Holy Family Reflection

      Here is my "lectio" reflection for the Gospel of Luke [Luke 2:41-52] for the Feast of the Holy Family, today, December 26th aired yesterday on WAOB radio.

     In the gospel account for this Feast of the Holy Family we jump from the babe in the manger to the twelve year old young man of faith on a pilgrimage ... from the little town of Bethlehem to Nazareth and then to Jerusalem.

     In both, we celebrate an event worth more than any word or proclamation: the fact that God wanted to be born and grow in a human family.  In this way he set the family apart as the first and ordinary way that he would encounter humanity ... and that we would find and encounter him.

     In the life he spent in Nazareth, Jesus honored Mary and Joseph, remaining subject to their authority throughout his childhood and adolescent years.   He showed us the primary value of the family in the education and growth of a person.  The question we must ask ourselves: Have we honored our parents by our lives?

     In this account we see that Jesus learned many things from Mary and Joseph in the family setting.   One was the making of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship at the temple.

    That pilgrimage and all that it represented in the life and spiritual journey of this holy family revealed a major component of a family of faith - to accompany each member of the family in the journey to discover God and the plan that he has for us.

     Mary and Joseph educated Jesus by their example.   He knew all the beauty of faith, of love for God and for his law, as well as the demands of justice which finds its fullest expression in love.  He learned to do the will of God and develop the spiritual bonds that are life-giving.

     The Christian family in its fullest expression finds itself blessed by a covenant of love enriched by the Sacrament of Marriage and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist.   That Christian family is called to realize the great vocation and mission of being "a living cell" of society and the Church, a sign and instrument of unity for the whole human race.

     The Holy Family is to be "a model of life" for every family, because Jesus, true God and true man, wanted to be born into a human family, and in doing so blessed and consecrated family life.

    Let us ask Mary most holy and blessed Joseph to love and protect every family.   May they support us so that we may be able to resist the forces that disrupt family life.   May Jesus the Savior, Mary our Mother and Joseph, patron of the Universal Church help Christian families to be, in every part of the world, a living image of God's love. 

CHRISTMAS 2021

THE CHRISTMAS PROCLAMATION

This proclamation is chanted on December 24 before the beginning of Midnight Mass.  It is taken from the Roman Martyrology.

The Twenty-fifth Day of December, 

when ages beyond number

had run their course from the creation of the world,

when God in the beginning created heaven and earth

and formed man in his own likeness;

when century upon century had passed

since the Almighty set his bow

     in the clouds after the Great Flood,

as a sign of covenant and peace;

in the twenty-first century since Abraham, our father in faith,

came out of the Ur of the Chaldees;

in the thirteenth century since the People of Israel 

were led by Moses in the Exodus from Egypt;

around the thousandth year since David was anointed King;

in the sixty-fifth week of the prophecy of Daniel;

in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;

in the year seven hundred and fifty-two

     since the foundation of the City of Rome;

in the forty-second year of the reign of 

     Caesar Octavian Augustus;

the whole world being at peace,

JESUS CHRIST, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father,

desiring to consecrate the world by his most loving presence,

was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

and when nine months had passed since his conception,

was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judah,

and was made man:

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. 

ADVENT BEGINS

      ADVENT, which began last Sunday, announces both of Christ's comings into our lives.   That first coming as the Messiah and our Savior happened in time and fulfilled a promise made to a specific people.  It was a light in the darkness of life in this flawed world.  It was the birth of HOPE in a troubled existence.

     The second coming has yet to happen, but it too is promised as the time of fulfillment.   At that second coming, ALL peoples will stand before the King of kings and answer for the way they lived their lives.  It will be a time of judgment, rooted in justice in the midst of an unjust world ... a time of accountability rooted in understanding, compassion and mercy.  It will be the rewarding of the hope placed in the One who is Lord of all.

     ADVENT is full of beautiful icons, images of grace and favor, images of the sacred.  HOPE is one of those Advent icons.  Remember that we are a people of hope.

     Sunday's Gospel from chapter 21 of Luke reminds us that in the midst of all the world's turmoil, which has grown greater and darker over the centuries, and even as Jesus prepares for his own suffering and death, he tells us to "stand tall and lift your heads!" because our redemption is at hand.

     Our redemption ... freedom from sin, deliverance from evil, a way through suffering ... is near!  His truth has set us free and provided a firm foundation upon which to builds our lives and to journey toward a kingdom of happiness and joy.  Jesus is with us, he is near and desires us to share his power and goodness.  This is our hope!

     How easy it is to lose hope in the chaos of this world.  Even with our faith and the hope it creates in us, love often seems too great a challenge.

    But ADVENT invites us to remember that hope is not wishful thinking, it is the promise of God, his love for us, and our place as his beloved, his chosen.  This is our hope!  Celebrate that we are children of an awesome promise and of eternal life.

REMEMBERING THE DAY

      It was a Friday afternoon and I was taking a Latin test at the end of a grading period.  I was in my Junior year in High School at Saint Vincent Prep in Latrobe.  Our Latin teacher was Benedictine Father Augustine Schultz.

     During the testing period there was a knock at the classroom door, and an upperclassman said something to Father Augustine, who sent him packing.  They often played tricks on some of the faculty.  But soon another one came to the door, obviously with some news.

     Father Augustine announced to us that the news was reporting that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.  He said that after we finished the exam, we were free to leave the class.

