As mentioned a few days ago, I was one of several speakers last Saturday at the Dayton Catholic Homeschool Conference at St. Peter Church in Huber Heights.
I enjoyed it immensely, although I was rather concerned, as the end of the week drew nigh, whether I'd run out of time to prepare my talks. As it happened, everything seemed to go well.
The day started with Mass, with Archbishop Dennis Schnurr as the principal celebrant. With the addition of a children's choir, many concelebrants and a lot of energetic folks, this was no ordinary Saturday morning Mass!
Then Father Earl Simone, pastor of St. Peter, had a nice breakfast for the Archbishop and the clergy; the main thing was so the Archbishop could get acquainted with the homeschool association; I was merely along for the ride, and enjoyed a pretty fancy breakfast!
Father Earl Fernandes, Academic Dean of Mount Saint Mary Seminary of the West (our archdiocesan seminary)--and a good friend from seminary--and I were trading friendly jibes over cups of coffee; insofar as my talk and his were at the same time, I hoped he wouldn't feel too badly about no one coming to his talk. Well, we were having some coffee when it dawned on us that maybe the Archbishop--who had left--was about to make his remarks, and it wouldn't do for us to miss that! We didn't, thankfully.
Anyway, I had two talks, which I'll post shortly. One was for parents, on equipping children with spiritual armor, and the other was for the teens, on social justice, and how we must be God's "not-so-secret agents" in pursuing social justice. I was so encouraged by the fathers who were present, and the teens. After the latter talk, I had one boy, who I think was about 16, very respectfully question part of my interpretation of the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man; good for him!
Monday, July 13, 2009
'Social Justice: Being God's not-so-secret agent'
(These are notes--I actually did this in a more dialogical fashion, but you can't tell that so clearly from these notes...)
First, I want to commend you…it's summer, and Saturday, and you're here!
Second, a lot of people think they don’t know anything about the Church’s teaching on social justice, but I am willing to bet you know more than you realize. Let’s see if I’m right…
1. Let’s start with this question: what is "justice"? St. Thomas Aquinas said, "to each man his due.’
2. What do we mean when we talk about social justice?
It’s not just about what’s due an individual, but also what’s due individuals-in-society.
What is the danger if we forget about the social aspect? What happens if you only look for justice concerning the individual?
How about this example. Later today, you go to a restaurant, or the store—you buy food and eat it. Have you done anything wrong?
Ø add: someone else in your community is starving. Lazarus and the Rich Man: what happened to the Rich Man? (He went to hell.) Why? (Not because he didn’t do enough, but because he didn’t do anything.
I.e., here is a case where from the standpoint of individual justice, what did you do wrong? And yet—there is a broader question of concern for more than your own individual actions.
Application: between 10-15% of folks are out of work; many more have not enough work. You’re working at a good job, good pay and benefits—while someone else has no work at all. Someone offers a plan to reduce wages and hours, so more can work; but the union blocks it. Are you the Rich Man to that man’s Lazarus? If cutting wages or hours might have ensured more people keep their jobs, maybe you are.
Now, that example raises a couple of issues associate with the Church’s social teaching, did you notice?
Unions…
What do you think the Church says about unions?
Ø People have a right to form or associate with unions—Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII.
Ø Unions should be about advancing the good of working people but not at the expense of others’ legitimate rights and the common good
Ø Catholics should not affiliate with unions if they aren’t compatible with Catholic teaching in general.
What the Church does not say about unions:
Ø That working people must belong to them.
Ø That unions are always right or should always prevail.
Ø That unions should be about employee versus employer: Pope Leo suggested the possibility of unions including employers—what idea was he trying to cultivate there?
Solidarity: i.e., yes, I am my brother’s keeper.
Related to this is the "common good." The idea is that sometimes I have to ask, not just what’s good for me, but what’s good for…us.
Let’s go back to that example: you go buy food in the store. You pay for it. You eat it. But you decided to buy some extra food and drop it off at the food pantry on the way home: you remembered the poor man, Lazarus.
Now, are you finished thinking about "justice" in this case?
Ø What about the workers who produced the food or brought it to you?
Ø What about the way the food was produced—care for the natural environment?
The workers involved in bringing this food to you are entitled to a fair wage and just working conditions—did they have the ability to negotiate and bargain collectively if they wanted to?
Here’s something to think about, but you may not want to…
You hear about food contamination now and then, including produce.
Do you ever wonder if those who pick the food are provided a bathroom? See the connection?
The common good refers to the "sum total" of all that is good for people—some of those things are "indivisible" and we only have them together.
Examples of good things that are indivisible—we can only have them together:
Some things theoretically could be had in a solitary way, but practically, we don’t:
Most of the products we use or consume
Most of the services we rely on
Art
Nature
Health care
Some things we simply cannot have in a solitary way:
Communication
Parties
Love
Also, one of the key points here is that many good things aren’t reducible to a dollar value—yet they are important to a good life:
Family
Faith
Common concern
OK, that’s a brief picture of the Church’s teaching on Social Justice—now let’s talk about being God’s "not so secret" agent.
Here’s the thing: when you talk about social justice, when you work for it, can you see how God could be left out?
Ø Environment—worship of nature; humanity is not primary
Ø Rights of workers—power & greed; economics above all
Ø Enough food for people—people are the problem
Ø Health care—rationing; illicit methods of research and treatment; people are the problem.
Question: why do we make the world a better place?
(I.e., what’s God got to do with it?)
If we’re not careful, we lose sight of…heaven.
Question: So why don’t we just focus on heaven? Who cares what this life is like?
Because this world is preparation for heaven or hell. We need a good life—"good" understood the right way (moral good, enhancing human dignity)—here, to help us gain the good life forever.
Suffering helps us, but it isn’t itself a final good: we don’t look forward to suffering in heaven.
Prosperity is good; but not a final good—our Catholic Faith teaches us that we can and should enjoy the good things of life, but not to make them our gods.
One of the hallmarks of Christianity is that it goes out of its way both to share the Gospel, but also to help the poor, and to improve the quality of life. Can you think of examples?
Ø Hospitals. Hospitals predated Christianity and occur outside Christendom: the Romans had hospitals for slaves, gladiators and soldiers, and we have evidence of hospitals in ancient Persia and India. But the Council of Nicea, among other things, called for hospitals to be established in every cathedral city. Later, they were staffed by religious orders, right up until very recently. Only in recent times have Catholic hospitals started to disappear, because of the collapse of the religious orders and rising costs.
Ø Slavery. It was widespread and considered normal in pagan society; it all but died out during Christendom, being revived—how, when? At the time of the "renaissance"—it means rebirth, rebirth of what? The rebirth of pre-Christian ideas and values! Also, the return of slavery was driven by greed and conquest, outside of Christian Europe. Eventually, it was eradicated, to a large degree as a result of folks motivated by their Christian faith. And by the way, the Church repeatedly condemned slavery and the slave trade, but the politicians and well-connected of those days ignored the Church’s "interference"—sound familiar?
Ø Civil Rights
Ø Working conditions
Ø Child labor
So keeping God connected keeps it truly human; and keeping God connected makes sure we have eternity in view.
In other words, you and I have to be the "salt"—and the "light":
Salt: we are the ones who keep this from going down the wrong path:
Medicine => human sacrifice
Improving living standards => anti human—contraceptive mentality
Environment => anti human – we’re a "virus"; world better off without us!
(Fill in the rest)
Economics =>
Workers rights =>
Civil rights =>
Light: we keep Christ in view so we draw people to Christ.
Our Gospel isn’t credible if we don’t care about people; but we haven’t evangelized if we only give food that perishes.
Get involved in social justice—but do it so that we are happy in this life in preparation for eternal happiness.
Finally, if for no other reason than this. Abp Chaput, commenting on sheep and goats passage (Matthew 25): "if we forget the poor, we go to hell."
Social Justice: being God’s not-so-secret agent
Key Principles:
1. Human dignity and true identity: made in God’s image, living in communion.
2. Justice is "to each man his due"; social justice means it’s not just about individuals.
3. Solidarity: we’re all in this together.
4. Common Good: not just what’s good for me, but good for us.
5. Without Jesus Christ, "social justice" becomes idolatry. What may begin as exalting humanity eventually degrades us.
6. Without concern for justice and dignity, our preaching of the Gospel fails.
Key Questions for you:
1. How do I keep a clear distinction between the bedrock truths of social justice, and the various ways to apply them, whether in individual, collective, or governmental action? What’s "negotiable" and what’s "non-negotiable?"
2. How do I keep Jesus Christ front and center in all the social justice activity I take part in? What about when we cooperate with non-Christians?
3. What do I say to those who think all the issues are equally important?
4. Should I get involved in politics, and if so, how do I keep my soul?
5. What change can I bring about, even in a small way, on my own?
Additional Resources:
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2004. Available online at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html.
Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI, 2009. Available online at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html.
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. 161 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 301
Grand Rapids, MI 49503; (800) 345-2286. Internet: www.acton.org E-mail: info@acton.org.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Catholic Social Action Office. 100 East 8th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-3131 ext. 2660. Email: csa@catholicsocialaction.org.
Dayton Office: 266 Bainbridge Street, Dayton, OH 45402; (937) 224-3026. Email: csadayton@catholicsocialaction.org. Internet: http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/socialaction/.
First, I want to commend you…it's summer, and Saturday, and you're here!
Second, a lot of people think they don’t know anything about the Church’s teaching on social justice, but I am willing to bet you know more than you realize. Let’s see if I’m right…
1. Let’s start with this question: what is "justice"? St. Thomas Aquinas said, "to each man his due.’
2. What do we mean when we talk about social justice?
It’s not just about what’s due an individual, but also what’s due individuals-in-society.
