Renew Your Faith- Experience Holy Week, Part I: Holy Thursday

In our family, birthdays are never "one" day. Rather, they tend to stretch over two or more days for various reasons: work schedules, out-of-town children, and/or the general busy-ness of 21st century life. Just this weekend, we celebrated GG's 94th birthday on Saturday...and Sunday. You just can't get too much of a good thing.

Our Catholic faith gives us a good example of this. Christmas lasts for three weeks (or longer, depending on the way the days fall). The first Sunday after Christmas is the feast of the Holy Family. The second Sunday after Christmas is the Epiphany, and the third Sunday after Christmas is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, formally ending the Christmas Season. Advent- the four Sundays prior to Christmas - are not part of Christmas, despite what society tells us with all the decor appearing around the middle of October. (Click HERE for my blog post about Advent!)

Our celebration of Easter is the same way. Despite all the bunnies and eggs and pastel-colored Peeps surrounding us in retail outlets, we are not in the Easter season, it is still Lent. And today begins the end of our Lenten season: the Triduum. Latin for "three days," it marks our remembrance of Jesus Christ's passion and death...leading up to his glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The final week of Lent is a time for the most amazing liturgical celebrations of the entire year ( at least they should be!). Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, ( if you are lucky, you'll get a Tenebrae service) Holy Saturday....all leading up to the holiest season for Christians: Easter. And- since it is so holy- we can't have Easter be just ONE day, or one week. Nope. We get FIFTY days of Easter!!! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Log on to your local parish's web page. If the parish staff is worth their salt, they should have the homepage-(not the link for the bulletin, the actual HOME PAGE) updated with all the Holy Week Liturgies. The Facebook page and Twitter should be sending out the info every day this week. 

This is what you have to look forward to!

Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord's Supper.... Probably my favorite Mass of the entire year, because it celebrates the institution of not ONE, but TWO sacraments. That in itself is pretty cool. One of the most moving parts of the Mass is when the priest removes his chasuble and stole and washes the feet of twelve MEN ( YES, only MEN are supposed to take part in this. The ritual specifies VIROS, which is Latin for "men"). If you see women and children up there, it is because the person who made the phone calls deliberately overlooks the sign value of the 12 being men, or simply does not know any better. Anymore, it's probably a little of both- that and the ridiculous press for so-called inclusivity. But the fact is: Jesus washed the feet of twelve MEN, and in doing so instituted the sacramental priesthood by demonstrating the servant nature of the priesthood.

By the way- if you are a man and get a phone call asking you to be one of those twelve, the proper answer is, "I would be honored. Thank you for asking me." NOT, "Oh, I could never do that!"  Remember- Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet!

As an aside, Pope Francis going to the juvenile prison for the Holy Thursday Mass is so beautiful. His servant heart will be denounced by many.... we are already hearing it.... and others will use his compassion and humility to pass judgment on the Church as a whole and the papacy in particular.... but keep watching him. I have a feeling Pope Francis will set our hearts on fire!

The second sacrament whose institution we celebrate on Holy Thursday is the Eucharist. In this Mass, we recall the first Mass. Imagine, shortly after the multiplication of the loaves and fish, shortly after the Bread of Life discourse in  John 6... being present as Jesus Christ reaches 18 hours into the future and makes clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bread and wine become his Body and Blood. It happens at every Mass, and Holy Thursday, we celebrate it in a special way. After Communion should be a Eucharistic procession, taking the remaining hosts to an altar of repose outside the sanctuary. The altar is then stripped of all linens and all plants/flowers should be removed from the sanctuary. Adoration at the altar of repose for at least part of the night should be available. The tabernacle doors are left open to show that it is empty.

Why is it empty?

As a stark reminder of the events that have now been set in place... the last Supper is over. Jesus has gone out to pray- and will soon be arrested- and worse. 

So... open a new window and go to your parish website ( unless your parish actually sent out Holy Week info, ours didn't this year :-(   )   and get that schedule for the rest of Holy Week.

And BOOKMARK this blog or sign up below for updates for the rest of Holy Week and into the East Season!

Enter into the Paschal Mystery, experience the events of this Triduum in a way new to you. 

St Joseph, Pray for Us!!

 

Today is the Feast of St Joseph, earthly father of Jesus Christ. A special shout-out to my son, Joseph, on his name day!!   We don't know much about Joseph from scripture- or so it seems. We have no record of any words attributed to Joseph- yet he speaks volumes.

