A week in review

This past weekend I returned to the Gem City to serve as the Spiritual Director for Great River Teens Encounter Christ #263. It was an amazing weekend in which the love and mercy of Christ Jesus moved many young hearts. I am humbled to have been a part of it.

Anyone who has participated in such retreats knows how little sleep is often had on them. This weekend was no exception to that norm, except in that I had less sleep than usual on such retreats.

Sunday and Monday evening I stayed up with several of the young team members – the candidates we sent to bed – answering their many questions about the faith, morals, discipleship and the state of the world (I am very much encouraged by their great interest in the politics of the day and their disgust of it), honestly and directly, challenging them to think more logically about the faith and to consider their logic from the use of reason rather than emotion. In this way, it seems I answered their questions in a manner they did not expect, but to which they responded well and even gravitated toward.

As I answered their questions I tried to help them move beyond the starting point of “I think that…” to move toward the starting point of what the Church has always taught and what Christians have always believed. This is the starting point of our faith; it has been handed on to us and is not something we have created.

Since the end of the retreat I’ve been receiving several questions from them still and many of them good ones, some of which I may post on these pages.

Too often have we distanced ourselves from their questions, giving them only a cursory answer and backing down when they have disagreed with our reasoning. We have not often given them enough, a thorough, well-reasoned argument. Too often have we shied away from demonstrating the illogical argumentation of the world, which has frequently clouded their own logic.

From what I have found on retreats such as this – and from my ministry with the high school students at St. Anthony’s in Effingham – young people today are drawn to someone who answers their questions directly and challenges them plainly and is not afraid to tell them they are incorrect, if he does so out of love for them and for God. Correcting them, though, must be done without judgment or condemnation, keeping the focus always on the faith of Jesus Christ. Young people today are drawn to the logic of Jesus Christ; they simply need someone to present it to them.
With as little sleep as I took over the four nights I was away, and with the tremendous fog that never lifted, I am surprised at how well my body did. The arthritis was certainly present and the tiredness that comes from it, but it never overwhelmed me as it would have in the normal course of events with fog and little sleep. It was a reminder to me that although he does not always give the strength I want, the Lord always provides for me what strength I need for the day.

Since returning to the parishes I have been attempting to catch up on a bit of sleep. I have also been trying to get the end of the year paperwork in order and continue the work of putting everything else in order. My secretary and I are getting there, one small step at a time.

What is the Book of Revelation about?

Death certificate of the Savior?

A good laugh on a Wednesday

When I read the Creative Minority Report I could not help but laugh at what they propose to be President Obama's first-year-in-office report card.

Mass for the Victims of the Haitian Earthquake

From the Office of the Diocesan Administrator:

Msgr. Carl Kemme, Diocesan Administrator will celebrate a Special Mass for the many victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti . The mass will be held on Sunday, January 24th at Ss Peter and Paul Church in Alton at 5:00 p.m. Fr. Delix Michel, a native priest from Haiti will be homilist. Fr. Michel is the pastor of Ss Peter and Paul. People from the Diocese of Springfield are invited to attend. Please remember those who have died from this natural disaster and those left to rebuild their lives. All priests are invited to concelebrate.

Finally!!!

Carl Olson passes on the most welcome news that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has finished the second volume of his Jesus of Nazareth project. Now the only question is when we'll be able to get a copy of it.

If you haven't yet read the first volume you really should do so.

Prayers requested

Last evening I returned to the Gem City to serve as the Spiritual Director for Great River Teens Encounter Christ #263. For this weekend I humbly ask your prayers and assure of your remembrance in my prayers this weekend.

Today is the memorial of Saint Berard and Companions, the first sons of Saint Francis of Assisi to receive the grace of martyrdom in the year of our Lord 122o.

When the relics of these five Friars Minor were received at the Monastary of Coimbra, the future Saint Anthony of Padua resolved to enter the new Order and travel to Morocco to receive the crown of martyrdom with these holy men. Providence, though, had other plans for the Evangelic Doctor.

My great-uncle, Father Berard Zehnle, O.F.M., is named for today's saint. Since he is buried in Quincy just a block away from where I am staying in my old dorm I walked to the cemetery to pray at his grave. May he rest in peace!

How is this not contradictory?

Martha Coakley, an Attorney General who is campaigning to win the Senate seat in Massachusetts, recently made a very curious statement regarding the freedom of conscience clause as it applies to the medical field:

You can have religious freedom, but you probably shouldn’t work in an emergency room.

Could someone please explain to me how that could possible work? Where is the logic?

Capello tip to Fr. Z.

Pray that you may not undergo the test

In recent years we have seen western governments encroaching upon the religious freedom of their citizens. It is a trend that, most regrettably, is not abating but only increasing.

Take, for instance, this piece of proposed legislation (that could become a new swear phrase) - the Equality Bill - from the United Kingdom. The proposal would make it "illegal for a Christian charity to sack a senior manager for adultery or living an openly gay lifestyle." It should be noted that the same legislation would "apply to Muslim and Jewish churches and charities."

What is most troubling about this bill is that it would also make it illegal for the Catholic Church not to ordain women as priests or bishops, which, of course, the Church has no authority to do.

Lest you think these encroachments and all but outright attacks on the Church are only happening across the pond, as it were, consider this news that President Obama's Faith Council is considering requiring religious organizations who receive federal funds to remove all symbols of their faith.

For example, if a church gets money for a soup kitchen, would it have to remove or put a cloth over all crosses, pictures, etc., every time it gets ready to feed the hungry?

It would seem so. God help us.

This should be...interesting? I hope.

This morning one of the Diocesan finance officers will come to the parish to meet with my secretary and I to help us go through end of the year payroll and tax matters.

Ah, the joys of being Pastor.

What is excommunication?

The Most Reverend Robert Vasa, Bishop of Baker, recently discussed excommunication in his column in the Catholic Sentinel.

His Excellency notes that an excommunication is

a declaration, based on solid evidence, that the actions or public teachings of a particular Catholic are categorically incompatible with the teachings of the Church. It is intended primarily as a means of getting the person who is in grave error to recognize the depth of his error and repent. A second reason, while somewhat secondary but no less important, is to assure the faithful who truly are faithful that what they believe to be the teaching of the Church is true and correct. Allowing their faith to be shaken or allowing them to be confused when Catholics publicly affirm something contrary to faith or morals, seemingly without consequences, scandalizes and confuses the faithful. This is no small matter. The Church, and particularly bishops, have an obligation to defend the faith but they also have an obligation to protect the faithful. We do not generally see the dissidence of public figures as something that harms the faithful but it has a deleterious effect upon them.

Seeking to further clarify what it means to declare someone excommunicate, the Bishop used an old metaphor of the Bishop as a spiritual doctor:

This declaration no more causes the excommunication than a doctor who diagnoses diabetes causes the diabetes he finds in his patient. The doctor recognizes the symptoms and writes the necessary prescription. Accusing the doctor of being a tyrannical power monger would never cross anyone’s mind. Even when the doctor tells the patient that they are “excommunicated” from sugar it is clear that his desire is solely the health of his patient. In fact, a doctor who told his diabetic patient that he could keep ingesting all the sugar he wanted without fear would be found grossly negligent and guilty of malpractice.

