Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, 2021

Jeremiah 33:14-16

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, 4:1-2

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

If you are one of those who take the time to follow the daily readings of the Church each day (and I sincerely hope that you do) or you attend or watch daily Mass each day, you know that the readings this past week have taken on what can best be described as a kind of apocalyptic theme. We've been hearing the discourse of Jesus as described in the 21st chapter of St Luke's Gospel, which is Luke's account of Jesus' discourse to the disciples on the times of trouble that they would experience in their journey to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the Earth, and that the whole world would experience before the Lord's final return at the end of time as we know it. It's easy to see why the Church would direct us to those kinds of readings at the end of the liturgical year, because it's the end of the cycle that we use to mark sacred time, so at the close of the year the Church wants to draw our attention to the reality that the day will come when Jesus returns in glory and this world as we know it will also come to a close. 

When we hear the more apocalyptic passages in the Gospels at the end of the liturgical year, they also serve as a personal reminder to each of us that even if we don't live to see the end of days and the final return of Christ in our lifetime, it is a sure and certain reality that we will personally meet the Lord and stand before him, and we should always be ready for that moment, it could come any day, we do not know when, where, or how.

We've come now to the first Sunday of Advent, it's an entirely new Liturgical Year, and yet here we are on the first Sunday of Advent and the Church has us in Luke 21 again, with Jesus speaking near the end of that discourse reminding his hearers to pray for the perseverance to see their way through the various tribulations that they will have to undergo as his followers, and prepare to meet Him at any time.

We've just celebrated Thanksgiving (I'm still full!), and the secular world is already ramping up for Christmas. We can find twenty-four hours a day and 7 days a week Christmas music on our radios or our favorite music streaming app. We are currently living through one of the worst inflationary cycles I can remember in my lifetime, but that doesn't seem to stop the pursuit of holiday profit, or the obsession with many to make sure they have the right number of gifts or that everything is perfect for Christmas, and yet the Church is reminding us in our readings today that these worldly things with which we are concerned - things which are not sinful in and of themselves - can be made sinful when we make those things the purpose of this season or the purpose of our lives. Jesus is reminding us that as surely as we celebrate the first Advent and we begin to focus our minds on the reality of the Incarnation of the Son of God, that there is and will be a Second Advent, and that Advent will be the one when the Son of God returns in glory. The reason that Advent is a wonderful time to reflect on that reality is precisely because we need the reminder every year (and certainly this year) that the things of this world are passing things, we cannot take them with us at the end of this Life or at the end of all things.

It is easy for us to forget in our everyday world the reality of the end of life and of the end of things. We don't often tend to dwell on this because Jesus himself told us we did not know the day or the hour that he would return, and we are repeatedly warned in the New Testament for us to carry on our lives. Before the Ascension, when the Apostles asked the Lord if he was going to restore the Kingdom, the Lord's response was that it was not for us to "know the times and the seasons which the Father has under his own power." (cf. Acts 1:7)

It bears remembering, however, that at every Mass we proclaim the mystery of faith, and we say just as St. Paul did that when we partake of the Eucharist, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again. You might even recall that some years back before our current Roman Missal came into use, we often proclaimed at the Mystery of faith the words "Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again."

We don't know when that will be, but that is really the point. Whether it is our own death or the Final Consummation of things at the end of the age, all of us will someday meet the Lord face to face. In the end, at the Last Judgement, He will either tell us "well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master's house," (cf. Matthew 25:21) or he will say "depart from me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you." (cf. Matthew 7:21-23) 

Advent provides for us a very wonderful and special opportunity to truly deepen our relationship with Jesus who is God become Man. This truly wonderful season allows us to enter more deeply into the mystery not only of the Incarnation and the First Advent of Our Lord, but also the reality that he will return in glory, there will be a Second Advent of Christ, and even now the holy spirit is trying to prepare our hearts for that reality.

We can be open to that preparation, both to celebrate the Incarnation at Christmas and anticipate the Lord's return by looking for Christ amongst our neighbors. We know that this time of year there is need and want all around us, but especially this year when so many people are experiencing the effects of some very hard times in our country. Jesus asked his disciples "when the son of man comes, will he find faith on Earth?" We might also ask ourselves that if he came today, would Jesus find that we are spending our time going about the Lord's work, of spreading the Gospel, and loving and caring for our neighbor?

It's a wonderful time of year to renew our commitment to doing exactly that.

Traditiones Custodes is less about Liturgy and more about Legacy

Yesterday I happened upon a social media post from the great lay theologian, Catholic thinker, and Catholic Work Farm manager Dr. Larry Chapp. Dr. Chapp-who, like many of us, has lamented the promulgation of Traditiones Custodes-linked to an article in which I found the larger conclusions somewhat troubling, but nevertheless true. The article is by Shaun Blanchard in Church Life Journal, which is the premiere ecclesiastical publication of the University of Notre Dame. 

I'm not going to rehash Blanchard's article, but in order to understand the context of this post, readers really do need to click on the article as linked in the text and read it. Blanchard is correct that there is a group within the Church that is reacting to Traditiones Custodes with very uncharitable glee, even celebration. However, the rest of the people who really care about this issue are reacting in three other ways. Some very good liturgists and theologians see the Motu proprio as a matter of unfortunate necessity. A great many practicing Catholics find themselves in the place where I am, which is the posture of "mourn and move on" as Blanchard puts it, especially those of us who are priests and deacons. We don't have to like this Motu proprio and we can believe that it is a very big mistake (I believe it is a historical example of a Papal heavy hand being used to deal with a relatively small problem where the universal Church is concerned, which has happened before), but we are duty bound to obey. This is especially true since we understand that the Pope has ultimate authority over the Church's liturgy. For many observant and practicing Catholics, finding a way to deal with the new situation in light of Traditiones Custodes is something that they understand that they have very little choice but to do, especially when we consider that many Bishops are making (often generous) provisions for those in their dioceses attached to the Tridentine Mass. The fourth posture Blanchard says that we often see now in response to Traditiones Custodes is "refuse and resist." This is most often the posture that we find in many places on Catholic Social Media today, and those who take this posture don't do anything but confirm those who support Traditiones Custodes in the idea that the Holy Father was correct to issue it.

Traditiones Custodes is only about liturgy on the surface, as Blanchard points out in his article, and it's certainly not about Latin. What Traditiones Custodes is really about is the power of the Pope to control the narrative and the legacy of the Second Vatican Council, and every post-conciliar Pope since St. Paul VI has been preoccupied with affirming the Second Vatican Council and controlling the narrative surrounding it. That is not unusual historically, it tends to happen for decades and even centuries after all ecumenical councils, and controlling the narrative and legacy is exactly what Pope Francis is attempting to do.

