Thursday, September 28, 2006

Weekly MESSAGE for October 1, 2006: The Holy Father Reconciles with Muslims

October 1, 2006

Dear Friends,

With all the brouhaha regarding the Holy Father’s quoting a medieval text regarding Islam in his address at Regensburg two weeks ago much good seems to have come out of the misunderstanding.

On September 25th Benedict XVI met with Muslim leaders of Italy and diplomats from 21 Islamic countries and stressed that the dialogue between Christians and Muslims is decisive for the future of humanity. The Pope said that he had called the meeting to “strengthen the bonds of friendship and solidarity between the Holy See and Muslim communities throughout the world,” in the wake of controversy over his September 12th address. The Arab-language news network Al-Jazeera carried the papal speech live. “In this particular context, I should like to reiterate today all the esteem and the profound respect that I have for Muslim believers,” said the Holy Father. He recalled the Second Vatican Council declaration “Nostra Aetate,” which expresses officially the Church's “appreciation” for Muslims who “worship the one God.”

The Pope did not address the issue of the interpretations of his address at Regensburg. On two occasions last week he clarified his quotation from the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus as a means to present the problem of the relationship between religion and violence. The quotation – as we know all too well – sparked violence and drew criticism from some Muslims.

To dispel doubts, the Holy Father said that, “I have had occasion, since the very beginning of my pontificate, to express my wish to continue establishing bridges of friendship with the adherents of all religions, showing particular appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians. Interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot be reduced to an optional extra. It is, in fact, a vital necessity, on which in large measure our future depends,” Benedict XVI said.

He continued: “In a world marked by relativism and too often excluding the transcendence and universality of reason, we are in great need of an authentic dialogue between religions and between cultures, capable of assisting us, in a spirit of fruitful cooperation, to overcome all the tensions together. Continuing, then, the work undertaken by my predecessor, Pope John Paul II, I sincerely pray that the relations of trust which have developed between Christians and Muslims over several years, will not only continue, but will develop further in a spirit of sincere and respectful dialogue.”

This dialogue, Benedict XVI added, must be, “Based on ever more authentic reciprocal knowledge which, with joy, recognizes the religious values that we have in common and, with loyalty, respects the differences. Interreligious and intercultural dialogue is a necessity for building together this world of peace and fraternity ardently desired by all people of good will.

“Faithful to the teachings of their own religious traditions, Christians and Muslims must learn to work together, as indeed they already do in many common undertakings, in order to guard against all forms of intolerance and to oppose all manifestations of violence; as for us, religious authorities and political leaders, we must guide and encourage them in this direction.”

Among the common challenges faced by Muslims and Christians, the Holy Father mentioned, “The defense and promotion of the dignity of the human person and of the rights ensuing from that dignity.” He added: “When threats mount up against people and against peace, by recognizing the central character of the human person and by working with perseverance to see that human life is always respected, Christians and Muslims manifest their obedience to the Creator, who wishes all people to live in the dignity that he has bestowed upon them.”

How wonderful it is to see the Pope take something that was so poorly interpreted and received and turn it into a possibility for dialogue and understanding.

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato

Weekly THIS AND THAT for October 1, 2006: Christian Charity in Cyber Communities

This and That:
Christian Charity in Cyber Communities

As some of you know I’ve just completed working on getting my blog up and running and hope to use it as a way of interacting with others around my weekly message, This and That column, and homily. Should you care to visit it on the Internet, it is www.frnickamato.blogspot.com and is entitled: “WordWorthNoting.” It is beginning with 300 folks that receive via email the weekly message, This and That, and Homily.

In line with this new and promising way of interacting with others in cyberspace, the following interview with Catholic sociologist G. Alexander Ross caught my attention. It has to do with the fact that Internet friendships, despite their inherent limitations, can be a real way to foster deeper personal relationships. Ross who is a professor and dean of students at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, in Arlington, Virginia, addresses the possibilities and dangers of using cyber communities to build relationships with others. What I found interesting is that Ross’ areas of interest include the sociology of the family and the integration of the Social Sciences with a Catholic understanding of the human person.

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato


Q: What are some reasons for the growing attraction of young people to online cyber communities?

Ross: At a most basic level, the attraction you ask about is merely one instance of our natural desire to associate with others. Aristotle called man [sic] a “political animal.” What he meant by this was not that we all have a desire to run for office, but that each of us is drawn to form groups and associations with others in order to realize himself. That is, it is the very nature of man to associate with others. As the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 149, teaches, man “can only grow and realize his vocation in relation with others.” The young are often skilled at using Internet technology. They appear to view these cyber communities simply as other opportunities to pursue social relationships.


Q: Among the various means of communication, is there a significant difference in Internet relationships?

