to what God does
is because not only does God have the first word, he has the last word.
Before time began, God simply was, from everlasting.
Time began with God creating this world and us.
Redemption began the very first moment man showed his back to God;
because in that moment, God knew what he would do, not merely –
this part is exciting, listen! – not merely to restore us;
no, God’s plan, even before Adam sinned,
was to give us something entirely new and infinitely better!
To restore us not merely to an earthly Paradise,
but to give God-life to us; divine life; heaven!
So we begin in the darkness;
and it’s darker for our sorrow that we cannot gather,
because of our hunger for Jesus in the Eucharist,
and the doubts and grief that come from these chaotic times!
And so, yes, it is dark, and we are sad, and honestly,
we may well be saying, “it doesn’t feel like Easter!”
But despite all that: this is the night! Jesus rose from the dead!
God’s hand – sometimes acting with mighty power,
but other times so mild and hidden that we wonder if he is still there –
brought the lines of human action and divine providence together
in one place and moment of time: Jerusalem, not quite 2,000 years ago,
when we nailed the Son to the cross and he said Father forgive them,
they know not what they do.
He died, taking our sin and guilt with him to the grave.
Yet the grave could not contain him; he lives! He lives!
And this is the invitation he gives: live in me!
Not merely a human life, but a divine life! Jesus-life; resurrection-life;
life that cannot be conquered by a cross or a grave,
a virus or a recession, a lost job or an empty church
or separation from those we love.
Nothing can overcome the life Jesus has and is and gives!
You and I cannot pretend we don’t experience this present strangeness so we won’t even try.
And pointing out that in all these centuries,
Christians have been through worse doesn’t make us feel any better.
So the question is, what do we do about joy? Shouldn’t we feel joy? Where is it?
Well, we know where that joy is, because we know where Jesus is.
But it is still dark, and just like the very first disciples were afraid –
and that was even after they were told Jesus rose,
and even after they saw the empty tomb, they were afraid!
So it’s OK for us to feel afraid, too.
Being afraid doesn’t change the fact that we have heard,
“He is not here, he has been raised.”
It doesn’t change that we have seen the tomb is empty.
Notice, Peter and John and Mary Magdalene did not stay at the tomb;
they went and told people what they had seen.
They were confused; they were uncertain; but they believed.
In time, the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid!” finally sank in;
and it will be so for us.
This moment will not last forever.
We’re getting too much Good Friday right now, but that happens;
and it’s just all happening too much at once right now.
But it won’t last forever. Digging deep, the joy is there,
it has always been there: Jesus is alive! Jesus reigns!
So don’t just find joy; share it. People in darkness need it.
Thursday, April 09, 2020
Something bitter, something thrilling (Holy Thursday homily)
This day and this Mass, and what it recalls,
is about the priesthood of Jesus and the Holy Eucharist.
In case it’s not obvious, those go together.
You can’t have one without the other.
Without a priest, who will offer the Sacrifice of the Mass,
from which the Eucharist comes?
And without a Sacrifice to offer, we don’t need priests.
How do we know the Mass and the Eucharist are a sacrifice?
Because Jesus said so.
When he says, “Do this in memory of me” –
although that isn’t clear unless you look closely at the text –
that is the language of sacrifice.
And Jesus also chose this day: Passover. That was a sacrifice.
He began the Passover in the upper room the night before,
then through the rest of the night, until sundown on Friday,
the sacrifice is fully offered, and completed, on the Cross.
And that’s why the words, “Do this in memory of me” are so amazing;
because after all, what was there left – to do?
Jesus is the Lamb; he gave his life as a ransom for many;
He himself said from the Cross, “It is finished.”
What was there left to do?
And the answer is this: the Mass! The Eucharist!
He placed this sacrifice, our sharing of it, the Eucharist,
precisely in the middle of his whole project.
He didn’t take a Bible and say, “this is the center” –
as important as the Bible is to us.
He didn’t make baptism or the commandments,
or even serving the poor, or prayer or fasting, the center,
despite how important they clearly are.
No, the center is the Cross, and – listen – our sharing of it.
So when he said, “take and eat,” was that only for the 12 present?
When he said, “eat my flesh and drink my blood,”
that was only going to be true until the last apostle died?
No; he also said, I will be with you always – always! – until the end.
He put the Cross at the center – and told us to take up our own.
And so that it would include us, he put the Mass likewise at the center,
because that’s how we remember, and that’s how we “take and eat.”
That’s how we’re there. That, above all, is how he is with us always.
So the Mass and the Eucharist: that’s the central reality.
The priesthood exists as the way Jesus gives that to all.
It’s easy to see how the apostles themselves,
and every bishop and priest who might come after, could get a big ego.
Look how important we are!
So that’s why Jesus did this with the washing of feet.
If you want to lead, be a servant.
This is a particularly bitter Holy Thursday for us all.
