Preach the Word In and Out of Season

I recently read an article in First Things entitled "Fear of the Word." In this piece, Hans Boersma, who is a professor of theology, says that many of his students are afraid to preach, and the part of the reason for this is because they have become so steeped in what is today known as the historical-critical method of Scripture Scholarship that they are afraid of preaching texts the "wrong way." The Church has teachings which we are duty-bound to uphold, and that is especially true for those of us who are ordained. A huge part of these teachings revolve around Scripture, and there are many texts of Sacred Scripture about which the Church has traditional teachings, many of which are not at all very popular today.

One reason why Boersma says that many of his students are afraid to preach is because they see the Word of God as something historically distant from them. I find that a lot of Catholic priests and deacons are caught up in trying to do historical exegesis of the text, and as a result of this they don't want to even tackle the theological and doctrinal meaning of a text, and the Church teaches that the Scriptures have a theological and doctrinal meaning. Boersma rightly points out that the best thing we can do is follow the Tradition of the Church when it comes to the hermeneutics and exegesis of Sacred Scripture, and that means that the first thing we should look for is Christ in the Scriptures.

Sacred Scripture often presents us with surprisingly clear doctrinal and theological exegesis right in the text. Those of us who are charged with preaching the Word of God should not be afraid to proclaim it when the Scriptures present us with plain meaning. Often, we become so concerned with "applying the Scriptures to daily life" when we preach that we forget to apply the Scriptures with clarity to explain what we believe. Failure to do this adequately leads to people in the pew who say "I've been going to Mass all my life and I've never heard anyone say that the Church believed that." I have lost count of the number of times that I have heard that statement or something like it from well-meaning people who were stunned to learn some aspect of Church teaching which is a bread-and-butter part of our faith.

If you don't believe this is a widespread problem, consider the most recent studies on the matter of whether or not Catholics believe in the Church's basic teaching on the Eucharist. Depending upon which of these surveys you believe, somewhere between 1/2 or as many as 2/3rds of Catholics surveyed do not believe in the Church's teaching on the Eucharist, that when the bread and wine are consecrated during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that they become the Body and Blood of Christ, really, truly, and substantially, retaining only the outward appearance (or accidents) of bread and wine. This is bedrock Catholic teaching, yet so many professed Catholics don't believe it or (as much, or more likely) can't explain it.
 

All Christians are called to spread the Gospel, but the People of God can't do that effectively if they can't explain the Gospel. The reason that many of them cannot effectively explain the Gospel is because many of those in charge of preaching the Gospel have not done so with effectiveness.

The statistics I cited above are such that all of us who are charged with preaching and teaching in any way must treat ourselves as though we are at least partially responsible for the problem.

A number of years ago, Father Bill Casey of the Fathers of Mercy hit on the real source of the difficulty we face in a talk that he gave to priests.

When Father Casey speaks so strongly against superficial preaching, he is hitting at the heart of the problem, I believe. I've heard many people, many of them very good people, actually make the argument that the homily is not the time for catechesis or teaching, or even worse, that the homily is not the time for controversial topics. The real problem with both of those suppositions should be painfully obvious.

First, while it is vitally important for there to be multiple opportunities presented at the parish level for continuing education in the Faith (and certainly in our parish we try to make those available, including FORMED, which I cannot recommend enough) not everyone is going to avail themselves of the opportunities made available. Yes, there are always going to be some who are spiritually lazy, but very often what happens is that even the very best Catholics get caught up in the business of daily life.

I can speak to this personally, as someone who is both a deacon and a husband and Father, it is only by God's grace (and a supportive wife and pastor, both gifts from the Lord) that I am able to fulfill both of these rolls. There are many days that I do not know how it is that I have managed to maintain a prayer life, but I manage to do so. I would write much more on this blog and in other outlets because I know that this ability is part of the gifts that I have been given, but I do not have the time to do as much as I would wish. This reality has given me new empathy for those who have very little time to themselves for time with God. For many of those people, that means they are going to have very little time for the frequent opportunities of parish life.

That makes the Sunday homily extremely important for a lot of people, because for a great many of them, that homily is going to be the only teaching they get all week, it should be preached well and with clarity, presenting the truth of Church teaching, hopefully in a way that the People of God can understand and take home with them.

