Confession or Spiritual Direction

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As Catholics we should be familiar with the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).  Less known, there is also Spiritual Direction.  The two can have a lot of overlap.   The Sacrament of Reconciliation focuses on our sins but can include some conversation that helps us to think about our sins and what we need to do to change our behavior.  Spiritual Direction can include discussion of our sins but its purpose is to invite us to find where God is leading us in our lives.  This is called discernment.  It can include discussion of our sins but its purpose is not the sacrament itself.  Since Spiritual Direction is not a sacrament, anyone can be a spiritual director.  It can be a priest, a religious, somebody who works in the church, or just someone who has a deep spirituality of their own and the gifts to be a spiritual direction.  It really is a matter of gifts.  There are lay people with these gifts while not every priest has the gifts to be a good spiritual director.  If the person is a priest, then it can include the Sacrament of Reconciliation but the confessing of sins must be done clearly and explicitly.

So how do we know if we should we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Spiritual Direction?  If you know you have sinned, then always begin with the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  If you want to seek spiritual advice about problems in live or big decisions, then it is Spiritual Direction you are looking for.

There is one more distinction that should be made, time.  By time I mean the length of time you expect it to take.  Spiritual Direction may be a one-time meeting or be repeated over time as you discern God’s direction.  These meetings might be 40-50 minutes.  On the other hand, the Sacrament of Reconciliation generally takes just a few minutes.

Here at Immaculate Conception Church, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered each Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.  Typically, I might hear the confessions of anywhere between 5 and 12 people.  Given the time frame, one should understand that these confessions generally are just a few minutes for each person.

There are times, for instance when a person hasn’t been to confession in a long time, when it might take longer but still not need to be Spiritual Direction.  If you know your confession might be longer than a few minutes I invite you to make an appointment with your local priest.  This respects others who might be waiting in line but it also is meant to give you the opportunity to make a good and thorough confession of your sins.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

 

RCIA

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Soon we will celebrate Easter.  At the Easter Vigil many people across the world will be baptized and/or received into the Catholic Church.  As that draws closer we are seeing more rites for these people at Sunday Mass.  Lent begins for these people with the Rites of Sending and Election (Call to Continuing Worship).  For those baptized in another Christian denomination, on the Second Sunday of Lent we celebrate a Penitential Rite.  On the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent, we celebrate the Scrutinies for those to be baptized.  All these mark their final discernment to become Catholic.

We called this process RCIA.  This abbreviation gets used a lot.  So much that has become a label of its own.  I would guess that there are people who use the term in its proper context but don’t know exactly what it stands for.  RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.

In the early church, everyone was new to the Catholic Church.  The process for adults to join the Catholic Church would have been a major part of the ministry of the parishes.  Then, the number of converts dwindled.  Over time, if anyone wished to become Catholic, they met with the priest one-on-one until the priest determined the person was ready to receive the Sacraments of Initiation.

With the reforms of Vatican II, the RCIA was restored with the formal rites that go with it.  Since some of us are seeing these rites now, I would like to share with you this flowchart that shows the major rites that go with RCIA (there are other rites/presentations that can be done).  I believe it is important for us to know a little about these rites.  Why?  Because the people participating in this rites are becoming our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are to pray for them and offer them the same support due all our brothers and sisters.

So why do we have all these rites with RCIA?  First, as I already indicated it is a time for us to pray for them.  These rites also serve as markers of their progress towards becoming Catholic.  I refer to them as markers in the same way we mark progress in other things like our education where we celebrate ceremonies at various grade levels ranging from completing Pre-K and Kindergarten to high school graduation; progress towards Christ deserves to be recognized.

So, if you see someone receiving these RCIA rites pray for them not just as part of the congregation during the rite itself but throughout these final weeks on Lent.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

 

Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI

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I write at 2:43 p.m. local time or 8:43 p.m. in Rome (on February 28th).  That means Pope Benedict XVI resignation went into effect 43 minutes ago.  It was not a simple decision for him to retire, especially since there is no retirement provision for popes.  That’s why all the headlines say he resigned.  Our bishops are required by Canon Law to submit letters of resignation for retirement when they turn 75.  Bishops used to serve until death but that was changed in the 1960’s.  Pope Benedict XVI was already above that age when he was elected pope in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.  While Pope Benedict’s time as pope was less than a third of Pope John Paul II’s time, Pope Benedict was faithful in his service to the church.  He decided to retire because of his diminished abilities due to age.  He did this so that our church might have a new pope with the energy to fulfill all that is required of him.  As such, I see his resignation as a noble act and pray that his remaining years on Earth be a time of peace and prayer in God’s love.

