Reflections on Good Friday

Icon written by Aidan Hart

We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.

My brothers and sisters our Eucharistic Acclamation, silenced on this singular day in the Church’s year of grace when the Eucharist is not celebrated, captures the heart of the mystery of our faith.

Through the paschal journey of the one who emptied himself to become one like us in all things but sin, the Lord Jesus has embraced even the human reality of death itself as he fulfilled the Father’s plan to draw all things to himself in his love.

We gather in this holy place, our altar stripped bare, the abiding Eucharistic presence of the Lord removed, sacred images taken away - leaving only one that rivets our minds and hearts to the profound mystery of a limitless love - the image of the cross.

Our Passion Proclamation this Good Friday is that which has been proclaimed on this solemn day from the earliest days of the Church - from the Gospel of John. A Passion narrative that proclaims not a victim but a victor who, with courage, embraces his destiny for the life of the world.

In a few moments the simple wooden cross will be lovingly borne into our midst, held high as the trophy of all those for whom the darkness of this world has been vanquished by the light and life of our victorious Savior. That cross has now become the sign of our victory with Christ over the power of sin and death. For this is the wood of the cross, on which hung the savior of the world.

As we venerate the wood of the cross, let us bring to that symbol of triumph, the challenges and difficulties, the pains and anxieties, the worries and sufferings of all those whom we both know and love as well as all those who suffer within the human family alone or abandoned. May they come to know the power and freedom of Him whose unconditional love is boundless and whose mercy is without end. Come, let us worship.

Reflections on Holy Thursday

On Easter Sunday,1939, the famous African American contralto, Marian Andersen, gave a spellbinding concert on the steps of Washington’s Lincoln Memorial.  The concert was originally scheduled for Constitutional Hall but, unfortunately, she was shamefully refused use of the Hall by its owners, the Daughters of the American Revolution, simply because of the color of her skin.  Without rancor, she began the concert by slowly closing her eyes and to a hushed crowd of over 75,000 and the millions listening on the radio, she sang “America,” mesmerizing her listeners into awed silence.

My sisters and brothers, the experience of exclusion, particularly if it is because of prejudice or unjust discrimination can indeed be a scaring experience that one can carry for the remainder of one’s life.  One of the most unsettling aspects of this kind of exclusion was experienced – in the not too distant past - by millions of our fellow Americans who were barred from sitting down and sharing a meal at lunch counters and restaurants simply because of the color of their skin.

To share a meal with another is far more than just satisfying a biological need.  To dine with others implies an openness to share one’s life with another.  Some of the most important moments in our life are shared in the context of a meal.  I suspect that for many of you who are married your engagement took place at the end of special meal.  Birthdays, significant anniversaries in our life, and even the celebrating of the life of our dear one’s who have gone to the Lord – are all often celebrated with a meal.  No wonder then that to be excluded from this moment can be so painful and scaring.

My friends, as we enter into the three holiest days in our Church’s Year of Grace, we do so by remembering that meal that has forever anchored our life of faith and shaped our identity as Christians.  Tonight, we celebrate with grateful hearts the gift of the Eucharist, given as a lasting legacy of the Lord’s abiding presence to His Church.  Just as the Passover meal marked the beginning of the great liberation for the people of the Covenant, so too, this meal speaks of the ultimate freedom that has been gifted to all God’s children by the saving blood of Jesus.

In one of the most dramatic gestures of inclusion celebrated by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on his first Holy Thursday as Universal Shepherd of our Church, few will forget the images of his gently washing and kissing the feet of the young people in the simple chapel at the detention facility for youth in Rome.  These were not the pure and perfect.  Breaking with the letter of liturgical law, our Holy Father washed the feet of a young Moslem girl.  There were recovering drug addicts and runaways.  He not only welcomed them but enabled them to experience the unfailing love of the Lord and his special love for those who are on the margins of our society.  No one was a stranger that evening at the Table of the Lord.

As we gather in faith this holy night to enter once again into these days of grace and blessing, no one is a stranger but all of us are called to drink deeply of the Lord’s mercy and love.

And the gift we are given this evening and every time we share this sacrificial meal, we are called to give to others. 

May the dramatic gesture of the washing of the feet of our sisters and brothers, which we remember this evening, be a reminder to us of what this holy meal calls us to do and to be in our world today – servants of God’s mercy and love for all. 

Sunday Reflection - Passion Sunday

My friends, we gather today on this Passion or Palm Sunday, to mark and celebrate the beginning of the holiest week in the Christian calendar.  I have often said that ‘to remember is to make present.’  And, to remember within the symbolic richness of our liturgical tradition, we indeed ‘make present’ the saving mystery of the Lord’s presence for the life of the world.

What we do today and especially during the heart of this week, the Paschal Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the glorious Easter Vigil – is no play acting.  This is not a time for creative parish liturgical committees to conscript donkeys for Palm Sunday, reenact Last Suppers or nail people to crosses! No, what we do this week is far more important, exquisitely more eventful than relegate these days to an extended Passion play.

As Catholic Christians, we firmly believe that when we enter the graced moments of our liturgical celebrations, Christ is truly present in a ‘sacramental’ way.  That term, ‘sacrament’ is multi-dimensional in meaning but at its core, it is the profound belief that through the ‘sign-language’ of these celebrations, the Holy and Divine, touches our lives, inviting us to be transformed and made new by the power of that presence.

And so, the ‘grammar’ of this week of weeks is taken up with palms held high in celebration, bread and wine, feet lovingly washed and caressed, wood venerated and kissed, fire blazing in the night and water and oil generously poured and the sound of our voices raised in both lament and exultation as we journey with Christ through life, death and resurrection.

As our Lenten itinerary of conversion reaches its culmination, our guide, as always, will be the living word of God in the Scriptures.  That word, today, speaks of the fickleness of human nature that one moment can cry, “hosanna” and the next, “crucify him, crucify him” to the one whom Isaiah points to as the ‘suffering servant.’

Both the darkness and glory of these days are so often mirrored in our own lives that are called to be constantly turning ever more closely to the Lord of our lives in conversion and renewal.

May this week and the liturgies that ‘make present’ Jesus, dying and rising, be opportunities for each one of us to ‘die and rise’ with him and so, be transfigured by the grace of these days. 

