Sacred Worship

This week we wrap up our series of reflections on parish life focusing on Sacred Worship.  This is the area of parish life the majority of us are most connected to in the life of the parish.  That is appropriate since the Vatican Council II teaches us that the Mass is “the source and summit of our life in the Church” (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 10).  Unfortunately, that means it can also become a flashpoint for endless bickering in the parish family as well as the Church as a whole.  This is why it becomes particularly important that each parish have a well-functioning Sacred Worship Committee; and that that committee be committed to first of all understanding what the Church calls us to in sacred worship by studying the documents relating to the liturgy and the devotional life, and then discerning with the pastor how best to bring this about in the particular community.  In other words, it should never simply be about “what I like”.

I have been pleased to find at Sacred Heart – St. Patrick Parish a well-functioning Sacred Worship Committee and a real appreciation for liturgy well done and for the importance of the devotional life – indeed, there is a certain pride here in the devotional life.  There have been challenges, particularly in the area of music, which I hope we have begun to address in a satisfactory way.  But while much has been done to get all on the same page and moving together in all areas of our liturgical / devotional life, what has been accomplished thus far has primarily been about a new pastor and those already engaged getting to know one another and getting on the same page.  There remains the always ongoing task of engaging the larger parish.

You will find in our new Sacred Worship Committee Pamphlet a description of the several ministries which are necessary for the full flowering of the liturgy and the devotional life of our parish.  I have let our confirmation candidates know that, for our parish family to flourish, we need them to be involved BOTH in the life of the parish generally AND in the liturgical ministries; and there is plenty to do!  We are in particular need of help with hospitality (ushers), music (choir, instrumentalists, cantors), and altar servers.  If you can be of help in any of these areas especially, please see the sacred worship pamphlet for contact information.

The liturgy and our devotional life are uniquely important for the life of our parish community.  The way in which we come together in worship has a evangelizing effect all its own which draws our children, those who are searching, and ourselves as well to our God – Who reveals Himself to us in a particular way in our worship of Him through the paschal mystery of his Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ss. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael - Archangels (Sept.29)

While today (Sept.29) is the 26^th Sunday of Ordinary Time, it is also the Feast of the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael - formerly known as "Michaelmass" as each of the three had their own feasts on the calendar before the reforms of the late 1960's.  While the feast is not celebrated liturgically this year (Mass / Office of the Hours), it is kept in our hearts all the same.

I wrote, several weeks ago, about why I continue to lead the assembly in the Prayer to St. Michael at the end of our holy Masses.  I will only reiterate that when we consider how we are going out from holy Mass into a world filled with temptations, seductions, and other pitfalls, it is good and right that we enlist the assistance of so strong a defender before we go out into that battle.  Offering that prayer also reminds me that I am, indeed, going out to engage in battle; first of all: in battle against my own weaknesses, and then: “against the wickedness and snares of the devil”.

Participating in the “St. Michael’s Lent”, a Franciscan practice of entering into a “little Lent” for the 45 days before the Feast of the Archangels, I have also come to a greater appreciation for recourse to St. Raphael, “God’s remedy (healing)”.  Those taking part in this exercise through the Exodus 90 app have been reading through the book of Tobit, in which Raphael appears and plays a major role.  As I continue laying the groundwork for a healing ministry in the north-west region of the diocese, I turn more and more to St. Raphael.  I share with you a Prayer to St. Raphael:

Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace.  You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.  I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels.  Because you are the medicine sent by God, I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body.  I especially ask of you the favor of ____________ and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.  St. Raphael, of the glorious seven who stand before the throne of Him who lives and reigns, angel of health, the Lord has filled your hand with balm from heaven to soothe and cure our pains.  Heal or cure the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. Amen.

Evangelization & Catechesis (Education)

Having reflected on parish life in the areas of Family Life and Social Concerns, we turn our attention, this week, to Evangelization & Catechesis, better known as – the Education Committee.

Too often, in our parish experience, education has been primarily focused on the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) or the religious education program for children and young people.  It is true that this is an important part of our parish’s efforts in this area.  And, happily, in our parish and the Eau Claire area there are some wonderful opportunities and options for helping our young people come to know, love, and serve God.  However, if this is all “education” is in our parish it is no wonder that our young people see the REP program as just another ‘class’ they have to go to and are very happy to ‘graduate’ from CCD when they are confirmed.  No, this area of parish life must support the formation of our young people with the continuing formation of our adults!