Because the church is nearly empty. Very bitter.
Astonishingly, this is happening in nearly every place tonight.
It seems likely that this has never happened – never happened! –
since that very first time Jesus said, “do this in memory of me.”
That is a sign. Of what? I don’t know.
Someone smarter and holier than I will have to explain it.
But we can at least pause and take notice.
Is God giving us the biggest wake-up call in history?
Is this a call to repentance?
Is he trying to deepen our hunger and thirst for him?
Or something else entirely?
One thing I do know; this I am utterly certain of:
We continue to remember! The Holy Mass goes on!
The whole world is caught up in a mysterious moment,
a sign from heaven we don’t yet know how to decipher,
But God’s message is not, “I’m done” but rather, “I’m still here!”
And for those who hunger and thirst for him,
Jesus promised us, we will be satisfied!
I cannot express how limp and defeated I am by this.
I want to feed you! But I am overcome.
But Jesus is not overcome. Nothing could defeat him.
Even death could not constrain him.
It is painful to have to take part in this Mass by video;
But the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection continues!
Jesus gives us courage to relive those events, so long ago,
that were bleaker and more frightening than anything we face now.
Keep courage, keep faith, Jesus is here!
Each year he takes us through the events
of his suffering and our salvation, from the Cross to an empty grave.
This year we are even more alert:
something mysterious is at work here.
Whatever it is, is for our salvation.
That is a thrilling thought.
is about the priesthood of Jesus and the Holy Eucharist.
In case it’s not obvious, those go together.
You can’t have one without the other.
Without a priest, who will offer the Sacrifice of the Mass,
from which the Eucharist comes?
And without a Sacrifice to offer, we don’t need priests.
How do we know the Mass and the Eucharist are a sacrifice?
Because Jesus said so.
When he says, “Do this in memory of me” –
although that isn’t clear unless you look closely at the text –
that is the language of sacrifice.
And Jesus also chose this day: Passover. That was a sacrifice.
He began the Passover in the upper room the night before,
then through the rest of the night, until sundown on Friday,
the sacrifice is fully offered, and completed, on the Cross.
And that’s why the words, “Do this in memory of me” are so amazing;
because after all, what was there left – to do?
Jesus is the Lamb; he gave his life as a ransom for many;
He himself said from the Cross, “It is finished.”
What was there left to do?
And the answer is this: the Mass! The Eucharist!
He placed this sacrifice, our sharing of it, the Eucharist,
precisely in the middle of his whole project.
He didn’t take a Bible and say, “this is the center” –
as important as the Bible is to us.
He didn’t make baptism or the commandments,
or even serving the poor, or prayer or fasting, the center,
despite how important they clearly are.
No, the center is the Cross, and – listen – our sharing of it.
So when he said, “take and eat,” was that only for the 12 present?
When he said, “eat my flesh and drink my blood,”
that was only going to be true until the last apostle died?
No; he also said, I will be with you always – always! – until the end.
He put the Cross at the center – and told us to take up our own.
And so that it would include us, he put the Mass likewise at the center,
because that’s how we remember, and that’s how we “take and eat.”
That’s how we’re there. That, above all, is how he is with us always.
So the Mass and the Eucharist: that’s the central reality.
The priesthood exists as the way Jesus gives that to all.
It’s easy to see how the apostles themselves,
and every bishop and priest who might come after, could get a big ego.
Look how important we are!
So that’s why Jesus did this with the washing of feet.
If you want to lead, be a servant.
This is a particularly bitter Holy Thursday for us all.
Because the church is nearly empty. Very bitter.
Astonishingly, this is happening in nearly every place tonight.
It seems likely that this has never happened – never happened! –
since that very first time Jesus said, “do this in memory of me.”
That is a sign. Of what? I don’t know.
Someone smarter and holier than I will have to explain it.
But we can at least pause and take notice.
Is God giving us the biggest wake-up call in history?
Is this a call to repentance?
Is he trying to deepen our hunger and thirst for him?
Or something else entirely?
One thing I do know; this I am utterly certain of:
We continue to remember! The Holy Mass goes on!
The whole world is caught up in a mysterious moment,
a sign from heaven we don’t yet know how to decipher,
But God’s message is not, “I’m done” but rather, “I’m still here!”
And for those who hunger and thirst for him,
Jesus promised us, we will be satisfied!
I cannot express how limp and defeated I am by this.
I want to feed you! But I am overcome.
But Jesus is not overcome. Nothing could defeat him.
Even death could not constrain him.
It is painful to have to take part in this Mass by video;
But the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection continues!
Jesus gives us courage to relive those events, so long ago,
that were bleaker and more frightening than anything we face now.
Keep courage, keep faith, Jesus is here!
Each year he takes us through the events
of his suffering and our salvation, from the Cross to an empty grave.
This year we are even more alert:
something mysterious is at work here.
