The Saints Are Examples To Us

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When we think of saints, the first thing that comes to mind is often ‘people that are in heaven.’  The second thing that might come to mind is that we pray for their intercession.  I emphasize ‘for their intercession’ because we do not pray for the saints to do miracles for us.  Rather, we pray to the saints to ask them to intercede for us with their prayers to God.  God is the one who performs the miracles.

Another way we view the saints is as examples.  Ultimately, we enter into Heaven only through the redemption Jesus won for us on the Cross.  Yet, we are still called to strive to live good lives here on Earth.  The saints did not live perfect lives.  They had their human faults just like us.  In declaring them saints, the church says they strived to live the good Christian life and as such as examples for us.

We have two good examples this week.  On Thursday (March 17th), we celebrated the Memorial of St. Patrick.  St. Patrick is one of the more well-known saints.  He was born in Scotland to a Christian family.  Around the age of fourteen, he was taken as a slave to Ireland to tend flocks.  He prayed for his release.  It was six years before he could escape.  Through that time, he kept the faith and when he was finally able to escape and answered the call to become a priest.  He was later named a bishop and sent to Ireland.  He could have resisted going back to Ireland because of the memories of his time there as a slave but he did not.  The people were mostly Druids and pagans and he worked hard to bring the Christian faith to them.  In his faithfulness to God during his slavery and his ministry to the very people who enslaved him, St. Patrick is an example of discipleship to us.

Today (March 19th), we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph.  Today’s Gospel, tells the story of how Joseph became the father of Jesus.  Mary had been betrohed to him, but before they were together, she became pregnant.  Thinking she had been unfaithful Joseph sought to divorce her because he desired to live as God calls all of us to live.  Then, the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him it was God’s will for him to take Mary into his home and raise Jesus as his son.  That was enough for Joseph.  As long as it was God’s will, he would do it.  He is example of faithful discipleship to us.

There are many saints who are examples to us of discipleship.  You might search for one who is the example you need and pray for their intercession.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Natural Disasters

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It seems to me that the number of natural disasters and the size of the disasters has been rising, floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

The latest, of course, is the earthquake in Japan this week.  There is massive damage from the earthquake.  Giving that earthquake was measured at 8.9, I think we can give thanks that even more lives have not been lost (The latest death toll that I have heard is 1,300 but as they search for missing people, I’m sure the number of dead and injured will rise).  As if the original quake was not enough, there has been hundreds of aftershocks.  There is also the tsunamis that have resulted in massive damage in Japan and resulted in damage thousands of miles away.

It would easy to say that Japan is half a world away, so it doesn’t affect me.  Why should I care?  You should care.  Jesus cares.   These are real people affecting by the earthquake.  All life is precious.

What can we do to help?  The obvious secular answer is to donate money.  That is certainly a good thing.  We can also pray.  At times like this people might ask “does prayer really do any good?  If God cared, he wouldn’t have the earthquake happen.  I cannot explain why God allows such things but I believe that God does not cause these things. 

Some might then ask, “Where is God now?”  God has not gone absent.  God is present in the emergency workers, in the teams coming from across the world to assist with search and rescue.  God is present offering his comfort to all who seek him.  We become aware of God’s presence in prayer and see his grace at work in the rescuers.

Let us pray for everyone affected by the earthquake this week.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Fasting

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Today (Ash Wednesday) is a day of fasting and abstinence. 

As Catholics, we abstain from meat today.  I seldom go a day without eating meat so this is a sacrifice for me but I do so willingly because God is more important to me than a piece of meat. 

As Catholics, we are also called to fast today, meaning one main meal, and two small meals.  I like to eat.  I like to snack (especially on my favorite candy).  As I write this at 8:15 p.m. on Ash Wednesday, I realize that fasting for a single day really isn’t that difficult.  I like to tell myself that when I eat it is always because I am hungry.  Unfortunately, I think the snacking is more about habit rather than hunger. 

My faith in God is stronger than my desire for a candy bar.  I give up the candy bar readily today.  What I need is to figure out how to give up candy and any other bad habits for ever.  It isn’t that candy is a terrible thing.  While, there are certainly more healthy things to eat, that doesn’t make eating candy a sin.

If eating candy isn’t a sin, then why should I give it up (or at least eat far less of it)?  First, the obvious answer is that it isn’t good for me.  The second answer relates to another reason I eat too much candy.  When I am stressed, I snack more.  I think a lot of people do this.  I would be far better off turning to God with my stress.

Is there something in your life that you turn to in stress instead of turning to God?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Just Back From New York City

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I just returned this evening from a short time to New York City.  Yesterday I attended an all-day meeting of PCNY (the Priests’ Council of New York).  We hold quarterly meetings with priests representing all the diocese of New York State.  We come together to discuss the common challenges we face.  This month one of the main challenges that came up for discussion is “reconfiguration” and what it means to be church. 