I also think that it's unfortunate that the analysis of where the camps are is largely correct (and mind you, I think the world of Raymond Cardinal Burke, and he's one of the best canon lawyers if not the best canon lawyer in the Church today. I cannot help but note, however, that in his argument that the Holy Father doesn't have the authority to issue Traditiones Custodes, which I have read, I do not recall one single instance where he actually quotes previous canon law or liturgical law to prove his argument. I can only conclude that this is because canon law does not support his argument and he believes that this is deeper than a canonical argument, he thinks that it is a moral one.)
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I would like to believe Cardinal Burke's argument myself, but I understand that the Pope is the chief liturgist in the Church, especially in the Latin Rite. There is no question that he had the authority to do what he did (CIC 331-333), even if I believe that it was a very dangerous act where unity is concerned.
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There is also the reality that this is largely a First World Problem, with the majority of parishes offering the Tridentine Mass existing in five countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and Germany). When one adds in the parishes that offer the Usus Antiquior in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, one sees that the matter of the Usus Antiquior, while not exclusively confined to the First World, is dominated by it, and within the First World is largely dominated by the Anglosphere. As Blanchard cites, 40% of all parishes which offer the Usus Antiquior are located in one country, the United States, which only has about 4% of the world's Catholics. The Usus Antiquior is going to become even more of a First World issue as we see Traditiones Custodes implemented. There are large swathes of the world where the Tridentine Mass is largely unknown, as Shaun Blanchard hints at. I don't think that reality has ever helped advocates of the Old Rite, especially as practical power in the Church is increasingly moving away from the First World. The reality is that the Catholic faith on a worldwide level is the faith of the Third World, and in many of those places the allowances of Summorum Pontificum have never been at the top of the Church's priority list.
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I will say that I don't think that the Usus Antiquior is going away, and I believe that it will continue to grow in the Developed World. I do not think that Traditiones Custodes is going to kill it, despite the intentions to do so, and it will likely continue to grow in the places where it is already more available. I don't think the Tridentine Mass is going away... But I also don't think that it's going to expand far beyond the parts of the world where it already is more widely available.
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I suspect that a future Pope will loosen many of the restrictions in Traditiones Custodes, but we will likely never return to the days of Summorum Pontificum.

An excellent sermon delivered during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Usus Antiquior by Father David Carter, Pastor of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was delivered the Sunday following the release of Traditiones Custodes.

The thing that the Holy Father gets very right.

Nearly all of the talk in the world of Catholic social media and Catholic discussion over the last week has centered around the latest Apostolic Letter issued Motu proprio by Pope Francis. That letter, Traditiones Custodes, effectively reverses the provisions of the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum issued by his predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Francis places restrictions on the celebration of the Tridentine Mass which many people believe border on the draconian, and which some commentators believe are designed to eventually eradicate the old Latin Mass from the face of the Earth. Reading the Motu proprio, it is very easy to see why some people would get that impression.

Lots of people have engaged in personal commentary on this document, but I have refrained from posting about it until now, partly so that I could read some educated commentary about it, rather than merely the impassioned views of a few from Facebook and Twitter. I also refrained because I have no desire to appear in any way to disparage or disrespect the Holy Father, I wanted to reserve what comment I do have on this until my own passions could subside enough that I could speak with both clarity and charity. The reality is that some people who fancy themselves to be traditional Catholics have spent an awful lot of time since 2013 saying many bad things about our current Pope in public forums, and in this day and age when even the Vatican monitors social media, that reality is likely one of the things that has brought us to this present situation.

It doesn't matter whether you disagree with the Holy Father on this thing or that. It's not going to change the fact that he is the Pope and he has the authority of the Pope. I have increasingly learned that when it comes to the Church it does me little good to worry about the things that are out of my control, but does much spiritual good to concern myself with the things which are in my control.

As for my personal opinion of Traditiones Custodes, I dearly wish that the Holy Father had not issued it, and I pray that he would reconsider some of its harsher provisions. I share the concern of good men of God like Monsignor Charles Pope that this document is taking into consideration the words and views of extremists (many to be found on social media), but that the overwhelming majority of people who attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form are there for the right reasons and they need spiritual care. Perhaps the most harsh provision of Traditiones Custodes is that when the Mass of Trent is celebrated, the Holy Father does not want it to take place in ordinary parish churches. It can take place in chapels and oratories and parishes specifically designated for that purpose, such as parishes staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) or The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP). 

However, those places make up a very small percentage of places where the old Latin Mass is celebrated. Most places where it is celebrated are ordinary diocesan parishes, and it is offered by everyday diocesan priests. That is why in the Diocese of Knoxville, Bishop Richard Stika has invoked Canon 87 Sec. 1 of the Code of Canon Law in our diocese and dispensed from this requirement, at least temporarily, the priests and the faithful of this diocese. What this means is that the schedule of Latin Masses will continue as normal in East Tennessee for the time being. It is almost certain that there will be some changes to that at some point in the future, but I am equally as certain that the celebration of the Extraordinary Form will not go away in the Diocese of Knoxville.

It would be easy for us to spend time lamenting that the Holy Father has issued Traditiones Custodes, but he has done so and he is the Vicar of Christ. Hence, we are obligated as best we can to give heed to what he has told us, and the clergy are obligated to act in obedience as best we possibly can. In such a time as this, we can also be reminded that "all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose..." (cf. Romans 8:28). One way that we can see that all things work together for good is that the Holy Father at least seems to see one of the major reasons why people are initially drawn to the Tridentine Mass, liturgical innovation which can lead to banality in our worship, and even liturgical abuse. In the introductory letter which accompanies Traditiones Custodes, the Holy Father writes:

"At the same time, I am saddened by abuses in the celebration of the liturgy on all sides. In common with Benedict XVI, I deplore the fact that 'in many places the prescriptions of the new Missal are not observed in celebration, but indeed come to be interpreted as an authorization for or even a requirement of creativity, which leads to almost unbearable distortions.'"

This passage means that, at the very least, Pope Francis understands one of the most critical realities that has driven many people- especially younger people - into the embrace of local Latin Mass communities is the reality that in many parishes today, there is a whole lot of liturgical innovation going on, much of it in the name of trying to make the Mass somehow more appealing or participatory than the rubrics, the texts, or the Church documents themselves do. When this is done, what ends up happening instead is that the Liturgy can become a kind of personal entertainment, whether that is the intent or not. What's more, in some cases if people actually bring up this problem they are told that the Second Vatican Council authorized a lot of this innovation. The Council authorized texts and liturgical activity in the vernacular, it didn't authorize people to turn the Liturgy into some form of contemporary schtick. 

