"Pope Benedict's Safeguards Against Abuse"

“I think this op-ed is very well written - it addresses the scandal in an appropriate manner highlighting the fact that the church has made many mistakes and needs to both repent and make structural changes; not just blame the media.”

This is a comment made from Wednesday’s post. I appreciate the blogger’s comment and encourage other bloggers to enter into the discussion! Regarding the Church’s structure of how to handle sexual abuse by clergy, the following is a summary and assessment of the Church’s safeguarding against abuse, specifically regarding Pope Benedict XVI. This helpful resource was compiled by one of our students at the Newman Center who researched documents all the way back to 1741…!

While it does show that Church leaders have failed in implementing the safeguards, it clearly indicates that Pope Benedict has not been one of them. In fact, it proves the opposite: he has been an ecclesiastical leader in preventing sexual abuse by clergy. Also, it shows that the Church has had these safeguards in place for over 200 years, not just in recent days or weeks as a result of media scrutiny. Pope Benedict has admitted that the Church has sinned in all of this and is not placing the blame on the media. But, the recent attacks of the media are baseless, as shown by the following:


“Pope Benedict’s Safeguards Against Abuse”

Summary:

Legal Safeguards

• 1741: Pope Benedict XIV issues Sacramentum Poenitentiae articulating the canonical norms with how to proceed with sexual abuse by clergy.
• 1922: Pope Pius XI issues Crimen Sollicitationis (crime of solicitation) updating Sacramentum Poenitentiae for the Code of Canon Law of 1917.
◦ Laid out the judicial norms for how dioceses and the Congregation of the
Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) were to deal with priests accused of abuseparticularly in the Sacrament of Confession.
• 1962: Pope John XXIII adds an appendix to Crimen Sollicitationis further specifying legal steps to be taken.
• 2001: Pope John Paul II issues Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (The Safeguarding of the Sanctity of the Sacraments) (SST).
◦ Simplified previous legal documents for clergy abuse cases and explicitly granted the CDF, headed by Cardinal Ratzinger, authority over cases involving clerical abuse.
• 2002: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) with the guidance of Cardinal Ratzinger publishes its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
◦ Comprehensive guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of further abuse.
◦ Procedures include adult screening, stricter seminary application testing and formation, background checks, Virtus abuse training, etc.
• Spring 2010: Vatican expected to implement USCCB guidelines for the rest of the world.

Why the Previous Safeguards Failed

• Cultural approach to pedophilia in civil and ecclesiastical authorities was to send offenders to treatment to be "cured." Once the treatment sessions ended, offenders faced no further penalties.
◦ Similar example: until the late 1970s, rape was punished usually with only between 3-5 years in prison; today, one offense is 20 years in prison and convicts register as sexual offenders.
• After Vatican II, there was a well-intentioned but misguided tendency to avoid penal action to canonically irregular situations on the part of the local ordinaries.
• Inadequate procedures for seminarian applicants and insufficient formation in seminaries and novitiates contributed to abuse. Also, a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal. The result, failure to apply existing canonical penalties.

Actual Extent of Abuse

• In the US- in 2002 the USCCB publishes an independent study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice examining priestly abuse from 1950-2002.
◦ 149 priests accounted for almost half of the 7,000 allegations of abuse by priests.
◦ Of the 109,604 priests who served during this time, the 149 priests accused of the most heinous accusations account for about 0.001% of priests or 1/1000 of 1%.
• Another example, in Great Britain over the past 40 years less than 0.4% of British priests were accused of abuse.


Explanation:

Documents show that in the 1980s, the CDF, headed by Cardinal Ratzinger, was pushing dioceses to take a tougher stand against clergy accused of abuse. One example, in 1995, Cardinal Ratzinger called for a full scale investigation into allegations that the former cardinal of Vienna, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, abused a boy. However, other Vatican officials persuaded the then Pope John Paul II that the media had exaggerated the case and an inquiry would only create more bad publicity. Secondly, Pope John Paul II's motu proprio SST was the result of intense lobbying by Cardinal Ratzinger, who was distressed by the Roman Rota's (highest canonical appeals court) slowness in dealing with clerical abuse cases. Only with the SST in 2001 did the CDF gain explicit authority over such cases. Almost immediately, Cardinal Ratzinger issued procedures for diocese who have received evidence about child abuse to report that evidence to civil authorities. At the same time, he also established other norms and clarified any jurisdictional confusion between the diocese and the CDF. All of this happened almost a year before the American clerical abuse scandal began in 2002.

Before Cardinal Ratzinger, individual dioceses had to conduct their own investigations separate from civil investigations. While canon law had laid out specific guidelines to follow, jurisdictional questions remained until 2001. Also, it is not surprising that since it was challenging to obtain reliable information, both civil and ecclesial authorities found it difficult to grasp the extent and complexity of the problem. However, Benedict XVI has admitted that grave errors of judgement were made and failures of leadership occurred.

Also, in a culture where pedophilia was not recognized as an inherently disordered and incurable condition, coupled with a desire to avoid public scandal, appropriate canonical laws were not enforced. Had all local ordinaries been enforcing the existing canonical procedures, the extent of the abuse would most likely have been far less than it was.

Despite these unfortunate failures, when Cardinal Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he made important changes to church law: specifically, the inclusion in canon law of internet offenses against children, the extension of child abuse offenses to include the abuse of all under 18, the case by case waiving of the statute of limitation, and the establishment of a fast-track dismissal from the clerical state for offenders, among other things.

Opinion: Allegations that Pope Benedict failed the Church are baseless and show that secularists are merely trying to take out the last challenge to their liberal ideology.

"Being Catholic in College"

The following is an op-ed piece written recently by a GW Catholic in the school newspaper. It has been a source of discussion among other GW Catholics; let’s bring some comments about it to our blog site. I plan on commenting on it in my homily this Sunday, but ask bloggers to post their thoughts and comments.


Being Catholic in College

“Growing up in the woods of New Hampshire, the thought never crossed my adolescent mind that fasting, constructing advent wreathes from moss and pine trees in my backyard, spending hours in Church, and various other Catholic customs (with a hearty dose of Polish folk customs) were not normal.

That didn't mean I didn't dread sitting through Mass every week. But now that dread is gone and, in the midst of my 20-something partying years, it's very likely you will find me every Sunday at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle.
My faith and relationship with the Catholic Church have evolved, been tested and, in the end, been strengthened. Today, I am just as likely to tell people I am Catholic as I am a Polish-American from New Hampshire. I am proud of both my heritage and my faith.

I didn't grow up in the Roman Catholic Church, but rather in a sect of the Old Catholic Church called the Polish National Catholic Church. Despite this, and now in a time during which Roman Catholic Church pews are being deserted, I have found a reawakening of my relationship with God.

Through much of high school I was, religiously, a lamb that had wandered astray from the herd. I challenged my childhood religion. I considered my options, including agnosticism, Islam and other Christian denominations. But I knew something was ultimately missing from my religious and spiritual life. It wasn't until I actually left home and came to D.C. that my faith really felt reaffirmed.

I didn't think my faith would be strengthened in college. When I thought of college, I thought Sunday morning was for nursing headaches, not for Mass. I do not know for certain what changed inside of me. But perhaps it was the everyday freedom that allows for sleeping in and drinking that allowed me to feel on my own, in a no-pressure venue, the comfort of faith. Yeah, I'd like to sleep in sometimes, but I feel better when I act on my faith instead.

I've even found I'm not the only GW student who gets up early on the weekend to spend some time with Jesus Christ. There are a number of fellow Catholics I have come across who are also deeply religious, yet manage to lead normal college lives filled with partying, college hook-ups and hours spent Facebook-stalking instead of deep in prayer.

