Monday, July 10, 2006
"My grace is sufficient"
"My grace is sufficient for you for power is made perfect in weakness" - 2 Cor 12:9.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
14th Sunday, Ordinary - Homily
One of the greatest examples of faith that I've seen involves a friend of mine who recently became Catholic. She is about my age, so she is a young woman… She was Greek Orthodox which is a very cultural faith. If one leaves the Greek Orthodox Church, it's as if you're not even Greek anymore. And, for my friend, this has been the reaction of her family. She has truly believed for a few years now that Christ is calling her to a deeper relationship with Him… in the Catholic Church. But, she has received little or no support from her family. It has been very hard for her to receive such criticism from those who are closest to her. And yet, she has continued to grow closer to Him. While it has been very hard, she has shown such beautiful and powerful faith.
We have heard much about faith in the Gospels the last couple of weeks. We heard about the lack of faith of the Apostles in the boat with Jesus. Then, last week, we heard about the great faith of the woman with the hemorrhage. Today, we hear that Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his own people. So, what does it mean to have faith? What does it mean to lack faith? As Christians, it comes down to the question of Jesus Christ. If we have faith, we believe in Him. If we lack faith, we don't believe in Him.
Now, the story of faith begins in the Old Testament. We see how God sends men and women to be his prophets. Holy men and women like Ezekiel from the first reading were sent by God to bring His message of love to his people. But, the prophets were rejected! God's people didn't believe that they were sent by God, and didn't listen to them. The story leads to Christ…God sends his only Son to his people so that they might believe in Him. And, as we just heard in the Gospel, Christ is rejected! He is rejected by his own people, the people from his hometown. They represent the people of Israel, God's people. God's own people don't believe in Him.
We might look at this story, and think, 'how could they reject Jesus? How could they not believe in Him?' But, we ourselves reject Christ in our own lives. We reject Him whenever we reject Scripture…or Tradition…or the Magisterium of the Church. We reject Christ whenever we don’t believe in the Sacraments…and the grace and power that they contain, especially the Eucharist. Whenever we don't love our neighbor or serve the poor, we reject Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 25 that "whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me".
Now, if we look at our lives of faith, and we see that we have been lacking faith, can God forgive us? Absolutely, in the Sacrament of Confession. It is the Sacrament of mercy. God forgives our lack of faith and restores our faith. He gives us a new life of faith! A life that is centered on Jesus in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is c.o.o.l.: center of our lives. When we receive the Eucharist, we are filled with faith; our faith is nourished and strengthened. It gives us the strength and courage to be like my friend who made Him number one in her life!
It helps us to believe that He is the Risen One…the Son of God…our Savior. We believe that He has power over all things in our lives. We believe that He is with us, helping us tackle all of our problems. We believe that He creates us, saves us, and can change us. We believe that He loves us with an unending love. God's love for each one of us does not end!
So, this day and this week, may we put our faith in Christ. Let us be men and women of faith this week. May we be open to Him and believe in Him this day. May we know His great love for us this day.
We have heard much about faith in the Gospels the last couple of weeks. We heard about the lack of faith of the Apostles in the boat with Jesus. Then, last week, we heard about the great faith of the woman with the hemorrhage. Today, we hear that Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his own people. So, what does it mean to have faith? What does it mean to lack faith? As Christians, it comes down to the question of Jesus Christ. If we have faith, we believe in Him. If we lack faith, we don't believe in Him.
Now, the story of faith begins in the Old Testament. We see how God sends men and women to be his prophets. Holy men and women like Ezekiel from the first reading were sent by God to bring His message of love to his people. But, the prophets were rejected! God's people didn't believe that they were sent by God, and didn't listen to them. The story leads to Christ…God sends his only Son to his people so that they might believe in Him. And, as we just heard in the Gospel, Christ is rejected! He is rejected by his own people, the people from his hometown. They represent the people of Israel, God's people. God's own people don't believe in Him.
We might look at this story, and think, 'how could they reject Jesus? How could they not believe in Him?' But, we ourselves reject Christ in our own lives. We reject Him whenever we reject Scripture…or Tradition…or the Magisterium of the Church. We reject Christ whenever we don’t believe in the Sacraments…and the grace and power that they contain, especially the Eucharist. Whenever we don't love our neighbor or serve the poor, we reject Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 25 that "whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me".
Now, if we look at our lives of faith, and we see that we have been lacking faith, can God forgive us? Absolutely, in the Sacrament of Confession. It is the Sacrament of mercy. God forgives our lack of faith and restores our faith. He gives us a new life of faith! A life that is centered on Jesus in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is c.o.o.l.: center of our lives. When we receive the Eucharist, we are filled with faith; our faith is nourished and strengthened. It gives us the strength and courage to be like my friend who made Him number one in her life!
It helps us to believe that He is the Risen One…the Son of God…our Savior. We believe that He has power over all things in our lives. We believe that He is with us, helping us tackle all of our problems. We believe that He creates us, saves us, and can change us. We believe that He loves us with an unending love. God's love for each one of us does not end!
So, this day and this week, may we put our faith in Christ. Let us be men and women of faith this week. May we be open to Him and believe in Him this day. May we know His great love for us this day.
Friday, July 07, 2006
"This is a hard teaching"
Mass and Adoration tonight! All bloggers are invited to join me tonight (7/7) in St Andrew's Church for Mass (7 pm) and Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist (7:30-8:30). We'll have some prayerful music and I'll offer a spiritual reflection. These are two great ways to be with our Lord, but especially on First Friday (of the month).
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Recently, a SAA blogger wrote the following about the Eucharist: "I JUST DON'T GET IT!!!! I can't really explain but I try to believe that it's God but somehow I just can't. That's a problem that sometimes occurs. The ENORMITY of it all just overwhelms me that I am scared to even try to understand the Eucharist fully. I'd feel safer thinking that it's just a symbol."
This is really good stuff! I don't mean to belittle the anonymous blogger's struggle at all because "this is a hard teaching" (John 6:60). But, this is what faith is all about. A connection has been made for "Anon": he/she has heard the Truth about the Eucharist. For that reason, Anon, you do get it!! You are so right to say that the ENORMITY OF IT ALL IS OVERWHELMING. It is. But, so many Catholics never even approach that point because it never registers with them that it's anything more than bread.
Now, a few practical points, to help you and all those who struggle with the Real Presence in your faith:
1) Trying to understand the Eucharist is like trying to understand the Trinity: 'not gonna do it'. We believe THAT transubstantiation occurs (the substances of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ while retaining their qualities) but we don't understand HOW it happens; it's a mystery.
2) Please read John 6. This is where Jesus teaches about the Eucharist. Neither in this chapter nor in any of the Last Supper accounts does Jesus use the word 'symbol'. The word symbol, in relation to the Eucharist, was first used in the 1500s by the Protestant Reformers.
3) To use an analogy, monopoly money is symbolic only; it means nothing in the real world.
Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who helped start the "protests" against the Church 500 years ago. He changed "this is my body" to "this symbolizes my body" in his biblical translation in order to meet the new theology of his movement. 'The Eucharist is a symbol only' is man-made; the Church has condemned it as heresy (denial of a truth that must be believed in faith). It doesn't appear anywhere in Scripture, Tradition, or in the teachings of the Magisterium. It is not safe at all, then, to believe that the Eucharist is symbolic only; in fact, heresy puts one's soul in REAL DANGER!
The Church has believed for 2000 years that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - because of 4 words: "This is my body". Jesus said these words at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist (and the priesthood). Before that, he spoke in real, literal terms to thousands of Jews when he taught about the Eucharist: "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life...my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink" (John 6:54,55). Almost all of them rejected his teaching and left him that day. He didn't stop them, and say 'hey, you all misunderstood me'. They understood him correctly, and didn't believe him.
The Apostles also understood him correctly, but they DID believe Him even though they didn't understand. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe" (Jn 6:68).
------------------------------
Recently, a SAA blogger wrote the following about the Eucharist: "I JUST DON'T GET IT!!!! I can't really explain but I try to believe that it's God but somehow I just can't. That's a problem that sometimes occurs. The ENORMITY of it all just overwhelms me that I am scared to even try to understand the Eucharist fully. I'd feel safer thinking that it's just a symbol."
This is really good stuff! I don't mean to belittle the anonymous blogger's struggle at all because "this is a hard teaching" (John 6:60). But, this is what faith is all about. A connection has been made for "Anon": he/she has heard the Truth about the Eucharist. For that reason, Anon, you do get it!! You are so right to say that the ENORMITY OF IT ALL IS OVERWHELMING. It is. But, so many Catholics never even approach that point because it never registers with them that it's anything more than bread.
