A journey home

I left Effingham yesterday much later than intended -some eight hours later - due to a bit of a miscommunication.

The unexpected time spent in Effingham provided a nice opportunity to re-pack for Wednesday night's/Thursday morning's departure for the pilgrimage to WYD 2008.

Everything fits in one check bag and one carry-on, but I almost think the bags are a bit too heavy. Upon my return to Effingham in the morning I'll weigh the bags and make the necessary adjustments. I'm very happy to say that I've packed more lightly for this trip than for any before.

I finally left Effingham early in the evening, which provided an absolutely beautiful drive across central Illinois.

You may think me funny, but I find that west central Illinois has a distinct smell throughout the summer months, a scent I've not found elsewhere (and it isn't the smell of pigs). It's a charming aroma, really, that filled that wafted through the open windows and moonroof of the car.

The drive could only have been better with a convertible and a couple of good friends for company.

I'll leave you with one bit of advice before I head out to visit with friends and family: don't drive west as the sun is setting. It makes it a bit difficult to see:

Just for a day or two

Go have a read

Amy has a very good reflection today on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the palli, and liturgy, all in one!

Homily - At the Vigil of Saints Peter and Peter

By a happy coincidence of dates, today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. At the same time, we celebrate today the opening of the great Jubilee Year proclaimed by the Holy Father and dedicated to Saint Paul as we commemorate the two thousandth anniversary of his birth.

These two Apostles, Peter and Paul, are inseparably united one to the other because of the common mission which they share.

Peter professed his faith in Christ first; Paul obtained as a gift the ability to deepen its riches. Peter founded the first community of Christians who came from the Chosen People; Paul became the Apostle to the Gentiles. With different charisms they worked for one and the same cause: the building of Christ’s Church.[1]

The Church of Christ is unthinkable without either of these two Apostles, so great is their contribution to the Church.

We must ask ourselves what these two Apostles want to teach us today, here and now. Our celebration here is not a matter of simply recalling some past event or some historical personality. It is, rather, an encounter with the Triune God, guided and accompanied by the Apostles, the Saints, and the choirs of angels.

In this passage from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn of Saint Peter’s sole possession. “I have neither gold nor silver,” he said to the crippled beggar, “but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus the Nazarene, rise and walk” (Acts 3:6). Peter’s only possession is Jesus Christ, but this gift is not his to keep to himself but to give freely to others.

Turning to Saint Paul, we know that when he was on his way to the city of Damascus in Syria, he encountered the Lord Jesus, who said to him, “Why do you persecute me?” Seeing nothing but a blinding light and not recognizing the voice, Paul said, “Who are you, sir?” “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” came the reply (Acts 9:4-5). In this encounter with the Risen Lord, Paul understood that the Church is truly the Body of Christ, so that in persecuting the Church he persecuted Christ.

Paul came to see himself as a “slave of Jesus Christ” and he did what he was told to do by the Lord (Romans 1:1; cf. Acts 9:6). He was convinced that the Lord chose him, while he was still in his mother’s womb, to “proclaim him to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:16).

Is this not also how Peter saw himself, as a slave of Jesus Christ chosen by him? Is this not how we, too, are to see ourselves? Is this not what it means to say, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you” (John 21:17).

As the Lord said to Peter and to Paul, so he says to each us, “Follow me” (John 21:19). In following him, both found true freedom, the freedom of the sons of God. They used their voices – Peter, an unlearned fisherman and Paul, a learned tentmaker but a poor speaker – to herald the Gospel to all of creation; and their message reaches us even today. In the end, both gave their lives for Christ in the city of Rome. Crucified upside down, Peter showed his humility in asking not to be executed in the same manner as his Lord. Beheaded by the sword, Paul showed that our true citizenship is not in this world, but in heaven (cf. Philippians 3:20).

Thus these two Apostles teach us that our only true possession is Jesus Christ, and that our happiness and contentment will only be found in uniting ourselves completely to Christ in whatever way he should call us.

