We depend upon God and each other in times of trouble
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
4:05 PM
There is nothing like being without power for a few days to remind ourselves of our blessings, of our need for one another in times of trouble, and ultimately of our dependence on God.
The recent ice storm in Sioux Falls compounded with heavy wet snow did much damage to trees and plans. Weather related challenges are part of the history and fabric of South Dakota. They are the stuff of stories and legends. Each of you has experienced them in various ways. The question is whether we simply talk about them as events in the past or learn from them and prepare for the future.
One decision I have made is to become better prepared for future such challenges. I stumbled about absent mindedly turning on switches which resulted only in sound not light. I wandered around searching for flashlights, only to find the batteries as empty of power as the rest of the house. Perhaps arrogantly or naively I was not prepared.
That can happen in our spiritual lives. Storms in many varieties come unexpectedly. Are we prepared or do we allow the ease of everyday life to cloud our recognition of their inevitability?
We have been blessed in the last several months with the pastoral thoughts of Pope Francis. His short homilies at daily Masses give us much spiritual food to ponder. One recently startled and challenged me. He warned about “lukewarm Christians who want to build a church to their own specifications.” Was he talking about me?
The Gospel of the day was John 6:60-69, a continuation of Jesus foretelling of the Holy Eucharist: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day.” Some of the disciples responded, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”, and left. Jesus asked the Twelve: “Do you also want to leave?” Peter responded for them, “Master to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.”
There are many in our day who find the teachings of Christ hard to accept, not just about the core teaching that Jesus is present body, blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Eucharist, but about his moral teachings that ought to guide our daily lives. Unpopular and hard for some to accept are respect for life from conception to natural death, the dignity of all persons, marriage as God intended, abstinence and chastity, the structure of the Church as Christ instituted her. Equally hard are ’turn the other cheek’, ‘walk the extra mile’, mercy and forgiveness not vengeance, the common good, to name just a few.
Below is an edited version of how Vatican Radio reported the Holy Father’s challenging observations (there was no written text):
"These people have turned away, they are gone, they say, this man is a bit strange, he says things that are hard. It’s too big a risk to go down this road. We have common sense. Let's go back a little and be not so close to Him. These people, perhaps, had a certain admiration for Jesus, but from afar, not to meddle too much with this man, because he says things that are a bit strange.
"They are Christians of good sense only: they keep their distance. Christians - so to speak they are - 'satellites', to quote the words of Jesus in Revelation, 'lukewarm Christians'. They walk only in the presence of common sense, common sense - that worldly prudence. This is a temptation - just worldly prudence. "
“Pope Francis reflected on the many Christians ‘that now bear witness to the name of Jesus, even unto martyrdom." These - he says - are not 'Christian satellites', because "they go with Jesus on the path of Jesus".
"These people understand exactly what Peter says to the Lord, when the Lord asks the question: 'Do you also want to go to be "Christian satellites"?' Simon Peter answers him: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.' So from a large group there becomes a group a little smaller, but those who know perfectly well that they cannot go somewhere else, because only He, the Lord, has the words of eternal life."
Pope Francis cuts to the core and puts it bluntly. We have a choice. Do we worship “worldly prudence” and therefore keep our distance from the hard teachings, or do we worship Jesus Christ and remain close to him and accept the hard work of discipleship? Are we lukewarm satellites who will not be prepared for the storms? If we go with Jesus on the path of Jesus, we will be both prepared and not alone.
His holiness prayed: "May the Lord deliver us from the temptation of that 'common sense', and , “the temptation to whisper against Jesus, because he is too demanding.”
Easter is a time of new hope, new life and new beginnings
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
4:28 PM
Easter blessings. He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia
Three Reflections for April:
First, Easter is a time of new hope, new life, new beginnings – in Christ. Among the beautiful Easter liturgical traditions is the celebration of the Easter sacraments, really the sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist. As an adult convert to Catholicism I especially relate to that special moment when these sacraments are received.
I agonized over joining the Church – studied, prayed, procrastinated. Fortunately the Spirit does not give up. When I finally said yes, or really surrendered, a burden was lifted from my life. It was a graced moment of peace. It felt so right.
Malcolm Muggeridge, an English writer, described his feelings when he converted as “a sense of homecoming, of picking up the threads of a loose life, of responding to a bell that has long been ringing, of taking a place at the table that has long been vacant.” I agree. To join the Church as a result of conversion is an Easter moment whenever it occurs.
Let us welcome those who have taken their place at the table of the family of Christ this year and pray for those who will do so in the days and months ahead. Let us also pray for those who are struggling on their faith journey as I did, that they allow the Spirit to lift their burden and invite them to the table of the Lord, invite them home.
Second, our family in Christ has a new spiritual father in Pope Francis. First impressions are that he is a priest of humility and hope. The Holy Father concluded his homily at the inauguration Mass with these words which perhaps summarizes how he sees his mission and how he will teach and challenge us. “To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us”.
