The Administrator cometh

On Sunday Sacred Heart parish in Virden and St. Patrick parish in Girard will welcome the Diocesan Administrator, the Reverend Monsignor Carl A. Kemme, a native of Shumway.

Although I took canonical possession of my parishes this past September 15th, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, he will install me as Pastor in a public way.

Monsignor Kemme will introduce me to the parish (though they've already briefly met me) and will hand me the keys to the church (I think). I believe Bishop Lucas' letter of appointment will be read, after which I will make the profession of faith:

I, Daren J. Zehnle, with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one god, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of god, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the Church - whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal magisterium - as divinely revealed and calling for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same Church definitely with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the college of bishops enunicate when they exercise the authentic magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.

I will proclaim the Gospel and Monsignor Kemme will preach, explaining the office of a pastor and the meaning of the rites.

After his homily, I will renew the promises I made on the day I was ordained. Monsignor Kemme will address certain questions to me, to which I will respond affirmatively:

My dear brother, in the presence of the people whom you are about to receive into your care, I ask you to renew the promises you made at your ordination.

Are you resolved that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit you will without fail live up to your responsibility to be the faithful co-worker of the order of bishops in shepherding the flock of the Lord?

R/. I am.

Are you resolved that in praise of God and for the sanctification of the Christian people you will celebrate the mysteries of Christ devoutly and faithfully, and in accord with the tradition of the Church?

R/. I am.

Are you resolved that in preaching the Gospel and teaching the Catholic faith you will worthily and wisely fulfill the ministry of God's word?

R/. I am.

Are you resolved that you will bind yourself ever more closely to Christ, the high priest who for us offered himself to the Father as a spotless victim, and that with Christ you will consecrate yourself to God for the salvation of your brothers and sisters?

R/. I am.

Do you promise respect and obedience to [the Diocesan Bishop and his successors]?

R/. I do.

May God who has begun this good work in you bring it to fulfillment.

After I renew my promises, Monsignor Kemme may lead me to around the church to the principle locations of the church: the chair, the tabernacle, the baptismal font and the confessional.

At some point I will also place my hands upon the Book of the Gospels and renew the Oath of Fidelity:

I, Daren J. Zehnle, on assuming the office of pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Virden, Illinois, and of Saint Patrick Parish, Girard, Illinois, promise that I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church whether in the words I speak or in the way I act.

With great care and fidelity I shall carry out the responsibilities by which I am bound in relation both to the universal church and to th particular church in which I am called to exercise my service according to the requirements of the law.

In carrying out my charge, which is committed to me in the name of the church, I shall preserve the deposit of faith in its entirety, hand it on faithfully and make it shine forth. As a result, whatsoever teachings are contrary I shall shun.

I shall follow and foster the common discipline of the whole church and shall look after the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, especially those which are contained in the Code of Canon Law.

With Christian obedience I shall associate myself with what is expressed by the holy shepherds as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith or established by them as the church's rulers. And I shall faithfully assist diocesan bishops so that apostolic activity, to be exercised by the mandate and in the name of the church, is carried out in the communion of the same church.

May God help in this way and the holy Gospels of God which I touch with my hands.

Monsignor Kemme will be present at the 8:15 a.m. Mass in Virden and at the 10:00 a.m. Mass in Girard for this rite.

I know some of my new parishioners are readers of this blog; would any you like to take pictures for me?

The past week

As you can probably tell by the recent lack of posts, this past week has been a busy blur.

After soccer practice Friday evening about thirty of the high school students came to the rectory to help load my personal effects onto the trailers and into the trucks that would take me to Virden the next day.

It took about three hours to get everything loaded, most likely simply because there were too many of us there to coordinate things well and I hadn't planned on so many (you'd think I might've learned after Monday's turnout...).

Typically in such situations you end up, as it were, with too many chiefs and not enough indians; we had too few of either but plenty of jesters. Toward the end it became a bit hectic, but I'm glad so many came to help.

Saturday morning I celebrated my last Mass at St. Anthony's as Parochial Vicar. After Mass, one of the parishioners gave me a farewell gift of delicious chocolate chip cookies.

That morning the soccer team played against Mater Dei high school at Bulldog Field. The boys played the best game I've seen them play eventhough they lost 1-3.

The boys came onto the field wearing wristbands made from atheletic tape with an overlapping D and Z on them in imitation of my initials they found on a wax seal they found when helping to pack my things. I was very touched and knew then they intended to play that game for me. I was humbled and proud.

Just before the game, they presented me with a ball bearing each of their signatures and jersey numbers. It was a most fitting gift.

After the game we hopped into the vehicles and made our way to Virden after a mostly uneventful drive. Twelve students accompanied me and three others met us in Virden that evening.

It took only one hour to unload the trucks and trailers, much to my surprise. I concelebrated Mass with Father Sperl at 5:30 and joined the parishioners afterwards for a potluck dinner to thank Father Sperl for his ministry over twenty-six years and to welcome me.

The parishioners welcomed me very warmly and were very hospitable to the students who came to help me move. It was a good and relaxing evening and I look forward to meeting more of the parishioners in the coming days and weeks.

The students and I returned to the rectory and continued unpacking for a bit before retiring for the night.

I celebrated Mass at 8:15 Sunday morning and then continued unpacking. That day happened to be the parish's annual fried chicken dinner so my helpers and I attended the dinner and enjoyed a delicious meal. I was really impressed with the food and the organization of the event.

After more unpacking we left for Effingham so they could finish their homework.

The priests of the Diocese gathered in Effingham this week for their annual convocation, which concluded this morning.

I am now in the rectory in Virden and have spent a good part of the evening unpacking my library; I still have a way to go.

In the morning I have to make an unplanned and quick return to Effingham to pick up some drycleaning I forgot to pick up before I left this afternoon. I'll also pack up some Christmas decorations that I intended to pick up Sunday afternoon.

In the afternoon I'll meet with my secretary and see where our conversation leads.

Saturday I will be in Springfield teaching a class on the Creed for the lay ministry formation program and Sunday morning the Diocesan Administrator will come to install as pastor of these two parishes.

Hopefully next week will be a bit slower than this week.

Eight years later

The time is near

This past Monday afternoon the high school students did an excellent job packing up most of my things and placing them in the garage in preparation for the loading of the trucks that will take place this evening following soccer practice (and maybe a quick bite to eat).

I still have a few things to finish packing this morning, but all is well underway. My furniture (a bedroom set, two bookcases, two chairs and a couple of side tables) will be loaded this evening, as well.

In the morning I will celebrate my final Mass here as the Parochial Vicar. The soccer team has a match here later in the morning. After the game, we will hop in the trucks and make our way to Virden. Several of the students will be accompanying me to help unload the trucks and unpack the boxes to help me get settled in as quickly as possible; I'm one of those sorts that does not function well with clutter and needs to be at least somewhat settled in.

Yesterday and today I feel rather in a daze, with much to do but uncertain what should be done first and when. My mind and emotions are mixed on this last full day here in this parish.

Food, and the presence of God

With the recent and delightful news that Fr. Leo Patalinghug of Grace Before Meals, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney and who very kindly links to my blog, defeated the Iron Chief Bobby Flay in a recent episode of the Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay, I can't help but offer a small reflection on food and the presence of God.

Wednesday afternoon I was making a batch of the Roman speciality sauce all amatriciana - very simple and wonderfully delicious - for the soccer team's pasta night that evening.


I had been in the kitchen for some time preparing the sauce when our housekeeper came into the kitchen and said, "It smells delicious in here!"

