Paschal Path: Dying and Rising Daily

“Lord, I pray you to help me leave behind the past, to make space to birth a new way of life. Amen.”

— Raul Mendoza

Recently I was called in the morning to anoint a 93-year-old man at Sewickley Valley Hospital. He was a member of my first parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell Township and was an usher and daily communicant. His family always came to the early 7:30 AM Sunday Mass and sat in the first pew. He had two daughters and one son and his wife was buried four years ago. He lived with one of his daughters who took him daily to Elderberry Court in Ambridge for adult day care. After anointing him in the hospital room, various medical people came in. One was a female Indian physician who gave a full, compassionate, report of his condition and noted that if it were her dad or grandfather, she would take no more extraordinary measures to keep him alive. A family friend, a surgeon at the hospital, came in to offer support and comfort to the family. As the family listened intently, they held on to every word for hope and clarity in the midst of a painful situation.

After the anointing of the sick and consultation with the doctors, the family felt freer in letting go. It was as if a light streaked through the room when the surgeon said, “We must all die at some time and 93 isn’t a bad age to die at.” After the man’s funeral, we traveled to St. Joseph Cemetery for his interment and I noted that every time I thought of him, I was reminded of the “laughing Jesus” who laughed away all the demons of sadness, gloom and sorrow.

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, as the springtime festival of Passover nears, Jesus reminds us in John 12: 24-26, “...unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life looses it, and whoever hates his life in this world, will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also my servant will be.”

Jesus points to the Paschal Mystery — dying and rising is the paradigm for Christian discipleship. The way of the Cross is the way that leads to the Resurrection. And death is part of life. We are born to die, like the surgeon reminded us in that hospital room. We must die a little each day. Dying to self is a gradual process and it can happen in very little ways:

• every act of humility involves dying to pride
• every act of courage involves dying to cowardice
• every act of kindness involves dying to cruelty
• every act of trust involves dying to uncertainty
• every act of love involves dying to selfishness
• every act of forgiveness involves dying to retaliation
• every act of friendship involves dying to self-concern
• every act of spiritual maturity involves dying to worldly ways
• every act of personal freedom involves dying to unhealthy attachments
• every act of prayer involves dying to your own self-will.

The hour of Jesus’ glory is the hour of His passing over to the Father, and His whole life leads up to that hour, “so that the Son of man may be glorified.” Jesus, the humble, suffering servant, lies down his life freely and willingly, to produce abundant fruit: the salvation of all. It is through His death that we bear much fruit. By destroying the power of sin and death once and for all, and by reconciling humankind once and for all, He restores the possibility of life with God forever. Jesus speaks of the time of His death and resurrection as the hour when He will be glorified for perfectly fulfilling His Father’s will. So too, we must accept or reject Jesus and His saving grace in our own lives, each and every hour.

Often times we live in a rushing, running-out-of-time world. It almost seems like we live in the emergency room. However, for a Christian’s life, time is to gracefully fulfill God’s will in every situation. The Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. Chronos, from which we get the word “chronology,” is the temporal succession of days, months and years that we struggle to harness for our own chosen self-endeavors. However, kairos, or "God’s time or retreat time," is very different. Kairos is when human time and God’s time intersect, as in such moments as a sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, or a wedding. It is where the abundance of God’s presence graces our life’s journey, and thus transcends time.

St. Leo the Great advises us about Lent: “Let us prepare ourselves most profitably by the fast of forty days ... let us use the revered institutions of this health-giving time and cleanse the mirror of our heart with greater care.” God’s unfailing grace offers us time to whole heartedly commit ourselves to serving Him and others. The measure of the glory of discipleship and its fruitfulness is to serve people faithfully, joyfully and humbly.

Looking back on the life of this 93-year-old man, a life of dedication to Church, sacrifice for family and service to neighbor, reinforced for me the glory of the Cross and its victory in Resurrection as I tended to him in this Holy Lenten Pilgrimage of 2012. Death is swallowed in victory. The passing over of this moral earthly life is the hour of triumph.