Ross: Of course, Internet relationships are not identical to other forms of social interaction. Something the Internet shares with earlier technologies such as the telegraph or the telephone is that the social cues transmitted to the other person are more limited than in face-to-face communication. This limitation in the richness of communication has obvious disadvantages, yet research suggests some interesting compensations. Social psychological research shows that physical attractiveness often has a more powerful influence on relationship formation than the deeper, more significant personal factors that we would prefer to influence friendship formation. Although members of some of the cyber communities will share personal photos and other media as well as messages of text, the physical characteristics of the individual are not normally visible to the communicators. This can allow the deeper personal characteristics of the individual to be more salient in the interaction that occurs.

One interesting laboratory experiment found that subjects who met for the first time on the Internet liked each other more than those who first met each other face-to-face. Furthermore, the lack of information on physical characteristics, by hiding racial differences, may make attitudes of racial prejudice less likely to impede relationship formation. Not being tied to face-to-face interaction also opens many possibilities for reaching people who share particular interests. Esoteric interests are, by definition, shared by only a few. But because the Internet lets a person search the entire world to contact others who share unusual interests, he may find many with whom to correspond.

For example, some cyber communities are formed by people who share a rare medical condition. With that common bond, the members are able to offer empathy or advice that is not provided by their available face-to-face contacts. Other special-interest cyber communities form around what sociologists call stigmatized identities. An important part of the self-identity of members of these groups is a trait or practice that sets them apart from conventional society. They seek each others company for mutual support and defense, a natural and beneficial tendency found in some measure in most social groups. It has been common in history that groups are stigmatized unjustly for a trait or practice that is in fact good. Often stigmatized and persecuted, Christians provide an example of this. However, the characteristic that sets apart a stigmatized group is sometimes objectively harmful. In such cases, the cyber communities may serve to resist a change that would actually be to the benefit of the members.


Q: Is it possible to develop authentic friendships online, with people you may never see in “real life”? What would these relationships look like?

Ross: The limitations of the medium will certainly restrict the depth of the relationship that forms. But the specific social context is very important here. As in the case of groups forming around rare medical conditions, the individuals may already share important human bonds that facilitate authentic friendship. Also, research shows that many participants – more than 50% in one study – of these cyber communities will have transferred a relationship begun on the Internet to “real life.” This finding suggests that while most such cyber relationships remain merely “virtual,” the ones that the participants value most highly can be made “real.” It is important to remember that a very important purpose for participating in cyber communities is to supplement already existing contacts rather than form new ones. A common criticism about the Internet has been that its use may weaken an individual’s involvement in existing associations, such as the family or the neighborhood. The research does not support this claim. Rather, we see that the Internet often facilitates communication between friends and family members, particularly in our age of high mobility. Cyber communities serve for many people the function of staying in touch with those from whom they might otherwise drift away. It is, in other words, one more way by which we can maintain that contact with other persons which is so important to human nature.


Q: What are the implications of a person’s sense of community, when their greatest social network is online?

Ross: While we call these phenomena cyber or virtual “communities,” they lack the spatial or geographic boundaries that have often been part of the sociological definition of community. It is the absence of that physical character that leads us to label these social entities as “virtual” rather than “real” communities. Nevertheless, many such “communities” do exhibit other conventional characteristics of communities such as a common identity and sustained patterns of interaction. I suspect that the cases are rare in which a person’s greatest social network is online. In the same way that we tend to assume that Internet usage promotes loneliness and depression – something that is not supported by the research – we are also likely to overestimate the number of those whose primary social contact is on the Internet. Nevertheless, when it does occur it may indicate a problem. This area may be further addressed by my colleagues in clinical psychology.


Q: How could a person cultivate an attitude of authentic Christian charity, like that described by Benedict XVI in “Deus Caritas Est,” through a cyber relationship?

Ross: One of the points that the Holy Father stresses in his first encyclical is the Church’s concept of subsidiarity and its role in true Christian charity. The concept of subsidiarity reminds us that associations of a higher order – most particularly, the state – must support rather than usurp the functions that are best carried out in the family, the local church community, and other lower order associations. The flexibility, independence and decentralization of the Internet permit the formation of cyber communities as lower-order associations that can respond to the needs of their fellow men with “spontaneity” and “closeness.” There are many instances of groups which have used the Internet to mobilize others to respond with compassion to human and social problems. Cyber communities formed around pro-life work, for example, have done marvelous work in bringing Christ’s love and guidance to young mothers in need. This is not work done by the “bureaucratic state” but by individuals and groups with authentic concern for others. At a simpler level, the mere act of communicating with another human being can often be a gesture of love. One may not be able to comfort another with a touch of a hand or a smile over the Internet, but nor is that possible with a conventional letter. And we have no doubt that great love has been communicated through that ancient medium.

Weekly HOMILY for October 1, 2006: Protocol of the Spirit

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
October 1, 2006

Protocol of the Spirit
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


The Soup Nazi

One of my favorite Seinfeld show is the one about the “Soup Nazi.” The Soup Nazi was a grim-faced immigrant chef with a thick Stalin-like moustache and an accent to match.