Theological Reflection on Holy Week and the Easter Triduum

At the heart of our liturgical year stands the week that is before us.  We call it “Holy” because through the liturgies of these days we celebrate the gift of our Redemption in Christ.  On Passion Sunday, or, ‘Palm Sunday as it is popularly called, we join the throngs who gathered in Jerusalem today to acclaim the “King” and “Anointed One.”  Yet, tragically, those “Hosannas” would quickly turn to “Crucify Him” as the Savior is led to the hill of crucifixion.  Yet, death would not and could not have the final say in the journey of Jesus to live out the will of His Heavenly Father.  The empty tomb stands as a perpetual reminder of the transforming power of love.  The Father’s love for His Only Son would see Him rise from the dead.  That is the deepest meaning of Easter, the feast that speaks of hope and promise for all who surrender their lives in faith to Him.

The Triduum of Easter is the three‑day celebration of Jesus' paschal mystery. It presents us with the central mystery of the Christian life, perhaps of life itself ‑‑ dying to rise, death to life. Even though the Church spreads the Triduum liturgies over three days (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil), what we commemorate is one single movement ‑‑ Jesus' passage through the pain, humiliation, and suffering of death to the glory and triumph of Resurrection and new life. Because Holy Week has so many implications for the Christian life, the Church savors its richness and complexity. The Church knows we need time, perhaps a lifetime, to make this dying and rising with Christ the central moving force in our lives.

The distinction of the Triduum cannot be emphasized enough. It is the year's principal liturgy, summarizing in marvelously rich celebrations what being Christian is all about. During these days, the Church's basic symbols are especially highlighted. These symbols appear again and again as we use them extensively to mark the passages of life and the ongoing flow of life. But their singular importance is underscored in the sacred Triduum.

HOLY THURSDAY

Traditionally, on Holy Thursday morning, there is the Chrism Mass that is held in the Cathedral of each diocese.  While this celebration in the Diocese of Orange for practical reasons is held on Monday of Holy Week and is at a larger parish church than our Cathedral, the Arboretum of Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, nevertheless its historical anchor was always the morning of Holy Thursday.  On this day the local bishop consecrates the oils used for baptism, confirmation, holy orders, and anointing of the sick. Later that day we commemorate the Last Supper ‑‑ the first Mass ‑‑ with a special Mass that also recreates the scene of Christ washing the disciples' feet.  With the beginning of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Lent officially is ended and we enter into the “three-fold celebration of the Easter Mystery”.

GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday is perhaps the most difficult liturgy of the Triduum, because it commemorates the gruesome death of Jesus Christ. The tendency might be to overemphasize death to the point of having a wake service or funeral for him with the pounding of nails and taunts of "Crucify him, crucify him." But we must remember this death is not once and for all. Jesus is alive. So Good Friday must be celebrated with an eye to Easter Sunday's Resurrection. It is the premier day to highlight dying to selfishness and sin in order to live a new life.

HOLY SATURDAY

Saturday (the Easter Vigil) is the crown of all liturgies. The Church outdoes itself tonight. This is what it's all about. This is what we celebrate in one way or another all year long. We light the new fire, proclaiming Jesus to be our light and our life. We hear the readings that tell the primal stories of who God is and of who we are and before that the exultant song proclaiming the night of nights when Jesus rose. We bless the waters of baptism through which new members are initiated into the Church. Along with these new members we celebrate the renewal of old members, insuring a Church alive and ever‑new. Finally, the Eucharist celebrates our coming together to nourish ourselves at the font of all life ‑‑ the Lord's table.

There are those who say all parish planning should start and end with the sacred Triduum. The key to an authentic and fruitful celebration of the Triduum is not to restage historical events but rather to renew what these events mean for our lives. The historical occurrences took place centuries ago. Now our goal is to recommit ourselves to dying to the old way in order to rise with Christ to a new life.

Latest Christ Cathedral Progress Video

I was gratified that my most recent post on progress to date on the Christ Cathedral renovation project was accessed and shared by over 2000 people!  Obviously, there is a growing interest in this historic project.

With that continuing interest in mind, I share with you the latest video update on the Cathedral progress produced by the Diocese of Orange.  Fr. Christopher Smith, the Cathedral Rector, explains what has been accomplished to date with some wonderful video footage.

Be assured, as progress continues, I will be posting updates on this Blog.

Progress Report on Christ Cathedral Renovation

It is hard to believe, that in less than a year, the monumental repurposing and renovation of the former Crystal Cathedral into Christ Cathedral for the Diocese of Orange, will be completed.  The Solemn Dedication of this herculean and historic project is set for July 17, 2019.

Thanks to Dr. John Romeri, Director of Music Ministries at Christ Cathedral, I’m happy to share these recent photos of renovation progress to date.

The expansive scaffolding in the interior of the Cathedral is required for the placement of the unique quatrefoils that will be in each of the cubes of the space frame.  The quatrefoils will regulate the amount of light coming into the Cathedral from the environment as well as providing added resonance for the interior of the Cathedral.  This element in the renovation process should be completed by late summer.

Click photos to access slide show:

The concrete floor space has all been poured for the sanctuary areas, Blessed Sacrament Chapel and Baptistery.  All of these flooring areas will be surfaced with beautiful marble.

The ample choir loft in the North Balcony, under the organ chambers that are being painted to be in artistic continuity with the interior color scheme of the Cathedral, will be expansive enough to accommodate over 100 singers, instrumentalists as well as the major organ console for the completely refurbished Hazel Wright Memorial organ. There will be a secondary console in the South Balcony.

The undercroft area will accommodate choir rehearsal space, an ample sacristy to accommodate the vesting of priests for large diocesan celebrations, storage as well as a future chapel, dedicated to St. Callistus, as well as a burial vault for the Bishops of Orange together with a columbarium.

Br. Martin Erspamer, OSB, a world-renowned artist from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, has designed the monumental tapestry of Christ, Lord of the Universe, that will be suspended in the interior of the Cathedral to the right of the sanctuary.  This is one of the initial studies for this magnificent artistic element that will be crafted in Belgium.

