The Gift of Family

     This past Holy Week was a great experience of family for me, in it's various dimensions.

     Palm Sunday morning I shared the liturgy with my priest family at our chapel at the Neumann House, the priests' retirement residence for the Diocese of Greensburg.  It was a great way to begin this week that we call Holy.

     Later that afternoon I joined with a large group of parishioners at the Church of Saint Paul in Greensburg for a parish Palm Sunday dinner.  I was graciously invited and welcomed again this year to this annual event.  I served as pastor of Saint Paul from 1992 to 2000, and in my retirement they have become my adopted parish were I often join them for liturgy.  Great people and many wonderful friends.

     On Thursday morning I missed the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral for only the third time in my priesthood.  A visit to Uniontown of eight family members from Costa Rica - a cousin, two of her children, a spouse of her son, and four grandchildren - led me home to join them for lunch along with my sister, Jane.  We had a great visit, a delicious lunch, and the joy of the youngsters.

My cousin Joy Stoviak Flores and her daughter, Jenifer

 Jenifer and her two children

Joy's son, Isra's wife and two chilren

     Thursday evening I returned for our Neumann House Evening Liturgy celebrating our priesthood, followed by a social and then a special dinner for this special day for priests.  There are fifteen of us in residence here.

     Good Friday (for the afternoon service and for the evening Tenebrae Service) and the Easter Vigil on Saturday night I spent with my Saint Paul family, with beautiful and prayerful liturgies, music and decorations.  A truly holy experience.

     And finally on Easter morning I traveled home to Saint Joseph Church in Uniontown to celebrate the 10:00 am Mass.  In addition to the standing room only crowd were my Costa Rican relatives and a host of other local cousins and their families.  We posed for a group picture (by the way, there are more cousins not pictured here: some from out of town and some who went to the 8:00 am so that they could prepare brunch).

A part of the Stoviak Clan including the Kula, Flowers and the Flores families: in this picture I believe I count five cousins, their children and grandchildren.

     Family is a great gift ... where ever that experience of family manifests itself.  As I have been saying more and more often in my "old age", I am truly blessed.

     I hope that you know the joy of family and that Easter continues to be a time of blessing for you. 

An Empty Tomb

     There is a quote that says:

"Actions speak louder than words."

    If there is any truth to that quote,

then my Lent could be described as

"The Sounds of Silence."

     This past Lent has not been a stellar one for me.  It was good - my prayer life remained strong ... my liturgies were grace filled ... my thoughts and reflections were actually more intense - but there was no recognizable moving forward, much less devotional life, and of course, very few "Journey Thoughts" posts.  For that I am sorry.

     But I can say that the "sounds of silence" were not total.  There were words: expressed in a Scriptural Reflection for the diocesan website; the twelve small reflections (three for each of four chapters of Scripture) for my weekly live broadcast of "Drawing Life-Giving Waters From Jacob's Well" [a lectio divina program on Saturday evening from 8 to 9 pm on WAOB - 106.7 FM radio]; my preparations and homilies for about a half dozen liturgies that I presided over; and of course, the direction and spiritual guidance that I was able to share in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during a number of Lenten Penitential Services before Holy Week.

     There were many times when my heart and mind took flight or dealt with the challenges of life, but unfortunately I failed to put them to pen (or rather to type).  Chief among these are my ongoing roller coaster of emotions that are a part of the life of the Church regarding the sexual abuse scandal within the Church as well as within society.  I find myself painfully aware of the hurt and turmoil in the life of those who have been victimized by others, but just as aware of how hard it is to prove an accusation.  I am keenly aware of the effect of an accusation on my brother priests and their reputations, especially when they are no longer among us to defend themselves, and particularly if they were accused of a single transgression and not accused of repetitive offenses.   I struggle with efforts by the press, those in authority and the general public to go beyond dealing with the problem and instead paint the Church with broad strokes as an evil institution that does not care for her children.   The description of the crisis rarely looks at the major strides made in the last 20/30 years to protect children and vulerable adults from the crimes and sins of some within the Church.

     I also struggle with the Church in her handling of the crisis.  Missing in the entire equation is the message of the gospel which is rooted in acknowledging and repenting of sin, paying the price for our transgressions and accepting the Lord's redemption, being reconciled (both sinner and those sinned against) with the Church and with each other, and being restored to dignity as a child of God.  We have a "one strike and you are out" policy, a zero tolerance policy, that is not found in the gospel.  Recently we heard of the woman caught in the act of adultery.  The mob wanted her stoned to death, but Jesus gave her mercy and forgiveness with the very clear command to "go and sin no more".  This she did: repentant, redeemed, reconciled and restored.  This could not have happened with a "zero-tolerance" attitude.   We continue to struggle ... we continue to try to right wrongs that can never be healed without mercy and love ... we continue to learn how to be humble ... and we continue to move forward as the Church established by Jesus Christ for the life of the world.   It sounds like a trite saying or a cover-up to say this, but the Church is not made up of saints dealing with sinners ... but rather sinners striving to be saints and sharing the peace, the love and mercy of the God who calls us to himself and to the glory of his dignity.

