On Living the Vocation to Holiness - November 20, 2022

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the coming of Advent and encouraged advanced preparation so that Advent could be a true season of preparation.  With the celebration of the Feast of Christ the King of the Universe (Novus Ordo) this weekend we are at crunch time for preparing.

The color for Advent is violet.  I often say “purple” because I have no idea what the difference is, so I’ve always called it purple.  But, in English, this is a happy confluence of terms since the principal points of both Advent and Lent are preparation, penance, and prayer (notice how they all start with "p"?).  Indeed, it works for funerals too, which is why I generally wear “purple” for funerals too.

Wait a minute!  “Penance”?  Well, yes.  Penance is an important part of not only Lent (and funeral rites), but also of Advent.  While it isn’t penitential in the same way as Lent, there is a penitential aspect to this season of joyful expectation.  So, what is this penitential aspect?

The penitence in Advent comes from a realization that Christ, our King is coming, and we are not perfected in holiness and love; that is, we aren’t quite ready to receive Him.  It is for that reason that we are saddened by our lack of faithfulness, and therefore - preparedness.  When He comes we want to be ready, we want things to be perfect.  Think of a bride and groom as their wedding day looms, realizing that some important elements of their preparations are left undone.  I’ve seen brides especially come undone (actually, unglued!) over such things.

Thus, we see there is indeed a penitential aspect to our preparations.  That is one of the reasons that Advent is a time when more recent tradition dictates communal Confession services be scheduled.  And this has already been scheduled for the Tri-Parishes and extra priest-confessors secured so that this issue may be laid to rest and not be an obstacle to our full celebration of the Lord’s coming.

Another part of our preparation must be increased prayer.  In prayer we bring ourselves before the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, his Father, and the saints seeking their assistance so that we may be found truly ready at the Lord’s coming.  In this way we find ourselves in a position to receive Him fully, with hearts opened wide.  For many this is a matter of becoming more attentive to daily recitation of the Rosary, especially the Joyful Mysteries which are the Christmas mysteries if you will.

The bottom line is we want to recognize Christmas and celebrate it first and foremost as a welcoming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, into our lives – not just a part of our life, but the whole of it (every room!).  Our Advent preparation is aimed at this and will help us in achieving it, if only we can keep the cultural intrusions and premature frivolity at bay for just a few weeks.

Long live Christ the King!

On Living the Vocation to Holiness - 13 November 2022

A social media posting from another church caught my eye the other day which referred to a children’s activity which was called “stamp out indulgences”.  Given the real and scandalous abuses that were occurring in the time leading up to the so-called “reformation”, I understood where the activity was coming from.  However, I’ll admit that my reaction was one of sadness.  Why would one want to stamp out indulgences?

I should begin with defining what is meant by an “indulgence”.  According to the dictionary, an indulgence is “an extension in the time in which a bill or a debt has to be paid”; it is also “the state or the attitude of being indulgent or tolerant.”  The Catholic understanding of an “indulgence” is: “The remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church – Glossary).

As I said, given the historical baggage attached to indulgences, I get that it can become a target; however, given our knowledge of the imperfect love we have for God and for one another, why would anybody pass up the chance for the forgiveness of the debt due for our sins?  This column doesn’t give near enough space for a full discussion of the ‘ins-and-outs’ of indulgences; so, I would encourage all to take a look at paragraphs 1471 – 1479 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Here one can get a fuller understanding of the basics involved in the “why” and the “how” of it.

I would say, in the context of this column, that I am personally very grateful that God gives us the opportunity, through these grants of the Church, to be perfected in love.  Understanding the double consequence of sin (CCC paragraph 1472), I know that while Christ has paid the price of my sins and provided forgiveness through his sacrifice on the Cross, I still have my part to do in setting things aright with regards to the disorder I have introduced into creation through my sins.  I am most grateful that my brothers and sisters, both in this life and in the hereafter (Purgatory & Heaven) can assist me in this through their prayers on my behalf.

I am also grateful that the Church helps me recognize through the granting of indulgences that the things our Holy Mother invites us to do each day are a natural part of this healing that comes to creation and to ourselves – prayer, study of Scripture and the Catechism, works of charity, etc.

God is indeed good; and indulgences are simply another sign of that goodness, that love.

Health Update - 8 November, 2022

I want to thank all who have been holding me up in prayer.  So many of you have communicated your prayer intentions for my health to me.  It has been humbling to say the least, but I am most grateful for your prayers, expressions of concern, and the delicious food some of you have left on my doorstep.

My latest round of doctor appointments is now completed.  there's basically three pieces to this: the skin cancer, the meningioma found on the lining of my brain, and the reason I went to the doctor in the first place - my voice issue.

The skin cancer (melanoma) will be removed in the near future.  They'll also take some lymph nodes to determine whether the cancer has spread.  Bottom line: This part of the trio seems to be the one that will be the most involved in time and effort to overcome.  But, it can, and with time will be.