When young people see their formation in our religious education program for young people as only the beginning of a life-long love affair with God, they will get so much more out of those foundations which are laid in their youth.  They will see what they are doing as the gateway to the wonderful growth and life they see in their parents, grandparents, and other adults around them in church, in their school, and in the community – wherever our adults are found in our young people’s lives.  You will see in our pamphlet on evangelization and catechesis a number of ways in which we form our young people as well as our adults.

Focusing on adults, we have a program for forming and bringing adults into the Church known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.  This is a one-year (September – May) program for getting adults familiarized with the Church and preparing them for Baptism, Confirmation, and the reception of Holy Communion.  This program serves everyone from those who are not yet baptized to those who were baptized but never really raised in the Church to those who just want to learn more about a faith they desire to know more about.

Our Adult Continuing Formation takes the form of periodic bible studies, book studies, and video-based programs for growth and acquiring an ever greater appreciation for the great wealth of knowledge, experience, and culture which is our Catholic faith.  These are often led by a lay person who is learning right along with everyone else in the group.  If you have a desire to learn about some particular topic, ask!  There are most likely excellent resources which can be accessed for your continued growth in our Catholic faith.

Healing Ministry

A week ago I participated in a healing service, a ministry I organized with another priest of our diocese and the deacon of my former assignment.  It was truly lovely to see so many showing their trust in God’s healing love as they came for Confession, holy Mass, and to be prayed for by the participating priests, deacons, and lay members of our healing ministry team.

The hurt that exists in so many lives is truly something terrible to behold.  But where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more!  And so, it is truly humbling to be a minister of God’s healing love – in the confessional, offering holy Mass, and in praying over those who present themselves for prayers of healing.

The healing that has taken place over these past couple of years since we began this ministry in Cashton has spanned the spectrum of human suffering.  People have reported to us healing from spiritual afflictions, emotional and psychological afflictions, as well as physical issues.  And we praise God for his loving kindness

I ask your prayers as we organize a healing ministry in this north-west region of the diocese.  Fr. Bob Thorn, a senior priest of the diocese has been engaged in healing ministry in the Wausau area for about 20 years now.  The healing ministry in Cashton has been operating for two years.  That leaves this region of the diocese with need of such a ministry.  Bishop Battersby has given his enthusiastic permission for such a ministry.  And so, over the next two Mondays I will be meeting first with interested clergy, and then those lay-people interested in beginning the formation and prayer necessary to form a prayer team and healing ministry in our part of the diocese.

I am hoping that we can have our first “Night of Healing” late next winter.  But, this will depend on how the formation of our local prayer team comes along as well as the availability of members of our other two diocesan teams to assist us in the first go around.

So, your prayers, acts of penance, and fasting are asked in support of this badly needed and necessary ministry.

Ember Days

There aren't too many people outside of the Extraordinary Form (TLM) community who are aware of the Ember Days anymore.  This is a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, four times a year; in which we are invited to pray, fast, and give alms in thanksgiving for the harvest.  These follow the agricultural rhythm of those places along the northern Mediterranean coast.  They came to the universal calendar of the Church for all places because it was recognized that even if these times didn't follow along the local agricultural rhythm, they do bring about a spiritual rhythm all their own; a rhythm in which we are given the opportunity to give thanks for the harvest of the spirit; a harvest which comes about as we reap the fruits coming from our cultivation of that grace which is continuously showered upon us by our loving God and Father.  These days fall after the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross (Sept.14), the Feast of St. Lucy (Dec.13), Ash Wednesday, and the Feast of Pentecost.  An old rhyme helps to remember these: "Crucy, Lucy, Lenty, Penty".

These days become a time in which we are able to give thanks to God for this bounty.  It is also a time in which we are called to do an examination of conscience regarding our cultivation of these gifts of grace as well as our sharing of them, especially to the vulnerable and those most in need.  This is follows in tandem with the expectation that upon the gathering in of a bountiful harvest the farmer would give of the first fruits to God and share of his bounty with those in need.

In our own day it is good to be reminded from time to time of how much God has blessed us and of the proper use of those blessings which give glory to God and charity to our neighbor.  This is why I have promoted the observance of these days the past many years.  Unlike some practices, this was never abolished by the Church, it's observance was merely passed on to the many conferences of bishops to apply them in a way that makes most sense in their particular jurisdiction.  Unfortunately, the bishops in America have never chosen to promote them as a conference.  Happily, there have been some individual bishops who have.

