Dear Parishioners:
This week I will be departing on a Pilgrimage that is, for me, a special part of my preparation for our Parish Golden Jubilee. As Pastor of St. Timothy Church, I am carrying you with me in heart and mind to the See of Timothy, Ephesus, and on a pilgrim journey to the places where Our Heavenly Patron exercised his ministry at the side of St. Paul as Christianity was first beginning.
Over the next couple of weeks, I am sharing with you the day-by-day itinerary of the pilgrimage so that you can join me and my fellow pilgrims in spirit. You may want to read through the Acts of the Apostles with the sections about Timothy and Paul’s travels. The Letters to the Ephesians and I & II Timothy and the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation might also be texts that send you in spirit where we will be visiting in person.
Day 1 Wednesday, Oct. 19: Depart U.S.A.
Our spiritual pilgrimage begins as we depart on our transatlantic flight to Istanbul. We will fly to New York and then directly to Istanbul.
Day 2 Thursday, Oct. 20: Istanbul
Upon arrival in Istanbul we will be met by our guide who will give us a brief orientation of the city before driving to our hotel.
Day 3 Friday, Oct. 21: Istanbul
Our morning begins with a visit to the Hagia Sophia, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This basilica dedicated to Divine Wisdom has a history dating back to the Fourth Century and we almost touch the birth of the Christian Church. Next visit the architecturally superb Sultan Ahmed’s famous Blue Mosque with its six minarets and sparkling interior. Then in the afternoon visit Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Sultans, where we will view the Treasury and the world’s biggest emerald. Proceed to the Grand Bazaar, the oldest and largest covered market in the world where over 4,000 shops sell everything from herbs to gold.
Day 4 Saturday, Oct. 22: Istanbul / Canakkale
This morning we will visit some famous World War I sites along the Marmara Sea. We cross the Dardanelles and time permitting will visit ancient Troas or Troy. St. Timothy spent sometime here with Paul. Proceed to Canakkale for overnight.
Day 5 Sunday, Oct. 23: Canakkale / Kusadasi
The most favored of the Seven Churches was Pergamum. Christianity reached the city very early and the church was praised for its forbearance during hard times. In Pergamum, Rome executed the first Christians. Towering 1,000 feet above the town and commanding a spectacular Panorama is the fabled Acropolis. As we pass through the Royal Gates, we will enter one of the great centers of classic Greek culture. We will see the foundations of the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Athena and the ruins of the Library, which once held 200 thousand parchment volumes. We will see the remains of the Temple of Trojan, the Grand Theatre, the Gymnasium and the Health Center (Aesclepion). We will also catch a glimpse of a 3-storey fountain built by Titus. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Next weekend, in my absence, we welcome Fr. James Wehner, rector of the Josephinum to assist Fr. Bill Faustner with the weekend Masses. Be sure to give him a warm welcome, and don’t believe him if he tells you he is the new Pastor. Perhaps some of our young men from High School are ready to speak to him about the possibility of entering the Seminary for College. At least let him know that you are thinking about it!
Countdown to our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. (II Timothy 1:1-5)
Faith is best shared through the reality of family life. When we come to Faith through the witness of members of our own households, it is “written” into the very fibers of our being. As St. Paul opens his Second Letter to St. Timothy, he calls to mind the familial bonds that nurtured Timothy’s faith. Lois, his grandmother, and Eunice, his mother, were Jews who had opened to the understanding of Jesus as the Messiah, presumably through the preaching of St. Paul.
The affection Paul has for Timothy, and his touching account of the emotions shared when they were last together serve to offer a wonderful vision of the power of Faith to unite us as true members of a common family. Any who have ever been away from someone they love will recognize the longing Paul mentions. The sense of interior communion, expressed through the constant prayer, is a consolation during the time apart. The acknowledgment of shared Faith is also a source of solace. Hope for future opportunities to see one another in person provide a motivation to put Faith into practice.
