A baptismal reflection

     This past Sunday marked the celebration of the Baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist.  It brings an end to the Christmas season for the Church and marks the moment when Jesus steps up and begins his public ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  When he entered the waters of John's baptism, Jesus was affirming his acceptance of the mission entrusted to him by the Father.  He was affirmed by the Father with the words that came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased".   And he was presented to those looking for and longing for the promised Messiah.

     The baptism of John was one of repentance from sin and a change of life.  It spoke of the desire of the one seeking baptism to do something with their life, to move in a different direction.
     The baptism of Jesus is a baptism of new beginnings, of being freed from the bondage of sin and set on a course toward holiness.  Jesus baptized with water … life-giving and cleansing and refreshing … and with the Holy Spirit and fire.  For those of us who have been baptized in Jesus Christ we are a new creation, called to holiness and empowered by the Spirit to walk blamelessly in the light of Christ.

     I watched the Holy Father's celebration of the Feast from Rome as he joined the celebration of the Mass with the baptisms of twenty-seven young babies in the Sistine Chapel.  This has become a part of the Holy Father's traditional celebration.  And as I watched, it occurred to me that this is one of the things of ministry that I miss in my retirement.  I always enjoyed celebrating baptisms, and especially when they took place during Mass.  It was a tremendous way of celebrating the life of the community and of teaching and sharing the faith.  I have many happy memories of those moments.  In my year and a half of retirement, I have only celebrated baptism once while filling in at the Church of Saint Paul in Greensburg, where I had served as pastor.  On that occasion, as I was meeting the parents and child and the family before Mass began, the child's maternal grandmother reminded me that I had baptized this child's mother in the same church and at the same font years before.  What a great sign of continuity.

 This little one's name is Tobias, who I baptized a few years ago at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

     The Holy Father baptized twenty-seven children, with the help of two Cardinals and a host of monsignors and priests who assisted him.  It brought back memories of my first assignment when we would celebrate the sacrament only once or twice a month and have a large gathering (sometimes over a half of church or more), with Fathers Sanesi, Gaston and myself sharing the roles of baptizing and prayers and anointing and other ritual.  They were great celebrations.  They are a part of the fabric of my memories.  At dinner yesterday one of our priests shared that at his retirement a friend had gone to the churches where he served and counted the number of baptisms in his over fifty years - a number over 1,000.  As he said, what a beautiful legacy.  I'm not sure what my numbers are, but more important than numbers are the lives that have grown from the waters of those baptisms over the years.  For that I am most grateful.

Seekers

     The world has always had seekers in her midst.  To the younger generation, they might define a seeker as the one who searches for the small, elusive gold flying object called a snitch during a game of quidditch.  But unless you are a Harry Potter fan, you wouldn't have a clue as to what I am talking about.
     But we have always had those inquisitive minds and longing souls who seek after truth - 'the" truth, or wisdom, or the mysteries of life, or the hidden treasure or purpose … or God.  Many a great story has been told about seekers and their search.  Many great characters in fiction and in the history of humankind are identified as seekers.  Hopefully you also are a seeker of that which is beyond your grasp as yet, but which your heart desires.

     We encounter three seekers in the gospel account yesterday for  the Feast of the Epiphany.  These magi came from the east and brought with them on their journey their hopes and desires as well as their hunger for truth and the meaning of life.  Magi were usually described as members of the priestly caste from Persia, sometimes referred to as kings as our Christmas carol calls them, wise men learned in the known knowledge of the ages and those who studied the heavens for signs and indications of great persons and great events.   These three in their study of the skies, saw the bright, new star at its rising and knew that it signified something tremendous, most likely the birth of a great king or someone who would change the course of history. They readily joined together in a journey of discovery, leaving everything they found security in to go into the unknown.  They became travelers, pilgrims on a great journey of enlightenment, followers of a star.
     These three came to the small nation of Israel, to the city of Jerusalem, for answers.  They heard of the words of the local Hebrew prophets about a Messiah to come, and the place of Bethlehem at his coming.  They came to Bethlehem and found Mary and her child in the house where they lodged.
      Then everything about them to that moment of time stopped, as they knelt before this child and offered him their gifts of gold which represented the wealth and power of the world fit for a king … frankincense which was the perfume and aroma offered to the gods fit for this God of gods … and myrrh, a strange gift of perfumed ointment reserved for preparing the body of a special person for their burial, foreshadowing his death which would lead to new life.   When they gazed upon him, their gifts seemed inadequate.  So they offered themselves … their homage … their hopes and dreams … their lives.  And all that they offered paled in comparison to what they had been given in return.
      Then their life began!  Scripture says that they returned home, never again to be the same.  They had received a glimpse into a new world, and these seekers were satisfied.