Whatever it is, is for our salvation.
That is a thrilling thought.
Sunday, April 05, 2020
Holy Week in Purgatory (Sunday homily)
The homily for Palm Sunday must always be brief, including this year,
because right after this, the seminarians and I will take
the Holy Eucharist over to St. Remy Hall,
and we will all be able to adore our Lord Jesus
outside from about 8 am to Noon, as we’ve done the past two Sundays.
As you know by now, this will continue at least until May 3;
so we’ll continue to have exposition each Sunday at St. Remy Hall.
It’s going to be rainy today, but you can stay in your car.
I can only imagine how difficult these days are for you at home.
On one hand, I have nothing to complain about: I feel very healthy,
and I have everything I need. And yet, I miss being with you.
Confessions continue at all the regular times,
and during Holy Week, we will have extra times as follows:
Tuesday, 7-9 pm; Wednesday, 3-4 pm; 5:45-6:15 pm and 7-8 pm;
Thursday, 5:30-6:30 pm; Good Friday, 11:30-12:30 and 3-4 pm;
Holy Saturday, 9-10:30 am and 3:30-5 pm.
I am hearing confessions in the room behind the Mary statue.
And if anyone needs me to come visit, please call and let me know.
I emphasize confession for two reasons.
First, obviously, in a time of greater danger,
why wouldn’t each of us want to be in a state of grace?
And second, a good confession can only help each of us
work together better, being more patient and generous.
We will continue to have Mass every day, broadcast at least
on Facebook and if possible on YouTube. We’ll be back in church on Thursday evening.
In other words, you and I are trying to carry on as best we can.
When I say that some Masses will be in church,
Even so, these are not open to the public;
for those hours, the doors will be shut.
I say that with the greatest sadness
and I beg you to forgive me for that,
but it’s what we must do right now. I’m so very sorry.
Holy Week is always about loss and sorrow,
and what you and I are facing now
is a Holy Week that began several weeks ago,
and looks to extend beyond Easter Sunday.
But no matter how alarming things may be,
nothing changes the fact that the path we tread
has been walked ahead of us by Jesus,
and there is nothing you and I will face alone!
This year Good Friday is going to be amped way up in intensity,
but that only helps us realize more what the first Good Friday was like.
In short, you and I are carrying the Cross with Jesus!
Like Simon of Cyrene, we weren’t looking for this, but here we are.
Never forget: we are walking with Jesus!
What is there to be afraid of?
because right after this, the seminarians and I will take
the Holy Eucharist over to St. Remy Hall,
and we will all be able to adore our Lord Jesus
outside from about 8 am to Noon, as we’ve done the past two Sundays.
As you know by now, this will continue at least until May 3;
so we’ll continue to have exposition each Sunday at St. Remy Hall.
It’s going to be rainy today, but you can stay in your car.
I can only imagine how difficult these days are for you at home.
On one hand, I have nothing to complain about: I feel very healthy,
and I have everything I need. And yet, I miss being with you.
Confessions continue at all the regular times,
and during Holy Week, we will have extra times as follows:
Tuesday, 7-9 pm; Wednesday, 3-4 pm; 5:45-6:15 pm and 7-8 pm;
Thursday, 5:30-6:30 pm; Good Friday, 11:30-12:30 and 3-4 pm;
Holy Saturday, 9-10:30 am and 3:30-5 pm.
I am hearing confessions in the room behind the Mary statue.
And if anyone needs me to come visit, please call and let me know.
I emphasize confession for two reasons.
First, obviously, in a time of greater danger,
why wouldn’t each of us want to be in a state of grace?
And second, a good confession can only help each of us
work together better, being more patient and generous.
We will continue to have Mass every day, broadcast at least
on Facebook and if possible on YouTube. We’ll be back in church on Thursday evening.
In other words, you and I are trying to carry on as best we can.
When I say that some Masses will be in church,
Even so, these are not open to the public;
for those hours, the doors will be shut.
I say that with the greatest sadness
and I beg you to forgive me for that,
but it’s what we must do right now. I’m so very sorry.
Holy Week is always about loss and sorrow,
and what you and I are facing now
is a Holy Week that began several weeks ago,
and looks to extend beyond Easter Sunday.
But no matter how alarming things may be,
nothing changes the fact that the path we tread
has been walked ahead of us by Jesus,
and there is nothing you and I will face alone!
This year Good Friday is going to be amped way up in intensity,
but that only helps us realize more what the first Good Friday was like.
In short, you and I are carrying the Cross with Jesus!
Like Simon of Cyrene, we weren’t looking for this, but here we are.
Never forget: we are walking with Jesus!
What is there to be afraid of?
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Jesus is more powerful than anything -- including this virus (Sunday homily)
In the Gospel, there is one detail I want to zero in on.
It says, Jesus became “perturbed and deeply troubled.”