     Most of us went to the room of Father Emeric, the Art teacher, who had a television, and spent the remainder of the afternoon glued to the tv, before boarding our bus which took us to our residence at Saint Joseph Hall, a few miles down the road.  There we were given permission to watch tv in the rec room (not usually permitted), and we were devastated to learn of the death of the President.

     The rest of that day, and the entire weekend, was a very somber and sobering time.  I remember that one of our Religious Sisters of the Ivrea Sisters, who had come to cook for us at Saint Joseph Hall, Sister Joanna, was setting the tables for supper with her eyes filled with tears.

     For me, this day was one of those moments that is seared into my memory and my heart.

     The date was November 22, 1963, and yesterday marked 58 years since that tragic afternoon.  I don't remember how I did on the Latin test, but I am again at Saint Joseph Hall, now known as the Christ Our Shepherd retreat/Conference Center for the Diocese of Greensburg, and residing in our priests' retirement residence known as Neumann House.  This is after finishing my schooling and serving in priestly ministry for forty-eight years.

     November 22nd is for me a Day to Remember.

Musings

      It was 35 years ago today, the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, that I arrived at my second assignment as a pastor at All Saints Church in Masontown and the mission church of Saint Francis de Sales in McClellandtown.  I remember the date because our Principal, Sister Mildred Minosky would always remind me that I arrived on the feast of Saint Jude, who is the patron of "hopeless cases".  We never clarified "who" the "hopeless case" was.

     I remember the day well, for Sister Mildred arranged a "smooth" transition between Father Andrew Charnoki, my predecessor, and myself.  I was coming from Connellsville, and she coordinated our time of departure/arrival to be an easy moment for the school students to say farewell to one pastor and welcome to the new pastor.

     I arrived at the scheduled time and was met up the street by one of the teachers, asking me to pull over and wait for the upcoming farewell - for Father Charnoki decided on another cup of coffee before departing.  Finally all went as planned.

     After he pulled out to the waves of the children, I pulled up to their greetings, the younger priest (at that time) replacing the older priest (who had been there for 23 years).  It was to be a time of changing expectations.

     I spent five great years in that small town and those two beautiful parishes and a host of wonderful people (both parishioners and townsfolk) who blessed my priesthood and life.

     Saint Francis de Sales closed a few years later.  All Saints was merged with at least five others parishes a few years ago to form the Saint Francis of Assisi Parish - with the All Saints Church and Saint Thomas Church in Footdale serving as the worship centers.  Many memories and many friendship grew out of those five brief years.  I pray for my friends often.

A throwaway culture

      This past Sunday was "Respect Life Sunday" in our Church.  We look at life in all of its forms and, seeing life as a gift from God, and are faced with the challenges and threats that our societies place upon the gift.  The first gift of God is the gift of life, which we continue to hold, begins at the moment of conception and continues through our natural life's journey.  Even a great nation life ours, though, has brought into law in our generation, a position that is contrary to that wisdom.   Pope Francis is always referring to the fact that we live in a "throwaway culture".

     Here are the thoughts of Pope Francis to the Pontifical Academy for Life that he gave at the Vatican on September 27th of this year in this regard.  I thought they were worth contemplating.

     "We are victims of a the throwaway culture ... there is the throwing away of children that we do not want to welcome, with that abortion law that sends them back to their sender and kills them.  Today this has become a "normal" thing, a habit that is very bad; it is truly murder.  In order to grasp this, perhaps asking ourselves two questions may help: is it right to eliminate, to end a human life to solve a problem?   Is it right to hire a hitman to solve a problem?  Abortion is this.  In doing so, we deny hope, the hope of the children who bring us the life that makes us go forward."

     He also goes on to speak of the elderly, "the elderly who are a bit of "throwaway material" because they are not needed ... But they are the wisdom, they are the roots of the wisdom of our civilization, and this civilization discards them!"

    He concludes these thoughts with these words: "This is a path which we cannot take: the throwaway path."

    The pain and struggle of the issues are not "black and white" ... but the truth cannot be ignored - life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, is a gift from God, is sacred, and deserves the rights and dignity that law can afford.

     Food for thought and a call for action.

The Saint of Assisi

       October 4th is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, a saint much beloved and respected by many facets of society throughout the years since his death in the early 1200's.  Many of my seminary years were under the guidance of the Third Order Regular Franciscans at Saint Francis in Loretto.  I have a great love of Francis and find a universal inspiration in his life and example.  I was the celebrant at our liturgy this morning, and the following is what I shared in my homily.  It comes from the words of the Francis of our day, Pope Francis, in his encyclical "Laudato Si!" of a few years ago.

    Pope Francis says of his namesake: " Francis loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his open heartedness.  He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself.  He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society and interior peace. 

     His response to the world around him was ... for him seeing each and every creature as a sister united to him by bonds of affection.  That is why he felt called to care for all that exists.

     If we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously.  The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical.

     Francis invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness."

     Great words to ponder the gift of this first Saint of Assisi.

LABOR DAY

          WORK must be seen as a GIFT given by God, as a RIGHT reserved for every person, and as a RESPONSIBILITY for all of creation.

    As we hear in the story of creation in Genesis, the beginning of everything flows from God's creative work.  He made the earth and the heavens ... he formed man and breathed life into him ... he planted the garden and placed man there.  And as Genesis tells us, God settled man in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.

    The Lord has shared his creative work with those he made in his image and likeness, and in doing so called us to be blessed, god-like in our dignity.  He gave us the right to a dignified work that must continue to manifest his creative action.  And he gives us the responsibility of being his stewards - stewards of all creation.  There was a joy, in the beginning, in this creative work and a satisfaction in working with God.

    But then came the Fall, the sin of Adam and Eve, and work now was done with the "sweat of the brow".  Now work became a challenge, at times a burden rather than a blessing, a weight upon our shoulders.  Now we were not guaranteed respect or dignified work, but now had to struggle and fight for it.  Now we lost sight of our responsibility for creation and for each other.  We worked for ourselves and our immediate circle.

    Pope Francis recently addressed the 109th gathering of the International Labor Organization.  He said: "It is the fundamental mission of the Church to appeal to everyone to work together, with governments, multilateral organizations and civil society, to serve and care for the common good and to ensure everyone's participation in this task.   No one should be left aside in a dialogue for the common good."

    The Church has been and continues in her dedication in promoting dignified, productive and creative work for all peoples with the intention of benefiting all creation, looking to the future and not just to the present.

    One other thing the Holy Father said in that address: "We run the risk of being attacked by a virus even worse than Covid-19: that of selfish indifference.   In other words, a society cannot progress by discarding.  This other virus spreads by thinking that life is better if it is better for me, and that everything will be fine if it is fine for me, and so we begin and end by selecting one person in place of another, discarding the poor, sacrificing those who have been left behind on the so-called "altar of progress"."

    There continues to be much work to be done to ensure just and dignified work for all, a care for our common home, and most particularly care for the poorest of the poor.  We must continue to be prophetic in our vision for humanity and protective of the worker in our actions.

A LESSON TO BE LEARNED

      Here we are on August 15th.  Half of this month is gone.  And in that short time we, as a Church and as a nation in the world community remember some significant moments that occurred within a few short years before I was born in 1947.

     On the 6th and the 9th of August seventy-six years ago the world saw a power unleased in a time of war that had never been used that way before.  The use of atomic weapons on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan by our country brought about the end of the World War but also brought about the beginning of a time of fear and uncertainty that has been described as "the cold war".  Hundreds of thousands of of people, including mostly civilians, died in the dropping of those two bombs ... some in an instant and many later as a consequence of the fallout.   You could say that a good came from this action (the end of the immediate conflict with Japan), but a continued and even greater evil continues to undermine the basic goodness of humankind.

     Man's inhumanity to man has been with us from the time of Adam's sin.  The countless millions who died in war and the death camps during World War II, during our own time, point to the frailty of human nature without God.  And we continue to regress, to show a resolve to destroy ourselves rather than repent and reform,  The examples are endless.  We hold onto a culture of death and hatred and self.   Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a spirit of sorrow is necessary if we are to live the peace that Christ brings to us.

     Also in this first half of August the Church remembers and celebrates the heroic virtues and the selfless faith of two individuals who, only a few years before the bombings in Japan, suffered death and martyrdom in the death camps of the Nazi regime.  On August 9 we honor Saint Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a Carmelite nun from Germany who fled to Holland, who was put to death in the camps because she was born a Jew.  Her name was Edith Stein, and she was a intellectual and a philosopher,  She gave up her Jewish heritage long before she found Christ in the Church and was baptized and entered religious life.  But she joined her ancestral people in their struggle and cross and shared their cross with the Cross of Christ.

     The second one honored is a Polish Franciscan priest by the name of Saint Father Maximilian Kolbe, who also died as a prisoner in the camps by offering his life in place of another prisoner who was to be put to death.  His courage and sacrifice was even recognized by his captors.  An interesting note about Father Kolbe is that he served at a mission before the war in, of all places, Nagasaki, Japan, ministering to the faithful there.

     These were not events or people of ages past ... they are of our time, of our generation.   The circumstances of these events do not bring out the best of our human nature ... but the heroic virtues and the suffering of so many give witness to something greater than what we can offer, of someone greater than ourselves.   May we learn our lesson.

REFLECTIONS

      There is an old saying that "Confession is good for the soul".  I might pick up on that thought and say that "confession" is also very good for the "retired priest blogger" who has not posted since last month.  I confess to being lazy - many times thoughts or ideas came to me but I was too lazy to go to the computer and put them in print.

Mea culpa!  I apologize and ask your forgiveness.

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     If you have been watching the Olympics you are aware that we honor the achievements of our sports heroes from around the world as they provide us with inspiring examples of determination, hard work, and excellence.  We award gold, silver or bronze to recognize these individuals or championship teams.

     The Church also honors our spiritual athletes who have run the race and achieved the crown of glory that comes from our union with Christ.  These champions are our saints.  They vary greatly: from the most obscure (who was Apollinaris?) to those whose names flow from our tongues with ease (John Paul II or Mother Theresa of Calcutta), those who go back to the time of Jesus (Peter, James and John) to those of our time (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Maximillian Kolbe), maybe even saints that we may met or seen in our lifetime. 

     August is filled with such champion saints.  July 31st is Ignatius of Loyola who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits - of which Pope Francis is a member), August 1st is Alphonsus Liguori who founded the Redemptorist Order, the 2nd is Eusebius of Vercelli who lived centuries earlier and who, as bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy, spent his life defending against the heresy of Arianism.  Yesterday, the 4th we remember and honor John Mary (Jean Marie) Vianney, the cure (or pastor) of Ars, a little village in France during the 1800's.  He is the patron of parish priests.  His greatest achievement was his holiness and dedication to serving the people of his parish with the heart of the Good Shepherd.  In a humble spirit he ministered the Sacraments and celebrated the Eucharist, spend countless hours in the confessional, offered his life in constant prayer and penance, and transformed a godless village into a mecca of spiritual strength.

