As we approach this wondrous celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I marvel at the fact that God sent His Son to become one of us - divinity mixing with humanity. Jesus experienced everything we experience, or so say the Gospels.
Really? I wonder what happened when his right knee swelled up to the point he had truble with stairs, and finding a comfortable position sleeping at night? That thought occured to me as I sat in the doctor's office yesterday getting FOUR vials of fluid drained and a shot of cortesone injected. For me to go to a doc means it must be getting bad, and when my balky knee locked during the funeral Mass yesterday morning, I broke down and called - more because I feared not being able to do Christmas Masses if it got worse, than anything. The doc worked his magic and I was able to tie my shoes and wipe my feet after my morning shower once again this morning. Hooray!
But I also knew what Jesus felt when I heard of a family who was only going to have pasta for Christmas dinner because that was all they could afford this year. So I gave them the turkey in my freezer and bought some fixings for them and gave them a couple of gift cards to buy a couple of presents for the kids, and the daughter asked her mom on the way home how cool it was that Fr. Nick and St. Nick had the same name!
I think humanity mixed with divinity when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but I also think divinty mixes with humanity every time we continue the work of Jesus in the word around us! Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Charitable Tradition
One of the long-time traditions here at St. Thomas is to donate 200 food baskets to the needy of our local community for Christmas every year. It is quite an undertaking. We solicit donations of non-perishable food items and frozen turkeys from parishioners beginning in November. Gulf Shrimp generously stores the turkeys for us. Then, the weekend before Christmas, volunteers gather to make up the food baskets and deliver them to individual residences provided by the Social Services Agency in town.
While I was aware of this endeavor, I had never really watched the process unfold until this year. It is quite amazing, a well-oiled machine! In forty-five minutes, all two hundred boxes were filled with the same ingredients, and set aside according to pre-determined route numbers. The next morning, after gathering for Mass, these volunteers loaded up vans, cars and trucks, added a frozen turkey per box, and went out to deliver a Christmas meal to 200 families. In a few hours, the mission was accomplished!
A huge 'thank-you' goes out to Stan Magairie who coordinates the effort, Mark Dreschler who takes the turkeys from our freezers to Gulf Shrimp a few times per week, and the many, many people who do the 'leg work' that will truly help make this Christmas a bit merrier for some within our wonderful community!
While I was aware of this endeavor, I had never really watched the process unfold until this year. It is quite amazing, a well-oiled machine! In forty-five minutes, all two hundred boxes were filled with the same ingredients, and set aside according to pre-determined route numbers. The next morning, after gathering for Mass, these volunteers loaded up vans, cars and trucks, added a frozen turkey per box, and went out to deliver a Christmas meal to 200 families. In a few hours, the mission was accomplished!
A huge 'thank-you' goes out to Stan Magairie who coordinates the effort, Mark Dreschler who takes the turkeys from our freezers to Gulf Shrimp a few times per week, and the many, many people who do the 'leg work' that will truly help make this Christmas a bit merrier for some within our wonderful community!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
in a rush
I couldn't help but think of all those who rush out of church before Mass is over because they fear the buffet line will be too long if they stay til the end;
or those who claim they are too busy to make it church every week.
Just last Saturday I was talking to a regular Vigil Mass attendee who had just returned from visiting her daughter in England.
On Sunday she was carrying Christmas decorations up from her basement when she fell back down the stairs and died. We celebrated her funeral this morning.
It was a poigniant reminder to me to make sure my priorities are where they should be. What I might deem most important at any moment is really not, unless it helps get me closer to eternal life. For when God calls, we cannot say 'no', even for a buffet line!
or those who claim they are too busy to make it church every week.
Just last Saturday I was talking to a regular Vigil Mass attendee who had just returned from visiting her daughter in England.
On Sunday she was carrying Christmas decorations up from her basement when she fell back down the stairs and died. We celebrated her funeral this morning.
It was a poigniant reminder to me to make sure my priorities are where they should be. What I might deem most important at any moment is really not, unless it helps get me closer to eternal life. For when God calls, we cannot say 'no', even for a buffet line!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
...and with your spirit
So now that I have a full week of the revised translation of the Roman Missal under my belt - as have those who attend daily Mass - I must say that we are getting used to it, for the most part. Psychologists tell us that doing something six times is needed to make it a habit. So, the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal wording should be a habit now for many of us. (OK, so maybe I don't form habits as easily as most!)
It has been interesting to recognize some of the changes as coming from Sacred Scripture. Monday morning's Mass, the 2nd day of the new Missal, used the Gospel passage of the centurion approaching Jesus to cure his son, saying he did not feel worthy for Jesus to 'come under my roof'. And there it was again, in the people's response just before receiving Holy Communion!
But the one that seems most problematic, even though it has been the one example most frequently given over the past year of the changes to the Missal, is the response to the priest saying, 'The Lord be with you'.
I even found myself reverting to the old form of that response when the deacon proclaims the Gospel. It just 'naturally' comes out: 'And also with you!'. So why this change?
First of all, it IS scripturally based. It is inspired by the passages that conclude 2Timothy, Galations, Philippians and Philemon. And in these passages, St. Paul is addressing the Christian community, not any one person, or group of people. The priest, through his ordination, represents Christ at Mass. The Holy Spirit has come to him in a special way, and thus the response is really saying: 'And with you, His minister.'
One of the 'benefits' of the new wording has been that I have had to take much more time preparing for Mass than before. I have to spend time with each of the prayers for Mass beforehand, so that they can come across in a meaningful and understandable way - and also so that I wont revert back to the wording as I have learned it over the past twenty-eight years.
Hopefully, the congregation is getting a renewed appreciation for what takes place at Mass as well, and is spending more time preparing for Mass beforehand. I know some have said they find it harder to 'say the Mass along with the priest'! My response is that the people are NOT supposed to be 'saying the Mass along with the priest.' The Mass is a dialogue. The priest has his parts. The congregation has their parts. And some prayers are said together. The key is to listen attentively to the prayers the priest is saying, letting them fill our minds and hearts, and then responding as best we can at the appropriate times. In fact, the Memorial Acclamation has been changed to reflect this dynamic. The priest no longer says it with the people because it is the people's response to what the priest has just prayed.
So, as I prepare to preside at the 2nd weekend with this new translation, I do so with a renew appreciation of the great gift the Mass is, and especially the Sacrament of Eucharist! May it draw us ever closer to eternal life in the Father's Kingdom of true and lasting peace!
It has been interesting to recognize some of the changes as coming from Sacred Scripture. Monday morning's Mass, the 2nd day of the new Missal, used the Gospel passage of the centurion approaching Jesus to cure his son, saying he did not feel worthy for Jesus to 'come under my roof'. And there it was again, in the people's response just before receiving Holy Communion!
But the one that seems most problematic, even though it has been the one example most frequently given over the past year of the changes to the Missal, is the response to the priest saying, 'The Lord be with you'.
I even found myself reverting to the old form of that response when the deacon proclaims the Gospel. It just 'naturally' comes out: 'And also with you!'. So why this change?
First of all, it IS scripturally based. It is inspired by the passages that conclude 2Timothy, Galations, Philippians and Philemon. And in these passages, St. Paul is addressing the Christian community, not any one person, or group of people. The priest, through his ordination, represents Christ at Mass. The Holy Spirit has come to him in a special way, and thus the response is really saying: 'And with you, His minister.'
One of the 'benefits' of the new wording has been that I have had to take much more time preparing for Mass than before. I have to spend time with each of the prayers for Mass beforehand, so that they can come across in a meaningful and understandable way - and also so that I wont revert back to the wording as I have learned it over the past twenty-eight years.
Hopefully, the congregation is getting a renewed appreciation for what takes place at Mass as well, and is spending more time preparing for Mass beforehand. I know some have said they find it harder to 'say the Mass along with the priest'! My response is that the people are NOT supposed to be 'saying the Mass along with the priest.' The Mass is a dialogue. The priest has his parts. The congregation has their parts. And some prayers are said together. The key is to listen attentively to the prayers the priest is saying, letting them fill our minds and hearts, and then responding as best we can at the appropriate times. In fact, the Memorial Acclamation has been changed to reflect this dynamic. The priest no longer says it with the people because it is the people's response to what the priest has just prayed.
So, as I prepare to preside at the 2nd weekend with this new translation, I do so with a renew appreciation of the great gift the Mass is, and especially the Sacrament of Eucharist! May it draw us ever closer to eternal life in the Father's Kingdom of true and lasting peace!
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