I found that faith of any kind does not have to be forsaken in college, even in a bastion of liberalism and free thinking that is GW. If anything, being at GW and college in general has taught me that my faith doesn't have to be all or nothing. I can be a Democrat and a Catholic. And I can party as hearty as anyone else and still be Catholic. I can lead a normal life, enjoying the pleasures the world has to offer, while simultaneously fulfilling a spiritual and religious yearning.

It's not an easy time to be a Catholic. The strength of the church has been tested at the same time the strength of my faith has. Back home, the clergy abuse scandal is local and hard-hitting. Many of the early allegations, settlements and incarcerations happened in New England towns not far or different from mine. These unimaginably horrible actions caused many of my hometown friends and their families to vacate the church. I certainly don't blame them. But as an original outsider who came back into the flock, I have looked past these heinous acts and missteps by the church to find comfort and joy.

This disease of abuse by clergy and the subsequent cover-ups has now spread to infect the church's communicants all over the world. But this situation does not spell out the fall of the church. Rather, the church is now forced to seriously, unequivocally and firmly address structural problems. The current tenuous situation can become an opportunity for the church and its leaders to refocus on tending to the herd, so that everyone who wants to can find same comfort that I have found.
Life is full of ups and downs, but that is an integral part of the journey. My questioning of my own faith before and during college has helped to cement my commitment to it. I have faith too that my church will heal and many will once again heed the trumpet call.”

Divine Mercy Sunday - homily

I’ve got a sweet deal for you all tonight. Today is a day of much celebration in the Church. It’s the second Sunday of Easter which the Church has been celebrating as Divine Mercy Sunday since 2000. It’s also the eighth day of the Easter octave; we’ve been partying it up celebrating Easter for eight days. As Catholics, we fast well and feast well! In the midst of all of this celebration, God offers us a great deal through the Church. On Divine Mercy Sunday, and Catholic can gain a plenary indulgence.

A plenary indulgence removes all punishment due to sin. Whenever we commit a sin, we need to be forgiven by God but also need to make satisfaction for the sake of justice. Making satisfaction for sin commonly means serving some type of punishment in Purgatory. Let’s use the example of someone committing the serious sin of skipping Mass on Sunday. Let’s say that this sin carries a punishment of 20 days in Purgatory. Now, a “day” in Purgatory might not be 24 hours, but it is some period of time. If someone skips Mass say, 5 times, in college that would be 100 days in Purgatory for that sin alone. (As we think of all the sins we commit, some of us can expect a really long time in Purgatory. But, I will take that because it means that I’m going to Heaven. It’s not a done deal that any of us will go to Purgatory and if we get there, it means we’re going to the Big Party forever).

A plenary indulgence wipes out all that time in Purgatory. It removes ALL temporal punishment due to sin. Sweet deal, huh! One student said that this “seems too easy”. On the one hand, she is right; it is too easy. God’s Mercy in general is too easy for us to obtain. But, that’s what Christ has done for us: He has made God’s Mercy easy for us. On the other hand, it is not that easy. There are three things we need to do to gain the indulgence, and each of the three takes faith in Christ and in the Church. We have one week to do these three things: 1) go to Confession, 2) receive Holy Communion, and 3) pray for the Holy Father. If we gain the indulgence, we can apply it to ourselves or to someone who has died. If we apply it to ourselves, then all of the punishment due to sins we have committed to this point is wiped away. If we apply it to someone else and they are in Purgatory, then they go straight to Heaven. I let a friend of mine from high school whose father just died that I gained a plenary indulgence for his Dad, and he and his family were beside themselves with happiness. The person you gain it for will be eternally psyched and grateful!

Indulgences are one of the many graces that God offers us through the Church. The Church is the treasurer of God’s graces and has given us specific ways to obtain God’s mercy for ourselves or others. The practice of indulgences is rooted in the Jewish custom of praying for the dead. It does take faith to gain an indulgence and that faith is rewarded in profound ways. It takes faith to believe in Confession. We just heard the Scriptural basis for Confession in today’s Gospel. If anyone ever asks you, “why do you Catholics believe in Confession?”, you can say, “John 20:20”. In John 20:20 (to 23), Jesus gives the first priests the power to forgive sins. Was this gift only intended for people who lived 2000 years ago? Of course not! Our Lord intended for people for the rest of time to have their sins forgiven; so the first priests passed down this power to the next priests who passed it down and so forth. My power to forgive your sins comes from the Apostles who receive it from Christ.

It takes faith to believe in Confession, it takes faith to believe in the Eucharist, and it takes faith to believe that the Pope is the leader of the Church that Christ founded. To sweeten the deal, I will give a simple penance for any confession I hear after Mass tonight or this week. My penance will be one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be for Pope Benedict XVI. Aside from the indulgence, I ask each of you to pray for the Holy Father this week. He is under tremendous attack right now from our Opponent through the media. These are vicious and unjustified attacks. He is a deeply holy and loving man who is the Vicar of Christ. He needs your prayers, support, and love.

Finally, all the parts of the deal coincide with what our Lord revealed to St. Faustina in the 1930s. He told her to tell the modern world of his Divine Mercy in specific ways. One quote from His apparition to her is huge for us: “When you approach the confessional, know this, that I myself am waiting there for you”. He says this to each one of us tonight. ‘It is really I myself who am waiting for you in the confessional. It is really I who am waiting for you in the Eucharist. It is really I myself who celebrates the Mass and Confession through Fr Greg and other priests. I offer you my Mercy as I offered it to people 2000 years ago. Come to my Sacred Heart and receive my love and mercy’.

If you're not ready for a baby, then you're not ready for sex

Food after Mass this Sunday. We’ll have pizza in the Parish Hall after the 7:30 student Mass at St Stephen’s.
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On Tuesday night, we began our new series of discussions, “Real World: Catholics”. In this new series, I throw out real world situations or issues that we face as Catholics for people to comment on or ask questions. For both of the discussion groups, I presented two situations: 1) the current crisis involving the Church and sex abuse, and 2) couples who prepare for marriage in the Church while cohabitating.

In the first situation, both groups discussed the Church’s role in addressing sex abuse properly, but focused much attention on the less than admirable intentions of the media. Many of them showed awareness of how the media is going after the Church because of its contempt for the Church. I pointed out that the Church is regularly crucified for the same reason Christ was crucified: speaking the Truth and telling people how to live. One of the coolest lines of the night was from a student who told us what he said to his roommate when asked his opinion of the Holy Father: “You mean, the great-great-great-great-great (etc.) successor of St. Peter…he is awesome!”

In the second situation, the groups went on different tangents. The first group focused on the impact that cohabitation before marriage has on the fruitfulness marriage as well as those close to them who know they are cohabitating. The second group immediately went into a discussion on fornication; fornication is the main reason that cohabitation is wrong and dangerous to the fruitfulness of a marriage.

Both discussions were very good and I look forward to continuing the series as we tackle concrete situations for GW Catholics to discuss. The discussion involving fornication, though, was especially profound. Every member of the group spoke honestly about his or her struggle in living chastity in relationships. One member made the point that very well might represent the thoughts of everyone in the group: “I understand the teaching, but how do I live it?” Wow, what a question. I initially answered by saying that discussion groups have been formed to answer that question alone and that we could spend a whole series tackling that.

One of my answers which seemed to help the students involved an analogy to athletics. There are some athletes in the group, so they could relate. I asked them how they have trained for games, matches, competitions. They went through their full routine which included saying no to some pleasures involving food, drink, etc. They said that they stayed away from things they knew would be harmful to their preparation for the athletic event. I asked them how they did it. They answered by saying that they remained focused on the game. They weren’t just focusing on avoiding something bad (e.g., drinking), they were focused on a good (the game). I said it’s the same with sex and marriage; they should be focused on the goal (marriage) and not just on saying no to something bad (premarital sex). They made this connection and it seemed to be helpful. What was most helpful to them was to see other times in their lives which they were able to see how they remained disciplined. I threw in a line from St Paul which sealed the analogy: “Athletes deny themselves all sorts of things”.