The witness of Faith across the generations is needed in order for it to grow. Many families lack this cohesiveness. Note that Paul does not mention the Faith of Timothy’s father. From Acts of the Apostles, we know that Timothy’s father was Greek, that is, not Jewish. Whether he ever chose to embrace the Faith of his wife and son is not known. Nonetheless, the witness of Eunice and her mother Lois, along with the teaching and companionship of Paul, work together to give Timothy a solid foundation for his own Faith. Paul expresses his gratitude to God and claims Timothy as his own “dear child.”
Reflections on the Liturgy:
As we enter into immediate preparation for the transition to the new English form of the Mass, it is good to take the opportunity to renew our understanding about what is happening in the Liturgy and our own part in it. We are called to full, conscious, active participation. Each person present has a role and a responsibility even if there is no particular ministry or function being exercised.
The Mass has four primary “movements”: Gathering, Hearing the Word, the Sacrifice, and the Sending Forth. Our final reflections are meant to highlight aspects of each of these parts of the Liturgy. All of us would do well to review our own practice and to become more conscious of the meaning of what we are doing.
The Word of God is spoken to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Liturgy of the Word is our act of Worship, hearing the Word proclaimed so as to bear fruit in our lives. In the context of the Mass, the Word of God, taken from the Sacred Scriptures, is presented to us in order to enliven the response of Faith. We hear and so we are able to believe. Believing, then, we are now made capable of living the Word.
The First Reading is taken through most of the year from the Old Testament, at certain times and on some feasts, from Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Revelation. The text is selected in most cases for its connection to the Gospel. The Responsorial Psalm is an adequate response to God’s Word, because it is taken from God’s Word in the Book of Psalms. The Second Reading is from the Letters of the Apostles. The Gospel follows a three-year cycle, in a continuous reading over the Sundays of the year, covering most of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, with John filling in some Sundays and special feasts.
The Homily is meant to bring the hearers to an understanding of the Word proclaimed and to evoke an attitude of praise, preparing for the Eucharistic Worship. The Profession of Faith or the Creed is a common expression of the content of Faith as it has been formulated by the Church. It puts on the lips of those who have just listened to the Word the Faith that is shared by believers throughout the centuries and throughout the world. The General Intercession or Petitions then present the needs of the Church, the World and the local community to God, with confidence that God hears our prayer.
As we enter into the Liturgy of the Word, we are called to open our hearts to the Lord as He reveals Himself to us. This is at once a personal act and a communal act. There is power in the Proclamation of the Word at Mass that is different from a personal, private reading the Scripture texts. This moment calls for an awareness that we are One Church, united across the ages and through the world, as servants of the Word. The fact that all Catholics (and some Protestant communions who make use of the Common Lectionary) are hearing the same Scriptures is a powerful reminder that One Lord speaks to His Church.
An effective celebration of the Liturgy of the Word comes from an adequate preparation for hearing the Word. Reading the texts before Mass, listening attentively, interiorly expressing the Faith and entering into the prayers that are made in the name of the whole Church are all part of a true Hearing of the Word.
The Scripture Readings for Mass are available online for each day of the year at the U.S. Bishops’ Website: http://www.usccb.org/bible/index.cfm.
Do an examination of your family conscience with these questions:
Do you prepare to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word by reading the Sunday Scriptures ahead of time? Do you discuss the readings that are proclaimed at Mass with your children and make sure that they understand?
How well do you and your family know the Scriptures? Do you make use of a personal Bible? Does your family have a formal Bible enthroned in a prominent in your home? Do you take time to pray with Scripture? Have you participated in a Bible Study?
At Mass, do you listen carefully to the Scriptures as they are proclaimed? Do you and your family make the responses and gestures that are assigned to the congregation? Have you explained to your children the significance and meaning of the liturgical gestures?
Do you listen to the Homily attentively? Are you able to keep your mind focused and receptive to the Lord’s message to you personally? Do say the Creed with understanding or is it only by rote? Do you bring your own needs and petitions to mind as the General Intercessions are read? Do you pray at home for the needs of the Church, the world and your own community?
Is God calling you or someone in your family serve as a Lector? Is it time for you to attend a Bible Study or to host a gathering of your fellow parishioners to read and share the Scripture together in your home? Is the Lord inviting you to be a Catechist in P.S.R. or R.C.I.A. to bring the Word of God to others?
No comments:
Post a Comment