In my own Diocese of La Crosse (WI) we have had a celebration of Rural Life Day for 43 years now.  This celebration is taking place today (September 18) in Lone Rock, at the Randy & Shelly Schmidt and Ryan & Chrissy Schmidt Farm.  Bishop Battersby will carry on the tradition of celebrating Mass and then presiding over our annual celebration of rural life and the blessings that come to all of us through this life of love and service to God, humanity, and all creation.

So, fast, pray, and give alms!  "God loves a cheerful giver." (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)  What's more, we also often discover the truth: "For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away." 

(cf. Matthew 13:11–12)

Below is the image of St. Mary's Ridge, Wisconsin which represents the State of Wisconsin in First Lady, "Ladybird" Johnson's "America the Beautiful Campaign".  The Church in the foreground is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church from which the ridge gets its name.  St. Mary's Ridge is west  of Cashton, WI.

Parish Life - Family Life Committee

This week, as we continue surveying the pastoral landscape, we focus on our Family Life Committee.  This committee is concerned with the formation of a sense of family in all parish functions and activities, but it has its own particular focuses as well.  As you look through the pamphlet for this particular committee, you will notice things that would be a part of any parish family life committee, and then there are things that are particular to our parish either because of a particular focus or need.

Hospitality is something that too many of us overlook when it comes to our life of faith.  And yet, if someone came to your home, would you not welcome them in?  I so often hear from people, “I came to church to pray! I shouldn’t have to say ‘hi’ to people too!”  or, “People should know why they’re coming to church. They shouldn’t have to be held by the hand and welcomed in!”  Both of these attitudes betray a lack of understanding about who we are called to be as church.  They also betray a lack of understanding about the human person.

So, you will see in all our family life activities an effort to connect: we connect with one another; we connect with those preparing for marriage and who are married; we connect with our homebound; we connect with our college students; we even connect with our deceased who absolutely depend on our attention and charity when they find themselves in need of further cleansing (purgatory) before entering into the fullness of God’s presence.

As I said in my homily last week: we are a family – God’s family.  And so, let us step up our game in becoming a family that speaks of God’s presence by our real and active love for one another; a love which is fruitful, and a love which draws others into our family – the family of God.

Next week we will celebrate Catechetical Sunday and discuss what catechesis and evangelization looks like in our parish family.

Parish Life - Social Concerns Committee

 While “social justice” has gotten a somewhat problematic association in our contemporary culture and political life; we, as Christians, are called by God to be concerned about our society and those individuals within it – especially the poor, the distressed, and the vulnerable.  Over and over again, the Scriptures remind us that care for those in need is an integral part of our life in Christ.  Christ, Himself, teaches his disciples, and us, that we are to “follow Him”.  Following Him means following his example of service to those most in need.  Just as He came down from heaven to save us in our need, so we are to humble ourselves to serve the needy in our community.

 You will notice in our Social Concerns Committee pamphlet a detailed listing of the several ways this is being done in our parish family.  Some of these ministries have a long history in the City of Eau Claire and in our parish: Sojourner House, Beacon House, and Community Table.  Others have had a lower visibility and cry out for interest and attention: Pro-Life Ministry and the missions in particular.

Pro-Life ministry can be difficult in our society.  Satan has been very effective in whispering to those forming the political and social messaging in our day.  I have lived long enough to see abortion and contraception be barely whispered about, to being spoken of as a necessary evil, to their transformation into a public virtue and a human right; much of this transformation aided and abetted by Catholics.

Ministry to the homeless and the hungry is a well-founded and attested concern in the Scriptures and in the lives of the saints.  While some may argue the politics and social advisability of helping such people, Christians can only see a brother or sister made in the image and likeness of God who is in need.  In the Catholic Church we even have the Corporal Works of Mercy as a reminder of this obligation to minister to those in need.

Finally, the missions, as attested by the letters of St. Paul, is a concern for every Christian.  Indeed, it was a principle commended to him by the original Apostles, and an act of charity to which he gives witness repeatedly in his letters.  The former director of our diocesan mission office, Msgr. Anthoney Wagoner, used to always say: “the parish that cares for the missions will itself always be cared for”.