Finally, the biggest moment of the night. As we kept discussing the struggle to live chastity in their current or future relationships, I asked them this question: “If there was no such thing as contraception, would it change anything (relating to pre-marital sex)?” As soon as I finished the question, they all said emphatically, “YES!”

That was the most telling moment in any of our discussions this year. I hope it was as telling to them as it was to me (telling not just about their attitude but about people's attitude in general). My basic answer was that if they aren’t ready for that (a baby), they aren’t ready for this (sex). My follow-up point next week will be that if there is no contraception (in their or their peers' relationships), then they probably won't have sex.

"Confronting sexual abuse head-on"

"It is not easy to be a priest today", Archbishop Wuerl writes in his Washington Post op-ed on Easter Sunday which is below. It is not easy to see the new attacks in the papers each day from the media. It is not easy to get blasted by a Catholic at an Easter Vigil reception. It is not easy to get questioned by devout Catholics who want to know what is going on. It is not easy, but it's part of the deal of being a priest. The Church is under attack; some of it is justified, much of it is not. I understand the purpose of the attacks on the Church and who is behind them. I also understand the purpose of the attack on Christ on Good Friday and who was behind that. As His Excellency points out, the Church will rise from this just as Christ rose from the dead.


Resurrection and redemption
By Donald W. Wuerl
Sunday, April 4, 2010; A15

Today, Christians worldwide celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Lent is over; Good Friday has passed. To a church that has experienced the deep pain of clergy sexual abuse, these days are a reminder that from pain and sorrow eventually come hope, redemption and new life.

This new life will come only by confronting sexual abuse head-on, taking responsibility for the wrongs of the past and committing to doing all that we can never to allow the tragedy of abuse to happen again. In the United States, we bishops have put in place tough standards for reporting allegations to civil authorities because we recognize that abuse is not only a sin but also a serious crime. In the Archdiocese of Washington and in dioceses nationwide, we mandate child protection training for adults and education for children. Seminarians, clergy, volunteers and employees who work with children must undergo criminal background checks. Independent advisory boards of lay experts guide our work, and, perhaps most important, we continue to reach out to those harmed to help them heal from their pain.

In 2008-09, 6 million children in the United States received lessons on recognizing inappropriate behavior and what to do if someone tries to harm them or makes them feel uncomfortable. Two million adults underwent background checks. Here in Washington, we have had a written child protection policy for nearly 25 years.

This commitment to safety has been done with the support and leadership of Pope Benedict XVI. Then-Cardinal Ratzinger, as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Pope John Paul II were strong voices supporting the American bishops when we asked for changes in canon law and for special norms to expedite the removal of priests involved in sexual abuse of minors in a quick and decisive manner.

Pope Benedict has made pastoral care a priority. Two years ago this month, he stood with us at Mass at Nationals Park and spoke about the sexual abuse of minors: "No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention. Nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church."

One of the most poignant moments of the Holy Father's visit to our city was his private visit with victims of clergy sexual abuse. He spoke with each person, he listened to them, he prayed with them and he heard how devastating the abuse was to their lives.

Clergy sexual abuse, and in fact all sexual abuse, must be addressed wherever it occurs. No child should ever be harmed. But the wrong actions of some do not justify the vilification of all. The priests who harmed children violated the heart of their ministry and have harmed not only our young people and our community of faith but also the vast majority of their brother priests who faithfully live out their promises to serve Christ and his people.

It is not easy to be a priest today. In a culture sometimes overly focused on material goods and getting ahead professionally, it may be hard to understand why someone would voluntarily choose a life of service and a job that is 24-7. Priests are there for others when they are in despair, grieving and destitute. They help people find hope in the darkness, a reason for living and the love of God.

Some of the most significant work of priests is found in what so many take for granted -- directly, quietly, caringly and effectively serving people in parishes. Priests celebrate Mass, baptize children, witness marriages, bring reconciliation through confession, serve the poor, console the sick and bury our loved ones. Their selfless ministry helps hold together the Catholic faith family and the wider community.

Priests don't expect thanks and often don't receive it. They see the priesthood as an opportunity to bring the love of Christ to others and to help them come closer to God. It is in earthen vessels that we carry a magnificent treasure.

As the Catholic Church continues to face the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse, we must pray for the victims, recommit to doing all that we can to keep children safe, and remember and pray for the priests who every day faithfully live out the deep love that Christ has for all of us.

The writer is archbishop of Washington.

Easter Sunday - homily

They “saw and believed”.

I wish all of you a very blessed Easter! Christ is risen…He is risen indeed! When I was in the parish, a woman who was a friend of a friend came to me for a blessing. She was going into surgery with the hope of removing a brain tumor that gave her constant pain throughout her body and sidelined her from activity with her kids for years. I laid my hands on her and showered her head with Lourdes water (miraculous water from Lourdes, France). When she went in for surgery, the doctors didn’t recognize her…the tumor was gone! For all intents and purposes, it was a miracle. As much physical healing as she experienced, she has had more spiritual and personal healing. She has made a big comeback in her Catholic faith, her marriage is much stronger, and her family is more united. She saw and believed.

A priest many years ago in Europe stopped believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He didn’t believe anymore that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass. But, he made a prayer to our Lord: ‘Lord, help me in my unbelief’. One day, he offered Mass. At the consecration, he elevated the host…the host began to bleed. Drops of blood came down from the host onto the altar. The Church would declare it a miracle of the Eucharist. The priest believed again. He saw and believed.

In the parish, we had Eucharistic Adoration for an hour every Friday night. People really got into it. Adoration is soooo awesome! Some nights, kids from the school came over with their classes. One night, students from the 3rd and 5th grades were there. They prayed for almost the whole hour! Sure, they ran out a few times for bathroom breaks (actually running through the Church…d’oh!). But, they were into it when there. Afterwards, they made comments that it was “awesome” and “inspiring”. I walked away thinking that they got it. At such a young age, they got it about the Eucharis: that it really is the Body of Christ. Most adult Catholics don’t get it – 70% believe the Eucharist is only a symbol. They get it and they are set for life in terms of their Catholic faith. They saw and believed.

I visited a man in the hospital who was on his death bed. While I was there to anoint him, he asked for Confession. He said it had been 50 years. 50 years. He was worried that God would not forgive him because it had been that long. I told him the story we heard on Good Friday, about the thief next to Jesus on the Cross who asked for mercy in the last hour of his life. Jesus gave him a promise that He gave to no one else in the Gospel: “today you will be with me in paradise”. I said to the man that the Lord gives him the same promise. He got it and tears of joy rolled down his face. He saw and believed.

We just heard the Gospel where Peter and John saw and believed. We normally think of Thomas as being the only Apostle who had to see to believe. But, they all did in one way or another. Peter and John saw the empty tomb, the others saw that , the witness of Peter, John, or Mary Magdelene, or they saw the risen Christ who walked the earth for 40 days. They all saw and believed.

If we have lost our faith, is it possible to see and believe again? Yes. Of course. One of the biggest highlights for me in my first year here has been a discussion group of about 8-10 students. They were “Catholic all-stars” in high school: going to Mass, inviting others to come to Mass and youth group, etc. Then, they came to college and lost their faith which is pretty common. But, through this group they are making a serious comeback in faith. They have seen Christ this semester: hopefully through me, the group leader, the teachings, the Eucharist, Confession, etc. I’ve met with two of them separately in the past two weeks for an hour and a half each time for Confession, Adoration, prayer, etc. They are back and their faith is amazing! They saw and believed again.

The common thread in all of these stories (other than seeing and believing) is that each of these people took action. They didn’t just sit idly by and say, ‘God, give me faith’. They went to where He is. They all did something about it. The woman came to me for a blessing, the priest celebrated Mass, the kids came to Adoration, the man in the hospital asked for a priest, the Apostles went to the tomb, and the students have come to the discussion group every week. They have put themselves in a position to see and believe.