If the end result of Traditiones Custodes is that the Missal of St. Paul VI as modified by St. John Paul II (and released in the English speaking world at Advent of 2011) becomes in fact as well as in law "the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite," (Traditiones Custodes Art. 1) then we should revisit afresh the ultimate liturgical document which governs this rite, Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. SC 36 tells us that:

36. 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

3. These norms being observed, it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. And, whenever it seems to be called for, this authority is to consult with bishops of neighboring regions which have the same language.

4. Translations from the Latin text into the mother tongue intended for use in the liturgy must be approved by the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned above.

In other words, yes the liturgical texts may be translated into the vernacular language and used, but this doesn't do away with the Church's patrimony of Latin. We in the Western Church are part of the Latin Rite. Parts (or even conceivably all) of a Mass in the Rite of St. Paul VI could be said or sung in Latin. Realistically, the parts most likely to be in Latin would likely be major chants such as the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei, and perhaps even the Gloria, especially for major feast days. Related to this is what Sacrosanctum Concilium said with regard to the use of Gregorian chant:

116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.

Gregorian chant should be given pride of place in our liturgy? In many parishes today, you wouldn't even know that the document said this, you'll be hard-pressed to find chant in many places, even though there are beautiful anglicized versions of Psalmody and musical chants in the Gregorian style for the Mass. Yes, they can be had, some parishes use them. Many do not. 

The section I mentioned above mentions Article 30. That article talks about the full and conscious and active participation of the people, but what exactly does it say?

30. To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence. [Emphasis mine]

Many of our parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville clearly get this part of the message of Sacrosanctum Concilium. If you come before Mass you can find the naves of many of our parishes observing an appropriate level of silence. However, I have visited many parishes over the years in many places in various States and localities, and there are plenty of parishes where the period immediately before and immediately after the liturgy becomes Social Hour in the presence of the Tabernacle. I have written about this particular problem before. I'm a big believer in parish fellowship and in the communio of brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus. But the nave of a church and the area near the sanctuary is not a place of conversation, God's House is a House of prayer. Most Parish grounds have plenty of places where people can go to carry on fellowship, conversation, and enjoyment of each other in the Lord. We should make better use of those places more often.

Many people have made their way to the Latin Mass because they are desperately looking for the reverence and awe in the worship of a Holy God that they should be able to find at their parish of residence. Sadly, I have known priests over the years who have faced great persecution from parishioners and even people in authority for attempting to do nothing more than the things that Sacrosanctum Concilium encourages us to do in our worship.

The Church has the liturgical and musical heritage to be able to give parishioners who have become attached to the Latin Mass-and to all of God's people-the reverence and awe of worshiping the Thrice Holy God within the Ordinary Form of the Mass itself. Nowhere in the documents of the Second Vatican Council is it even suggested that traditional behavior such as sacred silence in the presence of the Tabernacle, Communion rails, kneeling, chalice palls or chalice veils, fine vessels for the elements of the Eucharist, Sanctus bells, or Gregorian chant should be done away with. Some of the things on that list are more required than others, but all of them bespeak an atmosphere of reverence and holy worship for Our Lord.

In addition, both clergy and the People of God at large should comport themselves appropriately for Divine Worship. The hymns used ought to be more traditional in their composition, not simply because they are old (for we know that things that are old are not always necessarily good), but because more traditional hymnody often reinforces essential Christian doctrine in the lyrics, and we all know that for some people, often through no fault of their own, the Liturgy will be the only Christian education they get this week. Psalmody should be simple, preferably in some mode of chant (remember that bit about pride of place). [For more about the Church's teaching on the use of music in liturgy, it is helpful to read the Church document from the Second Vatican Council Musicam Sacram given to us by Pope Saint Paul VI.]

 The clergy ought to wear beautiful and reverent vestments as their Parish can best afford, because this is for Jesus, and that's Him on the altar. A Byzantine Catholic priest friend of mine wisely says that our vestments should be seen as a form of sacred iconography. They should not look like something out of That 70's Show. Yes, use Latin from time to time at points in the liturgy, and we should teach the people some of the simple Latin chants so that they know and understand what they mean, such as the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei, and even the Gloria. Sometimes Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are necessary in the Mass, but the number should never be a great many because deacons ought be prepared to make themselves available to distribute Holy Communion if needed, and priests should never be afraid to use their deacons, that is why we are here. If your parish has a Communion rail, use it.

Priests and deacons should be unafraid to preach the Word of God, and even to wax theological or doctrinal in their sermons/homilies. The people of God can take the Truth, and if they can't, they need to examine their consciences, and yes, brother clergy, that includes us as well, sometimes we need to be preaching to ourselves. To that end, increased time should be made for confessions on the part of priests, and priests and deacons should figure out how to schedule more time for Eucharistic adoration and Benediction. 

These are just a few of the things that we can do to make the Ordinary Form of the Liturgy in the Latin Rite something that is filled with reverence, beauty, Truth, and the fear of God. There is much more that can be done, but I am convinced that if some of the things I have mentioned here were actually carried out with care and love of God, we might see some of those young people with families in our diocese who prefer the Extraordinary Form for the reasons of reverence be able to feel more at home in a regular Parish Ordinary Form setting. 

We should be able to go to Mass and truly feel an otherworldly experience, because it is otherworldly, it is meant to be a type of Heaven on Earth.


NOTE: It should be noted, as His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke and others have pointed out, Traditiones Custodes has apparently been prepared in such haste that a Latin typical edition of the document has yet to be prepared, and there are translation differences between the Italian and English documents that may prove significant. I myself note that the document does not even appear to be properly numerically divided, which is why I did not cite its sections in the way that I normally would any other Church document.

In making this weblog post, I feel compelled to point out that I am asserting my canonical rights under Canon 212 §2-3 of the Code of Canon Law.

Have You No Fear of God?

Because of the nature of the material in this particular post, it is likely that I need to begin the post by reminding my readers and what is posted on this blog is my view on what is happening in the Church today, although this opinion is firmly rooted in the established teaching of the Catholic Church, and I'm about to restate that teaching as part of this post.

This past Thursday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted by an overwhelming margin to draft a document on what is called Eucharistic cohesion, basically it will be a document reminding Catholics about the Church's teaching on what is required in order to receive the Holy Eucharist. It is widely expected that as part of that document there will be a reminder that public figures who openly support and promote abortion should not receive the Eucharist, since the Church teaches very clearly that abortion is murder, and that if a public figure is going to openly promote abortion and pass laws which not only keep it legal, but actually encourage the practice, to receive the Eucharist under the circumstances is to endanger their soul.

