We interrupt our Advent series on the Sacred Liturgy to bring you important news of other sorts. Here at Pastor Central, there are a couple of things that need to be gotten out “onto the street.”
First, our Archbishop, who was so recently honored by our Holy Father and created a Cardinal, has honored one of our own, and by doing so, honored Saint Bernadette. His Eminence Cardinal Wuerl will bestow the Manifesting the Kingdom Award on our very own Norma Thomas, in a special ceremony on Epiphany at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In recognizing people from around the Archdiocese who by their lives and by their efforts reveal the grace of God at work in our midst, and further that work in a tireless and selfless way, Cardinal Wuerl is helping us to see how, in these witnesses, the Kingdom of God is very near to us.
I cannot help but think you all know Norma. If you think you don’t, you probably do, but only haven’t been introduced. She’s in the sacristy, and RCIA. She “helps out” here at the rectory office – about thirty hours a week. She visits the sick, and leads a prayer group. She also keeps track, and keeps in touch – she whispers in my ear many of the situations and intentions that I need to pray about or visit. And she smiles – a lot. She is and does much more besides, but I have to stop now. Come to the Basilica on the afternoon of 2 January to show that we recognize the Kingdom breaking in on us when we see it!
Secondly, thank you very much for your good-natured attentiveness to Father Bonifacio of the Missionary Fraternity of Mary, from Guatemala. Like you, I was very impressed by him and the missionary congregation he described to us. Only twenty-five years old, it is growing by ten priests a year, and dispatching missionaries beyond the boundaries of its home country, not only to the heart of Africa, but to the heartland of America – Wisconsin!
How could I tell you were attentive? Well, I get to see the count on how you responded: $4,331.45, so far. That is the largest second collection we have had all year! As I promised at the Mass I celebrated, if you weren’t able to respond at that moment, you can get a contribution to us any time, marked in any way (in the official envelope, or just with a note) and we will transmit it to them.
Every other year, our Archdiocesan Missionary Cooperative assigns our parish one of the many organizations seeking to ask for help in our churches. Saint Bernadette is the only parish in which they were allowed to do so this year. So it is a good thing for them that you are so helpful!
You can’t imagine how many organizations would just love to speak at our Masses just so you might have the “opportunity” to support them. I am a pretty strict gatekeeper though, so this is the only mission appeal you’ll get – till two years from now.
You were also most receptive to the appeal for help for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, last month. And the pile of gifts under the Giving Tree last week was another time when you responded to a genuine need that had been put before you.
You are so good. I am running out of space, but two quick reminders before I send you out into the Week before Christmas: one, there will be no five o’clock Saturday evening Mass on Christmas Day. And two, since the five o’clock Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve is so crowded, please try going to one of our other Masses if you do not have children who have not yet received their first Holy Communion. God will reward you – and more folks will get a seat. Have a great week – and if you haven’t already, go to confession! See you Christmas.
Monsignor Smith
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Words and Music
The First Sunday of Advent next year, 2011, the Church throughout the English-speaking world will begin using a new translation of the Mass. This is the third bulletin letter I have used to start getting you ready for this big change.
You will be pleased to know that the Our Father will not change at all. But a lot of things will change that you say now from memory, including the Gloria, and the Creed. Both of them change in small but substantial ways.
The Gloria will begin: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Which is a better rendition than what we have been using of: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, rex caelestis, Pater omnipotens. You don’t need to be a Latin scholar to see that.
The Profession of Faith will change right at the beginning from We believe to I believe. That better translates the word in Latin, Credo, which is in the first person singular, and reflects that while we all believe it together, we speak of our own, personal belief. Some of the things that we will profess to believe will be changed in formulation as well, including all things visible and invisible; and the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. There are changes like that throughout the Creed. I don’t know about you, but will probably be about ten years before I try that without having the text in front of me!