We know from scripture that Joseph was a righteous man. Enoch – Noah – Abraham – Isaac – Jacob - Moses – David – Daniel – Job – Joseph of Arimathea – Zechariah and Elizabeth. All were called righteous- and Joseph among them.

Catholics see Joseph as patron of fathers ( in all their incarnations- bio, step, foster-and ordained). He is the guardian of families, as he was the Holy Family. He is patron of a good and holy death ( how blessed he was to have Mary AND Jesus attending to his death!)

"Christ has assigned as a duty to every man, the dignity of every woman." These words of Blessed Pope John Paul II in November of 1982 sum up our first knowledge of Joseph. Unwilling to have Mary disgraced after her announcement that she was pregnant, he planned to quietly divorce her. Who could blame him? Why would he marry a woman expecting a child who was not his? And then- THEN- we see the righteousness: Joseph has a dream telling him everything is kosher-- take care of Mary and her child, for her child is the son of God.

How many men would believe such a dream? Joseph had to have been familiar with the Lord to have readily accepted such a message- and carried it out. His obedience to those dream messages also protected Mary and Jesus when Herod came looking for the Child.

As Jesus grew, Joseph would have taught him carpentry. No- that isn't in scripture- but it is logical. Joseph was a carpenter, so his son would be, too. Imagine the two of them in the workshop!

Kimberly Hahn spoke at a Steubenville Women's Conference I attended some years ago. She related, "Can you imagine life in the home in Nazareth? Imagine if something went wrong. Couldn't have been Jesus. Couldn't have been Mary. Poor Joseph!"  She was putting a little too much into impeccability, but it makes for a cute story- and image of the family table.

Our Protestant friends will often argue that Mary had other children, that she was not ever-Virgin. She and Joseph were married, and it would be natural, normal and right for them to have a traditional marital relationship. To them, I pose the following:

We know Joseph was righteous.(Matthew 1:19) We know Mary was the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and through that relationship, Jesus Christ- Son of God, Son of Mary- came into the world. Do you really, honestly and truly believe that a man who knows that this woman has given birth to the Son of God...is going to be concerned with having sex with her?    Some traditions have Mary and Joseph in a marriage of convenience- set up for her care as a consecrated virgin, and not for the establishment of a family. We can see this possibility in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses 26 and following. Gabriel comes to the betrothed Mary and tells her she will have a son. If Mary had anticipated having children her reaction would have been one of joy, something like, "Gee, won't Joseph be excited to have a son!" Instead,  look at Luke 1:34, "How can this be since I have no relations with a man?" Mary was not under Joseph's roof yet, but she would be- and Gabriel gave no time frame- just that she would have a son. He then goes on to explain how the child will be conceived upon her consent, and that he will be the Son of God.

We know Joseph was a devout Jew. He brought the Child and his Mother to the temple for the prescribed rituals. Their custom was to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. 

We can be fairly certain that Joseph died before Jesus began his public ministry, since Mary was invited to the Wedding at Cana- but no mention of Joseph is made. In Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 Jesus is called the carpenter- or the carpenter's son- and is called the son of Mary...Joseph is not mentioned.  Can you imagine being Joseph, and being attended to by Jesus and Mary for your death? I saw a book a few years ago that did just that- imagined the time of Joseph's dying- and had Jesus telling Joseph the part he played in salvation history...and the part Jesus would himself play. Would there be anything to fear, anything on this earth to hold on to...with Mary and Jesus guiding your passing from this earth?     So we see Joseph as the Patron of a happy- and provided for- death.

When my father-in-law, Charles, was in his final illness, he lived with our family. He was Presbyterian, but I had asked him if I could call a priest when time came- for me more than for him. He chuckled and said it would be fine. I had pinned to his pillow three medals: The Divine Mercy, the Miraculous Medal, and a St Joseph medal. I had separate reasons for each, but in hindsight I saw- the entire Holy Family was watching over this man I loved so dearly, the silent head of and provider for his clan, my husband's role model for what it really means to be a man. My prayers- corresponding to the medals- were: that he not die in pain, that we all be together with him when he died, and that- above all- he did not die alone. And all three prayers were answered.

Who do we see in Joseph, Father of Jesus?

A righteous man.

The leader and protector and breadwinner of his family.

A man who knows God's message when he hears it- and obeys.

The model of all fathers- and father figures.

St. Joseph, guardian of the Child Jesus and his Blessed Mother, guide and protect all fathers...fill them with your spirit of righteousness and obedience to the Lord....help them to be strong role models of real masculinity for their sons and daughters. Amen.