We are very much used to thinking of our Catholic identity as determined solely by the church we attend.  As parish boundaries are reconfigured, we are called to think about what it means to be “church” and how we can best do this.  Often, the closing or combining of parishes is seen as based on two things.  The first one is what everyone things of – the declining number of priests.  The second is the declining number of people who come to church.  If there aren’t enough people coming to church, doesn’t working with neighboring Catholic churches make sense?

What we are really getting at here is being good stewards.  How do we make the best use of our resources?  What are the resources we need to look at?  People are our biggest resource through their gifts of time and talent.  Sometimes the best way to be church involves sharing our people.  One little church may not be able to hire a well-trained person as a director of religious education or to do pastoral visitations.  However, several churches working together might be able to draw a better person who then can work with the volunteers in each church (who are essential to our being able to serve God’s people).

Evaluating our resources also includes finances and buildings.  Buildings cost money so we must ask ourselves are we being good stewards if we keep open (and maintain) more buildings than we need.  This isn’t just a question of church buildings.  What do we do with our old school buildings or covenants.  Do we use them at all or do we keep them but only use a tiny portion of the space?

The question is not what do we cut just make the budget balance?  The proper question is how we make the best use of what God has given us to serve his people.  If we become the best church that we can be, then more people will come and with more people comes more resources of time, talent, and treasure.

When you hear the word “church,” what do you think of?  A building, the priest, the people, a school, or a Catholic hospital.  How about a community of believers?  Buildings shape who we are but community and ministry is what we are about, leading all people to become part of God’s family (a community).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Getting Ready For Lent

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Getting ready for Lent might seem like a strange title for an article.  After all, Lent is a season of preparation, a time of seeking conversion.  In Lent, we work to open our hearts to God.

So, what do we need to do to get ready for Lent if it is supposed to be a season of preparation? 

Each Lent, we are called to make a sacrifice for the season.  We generally give up something we like for Lent and then, after Easter, resume our normal practice.  An example might be giving up our favorite food.  Giving up our favorite things is a good thing.  It says that our relationship with God is more important than our favorite thing (Jesus says in this Sunday’s reading, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”).

We can also make another type of sacrifice.  We can actually do something extra to deepen our relationship with God.  The sacrifice here is saying we are willing to make (more) time for God in our lives.  An example of this is people who don’t come to daily Mass on a regular basis but make a point to during Lent.

We could also do something during Lent to help other people.  We might volunteer at a community kitchen or a hospital.  By caring for others you can show that you hear Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor.

So, to get ready for Lent think about what sacrifice you will make.  

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Jesus Gives His Disciples a Pop Quiz

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In today’s gospel (Thursday, February 17, 2011 – Sixth Week in Ordinary Time) Jesus asks him disciples two questions.

First, he asks them, “Who do people say that I am?”  A nice beginning question, no pressure, simply asks factually what are other people saying.  The disciples respond, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”  Not bad.  It indicates, at the very least, that the people are beginning to recognize Jesus as someone very special.  They still have a lot to learn but perhaps a solid start.

Then comes the next question, “But who do you say that I am?”  Jesus asks his disciples what they think.  So far, he has been having to explain his parables to his disciples.  Have they learned anything yet?

Peter gives the response, “You are the Christ.”  At last Peter has got it!  Yes, Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the one they have been waiting for!  Give Peter an “A” on the pop quiz.

Then Jesus goes on to tell them what is to come; that he will suffer and be killed.  Actually, he doesn’t say these things will happen to him.  Rather he says it will happen to the Son of Man but Peter realizes Jesus is talking about himself.  But then Peter blows it.  He can’t understand why these things would ever happen to Jesus.  Peter thinks none of these things would ever happen to Jesus as the Messiah.  Peter’s lack of understanding may be reasonable.  Why would one think the Messiah would be killed?  They thought the coming Messiah would be a great political king so how could he be defeated.

So, Peter responds by rebuking Jesus.  Peter has just said Jesus is the Messiah and now Peter is telling Jesus how things should happen.  Why would Peter think he could tell Jesus the way it should be?

Seems ridiculous but we might ask ourselves are we any different?  We believe in Jesus.  Do we do things Jesus’ way or do we do it our way?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Standing Up For What Is Right

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Today I would like to talk about a topic that I generally avoid – politics, specifically the situation in Egypt.  With the resignation of President Mubarak certainly Egypt has changed in a profound way.  Perhaps the most amazing thing to me is that it was accomplished through peaceful protest.  We must acknowledge that there are people who have lost their lives and many others injured during the protests but there was no war that toppled the government.  We give thanks to God that the events of the last eighteen days were not more violent.

A government has changed and will be in transition for a while as they work towards forming a new government. 

The reason I am writing about these events is because I see it as an opportunity to reflect upon how people are to be treated.  I refer you to my article “Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching”.  As Egypt forms its new government, it needs to be mindful on the people.  Governments exist for the good of the people, not the other way around.  The government exists as a means to help us work together as a community living in solidarity.  Every person has basic rights and with the rights, the responsibility to ensure all people enjoy the same rights (For more on the subject of rights check out my article “Rights and Responsibilities” and Pope John XXIII’s  Encyclical Pacem in Terris).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff