A WINTERS PRAYER

      We began our Christmas festive dinner last evening at Neumann House with this prayer.  On this bitter winter day before Christmas, I thought I might share it with you.

    We give you thanks, O Lord, 

for times and seasons 

and now for winter nights 

when stars shine coldly bright, 

and dust is turned to diamonds underfoot.  

For winter days when trees 

are stronger than the icy death 

and hold in blackened limbs 

the promise of the resurrection.  

For opposites be praised: 

for heat and cold, 

for stillness and the snow 

that sculptures every house and tree 

and falls like great absolution 

to heal the wounded earth.  

We give you thanks for Him 

whose birth we celebrate in winter 

so all may know, may wildly know, 

that love is stronger than the coldest flesh 

and mercy blankets all the land 

more surely than the snow.  

We give you thanks for Him 

who makes more than children joyful 

and does not cheat our laughter in the end.  

Joyous Lord, 

beyond imagining but not beyond desire, 

we give you glory and our son of praise.

[author unknown to me]

LOCKED AWAY

      I like a good story.  There is a whole generation of young people, and those not so young, who know well the story of a young wizard named Harry Potter and his friends, and their battle against "the dark lord".  Early on in Harry's story, when he was in the care of his aunt and uncle, we hear that they often locked Harry in his room, and before that in the "cupboard under the stairs".  They did so because the feared him, the resented his powers and popularity in the wizarding world and they thought him odd.  People "put down" what they don't understand.  As the story progresses, his aunt and uncle and cousin disappear from the story while Harry becomes the hero and conqueror of the world of darkness.

    I mention this today because Harry's story somewhat images the story of a man named John of the Cross, a Carmelite priest in the later part of the 1500's who sought to reform the Order, bringing it to it's original strict observance.  He was joined by another great saint, Teresa of Avila.  John was physically small of stature, misunderstood, feared by his community.  He was "locked away", imprisoned in his own cell, some accounts having him locked in a cupboard - not seen or heard.

    And yet his life and his writings, including some great spiritual guidance and passionate poetry, have survived and led to the reformed movement he heralded.  He triumphed over darkness and closedmindedness.  His passionate love for the Lord brought him before the Church as a great champion and with a recognition as a Doctor of the Church.  John's message is to embrace the Cross if you really want to know the meaning of life ... if you want to live ... and if you want to love.

     Today is the Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church, mystic and poet, light to the world.  Saint John, may our Faith never be hidden but bear light for all.

TWO THINGS TODAY

      There were two events that I shared in on the Feast of Juan Diego, one of our older newer saints.

    This morning I journeyed to Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Fairchance, PA, for the funeral Mass for a good priest and friend.  Father Leo Pleban, a retired priest from the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, who has spent his retirement years in the Greensburg Diocese, was laid to rest.  The Church we celebrated in this morning was his home parish, along with his older brother, Father Alexander Pleban of our Diocese and their younger brother, John who passed away within the past two years.

    Bishop Larry Kulick of our Diocese presided in the absence of Bishop David Bonner of Youngstown.  Youngstown was represented by a number of their clergy.  There were about twenty-five priests concelebrating and a good number of people present to entrust Father Leo to the Lord.

    May he Rest In Peace!  And may Father Al and his relatives find comfort.  They were very close brothers, in family and in priesthood.

    Then this evening we watched a movie about Our Lady of Guadalupe - really about the life of Juan Diego whom she appeared to long ago in Mexico.  It was good to be inspired.

The POWER of the WORD

      Today we honor Saint Ambrose, the bishop of Milan from 374 when elected by popular acclamation and ordained on this date (December 7th) until his death in 397.  In those 23 years he brought life to the Church through his service to the poor, his teaching of the faith and his preaching, for which he was well known.  It is said that a young Augustine, a non-believer who lived a "wild" life, heard Ambrose preach and was touched by the power of the word.  He was attracted to the message of the Gospel and sought out Ambrose who led him to the Church.  Augustine, of course, became the great saint and bishop of Hippo.

     Ambrose in a letter to brother bishops spoke of the grace of their words winning over people to their message.  In the Office of Readings I quote from this letter: "Let your words be rivers, clean and limpid, so that in your exhortations you may charm the ears of your people.  And by the grace of your words win them over to follow your leadership.  Let your sermons be full of understanding.  Solomon says: The weapons of the understanding are the lips of the wise; and in another place he says: Let your lips be bound with wisdom.  That is, let the meaning of your words shine forth, let understanding blaze out.

