Advent: A Season of Promise

“To order one’s life properly, one must always think of being able to end it with a peaceful conscience.”

— St. Nicholas Von Flue

Today marks the beginning of our Advent 2011. This will be a very different one as we begin with the Roman Missal Edition III with the changed translation of the Mass. In any change it takes patience and what better season to master the virtue of patience than the holy season of waiting, hoping, expecting, longing for the coming of the Messiah.

In the preface to Elizabeth O’Connor’s book, Search for Silence, N. Gordon Crosby writes, “The one journey that ultimately matters is the journey into the place of stillness deep within oneself. To reach that place is to be at home; to fail to reach it is to be forever restless.” Advent is a time to pause, to ponder, to pray, to prioritize and to have a perspective. Sometimes our secular and commercial world can drown out such a posture. Our culture breeds:

• instantaneous results versus self-restraint
• immediate gratification versus mortification
• hyper-activity versus stillness
• hurry-sickness versus patience
• mental chaos versus self-composure
• self-pursuit versus self-emptying (kenosis)
• injuries versus restored relationships
• violence versus birthing-love
• gloomy discouragement versus radiant hopefulness
• rampant infidelity versus commitment
• self-absorption versus self-transcendence
• psychic exhaustion versus integrated togetherness

Recently I was called to Caring Heights Nursing Facility in Moon Township to anoint an 83 year-old woman named Rose. Her husband Carmen resided with her there at Caring Heights. This couple was married for 65 years and the family kept vigil for her in prayer. Our Pastoral Assistant, Jim Crable, sang Ave Maria and offered prayers with the family as she was released from this earthly limited existence to her eternal reward with God. The family commented that their parents were like two intertwined souls, devoted, centered, and committed to one another’s well being, growth and holiness. It was a powerful experience to see such enduring love. In such a power-less moment, we felt the power-full presence of the living God.

In all of our lives, we need some center of worship, devotion or adoration to whom we give ourselves over. Since we were created in the image and likeness of God, we come from God and we are destined to return to God. However, sometimes addictions can be short-circuits of our journey when we insert another person or object, other than God, for our centering, worship and devotion. This substitute for God in fact is a false-god and leads us into the practice of idolatry. One can de-center through such substitutes as: shopping, partying, unhealthy relationships, workaholism and greed. It’s easy to get off track, to lose purpose and direction, pulling us away from our authentic path which leads to freedom, fulfillment and promised future. We look to the holy season of Advent as the Church in her wisdom gives us guidance, affirmation and even correction when we are off-track in order that we seek to stay attached to Jesus Christ.

This season calls us for our heightened spiritual antenna and to exercise a regular self-critical vigilance. We must review our lives in the light of the Word of God and actively engage in the Church as the Body of Christ. Advent is a pause, a break, a four-week centering on Who we adore and what we’re devoted to and what is the purpose of our lives — to be a shared gift blessing and grace to others’ journey to God. I like to think of all the faith—companions who have been light to me on my path whose faith, witness, example and service have illuminated my path.

During this extended Thanksgiving weekend, I’m grateful that two of my brothers and their two daughters are visiting Mom and I in Pittsburgh. As I know you share this cherished and treasured time with your loved ones, may we be centered on the blessing of faith, family and friends. I thought you’d enjoy this Thanksgiving meditation in counting your blessings.

Thanksgiving

O My God,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,

my heart admires, adores, loves thee,

for my little vessel is as full as it can be,

and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in

ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee

ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,

ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,

ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,

crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou has created,

for adorning it, sanctifying it,

though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me,

for preserving its strength and vigor,

for providing senses to enjoy delights,

for the ease and freedom of my limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste, sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to serve others,

for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,

for a mind to care for my fellow-men,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved ones in the joys of heaven,

for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express,

for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

From The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Happy Thanksgiving!

“If the only prayer in our life is 'thank you' that will be sufficient.”

