Spirituality - M. Keith LaBove

Last Sunday in my homily, I spent some time reflecting with you on how our ‘state of life’ impacts how we serve the Lord. This ‘state of life’ might be single (never married), married, widowed or divorced, or celibate (unmarried to serve in the Church). In particular, we explored the meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage, lived out day by day in the lives of wives and husbands.

A related topic arises when we face the question of choosing our ‘state of life’. This is, of course, usually something that happens earlier in life, since we in marriage, religious life, and priesthood, we are talking about a life-long commitment. The Church usually speaks of this in terms of vocation.

The root of the term ‘vocation’ means ‘to call’. We believe that God calls each and every one of us, not only into a special covenant relationship ship with Him and the Church, but also to particular ways of living out our lives. Once chosen, the challenge is then to be faithful to that call, for the rest of our days.

For us as Catholics, that call is rooted first and foremost in our Baptism. It is in this Sacrament that we are literally called by name. We are united to the Christ, in his dying and rising. We are made members of the Church, God’s people here on earth. For those of us baptized as infants, our being raised in the faith offers us opportunity to accept this call, saying yes in various ways, with special moments like First Eucharist and Confirmation that complete the process of initiation into the Church.

The question then arises, how do I know to what God is calling me? Unfortunately, we don’t get an engraved invitation, complete with detailed instructions and a map showing where to go. Hearing God’s call to us, and determining our vocation, is a process that each of us is called to. It is a process of discernment that does not happen overnight, with various elements.

The first element is prayer. Prayer is the way that I build and nurture my relationship with the One who calls. This prayer will first and foremost be rooted in an openness to God’s will for me. I must be willing to go where he leads.

The second element is the Church. I do not achieve this discernment alone. Anyone searching out a vocation (to marriage, to the single life, to priesthood or the religious life) should be talking with someone about their quest. Having someone else to bounce things off of, to offer guidance and insight is essential.

The third element is self-knowledge. Grace builds on nature, and our God-given talents and abilities will often be a clue to where God is leading us. This knowledge will come through honest reflection (including the Sacrament of Reconciliation), experience and the insights of others. Alongside this, one should not be afraid to ask, “What do I want, and is this what God wants for me?”

All that being said, there remains something of a mystery at the heart of our vocation. Ultimately, the reply given after a choice to pursue this or that path in life will be simply, “I felt called to this.” As long as that feeling is based on the elements above, it will probably offer the right path.

December 26, 1999 – Marley, Jesus and Scrooge

If you’ve watch the TNT network (ch. 28) at all during the last month, you’ve probably managed to see their presentation of Charles Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Story’, starring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge. While an excellent production, one particular exchange caught my attention as we find ourselves in the Christmas Season.

Early in the story, Scrooge’s former business partner Jacob Marley, now deceased, visits Scrooge in the night. He comes to implore Scrooge to change his ways, while there is still a chance for redemption. Scrooge, for his part, is totally baffled at why Marley should be caught in torment, suffering for his sin and wrongdoing in this life. When Marley tries to confess his wrongdoing, Scrooge’s reply is, “Jacob, it was business!!!!!” Marley replies, “Business?!? Mankind was my business! The common good was my business!”

From there the film continues with the nocturnal visitations that, as we know, result in the conversion of Ebenezer Scrooge, to the utter amazement of all who knew him!

Striking here is the way in which Scrooge saw no reason to ask any moral question about his manner of conducting “Business”. For him, it was simply work that had to be done, using any means necessary, whether that be starvation wages, or a smidgen of coal in the grate.

This brief conversation with a contrite and humbled Jacob Marley confronts us with a question. Are there any areas of my life where I would respond much like Scrooge? “It’s only business.” “Everyone’s doing it.” “I’m not hurting anyone.” “It’s my private affair, and of no concern to anyone else.” “I have a right to do this.” The list could go on and on.

This is so radically different from the gift of Christmas that we celebrate during these days. The gift of Christmas is, of course, Christ himself. The Word made Flesh has come to dwell among us. Again, we look to Mary, his Mother, for example and guidance.

Her welcoming of the Christ child into her life touched every part of her being. Deep within her body, and her heart, did she carry Christ. She did that in order to offer him to the world, to let him be made known to the nations.

Christ desires to dwell within each of us as intimately as he lived within Mary. He desires to touch every single aspect of who we are, and what we do. There is no part of our lives that should not be sanctified by Christ.

When we share in the Eucharist, we welcome Christ into our bodies, our hearts, our lives. Though in a different way, Christ is just as present in those gifts of Bread and Wine as he was in the creche at the stable in Bethlehem. And we pray that we might become what we receive, that we might be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. We pray that we may come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

There is no part of our lives that Christ cannot transform. This is our hope. It is a hope rooted in the Word made Flesh who dwells among us. It is the joy and hope of Emmanuel - God with us!

November 7, 1999 – Strength and Weakness

Recently, I have had occasion to read two books about Fr. Henri Nouwen. Fr. Nouwen has been a favorite writer of many on the spiritual life. I know that his writings, especially his books ‘With Open Hands’, ‘Intimacy’, and ‘Reaching Out’, were very helpful to me back in my seminary days.

Fr. Nouwen was originally from Holland, and eventually found his way to the United States, where he studied psychology in addition to theology. His ministry extended from the prestigious university campus, to living with the developmentally handicapped in the L’Arche community in Canada. He was a man with many friends, he traveled extensively, and of course, wrote many books. He recently passed away, thus occasioning several books about him, rather than by him.

Only in reading about his life did I begin to realize how autobiographical his work had been. He wrote in his books about what was happening in his life. If he was struggling with an issue or a challenge, he engaged it, and wrote about it and published it to share with others. His success as an author testifies to the fact that his concerns and struggles were not his alone. Quite to the contrary, they were issues faced by others, who found help and guidance in his reflections.

In reading about his life, from the perspective of those who knew him, much could be made of his imperfections. Writing extensively on prayer, he himself struggled with prayer, and often did not see himself as very good at prayer. Writing powerful meditations on the virtues of compassion and hospitality, he was often self-centered and insecure. He wrote about how to be a healthy minister, and himself struggled with depression most of his life.

Some might be tempted to discount his works, because of those very weaknesses. They would call him a hypocrite because he did not succeed at living perfectly what he wrote. Or they might reject him because of his homosexuality, though he lived a celibate life. Either position would be a serious error.

What parent has not counseled a child against a particular action or attitude, only to find themselves doing exactly that? What preacher has not preached some gospel virtue or value, only to fall short in that virtue the very next week? Failure is not hypocrisy. Giving up would be.

One thing that becomes clear about Henri Nouwen is that his faith journey was not an easy one. Just as clear is that he remained faithful to the journey, always seeking the will of God in his life, and striving with all his heart to do that will. Truly, there is nothing more that can be asked of anyone. Fr. Nouwen went one step further, and shared the fruits of his struggles with the world, through his talent of writing.

Each of us has our own journey to travel. If it is a journey of faith, it will have its ups and downs, since none of us are perfect. Sometimes we might get lost along the way, or collapse in fatigue. The one thing we must never do is abandon the journey. For God, with whom we walk this journey, never abandons us.

Stop by Crossroads Bookstore and pick up a Nouwen book. You won’t be sorry.

September 19, 1999 – Sex, Culture & Co-habitation

What is culture? It is that combination of practices, values, structures, and attitudes that contribute to the make-up of society. As a Church, we Catholics look critically at the culture around us, always evaluating culture in light of the Gospel. At the same time, we do not withdraw from society, but rather work to bring about change and growth.

One fairly recent development in the culture that surrounds us as Americans is the widespread practice of cohabiting before marriage. By cohabiting, we mean couples who live together without the benefits of marriage, in an intimate sexual relationship. In recent weeks, two items, one from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and another from the Bishops of Pennsylvania have come across my desk. They make clear that this aspect of our culture is an area of serious concern, and challenge for the Church.

Cohabitation has been happening in sufficient numbers for long enough now that we are able to come up with some hard data about this trend. The following are excerpts from this information.

1) Only 50% to 60% of cobabitors marry the persons they live with. 76% report plans to marry their partner, but only about half of that number actually do so.

2) When cohabitors do marry, they are more at risk for subsequent divorce than whose who do not cohabit before marriage. In the United States, the risk of divorce is 50% higher for cohabitors than non-cohabitors. It seems that many couples live together as some sort of trial marriage. The reality is that they are actually lessening their chances for a life-long union.

3) Attitudes and characteristics that cohabitors carry into the marriage seem to contribute to this, as well as experiences from the cohabitation itself. Basically a couple has set the stage, if you will, for their relationship as a non-committed, often non-exclusive relationship. This pattern of relationship does not simply go away on their wedding day.

What is clear is that the practice of living together before marriage contributes heavily to the break-up of marriages. It is one aspect of our culture which we as Catholics must reject. The fact that ‘everybody’s doing it’ does not make it right.

