Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
April 9, 2009
The Exoduses in Our Lives
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Last Evening’s Passover
Last evening at sundown our Jewish friends and neighbors began their celebration of Passover.
This evening at sundown we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Jesus’ Washing of the Feet of his disciples.
All three events – the Passover, the Last Supper, and the Washing of Feet have a similar meaning, that of passing over from slavery and death to new life and promise.
All three can be seen as an Exodus.
Jews’ Exodus
“Exodus” and our English word “Exit” have the same Greek root, meaning to go or leave. The Exodus thus was the departure or leaving of the Jewish People from Egypt.
Each of our three readings calls us to observe and apply three different, though connected, exoduses that we as followers of Jesus claim as central to our faith.
The first of the three exoduses took place 1,300 before the birth of Jesus.
The Jews under the leadership of Moses are lead out of slavery across the Red Sea into the Sinai Desert and eventually to the Promised Land.
Scripture tells us that the Lord God told his People to remember and observe what he had done for them there, by celebrating a special meal each year. This meal was called the Passover because it recalls the passing over of God’s Chosen People from slavery to freedom.
We hear this meal described in tonight’s first reading from the Book of Exodus.
The Passover Meal that began last evening brings Jews together and fuses their past and their present. The kind of food they eat and the way they eat it makes present again, the saving event of the original Exodus.
At the same time, it expresses their faith that God will continue to save them from evil in the present. In other words, the meal deepens their trust that God will perform other exodus events for them on their journey of faith.
Jesus’ Exodus
That takes us to the second exodus event that is before us this evening – this one occurs around the year 30 of the Common Era. We hear about it in the section of tonight’s second reading from St. Paul.
Jesus is celebrating that same Jewish Passover Meal with his Apostles that we just heard about. In doing this, he recalls that first Exodus, but notice, he adds something new.
(1) Jesus makes the bread and wine that they are having at the meal into a whole new reality. He consecrates it as his own body and blood that is to be sacrificed for us.
(2) And then, he also tells his Apostles to celebrate this meal in memory of his departure, his going out of, his exodus from this world.
Once again, as with the Passover Meal of the Old Testament, the Last Supper fuses the past with the present. It recalls Jesus’ exodus from this world through crucifixion and death to his resurrection.
This meal gives us in this present moment a communion with him and communicates to us the very life of God.
Our Exodus
Which brings us to the third exodus that is taking place in our hearing this very evening. This exodus is based on the section of tonight’s reading from the Gospel of John.
We are told that Jesus washes the feet of the Apostles at the Last Supper and after doing so, he tells them, “As I have done, so you must do.”
Jesus’ actions and words define what our exodus is for us today. We are being called to a departure, from our slavery to the sin of the past to a new freedom of love and service of others.
As did the Jewish Passover and the Last Supper, this action also fuses the past bondage with the present liberation. We recall Jesus’ words and we move forward from them.
For example:
➢ “As I have washed your feet like a slave, so you must wash the feet of each other and serve one another.” And so I let my feet be washed and I wash another’s.
➢ “As I have loved you without limit or condition, so you must love one another without limit or condition.” And so I resolve today to see my enemy or a former friend with a new perspective.
➢ “As I am about to suffer and die for you, so you must suffer and, if necessary, die for one another.” And so I resolve to sacrifice time and effort for the good of others and not always seek first what is best for me.
Such actions are exodus experiences that engage us personally today.
Conclusion
Yes, the Jewish People know well how to celebrate their liberation from slavery.
And tonight, we are able to depart from our own selfishness and sin and live again that exodus in the Eucharist and the washing of one another’s feet.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Weekly HOMILY for April 5, 2009: PASSION/PALM SUNDAY The Crucifixion Continues and You Are There
Passion (Palm) Sunday, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
April 5, 2009
The Crucifixion Continues and You Are There
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Crucifiers
Various people and various human tendencies were responsible for crucifying Jesus.
The Governor – Pilate – knows that the person dragged before him is innocent, but justice was not his primary concern.
Keeping things under control for his Roman bosses, so as to hold on to his comfortable position, this is what matters most to Pilate. And so, Jesus is crucified on the cross of Pilate’s self-interest.
Next, the High Priest is a sincerely religious man. He sees it as his duty to protect his faith from this anarchist who questions the ritual and certain teachings.
This high priest and his Sanhedrin are like some others throughout history who have so exalted the truth of a creed that they have missed the truth of humanity and of compassion. And so, Jesus is crucified on the cross of the high priest’s self-righteousness.
Then there’s Judas who expects this Messiah to restore economic and political power to Israel, yet, Jesus keeps talking about a kingdom of justice and peace, a kingdom built on selflessness and humility and service.
Judas cannot take this any longer and decides to cut his losses, cash in, and move on. And so, Jesus is crucified on the cross of Judas’ distorted ambition.
And finally, there are the onlookers who watch Jesus stumble through the streets, with the crossbeam strapped to his shoulders. He is in great pain.
And they just watch and do or say nothing. So Jesus is crucified on the cross of the people’s indifference.
Crucifiers Today
On this Passion Sunday, we are confronted once again with the death of Jesus on the cross.
We see those involved in that crucifixion 2000 years ago – Pilate, the High Priest, Judas, and the onlookers. In truth, Jesus is crucified not because of any single madman or evil movement.
He is crucified because of ordinary, everyday vices – self-interest, self-righteousness, distorted ambition, and indifference.
The all-important question is: “Do not these same vices, in us, continue to crucify Jesus today?”
Is Jesus not crucified today by:
➢ Our acting for our own self-interest alone and not looking out for the common good of all?
➢ Is he not crucified today by our sense of self-righteousness which demonizes and destroys persons instead of aiming at evil behavior?
➢ Is Jesus not crucified today by our distorted ambition – witness the current financial crisis – where fairness and honesty are forgotten?
➢ And is he not crucified today by our indifference where we do not tend to the needs of a relative who is emotionally troubled or the forgotten and hurting in our society?
As we reflect on Jesus’ passion this week we call Holy Week, may we realize the crucifixions we are party to, at times without even knowing it.
And may the crucified Christ grant us the grace to transform these crucifixions into experiences of Resurrection.
To do that we must have a change of heart in our heart become the humble, selfless, and compassionate heart of Jesus.
Our Lady of Grace
April 5, 2009
The Crucifixion Continues and You Are There
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Crucifiers
Various people and various human tendencies were responsible for crucifying Jesus.
The Governor – Pilate – knows that the person dragged before him is innocent, but justice was not his primary concern.
Keeping things under control for his Roman bosses, so as to hold on to his comfortable position, this is what matters most to Pilate. And so, Jesus is crucified on the cross of Pilate’s self-interest.
Next, the High Priest is a sincerely religious man. He sees it as his duty to protect his faith from this anarchist who questions the ritual and certain teachings.
This high priest and his Sanhedrin are like some others throughout history who have so exalted the truth of a creed that they have missed the truth of humanity and of compassion. And so, Jesus is crucified on the cross of the high priest’s self-righteousness.
Then there’s Judas who expects this Messiah to restore economic and political power to Israel, yet, Jesus keeps talking about a kingdom of justice and peace, a kingdom built on selflessness and humility and service.
Judas cannot take this any longer and decides to cut his losses, cash in, and move on. And so, Jesus is crucified on the cross of Judas’ distorted ambition.
And finally, there are the onlookers who watch Jesus stumble through the streets, with the crossbeam strapped to his shoulders. He is in great pain.
And they just watch and do or say nothing. So Jesus is crucified on the cross of the people’s indifference.
Crucifiers Today
On this Passion Sunday, we are confronted once again with the death of Jesus on the cross.
We see those involved in that crucifixion 2000 years ago – Pilate, the High Priest, Judas, and the onlookers. In truth, Jesus is crucified not because of any single madman or evil movement.
He is crucified because of ordinary, everyday vices – self-interest, self-righteousness, distorted ambition, and indifference.
The all-important question is: “Do not these same vices, in us, continue to crucify Jesus today?”
Is Jesus not crucified today by:
➢ Our acting for our own self-interest alone and not looking out for the common good of all?
➢ Is he not crucified today by our sense of self-righteousness which demonizes and destroys persons instead of aiming at evil behavior?
➢ Is Jesus not crucified today by our distorted ambition – witness the current financial crisis – where fairness and honesty are forgotten?
➢ And is he not crucified today by our indifference where we do not tend to the needs of a relative who is emotionally troubled or the forgotten and hurting in our society?
As we reflect on Jesus’ passion this week we call Holy Week, may we realize the crucifixions we are party to, at times without even knowing it.
And may the crucified Christ grant us the grace to transform these crucifixions into experiences of Resurrection.
To do that we must have a change of heart in our heart become the humble, selfless, and compassionate heart of Jesus.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for March 29, 2009: Learning to Pray Without Ceasing
This and That:
Learning to Pray Without Ceasing
On March 20, we had our 5th Lenten Family Friday in our series entitled “In the Footsteps of Saint Paul.” This session focused on Paul’s understanding of Learning to Pray Without Ceasing.
What is Prayer?
We began with a consideration of prayer as a relationship with Someone. In relationships, we speak or we are simply present. To Whom am I speaking in prayer – Father, Mother, Creator, Savior, Spirit, Lord, Friend, Teacher, Healer…?
To Whom am I present?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
In the Catechism, a relationship of prayer is described as:
➢ Gift: begins with God reaching out to human beings
➢ Covenant: entering into communion with the One who brought us into being
➢ Communion: Divine interaction with God in which the two become one.
Paul’s Teaching on Prayer
From Paul’s teaching, we learn six important points about prayer:
1. Prayer includes petition for self and others – We believe that God cares about our needs and desires. Jesus instructed us to “Ask and you shall receive”. Paul’s most frequent use of prayer language is supplication for others. Following Paul’s example, we ask God’s blessing and care for others as an act of faith.
2. Prayer is meditation (mental activity) – Prayer that begins with thinking, reflecting or imagining is the normal, everyday prayer of most believers. Prayer is not always a mystical or an emotional experience. Paul taught the Corinthians “I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also…” 1 Cor 14: 13-15. Mental prayer, called meditation, disposes us to receive the gift of God’s presence.
3. Prayer includes Thanksgiving – Ultimately, prayer is always an act of gratitude to God. Saint Paul teaches us to give thanks even in the midst of suffering: “Even if I am being poured out as a libation…I am glad and rejoice with all of you…” Phil 2: 17-18. Filling our prayer with gratitude leads to joy, which is the attitude of a believer.
4. Prayer is mystical activity – Prayer carries us beyond the tangible to the realm of the spirit. “I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows…” 2 Cor 12: 2-4 This mystical experience is the GIFT of God’s grace.
5. Prayer is not always easy – If prayer was easy, more people would be praying more often. Saint Paul acknowledges the difficulty when he says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” Rom 8:26. God gives us the GIFT of prayer – to turn or hearts to our Creator.
6. Prayer is how Christians live their daily life – For those who are in a relationship with God through Christ, prayer is neither optional nor occasional activity. Prayer is never far from our mind, lips or hearts. For Paul it’s, “Praying without ceasing” 1 Thes 5: 16-18.
Contexts for Prayer
There are two contexts for prayer – personal prayer and liturgical prayer. Personal prayer may include thanksgiving, petition, reflection on Scripture, meditation or contemplation. Some examples of Liturgical Prayer are Eucharist (Mass), Liturgy of the Hours, Penance Services, Anointing of the Sick or other Sacraments.
Reflection on Our Prayer
Reflect upon which of the four types of prayer you find easy or difficult: petition, meditation, thanksgiving or mystical prayer. Then reflect upon how you experience liturgical prayer, e.g. Mass? What matters most about prayer is our faithfulness to some regular time alone with God to keep the relationship alive and growing. Why not try praying in a way that is different than your usual practice and be open to where the Lord takes you?
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Learning to Pray Without Ceasing
On March 20, we had our 5th Lenten Family Friday in our series entitled “In the Footsteps of Saint Paul.” This session focused on Paul’s understanding of Learning to Pray Without Ceasing.
What is Prayer?
We began with a consideration of prayer as a relationship with Someone. In relationships, we speak or we are simply present. To Whom am I speaking in prayer – Father, Mother, Creator, Savior, Spirit, Lord, Friend, Teacher, Healer…?
To Whom am I present?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
In the Catechism, a relationship of prayer is described as:
➢ Gift: begins with God reaching out to human beings
➢ Covenant: entering into communion with the One who brought us into being
➢ Communion: Divine interaction with God in which the two become one.
Paul’s Teaching on Prayer
From Paul’s teaching, we learn six important points about prayer:
1. Prayer includes petition for self and others – We believe that God cares about our needs and desires. Jesus instructed us to “Ask and you shall receive”. Paul’s most frequent use of prayer language is supplication for others. Following Paul’s example, we ask God’s blessing and care for others as an act of faith.
2. Prayer is meditation (mental activity) – Prayer that begins with thinking, reflecting or imagining is the normal, everyday prayer of most believers. Prayer is not always a mystical or an emotional experience. Paul taught the Corinthians “I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also…” 1 Cor 14: 13-15. Mental prayer, called meditation, disposes us to receive the gift of God’s presence.
3. Prayer includes Thanksgiving – Ultimately, prayer is always an act of gratitude to God. Saint Paul teaches us to give thanks even in the midst of suffering: “Even if I am being poured out as a libation…I am glad and rejoice with all of you…” Phil 2: 17-18. Filling our prayer with gratitude leads to joy, which is the attitude of a believer.
4. Prayer is mystical activity – Prayer carries us beyond the tangible to the realm of the spirit. “I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows…” 2 Cor 12: 2-4 This mystical experience is the GIFT of God’s grace.
5. Prayer is not always easy – If prayer was easy, more people would be praying more often. Saint Paul acknowledges the difficulty when he says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” Rom 8:26. God gives us the GIFT of prayer – to turn or hearts to our Creator.
6. Prayer is how Christians live their daily life – For those who are in a relationship with God through Christ, prayer is neither optional nor occasional activity. Prayer is never far from our mind, lips or hearts. For Paul it’s, “Praying without ceasing” 1 Thes 5: 16-18.
Contexts for Prayer
There are two contexts for prayer – personal prayer and liturgical prayer. Personal prayer may include thanksgiving, petition, reflection on Scripture, meditation or contemplation. Some examples of Liturgical Prayer are Eucharist (Mass), Liturgy of the Hours, Penance Services, Anointing of the Sick or other Sacraments.
Reflection on Our Prayer
Reflect upon which of the four types of prayer you find easy or difficult: petition, meditation, thanksgiving or mystical prayer. Then reflect upon how you experience liturgical prayer, e.g. Mass? What matters most about prayer is our faithfulness to some regular time alone with God to keep the relationship alive and growing. Why not try praying in a way that is different than your usual practice and be open to where the Lord takes you?
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Weekly HOMILY for March 29, 2009: "Last Chance Harry"
5th Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
St. Charles Borromeo, Sicklersville, New Jersey
March 29, 2009
“Last Chance Harvey”
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Harvey and Kate
A wonderful movie that got little attention this winter was “Last Chance Harvey.” Dustin Hoffman is Harvey, a failed jazz pianist struggling to hold onto his job.
He has spent his life running very fast, but not getting very far. His career was always first; his family second. He’s in London for his daughter’s wedding and it’s an awkward as he pays the price for being an estranged father.
Emma Thompson’s Kate is a clerk for the British Office of National Statistics. Her life is her work and caring for her elderly mother. She, too, harbors a dying dream: to be a writer.
A bad experience on a blind date leaves Kate devastated. In a poignant scene, Kate, seeking refuge in the restaurant bathroom, realizes that life has passed her by.
Their Encounter
Harvey and Kate meet at London’s Heathrow Airport as the only two patrons in the airport pub. They are both miserable, but in their misery they make an awkward connection that soon becomes a friendship.
They offer one another the understanding and kindness that they both desperately need.
Kate provides moral support to Harvey to get through his daughter’s wedding. With Kate’s help, father and daughter reconcile – and the moment awakens in Kate a new sense of purposefulness.
Harvey and Kate realize that there is always another chance; it’s never too late to turn one’s life around.
What it will take is: (1) A willingness to take a leap of faith into the unknown and (2) Having someone who is willing to leap with you.
(1) How Jesus Does It
Jesus is not only the one who will show us (1) How he does it, but he will also (2) Be with us through the entire experience each time we go through it.
(1) To show us how, in today’s Gospel he uses the image of a grain of wheat: the grain “lets go of itself” so to speak and goes into the dark earth. It must give up something of itself to then be transformed into something more glorious, more beautiful.
The dying of the grain is the leap of faith or the risk we must take into the unknown abyss. What we know of the seed’s “rising” out of that dying then, becomes the hope that we too, like the seed, will be changed.
Our Own Harvey/Kate Moments
What are our “Harvey and Kate” moments of risk, moments of jumping into the darkness, the moments and occasions where we need to let go, if we are to experience a resurrection?
Suppose your marriage is falling apart and you can’t seem to work out the problems yourselves and you or your spouse is resisting going to someone for help. Here dying to yourself will mean dying to your pride to have someone assist you with the problem.
Or suppose some friends tell us we are developing a drinking problem, but we keep denying it in spite of mounting evidence? Here dying to myself will mean submitting myself to the judgment of a professional and then following the advice that is given.
Or suppose a neighbor, relative, or friend has hurt me in some way and we find myself holding a grudge against him. Here dying to self will mean letting go of the need to win, be right, or in control.