- Meister Eckhardt (1260-1327)

As we gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving Day and celebrate one of America’s most beloved national holidays, we give thanks to God for our blessings of freedom, peace and plenty. We also remember in thanks the many contributions each generation of Americans has made to preserve our blessings. Thanksgiving doesn’t just come on a calendar on the fourth Thursday of November, but a grateful attitude is giving thanks year round for each and every blessing. I thank God for the parish family of St. Joseph and pray for each and every one you. Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Christ, the King of Hearts

“I am not the King. Jesus Christ is the King. I’m just an entertainer.”

— Elvis Presley

I remember when I was in third grade, my teacher, Mrs. Jordan, said the most important virtue to acquire in life is self-control. She believed that self-mastery, self-possession, self-governance and self-discipline were the hallmarks to a successful life.

As we reach into our very being, our personality, our choices and our very self, we find that the key to life is within ourselves rather than outside. We must accept or refuse this invitation to grow into greater intimacy with God and with ourselves through the cooperation of the Spirit, who calls us to heights of maturity and the fullness of life.

As Jesus grew and aged in grace and wisdom, so too, we must grow through life’s school of experience. Today’s feast of Christ the King is the climax of the liturgical year. This solemnity was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925. Jesus is the Son of God, the King of the universe, the Lord of history and salvation — the Alpha and the Omega who has overcome life’s deadliest foes of sin, Satan, and death. His rule is redemption.

The central message of Jesus is announcing and proclaiming the Kingdom of God, an interior kingdom of truth and life, holiness and grace, justice, love and peace. By continuing to know ourselves we allow Christ’s living presence to come into our hearts. Christ must reign in our heart in order to love; in our mind in order to know truth; in our will in order to yield and surrender to a higher power; in our soul in order to know peace; in our body in order to be pure; in our conscience in order to be blameless and in our actions in order to be called Christian.

God uses suffering to help us know ourselves as suffering’s penetrating light will unmask us, exposing the falsities, lies and deceptions that we sometimes use to camouflage ourselves. God the Father did not exempt, save or rescue His Son from suffering. Jesus did not rescue or exempt his closest friends from suffering as they, too, were to endure in His passion and death. The prophets remind us that God is the Divine Potter who continually reshapes, refines and remolds us in order that we may be purified through our sins, wounds, truths, lies, miseries, sufferings and trials in our lives.

There are many kings in our world. Let us look at some of the dynasties, tyrants and false-selves that we use as substitutes for Christ, the King. Let us do an inventory of our own lives to see whose rule and reign is over us. Webster’s New World Dictionary lists 170 definitions of “self,” both positive and negatively described. Here are a few...

1. Self-Will (Persistent carrying out of one’s own will or wishes especially when in conflict with others): Do we surrender to God’s plan or do we impose our will, our way and our agenda?

2. Self-Indulgence (Indulgences of one’s own desires and impulses): The world says eat, drink and be merry! Indulge yourself! But when pleasures are over-satiated and over-sensitized it leads to self-gratification which minimizes moderation, temperance and self-control.

3. Self-Complacency (Self-satisfied, especially in a smug way): When one gets into a rut in life, and never seeks to move to a new growth or challenge, one’s life is “stuck in neutral” and may even head backwards in reverse. This leads to stagnation, status quo and fails to go beyond comfort zones which allow growth, challenge and change.

4. Self-Glorifying (Being self-centered and selfish; one’s conception of one’s self and ability or worth): One can have a “big head” that becomes inflated, grandiose and proud, while at the same time possessing a shriveled heart. We’re not here for the adulation of others, but for the glory of God.

5. Self-Importance (Having an exaggerated opinion of one’s importance): Sometimes the compass of life - North, South, East, West - can revolve around one’s own image, idealism, needs and wants, where one feels they must be the center stage act. We must de-throne our self-centered, selfish attitudes and enthrone and praise the Lord and King.