In response, more than sixty Democrats who also claim to be practicing Catholics signed a letter demanding that the Bishops not interfere with their "right" to receive Holy Communion, and they said that the Bishops should not "weaponize the Eucharist." Every one of these people are also public supporters of abortion on demand. In drafting such a letter, these individuals have shown us that no one is threatening to weaponize the Eucharist but them. 

Among the many responsibilities of Bishops, the most important is to be a teacher of the Catholic faith and to hand on the deposit of faith as it was handed on to them. The bishops are the successors of the apostles, and thus have a duty to uphold Catholic teaching. Furthermore, a bishop is the Supreme liturgist in his diocese, and he is ultimately the one in charge of the conferral of the sacraments. He determines who receives the sacraments and who does not. Signing a letter to bishops attempting to tell them not to deny you the sacraments while you tell them that you are going to obstinately remain in opposition to Church teaching in a public way is not a good idea. It is, in fact, an invitation to be denied the Sacraments. 

These people believe that they should be able to receive the Eucharist while acting in public opposition to the Church on a moral issue of such gravity that if a Catholic woman receives an abortion with full knowledge and consent of the will, she is excommunicated laetae sententiae, that is by the very commission of the act. (CIC 1398) Now yes, if the same woman comes to the Church repentant, and, as are many women are in that situation, confused and frightened, the Church has made a way to easily lift that penalty for the good of souls, because the mercy of Christ is truly boundless. Nevertheless, excommunication is still the highest penalty that the Church can levy on any Catholic, and that is the penalty for knowingly procuring an abortion or assisting in one. Yet the "Catholics" who signed this letter somehow believe that they are above that, that those who procure or assist in abortions can be excommunicated while they ought to be able to receive the Eucharist with impunity while they not only tolerate legal abortion, many of them are promoting legislation, funding schemes, and organizations which promote and even encourage abortion. The executive actions of our current President have done more to promote abortion than any President in my lifetime (even the one under which he served as Vice President, and Obama's promotion of abortion was bad enough), but he can go to Mass next weekend and receive the Eucharist and not face any ecclesiastical sanction, while the young woman who takes advantage of the abortion funding that Mr Biden has promoted could face laetae sententiae excommunication if she willingly receives an abortion.

It is not weaponizing the Eucharist to demand accountability in one's faith and sacramental life. If you are a public figure, you cannot promote the taking of the most innocent human life as a matter of public policy and not expect to be called on the carpet by your co-religionists, and ideally by your religious leaders. 

Since the First Century the Church has condemned abortion. The Didache, which is the earliest manual of Church order that we know of, gives the instruction to the earliest Christians (Didache Chapter 2):

"[Y]ou shall not murder a child by abortion, nor kill that which is begotten."

The Church's teaching is clear, yet these public officials persist in their opposition to that teaching and at the same time believe that despite their public promotion of abortion, they should simply be able to receive the Eucharist as if they've done nothing wrong.

Then there is this piece of work from California Congressman Ted Lieu:

Congressman Lieu appears to be in dire need of a corrective session on Catholic teaching from his bishop, who just happens to be the current President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles. Obviously, I can't make Archbishop Gomez have a little teaching conference with Congressman Lieu, that's up to the Archbishop to do... However, I am in a perfectly good position to explain to the Congressman that it is possible that he could be denied Communion, and because of the posture he is taking, Archbishop Gomez would be perfectly justified in denying it to him. He is not merely engaging in personal sin, he has chosen with his statement to publicly engage in obstinate defiance of Church teaching and authority. That is perfectly good justification to deny someone the Eucharist unless and until they repent of such obstinate defiance.

Sanctioning Congressman Lieu for this behavior is entirely up to his bishop, that would be the case even if the USCCB drafted a very specific document on the subject that was extremely clear about this problem... It is still a matter for the local bishop to handle. However, it is most important to be reminded of just why many of our bishops feel the need to have a discussion about this issue and draft a document about it that explains the circumstances under which a person should and should not receive Holy Communion, and which could make it clear that those who publicly promote abortion should not receive Holy Communion.

We have come to this discussion and this place because these supposedly "good Catholics" are refusing to be honest with us or with themselves. If you proclaim yourself a Catholic, one of the things you are supposed to profess as a matter of dogmatic Truth is that the Eucharist (Holy Communion) continues to have the outward appearance of bread and wine, but that when the elements are consecrated they become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The Lord gives us His flesh to eat (cf. John 6:32-58). Secondly, to receive Holy Communion is both Communion with God and with the Body of Christ, the Church. In addition to receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Communion is an outward and visible sign not only of that belief, but of unity of faith. If you receive Holy Communion you are saying with your amen that you believe what the Church teaches, that you are in Communion with the Church. If you are not in a state of grace, you should not receive Holy Communion. If you are persistently, publicly, and obstinately opposed to a fundamental aspect of the Church's teaching such as the sanctity of human life at all stages, you most definitely should not be receiving Holy Communion, because in the most literal sense of the word you are not in communion with the Church or what she fundamentally holds to be true. If you are receiving Holy Communion under those circumstances, you are not being honest with yourself and you're certainly not being honest with those around you. When you receive Holy Communion, with your "Amen" you are saying "so be it," or "I believe," while you are literally telling the world in public statements that you don't believe.

This is not a partisan critique. I can think of two cases, one Republican (former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge) and one Democrat (former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius) who each got "the talk" from their local bishop about this issue during their political careers. To my knowledge, both of them respected the bishop's judgment that they should not receive Holy Communion until they had reconciled with the Church on this issue of abortion.

Of course that would be the right thing to do, to be honest with yourselves, with your fellow Catholics, and with your constituents. If you are so persistently and obstinately opposed to the Church on an issue upon which the Church has not changed since the first century, why on Earth would you receive Holy Communion if you really believe what we are supposed to believe about what- about Who - the Eucharist actually is? Respect for your own beliefs would demand that you did not receive Holy Communion, unless you are using that belief system or the Eucharist (or both) as a political prop, and if that is the case, may God have mercy on your souls...

Considering the poor state of catechesis in many places in our country today, it is always possible that some of the people on that list of signatories to the "letter to the bishops" were not aware of the Church's teaching regarding the Eucharist, or what constitutes worthy reception of Our Lord in the Eucharist. Let us all be reminded of the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29:

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

It should be noted here that the majority of the 11th chapter of 1st Corinthians is devoted to correcting those who have disrespected the Eucharist.

Holy Communion is not a right, it is a gift. Specifically, it is a gift from Christ to the Church, not from the Church to individual members. If you are doing things which willfully promote grave or mortal sin (and certainly something which can excommunicate your brothers and sisters in the faith), this is also grave, and that would include not merely upholding existing law, but promulgating new laws which encourage, fund, and even promote abortion and other manifest public and apparent sin. 

If you publicly and willfully believe in things which are utterly contrary to the most basic teachings of the Catholic faith, the best thing you can do for yourself and the good of your own soul, as well as the good of your brothers and sisters in the faith, is to abstain from receiving Holy Communion unless and until you can reconcile your beliefs with what the Church teaches. 

Note that I am not telling you that you aren't Catholic or that you should not come to Mass and worship with us. I am saying that if you are not in Communion with the Church, you should not receive Holy Communion.

If someone knows that their beliefs are not in Communion with the Church, and they persist in receiving the Eucharist anyway under those circumstances, then it is fair to ask: Have you no fear of God? Do you have no belief in the Judgment of God? Do you have no respect for Jesus who died for you? This debate persists in the Church because some people persist in this public display of dishonesty about what they believe.

It doesn't have to be that way. As an act of love and charity, I beg of those who persist in these public errors: If you don't believe, don't receive.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent

Exodus 20:1-17

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

John 2:13-25

Our Gospel today comes very early in St. John's Gospel and shares with us John's account of something that the other Gospels tell us happened during (or very near to) Holy Week-Jesus' righteous anger at the money changers in the temple and his overturning of their tables of business. It is important to ask, then, what were the money changers doing at the Jerusalem Temple, the place where any observant first century Jew understood was the dwelling place of Almighty God on this Earth. The one place where legitimate sacrifices to the Lord could take place, and they did- on a daily basis.

Prayer and sacrifice took place in the Jerusalem Temple in those days every day. Just as in our day all clergy in the Church celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day, public prayers, usually centered around the Psalms of David, occurred daily in the Temple. Daily sacrifices took place there too, of various kinds. The priests who had their rotation in the Temple had to offer sacrifices to God as part of their daily and Sabbath worship. And if anyone came to the Temple to offer a sacrifice, whether for the circumcision and dedication of a child, in prayer for or in Thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, for one of the feast days, or simply as a grateful act of worship, the Law required that people should bring their best to God, sacrifices without blemish. There was also another kind of sacrifice that took place at the Temple, it was called the todah, or sacrifice of Thanksgiving. This sacrifice was an offering of special sacrificial bread, often called the showbread, and the very best wine from the vineyards of God's people.

Because the temple was the only place where the fullness of the worship of God could occur, when many people went there to worship, they came from a long way and often they couldn't carry their sacrifices with them, they had to find animals or other sacrificial materials the closer they got to Jerusalem. Eventually the scribes and major priests of the temple figured out that it might be a good idea to allow those selling such wares to do so right on the temple grounds, right outside the building. What this eventually became in the time of Jesus was a lucrative racket, people would have to pay a premium for the best sacrificial animals, that they were then going to buy with Temple coinage which they would get when they exchange their Roman currency on the temple grounds… because Caesar's money couldn't officially be used at the temple.

Jesus saw this currency racket and crony capitalism for what it was, and he saw that the Temple authorities were taking advantage of the people, or they were openly allowing others to do so right under their noses. In the very House of God, in the place where God dwelt in the world and where sacrifices to God were offered, the clergy who ministered in the Holy of Holies were filled with corruption, and what Jesus would call in his famous discourse in Matthew 23, "dead men's bones." He said that these people appeared outwardly to be Holy, but he saw that this wasn't Holiness at all, this wasn't fulfilling the law of God. Jesus, we read, turned over the tables of the money changers and the userers and those who were selling sacrifice to the Almighty. 

There is a great lesson to be learned by what Jesus did in the Gospel. We live in an age when the statistics tell us that many people right across the country and the world are leaving the Church, at least they are saying that they are. If you talk to anyone who has left the church, the most common complaint, other than the general hypocrisy of people, (which will always occur in any group of people because of our humanity), is the corruption and sin of so many of our clergy, and the apparent toleration of such corruption and sin by our leaders. There was all kinds of corruption going on, both spoken of in the scriptures and not spoken of, when Jesus showed up at the Temple in Jerusalem. The holy men of Israel had become corrupted to the point where they did not even recognize the Anointed of God. The Lord, in his righteous anger, had enough and turned over the tables, and reminded them that the House of God was to be a House of Prayer and not a den of thieves-or worse! (cf. Luke 19:46)

God sees our frustration and anger with the sins and evil and hypocrisy which occur in the church even in our own time. He sees these things to a degree which we cannot. He shares our frustration and our righteous anger at wrongdoing or wrong action, but he doesn't invite us to leave God's house. Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers is a reminder to all of us, and should especially serve as a warning to any of us who have received the gift of Holy Orders at any level, that wrongdoing may go unseen by others, but it does not go unseen by the Lord, and your sins will find you out. The Gospel serves as a reminder to anyone who might have been wronged, abused, or scandalized by someone using an office of the Church that the Lord sees the Injustice that was done to them, and that the wheels of God's justice may slowly turn, but they do turn and grind fine. The Lord sees injustice, and if no one in this world will remedy that injustice, the Lord is keeping a tally. And when it comes time for judgment of injustices and wrongs and evils, the Scriptures are clear that judgment begins at the House of the Lord.

If you're discouraged by things that you might see or hear about what's going on in the Church today, rest assured that God sees wrongs and injustices also, and the day will come when all is brought to light and the truth will set us free, just as the uncomfortable truth set a lot of people free the day Jesus turned over those tables. The Church needs people who will worship in spirit and in truth and believe in Jesus Christ and his Word today more than ever before, so stand fast in Jesus Christ and his Church and the day will come when he makes all things new.

And that Thanksgiving sacrifice, the todah… Some of the ancient rabbis just happened to predict that in the time of the Messiah, all sacrifices would cease… except for the todah, the sacrifice of Thanksgiving. It is said that this sacrifice will go on until the end of time.

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family

 Sirach 3:2-6, 13-14

Colossians 3:12-21

Luke 2:22-40

Merry Christmas! I have to say that I have always found it to be a great shame when some people exercise the option to shorten our second reading today, as well as the shortened other readings involving the Sacrament of Matrimony, such as Ephesians 5:22-33 when that comes up in the Lectionary. Sometimes this is done out of defference to the modern feminist movement, because an important explanation of the sacramental theology of marriage is deemed by some not to be politically correct in this day and age. 

Still others prefer to exclude these important readings because they fear that it may give license to abusive spouses to "lord it over" their wives and simply order them around and you ladies are supposed to do whatever we say. St Paul would have understood that if that was what he meant, it was going to go over like a lead balloon even in the ancient world. Remember that he is writing to a lot of people who are former pagans, and the wives in that cultural milieu likely would not have taken very well to simply being ordered around. What Saint Paul was telling the Colossians and the Ephesians and us today is that Christian matrimony is to be patterned after Christ's relationship with the Church, we are the bride and Christ is the bridegroom. 