The Bolivian sculptor, Pablo Eduardo, has been commissioned to design and craft four monumental bronze bas-reliefs that will depict the manifestations of Christ's Divinity from the Gospels:  The Adoration of the Magi, The Wedding Feast of Cana, The Transfiguration and The Resurrection.  He will also be designing the 14 Stations of the Cross that will be in a similar stylistic fashion and positioned at the foot of each of the transept balconies.  The following is an initial study for the 13th Station, Jesus is removed from the Cross:

Finally, the artistic centerpiece of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel will be the exquisite bronze and enameled tabernacle by the world-renowned liturgical artist of the last century, Egino Weinert, from Cologne, Germany.  The following video produced by the Diocese of Orange, presents a more detailed explanation of the tabernacle.  Please note, the video was produced prior to some additional changes to the interior Cathedral design.  The Sacrament Chapel will no longer be located in a dedicated space behind the area of the cathedra, but rather in a more ample and accessible space, opposite the Baptistery, on the Eastern side of the Cathedral.

Sunday Reflection - Death to Eternal Life

Several years ago, I read a fascinating book by Dr. Sherwin B. Nuland entitled How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter.   While some may consider this topic a bit of a "downer" for light reading, I must admit I actually found it quite a pager turner.   The inside notes on the book jacket gives one in a few sentences the purpose of this book.  It states that "there is a vast literature on death and dying, but there are few reliable accounts of the ways in which we die.  The intimate account of how various diseases take away life, offered in How We Die, is not meant to prompt horror or terror but to demythologize the process of dying, to help us rid ourselves of the fear of this 'unknown territory'".

In his work, Dr Sherwin Nuland who himself is a skilled surgeon and teacher of medicine, tells stories of how his own patients have had to struggle with this ultimate reality of human existence.  He speaks of those who gracefully accept this experience as an intimate part of the fabric of life as well as those who "fight it all the way".    In a thoughtful and provocative way, he states that medical science in many respects is unwilling to see death as part of the life cycle.  For physicians, the diagnosis of terminal illness is the ultimate defeat.  In some respects, it triggers massive denial not only on the part of family and friends of those who face the reality of death in their life, but also a denial among many physicians themselves for whom death itself remains the ultimate enemy of life.

All of us have undoubtedly been touched by the reality of death in our lives.  Perhaps it was the death of a parent, a spouse, a son or daughter or the painful and devastating experience of the death of a child or a close and beloved friend.  In each of these moments we taste the bitterness of human anguish, the emotional pain of being separated from those whom we have come to know and love in our lives.  There are no easy answers or glib phrases that can soften and shorten the grieving process.  It may sound terribly simplistic, but I often hear myself telling those in the midst of such grief that it will "just take time" and to be patient with oneself for the healing of the heart in the face of the grief of death cannot be rushed. 

God's word to us this day, however, sheds the light and freedom of the Gospel on the darkness of death and its frightening hold on us.  Jesus uses a natural image of a grain of wheat falling to the earth and appearing to die in order to capture the attention of his audience - in order to give hope to all those who must struggle with the mystery of death and dying in this world.  In order for that grain of wheat to ultimately become what God intended it to be, it must go through the passage of death.  It must give up one form of existence in order to be transformed into new life.  Jesus, of course, was speaking of what he himself was to face in his own passage through death to new life in resurrection.   He realizes that it was for this passage to glorification that he came.  Like the Romans who spoke of carpe diem - "seizing the day" - Jesus takes hold of this critical moment in his life  - this hour - in order that the great covenant relationship of his father with all of humanity might come to perfect completion. 

And so, for the Christian, our completion or fulfillment in life can only come about through our own passage with the Lord through the gates of death.   That is the paradox of the cross for every Christian.  From the first moment of our Christian journey in baptism to the eventual unfolding of life in death, we are signed with the cross.  For the man or woman of faith, it no longer is an instrument of cruel torture but rather becomes the sign of our ultimate glory and transformation because of the one who hung upon it.    

As we come to know the cross of Christ in our lives in the daily frustrations and anxieties that are a part of the human condition or in the fear we might carry in the face of our own mortality, let us be filled with hope because of the cross of Christ.  Let us come to realize that the critical question in life is not so much "How we Die" but rather "Why we Die" and its ultimate answer in Christ our Risen Savior.

St. Patrick's Day

One of my favorite hymns is the Breastplate of St. Patrick or, as it is sometimes referred to, the Lorica of St. Patrick.  Tradition has it that the text itself dates to the 5th century when Patrick was evangelizing the Celtic people in what is today known as Ireland.  The text is a magnificent prayer invoking the Trinity and the Lordship of Christ over the entire cosmos and every part of our lives.  May that, indeed, be our prayer this day.  Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.
I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.
I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.
I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.
I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.
Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Sunday Reflection - The gift and power of Divine Mercy

In a move that is so characteristic of Pope Francis, the Pope of God’s Divine Mercy, several years ago to mark the second anniversary of his election as Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, presided over a communal penance service in St. Peter’s Basilica.  Often in his pontificate, Pope Francis has spoken of the beauty and power of the sacrament of penance.  It is the sacrament that realizes so movingly the Jesus who came to save sinners.  It is the sacrament that epitomizes the God who, as eloquently stated in our second reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is rich in mercy.  When asked in an interview early in his pontificate how he would describe himself, to the surprise of many, he stated, “First, I am sinner!”  Indeed, my friends, we are all sinners who are in need of the unfailing mercy of our God.  At the end of the penance service, after hearing confessions himself, Pope Francis walked humbly to one of the priests hearing confessions and knelt before him to make his own confession, seeking God’s mercy and pardon.

We have all heard the expression, “miss the forest for the trees.”  In other words, so often in life we can become obsessively concerned about the minutiae of ‘little things in life’ that we can miss the bigger picture of life itself.  As Catholics, we can at times become so preoccupied with this or that peripheral aspect of our Catholic faith that we can lose sight of the bigger picture of the sublime calling we have received to bask in God’s great mercy and forgiveness.

Our Lenten season is precisely the time for all of us to correct such short-sighted spiritual myopia and to step back and to realize what is it that stands at the heart and center of our faith.  That touchstone belief, is summarized in the simple yet powerful verse we have heard into today’s Gospel, John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 

At the end of his homily at the special communal penance service, the ‘Pope of surprises’ once again dramatically captured the attention of many by an unexpected announcement.  He announced an Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy that began on December 8th, 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception that year, and concluded on the Feast of Christ the King in 2016.  No other Pope in the history of our Church has so underscored the preeminent theme of God’s mercy that it would be the focus of an extraordinary Holy Year!