In the same way, bishops who recognize a serious spiritual malady and seek a prescription to remedy the error, after discussion and warning, may be required to simply state, “What you do and say is gravely wrong and puts you out of communion with the faith you claim to hold.” In serious cases, and the cases of misled Catholic public officials are often very serious, a declaration of the fact that the person is de facto out of communion may be the only responsible and charitable thing to do.

Failing to name error because of some kind of fear of offending the person in error is neither compassion nor charity. Confronting or challenging the error or evil of another is never easy yet it must be done.

Do you have a priestly vocation?

His Excellency the Most Reverend Robert W. Finn, Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, offers a few words about a man might discern if he has a priestly vocation:

The healthy man (healthy in body, mind and soul), as he matures, wants to give himself in an honest and generous way. It is important and normal that he sees the beauty of marriage, and its central meaning and purpose in society. At the same time, he realizes he has a spiritual dimension to his life and he wants to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and follow God’s call wherever it may take him. He works hard at every task before him, and finds joy in generously reaching out to others. He studies with zeal. He prays. He establishes caring friendships, and determines to live a moral life, growing in the frequent reception of the sacraments, particularly of Confession and Holy Eucharist.

As a man experiences this spiritual depth to his life, he does not seek a vocation that makes him materially rich or famous. Instead, having realized something of the cost and demands of authentic human love, he is ready to trust God and give himself to others out of love for God. He realizes that the Father in heaven has loved him a lot, and the awareness of this love and mercy makes him want to follow God’s plan in his life. Our seminarians are responding to this vocation to the priesthood. Our priests are living this out with dedication. Keep praying for them to persevere.

The role and support of parents is very important to those who are discerning God’s call. Your sons (and daughters) look up to you for approval. They should. Your love for them is unconditional and unselfish. I do not suggest that you should urge your sons to go to seminary, but pray for them, that they do whatever God wants for them. Support them in their search. I pledge once again to our parents that if we receive their sons as our seminarians we will do all in our power to see they get good formation.

Let each of us pray the Lord to give us more shepherds after his own heart and let us do what we can to encourage and inspire young men to service as priests.

Back to the airwaves

For those in the Effingham area, I will be on WCRA AM 1090/FM 104.7 with William Bence Thursday morning at 7:45 a.m.

Do younger priests not drink coffee?

Apparently the younger clergy of the Diocese are developing a reptutation for not drinking coffee, or at least that is the impression I am given from one of our retired priests who will generously be covering my parishes this weekend while I am away on Teens Encounter Christ retreat.

He wrote:

Hey! What's with you younger clergy and not drinking coffee? When I supply for a young man, I usually have to find a Casey's or Hardee's to get my morning fix.

Lucky for him there's a Hardee's just a block north of the rectory. Personally, I can't stand even the hint of coffee.

I wonder: is he right? Do older priests drink coffee and younger priests not? If so, why might this be?

My brother priests: what do you think?

A great devastation

As you no doubt have heard, the nation of Haiti was struck by a terrible earthquake that has devastated the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere.

Among the dead His Excellency the Most Reverend Serge Miot, Archbishop of Port-au-Prince.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, His Excellency the Most Reverend Bernardito Auza, told the Fides news agency:

Port-au-Prince is totally devastated. The cathedral, the Archbishop's Office, all of the big churches, all of the seminaries have been reduced to rubble. The same luck for the Ministry buildings, the Presidential Palace, the schools. The Parish Priest of the Cathedral, who was spared, told me that the archbishop of Port-au-Prince would have died under the rubble, together with hundreds of seminarians and priests that are under the ruins.

Let us assist our Haitian brothers and sisters with the help of prayers and fastings and with our financial support, all of which they need so desparately at this dark hour. Contributions can be sent to

Catholic Relief Services
228 W. Lexington
Baltimore, MD 21201-3413

or made online at www.crs.org/haiti.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord!

A suggestion for the best window ever

Commenting on the window depicting the Ascension of the Lord, new reader Julia suggests the best window ever would be one depicting Acts 20:8-9:

There were many lamps in the upstairs room where they were gathered, and a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the window sill was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Once overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and when he was picked up, he was dead.

I think she is right. Does anyone know of such a window?

Best window ever?

Hidden in the choir loft of Sacred Heart church in Virden is this gem of a window demonstrating in clear fashion good Catholic humor:

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going... (Acts 1:11)

Powerfully moving

When it comes to funerals one of the old standby hymns is "How Great Thou Art."

Whenever I have heard it sung, it has always sounded rather like a dirge, despite the fact that the lyrics are actually words of praise. As such, it a song that I have never really like nor appreciated, until I heard Susan Boyle sing it:



Well sung, Ms. Boyle! Thank you for giving me a new appreciation of this beautifully moving hymn.

One more irritation

Life in two small parishes is extremely quiet, with the exception of calls from telemarketers. On a busy day here we may receive ten telephone calls, as was the case this past Friday.

The first call of the day was someone wanting to reserve one of the parish halls. Another caller wanted to schedule a wedding. Of the remaining calls, two callers hung up after the first ring and before I could get to the phone. The remaining calls were telemarketers, three from companies wanting to sell me religious education textbooks for our parish school, which does not exist.

This has become a routine pattern so yesterday I added the parish's number to the National Do Not Call Register. It takes up to thirty-one days for the addition to take effect, so we'll see if it has an effect in the end.

So far today there have been three phone calls, one concerning an upcoming ski trip for the youth, one was a person who refused to speak when I answered, and the other - you guessed it - a telemarketer.

Here, the conversation:

Me: Good morning, Sacred Heart.

Him: Yes, good morning. Could I speak with the person who handles your AT&T account.

Me: We don't have an AT&T account [we really don't].

Him: I'm sorry...

And with that, I hung up.

An invitation accepted

I received today an invitation from the Diocesan Administrator to celebrate Mass for the curial employees this coming May 1oth, the memorial of St. Damien of Molokai. The good Monsignor invited me because of my devotion to Father Damien.

I happily accepted and made mention to him that I would be away from my parish for one week in February for my annual retreat and a couple days of vacation.

He said, "Have a great time in Hawaii, but make sure to come home."

He knows me too well; it looks like I won't be moving to Paradise just yet.

Update on the comments

I believe I have now resolved the issue with the new comments feature, thought some comments left over the past few days somehow have regretfully disappeared.

If you left a comment asking for my thoughts, please comment again.

Pray for the Church in Malaysia

On 31 December 2009 the High Court of Malaysia ruled that a Catholic newspaper could print the word "Allah" to refer to God in the native Malay language edition of The Catholic Herald, as has been done since the 1800s (local blogger Andrew explains).

The ruling has resulted in the vandalism of eight churches, ranging from paint to arson by angry protesters.

Andrew has a photopost of the protests and a couple of newstories, as well.

Please, pray for the Christians of Malaysia.

Update: CathNews USA reports the number of the churches targeted since the ruling at nine.

Memento mori

I saw this video of Eirik Solheim at the Deacon's Bench at thought I would share it with you:

One year in 120 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

It is a silent - and moving - look at life and death, at winter and spring.

A note on the comments

Haloscan, which I had been using for my comments, seems to have been acquired by JS-Kit.com, which required me to upgrade my comments services.

Not surprisingly, this has resulted in the loss of my comments for the time being and I cannot quite seem to figure out how to get them back, how to moderate the comments that are waiting to be posted, or how to simply revert back to Blogger comments.