The notion that we should not present controversial topics in a homily seems rather silly when we consider the reality that we are conformed to Christ both as believers and (for those of us who are ordained) in ordained Ministry, and Jesus hardly avoided controversy. The Gospel, when properly preached and understood, is going to be controversial, especially in today's culture. There are going to be some people who do not like it when the truth of the message is fully presented. Does this mean we should aim for controversy every time? No, but we should also not avoid dealing with difficult texts of Scripture and the difficult issues those texts often present.

As St. Paul said to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:1-4):

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.


The primary purpose for the Church in this world is the salvation of souls. It is critical, then, that the Gospel be preached with love and charity, but also with clarity, and without fear.

Disability and the Life of the Church

A recent discussion of which I was a part on a closed social media forum centered around the difficulty that one young person had when attempting to attend one of Franciscan University of Steubenville's "Steubenville Conferences" aimed at Catholic youth. Until this discussion, I had never heard anything but good about these Steubenville Conferences. The reports that I have seen and heard are those of young people who come away with a reinvigorated faith, one about which they are very excited.

The social media discussion centered around a blog entry about a recent Steubenville Conference in St. Louis. At that event, a person with a disability who was confined to a wheelchair was apparently segregated from her peers, overnight accommodations were simply not accessible to her, and the local staff were unprepared for dealing with the basic needs of a person with a disability who might wish to attend the conference.

I am always inclined to give people the benefit of the doubt in a situation where it is the first time they might have had a person with a disability attend a given event. It is not a scenario that many are familiar with if they don't have to deal with it every day. I understand that because I live with a disability every day, it's very easy for me to grow impatient, and sometimes intolerant, of a world that doesn't know what that is like. I often find that I need to become more patient and a lot more understanding, as this is what Christ himself would do.

My understanding tends to run out, however, when people have had repeated experiences and chances dealing with those who have disabilities, yet they continue to fail in taking the needs of the person with disability into account. Such was the case with the young lady described in the blog entry, which had been written by her mother. She had been to a Steubenville Conference the year before, and had a serious problem with accessibility and inclusion at the conference. The conference organizers apparently failed to make the necessary changes, not only to include this young lady in an appropriate way, but to accommodate any others with disabilities who might wish to attend. The situation left the girl so demoralized that she told her mother that when she grew up she did not think that she would be Catholic anymore. "I believe what the Church teaches," she said "but I don't think they want me."

It needs to be made clear here that the problem described above was not the fault of Franciscan University of Steubenville but of the local organizers of the conference described. Even so, it points to the great difficulty in the life of the Church of including those who have disabilities as fully as possible within the ecclesiastical community. Here was a young lady who is interested in the things of God, believes in what the Church teaches, and she wants to be a part of it, but she has felt that nothing but obstacles have been put in her way. Her mother, who wrote the blog entry, expressed frustration that their family had spent years attempting to make accessibility and inclusion a priority in their parish and their local diocesan Church, and they apparently didn't meet with much success.

When one soul is threatening to leave the Church not because they have lost faith, or because they no longer trust our leaders, or because they no longer believe what the Church teaches, but because the Church that they are ready to embrace does not, they believe, wish to have them be a part of the body of Christ, that is a failure of epic proportions. During the social media discussion I was disheartened that some were attempting to defend what was described to have happened. There is no defending causing a young person to be so disheartened in their faith that they feel that their Church, whose teachings they firmly believe in, does not welcome them.

I have been extremely blessed in my brief time in formation and now in ordained ministry that I have never felt as though I was an afterthought. If anything, I can honestly say that many of my brothers have gone out of their way to encourage me and include me in ways that I never would have expected them-or anyone else-to do. I learned from the bishop shortly before I was ordained that he "never hesitated" in his decision to allow me to enter into diaconate formation.

I never presumed that I had the right to be ordained, as Sacred Ordination, although it is a Sacrament, is a privilege and not a right. Throughout the entire time of my formation, I remember taking the attitude that at any time I must be fully prepared to walk away and fully prepared to understand that this may not be what God was calling me to. However, I was given the complete freedom to discern the Lord's call on my life, and when I came to see that the Lord was calling me to the diaconate, I was assigned to a parish where I was wanted and a pastor who was determined that I should carry out all the parts of the Ministry of the Church which a deacon may validly and licitly carry out. I am eternally grateful to all of the people who have been determined that should be as able as anyone else to follow God's call. I am grateful to the Lord for a bishop who wanted me, and a pastor who encourages my Ministry.