A moment later, it says he became “perturbed again.”
Another way to say it is that he became exasperated or angry.
But why?
All around Jesus at this moment is death.
The house of his friends that had been bright with hospitable joy
is now dreary with grief and tears.
Into this scene comes Jesus, who IS Life:
true Life, Life at the source, the fullness and completion of life.
As he said: “I came that they might have life, and have it to the full.”
He knows who he is and what he came to give;
And that brilliance of Light is being smothered with sorrow.
So Jesus reacts: he feels their grief – he is affected by it –
and yet he also rebels against it.
He tells Martha, “your brother will rise”; and she says yes, someday.
Then Jesus says: I AM the Resurrection; I AM Life!
It’s hard to grasp. That is why he is frustrated.
The key point – which you and I must keep remembering –
Is that Jesus changes EVERYTHING.
Even death, which for humanity is absolute – is overthrown.
Every once in a while we see people who really see it.
Death does not frighten them. They are at peace.
This is what we see in the martyrs.
I have seen this many times when giving the anointing of the sick;
This is one of the graces this sacrament offers us.
So, in our situation today, with so much uncertainty,
And with many people badly caught up in fear,
It’s critical to see Jesus changing everything.
This virus and all the trouble it is causing is nothing up against Jesus!
It is a bitter thing that we cannot have Holy Mass together.
But nothing keeps us from holding Jesus close.
I am so glad to bring Holy Mass to you via the Internet.
This won’t go on forever. We WILL be together again soon.
In the meantime, after this Mass,
we will be able to be with Jesus at St. Remy Hall from 8 am to Noon.
It may be rainy or cold, but he is the Life and the Resurrection,
who cares about that?
Remember to keep a safe distance – not from Jesus, but each other –
and if others are waiting, let’s try to be brief.
There is room for people to park and remain in their cars.
Jesus is more powerful than this virus! Nothing is greater than He!
It says, Jesus became “perturbed and deeply troubled.”
A moment later, it says he became “perturbed again.”
Another way to say it is that he became exasperated or angry.
But why?
All around Jesus at this moment is death.
The house of his friends that had been bright with hospitable joy
is now dreary with grief and tears.
Into this scene comes Jesus, who IS Life:
true Life, Life at the source, the fullness and completion of life.
As he said: “I came that they might have life, and have it to the full.”
He knows who he is and what he came to give;
And that brilliance of Light is being smothered with sorrow.
So Jesus reacts: he feels their grief – he is affected by it –
and yet he also rebels against it.
He tells Martha, “your brother will rise”; and she says yes, someday.
Then Jesus says: I AM the Resurrection; I AM Life!
It’s hard to grasp. That is why he is frustrated.
The key point – which you and I must keep remembering –
Is that Jesus changes EVERYTHING.
Even death, which for humanity is absolute – is overthrown.
Every once in a while we see people who really see it.
Death does not frighten them. They are at peace.
This is what we see in the martyrs.
I have seen this many times when giving the anointing of the sick;
This is one of the graces this sacrament offers us.
So, in our situation today, with so much uncertainty,
And with many people badly caught up in fear,
It’s critical to see Jesus changing everything.
This virus and all the trouble it is causing is nothing up against Jesus!
It is a bitter thing that we cannot have Holy Mass together.
But nothing keeps us from holding Jesus close.
I am so glad to bring Holy Mass to you via the Internet.
This won’t go on forever. We WILL be together again soon.
In the meantime, after this Mass,
we will be able to be with Jesus at St. Remy Hall from 8 am to Noon.
It may be rainy or cold, but he is the Life and the Resurrection,
who cares about that?
Remember to keep a safe distance – not from Jesus, but each other –
and if others are waiting, let’s try to be brief.
There is room for people to park and remain in their cars.
Jesus is more powerful than this virus! Nothing is greater than He!
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Coronavirus: God's wrath or God's mercy?
Whenever bad things happen -- a flood, earthquake, or the current pandemic -- the inevitable question arises for many: is God punishing us? Is this God's wrath?
This calls to mind a talk I heard Dr. Scott Hahn give a few years ago, at a conference for priests. We were looking at St. Paul's letter to the Romans; and as he went through the particular passage (Romans 1:18-32), I was struck by something that seemed so obvious once he said it, namely: that God's wrath is not to send punishments, but rather, to leave us be.
Here's the passage with key ideas bolded:
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Do you see it? God's wrath isn't to send disasters and trouble, but simply to let us have what we want: we become "vain" in our reasoning; our minds become "darkened." And we foolishly go slavering after all the evil things we want. "God hands us over"! Paul says it three times.
