30 April 2013

Let's Be Honest

Today is "National Honesty Day". So, to tell you the truth, I've never heard of this day until it was mentioned on two of my calendars. And so I posted on Facebook that this is, on the whole, a noble idea, but in the end, could have a lot of people distraught because of all the honesty out there.

A second mention that I made about this was on Twitter. Although on this posting, I recognized that whether it be for good or for bad, we must first be honest with ourselves. (Following with: #truth #knowthyself .) And, honestly, this is the greatest of life's challenges.

If we cannot be honest with ourselves, if we cannot look at who we are in the metaphorical mirror, then there is no way in which we can ever be honest and transparent in our relationships - including our relationship with God. This is why the great line from Shakespeare is often quoted: "To thine own self be true." We must really be honest with ourselves first in life if we want to not only find but truly secure true peace, total happiness, and genuine love.

The Gospel for today - Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter - is John 14.27-31a. This is the Gospel passage in which we hear Jesus promising to give us His gift of peace - true peace, the peace which the world cannot give. If we truly desire this peace, the first step is to stop lying to ourselves, and to graciously see ourselves for who we are. This includes all of our good points as well as all of our bad points.

And while honesty (total honesty) often hurts us like a third-degree burn, it's through the care of the Divine Physician that do we fully understand not only how healthy honesty can be, but also how healing it can be to one's soul when we are able to be truthful with ourselves. Of course, this is best accomplished when we come to know Truth Himself.

Before I entered seminary, a friend gave me a present: a rock. But she took the time to decorate this rock, and left a little reminder/quote/thought on said rock: "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier." If I want others' encounters with me to be an encounter with Christ, in Whose Image I have been ordained, I must at all times be honest with myself first. This becomes the action of "owning" - my words, my thoughts, my actions, my attitude, my emotions, my reactions, etc. are known to me and accepted by me before, during and after any encounter with another - and, especially, my encounter with the Other.

The encounter that we have with the Truth enables us to know how we are seen by God. And in knowing this, we are able to have more honest and genuine encounters between each other. And in having more honest and genuine - and, dare I say, authentic! - encounters with one another (and the Other), the more the peace of Christ, that peace which the world cannot give, will dwell simply not just within me, but also with all those whom I encounter. This is how anyone who comes to me will leave better and happier: Honesty with myself, anchored in Truth Himself, and relying on that peace which comes from Christ alone will allow me to encounter my brothers and sisters in a genuine and authentic way.

"To thine own self be true." That's where it all begins. Yet the best way to be true to ourselves is to be anchored in Truth Himself. In the beginning, we may be overwhelmed and very disappointed in the lie that we've been living. But the more that we rely upon and live in the peace of Christ, the more of the truth we can bear, which, in turn, allows us to truly be more honest with ourselves and others.

Happy National Honesty Day!




Enjoy the journey . . .

16 April 2013

For the World, Peace

Goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. Victory is ours, through him who loves us.

These words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu have been rushing through my head for the last hours as we continue to unfold the senseless acts of violence that occurred in Boston yesterday. Though it's true that I, like many, want to see justice prevail, healing occur and freedom secured, I also pray for the opportunities for peace to prevail.

The peace that I wish to see fill our nation, our world is not a daisy-pushing, "everything's fine"-type of peace. Rather, the peace I pray for is the peace which comes from Jesus Christ; a peace that the world cannot give.

This is the peace that comes to us in the midst of strife. It's a peace to assure us that while we must undergo suffering in this life (as much as we do try to avoid it), that our Lord is there to walk us through it, to guide us along the path which truly leads us - as individuals and as a collective whole - to that which is greater than we are. Blessed Pope John XXIII laid out an excellent explanation and vision in his encyclical, Pacem in Terris, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of its promulgation on the 11th of April.

If we are truly searching out for this peace which the world cannot give, we come to understand not only the depth of God's love for us, but, in turn, how much we as God's children are yearning and longing for that gift of peace. This peace of Jesus Christ is best summed up in this thought by an unknown author:

Peace: It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

 When we finally allow the peace of Christ to reign in our hearts, our homes and our lives, then we give ourselves the opportunity to stand in the midst of the confusion and hatred of this world and know, deep down in our souls, that "all will be well" (to use the words of Julian of Norwich). 

This is not the zen peace of counting to ten when we're frustrated, hoping that we'll be a little more calm to deal with the world. This is also not the emotional peace that comes with being happy, or even "happy-go-lucky". The peace we need to seek, the peace which comes from Christ alone is a peace that recognizes suffering and pain, the existence of hatred and evil in the world. Yet it is also a peace that allows us to not become freaked out in any type of hyper sense because of one senseless act of violence or the continuation of hatred presenting itself to certain people in our world due to the lack of charity towards others.

The peace of Christ is one that allows us to look at suffering, pain, violence and hate in the face and laugh at it, because it ultimately holds no power over us. This peace is one that allows you and me to know that there is something greater than anything in this world, and that He alone continues to dwell with us through the gift of His Holy Spirit, Who gives us the peace we seek.

I guess that, in the end, if this is the peace we're seeking, the best words to seek assurance from are from our Lord, Himself. Jesus reminds us (John 14.27):

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

 
 "Be not afraid!" - Blessed John Paul II


Let us, then, pray with all fervor for this peace which our divine Redeemer came to bring us. May He banish from the souls of men whatever might endanger peace. May He transform all men into witnesses of truth, justice and brotherly love. May He illumine with His light the minds of rulers, so that, besides caring for the proper material welfare of their peoples, they may also guarantee them the fairest gift of peace.

Finally, may Christ inflame the desires of all men to break through the barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of mutual love, to learn to understand one another, and to pardon those who have done them wrong. Through His power and inspiration may all peoples welcome each other to their hearts as brothers, and may the peace they long for ever flower and ever reign among them. 

Blessed John XXIII - "Pacem in Terris", 171



 Enjoy the journey . . . 

14 April 2013

For You, a Walking Stick

A parishioner called me up a few weeks ago and told me she had something for me. Thinking it was something like a religious medal or prayer card, I said "Okay", and really didn't think anything more of it. (It was right before the insanity of Holy Week, Triduum, Easter and such.)

Last night following the 6:00 PM Mass, she was waiting for me outside of the church as I was greeting people, and she handed me this home-made walking stick, which was crafted by her husband. I NEVER expected that! I finished greeting the people with walking stick in hand, with a number of people commenting on how striking it was. Some people asked if I was waiting to lead my sheep.

Another surprise gift. I know that this will come in handy at some point. Thanks to KT and her husband for the awesome present!
 
 
 
Enjoy the journey . . . 

09 April 2013

Insane, Crazy, Blessed, Holy Time

Well, the crazy days of Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, and the Octave of Easter are over! They seemed to have flown by. This is just a little recap and reflection of this year's "insane, crazy, blessed, holy time".

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion: The celebrations of the Mass this weekend went really well. I think that a good tone was set throughout the celebration of the anxiety (spiritual and physical) that comes every year with the observance of this most sacred time of the Church's calendar. Our youth ministry program had a great meeting that night giving an overview of Holy Week and the Triduum, concluding the night with some Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

Monday - Wednesday of Holy Week: Nothing too exciting. Final preparations were made for the celebration of the Triduum - including me trying to make sure that I had the flow of the Vigil  down. It wouldn't be a normal week here at the parish if we didn't have a funeral, which, of course, we did on Wednesday.

Holy Thursday: A good beginning to the day was the Chrism Mass at Saint Paul Cathedral. The Mass always seems to set the inner tone to help me enter into the great Paschal Mystery that we'll be intensely entering and celebrating over the course of the Three Days. Returning back to the parish, we made final preparations for the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. And following a quick moment of rest and for a pre-Mass snack, we were off. The pastor was the principal celebrant for this Mass, which allowed me to sit back and enjoy everything - which I was more than happy to do. Following Mass, I grabbed a quick bite (post-Mass snack), and headed down to sit for my "shift" as pilgrims visited the church for some quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament. It is during this time, of course, where I received my banana.

Good Friday: A wonderful day of reflection. At noon, we had Stations of the Cross. I presided at the Service of the Passion, Veneration and Communion, though I did not preach. My parents came up for our Fish Fry, and stayed for Tenebrae, which was one of the better reflections of "entering the darkness" that I had been a part of. The rest of the evening / night was relatively quiet. Which was a good thing.

Holy Saturday: A crazy day, to say the least. RCIA rehearsal at 9:00 AM, which I needed to be present at, since I was scheduled to preside at the Vigil (for the first time!). We had two good guys entering into the Church, so I wasn't too worried about them at the rehearsal -- I was worried that I would be messing something up! But it went well. That was followed (although somewhat begun during the end of the RCIA rehearsal) by the decorating of the church for Easter. Our volunteers did a wonderful job, and the church looked beautiful! The decorating was immediately followed by the rehearsal for the Vigil with our altar servers, trying to walk through and work through how everything was going to flow later that evening. Blessing of the Easter Baskets, which the pastor graciously performed, happened at noon - and the church had a nice crowd for this tradition. The rest of the day was spent in preparation for the Vigil - at least by me. I grabbed a small, quick dinner before heading down to the church for the final preparations and to begin the Vigil itself. The Vigil went very well! When I announced for people to please come outside for the lighting of the fire and the blessing of the candle, almost the whole church came out! The pastor commented, "We've never had a group this big in size before." (That's a good thing, I think.) *** When I had finished confirming our two men, I headed back up to the chair to introduce the Universal Prayer (intercessions), when I noticed that the ushers were beginning to "pass the basket". I politely asked them to wait until we had finished praying, which some people chuckled at. *** At the end of the evening, everyone seemed happy and please with how the liturgy was celebrated, and had a true sense of Easter joy in them. My sister, who came up for the Mass, seemed to have enjoyed herself. There was a small reception for those who entered the Church following the Mass, and then the evening (well, night at this point) ended.