Right before the Eucharistic prayer, when the priest says Let us give thanks to the Lord our God, you will respond, It is right and just (Dignum et iustum est) instead of It is right to give Him thanks and praise. In the Holy, holy, holy, one little thing will change – Lord God of power and might will become Lord God of hosts. The Priest will leave out, Let us proclaim… and just say, The Mystery of Faith!; then, every one of the memorial acclamations that you can say in response will change, at least a little.
Because all of these texts are changing, something else that we are all familiar with will be changing as well: the music. The musical settings of the English Mass parts that we have all grown accustomed to will be left behind with the old texts – it would be too confusing to try to squeeze new words into old melodies, and new melodies will help us learn the new words. Our music leaders and I will begin working soon on finding the best new settings for us to use. Don’t worry, we will do what it takes to help you learn them – even if that means practicing!
In the face of this change, we of Saint Bernadette have an advantage. We already are familiar with the Mass in its original form, since we have been singing the Latin commons (Gloria, Sanctus, etc.) for over a decade. Did you notice last week that Fr. Bonifacio had no trouble singing along with our Gregorian chant? It is a link for us to Church members around the world whatever languages they speak. And that union in prayer will continue to be enhanced as we plunge more deeply into the Mass and its meaning. God bless you to sing His praises!
Monsignor Smith
You will be pleased to know that the Our Father will not change at all. But a lot of things will change that you say now from memory, including the Gloria, and the Creed. Both of them change in small but substantial ways.
The Gloria will begin: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Which is a better rendition than what we have been using of: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, rex caelestis, Pater omnipotens. You don’t need to be a Latin scholar to see that.
The Profession of Faith will change right at the beginning from We believe to I believe. That better translates the word in Latin, Credo, which is in the first person singular, and reflects that while we all believe it together, we speak of our own, personal belief. Some of the things that we will profess to believe will be changed in formulation as well, including all things visible and invisible; and the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. There are changes like that throughout the Creed. I don’t know about you, but will probably be about ten years before I try that without having the text in front of me!
Right before the Eucharistic prayer, when the priest says Let us give thanks to the Lord our God, you will respond, It is right and just (Dignum et iustum est) instead of It is right to give Him thanks and praise. In the Holy, holy, holy, one little thing will change – Lord God of power and might will become Lord God of hosts. The Priest will leave out, Let us proclaim… and just say, The Mystery of Faith!; then, every one of the memorial acclamations that you can say in response will change, at least a little.
Because all of these texts are changing, something else that we are all familiar with will be changing as well: the music. The musical settings of the English Mass parts that we have all grown accustomed to will be left behind with the old texts – it would be too confusing to try to squeeze new words into old melodies, and new melodies will help us learn the new words. Our music leaders and I will begin working soon on finding the best new settings for us to use. Don’t worry, we will do what it takes to help you learn them – even if that means practicing!
In the face of this change, we of Saint Bernadette have an advantage. We already are familiar with the Mass in its original form, since we have been singing the Latin commons (Gloria, Sanctus, etc.) for over a decade. Did you notice last week that Fr. Bonifacio had no trouble singing along with our Gregorian chant? It is a link for us to Church members around the world whatever languages they speak. And that union in prayer will continue to be enhanced as we plunge more deeply into the Mass and its meaning. God bless you to sing His praises!
Monsignor Smith
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Gears to shift
The First Sunday of Advent next year, 2011, the Church throughout the English-speaking world will begin using a new translation of the Mass. For those of you who were traveling, I introduced this bit of news in my column last weekend.
This is going to be difficult. Our words and actions in the Sacred Liturgy become ingrained in us and come forth without conscious evaluation or decision, so to change them will require an increase in our level of attention. It’s similar referring to “the Archbishop,” and calling him “Your Excellency,” and then having to change to saying, “the Cardinal,” and greet him as, “Your Eminence.” Tricky stuff!
This is going to be good. Challenging though it will be, it will result in more of the meaning of the Mass being revealed in the words that the people and ministers use in its celebration. Almost fifteen years ago, Father Brainerd and I sat down to attempt our own translation of the Mass, for a contest. I learned then how much was in the Mass that our English texts were mis-stating, reducing, or leaving out altogether!
It will require more work of the priests and deacons, I think, because more of the changes are in our parts. But there are changes in the responses of the congregation, too, and at first that is going to mean reading along, and working hard to overcome old habits
.
Are you ready for the big one? Whenever the priest says, The Lord be with you, the people will respond….And with your spirit. That makes perfect sense, since the original dialogue is, Dominus vobiscum – Et cum spiritu tuo. That’s familiar Latin even for folks who don’t know the Latin Mass. In Italian, it is E con il tuo spirito; in Spanish, Y con tu espiritu; in French, Et avec votre esprit; and in German, Und mit deinem Geiste. They all say, pretty obviously, and with your spirit.
One might reasonably ask, where did we English-speakers get, And also with you, -- and why have we been using that all these years? I can’t answer that, but I can say again that the original English translation was done in a great hurry, and intentionally dropped some words and concepts that we now know are pretty important and integral to our prayer. Returning the word spirit to our greeting will acknowledge the spiritual aspect of what we are doing in the Mass, that it is not a social gathering.
Increased fidelity to the Mass prayers in their original form is not the only thing that we will gain; there will also be a greater fidelity to the Scriptural roots of the Mass. One of my favorite examples comes when the priest holds up the consecrated Host just before Communion. He will say, Behold the Lamb of God; behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. And the people will respond, Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.
I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof is not only a direct translation of the Latin, but it is a direct quote of the Roman centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant (Mt 8:8 and Lk 7:6). It makes clear not only that we are not worthy, but that we are nonetheless going to receive a great guest “under our roof” – in our own flesh!
Don’t worry about memorizing these just yet; I am only giving you examples to help you prepare mentally for all the liturgical preparation we will be doing next year. I hope you’ll be eager enough for the good this will bring, that you will happily share the work of making it happen. God bless your openness!
Monsignor Smith
This is going to be difficult. Our words and actions in the Sacred Liturgy become ingrained in us and come forth without conscious evaluation or decision, so to change them will require an increase in our level of attention. It’s similar referring to “the Archbishop,” and calling him “Your Excellency,” and then having to change to saying, “the Cardinal,” and greet him as, “Your Eminence.” Tricky stuff!
This is going to be good. Challenging though it will be, it will result in more of the meaning of the Mass being revealed in the words that the people and ministers use in its celebration. Almost fifteen years ago, Father Brainerd and I sat down to attempt our own translation of the Mass, for a contest. I learned then how much was in the Mass that our English texts were mis-stating, reducing, or leaving out altogether!
It will require more work of the priests and deacons, I think, because more of the changes are in our parts. But there are changes in the responses of the congregation, too, and at first that is going to mean reading along, and working hard to overcome old habits
.
Are you ready for the big one? Whenever the priest says, The Lord be with you, the people will respond….And with your spirit. That makes perfect sense, since the original dialogue is, Dominus vobiscum – Et cum spiritu tuo. That’s familiar Latin even for folks who don’t know the Latin Mass. In Italian, it is E con il tuo spirito; in Spanish, Y con tu espiritu; in French, Et avec votre esprit; and in German, Und mit deinem Geiste. They all say, pretty obviously, and with your spirit.
One might reasonably ask, where did we English-speakers get, And also with you, -- and why have we been using that all these years? I can’t answer that, but I can say again that the original English translation was done in a great hurry, and intentionally dropped some words and concepts that we now know are pretty important and integral to our prayer. Returning the word spirit to our greeting will acknowledge the spiritual aspect of what we are doing in the Mass, that it is not a social gathering.
Increased fidelity to the Mass prayers in their original form is not the only thing that we will gain; there will also be a greater fidelity to the Scriptural roots of the Mass. One of my favorite examples comes when the priest holds up the consecrated Host just before Communion. He will say, Behold the Lamb of God; behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. And the people will respond, Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.
