Today's reading from the Gospel of John could serve as the perfect cure for anxiety. Jesus says:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that i should not lose anythingof what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day" (Jn 6: 37-39).
What a blessing it is to know that the Father in His infinite love and mercy has given us to His Son and that the mission of Jesus, to do His Father's will, includes protecting us from all evil and leading us to eternal life. While All State Insurance may use the motto "You're in good hands with All State", we're in infinitely better hands with Jesus!
Today is the anniversary of the death of St. Julie Billiart, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. While this is not the community to which I belong, we do claim St. Julie as our spiritual mother and so consider ourselves "cousins." Our own foundress was deeply influenced by the spirituality of St. Julie and so I am most grateful for the spiritual patrimony she has shared with the Church.
While much can certainly be said about St. Julie, the characteristic of her life by which she is most commonly known is her recognition of the goodness of God. Amidst the great sufferings and trials of her life, she was consistently able to exclaim "How good is the good God!" The deep joy that grows out of this sense of gratitude for God's goodness has earned her the title "The Smiling Saint."
As I consider this spiritual heritageI've received from St. Julie, I'm encouraged and challenged to be more firmly rooted in my awareness of God's goodness. This good God will never fail me and desires only my best as He accompanies me through each and every day. Indeed, how good is the good God!
The following reflection is offered by Chris Mileski, a seminarian for the Diocese of Toledo who celebrated Holy Week with the monks at St. Meinrad Monastery.
The Octave of Easter may be over, but the Easter season has just begun! Last week, my brother seminarian Michael gave a wonderful account of what Holy Week was like in the Diocese of Toledo, but my experience was a little different. Scott and I spent the time preparing for the Pasch on retreat with the monastic community at Saint Meinrad.
This once in a lifetime experience began with first vespers of Palm Sunday on Saturday evening. We gathered together and recited the antiphon, which proclaimed to us to "go even unto the altar, processing with branches." We did just that, in a simple procession of Hosannas into the Archabbey church, carrying our palms and in a way entering Jerusalem with Our Lord. Evening came and morning continued as usual, including the Mass on Palm Sunday. Like every parish around the world, the Gospel was the passion account from Mathew. Unlike every parish around the globe, the Benedictine monks chanted the eight-page account in both beautifully simple tones and breathtakingly complex polyphonies that emphasized the simplicity of what our Lord set out to do for us, and the complexity of emotions that accompany that time changing event.
The retreat continued in a very Benedictine fashion from Monday through Thursday morning. Following the Benedictine motto of Ora et Labora (work and prayer), we prayed all of the Liturgy of the Hours communally, and in the time in-between practiced the study of scripture and did physical work for the benefit of the community. For example, we cleaned top to bottom both our chapel and campus pub, so the community could return from our break to a clean home.
Holy Thursday at the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the ordinary of work and prayer became extraordinary with the beginning of the Triduum. For me, the most moving part of the liturgy was seeing the Abbot in his full dress, remove his miter and chasuble, set aside his crosier (shepherd's staff) and serve his sheep by washing their feet. What was more, after he retuned to his pontifical dress, he presented each of the twelve people with a wrapped gift; thus not only serving them, but also, like Jesus, giving them a gift at the supper they would only later understand and appreciate. We left the banquet of the Eucharist and continued to a dinner of lamb and potatoes, traditional to the monastery for the evening. After this meal, no one on the retreat spoke. In doing so we remembered that it was after the meal that Christ was betrayed, and we became recognizant that the joy of palms quickly became the agony in the garden and the passion.
On Good Friday, we broke our silence only to pray the office. Like many parishes on that day we attended the Stations of the Cross and attended the Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday. After three in the afternoon, we converted, in silence, our chapel into a Byzantine chapel for the Mystical Burial of Our Lord, including the building of the Tomb of Jesus. When we were nearly finished, we began an Assembly of Charity, or what is often called in monasticism a chapter of faults. We stood in front of the tomb of Christ and the community and publicly confessed sins that directly harmed the community, such as rudeness and distracting others from prayer. As each person accused himself, he would take a stone and place it with the others, completing the tomb that would later that evening hold the icon of Christ, the Christ who died that very day for our sins.
Holy Saturday was quiet and very much an in-between time. We had participated in Christ's death, but he had yet to rise from the dead. It was an experience I still, after many days, find hard to describe.