What that means in practical application is that our homes are to be a domestic Church, and husbands and wives can be Christ to one another, but in a family context, the husband should be the one to have spiritual leadership in a home, just as Christ has spiritual leadership over the Church.

We see the ultimate clear example of that in the story of the flight into Egypt.. When the time came to follow the spiritual guidance of the Lord and to leave Israel and go to Egypt, there is no way that this could have been an easy decision. Joseph already had to take his espoused wife from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Now he was being told that Herod and the authorities in Jerusalem were threatening Jesus' life, and Joseph took the lead, following the direction of the Lord as told him by the angel, heeding God's command, and taking the lead over his family when it counted. Similarly, when Herod died, the angel made it known to Joseph, and Joseph followed the Divine directive. St. Joseph exercised spiritual leadership, because he took charge not only of Jesus physical protection, but the spiritual welfare of his family.

Similarly, in the Gospel today we see Mary and Joseph going together as a family to the temple to present Jesus. When this happened, Jesus would have been identified as Joseph's son before the priests and the rabbis of the Temple. We see the declarations of who Jesus is from Simeon the holy man, and Anna the prophetess, but probably the most important passage of the Gospel is what we see near the end when it tells us that the Holy family returned to Nazareth, and that "Jesus became strong and filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him." Even Jesus had the example of holy people around him. What we are left to presume is that Jesus grew up not unlike any other child of his day, we don't hear from his childhood except for the finding in the temple at the age of 12. After that incident, we don't hear from St Joseph in Sacred Scripture at all, but we know that he was the leader in the family when it counted. Early on in Our Lord's life, Joseph is seen making the difficult decisions under God's direction.

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity, is the Son of God and He is God. He could have come into the world in any way that he chose in order to carry out his mission to redeem humanity, but from the foundation of the world it was chosen that he would come into the world as part of an ordinary household and a family with a mother and a father, in part to show us that this is the normative way in which children should be raised.

For a very long time in our society today, it seems that if children are to have any religious upbringing at all, it is often the lady of the house who does the hard work to ensure that the children know something about God. I've known of a few cases where it's even the grandparents who take that responsibility unto themselves. Sacred Scripture is quite clear, however, that Holy Matrimony is a type, or a living example, of the relationship between Christ and the Church. While spouses are to be Christ to each other in their personal relationship (and I don't know about you, but I can think of plenty of times when my spouse has truly been Christ to me), it is the man of the house who stands in the place of Christ as bridegroom in the Sacrament of Matrimony. Just as Christ is the spiritual leader of the Church, the man of the house is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the home. We know that there are often negative spiritual consequences if things don't happen that way.

A few years back, Touchstone magazine published a study from Switzerland that was undertaken throughout Europe and recorded by the European Union. The study found that if both the father and mother of a family attended church regularly, 33% of their children will be regular churchgoers, and another 41% will be irregular churchgoers but consider themselves practicing. only about a quarter of the children of faith-filled marriages end up not practicing their faith in any way at all. Conversely, if mother practices her faith but father doesn't practice his at all, only about 2% of those children become regular churchgoers. Another 37% of those children will attend church on an irregular basis, and 60% of those children will not practice their faith at all. Interestingly, if Dad is the regular churchgoer and Mom is not, the same study showed that far more children were likely to be loyal to their faith, between 38 and 44% of them depending on the circumstances. Some American studies have shown that practicing Dads yield children that are as much as two-thirds more likely to remain loyal to their faith. Some U.S. studies show the number when Dad is active in church to be as high as 93% of children who remain in the practice of Christianity.

Men matter, fathers matter, and we live in an age when masculinity and fatherhood are both under terrible attack. St. Joseph is given to us as an example and a model of manhood, of leadership, of fatherhood. It is time for men to reclaim the example of St. Joseph and reclaim spiritual leadership of their homes and families. The model of the Holy Family can show us the way.

Parish Bulletin Column On Spiritual Communion 7/5/2020

As we continue our spiritual journey together during what some have termed- not inappropriately - "coronatide," the most frustrating aspect of our shared experience for so many of us has been the limited nature of public worship, the Mass, and the regular availability of the Holy Eucharist. We have been compelled to limit the number of people who can come to Mass, as well as to wear facemasks when we come to Sacred Worship. Entire rows of pews in our nave must be roped off to keep people from sitting in them as we “social distance.”  It has been most difficult for deacons and priests, because bringing Christ to others in tangible ways is a big part of the ministry of Catholic clergy.

If there is one benefit to what our community is going through, it may be that perhaps this experience will help us not to take the frequent reception of Holy Communion for granted. I was reminded by a recent article in Homiletic and Pastoral Review that the practice of "Spiritual Communion," of not receiving the Eucharist physically for a period of time, but inviting Our Eucharistic Lord to dwell in our hearts and change our lives is not only an ancient devotional practice, at one time it was a far more frequent one. 

It was the great Pope St. Pius X who restored and encouraged the practice of very frequent Holy Communion among the laity, even encouraging people to receive the Eucharist daily if they were properly disposed. While the renewal of the Blessed Sacrament in this way has been a great blessing for the Church, in more recent times we have become so accustomed to receiving Holy Communion with such frequency that the regular practice of Spiritual Communion seemed to be non-existent among many Catholics, with the notable exception of those homebound who have not had regular access to the Holy Eucharist. 

Prior to the great reforms of Saint Pius, there were many Catholics who only received Holy Communion a few times a year, and yet were still obligated to come to Mass at least on Sunday under the pain of mortal sin. If someone wasn't receiving the Holy Eucharist, they were encouraged to make a Spiritual Communion, to unite themselves completely to Jesus in the Eucharist through prayer, and to do so in such a way that they longed for the Eucharist, understanding that it is really Our Lord - body, blood, soul, and divinity.

The lengthy period of time which we have recently passed in which we had no regular access to the Mass, but were asked to watch Mass on the internet or television, or listen on the radio, caused many of us to feel as though we were spiritually starving without the Eucharist. In many of these "virtual Mass" situations, the celebrant of the Liturgy will invite those watching to make a Spiritual Communion. There are many very good reasons why someone might not receive Holy Communion on any given Sunday. Perhaps you didn't get a chance to go to Confession before Mass. Perhaps you had to leave the church because of illness, or to tend to a sick child or spouse, or perhaps illness or quarantine is keeping you away from Holy Mass.

The practice of uniting ourselves in perfect prayer with the Eucharist when we cannot receive Our Lord is a way of reminding ourselves how much we long for the Lord Jesus, and how much we hope to be with Him in the heavenly liturgy for all eternity.