Now, for the first time in 600 years, our church is without a pope for a reason other than death.  While an exact day has not been set for the conclave to elect a new pope to begin, we expect it to be relatively soon.  When a pope dies, there is normally a time of grieving but since Pope Benedict XVI is not dead, there is no need for grieving in that same sense.  There are plenty of news stories speculating on who will become the new pope.  I do not know and I do not care to speculate.  I simply pray that the one God is calling to be pope is the one elected and that he lead not by his own will but in accord with God’s Will.

Peace,

Fr.  Jeff

The Transfiguration – Homily

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2nd Sunday in Lent, Year C
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-19
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28b-38
February 24, 2013

The Lord leads Abraham (Abram) outside to look at the stars but it is not a simple night to gaze at the stars.  It is a profound event.

Picture the stars.  Think about counting them.  How many are there?  Too vast to count.  Think of the immensity of the universe.

God is the creator of the universe.  As its creator, God is infinite.  God is present in all of that.

But God isn’t showing Abraham the stars just to say look how great He is.

Abraham and Sarah have no children as this point.  God is establishing a promise to Abraham that he will have a son.  In fact, not just one son, but descendants as numerous as the stars.  This includes Isaac and his descendants but not just biologically.  All of us who believe in the one true God are spiritual descendants of Abraham.

The rest of this passage is God establishing a covenant with Abraham to fulfill the promise of an heir.

Think about the vastness of the stars and what it says about God.  God is infinite and yet He is concerned about us.  God loves each and every one of us.  In His love, God draws us all into a covenant with Him, a covenant formed in our Baptism.

We are baptized because of our faith in Jesus as the Son of God, consubstantial with the Father.

Today’s story of the Transfiguration is told us to help us understand how Jesus is the Son of God and part of that greatness.  God wants us to understand this.

Often Jesus goes off to pray by himself but this time he takes Peter, James, and John with him.  As Jesus prays, Peter, James, and John fall asleep. They awaken to something incredible.

We are told that Jesus’ clothing became dazzling white.  White is a sign of purity.  That’s why we wear white at our baptism.

But with Jesus, the dazzling white is much more.  It reveals his divine nature as the Son of God.  It reveals his glory.  It reveals what it is to come as Paul writes, “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body.”

Jesus’ Transfiguration alone is incredible and should be enough for us to believe but that isn’t all.

Then, Moses and Elijah appeared.  This is no trivial point.  Moses is the one who delivered the Law given by God.  His presence affirms Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law.

Elijah is one of the great prophets.  His presence affirms Jesus as the fulfillment of all the prophecies.

Jesus is the Messiah!

Peter and the others are so struck by this they aren’t sure what to do.  Peter, always eager, says that they will build three tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.  Sounds like a strange thing perhaps but I can’t help but think that Peter is so amazed by what he is seeing that he doesn’t know what to say but very much wants to capture the greatness of the moment.

Yet, the scene is not yet finished.  A cloud comes down upon them, a frightening experience.  But while they are within that cloud, one more thing happens.

A voice, but not just any voice, but God’s voice calls out, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.”

Jesus is the Son of God!

Incredible.

Nothing short of incredible!

Think about seeing Jesus transfigured.  What does it mean to you?  Think not with just your brain but with your heart (faith and reason).  What does it mean for us to profess Jesus as Messiah and Son of God?

It should mean everything.

What does it mean to you to know that Jesus is our Messiah and Son of God?  What difference does it make for you?

Yes, I ask what difference does it make for you.  Certainly, it gives us hope of the heavenly kingdom.  But do we live any differently knowing Jesus?

I think this is what we need to be asking ourselves for Lent.  What difference does knowing Jesus make for me?  Do it change the way I live my life?  Would people be shocked to learn I am Catholic?

Getting to Heaven is not simply saying Jesus is Son of God.  It requires us to live as we believe.  That means seeking God’s will over own.  Do we?

 

The Gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

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Many of you may have seen my presentation recorded in January on the story of my faith journey.  One small part in that presentation was a mention of the first time I went to the Sacrament of Reconciliation after my return to church.  From that there were a couple of questions about how we confess our sins.

