Sunday, June 10, 2007

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.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

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.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

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!

Sunday, May 27, 2007

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.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

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.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

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.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

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)

Sunday, May 13, 2007

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!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

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!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

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.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

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.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

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.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

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.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

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!

Saturday, April 28, 2007

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!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

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?

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

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.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

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.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

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.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

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!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

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!


Friday, April 13, 2007

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!

Sunday, April 8, 2007

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!

Saturday, April 7, 2007

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.

Friday, April 6, 2007

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.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

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.

Monday, April 2, 2007

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!

Sunday, April 1, 2007

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.

Friday, March 30, 2007

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."

Monday, March 26, 2007

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.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

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.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

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!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

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.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

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.

Monday, March 19, 2007

St. Joseph and Vocations




On the March 19th of every year, we mark the Solemnity of St. Joseph, foster father of the Lord. I offer for your reflection the following article. It is an excerpt taken from "Life with Joseph", by Fr. Paul J. Gorman (A priest of the New Ulm Diocese who died in 2001), published by The Leaflet Missal Company. Copies of this book may by found by contacting the Institute on Religious Life, Box 41007, Chicago, IL 60641.




The remarkable and multifaceted character of St. Joseph made it possible for him to be declared the example and patron not only of Christian families, but also of those involved in other forms of vocational or professional endeavor. Consider the following:

Totally Committed to Christ: Although a family man by divine appointment, Joseph's intimate association with Jesus and Mary during the years at Nazareth qualified him for the position of patron of those committed to Christ in the priestly and religious vocations. Who more than St. Joseph knew the meaning of poverty, chastity and obedience? Who, more than he, was totally committed to the interests of our Blessed Lord and His Immaculate Mother? Joseph was united to Our Lady by the bond of matrimony yet he, like his virginal Spouse, placed his love, life and energies at the service of the Child Jesus. At no time was there a diminishing of his gift of himself to the One who, though He was God, had accepted a position of obedience and submission to His foster-father. For Joseph, no sacrifice was too great for the fulfillment of his responsibilities toward Him whom the angel had said: "They shall call him Emmanuel, a name which means 'God is with us.'"

Like Joseph, a priest is placed in an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As he stands at the altar, he holds in his hands the same Jesus who was born in a stable and laid in a manger. At consecration time, a priest once again envelops Jesus in the swaddling clothes of the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine. He bends his knee in adoration and allowance to the One to whom he has chosen to commit himself in a life of loving service. Like Joseph, the true priest will never compromise nor diminish his total commitment to Jesus and to His Mystical Body, the Church. Joseph should always be for the priest an attractive and a powerful intercessor in his efforts to live his sacerdotal commitment with unflagging zeal and limitless generosity.

Virtues Perfectly Practiced: What is said of the priesthood applies also in general to the religious life. The evangelical virtues of poverty, chastity and obedience were practiced perfectly in the home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Holy Family therefore becomes the pattern for religious life in monasteries and convents. Those who seek perfection in a religious community should cultivate a special relationship to St. Joseph and Mary; he can--by his example and intercession--bring to those in religious life to an ever-deepening union with Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

Look to Joseph: St. Joseph is a patron par excellence of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. In this period of vocational shortages everywhere, it never ceases to be a source of wonderment that bishops and religious superiors seem to be totally unaware of the value of devotion to Joseph as an effective means of finding worthy candidates to fill half-empty seminaries and novitiates. Instead of spending time in useless complaining about vocational problems, Episcopal and religious authorities would do well to direct their concerns--in urgent prayer--to a presently untapped source of unfailing and efficacious assistance, St. Joseph. He who dedicated his life to the service of God's Son will hardly show less interest in obtaining suitable candidates for the service of His Church. If the great St. Teresa of Avila, doctor of the Church and specialist in mystical and contemplative prayer, did not hesitate to enlist the intercessory power of St. Joseph in the work of spiritual reform of the Order of Carmel and in the establishment of many new monasteries under the powerful patronage of the Head of the Holy Family, should there be reluctance on the part of church leadership to use Joseph's help in solving the problem of a vocational shortage?

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Reflection on the Fourth Sunday of Lent

This Sunday, we hear perhaps the most well-known parable of the New Testament - the Prodigal Son. This parable is perhaps misnamed. The word 'prodigal' means extravagant. The son was extravagant with his father's money given to him as his inheritance to the point of ending up feeding pigs and wishing for the pigs’ food (indeed, a bad situation for a Jewish man who became ritually unclean by his proximity to the swine.) But it was the Father who was truly extravagant. But justice, he was not obligated to give the son his inheritance, but he did. Further, he was not obligated to take the son back, but he does. He waited, watching for the sign of his son to return to him, and rushes to the son brought low by his reckless lifestyle. The father gives the son a ring, a robe, and sandals, all of which are symbols of status and identity. The father restores his son to his former status as a son through the extravagance of his mercy and love.