This turns upside-down our usual thinking, doesn't it? When everything is going along so swimmingly -- the economy roaring, people getting more prosperous and having more food and leisure time than ever -- we say, look, God is blessing us! And, in a sense, that's true; but look at it through the lens of this reading: if these things are happening (as they have) to a nation that is promoting abortion, pornography, sodomy, denying God's design of male and female, and increasingly absorbed by greed, sloth, wrath, gluttony, lust, envy and pride -- maybe it's something else?
Maybe it's God's handing us over? Maybe it's wrath?
By the way, this accords with the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, who explains that one of the punishments for sin is that we want that sin even more; particular sins, when repeated, lead to vice, and that is a punishment. It's the same idea.
So if the good times were wrath, then what is the coronavirus?
It is a mercy! Howso?
Because while continued good times let us go to sleep, trouble can wake us up. Maybe we will sleep away anyway; nevertheless a wake-up call is a sign of love.
This is a point I make all the time in the confessional: if you are wondering if God loves you, your presence in the confessional tells you the answer; he would not have stirred you up to come here if he did not love you.
Consider this:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards (Hebrews 12:5-8).
It seems to me that the trials our country and our world are facing sound more like the Hebrews passage. What do you think?
This calls to mind a talk I heard Dr. Scott Hahn give a few years ago, at a conference for priests. We were looking at St. Paul's letter to the Romans; and as he went through the particular passage (Romans 1:18-32), I was struck by something that seemed so obvious once he said it, namely: that God's wrath is not to send punishments, but rather, to leave us be.
Here's the passage with key ideas bolded:
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Do you see it? God's wrath isn't to send disasters and trouble, but simply to let us have what we want: we become "vain" in our reasoning; our minds become "darkened." And we foolishly go slavering after all the evil things we want. "God hands us over"! Paul says it three times.
This turns upside-down our usual thinking, doesn't it? When everything is going along so swimmingly -- the economy roaring, people getting more prosperous and having more food and leisure time than ever -- we say, look, God is blessing us! And, in a sense, that's true; but look at it through the lens of this reading: if these things are happening (as they have) to a nation that is promoting abortion, pornography, sodomy, denying God's design of male and female, and increasingly absorbed by greed, sloth, wrath, gluttony, lust, envy and pride -- maybe it's something else?
Maybe it's God's handing us over? Maybe it's wrath?
By the way, this accords with the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, who explains that one of the punishments for sin is that we want that sin even more; particular sins, when repeated, lead to vice, and that is a punishment. It's the same idea.
So if the good times were wrath, then what is the coronavirus?
It is a mercy! Howso?
Because while continued good times let us go to sleep, trouble can wake us up. Maybe we will sleep away anyway; nevertheless a wake-up call is a sign of love.
This is a point I make all the time in the confessional: if you are wondering if God loves you, your presence in the confessional tells you the answer; he would not have stirred you up to come here if he did not love you.
Consider this:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards (Hebrews 12:5-8).
It seems to me that the trials our country and our world are facing sound more like the Hebrews passage. What do you think?
Sunday, March 22, 2020
We will WIN against this virus!
A lot of news is scary, so naturally a lot of people are scared. The news gets worse by the day (which is likely to continue for awhile, so brace yourself), so we can expect rising anxiety. What do we make of this?
How much trouble are we in? How bad will it be? Is this the end of our country, or even of the world?
Here is what I think:
Well, first and foremost, could this be The End? Maybe; how would I know? Jesus didn't even tell the Apostles, so he sure isn't telling me. But, as I go into below, I think that is unlikely.
So: be calm. Keep some perspective.
It occurs to me a lot of people, especially young people, may not know much history. If so, I can imagine how frightening this can be. Even President Trump, ever prone to exaggeration, said yesterday something like, nothing like this has ever happened before! With respect, he is wrong about that.
Quite aside from all the many bad things that happen all the time -- wars, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, droughts, floods -- terrible viruses and other dire health risks like Covid 19 have happened all through history. Such pestilence was quite common, and addingvto the terror was not knowing why they happened and when they would strike. This was true not only in the far past, but nearer to the present as well. Remember Ebola? That was and is a horrifying killer, but thankfully contained. Nevertheless, it reoccurs from time to time. But it hasn't happened in the U.S., so it hasn't seemed like the End of the World to us.
Yes, you say, but that didn't strike the whole world, what about that? My answer is, you mean like the Spanish Flu? Or two world wars, three if the Cold War counts as a world war (I think it does). The latter really did put us on the brink, more than once. Meanwhile, things like plague and smallpox ravaged the whole world, only not all at once.
We -- meaning humanity -- survived. We won, and are far stronger for it: i.e., our immunity.
All that said, let us frankly admit: you and I, and everyone around us, is going to die. It could easily be today, tomorrow, this week or this month or this year. BUT: it is unlikely to the extreme that it will happen to ALL or even more than a tiny fraction of us all at once. But yes, each of us WILL die, soon or late, and then?
