The Source of Parish Renewal

In an article from Catholic News Agency, the recent Homily of Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz is adressed. He said that the first requirement of a parish priest is to be “an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ, because only a priest in love with the Lord can renew a parish.” Based on the life of St. John Vianney, Cure of Ars, he stated that the most important task of priests is to be pastors of parishes.

“In the parish, a priest lives the mission of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, in a full and concrete way,” through which shines forth “the entire ecclesial dimension of the person and ministry of the pastor.”

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus tells the disciples that they should avoid greed. The man has a good harvest, and without a hint of gratitude or awareness of where, ultimately, the harvest has come from, he makes plans for a bigger barn, which then will allow him to rest, eat, drink, and be merry. This man has claimed things as idols, he is prideful, and complete lacking gratitude.

We can be the same way - we can get greedy, and worse, forgetful of the goodness of God who has given us these good things in the first place. The antidote to greed - to remember God and to be grateful. So often, I have heard of people discerning their vocation. In asking them to describe the discernment, they often seem forget who it is that is calling them. While it is 'my' vocation, it is God's gift to 'me' for the world. So it is not mine for simply me. When we discern God's vocation to us, we need to remember that like the harvest of the rich man, it is not hoarded, but rather to be shared.

Reflection on the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In our readings for Mass on this Sunday, we hear of the power of prayer, especially intercessory prayer. As Abraham interceded for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, he pleads with God for a people that most likely he does not know. He, like Moses does, stands in the breach. He begs for mercy for those in those towns, if God could find some good people there. We know, though, that God did not find the ten people, so God warned Lot and his wife and daughters and sons-in-laws (six total).

In the Gospel, we hear Luke's account of the giving of the Our Father. Due to its shorter length, it is thought by some that this is an early 'edition' of the prayer of the community. Such a teaching, though, is not a necessary conclusion. Perhaps it was an early or purposefully shorter form from Jesus Christ Himself. All the same, the passage speaks of the importance of prayer and persistence in that prayer. Prayer is not the mumbling of words, but rather about communication with God. The disciples ask for Jesus to teach them to pray, having just seen him praying. He responds. In the Lord's prayer, we have a perfect example of this communication, as well as the perfect prayer itself. It invites us into a relationship with God as Father - the giver and protector of life. It invites us to honor, literally to make holy, God's name. We ask that His Kingdom would be established, and that He would provide for all our needs. We ask for forgiveness, knowing that we ourselves must forgive. And we ask to be spared from the final test. Jesus uses this as a opportunity to tell them about the need for persistence. God hears the prayers of those who ask, seek, and knock.

When we are praying and discerning God's will for our lives, we must be persistent. God is good and hears our prayers, but sometimes His answer is delayed or overlooked. By being persistent, by asking that our will be purified by His will for our lives, we will come receive the answer, find the path, and have the door opened to our vocation.

Reflection on the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This weekend, we hear of the episode of Martha and Mary hosting Jesus in their home. Martha is busy about the details of hospitality, while Mary is busy about being hospitable by being with Jesus.

Some might suggest that there is a dichotomy between the doing and the being, but to reduce this episode to such a false dichotomy is ridiculous. After all, it is assumed that even Martha had to take a break every once and a while to listen to Jesus (how did she meet him, otherwise). Mary, too, had to have helped out at least once and a while. No, the point of this is finding the balance between the two.

So often, the complaint is leveled against those that are attracted to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as being lazy or wasteful, especially when there are hungry or hurting people in the world. Some would suggest that spending time in prayer is not as valuable as working. But to 'update' an old adage, all work and no pray makes one a poor witness. No, the better part is to spend time in pray, to get to know Jesus Christ, and then from that encounter to go out and serve the needs of others. Think of Blessed Theresa of Calcutta who spent hours in Adoration every day, and went out and served the people, able to see the same face of Christ in the people she served as in the Eucharist she adored and received! Or think of Mary Jo Copeland, a local heroine of the poor and downtrodden, who reportedly spends hours in prayer and Mass every morning, and then literally washes the feet of those that come to her meal site. The time these great women spent in prayer bears fruit in their activities. There is no division - both are necessary, both are goods. But it is finding the balance.

As one discerns a vocation, it is this balance that becomes part of the question. Aware that both prayer (being with Jesus) and activity (working for Jesus) are a part of every vocation, it is the proportion that God has invited us to that helps us discern between religious life and diocesan priesthood, and between one religious community or the other. Paying attention to our desire for communion with Christ ought to deepen our desire to serve Him in the needs of our brothers and sisters. May we choose the better part!

SQPN » That Catholic Show #6 : You Are A Priest Forever

In a post at SPQN, they have posted a video podcast on the priesthood entitled You Are A Priest Forever. It's opening is a little tongue-in-cheek, but is well done. No iPod is required, just view it online or download it into iTunes.

Reflection on the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This weekend's Gospel reading contains perhaps one of the most famous of parables - the Good Samaritan. The parable is told as a response to the question "Who is my neighbor that I am to love?". Jesus tells the story that would have stung the minds and hearts of the Jewish listeners. A man falls victim to robbers while traveling down the treacherous road to Jericho. He is left for dead. The fact that the priest and Levite pass by was not necessarily because they did not care, but rather did not wish to become 'unclean' by touching blood at the least or perhaps even a dead man. If they did, they would not be able to participate in the activities in the Temple area. But the third passerby was Samaritan - the descendant of the remainder of the Jewish people left in the land during the Babylonian exile who intermarried the pagans in the area, thus in the eyes of the Jews who eventually returned, half-breeds who polluted and diluted the Jewish law and practice. This Samaritan sees the man and tends to the wounds with the medicines of the time (wine as an acid/alcohol would cleanse the wound, while oil would have a salve quality to keep air out of the wound). He takes the man, on his own beast, to Jericho, and checks him into the inn and vowing to pay anything that is left on his return. So Jesus asks who was the neighbor - it is the one who helped, despite political/geographic/cultural/religious differences.

One of my favorite interpretations of this by an early Church Father (but I cannot remember who at this time) tells us that Jesus is the Samaritan, who comes to us and rescues us from the ravages of the world. He heals us, and carries us on the cross, and will return!

So what does this tell about a vocation? We are not sent just to people around us, but to all in need. We are called to bring the healing of Jesus Christ to everyone, even those that would not naturally be our neighbor. We need to move out of our comfort zones to care for others - to get dirt under our fingernails, as a friend put it. The days of pampered priests is over (if it ever existed). I am overwhelmed by the stories of the pioneer priests who labored in our country, even giving their lives, for the people they were called to serve. Are we willing to become a neighbor?

Reflection on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel Passage today is of course very obvious as to its connection to vocations, as we hear of Jesus sending the disciples out in twos. There are a few points that we should ponder, though, that will deepen our understanding. First, when Jesus sends us, he does not send us out alone. As a priest, most of our life could be lived alone in the rectory (especially in the Diocese of New Ulm), we are even then in community with our Bishop and brother priests. There is an urgency in the message - if they do not hear the message, they will soon be lost like over-ripened wheat. The disciples are instructed not to take anything with them - nothing is to way them down as the Internet traveling preachers they were to be. In their return, they are rejoicing in all that God had done for them. Jesus tells them that they should rejoice instead in the fact that their names are written in heaven. So it is with those who respond to their vocations - God will do great things through them, but the joy should come from knowing that we have done the will of God and our names are written in heaven.

Moving Day

I apologize for the lateness of the last post. I meant to post earlier, but was in the midst of moving and did not have internet connections. I am now 'almost' moved - with a few things to find a home for. Moving as a priest is difficult - it means learning the customs and histories of the parish and parishioners, learning the new patterns and rhythms of the parish. This move should be relatively easier for me - not only is this the third move as pastor (already in my 8 years of priesthood), but I am now pastor of my home town, and area. I know many of the people and most of the relevant histories. But moving, the emotional and physical part, has been difficult.
I have to admit that I would have never envisioned being here - it is unusual (though not unheard of), that a priest be assigned in his home town. I do not have immediate family here, and of the 2nd cousins, I have more of all over!