When cohabiting couples approach the Church for marriage, we are delighted that they are finally willing to live in accord with Catholic teaching. We do not refuse to marry them (which no priest has the right to do). At the same time, we have a special concern for them.

The core of this teaching is that the intimate life and love of marriage, including being sexually intimate, belongs nowhere except within the context of marriage. We’ve said nothing about children, but to bring children into the world outside of a committed marriage is a grave injustice to the child, and seriously wrong.

It’s simple: Marriage first, then life and love together. No matter what our culture says.

September 12, 1999 – Dealing with Tax Collectors

Last weekend, the Gospel at Mass spoke of reaching out to people who had turned away from life in Christ Jesus. The emphasis of that passage was the attempt to reconcile them to the Church, assisting the person in turning away from sin.

The passage included the following lines: “If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

After Mass, someone raised the question as to whether this wasn’t rather harsh and judgmental. We know that the Church has not always gotten along well with those who rejected her message.

The first thing we’d say is that this passage is certainly not an invitation or permission to practice abuse. The point being made here is that the person rejecting the Gospel cannot be treated like a member of the Church. The person in question in the Gospel had been a member of the Church, and had chosen to leave. We cannot pretend that nothing happened, nor can we say that leaving the Church does not matter. It matters immensely.

In this light, the passage simply is saying, ‘Do not treat them as a member of the church’. For example, one could not welcome them to the Eucharistic table. Our sharing in Eucharist is, among other things, a sign of our unity in Christ. If someone has separated themselves from the Church, then to share in Eucharist would be to take part in a lie. Again this is not a judgment on the part of the Church, but rather the simple consequences of the person’s choice.

A related question that was raised is, Does this mean that we are giving up on them? Again, we return to our fundamental attitude toward ‘Gentiles and tax collectors’, and all those not part of the Church. St. Paul devoted his entire life to bringing the Gospel to those who were not Jewish, and called himself ‘the apostle to the Gentiles’. One of the apostles was a tax collector, welcomed into the group of believers whom Jesus sent out to prepare people for his message. We are always ready to welcome people into our community, when they embrace the faith that has been handed down to us.

Another story that may help shed light on this issue is the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man. This young man was clearly devout, keeping all the commandments since his youth. Yet when Jesus invited him to be a follower, a disciple, he went away sad. And Jesus let him go. He did not stop him by force. He did not yell condemnations and judgments at him as he went away. And we can be sure that Jesus shared the young man’s sadness, as he went away. Jesus respected the young man’s decision to not be a disciple.

We, too, respect the decisions of others. Though it saddens us, we do not judge.. We always invite them back.

August 8, 1999 – Daily Vacation?

Everyone is trickling back in , here today, gone tomorrow, as we all grab what vacation we can, taking the time away when it’s available. Hopefully, we manage to come back more refreshed than we left. Unfortunately, some kinds of vacations end up leaving us more wrung out than we left!

If you had a vacation, or maybe just some quieter time during the summer, it might well be a good time for some reflection. In particular, what was it about the vacation that you were longing for? What did you hope to achieve by going away?

I mention this in light of the beginning lines of last Sunday’s gospel. Jesus had just heard of the death of John the Baptist. So he gets into a boat, and heads off for a deserted place. He wanted to find some quiet, some time alone, some time to reflect and to be with his Father.

As the story unfolds, that didn’t work out. The crowds didn’t let him get away, and followed on foot. They arrived before he did, so that immediately upon arriving, he saw the vast crowd which moved his heart to pity.

The story unfolds from there into the multiplication of the loaves and fish, the feeding of the multitude. But what of Jesus’ plan? What of his search for that quiet place?

I have not doubt personally that he found that quiet spot later. This is not the only time the Gospels mention Jesus retiring from the busy-ness of his ministry and taking some quiet time. In a story that was mostly concerned with the miracles and the stories and the events, it is striking that this retreat time gets mentioned. Clearly it was something that was important to Jesus.

Hopefully, your vacation provided you with something of that, away from the routine tasks and activities of your daily life. Vacation, and even more so a spiritual retreat, is meant to accomplish that.

But here is where the reflection comes in: This kind of quiet time, retiring to a quiet place is something that should be a part of each and every day of our lives. Perhaps it is only a few minutes, early in the morning, or late at night. Perhaps its taking a moment for prayer at lunchtime, or when the kids are asleep.

As we move into the conclusion of summer, I’m just inviting each of us to ask, “How can I bring a little smidgen of my vacation into each day?” “How can I create that quiet place in the midst of my daily routine, to reflect, to pray, to spend time with the Father?”

I truly believe that is important for each and every one of us. We just cannot afford to be too busy to do that. If we can’t even find that one quiet moment, then something in our lives needs evaluating, something needs to change.

Jesus made time for those quiet moments. If he needed them, how much more do we?????

July 25, 1999 – Contemplation and Generosity

Last week, we ran in this space an excerpt from the Holy Father’s message for World Youth Day, 1999. One sentence in that message seems to cry out for further reflection, not only for youth, but for all of us. The Holy Father wrote: “Be contemplative, love prayer; be coherent with your faith and generous in the service of your brothers and sisters, be active members of the Church and builders of peace.”

“Be contemplative:” A friend of mine is fond of saying that we are ‘human be-ings’, not ‘human do-ings’. Yet the often frantic pace of our lives often leaves us little time to just ‘be’. We are rushing from one task to another, one activity to the next. To be contemplative means to carve out time in our lives to reflect on who we are, what we do, on our relationships and our vocation in Christ. And sometimes it takes a very sharp knife indeed to carve out that time.

“Love prayer:” In light of the above, how easy it is for prayer to become a burden, seen as just one more thing I need to get done. Think about the things you love to do, and how we do not fail to spend time doing those things. If only we could seek out prayer, time spent with a loving God, revealed in the Word made Flesh, led by the Spirit who dwells within us!

“Be coherent with your faith:” We say we love Jesus. We want to be his disciples. We want to go to heaven, to be with him forever. Those are the words. Are the actions that match those words always there, too?

“(Be) generous in the service of your brothers and sisters:” What is the definition of ‘generosity’ for us as Catholics? Is it tossing a few coins into the beggar’s cup? Is it offering to God something of what’s ‘left over’, something we won’t miss? For Catholics, there is one definition of generosity: it is the Savior who was hung upon a cross, that we might have life. Generosity means being willing to die for someone we love. It is also means being willing to live for them.

“Be active members of the Church:” You know, it all comes back to our Baptism. That was the sacrament that began the process of making us members of Christ’s Body, a mystical Body that transcends place and time, as well as a very tangible body that includes the Church universal as well as our local parish. In so many ways, the Church is what we make of it. Each and every person who does not contribute of their time, talent and treasure (there’s that stewardship thing again!) impoverishes not only the Church, but the entire world!

“Builders of peace:” When I am hurt, is revenge my first thought? That is certainly the way of the world. It is not the Way of Christ. We must be committed to the task of reconciliation, of forgiveness, of healing. We must build bridges rather than barricades.

To do all this is to truly be Christ for one another!

April 4, 1999 – Resurrection Incredulity

While it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. Expecting to find his body, she found that the place they had laid him was empty, with only the burial cloths remaining behind.

Running to the brethren, she exclaimed, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him”.

Peter, and the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’, probably John, ran to the tomb after receiving her news. They too say that the tomb was empty. Upon entering, Peter saw the cloths, left in two different spots in the tomb. But the body of Jesus they did not see.

All these events are recounted in the Gospel passage for this Sunday, the Feast of Easter. Confusion and a lack of understanding were the order of the day. As if it was not enough that the one whom they loved had been put to death on Friday, now even his body was missing. Why were they confused? The passage from John’s Gospel ends with this sentence: “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead”.

There are several things that might strike us about this sequence of events. One is that the darkness mentioned to describe the time of day, early in the morning, extended to more than just the light in the sky. It is a darkness that rested also upon the minds and hearts of the friends and disciples of Jesus.

We might also find ourselves somewhat amazed that they still did not understand. Was this not the same group of people who had journeyed with Jesus for some three years? Was this not the group who saw the water made wine, and the loaves and fishes multiplied to feed the multitudes? Was this not the same group of people who saw the lame walk, the blind see, and the mute begin to speak? Was this not the same group who were there when Lazarus was raised from the dead? How could they not understand?

All of this points out to us both the outrageous and unexpected nature of the Resurrection, as well as the importance of that singular event for the whole Gospel message. Everything Jesus said and did made sense only in light of the Resurrection. It is was only when they accepted the fact that he who was dead was now alive did they begin to truly see just who he was, this Son of the Living God, true God and true man. Until that light dawned upon them, it was truly dark.

It is precisely the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, his victory over sin and death, which also sheds light upon our lives. Without the gift of faith in this marvelous action of God in our midst, our lives too remain shrouded in darkness and confusion. It is the Risen Christ, and he alone, who gives meaning to our lives. No amount of money, power, prestige, or position can take his place in our midst.

He is Risen! Alleluia!!!!!!