I thought I already resolved it the other day by following instructions e-mailed to me, but apparently not. Once I have this figured out, I will let you know.

Looking for a good book?

This morning I began reading Peter Kreeft's Love is Stronger than Death. After only a few pages, I can tell this will be a book I will very much enjoy and already I recommend it to you.

From the link provided, you can read the Foreword, Introduction and first chapter, "Death as an Enemy."

If you are not yet familiar with the works of Peter Kreeft, now is just as good a time as any to pick one up.

Growing disciples

One of my greatest joys at St. Anthony's was talking with some of the students who sincerely sought the will of the Lord for their lives and who wanted to grow in faith, hope and love. Over the course of four years several good friendships were forged that I expect will continue in the years to come.

I gave a couple of the students Fr. Larry Richards' book, Be a Man! as a Christmas gift, having had with them several conversations about this topic in the past. I had heard several good things about the book and was confident it would be enjoyed by them and be of help to them.

One of them called today to say that he had already read the first two chapters and was anxious to continue reading the book. He asked about ways to strengthen his prayer life and his relationship with God saying that he wanted to go to God more often than when he needed something.

I was filled with deep gratitude and joy and recommended he spend at least a few minutes each day with the Scriptures and seek to spend time each week before the Blessed Sacrament.

The more I thought about our brief conversation the more I thought I should give him a bit more than that and decided to write a letter with the following suggestions:

• Begin each day before a crucifix
• Read from the Bible each day
• Spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament
• Read some lives of the Saints to find a couple of particular favorites to imitate
• Confession once a month, or more often if needed
• Pray the rosary and the stations of the cross
• Remember that you will die

What else might I suggest to him?

Who will our Bishop be?

From the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois:

Would you like to be among the first to know when Pope Benedict XVI names a new bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois? Simply signup below to receive a text message notification just moments after the announcement is made public.

Traditionally, the Vatican Press Office makes announcements of episcopal appointments at noon Rome time (5 a.m. Illinois time). The information is simultaneously released from the office of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, based in Washington, D.C.

Once the announcement is made public, we will send out a massive text message with the name of the individual who will serve as our new shepherd. Additonally, members who receive the online version of Catholic Times or have joined our fan page on Facebook will receive the same notification.

A marvelous idea, begun, I believe, by the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

To my Hawaiian friends

I plan to be in Hawaii for retreat and a couple days of vacation February 8th through 15th.

On the 15th, I will participate in the Akua Run/Walk for Vocations in conjunction with the Great Aloha Run. If any of you would like to walk with me, I would be happy to have you join me.

Sometime between February 9th and 12th I would like to make a pilgrimage to Kalaupappa. Would any of you like to join me?

2009 in Photos

One of the cool applications on Facebook randomly chooses a series of pictures from your albums and gives you your year in photos. The above is what I was given. It seems an accurate summary.

Blow, blow thou winter wind

...for soon I will be far from you.

I am well known among my friends for my ability - be it either a blessing or a curse - for determining the accuracy of forecasted weather, particularly in the winter months. While I am sometimes wrong in my reading, my weary bones and joints are correct more frequently than the meteorologists.

And so it is that I have found myself fielding text messages and calls to my cell phone today inquiring into the accuracy of the predicted winter storm expected to drop up to seven inches of snow upon central Illinois beginning about Midnight and ending sometime Friday morning.

Yes, my bones agree with the forecast. If we do not receive at least four inches of snow, I will be very much surprised, but very happy, too.

Old Man Winter is preparing to rear his ugly head even as just moments ago I confirmed lodging and a flight for my annual retreat in Hawaii, which I will take in five weeks and return just in time for Ash Wednesday.

O winter, you will not conquer me!

Nice

Looking through Granda's current e-newsletter, I found a new model of chasuble they are making that I like very much:

Fr. Snowman?

The ever-cleverly industrious Fr. V. at Adam's Ale set to work in the snow recently and made Fr. Snowman. He posted a picture of his creation; do take a look.

Pontiff goes to Bethlehem

As much of an idealist as Saint Francis of Assisi was, he could also be quite pragmatic and realistic. Knowing that most people had neither the means nor the luxury to make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem, the Poverello decided to bring Bethlehem to the people so they could make a pilgrimage in their to the place where the Lord was born, thereby giving us our beloved Nativity displays.

Recently the Holy Father Benedict XVI knelt in prayer before the creche in St. Peter's Vatican Square:

His Holiness shows us how to adore the newborn King. May the Lord grant him health, joy and peace in this new year.

Awesome

SOURCE: REUTERS/Remo Casilli

New curtains in the living room

Today a couple of parishioners arrived bearing gifts of new curtains for the living room and stairway. The old ones were in sore need of replacing:

The new curtains are heavy and will help keep the warmth in and the sunlight out. They are also much richer in color than these pictures show; when the sun strikes them the gold in them shines. They're quite lovely:

The new curtains help very much to help the rectory feel like a home. Thank you!

A year in review

Keeping an annual calendar carries with it many benefits, from being on time for meetings and appointments to reflecting back over the course of a year. As I look back over my calendar for 2009, I cannot help but be grateful to the Lord for the many blessings given me over the course of the past twelve months.

It was – to say the least – an eventful year, from meetings of the Priests’ Personnel Board to wrestling and track meets, soccer games, weddings, funerals, additional meetings, retreats, classes and other various travels and duties.

Without a doubt, the greatest blessing of the past year for me was my ministry among the high school students of St. Anthony High School in Effingham. If found me fielding questions from all areas of life wherever I went and absolving sins in extraordinary places.

Each month, too, was marked with it’s own particular blessings and joys. January found me in Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life. While the occasion for such a pilgrimage is truly lamentable, the March itself is quite inspiring. Seeing so many people gathered in the nation’s capital for one purpose is most moving.

February found me back in Hawaii for my annual retreat. It was, without question, the most powerful retreat of my life under the unintended guidance of St. Damien of Molokai.

In March I was the spiritual director for a De Colores weekend outside Effingham. It was a blessed time spent with people searching for the face of God and gave me many opportunities to share my faith and what I have learned with others.

April brought the news of the appointment of His Excellency the Most Reverend George J. Lucas as the Archbishop of Omaha. While the news was sad for us here in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, it was happy news for the good people of Omaha. Now we continue to wait for the appointment of a new Bishop, a time to look in confidence to the Lord to give us another shepherd after his heart.

It was in May that I learned of my appointment as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Virden and of St. Patrick Parish in Girard, from Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Effingham. It was an appointment I did not seek and, as such, came as quite a shock to me. It was an invitation for me to give my myself over more fully to the will of God for my life, to let go of my own desires to go wherever the Lord should have need of me.

Whereas May brought news that tore my world apart, June brought a great tragedy in the death of the soccer team’s Coach K, a good friend, that, in some ways, cemented it back together. I watched with much wonder and gratitude the team’s reaction to his death, from their quick action on the field in calling for help and doing all that was necessary, to their gathering in the church to pray for Coach K, to the way they came together and played well for him throughout the season. It was all a testimony to Coach K’s influence on the boys – and on me – though he was only with us a couple of weeks.

July was a rather quiet month, spent among good friends and in much prayer, both of which are always welcome.