     All of us, saints and sinners alike, are on that journey home to the Lord.  Like Jesus on his way to pay the price for our sins we stumble, once, twice, three times or even more on the way to our death to the old order and our embrace of the new life with him.  May we never lose sight of our goal ... may we never despair in our struggle ... and may we always stand affirmed in his love.

     It is god to be back on our journey together.  

"A man had two sons ..."

     The gospel for the fourth Sunday of Lent is the story of the prodigal son from chapter 15 of Luke.  I thought that I would share the three small reflections on this passage that were a part of my radio program on WAOB [106.7fm] from last evening.  The program "Drawing Life Giving Waters From Jacob's Well" allows me to give three reflections on four scripture passages for the next day's liturgical readings.  The program is an hour long live broadcast.   Here is what I had to share.

     "We conclude our reflections with a story from the 15th chapter of Luke's gospel.  It is the long but beautiful story of the prodigal son ... or the loving father ... or the jealous brother.
     First we have the ungrateful son who demands of his father his share of the inheritance, depriving his father security in old age as well as respect and dignity ... and he wastes his inheritance foolishly.  He did not come to an awareness of his sin until he felt the effects of his foolish ways.  He had nothing and was treated by the world around him with no dignity or respect.
     To his credit, though, he came to his senses and realized that even as a servant he would be better off in his father's household.  He bites the bullet ... swallows his pride ... and returns home in a true spirit of repentance.  As he says: "I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I no longer deserve to be called your son."
     When we have sinned against heaven and against our family, are we willing to return home in a true spirit of repentance?"

 

 +++++++++++++++++

     "Now we have the loving father's story.  We hear that he was faced with the pain of an ungrateful son's greed.  That pain tore at his heart.  What had he done wrong?  And if nothing, then why was he treated in this way?

     Like God could have done with us, he could have written his younger son off ... he could have declared him dead to the family.  After all, he had another son and other obligations.

     But he did not!  We hear that "while he (the younger son) was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was fillied with compassion."

     He did not just happen to look up and see him coming.  The story suggests that his heart was vigilant in watch and hoping for his son's return.  And his heart was filled with compassion ... not anger or bitterness.

     This is the heart that the Lord has for us when we come to our senses and return home.  We are welcomed back with joy.  Accept his welcome."

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

     "And finally, we meet the older son whose faithfulness took on a bitterness when confronted with the generous love and acceptance of his father for his no good brother.

     When his dad asks why he was bitter, he spills his guts: "all these years I have served you and not once disobeyed your orders" yet you never threw a party for me.

     Do you ever find yourself resentful of the generous love or kindness or mercy that the Lord, or for that matter anyone else that you know, shows to someone that you don't feel deserves it?

     Yet this is what our heavenly Father is like.  He rejoices in the one repentant sinner who is saved ... in the lost coin that was found ... in the son or daughter who comes home.  He welcomes them as his child ... cloths them with the best ... and celebrates that which was lost as having been found.

     Thank him for such tremendous love."

A Lenten re-post

     This week I prepared a reflection for our Diocesan Web Site [www.dioceseofgreensburg.org] and I thought I would share it with you.

     "In the area of education, we hear of the 3 R's: reading, writing and arithmatic.
     In the season of Lent there are at least four R's that describe the journey to Easter and beond: Repentance ... Redemption ... Reconciliation ... Restoration.
     From the clarion call of Joel on Ash Wednesday we are called to repent of our sinfulness.   Today's [Sunday's] gospel echoes that call: "If you do not repent, you will all perish."  No matter who we are, the need to repent, for falling short of the the call to holiness that the Lord invites us to embrace is vital.  We know that, and this R is the easiest.  Repentance is the hallmark of the Lenten journey.
     Redemption we find is easier to understand than to accept.  Redemption means that the price has been paid ... that we have been judged with mercy and set free ... that what is offered is given in exchange for what is owed.   Some of you may remember "redemption centers", where the saving stamps that we accumulated were exchanged for an item that we desire.  Our redemption is found in Jesus Christ.  His suffering and death on the Cross paid the price for our sin.  Any debt that we owed to the evil one has been satisfied by this unselfish act of love.  We are set free.  While we understand this, we find it hard to accept that we are truly free.  How can anyone pay the price for our sin, a sin that leads to death.   Our struggle is to see that when our sins are forgiven, that they are no more ... and we are free to start anew.
     Reconciliation is the more difficult of the R's.  It means that I must make up with those who I have offended or with those who have offended me.   It is not enough to forgive ... I need to put my hurt behind me and move forward in a true spirit of love and renewal.   Only then am I truly free.   This is easier said than done.
     And only then the fourth R can begin to be accomplished.  Only then can I be restored to the dignity of a child of God.   Only then can the holiness that we are invited to share with God begin to be manifest in my life.   Only then will the grace of God transform me into an instrument of his peace and a source of his love.
     The importance of the four R's in our life's journey rests not in our sins and sinfulness and the need to repent, but in God's free, overflowing mercy.   God saved the children of Abraham from Egypt because they were the people whom he loved, and he cared for them.   He frees us from the slavery of sin and death because we are his children, and he loves us.   Sent by the Father to redeem us, Jesus IS the mercy of God.   That mercy, asked for in our repentance, experienced in his redeeming grace, humbly embraced in the act of reconciling, and rejoiced in as we are restored as his beloved, is at the heart of his love.   That love is his pledge to us.   That love is our life.
     Fear not ... journey through Lent, through the Triduum, through Easter, through life accepting his love and praising him for his mercy."