     We have so many hungers, so much discontent, so many uncertainties and unfulfilled hopes and dreams in this world.  But we search for the snitch, or the wealth and power of the world, or for knowledge (all too often without wisdom), for the elusive and the temporary fix.  We must be true seekers and come to that child who these magi found.  He grew in age and wisdom and as the God-man he gave himself for our sins on the wood of the Cross, bringing redemption.  And then, with the empty tomb, he revealed life eternal.  This revelation, this epiphany is his gift to us for our searching and for our gift of ourselves to him.  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

     On Friday morning, January 4th, we gathered to celebrate the funeral liturgy for Monsignor John Edward McCullough, 76, a retired  priest of the Diocese of Greensburg who served as a priest for fifty-one years.  No one locally knew him as John, but he was always Father Ed, or Monsignor Ed, or J. Edward or Ed.  He served in parishes throughout the diocese with his last being pastor of Saint Aloysius in Dunbar for over 26 years.  He served as head of the Mission Office for ten years as well as many other apostolates.

     Father Ed was a warm, outgoing, friendly guy who got along with everyone at all levels of society.  He loved to travel, loved to party and loved to be with people.  Personally I shared in his generous hospitality on a number of occasions in his home and in his travels, for which I am grateful.

     I ask that you keep him in your prayers and hearts as well as his family, his parish families, and our local Church.

May his soul and the souls of all of the faithful departed, Rest In Peace.  Amen.

The passage of time

     2019 has arrived.  We have passed the threshold of the New Year.  Christmas is behind us … the Twelve Days are approaching an end … Epiphany beacons … and life goes on.

     I hope that your Christmas was a blessed time.  Mine was very different in tone this year.  This is my second Christmas in retirement, and while I enjoy the lessening of the workload, I became nostalgic for Christmas past - especially the blessing of celebrating with and ministering to the People of God in the parishes.  I did attend and celebrate on Christmas morning with my sister and our home parish family, but even that was different.  The strong Polish parish is now one of four in the town that are ministered to by two good priests with assistance and a shared liturgical schedule … a sign of the times.  Even the worship aid of Christmas carols had only one page of Polish carols (out of five) and there were only two that I knew.
     My time at home with my sister, Jane, was quiet and enjoyable for she is not only a good sister and a great cook, but a best friend and blessing.
     My Christmas was tempered by the fact that a brother priest for all of my priesthood, a friend and fellow resident of our retirement residence for over the past year, was sentenced a few days before Christmas for an incident of sexual abuse committed twenty-seven years ago in a moment of weakness.  The justice for the victim of this transgression was realized in this guilty plea and sentencing, but the penalty of eleven and a half months to five years in prison for this friend and brother and the negating of a lifetime of service to the gospel despite this sin, affected me deeply.  Despite being described as a "predator priest", here is a good man who made a terrible mistake and must now pay a price that sets an example.  What disturbs me most is that this societal justice seems to be couched in a spirit of revenge, of wanting my "pound of flesh" … in contrast to the biblical and spiritual concept of justice which is tempered by mercy.  Surely the transgressor must pay the price … but as Church we are called by the Lord to be merciful, to seek reconciliation, to restore the sinner to grace and to heal those broken by sin - sinner and victim alike.  I do not see that happening in our present crisis, and this absence is a much greater challenge and crisis for the Church than these terrible revelations of sexual abuse by clergy of years ago.  These are not easy days for the Church, and I'll speak on that later.