Let us be like them so that we may see and believe. It happens primarily through the Eucharist; it starts with Sunday Mass….EVERY Sunday. Then, if possible, daily Mass which we have at the Newman Center Monday through Friday at noon. It is much more intimate and personal than Sunday Mass (and shorter!). Daily Mass is where so many people see and believe in Christ. Whether it’s through daily Mass, Confession, Adoration, prayer, Scripture, etc., let us see Christ and believe that He is risen…that He is real. Let us join the group of those who have seen and believed.

Seven Last Words of Christ

Confessions today at Newman Center (my office, 2nd floor): 12 noon – 2:45 pm, 4:15-6 pm.

"There was never a preacher like the dying Christ. There was never a congregation like that which gathered about the pulpit of the Cross. There was never a sermon like the Seven Last Words."
- Arch. Fulton Sheen, The Seven Last Words (the following is taken from Sheen's book and was the subject of discussion Tuesday night here)


The Seven Last Words of Christ
1. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"

His executioners expected Him to cry and curse like all those who had been crucified before Him. Instead, He cried out for the Father to forgive those who were executing and mocking Him (soldiers, Pilate, Herod, etc.).

Forgive who? – forgive the soldiers who mocked, scourged, and struck him

Why forgive? Because they know what they do? No, because they know NOT what they do. If they knew what they were doing (killing the Redeemer), they could not be saved. “It is not wisdom that saves; it is ignorance!”

If we knew: how terrible sin is and kept sinning...about the Incarnation and rejected Christ...about Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and didn’t take up our own...about mercy in the Sacrament of Penance and still refused it..about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and didn’t receive...the Truth of the teachings of Christ’s Church and rejected them like other Pilates...”if we knew all of these things and still stayed away from Christ and His Church, we should be lost!”

2. "This day you shall be with me in Paradise"

The thief (Dismas) next to Christ realized he was next to the Redeemer: “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom”

Christ was losing his life and saving a soul

He wouldn’t speak to Herod, wouldn’t respond to those who jeered and mocked, but strained to say the words that will save him: “This day you will be with me in paradise”

"No one before (the thief on the right of Christ) was ever the object of such a promise, not even Moses, nor John, not even Magdelen nor Mary!"

“God is more anxious to save us than we are to save ourselves”...more than anything, God wants us to give Him our sins...Dismas does and he is promised paradise

3. "Woman, behold thy son"

He had already given away everything – his blood to the Church...his garments to the soldiers...paradise to the thief...soon his body to the grave and his soul to the Father

“to whom, then, could he give the two treasures which he loved above all others, Mary and John?” He gave them to one another.

'Thy son' is John, who represents us (the Church). "Woman!" is the 2nd Annunciation; "behold thy son" is the 2nd Nativity. We are born of Mary in the 2nd Nativity of the spirit; Christ is born in the 1st Nativity of the flesh.

It has been said that Jesus never denies His Mother anything. Do I ask my Mother to intercede to her Son for me, my friends and family...she who is the mother of Him who can do all things?

4. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

Darkness covered the earth when spoken...the protest of nature to the Crucifixion
Separated from the Father? No, otherwise how could he cry, “My God, my God...”
Pain and desolation of not being able to see the Father’s face...like when it’s cloudy but sun is still there

While He is still in union with the Father, Christ brings atonement to all those who have abandoned God, doubt God's presence in their lives, or are indifferent towards God.

For all Christians who abandon God when they don’t feel His presence...they identify being good with feeling good...for a doubting world that asks, “why...why...?”

For indifference in the world...last 20 centuries of apathy is more torturing and crucifying than the pains of Calvary

Christ reaches out to all those who have been rejected, are lonely, isolated, hurt, etc...He knows what I'm experiencing whenever I've been abandoned, rejected, lonely, hurt or isolated. If he experienced this and rose from it, anyone in union with Him in these ways will rise with Him

5. "I thirst"

Not said to anyone there at Calvary, or even to God. He says to all mankind, "I thirst...for love!"

Suffering of God without man (5th word); suffering of man without God (4th word)
Creator cannot live without creatures; shepherd cannot love without sheep
Christ has done all he can do for us; “it is no wonder that he thirsts for love having poured forth all the waters of his everlasting love on our poor, parched
hearts”

Christ thirsts for my love; do I give him only vinegar and gall when he asks for a drink? Do I quench Jesus’ thirst with my love or do I leave him parched with my hardness of heart? Do I thirst for Jesus? For love? For Heaven? Do I thirst for others like Jesus does?

6. "It is finished"

Redemption, the Father’s work, is now accomplished; we were bought and paid for
Christ won in a battle with five wounds (hands, feet, side), torn flesh, a cry (‘forgive them’ not ‘crush and kill them’), and dripping blood

Christ triumphantly says this, like an artist who puts the finishing touches on a masterpiece.

Work of acquiring divine life is finished, but not the distribution. Is our work finished? No. He has finished the foundation; we build on it. It depends on us becoming other Christs and to take up our cross and follow Him

His work of Redemption is finished, but not complete (see Col 1:24). As the Mystical Body of Christ, we complete Christ's work of Redemption (by taking up our own Cross).

Do I accept crosses in my life with faith?

7. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"

Like the Prodigal Son who returns to his father's house...33 years ago, left the Father’s eternal mansion and went off to a foreign country of this world...spent himself and being spent...divine riches of power and wisdom spent on humanity...in his last hour, he gives to “the last drop” of his precious blood

Now on the road back to the Father’s house...sees the face of the Father and lets out the word, “Father, into...”

Mary at the foot of the Cross with crucified body,,,Bethlehem has come back:
-thorn-crowned head was head at her breast (at Bethlehem)
-faded eyes who glanced at her from the manger
-feet with nail marks were once adored with gold, frankincense, and myrrh
-embrace at the foot of the cross = embrace at the side of the crib

At Bethlehem, Mary gave Jesus to man; at Calvary, sinful man gave him back to Mary

Do we entrust our lives to our Father in Heaven? Do we commend our spirits to God? Do we give Him everything we’ve got- heart, mind, soul, and strength? Do we have our eyes on Heaven...think about it regularly?

Good Friday Confessions + "Passion of the Christ"

Good Friday (April 2):

1) Confessions at the Newman Center (2210 F St.) on Good Friday from 12 noon - 2:45 pm and 4:15 pm -6 pm.

2) "Passion of the Christ" movie, 8:30 pm, Marvin Center, Room 302

"Setting the record straight" about Father Murphy

A few people have asked me recently about the reported case in Wisconsin about abusive priest Father Murphy. Please click on the today's title to read an article from the priest who presided over the case as judge and who sets the record straight.

Palm Sunday - homily

“This is my body…this is my blood…shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven”.

These are the words we hear at the Consecration at every Mass when bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. In and of themselves, these words are awesome! They also tell us why this all happened….why Christ suffered so much…why He shed so much blood…why He died such a horrific death: so that sins may be forgiven.

The night before He died, He sweat blood in the garden. Sweat blood…so that sins may be forgiven.

The next day, He was whipped over 40 times front and back….and the soldiers used metal hooks at the end of their whips that ripped off his flesh. He was a bloody mess…so that sins may be forgiven.

Then, they mocked Him, spit on Him, and gave Him a crown of thorns that pierced His skull, causing blood to go into his eyes…so that sins may be forgiven.
They gave him a cross to carry…a very heavy cross. He fell three times, one time falling face first into stone pavement and breaking his nose…so that sins may be forgiven.

Then, He hung upon the cross for at least three hours…could barely breathe…could barely speak. And when He spoke, he said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. Then, He breathed his last…so that sins may be forgiven.
If you don’t have your sins forgiven, then Christ suffered and died in vain…all the blood He shed would be a waste.

I beg you, I beg you, I beg you: go to Confession….so that your sins may be forgiven.