I was a bit struck by her words because at the time I did not notice the smell; I had simply grown accustomed to it and noticed it no longer. To remedy this I went upstairs for a moments and when I returned to the kitchen the delicious scent could not be missed. She was right. Pancetta, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper: what's not to like?

Prayer and our recognition of the presence of God in our lives is often like this. Sometimes we grow "used" to God's presence, we grow "used" to the "routine" of prayer and do not notice its effects, until we step outside of God's presence or stop praying. Then, once we enter back in, we realize what we had all the while but did not notice.

Let of each of us, then, not stay out of the kitchen, but hop right in.

Congratulations, Fr. Leo!

Here's something you don't hear everyday

Reuters is carrying an interesting story about a carrier pigeon delivering data faster than the Internet in South Africa.

And here I thought carrier pigeons were extinct; I wonder which bird I've confused it with (and it isn't the dodo). I wonder if it's possible to acquire a few carrier pigeons to use here.

A day of labor, indeed

As the chaos of the past week and a half comes - thankfully - to an end, the chaos of the next few days begins.

I am glad to report that I have been able to rest the past couple of days and have happily slept through the last two nights, something I hadn't done in about a week.

After celebrating a funeral Mass late this morning, I set to work for an afternoon of packing my belongings in preparation for my move to Virden this Saturday. About fifteen of the high school students came to help.

I was a bit surprised by the number of them, and very grateful, especially considering most of them stayed for the four hours I had planned to use for packing.

We started off really well and kept basically organized, but there were only about six of them at first. Some of them I put to work in my office and packed it they did. They packed more of it than I intended, but all is well and will save me more work later. The others I set to work in my library and we now have that nearly finished.

As the afternoon moved along and more students came to help the more disorganized we became. I really did not expect so many helpers all at the same time; I expected them to be coming and going throughout the day. I felt rather overwhelmed as several of them would ask me at the same time what else they could pack or sort. Their willingness to help either shows their affection for me, or their readiness to be rid of me ;)

I still have to pack my electronic equipment (television, stereo, computer, etc.) and clothes, and a few other odds and ends that I'm not quite sure how to pack. I also have a "junk drawer" or two to sort through (don't we all?) and a closet to go through that has things in it I'm not sure I've set eyes on since I arrived here four years ago.

All of the packed boxes have been moved to the garage and are ready to be loaded onto the trucks and trailers Friday afternoon.

I'm amazed at the generosity of the students. Of all things they could have been doing on a beautiful afternoon free of school, they chose to spend it helping me pack. I'm also amazed at the speed with which they can work, when they put their mind to it.

Tomorrow morning I will drive to Springfield to concelebrate the funeral Mass for my Pastor's father. Afterwards I will return to Effingham for a bit of packing and a soccer game.

I'm not sure how much blogging will be done during the remainder of the week. If I don't post much, know that it is because I'm packing and saying farewell and not because I'm abandonging the blog.

Your prayers, as always, are humbly requested.

A lesson relearned

...or just what the Dr ordered (a little tribute to Rocky and Bullwinkle).

Last night around eighty high school students turned out for the Bring Your Own Dr Pepper party thrown as a farewell bash. I had more fun last night than I've had all week. It was a much needed night.

I don't believe I've ever seen quiet as many empty Dr Pepper cans in one place before and I've certainly never played Apples to Apples with so many people all at once.

The party began a little after 7:00 p.m. and ended about 10:30 p.m.; many of the students had sporting events early this morning and I couldn't have stayed up any longer if I tried.

Those three hours reminded me that even though is much on my plate, as it were, right now, I can only do one thing at a time.

Over the course of the week I failed to carve out time simply for fun, though I daresay I've no idea how I could have it in anywhere if I had tried.

Pliny the Younger once said:

As in my life, so in my studies, I consider it most fitting for a true man to mingle and mild and cheerful spirit with my more serious mood, so that seriousness should not fall away into melancholy nor jest into mere license. Guided by this principle, I now and then interupt my more serious work with jollity and play.

I neglected jollity and play and began to feel quite overwhelmed. It is a lesson I hope I don't soon forget.

So, I'm living life right now one Mass at a time. I've celebrated two Masses already today and will celebrate one more in a couple of hours. Tomorrow I will celebrate three Masses and Monday it looks as though I will celebrate two Masses, as well as on Tuesday (though I'm not concerned about Tuesday).

If you've done the math, you'll see that over the span of three days (Saturday, Sunday and Monday), I will celebrate eight Masses (one Saturday and one Monday Mass, two funerals, three Sunday Masses and one memorial Mass on Sunday night).

Hence, I have two Masses down and six to go.

Funeral arrangements for Mr. Enlow

My dear friends,

We announce with profound regret the death Friday, September 3, 2009, in Effingham, Illinois of:

Mr. Leo Joseph Enlow, Sr.

Father of the Reverend Monsignor Leo Enlow, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Effingham, Illinois.

Visitation will be at Staab Funeral Home, 1109 South 5th Street, Springfield , Illinois, on Monday, September 7, 2009 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. A prayer service will be at 3:30 p.m.

The Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be at Blessed Sacrament Church, 1725 South Walnut Street, Springfield, Illinois, on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Priests wishing to concelebrate should be present by 10:30 a.m.

Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois. Funeral luncheon will follow at K of C #364 Hall, 2200 South Meadowbrook Road, Springfield, Illinois .

Please remember Mr. Enlow in your prayers and also invite the prayers of your people for him.

Requiescat in pace, Amen!

Reverend Monsignor Carl A. Kemme
Diocesan Administrator

From one extreme to the other

This morning my day began at 6:40 a.m. with the ringing of the telephone.

"Good morning, St. Anthony's," I answered rather groggily, fearing news of yet another funeral.

The voice on the other end asked, "Is anyone in the office yet?"

"No," I answered, with no small trace of irritation and frustration - and even a bit of anger - in my voice. "It isn't even seven o'clock."

"Okay," came the reply, and the caller hung up. Thus I expected nothing less than an absolutely miserable day, and the first few hours of the day did not disappoint this expectation, leaving me to wonder what else could go wrong in one day. But thanks be to God the day improved remarkably once I made my First Friday visits.

One of the women I visit is a dear friend and a tremendous woman of faith and prayer. As we said our goodbyes she reached to the table by her chair and handed me a small prayer book. As she did so she told me she wanted me to have it and opened it to a page with two signatures. When I read the signatures I was left quite speechless and unbelievably grateful.

The second of the signatures reads, "+ John Cardinal Cody, Archbishop of Chicago." The second reads,

"All for Jesus

M Teresa, MC"

Many years back she attended a conference at which Blessed Teresa of Calcutta spoke. She asked the then-living saint to sign her prayerbook and she did.

The day can now only get better. I will soon try to finish the first of three funeral homilies and then have the oil changed in my car before soccer practice. After soccer practice some of the players and I will go out for dinner before a long awaited party.

When I first announced my transfer, one of the senior soccer players told me he was going to have a BYODP (Bring Your Own Dr Pepper) party for me at his house and we would play Apples to Apples and other such games and have a great time. His parents consented and he is hosting it tonight; many of the high school students plan to attend as a farewell bash. It should be a hoot.

Resquiescat in pace

This afternoon about 3:10 p.m. my pastor's father fell asleep in Christ surrounded by his children. I was privileged to have returned to the rectory just before he died and was with him and his family at the end.

He is a good man, filled with much love and humor, and will be very much missed.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Funeral update

We now have five funerals in seven days.

Lord, help us!