When we look even briefly at the life of Saint Paul what strikes us particularly strongly is the great success of his missionary preaching. His three missionary journeys took him across the Roman Empire, establishing Churches as he went. What was it that made him such an effective preacher of the Gospel?

It is not difficult to see that Paul’s tremendous success as a missionary “depended above all on his personal involvement in proclaiming the Gospel with total dedication to Christ; a dedication that feared neither risk, difficulty nor persecution.”[2] It is the same with us.

We must, then, ask ourselves: How devoted am I to Christ the Lord? Does the witness of my life demonstrate my belief in, and my love of, Jesus Christ?

The Church’s action is credible and effective only to the extent to which those who belong to her are prepared to pay in person for their fidelity to Christ in every circumstance. When this readiness is lacking, the crucial argument of truth on which the Church herself depends is also absent.[3]

Looking to the example of the Apostles Peter and Paul – and to all of the Saints – we will learn how to live faithfully as disciples of the Lord, we learn how to be dedicated to him.

There is yet one more question to consider today: when was the last time you read the letters of Saint Paul? Now is a perfect time to begin prayerfully reading and studying his letters. We cannot know Saint Paul if we do not read his writings. Please, do not waste this year of grace. Spend a little time each week with the letters of the Apostle; your time will be well spent as you grow in faith, hope and love.

We know that statistics of our favorite sports team. We know what happens on our favorite television show. If we devote such time and know so much about these things that will pass away and amount to nothing, why should we not know the writings of Saint Paul?

The Holy Father Benedict XVI has proclaimed this Pauline Year to help us refocus our lives on Christ by looking through the lens of Saint Paul. When he announced this Jubilee Year last June, he said:

Dear brothers and sisters, today too Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St. Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus, did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed him without second thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for him he suffered and died. How timely his example is today![4]

In the end, we know that what motivated both Peter and Paul in all that they did was their love for Jesus Christ. In this year of grace, in this year of Saint Paul, each of us must ask: does my love for Jesus Christ motivate me?

May the Apostle Paul – “who shines like a star of the brightest magnitude in the Church” – guide us forward and obtain this grace for each of us.[5] Amen!

[1] Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, 28 June 2007.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid., General Audience, 25 October 2006.

Looking for a movie?

Fr. Joel has a review of the movie WALL-E at Holy Priesthood.

Good Idea | Bad Idea

Two articles (and one box of "speculations") in this morning's edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch cover yesterday's appointment of Archbishop Raymond L. Burke as Prefect on the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura: "Burke leaving St. Louis" and "Reaction to Burke's departure."

The coverage here and - to an even greater extent - elsewhere makes frequent mention of the "controversial" way - and even personality - of His Excellency. The so-called controversy surrounding several of the Archbishop's decisions is, of course, viewed as a negative thing and he is portrayed to be a "divisive" figure.

This particular quote caught my attention:

"I respect that the archbishop stood up for what he believed in, and I'll miss him," said Helen Adam of Richmond Heights. "But I won't miss the controversy."

We've heard similar things before about him other Bishops and priests, and it saddens me greatly.

It saddens me not because controversy is caused or upset with the Archbishop (people will be upset regardless of what he does; something people are only happy when they aren't), but because so many of the faithful do not want their priest or Bishop taking a firm stand for the faith of the Church, the faith of Jesus Christ, the same faith handed on for two thousand years. It is a very sad day indeed - perhaps even a despicable day - when priests and Bishops are not expected by even a small number of the faithful to uphold the faith of the Church.

Because the faith is not ours, not mine, neither we nor I can the faith. We can receive the faith - as did Saint Paul - and hand it on to others, just as we received it and not as we wish it was.

When considering aspects of the faith we are considering aspects of life and death, in the most serious form: eternal. And for this reason a pastor - if who truly cares for the souls entrusted to him - must act when he sees his sheep being led astray.

When a Bishop or priest finds himself in what the media terms a "controversy," I sincerely believe this to be a very good moment. Why? Because the media never terms it a "controversy" unless it concerns the true teaching of the Church being upheld.