A plea for Confession

Stations of the Cross, tonight, 5:30 pm, Newman Center chapel. Eucharistic Adoration and the opportunity for confession to follow from 6-7 pm. Please join us!

Holy Week schedule:
Monday
- NO Bible Study

Tuesday
- Mass (5:30 pm), dinner, discussion ("The Last Seven Words of Christ")

Wednesday
- Adoration, 12:30-10 pm
- Confessions, 8-9:30 pm

Holy Thursday
- NO 12 Mass, NO Theology of the Body
- 6:30 pm, Mass of the Lord's Supper, St Stephen's
- 12 midnight - "Christ in the Garden", NC Chapel

Good Friday
- 12:00 pm -2:45 pm- Confessions (NC, 2nd floor)
- 3:00- Living Stations of the Cross, St Stephen's
- 4:15-6 - Confessions (NC, 2nd floor)
- 6:30 - The Lord's Passion, St Stephen's
- 8:30 - "The Passion of the Christ" movie (Marvin Center)
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This Sunday night, I will be making a big plea for GW Catholics to go to Confession, explaining that the reason Christ suffered so much, shed so much blood, and died a horrific death is "so that sins may be forgiven”. It is in Confession that all our sins are forgiven…it is the sacrament of Reconciliation with God and the Church. My plea will be for GW students to honor the events of Holy Week, particularly Christ’s sacrifice, through Confession. Please encourage others to do this!

If you are worried about going to Confession, I understand. I have made it clear that I don’t get angry, judgemental, or condemning in “the box”. I am a minister of God’s Mercy and will offer you mercy. An example which may help solidify this point is a student who came to me for Confession recently after being filled with much trepidation about going. Here is the student’s email after Confession:


“I just wanted to say thank you for meeting with me yesterday. I really do feel spiritually renewed and so so blessed to have received the sacrament of Reconciliation. When I came into your office yesterday, I didn't for one second think that I was going to make a Confession-- until you whipped out your stole that is!...But, I am really grateful that I did-- and I am especially grateful for your patience and encouragement with the whole process, which was very overwhelming for me. Most importantly, however, I want to thank you, because for the first time in many years, I will truly be able to celebrate the gift of our Lord at Easter.”

New health care is "profoundly flawed" - US Bishops

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) – Less than an hour before the President of the United States signed the Senate version of Health Care Reform into law, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, through their President, Cardinal Francis George, issued the following release:

From The Catholic Bishops of the United States:

"For nearly a century, the Catholic bishops of the United States have called for reform of our health care system so that all may have access to the care that recognizes and affirms their human dignity. Christian discipleship means, "working to ensure that all people have access to what makes them fully human and fosters their human dignity" (United States Catechism for Adults, page 454). Included among those elements is the provision of necessary and appropriate health care.

"For too long, this question has gone unaddressed in our country. Often, while many had access to excellent medical treatment, millions of others including expectant mothers, struggling families or those with serious medical or physical problems were left unable to afford the care they needed. As Catholic bishops, we have expressed our support for efforts to address this national and societal shortcoming.

"We have spoken for the poorest and most defenseless among us. Many elements of the health care reform measure signed into law by the President address these concerns and so help to fulfill the duty that we have to each other for the common good. We are bishops, and therefore pastors and teachers. In that role, we applaud the effort to expand health care to all.

"Nevertheless, for whatever good this law achieves or intends, we as Catholic bishops have opposed its passage because there is compelling evidence that it would expand the role of the federal government in funding and facilitating abortion and plans that cover abortion. The statute appropriates billions of dollars in new funding without explicitly prohibiting the use of these funds for abortion, and it provides federal subsidies for health plans covering elective abortions.

"Its failure to preserve the legal status quo that has regulated the government´s relation to abortion, as did the original bill adopted by the House of Representatives last November, could undermine what has been the law of our land for decades and threatens the consensus of the majority of Americans: that federal funds not be used for abortions or plans that cover abortions. Stranger still, the statute forces all those who choose federally subsidized plans that cover abortion to pay for other peoples´ abortions with their own funds. If this new law is intended to prevent people from being complicit in the abortions of others, it is at war with itself.

"We share fully the admirable intention of President Obama expressed in his pending Executive Order, where he states, "it is necessary to establish an adequate enforcement mechanism to ensure that Federal funds are not used for abortion services." However, the fact that an Executive Order is necessary to clarify the legislation points to deficiencies in the statute itself. We do not understand how an Executive Order, no matter how well intentioned, can substitute for statutory provisions.

"The statute is also profoundly flawed because it has failed to include necessary language to provide essential conscience protections (both within and beyond the abortion context). As well, many immigrant workers and their families could be left worse off since they will not be allowed to purchase health coverage in the new exchanges to be created, even if they use their own money.

"Many in Congress and the Administration, as well as individuals and groups in the Catholic community, have repeatedly insisted that there is no federal funding for abortion in this statute and that strong conscience protection has been assured. Analyses that are being published separately show this not to be the case, which is why we oppose it in its current form. We and many others will follow the government´s implementation of health care reform and will work to ensure that Congress and the Administration live up to the claims that have contributed to its passage. We believe, finally, that new legislation to address its deficiencies will almost certainly be required.

"As bishops, we wish to recognize the principled actions of the pro-life Members of Congress from both parties, in the House and the Senate, who have worked courageously to create legislation that respects the principles outlined above. They have often been vilified and have worked against great odds.

"As bishops of the Catholic Church, we speak in the name of the Church and for the Catholic faith itself. The Catholic faith is not a partisan agenda, and we take this opportunity to recommit ourselves to working for health care which truly and fully safeguards the life, dignity, conscience and health of all, from the child in the womb to those in their last days on earth."

5th Sunday of Lent - homily

We just heard the story of the woman caught in adultery and the famous line from Jesus, “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”. Everyone there puts down their stones. But, you may not know the rest of the story. Someone from the back of the crowd threw a stone that landed near Jesus. Jesus looks around to see who could have thrown it, and then sees who it was and says, “Oh, Mom!”

Unfortunately, many Catholics think they are without sin. Many people have said to me over the years, “I don’t need to go to Confession, it’s not like I’ve killed someone or robbed a bank or anything”. This is an indication of a poorly formed conscience. I don’t blame these people only; it’s the role of the Church to inform people’s consciences. So, tonight, we will go through an examination of conscience just to make sure our consciences are all informed about specific sins. We’ll go through the ten commandments and the seven deadly sins, hitting the most relevant sins. This is the best way to prepare for Confession which you should all do before Easter.

The first commandment: “I am the Lord your God. You shall not have any other gods before me”. False gods would include people like boyfriends, girlfriends, celebrities, or things like money. Also, any involvement in the occult, witchcraft, ouija boards, tarot cards, palm readings are serious sins against the first commandment. Even taking horoscopes seriously is a sin.

The second commandment: “thou shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain”. People do this a lot more than they realize. OMG…hopefully, this means, “Oh my Goshhhh”, every time. If you say, ‘Oh my God’ regularly, make it a prayer: ‘Oh my God, I love you!”

The third commandment: “Keep holy the Sabbath”. I’m not trying to be funny, but the Sabbath is every Sunday! Some people think the Sabbath is every other Sunday or just once a month. The Christian Sabbath happens every Sunday. To give you further motivation for coming to Mass here and your whole lives every Sunday, the main reason we come to Mass is to receive the Eucharist. Jesus says that we need to receive the Eucharist in order to get to Heaven (John 6). We need to be at Mass to receive the Eucharist. When you have kids and they ask you, “Mommy, Daddy, why do we have to go to Mass every Sunday?”, you can tell them it’s so they will get to Heaven which is the most important thing in life. There’s nothing more important than getting to Heaven, so there’s nothing more important than getting to Mass on Sundays. Kids get it.