This morning I learned of the unexpected death of another of our parishioners, who likely be buried on Monday or Tuesday. She was one of those I visited on First Fridays. Please keep her, and her family, in your prayers.

I told the Pastor of her death and mentioned that I thought next week would be as bad as this week. He replied, "It can't be." I hope he's right.

I'm not sure who the patron saint is of overly stressed and exhausted clergy, but I suspect Saint John Vianney will certainly be happy to intercede for us. Please ask him to pray for us.

Pray that we remain calm and are filled with the strength to see to our duties and to provide pastoral care for our people. Pray that my pastor can be of comfort to his siblings as they grieve for their father, who remains with us this morning. Pray that I will be able to pack my belongings by Friday afternoon.

Papal Prayer Intentions for September

Throughout the course of this month, please remember these intentions of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI:

General: That the word of God may be better known, welcomed and lived as the source of freedom and joy.

Mission: That Christians in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, who often meet with great difficulties, may not be discouraged from announcing the Gospel to their brothers, trusting in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

A Prayer for Priests

Lord Jesus, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and living perpetually among us through Your Priests, grant that the words of Your Priests may be only Your words, that their gestures be only Your gestures, and that their lives be a true reflection of Your life.

Grant that they may be men who speak to God on behalf of His people,and speak to His people of God. Grant that they be courageous in service, serving the Church as she asks to be served.

Grant that they may be men who witness to eternity in our time, travelling on the paths of history in Your steps,and doing good for all.

Grant that they may be faithful to their commitments, zealous in their vocation and mission, clear mirrors of their own identity, and living the joy of the gift they have received.

We pray that Your Holy Mother, Mary,present throughout Your life,may be ever present in the life of Your Priests. Amen

What a week!

...and it isn't half finished yet.

Sunday afternoon the parish hosted an open house for me to allow the parishioners to wish me well before things became too chaotic (for which I am very grateful now).

The above picture was taken before the last 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass I celebrated in the parish. The lector and I must have just exchanged a humorous comment when the picture was taken.

It was a very touching afternoon, filled with many tears and much laughter. I will miss this parish immensely. You can see a few pictures from the reception here.

With the preaching of my farewell homily at two Masses prior to the farewell reception, the day was very emotional and quite exhausting. The day ended with dinner with two families followed by the beginning of my packing.

Three of the high school students came by to help begin packing my library. After an hour and a half of packing, we were almost halfway through my books. Another group of students and I worked a bit more on the books last night and tonight, and are now almost finished with my books; I think we have only the ones in my office left. The books are requiring a lot more boxes than I anticipated. The students have proven both good company and good helpers, and for their generous help I am very grateful.

As all of this was happening, the health of my pastor's father continued to decline. Today he was placed in hospice care and is with us in the rectory, together with my pastor's immediate family, who have been with us for several days now. Please keep his father, and all of them, in your prayers. His family is a delight and it is always good to have them here, even in these difficult days.

I taught my pastor's classes at the high school Monday and Tuesday and had a funeral yesterday, as well. He has a funeral tomorrow and I have another funeral on Saturday while he has two weddings that day.

I wish that there was more I could do to ease his schedule, but I'm not sure what else I can do, since I have my own pressing duties to attend to. You might be able to guess that these past few days have been filled with much chaos, as the exceptional circumstances are tended to at the same time as the usual daily work.

Consequently, we are both very tired and, at least for me, a bit stressed. I've slept precious little the past three nights and have had only a few moments of "down time" each day. I'm in need of a holiday, but cannot possibly take one. Please keep me also in your prayers.

I leave the parish next week Saturday and hope to be able to find time to pack up my belongings before then... At the rate things are going that seems less and less likely, but it must be done.

On a happier note, a much awaited package arrived for me on Monday from the land of rainbows:

Inside the box were contents that really brightened my day:

Pineapple shortbread cookies! Thank you, Sarah!!!

Victory!

Last night we had our first non-tournament soccer match of the season. I'm delighted to say that Vandalia Vandals fell to the St. Anthony Bulldogs on Bulldog Field. Well done, boys!

Our coach wrote up the following for the local newspaper:

The St. Anthony High School Soccer Team hosted the Vandalia High School Vandals in Varsity and Junior Varsity soccer matches.

In the Varsity game the Bulldogs opened scoring when Riley Westenforf passed to Doug Field who then passed it back to Westendorf who placed an outside shot into the corner of the goal. St. Anthony led 1 - 0 until about the 15:00 minute mark when Doug Field placed a "direct, free kick" past the waiting Vandalia goal keeper. The free kick was awarded after a Vandalia player pushed off a St. Anthony player. The foul resulted in a 2 - 0 lead for St. Anthony.

Riley Westendorf scored again on a cross from Michael Kabbes when the ball deflected off of a Vandalia player. Vandalia then posted their first goal when a St.. Anthony player accidentally stopped the ball with his hand inside their penalty box. When a team commits a foul or hand-ball inside their own penalty box, a penalty kick is awarded to the opposing team. The ball was placed 12 yards from the goal and it was one vs one, Codey Norris (Vandalia) vs Gary Hanner(St. Anthony). Codey Norris shot a driving shot to Gary Hanner's right side which was too much for the senior goal keeper.

St. Anthony later added three more goals from John Kay, Michael Kabbes, and Aaron Wall to end the match St. Anthony 6, Vandalia 1.

The Junior Varsity Match was an evenly matched bout between the same schools. St. Anthony was able to squeak out another victory for the JV squad led by sophomore Ryan Willenborg and Junior, Hayden Esker.

St. Anthony's next match is this Thursday at 4:30 Varsity and 6:00 Junior Varsity against East Richland. Come out and support the 2009 St. Anthony Soccer Team.

Sometimes I should pay more attention

Last evening I began the tedious process of packing my earthly belongings in preparation for my move to Virden on September 12th, beginning with my library.

As I promised the high school students when I first told them of my transfer, I am offering church service hours to those who help me pack. Three of the students took me up on the offer last night.

We packed books for about an hour and a half and are only half-way through the books in my library. I still have other books in my sitting room and in my library. It seems I am going to need for boxes for books that I anticipated.

I would have liked to pack my library last, but I need a place to put boxes once I begin packing my living quarters and the library seemed the best place in the rectory to do so.

Yesterday afternoon the Pastor asked me to take his classes today with the seniors so he could be with his family. I happily agreed. Today I am to cover the first chapter of their textbook. Since I have a copy of the book I told him I would not need his book.

I thought I had the book on my shelf in my office. I know that I did at one time, but I must have sometime moved it into the my library in the rectory. Naturally enough, when I went looking for it a few minutes ago I found that I must have packed it last night. Oops!

Fortunately, the Pastor left his book on the floor in his office where I easily spotted it. I have made a copy of the first chapter and am now ready for class.

Homily - 30 August 2009

The Twenty-second Sunday of the Year
The Day of Prayer for the Election of a Bishop
Farewell Address to St. Anthony of Padua Parish

Dear brothers and sisters,

If the course of my life – in its many joys and sorrows and successes and failures – has taught me anything, it has taught me this: the Lord will never abandon his people.

It is this confidence in the Lord’s loving care for his faithful ones that has helped me to abandon myself to the Lord’s will time and again throughout the heartaches and pleasures of life.

It is this same confidence in his grace and mercy that enabled me to abandon myself to his will on the day I was ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. It is this same confidence in his providential care that has made me able to abandon myself again to his will as I prepare to receive the office and duties of a pastor this coming September 15th.

The abandonment of ourselves to the will of God must often be done again and again. Once is rarely enough; rather, a daily – and even hourly – abandonment of our will to his must be made if we are to grow in holiness so that we might know lasting joy and peace.