At 8:30 P.M. the Easter Vigil began. In the darkness of night, we gathered around a new fire, made from the wood of the cross, which brought forth Christ our Light in the lighting of the Easter candle and we processed into the church. As usual, we began the liturgy of the word, reading from the scriptures our story from Genesis through the Old Testament. After five readings, the Deacon stood and proclaimed, "Let us keep vigil for Our Lord." The Abbot stood and left and his party followed him. In the church the seminarians and the junior monks began to keep vigil through the night. We began with psalm 1 and did not stop until psalm 149 was proclaimed. Most of us seminarians had only a few psalms each, and we proclaimed them between 2:00 AM and 3:30 AM. The monks began returning around 4:30 AM and the Easter Vigil resumed at 5:00AM with psalm 150 and the other two readings.
From this point the liturgy continued as it would in the parish, except for the blessing of a live lamb which made young and old alike smile, from both the adorably cute new born lamb and the seeming ridiculousness that was only intensified by a lack of sleep. The Mass was finished around 7:10 AM, Making the Easter Vigil last 10 hours and 40 minutes. We went quickly to breakfast and enjoyed our first Easter meal blessed by our rector with the water just blessed at the vigil. Then, at 8:30 AM, twelve hours after we began, we finally went to bed, singing the many alleluias that Christ our Lord was risen.
Looking back on my week, I was glad to share in that unique experience of monasticism, waking early to pray, adding hard work to balance the self, keeping a general silence, but I really came away with a greater joy that I am called to the diocesan priesthood! Happy Easter!
When I was in high school, we once presented a program for some of the Sisters based on the phrase: "For all that has been - Thanks! For all that will be - Yes!" I was reminded of this saying today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation.
In some ways, when Mary said her yes at the Annunciation, it was like signing a blank check. She did not know what bringing Jesus intothe world would entail. She did not know what would be asked of her. She did not know the blessings and challenges of being the Mother of God. And yet, she said "yes." She willingly agreed to embrace all that God would send her way.
Each day, we find ourselves in a similar situation. God asks us to commit to following Him even though we don't know where the day will take us. We don't know who will cross our paths. We don't know how God will manifest Himself to us. We don't know what our greatest challenges and joys will be.
The only thing we can be 100% sure of is that our God is faithful. He promises to be with us and to give us everything we need to live in joy and gratitude. I think the odds are quite good!
Are you willing to say, "For all that will be - Yes"?
The following reflection was written by seminarian Mike Roemmele who is in his second year of Theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati.
Happy Easter! Today we continue to celebrate Our Lord's Resurrection during the octave of Easter. For many of us seminarians we are returning to our studies after a busy Holy Week of not only spiritually preparing for Easter, but alsophysically preparing vis-à-vis helping out in our parishes. Throughout the week the Church's liturgies allowed me to enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ.
Holy Week began with Palm Sunday Mass. I assisted with the Palm Sunday Masses at my home parish of St. Rose of Lima in Perrysburg, Ohio. It was wonderful to see my fellow parishioners begin their Holy Week with the reading of the Passion and the commemoration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
On Tuesday, I joined my fellow seminarians in serving the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. It was truly a blessing to serve at the altar as our bishop, Bishop Blair, along with his brother priests renewed their priestly promises and offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Cathedral was filled with the faithful from all over the diocese as the Holy oils were blessed and consecrated, and sent with the faithful to the parishes all over northwest Ohio. Afterwards, the priests, deacons, and seminarians were treated to a luncheon which gave us the opportunity for fraternity.
The Holy Triduum began on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord's Supper. During this most solemn Mass we celebrated institution of the Priesthood and the Most Holy Eucharist. I was truly humbled to watch my pastor wash the feet of twelve parishioners, modeling the life of service which was perfectly expressed by Jesus Christ. The Mass concluded with adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament by the faithful. I was awestruck by the people's reverence for the Eucharist as we processed through the Church to the Altar of Repose.
Good Friday's somber mood allowed me to enter more deeply into the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The Good Friday service, which included the passion, veneration of the Cross, and reception of Holy Communion, stirred strong feelings among the people of God. Immediately after the service I returned to the seminary in preparation for the Easter Vigil.
On Holy Saturday I joined my RCIA team members for a retreat. This retreat was for those individuals who were preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil. The retreat allowed us to reflect on what would happen that night-the most glorious night of the Church year. That night we welcomed two newly baptized, 2 converts, and celebrated ten confirmations. The joy of those who received the sacraments was felt by all.
Easter day was somewhat different this year since I was not at home to celebrate the usual Easter feast. This year I was fortunate to sit in choir dress at the magnificent Basilica Cathedral in Covington, Kentucky for the morning Mass. The powerful music, the prayerfulness of the congregation, and the beauty of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass truly allowed me to celebrate the joy of Our Lord's Resurrection. This ended the penitential season of Lent and began the Holy Octave of Easter. I hope everyone had a fruitful Holy Week and Blessed Easter!