Getting drunk is a serious sin against the fifth commandment. It’s a form of killing yourself and the life God gave you. It causes harm to your body which is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The same goes with getting high and using drugs. Any participation in an abortion is grave sin. This would include recommending someone get an abortion, actively taking part in an abortion, voting for a pro-abortion politician, etc. Cutting or any attempt at suicide is grave sin.

The most confessed sins are those against the sixth commandment, “thou shall not commit adultery”. Any sexual act outside of marriage is serious sin…. heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transsexual…any sexual act outside of marriage. Jesus puts unchastity (impure sexual sins) in the same category as murder, adultery, and theft (Mark 7). This is serious sin. The Catechism specifies some of these sins: fornication, pornography, and masturbation. Yes, masturbation is a sin. It abuses the beautiful and sacred gift of sex that God has given us by making it only for pleasure and self-gratification while objectifying people in the process. God makes it clear in the first book of the Bible that sex is for a husband and wife to unite as one flesh and to procreate. Along these lines, contraception is grave sin. Acts of contraception include using birth control pills (which often serve as abortifacients where the baby is conceived and then killed in the mother’s womb), diaphragms, and condoms (which are passed out on occasion on this campus…this both depresses and angers me at the same time). It’s not just the act of contraception that is so dangerous and harmful. It is the mentality. It is a very selfish mentality that says “me first”. That is one way to define all sin (“me first”), but especially with contraception. The person is saying, ‘I want this (sex) but I don’t want that (a kid)’. The Church has warned against the widespread use of contraception for a long time. Pope Paul VI predicted in Humane Vitae (the 1960s) that if contraception became widespread, then we would see the degradation of women increase (which has happened) and morality decrease across the board (which has happened). This was quite prophetic of our former pontiff.

Stealing, lying, cheating on tests, papers and taxes are all grave sins. Coveting what other people have in terms of physical or personal gifts or possessions are sins against the ninth and ten commandments. You should be happy with the life God has given you. There is no one else in the world like you. You are unique. God created you and ‘God don’t make junk’. You are beautiful, intelligent (my gosh, are you all smart), and good. You are good and you are loved.

The seven deadly sins: pride (I believe that pride is the root of all sin…again, this means selfishness, self-centeredness, ‘me first’), anger (the anger that leads to hate), gluttony (over-eating, over-drinking), greed (for money, power, success, popularity, etc.), sloth (laziness), envy, and lust. There are sins against the virtues, too. For example, sins against charity include gossip and being mean to people. Unfortunately, we have a problem within our own community of people being mean to their roommates. That is wrong and anti-Christian.

Now, most of what I’ve just gone through are serious sins…grave matter. If they are done with full knowledge (you know they are serious sins) and full consent (you freely choose to do them), then they are mortal sins. Mortal sins break our relationship with God and bring darkness to our souls. Anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin goes to Hell. If we have committed a mortal sin, we need to go to Confession. One of the main reasons Jesus has given us the sacrament of Confession is to keep us out of Hell. Keep in mind that receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is a mortal sin. My reminder at Communion every time is basically saying that we need to be in a state of grace to receive our Lord. If you’re not in a state of grace because of serious sin, please respect the Eucharist and don’t receive until you go to Confession.

Finally, if you are overcome with guilt right now, please think of the woman caught in adultery. She had committed the most serious sin at that time. In just a few moments, Jesus wiped out her serious sin and set her free. She was right with God and the Church in just a matter of moments. Yes, she had been embarrassed. Totally embarrassed. But, that lasted just a few moments. She left there and her sins were wiped out. That is the same opportunity you have with Confession. In just a matter of moments tonight or sometime before Easter, any and all of your sins will be wiped away by Christ through me or another priest. You will be right with God and the Church! You will be freed of your sins and guilt! And, you will hear the words from Christ that the woman heard which express his great and merciful love for you: “I don’t condemn you…go and sin no more”.

"You might know this better"

To all GW students: have a great, fun, and safe Spring Break! Get some much needed rest but remember that “idleness is a devil’s workshop”. So, you’ll want to stay active spiritually, intellectually, and physically. Please pray for us down in South Carolina! See you at the student Masses (7:30 and 10 pm) on Sunday, March 21.
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Occasionally, I get emails from GW Catholics about questionable comments made by their professors about Catholic teaching. These comments are not just made in religion classes here; in fact, I have fielded more questions from students about comments made in psychology classes, history classes, etc. This was my experience as a student at the University of Maryland. For example, a professor of communication occasionally brought up Catholic teaching in unflattering (to put it nicely) ways.

I welcome all GW Catholics to contact me if you hear the Church being questioned, attacked, or misrepresented in serious ways by your professors. Here’s the most recent email exchange with a classic comment at the end:

GW Catholic:
I was hoping you could clarify a question that has repeatedly popped up in my… class. My professor keeps referring to catholics believing that the eucharist represents the “bones” of Christ and not the flesh. I thought as catholics we believe the eucharist is in fact Christ's flesh. Who is right?

Fr Greg:
Thanks for the question. Our belief is that the Eucharist truly is the flesh and blood of Christ. This is based primarily on the Last Supper account when Jesus says "this is my body...this is my blood". But, it is augmented by Christ's teaching in John 6 that the bread he will give is his flesh for the life of the world. He uses the word "flesh" several times in John 6 in relation to the Eucharist; he never uses the word "bones".

The Church teaches that "the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained" (Council of Trent, 1551) in the Eucharist. So, Christ is truly, really, and substantially present. One word the Church doesn't use is physical. This is where it gets confusing and maybe where the problem is with your prof.
He's not physically present because it's NOT like we're eating his bones. We don't go up and chomp into his arm or anything at Communion. We don't see bones and we don't taste bones. We see bread and taste bread. So, it is more of a spiritual presence but it's REAL! If he was physically present, we would see flesh and blood and taste it. The consecration of bread and wine comes about in a spiritual way but REAL. Again, if it was physical, we would see a change. (btw, there is one documented miracle of the Eucharist becoming physical flesh and blood...you can see human flesh and blood).

The early Church fought against the heresy your prof is suggesting that we believe. I forget the name of it, but it may just be cannibalism. That's basically what he's saying that we believe. It's not cannibalism because Christ died "once and for all". It's His Risen Body and Blood that we receive in the Eucharist. The Church has believed this from the beginning.

Lastly, if you're ever talking to your prof, he might try to use the arguments that the Protestant Reformers used. They argued that if Christ is spiritually present in the Eucharist, then the Eucharist is only a symbol. They pointed to the Fathers of the Church who said Christ is "spiritually" present in the Eucharist (the Fathers did this in condemning the heresy that he's physically present...that we're eating bones). They said spiritual but REAL. They never wavered in their belief that Christ is really present in the Eucharist. The Reformers did; they separated "spiritual" and "real" while the Church never has.

Hope this didn't confuse you too much and it actually helped. Bottom line is that he's misrepresenting what Catholics believe and suggesting that we believe in something heretical. Feel free to send him my way so I can ask him to get it right! Great job!

GW Catholic:
Thanks a bunch! That made complete sense and I will be sure to describe to him what you've said after class. The Prof has done a good job trying to stick with Catholic facts as best he can (He's Jewish) but his main "source" that he brings up a lot is "Angels and Demons." Its funny because I answered a question he asked the class about the primacy of the papacy and his response was, "wow that sound like something from Angels and Demons."… Anyway, he then asked me if I was Catholic and when I said yes he quickly changed tone. Now whenever he is a little unclear on Catholic "stuff" he finds me and goes "you might know this better..."

"Nuns can be funny"

1) "The Light is on for You" - Confessions tonight, 8-9:30 pm, Newman Center, 2nd floor.

2) Eucharistic Adoration, today, 12:30 -10 pm. Please come by to adore our Lord in the Eucharist.
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A friend sent me a youtube video with a comedic nun who is hilarious. Her act is called, "Late Night Catechism". It is really funny; I was laughing out loud! She weaves in some solid catechesis as well. It's a good break for you students from all of the stress of your mid-terms. I'm praying for you!