As Pope Francis accepted his new responsibilities as Pope, may we accept our responsibilities as disciples of Christ which flow from our baptisms “to protect with love all that God has given us.” May the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph watch over and protect him.
Third, among those who need protection are children. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is an opportunity for me to restate my personal commitment and that of the diocese to do whatever we can to protect children and to assist victims. I apologize to those who have experienced the horror of abuse within Church structures and invite them to come forward if we can assist them in coping and healing.
Each of us has a role to play in protecting children and promoting their spiritual, social and emotional well-being. As a diocese, we adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People over ten years ago so that abuse within the Church may never happen again. We do so through a Safe Environment program. For further details check the diocesan website or contact my office.
During the past year nearly 14,000 youth entrusted to parish religious education programs and Catholic schools received training on safe and appropriate responses to unwarranted physical contact by adults. In addition, all 140 priests serving in the diocese, 26 deacons, 23 seminarians, along with 367 Catholic school teachers, 774 diocesan, parish, and school employees, and 2653 adult volunteers in our parishes and schools participated in an annual training program aimed at fostering safe environments for the youth entrusted to the Church’s ministries.
The training program identifies signs of abuse, provides appropriate responses when abuse is suspected, and promotes healthy boundaries between adults and youth. All adults serving in the diocese are subject to a criminal background check prior to beginning ministry and which are renewed on a regular basis.
The Diocese of Sioux Falls is resolved to uphold its moral obligation to protect children, to prevent child abuse, and to raise awareness about its continued presence in families and society. The children that have been gifted by God with life deserve the opportunity to enjoy healthy spiritual and physical lives. They are all children of God and among the family of Christ.
To conclude these April thoughts, may I recall the old saying, there is no place like home. For me home is the Catholic Church instituted by Christ nearly 2,000 years ago and guided still by the Holy Spirit. For it is here that I have found the Easter moment that sustains – new hope, new life, new beginnings everyday – in Christ who is risen, who is risen indeed.
Viva il Papa: Past and Future
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
3:50 PM
The surprising and yet not so surprising announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he would resign his office as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter gives us pause. It was surprising because a Pope has not resigned for hundreds of years. Yet it was not surprising since many have been concerned about the health of the Holy Father for a long time. Nearly 86, the physical demands of his ministry were clearly taxing. That was offset by the fact that his brilliant ability to deal with the intellectual demands of his ministry was as sharp as ever.
I have a special bond with Pope Benedict XVI because he appointed me Bishop of Sioux Falls and he is the only Pope I have been privileged to speak to in person. So I will miss praying for him every day in the Mass, though I will of course continue to pray for him. The clarity of his teaching and the humble holiness of his sacrificial ministry will continue to inspire.
Yet I also had a very special bond with Blessed Pope John Paul II, since he was our spiritual father when I converted to the faith and was ordained to the priesthood. When he was a Cardinal he visited Wisconsin and stayed with the chancellor of a state university because it had a sister college in Poland. That university chancellor would be elected governor and I was privileged to serve as his legal counsel. When I was ordained a priest the governor autographed a picture of the two of them and wrote: “be as loyal to your new boss as you were to me.” I pray I was.
Pope John Paul II’s confident and prayerful presence in the face of totalitarianism and excessive individualism was reassuring. His special rapport with the young was amazing to observe. “Be not afraid” he preached constantly and lived by example. One piece of advice he gave to priests remains etched in my mind. He said, do not get so caught up in the work of the Lord that you neglect the Lord of the work. In other words maintain a solid prayer life. That advice applies to all.
Another Pope, John Paul I, was a subtle influence in the early days of my conversion journey. Though he served less than a month, his wrinkled and smiling face on the cover of Time Magazine remains etched in my mind. It is a living image to me of the Church, weathered by the storms of life and history yet resilient and hopeful through it all. The Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the history of western civilization. Surely she will weather the storms of our day. Among Pope John Paul I’s wise words were these: “In God’s house we must accept any job . . . for we know that our reward depends on not the job itself but on the faithfulness with which we serve him.”
That the face of Christ’s Church is so often reflected in an individual who is his Vicar ought not to surprise us given that God became man that we might know God. Jesus selected and transformed Simon Peter to be the first such human face, “upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
The history of the universal church and that of a diocese is often discussed in the context of who was bishop of Rome or bishop of Sioux Falls at the time. Yet most of us do not know much about the eight bishops of Sioux Falls or the 285 Popes. Pope Benedict XVI I believe understood that. That is the way it should be, for they like us all are called to be faithful in doing whatever we are asked in the name of Christ.
When you read this we will be in between Popes. But shortly thereafter we will pray a new name in the Mass. There will be another dressed in white cassock to bless us and teach us and govern the Church universal. Over time we will grow close to him and an era will be ascribed to his name. Pray for him. Then he too will move on and another will follow until Christ comes again.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is our hope and our healer whatever the season and whoever is our spiritual leader.