     Let no word escape your lips in vain or be uttered without depth of meaning."

     Great words for any preacher of the Word of God!  Ambrose put this exhortation into practice, as evidenced by the effectiveness of his preaching.

    Pray for those who are commissioned to preach and teach, that their words be an effective source of inspiration.

AN EARLY CELEBRATION

     Yesterday, Sunday the 4th of December, Bishop Larry Kulick and the Diocese of Greensburg hosted a traditional Slovak Christmas Eve Dinner as well as a celebration of song and dance provided by "the Pittsburgh Slovakians".  A large crowd attended this annual event which was held at the Christ Our Shepherd Center in Greensburg, our Diocesan facility.  Those of a Slovak background and their guests enjoyed the evening and a great traditional Christmas Eve Dinner.

     Since we live on the same campus we were happy to have had the same delicious Slovak food in our dining room.  We were given baked cod, pierogies, peas, pagach (a food made of mashed potatoes, dough, cheese and onions or cabbage), mushroom soup, bobalki (dough balls with poppyseed), and prunes among other delights.  We enjoyed this special meal.

    There are many traditions surrounding Christmas, most coming from our various national customs and fares.  May you have traditions that you uphold with your families.

MEET JOHN

      I shared this reflection on Saturday on my lectio program on WAOB radio.

     On this second Sunday of Advent we meet John, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah.  We meet him in the third chapter of Matthew's gospel.  John is one of the primary icons of the Advent season - an image of revelation given us by God.

     The very first verse begins: "John the Baptist appeared."

     This is the man who is seen as the last of the prophets of old and the first of the prophetic voices of the new covenant.  The scriptures tell us of John that there is no man born of woman greater than John.

     John appeared crying out in the wilderness ... preaching to the searching souls a message of challenge and of hope.   The challenge is to repent ... the hope is found in trust.  

     Isaiah says of him: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness; prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his path."

    The people who walked in darkness and who understood the promise of a light to guide them waited ... and waited ... and waited.  When they saw this man - who wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather girdle around his waist, who fed on locusts and wild honey ... this "wild man" who spoke God's word with such power and conviction - they were ready, they responded, they came to him at the Jordan river.

     Inspired by his word and made ready by their hunger they came to the waters of repentance, for the chance to move forward with renewed vigor on their spiritual journey.  We must ask ourselves: Are we ready to hear his call to repentance and new life?

BROTHERS

           Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Andrew, the Apostle.  He is the brother of another Apostle, Peter.  Andrew was born in Bethsaida and was a disciple of John the Baptist, who is featured predominantly in this Advent season.  He became a follower of Jesus when, as we hear in the Gospel of Matthew today, they were called by Jesus to follow him.  They did so without hesitation.  Andrew preached the gospel in many lands and was put to death by crucifixion at Achaia (his cross was placed in the direction of an X.)

     I had the honor of being the celebrant for our early morning Mass at Neumann House, our residence for retired priests.  We take turns as celebrant.  I spoke of the example that Andrew and Peter give us as brothers: in ministry as well as in the familial sense.  The Apostles give us another example in James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  One of our priests at Neumann House joins that group - Father Al Pleban, a retired priest of Greensburg.  He and his brother, Father Leo Pleban, a retired priest of the Youngstown Diocese who lives in Mt. Pleasant, share a priestly brotherhood and a familial brotherhood.  Both are great men and fine priests and good brothers to those of us who share the gift of priesthood.  [Please offer a special prayer for Father Leo who is ailing.]

     I mentioned in my homily a passage from a homily of Saint John Chrysostom on the feast of Andrew from the gospel of John.  The line I mentioned is: "To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, of loving kinship and sincere affection."

     This applies not only to familial ties of sisters and brothers, not only to the fraternal ties of ministerial priesthood but also to all of us who are brothers and sisters in the name of Christ.  Support one another, with loving kinship and sincere affection in the name of Christ Jesus, our brother.

A SIGNAL TO THE NATIONS

 Behold the Lord will come, 

and all his holy ones with him, 

and on that day 

there will be a great light.