Now, a few practical points, to help you and all those who struggle with the Real Presence in your faith:
1) Trying to understand the Eucharist is like trying to understand the Trinity: 'not gonna do it'. We believe THAT transubstantiation occurs (the substances of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ while retaining their qualities) but we don't understand HOW it happens; it's a mystery.
2) Please read John 6. This is where Jesus teaches about the Eucharist. Neither in this chapter nor in any of the Last Supper accounts does Jesus use the word 'symbol'. The word symbol, in relation to the Eucharist, was first used in the 1500s by the Protestant Reformers.
3) To use an analogy, monopoly money is symbolic only; it means nothing in the real world.
Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who helped start the "protests" against the Church 500 years ago. He changed "this is my body" to "this symbolizes my body" in his biblical translation in order to meet the new theology of his movement. 'The Eucharist is a symbol only' is man-made; the Church has condemned it as heresy (denial of a truth that must be believed in faith). It doesn't appear anywhere in Scripture, Tradition, or in the teachings of the Magisterium. It is not safe at all, then, to believe that the Eucharist is symbolic only; in fact, heresy puts one's soul in REAL DANGER!
The Church has believed for 2000 years that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - because of 4 words: "This is my body". Jesus said these words at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist (and the priesthood). Before that, he spoke in real, literal terms to thousands of Jews when he taught about the Eucharist: "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life...my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink" (John 6:54,55). Almost all of them rejected his teaching and left him that day. He didn't stop them, and say 'hey, you all misunderstood me'. They understood him correctly, and didn't believe him.
The Apostles also understood him correctly, but they DID believe Him even though they didn't understand. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe" (Jn 6:68).
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Happy Birthday, U.S.!
Happy 4th of July!! We get together every year to celebrate the anniversary of our country's independence, and this is a great day. A holiday is always a nice break! But, to enjoy good times with family and friends and celebrate what it means to be an American is something special. Happy Birthday, United States!
If you're like me, it's been a while since you read the Declaration of Independence which was written and signed on or around this date two hundred and thirty years ago. It is an impressive document which reveals so much of who we have been, are, and should be as a united people. Let there be no doubt of the firm foundation of faith on which the United States of America has been based. Here are some excerpts of the Declaration:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America … solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor"
Our Founding Fathers believed firmly that GOD GIVES EVERY AMERICAN THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS? Do we share the Founders' faith and live it? Do we defend the rights of all of the young, the elderly, the immigrants, the unborn, the handicapped, and the poor as being God-given rights? Also, do we firmly rely on the protection of Divine Providence on our great land?
In the United States, has faith increased or decreased since July 4, 1776?
If you're like me, it's been a while since you read the Declaration of Independence which was written and signed on or around this date two hundred and thirty years ago. It is an impressive document which reveals so much of who we have been, are, and should be as a united people. Let there be no doubt of the firm foundation of faith on which the United States of America has been based. Here are some excerpts of the Declaration:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America … solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor"
Our Founding Fathers believed firmly that GOD GIVES EVERY AMERICAN THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS? Do we share the Founders' faith and live it? Do we defend the rights of all of the young, the elderly, the immigrants, the unborn, the handicapped, and the poor as being God-given rights? Also, do we firmly rely on the protection of Divine Providence on our great land?
In the United States, has faith increased or decreased since July 4, 1776?
Sunday, July 02, 2006
13th Sunday, Ordinary - Homily
A St Andrew parishioner has asked me to post my Sunday homilies. I don't write them out, so I'll make my best effort to remember what I said!
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We don't hear the story of the woman with the hemorrhage very often in the cycle of Lectionary readings at Mass. It is a powerful story. This woman suffered for twelve years from hemorrhaging (bleeding) and went to many doctors. None of them could heal her. Then, she just touched the garment of Jesus, and immediately, the bleeding stopped. She was healed.
We use this story many times on retreats, especially with youth. What we do is bring Jesus out of the tabernacle and onto the altar in the monstrance. Then the priest puts on this garment called a humeral veil. Now, our parents and the older generation grew up on Benediction, where the priest gives the Benediction with the monstrance while wearing the veil. The understanding is that with the garment over his hands, the priest is taken out of the equation. It is really Jesus (in the Eucharist) who is giving the blessing.
So, what we do is have the priest bring the monstrance from the altar to where the youth are. He processes to where the kids are, and walks slowly around them. Holding the monstrance with the veil, again it is that he is taken out of the equation. It is really Jesus walking through the crowd of youth just as walked through the crowd in the Gospel. Using this Gospel story as the backdrop, the kids reach out and touch the garment of Jesus. Now, these kids are dealing with so much in their lives…I've seen it time and again where they experience real healing by touching the garment of Christ. It is very powerful.
We all are dealing with a lot. We all have wounds like the woman with the hemorrhage. Our wounds may go back twelve years, maybe longer. Our wounds may be sins…habits…vices…maybe problems with family or friends…maybe hatred…anger… rejection…loneliness…tragedy…illness. Whatever our wounds are, we can be healed… by Christ.
Are we like the woman with the hemorrhage, and have gone to many doctors to be healed. Do we go to counselors or therapists with our wounds? None of them has the power to heal us like Christ has. He is the Divine Physician who can heal our souls… mainly through the Eucharist and Confession. And, he has given his power of healing to his priests. I know possess his power to heal. One therapist told me and a group of priests, "we don't have the tools and power that you guys have."
But, why is it that we all have wounds? Why do we all suffer? Where did suffering come from? Did God make suffering? No. From our first reading, Wisdom Chapter 1, "God did not make death" (v. 13). God did not make suffering. "Death entered the world through the envy of the devil" (Wis 2:23), through sin. Suffering, then, is a natural result of sin. That means that all of my wounds are caused by own sins or the sins of others.
Now, what if my wound is cancer, or depression? It doesn't seem fair because I've done nothing wrong. Well, we look at the Cross, and see the ultimate Innocent Victim. He did nothing wrong, and suffered tremendous wounds for us. St. Peter writes in his first letter, chapter 2, "by his wounds you are healed" (v.24). Christ took on all of our wounds so that we might be healed. He knows the pain of all of our wounds, and can heal them.
So, we come to this Eucharist today to be healed. It is the same Christ that will be present on the altar and in Holy Communion who healed the woman with the hemorrhage. It is the same Jesus, the same healing power. If we come to Him with the same faith as her, hopefully He will say the same words to our hearts: "your faith has saved you" (Mk 5:34). Your faith has healed you. May we all be open to the healing power of Christ this week. He has such a great desire to heal each one of us. He has such great love for each of us. A deep, passionate love. May you know His great love for you this week.
----------------------------------------
We don't hear the story of the woman with the hemorrhage very often in the cycle of Lectionary readings at Mass. It is a powerful story. This woman suffered for twelve years from hemorrhaging (bleeding) and went to many doctors. None of them could heal her. Then, she just touched the garment of Jesus, and immediately, the bleeding stopped. She was healed.
We use this story many times on retreats, especially with youth. What we do is bring Jesus out of the tabernacle and onto the altar in the monstrance. Then the priest puts on this garment called a humeral veil. Now, our parents and the older generation grew up on Benediction, where the priest gives the Benediction with the monstrance while wearing the veil. The understanding is that with the garment over his hands, the priest is taken out of the equation. It is really Jesus (in the Eucharist) who is giving the blessing.
So, what we do is have the priest bring the monstrance from the altar to where the youth are. He processes to where the kids are, and walks slowly around them. Holding the monstrance with the veil, again it is that he is taken out of the equation. It is really Jesus walking through the crowd of youth just as walked through the crowd in the Gospel. Using this Gospel story as the backdrop, the kids reach out and touch the garment of Jesus. Now, these kids are dealing with so much in their lives…I've seen it time and again where they experience real healing by touching the garment of Christ. It is very powerful.
We all are dealing with a lot. We all have wounds like the woman with the hemorrhage. Our wounds may go back twelve years, maybe longer. Our wounds may be sins…habits…vices…maybe problems with family or friends…maybe hatred…anger… rejection…loneliness…tragedy…illness. Whatever our wounds are, we can be healed… by Christ.
Are we like the woman with the hemorrhage, and have gone to many doctors to be healed. Do we go to counselors or therapists with our wounds? None of them has the power to heal us like Christ has. He is the Divine Physician who can heal our souls… mainly through the Eucharist and Confession. And, he has given his power of healing to his priests. I know possess his power to heal. One therapist told me and a group of priests, "we don't have the tools and power that you guys have."