March 28, 1999 – The Empty Tomb

The empty tomb. A final insult. Not even his body had been left to them. In the midst of Passover, one of the greatest feasts of the Jewish calendar, soldiers had come and arrested Jesus. Perhaps they would release him? Perhaps he would be returned to them, bruised and battered, but alive? But it was not to be. Cries of ‘Crucify Him’ rose up from the crowd, and the one who wondered ‘What is truth’ gave orders for his death.

The empty tomb. They were denied even the consolation of anointing his body, and sitting with the corpse of the one they loved. Mary Magdalene ran to Simon Peter, lamenting that ‘The Lord has been taken from the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him’. Had Jesus’ persecutors not already done enough in stripping away his dignity and his very life? From those who had believed in him, they even took away their hope. How empty and dark must have been those hours, stretching interminably from Friday afternoon, until the early dawn of that first Easter Sunday morning.

The empty tomb. Two of those who had believed in him saw no reason to even stay in Jerusalem. They had come to know Jesus, and thought he was the one who would set Israel free. So on that first Easter, they set out on the road, leaving the place of their despair, leaving the place of their disappointment, where their hopes had been crushed upon the tree of the crucifixion. They set out on the road to Emmaus, where they met a stranger. Only later would their eyes be opened to the truth that would set them free.

For those of us who have have come after those first believers, can we truly grasp the pain and anguish of Jesus, as he walked that road to Calvary? What did he feel as he greeted the women of Jerusalem? What agony tore at his heart as he saw the sorrowing face of his mother? Many of those he loved were not even around. So horrible was this spectacle that they ran away, in terror, and in despair. Could God have forsaken them so completely?

We, of course, know differently. We know that the power of God’s love had not been vanquished, not been overcome. We gaze upon the wood of the cross, and see even there God’s victory, in Jesus’ loving sacrifice. We live the emptiness of Holy Saturday as a time of expectation and hope. We embrace the Paschal Mystery in faith, knowing that God can transform even this most horrifying of events into something no one could have expected: Life, for the world.

The empty tomb. A sign of hope. The sign of God’s victory over sin and death, in Christ Jesus. The emptiness of that tomb proclaims through the ages not failure and defeat, but life and hope and salvation. And this victory is our victory, our salvation. For all of this happened for us, for you and for me. This Easter, embrace that empty tomb. It is our Life!

March 14, 1999 – Doing Lent

This weekend, on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we find ourselves about halfway through this season of repentance, on our way to the beauty of Easter Joy. It seems like a good time to stop and consider how we’ve done since Ash Wednesday. How well are we doing?

Perhaps you’ve done very well with the penance you chose, and have been faithful to the special Lenten practices you’ve selected. If so, remember that it is God’s grace at work in you, enabling you to do this. This would also be a good time to ask if there’s anything else you could do between now and April 4th, to let God be even more a part of your Lenten journey.

If things haven’t gone well, and you’ve found yourself falling back into the ‘normal’ routine of things, then it’s not too late to turn things around. Most importantly, don’t let yourself get discouraged and simply give up. You can recommit yourself today to the Lenten practices you chose, and those recommended by the Church, and still greatly enhance your own preparation for Easter. Make an effort to come to a daily Mass. On Thursday evenings, stop by church between 7 and 11 to spend time in quiet prayer with the Lord, while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. Do something for someone in need. It’s not too late.

A word about our Easter Duty seems appropriate here. The Church sets up a minimum practice regarding receiving Communion and going to Confession. By Church law, we are required to receive Communion at least once a year, between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost Sunday. In addition, if one is aware of having committed any mortal sins, one is required to go to confession. Let me stress however, that this is a bare minimum and hopefully, both Eucharist and Confession are regular parts of our lives.

If you do intend to go to Confession before Easter, please do so now. Many people celebrated the sacrament at the Mission, for which we are grateful. Note that after we begin the Triduum on Holy Thursday, there will be no regular confessions scheduled until after Easter Sunday. This includes Saturday afternoon. By ancient practice, the Church does not celebrate the sacraments on Holy Saturday, and even only brings Communion to the dying on that day. For regular times, see the front of the bulletin, or call for an appointment.

The Triduum deserves mention here. These three days, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are the three holiest days of the year. This special celebration of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection begins with the Evening Mass on Holy Thursday, and does not end until the conclusion of the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. The three services on those days are the most powerful and beautiful we have. Especially if you have never attended on these days, make plans now to share in this essential part of our Catholic tradition, at 7 each night.

January 3, 1999 – God Revealing

Imagine a god who is shrouded in darkness, in total and complete mystery. Who and what that God might be remains unknown, except for the fact that he exists, and is all-powerful. Imagine this God making demands on women and men, demands kept secret, until they are not met. Then, punishment for breaking the unwritten law rains down, crushing those who have incurred his wrath.

Having a god such as this is certainly be a terrifying prospect. But we need not worry. Our God is not like that. We find ourselves in the midst of a season of celebration that proclaims a God who is just the opposite. We celebrate a God who goes to tremendous lengths, even to the point of sending us his own Son, to make himself known to us.

This self-revelation by our God, exposing to the gaze of mankind the human face of his love and salvation, is at the heart of the Christmas season. And it is in this light that the Feast of Epiphany is understood in its fullness.

The word epiphany literally means ‘to shine forth upon’. Beyond that, it has come to mean making something known, usually something great and marvelous. Much as the light of the guiding star shone down upon the stable where Christ was born, so the light of God’s revelation shines forth upon the three magi, who come from the East. God’s self-revelation cannot remain shrouded in darkness, but must be made known to all the nations. As the three magi represent all the peoples of the earth, so God’s will is made known: He wants all people to come to know the saving power of God, revealed in Christ Jesus.

Recognizing this core purpose of the Epiphany, we can see the necessary connection with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which follows it. While much of Christ’s early life is unknown to us, the day would come when that quiet life would end. And end it did, that day at the Jordan, when Jesus was baptized by John. This was the start of Jesus’ public ministry, when by his actions, by calling disciples and sending apostles, by healing and teaching and telling parables of God’s love, the Son of God would tell the story of God’s saving love. The story reaches its high point, of course, when Christ is lifted high upon the cross, and then raised up from the dead.

At the heart of the Baptism story is of course the voice from the heavens. Truer, more powerful words were never spoken: ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’. God continues the epiphany to the magi with the epiphany at the Jordan, when Jesus is made known as the favored Son of God, our savior.

God has shown us his love. And our task? We are called to continue that epiphany, by our words, and our actions and our lives. When we do the will of the Father, as did Jesus, we continue to make that love known to the world today, a world so desperately in need of that love!

December 27, 1998 – Resolutions for Conversions

In the days to come, many throughout our society will be making a certain decision: What shall be my New Year’s resolution this year? While certainly well-intentioned, and rooted in the recognition that all of us have things in our lives that need to change, sadly most New Year’s resolutions have all the staying power of the proverbial snowball in hell. That’s why choosing a resolution is easy for many of us. We just do the same ones, year after year. And nothing changes.

What is lacking in these well-intentioned, and usually sincere, decisions to reform? Why is it that they are so consistently unsuccessful?

One reason is that usually they are basically self-centered. They are, for the most part, all about me. How can I make myself better? What are the things I don’t like about myself? How can I encourage others to like me more? What will make me more attractive, more intelligent, more successful. These are the kinds of questions that usually determine our resolutions for the New Year.

Not only is the motivation usually centered on the self, but in addition, there is usually no one else involved. If I feel a twinge of guilt when my resolution lands in tatters at my feet, it is only because I’ve failed myself. Most resolutions, while they might benefit others were they to be successful, are commitment to myself alone.

Luckily for us, we followers of Christ have a rather different approach to change in our lives. Rather than making once-yearly resolutions, we commit ourselves to ongoing conversion. And this is radically different from the January ritual in which our society engages.

First and foremost, conversion is rooted in my relationship with my God, and with the Church. It is something we cling to because of the commitments we’ve made to God and to the Church, beginning in Baptism. Therefore, the question that guides us is radically different: How can I be of service to God and the Church? It is a question rooted in following the example of Jesus, who came to serve. It is a question that is rooted in charity, as I seek to place my life at the service of others. It is a question that places me solidly in the midst of my relationships and commitments, which together help to shape and form me as a person.

Secondly, there is the matter of grace. Each of us is well-aware that we cannot achieve conversion by our own power. We need God’s grace and help if we are to even begin to imitate His Son. So immediately we see that conversion is a cooperative effort between the person who desires to change, and the God who makes all life and growth and change possible.

So this year, don’t get caught up in the futility of self-centered self-improvement. Rather, ask the question about service, open your heart to God’s grace, and re-commit yourself to a life of conversion. And Happy New Year!

December 20, 1998 – Incarnational Feasts

Christmas. The Feast of the Holy Family. The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (and World Day of Prayer for Peace). Epiphany. The Baptism of the Lord. All in the next few weeks.

One might say, an embarrassment of riches. So many feasts, so little time! But then again, we’ve got so much to celebrate.