He stated: I am convinced that the whole Church will find in this Jubilee the joy needed to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time. From this moment, we entrust this Holy Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she might turn her gaze upon us and watch over our journey. 

My friends, the wonderful good news about God’s unfailing mercy and love is the astounding fact that, as important as the Holy Year of Mercy was for our Church, that reality of amazing grace can never be circumscribed by one year alone.  Rather, God’s renewing mercy is there for each one of us, every day, for those who are willing to drink deeply of so great a gift of immense love.

In these final weeks of our Lenten journey and as we prepare to renew our baptismal commitment to the Lord at the Feast of Easter, may we all drink deeply of God’s mercy and forgiveness that has no end.  If it has been some time since we ourselves have been renewed and made whole by the grace of God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance, let us take the opportunity to seek out a time in these final weeks of Lent to make a good confession. 

We began this season of spiritual renewal with the words, Repent and Believe in the Gospel.  May we rejoice in knowing that by God’s love and grace, sinners though we are, we are made new by His unfailing mercy.

Sunday Reflection - Ideals or Values?

Holy God,
the folly of the cross
mocks our human wisdom,
and the weakness of the crucified puts worldly power to shame.

Banish from our hearts
every pretence of might and of knowledge,
that by the power flowing from Christ’s resurrection your people may be raised up from the death of sin and fashioned into a living temple of your glory.

Grant this through Christ, our liberator from sin,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever. 

Collect for the 3rd Sunday of Lent

Cycle - B -  Taken from the 1998 ICEL 

Roman Missal

In the never-ending array of polarizing political figures these days, Judge Roy Moore possesses a unique place.  When Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama was named the new Attorney General by President Trump, it triggered a special election in his home state for his replacement.  Judge Moore was not immune to controversy.  He had been removed as chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to relocate a monument of the Ten Commandments that he had prominently displayed in the Supreme Court building.  Being the darling of evangelical voters who sometimes view the ‘separation clause’ between Church and State, enshrined in our Constitution, as a mere suggestion, Moore was on his way to winning the election until a dirty little secret was revealed – his predilection to prowling malls as a younger man with the hope of dating teenage girls, which he, in fact did.  Despite denials, it was not enough to overcome the disgust of Alabama voters who eventually voted in Doug Jones as the new Senator.

While legal scholars may debate the appropriateness of this judge’s decision to enshrine a portion of God’s word in his courtroom, there is no question that among realists in today’s world - something has gone dangerously wrong with our moral compass.

One need only look to at the tragic litany of mass shootings that have become epidemic in our country, from Sandy Hook to Parkland, from the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando to the Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas,  a sense of basic morality - a respect and reverence for the most fundamental principles of what constitutes a moral way of life - have been cauterized out of the consciences of the perpetrators of these horrendous acts.

“A moral way of life” - what does that exactly mean for us who have been called into covenant with the Lord and redeemed by the cross and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ?

In and of itself, morality, has to do with how we “ought” to live our lives in response to both ideals and values in our lives. As members of the human family, written within our hearts is the basic moral principle “to do good and avoid evil”. That basic principle of the natural law however has been filled out with exacting specificity in God’s Revelation which we find in the Scriptures.

As Catholic Christians, our moral vision is built upon God’s Word. It is that word that shapes both the ideals by which we live our lives as well as the values that practically determine the choices and decisions we make that are moral, good and life giving to others.

What is the difference between a moral ideal and a moral value? A moral ideal tends to be a distant moral goal which in the abstract we may reverence, but in the daily messiness of human existence we are unwilling to pay the price it often asks of us. For instance, when Lucy in the Peanuts cartoon strip announces, “I love everyone, it’s just people I can’t stand”, she acknowledges the ideal of altruism - loving everyone - but unfortunately, it hasn’t become a value for her in living her everyday life.

It is very tempting for all of us to live our lives out of ideals which we safely give lip service to but are unwilling to embrace as functional values that impact our daily choices and moral decisions in life. When moral ideals become an inconvenience for us, they are safely locked up in the recesses of our conscience only to be paraded out when convenient or expedient.

In 1993, the Best Picture of the Year went to Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film dramatically and movingly tells the story of the fall of the Warsaw Ghetto at the hands of the Nazi’s in their diabolical scheme to exterminate as many Jews as possible through their concentration camps.  Yet, some righteous individuals, did what they could to save a remnant of these doomed children of Abraham from this awful fate.  That film continues to haunt so many who have seen it with the question: How could this have happened? Wholesale genocide might be marginally understandable in the dark recesses of primitive cultures removed from the civilizing influences of so-called Western Civilization. But this gaping wound in the history of humanities inhumanity took place in the Christian and highly cultured environment of Western Europe. Its diabolical genesis and methodical planning emerged from the minds of men many of whom were baptized and raised in the Catholic faith and formed in cultures imbued with centuries of Christianity.

For them and their accomplices, the Gospel of the living Christ and its call to a change of heart, never went beyond a lifeless ideal which in time lost its power to inform moral choices and became completely corrupted. The reality of sin and selfishness, the arrogance of unbridled power, and vicious scapegoating, expediently took the place of the law of God.

In today’s Gospel, inflamed with the passion for all that the Temple stood for, Jesus throws the money changers out. This place which symbolized God’s gracious and abiding presence with his people, was now being used in a way that was never intended by God. Jesus tells them, “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

For those who are tempted to use Religion as a pretext for persecution, condemnation of others, inquisitions and pogroms, Jesus’ words to us this day provides a sobering examination of conscience for what we sometimes do in the name of Religion - a Religious faith that can lose its moral moorings.

As our Lenten journey continues, let us pray for the gift and challenge of moral integrity in our lives as Catholic Christians. A moral integrity that is willing to pay the price of letting the ideals of our faith become a living reality in the values that inform our decisions and choices in life.

Sunday Reflection - Moments of Transfiguration

Ever-faithful God,
you were well pleased with Abraham’s obedience and you accepted the sacrifice of your Son,
who gave himself up for the sake of us all.

Train us by Christ’s teaching
and school us in his obedience,
that, as we walk his way of sacrifice, we may come to share in your glory.

We ask this through Christ, our deliverance and hope,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever. 