     The first reading for this Tuesday in the First Week of Advent is of the first ten verses of Chapter 11 of the prophet Isaiah. I encourage you to get out your Bible and read it prayerfully.

    Isaiah describes the coming of One who is a shoot from the stump of Jesse.  He will be filled with God's Spirit - a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.  

     When this One comes things will never be the same - "the wolf will be the guest of the lamb", "the leopard shall lie down with the kid", "the calf and the young lion shall browse together" ... "with a little child to guide them".

     We are not there as yet, for we have not given our lives totally to the One who was promised, the One who has come, the One who will create anew what was lost to sin and the One who will come again.   So we wait and hope and trust and follow Him.

STAY ALERT

     The entrance antiphon for the liturgy for this Monday of the First Week of Advent is this:

     "Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, declare it to the distant lands: Behold, our Savior will come; you need no longer fear."

     Our Advent time is one of listening, of being even more attentive to the word of the Lord.  This Advent finds us continuing on the trend of not listening, of losing our focus and lessening our attention to what is most important, and of floundering in our mediocrity, our homelessness, our fear.  Generations have strayed from the way and come to count as insignificant the call to conversion and the path that leads to the Lord.  We have become complacent.  And much worse, we are okay with simply getting by.

     But that is not enough ... it will not suffice ... if we are to prosper.

    The Collect Prayer of the Church today prays: "Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise."

     Take time every day during this great season of Advent to stay alert and to be ready.  Paul yesterday in Romans 13 told us that "it is the hour now for you to awaken from sleep."  May we heed his words. 

ADVENT

      "Jesus Christ is the joy and happiness of all who look forward to his coming!  Let us call upon him and say: "Come, Lord, and do not delay'."

     These words introduce our intercessions in the Prayer of the Church, the Divine Office, for the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the Church year and the renewal of our journey toward the Lord and our fulfillment and happiness.

     ADVENT - the word and spirit of this season of expectation comes from two Latin words - the verb VENIO meaning "to come" and AD meaning "toward" or "to".  It is a time of seeking and encounter.  It is a time of waiting with hope.

     Advent's twofold character is our preparation for Christ's coming at Christmas which celebrates that moment in time when Emmanuel - God With Us - took flesh in the person of Jesus and was born in Bethlehem of Judea.  It also invites us to prepare our hearts and souls for his second coming in glory at the end of the age.  It is a time of expectation.  Christ has come and renews himself in our lives as we celebrate his birth and the belief that he will come again.

    Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay!  We await you with open hearts!

     There is a third "coming" to be recognized and celebrated.  It is the invitation that we have all received in our Baptism to "come to him".  He opens his heart to us ... he longs for our closeness ... he desires our return from the sinfulness and darkness of self to the blessing and light of his embrace ... he rejoices to find us seeking him.

     Advent begins/renews/rekindles a movement, a journey into the mystery of life.  Like the wise men that we will meet at Christmas we are searchers for truth and seekers of that which brings fulfillment.

     I love the words of the Collect Prayer at the Mass for this day.  The Church prays: "Grant your faithful, we pray, Almighty God, the resolve to RUN FORTH to meet your Christ!"  The emphasis is mine - "to run forth to meet your Christ".

     This Advent, let us resolve to run forth in one direction - toward the One who has already come toward us - Jesus the Christ.

A New Adventure

     I ran across this among my things.  It is the "Daily Schedule and Rules for Saint Joseph Hall" given to us at the start of the school year on September 3, 1962 [60 years ago] and the opening of the High School Minor Seminary Residence Hall for the Diocese of Greensburg named Saint Joseph Hall.  I was beginning my sophomore year of high school.  You might find it interesting.

 

     History  -  Saint Joseph Hall, the residence hall for minor seminary students of the Diocese of Greensburg was planned and established by the Most Reverend William G. Connare for the sole purpose of training boys to help this Diocese as secular priests.  Saint Joseph Hall opens its doors on September 3, 1962, for the first time.  The residence hall will be under the direction of a diocesan priest and other diocesan priests will staff the hall in the capacities of Spiritual Director, Prefects of Disciple and Prefects.

     The boys will reside at Saint Joseph Hall but will journey each morning by bus to Saint Vincent Prep for their scholastic training.  They will return to the Residence Hall each evening.