     I've always had a love of Saint John Marie Vianney.  In our high school seminary, we had a dorm named after the Cure of Ars ... as a Third Order Secular Franciscan at the Friary in Uniontown during my high school years I chose the name "Jean Marie" as my Franciscan name.

When I struggled with my studies in seminary I remembered that seminarian Vianney was almost not ordained because he too struggled with grades (especially Latin).  As a parish priest for forty-four years, I relied upon his inspiration and intercession in my work.  And before the pandemic I concelebrated Mass, venerated the relic of his uncorrupted heart, and heard confessions at Our Lady of Grace Church during the Knights of Columbus sponsored pilgrimage visit to our diocese of that special relic.  His heart, the heart of a shepherd, continues to touch our hearts.

     At a time when priests, especially parish priests, are given greater responsibilities with expectations that are often beyond our humble abilities, please pray to Saint John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, for your priests.  Let me close with this:

Saint John Vianney's Prayer for Priests.

God, please give to your Church today many more priests after your own heart. 

May they be worthy representatives of Christ the Good Shepherd.  

May they wholeheartedly devote themselves to prayer and penance; be examples of humility and poverty; shining models of holiness; tireless and powerful preachers of the Word of God; zealous dispensers of your grace in the sacraments.  

May their loving devotion to your Son Jesus in the Eucharist and to Mary his Mother be the twin fountains of fruitfulness for their ministry.  

Amen.  

INSPIRING LIVES

      I received a beautiful and inspiring tri-fold brochure in the mail today from the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh which celebrates five of their Community's Sisters who are recognizing significant milestone of their Monastic Profession.  As Sister Karen Brink, their newly re-elected Prioress, states: "Three hundred and twenty years of Benedictine living is what you will see in the faces of our Sister Jubilarians.  What a blessing their lives have been, not only for themselves but for all those whose lives they have touched through the three pillars of Benedictine Life: Prayer, Community and Ministry."

    My association with the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh began when I arrived as pastor of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Scottdale, where they served in both the school community and the parish community.

     The Sisters celebrating significant anniversaries are: Sister Rosalyn Soller, a Sister for 70 years - working with the poor in Kentucky, teaching and serving as a principal, novices and other Community services.

     Sisters Mary David Lecker and Judith Nero are professed 65 years. [No bio was given for these Sisters]

     Sister Roberta Campbell celebrates 60 years, and I came to know her in her role as Prioress which covered 12 years beginning in 1990 and overlapped my time in Scottdale.

     And Sister Audrey Quinn, also 60 years professed.  Her ministry took her, along with Sister Sue Fazzini, to Greene County where they became foster parents to more than 160 children over a period of 18 years and served in a number of Greene County Community agencies.

     These five women's lives are inspiring in themselves.  Add the fact of their Faith and their  commitment to the Way of Saint Benedict - ORA ET LABORA [Pray and Work] and they are outstanding and deserving our our well wishes and prayers.

HISTORY- remembered , revised, found

     Within the past few weeks we as a nation have celebrated aspects of our history in ever changing times.  I am interested in history, and even though as a kid I did not appreciate the subject, as an adult I value the lessons that are to be learned.

     There are two events within our national history that I have recently discovered.  I believe that I was brought up with an open view of history, but I was surprised to learn, this year for the first time, of the June 6, 1921 Tulsa Race Riots or as it is also called the Black Wall Street Massacre.  How, after an accusation of a supposed assault on a white woman by a young black man, tempers exploded and a vicious race riot occurred in Tulsa that took 40 lives and destroyed 35 square blocks of a prosperous Black community.   How can I have not heard of this terrible act of hatred?

     And then there is Juneteenth, declared as a National Holiday this year but celebrated in many parts of the country since the mid 1860's.  This date - June 19, 1865 - was the day that the last of the slave states had their slaves emancipated, in a proclamation by Union General Gordon Granger in the State of Texas.   This came a few years following the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln.  I learned about that, but the 1965 event was not taught.  Why?

     Then on July 1, 2 & 3 we remembered the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War.  I have a great interest in this battle and its stories.  I had many books and some great art works - signed and numbered prints of the battle and it's participants - some of which I disposed of in my retirement downsizing.  However, some of my prints remain, and in fact grace my bedroom walls.  By happenstance, though, most of my remaining prints are of Lee and Longstreet and Confederate soldiers.  My concern is that I will be thought poorly of in this revisionist and politically correct atmosphere.  We move to tear down statues or demonize good but not perfect people who were caught up in a terrible struggle.   This narrow view of history does a great disservice to our national memory and especially to our youth.

    Then on Sunday we celebrated Independence Day where 245 years ago many of those who drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence are now being demeaned because of their flaws, owning slaves or womanizing or other failings, and the great ideas and courage and efforts to bring this nation into being are ignored.   There are no perfect people in this world, just those of us striving to do the best we can and find a better life.  To be quick to judge the actions of others without trying to understand their times and circumstances allows us to be vulnerable to the judgements of our actions.

     Let us not cover up our missteps and errors - let us learn from them.  But let us also not forget the goodness of people and actions and ideals that have brought us to where we are - let us remember them. 

WISDOM

      Not all scriptures are created equal.  In my role as a preacher of the Word, whose task it is to break open God's Word, I can attest to that statement.  All scriptures are important, but some are easier to preach on.

     The readings for this past Sunday, the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, are great readings for preaching.  They are filled with powerful words that speak of the goodness of our God.

     Verse 13 of chapter 1 of the Book of Wisdom, the first reading for that celebration, says: "God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living."

     God does not make death!

     But listen to the way we speak of God at times - "If you don't behave, God will punish you" ... "Why did God take this person, allow this child to die?" ... a natural disaster is called "an act of God".

     Wisdom 1 said: "God does not make death!"  then it continues: "For he fashioned all things that they may have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome."

    Remember the creation accounts?  At the end of each creative act, God paused and looked at what had been created, and saw that it was good.  Everything was fashioned that it may exist and have being ... a gift given by the divine being.

     But death does exist - it comes from the sin of the rejection of what was God-given in search of an empty promise of something more.

     In verse 23 & 24 of chapter 2 of Wisdom we read: "For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him.  But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world and they who belong to his company experience it."

     From the time of the Fall we have struggled to realize and hold onto our destiny, sometimes succeeding but often failing.   But then came the Word once again in time, speaking a creative word that would repair the damage done by sin and restore to God's company those claimed by the evil one.   This time the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen him and share in his glory.

     In a world still claimed by chaos and darkness, sin and death, it is imperative that we know that we have been made new and good through the redemptive action of the Cross.   And we must lay claim to that wonderful gift and give thanks.

STORMY WEATHER

      On this Monday afternoon in June much of the nation, especially in the East, has been dealing with severe weather.  Our own area has had a series of storms that have rumbled through.  The summer months are noted for these kinds of days.

     The readings for yesterday's 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time referenced storms in life.  We met Job whose storm in life was to find his security and blessings stripped away in a "bargaining" between the Lord and the evil one.  Everything that he held important, primarily his close relationship with the Lord, was being challenged.  It was not within Job's nature to doubt that relationship with God, but he came close.  In the passage from chapter 38 the Lord reminds Job just who is in charge, and how faithful God is to his promise to Job.  In the midst of the confusion and doubt afflicting Job, God says to him ... fear not - I am in charge and I am true to my promise that you are dear to my heart.  And Job found courage.

     Psalm 107 [the Responsorial Psalm of the liturgy] reminds those that sailed the seas and dealt with the storms of nature that the Lord is in charge ... that "he hushed the storm to a gentle breeze and the billows of the sea were stilled."  It ends with these words: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness and his wonderous deeds to the children on men."

    In chapter 5 of the 2nd letter to Corinth, Paul tells of the tumultuous change that entered his life when he realized the love of Christ for all.  He says that the storm of that realization "impels" him to regard everyone as a new creation redeemed by the love of Christ, and deserving of his love and resect.

     And the Gospel of Mark tells us of the storm at sea where even the seasoned fishermen who were his disciples could not cope with the storm they found themselves caught in.  Jesus was with them, but he was asleep on a cushion in the boat.  Jesus was with them, not in their fear or helplessness, but in the boat to calm the wind and the seas and calm the fears of our concerns.  He steps in to show us how loved and cherished we are.

     Remember this - while he can calm the storm ,,, end the persecution ... restore what was lost ... he is also there to give us the peace and security that we need to keep calm ... the strength we need to not only endure the hardships but to come out victorious ... and to ability to rejoice in the glory of the Kingdom of God. 

DECORATION DAY

       Yesterday the nation celebrated what has become known as the first holiday of the Summer season - Memorial Day.  Until 1971 this holiday was called "Decoration Day" because of the tradition beginning at the end of the Civil War to decorate with flowers the graves of those who lost their lives in that conflict in their honor.  It began with a proclamation on May 5, 1868, by Union General John Logan, that May 30th would be the day of remembrance and honoring.  This holiday was not adopted by the Southern States on that date, but they chose a different date to honor their fallen.

     On Sunday evening we at Neumann House where I live watched the 25th Anniversary Concert of "Les Miserable".  Taking place in Paris during the French Revolution, there is a line spoken by one of the young leaders of the rebellion that says: "The blood of the martyrs will water the meadows of France".  This is the sentiment that Decoration Day embodied, for those who died from both sides of that terrible conflict in the mid 1860's, the Civil War of our nation, provided for the freedom of a united nation, these United States of America.

     Over the years, as other wars became a part of our history, the call to recognize and honor all who fought and died for the rights of people and for  freedom and a better world were included in the remembrance.  The national holiday was moved in 1971 to the last Monday in May, this year May 31st.

     It is unfortunate that all too many do not know the origin or purpose of this holiday and see it as a long weekend off.  We must never forget ... and whether we "decorate" the graves of those who died in battle or not, we must never forget their sacrifice and we must offer our prayers of thanksgiving for those who gave "the last full measure of devotion".

     This day has always been special for me (the original day - May 30th) for I always thought that they put out the flags and had the parades for my birthday.  Then they moved it to the nearest Monday.  Oh, well.  A belated "Happy Memorial Day!"

What we are to "keep"

      I recorded the English voice over on WAOB for Pope Francis' homily for the Ascension on Wednesday of this week.  The Holy Father tells us that Jesus, in his prayer to the Father in the Gospel of John, uses the word "keep".  Pope Francis then points out that there are three things that we must "keep" to live with Christ.

     We must keep FAITH.  We do so to avoid yielding to grief or plunge into the despair of those who no longer see a way out of our difficulties.  Pope Francis says: "To keep faith is to keep our gaze fixed up to heaven ... To keep the faith is to refuse to yield to the logic of hatred and vengeance, but to keep our gaze fixed on the God of love, who calls us to be brothers and sisters to one another."

     We must keep UNITY.  "Jesus asks the Father to preserve the unity of his disciples, so that they may be 'completely one' (Jn 17:21), one family in which love and fraternity reign."  Pope Francis goes on to say that we are to be "completely one, to be a family, to find the courage to live in friendship, in love and fraternity."

    We are called to keep the TRUTH.  The prayer of Jesus is that we may be consecrated in truth as we are sent throughout the world to carry on his mission.  The Holy Father points out that "Truth, for the apostle John, is Christ himself, the revelation of the Father's love."  "To keep the truth means to be a prophet in every situation in life, in other words to be consecrated to the Gospel and bear witness to it even when that means going against the current."  He wants us to be consecrated to the beauty and truth of the Gospel so that we can testify to the joys of God's kingdom even in the dark night of grief, even when evil seems to have the upper hand.

     The Holy Father was addressing at that Mass the Myanmar Community in Rome, a people suffering tremendous violence, conflict, repression and evil.  His message encourages them, and us, to be faithful to what we are being called to be faithful to ... what we are being called to keep.  I thought that they were important words, words that touched my heart.  Maybe they will touch your heart.

THE EYES OF OUR HEARTS

     This past Sunday, and in our area the previous Thursday, was the celebration of the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven.  The second reading for that feast is taken from chapter 1 of the Letter to the Ephesians.  Here is my reflection for that reading that I shared on WAOB.

     In verse 17 of the 1st chapter of Ephesians Paul says: "May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.  May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened."

     The Spirit that Paul speaks of is the Holy Spirit, which, before he ascended to the Father, Jesus promised to his followers.   That Spirit came upon the Church at Pentecost and remains the gift without equal that we still possess.

     In our baptism we have been given that Spirit, entrusted with the source of wisdom and revelation in order to know and understand Jesus Christ.

     For our part, there needs to be a willingness to allow the "eyes of our hearts" to be enlightened so that we may walk in his way.

     Paul tells us that our willingness to have our hearts enlightened is so that "we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call" [the call to unity with him and holiness of life creates within us a vision of what can be, what must be, in order to live in hope of something far beyond our capabilities] ... "what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones" [what a tremendous treasure has been placed within our grasp, a treasure that will never lessen in time or circumstances] ... "and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe ... which he worked in Christ."

     Our lives are not about power and earthly glory, but our life in Christ is entrusted with spiritual power and blessed with eternal glory.   When he returned to the Father, Jesus sent the Spirit, and we stepped out into a world that required our proclamation of faith.

     All of this is possible because Jesus brings the Father's love to us and shares with us a life beyond imagining.  Ephesians tells us that the mighty work accomplished in Christ our Lord is this: "raising him [Jesus] from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion ... he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of the one who fills all things in every way."

     The Father gave us his Son ... a gift to the Church, which is his body.   We are that Church.   In us, the fulness of the gift of the Father is seen and experienced; for we, the Church, are the gift of hope given to a world that, although created by God in goodness has fallen upon hard times and lost its way.   We are to show that way to all who seek the path of life.

     When they left that upper room on Pentecost, the disciples went forth to proclaim that good news - a message that we are entrusted with to share. 

ANNIVERSARIES

     Yesterday the fourteen residence of our house celebrated the anniversaries of our priesthood ordinations.  Nearly all of us were ordained in the month of May, so we chose May 5th to celebrate.  I had no objection to the date, for on that date 48 years ago [May 5, 1973] I was ordained along with Father Peter Peretti (who also resides here) and Monsignors Paul Fitzmaurice and Roger Statnick.

     We gathered for Mass in our chapel at 4:30 followed by a social time and then a delicious festive dinner prepared by our kitchen staff.  Father Al Pleban was our celebrant for Mass, being our senior member having been ordained 64 years ago.

     The fourteen of us, most retired, a few in special circumstances and one new brother from the Philippines who is familiarizing himself to our Diocese (he is our youngster, ordained only 22 years), rack up some impressive statistics.

     We represent 675 years of priestly service ... conservatively we are looking at about 250,000 Masses offered ... countless baptisms, weddings, funerals, confessions, and lives touched by God's grace.  And yet each of us realizes our limitations and inadequacies as well as the blessings we have been given by this call of the Lord and extended through the love and support of the great People of God.

    Pray for your priests ... and pray for vocations. 

THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES

     This is my reflection on WAOB for the gospel of this past Sunday, the 5th Sunday of Easter.

     Our image of Christ in this 15th chapter of Saint John's gospel is found in this saying of Jesus: "I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

     This Spring a tree outside our residence was filled with blossoms and was truly magnificent.  One of our men cut a few branches to place in his room.  They were beautiful and their fragrance filled the room.  But he told me that it wasn't long before the smell faded and the pedals began to fall off.  He eventually found that the branches had died and had to be discarded.

     I have over the years had an indoor plant called a philodendron.  I have taken cuttings and placed them in water, where they usually began to develop roots.  When enough roots were present, though, the plant required planting in soil in order to grow.  Before that, it was not strong and unlikely to survive.

