Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

Hi there, cyber-pilgrims! Jerusalem is a busy place and we have been busy pilgrims. Most of our time has been spent in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and on the Via Dolorosa. There are tons of other things going on here, but these are the biggies.

As I mentioned before, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre is built over the site of Golgotha, where the Crucifixion took place and the empty tomb of Christ. It’s a big place with many levels. This is because the area was originally a quarry near Jerusalem, just outside the city walls. Once the quarry was exhausted, they filled parts of it in and put in a garden. Given the location and its former use, it also made a good spot for a cemetery. This is a seven-arrow site. There is no doubt this is the place. Because of the significance of the place and the accidents of history, six different branches of Christianity share the church. The main three are the Roman Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, and the Armenian Oriental Orthodox. The others are the Coptics, the Syriac and the Ethiopian Oriental Orthodox.

We made three trips into the Basilica. The first was for Mass in the place where Mary Magdalen met Jesus outside the tomb after the Resurrection. That part of the Church is run by the Franciscans.

The Entrant to the Holy Sepulchre. Not that one set of doors has been walled in. The Sultan did that. He didn’t think the Christians needed two doors.

Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Magdalena Chapel.

The Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross – this starts at St. Ann’s Church, one of the few churches that survived from the Crusader period. The acoustics in here are amazing. The pools of Bethesda are nearby.

The facade of St. Ann’s Church.

The nave of St. Ann’s. Looks like just about every other Gothic church. The acoustics are great. Better than singing in the shower even! Here a Spanish bishop is chatting with his pilgrims.

The Holy Sepulchre – At the end of the Stations, Fr. Anthony said, “Let me check to see what the situation is.” Thirty seconds later, he came back and motioned into the church. There was almost no line to get into the Empty Tomb itself. Amazing. This is my third time into this church and it’s always been at least a four-hour wait. Since I was with the right friar, I was fortunate to get to go in by myself to spend a few minutes venerating the tomb. This was the very spot where Jesus rose from the dead. Our group made it in shortly thereafter.

Side view of the chapel enclosing the Holy Sepulchre, the empty tomb of Jesus.

The Empty Tomb of Christ. This is where the Resurrection happened. Really.

The next morning we came back to tour the rest of the basilica. Low and behold, there was no line again! Bonus! We made another visit to the tomb. Can’t get too much resurrection, you know. Then we went around the rest of the basilica.

Golgotha – You can see life size icons of Mary and the Beloved Disciple. The icon of Christ on the Cross is obscured by all the vigil lamps. The Orthodox LOVE their vigil lamps. As they say, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing! This is one of the few places where the noble simplicity of the Roman Rite is juxtaposed with the noble excess of the Byzantine Rites. It’s all part of being Church.

Sometimes during the day, a pilgrim needs to rest. Why not stop in for a holy bagel at the local Holy Bagel franchise. It’s a tasty treat. You can get it lochs or locks on the side.

At the end of the day, what better way to relax than at the Franciscan Bar. Oddly enough, they did not have any Frangelico on the shelf. What’s up with that?

Posted on

Up to Jerusalem

Greetings, Cyber-pilgrims! Today, we made our way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. It used to be a pretty quick trip, but since the Israeli government put up the security wall in 2000, it is much longer because you have to go all the way around the way. Nevertheless, we got here in good shape.

Some catch up from yesterday. We went to three sites before leaving the area of Bethlehem.

The first was the commemorative Church of the Shepherds Field. We really don’t know where the shepherds were when the angel appeared to the announcing the birth of Jesus, but this site has been venerated for some time by pilgrims.

Entrance to the Church of the Shepherd’s Field. This is Harold the Angel, I think. 🙂

The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, En Karem – Tradition and the pilgrim record has held pretty steady on this site as the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth. You will recall that she conceived at an age much older than usual for those days. When the child was born, those there wanted to call him Zachariah after his father, but Zach said, “His name is John.” With that, his tongue was loosed and he proclaimed what has become the Benedictus, one of Luke’s great gospel canticles. (See Luke1: 57-80) It is recited or chanted in the Liturgy of the Hours at Morning Prayer.

Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
The site venerated as the place of the birth of John the Baptist

The Church of the Visitation – Also from Luke 1, this is the spot that commemorates Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth while they were both pregnant. The child leapt in Elizabeth’s womb for joy. Mary then breaks out into the other great gospel canticle of Luke, the Magnificat. It is recited or sung at Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. Check in out Luke 1:39-56. Really, I think the Gospel of Luke should have a musical score to accompany it.