We may not always understand the Lord’s ways, but we do not need to understand his ways all of the time, because of the confidence we have in him. We know that his ways always lead to our good. If we but trust him, his plans always lead us to himself and to our growth in faith, hope and love.

My dear friends, when I was ordained to the priesthood, the Lord anointed me – as he does all his priests – through the hands of then-Bishop Lucas, “to bring glad tidings to the poor,” to those whose hearts yearn for the truth, for the love of God (Isaiah 61:1). He sent me first here to you; now he sends me to announce these same tidings to another flock.

I have told you before that that these past four years among you have been filled with many joys and blessings. I cannot adequately express my affection for you or my heartfelt gratitude for all you have done for me.

I have grown these past four years in ways I would never have imagined or thought possible. My faith has deepened as I witnessed your faith and known your love. Thank you for being patient with me and for the many ways you have supported and encouraged me in my ministry to you. May the Lord reward you for your kindness!

To those whom I have offended, for whom I did not offer adequate pastoral care, I beg your forgiveness and prayers. I am sorry for my personal failures and flaws, and I ask you not to hold them against the Lord or his Church. I seek to be his humble instrument and sometimes my sin and pride get in the way of his grace. Please, forgive me and pray for me that by his grace the Lord will correct my flaws to use me more and more for his glory.

Looking back over these years, I can only sigh a prayer of humble thanksgiving to God for having placed me here among you. This parish will always hold a special place in my heart.

I am indebted to Monsignor Enlow. He has been, for many years now, a trusted advisor, a wise and learned mentor, a brother in Christ and a friend. I will miss his counsel and his faithful sidekick, Molly, who lay under my desk as I penned these words.

To the parish staff and the various councils, I must also express a word of gratitude. I have learned much from them about the day-to-day affairs of a parish and they have tolerated my ignorance and forgetfulness on more than one occasion, always with much support and encouragement.

But to the youth of the parish I am especially indebted, and to them I wish to address a few words.

From the outset of my arrival you have welcomed me not only as a priest, a spiritual father, but also as a brother and a friend. My ministry among you has borne much fruit because of your openness and your willingness to be challenged by me and to challenge me both in my attempts to explain the faith to you and to grow in my own life of prayer. For this, and for your friendship, I am deeply grateful. I ask you to welcome Father Joseph, who will soon come to take my place, as you welcomed me.

My dear young friends, with your zest for life, with your idealism and enthusiasm, the field of your souls is ripe! The Lord wants to use you, to use your energy, your excitement, and your overflowing love, to bring his Gospel to all people. What is more, the Lord Jesus thirsts for your love even as you thirst for his!

Always acknowledge this thirst, this yearning for something more, this desire for meaning and contentment in life. You will only find it fulfilled in the love of God! Do not look to the things of this world that promise to satisfy but never do! Look instead to the figure of Crucified Love who calls out to you, “Remain in my love” (John 15:9)!

The commandments of the Lord are not given you to stifle your freedom or to keep you from the things that make you happy, but so that his “joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). In Christ alone - and in his plan for your life - will you find that which will satisfy the deepest desires of your heart. Do not be afraid to abandon yourselves to him! He has never disappointed or abandoned me, and he will never disappoint or abandon you! If you abandon yourself to him he will give you all that you seek! Trust in him, and draw close to him as to a dear friend.

Dear brothers and sisters, the great playwright and poet William Shakespeare once wrote, “parting is such sweet sorrow.”[1] The sorrow of parting is sweet because it calls to mind the love that has been shared in the meeting. Such a sweet sorrow cannot but remind us of the many blessings the Lord has given us, filling us with gratitude even as we prepare to part ways.

I hope that all I have done here among you – the classes I have taught, my time with the athletic teams, dinners here and there and everything else – has always led you here, to the altar of God. It is here the Lord will satisfy the desires of our hearts. As we are nourished with his Body and Blood he calls us his friends and unites us all together in him. In this way, whatever the physical distance between us, we are always very near to one another at the altar of God.

I do not wish to say “Good bye” to you because it seems too final. Rather, with a heart welling up with gratitude, in the words of Bilbo Baggins, I bid you a very fond farewell, trusting the Lord will bring our paths to cross again.

Until that day, my friends, I beg you to pray that the Lord’s “hand may be always with [me], and that [his] arm will make [me] strong” (Psalm 89:21). Pray that the Lord equip me “for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). But above all, pray that I will be a good, holy and zealous pastor of the Lord’s flock that will soon be entrusted to you.

Until we meet again, “may the Lord be with you always and, wherever you are, may he be with you always.”[2] Amen!

[1] William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2.
[2] Saint Clare of Assisi, Blessing 13.

I need your help

This evening one of our high students called me to debate with him and another student about free will, determinism and the problem of evil. We had a good conversation but I can't seem to explain free will and God's omniscience well to him.

He does not accept free will and calls himself a determinist. He is also very open to reading books on this subject and has a good, intellectual mind. Can you recommend any books on these topics, particularly that address free will and God's knowledge?

Thanks!

Day of Prayer for the Election of a Bishop

The Reverend Monsignor Carl Kemme, Administrator of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, has designated this weekend as days for prayer for the election of a new Bishop.

Lord God,
you are our eternal shepherd and guide.

In your mercy
grant your Church in Springfield in Illinois a shepherd
who will walk in your ways
and whose watchful care will bring us your blessing.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

A weekend tournament

This weekend St. Anthony High School hosts a soccer tournament, beginning this afternoon and lasting through tomorrow evening.


The schedule is as follows:

Friday

:

4:30 p.m.: Greenville vs. Salem

6:00 p.m.: St. Anthony vs. Lincoln

Saturday:

10:00 a.m.: St. Anthony vs. Mt. Carmel

11:20 a.m.: Altamont vs. Salem

12:40 p.m.: Lincoln vs. Greenville

2:00 p.m.: Mt. Carmel vs. Altamont

3:30 p.m.: Third Place Game

5:00 p.m.: Championship Game

I fully expect our boys to do well in this tournament. They have worked hard this summer and are in much better shape to play - both physically and mentally - than I've seen them before.


Facebook statuses clearly show the boys are playing this weekend for Coach K and they'll be wearing wristbands in his memory.


I'm very proud of them and wish them well.


If you're in the area and are free, please come out and cheer us on!

Two links

Canonist Ed Peters considered if the late Senator Kennedy should be accorded a Catholic funeral.

A minor friar considers what should happen at the end of a confession.

The last two days

When I awoke this morning I had every intention of posting something insightful about Saint Monica, but the day got away from me and now - to be quite honest - I don't quite feel like doing it, with no disrespect meant to the mother of the Doctor of Grace.

Instead, I'll give you a recap of yesterday and today.

After celebrating Mass yesterday morning, I saw to a few details at the high school and then drove to the See City to meet with the director of the Office for Human Resources. She talked with me about hiring employees, the safe environment program and other such details. It was a good visit and she offered some helpful suggestions.

On an aside, "human resources" is a phrase I've never liked. People are not "resources;" they are people, and should be treated as such. Such an office would be better titled the Office for Personnel, or some such thing.

After meeting with her I met with my "Pastor Mentor." He is a good friend of mine and a former pastor who will meet with me periodically as I take up my first pastorate to listen to me and to offer his advice and guidance. It is a relationship that I look forward to deepening over the years.

I around in Springfield a bit for herbs de Provence. I want them so I can try a chicken in a lemon cream sauce over a pasta but, sadly, could not find them in Springfield. I suppose I'll have to look online.