But, why is it that we all have wounds? Why do we all suffer? Where did suffering come from? Did God make suffering? No. From our first reading, Wisdom Chapter 1, "God did not make death" (v. 13). God did not make suffering. "Death entered the world through the envy of the devil" (Wis 2:23), through sin. Suffering, then, is a natural result of sin. That means that all of my wounds are caused by own sins or the sins of others.
Now, what if my wound is cancer, or depression? It doesn't seem fair because I've done nothing wrong. Well, we look at the Cross, and see the ultimate Innocent Victim. He did nothing wrong, and suffered tremendous wounds for us. St. Peter writes in his first letter, chapter 2, "by his wounds you are healed" (v.24). Christ took on all of our wounds so that we might be healed. He knows the pain of all of our wounds, and can heal them.
So, we come to this Eucharist today to be healed. It is the same Christ that will be present on the altar and in Holy Communion who healed the woman with the hemorrhage. It is the same Jesus, the same healing power. If we come to Him with the same faith as her, hopefully He will say the same words to our hearts: "your faith has saved you" (Mk 5:34). Your faith has healed you. May we all be open to the healing power of Christ this week. He has such a great desire to heal each one of us. He has such great love for each of us. A deep, passionate love. May you know His great love for you this week.
Friday, June 30, 2006
The Eucharist is Jesus' risen body
This is sort of a repeat post on this site, but it's new to the St Andrew's site. There might be a few of these as I get that site started. It never gets old talking about the most enriching parts of our faith, especially the Eucharist.
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When I introduced myself the first weekend at St Andrew's, I mentioned that for the first twenty years of my life, I thought that the Eucharist was just a symbol of the Body and Blood of Christ. I'm sure, at some point, that I'd been taught about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, having been raised in a strong Catholic home and gone through fourteen years of Catholic school. I just didn't get it.
Years ago, a study revealed that about 70% of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol, a representation of Christ's flesh and blood. From where did I get this erroneous understanding? From where do the 70% get it? There are, at least, a few possible answers, but these are more rhetorical questions than anything for my purposes here.
It was pretty much one conversation with a priest that changed my understanding, and changed my life. Fr. Tom Wells was a good friend with whom I played golf regularly (the 19th Hole was our favorite), went on beach trips, and discussed everything under the sun - religion, politics, sports, etc. He was a great priest who was brilliant, funny (probably the funnest person I've ever met), holy, and a 100 % believer in the Eucharist.
One day when I was twenty-one, I was sitting in Fr. Wells' office, shooting the breeze with my buddy. I somehow blurted out, "well, you know, Father, the Eucharist is just a symbol". "What??", he said. "It's a ...symbol?", I said very shakily. He replied in a very casual but firm manner, "Greg, 'this is my body' means 'THIS IS MY BODY'". I was simultaneously dumbfounded, intrigued, inspired, and curious the moment these words registered in my mind and heart. That was the moment the light bulb went on: FINALLY, I GOT IT!
We continued talking about how the Eucharist is really Jesus' Body and Blood. Fr Wells explained to me that Jesus doesn't die over and over again at every Mass; Scripture says that Christ died once and for all (see Rom 6:10, Heb 7:27). The Eucharist that is present on the altar at Mass, in the tabernacle in the Church, and that we receive in Holy Communion is the RISEN body of Christ. This realization changed my life (I will write more about this in a future post).
"The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" - Jn 6:51.
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When I introduced myself the first weekend at St Andrew's, I mentioned that for the first twenty years of my life, I thought that the Eucharist was just a symbol of the Body and Blood of Christ. I'm sure, at some point, that I'd been taught about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, having been raised in a strong Catholic home and gone through fourteen years of Catholic school. I just didn't get it.
Years ago, a study revealed that about 70% of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol, a representation of Christ's flesh and blood. From where did I get this erroneous understanding? From where do the 70% get it? There are, at least, a few possible answers, but these are more rhetorical questions than anything for my purposes here.
It was pretty much one conversation with a priest that changed my understanding, and changed my life. Fr. Tom Wells was a good friend with whom I played golf regularly (the 19th Hole was our favorite), went on beach trips, and discussed everything under the sun - religion, politics, sports, etc. He was a great priest who was brilliant, funny (probably the funnest person I've ever met), holy, and a 100 % believer in the Eucharist.
One day when I was twenty-one, I was sitting in Fr. Wells' office, shooting the breeze with my buddy. I somehow blurted out, "well, you know, Father, the Eucharist is just a symbol". "What??", he said. "It's a ...symbol?", I said very shakily. He replied in a very casual but firm manner, "Greg, 'this is my body' means 'THIS IS MY BODY'". I was simultaneously dumbfounded, intrigued, inspired, and curious the moment these words registered in my mind and heart. That was the moment the light bulb went on: FINALLY, I GOT IT!
We continued talking about how the Eucharist is really Jesus' Body and Blood. Fr Wells explained to me that Jesus doesn't die over and over again at every Mass; Scripture says that Christ died once and for all (see Rom 6:10, Heb 7:27). The Eucharist that is present on the altar at Mass, in the tabernacle in the Church, and that we receive in Holy Communion is the RISEN body of Christ. This realization changed my life (I will write more about this in a future post).
"The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" - Jn 6:51.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Do you believe in the Resurrection?
The most fundamental question of Christianity is: "Did Jesus rise from the dead?" In fact, it is the THE question that separates Christians from non-Christians. Quite simply, anyone who answers 'yes' is saying that he is a Christian; anyone who says 'no' is saying that he is not. So, what does it mean to say that Jesus rose from the dead? What does it mean to believe in the Resurrection?
If I say that I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, then I believe that he has power over all things, even death. If I stop and think about what it means for a person to rise from the dead, it is mind-blowing! Jesus died a terrible and cruel death. He hung on a cross for at least three hours, and then died of suffocation. The death of Jesus of Nazareth is an indisputable, historical fact; even the most ardent atheist would admit that Jesus shed his flesh and blood on Mount Calvary.
His life had ended. "He breathed his last" (Lk 23:46). This is confirmed by all of the Gospel writers, as well as the reaction of the disciples: "(they) were mourning and in tears" (Mk 16:10). We can only imagine the tremendous sorrow and grief the disciples felt. Was Jesus not the Son of God? Not the Messiah? Was he a false prophet? Was he a liar and a blasphemer?
As they pondered these serious and somber questions for three days in their mourning, they received startling news from Mary Magdelene on the third day. "He has risen from the dead" (Mt 28:7). Those who went to see the empty tomb where Christ was buried were amazed at what they saw, and believed. He is risen!!
To believe in the Resurrection of Jesus is to believe that He is the Anointed One...He is the Christ. No one has risen from the dead before Him, and no one has done it after Him. He is the Resurrection (Jn 11:25). He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). Everything he said is true, and he is God's only Son. He offers us his life, and all those who believe in Him and live the Gospel share in his Resurrection (life after death). Do you believe?
"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is pointless and you have not, after all, been released from your sins" (1 Cor 15:16, 17).
If I say that I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, then I believe that he has power over all things, even death. If I stop and think about what it means for a person to rise from the dead, it is mind-blowing! Jesus died a terrible and cruel death. He hung on a cross for at least three hours, and then died of suffocation. The death of Jesus of Nazareth is an indisputable, historical fact; even the most ardent atheist would admit that Jesus shed his flesh and blood on Mount Calvary.
His life had ended. "He breathed his last" (Lk 23:46). This is confirmed by all of the Gospel writers, as well as the reaction of the disciples: "(they) were mourning and in tears" (Mk 16:10). We can only imagine the tremendous sorrow and grief the disciples felt. Was Jesus not the Son of God? Not the Messiah? Was he a false prophet? Was he a liar and a blasphemer?
As they pondered these serious and somber questions for three days in their mourning, they received startling news from Mary Magdelene on the third day. "He has risen from the dead" (Mt 28:7). Those who went to see the empty tomb where Christ was buried were amazed at what they saw, and believed. He is risen!!
To believe in the Resurrection of Jesus is to believe that He is the Anointed One...He is the Christ. No one has risen from the dead before Him, and no one has done it after Him. He is the Resurrection (Jn 11:25). He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). Everything he said is true, and he is God's only Son. He offers us his life, and all those who believe in Him and live the Gospel share in his Resurrection (life after death). Do you believe?
"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is pointless and you have not, after all, been released from your sins" (1 Cor 15:16, 17).
Friday, June 23, 2006
My first priestly assignment
So, I moved from St Francis to my first priestly assignment, St Andrew Apostle, last Friday. I was able to fit all of my stuff in one carload (although it was a tight fit, and I was a bit weighed down - Fr Lee cautioned me about hitting speed bumps!) which made me happy. Right after I moved my stuff in from the car and met the St Andrew's staff in the rectory, I shot over to the school to meet some of the school staff. Some good people work here!