Where does one begin to capture in words the power and beauty of the liturgical celebrations of the Holy Week/Easter triduum? I find myself "distracted" these days with memories of the various rituals and symbols that marked these days.
I had the privilege of celebrating these sacred days with the parish community at St. Thomas More University Parish in Bowling Green and with thetwo sisters with whom I live. We began our celebration on Thursday with a seder meal for which we joined about 70 of the parishioners. It was a wonderful opportunity to remember and celebrate our Jewish roots and the richness of our early faith. Following this meal, we gathered in Church for the Mass of the Lord's Supper. No matter how often I witness the washing of the feet, it always brings home in a new way our call to humble service. Our adoration time after Mass found us spending intimate time with Jesus in His agony.
Friday's stations and veneration of the cross placed us in the midst of a drama that, although repeated, never seems to grow old. I was especially struck by the young children who approached the cross and kissed it. How truly grateful I am for the parents who lovingly pass on the faith.
Perhaps the most powerful symbol of the Easter Vigil for me this year was the procession of parishioners who came forward during the Litany of the Saints and poured pitchers of water into the baptismal font in preparation for the baptisms. Somehow, I knew clearly the connection between the Saints on whom we were calling and the catechumens awaiting entrance into our Church. And I stood in the middle, along with many college age students whose faith and openness to God always inspires me.
Sunday's celebration of Easter joy found us singing resounding Alleluia's and reflecting the newly confirmed faith of the apostles and the women at the tomb. I love that the Church has us celebrate Easter for 50 days -- it's too much to take it all in to last just 24 hours!
Two overall "Easter reflections:"
1) I am so grateful for my faith community: the children who bring a wide-eyed enthusiasm and eagerness to learn the faith, the young college students whose enthusiasm is marked by an intense desire to know Jesus, the adult parishioners whose enthusiasm knows the steadiness of daily lived fidelity, my sisters in community whose enthusiasm reminds me of the precious gift of our call and commitment, the priests and deacons whose enthusisam is a generous gift of themselves that we might be drawn closer to Christ.
2) The intensity of the celebrations of the Holy Week/Easter celebrations is only the beginning. I am gratefully amazed that each and every day we are called to celebrate Eucharist -- the incredible and infinite gift of our God's love.
The following was submitted by seminarian Matt Frisbee, a junior at St. Joseph College Seminary at Loyola University in Chicago.
Two weeks ago, I went on a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to France with the rest of the community from St. Joseph College Seminary. We visited many holy sites in a short time span (9 sites in 7 full days)-the chapel where Jesus revealed His SacredHeart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the chapel where St. Bernadette's body remains incorrupt, and St. Therese of Lisieux's childhood home to name only a few. However, there were three locations that especially had a deep impact on me.
We visited Ars, which is where St. John Vianney-patron saint of parish priests-was pastor for 41 years. Also referred to as the Curé D'Ars, St. John Vianney embodied what it means to be a priest: he celebrated the Mass with great devotion, heard confessions for many hours of the day, taught catechism lessons, and visited the sick. In other words, he cared deeply for the people of his parish. In Ars, the original church in which he was pastor remains standing and a basilica has been added on to back side of the original church. We celebrated Mass in the basilica, prayed before his body, and saw the confessional and pulpit he used. It was amazing being able to stand next his confessional; he is famous for hearing confessions for up to 14 hours a day. Since he is the model of parish priests, it was awesome being able to pray before his body, asking for his intercession and guidance. Not only that, it also gave me an opportunity to pray for the many priests who have significantly influenced me. The whole experience was very moving because it provided me with a hard-hitting reminder of what every seminarian aspires to be: a holy priest who cares tremendously for the people of his parish.
We also visited Lourdes, where Mary appeared 18 times to a young
girl, Bernadette Soubirous-now a saint. We arrived in Lourdes in the evening, so after dinner, I went down to the grotto where Mary appeared to Bernadette. I was completely overwhelmed. I could hardly believe I was standing and kneeling in the exact location where Mary appeared to young, simple girl. I saw the spring from where water flows after Mary told Bernadette to dig in a certain spot and drink the water. I was at such a loss for words I could do nothing but contemplate the mystery of the Marian appearance. I said it then and I say it now, but it was an indescribable moment, a moment one must experience personally.