Opening Prayer for the

2nd Sunday of Lent - B Cycle

From the 1998 ICEL Roman Missal

One of the memorable experiences of my early priesthood occurred during my first visit to the Holy Land while pursuing post-graduate studies in Europe.  It was an absolutely stunningly beautiful Spring day when we visited Mt. Tabor, the place where tradition tells us the scene in today’s Gospel took place.  Like latter day apostles of the Lord, our group left the buses that parked at the bottom of the mountain and we made our way by foot up to the Church of the Transfiguration.  As our group reached the summit, we were treated to a breathtaking view of the countryside that seemed to go on forever.  The highpoint of my visit, however, was the privilege to celebrate Mass in the small chapel dedicated to Elijah who is described in Mark’s account of the Transfiguration as “conversing with Jesus” together with Moses.  To stand on this holy spot and to celebrate the Eucharist and speaking the Lord’s transforming words overly the simple earthly elements of bread and wine, is a grateful memory that remains with me still.

For the Lord’s closest disciples, Peter, James and John, their experience on this holy Mountain was not unlike the magnificent panoramic vista that I experienced on my first visit.   It would have been only human for these companions of Jesus, the teacher and rabbi, to wonder in their heart of hearts, ‘who is this incredible person who spoke so powerfully about love and forgiveness, who cured the sick, and comforted the outcast and sinners?”  Could he be the anointed of the Lord?  Graced by a singular moment of insight, they were privileged to see the deepest reality of their master as the scriptures tell us that “he was transfigured before them.”  The Evangelist, Mark, must have wrestled with that word as he attempted to articulate an experience that was undoubtedly far more profound than could conveyed with the poverty of words.  These three disciples for one brief moment glimpsed the inner reality of Jesus as transcendent Lord and their lives would never be the same.  This experience would give them the courage to continue to journey with him to Jerusalem and to experience the paradox of both the cross and tomb.  Despite the all too human tragedy that Jesus would endure – they would not forget this moment.  They would not lose heart as their hopes would ultimately be vindicated that first Easter morning when death would give way to new life in Jesus, the risen Savior of the world.

My friends, in the course of our own journeys of faith, there are times when we are graced to experience in ways beyond speech the Lord’s transcendent presence, touching our own lives and reassuring our hope and affirming our faith.  It may be as simple as basking in the unconditional love of another, or the gift of forgiveness freely given and received.  Maybe it is the exceptional and unexplained healing of a deep wound in mind or body or the daily freedom from some enslaving addiction because we have surrendered it to the God of freedom and healing.  These simple moments can be for us our own moments of Transfiguration, assuring us that we never walk this journey alone.  Reminding us that you and I have an eternal destiny of Glory with the Lord, who as St. Paul reminds us in our second reading, is always for us. And if that be the case who can be against us?

Managing transitions with grace and courage

Ok, I readily admit that I rarely peruse the sports' pages of the daily newspaper. However, with the Olympics and all, the following article about Scott Hamilton in the NYTimes, caught my attention (Scott Hamilton Was Demoted as an Olympic Broadcaster. Don’t Feel Sorry for Him)

I've often maintained that much of our success in life is shaped by how we manage entrances, exits and significant transitions in our life's journey. For the narcissists, so often 'entrances' are perceived as 'having arrived;' 'transitions' are seen as opportunities of climbing ever higher that ladder of unremitting success; and 'exits' can be crushing blows to our egos with their loss of power and influence.

For people of character, often forged by struggling and coming to terms with and befriending one's weaknesses and vulnerabilities, these moments are inevitably contextualized and transformed by what we gradually come to embrace as the truly valuable things in life. 

Scott Hamilton has been bumped from his prime-time role as commentator for figure skating competition at this year's winter Olympics. He is graciously making way for a new generation of commentators and he is doing so with grace and class.

He continues to face cancer squarely in the face. Illness, especially one that threatens the ultimate transition in life, has a way of relativizing so much of what we waste so much of our time getting angry and resentful about in our daily life. Hamilton has learned the great lesson from all this, in bringing a grateful heart to moments of entrances, exits and transitions in life. What a lesson for us all!

Sunday Reflection - Promise in the midst of Tragedy

Sadly, and tragically, this past Wednesday, our nation was once again plunged into a deluge of grief and seeming hopelessness as we witnessed yet another mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  We have almost become numb to the now dark routine of senselessness that these mass shootings inevitably bring.  Parents in frantic desperation trying to reach their sons and daughters on mobile phones; first responders doing their very best to shepherd survivors to safety as they hunt down the shooter who invariably is armed with an automatic assault weapon; politicians mouthing their meaningless platitudes about ‘sympathy and prayers’ while they refuse to jeopardize the support they receive from lobbyist groups with their specious interpretation of the untouchable 2nd amendment.  When will this madness end?

The growing perception of helplessness that many feel in the face of the litany of these ever-increasing tragedies, is not unlike the feelings of helplessness by those victimized by natural disasters that have recently up-ended the lives of so many in our country and world.  Hurricanes and floods, earthquakes and devastating fires, leave us terrifyingly vulnerable to forces that we perceive are beyond our control. 

God’s word in our first reading from Genesis, on this first Sunday of our Lenten spiritual journey, presents us with the familiar tectonic tragedy of the great flood that devastated the whole earth.  Noah and his family, together with all the animals and creatures of creation that he gathered for survival, are at the end of this mythic crisis.  And now, they hear the promise and its sign from the Lord, the covenant or bond of faithfulness between creator and created and the beautiful multicolored rainbow.  Never again shall humankind experience the ultimate helplessness and hopelessness of such devastation – for the Lord will hold humanity in his loving embrace and this love will prove to be stronger than the forces of darkness, death and destruction.

My friends, the Season of Lent provides us each year to enter once again into a time of great remembrance of God’s faithful and loving promise to his people.  It is a Season for us to be empowered once again to face the world with its temptations, armed now with the inner courage of knowing that we never face the darkness of this world alone or abandoned to be victimized by fate.  Though the mystery of human evil can seductively challenge us to question the goodness of a loving God, we are called to set our eyes on Jesus, who in his own journey to the victimization of the cross, transformed that moment into a triumph over death through his resurrection to new life.

A harbinger of promise for Noah and his family as the flood waters receded, was the dove that he released to ascertain if the promise of a new beginning after devastation had begun.  Eventually, the dove returned with an olive leaf in its beak, a sign that dry land was appearing and the beginning of new life.

