Dear Parishioners:
We have entered into the month of November in full force. All Saints Day and All Souls Day at the start of the month remind us of our Communion with those who have entered into the Paschal Mystery and into the embrace of God. Thanksgiving and the Opening of our Golden Jubilee at the close of the month will remind us of our connections with our families and our parish community through the years. In all of these observances, we acknowledge one wonderful simple truth: we are not alone. We are never alone. God is with us, and, as a gift, He has invited us to share communion with one another.
Among the many insights that were part of my recent Pilgrimage to Turkey and Greece was the simple realization that we are all connected in surprising ways. As we were departing, news of the wild animals on the loose in Muskingham County was literally going world wide. The whole world, for a moment, had its eyes on central Ohio. We met many who remembered the story as we explained where we are from…. Similarly, the demonstrations and protests in Greece were in the headlines as we headed toward that part of the world. While we were in Turkey, on the West Coast, the Eastern part of Turkey experienced a devastating earthquake, giving concern to families and friends at home. (We were on the opposite end of the country and did not experience anything.) Facebook and the internet allowed for contact with folks all around the world to share our pilgrim journey and to let everyone know we were okay.
The gift of our Christian Faith with its awareness of Who God IS as the Holy Trinity, a Community of Persons united in Being and in Love, opens us to a dimension of Reality to us that allows us to see the unity that is possible among human beings across cultural divides. It offers us a sense of hope about the future and a confidence in God in the present moment, whatever our circumstances.
Countdown to our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.
So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well. Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. To satisfy the one who recruited him, a soldier does not become entangled in the business affairs of life. Similarly, an athlete cannot receive the winner's crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer ought to have the first share of the crop. (II Timothy 2:1-6)
St. Paul’s love for St. Timothy is like that of a father for a son. He calls Timothy to be the best person he can be and to share with others what he has received from Paul. Grace is the gift of God’s own relationship with us, a source of strength and commitment that bears fruit the more we rely on it.
Paul’s images, taken from the reality of life in the first century, are still very familiar: from the military, from athletics and from farming. Keeping order in society, taking recreation and entering into competition, and providing food from the cultivation of the earth are all human activities that remain constant. God works through the ordinary, and so Paul is able to encourage Timothy by appealing to the ordinary experiences of the people of all ages. Bearing hardship (no pain, no gain), following the rules, and being rewarded for one’s labor point to the practical application of the Gospel. Paul invites Timothy to do what he himself has done. We too have the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel and teaching others to do the same.
Reflections on the Liturgy:
The Mass is a tremendous gift that is often taken for granted. The change in the English version that we will experience at the beginning of Advent will challenge us to pay close attention to what we say. It is an opportunity to renew our understanding of the depth and meaning of the Liturgy. This effort to understand also serves to call us to a deeper attention to our prayer outside of the Mass.
All the forms of prayer that Christians experience must flow from and prepare for a worthy celebration of the Mass. It is important to realize that Mass is the highest form of prayer, because it is the prayer of Christ Himself. In these last weeks before we begin to make use of the new Roman Missal, we can prepare by looking into the forms of prayer that make up our daily lives.
There are four primary ways of prayer: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
Adoration is prayer of praise. In our daily prayer, we ought to praise God for Who He IS. This form of prayer is the most unselfish. It is utterly directed toward God. We acknowledge God as God and focus our attention to Him for Himself, not for anything we may get from Him.
We express adoration through psalms of praise, through hymns and songs, and through shouts of joy. When we enter into praise, we are taken out of ourselves and our tendency to put our own needs and desires at the center of attention. To adore God means to give God His due, to glorify Him and to acknowledge that He is first in our priorities. Praise of God allows us to see that our relationship with God is at the heart of things.
In the Mass, we are part of the Sacrifice of Praise, through which Jesus Christ acknowledges His Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus lifts us up through His Risen and glorified Human Nature to share in the very Life of the Trinity. Our own prayer of praise disposes us to enter into this Movement.
The Mass has many expressions of praise: the hymns and songs that are present throughout the Mass, the Gloria, the Responsorial Psalm, the Alleluia or Gospel Acclamation, the Sanctus and the Doxology.
In our life of prayer, let us praise God for His Glory!
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