I knew that Lourdes and Ars would touch me very deeply. I did not think the last location would impact me as much as it has. On our last day in France, we were going to celebrate Mass and then leave for the airport. We were told we were going to a simple local parish about ten minutes away from the hotel. This seemed to be a ho-hum ending to a spectacular week. We arrived at the church, and from the outside it appeared to be a run of the mill church. Boy, was I wrong! It was the Basilica of Our Lady of Victories; immediately I knew this was going to be special for I knew a few things about Our Lady of Victories. First, Our Lady of Victories was significant in the lives of the French people in the 19th century. In addition to that, St. Therese of Lisieux visited the basilica when she visited Paris, and her dad also had Masses said for her at the basilica when she was severely ill. I knew this Mass was going to be special. The inside of the basilica was gorgeous. Mass was celebrated at a side altar-the altar of Our Lady of Victories-and the main celebrant was the pastor. Outside of a few phrases of Latin, the Mass was said completely in French. I didn't understand a word, but that did not matter; this simple weekday Mass was one of the most beautiful Masses to which I have ever been. It reminded me how beautiful Catholicism is: Catholicism is so universal that a Catholic can go anywhere in the world and the Mass will be the same regardless of location; there will be other Catholics who believe in the same beliefs. This was certainly a fantastic ending to a wonderful week!
During my prayer time this morning, I reflected on the beginning of a small book by Hans Urs Von Balthasar entitled "The Way of the Cross." He begins by placing before us the remarkable truth that we exist. Yes, the simple, yet remarkable, truth is that we are!
Not only does God care enough to create us to be the unique and never-to-be-repeated person that we are, but He blessesour creation with the ultimate gift of free will. I was especially struck by this today as I realized anew what this gift of free will must mean for God. He knows that in allowing us to choose freely we will at times choose evil over good, and that such choices by ourselves and others will introduce suffering into our lives. Some struggle with why God would allow us to suffer if He truly loves us, but seen in the context of free will it becomes an even greater indication of His love. He loves us and longs for our free response of love. Complete and true love is always founded on a free choice.
This Holy Week is given to us as a sort of magnifying glass, meant to focus even more clearly the indescribable love God has for us. Let us ponder this love, soak it in and respond with hearts full and free.
When I was growing up, "Passion Sunday" (the fifth Sunday of Lent) always served as a sort of wake up call. It was as if the Church wanted to issue a clear signal that the end of Lent was quickly approaching.
My most vivid recollection of this Sunday was the practice of covering all statues and crucifixes in the Church with purple cloth. The sanctuary crucifix in my home parishChurch of St. Mary, Leipsic is huge, and so covering it with purple cloth couldn't be missed. As is so often the case, removing something (or covering it) can help us to appreciate it all the more.
One explanation for the practice of covering crucifixes and statues is to remove all distractions during these final intense days of prayer before Easter. One author suggests carrying this practice into the home and covering those things that could serve as distractions for us: TV's, mirrors, etc. I can't say I've ever done this, but it seems it would be a powerful reminder of where my focus should be.
What is it that most draws your attention away from your relationship with Jesus? Is there a way of covering it or removing it from sight for the next two weeks?
Most of us in Northwest Ohio have reached the point of saying, "Enough already with winter! We're ready for spring!" This seems to be especially true with the multiple winter storms we've been having lately.
I've been struck by how much attention we give to winter storms. We follow with great attention the forecasters' reports as soon as there is even a hint of a storm. We watch/listen to various reports as the amounts of precipitation and timing of the storm are adjusted. We track how it will affect travel plans and what events may need to be canceled. We even determine if there will be enough salt for the road crews to deal with the storm. TV's, radios, web sites, even conversations all seemed to be tuned in and focused on this predicted event that may or may not happen!
I'm not advocating that all this is a waste of time or that we shouldn't be as prepared as we can for approaching weather and its affects. I just have to wonder if I pay as much attention to the "spiritual weather" in my life? Am I just as concerned about signs of approaching spiritual difficulties and whether I'll be prepared to face them? Do I monitor my own spiritual journey just as carefully? Do I gather as much information as I can from the most reliable sources and adjust my response accordingly?
One of the most helpful practices for this sort of daily spiritual monitoring is the consciousness examen. It is the simple, yet challenging, exercise of disciplining myself to review the spiritual journey of each day. This discipline can help me to be more alert to signs of approaching "storms" and to be prepared for them. Some questions that may be helpful as part of this spiritual "weather forecast" may include:
- For what am I most grateful?
- In what ways was I aware of and attentive to God's action in my life?
- In what ways did I fail to recognize God's action?
- Am I closer to Jesus today, and more conformed to His likeness, than I was yesterday?
- How can I better prepare for the day ahead to open my heart to God's action and respond generously and wholeheartedly?
We may all benefit from a little more attention to our spiritual weather map, our spiritual storms and battles, and the welcome reprieve between storms. In everything, we have the awesome assurance that our loving God is with us always and in all ways.
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