     But now we step into a new year, one to which the Lord desires to bring his blessings.  We must move forward in trust and in hope for the future.  This morning at our Mass, our celebrant spoke of the gift of Mary, as our Mother and the Mother of the Church, as a reassuring sign of that hope.  She says to us … my YES to the will of God brought you my son.  I give him to you daily as your Lord and Savior.  He is a just judge, but he is first and foremost a redeemer who has paid (at great price) the cost of our sinfulness in order that we may lay aside our sin and failure and grow through grace into holiness of life.  If we as Church see Jesus as Redeemer, then we serve him and each other and witness to the world with a heart filled with mercy and understanding and bring about true healing and peace.  It is a message that the world community does not understand nor want … but it is a message vital to our survival.

     May each step along the journey in this year of grace 2019 bring you joy and happiness and the deep reassurance of the enduring love that Christ has for you.  May we be strong and unafraid, and may we bear witness to the gentle mercy of the Savior.

Advent Icons

     An ICON is an image of the sacred.  Those of our friends from the Churches of the East are very familiar with icons.  Rather than statues they celebrate these stylized images into the holy.

     There are two primary icons for the great season of Advent.  The first is the image of Mary presented to us as an Advent reminder that ALL are called to the Son of Mary, that ALL are equal in the eyes of God, that ALL are pregnant with hope and anticipation of salvation and new life, and that the message of the Christ is not reserved for a few but meant for ALL.  She is an invitation to life.

     In early December we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne.  She was chosen and prepared for her mission of giving flesh to the Son of God by being conceived without the burden and stain of Original Sin.  She was given the gift of holiness before her Son won that gift for us.  Our holiness rests in our YES to his invitation to accept the redemption that he won for us and the grace to walk in the way of holiness.  Her YES did not protect her from sin but allowed her to be strong in the resistance of temptation and to walk confidently along the path of holiness.

     On the 12th we looked to the patroness of all of the Americas in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  This feast celebrating the appearance of Mary as a young native girl with child to Juan Diego, a convert to Christianity, was an important moment in God's plan.  The fact that she appeared to a peasant, a native of the place and not the ruling class or the upper crust was shocking.  The fact that her image was that of a native person rather than that of a Spanish maiden was even more shocking.  That fact that she is carrying her child in her womb was unexpected.  All of this happened in the 1500's in Mexico and led countless peoples to embrace Our Lady of Guadalupe and her Son, Jesus.

     And now within a week we will hear the story and see the image of a young mother giving birth to her first-born son in humble surroundings in Bethlehem of Judea.  That image of Mary with Joseph and the child, Jesus, is the featured image - primary icon - of Mary.

     The other primary icon of Advent is our friend, John, the son of Elizabeth and Zachariah, the one called the Baptist.  He too points the way and makes known the savior.  He too calls us to repentance and a change of heart so that we might live in Christ.  He too is an invitation to life.

     Advent is a time of realizing who we are in Christ, of realizing the need for repentance and conversion, and a time of hearing in our own lives and becoming for others "an invitation to life".  Thank God for these two tremendous icons of Advent.

The straight path

     This fourth day of December has the Church celebrating the memorial of Saint John Damascene, a priest and Doctor of the Church.  He was born in Damascus at the end of the seventh century.  He was born of a Christian family and was a learned philosopher and theologian.  He became a monk and then was ordained a priest and lived near Jerusalem.

     It is reported that he prayed:

"Lord, do not let my heart lean either to the right or to the left, but let your good Spirit guide me along the straight path."

     The most accurate GPS navigation of our lives is found in the Holy Spirit.  Knowing that fact and being open to the Spirit is the first step at arriving at our destiny.  Having driven in some areas of northern West Virginia (not on the interstates) I know that the route from point A to point B can be confusing and very round-a-bout.  No offense to our west Virginia neighbors.

      Our path to the Lord can also carry us in the most indirect of ways.  That it is why it is important to seek the help of the Spirit of the Lord so that our paths remain straight and the way smooth.  We hear that description in the Scriptures (in fact on this coming Sunday) where we are called to prepare for the coming of the Lord and for our journey to him by leveling  every mountain and filling in every valley … we must pave the rough road and straighten every curve … so that nothing, NOTHING, will impede our progress.