Much of the month of August was spent bidding farewell to the many friends I made in Effingham over the course of my four years among them. Though many tears were shed, the opportunity to say farewell was a tremendous blessing not always given priests at the time of a transfer.

In September I moved to Virden with the help of some of the high school students and was welcomed most warmly by my new parishioners. The cordial welcome they extended through a pot luck dinner (who doesn’t like a pot luck?!) assured me that I had been sent to minister to good people seeking to follow Jesus Christ.

In October I went to Rome with a couple of friends for the canonization of Damien of Molokai, who over the past couple of years has become one of my spiritual heroes. Too many blessings were experienced during that pilgrimage to recount here.

November found me travelling much of central Illinois for retreats and confessions, even as I grew accustomed to my new home in Virden and began to get a feel for the life of the two parishes.

The restored Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was rededicated in December with much joy and gladness. The beauty of the house of pray will inspire many and strengthen their faith, hope and love.

All in all, 2009 was a year filled with many joys and sorrows, a year of many blessings. I, for one, am sad to see it go, yet look forward with hope to 2010, curious as to what the Lord will ask of me.

In honor of the day

When I invite you to become saints, I am asking you not to be content with second best. I am asking you not to pursue one limited goal and ignore all the others. Having money makes it possible to be generous and to do good in the world, but on its own, it is not enough to make us happy. Being highly skilled in some activity or profession is good, but it will not satisfy us unless we aim for something greater still. It might make us famous, but it will not make us happy. Happiness is something we all want, but one of the great tragedies in this world is that so many people never find it, because they look for it in the wrong places. The key to it is very simple – true happiness is to be found in God. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success, or in our relationships with others, but in God. Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts.

- Pope Benedict XVI

Papal Prayer Intentions for January 2010

General: That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Mission: That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel.

In honor of the day

Around the blogosphere

• Over at the New Liturgical Movement, Shawn Tribe has posted a few Romanesque-inspired altars. I especially like the first and fourth ones.

• A Catholic Mom in Hawaii, a.k.a., Esther, passes on the news that St. Anthony Messenger Press is looking for stories about how a priest helped you grow in faith, challenged you in some way, or strengthened your faith.

Remember...

...it's still Christmas!

Stupidity is

...looking for an alb in the sacristy closet and, not finding it there, realizing you are already wearing it. It's going to be a long day.

In honor of the day

Sadness is

...having your escape from reality completely blocked.

It has been snowing much of the day here in Virden and the snow really picked up - or fell harder - sometime during the course of the evening Mass.

Since I had a few errands to run in Springfield, I decided tonight would be a good night to swing by the Hawaiian BBQ in an attempt to escape the reality of winter and dream of a happier place.

You can imagine my sadness when I pulled into the parking lot only to find the lights of the restaurant off. They were closed today yet for Christmas.

There once was a time when I saw the beauty of a freshly fallen snow, but no more. Snow may still be fun for sledding and having a snowball fight, but I see now beauty in it. In all honesty, if I were never to see another snowfall I would not be disappointed.

To add to the sorrow of the night, it seems as though people have forgotten how to drive in snow, even with no ice on the roads. I had to follow someone who insisted on staying twenty miles an hour below the posted speed limit, even in towns. It was most aggravating.

Happy winter. Humbug!

Looking for a picture

During the celebration of Christmas Mass at Midnight here in Virden, I heard someone snap a picture while I was at the altar.

If you, dear photographer, are reading this post, would you be so kind as to e-mail the photo to me at pastor[at]sacredheart[dot]dio[dot]org? Many thanks!

Remember the Octave!

Whereas today the secular world is already tossing Christmas trees and other decorations to the curb with yesterday's wrapping paper, Mother Church continues to celebrate Christmas Day for the next seven calendar days.

The observance of an octave - a period of eight days - is a way of drawing out a solemnity (in this case the birth of Christ) so as to mine its riches more deeply. The beauty of Christmas cannot be exhausted in one short day; there is simply too much to it!

I urge you, dear friends, not to give in to the spirit of the world and of this age! Do not been done with Christmas so soon, as though it were just another day! Sit with it. Stay with it. Pray with it. Mine every jewel and gem from this holy day that you can and bask in the light of the Christ Child! Do you find his beauty so repulsive that you want to be done with him?

Keep your trees decorated and your lights lit. Keep the nativity sets displayed as we await the visitation of the Magi from east. Even now they are making their journey and will arrive in eleven days. Say to the world, today a Savior has been for you who is Christ and Lord!

Remember the Octave! Remember, we are not secularists; we are Catholic!

Linkin' around the blogosphere

...it's a happy holiday. (If hear the melody for "Rockin' around the Christmas tree," you're on the right track.)

• For your Christmas cheer, Mac McLernon, who blogs over at Mulier Fortis, has posted a reply from the North Pole for an order for the gift of the first day of Christmas. I hope she posts more like this for each of the twelve days of Christmas!
• The Crescat wants to make it clear that she was not in the Vatican City State for Christmas and she's getting an extra special gift this Christmas (the rest of us might not be too far behind her).

When was Jesus born?

For some years now various "experts" have been telling us that Jesus was, in all likelihood, not born on the twenty-fifth day of December. These experts tell us that the Church supplanted the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice with the celebrations of the birth of Christ.

I questioned these claims when first I heard them and wondered how the Church could simply declare the date of Christ's birth when surely there were those at the time who - if the date were false - would have known otherwise.

Fr. Longenecker directs us to an excellent article refuting such a claim. There is, however, one correction that must be made to the article. The author, Andrew McGowen, says: "The earliest mention of December 25 as Jesus’ birthday comes from a mid-fourth-century Roman almanac that lists the death dates of various Christian bishops and martyrs."

Just a few days ago, Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that, in actuality, the earliest mention of December 25 as the date of Jesus' birth (at least that has come down to us) is found in the writings of Hippolytus of Rome around the year A.D. 204.

Homily - 25 December 2009

The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
Mass at Midnight

Bethlehem. The City of David. It seems so far away from us, but it is not really all that far removed from us. It is here in our midst this night as we hear the words of the angels, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord” (Luke 2:11).

This truly is “good news of great joy,” for it means that in this holy Child born of the Virgin that “God has visited his people” (Luke 2:10; Luke 7:16). Can this really be? It is a wondrous and astounding greeting the angels bring to us; is it true? Surely this question was found in the thoughts of those shepherds.

When the angels left them, the shepherds “said to one another, ‘Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place” (Luke 2:15).

Dear brothers and sisters, this night we, too, have gone to Bethlehem, for “today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). We, too, have gone to see what the shepherds saw, to behold the Child whom Mary wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger (cf. Luke 2:7).

What wondrous love is this! “The grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11)! Tonight we see “the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:13-14).

This night a savior is born for us, he who is Emmanuel (cf. Matthew 1:23). God is with us! He is not far from us, but here in our midst. The Creator of all things has made himself a creature and entered his creation. This

is a message that cannot leave us indifferent. If it is true, it changes everything. If it is true, it also affects me. Like the shepherds, then, I too must say: Come on, I want to go to Bethlehem to see the Word that occurred there.

If we go to Bethlehem, we, too, will see the Christ Child. We, too, will be invited to receive him, to worship him, to love him.

The shepherds recognized the truth of the angels greeting because they saw the promised sign: “you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). The sign given them is nothing spectacular or miraculous, but a sign of the mysterious humility of God. God makes himself small; he makes himself an infant so that we might touch him and give our love to him.

