Weekly SUMMER SNIPPETS for July 2, 2012: An Easy Way to Discern God's Will

Summer Snippets:

An Easy Way to Discern God’s Will

Recently after the 5:00pm and 7:30am masses there was some interest expressed in knowing more about remarks I had made in the homily regarding knowing where God may be leading us. More precisely the question may be: “In my present situation where is God calling me? How can I know God’s will for me?”

As I look at my own life over the past few years the answer to the question seems to break down into three movements or moments to which I need to be attentive if I am to know God’s will. The first could be called a “trigger event,” the second a “desire for God” and the third “moving from one consolation to another.” A word about each.

Step 1: When speaking of a trigger event we mean any experience we encounter that jogs me into awareness. It could be positive like the birth of a grandchild or negative like a storm that destroys some of my property. What’s important is that it jars me into an awareness that I didn’t have before. As a result I may feel anxiety, a sense of joy, pleasure or sadness. Whatever it is, I’m awake in a qualitatively new way and posed for new direction in which God may be leading me.

Step 2: In the very midst of what I’m feeling, I am able to identify there a desire I have for God. It may be for God’s greater presence, for affirmation, forgiveness, support, healing or love. It is absolutely critical to recognize this. We may need to recall that it is God who plants this desire within me so I may make choices that draw me closer to him. Of course advertisers know this all too well and will develop products for sale and use language and graphics that speak of “all new,” “revolutionary,” “full satisfaction,” with promises of lasting satisfaction and fulfillment. Of course while the product does have some excellent compelling aspect, it will never slake the thirst for our desire for God. It’s a bit like sleeping when we want hunger satisfied or eating when we’re really just thirsty.

Step 3: It is recognizing this desire, as well as being clear what does and does not satisfy it, that gets us on our way closer to God. The event has gotten our attention; noticing the desire has us securing the means; now we’re ready for moving from consolation to consolation. St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, lists consolation to consolation as one of the three ways to discern God’s will for us. A few concrete examples may help. I used to enjoy a martini or a glass of red wine before dinner. It put me in a pleasant space and was the source of some pleasure. What I came to realize as I compared the drink with spending time in silent prayer is that I found the silent prayer also a pleasant space and a source of pleasure. As I compared them more I realized that the state from the prayer was clearer, cleaner, more satisfying and longer lasting. Four years ago I put all drinking aside to follow the greater consolation. While I do serve spirits when entertaining I simply don’t imbibe, treasuring the satisfaction of silent prayer instead. Three years ago I followed similar consolations regarding TV watching, reading 3^rd class mail, going to bed at 9:00 and getting up at 4:00am – all the while making more and more time for silent prayer. Following God’s consolations can be habit forming!

A few insights about how the overall process proceeds. In the gospel two Sundays ago Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as coming from within us, not as something coming to us from the outside. Furthermore it comes in stages, to use his analogy: “first the blade then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” In Jesus’ second parable of the Kingdom in that gospel he compares the mustard seed as the smallest of seeds to become the bush it grows into being the largest of trees. The point here is that as you’re led from consolation to consolation you’ll one day see this big bush of the Kingdom of God in you when compared to how small things were when you started out. But the revelation doesn’t stop there. Just as the mustard tree grows its branches, which become shade for all the birds of the air, so too in our moving from consolation to consolation we experience God’s presence, a presence which makes us more and more available to others in concrete ways.

This takes us to a final consideration. How does your movement into greater consolations make a difference in the lives of others? There is inherent in living more deeply in God that we increasingly live for others. What a joy it is to discover this as God’s will is discerned.

In summary God work is achieved – that is, drawing all to himself – by:

Ø  Allowing trigger events to get our attention to have us raise the question of our desire for God

Ø  Letting God lead with the only compass reading being “Is this giving me greater consolation that that?”

Ø  Knowing that the fruit of God’s will for me will be manifested in greater love, acceptance, forgiveness and sensitivity to others.

We are all on the cusp of God’s Kingdom growing within us. We don’t get a map that shows us the endpoint clearly. What we do get is a GPS voice along the way saying, “turn right in a quarter mile” or “make a legal U-turn” and hopefully one day, “you have arrived; your destination is on the right.”

Fondly,

Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for July 2, 2012: 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B -- Fear Is Useless; What Is Needed Is Trust

13^th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

St. Francis De Sales Parish

July 1, 2012

 

“Fear Is Useless; What Is Needed Is Trust”

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

 

Fear of the Dark

I have a confession to make. When I was a small child I had a terrible fear in going to bed at night that there was someone hiding in my bedroom.

I actually used to have to open and close every draw of my bureau and dresser, check out the closet, and look under the bed before I could go to sleep.

I remember how I believed that I couldn’t share my fear with anyone, not even my parents.

One day my mother came in on me during my regular nightly routine (demonstrate opening and closing drawers) and I had to fess up.