What is the danger if we forget about the social aspect? What happens if you only look for justice concerning the individual?
How about this example. Later today, you go to a restaurant, or the store—you buy food and eat it. Have you done anything wrong?
Ø add: someone else in your community is starving. Lazarus and the Rich Man: what happened to the Rich Man? (He went to hell.) Why? (Not because he didn’t do enough, but because he didn’t do anything.
I.e., here is a case where from the standpoint of individual justice, what did you do wrong? And yet—there is a broader question of concern for more than your own individual actions.
Application: between 10-15% of folks are out of work; many more have not enough work. You’re working at a good job, good pay and benefits—while someone else has no work at all. Someone offers a plan to reduce wages and hours, so more can work; but the union blocks it. Are you the Rich Man to that man’s Lazarus? If cutting wages or hours might have ensured more people keep their jobs, maybe you are.
Now, that example raises a couple of issues associate with the Church’s social teaching, did you notice?
Unions…
What do you think the Church says about unions?
Ø People have a right to form or associate with unions—Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII.
Ø Unions should be about advancing the good of working people but not at the expense of others’ legitimate rights and the common good
Ø Catholics should not affiliate with unions if they aren’t compatible with Catholic teaching in general.
What the Church does not say about unions:
Ø That working people must belong to them.
Ø That unions are always right or should always prevail.
Ø That unions should be about employee versus employer: Pope Leo suggested the possibility of unions including employers—what idea was he trying to cultivate there?
Solidarity: i.e., yes, I am my brother’s keeper.
Related to this is the "common good." The idea is that sometimes I have to ask, not just what’s good for me, but what’s good for…us.
Let’s go back to that example: you go buy food in the store. You pay for it. You eat it. But you decided to buy some extra food and drop it off at the food pantry on the way home: you remembered the poor man, Lazarus.
Now, are you finished thinking about "justice" in this case?
Ø What about the workers who produced the food or brought it to you?
Ø What about the way the food was produced—care for the natural environment?
The workers involved in bringing this food to you are entitled to a fair wage and just working conditions—did they have the ability to negotiate and bargain collectively if they wanted to?
Here’s something to think about, but you may not want to…
You hear about food contamination now and then, including produce.
Do you ever wonder if those who pick the food are provided a bathroom? See the connection?
The common good refers to the "sum total" of all that is good for people—some of those things are "indivisible" and we only have them together.
Examples of good things that are indivisible—we can only have them together:
Some things theoretically could be had in a solitary way, but practically, we don’t:
Most of the products we use or consume
Most of the services we rely on
Art
Nature
Health care
Some things we simply cannot have in a solitary way:
Communication
Parties
Love
Also, one of the key points here is that many good things aren’t reducible to a dollar value—yet they are important to a good life:
Family
Faith
Common concern
OK, that’s a brief picture of the Church’s teaching on Social Justice—now let’s talk about being God’s "not so secret" agent.
Here’s the thing: when you talk about social justice, when you work for it, can you see how God could be left out?
Ø Environment—worship of nature; humanity is not primary
Ø Rights of workers—power & greed; economics above all
Ø Enough food for people—people are the problem
Ø Health care—rationing; illicit methods of research and treatment; people are the problem.
Question: why do we make the world a better place?
(I.e., what’s God got to do with it?)
If we’re not careful, we lose sight of…heaven.
Question: So why don’t we just focus on heaven? Who cares what this life is like?
Because this world is preparation for heaven or hell. We need a good life—"good" understood the right way (moral good, enhancing human dignity)—here, to help us gain the good life forever.
Suffering helps us, but it isn’t itself a final good: we don’t look forward to suffering in heaven.
Prosperity is good; but not a final good—our Catholic Faith teaches us that we can and should enjoy the good things of life, but not to make them our gods.
One of the hallmarks of Christianity is that it goes out of its way both to share the Gospel, but also to help the poor, and to improve the quality of life. Can you think of examples?
Ø Hospitals. Hospitals predated Christianity and occur outside Christendom: the Romans had hospitals for slaves, gladiators and soldiers, and we have evidence of hospitals in ancient Persia and India. But the Council of Nicea, among other things, called for hospitals to be established in every cathedral city. Later, they were staffed by religious orders, right up until very recently. Only in recent times have Catholic hospitals started to disappear, because of the collapse of the religious orders and rising costs.
Ø Slavery. It was widespread and considered normal in pagan society; it all but died out during Christendom, being revived—how, when? At the time of the "renaissance"—it means rebirth, rebirth of what? The rebirth of pre-Christian ideas and values! Also, the return of slavery was driven by greed and conquest, outside of Christian Europe. Eventually, it was eradicated, to a large degree as a result of folks motivated by their Christian faith. And by the way, the Church repeatedly condemned slavery and the slave trade, but the politicians and well-connected of those days ignored the Church’s "interference"—sound familiar?
Ø Civil Rights
Ø Working conditions
Ø Child labor
So keeping God connected keeps it truly human; and keeping God connected makes sure we have eternity in view.
In other words, you and I have to be the "salt"—and the "light":
Salt: we are the ones who keep this from going down the wrong path:
Medicine => human sacrifice
Improving living standards => anti human—contraceptive mentality
Environment => anti human – we’re a "virus"; world better off without us!
(Fill in the rest)
Economics =>
Workers rights =>
Civil rights =>
Light: we keep Christ in view so we draw people to Christ.
Our Gospel isn’t credible if we don’t care about people; but we haven’t evangelized if we only give food that perishes.
Get involved in social justice—but do it so that we are happy in this life in preparation for eternal happiness.
Finally, if for no other reason than this. Abp Chaput, commenting on sheep and goats passage (Matthew 25): "if we forget the poor, we go to hell."
Social Justice: being God’s not-so-secret agent
Key Principles:
1. Human dignity and true identity: made in God’s image, living in communion.
2. Justice is "to each man his due"; social justice means it’s not just about individuals.
3. Solidarity: we’re all in this together.
4. Common Good: not just what’s good for me, but good for us.
5. Without Jesus Christ, "social justice" becomes idolatry. What may begin as exalting humanity eventually degrades us.
6. Without concern for justice and dignity, our preaching of the Gospel fails.
Key Questions for you:
1. How do I keep a clear distinction between the bedrock truths of social justice, and the various ways to apply them, whether in individual, collective, or governmental action? What’s "negotiable" and what’s "non-negotiable?"
2. How do I keep Jesus Christ front and center in all the social justice activity I take part in? What about when we cooperate with non-Christians?
3. What do I say to those who think all the issues are equally important?
4. Should I get involved in politics, and if so, how do I keep my soul?
5. What change can I bring about, even in a small way, on my own?
Additional Resources:
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2004. Available online at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html.
Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI, 2009. Available online at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html.
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. 161 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 301
Grand Rapids, MI 49503; (800) 345-2286. Internet: www.acton.org E-mail: info@acton.org.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Catholic Social Action Office. 100 East 8th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-3131 ext. 2660. Email: csa@catholicsocialaction.org.
Dayton Office: 266 Bainbridge Street, Dayton, OH 45402; (937) 224-3026. Email: csadayton@catholicsocialaction.org. Internet: http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/socialaction/.
'Equipping your children with spiritual armor'
(We began with a reading from Ephesians 6:11-20.)
I am glad to be with you—I’ve never taken part in a conference for home-school families, although I have gotten to know several families who have their schooling at home, and I am on your side, you have my admiration!
I had a bunch more great things I was going to say about how wonderful homeschooling is, but the Archbishop stole all my good comments!
Now, let’s get to the topic at hand: equipping your children with spiritual armor.
That sounds like something they really need, doesn’t it?
This comes from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, a part of which we just heard. And it should be reassuring to us to remember that children needed spiritual armor just as much in his day, if not more, than they do today. We are sorely tempted to believe our times are terrible, things are as bad as ever, and still getting worse.
Remember the world St. Paul lived in:
Ø Slavery was a routine, normal state of affairs.
Ø Children were the property of the father, who could leave them to die.
Ø Watching real people really kill one another was a normal form of entertainment.
Ø Worship of false gods was everywhere—and a lot of it included sexual indecency, which was bound up with that false worship.
Ø The Emperors of Rome were known for having people murdered, for visiting brothels, orgies, pornography, and incest.
Ø This was a world without most medical treatment we take for granted, including two in particular: painkillers and antibiotics.
Worth thinking about when we complain about our bad times.
Also remember that in St. Paul’s time, only a few people were either Christians or Jews, and that few were at odds with each other.
My point is, while we may find the parallels between Paul’s world, and ours, alarming—we can also find them comforting. Not only did Christianity survive that world—that was the world in which the Church was born! We thrived in that environment!
So let’s talk about spiritual armor.
Notice the passage we heard begins with "finally"—this is the conclusion of Paul’s Letter to the Church in Ephesus. He has written about the nature of the Church, one Body, united to the Head, as the central actor in a cosmic drama; and then it’s about our dignity in Christ; and then, about how each of our roles is different because of this. So he gives guidance to couples, to parents and children, even to masters and slaves. All that, before he says, "finally…"
Facing the might of Rome—facing our world situation…
Facing a tide of immorality and cynicism and faithlessness…
Paul says, "draw your strength from…the mighty power" of the Lord!
Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit.
Remember, you made sure your children received the Holy Spirit in baptism; in confirmation, you make sure they are fully equipped! In confession and in the Eucharist, they have their spiritual strength renewed. Remember the power of confession particularly, because that’s the hospital where wounded soldiers are healed—and even those with mortal wounds are brought back to life!
This advice of Paul’s is addressed to everyone—including the young. He tells them, you can stand fast against the evil one—you can "hold your ground."
Paul first tells us to gird our loins—wrapping our limbs—with the protection of truth.
One of our advantages is that we know there is no conflict between reason and faith; no conflict between science and faith.
Now, I’ll go ahead and be controversial here; I imagine there are different views on the question of evolution in this group. But there can be no conflict between our Faith and what science genuinely discovers. We don’t have any problem with them digging up bones and figuring out how they fit together. Be patient.
Of course some draw conclusions that we don’t accept. But this whole subject isn’t something to avoid; actually, this and other areas are great ways to teach your children the rigorous process of thinking. If you teach your children how to sift the actual facts from the conclusions, that would be a great skill to have.
Also, I know from homeschooling families that it’s when you start teaching your kids that you finally get the subject down for yourself.
The ability of thinking critically and embracing the intellect is something we Catholics can take a little ownership of. The university? That was our idea. The scientific method? We came up with that.
We can’t—and shouldn’t try to—shield our children from the truth.
Early in my priesthood, when I’d touch on a delicate subject in a homily, some parents would squirm at words like, "homosexuality," "abortion," "contraception" and "sex." One comment was, "I don’t want to have to explain what those are to my children."
I certainly respect that parents should be in the driver’s seat, so I found other ways to make the same point. But it also seems to me parents have no real choice but to explain these things to their children, sooner or later. I am confident you can do it the right way.
This may seem so obvious, but—be honest with your children.
I don’t mean you can’t have secrets; but don’t lie or shade the truth. If they figure out you made some bad choices when you were younger, it seems legit to say, "we didn’t tell you because it was our private business," and—"why would our making a mistake that we regret be a reason we should go along with you doing the same thing?"
And you know better than I do that kids will figure things out.
They will figure out when there’s trouble or stress. If there’s an elephant in the room, it is especially hard on children to see the adults pretend it’s not there and to say, "what elephant? Go to your room!" Level with them.
What a treasure it will be for your children to know that, whatever else, they can trust their parents always to be truthful with them.
Next, Paul says put on "righteousness as a breastplate."
I mentioned frequently receiving the sacraments of penance and the Holy Eucharist.
Remember that the sacrament of penance is necessary when we’re guilty of a mortal sin; but it’s good for us in any case. Remember that mortal sins "kill" or rupture the life of grace in us, while venial sins only damage it—but we’re still spiritually alive. Going to confession, then, either revives us from "death" or gives our life an added boost. Good for us either way!
Remember also that if we are not guilty of a mortal sin, our venial sins do not prevent us from receiving holy communion. On the contrary, that is all the more reason to receive the Eucharist.
Sunday Mass goes without saying—vacations too! Your children will learn a valuable lesson from how you make this a priority. Daily Mass is great if you can. Confession once a month is a good rule, weekly is not necessary, but what a great habit!
But the key is, don’t send them; go together as a family.
The other tool is prayer; and I’m sure you try to teach your children all the various ways of praying. That’s another gift we Catholics have—we have a lot more ways to pray than most of our fellow Christians, who don’t pray to the saints, don’t have the Rosary, don’t have adoration or litanies.
But I especially invite you to take them before the Blessed Sacrament. Even a brief visit. Scripture tells us that Moses had a kind of glow from his time in the Lord’s presence.
How about this? If you live anywhere near a church or chapel open all hours—my parish in Piqua, St. Albert used to have a 24 hour chapel, and other churches do too—why not make it a new custom that before you go on a trip as a family, or an outing, you pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament? Even a brief one.
I guess the obvious point here is praying as a family. And while sometimes prayer requires real work and perseverance, it doesn’t have to be; weaving lots of small prayers and customs and sacramentals and rituals into our lives, a lot of which are fun, and add some color and variety to life, is also something we Catholics get to do! May crowning, "Tony, Tony, turn around!" and Eucharistic processions, and the seasons of the church year, all add some variety don’t they?
I might add the same for the liturgy—and make a pitch here for the liturgy to be celebrated, certainly faithfully—but also with a view to its fuller and best form.
I mean not that every Mass should be a "high" Mass; but some Masses should—and I think more than what most parishes experience.
Now, I owe it to your pastors to explain a couple of things. First, that it’s harder to do that than people realize. It takes time and energy to get there. A lot of priests sing badly or they are self-conscious about it. A lot of priests were taught a "low Mass" approach in the seminary. And what’s more, a priest will get very few complaints if he takes that approach, but if he starts singing the Mass, or gets out the incense, or takes "too long" or spends too much money on the liturgy—he will hear about it.
And—some of you may be among those who want the Mass "businesslike" and not too long. You may not be with me on this point.
When I was a seminarian, helping out in a parish one year, I was given the task of doing lessons for each of the grades, week in, week out. And when I was asked to give a talk to the younger grades—I don’t recall what topic, but it was in church. And that’s when I became a complete convert to all the artwork that fills our churches! Young children don’t grasp abstract ideas so well! But images? That works.
The imagery that has filled our churches for at least 1,600 years serves a huge role—and it was a mistake, totally contrary to what Vatican II really said—to rip it out or leave it out.
The liturgy is a mirror of the same insight; and the same mistake was made in the liturgy. That is not what Vatican II intended; much more the opposite, but that’s a secret that is only now beginning to leak out!
And notice, the situation is unstable. If you have a bare church, it isn’t long before someone starts bringing in ferns or banners or pots filled with dead sticks. If the liturgy is too sparse, Father or the liturgy committee will want to "liven it up."
My advice to you is to be a voice in your parish, for the authentic liturgy, celebrated not in a minimalistic but in its fullest form. I’ll tell you a secret: that’s actually what Vatican II called for.
I’m not sending you to give your pastor fits, but to support him and help him.
And if you aren’t experiencing the liturgy celebrated both faithfully and fully, then I would really encourage you to find a parish where it is. Not necessarily to quit your parish, but at least so your family can regularly experience the Sacred Liturgy both faithfully, and with the dignity it deserves.
I know that isn’t always easy.
Some will say, that’s just not that big a deal. But I can tell you, even small changes in what people are accustomed to, at Mass, generate bigger reactions than you would ever guess.
This proves just how important the liturgy is in penetrating us and forming our approach to the Faith. So of course it matters that we get it just right. And why wouldn’t you want your children to experience it to the fullest?
Let’s keep putting on our armor. Paul says we need feet "shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace."
All this armor only makes sense if we’re advancing, if not "standing our ground." Not hiding or retreating.
You and I, and our children, are enlisted in Christ’s army to advance the Gospel. Our feet need to be ready to go anywhere to bring the Gospel to others.
A lot of our parishes are facing stagnation or even decline in numbers. A lot of the time, we get into a negative mindset, taking decline for granted.
Think a moment: we’re Christians; think of our history…
Isn’t that the craziest thing—to plan for decline?
What did General Patton say—did you see that movie? In his famous speech at the beginning, he said, "I don't want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We're not holding anything, we'll let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly, and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose, and we're going to kick him in"—
You get the idea!
I encourage you to foster in your children a sense of being missionaries, evangelists. And here again, don’t just tell them—let them see you doing it.
We don’t have to be experts. Often times the best witness is to tell our story. "I am a Catholic because…" "I go to Mass because…" "I put Jesus first in my life because…"
Now, maybe all that sounds too Protestant, and maybe that is intimidating. I understand. Some of you loved all that, some slunk down in your seats—I saw it!
Here are some easy ways for anyone to evangelize:
Ø Invite friends over.
Ø Don’t be shy about saying grace—ever.
Ø Don’t be pushy; be welcoming. Never be apologetic.
Ø The stations of the cross in Lent, penance services in Lent or Advent, and other things apart from Mass, are great things to invite people to take part in, Catholic or not. In Advent and Lent, especially, many folks want to get back to Faith but don’t always know how. Bring them along.
Ø We have a Eucharistic adoration chapel in Piqua; and some of the folks who come aren’t Catholic. There’s nothing that says you have to be Catholic to visit the Eucharist.
Ø Nothing wrong with bringing your children’s non-Catholic friends to Mass, but explain and help them, especially about communion. That’s just good hospitality. If your son brings his buddy, maybe that should be his job, as the host? Then maybe over breakfast afterwards, you can answer the questions that will come up.
I bet you can think of even more ways.
My point is, that in our spiritual warfare, being passive and retreating is more dangerous than being alert and going forward. All our armor is designed for that.
Paul tells us our Faith is a shield.
There are a lot of things to say about Faith, but let me highlight three aspects.
Faith is about knowledge—it matters that we know our Faith;
Faith is about obedience to what Christ teaches—it matters that we live our Faith;
And above all…
Faith is a choice of the will—which is why the habits of faith matter, because they’ll help us stand our ground and keep our choice strong when it’s not easy.
Notice Faith is a shield—not the sword. Our Faith is not mainly an offensive weapon, but a means of defense—against the attacks of the enemy.
"Flaming arrows" sound pretty scary, but St. Paul assures us our shield of Faith will do the job.
Remember, our Faith is not just ours—when we speak of our Faith, we mean our personal, individual choice of faith, but we also speak of the Faith of the Church. Remember that from the Ritual of Baptism?
Right before the child or the adult is baptized, the deacon or priest asks that person—or others to speak for her—to renounce the devil, and profess faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Everyone joins in, and then the priest says, "This is our Faith. This is the Faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!"
When we recall that people die for that profession, even at this hour, those words take on new meaning, don’t they?