There is hope as we continue to pray for the culture of life
Monday, February 18, 2013
10:34 AM
Publisher's note: Below is an edited version of the homily preached on the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision making abortion legal for any reason and at any time.
"Basically it is the law of the land that the unborn are not persons and are therefore disposable. I wonder if the justices would have decided this way had they experienced the miracle of modern technology that now shows active life in the womb and documents pain before birth or if they had heard the testimony of those mothers who continue to carry the heavy burden of the loss of their child in this way. Today we pray for a change of heart and law that protects all life from conception to natural death.
Less than a month ago we celebrated a birth, the birth of the Christ child. Yet we know even then that government sought the Christ child’s death. The culture of death is not of recent invention.
Pope Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives makes this telling point: “From the moment of his birth, he belongs outside the realm of what is important and powerful in worldly terms. Yet it is this unimportant and powerless child that proves to be the truly powerful one, the one on whom ultimately everything depends. So one aspect of becoming Christians is having to leave behind what everyone else thinks and wants, the prevailing standards, in order to enter into the light of the truth of our being, and aided by that light to find the right path.” (67) That is what we do when we pray for and act on behalf of the culture of life – when we seek to protect the little ones we are on the right path whatever the prevailing standards.
Our Mass intention today is in penance for the violation of the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. If statistics are to be believed nearly 56 million little ones created by God with unique looks, gifts and capacity to love and be loved have by human hands not been allowed to live, to breathe, to learn, to give and to love. Likely there are more. In our small state there are at least 50,000 South Dakotans not living amongst us. We miss those potential parents and friends, farmers and teachers who God created for a purpose but were not allowed to be in our midst. While we know they are in the hands of their loving God, their absence makes our hearts ache.
Yet there is hope. Our Mass intention today also is to pray for the legal protection of the unborn children to come. We do so in thanksgiving for all those in the pro-life movement who have come forward often in hostile environments to protect the unborn by prayer, by practice, by protesting and by presenting the Gospel of Life to prick consciences and encourage conversion of hearts. Polls suggest that more Americans are now pro-life to some degree than pro-abortion. Especially gratifying is the witness of the young, those who have empty desks in their schools who are grateful for their gift of life and who seek to nourish the culture of life.
We also pray in penance today for ourselves as individuals and as Church for not having been adequately present and welcoming to so many mothers dealing with dizzying choices in troubled times. Yet here too there is hope. Since that tragic day we in our diocese especially through Catholic Family Services offers support through counseling programs, the Mother Teresa Fund that offers financial assistance, adoption services and grief and healing outreach. No one should have to make agonizing life choices alone or be driven by base money pressures. “Come to me,” Jesus said, “and I will give you rest.” Come to His Church and as his instrument she will give you rest. Share that good news.
We pray in penance also for those government officials and those leaders in Catholic education, health care and charitable institutions who think they can compartmentalize moral truth through legal fictions in order to achieve financial and business advantage and be accepted and popular in the secular world. It is folly to think we can compromise with the devil; the devil never loses those bets, and the result is threats to the salvation of souls, including those leaders who try.
We pray in penance today also for the bad fruit that resulted from this sad Supreme Court decision. I speak especially about the derogation of our national psyche where violence in the womb has spread to violence in the home, in the school and on the streets. I speak of the view of children as collateral to be marketed. We are told that the vast majority of abortions are ones of convenience. It has resulted in gender selection abortions, in the taking of a twin because only one child is wanted, and in the destruction of those little ones suffering some seeming physical defect before we got to know their personalities. I speak also of the attack on religious liberty and freedom of conscience to shut down the unpleasant call for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. Indeed there is much for which we need God’s forgiveness, all of us.
Yet there is hope. Let us all whatever our age, station or vocation stay the course.
I told this story before but it seems especially appropriate on this 40th anniversary of law gone astray: There were forty soldiers in the revered Twelfth Legion of Rome who professed faith in Jesus Christ. One day the Emperor ordered that all soldiers offer a sacrifice to pagan gods. They as one responded, “You can have our armor and even our bodies but our hearts allegiance belong to Jesus Christ.” As a result they were marched out onto a frozen lake in the middle of winter and stripped of their clothes. At any time they could renounce Christ and be spared from freezing to death. Instead they huddled closely and sang a song of victory, “Forty martyrs for Christ.” That night 39 of them fell to icy graves. The last one stumbled to the shore and renounced Christ. The officer in charge of guarding the men was so moved by their witness that he replaced the man who had broken the pact and walked out onto the ice, threw off his clothes and confessed faith in Jesus Christ. At sunrise the Roman soldiers found forty men who had given their all for the cause of Christ, Savior and Lord of Life.