After that our Evangelization Team sought ways to move forward from that presentation.  As part of that, we set about recording a video on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  We are also trying a different approach this time.  In January, there was a live audience and the recording was secondary.  This time, there was no live audience.  The first part was recorded with me standing outside the Confessional while the second part is mainly recorded from within the Confessional to talk about how we celebrate this wonderful gift.

With the help of the team, I also created three handouts on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  One on why I see this sacrament as a gift, the second is an Examination of Conscience, and the third outlines how we celebrate this sacrament.  The video and all of the handouts are now available on my website at http://renewaloffaith.org/ls/reconciliation.htm.

Since this is a new endeavor with no live audience, please let us know what you think.  There are “live” presentations coming up (Monday, February 25th, Talking to God: A Conversation About Prayer and Monday, March 18th, Talking About God: Sharing Our Faith at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall) but this video is a new endeavor and your feedback would be appreciated.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

P.S. Don’t forget about our Diocesan Day of Penance on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 during Holy Week when all parishes will be offering individual confessions from 12:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The Temptation of Jesus – Homily

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1st Sunday in Lent, Year C
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13
February 17, 2013

On Wednesday, we marked the beginning of our Lenten journey for this year with the reception of ashes.  Lent is a time that’s purpose is to lead us to the joy of the Easter Triduum.

Central in the Triduum is Jesus’ Crucifixion, where Jesus’ freely gives his life so that our sins can be forgiven.  In the Resurrection, he shows us the joy of eternal life.  In both his Crucifixion and Resurrection he gives us hope, hope that we desperately need.

Lent is a time to prepare ourselves for what is to come.  The question we need to ask ourselves is what do I need to change in my life?  What am I doing wrong?  What stands in the way of me deepening my relationship with Jesus?

In terms of deepening our relationship with Jesus, this begins with thinking about our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  But if we really want to change, it isn’t just about what sins have I committed.

We need to ask ourselves, “Going forward, what temptations do I face?  What temptations are hard for me to resist?  Where do I need Jesus’ help to resist temptation?”

Temptation exists.  It is a difficult challenge.  Jesus knows that.  As we begin Lent each year, to direct our thoughts on temptation, we hear the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert.

Luke tells us how Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the desert.”  It does NOT say that the Spirit led Jesus into temptation.  It was the desert that he was led to.  The desert is to be a place of solitude and reflection.  Jesus spends forty days there fasting.  Only then does the devil strike!

The devil knows when to strike, most often when we are at our weakest, when we do not have the strength or will power to resist.

Worse yet, the devil often tempts us with something we need.  In Jesus’ case, the devil knows Jesus has not eaten.  Jesus has the power to change a stone into bread.  The devil knows that.  How could it be wrong for Jesus to use his power to eat?

We would hope that everyone would have enough to eat and have clothing and a home.  But not everyone does.  What action might they take trying to feed their family?  The end is worthy but the end does not justify the means.

For those of us who do have enough, we might felt ok as is but we when we see something wrong going on at work, do we speak up or do we keep our mouths shut so we don’t get fired, thinking I need this job to provide food for my family; or insurance for my sick spouse/child.

The devil tries to tempt Jesus with power.  Jesus isn’t interested in power but for us power can be tempting.  Sometimes we seek power just to look good.  That would be pride and pride is a sin.

We might also think, well if I ignore this one incident, for instance an unethical practice at work, then I’ll get that promotion and then I will really have the power to change things, to do what is right.

Sounds good but does it play out that way?  The devil tempts us.  We keep our mouths shut one time and then another and another and before long, it can seem too late to change anything.

What have we lost?  Was that one time worth it?

The devil works in steps.  It can be a slippery slope.  Sometimes we might give into a big temptation all at once but often it comes in steps.  Oh that’s not too bad.  Well, then if once isn’t too bad, how bad can twice be…..

It’s hard.  The devil knows this.

Jesus knows it too.  Remember Jesus?  The Son of God who became human who knows what it is like to face temptation?

In our temptation, may we always turn to Jesus for strength and guidance in the gift of the Holy Spirit!

 

 

Young Adults: Our Present and Our Future

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Today I attended a workshop on Young Adult Ministry called “Building Bridges to Young Adults” by Joan Weber of the Center for Ministry Development.  The goal of this workshop was to help the participants like myself find ways to serve our young adult Catholics by becoming better aware of their perspective in life, and help them feel welcome and to become an active part of our parish.