At the heart of all this, of course, is the mystery of the Incarnation. The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. And that same Word still dwells among us. Why a mystery? Because while the event is as simple as the birth of a child, the reasons for and the effects of this marvelous event will never be totally understood by any of us, at least not in this lifetime.

            This mystery reminds me of an old Christmas melody, the first verse of which is:
            I wonder, as I wander
            Out under the sky,
            How Jesus our savior
            Did come for to die.
            For poor onery people
            Like you and like I.

May we never lose that sense of wonder and awe, as we stand before the crib, gazing down upon the Savior of the world, born of the Virgin.

That one verse points to another mystery that is also reflected in the feasts we celebrate. After Christmas, we move on in the Christmas story to the coming of the three visitors from the East, following the star, coming to adore the newborn King. We celebrate this on the feast of Epiphany.

The light of Christ, in that fateful visit, is already beginning to shine forth upon the world. It is a light that does not remain within the stable of his birth, but already shines upon the three bearing gifts. Already, we begin to see why Christ has come.

While taking place in humble circumstances, this birth of God with Us is not destined to remain secret. Quite to the contrary, his mission is to the entire world, and begins even as the newborn lay in the manger. We’re told they went back, praising and honoring God. Again that spirit of wonder and awe shines through.

After Epiphany, the Church wants to make certain that we know why Christ has come. In one week, we jump from the birth of the Christ child to the Baptism of the Christ as adult. What was begun on Epiphany at the manger is continued at the Jordon.

Why is this? The Baptism of Jesus by John at the Jordan is the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. We are led immediately from the the birth of the Savior to the saving work of the Savior.

Knowing all this, we still ‘wonder, as we wander’ through life. What a gift! What a precious, precious gift! May you and yours have a joyful and peaceful Christmas!

December 13, 1998 – The Immaculate Conception

It seems that our celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this week raised a variety of questions for people. I suppose most of them focus on exactly what did God do in and for Mary, and how did he do it. The answer to that question does demand that we think about some things a bit differently.

If God was going to send his Son into our midst, he was certainly going to prepare for that event. He did that by choosing Mary, and preparing her for that unique and special task. One way he did that was by preserving her from all effects of Original Sin from the first moment of her conception. Therefore the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

But he did not do this apart from our salvation in Christ. As a matter of fact, it is precisely the saving grace, won by Christ through his death and rising, that preserved Mary from sin. This is what sometimes confuses us, because of course, Jesus’ resurrection came after Mary’s conception, in time. Here we must remember that it is God we’re talking about, who is not limited by time as we are. The saving effects of Christ’s victory over sin and death are extended back in time to his Mother, to prepare her to bring him into the world. She was the first to share in that special grace and favor.

Does this mean that Mary could not sin? Here we must tread very lightly, lest we confuse things. We believe that Mary remained sinless through the entirety of her life. This was a result of both God’s grace at work in her, as well as her gracious openness to that grace: ‘Let it be done to me as you say’.

Yet it seems we must say that Mary could have said no. We praise the Virgin Mary, and rightfully so, for her willingness to cooperate in God’s plan of salvation. We hold up her gracious ‘Yes’ to the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation as an example to all of us, an example of saying yes to God. But what meaning would that ‘Yes’ have, if she could not have said ‘No’? In being chosen by God to bear our savior, Mary did not become some kind of puppet. She remained a free human being, graced by God, and choosing to do his will in her life.

It is for this reason that she remains an example for us. We too have been blessed with God’s grace and favor. Christ’s victory over sin and death does touch each and every one of us, through our Baptism. By God’s grace, in Christ Jesus, it is also possible for us to say ‘Yes’ to God, and to cooperate in his marvelous plan of salvation.

This, of course, is part of our preparation that fills this Advent season. When we say that we want Christ to come to us, we say that we want to do his will. We want to follow Mary’s example, letting Christ dwell within us, as he dwelt in Mary’s womb. We want to carry Christ in our hearts, for all of our lives.

December 6, 1998 - Advent and Forgiveness of Sins

Some people, I suspect, may have been a little surprised at my request last week to go to confession as a preparation for Christmas. We tend to think of Lent as the season that focuses on repentance and forgiveness, and rightfully so. That does not mean, however, that only in Lent should seeking God's mercy be a part of our lives!

The focus in Advent is much more on hope, and expectation, and preparation for the coming of Christ. We celebrate his birth at Christmas, we long for his coming at the end of time, and we desire to live in his presence day by day. There have been times in the Church's history when Advent took on a more penitential flavor, but we do not really stress that today.

That being said, Advent is a time for seeking God's forgiveness, just as this is true of every other time of the year. While Lent focuses us in a special way on that aspect of our spiritual life, it is not absent from our lives at other times. At least, it should be present, during Ordinary time and Easter, during Christmas and Advent.

The challenge here is to make that ongoing desire for holiness and healing a regular part of our lives. One of the most important ways in which we do that is through regular celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.

The first benefit is simply from sitting down and doing a thorough examination of one's conscience. This is particularly important to recalling to mind those lesser or venial sins that fill our lives, as well as for helping us to recognize patterns of sin that need to be changed.

The other benefits come from the sacrament itself, the grace that is offered, and the experience of confessing our sins and hearing the words that grant us absolution and pardon for all our sins. Then, in doing our penance, we re-affirm our desire to avoid these sins in the future.

How often is often enough? The Church gives us a minimum. We are only absolutely required to go to confession when we are aware of having committed a mortal sin. It is customary to go to confession as part of our Easter duty, once a year at least. But this is a bare minimum. And when we look at Jesus on the cross, it becomes much more difficult to say, "Lord, what's the least I can get by with?"

Some people go monthly, which is good. For others, at least several times a year would seem to be advisable. Perhaps, in preparation for Christmas, and for Easter, as well as in preparation for summer and for the beginning of school in the fall. Each person needs to work out their own pattern of regular confession.

During Advent, it is a truly blessed way of creating a space for Christ to come to us. And we rejoice that he visits us in the sacrament of healing and forgiveness. In this way, when he comes, we will not be strangers, but rather will be ready and waiting to welcome him.

November 22, 1998 - Dedicated to Thankfulness

Jack and Jill (not their real names) get up every morning, get ready and go to work. They've labored hard to get to where they are in life, sacrificing to go to school, working hard to keep up with advances in their field. Over the years, they've gotten promotions and raises, all well-deserved, since both are valuable employees, devoted to their work.

Family is important to them, too. They have raised three children, seen that they all receive religious instruction, and tried to share their own values and morals with them. They have never let their work keep them from devoting quality time to their own relationship as a couple, and as a family.

Then Thanksgiving Day comes along. And everyone around them is pausing to give thanks to God. Jack and Jill stop and wonder: Give thanks to God for what? Isn't everything they have the result of their own hard work? Haven't they sacrificed and labored long hours to get to where they are? Shouldn't they be thanking themselves?

In this day of independence and self-reliance as quasi-religious virtues, it would be easy to see how our couple could arrive at that conclusion. The problem is that they would be only partially right.

The aspect of their thinking that is correct is that their contribution and work is essential to their accomplishments. None of what they have would have come about without their hard work. Each of us has a responsibility for our own lives. We should not expect to just sit around and have our laps filled with blessings and goodness, when we can help to bring that about.

Of course, there's a major point they are missing. The simple fact is that none of what they accomplished would have been possible without God making it possible. When we recognize God as creator of everything that is, we see that everything we use, everything we work with, everything we accomplish is rooted in God's generous act of creation. Beyond that, it is God's ongoing involvement in the world which keeps things going, creating the possibilities upon which we build.

There is an ancient bit of Catholic wisdom that says, 'Grace builds upon nature'. It expresses the spirit of cooperation between us and God that should characterize our living in the world. That spirit of cooperation recognizes that every possibility for good is rooted in God's grace. Our contribution is to take that possibility, and through our efforts and work, make it happen. All along the way, it is God enabling us to do that, most basically by giving us the very gift of life itself.

So it is right and proper for us to give thanks to God. He is the one who loves us first. Every good thing we do is in response to that love, and is enabled by that love. And that is why we give thanks to God!

October 25, 1998 - Living with Infant Loss

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to take part in a program for health care professionals and the community called 'Empty Arms: Living with Infant Loss'. My presentation in the afternoon dealt with spirituality and grieving, which was only one aspect of a day-long program seeking to help parents facing miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and neo-natal death.

The main speaker was Mrs. Sherokee Isle, who came to us from Minnesota, and is a nationally known author and speaker who has herself suffered three such deaths, as well as the births of two living children. Her presentations in the afternoon on Building Memories, as well as her evening presentation to parents drew on both her own experience as well as a wealth of knowledge about this very special type of grief.

Five years ago, we would have never seen this type of program. There is a growing awareness among the health care community as well as parents that there are much better ways of grieving this kind of death. What is our custom? For the most part, we try to ignore it. We tell dads and moms who miscarry to 'Just have another one, you'll forget', or 'Well, you didn't really get to know the baby, so it's not real grief'. How foolish we are to think the love of parents for their child can be measured by the size of the child, or the length of time the child lived.