This doesn't seem to be the case with everyone who has a disability in other places throughout the Church in our country, but it ought to be. Whatever the Lord's call on a person's life might be, whether that is to priesthood, diaconate, consecrated religious life, or the life of a vigorous and active member of the People of God in their local Church, I think that other people with disabilities should be afforded the same opportunities for faith enrichment, faith formation, and the discernment and living out of their vocations that has been afforded to me.

I am well aware that when I assist in the sanctuary during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that, in all reality, I violate principle number one of how the clergy should conduct ourselves at the Mass. We should never draw attention to ourselves, but it is inevitable that I will draw attention to myself, as I stick out far worse than a sore thumb. Yet I always pray that in this capacity the Lord might use me as a blessing to other people. Perhaps one way a blessing might be for that young person with a disability who visits one day while I'm assisting at Mass might see me and think "maybe God is calling me to do that, or something like it, and if that bozo can do it, I can too."

The Case of (Father) Jonathan Morris

By now, most of the world of Catholic Social Media, at least in the United States, is aware of the situation regarding (Father) Jonathan Morris. Morris, a former member of the Legionaries of Christ who was released from his vows in that tortured religious order, and later became a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, also became a valued contributor to Fox News for over 14 years. As a result of this, Father Morris developed a well-rounded social media presence, and certainly became one of the most visible priests from his already very visible Archdiocese.

His public announcement some weeks back that he has petitioned Pope Francis to be allowed to be dispensed from his solemn promises as an ordained priest and allowed to return to the lay state caused some of his followers to wish him well, and some to label him a coward who had abandoned his commitments as an ordained man in the Church.

To be very clear, I am not a great believer in the ease with which laicization (which should be more properly referred to as the release from clerical promises or vows) is often obtained by many ordained clerics. Many priests do this so that they can have the freedom to marry after having taken vows or made solemn promises of celibacy and chastity. Many deacons request a return to the lay state in order that they might marry after their wife dies, something the Apostle Paul forbids in ordinary circumstances even in Scripture itself (1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12, Titus 1:5-7) when he says that an ordained man is to be "the husband of one wife" (he wasn't talking about polygamy, no Christian has ever been allowed to live a polygamous life validly or licitly).

Even though clerical celibacy did not become the official rule in the West until the Middle Ages, the practice that no cleric could marry once they were ordained dates to antiquity itself. If a man was already married and sought ordination, his family was thoroughly scrutinized, as Paul himself discusses in Scripture, so that they would not bring scandal upon the Church. This idea that members of the clergy could be released from their promises in order that they may live as they please is a thoroughly modern one. If the release from promises, the removal of faculties, and the return to the lay state voluntarily is too easily obtained, this truly shows an ill regard for the clerical state, and that is every bit as bad as the clergy showing an ill regard for the laity.

I stand by this belief, but it's also clear to me that Father Jonathan's case is far from normal. There are always exceptions to every rule, and we can't be anyone's ultimate judge. The perversion of the Legionaries of Christ under their founder, the late Father Marcial Maciel, is by now very well known to many people. Maciel was an abuser, pedarist, pedophile, and sexual predator, who used the religious society that he founded as a front for much of his perversion. Good holy young men like Jonathan Morris were really "peer pressured" into being ordained, as opposed to being authentically called by the Holy Spirit.

Late last week, Morris revealed that he had agreed to an interview on Fox News, where he had served for so long as Religious Affairs contributor because of his position as a priest and a moral authority. There were a lot of people, including myself, who wondered if such an interview was a good idea. Many of us worried that Morris was merely attention-seeking, trying now to capitalize on his position as a laicized priest. In watching the interview, this is not what I found.

The interview itself was around nine minutes long, hardly much time to grab a lot of publicity or do much "damage." Instead, I found that Morris was far from the media savvy man we often saw on Fox in a Roman collar, and he instead appeared nervous, a little repetitive, and unsure of himself. He clearly wasn't quite in his element, but he was desperately trying to explain to the many viewers who had come to appreciate his counsel what had happened in his life.

