Epiphany of the Lord

“Happiness is to be found only in the home where God is loved and honored, where each one loves and helps and cares for others.”

- St. Theophane Venard

Recently a couple from Pueblo, Colorado spoke to me after a Sunday Mass. They told me they were in need of three things: a home, a job and a church, and that finding a church was the most important of the three. Happy at St. Joseph Parish, they informed me that their search for a "spiritual home" had ended; they trusted that the other two would fall into place in time.

In this Christmas season, as a priest, I find one of the greatest blessings in knowing that across the globe, the Church is the biggest family on earth. In the Votive Mass for the Church, the prayer reads, "God our Father, in all the churches scattered throughout the world you show forth the one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, through the Gospel and the Eucharist, you bring your people together through the Holy Spirit and guide us in your love. Make us a sign of your love for all people, and help us to show forth the living presence of Christ in the world."

Our Catholic family is spread across every country on the earth. There are 1.2 billion Catholics on the planet, which is approximately 17.5% of the world’s population. There are over 400,000 priests, 800,000 religious sisters, and 219,500 parishes. We are united to one another as brothers and sisters who are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As James Joyce says of the Catholic Church, “Here comes everyone.” As members of the Catholic family world-wide, we have so much to celebrate. Our Diocese of Pittsburgh was established on August 8, 1843. It is composed of six counties in Southwestern PA: Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence and Washington. The total population of these six counties is 1,908,721. This area of Pennsylvania is 3,753.9 square miles and has a Catholic population of 673,801, or 34.38% of the total population. There are 260 active priests within our Diocese, 15 serving outside the diocese, and 1 priest ministering in foreign missions. There are 111 retired priests and 41 permanent deacons, (45 in the class of June 2011, 23 in the class of 2013). There are 29 brothers serving in our diocese and 1,143 sisters. There are currently 38 seminarians.

I was ordained in the first ordination class of the now-Cardinal Donald Wuerl in 1988. In his homily, he reminded us that we did not arrive at God’s altar alone and we never leave it alone. The priesthood is the largest fraternity in the world, sprinkled with holy water. Cardinal Wuerl highlighted the importance that Christ entrusts us to be His light, His instrument, His mediator, as His priest to God’s holy family. As the seasons and years of my life continue to unfold, I hearken back to the blessing of being God’s servant, in leading God’s people in faith and prayer. He noted the importance of praying to love the Church more and more each day. Pope Benedict XVI said, “Produce beautiful things, but above all, make your lives places of beauty.”

The late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin described the parish family as “everybody’s home in the neighborhood.” I marvel to see the various people coming together to form God’s family to worship each Sunday. This "family of God" must continue to grow in holiness, forgiveness, gratitude, humility, truthfulness, faith, charity, witness, sacrifice, prayer and love.

G. Copeland writes in We Are Family, “Since before any of us were born, God planned for us to share our lives with each other. He knew exactly how our strengths and weaknesses would balance one another and the depth of love, understanding and commitment we would learn to fear. He knew that the richness of our separate characters would be developed through the hard times and that mutual trust and respect would be born as a result of overcoming the trials together. He knew that we would laugh together and cry together. He knew we needed each other… to hug, to help, to teach, to share… to love.”

I am grateful for the biggest family on earth in existence: the Catholic family of faith, (over 2,000 years); for our Diocesan family, the Church of Pittsburgh, (167 years); our St. Joseph family in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, (119 years); and for our family of origin. As we begin a new year I am grateful to be entrusted to the care of the parish family of St. Joseph’s here in Coraopolis. There are 1550 families and 3500 members in our congregation. In order to grow in wisdom, grace and holiness, we must seek to do Jesus’ will on earth through our Christian vocation. We are called by God’s grace to grow with one another through our commitment to service and love of each other. May we pray for our parish family and our natural family to grow in new ways the Year of Grace 2010.

Let us strive to mirror and link His divine image in every generation. May the Lord bless each person who has touched our lives in the past, the present and the future, both living and deceased with the blessing of faith, hope, and love. Each person counts.