Amid the heart rending stories told by the young people touched by this week’s tragedy in Florida, it was their passion for action and change, spoken courageously, boldly and loudly, to the present political and moral malaise, that is like the dove for Noah that held the sign of a new beginning.  As Christians, we too are called to be that bold and courageous sign of God’s promise to a world that can so easily succumb to the pessimism and hopelessness that victims feel.  Our hope now is in Christ, who, through his cross and resurrection, has redeemed the world.  

Thoughts on the Recent Mueller Indictments against Russians involved in the 2016 Elections

At the core of Trump’s historic dismissive attitude toward Russian involvement in the 2016 elections is, of course, a fear that it might cast a shadow of doubt on the legitimacy of his own election.  Here is a man who knows well the mercurial dynamics of casting doubt on the legitimacy of a Presidential election, since he spent years doing precisely that with Barack Obama, in the questioning of his qualification as a U.S. born citizen.

With the recent Mueller indictments against Russian operatives illegally involved in the 2016 elections, the Trumpian cover that this is all ‘fake news’ has been substantially blown.  Nevertheless, he has tweeted that the indictments have not mentioned ‘collusion’ and that there was no impact on his ‘legitimate’ election.  Hence, he is home free!

By now, commentators have rightly pointed out that such optimism is more than a tad bit premature on the president’s part.  The proverbial ‘other shoe’ has not yet dropped!

It appears that the bulk of the Russian ‘interference’ was on social media.  During the campaign, anyone who utilized social media was clearly aware of the increasingly strident posts, demonizing Trump's opponents, with a particular viciousness toward Hillary Clinton.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that social media undoubtedly played, at least a modest role, in the final decision of some voters who found themselves in a Catch-22 situation, between two flawed candidates. 

The indictment specifies that operatives worked specifically in Florida, doing their dirty work, for obvious reasons.  On election night, as I was watching the returns and saw how close the numbers were in Florida, I realized that there was trouble for the Hillary camp. 

Despite the BS from Trump that it was, in the end, a ‘landslide’ Electoral College victory for him, though losing the popular vote to Hillary by some 3 million votes – which, of course, he claims speciously to have been cast by ‘illegal’ Mexicans (give me a break), the truth of the matter, historically, is much more complex.

In a December 1, 2016, Washington Post article by Philip Bump, entitled “Donald Trump will be president thanks to 80,000 people in three states,” the author insightfully states:

…all that matters is that Trump got more electoral college votes, thanks to having won more states. In many cases, those wins were much more narrow than Clinton's, which also helps power the gap between the electoral vote and the popular one. Trump won 18 states by fewer than 250,000 votes; Clinton, 13. 

The most important states, though, were Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump won those states by 0.2, 0.7 and 0.8 percentage points, respectively — and by 10,704, 46,765 and 22,177 votes. Those three wins gave him 46 electoral votes; if Clinton had done one point better in each state, she'd have won the electoral vote, too.  Or put another way: But for 79,646 votes cast in those three states, she'd be the next president of the United States. 

Conclusion – Anyone who naively maintains that the Russians had absolutely no part in swinging the recent election toward Trump, and that includes the 'commander in chief,' might well question that conclusion.  I certainly do.

Gratitude

It is hard to believe that I am approaching the one year anniversary for my Rector Emeritus Blog! Anticipating formal retirement and knowing that I would still want an opportunity to offer reflections on the Word of God and other timely topics, this venture into Social Media has been energizing for me.  

Thank you to all who have found this Blog, interesting, inspiring, thought-provoking and even irritating now and then!  

Today, thanks to the ongoing design work of Roderick Fenn who has patiently mentored me in the world of Blog design and layout, we have added a new Archive feature to the Blog.  Grouping all posts by year and month, this feature can be easily accessed from the Cover Page or from the left side-bar of any post.  Hopefully, this can be an easy way to review past posts.

Ash Wednesday Reflection

Gracious and merciful God,
you look with love upon a sinful people and desire only their return to you.

We beg of you the grace to live this holy season, to persevere in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. By the discipline of Lent
purify our hearts of all pretension, bring us back to you,
and make the whole Church ready to celebrate the mysteries of Easter.

Grant this through Christ, our liberator from sin,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever. 

Alternate Opening Prayer for Ash  Wednesday taken from the 1998 ICEL Roman Missal

Repent, and believe in the Gospel - Once again joining with Christians throughout the world those words of admonition will be soon be spoken over us as the simple sign of our mortality - the Lenten Ashes - will be placed on our forehead.

Our lenten journey begins with its call to prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Of its very nature this day seems to bring with it a certain solemnity and seriousness. Yesterday, I received an email from a dear friend who does not share our faith tradition. The message read, “Msgr. Art - have a Happy Ash Wednesday” - it was followed by a question - is it alright for me to say that? Instinctively we feel that somehow the human emotion of happiness should be far from our minds on a day like today.

Certainly, our Scriptures today underscore somber themes, of “weeping and mourning” and “rending hearts and not garments”. We are called to moral self examination, to lift the veil of denial that often keeps us from seeing our sins and moral compromises.

Yet, at the core of all sinfulness is the all too human tendency of forgetfulness. Forgetting the singular relationship that gives all others their deepest meaning - the relationship with the Lord of creation who has loved us into existence and whose Son has sealed that love in His reconciling Death and Resurrection.

And so, my sisters and brothers, at the heart of this Lenten journey and every Lenten Season,  the Lord is calling us to grateful remembrance. The ancient disciplines of prayer, fasting and sharing our goods with the poor - are to be daily reminders that we, in the words of St. Paul, are to become “Ambassadors for Christ” - “the very holiness of God.” This season is a powerful reminder to us of the dignity that is ours in being called brothers and sisters in Christ, sons and daughters of the Father - A dignity that should fill our hearts with joy and happiness even in the midst penance and self denial. And so, let our Lenten Journey begin and may it be a happy one for each of us!

Allegri's Miserere Mei

Mardi Gras and the Lenten Journey

While much of the Christian world will be celebrating wildly this Mardi Gras or ‘Fat Tuesday,’ thoughtful Christians will also be reflecting on the Season of Grace and Blessing that will soon open before us, the following day, Ash Wednesday.  With the solemn imposition of the primary symbol of this penitential day, ashes reverently place on our foreheads, we enter into the principal penitential season of the Church’s Year of Grace.