     John Damascene knew this and offered this simple prayer … which could be our own.  Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Now is the acceptable time

     On this Monday of the First Week of Advent I would like to borrow the words of Saint Charles Borromeo that is found in a pastoral letter from the saint that is a part of the Office of Readings for today.  They give us a good introduction to this Advent season.

     "Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent.  This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see.  This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity.  We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery.  In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seed of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life."

     In these beginning days of this season of anticipation, we join with the prayer of the Church in seeking the warmth of the Father's love and the light of his Word.  We ask for the strength to grow in love and rejoice in his presence.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

     Word has been received of the death of Monsignor Michael Dylag, a retired priest of the Diocese of Greensburg.  Msgr. Dylag died on Saturday at his home in Waterford, Michigan, at the age of 80.

      Msgr. Dylag, originally from Cleveland, was ordained for Greensburg on the 15th of May in 1960 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.  He served for eleven years in parishes in the diocese before taking up special assignments at the Orchard Lake Schools (College & Seminary) in Michigan, and at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.

     Msgr. Dylag met the future Pope John Paul II in 1969 and they developed a longtime friendship that saw him visit the Holy Father often in Rome for private dinners and conversation.  He also met many other dignitaries over the years, including former President George H. W. Bush, whose service of transfer to Washington for burial is on TV even as I post this.

     I did not know Mike well, having met him only a few times during my priesthood, but the stories about him and the stories that he told reveal him as an interesting, talented and unique individual.

     We trust that the Lord will grant him Eternal Rest and joy in the Kingdom that he preached.

Advent

       Today we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent.  The collect prayer for today's liturgy prays:

Grant you faithful, we pray, almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ

with righteous deeds at his coming, 

so that, gathered at his right hand,

they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

The following is the Scriptural Reflection for our website at the diocese - dioceseofgreensburg.org - that I prepared for this weekend.  I thought that I would also share it here.

     This is the time of the year when girls and boys are writing their letters to Santa with their list of things that they want for Christmas.  They have been told by their parents that if they have been god throughout the year, Santa will visit them on Christmas eve and bring them their hearts desire.  They rely upon this treasured promise.

     I remember my Mom trying to get me to eat my vegetables at mealtime.  She would promise that if I cleaned my plate, including the vegetables, I would get dessert.  I must confess that Mom was not very successful because even today vegetables are not often found on my plate.  I also found that despite the conditions to her promise, the dessert usually found its way before me.

     We are children and men and women whose lives are filled with promises.  We know that those promises are not always made good in our lives and so we are skeptical of their truthfulness.  But we also know that when a promise made to us or by us is fulfilled that we are blessed.

     We begin a new Church Year this weekend.  The First Sunday of Advent renews our desire to draw closer to the Lord as we seek his deepening presence in our lives.  And that relationship with its blessings is the promise given us - not in the magical hope for Christmas gifts or the efforts to have you eat your vegetables or the desire to achieve success - but in the more important, life-giving moment of attaining the truth and celebrating the life that is eternal.

     We are Children of the Promise.  We have been chosen by the Creator to share in his life.  We have been called by him to walk in his love.  We have been gifted by him to share ourselves with others in order to make strong his Kingdom.

     Jeremiah today reminds us that "The days are coming says the Lord when I will fulfill the promise that I made …".  That promise involves the coming of the "just shoot" from David's line, the One who will establish the reign of God, the anointed Messiah who will save his people from themselves and from their sins and restore them to the glory and dignity that is theirs by right - as Children of God, heirs of the Kingdom, Children of the Promise.

     We still await the fulfillment of the promise and we do so with renewed hope.  Like Saint Paul to the Thessalonians we exhort each other to seek from the Lord an increase in love for God and for one another … to be strong of heart … to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father … and to conduct ourselves to please God. 

     No amount of broken promises, no experiences of empty words, no amount of waiting should keep us from moving forward in the season of anticipation toward the heart of the promise - the coming of our Messiah and Lord, Jesus Christ, in this moment of grace and blessing.

     Journey well in these weeks of Advent toward Emmanuel.