She suggested I close the drawers and hop into bed, so we could have a little chat. I remember it so well. She told me that to be afraid was normal and that most kids my age were afraid of the dark.

She assured me that she was always there in the house with me and that she’d never let anyone into the house at night without my knowing it. I should just trust her to keep me safe.

She then left the room and came back with two items: a little nightlight that she plugged in near my dresser and second, on top of the dresser, she put a picture of her and my father, just in case I woke up and was wondering if anyone else might be hiding in the room.

Her word and her picture to remind me made my darkened bedroom a safe place from that day on. What I learned that day is that fear is irrational and that to overcome it requires assurance and refocusing.

The House of HoHoddFear

In today’s gospel a synagogue official named Jairus asks Jesus to come and heal his daughter.

Some other people from the synagogue then report that the little girl has already died, but Jesus completely disregards the report and says to the official: “Fear is useless. What is needed is trust.”

That’s an important statement: “Fear is useless. What is needed is trust.”

 

We all live with fears: the fear of being rejected by our peers; the fear of aging, of being alone, of not having enough money; the fear of terrorism, rising oil prices, flooding, or a Flu pandemic.

Today’s gospel can help us deal more effectively with whatever fear we can name for ourselves right now.

It has been said that fear has penetrated our inner selves so deeply that it can affect us profoundly.  It can make us upset, anxious, edgy, depressed.

Fear can paralyze us. It can keep us from using our talents or expressing our thoughts.  It can even keep us from living according to what we believe is right and wrong.

 

Moving to the House of Trust

“Fear is useless,” as Jesus says, because it keeps us worrying about something that may not happen – like the stranger in my dresser doors, my closet, or under the bed, or if it does happen – such as a report from my doctor saying I have a serious malady – fear doesn’t help me prepare for that malady in a constructive way.

That’s why fear is “useless.”

We must move – psychologically and spiritually – from living in a “house of fear” to living in a “house of trust.” Remember, that to the statement “Fear is useless” Jesus quickly adds, “what is needed is trust.”

Back to my story: it was the (1) Relationship to my mother, (2) My trust in her words, (3) My visually seeing her photo that all worked together to put me in a different place, in a different house, if you will.

So I would suggest that in Jesus’ words we have a concrete way to deal with all our fears.

The concrete way is summed up in three words: relationship, trust, and seeing.

Relationship with Christ: What is the quality of my relationship with Jesus? Am I linked to him in prayer? Do I pray in good times and in bad? In secure times as well as in times of fear?

Trust in his words: Do I read scripture regularly? Do I listen to the reading of God’s word at Sunday Mass with attentiveness, knowing there is a message there for me? Do I believe that Jesus offers healing to me, as he does to those he encounters in the Gospel?

Seeing him: Do I allow myself to be part of a worshipping community? Am I vested in the life of my parish? Do I do my part in visually seeing myself as a part of the Body of Christ? Do I cultivate friendships with others who believe in Jesus?

A Two-Fold Action

The good news to us today is an insight and an assurance from Jesus himself about all the fears we face.

We will take him at his word, (1) Knowing fear is “useless” and (2) Trusting God with my life and yes, and eventually my death.

Summer Snippets: Prayer That Makes a Difference

Summer Snippets: Prayer That Makes a Difference

Last week I mentioned three ways to pray: verbal/vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. This week I would like to talk a bit more about contemplative prayer and the difference it can make in your life.

Matthew, in the sixth chapter of his gospel (verses 5-8), seems to be speaking of contemplative presence when he has Jesus say, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

There is something very powerful about going to your “inner room” and praying to your Father “in secret.” This is the sort of prayer that Jesus espoused before having to make big decisions or when needing the reassuring presence of his Father. He would leave the crowds and go off by himself to be with God. In such moments his prayer “request” was simply to rest in God’s presence. The “answer” to his prayer was a presence that uplifted, gave hope, bestowed grace. It is similar to being in the presence of someone whom we love and revere. Just resting in him or her is enough to face life’s challenges.

So what can we do to dispose ourselves to a God who is always there awaiting us? What might we do to cooperate more fully with God’s grace, with God’s drawing us?

Step 1: The first thing that I find helpful is simply to breathe gently in and out five times. Note in your breathing the muscular work of inhaling and as you do so extend your tummy, and draw in air. As your lungs fill, bend your shoulders back and raise your chin. Pause, and gather all the tension in your face, neck, shoulders and abdomen and gently relax, slowly, as all the tension drains out of you. Pause, and begin the process again. After five times you should be completely relaxed.

Step 2 is to take one of the readings of the coming Sunday and read it through slowly twice. The first time is for a general understanding of what’s being said and the second to find three or four words that “shimmer” for you, works that stand out or catch your eye. Repeat the phrase a couple of times.