It is such a simple sign and yet one that the shepherds “went in haste to see” (Luke 2:16). Abandoning everything they went in search of a baby boy and found him just as they were told. Have we left also in haste, or are our thoughts wandering away from us this night?

The shepherds knew what was most important, what matters most. Placing all else after their search for God, they went in haste to find him. Tending their sheep was certainly important – indeed, it was their livelihood! – but worshipping God is still more important; it is most important. From these simple shepherds “we should learn the inner freedom to put other tasks in second place – however important they may be – so as to make our way towards God, to allow him into our lives and into our time.” We, like the shepherds, must make haste in our search for God, placing everything after this.

Even as we set out towards him, we know that he has already come toward us, that he continually comes toward us. Before he ascended to the Father, he promised his Apostles, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). It was the Lord’s way of answering their plea, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over” (Luke 24:29).

Gazing upon the Child of Bethlehem, do we not also say, “Stay with us”? Do we not want the Lord to remain with us so that he his love might always be in our hearts?

Centuries ago, Origen asked, “Indeed, what use would it be to you that Christ once came in the flesh if he did not enter your soul? Let us pray that he may come to us each day, that we may able to say: I live, yet it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).”

Through the Blessed Sacrament, dear friends, the Lord Jesus remains with us always and enters into our souls, changing us into himself. It is a mystery already revealed at his birth.

Jesus, the “bread of life,” was born in the city of David, in Bethlehem (John 6:35). Having no room in the inn, the Virgin Mary “laid him in a manger,” a food trough for the animals (Luke 2:7). The name of the city of his birth, Bethlehem, means “the house of bread.” The Bread of Life was born in the House of Bread and placed in the manger. He has come to us to enter into us, to live in us that we might “share his life completely.”

How do we arrive at the city of Bethlehem? By going to the altar of the Lord for the celebration of the Mass. The same Lord born in Bethlehem comes to us wherever the Eucharist is celebrated and enters into us when we receive his Body and Blood.

Let us say with the shepherds, Transeamus usque Bethlehem, Let us go to Bethlehem! Yes, let us go to see love made flesh. Let us go to him to receive his gift of himself that produces within us “abundant joy and great rejoicing” (Isaiah 9:2). When we leave this night, let us announce to all we meet: “The Word of God became man; we have seen his glory” (John 1:14)! Amen!

To my dear readers, family and friends:

May the Child of Bethlehem, born for us this day,

fill your hearts with the great joy and peace

that comes from being loved by God.

May you hasten with the shepherds to Bethlehem

to behold your salvation

and be caught up in love of the Word made flesh.

Buon Natale!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas must read

Tonight, the Holy Father preached an excellent and moving homily, reflecting on the shepherds who went to see the newborn King. It is, in my estimation, one of his best homilies. Be sure to read it and share it with those you love.

I was about to post my homily for midnight Mass, but now I'm going to revise it significantly.

For your holiday pleasure

Back in Effingham there is a foreign exchange student from Verona, Italy who apparently thinks rather highly of me. His parents arrived in the U.S. the other day and he wants nothing more than for me to meet them. On my part, I am looking forward to meeting them and will leave for Effingham in just a few minutes to join them for dinner.

Before I go, though, I wanted to share with you a recipe I found for a hot wassail in one of my favorite cookbooks: Hawaii's Favorite Pineapple Recipes. I picked it up at the Dole Plantation during my last visit. If couldn't be simpler to make and it's very tasty, especially during this time of year.

The wassail includes the following ingredients:

4 cups unsweetened apple juice
3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves

Combine the ingredients in a pot and simmer for about 10 minutes until hot. Stain the wassail into mugs and top with a slice of lemon.

I served it last night at a meeting and again today at lunch. I've not yet heard any complaints about it.

Enjoy!

I may need a dog

After Mass this morning I spent some time in the church talking things through our choir director and when I returned to the rectory I was surprised not to be greeted by a dog.

I'm not sure why I was surprised since I don't presently have a dog by which to have been greeted.

I suppose it may be time to really consider getting a dog. I'm thinking a beagle, a German shepherd or a lab (either golden, chocolate or black). What do you think?

From the mouths of babes

Last evening we had our Advent Penance Service at Sacred Heart Parish.

Three of my brother priests assisted me and each of us heard confessions for a solid 75 minutes each, without any lull; it was quite remarkable. I've no idea where so many penitents came from for such a small parish; I think we had more people present last night than we have parishioners! God be praised!

One of the moms in the parish told me that as she brought her family to the church last night she reviewed with her children how to go to confession and remarked that there would be different priests present that he might they not know.

One of her boys thought for moment and said, "I think I'll go to regular Father." She found it amusing that I didn't have a name, just "regular Father." It is amusing, but also quite profound.

At the altar and in the confessional the priest acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. In this way, he himself does not matter. When the action is done and words spoken the sacrament happens. He is just a "regular Father."

Just what I always wanted

As children, we were always encouraged to make a Christmas list so that Santa might know what he should bring to leave under our tree.

A great variety of things often ended up on my list, from Legos to roller blades to video games to chocolate covered cherries, but never did I ask for suspected terrorists, which makes the following report seem just a bit odd:

The decision to house both federal inmates and no more than 100 detainees
from Guantanamo Bay Detention Center at a largely unused prison in northwestern
Illinois should be viewed as a “billion-dollar Christmas gift for the people”
there, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said Friday [more].

Regardless of whether the people of Thomas are in favor of this decision, LaHood's comparison strikes me as a bit over the top.

Fr. Barron on healthcare and "pro-choice"

Just in time for Advent!

A friend sent me a link to the movie, Born of Hope, a Lord of the Rings fan film. It's an excellent film lasting just over an hour:

A scattered people, the descendents of storied sea kings of the ancient West, struggle to survive in a lonely wilderness as a dark force relentlessly bends its will toward their destruction. Yet amidst these valiant, desperate people, hope remains. A royal house endures unbroken from father to son.

This hour long original drama is set in the time before the War of the Ring and tells the story of the Dúnedain, the Rangers of the North, before the return of the King. Inspired by only a couple of paragraphs written by Tolkien in the appendices of the Lord of the Rings we follow Arathorn and Gilraen, the parents of Aragorn, from their first meeting through a turbulent time in their people's history.

Here the trailer:



I enjoyed it this morning as I attended to a bit of paper work.

Looking for something different?

Over the course of years in parishes, priests grow close to certain families and with some of them they remain friends even after being assigned to a different parish.

One such family invited me to join them on Thanksgiving, and since my family gathered the evening before I happily accepted.

I ate there a dish that I had not heard of before: scalloped pineapple. Now, to be sure, when I first saw it, I was a bit taken aback and didn't quite know what to think of it. But, I thought, I've never met a pineapple I haven't liked and tried it. It was great!

Here's the recipe:

1 can pineapple tidbits in juice drained
4 slices of cubed bread
2 beaten eggs
pinch salt
2 Tablespoons lemon Juice
1/4 C milk
1 stick melted butter
3/4 C (or less) sugar

Spray 8x8 baking dish with Pam. Mix pineapple and bread and spread in pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over pineapple. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min until lightly browned.

Don't be afraid; give it a try!

Warm up with Dr Pepper

Since it is so cold outside, why not warm up with nice, hot Dr Pepper?

