Ascension

Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension. I was sharing with our seventh graders the other day, the image of weaving fabric from navel lint. They were utterly disgusted. I like that image though. Nothing speaks more profoundly of being self-absorbed than staring at ones navel.

The Disciples have been instructed about the journey they are about. Not only does Jesus explain the cross to them, but demonstrates it to them as well. As St. Will describe today, Jesus is our great high priest who continues to intercede on our behalf. The challenge for us though is to move beyond ourselves into the world with the gospel message we have received.

At the ritual of ordination the priest is given the chalice with the direction to know what you are celebrating, and to imitate the mystery you celebrate. This is not a bad reflection for any of us. The journey we take is not always a gentle one. It cannot be done looking heavenward all of the time. Our vision is of the Kingdom, but we walk with our brothers and sisters on this the journey of faith.

Jesus intercedes for us, already having poured out the spirit of truth upon us. Our faith draws us evermore closely into an intimate relation with God and God's people. We do not stare into the heavens, but proclaim our faith in everything we have seen and heard.

One Bread, One Body

In a few weeks there is a workshop at St. Patrick Seminary, in Menlo Park, California, entitled, "Reclaiming and Renewing our Mission." It is for priests, concerning priestly ministry. It sounds tempting, but I will be gone for two weeks in the Fall for workshops, so I probably won't go. But the title intrigues me. Lately the idea of returning to our priestly roots has held great importance for me, especially in our Church today.

I was especially keenly aware of our ministry after reading excerpts from the Christian Unity Conference, held in Tampa, Florida, some weeks ago. Some of us remember the the term 'ecumenism' with all sorts of varied emotions. For many years, and in many forms, the Church has worked to bring forward unity amongst all Christian churches. It would seem that at the local church level, there have been many ventures which draw us together. Food pantries, Habitat for Humanity, PADS, Ecumenical prayer services, just to name a few. But there are some major theological points which keep us at an unhealthy distance.

All Easter we have spoken about the sacrament of Baptism. For all Christians this is the foundational sacrament which draws us into the union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through Baptism we participate in the paschal mystery. This should always be our starting point. Of course the question remains for us, where do we go from here. Cardinal Walter Kasper has invited all interested parties to look carefully at our commitment to unity with an honest assessment of where we stand today. Moreso he challenges us to look at the major issues which cause separation with a sense of honest charity. In the paschal mystery we will discover more of which brings us together than keeps us apart.

Going back to our priestly mission then, our call is to teach, preach, and sanctify. Our witness as priests, and in a larger sense as a Church, is to give a witness to all that we have seen and heard. Jesus prayed that all be one in him. We pray that we can be a sign of unity and an instrument of peace.

A Bishop

Our Diocese has been filled with excitement, as one of our priests, Father Tim Doherty, has been named Bishop of Lafayette, IN. Father Doherty is a very humble, quiet, and prayerful man. To be sure he is not a Monk, but someone who has taken priesthood seriously. He will make a stellar Bishop.

In the Epistles, St Timothy calls upon bishops to be men of outstanding holiness, prayer, who have their own house in order. They need to be good with finances, and good managers. The bishop is the chief teacher and liturgist of the diocese. I remember an older aunt asking whether I wanted to be a bishop some day. I remember giving my definitive 'no.'

In today's Church, with the problems of sexual abuse, divisions amongst the laity and the clergy, and the post-modern self-relevance, it is mostly a challenge to be a bishop. In the very early Church most of the martyrs were bishops. Today the controversies tend to cause less death, but much pain and chaos. Moreso today there is the scrutiny of the public media. So that whatever decision a bishop makes is the discussion of the town square.

Certainly our prayers and well wishes will go with Father Dorherty. He is an outstanding man. Because he is a man of prayer, he will have a good foundation to stand on.

Bernie the reformer

St Bernard of Clairvaux lived during the early part of the 12th century. A Benedictine monk, he was greatly bothered by the influence that wealth and power had in the monastic community. Reflecting carefully on the Rule of St. Benedict, as well as sacred scripture, Bernard realized that the Benedictines were no longer living according to their original calling. With courage and perseverance Bernard brought about a great reform of monastic life, with the development of the Cistercians. A very austere order of men and women which exists even today,

St. Bernard is one of many men and women in the Church throughout its history who observed brokenness or lethargy. Reflecting closely on the mission and ministry of Jesus and the early Church, recognized that there needed to be a renewal. I think about people like Catherine of Siena who encouraged the Pope to return to Rome and to face the sin and evil there. Or Francis of Assisi who gave up everything to live for and with the poor. To be sure these are holy people opened to the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

If anything we are in dire need of that sort of charisma in our Church. Too often we are content with weaving prayer rugs out of navel lint. Certainly we don't mean we should do anything we want or be moved by our wants and whims. There is that core message in the scripture that challenges us to share the 'Good News' to the ends of the earth. I like to talk about conversion and discipleship a lot, and in a very real way that seems to be what our Church is really about.