     With the opening of the Hall there will be one member of the junior class and many sophomores and freshmen.  In September of 1963 we hope to add a new class until the full minor seminary course of six years is completed.

AIMS   -   The exclusive aim of the Residence Hall program is to train young men for the priesthood of the Diocese of Greensburg.  The program will embrace the spiritual, intellectual, the moral and physical training of the candidates.

Suggestion for the Daily Schedule for Students

6:00 am - Rise

6:20 am - Chapel for morning prayers

6:30 am - Holy Mass

7:00 am - Breakfast

7:30 am -Making of Bed

7:45 am - Board bus for Saint Vincent

8:15 am - Classes begin at Saint Vincent

11:45 am - Lunch at Saint Vincent

3:15 pm - Return to Saint Joseph Hall

3:30 pm - Recreation

5:15 pm - Spiritual exercises (Rosary)

5:45 pm - Supper

6:15 pm - Recreation

7:00 pm - Study

8:30 pm - Chapel for night prayers

9:00 pm - Retire ... lights out ... strict silence

NOTE: This schedule is somewhat varied on Saturday, Sundays and holidays.

[ With that schedule who had time to get homesick!  Note the time for bed, with strict silence until morning - 9:00pm!]

     Note also these regulations:

We had a weekend each month off to go home, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and a summer vacation.

"Letters, papers, books and packages may be sent and received.  The authorities of Saint Joseph Hall have the right to open and inspect the mail of all students.  All students are expected to write their families at least once a week."  [Try to get away with that today!]

All students are required to wear suit or sports coats or sweater coats to classes, dining hall and chapel, and ties.

There was limited tv watching (only at designated times and with permission - also only one tv in the rec room) ... no personal tv, radio, alarm clock (we were awakened by a handheld school bell) or phones (long before cell phones, computers, iPads etc.).

     These were different times, and these regulations and schedules were not "out of the ordinary" ... we survived and were generally better for it. 

   

An extraordinary blessing

      In reflecting upon my High School years in the seminary program for the Diocese of Greensburg I am very aware of how blessed I was to spend those years in an academic program that had such a gifted faculty.  In the years from the Fall of 1961 through my graduation in 1965 I was taught by a great group of teachers at Saint Vincent Preparatory School.  Most of them were Benedictine priests and monks from the Archabbey along with a number of lay men who supplemented the faculty.

     Looking back, there are some subjects that I remember, some teachers that stand out for me, and unfortunately some areas in which my memory needs reinforcement.

     I remember our freshman English grammer professor, Father Camillus Long, who was brilliant if not a bit eccentric.  He never found a textbook on English grammar that he found adequate.  So, he wrote his own!  He ran off the pages on heavier stock paper, had them bound, and used them to teach us.  Another of our English professors was Father Bryant Halloran who taught us English literature and gave me a great love of reading and appreciation for literature.  If I had had my choice in major in college (we had to major in Philosophy) I would have chosen English Lit.  I can still recite a number of quotes from Shakespeare that we were required to memorize.

     Our other involvements, sports, plays, glee club and so forth helped round our training.  I personally enjoyed the work with the forensic competitions between neighboring schools where we competed in areas such as debate, extemporaneous speech and public speaking.  It set the stage for what I have been doing in ministry for nearly fifty years.

     Latin was a major part of our curriculum, with Father Herman Ubinger laying the foundation in the first two years.  He involved us in the "Junior Classical League" where I remember journeying to an event at the Buhl Planetarium in Pittsburgh.  We also had Father Leopold Krul (later Archabbot) and Father Augustine Schuetz.  It was during a Latin Test being given by Father Augustine on November 22, 1963, that we received word of the shooting and death of President Kennedy.  It was one of those "where were you" moments.

     Modern languages were limited to French or German (the Benedictine community was originally from Bavaria).  I took French and had two years with Father Julian Smith, who had a great wit and nicknames for some of us (Jared Baker he called "boulanger" [a baker] and he called me "fourneau-iak" [a stove is a fourneau].

     Father Emeric Pfiester developed our artistic abilities and the annual "art show" found a number of my creations among the exhibits.

     I remember Father Arthur Holtz teaching us civics and Pennsylvania history.  He also led the music program.

     There was math, the sciences, history, religion and the usual gamut of classes.