Reflection on the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In our Gospel Passage, Jesus displays a particular trait of forthrightness. While He calls many, He also warns them of the costs - He does not have a place even to lay his head. He warns them that no one who starts the task of follow, yet looks back to what was, is worthy. No, it is the one who starts and keeps his gaze fixed on the goal who will find it. As a farmer who has raised livestock could tell you, animals easily wander off the path and without redirection are prone to wandering.
When we decide to follow Christ, we must keep our eyes on him. He will lead us to truth, and will keep us safe.

Reflection on The Birth of John the Baptist (June 24, 2007)

This Sunday, we mark the solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist, with a vigil on Saturday evening and the Mass of the day. The Church gives us this solemnity to call to mind the unique role that the Baptist had in the proclamation of Jesus Christ.

From Luke's Gospel, we hear that Zachariah, the father of John, was serving in the temple area when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he and his wife Elizabeth would bear a son. He doubted it due to his old age, and was struck mute until John was named eight days after John's birth. He and Elizabeth insisted that he be named John as the Angel had proclaimed, against the Family tradition. Perhaps it had to do with the name of John meaning "God is Gracious", and that is exactly the message that John would proclaim - that God is indeed present and giving us grace through the Lamb of God - Jesus Christ.

In his life, John knew his vocation. As the last of the prophets in the biblical sense, and the forerunner of the Messiah, he was to prepare the way for his Sacred cousin. He would say that he must decrease, Christ must increase. He was content to point to Christ, and to 'to get out of the way' of people following Christ. He was unafraid to proclaim the message of repentance, and as part of that message provided a ritual (though not a sacrament in our sense) of baptism of repentance. Christ of course transformed this into our Sacrament of baptism of regeneration! In it all, John did not worry about what to eat and what to wear (though one could make the case that he should have a little more), but was anxious about the message. He did not mince words, but spoke the truth lovingly to all. Of course, he was beheaded as the cost of a dance and a pledge gone wrong.

Because of this, John provides a great model for priests especially. Are we willing to proclaim the Gospel in its fullness, even if it results in persecution? Are we willing to become less, to shrink from the limelight, to point others to Christ? Are we empty of ourselves, our desires, our preferences, to be better instruments of Christ?

Priests, especially those serving as pastors, are to bring people to Christ. The programs and policies, yes even adherence to Canon Law and Church norms, are all aimed at salvation in Christ. Obedience and humility marks John's life, and so too a priest's. John was a prayerful man, and out of that prayer, responded to the needs of the people, and so too a priest is to be. As we continue to discern a vocation, we should ask for St. John the Baptist's intercession, that we would know the virtues of obedience, humility, and prayer. We should ask him to pray for us, that if we are being called to such a great vocation as being a priest, that we would also have the ability to become less, that Christ would be proclaimed in our every action.

Summer assignments for the seminarians

I apologize for the late posting of this update. Even though our seminarians have been in their assignments for a few weeks already, we will 'announce' it now.

Matt Wiering: He is studying Italian in Sienna. He will be returning to North American College in Rome for Theo. II.

Zach Peterson and Jacob Niemand: Spanish studies in Guatemala offered through St. Meinrad's Seminary. Both will be returning to St. Meinrad's, Zach in Theo. II and Jacob in Theo. I.

Aaron Johanneck: the 10-week Summer Program offered through the Institute of Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha NE. Aaron will be attending North American College in Rome for Theo. I.

Anthony Mielke: He is living in the Cities and working at St. Paul Seminary. He will return to the University of St. Thomas and St. John Vianney College Seminary for his Sophomore year.

Please keep them in prayers.

Reflection for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future. Truer words could not be said about today's readings. The episode begins with a woman, a sinful woman perhaps having been caught up in adultery or some sexual sin, boldly enters the house of the Pharisee and begins to wash the feet of Jesus with her tears and anoints them with the perfume from an alabaster jar. She went through great personal expense - not only with the oil, but by entering. Simon objects, and Jesus uses it as an opportunity to teach about the power of forgiveness. The greater the sin forgiven, the great the gratitude. She has loved him greatly, and because of her love, the text tells us, she is forgiven. This woman, whoever she is, is invited to leave forgiven and in peace, in Hebrew more likely than not the word was 'shalom' which implies a full restoration of order. Simon was stuck on the woman's sins - she had violated the Mosaic Law, and as such should not be in their presence, much less touching Jesus.

She is a fine example of our second reading that we are justified not by works of the Law (the Mosaic law, that is) though we are condemned by them. No, we are justified by grace, and cooperating with it by works of faith and love. We are forgiven by the Love of Christ and live the life of Grace. So many who are called to a religious vocation are so aware of their sins. They think that those sins preclude them from responding. Honestly, there is the reality of unworthiness for all responding to a vocation. Husbands and wives often express an awareness of the unworthiness that they have the spouse that they do, and the deep love of God in bringing them to the Sacrament of Marriage. Many religious and priests, even after many years of vows and ordination, know a certain sinfulness and unworthiness. It is not our sin, but God's call, to which we should respond.

Perhaps this woman, and St. Paul's statement of faith, offers a better response. She must have known her sinfulness, but she also knew Christ's mercy. St. Paul knew he lived in Christ, because Christ loved him and died for the forgiveness of his sins. In our sins, we must trust in Christ's love and forgiveness even more. We love Christ more than our sins, and walk in His grave, peace, and love. In that love and peace, we will more readily respond to our vocation (and more freely, too), whatever it is.

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers day to all fathers. In the last weeks, the theme of fatherhood has rested heavy on my heart, much because of a Boys camp I and Fr. Craig Timmerman co-directed last week on the theme of authentic manhood. A couple articles from the National Catholic Register have highlighted this, too. The first is an article entitled How to Be a Father by Tom McFeely interviewing James Stenson, we hear that fathers are to protect and provide for their families. In a second and even more fascinating article, The 10 Paradoxes of Fatherhood, Donald DeMarco address true fatherhood with ten realities. Though he speaks primarily of Biological fathers, it could be extended to priesthood, too. He names ten paradoxes:

1. A leader without being a frontrunner.
2. A visionary without being arrogant.
3. A servant without being servile.
4. An authority without being authoritarian.
5. A lover without being sentimental.
6. A supporter without being subordinate.
7. A disciplinarian without being punitive.
8. Merciful without being spineless.
9. Humble without being self-deprecating.
10. Courageous without being foolhardy.

Both articles are worth reading.

Reflection on Corpus Christi

The feast of Corpus Christi gives us the chance to re-examine and to celebrate the 'source and summit of our faith' - the Eucharist. While we celebrate the gift of the Eucharist with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, the focus of Holy Thursday is on the Last Supper and Jesus' teaching and washing of the feet of the Apostles. This feast is dedicated to help us remember the gift of the Eucharist. We remember that the Eucharist is the self-gift of Jesus to His Church. It is our entrance into the saving act of Jesus Christ on the cross, in fact, of course, our Catholic Theology teaches that the Eucharist re-presents Calvary for us, and in the Eucharist, we are made present to Calvary. In the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Christ, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, who gave himself for the life of the world.

We offer gifts of bread and wine, which are fully transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. As St. Augustine wrote, when we receive the Eucharist we become what we receive. We are transformed ourselves in Christ, and we are nourished to be Christ's presence in the world, to bring His saving power wherever we go, and especially wherever His presence is especially needed.

As a priest, I know that my priesthood is only as strong as my Eucharistic devotion, and my pastoral effectiveness is only as potent as my commitment to and 'performance' of the dignified and prayerful Mass. As a priest, and especially as a diocesan priest, I am more profoundly aware that my highest duty and greatest privilege is to celebrate Mass. Everything I do and say leads to and comes from the Eucharist.

For anyone considering a vocation, we need to spend time in present to Jesus by Eucharistic Adoration. We need to receive Him worthily and frequently, to grow in grace.

Sequence for Corpus Christi

For your prayer, I am including this post of the translation of the Sequence, found at www.preces-latinae.org:

ZION, to Thy Savior sing,
to Thy Shepherd and Thy King!
Let the air with praises ring!
All thou canst, proclaim with mirth,
far higher is His worth
than the glory words may wing.

Lo! before our eyes and living
is the Sacred Bread life-giving,
theme of canticle and hymn.
We profess this Bread from heaven
to the Twelve by Christ was given,
for our faith rest firm in Him.