(2) He’ll Be with Us
That’s how the grain, that’s how Jesus, that’s how we are to die each day, but remember I said that Jesus is not only (1) The one who will show us how, but he will also (2) Be with us through the entire experience, thus taking the sting out of it.
If we’re to have that assuring presence, we need to ask, “What’s the quality of my relationship with the Lord?” “Am I united with him in prayer?” “Do I sing and celebrate that presence at Mass?” “Do I become one with the flesh and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist I consume?”
From our own experience, we know that relationships are a two-way street, if they are to be real.
Fidelity to daily prayer and mediation, participation in weekly Eucharist are absolutely necessary.
Conclusion
My friends, you don’t want to be in the situation of dying to self alone. It’s an impossible task.
With Jesus presence in my life the promise of a harvest of Gospel wheat is secure.
St. Charles Borromeo, Sicklersville, New Jersey
March 29, 2009
“Last Chance Harvey”
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Harvey and Kate
A wonderful movie that got little attention this winter was “Last Chance Harvey.” Dustin Hoffman is Harvey, a failed jazz pianist struggling to hold onto his job.
He has spent his life running very fast, but not getting very far. His career was always first; his family second. He’s in London for his daughter’s wedding and it’s an awkward as he pays the price for being an estranged father.
Emma Thompson’s Kate is a clerk for the British Office of National Statistics. Her life is her work and caring for her elderly mother. She, too, harbors a dying dream: to be a writer.
A bad experience on a blind date leaves Kate devastated. In a poignant scene, Kate, seeking refuge in the restaurant bathroom, realizes that life has passed her by.
Their Encounter
Harvey and Kate meet at London’s Heathrow Airport as the only two patrons in the airport pub. They are both miserable, but in their misery they make an awkward connection that soon becomes a friendship.
They offer one another the understanding and kindness that they both desperately need.
Kate provides moral support to Harvey to get through his daughter’s wedding. With Kate’s help, father and daughter reconcile – and the moment awakens in Kate a new sense of purposefulness.
Harvey and Kate realize that there is always another chance; it’s never too late to turn one’s life around.
What it will take is: (1) A willingness to take a leap of faith into the unknown and (2) Having someone who is willing to leap with you.
(1) How Jesus Does It
Jesus is not only the one who will show us (1) How he does it, but he will also (2) Be with us through the entire experience each time we go through it.
(1) To show us how, in today’s Gospel he uses the image of a grain of wheat: the grain “lets go of itself” so to speak and goes into the dark earth. It must give up something of itself to then be transformed into something more glorious, more beautiful.
The dying of the grain is the leap of faith or the risk we must take into the unknown abyss. What we know of the seed’s “rising” out of that dying then, becomes the hope that we too, like the seed, will be changed.
Our Own Harvey/Kate Moments
What are our “Harvey and Kate” moments of risk, moments of jumping into the darkness, the moments and occasions where we need to let go, if we are to experience a resurrection?
Suppose your marriage is falling apart and you can’t seem to work out the problems yourselves and you or your spouse is resisting going to someone for help. Here dying to yourself will mean dying to your pride to have someone assist you with the problem.
Or suppose some friends tell us we are developing a drinking problem, but we keep denying it in spite of mounting evidence? Here dying to myself will mean submitting myself to the judgment of a professional and then following the advice that is given.
Or suppose a neighbor, relative, or friend has hurt me in some way and we find myself holding a grudge against him. Here dying to self will mean letting go of the need to win, be right, or in control.
(2) He’ll Be with Us
That’s how the grain, that’s how Jesus, that’s how we are to die each day, but remember I said that Jesus is not only (1) The one who will show us how, but he will also (2) Be with us through the entire experience, thus taking the sting out of it.
If we’re to have that assuring presence, we need to ask, “What’s the quality of my relationship with the Lord?” “Am I united with him in prayer?” “Do I sing and celebrate that presence at Mass?” “Do I become one with the flesh and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist I consume?”
From our own experience, we know that relationships are a two-way street, if they are to be real.
Fidelity to daily prayer and mediation, participation in weekly Eucharist are absolutely necessary.
Conclusion
My friends, you don’t want to be in the situation of dying to self alone. It’s an impossible task.
With Jesus presence in my life the promise of a harvest of Gospel wheat is secure.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for March 22, 2009: Living in the Holy Spirit -- Week 4
This and That:
Living in the Holy Spirit – Week 4
Over four weeks ago we started our journey of conversion with St. Paul. In the first week we reflected on the personal quality of Paul’s conversion. His encounter with Christ transformed his life. He looked on his former life without Christ as, “rubbish” when compared to his new life with Christ. By God’s grace, Paul becomes a new creation, “everything has become new!” While our conversion might not seem as dramatic or quick as Paul’s we need to remember that God is always working in our lives. God continues to give us the grace that will transform our lives.
In the second week we learned about the “covenantal” dimension of Paul’s spirituality. In our Baptism we receive God’s sanctifying grace. This grace brings us into a new relationship with God and one another. In a sense we can call being saved and justified effort – less. “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Paul reminds us we do not need to save and justify ourselves before God will accept us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is a gift from God.”
In the third week we discovered the “cruciform” dimension to Paul’s spirituality. For Paul the cross and Christ are inseparable. Paul calls Christ crucified, “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Similar to Paul, the crosses in our lives help us grow in our faith. With grace we can allow our disappointments, illnesses and setbacks to work together to draw us closer to God.
Last week we encountered the “Spirit” dimension of Paul’s spirituality. In Paul’s time people maintained a lively sense of spirits that were working in their world. For instance spirits could be responsible for illnesses both physical and mental. For Paul the Spirit was not just any old spirit. Instead the Spirit that Paul writes about comes from God. Today we call this Spirit the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. We use a variety of signs and symbols to represent the Spirit; the waters of Baptism, the tongues of fire at Pentecost, the dove descending on Jesus and the breath of God. Sometimes we can get lost in these symbols and think that the Spirit is not a person. Paul’s insights into the Spirit will help us get past any of these misunderstandings.
Given to us at our Baptism and renewed in us at our Confirmation, the Spirit gives us the divine force, the spiritual engine, we need to live our new life in Christ, our life in the Spirit. Not some external or distant force, for Paul the Spirit is part of our very being. “Poured into our hearts” the Spirit guides us, walks with us, empowers us and enlightens us. We can clearly recognize the Spirit’s work in us during our retreat. As we grow in our love of God and one another, develop a deeper understanding of Paul’s and our own conversion and gain new insights into Scripture, we know that it is the Spirit working in our lives that is accomplishing this good work in us.
In first Corinthians Chapter twelve, Paul offers a “variety of gifts” given through the Spirit. Paul’s list of gifts (charisma) includes; words of knowledge, words of wisdom, works of healing and miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits and tongues. We might see some of these gifts operating when watching on TV or attending prayer services. In some cases the person exercising the gift may draw all our attention and we can lose sight of the Giver of these gifts. Or we may think that Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s gifts are only for a select few. However Paul reminds us that all the charisma are for the “common good” and “building up of the body.” Every sacrament is a moment to experience the gifts of the Spirit working in our lives. In the Eucharist we call upon the Spirit to transform our simple gifts of bread and wine into the eternal gift of Christ’s real presence. Now it is hard to get more charismatic than that! These Spirit gifts are also part of our everyday life. Romans, Paul tells us that the Spirit comes to our aid during our prayer. We all experience situations that seem to overwhelm us to the point where we do not know how to pray. Yet in these moments the Spirit comes to our aid and “intercedes with inexpressible groaning.”
Lastly Paul calls us to allow the Spirit’s work in our lives to manifest itself in a very real and tangible way. Paul calls this expression of the Spirit in our lives, the fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” As we read this list we cannot help but say to ourselves, “Yes, I would like more of each one of these in my life.” As we live guided by the Spirit and trusting in God, this fruit becomes part of our lives and a natural expression of the ongoing work of the Spirit. May we all keep our eyes open and hearts ready for the Spirit as the Holy Comforter and Divine Counselor draws us closer to God and to one another.
Deacon Lee Benson
Living in the Holy Spirit – Week 4
Over four weeks ago we started our journey of conversion with St. Paul. In the first week we reflected on the personal quality of Paul’s conversion. His encounter with Christ transformed his life. He looked on his former life without Christ as, “rubbish” when compared to his new life with Christ. By God’s grace, Paul becomes a new creation, “everything has become new!” While our conversion might not seem as dramatic or quick as Paul’s we need to remember that God is always working in our lives. God continues to give us the grace that will transform our lives.
In the second week we learned about the “covenantal” dimension of Paul’s spirituality. In our Baptism we receive God’s sanctifying grace. This grace brings us into a new relationship with God and one another. In a sense we can call being saved and justified effort – less. “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Paul reminds us we do not need to save and justify ourselves before God will accept us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is a gift from God.”
In the third week we discovered the “cruciform” dimension to Paul’s spirituality. For Paul the cross and Christ are inseparable. Paul calls Christ crucified, “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Similar to Paul, the crosses in our lives help us grow in our faith. With grace we can allow our disappointments, illnesses and setbacks to work together to draw us closer to God.
Last week we encountered the “Spirit” dimension of Paul’s spirituality. In Paul’s time people maintained a lively sense of spirits that were working in their world. For instance spirits could be responsible for illnesses both physical and mental. For Paul the Spirit was not just any old spirit. Instead the Spirit that Paul writes about comes from God. Today we call this Spirit the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. We use a variety of signs and symbols to represent the Spirit; the waters of Baptism, the tongues of fire at Pentecost, the dove descending on Jesus and the breath of God. Sometimes we can get lost in these symbols and think that the Spirit is not a person. Paul’s insights into the Spirit will help us get past any of these misunderstandings.
Given to us at our Baptism and renewed in us at our Confirmation, the Spirit gives us the divine force, the spiritual engine, we need to live our new life in Christ, our life in the Spirit. Not some external or distant force, for Paul the Spirit is part of our very being. “Poured into our hearts” the Spirit guides us, walks with us, empowers us and enlightens us. We can clearly recognize the Spirit’s work in us during our retreat. As we grow in our love of God and one another, develop a deeper understanding of Paul’s and our own conversion and gain new insights into Scripture, we know that it is the Spirit working in our lives that is accomplishing this good work in us.
In first Corinthians Chapter twelve, Paul offers a “variety of gifts” given through the Spirit. Paul’s list of gifts (charisma) includes; words of knowledge, words of wisdom, works of healing and miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits and tongues. We might see some of these gifts operating when watching on TV or attending prayer services. In some cases the person exercising the gift may draw all our attention and we can lose sight of the Giver of these gifts. Or we may think that Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s gifts are only for a select few. However Paul reminds us that all the charisma are for the “common good” and “building up of the body.” Every sacrament is a moment to experience the gifts of the Spirit working in our lives. In the Eucharist we call upon the Spirit to transform our simple gifts of bread and wine into the eternal gift of Christ’s real presence. Now it is hard to get more charismatic than that! These Spirit gifts are also part of our everyday life. Romans, Paul tells us that the Spirit comes to our aid during our prayer. We all experience situations that seem to overwhelm us to the point where we do not know how to pray. Yet in these moments the Spirit comes to our aid and “intercedes with inexpressible groaning.”
Lastly Paul calls us to allow the Spirit’s work in our lives to manifest itself in a very real and tangible way. Paul calls this expression of the Spirit in our lives, the fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” As we read this list we cannot help but say to ourselves, “Yes, I would like more of each one of these in my life.” As we live guided by the Spirit and trusting in God, this fruit becomes part of our lives and a natural expression of the ongoing work of the Spirit. May we all keep our eyes open and hearts ready for the Spirit as the Holy Comforter and Divine Counselor draws us closer to God and to one another.
Deacon Lee Benson
Weekly HOMILY for March 22, 2009: The Sacrament: Confession or Reconciliation?
4th Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
March 22, 2009
The Sacrament: Confession or Reconciliation?
Toot ’n Tell
One day an older pastor was speaking with his young associate.
He said, “I know you were trying to reach out to the young people when you replaced the first four pews in the church with recliners. It worked and now the front of the church fills up first.”
The young priest nodded and the older priest continued. “Then, you brought that rock group in for our music and a lot of people liked that too.”
The young priest said, “Okay, so what do you seem bothered about?” The older pastor responded, “Well, I’m afraid you’ve gone too far with that drive-thru confessional.”
The young associate protested, “But my confessions have doubled since I began that.” The pastor replied, “I know, but the flashing neon sign announcing `Toot ’n Tell or Go to Hell’ has got to go.”
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Today I want to reflect with you on the Sacrament that the “Toot ’n Tell” sign was all about.
In my lifetime, our understanding and practice of this Sacrament has changed quite a bit. This afternoon I want to compare this Sacrament as it was in the past with how it is today.
I have developed an outline for this and it is on the screens in front of our Worship Space. I ask you to pass these down so that everyone has a copy.
The Sacrament Itself
To begin, in the past, we referred to this Sacrament as Confession or the Sacrament of Penance. In effect, we were naming it by one of its parts – confessing our sins to a priest or receiving penance for our sins.
Today we call this the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The idea is that we now name the Sacrament by its core purpose – being reconciled or at peace with God, with each other, and even within ourselves.
Then, in the past, we referred to the place of the Sacrament as a Confessional. Today, we call it the Reconciliation Room – the place where Reconciliation is experienced and celebrated.
In the past, we would kneel on the other side of a screen from the priest and remain anonymous. Today, we can either kneel and remain anonymous, or sit and face the priest and this makes the experience more of a conversation and shared prayer.
The Sacrament: Our Experience
In the past, this Sacrament seemed rather cold and impersonal. Today, it is much warmer and interpersonal.
In the past, our primary feelings were anxiety, guilt, maybe embarrassment, and relief when it was over. Today our feelings can be responsibility, some appropriate guilt, and a sense of dignity and self-worth.
In the past, the experience was often negative – focusing only on the bad things. Today it is more positive, as we converse more on the context of my life in general and on my growing edges, on growing spiritually with the Lord.
In the past, we would almost always get a rote penance – like saying three Our Fathers. Today, the penance is much more appropriate to us as persons – like making some quality time just to be with your spouse.
In the past, the emphasis was a judging God and we often felt judged by the priest. Today, what comes across is a loving God who accepts us, loves us, and is with us on the journey.
The Sacrament: How Often
Finally, in the past we went to confession often. My parents trained me to go every two or three weeks – and I know, some of you are probably thinking that I needed it!
Today, we celebrate Reconciliation when it seems appropriate. This can be different for each one of us, and I see four times when Reconciliation can be appropriate.
First, Seasonally: It is wonderful to come to Reconciliation during the seasons of Advent or Lent.
Right now during Lent, this is a way of dying to self so as to live more fully for the Lord. It prepares us for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter.
Second, for Significant Events: The Sacrament can be very appropriate before your wedding or the baptism of your baby or the funeral of a loved one.
These are significant personal or family events. They have a way of leading us closer to God and Reconciliation can be very helpful for this.
Third, Significant Moments: In all of our lives, there are moments of conversion.
Sometimes, these happen when we realize that we have been very lax and maybe responsible for some serious sin. Sometimes it is a moment when we think more deeply about life and want to be more intentional and focused on God.
And fourth, for Spiritual Growth: If we wish, we can utilize Reconciliation regularly as a way of staying on track and growing in the Lord.
The frequency is up to us. It could be several times a year, monthly, whatever.
Conclusion
I shared these ideas in a small group here several weeks ago and the response was so positive that I decided to share them with all of you this weekend.
I hope this is helpful and, by the way, please feel free to keep the handouts.
Our Lady of Grace
March 22, 2009
The Sacrament: Confession or Reconciliation?
Toot ’n Tell
One day an older pastor was speaking with his young associate.
He said, “I know you were trying to reach out to the young people when you replaced the first four pews in the church with recliners. It worked and now the front of the church fills up first.”
The young priest nodded and the older priest continued. “Then, you brought that rock group in for our music and a lot of people liked that too.”
The young priest said, “Okay, so what do you seem bothered about?” The older pastor responded, “Well, I’m afraid you’ve gone too far with that drive-thru confessional.”
The young associate protested, “But my confessions have doubled since I began that.” The pastor replied, “I know, but the flashing neon sign announcing `Toot ’n Tell or Go to Hell’ has got to go.”
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Today I want to reflect with you on the Sacrament that the “Toot ’n Tell” sign was all about.
In my lifetime, our understanding and practice of this Sacrament has changed quite a bit. This afternoon I want to compare this Sacrament as it was in the past with how it is today.
I have developed an outline for this and it is on the screens in front of our Worship Space. I ask you to pass these down so that everyone has a copy.
The Sacrament Itself
To begin, in the past, we referred to this Sacrament as Confession or the Sacrament of Penance. In effect, we were naming it by one of its parts – confessing our sins to a priest or receiving penance for our sins.
Today we call this the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The idea is that we now name the Sacrament by its core purpose – being reconciled or at peace with God, with each other, and even within ourselves.
Then, in the past, we referred to the place of the Sacrament as a Confessional. Today, we call it the Reconciliation Room – the place where Reconciliation is experienced and celebrated.
In the past, we would kneel on the other side of a screen from the priest and remain anonymous. Today, we can either kneel and remain anonymous, or sit and face the priest and this makes the experience more of a conversation and shared prayer.
The Sacrament: Our Experience
In the past, this Sacrament seemed rather cold and impersonal. Today, it is much warmer and interpersonal.
In the past, our primary feelings were anxiety, guilt, maybe embarrassment, and relief when it was over. Today our feelings can be responsibility, some appropriate guilt, and a sense of dignity and self-worth.