Well known throughout New York City for his delicious soups, he is also notorious for demanding that his customers observe his soup-ordering instructions to the letter.

To purchase soup customers are to line up in an orderly fashion, have their money at the ready, order their soup, then step to the left to pay their bill, receive their soup, and leave the restaurant promptly with the soup in hand.

Even the slightest deviation from the chef’s rigid protocol can result in a refusal of service.

“No soup for you!” That is what George Costanza hears when he dares to ask why the person ahead of him received bread and he did not: “You want bread? No soup for you!”

The point? Protocol, however arbitrary, is to be followed or the perpetrator suffers the consequences.

The episode points to a certain rigidity that all too often characterizes our own dealings with one another. Having developed a system or a habitual manner of doing things, we are reluctant to stray from our protocol.

We all have set ways of conducting business, certain rites as regards our relationships, specific ideas as to what is or is not polite, and who is or is not acceptable. We tend to be intolerant of others who dare to choose a different course of thought or action.


Moses and Joshua

Something of this impatience and intolerance is clearly evident in today’s first reading and Gospel.
In the Book of Numbers, we see Moses and the Israelites during their desert journey to Canaan. To this point Moses has been the mediator of God’s will for the Israelites.

God’s own Spirit is thought to rest upon Moses, giving authority to his teachings.

He was the institution whom the people had come to accept and through whom they experience God.

To their credit, the people are also willing to accept that some of the Spirit with which God had endowed Moses could be shared among the 70 elders who have gathered in the meeting tent at God’s command.

However, when two of the elders deviate from the plan and do not gather in the tent, Joshua objects when it appeared that God’s Spirit has come rest upon them as well.

While he does not use the Soup Nazi’s exact words, Joshua’s reaction seems to say “No Spirit for you!”

Joshua’s thinking is how could those who were not associated with Moses be spiritually endowed?


Jesus

In an effort to educate his disciples in the freedom of the Spirit to blow were it will, to inspire whom it may, and to empower whom it chooses, Jesus challenges them to venture beyond protocol and institution and to open themselves to God’s mysterious working.

Even someone the disciples regarded as “outside their group” can be acceptable to God and can be a vessel of the Spirit.

And by extension to us, even someone we may hold suspect or unorthodox, if that person is not against us, insists Jesus, that person can be an agent of the power and Spirit of God.


Application

So, that person at work or the individual in our social circle of friends whom we find suspect or a bit edgy may have something to say or contribute.

Arab, oriental, or Persian food may be foreign to our palate or look strange by our own standards, but may very good if we developed a taste for whatever is being served.

Or to recognize that Christians, Muslims and Jews are all children of Abraham and read and learn more about each other’s beliefs and our quest for peace for our children.


Conclusion

Jesus’ challenge to his own disciples – both then and now – is one of inclusiveness.

However, to meet this challenge, believers must be willing to surrender preconceived ideas and judgments to the sometimes untamed and unimaginable ways of God.

Too frequently those who are different, those who dissent, and those who march to the beat of a different drummer are ignored and rejected outright.

We need to make space for mavericks and outsiders, as long as they are not explicitly opponents of Jesus.

Imagine the power and possibilities for goodness in a community that could accept a Galileo, a Martin Luther, a John Wesley, a John Calvin, a Charlie Curran, or an Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza!

Rather than eliminate, excommunicate or censure the maverick, might not the church and our own circles of family and friends be better served if we were to truly heed Jesus’ insistence that “anyone who is not against us is with us”!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Weekly MESSAGE for September 24, 2006: "The Pope's Damaging Words" by Martin Marty

September 24, 2006

Dear Friends,

Martin Marty is professor emeritus at the University of Chicago Divinity School and a Lutheran minister and author. The following is an article reprinted from the Chicago Tribune that originally appeared in “Sightings,” a publication at the divinity school. It is entitled “The Pope’s Damaging Words.” I found his thoughts stimulating.

Pope Benedict XVI has had a free ride so far. Back when there were still Protestant anti-Catholics, some would have found much fault with him, but most appreciated his encyclical on divine and human love and said so. Many Catholics and non-Catholics whose friends suffered under him as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger now empathetically chose to help the wounded nurse their bruises. Some among the Catholic right even think he should be more of a hard-liner.

For all those reasons, it is regrettable that in the midst of a well-worked-out (of course) formal speech at the University of Regensburg in Germany, his old academic turf, the pope lapsed for a moment and did what we tenured folk sometimes do – and remember, the pope has lifetime tenure – we come up with an allusion that gets us in trouble, let a side point take center stage or fail to count the cost of a remark.

So it was that, almost inexplicably, the pope began his talk in Regensburg with inflaming words from an obscure Byzantine emperor from the 14th century to show that jihad as holy war is bad, that emperor, through this pope, said that what the Prophet Muhammad brought to the world was “only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” As Christians often did? The pope did not mention that.

His Holiness must have underestimated how useful such words would be to extreme fight-picking Muslim clerics and right-wing American talk-show folk. He now says that he did not intend to offend Muslims, but his plea for “genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today” will be set back and out shouted by those clerics and rightists. What sounds at least half-appropriate in a history and theology classroom sounds different when spread to a billion Christians and a billion Muslims, as words such as these will be. The only things that will be remembered from the pope’s new call for reason and dialogue is the unreasonable citation that Muhammad contributed only “evil and inhuman” speech and action in human history.

I know I’ll get hit for suggesting “equivalencies” here, though I am always clear in stating that there is no equivalency between today’s radical and extreme Muslims and today’s ordinary Christians. But it also must be said that Christians, from the 4th century to the 18th century, can match the Muslims one-for-one when it comes to having spread the faith with the sword. Read the history of the Christianization of Europe, and you have to go hunting for that minority of the faithful who spread the faith without the sword, merely by witness and works.

We live today not in the time of Christian Crusades and Inquisitions, but in a time when the pope is needed as a bridge-builder, a link-maker. Having quoted claims seven centuries old that only “evil and inhuman” things were new in the program of the prophet and in the name of Islam, it will be harder for the pope to have a dialogue with the Muslims who do good and human things. Some on the Muslim and American right seem to be craving a war of civilizations, a war about which we know only one thing: Both sides (or the many sides) would lose.

Rather than point to the “evil and inhuman” nature of Islam’s, Judaism’s, Christianity’s, Hinduism’s, Buddhism’s and other religious’ holy wars, the pope will serve better if he can still find dialogue partners in search of the good and human.

All is not lost. Yet.

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato

Weekly THIS AND THAT for September 24, 2006: Theresa and Bill Campbell Share Testimony

This and That:
Bill and Theresa Campbell Share Testimony

The following is the testimony of Bill and Theresa Campbell sharing their thoughts about Our Lady of Grace and inviting all at the Masses this weekend to participate in our Annual Offertory Renewal.

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato


Bill: Good evening (morning)!

I’m Bill Campbell and this is my wife Theresa and our daughters Colleen, Christa, Jan and Juliana. Fr. Nick has asked us to speak at each Mass this weekend about our commitment to stewardship. That’s good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that Theresa and I are not dynamic speakers like Fr. Nick. The good news is that our talk will be shorter than the typical homily.

Theresa and I feel blessed by our Catholic faith and traditions, and thus we want to give something back. We hope you all feel blessed too. We all live in a beautiful area and belong to a vibrant parish. We should take time to appreciate our many gifts and thank God for them. We can also show our gratitude by generously sharing our time, talent and treasure. This is precisely what stewardship means – being faithful in our generosity.

We want to thank you for all the great things that are accomplished here that wouldn’t be possible without the almost 700 volunteers and your monetary gifts to the church. There are 60 different ministries, and although we will mention only a few of them today, all are worthwhile! We have an extensive outreach program providing food and clothing to those less fortunate than ourselves. The Knights of Columbus provide wonderful parish brunches plus many valuable services in direct service to our youth as well as helping others in need with house repairs. We have a Teen Life program that includes an upbeat Sunday 5 pm Mass with social and spiritual activities afterwards. Although the program is fairly new, it has been well received by the teens and does seem to have an impact at helping the teens grow closer to Jesus.

You may have noticed I am wearing a red ribbon around my neck. This is not a fashion statement on my part, but rather it signifies that I am a member of the Pastoral Council. We wear these ribbons so that you may stop any of us after Mass with questions you have or feedback on anything, positive or negative. That way we can share your concerns at the next monthly Council meeting.

Now I will turn it over to Theresa.

Theresa: Good evening (morning)!

The parishioners and friends we’ve met know that our family has been here just over a year. As a tribute to the kindness and friendliness of the people of this parish, we immediately felt we were in a place we could call home. I remember the Sunday we came to check things out, and we sang “The Summons.” We sang it just a few weeks ago, and the lyrics still move me, “ Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?” Somehow, I can’t help but think that we receive gifts like these, life-changing moments like these, as blessings and signs from God for being faithful stewards. Well, we came, and guess what, we will never be the same. We love it here, and with all the hassles of moving, Bill and I have assured each other, God willing, that this is where we will stay and raise our children.

Speaking of the girls, we were holding our own when we had just two, but things really started slipping by the time the third and then the fourth daughters were born. Then we figured it out: we realized that we were good in the man-to-man defense but much weaker in a zone defense. At this stage of the game, most days I will tell you that I need a sub! In fact, last summer when we moved, I looked to the sidelines and Our Lady of Grace was there. We had just attended the new parishioner orientation where I remember vividly Father Nick with his chalk in hand promising that Our Lady of Grace is here to help us with any need and that he in turn hopes that all of us will take an active role in helping the Church. So here I was knee-deep in unpacked boxes, four little girls with no school routine, running all around reacting in their own way to the stress of the move, Bill who was workingy long hours as he was transitioning from his Virginia office, no family in the immediate vicinity – in other words, feeling very overwhelmed. It was then that Fr. Nick’s words rang in my ears. I picked up the telephone and almost literally cried, “HELP! I need a sub!” The kind voice put me through to Mike Bertling who was the Youth Ministry Coordinator at the time. He provided me with a list of several dependable teens who could babysit and give me some relief. As the saying goes, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with those sitters and the regaining of a bit of summertime sanity. This is just one example of the many ways we feel blessed to be part of Our Lady of Grace.