He admitted to having a relationship with a woman while he was in the seminary. He was ready to leave then, and was pressured into staying by Mariel Maciel himself. Based on Father Jonathan's description of what happened to him, it can hardly be said that his acceptance of religious life and ordination to the priesthood occurred because of authentic discernment. Jonathan Morris does not appear to have been allowed truly authentic discernment of his vocation.

I will discuss the Catholic theology of Holy Orders and ordination in a future post, but the reality is that there is really no such thing as a "former priest," "former deacon," or "former bishop." Those terms may be used, but they are not theologically correct at all. Ordination is permanent, and that means that Father Jonathan Morris will be "a priest forever." However, he will be a priest who has had his faculties to minister removed (albeit by his own choosing), and thus returned to the practical state of a layman.

We may be somewhat unfair to Morris in saying that he is attention-seeking. He is now cut off from the means of ecclesiastical support normally given to diocesan clergy-but especially priests- who are entitled to pay and pension, and often health insurance. Now he has to fend for himself. I don't know if I can blame him for intentionally snooping around in the media world where he has some experience.

I don't know if he has made the right decision, and it's not our place to say. But I do pray for Father Morris, I know he needs it.

On the Anniversary of My Ordination

Today I celebrate the third anniversary of my receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders as a deacon. As I told one of my confreres the other day at a parish picnic, there is a very real sense in which the day passes as if it is any other day. I have to carry on with the responsibilities of my daily life, and my ministry carries on as well. 

The responsibilities of both ministry and family life are oblivious to the calendar. The next time I assist at the altar during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will not be substantially different than it was when I assisted this past weekend. The various formulae for blessing objects and people do not change because I have passed another year in ordained Ministry. There is a very real sense in which I am grateful to God merely to be able to carry on.

I love being a deacon, and I did not love it any less yesterday and did not love it any less on the day I was ordained than I do today. I will love it as much tomorrow and as much next week as I do right now. The one thing I do envy about my brothers who have passed many more years in the ordained service of the Church is that they have the added benefit of greater experience that can only come with time.

I placed my hands in Bishop Stika's hands to promise obedience
(Dan McWilliams/East Tennessee Catholic)

Ontological change happens with the simple act of the Laying On of Hands
(Stephanie Richer/Stephanie Richer Photography)

Just because I understand the reality that the anniversary of my ordination is just another day in both my ministry and my family life does not mean that the significance of the day lost upon me, or than I am attempting to shrug it off. Quite the contrary. There is a reason that those of us who are ordained remember the day that it happened, just as we remember our wedding anniversary. We understand that the day we were ordained we were changed forever.

When we vest, we kiss the cross on our stoles as a reminder of the sacrament and gift of ministry we have received.
(Stephanie Richer/Stephanie Richer Photography)

The change that myself and my brothers experienced that day was an ontological change. We all received a sacrament by means of the laying on of hands, the outward sign of the ontological mark on the soul.

Cardinal Rigali helps me put on my dalmatic, the vestment proper to a deacon, for the first time, along with my wife.
(Stephanie Richer/Stephanie Richer Photography)

The Graces we receive from this sacramental ontological change, however, are Graces which we must be open to and we must accept in order for them to have the effect that they need to have on our lives, our families, and our ministries. I know that I daily must be open to the Graces of God in order for my Ministry to be effective in the lives of the people that I serve.

Receiving the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Stika
(Stephanie Richer/Stephanie Richer Photography)

On the day I was ordained, Bishop Stika said to me (and my classmates): 

“Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”

I truly love to serve, and I hope that I have many more years to continue to do so. pray for me that God will grant me a double portion of humility, that I may be an effective servant, and a far better reflection of Christ to others.

Bishop Tobin is Right

Bishop Thomas Tobin

Recently, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island landed himself in hot water with many in the popular culture with this Tweet over this past weekend about some...cultural events...taking place in many parts of the country during the month of June.

A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ “Pride Month” events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.

— Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) June 1, 2019

Immediately the wolves of our culture came to denounce Tobin for "spreading hate," as they usually do to any bishop, priest, or deacon who speaks out about the moral law, and some even said that he was wrong to say anything because his words would encourage hatred against the "gay community." Even some members of the clergy have gotten in on the act, trying to say on social media that what Bishop Tobin said was not compassionate.