It's Pi Day, Pi Day....What does that have to do with GOD?

If you have never heard it, THIS will take you a really great song about PI :-) ( safe for work)

Yes, friends, today is PI DAY.... 3.14. In two years it will be really fun, we get two more digits!

A few years ago, Pi Day fell on a Sunday, so I asked the PREP (Sunday School, Religious Education) students to help me figure out  how God is like PI.... and how God is like PIE. Naturally, we had PIE for snack that day while we brainstormed. The younger students didn't understand Pi, but they did PIE. So everyone joined in the fun.

Here are a few of their observations...

God is like PIE...he is always good.
God is like PI... he goes on forever.
God is like PIE...he is sweet.
God is like PI...he is part of the cricle of life ( how awesome is THAT??)

They had other answers, those are the ones I recall off the top of my head.
The point I made to the students was that math- as much as some will grow to hate it as they move into the complicated stuff- has always been proof to me that there is a God- and Pi is the icing on the cake.

You see, I am a scientist by nature. I was a chemistry major first time around in college. Unlike some people who educate themselves out of belief in God, the more I learned, the more I saw God at work...planting Easter eggs for those who bother to recognize them.

Pi... a number that never ends and never repeats itself, and is completely wrapped up in the geometry of  circles- which themselves represent eternity (as in wedding rings). Circular geometry is utterly fascinating! The circumference of a circle is ALWAYS Pi times twice the radius. Always. The area of a circle is always Pi
time the radius squared. Always.

Fibonacci numbers (0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21...)- each number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers before it. Fibonacci numbers are found throughout nature, you can learn more about them HERE . You can have fun with Fibonacci numbers and Pascal's triangle, too....

And here is another fun observation....
1² + 1² = 1x2
1² + 1² + 2² = 2x3
1² + 1² + 2² + 3² = 3x5
1² + 1² + 2² + 3² + 5² = 5x8
1² + 1² + 2² + 3² + 5² + 8² = 8x13

Do you see the pattern? How cool is that??? The formula is : 1² + 1² + 2² + 3² + ... + F(n)² = F(n)F(n+1)
and it is true for ANY n from 1 upwards.

Avogadro's number. Around here, we jokingly call it avocado's number...which inevitably leads to a discussion about guacamole ( we have a weird collective humor....). 6.02x 10^23 ( I don't know how to type exponents here!). That is the number of atoms in one mole of a substance, and that mole will weigh in grams the atomic weight of that substance. One mole of carbon 12 weighs 12 grams. That's why stoichiometry is so much fun!

The Golden Ratio? You see it everywhere and don't even realize it. That rectangle that just looks.... right?  Probably has Golden Ratio proportions. Architects often use it when designing buildings. Cool stuff.

Look at the basic building blocks of matter: atomic and sub-atomic particles. They are all the same. Put them together the right way and you get hydrogen or helium or gold or YOU.

Move the earth a little closer- or farther- from the sun...and life ceases to exist. 

The higher you get in mathematics and science, the more you can see--- none of this is an accident. It's nothing short of God sending out a 'ping' just to see if you are paying attention. To believe anything else is simply arrogant.

When I was a child, I remember watching "Cosmos" with Carl Sagan (an atheist- just saying). His whole approach was geared toward making us realize how small and insignificant the earth is in the grand scheme of the universe...and we as humans even less so.

Somehow, I missed that feeling as I studied math and science, my wonder and awe saw something different.

When God created it all- from the first minute particle onward...he knew I was going to be a part of his wonderful creation.

And when Jesus Christ hung on the cross, he did it for me.

I am not less than insignificant in the infinite universe. I am a wonderful and unique child of God, desired and planned for by HIM from all eternity....

...and so are you. Don't ever forget that!

The Family- the Garden of Vocations

He's such a goof.
This is Saturday- night entertainment in our home. Two of our children have completely left the nest: the oldest (a daughter) is a nurse in Texas and our middle child ( 2nd oldest son) is in the U.S.Air Force, stationed in Alaska. Spring breaks overlapped for offspring numbers 2, 3 and 5- so I thought it would be fun to put together a care package for their brother, complete with home-made cookies. Everyone added something to the bowl- even GG- so we could say we ALL made them for Steven. We moms get silly ideas like that.

