The Heart of Christ

I have had the privilege of attending two events recently that had an impression on me that I wished to share with my readers.  One was the annual Fall Gathering - an event held each year for the parishes in my diocese where people can come to hear a keynote speech and attend various workshops dealing with the variety of ministries in which people are involved in our parishes.  The second was another annual gathering - that of deacons and their wives from all the dioceses in New England and the Diocese of Albany in New York (where I serve).  The main thrust of both events was that of evangelization - the primary mission of our Church.

The Diocese of Albany is embarking on the second year of a three year program concerning evangelization known as "Amazing God."  This second year is devoted to the heart of Christ.  At the Fall Gathering we were honored with a wonderful presentation by Father Richard Fragomeni, a priest of our diocese who currently teaches at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.  He led us through the Litany of the Sacred Heart pausing to have us reflect on various aspects of that litany.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began with the revelations to a seventeenth century French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.  In a sense of irony, perhaps, my own ministerial life has been surrounded by the image of the Sacred Heart.  For twenty years I served as the organist and music director of Sacred Heart Church in Troy, New York.  After my ordination to the diaconate, my first parish assignment was to the parish of St. Margaret Mary in Albany, New York.  Recently I returned to Sacred Heart Church in Troy as temporary administrator.  I have known in my own life the great love that is poured forth from the heart of Christ and my prayer is that everyone could experience this in their lives.  While I cannot reconstruct the beautiful images presented to us by Father Fragomeni, I would just like to add a few reflections of my own to the invocations of the Litany of the Sacred Heart.

Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity.  What a wonderful image!  A furnace - that which burns to give us warmth.  We all know what it is like to be near a roaring fire especially when the world around us is cold.  Think of the furnace of charity that burns within the heart of Jesus for us.  We live in a world today that is often cold: cold with discrimination toward others; cold with indifference to the value of human life; cold with regard to how we use the gifts God has given us to keep our earth a safe and habitable place.  The heart of Christ burns with great love like a fiery furnace.  We need to bask in that warmth and love and in turn give it to others.

Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy.  The love which pours forth from the heart of Christ with the fire like a furnace is a love that is patient.  It is a love which reaches out in compassion to all regardless of how much we have failed at times to earn that love.  How many times in the Gospels did Jesus show his divine mercy to those who had fallen in some way.  He did not strike out at them with the vengeance of the righteous but rather extended the hand of mercy and forgiveness (cf. John 8:1-11).  We are called to do the same to those who have hurt us.  We are challenged to forgive and be patient.

Heart of Jesus, victim for our sin.  We are all sinners and need the forgiveness of God and others.  Jesus went to the cross as a victim for the sins we have committed.  How grateful we should be that this great act of love on the part of Jesus has brought us redemption and the promise of heaven and eternal life.  May the final prayer of this litany be ours:  Almighty and everlasting God, graciously regard the heart of your well-beloved Son and the acts of praise and satisfaction which he renders you on behalf of us sinners; and through their merit, grant pardon to us who implore your mercy.

The second event I was privileged to attend recently was the annual assembly of deacons and wives from our region in the country.  Our keynote speaker at this event was the Most Rev. Octvavio Cisneros, the auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn, New York.  He spoke about the deacon (and the deacon's wife) as evangelizer.  The main point he made is that the evangelization carried out by the deacon is not done so much in what the deacon does as in what the deacon is.  The deacon by his life must show what it is to be motivated by the heart of Christ.  He must live his ministry and not just do it.  In this way, he can be more effective in bringing others to Christ.  As a deacon, I know how easy it is to be caught up in all the "things" we do as deacons: serving at liturgy, proclaiming the Word, and offering a ministry of charity through a variety of ways.  We can become so busy with the actions that we might lose sight of why we are doing what we do.  We need to step back and take stock and to ask ourselves if we are doing these things because "that's our job" or are we doing them with the fire, the compassion and the love shown by the heart of Christ.

All of us as baptized Christians, whether ordained or not, need to live our lives with the image of the heart of Christ being our model of life.  May I offer this prayer from a collection of prayers written by my friend, the Servant of God Terence Cardinal Cooke:

Lord Jesus, I unite myself to your perpetual, unceasing, universal sacrifice.  I offer myself to you every day of my life and every moment of every day, according to your most holy and adorable will.  You have been the victim of my salvation; I wish to be the victim of your love.  Accept my desire, take my offering, graciously hear my prayer.  Let me live for love of you; let me die for love of you; let my last heartbeat be an act of perfect love.  Amen.

Peaceful Protests vs. Violence

Over the past few weeks, a movement has been growing both in the United States and in other countries protesting the inequality between rich and poor - between the middle class and the corporate giants who control a great deal of the wealth in the country.  It began as a movement citing the 99% of people who do not have the wealth as contrasted to the one percent that control much of the wealth.

As in any movement such as this there can be divisions of opinion as to whether the numbers are right or whether all those with wealth are not doing enough to aid those less fortunate.  We know that there are those who are wealthy who have given much time, energy and their wealth to aid others (e.g., the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).  But there is evidence that inequality exists and thousands are growing frustrated and taking their message to the streets of our cities and to the corporate headquarters.

I can readily sympathize with the feelings of those who are protesting this inequality.  One professional I know - a teacher by profession - still owes approximately $45,000 in students loans even after twenty or so years out of college.  She told me that would probably be 85 years old (should she live that long) before they are paid off.  This is causing large number of students and former students to call for changes in how the corporate world treats the rest of society.

One of my fears is that when large numbers such as this gather to protest violence may follow.  This can be caused by a number of factors: some overzealous group members who feel that some destruction is needed in order for the corporate world to wake up; some overreacting members of the police who in trying to keep order get carried away with the tensions of the moment; and on and on.  One example of how destructive things can become was the news from Rome that a medieval church was desecrated by some of those who had gathered to protest.  I don't believe the majority of those protesting are prone to violence but one way to quickly lose support for a cause is for that cause to become enmeshed in violent behavior.  Let us hope that those who are sincere will continue their protests by bringing their message to those who need to hear it without anyone being hurt or property destroyed.

There is nothing inherently evil in wealth.  It is how that wealth is used that is important.  Those who are blessed with it need to know that their wealth can benefit others and should be so used without the wealthy person(s) having to become poor themselves.  Perhaps we all need to re-read the 25th chapter of Matthew's Gospel:

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me; ill and you cared for me; in prison and you visited me."  Then the righteous will answer him and say, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?"  And the King will say to them in reply, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me."

We are all called to help those in need without questioning whether they are good or not.  If they are in need they need our help - be it the single mother trying to raise a family on a meager salary; a disabled person whose work output is limited; one of the thousands of unemployed who want work but cannot find it - whatever, we need to be there for them.   Those of us who possess more of this world's goods need to remember the oft quoted saying:  From those who have been given much more will be expected.  May we give with gracious hearts.



When the Church Fails

The Church, we believe, is the Body of Christ.  As such it should always reflect the message of Christ and imitate how he lived.  But the Church is made up of humans who invariably at one time or another fail to do what they should.  When the Church fails through its members - both clerical and lay - to be what it should be, it leaves many questioning their continued involvement with church.  Yet we need God's grace and love which can be brought to us through the ministry of his Church.

This realization of the failures of the Church was brought home to me very well in an article by my bishop, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany, New York.  This article appeared in the latest edition of the diocesan weekly newspaper The Evangelist.  In this article, Bishop Hubbard speaks about the varied ways in which the Church can fail its people.  I would like to just add a few comments of my own to what is a most provocative and instructional article.  The failings of the Church listed were:

Sexual Abuse by Clergy

We know that our American Church has gone through a very difficult period in this past decade as we witnessed countless occasions in which clergy - priests and deacons - have been accused of sexual abuse particularly of minors.  While the American Church is not alone in suffering these moral lapses, the fact that this abuse has occurred has left a stain on our Church.  It demanded a response by the leaders of the Church which was brought about by the now famous Charter for the Protection of Children adopted by the American bishops.  At times the bishops themselves did not fully appreciate the extent or the seriousness of this problem as they continued to reassign priests who had been abusing our young people.  Some were led to believe that these lapses could be remedied by counseling which did not prove to be the case.  As a result of the Charter, large numbers of priests and deacons have been removed from active ministry.  This certainly has alleviated the problem to some extent but many have left the Church or have removed themselves from it to some degree because of this problem.  The positive thing that must be remembered is that the majority of our priests and deacons are true to their vows and have not fallen prey to this moral failing.  Those men should be supported with our prayers and be reassured that they have our support.  We need also to pray for the victims of this tragedy and for the perpetrators that they will find forgiveness and become reconciled with God and others.

Closing of Churches

There are a number of reasons why the Church has found it necessary to merge parishes and close some churches.  These include a reduction in the number of priests to serve the needs of the faithful as well as the fact that a large number of people have left the Church or have fallen away from the regular practice of their faith.  In the United States studies have shown that ten percent of all Americans are Catholics who no longer practice their faith - approximately 18 million people in our country.  With less priests to serve and less people attending it has become difficult to maintain many of the church buildings which were a part of our lives.  Closing of these churches has brought pain and heartbreak to many who grew up in a particular parish, were baptized and received their sacraments there and now find they must worship in a different church building.  For some, it is like losing a member of the family but as we do when we lose a loved one, we find the courage and strength to move on.  Hopefully those who find new homes for worship will be able to find anew the welcome and the invitation to holiness the Church offers.  Just a few days ago, I had the privilege of serving as Master of Ceremonies at the dedication of a newly renovated church in one of our cities.  This new building is the result of the closing and merger of six parish communities into one.  The pastor, who delivered the homily, held up a banner that he had created which said: Mission Accomplished!  On the other side of the banner it said:  We've Only Just Begun!  This was a wonderful reminder of how a new beginning was taking place in the newly renovated worship space.  The Church must move on and the Church is, after all, its people and not its buildings.

Anemic Parish Life

With the merging and closing of some parish facilities it may become difficult for people to become acclimated in a new surrounding.  This is why it is so important that every parish community be a welcoming community.  Whether one is a long-time parishioner or a newcomer, everyone must feel welcome when they enter the church to celebrate the Eucharist.  Among priests and deacons there can arise a situation we call clericalism.  It occurs when we clergy think we are above others or require certain perks because of our ordained status.  But clericalism of a different sort can arise among the laity as well.  This occurs when certain groups within a parish begin to see themselves as the principal "movers and shakers" of the community to the exclusion of others.  When new people arrive in a parish, are they welcomed and invited to become active participants or are we just glad to see some empty seats filled and some additional money in the collection basket?  The Church is where we are nourished spiritually; it must be, therefore, a place where everyone is welcomed and where everyone can take an active part in parish life.

Insensitivity

Have you ever felt alienated by the actions of a priest, deacon or other church minister?  Some people carry the bruises they have received from the insensitivity of these ministers and some have even walked away from the practice of their faith because of it.  There are times, of course, when the ministers of the Church must adhere to policies and regulations concerning worship and sacramental issues.  And there are times when some of the requests received to bend these norms are unreasonable.  But even then the minister in question must make every effort to be sensitive to the need for these requests and explain as clearly as possible what can be done.  Pastoral sensitivity must always be the goal.

Poor Preaching and Liturgies

People come to our Catholic Church to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.  But they also hunger to hear the word of God and hear it broken open with clarity and with evidence of sound preparation.  When those who preach in our Church resort to "canned" homilies or show evidence of poor preparation (waiting until the day before to begin thinking about the homily) the people are disenfranchised.  They deserve a well prepared and delivered homily that will speak to where they are and what the Gospel means in their lives.  They deserve liturgies that are executed well and not in a haphazard fashion.  They also deserve good liturgical music.  As a liturgical musician, I know that it is sometimes hard to find qualified musicians who are familiar with our liturgy and can provide a good musical program.  Sometimes I think good musicians are as hard to come by as finding priests who can fulfill our spiritual needs.  Parishes need to support their musical program because it is a vital part of our liturgy.

Technology

Fortunately, many churches are coming of age when it comes to technology.  They are using the Internet; they are creating parish blogs; and they use the latest software to assist in ministerial scheduling and other facets of church life.  If your parish does not have a website, offer your services (if you are well versed in the use of computers) to create one.  It can be a wonderful source of information for your parish and for other parishes and communities as well.

The Feeling of Exploitation

Many people are feeling unaccepted or exploited in today's Church climate.  These may include the separated or divorced, the gay or lesbian person, or women in general.  It is up to our Church and its leaders to remedy these feelings of exploitation by welcoming and involving these people in our faith communities.  All of us are God's children and deserve a place at the table.  May we make every effort as disciples of Jesus, who reached out to all, to be that person of welcome to all who come to our doors.

Once again, I applaud Bishop Hubbard for his insights.  I have added nothing of great consequence to this list of failings of the Church but just a few of my own thoughts.  Our Church is made up of saints and sinners and Jesus came to save us all.  May we accept his wonderful gift of salvation.  Let me close, as Bishop Hubbard did in his article, by quoting the words of Father Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.:

We must rejoice in the very existence of people with all their fumbling attempts to live and love, whether they are married, divorced or single; whether they are straight or gay; whether their lives are in accord with the Church or not.  The Church should be a community in which people discover God delights in them.

To this I say:  Amen!  

A Salute to Teachers

Two events occurred in the past few weeks that made me realize what a gift we have in those who are teachers.  The first was a visit to a school for the deaf where my older daughter has now begun to teach.  My wife and I were able to visit her classroom toward the end of the school day and observe how she worked with the students in her care - kindergarten and first grade students with a variety of handicaps including being either deaf or hard of hearing.

The visit made me realize how proud I was of my daughter as I witnessed her dedication to working with this group of children with special needs.  She truly loves the children she works with and is extremely competent in what she does.  She has had a teaching history of working with handicapped students as well as a time as a college professor teaching college students sign language and deaf culture.  It also made me realize how blessed we are to have such dedicated people as teachers wherever they work - in public or private schools, elementary, middle or high schools or colleges and universities.  With the kind of world we live in today where technology reigns and students need to be prepared for life's challenges, teachers are one of the most important professions we have and need to continually support.

I was recently appointed as a pastoral leader of an urban parish while the pastor is on an extended medical leave.  The parish has a parochial school attached to it and I had the privilege of meeting the teachers last week.  This also made me realize how dedicated a group of teachers we have in our Catholic schools.  While Catholic schools receive some federal aid for mandated programs as well as text book and software aid, and while local public school districts may provide transportation of students to the Catholic schools, these schools depend upon tuition paid by parents and monies provided by the parish.  This means that the salaries that these schools are able to afford in paying their teachers are substantially below the salary scales of public school teachers (perhaps as much as half of what a public school teacher may earn).  A number of these teachers must hold down second jobs in an effort to support their families.  Their dedication to Catholic education is a great gift to our Church and our Catholic communities.

I have two daughters.  Both are teachers by profession.  My younger daughter, however, has had to give up her position as a school teacher because of an injury occurring at work some years ago coupled with her ongoing disability.  Yet she remains a teacher.  She teaches through her blog which I have recommended to my readers on a number of occasions (atticusmom1.blogspot.com) and by the life she leads.  As someone with a disability, her very life is one of teaching as she copes with day to day living while maintaining a wonderfully balanced outlook on life and an absolutely terrific sense of humor.  Her days in the classroom may be over but her classroom is the world where she attempts each day to survive and in the words she pens.

I am, as you can imagine, extremely proud of my teacher daughters.  I am also proud of the teachers at my parochial school and all of our Catholic school teachers.  But all teachers deserve our support no matter where their teaching may occur.  They are too often undervalued in our society.  May the master Teacher, Jesus Christ, extend his blessings on all those who teach as well as all those who receive the benefits of their teaching.

Forgiveness and Remembrance

On this, the 24th Sunday on Ordinary Time in the Roman liturgical calendar, we are challenged by our Lord Jesus to be a forgiving people.  Peter asks if he should forgive the brother or sister who has hurt or offended him up to seven times - probably a magnanimous number in Peter's eyes.  But Jesus tells him he must go further than that - up to seventy times seven times - in other words, there is no limit to be placed on the number of times we are called to forgive those who have hurt us.

This challenge of Jesus is perhaps one of the most difficult things we are called to do as Christians.  When he have been hurt, especially if the hurt is a great one or occurs a number of times, the most human and natural response is to lash out at the offender - to "get even" if possible - but certainly not to forgive the offender.  Yet Jesus calls us to do just that.  When we come to liturgy we pray together just before Communion the Lord's Prayer.  Do we speak these words: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us - do we speak them from our heart and mean them or are they just words that trip off our tongues by rote?

Jesus was the perfect model of forgiveness for us.  On that bleak Good Friday when he was lifted high upon the cross he asked his Father to forgive those who had brought him to that moment.  As disciples of Jesus we are called to offer the same forgiveness to others who have brought us to dark moments in our lives.

This weekend in our country - the United States of America - we pause to remember that tragic day ten years ago when the greatest attack ever perpetrated against our country took place in New York City and Washington and for some ended in a field in Pennsylvania.  Almost three thousand people lost their lives in those tragic moments as planes became instruments of death.  It was one of those days that we can vividly remember and remember exactly what we were doing when the attacks occured.  Emotions ran very high that day; emotions of grief, confusion, disbelief, anger and thoughts of revenge.  Certain people among us became targets of our emotions because they held particular religious beliefs and looked and sounded like those who had become our attackers.  Even today the discrimination against our Muslim brothers and sisters remains even though some of them were innocent victims that day as well, and good living American citizens who happened to be Muslim became targets of our frustrations.  It is against feelings like this that Jesus challenges us to be faithful Christians and respect others no matter what their beliefs or nationality.  We need also to be reminded that those who were our attackers also died that tragic day believing themselves to be martyrs for a cause but the judgment of their behavior lies in the hands of God and not ours.

The American Catholic bishops wrote in a pastoral letter in response to the events of September 11, 2001: True peacemaking can be a matter of policy only if it is first a matter of the heart.  Without both courage and charity, justice cannot be won.  In the absence of repentance and forgiveness, no peace can endure.

Looking through my resource file a few weeks ago, I came across some items written by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, web editors for Spirituality and Health.  Let me share some of those voices that come to us from that tragic Tuesday morning in September of 2001:

I am a World Trade Center tower, standing tall in the clear blue sky, feeling a violent blow in my side, and I am a towering inferno of pain and suffering imploding upon myself and collapsing to the ground.  May I rest in peace.

I am a terrified passenger on a hijacked airplane not known where we are going or that I am riding on fuel tanks that will be instruments of death, and I am a worker arriving at my office not knowing that in just a moment my future will be obliterated.  May I rest in peace.

I am a firefighter sent into dark corridors of smoke and debris on a mission of mercy only to have it collapse around me, and I am a rescue worker risking my life to save lives who is very aware that I may not make it out alive.  May I rest in peace.

I am a loyal American who feels violated and vows to stand behind any military action it takes to wipe terrorists off the face of the earth, and I am a loyal American who feels violated and worries that people who look and sound like me are all going to be blamed for this tragedy.  May I know peace.

I am a boy in New Jersey waiting for a father who will never come home, and I am a boy in a faraway country rejoicing in the streets of my village because someone has hurt the hated Americans.  May I know peace.

I am a citizen of the world glued to my television set, fighting back my rage and despair at these horrible events, and I am a person of faith struggling to forgive the unforgivable, praying for the consolation of those who have lost loved ones, calling upon the merciful beneficence of God/Yahweh/Spirit/Allah.  May I know peace.

And I am a child of God who believes that we are all children of God and we are all part of each other.  May we all know peace.

All Are Welcome

The lines of one of our contemporary Christian hymns says:  All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.  How welcoming are we to others who come to our places of worship each week?  Do we welcome strangers as Christ would welcome them?

In this past weekend's Roman liturgy we heard the story of the Canaanite woman who approached Jesus with a request to heal her daughter.  (Matt. 15: 21-28)  Jesus at first seems to spurn the woman and only after his disciples plead with him to send her away does he make the statement that his mission is to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and he should not be giving the food meant for the family to the dogs.  This sounds like a pretty harsh and unwelcoming statement coming from the compassionate Jesus.  Why would he treat her this way?  Is he being prejudiced?  The passage ends with Jesus' praise of the woman for her great faith.  In a sense, this woman spoke up for her rights and was not afraid to challenge this wonder-worker and preacher.  Jesus recognizes and praises her faith and her strength of character.  We know that Jesus respected the rights and the dignity of women and welcomed them into his circle of discipleship, something not known among most rabbis of the time.  Perhaps this strong Canaanite woman helped shape Jesus' recognition and acceptance of women and the role they would play in bringing others to the faith.

We see in this Scripture reading how the mission of Jesus developed within his own thinking.  With his human knowledge he had to grow in understanding just like each of us and he may have been at the point where he was determining what his mission was.  Was it just to the house of Israel or did his mission reach further?  We know that when he was ready to ascend into heaven after his resurrection he told his disciples to go and teach all nations.  (Matt. 28:19-20)  There were to be no exclusions when it came to God's mercy and compassion and all of us are the ones who have inherited these gifts.

How, then, are we to respond to others who come among us?  Do we restrict our welcoming to those we know and with whom we are comfortable?  Do we welcome strangers among us as Jesus would?

There is a story told about the great Mahatma Gandhi who, when we was a young attorney living in South Africa, went to a Christian church one weekend.  Gandhi was interested in Jesus and his message and wanted to find out more about it.  He was turned away at the doors of the church because of the color of his skin.  He would make the statement:  I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

We must be open to welcoming all who come among us especially to worship.  There should be no lack of welcoming because someone is of another race, nationality, or sexual orientation.  All of us are children of our heavenly Father and all are loveable because he has first loved us.  May we always be able to sing:  All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

Plenty and Hunger

A little over a week ago we heard the story in the Gospels about the multitude being fed by Jesus and his disciples starting with just a few loaves and fishes.  It is a story of a miracle that is found in all four Gospel narratives and like all Gospel stories it is meant to teach us a lesson.

As I attended liturgy that weekend I was privileged to hear a very provocative homily from our Parish Life Director (one of the best homilists I know!).  She began by pointing out some very interesting statistics which I would like to share with you.

In the United States EVERY DAY we consume 75 acres of pizza, 53 million hot dogs, 167 million eggs, three million gallons of ice cream and 3,000 tons of candy.  EVERY DAY!!  Another statistic:  five billion people in the world try to make it on just 20% of the world's goods while one billion consume 80% of the world's goods.  Pretty disproportionate wouldn't you say?

In addition, seven million children in the world die from starvation every year; even in the United States there are 3.8 million families who experience hunger daily (and it isn't getting any better with the economy in the state it is in).

Jesus had compassion for the several thousand men, women and children who gathered to hear his message that day.  He told his disciples to feed them.  He tells us the same thing today.  I believe that Americans and American Catholics are quite generous when it comes to alleviating the suffering that we hear about or see on television throughout the world (such as is currently the case in Somalia).  We need to continue to show that generosity when we who have so much given to us by our God come forward to share what we have with those in need.

We all have many obligations to meet especially within our own families.  But when we can, we need to be like the widow in the Gospel who gave all that she had to put something in the temple treasury and was blessed by Jesus for it.  (Luke 21:1-4)

May God shower his compassion on those who are suffering for want of the world's goods and may God inspire us to continue to bring bread to the hungry wherever we find them.