St Catherine of Siena

Reflections

Christmastime and the end of the year is a time to reflect on who we are—as Christians—and consider what needs to be accomplished in order to become who and what we hope to be—who God has destined us to be. In preparation of the New Year and all those "promises" we make regarding how we are going to change our lives for the better—more exercise and less consumption of food, less intolerance and more patience with family and friends—and even with strangers and enemies, etc., etc., etc.

Society calls us to focus on what "we need to change" in order to become better, but it is also a time when we should take stock of all the "righteous" things we do and recognize The Goodness dwelling within us. Why always use the dark side of humanity—our failures—to create change when we can also use the "light of the life" as the rudder with which to direct us to even greater glory? We have much goodness to acknowledge in our midst and in fact, one could argue that due to all of you and all that you do, collectively and individually, our "rudder" is quiet powerful.

We hear frequently about all the well-known minis-tries in our parish: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Com-munion who take the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and homebound; or the Men’s and Women’s Clubs’ sponsorship of our parish’s annual leaf raking event that services the needs of so many seniors or others in need; and even of the Feed the Hungry or St. Elizabeth House’s monthly efforts to feed the homeless and marginalized in our community. We could go on and on about our Youth Ministry or the Adopt-A-Family Program (by the way of update, the Adopt-A-Family project has already surpassed the $30,000 mark in raising funds for both Sacred Heart Parish in Hartford and Simsbury Senior Citizens) and all the good that they do—and it would not be bragging but rather a recognition of God’s marvelous deeds in our midst to acknowledge these efforts.

And there are more activities, ministries, and out-reach happenings to mention. Comitas, a parish service-based ministry, continues to reach out to individuals and families in times of sickness or loss, providing them with food and various types of support. In recent weeks, Comitas members have taken to bringing individuals to doctor ap-pointments when they can no longer drive due to illness or accidents and are without local family to assist. Care to hear more? Just last month, a [high school] parishioner approached me and wanted to do something nice for seniors at McLean Home. This young and talented guy organized a group of some 15 individuals—many from our parish and still others from the local community—to provide an evening of entertainment of singing at McLean home – to a rousing applause and a request for a command performance. Another gentleman and his wife who belong to the Saint Catherine family collect and prepare stuffed animals for delivery to a local Children’s Hospital for distribution among the little ones who are undergoing treatment or pre-paring for surgery, providing thousands and thousands of opportunities of joy in an otherwise scary time in a young life. These are just some of the Marvelous Deeds being done in and through our parish and that make God present among us. Just as Elizabeth and her unborn son knew they were in the presence of God—and the child in the womb leaped for joy—or as David knew he was in the presence of God while standing before the ark of the covenant, we too can and must experience and be part of the presence of God in our midst. As Mary carried the Christ Child into the world for the first time on that cold night in Bethlehem, we must continue to carry the Light of the World into human-ity. All God asks of us is to pick a ministry or some way to make Him known to others. And then, to quote Nike, "Just Do It."
Yes there are many needs in this world and sadness seems to exist everywhere. But as I mentioned in the beginning, let us not look to the negative to as the foundation of future change but rather look to the more plentiful but always under-reported goodness in the world and multiply it "seven times seventy" for the good of God and all His people.

At this time of year it is also customary in this parish community to provide to our adult volunteers with a bottle of wine, and to our younger volunteers a small gift certificate, as a small token of our appreciation for all that they do in this community all year long. And while I realize that no one does what they do for the bottle of wine, the gift card, or even the kudos of a job well done, it still is appro-priate that we as a community say ―Thank You.‖ This year it is my intention to do something a little bit different but hopefully with a big impact. In the late spring of 2010 our parish will hold a ―Parish Volunteer Appreciation‖ event complete with a Mass of Thanksgiving and an outdoor re-ception. I hope to bring together a collective thank-you for all the many hours and hours of volunteer service accom-plished in the name of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish. I brought this up at a recent Parish Council meeting and after discussing the issue and all it components, we have settled on a format and a date (May 23, 2010) for this day of Thanksgiving. More details will be forthcoming during the winter months as we prepare for this social event with all the many details that there are to accomplish. The Parish Council’s Hospitality Committee, under the direction of John Dillon, has already begun the massive task that lies ahead. I look forward to this very happy event in our parish life.

In the meanwhile, may I offer an albeit insufficient but nonetheless heartfelt "thank-you" to everyone for all that they do all year long!

Peace, Merry Christmas, and a very happy, healthy, prosperous and faith-filled New Year to one and all.
-Fr. Michael

Advent Week Four

This Sunday we see a distinctive Marian focus in the readings and the prayers of the Church, even the alternative Opening Prayer for Mass invokes the role of Mary in God’s plan of salvation. The Gospel is of the Visitation of Mary to announce the Good News to Elizabeth.

In the Gospel for this Sunday Elizabeth acknowledges in Mary the dwelling place of God’s promise fulfilled. Mary, like her ancestors in faith, believed that God’s promise would be fulfilled, and by God’s graciousness bore the Savior of the World. How does that have anything to do with us today? Well, in three ways we can be specific. First, Mary is the sacred vessel that God chose to bring His only Son into the world. It is in this human person, Mary, that the Incarnation of God will (and has) taken place. Humanity and Divinity meet—and the world is changed for all eternity. Human history and human salvation have a new beginning. Second, like Mary, each one of us is called to carry the Lord’s presence into the world and to others. We are called, in both our words and our deeds, to make Him known to the temporal world, to change and transform the hearts of others by the ex-ample of our lives in how we follow and trust in Him.

In the first reading today, from the prophet Micha, we hear of how God intervenes in our lives in ways that are unexpected. The God of all power and might, the Creator of the stars of night, has come into human history—as Micha foretold—by the birth of a infant child born to lowly people in a backwater town. And then this same God extends His reign into the world and the lives of humanity not with control and power, but in a form of authority that has as its foundation the work of peace. No military weapons. No supreme legislative body. No central government control. His only weapons are Truth, Love, and Forgiveness. This is truly a gift from God. And as such, the Church in today’s Responsorial Psalm acknowledges the ongoing gift from God and continually asks for the gift of God’s presence in our lives with the power of the Sacramental Life of the Church, which Christ Himself has given to His Church.

In the letter to the Hebrews, today’s second reading, the author talks about the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the Cross—a sacrifice of obedience to God—which He offers to all mankind. Jesus gave Himself on the Cross for our eternal happiness. And as Jesus did, we too are called to offer our obedience to the Truths of God in how we live our lives out in this world, recognizing God’s will in our lives and then attempting to follow that will in what we say and do. The Church calls us to unite our lives and sacrifices with the life of Jesus and His perfect sacrifice on the Cross, the Tree of Life.
What the Church is asking of us is to really look deeply into the actions of Christ, the examples of His life on earth, and then to mimic as best we can the ways of Christ in all our relationships: living out our marriages, as imperfect as they may be, with the love of Christ so that they can grow ever strong and so that we can see in the daily routines of life the opportunities to make God’s love shine in and through us. The same holds true for all our relationships—with children, at school, in the boardroom or on the shop floor, and even in the marketplaces of life. Honestly, “perfection” is not the goal. Rather to make our everyday human existence opportunities of imparting God’s compassion and mercy, His love and His esteem, into whatever comes our way. Difficult for sure, but rewarding here and in the life after.

Many Thanks to Carol Yachanin who for the past eight weeks or so was our acting music director and organist while Susan Zybert was on maternity leave and preparing for the birth of her second child, Ethan Joseph.

Carol is a wonderful musician with many, many talents not the least of which is having a great source of knowledge in the Church’s liturgies and her skills at working well with the choir members, cantors and a particular pastor. I want to publicly thank Carol for her generosity and her talents which she so kindly shared with our worshipping community during these months. I know Susan was also very relieved that she could go about the busyness of being a new Mom, (she and her husband, Jason, have two young boys both under the age of two), leaving much of the details of work to Carol. With these two professionals at the or-gan, it certainly made my life easier and carefree when it came to planning and executing the music ministry here at Saint Catherine. We are blessed to have them both—and fantastic choir members—and I thank Carol for her efforts during this time. Many, many thanks!

Advent into Christmas Brings Some Important Changes. As we move all too quickly from Advent into Christmas time, you will note some spectacular changes in the Church, particularly in the sanctuary. Gone will be the purple and rose colored bows and candles, and the oddly-shaped grapevine wreaths—all symbols of penitence and inward reflection on who we are as Catholics and where we need to be as true disciples of Christ. White, gold, red, and green are the colors of Christmas. We will see the outside of the Church decorated with evergreen wreaths, which the circle is a symbol of unending life and is adorned with greenery that does not die in the harsh winter climate. Red or gold bows give more than a festive touch as they symbolizes joy and give us a glamorous feeling—which should also resonate in our hearts as we proclaim the birth of our world’s Savior—as we come to understand His love for us. Outside of the Church the Crèche welcomes parishioners and visitors alike, though the Christ child is not present until Christmas Eve Mass (and technically the three Magi who are still en route to Bethlehem should be off to the side). Inside the Church the entrances will welcome visitors with greenery and bows to signify the high season of hope. In the sanctuary, Christmas trees with solid white lights only (colored lights, while beautiful, are inappropriate for the meaning of Christ’s light coming into the world), poinsettia plants and an interior crèche will adorn the sanctuary, and the Crucifix and altar itself will be dressed in festive colors and mate-rials to welcome the feast of Christmas. The color of gold, which is one of the gifts of the Magi, signifies today, as it did at that first Christmas, the station of this new born babe—a King (the two remaining gifts of the Magi, Frankincense and Myrrh, signify Christ’s future roles as priest and healer, respectively).
The liturgical environment very much includes the music of the season. The choirs (adult, children, and contemporary) have been practicing for a long time already and are prepared to elevate our music from the somberness of Advent to the spectacular sounds of Christmas—trumpets, horns, and voices reaching the heavens—theirs and ours! Sacred music and secular melodies will fill our worship space before and during the Masses at Christmas culminating in a wonderful celebration of God’s gift of Christ the Savior to each and every person in all ages and in every generation. This is a great season of hope, of family, and of faith. May we all be blessed now and forever.

And just a friendly liturgical reminder…Christmas is more than one day; the Church’s celebration of Christmas continues until January 10, 2010, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord!

Merry Christmas! -Fr. Michael

Rejoice! It is Gaudete Sunday after all

As we begin the third Sunday of Advent we hear the familiar call to be rejoicing in a special way – for the birth of Christ our Savior is near! This Sun-day the Church calls our attention to a special time of rejoicing with rose color vestments, a rose colored candle to be lit among the Advent Wreath (notice the height of the third wreath on the wall as it is higher to illustrate the heights to which our voices should be raised), and for the preaching in this weekend’s homily to be of a higher pitch, filled the sounds of joy in the knowing that the Incarnation of Christ the King is near.

In times past, Sundays in the Church calendar were named by the first few words of the Entrance Antiphon for that Sunday. Thus, this third Sunday of Advent was traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday from the antiphon from Philippians 4:4, 5 that says: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice! The Lord is near.”

We see this “rejoicing” in the first reading from Zephaniah as the prophet proclaims a day of festival to celebrate God’s presence in the midst of His people. Note that the prophet offers us a view of this celebration from the vantage point that it is God who is “celebrating over His people, that God exults, dances, and shouts for joy since we are heirs of His promise, heirs of God’s joy!” In the psalm today the Church responds to this joy noted in Zephaniah’s reading with an acknowledgment that it is God who saves us, and that we need not fear God, for He is with us always.

In the second reading from Saint Paul, the Apostle tells us that when the fears and anxieties of the day attempt to steal from our lives the peace of God Paul assures the people of Philippi (and us) that we are to fight that “robber” with prayer. It is prayer that aligns us with God, it is in prayer that we speak to God of our concerns and desires, and it is in prayer that God speaks directly to us. We offer prayers of intercession for God’s peace, and we give prayers of thanksgiving for all the blessings that God bestows upon us. And we trust that God will provide for the gifts and graces we need.

In today’s Gospel from Saint John, we hear how his (John’s) ministry so inflamed the hearts and minds of his audience that they “wondered about the ways their lives needed to change.” John spoke to his listeners and told them that the One who is to come will baptize in the power of the Holy Spirit and that God’s word challenges us to new patterns of justice and mercy. He also told the people that it will be God’s spirit that will enable us to live this new “way of being.” This call to action and the “fuel” to make our actions produce goodness, is the same for us as it was for John’s contemporaries. It is God who challenges us to care for the poor, to feed the hungry, and to share our bless-ings with those who have less. It is all about our making progress in the Church’s corporal works of mercy. We also hear today that through prayer, we shall receive the Holy Spirit which is neces-sary to enable us to meet the challenges of God’s call to each one of us. In our human condition, which draws us nearer to sin, it is the power and grace of God that elevates us above the human condition and to act in the ways of Christ, to be the community of believers where the “marvelous deeds and power of God is made manifest.” So let us pray to God and ask for His power and grace, and then become by our deeds and His power the potential He has created.