Lenten Prayer: The Cross Is

The Cross is the hope of Christians,

The Cross is the Resurrection of the dead.

The Cross is the way of the lost.

The Cross is the savior of the Lost.

The Cross is the staff of the lame.

The Cross is the guide of the blind.

The Cross is the strength of the weak.

The Cross is the doctor of the sick.

The Cross is the aim of the priest.

The Cross is the hope of the hopeless.

The Cross is the freedom of the slaves.

The Cross is the power of the kings.

The Cross is the water of the seeds.

The Cross is consolation of the bondsmen.

The Cross is the source of those who seek water.

The Cross is the cloth of the naked.

We thank You, Father, for the Cross. Amen.

— Anonymous

Lent 4

“Jesus is everything: in that He judges, He is Law, in that He teaches, He is Gospel, in that He saves, He is Grace, in that He begets, He is Father, in that He is begotten, He is Son, in that He suffers, He is Sheep, in that He is buried, He is Man, in that He comes to life again He is God.”

— St. Melito of Sardis

Recently, I had 5 funerals in one week. Today on this 4th Sunday of Lent, I will baptize 5 new members of our faith community here at St. Joseph. From the darkness of the womb to the darkness of the tomb, the Light of faith guides our way! Today is traditionally called "Laetare Sunday," the intermission or midpoint of our Lenten preparation. Today‘s rose colored vestments are worn reflecting joy. The opening antiphon calls: "Rejoice, Jerusalem" (that is, "Laetare Jerusalem"). Jerusalem is the city of peace, light and victory.

As in a play, sporting event or symphony there is a "break in the action" for an intermission, today there is an intermission in the Church's discipline of Lent to pause and reflect. It is also a time to pray for the catechumens who are preparing for full entrance into the Catholic Church, that they be illuminated with faith. This midpoint allows us to review our faithfulness to our Lenten resolutions and examine more closely our conscience.

Sometimes our vision becomes myopic when the tyranny of our own needs, desires and self-interests keeps us from seeing other‘s needs, longings and concerns. To gain a Christian perspective, to see life through the lens of faith, is our daily challenge. When we let the light of Christ shine in our hearts, God‘s grace spreads to those around us. We are to be the presence of the Kingdom. All we say, think and do must be oriented to holiness. We must tend to that light burning in us so that it is not extinguished by the darkness of sin. Through the gift of Baptism we are called to let Christ‘s light shine brightly in the world — as individual Christians, parishes, dioceses, and as the whole Universal Church — so that through the spirit of joyful boldness the light of Christ will shine. Sometimes it is by what we say, sometimes by what we do, but most of the time, by who we are.

We humbly ask God‘s forgiveness for the times we have extinguished Christ‘s Light through our selfishness and sin. We are called to live a repentant life. Our blind spots, our ignorance, our error, our prejudices and our fallen human nature can certainly keep us in the shadows. Since Christ is the true Light and He enlightens believers, He lances with the precision of a surgeon, the darkness of our sinfulness by healing our blindness, weakness, defects and imperfections.

In the Gospel today, Jesus heals an unnamed blind man not only of his physical sight, but of his spiritual in-sight to reflect God‘s glory. In the early Church, Baptism was referred to as “enlightenment” or “illumination” as we were to leave behind the darkness of sin and unbelief and live in the grace and liberating life of Jesus Christ. Those who live in God‘s light and grace do what is good, right, just and holy. Illuminated by the gift of faith, they avoid the dark and secret works of sin. It is Christ, who is Light, who redeems, purifies and heals all wrongs. We are called to live as "children of light" in our life-long struggle to be faithful to God. The brokenness, woundedness and sickness of sin is healed by Christ‘s mercy, forgiveness and love.