6. Self-Criticism (Being your own worst enemy): One can “run oneself down” feeling inferior, less-than, comparing oneself with others, seeking approval, being insecure, having low self-esteem, looking at what one cannot do rather than accepting what one can do.

7. Self-Righteousness/Self-Opinionated (Showing a conviction of being morally superior; smugly virtuous; stubbornly holding to one’s own opinion): One can become arrogant, smug and proud, looking with disdain at others, becoming hypocritical, phony, judgmental and condemnatory.

8. Self-Sufficiency: Sometimes we pride ourselves in our autonomy, in being able to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.” However we must see that we need one another in order to grow, support and sustain us. Our lives are inter-connected and we are interdependent. No one is strong enough to carry life’s burdens alone.

9. Self-Deception (The deceiving of oneself as to one’s true feelings, motives and circumstances; to deceive, to trick, to be unreal): It is a lie to lie. A primary work of the devil is deception and the devil’s work is to split, fracture or divide us within ourselves and away from God.

10. Self-Justifying (Justifying, excusing or rationalizing one’s actions, beliefs, and motives): One can find loopholes even in the law in order not to be accountable for one’s actions.

As people of faith, Christ must reign and rule our hearts so we must choose loving rather than hating, forgiving rather than revenge, faith rather than fear, persevering rather than quitting, praising rather than criticizing, acting rather than delaying, building rather than destroying, giving over taking, smiling rather than frowning and community rather than isolation. “The Lord is our King” (Isaiah 33:22)

Christ’s desire is eternal life for all people. By His death and resurrection, He has fulfilled that desire. Whenever Jesus is the center of our desires and longings we conquer sin and overcome self-centeredness. May Christ teach us, heal us, strengthen us with supernatural vision of faith in all things.

We All Have Something to Give

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.’”

- Erma Bombeck

I was recently speaking with a friend who attended the farewell reception for a priest, Fr. Bob Miller, who was leaving a parish after 10 years. My friend mentioned that Fr. Bob was well loved, respected and appreciated and the people will miss him greatly. Since my friend knew Fr. Bob well, I asked him what the secrets of his success were. He gave these reasons:

1) For the first three weeks of his arrival at the parish, Fr. Bob praised his predecessor, Fr. Tom Marpus, to the high heavens who had served the parish for 34 years. Fr. Tom had left over $1 million in the bank for repairs, updating, staffing, projects and programming. It was a financially sound and stable parish that he inherited.

2) When the diocese permitted 4 pm Masses for Saturday evening vigils, Fr. Bob jumped on that and made his parish the first to offer it in the area. Every one flocked there for the early bird special.

3) Fr. Bob had sufficient capacity in the church parking lot for all the cars and everyone felt safe as the lot surrounded the church.

4) Fr. Bob took on an additional parish down the street, doubling his work load and duties, yet finding double the blessings and graces.

5) Fr. Bob was always young at heart and kept himself involved in the plays at Seton LaSalle, helping the students, and making sure they stayed involved in activities which developed character.

As Fr. Bob makes his transition to his new parish at Saints Peter and Paul in Beaver County, he will find it much different than his churches in Brookline. Established in 1830, Saints Peter and Paul was among the first six parishes founded in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. This parish is in a professional area with a quaint town, Beaver Medical Center, Geneva College, a jail, cemetery, and, it’s a dry town. This parish had been writing letters to Bishop Zubik for several weeks as they were demanding and expecting the arrival of a new pastor. Recently, at the 51st Serra Club Dinner at St. Frances Cabrini in Center Township, I had the opportunity to speak to Fr. Bob and he was delighted to accept this new challenge in his life.