I returned to Effingham in time for soccer practice. We spent much of it preparing the field for our first game tomorrow evening in our weekend tournament. We painted one of the goals an electric neon green, at the insistence of the players:

When they first talked about it I wasn't sure what I thought of it, but seeing it I really liked it.

After practice I wrote a few thank you notes and went to bed.

After Mass this morning I had a radio interview about a variety of topics.

When I returned to the office I wrote a few more thank you notes saw to a few arrangements to my trip to Rome in October for the canonization of Father Damien.

I visited with a parishioner for a while who wanted to see me before I move to Virden. After our visit I had lunch with two other parishioners who wanted to see me.

I returned to the office for more thank you notes and correspondence and I briefly touched base with the priest who will take my place here to give him two weddings on my docket.

At soccer practice we learned that we, unfortunately, had to paint our goals white and so we lost the green color about which we were all excited.

Since we play our first game of the season tomorrow, some of the parents hosted a pasta night for us which I followed with a brief meeting with a couple seeking to be married.

They've been two full days one after another.

Tomorrow, I hope to write my homily for the weekend and take a bit of a quiet day.

Another day in the life of this priest

The return of the academic year has left me thus far little time at the computer, as you might have noticed by the lack of posts in recent days.

Yesterday, for example, I taught three classes of juniors about the Eucharist after celebrating the 6:30 a.m. Mass. I'm happy to say that the students - for the most part - listened well and asked good questions. I enjoyed the classes quite a bit.

There was an open period between two classes so I ran an errand and worked on thank you notes in the high school office.

After my last class I went outside to help one of our teachers grill hot dogs and hamburgers for some of the students to eat at lunch.

During lunch the chess club - which I sponsor - met for a good game of Chess 4.

As I was about to leave the high school to return to the parish office after lunch, I was called into a study hall to play another four-way game of chess. It was an invitation I was happy to accept.

Unfortunately, I was easily distracted during the game visiting with students and was knocked out of play rather early. I then made my way to the parish office to do a bit of working before lifting weights.

In the weight room I had a good conversation with a couple of students about stresses and strains in relationships with parents, especially as children grow older and desire more freedom and independence, even as mothers particularly still want to nurture their children and not let go. We also talked about the way things are said and the way things are heard.

Afterwards it was time for soccer practice, followed by a quick dinner.

I then attempted to go to a meeting of the Board of Education, which was held in the new grade school. I could enter the lobby of the school, but since entrance to the office requires an electronic card that I haven't been give, I couldn't enter the office (I was late for the meeting because of practice). Now, I was terribly disappointed about this. Since I couldn't go to the meeting I went back to my office, made a few phone calls and called it a day.

All in all, it was full day and a good one.

Eureka!

Look what I found this morning at the post office:

It's a good way to brighten a Monday.

I've been awarded

...The Anti-muffin Award by Sarah, who recently moved to my beloved Hawaii and blogs at So...This Is The Road I Am Travelling On (she has a great header picture).

This award is given to bloggers who "promote what they believe without hesitation and without fear of possible negative feedback." Awardees are bloggers "who don't conform to the world's standards."

Thank you, Sarah!

A culinary decision to be made

One day last week after soccer practice two of the boys hung around the field and chatted with me for a bit. At the end of our conversation they suggested - none too subtley - that I make dinner for them. Since it was already 7:30 p.m., and I had nothing else on the calendar for the evening, I agreed.

I made them a smoked turkey with tomato cream sauce over fusili, which they thoroughly enjoyed and are still raving about.

Naturally, the word spread to some of the other players, three of whom have decided that I should make them dinner tomorrow evening. I'm happy to do so, but I can't quite decide what to make.

Do I make the same dish (which is easy to make and quite delicious) or do I make manicotti with meatballs (which I also very much enjoy)? Or do I make something I haven't made before, like a rigatoni all'amatriciana or a chicken in lemon cream over penne?

If you were to dine with me tomorrow, what would you like me to prepare for you?

Please, pray for your priests

If a priest is a saint, his people will be holy.
If a priest is holy, his people will be good.
If a priest is good, his people will be decent.
If a priest is decent, his people will be godless.

-Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard

A long morning

For whatever reason, I have been awake since 3:00 a.m. I don't know why; I simply woke, and once I do there is rarely any sense in my trying to fall asleep again. So I did what any sane person would: bake.

Today is the first day of school at both our grade and high schools, thought it is only a halfday.

At 4:00 p.m., the soccer team from Eastern Illinois University will play a pre-season match here in Effingham in honor of Coach K, who died early this summer. The soccer team will be in attendance and will attend Mass afterwards to kick-off the new academic year.

In a spirit of festivity, the boys decided that we should tailgate before the game. This idea being agreed upon by all with little discussion, we will gather about 1:30 for an afternoon of fun and food and, no doubt, a few games. Coach K, I think, would want it this way.

At any rate, I told the boys yesterday that if I got ambitious this morning I would bake St. Francis' favorite cookies for them. I suppose that might well be why I awoke so early.

I baked two batches using two different recipes. They both turned out a bit dry, though they still taste good; it's nothing a bit of milk can't fix!

Having been up so long now you'd think I'd be able to make decisions, but I can't, it seems. I can't decide whether I want to wear my suit or cassock today. Oh, the tough choices of life!

Once I decide, I'll head to the high school to greet the students and meet with a class or two. I'll also spend time in the office sorting through my mail and writing notes of gratitude.

The day briefly recounted

My apologies for not posting much over the past few days; laziness is the only real reason I can offer, so I thought I'd give you a run down of my day and a thought to ponder.

The day began with soccer practice at 6:30 a.m. While the boys did their runs both on the field and around time, I walked around the track praying the office. It was a beautiful morning and a very good experience.

I left practice a little before 8:00 to prepare for the 8:30 Mass.

After Mass I had the first confession of a student at our grade school so he can recieve his first Holy Communion at Mass tomorrow with the grade school. He made an excellent confession and it was a real privilege to administer the sacrament to him.

Since the rest of the day was very free - and since tomorrow is the first day of school, which means fewer open days - I drove to Springfield in hopes of finding a Nintendo Entertainment System (the original) and The Legend of Zelda (and a few other games). I was not disappointed.

I returned to Effingham about 4:00 and saw to a bit of office work before heading back out to soccer practice. I ran a bit with the boys and did some of their exercises, which I'm sure I'll feel in the morning.

After practice a few of us ate dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, from which I have just returned.

In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24). What has a camel to do with a rich person? Both store up things.

The camel stores up water, that which gives life, within itself. The rich person stores up earthly treasures around himself.

Whereas the camel remains unburdened because it's store is within, the rich man is very much encumburdened. Because the camel's possession is interior he can pass through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich man can enter a gate because of the possessions that surround him and clog the artery.

Like the camel, we must store up water within ourselves, Jesus Christ, the living water. If we store up this water, we, too, will move unhindered and enter to the Kingdom of God.

Now I think it's time to play a little Zelda before bed and a full day.

Good news

As a priest, I am often asked to pray for various people and for various causes, but I don't always learn how these situations have turned out. Today I am happy to provide you with very good news of answer prayers:

Thanks to the generosity of numerous individuals, Chelsea, the Soon to be Sister, has paid off all of her loans so that she may soon enter the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist! I posted a plea for her here.

The Crescat also recently asked for financial assistance and has expressed her gratitude to her kind benefactors. I posted a plea for her here.

Let us remember to keep those who are good to us in our prayers asking the Lord to reward them for their goodness, while never neglecting to pray for those who are bad to us.