In the past, the experience was often negative – focusing only on the bad things. Today it is more positive, as we converse more on the context of my life in general and on my growing edges, on growing spiritually with the Lord.
In the past, we would almost always get a rote penance – like saying three Our Fathers. Today, the penance is much more appropriate to us as persons – like making some quality time just to be with your spouse.
In the past, the emphasis was a judging God and we often felt judged by the priest. Today, what comes across is a loving God who accepts us, loves us, and is with us on the journey.
The Sacrament: How Often
Finally, in the past we went to confession often. My parents trained me to go every two or three weeks – and I know, some of you are probably thinking that I needed it!
Today, we celebrate Reconciliation when it seems appropriate. This can be different for each one of us, and I see four times when Reconciliation can be appropriate.
First, Seasonally: It is wonderful to come to Reconciliation during the seasons of Advent or Lent.
Right now during Lent, this is a way of dying to self so as to live more fully for the Lord. It prepares us for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter.
Second, for Significant Events: The Sacrament can be very appropriate before your wedding or the baptism of your baby or the funeral of a loved one.
These are significant personal or family events. They have a way of leading us closer to God and Reconciliation can be very helpful for this.
Third, Significant Moments: In all of our lives, there are moments of conversion.
Sometimes, these happen when we realize that we have been very lax and maybe responsible for some serious sin. Sometimes it is a moment when we think more deeply about life and want to be more intentional and focused on God.
And fourth, for Spiritual Growth: If we wish, we can utilize Reconciliation regularly as a way of staying on track and growing in the Lord.
The frequency is up to us. It could be several times a year, monthly, whatever.
Conclusion
I shared these ideas in a small group here several weeks ago and the response was so positive that I decided to share them with all of you this weekend.
I hope this is helpful and, by the way, please feel free to keep the handouts.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Parish Mission Power Points
Here are links to download the full PowerPoint presentation files Slide Show 1 and Slide Show 2. If you do not have PowerPoint installed on your computer you may view the HTML versions of the slide shows by clicking theses links Slide Show 1 and Slide Show 2.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for March 15, 2009: Embracing the Cross of Christ
This and That:
Embracing the Cross of Christ
Our third Lenten Family Friday was entitled “Embracing the Cross of Christ.” This is the third of our six-week series on “Walking in the Footsteps of Saint Paul.”
What is the meaning of the Cross?
The cross has been the primary Christian symbol from the earliest times until and including our time. A Christian is often identified by the cross or crucifix that they wear. As Catholics, all of our formal prayer begins and ends with the sign of the cross. What does that cross represent for us? It represents the central mystery of our faith in Jesus Christ – that we are saved through his death and resurrection. We call this the Paschal Mystery.
Saint Paul Preaches the Cross
Our Lenten series is exploring the spirituality and teaching of Saint Paul. When he preached, Paul was conscious that there were two prominent world views during his time – the view of the Jews and the view of the Greeks.
For the Jews, the Cross is a stumbling block, because they would have preferred that the Messiah was represented by a sign of power, not a sign of humiliation. For the Greeks, the Cross is foolishness, because they would have preferred a wise philosophical presentation to convince them intellectually that Jesus was Lord.
Centrality of the Cross
Paul insists that both Jew and Greek are called to follow Christ crucified (1 Cor 1: 22-24). For Paul, the cross is a paradoxical sign representing victory over loss, strength from transformed weakness and triumph over tragedy. Christ is the power (Jews) of God and the wisdom (Greeks) of God.
Cross = Symbol of Suffering
For the past two thousand years, the Cross of Christ has been the symbol that helps Christians understand suffering. Suffering is a part of every human life.
Some suffering is CHOSEN – we will it. For example, the suffering involved in parenting and making sacrifices for one’s children, or the sacrifice involved in working for a cause. Some suffering is not chosen, it just happens to us, such as illness, accidents, disasters, economic troubles or strained relationships.
Saint Paul’s Suffering
Paul recounts the troubles he has experienced in his ministry (2 Cor 11:22-33): toil and labor, floggings, beatings, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks and anxiety for the churches, e.g. in-fighting, lack of funds and heresies.
Paul’s Understanding of the Cross in our Lives
Saint Paul talks about both the EXPERIENCE of the Cross and the RESULTS of the Cross for Christians. The experience of the Cross includes the following understandings:
• When I am weak – then I am strong
• Identification with Jesus
• Service as suffering – for the sake of others
The results of the Cross include:
• Leads to glory – Resurrection
• Sign of true discipleship – which has a cost
How am I to suffer as a Christian?
For us as Christians, our suffering takes on meaning as we do the following:
• Unite our suffering with the suffering of Jesus
• Declare that God is with me in my suffering
• Be compassionate to others who are suffering
• Proclaim my belief in the Resurrection
Models for Moving from Death to Life
In our Catholic tradition, we have wonderful models of people who have moved from death to life in their own experience, starting with Jesus Christ himself. Our other models include Saint Paul, the Martyrs, the Saints, current public heroes, e.g. Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, “911” heroes and people we know personally.
What About Us?
How do we find meaning in our own suffering in light of the Cross of Christ? First, by uniting of this suffering with Jesus’ suffering. It’s not enough to admire Jesus for his suffering, we need to unite our particular suffering with his in order to find meaning. Secondly, we need to answer “YES” to his call – “Take up your cross and follow Me.” Lent is the perfect time to focus on this.
In conclusion, we need to know that we never suffer alone. Jesus Christ is with us as the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Embracing the Cross of Christ
Our third Lenten Family Friday was entitled “Embracing the Cross of Christ.” This is the third of our six-week series on “Walking in the Footsteps of Saint Paul.”
What is the meaning of the Cross?
The cross has been the primary Christian symbol from the earliest times until and including our time. A Christian is often identified by the cross or crucifix that they wear. As Catholics, all of our formal prayer begins and ends with the sign of the cross. What does that cross represent for us? It represents the central mystery of our faith in Jesus Christ – that we are saved through his death and resurrection. We call this the Paschal Mystery.
Saint Paul Preaches the Cross
Our Lenten series is exploring the spirituality and teaching of Saint Paul. When he preached, Paul was conscious that there were two prominent world views during his time – the view of the Jews and the view of the Greeks.
For the Jews, the Cross is a stumbling block, because they would have preferred that the Messiah was represented by a sign of power, not a sign of humiliation. For the Greeks, the Cross is foolishness, because they would have preferred a wise philosophical presentation to convince them intellectually that Jesus was Lord.
Centrality of the Cross
Paul insists that both Jew and Greek are called to follow Christ crucified (1 Cor 1: 22-24). For Paul, the cross is a paradoxical sign representing victory over loss, strength from transformed weakness and triumph over tragedy. Christ is the power (Jews) of God and the wisdom (Greeks) of God.
Cross = Symbol of Suffering
For the past two thousand years, the Cross of Christ has been the symbol that helps Christians understand suffering. Suffering is a part of every human life.
Some suffering is CHOSEN – we will it. For example, the suffering involved in parenting and making sacrifices for one’s children, or the sacrifice involved in working for a cause. Some suffering is not chosen, it just happens to us, such as illness, accidents, disasters, economic troubles or strained relationships.
Saint Paul’s Suffering
Paul recounts the troubles he has experienced in his ministry (2 Cor 11:22-33): toil and labor, floggings, beatings, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks and anxiety for the churches, e.g. in-fighting, lack of funds and heresies.
Paul’s Understanding of the Cross in our Lives
Saint Paul talks about both the EXPERIENCE of the Cross and the RESULTS of the Cross for Christians. The experience of the Cross includes the following understandings:
• When I am weak – then I am strong
• Identification with Jesus
• Service as suffering – for the sake of others
The results of the Cross include:
• Leads to glory – Resurrection
• Sign of true discipleship – which has a cost
How am I to suffer as a Christian?
For us as Christians, our suffering takes on meaning as we do the following:
• Unite our suffering with the suffering of Jesus
• Declare that God is with me in my suffering
• Be compassionate to others who are suffering
• Proclaim my belief in the Resurrection
Models for Moving from Death to Life
In our Catholic tradition, we have wonderful models of people who have moved from death to life in their own experience, starting with Jesus Christ himself. Our other models include Saint Paul, the Martyrs, the Saints, current public heroes, e.g. Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, “911” heroes and people we know personally.
What About Us?
How do we find meaning in our own suffering in light of the Cross of Christ? First, by uniting of this suffering with Jesus’ suffering. It’s not enough to admire Jesus for his suffering, we need to unite our particular suffering with his in order to find meaning. Secondly, we need to answer “YES” to his call – “Take up your cross and follow Me.” Lent is the perfect time to focus on this.
In conclusion, we need to know that we never suffer alone. Jesus Christ is with us as the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Weekly HOMILY for March 15, 2009: What Is Clear and What Is Fuzzy about the Law?
3rd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
St. Francis DeSales
March 15, 2009
What Is Clear and What Is Fuzzy about the Law?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Ten Commandments
One day a priest and a rabbi were talking about their different faith traditions.
The rabbi said: “You Catholics and all Christians have taken an awful lot from us. Just look, for example, at the Ten Commandments.”
The priest replied: “Well, yes, we did take the Commandments from you. But you can’t say that we’ve kept them.”
Clear and Fuzzy
I use that little anecdote to introduce what I want to reflect on this morning.
In our first reading, we hear the Ten Commandments. These commandments are very clear in telling us what to do and not to do.
Then, in today’s Gospel, Jesus chases the merchants out of the temple. He knows that they are fulfilling the letter of the Law – helping people to worship – but they are not fulfilling the spirit of the Law.
They are really only interested in making money. Jesus comes to fulfill the Law and he wants us to go beyond the clear letter of the Law and live its spirit.
This “life its spirit” is the part of our moral code that may seem a bit fuzzy. It is not as black and white, as clear as the Commandments, but it is no less important.
I invite you to look with me at how we live our lives, i.e. our moral code, against the standard of some of Ten Commandments. Keep in mind that we’re trying to look at both what is clear and what is fuzzy – but equally important.
Commandments 1 to 3
The first three commandments deal with our relationship with God. They are crucial in the way a foundation is crucial for a building.
If our life with God is rightly ordered at this foundational level, then built on that foundation our life in community will more likely be healthy and holy. With that as a foundation, then the other seven commandments will more likely be kept.
Commandment 1: “I am the Lord you God; you shall not have other gods besides me”
What is clear: We are to believe in and follow one, almighty, transcendent God – monotheism – and this is no problem for us.
What is fuzzy: Do we really look upon God as a person with whom we have a living and growing relationship? Or do we see our faith more as a list of beliefs that is just set and static?
Commandment 3: “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
What is clear: We are to come to Mass on Sundays and not let sports be an excuse.
What is fuzzy: Do we really participate actively in Mass, joining in the prayers and hymns, being aware of what we are saying or singing, and listening to the readings? Do we pray personally and make the other six days of the week holy also?
Commandments 4 to 10
Now let’s look at some examples from the other seven commandments. These deal with our relationships with each other.
Commandment 5: “You shall not kill.”
What is clear: We are to respect human life, from the life of the unborn person to the life of one who is terminally ill.
What is fuzzy: Do we injure or take the life of others emotionally, by belittling them and destroying their self-esteem or good name? Do we put our lives and the lives of others at risk by our abuse of alcohol and other drugs?
Commandment 6: “You shall not commit adultery.” What is clear: We are to use the gift of sexuality to express our love in the committed relationship of marriage.
What is fuzzy: Do you nourish your marriage by making time to share joys and sorrows, accomplishments and challenges? Do we view Internet pornography or in magazines?
Commandment 7: “You shall not steal.”
What is clear: We are to respect others by respecting what they own as belonging to them.
What is fuzzy: Am I so caught up in my own possessions and comforts and money that I do not share with those in need? Am I wasteful of electricity, propane, fuel oil, or food and in that way taking from others who do not have enough?
Conclusion
We have not covered each commandment, but I think you get the idea.
Jesus calls us to perfection – to the fulfillment of the Law and that is not always as clear as the Ten Commandments themselves.
They can be fuzzy, but each is equally important.
Let these principles for moral living first, be based on God and our worship of him, and second help us go deeper into how we relate to God and to how we treat one another.
That is the sure recipe for successful living as a Catholic and as a Christian.
St. Francis DeSales
March 15, 2009
What Is Clear and What Is Fuzzy about the Law?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Ten Commandments
One day a priest and a rabbi were talking about their different faith traditions.
The rabbi said: “You Catholics and all Christians have taken an awful lot from us. Just look, for example, at the Ten Commandments.”
The priest replied: “Well, yes, we did take the Commandments from you. But you can’t say that we’ve kept them.”
Clear and Fuzzy
I use that little anecdote to introduce what I want to reflect on this morning.
In our first reading, we hear the Ten Commandments. These commandments are very clear in telling us what to do and not to do.
Then, in today’s Gospel, Jesus chases the merchants out of the temple. He knows that they are fulfilling the letter of the Law – helping people to worship – but they are not fulfilling the spirit of the Law.
They are really only interested in making money. Jesus comes to fulfill the Law and he wants us to go beyond the clear letter of the Law and live its spirit.
This “life its spirit” is the part of our moral code that may seem a bit fuzzy. It is not as black and white, as clear as the Commandments, but it is no less important.
I invite you to look with me at how we live our lives, i.e. our moral code, against the standard of some of Ten Commandments. Keep in mind that we’re trying to look at both what is clear and what is fuzzy – but equally important.
Commandments 1 to 3
The first three commandments deal with our relationship with God. They are crucial in the way a foundation is crucial for a building.
If our life with God is rightly ordered at this foundational level, then built on that foundation our life in community will more likely be healthy and holy. With that as a foundation, then the other seven commandments will more likely be kept.
Commandment 1: “I am the Lord you God; you shall not have other gods besides me”
What is clear: We are to believe in and follow one, almighty, transcendent God – monotheism – and this is no problem for us.
What is fuzzy: Do we really look upon God as a person with whom we have a living and growing relationship? Or do we see our faith more as a list of beliefs that is just set and static?
Commandment 3: “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
What is clear: We are to come to Mass on Sundays and not let sports be an excuse.
What is fuzzy: Do we really participate actively in Mass, joining in the prayers and hymns, being aware of what we are saying or singing, and listening to the readings? Do we pray personally and make the other six days of the week holy also?
Commandments 4 to 10
Now let’s look at some examples from the other seven commandments. These deal with our relationships with each other.
Commandment 5: “You shall not kill.”
What is clear: We are to respect human life, from the life of the unborn person to the life of one who is terminally ill.
What is fuzzy: Do we injure or take the life of others emotionally, by belittling them and destroying their self-esteem or good name? Do we put our lives and the lives of others at risk by our abuse of alcohol and other drugs?
Commandment 6: “You shall not commit adultery.” What is clear: We are to use the gift of sexuality to express our love in the committed relationship of marriage.
What is fuzzy: Do you nourish your marriage by making time to share joys and sorrows, accomplishments and challenges? Do we view Internet pornography or in magazines?
Commandment 7: “You shall not steal.”
What is clear: We are to respect others by respecting what they own as belonging to them.
What is fuzzy: Am I so caught up in my own possessions and comforts and money that I do not share with those in need? Am I wasteful of electricity, propane, fuel oil, or food and in that way taking from others who do not have enough?
Conclusion
We have not covered each commandment, but I think you get the idea.
Jesus calls us to perfection – to the fulfillment of the Law and that is not always as clear as the Ten Commandments themselves.
They can be fuzzy, but each is equally important.
Let these principles for moral living first, be based on God and our worship of him, and second help us go deeper into how we relate to God and to how we treat one another.
That is the sure recipe for successful living as a Catholic and as a Christian.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for March 8, 2009: How Are We Saved?
This and That:
How Are We Saved?
Second of Six Lenten Family Fridays
“How are we saved?” is a question that has haunted Catholics, as well as Christians of all denominations, from the birth of Christianity. Are we saved by faith alone? Are we saved by the good deeds we do? What justifies us, that is, what makes us “right” before God? What can we do now to assure our going to heaven?
Our second Lenten Family Friday dealt with this specific topic in presentation, table discussions, and interaction with the large group. As a summary statement we can say that faith justifies initially, but add quickly that our faith in God is just the beginning of a process. Justification is really an inner change within the believer rather that a declaration by God. In the end, works are also necessary for justification and our entrance into heaven.
Faith Justifies Initially and Works Complete
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that being right with God is essential, if we are to live with God forever. John 1, Romans 8, and 2 Peter 1 all speak of justification being a grace that helps us respond to God’s call to us. The Council of Trent taught that we are justified by faith and that faith is the beginning of salvation. Thus our faith does make us right, but justifies only initially. At the time of the Reformation, claims were made that “faith alone” was needed for salvation. The two sides of the question then were “faith alone,” or “good works”?
Clarifications Through Dialogue
In recent times, with the wonderful ecumenical dialogues going on between the Catholic Church and other Christians, we have come to a richer understanding of the part both terms play in being saved. This has come about particularly in the Catholic–Lutheran Dialogue with the Methodist Church joining in the signing of a joint declaration of belief. Let us look more closely at the terms.
The Greek word for “faith alone” appears only once in the Bible and nowhere does it say we are justified or saved by faith alone. To the Contrary, James 2:24 says we are not. In short, Catholic theology holds that it is faith and works acting together that save us. The corrective for Catholics has been that good works flow from faith; good works on their own are insufficient for salvation.