Of course, the elder son is angry, but he himself did not know who he was. In the context of the story, one could get the sense that he saw himself as only a servant. He could not share in his father’s joy, because he did not see himself as a son. In leaving the parable hanging with the son outside, Jesus is hinting that the listener is the elder son - is he going to go in and not only share his father's joy, but also 'claim' his own identity as a son? Is he going to stay bitter, and remain outside in the dark?

In our vocations, those questions are ours to ask. We may be like the younger son. We may have walked, perhaps even run, away from our Heavenly Father's love. We squandered His riches to the point of ending up alone and hungry. We are invited to return, and when we do we find that God waiting to bestow an identity on us. With that, we can submit ourselves in love to His extravagance . But perhaps even more important for most of us is to become aware that we might be the elder son – that we might not know that God loves us, but see ourselves as only servants. The invitation for us with this is to know God’s love of us as his children. Yes, God gives us our dignity and identity, and when we live it out, we know the extravagance of His love.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Pope Benedict's Post-Synodal Aposotlic Exhortation

Pope Benedict issued his first Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist entitled Sacramentum Caritatis today (Find it here). Long expected, it came in God's appointed time, I believe, to give the Church time to deeply pray on this during our Lenten journey toward Easter, in which every Eucharist is a participation. In one particularly sticking passage, he addresses the current situation of the priest 'shortage' (I will try to address this in a later post), and its effects on the Eucharist.
The clergy shortage and the pastoral care of vocations

25. In the light of the connection between the sacrament of Holy Orders and the Eucharist, the Synod considered the difficult situation that has arisen in various Dioceses which face a shortage of priests. This happens not only in some areas of first evangelization, but also in many countries of long-standing Christian tradition. Certainly a more equitable distribution of clergy would help to solve the problem. Efforts need to be made to encourage a greater awareness of this situation at every level. Bishops should involve Institutes of Consecrated Life and the new ecclesial groups in their pastoral needs, while respecting their particular charisms, and they should invite the clergy to become more open to serving the Church wherever there is need, even if this calls for sacrifice. The Synod also discussed pastoral initiatives aimed at promoting, especially among the young, an attitude of interior openness to a priestly calling. The situation cannot be resolved by purely practical decisions. On no account should Bishops react to real and understandable concerns about the shortage of priests by failing to carry out adequate vocational discernment, or by admitting to seminary formation and ordination candidates who lack the necessary qualities for priestly ministry. An insufficiently formed clergy, admitted to ordination without the necessary discernment, will not easily be able to offer a witness capable of evoking in others the desire to respond generously to Christ's call. The pastoral care of vocations needs to involve the entire Christian community in every area of its life. Obviously, this pastoral work on all levels also includes exploring the matter with families, which are often indifferent or even opposed to the idea of a priestly vocation. Families should generously embrace the gift of life and bring up their children to be open to doing God's will. In a word, they must have the courage to set before young people the radical decision to follow Christ, showing them how deeply rewarding it is.
Sacramentum Caritatis,¶25

Pray for the Holy Spirit to rekindle in the hearts of all priests the burning love of the priesthood and the Eucharist, to be living flames that attract young men to say yes to the Call of God themselves. Pray for the Holy Spirit to enliven families to be open to a vocation from their midst. And pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to all to give their lives generously to the mission of Jesus Christ. This alone is the remedy for the Church's situation.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Reflection on the Third Sunday of Lent

Our readings this weekend focus on two bushes, both of which are entail a vocation. Moses sees a burning bush, and hears a God calling him, instructing him to return to Egypt and to lead the people Israel out of slavery. Through this call, God promises to be with Moses, to continue to give him the words to speak to Pharaoh, words that in the end will turn Pharaoh’s heart.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree that is unproductive being given the mercy of another year, to be challenged to begin to bear fruit. The context of the parable was two news items of the day (coincidentally, neither of which is known of except in this passage of Luke’s Gospel) – the fall of the tower at Siloam, and the bloody slaughter of the Galileans by Pilate in the Temple area. Jesus asks if they deserved such a gruesome and untimely death more than any else, and answers that repentance is necessary for all people. The Greek word is metanoia which means conversion or change of mind. It is a conversion that changes our perspective on life, a conversion that leads to the renewal of our minds to Christ. This parable demonstrates the need for this repentance. Such conversion is the fruit of the human heart responding to the saving grace of God. Just as prayer makes the person more charitable, this kind of repentance leads to fruits of good works.

In our response to the God’s call, we need to bear fruit to share with those around us. A vocation is not given to the individual for his or her own good, but for the good of all. Moses would not have lived his vocation out if he had not returned to Egypt to lead out the nation, just as the unproductive fig tree was not in essence fulfilling its mission by bearing figs. This fruitfulness is the test of our faithfulness to our vocation.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Vocations 101 - What is a vocation?

A vocation is the call of God to know, love, and serve Him. It is a call to be the person He has created us to be. It is saying yes to His grace.