At the pastor's request, I introduced myself at all of the Sunday Masses. I said that I was struggling with one thing by being here: coming up with the right word to describe my experience. I said, "to say that I'm happy doesn't fully do it...I'm excited, pumped, juiced, stoked...I'm PSYCHED to be here!!" People probably thought I had too much coffee or something, but they were getting a kick out of my energy.
I went on to explain what I meant. "The Cardinal gave us our assignments just days before he ordained us. When I heard that he was sending me to St Andrew's, it was like winning the lottery days before getting married!". It is a great parish with an extraordinary pastor, Msgr Mike Mellone, and staff, many young and large families, and an impressive amount of 'lights of the world' (the youth that I love so much).
It was a tremendous honor to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi my first weekend here. I told the congregations that I have two great loves in my life: the first is the Eucharist, and the second is youth (the third, I said, is the Washington Redskins...yeah, Skins...we're talking Super Bowl!) By the way, Msgr Mellone asked me to make my Eucharist brochures available to folks after the Masses...they took about 200 of them! Woo-hoo!
I mentioned about how it took me twelve years to get ordained (normally, it's six years after college), but didn't explain it further. "The point is", I said, "that I have waited many years to be here with you. To serve you, to pray with you, to break bread with you, to have fun with you, to enjoy life with you. To fall in love with you....with your families...with your marriages...with your kids. This is going to be very good!"
At the pastor's request, I introduced myself at all of the Sunday Masses. I said that I was struggling with one thing by being here: coming up with the right word to describe my experience. I said, "to say that I'm happy doesn't fully do it...I'm excited, pumped, juiced, stoked...I'm PSYCHED to be here!!" People probably thought I had too much coffee or something, but they were getting a kick out of my energy.
I went on to explain what I meant. "The Cardinal gave us our assignments just days before he ordained us. When I heard that he was sending me to St Andrew's, it was like winning the lottery days before getting married!". It is a great parish with an extraordinary pastor, Msgr Mike Mellone, and staff, many young and large families, and an impressive amount of 'lights of the world' (the youth that I love so much).
It was a tremendous honor to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi my first weekend here. I told the congregations that I have two great loves in my life: the first is the Eucharist, and the second is youth (the third, I said, is the Washington Redskins...yeah, Skins...we're talking Super Bowl!) By the way, Msgr Mellone asked me to make my Eucharist brochures available to folks after the Masses...they took about 200 of them! Woo-hoo!
I mentioned about how it took me twelve years to get ordained (normally, it's six years after college), but didn't explain it further. "The point is", I said, "that I have waited many years to be here with you. To serve you, to pray with you, to break bread with you, to have fun with you, to enjoy life with you. To fall in love with you....with your families...with your marriages...with your kids. This is going to be very good!"
Friday, June 16, 2006
Goodbye, St Francis
Today, I move on to my first priestly assignment: St Andrew the Apostle Church in Silver Spring. While I am sad to leave St Francis, I very much look forward to begin working in the vineyard of St Andrew's. St Andrew's is located at the intersection of Kemp Mill Rd and Arcola Ave, about 10 miles from St Francis. It is a sizable parish with a large school (over 400 students). Should be a good fit, pray God.
These past nine months have been pretty amazing here in this great parish. It all started in the rectory, where I truly enjoyed my time with Fr Lee and Msgr Ralph. These are two very fine priests who have been faithful for so many years. I learned so much from both of them about service, priesthood, life, and love. They continually showed me Christ and the fullness of his Gospel. They taught me what it means to be a shepherd, mainly through their actions, and also through their words (in the true spirit of St Francis!). What an honor to share a home with these two holy men!
To the staff and parishioners of this extraordinary parish, I say two words: THANK YOU!! Thank you for your warmth, friendship, fun, support, prayers, and love. You helped me so much during some of the most critical months of my life - preparing for ordination. I realized early on that the reason God put me here was so that I would be as ready as I could be, spiritually and personally, for priesthood.
St Francis is a family parish and a parish family!! Christ is truly present in your hearts and His love and kindness are shown regularly here. I had a real experience of His kingdom these past nine months. And, speaking of nine months, it's been like a mother carrying her child to birth. You have given birth to a priestly vocation, and now I am the fruit of your womb. Whatever good I do in my priesthood, it will be through you. You have nurtured a vocation so well; God knew what He is doing in sending me here.
While I say 'goodbye' in my title, this is not goodbye. If we pray for each other, we will see each other in prayer every day. Please pray for me, that I will be a faithful priest! Please know that you will be in my daily prayers. My hope is that you will remain a Christ-centered parish family, focused on Christ in the Eucharist, and living his Gospel of Love. May God continue to bless you abundantly, and thank you, St Francis! I love you all.
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P.S. I will continue this blog site - probably will start one at St Andrew's, and just cut and paste from that one onto here when I do.
These past nine months have been pretty amazing here in this great parish. It all started in the rectory, where I truly enjoyed my time with Fr Lee and Msgr Ralph. These are two very fine priests who have been faithful for so many years. I learned so much from both of them about service, priesthood, life, and love. They continually showed me Christ and the fullness of his Gospel. They taught me what it means to be a shepherd, mainly through their actions, and also through their words (in the true spirit of St Francis!). What an honor to share a home with these two holy men!
To the staff and parishioners of this extraordinary parish, I say two words: THANK YOU!! Thank you for your warmth, friendship, fun, support, prayers, and love. You helped me so much during some of the most critical months of my life - preparing for ordination. I realized early on that the reason God put me here was so that I would be as ready as I could be, spiritually and personally, for priesthood.
St Francis is a family parish and a parish family!! Christ is truly present in your hearts and His love and kindness are shown regularly here. I had a real experience of His kingdom these past nine months. And, speaking of nine months, it's been like a mother carrying her child to birth. You have given birth to a priestly vocation, and now I am the fruit of your womb. Whatever good I do in my priesthood, it will be through you. You have nurtured a vocation so well; God knew what He is doing in sending me here.
While I say 'goodbye' in my title, this is not goodbye. If we pray for each other, we will see each other in prayer every day. Please pray for me, that I will be a faithful priest! Please know that you will be in my daily prayers. My hope is that you will remain a Christ-centered parish family, focused on Christ in the Eucharist, and living his Gospel of Love. May God continue to bless you abundantly, and thank you, St Francis! I love you all.
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P.S. I will continue this blog site - probably will start one at St Andrew's, and just cut and paste from that one onto here when I do.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Jesus' flying leap
Today, we are in Galway, Ireland, enjoying the town with a day of relaxation. We have been on the road every day, driving about 100 miles each day, going from town to town, B&B (bed and breakfast) to B&B, seeing the impressive (and often breathtaking) views of countryside, mountains, skies, pastures, and towns wherever we go. Two more days here, and then we come home. God is so good to allow me to enjoy such beauty and joy during my time here!
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One anonymous blogger wrote about his/her experience during my first Mass of Thanksgiving. Well, I have my own pretty amazing experience...actually, there were a few, but this one stands out. I still don't know exactly what happened, or at least how it happened, and probably never will. It occurred during the Adoration / Procession of the Holy Eucharist in front of the youth after Holy Communion (one of the last of the pictures I posted from my first Mass).
When I put the lunette (the small piece that holds the Eucharist) into the monstrance (the large gold and glass vessel which shows us the Eucharist) on the altar, I struggled to make the door of the monstrance shut tightly. When I finally got it tight, I wasn't entirely sure the lunette was totally secure, but felt that the door was shut, and Jesus was fine in the monstrance.
Then, we had a few moments of Adoration of Jesus in the monstrance while my buddy, Ed Becker, played his song, "Thank you, Jesus" with all of the youth around the altar area. When he finished, I picked up the monstrance and processed with Jesus, as an instrumental song from the movie, "The Mission", resounded throughout the Church, my eyes locked on Jesus in the monstrance the whole time, and noticed no movement from the door to the montrance.
After the few moments of Procession, I brought the monstrance back to the altar, and showed the Eucharist to the congregation, moving very slowly. One time SLOWLY to the left, and then one time SLOWLY to the right. As I moved to the right ever so slowly, all of sudden...the Eucharist made a flying leap out of the monstrance!! Uhhh! There was a huge gasp from those, especially the youth, who could see Jesus come out of the monstrance.