    The thing that set this group of teachers apart for me is their academic background and dedication of profession.  In the Benedictine tradition they were committed to excellence in higher education.  The fact that many, if not most of these men, were also on the faculty of the Seminary and the College, with advanced degrees in multiple fields, made what the offered a valuable gift - one that I only began to realize later on in life.

     How have I been blessed?  Let me count the ways - but let it include these years of formation.  The Benedictine Community at Saint Vincent has by gratitude.

The first step

     I am not sure of the actual date in 1961, but in those days the school year usually began just before or after Labor Day - so it probably was the beginning of September of 1961, when Mom and Dad, my sister Janie and I drove from our home in Uniontown to Saint Vincent Prep School in Latrobe, PA.  It was a trip of just over an hour, but for someone who rarely if ever strayed far from home it was a major journey.   Add to that the fact that I was to stay on campus, having never been away from the security of my home and family, and the prospects were daunting.

     My recollections are my own and may not be as accurate as they should be.  In fact, watching all of the advertisements for "memory aids", maybe I should make a trip to the pharmacy.

     I remember driving up the road that leads from Route 30 to the Archabbey complex, seeing the buildings on the horizon, and wondering what I was getting into.  It was my first time at Saint Vincent.  We pulled to the entrance of the Prep building (Benedict Hall) to which we had directions and entered the main entrance.  It was a portico in the center of a long brick building.  To the right, at the end of the hall, was a small stained glass window.  To the left, at the end of the hall was a large crucifix that was lighted.  The headmaster's office was to the left.  We met with Father Louis Sedlacko, the headmaster, introduced ourselves, were welcomed and oriented, and then directed to a tour of the building.  Beyond that I remember only the departure of my family, and the strange experienced of "being left behind".

     I have been trying to recall that first year and find that there are only a few memories.  Maybe it was the excitement of a new experience, or the fear of the unknown, or the busy schedule that filled the days, but there are only scattered memories. Here are some of those memories:  living in community - our study hall and rec room were on the second floor ... we lived on the top floor, with locker room, washroom, lavatory and dorm room.  All of our class of twenty-one slept in one large room, single beds ... what an experience.  Praying the Stations of the Cross during Lent in the huge and impressive Abbey Basilica Church.  I remember Saturday evening movies in the college auditorium for the students.  We were involved in many intermural sports programs and were introduced to soccer, which was brought to the school and the local community by Father Vernon Holtz, who is still an active member of the Benedictine community.

    The Saint Vincent Preparatory School began the year after Saint Vincent was founded.  From 1847 until the early 1970's it served the college community as a Prep School.  Until the Fall of 1961 it served the Scholasticate (the Benedictine students of high school age) and served as a regular Prep School for outside students, most residential with a few "day hops" (locals who lived at home and attended class on campus).  With our freshman class we were the "beginning of the end" of the Prep, for we were all students for the priesthood - Scholastic and Diocesan students.   The other Prep students treated us well, sometimes with "kid gloves" for we were "in a special category".  I made a number of friends among the Prep guys.

     The year went by quickly and we looked forward to our summer vacation, for the next year would involve a new living arrangement.   

The Journey - the beginning

         With the approach of the school year I have been thinking back to the beginning of my journey toward priesthood as I entered the seminary program for the Diocese of Greensburg.  Remember that this was a long time ago, in another age of the Church and in a different world.  I entered in my High School years (those that did so are called "lifers" - four years of High School, four of undergraduate college work and four of theological studies).   I entered at the ripe old age of thirteen way back in the Fall of 1961 - 61 years ago this Fall.

     I always wanted to be a priest.  From my earliest years family would tell me that that was my goal.  I was encouraged by the Religious Sisters who taught me, supported by my family and friends and inspired by our parish priests, in particular two who served us during my grade school years - our pastor Father Charles Kobylarz and one of our assistants, Father (later Bishop) Norbert Gaughan.  Father Charles was a young pastor, personable, and a good leader and Father Norbert was smart and a great preacher.   At my first Mass I acknowledged Father Charles as my inspiration.