Let us form a joyful chorus,
may our lauds ascend sonorous,
bursting from each loving breast.
For we solemnly record
how the Table of the Lord
with the Lamb's own gift was blest.

On this altar of the King
this new Paschal Offering
brings an end to ancient rite.
Shadows flee that truth may stay,
oldness to the new gives way,
and the night's darkness to the light.

What at Supper Christ completed
He ordained to be repeated,
in His memory Divine.
Wherefore now, with adoration,
we, the Host of our salvation,
consecrate from bread and wine.

Words a nature's course derange,
that in Flesh the bread may change
and the wine in Christ's own Blood.
Does it pass thy comprehending?
Faith, the law of light transcending,
leaps to things not understood.

Here beneath these signs are hidden
priceless things, to sense forbidden;
signs, not things, are all we see.
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine,
yet is Christ in either sign,
all entire confessed to be.

And whoe'er of Him partakes,
severs not, nor rends, nor breaks:
all entire, their Lord receive.
Whether one or thousand eat,
all receive the selfsame meat,
nor do less for others leave.

Both the wicked and the good
eat of this celestial Food:
but with ends how opposite!
With this most substantial Bread,
unto life or death they're fed,
in a difference infinite.

Nor a single doubt retain,
when they break the Host in twain,
but that in each part remain
what was in the whole before;
For the outward sign alone
may some change have undergone,
while the Signified stays one,
and the same forevermore.

Hail! Bread of the Angels, broken,
for us pilgrims food, and token
of the promise by Christ spoken,
children's meat, to dogs denied!
Shown in Isaac's dedication,
in the Manna's preparation,
in the Paschal immolation,
in old types pre-signified.

Jesus, Shepherd mild and meek,
shield the poor, support the weak;
help all who Thy pardon sue,
placing all their trust in You:
fill them with Your healing grace!
Source of all we have or know,
feed and lead us here below.
grant that with Your Saints above,
sitting at the feast of love
we may see You face to face.
Amen. Alleluia.

Dappled Things

Fr. Jim Tucker at Dappled Things includes a post that rates his theological World view. The 'test' takes about 5-10 minutes and is a thought-provoker. I encourage you to take a look at the bottom link of this post! I took it and managed to show that I am 100% Catholic (thank God!) Here are my results:







You scored as Roman Catholic, You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you.

Roman Catholic 100% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 86% Neo orthodox 82% Fundamentalist 46% Charismatic/Pentecostal 43% Classical Liberal 36% Reformed Evangelical 25% Emergent/Postmodern 25% Modern Liberal 14% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Reflection on Trinity Sunday

This weekend, we celebrate a key doctrine of our Faith - the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is the Doctrine that defines us Christian – that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father, the Second Person of the Trinity, and that they send the Holy Spirit, the Third Person. All three Persons are one being. This is a true mystery, as our minds cannot fully grasp the fullness of the Trinity. Three distinct persons, yet perfectly united in one being! Because of their unity, the Church teaches that where one is active, all are active, each in His own way (Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶258). In Creation, all three were present and active, in Redemption, all three were present and active, and in our sanctification, all three are active. The 'differences' among the persons of the Trinity is not merely what they do, but rather their interior relationship to the other Persons. Because of this, it is insufficient to simply name the Persons of the Trinity “Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier.” The only names that come close to capturing the reality of the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as revealed by Jesus Christ Himself. The Father is eternally begetting the Son, the Son is eternally Begotten, and the Spirit is eternally sent forth from them.

What this means for those who are discerning a vocation is that the vocation comes from all Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Those called to be priests are called to offer sacrifice to God the Father, reconfigured in persona Christi capitis, that is, in the person of Christ as head, and finally empowered in a special way by the Holy Spirit. Priests need to be in relationship to the Persons of the Trinity, in addition to being in relationship to their diocese and parish! The Trinity is a true community, and we, being created in the image and likeness of God, are likewise called into fellowship with the Trinity. Of course, it is only the Trinity that gives us the grace to do so!

Reflection on Pentecost

This weekend, we celebrate Pentecost - the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (and the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to Catholic Tradition).

The disciples were gathered there, waiting for the "power from on High" as foretold by Jesus. All heaven broke lose, like a mighty thunderstorm. Fire filled the room and descended on each of them. This is unlike Babel, when God came down and confused the language of the builders of the tower. No, while those listening are confused, the confusion stems from the fact that those gathered for the Jewish Feast of Pentecost from all over the known world, of many languages and cultures, understand the words of those upon the Holy Spirit descended.

It is the Holy Spirit that unites all the gifts and brings true unity. The tower was a human project, based in pride. Now, with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles and other disciples of Jesus Christ are united to proclaim and build the Kingdom.

Those discerning a vocation need to ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten their hearts and minds. If one is called by the Holy Trinity to the priesthood or religious life, the Holy Spirit will guide all to their proper roles, and lead to the true vocation!

What better prayer than to pray the Sequence:

Come, Holy Spirit, come,
and from your celestial home
shed a ray of light divine.
Come, Father of the poor,
Come, source of all our store.
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters best;
You the soul's most welcome guest.
Sweet refreshment here below.
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most Blessed Light Divine,
shine within these hearts of thine,
and our inmost being fill.
Where you are not, man has naught.
Nothing good in deed or thought
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away.
Bend the stubborn heart and will.
Melt the frozen, warm the chill.
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore.
And confess you, evermore.
In Your sev'nfold gift descend.
Give us virtue's sure reward.
Give us your salvation, Lord.
Give us joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia.

Father Paul Timmerman's Ordination

This morning, we of the Diocese of New Ulm were truly blessed to receive a newly ordained priest - Fr. Paul Timmerman (yes, he is a cousin of our new Assistant Director of Vocations). We congratulate him on his ordination, and ask that God would continue to form him into the priest that He desires.

As the Director of Vocations, this is truly an honor. These last 5 years, I have had the privilege of walking with Father Paul Timmerman through his Theologate years and internship. For lack of a better image, it is truly like being a father who witnesses the birth of a child. All the pain of the work, the evaluations, etc (not that it was that bad), slipped away into forgetfulness as I gave Fr. Paul the sign of peace, welcoming him in to the order of the priesthood.

Fr. Paul has been assigned to the Church of St. Mary in Sleepy Eye.

Reflection for Ascension

This weekend, in most Dioceses of the United States, we celebrate the feast of the Ascension, having moved its celebration from the fortieth day after Easter (a Thursday). We hear the account from both of St. Luke's writings - Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel according to St. Luke. There are slight variations, basically because Luke wanted to end the Gospel with the Apostles waiting in the Temple area (where the Gospel began) for the coming Spirit. In the Acts, they are sent forth, while still waiting for the Holy Spirit, getting ready for the Mission.

In celebrating the ascension, we recall how Christ ascends into heaven body and soul. Where He has gone, we will follow, He tells us, if we would follow Him and accept His teaching. But we recall that while Christ goes to heaven, but He does not sit idly by. He takes His throne beside the Father, but He is interceding for those who He leaves in this world and sending the Holy Spirit. By themselves, the Apostles would not have had the ability to carry on the message and ministry of Jesus Christ, so they wait, giving praise and glory to God.

We ourselves have been called to 'wait' for the Holy Spirit, to ask for His presence in our lives to empower us to take up our specific vocations. It is the Spirit that leads us and orders us as the Church. During this next week, we should find ourselves like the Apostles, immersed in prayer, waiting for the Power from on High, and preparing for our mission. Come, Holy Spirit, Come.

Novena for the Holy Spirit

As today is the traditional day of Ascension, starting a set of nine days to Pentecost, I offer you the following traditional prayers for the Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful,
and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of Your faithful,
grant that by that same Holy Spirit,
we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.


O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven
did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples,
deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul,
the work of Your grace and Your love.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal,
the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth,
the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven,
the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,
the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,
the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable,
and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

(To be recited daily during the Novena)

Reflection on the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Our first reading this weekend speaks of the first Church Council, held in Jerusalem, to settle the question of how one enters into the salvation wrought for us by Jesus Christ. Some had suggested that the men had to be circumcised, while others such as St. Paul and actually St. Peter, too, said that the ritual of circumcision was not necessary. We might just think this was a little issue, but it has at its core a very fundamental issue. Women and men enter into salvation in Baptism. (It is possible that the question was also could women be saved even if they could not be circumcised.)