For God, every day is New Year’s.
Every day the sun rises is His act of confidence that creation
continues.
Every baby born is His act of hope that humanity goes on.
Every marriage is His trust that love is stronger than hate.
Every morning brings a new chance.
Every prayer a new hope.
Every blocked path a new route.
Every sin repented a fresh burst of grace.
Every mistake a lesson learned.
Every death a new life.
We have a god who relishes fresh starts, new dreams, trying
again, resolutions made.
He is the Lord of second chances.
He never tires of giving us another opportunity.

- Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, New York
Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice

Holy Family

“Each and every one of us has one obligation, during the bewildered days of our pilgrimage here: the saving of his own soul, and secondarily and incidentally thereby effecting for good such other souls as come under our influence.”

—Kathleen Norris, (1880-1960)

Two weeks before Christmas, I got a “break in the action” from teaching the fourth grade at St. Joseph School since the children were practicing for their Christmas show. As the snow was falling outside my window, it set the mood for this holy season. I wish each and every one of you, near and far, family and friends, parishioners and visitors, a most Blessed Christmas! There were four beautiful Advent banners hanging in our church, representing the four weeks of Advent preparation. These banners perhaps offered the greatest "gifts‟ of the season: Love, Hope, Joy and Peace. My prayer for you in receiving this message is that these "gifts‟ will reign in our lives, families, communities, nation and world.

I have been serving here at St. Joseph Parish in Coraopolis, PA for two and a half years. There are 1,550 families in our parish. There are 3,500 members in our congregation. My Godmother, Aunt Jo, who turned 90 on the birthday of Mary, September 8, delights that I am at a parish after her namesake, St. Joseph, a Christmas saint! There is a statue of St. Joseph in each of the offices in our parish house. There is a candle in every window of our three-story rectory. The candle in the window is a symbol of welcome; all are welcome here to visit. There are 33 steps in 3 flights of stairs to get to my quarters in a house that was built over 100 years ago. I thoroughly enjoy the exercise! This home keeps me in shape.

Recently in speaking with my dentist, Dr. Andreas Mecs, who has served me for the past 36 years, I mentioned that I was having difficulty swallowing. He told me to take this seriously and got me an appointment with a gastroenterologist. After seeing this doctor, I was diagnosed with “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease” (GERD) on All Saints Day, November 1. This diagnosis has changed my diet: no pop, chewing gum, citrus fruits and juices, spicy foods, fatty foods, tomato products, caffeine and chocolate. The headboard of my bed even had to be elevated four inches. These alterations in my diet have allowed me to make changes for the good. My Kitchen-Aid blender allows me to make smoothies each day. I'm eating a lot of salads now, a diet with high fiber, and even enjoy eating fish. The doctor noted that my vocal cords were inflamed as I was having difficulty in singing and saying the four weekend Masses. The doctor believes that the esophagus should heal in several months. I guess as you near fifty, taking a pill serves to evaporate your pride! I am grateful to have my voice and singing back, especially in my vocation as a messenger, herald and spokesperson for the Lord.

In almost a quarter century of serving the Lord as a priest, I am filled with profound gratitude and happiness to share the greatest love story the world has ever known, that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Madeleine L'Engle once said, “There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred, and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation.” As I review, reflect, relish and respond to the countless ways God has sanctified my journey, I am filled with wonder, novelty and surprise. Sometimes as humans we have an all-too-human tendency to over-emphasize the negative dimensions of our lives and downplay the positive events. Some highlights I rejoice in: My family coming here in Pittsburgh in July to celebrate Mom's 87th birthday; what joy to see my nieces and nephews on the "Splash-Blast‟ adjacent to the rectory. All the priests of the Diocese of Pittsburgh gathering for fraternity, support, education, prayer and friendship at Olgebay in Wheeling, WV, this past September 27-30. Seeing people drive to remote Coraopolis every Monday to read God's word through our Bible Study; I am inspired by their faith and devotion. A new "Destiny Home," the Consol Energy Center, for my favorite sport team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. "The Winter Classic," January 1, when our Pittsburgh Penguins will play the Washington Capitals on New Year‟s Day on Heinz Field here in Pittsburgh. Parishioners taping my Sunday homilies so that they can be put on our web site each week. The 500 e-mail companions whom I send weekly reflections... Only a small sampling of God‟s blessings!