I sometimes wonder if every Bishop or priest shouldn't find himself in at least one controversy each week. We certainly know that too many Catholics do not view the faith of the Church as a unified whole and, as such, may be placing their souls in danger. Pastors need to speak up more clearly - and even forcefully when need be, as Archbishop Burke has done - to see that the authentic faith of the Christ is presented without sugar coating, and exhort the faithful entrusted to their care to live their lives in conformity to the faith of Jesus Christ.

When it comes to "divisions" in the Church, it is not the Archbishop who is divisive; rather, it is who those who dissent from the true faith of the Church who are divisive. His Excellency seeks not to divide but to restore unity to the Church by leading the stray sheep back into the fold.

Then there is this quote:

"People who don't know him think of him as an intimidating steamroller who's intent on having his way," Rolwes said. "But to spend five minutes with him is to know that he is a humble, loving and gentle man."

I cannot recall ever personally meeting Archbishop Burke but I do know many who have met him, and all speak well of him (but that might be because my friends are not dissenters from the teaching of the Church).

It simply goes to show that we cannot judge the character of a man based on the representation of him found in the media. There is more to a man than the "style" of his celebration of the liturgy, his approach to serious pastoral "issues" and other things besides; there is more to a man than his office, and you can tell the character of man by how well he fulfills the duties of his office, without consideration for personal gain or loss.

Just as you cannot judge a layman on his appearance, neither can you judge a Bishop, priest or deacon.

Ask the Pope

Who is Saint Irenaeus of Lyons?

Way cool!

Zenit reports that the Holy Father Benedict XVI's second Encyclical Spe salvi is now available for free to listen to on your iPod from h2onews! (It's in the links on the right.)

To Rome itself

Prayerful congratulations are in order to the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis (the so-called "Rome of the West"), whom the Holy Father Benedict XVI named today as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (maybe he'll work on it's page on the web site of the Holy See).

Keep the good Archbishop - soon to be Cardinal - in your prayers, and pray also for his successor to the See of St. Louis, whomever he might be.

A few links

A Catholic Mom in Hawaii passes along information about the Aloha Spirit Youth Day being celebrated in Honolulu with pilgrims passing through Hawaii on their way to Sydney. If they’d have just a few days earlier I’d be there!

Looking through a drawer, Fr. V. at Adam’s Ale found a prayer card with six rule for a Happy and Successful Friendship and Courtship. He also passes along some sage – and common sense – advice from a priest on dating and marrying.

Sr. Mary Martha has a few worthwhile things to say about distractions in prayer.
Amy reports that the Most Reverend Raymond Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis is indeed, as rumored, going to Rome as the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

Ask the Pope

Being the great teacher that he is, I'm sure the Holy Father doesn't mind entertaining questions or a wide range of topics. In fact, given the many Q&A sessions he's hosted since ascending the Chair of Peter, we know he enjoys this.

Now, you, too, in honor the day, can pose a question to His Holiness:

Who is Saint Cyril of Alexandria?

Attention parishioners

In preparation for this coming weekend's celebration of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul and the beginning of the Pauline Year, I have been looking at the statues of the two Apostles above the doors to our church.

You might not have noticed them before; many haven't. I encourage to take a moment to look at the them the next time you're by the church.

Now, I need your help. I know that the two statues were placed above the doors in August of 1893, but there is a further question that I have.

Since I first came to this parish some five years ago I've often wondered if Saint Paul originally had his hand resting upon a sword. Actually, I'm certain that he did, but I can't find a photograph to prove it.

It is very common in liturgical art for a martyr to carry the instrument of their death. Saint Paul was beheaded and, being a citizen of the Roman Empire, his execution was carried out by the sword. Thus, St. Paul is very often depicted holding a book in one hand representing the letters he wrote and a sword in the other.

If we look at a detail of the hand in question, you'll see what I mean:

Does anyone know of a picture from days gone by gone in which St. Paul is visible in which a sword is visible?