Heaven! If we are in a state of grace! (Purgatory is a way-station along to Heaven.) Or, HELL if we are not. One great grace many, many are receiving right now is a keener awareness of death, inviting them to repent and find peace with the Lord Jesus, who is shockingly prodigal in mercy. Yes, in that sense, this crisis is a GRACE.
Meanwhile we have great reasons for confidence and courage. This virus is bad, but not omnipotent. We can and WILL defeat it. Look past so many screaming bad news notices for less trumpeted good news:
- People are responding generously and courageously. There are no riots. People are listening to our leaders and trying to do their part.
- Health care providers are running toward the fire, as are many others. Many of the Italian priests who died of coronavirus were chaplains. They ran to the fire.
- Meanwhile, many other sectors are rushing food, medicine and other supplies to market, and others are scrambling to ramp up production of ventilators, masks, and new treatments and a vaccine. The U.S. was the "Arsenal of Democracy" in WWIi, now we will be the Pharmacy of the World. It has already begun and it will be awesome. And we won't be alone.
With a lot of us cooped up at home, no doubt we are watching a lot of TV. This might not be the best time to watch movies like "Pandemic" or "The Andromeda Strain." On the other hand, it might be an excellent time to watch films like:
- "United 93"
- "For Greater Glory"
- "The Scarlet and the Black"
- "A Man for All Seasons"
- "A Beautiful Mind"
- "Remember the Titans"
- "Hoosiers"
- "Stand and Deliver"
-"Schindler's List"
- "Midway"
- "Dunkirk"
- "Darkest Hour"
This is only a quick-and-dirty list; some are religious, some are sports, some are war pictures; they are all about real people who won improbable victories against great enemies, the worst of which are fear and despair. And may I emphatically add, in no way do I deem our certain victory as "improbable"; but if you are brooding darkly, stories of easy triumphs will not be a strong enough tonic.
Let me close with a quote from Winston Churchill, the leader of Great Britain in WWIi, which he spoke to the Canadian Parliament as the war seemed bleakest:
"We have not journeyed all this way across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.
How much trouble are we in? How bad will it be? Is this the end of our country, or even of the world?
Here is what I think:
Well, first and foremost, could this be The End? Maybe; how would I know? Jesus didn't even tell the Apostles, so he sure isn't telling me. But, as I go into below, I think that is unlikely.
So: be calm. Keep some perspective.
It occurs to me a lot of people, especially young people, may not know much history. If so, I can imagine how frightening this can be. Even President Trump, ever prone to exaggeration, said yesterday something like, nothing like this has ever happened before! With respect, he is wrong about that.
Quite aside from all the many bad things that happen all the time -- wars, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, droughts, floods -- terrible viruses and other dire health risks like Covid 19 have happened all through history. Such pestilence was quite common, and addingvto the terror was not knowing why they happened and when they would strike. This was true not only in the far past, but nearer to the present as well. Remember Ebola? That was and is a horrifying killer, but thankfully contained. Nevertheless, it reoccurs from time to time. But it hasn't happened in the U.S., so it hasn't seemed like the End of the World to us.
Yes, you say, but that didn't strike the whole world, what about that? My answer is, you mean like the Spanish Flu? Or two world wars, three if the Cold War counts as a world war (I think it does). The latter really did put us on the brink, more than once. Meanwhile, things like plague and smallpox ravaged the whole world, only not all at once.
We -- meaning humanity -- survived. We won, and are far stronger for it: i.e., our immunity.
All that said, let us frankly admit: you and I, and everyone around us, is going to die. It could easily be today, tomorrow, this week or this month or this year. BUT: it is unlikely to the extreme that it will happen to ALL or even more than a tiny fraction of us all at once. But yes, each of us WILL die, soon or late, and then?
Heaven! If we are in a state of grace! (Purgatory is a way-station along to Heaven.) Or, HELL if we are not. One great grace many, many are receiving right now is a keener awareness of death, inviting them to repent and find peace with the Lord Jesus, who is shockingly prodigal in mercy. Yes, in that sense, this crisis is a GRACE.
Meanwhile we have great reasons for confidence and courage. This virus is bad, but not omnipotent. We can and WILL defeat it. Look past so many screaming bad news notices for less trumpeted good news:
- People are responding generously and courageously. There are no riots. People are listening to our leaders and trying to do their part.
- Health care providers are running toward the fire, as are many others. Many of the Italian priests who died of coronavirus were chaplains. They ran to the fire.
- Meanwhile, many other sectors are rushing food, medicine and other supplies to market, and others are scrambling to ramp up production of ventilators, masks, and new treatments and a vaccine. The U.S. was the "Arsenal of Democracy" in WWIi, now we will be the Pharmacy of the World. It has already begun and it will be awesome. And we won't be alone.