It couldn't be simpler. Just warm up the contents of a can in a saucepan or in the microwave and add a fresh slice of lemon.

You could also try a Dr Pepper wassail as you go awassailing. Or how about a nice Dr Pepper punch for your next Christmas party?

Have you prayed for your priest today?

Yesterday morning I awoke with the beginning of a cold, which seems to have settled in by the time I awoke this morning.

Knowing how long it takes my already weakened immune system to defeat a cold - and not havinig a lot on the agenda today - I have spent the day napping, resting and reading. One of the books I picked is the Sermons of the Cure of Ars, Saint John Marie Vianney, patron of this Year for Priests proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI.

In the first sermon collected in the book, Saint John said to his people:

...I am going to show you this [the dreadful state of a lukewarm soul] so clearly that perhaps many among you will be hurt by it. But that will matter little to me, for I am always going to what I ought to tell you, and then you will do what you wish about it...

The man of God says this not because of a callous spirit, but because of his zeal for souls. He knows that he, a priest of Jesus Christ, must proclaim the truth to his people, that he must call them to a life of repentance and conversion. To do so he must point to sin wherever he finds it, thus calling people to change their lives.

It is this pointing out of sin, this demand to turn away from sinful living, that causes people pain because admitting our failures is never easy.

Ultimately, he knows that his duty is to preach to the truth, but that he cannot force anyone to accept it and live by it. Nevertheless, he is duty bound.

I often wonder if too few priests preach in clear and simple terms for fear of offending their hearers. The patron saint of priests never feared offending people; he feared, rather, allowing them to continue living in sin.

Let us pray for all priests, that following the example of the Cure of Ars, that they will realize more and more the great duty that is theirs and always speak what ought to be spoken.

Let us pray, too, that we will heed their words and do what we ought to do.

That said, in just a few minutes I will head north to Chatham to have dinner with a few priests and then hear confessions. Upon my return to Virden, I'll finish up a bit of paperwork and head to bed.

Should I grow a beard for charity?

Last night a friend invited me to join a fundraising effort he is calling "Beardfest 2010."

The rules are simple: beginning February 1st and clean shaven, those participating will grow their beards for forty-five days. A $5 donation will be given by those participating and will be given to a worthy cause yet to be determined (I suggested Catholic Relief Services or Aid to the Church in Need; do you have another suggestion?).

On the fifteenth day, but not before, participants will be allowed to post pictures of their beards to show their progress.

At the end of the contest, a prize will be awarded based on the judgment of the group, who will vote the winning beard on the following: 33% fullness, 33% length, and 33% cleanliness (I'm not sure what happened to the other 1%).

Other prizes may also be awarded, perhaps for the Best Effort or Most Pathetic.

It sounds like a great deal of fun, especially given the final line of the rules: "Have fun, and let the smack talking begin."

I am very tempted to participate. What do you think: should I do it?

The contest would begin before Ash Wednesday (February 17th) and end before Easter (April 4th).

You can cast your electronic ballot in the poll on the sidebar to the right. You have six days to do so.

Standing or sitting? Chair or Ambo?

In my post over the weekend about the scaffolding in the sanctuary, I mentioned that "ordinarily I preach from the chair."

Peter, who blogs at Ubi Petrus, raised the following question:

I've only heard of Bishops preaching from the chair (or, in their case their Cathedra). Is this generally allowed for anyone or is it a special allowance given your health? I'm just curious as I've never seen it done before.

His is a question I thought others might as well.

According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, "the priest, standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, when appropriate, in another suitable place, gives the homily" (n. 136).

Not only is it licit for a priest to preach from the chair, it would seem that the ordinary place from which to preach is the chair, even though most homilies are given today from the ambo.

Only rarely do I preach away from the chair or ambo, moving about as some priests do, since that would seem to be a series of suitable places and not one place. That, and it just drives me crazy; I hate having to follow someone moving about when I'm trying to listen to them and I know I am not the only one (I also know there are those who prefer a moving target).

The distinction that Peter raises, I think, rests on the posture of the priest who is preaching; is he sitting or standing?

A priest is to stand at the chair when he preaches. A Bishop, on the other hand, according to the Ceremonial of Bishops, "gives the homily seated in the chair (cathedra), unless he prefers some other place in order to be easily seen and heard by all" (n. 142).

We see, then, that priests preach standing while Bishops preach seated, in keeping with the ancient custom of teachers.

And then there is me.

This past April, I wrote to the Most Reverend George J. Lucas, now Archbishop of Omaha, requesting permission to preach while seated in the chair, on occassion, for reasons of health. At the time, my arthritis was acting up quite painfully in my hips and I am under no disillusion that the arthritis will go away any time soon.

His Excellency answered my request, saying, "I give you permission to preach the homily at Mass while seated, when you feel that this is necessary. I will leave that to your judgment." As I understand it, this permission remains in force, unless another Bishop should revoke it.

Prior to making my request to then-Bishop Lucas, I had already preached while seated two or three times because of my arthritis, hence the reason I wrote to him in the first place.

I find it much easier to preach while seated. It feels, to me, at least, more natural and I think my delivery comes across more easily, comfortably and enthusiastically.

I did preach from the ambo Saturday evening, but found I didn't like it at all and returned to the chair on Sunday morning. The ambo just seems to get in the way.

Homily - 6 December 2009

The Second Sunday of Advent (C)

Dear brother and sisters,

Over the past several weeks we have seen here an increase in the number of people attending Sunday Mass. I gladly welcome the return of so many - as I know you do as well – and with Saint Paul I pray “that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).

It is this “day of Christ,” his glorious return at the end of time, for which Holy Mother Church seeks to prepare us through the observance of the season of Advent. She teaches us to be ever vigilant because we do not know the day or the hour of his return (cf. Matthew 24:36). How, then, do we best prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord when at last when he comes? We do so by heeding the cry of the Forerunner of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist, to “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).

If we are to repent of our sins we must “discern what is of value” and what can be more valuable than the very reason for which we have gathered here today: the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Saint Paul warns us sternly that we must receive the Eucharist in a worthy manner:

Whoever therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself (I Corinthians 11:27-29).

It is this admonition that tempers my joy at the return of so many with a deep sadness, for I fear that many who have returned after being away from the Holy Mass for so long have been receiving Holy Communion without first making a sincere sacramental confession.

We know that purposefully missing Mass on Sundays and holy days is mortally sinful and that receiving the Eucharist when not in the state of grace – as the Apostle instructs us – compounds the gravity of the situation with the sin of sacrilege.

This concerns me greatly. When I was appointed your pastor I was entrusted with the care of your souls and my chief duty is to do what I can to help you grow in holiness and lead you to heaven. I implore you most earnestly to examine your lives before receiving Holy Communion, lest you eat and drink judgment on yourself.

My brothers and sisters, this is a most serious situation and I urge you with all my heart to get to confession as soon as possible. I urge you to do so because “God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God” (Baruch 5:7). We must tear down the mountain of our pride, with the Lord’s help, that he might “remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy.”

In these holy days, as we prepare for the day the day when “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6), let us beg the Lord for the grace of true repentance that the words of the Psalmist might be fulfilled in us: “Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves” (Psalm 126:6).