I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof is not only a direct translation of the Latin, but it is a direct quote of the Roman centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant (Mt 8:8 and Lk 7:6). It makes clear not only that we are not worthy, but that we are nonetheless going to receive a great guest “under our roof” – in our own flesh!
Don’t worry about memorizing these just yet; I am only giving you examples to help you prepare mentally for all the liturgical preparation we will be doing next year. I hope you’ll be eager enough for the good this will bring, that you will happily share the work of making it happen. God bless your openness!
Monsignor Smith
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Changing, and staying the same
The new liturgical year begins with Advent, and with this New Year comes…news.
One year from now, the Church throughout the English-speaking world will begin using a new translation of the Mass. This will have a direct impact on us at the very heart of our life together, so I wanted to tell you now, and let you know that together, we will all be preparing for the change throughout the coming year.
The Missal is the big red book from which the priest reads the prayers at Mass. The prayers and gestures of our current Missal were set by the Church in the late 1960’s, after the Second Vatican Council required that the Mass be changed from its previous form, which had been fairly consistent since the 1560’s. The contents of this new Missal were in Latin, as they have been since the third century or so.
Because the Council also directed that some parts of some Masses might be said sometimes in the local language of the faithful, the Missal was translated into many major languages of the world. These translations were done very quickly to make the official changes to the Mass available as soon as possible. The current English translation of the Missal comes from that time, and was introduced in 1970. It is the only version of the Mass many of us remember – and all of us are used to.
What is not changing is the Missal itself – the prayers and ceremonies that are the norm for the celebration of all (Latin-rite) Masses in the Church. The Missal has been slightly revised twice, once in 1974, and once in 2001, but the changes have mostly been new prayers, and feast days added to the calendar.
With this second revision, in 2001, the instructions that go with the ceremony were clarified, then made more explicit and understandable in a new English version. If you were at Saint Bernadette then, you probably did not notice any change at all, because here we have always celebrated Mass according to the intentions of the instructions, and didn’t need the new English texts to bring us into line with the mind and action of the Church. But many parishes did need that.
The changes to our English text have behind them the same motivations as that adjustment. The new translation is a more faithful rendering of the prayers of the Mass in both content and style. One of the reasons for this is the hurry in which our current version was prepared. There are not only inaccuracies from the actual form and content of the Mass, but inconsistencies within the English text itself, and even downright poor grammar.
The other reason is that when the translation was made, there was the explicit goal of simplifying the language. Now, there is a consensus within the Church that those texts were over-simplified, to the point of making the magnificent Mass into something banal, using lifeless, inelegant language to express the life-giving and elevating prayer of the Church. So the Mass will stay the same; only the English rendering of it will change.
Advent is the season when we prepare to receive the Lord. For several years now, I have used my bulletin letters to help you understand and appreciate the Sacred Liturgy and our celebration of it, because that is how, when, and where we receive the Lord Who Comes. Join me throughout the next three weeks to learn more about this change that is coming to make our encounter with Christ richer, deeper, and truer.
Monsignor Smith
One year from now, the Church throughout the English-speaking world will begin using a new translation of the Mass. This will have a direct impact on us at the very heart of our life together, so I wanted to tell you now, and let you know that together, we will all be preparing for the change throughout the coming year.
The Missal is the big red book from which the priest reads the prayers at Mass. The prayers and gestures of our current Missal were set by the Church in the late 1960’s, after the Second Vatican Council required that the Mass be changed from its previous form, which had been fairly consistent since the 1560’s. The contents of this new Missal were in Latin, as they have been since the third century or so.
Because the Council also directed that some parts of some Masses might be said sometimes in the local language of the faithful, the Missal was translated into many major languages of the world. These translations were done very quickly to make the official changes to the Mass available as soon as possible. The current English translation of the Missal comes from that time, and was introduced in 1970. It is the only version of the Mass many of us remember – and all of us are used to.
What is not changing is the Missal itself – the prayers and ceremonies that are the norm for the celebration of all (Latin-rite) Masses in the Church. The Missal has been slightly revised twice, once in 1974, and once in 2001, but the changes have mostly been new prayers, and feast days added to the calendar.