To give back, we have really tried to embrace parish life and participate in the ministries and events in which we’re able. I joined our choir, the Voices of Grace. Let me tell you, they say that to sing is to pray twice. Our director Beth and the other members make rehearsals and Masses so uplifting, that I can’t believe I’m getting double credit in the prayer bank. (I admit this is my plug for the choir. We just started back up for the season, so please come join us if you’re interested. We know how good you all sound from up here.)

I also make the zippy beef casseroles for Our Daily Bread and provide food for Grace Our Table hospitalities. Our entire family enjoyed the Lenten Family Fridays (which was my ploy to get out of cooking for several Fridays in a row). Our girls participate in Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Vacation Bible Camp and the Youth Theater of Northern Baltimore County. It is no secret that we are big fans of Mary Miller and this ministry. I agree with a mother whose letter was published in the bulletin after the recent Godspell production that Mary and this ministry not only touch lives but SOULS. These children are our future. How can we not be grateful and support these programs?

Our oldest daughters, Colleen and Christa, are currently attending Our Lady of Grace School. They love it, and we have been equally thrilled with their daily religious affirmations, the great student-teacher ratio and cutting-edge technology in the classrooms, just to name a few things. Our two youngest, Jan and Juliana, can hardly wait to go. Just like the parish, there are wonderfully supportive families there and numerous volunteer opportunities. I have enjoyed volunteering in the lunchroom, on the playground and occasionally in their library and computer classes. I have taken an active role on the Marketing Committee and both Bill and I have attended the Open Houses to share our enthusiasm about our church and school.

Through all these examples, I hope we can see the true cycle of stewardship: We give in grateful response to God’s many blessings, and then the funny thing is, we often receive as much or more than we give. So we feel blessed even more by our giving, and the cycle goes on. Sometimes we can see the direct impact of our time, talent and treasure. Other times, we can never know how far-reaching our prayers, actions and generosity turn out to be.

I’ll turn it back to Bill now for a few final thoughts.

Bill: Unfortunately, I am not very handy at fixing things around the house. For that type of work, you need time, talent and tools and I’m 0 for 3. However, it’s not that way here. As I mentioned, there are 60 different ministries that you can get involved in, and I guarantee that at least some of the 60 need your particular abilities. We are all pressed for time, but you will find your volunteering experience to be worth it. For example, I’ve enjoyed all the people I have met on the Pastoral Council and feel good that we are helping to make a difference. I also had a blast watching all the children have so much fun when I volunteered at Field Day at Our Lady of Grace School. If you are generous in sharing your time, talent and treasure, you will not only help others, but it will make you happier too. The Prayer of St. Francis even reminds us that, “It is truly in giving that we receive.”

I waited until the end to talk about money, as it’s a turnoff for some people; however, we need money to keep our parish ministries going. Everything keeps getting more expensive. Utilities are projected to increase 22% this year. We want to not only continue to provide the current level of giving to the poor, but increase it. Thank you for your generosity in the past. Please think about it, pray about it and sleep on it and be as generous as you can be in giving to our church in the next year.

Weekly HOMILY for September 24, 2006: Our Step in Faith

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
September 24, 2006

Our Step in Faith
By Bill and Theresa Campbell



The following is the testimony of Bill and Theresa Campbell sharing their thoughts about Our Lady of Grace and inviting all at the Masses this weekend to participate in our Annual Offertory Renewal.

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato


Bill: Good evening (morning)!

I’m Bill Campbell and this is my wife Theresa and our daughters Colleen, Christa, Jan and Juliana. Fr. Nick has asked us to speak at each Mass this weekend about our commitment to stewardship. That’s good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that Theresa and I are not dynamic speakers like Fr. Nick. The good news is that our talk will be shorter than the typical homily.

Theresa and I feel blessed by our Catholic faith and traditions, and thus we want to give something back. We hope you all feel blessed too. We all live in a beautiful area and belong to a vibrant parish. We should take time to appreciate our many gifts and thank God for them. We can also show our gratitude by generously sharing our time, talent and treasure. This is precisely what stewardship means – being faithful in our generosity.

We want to thank you for all the great things that are accomplished here that wouldn’t be possible without the almost 700 volunteers and your monetary gifts to the church. There are 60 different ministries, and although we will mention only a few of them today, all are worthwhile! We have an extensive outreach program providing food and clothing to those less fortunate than ourselves. The Knights of Columbus provide wonderful parish brunches plus many valuable services in direct service to our youth as well as helping others in need with house repairs. We have a Teen Life program that includes an upbeat Sunday 5 pm Mass with social and spiritual activities afterwards. Although the program is fairly new, it has been well received by the teens and does seem to have an impact at helping the teens grow closer to Jesus.