My dear friend Fr. John Cercero, SJ, professor of Psychology at Fordham University, would often quote the words of the late Father General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Pedro Arrupe: “Nothing is more practical than finding God; that is, falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide why you get out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love. Stay in love. And that will decide everything.” The bottom line of any vocation perhaps is best summed up in answering the question, “In what state of life can I love the most?”

After 22 ½ years in the priesthood I continue to believe and give thanks to God that the vocation to be a priest “makes a difference” in the world. It brings meaning and purpose in loving and serving God‟s family, the Church. Despite a highly scrutinizing and critical world, it is a "joy‟ to be a priest! (Joy is to possess Jesus; unhappiness is to lose Him.) I try to take my commitment seriously, but not take myself too seriously. I am amazed at the Lord‟s constant fidelity; God never lets me down. Despite when I stumble, or when I am too stubborn or when I am too self-absorbed to see His handiwork, God‟s grace, faithfulness and generous love find me.

I find this holiday time to be really to be “holy-times." Time together with family is really a special and sacred time. As we share stories, traditions, customs, memories, generations are blessed. May Christmas make us less selfish and more and self-less; less self-indulgent and more self-sacrificing; less self-centered and more self-transcendent. As we celebrate Christ's nativity, may we realize this is our greatest gift: Christ was born to save and love us forever! A Blessed Christmas!

Advent 4

“God is enough for me. Only in God do I have all.”

—St. Julian of Norwich

On December 7, in the “Your Life” section of USA Today, there was a poll asking the question, “Which best fits your holiday emotional state?” The responses were: 31% percent -- joyful, 27% -- stressed, 24% —- depressed, and 18% —- relaxed. I hope and pray that your emotional state falls in the book ends of these four categories, namely, joyful and relaxed, instead of stressed and depressed. As we approach this Christmas week, the pace of things speeds up and often our "spiritual side" tends to get lost or glossed over at best. It is easy to forget that Jesus is the true reason of this most holy season. Our fast-paced and stressed filled lives as Americans can erect roadblocks to living life gracefully and gratefully. Perhaps the best book that I read in the year 2010 was "The Gratitude Factor: Enhancing Your Life by Grateful Living," by Fr. Charles M. Shelton, a professor of Psychology at Regis University in Denver, CO and a licensed psychologist and Jesuit priest. Fr. Shelton has also written on other such topics as conscience development, pastoral ministry, spiritual formation and metal health issues.

In the book, he notes, “Psychologists rarely think much about what make people happy. They focus on their sadness or what makes them anxious. That is why psychology journals have published 45,000 articles in the last 30 years on depression, but only 400 on joy.” The Latin word gratia means “grace," “graciousness,” or “gratefulness”. In all world’s major religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, gratitude is highly praised and valued by believers. “Thankful," “thankfulness,” and “thanksgiving” appear more than 150 times in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. Gratitude was central in the Christian life as found in the writings of St. Paul. The Greek word for “grace” is charis which means “gift."

In almost a half-century of living and almost a quarter-century of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as His messenger and herald, I stand in wonderment, awe and thanksgiving of the countless people who have graced my faith journey. I value and treasure the relationships that have deepened and challenged my commitment to grow in love for the Lord and neighbor. I am often reminded of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s three-fold question in his spiritual exercises:

1) What have I done for Christ?
2) What am I doing for Christ?
3) What will I do for Christ?