As I waited for the timer, I looked up and saw Joey (child #6, youngest son), with my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook  before him like the Roman Missal, raising a pizzelle as if he were elevating a host. A few minutes later, he added the collar made from an Aldi's receipt, and I snapped this picture.

It reminded me of Ash Wednesday a few years ago. Joey (then in maybe 2nd or 3rd grade) and I both had the flu and were snuggled up in my bed, content to be miserable together. At one point I mentioned something about being sad to miss Ash Wednesday Mass because it is one I always enjoy. When the rest of the kids got home from school, Joey disappeared for a while. When he returned- siblings in tow- they put together an Ash Wednesday Mass for me. They all had their liturgical assignments and brought the necessary vessels into my room. Joey was the priest (wearing my royal-purple nightshirt). My silver Paul Revere bowl functioned as a ciboria/paten. Glass salad cruets for the water/ Capri Sun. A white bath robe for the server. Linen napkins and tablecloth for the card-table altar. An old Worship hymnal for the Missal.  Apparently there was quite a conversation about an appropriate vessel to use as a chalice, since GLASS/ CRYSTAL is expressly forbidden by the rubrics for Mass (even though one parish continues to use them). Naturally, they had the traditional play-Mass smashed bread hosts.

We had music, readings, a homily (albeit brief), the consecration. Even ashes. Emily was very excited to be the server. They did a good job re-creating the experience.

It wasn't their first time playing Mass. They did it a lot when my our oldest were younger. Steven was always the priest (his insistence). One of my favorite times they played Mass was when we were at our summer home in South Carolina. The little boy who lived next door was over to play- and they included him. He had no idea what was going on, but he played along.

Here I am going to see who really reads theses posts, just because I am curious... I get 30+ views on each one, but rarely are there comments... so check in below. Are you really reading this? :-) Humor me!

As an only child in a marginally Catholic family, I didn't get to play Mass, although I understand it has long been a spontaneous staple of play-time in homes with enough children to pull it off. Watching my children re-create the Mass at home over the years has made me realize a few things.

First- the children do pay attention during Mass. Of course, it helps that we sat in the front row to keep them from being distracted. This is the #1 mistake parents make when taking children to Mass- they sit in the back. When you are all of 3 feet tall, that means the only thing you can see is the tushes of the people in front of you. Not a very interesting way to spend an hour! As our children became old enough to serve at the altar and in other liturgical ministries, they jumped right in because they were intimately familiar with the rituals. Two priests told me they liked having my children serve for them because they knew when something was missing- and would go ahead and fix it without being told. That's pretty cool. Of course, there was also the advantage of getting an entire serving team with ONE phone call.

Second- children do not waste time "playing" meaningless games. Play is a child's work. It how they learn. What do children play? School. Doctor. House. Hot Wheels. Through their play, they are internalizing significant ideas about life. The doctor will always tell the child that the shot might hurt a little- but it will keep them from getting sick. They realize their teachers want them to grow and learn. They see that moms and dads work hard to make a home for their children. And Mass? They see how many people work together to help us all worship the Lord in the highest way possible: the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Third- children get to try on the liturgical ministries. Would I like to read at Mass? Am I brave enough to cantor or sing in the choir? Would I like to be an altar server? What would it be like to be a priest? We don't ask that question enough of our young men, you know.  About 15 years ago, I did ask a teen if he had ever considered the priesthood. He said he was discerning; he was ordained four years ago. Another young man I asked explored religious life and is now a chaplain. About eight years ago I told one of my 7th graders I wanted the seat next to his mom when he is ordained. Still waiting on that one :-)

When we ask young men if they have considered the priesthood, we are planting an important seed. We should also ask young women about religious life. It is the duty of every Christian to plant those seeds- in our own children, in our grandchildren, in our children's friends, in every young person we have the opportunity to influence. It is never wasted- the thought will return to them, and if they are wise, they will spend time discerning God's will in their lives. The Lord will speak to them and lead them. Just because we think we see something in a young man to lead us to ask the question of him doesn't mean that is his call. But we can never disregard the fact that when we see a guy and think, "He'd make a good priest," that perhaps the Holy Spirit has planted the thought within us- and needs us to plant the seed in that young man.

The family truly is the garden for vocations. And in any garden, we plant the seeds- the Lord decides how they will grow. Married life, religious life, single life- or the priesthood- all are vocations. Our children watch how we live the faith, how it is a part- or not a part- of the decisions we make, the way we behave, our attitudes about Holy Days and Mass attendance in general,  and our attitudes toward the Church and how she hands on the faith as the Lord has established.