Faith Just the Beginning of the Process
The Letter to the Hebrews (11:6) tells us that faith is the minimum requirement, but alone does not justify us. It takes both faith and works. In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul says that faith is the root of justification, but then excludes something called “works of law.” Why make a distinction between say, works of charity (good deeds) and works of the law (obeying the Commandments)? For St. Paul to perform “works of law” puts God in a relationship of debt, not of grace.
Faith Without Works
In his Epistle, James (1:22-25) assures us that hearing the Word of God is not enough. Works need to accompany it. Without works faith is dead (James 2:17, 26). Failure to do works is a sin (James 4:17). “Works” equals what Catholics have always called the “Corporal Works of Mercy” (James 2:15-17). In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul says that works are encouraged to complete our faith and in Philippians 4:17 that “fruits,” that is “works,” increase our justification
Clarifications of the Past
At the time of the Reformation as happens with any major disagreement, Protestant and Catholic understandings polarized any discussion of the matter. There was not a clear understanding of what Paul meant by “works of the law.” Any such legal system would make God our debtor as we just mentioned. However “good works” done in grace with faith in Jesus Christ are clearly different from “works of the law” that put God in our debt. The Epistle of James (2:24) helps clarify the distinction between these two terms, “works” and “works of the Law.” It is also addressed in Galatians 2:16 and Rom 3:20,28.
Justification as Inner Change
The Reformation point of view on this matter can be summed up in Psalm 51:1-2 “O God, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” This “cleansing” requires an inner change of heart. Some of the Reformers, however, believed that we are so depraved that God only covers our sins up by declaring us righteous. Catholics believe that God is powerful enough to blot out our sins and remove them. Any view that God just declares us righteous by covering us up, would seem to deny the role of the Holy Spirit who continues the work of Christ through his work of justification and sanctification (infusing his grace into souls and changing the inner person.)
Several Sacred Scripture passages help clarify the fact that God does not cover up our sinful natures. Ps 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within (not cover) me.” God brings about a real metamorphosis in me. Then there is Matthew (6:6) and Luke (6:21) – “Those who hunger for righteousness ‘may be filled.’” It is an inner change, not the covering up of a dunghill. In Matthew (5:28) we read that, “Just looking lustfully at a woman is adultery; avoiding this involves an inner change.” Jesus teaches us (Matthew 15:18) that interior disposition is what defiles us. It is clear that God’s grace changes us interiorly.
In Summary we could say that putting off the old nature involves an internal change (Eph 4:22-24.) Our lives are actually transformed and this internal change is required for us to become adopted sons and daughters. Philemon 2:13 declares that, “God is at work in you.” Yes, God is so powerful that he can actually transform us by working in us. He is not just outside us making declarations about us.
Justification As Ongoing
Paul in 2 Cor 3:18 states that, “We are being changed into the Lord’s likeness from one degree of glory to another, by the power of the Spirit.” that is to say that justification is ongoing, and changes in degrees throughout one’s life, based upon one’s obedience of faith. In 2 Cor 4:16 he continues, “Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.” Justification does not happen all at once, and is not an external declaration. It happens daily, and concerns our inner nature.
Examples of Justification As On-Going Process
Abraham:
In Genesis 12:1-4 we read that Abram is justified by his faith in God. In Genesis 15:6 he believes and is further justified. And in Genesis 22:1-18 we find now he is justified by his works, namely, the offering of his son Isaac to God.
Peter:
In Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus blesses Simon for receiving a revelation, changes his name to Peter, and gives him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. In John 6:68-69 Peter justified, declares that Jesus has words of eternal life. In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus prays for Peter’s faith and charges him to strengthen the Apostles. However, in Matthew 26:75, Mark 14:72, and John 18:17, 25-27 Peter denies Jesus and thus loses his justification. Finally, in John 21:15-17 Peter is re-justified before God with a three-fold love for Jesus.
Works Necessary for Justification
In Matthew 5:2-11 we see that the Beatitudes go beyond faith to good works. In Matthew 5:16 we are told to “Let your light shine…that they may see your good works and give glory to God.” In Matthew 5:44-47 Jesus exhorts us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us as good works. No, just saying, “Lord, Lord” (Matt 7:19-23) and accepting Jesus as personal Savior are not enough. We must also bear the fruit of good works.
Next Week’s topic is “Embracing the Cross of Jesus Christ.” Why not join us?
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
How Are We Saved?
Second of Six Lenten Family Fridays
“How are we saved?” is a question that has haunted Catholics, as well as Christians of all denominations, from the birth of Christianity. Are we saved by faith alone? Are we saved by the good deeds we do? What justifies us, that is, what makes us “right” before God? What can we do now to assure our going to heaven?
Our second Lenten Family Friday dealt with this specific topic in presentation, table discussions, and interaction with the large group. As a summary statement we can say that faith justifies initially, but add quickly that our faith in God is just the beginning of a process. Justification is really an inner change within the believer rather that a declaration by God. In the end, works are also necessary for justification and our entrance into heaven.
Faith Justifies Initially and Works Complete
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that being right with God is essential, if we are to live with God forever. John 1, Romans 8, and 2 Peter 1 all speak of justification being a grace that helps us respond to God’s call to us. The Council of Trent taught that we are justified by faith and that faith is the beginning of salvation. Thus our faith does make us right, but justifies only initially. At the time of the Reformation, claims were made that “faith alone” was needed for salvation. The two sides of the question then were “faith alone,” or “good works”?
Clarifications Through Dialogue
In recent times, with the wonderful ecumenical dialogues going on between the Catholic Church and other Christians, we have come to a richer understanding of the part both terms play in being saved. This has come about particularly in the Catholic–Lutheran Dialogue with the Methodist Church joining in the signing of a joint declaration of belief. Let us look more closely at the terms.
The Greek word for “faith alone” appears only once in the Bible and nowhere does it say we are justified or saved by faith alone. To the Contrary, James 2:24 says we are not. In short, Catholic theology holds that it is faith and works acting together that save us. The corrective for Catholics has been that good works flow from faith; good works on their own are insufficient for salvation.
Faith Just the Beginning of the Process
The Letter to the Hebrews (11:6) tells us that faith is the minimum requirement, but alone does not justify us. It takes both faith and works. In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul says that faith is the root of justification, but then excludes something called “works of law.” Why make a distinction between say, works of charity (good deeds) and works of the law (obeying the Commandments)? For St. Paul to perform “works of law” puts God in a relationship of debt, not of grace.
Faith Without Works
In his Epistle, James (1:22-25) assures us that hearing the Word of God is not enough. Works need to accompany it. Without works faith is dead (James 2:17, 26). Failure to do works is a sin (James 4:17). “Works” equals what Catholics have always called the “Corporal Works of Mercy” (James 2:15-17). In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul says that works are encouraged to complete our faith and in Philippians 4:17 that “fruits,” that is “works,” increase our justification
Clarifications of the Past
At the time of the Reformation as happens with any major disagreement, Protestant and Catholic understandings polarized any discussion of the matter. There was not a clear understanding of what Paul meant by “works of the law.” Any such legal system would make God our debtor as we just mentioned. However “good works” done in grace with faith in Jesus Christ are clearly different from “works of the law” that put God in our debt. The Epistle of James (2:24) helps clarify the distinction between these two terms, “works” and “works of the Law.” It is also addressed in Galatians 2:16 and Rom 3:20,28.
Justification as Inner Change
The Reformation point of view on this matter can be summed up in Psalm 51:1-2 “O God, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” This “cleansing” requires an inner change of heart. Some of the Reformers, however, believed that we are so depraved that God only covers our sins up by declaring us righteous. Catholics believe that God is powerful enough to blot out our sins and remove them. Any view that God just declares us righteous by covering us up, would seem to deny the role of the Holy Spirit who continues the work of Christ through his work of justification and sanctification (infusing his grace into souls and changing the inner person.)
Several Sacred Scripture passages help clarify the fact that God does not cover up our sinful natures. Ps 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within (not cover) me.” God brings about a real metamorphosis in me. Then there is Matthew (6:6) and Luke (6:21) – “Those who hunger for righteousness ‘may be filled.’” It is an inner change, not the covering up of a dunghill. In Matthew (5:28) we read that, “Just looking lustfully at a woman is adultery; avoiding this involves an inner change.” Jesus teaches us (Matthew 15:18) that interior disposition is what defiles us. It is clear that God’s grace changes us interiorly.
In Summary we could say that putting off the old nature involves an internal change (Eph 4:22-24.) Our lives are actually transformed and this internal change is required for us to become adopted sons and daughters. Philemon 2:13 declares that, “God is at work in you.” Yes, God is so powerful that he can actually transform us by working in us. He is not just outside us making declarations about us.
Justification As Ongoing
Paul in 2 Cor 3:18 states that, “We are being changed into the Lord’s likeness from one degree of glory to another, by the power of the Spirit.” that is to say that justification is ongoing, and changes in degrees throughout one’s life, based upon one’s obedience of faith. In 2 Cor 4:16 he continues, “Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.” Justification does not happen all at once, and is not an external declaration. It happens daily, and concerns our inner nature.
Examples of Justification As On-Going Process
Abraham:
In Genesis 12:1-4 we read that Abram is justified by his faith in God. In Genesis 15:6 he believes and is further justified. And in Genesis 22:1-18 we find now he is justified by his works, namely, the offering of his son Isaac to God.
Peter:
In Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus blesses Simon for receiving a revelation, changes his name to Peter, and gives him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. In John 6:68-69 Peter justified, declares that Jesus has words of eternal life. In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus prays for Peter’s faith and charges him to strengthen the Apostles. However, in Matthew 26:75, Mark 14:72, and John 18:17, 25-27 Peter denies Jesus and thus loses his justification. Finally, in John 21:15-17 Peter is re-justified before God with a three-fold love for Jesus.
Works Necessary for Justification
In Matthew 5:2-11 we see that the Beatitudes go beyond faith to good works. In Matthew 5:16 we are told to “Let your light shine…that they may see your good works and give glory to God.” In Matthew 5:44-47 Jesus exhorts us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us as good works. No, just saying, “Lord, Lord” (Matt 7:19-23) and accepting Jesus as personal Savior are not enough. We must also bear the fruit of good works.
Next Week’s topic is “Embracing the Cross of Jesus Christ.” Why not join us?
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Weekly HOMILY for March 8, 2009: Transformation in Jesus Christ
2nd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
March 8, 2009
Transformation in Jesus Christ
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
A Prince Transformed
There is a story about a handsome Prince who had a crooked back.
This disability was something that the Prince struggled with. One day his father, the King, had the best sculptor in the land carve a statue of the prince.
But the statue portrayed the prince with a straight back and not a crooked back. The King placed the statue in the Prince’s private garden and whenever the Prince gazed at it, his heart would quicken.
Months passed, and people began to say: “Do you notice, the prince’s back doesn’t seem as crooked as it was.” When the Prince overheard this, he was enthused.
He began spending hours studying the statue and then, one day, a remarkable thing happened. The Prince stretched high overhead, and realized that he was standing straight, just like the statue.
Jesus Transformed
The story is a fable and unfortunately, our physical disabilities are not usually healed so easily.
But the story is really teaching a spiritual, not a physical lesson, viz., that he Prince was transformed by gazing at and studying the statue.
The statue portrayed him as he could become. In a similar way, today’s Gospel says that Jesus is “transfigured” in front of the apostles.
In other words, Jesus’ figure or appearance is changed – transformed. He is seen for all that he is – not just any other person, but as one with a special, even unique relationship with the Father.
Jesus is seen as the Son of God and the voice from the heavens confirms this.
My thought is that Jesus’ transfiguration – or transformation – calls us to be transformed – to become what we are created to be.
Our Transformation: How
How is this possible for us?
What do we have to do for this transformation to happen? The story of the Prince looking at the statue of himself as he could be may help us with this.
We are called to look at and listen to Jesus. Jesus is the full and clear image of God and of the kind of person God calls us to become.
So, in Jesus, we see a person who lives with an inner, prayerful communion with God – his and our Father. We see a person whose actions and words match and flow from that union.
We see him caring for the needy and then listen to him saying that “Whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do for him.” We listen to him calling us to respond from a center within ourselves, a center where we are one with the Father, and respond positively, constructively, and caringly, and not out of vengeance.
So, we are to look at and listen to Jesus – much as the prince in the story looks at the statue of how he wanted to be. This is why reading Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is so central to our Catholic spirituality.
We are encouraged to make reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture the center of our prayer. It leads us to a fuller communion with the Lord and that in turn helps us to grow and become more and more like Jesus.
And thus our transformation into who we were meant to be comes about.
Our Transformation: Expectations
What should we expect this process of transformation to be like?
First, we need to expect that it will take time. Our transformation will be like the Prince’s in the fable.
It will be developmental, incremental, perhaps even imperceptible. I have read that every seven years, every cell in our body is replaced. That happens slowly, without our even noticing it.
Our spiritual growth or transformation is much the same and this requires that we stick to it, day by day, and be patient and persevering.
In fact, that is why we begin each Mass with a Penitential Rite or prayer. We get in touch with the number one area where we need to grow and bring that to the Lord for his forgiveness and strength.
And, by the way, I recommend that we select just one thing and keep bringing that to the Lord day after day, week after week, month after month. I know that I don’t change easily, and I believe that is true for all of us.
It takes time for us to grow spiritually. It takes time for us to become more of the kind of person that God creates us to be and we need, as I said, patience and perseverance.
Transformation and Lent
So, transformation – that is the keyword for today, this Second Sunday of Lent.
And it is so for obvious reasons. This is the possibility that the Season of Lent holds out to us and a process in which we are already engaged!
Our Lady of Grace
March 8, 2009
Transformation in Jesus Christ
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
A Prince Transformed
There is a story about a handsome Prince who had a crooked back.
This disability was something that the Prince struggled with. One day his father, the King, had the best sculptor in the land carve a statue of the prince.
But the statue portrayed the prince with a straight back and not a crooked back. The King placed the statue in the Prince’s private garden and whenever the Prince gazed at it, his heart would quicken.
Months passed, and people began to say: “Do you notice, the prince’s back doesn’t seem as crooked as it was.” When the Prince overheard this, he was enthused.
He began spending hours studying the statue and then, one day, a remarkable thing happened. The Prince stretched high overhead, and realized that he was standing straight, just like the statue.
Jesus Transformed
The story is a fable and unfortunately, our physical disabilities are not usually healed so easily.
But the story is really teaching a spiritual, not a physical lesson, viz., that he Prince was transformed by gazing at and studying the statue.
The statue portrayed him as he could become. In a similar way, today’s Gospel says that Jesus is “transfigured” in front of the apostles.
In other words, Jesus’ figure or appearance is changed – transformed. He is seen for all that he is – not just any other person, but as one with a special, even unique relationship with the Father.
Jesus is seen as the Son of God and the voice from the heavens confirms this.
My thought is that Jesus’ transfiguration – or transformation – calls us to be transformed – to become what we are created to be.
Our Transformation: How
How is this possible for us?
What do we have to do for this transformation to happen? The story of the Prince looking at the statue of himself as he could be may help us with this.
We are called to look at and listen to Jesus. Jesus is the full and clear image of God and of the kind of person God calls us to become.
So, in Jesus, we see a person who lives with an inner, prayerful communion with God – his and our Father. We see a person whose actions and words match and flow from that union.
We see him caring for the needy and then listen to him saying that “Whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do for him.” We listen to him calling us to respond from a center within ourselves, a center where we are one with the Father, and respond positively, constructively, and caringly, and not out of vengeance.
So, we are to look at and listen to Jesus – much as the prince in the story looks at the statue of how he wanted to be. This is why reading Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is so central to our Catholic spirituality.
We are encouraged to make reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture the center of our prayer. It leads us to a fuller communion with the Lord and that in turn helps us to grow and become more and more like Jesus.
And thus our transformation into who we were meant to be comes about.
Our Transformation: Expectations
What should we expect this process of transformation to be like?
First, we need to expect that it will take time. Our transformation will be like the Prince’s in the fable.
It will be developmental, incremental, perhaps even imperceptible. I have read that every seven years, every cell in our body is replaced. That happens slowly, without our even noticing it.
Our spiritual growth or transformation is much the same and this requires that we stick to it, day by day, and be patient and persevering.
In fact, that is why we begin each Mass with a Penitential Rite or prayer. We get in touch with the number one area where we need to grow and bring that to the Lord for his forgiveness and strength.
And, by the way, I recommend that we select just one thing and keep bringing that to the Lord day after day, week after week, month after month. I know that I don’t change easily, and I believe that is true for all of us.
It takes time for us to grow spiritually. It takes time for us to become more of the kind of person that God creates us to be and we need, as I said, patience and perseverance.
Transformation and Lent
So, transformation – that is the keyword for today, this Second Sunday of Lent.
And it is so for obvious reasons. This is the possibility that the Season of Lent holds out to us and a process in which we are already engaged!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Weekly This and That for March 1, 2009: To Live in Christ
This and That:
To Live in Christ
To Journey in the Footsteps of St. Paul
We began this past Friday as St. Paul did, on a journey; for us it was a journey of six Fridays and following his footsteps. Like him we too are sinners, oh we may not be persecuting Christians; it’s more likely a question of not knowing Christ fully or not living a life worthy of our calling. The same Spirit of Jesus Christ that struck St. Paul can strike us. The same Spirit of Jesus Christ that turned his life around can turn our lives around as well. Because it is all a function of the one receiving, it is up to us for the transformation to become a reality. The questions come down to: How much more do we want out of our life as believers? How much more peace, transformation, union with God, ability to handle stress and conflict? Be assured that any dissatisfaction regarding any of those areas is waiting to be filled by the risen Lord Jesus himself. You just have to want it enough. And be assured also that “the wanting it” is in itself the initial rumblings of God’s Spirit within you. Come then, join us for these sessions. Every Friday presentation is preceded by Mass at 6:30pm, Supper at 7:00 with the talk beginning at 7:30 and ending promptly at 8:30. Bring the kids, making it a family night and we’ll feed them and entertain them as well with age-appropriate activities.