You may have noticed I am wearing a red ribbon around my neck. This is not a fashion statement on my part, but rather it signifies that I am a member of the Pastoral Council. We wear these ribbons so that you may stop any of us after Mass with questions you have or feedback on anything, positive or negative. That way we can share your concerns at the next monthly Council meeting.

Now I will turn it over to Theresa.

Theresa: Good evening (morning)!

The parishioners and friends we’ve met know that our family has been here just over a year. As a tribute to the kindness and friendliness of the people of this parish, we immediately felt we were in a place we could call home. I remember the Sunday we came to check things out, and we sang “The Summons.” We sang it just a few weeks ago, and the lyrics still move me, “ Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?” Somehow, I can’t help but think that we receive gifts like these, life-changing moments like these, as blessings and signs from God for being faithful stewards. Well, we came, and guess what, we will never be the same. We love it here, and with all the hassles of moving, Bill and I have assured each other, God willing, that this is where we will stay and raise our children.

Speaking of the girls, we were holding our own when we had just two, but things really started slipping by the time the third and then the fourth daughters were born. Then we figured it out: we realized that we were good in the man-to-man defense but much weaker in a zone defense. At this stage of the game, most days I will tell you that I need a sub! In fact, last summer when we moved, I looked to the sidelines and Our Lady of Grace was there. We had just attended the new parishioner orientation where I remember vividly Father Nick with his chalk in hand promising that Our Lady of Grace is here to help us with any need and that he in turn hopes that all of us will take an active role in helping the Church. So here I was knee-deep in unpacked boxes, four little girls with no school routine, running all around reacting in their own way to the stress of the move, Bill who was workingy long hours as he was transitioning from his Virginia office, no family in the immediate vicinity – in other words, feeling very overwhelmed. It was then that Fr. Nick’s words rang in my ears. I picked up the telephone and almost literally cried, “HELP! I need a sub!” The kind voice put me through to Mike Bertling who was the Youth Ministry Coordinator at the time. He provided me with a list of several dependable teens who could babysit and give me some relief. As the saying goes, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with those sitters and the regaining of a bit of summertime sanity. This is just one example of the many ways we feel blessed to be part of Our Lady of Grace.

To give back, we have really tried to embrace parish life and participate in the ministries and events in which we’re able. I joined our choir, the Voices of Grace. Let me tell you, they say that to sing is to pray twice. Our director Beth and the other members make rehearsals and Masses so uplifting, that I can’t believe I’m getting double credit in the prayer bank. (I admit this is my plug for the choir. We just started back up for the season, so please come join us if you’re interested. We know how good you all sound from up here.)

I also make the zippy beef casseroles for Our Daily Bread and provide food for Grace Our Table hospitalities. Our entire family enjoyed the Lenten Family Fridays (which was my ploy to get out of cooking for several Fridays in a row). Our girls participate in Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Vacation Bible Camp and the Youth Theater of Northern Baltimore County. It is no secret that we are big fans of Mary Miller and this ministry. I agree with a mother whose letter was published in the bulletin after the recent Godspell production that Mary and this ministry not only touch lives but SOULS. These children are our future. How can we not be grateful and support these programs?

Our oldest daughters, Colleen and Christa, are currently attending Our Lady of Grace School. They love it, and we have been equally thrilled with their daily religious affirmations, the great student-teacher ratio and cutting-edge technology in the classrooms, just to name a few things. Our two youngest, Jan and Juliana, can hardly wait to go. Just like the parish, there are wonderfully supportive families there and numerous volunteer opportunities. I have enjoyed volunteering in the lunchroom, on the playground and occasionally in their library and computer classes. I have taken an active role on the Marketing Committee and both Bill and I have attended the Open Houses to share our enthusiasm about our church and school.

Through all these examples, I hope we can see the true cycle of stewardship: We give in grateful response to God’s many blessings, and then the funny thing is, we often receive as much or more than we give. So we feel blessed even more by our giving, and the cycle goes on. Sometimes we can see the direct impact of our time, talent and treasure. Other times, we can never know how far-reaching our prayers, actions and generosity turn out to be.

I’ll turn it back to Bill now for a few final thoughts.

Bill: Unfortunately, I am not very handy at fixing things around the house. For that type of work, you need time, talent and tools and I’m 0 for 3. However, it’s not that way here. As I mentioned, there are 60 different ministries that you can get involved in, and I guarantee that at least some of the 60 need your particular abilities. We are all pressed for time, but you will find your volunteering experience to be worth it. For example, I’ve enjoyed all the people I have met on the Pastoral Council and feel good that we are helping to make a difference. I also had a blast watching all the children have so much fun when I volunteered at Field Day at Our Lady of Grace School. If you are generous in sharing your time, talent and treasure, you will not only help others, but it will make you happier too. The Prayer of St. Francis even reminds us that, “It is truly in giving that we receive.”

