A Word from Your Pastor July 29

Eucharist is the center of our life as Catholics.  This is the Biblical Faith par excellence, as we can tell from the theme of God’s power to feed us and nourish our life of Faith with an abundance of food – both earthly and heavenly – that is present throughout the Scriptures.  Catholics often misunderstand the simple fact that our life of prayer and worship is more than Bible-based.  It is the very place where our Bible came into being.

The Bible is not a book that came down from Heaven to guide the life of believers from the outside.  Rather, it is the Book of all the Books that were acknowledged by the Church through use and through preservation by a living use that continues down to this very day, ever since the time of the Apostles.  When the Church wanted to establish the canonical list of Books in the Bible, she only had to look at the individual churches throughout the world to discover what served to build up the Faith, what was in correspondence to the lived “rule of Faith.”  Similarly, the Eucharist and the other Sacraments of our Faith are found in a living experience.

In the Gospel today, Jesus shows us by His actions that He is the Bread of Life, the One Who feeds the multitude.  In our celebration of the Eucharist, we meet the same Lord Jesus in Person in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.  Our acknowledgment of this is pure “Bible in action.”  When we recognize Jesus in the Eucharist, we find ourselves among those who are fed and nourished by the One Who was to come into the world.

At Mass these past several weeks, we have been expressing our Faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist in a renewal of practices that are familiar, having our altar servers kneel with the congregation for the Eucharistic Prayer and ring the bells for the Epiclesis and the moment of adoration that follows the Consecration.  It has been noted that there is a deeper silence and a greater sense of reverence in response to these changes in our recent custom.

All are reminded that the proper way to acknowledge the Presence of the Lord in the tabernacle and when the Monstrance is on the altar is to genuflect, that is to kneel on one knee – the right knee – in front of Him.  We do this each time we cross in front of the sanctuary outside of the celebration of the Mass.

Preparation for reception of Holy Communion includes Confession if one is conscious of serious (mortal) sins, fasting for at least an hour before the time of receiving, and a disposition of heart and mind that “discerns the Body,” as St. Paul puts it.  See I Corinthians 11:28ff for an invitation to examine our conscience and to the consequences of an “unworthy Communion.”  This is a very serious matter!

We can also prepare for the reception of Eucharist at Mass by making a visit to Him outside of Mass, either in the tabernacle or when the Host is placed in the monstrance on the altar.  At St. Timothy, we have an opportunity for this every Wednesday from the 9 a.m. Mass until 6:30 p.m.  Come to spend time in His Presence!  The Good Shepherd is calling you by name.

May we open our hearts to Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord, and make our Faith in this Sacrament known to the world by everything we say and do.  The Lord feeds us so that we may nourish our brothers and sisters and so that we may bring them to Him.

A Word from Your Pastor July 22

As I write this column, I am in the midst of the experience of some continuing education, with a class that runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday this week.  In addition, I was called into service for at least a daily Mass or two this week at St. Cecilia, the parish that is hosting the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training.  What this has meant is that I am plunged back into a world that I left long ago when I entered into the life of a seminarian in preparation for priesthood – the world of “9 to 5,” in which many of you continue to live.  What a way to make a livin’, as Dolly Parton sang!

This experience is a rich one, not just for the information I am learning in the classes.  Being caught in rush hour traffic in the heart of Columbus, I recognize the practical challenges ordinary folks face day by day.  Hearing the experiences of all the other members of the class – catechists from parishes all around Columbus and even from other states – I learn about the struggles of lay ministers to address the needs of the children of their brothers and sisters and at times their own, who are in their Atriums.

The whole experience has given me a reminder of the power of God’s Spirit to “infiltrate” the world right in the midst of the chaos of our lives.  As I try to attend to duties in the evening, to keep up with the needs of the parish as well as to do the readings and study that are part of the class, I appreciate anew what you are all doing to balance your lives.  I know that “9 to 5” is far more than an eight hour day, and that the other hours available are not always enough to get done what we would like to accomplish….

The first “Message” that comes through for me at the present time is that God is truly with us.  Jesus, Immanuel, is the Good Shepherd, who calls each of us by name, inviting us to experience the riches of His Kingdom and to share all that He gives to us with our brothers and sisters.  The challenges of our lives can serve to assist us to recognize the Love of God for each one of us, that He is with us right where we are, even in the midst of a traffic jam.

Thank you for your continued fidelity in your response to God’s invitation to you.  May your heart create more and more room for the One Who calls you by name.  May you know joy, light and peace, and may you find ever new ways to share the riches of our Faith with your children, with your neighbors and friends, and with those who have yet to hear the Good News that God is with us.

A Word from Your Pastor July 15

Festival Weekend is always a wonderful thing to behold.  We are glad it is here, and then, we are happy to have it completed.  When we have done the Festival, we find that we are already at the half-way point of summer.  Before we know it, we will be gearing up again for Fall and the bustle of activity that engages us.  While the “lull” still continues, we need to be sure to take time to keep the long view in our sights.

“Life comes at you fast” is a famous expression.  We use it to describe everything from the challenging experiences we have to face as individuals to the reality of watching our children grow up and move on with their own life’s journeys.  As we admit this, the Church invites us at the same time to acknowledge that it is in our power to plan and make choices that can assist not only our own generation but the generations to come.

It is in this spirit that I continue my own journey of learning this week with the second half of training in the first level of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  As you may recall, I did the first half of the training last summer.  There are three levels for the Catechesis, covering children from age 3 to age 12, with age-appropriate methods and materials.  The training for the first level is a kind of “initiation” into the world and ways of this approach to opening up the “Mysteries of the Kingdom” to our children.