To Live in Christ
This past Friday evening’s initial topic was “To Live in Christ.” We began the evening by asking, “What will it take to get into St. Paul’s skin? To get into his head? To actually go through a similar, though different, transformation?” It will take knowledge, grace, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit! A starting point for Paul’s Spirituality is 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 where he says, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view (according to the flesh); even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ there is a new creation; everything old has passed away. See, everything has become new!”
What precisely does Paul mean by knowing someone from a “human point of view” (i.e. according to the flesh?) What’s the “new” point of view i.e. according to the Spirit? How did he know Jesus that way? How might we know Jesus that way?
Changing a Perspective
Through Baptism and grace everything can become new for us too. God is the principle actor and the cause of the effect in the believer. For St. Paul it was a dramatic encounter with the risen Lord. That experience on the road to Damascus empowered him to reorient his perspective. My guess is that we have all had an “Aha!” moment in which an insight helped us to rearrange how we thought about someone or something. The experience may have changed our seeing someone as an “enemy” into seeing him or her as a “friend.” Or the insight may have transformed what we previously saw as a “curse” like an illness into a “blessing.” What may have been an example in your own experience?
Now let’s look at an example of transformation that took place through grace in St. Paul. For it was grace that allowed him to “regard no one from a human point of view.” Even though we know insights have changed how we view others, even though we would like to believe that God’s grace could do in us what it did in St. Paul, we often hear a great deal of chatter going on in our heads that keep us from moving forward in God’s grace. Things like not being ready to surrender a past grievance, like holding on to past ways of looking at myself, like endless rationalizations justifying what I do or the stance I take, like a desire for quick results, an inability to forgive or an inability to believe that “being in Christ” can really make all things new.
Christ from a New Perspective
Each of us lives with a bit of a false identity. It is a façade that we construct about ourselves. It is the result of our struggles, emotions, fears and negative influences in our lives. At some point in living, our false identity can be challenged by a “force” around us. It comes as some experience of mercy, of unmerited love that cuts through my own ego selfishness. It may come from another person or directly from God, but in a moment’s flash, we find ourselves caring for “someone else for himself” rather than “someone who can meet my own needs.” Or it may come from finding our sacrificing time on a project that helps others in some way. Through such ways our identity begins to shift. Our self-centeredness is loosened and the stucco that covered who we really are begins to crumble from us. We still retain a strong sense of a separate self, but loving and more open divine and human relationships are now included as part of who we are. And in the process we begin to put on the “mind of Christ.” And our true self has moved to a relationship with God.
Work-shopping a New Perspective for Yourself
As a group we then began working on an area or two that needed transformation in our own lives. We asked, “What does Christ say to me in each situation and what grace is he offering me in that situation?” The grace being offered is to be so transformed that we no longer live in ourselves, but allow Christ to live in us, so that all we do and all we are reflect Christ to the world. The results of such a “living in Christ” was very clear to Paul. He no longer considered his former life as a Pharisee to count for anything, in comparison to what he had gained in Christ. To the Philippians he said, “Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…”
Goals for Our Time Together
The evening ended with sharing of the goal of the 6-Friday Series. Consider these weeks as God’s personal invitation to you. God seeks to be closer to you than you can imagine. God is aware that your life, as most others, is a bit of a jumble and not always headed in the right direction. A billboard in the South reads: “God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to leave you that way.” The invitation to joining us for Week 2 trough 6 will require leaving something behind and going to something quite new. But, as Paul experienced it, it is well worth the effort. Come join us on this journey of faith in the footsteps of St. Paul. Next week’s topic is “How are saved?”
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
To Live in Christ
To Journey in the Footsteps of St. Paul
We began this past Friday as St. Paul did, on a journey; for us it was a journey of six Fridays and following his footsteps. Like him we too are sinners, oh we may not be persecuting Christians; it’s more likely a question of not knowing Christ fully or not living a life worthy of our calling. The same Spirit of Jesus Christ that struck St. Paul can strike us. The same Spirit of Jesus Christ that turned his life around can turn our lives around as well. Because it is all a function of the one receiving, it is up to us for the transformation to become a reality. The questions come down to: How much more do we want out of our life as believers? How much more peace, transformation, union with God, ability to handle stress and conflict? Be assured that any dissatisfaction regarding any of those areas is waiting to be filled by the risen Lord Jesus himself. You just have to want it enough. And be assured also that “the wanting it” is in itself the initial rumblings of God’s Spirit within you. Come then, join us for these sessions. Every Friday presentation is preceded by Mass at 6:30pm, Supper at 7:00 with the talk beginning at 7:30 and ending promptly at 8:30. Bring the kids, making it a family night and we’ll feed them and entertain them as well with age-appropriate activities.
To Live in Christ
This past Friday evening’s initial topic was “To Live in Christ.” We began the evening by asking, “What will it take to get into St. Paul’s skin? To get into his head? To actually go through a similar, though different, transformation?” It will take knowledge, grace, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit! A starting point for Paul’s Spirituality is 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 where he says, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view (according to the flesh); even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ there is a new creation; everything old has passed away. See, everything has become new!”
What precisely does Paul mean by knowing someone from a “human point of view” (i.e. according to the flesh?) What’s the “new” point of view i.e. according to the Spirit? How did he know Jesus that way? How might we know Jesus that way?
Changing a Perspective
Through Baptism and grace everything can become new for us too. God is the principle actor and the cause of the effect in the believer. For St. Paul it was a dramatic encounter with the risen Lord. That experience on the road to Damascus empowered him to reorient his perspective. My guess is that we have all had an “Aha!” moment in which an insight helped us to rearrange how we thought about someone or something. The experience may have changed our seeing someone as an “enemy” into seeing him or her as a “friend.” Or the insight may have transformed what we previously saw as a “curse” like an illness into a “blessing.” What may have been an example in your own experience?
Now let’s look at an example of transformation that took place through grace in St. Paul. For it was grace that allowed him to “regard no one from a human point of view.” Even though we know insights have changed how we view others, even though we would like to believe that God’s grace could do in us what it did in St. Paul, we often hear a great deal of chatter going on in our heads that keep us from moving forward in God’s grace. Things like not being ready to surrender a past grievance, like holding on to past ways of looking at myself, like endless rationalizations justifying what I do or the stance I take, like a desire for quick results, an inability to forgive or an inability to believe that “being in Christ” can really make all things new.
Christ from a New Perspective
Each of us lives with a bit of a false identity. It is a façade that we construct about ourselves. It is the result of our struggles, emotions, fears and negative influences in our lives. At some point in living, our false identity can be challenged by a “force” around us. It comes as some experience of mercy, of unmerited love that cuts through my own ego selfishness. It may come from another person or directly from God, but in a moment’s flash, we find ourselves caring for “someone else for himself” rather than “someone who can meet my own needs.” Or it may come from finding our sacrificing time on a project that helps others in some way. Through such ways our identity begins to shift. Our self-centeredness is loosened and the stucco that covered who we really are begins to crumble from us. We still retain a strong sense of a separate self, but loving and more open divine and human relationships are now included as part of who we are. And in the process we begin to put on the “mind of Christ.” And our true self has moved to a relationship with God.
Work-shopping a New Perspective for Yourself
As a group we then began working on an area or two that needed transformation in our own lives. We asked, “What does Christ say to me in each situation and what grace is he offering me in that situation?” The grace being offered is to be so transformed that we no longer live in ourselves, but allow Christ to live in us, so that all we do and all we are reflect Christ to the world. The results of such a “living in Christ” was very clear to Paul. He no longer considered his former life as a Pharisee to count for anything, in comparison to what he had gained in Christ. To the Philippians he said, “Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…”
Goals for Our Time Together
The evening ended with sharing of the goal of the 6-Friday Series. Consider these weeks as God’s personal invitation to you. God seeks to be closer to you than you can imagine. God is aware that your life, as most others, is a bit of a jumble and not always headed in the right direction. A billboard in the South reads: “God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to leave you that way.” The invitation to joining us for Week 2 trough 6 will require leaving something behind and going to something quite new. But, as Paul experienced it, it is well worth the effort. Come join us on this journey of faith in the footsteps of St. Paul. Next week’s topic is “How are saved?”
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Weekly HOMILY for March 1, 2009: Lent: A Time to Be Driven into the Desert
1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
March 1, 2009
Lent: Time to Be Driven into the Desert
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Jesus in the Desert
The Gospel passage that we just heard says this: “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he … (was) tempted by Satan.”
A current author, Alan Simek, has written about his experience in the deserts of our own American Southwest. He says: “The desert offers the comfort of permanence, the promise of continuity in a world of change.
“But, it is a vast and lonely landscape. Even the best prepared may meet the unexpected, the freak storm, the slip or fall off a trail, the sudden strike of the rattlesnake.
“Only the fool thinks he can rely on his own strength and skill alone. In short, the desert escapes my control.
“For this reason my mind is drawn quietly, naturally toward someone outside myself on whom I can lean. In the desert I think not so much of causes as of The Cause.
“The experience of the desert is … about recognizing God’s glory. And like Jesus, we may meet and be tempted by the Enemy in the desert.
“One thing is certain: If we come to the desert, we will change.”
We Need the Desert
My friends, I have come to believe strongly that we all need a desert and even more so as I continue in my studies in directing Contemplative Retreats.
I am not suggesting that we have to travel to our American Southwest as our author, or to the Judean Wilderness of our slides, as beautiful as they are. But I am saying that we need desert experiences, desert moments, and we need these regularly.
Such experiences are crucial and the Season of Lent beckons us to this. That is why we have this Gospel on the First Sunday of Lent every year.
Our Deserts
Surprisingly so, our own desert can be found in any experience of stillness.
It may be:
1) When we are lying in bed before getting up in the morning or
2) Driving to work alone with no news on or music playing. It may be
3) Sitting in a chair looking at a candle flame or gazing outside at the trees. It may be
4) Walking the NCR Trail or
5) Waiting for our doctor’s appointment. It may be
6) Sitting quietly, even with our eyes closed, here in church before Mass or in the chapel any day of the week. It may be in the
7) Parking lot after you’ve loaded the car with groceries and before you turn on the ignition.
All of these can be our desert experiences or desert moments. And in all these experiences, the key thing is stillness.
Please note; it is not so much an issue of reciting prayers or speaking words to God. It is more an issue of stillness, of being receptive.
In our desert experience, we are to listen to our inner core. We are to listen to God who often speaks to us from the very depths of our being, the very depths of ourselves as persons.
Temptations in Our Deserts
It is in these desert experiences that we almost immediately and naturally become aware of God. And we also become aware of ourselves.
The Gospel says that “Jesus was tempted by Satan” in the desert.
I think, for us, in our desert, we too will become aware:
1) Of our temptations and our sinfulness
2) Of our impatience and anger
3) Of our resentment or alienation from someone
4) Of our insensitivity to the poor and in our looking out only for ourselves
5) Of judging and thinking ill of others
6) Of our lack of trust or of entrusting ourselves to God.
So yes, in the desert, we are first aware of God and of Jesus. And then, we quickly become aware of ourselves – of our humanity and limitations, our temptations and sin.
As the Spirit drove Jesus into the Judean Wilderness, so the same Spirit is driving each of us into our own desert. Can you not feel the drive and need for this?
Know that there may be a desire to resist this being driven either (1) Because we are not ready to be that close to God or (2) Because we know instinctively that the desert will make us aware of ourselves in ways that we may not like.
Go to the Desert
It has been said that, “Reflection is the kind of inaction that alone makes action meaningful and focused on what is good.” Again, “Reflection is the kind of inaction that alone makes action both meaningful and focused on what is good.”
That, my friends, is what the desert will do for each of us. And so, I appeal to you to heed the call of this First Sunday of Lent.
Go to that place of stillness and simply “be” with your God.
By his grace he has planted the desire in you. And there he is awaiting you. What marvelous things can come from such a daily union!
Our Lady of Grace
March 1, 2009
Lent: Time to Be Driven into the Desert
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Jesus in the Desert
The Gospel passage that we just heard says this: “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he … (was) tempted by Satan.”
A current author, Alan Simek, has written about his experience in the deserts of our own American Southwest. He says: “The desert offers the comfort of permanence, the promise of continuity in a world of change.
“But, it is a vast and lonely landscape. Even the best prepared may meet the unexpected, the freak storm, the slip or fall off a trail, the sudden strike of the rattlesnake.
“Only the fool thinks he can rely on his own strength and skill alone. In short, the desert escapes my control.
“For this reason my mind is drawn quietly, naturally toward someone outside myself on whom I can lean. In the desert I think not so much of causes as of The Cause.
“The experience of the desert is … about recognizing God’s glory. And like Jesus, we may meet and be tempted by the Enemy in the desert.
“One thing is certain: If we come to the desert, we will change.”
We Need the Desert
My friends, I have come to believe strongly that we all need a desert and even more so as I continue in my studies in directing Contemplative Retreats.
I am not suggesting that we have to travel to our American Southwest as our author, or to the Judean Wilderness of our slides, as beautiful as they are. But I am saying that we need desert experiences, desert moments, and we need these regularly.
Such experiences are crucial and the Season of Lent beckons us to this. That is why we have this Gospel on the First Sunday of Lent every year.
Our Deserts
Surprisingly so, our own desert can be found in any experience of stillness.
It may be:
1) When we are lying in bed before getting up in the morning or
2) Driving to work alone with no news on or music playing. It may be
3) Sitting in a chair looking at a candle flame or gazing outside at the trees. It may be
4) Walking the NCR Trail or
5) Waiting for our doctor’s appointment. It may be
6) Sitting quietly, even with our eyes closed, here in church before Mass or in the chapel any day of the week. It may be in the
7) Parking lot after you’ve loaded the car with groceries and before you turn on the ignition.
All of these can be our desert experiences or desert moments. And in all these experiences, the key thing is stillness.
Please note; it is not so much an issue of reciting prayers or speaking words to God. It is more an issue of stillness, of being receptive.
In our desert experience, we are to listen to our inner core. We are to listen to God who often speaks to us from the very depths of our being, the very depths of ourselves as persons.
Temptations in Our Deserts
It is in these desert experiences that we almost immediately and naturally become aware of God. And we also become aware of ourselves.
The Gospel says that “Jesus was tempted by Satan” in the desert.
I think, for us, in our desert, we too will become aware:
1) Of our temptations and our sinfulness
2) Of our impatience and anger
3) Of our resentment or alienation from someone
4) Of our insensitivity to the poor and in our looking out only for ourselves
5) Of judging and thinking ill of others
6) Of our lack of trust or of entrusting ourselves to God.
So yes, in the desert, we are first aware of God and of Jesus. And then, we quickly become aware of ourselves – of our humanity and limitations, our temptations and sin.
As the Spirit drove Jesus into the Judean Wilderness, so the same Spirit is driving each of us into our own desert. Can you not feel the drive and need for this?
Know that there may be a desire to resist this being driven either (1) Because we are not ready to be that close to God or (2) Because we know instinctively that the desert will make us aware of ourselves in ways that we may not like.
Go to the Desert
It has been said that, “Reflection is the kind of inaction that alone makes action meaningful and focused on what is good.” Again, “Reflection is the kind of inaction that alone makes action both meaningful and focused on what is good.”
That, my friends, is what the desert will do for each of us. And so, I appeal to you to heed the call of this First Sunday of Lent.
Go to that place of stillness and simply “be” with your God.
By his grace he has planted the desire in you. And there he is awaiting you. What marvelous things can come from such a daily union!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for February 22, 2009: The Light Is On For You
This and That:
The Light Is On For You
Are you burdened with the same sin as you were a month, a year or two year ago? Would you like to be set free from guilt? Are you ready to stop a destructive pattern in your life? Do you believe that God’s mercy can empower you to change? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then we have an offer for you!
This year during Lent, our parish is participating in an Archdiocesan-wide reconciliation program initiated by Archbishop O’Brien called The Light is On for You. On five consecutive Wednesdays in Lent – March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1 – the sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered here at Our Lady of Grace from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. A priest will be in the Reconciliation Room during that 90 minute period.
Every Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will have confessions available on these five Wednesdays and we invite you to join us here for this sacrament. If you have been reluctant to come to the sacrament or have been away for some time or just found it difficult to get to a
Saturday afternoon confession time, this is a great opportunity to receive penance.
So where in the church is the Reconciliation Room? You are not alone – many people are not aware of the location. When you approach the church through the Courtyard, enter through the wooden doors on your left. Just past the second set of wooden entrance doors, there is a blue door on your left, before the water fountain. That is the door to the Reconciliation Room. If the door is open, the priest is available for confession and if it’s closed, another penitent is receiving the sacrament. Feel free to wait in the foyer or go into the chapel to pray while you are waiting.
We have simple pamphlets containing the steps in the rite of individual Penance, if you are unfamiliar with it. We will have these pamphlets available on a table in the foyer on Wednesday evenings, in case you want to review the rite before going into the Reconciliation Room. Feel free to take the pamphlet in with you. Also, there is a brochure in the bulletin this weekend to remind you about the parts of confession and the Act of Contrition.
In addition to the Wednesday evenings, we will have our Communal Penance Service for Lent on Monday, March 23rd at 7:30pm. Confessions will also continue to be available on Saturday afternoons from 4:00pm to 4:30pm, as they are throughout the year.