Step 3 Now synchronize the short phrase to your breathing in and breathing out. Repeat it several times breathing in with half the words, breathing out with the second half of the words; in and out, in and out.

Step 4 Continue with the phrase and the breathing until you can let go of the words, being aware only of breathing in and breathing out. Once you are able to let go of awareness of the breathing, imagine yourself falling into the arms of God, or simply say, “Here I am, Lord” or “Take me Lord” or “Lord, show me your face.” To let go, use a phrase or image, whichever works better for you.

Step 5 Involves handling the distractions and thinking that are sure to come up. When moving from phrase-that-shimmers to breathing-awareness and you become distracted, simply return to the phrase linked to your breathing. Do the same thing when you are distracted by voices outside, traffic, or noise from the heating or air conditioning.

 Step 6: Once you are experiencing simple awareness, just rest in God’s presence, tasting and savoring the goodness of the Lord.

Alternatives to repeating a shimmering phrase from sacred scripture linked to breathing, you may find it easier to gaze at an icon or statue, use a phrase from a hymn or chant, or simply gaze at the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament.

I also find it very helpful to have a structure for contemplative presence, that is, a regular time of day, a specific chair or place to be still, use of a scented candle as ways to encounter God’s presence.

In summary, the possible structure could be:

Ø  1 min Grounding – Take several deep breaths and then simply notice your breathing

Ø  2 min Slow Reading of Sacred Scripture – On Mondays, use next Sunday’s 1^st reading; on Wednesdays, Sunday’s 2^nd; on Fridays, Sunday’s Gospel

Ø  5 min Sitting-in-Silence – Avoid “thinking” and instead foster “awareness.” When thinking slips in, revert to a word/phrase that shimmers, or image from the Scripture reading and repeat it in sync with breathing in order to return to awareness. When awareness has become still, ask for the grace to see God.

Fondly,

Weekly HOMILY for June 24, 2012: Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, Cycle B -- What's in a name?

Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, Cycle B

St. Francis De Sales Parish

June 24, 2012

What’s in a Name?

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

Names

Jennifer and her husband Michael just had twins.

Naturally, they learned early in the pregnancy that Jennifer was bearing twins and for some months, were considering different names for their new children.  Finally, as the day came for the twins to be born, they made their decision.

They named the first little girl Lauren – after Jennifer’s sister – and Claire after her godmother.

Michael and Jennifer gave a lot of thought to these names.  And they ended up connecting their two newborns with family member and personal friend, both of whom meant a great deal to them.

Many of you who have children have gone through the same thing.  Naming your children enables you to connect them with other family members or friends or with favorite saints or with people in your cultural heritage.

Or it enables you to select a completely new name and express your love and hope for your child in that way.  Naming your children then is a wonderful opportunity to set a course for your child.

Jewish Naming

We hear about the naming of a child in today’s gospel.

It is interesting that the Jewish custom of Jesus’ day allowed neighbors to have input into the naming.  A new child was seen as a gift not only for the family, but also for the entire village.

The Jewish custom also dictated that the first son would be named after the father or the paternal grandfather, as my brother James was named after my father’s father.  So it was natural that the villagers in today’s gospel expect this little boy to be named after his father Zechariah.

But we are told that God has some special plan for this child and this was expressed in the naming.  In fact, when the angel reveals to Elizabeth and Zechariah that they are going to have a baby, the angel also reveals to them the name – John.

So here the parents are going along with God.  Something very different is going on here.

God’s Renaming

If we look in the Scripture, we also see that God will sometimes change peoples’ names.

God renames Abram and calls him Abraham – which means “the father of many nations.”  Jesus renames Simon and calls him Peter – which means, “rock.”

In effect, God renames the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah and calls him John – which means, “The Lord has shown favor.” 

This renaming by God means that God who is the author of life is authoring new life in this person.

God is doing something special in this child and for this child.  And through this child God is also doing something new and special for all of humanity. 

It is important to note that existing human patterns and customs are put aside in the renaming.  And the message here is that people no longer need to be trapped in the identity, patterns, habits, and lifestyle that they are now in.

Simply put, this renaming by God of John and of others in the Scriptures means that a new day is dawning for humanity.  God is giving us new identity, new hope, new possibilities for human life.

Our Renaming

So also God in and through Jesus can rename us.

Jesus can break through patterns, habits, and lifestyles that trap us in a certain way.  God’s presence and life can empower us in new ways through renaming.

For example, we who are wandering without a purpose in life, we can be renamed “Visionary.”   We who hold on to a hurt that seems impossible to let go of, we can be renamed “Forgiver.”

Or we who have been excluded from the Church or family, we can now be renamed “Included.”  This can happen because of the light, love, and life of Jesus Christ.

And in turn, we are empowered by Jesus to rename others who are named “addict” or “criminal” or “alien” or whatever.  We can do this by being vehicles of the healing, constructive, positive, hopeful, and inclusive way of Jesus Christ.