Really nice frescoes in the Church of the Visitation.
The security wall that encircles Bethlehem. A sad reality of the political situation on the West Bank.

This morning we made our way over to Jerusalem. First stop was in Bethpage to the church that commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. A couple of things to note here. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt that had not been ridden before. This was the fulfillment of a messianic sign. Also, the fact that he was on a colt signified that he came as a King of Peace. A warrior would have ridden in on a stallion. Just sayin’. Although the wall is in the way, we are really close to Bethany here, so there is also a place that commemorates Martha coming out to Jesus from Bethany.

Facade of Bethpage
Bethpage Apse. I was not able to find out about the figure that is shrouded, third from the left.
Anybody got any ideas?

From there, we worked our way down the Mount of Olives. Lots of stuff going on there.

Chapel of the Ascension – This site actually has some real credibility to it, its a four or five arrow site. Due to the vagaries of history, it fell into the hands of the Muslims, but they open it up because they can make a lot of money off us Christian pilgrims. Originally the chapel was open to the sky, so that pilgrims could contemplate the sky into which Christ ascended. Alas, it was domed over and used as a mosque for at while. The stone in the floor is said to have a footprint of Christ left as he ascended. If so, he would have had to have about size fourteen feet. Nevertheless, this is very likely the place where the Ascension took place.

The Chapel of the Ascension. Originally the dome was not there so one could contemplate the sky.
The rock from which Jesus is said to have ascended. They say you can see his footprint. I can’t quite make it out.

Pater Noster Church – this complex commemorates Jesus teaching the Our Father (“Pater Noster” in Latin) to the disciples. One fun thing about this complex is that it has the Our Father displayed in just about every language in the world, even in Braille in several languages.

Pater Noster Church – The Our Father in just about every language you can think of, even a number of Native American ones.
The Our Father in Braille (English). They many other languages in Braille as well.

The Garden of Gethsemane – We made a quick dash in here and came back later in the night for a holy hour. This is a seven arrow site and is the place where Jesus spent his agony in the garden and was betrayed by Judas.

The Tomb of Mary – a shrine of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox, it was used only briefly since Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven at the moment of her death. Still, just like Jesus, she did die. A beautiful sarcophagus forms the base of the altar in an itty bitty chapel.

The Biggy – The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The empty tomb of Jesus – The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre encompasses Golgotha and the tomb. It is as authentic a site as it gets. It was here that Christ was crucified, died, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. We celebrated Mass in the chapel on the place where Mary Magdalene met Jesus after the resurrection. As the celebrant fell ill, I ended up celebrating the Mass. Later that afternoon we walked the Via Dolorosa. On our way back, we stopped by the Holy Sepulchre and Fr. Anthony went in to see what the situation was. Turns out there was almost no line to get into the Tomb itself. So we dashed in and got in line. I was blessed to have a few minutes in there by myself before everybody else went in. I guess it helps to be with the right friar.

Later tonight we returned to Gethsemane for a holy hour. Turns out we had the whole church to ourselves. I was asked to lead the hour, so no pics of that. Big day. Lots to contemplate.

Really, there was just too much going on today. It’s late and we have some serious pilgrimaging to do tomorrow. That will have to do it for tonight. So long for now, pilgrims!

Posted on

One Thousand Feet Below Sea Level

Hey, Pilgrims! Today we ventured into the occupied territories on the West Bank. First stop was Jacob’s Well in Nablus. As the noted biblical archeologist, Zeljko Gregor, once said, “The nice things about wells is that they don’t move.” So you can be rest assured that this was the real place.

Jacob’s Well – Jesus Meets the Samaritan Woman

Here’s a fun fact. In sacred scripture, wells were the places where lots of men met their wives. So it was with Jacob who met Rachel by a well. He was crazy for her, but because Laban her father switched her older sister for Rachel at the wedding, he had to wait fourteen years before he could marry her. Moses also met his first wife by a well. So it’s an interesting thing that Jesus would meet with the Samaritan woman by a well. (See John 4:4-42) Of course, he did not wish to marry her, but he did bring her into relationship with him as the Messiah. Note in John’s account how she goes through three stages of knowing Christ. First she sees him as a very special man, then as a prophet, and finally as the Messiah. Just like plumbing the depths of the well, Jesus takes her deeper and deeper in to the mystery of who he is. Pretty darn cool. I think he does something similar with all of us as we gradually get to know him for who he really is, and in the process get to know ourselves for who we really are.