The spot found on my brain, a meningioma, is small and not uncommon according to the neurosurgeon.  She said it could have been there for several years already for all we know.  I'll have another MRI in three months, and if that shows no significant difference in the spot then there'll be succeeding MRIs at greater intervals until we can forget about it.  If it does grow, it is something that can be dealt with and is dealt with much more commonly now with radiation and, if need be, surgery.  But the prognosis is very good.  Bottom line: it isn't particularly worrying.

Finally, they still have no idea why my voice went haywire.  The neurologist is chalking it up to a viral infection.  It's been getting better over the last three or four weeks little by little.  So, we'll go with that and not look a gift horse in the mouth.  The hope is, especially since there hasn't been any discoverable cause, that it just continues improving until the voice is back to normal.

So, there it is: one issue improving; one issue not particularly worrisome (at the moment); and another to be dealt with more immediately with not quite as much confidence in the endgame yet.  Hopefully the last will have more clarity in the not too distant future.

In any case, the medical professionals will do their part, but in the end it's in God's hands and I'm ok with that.  So, again, thank-you for the prayers and good wishes.

On Living the Vocation to Holiness - November 6, 2022

     This month of November is traditionally dedicated to prayer for the poor souls in Purgatory.  I am amazed to still hear from life-long Catholics that they don’t believe in Purgatory.  I’ve never gotten a good answer from anyone who has stated this position about why they reject the Church’s teaching.  What’s more, it is sad that we should think so little of God and of ourselves to not rejoice at the GIFT Purgatory is to us.  Now, how in heaven’s name can Purgatory be a “gift”???  Well, let’s talk about that.

     The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraphs 1030-1032, gives us the fundamentals.  It also, in the footnotes, helps us to see the biblical foundations from the books of Job, Maccabees, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, and the Gospel according to St. Matthew; as well as writings from the saints and councils of the Church.  In reviewing this we see that this doctrine is well-grounded and a part of the Church’s very long understanding of the “Last Things” (death, judgement, heaven, & hell).

     In reading and then bringing these texts to prayer we come to see how God’s perfect plan for our eternal life is not just an eternal extension of what we have experienced in this life.  In heaven it doesn’t “take all kinds”, which we too often say as we are excusing poor behavior.  In heaven there is only one kind – those who have been perfected in love, that is, their ability to respond to love with a love that is completely self-giving.  Does that sound too good to be true?  Well, that’s the way God rolls.

     So, let us embrace this doctrinal gift through our attention to prayer for those who have gone before us, especially in those moments when we have an inkling that we should pray for one person or another.

     There are a good number of resources available for growing in our understanding and appreciation of Purgatory as well as resources for prayer.  There are some excellent videos on the FORMED platform from the Augustine Institute.  I also have an outstanding video that I would be willing to lend out.  Finally, there are still a decent number of “Purgatory Novenas” available in the entrances of each of our churches.

     I hope you will make use of these resources and grow in your confidence in God’s love for all as you embrace his plan for our salvation – of which Purgatory is sometimes a necessary and grace filled part.

My Health

 Dearest Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

This blog was established as a tool for evangelization.  As a result, I haven't given much personal information with the sole exception of my father's final illness and passing.  However, given my very public voice problem it seemed the best way to update everyone.  I will continue to use this blog space to update family and friends for as long as necessary.

About eight weeks ago my voice started acting up.  My neck and facial muscles would tighten up and when I spoke it would sound like I had a cold or a sinus infection or something.  I wasn't in any pain except that my neck and facial muscles would ache from being so tight.  Not an ideal situation for a priest who celebrates, on average, eleven Masses per week and teaches about eight hours per week, plus parish and school meetings.

After about four weeks I went to the doctor to get checked out.  My general practitioner checked out my ears, nose, throat, lungs, etc. and could find nothing that would explain this.  And then, he re-checked a spot on my leg, which we've been keeping an eye on for several years, and decided it should be looked at by a dermatologist.

So, I went to the dermatologist who cut out the spot and sent it off to be checked for cancer.  It came back positive for melanoma.

In the meantime I also had appointments with an ears, nose, & throat specialist, a speech therapist, and was scheduled for an MRI.  The ENT found nothing remarkable; the speech therapist was sure she could help me; and the MRI came back with a small "meningioma".

So, I’ve had five appointments with various doctors over the last three weeks, none of which have come any closer to understanding the roots of this voice problem.  The spot found by the MRI apparently isn’t in the area dealing with speech. Ugh!  But now they want to biopsy that to make sure it isn’t malignant.  And since they found a cancer on my leg and a spot on my brain they now want to do a PET scan to make sure cancer isn’t lurking anywhere else.  So, now I have a PET scan next Thursday and three more doctor appointments the following Monday.  Oy!  But, hopefully they find nothing on the PET scan except the leg (which we already know about) and figure out whether the spot on the MRI is anything to be concerned about.