I had a blind great-great aunt, Elizabeth Sullivan Mulcahy, who married Francis Mulcahy. Both were blind and each had a seeing-eye dog. They married blind and only knew each other through sound, touch and faith. They lived in Johnstown, PA (80 miles from Pittsburgh) and I always marveled at the graces they conferred on others. After her husband, Francis died, my family moved Aunt Betty five days before the historic 1977 flood in Johnstown, and she lived at Marian Manor in Greentree until God called her home in 1982. We were fortunate that she was spared from that great flood and rescued in coming to Pittsburgh. Her light, faith and grace blessed many in that home operated by the Holy Spirit Sisters. I worked at the home from age 13 until my ordination at age 26. I‘ll never forget how the warmth of the sun shining on Aunt Betty‘s face brought so much peace. Despite her apparent darkness, she brought Christ‘s light to us in wonderful and marvelous ways. A blind person asked St. Anthony, "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied, "Yes, losing your vision."

We were born in darkness,
children of the night and of sadness.
You passed near us, Lord Jesus.
You touched our eyes,
and the dawn of your love rose upon us.
Christ, be our light of glory.

We were straying, seeking our path,
and the day was darker than night.
You passed near us, Lord Jesus.
You lit the light of your Gospel,
and our path became a way of Light.
Christ, be our light of glory.

Our eyes were red with tears,
and our expression dim with sadness.
You passed near us, Lord Jesus.
You bathed our eyes in the dew of your morning.
Then we recognized you,
and we followed you singing with joy.
Christ, be our light of glory.

We were seated on the side of the road
begging for a smile of joy, a look of love.
You passed near us, Lord Jesus.
You transfigured us into children of light.
Then the morning star shone in our heart,
And we became light for the world.
Christ, be our light of glory.

God our Father,
You dwell in light inaccessible,
and no look has ever approached your splendor.
But you sent your Son Jesus, light of the world,
and his sweet light has illuminated our earth.
We pray to you:
when we close our eyes on the beauty of this world,
open them upon the splendor of your eternity. Amen.

— Lucien Deiss, CSSp, A Garden of Prayers

Lent 3

“There is a really deep well inside of us. And in it dwells God. Sometimes, I am there too. But more often, stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then God must be dug out again.”

— Etty Hillesum, A young Dutch Jewish woman who died in Auschwitz

Recently I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy a new pair of running shoes for my Montour Trail jogs. As a life-long runner I always enjoy this time of reflection, meditation and prayer and I thank God for the gift of running. Every so often along the trail there are water fountains that spring up to quench my thirst. Without water, there is no life. Dr. Ralph Herro of the Herro Allergy Clinic in Phoenix, AZ said, “If we each drank twice as much water, doctors would be seeing half as many patients.” Imagine if we applied this principle to our spiritual lives! Time spent in prayer is time well-spent.

On this 3rd Sunday of Lent we read the familiar story in John 4 of Jesus and the woman at the well, two tired travelers coming together at a place of refreshment. It was during the hottest part of the day when the woman did her ritual of retrieving and lugging water home for her family. This ordinary task became an extraordinary transformative life experience. In the culture in which she lived, the woman had multiple strikes against her in encountering Jesus, the Jewish rabbi. First, she was a woman; second, she was a Samaritan (a hated race); third, she had a checkered past (married to 5 men); and fourth, she was a social outcast. Jesus was not blinded by the categories, imperfections or sins. Jesus offered no harsh word or judgmental rebuke but the true revelation of her life with loving acceptance and understanding. Jesus is the perfect pastoral minister whose words watered her dry and despondent soul.

St. Augustine begins his Confessions with the famous declaration: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You, O Lord.” Thus there is a "God–sized hole" in each of us. At every Mass, Sunday after Sunday, we gather at "Jacob’s Well" to hear God’s Word and be refreshed through the gift of the Eucharist. This priceless gift overflows in a Christ-drenched universe, as there is an eternal slaking of thirst for God in His abundant love. Christ gifts us with His presence, veiled in appearance as bread and wine, and saves us by grace. The Carmelite poet, Jessica Powers (Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, her religious name) wrote, “God fills my being to the brim with floods of His immensity. I drown within a drop of Him whose seed-bed is infinity.” Our lives thirst for meaning, purpose, value, companionship, intimacy, union, truth, wholeness, holiness and ultimately salvation.