With this second revision, in 2001, the instructions that go with the ceremony were clarified, then made more explicit and understandable in a new English version. If you were at Saint Bernadette then, you probably did not notice any change at all, because here we have always celebrated Mass according to the intentions of the instructions, and didn’t need the new English texts to bring us into line with the mind and action of the Church. But many parishes did need that.
The changes to our English text have behind them the same motivations as that adjustment. The new translation is a more faithful rendering of the prayers of the Mass in both content and style. One of the reasons for this is the hurry in which our current version was prepared. There are not only inaccuracies from the actual form and content of the Mass, but inconsistencies within the English text itself, and even downright poor grammar.
The other reason is that when the translation was made, there was the explicit goal of simplifying the language. Now, there is a consensus within the Church that those texts were over-simplified, to the point of making the magnificent Mass into something banal, using lifeless, inelegant language to express the life-giving and elevating prayer of the Church. So the Mass will stay the same; only the English rendering of it will change.
Advent is the season when we prepare to receive the Lord. For several years now, I have used my bulletin letters to help you understand and appreciate the Sacred Liturgy and our celebration of it, because that is how, when, and where we receive the Lord Who Comes. Join me throughout the next three weeks to learn more about this change that is coming to make our encounter with Christ richer, deeper, and truer.
Monsignor Smith
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Cast of Thousands
One of the funny things that kids express sometimes is the belief that we priests only celebrate Mass. What does Monsignor do the rest of the week, mommy? Equally mistaken is the idea, not limited to kids, that only we priests celebrate Mass. You know, light the candles and turn Father loose, and you’ve got Mass.
Well, this past weekend was a perfect demonstration of how not true that is. I was made particularly aware of how much work so many people were doing to make our Masses beautiful, rich, holy, and enjoyable.
First I appreciated all the volunteers who made up my Fearless Team to distribute and collect the cards for the offertory campaign. A large number of kids and some older folks worked to facilitate the daunting logistics of that in-pew appeal. I was marveling at how many there were, and how well they did their work.
And because I have been at all the Masses the past two weekends, I have seen our musicians working to make Mass sound as beautiful as God’s presence itself. They come during the week to rehearse, show up early to warm up and practice, and work hard throughout to help us all pray. That is a lot of people, and a lot of their time.
Of course, you all see the altar servers. They come early too, and work beforehand and afterward. They have to be on their toes throughout. Back in the dark days of snowstorms, once or twice we had no servers for Mass – though not a Sunday Mass, I think – and that is terrible.
Imagine how long Mass would take if we didn’t have Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion! The distribution of Holy Communion tales longer than any single part of the Mass already, as it is; without them, it would take another fifteen minutes. They have to coordinate their days with our schedules to make this beautiful encounter with God go so smoothly for us all.
And talk about unappreciated, but with a huge impact – the ushers! The SECOND longest part of Mass is the offertory, and the more skilled ushers we have, the faster and better that goes. Thank God for their help! I know we could use a few more who are willing to commit, and put their names and numbers on a list. Talk about something I would like to get for Christmas!
It takes a steady stream of volunteers to make our Children’s Liturgy run, too. No small feat, taking and holding the attention of all those small people, showing them Jesus in that day’s readings, and then bringing them all back to Mom and Dad.
Then there are the folks you don’t see. Unless you are the parent who drops off, you won’t see the volunteers in our babysitting program. Boy could we use more of those! I would LOVE to expand it to the 11:00, but that takes folks we just don’t have … yet.
Equally invisible are our sacristans, who are there long before and long after Mass to make sure everything is ordered properly. Again, imagine how clumsy our worship would be without their preparation.
Yep, we clergy get the microphone, and the wardrobe – but it takes a lot of willing souls to make Mass happen every Sunday as beautifully as it does here. Praise God for their fidelity -- and yours.