I waited until the end to talk about money, as it’s a turnoff for some people; however, we need money to keep our parish ministries going. Everything keeps getting more expensive. Utilities are projected to increase 22% this year. We want to not only continue to provide the current level of giving to the poor, but increase it. Thank you for your generosity in the past. Please think about it, pray about it and sleep on it and be as generous as you can be in giving to our church in the next year.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Weekly MESSAGE for September 17, 2006: Back from Alaska

September 14, 2006

Dear Friends,

My week in Alaska with 40 of our parishioners was a wonderful experience. It was a time for prayer, reading, sightseeing, and great gatherings with friends, new and old.

The beauties of Alaska are legion. The train ride from Scagway, Alaska into British Columbia was a sight to behold. In a single vista you could see a glacier at mountaintops, with mountain goats grazing on the lower hills, and lush forests below that, all ending in the shoreline of river. And nowhere in sight was a person to be found apart from those of us in the 20 railroad cars feasting on the landscape.

The scenery notwithstanding, I’d have to say the most transforming thing I did the week away was read a book entitled: “Leadership and Self-Deception.” The quote of Steven Wheelwright, Professor and Associate Dean at the Harvard Business School sums it up for me, “Fascinating, thought provoking, and insightful! This book is a wake-up call to all those who think they’re good with people, and a must-read for those who know they need to be better. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.”

“Leadership and Self-Deception,” authored by the Arbinger Institute, shows how most personal and organizational problems are all the result of a little-known problem we all are involved in to some degree called “self-deception.” Through an entertaining and highly instructive story, the book shows what self-deception is, how you and I get trapped in it, and how it undermines our personal achievement and organizational performance. Perhaps most importantly, it offers you the surprising way to solve it. An amazing read!

An important lesson learned was that I could have stayed at home and still had the transforming experience. Ah, the wisdom that comes with years.

Best regards,
Father Nick Amato

Weekly THIS AND THAT FOR November 17, 2006

This and That:
Annual Offertory Renewal


Miracle or Natural Phenomena?

Picture this: the Sea of Galilee; the year 30. It is springtime, lots of green grass and a beautiful full moon. Jesus has just fed 5,000 folks at the side of the Lake and sent them home. The Apostles he has sent back via the Sea exhausted from the feeding, and he himself heads for the mountain for some prayer and rest. While the Apostles are on the Sea, a storm arises and the strong winds are driving the boat back against the northern coast of the Lake. Jesus, for his part, is coming down the mountain and sees the squall. As he nears the shoreline he hears them crying out for help and even sees them, arms flailing, with the help of the full moon.

What I find very interesting and what I want to serve as a focus for my remarks are two different translations of how the frightened Apostles experience Jesus. The first time they see him the Greek says they see him “on” the Sea. In the next sentence the Greek says they see him “by” the Sea. If he were walking “on” the sea, that would be miraculous. If he were walking “by” the sea, that would have been a natural phenomena. But either way what is important is that their experience of Jesus in the midst of their fears and alarm gives Peter the faith necessary to venture out into the storm. Oh yes, he falters a bit, but the hand of the Lord is always there to grasp and hold him firmly. Once back in the boat the storm ceases.


Annual Offertory Renewal

This past week we began our Annual Offertory Renewal with the letter you received from me. My purpose in speaking today is to break open this Word of God which is the theme of this year’s renewal – A Step in Faith. Our presence as a parish in this community has been a succession of steps in faith. From our founding in 1974, 32 years ago, to the fact that the only building older than 6 years is the church, and that was built in 1990, is a very dramatic story of growth in faith. Yes, apart from the church, the entire rest of the campus is new. That’s 48,335 square feet of new space created since the year 2000!

Miracle or Natural Phenomenon? Either way what is important is that our experience of Jesus in the midst of our struggles, fears, alarms, oppositions, and challenges to funding gave us the faith to venture out “into the deep,” so to speak. But the facilities are only a sign of the real growth in faith of this parish family of ours. Since 1995 our parish has doubled in size to almost 1,400 families and 4,861 men, women, and children. We have opened a Lower and Middle School; expanded our Religious Education Programs and our ministry to youth. Our service to those in need continues to grow with the passing of each year. Our programs and ministries now number 60; our volunteers are a tad over 600 in number filling almost 800 volunteer positions!

Miracle or Natural Phenomenon? Whichever it is, it’s Jesus’ hand reaching out to us and calling us to new adventures is what is really going on.