Act of Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus, 

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. 

I love You above all things, 

and I desire to receive You into my soul. 

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, 

come at least spiritually into my heart. 

I embrace You as if You were already there 

and unite myself wholly to You. 

Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

All God's Children Have a Mass On the Internet

If the COVID-19 pandemic has done nothing else for the Catholic Church in North America, it has suddenly made many of our priests and deacons experts at how to stream daily Masses live over the internet, or otherwise record them for posting on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and other video social media. Not wanting to leave many parishioners without a connection to their dioceses or parishes, many bishops and parish priests have taken to the internet with a daily or weekly streamed liturgy that is usually available to all, one that was done with their parishioners in mind.

Not every parish has the wherewithal or the capability to do this (mine doesn't), but there are many who do, and for those who don't, there are many dioceses who are now sponsoring daily Masses. My own Bishop is streaming one on Facebook and YouTube each day from the chapel of his episcopal residence, and has since the beginning of the crisis locally. Bishop Robert Barron has even begun an initiative for daily Mass from his personal chapel sponsored by Word on Fire. It is one of the more popular new daily Masses being streamed.

In thinking about this new desire to connect with parishioners through media, we probably shouldn't forget those who were doing it long before we thought about any need because of a pandemic. The Catholic TV Network in the Archdiocese of Boston had a television Mass when such Masses were still in black and white. EWTN has been putting daily Mass on television and radio since the inception of that network.

When it comes to putting the Mass on the internet, one organization deserves particular mention. As far as I know, the National Catholic Broadcasting Council (Canada), which is chaired by a deacon (Deacon Mike Walsh), was among the first to put a complete daily-as opposed to merely a Sunday-Mass on YouTube. I have to admit that I have found that resource invaluable. 

The reason for this is because a couple of years ago at our diocesan meeting with Bishop Stika, he laid out a few expectations for his deacons. One of these is that we should attend daily Mass whenever possible, assisting at the altar if we can. I reminded the bishop that my physical limitations impede me from doing that every day. He said that in the absence of an ability to be at Mass every single day, I might consider a streaming Mass or a television Mass. I discovered the daily TV Mass sponsored by the NCBC on YouTube, and found it to be a help and support when I couldn't be at daily Masses.

Now, the Church finds herself in a situation because of the COVID-19 pandemic where public Masses are suspended. EWTN has begun putting their entire Daily Mass on YouTube, rather than merely the readings and homily, as they did for years. I always thought they should put the whole Mass on YouTube all along. Furthermore, many parishes have begun YouTube channels and Facebook outreaches, and their pastors are sharing their daily Masses with the world.

When this pandemic passes, I hope that many of the parishes, dioceses, and ministries which are making daily masses available via the Internet now will continue to do so. At nearly every Mass in which I assist, I always include a prayer for the homebound in the general intercessions. As more and more people are beginning to access the internet today, that includes many homebound people, and I firmly believe that parishes ought look for ways to connect with the homebound within their Parish boundaries, making them feel welcome and included even if they don't have a way to make it to Sunday Mass. More parishes having an internet presence with the ability to stream liturgies is one way to do that.

Vesting as an Act of Prayer

It goes without saying that some deacons  take their responsibilities to Christ in the Sacred Liturgy more importantly than others do. In some cases, (and I am basing this on conversations I have had with other deacons, many of them outside of our diocese) this may be because of their formation, wherein they have been formed to believe that the liturgy is not the most important thing that they do. The ministry of every deacon is going to look different than those of his brothers, no two are going to look exactly alike. I think that most people understand that different people have different gifts.

However, for the average person in the pew, they're more likely to see their deacons in the Liturgy than anywhere else, and the liturgical ministry of the deacon is, in that sense, one of the most important things that he does. Therefore, it's very important to know the Liturgy and try to do the things that we are called upon to do as well as we possibly can. We are doing them for Jesus, after all. I know that for me, at this stage in my life and my ministry, the Sacred Liturgy is one of the most important things that I am engaged in. It is extremely important to me, on a spiritual level, to approach this work of God with the solemnity and prayer that it deserves.

Shortly after serving at Mass
Photo: Jason Davis

Nevertheless, there are times when my life can get in the way of a more prayerful attitude when I come to the church to assist at the altar. The responsibilities, and the cares, and the worries, and the concerns, that come with daily ordinary life do not end because I have just walked into the Sacristy. There have been times that I have showed up to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and my heart was there, but my mind was on a million other things. How can you just switch that off? How can you begin to focus in such a way as to really give Jesus an hour of your time when everybody is watching you?

The Church provides assistance for us to begin to focus our minds on the Mass through the Vesting Prayers, prayers which are said as we put on the vesture of service at the altar. I have found that these precious prayers have been particularly helpful to me, especially at those times when I have showed up for Mass with just a few minutes to spare, and I really have to try to focus to ready my heart and mind for assistance with the Sacred Mysteries.

When we put our vestments on, we should remember that each of the articles has both a practical use and a symbolic meaning. When we understand this, it helps us to treat our vestments as both the sacramental holy reminder they are to us as well as the sacramental that they are to the People of God. Praying as I put my vestments on helps me to focus on what it is that I am about to do, and to leave my other concerns to prayer-or even better, to take them with me to the altar and put them before the Lord.

If you are a deacon and you are not familiar with the vesting prayers, here they are with some simple instructions on how to pray them when vesting.

The process of prayerful vesting should begin with the washing of hands. Remember that we are going to be distributing the Holy Eucharist to the People of God, so it is important that we should wash hands at some point beforehand, as we shall hold Christ in our very hands. This is both a practical as well as a ritual act. We begin vesting prayers with a prayer at the washing of the hands:

Give virtue to my hands, O Lord, that, being cleansed from all stain, I might serve You with purity of mind and body.


The amice is great for preventing "ring around the collar" on your alb. It also represents the "helmet of salvation." (cf. Ephesians 6:17)  If the amice is worn, as we put it on we pray:


Place, O Lord, upon my head the helmet of salvation, that I may repel the assaults of the Devil.


The alb represents the purity of our baptism, and as we vest in it we pray for the Lord to restore in us purity of heart:


Cleanse me, O Lord, and purify my heart, that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may attain unto everlasting joys.


The cincture represents chastity, and we pray for chastity as the cincture is fastened:


Lord, fasten the cincture of purity around me and extinguish my earthly desires, that the virtue of continence and chastity may dwell within me.


The stole is the symbol of our office as ordained men and deacons in the Church. It also represents God's promise to restore immortality to us in Jesus Christ:


 Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the actions of our first parents, and although I am unworthy to approach your sacred mysteries, may I gain eternal joy.


