Weekly THIS AND THAT for August 30, 2009: A Violinist in the Metro

This and That:
A Violinist in the Metro

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He
collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100 each.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a
commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, “Do we perceive beauty?”

Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written on an almost priceless instrument, how many other things are we missing?

Take time to stop, notice and ask, “What’s there that I’m not seeing and then, take a moment to savor and enjoy it.”

Fondly,
Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for August 30, 2009: Father Nicholas is away this weekend

Father Nicholas is away this weekend

Weekly THIS AND THAT for August 23, 2009: Invite Someone to Join Our Catholic Faith

This and That:

Invite Someone to Join our Catholic Faith

Most of us know someone who is not Catholic and who may be interested in learning about our faith and possibly joining our church community. Many times, a person is shy about coming forward and saying that they are interested and they are waiting to be asked. Please think about people in your life who might be waiting for such an invitation.

In a few weeks, our RCIA process for this year will begin. RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. This process for preparing adults to be received into the Catholic Church was developed in the 1970’s, following the Second Vatican Council, as a modern revival of the way that early Christians were initiated.

RCIA is designed for any of the following:

Ø Adults who have never been baptized in any Christian Church

Ø Christians of any denomination who would like to become Catholic

Ø Catholics who may have been baptized or received First Communion but who never had much religious training or who never received Confirmation

The process begins with a period called Inquiry, during which those who are interested gather to receive basic information and to ask questions about Catholic faith and practices. During Inquiry, the participants have not made any commitment to join the Catholic Church. Our Inquiry sessions run from the middle of September through the end of October.

After Inquiry, those who desire to become members of our faith community are recognized and prayed over in a special ceremony called the Rite of Acceptance. They then continue with a process of prayer and learning called the Catechumenate, which leads to being received into the Church at Easter. During this period, they participate in the Liturgy of the Word at Mass and then they are dismissed to continue reflecting upon the Scripture readings for that Sunday. This also builds up anticipation for receiving the Eucharist when they are received into the Church.

Beginning with the Rite of Acceptance, we make a distinction between those who were never baptized, who are called Catechumens, and those who were baptized in another Christian Church, who are called Candidates for Full Communion. This distinction acknowledges that we honor Christian Baptism in any church that uses the Trinitarian formula. We do not re-baptize people. Both Catechumens and Candidates have Catholic sponsors who accompany them through the rest of the process.

While there is a team of people who teach the RCIA classes, the whole parish community is involved in their preparation by their example, by praying for the candidates and by welcoming them into the community.

The final period of preparation takes place during Lent and begins with the Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent. This rite involves people from all of the parishes of the diocese going to the Cathedral and being blessed by the bishop in preparation for receiving the sacraments at Easter.

After receiving the appropriate sacraments at the Easter Vigil: Baptism and/or Confirmation and Eucharist, the participants have one final period of the RCIA process, called Mystagogia. This involves continuing to meet and reflect upon the mysteries of our faith and how to take their place as full members of the Catholic Church.

We will start a new Inquiry group in mid-September. Who is the person out there waiting for your invitation? Go ahead and ask! If you don’t feel comfortable describing the RCIA process, just contact me or give me the person’s contact information and I’ll take it from there.

If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Sr. Mary Therese at the parish office: 410-329-6826, x109 or mwhite@ourladygrace.org. Our sessions will meet on Tuesday evenings and spouses or other family members or friends are welcome to come along with the Inquirers and join in our discussions.

Blessings,

Sister Mary Therese

Weekly HOMILY for August 23, 2009: Father Nicholas is away this weekend

Father Nicholas is away this weekend

Weekly THIS AND THAT for August 16, 2009: Christian One-Liners

This and That:

Christian One-Liners

Don’t let your worries get the best of you;

Remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited

Until you try to sit in their pews.

Many folks want to serve God,

But only as advisers.

It is easier to preach ten sermons

Than it is to live one.

The good Lord didn’t create anything without a purpose,

But mosquitoes come close.

When you get to your wit’s end,

You’ll find God lives there.

People are funny; they want the front of the bus,

Middle of the road,

And back of the church.

Opportunity may knock once,

But temptation bangs on the front door forever.

Quit griping about your Church;

If it was perfect, you couldn’t belong.

If a Church wants a better pastor,

It only needs to pray for the one it has.

We’re called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

God Himself doesn’t propose to judge a man until he is dead.

So why should you?

Some minds are like concrete

Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

Peace starts with a smile.

I don’t know why some people change churches;

What difference does it make which one you stay home from?

A lot of Church members singing “Standing on the Promises”

Are just sitting on the premises.

Be ye fishers of men. You catch ‘em

The Lord will clean 'em.

Stop, Drop, and Roll won’t work in Hell.

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

Don’t put a question mark where God put a period.

Don’t wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

God doesn’t call the qualified,

He qualifies the called.

God grades on the cross,

Not the curve.

God loves everyone,

But probably prefers “fruits of the spirit” over “religious nuts!”

God promises a safe landing,

Not a calm passage.

He who angers you,

Controls you!

If God is your Co-pilot,

Swap seats!

Prayer: Don’t give God instructions,

Just report for duty!

The task ahead of us is never

As great as the Power behind us.

The Will of God never takes you to where

The grace of God will not protect you.

We don’t change the message,

The message changes us.

You can tell how big a person is

By what it takes to discourage him.

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen:

1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

Fondly,

Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for August 16, 2009: Deacon Preaching Weekend

Deacon Jim Prosser preached this weekend.

Weekly THIS AND THAT for August 9, 2009: Jokes That Can Be Told in Church

This and That:
Jokes That Can Be Told in Church



➢ Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, “Why is the bride dressed in white?” The mother replied, “Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.” The child thought about this for a moment then said, “So why is the groom wearing black?”

➢ A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Religious Education class. As she ran she prayed, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late! Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late!” While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late ... but please don’t shove me either!”

➢ Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.” The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.” The third boy says, “I’ve got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!”

➢ An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her Memorial Service, she wrote, “They wouldn’t take me out while I was alive, I don’t want them to take me out when I’m dead.”

➢ A police recruit was asked during the exam, “What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?” He answered, “Call for backup.”

➢ At Religious Education class a catechist asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child replied, “They couldn’t get a babysitter.”

➢ At Vacation Bible Camp a catechist was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to “Honor thy father and thy mother,” she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, “Thou shall not kill.”

➢ At their Religious Education class children were being taught how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and she said, “Johnny, what is the matter?” Little Johnny responded, “I have pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife.”

➢ Two boys were walking home from Religious Education classe after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, “What do you think about all this Satan stuff?” The other boy replied, “Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It’s probably just your Dad.”

Fondly,
Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for August 9, 2009: Food That Endures for Eternal Life: Anyone Hungry?

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
August 9, 2009

Food That Endures for Eternal Life: Anyone Hungry?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


Consumed with Food

The well-known humorist Andy Rooney once said that the two biggest sellers in any bookstore are the cookbooks and the diet books.

The cookbooks tell you how to prepare food. The diet books tell you how to avoid eating it.

A California scientist has computed that the average person eats 16 times his or her own weight in a year, while a horse eats only 8 times its weight. The scientist concludes that if you want to lose weight, all you have to do is eat like a horse.

Orson Welles once said, “My doctor has advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for four, unless, of course, there are three other people eating with me.”

On a more serious note, we have all seen reports saying that a high percentage of us are overweight or even clinically obese.

The point of all this, as one writer puts it, is that we, as a society, are consumed with food, at least earthly food.

Today, Jesus calls us to be equally “consumed” with another kind of food, with spiritual food.


The Bread of Life

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “I am the bread of life. I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”

It is clear that Jesus is giving us a food that will satisfy the hunger of our souls and not just the hunger of our stomachs.

I suggest that Jesus is the “bread of life” for us in two ways.


Consumed with Jesus’ Wisdom

First, the Bread of Life that Jesus is for us, may surprisingly, be his wisdom or word.

Jesus’ identification of himself as bread hearkens back to the Old Testament. A number of Old Testament passages refer to food or bread as God’s wisdom that feeds us with insight and the way to live.

Some of the Fathers of the Church, the earliest Christian writers, interpret the teachings of Jesus as the Bread of Life.

So, the Scriptures and especially the Gospels are to be the Bread of Life for us.

Jesus calls us to be consumed with and to consume this “Bread of Life.”

If we are going to do this effectively, I recommend that we have a Bible at home.

And then, I recommend that each week at home, we read at least the Gospel for the coming Sunday. We can find the citation for the passage for the coming Sunday right in the bulletin that you receive here each week.

So, read the Gospel, even read it out loud to yourself or with your family. Then, after reading it, ask yourself this question:
➢ “What is God or what is Jesus saying to me in these very words?”
➢ “What word or phrase or sentence grabs my attention?
➢ “What might God be calling me to do in my life right now through this holy Word?”

This is a great way to prepare for Mass each Sunday, and to be open to hearing the Gospel and the reflection on it in the homily.

This will help us to be consumed with and to consume Jesus, the Bread as “Wisdom.”


Consumed with Jesus Himself

Second, the Bread of Life also means that Jesus gives us his very self as food.

Jesus also talks about this in today’s Gospel and then gives us this “Bread” at the Last Supper. Jesus is truly present to us here in the Eucharist.

Our eating this food enables him to be present within us in the closest possible way. He also calls us to be consumed with and to consume this “Bread” that is his very self, effectively.

If we are going to do this, I recommend several things.

First, the Church asks us to fast from other food and drink for at least one hour before receiving Communion.

This very minimal physical fast reminds us of our need for food; it should remind us of our hunger. And specifically, it makes us aware that our deepest hunger is a spiritual one – a hunger for God.

Besides this one-hour fast, I simply recommend that we participate well here at Mass.

Giving ourselves consciously to the experience, joining in the prayers, singing the hymns or at least reading the words, if we think we can’t sing, and praying silently in our hearts at certain times – all of this opens our hearts and lifts our minds to receive the Lord.


Conclusion

In conclusion, it allows this sacred food to make a difference for us personally.

It is an important way for us to be consumed with and to consume the “Bread” that is Jesus himself.