In one motion, the door of the monstrance and the door of the lunette had opened, and the Body of Christ had come falling down towards me. So, I quickly moved my left arm to catch our Lord, and he (miraculously) landed securely on my arm. I caught Him! Whoa! I struggled to get my right arm out of the humeral veil I was wearing, but when I finally did, I used both hands to put the lunette back in the monstrance, and held the Eucharist up for a few moments longer, and then reposed Him in the tabernacle.
The chances of this happening (the monstrance door and lunette opening simultaneously and the Eucharist flying out) are EXTREMELY SMALL. My first thought was that it was the work of the devil. But, it's an even smaller chance that the Eucharist would just land on my arm with all of the slick vestments I had on it. MIRACULOUS!! Whatever forces were at work in the whole experience, they were definitely supernatural, and, in the end, Jesus showed his great power and personal touch in the Eucharist.
----------------------------------------
One anonymous blogger wrote about his/her experience during my first Mass of Thanksgiving. Well, I have my own pretty amazing experience...actually, there were a few, but this one stands out. I still don't know exactly what happened, or at least how it happened, and probably never will. It occurred during the Adoration / Procession of the Holy Eucharist in front of the youth after Holy Communion (one of the last of the pictures I posted from my first Mass).
When I put the lunette (the small piece that holds the Eucharist) into the monstrance (the large gold and glass vessel which shows us the Eucharist) on the altar, I struggled to make the door of the monstrance shut tightly. When I finally got it tight, I wasn't entirely sure the lunette was totally secure, but felt that the door was shut, and Jesus was fine in the monstrance.
Then, we had a few moments of Adoration of Jesus in the monstrance while my buddy, Ed Becker, played his song, "Thank you, Jesus" with all of the youth around the altar area. When he finished, I picked up the monstrance and processed with Jesus, as an instrumental song from the movie, "The Mission", resounded throughout the Church, my eyes locked on Jesus in the monstrance the whole time, and noticed no movement from the door to the montrance.
After the few moments of Procession, I brought the monstrance back to the altar, and showed the Eucharist to the congregation, moving very slowly. One time SLOWLY to the left, and then one time SLOWLY to the right. As I moved to the right ever so slowly, all of sudden...the Eucharist made a flying leap out of the monstrance!! Uhhh! There was a huge gasp from those, especially the youth, who could see Jesus come out of the monstrance.
In one motion, the door of the monstrance and the door of the lunette had opened, and the Body of Christ had come falling down towards me. So, I quickly moved my left arm to catch our Lord, and he (miraculously) landed securely on my arm. I caught Him! Whoa! I struggled to get my right arm out of the humeral veil I was wearing, but when I finally did, I used both hands to put the lunette back in the monstrance, and held the Eucharist up for a few moments longer, and then reposed Him in the tabernacle.
The chances of this happening (the monstrance door and lunette opening simultaneously and the Eucharist flying out) are EXTREMELY SMALL. My first thought was that it was the work of the devil. But, it's an even smaller chance that the Eucharist would just land on my arm with all of the slick vestments I had on it. MIRACULOUS!! Whatever forces were at work in the whole experience, they were definitely supernatural, and, in the end, Jesus showed his great power and personal touch in the Eucharist.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Ordination pics
Ireland!! Some friends of mine and I are here in Ireland for a 10 day trip. God's Country! We're taking in some of the amazing sites of this great land, but also here to play some golf! Yesterday, the course was amazing- next to the beach, lots of sun, wildgrass everywhere...Ireland can be a tought place to play golf. But, oh so fun! Oh, and yes, we've been hittin' some pubs.
The best part, though, has been daily Mass...I've been either celebrating or concelebrating each day (2 of my buddies here are priests). Two Masses outside - the one I celebrated was on the mountain where St Patrick fasted for 40 days before he drove out all the snakes. Way cool!!
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Here are some pics from the Ordination. Many thanks to Mary Lee O'Connell and her daughter, Kathy, for all of their help!
The best part, though, has been daily Mass...I've been either celebrating or concelebrating each day (2 of my buddies here are priests). Two Masses outside - the one I celebrated was on the mountain where St Patrick fasted for 40 days before he drove out all the snakes. Way cool!!
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Here are some pics from the Ordination. Many thanks to Mary Lee O'Connell and her daughter, Kathy, for all of their help!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The experience of Ordination day
Ireland '06!! In the spirit and tradition of our good friend, Msgr Thomas Wells, some buddies and I are going to Ireland today until June 14. Should be a fun trip...lots o golf and seeing God's Country.
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It's still hard for me to put into words what happened last Saturday, May 27, at my Ordination to the priesthood and first Mass of Thanksgiving, but I'll try. In general terms, it was an experience of the Holy Spirit...the glory of God...the kingdom of Heaven. It was awesome!!
I was moved powerfully by the Spirit at the Ordination. During the Rite of Ordination, the twelve of us lay prostrate while the Church sang the Litany of Saints. I internally made my promises for my life as a priest to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. It was intense. I laid down my life as I laid on the floor, and asked the Holy Trinity to help me live out my promises. It brought many tears because it was one of the most profound and serious senses of intimacy I've ever had.
Then, after the laying on of hands (the moment of ordination), all of the priests - about 200 - laid hands on each of us twelve. Tears again! The picture from The Washington Post didn't show them which was probably cool. Again, I really can't put into words why I was crying and was moved so much, other than to say it was the Holy Spirit. What that means is that I was open to receiving the Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and was REALLY receiving the Spirit (I remember reading once that the gift of tears is a gift of the Spirit). So, at the Ordination, when I wasn't shedding tears of joy, I was smiling with great joy!!
After the almost 3 hour Ordination, I gave "first blessings" for over an hour. That was intense, too! The coolest and most powerful part was when people kissed my hands. My hands were anointed with sacred Chrism just after the laying on of hands, and now are the hands of Christ (when I perform the sacraments). That was one of the moments that told me things were different, and that now I'm a priest!
The first Mass which was later that evening...I was never really nervous - too happy to be nervous. We had many different things going on in the Mass, and I was very focused on them. Everything went so well, thanks be to God, and it really was a glorious liturgy. It was a normal Sunday vigil Mass with a few things added: a friend of mine coming into the Church, and Adoration and Procession of Jesus in the Eucharist in front of about 200 youth around the altar area.
From what I've gathered, many people at the first Mass had a very powerful spiritual experience. Again, it was an experience of the Holy Spirit. At one point in the Adoration and Procession, I could feel all 1000 sets of eyes on Jesus in the Eucharist. If that's true or even close to being true, then we all had the same experience - a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in the person of a newly ordained priest. Faith is awesome stuff!! It's all about faith!
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It's still hard for me to put into words what happened last Saturday, May 27, at my Ordination to the priesthood and first Mass of Thanksgiving, but I'll try. In general terms, it was an experience of the Holy Spirit...the glory of God...the kingdom of Heaven. It was awesome!!
I was moved powerfully by the Spirit at the Ordination. During the Rite of Ordination, the twelve of us lay prostrate while the Church sang the Litany of Saints. I internally made my promises for my life as a priest to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. It was intense. I laid down my life as I laid on the floor, and asked the Holy Trinity to help me live out my promises. It brought many tears because it was one of the most profound and serious senses of intimacy I've ever had.
Then, after the laying on of hands (the moment of ordination), all of the priests - about 200 - laid hands on each of us twelve. Tears again! The picture from The Washington Post didn't show them which was probably cool. Again, I really can't put into words why I was crying and was moved so much, other than to say it was the Holy Spirit. What that means is that I was open to receiving the Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and was REALLY receiving the Spirit (I remember reading once that the gift of tears is a gift of the Spirit). So, at the Ordination, when I wasn't shedding tears of joy, I was smiling with great joy!!
After the almost 3 hour Ordination, I gave "first blessings" for over an hour. That was intense, too! The coolest and most powerful part was when people kissed my hands. My hands were anointed with sacred Chrism just after the laying on of hands, and now are the hands of Christ (when I perform the sacraments). That was one of the moments that told me things were different, and that now I'm a priest!
The first Mass which was later that evening...I was never really nervous - too happy to be nervous. We had many different things going on in the Mass, and I was very focused on them. Everything went so well, thanks be to God, and it really was a glorious liturgy. It was a normal Sunday vigil Mass with a few things added: a friend of mine coming into the Church, and Adoration and Procession of Jesus in the Eucharist in front of about 200 youth around the altar area.
From what I've gathered, many people at the first Mass had a very powerful spiritual experience. Again, it was an experience of the Holy Spirit. At one point in the Adoration and Procession, I could feel all 1000 sets of eyes on Jesus in the Eucharist. If that's true or even close to being true, then we all had the same experience - a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in the person of a newly ordained priest. Faith is awesome stuff!! It's all about faith!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
First Mass of Thanksgiving!!