Wilford Owen, a British poet, reflected on his experience in World War I when he wrote, “I saw God through mud.” We all struggle with the muddiness of our human condition ... difficulties, weaknesses, disappointments, hurts, in ourselves and others. Many times we are obsessed with what we have, what we do and what people think of us. But these will not offer us fulfillment". Our human nature has many cravings, desires and tastes. They are intended to open us up to "Thee" and not "me."

God has a hope, dream and desire for each one of us. The Samaritan woman teaches that God wishes to recreate us and provide us with: 1) identity — as children of God, 2) intimacy — in getting below the surface, taking the risk, digging down into the heart to the awareness of God’s friendship, 3) generativity — the awareness that others may be enriched and benefit through our creative love, 4) integrity — the point I must reach through my choices and God’s grace in order to be truly free, and 5) blessedness — the state of realizing that God has indeed blessed me and wanting to share those blessings and graces with others.

Theodore Roethke said, “Running from God is the longest race of all.” Are we running from the Lord or are we running to the Lord this Lenten journey in 2011? Because we all wrestle and struggle with sin daily in our lives, we must seek the refreshing presence of Jesus to be faithful. It is by coming to the well of prayer in which our thirst is quenched.

Prayer with the Samaritan Woman

With the Samaritan woman,
we come to the source of living water.
Let water spring forth in our heart, Lord Jesus,
water welling up to eternal life.
Give us, O Lord, your living water,
the source of eternal life.

With the Samaritan woman,
we want to worship your Father in spirit and truth.
Help us to adore him, Lord Jesus,
by accomplishing your blessed will.
Give us, O Lord, your living water,
the source of eternal life.

With the Samaritan woman,
we come to work at the harvest.
Ripen the golden sheaves
for the barns of heaven.
Give us, O Lord, your living water,
the source of eternal life.

With the Samaritan woman, we acclaim you:
"You are truly the Savior of the world!"
May our life reveal your salvation, Lord Jesus,
to all our brothers and sisters.
Give us, O Lord, your living water,
the source of eternal life.

See, Lord Jesus, our broken cisterns
that do not contain living water.
See our cracked jars, our used ropes.
The wells that we have dug
have become filled with the sand of our negligence.
Who will give us fresh water in the high noon of our life,
water that will quench our thirst for life eternal?
Who will heal the torment of our lost loves,
who will teach us true adoration of your Father
except you alone, Lord Jesus,
for you are truly the Savior of the world,
our only hope for eternity. Amen.

- Lucien Deiss, CSSp

Lent 2

“A mountaintop is a great place to see the stars, but to clearly see God requires a change of heart.”

- David McCasland

On Friday, March 11, as I was about to teach my eighth grade religion class in our school, there was an interruption on the P.A. system of children singing “Happy Birthday” for my 49th birthday:

I wish to thank everyone for all the cards, greetings, birthday wishes and kind remembrances. They are humbly received and gratefully appreciated. As I read through the cards which the children wrote to me, a third grader, Jessica, said, “Happy Birthday, Fr. Rich. I hope God blesses you as much as He can!” The card from my 90 year-old Godmother, Aunt Jo, from Salem, OH read, “May you be blessed with everything bright and beautiful ... on your birthday and always.”

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (500 BC) said that change is inevitable and is a constancy throughout life. His famous quotation, “We cannot step into the same river twice. That being, the water has passed downstream.” People often ask us, “Do you feel any different or older on your birthday?” The fact of the matter is, life changes. For many, change is hard: we fear it, we resist it, we deny it, and with much obstinacy, will not face it. We even sometimes take comfort in the familiar, “Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know." Nonetheless, change is a part of life. We grow from infants, to children, to adults; we move away from home and our parents. We find new partners; we face new responsibilities. We get sick; we grow old. We die. Change happens to everyone. We must face change, whether we like it or not. And we must even, in hard times especially, grow through it, so that we may become transformed.