We drew some water out of the well. The well itself is about 35 feet deep and the water has a depth of about 6 feet. It comes out crystal clear. This is some really good water. The Greek Orthodox monks there were most hospitable to us. They have been very busy making the church beautiful. It is the fifth or sixth church on the site since the fourth century. The well is in the crypt chapel below the sanctuary.

Facade of Jacob’s Well Orthodox Church. It’s based on the crusader church that preceded it.
Nave of Jacob’s Well Church
Dome of Jacob’s Well Church
Jacob’s Well. I found it interesting that the gift shop was within five feet of it in the crypt chapel off to the right. Oh well…

The Jordan River – Most people have this image of the Jordan River as some mighty flowing waterway. The reality can be a bit underwhelming. It’s actually only about ten of fifteen meters across. One reason for this is that so much of it is syphoned off for irrigation. This far downstream, about a mile from it’s terminus in the Dead Sea it is slow and murky. Nevertheless, most scholars agree that this is the area nearest to where Christ was baptized. It is also the general area where the Israelites would have crossed into the promised land on their way to Jericho. The walls have never been rebuilt, by the way. We stopped and renewed our baptismal promises there.

The…uh…mighty Jordan River.
Looking across the Jordan River into the Kingdom of Jordan. The river serves as the international border between the two countries. Note the Jordanian flags on the other side.
Fr. Page gives us a good sprinkle after we renewed our baptismal promises, just like on Easter Sunday. Oblivious Canadian pilgrims are in the background.

Jericho – Guess who’s coming to dinner? Jericho was a surprisingly important town in Jesus’s day. Since there was only room for so many priests in Jerusalem, the rest of them hung out here. It was a center of learning and commerce. Thus, Zacchaeus would have made a good living as a tax collector. His conversion is a good lesson for us all. Jesus doesn’t need much of an opening to invite himself in. There is hope for us all.

A sycamore tree. Not THE sycamore tree, but you can see how easy it would have been for a little guy like Zacchaeus to climb one of these.
Posted on

Old Broken Stuff

Howdy, pilgrims! Well, today was a slower day to go look at the old broken stuff. They need to take better care of their antiquities. I mean the place is in ruins!

The ruins today were at Caesarea Maritima and the Crusader Stronghold at Acre.

Caesarea Marittima – When the Roman Emperor Pompeii took over much of the middle east in in 63 BC, he set up Herod the Great as the puppet monarch of Palestine. Herod was completely insane and an incredible despot. Not only did he order the execution of all the boys under the age of three in Bethlehem, (see Matthew 2:16-18), he also killed his two eldest sons six days before his own death because he suspected they wanted to usurp his throne. But boy, could he build! There were public works projects going on all the time. Part of this was the port city of Caesarea Marittima, the first man-made port in history. They said he “folded nature” to make it happen. He build a huge palace for himself on the most prominent point. (“It’s good to be the king!”) It had an amphitheater that is still in use today as well as a hippodrome for chariot races and all the things a fellow needs to make himself comfortable. It later became the provincial capital.

Biblically, there are at least two significant events. You may recall in the Acts of the Apostles where the pious Roman centurion Cornelius had a vision of an angel who told him to seek out Simon, also known as Peter, to speak to him about the Way of Jesus. About the same time Peter had his famous “What God has declared clean, you cannot declare profane” vision. Peter came to Cornelius’s house Caesarea Marittima and baptizes Cornelius and his whole household – men, women, children, servants, neighbor kids, everybody! It was from this point forward that the Christians began to distinguish themselves from the Jews, since increasing numbers of Christians were Gentiles. You can read all about it in Acts 10.

This was also where St. Paul was held for two years once he appealed his case to the Emperor. He would have left from the port on his trip to Rome. Of course, he got shipwrecked off the coast of Malta.

A good look at Caesarea Marittima. Herod’s Palace is on the point, the Hippodrome just in front of that. The rest of the town stretches down the coast of the Mediterranean.
Our faithful friar guides, Fr. Page and Fr. Anthony, read us the account from Acts 10.
A pano shot of the port in Caesarea Marittima. They dredged it out and walled it in. It’s amazing what you can do with an endless supply of expendable labor.

The Crusader stronghold at Acre – After the crusaders were defeated in 1187, they held out for another 100 years at the port city of Acre. Here they built a most impressive fortress. While not biblical, it was really, really impressive what they were able to accomplish. They built glorious halls, churches, and fortifications. It was worth the trip. The sheer magnitude of the excavations to bring it to light is astounding.