"God is awesome!!" That was one of the first things I said at my first Mass of Thanksgiving this past Saturday evening after being ordained a priest of Jesus Christ earlier in the day. It was an AWESOME weekend!! God is very good! Here are some pictures from the first Mass (no pics from the Ordination online yet). I will try to write about the Ordination experience asap. Please pray for the 12 of us newly-ordained priests!
1) Before Mass
2) Residents of Gift of Peace / Missionaries of Charity
3) My friend, Katie, becomes Catholic by making her profession of faith
4) Offertory with my nieces and nephews
5) Full Church!
6) Eucharistic Procession in front of the youth
7) God is awesome!!
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1) Before Mass
2) Residents of Gift of Peace / Missionaries of Charity
3) My friend, Katie, becomes Catholic by making her profession of faith
4) Offertory with my nieces and nephews
5) Full Church!
6) Eucharistic Procession in front of the youth
7) God is awesome!!
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Friday, May 26, 2006
On the eve of Ordination
So, tomorrow, I get ordained a priest by the awesome Grace of God!! I'm sitting here at St. Francis, with the soundtrack from "The Mission" playing on my computer, trying to get all my last minute details taken care of...it's busy! We had a GREAT week of retreat that ended Thursday, and it's been crazy ever since. But, good crazy. So, I'll finish up soon, and then what?
What does a man do the night before he becomes alter Christus (another Christ) in the world? The phone which has been off the hook since yesterday is silent (phew!). My family has gone back to their homes after we got together for Adoration, discussion about what tomorrow will be all about ("it's all about Jesus" my little nieces and nephews shouted out!), and dinner. One conversation awaits. I need to go see Him shortly.
I will spend at least an hour with Christ tonight in the chapel. Might be more because I probably won't be able to sleep (last night, it didn't happen...too excited). I will be with Him to whom I will give my life fully tomorrow. Kind of makes me think about the night before He handed over his life to the Father and all of us. Tonight might be a sort of Gethsemane.
But, I will try to rest in his peace. He has drawn me to his heart, his Sacred Heart, through the Immaculate Heart of his mother. It's hard to put in words what my own heart is experiencing now, this closely united to Christ. I will be changed sacramentally and ontologically tomorrow, but he has been changing me so much over the past several years. I am not worthy to be a priest of Jesus Christ; it's only because he has formed me and shaped me to be like Him that I can go forward tomorrow.
Now, with all of the hoopla and details, I have caught myself forgetting one of the biggest moments of all after the laying on of hands (that's the point at the Ordination when I become a priest): the Consecration of the bread and wine at my first Mass. For 14 years, it's been a dream. The Dream. To make Christ present on Earth. Truly present. Through my hands. Through my words. But, they will be His hands... His words. His body...his blood. Tomorrow, the Incredible happens. All because of Him who is Incredible. Awesome. Amazing. It's all about Him. "It's all about Jesus".
What does a man do the night before he becomes alter Christus (another Christ) in the world? The phone which has been off the hook since yesterday is silent (phew!). My family has gone back to their homes after we got together for Adoration, discussion about what tomorrow will be all about ("it's all about Jesus" my little nieces and nephews shouted out!), and dinner. One conversation awaits. I need to go see Him shortly.
I will spend at least an hour with Christ tonight in the chapel. Might be more because I probably won't be able to sleep (last night, it didn't happen...too excited). I will be with Him to whom I will give my life fully tomorrow. Kind of makes me think about the night before He handed over his life to the Father and all of us. Tonight might be a sort of Gethsemane.
But, I will try to rest in his peace. He has drawn me to his heart, his Sacred Heart, through the Immaculate Heart of his mother. It's hard to put in words what my own heart is experiencing now, this closely united to Christ. I will be changed sacramentally and ontologically tomorrow, but he has been changing me so much over the past several years. I am not worthy to be a priest of Jesus Christ; it's only because he has formed me and shaped me to be like Him that I can go forward tomorrow.
Now, with all of the hoopla and details, I have caught myself forgetting one of the biggest moments of all after the laying on of hands (that's the point at the Ordination when I become a priest): the Consecration of the bread and wine at my first Mass. For 14 years, it's been a dream. The Dream. To make Christ present on Earth. Truly present. Through my hands. Through my words. But, they will be His hands... His words. His body...his blood. Tomorrow, the Incredible happens. All because of Him who is Incredible. Awesome. Amazing. It's all about Him. "It's all about Jesus".
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Retreat for priesthood ordination
Along with the other 11 men from DC to be ordained priests this Saturday, I'm making a five day retreat this week with the other men, as required by Canon Law. Please pray for us!! I will try to make a post later this week when I return.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
What happens at Confirmation?
Congratulations to the (+/-) 120 young men and women who were confirmed today at St Francis!! Bishop Holley celebrated this beautiful and glorious Sacrament during two Masses that were both standing room only. His Excellency gave a long sermon at each Mass, saying that, "I know I am preaching a long homily. But, I do this because I care about these young people. I have come here today to tell them that God loves them and so do I".
What happens at Confirmation? What is this sacrament all about? When did it start? It appears that the average Catholic doesn't know the answers to these, so it's good that we review the basics of this sacred act of God. During Confirmation, Bishop Holley anointed each candidate with (much) chrism oil on their forehead. He then said, "Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit". In Confirmation, then, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are confirmed, or "sealed", in each of us who receive this sacrament.
We first receive these gifts of the Holy Spirit- wisdom, knowledge, right judgement, courage, understanding, reverence, and fear of the Lord - at our Baptism. We receive God's life (Grace) at that moment; the Father, Son, and Spirit dwell within us at that moment under the sign of water. In Confirmation, these gifts are sealed within us under the sign of oil so that we will be courageous, wise, reverent, etc. Mainly, Confirmation sends us on our mission to bring God's love and life to others. It sends us on our way as Christians.
All the good that we do, then, is through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has guided the Church since the first Confirmation, Pentecost, in 33 AD. On that day, the Spirit came upon the Apostles as "tongues of fire", allowing the Apostles to speak to Jews from many different countries about Jesus. 3,000 Jews were converted that day, and the Church began. He is a POWERFUL Spirit!! He has been speaking and working through the Church - the Magisterium, Pope, Bishops, priests, and all the Christian faithful - as the Advocate of the Church. He teaches us about God, and helps us to interpret Jesus' Word through the centuries.
The Sacrament of Confirmation is the last of the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism and Eucharist are the other two). Now, these young men and women have been fully initiated into the Catholic Church. As Bishop Holley said, "you are not the future Church. You are the Church. The Church needs you". In the Catholic Church, we receive the FULLNESS of God's love, truth, mercy, peace, etc., mainly through the sacraments. The Spirit dwells fully in the Church, and now in each one of them. My prayer for these vibrant young parishioners is that they live out their faith, doing the Will of the Father through the Holy Spirit of Christ.
What happens at Confirmation? What is this sacrament all about? When did it start? It appears that the average Catholic doesn't know the answers to these, so it's good that we review the basics of this sacred act of God. During Confirmation, Bishop Holley anointed each candidate with (much) chrism oil on their forehead. He then said, "Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit". In Confirmation, then, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are confirmed, or "sealed", in each of us who receive this sacrament.
We first receive these gifts of the Holy Spirit- wisdom, knowledge, right judgement, courage, understanding, reverence, and fear of the Lord - at our Baptism. We receive God's life (Grace) at that moment; the Father, Son, and Spirit dwell within us at that moment under the sign of water. In Confirmation, these gifts are sealed within us under the sign of oil so that we will be courageous, wise, reverent, etc. Mainly, Confirmation sends us on our mission to bring God's love and life to others. It sends us on our way as Christians.
All the good that we do, then, is through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has guided the Church since the first Confirmation, Pentecost, in 33 AD. On that day, the Spirit came upon the Apostles as "tongues of fire", allowing the Apostles to speak to Jews from many different countries about Jesus. 3,000 Jews were converted that day, and the Church began. He is a POWERFUL Spirit!! He has been speaking and working through the Church - the Magisterium, Pope, Bishops, priests, and all the Christian faithful - as the Advocate of the Church. He teaches us about God, and helps us to interpret Jesus' Word through the centuries.