But is the Bishop wrong? Firstly, what is the Church's official statement of its own teaching on this matter? The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it as clear as possible for us:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

The Church holds, then, that while someone's proclivity to attraction of people of the same sex is not, in and of itself, a sin, that homosexual activity is a sin. The Church calls on us to treat homosexual persons with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity," but the Church is quite clear that this compassion does not extend to acceptance of sinful behavior, and indeed that would not be compassionate at all-it could endanger many souls.

Bishop Tobin also said that that Catholics should not attend events which celebrate "Pride Month." No doubt, some readers will say "but Deacon, doesn't the Catechism say that we should treat gay people with 'respect, compassion, and sensitivity,' so shouldn't we go all out and celebrate Pride Month to support them?


 



Are you also going on public marches or attending public events to support those who have a proclivity to adultery or fornication? Would you do such a thing? If you would, I would question any claim you might make to practice bona fide Christianity. Yes, we are all sinners, but we are still called to avoid sin and the near occasion of sin. Furthermore, if we attend events which promote sin, we are giving our approval to the sin by our presence there, and if we do not approve, we will have given scandal to many other believers by the appearance of giving public approbation to grave sin. At the very least, you are saying you are proud of your concupiscence and that of others. "YAY, I am proud of my human proclivity to potentially commit sin and do evil in the sight of God!"

Sacred Scripture certainly backs up what Bishop Tobin is trying to say:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10

What reason would anyone have to attend a rally that supports and promotes homosexual acts and faux "marriage" other than to support those acts yourself? If you don't, why would you attend an event where they do? If you would not support other deadly sins, you shouldn't support "Pride Month" either.

Some on social media are saying that Bishop Tobin "backed down" because of this statement from the Diocese of Providence:

.

A close reading of this statement shows us, however, that Bishop Tobin isn't backing down at all. He is more effectively stating Catholic teaching:

I regret that my comments yesterday about Pride Month have turned out to be so controversial in our community, and offensive to some, especially the gay community. That certainly was not my intention, but I understand why a good number of individuals have taken offense. I also acknowledge and appreciate the widespread support I have received on this matter.

 The Catholic Church has respect and love for members of the gay community, as do I. Individuals with same-sex attraction are beloved children of God and our brothers and sisters. 

 As a Catholic Bishop, however, my obligation before God is to lead the faithful entrusted to my care and to teach the faith, clearly and compassionately, even on very difficult and sensitive issues. That is what I have always tried to do – on a variety of issues – and I will continue doing so as contemporary issues arise.

 In other words, Bishop Tobin is saying "I love you, what I said was true." Indeed, he reiterated to the news media that he stands by his statement.

One of the difficulties with Twitter is that you have so little space in which to express what you are trying to get across to others. Twitter has helped to reduce our society to one in which many people take the entirety of what others say by a few characters.

It is for this reason that I personally do not recommend the use of Twitter as a means of social communication for my brother clerics. When the time comes to address controversial social and moral issues, and one feels the need to address them online (as indeed I have done in this post), other means of internet communication such as Facebook, MeWe, or blogs exist so that we may say all that needs to be said, all that the Holy Spirit might place upon our hearts. 

I would humbly recommend to Bishop Tobin that he consider one of those alternatives when the time comes, as it inevitably does in the time in which we live, to address the state of our society on internet-based social media.

Even though other means might have been better means to convey the message, what Bishop Tobin said is true. "Gay Pride" events promote grave sin. Catholics concerned for the good of their souls and the souls of others should not attend or promote them.

Return to This Blog

It has been 6 years since I have posted on this blog. The chief reason why I have not is because I was asked to take over the official blog of the Diocese of Knoxville to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Life At 25.

I greatly enjoyed that work, and I enjoyed sharing my thoughts with a wider audience, but at the time I did not have the time or the energy to run two active blogs. In March of 2015 my daughter Riley was born. As you can imagine, she has taken up much of the time that I had previously devoted to write.

I was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Knoxville in 2016, and assigned to the parish of Holy Trinity in Jefferson City.


As time has passed, it has become clear to me that I still don't have time to maintain two blogs, and the original purpose for the diocesan blog I was helping to maintain long ago passed. We just celebrated 30 years as a diocese.