Let us pray for conversion of hearts and for the strength to witness our faith as did the Forty Martyrs for Christ. As we prayer in penance and pray for the unborn yet to come, may we do so with integrity, with humility and with hope. St. Joseph, our patron, protect us and the unborn. Mary, Mother of Life, pray for us.”
As we enter the new, unsettled year, our faith can sustain us
Friday, December 28, 2012
3:05 PM
As we enter a new calendar year there is much that is unsettling. As I write these words our country is still reeling from the tragedy in Connecticut in which little innocents and their teachers senselessly had their lives stolen from them. We in South Dakota have also experienced such youthful tragedies often drug or alcohol related.
Thousands of other innocents are taken every year in abortions. For the past six years each month I and others have prayed at the local abortion mill in Sioux Falls for an end to this travesty and for those mothers struggling. In that time some 5,000 little ones have not been allowed to become who God created them to be here in South Dakota. Our faith assures us that they are in the arms of a loving God. Yet our hearts ache.
Our government in many ways seems to be adrift, unable to deal with threatening fiscal and social challenges but able to undermine family life and threaten our religious liberty. Yet our faith can sustain us because Christ has overcome sin and evil; with trust in him we know that change and reconciliation are possible. And so we persevere in faith that gives us hop.
Among my favorite saints is Thomas More, declared by Pope John Paul the Great as the patron saint of statesmen and politicians. He was martyred by King Henry VIII for putting his faith in God and His Church before political expediency. He has much to teach us.
As in our day he lived in a time when most profess that they believe in God. Yet professing and living that belief in the everyday world is often in short supply.
He said, “what does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by faith, but also know by reason: what does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him?” By that he meant what good is our belief in God if we do not live it, especially in the hard times and when facing hard decisions. As St. James put it: what good is it to profess faith without practicing it?
Among the treasures of the Catholic Church are her social teachings. They offer principles to guide us and our leaders in making right judgments especially when the choices are difficult and the consequences of action or inaction significant. They are grounded in the core value of the sacredness of all human life. Catholic social teachings can be summarized as the Gospel of life and the biblical call to justice.
These principles include 1. Concern for the life and dignity of every person from conception to natural death and the years in between even or especially when unpopular; 2. Recognition of the importance of family as the most essential institution for a stable society; 3. The right for all persons to have those things necessary to lead decent and healthy lives, including education; 4. The right to productive work, a fair wage and economic opportunity; 5. Access to basic health care; 6. Recognition of the common good which includes the responsibility to care about and when necessary care for one another especially the poor and vulnerable, and 7. Good stewardship of what God has created.
While there may be legitimate debate over how these social teachings are applied in concrete situations, they are guiding principles that can lift us above base political or selfish motives. They can allow us to assess how well we are living out the commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves in whatever walk of life we are privileged to live.
In the movie "A Man for All Seasons", a dramatization of his life, St. Thomas ponders: “if we lived in a state where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us saintly, but since we see that avarice, pride and stupidity common but profitable far beyond charity, modesty and justice, perhaps we must stay fast a little.” Stay faithful.
There is a lawyer’s prayer attributed to St. Thomas the base message of which applies to us all whatever our vocation, education, work or station in life. Simply substitute your circumstance for his.
“Lord, grant that I may be able in argument, accurate in analysis, strict in study, candid with clients, and honest with adversaries. Sit with me at my desk, and listen with me to my client’s plaints, read with me in my library and stand beside me in court, so that today I shall not in order to win a point lose my soul.”
May our New Year resolution be that no matter what comes our way we will stay fast a little and do nothing to lose our souls.
Pondering anew what we believe and much to contemplate
Thursday, November 29, 2012
2:00 PM
In this Year of Faith we are encouraged to ponder anew what we believe. And then ask why we believe what we believe as a way to deepen our understanding of the faith.
If we take advantage of this opportunity for study and prayer, we will encounter Christ in a deeper way and become better signs of hope to those whose lives we touch and be better able to carry our burdens.
During this month of December there is much to contemplate. The Church through her liturgies and traditions offer us many opportunities to ponder anew.
First, we enter into the season of Advent as we recall with renewed expectation the coming of the Lord into the world at Bethlehem and pray in anticipation for His coming again. Then we enter the season of Christmas as we, with humility and joy, celebrate the truth that the Word became flesh.
Many churches and homes set out advent wreaths with a candle lighted week by week as we anticipate the coming of Christ. Ask yourself, why do we do that? With the Christmas season we decorate with lights and greens and crèche. Why do we do that?
We also celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8 as we recall that the Mother of Our Lord who, through the grace of God and in anticipation of her Son, was preserved from original sin from her conception. Why do we do that? One poet referred to Mary Immaculate as “heaven’s serenest star”. She always points us to her Son. It is under the title of Mary Immaculate that she is the patroness of the United States. Why is that so?