Peace,

Father Michael

A Christmas Message from Fr. Henry Dery

I recently visited Fr. Henry Dery at Saint Thomas Seminary and he asked that his Christmas message to the parishioners be placed in the bulletin. He seems to be recuperating well and is in his usual wonderful spirits. Here are his wishes for a blessed and merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to you all:

Dear Relatives and Friends,

I am always happy to greet you at this Holy Season. As I was gathering my ideas for this greeting, I thought we would enjoy pondering together Howard Thurman’s poem—

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star of the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
And the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

How clearly this poem urges us to follow the Beatitudes in our daily lives!

After another fall, five days in the hospital and therapy at a nursing home, I am happy to be back with my priest friends here at Archbishop Cronin Residence. I am always grateful for the good care our ubiquitous Rector and his dedicated associates provide. Of course Sister Cecilia deserves honorable mention. The fine staff of the Archdiocesan Offices and the faithful Bosnian workers contribute to our family atmosphere here at the Seminary.

As Christmas nears, I am so aware that I am the only living member of a large family. But nieces, nephews, and cousins grow ever dearer to me. Valued friends brighten my life, including the members of St. Catherine and St. Timothy Parishes, where I have been privileged to serve.

I send my love and prayerful wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Father Henry R. Dery

Advent Two

As we enter into this season of repentance and preparation, it is a wonderful time to remind you—and to invite you—to our Annual Advent Penance Service which will be held on Tuesday, December 15, at 7 p.m. At this time of year our readings, our hymns, and even our prayer texts reiterate that we are seeking the Lord’s mercy and grace in order to better prepare our hearts for the memorial of His Incarnation into humanity. How can we prepare for Him if we do not acknowledge our sinfulness and seek His forgiveness and absolution?

We will sing songs begging for His mercy and grace in our lives so that we can become more like Him. We will hear sacred scripture that tells us of His desire to be One with us, His desire to forgive us our sins and to be called closer to Him. We will hear in the homilies of His great Love for each one of us, and we will pray that we have the courage to follow Him more closely—all so that we will be welcomed by Him into the eternal life of heaven. Why then will many of us not seek Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Is Tuesday night, December 15th, an inconvenient night? Is every Saturday before the Vigil Mass or Monday mornings at 10:00 a.m. or Tuesday nights at 5:30 p.m. all inconvenient for peace, love and reconciliation? Is it that we don’t sin? Or that we don’t think that “minor sins” are worth the effort? Is it that Father can’t keep a secret? I can!

On Sunday after Sunday we hear of God’s Mercy and Love in the Sacred Scriptures and hopefully in the homily too.

We know that God loves us, for He created us and desires that we will come to Him in the sacramental life of the Church and eventually in the gift of Eternal Life.

We know that He—that is, Jesus Christ—created the seven (7) Sacraments and that they are not man-made, and that He told His apostles that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

We know that the power and authority of the Church comes from and is sustained by Christ Himself.
Therefore, why not take advantage of His great and purifying love so that we can all become more like Him, become closer to Him, and thus be welcomed into Him and His Kingdom?

The possible answer(s): It is scary and difficult to admit we sin; that we are not perfect, even though we know it all too well. It is very uncomfortable, or so we are told by society, to come to another human being and admit our sins. After all, God knows me and knows what I am thinking. Can’t I just say I am sorry in private and get it over with?

Scary, revisionist history of the way things “used to be” should not deflect us from the reality of the divine fact that this Sacrament of Reconciliation is God’s gift of peace and renewal to each one of us. We should not stay away from the Lord because someone—a priest—might think less of me.
We are ALL sinners. Avoiding the Lord in this Sacrament should not occur because we question the idea and practice of telling someone else, a human being, our sinful acts and then ask for his forgiveness…it is God who forgives; it is the priest, a sacramental minister of the Church who acts in persona Christi to impart the blessings of God.

We should not be a stranger to the Lord in this Sacrament because my sins are private acts; they only break the bond between me and God, not others… We are One Body in Christ. All sins affect society—the liar, the cheater, the unfaithful person, the impatient one, the uncharitable person, the uncaring and indifferent—all have an impact on society and each one of us. These acts, perhaps achieved in secret, harden and make coarse the whole of society. They affect the human condition and they impact us all.

Seeking Reconciliation brings us back together with God and with each other. He did not ask us to pray alone at home, but together in community at public worship—Church. He did not ask us to baptize quietly but to go out to “all the nations and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” He did not say to marry in secret and live disengaged from society. He did not say let the dying be alone, suffering quietly without the help of His Church, His priests, and His people. Rather, He said call for the priests of the Church and the prayers of the faithful (that’s all of you) will save them.

We all sin. We are all His children. We can all become His saints, His holy people—by His Grace! It all be-gins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, December 15.

In this weekend’s first reading, the prophet Baruch calls Jerusalem to “adorn itself in celebratory splendor, for God has assembled the whole community of Israel, restoring its integrity.” For God’s glory will be seen in His people, for God Himself will accompany His people as light, mercy, and integrity. We can see the idea of God’s mercy, love and peace being given to all His people. Notice He has called the whole community of Israel together—not just certain individuals but the whole community. Even in this weekend’s responsorial psalm we hear that “God’s power will continue to manifest itself with the community of believers”—the whole community. The second reading has Saint Paul preaching that God’s good works will be brought to completion by God and that the good works were begun among the Philippians. God uses people to bring His plan of salvation into being. In the Gospel of Luke for this Sunday we hear of the historical moment when God called John the Baptizer forward from the desert and sent him out to preach the Good News of repentance and forgiveness. For us, too, God calls us forward to repent and to minister in very human and practical ways. He has not asked for abstract acts on our part, but rather for very human service to others. We need to ask ourselves this weekend: what ministries or events has God called me forth to affect with His love, His word, and His light?

God has called us in community to serve the community of all our brothers and sisters. It is in community that we live and it is in community that we live as Christ.

I want to thank everyone who helped to decorate the Church for the Advent Season. The Liturgy Committee members work hard to provide the direction on all things liturgical, and then many helping hands work hard to put it all together—too many to mention by name…but thanks to our leaders Barbara Hopkins and Kathy Moore. And, many thanks to Dennis Hannon for getting the large wreaths and the violet material hung. Many thanks to all!!!

Giving Thanks

At this time of year we are re-minded to give thanks to God for all the many blessings of life—family, faith, peace, health, employment, living in the United States of America, and even life itself, just to name a few. And this feast of Thanksgiving calls us to also consider what we do with these blessings—do we hoard them for ourselves or do we share them with those we love and those less fortunate?

I am able; as I am sure you are too, to answer both of these tasks of thanksgiving in one fell swoop. God has blessed me with a wonderfully caring family. He has given me life, faith, a great “job,” and has placed me among some pretty fantastic people right here in Simsbury. There are lots for which I need to be grateful.

My family has grown tremendously since coming here in 2007. And, it is more than just an increase in numbers, I have been blessed to see God’s plan for holy people living out that holiness and faithfulness in everyday lives—illustrating to me just how one is to live out a Christian life in a very busy world.

A true blessing: Saint Catherine of Siena Parish. Seminary certainly taught me the theology and philosophy of the Catholic Church, the rituals, the Sacramentals, and even the social teachings of our faith. However, it is the people of God in this parish who continue to teach me how our faith can be lived-out in everyday life, how one incorporates the teachings of Christ, His mission and ministry, in work, in family, in charity, and even on the soccer fields of life. I see how:

• mothers and fathers teach me what exactly self-emptying love is., Opening up and handing over one’s life for the good and benefit of others. It is more than just giving up one’s income to support a home and all who live under their roof. It is even more than giving up one’s freedom (free time) and living out obligations of relationships which at times are joyous and at times irritating—being present after a long, hard day at work coming home to school recitals, Boys and Girls Scout meetings, weekend-long sporting events, and one hundred other activities and commitments that eat into that ever so limited “me time.” They teach me about a faithfulness to a long-term commitment at home all the while caring for a parish community in numerous ministries, mirroring the love of God for His people;
• our youth illustrates to me that in living in an ever-changing and challenging world that offers a-thousand-and-one options which highlight the importance of the self, they choose many times to care about others. In-volving themselves in academics that are full of pres-sure, sports, and yes, faith. Feeding the Hungry; Youth Ministry projects that take them away from the safety and security of an idyllic town to the underside of city life, or making pies for a homeless meal, or walking for hunger and experiencing a lack of food in order to raise food for a local food pantry—being what God has called them to be: young people truly living in the midst of this world;
• our “seasoned” parishioners remind me of our faith’s traditions and the true meaning of life lived in concert with God. Praying for family members and our commu-nity that they will all seek and find the Lord. They are a sturdy foundation of our past rituals and remind us that accepting new things does not require us to forget where we have been. Sharing their wisdom of life is a great gift from God and reminds us of our identity as people, as family, and as faith;
• And let me not forget the many individual leaders in this parish—the teachers in religious education, the volunteers who minister to the sick, our lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, music ministers, decorators and a legion of other unsung blessings.

This is not an unrealistic vision of parish life, but rather it is an actual accounting of a very believing community of faithful people, living out their faith in a very competitive and hectic world. Human beings seeking holiness by imitating the mission of Christ and it is a place for which one should be thankful.

Advent. The season is upon us! “Lord, our god, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ, Your Son. May He find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.” From the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, Monday of the first week of Advent.

The tone of Advent is “preparing…waiting…eagerly…joyfully…hopefully…the coming of Christ!” Advent celebrates Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem in the past, His ongoing coming in our hearts through grace, His glorious return at the end of time. All three times are celebrated—the incarnation and parousia, past, present, and future. The word “parousia” in Greek is translated “adventus” in Latin, and “coming” or “waiting” in English, it carries with it the sense of already and not yet—that in between time.
Advent cannot be celebrated apart from Christmas, just as Christmas cannot be separated from the Paschal Mystery, whose fullness is expressed in the Sacred Triduum. The en-tangled nature of these sacred seasons safeguards us from trivializing or relegating salvation history to a “cute story” of long-ago. Our rituals are not simply nostalgia, but a spiral through which the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ (GNFLYC). The liturgy then, actualizes the past in the present to bring about the future. It is a most holy time to remember what happened, what is taking place right now, and what is to come.

For many, especially those working in the Church, of-ten times we complain about the commercialization of the season right before Christmas. It seems that even before the pumpkins of Halloween are harvested the Christmas trees at the Mall are decorated. But we might nevertheless be awed by the generous serving and giving that takes place and truly marks the season: donations of food, toys, and clothing to those less fortunate. That generous giving is a true gift that marks our American way of life and it enlightens and enlivens the spirit of Advent into a time of great human hope, taking on a very public face, and actually be-coming the feet, the hands, and the heart of Jesus Christ. Perhaps that is a better way to view the season, even if it might not be shared by the owners of malls or those hoping to end the fiscal year’s books on Wall Street. In the midst of what seems to be greed and wanting, comes much desire for peace and generosity.

May the season of Advent’s great prayers bless us and bring us to a greater understanding of the Incarnation of Christ our Savior…and His death and resurrection.

PEACE, FATHER MICHAEL

HUNGER AWARENESS WALK

Ask the members of our High School Youth Group how many people in the world go to bed hungry. They will tell you that over 800 million people go to bed hungry every night and that 300 million of these people are children. They will also inform you that 20 billion dollars is the amount that would provide
basic food and nutrition for every person on the planet – they will remember that number because that is the amount of money that American‘s spend each year on ice cream.

It makes you stop and think doesn‘t it? And that was just the purpose of the 24 hour Famine and Hunger Awareness Walk that the St. Catherine‘s Youth Group sponsored with the St. Mary‘s Youth Group last week. On Tuesday morning at 6:15 AM, 45 teenagers arrived at Russell Hall to share a satisfying breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. This meal marked the beginning of a 24-hour fast. Students then went to school with their "HUNGER AWARENESS" tee shirts on which of course
prompted their friends to ask, "What‘s up with the red shirts?" and "Why are you not eating?" Student‘s continued through the school day with the fast. Many went to the library during their
lunch period because "it was too hard to be around food and not be able to eat." Some tried to just drink juice and go to a team practice; others went home after school and slept because "going
without food made them so tired." Still others attempted homework after school but gave up because they could not concentrate without getting enough to eat.

At 6:00 PM, 36 teenagers arrived at St. Mary‘s parish center with a sleeping bag and pillow in hand. A few parents told us their son or daughter had been very irritable all afternoon. A few teens later told us that they had wished they could have come earlier because it was hard to fast alone. (In fact, five of our teens that could not come that evening did fast at home and their parents verified the difficulty.)

Our evening program rivaled the mission trip in its response from the kids. I was so very proud of them. In one exercise, students worked in teams who were given a certain amount of money with which to make a menu for a family. The amount of money was not random. One group, for example, was given $50, the price of a pizza, salad, drink and tip for themselves and 3 other friends who might go out to eat. Another group was given $135, "the same amount you and two of your friends spent last
summer on an evening at a concert at the meadows." Teens used the ads from the local grocery stores to confirm the prices of items they wanted to buy and kept a running tab until the money was gone. When each group presented its menu and results, not only were the teens surprised how far rice and beans and Ramen noodles could stretch a budget, but more so how difficult the task was to do because their own hunger made this task so much more stressful and difficult.

In another game, we learned that there are many obstacles to providing food for a family: loss of job, inability to find any work, foreclosure on a home, an empty food bank, a sick child whose need for medicine used the family food budget for that week, to name just a few. By 10:00PM the kids were asking to go to bed. Yes, hunger makes us very tired. At 7:00 AM they woke because they wanted to eat. A few kids said they dreamed about food. We laughed at the funny stories … " I dreamed I was
in a room with a donut, but I wasn‘t allowed to eat it."

"I dreamed there was ice cream as big as the Empire State Building but I could not have any." Yes, I imagine people who are hungry every day dream about food, too.

Our breakfast to end the fast was provided and prepared by the loving hands of the Duff family: Linda, Dennis and Michael. It was the anniversary of the death of their beloved son and brother Ryan and their family wanted to mark the day with a life-giving action. What a wonderful gift it was to the group of hungry teens and to Diane Whittemore (the St. Mary‘s Youth Minister) and me who were pretty tired and irritable at that point and did not want to wake up one second earlier to make breakfast. After breakfast, many crawled back to their sleeping bags for a bit. I could have showed them 100 films about hunger but nothing would have conveyed the message better than being without food for 24
hours. They really struggled. That being said, I could not believe how strong the resolve was in these kids. It really was inspiring. One teen shared, "I had never experienced being hungry before –
ever." Now, that is what I call honesty.

After breakfast and cleanup, we walked down to the Hunger Awareness Walk site where the teens had posted hunger statistic signs earlier that morning. But the surprises were not over yet. Cars of  families, little kids on bikes, moms with strollers, senior citizens, people with dogs - probably about 100 people -
showed up to walk with us. I was shocked. We collected 2 vanloads full of non-perishable food items and $450 in cash donations for area food banks and soup kitchens! We were so grateful for the public support and we are very thankful to all who helped get the word out about the Hunger Awareness Walk.

It was an exhausting and exhilarating day and a half, but I could not wait to share how proud I was of the kids who chose to come and participate. Our teens are “aware.” They have a new "knowing" that can only come with experience. As a Church, we are about to enter Advent, the season that invites us to "wake up," " be ready," "prepare the way." Our teenagers are awake. We should all be very proud of them.

Judy Pluta, Youth Minister

Good Knight to All

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, or Knights of Malta, as they are better known, is an historic Catholic order under the care and personal protection of the Holy Father. Knights of Malta are a major force of Catholic Charity in the world. Founded in
1070 by Blessed Gerard, the original role was the building of hospices and hospitals for the Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem. On February 15, 1113, by papal bull, His Holiness Pope Paschal II approved the legal status of the Order and then Pope Clement VII officially recognized the Order‘s sovereignty over Malta. Today, the Order remains a sovereign nation-state and is recognized with diplomatic relations and governed by a traditional European constitution based on the Napoleonic code (Napoleon I attacked
Malta on his way to Egypt in 1798) and has as its leader his Most Eminent Highness, who has the precedence of a cardinal in the Church.

The Knights and Dames of Malta—considered "Catholic royalty" by many—also have as its mission the defense of the Faith along with its concern for the poor. Today in the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Knights of Malta fund multiple mobile emergency rooms complete with medical doctors and nurses who
go into the inner cities of Connecticut and provide medical care and ongoing prescription needs to the poor and homeless, as well as other notable charities which represent the Order‘s commitment
to charity and chivalry. There are three classes within the Order of Malta: (1) The Knights of Justice who make monastic vows of poverty, chastity an obedience; (2) The Knights and Dames of Honor and Devotion who must provide proof of nobility; and (3) Knights and Dames of Magistral Grace who are not required to make vows but dedicate their lives to service in the Church.

On Friday, November 13, 2009, I was invited to concelebrate (with 30 other priests, cardinals, bishops, and a papal nuncio) the investiture Mass of the newest Knights and Dames of Malta at Saint Patrick‘s Cathedral in Manhattan. One of our own, Robert O‘Hara, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a Knight of Malta and was invested with the Cross of Malta by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York and the Grand Master of Malta representing His Serene Highness. It was a massive display of ancient
ritual and the best of a Catholic liturgy steeped in tradition. Knights and Dames of Malta wear an ancient habit that has seen very few changes over the centuries. For the Knights, the habit is
known as the cuculla and remains as if first appeared in A.D. 1125—black wool with an eight-pointed white cross (signifying the eight Beatitudes) with a white cowl collar. It was a very impressive
day to say the least. I believe that next time you greet Bob and Rosanne O‘Hara you can simply refer to them as Sir and Lady O‘Hara; after all we are all good friends. Congratulations,
Bob!

The End

This weekend we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time which means that we are quickly coming to the end of the Church’s liturgical year. Advent is just "around the corner". But our readings point to more than just the end of the year—they direct our minds to the end—the big One—and the readings this weekend are difficult to hear as they provide for a great deal of fear and anxiety.

In the first reading from Daniel (12:1-3) we are told that "…it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began…Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace…But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever." In today’s Gospel of Mark (13:24-32) we hear Jesus tell His disciples that "…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shine its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken…" Depending on where you think you stand in that "judgment line," the images offered do indeed bring to mind some fearful thoughts about eternity. I remember as a little boy, around the age of 8 or so, hanging upside down at the foot of my bed and wondering what "forever" meant and considering what heaven or hell would be like. In those days, the images given to even little children were not as "warm and fuzzy" as today’s children hear. We were told about "eternal damnation" and the "pains of hell" – helping to keep us in line and a bit more respectful I suppose. But as I would hang off my bed I would dream up images of hell – spiders and snakes, fiery pits (thank you, Sister Mary Helen!) forever and then I would be good for an hour or so…

It is true that Catholics believe that the end times will include our final judgment by Christ. Today’s first reading from Daniel and the Gospel of Mark offer the reality of Christ as Judge of all Creation, and us as the created, but there is also a second image that we cannot fail to recognize and trust in: the image of the second reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:11-14, 18) where we are told of the perfect sacrifice, once and for all, of the One sent from God. And when He takes His seat at the right hand of God this one offering is mercy and love, something that we all might take hold of and help us to better understand the images found in today’s accounts from Daniel and Mark.

The question for us today is "how do we as sinners rec-oncile our fears and anxieties with the mercy and forgiveness of God so that we might stand before the Lord not confident in our-selves but rather confident in His Mercy? The Lord tells us in the Gospel not to worry about the "when," the "where" and the "how" of the final judgment, rather He wants us to be sure of the fact that it will happen "and that we must be prepared, "…learning a lesson from the fig tree..," a lesson of preparedness. Let’s consider this great analogy: a young teenager out with friends on a Friday night is en route home and comes upon a mandatory sobriety road check. Usually when a driver is pulled over fear runs through them. But this particular teenager makes it through the police check point without incident. Upon arriving home late, her parents ask her why she is beyond the curfew and she tells them about the police. Asked if she was afraid, she tells her father "No, not at all. I hadn’t been drinking! What’s to fear?" This is not to say we have nothing to fear as if we lead a sinless existence. Rather, what we are to take from these readings is that we shouldn’t feel as though our salvation depends on us laying claim to our own goodness but that in trying our best to follow the Will of God in our lives—we can lay claim to God’s ultimate Mercy to welcome us into the Kingdom of Heaven. The moral of the lesson is to study and understand the Word of God in Sacred Scripture, to practice our faith each and every day as best as we can, to partake in the Sacraments of the Church which were given to us by Christ for our nourishment and strength so that we may accomplish His Will in our human lives. Always remembering that God knows our humanity, which Christ shares in, and has given us His gift of Faith and Church so that we may one day be judged by Him according to His plan of salvation.

Like the teenage driver who did nothing wrong that night, let us be confident in God’s power to provide for us the ability to see His Will in our lives and to live it out as best as humanly possible. He does not expect perfection on our part—for that would require a confidence we cannot muster up—but rather He requires only that we seek to do His Will in our lives by the power of His Grace. Let us be confident in God’s Mercy…that we will be the ones who shine forever. Let us do our best today to lead others to justice by what we say and do.

Preparing for winter. With the coming onset of Advent, winter is close by too. Here in the parish we are working on some issues with the heating system in the parish center. In the last two years we have been working with a few different HVAC providers. It is a very high tech and elaborate heating and air conditioning system and, unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to provide the appropriate service. Add to that the fact that since it was built there was no service performed on the system. Each year belts, wires and parts need to be serviced and replaced. We are in the midst of ordering some new parts so that the dual heating and air systems will both be up to excellent and efficient working condition. Right now we are operating on half the heating system. A new service provider, New England Mechanical, seems to have a very good hold on what is going on and what needs to be done. It is my hope that very soon we will have both the Pilot System and the IVUE System fully operational and have better control of the entire system and hopefully allow for more efficient use of utilities. I want to thank the Building and Grounds Committee for all their help and in a particular way thank Dr. Phil DePasquale for his many hours of attention to this matter. Also you will see that the outside doors to the parish center are being repaired. We have to thank James DePasquale for this great work as he prepares to become an Eagle Scout. Mike Grappone, our part time facilities maintenance person, is keeping the property looking great. He has been clearing out some of the overgrown brush along the property lines as well as overseeing the entire inside of the buildings. I also want to thank all the wonderful individuals who have helped to maintain the church and rectory property over the summer. Those who planted flowers and kept up with the weeding and watering all summer long certainly made sure that the property was beautiful. I received many nice comments not only from parishioners but also from our neighbors. Thanks to all for all that you do!

Working Together

Many thanks to all the Saint Catherine of Siena parishioners who joined with folks from Avon Dental and The Hartford to make sure that The Peter Benjamin Sok Spaghetti Fundraiser last month was a great success. All the planning, setting-up, cooking, serving, organizing the raffle, and cleaning-up truly paid off – more than $18,000.00 was raised for the Peter Benjamin Sok Trust Fund. Congratulations to all involved, and thanks to the generosity of so many people, especially our parishioners. Stephen Sok, Peter’s dad, wrote a beautiful touching note of thanks to all, and while we are pleased to have been part of this great community event we shall continue to pray for and be there for Stephen and Peter as a community of faith. God bless you all!

A Gentle H1N1 Reminder. Hoping to keep healthy means a wee bit of common sense during this cold and flu season. Please remember that a wave of the hand, a nod of the head, or a nice broad smile is just fine as one of the many acceptable Signs of Peace during the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion will also continue to use the hand sanitizer before distributing Holy Communion, and the parish will do so only under the species of the Sacred Body of Christ.

Holy Communion and Celiac Disease. If you are allergic to wheat and cannot consume gluten, please see me (Fr. Michael) before Mass in the sacristy to let me know you are at a specific Mass. Then, come to me at Holy Communion time as I will have consecrated gluten-free hosts for you.

Sunday, the 32nd of Ordinary Time. In this weekend’s readings we are given two examples of how to trust in God—and the two examples come to us from two widows in need. In the first reading from 1 Kings, the prophet Elijah begs a poor widow for a drink of water—and a little cake to eat. Elijah could have asked the well-to-do of the community for the water and food but opted to seek the resources from someone who was at the point of destitution. And in spite of her great need, the widow gives to Elijah what she has, all based on his promise that ―the God of Israel will make her handful of flour and her last little bit of oil last until the rain returns. Of the little she has, God makes enough.‖ Why does God present this example of generosity when He could have sent the prophet to the wealthy of the town and the end result could have been so much easier? Yet God uses the poor and destitute to illustrate generosity. In the Gospel of Mark we hear the well-known story of the widow’s mite, another ideal of giving freely. Christ’s disciples must have been surprised by His description of this story of giving where He highlights the poor woman who gives two little coins to the treasury over all the wealthy people who were depositing large sums of money into the treasury.

Why is the "insignificant" donor so important in this weekend’s sacred teaching? God measures our giving not by how much we give, but by how we give. Do we trust enough in God’s goodness and grace that we are confident that He will make all well, even our misfortune will be transformed into goodness when we trust fully in God. It is also less important to concern ourselves with the quantity of giving and more important that we focus on the pureness or quality of our giving. Touching the lives of others is the great concern of God, no matter the size of the act, for the generosity of our action is not determined by the materialistic value attached to it. The "prime mover" rather needs to be our desire to do God’s will, no matter how we go about being His light in the world.

Catholic Signs. In the Catholic Church there are many signs and symbols which help to explain the mysteries of God. These signs help us to "wrap our human minds" around the unseen God whose love is beyond all telling, and who desires us to freely return His love. Actions as well as words tell the world who we are and in what we truly believe. Dr. Scott Hahn, a professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, has written a book entitled Signs of Life. Over the next few months I hope to summarize his work on various topics that relate to our Catholic practices—rituals and beliefs. Though I encourage you to read his book for yourself. It is a great work for both the "beginner" as well as for the "life-long" Catholic.

One of the 40 signs Dr. Hahn’s book discusses is Posture. Why is it important that during the celebration of the Eucharist there are different forms of posture at particular times in the Mass? What is it about kneeling, sitting, or standing during the Mass that says something about what we truly believe. Dr. Hahn reminds us that at the Mass we are coming before the real presence of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist and our posture—kneeling during the consecration—illustrates that we are in awe before the God of all. We are His creation and He is the Creator. It is easy to understand the significance of kneeling and standing at Mass as both are signs of respect (we stand for a judge as he or she enters court), but what about sitting during the liturgy of the word? What does sitting say about what we are doing during the readings? Dr. Hahn says that ―…sitting is hardly a neutral posture. When we sit, we assume a receptive position. We are listening, taking in the Word of God. At Mass we assume a posture or position in life that is different from all other aspects of our daily living. We are not at the store, nor on the soccer fields. Our disposition is very important—how we dress, what we do, our attitudes and our actions speaks volumes as to what we truly believe—to us, to others, and to God.

Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2009. A recent letter from Archbishop Mansell asked me to thank all "the good people of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish" for their generosity to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA). As a parish we raised $77,720.00 for this year’s Appeal. Just over 25% of our parishioners donated to the Appeal, with an average gift pledged of $337.92.

Other churches in the Farmington Valley raised the following totals: St. Ann, Avon, $196,890.00; Sacred Heart, Bloomfield, $54,585.00; St. Patrick, Collinsville, $57,026.00; St. Patrick, Farmington, $111,680.00; St. Theresa, Granby, $59,610.00; St. Joseph, Poquonock, $51,975.00; St. Mary, Simsbury, $174,470.00; St. Bernard, Tariffville, $53,374.00; St. Mary, Unionville, $89,055.00; St. Gabriel, Windsor, $50,282.00; and St. Gertrude, $22,285.00. I very much appreciate all who donated to this year’s AAA. With the current economic conditions, the need is so great. Your generosity is truly a sign of the true type of giving God calls for. Pure generosity! For those who have not yet donated, it is never too late. Envelopes are in the atrium and vestibule, and the amount matters not, rather the act of giving is what connects us to our brothers and sisters in need—and to God.

Peace!

All Saints Day 2009—A Solemnity in the Church

I was given a great little quote, unknown author, and following it would make for a huge impact on our lives. So I pass it on: “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): we had our introductory meeting of the RCIA program complete with seven (7) individuals who are discerning becoming Catholics at the Great Easter Vigil. This initial stage, known as the time of Inquiry, offers our potential Catholics the opportunity to learn more about the faith and to see if it is a right fit for their current spiritual journey. Let us all pray for them as they seek to become one with God. If you are interested in looking into the Catholic faith more closely, please consider coming to our next meeting which is Monday night, November 9 at 7 p.m. in the parish Library. You are certainly welcome to call me (658-1642) if you have any questions you would prefer to ask in private.

Liturgical Needs: Like all things earthly, they do not last forever. Most of the liturgical items of our parish are from the mid-1970s or from somewhere in the 1980s and all are in need of replacement. Vestments are tattered and our pall is thread-bare, our thurible is corroded and the boat is broken, there is no travel Mass kit currently, likewise the baptismal shell, candelabra, and the ciboria set. Repairing them, often times, equals or surpasses the cost of replacement. I am listing some of the items that are needed more urgently in hopes that some individuals may wish to either purchase them for the Church or make an offering toward their cost. We are happy to purchase any item in memory of either a deceased loved one or in the name of a family or friend of the parish. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the parish office on 658-1642. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Please know that our parish uses The Catholic Purchasing Service, which is a co-op and offers prices discounted between 25% and 40%, for the identical articles found in the retail religious good catalogs.

• Two Candelabras—for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament ($500 each)
• Travel Mass Kit—for use at twice monthly McLean Home Masses and for use at home Masses for the seriously ill ($395)
• Silver Baptismal Shell—for use in infant baptisms ($95)
• Holy Water Sprinkler—for use at grave side burials ($49)
• Holy Water Pot/Sprinkler—for use at Mass ($395)
• Thurible & Boat—incense for use at Mass and funerals ($415)
• Thurible Stand—to hold Thurible and incense boat ($445)
• Ciboria Set (communion cups)—for distribution of Holy Communion (set includes three bowls, $1485)
• Funeral Pall and matching funeral vestment—for use at a funeral Mass of Christian burial (approximately $550 for pall and $400 for vestment).

There are options for each item listed and I selected the mid- to lower-range of costs. Some of the prices are outrageous, and some of the styles are far too gothic or imperial for the style of Saint Catherine of Siena. Obviously, I stayed within the simple structure of our parish so that things would match nicely.

All Saints Day / All Souls Day. This weekend (and Monday) we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively. Due to Monday being All Souls Day and a weekday as well, we celebrate the ritual of remembrance at the Sunday, 11 a.m. Mass.

This is a great time to remember all who have gone before us and with whom we share the hope of eternal resurrection. Catholic theology teaches us that the dead continue to live eternally due to the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus, and so we not only do not forget them but continue to converse with them through the power of prayer. Catholics pray to the Church triumphant (in heaven), for the Church on earth (us, as we journey toward God), and for the souls in Purgatory, that they may quickly come before God in the Kingdom. The Church provides many prayers for the deceased and for the living (go to yenra.com/catholic prayers or Google “Catholic Prayers”). It is both our privilege and our obligation as Catholic Christians to pray for those in need, to seek God’s bless-ings, and to be united with the whole of Creation—from the be-ginning of time—in the conversation of God, that is prayer. We focus on this day for the faithfully departed and we remember them always. The Church prays unceasingly for the dead as they are remembered at each and every Mass all across the globe. In a particular way, we will pray for our beloved dead both as a community today and during the whole month of November during the breviary which I will offer at the specified hours each day. Names taken from the basket in front of the altar will be prayed for during my priestly office (kindly print their names so that I may read them aloud during these times).

All Saints Day 2009—A Solemnity in the Church. And while the Church seems to celebrate the names of people such as John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, Catherine of Siena, Elizabeth Seton, Gerard, Matthew, Benedict, Sixtus and Clement, today’s celebration is also about the countless saints without names, “whose faith is known to You alone,” as the Eucharistic Prayer IV expresses it. This solemnity is a reminder that we are all called to be saints, and that heaven is full of souls whose names we don’t know.
Today we hear the Gospel of Matthew and the great Beatitudes. In eight short lines, Jesus declares blessed those who are poor in spirit, who are meek, who are merciful…He gives us the blueprint to follow so that we may too become a saint in heaven. For if we follow these proclamations of Jesus, we will receive the Kingdom for which He came to make manifest in our words and actions…in our habits, in our character, in what becomes our destiny.

Today we are reminded that God is very generous, and that the saints are beyond all counting. Among them are surely members of our families and our friends who by their faith-filled lives have helped us on our way to become closer to God and closer to life everlasting. Today we should also follow deeply the first reading and ask ourselves, “How does our liturgy reflect the great liturgy in heaven?” Do we fully participate—in a loud and strong voice, knowing that the Mass is a dialogue for all to participate? Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican Council II, declares, “all the faithful, whatever their condition or state—though each in his own way—are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father Himself is perfect.” “The faithful must participate in the offering of the Eucharist.” (LG10).

PEACE -
Father Michael

Adult Faith Formation

Dr. Joan Kelly continues to lead us into a deeper understanding of our Catholic identity via the Sacramental life of the Church. In her Tuesday night talks, Dr. Kelly describes with great passion the factual reality of the seven sacraments which Christ gave to His Church (to us) and the Traditions, both oral and written, of the Church which help to explain the mystery of God’s great love for us. We hear in these discussions the connection we have with God through Jesus Christ. We also see our connection over the last 2009 years of Christendom to the Apostles, disciples, and all believers as well as how that ongoing connection impacts our lives as Christians. From the first Tuesday night when Dr. Kelly spoke to us of Baptism and Confirmation—the indelible marks given to our souls—our understanding of the sacramental identity of the Catholic Christian explains who we are—images of Christ—and what we are to become—sharers in His resurrection. Most recently we heard of the history and life-saving relevance of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and the funeral rites which illustrate the Christian dignity of each and every person and the desire of God for us to bring that dignity unstained into His presence for everyone. Next Tuesday, October 27th, Dr. Kelly will speak on the two vocational sacraments—Holy Orders and Sacred Matrimony. I am sure her talk will touch on the ontological change in the spirit of the individual being ordained to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, noting that while a change occurs it does not make the priest-to-be “better” but certainly different. And then I am sure her talk on the sacrament of Matrimony will illustrate what that means to the union of man and woman regarding God’s ongoing plan of creation and salvation. I know her final talk will be as inspiring and as uplifting as the first three. If you have not been able to attend the earlier topics, especially if you are a married couple, I hope that you will come to this discussion. While married couples live this vocation each day, sometimes the obvious needs to be high-lighted. And for the glory of who you are in God’s eyes, you might just come to understand better the power and the beauty of this particular sacrament.

November 2nd: All Souls Day—remembering our dead. Our Catholic faith celebrates the Commemoration of the Faithfully Departed, or All Souls Day, on this day each year. We take this one day in the year to, in a particular way, remember and pray for the noble souls of all the departed. We pray to the Church Triumphant—all those already in heaven, we pray for the Church on Earth—those still making the earthly spiritual journey to God, and we pray for the Souls in Purgatory—those who are awaiting purification and the fullness of the precious gift of eternal life. These prayers which we offer are not only our joy to perform but are also our duty and obligation as fellow Christians—remembering always that we are all members of the Communion of Saints.

This celebration as we know it can be traced all the way back to Abbot Odo of Cluny (France) in the tenth (10th) century, even though prayer for the dead has been part of Catholic custom from the earliest days of the Church. The belief that our prayers for the dead can be of assistance to the dead is a treasured tenet of our Catholic faith.

The Mass of All Souls has some unique features. The Gloria and the Creed are not said. There are no proper readings or preface—instead; they are selected from the readings and prayers for the dead. While white, violet or black vestments may be worn (and prior to Vatican II black vestments were normally associated with this commemoration), violet and white more appropriately express the hope which is at the heart of this liturgy.

Another ancient Catholic tradition is the particular use of proper names at this time of prayers. At Mass, the names of those from the parish who died in the last calendar year are read allowed and candles are lit while a bell is tolled. Two additional candles may be lit for particular purposes—we light one for our nation and her needs, another for our military troops’ safety. In addition, the prayers of the priest, known as the Office or the Breviary can be recited for the specific intentions of the dead. Envelopes will be available in the pews and at the entrances of the Church which you may use to list the names of those for whom you wish to have the Office said. During the month of November, I will pray my Office (four times per day—morning prayer, day prayer, evening prayer, and night prayer) for those individual names. The envelopes will remain in a basket, lined with violet cloth, for the month of November as a sign of our connection to and hopes for our beloved dead. Because All Souls Day falls on a weekday, Monday, November 2nd, when most of our parishioners will either be at work or at school and unable to attend daily Mass, this ancient tradition will take place at the Sunday, 11 a.m. Mass, November 1st.

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” This psalm for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time is quite comforting after having listened to some pretty “tough to hear” scripture readings over the last few weeks. Today’s comforting message is filled with the goodness of God and His desire for us to share in His life.

Jeremiah, the prophet who often offers us some “gloom and doom” sings with great joy today! God will gather all His people, scattered to the “ends of the world” (Jeremiah 31:8). Everyone will return to the Lord—not just the healthy, the fit, the strong, but the lame, the blind, and the weak ones too. God will guide them home, offer them love and care, bring them back to Him as the Father. Then the Psalm tells us that as surely as the harvest follows the sowing so too will rejoicing follow the sorrow of life. In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is offered as the true “high priest” called by God. Like Aaron and Melchizedek, who brought the bread and wine to Abraham, Jesus gives Himself as the greatest and most powerful gift of all—a sacramental gift that not only heals us but transforms us to be more like Him. The Gospel of Mark tells us of the actual names of those healed by Jesus (Bartimaeus and Mary of Magdala). In most Gospel accounts the ill, the possessed, and all those who are to be healed normally remain nameless. The important aspect to see in this account is that Jesus desires to heal us of all our infirmities (physical and spiritual) and that God knows us intimately—even by name.

Thanks to all who participated in last weekend’s Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as part of this Archdiocesan event. This ancient Church tradition involves His people spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament seeking His mercy, love, or forgiveness, and is the desire of Catholics worldwide. As Catholics we believe that the Lord is truly present in the Eucharist. He is not there symbolically. He is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—as a gift to each person who believes. There to strengthen, heal and be One with us. A gift of perfect love. Who wouldn’t want to participate in that? Unfortunately, in recent decades, busy lives and other priorities have kept many away from this Catholic experience. Work, soccer, movies and shopping, for many, replace religious activities. As a parish, we will attempt to reintroduce this ritual over the coming months enabling us to pray for the special needs of all. Peace!

October is the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother

October is the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother, and the Catholic Church has always had a tradition of offering during this month our prayers for her intercession to her son, Jesus. If you are a family that prays together or if you are an individual who is looking to begin anew your prayer life, perhaps consider saying the rosary as a family or say the following daily prayer of our Lady, from the Revelation to Sr. Maria of Agreda, from the Mystical City of God; I prostrate myself in your Presence Oh God Most High and I give You Thanks and Praise for your Immutable Being, for your Infinite Perfections, and for having created me out of nothing. I acknowledge myself as your creature and as the work of your hands. I bless You and I adore You. I give You Honour, Magnificence and Divinity as the Supreme Lord and Creator of myself and of all that exists. I raise up my Spirit to place it into your hands. I offer myself with profound humility and resignation to You and I ask You to dispose of Me according to your Holy Will during this day and during all the days of my life, and I ask You to teach me to fulfill whatever would be to your greater pleasure." Then add “I consult You, I ask your advice, I ask your permission and I ask your blessing on everything that I do today". Then add, "I ask you permission to use my body as your temple, my mind as the mind of Christ, my soul as the souls of Jesus and Mary: my memory to remember you only, my will to use it in conformity to Your Will and my understanding to understand You with Your Wisdom and to understand my brothers and sisters."

Or each day you can offer one of the numerous prayers associated with or made to the Blessed Virgin Mary, including but not limted to: The Angelus, the Memorare, the Regina Caeli (Queen of Heaven), the Magnificat, the Fatima Prayers, or the Litany of Loreto (attributed to Pope Sixtus V in 1587). Mary, as a very young woman said yes to God’s call that she be the vessel of the Incarnation. Young and afraid, she trusted in God and in His mercy and love, so much so that she gave her life over to be the mother of the Holy Family and the spiritual mother of us all. We honor her this month in a special way so as to be pleasing to her Son. Perhaps this is a good year to start a new family or personal tradition, if you haven’t already done so. By way of trivia, it is said that the first Christian prayer ever recited on the soil of North America was the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) by Christopher Columbus upon founding this Continent.

"Suffering Sunday”–the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. As we read today’s Sacred Scripture we hear the common theme of suffering—that of the Messiah, Jesus, and the suffering of those who are to follow Him. We are, after all, called to be sharers in His life—both here on earth and His eternal life in heaven.

In the Gospel today we hear the familiar account of James and John seeking a special place in the Kingdom—they ask Jesus for the best seats in heaven, basically to be second and third in command. They might just be the original forerunners to for-mer U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig. I am showing my age. In reality, the brothers James and John do not understand the type of Kingship Jesus is about to embrace. It is one of servant leadership, where He will become a slave, a lesser, so that all might be saved. This reminds us of the first reading today which comes from the fourth of the suffering servant songs of Isaiah (which we read from on Palm Sunday and Good Friday) because He (Christ) accepts His suffering freely and t his form of suffering will give life to others. Historians tell us that ―for Isaiah’s readers, this passage would have recalled the image of the scapegoat in Leviticus, when Aaron bound the sins of the people to the goat, which was then sent into the wilderness, freeing the people from the burden of sin.‖ In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews we hear that while Jesus is One with God He is not distant—or remote—from us. He, the Christ, understands us and can ―sympathize with our weaknesses‖ (Hebrews 4:15) because He has undertaken every test to which this life can subject us. He has lived our life on earth because He is one of us, though without sin, He knows and understands the ―weight‖ of sin and how it impacts our life, our relationships, our ability to move or not move forward until we have been absolved of sin. This knowl-edge that our God knows and understands our ways should give us the confidence to pray to Him and to turn to Him for forgiveness and grace.

That special favor that James and John had asked Jesus for—and Jesus’ response—should also remind us that to lead in the Church and in the faith is a call to Servant Leadership. Christ calls us to serve as priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, as lay ministers either as lectors, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, as catechists, as religious education directors and youth ministers, as leaders in ministries of social justice and marriage preparation, in serving on parish and finance councils – as leaders in faith showing others what it means to be a Christian disciple of Christ. He calls us not as leaders with power over others but rather as leaders with power to enable others to come to the table of the Lord. To feed on Him, to receive Him in Word, to feel His presence in learning about His life and love—His faith; He calls us to serve as servants of His name. No exaltation, for that is His. No lauding position over others but rather using it to welcome others into His life. We are all called to imitate the Suffering Servant, Christ, and to become ―best‖ by be-coming a ―slave‖ to the Lord.

Some questions for us as a Church to think about in relation to the question James and John asked of Jesus: Who gets the best seats in our church? Where do the ministers sit? Is the choir clearly part of the assembly? They should neither appear to be on stage, nor be hidden in a far-off section. Do those seated in the sanctuary participate fully in the Mass, and do they set an example of full, conscious, active participation in the Mass—joining in sung and spoken responses?

Speaking of “slaving” for the Kingdom, I want to thank two women in particular for their faithful and wonderful service to the altar of God—Ginny Kelly and Kathy Reilley, are the two individuals in our parish who are collecting, washing, and pressing the altar linens so that the Mass may be celebrated with clean linens but also with reverently maintained cloths. At each Mass all week long (weekends and daily Masses) a corporal, two finger towels, and a purificator are used. Add to that the cloths that are needed at baptisms each week (towels to wipe the water from the child’s head and finger towels for the anointing with sacred oils). It is a great deal of work. And one doesn’t just throw them in the washer. There is a process to remove the remaining particles of the Sacred Body of Christ and remnants of the Precious Blood of Christ from the cloths prior to their washing and ironing. I greatly appreciate their devotion, their time and their talent. It is a wonderful ministry that rarely gets highlighted and most definitely requires being a suffering servant. Thank you!

Thank You to all who serve in this parish & an open invitation to those who are thinking about service. Peace, Father Michael

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

Every year the Catholic Church welcomes hundreds of thousands of non-baptized men and women into full reception in the Church. Some are baptized (non-Catholic) Christians, others are non-baptized individuals, and some hail from other faith traditions. All are seeking a closer relationship with God and want to begin anew their spiritual journey toward the One Creator of all.

In the Catholic Church this process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. It is a parish-based program where individuals come and learn about the Catholic Faith and their God-given Christian dignity. They learn what it means to follow Christ, to worship in community, and to live out their faith each and every day. In addition, they will study Sacred Scripture and deepen their desire of God; they will learn of the mission and ministry of Christ, which His Church now carries on through the Traditions and traditions of the Catholic Church. They will learn of our Catholic Identity and what it means for their life on earth—and their eternal life.

I am happy to announce the initial meeting of this year’s RCIA program, and I invite all those who are considering joining the Catholic faith to come and learn not only the process we will travel together but to investigate your desire to join our faith community, both locally and universally. We will meet on Monday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Library. Come and see what our faith holds (the Deposit of Truths) for you and how you can fully join in the sacramental life (our Catholic Identity which comes for Christ) of the Catholic Faith. Our first meeting is an introductory meeting and will be the time we set the logistics of the program.

I also highly recommend joining in on the discussions lead by Dr. Joan Kelly during the October series in our Adult Faith Formation program (see the bulletin for details). Dr. Kelly is articulate, passionate, and so full of knowledge and is able to synthesize the sacramental life of the Church. More than 100 people came out to hear her on Tuesday, October 6th, and the reaction to her talk was fantastic. Don’t lose out on this great opportunity to learn more about who we are as Catholic Believers.

The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Are you called? The local magazine rack or Stop and Shop or Andy’s Market shows us what we, as a culture, value most: good looks, good health, youthfulness, power, and money. Today’s readings ac-knowledge the allure all these things have for us, but they urge us to seek the wisdom of God above all things. Each of us is called to holiness: but not all in the same ways. This is a day to become more aware of your own unique vocation.

First and foremost we need to define “holiness.” Many people believe that holiness is, personally, unattainable. That is a myth that needs to be busted. Holiness is not defined as being perfect or as being Godlike in all that one says and does. Holiness simply means to be set apart.

So the call to holiness, which the Church teaches that we all—no matter who we are—receive from God, is a call to be set apart from the material world—to be less concerned with the headlines at the news racks at market—and to become or to grow more closely aligned with the Wisdom of God: the desire for Truth and the strength to live that Truth out in our lives in the everyday world. This sounds like a tall order. But this is not an overnight transformation. In fact, our spiritual journey is a life-long journey and one that , due to our human nature, will have many ups-and-downs. For sure there will be roadblocks, potholes, and many wrong exits—but that is not a reason to follow a “different map” or a reason not to use the best GPS, which is Trust in God.

Our faith, through the Sacramental Life of the Church, provides the most direct and high-powered guidance system to follow the path to holiness—and that is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. No matter the sin, nor the frequency of its use in our lives, God always forgives and His Grace will enable us to return to the “highway to heaven,” overcoming our sinful ways. Re-member, patience is a virtue, and of equal import, God’s power to forgive is greater than any sinful act we, as mere mortals, could ever perform.

Today’s Gospel has an overarching theme which is the call of Jesus. A young man asks the question of Jesus as to what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answers, keep the commandments. But having done that already from his youth, the young man inquires as to what else he can do to reach even greater holiness. Touched by this holy desire, Jesus calls the man to give up all his material wealth and “follow me.” Sadden by this statement, the young man goes away because he is unable to let go of his possessions. This turning away prompts Jesus to make His famous statement about the rich man, the camel, and the eye of the needle. Jesus’ disciples are confused, since in their culture, as in ours, wealth is looked upon as a sure sign of success—of God’s favor. So the disciples wonder, “If a rich person can’t enter into the Kingdom, who can?” Jesus wants us to pay particular attention to the key words in this Gospel, which are: “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God” (10:27). It is only with God’s help (His Grace found in the Sacraments) that we can respond to His call of radical self-abandonment to God’s will.

Two great questions to ask ourselves : are we all called and is there just one calling? Yes and no. Yes to the first part which inquires if we are all called? Absolutely! It does not matter who you are or what you are doing, God is calling each and every person to holiness and to service in His name. There is no doubt of that—Jesus could not have been clearer about universal service. The essence of our Catholic/Christian baptismal call is to serve the Lord. And to the second part of the question, which asks if the call is the same to all peoples? No! He calls all of us to all kinds of work. Some are called to married life, some to single life, some to the ordained ministry of the Church (priesthood and the diaconate), to religious life, and others to lay ministry.

Today after hearing again this reading we need to ask two questions: (1) how do we live out the vocational call which we all receive? And (2) are there ways in which, like the young man in today’s Gospel, we say no to Christ’s call?

Prayer and openness to His Word and the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives are needed to both hear the call and to provide an answer to God. And sometimes we need a little help from others to find out what the call is and how we can generously respond while still living in the world.

Just a reminder: On Friday, October 16th beginning at 5 p.m. and running 24 hours (until 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 17) our parish will hold Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for the 40-Days of Life in the Archdiocese. The Church will be open and staffed during this Sacred time, please consider stopping by for some prayer and time with the Lord.

Absolute Truths & the Reality of a Modern World

This weekend we hear some of the most difficult—as well as the most beautiful—readings in Sacred Scripture. Beautiful in that we hear in the first reading that God could have remained alone in His glory but rather decided to create a universe full in beauty and hope. In the second reading from Hebrews, we hear that Jesus is like us, one in origin. The readings are also difficult, especially for those of us who have experienced divorce, as have most American families, including my own family. In this Gospel we hear Jesus answer one of the most difficult questions of human history—can a person be divorced and remarried? It is not that Jesus does not understand or care about human struggles though it is all about how Jesus views marriage—His understanding of marriage—and that for Jesus, it cannot be dissolved.

The absolutes. God Himself has made known His intentions for married life. It is between one man and one woman, it is sacred and unending, it is a mirroring of Christ’s love for His people and His Church, it is a complimentary action between the two parts of His Creation and it compliments—in man and woman—the totality of God.

Then reality of human marriage. And, then He created human beings—with all our glory and all our failings. So how then do we dove-tail the two: the expectations and potential of God made visible in Man and the fact that we are imperfect creatures? Do we change what God has taught us? Do we simply depend on His boundless mercy and forgiveness?

On today’s subject of divorce and remarriage outside of the Church, first we need to clearly understand what our faith teaches us. Divorce in and of itself does not separate an individual from God or His Church. A divorced person is welcome at Mass and at the Sacraments. The Church, because of human nature, allows for the dissolution of a marriage that is proved not to have been sacramental from the very beginning. It does not say or teach that the marriage never was a legal marriage (it was) but what it was not in the eyes of the Church is a valid and sacramental marriage. Therefore, it can be dissolved so that the Catholic party(ies) are free to marry in the Church again (it is impossible to appropriately address this subject in this short space or at a homily, however in our Adult Faith Formation Series during the up-coming year we will have a meeting on the Annulment itself and the process).

So what are we to do? As always, we live dependent upon the Mercy and Love of God. We also leave the judgment of the world to the Lord God. And, since we cannot even minimally discuss the issues of divorce, annulment, and remarriage in this limited space, and since we most certainly cannot resolve society’s often times minimalistic approach to marriage, then what we are left with is the expression of our obligation as Catholics (people of faith) to prepare individuals for marriage and how we then support married couples. Maybe this difficult question can be “boiled down” to a proposition?
If we as a faith people believe God in His call for the permanence of marriage, then we must take seriously our obliga-tion to prepare those seeking marriage to be capable of making a mature and informed decision about their life partner. Therefore, Pre Cana needs to be more than just “going through the motions” of meeting with the priest to discuss the theology of marriage and the practical aspects of married life. Marriage needs to be understood as a true and lasting commitment, a commitment that goes beyond the fun of “setting up house,” or building a financial future together. We need to help young couples prepare themselves to make that mature and honest decision about themselves and their life partner so that in the storms of married life, their rudder is solidly attached and their sails are able to withstand a “perfect storm” to bring them safely home.

In my limited experience as a priest preparing folks for marriage, not always but far too often the couple is more interested in the wedding day than in the married life. Focus is on the details of the wedding and little attention is paid on what really matters—their goals for life together, their hopes for a family, will faith play a role in their lives, in the lives of their hoped-for children? Frequently I get the feeling that the time spent with the Church in Pre Cana is an aggravation and not an important preparation time. Far too often issues of finances, chil-dren, house dreams, family of origin issues, and goals for “where they want to be in 5, ten or twenty-five years are secondary to the band or the cake.

The parish also needs to shine a stronger light on the preparation of married couples. Theology of marriage, the idea of a Sacramental nature of love, the reasons for married life and family within the idea of God’s plan for salvation, are vitally important…but so are issues which come from the lived experience of married life. What about financial set backs and missed original plans, or a long-term illness of a spouse and the major impact that has on a couple or family’s future plans? Disappointments, stresses, children—and all that brings to the mixture of life together. What is true love?

These questions—and answers—are different for every individual couple that is for sure. But understanding that life brings with it good times and bad, joy and sorrow, highs and lows, and with that knowledge the creation of a firm foundation of love built upon honest give and take, will enable our future couples, mothers and fathers, to make a decision that hopefully will stand the tests of time. The Church has the obligation and duty to teach, make known and follow the Will of God. It also has the obligation and duty to prepare future husbands and wives to enter into married life well-equipped to build a life of love.

In the next six months I would like to work with couples who have been married for varying lengths of time, say 5, 25, 35, 50, even 60 years of marriage, and invite them to be part of a marriage preparation team. The Church has a “long-term” program of questions and issues to discuss in order to help build a healthy marriage. The goal is to build a strong Christian marriage, so that the questions and difficulties of divorce—and all that that implies—are fewer and the gift of a healthy, a mutually beneficial and long life together are really the absolute reality.

Let us all take some time to pray for all couples planning to marry, that they begin the new life in honesty and with open minds guided by Christ. Let us pray for all married couples who are having difficulty, may the Lord bless them, give them peace, and may He offer them the truth so that they may come to terms with their difficulties and build a life together that will strengthen them both, and bring joy to their hearts. And let us pray for all couples, that their lives together may be filled with joy, mutual respect, love, and the promises of old are fulfilled in their hearts—that they may be signs to all of God’s great hope for husbands and wives and families.
Peace,
-Fr. Michael

An examination of conscience!

This Sunday we find ourselves called to look to see if we are “putting limits on the Holy Spirit.” In the Gospel of John, the apostles question the mighty deeds a man performs in Jesus’ name. The apostles did not know this man and so they tell him to stop—he is not one of them—doing these things? Jesus tells His disciples, “Do not prevent him” (Mark 9:39) for if this man is performing mighty deeds in Jesus’ name, then God is with him, “for whoever is not against us is for us” (9:40). Do we put limits on those who teach the faith without an “official” title? Today’s readings call us to be open to the Holy Spirit and to all those who God calls to proclaim His Word. The issue is less about “official credentials” and more about our certainty of Jesus’ teachings.

In the second half of the Gospel we move in a different direction: we hear that even the smallest act of kindness per-formed in Christ’s name will be rewarded, and that to lead an-other to sin is the worst thing we can do—worse than dying. In examining our conscience we must look to see if our actions lead us—and others—to sin. Do our actions—or even being lukewarm to Christ’s faith—create an opportunity for sin as we replace Christ’s teaching with our own? When we refuse to judge some-thing—to be either righteous or evil or when we try to make everyone feel as though its okay to do what you want because after all, a victimless crime is just that, victimless—does this lack of action lead others astray? Do we believe that by calling for no absolute truths that we are abdicating our responsibility to “teach and preach” what we heard from God? This is just a question, not a judgment. But how does that thought make us feel? Comfort-able—and firm in what we believe and do…or a little concerned about our compass, about the source or foundation of our beliefs and actions…and how they are viewed by God?

FACTOIDS of interest as religious education classes begin—I thought the following summarized information from Boston College’s C21 (the Church in the 21st Century Center) is very timely and worth the read...its a great reinforcement to those who make the time to both participate in religious education and also attend Mass as a family and live-out their faith together. And for those who are wondering if “its all worth it,” well here are some interesting things to ponder:

1. How does family religious involvement benefit children, teens, and adults, and strengthen the family?

A growing body of empirical research demonstrates that a family’s religious involvement directly benefits children, teens, and adults in a variety of very significant ways. In their survey of the research literature, David Dollahite and Jennifer Thatcher found the following benefits of a family’s religious involvements: Divorce rates are lower and marital satisfaction and quality scores highest among religiously involved couples; Religious practices are linked with family satisfaction, closer father-child, and closer parent-child relationships; There is less domestic violence among more religious couples, and religious parents are less likely to abuse or yell at their children; Greater religiosity in parents and youth is associated with a variety of protective factors for adolescents. Adolescent religiosity is inversely related with many high-risk behaviors, all of which have potential to greatly influence the adolescents’ current and future family relationships.

“…it appears that one of the most important things parents can do for their children is spiritual and religious experience and community.” (Dollahite and Thatcher, 10).

2. What is the impact of parental faith on children and teens?

Of parents who report that their faith is extremely important in their daily lives, 67% of their teens report that faith is extremely or very important in their daily lives, only 8% of those parents’ teens report that faith is not important;

Of parents who report that faith is somewhat important in their daily lives, 61% of their children report the same, only 8% report it is not important;

Of parents who report that faith is not important at all, 47% of their teens also report that faith is not important; and only 2% of the teens report that faith is extremely important in their lives.

3. What are the core family faith practices?

Family faith conversations—listening and responding to daily concerns with a faith perspective makes it easier to have meaningful conversations about God. Hearing their parent’s “faith stories” is one of the most important influences on the faith of children or teenagers;

Liturgy, family devotions, and prayer—family devotions, prayer and participation in the liturgy provide a way to learn more about scripture and Christian traditions; Family service—engaging in service with one’s family can be a powerful opportunity for growing in faith;

Family rituals and traditions—families identify themselves and tell their family stories through daily routines, celebrations, and rituals. They communicate meaning, values, and relationships that exist between people and with God (including God’s created universe);

Family meal—research demonstrates that eating together as a family five or more times a week is strongly linked to lower incidences of bad outcome such as teenage drug and alcohol use, and to good qualities like emotional stability, low levels of family stress, and good parent/child/teen relationships.

Research illustrates that “the family is the first community of faith and the most powerful influence on the faith of children and teenagers.” The Church has always taught that “parents are the first and the best of teachers of their children...” (Baptismal Ritual). We recognize that today’s families are stressed by work, sports, and busy school schedules, and one of the first things to suffer due to these additional stresses is religious activities. Yet this study and article shows the important impact faith and family have on our children—now and forever…even eternity.

In this parish, it is our collective attempt (and obligation) to work with our parents to make sure that they are the “first of teachers and the best of teachers” when it comes to living out their faith. Our religious education, Confirmation, and Youth Ministry programs do their utmost to offer a variety of assistance in both scripture- and tradition-based learning, as well as in programmatic activities in order to put into practice the living Word of God. And, our new Mass schedule was designed to dove-tail well with busy schedules and non-Church activities—with even the secular demands now placed on weekends—so that families may worship together and benefit greatly from a stronger and ever-growing relationship with God.

It requires a commitment from us all—the Church and the faithful—and the courage to recognize what is truly important in our lives—both here in the material world and in the next World to come.

Peace,
-Fr. Michael

What being the Messiah means

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 9:30-37) we hear Jesus continue to define just what being the Messiah means: that He must be handed over to the authorities, He must suffer and die, and then be raised on the third day. As they travel from Ceseria Phillipi and in through Galilee, His apostles simply do not under-stand what He is telling them. They have a completely different vision of the Messiah, one that does not suffer but is ―triumphant,‖ and they are afraid to question Him about this. Rather, they argue among themselves as they travel. Once in Capernaum, they enter a house and Jesus questions them, ―What were you arguing about on the way?‖ But they remained silent—for fear of what He will think of them. Jesus calls the Twelve and, knowing what they were debating (who among them was the greatest), tells them, ―If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.‖ It is a turning point in the Gos-pel of Mark and the apostles are ―afraid,‖ not of Jesus but rather of the idea of a ―suffering Messiah‖ – not the type of leader for which they were searching. Gospel commentators tell us that ―this is the same fear that will scatter them at the moment of Jesus’ arrest.‖

In the second part of this gospel it is Jesus who asks the question of the apostles and the fear they have comes from their shame (9:34) –from their argument amongst themselves as to who was the greatest of the apostles. Then, Jesus takes the little child and putting His arm around it, declares to His twelve that to receive one child such as this in his name is to receive Jesus and to receive Jesus is to receive God. At this time in world history children were utterly dependant upon their parents for their existence. They had no rights, no rank in society. They were not idealized as they are now, as innocents from heaven. Jesus’ message to His apostles is to depend on God as a child depends on its parents, with complete trust.

Jesus is also telling His apostles that ambition which is not aimed at the good of the society is selfish and destructive—can you imagine the apostles arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest—and then think of that question with the mind of God. Think of God’s ―frustration.‖ During his first ordi-nation of priests as pope, Benedict XVI urged the transitional deacons being elevated to the priesthood to beware of ambition and careerism. A modern day lesson centering on what Jesus was telling his Twelve. Why does today’s world honor such ―power grabs- as a sign of good self esteem, strength and power, and as a good thing? In today’s second reading James gives us a clear definition of good ambition—that which benefits all: ―Selfish ambition- leads to self-interest and jealousy, which leads to conflicts of all kinds, even war. James tells us that true wisdom is ―pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity‖ (James 3:17). True wisdom leads to peace.

After listening to today’s Sacred Scripture we can ask ourselves, What are we arguing over in our ministries/lives/homes/offices/schools? On whom, or what, is our focus? It seems that the apostles looked only at themselves. They even attempted to turn the little children away but Jesus employs the children as an educational tool to teach others about trust and dependency, about living together for the good of all.

"Do we, as a community, truly value the children and not just as proud parents but do we welcome them into full and appropriate participation by way of mentoring and training them to become active members of our faith community or, do we simply smile and call them the "future" of the Church—rather than part of our Church, now and forever?"

Jesus called and used many different people to spread His ministry and build His Church during His time on earth. This Monday we have another example of looking beyond our own ―clicks or self-interests‖ as we celebrate the feast of Saint Mat-thew, apostle, evangelist—and tax collector—as we know from our Church and World History, one of the least loved or admired occupations in the world at that time.

Parish Maintenance Update. As you enter the Church through the Atrium doors or look at the larger, outer wall of the Church that faces Stratton Brook Road, or even peek around the back of the Church and Russell Hall, you will notice how sparkling clean the buildings look, due to a power washing this past week. Gone are the black mold, the lichens, and the resulting fungi that have been growing on the façade of the buildings and on the roof of the rectory. If you were to have looked at the outer wall facing the Marian Garden, you would have seen a great deal of mold growing up the wall with all of its discoloration on the white vinyl as a truly nasty green-black overlay had been making its home there. A new company in the area, Comes A Time, did a fantastic job in making the Church clean and free of these infestations and stains. At the rectory, the roof was covered in a great deal of mold and lichens and you would not believe the "gunk" that came running off in the washing process. As a benefit of doing this inexpensive cleaning project, the four large windows (which form a Cross) in the former Chapel of the rectory which appeared to have broken seals and were slated for replacement, were just clouded over with years of dirt and a set of old (from the early 1970s) ultra violet, plastic coverings. The power washing on the outside combined with a great deal of Windex and elbow grease on the inside led us to see clearly that, in fact, the windows are (operationally) fine and simply were coated with years of dirt and then some. A happy savings and an easy fix.

We are also looking into the replacement of some windows in the Church that have broken seals. These windows look out to our back field and over to Tulmeadow Farm. For the sake of both energy efficiency and for the beauty of God’s creation, this is a good thing. As you enter the front doors in the Atrium entrance, close inspection of the doors will clearly find that they are in sad shape. The doors in question are interior doors being used as exterior doors and, obviously, have not held up to the variations in our New England climate. James DePasquale, son of Dr. and Mrs. Philip (Patty) DePasquale, has chosen for his Eagle Scout project the repair of these four doors. The doors will be stripped, sanded, repaired and the properly transformed into exterior doors (with plenty of protective coating applied to them). This is a great project for James as he works toward his admirable and difficult task of reaching the rank of Eagle Scout and it is a great service to our parish and our facility maintenance program. I am very appreciative of his desire to assist us. There will be more to follow on this project as it moves forward during September.

Peace,
Fr. Michael

Full Participation

Full Participation. Vatican II, the Council that
saw to it that the laity would have new ways to fully participate
in the Mass was, for many people, a positive event and
led to the “doors of the Church being opened for all to participate
in the Mass.” However, after some 40 years of practice
some folks have become “silent participants” in the
Mass. So as a way of reconnecting with the original intent of
that Vatican Council, I offer a few words on our participation:

The Catholic understanding of the Mass is that it is truly a dialogue between God and His people, with the priest acting in persona Christi as mediator in prayer and in bringing the Sacrifice of the Mass—Holy Eucharist—into being by consecrating the bread and wine into the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ. While the priest prays the prayers of consecration, the peoples’ role is to respond appropriately—in a clear, loud and unified voice.

When the priest declares, “The Lord be with you,” the
people respond, “And also with you.” The same holds
true for the opening prayer, the collect, and the closing
prayer offered by the celebrant—each calls for the congregation
to respond with “Amen!” So that the Lord hears us all.
At the reception of Holy Communion, where we as a church
believe the real presence of Christ exists, the Extraordinary
Minister of Holy Communion and the ordinary minister of
Holy Communion, the priest or deacon, lifts the sacred
Body and Blood and declares, “The Body/Blood of Christ”
and the people respond, “Amen!” Prior to reception of
Holy Communion, the Church asks the communicant to
make some sign of reverence—either a slight bow of the
head, a sign of the Cross, or some other appropriate gesture—
showing that we believe that this is more than just
mere bread or wine but rather Christ made present by the power of God.

Participation in Song was also given a major status in
the liturgy by Vatican Council II—and not just for those with
wonderful voices—or I would not have been ordained!
While there are many books written on this subject matter,
including a tongue-in-cheek one entitled, “Why Catholics
Don’t Sing,” the idea of singing at Mass—both hymns and
psalms, is not simply a way to add ten or fifteen minutes to
the liturgy but rather is meant to illustrate the importance
of offering praise to God for all His goodness. The songs
selected for a particular Sunday reflect the message of the
readings and the Gospel, and they draw our attention to
who we are and what we are called to be as we leave the
Mass and go out into the secular world—bearers of God’s love, mercy, and hope.

Often times rituals may seem unnecessary or even
burdensome. Other times we really enjoy it at Christmas- or
Easter-time but for some Sundays we just want to “get-in
and get-out.” The reason for a great celebration on each and
every Sunday must never be to “fulfill the obligation” of
Mass but rather to increase our human desire and love for
God—who is all good and loving—and simply desires us to
freely desire and choose to love Him back. May our participation
reflect that genuine love and desire to be One with God, now and forever.

This is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary
Time in the Church Calendar. In last week’s Gospel
Jesus healed the deaf-mute man and he and his friends
went out to tell everyone they could of what Jesus had done
for him—even though Jesus told them to keep quiet.
In this weekend’s Gospel account, Jesus identifies
who He really is—and then tells His disciples not to tell anyone.
Why? Well, remember when Jesus was teaching in His
hometown of Nazareth and the people could not accept His
teachings? After all, He was the son of Joseph and Mary,
they knew Him and could not accept the Wisdom from this
familiar “guy.” The same is true for His disciples. Jesus reveals
to His apostles that being the Christ means that He
will have to be rejected, He will have to suffer, He will have
to die…and be Resurrected. This “version” of the Messiah is
not who Peter and the others expected. They, like others,
believed that the Cross was a mistake, a failure, and that the
Messiah was not someone who mere mortals could destroy.
While they saw the Cross as a defeat, Jesus knew the Cross
was the only way for Christ—and for all of us who wish to
follow Him.

In today’s first reading, from Isaiah, we are prepared
to hear about the Passion of Christ. In fact, the last
time we heard this reading in the Church was on Palm Sunday
when it called our attention to the Passion. Today it is
proclaimed to us so that we will be prepared to hear of the
first time Jesus tells of His own passion. In this weekend’s
second reading from the Letter of James we hear of a strong
call to the Christian virtue of acting out our faith. We are
told by James that the true disciple, the real Christian, must
do more than simply offer his or her good wishes for others,
they must live-out their faith in works of charity. It is not
enough to say, “keep warm, eat well” (James 2:16) rather we
must “give them the necessities of the body” (2:16). Today
we are reminded of this letter from James, which iterates
the call of Christ, in what Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his
encyclical Deus Caritas Est, “The Church cannot neglect the
service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments
and the Word.” (22).

Remembering September 11, 2001

Eight years ago on September 11th our nation suffered a most horrific attack upon our soil, and this day has become a National Day of Mourning and Remembrance. Let us keep in our individual and collective prayers all those who died, and those who mourn.

Let us pray for all who protect us, our troops, our rescue workers, and our intelligence communities— as we pray unceasingly for an end to terrorism and its causes.May the innocent souls lost that day rejoice in the Kingdom of God and may our loving Savior’s
face shine radiantly upon this great nation, keeping all who love peace and freedom safe from harm.AMEN!

“Be Opened”

“Be Opened” (Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time). In the Sacrament of Baptism there is a prayer called the Prayer of Ephphatha which the celebrant offers over the child to be baptized. As he touches the ears and the mouth of the child he prays the prayer saying, “May the Lord soon touch your ears to hear His word and your mouth to proclaim His Gospel to the glory of God the Father.” It is a prayer of hope that the child to be baptized, like all believers, will learn to praise God the Father in word and deed.

In today’s Gospel word and speech take on a powerful meaning as Jesus opens the ears of a deaf man and gives him the ability to speak. More than endless “chatter” is now expected of his speech. In this foreign territory people, as in other locales, bring to Jesus the sick and afflicted. Normally He heals those in need with a simple word but today’s ac-count has Him healing the deaf man “in stages.” First, Jesus separates the deaf man from the crowd, leading him aside. Next He touches the man’s ears, anoints his eyes with saliva, and then prays, as the Gospel states, He “looked up to heaven and groaned” (Mark 7:34). Finally, Jesus speaks the word—“Ephphatha,” which means “be opened.”
It is interesting to see that this healing of the deaf man takes on a sacramental nature, not only with words, but silent prayers and ritual gestures. The man immediately begins to speak and he and his friends begin to “spread the word,” if you will, of what this Jesus has done for him. As Isaiah foretold, the “deaf hear and the mute speak,” there is a prophet in their midst and they recognize it clearly.
In the first reading Isaiah tells of what will happen when God comes—He will bring healing and life with Him: the blind see, the deaf will hear, the lame dance, and the mute sing. All this is to be for the glory and praise of God, and for the good of all His people. In the second reading Saint James reiterates one of the most basic teachings of Jesus: the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. According to Saint James, some of the worldly ways have crept into the religious assemblies of the people as those of power and wealth are greeted with great hospitality and privilege, while the poor and powerless are told to stand to the side. Saint James is trying to remind us that these worldly distinctions have no place in Church. By separating people into these two groups and treating them accordingly, we have already judged them. Are we able to remember that no matter who the person is, the word of God has been spoken to them by the same, One, True God. While the message or vocation may—as well as the gifts given—differ from per-son to person, the command and the love is the same. For the One God speaks to us all without regard for gender, color, station-in-life or any other human distinction.

James’ message is as difficult for us today as it was for his original audience. But the point remains the same: “In what ways do we make distinctions among people in our own assemblies? Do we make judgments, perhaps inadvertently, in the way we welcome people, in the way we carry out the liturgy? Or do we treat all with equal graciousness. The friends of the deaf-mute man bring him to Jesus, this weekend we might focus our attention on more practical aspects of welcoming people. How do we as a parish welcome people with “disabilities” to Church? Is our building accessible? Is it difficult or easy for those in wheelchairs or walkers to enter our Church and to make themselves comfortable in the pews…how do we assist them? Are they able to sit with their families or easily make it up to Holy Communion, or actively participate in the liturgy, as a lector or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (by being able to negotiate the Sanctuary)?

We are all precious in the sight of God, all welcome in His Church, and all given the gifts to “hear His word and proclaim it to the glory of God.” Let us all be opened to his word and to proclaiming it to each and every person.

More words…I am not even going to say the “R” or the “S” word, (“roof” and “shingles”) but we did survive last weeks heavier rains from Tropical Storm Danny and not a leak was noted or felt. I am hoping all is well with those situations.

I do however wish to say the “T” word loud and clear to each and every member of this parish for your faithful generosity to the monthly Maintenance collection. Thanks to you we are able work on the many and varied maintenance projects without having to seek loans or lines-of-credit. We are able to prioritize projects and work on them as the money is collected. In that same vein, in mid-August, we had our annual insurance walk-through in the Church, the parish center and related offices, and in the rectory. We passed with flying colors and were issued a letter praising our changes and the ongoing up-keep of the property. Only one minor issue was noted, a banister on the staircase up to the attic is required by the insurance carrier. That will be taken care of by our facilities manager, Mike Grappone. Otherwise, the Archdiocese was quite pleased with all that we have accomplished in the last two years. We’ll see how pleased they are when I send in our insurance claim to help cover the costs associated with the water damage in the center and rear of the interior Church. Thank you very kindly for your willingness to support our maintenance work and be assured that we are instituting a healthy ongoing maintenance and review program so that we are able to catch potential issues prior to them becoming expensive repairs.
Peace,
-Father Michael

How Do You Do What You Do?

The Bread of Life discourse has come to an end. This week, in a unique way, we hear about the real meaning of the Liturgy. For many people, especially priests—and those priests who’s concentration for the MDiv degree in seminary was liturgy, the liturgy can become all important as a ritual and a rite. Sometimes so much so that it becomes the overarching theme of the day. I know! For those of us involved in the preparation of the liturgy we can become absorbed in the details (the rubrics) of the liturgy, and while the rubrics are important we must not let them become the liturgy.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns those (the Pharisees) whose religion is nothing but an empty form, perhaps showing itself as just going through the “motions” or doing the “ritual thing” but not allowing the faith to in-fuse the self and become the force for good in our lives and in our world. The real meaning of the liturgy is to care for and about God’s creation. The Pharisees challenge Jesus about the details of the Law. In today’s first reading Moses presents the Law as “justice” and now the Pharisees are “redefining” the law as ritual purity in the “cleansing of the cups, jugs, kettles and beds” (Mark 7:4). Sometimes rituals and rubrics can become the force in the liturgy rather than being “the vessels that hold something much larger: the worship of the Christian people, which God fills with grace.” The rubrics and rituals are those things that help us to understand the mystery of God and are not, as some thought the gold on the Temple walls was, that which gives glory to God. God is the glory.

In today’s second reading we hear, in a far different way then from Saint Paul’s very deep and theological writings, in a simple and direct manner from St. James that we must be “doers” and not just “hearers.” That pure relig-ion is lived out both externally in service of the afflicted, and internally, in remaining “unstained” by the world. (1:27)

Jesus wants us—and James reiterates clearly—to be so transformed by our faith that we live it out in our daily lives as to transform others and the world around us. Thus we profess our faith by the actions we do (being “doers”), and by being imitators of Christ, albeit in a human version or as a “shadow” of Christ. The list of things that can assist us in becoming “doers” is long and well-known by us all. No one needs to tell you or highlight those “doings.” The real question is “how do I incorporate being a “doer” in my daily life and still live-out my other commitments—family, work, community—in a 24-hour day/seven-day-a-week schedule?”

The simple yet difficult answer is all in the quality, not the quantity of the “doing.” We are not called to save the world. That we leave to God. We are not even called to avert hunger, eliminate loneliness, defeat evil, or impart complete harmony in the lives of others. What we are called to do is our part. And doing our part is different for each and every soul. Not everyone has the same, identical calling in life and so we do not have the same, identical gifts from God in order to complete that individual calling. However, we do all share equally in the same commission from God, a commission to care and to act (to do) in His name. Whatever it is that we are called to do, the great and the small, it is to be done with God’s love and concern. Whether we are called to lead a ministry in feeding the hungry or simply deliver a loaf of bread or a bunch of bananas, what matters is the act of caring. I think it was Connecticut Governor William A. O’Neill (1980-1991—Connecticut’s longest serving Governor since Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 1769-1784) who said, “Caring is Sharing.”

God asks each one of us to care—and to share —with those in need—by the power of the gifts He gives to us. In that great Book in heaven, in which we all hope to have our names inscribed, we trust that it does not list the size or quantity of the act but rather the act itself. No need is too great as to dwarf the human spirit of love, and no act is too small to be received in gratitude and joy by the one in need and by the God of all. Let us not worry so much about what it is we are doing and rather be more concerned with the godly act of “doing;” being “doers” in the image and likeness of our God.

The actions of this parish, collectively and individually, must certainly ensure that the Book in heaven needs many pages for the names of the “doers” right here at Saint Catherine of Siena. Thank you!

Speaking of being a “doer,” I want to thank Mr. Max O’Meara for all his hard work and great efforts in the multiple projects he has been working on this summer on our parish grounds. From scrapping and sanding and painting the outside of the Church, to removing old posts and huge rocks and weeds around the mechanical areas, Max has been a real trooper in seeing to the beauty and functioning of our facilities. I appreciate his time, his talent and know-how, as well as all the expense he has saved this parish by his hard work and generous donation of time. Thank you!

Peace,
-Father Michael

A gentle and kindly reminder to our ministers at Mass (altar servers, lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, cantors), appropriate attire for serving at Mass is a sign of respect for God and the liturgy. Flip-flops, shorts, and beach-like attire should not be worn (to Mass) in the sanctuary. We are, after all, blessed with air conditioning. Without being too picky (note above comments on the “the rubrics and ritual details”), as Catholics we believe that the Mass is the most sacred communal act and we remind ourselves by the “rubrics and rituals” that we are in a special place (God’s house) during our time at Church. Our demeanor, attire, and prayers should announce to others our beliefs as being lived-out in both word and deed. Peace!

I am the Bread of Life

Today is the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Bread of Life discourse, in the Gospel of John, comes to an end. In today’s gospel account there is confusion. Jesus has been talking to His disciples about how His flesh and blood is the bread of life for the whole world. His disciples—and others who hear this—are confused and sacred. Leonardo da Vinci, according to art historians, has captured this confusion and fear in his famous representation of the Last Supper. In his glorious painting, Jesus is the calm in the center of the storm at that table where his apostles lean away from Him and where some have jumped up from their seats; others whisper among themselves. This same confusion exists in today’s gospel when many of Jesus’ apostles cannot accept what He has been telling them, others leave Him. For us today, like the early apostles, the Eucharist is very challenging on every level—mind, spirit, and body—and it demands a response.

The Body and Blood of Christ, the Bread of Life, challenges us spiritually in that the Sacrament par excellence calls us to suspend our view of reality (in the material world) and have faith in the power of our God to transform mere bread and wine into the vessel of His sacred Love. It challenges us to believe the He can transform us to be more like Him as we accept Him into our lives by consuming Him. It challenges us to go forth from the community worship at Mass and to take His ultimate Word, His sacred Body, and His precious Blood into the world and by our lived experience of faith, transformed the world and make His Kingdom present in the here-and-now.
Scholars tell us that today’s first reading from Joshua marks a turning point in the history of the chosen people. They have taken possession of the Promised Land, and at last there is peace. Before he dies, Joshua urges them to make a decision. Will they continue to serve the Lord? Or will they follow other gods? Joshua gives us the memorable phrase, “we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). The second reading from Ephesians is perhaps one of the hardest ones for modern-day Christians to hear. The Church offers two versions—one longer, one shorter—but both speak of a love of a husband for his wife as being com-parable to the love of Christ for His Church. In the shorter version the difficult word “subordinate” is not heard. What today’s Christian needs to understand is the usage of that word according to the culture of the Ephesians. The focus of the shorter version—and for us in the modern world—is the mutuality of marriage. The fact is that in a sacramental marriage man and woman become one and are united in Love by the source and font of Love—Christ. Both husband and wife are called and challenged for the good of themselves and for their family to be of mutual love, mutual respect, and mutual honor—equal to each other and sharers in Christ’s Love for His people and His Church.

In this final Bread of Life discourse in today’s Gospel we hear of another turning point (as we heard in the first reading) but this time, the turning point is in the ministry of Jesus. His statement regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood alienates many of His disciples. “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” they ask (John 6:60). Jesus tells them that acceptance of this statement is a matter of grace, and then He asks the Twelve whether they, too, wish to leave Him. Peter, like Joshua did in the first reading, speaks up with a great Profession of Faith. Note that Peter does not say that he understands this teaching of Jesus but rather that he knows that he is where he belongs. Peter has faith that Jesus has the “words of eternal life.” (6:68).

One of the challenges of the Eucharist is to come together as One Christian family, united in Truth and in the One, True God. In this weekend’s prayer after Communion (the closing prayer and final blessing of Mass) we as a community will ask for the peace, unity, and healing found in the Eucharist. It is a diffi-cult challenge for us individually and corporately as a Church but it is one that Christ has called us to. May we pray and act accord-ing to His wishes.
Peace,
-Father Michael

Another benefit of registering as a parishioner

Another benefit of registering as a parishioner is... and I know I sound like a broken record but the song keeps being requested...that if you are not registered in a parish—and are not personally known to the priest—and you are asked to be a god-parent for baptism or a sponsor for confirmation it is nearly difficult for the priest to issue the paperwork. The sponsorship form asks the priest to testify to the fact that you, the future godparent or sponsor, is a practicing Catholic in good standing. It makes it much easier to answer that question if the priest knows you or knows of you. Please register if you consider Saint Catherine your parish.

As summer is coming to a close, sad to say, please make sure you are registered for Religious Education and Confirmation Classes. Forms are located in the Church vestibule and atrium. You may also fill them out and drop them in the collection basket, leave them in the parish office drop-off box outside the parish office, or mail them to the office. Also, all interested youth ministry members please keep tabs on the upcoming Youth Ministry activities and events. Mrs. Pluta will have another exciting and event-filled year planned that will help build friend-ships and community as well as offer you numerous opportunities to be leaders in our Church and community. As a priest I don’t like to hear others talk about our youth as “the future of our Church” but rather you are the Church now! Please become involved and make a big difference in the lives of others and our Church. Thank you.

A very warm and heartfelt “Thank-You” to all those ladies and gents who help take care of the flowers and grounds at the rectory and the Church. I have received a number of great comments from parishioners (actually I was at Andy’s Market—dressed in clerics—one day and a lady came up to me who lives near the Church but is not a parishioner and told me how nice the property looks) on how beautiful the parish grounds look. I tell them that there are many, many folks who are giving of their time and talent to make the property look so lovely. I am deeply in-debted to all! And I want you to know that I have noticed an in-crease in “traffic” around the Mary garden during the day and early evening hours. Many folks stop by and spend some quiet and meditative time in the garden. I am sure the Blessed Mother hears your prayers, hopes and concerns, and then delivers them to Her Son. She is a most powerful intercessor on our behalf.

The Not So Perfect “Perfect Storm.”

 As I mentioned last weekend, we had additional leaks in the
roof area, which became very evident after those Friday
(July 31st) violent rain storms. I realize that this seems
like an ongoing problem, and one that is very disheartening
especially after the roof repairs we have undertaken
to date. However, the overall roof repairs already completed
were necessary (with some 11 leaks in the area
where the old Church meets the Atrium and in the nave
of the Church) as the shingles were severely worn and
there was a great deal of rot in the underlying plywood,
not to mention the incorrect flashing and gutters. Unfortunately
that was not to be the whole story.

After the rain storms of some two weeks ago, an
inferred test illustrated that the there were serious problems
and structural issues with the skylights over the
sanctuary—that huge building that sits on top of the
Church. I invite you to look at the photos in the Atrium
which highlight the rot as well as the size of the custommade
windows, with which we are dealing.

The situation is that some 15 years ago there
were leaks in the large skylights and the solution was to
add storm windows, which made sense and worked for a
time. However, those storm windows, which are custommade
and some 14” high and 8” wide, became part of the
current problem. None of the storm windows had weepholes,
thus rain and condensation built up over the years
and had no place to go except into the wood frames
which initiated the rotting process. In addition, the wood
frames were never mitered and thus were ill-fitting allowing
for more problems behind the storm windows.
The casings on the storm window themselves, while architecturally
attractive, were too intricate offering numerous
seems which would eventually become future
leaks (we have replaced these casings with a straight “C”
shaped frame, eliminating that issue). Add to all this that
a combination of copper and aluminum flashing was
used, which is not recommended since it causes additional
leakage concerns. Finally, since the large windows
face a southern exposure, the 25-year guarantee on the
caulking really only lasts somewhere around 10 years. It
has never been checked or replaced.

The Solution comprises a simplified casing
used around the storm windows to eliminate the potential
for more issues. While this casing is less attractive to
the eye, I doubt many will be able to notice it from the
ground level. Let me know if it makes a difference. Additionally,
weep-holes have been drilled into all of the
storm windows and we have replaced the mix of flashing
with a uniform aluminum flashing, running it higher up
the windows. The rotten wood has been replaced with all
new boards and has been accurately mitered for a better
fit, adding even more protection. Finally, we will have a
more proactive maintenance program which is preemptive
rather than reactive in nature, this will include replacing
the caulking every six to eight years so that the southern
exposure does not successfully work against us
(certainly one day of labor and some caulking is a great
deal less expensive and less aggravating then a full blown
rebuild).

Just for fun I looked into the idea of removing
the skylights and the tower on the top of the Church,
closing in the roof and adding high-tech, artificial lighting.
This would require a great deal of structural work
and the estimated cost is in the ballpark of $150,000 to
$200,000! Our current project is estimated at $6,450.
An obvious choice was made.

I do wish to acknowledge the great dedication
and hard work—as well as expertise in the field of facilities
management—of Tony Drapelick, who is the chairman
of our Building and Grounds Committee. Tony has
been here everyday working on this project—and others—
overseeing the designs and interacting with the
workman. He has a great deal of love and concern for
Saint Catherine of Siena and that is evident in all that he
does for this parish. I am indebted to him—and to many
others—for their dedication and concern for the temporal
goods of the Church.

I apologize for using this space, which normally
deals with the spiritual and theological aspects of the
readings, with more practical aspects of parish management.
However the subject matter is important and we
all need to be informed on such matters.

Peace,
-Father Michael

The Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

This is the third week in our five-week reading cycle on Jesus as the bread of life and we hear in the Gospel that no one can come to Jesus, the bread of life, unless God the Father draws us to Him. We remember from last weekend that the bread of life, which Jesus claims to be is different bread than the mass that rained down from heaven to the people of Israel. Remember that after their long journey into the desert with Moses they were already remembering with a bit of revisionist history that things weren’t “so bad” in Egypt under Pharaoh. After all, their “fleshpots” were full and they had food to eat. God, through Moses’ prayer, sent them bread from heaven for their physical needs. Then we were told by Jesus during the feeding of the 5,000-plus that a new bread was being given, it was Jesus Himself and he was the bread of life for both our earthly journey (as we work to be Christians in the making) and for our Eternal life, made one with the God of all creation.

In the time of the audience of Jesus the people were quite used to, and comfortable with, hearing stories that God fed His people. What made them uncomfortable, according to scripture scholars, was hearing Jesus proclaim, “the bread that I give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). In the next two weeks we will hear discussed the concerns and answer surrounding the question “how can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

In the second reading for this weekend, from Ephesians, we hear that we are to be Christ-like in all that we say and do so that we do not hurt others—or “grieve” others. It is the call for us all to be compassionate, even if at times we feel unworthy to imitate Christ in our world. The Christian call is not to be perfect, for indeed that “perfection” will come only when our mortal bodies are raised, by Christ, from the dead and are united with our im-mortal souls becoming glorified in Christ. Until that time, we are all called to be human beings flawed yet by the Grace of God full of compassion and loving a little bit more like God, seeing the face of Christ in each and every human being. Just as in our first reading we hear of a long and seemingly unsuccessful journey. A journey that makes Elijah feel as though he is not as worthy as those who walked the walk before him. Yet he is encouraged to continue, even helped along by an angel. Most of us feel this same way in our Christian journey from time to time—not worthy and perhaps looking at our parents and grandparents as better Catholics, knowing what to follow and what to believe in. God wants us not to give up and sit back but to take encouragement from those around us and continue the journey. For Elijah it was forty days later when he meets God—after eating the bread and obeying the command to continue. It is a difficult task ahead for each of us—the Cross is not easy—but the fruits it will offer us are beyond compare. May we be like Elijah, obedient and faithful so that we too may meet God in the still, whispering sound of peace at the end of our journey.

Peace,
Fr. Michael

p.s. A sincere thank-you to all of our advertisers in this bulletin. Their generosity makes this weekly communications tool possible, at NO EXPENSE to our parish. Kindly thank them with your support.