I was extremely proud to do the work, but I think that the diocese is ready to move on from the blog business. The blogs are still on the website and I still have the ability to post to it but there's no direct link to the blogs that were there before.

Posting on my own personal blog again allows me to deliver my homilies to you, but also to post more personal content, which isn't always appropriate for the diocesan website.

It's good to be back. I hope you'll join me on this journey of faith!

The end of the year and candidacy

In a little over four hours from now I will be leaving for another deaconate formation weekend, the second of our classes on the Synoptic Gospels. I do so with something approaching mixed emotions, firstly because the end of our classes will apparently not mean the end of class work (it appears that we will have at least one more paper to write, but that's okay, it goes with the territory), but moreso because I found last year entering into the summer recess that I missed many of my Aspirant brethren tremendously. I think that a bond has formed between many of us from all over the diocese, and certainly between myself and the other two Aspirants in my deanery, Steve Helmbrecht and Don Griffith. I find that I look forward with a great deal of anticipation each month to our class sessions and meetings as much for the communio and (sometimes very deep) discussions we have outside of class as for the learning I get in the classroom. It is wonderful to be among men who love the Lord and the Church as much as you do, and who aspire to devote their lives more fully to the service of God. There are times when the joy seems infectious when we are together.

It is also interesting to note how close we seem to have become to many of the hotel staff. Last month we learned of the departure from the staff of the dear lady who has taken care of us from the beginning of our journey together. I cannot speak to the feelings of the others in the class regarding this development, but I was very sorry to hear of it. She remembered all of us by name and took such care to see to it that our needs were met. I have always gotten the same accessible room on the first floor because she saw to it, and I've always gotten an automated e-mail, usually a couple of days before we were due to be there, letting me know that my room would be ready. I noted that this month I have not received such an e-mail, and I told Nicole that I hope that I have a room!

This month I will submit the letters from Nicole and from myself requesting that Bishop Stika admit me to candidacy for Holy Orders, which if he does so, will happen in October. My mentor told me that it was his experience that the men who make it to candidacy together will likely be ordained together, so it is now that I will ask for everyone's prayers for my own continued discernment, for my growth in charity, and that the Holy Spirit will guide me and conform me into what God would want me to be, and that hopefully when others see me, they will come to see Christ in me.



On this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray with me the Litany of the Sacred Heart for all of our Aspirant class, for all of the Deacons of our Diocese, for Father Christopher Manning, our newly- ordained priest, for all of our seminarians, priests, religious, and those who spend their lives in God's service.

Clerical reassignments in the diocese hit home

It was around 10:00AM this morning that I got the e-mail. It was sent at around 10 PM last night. It was a note from one of my brother Aspirants, Scott Maentz, congratulating me on our new pastor at St. Patrick Church. Until I opened that e-mail, I didn't know we were getting a new pastor. We have only had our current pastor, Father Joseph Hammond, CHS, for a little over three years, although he had been our Associate for a much longer period of time.

Father Joseph, CHS

Early last month on this very blog, I wrote that several of us in the Aspirant community were aware of a series of priestly reassignments in the Diocese of Knoxville that would soon be upon us, and that indeed because of these reassignments some would have to change spiritual directors. Others would be very directly impacted because they would be seeing a change in pastor. I did not know then that Father Joseph would be among those reassigned to new ministries...I don't know whether Father Joseph knew by then or not, and that is, of course, absolutely none of my business.

I do know that I would not be in the deaconate formation program today, approaching candidacy if God and the bishop are willing, were it not for Father Joseph. Every potential Aspirant must have a letter of recommendation from their pastor. We have to have certain other letters of recommendation as well, and it probably doesn't hurt to have a couple of extra, which I did. Father Joseph is the one which contents I do not know, but I know he wrote it because I could not have been accepted without it. That is the one recommendation every man in the class must have, and it humbles me greatly that I received Father Joseph's good word.

I was humbled because Father Joseph seemed to keep a certain distance from many in the parish, and I think this may have been because some parishioners moaned and complained that they could not understand him (this was, as a matter of personal observation, because some people didn't want to take the time to understand him better). Yet Father Joseph had enough trust and confidence in me to recommend me for deaconate formation, and for that will be eternally honored and grateful to him. I am sorry to see him go, primarily because I think that he is a living example of Christ's humility that our parish continues to be in very sore need of. He was doing all of us a great deal more good than he may have realized. I will say that in going back into what appears to be full time ministry with the Hispanic community, Father Joseph is returning to a ministry where he has many talents and gifts and where it is known that those gifts are deeply appreciated. He and his ministry will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers in the years ahead.