The Sacrament of Confirmation is the last of the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism and Eucharist are the other two). Now, these young men and women have been fully initiated into the Catholic Church. As Bishop Holley said, "you are not the future Church. You are the Church. The Church needs you". In the Catholic Church, we receive the FULLNESS of God's love, truth, mercy, peace, etc., mainly through the sacraments. The Spirit dwells fully in the Church, and now in each one of them. My prayer for these vibrant young parishioners is that they live out their faith, doing the Will of the Father through the Holy Spirit of Christ.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Mothers: Heroes for Christ
1. New shepherd!! As you've probably heard, we have a new Archbishop of Washington, Bishop Donald Wuerl from Pittsburgh. He will be installed as Archbishop in June; Cardinal McCarrick will still ordain the twelve of us as priests next Saturday (5/27), and will continue to live in Washington. Thank you, your Eminence, for your fatherly care, heroic service, and heartfelt love! Welcome, Bishop Wuerl!
2. DC 'Hood game: this Friday, May 19, 7 pm, Watkins Mill HS, versus St John Neumann parish. Come and root on us priests and seminarians!!
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This past Sunday, we honored all mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers for Mother's Day. As I said in my homily, all mothers who live out their vocation are heroes! They are heroes for Jesus Christ, for life, and for love. As Msgr. Ralph said in his comments at the end of Mass, we know we are loved by our mothers; this helps us to know we are loved by God.
Jesus says in Sunday's Gospel that he is the true vine, and we are the branches, and that only in him can we bear fruit. Apart from him we can do nothing! When we think about what it means to bear fruit, then, we know that it is only in Christ that we can do good in our lives. But, if it weren't for our mothers, we wouldn't be here at all! We wouldn't be on the vine of Christ. So, any fruit that we bear is in Christ through our mothers. We are the fruit of our mothers' wombs.
We look at the Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. The fruit of her womb is her Son, Jesus Christ. We say in the 'Hail Mary', "blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus". Mary shares in the fruit of Jesus' life which is Salvation, the greatest fruit the world has ever seen. We look at his Death and Resurrection, which is our Redemption; Mary shares in that. Our Redemption, then, is the fruit of her life, the fruit of her love. The Church gives Mary the title of "Co-Redeemer"; she shares in the fruit of her son's life.
My mother will share in whatever fruit I will bear in my life as a priest. Whatever good any of us does in our lives, it is through our mothers. It is fitting that they share in our fruit because of all the sacrifices they ahve made for us: at least nine months of physical sacrifices, and all that it takes to nurture, mold, and shape us to be the persons we are today. Our mothers are the primary formators on Earth of our personalities and characters.
We thank God for our mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers. If they are no longer with us, we pray for them and thank them for their heroic lives. We thank all mothers for their lives, and for giving us our lives. It is through them that we are on the vine of Christ, and bearing fruit in Him. Mothers bear the most and greatest fruit on His vine because all fruit is through them. They are true heroes for Christ, life, and love.
2. DC 'Hood game: this Friday, May 19, 7 pm, Watkins Mill HS, versus St John Neumann parish. Come and root on us priests and seminarians!!
------------------------------------------
This past Sunday, we honored all mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers for Mother's Day. As I said in my homily, all mothers who live out their vocation are heroes! They are heroes for Jesus Christ, for life, and for love. As Msgr. Ralph said in his comments at the end of Mass, we know we are loved by our mothers; this helps us to know we are loved by God.
Jesus says in Sunday's Gospel that he is the true vine, and we are the branches, and that only in him can we bear fruit. Apart from him we can do nothing! When we think about what it means to bear fruit, then, we know that it is only in Christ that we can do good in our lives. But, if it weren't for our mothers, we wouldn't be here at all! We wouldn't be on the vine of Christ. So, any fruit that we bear is in Christ through our mothers. We are the fruit of our mothers' wombs.
We look at the Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. The fruit of her womb is her Son, Jesus Christ. We say in the 'Hail Mary', "blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus". Mary shares in the fruit of Jesus' life which is Salvation, the greatest fruit the world has ever seen. We look at his Death and Resurrection, which is our Redemption; Mary shares in that. Our Redemption, then, is the fruit of her life, the fruit of her love. The Church gives Mary the title of "Co-Redeemer"; she shares in the fruit of her son's life.
My mother will share in whatever fruit I will bear in my life as a priest. Whatever good any of us does in our lives, it is through our mothers. It is fitting that they share in our fruit because of all the sacrifices they ahve made for us: at least nine months of physical sacrifices, and all that it takes to nurture, mold, and shape us to be the persons we are today. Our mothers are the primary formators on Earth of our personalities and characters.
We thank God for our mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers. If they are no longer with us, we pray for them and thank them for their heroic lives. We thank all mothers for their lives, and for giving us our lives. It is through them that we are on the vine of Christ, and bearing fruit in Him. Mothers bear the most and greatest fruit on His vine because all fruit is through them. They are true heroes for Christ, life, and love.
Friday, May 12, 2006
A teen's experience at Lourdes
Below is an inspiring and powerful post by Maggie, a teenager from Virginia who was on our trip to Lourdes. She wrote this as a comment to one of my posts, but it's so good that I wanted everyone to read it. Thanks, Maggie!!
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"Hey! I'm one of the teens from the trip and think its great that you've posted blogs about Lourdes. As you know, once you've been to Lourdes you just 'get it'. For me it was the international community of believers united to celebrate Catholicism. For someone like myself who had low expectations and fading faith, I left Lourdes grateful for being Catholic. As a cradle Catholic I felt like a was only a Catholic by default. Lourdes provided me with a very individualistic experience with Christ.
One of the most meaningful experiences for me was the Eucharistic procession where I carried one of the flags next to the exposed Host. I was literally "walking with Jesus" and felt His presence along with all the Catholics that followed from the Domain to the altar. Most importantly I felt completely secure discussing Catholicism with you and other pilgrims. Since I don't usually talk with my friends in depth about Jesus and the faith it was great to have your perspective and advice on the numerous questions I had about the faith. It made me feel more confident in its teachings.
The truth is Lourdes isn't about the water. It's a chance to put your life in perspective. When you walk together with the sick, the clergy, and the laity in prayer you develop a sense that no matter your struggles whether they are visible or not, Jesus bore all of them on his cross and calls for you to join him in eternal joy in heaven. Although God's plan for each of us is unclear and may be frightening at times we can be comforted knowing He loves us. What problems we face is undeterminable and our joys will be coupled with suffering.
However, we are comforted with the fact that if we submit to God's will and partake in his plan than we will reach eternal happiness with him. The only way we can approach the uncertainty of life is through prayer and as you eloquently said Deacon, 'to tell the people you care about that you love them at every opportunity because you never know what will happen'. It is this love of Jesus and one another that unites us and comforts us through life and all the struggles we may experience.
Whether God calls us to advocate his plan at a young age like Mary and Bernadette or later in life like the apostles, may we be open and accepting of his plan. As Bernadette innocently welcomed her journey that was accompanied by persecution and doubt, we are called to experience Jesus with this same childish innocence.
I encourage everyone to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes to demonstrate there willingness to partake in God's plan with a loving community of advocates of Christ."
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"Hey! I'm one of the teens from the trip and think its great that you've posted blogs about Lourdes. As you know, once you've been to Lourdes you just 'get it'. For me it was the international community of believers united to celebrate Catholicism. For someone like myself who had low expectations and fading faith, I left Lourdes grateful for being Catholic. As a cradle Catholic I felt like a was only a Catholic by default. Lourdes provided me with a very individualistic experience with Christ.
One of the most meaningful experiences for me was the Eucharistic procession where I carried one of the flags next to the exposed Host. I was literally "walking with Jesus" and felt His presence along with all the Catholics that followed from the Domain to the altar. Most importantly I felt completely secure discussing Catholicism with you and other pilgrims. Since I don't usually talk with my friends in depth about Jesus and the faith it was great to have your perspective and advice on the numerous questions I had about the faith. It made me feel more confident in its teachings.
The truth is Lourdes isn't about the water. It's a chance to put your life in perspective. When you walk together with the sick, the clergy, and the laity in prayer you develop a sense that no matter your struggles whether they are visible or not, Jesus bore all of them on his cross and calls for you to join him in eternal joy in heaven. Although God's plan for each of us is unclear and may be frightening at times we can be comforted knowing He loves us. What problems we face is undeterminable and our joys will be coupled with suffering.
However, we are comforted with the fact that if we submit to God's will and partake in his plan than we will reach eternal happiness with him. The only way we can approach the uncertainty of life is through prayer and as you eloquently said Deacon, 'to tell the people you care about that you love them at every opportunity because you never know what will happen'. It is this love of Jesus and one another that unites us and comforts us through life and all the struggles we may experience.
Whether God calls us to advocate his plan at a young age like Mary and Bernadette or later in life like the apostles, may we be open and accepting of his plan. As Bernadette innocently welcomed her journey that was accompanied by persecution and doubt, we are called to experience Jesus with this same childish innocence.