As those ashes are imposed upon us, we hear again the essential admonition and dynamic of this season, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”  It is that verb, ‘repent,’ that captures the foundational rhythm of these 40 days that stand as a time of spiritual retreat and reflection for the Church Universal.  To repent is to turn our hearts and lives around in conversion.  Unlike the perception that some of our born-again sisters and brothers hold, that conversion is a dramatic and once in a life-time experience, we Catholics see conversion as a life-time vocation.  Every day should provide graced opportunities to discover again the goodness and mercy of our gracious and forgiving God.  And, in discovering again this unfailing love, we turn again from all that might promise ultimate fulfillment and happiness in this world to the one who can only fulfill that hunger of the heart, in this world and the next.

As we find ourselves poised to enter into this joyful season of spiritual renewal, I offer these following suggestions that I have found, over the years, to be beneficial for an enriching and grace-filled Lenten Journey:

1.      Rediscover the power of God’s Holy Word in the Scriptures.  Let God’s Word be our fundamental companion during these 40 days.  If it is impossible to participate in the daily Eucharist, prayerfully reflect on the daily scripture texts that are prescribed for each day of lent.  They can be easily found online:  http://usccb.org 

2.     Ideally, participation in the daily celebration of the Eucharist has been and continues to be the time-honored and traditional way of keeping a holy Lent.  However, when this might be very inconvenient or impossible, perhaps selecting the ancient penitential days of Wednesday and Friday to assist at the Eucharist.  Feasting on the Lord’s sacramental presence continues to be an unsurpassed way of entering into the spirit of Lent.

3.    Spiritual Reading.  Each Lent, I return to the daily reading of a splendid book that was published some years ago, Roman Pilgrimage by George Weigel, Elizabeth Lev and Stephen Weigel.  Taking as their theme, the ancient Roman Stational Churches designated for the Eucharist each day of Lent, this marvelous book provides scriptural reflections based upon the Lenten liturgies for each day of the season, insightful and fascinating historical explanations of these ancient Stational Churches, combined with beautiful photographs of these historic Churches of the Lenten itinerary.  I never tire of this wonderful Lenten companion.

4.     What about fasting?  While the ancient rigorous Lenten fast has been greatly mitigated in these last decades since the Second Vatican Council, now limited to abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent and Fasting only two days of Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the voluntary ‘giving up’ of favorite foods and drink still remains a time-honored way of identifying with our crucified Savior.  Voluntary mortification through limiting what we might eat and drink, is a physical reminder of the deeper hunger of the human heart for the food and drink of God’s love, mercy, compassion and justice that should be the ultimate source of our deepest joy.

May these 40 Days be a time for us all to experience the spiritual renewal that is the hallmark of a Church that is ‘ever ancient and ever new.’

Sunday Reflection - Be clean of Heart

One of the films that was up for Best Picture of the Year in the 2015 Academy Awards, was, Selma, an historical drama directed by Ava DuVernay, that dramatically recaptures that sad period in our history when African Americans were denied their right as citizens of this land to vote.  After having received the Noble Peace Price in 1964, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is enlisted to lead a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, the State Capital, to highlight this gross in justice.  2015 marked the 50th anniversary of this shameful confrontation between state troopers as marchers began to cross the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge.  As the peaceful marchers advanced they were attacked with clubs, horses, tear gas and other weapons.  Many were badly injured. The scene was ominously broadcast throughout the nation on television.

Our nation’s long struggle to recognize the inherent dignity and equality of our African American brothers and sisters, brought to this country in slavery, freed in theory and law by the courageous Abraham Lincoln, yet viewed as second class citizens by many, is meticulously narrated by the author, Taylor Branch, in his now completed magisterial three volume work on the Civil Rights Movement.   Branch began his work some thirty years ago and, faithful to his calling as an historian, he is mindful of the wise saying of the philosopher Santayana, that those who are unmindful of their history are doomed to repeat it.  At the heart of this long and tortured story lies the reality of prejudice.

Prejudice, as Webster defines it, is a "preconceived judgment or opinion; unreasonable predilection or objection - an opinion or learning adverse to anything without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge".    My brothers and sisters, all of us, to varying degrees can find ourselves victimized by prejudice - either as the victimizer or the victimized.   It is easy at times for us to form judgments of others in an "unreasonable way - without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge"  - perhaps based solely on a "feeling".    It can be as simple and harmless as the years I used to tell my Father that I hated raw oysters, until the day I finally tried them and liked them" - to the much more serious and destructive prejudice that can lead to the wholesale destruction of peoples and nations.

So often, prejudice and discrimination are rooted in the "fear of the unknown".  Our Scriptures today give us a perfect example of how the Israelites feared the unknown - ostracizing the leper from their midst, unaware - of course from a medical perspective - that the contagion was very difficult to transmit to another.  This disease was thought to be God's divine punishment for one's own sins or that of one's ancestors.   Jesus would not be victimized by such ignorance and discrimination.  He saw beyond such small mindedness and fear to the person who reached out to him for compassion and healing.  In response to his faith and trust in the Lord's power to make whole again, the man is given a new beginning and cured of his illness.  But far more important, he is healed – he is made whole – by the gift of the lord’s unconditional love and acceptance.

We are not born with bigotry or prejudice.  They are all too tragically learned behaviors and attitudes that are passed down to us from one generation to another.   These attitudes and learned behaviors often grow in the environments of fear and ignorance. Whether it be the bigotry and prejudice towards other races, religions or even in this day and age, toward individuals with certain diseases, EBOLA or AIDS - our latter-day leprosies - all of this has no place in the life of a Christian.  Some, in the name of Christianity and even within our own faith tradition have said during the height of the AIDS crisis that it was God's divine punishment on wayward individuals.  I prefer to see it as, perhaps, God's way of discerning who among us will move beyond judgment and prejudice to compassion - like the Christ whose name we bear and, in whose name, we believe.

One of the great sins that we Christians will pay dearly for will be the bigotry and prejudice in which we have had complicity - whether it was the pogroms against the Jews, apartheid in South Africa; the genocide that has recently scared Eastern Europe as well as central Africa, the hatred that we have harbored toward our gay and lesbians brothers and sisters, or even the racial and ethnic slurs that all too easily come forth from our lips as we live in a multi-racial and culturally diverse communities.