We can speak a new name to others to enable them to see themselves in a new way.  We can rename others so that they will feel new worth and purpose and direction for their lives.

Conclusion

Naming and renaming – a powerful lesson and possibility this morning!

Weekly SUMMER SNIPPETS for June 17, 2012: 3 Kinds of Prayer

Summer Snippets: 3 Kinds of Prayer

Thank you one and all for the kind words of welcome so many expressed to me last weekend. I truly felt at home. It was wonderful concelebrating all the four masses with Father Chuck to get a sense of how worship flowed here and what I needed to do as celebrant to get in the flow so we’re all rowing in the same direction. Two things were immediately apparent, though I waited to make a general statement to myself until I had been to all the masses. As an assembly you folks sing well, you are very devout in your sacred gestures (e.g. hands at Lord’s Prayer, Communion procession, sharing the Sign of Peace, etc.) and you are very hospitable with many tending to linger after Mass to catch up and make new friends.

My first week “on the job” went well. I had initial meetings with pastoral team members, planned and attended a regular team meeting, and celebrated daily Mass in the stone chapel. The biggest challenge I faced was trying to get my MAC talking to the parish network so I could skype and transfer files easily. Our wonderful technology person came through with flying colors.

On Tuesday evening I lead an information night on the Personal Spiritual Deepening Program that I will be offering one Saturday a month from this July to February. There is some space still available so if anyone wants a brochure to learn more about it, simply email me directly at fathernicholasamato@gmail.com. The all-day retreat (8:00-3:00) is July 12 and the Saturday morning sessions (8:00-12:00) are on August 18, September 15, October 20, November 3, December 8, and January 12. The all-day closing retreat (8:00-3:00) is on February 9, 2013. I am pleased to say that all the gatherings will be held here at St. Francis De Sales Church.

Speaking of participative liturgies and spiritual deepening, in this weekend’s bulletin I would like to share some thoughts on prayer and why it often feels humdrum or unproductive.

Prayer can be broken down into three types: verbal/vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation. The first type is speaking prayer formulas, psalms, or singing songs with others. As examples of this prayer we might cite Mass, rosary, Divine Office and any of these shared in a group. Verbal/Vocal prayer uses the mind and the voice. Meditation uses the mind and, while it can be done in a group as in guided mediation, it is about the individual and their thoughts and imagery. There may be sharing after the mediation. Contemplation or contemplative prayer is a deeper level of prayer because it calls individuals to dispose themselves in such a way that there is little or no thinking. The goal is more a state of awareness. While awareness is a cognitive activity of the brain, it is deeper than thought. It is being in touch with something “out there” but in touch in the sense of being and openly receptive to what is out there. Think of it this way. When we are struck by the presence of a spectacular sunset or stunning rainbow that four or five seconds that holds us captive and speechless is akin to contemplative presence. Note there is no thinking going on and you and the sunset or rainbow are one – truly a unitive experience! Now the minute you begin “thinking” about the beauty before you, you also begin to loose the luster of the union. That is because you are in fact no longer one with it. In thinking about it you have separated yourself from it as the “subject thinking” with the sunset or rainbow becoming the “object thought.” The one has become two. Alas! But the good news is that you do not have to wait for the next sunset or rainbow. You can dispose yourself to receive God’s grace of presence more fully right now or in any moment. There are techniques we can learn, tools we can develop, and obstacles we can overcome to dispose ourselves to remain in the presence of God for longer periods.

We all have within us a desire to see God, to experience God’s glory. It is like having something called thirst that draws us to water, or fatigue that draws us to sleep, or hunger that draws us to food. As a way for God to get us to be drawn to living our union with God, the desire was planted in us when “we were knit in our mother’s womb.” And as you do not want to eat when you are hungry or drink when you are sleepy, your desire for God can only be satisfied by God. Unfortunately advertisers know this and present their products as little pieces of salvation, happiness, glory, etc. And because they know nothing but the divine will satisfy that hunger, they can keep coming back to us with the latest up-to-date gadget, clothing that is being peddled. I look forward to sharing life with you these three months as we fulfill our desire for God within this community of faith.

Fondly,

Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for June 17, 2012: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B -- Three Kinds of Prayer

11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

St. Francis DeSales Church, Abingdon

June 17, 2012

Being Led by God

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

The Coming of the Kingdom

Several years ago I was approaching retirement age and knew I didn’t want to keep doing what I was doing, yet I wasn’t sure where the Lord was leading me.

With the help of my spiritual director, I began looking at the things that brought me consolation and satisfaction and kept moving more and more toward them, things like: more silent time simply to reflect, noticing a desire to pray quietly without words, and becoming aware of hundreds of little things I was grateful for but overlooked.

I slowly began to realize that I was being led from the life of a pastor to a life of deeper prayer and sharing that experience with others.

It’s this mystery of where God is leading us that is the topic of today’s scripture.

The Silence of the Kingdom

In the gospel Jesus tell how it is with the Kingdom of God. “It’s as if a person scatters seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, and they know not how.”

In a similar way God’s kingdom or God’s reign is at work in us as a bit of a mystery, growing silently by an energy or grace that is beyond us.

In addition, what we experience is the emergence of small signs of that kingdom, as Jesus says of the seed, “First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”

Again somewhat mysteriously, as I fulfill my desire for God something becomes a bit more evident in my life. It’s as if a cloudy murky picture is becoming clearer and clearer.

The Growth of the Kingdom

The second image Jesus offers for the kingdom of God growing in our midst completes the picture of what is taking place in us.

He says, “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, when sown in the ground is the smallest of all the seeds of the earth, but once sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants.”

Thus what is happening within us may seem like only a miniscule effort, but one day it will flower and become full and mature.

The Attraction of the Kingdom

Finally, the full mystery is revealed: “And the mustard tree puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

Here we see that the work of grace in us is not for our sakes, just as the branches of the mustard tree are not for its own sake, but for the birds of the sky to dwell in its shade.

Thus what’s happening to us is moving us out of our own self-interest to the care, love, and support of others.

Application

The same story of the mystery of where God was leading me could be written of a mother whose young children are finally all in school freeing up her up a bit on weekdays.

How might she use those hours in reflective or reading time for inner refreshment, thus making her more available to her kids?

Or what of the individual who, because of a physical or emotional mishap, finds themselves thrown into a life that is very different from what they’ve known before?

How might they use the time to explore the quality of their own relationships, join a support group of folks with the same physical challenges, or become an advocate for people with the same struggles?

Take the spouse who’s lost their partner. How through prayer and reflection might they move through the sadness of their loss or hurt to discover new life in giving to others?

Finally, what of someone approaching retirement and wondering what to do next or asking was making money all there was?

The bottom line for each of them is that life’s circumstances have changed and that in the midst of the loss, whatever it be, you have also noticed a desire to live more deeply in God.

Conclusion

The challenge of today’s Gospel parable of the mustard seed is to pay attention to my desire for God and to where, silently and by God’s grace, God is leading me.

What is certain, Jesus assures us, is that while I follow this desire I’ll notice small steps of movement along the way and in the end my fully mature response will result in my serving others.

That’s good news for all of us, but it takes noticing and reflecting.

Weekly SUMMER SNIPPETS for June 10, 2012: "Oh, Just Thinking"

Summer Snippets:

“Oh, Just Thinking!”

He was only 12 and already he knew he was different. He enjoyed sitting in the backyard, gazing into the low-lying brush and tall standing trees, the renovated old farmhouse to his back, the woods before him. After a period of being lost in wonder, his mother, standing on the back porch, would break in, “What are you doing?” “Oh, just thinking,” he’d explain, not able to muster a more adequate explanation of his gazing. “Why don’t you pick up a book and read something? It’ll be good for you” would come the strong appeal. And so it was week after week of interruptions on his gazing.

There are many ways you might introduce yourself to people you are meeting for the first time. Often what is said in your introduction would complement or build on the other people in the group or it would center on why the group is meeting. So perhaps in a new work group you would share some of what you have done before in this regard. At a family reunion you might plug yourself into the family tree in some way, at a convention or other out of town gathering it might be where you live. Would might a priest say to the people in the parish to whom he would be ministering for three months?

I chose the opening incident from my days as a pre-teen because it had helped me understand who I am, gave me an insight into something deep within me I have always known about myself, but was never able to articulate. Second, I have come to realize that it is the same something that is within most folks that they may not have yet understood. What is it? It is the hunger we all have to experience God face-to-face. That desire fuels our efforts to worship, to learn more about God, to be drawn to folks who seem at peace and to be able to move from a deeply anchored center. So my name is Father Nicholas and I would like to introduce myself by saying that every day I have an increasing desire to love God, a desire that came to me when I was 12.

Last Sunday with its coffee and doughnuts after each Mass was a wonderful way for me to meet so many of you as we bid farewell to Father Chuck who left for a three-month sabbatical and to welcome me as the temporary administrator in his absence. Father Chuck and I are good friends and I was honored by his offer to cover the sacramental and pastoral ministry here at St. Francis de Sales until he returns the 1^st of September.

A little more of where I have been may be helpful. I was ordained in 1970 and after being both associate pastor at St. Patrick’s Cumberland and chaplain of Bishop Walsh High School, I did graduate work at Boston University and worked in the Department of Education for the Archdiocese for 13 years. With six years as pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Mt. Washington, and 15 at Our Lady of Grace, Parkton, I finally retired to lead contemplative retreats for the laity, preach parish missions, and offer days of recollection to individual groups. Two years ago I was invited to become adjunct faculty for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, D.C. In that position I am pleased to say that I co-lead a personal spiritual deepening program called “Living in God” for folks who want to experience and live out of a deep relationship with the Lord. That program, by the way, will be offered here at St. Francis DeSales beginning in July, one Saturday morning a month for seven months. More information on this can be found in the bulletin or by emailing me at fathernicholasamato@gmail.com.

A quick note of my place here at St. Francis. While I am “temporary administrator” I really see myself more as sacramental and pastoral care minister. That is only to say that the great pastoral team still remains as administrating programs and services and keeping me on track. If I can be of service to you or your loved ones, please do not hesitate to call upon me. I will also be available to greet and worship with you every weekend over the next three months.

This morning I woke up as I do every day long before sunrise to pray and reflect, sitting at the kitchen window of the rectory, the heavily forested woods lay before me. I heard my mother asking, “Honey, what are you doing?” All I could say in return was, “Mom, from your vantage point in heaven, you have to ask?” Happy gazing to each of you!

Fondly,

Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for June 10, 2012: Contracts and Covenants That Make a Difference

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Cycle B

St. Francis DeSales Parish

June 10, 2012

Contracts and Covenants That Make a Difference

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

Today’s Contracts and Covenants

Most of us have been involved in making some sort of agreement like a contract, treaty, or covenant.

                                                      

New employees often sign a contract or work agreement with their employer.  In our society, athletes sign contracts usually for gazillions of dollars to play baseball or football for a season. 

Countries often make treaties with each other to establish peace or enter into trade agreements. 

When buying a home, we sign a contract of sale and perhaps a covenant with the neighborhood association that stipulates what color of exterior paint we can use.

Old Testament Contracts and Covenant

Our experience regarding agreements helps us to appreciate similar covenants in sacred scripture.

In the Old Testament we find a basic pattern to these covenants.  Two parties bind themselves to do something, verbally or in writing and then seal the deal.

They each swear an oath to keep their side of the covenant.  Unlike covenants today that can be sealed with a handshake, Old Testament covenants were often sealed with the sacrifice of an animal. The animal was killed, the blood drained from the carcass, which was then cut in two.

Both of the contracting parties then walked between the two halves of the animal, each agreeing that a similar fate would befall them if they broke the covenant.

It may sound like a strange way to make an agreement, but remember we’re talking 3,000 years ago in a Middle Eastern culture. 

Sprinkling of Blood

In the covenant ceremony between God and God’s people in today’s first reading, the blood that is taken from the animal is sprinkled on them (demonstrate). Again, this may seem strange and even repulsive to us, but we have to remember: different time, different culture.

In the ceremony there is a real experience that God is promising never to abandon his people and the people, in turn, agreeing to obey the Ten Commandments.

These promises are signed, if you will, with the rabbi sprinkling half of the blood on the altar and the other half on the people.  The altar symbolizes God and the blood symbolizes the life of God himself.

Because blood is a life source, its sprinkling on the people offers them a real experience of sharing in God who is the origin of this red rich life source. 

And because the killing of the animal is permanent and lasting, the ceremony means that God will never stop caring for his people and his people will never turn their backs on God.

The sprinkling of blood moves the promise from a great idea up here in my reasoning mind (point to temple) to here to my experiencing heart (point to heart.)

The New Covenant

The practice of covenant in the Old Testament can help us experience Mass more fully, more deeply and in a way that can be life changing.

A quick look at how the Mass is in Jesus’ own words “the new and eternal covenant.”

For starters Jesus, as he literally hangs on the cross, makes himself the sacrifice.  No longer is an animal to be sacrificed; he sees himself as sacrificed.

Jesus then tells us to repeat this sacrifice of himself, but using bread and wine.  It is very important to see the parallels here.

As the ancient Jewish people sprinkled half of the sacrificed animal’s blood on the altar, so now we consecrate the bread and wine as Jesus’ body and blood on the altar.

And as the ancient Jewish people sprinkled the other half of the sacrificed animal’s blood on the people, so we, the people, now consume Jesus’ body and blood under the forms of bread and wine.

Altar (point to altar) people (point to people.) Our doing this gives us an actual sharing in God’s own life. 

The second reading captures the reality beautifully: “For if the blood of bulls and goats can sanctify, how much more will the blood of Christ do this for us?”

And, of course, Jesus’ sacrifice of himself on the cross is permanent, lasting, once-and-for-all-time. 

His words “the new and eternal covenant” at the Last Supper, and our repeating of them at the consecration of every Mass assure us that our relationship with God and God’s life in us will continue forever.

 

Conclusion

 

Our Catholic teaching, rooted in the Jewish Covenant, is not only something to be understood.

 

In our very eating and drinking the blood of Christ, it becomes a life-giving experience.

Weekly HOMILY for May 27, 2012: The Holy Spirit: Who? What? How?

