light4you.info

One of the most underused sacraments of the Catholic Church is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  There are many reasons why people do not avail themselves of the graces God bestows upon us in this beautiful spiritual encounter.  Some people have memories of being yelled at in the dark confessional box decades ago.  Some people can’t bring themselves to see themselves as a sinner.  Some people think it is only for those who have done something egregious like murdered someone.  And probably most people just have never gotten around to it.  Whatever the reason, for many Catholics it has been a long time since they have celebrated this sacrament.

The holy season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 13^th.  This Lent, all the churches in the Archdiocese of Hartford are inviting every Catholic to come celebrate this Sacrament once again.  Whether it’s been a few weeks or many years, come experience the joys of having all your sins forgiven.  Come experience the grace to go back into the world with a fresh start.  Come experience the renewed sense of purpose we feel when we have asked God to walk with us as we face the pressures and temptations of our everyday lives.  Or just come spend some quiet time in the presence of Almighty God.

Psychologists have written of the wondrous, freeing effects of this Catholic sacrament, saying that they wish everyone could experience the same thing.  Every Monday during Lent, from 6 to 7 pm, every Catholic church in the Archdiocese will be open for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  We will have the usual time of Saturdays at 2:30 each week as well, and also I would be more than happy to schedule an appointment for anyone not able to make these times.

For more information you can visit www.light4you.info.  Why not come back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lent and see what you have been missing?

Merry Christmas

It is amazing the lengths people will go to in order to avoid appearing religious, or politically incorrect.  I have been wearing one of those buttons from the Knights of Columbus that says 'It's OK to wish me a Merry Christmas!'  Several times in a store recently, the cashier has said, 'You're like the 4th person today with one of those buttons.  I think they are pretty cool.'

'Great', I thought.  'Next she'll wish me a Merry Christmas!'  But it never came.  So when I finished my transaction, I wished her a Merry Christmas.  To which she replied, 'You too!'  She STILL did not say the words 'Merry Christmas!'  How bizarre!

So, having just returned from the 'Mass at Night' as it is now called, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.  May our new-born King fill your heart with his peace, love and joy!

Night

This really cool picture was taken by NASA from outer space using time-lapse photography showing the United States at night.  It shows where most of the population of our country is centered.  There seems to almost be a line dividing the eastern half of our country from the western half.  Even with most of us asleep, isn't it amazing how much energy we are using to keep our world lit up!

150K service

What I did on my days off this week....

It becomes increasingly obvious to me that man and machines are not all too different.

I took my car to the shop this morning for its 150K mile servicing. 
They called this afternoon to say it wont be ready until tomorrow.  I'm not too sure what exactly is being done, other than replacing the timing belt, which is obscenely expensive.  The rest, I gather is 'routine maintenance'.

Which leads me to the next phase of 'routine maintenance'.....

Tomorrow I begin the wonderful prepping for Thursday's colonoscopy! 
This is not my 1st, so I pretty much know what to expect.  Last time I had to ingest a gallon of awful-tasting liquid.  This time it is only two quarts - much more managable, I'm figuring.  I'll let you know later.  But, this time, it looks like I am going to have to get up in the middle of the night to take the second quart.  There has to be a better way!?!?! 

But, like the timing belt, preventative maintenance beats the alternative!  If you're over 50, and haven't had the 'privilege' of a colonoscopy yet, go see your doctor.  As my doctor said, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to be dying of colon cancer today.  It is 100% preventable!

Meantime, I told them it would be a couple of days til I would come for my car!

Homeward

I am thrilled to be able to share with you the wonderful news that Amanda, the woman who was crushed by falling ice this past April in Alaska, is returning home once again on Friday. 
It is truly a miracle that she has made almost a complete recovery in such a short time - although it must seem like 'forever' to her - and a testament to the power of prayer.  We pray for safe travel on her trip from Boston and wish her well as she gets acclimated once again to her life in the 49th state!  God speed, Amanda!

Vatican II

A new movement is beginning in the Catholic Church in our country.  It is called the Association of United States Catholic Priests - AUSCP for short.  It began about a year ago when some priests used the rally cry: 'Just Say Wait' when it was announced that a new translation of the Roman Missal was about to be promulgated.  The feeling was that not enough input had been gained from the grass roots level of the church, and perhaps, instead of just ramming this new translation down people's throats, it might be in the best interest of everyone to try it on an experiemntal basis and, after reviewing feedback, tweak it to better assist Catholics in worship.  As you know, those calls went unheeded, and we have a cumbersome set of prayers that are not proclaimed in wording that is at all familiar to most people in the pews.  In fact, the United States had almost no input into the English translation, whose committee was headed by someone from Great Britain.

From that futile effort at having our voices heard came some priests who thought it might be nice to rally like-minded priests in the United States, and perhaps, if our numbers became sizable (we are hoping to get 10% of the Catholic clergy to sign on), our voice might not go unnoticed as much as before.  Austria and Ireland are among countries that already have such organizations.  I have, until now, not been actively associated with this group because part of me wonders if anything can ever be accomplished, and wouldn't it be better to use all my energy ministering here in the parish.

However, I agreed to attend today's meeting of our Archdiocese's chapter of AUSCP, in part because my curiosity was piqued by the question 'Where do we go from here?' as the topic of discussion, and in part because it is raining and not worth heading to New Hampshire for my days off.

I am glad I went.  There were sixteen of us, several for the first time.  And alot of the discussion centered around our interpretation of the documents of Vatican II, which is a vastly different interpretation than what the hierarchy has been proclaiming in the recent years.  The vision of the 2nd Vatican Council was a church where everyone has a voice, and while it is clearly not a democracy, nonetheless, it is no longer a monarchy either.  In fact, the 'pyramid' is turned upside-down by Vatican II.  No longer is the wide base of laity on the bottom with the Pope as the tip, resting on top.  Rather, the wide base of laity is on top, supported by the tip.

We most certainly need the hierarchy to guide us, but the direction the Church is heading is formed by the needs of its members.  'Collegiality' comes through loud and clear in the documents of Vatican II, and the vision of Pope John XXIII.  We see that a return to that is needed in our church today.

There are two ways to proceed, and we have not gotten to the point of deciding on one particular way.  Some advocate for having an agenda and meeting with the hierarchy to hammer home our points.  Others see nothing to be gained by getting in the face of the hieracrchy.  Rather, we should seek ways of implementing the spirit of the Council in our ministries, and our periodic gathering would be to show solidarity for one another, gain support for our work, and share ideas to accomplish our common goal.

All in all, I was thought the meeting was productive.  I am glad I spent part of my day off attending.  I look forward to our next meeting in January.  And in the meantime, we seek ways of adding to our numbers.  Pray for us!

Prince of Peace

Our final session suggested that when we gaze upon the Face of Christ, we can find the Prince of Peace.  As many of you know from the way I end my homilies, our ultimate goal is to come to the Father's Kingdom of true and lasting peace.  Our days are filled with our search for peace.

Fr. Ryan suggested that there are three things necessary to find the Prince of Peace. 
The first is a commitment to personal prayer, through which we open the door to God.  But, our prayer cannot simply be 'worrying in the presence of God'.  We need to clear the 'rubble' which litters our minds and hearts when we come to prayer.
The second follows that thought.  We need to let go of what we cannot control.  That is why God is there - to handle what we cannot.  We have to give that to Him.
And third, there has to be a desire for reconciliation.  Reconciliation is something that we must practice constantly - a sprituality.

This was a good retreat for me.  It was restful.  It was inspiring.  It gave me some new perspectives for my life and my ministry.  And so, later today, I look forward to heading back to reality.