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean'   My friends, as we look into our own hearts and acknowledge the prejudice and bigotry that may indeed continue to mark our lives, let us turn to the Lord, as the Leper in today's Gospel, with the request, “If you wish, you can make me clean”  To which the Lord responded, "I do will it.  Be made clean".    May we go forth today – clean of heart -  renewed and strengthened to reverence the presence of Christ in one another.

Pope-emeritus Benedict

“Where were you when….?”  From time to time, that question is asked, more often than not, in reference to major consequential moments in life.  For folks of a certain age, “Where were you when you heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?” or “Where were you when you heard that Kennedy was shot?” come to mind.  “Where were you during 9/11?” is remembered by far more folks today. 

As a Catholic priest, I am sometimes asked, “Where were you when you heard that Pope Benedict XVI was resigning the Papacy?”  Well, frankly, I was fast asleep when I heard the familiar ‘ping’ on my iPhone, indicating that a text message was sent at 3:30 AM or so.  For a few moments, I decided to ignore it and check it when I would wake up in a couple of hours.  However, my curiosity got the better of me and I finally reached for the phone and there it was.  The text was from Msgr. Mike Heher, a priest of our Diocese, who was in England at the time, giving a retreat.  It simply said, “The Pope has resigned!”  I could not believe what I was reading and, knowing Msgr. Heher as I do, I figured it was a joke.  But then, why would he be joking about this?  So, as we all do at moments when potentially historic news impinges on our lives, I turned on CNN, and there it was.  At the conclusion of a meeting with some Cardinals, the Holy Father announced that he was resigning the Papacy because the ministry required the vigor that was waning in his life. 

Scholar and Theologian that he is, the announcement was made in Latin! As I watched the reaction of the Cardinals and attendants at the meeting, one could tell whose Latin was ‘up to snuff’ and whose wasn’t!  Some leaned to their neighbor trying to confirm what they thought they understood the Holy Father was saying.  Others knew full well the historic and monumental import of this moment.

That simple yet historically astounding and consequential announcement would usher in events that, of themselves, would be astounding and historically consequential: the first Papal Conclave in centuries when a pope had not died and the election of the first pope from the ‘new world.’

As we near the five-year anniversary of the announcement by Benedict now Pope-emeritus, of his resignation this February 11th, the recent article from the National Catholic Reporter, is touching as Benedict acknowledges that he senses that his earthly pilgrimage may be nearing its finality.

I have always firmly believed that God sends us the right Pope at the right time to shepherd his Church.  Following the lengthy Papacy of St. John Paul II, whose extraordinary extroversion served the Church in ushering in a ‘new evangelization,’ the election of the theologian-scholar introvert, Benedict, may not have received the high-profile coverage of his illustrious and vaunted predecessor.  Yet, in his own quiet and saintly way, Benedict has left his indelible mark on a Church that is still integrating the herculean vision of the great Second Vatican Council.  Paradoxically, however, his greatest gift to the Church might very well be, his humble yet courageous decision to resign for the good of the Church, thus setting a reasonable precedent for his successors.

There will always be a special place in my heart for Pope-emeritus Benedict.  Following the death and funeral of St. John Paul II, through a variety of providential circumstances, I was able to fly to Rome and witness the legendary ‘white smoke’ from the Sistine Chapel, heralding his election.  I was among the thousands who heard his name announced by the Cardinal Proto-Deacon, Jorge Medina, from the Loggia of St. Peter’s, “Annutio vobis, gaudium magnum, habemus Papa!”  And, several days later, I witnessed the splendid Liturgy in St. Peter’s Square, inaugurating his Pontificate.  These were once in a life time moments for which I will always be truly grateful. 

Sunday Reflection - Proclaiming the Good News

The more cynical among us have said that of all the miracles that Jesus performed in his public ministry, only one may have been a mistake - and that is the cure of a mother-in-law! Of course, rather than continuing to feed the tradition of putting down mothers in laws - Jesus in his healing ministry reached out to bring wholeness to all people, including mothers in laws!

God’s word as we gather this Sunday is one that pulses with an urgency - an urgency to proclaim the gospel, speak the good news, enflesh it in the miraculous healings that were so much a part of the mission and ministry of Jesus.

St. Paul in writing to the early Christian community at Corinth speaks of this urgency in terms of an “obligation”. He goes on to say, "woe to me if I do not preach it!"  It was precisely this mission that now defined his deepest identity. Being a bearer of God’s good news to the world now became the passion that shaped his present life and future destiny.

I find it more that just a little interesting that St. Paul takes up this divine calling which he received from the Savior himself while paradoxically on the road to persecute those who had given their lives to the Good News of Christ. Filled with fanatical zeal, St. Paul experiences a profound conversion that turned this hatred for the gospel into its most ardent and passionate preacher.

On the road to Damascus, Saul encounters the overpowering presence of Jesus who transforms that self-righteous demon that holds him captive and now sets him free to speak and live and eventually die for the one whom he first persecuted. It was out of this encounter with the risen Lord that Paul’s whole life would find its only meaning in Jesus and him crucified and risen in glory.

The same Jesus who called Paul and transformed his demons of doubt and fanaticism into a passion to preach good news is the one who brings healing of mind and heart to all who came to him with broken lives and shattered hearts. Good teacher that he was, Jesus dramatically captured the attention of his audience by performing healing miracles. But the more profound healing that the Lord brought to our world ran much deeper than giving sight to blind eyes and strength to legs paralyzed from birth. The scriptures speak of Jesus expelling demons. While scholars tell us that epilepsy and other forms of seizure were often misunderstood as signs of demonic possession, the real demons that Jesus came to expel were those that imprisoned lives in hypocrisy, rash judgment, and an unforgiving heart. These demons can paralyze the human spirit and keep us far from the reign of God.

My brothers and sisters as we open our lives to the Good News this day and prepare, in a few weeks, for the great season of Repentance that will be upon us, may the Lord stretch out his healing hand to bring wholeness to our lives. In humility let us lay before the divine physician those demons that can keep us from both living and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. May the Lord who heals the brokenhearted, transform the inner darkness of hypocrisy, rash judgment and an unforgiving heart that may hold us captive. May we come to experience the unsurpassing freedom of the sons and daughters of God who have indeed been made whole in Christ our Savior.