Monsignor Smith
Well, this past weekend was a perfect demonstration of how not true that is. I was made particularly aware of how much work so many people were doing to make our Masses beautiful, rich, holy, and enjoyable.
First I appreciated all the volunteers who made up my Fearless Team to distribute and collect the cards for the offertory campaign. A large number of kids and some older folks worked to facilitate the daunting logistics of that in-pew appeal. I was marveling at how many there were, and how well they did their work.
And because I have been at all the Masses the past two weekends, I have seen our musicians working to make Mass sound as beautiful as God’s presence itself. They come during the week to rehearse, show up early to warm up and practice, and work hard throughout to help us all pray. That is a lot of people, and a lot of their time.
Of course, you all see the altar servers. They come early too, and work beforehand and afterward. They have to be on their toes throughout. Back in the dark days of snowstorms, once or twice we had no servers for Mass – though not a Sunday Mass, I think – and that is terrible.
Imagine how long Mass would take if we didn’t have Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion! The distribution of Holy Communion tales longer than any single part of the Mass already, as it is; without them, it would take another fifteen minutes. They have to coordinate their days with our schedules to make this beautiful encounter with God go so smoothly for us all.
And talk about unappreciated, but with a huge impact – the ushers! The SECOND longest part of Mass is the offertory, and the more skilled ushers we have, the faster and better that goes. Thank God for their help! I know we could use a few more who are willing to commit, and put their names and numbers on a list. Talk about something I would like to get for Christmas!
It takes a steady stream of volunteers to make our Children’s Liturgy run, too. No small feat, taking and holding the attention of all those small people, showing them Jesus in that day’s readings, and then bringing them all back to Mom and Dad.
Then there are the folks you don’t see. Unless you are the parent who drops off, you won’t see the volunteers in our babysitting program. Boy could we use more of those! I would LOVE to expand it to the 11:00, but that takes folks we just don’t have … yet.
Equally invisible are our sacristans, who are there long before and long after Mass to make sure everything is ordered properly. Again, imagine how clumsy our worship would be without their preparation.
Yep, we clergy get the microphone, and the wardrobe – but it takes a lot of willing souls to make Mass happen every Sunday as beautifully as it does here. Praise God for their fidelity -- and yours.
Monsignor Smith
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Talking head
Sometimes I feel like the parent of a teenager. Well, I think that’s the feeling – it seems to resonate with what I am hearing from those of you who are, actually, parents of teenagers. I can only guess, so you’ll have to let me know.
I feel like…every time I actually get to talk to you, I wind up nagging you about something. Take out the trash. Tuck in your shirt. Make your offertory commitment. Drive safely. Say your prayers.
I feel like… we never get to spend time together. You’re rushing to something; I’ve got something I am trying to get done. Somebody has a crisis, and you, or I, or both of us, have to rush to go do something about it.
I feel like… we are speaking two different languages. I don’t think I always understand what you’re saying to me, and I think I don’t do a good job of letting you understand me, and when we talk, it’s often not about anything important.
Here’s an actual kitchen conversation between Father DeRosa and me within the past month. Fr. D.: Do they know how much we love them? Me: Nope. Substitute “Mom” for him and “Dad” for me, and see if it fits parents of a teenager. You can easily figure out who are the “kids” we are talking about: Y’all.
So here I am this weekend, using my twelve minutes of your time for the week to nag you (Make your offertory commitment). And I hate it because it makes it hard for me to help you know why this is important; to know who you are.
In November, these last days of the liturgical year, the Scripture presented to us in the liturgy can be pretty apocalyptic – literally: end of the world, destruction of everything good, death and disaster. That’s just typical parental exaggeration, right? Who needs that bother?
Well, Holy Mother Church is trying to tell you the same thing the sainted mother of any seventeen-year-old who has a license and the car keys: you’re fabulous, but you’re mortal. It matters. Pay attention and choose wisely.
It’s not a subject that you rush to bring up with someone you love. You are mortal. You’re gonna die. No, it’s not something that is likely to happen terribly soon, except for a few of us…but we cannot be certain just who that is. You need to know that, so you can be ready.