The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord / "Easter Sunday": I had the chance to sleep in a little. The pastor took the two earlier Masses, and let me celebrate the two later Masses. At both Masses, after the Sign of the Cross, I exclaimed, "Christ is risen!", to which the people responded, "Alleluia!" "Wrong answer!", I replied. I taught them how in the Eastern Churches the correct response is, "Indeed He is risen!" The Masses went well - again, Easter joy was present. Following the Masses, I locked up the church, and sat down in my room. And fell asleep for a bit. After I woke up, I headed over to my aunt's for a bit to visit with family. That was a good time.

The Octave of Easter: Back to the grind and normality in a lot of ways. The parish had three funeral Masses and one blessing service. Monday saw our continuation of the showing of Father Robert Barron's "Catholicism" series, which I was scheduled to lead that evening. I had confessions with the sisters on Tuesday, and tried to get caught up on some other things that slipped through the Holy Week cracks. I was also preparing for the Baptism of my second Godson on Saturday, with my family coming in from all parts of the country. The baptism went well, and I celebrated our parish's first Saturday evening Mass with them in attendance. The reception was a good time, though the family of my Godson took a wrong turn, and it took them an hour to get to reception - but all was well in the end. Sunday was a good day overall, and had a great time with the Youth Ministry in the evening.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Transferred to Monday, 8 April): Since 25 March fell in Holy Week this year, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord was transferred to the earliest date possible, which was Monday, 8 April. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to celebrate this great feast the way I would have liked, since I had a funeral (again!). Though I did mention and tie in the solemnity with the celebration of the funeral at the end of the Mass. When I returned home from the cemetery, I grabbed a quick lunch, met with my 1:00 appointment, breathed for a moment, and headed to the hospital, since I was on duty. After visiting and anointing the people Sister asked me to visit, I returned back to the parish, grabbed a quick dinner, and prepped for this week's viewing of "Catholicism". Afterwards, I tried to relax a little, but stay alert, just in case the hospital was to call. Around 11:30 PM, I figured that I was okay to go to bed, and I did. And a good sleep was had.



When I awoke this morning for the 7:00 AM Mass, I felt completely spent from the last few weeks. I decided not to preach this morning, simply allowing a minute or two for the assembly and myself to sit in the silence with the Word. I returned a few phone calls and e-mails that needed responded to, and was called out to anoint a woman who seemed to be on the cusp of leaving this world for the next. And now, I'm just finishing this entry, and will be taking the rest of the day pretty easy. My schedule is pretty regular with activities over the course of the next few weeks, so I'm trying to simply "be" when I can.

The last few weeks were a lot of going, going, going. But I enjoyed it.

It truly was an insane, crazy, blessed, holy time.



 Blessed and Joyous Easter Season!



Enjoy the journey . . . 

05 April 2013

For You, a Banana

The Paschal Triduum is my favorite time of the year. 

One of the "things" that I love to do during that time is to sit in the church and greet people as they come visiting for their own or their group's prayer time in front of the Altar of Repose on Holy Thursday following the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper.

I was sitting the "second shift", from 10:00 PM until Midnight. The night was relatively light with visitors, so the church was peacefully quiet. The 11:00 hour was slow - very few people passed through the church. (I'm not complaining - it was just what I needed!)

Towards the end of the evening, a lady came in. I greeted her, and she proceeded to the front of the church, towards the Altar of Repose. She prayed for a little while, and as she was leaving, she wished me a happy feast day (since we celebrate the Institution of the Priesthood on that day), I thanked her, wished her a good night, and she left. 

About a minute later, I heard the doors of the church open (thinking another pilgrim or two was / were about to stop in for some prayer time), when the lady who just left came back into the church. She said that she wanted to give me something in appreciation for my priesthood. (I was a little surprised, and very humbled.) She mentioned to me that she didn't have much with her, but she had stopped at the grocery store amidst her visiting some of the area churches. 

Then she handed me a banana.

She felt embarrassed for not having anything else. And since I really didn't expect anything from anyone on that day, I was speechless. She knew that the Good Friday fast would be beginning shortly, but she thought that I would have been hungry. (I did grab a small bite between Mass and my "shift", so, in all honesty, I wasn't starving. But, again, I was speechless, so I really didn't know what to say to her at that point.) I thanked her for her gift, and she thanked me again, and left.



What are the proper words to thank someone for a gift you weren't expecting?



What are the proper words to thank someone for a banana?



In all honesty, it was a humbling moment to remind me of how much the faithful truly do appreciate the priesthood. 




That banana is probably one of the best gifts I've ever received.






Enjoy the journey . . .