Certainly much of this is said with the best of intentions, seeking to protect the grieving parents. In reality, it condemns them instead to a lonely and solitary grief, denying them permission to speak of their child, their love, their loss.

What we have to learn is that a parent's love for their child begins long before that child's birthday. Even from childhood, 'playing house', we begin to prepare to become parents, starting to build hopes and dreams for the children of our future. These hopes and dreams take on a poignant reality when Mom and Dad learn that they are pregnant. These hopes and dreams are part of the loss when that child dies, whether at 15 weeks, 24 weeks, or at term. At the center of these hopes is the longing to hold the child in one's arms.

But every pregnant mom and dad holds their child in their hearts, and continues to do so after that child dies. This love is forever, and is not lessened by the tragic absence of their child.

How do we grieve these tragic deaths? We are learning how important memories are to any person who has lost a loved one. With peri-natal death, we have to make special efforts to help the parents to build these memories.

First, we name the child, no matter how early in pregnancy came the death. This child was and is a person, precious to God, and precious to his or her parents. We do what we can to let the parents hold their deceased child, for this will be their only opportunity. We take pictures, and footprints, and locks of hair, and offer these to the parents. Even the pregnancy test and pictures of the ultrasound can be effective reminders.

Yes, sifting through these memories is very painful, especially at first. Saying the child's name will probably bring tears for quite some time. But grieving means going through the pain. And for these parents, their memories are all they have left. We cannot deny them that. Their arms may be empty, but their hearts are full. They carry that child in their hearts, forever.

September 13, 1998 - Nature of the Church

Recently I had the opportunity to reflect at length on who we are as the Church, for a special project I was doing. In the course of this, there were three aspects that were mentioned. The first was the People of God, the second the Body of Christ, and the third, the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Some will look at this, and say, 'Well, make up your mind! Which is it???' In various ways, we all have a tendency to want to simplify things like this. Something must be either this or that, black or white, here or there, and nothing in between.

That works with some things. Sin, for example, is either sin, or it is not. Forgiveness, likewise, is either genuine, or it is not. But some things are much richer than that. Who we are as Church is one of those.

The risk we take when trying to simply this is we cheat ourselves. We could, for example, say simply that the Church is the People of God, and be done with it. In some ways, that would be easier. But we would then miss out on the richness of the Church's teaching about who we are as the Body of Christ. We would be ignoring the fact that we are also the Temple of the Holy Spirit. And even these three expressions do not exhaust the richness of what it means to be the Church today and in every age.

The fact is that the Church, you and I and all Catholics together are the People of God AND the Body of Christ AND the Temple of the Holy Spirit. All three of these are true. When we consider ourselves as People of God, for example, we become particularly aware of the fact that it is God who made us this people, calling each of us by name, especially in the sacrament of Baptism. As the Body of Christ, we see ourselves as the hands and feet and eyes of Jesus himself, as we seek to continue his mission on the earth. When we consider our call to stewardship, and the gifts, talents and abilities which God has given us, we recognize that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is the giver of charisms in the Church: wisdom, fortitude, temperance, etc.

It is important that we learn to think in this way, holding on to the richness of the truth about our religion, our faith, and our God. God is a God of mercy, and a God of justice. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Jesus came, born at Nazareth, and he is coming again. We are saved by the cross, and still sinners in need of forgiveness. The Mass is something that God does in Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and it is something we do, seeking full, conscious and active participation.

No it isn't as simple as we might sometimes like. But our goal is not simplicity, but rather the truth, the truth revealed by God in Christ Jesus. So we continue to listen, we look, we hear, and we live the Gospel that is our life, our hope and our salvation. This treasure, in all it's richness, is God's gift.

August 9, 1998 - A Priestly Anniversary

As you will have gathered by now, through bulletin items, and the receptions this weekend, I had an anniversary this week, completing 17 years of priestly service. These are often times of reflection, and I want to do that today.

When I think about what has remained constant over those years, relationship stands front and center: relationship with God, and relationship with the people I've served. This became even more true for me 13 years ago when I first became a pastor. Being pastor for me speaks first not of responsibility and authority, though those elements are there, but rather of the relationship between a priest and his people. That has remained a source of strength and encouragement, of hope and joy through all these years.

No priest could speak of any time of service without mentioning the Sacraments. Countless times now, I've had the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist in the midst of people I've come to know and care for. To be God's instrument in teaching and feeding His people, in the face of one's own unworthiness and brokenness, remains always a source of humility and a reminder of the necessity of God's grace.

The sacraments of Baptism, and Marriage, and presiding at funerals have also been a source of great privilege. How else could one, often something of a stranger, be invited to share in these precious moments in the lives of the families of one's parish? In joy or in sorrow, we are most enriched when we experience life in the company of others, sharing our lives simply because we share a common faith.

Another word that comes to mind is trust. Time and again, I am astounded and humbled by the confidences we are entrusted with as priest. This is true in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as well as counseling in times of struggle or decision. Few people in this world have the opportunity to enter so intimately into the lives of others, and hopefully, help and heal and console in some small way.

Another constant in all these years has not been so life-giving. It was in the first years of my priesthood that our diocese began to deal publicly with issues of abuse by priests, a terrible burden that has injured us all. We priests have found ourselves afraid at times to even accept the hugs of your children after Mass. It remains my hope and prayer that the God who raised Jesus from the dead will somehow bring some good out of all this, for only He can.

Priesthood has been the opportunity to teach and to learn, as one is challenged by the holiness and faith of those one pastors. It has been the opportunity to grow, hopefully, since we do not always agree, and sometimes don't even like each other very much. There especially, service as priest remains an opportunity to revel and rejoice in the Grace of God, poured out in Christ Jesus his Son.

I would conclude with a quote from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 61, verses 1 and 2: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn." These words were read at the first Mass I ever celebrated. I pray that in some small way, over 17 years, I've done a little of that.

August 2, 1998 - Types of Prayer

In recent weeks, the Sunday Scriptures have turned our attention to prayer, and its essential role in our lives. Our Catholic tradition displays for us prayer in all its richness, since at its heart is a covenant relationship with the Lord God, the Master of the Universe, the God of Justice and Peace, of Redemption and Salvation.

The following are excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, outlining the various types of prayer, reminding us of the many facets of that relationship with our God.

"BLESSING AND ADORATION: Blessing expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer: it is an encounter between God and man. In blessing, God's gift and man's acceptance of it are united in dialogue with each other. The prayer of blessing is man's response to God's gifts: because God blesses, the human heart can in return bless the One who is the source of every blessing. Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us, and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil.

"PRAYER OF PETITION: The vocabulary of supplication in the New Testament is rich in shades of meaning: ask, beseech, plead, invoke, entreat, cry out, even "struggle in prayer." Its most usual form, because the most spontaneous, is petition: by prayer of petition we express awareness of our relationship with God. Christian petition is centered on the desire and search for the Kingdom to come, in keeping with the teaching of Christ. The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: "for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions," for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.

"PRAYER OF INTERCESSION: Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. Since Abraham, intercession - asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God's mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ's, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm.

"PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING: Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is. Indeed, in the work of salvation, Christ sets creation free from sin and death to consecrate it anew and make it return to the Father, for his glory. The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participates in that of their Head.

"PRAYER OF PRAISE: Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because HE IS. By praise, the Spirit is joined to our spirits to bear witness that we are children of God, testifying to the only Son in whom we are adopted and by whom we glorify the Father. Praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them toward him who is its source and goal: the "one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist.""

End quote. How are we to do this? The words of the disciples to Jesus from last Sunday's gospel come to mind:

"Lord, teach us to pray".

June 14, 1998 - Faith is a Verb

"Faith is a verb." I ran across that statement recently in a book I was reading. Of course, everything my 3rd grade English teacher taught me reared up in disagreement. And I hope I haven't incurred the wrath of the English teachers in our midst. Of course, it's a noun. Maybe it just should be a verb. A word that conveys not a thing, but a living, breathing reality, a way of living. For of this we can be certain: Faith that is not lived, is not faith.

The feast we celebrate this weekend is a good example of that, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). We believe (have faith) that in the consecration at Mass, through the action of Christ and the Holy Spirit, bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. We even call this presence Real, in that it is the fullest presence of Christ we have.

How did we come by this faith? It was of course handed down to us, through the ages, by those members of the Catholic Church who have gone before us. But it is when we ask how they achieved this that we see the activity in faith. They did not simply tell us what they believed. They lived what they believed. It was (and is) precisely in that living out of the faith that it was passed on to us.

They did that first, by remaining faithful (there's that word again!) to the celebration of the Eucharist. In and out of season, in hiding from arrest and persecution, or proclaimed on the mountaintops, they never ceased to make the Eucharist a part of their lives, sometimes literally losing their lives in martyrdom to celebrate this gift. They believed that it was absolutely essential that the ongoing celebration of the Mass be part of their lives.