    "Apart from me", Jesus says, "you can do nothing."  We weaken, we wither, we die.

     Jesus tells us in John 15 that "I am the vine and my Father is the vine dresser.  Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he prunes, that it bear more fruit."

     Years ago I visited the vineyards of Napa Valley in California, noted for the excellent wines that come from those vineyards.  Here there are vines that are very old, going back generations, that produce grapes in their various flavors.  These vines are not large, in fact it is surprising how small and compact they are.

     This is because the vine growers do as Jesus says the Father does.  They cut away the dead or dying branches, even those that seem strong but bear no fruit.  And they cut back even the productive branches in order to bring forth a greater, fresher yield.  This takes work, but the results are worth it.

     Even though united to Christ, the vine that gives us life, there is the need for pruning in order to bear more fruit.  Pruning can be good.

     We hear in John 15: "You are already made clean [the old cut away and the new pruned] by the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."

     We pride ourselves in our freedom and individuality.  We are taught to be self-sufficient and stand on our own.  We long to be first among others and consider being like everyone else as being less than desirous.

     Yet we need each other .. and most especially we need our union with Christ and his Church ... in order to find our real potential and to truly bear fruit.

     We cannot be "independent agents" who stand alone.  We glorify the Father by our unity with his Son and his body and bearing much fruit in love and joy.  Be a great branch!  Bear tremendous fruit!

THE "STYLE" OF THE PRIESTHOOD

      Yesterday we had an evening of reflection here at our retired priests' residence which was led by Benedictine Father Tom Acklin from Saint Vincent Archabbey.  He spoke to us of the challenge of a priesthood that, in retirement or other special circumstances, is unlike the priesthood that most of us were used to.  His was a good and comforting message to hear.

     Tuesday I recorded for WAOB the homily of Pope Francis of the previous Sunday at Saint Peter's were he ordained nine young men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rome.  In his homily the Holy Father told these new priests that priesthood is not a "career" but a sharing in the service of God to his people.  He pointed out that there are certain "marks" that could be described as a style of priesthhood.  There is the style of closeness, compassion, and tenderness.

     He points out that there are four kinds of closeness: first is closeness to God in prayer, in the sacraments, and in the Mass, just as the Lord has remained close to us in our lives.  He says that "A priest who does not pray slowly extinguishes the fire of the Spirit within."  Next there is closeness to the Bishop because he is to be the source of unity between his collaborators, the priests of his diocese.  Then he tells them to be close to each other, never resorting to disunity or gossip.  And fourth he says: "For me, after God, the most important closeness is to the holy faithful people of God."  He points out that priests are chosen from among the people of God to serve them, and they are to be "priests of the people."

     In addition to this style and the mark of closeness there must be compassion and tenderness.  When confronting your problems or those others share with you, share compassion, which leads to forgiveness and to mercy.  Never tire of forgiving, even if you are tired of asking for forgiveness.  Closeness and tenderness and compassion.

     He told these nine young new priests to be "Shepherds close to God, to the Bishop, to each other, and to the people of God.  Shepherds: servants as shepherds."

     Great advice for those embarking on their life of service in ministry and great advice for those of us retired from that same active ministry.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

     I want to share my reflection of the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John for this Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which I gave on my radio program yesterday "Drawing Life Giving Water From Jacob's Well" on WAOB fm.

     In the 10th chapter of the gospel of John we hear that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He says many things about sheep and sheepfolds and gates and shepherds.

     Then he says: "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

     The story of Israel is filled with accounts of shepherds finding a role of prominence in a vocation that was far from glamorous or noteworthy.  We have many who tended their flocks and took them on their journeys, like Abraham ... we have Moses taking the role of humble and isolated shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro, after being a leader in Egypt and before becoming a messianic figure leading his people from slavery to freedom ... we have David who would become one of the greatest kings beginning as a shepherd ... oh, there are so many examples.  Now Jesus tells us that he too is a shepherd ... a good shepherd ... "the" good shepherd.

     What makes him a "good" shepherd?  He says: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose sheep are not his, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep."

     A true shepherd sees his sheep as his family, a part of himself, and he will do anything and everything to care for them.  He will defend and protect them with his life, for he and the sheep are one.  This sounds strange ... but it establishes what the relationship is.  Pope Francis very famously told priests that they need to not only minister to the sheep of their fold but be so one with them that they take on the smell of the sheep.

     Jesus takes on our human nature, embraces our frailty, knows our need, and shepherds us.

     In verse 14 Jesus says: "I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep ... For this reason the Father loves me."

     Listen closely to what Jesus just said.  He knows us ... not just the number of sheep in the flock, not just the peculiar ones that stand out among the others, not with a "generic" knowledge.   He knows us uniquely, calls us by name, knows our strengths and weaknesses, loves us despite what we make of ourselves, and cares for us with all he has.

     He says that he knows us in the same way that he and the Father know each other.  What greater knowledge can there be?

     It is with that understanding of the place of Jesus in our lives and of our importance to him in God's plan that we stand sure and confident in the victory over sin and death that he has won for us, and acknowledge him as our Lord and Savior ... but most especially as our friend and brother.  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

SAINT JOSEPH - A VOCATION MODEL

     With Sunday, April 25th being the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis issued a message on the Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19th, that is entitled "Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation".