Mother Church in her ageless wisdom gives us a 6-week period of time-out each year in the season of Lent which marks change. This time is set aside for quiet reflection on the meaning of our lives in faith. Through Lent, we become ever more aware of the crucible in which our faith is tested, refined, purified and cleansed. Lent offers us an opportunity to embrace change, to accept it and grow through it. Each life has its ups and downs, its high points and its low points, its moments of glory and its moments of disillusionment.

This week, on March 20, we welcome the Vernal or Spring Equinox. Equinox comes from two Latin words, “aequus” meaning “equal," and “nox” meaning “night.” In the calendar year the equinox is the time when the sun crosses the equator and on this day the length of day and night are closest to equal. This event of the sun marks, in the Northern hemisphere, the official beginning of spring (the season of birthing) from winter (a season of waiting). As we move to Daylight Savings time, the festival of life and light abounds.

I remember as a child, Mom would always say after the cold, dreary, long winter, “We must do Spring cleaning of our house to refresh and empty out the clutter of the sedentary months. To open windows, get rid of stale air, plant the garden, begin the newly grown lawn and rid the closets in the basement of things no longer needed.” So too, in the season of the soul in springtime, there is awe and wonder at the changes that take place through God‟s renewal in us. Spring generates the new life of surprise, delight, unmitigated joy, new hopes and new beginnings.

On this 2nd Sunday of Lent, Jesus gives three of His disciples, Peter, James and John, a glimpse of glory in order to help them grow in holiness. The Father glorified Jesus in His humanity and the disciples saw the holiness of His inmost reality. Jesus came to create a new humanity by transforming us and filling us with His own holiness and glory. Lent is a time for those seeking Baptism and those already Baptized to deepen incorporation into Christ by dying to our old humanity and rising with Him as a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We must believe that we can overcome our failings, weaknesses and sins and be changed in a lasting way. Through the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we grow in faith. “My grace is sufficient for You, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). When we proclaim this truth about ourselves, we strengthen our faith in God's power to change us. Sometimes we think that we are making no real progress in the spiritual life as we continue to struggle with the same issues. However, the answer to this is that the Spirit‟s work in us is necessarily hidden: “So do not lose heart ... Our inner nature is being renewed everyday” (2 Cor 4:16). It is only through our death that the hidden work of transformation will be fully revealed.

The Russian philosopher, Nicolas Berdyaey, (1874-1948), made this comment on the beauty on the Transfiguration, “The Transfiguration of the world is the attainment of beauty. The kingdom of God is beauty. Art gives us merely symbols of beauty. Real beauty is given only in the religious transfiguration of the creature. Beauty is God’s idea of the creature, of man and of the world.” It is through contemplation of the resurrected, glorified and transfigured Lord, that we glimpse the joy and the hope of our eternal heavenly destiny.

Transform Me

Lord, transform
My suffering into growth,
My tears into prayer,
My discouragement into faith,
My fears into trust,
My expectations into hopes,
My anger into closeness,
My bitterness into acceptance,
My guilt into reconciliation,
My loneliness into contemplation,
My silence into peace,
My deaths into resurrection.

- Armaldo Pangrazzi

Lent 1

“Jesus...is my center, my meaning, my reason for living, my supreme good, my purpose in life, my joy, my glory, my law, my leader, my savior, the one to Whom I belong.”

— Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM

Last Thursday, March 3, at the Children’s Mass which was broadcasted at 5:15 PM on 106.7 FM WAOB (We Are One Body), I shared this story of 4-year-old George who was so excited about going to pre-school, that in haste, he jumped out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. However, he missed the doorway and ran smack into the wall. His Grandmother, who heard the crash, yelled out, “George, George, are you alright?” “I’m okay,” he replied slowly, it’s just I guess I have too much dark in my eyes.”

As we begin our Lenten journey, 2011, let us take a look at the dark in our own eyes, our sinful and self-centered ways: being wrapped up in our own agendas, obsessed by status, controlled by power, weighed down by burdens, shackled by inner compulsions, veiled by hidden blemishes, halted by spiritual laziness, and haunted by destructive demons. Pope Benedict XVI said that Lent is a time for self examination and to let go of all the traces of selfishness, which is the root cause of violence. He noted that we must move from “selfishness” to “selflessness." Narcissism is a condition of self-absorption and can affect a person at any age — a spoiled child, a petulant teenager, egotistical co-worker, stubborn spouse, or an unfaithful companion. The evil strains of egotism, infidelity and hostility lead to moodiness, laziness and self-indulgence. The most insidious form of deception is self-deception—we must be as honest with ourselves, questioning our motives and examining our feelings.