They not only received the Body and Blood of Christ. They lived as the Body of Christ. The Church through the ages has known that our religion is not one between just me and God. Jesus had given them a community of faith. And in recognizing those others as their sisters and brothers in Christ, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, clothing the naked and feeding the hungry, they made Christ truly present not only on the altar at Mass, but in their lives and in the world.

It's good to remember that one of the names for the Eucharist is taken from the Latin for dismissal: Ite, Missa est. This entire celebration of Christ's presence under the forms of bread and wine is called the "Mass", named for it's purpose: that we might go out into the world, to be the body of Christ, becoming what we have received.

This is why faith is a verb. It is something active and ongoing, enlivened by God's grace, and achieving its purpose in us and in the world. The fact that we have faith, or live faith, is a reminder that our God is alive and active in our lives and our world.

We believe. We have faith. We live faith. Thanks be to God!

May 24, 1998 - Sacraments that Nurture

The teacher was trying to share a few basic values with her class. She told them as emphatically as she could, "A job done well the first time, need not be done again!" Leaving a moment of silence for this idea to sink in, there came a voice from the back of the classroom, shattering that teachable moment: "What about cutting the grass?"

As much as our teacher may have hated to admit it, our impertinent contributor was right. There are some jobs that no matter how well done, must be done again. And again. And again.

As we move into the summer, we are probably well aware of that. The grass keeps needing to be cut. The weeds keep growing, and during the dry spells, water must be provided or everything will wither away. (Though it does put a strain on our water systems!) It's not enough to plant the seeds. They must be nurtured and care for.

There is wisdom to be gleaned here regarding our spiritual life. The seeds were planted, beginning with our Baptism. Those key moments in our faith journey are essential. But they're not enough.

Like our yards and gardens, our faith and spirituality, our relationship with our God must be tended to. Weeds grow up, for example, in the form of sin. Some of those sins, no matter how often we try to root them out, keep springing up again. We might be tempted to ignore them, in frustration and discouragement. But like the weeds, unless dealt with, they will overcome every other good thing in our lives.

The sacrament of reconciliation is how we weed them out. And like cutting the grass, no matter how good that last confession was, it will need to be done again. How is your garden growing? Need any weeding?

And of course there's the issue of nurturing that relationship with our God, providing water and nourishment. We do that in the Eucharist, in prayer, in doing good deeds and giving of ourselves. Likewise, it's not something we can ever stop doing. We'd think it foolish for someone to say, well, "I used to eat regularly, but I don't bother anymore." Spiritual malnutrition is just as real a hazard.

In the same way, our prayer, both with the community and alone needs to be attended to. Particularly as we move into the different routines and schedules of summer, it's probably time to re-evaluate. Maybe the time I used to take for private prayer isn't as available. Maybe other things are butting into that time. It's probably not a good idea to just wait until fall, when things get back to "normal". By then, our relationship with our God will have dried up and withered away.

These are things no one else can do for us. It remains our personal responsibility. It's not always easy, for we have other commitments, that also need attention. The question is, 'Is my faith and spirituality important to me?'

April 26, 1998 - Private Revelation in the Church

Several questions I've gotten lately have touched on the issue of private revelation, and other individual experiences of God's grace. There are several points to keep in mind when dealing with any of these.

The first is the distinction between public revelation and private revelation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting St. John of the Cross, tells us: "In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word - and he has no more to say. . . because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son.". This is why the Church teaches that public revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle. Through the eyes of those first believers in Jesus, we receive a special Word that is both complete, and without need to be repeated.

Everything spoken since then has been an attempt to unfold the meaning of God's self-revelation in Christ. When we say that Christ revealed all, that is not to deny our own need to continue to explore that revelation. As the Church has journeyed through the ages, she has sought to improve both our understanding of God's word, and the application of that Word to our daily lives. What it means to live out that word in the year 198, or in the year 1098 is not exactly the same as what it means to live out that word in the year 1998, or 10998. Yet, it is the same word, and it is enough.

Our Church believes that God continues to speak that Word in our midst, often to individuals who commit themselves to lives of prayer and holiness. Sometimes these individuals can offer to the Church new ideas about living the Gospel, based on their own individual experience of God. This is why, for example, the writings of people like St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila are treasured by us. These mystics, and many others like them, opened their hearts to a special intimacy with God, in prayer, that enlightened their lives and enriched the life of the Church.

This is what the Church refers to as private revelation, to distinguish it from public revelation. It may come from the writings and teachings of saints and mystics or it may come from experiences such as apparitions of Jesus or Mary or the saints. While we as a Church value these experiences, we test them very carefully against public revelation. And, we know that these experiences can never add to God's self-revelation in Christ Jesus. There is nothing that can come from any private revelation or apparition that is necessary for salvation. There are no secrets that we need to know, in order to serve God faithfully.

Because these private revelations are often worded as, "Jesus said", or "Mary said", it's important to remember that the only authority associated with private revelation is that of the person themselves. The authority of Christ and the Church is found only in public revelation.

If and when we look to these individual experiences, it is to deepen our understanding and living out of the central Word spoken in Christ Jesus. When the Church judges these events and teachings, the approval given is a very simple and limited one: There is nothing here that is contrary to faith and morals. Some may find it useful or helpful. But it is useful and helpful only to the extent that it deepens our understanding and imitation of Christ Jesus. No private revelation can contradict, or add to, the deposit of faith.

Christ is the Word of God. He is enough!

April 12, 1998 - The Presence of the Risen Lord

Several weeks ago, I was asked to write a reflection on Easter for a local publication. The theme of that article was 'The tomb is still empty', affirming our faith that the Risen Lord is still alive and present in our midst, in our Church and in each one of us. That seems a fitting idea to return to this day.

Nothing brings this truth to the fore more effectively than our Celebration of the Eucharist. There we celebrate the Lord's presence in Word and Sacrament, in priest and people. This presence is alive and active as we gather to pray, and through our prayers, experience Christ's abiding presence with us.

Of course, this is not the only way that the Risen Christ is present to us. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to recognize him present as we go about our daily lives. We are grateful that in the celebration of the Mass, we are conscious of Christ being present not only in the proclamation of the Word, and in bread and wine changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. We are also aware of his presence in each one of us, from the moment we gather in Church.

This presence is enhanced even more through our sharing in the one bread and the one cup at Communion. This Communion is first with Christ, but also with the entire Communion of the Saints, and also with the members of the Church throughout the world. This includes, of course, the person sitting next to us at Mass.

Having experienced this presence as a Church gathered in prayer, our hearts and souls are then enabled to recognize Christ elsewhere: in creation, as the sun sets magnificently; in a flower or the song of a bird; in a kind act, or a forgiving word; in the beggar by the road, and in the spouse with whom we share our life; in our families gathered around the dinner table.

Our Catholic faith does not call us to lift our eyes only to heaven to know God. A spirituality or faith that sees Christ only in Church is blind indeed! The more we become aware of this manifold presence of Christ, the more we affirm that the tomb is still empty, and that the Risen Christ is truly alive and present in our midst.

During Lent, we had a bulletin insert each week which focused on the Scriptures for the coming week. We will continue this is a smaller way, by including the Sunday readings for the next weekend in each bulletin. You are heartily encouraged to spend time with these readings, alone, or with others, perhaps as a time of family prayer or reflection. This is an excellent way of preparing to celebrate the Eucharist.

By listening to God's Word during the week, we hope to hear Him more clearly on Sunday morning. Hearing Him more clearly on Sunday, we hope to hear his voice each and every day, the voice of the Savior, who is Risen indeed!

The tomb is still empty. Alleluia!

March 29, 1998 -Parish Life: The Scrutines

This weekend, and the last two Sundays, at the 10:30 Mass, we've celebrated the Scrutines with our candidates and catechumens. Each is a simple rite, with silent prayer, intercessions, laying on of hands, and a prayer for deliverance. They are celebrated during Lent, because each one focuses on being set free from sin.

When properly done, each of the scrutinies is connected to a particular Gospel reading. The first scrutiny is done after hearing the story of the woman at the well, the second after the story of the man born blind, and the third, after the story of the raising of Lazarus. The power of these stories lies in that each one has Jesus setting someone free from unbelief, from sin and death itself.

We should be very clear that we do these scrutinies in the midst of the community for a good reason. Yes, we could do them at some other time, gathering just the candidates and catechumens with their sponsors. But it is not only those preparing to receive the Easter sacraments for the first time who need to be set free.

There is not a one of us who does not struggle with sin. Perhaps it's one particular sin that keeps asserting itself. Perhaps it's an attitude that we just can't seem to shake. Or perhaps it's resentment or jealousy or a desire for revenge toward some person who's done us harm.

The first step in being set free lies in admitting our sin. Probably one of the most difficult part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is that naming out loud of the sins we've committed. The Church describes an 'integral' confession as the telling of all the sins we remember, and how often we've committed them. This is not a hang-up about numbers or embarrassing someone. The reality is that it is all too easy to fool ourselves about our own actions, making excuses, and denying the reality of our sin.