In my 33 years of priestly ministry, I have always been involved in the task of educating children.  From my earliest years as Associate Pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in Lancaster to the present, I have always spent time in the classroom as well as in church and other venues speaking to children about our Faith.  That has given me a unique opportunity to observe methods of education at all levels.   Over the past several years and now with more intentional study, I have seen the approach of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd up close.  There is no doubt in my mind that this approach, which is used all over the world and by people of varied Christian denominations, has the potential to revitalize our families in their understanding of the Catholic Faith.

Locally, even though at the present time we have only one Atrium and have materials for levels one and two available (level three is in process), we have seen many fruits.  Several families have made the decision to become Catholic because their children learned about the Sacraments through the Atrium.  The children have shared wonderful insights with their parents and their catechists that deepen the adults’ own understanding of the Faith.  Many of our high school students – who did not have the opportunity to be in an Atrium during their elementary years – have served as aides and are more excited than ever about the Faith due to what they have learned by working with the children in the Atrium.

If any of you are interested in learning about the approach of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the Diocese of Columbus will be offering training through the next academic year on Saturdays.  I invite you to give it a try.  Aides are always needed and that would give you an opportunity to see it up close.  Parents and Grandparents of the children who attend Atrium sessions have many good things to say and stories to tell.  Just ask them!

May we all learn to hear the voice of the Shepherd and be open to the new and greener pastures He is preparing for us.

A Word from Your Pastor July 8

It was ten years ago this week, that I arrived at St. Timothy Church as Pastor.  I remember vividly entering into a whirlwind of activity in preparation for my first St. Timothy Festival weekend. 

It seemed that everything came in “fives” at that time: five Masses, five baptisms, five funerals, etc.  We have been moving together just about that quickly ever since.  As we once again enjoy together the fun and challenges of this community gathering, I want to thank all who make it possible: the team of “captains” who work with Joe Lorenz to get things together and to bring it about, the volunteers who take care of all the activities, and, of course, our patrons and guests from home and afar who enjoy the food and fellowship and contribute to the material sustenance of our parish and school.

This week, too, the Diocese of Columbus will be experiencing many changes and moves.  Several priests are retiring from active ministry.  The five newly ordained priests will take up their first assignments as priests in parishes all around the Diocese. More than 20 priests in all will be affected in this round.  When I saw the list of “official appointments” in The Catholic Times, it took my breath away.  I was very happy not to see my name in the list!  We must pray for all the priests and parishes that are involved.  Transition is never easy.  We trust that God’s Spirit is ever at work to open hearts and to continue to breathe new life into the Church.

This weekend, I am away for a wedding out of town.  I offer my thanks to those who fill in for me and to all who make sure that things flow smoothly in my absence.   I am happy that we have our Seminarian Intern, Stephen Ondrey, on hand at the rectory.    He will get a taste of what has to happen when one is alone in a parish as many priests are.  As most folks experience, sometimes it is easier to stay home than to have to make all the arrangements to have things covered when we are away.  I have done what I can, but know that I count on all of you to do your part.  I will be back in time to plunge into the frenzy of the Festival.  Let us pray for good weather and health for all who will join us in this year’s experience and let’s do our best to be ready!

A Word from Your Pastor July 1

Freedom is one of the most central values of our society.  When we celebrate the Fourth of July, we call to mind that our way of life is founded on the core values of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  We honor those who have pledged their “lives, fortunes and sacred honor” to establish and uphold these ideals.  The responsibility left to us is to conduct ourselves as worthy recipients of the sacrifices in the past and those being made today to safeguard these values and allow us to live according to them.

A primary challenge of our current culture is that the very values we hold dear are being undermined because we allow them to be withheld from others according to our own preferences and desires.  We voice our support, but in practice they are not given their due.

Life is the first value.  We are in a world now where it has become commonplace to deny the rights of those at both ends of the spectrum: those in the womb and those who are approaching the end of life.  We are in a world where the fundamental dignity of the human person as a human being, created in the very image and likeness of God, is denied for those whose lives include special hardships – illness or handicaps that are deemed as making their lives not worth living.

Liberty, which is a capacity to do what is right and to live in accord with the truth, is changed to mean license, the ability to do whatever I want without reference to morality or to the effects my choices have on others.  We are in a world that is consciously separating decision-making from making any reference to the Creator and to a purpose beyond this world.  We are in a world where might, majority perception – without a need for accord with truth – and personal opinion are given full authority.  We are in a world that has the illusion of being capable of making ourselves out to be whatever we desire to be rather than what we ought to be.

The Pursuit of Happiness, which is meant to include the good of the whole person and all of society, is reduced to the effort to seek pleasures and activities that are fleeting on the basis of whim, rather than a well-thought-out plan or a response to a higher calling.  We are in a world that claims that we create our ourselves by deciding for ourselves what will make us happy.  We are in a world where advertising tries to put material goods above spiritual goods and relationship with God.

Our Faith can rejoice in the core values we hold dear.  But we also have to allow them to be lived according to the Gospel.  Anything less creates a world that is without life, liberty and happiness, because we have not corresponded to who we are created to be.  We are human beings, children of God, brothers and sisters to Jesus, Who paid the ultimate price for us; and we are empowered by the Spirit of the Living God to reach for the highest Good, which allows us a life in this world that is in accord with God’s Will and opens to us the gift of Eternal Life.  We are destined for glory, sharing in the very Life of God, Freedom to enter into the Mystery of self-sacrificing Love, and to the Happiness that will never end.