When we enter the confessional we enter carrying the seeds of our repentance, the tears of sorrow for having failed to return the love of the Lord Jesus Christ in neglecting the love of God and of neighbor. After our encounter with the Lord, the fruit of the seeds we have sown, we carry the sheaves of the grace and mercy of God.

Inside the confessional, the penitent soul “take[s] off [the] robe of mourning and misery” (Baruch 5:1) and the Lord purifies the baptismal garment, making it “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18), and clothes the penitent with “the splendor of God” and “the glory of the eternal name” (Baruch 5:1, 2).

This great Sacrament commonly goes by three names: Confession, Penance and Reconciliation.

It is called confession because that is what happens. The penitent confesses the sins he or she has committed in kind and in number, as best as can recalled.

It is also called penance, because a penance is given to the penitent as a means of demonstrating sorrow for his or her sins and as way to try to make right what was made wrong, however large or small the penance may be.

This Sacrament is also – and more commonly in our day - called reconciliation because through it we are reconciled with God and with one another because the Lord himself removes what stands between us and him and each other. We are able to raise our eyes to God and to look each other in the eyes again because through the Sacrament the obstacles are taken away by the grace of God.

Let us examine ourselves in these holy days that we might be filled with the joy of the Lord and stand pure and blameless before him. Through our reception of the sacraments may he “teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and to love the things of heaven,” that when he comes again we may lift our eyes to him in joy and behold the power, the splendor and the loveliness of his face. Amen!

This should lighten your day

Gaudete!

I haven't done this before

I have offered the Holy Mass in many settings, but I have yet to do so in a construction zone. Soon I will have done so.

We are in the process of replacing not only some of the lights in the sanctuary, but the sockets, as well:

As Murphy's Law would have it, the work is taking longer than was hoped so some scaffolding remains in the sanctuary, pushed as best out of the way as possible, though it will still be a distraction:

I almost wish there was another set of scaffolding on the opposite side, but I may like symmetry just a bit too much.

Ordinarily I preach from the chair. This weekend I think I'll preach from the ambo. It might not be quest as distracting.

On a mostly unrelated matter, I will try to post last weekend's homily this evening. After each Mass I did some touch ups to it on paper but have yet to type them in. I hope to finish that tonight and, if I do, will post it for you.

Homily - 13 December 2009

The Third Sunday of Advent (C)

Dear brothers and sisters,

When the Holy Father Benedict XVI visited this nation, he reminded us of what he wrote in his encyclical letter Spe salvi, that “the one who has hope lives differently.” Who, then, is the one who has hope and what does his life look like?

The hope of the Christian is not as Denethor said to Gandalf as the armies of Mordor encircled the city of Gondor: “[T]hy hope is but ignorance.” Such a hope is founded only on possibilities, the chance of victory, but the hope of Christians is founded on no mere possibility, but on a certainty. It is founded on the certainty of the Birth of Jesus Christ at Bethlehem and of his glorious return at the end of time. What is more, it is founded on the certainty that “the Lord is near,” present in the Scriptures, in his sacred ministers, in his people and, above all, in the Holy Eucharist (Philippians 4:5).

The one who has hope – true and authentic hope and not simply optimism – is the one who has God, or, rather, who is possessed by God and has known his love. The hope of Christians is founded on their union with Christ, who has baptized them “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). This is why the one who has hope lives differently. They are to live, as Saint John the Baptist teaches, lives of generosity, honesty and humility, in imitation of Christ Jesus (cf. Luke 3:10-14).

It is God himself who “is the foundation of hope: not any god, but the God who has a human face and who has loved us to the end, each one of us and humanity in its entirety,” who was born at Bethlehem and placed in a manger, crucified for the sins of humanity, rose from the dead and will come again.

The one who has hope lives differently because he lives not only hoping in God but also lives in the joy of God’s love. On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus said, “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). This joy, my friends, comes from God who is our hope (cf. Psalm 71:5).

Absence, they say, makes the heart grow fonder. Whenever we learn a loved one whom we have not seen in some time plans to visit us, our hearts rejoice at their expected return. So should it be with us who await the return of Christ our King.

Everyone who lives the season of Advent well cannot help but notice and be almost overwhelmed by the great hopefulness of these days as we await the coming of the Lord. This expectant hope produces within the soul a deep pocket of joy seemingly ready to burst forth and overflow. It is for this reason that the readings today are so marked by the themes of joy, rejoicing and gladness.

The prophet Zephaniah exclaims, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel” (Zephaniah 3:14)! Isaiah calls us to “cry out with joy and gladness” (Isaiah 12:6). Saint Paul tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Even the opening prayer, which collects all of our individual prayers and raises them before the throne of God, prays that we might “experience the joy of salvation.”

What is the cause of this joy, what is the reason for our rejoicing, if not the certain knowledge that “the LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals” (Zephaniah 3:17). This, brothers and sisters, is the hope of Christians, founded in the certainty that Christ has come “to bring glad tidings to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1).

The glad tidings that he brought was the good news of victory over sin and death through his total giving of self that has won for us the forgiveness of sins. With the prophet Isaiah we can say, “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior” (Isaiah 12:2).

This same Lord who came among us so many centuries ago, who gives us courage and strength by his presence among us even now, will also come in his glory to judge the living and the dead. This realization gives the season of Advent a profound sense of joyful hope and at the same time it gives it a penitential character. It is, one might say, a spirit of joyful penance or of penitential joy, for while we know that he is coming we also know that not all of us are ready to receive him and greet him when he comes.

This is precisely why the Lord gives us these holy days to prepare for his coming and to meet him in the Sacrament of Penance to be reconciled with him and our brothers and sisters. This requires, first of all, an awareness of the reality of our sins. Each of us is sinful and has committed sin, whether great or small.

Too often today it is said, “I’m a good person. I haven’t stolen anything, killed anyone or committed adultery. I don’t have any real sins.” Rubbish! We have all sinned and are in need of his mercy, which he wishes to bestow upon us in the confessional. Let us hasten there that the words of Isaiah might be fulfilled in us: “With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

Many will say that their sins are always the same and wonder about the point of going to confession, if it does any good at all. Pope Benedict once put it this way:

It is true: Our sins are always the same, but we clean our homes, our
rooms, at least once a week, even if the dirt is always the same; in order to
live in cleanliness, in order to start again. Otherwise, the dirt might not be
seen but it builds up. Something similar can be said about the soul, for me
myself; If I never go to confession, my soul is neglected and in the end I am
pleased with myself and no longer understand that I must always work hard to
improve, that I must make progress. And this cleansing of the soul which Jesus
gives us in the sacrament of confession helps us to make our consciences more
alert, more open, and hence, it also helps us to mature spiritually and as human
persons.

By going to confession on a regular basis, even if confessing the same sins again and again, we are strengthened with the Lord’s grace, and this is always a cause of joy and gladness.

Let us seek his mercy so that we might rejoice always in the Lord, confident that he is near, and so celebrate the festival of his Birth “with love and thanksgiving.” Amen!

Have you wondered what seminary life is like?

Preparations and unexpected findings

This morning it was made known to me that no one seemed to be aware where predecessor placed the infant Jesus that belongs to the Nativity set that will soon be displayed in the church. The task fell to me to try and locate him.

When I returned to Virden this evening after running a few errands in Springfield and having dinner with a couple of college friends, I went over to the church to begin the search.