To view the video, please click on today's title.

3rd Sunday of Lent - homily

“Obey your thirst”. This is the slogan of the soft drink, Sprite. Obey your thirst. For what do you thirst? Now, if you gave up Sprite or some other drink for Lent and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘come on, Father, back off’, I apologize. I know this will be hard for you, but please bear with me…! Actually, a good buddy of mine gave up alcohol for Lent and is having a hard time with it, as he does every year. Well, at least the first week of Lent. The day after Ash Wednesday, I asked him how it was going. He said, “38 more days!” I was thinking to myself, ‘he’s not gonna make it’. For what do you thirst? For what do college students thirst? Well, other than beer…for what did you thirst when you came to GW? Success, achievement, love, friendship, fun…all these things. My hope is that if you came thirsty for these things, you will leave thirsty for something else: the waters of eternal life.

This was the experience of the woman at the well (reading from 3rd Sunday, Year A). She came to the well looking for drinking water. She’s totally normal, looking for something good and normal. She encounters our Lord and begins a conversation with Him. He offers her something different than drinking water: the waters of eternal life. This sounds attractive and beautiful to us. The way that Jesus said it to her got her right away. It must have sounded especially attractive to her because she immediately responded to his offer with, “Sir, give me this water”. She came to the well thirsty for drinking water but, in the course of this conversation, she realized her real thirst…for Christ and eternal life. I don’t know how long this conversation lasted – maybe half an hour, maybe an hour – but it changed her life. She had an encounter with Christ and it changed her heart. It helped that Jesus revealed things about her that showed he knew her very well. She responded by believing that He is the Christ and going back to her town and telling everyone about Him.

We have some GW students her tonight who have also realized their real thirst and are obeying their thirst. They are a group of nine students who are preparing to become Catholic at Easter. They came to GW like all of you, thirsty for the things I mentioned earlier. They have realized their real thirst is for Christ. Some are thirsty for the waters of eternal life through Baptism. All are hungry and thirsy for the Eucharist. All are preparing to receive the Holy Spirit in Confirmation so they can join the Church’s mission of evangelization. They want to be like the woman at the well who went out and converted a whole town after her encounter with Christ. A whole town! Can you imagine converting your whole dorm? That would be amazing, but remember that you evangelize every time you come to Mass. It’s a great witness to Christ when you choose to come here. It takes a lot of courage to choose to go to Mass in college because you know that your friends will make comments and jokes: ‘oh, you’re a churchgoer’. You are evangelizing others, so great job!

My hope is that you all are having the experience of the woman at the well. You have come to GW thirsty for other things but have had an encounter with Christ which has revealed your real thirst. We can encounter Christ in the Eucharist, in Confession, in prayer, etc. It changes our lives when we have such an encounter with Him as it changed the life of the woman at the well. We realize that our real thirst is for Him and for eternal life. As St. Augustine (who did much partying before he realized his real thirst) said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Him”.

Finally, whenever we come to Mass, we obey our thirst for the Eucharist. We satisfy our hunger and thirst; that’s why we are here. Also, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross when he said, “I thirst”. For what does Jesus thirst? When he said, “I thirst”, the people there brought him something to drink. He wasn’t talking about physical thirst. He was saying, “I thirst for souls. I thirst for hearts. I thirst for love. Your hearts thirst for me. Obey your thirst”.

"Pope in HD"

Tonight at Newman Center: "Stations, Adoration, Burritos".

Stations of the Cross (5:30 pm), Adoration (6 pm), Chipotle burritos - vegetarian (7 pm). Please join us!!
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Two tidbits of info about how the Vatican is going even more digital:


1) You might have seen recently how the Pope is encouraging priests to blog and use other digital tools. How cool! To view the article, please click on today's post.


2) And, "Pope in HD" from zenit.org:

A new agreement between Sony and the Vatican Television Center will make high definition images of the Pope available by October, according to the director of the Vatican press office.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, who also directs Vatican TV, announced the development in a statement today. Vatican TV is purchasing a mobile unit from Sony that allows for television filming in high definition.

Father Lombardi said the deal is part of Vatican TV's intention to stay abreast of technological developments, and that HD is the new "frontier of television production."

"It is consolidating rapidly and increasingly there are more channels that broadcast in high definition," he noted. "Therefore, it has seemed necessary to be in conditions to produce to the measure of the highest standards, to be protected from the risk of the diffusion of events related to the activity of the Pope and of the Holy See, in the very near future, being delegated to others."

The Knights of Columbus will help finance the new mobile unit.

"Boy, was I bored!"

Confessions tonight, 8-9:30 pm, Newman Center. "The Light is on for You"

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Last night, we had a couple of discussions at the Newman Center. The first one was on service and the second one on faith. The latter discussion was about making a comeback in faith with students who are trying to do just that. I told my story of how my Catholic faith was awakened in college. The basic point of my talk was that faith is a gift...it's something we receive. God is the source of our faith, so if we want to make a "comeback" in faith, we need to go to Him more...we need to receive more of His Grace in order for our faith to grow. As Catholics, that primarily means coming to the sacraments more, especially the Eucharist.

I finished my story by talking about the priest who was instrumental in my "comeback", Fr. Wells. I gave them each a copy of his book, "From the Pastor's Desk", which is a collection of his reflections (it was done by people after he was killed in 2000). Here is one of his brilliant reflections, which is related to what we discussed last night:

"Grace of Frequent Confession" (June 21, 1998)

"During a period of about four or five years, I served as a confessor to a convent of about twenty sisters. This meant that every two weeks, I would go across town for a couple of hours to hear the confessions of those who chose to take advantage of the sacrament on that particular day. How does one put this politely? Well, let me say only that these women took their vocations very seriously and, happily, they had little 'serious matter' to confess. In other words, on more than a few afternoons, with the sun shining warmly into the room where he sat, Father had to be gently called back to full awareness of what he was doing. Boy, was I bored! And then, as God would have it, something happened. Since I was there for four or five years and, therefore, heard the same sisters' confessions regularly over that time, I began to notice changes in the sisters. Without even their fully noticing, these individuals, in ways unique to their spiritual journeys, showed the grace of the sacrament in their lives. Impatience with this or that sister began to fade; stubbornness in the face of authority became a bit less challenging, or frustration with the girls in the school showed itself only after just a bit more provocation.

I had always heard that the sacramental grace of confession is that we are gradually given the help to turn away from habitual sin. These sisters, already close to God, showed me how grace, over time, gently turns us away from all that is not of God. What is true for religious women can, of course, be true for any of us; and interestingly, I also see it here at Lourdes. As you know, we hear confessions daily from 11:30 to noon. Because confession is so avaailable, we get so many people from the offices nearby. Most go behind the screen so, in one sense, I have no idea who they are; but as with those sisters, it is fascinating (and inspiring) to hear the spiritual journeys of individuals. And unlike the sisters, some begin that journey after years away from confession. Habits of sin, I have come to believe, are addictive in some ways and, therefore, are hard to break. One of the reasons I have come to love hearing confessions is that it is such a thrill to hear of the gradual victory over the addiction of habits of sin. We are tough and stubborn - almost like sidewalk concrete - but given an opening in ourselves, grace can gradually destroy the hardness of sin.

St. Paul says that faith is the ability to believe in things unseen. So many Catholics seem to have lost faith in the Sacrament of Penance. The act of confesing sins can be, of course, tough. It is true, certainly, that venial sins are forgiven through receiving communion, for example; and therefore, there is no obligation, in the strict sense, to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance unless there is serious sin. Obligation is one thing; opportunity is another. What a tremendous gift that promises that, in time and with God's grace, we can gradually move away from those petty habits of sin that so impede us from living the life of Christ. May God continue to draw people back to regular use of this wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation."