I’m calling this article “Young Adults” Our Present and Our Future” because that is exactly what young adults are for us.  They are part of our church now and they are a vital part of the future of our church.  Each and every one of these people are a gift.  Even if they don’t attend church but are baptized, they are formal members of our church.  Even if they are not baptized and never attended church, they are still part of God’s creation and invited to be part of our Catholic Church.  My comments today will center on those who are already Catholic by nature of their baptism but may be pertinent to all.

The first question that came up is who constitutes young adults. The presenter, Joan Weber used the definition provided in the USSCB’s document “Sons and Daughters of Light.”    This is the first thing I learned actually, I didn’t know the USCCB had written this document so I will be looking at this document, hopefully soon.  The age range used by the bishops in this document is 18-39 but as Joan Weber mentioned, we need to be aware that people in this age range actually span a wide variety of life circumstances ranging from single in college, single and working, married with children, and married without children.  I’ll add that each person grows up with different experiences of faith.  We can share common experiences of faith but we must also appreciate the differences.  We live in a rapidly changing world.  Traditionally, we have viewed a generation as 20-25 years but in our world today, Weber said studies now see a new experiential generation every seven years.

Some things that have changed center around our identity as Catholics.  In generations past, for many simply being Catholic was important and because the Church said so was a decisive answer.  Today people ask why.  Younger generations ask why?  And that’s a good thing but it is also a great challenge.  If we want to deepen our relationship with Jesus, we need to ask why.

To me, one of the great challenges is knowing how to reach out to the young adults (or actually in any age group) who don’t go to church.  As a priest, I am not seeing them in person.  In the presentation, means like social media and websites were brought up.  I hope that this blog reaches out to some of the unchurched or those who have fallen away.  At Immaculate Conception, we are also starting to do some presentations on topics of faith (see my previous post), and making them available on the Internet.

For me, reaching out to these people means that I do my part to help the people who do come to church to become so excited about their faith (deepening their own relationship with Jesus) that they naturally share their faith with their family, friends, and co-workers who don’t come to church.  In this way, we are all part of a team called to proclaim the gospel to the whole world.

Weber provided a Top Ten List of What Young Adults Hope For From the Church and I share her list with you.

1.  Sense of community and belonging; opportunities for involvement in church life
2.  Dynamic, upbeat liturgies
3.  Spiritual growth and enrichment
4.  Understanding one’s faith; religious education and Catholic identity
5.  Guidance and direction in life
6.  Acceptance and support
7.  Opportunities for service and leadership
8.  Social Activities
9.  A community that shares common values
10.  Inspiration and rejuvenation

I have to admit when I hear items like #2, “Dynamic, upbeat liturgies” I wonder what they mean but it boils down in a large way to homilies that fit their lives.  (I hope I do this.)

Many of the others I see as relating to number one.  The bottom line is that we have to meet them where they are at.  We need to make people valued, not judged.  Then, when we have established a relationship with them, we help them to understand the truth of Jesus Christ.  Through the centuries, much has changed.  As Joan Weber wrote in her handouts “The New Evangelization calls us to bring the Good News of Jesus into people’s lives with a new ardor, method, and expression.”  The content, being the truth of Jesus does not change but we adapt how we reach out to the people.

In reaching out, we need to ask ourselves “To what are we inviting them?”  We have to know what we have to offer.  We also have to work to discover what they need.  What we offer and what people need must come together if we are to have effective ministry.

The last comment I will make today is a question of giftedness.  We need to figure out how to help people discern what gifts they have and how they might be able to help.  I have no doubt that our young adults have gifts that can help make our church better at accomplishing our mission to bring Christ to the world.  How to bring this together is one of the areas I admit I need to work on.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

 

 

 

On the Pope’s Resignation

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The headlines were glaring, “The Pope is Resigning.”  I have to admit that when I say the headline yesterday morning I was shocked.  I thought ‘what’s wrong?’  It turns out that nothing is wrong.  Pope Benedict XVI is 85 years old.  His health is declining and has decided in the best interest of the Church to resign.  You can read the story of his resignation at http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300560.htm.

I agree with the statement of our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Cunningham, who described Pope Benedict’s resignation as one of courage.  This could not have been an easy decision for Pope Benedict.  It has been 600 years since a pope has resigned.  Pope Benedict has served the Church faithfully for many years, most recently as pope, but also as cardinal, bishop, priest, and teacher.  May he know the peace of Christ always and find rest in “retirement.”