The first snafu of the trip came when we tried to say Mass at St. John the Baptist Church on the bastion walls. The place was locked up like the fortress it sat upon. Turns out the friars were in the middle of a rotation and nobody told the incoming friars that we were coming. So, we improvised and had Mass at their school chapel. Fr. Gabriel was most accommodating.

Part of the Refectory (Dining Hall) at Acre. They were shooting a music video while we were there. Imagine that.
The bastion walls on at the Acre Fortress. Kids were diving off the wall into the sea. Note the small staircase in the center. They used that to climb back up.
St. John the Baptist Church on the bastion walls where we almost had Mass. Check out how thick the walls are that we walking across. It’s gotta be 30 feet (10m) or more. That’s a lot of stone.

Posted on

In the Galilee

Howdy, pilgrims! Lot of fun in the Galilee today. This is where Jesus did the bulk of his preaching, teaching and healing. There are lots of churches to commemorate events you read about in the gospels. Here’s a smattering of what we did.

Cana – First Miracle of our Lord was to make a party a success. That’s my kind of savior. Incidentally, the wine they sell there in the gift shops is terrible. Go figure.

The Church in Cana. Lots of our folks renewed their marriage vows here. Here is a group from India celebrating Mass in the Church.

Caesarea Philippi – “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church…” Caesarea Philippi is located in the farthest north part of Israel. From out of the rocky hill comes a spring which is the headwaters of the Jordan River. Alexander the Great built a temple here to the god Pan. There were other Hellenistic temples here too. Herod Agrippa made it his capitol. Our Lord certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Check out the backdrop for his famous commission to St. Peter as the first leader of the Church.

Big commission. Big rock. Go St. Peter!
Remains of the pagan temples at Caesarea Philippi. Looks like the one lady had found her niche.

Happy trials to you! English can be confusing for Israeli sign makers.
The headwaters of the Jordan River. Nice and clean now. Wait till we get further downstream later in the week!

Tagbho – Multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Hey, our job is to bring the fish. Jesus does the rest. The floor of this church is from the 5th century.

Church nave in Tagbho. This is a four arrow site. We are in the place that has been venerated by Christians since the second century as the place where the miracle took place.
The famous 5th century mosaic that commemorates the loaves and fishes.

The Sea of Galilee – Yep, this is where Jesus went for his morning walk and calmed the storm. I’m still not sure why Peter asked him to join him walking on the water. For me, the miracle is not that Jesus walked on water, nor that Peter walked on water, which is exceedingly cool. In my mind the miracle of the story is that Peter got out of the boat. That’s the kind of faith I want.

Sea of Galilee – Can’t say I wasn’t tempted to go for a walk myself.

Mount of the Beatitudes – Darn it. Forgot to get a picture of the exterior of the church commemorating where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. I made up my own beatitude: “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.”

Primacy of Peter Church – This church commemorates John 21, where Jesus appears to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and cooks them breakfast. Peter denied him three times. Three times Jesus asks Peter loves him. His three-fold denial is forgiven by his three-fold declaration of love. At the end, Jesus says, “Follow me.” Sounds like a plan.

Primacy of Peter Church – the rock is where Jesus sat and cooked breakfast for the apostles on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Capernaum – So many miracles, so little time. Jesus lived here for a good while. It was here that he expelled the demon in the synagogue, where he cured Peter’s mother-in-law and then everybody else in the town who was ailing. The place buzzes with miraculous energy. Very cool. The Basilica is build right over Peter’s house. This is a a seven arrow site. It’s really Peter’s house.

We had Mass right over Peter’s house in Capernaum. The glass in the floor lets you see the house underneath.
The ruins of the 4th century synagogue built over the one Jesus preached in and expelled the demon.
The foundations of Peter’s house under the basilica.

That was a lot for one day. We are pooped. This was some extreme pilgriming!

Posted on

To Be a Pilgrim in the Holy Land

Hey, Church fans! As many of you know, I am in the Holy Land on the parish pilgrimage. Stay tuned for the next couple of weeks as I will take you along to some of the holy sites. I believe every Christian should come to the Holy Land at least once in his or her lifetime. There are two reason, among many. One is spiritual. The other is practical. First, you will never read the Sacred Scriptures the same way again. Second, it is important to come here to understand the political situation and especially how it negatively affects the life of Christians in the Holy Land. Coming on pilgrimage helps to support the Christians who have managed to remain here, despite the economic and political challenges. It is important that we help them remain so that the holy sites can continue to have vibrant worshiping communities and not become museums.