We also celebrate on December 12 the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe as we recall the appearances of the Blessed Mother to Juan Diego in Mexico, leaving her image on a cloak which is preserved at the basilica built near the site, now one of the great pilgrimage destinations in the world. Why is that? This day is filled with processions and festive music and special foods. Why do we do that? It is under this title of Our Lady of Guadalupe that she is the patroness of the Americas. Why is that so?
We also make special effort to pray such as adoration or Vespers and to receive the Sacrament of Penance. Why do we do that?
We also celebrate the Nativity of the Lord on December 25 and the days that follow with glorious music, decorated trees, standing room only Masses, presents and parties, family gatherings and sharing our blessings with those in need in ways we do not the rest of the year. Why do we do that?
There is a poem that beautifully and simply answers these questions, titled “The Babe in Bethlehem” by Conde Benoist Pallen. It reads in part:
The shepherds have come from the hills to adore, the Babe in the manger, my God;
Mary and Joseph welcome them there; worship, O soul, thy God.
But I alone may not come near, the Babe in the manger, My God;
Weep for thy sins, O heart, and plead with Mary, the Mother of God.
May I not come, oh, just to the door, to see the Babe, My God;
There will I stop and kneel and adore, and weep for my sins, O God.
But Mary smiles, and rising up, in her arms the Babe, my God.
She comes to the door and bends her down, with the Babe in her arms, my God.
Her sinless arms in my sinful arms, place the Babe, my God;
‘He has come to take thy sins away’; Break, O heart, for thy God.
The doors of Christ’s Church are open for all to come through. Mary smiles and welcomes those who enter, noting “He has come to take away your sins.” Then she points them to her Son and his call to” repent and believe the Gospel” and to his healing invitation, “come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.”
He is why we do what we do. In Him do we believe, for He truly is my God and yours. May you encounter Him more deeply during these holy seasons and throughout the Year of Faith.
A prayerful Advent and blessed Christmas to you and those you love.
Entering a month filled with opportunities to reflect
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
4:15 PM
With the elections only days away, I encourage you to once again read my statement: “Stay the Course for Truth” published in the September edition of The Bishop's Bulletin and which is available on the diocesan website: www.sfcatholic.org.
Key are these points: “we bishops are compelled to speak out in the name of Christ on core values in order to educate and form consciences and to seek to defend the common good and the stability of society. In so doing, we expect Catholics and invite other voters to take these teachings into account so that appropriate choices are made not just on Election Day, but every day.
“They are not just another opinion, one among many, but the truth that comes from Christ. They apply not only in our country but in every country. Core to these teachings is the inherent dignity of every person gifted by God with life.” This standard ought to be applied to every office on the ballot. On issues of life we dare not compromise; more than elective office is at stake; salvation of souls is as well.
November is a month for reflection which can bring perspective on what and who is really important. The Church asks us to reflect on the saints – All Saints Day – and on those who have died – All Souls Day. As a nation we are asked to reflect on our economic and moral future – Election Day, and on our blessings – Thanksgiving Day. As the Church year comes to a close we are asked to reflect on the end times, when as we pray in the Creed “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”
That is a heavy spiritual load when at the same time we face shorter days and colder temperatures, bare trees and brown fields, and Christmas music a month early. Yet because we are followers of Christ, we can view all these as opportunities to deepen our encounter with him and as reminders of the sure and certain hope that is ours. Such reflection can bring perspective.
Every year at Clergy Days we call the roll of those deceased priests and deacons who have served our diocese from its founding in 1889. It is always a moving prayer service and a humbling one. It offers perspective.
Recently another name was added to the roster, Father Paul Offerman. Father Paul was 85 yet never retired, serving as pastor in Bridgewater and Farmer until his death.
At his funeral I recalled the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “God is the only wealth that people want in a priest.” Father Offerman was a wealthy man in that sense. He was a humble man of prayer and the Holy Eucharist.
Several years ago he stopped at my office. He wanted to get his affairs in order and asked that I preach at his funeral. Usually the homilist is someone who knows the deceased well. Having been here only a few years, I met him when he was 79. But he asked me to preach and so I accepted. In subsequent conversations in his humble way he made it clear that he sought simplicity and that I not talk about him but about Christ and the gift of priesthood.
In my homily I recalled the promises we make at our ordinations as deacons and as priests. One is, “do you resolve to maintain and deepen the spirit of prayer that is proper to your way of life and, in keeping with this spirit and what is required of you, to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours with and for the People of God and indeed for the whole world?”
When I visited with Father in hospice on his bed was the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer book we promise to pray faithfully throughout each day. It was a heavy volume which in his condition was difficult to lift and the pages hard to turn. As he struggled to keep his promise, he quietly asked me whether he had to pray all the hours. No, I assured him, pray as best you can. Thank you, he replied. I was embarrassed to recall those times when I in good health have dispensed myself without good reason.