Honestly, at this point, I’m not particularly worried because there isn’t anything definitive to worry about yet.  I feel well enough and am continuing with my normal schedule.  

I am grateful to all who have expressed concern and offered up prayers.  Keep the prayers coming if you can, especially through the intercession of the Servant of God, Fr. Joe Walijewski.  I have always been very much aware that a priest is sent to serve, not to be served, in imitation of our Lord.  For that reason I am sorry for any disruptions / inconvenience this is causing anyone and will cause in the weeks ahead.

As always, I am most grateful to almighty God for his mercy and love, and for the many people he has put in my life who have been such an inspiration to me and such lovely teachers of how to live life fully and well, especially in the face of adversity.

Confirmation

The sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred on nine of our young people Wednesday evening at St. Patrick’s – Sparta by our bishop, the Most Rev. William Callahan.  It is always an occasion for great joy in our parishes when people, young or older, complete their initiation into God’s holy Church, His holy people.

As I reiterated to our young people this past Wednesday, Confirmation may be the end of the process of initiation, but it is only the end of the beginning of our continued growth in faith.    

The feast of St. Jerome was this past Thursday.  In celebrating this Father and Doctor of the Church, who is best known to us as the saint most closely connected to the study of holy scripture, we are reminded that our study of the faith, of which scripture is a large part, we are hearing from God, our Creator, our Father, the One in Whom we find the fullness of life.

We are also reminded that the scriptures are intended to be heard in worship, in the holy sacrifice of the Mass.  Our study of scripture and our meditation upon what we have read (this includes books which help us to understand the faith and scriptures better – what one person identified as the scriptures pre-digested for us) comes out of the liturgy, the Mass, and draws us back to it.  Why? Because the Mass is where God has chosen to interact with us, to be present to us in the most direct way this side of eternity.

As we celebrate the Confirmation of our young people it is a time for us to reflect on our own initiation into the faith and our stewardship of .  How have I lived out my faith?  Do I seek to continue my growth in Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord (the Gifts of the Holy Spirit)?  Do I recognize my faith as a pearl of great price for which I willingly sacrifice other goods?  Most important of all: Do I recognize faith as the intimate relationship to which the Father is calling me, for which He created me?

As I said, Confirmation is an excellent time to re-examine our own relationship with God and then re-commit to the promises made for us at Baptism and confirmed by us at Confirmation.  May God be with us all as we continue this pilgrimage of faith, or, rather, may we choose each day to be with God, and more intimately each moment of each day.

Politicians (and other sinners) & Holy Communion

As our Holy Father, Pope Francis, was continuing on his apostolic journey after his visit to Budapest, Hungary and the World Eucharistic Congress, a member of the press asked him about the reception of Holy Communion by politicians who support legal protections for abortion.  Quite rightly, he began by pointing out that abortion is murder, homicide, and it unacceptable that anyone should present themselves for Communion while at the same time promoting this daily slaughter of innocents.  He then went on to discuss the issue of withholding Communion from such persons as well as the issue of “excommunication”.

The Holy Father rightly said that no one should simply be excommunicated and forgotten / thrown aside.  He emphasized that all people, but especially those who are in sin, must be accompanied in a pastoral way which emphasizes God’s continued closeness to them even if they have turned their back on God and His Divine Will / Law.

Unfortunately, the common view of excommunication is that you have been “thrown out of the Church”; and in some very sad cases, the response on the part of the “faithful” has been “good-riddance”; on the part of the one excommunicated the response is too often either a self-righteous indignation (often then broadcast through the media) or a mutual attitude of “good-riddance”.  This is neither the attitude nor the intention of the Church in such situations.

The whole point of excommunication is “medicinal”, that is, the Church is letting the individual know how very serious their behavior is and how injurious that behavior is to the family to which we belong, that is - the Body of Christ, the Church.  As the Sisters used to teach – “in doing this you are driving another nail into the hands, feet, side of Christ.”  That is something that obviously cannot be allowed to continue.

Again, unfortunately, formal excommunication, or even simply not allowing someone to receive Holy Communion has neither been taken well by the subject of that action, nor have the pastors of the Church or Her people followed through with expressions of affection, concern, and determination to bring the individual concerned back into the full communion of the Church.

It is supremely important then, if the Church is to realize her mission which is the salvation of souls, that we take to heart this call to continuing conversion, reconciliation, and charity which are well attested to in the Gospels and in the epistles.

I hope in explaining this important issue we will all be drawn by the Holy Spirit to do our part in loving those who may be excluded from Holy Communion back into the full communion of the Church; which is to say, the full and mutual embrace of God, our Holy Mother – the Church, and each of the children of God.