A night to be remembered

With only four weeks remaining in my present assignment as the Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua parish here in Effingham, the time has come to begin saying my farewells.

This evening the mission parish attached to St. Anthony's will host a dinner and reception in my honor. The parishioners there wanted to hold it on a day convenient for me and for them, and early enough so as not to interfere with celebrations here or with my packing and moving. They really are a very thoughtful lot.

Though I have never enjoyed any canonical attachment to the parishioners of Annunciation Parish in Shumway, I have very much enjoyed ministering among them these past four years. I will miss them.

This evening will be somewhat strange, because even as I will, using the words of Bilbo Baggins, bid them all a very fond farewell, I will still be with them for two more weekends.

I do think it best this way, though, because such a celebration (?) will afford more time to visit with individual parishioners. After Masses there simply isn't time - or space, really - to visit one on one with parishioners beyond a simple - even if heartfelt - greeting.

The next four weeks I expect to be a bit of a blurr and a whirl of emotions.

Homily - 16 August 2009

The Twentieth Sunday of Year (B)

The ancient believers saw in the Old Testament’s personification of Wisdom an image of Christ. So it was that Saint Paul declared this deeply held belief when he called Jesus Christ not only the “power” of God, but also “the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24).

It is, then, Christ himself who extends the invitation from the Book of Proverbs to all people: “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have prepared” (Proverbs 9:5).

Why, then, have so few answered his invitation? Better yet, why have so many who have come to the table he has spread left the wedding banquet of the Lamb, never – or only rarely – to return?

It can only be because many of those invited have refused and rejected the food that is offered them. The table that Jesus Christ prepares for us is the Cross, where is priest, victim and altar. It is this sacrifice of Calvary that is sacramentally made present to us here at the altar of the Lord. The food he sets before us is the Eucharist, his very own Body and blood.

The Lord Jesus calls himself “the living bread that came down from heaven, and he says, “the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Indeed, in the eight verses of the Gospel passage proclaimed today from the Gospel of Saint John, Jesus refers to the eating and drinking of his Body and Blood no fewer than seven times. What he says here is clearly of great importance.

And yet there are some who say that in this passage he is speaking metaphorically, symbolically. There are even some who Catholics – most unfortunately and quite wrongly – say the Eucharist is nothing more than a symbol of his body and blood.

My brothers and sisters, when Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in you,” he is either a mad man, or what he says is true (John 6:53).

There were many who heard his words firsthand who thought he was mad and so they abandoned him (cf. John 6:66). There are many today who think and do the same.

That Jesus is not here speaking symbolically is clear from the Gospel text itself. Throughout this chapter, Jesus is repeatedly challenged with such questions as, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat” (John 6:52)?

In response to this fair and justifiable question, Jesus does not relent or explain whatever supposed symbolism he may be employing. Rather, he speaks all the more insistently of necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood.

The first two times he speaks of eating his flesh he uses the Greek word phage, a word meaning “to eat.” But once his teaching is challenged, he switches to another Greek word, trogon. This word does mean “to eat,” but it also means “to crunch.” He says, then, “he who crunches my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (John 6:54).

Anyone who wishes to explain he is speaking symbolically would never use such concrete and vivid language in a situation such as this. No, the words Jesus speaks today show either that he is a mad man, or that what he says is true.

After extending the invitation to his feast, he says, “Let whoever is simple turn in here” (Proverbs 9:6). The thoughts of those who are simple are not complicated or distracted, but focused. The one who is simple takes Jesus at his word, because he has experienced his grace and power, his love and mercy. He has seen the signs and wonders he has worked and so he knows his words to be true. He knows Jesus himself to be “the truth,” and that he can neither deceive nor be deceived (John 14:6).

Saint Anthony of Padua proved himself to be a simple man who remained focused on Christ. One day he encountered a man who denied the reality of the Eucharist and challenged Saint Anthony to perform a miracle; if he did, the man would believe in the Eucharist. For the honor of God, Anthony agreed.

The man said he had a donkey that he would starve for three days. After the three days he would bring his donkey to the town square where it would be presented with a stack of food and with the Eucharist. When the day came the donkey walked past its food and knelt before the Eucharist before it returned to its food. Seeing the reverence of the animal, the man was brought to faith.

There is another simple young man – or perhaps an old boy – whose feast we will soon celebrate: Saint Tarcisius, a martyr of the third century. He was carrying the Eucharist to those who were sick and were imprisoned for the faith. He encountered a mob who, when they discovered he carried the Eucharist, beat him to death with clubs and stones. He shielded by the Eucharist by laying over it face down. When his attackers rolled him over once they had killed him, they found that the Eucharist vanished.

We see in a great myriad of ways the faith of the saints in the Blessed Eucharist and if we consider the words of the Mass we find its truth, as well.

In the Eucharist prayer, just before the consecration, the priest speaks in the third person saying, “On the night he was betrayed…” but at the moment of consecration he switches to the first person: “Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body…”

The priest lends his voice to Christ in such a way that it is Christ himself who celebrates the Mass and gives the Eucharist to us. The bread and wine are changed into his Body and Blood by the power of his own words.

But if your faith in the Eucharist is still shaky, there is one simple remedy: spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Time and again those who enter the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults provide the same answer when they are asked what led them to the Church. Very often they say they stopped into a Catholic church once and found it be the most peaceful place they have ever found.

It is true. In the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is a stillness, a quiet, a calm and tranquility that can be found nowhere else in the world. Simply stop in a church and spend a few minutes with the Lord. If you thoughts are simple and focused on him, you will know the peace he longs to give us.

Let each of us this day be of simple minds, focused only on the words of the Lord. Let us approach the food he offers, his own Body and Blood, with great reverence and love. Let us receive the gift of himself in humble faith, that we might know the joy he has prepared for us beyond our imaginings (cf. Collect of the day).

Sweet!

You may have noticed there is now an image in the header box of this blog, courtesy of reader, Jake. It is an altered version of the image I posted yesterday. Thanks, Jake!

The background image is taken from the window of the Holy Spirit in St. Peter's Basilica. The picture of me was taken during the Mass when I announced my transfer to the high school students.

In just a few moments I will join some friends and parishioners for dinner. When I return I hope to post this Sunday's homily and maybe blog a bit about the day. If I don't get to it today, I will tomorrow :)

Coming soon

...a new image for the blog header:

What do you think?

Now if I can only make it fit properly in the header box...

Seeing the heavens...and growing old

When I was in high school I was a member of the Quincy Astronomical Society, which, sadly, is no longer is existence. The QAS met on a monthly basis to discuss various aspects of astronomy. One of my favorite presentations was on meteorites (including a member's special collection of them); my favorite memory took place August 11 (probably in 1995) just outside of Quincy on Friends' Hill.

Every August 11 and 12, star-gazers can watch the brilliant Perseid meteor shower, also known as the tears of St. Lawrence.

We spent the night laying on the grass gazing heavenward watching several meteors shoot across the sky at a time. If you've never seen the Perseids, you really must make a point to watch the shower next year.

At one point there was a bright flash of light behind us, as it were. We quickly turned around in time to see a huge ball of fire shoot across the heavens. The tail of the meteor lasted several minutes and was a long as the distance between the tip of your thumb and index finger; it was simply amazing and the sight remains with me to this day as one of the most beautiful things I have seen.

Last night I went out to our mission church and watched a bit of the meteor shower behind the church. I haven't really looked into the heavens since I was last in Hawaii when I spied the Southern Cross. Whenever I look into the night sky I always call to mind the words of King David: "When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him" (Psalm 8:4-5)?