Another question we are asked by the ordaining bishop is: “Do you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors.” I was told that when he turned 70, the normal retirement age, Father Paul joked to his parishioners: “don’t tell the bishop where I am.” He served 15 years more as a pastor.
After his diagnosis with cancer I visited him at the rectory. He was weak and attached to oxygen tubes to help him breathe. When I was about to leave, he jumped up, tubes dangling and kneeled before me, not before me as a person but before his bishop, and asked for a blessing. It was I who was blessed in that moment.
That day he visited my office, he also completed his will. At the end of it were these heartfelt words: “I thank God for the call to follow Him as His priest. I feel so unworthy for such an exalted state of life. I beg God’s forgiveness for my sins and trust in his infinite mercy.”
“God is the only wealth that people want to find in a priest.” Father Paul Offerman was wealthy in Christ and shared it. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
Called to seek a deeper relationship with Christ
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
3:59 PM
There is an old story about a little boy who was afraid of dogs. One day walking with his mother, he froze as they came to a large dog sitting in a neighbor’s yard. His mother scolded him for his unnecessary fear. “Well,” he said, “you’d be afraid of dogs too if you was as low down as I am.” Sometimes with all that is going on in the world and around us, we may feel so low down that unnecessary fear can touch our lives.
These are anxious times. With the violence, economic angst, political division, breakdown of family, loss of faith by those we know and love, there are many who fear for the future. Personal challenges also can play a role. The diagnosis of a debilitating disease coupled with the rigors of treatment, addictions and loneliness feed fear. President Franklin Roosevelt advised an anxious nation in the depth of depression and the threat of oppression that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. It is wise advice hard to live.
Such fear can also be more subtle yet as unnerving. As I get older I find myself thinking more and more about my past. Sometimes it is sadness for poor choices made usually partnered with gratitude for the forgiveness that God has granted. At times it is almost whimsical, a wonderment about what would have happened had I made different choices or as the poet Robert Frost put it, taken the road less traveled. Another poet puts it this way: “There are so many ‘might have beens’, ‘what ifs’ that won’t stay buried, other cities, other jobs, strangers we might have married. And memory insists on pining for places it never went, as if life would be happier just by being different.” (Summer Storm, by Dana Gioia)
When we focus on the ‘might have beens’, we are less able to recognize the blessings that are ours today and be encouraged by the promise of life eternal tomorrow for those who remain faithful today.
That is one of the reasons I believe Pope Benedict XVI has called us to a Year of Faith, to seek a deeper understanding of the faith and therefore building a deeper relationship with Christ who will quiet our fear. The resurrected Lord declared to the Apostles and so to us, “peace be with you”; fear and peace are incompatible. In announcing the Year of Faith which begins October 11, His Holiness wrote:
“The 'door of faith' (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime...
“We want this year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and with hope.” (Porta Fidei)
It is a call to encounter Christ more deeply as savior and friend. That task suggests not so much holding events as allowing conversion of the soul.
There is one fear worth having which the Year of Faith can help us better experience. That is fear of the Lord which is a gift of the Holy Spirit. To have fear of the Lord is not to cower in anticipation of the God-trooper hiding behind the bend to catch us in sin. To fear the Lord is to stand in awe, like the little boy, low down here. And as a result to not want to live in sin because as he sacrificially love and loves us we want to loved him in return. It means being willing to walk into the unknown with courage and resolve assured that He walks with us.
One of my favorite Old Testament passages comes from the first Book of Kings (19:11) when the prophet Elijah is searching for reassurance having been rejected and his life threatened for his prophetic witness: “A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.” That is when Elijah heard the Lord and was reassured.
Some have interpreted that whispering sound to be our conscience planted by God within us at conception which guides us to know right from wrong and justice from disrespect. Elijah was able to hear the tiny whispering sound of the Lord because his total focus was on his relationship with the Lord, to which the Year of Faith is calling us.
When we put the heavy winds of the world, the earthquakes of our troubles and the fires of our temptations aside and stand low down here in awe and in faith, we will hear the whispering sound of our Lord who is always telling us: be not afraid, I am with you until the end of time.
Stay the course for truth, civilly
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
4:51 PM
We are in the midst of one of the most contentious elections in memory, as the screaming ads and commentators attest. Through seemingly every media outlet, we are inundated with information that is colored by personal attacks or by dooms-day portrayals of one ideology over another. Many news stories based upon opinion are instead presented as fact. Frankly it is a bit embarrassing as an American and certainly not the expectation of any of us who value our democratic system of open yet respectful debate. It is reflective of the level of civility in our culture that has been deteriorating for some time. The Church has not been immune to such incivility as my mail and personal encounters at times attest. We will not fall to that sinful level if we keep in mind Catholic moral and social teachings in their fullness.