     He says: "God looks upon the heart (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7), and in Saint Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to give and generate life in the midst of daily routines.  Vocations have the same goal: to beget and renew lives every day."

     He then suggests three words that are found in the life of Joseph that speak of each individual vocation.  The first is dream.  Everyone dreams of finding fulfillment in life.  "We rightly nurture great hopes, lofty aspirations that ephemeral goals - like success, money and entertainment - cannot satisfy."  Joseph received four dreams recorded in the gospels.  They were calls from God that required Joseph to change his plans and take a risk. He did so with complete trust, because of his deep faith.

    Pope Francis mentions a second word marking Joseph's vocation: service.  He lived entirely for others and never for himself.  Not only Mary and Jesus, his family, but the whole Church which is the family of his family.   His service and sacrifices were possible because "they were sustained by a greater love".  They became for him "a rule for daily life".

    And thirdly Joseph was and is a "protector" - of Jesus and of his Church, and a protector of vocations.  His willingness to serve leads to his desire to protect.  Speaking of priestly vocations, Pope Francis says: "What a beautiful example of Christian life we give when we refuse to pursue our ambitions or indulge in our illusions, but instead care for what the Lord has entrusted to us through the Church!  God then pours out his Spirit and creativity upon us; he works wonders in us, as did in  Joseph."

     These three words and their development in the words of Pope Francis speak to my heart.  May Saint Joseph, protector of vocations, accompany us with his fatherly heart.  Pray for vocations ... and pray to Saint Joseph.   

PRAY for VOCATIONS

      This coming Sunday, April 25, 2021, the Fourth of Easter, is known as Good Shepherd Sunday (because of the Gospel reading).  It has also been designated by the Vatican as World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

     The purpose of World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Lk. 10:2).  It affirms the major trust in faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  All vocations are important, but we focus on ordained ministries (priests and deacons), consecrated life in all forms for women and men, and secular institutes of service to the Church.  This year marks the 58th year of this Day of Prayer for Vocations.  

     Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, issued a statement for this day thoughts on which I will share in my next post.

     Vocations to roles of dedicated service in the Church are much fewer than they once were.  There are countless reasons for this trend, enough to require study and response, much more than we can meet here.

     Just in terms of priesthood vocations in this Diocese (Greensburg, PA):  we presently have less than ten seminarians in our formation program leading to ordination, despite the prayers of the Church and the hard work of our vocations office ...  when I entered the program (high school level) some 60 years ago this year, we had 21 in our freshman class alone [note: of that number there were two ordained as priests, one of whom has left active ministry, and years later two of the class were ordained to the Permanent Diaconate] ... my first pastor as a priest was Msgr. Augustine C. Marzhauser at Immaculate Conception in Irwin, who when he was ordained for the Pittsburgh Diocese had the experience, along with many in those days, of being sent home after ordination until a place could be found for them, sometimes years later  and requiring him to find a job until called to service.  How times have changed.

     And yet the need of the People of Faith continues to develop in numerous ways, and shepherds are needed.  It is imperative that we continue to pray for, promote, encourage and support our priests and those who are listening for the Call.

A NEW BEGINNING

      Have you ever had second thoughts regarding a decision that you made?  I have, and thus this post.

     At the end of December I posted that it was time to bring the "Journey Thoughts" experience to a close and move on in my retirement.  It had been nearly ten years of posting.  In the three and a half months since then I have time and time again thought about things that I had read or things that I have said that I wanted to share with you.  The other day I said to myself that it was time to "bite the bullet" and admit that I made a mistake.  So ... here we are.  I am "revisiting" the "Journey Thoughts" mission, and as of today am embarking on year eleven of the journey.  I hope that my musings will be of benefit to at least some of you.

     One thing that I hope to do is to share reflections on the Sunday scriptures, borrowing from another ministry that I am involved in on our local Catholic radio station WAOB (We Are One Body), 106.7 fm.  I share a weekly "lectio divina" program of scripture reflections.  They may be of benefit to you.

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     In chapter 2 of the first Letter of Saint John from the Third Sunday of Easter of this past week, the author speaks words that apply to us as appropriately as they did for those for whom they were written.

     In verse 1 we read: "My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin."

     With all the lessons that we have learned ... with all of the admonishments that have come to us over the centuries ... and from the painful experiences of the effects of our sinful failures ... you would think that we would lead a good life and not sin.  But the devastating reality is that we still sin.  Dealing with the results of our sins and the punishments that afflict us does not keep us on the "straight and narrow".

     So we are patiently reminded again and again, by the Lord and his Church, that our God is merciful and open to give us another chance.

     1st John continues: "But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world."

     Once again into the breech the Lord sends not an Abraham nor a Moses nor a prophet or teacher ... but an Advocate with the Father who paid the price for our sins and stands as the victor over sin and death.

     What does this mean for those of us slow to believe (as we hear in Luke 24:25) ... stubborn in responding to the gift of new life ... and foolish in repeating our failures?  It mean that the Lord is a kind and merciful God and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and in our life of faith, we can gaze upon the "face of divine mercy" and come back to life.

     We hear "Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him."  This is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.

     If we are slow to respond, this serves not as an excuse (for there can be no excuse from responding to this kind of life-giving blessing) but as a reminder that Jesus will never abandon us, but rather patiently help us understand and follow the message of the scriptures.  He wants us to have joy and hope; and to trust in God's intention and desire for us.

     Follow the commandments of love and live in the truth of God's heart.