If you've never meditated upon this verse while looking into the stars, you really should, and the sooner the better. If you have access to a boat, I especially recommend doing so from the middle of a body of water.

As I lay on the ground last night with slightly chilly toes, one of the high school studens who was watching the meteor shower texted back and forth. I mentioned that big ball of fire I saw when I was his age and I said it felt something like I was waiting for the Great Pumpkin (it seems to be on my mind lately; I'll suppose I'll have to watch it soon).

Imagine my utter shock when he had no idea what the Great Pumpkin is! Parents, it's time to show your children the classics! Old I must be growing.

What is a priest?

A priest is a lover of God.
A priest is a lover of men.
A priest is a holy man.
A priest understands all things.
A priest forgives all things.
A priest encompasses all things.
The heart of a priest is pierced, like Christ's with the lance of love.
The heart of a priest is a vessel of compassion.
The heart of a priest is a chalice of love.
The heart of a priest is the trysting place of human and divine love.
A priest is a man who has crucified himself so that he, too, may be lifted up and draw all things to Christ.
A priest is a man in love with God.
A priest is the gift of God to man and of man to God.
A priest is the symbol of the Word made flesh.
A priest is the naked sword of God's mercy.
A priest is the hand of God's mercy.
A priest is the reflection of God's love.
Nothing can be greater in this world than a priest, nothing but God himself.

- The Servant of God, Catherine de Hueck

Another who needs assistance

Our good blogging friend, The Crescat, is in need of help, if you can offer some. Her blog provides at least one good chuckle everyday. Please keep her in your prayers.

Catholic Effingham

For the second day in about three weeks, my joints feel well enough to go for a walk, from which I have recently returned. It is a beautiful day here in Effingham, with blue skies, a nice breeze and warm - but not hot - temperatures. It is really a very pleasant day.

Whenever I go for a walk I like to have a destination in mind (I'm the same way with driving), so I often will walk to a store to collect an item or two. Today I walked to the drug store, which ends up being about a forty-five minute round-trip walk.

Numerous outdoor devotional shrines dot the landscape of the route I walked and I thought I might share a few of them with you today:

Ecclesiastical humor

A minor friar has a great little story today involving incense and a good dose of ecclesiastical humor.

The weekend

This past Saturday morning marked the third annual Bulldog Challenge, consisting of either a 2-mile run or a 5k run (walkers are also permitted).

The forecast called for a very hot day. Fortunately, though the day was warm, there was a nice breeze to keep the excessive heat away.

I walked the 5k with one of the soccer players who hurt his knee at a recent practice. As we set out he said to me, "My only goal is to finish before you."

When we arrived at the end of the course we were to walk through a set of sensors so a computer could mark our time. There were what looked to be a series of sensors set up and as I entered the sensor area, I turned to the soccer player and asked, "Do you want to go through first to finish first?" But as I said, "go through" a loud buzzer sounded signally that my time was marked. Oops.

One of our parishioners took some excellent pictures of this year's Bulldog Challenge.

Saturday evening saw the beginning of our parish picnic, which continued through late Sunday night.

I spent much of the picnic simply roaming about. I also managed to take a few pictures from the roof of the high school:

As I have done the past two years, this year I again purchased raffle tickets in the name of Pope Benedict XVI.

One of these years he will win a grill and I'll have to present it to him. Maybe that year will be next year!

Reflections on confessions

There once was a time when I thought I would not want to hear the confessions of close friends. Most of us already know the major faults of our close friends, but to know those things which are between them and God seemed too much to bear. Such is no longer the case for me.

I am happy to know some of the high school students rather well and to count them as friends. I am certain these friendships will continue over the years, even after my coming move.

Over the past few days I have heard the confessions of a few of our students. When they want to go to confession they simply call or text me and we arrange a time. It is an easy and convenient system for all involved.

After going to confession recently, one of the students said to me, “I’m going to have a long way to go to confession when you move to Virden.”

I reminded the student that there are other priests who will be happy to hear a confession. The student answered, “But I like going to you; you make it easy and I always feel better afterwards.” “Well,” I said, “I’m sure I can meet you half-way.”

This conversation was deeply humbling. They are not afraid to seek out a priest whom they call a friend to confess their sins to; why should a priest, then, be hesitant to hear the confessions of his friends, young or old? Is this really not what friendship is about, leading one another closer to Jesus Christ and helping each other on the path of holiness? There is certainly no better way to help one another than this.

These students have taken to heart what I have so often told them. Time and again I have told them that when a priest enters the confessional he is given what we priests sometimes call “the grace of forgetfulness.”

We do not generally remember what people confess to us. We might recall what sins were named; we might recall who entered the confessional; but we are not always able to match the two. Really, who would want to? You enter the confessional to get rid of your sins; why would the priest want to keep them?

But even if we do happen to remember a person’s sins we are forbidden to treat them any differently after the confessional than before. How is this possible?

In human terms, it likely isn’t, except for the most noble of souls. In spiritual terms, though, it is not too difficult at all. Remember the grace of forgetfulness. I have found that when I do remember an individual person’s sin, I don’t remember it when I am with that person. I may remember the sin once the person has left my presence and then I offer a prayer for him or her. It is a wonderful gift!

Can you help a future nun?

Chelsea, the Soon to be Sister and one of our blog readers, needs your help.

She has been accepted by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, but needs to pay off $14,689 in student loans before entering the Order. She has already made a good start toward paying back her debt and needs your help to finish by the memorial of Saint Augustine, August 28th.

Her debt is the only thing standing in her way. She needs to either have it paid off or promised to be paid off within the next eight years.

If you have a few extra dollars, please consider giving her a hand. Please also encourage others to consider her request. If everyone gives a little her debt will be gone in no time.

Video on Father Damien

PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly has a good video about Blessed Damien of Molokai and the leper colony.

Capello tip to the Leper Priest Blog.

How well do we love?

Here's a short, reflective video to consider for the rest of the day sent to me by one of the father's of one of our soccer players:

A Prayer for Priests

Keem them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord,
keep them, for they are Thine,
Thy priests whose lives burn out
before Thy consecrated shrine.

Keep them for they are in the world
though from the world apart,
when earthly pleasures tempt, allure,
shelter them in Thy heart.

Keep them, and comfort them in hours
of loneliness and pain
when all their life of sacrfice for souls
seems but in vain.

Keep them, and O remember Lord,
they have no one but Thee
yet they have only human hearts,
with human frailty.

Keep them as spotless as the Host,
that daily, they caress,
their every thought and word and deed,
deign, dearest Lord, to bless.

Attention reader Glen:

You posted a question in my comment box the other day that I wish to address but, as it is a personal matter, do not wish to do so publicly. However, I cannot send an e-mail to the address you left (I'm told the account does not exist). Would you please send an e-mail to daren[at]servantandsteward[dot]org so I might assist you? Thanks!

Memories from childhood

One of my favorite movies from my childhood is The NeverEnding Story, based on the book of the same name. My aunt first introduced me to the book and it is one that I have enjoyed ever since.

At the beginning of the movie, Sebastian takes The NeverEnding Story into the school attic and lies down to read it on the floor. It is a scene that I've always remembered and call to mind whenever I plop down on the floor, pull a cover over me and open the pages of a good book. To this day, it is one of my favorite positions in which to read, though it does get sore on the elbows after a time.

This morning I have felt very much like Sebastian. I awoke to a very heavy fog which has sapped much of my strength and energy, though I am beginning to feel better as the day progresses.