Sometimes we as Church, and a catholics, are too shy or timid in publicly professing our faith. I remember one parish in which the pastoral council persons commented that the most important thing their parish does is their dinners. Eek. It is important for holy men and women today to take courage and to pronounce their faith, In the end we take responsibility for our faith communities and the faith which we pass on, as the Church.

The 'baby Church'

The neat thing about this time of year, is that we get to read the Acts of the Apostles. A continuation of the Gospel of Luke, we hear the story of that early Church. And while this is a wonderful time in the history of the Church, things are not well all of the time. There is persecution, misunderstandings, disagreements, and dissension. This Body of believers, begun by Christ Jesus, begins to have growing pains almost immediately.

Today's reading is so very typical. The question of maintaining Jewish rituals and practices in the Church comes up. Peter and those close to him firmly believe that the traditions of the Jewish laws must be maintained. Paul, who is receiving converts from the gentiles believes that this is a burden. A meeting is held at Jerusalem. Through prayer and reflection the conclusion is that those elements that lead to salvation ought to be maintained. Essentially living a holy lifestyle is most important.

Today very much like that early Church we have to return to the source of our salvation. Namely we are saved through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. The question has to continue to be, How does what we do best reflect the mystery of faith we celebrate? There is today a powerful need for our Church to be a sign and symbol of the salvific activity of Jesus Christ. We can't blow it by getting all concerned about stuff that does not draw us to God.

I remember an old priest once telling me that it is much more holy to kneel for confession, in order to receive absolution. Well I can understand that and appreciate that. But in the Sacrament of Reconciliation it will not be my main focus.

The saving death of Jesus reminds us that we too have to be willing to die to our wants, if we are going to experience the grace and blessing of the Paschal Mystery. I think that this is the reason that the Vatican documents continue to return to our Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Like St. Paul reminding us that we are heirs of the Father, as a Church and individuals we have to review what it means to be Church, and delight in the saving activity of God.

Love one another

I looked out into the church today and saw five couples I would like to have be in a marriage support process. These are awesome couples. They are prayerful, come to church, have great families, and have "normal" families. These are the kind of couples that are those signs and symbols when we talk about the sacrament of marriage.

The gospel today from John is part of the Last Supper discourse. Jesus prepares the disciples for the crucifixion. It is important that the disciples reflect on the passion, death, and resurrection, as the Fathers faithful love for his people. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is his love poured out for all people. The idea of taking up one's cross becomes very real and tangible here.

To be sure in marriage, and in most parts of our life, when we take love seriously, it always reflects the reality of the cross. We make that decision to love, especially in difficult moments, which then draws us closer to the Father.

Today's 9:30 Liturgy was sort of a microcosm of parish life. We had three baptisms, three first communions, candles to replace, a half-dozen persons needed to speak with me, and I left my glasses in the sacristy. I am reminded of the words of several older priests who would muse, "love your people, and you'll do fine," There is so much truth in that.

The Prayer of St Francis invites us to be n object of peace. People will know we are Christian by the way we love one another.

First Communion

It's First Eucharist Day today here at St. Mary's. It is really exciting and a wonderful celebration. A former pastor of mine used to say the theme song for today should be, That Magic Moment. But the children are delightful and so full of energy and enthusiasm. The simple concepts of bread, feeding, being loved and cared for, are all very close to their lives and hearts. When the scripture speaks about a child-like faith, it certainly had these moments in mind.

And for us as catholics, the Eucharist is the center of our entire faith. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection, of Jesus draws us into an intimate relationship with God. The Eucharist is both a meal and a sacrifice in which we remember the saving activity of God, and are nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. This is a powerful sign and symbol of God's love for us.

For the children, they are continuing on their journey towards full communion in the Church. The idea that as they grow in age, that they also grow into the Church is a unique and important facet. I like comparing it to being able to sit at the big peoples table.

Hopefully the first communion of these children is not the last communion. When we talk about the lack of reverence for the Eucharist today, a large part of it is the lack of participation in the Liturgy and the community of faith. If we are not connected to the Church, it becomes sort of social hall for family events, ie weddings, funerals, and confirmations. But if the Eucharist begins to call us to a greater responsibility we might begin to understand our faith and the faith community as well.

This is a great day. I pray for these children and their families a lot. I would invite us all to do the same.