So now we will have a new pastor. He's visited St. Pat's before and many parishioners know who he is, and some know him better.

Father Patrick Brownell

A great many have known that Father Patrick has served our country as a chaplain for our military personnel. Many of us have prayed for him in that vitally important role. Now he'll be joining my parish  family as our new pastor. I have not had the privilege to come to know Father Patrick in the way that some others in our diocese have, but I have never heard anything but good about him, and I know that he has visited St. Pat's before in the time that I have been a member there. It is my prayer, however, that I will come to know him, I hope well, and I hope that he will pray for me in my formation as I strive to help him in his new pastoral ministry through prayer, and in whatever meager way that I might serve. I am praying that we might be able to develop a relationship that can bear fruit for God's Kingdom for many years to come.

As I wrote last month, the reassignment of priests, and sometimes even of deacons, is a reality of life in the Church, and people who are active in the Church know this, but it doesn't always make it easy on the clergy or the parishioners involved. We should pray for both Father Joseph and Father Patrick, and try to make it as easy and as welcoming for Father Patrick as we can, and to remember that he will be our shepherd. Let us strive for a spirit of joyful obedience to him as he follows God's will in coming to us.

A project blessing and charity

Well, we had a very good (if very "loaded") series of formation classes with Dr. Sherri Brown on the synoptic Gospels, and I had my long-awaited meeting with Deacon Tim Elliott and Deacon Jim Lawson. At first, I was quite nervous and I didn't know what to expect, although in hindsight, the meeting itself wasn't much to be worried about.

As everyone knows who reads this blog, I have been concerned for some time to find a summer project that would fulfill the 30 hours of service which is being asked for by the bishop. I am grateful to God that a project has been given to me, and while I don't know if that project will fulfill a full 30 hours, I know it will fulfill a good chunk of it considering how long it takes me to research and write a good post. I have been asked to be the primary (certainly not the only) blogger for a few months on the Diocese of Knoxville's blog dedicated to our 25th Anniversary, Life at 25. (You can see my first two posts in that assignment here and here). I asked Deacon Tim if I could use the time that I put into Life at 25 as a summer project, and he said that he would accept that. I am thrilled to have the assignment, but I also know that in this case, my strength is my weakness, because I have taken on a project that is all about the use of words, long an admitted strength.

As Deacon Tim has very rightly pointed out to me, however, the "third leg" of the mission of the diaconate is charity, and he made it rather clear, I think, that the ability to render charity in some form is something that he is looking for, and he should-one of the things we are reminded of in the Ordination Rite is that we are to be conformed to Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve. Hence, I am actively looking for a way to render some charity, and not merely because it is being asked of me, but because I know that as a deacon, it will be an integral part of my ministry and I want to reflect Christ's love to as many people as I can.



I am hoping that my writing this summer will bless a lot of people, and that the Lord might give me another opportunity to give people who need it a blessing also.

Projects and praise

The time has come to begin searching in earnest for our summer service projects for formation. I am still unsure exactly what my summer service will entail. Deacon Tim Elliott, who is our Director of Deacons and Deaconate Formation, has e-mailed us a list of suggested places that we might go to minister, but I thought the list for our deanery was a bit thin. The good news is that we don't have to follow that list, we are at liberty to find our own service project, but we have to verify that we've done the good works we set out to do by writing Deacon Tim a one-page summary of our work and the contact information of the person or people who can verify that we did what we have said we would do, and for the amount of time that we are pledged to do it. That is neither an unreasonable request, nor is it undoable once I do find something.