No matter what age or place we are on the journey, at the close of a year and the opening of a new chapter of a year of grace, perhaps we could ponder and reflect on these questions. As human beings we all experience opportunities to grow in new ways. Despite the sufferings and difficulties in our lives, God is present to us. Despite the headaches and heartaches of our lives, God offers healing and love. Despite our forgetting and abandoning God, God never forgets or abandons us. Despite the crosses we must take up, resurrection is our constant, unfailing hope. Also in the December 7 publication of USA Today, Michelle Healy wrote an article entitled, “Happiness is having Friends at Church." Her report says that social connections really count. When we attend religious services regularly and make friends in our congregation, they are keys to a happier, more satisfying life. Our circle of friendships within a community make us stronger and more spiritually connected and alive in our personal identity and social well-being, along with our spiritual vitality. Never underestimate the importance of regular church attendance, prayer, spiritual reading, scriptural reading and meditation. This study was done for all Christian denominations as well as Jews and Mormons. The more we attend church regularly and faithfully, the more we make friends in the congregation, and thus, the result is our lives are more satisfying. Being connected and making connections with others is a gratifying and life-giving encounter.

St. Augustine in his Confessions XI: 27, said, “Time is a spiritual extension; remembrance of the past, attention to the present and expectation of the future.” Sometimes we do not realize the importance that presence and participation play in our spiritual, interpersonal and faith-development. We live in a world of wide-spread selfish behavior which results in living in godlessness, lawlessness and chaos. I feel blessed to have been raised in a devout family where faith was as natural as eating.

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, our fourth banner for the sanctuary of our church is raised. Each of these four banners bear a single word which is a gift of God and a light to bring to this world, namely: Love, Hope, Joy and Peace. As we approach this home-stretch for the Christmas preparation, I invite you specifically to do two things: First, attend our Christmas concert, “Promise Fulfilled” on Sunday evening, December 19, at 7:00 PM, featuring live music, dancing, costumes, singing and living Nativity. And second, come to our Penance Service on Monday, December 20, at 6:30 PM, where seven priests will serve confessors for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. May the following 10 Commandments of Forgiveness become for you the fruits of this Sacrament of Peace:

1. Forgiveness is not easy.
2. Forgiveness is not forgetting.
3. Forgiveness does not overlook evil.
4. Forgiveness is not indifference.
5. Forgiveness is not the same thing as approval.
6. Forgiveness recognizes that people are always bigger than their faults.
7. Forgiveness allows a person to start all over again.
8. Forgiveness recognizes the humanity of the wrongdoer.
9. Forgiveness surrenders the ’right’ to get even
10. Forgiveness wishes to the offender well.

— William Baush
Once Upon a Gospel: Inspiring Homilies and Insightful Reflections

Advent 3

“What are God’s servants but His minstrels, who must inspire the hearts of men and stir them to spiritual joy!”

- St. Francis of Assisi

On Thursday, December 2, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah began. On that day I traveled with our organist, Ginny Ambrose, to Swisshelm Park Studio owned and operated by Michael Mazzei, sound engineer and singer of the group, “The Interior Castle”. We recorded a 50 minute auidio CD entitled, “The Heart of Christmas… Christ’s Love: The Message, the Meaning and the Music of Christmas." I was given a set of earphones and instructed to wear them throughout the taping. I was also told to keep the “popping noises” down to a minimum as I spoke — meaning that every letter “B” and “P” would have to be minimized. It took close to three hours to record fifty minutes of material with little or no breaks in between. It was an exhausting effort. (Water never tasted so good!) Upon completion of this, Michael, the sound engineer said, “It’s time for Fr. Ron Lengwin to move over!” I don’t think I’m ready for “Amplify” which has aired on KDKA 1020 AM for the past thirty years.

I was inspired by Pope Benedict XVI in the year designated “The Year of the Priest” in which he encouraged priests to herald the message of the Good News through modern technologies. Sometimes in life it just takes an ounce of encouragement to set one’s life to be more inspirational. An upcoming reflection is scheduled to appear in the Pittsburgh Catholic, Friday, December 17, of an article I wrote entitled, “All I Want for Christmas." There will be an ad along with the article for anyone who may be interested in purchasing this new CD. It is the perfect Christmas gift; a gift for the soul and for the heart.