I encourage everyone to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes to demonstrate there willingness to partake in God's plan with a loving community of advocates of Christ."
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
One of the most powerful spots in the world
Update from Maria Stefko Turner, our good, young friend who is courageously battling cancer. She writes: "I had a reoccurence and just went through a stem cell transplant. I am continuing to recover and am very grateful for all your prayers. Please continue praying".--Maria
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Many of the daily and nightly activities in Lourdes come from what the Blessed Mother asked of Bernadette. She told her to build a chapel on the site of the well, and to go "in procession for the glory of God". So, every day we were there, there were numerous activities in the large and beautiful Basilica, and a nightly procession glorifying God in honor of our Lady.
It was really quite staggering to me how much goes on in Lourdes EVERY DAY. Every day, there are many Masses at the Grotto or in the other churches, off and on chanting all day and night, processions, praying of the rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, talks, washing at the baths, malades everywhere, Stations of the Cross...it was unbelievable how much Catholic stuff happens there every day in that town. At one point in one of the processions, I thought, "this is what Heaven will be like".
Just about every night, I walked from our hotel down to the Grotto (which is open pretty much all night). It is impressive how alive the place is with all these activities. I really enjoyed the place and the people we were there with. I would walk around the Grotto, taking in all the sights and sounds, and then find myself right in front of the spot. It caught me off guard and overwhelmed me.
What spot? The spot where Mary appeared to Bernadette. I thought, 'this is where the Mother of God appeared on Earth 148 years ago. Whoa!' It really was a powerful realization that stayed with me the whole trip. I tried to remember to pray for people back home while I was at the spot, and in the Grotto. As I wrote in my last post, at least one of the people I prayed for at the Grotto has already experienced a miracle. It's a powerful spot!!
Another time, I came back to the spot, and noticed something else going on at the Grotto. Now, the spot took on an even greater importance...it was the spot in front of Jesus appearing on the altar in the monstrance. I've been in the Presence of the Lord many times, but this was one of the most meaningful. Then I thought, 'there's such a huge deal made about Mary appearing here, and rightly so, but Jesus appears here every night, and where are all the people and hoopla for this?'
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Many of the daily and nightly activities in Lourdes come from what the Blessed Mother asked of Bernadette. She told her to build a chapel on the site of the well, and to go "in procession for the glory of God". So, every day we were there, there were numerous activities in the large and beautiful Basilica, and a nightly procession glorifying God in honor of our Lady.
It was really quite staggering to me how much goes on in Lourdes EVERY DAY. Every day, there are many Masses at the Grotto or in the other churches, off and on chanting all day and night, processions, praying of the rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, talks, washing at the baths, malades everywhere, Stations of the Cross...it was unbelievable how much Catholic stuff happens there every day in that town. At one point in one of the processions, I thought, "this is what Heaven will be like".
Just about every night, I walked from our hotel down to the Grotto (which is open pretty much all night). It is impressive how alive the place is with all these activities. I really enjoyed the place and the people we were there with. I would walk around the Grotto, taking in all the sights and sounds, and then find myself right in front of the spot. It caught me off guard and overwhelmed me.
What spot? The spot where Mary appeared to Bernadette. I thought, 'this is where the Mother of God appeared on Earth 148 years ago. Whoa!' It really was a powerful realization that stayed with me the whole trip. I tried to remember to pray for people back home while I was at the spot, and in the Grotto. As I wrote in my last post, at least one of the people I prayed for at the Grotto has already experienced a miracle. It's a powerful spot!!
Another time, I came back to the spot, and noticed something else going on at the Grotto. Now, the spot took on an even greater importance...it was the spot in front of Jesus appearing on the altar in the monstrance. I've been in the Presence of the Lord many times, but this was one of the most meaningful. Then I thought, 'there's such a huge deal made about Mary appearing here, and rightly so, but Jesus appears here every night, and where are all the people and hoopla for this?'
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Miracles of Lourdes
I just returned from Lourdes, France, with a group of about 300 people from the Order of Malta. What an amazing week! We took about 40-50 malades (those with physical ailments or diseases) with us, and their care and well-being was the main focus of our large group. What occurred there is hard to describe, but I will at least relay some of our experiences in the next few posts.
The story of Lourdes began when the Blessed Mother appeared to a young French girl named Bernadette in 1858. Word spread through the small town that the young girl had seen visions of a "beautiful lady", and the excitement started to grow. The legitimacy of the apparitions started to take root when the girl gave messages to a priest from the lady that Bernadette could never have created on her own. One message from the lady was in Latin: "I am the Immaculate Conception". (The dogma of the Immaculate Conception had just been declared by Rome in 1854). In her limited education, Bernadette didn't know Latin and couldn't have known about the dogma.
Mary told St. Bernadette to "drink and wash in the (spring) water". Bernadette used her hands to dig through the dirt and mud to find the spring; she was laughed at by the townspeople who thought she was crazy. But, then, a blind man washed his face with the water and found his sight. A mother bathed her dying child in the water, and the child lived. Since 1858, there have been 67 documented miracles of Lourdes and countless undocumented miracles.
People from our group witnessed one of the latter miracles. A woman went to the baths of Lourdes having suffered through years of not being able to walk because of a stroke. When her legs first touched the water, she screamed, "Ahhh...my legs are burning!" The women near her tried to comfort her, but she pushed them away. "My legs are burning... and, this is really good!" For the first time in years, she could feel her legs!! She was able to walk out of and away from the pool, and discarded whatever device she had been using to get around.
To this point, we have not heard of any physical healing or miracle with anyone from our group (although a saintly woman with cancer said she felt cured after bathing every day at Lourdes). But, we did see spiritual healings and conversions. Several people in our group went to Confession for the first time in many years, prayed in Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist for maybe the first time ever, prayed regularly the Liturgy of the Hours with me and another semiarian for the first time, and showed an overall new spiritual and personal lease on life at the end of the week. A conversion of the heart shows God's power more than any external miracle!
Possibly the greatest miracle for me during the trip involved someone from St Francis who has been away from the Church and for whom I've been praying a long time. I prayed hard for this person's conversion the first 2-3 days at the Grotto, saying, "Mary, please...please". Two days later, a close friend of this person sent me an email titled, "Lourdes miracle in Maryland", which explained how a conversation about the Eucharist between the two of them that night led the person to express a strong desire to come back to Church. AMAZING!!
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
The story of Lourdes began when the Blessed Mother appeared to a young French girl named Bernadette in 1858. Word spread through the small town that the young girl had seen visions of a "beautiful lady", and the excitement started to grow. The legitimacy of the apparitions started to take root when the girl gave messages to a priest from the lady that Bernadette could never have created on her own. One message from the lady was in Latin: "I am the Immaculate Conception". (The dogma of the Immaculate Conception had just been declared by Rome in 1854). In her limited education, Bernadette didn't know Latin and couldn't have known about the dogma.
Mary told St. Bernadette to "drink and wash in the (spring) water". Bernadette used her hands to dig through the dirt and mud to find the spring; she was laughed at by the townspeople who thought she was crazy. But, then, a blind man washed his face with the water and found his sight. A mother bathed her dying child in the water, and the child lived. Since 1858, there have been 67 documented miracles of Lourdes and countless undocumented miracles.
People from our group witnessed one of the latter miracles. A woman went to the baths of Lourdes having suffered through years of not being able to walk because of a stroke. When her legs first touched the water, she screamed, "Ahhh...my legs are burning!" The women near her tried to comfort her, but she pushed them away. "My legs are burning... and, this is really good!" For the first time in years, she could feel her legs!! She was able to walk out of and away from the pool, and discarded whatever device she had been using to get around.
To this point, we have not heard of any physical healing or miracle with anyone from our group (although a saintly woman with cancer said she felt cured after bathing every day at Lourdes). But, we did see spiritual healings and conversions. Several people in our group went to Confession for the first time in many years, prayed in Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist for maybe the first time ever, prayed regularly the Liturgy of the Hours with me and another semiarian for the first time, and showed an overall new spiritual and personal lease on life at the end of the week. A conversion of the heart shows God's power more than any external miracle!
Possibly the greatest miracle for me during the trip involved someone from St Francis who has been away from the Church and for whom I've been praying a long time. I prayed hard for this person's conversion the first 2-3 days at the Grotto, saying, "Mary, please...please". Two days later, a close friend of this person sent me an email titled, "Lourdes miracle in Maryland", which explained how a conversation about the Eucharist between the two of them that night led the person to express a strong desire to come back to Church. AMAZING!!
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
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