Invitation to Take a Step-in-Faith

Each September we focus on the support of our facilities, energizing worship and programs, and reaching out to those in need. As with any family, we continue to grow in size and take on new responsibilities. As your family does, we as a parish get hit with increases in the cost of fuel, electricity, and health care. Since 2000 we have increased our square footage (not including the church) 9 times over, from the old offices and hall to the new offices, education center, hall and two lower levels; in square footage, that from 5,000 to 48,335. However, our income to cover maintenance, salaries, and programs has only gone from $700,000 in the year ending June 30, 2001 to $877,582 projected for the current year. In addition to 9-fold growth in space, our other biggest areas of growth are in Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Evangelization, the Why Catholic? Program you have been hearing a great deal about and which is coming soon to your neighborhood this month, and the Sunday evening 5:00pm Mass. And we come asking in the “turmoil at sea” of our own finances and limited resources, “Will we meet our new budget?” Whether it be a miracle we need or a realization of the natural phenomenon of a growing parish, Jesus is with us through it all, calling us to step forward in faith.


Conclusion

Next week every household will be receiving a letter of invitation from me personally to take that Step in Faith. Please be thoughtful in your reading of it, prayerful in your consideration, and generous in your response.

Weekly HOMILY for November 17, 2006: A Step in Faith

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Annual Offertory Renewal Homily Based on Matthew 14:22-36
Our Lady of Grace
September 17, 2006

Taking a Step-In-Faith
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


Miracle or Natural Phenomena?

Picture this: the Sea of Galilee; the year 30. It is springtime, lots of green grass and a beautiful full moon.

Jesus has just fed 5,000 folks at the side of the Lake and sent them home. The Apostles he has sent back via the Sea exhausted from the feeding, and he himself heads for the mountain for some prayer and rest.

While the Apostles are on the Sea, a storm arises and the strong winds are driving the boat back against the northern coast of the Lake. Jesus, for his part, is coming down the mountain and sees the squall.

As he nears the shoreline he hears them crying out for help and even sees them with the help of the full moon.

What I find very interesting and what I want to serve as a focus for my remarks are two different translations of how the frightened Apostles experience Jesus. The first time they see him the Greek says they see him “on” the Sea. In the next sentence the Greek says they see him “by” the Sea.

If he were walking “on” the sea, that would be miraculous. If he were walking “by” the sea, that would have been a natural phenomena.

But either way what is important is that their experience of Jesus in the midst of their fears and alarm gives Peter the faith necessary to venture out into the storm.

Oh yes, he falters a bit, but the hand of the Lord is always there to grasp and hold him firmly. Once back in the boat the storm ceases.


Annual Offertory Renewal

This past week we began our Annual Offertory Renewal with the letter you received from me. My purpose in speaking today is to break open this Word of God which is the theme of this year’s renewal – A Step in Faith.

Our presence as a parish in this community has been a succession of steps in faith.

From our founding in 1974, 32 years ago, to the fact that the only building older than 6 years is the church, and that was built in 1990, is a very dramatic story of growth in faith.

Yes, apart from the church, the entire rest of the campus is new. That’s 48,335 square feet created since the year 2000.

Miracle or Natural Phenomenon?

Either way what is important is that our experience of Jesus in the midst of our struggles, fears, alarms, oppositions, and challenges to funding gave us the faith to venture out “into the deep,” so to speak.

But the facilities are only a sign of the real growth in faith of this parish family of ours.

Since 1995 our parish has doubled in size to 1,400 families and 4,861 men, women, and children.

We have opened a Catholic Lower and Middle School; expanded our Religious Education Programs and our ministry to youth. Our service to those in needs continues to grow with the passing of each year.

Our programs and ministries now number 60; our volunteers are a tad over 600 in number, filling almost 800 volunteer positions!

Miracle or Natural Phenomenon?

Whichever it is, it’s Jesus’ hand reaching out to us and calling us to new adventures is what is really going on.


Invitation to Take a Step-in-Faith

Each September we focus on the support of our facilities, energizing worship and programs, and reaching out to those in need.

As with any family, we continue to grow in size and take on new responsibilities. As your family does, we as a parish also get hit with increases in the cost of fuel, electricity, and health care.

Since 2000 we have increased our square footage (not including the church) 9 times over, from the old offices and hall to the new offices, education center, hall and two lower levels.

If you do better with square footage, that is going from 5,000 to 48,335.

However, our income to cover maintenance, salaries, and programs has only gone from $700,000 in the year ending June 30, 2001 to $877,582 projected for the current year.

In addition to the 9-fold growth in space, our other biggest areas of growth are in Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Evangelization, and the Why Catholic? Program you have been hearing a great deal about and which is coming soon to your neighborhood next month, and the Sunday evening youth and family Mass.

And we come asking in the “turmoil at sea” of our own finances and limited resources, “Will we meet our new budget?”

Whether it be a miracle we need or a realization of the natural phenomenon of generous parishioners supporting a growing parish, Jesus is with us through it all, calling us to step forward in faith.


Conclusion

Next week every household will be receiving a letter of invitation from me personally to take that Step in Faith.

Please be thoughtful in your reading of it, prayerful in your consideration, and generous in your response.