On this First Sunday of Lent, traditionally called "Temptation Sunday," Jesus goes "face-to-face" with the devil in the desert, 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus is well aware that pleasures, powers and possessions are the three great illusions that can torpedo the human condition and bring it to the degradation of smithereens. We, too, must confront our own temptations. We all struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. We face this primordial 3-faceted struggle our entire life-journey until we cross over into eternity. Don’t forget the enemy comes to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10).

Lent is a time of Spring cleaning, spiritual renovation, a time to come face to face with our own disordered humanity. Perhaps we need to empty ourselves of our wants, desires and passions in order to align ourselves with Christ who truly knows and loves us. The allurements of the world, the temptations of our culture, the demands of our needy self and the distortions of the devil can lead us to "spiritual bankruptcy." Real freedom and real life are not gained by following the pull of the tug of war of our lusts and drives but in resisting them. When Christ calls a person it is costly. He calls us to come to die to oneself. The word “mortification” is rooted in Latin, French and Old English words denoting “deadening” or “subduing." Mortification is essential for selftranscendence.

It is only through self-denial, self-control and self-mastery that one’s true self emerges, not the false or illusional shadow-self. If we satisfy our appetites, passions and lusts by indulging them, they become our masters and we lose the monitoring of internal controls, which spells spiritual disaster and death.

Lent is a time to turn it around 360 degrees. It’s never too late for God to invigorate and revitalize a person, a relationship, a church, the world. Despite our difficulties, weaknesses, disappointments -- in ourselves and others -- it’s amazing that God, through His grace, hides in the depths of it all. In the words of the twentieth century political and religious leader Mahatma Gandhi, “My imperfections and failures are as much as a blessing from God as my successes and talents, and I lay them both at His feet.” Lent is a time to discover the "golden image" we have been created in. That precious image can be tarred, marred and scarred through one’s own sin and that of others. Perhaps read Psalm 51, a story of David’s sin and repentance, and meditate on it. It is the hallmark and chartered chapter of Israel’s "fallen king and hero," humbled, contrite and repentant, God’s grace is the healing remedy to his wandering waywardness.

Saints were certainly in touch with their sin and brokenness. Sin is not a pretty or popular subject, however sin is pervasive always and everywhere and in everyone. St. Augustine famously said, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Jesus died to save sinners, so much does He love them. We cannot save ourselves. We are not saved by technology. We are not saved by self-help therapy. We are not saved by academic brilliance. We are not saved by robust stock portfolios. We are not saved by a perfect 10 bodily appearance. We are not saved by drowning out life’s difficulties through self-medication. Instead, our faith reminds us this Lent that drawing closer to Jesus heals, frees and saves us. He alone can save us and free us from our sins. May we all keep our "eyes on the prize" -- Jesus our Savior. May we grow in holiness, prayer, reconciliation, grace, charity and self-renunciation this Lent. Lent is a time of alms-giving. The goal is $375 per family for Parish Share 2011. That is equal to $1 per day, and $10 extra to have a Mass offered for a loved one. That’s $375.

Calm my restless spirit, my terrified soul.
Lead me to that haven where I may behold
your beauty, peace, joy, hid behind the veil of tears.

Restore my peace of mind, heal my fearful heart.
Take me to that lonely, quiet place apart.
There my soul will find rest in the shadows of the night.

Revive my drooping spirit, my downcast will.
Pour Your soothing oil over my wounds until
death has lost its hold on me and new life enters in.

Then will my soul rejoice -- my spirit sing praise.
To You will I make music throughout my days.
For now You are, Comforter, Healer, Savior, Father.

— Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP
"Making Peace with Yourself: 15 Steps to Spiritual Healing"