Many Catholics no longer have an appreciation for the benefits of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially if they do not commit any serious sin. We know that our sacraments give us a tangible experience of God’s presence through words, gestures and sensible elements such as bread, wine, oil and water. When we celebrate Reconciliation, what becomes tangible is God’s mercy extended to us through the ministry of the priest. We have the incredible experience of hearing the priest say, “I absolve you from your sins…” This experience of receiving absolution is the focus of the sacrament, more than the sins we confess.
Lent is the season of the church year in which we are called to do penance in preparation for renewing our Baptismal promises at Easter, when we will affirm that we reject the allurement of evil and we profess our belief in the God who saves us in Jesus.
Why not take advantage of one of the opportunities to experience God’s mercy during this season – by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a Wednesday evening, a Saturday afternoon or at our Lenten Penance Service on March 23rd? If you have questions about the sacrament, please feel free to contact me at the parish office.
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
The Light Is On For You
Are you burdened with the same sin as you were a month, a year or two year ago? Would you like to be set free from guilt? Are you ready to stop a destructive pattern in your life? Do you believe that God’s mercy can empower you to change? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then we have an offer for you!
This year during Lent, our parish is participating in an Archdiocesan-wide reconciliation program initiated by Archbishop O’Brien called The Light is On for You. On five consecutive Wednesdays in Lent – March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1 – the sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered here at Our Lady of Grace from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. A priest will be in the Reconciliation Room during that 90 minute period.
Every Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will have confessions available on these five Wednesdays and we invite you to join us here for this sacrament. If you have been reluctant to come to the sacrament or have been away for some time or just found it difficult to get to a
Saturday afternoon confession time, this is a great opportunity to receive penance.
So where in the church is the Reconciliation Room? You are not alone – many people are not aware of the location. When you approach the church through the Courtyard, enter through the wooden doors on your left. Just past the second set of wooden entrance doors, there is a blue door on your left, before the water fountain. That is the door to the Reconciliation Room. If the door is open, the priest is available for confession and if it’s closed, another penitent is receiving the sacrament. Feel free to wait in the foyer or go into the chapel to pray while you are waiting.
We have simple pamphlets containing the steps in the rite of individual Penance, if you are unfamiliar with it. We will have these pamphlets available on a table in the foyer on Wednesday evenings, in case you want to review the rite before going into the Reconciliation Room. Feel free to take the pamphlet in with you. Also, there is a brochure in the bulletin this weekend to remind you about the parts of confession and the Act of Contrition.
In addition to the Wednesday evenings, we will have our Communal Penance Service for Lent on Monday, March 23rd at 7:30pm. Confessions will also continue to be available on Saturday afternoons from 4:00pm to 4:30pm, as they are throughout the year.
Many Catholics no longer have an appreciation for the benefits of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially if they do not commit any serious sin. We know that our sacraments give us a tangible experience of God’s presence through words, gestures and sensible elements such as bread, wine, oil and water. When we celebrate Reconciliation, what becomes tangible is God’s mercy extended to us through the ministry of the priest. We have the incredible experience of hearing the priest say, “I absolve you from your sins…” This experience of receiving absolution is the focus of the sacrament, more than the sins we confess.
Lent is the season of the church year in which we are called to do penance in preparation for renewing our Baptismal promises at Easter, when we will affirm that we reject the allurement of evil and we profess our belief in the God who saves us in Jesus.
Why not take advantage of one of the opportunities to experience God’s mercy during this season – by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a Wednesday evening, a Saturday afternoon or at our Lenten Penance Service on March 23rd? If you have questions about the sacrament, please feel free to contact me at the parish office.
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Weekly HOMILY for February 22, 2009: Deacon Preaching Weekend
Deacon Lee Benson preached at Father Nicholas' Masses this weekend. Father Nicholas will return next Sunday.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for February 15, 2009: Archbishop’s Appeal Benefits All, Including Our Parish
This and That:
Archbishop’s Appeal Benefits All, Including Our Parish
In last week’s column I introduced the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. I reviewed the purpose of the Appeal, that is, the programs, services, and ministries that it funds. The Appeal is an excellent opportunity for each of us to assist in making God’s work happen beyond the boundaries of our parish. It is an opportunity to work together as an Archdiocesan Church.
Each parish in the Archdiocese is given a dollar goal for this Appeal. The goals are set at approximately 9% of parish offertory income. Our goal here at Our Lady of Grace is $__,___. That sounds like and is a lot of money, but it is the same percentage as would be applied to parishes that are much smaller and with much less income. I suppose that the Lord’s words apply as we look at this: “From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected.” Our goal is just that: a goal. It is not a mandatory amount, although we will work hard to meet it. In the end, we give what we can.
While I shared last week all the various needs that this Appeal will meet, I did not share that 25% of what we as a parish give will come right back to us. Yes, you heard it correctly! Our Lady of Grace’s share will be 25% of our total contribution. So, if we achieve our goal of $__,___, we will receive $__,___ back. Each parish is asked to state what it will do with its 25% share. We have selected three purposes or uses:
➢ 1/3rd for Tuition Assistance for parishioners whose children attend Our Lady of Grace School. We do this especially because the Archdiocese is providing a match for what we designate for tuition assistance.
➢ 1/3rd to assist our sister parish, St. Cecilia’s in Baltimore City with some necessities that they cannot sustain.
➢ 1/3rd for Debt Reduction
We like this distribution of our parish share of Appeal funds because it provides some additional help to the Parish, to parishioners who are in special need, and to an Inner City Parish that does not have the funding base that we enjoy here at Our Lady of Grace.
How much should we contribute to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal? Ultimately, we all need to decide this for ourselves. Please be aware that the Archbishop does not want this to take the place of or interfere with our regular weekly Offertory giving to the Parish. Our contributions to the Parish do come first.
I would recommend as a possible guideline that we give 10% of what we give annually to the Parish Offertory. So, if you give $1,000 a year to the parish in the Weekly Offertory, you might consider a gift of $100 to this Appeal. Some of us may be unable to give as much as this 10%. Some have lost jobs and some are having their salary frozen. On the other hand, others may be able to give more than the 10% to help where others are not able to do so. I know of one family who is pledging to give 30% of what they give to the Offertory.
If we simply give according to our means and use what I am saying here as a rule of thumb, we as individuals and we as Our Lady of Grace Parish will be responding with appropriate generosity and should come very close to or meet our goal.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Archbishop’s Appeal Benefits All, Including Our Parish
In last week’s column I introduced the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. I reviewed the purpose of the Appeal, that is, the programs, services, and ministries that it funds. The Appeal is an excellent opportunity for each of us to assist in making God’s work happen beyond the boundaries of our parish. It is an opportunity to work together as an Archdiocesan Church.
Each parish in the Archdiocese is given a dollar goal for this Appeal. The goals are set at approximately 9% of parish offertory income. Our goal here at Our Lady of Grace is $__,___. That sounds like and is a lot of money, but it is the same percentage as would be applied to parishes that are much smaller and with much less income. I suppose that the Lord’s words apply as we look at this: “From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected.” Our goal is just that: a goal. It is not a mandatory amount, although we will work hard to meet it. In the end, we give what we can.
While I shared last week all the various needs that this Appeal will meet, I did not share that 25% of what we as a parish give will come right back to us. Yes, you heard it correctly! Our Lady of Grace’s share will be 25% of our total contribution. So, if we achieve our goal of $__,___, we will receive $__,___ back. Each parish is asked to state what it will do with its 25% share. We have selected three purposes or uses:
➢ 1/3rd for Tuition Assistance for parishioners whose children attend Our Lady of Grace School. We do this especially because the Archdiocese is providing a match for what we designate for tuition assistance.
➢ 1/3rd to assist our sister parish, St. Cecilia’s in Baltimore City with some necessities that they cannot sustain.
➢ 1/3rd for Debt Reduction
We like this distribution of our parish share of Appeal funds because it provides some additional help to the Parish, to parishioners who are in special need, and to an Inner City Parish that does not have the funding base that we enjoy here at Our Lady of Grace.
How much should we contribute to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal? Ultimately, we all need to decide this for ourselves. Please be aware that the Archbishop does not want this to take the place of or interfere with our regular weekly Offertory giving to the Parish. Our contributions to the Parish do come first.
I would recommend as a possible guideline that we give 10% of what we give annually to the Parish Offertory. So, if you give $1,000 a year to the parish in the Weekly Offertory, you might consider a gift of $100 to this Appeal. Some of us may be unable to give as much as this 10%. Some have lost jobs and some are having their salary frozen. On the other hand, others may be able to give more than the 10% to help where others are not able to do so. I know of one family who is pledging to give 30% of what they give to the Offertory.
If we simply give according to our means and use what I am saying here as a rule of thumb, we as individuals and we as Our Lady of Grace Parish will be responding with appropriate generosity and should come very close to or meet our goal.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Weekly HOMILY for February 15, 2009: Archbishop's Annual Appeal / Commitment Weekend
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
February15, 2009
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal / Commitment Weekend
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Introduction to Archbishop O’Brien’s Talk
Last weekend, at all Masses, we introduced the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
As we said, the Appeal supports programs, services, and ministries that are offered on the Archdiocesan level. It calls us to look beyond the boundaries of our parish and to work together as an Archdiocesan Church.
Archbishop O’Brien wants the opportunity to speak with everyone around the Archdiocese. So today, we have a homily from him via a CD and we will now listen to that.
(Play the CD)
In-Pew Commitment
As Archbishop O’Brien just said, today we are asked to consider a commitment to this Annual Appeal and I am here to guide us through that with the help of Dee O’Donnell / Paul Ceribelli of our Appeal Committee.
Before beginning this, I want to review the question of how much should we consider contributing to the Appeal. As we said last week, our parish committee is recommending that we give an amount equal to 10% of what we give each year to the parish.
So, if we give $1000 a year to the parish in the offertory, the recommendation is to give $100 to the Appeal. We say this knowing that some of us, especially this year, cannot do this 10% and that is fine.
Some of us can do more than that. Our Catholic Marriage Encounter program has a practice of asking couples who do the Encounter weekend to give more than the actual cost if they can, as a way to provide a kind of scholarship for couples who cannot afford to pay the full cost.
Perhaps that spirit may apply here as well.
Tactics
With those thoughts, I would now ask one person from each household to look at the Appeal envelope that is in the pew (that was distributed to you when you entered).
Please take this even if you have already given to this year’s Appeal. If you do not have an envelope, please just raise your hand and Dee/Paul or one of the ushers will get one to you.
Again, we are asking one person from every household to complete this. You can indicate that you have already given, that you are making a commitment today, that you are making a pledge, or that you are unable to give this year.
Now, please open the flap of the envelope and find a pledge form and a pencil. (Pause until about half the people are looking up to you.)
Please print your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address on the first five lines of the form. (Pause until about half the people are looking up to you.)
On the next line, please write Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton. If you are a visitor from another parish, please write the name of your home parish. (Pause until about half the people are looking up to you.)
If you have already given by mail, check the box that says “I have already given to the Annual Appeal through the mail.” Please do not indicate any additional financial information on this form. We do not want to double count your pledge.
I ask everyone else to look at the gift boxes on the right side of the form and check the amount that you wish to enter. You can make your gift as a pledge and be billed over ten months or longer if necessary. Also, there is no need to provide a down payment today unless you choose to do so.
If you want to contribute an amount other than the ones indicated, please check the “Other” box and indicate the full amount of your pledge on the blank line to the right. (Pause until about half the people are looking at you.)
Now, please look at the lines provided on the lower right-hand side of the pledge envelope. Indicate the total amount that you pledged on the first line. If you are making a down payment, write the amount of the down payment on the line that says Amount Enclosed. (Pause 5 seconds.)
Subtract the down payment from the full amount of your pledge and note the remaining “Pledge balance” on the line provided. (Pause 5 seconds.)
If you are not contributing, please check the box on the lower left side of the envelope, stating “I do not wish to make a gift to the Annual Appeal at this time.” (Pause 5 seconds.)
I will give another moment right now to complete credit card information, if you wish to use your credit card. Please note that you can use a box below the credit card information that will tell the Archdiocese to bill you in ten monthly installments or to process the full amount in a single payment. (Pause 25 seconds with music.)
Wrap Up
Please seal the envelope and be sure to keep the pencil separate.
Please mark the outside of the envelope if you have enclosed a check, cash, or credit card information. Mark the appropriate box in the lower right corner of the envelope cover.
If you have given through the mail, made a pledge without a payment, or decided not to give this year, please check “No payment enclosed/Other.”
Finally, please place these envelopes and the pencils in the basket that the ushers are passing around.
On behalf of Archbishop O’Brien, I thank you for your contribution to this Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
Our Lady of Grace
February15, 2009
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal / Commitment Weekend
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Introduction to Archbishop O’Brien’s Talk
Last weekend, at all Masses, we introduced the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
As we said, the Appeal supports programs, services, and ministries that are offered on the Archdiocesan level. It calls us to look beyond the boundaries of our parish and to work together as an Archdiocesan Church.
Archbishop O’Brien wants the opportunity to speak with everyone around the Archdiocese. So today, we have a homily from him via a CD and we will now listen to that.
(Play the CD)
In-Pew Commitment
As Archbishop O’Brien just said, today we are asked to consider a commitment to this Annual Appeal and I am here to guide us through that with the help of Dee O’Donnell / Paul Ceribelli of our Appeal Committee.
Before beginning this, I want to review the question of how much should we consider contributing to the Appeal. As we said last week, our parish committee is recommending that we give an amount equal to 10% of what we give each year to the parish.
So, if we give $1000 a year to the parish in the offertory, the recommendation is to give $100 to the Appeal. We say this knowing that some of us, especially this year, cannot do this 10% and that is fine.
Some of us can do more than that. Our Catholic Marriage Encounter program has a practice of asking couples who do the Encounter weekend to give more than the actual cost if they can, as a way to provide a kind of scholarship for couples who cannot afford to pay the full cost.
Perhaps that spirit may apply here as well.
Tactics
With those thoughts, I would now ask one person from each household to look at the Appeal envelope that is in the pew (that was distributed to you when you entered).
Please take this even if you have already given to this year’s Appeal. If you do not have an envelope, please just raise your hand and Dee/Paul or one of the ushers will get one to you.
Again, we are asking one person from every household to complete this. You can indicate that you have already given, that you are making a commitment today, that you are making a pledge, or that you are unable to give this year.
Now, please open the flap of the envelope and find a pledge form and a pencil. (Pause until about half the people are looking up to you.)
Please print your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address on the first five lines of the form. (Pause until about half the people are looking up to you.)
On the next line, please write Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton. If you are a visitor from another parish, please write the name of your home parish. (Pause until about half the people are looking up to you.)
If you have already given by mail, check the box that says “I have already given to the Annual Appeal through the mail.” Please do not indicate any additional financial information on this form. We do not want to double count your pledge.
I ask everyone else to look at the gift boxes on the right side of the form and check the amount that you wish to enter. You can make your gift as a pledge and be billed over ten months or longer if necessary. Also, there is no need to provide a down payment today unless you choose to do so.
If you want to contribute an amount other than the ones indicated, please check the “Other” box and indicate the full amount of your pledge on the blank line to the right. (Pause until about half the people are looking at you.)
Now, please look at the lines provided on the lower right-hand side of the pledge envelope. Indicate the total amount that you pledged on the first line. If you are making a down payment, write the amount of the down payment on the line that says Amount Enclosed. (Pause 5 seconds.)
Subtract the down payment from the full amount of your pledge and note the remaining “Pledge balance” on the line provided. (Pause 5 seconds.)
If you are not contributing, please check the box on the lower left side of the envelope, stating “I do not wish to make a gift to the Annual Appeal at this time.” (Pause 5 seconds.)
I will give another moment right now to complete credit card information, if you wish to use your credit card. Please note that you can use a box below the credit card information that will tell the Archdiocese to bill you in ten monthly installments or to process the full amount in a single payment. (Pause 25 seconds with music.)
Wrap Up
Please seal the envelope and be sure to keep the pencil separate.
Please mark the outside of the envelope if you have enclosed a check, cash, or credit card information. Mark the appropriate box in the lower right corner of the envelope cover.
If you have given through the mail, made a pledge without a payment, or decided not to give this year, please check “No payment enclosed/Other.”
Finally, please place these envelopes and the pencils in the basket that the ushers are passing around.
On behalf of Archbishop O’Brien, I thank you for your contribution to this Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for February 8, 2009: The Archbishop's Annual Appeal Begins
This and That:
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal Begins
This weekend I am introducing the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. By now, many of us have received a mailing about this. I strongly endorse this Appeal and encourage all of us to make a financial gift. Because of that, I want to give you a thorough explanation of it.