I recently heard the Archbishop of Atlanta, Wilton Gregory, state that he spends more time in sleepless nights and prayer over the assignment of a priest than anything else in his responsibility as a bishop. It’s not just a matter of filling slots and billets randomly and haphazardly. A bishop must look at the needs of the people, the talents and limitations of the priest, the dynamics of the community in which he will be serving and the challenges that lie ahead, whether declining and decaying areas, a status quo community or a community on the rise of development. Every bishop wants a good fit for the people, the pastor and the community itself. Every parish assignment, like every person, has its plusses and minuses. And no one priest has all the gifts or can be everything: administrator, preacher, fund-raiser, counselor, organizer, inspirational leader, brick and mortar person, scholar or teacher.

Every time a parish is open, due to a retirement of a priest or the ending of a six-year term, the personnel director sends out a profile of the parish with such stats as: number of families, parishioners, baptisms, marriages, funerals, Mass times, staff size, organizations, finances and all the particular outreaches that the parish offers. There are currently 210 parishes in our diocese of Pittsburgh. There are 492 total priests in our diocese— 380 diocesan priests (77.2%), 112 religious priests (22.8%), 243 active priests (49.4%), 99 retired priests (20.1%), 150 other, including—medical, study, military, diocesan positions, teaching institutions and religious institutions (30.5%). Of the 243 priests in active ministry, 43 have multiple parish assignments (37 priests have 2 parishes and 6 have 3 parishes).

Msgr. Steven J. Rossetti, in his latest book, Why Priests are Happy: A Study of the Psychological and Spiritual Health of Priests, notes that one healthy, happy and holy priest can positively influence a large number of people. So too an unhealthy, unhappy and unholy priest negatively influences a large number of people. It is critical in order to have care of others that one have the self-care of diet, exercise, spiritual reading, friendships, prayer and spiritual direction. I have found with St. Paul that one must be adaptable, flexible, versatile in the changing times in which we live to be the constancy of Christ’s presence despite in our world today.

With my silver anniversary on the horizon in 2013, I often think of the words of my Godmother Aunt Jo, who says, “Yard by yard; things are hard. But inch by inch, it’s a cinch.” A life-time commitment of serving others in the priesthood can be intense, grinding, challenging and deeply rewarding. But like anything in life, nothing is perfect, and not even the priesthood. But it is a gift.

In today’s Gospel of the talents, Jesus entrusts us with various talents and He wants us to take risks and to invest our talents for the growth of others. Not everyone has the same gifts, skill sets and abilities, but everyone has gifts, graces and blessings to confer on others. Never underestimate the gifts God has blessed you with. In every vocation, whether, married, single, priesthood or consecrated life, we are called to help one another grow in holiness, love and wholeness. In every one of us, there is an amazing capacity to contribute to the well-being of others, whether family, parish, work-place, community, nation or even world. The evangelist Billy Graham turned 93 on November 7. He wrote his 30th book, Nearing Home, and expressed his desire to preach one last sermon. I’m reminded of his words especially as Thanksgiving draws near and as we think of our talents: “God has given us two hands: one to receive with and the other to give with.” Let us be humble in receiving and generous in giving.

Wise or Foolish?

“Those who are called to the table of the Lord, must glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life. Their upright lives must make them like the salt of the earth for themselves, and for the rest of human kind.“

— St. John of Capistrano

We should rejoice this weekend for the extra hour of sleep as we “fall back,” marking the end of Daylight Savings Time. Thus there will be less daylight hours and more darkness. As the Church calendar nears its end in November, we are reminded to be prepared, be alert, be awake and be vigilant upon the return of the Master. On this 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear the parable about the ten virgins teaching us the simple lesson of the value of preparation.

There are only 42 shopping days until Christmas, and only 18 days until Thanksgiving, and both of these holidays require much time and extensive preparation. One can’t whip up a Thanksgiving meal instantaneously, just as one can’t adequately prepare for the feast of Christmas in a haphazard manner. In the ancient world, banquets and weddings were apt symbols for describing the joy of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. This metaphor affirms the necessity of being ready to greet the Lord when He appears to inaugurate His reign. One must not be ill-equipped and ill-prepared, but one must prepare every day for the Bridegroom’s return.