And just like any teenage driver, you can take steps to make yourself safe. Many things – many very attractive, exciting, enjoyable, and popular things -- will not help you: Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."
But thanks be to God, there IS something that you can do about it. There is someone who can make you safe from death’s darkness, the eternal oblivion that yearns to devour our unwary souls. Fasten your seatbelt: cling to Christ Jesus. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.
So, have a good time. Enjoy your friends. You are fabulous, but you are mortal. Drive safely. Make your offertory commitment. Say your prayers. I love you.
Monsignor Smith
I feel like…every time I actually get to talk to you, I wind up nagging you about something. Take out the trash. Tuck in your shirt. Make your offertory commitment. Drive safely. Say your prayers.
I feel like… we never get to spend time together. You’re rushing to something; I’ve got something I am trying to get done. Somebody has a crisis, and you, or I, or both of us, have to rush to go do something about it.
I feel like… we are speaking two different languages. I don’t think I always understand what you’re saying to me, and I think I don’t do a good job of letting you understand me, and when we talk, it’s often not about anything important.
Here’s an actual kitchen conversation between Father DeRosa and me within the past month. Fr. D.: Do they know how much we love them? Me: Nope. Substitute “Mom” for him and “Dad” for me, and see if it fits parents of a teenager. You can easily figure out who are the “kids” we are talking about: Y’all.
So here I am this weekend, using my twelve minutes of your time for the week to nag you (Make your offertory commitment). And I hate it because it makes it hard for me to help you know why this is important; to know who you are.
In November, these last days of the liturgical year, the Scripture presented to us in the liturgy can be pretty apocalyptic – literally: end of the world, destruction of everything good, death and disaster. That’s just typical parental exaggeration, right? Who needs that bother?
Well, Holy Mother Church is trying to tell you the same thing the sainted mother of any seventeen-year-old who has a license and the car keys: you’re fabulous, but you’re mortal. It matters. Pay attention and choose wisely.
It’s not a subject that you rush to bring up with someone you love. You are mortal. You’re gonna die. No, it’s not something that is likely to happen terribly soon, except for a few of us…but we cannot be certain just who that is. You need to know that, so you can be ready.
And just like any teenage driver, you can take steps to make yourself safe. Many things – many very attractive, exciting, enjoyable, and popular things -- will not help you: Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."
But thanks be to God, there IS something that you can do about it. There is someone who can make you safe from death’s darkness, the eternal oblivion that yearns to devour our unwary souls. Fasten your seatbelt: cling to Christ Jesus. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.
So, have a good time. Enjoy your friends. You are fabulous, but you are mortal. Drive safely. Make your offertory commitment. Say your prayers. I love you.
Monsignor Smith
Sunday, November 07, 2010
How far will you go?
Since it isn’t really about numbers, much less money, I thought I would share with you today some of the human side of the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, for whom we are taking a collection today. I received an email this week from Father Brian Kane, a son of Saint Bernadette (and son of Michael and Karen Kane, regulars at the 9:00) currently deployed in Iraq.
First, Chaplain Kane sets the scene: We are enjoying cooler temperatures these days, low 90’s during the day, mid 70’s at night, a great improvement from the 110’s of last month. It almost makes you grateful for our November chill, doesn’t it? Then, he points out that his life hasn’t changed much since the troop drawdown: Soldiers still stop by every day seeking advice and support for a variety of issues or just to talk.
We do have fewer Catholic priests in country now, the other priest who has been here … with me will leave next week for a base that doesn’t have a priest. We are already starting to plan for Christmas Masses in southern Iraq. By Christmas there will probably only be two of us to cover southern Iraq. Thankfully we do receive a good amount of support to get to where we need to for Mass. We also will be starting an RCIA class for soldiers and civilians who are interested in joining the Catholic Church, I believe there are at least 10 people... We celebrated All Saints Day and All Souls Day here with special Masses at our Chapel. So, as you regard this yet-another-second-collection, bring to mind this image of the Church, alive and giving life even in a war zone, to our own men and women so eager for the Word of Life, worshiping God and praying with us in an alien land, under the pastoral care of “One of Our Own.”