So many see a vocation as if only those who are priests or religious have one. But God calls every person. Whether we believe in God or not, He has a plan for each of us. For those who do not explicitly know Christ, or even God, through responding to the Grace of God as they understand it and living in accordance to the natural law, they may find salvation through the unique action of Christ. No one is left out of God’s plan.

For those who know Christ, we are called to a deeper life (and invited to bring others into the faith). In our baptism, we receive our first Christian vocation – to be Catholics, to live the faith as we have received it and professed it, even if it was our parents who first responded for us. We enter into the Church and the sacramental life (visible signs of invisible grace). The baptism liturgy demonstrates a basic reality in vocations. We are identified by name (“What name to you give your child?”), and claimed for Christ by His cross. We are asked to reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises. We adhere to the Creed more fully only because of the full rejection of all that is false. We say no to lower things in order to say yes to the One that matters most! In the name of the Trinity, we are recreated and renewed.

God calls us to be His children, and to live as priests, religious, married, or a generous single life. But He calls us by name! He calls us as individuals with all of our uniqueness. But to follow Him, we need to say no to certain things. Many see a vocation as a set of no’s (no money, no spouse, no freedom, etc.) Like the rich man in the Gospels, they simply walk away, thinking the treasures they have are too great to let go. As a result, fail to seek God’s grace to live out their true vocations. They fail to see that every vocation has its own set of no’s. One who is married says no to all others for the sake of his or her spouse! Yes, priests and religious promise or vow to a life of poverty/simplicity, to celibacy, and to obedience, but they are saying yes to much more! Like the baptismal vows, they are willing to renounce some things in order to more fully adhere to and rely on Christ. God, who is faithful, responds by giving not only His grace, but of providing what is necessary for life and human thriving, of giving true and lasting love, and of finding a freedom in the obedience we give to those in authority.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Reflection on the Second Sunday of Lent

This Sunday, we hear from Luke's Gospel the Transfiguration. In the other gospels, we hear that Jesus lead them up a mountain, a place of encounter with God. Christ's appearance changes, He takes on His divine radiance. He is speaking about His 'exodus' with Moses and Elijah, the most 'powerful' prophets in the Old Testament. (They were succeeded by Joshua and Elisha, respectively, and these names mean the same as "Jesus" - that God Saves.) Jesus is about to complete the work they started - that through His Cross and resurrection, he was to free us and initiate us into a new covenant. Peter and the other disciples wake up to see it, and Peter knows he is in the presence of the Holy One of Israel. He desires to stay in the moment, to stay on the mountain. But, with all encounters, they must leave.

We are invited by Christ to a personal encounter, and all of our Christian lives depend on our being awake to notice the working of Christ. But just as the disciples, we cannot stay in the moment of encounter, but we can go back to plumb the depths of the encounter in our prayer. St. Peter did this, as he spoke of when he wrote, "We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, 'This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain" (2 Peter 1:16-19). He tells us that he knows the certainty of the faith because he was there, and how often he most have brought it to mind. Between the Transfiguration and the Resurrection, St. Peter found the grace to respond to God.

Permit me to list some steps for discernment based on the Transfiguration events. Such a process can help us be aware our own vocation.

1. Become aware of the presence of Christ (and wake up if we are 'asleep'). Read Scripture, attend Mass attentively, participate in the other Sacraments, adore the Blessed Sacrament. Christ is present and is waiting for us to come into His presence, He longs for us to encounter Him.

2. Listen to His Voice. Christ will speak to us, drawing our hearts in love. A Catholic spiritual director may be of assistance to help you hear and listen to Christ.

3. Be aware we need to move on, but also revisit the encounter in our prayer. St. Ignatius of Loyola suggested a practice he called 'repetition' - of returning to the experience through our prayer.

4. Respond. If we are only aware of the encounter, but do not let the experience move us to action, we render the encounter empty. We are asked to live differently, even if it means simply feeling a little more joyful.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Snow Day Mass

With the recent blizzard, most things are closed, canceled, or postponed. Honestly, I think that this is the worst blizzard we have had since I was ordained. Even in the parishes, all things are canceled except Mass.

As a priest, I know that the most important thing I do is celebrate Mass with deliberateness, decorum, and dedication. Whether Mass on Sunday or weekday, whether the Church is full or empty, the Mass is still sacred and efficacious. The parishioners I serve (and all Catholics of all time and space) deserve it. After all, as so many have reminded us, the Mass is not the priest's nor the parishioners. It is the Church's, past, present, and future. It is not just offered in this place, but is united with all places. Yes, truly this is the mystery. His Holiness Pope John Paul II wrote so beautifully in his last encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (find it here), that the Eucharist is a cosmic event:
This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the Church, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ. EDE ¶8

While so much of what His Holiness writes in this excellent Encyclical is powerful, I find this paragraph as inspiring. Whether are celebrating Mass in an empty Church or with a congregation of millions, we are never alone. We are joined by the saints and angels, though unseen, no less than present. And Christ, Himself, is no less present!

What greater act of praise can we offer than to celebrate Mass!