With a lot of us cooped up at home, no doubt we are watching a lot of TV. This might not be the best time to watch movies like "Pandemic" or "The Andromeda Strain." On the other hand, it might be an excellent time to watch films like:
- "United 93"
- "For Greater Glory"
- "The Scarlet and the Black"
- "A Man for All Seasons"
- "A Beautiful Mind"
- "Remember the Titans"
- "Hoosiers"
- "Stand and Deliver"
-"Schindler's List"
- "Midway"
- "Dunkirk"
- "Darkest Hour"
This is only a quick-and-dirty list; some are religious, some are sports, some are war pictures; they are all about real people who won improbable victories against great enemies, the worst of which are fear and despair. And may I emphatically add, in no way do I deem our certain victory as "improbable"; but if you are brooding darkly, stories of easy triumphs will not be a strong enough tonic.
Let me close with a quote from Winston Churchill, the leader of Great Britain in WWIi, which he spoke to the Canadian Parliament as the war seemed bleakest:
"We have not journeyed all this way across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.
Can you really see? (Sunday homily)
The readings this Sunday could be summarized this way:
there is seeing, and then there is really seeing.
So, in the first reading, Samuel, despite being a faithful servant
of God, still doesn’t see well enough.
Then, of course, we have the Gospel. Who can really see there?
Jesus can. He knows exactly what this man needs,
so he not only heals him, but he does it in a particular way,
that he knows will be most helpful to this man.
And of course, the blind man sees. All the rest turn out to be blind.
What about the Apostles who are witnessing this?
Their vision is cloudy,
and this episode is aimed at helping them see, too.
Jesus is counting on them to be his true priests and true witnesses.
By Pentecost, they will be ready.
That leaves you and me? Do we see – really see?
So often – and I am as guilty as anyone –
we focus on all the wrong things.
So many of us are stuck at home,
and at some point, we might feel sorry for ourselves, or get cranky.
When I was a kid, I’d have had a bad attitude!
So maybe some of our younger folks are going through that, too.
Try to remember this is hard on almost everyone,
and likely harder on many others than it is on you.
Of course you and I are unspeakably sad
about not being together for Holy Mass.
So I’m happy to share Mass with you in my little chapel at the rectory,
and know this is happening everywhere.
We may feel cut off, but we really aren’t! Remember that!
So despite all, let’s keep positive; that’s important.
Some people are tremendously worked up about this.
Maybe they fear God’s wrath, or the end of the world.
Here’s my response. First, bad things happen all the time;
but they mostly happen somewhere else, to other people.
Second, we’ve been through way worse things, even in memory,
such as the Spanish Flu 100 years ago, and two World Wars.
Plagues and disease used to be constant threats, everywhere –
and in many places, still are –
but thanks to sanitary water and vaccines and antibiotics
and other wonderful fruits of the talents God gave us,
we’ve forgotten about all that.
These trials remind us how much we take for granted,
and how fragile this life really is.
Maybe this tribulation will help us see things a lot more clearly.
To see what really matters, and what is trivial noise and distraction.
God, please deliver us from this trial!
And grant that you and I can see what we really need to see.
there is seeing, and then there is really seeing.
So, in the first reading, Samuel, despite being a faithful servant
of God, still doesn’t see well enough.
Then, of course, we have the Gospel. Who can really see there?
Jesus can. He knows exactly what this man needs,
so he not only heals him, but he does it in a particular way,
that he knows will be most helpful to this man.
And of course, the blind man sees. All the rest turn out to be blind.
What about the Apostles who are witnessing this?
Their vision is cloudy,
and this episode is aimed at helping them see, too.
Jesus is counting on them to be his true priests and true witnesses.
By Pentecost, they will be ready.
That leaves you and me? Do we see – really see?
So often – and I am as guilty as anyone –
we focus on all the wrong things.
So many of us are stuck at home,
and at some point, we might feel sorry for ourselves, or get cranky.
When I was a kid, I’d have had a bad attitude!
So maybe some of our younger folks are going through that, too.
Try to remember this is hard on almost everyone,
and likely harder on many others than it is on you.
Of course you and I are unspeakably sad
about not being together for Holy Mass.
So I’m happy to share Mass with you in my little chapel at the rectory,
and know this is happening everywhere.
We may feel cut off, but we really aren’t! Remember that!
So despite all, let’s keep positive; that’s important.
Some people are tremendously worked up about this.
Maybe they fear God’s wrath, or the end of the world.
Here’s my response. First, bad things happen all the time;
but they mostly happen somewhere else, to other people.
Second, we’ve been through way worse things, even in memory,
such as the Spanish Flu 100 years ago, and two World Wars.
Plagues and disease used to be constant threats, everywhere –
and in many places, still are –
but thanks to sanitary water and vaccines and antibiotics
and other wonderful fruits of the talents God gave us,
we’ve forgotten about all that.
These trials remind us how much we take for granted,
and how fragile this life really is.
Maybe this tribulation will help us see things a lot more clearly.
To see what really matters, and what is trivial noise and distraction.
God, please deliver us from this trial!
And grant that you and I can see what we really need to see.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
I created a Youtube Channel to broadcast Holy Mass during the Crisis. Please subscribe!
This is a boring video but blessedly short. The thing is this: if I get 1,000 subscribers, I can broadcast live on Youtube, which will mean getting Holy Mass online from St. Remy for more people, right away. Otherwise the video will probably not be posted for many hours.
So please subscribe! It's free and no salesman will call.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Be not afraid!
Above is an image of a virus I found online; if you click on it, you'll go to the website where I found it. I have no idea what virus that is, or if it's an accurate image. I picked it because it looks pretty creepy to me. It reminds me of an episode of Star Trek: Voyager where the ship is invaded by some sort of virus that is huge -- globules of goo the size of house pets are floating around the ship! That's some scary stuff.
Are you scared? Are you dismissive? Are you angry? Lots of reactions are possible.
I know people who insist this is all over-hyped. Who knows? They may prove right. Here's the thing: I am not so smart or certain of myself that I'm going to counsel anyone to take this lightly. If I were the archbishop or governor or president, I couldn't let myself off that easily. But I'm not any of those people; they have a job to do, it's mighty difficult, and who am I to throw a spanner into the works?
In any case, as a parish priest, I don't have a lot of say in all this. I can rail against that, or I can keep busy with what I can do.
Here's what we're doing in St. Remy, and I imagine similar things are happening everywhere:
- Pretty much everything is cancelled, except confessions; we are going full-steam there.
- That said, confessions have moved to a larger, airier room, and I'm wiping surfaces down after each penitent.
- I'm offering Holy Mass every day from a sort-of chapel in my house, and broadcasting it on Facebook. Maybe it'll be on Youtube soon, we'll see.
- Our church and our parish office remain OPEN. My staff and I are trying to stay in touch with all our folks.
- We're trying to think of other ways to nourish folks' faith.
Sort of coincidentally, I betook myself to confession on Tuesday. I would have gone anyway, but it was striking to me that as everything seemed to be shutting down and closing in, I hurried to be absolved. Something for all of us to think about.
Now, let me offer some more positive thoughts:
- As bad as this is, it's nowhere near as bad as it could be. And yes, I'm assuming it won't get that bad, because of the many, many advantages we have.
- People who are acting as if this is unprecedented have short memories. Spanish Flu was pretty bad. Two world wars? Pretty bad. Most of human history, people have lived in fear of all manner of plagues and infections and such. They didn't have reliable, sanitary water; vaccines and antibiotics...
- Not to mention heat and electricity and the Internet and all the wonders of our modern world that reliably supply fresh food and other needs to all of us. Yes, it can all be taken away, the worst can happen, but that's pretty unlikely.
- There's a WHOLE LOT to be grateful for. A lot of people are working really hard to keep food coming, medical care coming, a future vaccine coming, and so forth and so on. Pray for all these people.
- Don't worry, pray! Pray also for those who are suffering, whether physically, spiritually or financially.
- Keep a good attitude, and be part of the solution.
We'll get through this.
Whoops! Time to go hear confessions!
Sunday, March 15, 2020
What is justification? (Sunday homily)
(This is the homily I was going to give this weekend, but events led to a change of course. I might as well post it. Oh, and why three pictures? Why not?)
The second reading mentions “justification” –
we don’t talk about this often,
so you might wonder just what that is.
From the Council of Trent and the Catechism we learn that
"Justification is not only the remission of sins,
but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.”
In other words, justification not only forgives us, but changes us.
The life of God is poured into our hearts and our lives.
In a word, we become saints. This happens in baptism.
Baptism! Ah, now you know why we heard the first reading
and the Gospel, all about water.
Of course, Jesus wasn’t just talking about ordinary water,
but the water of the Holy Spirit.
And you and I “drink” this water first in baptism.
And as I said, in baptism we are justified; we become saints.
Sadly, you and I squander this inheritance through sin,
but God in his incredible goodness gives us a way to renew it,
and that is the sacrament of confession.
All the sacraments are about thirsting for this water God gives.
There’s a kind of paradox at work here:
The Holy Spirit is the water of heaven that satisfies our thirst,
and yet, in another way, he makes us want even more!
Saint Augustine said that the justification of sinners
“is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth,"
because "heaven and earth will pass away
but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away."
Two weeks ago I told you that Lent is about baptism,
and here we see it again.
Yet nearly all of us have already been baptized;
So for us, Lent is for reawakening that thirst for God,
For finding our way back to the well where Jesus waits for us,
Where he says, I have water no one else can give you.
There are so many things we get busy with,
but really only one thing matters: sitting at the well, and saying to Him:
Lord, give me this water always!
I’m going to stop right here. Let’s sit down and let Jesus talk to us.
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