In St. Peter's response to the question (which is not read having been edited for length), spoke that he witnessed the presence of the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles. This was all the proof that he needed. That same Holy Spirit, the Advocate promised by Christ, shows the early Church the truth.

The context of the Council is also an important one for us. In times of conflict, we are not left to our individual whims and conclusions, but are guided (even still) by the Apostles and their successors. The Pope as the successor of Peter, has been graced by the Holy Spirit to continue to speak and interpret the Truth taught be Christ.

The presence of the Spirit also gives peace, in Hebrew the word that Jesus may have used is shalom, which means is more than "an absence of war". It means a that everything necessary is present, that all things are in proper proportion. It is a peace that the world cannot give, and even if it could achieve that kind of peace, it is a fleeting moment. No, the peace of Christ is lasting. As we prepare for Pentecost (perhaps starting a novena on this Thursday), it would be wise to ask that the Holy Spirit would continue to be active in the lives of all Christians (especially Catholics), and that He would grace our Pope, Bishops, and priests to teach the truth in love.

In a special note, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's day. May God strengthen you in your vocations, and that your spouse and children will honor you!

Pope Benedict to the Youth of Brazil

In his travels to Brazil, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI took some time to address the youth of the country.

The Christian life you lead in numerous parishes and small ecclesial communities, in universities, colleges and schools, and most of all, in places of work both in the city and in the countryside, is undoubtedly pleasing to the Lord. But it is necessary to go even further. We can never say "enough", because the love of God is infinite, and the Lord asks us -- or better --requires us to open our hearts wider so that there will be room for even more love, goodness, and understanding for our brothers and sisters, and for the problems which concern not only the human community, but also the effective preservation and protection of the natural environment of which we are all a part. ...

...You have a crucial question -- a question that appears in this Gospel -- to put to him. It is the same question posed by the young man who ran to see Jesus: What good deed must I do, to have eternal life? I would like to take a deeper look at this question with you. It has to do with life. A life which -- in all of you -- is exuberant and beautiful. What are you to do with it? How can you live it to the full?

We see at once that in the very formulation of the question, the "here" and "now" are not enough; to put it another way, we cannot limit our life within the confines of space and time, however much we might try to broaden their horizons. Life transcends them. In other words: we want to live, not die. We have a sense of something telling us that life is eternal and that we must apply ourselves to reach it. In short, it rests in our hands and is dependent, in a certain way, on our own decision.

The question in the Gospel does not regard only the future. It does not regard only a question about what will happen after death. On the contrary, it exists as a task in the present, in the "here" and "now", which must guarantee authenticity and consequently the future. In short, the young man's question raises the issue of life's meaning. It can therefore be formulated in this way: what must I do so that my life has meaning? How must I live so as to reap the full fruits of life? Or again: what must I do so that my life is not wasted. ...

...These years of your life are the years which will prepare you for your future. Your "tomorrow" depends much on how you are living the "today" of your youth. Stretching out in front of you, my dear young friends, is a life that all of us hope will be long; yet it is only one life, it is unique: do not let it pass it vain; do not squander it. Live it with enthusiasm and with joy, but most of all, with a sense of responsibility. ...

...My dear young people, Christ is calling you to be saints. He himself is inviting you and wants to walk with you, in order to enliven with his Spirit the steps that Brazil is taking at the beginning of this third millennium of the Christian era

So much of this address could be quoted! The instruction he gives, based on Christ's encounter with the young rich man, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Here we see Pope Benedict at his finest: sharing a very necessary message to the most needed and needy to hear. Other themes, in this relatively short address, that he ties in are the need to sanctify one's work, to stand for marriage and the traditional family, the need to give one's wealth over to Christ.

I think this address is worth taking to one's prayer, to ponder the questions that he raises in the light of our own hearts search for salvation and ultimate meaning!

Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Easter

"Love one another as I have loved you." With these words, our Lord commands the apostles gathered in the upper room to love. The words seem so attached to His teaching of his impending 'glorification' on the Cross. But how?

It is in our love of God, neighbor, and stranger that defines us a followers of Christ and shows the world the glory of God. As necessary as right doctrine and practice is, it is love that ultimately marks us out. So often, we might reject this due to a misunderstanding of what love is. While St. Paul gives us a good explanation of love in 1 Corinthians, we still struggle. We try to define love as a feeling of affection. While true love may have that aspect, this may not always be the case. Take, for example, the parent who lovingly sacrifices a night's sleep to care for a sick child. Very little of such a situation would cause a 'feeling' of love, but the parent does love the child, even when he or she is exhausted. No, love is an action, a choice to respond to the need of the other, to put one's self after the other. This is not easy in any way.

St. Augustine was once asked what was necessary in order to live a moral life. He responded, "Love, and do what you will." Over the last centuries, what he was saying has been misinterpreted into something like "it doesn't matter what you do as long as you feel loving." This is the furtherest from his intent. St. Augustine knew and advocated an understanding of love as a response to Christ. He also knew that if one was consciously choosing to love Christ and neighbor, all actions then would follow out of a properly formed conscience and will. It is not permissiveness - it is the opposite, Love sets the boundaries. If we see someone about to be harmed, love requires us to act, to pull the person back to safety. So it is with the matters of life and faith in the Spiritual realm, we are called to love one another, to help to do what is right and just.

On a related note, St. Augustine's principle is an important one for anyone discerning a vocation to remember. We are called to love Christ and neighbor, and when we do, our vocation will become easier to understand and embrace. Love, and do whatever your well-informed conscience guides you. If we love God and neighbor, Christ will lead us to respond to our true vocation.

A Prayer of Gratitude for Archbishop Nienstedt

With this week's Diocesan Mailing, we are asked to pray the following prayer of Gratitude. I offer it to you for your prayers, too:

Lord, our God,
You chose your servant, John,
In the tradition of the apostles,
To be the shepherd of your flock
in the Diocese of New Ulm.
We thank you for his ministry with us
And for his spirit of courage, knowledge, wisdom, and love.
Bless him in his new duties as Archbishop.
Guide him to be a faithful teacher, a wise administrator,
and a holy priest.
May you sustain us with loving care as
we await a new Bishop,
And guide us as we continue to grow in faith,
holiness, charity, and loving service.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

The Theory of Limbo: The Report

For those interested in reading the actual report of the teaching on Limbo, Catholic Culture Library has put it online. This commission has no doctrinal weight (they provide only a theological conclusion). Pope Benedict XVI has yet to announce his final decision on this, though his willingness to allow it to be printed demonstrates his possible conclusions.

Why We Must Promote All Vocations

Whispers in the Loggia has a great article about certain Bishops and what they do to promote vocations.
It lists a few traits:

"An involved, invested diocesan bishop"
Vocations made a first priority
"pushing towards it from the top and across the board" versus the agenda of one office
"significant personal commitment"
"concerted team effort"
"a creative approach"
"contagious enthusiasm and zeal"

In quoting the CARA report on the ordination Class of 2007, it was noted that few responded to the 'posters and coasters' mentality, but again it was personal invitation, usually (up to 80%) a pastor or priest, who first planted the seed of a vocation.

The post also points out that in the speaking of vocations, we cannot reduce the discussion to just priesthood, but rather all vocations.

He also quotes Pope Benedict in an address to the Parish of St. Felicity and Her Children, where he says:

Every person carries within himself a project of God, a personal vocation, a personal idea of God on what he is required to do in history to build his Church, a living Temple of his presence. And the priest's role is above all to reawaken this awareness, to help the individual discover his personal vocation, God's task for each one of us. I see that many here have discovered the project that concerns them, both with regard to professional life in the formation of today's society -- where the presence of Christian consciences is fundamental -- and also with regard to the call to contribute to the Church's growth and life. Both these things are equally important.


A society where Christian conscience is no longer alive loses its bearings; it no longer knows where to go, what it can do, what it cannot do, and ends up in emptiness, it fails. Only if a living awareness of the faith illumines our hearts can we also build a just society. It is not the Magisterium that imposes doctrine. It is the Magisterium that helps enable the conscience itself to hear God's voice, to know what is good, what is the Lord's will. It is only an aid so that personal responsibility, nourished by a lively conscience, may function well and thus contribute to ensuring that justice is truly present in our society: justice within ourselves and universal justice for all our brothers and sisters in the world today. Today, globalization is not only economic: there is also a globalization of responsibilities, this universality, which is why we are all responsible for everyone.