Day 1 – Mt. Carmel and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Home of the Brown Scapular.

After 27 hours in transit, we arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday morning. We met our hosts, Friar Page and Friar Anthony, both Franciscan priests. Once on the bus, we were whisked up to the port city of Haifa located at the top of the Carmel Mountains. You will recall that it was from here that the prophet Elijah had the showdown with the 450 prophets of the false god Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah and then ended the three and a half year drought (1Kings18:1-46). In the 4th century, Christian monks have been here in the spirit of Elijah. From this tradition, the Brown Scapular has grown. The Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel sit on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We had Mass there in a side chapel. I picked up some scapulars in the gift shop.

Above the high altar at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Day 2 – Basilica of the Annunciation and Mt. Tabor

We arrived in Nazareth last night. The Friars have been here for over eight centuries and boy, can they pick real estate. Their guest house, the “Casa Nova”, is right across the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation. So why is it so called? Quite simply, because it is built over the site where the Incarnation actually took place. No kidding.

There are two types of sites in the Holy Land, those that are commemorative and those where the biblical events actually took place. There are seven criteria or seven “arrows” that point to a site to determine which type it is. These include the scriptures, various types of archeological evidence, and the historical documentation. A “seven arrow” site means that all seven criteria are pointing to a site as the authentic place where the biblical event actually happened. In this case we are talking about Luke 1:26-38 where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced to her that she would conceive through the Holy Spirit and bear the Messiah. The modern Basilica was completed in 1969. It is build around the house that Mary was raised in Nazareth. The description “Verbum caro hic factum est” translates “Here, the Word was made flesh.”

We had Mass in the friars’ chapel off to the side since the parish was having their regular Sunday morning Mass. Then I went back and said a rosary for you.

The Basilica of the Annunciation from my room at the Friars Guest House
2100 years of history in one shot. Inside the present day basilica you can see the wall of the 11th century Crusader church in the background, the aps of the 4th century Byzantine Church in the foreground and the childhood home of Mary in the center.
The Interior of Mary’s childhood home.
Here the Word was made flesh.
Parishioners of the Basilica of the Annunciation having coffee and donuts after Mass. One more thing that makes the Church truly universal.

Mt. Tabor – the place of the Transfiguration

Jesus took the Peter James and John up a high mountain and there he was transfigured before them. (Matthew 17:1-8; Mk 9:2–8; Lk 9:28–36. ) This is a four or five arrow site. It’s pretty certain that the Transfiguration happened here, but we don’t know exactly where on the mountain. Archeological evidence under the basilica indicates that sacrifices were offered on this spot long before even the Hebrews arrived. Present basilica was built in the early 20th century. “Lord, it is good that we are here.”

Facade of the Basilica of the Transfiguration

Interior of the Basilica of the Transfiguration – Nice mosaic of Jesus, Moses and Elijah with Peter, James, and John below.

Posted on

Ask Big!

[Hey, Church fans! It was a great time fishing in western Alaska at our family’s fish camp. I landed the biggest red (sockeye) in my life on the third day. While we are fishing for meat, and size is not really a priority, it was something to pull in a 15.2 pound (6.9kg) sockeye salmon. At 29.5 inches, (75cm) he was a fat one. Here’s the pic:

Fr. Leo – Fisher of Men, Fisher of Fish!

Deacon John Ostrom gave the homily this weekend, so there is no vid, but here my column for the week. Enjoy.

     So, first things first. The fishing was great. I had a great time. I have a bunch of reds in the freezer. The trip was shorter due to iffy weather that delayed my departure by several days.

    Just as there are not atheists in foxholes, I doubt there are any of us who fly small airplanes in the mountains who have not raised up a prayer or two to the Almighty  either in thanksgiving for the joy of flight or pleading for better weather. It’s a similar thing to what is going on in the readings the Church gives us this week for our contemplation. Even a quick study of them reveals that the prayer of the Christian should have certain qualities.

First, our prayer should be persistent. This is not so much because it changes God’s heart or mind on the matter at hand. God is crazy in love with us. God knows what we need and wants to give us what will lead to our ultimate happiness. However, persistence in prayer does change our hearts and minds to be in conformity with the heart and mind of God. All too often we pray, “My will be done!” not “THY will be done.” Persistence in prayer helps us see the bigger picture beyond our immediate needs.