I looked through every cupboard, cabinet and drawer I could find, but to no avail. I did find one infant with two broken hands - he is missing several fingers - but I am certain this cannot be the one for which I was looking. (After Christmas he'll have to be sent away for repairs.)

When I was about to leave the church and give up the search, I remember a tabernacle built into one of the cabinets in my sacristy. I do not know why it is there. At any rate, I decided maybe - just maybe - the holy infant might be in the tabernacle. Stranger things have happened.

After searching and searching for the key - and trying numerous possibilities - I finally found the right one and opened the tabernacle. Inside were three chalices, quite a few other keys and, sure enough, the Baby Jesus.

Hindsight is, as they say, 20/20. I suppose a tabernacle should have been the first place I looked for Jesus.

Good advice

The esteemed Fr. Zuhlsdorf suggests the proper response - some of it serious and some of it humorous - to disturbances at the Holy Mass.

Sad news

When times turn difficult and expectations remain, you can never quite be certain of people's actions, especially given the sinful condition in which we live.

This morning the Springfield State Journal-Register carries the sad story of stolen Christmas gifts from a Catholic Church:

Police are looking for the Grinch who showed up at Church of the Little Flower on Tuesday and stole about 100 toys that parishioners donated for children in need this Christmas.

The Rev. John Ossola said the toys were mostly in plastic store bags underneath an “angel tree” in the vestibule of the church. Parishioners had been bringing in toys for about three weeks. Only about 30 remain [more].

New furniture

Courtesy of an anonymous benefactor, a new kitchen table and chairs arrived today for the rectory:

Last week I was told to go to the local furniture store and select a table and chairs for the kitchen and someone would provide them for the rectory. I am grateful to this anonymous donor; thank you!

I selected a high table and chairs - something like a bistro style - to help balance out the lack of counter space in the kitchen. Now when I need to slice tomatoes and combine ingredients for a pasta I will be able to do so with plenty of room at the table.

This could be helpful

His Hermeneuticalness Father Finigan passes on the happy news that New Advent now has a new biblical feature presenting the Greek, Latin and English texts of the Scriptures on the same screen.

In honor of the day

O Holy Mary, Immaculately Conceived,
receive the prayers of the faithful
of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
who have placed themselves under your patronage.


Present our humble supplications to your Son and intercede for us.


Pray for us, dear Mother,
that we might soon have a Bishop
to sit in the seat of the Cathedral dedicated to you.

Transforming a worship space

In a post at the Creative Minority Report, Denis McNamara, one of my professors at Mundelein Seminary and at the Liturgical Institute, shows what can be done to a plain church with a small budget, strong leadership and a good architect.

Sometimes people do listen

It seems that at least once a day I wonder if people listen to a word I say. I'm sure you wonder the same about yourself from time to time, especially you parents.

You know what I mean. I ask a server before Mass to bring something to me and he or she simply looks at me. I ask the server at Subway for a twelve-inch tuna on wheat and she gives me instead a six-inch turkey on wheat (don't laugh; it happened). You get the idea.

Before I left St. Anthony's in Effingham, the primary grades (kindergarten through third grades) wanted to say good-bye to me and presented me with a big banner and numerous letters. It was an enjoyable and brief time with them.

Such occassions are always moments to address a lot of people all at once (even little people) and I rarely shy away from such moments.

Yesterday I received a request from one of the parents seeking help recruiting the high school students to decorate luminaries for life. She wrote:

Before you left Effingham you must have said something to the kindergarteners about how you'll pray for them if they'll pray for you. Well, that certainly stuck in my son Henry's head because ever since then he's been consistently including you in our daily family prayers. Did you realize the extent of your influence on 5 year olds?

I did indeed tell them I would pray for them every day if they prayed for me every day, but I certainly had no idea of my influence on five-year olds (I barely know how to talk to them!).

It looks like I'll have to add another specific person to my daily prayer list. Perhaps one day he'll be a priest.

Over at the Creative Minority Report, in a great piece of satire, Patrick Archbold demonstrates the absurdity of the "personally opposed" position using unconventional circumstances.

Yes, Virginia, there is a sword in the stone

I have been a great fan of the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. I was fascinated by the stories as a boy and now I am particularly interested in trying to discover just who this "king" upon whom these legends are based was. One of my dream vacations would be to drive around the British Isles in search of King Arthur and his pursuits.

Saint Francis of Assisi, too, being a trabadour of sorts, must also have enjoyed the legends because he once referred to his friars as his Knights of the Round Table (one of these days I'll write an article about this).

I bring this up today because the Lion and the Cardinal has a post about about the sword of Saint Galgano:

You are eyes do not receive you. That is indeed a sword thrust into a stone.

Saint Galgano was born in 1148 in Chiusdino. Saint Michael the Archangel twice appeared to him in a dream when he was twenty years old, initiating a great conversion in the life of the soldier.

Galgano eventually became a hermit. After Pope Alexander III (probably in 1180) urged him to build a monastery, Galgano returned to his hermitage and put his sword into a stone, which, we are told, received the sword easily up to the hilt, thus forming a cross.

Galgano died in 1181, the same year Saint Francis of Assisi was born.

Handel sung by silent monks

The following video comes to us from the Creative Minority Report via Mac McLernon, who blogs over at Mulier Fortis.

I think you will enjoy it:

Worth the wait

Today's dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception went very well; thank you for your prayers!

At this point I'm a bit too worn out to offer any decent reflections for you, but I've posted a few pictures I took throughout the day in my Facebook albums.

You might also be interested in the Springfield State Journal-Register's story (as before, feel free to ignore the comments) and WCIS' story.

Be careful where you sit

When I was in the seminary I took two quarters of Latin. It was not enough but I could not fit more into my schedule.

The professor was one of my favorites, a witty, sarcastic priest with a monotone teaching voice that could put you to sleep in moments who taught via tangents (which is part of why I enjoyed him), but if you stayed awake you were guaranteed many good chuckles. Uproarious laughter, though rare, was also a good possibility.

At any rate, I sat in the back row and was part of what the professor referred to as the turba, the unruly crowd.

I have always enjoyed plopping down at a table in the corner or the back of a room with good friends making various remarks of humorous quality, quietly, of course, and generally unnoticed by the crowd. Such was my intention today at the dinner preceeding the dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

A priest friend and I were about to join a table when we realized it was full. I suggested we start a new table and so to the empty corner table we went where we could make humorous comments and where I could also take pictures.

No sooner did we sit down than His Excellency the Most Reverend George J. Lucas, Archbishop of Omaha, pointed to the table at which we just sat, saying, "There's room over here." Before I knew it I was sitting next to His Emminence Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago and his secretary Fr. Dan who's-last-name-I-never-remember, and with His Excellency Edward Braxton, Bishop of Belleville, and His Excellency John Gaydos, Bishop of Jefferson City. I really should be more careful in the future where I sit.

As one of the Masters of Ceremonies at the seminary, I had the opportunity to chat with Cardinal George several times and I always enjoy visiting with him. Just before I excused myself to return to the Cathedral he said the next time he's near Virden he'll stop by and say hello. I'll have to send him a note telling him he's always welcome; I doubt a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church has stopped in Virden before.

Though I was not able to make too many comments during the dinner, I did get a couple of pictures of Archbishop Lucas with the crozier the priests of Springfield in Illinois gave him as a farewell gift: