tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87909557772624610812024-02-07T15:20:01.900-08:00A Servant's Message: Words From A Catholic DeaconNeil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-12916951976879334942014-12-11T12:47:00.002-08:002014-12-11T12:47:56.617-08:00An Advent Meditation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
(I share these thoughts which were delivered in my homily for the Second Sunday of Advent.)<br />
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<em>Each winter as the year grows older, we each grow older, too;</em><br />
<em>the chill sets in a little colder, the verities we knew seem shaken and untrue.</em><br />
<em>Yet I believe beyond believing that life can spring from death; </em><br />
<em>that growth can flower from our grieving, that we can catch our breath</em><br />
<em>and turn transfixed by faith.</em><br />
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These words, taken from the Advent Carol of Hope, echo the fact that the year is winding down and we certainly are experiencing (at least where I live) the earth growing colder. We find ourselves once again in the period of expectation and waiting that we call Advent. We are also introduced to the principal character of the Advent season - John the Baptist. He arrives with his perennial Advent "sound bite" - Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!<br />
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Indulge me for a moment. Let us imagine that a time machine transports John from the first century to the upper level of Crossgates Mall on Black Friday. (That would certainly be culture shock.) As he begins to call people to repentance, security arrives on the scene to usher this odd looking man away. He asks them what the fuss is all about on this day in this place. They tell him people are preparing for Christmas. "What is Christmas?" he asks. It's when we remember when Christ was born. Bewildered he asks: "Is this how you prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth?"<br />
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How do we prepare? The year was 1903 and Katherine Wright received a telegraph message from her brothers - Orville and Wilbur - who told her "We actually flew 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." She took the message to the editor of the local newspaper who read it and said "That's good that the boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the point that man had actually flown.<br />
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Are we missing the point about Christmas? Are we too wrapped up in shopping, wrapping presents and sending cards that we overlook the real meaning for why we do these things at this time every year? This was a momentous event in human history that we are recalling.<br />
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Do you know that God and we have something in common? Yes - it is that we are both human. And it is in that revelation that God took on human flesh that should make us resound with joy. All the other things we do this season are good but we should not overlook why we do them. May we use Advent well and be ready again to welcome our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.<br />
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<em>O child of ecstasy and wonder, O prince of peace and pain. Brighten today's world by tomorrow's; renew our lives again; Lord Jesus, come and reign.</em><br />
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Have a prayerful Advent and a blessed Christmas!<br />
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-24114977561781555822014-07-18T10:42:00.001-07:002014-07-18T10:42:40.677-07:00Where Is Our World Headed?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The world news has been filled with stories of terror, natural disasters, increasing conflict in parts of our world. We wonder where is our world headed? Are we ever going to see the peace that so many desire?</div>
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Just yesterday, an airplane was brought down by a rocket in the Ukraine. Everyone is scrambling to determine who caused this tragedy. There has been increased conflict in the middle East between Israelis and Palestinians - in a land where the Prince of Peace was born, lived, died and came back to life.</div>
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We wonder what we can do about all of this. It has been said that evil will thrive when good people do nothing. It is even more tragic when by our own actions of selfishness and sinfulness we contribute to the unrest in our world. In his classic novel <em abp="167">Les </em>Miserables, the author Victor Hugo places these words on the lips of a good bishop (a primary character in the early chapters): <em abp="168">Let us never fear robbers, nor murderers. Those are dangers from without, petty dangers. Let us fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices are the real murderers. What matters it what threatens our head or our purse!</em> <em abp="169">Let us think only of that which threatens our soul.</em></div>
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Again, we wonder what we can do to thwart evil in our world. So many of our news stories are filled with tragedy and sorrow. Are there any good stories in the world? I would recommend that you go to your computer (or I-pad or smart phone) and ask for "positive stories." Let me share one with you - it is somewhat lengthy but points out that there is still much good in the world if we only look for it.</div>
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<em abp="175">Teacher Linda Hooper had been warned about a "holy terror" of a student rising up through Brown Elementary School in Lubbock, Texas. So by the time Cruz Riojas was set to enter the sixth grade, she issued a waring to the school's princiapl: "I will quit if I have him in my class."</em></div>
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<em abp="179">But then the story, as first reported in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, began to change. Sure enought it was Hooper's classroom that the 12-year old walked into in August 1980. He was far behind in academics - two years behind in reading and classified as special ed - and she quickly experienced his troubling behavior.</em></div>
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<em abp="183">"He had ourbursts, threw chairs." Linda told </em>TODAY. <em abp="184">"If a child touched him, they'd be thrown on the floor in two seconds."</em></div>
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<em abp="188">Cruz lived with his mother, stepfather and five half-siblings, and suffered years of physical abuse at the hands of his stepfather. He was bused to Linda's school wearing the same clothes every day, and he brought his troubling homelife with him.</em></div>
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<em abp="192">"I made a joke about everything, Cruz told </em>TODAY. <em abp="193">"I wouldn't let my stepfather see me cry, and I carried that with me to school."</em></div>
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<em abp="197">Cruz's sixth-grade year included frequent clashes with his physical-education teacher, who sent him to Linda. "Every day (that teacher would) send in him and say, 'I'm not dealing with this kid, he's yours,' " she recalls. "I didn't know what to do, but he was in there, so I started letting him help me. I had him reshelving books, grading papers, to make the period go by. And he began to like to do stuff."</em></div>
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<em abp="201">And the student recognized that his teacher cared about him. "I saw that she just wouldn't give up, " Cruz said. "She said, 'This persona that you project isn't who you really are.'"</em></div>
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<em abp="205">Linda started having Cruz come to the home she shared with her husband Gale, a firefighter, and their four daughters. She'd give him money for small household chores, and arranged for his first job, a paper route.</em></div>
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<em abp="209">Cruz developed a particularly remarkable relationship with his teacher's husband. "He never had a man in his life that was worth anything and he respected Gale," Linda said.</em></div>
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<em abp="213">He began spending more and more time at the Hooper home, and would frequently run the 7.5 miles between his home and theirs when he had a fight with his stepfather. But one day in February 1982, Linda received a call from Cruz's mother that would change all of their lives.</em></div>
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<em abp="217">"His stepfather had beaten him, so she called me and asked, can I keep him until things blow over?" Linda recalls. "She put everything he owned in a cardboard box, and they huddled behind an 18-wheeler until I came to meet them."</em></div>
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<em abp="221">Cruz thought he'd only be staying with his teacher's family for an hour, but that hour turned into days, months, and then years.</em></div>
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<em abp="225">Linda recalls the first time Cruz stopped calling her "Mrs. Hooper." "We were in a grocery store, and he wanted everyone to know that I was his mother, because people would look at us funny. He said, "MOTHER, can I have this?" He was getting everyone's attention to say. "Everybody look, this is my mom."</em></div>
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<em abp="229">Thanks to the Hoopers and another dedicated teacher, Cruz moved out of the special-education program and graduated with his peers. He went on to study at Texas Tech University and later met Anel Montemayor, his future wife. And just before his 30th birthday, Cruz called Linda to ask if she and Gale would officially adopt him. The answer was obvious.</em></div>
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<em abp="233">"He said he said he wanted to honor us, and it was a big honor," Linda said. "I've always known he loved me, but this reaaly showed he loved us."</em></div>
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<em abp="237">Cruz and Anel Riojas became Cruz Riojas Hooper and Anel Montemayor-Hooper. They now live in San Antonio with their two children, Hannah, 13, and Greyson, 9.</em></div>
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<em abp="241">Cruz is careful to teach his children about their Mexican roots while also honoring the traditions and cultures from the Hooper side. "My parents taught me never to give up. Just persevere, " he said. "My father would always sayd, 'The light at the end of the tunnel isn't always a train. It's a light, and move toward it."</em></div>
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It is up to us, then, to try to be a force for good in the world by what we do and how we treat others. In the middle ages, the Crusades were undertaken - a military approach to what some saw as evil. We do not neet a military approach in our day (God know there is enough tragedy occuring from military responses). But let us have a crusade for prayer. The power of prayer has been often documented and each of us probably can recount times when prayer made a powerful difference in our lives.</div>
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Let us pray then for peace in the world. Let us pray that leaders of nations will look to preserving the rights of all, particularly our women and children. Let us pray that attempts to solve tensions may be met with acceptance. In our Catholic Christian tradition, we revere saints and angels who can intercede for us. Let me recommend the following prayer to you:</div>
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<em abp="251">Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and you, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the divine power of God - cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.</em></div>
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Let us never cease to pray for our world - it's the only one we have.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-50704388872848968442014-05-16T14:41:00.000-07:002014-05-17T07:47:34.251-07:00We Are Beloved<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It has been a while since I posted my last blog but life has been very busy and some health problems have also interspersed themselves into my life. Be that as it may, I wanted to share some thoughts about one of my most favorite stories from the New Testament - the story of the Prodigal Son.</div>
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I recently reread the spiritual writer Henri Nouwen's wonderful book entitled <em abp="165">Home Toniight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. </em>Nouwen wrote this book after spending a number of hours contemplating the painting of Rembrandt known as <em abp="166">The Return of the Prodigal </em>(pictured here). It made me reflect again on how that parable plays out in our lives.</div>
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There are three main characters in the story: the son who returns home ashamed for the way he left, taking his inheritance and wasting it, the elder son who cannot understand the loving mercy of his father, and the father himself who runs to the wayward son, embracing him and welcoming him home. How are we related to the characters in this story?</div>
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I am sure that we all have found ourselves at one time or another in our lives, having done something we shouldn't have done, or failing to do something we should have, and wondering if we can be forgiven for our behavior. Have we felt that forgiveness might not come to us? This story, however, reminds us that our God will always welcome us home no matter what we have done or failed to do. What a blessing to know that we are so beloved.</div>
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More often than not, howver, we probably find ourselves in the position of the elder son - feeling that we have been doing what has been asked of us and resenting those who fail to live up to our standards. How often have we judged others in our righteousness? How often have we been like the pharisee in another Gospel story who stands before God reminding him of how good we have been and feeling so far above the sinner who quietly asks for God's mercy?</div>
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How many times have we been like the forgiving father in the story? Are we ready to forgive those who have wronged us in some way or do we continue to harbor anger and resentment in our hearts?</div>
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I know I was moved by the answer recently given by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, when asked to describe himself and his immediate answer was "I am a sinner." We are all sinners and in need of God's loving forgiveness which is always there for us. But, in turn, we must be open to forgive others. As the Holy Father states in his apostolic exhortation <em abp="179">Evangelii Gaudium,</em> "At times we have to be like the father of the prodigal son, who always keeps his door open so that when the son returns, he can readily pass through it."</div>
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How welcoming are we, then, to the sinner? How welcoming are we in our churches to invite in those who have fallen away for one reason or another? Our new bishop in our Diocese of Albany, New York, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, wrote this in his latest column in the diocesan newspaper: <em abp="182">A Church professing a Gospel of forgiveness must always be ready to seek forgiveness. A Christian, who believes in the real personal presence of Christ needs to stand ready to witness how Christ has rescued him or her from sin - if in no other way than by forgiving other sinners. Perhaps sinners will come back to church when it is the place where all repentant sinners can find a home - where the rest of the Gospel can be heard from and beyond the pulpit and the pew more loudly and clearly than words alone can ever preach.</em></div>
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May we ever strive to be like the father in the parable, ready and willing to accept the sinners who may have offended us and being people of forgiveness because forgiveness has so often been shown to us.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-48405492729272239972014-04-20T12:01:00.000-07:002014-04-20T12:01:03.668-07:00A Very Special Easter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Alleluia! He is risen! We come to another celebration of the great Easter event - the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is our great feast of hope and faith as we know that Jesus has conquered death once and for all and opens up for us the way to an eternal life of peace and joy when our journey on this earth is finished.</div>
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We know that there are many troubles in the world today - from wars to persecutions, natural and man-made disasters, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and the list can go on and on. Yet we look to this feast of Easter to remind us that now matter how difficult things can be, there can be hope because of Jesus' resurrection. Let us continue to pray that the peace that Christ wants to bring to the world will find its place and bring an end to all the strife that surrounds us.</div>
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For me, this is a special Easter. It was 79 years ago today that I came into this world (and it happened to be the Vigil of Easter). I have now come full circle with my birthday falling on this Easter Sunday. I give thanks to God for all the blessings he has bestowed on me during those years - from loving parents and a wonderful brother to my wife of over fifty years who has been such a great support and companion for me. I give thanks for my children of whom I have been very proud. Last year, we suffered the loss of our younger daughter, but I know she is waiting for us to join her in that place of eternal peace when our life on earth is over.</div>
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It was twenty years ago this fall that I was ordained to the order of deacon by my bishop and great friend of 56 years, Bishop Howard Hubbard. It has been a privilege to serve with him in our diocese and I wish him only the best for his retirement. God and our Holy Father Francis has blessed this diocese again with a wonderful pastoral shepherd in the person of Bishop Edward Scharfenberger. I was privileged to be in attendance at his ordination to the episcopate and I look forward to serving with him in the days and years ahead.</div>
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Yes, this is a special Easter. I pray for all who read this that you will be filled with the joy and hope that Jesus' resurrection has brought to the world. May God bless you all.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-90834630030437323802014-04-03T12:30:00.000-07:002014-04-03T12:31:16.532-07:00Growing Closer to Jesus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I admit that I am a "cradle Catholic." The Church has been a part of my life since my earliest years. My parents were devout people who were daily communicants and both my brother and I became very used to being around the church and being involved in church activities. I served as an altar server in my youth, attended a Catholic high school (we did not have an elementary parochial school at that time) and then spent some time in the seminary.</div>
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My wife of 50+ years and I were married at a solemn high Mass celebrated by my uncle who was a priest of the diocese and we exchanged our vows with the officiating priest who was my brother. We were then blessed with three beautiful children. In 1994 I was ordained as a permanent deacon in my diocese and have served in a variety of ministries since then.</div>
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To say that Jesus was an important part of my life would be an understatement. But as with anyone of our friends, when our friend in not around we may not always think of him or her but we know that he or she would be there for us when needed. We are often challenged by our spiritual directors or in homilies we hear at church to develop a "personal relationship" with Jesus. I believe that I have that relationship but it can always be strengthened. There are times when the relationship is heightened by certain events in our lives. As I have moved through another Lenten season, I have had the opportunity to experience two events that I believe have strengthened my relationship with Jesus.</div>
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The first was the opportunity to read a remarkable book. It is entitled <em>Jesus, a Pilgrimage</em> and was written by a talented and prolific writer, Father James Martin, S.J., culture editor for <em>America </em>magazine. The book took me through a pilgrimage to the Holy Land that Father Martin experienced and was so well crafted that you could feel yourself at the various places where Jesus ministered in his time on earth. It was a great Lenten reading and I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking to learn more about Jesus and how Jesus can affect our lives.</div>
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The second event took place this week and at first it may seem strange to some. It was a presentation of the Stations of the Cross in the company of clowns. Clowns, you say? Yes, clowns. Some at first may feel that this is diminishing the importance of the Way of the Cross or denigrating it in some way. Nothing could be further from the truth. A group in our diocese has been presenting this drama for the past twenty-eight years. Clowns have been a part of our Christian history for centuries. In the fourth century, there was a clown named Philemon who would not obey an imperial edict to worship the pagan gods of the emperor. For this he was executed - he had become a "clown for Christ."</div>
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The clown ministry in our diocese in their brochure present the question: <em>Why use clowns for such a highly devotional setting as the Way of the Cross? </em>One of the priests of our diocese gave this as a response to that question:</div>
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<em>Certainly the clown is "an ageless reality...." A clown is that anonymous and yet very personal figure who has appeal to persons of every age. There's something about the figure of a clown that can draw us in, because that clown becomes the figure of everyone....If there is any way of helping us to identify, if there is any way to kind of pull us in to the full meaning, to the full celebration of the events of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection, then certainly there's a benefit...there's a value.</em></div>
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These two events have certainly drawn me closer to Jesus this Lent. My prayer is that you will find people and events in your lives that will continue to draw closer to him because there is no better friend that we can have. May you have a prayerful remainder of Lent and a glorious Easter to come.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-90728071438711808882014-03-14T13:17:00.000-07:002014-03-14T13:17:26.778-07:00Pope Francis - A Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A year ago yesterday I was attending a meeting at our diocesan pastoral center when the news came that white smoke had been seen coming from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican where the world's cardinals had met in conclave to select a successor to the retired Pope Benedict XVI. In a world full of technological advances: computers, I-pads, smart phones, etc., the ancient tradition of the Roman Church was being fulfilled as the ballots that elected a new pope were burned bringing forth the white smoke.</div>
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A television had been set up in an adjacent meeting room and we all flocked to hear the announcement of the new pope. The cardinal who would announce this came to the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square where thousands had gathered to receive the news. <em>Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam! </em> I announce to you great joy; we have a pope! Then we heard the name: Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Who? Then we heard that the first pope from the Americas had been elected, the archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Well known in the southern hemisphere but not that well known here in the U.S.</div>
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Shortly thereafter, the curtains on the balcony parted again and we saw dressed in a simple white cassock a man who would speak his first words to the world as pope: <em>Fratelli e sorelli, buona sera. </em>The simple greeting: Brothers and sisters, good evening. Shortly thereafter the Holy Father would bow before the assembled crowd in the square and ask for their prayers. Thus began the pontificate of Pope Francis and the world fell in love with him.</div>
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Recently the pope said that it was disconcerting to him that he seemed to have taken on the role of a superstar (even a famous rock magazine featured him on one of their covers). He pointed out that he was a normal person and wanted to be seen as such. I believe it is that normality that has endeared him to the world, not only of the faithful but others as well.</div>
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He reaches out to the world and engages those around him. He is concerned with the person and while he has not shied away from speaking about world issues, he always reminds us that we must be there for others, particularly the poor and the disenfranchised of our society. Was this not what Jesus did when he was among us? He would challenge the world of his time but he was always there to reach out and touch the sinner, the sick and the less fortunate. This is the challenge we face in our own time and as we journey through another period of Lent we are reminded by the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that it is others that we must seek out and be there for.</div>
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But Pope Francis wants us to realize that doing all this should be joyful. In the opening words of his apostolic exhortation <em>Evangelii Gaudium </em>he says: <em>The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus....With Christ joy is constantly born anew....I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.</em></div>
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Lent is the time for this encounter and we should take the opportunity to renew our own encounters with Jesus through prayer and reconciliation. The pope has asked for our prayers. Let us pray for this good and humble servant of Christ that he may continue in good health and have the strength needed to lead God's people at this time in our world. Happy anniversary, Holy Father; our prayers are with you.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-58550320658459792322014-02-17T14:25:00.000-08:002014-02-17T14:25:29.254-08:00A Tale of Two Bishops<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This has been an exiting week for our Diocese of Albany, New York. Just a few days ago, it was announced that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, had named a new bishop for the diocese to succeed our retiring bishop. I would just like to share a few thoughts about each of these men.</div>
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<u>Bishop Howard J. Hubbard</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOdHCcBfFb4Ol8cOvH3glxwRi_NrF4QWU3rdevkJJinmrU5Qg8xRPO_MffM7_3dfCl1L2Db7ATDbpFWgPriOWfweb1nJq4KHk_mvgFijgc1drNsj7y7ZiJ6dwvLqqD418Gmp5KTwJ1W4k/s1600/howard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOdHCcBfFb4Ol8cOvH3glxwRi_NrF4QWU3rdevkJJinmrU5Qg8xRPO_MffM7_3dfCl1L2Db7ATDbpFWgPriOWfweb1nJq4KHk_mvgFijgc1drNsj7y7ZiJ6dwvLqqD418Gmp5KTwJ1W4k/s1600/howard.jpg" height="200" width="143" /></a>In 1977, Pope Paul VI named a local priest of our diocese, Howard J. Hubbard, to be the ninth bishop of the Albany Diocese. The new bishop was the youngest bishop in the country at the time and grew up in Troy, New York. I had the privilege of getting to know Howard when we were seminary students together and it has been a wonderful friendship. For the past thirty-seven years, he has also been my bishop. Almost twenty years ago, I was privileged to have him ordain me to the diaconate for the diocese. Bishop Hubbard has served the faithful of the diocese well during some very trying and challenging times in our Church. When he reached the mandatory retirement age for bishops at 75 this past fall, he submitted his resignation and the diocese awaited the announcement of his replacement. I know that Bishop Hubbard will continue to serve the people in the diocese in whatever way he can to assist his successor. It is my hope that he has a chance to relax and enjoy his retirement and that God will continue to give him good health.</div>
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<u>Bishop-elect Edward Scharfenberger</u></div>
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When I read my e-mail early one morning last week, I was surprised to hear that Pope Francis had named a new bishop for the diocese. Immediately, everyone began to wonder who this person was and when he would become the tenth bishop of the diocese. Bishop-elect Scharfenberger is a native of Brooklyn and has served the Brooklyn Diocese in a number of capacities. He is a civil and canon lawyer, a linguist, a scholar, but above all a pastor. It is this pastoral experience that will help him guide the over 330,000 faithful in 127 parishes through this fourteen county diocese that ecompasses an area of over 10,000 square miles. In speaking with a deacon colleague in the Brooklyn Diocese, I was told that we were getting a "fine priest" as our new bishop and that we would be blessed by his presence among us. A deacon is ordained to serve his bishop and I look forward to assisting the new bishop in any way that I can. The prayers of the people of our diocese go with Bishop-elect Scharfenberger who will be ordained and installed as our bishop on April 10.</div>
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May God grant good health and many blessings for these two fine men who have so nobly and faithfully served our Church.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-47518615199876105452014-02-05T17:15:00.000-08:002014-02-05T17:15:10.656-08:00What Retirement?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We often hear people who have retired say that they are busier than when they were working for a living. When one thinks about retirement, thoughts of being able to relax, read books or watch unending hours of television with no particular cares might cross one's mind. I have found, however, that this image of retirement, at least for me, has never been the case.</div>
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I have officially "retired" twice in my life. The first was when I left employment with the State of New York in 1994 after almost thirty years of government service. In 2006, I was appointed by my bishop to be the parish leader of a suburban parish in our diocese. I retired from that position in 2010. Since then, what has retirement been like?</div>
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For myself, just sitting around taking it easy would bore me to death. Unfortunately, my physical well-being has not kept up with my mental well-being. Arthritis has become increasingly more difficult for me but my keeping busy in a variety of ways keeps my mental well-being strong (at least I hope so).</div>
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As an ordained deacon in the Church, most of what I do to keep busy has to do with the Church. I have been privileged to serve on two committees in our diocese (one on liturgy and one on ecumenism) as well as teaching homiletics (preaching) to those studying for the diaconate. I also have assisted as deacon in two parishes and have twice served as an interim administrator of a parish while the parish leader was on medical leave.</div>
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I have enjoyed all of these endeavors and hope that I may be able to continue to serve the Church as long as my health holds out. This coming Easter Sunday, I will begin my 80th year on this planet and I have been blessed in many ways throughout those years especially with a wonderful spouse and family who have supported my efforts.</div>
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My suggestion to anyone who is contemplating retirement: keep busy! Nothing can bring one down more quickly than inactivity. For me, I just hope that the Lord will grant me more years to be of service while I still can serve.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-43972950254745155832014-01-03T17:32:00.002-08:002014-01-03T17:32:44.137-08:00Rules From God for 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Again this year, let me share these <em>Rules From God </em>given to us by the parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Troy, New York:<br />
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1. WAKE UP!! Decide to have a good day. <em>Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. </em>(Ps. 118:24)<br />
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2. DRESS UP!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. <em>The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. </em>(1 Samuel 16:7)<br />
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3. SHUT UP!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so he must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. <em>He who guards his lips guards his soul. </em>(Proverbs 13:3)<br />
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4. STAND UP!! Stand up for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. <em>Let us not be weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good. </em>(Galatians 6:9-10)<br />
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5. LOOK UP!! Look up to the Lord. <em>I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. </em>(Phil. 4:13)<br />
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6. REACH UP!! Reach up for something higher. <em>Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on our own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge the Lord and he will direct your path. </em>(Proverbs 3:5-6)<br />
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7. LIFT UP!! Lift up your prayers. <em>Do not worry about anything, instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. </em>(Phil. 4:6)<br />
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Have a happy, safe and healthy 2014!!</div>
Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-46705871188189738622013-11-18T14:20:00.000-08:002013-12-30T08:50:54.618-08:00Three Men I Greatly Admire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Pope Francis</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieReE2H3jY8c6rxznCK5Zd_ys9blPBPriSbeZUqHzMDHTFOlwUJcAW9xpC77vE4QGSawjs_JdsLNVbABf0xqO6KLgiZGsjAWyEkJRz7l1zK9XeU0qXdM_BfccbnOCC_AC8MpqcSdLLEkS/s1600/francisofficial2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieReE2H3jY8c6rxznCK5Zd_ys9blPBPriSbeZUqHzMDHTFOlwUJcAW9xpC77vE4QGSawjs_JdsLNVbABf0xqO6KLgiZGsjAWyEkJRz7l1zK9XeU0qXdM_BfccbnOCC_AC8MpqcSdLLEkS/s200/francisofficial2.jpg" width="135" /></a>On March 13 of this year, I was attending a meeting at our diocesan pastoral center when he heard that white smoke had arisen from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican indicating that the cardinal electors had selected a new pope for the Church to succeed Pope Benedict XVI whose surprise resignation as Bishop of Rome had come a few weeks earlier.</div>
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A TV had been set up in one of the meeting rooms and we gathered to await the announcement of the new pope. Finally, one of the cardinals came to the balcony above St. Peter's Square and made tne now traditional announcement: <em>Habemus papam! </em>We have a pope! Cheers erupted from the square as the world waited to hear who the choice was. In Latin, the cardinal went on to announce the cardinals had selected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina who had selected the name Francis (a first). We wondered: Who is this man?</div>
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From the moment he stepped onto the balcony in a simple white cassock and bowed his head and asked for the prayers of the people, the world fell in love with Pope Francis. He has made an impact not only of those who share his religious faith but many in the world, including atheists. From the beginning of his pontificate, he has shown what it means to be a true servant of the Lord. His humble lifestyle (not living in the papal apartments, paying his own hotel bill where he stayed before the conclave, being driven in a simple automobile, etc.) has resonated with people. His genuine love and concern especially for those in the margins of our society is noteworthy.<br />
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Pope Francis does have his critics. No one in any position of leadership in either church or world can escape having critics and Francis is no exception to this. Some of the criticism has come from the more traditional wing of the Roman Catholic Church. I recently read where one in this group felt that the "pope had thrown them under the bus." This is perhaps because he has not slavishly followed all the nuances and rules such as when he went to a prison on Holy Thursday (rather than being in St. Peter's) and washed the feet of the prisoners (including those who were not Catholic and women as well).<br />
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To those critics, I would point to some of Jesus' own words to the critics of his day: <em>I say to you, someone greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice," you would not have condemned these innocent men </em>(the disciples who plucked grain on the sabbath). <em>For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath. </em>(Matt. 12: 6-8)<em> </em>And again: <em>They </em>(the Pharisees) <em>tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not life a finger to move them....Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You...have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. </em>(Matt. 23: 4; 23)</div>
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The pope has also shown a very human side by reaching out physically to many people, particularly the children. How many times have we seen him at a general audience stop and take a child, kiss and bless it. For again, we read in Matthew: <em>Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. </em>(Matt. 19:14).</div>
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For some time now, we have heard people speak the letters: WWJD. What would Jesus do? I believe we can see in Francis what Jesus would do; reach out with love, compassion and mercy to all he may touch. May the good Lord give Pope Francis many years of health to be able to guide our Church in these difficult times.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMw8qImvd8wj81UJKxB0DrfvllvaL3iaynpDHMctf5lkbYhAGr04MFO3-MpgfiPjs-pmtlx4yw8dcyRfkkM8OzAc_5dvnyd7kZlEDL4ZLukDIFAMEPRboROOpAuLuDFpALk1WiA_T2qUh/s1600/howard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMw8qImvd8wj81UJKxB0DrfvllvaL3iaynpDHMctf5lkbYhAGr04MFO3-MpgfiPjs-pmtlx4yw8dcyRfkkM8OzAc_5dvnyd7kZlEDL4ZLukDIFAMEPRboROOpAuLuDFpALk1WiA_T2qUh/s1600/howard.jpg" /></a><strong>Bishop Howard J. Hubbard</strong></div>
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I first met Howard Hubbard when we were seminary students in 1958. I look back on these fifty-five years of our friendship which I highly cherish. Howard finished his seminary studies in Rome and returned to the Diocese of Albany (New York) in 1964. His early priesthood saw him serving as a "street priest" in a poorer section of the City of Albany where he worked at Providence House, a storefront ministry. He was also instumental in founding Hope House, a place where treatment could be offered to those suffering the pains of addiction to drugs. He later became involved in personnel work for the diocese and in 1977, Pope Paul VI nominated him as the ninth bishop of Albany after only being a priest for 14 years. At the time, he was the youngest bishop in the United States.</div>
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In addition to being my friend, Howard Hubbard has also been my bishop for the past 36+ years. He has accomplished many things during his tenure in this office, most significant among them being his pursuit of social justice and for his efforts to bring together people of varying faith traditions to work for the common good. Several weeks ago, he was honored for his work in ecumenical and interfaith efforts by people from not only the Christian churches, but also those representing the Jewish faith, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. It was one of the most memorable events that I have attended in a long time ane was a tribute to Bishop Hubbard's tiresless efforts at forging good relationships with various religious traditions. He is often referred to by people in those traditions as "our bishop."</div>
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In October of this year, a special liturgy was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany honoring the bishop who celebrates fifty years of priesthood this year. Over 1300 were in attendance including a number of bishops from around New York State, Cardinals Timothy Dolan and Edward Egan of New York and a large number of priests and deacons. I had the privilege of serving as deacon of the Eucharist at this Mass. The love and affection that the people of this diocese have for our bishop truly shone as he arrived in the Cathedral to thunderous applause. He has also been feted at various events by various groups throughout the diocese and this part of our state to honor his great work. Having reached his 75th birthday at the end of October, by church practice he submitted his resignation as the bishop of Albany and we await the announcment of his successor sometime in the future. My prayer is that he will continue to enjoy good health and peace during his retirement years.</div>
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<strong>Father James J. Vaughan</strong><br />
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Over 27% of my life has been involved with a parish in Troy, New York - Sacred Heart Parish. I served as parish organist and choir director there from 1966-86 and in 2012 was asked to serve as the temporary administrator of the parish while the current pastor was on medical leave.</div>
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From 1973-2000, the pastor who served the parish was Father James Vaughan. I had the privilege of having him as my "boss" for thirteen years while serving as music director. In Father Vaughan, I saw an example of what a true priest of Jesus Christ should be: a man of deep prayer and love for his people. Many people with whom I have spoken and who know Father Vaughan consider him one of the most - if not the most- revered priest in our diocese.</div>
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In the early 1960s I joined a group of young adults known as the Catholic Young Adult League. There were groups in each of the three cities in our Capital District area of New York. Through this group, I met my wife (now of fifty years) and the chaplain of our group was a young priest whose name was Father James Vaughan. I got to know Father Vaughan well at that time and was privileged to be able to serve with him at Sacred Heart Church.</div>
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It is often felt that when a pastor retires, he should not remain living at the parish he served less he be seen as intruding on the work of his successor. In the case of Father Vaughan, nothing could be further from the truth. He has remained a resident at Sacred Heart and is seen as a source of wisdom and guidance by his successors. He is much loved by the people of the parish and they are always greeted by him with a big smile. (He also loves the New York Yankees and the New York Giants!)</div>
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My prayer for Father Vaughan is that God will continue to grant him good health so that he may be able to remain among the people he loves to serve.</div>
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I have blessed by these three men in my life and know that God will keep them always in his heart.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-71433579857810936032013-10-24T11:07:00.000-07:002013-10-24T11:07:19.888-07:00What's Been Happening?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It has been about three months since I sat at this keyboard and posted a blog. But these three months have been filled with both joyous events and situations that have caused alarm at both an international and national level. I decided just to comment on these events and happenings as I return to the world of blogging.</div>
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There were four very happy occasions that took place during this time. On September 7, my wife and I celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary. My life has truly been blessed with the support and companionship of my beautiful wife and the gifts of our three children. We celebrated the event at my home parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Troy, New York with a Mass celebrated by our bishop and good friend, Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany. Following the Mass we broke bread with about eighty of our family and friends who came to congratulate us. God has been very good to us during our fifty years. Like all families, we have had great moments of joy as well as moments of sorrow, the greatest of which was the death of our younger daughter, Christine, in February of this year. I know she was celebrating with us in her new home in heaven.</div>
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A week after our wedding anniversary celebration, I attended the sixtieth anniversary reunion of our high school graduating class from Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York. About sixty of our classmates attended and we shared many stories about the good times we had at Catholic High.</div>
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Our daughter Christine suffered with a disability known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - a neurological disorder for which she had to wear braces for walking and limited her abilities to the point that she could no longer be gainfully employed. CMT is not a life-threatening disease but obviously carries with it a weakening of the human system. Christine died at the age of 41 from an inflammation of the heart muscle. To honor her, we scheduled a memorial concert held on October 6 in Troy at which one of her favorite musical groups - <em>One Man Short,</em> an a cappella men's group - performed. Her older brother, Paul, is the coordinator of the group. They provided the listening audience with a wonderful musical program. We offered four of Christine's original art works at a raffle and together with the admission cost for the concert, we raised over $1,700 for the CMT national association.</div>
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The last great event took place on October 20 when I had the privilege of assisting as deacon at the Mass celebrating fifty years of priesthood for our bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard, who will turn 75 next week and will submit his resignation to the Vatican after serving the diocese as its bishop for 36+ years. It was a wonderful celebration and tribute for a man so dedicated to the Church and who has been such a compassionate shepherd for the people of the diocese.</div>
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During this three month period, there were two events that caused consternation, anxiety and anger. First we had the use of chemical weapons against the people of Syria. The Syrian regime was charged with their use although it denied this. Nevertheless, the pictures coming out of Syria at that time were greatly disturbing. There was, for a time, the threat of some type of military strike by the United States against the regime. The international community, through the United Nations, was finally able to broker an agreement that would see the chemical weapons stockpile in Syria to be destroyed over the next several months. Prayers are still needed for the beleagured people of that country, still embroiled in a civil war.</div>
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Here in the United States a few weeks ago, we had a partial shutdown of the government because of the failure to pass a buget resolution that would continue to fund the government. This shutdown, which saw thousands of federal workers furloughed and the closing of all national parks, museums, etc., caused anger among the people of the country. There are differing opinions as to who was really to blame for all of this and I have my own opinion. I will not share it here as I do not want this blog to become a target for comments, some of which could be caustic. I will just say that the shutdown need not have happened and the representatives who are elected by the people need to realize that they are elected to serve the people and not just political agendas.</div>
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So, what's been happening? A lot as you can see. I was glad to be part of so many of these events and I am glad to be back at the keyboard. See you next time.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-21839502645321687932013-07-27T07:55:00.001-07:002013-07-27T10:55:14.831-07:00Anniversaries Are For Celebrating<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Anniversaries are a time to celebrate. Whether it be an anniversary of a community, a wedding, a graduation or an ordination, they are times when memories are awakened and we can recall how good our God has been to us to have seen us or those before us through the various years being celebrated.</div>
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This year, I have or will have (within the next few months) the opportunity to celebrate several anniversaries; anniversaries that are special for me. I would just like to share a few thoughts about each beginning with the highest number of years being celebrated to the lowest number (even though that is high in itself).</div>
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In June, I had the privilege of celebrating with the Catholic community of Sacred Heart Church in Troy, New York as they celebrated 100 years of being a faith presence in their part of the City of Troy. In addition, the parish school was also celebrating 85 years of its existence and its part in spreading the faith and educating the thousands of children who walked through its doors.</div>
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This anniversary had special significance for me since more than 27 percent of my life was involved with Sacred Heart. It began in 1966 when I was hired as one of the organists at the parish's mission church and within a few months I moved to the main church where I served as organist and choir director for twenty years. I also served as the parish administrator for seven months in 2011-12 while the pastor was on sick leave. The anniversary was a wonderful parish celebration that spanned an entire weekend in June, beginning with a Mass celebrated by our diocesan bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard, at which I was privileged to serve as deacon. The celebration continued the next day with a block party with games, food, and enetertainment. The weekend concluded with a brunch served to about 300 people at one of our local restaurants. It was a great time and I was happy to be a part of it.</div>
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The second longest anniversary I will be celebrating covers sixty years. It will be the anniversary of my graduation from high school. Our class of 1953 will hold its 60th reunion in September as we fondly remember our days at Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York. We were educated by priests of the diocese as well as sisters from two congregations - the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondeolet and the Sisters of Mercy. Our graduating class numbered about 210 (and we were one of the smaller classes to graduate in those days). When we gather for our reunion, many stories will be told of our escapades during the four years at Catholic High. I look forward to being with my classmates again.</div>
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Two fifty year anniversaries are coming in the fall as well. Ten years after I graduated from high school, I married the love of my life, Carol Willard, and we will be celebrating fifty years of marriage with our family and friends. As I look back on those fifty years, I cannot help by feel intense gratitude to God for giving me such a wonderful life companion (who in my estimation is a living saint - not just because of having put up with me for those years, but for the wonderful things she does to help the needy through her sewing and knitting ability. I wish I could have counted the number of items she has made over the years for those in need - the homeless, those in shelters, children with special needs, etc. I certainly know it has been more than a thousand). Our fifty years have had their difficult times as well: the death of our younger daughter, the loss of employment for me about thirty years ago, and various illnesses that have beset us. We still have with us our two wonderful children - Helen, a great teacher, and Paul, an artist, a specialist in marketing and also a recognized musician. God has truly been good to us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhWTrDjgdyaV6yh1btQDh-WmDTriR30R7Lqb_z55XXBciwDAvTVwctIy90CQOEK2to9BYevC-9bdshGg4AcJuL7OBzL0PmnjMuy3nMxTv0iRHVRovZewmflbft-Z4IXBo59RbT1ARXEnM/s1600/howard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhWTrDjgdyaV6yh1btQDh-WmDTriR30R7Lqb_z55XXBciwDAvTVwctIy90CQOEK2to9BYevC-9bdshGg4AcJuL7OBzL0PmnjMuy3nMxTv0iRHVRovZewmflbft-Z4IXBo59RbT1ARXEnM/s200/howard.jpg" width="143" /></a>Finally in October of this year, I will join thousands in our Diocese of Albany as we celebrate fifty years of priestly ordination for our bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard. Bishop Hubbard has been a friend of mine for over 55 years and he will grace us by celebrating our wedding anniversary Mass. I look forward to congratulating him on this milestone and thanking him for the years of service as both priest and bishop in our diocese. Ad multos annos, Bishop.</div>
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Yes, anniversaries are a time for celebration and this year has been special for me because of those milestones I have cited. Life is not always easy but good times like these make us realize how generous and benevolent our God truly is to have given us these events and the people involved in them. May all who celebrate anniversaries this year be blessed.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-34367307486796713812013-06-23T17:44:00.000-07:002013-06-23T17:44:01.672-07:00God Gave Me a Great Weekend!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Gospel reading in the Roman liturgy for this weekend (12th Sunday in Ordinary Time) recalls Jesus' question to his disciples about who people thought he was and whom they thought he was. He then predicts his passion and death and challenges all of us who wish to be his disciples to "take up our cross and follow him." We all know that, as it was true in Jesus' own life, suffering will also be a part of our lives; what form it may take will differ from person to person. As one grows older and feels the aches and pains of old age as I am now experiencing, one realizes the truth in the fact that suffering will be with us but it should not change our faith in our God who will see that we will be able to face the suffering when it comes.</div>
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Even with this background, I must also say that there are times when God gives us moments of great joy. This weekend was one of those times for me. Several events took place which made the weekend a memorable one.</div>
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First, this weekend saw the celebration of the 100th anniversary of a church in the city of Troy, New York (as well as the 85th anniversary of the parish's school). The Church of Sacred Heart in Troy figured a great deal in my own life. I spent twenty years there (from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s) as the parish organist and choir director. Then in the fall of 2011 I was asked to assume the role of temporary administrator of the parish while its pastor recuperated from a bone marrow transplant. I spent about eight months in that role. (The picture at the right was taken when I had the privilege of blessing the new playground that had been installed at the parish for the school children.)</div>
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The parish truly celebrated this milestone. On Friday evening, June 21, there was a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated by our diocesan bishop at which I served as the deacon. On Saturday afternoon the entire area around the church was cordoned off and a block party was held with food, games for the children, and musical entertainment. The celebration concluded today with a "brunch" at a favorite local restaurant which saw many of the former and present parishioners and staff members attend to join in the festivities. It was truly an honor to be a part of this celebration and my prayers are that this parish may continue to flourish in the days and years ahead and bring the message of Jesus to this part of the community.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_m_K0vDcOGOdV_v2tquLp5s3EQOboHDSPiz9UbyrfURCjdIihhyG_03jA5fjHw5cDTZJ6OtoAc_Dg84VaJTNw9SJQFZMIyFBRpm4NZTx5Oif0-lb58fdJJg0YwP3dCSdTrwcIhjjwThNk/s1600/howard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_m_K0vDcOGOdV_v2tquLp5s3EQOboHDSPiz9UbyrfURCjdIihhyG_03jA5fjHw5cDTZJ6OtoAc_Dg84VaJTNw9SJQFZMIyFBRpm4NZTx5Oif0-lb58fdJJg0YwP3dCSdTrwcIhjjwThNk/s200/howard.jpg" width="143" /></a>Three other events occurred during the weekend. Following the Mass on Friday evening, I had the privilege of having dinner with my dear friend of fifty-five years who is also my bishop - Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany, New York. It is always a blessing for me to be with him and enjoy good times together.</div>
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On Saturday afternoon, I attended a Mass in a nearby city celebrated by our diocese's newly ordained priest, Father Scott VanDerveer. It has also been a privilege to come to know this bright and talented young man and wish him God's choicest blessings as he begins his ministerial priesthood.</div>
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Finally, on Saturday evening, the newly ordained deacon - Deacon Robert Sweeney - and his wife, Pat, treated my wife and me as well as the leader of our parish, Sister Katherine Arseneau and Sister Rita Duggan to a wonderful dinner at a well-known restaurant in downtown Albany. I had served as a mentor for Deacon Bob in his final year of preparation for ordination and he served a period of time working at our parish - St. Michael's in Troy, New York - and had the good fortune of being assigned there for his diaconal ministry.</div>
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As you can see, it was a very full weekend that I experienced. But what a great joy it was to be a part of these wonderful events. God has truly blessed me in my own ministry and I thank him for allowing me to be a part of the lives of the people of Sacred Heart Church, Bishop Hubbard, Father VanDerveer and Deacon Bob Sweeney. The memories of this weekend will last for a good long time.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-48793106274652698002013-05-26T18:41:00.000-07:002013-05-26T18:41:01.960-07:00Blest Are Those Called to be Servants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday I had the privilege of serving as Master of Ceremonies at the ordination of six new deacons for the Diocese of Albany, New York. Two of these men, with God's help, will go on to ordination to the priesthood next year. The remaining four permanent deacons will serve in various parishes throughout our diocese. I have also had the privilege of being their homiletics instructor during their years of formation. I feel that they will do well at breaking open the word for the people of God wherever they are serving.</div>
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Being a part of this wonderful ceremony reminded me of one of my previous posts done in early 2012 when I wrote about service. The word <em>diakonia </em>from which comes the word for deacon meant "service" in Greek. It has been the word applied to the first seven men chosen in the Acts of the Apostles to serve at table so that the apostles could devote themselves to the preaching of the word. One of those first "deacons" was the great Stephen - the first to be martyred for Christianity. Of couse these chosen ones would go on to do other things besides serving at table but the note of service was always to be uppermost in their lives.</div>
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I would like to quote from that earlier post when I said: <em>All of us have received a call from God. This call is not just for Christians but for people of good will in all faith traditions - Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. All of us are called to work toward a more peaceful world in which we can all live together in harmony. We begin this work in our own homes, within our own families and in our own communities.</em></div>
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This call to service which these newly ordained deacons have received is a call to serve the word, the liturgy and charity. All of us in the clerical state remain as deacons called to service whether we be pope, bishop, priest or deacon. The same is true for those in lay ministry as well because the primary purpose of such ministry is to serve the people of God as Jesus did who "came not to be served but to serve." It is a good reminder to us that <em>when those of us in ministry become more concerned with our titles and the special recognition that we believe should be ours then we are in trouble. We begin to lose sight of the fact that we were called to serve others and that should be our most important concern.</em></div>
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I pray for God's blessing on these new deacons and all those throughout our country and world that will answer the call to public ministry. Only with the support of our prayers can they hope to succeed in their ministry. Let me rephrase the prayer I used to close my previous post:</div>
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<em>Dear Jesus, look upon them, your disciples of today, and bless their efforts as they minister to your people. Help them always be mindful that they are called to serve others and not to be served themselves. Give them the strength to carry out your work in a world so much in need of your love and grace. Help them to see where you live today so that they may spend their time with you until that day when they are with you in the joy of eternal life. Amen.</em></div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-83004588164093267032013-05-18T09:56:00.000-07:002013-05-18T09:56:16.426-07:00Pentecost 2013 - Are We Muzzling the Spirit?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During this past week, I had the privilege (once again) of teaching for and attending the annual Spring Enrichment Program offered by our diocese for catechetical and pastoral leaders. This effort - now celebrating its fortieth year - offers the opporunity to hear from nationally known and local speakers and presenters on a variety of topics affecting our daily ministry in the diocese.</div>
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This year we had the good fortune to have as our keynote speaker Rev. Anthony Gittins, a renowned professor, lecturer and author who spoke to us about the Holy Spirit and asked how we were allowing the Spirit to work in our lives in this time and place. One of the probing questions he asked of us was whether or not we were "muzzling" the Holy Spirit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVZfmdi1YUizi0is8uGeEuLbYMUIhDgfXzoWqnuoHeLeynh9HKaKaEelSmJ-jg4fQKHp2i9c-6de93onKpY-j-ouoc_AdAxcVHKM9wuEv0jcp0WUYbgqg40NT7u9vIBkpVfSmnXyRy8Gk/s1600/holyspirit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVZfmdi1YUizi0is8uGeEuLbYMUIhDgfXzoWqnuoHeLeynh9HKaKaEelSmJ-jg4fQKHp2i9c-6de93onKpY-j-ouoc_AdAxcVHKM9wuEv0jcp0WUYbgqg40NT7u9vIBkpVfSmnXyRy8Gk/s200/holyspirit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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As we are about the celebrate the Feast of Pentecost again this year, we are reminded of that first Pentecost when the disciples of Jesus, hidden from the world through fear, were energized and fortified by the Holy Spirit to go forth to preach the message of Jesus to the world. Because of their response to the Spirit, we are here in 2013 ready again to proclaim that Jesus has risen and has sent into our hearts the Holy Spirit who will guide and strengthen us. But the question still remains: Are we at least some of the time "muzzling" the Holy Spirit?</div>
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When we place our own needs before those of others (who may have far greater needs than we), are we muzzling the Spirit? When our personal agendas conflict with the message that Jesus has asked us to bring to the world, we are muzzling the Spirit. When those in leadership (either clerical or lay) are more concerned with the perks of their office or place than with being the servants that Jesus has called us to be, we are muzzling the Spirit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzhO4HYzt0WEGr5tHcih3THvpYAGe-__41sSciIqlLHcNhcMAx20YF8IQ_7uVG7NvCCXHLVRcQFtGF1dnsRbgRx_hlc_AyMYquWyG1pC0JFjylhNwQTAN6PQsPdXON7_91yHxXzZTp9Vy/s1600/secondvatican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzhO4HYzt0WEGr5tHcih3THvpYAGe-__41sSciIqlLHcNhcMAx20YF8IQ_7uVG7NvCCXHLVRcQFtGF1dnsRbgRx_hlc_AyMYquWyG1pC0JFjylhNwQTAN6PQsPdXON7_91yHxXzZTp9Vy/s200/secondvatican.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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We are always in need of a new Pentecost. Just over fifty years ago one such "Pentecost" took place when the world's bishops gathered in Rome for the Second Vatican Council to address not a heresy but the position of the Church in the world at that time. Guided by the prophetic leadership of Blessed John XXIII, the Council broke new ground in a variety of areas: liturgy, relations with other Christians and those of other religions, etc. The true and lasting effects of this momentous occasion in our Church are yet to be completely fulfilled. Is it because we are again muzzling the Spirit?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaZY4m98YXRpb7uIOgV8PI0d4HeKWQ-qX61dDIyIOW3DzadfkRvNsAgbfPQ0qYBMrExt7rX0-MmzT4G1wSHm0E4VY19Y7mzjliOmSk_xq9wRN4Yp3EL-Xt-jC1V7Y66E7bW_AhcdZYqRd/s1600/francisofficial2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaZY4m98YXRpb7uIOgV8PI0d4HeKWQ-qX61dDIyIOW3DzadfkRvNsAgbfPQ0qYBMrExt7rX0-MmzT4G1wSHm0E4VY19Y7mzjliOmSk_xq9wRN4Yp3EL-Xt-jC1V7Y66E7bW_AhcdZYqRd/s200/francisofficial2.jpg" width="135" /></a>I believe we are seeing the potential of a new Pentecost in our time as I look at how our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, is looking at the Church and what it should be doing at this time in history. The simple way the Pope lives his own life is an inspiration to all of us to find whether we can live our lives in the same manner. His call for a "poor Church," a Church that will always put the needs of the poor and marginalized in our society first and foremost before the pomp and trappings that often accompany power, is a call to all of us again to be seen as servants as Jesus was.</div>
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We are coming to the end of another Easter season as we celebrate Pentecost. We are supposed to be an "Easter people" with a belief in what the resurrection of Jesus has meant to the world. At a recent meeting, I heard words proclaimed concerning the meaning of the resurrection in our world today (written by Patricia Datchuck Sanchez and Rafael Sanchez Alonzo) and the final paragraph of the presentation is timely: <em>What does the resurrection have to say to the world? Nothing, unless this great gift of God finds its voice in us. Everything, if we will only dare to live and speak its message: Love! Life! Hope!</em></div>
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We can only speak this message through the power of the Holy Spirit. May we be a part of a new Pentecost and bring the message of love, life, and hope to the world. May you have a blessed Pentecost!</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-38057880437521940022013-04-17T17:47:00.000-07:002013-04-17T19:42:25.838-07:00Newtown - Boston: What's Next?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When will the violence end? When will see the time when people can live together in peace, not with hate in their hearts but with love and compassion for others? Will we ever see the day?</div>
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We have been witnesses here in the United States of numerous events which brought death and destruction to others: the attack on September 11, 2001; numerous school and college shootings; bombing of buildings, and the list can go on and on. We struggle with the aftermath of these horrific incidents and yet they continue to occur. Even following the massacre in Boston this Monday there are reports of bomb threats being made to government buildings, poisoned pen letters being sent to government officials, etc. There seems to be no end of evil and hatred in our society.</div>
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Perhaps our view of human life has something to do with it. When we cease to see the value of each human life, we can readily find reasons to snuff it out. This is obvious when we witness such tragedies as Newtown and Boston. We need to recover the sense that <strong>all </strong>human life is precious from the "womb to the tomb" as the saying goes.</div>
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Some of the perpetrators of these horrific crimes may have been mentally unbalanced, but there are others that are driven to these acts by sheer hatred - whether it be motivated by a sense of rejection by others or for political reasons.</div>
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We are currently in the Easter season in the Christian tradition - a time of new life, of joy, of hope for the future. These things are now tainted by what happened on Monday in Boston, Massachusetts. But as Christians we know that Easter must always follow a "Good Friday." Let me share with you some thoughts just written by my friend, Father James Martin, S.J. of <em>America </em>magazine. He says:</div>
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<em>When Jesus was crucified his friends and family...must have had...overwhelming emotions. Seeing Jesus beaten, bloodied and finally nailed to the cross must have seemed unbelievable. How can this be? Just the week before, on Palm Sunday, Jesus was moving through the great city in triumph....I imagine that some of those who lost loved ones, and saw loved ones injured, felt something of the same yesterday in Boston....Boston is now back in Good Friday. And one insight of that terrible day is that we do not have a God who does not understand suffering. Jesus is not someone who does not understand pain. Jesus is with us in our suffering, not only because he loves us but because he suffered. But suffering is never the last word. There is always the possibility of new life. How will this happen? It may be difficult to see now, as it was impossible for the disciples on Good Friday to see, but the God who has suffered is ready to help us....That was true in Jerusalem 2000 years ago and it is true in Boston today.</em></div>
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May we be joined in solidarity with the suffering families in Boston and in all the areas of the world where suffering and tension is being played out: Afghanistan, Syria, and on the Korean peninsula. May the Spirit of the risen Christ help us to see the value in all of human life and continue to pray and work toward the day when all can live in peace and harmony because we are all God's children.</div>
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<strong><em>PRAYER FOR THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON</em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>The Magnificat of Resurrection</em></strong></div>
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<em>My soul proclaims and my spirit rejoices, O Faithful God,</em></div>
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<em>because you have removed the stone which was rolled over our hearts and we are risen.</em></div>
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<em>Yes, from this day all generations will call us blessed for God</em></div>
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<em>has called us forth from death and we have responded.</em></div>
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<em>Holy is the name of God, and compassion reaches from age to age</em></div>
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<em>for those who walk hand in hand with the Everlasting One.</em></div>
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<em>You have shown power over death. You have humiliated those</em></div>
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<em>You have enfeebled those who would rule by their own might and</em></div>
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<em>who creates and companions.</em></div>
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<em>The anguished of heart are stilled and made whole again</em></div>
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<em>by this good news, and the arrogant are reduced to eternal confusion.</em></div>
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<em>You have come to the help of Israel, your faithful one, who</em></div>
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<em>remembers you are the God who saves one from bondage, from faithlessness,</em></div>
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<em>and from ultimate violence. You are the Forever Living One,</em></div>
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<em>the Shatterer of Death.</em></div>
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<em>Amen.</em></div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-35186474028985729092013-03-21T13:05:00.000-07:002013-03-21T13:05:46.683-07:00Papa Francesco<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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March 13, 2013 was a momentous day for the Roman Catholic Church. On that day, the cardinal electors, gathered in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, chose a man from Argentina to be the next pope of the Catholic Church. The choice was a surprise to many. Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio and why should he be the pope?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wu3aVwxz9bGfpR3VqEhjfS1rFf-QCTHS0lFKmrf1eWQK_xuxhof_eC54xVS5YKmYjgS5Yp1wP9L0ntsjnak0cSJk1Jw7i7welzhI8YV98ZeTdjux5l8PqQAhXjQ-Uj9dMSG341PfLune/s1600/francisofficial2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wu3aVwxz9bGfpR3VqEhjfS1rFf-QCTHS0lFKmrf1eWQK_xuxhof_eC54xVS5YKmYjgS5Yp1wP9L0ntsjnak0cSJk1Jw7i7welzhI8YV98ZeTdjux5l8PqQAhXjQ-Uj9dMSG341PfLune/s200/francisofficial2.jpg" width="135" /></a>Since that momentous day, I believe the world has come to embrace this new pontiff with his winning ways: his obvious humility and his warmth and congeniality. Many wonder if this will be the beginning of major changes in the Church. Of course, the matters of doctrine - either moral or theological - will not change nor can they if we are to be true to what the Catholic Church believes and stands for in the world. But one wonders what other things might take place with a new hand at the tiller of the bark of Peter.</div>
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In an earlier post (written on January 15 of last year), I stated the following:</div>
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<em>In our Christian tradition, we have calls to particular states in life and these are invitations by God to serve him and our sisters and brothers in those states of life. One of my favorite titles that is given to the Roman Pontiff is </em>Servus Servorum Dei - <em>Servant of the Servants of God. This title is a reminder to all of us involved in ministry - whether pope, bishop, priest, deacon, vowed religious or lay minister - that our call is to <strong>service.</strong> When those of us in ministry become more concerned with our titles and the special recognition that we believe should be ours, then we are in trouble. We begin to lose sight of the fact that we are called to serve others and that should be our most important concern.</em></div>
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From what I have observed to date, I believe the papacy of Pope Francis will be one of service. It is certainly what he exemplified as priest and bishop when he ministred in his native land. There was a signal of this during the homily he delivered on the occasion of his inaugural Mass this past Tuesday:</div>
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<em>Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter even more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross.</em></div>
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He went on to say: <em>He (the Pope) must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt. 25: 31-46).</em></div>
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The world has responded with affection to the emergence of Pope Francis. Our prayers are with him as he begins his papacy. He has modeled himself on Jesus who came <em>not...to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mf. 10:45). </em> In my previous posting cited above, I stated this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYvBfX_hQS2E5KnABdqIahnrPVV_EytJW5d6OBd7jhMC8oxqct7pyK8U2xFyskzqbQkcaDK1cas0R7giDV7MQPRUdoHfNucSR8jEgZAfLj71Ip51GkrHeXG4ZhJyhSb-6SFwMINAmK5iB/s1600/washingfeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYvBfX_hQS2E5KnABdqIahnrPVV_EytJW5d6OBd7jhMC8oxqct7pyK8U2xFyskzqbQkcaDK1cas0R7giDV7MQPRUdoHfNucSR8jEgZAfLj71Ip51GkrHeXG4ZhJyhSb-6SFwMINAmK5iB/s200/washingfeet.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<em>One of my favorite images of Jesus the Servant was that of his getting to his knees to wash the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper. A task usually carried out by a slave or servant became that of Jesus....He instructed his disciples that they, too, (and this includes all of us) should go out and wash each others' feet. Only then do we really serve our sisters and brothers.</em></div>
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The picture I have included here demonstrates that Pope Francis takes this admonition seriously (as he did in his previous ministries). Just today it was announced that he would celebrate the liturgy of Holy Thursday (a day on which the symbolic washing of the feet takes place) in a prison for juveniles instead of at the Vatican. May we follow this kind of example in our lives as we strive to serve our sisters and brothers. May God bless <em>Papa Francesco.</em></div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-22224115469690466392013-03-16T20:11:00.001-07:002013-03-16T20:11:43.642-07:00Reminders of Our Mortality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I come within a few weeks to the beginning of my seventy-ninth year on this planet, I am aware more and more of my mortality and the fact that the greater part of my earthly life is behind me. This is a natural phenomenon when one approaches your senior years but it has been brought back to me most graphically by the loss of three people close to me over the past few months.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKy0E2qJFLOv0GwZRQGRuNBWC1NVQRyR-YZVssJgCXuIufqyizcDKnJk9f9lEKyGZyvdSYmSEsRiYUH3CDKzNkwYbCDVQkwXxdj9dAMO8ddwyL3EEYUJt7VX4Uc4D3DGEbcVcz3CAxSNR/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKy0E2qJFLOv0GwZRQGRuNBWC1NVQRyR-YZVssJgCXuIufqyizcDKnJk9f9lEKyGZyvdSYmSEsRiYUH3CDKzNkwYbCDVQkwXxdj9dAMO8ddwyL3EEYUJt7VX4Uc4D3DGEbcVcz3CAxSNR/s200/001.jpg" width="145" /></a>It began on January 19 when a dear friend - Brother Robert Gilroy - a brother of Holy Cross, died suddenly and unexpectedly. Returning to the brothers' residence following the burial of another brother, he suddenly felt ill and then collapsed, suffering a major heart attack. He was a year younger than I. I had the privilege of serving as the deacon at his funeral liturgy. I had come to know Robert when he joined the ecumenical choir I formerly conducted. At one point, a few years ago when he was superior of the brothers' house, he invited me to conduct the brothers' annual retreat which was a pleasurable and enriching experience for me. Just a few months ago, he recommended that I be appointed to serve on the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of which he was a member. We enjoyed a number of good times together and he is greatly missed.</div>
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Then on February 7, a funeral was conducted for a fellow deacon - Deacon Frank Yankowski - whom I had known for sixty years beginning when we were minor seminary students in the 1950s. Frank had dealt with a number of medical problems in his life including major heart surgery and cancer which had gone into remission. It was the cancer that returned earlier this year and required him to undergo chemotherapy. After the first session, it was determined that the chemo had destroyed his white blood cells and he was unable to fight off an infection he came down with and this caused his death. Frank was six months older than I. Again, I had the privilege of serving as deacon at his funeral Mass and delivered the homily for my good friend. I spoke of how he had lived up to the challenge given to him at his diaconal ordination when the bishop, handing him the Book of the Gospels, tells him: <em>Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you now are. Believe what you read; teach what you believe, and practice what you teach. </em>Frank certainly lived up to that challenge in the over twenty-six years of service as a deacon. May he rest in peace.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYTOr7Qyrg3OOUisLk1PHQPnzPZ4ed11HvhN_Vx6aNnfrAkB_aucgfVVGX1edz2Ha8WMV9bbWos_izKvug3j4pv9_YFv0sKW2dX9ftDdsKzPiejriaPvs3QhUOYBOs1jUWe2u3nR7QUDZ/s1600/christine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYTOr7Qyrg3OOUisLk1PHQPnzPZ4ed11HvhN_Vx6aNnfrAkB_aucgfVVGX1edz2Ha8WMV9bbWos_izKvug3j4pv9_YFv0sKW2dX9ftDdsKzPiejriaPvs3QhUOYBOs1jUWe2u3nR7QUDZ/s1600/christine.jpg" /></a>The final reminder of my mortality came the next day - February 8. My younger daughter, age 41, had been complaining for some time about what she felt was a problem with her gall bladder. This was causing her bouts of pain and on occasion brought on vomiting. She feared surgery because as a victim of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (a disease I have written about and she discussed frequently in her blog (Grace Lines, accessed by going to <em>atticusmom1.blogspot.com), </em>she feared she would have to undergo a long convalescence. She was trying different foods in an attempt to relieve the distress she was feeling. On February 8, we had not heard from her during the day (which we usually did every day as she lived near us in our apartment complex) and finally in the afternoon, I went to check on her as her car was parked and had not been taken out that day. Much to my shock, I found that she had passed away (probably during the night). We experienced several days of mourning and grief. At her wake service, about 300 persons came to express their condolences. There have been numerous Masses scheduled for her as well as enrollments in Mass societies. Several people have also contributed to the national association for her disease. Our family has received wonderful support from our friends and our parish and diocesan community for which we are eternally grateful. It is said that it is not natural to bury your children and we sorely miss her company. She was always there with a smile and while disabled, continued to pursue her art and writing - pieces of her will live on anywhere her art is seen and her writing read. I know she is in a better place and might have had to face a great deal of difficulty if we had preceded her in death and she was left to fend for herself (although I know she would have had the support of her sister and brother).</div>
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So I have been certainly reminded of my own mortality having lived through these recent experiences. But it is my faith in the promises that Jesus Christ has made to me and to all those who will hear that he has gone to prepare a place for us in the kingdom. I look forward to the day when I will again be reunited with my friends Robert and Frank and my beautiful daughter Christine. Until then, I pray to them to watch over all of us as we continue our journey in this life. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.. Amen.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-26518336815824202972013-01-29T11:16:00.002-08:002013-01-29T11:16:11.909-08:00How Much Does God Love You?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few weeks ago on the social network Facebook, there was a discussion centering on the reverence shown (or sometimes not shown) at the reception of Eucharist. Some were saying that there was an increase of an approach to Eucharist that did not seem reverent while others stated that they (mostly ministers of Communion) had only seen a few instances of a lack of reverence. One of those commenting asked how would people react if Jesus was to appear to them in person. Would they go up and pat him on the back and shake hands and say "How are you doin'"? He obviously felt this was not the way one should reverently act if Jesus was to appear in person.</div>
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I commented that I felt that if Jesus were to appear to me, he would embrace me - not because I am anyone special - but because he loves me. The person who asked the question fired back with a comment that I should "get over myself" and this would not be how it would play out should such an appearance occur. Others liked my comment.</div>
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Obviously if Jesus were to appear in person to me I would certainly be awestruck. But I stand by my comment about Jesus embracing me because that is the way our God is with us; our God loves us with an unconditional, boundless love no matter who we are or what we have done in our life.</div>
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I believe too often we forget how much our God loves us. We often are feeling sorry for ourselves or feel that we do not have much worth. We may have what is termed "low self-esteem." But God has created us to be loved not only by him but by others. All we need to do is to accept God's love and be grateful for it. We might call sin when we fail to accept that love and do something that would stand in the way of our relationship with God. But God never gives up on us - no matter what.</div>
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When we feel downhearted or do not see ourselves as worthy, we should remember again the words of Psalm 139:</div>
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<em>You formed my inmost being;</em></div>
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<em>you knit me in my mother's womb.</em></div>
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<em>I praise you, so wonderfully you made me;</em></div>
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<em>wonderful are your works.</em></div>
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Yes, we are wonderfully made by a gracious and loving God. May we always be conscious of that fact and readily accept that generous and unconditional love.</div>
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Sometimes we may wonder if God really loves us when all sorts of things befall us: sickness, loss of employment; loss of a loved one, etc. Yet God's love never ceases; God does not promise that our lives will be totally free from distress; even he (as a man in Jesus Christ) experienced all those things that humans experience. God does not will that bad things happen to us but he leaves his creatures free and this often means that such freedom may be abused and may end up hurting others. When we feel let down by God, it may be well to read the words of the great doctor of the Church - St. Francis de Sales- who wrote:</div>
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<em>Do not look forward in dear to the changes of life;</em></div>
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<em>rather look to them with full hope as they arise.</em></div>
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<em>God, whose very own you are,</em></div>
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<em>will deliver you out of them.</em></div>
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<em>He has kept you hitherto,</em></div>
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<em>and he will lead you safely through all things;</em></div>
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<em>and when you cannot stand it,</em></div>
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<em>God will bury you in his arms.</em></div>
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<em>Do not fear what will happen tomorrow;</em></div>
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<em>the same everlasting Father who cares for you today</em></div>
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<em>will take care of you then and everyday.</em></div>
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<em>or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.</em></div>
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<em>Be at peace,</em></div>
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<em>and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.</em></div>
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May God's love be with you always and bring you to peace.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-56955171479985805552013-01-21T17:52:00.001-08:002013-01-21T17:52:46.744-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I Have A Dream - A Martin Luther King Tribute Revisited<br />
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It was 50 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood at the base of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to deliver what has become one of the most moving speeches in the history of American rhetoric. While there has been improvement in race relations in our country - part of the dream Dr. King had for the future of our country - there are still mountains to climb and obstacles to overcome in the way we deal with each other. What would Dr. King's dream be today? I am in no position to speculate on that; I would rather offer some of the things that I would still dream about in 2013.<br />
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<em>I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."</em><br />
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I have a dream that one day we will recognize that all people - men and women - are created equal and entitled to the same respect regardless of gender. I have a dream that women will be accorded equal pay for equal work (there has been some improvement here). I have a dream that in some countries where women are denied education it will be recognized that they have much to contribute to our society and need to have the opportunity to grow and learn.<br />
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<em>I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.</em><br />
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As I noted before, I believe there has been improvement in race relations in our country. The most obvious example of this is the fact that we now have a President of African-American descent - something that would have been unheard of in Dr. King's time. Regardless of our political affiliation we must see this as a major step forward in the acceptance of all races in our country. But hatred still exists - in some cases there is still hatred of those whose skin color is other than ours; hatred of certain people because they worship in a different way from the way we do; hatred because someone's sexual orientation is different from ours. I have a dream that one day we can put aside these hatreds and, as Dr. King stated: <em>sit down together at the table of brotherhood </em>(and sisterhood).<br />
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<em>From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!</em><br />
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Those stirring words at the conclusion of his speech will resonate for years (and perhaps centuries) to come in our nation's history. Yet there are still places on this earth where freedom does not yet ring, where people are still subjugated because of their ethnicity, their creed or other reasons. Dr. King also quoted from Isaiah in his speech where he looked for a time when <em>every mountain and hill shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight.</em><br />
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I have a dream that one day peace will reign again in the mountains of Afghanistan, in the cities and towns of Iraq; that peace will come and Israelis and Palestinians can sit at the same table; that war will not be the answer for the peoples of the Koreas. Is this too lofty a dream to have?<br />
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In the past month in our nation we have heard the reaction of many as they witnessed the tragedy in Newtown. Calls are being made for better gun control. It is hoped that a reasonable ground can be found in this debate, preserving the second amendment rights of gun owners but finding a way to halt the progress of violence in our nation. In an earlier part of his speech, Dr. King made these remarks not often quoted: <em>Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.</em><br />
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It is interesting to note that less than three months after this remarkable speech was delivered, grief overcame this nation when its young President lay dead in a Dallas hospital, the victim of violence. We need to heed these words of Dr. King again today. May we go forward to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow with a faith in our national purpose, a faith in our God who wants us to become a peaceful nation, and a faith in each other regardless of creed, political affiliation, gender, race, or sexual orientation. May God continue to bless us and bless the United States of America!</div>
Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-26523437920229134032013-01-01T13:02:00.000-08:002013-01-01T17:22:06.397-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I was in formation for the diaconate in the Roman Catholic Church in the early 1990s, our priest director of formation would always greet us with the salutation <em>Peace, Love, and Joy. </em>It is in that spirit that I wish everyone a most blessed New Year as we begin another year on this fragile planet we call earth. Those three words - peace, love, and joy - are my wishes for this new year.</div>
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PEACE: Wouldn't it be the most wonderful thing in the world if during 2013 we could see peace return to this world. It is a prayer that has been on many lips and in many hearts but we cannot help but wonder if we will ever see the day when people can live in harmony. War is still being fought, peoples are still being enslaved or being oppressed by tyrannical governments, and day after day we hear and read about stories of abuse against women and most recently in my own country attacks on little children. Jesus came into this world to bring peace but many of us still need to learn about his message and bring that message to others. If we cared more about the needs of others rather than just our own, we might see the beginning of a glimmer of what could eventually become true peace. Remember that peace is not just the absence of war - it is an attitude of caring and concern for others.</div>
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LOVE: True peace can only be brought about when we understand what true love is. Again, love is not just a romantic notion only seen when two people "fall in love" and make plans to share their lives together - although this is certainly part of love. True love is when we care for the other even when things are not so romantic or when things are rough in our lives. It means caring for the other even when we are angry with each other. It also goes beyond the love between two people and reaches out to embrace all others - even those we may not particularly <strong>like, </strong>but being there for them in their need. It means caring for the poor and unfortunate in our society - the homeless, the abused, the abandoned. Government programs can certainly help these people but programs - whether governmental or private - must be laced through with a love for those being served. Jesus reached out to many during his ministry on earth and he loved them all - the blind, the leper, the sinful woman, etc. As disciples we must do the same.</div>
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JOY: Joy is not just feeling happy about something. True joy is a deep feeling of knowing that we are loved by our God even when we mess up. Joy is knowing that we can be of service to others. Joy is finding true satisfaction in the career of our choosing so that we can use our talents and skills to benefit others. Jesus brought joy into the lives of the many he touched but that joy did not mean that at times there would not be suffering - as he himself experienced. God does not want us to suffer but suffering is a part of the human condition and knowing that there will be an end to it sometime can give us the joy that we need to continue on.</div>
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My wish, then, for the new year for all are those three words: that your lives will be filled with peace, love, and joy. Happy New Year!</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-54335569467389376232012-12-15T08:50:00.000-08:002012-12-15T08:50:57.252-08:00Some Thoughts Amid Tragedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On the weekend of the First Sunday of Advent, I shared a beautiful Advent carol with the congregation. The first verse goes like this:</div>
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<em>Each winter as the year grows older, we each grow older, too. The chill sets in a little colder; the verities we knew seem shaken and untrue.</em></div>
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Little did I know that within two weeks of that presentation, the "verities we knew" would be shaken and seem untrue. Those verities include the belief that we should all be kind and compassionate to one another, that someday peace may become a reality in our world, and that violence can be curbed and hopefully eliminated in our world. We know we still live in a world that is broken and troubled; our country is still involved in war in a far-off place called Afghanistan; there is violence and upheaval in parts of the Middle East and we continue to see and hear news stories every day about murder and abuse in our communities.</div>
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But tragedy has hit in a very pronounced way in these past few weeks. A little over a week ago in our area of New York State, four young people - all high school students - were involved in a serious automobile accident that claimed the lives of two of them and left the other two seriously injured. The outpouring of grief and support was overwhelming as communities tried to come to grips with the loss of these well-loved students. The cause of the accident seems to have been excessive speed on the part of another young man who struck the students' vehicle causing it to flip over and eject some of the passengers. I was struck the other day with the sentiment expressed by one of the surviving students who said that he wanted to "forgive the other driver in person because that is the right thing to do." I wonder how many of us could bring ourselves to offer such forgiveness in the light of the loss of friends and injury to ourselves. This young man is to be commended for his belief.</div>
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If that wasn't enough, yesterday in a small community in the state of Connecticut (our neighboring state), tragedy struck again - this time in the violence of a young, obviously disturbed, man who murdered his mother in their home and then went to the neighborhood elementary school and opened fire within the school; the result was the deaths of twenty children (ages 5 to 10) and several adults including the school's principal. This tragedy has rocked not only this community but the reverberations have been felt around our country. Our President said it best when he stated in his statement yesterday: <em>Our hearts are broken today...these are our children. </em>One person I know compared the slaughter to that found in the Gospel of Matthew when Herod murdered the children in an attempt to rid the world of the Messiah. We can truly refer to these children as the "holy innocents of Newtown, Connecticut."</div>
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Police and other authorities are trying to piece together information to help us all understand what may have motivated this killer (who committed suicide after killing the others) to carry out this tragedy. Whatever the reason, it has caused everyone to pause and realize what a precious gift life is and many parents I know reached out in a special way to their children yesterday to let them know they are loved.</div>
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This weekend in the Roman liturgy, we celebrate <em>Gaudete </em>Sunday - "Rejoice Sunday." It comes half way through the Advent season as we look forward to celebrating again the coming of the Messiah into our world. I must admit it is hard to rejoice at this time given the tragedy of yesterday. What can we make of it? What is there to rejoice about? I believe that at times like this, only faith and prayer can get us through it all. I truly believe that God was present there yesterday in Newtown with the children, the teachers, the parents (who either lost a child or had a surviving child) and community members.</div>
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I believe the sentiment that I wish I could express has been expressed best by my friend, Father James Martin, S.J. of <em>America </em>magazine who offered the following prayer. I leave you with this to that all of us can find some comfort amid all the tragedy.</div>
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<em>Where were you, God?</em></div>
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<em>We are crushed with grief, God.</em></div>
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<em>We cannot bear to think of so many people killed.</em></div>
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<em>We cannot bear to think of children being killed.</em></div>
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<em>It is unthinkable to us, the worst tragedy.</em></div>
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<em>Children.</em></div>
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<em>Where were you, God?</em></div>
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<em>How could you let this happen?</em></div>
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<em>Why is your world like this?</em></div>
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<em>We are sad and angry and confused.</em></div>
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<em>But God, we know that you know what it means to have a child die.</em></div>
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<em>For your Son died a violent death.</em></div>
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<em>And we know that your Son understands grief.</em></div>
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<em>For he wept bitterly when his friend Lazarus died.</em></div>
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<em>And he was moved with compassion when he saw suffering.</em></div>
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<em>His heart broke like our hearts do.</em></div>
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<em>He cried like we do today.</em></div>
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<em>We know, too, that your Son raised Lazarus from the dead.</em></div>
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<em>And that you raised your own murdered Son from the grave.</em></div>
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<em>As a sign of the eternal life you have planned for us.</em></div>
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<em>The life into which you know place the victims, whom you loved, and love.</em></div>
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<em>We know that you understand our terrible anguish.</em></div>
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<em>You accept our bitterness and our confusion, too.</em></div>
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<em>We know that you are still with us, God, in the darkness.</em></div>
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<em>In our compassion for the families and friends of the victims.</em></div>
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<em>In the love that moves us to care for one another.</em></div>
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<em>In the anger that drives us to put an end to violence.</em></div>
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<em>As your Son tried to do in his time with us.</em></div>
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<em>Most of all, eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,</em></div>
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<em>And let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.</em></div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-40661308228200678142012-10-27T10:26:00.002-07:002012-10-27T10:58:19.720-07:00A Roman Journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On Tuesday, October 16, I began a memorable journey with about 200 pilgrims from the Diocese of Albany, New York to attend the canonization of the first Native American saint, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, who was born within the boundaries of our diocese in a place we now call Auriesville, New York. It was to be a week full of wonderful memories, great companionship and an uplifting of our spirits as we celebrated with our Native American sisters and brothers this great event.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAgbTnP95UA7YyWXjUdAznOOfLPR3zhJKjJtjUn3SBzCCTdWL8UIO-j9rn_WVEYUOP_AmfWtpyx_vgzunvRyTAXmr6GVYsUL7aYPEduqxKtvQPs8wCalNAOzYPkvveP_SeTo8RbezBkkE/s1600/kateri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAgbTnP95UA7YyWXjUdAznOOfLPR3zhJKjJtjUn3SBzCCTdWL8UIO-j9rn_WVEYUOP_AmfWtpyx_vgzunvRyTAXmr6GVYsUL7aYPEduqxKtvQPs8wCalNAOzYPkvveP_SeTo8RbezBkkE/s200/kateri.jpg" width="156" /></a>We left the diocese from various locations and traveled to Rome by way of different airlines with the intention of gathering together as a group for special events including our daily liturgies and dinners. The group I traveled with flew from the Newark, New Jersey airport for a flight of about seven hours arriving in Rome early in the morning of the 17th (Rome time). We were then transported by motor coach (several to accommodate our large group) to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi. We concluded the day there with a celebration of Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis. All of our local liturgies were celebrated by our bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard. The homilist on this occasion was Father James Mackey, a long time friend from my youth. Following Mass, we joined our group for dinner in Assisi.</div>
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The next day we spent in Assisi seeing the various sites and wandering its hilly streets. We celebrated Mass at Chiesa Santa Chiara - the Church of St. Clare, the young woman who gave up everything to begin a religious order of nuns who would follow the Franciscan rule. Our homilist on this occasion was Father John Bradley of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Albany. Our local guide, Paolo, was very informative as he walked us through Assisi, a journey which ended at the site of the Church of St. Mary of the Angels. Inside this church is the original small chapel which was one of the those Francis began to rebuild after he had heard the call from Christ to <em>rebuild my Church</em> - a call he would later realize would be the call to reform the Church of his day. We then left Assisi and stopped for dinner in the town of Orvieto on our way back to Rome.</div>
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On the third day - October 19 - we began our day at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. This church is the cathedral church of the pope as bishop of Rome (St. Peter's is his "cathedral" as bishop of the world). There, on the Feast of the North American martyrs - St. Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil and companions - I had the privilege of assisting at the liturgy and delivering the homily (which I will share at the end of this post). These martyrs met their death within our diocese at Auriesville, where ten years later a child would be born who within a few days would be canonized as the first Native American saint. I can tell you that it was a great honor and privilege to be able to break open the word on this feast and in this place.</div>
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Following the liturgy we went to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Following lunch, the group was given a tour of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Since I had been there on a previous trip to Rome, I took the opportunity to pass on this and rest awhile. My arthritis caused me to be uncomfortable with the great deal of walking that is entailed on a trip like this. I went by myself with another pilgrim who was also bypassing the museum tour, to St. Peter's Basilica and then waited at our assigned meeting place to go to dinner.</div>
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The following day we traveled in the morning to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian where we got an opporunity to see where the early Christians had to meet during the persecutions of the early centuries and where they buried their dead. Following this we celebrated Mass at the Jesuit church in Rome, the Church of the Gesu. Our homilist for this occasion was Father Robert Hohenstein from Schenectady, New York. The group then went to view the Trevi Fountain - the famous place where legend has it that a coin tossed into the fountain will ensure another trip back to Rome. Another deacon and I broke off from the group at this point (the group went on to the Spanish Steps) and waited at the Piazza Navona where we relaxed over a delicious dish of <em>gelato</em> - the creamy Italian type of ice cream (which we obtained as often as we could while there). When the group arrived, we went to dinner to cap off the evening.</div>
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The day of the 21st - Sunday - was the crowning reason for which we had come to Rome - to celebrate the canonization of Kateri along with six others who were declared saints by Pope Benedict XVI. We are fortunate that one of the other saints was also from upstate New York - Saint Marianne Cope - a religious sister who worked among the lepers of Molokai and helped nurse the sainted leper - Father (Saint) Damien - and remained there before returning to her native area around Syracuse, New York. We had to arrive early at St. Peter's square to obtain good seats for the ceremony. Four of us were fortunate to be in the front right section facing the papal altar and there witnessed the canonization ceremony followed by the celebration of the liturgy by Pope Benedict. Our own Bishop Hubbard was one of the concelebrating bishops to join with the Holy Father at the Mass.</div>
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Following the Mass and ceremony, we were on our own for lunch. I took a few friends with me to a small restaurant close to St. Peter's where I had dined on my two previous trips to Rome - in 2000 and 2005. I went to lunch there again the following day; on all four occasions when I had eaten there (over a span of twelve years), I was served by the same waiter - Carlo. That is an interesting fact in itself.</div>
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Following the lunch, the group traveled to Castel Gandolfo, the location of the pope's summer residence. Since the main part of the village is at the top of a steep hill, I again declined the arduous walk. We concluded the day there with dinner by Lake Albano.</div>
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Our final full day in Rome began a little later (we were thankful that we did not have an early wake-up call) with a Mass of Thanksgiving for the canonization of Saint Kateri. We celebrated this at the Altar of the Chair (located just behind the main altar in St. Pater's Basilica) together with Native American groups from around the U.S. (there were several hundred in attendance). The Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of Philadelphia - Most Rev. Charles Chaput - who is a Native American. Our own Bishop Howard Hubbard was the homilist and gave a wonderful homily that was appreciated by all present.</div>
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Our afternoon was on our own. I took the opportunity to do a little shopping and we finally gathered as a group for our farewell dinner at the Villa Via Licio Giorgieri. We faced an early wake-up call to arrive at the airport the next morning for our return to the United States. Unfortunately, our plane was delayed by almost three hours leaving Rome. We returned to Newark and then onto the Albany area where we arrived tired but fulfilled about 9 p.m.</div>
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This wonderful opporunity would not have been possible without the work and assistance of many people. My personal thanks to Father Michael Farano, the Vicar General of our diocese, who coordinated the trip and to our great bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard for being such an inspiration to all of us and spending his time with us. Our bus group was also most forunate in the assistance of our bus guide - Cansu Celik - a lovely young woman from Turkey who made us feel most welcome and guided us through all the twists and turns of such a journey. Our bus driver - Andrea - was a wonder at how he could handle this large bus making turns on a dime on some very windy roads and narrow streets. May God bless them both.</div>
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And so we bid farewell to the Eternal City and returned to our homes and families - tired, as I said, but fulfilled. May Saint Kateri Tekakwitha continue to be an inspiration for us and intercede for us at the heavenly throne.</div>
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The following is the homily I shared with our pilgrims at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on the 19th:</div>
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It is an exciting time to be here in Rome - the center of our Catholic Christian faith. We see in these days a convergence of several important events and celebrations.</div>
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I had not realized it before but a few years ago I learned that the geographical center of our Diocese of Albany is a place we now call Auriesville. It was there in 1646 that Isaac Jogues and companions were martyred for the faith. Ten years later, a child was born there who this coming Sunday will be raised to the altar of sainthood - an event that has brought all of us here to celebrate.</div>
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Last week, the Holy Father and the world's bishops commemorated the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and inaugurated the Year of Faith. Also taking place in Rome at this time is the Synod of Bishops which will be looking at the "New Evangelization" - an effort to reach out to disaffected Catholics - those who have stopped practicing their faith for one reason or another.</div>
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Each of these events and celebrations speak to us as we gather here.</div>
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It was faith that drew the early missionaries to want ot bring the message of Christ to other lands in keeping with Jesus' challenge to his disciples: <em>Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.</em></div>
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The martyrs we celebrate today were willing to give totally so that others might hear about Jesus. And as it has been said: <em>The blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith. </em>These holy men were witnesses for Christ.</div>
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We are called to do the same today: probably not by shedding our blood but in living lives that can show others that the message of Jesus is important and life-giving. As one of our men discerning the ministry of diaconate in our diocese recently wrote: <em>Right now we are on the threshold of a critical time in our history. It is more important now, more than most any time in our history, for us Catholic Christians to practice our faith....We must be people of prayer, people of conviction, but most of all people of love.</em></div>
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In preparing for the Synod of Bishops, our Holy Father has said that there are two pillars to the New Evangelization: confession or witness, and charity. Blessed Kateri, whom we come to honor this weekend, showed both of these important facets of evangelization in her own life: she witnessed for her faith even though shunned by her own people, and gave of herself in acts of charity to others before her short life was ended.</div>
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The Holy Father, in his remarks at the opening of the Synod said: <em>The saints are the true actors in evangelization in all its expressions. In a special way they are even pioneers and bringers of the new evangelization. </em>He went on to say: <em>Holiness is not confined by cultural, social, political or religious barriers. Its language, that of love and truth, is understandable to all people of good will and it draws them to Jesus Christ, the inexhaustible source of new life.</em></div>
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How do we witness today? By speaking out when the truths of faith and our moral principles are challenged. And we should do this by not whispering behind closed doors as our Gospel today reminds us, but rather by proclaiming on the housetops. We witness when we welcome into our midst all peoples without exception. We especially witness to the love of Christ for all when we show love to others by our acts of service. It is that service, we recall, that Jesus told us would be that by which we are judged: did we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned....</div>
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After returning from France for his second attempt to bring Christ to the natives in upsate New York, and before his last visit to the site of Auriesville, Isaac Jogues wrote this to a fellow priest: <em>My heart tells me that if I am the one to be sent on this mission I shall go but I shall not return. But I would be glad if our Lord wished to complete the sacrifice where he began it. Farewell, dear Father. Pray that God unite me to himself inseparably.</em></div>
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When we return to our homes after this wonderful week, our challege is to be willing to take on the mission of evangelization" of witness and of charity, so that with St. Isaac Jogues, each of us can then say: <em>Pray that God unite me to himself inseparably.</em></div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-58410780571152510062012-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:002012-09-30T16:33:01.102-07:00Being a Proud Parent (and Some Other Good Things)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In one of my earliest posts (September of 2010) I wrote the following about a disease known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease:</div>
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<em>CMT - Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disorder (named for the three physicians who discovered it in 1886) is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over two million persons worldwide and is found in both males and females and all ethnic groups. It is a disease of the nerves that control muscles (unlike Muscular Dystrophy which is a disease of the muscles themselves). It is slowly progressive and causes loss of normal function and/or sensation in the lower legs/feet as well as hands/arms. It is not usually fatal or known to affect life expectancy but can become severely disabling.</em></div>
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I wrote this at the time because it was the awareness month for the disease because it is often not properly diagnosed or understood. My daughter, Christine, has had symptoms of the disease for over 27 years and as the material noted above states, it has caused a loss of normal function in her arms, hands and legs. She has had to wear braces for several years and is not able to be gainfully employed. Yet, with all these setbacks she has maintained a wonderful spirit, a terrific sense of humor and has found other ways of filling her time with a return to her art and with her writing (she also has a blog which I have mentioned in the past and can be accessed by going to <em>atticusmom1.blogspot.</em>com<em>). </em></div>
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This September has seen another "awareness month" for CMT and it has also brought my wife and I some reasons to be very proud of our daughter. To begin with, she was given the national award by the CMT national association for how she has dealt with her disease and what she has been able to accomplish in spite of it. This award, known as the <em>I'm a Star </em>award, is given to one person each year. In addition, September's issue of <em>Artists' World Magazine </em>was dedicated to CMT and featured artists who have CMT or know a relative or friend who has it. My daughter submitted three paintings for consideration; all three were included in the issue (which is sent to all art galleries and museums) and she received an award for each of them: <em>Best in Color; Best Abstract; </em>and <em>Best Mixed Media.</em> You can readily understand why we as parents are extremely proud of our artist and writer daughter who is using her talents regardless of the handicaps she has.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3fFrNuU8dN9UtV2jOrxTbKcJMZo29xH7yr3vBQWyN4IsxJmw9m5nsw52c2dQ62a7oFjW8M8jEXP5a7GB3ffbQDFU7Bxfgggm2wizQy-fGl6l9kEYX21KJQeQJP0J43raA3OkaIorx7qx/s1600/elements" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3fFrNuU8dN9UtV2jOrxTbKcJMZo29xH7yr3vBQWyN4IsxJmw9m5nsw52c2dQ62a7oFjW8M8jEXP5a7GB3ffbQDFU7Bxfgggm2wizQy-fGl6l9kEYX21KJQeQJP0J43raA3OkaIorx7qx/s200/elements" width="200" /></a></div>
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These achievements by my daughter would be enough to brag about in this post but there are two other items of note that I would like to share. This week I will be privileged to witness the marriage of one of the altar boys who served in the first parish where I was assigned as a deacon. I realize I am getting older but it is a true joy to be able to see one of the young people you have known to grow and arrive at this important moment in life.</div>
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Later in October, I will be traveling to Rome to witness the canonization of our first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, who was born in Auriesville, New York in the 1600s. Her birthplace is located within our Diocese of Albany, New York, and a large contingent of pilgrims is going from Albany to witness this great event. In addition to attending the canonization, I will also have the privilege to assist our bishop and deliver the homily at a church in Rome on October 19 which is the feast of the North American martyrs who were martyred in Auriesville just ten years before the young Native American maiden was born. I am looking forward to this pilgrimage with great anticipation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqW8C9KYy9tm1KNnOIWe4SqHlEGODk21IKgeA_1pdEuinKVgH2lvx2Mp1OwwMORL9qUug0PuwJJZrWXKvpM0Sdq4Co-00yNRHTwevINJ8hDpnlY9-tlYOnCn48D5iSdsMu_xbRAVaJE8x/s1600/kateri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqW8C9KYy9tm1KNnOIWe4SqHlEGODk21IKgeA_1pdEuinKVgH2lvx2Mp1OwwMORL9qUug0PuwJJZrWXKvpM0Sdq4Co-00yNRHTwevINJ8hDpnlY9-tlYOnCn48D5iSdsMu_xbRAVaJE8x/s200/kateri.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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With all the problems our world faces today (and there are certainly many), it is good to know that we can rejoice when good and wonderful things happen in our lives. Such has been the case for me lately and I am deeply grateful to God for these blessings.</div>
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Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790955777262461081.post-5232402698265333992012-09-04T12:58:00.000-07:002012-09-04T12:58:38.253-07:00Some Random Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="justify">It's been some time since I posted a blog entry so I decided to present some thoughts on what is happening in the world, our country and in the Church. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><em>War and Violence</em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh0oG07FU9KpkGlfOBFFxUFCom3DCDJd0oR70X031mZDNpise4yAKOyyv8-GBhgXb9ZkiybPw3PBoVpe0o2-GxTZulW1PTW4CmvHxAaQbK5fAlET_gLaDRWtzzEl3tjX3D1FQVJmXBXT4/s1600/syria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh0oG07FU9KpkGlfOBFFxUFCom3DCDJd0oR70X031mZDNpise4yAKOyyv8-GBhgXb9ZkiybPw3PBoVpe0o2-GxTZulW1PTW4CmvHxAaQbK5fAlET_gLaDRWtzzEl3tjX3D1FQVJmXBXT4/s200/syria.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">There seems to be no end in sight to the dangerous places in the world where war continues to be waged. We are concerned for the people of Syria who find themselves in the midst of a civil war and as in all wars the innocent suffer greatly. War continues in Afghanistan and our American troops are now being subjected to assaults not only from the Taliban but from supposedly "friendly" Afghan troops.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Here in the United States, there have been a variety of shootings involving the loss of life of innocent people caught in the gunfire propelled by those of an unstable character or those acting out of hatred or revenge. The most glaring of these was the shooting some time ago in Aurora, Colorado when a lone gunman opened fire in a crowded theater full of theater-goers who had come to see the new Batman movie.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">When will all of this violence end? We have lost sight of the dignity of the human person and life has become expendable. When preserving our power over the rights of others occur, we have chaos. Prayers for peace and an end to war and violence must become a must for people of good will so that this vicious tide can be turned.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><em>Extreme Weather</em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7hN9EpcEeP2Usbd6klAESZQhOOj5z84VUg6A4IzZSdP0_z-TXeKJyGCeektEjI4Y3qNinwWXgC9RaeAasq3jicyPaSHcRQJ9coLE74yjTJ90wGj05ImpeP4LKdP-ESF6jmTqNtLE3ZiS/s1600/drought.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7hN9EpcEeP2Usbd6klAESZQhOOj5z84VUg6A4IzZSdP0_z-TXeKJyGCeektEjI4Y3qNinwWXgC9RaeAasq3jicyPaSHcRQJ9coLE74yjTJ90wGj05ImpeP4LKdP-ESF6jmTqNtLE3ZiS/s200/drought.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Over this summer, we have seen how drought has affected much of our country leaving farmers to wonder if they can make a profitable living when their crops are shriveling. Now we enter the hurricane season and the power of Isaac, the most recent one, has been felt especially in those areas most devastated by hurricane Katrina some years ago. Help is needed to assist communities and families to recover. A variety of charities will surely be seeking funds to assist the victims and it is hoped that people will respond generously as they have in the past.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe6yxQrvoNulqIrARMFMP-gGty-7T16xi78oxYIxFrzVefZ8aC_wdOF6k0eNh_ioZQ54O9iNkfdppwlMgwN9h03j095JVDaNanNuwy-MluYliN_OMc6JR_63BwY0oeSbCpKNliujzSi69/s1600/isaac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe6yxQrvoNulqIrARMFMP-gGty-7T16xi78oxYIxFrzVefZ8aC_wdOF6k0eNh_ioZQ54O9iNkfdppwlMgwN9h03j095JVDaNanNuwy-MluYliN_OMc6JR_63BwY0oeSbCpKNliujzSi69/s200/isaac.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em>Presidential Election in the United States</em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEHF3DgRqzXVuqHcNQWpyenQXP9YNP_wo7y2pYBFUTp5xgn0vwxwMi9eXZJmIr9NKpneJPxAE6r3nshTdSGkOvkXlHz6d9n6lP93il7VXSQe_767wHA7uJ1VtdlojDTjtOgslaqORsPB-/s1600/obamacampaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEHF3DgRqzXVuqHcNQWpyenQXP9YNP_wo7y2pYBFUTp5xgn0vwxwMi9eXZJmIr9NKpneJPxAE6r3nshTdSGkOvkXlHz6d9n6lP93il7VXSQe_767wHA7uJ1VtdlojDTjtOgslaqORsPB-/s200/obamacampaign.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaK8Mdc65HmxaEyzPdRgc5b9WGb0Hob_Gxmwy5jz7G0lYkgoNdMSiNoafYsH6rtzj2Hlo_tgfTUd2y3WzQ_KdiRVtIyN0b9rF7hkp_xUDqKZ3CtuaqIszskklnEhMpeAjex0FOYYhUk1BK/s1600/romneycampaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaK8Mdc65HmxaEyzPdRgc5b9WGb0Hob_Gxmwy5jz7G0lYkgoNdMSiNoafYsH6rtzj2Hlo_tgfTUd2y3WzQ_KdiRVtIyN0b9rF7hkp_xUDqKZ3CtuaqIszskklnEhMpeAjex0FOYYhUk1BK/s1600/romneycampaign.jpg" /></a>Voters in the United States are hearing the messages of those contending for the office of President of the United States. Like many voters, I can find issues to support in both of the camps as well as issues with which I disagree. My hope is that the final days and weeks of this campaign will be concerned with the important issues facing this country and not be mired in personal attacks. We are fortunate in this country to be able to vote every four years for the person who will lead the country; there are other countries where this privilege is not available. I urge everyone who is of age to vote to register and make your voice known - regardless of which candidate you support. It is a civic and moral duty.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><em>A Trip to Rome</em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">In a little over a month from now I will have the privilege of going to Rome to attend the canonization ceremony for seven saints - two of whom are from my part of the United States. Blessed Marianne Cope, a religious who worked with Father (Saint) Damien in the leper colony of Molokai and who hails from the Syracuse, New York area will be canonized along with the first Native American saint - Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha - the "Lily of the Mohawks." Together with almost 200 pilgrims from our Diocese of Albany, I will be privileged to be in attendance as the Holy Father raises these people to the rank of saint in our Church. It should be a most joyous occasion.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><em>The Church in the World Today</em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">A few days ago, one of the most well known Church leaders passed from this life. Carlo Cardinal Martini, the former archbishop of Milan, Italy, went home to God. A few weeks before his death, the Cardinal had an interview in which he pointed out the need for the Church to move with the times and to be more pastoral in its dealings with those it is called to serve. His interview, published after his death, calls for "transformation" in the Church. He said "our rituals and our cassocks are pompous." Known for his liberal approach to matters involving the Church, it remains to be seen how his final message will be received and/or accepted. Nevertheless, it should give pause to all who hold positions of leadership in the Church. It is important that those who do not lose sight of the message Jesus gave to his disciples (who would become the leaders in his Church) that he had "not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)."</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Those of us who serve in the Church should serve the way Jesus served - not by citing a list of rules to be followed but reaching out to those who need Jesus' healing words and touch. The Gospel for this past Sunday in the Roman liturgy spoke to this when Jesus challenged his adversaries by telling them: <em>You disregard God's commandement but cling to human tradition (Mark 7:8).</em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">There is no question that we need rules and regulations to guide us in both our rituals and in our daily lives. Without law there would be chaos. But when the law or the rules become more paramount than our pastoral approach to people we are in trouble. I am reminded here of one of my favorite Gospel stories found in the Gospel of John (John 8:2-11). It is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus' critics were going to put him to the test. They reminded him of the presciptions of the law that called for a stoning of a person caught in adultery. Jesus merely tells them: "Go ahead but be sure you are without sin when you cast the stone." All of them quietly went away because they knew they were not guiltless. It is Jesus' dealing with the woman that I would like to cite. He asks her if anyone has condemned her and she says none. <em>Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.</em> Jesus challenges her to stay away from sin but does so in a merciful and forgiving way. We must do the same.</div></div>Neil Hookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005125439930064112noreply@blogger.com1