Second, every one of our prayers should include some form or adoration, contrition, thanksgiving , and supplication. (The acronym “ACTS” helps us to remember this.)  Posture is important too. When we bow our heads or kneel or prostrate before the Lord, we acknowledge that God is the Supreme Being, not us. He alone is worthy of adoration. In the Lucan version of the Lord’s Prayer, a primary emphasis is on contrition for sins and plea for the grace to forgive others. We also need to acknowledge that all we have and are is a gift from God. This is the heart of our stewardship of such gifts for the good of the Church and the world. Finally, we need to make supplication to the Lord for ourselves and especially for others.  I’m struck at how Abraham intercedes for Sodom, asking God to spare it even if there are only ten good people. Our Lord also gives a great  example of persistent prayer in the context of sacred hospitality.

God wants us to ask. As Our Lord points out, if we know how to give good things to others, how much more so will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Therein lies the rub. All too often we set our sights too low. We ask for those things which we could readily get on our own through persistence and hard work. How much better to ask big! How much more beautiful to ask for the things that only Almighty God can provide—to feel God’s presence, to know God’s will, to receive God’s Holy Spirit. So ask, seek and knock! Keeping in mind that God has three ways of answering our prayers.

1) “Yes.” 

2) “Not yet.” and

3) “I have something better in mind for you.”           

Have a great week!

Posted on

Towards a Consistent Ethic of Life, for a Culture that Chooses Life

     On January 22, 1973, I was a little over eight years old. I was not old enough to understand the social upheavals of the day or the issues involved in the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand in the United States. But I do remember that the following weekend, Fr. Tom Connery stood in the pulpit at Holy Family exclaiming loudly, “Abortion is murder!” several times. I didn’t know what abortion was at that time or why it was murder. That horrible understanding came later.

Now, after almost 50 years, that decision which resulted in the deaths of over 50 million infants in the womb has been reversed and the issue has been remanded back to the individual states. While there is cause for rejoicing that an eclipse of reason resulting in a grave injustice has been ended, we must not gloat. If we are to heal the polarization that has characterized the tenor of public discourse in recent decades, now is a time for the exercise of charity more than ever. We must choose our words charitably and wisely. Furthermore, we must be able to articulate what it means to support and defend human life in all of its stages from conception to natural death if we are to grow a culture of that chooses life within our great society. 

One of the most compelling and succinct such articulations was formulated by the late Joseph Cardinal Bernadine of Chicago. It is not enough to be anti-abortion. What we need, the Cardinal said, is a consistent ethic of life, “a seamless garment.”

Briefly stated the consistent life ethic is this. Life is sacred and social. Because it is sacred, its dignity must be defended and upheld at all times and in all circumstances from conception to natural death.  Because it is social, society has a duty to defend and uphold it at all times and in all circumstances. 

Understanding the breadth of the implications of a consistent ethic of life is important. If we are to defend and uphold the dignity of life in all stages and all circumstances, that will certainly mean at its beginning. But it also means that we must support and defend those things which support the dignity of human persons throughout their lives. As the U.S. Bishops have exhorted us, it means walking with women in crisis pregnancies so that they may have the material, psychological and spiritual resources available to choose life. It also includes things like affordable housing, education, a just wage, affordable child care, and affordable health care. It also causes us to reexamine closely the morality and practicality of the death penalty. Finally, it involves end of life issues such as palliative care and related issues. And the list goes on.

It is a time for rejoicing but not in the sense of winners and losers. Not it is about moving deeper into the truth and walking with others in that truth with love. Our greatest work is still ahead of us.

Posted on

Signs of the Holy Spirit, Challenges for the Disciple.  

Well, Church fans, for some reason Facebook has changed their protocols and I can no longer download videos or upload them to YouTube. I’ll see what I can do, but in the meantime, here is the text. The homily can be viewed as part of the Mass in the following video link.

https://fb.watch/dsJXk5-lNs/

Sorry to make your scroll through. Leave it to the good folks at Facebook to screw up a good thing.

Happy Pentecost! This weekend we also celebrate the closing of the Archdiocesan phase of the Synod. It is fitting that we do so. 

    Looking over the scriptures given to us this weekend, it’s striking how the Spirit is made manifest. First, by a sound like a driving wind, then tongues of flame, then the proclamation of the Gospel in all the known languages of the day.

       You know, the whole speaking in different tongues thing reminds me of a story. 

       A man walks into a diner with his dog and asks for a sandwich for himself and three strips of bacon for his dog. The manager says, “Hey, we don’t allow pets in here.”

       The man says, “No you don’t understand, this is a talking dog?”

       “Really,” the manager says, “Show me.”

       So the man says, “Hey, Rex, what’s on top of a house?”

       The dog wags his tail and replies, “Roof!”

       The manager is not impressed and again threatens to throw them out. 

       “No, no,” he can do more says the man, “Hey, Rex, what is sandpaper like?”

       The dogs says, “Ruff!”

       The manager starts to push them towards the door.

       “No wait!” the man says, “Rex, who is the best baseball player of all time?”

       The dog belts out, “Ruth!”

       The manager throws them out.

       As they are sitting dejected, the dog looks up quizzically at the man and says, “DiMaggio?”

I.

       No surprise about the noise like a driving wind. As I’ve mentioned before, the Hebrew word for spirit, ruách (רוח), is the same word for breath and wind. This is the same word that was used to describe God breathing life into the first humans in the Book of Genesis. In a similar way, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Father breathed life into the Church at Pentecost. This is why Pentecost is often referred to as “the Birthday of the Church.” The same is true for each of us at our baptism. God breathes new life into us through the same Spirit that was given to the apostles and the Blessed Mother in the Upper Room.

       The challenge for us is to be life giving for those around us. Our homes, our neighborhoods, our town, our state, our country, the world should be very different because we Christians are present.

       As the Spirit breathes life into us, so let us breathe life into world around us. 

       Be that family that prays without apology

       Say grace in restaurants.

       Be that home in the neighborhood where everyone is welcome and at ease. Where everybody else’s kids want to hang out.

       Go to the Northeast Community Council meetings. Even better, sit on the community council itself and change the tone of the conversation by your very presence.

       (Their next meeting is June 16, BTW)

       Our job as a parish is to become so much a part of our local community that they cannot imagine life without us.

       So go!  Be a life-giving force in the world…or at least that little part or the world in which God has placed you.

II.

       The tongues of flame are intriguing. This can symbolize many things.  Certainly, it can refer to the enlightenment bestowed on the apostles and Mary, as they receive all the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.)  But fire also reminds of the power of the love of God alive in the heart of the believer. The disciples on the road to Emmaus exclaimed, “Were not our hearts on fire within us…” as they conversed with Lord. (Acts 24:32) The Holy Spirit is not timid. Rather it bestows on us Christians the power to live the life to which we have been called.

       The challenge for the Christian is to be open to receiving these gifts and perhaps more importantly to recognize them in others.

       True leadership, true discipleship means recognizing one’s own gifts and offering them for the good of the community, but it also means recognizing those gifts in others and calling them forth.

       Being small helps no one.  Part of being a family of faith is to celebrate the gifts in others, encouraging others to develop them and offer them to the service of Christ and his Church.

I will say this now without apology. In the years that I served as Vocations Director for the Archdiocese, I learned that there is no shortage of vocations to the priesthood or any other vocation in the local Church.

However, what I did find was decided lack of trust in the Lord. 

I’ve said it before, every member of the parish family has a critical role and a sacred obligation to call forth those whom the Spirit dedicates.

If you see someone who you discern has the gifts needed, you take that person aside and tell them,

“Hey, I see in you the gifts that would make a good

Priest, a good deacon, a good Director of Catechetical Ministries, a good catechist, a good lector, a good choir member…

       Would you please consider it and I’m going to be praying for you.”

III.

       Finally, nowhere is this more evident than in the proclamation of the Gospel in every known language at the time.  I always sympathize with the lector this weekend as he or she is confronted with the litany of the languages of the known world. Not unlike our own time, the world in which the Church was born was a divided and confusing place. The multiplicity of languages was a part of that. This reminds of us of the confusion caused by humanity’s pride at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).  But with the gift of the Spirit, what was once confused is now clear. The Church and the Gospel message are truly universal in scope. Indeed, today the Church exists in every language and culture and the Good News is proclaimed in every corner of the world.

       The challenge for us is to boldly proclaim that same Gospel message clearly so that it may as easily understood in this time and in this place. 

       To do so, your need to learn basics of our faith certainly, but more importantly, you need to be able to express to people why and how it makes a difference in your life.

       There is a great temptation when someone asks about the Church, or challenges us about the Church her teachings, to try to defend the entire Church universal and all her doctrines.