If someone knows that he did, indeed, have a sword at one time, do you know what became of it and when?

Send out the word on this one, please!

This is odd

In looking over the homily that Pope Benedict XVI delivered to the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec from Rome, I'm particularly struck by his opening words: "Lord Cardinals."

He then goes into the usual formality of greeting the various dignitaries present, making explicit mention of "the Lord Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec, adn the Lord Cardinal Josef Tomko, special envoy for the congress."

At least he greets them in this way in the text provided by Zenit. Strangely, though, the title of "Lord" is missing from the English version on the Holy See's web site, thought the title very clearly is present in the French and Italian version of the same homily.

I wonder what's going on here.

Personally, I'd be very happy if he did address them as "Lord Cardinals," but I also wouldn't mind living in a castle.

It's about time

The pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, has decided to invest in adult stem cell research.

This only makes sense, of course, since some seventy seventy advances have come from adult stem cell research and not a single advance from embryonic stem cell research. I wonder what's taken them so long?

New Papal cars

Piaggio, an Italian scooter manufacturer presented the Holy Father with two three-wheeled "cars" today:

They're rather nifty.

You don't suppose he'll take them for a spin inside the walls of Vatican City before bed, do you?

Photo: AP Photo/Filippo Monteforte, Pool

Just for fun

What is Peter's Pence?

This weekend, Holy Mother Church will take up a universal collection under the name of "Peter's Pence."

This collection for the charitable giving of the Holy Father has a long history in the life of the Church and greatly contributes to the needs of the world.

The Anglo-Saxon people, under the direction of King Alfred the Great (d. 899), as you might have guessed, began this annual collection in the ninth century, calling it Denarius Sancti Petri, the alms of Saint Peter. Other European peoples soon took up this collection, as well.

The Holy See defines Peter's Pence as "the name given to the financial support offered by the faithful to the Holy Father as a sign of their sharing in the concern of the Successor of Peter for the many different needs of the Universal Church and for the relief of those most in need."

We see from the earliest days of the Church the great care that Christians are to have for one another and, indeed, for their fellow man. At Antioch, “the disciples determined that, according to ability, each should send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea” who were soon to suffer famine (Acts 11:29).

Saint Paul told the Church at Rome,

For Macedonia and Achaia have decided to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem; they decided to do it, and in fact they are indebted to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to serve them in material blessings (Romans 15:26-27).

The Apostle also told the Church at Corinth,

Now in regard to the collection for the holy ones, you also should do as I ordered the Churches of Galatia. On the first day of the week each of you should set aside and save whatever he can afford, so that collections will not be going on when I come. And when I arrive, I shall send those whom you have approved with letters of recommendation to take your gracious gift to Jerusalem (I Corinthians 16:1-4).

We cannot sit idly by while so many people are suffering from lack of food, shelter, medical care, etc., etc., etc. We must do our part to help them and our contribution to Peter's Pence is a way to meet the duty given us in baptism.

"How will my gift be used?" you ask. The Holy See responds thusly:

The faithful’s offerings to the Holy Father are destined to Church needs, to humanitarian initiatives and social promotion projects, as well as to the support of the Holy See. The Pope, being Pastor of the whole Church, is attentive to the material needs of poor dioceses, religious institutes and of faithful in grave difficulties (the poor, children, the elderly, those marginalized and the victims of war or natural disasters; concrete aid to Bishops or dioceses in need, Catholic education, assistance to refugees and immigrants, etc.).

All of these are worthy and important needs and the offerings made to Peter’s Pence give the Successor of Saint Peter the funds needed to help support such valuable work.

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI described Peter's Pence as

the most characteristic expression of the participation of all the faithful in the Bishop of Rome’s charitable initiatives in favour of the universal Church. The gesture has not only a practical value, but also a strong symbolic one, as a sign of communion with the Pope and attention to the needs of one’s brothers; and therefore your service possesses a refined ecclesial character.[1]

In his Encyclical Deus caritas est, Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that "the Church can never be exempted from practising charity as an organized activity of believers and, on the other hand, there will never be a situation where the charity of each individual Christian is unnecessary, because in addition to justice man needs, and will always need, love” (29).