The Church offers us the encounter with Christ, with the living God, with the "Logos" who is Truth and Light, who does not coerce consciences, does not impose a partial doctrine but helps us ourselves to be men and women who are completely fulfilled and thus to live in personal responsibility and in deeper communion with one another, a communion born from communion with God, with the Lord.

Reflection on the Fourth Sunday of Easter

This weekend is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel this Sunday is so short, it is published in its entirety here:
(It can be found at John 10:27-30)

Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”

We are the sheep, Christ is the shepherd who speaks to us the words of truth. In responding to the love of Christ, we can follow it as a priest, religious, generous single life, or married. Right here, right now, we are called to follow.

As a shepherd from the time of Christ and even nomadic shepherds could tell, the sheep need to be guided by shepherd's voice. They hear it, and while about the tasks at hand (for sheep, that means eating), and follow the voice. When they do, they are kept safe. Jesus, the good shepherd, promises that if we follow, he will hold us in his hands, and no one can take us out of them. But we can walk out (like so many of the hearers of the Bread of Life discourse who walked away from salvation). It is not enough to listen to the voice of Christ once, and then think that we are safe. No, we follow daily, hourly, and perhaps even every second!

A Great Harvest

Whispers in the Loggia has a post on the large number of vocations from West Philadelphia High School. (The original article is found here.)

Since its founding as a boys' school in 1916, and the addition of the girls' school in 1926, West Catholic has turned out more than 1,000 religious sisters, 600 priests, at least 300 Christian Brothers, six bishops, and Cardinal John O'Connor, the late archbishop of New York - Class of '38.

The School hosted a reunion for them, and it sounds as if it was a great success. Perhaps this is something more should do.
One thing that I found telling: it seems that everyone encouraged vocations, from the parents to the principal. The culture of vocations is definitely alive here!

The Theory of Limbo

There has been lots of blog articles lately about the recent conclusion of a Vatican Theological Commission regarding Limbo. There are a number of errors and misrepresentations of the theory, and I offer the following as a corrective.

First, Limbo is not purgatory, the state of souls destined for heaven (due to faith and no unforgiven sins) but lacking in perfect love. The theory of Limbo was just that... a theory. In the theological terms, it is a theological speculation or theological opinion, not a Dogma or doctrine which are to be held definitively (such as purgatory!). Because some in the Church taught it did not make it so, and just because the recent theological conclusion said that it is a theory that is not helpful did not 'bring the walls of Limbo' down. The Pope has to accept or reject the Commission's findings. All this is to to say that those that taught it, did so without creating it, and those that say that it is not a helpful theory to continue to teach did not destroy it. The official teaching of the Church is that those who die with only original sin are not automatically condemned to hell, nor are they automatically admitted to heaven. True, though, is that the some texts refer to a state of those who die with original sin but no personal sin, but there is not an explicit, definitive teaching on limbo's existence.

As such, Limbo was not the 'in-between' of heaven and hell but a different category that taught that those babies who died without baptism were given a state of 'natural happiness', but not the state of supernatural happiness that is in heaven. While not subscribing to the theory as particularly as helpful as relying on God's mercy (though I will fully submit to the Pope were he to declare Limbo a doctrine to be held), I understand the theory of Limbo as like that of a grade school rain-day recess - lots of laughter and joy but in the classroom, not on the playground enjoying the sun and open space. Such children are lacking nothing with such natural happiness because they know nothing of God and the supernatural happiness He gives.

There is power in the Sacrament of Baptism, but it comes from Christ. Baptism is a participation in the Death and Resurrection of Christ which results in removal of sin, both original and personal, and a rejuvenation of the human being. The conclusion of the commission is that indeed God the Father can (as in 'it is possible', but not 'necessarily will') save the unbaptized by other means as well, so that they can share in the supernatural happiness of heaven. The theory of Limbo relies heavily on medieval philosophical and theological principles (all of which are sound), in such things as evil is a privation of some good that ought be present, that those with sin (personal or original) cannot enter heaven, etc. The teaching against limbo is based a more deeply developed theology of grace and mercy - that one can be saved, but only through Christ, without knowing Him explicitly or being baptized (which is not to say we should not get to know Him, or be baptized). While the Sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation are the ordinary means of experiencing God's Grace and forgiveness, God could work outside of them as well for the forgiveness of sins (such as the case of otherwise faithful Protestants who sinned but followed a well-formed conscience could experience forgiveness). There is a warning with all of this, though: we are not to presume God's mercy, and if at all able, we need to receive the Sacraments. The Church has taught that those who desire Baptism but die without it may experience the "baptism of desire" and experience God's mercy and have one's sins forgiven, for example.

Personally, I think the reason the press and so many have jumped on this is that they see it as a sign that the Church can change any of its teaching, which they tend to lump all together. The teaching against women priests, abortion, birth control, and such, gets regarded as equally changeable as the theory of Limbo, the application of the teachings of just war and capital punishment, and perhaps even the use of mercury thermometers, as suggested by Senator Durbin's score card for Catholic politicians. He actually suggested a pro-abortion politician could be more "Catholic" than a pro-life politician because they did not support the USCCB's suggestion to limit the use of mercury or other relatively 'minuscule' promptings of the US Bishops! If the Church's stance on some things can change, it can change in all things, is the thought. This, however, is not true.

Also, I think the pro-abortion, pro-contraception mentality is affecting this hype. I have actually heard at least one pro-abortion person say that if we are serious about the unborn child as such, it is better for a child to be killed in the womb and enter heaven than to be given birth and mistreated. The theory of limbo seems more cold and distant than this 'warm fuzzy' feeling of a sort of universal salvation of even those who are murdered in the womb. Do not misread me, though. Yes, if there is no Limbo, those that are aborted could also be entered into the beatific vision, but I reject the thought that this can be used to justify abortion! Abortion has no justification. To be born is always better than to be killed in the womb, and we must do everything we can to make the life of all, born and unborn, better. As good as life is, though, Heaven is even better yet!

All summed, the teaching of the Church is that all are invited to share in the beatific vision and to be saints in heaven. We are allowed there by God's grace. We are invited, in Baptism, to place our faith in Jesus Christ our savior, but know that He can also save those, who through no fault of their own die without Baptism and live in accordance to a well-formed conscience. Even little babes, are entrusted to the mercy of Christ and may be allowed into the eternal embrace of heaven, perhaps based on the faith of the child's parents. The vocation of all is to eternal, supernatural happiness, but this is no guarantee that we will all be given the gift. Are we going to respond in such a way that God will give us His grace?

Pope Benedict's Address for World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Pope Benedict released the English translation of his address for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations which is this weekend.

I find it impressive, but he speaks of the prayer for "number and quality". I honestly do not remember any other papal document being as blunt about the necessity of both, but this is of course a little thing. His Holiness Benedict XVI has made this a passion - of priests and bishops being of high-quality.

He writes, too, that one who responds to a vocation of the priesthood or religious life is responding to the call of Christ in the same way that the first followers, the fishermen, did. These vocations are to the service of the Church as communion. One particularly striking quote ties all the themes of Pope Benedict's writings of recent:

Whoever places himself at the service of the Gospel, if he lives the Eucharist, makes progress in love of God and neighbour and thus contributes to building the Church as communion. We can affirm that the "Eucharistic love" motivates and founds the vocational activity of the whole Church, because, as I wrote in the Encyclical Deus caritas est, vocations to the priesthood and to other ministries and services flourish within the people of God wherever there are those in whom Christ can be seen through his Word, in the sacraments and especially in the Eucharist.

Archbishop Nienstedt's Biography

A Catholic Community Blog called Stella Borealis, "The Star Of The North" posted the biography of the new Archbishop of St. Paul Minneapolis, of course that being Archbishop Nienstedt formerly of New Ulm. They found it at the Diocese of New Ulm website. Thanks Stella Borealis, and congratulations on your new Archbishop!