Of course, this leaves us all wondering about the future.  What happens now?  For stories about the election of a new pope check out http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300575.htm.  It is natural curiosity to wonder what happens now.  It was just 8 years ago when Pope John Paul II died but people might ask will the process be different now since Pope Benedict is still alive?  The answer is generally no.  I say generally because with the death of a pope, there is the funeral and period of mourning that will not happen in this case.

What does amaze me but not surprise me, giving human nature, is that people immediately began speculating on who the next pope will be.  Again, part of this is natural curiosity.  Part of it is legitimate concern for the future.  Unfortunately, part of it is not much better than gossip.

Who do I think will be the new pope?  Well, it will probably be a cardinal.  Beyond that, I don’t know and it is not for me to decide.  What is for and for all of us is to pray that the person God is calling to be the next pope be the one elected.  It doesn’t matter what I want the new pope to say or do.  It doesn’t matter what you want the new pope to say or do.  God is the one who knows best.  God is the one who should be in control (and is).  Remember the words from the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Will Be Done.”

Let us pray for Pope Benedict XVI as he steps aside and for the selection of the new pope be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that the person elected be the one God is calling.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Hearing Our Call to Care About Others

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1–11
February 10, 2013

It isn’t easy to be a disciple of Jesus.  When Peter realized it was Jesus standing with them, he felt so unworthy to be with Jesus, that he asked Jesus to leave them.  Jesus tells him do not be afraid.

Peter and the other actually got a couple of things right that day.  First, that Jesus was no ordinary human and they realized they were not worthy to be with Jesus.  Alone, they are right, we can’t make ourselves worthy to be around Jesus.

The second thing they got right was, even though they unworthy, they still left everything and followed him.

Worthiness was not a new question with Jesus.  It takes on a new significance with Jesus standing right before you but people have been feeling unworthy to be disciples for long before Jesus.

We see in our reading today from Isaiah.  It is the story of how Isaiah received his calling to be a prophet.  Isaiah is seeing a vision of the Lord.

He expresses his unworthiness to see this vision.  He admits his failings and yet knows he is having a profound encounter with God.  Read the story of the calling of just about any prophet in the Bible and you will see how they almost always say they are unworthy.

In a sense they are not worthy.  We are all imperfect and can’t make ourselves worthy but God can and does.

We see this with Isaiah when the seraphim flew to Isaiah and touched his lips with the burning ember, cleansing Isaiah of his sins.  Only then does Isaiah accept the call, saying “send me”.

God is calling each and every one of us to be his children, his disciples.

Do we feel worthy?

God makes us worthy.

Feel like you don’t have what it takes.

Jesus will give you want you need to do what he wants.  Not to do what we want, but what he wants.

We each have a different calling but each calling is centered on the greatest commandment to love God and the second, calling us to love our neighbor.

So do it!

I’m sure one of you is thinking right now, ‘but Father, I don’t feel like there is anything I can do to help.’

You would be wrong.  At the very least you can pray.

And I bet some of you have already done things that have made a big difference for someone else.  For example, think back to December and the gifts presents giving by you through our Giving Tree program.  Surely, it made someone’s Christmas better.

But that isn’t enough!  Think of the saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

We need to start by taking care of the immediate needs of people around us like food, clothing, and to know God’s love at Christmas.

That’s charity but we are also called to work for justice and we have an opportunity to do just that today.  In using the word “justice” I’m talking about changing systems and policies that keep a person done rather than giving them a hand up.

It’s our Diocesan Public Policy Weekend and that means we have a petition available for signing today.  Today we really are talking about making a different in the life of a child not just for a day but for a lifetime.

Our petition today (which is available at all the entrances of the church) asks our state government to restore child care funding back to the levels before they were dropped in 2010-11 budget.

Why should we care about this?

Well, first and foremost we should desire safe child care for all children that the parents can’t afford on their own.  Some might want to say ‘tell them to get a better job.’  Many of them would like to.  Do you have a job for them?

Look at minimum wage.  A person working full-time at minimum wage only makes $15,000 a year.  That’s below the poverty line.  If both parents work, they have $30,000 but can’t afford the child care they need then.

And these are the most important years of development.  It sets the stage for the entire rest of their lives.  So, it is an investment for the future.

Our diocese has statistics show that every one dollar invested in child care returns seven dollars in future savings due to the decreased need for special services later in school or live.

Seven for one sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

All you have to do is fill out a line on the petition.  You can make a difference.  Jesus loves the children and so do we.