Feast of Pentecost, Cycle B

St. Mark Parish, Fallston

May 27, 2012      

 

The Holy Spirit: Who? What? How?

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

Powdered Milk and Eggs

Back in the 1940’s, during World War II, many American soldiers were stationed on islands in the Pacific Ocean.

They lived in tents and did not have refrigerators or any conveniences at all.  The challenge was that nutritionists wanted our troops to have food like milk and eggs.

These foods obviously required refrigeration and that was not possible for our soldiers on those islands.  So, in response to this, a new form of food was developed: powdered food.

Eggs and milk were powdered, put into packages and sent to the Pacific.  Then, simply by adding water to the powder, the soldiers had eggs and milk in a form that could be served every day and without refrigeration.

Who the Holy Spirit Is

Now, it may sound strange, but the development of the powdered eggs and milk helps us to appreciate who the Holy Spirit is in our lives.

The Spirit is God with us in a new way or, you might say, under a new form.  For thirty years, God was with us in the person of Jesus, but because Jesus was truly human, his presence among us was limited in time. 

And so, if God were going to continue to be present among us, it would have to be in a new way, in a new form.  This is what Pentecost is all about. 

Pentecost marks the moment when God began to be with us not in the physical body of Jesus, but in the spiritual presence of the Holy Spirit.  Changing regular eggs and milk into a powder helps us to understand the change in the way God is present with us. 

So Pentecost marks the time when God begins to be present not as someone standing alongside us, but as someone living inside us.  This is who the Holy Spirit is.

What the Holy Spirit Does

And this leads us to the question: what does the Spirit do?

Today’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles describes the Spirit “as a strong, driving wind that was heard all through the house where the disciples were gathered.”  We all know that wind is beyond our control and perhaps that is why it tells us something of what the Holy Spirit does.

Like the wind, God is beyond our control.  The wind signifies God acting, God doing something independent of us. 

The Book of Genesis describes God’s action as a wind blowing and bringing about all of creation including human beings and human life.  Here at Pentecost, the wind speaks of God creating persons of faith and a community of faith.

So the wind, the Spirit, makes us alive in God and alive in Christ Jesus.  This is what the Spirit does even today through the sacraments and personal prayer, through the Scripture, and even through wisdom and compassion of one another.

How the Holy Spirit Affect Us

In doing this, how does the Holy Spirit affect us as persons?

Today’s reading from Acts says that “tongues as of fire appeared which came to rest on each one of them.  All were filled with the Holy Spirit.

“They began to express themselves in foreign tongues.”  In other words, the Holy Spirit enabled them to communicate with others, regardless of who they were.

The Spirit creates a restlessness within us that almost drives us – like a driving wind – to overcome divisions and hostility.  The Spirit drives us to seek oneness with others and not to rest at peace unless we have done all we can to accomplish this.

The Spirit moves us to build bridges and seek common ground with others.  This restlessness and this quest for oneness is how the Spirit affects us as persons.

Conclusion

So, who is the Holy Spirit?  The Spirit is God with and within us in a new way.

What does the Holy Spirit do?  The Spirit creates us into persons of faith and a community of faith. 

And how does the Holy Spirit affect us?  One primary way is that the Spirit moves us to experience our oneness in God with all persons.

Weekly HOMILY for May 20, 2012: The Revelation of Rock, Pebbles and Sand

Wedding Ceremony

Sean and Rebecca Ward

B-8, D-2, F-6

May 19, 2012

Holy Trinity Church, Georgetown

The Revelation of Rocks, Pebbles and Sand

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

The Mayonnaise Jar

One day a philosophy professor stood in front of his class, holding up a large one-gallon mayonnaise jar.

Without saying a word, he took out a box of rocks, each about two inches in diameter.  He carefully put as many of these rocks into the jar as it would hold.

He then asked the class if the jar was full.  The class agreed that it was.

Then, without saying a word, the professor brought out a box of pebbles.  He gently poured them into the jar, gave the jar a few easy shakes, filling the open spaces between the rocks.

Again, he asked the class if the jar was full.  And again, the class agreed that it was full.

Then, without saying a word, the professor brought out a bag of sand.  He poured the sand around the rocks and pebbles until he had emptied the entire bag; another gentle shake.

All the little spaces between the rocks and pebbles were now full.  The professor then held up the jar.

Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand

He proclaimed: “This is your life.

“The rocks are the important things you experience, things like health and family – whatever means the most to you.  The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job and your house.

“The sand is everything else, the small stuff, if you will. 

Now, consider the fact that, if you put the sand in the jar first, there will be no room for the rocks and pebbles.

“That is, if you focus on the small things in your life, there won’t be any room for the important things.  So pay attention to the things of the heart that really matter and make those your most important and lasting choices.”

Priorities in Marriage

That professor gives us all a valuable lesson today, and a lesson pitched especially for Sean and Rebecca.

ROCKS: Into the jar of your marriage, first place the solid rocks of your relationship as spouses – the qualities Sirach speaks of in describing a gracious wife and a loving husband. Such a relationship will make time for prayerful listening and heartfelt communication; it will allow for a quiet sacred space to share joy and accomplishments, as well as sadness and disappointments. 

It is such a relationship that has allowed you to first get Sean’s company off the ground and in a few years to turn to your career, Rebecca.

PEBBLES: Then, into the jar of your marriage, place the pebbles of careers, money, house, car – we can’t forget motorcycle – and country.

Realize that these material goods are very helpful in building and cementing your marriage, yet they remain the pebbles; they remain secondary.

SAND: And then, with these rocks and pebbles in the jar of your marriage, you will be able to see the sand of extra comforts and luxuries for what they are – as sand, as relatively unimportant.   

And with this perspective of sand, you will also see preferences, petty differences, disagreements and even hurts for what they are – as rather small in the larger scheme of life and as things that can be dealt let go of.

Conclusion

Sean and Rebecca, in our skyping together the past six months, I have come to believe that you already value this sense of priority. Let your vows to each other today confirm that valuing.

The gospel you chose for today admonishes spouses to “Leave father and mother to be joined as one” and it assures us that, “The two of you shall become one flesh.” That union of hearts is on-going and you have made an extraordinary beginning. 

So with these priorities of rocks, pebbles, and sand, and this gospel thought in mind, I invite you now to come forward and exchange vows that will join you to each other. 

Weekly HOMILY for May 6, 2012: 5th Sunday of Easter -- The Revelation of the Circle

5^th Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

Terranuova Hermitage

May 6, 2012

The Revelation of the Circle

(Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

 

 

The Circle

One of our early Christian writers proposed an interesting image for understanding our relationship with God and with each other.

He suggests that we imagine a perfect circle (Use arms to create a circle.) The center point is exactly the same distance from all points on the circumference or ring of the circle, say right here at my nose. 

So, no matter where you are on the circumference, you are exactly the same distance from the center.  Now make a mark on the circumference and imagine that this is you. 

Then, make a second mark and imagine that this is someone dear to you – perhaps your mother, father, husband, wife or best friend.   And then make a third mark and imagine that this is someone whom you dislike or with whom you have disagreements, politically or religiously.

Now draw a line from each of these marks or persons to the center. 

Explanation of the Circle

The Christian monk who came up with this image also explains it this way. The center point of the circle is God.  The circle itself is the world and everyone in it.

Everyone is on the circumference of the circle.  So God is equally accessible to everyone in the world.

It is we who need to move closer to God to be fully one with God and, as we do this, notice a very important point, we also move closer to one another.

Of course, we can also move away from God.  And, conversely, as we do so, we also move away from each other.

The Vine and the Branches

This image of the circle can help us appreciate Jesus’ image today where he says: “I am the vine, you are the branches.”  So Jesus is like a grapevine, something like the center of the circle.

We are the branches on that vine, something like the people on the circumference of the circle.  Jesus is in the same relationship with all of us.

As in the circle, he is equally close to all of us.  What we need to do is to “remain” in him, that is, move closely to the center. 

In the gospel passage, he uses the word “remain” seven times so it is a very important thing to do.

He says, “Remain in me, as I remain in you.  Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.”  

1. Remain

So first we need to “remain” in Jesus. It is something like the person on the circumference or ring of the circle needing to draw closer to the center, to God. 

There are a number of things we can do to “remain” in Jesus.

For example, receiving Holy Communion, as so many of our children are doing for the first time today on these Sundays of Easter, and as we do every Sunday.

Praying personally on our own is also a very important way to “remain.” Whether it is dedicating the day to God, asking God’s help when we wake up in the morning, thanking him before we go to bed at night, or simply sitting in God’s presence are all very good ways to “remain.”

They help us “remain” in Jesus and allow him to “remain” in us and they are ways to move closer to the center of the circle.

2. Bear Fruit

A great insight here is that as we “remain” in Jesus, we also begin to “bear fruit,” as the branches on a grapevine do.

The image of the circle helps us to see more clearly what “bearing fruit” really means: we see ourselves in relation to others, to all of God’s children in the world, moving closer together as we move to the center.

And in a similar way the branches of a grapevine are all connected and are all related through the vine.

We are connected to one another through God – in the image of the circle.  So, the “fruit” that Jesus wants us to bear is: respect for one another, helping those in need, working for peace and reconciliation, building bridges and seeking common ground among people.

Conclusion

Our “remaining” in Jesus, like the branches on the vine, or our drawing closer to God as the center of the circle, draws us closer to one another.  It makes us aware of how connected we are.

It moves us to live out of this relationship and, as Jesus says, “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and be my disciples.”