At the press release, Archbishop Nienstedt defined himself as a parish priest that holds and teaches what the Catholic Church does. He certainly does. While some might hold this against him, it is a true strength of his. After all, who said that Catholic leaders, especially bishops and priests, should withhold the truth from those that would rather not hear!

Bishop Nienstedt's New Assignment

I am saddened, for completely selfish reasons, to announce that His Holiness, Pope Benedict has appointed Bishop Nienstedt appointed Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He was assigned as the Bishop of New Ulm in June of 2001, and installed in August of that year. Now, after only six years, he moves on.

Such an announcement is received, no doubt, with great joy by Archbishop Flynn, the Archdiocesan priests, and the people. Bishop Nienstedt is a great administrator and a very solid Bishop. It has been my pleasure to serve as Director of Vocations for him these last five years.

While we wait for the Holy See to appoint another bishop here in the New Ulm Diocese, Bishop Nienstedt will serve as Apostolic Administrator. Let us pray already that God will give us another holy Bishop who will proclaim the truth without fear - a truly good Shepherd modeled after Jesus Christ.

Reflection on the Third Sunday of Easter

What do you do when you do not know what else to do? For St. Peter, he goes fishing. He is lost - he has heard of the empty tomb, and seen the tomb with his own eyes. He has experienced the risen Christ not only once, but twice. But he does not know what to do other than return to his former way of life. The other apostles follow, equally lost.

But there is no going back, not after all they experienced. They are out all night and catch nothing. It is only when Christ calls out to them, to tell them to cast to the right side of the boat, that they catch anything. With the 153 large fish, they know now what to do - they are to fish for men. Peter jumps out and swims to shore, where he sees that Jesus has prepared them breakfast.

But there is still a little matter for Jesus and Peter to discuss. Peter denied Jesus three times, and then he ran away. Now, Jesus asks him to demonstrate his love. Jesus asks, "Peter, do you love me more than these?" Even in the Greek, it is uncertain what Jesus is really asking, and perhaps it is all the understandings. Perhaps the 'These' refers to the other apostles - does he love Jesus more than the other apostles love him, or does he love Jesus more than he loves the other apostles? Perhaps he was asked if he loves Jesus more than the boats and nets. Whatever it is, Peter is absolutely certain - yes, he does. Jesus tells him to feed his lambs. Jesus asks a second and third time, and Peter seems a little hurt, as all healing ultimately seems to bring, and answers yes. Jesus responds with asking Peter to tend, and then feed, his sheep.

Jesus asks each one of us the same question. In our sin, we have denied him, but he does not abandon us in our sin or simply ignore it. He forgives us, invites us to express our love more. So the question of our lives is not how have we denied, but rather do we love him. Are we willing to leave all else behind, to walk from our former way of life with all that was good, and all that entrapped us, in order to be led deeper in relationship with Him? The temptation for us after our experience of the Risen Christ, especially in the Eucharist, is to go back to the familiar. The feast that Jesus provides for us calls us to change our lives, to trust Him more, and to profess our love.

The Death of Monsignor Schuler

Our prayers for the repose of the Soul of Msgr. Richard Schuler who died yesterday. MusicaSacra has a lengthy obituary, and The New Liturgical Movement has a nice piece on Msgr. Schuler as well. As a pastor and musician, he was much loved and admired. I had the privilege of meeting him briefly, and he was truly a man of holiness.

His life and death provides food for thought. He saw his role as a priest and musician in a very unique way - he knew liturgy. So many priests dismiss their role in protecting the beauty and reverence of the liturgy, but the pastor is to be considered the chief liturgist of the parish. Monsignor took that role extremely seriously, and any who attend St. Agnes to this day can tell. There is a profound reverence for the Mass, and also a beautiful integration of music, especially the works of classical composers, whether it be in Latin or English. May more pastors, even if this is not their greatest gift, inspire such love and reverence in the Mass and its music.

May Monsignor's soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.

A New Associate Director of Vocations

We are pleased to announce that Bishop Nienstedt has named Fr. Craig Timmerman, ordained in 2005, to be an associate Director of Vocations, to formally begin in June. While the exact nature of his assignment is yet to be detirmined, I am certain he will do well, and would also appreciate your prayers. Watch for his posts on the ourmib.blogspot.com site!

Reflection on Divine Mercy Sunday

This weekend, the octave of Easter, we are privileged to mark the Feast of Divine Mercy. In 2000, Pope John Paul II asked that the the Church mark this day. We are reminded that mercy is the attribute of God.

With our gospel this weekend, we have a powerful reminder of that divine mercy. First, in His resurrection appearance to the 10 (Judas and Thomas were gone), He breathed on them the Holy Spirit, and told them that they now had the authority to forgive sins - the start of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In this great sacrament, we encounter Christ's mercy in the person of the priest, and we are forgiving of our sins.

But Thomas was not there, and Judas rejected the mercy of Christ and hung himself in despair. The next week, there is another appearance with all 11 in attendance. Thomas had boasted the week before that he would not believe unless he probed the wounds himself. Jesus, instead of reprimanding him, tells him to probe. Thomas never followed on his boast - he believes at once, and declares Jesus as Lord and God.

Both parts of this Gospel are key to remembering in discerning a vocation. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are given the mercy of Christ. Those that are willing to admit their weakness can more fully rely on his grace. So often, a young man will state that he feels unworthy to be a priest. Worthiness is not as important as willingness, and Christ, in his mercy will make worthy those who are willing to respond. But just as often, many young men will make boasts or deals, or set a sign for God to demonstrate. While it may be a Biblical tradition that even Gideon did (Judges 6), this may be an act done out of fear. We are called to faith, to believe without seeing, trusting that God will be faithful and merciful.

Jesus, we trust in you!

Another Blog

At our recent vocations meeting, it was recommended that we would create a blog that could be a joint cooperative. Because this is a little bit different format than I originally envisioned this blog, I created another at ourmib.blogspot.com. I invited our seminarians to post articles and comments on the blog. Bishop Nienstedt also suggested that he would like to post somethings, if he is able.

Fr. Kyle Schnippel's Blog

Fr. Kyle Schnippel has a vocations Blog that is worth a look. As he writes in a post on his blog, we met at the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors convention (which our Region VIII hosted.) Fr. Kyle is also a holy, dedicated priest and deserves our prayers! He is new in the Vocations ministry, and he seems to have his finger well-placed on the pulse of the web and faith. After all, he found my little site!

Reflection on Easter - He is truly Risen

The Resurrection, Benvenuto di Giovanni, c. 1491
Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! We celebrate this day, marking it for the next fifty. We remember the empty tomb and the Resurrection appearances to the first followers of Jesus Christ.

It is in the Resurrection that Christ that all vocations find their source – it is after the Resurrection that Christ gave His disciples the Great Commission “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:19-20).

Recently, there has been much hype and empty speculation of Jesus really not rising from the dead. In the attempt to minimize the ‘damage’ caused by false conclusions arise from wild assumptions and falsified data, some have suggested that it is not the empty tomb but only the experience of the risen Christ in which we place faith. This creates a false dichotomy – the Resurrection experiences are credible (and incredible) only because of the empty tomb. One can paraphrase St. Paul to say either the tomb of Jesus is empty, or our faith is. In the experience of the Risen Jesus, it was because of His Glorified Body that gave them the proof to go forth and to proclaim Him as Risen Lord. It was not a fantasy or phantom, but Jesus Himself. Jesus Christ was raised, truly raised, though he is transformed! It was truly Christ that gave them the Commission, not a mere illusion, ghost, or phantom.

It was the faith of the Apostles, their encounter with Christ, that lead them to call others in the name of Christ to follow Him and to spread the message of Jesus, of His Death and Resurrection. It was the knowledge that Christ was truly risen that gave them the faith to go to their own deaths, or at least to lay down their lives, in imitation of their Lord and Savior. That message was passed down from person to person, throughout the generations to our own time. And we have heard the story of Christ’s death and resurrection, and we too have encountered Him, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. For us who believe, there is no option to proclaim Him, but rather our duty.

Alleluia He is risen, as he said!

Holy Saturday's Sacred Silence

In today's Office of Readings, we are given a profound reading from an ancient homily. How can I say more, on this day when it appears as all creation holds its breath:

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ Christ answered him: ‘And with your spirit.’ He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

Priestly Vestments

His Holiness Pope Benedict, in his homily for the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday Morning, spoke of the various liturgical vestments of the priest. Each demonstrates a deeper understanding of the priesthood.