     During my eighth-grade year I took the entrance exam with a few other boys from my class from Saint Joseph Parish School at Greensburg Central Catholic High School.  Having been accepted in the program, I remember attending a "gathering of the new class of students for the program" at Immaculate Conception Parish in Irwin (twelve years later I would serve there as an Associate Pastor).  Father Len Sanesi, the vocation director and Associate Pastor at IC at the time, arranged our meeting with Bishop William Connare.  One thing I remember about that meeting was the bishop saying (statistically) that we will be lucky to have one ordained from the group of about twenty-one young men.  We actually had two ordained priests: myself and another who was ordained later and subsequently resigned active ministry; and we would have two ordained as Deacons (one in California and the other, Deacon Bill Hisker, ministering in our own Diocese). 

     All of this led to our acceptance for the Diocese in the seminary program of formation that would begin at Saint Vincent Archabbey Preparatory School in Latrobe.  It was the beginning of an experience that I will share a little more with you the next post.  All of that began sixty-one years ago this Fall.

CATCHING UP

      They talk of the "hazy, lazy days of summer", and that is never truer than when you are in retirement - at least for me.  A month and a half have gone by since my last post, and while there have been thoughts and events that have come to mind, I have failed to put them in written form.  Let me give it a try again, with apologies.

     This past Sunday, the 20th of Summer Ordinary Time, we hear a reading from the Gospel of Luke, the 12th chapter.  In verse 49 Jesus says: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!"

     He goes on to say that he has come to shake up the complacent ... to challenge the status quo ... to call forth a passion within the hearts of people - a passion for God and a passion for the things of heaven - a passion that will transform lives.

     Fire is the key word here.  What does fire do?

     Fire destroys ... it can devastate a landscape, wipe out communities, bring death and destruction. ... as evidenced in the wildfires out West.  It is often seen as a punishment: the fire called down upon Sodom and Gomorrah or our describing hell in terms of punishing fire.

     Fire also purifies, taking the impurities from something - we see this in the refining fires of a forge or oven or blast furnace or kiln.

     Does Jesus not show us that the refining fire of his love will purify the heart of the repentant sinner and make them strong and worthy of his abiding grace?   That it will take away all division, hatred, hostility and selfishness.

     When the fire of his love stirs the pot, stirs our hearts so that that which is unworthy of God finds no place within us, then we will find the ability to live, to share his life with others, to create a kingdom that will last forever.

     There is a third kind of "fire", one that I believe Jesus is referring to here.  It is the fire of "PASSION" ... the fire that excites the heart and moves us to action.  It was seen in the "tongues of fire" at Pentecost that stirred the Apostles to leave the upper room and go first into the city and then to the ends of the earth proclaiming the Good News.  It is the "fire" burning within the hearts of the Emmaus travelers as they walk with him and broke bread.

     Ask for the fire of his passionate love in your heart, that we may together bear witness to his love.

AN EPIC BATTLE

     159 years ago today a three day battle of the Civil War in the United States began in a small town called Gettysburg.  The battle stretched over July 1, 2 & 3 in and around the town before the Confederate army began to retreat South.  This battle of Gettysburg is noted as a pivotal point in the war between the States, and is presented to youngsters who study history.  I recollect learning the basics when I was a kid - especially because, being from Pennsylvania, this battle was "in our backyard".

     But it was only thirty years ago that I developed a keen interest in this quiet Central Pennsylvania town and the battle that made it famous.  At that time I was pastor of the Church of Saint Paul in Greensburg (by the way, exactly 150 miles to the West of Gettysburg on Route 30).  My associate was Mike Ripple who had a special love of Gettysburg.  He had a distant relative that was deployed there during the battle.

     My love for things about the battle and the location had little to do with the military tactics (that's not my thing) but rather on the personal interest stories, the human elements of this struggle, and of the quiet peacefulness that I find in this place of great bloodshed and carnage.  I watched movies, read books, collected artwork, visited often and hold fond memories of experiences over the years.   Many times I drove Route 30, over the rolling hills and through small towns to enjoy walking the battlefields or having dinner at the Dobbin House (a great historic place to eat).

     Mike and I have remained great friends for these thirty years and I am grateful that he "reintroduced" me to Gettysburg.  On Monday of this week Mike and his family shared the loss of their Dad.  George Ripple, known to many as Pappy, died peacefully at the age of 98 at home.  George has been a good friend to me as well, and I pray for his Eternal Peace in glory.