We have begun

     We have prepared ourselves - schedules made, Mardi Gras celebrated.  
     We have been signed - marked by his Sign with ashes, to remind ourselves of the nothingness of our lives without him.          We have been invited by the prophet Joel "to
return to the Lord with our whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.  To rend our hearts, not our garments, and return to the Lord, our God."  
     We have been reminded by Joel that our God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.  
     Reassured by these prophetic words we venture forth into a journey of faith that leads us from sin and death to redemption and new life.  That journey takes us through the difficult task of facing our frailty and sinful condition ... to a sorrow for our sins … to a repentance of our actions against the Lord and his anointed ... to a humble placing of ourselves at the mercy of God and his forgiveness through the Church ... and to a redemption - a restoring of the dignity lost by sin but won again for us by the passion and the Cross of Jesus Christ.  Then, and only then, can we pass through the Three Sacred Days and celebrate the new life of Easter. 

     Pope Benedict XVI has said: "Each year, Lent … stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters."

     I have a sense that this Lent will be like no other in recent years.  Since last Easter the Church has been confronted by the sinful actions of a number of her priests and the failure of the Church in providing protection and a timely response to this scandal and the crisis regarding the abuse of the young within the Church.  Like Joel reminds us though, we must return to the Lord with our whole heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.  We must do that as individuals and as Church.
     We must repent of the sins of abuse, with a special expression of sorrow to the victims of this abuse who have suffered over the years.  We must seek justice for all of those involved, for those victimized by this terrible abuse of trust and power and those accused and given no way of defending themselves.
     And then comes the hard part - we must humbly place ourselves, the victims, the accused and the Church herself at the mercy of God.  Only then can healing begin to take place … only then can hurts be healed and justice brought forth … only then can we be made new as a Church redeemed by Christ and renewed in his loving embrace.
     This is the challenge of this Lent.  And I would venture to say that it will take more than forty days for peace to enter our hearts and minds.   But it is the necessary first steps in a transforming journey rooted in hope and love that will lead to new life. 

LENT - 2019

  

"O God, who are moved by acts of humility

and respond with forgiveness to works of penance,

lend your merciful ear to our prayers

and in your kindness

pour out the grace of your blessing

on your servants 

as they follow the Lenten observances.

May they be worthy to come

with minds made pure 

to celebrate the Paschal Mystery

of your Son."

     As we move into our journey through Lent, I pray that the Lord's grace fill your hearts and minds.  May the discipline of this journey bring us to a deeper, more personal and life-giving relationship with the author of life and the dispenser of mercy - Jesus Christ.

     A note about the above image: I saw this image on facebook and not seeing a copyright notice, reproduced the image.  I have one like it that was given to me on my departure from my last assignment from the school children at Queen of Angels school, describing what they saw as my qualities.  That image is seen below … and brings back many great memories. 

A Milestone worth noting

     As I mentioned in my last post, Friday, the 9th, was my Dad's birthday.  As it happens, today, the 11th, is my Mom's birthday.  Their wedding anniversary is on the 17th of February, so you see that this is an important month in our family's journey.  My sister, Janie, and I have been truly blessed with good and loving parents who shared their love of God and their love of life with the both of us.

     Our Mom was born on February 11, 1919 of Frank and Mary Lenard in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.  One of five daughters of our grandparents, she grew up and lived on the same street her entire life, with only four houses separating her childhood home with our family home.  She attended Uniontown High School, worked for a number of years in a local department store in town, then after the war she married Dad and they began their family.

This picture of Mom, Janie and myself was taken in

2004 for our parish directory.  It was a year after Dad's passing.

     Mom was a "stay-at-home" mom, providing the home and the example that we needed.  "Stay-at-home moms" were more common in those days, and she had her hands full making sure that I behaved.  As Dad was an easy going, outgoing public person in both temperament as well as service in the public eye on the Police Force, Mom was more quiet and actually a bit shy.  She was not comfortable in public settings, but was gracious and grateful when she found herself hearing of the exploits of the rest of us - Dad as a public official known by all, Janie who worked in retail her entire life and who knew and befriended many people, and me in my various parish assignments and the friends that I have made.

     As you may have noted in the beginning of this post, Mom was born 100 years ago today!  She lived her life well and fully until her journey home to the Heavenly Father in March of 2005 at the age of 86.  Since then she and Dad have continued to find joy in Janie and myself, their family and friends, and those who gave them their love throughout the years.

     Happy Birthday, Mom!