2nd Sunday of Lent - homily

“This is my chosen son. Listen to him”. We hear the Father speak in today’s Gospel! It must have been one of the most powerful moments in an already amazing scene at the Transfiguration. “This is my chosen son. Listen to him”. How? How do we listen to Christ? How do we hear God speaking to us. In my travels of discernment, I have found 4 ways that God speaks to us: prayer, Scripture, other people, and our experiences.

God can speak to us in prayer, not like I’m speaking now, but to our hearts and minds. It’s a really good idea to have a spiritual director – a priest or religious – who can help us to know if that voice in prayer is our own, God’s, or another voice all together. God speaks to us through Scripture and we’ll see what He is saying to us through the readings in a moment. He can speak to us through other people; that’s why it’s so important to be around holy people who are open to the Holy Spirit. The final way is through our experiences. The world doesn’t believe that things happen for a reason. It believes in “coincidences”. We don’t believe in coincidences; we believe in “God’s incidents”.

So, what is God saying to us through today’s readings? He is saying many things, but one thing is that He is in covenant with us. He has always been in covenant with us. Abraham is the beginning, Christ is the end, and we all are in the middle of the covenant with God. Each one of you is in the middle of the covenant with God! When I say that Christ is the end, I mean that He is the fulfillment of the covenant. The new covenant fulfills the old one. Christ is the fulfillment of the old law and the prophets, too. That’s why Moses and Elijah are represented at the Transfiguration. Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophets.

In the new covenant, all people are in covenant with God. As God’s people in covenant with Him, we have not always been faithful. Especially now, we see so many people are not faithful to God, His law, and His covenant. And yet despite our unfaithfulness, God has remained faithful. Even now, in the midst of a world of great sin and unfaithfulness, God remains faithful to us. We know this because of something that St. Paul writes in one of his letters: “where sin abounds, grace abounds more”.

The greatest sign that God is faithful to us is His Son, Jesus Christ. God sends His Son to us to redeem us from our sin, from our unfaithfulness. This is what is referred to in the scene of the Transfiguration: what Jesus will “accomplish” in Jerusalem. This word “accomplish” is significant because it shows us that Christ’s suffering is something that He will do…for us. It is his work of redemption…his work of salvation. It is also a word that we will hear on Good Friday: “It is accomplished. Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit”.

Finally, whenever we come to Mass, we remember what Jesus accomplished on the Cross for us. The amazing thing is that through our remembrance and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ becomes truly present on the altar in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sign for us today of God’s faithfulness to us in our covenant with Him. We will see and receive this sign in a few minutes. When I elevate the Eucharist tonight, may each one of hear these words from the Father: “This is my chosen son. Listen to him”.

Confession

"The Light is on for You" - Confessions on Wednesdays during Lent, 8-9:30 pm, Newman Center, top floor.


A GW student approached me last semester about starting a discussion group in a residence hall with his Catholic friends. We've met four times now; I've posted my notes here from the discussions of the past three weeks (basically the same talks we've had at the Newman Center on Tuesday nights). We started out with about four students who hadn't been faithful to Mass but are now making a comeback, thanks be to God.

Last night, eight students came out for a discussion on Confession. It was one of those great, great discussions! One of the students went to Confession after the talk and another one is coming today. God is soooooo good!! Overall, the students seem very happy with the group. The one who started the group texted me last night, "this is turning out to be awesome".

Here are my notes from the talk:

Confession

Where did Confession come from? What is the basis for it?
-John 20:20- Jesus gives the power to forgive sins to the Apostles
- they passed it down to the next priests who passed it down...2000 years of Apostolic succession where priests like me in 2010 have Christ's power to forgive sins

Brief history of Confession
- in the early Church, publicly known sins (apostasy, e.g.) were confessed publicly in Church; privately known sins were confessed privately
- penance was done before absolution
- the form changed in the Middle Ages (?) to how we have it now


Is Confession necessary to get to Heaven?

Yes, if we’ve committed a mortal sin which breaks us off from God
No, if we haven’t committed a mortal sin and are always in a state of grace.

Yes, in order to live fully in Christ on Earth.


Is Confession only about sin?

No, it’s primarily about God’s infinite mercy.

-“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved” – Jn 3:17

- the woman caught in adultery: “has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go away, and from this moment sin no more” - Jn 8: 11

- the parable of the prodigal son


'I thought only God forgives sins. How can the priest forgive sins?'

Jesus has the power to forgive sins
- “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” – Mt 28:18
- “your sins are forgiven” – Lk 7:48 (the woman who was a sinner) + Mt 9:2 (the paralytic), e.g.

Again, Jesus gives the power of forgiving sins to the Apostles (the first priests)
“As the Father sent me, so I am sending you’. After saying this, he breathed on them and said: ‘receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained”. – Jn 20:21-23


“ God reconciled us to himself through Christ and he gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (1 Cor 5: 18)


Why do I need to confess my sins to a priest? Why can’t I just confess to God privately?

- we can be forgiven of venial sins outside of Confession
- the Penitential Rite at Mass, Eucharist, sincere Act of Contrition, e.g.

- but, forgiveness of mortal sins is reserved for Confession

- what was the first mortal sin ever committed? Original Sin (Adam and Eve)
- after they sinned, the gates of Heaven closed; no one could go to Heaven because their mortal sins couldn't be forgiven. Christ had to come to Earth to bring the forgiveness of sins, mainly through Confession

- mortal sins kill our relationship with God and take us out of the state of His grace (which we need to be in order to get to Heaven)
- mortem = death
- “there is sin that leads to death” (1 Jn 5:16)
- Jesus’ list of serious sins from Mt 15


- if we are in state of mortal sin at the hour of our death, we will go to
Hell (Catechism, # 1861)

- “You have heard how it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say this to you, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery in his heart. If your right eye should be your downfall, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body thrown into hell” -- Mt 5:28
- example of how serious sin can cause eternal damnation

- Jesus speaks of Hell and eternal punishment over 100 times in the Gospels (theme, but not focus of his mission)

-we need Christ in order to be forgiven

- Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross = so that our “sins might be forgiven”
- our sins are taken to the cross of Christ and forgiven in Confession in a way that we can’t do on our own (confessing privately takes Christ out of the equation?)

- in Confession, we receive Christ’s sanctifying grace
- can’t get on our own (ala Baptism, Anointing of the Sick )
- if mortal sins kill our soul, the grace of Confession brings it back to life
- participation in the Paschal Mystery

What is a mortal sin?
1) Grave matter* – it’s wrong
2) Full knowledge – I know it’s wrong
3) Full consent – I freely choose to do it

* examples of grave matter: skipping Sunday Mass, getting drunk, offenses against chastity (fornication, pornography, masturbation, etc.), contraception, lying, cheating on exams, etc.

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"I’m afraid to go to Confession"
- been many years
- forgot how
- priest will judge me
- priest will tell others my sins
- I will forget some sins
- I wouldn’t know where to start with my sins

Keep in mind:
- it is Christ in the Confessional; in persona Christi (the priest acts in the person of Christ when celebrating the sacraments...it's really Jesus absolving sins, saying the Mass, baptizing babies, etc.)
- “whoever hears you, hears me” (Lk10:16)

- we hear and know we are forgiven: “I absolve you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

- Christ’s grace in Confession heals us and gives us the strength to overcome future sins (Mother Teresa, John Paul II)
- +the priest can give us advice on how to avoid the sins in the future

- confessing on the lips = shows true contrition; as when I sin against a friend, need to go face to face


"How do I make a good Confession?"
- examination of conscience
- contrition
- confession
- do your penance

"How often should I go?"
- at least once a year (required)
- whenever in mortal sin or think you may be (before receiving Holy Communion)
- once a month (MT, JP II)
- grow in grace and holiness; frequent Confession helps us to ‘forgive those who trespass against us’ so that we will be forgiven
- see our sins as they are (gossip, e.g.) and see ourselves as we are: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner”


How to go to Confession / Examination of Conscience