Closer to home, some of you were unnerved by the clipboards and counters in recent weeks that are the hallmark of the annual Archdiocesan October Count, when every head in every Sunday Mass in every parish is counted. October is chosen because it is a reliably “normal” month – no holidays (Christmas or Easter) to skew the count up, and nothing (summer vacation, Thanksgiving, snowstorms) to skew the count down.
I want to thank the ushers and the volunteers who made the time and took the effort to do the counting; it meant often you were not able to pay full attention to the homily, and I know that is a sacrifice.
I was somewhat disappointed in the results. It is hard to compare this year’s number to last year’s, because the second half of last October was when we had that huge flu outbreak and many people stayed home from school, work, and church. But after previous years had been climbing, the number is down from 1254 Massgoers on average each Sunday two years ago, to 1210 this year.
The 11:00 Mass is growing, but the 7:30 is shrinking, and the 9:00, big as it is, seems to be down too. The Vigil Mass fluctuates wildly. 1210 individuals at Mass is not exactly a strong showing for a parish with 1240 registered households of 3747 people -- and that number is very current, since we have been maintaining our registration database closely.
Think of those service men and women who endure heat and hostility and crave the possibility of being present for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Give thanks to God for His presence in our midst, and encourage someone you love to come as well. It is a matter of life and grace, not numbers.
Monsignor Smith
First, Chaplain Kane sets the scene: We are enjoying cooler temperatures these days, low 90’s during the day, mid 70’s at night, a great improvement from the 110’s of last month. It almost makes you grateful for our November chill, doesn’t it? Then, he points out that his life hasn’t changed much since the troop drawdown: Soldiers still stop by every day seeking advice and support for a variety of issues or just to talk.
We do have fewer Catholic priests in country now, the other priest who has been here … with me will leave next week for a base that doesn’t have a priest. We are already starting to plan for Christmas Masses in southern Iraq. By Christmas there will probably only be two of us to cover southern Iraq. Thankfully we do receive a good amount of support to get to where we need to for Mass. We also will be starting an RCIA class for soldiers and civilians who are interested in joining the Catholic Church, I believe there are at least 10 people... We celebrated All Saints Day and All Souls Day here with special Masses at our Chapel. So, as you regard this yet-another-second-collection, bring to mind this image of the Church, alive and giving life even in a war zone, to our own men and women so eager for the Word of Life, worshiping God and praying with us in an alien land, under the pastoral care of “One of Our Own.”
Closer to home, some of you were unnerved by the clipboards and counters in recent weeks that are the hallmark of the annual Archdiocesan October Count, when every head in every Sunday Mass in every parish is counted. October is chosen because it is a reliably “normal” month – no holidays (Christmas or Easter) to skew the count up, and nothing (summer vacation, Thanksgiving, snowstorms) to skew the count down.
I want to thank the ushers and the volunteers who made the time and took the effort to do the counting; it meant often you were not able to pay full attention to the homily, and I know that is a sacrifice.
I was somewhat disappointed in the results. It is hard to compare this year’s number to last year’s, because the second half of last October was when we had that huge flu outbreak and many people stayed home from school, work, and church. But after previous years had been climbing, the number is down from 1254 Massgoers on average each Sunday two years ago, to 1210 this year.
The 11:00 Mass is growing, but the 7:30 is shrinking, and the 9:00, big as it is, seems to be down too. The Vigil Mass fluctuates wildly. 1210 individuals at Mass is not exactly a strong showing for a parish with 1240 registered households of 3747 people -- and that number is very current, since we have been maintaining our registration database closely.
Think of those service men and women who endure heat and hostility and crave the possibility of being present for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Give thanks to God for His presence in our midst, and encourage someone you love to come as well. It is a matter of life and grace, not numbers.
Monsignor Smith
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