We bishops, priests and deacons are often advised to tell people how to vote or, conversely, are accused of slyly doing so simply by talking about moral and social justice issues. The Church does not endorse candidates or side with any political party. The Church’s teaching does not nicely fit into any party or candidate. The Church is not just another special interest group though some seek to reduce Her to that. Our purpose is not winning elections; our purpose is to give glory to God and seek the salvation of souls, our own and those of our brothers and sisters.
Therefore, no bishop or priest or deacon in our diocese should publicly endorse candidates. Parishes also must not provide an environment for campaigning. Each parish is a house of prayer for all. That is why political buttons and other advertisements for particular candidates ought not be displayed in church, especially by those ministering in some capacity. That is also why only materials approved by the Bishops Conference or the diocese may be made available. There are many groups that agree with the Church’s teachings on some issues and do not on others. There also are some groups who call themselves Catholic who do not uphold the Church’s teachings.
However, we bishops are compelled to speak out in the name of Christ on core values in order to educate and form consciences and to seek to defend the common good and the stability of society. In so doing, we expect Catholics and invite other voters to take these teachings into account so that appropriate choices are made not just on Election Day, but every day. They are not just another opinion, one among many, but the truth that comes from Christ. They apply not only in our country but in every country.
Core to these teachings is the inherent dignity of every person gifted by God with life. This includes the recognition that every person is due respect including those with whom we may disagree. This is a respect that flows from our call to love God first which is reflected in loving one another even those who are the hardest to like. As members of the Church, we have the opportunity to raise the bar on civil discourse by example.
One good example of the proper role of Church is the “God’s Faithful Servants First” gathering and prayer last June at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph. During this event, the implications for persons and society when religious liberty is lost and acting on an informed conscience is penalized were personally illustrated. Then we prayed for conversion of hearts and for the salvation of souls. How moving it was to be part of over a thousand faithful in the pews, the aisles and out the doors of the Cathedral, kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer for religious liberty. Prayer is an essential and powerful part of our efforts to restore civility and to defend truth. In prayer we are strengthened, nourished, guided and given hope.
Key to the Church’s teachings about public life is that it is the laity, not the clergy, who are to be active in the public square. The US Bishops' document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” is an excellent guide for the laity to assume their rightful role. It details the essential elements to which Christ and His Church call us and is written in a way that respects everyone's intelligence. No sound bites or catchy slogans are offered, only the truth based on faith and reason. It sets forth the moral and personal challenges before us in the areas of human life, family life, social justice and global solidarity. The document is posted on the diocesan website for your review. If you would like a printed copy, contact my office.
“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” reminds us that there are two categories of moral issues about which every Catholic has the duty to form his or her conscience.
The first are those that are intrinsically evil. These relate to the intentional taking of or disrespect for human life. Examples may include abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, human cloning, in vitro fertilization, embryonic stem cell research, artificial contraception, death penalty in most situations, redefining marriage, genocide, torture, racism, targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, restrictions on religious liberty and freedom of conscience.
The second are those serious moral questions that are responded to with moral principles which in themselves may not be compromised. How to achieve them, however, is left to prudential judgment, which includes thoughtful consideration of implications and possibilities. Examples may include the preferential option for the poor, fiscal policy, adequate housing, basic education, immigration, stewardship of the environment, just war and the defense of the nation.
In seeking solutions to them both the good of individuals and the common good ought to be considered. To these we can apply the wisdom of the Catholic teaching on subsidiarity and solidarity. Persons of good will can differ on how to respond to specific proposals in these areas as long as the core principles are respected.
Every person is gifted by God with free will which allows us to make choices. Choices have consequences. Each of us ought to seriously ponder the truth that every free act of our will is subject to the just judgment of God. Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt. 16.26). We will all be held accountable for the choices we make in all aspects of our lives.
As we steel ourselves for the colorful and graphic ads and the stirring and simplistic language these next several months of campaigning, let us keep perspective and recognize that both what is intrinsically evil and those serious moral questions that need to be attended will not and cannot be addressed in any one election or by any one official. This achievement will only come with sincere conversion and change of hearts. That is what the New Evangelization is all about. In the meantime, we will need to stay the course no matter the outcomes of this year’s Election Day. The future of our country and our salvation is at stake, so we must be prepared for the long haul and stay the course.
These seem like dark days given the attacks on life and freedom by our own government and the seeming indifference of so many. Winston Churchill proclaimed in the dark days of World War II: “Never, never, never give up.” We will not. We will never give up in standing up for truth and justice as Christ proclaimed. That is what the crucifix teaches in symbol and that is what we proclaim as disciples of Christ. That is our calling and our mission this election season and every day that follows.
Setting forth with clarity the spiritual challenge of our day
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
1:59 PM
Publisher's note: This month I want to share with you an edited text of the homily given by Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia and former Bishop of Rapid City, at the closing Mass of the Fortnight for Freedom. It sets forth with clarity the spiritual challenge of our day.
Paul Claudel, the French poet and diplomat of the last century, once described the Christian as “a man who knows what he is doing and where he is going in a world [that] no longer [knows] the difference between good and evil, yes and no. He is like a god standing out in a crowd of invalids...He alone has liberty in a world of slaves.”
Like most of the great writers of his time, Claudel was a mix of gold and clay, flaws and genius. He had a deep and brilliant Catholic faith, and when he wrote that a man “who no longer believes in God, no longer believes in anything,” he was simply reporting what he saw all around him. He spoke from a lifetime that witnessed two world wars and the rise of atheist ideologies that murdered tens of millions of innocent people using the vocabulary of science. He knew exactly where forgetting God can lead. We Americans live in a different country, on a different continent, in a different century. And yet, in speaking of liberty, Claudel leads us to the reason we come together in worship this afternoon.
Most of us know today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew. What we should, or should not, render unto Caesar shapes much of our daily discourse as citizens. But I want to focus on the other and more important point Jesus makes in today’s Gospel reading: the things we should render unto God...This has consequences for our own lives because we’re made in the image of God...To be made in the image of God is more than a pious slogan. It’s a statement of fact. Every one of us shares -- in a limited but real way -- in the nature of God himself. When we follow Jesus Christ, we grow in conformity to that image.
Once we understand this, the impact of Christ’s response to his enemies becomes clear. Jesus isn’t being clever. He’s not offering a political commentary. He’s making a claim on every human being. He’s saying, “render unto Caesar those things that bear Caesar’s image, but more importantly, render unto God that which bears God’s image” -- in other words, you and me. All of us.
And that raises some unsettling questions: What do you and I, and all of us, really render to God in our personal lives? If we claim to be disciples, then what does that actually mean in the way we speak and act?
Thinking about the relationship of Caesar and God, religious faith and secular authority, is important. It helps us sort through our different duties as Christians and citizens. But on a deeper level, Caesar is a creature of this world, and Christ’s message is uncompromising: We should give Caesar nothing of ourselves. Obviously we’re in the world. That means we have obligations of charity and justice to the people with whom we share it. Patriotism is a virtue. Love of country is an honorable thing...But God made us for more than the world. Our real home isn’t here.
The point of today’s Gospel passage is not how we might calculate a fair division of goods between Caesar and God. In reality, it all belongs to God and nothing – at least nothing permanent and important – belongs to Caesar. Why? Because just as the coin bears the stamp of Caesar’s image, we bear the stamp of God’s image in baptism. We belong to God, and only to God.
True freedom knows no attachments other than Jesus Christ. It has no love of riches or the appetites they try to satisfy. True freedom can walk away from anything -- wealth, honor, fame, pleasure. Even power. It fears neither the state, nor death itself...We’re free only to the extent that we unburden ourselves of our own willfulness and practice the art of living according to God’s plan. When we do this, when we choose to live according to God’s intention for us, we are then -- and only then -- truly free...This is the kind of freedom that can transform the world. And it should animate all of our talk about liberty – religious or otherwise.
I say this for two reasons. Here’s the first reason: Real freedom isn’t something Caesar can give or take away. He can interfere with it; but when he does, he steals from his own legitimacy.
Here’s the second reason: The purpose of religious liberty is to create the context for true freedom. Religious liberty is a foundational right. It’s necessary for a good society. But it can never be sufficient for human happiness. It’s not an end in itself. In the end, we defend religious liberty in order to live the deeper freedom that is discipleship in Jesus Christ. What good is religious freedom, consecrated in the law, if we don’t then use that freedom to seek God with our whole mind and soul and strength?
God has blessed our nation with resources, power, beauty and the rule of law. We have so much to be grateful for. But these are gifts. They can be misused. They can be lost. In coming years, we’ll face more and more serious challenges to religious liberty in our country. This is why the Fortnight for Freedom has been so very important.
And yet, the political and legal effort to defend religious liberty – as vital as it is – belongs to a much greater struggle to master and convert our own hearts, and to live for God completely, without alibis or self-delusion. The only question that finally matters is this one: Will we live wholeheartedly for Jesus Christ? If so, then we can be a source of freedom for the world. If not, nothing else will do...
We live in a time that calls for sentinels and public witness. Every Christian in every era faces the same task. But you and I are responsible for this moment. Today. Now. We need to “speak out,” not only for religious liberty and the ideals of the nation we love, but for the sacredness of life and the dignity of the human person – in other words, for the truth of what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God.
We need to be witnesses of that truth not only in word, but also in deed. In the end, we’re missionaries of Jesus Christ, or we’re nothing at all. And we can’t share with others what we don’t live faithfully and joyfully ourselves.
When we leave this Mass today, we need to render unto Caesar those things that bear his image. But we need to render ourselves unto God -- generously, zealously, holding nothing back. To the extent we let God transform us into his own image, we will – by the example of our lives – fulfill our duty as citizens of the United States, but much more importantly, as disciples of Christ.
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