I've spent the morning on the floor with my laptop and telephone (thank the Lord for long cords!) seeing to various correspondences, an activity which I think will continue a bit longer. I've rescheduled a couple appointments from this morning for later this week and next and hope to be able to keep an appointment at 1:00.

Until then, I think I'll watch The NeverEnding Story as I continue to work on e-mail and letters on the floor:

Chicago activities

This evening a friend and I are heading north to Mundelein Seminary to show him the campus. We will return to Effingham tomorrow night and since we have to pass through Chicago on the way home I thought we might stop at a museum.

I see that the Field Museum has an exhibit on "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship." Has anyone seen it?

Is there an exhibit at another museum we should visit?

Writer's block unblocked

The homily I preached this past weekend seems to have been something of a hit and has - thanks be to God - gotten a few parishioners thinking. I have received many grateful comments these past few days and by them I am humbled. The homily came about through a little burst of inspiration as I sat in my chair reading The Fellowship of the Ring. (But that's another matter altogether.)

In the midst of the grateful comments have been one or two - not very many, too be sure - that questioned something I said. In fact, I expected this because it seems to happen everytime a priest mentions that we should dress, as I said, "appropriately and modestly" for Mass.

To be sure, those who question what I said, or how I said it, mean no disrespect to me and I mean no disrespect to them. To help further this discussion I want to put something together about worship the Lord "in holy attire" (I Chronicles 16:29). This is where you come in.

I need your help in summarizing the common reasons given against dressing up for Mass offered by those who are sincere in their faith so that I might try to address them point by point.

A crazy week

This coming weekend marks the celebration of the annual parish picnic, no small fair around here. For many, it is used to occasion a sort of homecoming to Effingham.

Anyone who has ever worked on the organizing end of an event of this sort knows that the week leading up to the event is always marked by a flurry of activity and distracted minds. The office tends to be chaotic, as proved to be the chaos when I popped over after Mass this morning.

Ordinarily I don't mind such activity, but this week I don't think I will enjoy it too much (I'm not sure why). With this in mind, I fully intend to spend as little time in my office this week as possible and will see to my office work in my sitting room, where all is calm and peaceful.

Have no fear; I am not really involved in the planning or organizing of the picnic. I usually end up in the money counting room and help with monies as they come in. It is a great place to visit with a lot of people as money comes in from each of the stands throughout the day. (The room is also air conditioned.)

I have also been asked to consider a slot in the dunking booth this year as I prepare to leave the parish. There is no doubt that my doing so would raise considerable funds; even so, I'm not sure about it.

Incidentally, if anyone is interested in purchasing raffle tickets for our picnic, I would be most happy to assist you. Simply shoot an e-mail to daren[at]servantandsteward[dot]org.

A lesson from manna

The first reading at Mass today comes from the Book of Numbers and concerns the manna that came from heaven to feed the Israelites in the desert. We are told that the people "would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil" (Numbers 11:8).

There are, I think, two messages we can learn from this passage. First, the Lord will indeed meet our needs, but he may require us to work with him to do so. The manna did not fall from heaven in the form of loaves, but the people had to form it into loaves. Too often we expect the Lord to do all of the work for us, when instead he wants us to cooperate with the grace he gives.

Second, we ought to humbly accept the gift of the Lord. The people grew tired of this manna and said to Moses, "Would that we had meat to eat for food" (Numbers 11:4)! The Lord supplied their need for food with the manna and yet still they demanded more. Rather than receive his gift with gratitude they demanded more.

Homily - 2 August 2009

The Eighteenth Sunday of the Year (B)

The desire for food and drink is perhaps the greatest desire about which we think most. It is certainly the one felt most physically and the one toward which we often put the greatest amount of effort toward satisfying.

It is this desire for food and drink that led the Israelites to grumble against Moses and Aaron (cf. Exodus 16:2). It is this same hunger and thirst that led the crowds to follow Jesus (cf. John 6:24).

Even so, there is something more happening in these passages than a simple physical hunger and thirst, for we use this desire for food and drink as a metaphor for other desires. We speak of a person’s thirst for power or of a hunger for wealth. Jesus, too, spoke in this way about “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).

Hunger and thirst, then, can be said to encompass all of our desires, all of our passions. When the Israelites grumbled against Moses, when the crowds followed Jesus, they were not simply looking for earthly food; they sought, rather, the satisfaction of their deepest yearnings and longings, even if they did not quite recognize it. They sought that which truly satisfies (and it was not a Snickers bar).

We heard last week that with the multiplication of the loaves and fish, everyone in the crowd “had eaten their fill” before the fragments leftover were collected (John 6:12). But this was not the purpose of this miracle; rather, Jesus intended to teach them something far more profound and important. If Jesus can satisfy their physical hunger so completely, how much more can he satisfy their spiritual hunger! It is of him that the Psalmist sings: “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2).

Toward the end of his life, Saint Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest minds the Church has ever known, was writing a treatise on the Eucharist, struggling to complete it. In great frustration, the quiet man of God threw his text at the foot of a crucifix, asking the Lord what he thought of what he had written.

The voice of God came through the figure of the Crucified Christ, saying to him: “You have written well of me, Thomas. What would you have?”

Saint Thomas could choose whatever he wanted, whatever he desired. Would he ask for wealth or fame or power? Would he ask for love or athletic skill or simple pleasures? He could ask for anything; what would he ask of the Lord?

He answered the Savior with these words: “Nil nisi te, Domine, nil nisi te. Only you, Lord, only you.”

The Angelic Doctor answered wisely and honestly. Saint Thomas “wanted nothing more than Christ, nothing other than Christ, nothing less than Christ.” [1] He knew that, as he had written earlier in his life, “God alone satisfies.”[2] I wonder, what would you or I ask of the Lord?

Here at this altar he gives himself to us, the bread “which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” and those who eat his Body “will never hunger” (cf. John 6:33; John 6:35). How is it, then, that so many come here week after week and leave hungry each time? How is it possible to leave here with a heavy and empty heart?

The answer is simple: they do not recognize him; they do not adequately prepare themselves to receive him; and they do not believe that he wants to satisfy their every desire. What is more, they do not recognize in the Eucharist the very Body and Blood of our Lord.

For if we recognized his Real Presence among us in the Eucharist, who would arrive late to Mass or leave before the dismissal; who would not come to the Mass dressed appropriately and modestly; who would receive Holy Communion in a sloppy or hurried manner; who would hesitate to show their devotion and love and spend time in prayer to prepare themselves; who would fail to confess their sins and receive absolution?

Too many come here day after day never recognizing – or at least never admitting – their deep hunger and thirst for Christ! Because they do not know for what they long their hunger is not satisfied and their thirst is not quenched. Still hungering and thirsting they seek to satisfy their desires in the things of this world, and yet never do they find lasting satisfaction.

But to those who receive the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, who have prepared themselves well to receive him, he addresses his promise: “I am the bread of life: whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (John 6:35). In receiving him, they receive all they seek; they find in him lasting happiness, joy and peace. This Saint Thomas knew well and so he said, “God alone satisfies.”

My dear brothers and sisters, the Lord wishes to satisfy the true desire of our heart, if we but come to him in faith. If the Lord asked us, as he asked Saint Thomas, “What would you have,” what would we ask of him? Would we ask for the things of this world – those things that promise to satisfy us but never do - or would we say with Saint Thomas, “Nil nisi te, Domine; only you, Lord”?

[1] Robert Barron, Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1996, 2008), 12.
[2] Saint Thomas Aquinas, Expos. In symb apost, I. In Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1718.