First, as a clarification, for the past fifteen years or so we in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have participated in something called the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal. The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal we are presently in is the same thing, but with a different name. Why the change in name? Basically, because the major work of promoting this is now being done on the three weeks before the beginning of Lent and not during Lent. Also, in fact, the former Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal continued throughout much of the year, as many people fulfilled their pledges in monthly payments. Thus, it seems better to name it the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore, like most dioceses in the country, conducts this annual campaign to fund services, programs, and ministries that it provides to Catholics and non-Catholics throughout the Archdiocese. Some of these are services that help Our Lady of Grace and all parishes. Some are programs that serve people in areas that are financially poor, but where we very much need our Catholic presence. Some are programs that individual parishes, like Our Lady of Grace cannot do alone and that we need to do together as an Archdiocesan Church. Here are some examples of what our gifts to Archbishop’s Annual Appeal fund:
• Youth Ministry grants and Inner City Youth Outreach
• Assistance to Religious Education and Vacation Bible School Programs
• Support for the Archdiocesan Youth Retreat Center located in our own parish
• Tuition Assistance Grants and Special Education Funding for Catholic schools
• Grants to Catholic High Schools for capital improvements
• Pro-Life Ministries including Project Rachel
• Hispanic Ministry and Outreach
• Grants to parishes for financial and capital emergencies
• Significant assistance to Associated Catholic Charities and its many services, programs, and institutions
• Assistance to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for its work with the needy
• Chaplaincies and Catholic Ministry for some non-Catholic hospitals
• Chaplaincies and Catholic Ministry for some prisons and Detention Centers
• Ministry to the Hearing Impaired, Camp GLOW for the developmentally challenged and disability access improvements to locations in need
I look upon this Appeal as our opportunity to express in a very real way (financial giving) our connectedness with the Church beyond our parish boundaries. It is our opportunity as an Archdiocesan Church to work together and to bring the love of the Lord to persons who might not otherwise experience this. I will say more about the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal next week.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal Begins
This weekend I am introducing the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. By now, many of us have received a mailing about this. I strongly endorse this Appeal and encourage all of us to make a financial gift. Because of that, I want to give you a thorough explanation of it.
First, as a clarification, for the past fifteen years or so we in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have participated in something called the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal. The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal we are presently in is the same thing, but with a different name. Why the change in name? Basically, because the major work of promoting this is now being done on the three weeks before the beginning of Lent and not during Lent. Also, in fact, the former Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal continued throughout much of the year, as many people fulfilled their pledges in monthly payments. Thus, it seems better to name it the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore, like most dioceses in the country, conducts this annual campaign to fund services, programs, and ministries that it provides to Catholics and non-Catholics throughout the Archdiocese. Some of these are services that help Our Lady of Grace and all parishes. Some are programs that serve people in areas that are financially poor, but where we very much need our Catholic presence. Some are programs that individual parishes, like Our Lady of Grace cannot do alone and that we need to do together as an Archdiocesan Church. Here are some examples of what our gifts to Archbishop’s Annual Appeal fund:
• Youth Ministry grants and Inner City Youth Outreach
• Assistance to Religious Education and Vacation Bible School Programs
• Support for the Archdiocesan Youth Retreat Center located in our own parish
• Tuition Assistance Grants and Special Education Funding for Catholic schools
• Grants to Catholic High Schools for capital improvements
• Pro-Life Ministries including Project Rachel
• Hispanic Ministry and Outreach
• Grants to parishes for financial and capital emergencies
• Significant assistance to Associated Catholic Charities and its many services, programs, and institutions
• Assistance to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for its work with the needy
• Chaplaincies and Catholic Ministry for some non-Catholic hospitals
• Chaplaincies and Catholic Ministry for some prisons and Detention Centers
• Ministry to the Hearing Impaired, Camp GLOW for the developmentally challenged and disability access improvements to locations in need
I look upon this Appeal as our opportunity to express in a very real way (financial giving) our connectedness with the Church beyond our parish boundaries. It is our opportunity as an Archdiocesan Church to work together and to bring the love of the Lord to persons who might not otherwise experience this. I will say more about the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal next week.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Weekly HOMILY for February 8, 2009: The Annual Archbishop's Appeal
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
February 8, 2009
The Annual Archbishop’s Appeal
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Nine Winners
There is a wonderful story from the Seattle Special Olympics several years ago.
Nine runners – all physically or mentally handicapped – are assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the sound of the starter’s gun, they all take off, not exactly in a dash, but eager to finish the race and win.
All, that is, except one boy who stumbles, tumbles over, and begins to cry. The other eight runners hear the boy crying and slow down to see what has happened.
Then they all turn around and run back to the boy. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bends down and whispers to him, “This will make it better” and she kisses him on the cheek.
All nine runners link arms and walk together to the finish line.
Everyone in the stadium stands up and cheers for the winners – all nine of them.
What They Saw
That day those children in the Seattle Special Olympics saw the truth about each other.
They saw each other first and foremost as persons, not as competitors. They were not so carried away with the desire to win that they forgot the core of who we are – that we are all one.
They saw the child who fell as a person in need. They realized that it is better for all of us to win than for one or some of us to win, while others lose in the game of life itself.
This, I believe, is the insight that Saint Paul has in our second reading today. He is absorbed with care for all persons as his brothers and sisters in need of Christ’s presence.
Paul wants to bring the Gospel to everyone and to do so he even says: “I have become all things to all.” We have to imagine that Paul would also have been there for that one child who stumbled and fell in the Special Olympics.
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal
I see this as the basis of something that our parish and all the parishes in the Archdiocese are asked to do this month.
We are all taking part in what we call “The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal” – formerly “The Lenten Appeal.” We have been participating in this Appeal for about fifteen years and it invites us to look beyond the boundaries of our parish.
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal invites us to support and be part of the programs, services, and ministries that are offered on the Archdiocesan level. Some of these programs serve people in areas that are financially poor and where our Catholic presence is clearly needed.
Some are services that individual parishes, like Our Lady of Grace cannot do alone and that we need to do together as an Archdiocesan Church. For example, the Appeal provides some support to Catholic Education and Religious Education Programs in needy areas.
It supports the Youth Retreat Center right here in Sparks. It supports the programs and institutions of Catholic Charities – the largest private provider of social services in the entire State of Maryland.
You can see a fuller listing of what the Appeal supports in my bulletin column today. We can be very proud of all that we do as a Local Church.
What to Give
Many of us have contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal in the past and some of us have already given this year.
On behalf of the Archbishop, I thank you very much. I have asked myself, “How much should I give?” “What is an appropriate amount?” Well, I do want to say that our giving to Our Lady of Grace comes first.
Archbishop O’Brien does not want this Appeal to hurt parish giving or parish ministries. Each parish is assigned a goal for the Appeal that equals 9% of its Annual Offertory Collection.
Our Lady of Grace’s goal is $42,000. This is a goal, a target, but in the end, we give what we can give.
Our Parish Committee working on this and I are recommending that we as individuals or families contribute 10% of what we give to the parish each year. So, if you give $1,000 a year in the Offertory, we ask you to consider a gift of $100 to the Appeal.
These gifts can be made as pledges and spread out over ten months. Some of us are unable to give 10% and others are able to give more.
The important thing is that we think and pray about this and do what we can. I ask you to reflect on this during the coming week.
Conclusion
Before I conclude, it is important to add this.
Each parish will receive back 25% of what it gives. So, 25% of Our Lady of Grace’s contribution to the Appeal will be our share for special needs that we have designated.
Our parish leadership has decided to use our share for three purposes. 1/3rd for Tuition Assistance for parishioners going to Our Lady of Grace School; this is important since the Archdiocese will match what we designate for this.
1/3rd will go toward our Debt Reduction. And 1/3rd will go to our Sister Parish of St. Cecilia’s in Baltimore City.
In closing, I would ask you to approach this Appeal with the spirit of those children in the Special Olympics – joining hands to help one another so that all can be winners.
Please read my bulletin column on the Archbishop’s Appeal, reflect and pray about this, and try to come to Mass next weekend prepared with your decision about a commitment.
Our Lady of Grace
February 8, 2009
The Annual Archbishop’s Appeal
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Nine Winners
There is a wonderful story from the Seattle Special Olympics several years ago.
Nine runners – all physically or mentally handicapped – are assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the sound of the starter’s gun, they all take off, not exactly in a dash, but eager to finish the race and win.
All, that is, except one boy who stumbles, tumbles over, and begins to cry. The other eight runners hear the boy crying and slow down to see what has happened.
Then they all turn around and run back to the boy. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bends down and whispers to him, “This will make it better” and she kisses him on the cheek.
All nine runners link arms and walk together to the finish line.
Everyone in the stadium stands up and cheers for the winners – all nine of them.
What They Saw
That day those children in the Seattle Special Olympics saw the truth about each other.
They saw each other first and foremost as persons, not as competitors. They were not so carried away with the desire to win that they forgot the core of who we are – that we are all one.
They saw the child who fell as a person in need. They realized that it is better for all of us to win than for one or some of us to win, while others lose in the game of life itself.
This, I believe, is the insight that Saint Paul has in our second reading today. He is absorbed with care for all persons as his brothers and sisters in need of Christ’s presence.
Paul wants to bring the Gospel to everyone and to do so he even says: “I have become all things to all.” We have to imagine that Paul would also have been there for that one child who stumbled and fell in the Special Olympics.
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal
I see this as the basis of something that our parish and all the parishes in the Archdiocese are asked to do this month.
We are all taking part in what we call “The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal” – formerly “The Lenten Appeal.” We have been participating in this Appeal for about fifteen years and it invites us to look beyond the boundaries of our parish.
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal invites us to support and be part of the programs, services, and ministries that are offered on the Archdiocesan level. Some of these programs serve people in areas that are financially poor and where our Catholic presence is clearly needed.
Some are services that individual parishes, like Our Lady of Grace cannot do alone and that we need to do together as an Archdiocesan Church. For example, the Appeal provides some support to Catholic Education and Religious Education Programs in needy areas.
It supports the Youth Retreat Center right here in Sparks. It supports the programs and institutions of Catholic Charities – the largest private provider of social services in the entire State of Maryland.
You can see a fuller listing of what the Appeal supports in my bulletin column today. We can be very proud of all that we do as a Local Church.
What to Give
Many of us have contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal in the past and some of us have already given this year.
On behalf of the Archbishop, I thank you very much. I have asked myself, “How much should I give?” “What is an appropriate amount?” Well, I do want to say that our giving to Our Lady of Grace comes first.
Archbishop O’Brien does not want this Appeal to hurt parish giving or parish ministries. Each parish is assigned a goal for the Appeal that equals 9% of its Annual Offertory Collection.
Our Lady of Grace’s goal is $42,000. This is a goal, a target, but in the end, we give what we can give.
Our Parish Committee working on this and I are recommending that we as individuals or families contribute 10% of what we give to the parish each year. So, if you give $1,000 a year in the Offertory, we ask you to consider a gift of $100 to the Appeal.
These gifts can be made as pledges and spread out over ten months. Some of us are unable to give 10% and others are able to give more.
The important thing is that we think and pray about this and do what we can. I ask you to reflect on this during the coming week.
Conclusion
Before I conclude, it is important to add this.
Each parish will receive back 25% of what it gives. So, 25% of Our Lady of Grace’s contribution to the Appeal will be our share for special needs that we have designated.
Our parish leadership has decided to use our share for three purposes. 1/3rd for Tuition Assistance for parishioners going to Our Lady of Grace School; this is important since the Archdiocese will match what we designate for this.
1/3rd will go toward our Debt Reduction. And 1/3rd will go to our Sister Parish of St. Cecilia’s in Baltimore City.
In closing, I would ask you to approach this Appeal with the spirit of those children in the Special Olympics – joining hands to help one another so that all can be winners.
Please read my bulletin column on the Archbishop’s Appeal, reflect and pray about this, and try to come to Mass next weekend prepared with your decision about a commitment.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for February 1, 2009: Our Youth Need Values Education
This and That:
Our Youth Need Values Education
“Youth need an integral education of not only ideas, but also those values that form the basis of a fulfilled life and a humane society,” says Benedict XVI. As a nation we have a rich history of which we should be proud and our Nation’s impressive legacy cannot be taken for granted. It needs to be constantly taken as one’s own and consciously handed down to the younger generation at every level of education and community life.
We can see the values of freedom, hard work, literacy, and justice for all, the values that have shaped America’s national life and identity, being challenged by materialism, greed, and rugged individualism. “What has happened to the gift our young people bring to society, their idealism, generosity, joy, hope and enthusiasm? By fostering a climate of cynicism and alienation, they facilitate the spread of a counter-culture of violence and escapism, and the search for false utopias through alcohol and drug abuse,” the Holy Father added.
It is alarming to see the increase of alcohol and drug use within our community. When young people have the time, the “wheels,” and the money, just sprinkle in a few influential youth who are up to no good and the whole group goes down the slippery slope. Schools, churches, youth organizations and especially parents need to be particularly concerned as those committed to the welfare, not only of the young, but of society as a whole.
In our Parish and Catholic School we are committed to help meet these challenges by assisting young people to discern, in the light of the Gospel, the lasting truths which are the foundation of an authentic and truly fulfilling life, and the basis of a peaceful and humane social community. If the children and youth are not coming to Church, or are not in our Catholic School or Religious Education Programs, it is difficult for us to reach them.
The family is key. It is a truism to say that the family is essential to the future of any society. As a family goes, so goes a nation. In his message for the 2008 World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict emphasized the unique role of the family as “the foundation of society and the first and indispensable teacher of peace.” There is no doubt about it, strong families have long been the hallmark of our national life. The people of our Catholic parishes must be committed to working with all people of good will in meeting responsibly the growing threats to the institutions of marriage and the family. The Holy Father stated they need to do that especially, “by upholding the nature of marriage based on the life-long union of a man and woman, protecting the specific rights of the family, and respecting the inviolable dignity of all human life, from the moment of conception to natural death."
Churches, schools and families thus give witness that is aimed at informing public opinion and fostering wise, far-sighted family policies. What comes of this is clearly a contribution to the common good by defending an institution, which has been, and continues to be, as the Pope called it, “an essential resource in the service of peace and social progress.”
I close with an incident that shows the power of a Catholic Family, nurtured on regular hearing of the Word of God and being nourished on the Eucharist. Bob (I’ve changed his name) was home from college for Christmas. He appeared for daily Mass at which we usually share our thoughts at homily time. We were talking about the importance of living out our faith in Jesus. After several had spoken, Bob chimed in saying that he was captain of the football team and when he began college he went to daily Mass. He was the only member of the football team that did so. After a couple years and many talks with his teammates about his faith in Jesus, there are now eight men from the team attending daily Mass.
What I said above about the influence an individual can have for evil is also true of the influence and individual can have for good. What makes the difference is the individual…and his family…and his church…and his school. What influence are you having on your children?
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Our Youth Need Values Education
“Youth need an integral education of not only ideas, but also those values that form the basis of a fulfilled life and a humane society,” says Benedict XVI. As a nation we have a rich history of which we should be proud and our Nation’s impressive legacy cannot be taken for granted. It needs to be constantly taken as one’s own and consciously handed down to the younger generation at every level of education and community life.
We can see the values of freedom, hard work, literacy, and justice for all, the values that have shaped America’s national life and identity, being challenged by materialism, greed, and rugged individualism. “What has happened to the gift our young people bring to society, their idealism, generosity, joy, hope and enthusiasm? By fostering a climate of cynicism and alienation, they facilitate the spread of a counter-culture of violence and escapism, and the search for false utopias through alcohol and drug abuse,” the Holy Father added.
It is alarming to see the increase of alcohol and drug use within our community. When young people have the time, the “wheels,” and the money, just sprinkle in a few influential youth who are up to no good and the whole group goes down the slippery slope. Schools, churches, youth organizations and especially parents need to be particularly concerned as those committed to the welfare, not only of the young, but of society as a whole.
In our Parish and Catholic School we are committed to help meet these challenges by assisting young people to discern, in the light of the Gospel, the lasting truths which are the foundation of an authentic and truly fulfilling life, and the basis of a peaceful and humane social community. If the children and youth are not coming to Church, or are not in our Catholic School or Religious Education Programs, it is difficult for us to reach them.
The family is key. It is a truism to say that the family is essential to the future of any society. As a family goes, so goes a nation. In his message for the 2008 World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict emphasized the unique role of the family as “the foundation of society and the first and indispensable teacher of peace.” There is no doubt about it, strong families have long been the hallmark of our national life. The people of our Catholic parishes must be committed to working with all people of good will in meeting responsibly the growing threats to the institutions of marriage and the family. The Holy Father stated they need to do that especially, “by upholding the nature of marriage based on the life-long union of a man and woman, protecting the specific rights of the family, and respecting the inviolable dignity of all human life, from the moment of conception to natural death."
Churches, schools and families thus give witness that is aimed at informing public opinion and fostering wise, far-sighted family policies. What comes of this is clearly a contribution to the common good by defending an institution, which has been, and continues to be, as the Pope called it, “an essential resource in the service of peace and social progress.”
I close with an incident that shows the power of a Catholic Family, nurtured on regular hearing of the Word of God and being nourished on the Eucharist. Bob (I’ve changed his name) was home from college for Christmas. He appeared for daily Mass at which we usually share our thoughts at homily time. We were talking about the importance of living out our faith in Jesus. After several had spoken, Bob chimed in saying that he was captain of the football team and when he began college he went to daily Mass. He was the only member of the football team that did so. After a couple years and many talks with his teammates about his faith in Jesus, there are now eight men from the team attending daily Mass.
What I said above about the influence an individual can have for evil is also true of the influence and individual can have for good. What makes the difference is the individual…and his family…and his church…and his school. What influence are you having on your children?
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Weekly HOMILY for February 1, 2009: Authority Under and Authority Over
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
February 1, 2009
Authority Under and Authority Over
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Authority of the Principal
Today I am recalling an experience I had back in the 1970’s, in my early years in the priesthood.
I was in the parish school, in the principal’s office. It was at the end of the school day, about three in the afternoon.
The principal and I were talking about something, and her assistant came in and said that Mrs. So-and-So was out in the hallway wanting to talk with her. The principal stepped outside and the mother started.