The Holy Father then turned to the individual vestments of the priest, beginning with the amice, the white cloth which priests put on first, over their shoulders and collar.

“In the past, and in monastic orders to this day,” Pope Benedict said, “[the amice] was placed first on the head, as a sort of hood, becoming in this way a symbol of the discipline of the senses and the thoughts as necessary for the proper celebration of the Holy Mass.”

This necessity remains to this day, the Holy Father said, emphasizing that, “my thoughts must not wander through the worries and expectations of my daily life; my senses must not be distracted by those things within the Church which would casually grab my eyes and ears.”

The priest’s heart, the Pope continued, must be turned to the Lord in his midst. “If I am with the Lord, then with my listening, speaking, and acting, I will also draw the people into communion with Him.”

Turning then to the alb and stole, the Holy Father recalled that the ancient prayers connected with these vestments refer to the new clothes which are put on the prodigal son when he returns to the house of his father; and for that reason, “When we approach the liturgy to act on behalf of Christ, we all realize how far we are from Him, how much dirt exists in our life.”

It is only the blood of the lamb, as cited in the book of Revelation, that “washes our robes and makes them white.” Therefore, Benedict said to the priests present, “by wearing the alb, we should remember: He suffered for me as well. And only because His love is greater than all my sins, can I act on His behalf and be the witness of His light.”

The Holy Father also explained how the alb should recall the “vesting with love,” to which we who are called to the wedding feast are called.

For this reason, the Pope added, we should ask ourselves, “Now that we are getting closer to the celebration of Holy Mass… whether we wear this dress of love. Let’s ask the Lord to take any hostility away from our soul, to remove from us any feeling of self-sufficiency and to really dress us in the dress of love, so that we will be bright people, not people who belong to darkness.”

Pope Benedict also touched briefly on the meaning of the Chasuble, which according to his explanation, symbolizes the yoke of Christ. “Wearing the yoke of the Lord means first and foremost: learning from Him; always being willing to be taught by Him.

From Him, we must learn meekness and humbleness – God’s humbleness that becomes apparent in His being a man”.

“Sometimes we would like to say to Jesus,” the Pope confessed, “Lord, your yoke is not light at all. Actually, it is awfully heavy in this world. But then, as we look at Him who carried everything – who personally experienced obedience, weakness, pain, all the darkness, suddenly these lamentations of ours die down.”

“His yoke is to love with Him. And the more we love Him and with Him we become people who love, the lighter His seemingly heavy yoke becomes for us.”

Good Friday's Call to Sacrifice

The Triduum continues. Today, we celebrate the Lord's passion, hearing again the sacred story of his death, this day hearing St. John's account. It is in this account that we hear that Jesus himself carried the cross, that he without question took it up. There is no agony here - he freely choses to give his life, to lay it down. And, as we recall, he has the power to take it up.

He is the innocent Lamb of God, our passover lamb that is without spot or blemish. Perfect as the Son of God made man, he alone has the ability to be our offering. He is put to death as across Jerusalem in the temple area, the priests were preparing the passover lamb, sacrifice the spotless lambs as a token reminder of the freedom symbolized by their ancestors first lambs' blood on their doors and lintels. But our Lamb is more - he makes the freedom happen. He becomes our sin offering, taking upon himself our sin, our shame, our death. He puts it to death, transforms it by his sacrifice. How many times have our sins crushed him? How many times have we pounded the nails with our iniquities? How many times have we crowned him with our disobedience?

But how many times have we come back to the font of his grace? How many times have we asked to be washed clean by the blood (of the Eucharist) and the water (of Baptism and reconciliation)? How many times have we peered into his most sacred heart which has so loved us?

We celebrate our salvation, wrought for us in Christ's sacrifice. It is no accident that he died. It was not an unfortunate episode in his life. No, it was for this reason that he lived! Now, he calls us to follow him, the way, the truth, and the life. He invites us to take up our own cross, now transformed from the instrument of death into a means of grace.

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with
thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,
Was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,
Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
And flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish
That once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished
Their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
The splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor,
Hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor,
Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
Wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever,
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee.

My shepherd, now receive me;
My guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me
With words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
To heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee,
From Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish
In death's cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I'll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken,
Above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken
I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring
Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring,
I'd breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me
When death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me,
Forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
Oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
By virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation,
My shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion
When my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
Upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well.

Holy Thursday's call to love

This evening, we begin the solemn celebration of the Triduum. We mark the first Eucharist tonight, that Christ, the night before He died, took bread and wine and gave it to his apostles. He transformed the elements His body and blood, and commanded that they do likewise in memory of Him. This 'memory' is not a simple calling to mind, though, but rather an act that makes present the thing or event being present - it is a very Jewish concept. Every Eucharist is an act that brings us into the present of the Last Supper, the passion and death of Christ, and His Resurrection (which is why we cannot celebrate Mass on Good Friday!)

Those who go to Mass tonight will note that we do not have a gospel passage on the institution of the Eucharist (we have St. Paul's account as recording in his letter to the Corinthians), but rather St. John's account of the Last Supper, when Jesus rose from the table and washed their feet. St. John does not include the institution of the Eucharist - no pun, but he passes over it to go to the fruits of the Eucharist (in the sixth chapter of John, he has the highest Eucharistic theology of all the Gospel writers) - charity and service. The Eucharist brings us into communion with Christ, to help us to imitate Him. As he washes the feet of his apostles, we too are invited to serve. Service is not optional for the Christian, but a fruit of the Eucharist.

This evening, we mark the birth of the Christian priesthood, born of the Eucharist. We pray that those whom God is calling to be priests would hear that call and respond to it.

His Holiness' Prayer Intention for April

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI released his prayer intentions for the Month. They are

...that every Christian may answer enthusiastically and faithfully the universal call to sanctity, allowing himself to be enlightened and guided by the Holy Spirit.

And

That the number of priestly and religious vocations may grow in North America and the countries of the Pacific Ocean, in order to give an adequate answer to the pastoral and missionary needs of those populations.

The Vocation of Husband/Father

Domenico Bettinelli writes poignantly about his vocation as a father in a recent post. He writes of his being torn in having to go to work to provide for his family. Thanks, Dom, for sharing what a hardship it is to be away from your wife and children while trying to support them. It is a struggle that is shared by many men, and we would be well served as a church to have more fathers and husbands honestly share the struggle they have. The vocation of husband/father is one of profound happiness and sorrows, of love and sacrifice. It is proof again that all vocations have their burdens and joys!

Reflection on Palm Sunday

Jesus says, "If they [the disciples] keep silent, the stones will cry out." It is a magnificent thought, isn't it? Those that claim to follow Christ need to call out in praise, and if we don't, the stones will. What a sound that must be!

The Church teaches us that we are created in love for love. We are are created with a desire to be in relationship with our Creator and Lord. We are created to worship Him. To withhold that desire is like bottling up a shaken soda - its bound to explode out! That is the experience of the disciples as they accompany the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem, and that ought to be our experience, too. But we call to mind that their voices were silenced when those who were caught in mob mentality cried out, "Crucify Him!" How the praise must have bottled up in the hearts of those who watched as their Lord and leader was crucified!

Lest we forget, though, the stones will cry out! The stone that was rolled away screamed that the Lord has won, that He has conquered sin and death through his becoming a sin offering for us.

As we enter this Holy Week, let us worship without fear. We should cry out, asking the Lord to come again, to shatter the gates of our hearts that are closed to Him, and to wait in silence for His Resurrection and our own.

Pope Benedict On Confession

Pope Benedict recently preached on confession to young people in preparation for World Youth Day during a penitential service. He said that "The heart of all mankind ... thirsts for love". "God's love for us which began with the creation, became visible in the mystery of the Cross. ... A crucified love that does not stop at the outrage of Good Friday but culminates in the joy of the Resurrection ... and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love by which, this evening too, sins will be remitted and forgiveness and peace granted."