Matthew 15: 1-13 tells of the story of the ten virgins or brides-to-be. Five were wise with oil in their flasks, eagerly awaiting the Bridegroom’s return, while the five foolish ones allowed their oil to run out. This story illustrates the precariousness and preciousness of time, the importance of constantly living in the loving presence of God and allowing the grace of our Baptism to burn brightly each new day. One must let his or her light shine no matter what the circumstances. It only takes a single light to pierce the darkness and bring hope, warmth, comfort, serenity and holiness. Many a time, I just like to go into St. Joseph church and pray in the darkness and look at the vigil lights in the sanctuary and the candles burning on the saints’ altars.

Last weekend I traveled to St. Mary of the Mount in Mt. Washington to baptize Jacob Dylan Shehab, son of Elizabeth and Scott Shehab. I had previously baptized his sister, Erin (4) and brother, Ryan (2). While in the seminary at St. Paul’s, I taught Elizabeth, their mother, fourth grade CCD at Our Lady of Grace in Scott Township. At the end of the Baptism, Elizabeth embraced me and said, “Father, thank you for sharing the gift of faith from the time you taught me CCD to the time of my three children’s Baptisms. You have given your life for the most important thing of all, Jesus. And I am forever grateful for your witness and presence with me. You were there at the darkest moment of my dad’s death and at the brightest hours of my children’s births.”

I noticed there were huge glass receptacles in the ambry for the sacred oils and I said to the young woman’s mother, “I think these oils could be used for the whole city of Pittsburgh!” It is always wonderful to see the light of faith being passed through every generation.

Pope Benedict wrote in #48 of Spes Salvi (Saved by Hope): Our lives are involved with one another; through innumerable interactions, they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better or for worse.

So every act of darkness or sin, no matter how private, clandestine or victimless it may appear, damages the Church. And every act of love, no matter how small, remote or hidden, builds Her up. The spiritual life is essentially looking at these two sides of our journey: our virtues and our vices, our sins and our graces, our blessings and our curses, our strengths and weaknesses, our plusses and minuses. No one is exempt from being untainted, unharmed, unaffected by darkness that can derail our spiritual walk.

Sin weakens the will, blinds the intellect, confuses the conscience and inflames the passions. This creates insanity. God created us in an extraordinary way so that our mind, will, heart, conscience and passions would be clear and work in harmony. One must be ever vigilant to tend to the flame of our Baptism in order to bear the Light of Christ for the world. Just as the street lights offer direction in the dark, so our inner light must be the compass that navigates us to distinguish what makes us wise in God’s sight by forsaking the foolishness of sin. Solomon reminds us that wise people have a reverent, discerning and God-fearing posture, while foolish people act impulsively, irresponsibly and without thought of consequence.

We have all done selfish, foolish, stupid things in our lives for which we feel sorry -- whether nursing hurts, reliving past traumas or rehearsing regrets. However, the Lord wants us to move forward into hopefulness, truthfulness, grace and light. His light shines in us through the gift of faith in believing that Jesus is the Light of the world. And through our belief and convictions we are called to share that light with others.

For a Light in the Darkness

Father, grant that I may be a bearer

of Christ Jesus, Your Son.

Allow me to warm the often cold,

impersonal scene of modern life with your burning love.

Strengthen me, by Your Holy Spirit to carry out

my mission of changing the world

or some definite part of it, for the better.

Despite my lamentable failures,

bring home to me that my advantages are Your blessings to be shared with others.

Make me more energetic in setting to rights

what I find wrong with the world

instead of complaining about it or myself.

Nourish in me a practical desire

to build up rather than tear down,

to reconcile more than polarize,

to go out on a limb rather than crave security.

Never let me forget that it is far better

to light one candle than to curse the darkness.

And to join my light, one day, with yours. Amen.