    As I get older and as our struggle with the pandemic has made the pain of loss and death more impactful because of "distancing" and as more and more of my friends and acquaintances have died I find myself reflecting upon death more.  Gettysburg 159 year ago was all about death and destruction.  But today it is about learning lessons, celebrating peace and living life quietly.  A good lesson for me and all of us to contemplate. 

"A most pure heart" - Nicholas Flowers

      On Wednesday, May 25th, I concelebrated and preached the funeral of a young man whose name is Nichols Alexander Flowers.  Nick was 19 year old.  He is the son of Mickie and Larry Flowers, the brother of Maddie, Gabbie and Noah, the grandson of my cousin Larry and his wife Joyce and the grandson of Ray, a grade school classmate and his wife Patti.

     Less than four weeks ago life was normal, but within that time Nick found he had a heart problem and underwent major surgeries before leaving us this past Friday morning.  His passing was devastating, his funeral very sad, his spirit, though, overriding all these emotions, brought a smile to so many faces and peace to so many hearts.

    Many people said many things about Nick.  His family shared that he was "the sweetest, kindest, most loving soul.  He loved his family dearly."  He never, ever, had a mean word for anyone or about anything.  "He is without a doubt the most pure hearted person that we have ever known."

    This was echoed on social media by his high school band director who posted "I witnessed one of the kindest, happiest, purest young men I have ever met."  He said of Nick "His attitude instantly filled the entirety of every space he was in until there was no room for anything else but happiness."  "He always knew what was important, and was never afraid to remind us in his own gentle but insistent way."   This teacher concluded: "I will never have another student like him and you will never have another friend like him because he is one of a kind."  A great tribute.

Nick was involved in band and the drama club at Albert Gallatin High School and was currently on the dean's list in his freshman year at Penn State.

He was a kid that "went to bed with a smile on his face and woke up the same way."  He was a young man of deep faith and infectious joy.

     One person on facebook spoke of being inspired by this family every time they came into Saint Joseph Church, filled the pew, knelt in quiet prayer before greeting those around them and praying with the parish family at liturgy.

     Nick is a gift to us.  Nick in his young life knew that God had gifted him so that he could share that giftedness with others.  And he welcomed the gift that others are into his life.  No wonder he was such a pure heart who exuded happiness.  Thank you, Nick.

    He brings his joy to the home of his heavenly Father.  Our continued prayers to his Mom and Dad, sisters and brother, family and friends.

A GREAT FRIEND

      We are all too often touched by the experience of death in our lives, especially as we grow older.  

    I would like to mention the death of a very good friend from Masontown, who I have known since my arrival there as pastor at All Saints in October of 1986.  Her name is Donna Jean Parish.  Donna died on May 18th after a very long and courageous battle with cancer.

    Donna was loved and supported by and, as he told me yesterday, a blessing to her husband and best friend, George.  Their son, George and his wife Sarah, and their children Levi and Andrew were the joy of Donna's heart.

    Donna taught kindergarten at All Saints School for 26 years, touching a generation of lives with her faith, goodness and love.  Her funeral Mass was today.  How can I remember and honor her?  I think that I have found a way, with the help of one her former students, Drew Colebank, who wrote what follows below about this good woman.  I share his words, which her son, George, posted on facebook.  Thanks Drew.

From Drew Colebank regarding Donna Parish

How do you measure the life of a woman?  In the love she shared from her heart!

Did she leave the world better than she found?  A woman who taught a generation to keep the faith, always hope, and abide in love.

She taught a generation to care for each other, even in a careless world of bigotry.  She taught a generation to give to each other, even in a selfish world of vanity.  She taught a generation to seek peace, even in a violent world of hate.

 She comforted us as kindergarten children on the day the world stood still, 9/11 a day of crisis, while the world is in crisis still in senseless conflict and painful pandemic.

Is the world any better?  Absolutely!

It was not, is not, and will not be the same without this loving little servant who made an everlasting impact on the Kingdom of her God, a true saint of Christ.  She fought the good fight, a battle won!

"Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful over a few things.  I will make you a ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your Lord."  (Matthew 25:11)

Thanks, Drew ... and most especially - Thanks, Donna.  She now Rests in Peace.  I am blessed to call her a friend.

VIGIL REFLECTION

     I was asked to preach at our house Vigil celebration this year.  What follows is my reflection given this past Saturday evening to the men of the Neumann House residence for retired priests.