These particular areas of ministry are those that are well-established in our community or are areas of particular focus in the Church.  Do you see a further need in our community?  What can you do to help us meet that need?  Let us know!

Labor Day

As we observe our annual celebration of Labor Day this weekend, it is important to recall that this is more than a “three-day weekend”.  It is a day on which we recall the important part played in our society by those who make their living and support their families “by the sweat of their brow”.  The first “labor parade” seems to have been held in New York City in 1882, sponsored by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, two early organizations attempting to stand for the rights of laborers.  Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894.  In the years since, the labor movement in this country, and around the world, has continued to make known and support the rights of workers; not just those who “labor”, but all who have had their rights infringed by their employer.

Holy Mother Church has recognized and advocated for the rights of workers from Biblical times and the Apostolic era.  However, Her more recent advocacy and teaching can be traced to Pope Leo XIII’s ground breaking encyclical, Rerum Novarum, “On Capitol and Labor”, published on May 15, 1891.  Several times over the succeeding years, this teaching has been updated in order to address new challenges and contemporary issues related to capitol and labor.  The Church further encouraged a recognition of the dignity of labor with the establishment of the Solemnity of St. Joseph the Workman on May 1, 1955 by Pope Pius XII.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has put together a page of resources for those who would like to better understand the Church's teaching on labor.

So, let us celebrate, this weekend, those who labor.  Let us give witness to our recognition of the rights of workers, not only as those who serve our needs, but as people made in the image and likeness of God who have hopes and dreams for themselves and their children.  And, this weekend, in the midst of our enjoyment of an extra “day of rest”, let us offer an extra prayer for those who contribute so importantly to our way of life.

John 6 - #3

 

Receiving worthily –

Receiving holy Communion is a statement of faith, of belonging to this covenant community which we call the Catholic Church.  Receiving holy Communion is not a matter of hospitality.  It is also not a sign that those receiving this holy gift “have it all together”.  It is a sign of commitment and belonging, which includes receiving in faith all that the Church teaches or proposes for belief. 

So, beyond the issue of having been baptized in the Church, it also means we really do “belong” – body, heart, mind, and soul!  Because of this it must never be “ok” to approach the Church and Her teaching like a buffet (from which we get the term “cafeteria Catholic”).  I admit, this can be difficult because it calls us to a real examination of conscience before receiving Communion.  Am I in communion with the Church, or am I not?  If I am not, then integrity would demand not receiving Communion until I have resolved that conflict of heart and mind.  To do otherwise would be to lie to God, to those present, and to myself.

Who ever imagined receiving Communion was such a big deal?  I have to believe in what I am receiving; I have to believe what the Church teaches not only about the Eucharist, but everything else as well; and I have to definitively stake my claim as a child of God within His household – the Church.  That’s a lot!  Indeed, it is.  And that is why the Church takes the reception of holy Communion so seriously.

This is why the Church does not, cannot, invite those outside of formal communion with the Church to receive holy Communion.  To do so is to, in fact, do them a disservice – not only from a social perspective (they don’t really belong to this covenant community: either fully, or in part), but also from a spiritual perspective.  St. Paul warns in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:27-30) about the unworthy reception of the Lord’s Body & Blood and observes that to do so leads to illness (spiritual or physical) and even eternal damnation.

There is so much more to be said on the worthy reception of Holy Communion – more than can be covered in this space.  So, if you have any questions about this, or are simply struggling to understand and accept this, please feel free to address these with me.  I am always very happy to help in your understanding and acceptance of this admittedly “hard” teaching.

John 6 - #2

As we continue making our way through the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, I’d like to take the opportunity to address some issues related to our reception of Holy Communion which follow on from our belief about what, or rather WHO it is we receive.  Before I address why only Catholics can receive Communion (next week) I’d like to address what it means to receive holy Communion.

When we receive holy Communion, we are making a public statement of faith.  When we are presented with the Eucharistic species, the minister of Communion says, “The Body of Christ”, and we respond with, “Amen”.  Our “Amen” signals that we do indeed believe that what we are receiving is truly the living Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of Jesus Christ, Who suffered and died for our salvation, rose again on the third day, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in glory.  The Eucharist is not a “symbol”; it is not a presence alongside the substance of bread and wine; and it is certainly no mere remembrance of a meal taken 2,000 years ago.  It is what (and Who) our Lord, and His Body, the Church, says it is.