Only then can we begin to look behind the actions, and seek out any fundamental reasons why we choose the wrong action. This can often be important for overcoming the sin in our life. We must look at the root causes of our sin, and the needs we're trying to meet, by choosing the wrong actions.

It's essential to see God at work in this entire process. He is the one who leads us to recognition of, and contrition for our sin. He is the one who gives us the insight to learn something of why we do what we do. And his grace alone can give us the strength and guidance to live up to our Act of Contrition: to firmly resolve to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

Hopefully, our Lenten practices have made this possible. As we draw near to Easter, it may be time to do a final spring cleaning. The hard fact is that Jesus will not set us free from our sin unless we want him to do so.

At Easter, we want to joyfully welcome the risen Lord into our lives. Let us 'scrutinize' each of our hearts, that we might do that.

March 22, 1998 - Catholic Bible Reading

"Maybe I'll start reading the Bible." The comment came out of the blue, from a rather casual acquaintance, rather than a friend or parishioner. The explanation that followed was that her life was, shall we say, less than satisfactory.

Without really thinking about it, my immediate response was that she start going to church instead. She seemed rather surprised at that, so I explained. In the course of my explanation, I realized how really "Catholic" my suggestion was, without really meaning to be. (I had no idea what religion she belonged to, if any.)

By Catholic, we're simply talking about our understanding of the Bible as a book stemming from, and belonging to the Church. This recognizes the fact that while the Scriptures are inspired by God, they were written in the midst of the Church, for the Church, and by the Church. It's often good to remember that the Church existed before the New Testament did!

This understanding of the Bible leads us then to the best way to hear and understand the Scriptures: in the midst of the Church. Just as we are most fully Catholic when we are gathered together in prayer with one another, so are the Scriptures at their best when proclaimed in the midst of the Church. This proclamation is so powerful that we believe God is actually present when His Word is read at Mass.

This is not to lessen the value of reading the Scriptures alone, as my acquaintance was considering. There is certainly value in that, particularly if that solitary reading draws us more deeply into the community that is the Church.

All of this, of course, is aimed at deepening our relationship with our God. For us as Catholics, that relationship cannot be separated from our relationship with the Church. When Jesus gave us a new commandment, he did not say, 'Love me as I have loved you'. Rather he said, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' In describing the final judgment, he did not say, 'Whatsoever you do unto me, I do unto you'. Rather he said, 'Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me'.

Because we are Catholic, there is a sense in which, even when we are all alone in our room reading the Bible, we are doing so in the midst of the Church. It is the Church that gives us God's Word in the Bible, and it is with the Church that we are called to live out the teachings of the Scriptures. It's not just me and Jesus. It's us and Jesus, together.

I don't know if my acquaintance will go to church or not, as I suggested. I certainly hope she does open her heart and her life to God. In any case, I have no doubt that she will find God most easily in the midst of a community of faith, that together listens to God's Word, and together seeks to live their lives according to that Word.

Yes, that is rather Catholic, isn't it?

March 8, 1998 - Fasting Alone?

Last week, I was talking with a couple in our parish about Ash Wednesday, and Lent in general. The conversation began with a story about a little restaurant somewhere that had a sign Ash Wednesday to remind people not to eat meat. Discussing how rare this is led to talking about Grandma's day, and how different it was 'back then'.

Certainly here in southwest La., things have changed. There was a time when no went to parties, not simply because they chose not to, but because no one had them! The entire community was practicing the same self-denial. Things have changed.

One reason for the change is the pluralistic society in which we live. Many people surrounding us do not have the same beliefs we do, and live and act differently, sometimes in ways that we believe to be wrong. Certainly there are religions out there which teach a very different faith from our own. (And no, Virginia, it is not the same thing as long as we worship the same God!)

While we might lament this, we must not be blinded to the benefits. The same laws and customs which allow other folks to disagree with us, allow us to disagree with them. We might sometimes long for a 'Christian' nation. But what if the leaders of this nation, in imposing their brand of Christianity, outlawed the Eucharist??? Suppose government began to impose prayer in all our public schools, but the prayer was a Buddhist prayer? Or suppose one of the school prayers asked God's forgiveness for all those who worship Mary by praying the Hail Mary? (Yes, I know we don't worship Mary, but many think we do.)

The freedom we have to practice our own faith, privately and publicly, is a precious one. Part of the price we pay for that freedom is that others are also free to disagree with us.

So, what does this have to do with Lent? We might wax nostalgic for the days of yore, when everybody seemed to be eating grilled cheese and eggs on Friday. But our challenge is to keep Lent today. The fact that not everyone is doing it does not mean that we cannot.

This demands much more of each of us in terms of self-discipline. If I practice self-denial during Lent, it will be because I have chosen to do so, not because 'everybody else is doing it'. While more difficult, there is something to be said for this, spiritually. Each and every one of us must take responsibility for our own spirituality and practice of religion. No one can do that for us.

A second result is to remind us how much we need the community of the Church, our parish and other parishes. While it might sometimes seem otherwise, we are not alone in keeping Lent. We support and encourage each other in remaining faithful to our beliefs and practices. The sign no longer hangs in the restaurant window. We must be that sign, and reminder, for each other.

February 22, 1998 - Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Sometimes people ask me questions that surprise me, not because the question is unreasonable, but simply because I hadn't considered it before. That happened recently when someone asked me if anyone could use the chairs by the tabernacle for private prayer and meditation.

The answer, of course, is a resounding 'YES'! That is precisely why they are there. Particularly as we begin this Lenten season, I would encourage anyone and everyone to find time to spend in private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This is a unique and effective way to deepen our personal relationship with the Lord.

Perhaps it's good to recall why we reserve the Blessed Sacrament in a tabernacle after Mass. Traditionally, the first reason is to enable the bringing of the Eucharist to the sick and dying. This is possible because we believe the bread and wine are changed at Mass into the Body and Blood of Jesus, and they remain such after Mass is over.

The second reason for reserving the Eucharist in the tabernacle is the kind of private and individual devotion mentioned above. While our God is present to us in many ways, His presence in the Eucharist is unique, such that we call it Real.

Our church is designed to make this prayer possible, by setting aside a special area for this prayer with and to the Lord Jesus. And this private worship of the Eucharist is always oriented to the celebration of the Eucharist (the Mass) by the worshipping community. This is why when we gather for Mass, our attention is not focused on the tabernacle, but rather on the actions and presence of God and the community which make the Eucharist possible.

All devotions, including this one, are secondary to the actual celebration of the Eucharist. The Church speaks of the Mass as the Source and Summit of our Faith. All other forms of prayer are directed toward that celebration.

So, please, do use the chairs before the tabernacle, especially during this Lent. Wear them out! In this way, we will all be drawn more deeply into the community celebration of the Eucharist.

February 15, 1998 - Beginning Lent

It's been several weeks now since I spotted my first piece of King Cake. Better than the calendar, this is a clear sign that Lent looms ahead of us. The Mardi Gras season has begun. We know what follows.

It's important however, not to put the cart before the horse. Often in discussing the date of Ash Wednesday, I've heard that it's the day after Mardi Gras. Wrong. Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday. Doesn't matter, you say? I think it does.

Lent is the upcoming liturgical season that we prepare to celebrate. Everything that comes before it are in essence a final fling before a time of self-denial. Mardi Gras would not exist were it not for Lent.

Now is the time to begin thinking about that. How can I make the most use of this Lenten season, this year? What do I need to do to make the most of this opportunity? We often complain about the excesses of Christmas that society forces upon us. Shall we embrace the sparseness and desert of Lent, or shall we let our indulgent society talk us out of that, too?

Traditionally, Lent is a time of prayer, self-denial and giving alms. Our Lenten observance should consider each of these three spiritual challenges.

Prayer is at the center of our faith life. Each year we have an opportunity to do a kind of self-diagnostic, asking if I'm really making prayer a priority in my life. This includes both private prayer and public worship.

Giving alms means remembering those with less than we have. Jesus cared for the poor. So must we.

And of course, self-denial cannot be forgotten. Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent are days of eating less. This, and other acts of self-denial teach us self-discipline, and how to say no. By learning to say no to good things, we enable ourselves to say no to sin and evil in our lives.

This is important if we're not going to see Lent as just a time to recover from Mardi Gras. More importantly, Lent can either be a time of spiritual renewal for us, or it can just be a block of time on the calendar. It all depends on what we do with it.

January 11, 1998 - Christmas in January

Yes, we're still celebrating Christmas. This Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, brings to a close our Christmas season. After today, we move into a brief period of Ordinary Time, until we enter into the season of Lent.

Unfortunately, we might easily be feeling somewhat tired of the Christmas event, since society began last October with their seasonal marketing and sales push. We on the other hand, took the time to celebrate Advent, that we might truly be prepared to celebrate the birthday of our Savior.

This is but one example of areas in which we are out of step with our society, or rather, that they are out of step with us. While we may live in a country where the majority of citizens are Christian, we do not live in a Christian society. Many elements of life around us do not reflect the Gospel message, or the values that we hold as Catholics.