     We began our Triduum liturgy on Thursday by remembering - calling to mind as we heard the scriptures from Exodus the Passover supper of the first covenant - and then entering into the supper of the new covenant, doing as Jesus asked of us "in memory of me".  We recalled on Friday the suffering and death of Christ as we remembered the act of our redemption, the source of our salvation.  We reached out and touched the Cross which becomes our sign of victory.

      Tonight we continue to remember as we pledge to continue to walk in his way.  Our remembering involves the telling of our story, part one of our history.

     In 1981 there was a Mel Brooks comedy that came out entitled "History of the World, Part 1".  It presented a number of comedic scenes from human history from the cave man to Moses to Nero to the Spanish Inquisition to the French Revolution.  The Church tonight, in the beauty of the full liturgy and scriptures, gives us the REAL history of the world, part 1.

     From darkness and chaos and nothingness the Lord God said "Let there be light" ... he brought order to all created things ... and out of nothingness he brought life.  He crowned his creation by fashioning us (human beings) "in his image and likeness" and the befriending us.  But temptation and sin entered the picture and things went downhill from there.

     He called a people to himself in Abraham - and in the pivotal moment of our story freed them from slavery and bondage in Egypt and led them to a land flowing with milk and honey, a promised land.  There were highs and lows in this journey, all leading to the close of part 1 and the beginning of something new.

     That new thing, that new covenant was sealed with the ultimate sacrifice - the life of the Son of God on the tree of the Cross.  From this new Passover we experience a new exodus - from the darkness of our sin to reconciliation and the light of truth, through the chaos and confusion of a life lived in a troubled world to a way of living that IS peace, and from death in all of its forms to the new life of the risen Lord and the empty tomb.

     We will be invited in a moment to recall our baptismal promises and renew our commitment to this new covenant and the beginning of "the history of the world, part 2" - a journey that, while still not lived in perfection, is lived in hope and the assurance that the victory has been won ... the tomb is empty ... and we walk again, like in the garden of old, side by side in the friendship of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

     Then, coming again to the table and recognizing him "in the breaking of the bread", we can go forth to witness with ALLELUIA on our lips and in our hearts. 

VIA DOLOROSA - completion

      I missed last Friday's post on the Way of the Cross, so I will complete our reflections on this Good Friday.

The Eleventh Station

JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS

    The action of "nailing" the convict to the cross was not commonplace but reserved for the circumstances when a "point was to be made".  Usually the hands and feet were securely bound by ropes.  However we are bound to our cross, the pain is always there and usually excruciating.

    Sometimes our will is bound to the cross through the people that we are forced to bear or who we must serve or obey.  Sometimes it comes through sickness and disease without our being able to do anything about it.  Sometimes our being bound to our cross crushes our dreams, plans, and ambitions that keep us from touching the living God.

    Jesus willing allowed himself to be bound, with nails and ropes, to a cross for the redemption of all creation.  

The Twelfth Station

JESUS DIES UPON THE CROSS

    At the foot of the cross was his mother, Mary.  She stood there in anguish and sorrow.  Though Mary can do nothing at this moment, her inactivity is not paralysis.  It is an inward churning of love and wonder and sorrow.  If this is where her son leads her, then this is where she will stay.  She will want nothing else if this is the appointed end of the son whom she loves; the son who, far from receiving her loving care has become the master of her soul.

The Thirteenth Station

JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS

    He has commended himself into the hands of his Father.  The crowds begin to disperse.  Those who love Jesus stay with him in stillness; those who hate, betray, or deny him leave, with many words and emotions.  Waiting with Christ in stillness, like Mary, means union with him.  It means knowing "the tragedy and the victory of his love."  It is called contemplation.  Are we found at the foot of the cross in prayer and contemplation, or have we moved on?  The great "Pieta" is the image of this Station.

The Fourteenth Station

JESUS IS LAID IN THE SEPULCHER

    The scriptures take the view that in living and dying, the best thing available to us is the knowledge of God.  As to knowing ourselves, that will come with knowing God.

    The Cross of Christ reveals God most truly because that is where he redeems the human beings that he has made, bringing them fully and finally into his purposes.  Wonderfully he allows us to embrace his Cross.  When the crucified comes to live with us, we die into his glorious Resurrection.

Remember, that Easter morning this sepulcher will be found empty ... but he is found in our midst.