       That’s fine, if you can do so. But the best answer you can give them is to tell them about why YOU are Catholic and what your faith means to YOU.

       It’s easy to criticize and dismiss a faceless, monolithic institution.  Even we Catholics have a tendency to institutionalize our own Church.  Often we find ourselves saying, “The Church should do this…or…The parish should do that.

       But the Church is not institutional.  It is personal. The Church has a face. Not surprisingly, it looks a like your face and mine. 

       Let me close with this one story.

       A long time ago, in a parish far, far away, I was approached by a very faithful, well-meaning parishioner.

       “Hey, Father,” he said, “There is this elderly woman named Mary who lives in the house next door to us.  She’s getting on in years and she’s developed that macular degeneration. So she can’t drive any more.  As a result, it’s tough for her to get to Mass.  And I know she’s not the only one is a situation like this.  I have an idea…

       …do you see where this is going…

“The parish should buy a van so that we can pick up people like her and others.” 

       I looked him right in the eye and I said to him, “She lives right next door to you?”

       “Oh yeah.” 

       “Why don’t you give her a ride?”

He looked at me dumbfounded for about three seconds.  Then a light came on and said, “You know, the idea and never crossed my mind.  Yeah! I’m going to do exactly that!”

       And he did!  And right up until they day she died, they would pick up Mary every Sunday morning and come to Mass together.  The added bonus was that their daughter grew up with an extra grandmother who was as wise as she was generous. 

       THAT is what I’m talking about.

       Pentecost is at once a commemoration and a challenge. We rejoice in the gift of the Spirit in the Upper Room. Now it is our task to continue the saving mission of Christ in our part of the world. This is our call. This is our sacred vocation.

Posted on

From Good to Great – From Justice to Love

[This week we hear the Golden Rule in the second part of the Sermon on the Plain in Luke’s gospel. But did you know there is a Bronze Rule and Silver Rule as well? Check it out. As always, you can watch the video by clicking here. ]

       A young priest was in the bishop’s office pouring out his heart.

       “I can’t seem to get the people’s attention in my homilies,” he said. “What can I do?”

       This bishop replied, “Why don’t you try saying something shocking at the beginning. Then once you have their attention, they will listen to the rest of what you have to say.”

       “How do you mean?” asked the priest.

       “Well,” said the bishop, “For example, I started my homily last week like by saying, ‘I’m in love with a woman…She’s married…Her name is Mary.’ Do you see how that works?  Try it.”

       Next week the priest is in the pulpit, still very nervous and begins, “THE BISHOP IS IN LOVE WITH A WOMAN!  She’s married…I can’t remember her name!”

       Today’s gospel gives us the second part of the “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke’s gospel. It starts off with the shocking statement, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” We Christians are quite familiar with these statements, but they would have been shocking to his audience. The expected Messiah was supposed to destroy the enemies of Judah. Primarily the Romans. Jesus is saying they have to love the Romans! What’s up with that?! 

       However, a previous ‘messiah’, King David, shows us just how it is done when he declines the opportunity to kill Saul, who is trying to hunt him down and kill him. In one sense, Jesus is simply asking his disciples to embrace the best of their heritage. He is inviting them, and us, to rise above the limited standards of the worldly and instead embrace the Kingdom of God. This requires a fundamental shift in the way we think, feel and act, especially towards those who do not embrace the Kingdom.

It is matter of rising from good to great, from justice to love.

       Most people remember the Sermon on the Plain for it’s articulation of  the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” which summarizes his many instructions. But did you know that there is a Bronze Rule and a Silver

Rule which preceded it? 

       In the Books of Leviticus (24:19–21) and Deuteronomy (19:21), as well as the legal codes of other cultures, we see the Bronze Rule, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It was an important law that kept limited retaliation for an injury to the level at which it occurred. It ensured that justice was served while preventing escalation of the situation.

       Cultures develop over time. At a certain point people look to how to avoid such conflicts rather than just react to them. Centuries later, we see the Silver Rule, “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.” It also makes sense. If you don’t want to be injured. Don’t injure others.” 

       Still, this is a rather passive way of acting. Jesus takes it a step further. The Kingdom is not just about how to avoid doing the wrong thing. It is about doing the loving thing. Thus, “do unto others…” In this way, we move from the good to the great, from the moral to the magnanimous, from justice to love.

       I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s reply to a woman who asked him how he thought he could win the Civil War if he did not destroy his enemy. Looking at her, he said, “My dear lady, I do not destroy my enemy when I make him my friend.”