The Sacrament of Confession is a beautiful sacrament. It is humbling as a priest to hear confessions. With sincerity, the penitent tells of the faults and failings, their sins. They seek to be restored to the love of Christ. Whatever their sins, no matter how seemingly minor to the most extreme, they feel the separation from God. To celebrate the sacrament with them, and to speak the words of forgiveness, is to encounter Christ's love for both confessor and penitent.

Bishop Vasa's column on Vocations

Bishop Vasa of Baker, OR, recently wrote a column on vocations. He writes "I am convinced that there is no shortage of young men being called to a life of service to Christ’s Church as priests. The shortage rests not in the number being called but only in the number responding to the invitation." He speaks of the noise that fills our culture that drowns out the voice of God calling young men to the priesthood, and the need of parents to allow their children to respond to that call. Like our own Bishop Nienstedt, Bishop Vasa calls all to pray for vocations.

"... Some of the young men in this class have considered and are considering a possible vocation to the priesthood as an option for them. Whether their initial hearing of that gentle call will ultimately result in a definitive affirmative response depends upon parental support, pastoral encouragement and prayers; lots and lots of prayers. Vocations do come from families but vocations also come from Parishes. It often happens that several vocations will come from the same Parish several years in a row. It often happens that small rural Parishes produce three of four priestly vocations in a span of as many years. It often happens that a number of religious vocations will spring from the families of one Parish. It is, in part, a mystery of God’s grace but it is also a sign that, in those Parishes where vocations are prayed for, esteemed and actively encouraged young men are more likely to hear and heed the Lord’s invitation to be priests and young women are more likely to hear and heed the Lord’s invitation to serve as Religious. The promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life needs to be a routine activity of every Parish, a routine activity of every parishioner."

The Annunciation

Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, c. 1472-75
Normally, the feast that we celebrate today, the Annunciation, is celebrated on March 25, but because the 25th is on a Sunday and the Sunday of Lent has precedence. This feast is, of course, the celebration of the announcement of the Angel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to bear the Son of the Most High. Without knowing how this was to be, she places her trust in the Lord and the message of the Angel. Her response, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me, according to your word" (Ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbus tuum in Latin.)

The Blessed Mother is the model of vocation. She places her trust, and indeed her whole life, in God. She responds, not knowing the fullness of how, the mechanics perhaps, but knowing that God's plan was good. She is willing to become a virgin mother.

We might have questions about the mechanics of what God is inviting us, but the Blessed Mother shows us that it is in responding to the will of God that we come to understand.

Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, you are full of grace.
We celebrate the message of the incarnation of your Son,
and your Fiat to the message of the angel.
Help me to respond to God's loving will as you did.
Help me to let go of the questions,
the worries that prevent me for saying yes with self-abandonment.
Be my strong advocate
as you take my intercession to know God's will
to our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Lent

The story of the woman caught in adultery is a powerful story on which to reflect, especially in light of vocations. The unknown woman, 'caught in the very act of adultery', is brought before Jesus for his judgment. The Pharisees and scribes are setting a trap - is Jesus going to dismiss her to continue on her way (a misguided notion of Mercy), or is he going to consent in her death (an equally misguided notion of Justice, after all, the man was also guilty).

Jesus begins writing on the ground with his finger - what he wrote no one knows, but perhaps this does not matter. He was writing just as the Father did when He inscribed the Law on the stone tablets on Sinai. Jesus was writing a new law, tempered in love. He states simply that the one without sin is the one who is to carry out the sentence. He returns to his scribbling. All walk away, leaving the woman. Jesus does not simply dismiss her, but calls her to conversion, to sin no more. He, who is all holy and sinless, could have carried out the sentence, but calls her to repentance.

Many young men, feeling the call, allow the condemnation that results from their sins to forbid them from responding. But in the same way, Jesus invites us to trust in his mercy, to seek forgiveness of our sins and the grace to go forward. As so many have said and repeated, there is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future. Our sins are never as great as God's mercy, and if we are willing to seek forgiveness and sin no more, we can go on, to respond to God's grace freely.

Priestly Celibacy By Cardinal Hummes

Cardinal Hummes, the Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy, recently released an article on priestly celibacy to mark the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's Sacerdotalis Caelibatus. In the article, the Cardinal summarizes the Pope's letter.

The Cardinal writes: "Celibacy is a gift that Christ offers to men called to the priesthood. This gift must be accepted with love, joy and gratitude. Thus, it will become a source of happiness and holiness. Paul VI gave three reasons for sacred celibacy: its Christological, ecclesiological and eschatological significance." It is a great summary, easy to read, and well-footnoted. Check it out.

The Necessity of Assent

Diogenes, republishes an address by C.S. Lewis to Anglican clergymen regarding the necessity for assent to Church teaching among the clergy for proper Church order. Lewis and Diogenes lead us to the edge to understanding that to attempt to be a dissenter from within the Church is to place oneself outside the Church, usually above the Church in judgment.

For this reason, the Church teaches what she believes, and requires her priests to profess it. If God is calling a man to the priesthood, the man is being called to the fullness of the truth, and to teach it to the best of his ability. This does not mean, perhaps, that the priest knows everything and understands with perfect clarity the faith, but that he gives his full assent to the faith, and willingly submits to the Church. Anything else is less, and certainly to say that one can know better than the 2000 years of Tradition is to yield to a spirit of arrogance!

Pope Benedict on Pope St. Clement of Rome

In the recent months, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has been focusing his Wednesday Audiences on the apostles and early witnesses to the Christian faith. On March 7, 2007, his audience address focused on St. Clement of Rome, the third successor of Peter. Pope Benedict states that St. Clement's letter to the Corinthians was addressing a recent controversy regarding the role of priests in the community. He wrote:

"The clear distinction between the "laymen" and the hierarchy does not mean, in any way, a contraposition but only the organic connection of a body, of an organism with different functions. In fact, the Church is not a place for confusion and anarchy, where someone can do whatever he wants at any time; each one in this organism with an articulated structure practices his ministry according to the vocation received.
As pertains to the heads of the communities, Clement specifies clearly the doctrine of apostolic succession. The laws that regulate this derive from God himself in an ultimate analysis. The Father sent Jesus Christ, who in turn sent the apostles. These then sent out the first heads of the communities, and established that they would be followed by worthy men. Therefore, all proceeds in "an orderly way, according to the will of the word of God"
With these words, with these phrases, St. Clement underlines that the Church has a sacramental structure, not a political structure. God's actions that come to us in the liturgy precede our decisions and our ideas. The Church is above all a gift of God and not a creature of ours and therefore this sacramental structure not only guarantees the common order but also the precedence of the gift of God that we all need. "

We can take at least a little comfort to know that the modern day struggles with those who think that the priesthood is outmoded due to the heightened awareness of the role of the laity is not so modern. Some men are ordained to the priesthood for the service of God and His Church. They are configured to Christ in such a way that they are in persona Christi capitis, and as such is 'ordered in his very being' to provide the sacraments. This not a slight to the laity - each and every human being has a vocation, and will be held responsible for putting that vocation to use in the Church.

Baptism requires a decision to Follow!

Diogenes, in his fine blog Off the Record linked on Catholic World News, provides commentary on a recent interview with Fr. Ron Rohlheiser by US Catholic. In the interview, Fr. Rohlheiser addresses the two 'schools' of thought in the Church today, the school of what I would call "the Church is for those who desire to follow Christ" versus "the Church is for all who hope for salvation whether they know Christ or not". By way of example, Fr. Rohlheiser references an Episcopalian parish that baptized anyone who wished to be, with numbers a "couple hundred", out of which they gained 60-70 "good Episcopalians". Such a practice is completely out of sync with the Catholic Church's understanding of Baptism. Baptism requires a conscious decision to follow Christ and to adhere to the teachings of the Church of baptism. Yes, as Catholics, we believe in infant baptism, but it is the parents who choose for the child, and stand in proxy of sorts, that this child will follow Christ. Baptism is not a magic formula that provides a free pass to heaven, but rather a Sacrament which covenants one to God and the Church. That covenant must be lived out. While this Episcopalian Church may have gained a few good members, they also gained quite a few members that perhaps have no idea of the gift and vocation they just received in being baptized! Are the newly baptized going to be invited to respond to God's will?

As we approach Easter and the great Mystery of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, we are to see this as a great time of grace to renew our commitment to Christ and the Church, to respond to God's will for our lives, and to move beyond ourselves into greater faith.