Over the years, however, we’ve emphasized the reality of the Eucharist so much that we’ve kind of forgotten about the other aspect of what we are giving witness to when we receive holy Communion – that is, the covenant community into which we have been received and to which we adhere in that reception of the fruits of this sacrifice.

To understand this idea of covenant, we have to recognize what our Lord and his disciples took for granted.  One is adhered more fully to the community through participation in the covenant making sacrifice, which is accomplished by eating of the sacrificial offering – the lamb.  The Jews did this once a year at Passover.  They didn’t just “remember” the sacrifice and subsequent meal eaten by Moses and the children of Israel on the night of Passover; they participated in it, and thus staked their claim as members of God’s covenant with the children of Israel – a covenant community.

In the Mass, our Lord, the Lamb of God, makes us present to His eternal sacrifice, made once for all on Calvary, at the altar.  Being made present to the sacrifice of the Lamb, we then eat the flesh and drink the blood resulting from that sacrifice in holy Communion; and in this eating of the Lamb, we are adhered more fully to the covenant community – the Church, the Body of Christ; but only if we receive worthily.  As the Apostle, Paul, tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians (11:29-30) – beware receiving unworthily, for to do so is to “eat and drink condemnation on ourselves”.  This is why our next topic in this series will be the worthy reception of holy Communion.

John 6

I thought I might start out by backing up.  Since we are in the middle of our journey through John 6, which we undertake every three years, I though I'd post the first articles over the next couple days.  Enjoy!

Today’s Gospel passage shows the Jews grumbling because Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven”.  They immediately start saying, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?”  In the same way, so many look at the holy Eucharist and find themselves unable to get beyond what they think they know, they can’t get beyond the appearance.  Indeed, in both cases, they and we begin raising objections which keep us from receiving and accepting the truth of the matter, and the Truth Himself.

While the Jews in today’s Gospel point to Jesus’ assumed parentage and then ask, “how can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven’”, we look at the Blessed Sacrament and pile on all kinds of objections: “It looks like bread, it tastes like bread, it must be bread”, or, “What, are we cannibals now???”; and we even try to accommodate what Jesus has said with our preconceptions, saying: “Well, it is bread, but Jesus somehow inhabits the bread so that He and the bread exist side by side”.  Finally, some just completely dismiss the idea and claim that Jesus must be speaking allegorically: (we will discuss in a couple of weeks why this doesn’t hold water) In which case, Communion must simply be a mere remembrance of the Last Supper.

All of these ways of dealing with what our Lord says has very serious implications for how we see the Eucharist, how we approach the reception of holy Communion, and what we believe about our Eucharistic discipline – that is, who is able to receive Communion in our Church, and why we are unable to receive Communion in Churches and Ecclesial Communities outside of the Catholic Church (in the former instance because of their discipline, and in the latter instance because of ours).

But for today, it is enough for us to recognize that we need to take Jesus at His word.  We may not understand (yet!) how this can be; we may have difficulty accepting what He is saying; but, if we but trust Him and patiently wait for that Truth to fully reveal itself, we will be richly rewarded.

So, be patient.  Dawn will rise and we will see and rejoice in the Truth of our Lord’s presence among us in the most holy Eucharist; and we will then desire this gift like no other, because it is the gift of His very self.

Here We Go Again...

It's been 18 months since my last posting.  My duties guiding three parishes and principal of our parish school with a new healing & deliverance ministry left no time or inclination for blogging.  However, as of December 1, 2023, I have been transferred to the parish of Sacred Heart - St. Patrick in Eau Claire, WI; and as of July 1, 2024, I have been relieved of my responsibilities as principal at Sacred Heart - Cashton.  So, one parish, no direct responsibility for a school, I'm going to have at it again.

While there are plenty of things, hopes & dreams, competing for my attention in my new assignment, I think blogging could again be a positive addition to my priestly ministry.  It could also give me an outlet for sharing thoughts on the world and our interaction within it - remembering always that we, as Christians, live in the world, but are not of the world.

If I write something that pushes a button with you, remember always that this blog is, in part, an outlet for wrestling with the questions and issues that are on my mind and on the minds of many.  I am happy to engage all comers in a spirit of charity.  However, time is precious and I won't be drawn down a rabbit hole.

So, with those ground rules laid down, here we go!