My point is, we have as our shield not only our personal faith, but the Faith of the Church, the whole Church. But it has to be personal, too; we have to be used to holding it, with a familiar grip—or we’ll fumble and drop it at the first sign of trouble.
Our helmet is salvation. I had some trouble on this point, and I have some seminarians staying with me this summer and I asked their thoughts. One of them pointed out sometimes a helmet doesn't just sit on your head, but it comes down and frames your view. We might want to make sure our view of things is always framed by salvation. Father Jim Manning was my first pastor as a priest at St. Albert in Kettering; and in the evenings, we'd often sit and talk, and he'd often ask the question--in Latin, but I can't recall it now--that translated, "what does that mean for eternity?" We want to see all events and all our actions and have a concern for others, based on eternity--getting there ourselves and bringing others with us.
And our one weapon is "the Sword of the Spirit"—which is "the Word of God." The key is the Spirit; everything here only makes sense when we're empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, in Paul's time, they wouldn't have all had bibles; so they carried the Word of God in themselves; they heard it, and reflected on it, so it became part of them. We do this certainly by studying Scripture, but also by praying Scripture; maybe pray the psalms? (Here is actually where I made my points about the liturgy, rather than earlier--I did it out of order.)
(I didn't have this part written--I ran out of time!--so I ended extemporaneously and took questions.)
I am glad to be with you—I’ve never taken part in a conference for home-school families, although I have gotten to know several families who have their schooling at home, and I am on your side, you have my admiration!
I had a bunch more great things I was going to say about how wonderful homeschooling is, but the Archbishop stole all my good comments!
Now, let’s get to the topic at hand: equipping your children with spiritual armor.
That sounds like something they really need, doesn’t it?
This comes from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, a part of which we just heard. And it should be reassuring to us to remember that children needed spiritual armor just as much in his day, if not more, than they do today. We are sorely tempted to believe our times are terrible, things are as bad as ever, and still getting worse.
Remember the world St. Paul lived in:
Ø Slavery was a routine, normal state of affairs.
Ø Children were the property of the father, who could leave them to die.
Ø Watching real people really kill one another was a normal form of entertainment.
Ø Worship of false gods was everywhere—and a lot of it included sexual indecency, which was bound up with that false worship.
Ø The Emperors of Rome were known for having people murdered, for visiting brothels, orgies, pornography, and incest.
Ø This was a world without most medical treatment we take for granted, including two in particular: painkillers and antibiotics.
Worth thinking about when we complain about our bad times.
Also remember that in St. Paul’s time, only a few people were either Christians or Jews, and that few were at odds with each other.
My point is, while we may find the parallels between Paul’s world, and ours, alarming—we can also find them comforting. Not only did Christianity survive that world—that was the world in which the Church was born! We thrived in that environment!
So let’s talk about spiritual armor.
Notice the passage we heard begins with "finally"—this is the conclusion of Paul’s Letter to the Church in Ephesus. He has written about the nature of the Church, one Body, united to the Head, as the central actor in a cosmic drama; and then it’s about our dignity in Christ; and then, about how each of our roles is different because of this. So he gives guidance to couples, to parents and children, even to masters and slaves. All that, before he says, "finally…"
Facing the might of Rome—facing our world situation…
Facing a tide of immorality and cynicism and faithlessness…
Paul says, "draw your strength from…the mighty power" of the Lord!
Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit.
Remember, you made sure your children received the Holy Spirit in baptism; in confirmation, you make sure they are fully equipped! In confession and in the Eucharist, they have their spiritual strength renewed. Remember the power of confession particularly, because that’s the hospital where wounded soldiers are healed—and even those with mortal wounds are brought back to life!
This advice of Paul’s is addressed to everyone—including the young. He tells them, you can stand fast against the evil one—you can "hold your ground."
Paul first tells us to gird our loins—wrapping our limbs—with the protection of truth.
One of our advantages is that we know there is no conflict between reason and faith; no conflict between science and faith.
Now, I’ll go ahead and be controversial here; I imagine there are different views on the question of evolution in this group. But there can be no conflict between our Faith and what science genuinely discovers. We don’t have any problem with them digging up bones and figuring out how they fit together. Be patient.
Of course some draw conclusions that we don’t accept. But this whole subject isn’t something to avoid; actually, this and other areas are great ways to teach your children the rigorous process of thinking. If you teach your children how to sift the actual facts from the conclusions, that would be a great skill to have.
Also, I know from homeschooling families that it’s when you start teaching your kids that you finally get the subject down for yourself.
The ability of thinking critically and embracing the intellect is something we Catholics can take a little ownership of. The university? That was our idea. The scientific method? We came up with that.
We can’t—and shouldn’t try to—shield our children from the truth.
Early in my priesthood, when I’d touch on a delicate subject in a homily, some parents would squirm at words like, "homosexuality," "abortion," "contraception" and "sex." One comment was, "I don’t want to have to explain what those are to my children."
I certainly respect that parents should be in the driver’s seat, so I found other ways to make the same point. But it also seems to me parents have no real choice but to explain these things to their children, sooner or later. I am confident you can do it the right way.
This may seem so obvious, but—be honest with your children.
I don’t mean you can’t have secrets; but don’t lie or shade the truth. If they figure out you made some bad choices when you were younger, it seems legit to say, "we didn’t tell you because it was our private business," and—"why would our making a mistake that we regret be a reason we should go along with you doing the same thing?"
And you know better than I do that kids will figure things out.
They will figure out when there’s trouble or stress. If there’s an elephant in the room, it is especially hard on children to see the adults pretend it’s not there and to say, "what elephant? Go to your room!" Level with them.
What a treasure it will be for your children to know that, whatever else, they can trust their parents always to be truthful with them.
Next, Paul says put on "righteousness as a breastplate."
I mentioned frequently receiving the sacraments of penance and the Holy Eucharist.
Remember that the sacrament of penance is necessary when we’re guilty of a mortal sin; but it’s good for us in any case. Remember that mortal sins "kill" or rupture the life of grace in us, while venial sins only damage it—but we’re still spiritually alive. Going to confession, then, either revives us from "death" or gives our life an added boost. Good for us either way!
Remember also that if we are not guilty of a mortal sin, our venial sins do not prevent us from receiving holy communion. On the contrary, that is all the more reason to receive the Eucharist.
Sunday Mass goes without saying—vacations too! Your children will learn a valuable lesson from how you make this a priority. Daily Mass is great if you can. Confession once a month is a good rule, weekly is not necessary, but what a great habit!
But the key is, don’t send them; go together as a family.
The other tool is prayer; and I’m sure you try to teach your children all the various ways of praying. That’s another gift we Catholics have—we have a lot more ways to pray than most of our fellow Christians, who don’t pray to the saints, don’t have the Rosary, don’t have adoration or litanies.
But I especially invite you to take them before the Blessed Sacrament. Even a brief visit. Scripture tells us that Moses had a kind of glow from his time in the Lord’s presence.
How about this? If you live anywhere near a church or chapel open all hours—my parish in Piqua, St. Albert used to have a 24 hour chapel, and other churches do too—why not make it a new custom that before you go on a trip as a family, or an outing, you pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament? Even a brief one.
I guess the obvious point here is praying as a family. And while sometimes prayer requires real work and perseverance, it doesn’t have to be; weaving lots of small prayers and customs and sacramentals and rituals into our lives, a lot of which are fun, and add some color and variety to life, is also something we Catholics get to do! May crowning, "Tony, Tony, turn around!" and Eucharistic processions, and the seasons of the church year, all add some variety don’t they?
I might add the same for the liturgy—and make a pitch here for the liturgy to be celebrated, certainly faithfully—but also with a view to its fuller and best form.
I mean not that every Mass should be a "high" Mass; but some Masses should—and I think more than what most parishes experience.
Now, I owe it to your pastors to explain a couple of things. First, that it’s harder to do that than people realize. It takes time and energy to get there. A lot of priests sing badly or they are self-conscious about it. A lot of priests were taught a "low Mass" approach in the seminary. And what’s more, a priest will get very few complaints if he takes that approach, but if he starts singing the Mass, or gets out the incense, or takes "too long" or spends too much money on the liturgy—he will hear about it.
And—some of you may be among those who want the Mass "businesslike" and not too long. You may not be with me on this point.
When I was a seminarian, helping out in a parish one year, I was given the task of doing lessons for each of the grades, week in, week out. And when I was asked to give a talk to the younger grades—I don’t recall what topic, but it was in church. And that’s when I became a complete convert to all the artwork that fills our churches! Young children don’t grasp abstract ideas so well! But images? That works.
The imagery that has filled our churches for at least 1,600 years serves a huge role—and it was a mistake, totally contrary to what Vatican II really said—to rip it out or leave it out.
The liturgy is a mirror of the same insight; and the same mistake was made in the liturgy. That is not what Vatican II intended; much more the opposite, but that’s a secret that is only now beginning to leak out!
And notice, the situation is unstable. If you have a bare church, it isn’t long before someone starts bringing in ferns or banners or pots filled with dead sticks. If the liturgy is too sparse, Father or the liturgy committee will want to "liven it up."
My advice to you is to be a voice in your parish, for the authentic liturgy, celebrated not in a minimalistic but in its fullest form. I’ll tell you a secret: that’s actually what Vatican II called for.
I’m not sending you to give your pastor fits, but to support him and help him.
And if you aren’t experiencing the liturgy celebrated both faithfully and fully, then I would really encourage you to find a parish where it is. Not necessarily to quit your parish, but at least so your family can regularly experience the Sacred Liturgy both faithfully, and with the dignity it deserves.
I know that isn’t always easy.
Some will say, that’s just not that big a deal. But I can tell you, even small changes in what people are accustomed to, at Mass, generate bigger reactions than you would ever guess.
This proves just how important the liturgy is in penetrating us and forming our approach to the Faith. So of course it matters that we get it just right. And why wouldn’t you want your children to experience it to the fullest?
Let’s keep putting on our armor. Paul says we need feet "shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace."
All this armor only makes sense if we’re advancing, if not "standing our ground." Not hiding or retreating.
You and I, and our children, are enlisted in Christ’s army to advance the Gospel. Our feet need to be ready to go anywhere to bring the Gospel to others.
A lot of our parishes are facing stagnation or even decline in numbers. A lot of the time, we get into a negative mindset, taking decline for granted.
Think a moment: we’re Christians; think of our history…
Isn’t that the craziest thing—to plan for decline?
What did General Patton say—did you see that movie? In his famous speech at the beginning, he said, "I don't want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We're not holding anything, we'll let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly, and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose, and we're going to kick him in"—
You get the idea!
I encourage you to foster in your children a sense of being missionaries, evangelists. And here again, don’t just tell them—let them see you doing it.
We don’t have to be experts. Often times the best witness is to tell our story. "I am a Catholic because…" "I go to Mass because…" "I put Jesus first in my life because…"
Now, maybe all that sounds too Protestant, and maybe that is intimidating. I understand. Some of you loved all that, some slunk down in your seats—I saw it!
Here are some easy ways for anyone to evangelize:
Ø Invite friends over.
Ø Don’t be shy about saying grace—ever.
Ø Don’t be pushy; be welcoming. Never be apologetic.
Ø The stations of the cross in Lent, penance services in Lent or Advent, and other things apart from Mass, are great things to invite people to take part in, Catholic or not. In Advent and Lent, especially, many folks want to get back to Faith but don’t always know how. Bring them along.
Ø We have a Eucharistic adoration chapel in Piqua; and some of the folks who come aren’t Catholic. There’s nothing that says you have to be Catholic to visit the Eucharist.
Ø Nothing wrong with bringing your children’s non-Catholic friends to Mass, but explain and help them, especially about communion. That’s just good hospitality. If your son brings his buddy, maybe that should be his job, as the host? Then maybe over breakfast afterwards, you can answer the questions that will come up.
I bet you can think of even more ways.
My point is, that in our spiritual warfare, being passive and retreating is more dangerous than being alert and going forward. All our armor is designed for that.
Paul tells us our Faith is a shield.
There are a lot of things to say about Faith, but let me highlight three aspects.
Faith is about knowledge—it matters that we know our Faith;
Faith is about obedience to what Christ teaches—it matters that we live our Faith;
And above all…
Faith is a choice of the will—which is why the habits of faith matter, because they’ll help us stand our ground and keep our choice strong when it’s not easy.
Notice Faith is a shield—not the sword. Our Faith is not mainly an offensive weapon, but a means of defense—against the attacks of the enemy.
"Flaming arrows" sound pretty scary, but St. Paul assures us our shield of Faith will do the job.
Remember, our Faith is not just ours—when we speak of our Faith, we mean our personal, individual choice of faith, but we also speak of the Faith of the Church. Remember that from the Ritual of Baptism?
Right before the child or the adult is baptized, the deacon or priest asks that person—or others to speak for her—to renounce the devil, and profess faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Everyone joins in, and then the priest says, "This is our Faith. This is the Faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!"
When we recall that people die for that profession, even at this hour, those words take on new meaning, don’t they?
My point is, we have as our shield not only our personal faith, but the Faith of the Church, the whole Church. But it has to be personal, too; we have to be used to holding it, with a familiar grip—or we’ll fumble and drop it at the first sign of trouble.
Our helmet is salvation. I had some trouble on this point, and I have some seminarians staying with me this summer and I asked their thoughts. One of them pointed out sometimes a helmet doesn't just sit on your head, but it comes down and frames your view. We might want to make sure our view of things is always framed by salvation. Father Jim Manning was my first pastor as a priest at St. Albert in Kettering; and in the evenings, we'd often sit and talk, and he'd often ask the question--in Latin, but I can't recall it now--that translated, "what does that mean for eternity?" We want to see all events and all our actions and have a concern for others, based on eternity--getting there ourselves and bringing others with us.
And our one weapon is "the Sword of the Spirit"—which is "the Word of God." The key is the Spirit; everything here only makes sense when we're empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, in Paul's time, they wouldn't have all had bibles; so they carried the Word of God in themselves; they heard it, and reflected on it, so it became part of them. We do this certainly by studying Scripture, but also by praying Scripture; maybe pray the psalms? (Here is actually where I made my points about the liturgy, rather than earlier--I did it out of order.)
(I didn't have this part written--I ran out of time!--so I ended extemporaneously and took questions.)
'Spiritual Sight' (Sunday homily)
Once again, I didn't have a text for my homily, so here are some bullet points as best as I can recapitulate them:
> In the Gospel we see our Lord sending the Apostles to cast out demons. Curiously, although you see miracles of feeding, healing and even folks being raised from the dead in the Old Testament, you don't see any prophets or leaders of the Old Testament casting out demons.
> In the Old Testament, when they performed these miracles, the prophets had to turn to God to bring them about; when Jesus does them, he just does them--it serves to show just who he is: God. And when he casts out evil, it emphasizes it.
> This makes the Apostles pretty impressive--having the power to cast out demons. But we might wonder, where did this power go? It passed into the Church.
> You may not realize it, but we have all received an exorcism! No, not the Hollywood version; but just before our baptism, the deacon or priest prayed a prayer (I read a part of it); then we are baptized; it helps make clear what happens in baptism, that we receive the Holy Spirit.
> We don't talk much about spiritual evil, but demons do exist and we want to take them seriously. We might want to be mindful about movies and video games and things that can be too dark.
> How do we strengthen our "spiritual sight"? What we're doing now: taking part in Mass, putting Christ at the center. Also the sacrament of penance really helps. And trying to give ourselves even a few minutes' recollection and prayer each day.
> Above all, we unite ourselves to the Eucharist. The more we do that, the more we will come to see the world as Jesus does from the cross: seeing people who need salvation--seeing things from the point of view of eternity--and we will act for their eternal well being.
I said more than this, especially on the latter two points, but just how I did it I cannot now recall.
> In the Gospel we see our Lord sending the Apostles to cast out demons. Curiously, although you see miracles of feeding, healing and even folks being raised from the dead in the Old Testament, you don't see any prophets or leaders of the Old Testament casting out demons.
> In the Old Testament, when they performed these miracles, the prophets had to turn to God to bring them about; when Jesus does them, he just does them--it serves to show just who he is: God. And when he casts out evil, it emphasizes it.
> This makes the Apostles pretty impressive--having the power to cast out demons. But we might wonder, where did this power go? It passed into the Church.
> You may not realize it, but we have all received an exorcism! No, not the Hollywood version; but just before our baptism, the deacon or priest prayed a prayer (I read a part of it); then we are baptized; it helps make clear what happens in baptism, that we receive the Holy Spirit.
> We don't talk much about spiritual evil, but demons do exist and we want to take them seriously. We might want to be mindful about movies and video games and things that can be too dark.
> How do we strengthen our "spiritual sight"? What we're doing now: taking part in Mass, putting Christ at the center. Also the sacrament of penance really helps. And trying to give ourselves even a few minutes' recollection and prayer each day.
> Above all, we unite ourselves to the Eucharist. The more we do that, the more we will come to see the world as Jesus does from the cross: seeing people who need salvation--seeing things from the point of view of eternity--and we will act for their eternal well being.
I said more than this, especially on the latter two points, but just how I did it I cannot now recall.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Dayton Home School Conference
Among the many things I'm working on are a couple of talks I have to put together for the Dayton Homeschool Conference, coming up on Saturday, July 11.
I promised to give two talks: for the parents, I'm going to address "Equipping your children with spiritual armor"; and with the teens, my talk is called, "Social Justice: being God's not-so-secret agent." I promised to give the talks--now I have to prepare them!
If you are interested in this conference (I'm sure the other talks will be good at least), click on the link embedded in this post to go to the web site. Don't ask me any questions, I don't even know yet what I'm going to say!
I promised to give two talks: for the parents, I'm going to address "Equipping your children with spiritual armor"; and with the teens, my talk is called, "Social Justice: being God's not-so-secret agent." I promised to give the talks--now I have to prepare them!
If you are interested in this conference (I'm sure the other talks will be good at least), click on the link embedded in this post to go to the web site. Don't ask me any questions, I don't even know yet what I'm going to say!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Don't give up! (Sunday homily)
Sorry, I have no text this time.
Father Barry Stechschulte, ordained in May, visited this past weekend and offered a Mass at each parish. He wanted to do this as a thank you to the parishes, as he was here last summer in his deacon year. He took two of my three Masses.
My homily arose from reflecting on the readings and trying to connect the first reading with the Gospel. The key I saw in the first reading was the Book of Wisdom offering a counter to a Greek-dominated, pagan culture that threatened Faith in the one true God. Wisdom emphasizes that we are made for eternity, even if people deny that as foolishness (true then, true today); and reiterates that we are made in God's image. Our culture denies the dignity and intrinsic value of life, opting for a utilitarian view: thus, unborn children with physical defects or disabilities aren't welcome, and the elderly are expected to get out of the way.
But our message is life is worth it: Don't give up on life!
The woman in the Gospel didn't give up, however hard it must have been to persevere. I offered several examples of how we might be similarly tempted: being out of work, struggling with a sin, wondering when family or friends will turn their lives around. I talked a bit about the wonderful sacrament of reconciliation and how that helps us not give up. All the sacraments are God's help so we need not give up. I talked about how much fascination we have with the destruction of the world, but we know that God doesn't give up on us: why become human if he were going to do that? The Eucharist, above all, is God's sign that he doesn't give up on us: he not only comes near us, he longs to be one with us and us with him. Don't give up!
Father Barry Stechschulte, ordained in May, visited this past weekend and offered a Mass at each parish. He wanted to do this as a thank you to the parishes, as he was here last summer in his deacon year. He took two of my three Masses.
My homily arose from reflecting on the readings and trying to connect the first reading with the Gospel. The key I saw in the first reading was the Book of Wisdom offering a counter to a Greek-dominated, pagan culture that threatened Faith in the one true God. Wisdom emphasizes that we are made for eternity, even if people deny that as foolishness (true then, true today); and reiterates that we are made in God's image. Our culture denies the dignity and intrinsic value of life, opting for a utilitarian view: thus, unborn children with physical defects or disabilities aren't welcome, and the elderly are expected to get out of the way.
But our message is life is worth it: Don't give up on life!
The woman in the Gospel didn't give up, however hard it must have been to persevere. I offered several examples of how we might be similarly tempted: being out of work, struggling with a sin, wondering when family or friends will turn their lives around. I talked a bit about the wonderful sacrament of reconciliation and how that helps us not give up. All the sacraments are God's help so we need not give up. I talked about how much fascination we have with the destruction of the world, but we know that God doesn't give up on us: why become human if he were going to do that? The Eucharist, above all, is God's sign that he doesn't give up on us: he not only comes near us, he longs to be one with us and us with him. Don't give up!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The New Missal (Book of Mass Prayers): why we should look forward to it
The prayers of the Mass, although we usually pray them in English, are originally in Latin, and have to be translated carefully. They were last translated in 1970, and that was—all involved admit—a rush job that produced an inferior translation that doesn’t do justice to the Mass.
For some time, the bishops of English-speaking countries have been working on it—it’s a big job that needs to be done carefully. The process is nearing its end—at least so the bishops and Rome say. Within a couple of years, we will finally have a revised, updated, and well-done translation of the Mass into English.
When the new translation is put into use, it will be a bit of a surprise to many Catholics—because the differences between the old translation and the new will make crystal-clear just how inferior the prior translation was. In many prayers, such as the Gloria and the Eucharistic Prayers, whole phrases are left out and key elements of the meaning were lost. Now that will be restored. Much of the language is explicitly biblical, but that was obscured—now that will become clear again.
But of course this will involve transition and there will be bumps along the way.
Last October, Bishop Arthur Serratelli, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, gave a talk on the new Missal. What follows is my summary based on his talk, that should help to explain the situation and show ways the new translation is something to look forward to. Thanks to The Adoremus Bulletin, published by Adoremus, the Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, which published this address in its June-July, 2009 edition.
Who is doing the work, when did it begin, and how was it carried out?
Early in 2002, the work began after the third edition of the Roman Missal [i.e., the book containing readings and prayers for the Mass, as well as some of the music texts] was published in Rome.
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) is made up of 11 English-speaking bishops, but consulted scholars from many English-speaking countries.
The goal was a text that would be usable in all English-speaking countries; even though different countries use the same language differently, the goal was to have a more unified experience of the Mass, not too much variation from country to country.
Once ICEL agreed on a text, it was sent to individual countries’ bishops for comment, involving back and forth over several years between all the English-speaking bishops and Rome. By October, 2008, a series of texts were prepared for final approval by the various bishops, and then to be forwarded to Rome for final approval as well. This final process is underway.
Bishop Sarratelli observed, while awaiting the new translation, “this is a good occasion to understand more deeply” the “particular style and language” of the Roman Rite. “Liturgical language is important for the life of the Church. Lex orandi, lex credendi. I.e., “how we pray is how we believe.”
Sarratelli added, “in the liturgy, the words addressed to God and the words spoken to the people voice the Faith of the Church. They are not simply the expressions of one individual in one particular place at one time in history. The words used in liturgy also pass on the faith of the Church from one generation to the next.”
Not only that, “the liturgy is the source of the divine life given through the Church as the sacrament of salvation. As Pope Paul VI once said, it is also ‘the first school of the spiritual life…’
“Wisely, therefore, the Church does not leave the words used in the liturgy to…any individual celebrant.”
Sarratelli adds, “the new translations have a great respect for the style of the Roman Rite. Certainly some sentences could be more easily translated to mimic our common speech. But they are not. And with reason. Let me now briefly comment on seven characteristics of the Latin prayers in the Roman Missal and their translation.”
Seven characteristics of the Latin Missal and how they carry through the English translation:
1. “Latin orations…tend to conclude strongly with a teleological or eschatological point.” Teleology refers to the fundamental meaning of people, things, or life in general; eschatology refers to the ultimate realities that give meaning to this world, and which are our final destiny. So Saratelli is saying the prayers strongly emphasize our ultimate purpose and destiny in this life, leading to eternal life. This is something that gets lost if not translated well—thus the new English prayers will seek to convey this same emphasis.
2. Biblical References will be made clear. In the translation now in use, many of the phrases—in Latin—use explicitly Biblical language that was lost in translation. The new translation makes a great effort to restore this Biblical language—either so those praying may recognize the words of Scripture, or else seek them out to discover the source of a particular image.
For example, Saratelli explains, “in Eucharistic Prayer III, we will no longer say: ‘From east to west, a perfect offering is made to the glory of your name.’ Instead we pray the words of Malachi 1:11: ‘…from the rising of the sun to its setting.’”—which was not so well translated in our current version. Now it is both more faithful, and more poetic, without loss of meaning.
The words we speak together currently as the priest shows us the Eucharist before communion are a weak translation of Matthew 8:8, which will be restored as follows: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word…”
3. “The new translations are careful to keep the allusions from patristic writings,” Saratelli explains—that is, those major figures of the Church’s early centuries, such as Augustine, Ambrose, John Chrysostom, Basil and others, who were so important in teaching and transmitting the Apostolic Faith.
In several places, the original Latin prayers include phrases and images that come from these great saints, but again, they were lost in translation. Now they are put back.
4. The new translation will respect the “rich vocabulary of the Roman Rite. The post-communion prayers employ a variety of words such as nourished,fed, recreated and made new….The many different words of the Latin text are not monotonously translated with the same words,” Saratelli observes. “Thus, by being faithful to the Latin text, the new translations enrich the use of our liturgical language in English.”
5. The Latin text uses many concrete images and parallel expressions. It also uses anthropomorphic expressions—i.e., human images of God—that “add a certain poetry to the prayers. “And so,” Saratelli explains, “while it is perfectly good English to say: in your pity hear our prayers, the translation respects the poetry of the text and, in the blessing of ashes, says: in your pity give ear to our prayers.”
6. Exactness and style befitting the liturgy. Care is taken to ensure the prayers teach about the Faith with clarity, as they are intended to do with the underlying Latin text which uses exact language as well.
“The Latin prayers are concise and noble in tone,” Saratelli observes; “When we frame our prayers in liturgy, the language of the street is not appropriate.”
What are the next steps?
Between now and November, the U.S. bishops will vote on the final texts, and with their approval, they will be forwarded to Rome for final approval. Sometime in 2010 or 2011, we should begin learning more about the texts and then begin using them.
For some time, the bishops of English-speaking countries have been working on it—it’s a big job that needs to be done carefully. The process is nearing its end—at least so the bishops and Rome say. Within a couple of years, we will finally have a revised, updated, and well-done translation of the Mass into English.
When the new translation is put into use, it will be a bit of a surprise to many Catholics—because the differences between the old translation and the new will make crystal-clear just how inferior the prior translation was. In many prayers, such as the Gloria and the Eucharistic Prayers, whole phrases are left out and key elements of the meaning were lost. Now that will be restored. Much of the language is explicitly biblical, but that was obscured—now that will become clear again.
But of course this will involve transition and there will be bumps along the way.
Last October, Bishop Arthur Serratelli, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, gave a talk on the new Missal. What follows is my summary based on his talk, that should help to explain the situation and show ways the new translation is something to look forward to. Thanks to The Adoremus Bulletin, published by Adoremus, the Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, which published this address in its June-July, 2009 edition.
Who is doing the work, when did it begin, and how was it carried out?
Early in 2002, the work began after the third edition of the Roman Missal [i.e., the book containing readings and prayers for the Mass, as well as some of the music texts] was published in Rome.
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) is made up of 11 English-speaking bishops, but consulted scholars from many English-speaking countries.
The goal was a text that would be usable in all English-speaking countries; even though different countries use the same language differently, the goal was to have a more unified experience of the Mass, not too much variation from country to country.
Once ICEL agreed on a text, it was sent to individual countries’ bishops for comment, involving back and forth over several years between all the English-speaking bishops and Rome. By October, 2008, a series of texts were prepared for final approval by the various bishops, and then to be forwarded to Rome for final approval as well. This final process is underway.
Bishop Sarratelli observed, while awaiting the new translation, “this is a good occasion to understand more deeply” the “particular style and language” of the Roman Rite. “Liturgical language is important for the life of the Church. Lex orandi, lex credendi. I.e., “how we pray is how we believe.”
Sarratelli added, “in the liturgy, the words addressed to God and the words spoken to the people voice the Faith of the Church. They are not simply the expressions of one individual in one particular place at one time in history. The words used in liturgy also pass on the faith of the Church from one generation to the next.”