At this point, I still have no idea what my summer service project will be, but I am open to suggestions and I am going to operate under the assumption that if it is something radically different that I might need to clear it with Deacon Tim or with the bishop, even though I have been told in an e-mail that we do not necessarily have to clear our projects beforehand. I'd certainly feel more comfortable doing so in order to make certain that whatever I find (or come up with) meets the intentions that Deacon Tim and Bishop Stika have set out for a proper service requirement, not just a case of "I like this, so I think I will do it." Nicole suggested that it may be possible to find something to do at Daily Bread, which is an ecumenical ministry in Morristown that feeds hungry people-anyone who comes-every day. Many area churches serve there, including our own parish. My spiritual director has suggested that I might consider offering some classes of supplemental instruction at the parish over the summer on topics such as different forms of prayer, the liturgy, or the Eucharist after I expressed a concern to him about some of our RCIA neophytes being "left hanging" a bit (not on purpose, mind you, they just kept right on coming!). I couldn't help but notice that this year, unlike what I have often observed in previous years, we didn't see much of a drop-off in attendance after Easter. Most of our new Catholics stayed with us right up to the very end. To me, this indicated a spiritual hunger and interest, so I might like to try and address some of that (of course, were I to offer these informational sessions, they'd be open to all, not just former RCIA participants). Father Joseph would have to approve of that project, too...

I am also actively seeking to assist the parish in new ways. There are a couple of committee positions on the parish council at St. Pat's that I have a genuine interest in. One is spiritual life, and the other is parish life. Since prayer and spirituality are what I would call a strength of mine (albeit a developing strength), perhaps I can also be of service in this way. A ministry of prayer and the teaching and spreading of prayer to others is one that I would hope to have if I am-God willing-ordained.

Even though I am still perplexed about what my summer project might be, I have decided to take the advice of a commenter to this blog back in January when I first expressed honest concern and some apprehension about what my summer project might be. Everything about my formation up to this point I have entrusted to Jesus through Mary, and I have told the Lord that I trust in him to provide what I need, and he has so far done that through the wonderful and prayerful support of my brother Aspirants, in a unique way through Steve Helmbrecht and Don Griffith, who have been generous to provide me a ride to formation each month, and have therefore had to put up with me! The Lord sent them to answer my prayer that if this was the Lord's will, the Lord would provide a way. 

I am going to approach my summer project with the same spirit and with that prayer brought to us by St. Faustina: "Jesus I trust in you." It is our bishop's episcopal motto (Iesu Confido in Te) and it has become my personal prayer throughout my formation process...and so I trust in Jesus to show me the way in summer service the way he has shown me the way in everything else.

And I am going to praise God for his goodness to me in allowing me to be formed in this way. In that spirit, here is another of my favorite Taize hymns.

If you don't know the Latin, it roughly translates:

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
All Nations, Alleluia!


Finally, pray for me. This coming weekend is our formation weekend, and on Saturday I am scheduled to meet with Deacon Tim, Deacon Jim Lawson, and <??????> to answer whatever questions they may have about where I am in my call, to submit my canonical impediments form, and to receive instructions on how to formally request candidacy from the bishop. Nicole will also have to join me in this request.

Come and follow me

I recently engaged in an internet discussion with a very nice lady who has shown some rudimentary interest in the Catholic faith. I don't yet know enough about her, other than just a little about her personal faith background, to know how best I might help her in her faith journey or whether I am the one to help at all. The exchange has gotten me to thinking, however, of the importance of our lives acting as witnesses to call others to Jesus Christ, who would call all people to himself.

Pope Francis has said in a recent homily that without evangelization, the Church doesn't act as our Mother, but as "a babysitter." The Holy Father said that when we evangelize others “the Church becomes a mother church that produces children (and more) children, because we, the children of the Church, we carry that. But when we do not, the Church is not the mother, but the babysitter, that takes care of the baby – to put the baby to sleep. It is a Church dormant." Pope Francis called on all Catholics “to proclaim Christ, to carry the Church – this fruitful motherhood of the Church – forward." The Holy Father's call echos the very words of Jesus when he told the Apostles in Matthew 28:19-20:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

The Holy Father also pointed out that the very first believers in the book of Acts had only recently been baptized, but had the courage to go out and proclaim the Gospel to others. Certainly we aren't called to do any less than the first Christians. What we cannot do with any effectiveness is to be witnesses "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:9)” without our lives reflecting that which we proclaim and being the primary witness to the faith we profess.



My internet conversation with someone interested in our faith got me thinking seriously about how the words and actions that I use around others reflect on the faith that I profess with my lips. We are called to issue the same summons that Jesus did, to encourage others to follow him.

Are we really doing that?