Won't you then assist the Holy Father in his charitable work throughout the world? You can either use the designated envelope provided by your parish or you can do what I will do and send your gift to:

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI
00120 Vatican City State
Europe

You may also donate online with your credit card.Please be generous for every gift of any size is valuable; simply remember the widow's mite (cf. Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4).

[1] Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the Circle of St. Peter, 25 February 2006.

I always get a little excited about wearing red on the feasts of martyrs and yesterday morning I was almost giddy about wearing red for today's patronal feast of my parish.

It was not until halfway through the afternoon yesterday that I realized that we don't, in fact, wear red on the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, but white.

This set me pondering the reason for this.

Typically, of course, we celebrate the dies natali of a saint, the day on which they enteral everlasting life, more commonly called the day we died. Using this logic we would wear red for Saint John the Baptist who suffered the martyr's death.

However, today we celebrate the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord, and not his death; thus, we wear white. But why?

I cannot help but wonder if we wear white because John came as "a light to the nations" (Isaiah 49:6). It is as though, as the Fathers so often spoke of the Church, that John reflects the coming Light of the World as the moon reflects the light of the sun (John 8:12).

In his encyclical, Spe salvi, Pope Benedict XVI noted that

The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by—people who shine with his light and so guide us along our way (49).

The Holy Father then reflects on Mary, the Star of the Sea, but I think the same could well be applied to the Baptizer.

John is the light that always shines on Christ, and for this reason we wear white on this, his Solemnity.

On camel's hair

Both Matthew and Mark explicitly say that John the Baptist “wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist” (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6). If both Evangelists make explicit reference to John’s clothing there must be something significant about it; but what?

There is another man who wore similar clothing in the Scriptures, one who lived many centuries before John’s birth. To this man the angel of the Lord said:

Go, intercept the messengers of Samaria’s king, and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?’ For this, the Lord says: ‘You shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead, you shall die’” (II Kings 1:3-4).

Hearing these words, the king’s messengers returned to him. King Ahaziah asked them, “What was the man like who came up to you and said these things to you” (II Kings 1:7). “‘Wearing a hairy garment,’ they replied, ‘with a leather girdle about his loins’” (II Kings 1:8). Hearing this description, the king knew at once the name of this name and cried out, “It is Elijah the Tishbite” (II Kings 1:8)!

By donning a garment made of camel’s hair and securing it with a belt of leather, John the Baptist demonstrated in a clear way his prophetic calling. We learn through the prophet Zechariah that this form of dress was customary for the prophets: “On that day, every prophet shall be ashamed to prophesy his vision, neither shall he assume the hairy mantle: (Zechariah 13:4). But more than this, John showed through the use of his clothing, that he was Elijah.

The grandson of the wise Sirach wrote, “How awesome are you, Elijah! Whose glory is equal to yours” (Sirach 48:10)? Furthermore, he said to him,

You are destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Blessed is he who shall have seen you before he dies, O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind (Sirach 48:10-12)!

Sirach references and quotes the words of the Prophet Malachi:

Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with doom (Malachi 3:24).

So much so did John the Baptist’s life reflect that of Elijah, Jesus said of John:

All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear (Matthew 11:13-15).

Saint John Chrysostom tells us, “John’s clothing itself was symbolic of nothing less than the coming kingdom and of repentance.”[1]

[1] Saint John Chrysostom, The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 10.4.

Design a t-shirt contest

Great River Teens Encounter Christ is hosting a t-shirt design contest. If you've made a Great River TEC, why not design a shirt?

They are also looking for sponsors for the back of the shirts.

I'm very happy to say that I will be the spiritual director for the TEC weekend held October 4-6, 2008. If any of my blog readers are interested in making a TEC retreat, contact me and we'll chat.