On the inside cover of the CD I wrote, “As a priest, I strive daily to keep God’s love at the center of my life. I try to be, ‘a lifelong learner’ and ground my life in good friendships, prayer and the sacraments, so that I might experience God’s love in my own faith journey and thus be able to share that love with others in all I say and do. God’s love is freely given to all of us despite our sinfulness and weakness. God’s love inspires us when things are good and keeps us going when times are rough. The wisdom of an early church father wrote, ‘To know ourselves has always been the greatest of all lessons. For, if we know ourselves, we will know God. And, in knowing God, we will become like God’ (Clement of Alexandria, 150-215). May 'The Message, Meaning and Music of Christmas' stir in us touching and tender graces. Let His love, hope, joy, and peace reign in our hearts and lives. Then we will reflect His presence and holiness through sharing His ‘marvelous’ love. May the ‘real’ spirit of Christmas fill your heart with His promises.”

These CDs can be purchased for $10 after all Masses in December or picked up at the rectory. For $12 they can be mailed. Call 412-264-6162 to order or for more information.

Advent 2

I recently came across two very worthy “clip-out” articles from the National Catholic Register on October 21, which I thought appropriate for this Advent season as we prepare our hearts in spiritual renewal. Mass and Reconciliation must be a priority for spiritual vitality. What better way to welcome Christ than to repent of our sins which weigh us down and embrace the Eucharist that gives us new strength to be His presence as gift to others.

How (and Why) to Return to Sunday Mass

1. It’s your way to relive the Last Supper.
2. When was the last time you prayed too much?
3. If you want to spend eternity with Christ, you need to get to know Him now.
4. It’s the central, necessary activity of Christian worship (Luke 22:14-23; John 6:53; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
5. It’s your best way to identify yourself with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
6. Some of the greatest people in history were Mass-goers (St. Francis, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II).
7. Wise people invest money for the future. How much more should we invest in eternal life?
8. It has to be better for you than TV.
9. If you’ve been to confession, you get to receive Jesus Christ. If you find a better deal, do that instead.
10. If you knew Jesus would be somewhere, wouldn’t you go see Him?
11. Guaranteed Bible readings. Countless lives have been changed by Scripture. Might yours?
12. Statistics say that people who go to church are less stressed.
13. It’s the best way to pray for your family and friends -- and to cope with troubled times.
14. One out of Ten Commandments asks us to go to Mass every Sunday.
15. You’ll become a better person at Mass. The more you are a part of God’s life, the better you’ll be.
16. Life is complicated. Get directions that work -- from the One who created life.
17. It’s your way to go most directly through Jesus Christ to God the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit in prayer.
18. Is an hour too much to give to God? How many do you spend on other priorities?

How (and Why) to Return to Confession

1. The presence of sin can easily lead to depression and anxiety.
2. You shower to show respect for those around you. Cleansing your soul makes you better to be around, too!
3. Mortal sin, un-confessed, “causes exclusion from Christ’s Kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices forever, with no turning back” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1861).

4. As they leave the confessional, people smile a smile of freedom.
5. Because love means having to say you are sorry to the one you love.
6. You will grow in humility, sincerity and self-knowledge.
7. Blessed Mother Teresa went. Frequently.
8. Hoping to convert on your deathbed? That’s not very likely. Most likely, you will die as you lived.
9. It is itself a serious sin to go to Communion if you have serious sin on your soul and have not asked for forgiveness in confession.
10. Don’t be scared to death of confession. Be scared of death without confession.
11. Be strong. Face your sins; deal with them and move on.
12. Make sure there are no unpleasant surprises at your particular judgment or at the Final Judgment.
13. The priest will listen to your sins and will never tell a soul on pain of losing his soul. Priests even learn to forget what they hear.