This does not mean that everything about our society is bad. It simply means that we must judge the practices and values of our society through the lens of the Gospel. We must be particularly aware of the 'everybody else does it' kind of peer pressure, limited not only to teens, where it is so much easier to follow the crowd.

One example of this is the tension between the individual and the community. Respect for the individual is a tremendous value in our society. This value does in many ways support the Church in her respect for the dignity and worth of each and every human person. Thankfully, we have seen a growth in the respect for the fundamental human rights of every human person, created in God's image.

At the same time, this individualism is often carried to an extreme, when it ignores the fact that we are also social beings, called to part of family and community. As a Church, we must always be aware of this, and support efforts aimed at the common good, and the well-being of the various communities, particularly religious ones, in our society.

What this means for us is putting the Gospel first. Sometimes, that may mean singing Christmas carols, even when no one else is. Just remember, it is they who are out of step!

January 4, 1998 - New Year's Resolutions

Now that we're a few days into the New Year, how are YOU doing with your New Year's resolutions???! Have they gone the way of last year's resolutions? Or are you still hanging on? While it may seem pessimistic, the most consistent thing about these well-intentioned decisions is that they often seem to be short-lived!

There is a genuine and valuable insight underlying them, though. Just the act of making these resolutions affirms our belief that we do need to change and grow, and that it is at least possible. If we didn't believe this, we wouldn't even bother.

But a more important insight can be noted when we compare these resolutions to the Catholic concept of conversion. Is there a difference? Several.

The first is that conversion is meant to be a life-long, never ending process. We are seeking to become imitators and disciples of Jesus, a challenge which always asks more of us. It can't be limited to one time of the year.

Even more important is a belief in the priority of grace, which makes conversion possible. At the moment when we even desire to be better followers of Jesus, God's grace is already at work. The priority of grace means simply that it is always God reaching out to us first. Anything we do after that is response to his grace. There is no good deed, no good intention, that is not inspired by the gift of the Father's grace, given to us through Christ Jesus, in the Holy Spirit.

This makes clear what is lacking in New Year's resolutions. They are based on the idea that I can change myself, by my own power, and strength. Conversion, on the other hand, recognizes that God is the one who changes hearts and lives. Conversion is our opening up of our hearts, so that God can do what He wills with us.

Of course, I play a part in this. I must take action and accept His gift of grace. But what God does in us will always be richer, and more long lasting than anything we can do on our own. As we wish one another a Happy New Year, let us remember that grace and conversion pave the way to that happiness!

December 28, 1997 - St. Joseph, our Patron

It is sometimes said that our God is a God of surprises. Few people would probably agree with that more than our parish patron saint, St. Joseph. No one could have imagined, much less planned a life like his. What can we say about this person whom the Bible calls an "upright man"?

We read in the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel that Joseph's first surprise came even before he and Mary were married. Before they had lived together, he learned that she was with child. Can we imagine what he must have felt at this discovery? At this point, since he had no idea that God was involved in all this, feelings of betrayal and disappointment must have flooded over him. His fiancé' was pregnant!

Here Joseph shows us something of what he was made of. He did not lash out, he did not strike back at Mary. Quite to the contrary, he chose not to expose her to the law. This upright man, though deeply hurt, chose to treat Mary with kindness and compassion.

It is in this context that the second surprise came his way. Mary had not betrayed him at all. The angel told him, "It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child". Here Joseph reveals to us to what depths he was also a man of faith. He believed the angel, and took Mary into his home. Doing God's will was what he was about.

Having journeyed to the town of Bethlehem with his pregnant wife, to take part in the census, a son was born to Mary and Joseph. Here again, his life was touched by turmoil, and the specialness of this child became apparent. Again the message of the angel directed Joseph, this time to flee to Egypt. What amazement he must have felt, having learned that the King wanted to kill his son! And he went, again, open to God's will.

After Herod's death, he left Egypt with his family. He moved to Nazareth, rather than back to Judea. We can only imagine what other surprises came his way as the foster father of the Son of God!

In all this, Joseph was an upright man, a man of integrity, a man of faith, a man of gentleness and compassion, devoted to his wife and son. This is the patron of our parish!

November 30, 1997- Advent and Hospitality

You look around the house, and realize that there's no place for your guests to sit. Papers and books are scattered around, a few things from this afternoon's shopping trip haven't been put away yet. It's not that the place is dirty so much as it's become cluttered, from the normal, everyday activities of living.

So you begin to tidy up, putting things away, perhaps even tossing a few items in the garbage. When you're done, you've performed the first act of hospitality. You've created a space in which to welcome your guests.

This weekend, we sing a new song: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Advent is upon us, a time of longing, of expectation, of hope and of preparation. For a child has been promised to a us, a child is given to us.

It's time to prepare to welcome the guest. How ironic that our preparations for Christmas often make it difficult to prepare to welcome the guest. So many activities, so much running about, extra gatherings and cooking, and of course, the shopping. They can easily consume us, leaving us frazzled and distracted when the 24th arrives. How often have we been glad that Christmas is over, just because now we can stop!

A key element in celebrating Advent is to avoid letting the clutter overwhelm us. If we're going be able to welcome the guest, we need to create a space for Him, in our lives and in our hearts.

Consider for a moment the beginning of Mass. Our gathering rite helps us prepare to welcome the guest: We sing a song of celebration, we are greeted with words of welcome, we banish sin from our hearts. God is already present, in the community assembled there. Before we sit down to welcome God present in His Word, we take a moment to pray, first in silence, and then in words.

All of that is meant to create a space to welcome the guest, so that the Lord may come in, and do what He wills with us. It is an act of hospitality.

Advent is upon us. Take time to prepare to welcome the guest.

November 23, 1997 - Who is Christ the King

For today, the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, Christ the King. At other times, the Son of God. The Word made Flesh. The Messiah. Emmanuel, God with Us. Savior. Redeemer. Miracle-worker. Healer.

Titles and descriptions, in a list that could go on and on. Each one descriptive of Jesus of Nazareth, born of the Virgin, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Each one is true. Yet no one title, no one description totally captures the reality of Jesus the Christ.

Even if we could list every title and description every given to Jesus, from the Scriptures and Tradition, we would still fall short in totally grasping the fullness of who Jesus is. True God and true man, our human understanding is simply not capable of reaching far enough. Our limitations as creatures mean the full understanding of the Creator lies beyond our grasp.

Yet, still, all we have said about Jesus is true. Even if we cannot say everything, that does not mean we can say nothing. Because God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus, because the God-Man was born into our midst, we can truly say that we know, and believe in, Jesus.

Therefore the Church gives us the season of Advent. Four short weeks, a time is given to us to reflect on Jesus' long-awaited coming. We long for his return, we wait patiently, and we seek to serve him with all our hearts while we await him.

And when he comes, will we know him? If the Lord were to return today, would we notice? Would we even know he had visited us?

As we enter next weekend into the season of Advent, perhaps we can each revisit our understanding of Jesus. Does my understanding of Jesus match that of the Church? Could my image of Jesus be expanded, refined, improved? Could I get to know him better?

Most of us can certainly say yes to that. How do we do it? Embrace Advent, with it's Scriptures, and images, and colors. Don't let the busy-ness of the season overwhelm. Take time, to be quiet, to listen, to pray. In this way, we prepare for the joy and promise of the Incarnation.

November 16, 1997- Reconciliation and Forgiveness

This week, I had the opportunity to meet with parents of our second-graders, who are preparing for their first celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was an opportunity to reflect on our own practice of the Sacrament, and the place it holds in our lives.

At any gathering of the Church, we are certain of this: we are all sinners. Yet, because of God's gift of mercy, that is not all we are. We are also the forgiven, the redeemed, the ones precious in God's eyes. Celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation regularly allows us to stay in touch with the experience of God's healing of the sin and woundedness in our lives.

Without this sacrament, we would be lost, without hope. But God is not satisfied with that. Through his Son, he offers us the chance to return to Him, rebuilding the relationship of love that was fractured by sin.

As believers who are forgiven, we also become able to appreciate the great dignity that is ours, as sons and daughters of the Most High God. This dignity is not something we earn, but rather God's free gift. Though we are sinners, God has made us His adopted children, through our fellowship with Christ and with one another.

This dignity, given by God, is precisely what makes it possible for us to say 'Yes' to the call of Christ to share in his ministry. When Christ founded His Church on Peter, the Rock, He made it possible for us to share in that great work that He himself began: seeking to make real the Kingdom of God in our lives, and in the lives of our brothers and sisters.

We probably all stand in awe of this wondrous call. We often say, 'I am not worthy'. But again, this is not the entire story. While not worthy by our own merits, we are made worthy, because Christ has called us. This is why we are able to place our gifts and talents at the service of the Church.

This, of course, is Stewardship, of Time and Talent. It remains our responsibility, yours and mine, to explore the ways in which we might serve., because Christ has called us. Being Catholic is not a spectator sport!