Not only that, “the liturgy is the source of the divine life given through the Church as the sacrament of salvation. As Pope Paul VI once said, it is also ‘the first school of the spiritual life…’
“Wisely, therefore, the Church does not leave the words used in the liturgy to…any individual celebrant.”
Sarratelli adds, “the new translations have a great respect for the style of the Roman Rite. Certainly some sentences could be more easily translated to mimic our common speech. But they are not. And with reason. Let me now briefly comment on seven characteristics of the Latin prayers in the Roman Missal and their translation.”
Seven characteristics of the Latin Missal and how they carry through the English translation:
1. “Latin orations…tend to conclude strongly with a teleological or eschatological point.” Teleology refers to the fundamental meaning of people, things, or life in general; eschatology refers to the ultimate realities that give meaning to this world, and which are our final destiny. So Saratelli is saying the prayers strongly emphasize our ultimate purpose and destiny in this life, leading to eternal life. This is something that gets lost if not translated well—thus the new English prayers will seek to convey this same emphasis.
2. Biblical References will be made clear. In the translation now in use, many of the phrases—in Latin—use explicitly Biblical language that was lost in translation. The new translation makes a great effort to restore this Biblical language—either so those praying may recognize the words of Scripture, or else seek them out to discover the source of a particular image.
For example, Saratelli explains, “in Eucharistic Prayer III, we will no longer say: ‘From east to west, a perfect offering is made to the glory of your name.’ Instead we pray the words of Malachi 1:11: ‘…from the rising of the sun to its setting.’”—which was not so well translated in our current version. Now it is both more faithful, and more poetic, without loss of meaning.
The words we speak together currently as the priest shows us the Eucharist before communion are a weak translation of Matthew 8:8, which will be restored as follows: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word…”
3. “The new translations are careful to keep the allusions from patristic writings,” Saratelli explains—that is, those major figures of the Church’s early centuries, such as Augustine, Ambrose, John Chrysostom, Basil and others, who were so important in teaching and transmitting the Apostolic Faith.
In several places, the original Latin prayers include phrases and images that come from these great saints, but again, they were lost in translation. Now they are put back.
4. The new translation will respect the “rich vocabulary of the Roman Rite. The post-communion prayers employ a variety of words such as nourished,fed, recreated and made new….The many different words of the Latin text are not monotonously translated with the same words,” Saratelli observes. “Thus, by being faithful to the Latin text, the new translations enrich the use of our liturgical language in English.”
5. The Latin text uses many concrete images and parallel expressions. It also uses anthropomorphic expressions—i.e., human images of God—that “add a certain poetry to the prayers. “And so,” Saratelli explains, “while it is perfectly good English to say: in your pity hear our prayers, the translation respects the poetry of the text and, in the blessing of ashes, says: in your pity give ear to our prayers.”
6. Exactness and style befitting the liturgy. Care is taken to ensure the prayers teach about the Faith with clarity, as they are intended to do with the underlying Latin text which uses exact language as well.
“The Latin prayers are concise and noble in tone,” Saratelli observes; “When we frame our prayers in liturgy, the language of the street is not appropriate.”
What are the next steps?
Between now and November, the U.S. bishops will vote on the final texts, and with their approval, they will be forwarded to Rome for final approval. Sometime in 2010 or 2011, we should begin learning more about the texts and then begin using them.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The weekend thus far...
For those who like to read my homilies, I will have some notes below. I regret I did not have time for as much preparation as I like for my homilies.
This weekend, one parish celebrated a special day: the anniversary of the dedication of the church. I suspect few parishes celebrate this, and yet, the anniversary of a parish's dedication is a solemnity for that parish; "solemnity" meaning it's one of the highest ranking celebrations of the year, outranked only by certain other days.
Liturgical law allows for some solemnities to be transferred to a nearby Sunday, for the benefit of the faithful, as long as there is no higher-ranking feast. Thus I do for the anniversaries of each parish's dedication: St. Mary was last dedicated in June, 1979; St. Boniface, in October. So, we celebrated this special day at all Masses at St. Mary.
But that means different readings, and so I had two homilies.
At St. Boniface, I spoke a little about Father's Day, and I talked about the important role a father can play, especially his spiritual leadership. I said (or at least I meant to say) that the most important task a father has is to introduce his children to Jesus Christ, and I talked about how my father did that and how that surely played a role in my becoming a priest. I cannot say just how I did it, but I connected that to Jesus being in the boat, and he is the source of calm and power.
I should explain my homily was supposed to be a little shorter, because at the end of Mass, we had a representative of Radio Maria giving a short word about his apostolate.
At St. Mary, we used a reading from Isaiah, about the foreigners coming to worship the Lord, and a passage from Hebrews contrasting the fearful experience at Sinai to what those to whom the letter was addressed experience: the heavenly Jerusalem, with angels in festal gathering, and a new covenant in blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel. The Gospel was the passage from John, in which Our Lord cleansed the temple.
I mainly worked from the Hebrews passage, explaining the background, and talking about how we are the ones who are not terrified by such manifestations as at Sinai, and yet we do approach something far more awesome--of course, the Sacrifice of the Mass. Only in the Mass is that passage fulfilled: only in the Mass does Heaven come down to earth.
This feast celebrates the establishment of a house of God for this to happen, here in Piqua. I mentioned D-day, and the beachhead those brave men formed on the beaches of Normandy. Why? Because of a terrible darkness that had to be driven back; they formed a beachhead. We are the beachhead of heaven in our world that otherwise would be in darkness; this church (i.e., each Catholic church) is such a beachhead.
I also talked about the importance of our church being--in Isaiah's words--a "house of prayer for all people." Our empty seats are our mission--draw them in! Our sharing in the Eucharist makes us bearers of the same light to further penetrate the world around us with Christ.
In case you wonder why a priest doesn't have plenty of time to prepare his homily(ies) more fully, here's what else I was up to this weekend. Saturday morning we had a crew of volunteers working on groundskeeping; I joined with them. I had a wedding at 1:30 pm, so when not shoveling mulch, I was opening up the school for the bride and her ladies, then making sure the lights were on in church, and the a/c was running. Then the wedding; then a break before confessions, then Mass.
After Saturday Mass, I had a baptism. I really enjoy baptisms! I try to involve the older children, by having them help me set up, and hold things for me such as the book and a towel. After the baptism, I was talking to the older brother, 14; I asked his name, and he said "John"; "Father John, doesn't that have a nice sound to it? He grinned and said it did; I said, "hey, look how great this is--I get to make saints! How cool is that?"(referring to my baptism homily, where I explain why we sing a Litany of the Saints--in baptism, this child becomes a saint; the "trick" is to stay a saint through life, and arrive in heaven, which is why the parents and godparents have such a great responsibility). Then I joined two classmates for dinner in Urbana.
This morning I had the 7 am Mass, then 9 am Mass back at St. Mary. Now I'm taking a break; I will go down to Troy this afternoon to take part in a priest's 50th Anniversary Mass, then the seminarians are taking the vicar and me out to dinner for Father's Day! Isn't that nice of them to do?
This weekend, one parish celebrated a special day: the anniversary of the dedication of the church. I suspect few parishes celebrate this, and yet, the anniversary of a parish's dedication is a solemnity for that parish; "solemnity" meaning it's one of the highest ranking celebrations of the year, outranked only by certain other days.
Liturgical law allows for some solemnities to be transferred to a nearby Sunday, for the benefit of the faithful, as long as there is no higher-ranking feast. Thus I do for the anniversaries of each parish's dedication: St. Mary was last dedicated in June, 1979; St. Boniface, in October. So, we celebrated this special day at all Masses at St. Mary.
But that means different readings, and so I had two homilies.
At St. Boniface, I spoke a little about Father's Day, and I talked about the important role a father can play, especially his spiritual leadership. I said (or at least I meant to say) that the most important task a father has is to introduce his children to Jesus Christ, and I talked about how my father did that and how that surely played a role in my becoming a priest. I cannot say just how I did it, but I connected that to Jesus being in the boat, and he is the source of calm and power.
I should explain my homily was supposed to be a little shorter, because at the end of Mass, we had a representative of Radio Maria giving a short word about his apostolate.
At St. Mary, we used a reading from Isaiah, about the foreigners coming to worship the Lord, and a passage from Hebrews contrasting the fearful experience at Sinai to what those to whom the letter was addressed experience: the heavenly Jerusalem, with angels in festal gathering, and a new covenant in blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel. The Gospel was the passage from John, in which Our Lord cleansed the temple.
I mainly worked from the Hebrews passage, explaining the background, and talking about how we are the ones who are not terrified by such manifestations as at Sinai, and yet we do approach something far more awesome--of course, the Sacrifice of the Mass. Only in the Mass is that passage fulfilled: only in the Mass does Heaven come down to earth.
This feast celebrates the establishment of a house of God for this to happen, here in Piqua. I mentioned D-day, and the beachhead those brave men formed on the beaches of Normandy. Why? Because of a terrible darkness that had to be driven back; they formed a beachhead. We are the beachhead of heaven in our world that otherwise would be in darkness; this church (i.e., each Catholic church) is such a beachhead.
I also talked about the importance of our church being--in Isaiah's words--a "house of prayer for all people." Our empty seats are our mission--draw them in! Our sharing in the Eucharist makes us bearers of the same light to further penetrate the world around us with Christ.
In case you wonder why a priest doesn't have plenty of time to prepare his homily(ies) more fully, here's what else I was up to this weekend. Saturday morning we had a crew of volunteers working on groundskeeping; I joined with them. I had a wedding at 1:30 pm, so when not shoveling mulch, I was opening up the school for the bride and her ladies, then making sure the lights were on in church, and the a/c was running. Then the wedding; then a break before confessions, then Mass.