When we put on our dalmatic, the garment of charity, we pray:


Lord, vest me in the garment of salvation, the vestment of joy. May I always be surrounded by the dalmatic of justice.

By beginning our service at the altar with prayer, we bring our vocation into focus.

Bulletin Column for the Feast of Corpus Christi (6/23/19)

Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has written a series of excellent books in recent years. One of these books was a Christmas gift from Bishop Stika to all of the clergy of our diocese a couple of years ago, The Power of Silence, and reading it had a profound impact on my spiritual outlook. One of the things that Cardinal Sarah talks about is silence in the church itself, especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Of course, unless it's Good Friday, whether it is concealed in the Tabernacle or openly exposed, the Blessed Sacrament is always present in the sanctuary of the church, and within sight of everyone in the nave here at Holy Trinity.


As we celebrate today's feast of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, it might do us well to remember the general importance of an atmosphere of silence in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It is precisely because of the physical presence of Our Lord in the Sanctuary that, barring an emergency, silence should be observed in the sanctuary and the nave (seating area) of the church prior to Masses, and a general atmosphere of quiet should be observed at all other times within the church itself, including the period after Mass.

This atmosphere of silence and quiet is important to maintain for several reasons over and above the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, but there are two that come immediately to mind. First, there are people who are a part of our parish community who are only able to visit the church when they can come for Mass on Sunday. Some of them have busy work schedules or other family or personal obligations. I know from personal experience that it can be difficult when you have such obligations to find time for quiet prayer. There is and should be no better place for that kind of prayerful solitude then in the presence of Our Lord in His Sanctuary, in His Holy House. Because of this, we should try to keep in mind those who have come to the House of God for prayer, and maintain an atmosphere conducive to prayer at all times.


In addition, it is especially worth noting that lay people are not the only ones who have come to the Church for Mass and for prayer. Father Patrick, Father Alex, and all of the deacons need some spiritual solitude as well, and the clergy do not often have the opportunity to pray in the church itself before Mass. For this reason, it must be remembered that the Sacristy is more than merely a dressing room or a place where we store the supplies for the Liturgy. At the very least, the priest and deacons say vesting prayers prior to Mass. Often, if time allows, we will use the lead up to Mass as a time to pray our Liturgy of the Hours, or pray a preparation prayer before celebrating or assisting at the Lord's Altar. There is a crucifix and a kneeler in the Sacristy for a reason, and that is because the Sacristy, too, is a place of prayer, and a prayerful etiquette should be observed there. That includes a respectful atmosphere of quiet prior to Mass by those who may be in the narthex near the Sacristy.


Many parishioners may be disposed to ask: "When might we enjoy fellowship with one another? Isn't fellowship with other believers an important part of the Christian life?" The answer to that question is yes, it absolutely is. The Church has another word for this kind of fellowship-communio, and communio is very important indeed. Our love and hospitality toward one another and our welcome of visitors and the stranger is a reflection of who we are, so it reflects poorly on us if we fail to extend that welcome to one another. I will discuss the importance of this in some future column, but it is important to remember that we have two halls (Whitman Hall and Trinity Hall), a pavilion, an outdoor garden, a playground and a walking area between two buildings, all of which can and should be utilized for fellowship and social time among parishioners after Masses.


Scripture tells us of the House of God "my house shall be a House of Prayer for all peoples." (cf. Isaiah 56:7) On this feast of Corpus Christi, let us remember that the real presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist is always with us in the Tabernacle, and treat his Holy House with the reference that is due when God Almighty is present with us.


Note: This is the unedited version of the column that appeared in the bulletin at Holy Trinity Parish this weekend. On occasion, I will "fill in' for Father Patrick in writing the featured column, normally written by him as pastor. This week was one of my weeks to write the bulletin column.

The Gift of Holy Orders

A few days ago, I received a card in the mail from our Director of Deacons here in the Diocese of Knoxville, Deacon Tim Elliott. It was clearly sent to all of us who are commemorating the anniversary of our ordinations this month, but the artwork or iconography on the front of the card spoke to my heart and spirit in a particular way.

It is Christ washing the feet of the Apostles, and in this particular case it reminds me of a homily that I delivered on Holy Thursday, one in which I explained the particular significance of the washing of the feet in the ancient Near East. I also expounded upon the reality that this particular act by Jesus to his disciples was an especially overt diaconal act, a sign of servitude, humility, and abiding service in love.

I know that many of my brothers will be celebrating the anniversary of their ordinations this month, whether in this diocese or other parts of the country. I often wonder how many of us take the time to stop and reflect on what this has meant to our lives, and what the sacramental grace of ordination has brought to our faith life and our service to others. 

Several weeks back I showed up for a Saturday evening Vigil Mass in just enough time to vest. I had not been scheduled to serve that evening, but for some reason I just took to the notion that I needed to go into the sacristy and get vested for Mass. 

When I arrived at the church I saw Father Patrick and two of my brother deacons already vested. Father has an "open Sacristy door" policy, wherein any of his deacons may assist any Mass being celebrated, whether we are scheduled or not. Father Patrick does not mind having two or three or more deacons in the sanctuary during Mass. However, as far as I knew I was the only one who took advantage of this policy regularly, primarily because I personally find that I receive a great many Graces in my own spiritual life when I serve at the altar with frequency. 

When I noticed that two of our three other deacons were already in the Sacristy, the first thought that occurred to me (that I initially had left unspoken) was "I thought I was the only one who regularly did this..." Father Patrick spoke up and announced that he had a cold and he had asked for the help of at least one other deacon. I explained that I did not want to disturb or be in the way, but I just had it on my mind to serve that evening. He said that I certainly had time to vest and should know that I would always be more than welcome, especially under the circumstances. Brother Deacon Jack Raymond helped me to get vested, and I went on to assist the Mass.

Before we left the Sacristy to proceed down the aisle for the Mass to begin, Father Patrick said a prayer, which he began "Lord, we thank you for the gift of Holy Orders!"

That is what we have truly received from the Lord, a gift, and a very special one. I will reflect on my own ordination a little closer to the time that it happened, but I want to say thank you to every deacon and every priest (for they are also deacons) that I know. Thank you for answering the Lord's call, thank you for devoting yourselves in service to the Lord's Church, thank you for your service to the people of God, especially to the poor. Thank you to your wives (those who are married) for saying yes to your yes and understanding your call, and your families for the sacrifice that they make.

Most of all, thank you for the example that you have been to me in my own ministry. Thank you for your love of God and the Church. As you all celebrate and remember the ministry that God has given you in the sacrament of Holy Orders, know that I am praying for you that you will have many joyous years of 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.