She disagreed with something the principal had done and was very upset. With loud, angry, and disrespectful words, this mother began berating the principal – and all of this in front of the children who were walking by, leaving the school at dismissal time.
I just sat inside the office and listened – astonished.
It was at that moment that I began to realize that something had changed – in our society, in America – something had changed for the worse in the way we treat those in authority.
Authority in the Scripture
We see this issue of authority in today’s Scripture readings.
In the first reading, Moses tells the people that the Lord will raise up prophets like himself for the people. Theses prophets will be in positions of authority.
And then in today’s gospel, the people in the synagogue “are astonished at Jesus’ teaching, for he taught them as one having authority.” So, both readings specifically raise the question of authority.
Based on the experience I had over thirty years ago, I would like to reflect with you on the issue of authority this morning. I am seeing two sides or two dimensions to the issue.
First, we are all under the authority of at least someone. And second, all adults have authority over at least someone.
Under Authority
First, we are all under the authority of at least someone.
Human society is built upon a basic respect for authority. Society cannot function effectively without this, but today there is a problem.
Today various professionals say that we are in an age of excessive individualism and that individual rights, including the right of self-expression, are no longer in balance with the rights of the community.
The mother in the incident that I recalled was completely disregarding both the person and the role of the principal, as well as the common good of that school. She was out of bounds and out of balance.
No question, sometimes there are abuses of authority – in the government, at work, in the Church, in volunteer organizations. And when there are, we need to address the dark side of authority that hurts or oppresses others.
Nevertheless, we need to view the role of authority positively. We need to remember that we are first under divine authority, the authority of God.
And then, for the well being of society, we need to respect those in authority and their role. We need to see them in the context of the common good.
We can and should think for ourselves, and express ourselves, and disagree if we are so inclined. But it is important that we do that balancing of our point of view and our right with respect for the person and role of authority as well as for the common good.
Authority Over
Secondly, all adults also have authority over at least someone.
I am thinking here of parents, teachers, day care providers, coaches, scout leaders, employers, pastors, government officials, and so on.
In these positions, we need to remember the divine origin of all authority.
The word “authority” comes from the Latin word “auctor” which means “author.” An “auctor” is a life-giver, one who gives life. That is why the Scripture refers to God as the “author of life.”
So, in our roles of authority, we need to be sure that we are giving and not diminishing life.
We need to build up and not tear down. We need to act for the good of others and not selfishly for our own good.
We are to be strong and yet gentle at the same time. We are to be freeing and not enslaving.
In other words, we are to imitate the Divine Authority. We see this so beautifully and clearly in Jesus himself.
Conclusion
So, a few thoughts today on a key topic – maybe a hot topic in our society.
We need to be mindful of authority – that we are under authority, and that we are called to exercise authority over.
Let’s allow the Lord and the Scripture to guide us in both of these experiences.
Our Lady of Grace
February 1, 2009
Authority Under and Authority Over
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Authority of the Principal
Today I am recalling an experience I had back in the 1970’s, in my early years in the priesthood.
I was in the parish school, in the principal’s office. It was at the end of the school day, about three in the afternoon.
The principal and I were talking about something, and her assistant came in and said that Mrs. So-and-So was out in the hallway wanting to talk with her. The principal stepped outside and the mother started.
She disagreed with something the principal had done and was very upset. With loud, angry, and disrespectful words, this mother began berating the principal – and all of this in front of the children who were walking by, leaving the school at dismissal time.
I just sat inside the office and listened – astonished.
It was at that moment that I began to realize that something had changed – in our society, in America – something had changed for the worse in the way we treat those in authority.
Authority in the Scripture
We see this issue of authority in today’s Scripture readings.
In the first reading, Moses tells the people that the Lord will raise up prophets like himself for the people. Theses prophets will be in positions of authority.
And then in today’s gospel, the people in the synagogue “are astonished at Jesus’ teaching, for he taught them as one having authority.” So, both readings specifically raise the question of authority.
Based on the experience I had over thirty years ago, I would like to reflect with you on the issue of authority this morning. I am seeing two sides or two dimensions to the issue.
First, we are all under the authority of at least someone. And second, all adults have authority over at least someone.
Under Authority
First, we are all under the authority of at least someone.
Human society is built upon a basic respect for authority. Society cannot function effectively without this, but today there is a problem.
Today various professionals say that we are in an age of excessive individualism and that individual rights, including the right of self-expression, are no longer in balance with the rights of the community.
The mother in the incident that I recalled was completely disregarding both the person and the role of the principal, as well as the common good of that school. She was out of bounds and out of balance.
No question, sometimes there are abuses of authority – in the government, at work, in the Church, in volunteer organizations. And when there are, we need to address the dark side of authority that hurts or oppresses others.
Nevertheless, we need to view the role of authority positively. We need to remember that we are first under divine authority, the authority of God.
And then, for the well being of society, we need to respect those in authority and their role. We need to see them in the context of the common good.
We can and should think for ourselves, and express ourselves, and disagree if we are so inclined. But it is important that we do that balancing of our point of view and our right with respect for the person and role of authority as well as for the common good.
Authority Over
Secondly, all adults also have authority over at least someone.
I am thinking here of parents, teachers, day care providers, coaches, scout leaders, employers, pastors, government officials, and so on.
In these positions, we need to remember the divine origin of all authority.
The word “authority” comes from the Latin word “auctor” which means “author.” An “auctor” is a life-giver, one who gives life. That is why the Scripture refers to God as the “author of life.”
So, in our roles of authority, we need to be sure that we are giving and not diminishing life.
We need to build up and not tear down. We need to act for the good of others and not selfishly for our own good.
We are to be strong and yet gentle at the same time. We are to be freeing and not enslaving.
In other words, we are to imitate the Divine Authority. We see this so beautifully and clearly in Jesus himself.
Conclusion
So, a few thoughts today on a key topic – maybe a hot topic in our society.
We need to be mindful of authority – that we are under authority, and that we are called to exercise authority over.
Let’s allow the Lord and the Scripture to guide us in both of these experiences.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for January 25, 2009: Celebrating Paul's Conversion and Ours
This and That:
Celebrating Saint Paul’s Conversion – and Ours!
Last spring, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated a special jubilee year to the Apostle Paul, from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009 (feast of Saints Peter and Paul), to mark the second millennium of Paul’s birth.
Saint Paul was converted from Judaism while on his way to the city of Damascus as he was engaged in persecution of the early believers in Jesus. Known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul’s missionary travels included Asia Minor, Greece, Spain and Rome. In Rome, Paul was kept in chains and in the year 67 A.D., he was beheaded.
The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul is celebrated each year on January 25th. Since the feast falls on this Sunday during this Year of Saint Paul, Pope Benedict has encouraged us to celebrate the Feast at our weekend Masses.
Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus, who was only a few years older. But he had acquired a zealot’s hatred of all Jesus stood for, as he began to harass the Church: “...entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself was “entered,” possessed, all his energy harnessed to one goal—being a slave of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation, an instrument to help others experience the one Savior.
One sentence determined his theology: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5b). Jesus was mysteriously identified with people—the loving group of people Saul had been running down like criminals. Jesus, he saw, was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had been blindly pursuing.
From then on, his only work was to “present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me” (Colossians 1:28b-29). “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction” (1 Thes 1:5a).
Paul’s life became a tireless proclaiming and living out of the message of the cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with Christ; they are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world. They are made into a new creation, already sharing Christ’s victory and someday to rise from the dead like him. Through this risen Christ the Father pours out the Spirit on them, making them completely new.
So Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God, not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free, personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears fruit in more “works” than the Law could ever contemplate.
Our Lenten Family Fridays this year will focus on Saint Paul’s theology and how we are called to be transformed, as he was, by encountering Jesus Christ. Father Nicholas participated in a pilgrimage “In the Footsteps of Saint Paul” last summer and his presentations will be enriched by that experience. Deacon Lee, Father Nicholas and I will each share aspects of Saint Paul’s exhortation to live in Christ. Mark your calendars for the Lenten Family Fridays: February 27, March 6, 13, 20 and 27 and April 3.
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Celebrating Saint Paul’s Conversion – and Ours!
Last spring, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated a special jubilee year to the Apostle Paul, from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009 (feast of Saints Peter and Paul), to mark the second millennium of Paul’s birth.
Saint Paul was converted from Judaism while on his way to the city of Damascus as he was engaged in persecution of the early believers in Jesus. Known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul’s missionary travels included Asia Minor, Greece, Spain and Rome. In Rome, Paul was kept in chains and in the year 67 A.D., he was beheaded.
The Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul is celebrated each year on January 25th. Since the feast falls on this Sunday during this Year of Saint Paul, Pope Benedict has encouraged us to celebrate the Feast at our weekend Masses.
Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus, who was only a few years older. But he had acquired a zealot’s hatred of all Jesus stood for, as he began to harass the Church: “...entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself was “entered,” possessed, all his energy harnessed to one goal—being a slave of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation, an instrument to help others experience the one Savior.
One sentence determined his theology: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5b). Jesus was mysteriously identified with people—the loving group of people Saul had been running down like criminals. Jesus, he saw, was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had been blindly pursuing.
From then on, his only work was to “present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me” (Colossians 1:28b-29). “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction” (1 Thes 1:5a).
Paul’s life became a tireless proclaiming and living out of the message of the cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with Christ; they are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world. They are made into a new creation, already sharing Christ’s victory and someday to rise from the dead like him. Through this risen Christ the Father pours out the Spirit on them, making them completely new.
So Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God, not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free, personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears fruit in more “works” than the Law could ever contemplate.
Our Lenten Family Fridays this year will focus on Saint Paul’s theology and how we are called to be transformed, as he was, by encountering Jesus Christ. Father Nicholas participated in a pilgrimage “In the Footsteps of Saint Paul” last summer and his presentations will be enriched by that experience. Deacon Lee, Father Nicholas and I will each share aspects of Saint Paul’s exhortation to live in Christ. Mark your calendars for the Lenten Family Fridays: February 27, March 6, 13, 20 and 27 and April 3.
Blessings,
Sister Mary Therese
Weekly HOMILY for January 25, 2009: Deacon Preaching Sunday
Deacon Lee Benson preached this weekend at Father Nicholas' Masses. Father's homily will return next week.
Weekly THIS AND THAT for January 18, 2009: Affording a Catholic School Education
This and That:
Affording a Catholic School Education
On November 27, 2008 Archbishop O’Brien wrote an open letter to the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in The Catholic Review. In it he spoke of the fact that Catholic Schools are facing downward trends in enrollment with rising salary and benefit costs, resulting in continuous increases in tuitions.
The recent downturn in our national economy has collided with these pre-existing factors to create a bit of a “perfect storm” that poses a real challenge to the sustainability of many of our Catholic schools, our own parish school included. Catholic schools in other dioceses are facing similar financial challenges as a result of a sharp decline in enrollment.
Since returning from Israel, I have met with the chairs of the Parish Finance Committee, the School Finance Committee, and Ms. Brydie Ricketts, our school principal, in an effort to address these challenges and to create a way to make our Catholic School affordable for all who seek it. This same goal has and continues to be a priority of this Archdiocese.
One objective our parish Catholic School has is to fill every classroom without negatively impacting the quality of an excellent academic curriculum and the added benefit of a faith-based education. To meet this objective we recognize that some families will need financial assistance to bridge the gap between their financial resources and the cost of attending OLGS. We feel confident that we can award a tuition assistance grant to help any child attend OLGS based on demonstrated financial need.
In order to apply for Tuition Assistance, all a family needs to do is share its financial situation on a confidential basis with an outside firm called SSS (School and Student Service for Financial Aid). This firm in turn would recommend to the Tuition Assistance Committee how much assistance is needed for a family to attend OLGS.
➢ If you would like to have a child or grandchild enrolled in our Catholic School, but you do not feel you can afford the annual tuition of $5,625 for K-8th Grade and $5,425 for the five full-day option Pre-School for the 2009-2010 school year, simply ask Ms. Ricketts or me for an application form for SSS. They will ask for your financial picture including incomes, assets, and debts information.
➢ Once the application is evaluated by SSS, they will recommend to our School the amount of Tuition Assistance that could be granted, based on the household’s financial need.
➢ While the amount for financial assistance to be recommended is being considered, the enrollment application process for acceptance to OLGS would be occurring.
➢ Once the Financial Assistance grant recommendation is received, you will have a confidential meeting with me as a member of the Tuition Assistance Committee to review the recommendation.
➢ With the grant awarded and the enrollment process completed, the child is ready for school, whether it is the beginning of the next school year or entrance into a class in the middle of the year.
➢ Each year you will re-apply for financial assistance and, assuming no material changes in your financial status, a similar grant could be awarded.
It is important to remember that a current family that experiences a change in its financial situation that creates a need for assistance can also apply for financial assistance consideration. You would follow the same process as outlined above.
The following are dates to remember regarding enrollment into the Fall Semester for the 2009-2010 School Year.
➢ New Enrollments – Began December 1st
➢ Re-enrollment – February 6th
➢ Deadline for Tuition Assistance Applications – April 1st
Our School Council and School Finance Committee are working hard at a balancing act of keeping tuition affordable, while also providing our students a high-quality learning environment with the finest faculty, which requires competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain the best teachers. Ensuring full enrollment is a critical component to achieving a balanced budget and helping families with a demonstrated financial need is a top priority.
The years have witnessed a radical change in the role our Catholic schools have played. We find ourselves at a critical juncture in the history of Catholic schools, one that offers us the opportunity to meet the social, spiritual, and cultural challenges faced by parents and children, and offers us the exciting opportunity for dynamic change. Our Lady of Grace School, I am proud to say, exists to continue the tradition of Catholic education by providing a strong academic environment rooted in faith and moral values. It does not get better than that.
Therefore, I would not want families who desire a Catholic education for their children to refrain from doing so for financial reasons. Please feel free to inquire more about our Tuition Assistance Program.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Affording a Catholic School Education
On November 27, 2008 Archbishop O’Brien wrote an open letter to the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in The Catholic Review. In it he spoke of the fact that Catholic Schools are facing downward trends in enrollment with rising salary and benefit costs, resulting in continuous increases in tuitions.
The recent downturn in our national economy has collided with these pre-existing factors to create a bit of a “perfect storm” that poses a real challenge to the sustainability of many of our Catholic schools, our own parish school included. Catholic schools in other dioceses are facing similar financial challenges as a result of a sharp decline in enrollment.
Since returning from Israel, I have met with the chairs of the Parish Finance Committee, the School Finance Committee, and Ms. Brydie Ricketts, our school principal, in an effort to address these challenges and to create a way to make our Catholic School affordable for all who seek it. This same goal has and continues to be a priority of this Archdiocese.
One objective our parish Catholic School has is to fill every classroom without negatively impacting the quality of an excellent academic curriculum and the added benefit of a faith-based education. To meet this objective we recognize that some families will need financial assistance to bridge the gap between their financial resources and the cost of attending OLGS. We feel confident that we can award a tuition assistance grant to help any child attend OLGS based on demonstrated financial need.
In order to apply for Tuition Assistance, all a family needs to do is share its financial situation on a confidential basis with an outside firm called SSS (School and Student Service for Financial Aid). This firm in turn would recommend to the Tuition Assistance Committee how much assistance is needed for a family to attend OLGS.
➢ If you would like to have a child or grandchild enrolled in our Catholic School, but you do not feel you can afford the annual tuition of $5,625 for K-8th Grade and $5,425 for the five full-day option Pre-School for the 2009-2010 school year, simply ask Ms. Ricketts or me for an application form for SSS. They will ask for your financial picture including incomes, assets, and debts information.
➢ Once the application is evaluated by SSS, they will recommend to our School the amount of Tuition Assistance that could be granted, based on the household’s financial need.
➢ While the amount for financial assistance to be recommended is being considered, the enrollment application process for acceptance to OLGS would be occurring.
➢ Once the Financial Assistance grant recommendation is received, you will have a confidential meeting with me as a member of the Tuition Assistance Committee to review the recommendation.
➢ With the grant awarded and the enrollment process completed, the child is ready for school, whether it is the beginning of the next school year or entrance into a class in the middle of the year.
➢ Each year you will re-apply for financial assistance and, assuming no material changes in your financial status, a similar grant could be awarded.
It is important to remember that a current family that experiences a change in its financial situation that creates a need for assistance can also apply for financial assistance consideration. You would follow the same process as outlined above.
The following are dates to remember regarding enrollment into the Fall Semester for the 2009-2010 School Year.
➢ New Enrollments – Began December 1st
➢ Re-enrollment – February 6th
➢ Deadline for Tuition Assistance Applications – April 1st
Our School Council and School Finance Committee are working hard at a balancing act of keeping tuition affordable, while also providing our students a high-quality learning environment with the finest faculty, which requires competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain the best teachers. Ensuring full enrollment is a critical component to achieving a balanced budget and helping families with a demonstrated financial need is a top priority.
The years have witnessed a radical change in the role our Catholic schools have played. We find ourselves at a critical juncture in the history of Catholic schools, one that offers us the opportunity to meet the social, spiritual, and cultural challenges faced by parents and children, and offers us the exciting opportunity for dynamic change. Our Lady of Grace School, I am proud to say, exists to continue the tradition of Catholic education by providing a strong academic environment rooted in faith and moral values. It does not get better than that.
Therefore, I would not want families who desire a Catholic education for their children to refrain from doing so for financial reasons. Please feel free to inquire more about our Tuition Assistance Program.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
Weekly HOMILY for January 18, 2009: Father Nicholas Is on Christmas Break
Father Nicholas is on Christmas Break This Week
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