After Saturday Mass, I had a baptism. I really enjoy baptisms! I try to involve the older children, by having them help me set up, and hold things for me such as the book and a towel. After the baptism, I was talking to the older brother, 14; I asked his name, and he said "John"; "Father John, doesn't that have a nice sound to it? He grinned and said it did; I said, "hey, look how great this is--I get to make saints! How cool is that?"(referring to my baptism homily, where I explain why we sing a Litany of the Saints--in baptism, this child becomes a saint; the "trick" is to stay a saint through life, and arrive in heaven, which is why the parents and godparents have such a great responsibility). Then I joined two classmates for dinner in Urbana.
This morning I had the 7 am Mass, then 9 am Mass back at St. Mary. Now I'm taking a break; I will go down to Troy this afternoon to take part in a priest's 50th Anniversary Mass, then the seminarians are taking the vicar and me out to dinner for Father's Day! Isn't that nice of them to do?
Friday, June 19, 2009
Online Marriage Prep Course
Do you know anything about this?
I gave it a brief look, and it looks promising. I'd really like to hear from anyone who has taken the course, or at least can tell me more about it. Please share any praise or critiques freely.
Biretta tip to Rich Leonardi for this.
I gave it a brief look, and it looks promising. I'd really like to hear from anyone who has taken the course, or at least can tell me more about it. Please share any praise or critiques freely.
Biretta tip to Rich Leonardi for this.
Part Time Development Director Opening
Our K-8 school, located in the heart of Piqua, OH, and serving our community for many decades, has an immediate opening for a part-time Development Director. Qualified candidates will possess a college degree or equivalent experience in Marketing and/or Public Relations.
The position demands excellent communication, project management and organizational skills as well as a genuine desire to interact with people and build relationships. Creativity and a strong work ethic required.
The Development Director serves as the primary public relations agent for our Piqua Catholic community. Responsibilities include marketing (communications/public relations/advertising), retention and recruitment, parish/alumni/community relations, fundraising and development.
The Development Director works in collaboration with the Pastor, Principal and School Board to implement our school’s vision and mission. Candidates should be a practicing Catholic in good standing and be prepared to support and present Catholic practice and belief in its entirety.
We offer a competitive compensation package and flexible work schedule. For resume submission or additional information, please contact:
Sister Mary Alice Haithcoat or Father Martin Fox
Piqua Catholic School
503 W. North Street
Piqua, OH 45356
(937) 773-1564
pastor@piquaparishes.org
The position demands excellent communication, project management and organizational skills as well as a genuine desire to interact with people and build relationships. Creativity and a strong work ethic required.
The Development Director serves as the primary public relations agent for our Piqua Catholic community. Responsibilities include marketing (communications/public relations/advertising), retention and recruitment, parish/alumni/community relations, fundraising and development.
The Development Director works in collaboration with the Pastor, Principal and School Board to implement our school’s vision and mission. Candidates should be a practicing Catholic in good standing and be prepared to support and present Catholic practice and belief in its entirety.
We offer a competitive compensation package and flexible work schedule. For resume submission or additional information, please contact:
Sister Mary Alice Haithcoat or Father Martin Fox
Piqua Catholic School
503 W. North Street
Piqua, OH 45356
(937) 773-1564
pastor@piquaparishes.org
What's going on...
Well, it's been busy.
For several weeks, we've had three seminarians staying in the parish. Every year we do this; they stay the summer, work around the parishes, mostly doing maintenance or odd jobs that just wouldn't get done otherwise, but also go on communion calls, assist at Mass, provide leadership at more complicated liturgies, and along the way, we hope have a good experience of parish life and priestly fraternity.
Last weekend we celebrated Corpus Christi, with 40 Hours all weekend, and then a Corpus Christi Procession from St. Mary to St. Boniface. Two of our seminarians were a great help, providing leadership: one as master of ceremonies for the procession, the other as a thurifer (i.e., the holder of censer with the incense).
Last night, we began our celebration of the Sacred Heart. On Fridays, we normally have one Mass, at St. Mary; but for a solemnity, I think we should--if a priest is available--have a Mass at the other parish. Since Friday evening is not so popular an evening for a Mass, and I have a wedding rehearsal, I had a vigil Mass last night.
The way I look at it, when I have such a Mass--for a non-obligatory solemnity, not otherwise scheduled--then if I use more Latin and incense, no one has reason to complain. Also, some members of the Schola Cantorum enjoy the opportunity to try out some things, such as a Latin Gloria, which we haven't used at a Sunday Mass. And the seminarians and the priest get a chance to refine our ars celebrandi--our manner of celebrating or participating in the liturgy. One tries, but--this can be remarkably hard to do in Sunday Mass.
So, last night, I fixed dinner for the house--we had pork roast, mashed potatoes, salad, some wine (Pinot Grigiot and Merlot, although we didn't even drink one full bottle between five of us); for dessert, we had a cheesecake one of the seminarians put together, with some strawberries. Then we headed over to St. Boniface for Mass. I thought about ad orientem, but decided against it. I may do that when we do this again, on Monday, June 29, 7 pm -- again at St. Boniface -- to mark the solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul; a day of obligation in the rest of the world, but not here.
As far as Latin goes, all we used was the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, as well as the opening hymn. Someone heard I was doing it all in Latin; well, maybe more on Peter and Paul. I personally don't consider what I just described as "all in Latin," but really just a mix, which is clearly what Vatican II envisioned where the vernacular was chosen--i.e., it seems indisputable that Vatican II never intended the vernacular option to mean, no Latin at all.
We had a turnout of about 12 people, but that's okay; I didn't beat the drums. Our seminarian Andrew, who is from Russia (that's a village northwest of here, oddly pronounced RUE-she), did a great job making smoke, and I smoked up the altar, the cross, and the image of the Sacred Heart. He and Brian (from Cincinnati) did a great job incensing during the elevations, and Eric (from Versailles, a village nearby) was on the spot as the "tintinnabulator" (my name for the one who rings the bells).
Meanwhile, the business of the parish continues. We have a position available, details of which I'll post shortly, but it's for a part-time development director. Feel free to send an email to pastor@piquaparishes.org if you want to apply. My meetings are winding down; last night, after the Mass, I drove up to Sidney for the Lehman board meeting, arriving for the second half of a three hour meeting. But that represents the last of my heavy-duty meetings till August, I hope!
There's certainly more that is happening, but that's all I can think of, or which seems fit for publication.
For several weeks, we've had three seminarians staying in the parish. Every year we do this; they stay the summer, work around the parishes, mostly doing maintenance or odd jobs that just wouldn't get done otherwise, but also go on communion calls, assist at Mass, provide leadership at more complicated liturgies, and along the way, we hope have a good experience of parish life and priestly fraternity.
Last weekend we celebrated Corpus Christi, with 40 Hours all weekend, and then a Corpus Christi Procession from St. Mary to St. Boniface. Two of our seminarians were a great help, providing leadership: one as master of ceremonies for the procession, the other as a thurifer (i.e., the holder of censer with the incense).
Last night, we began our celebration of the Sacred Heart. On Fridays, we normally have one Mass, at St. Mary; but for a solemnity, I think we should--if a priest is available--have a Mass at the other parish. Since Friday evening is not so popular an evening for a Mass, and I have a wedding rehearsal, I had a vigil Mass last night.
The way I look at it, when I have such a Mass--for a non-obligatory solemnity, not otherwise scheduled--then if I use more Latin and incense, no one has reason to complain. Also, some members of the Schola Cantorum enjoy the opportunity to try out some things, such as a Latin Gloria, which we haven't used at a Sunday Mass. And the seminarians and the priest get a chance to refine our ars celebrandi--our manner of celebrating or participating in the liturgy. One tries, but--this can be remarkably hard to do in Sunday Mass.
So, last night, I fixed dinner for the house--we had pork roast, mashed potatoes, salad, some wine (Pinot Grigiot and Merlot, although we didn't even drink one full bottle between five of us); for dessert, we had a cheesecake one of the seminarians put together, with some strawberries. Then we headed over to St. Boniface for Mass. I thought about ad orientem, but decided against it. I may do that when we do this again, on Monday, June 29, 7 pm -- again at St. Boniface -- to mark the solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul; a day of obligation in the rest of the world, but not here.
As far as Latin goes, all we used was the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, as well as the opening hymn. Someone heard I was doing it all in Latin; well, maybe more on Peter and Paul. I personally don't consider what I just described as "all in Latin," but really just a mix, which is clearly what Vatican II envisioned where the vernacular was chosen--i.e., it seems indisputable that Vatican II never intended the vernacular option to mean, no Latin at all.
We had a turnout of about 12 people, but that's okay; I didn't beat the drums. Our seminarian Andrew, who is from Russia (that's a village northwest of here, oddly pronounced RUE-she), did a great job making smoke, and I smoked up the altar, the cross, and the image of the Sacred Heart. He and Brian (from Cincinnati) did a great job incensing during the elevations, and Eric (from Versailles, a village nearby) was on the spot as the "tintinnabulator" (my name for the one who rings the bells).
Meanwhile, the business of the parish continues. We have a position available, details of which I'll post shortly, but it's for a part-time development director. Feel free to send an email to pastor@piquaparishes.org if you want to apply. My meetings are winding down; last night, after the Mass, I drove up to Sidney for the Lehman board meeting, arriving for the second half of a three hour meeting. But that represents the last of my heavy-duty meetings till August, I hope!
There's certainly more that is happening, but that's all I can think of, or which seems fit for publication.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