If we prattle on about this thing or that being wrong with the Church, if we consistently miss Mass in direct opposition to what God has asked of us, if we don't show any regard for fasting and abstinence....or if we tacitly approve what is objectively wrong (or sinful) by simply saying nothing... we are sowing weeds in the garden. Those weeds can strangling the gentle shoot of a vocation to the priesthood by bad-mouthing celibacy or the all-male priesthood. They strangle vocations by saying women join the convent because they can't find husbands. They strangle vocations by encouraging unchastity and artificial contraception- and artificial CONCEPTION- thus denying God's primacy over our lives and raising smaller families where children hesitate to pursue God's call...because their parents want grandchildren or need someone to carry on the family name.

Will Steven or Joey one day put the Roman collar around their necks? Time will tell. More than anything, I hope my children each actively and prayerfully discern what the Lord is calling them to do with their lives, because thenI know they will be happy.

Plant good seed in the garden of vocations, as much as you can. Nurture those young plants, feed them well with the Eucharist and be sure they have plenty of time in the light of the Lord's presence. Above all, don't plant weeds!

Thanks, Pope Benedict XVI: The Interregnum Begins

All forms of media have been saturated with items and news about Pope Benedict XVI’s retirement. Which is why- except for a few words after the announcement- I have avoided the subject. The topic has not been far from my mind, however.

As we enter the interregnum, I’d like to reflect on a few things that some people get, and most people will never understand.

Pope Benedict XVI was exactly the Pope we needed after John Paul II. A Pope usually reigns for about 10 years, so JPII’s reign was extraordinary. I vaguely remember Paul VI’s passing- then John Paul I so soon after. Like many people under the age of 60, JPII was the only Pope I remembered even caring about. Benedict XVI was a lot like him; they were both scholarly, fatherly figures who loved Jesus Christ with their entire being. Sounds like the job description for Pope, actually. Now we may return to the old way- shorter reigns, more of turnover in the job.

The media acts as though this is a big deal. It is- but not for the reasons they push. It is a big deal because the Church is saying goodbye to her beloved Papa. The upside is we are not mourning, as would normally be the case.

The Church is not a business or an organization. She is a family. She operates as a family, not a democracy. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church; the Pope is his vicar. The Pope’s role is to lead the Church as a father- which is why he is called “Papa.” The respected parent is not the one who bows to every whim of the child, letting him do whatever he wishes. The respected parent upholds the rules- and takes time to explain why the rules are necessary. In this case- they are necessary if we see them in view of our eternal destiny.

The body of writings BXVI leaves us is amazing- and more is likely on the way. ( I hope!) Encyclicals and apostolic letters have been the primary writings of most popes- including JPII.  Benedict gave us full-length books, written to be understood by lay Catholics. Not long after he was elected, we were on vacation. I sat by the hotel pool reading The Spirit of the Liturgy, written while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. (I have read it twice since then- it never gets old) My husband was on the chaise next to me. Enthusiastic about the text, I proclaimed, “Yes. Yes! YES!” Tim asked, “WHAT are you reading?!” “A book by the POPE!” His reply…. “Oh. You sound like an Herbal Essences commercial.” At the time, I was just beginning to delve into the rich treasury of Church writings we have at our fingertips. Spirit was so easy to understand- yet so rich, deep and eloquent. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand liturgy in a new and exciting way. I promise, you will never look at the Mass the same!

A newspaper article asked if having “two popes” was going to be a problem for the Church. See? That’s the kind of ignorance in the media. Any Catholic will tell you- there is only one Pope. Benedict will enjoy the honor and respect he deserves in his retirement, but he is no longer our Pope. That makes me a little sad. I will miss him!

Another article suggested a nun be chosen as Pope. Sigh. If you need a refresher on why that will not happen, see HERE.

By far, the most aggravating pundits have been those who insist that the Cardinal- Electors choose a Pope “more with the times,” “more forward- thinking” or “not in the dark ages.” Another example of how people simply do not understand. It is not the Church’s job to bow to the times or the whim of a few people. It is the Church’s role to uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ. Her constancy and consistency and faithfulness to that role have kept her intact for 2000 years. He promised that, you know- when he made Peter the first Pope…and Christ himself promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church.

The Church will not change- cannot change- God’s standards, meaning no change on homosexual so-called “marriage,” ordination of women, or artificial contraception/abortion. Sorry, liberals. It ain’t gonna happen.

So, no matter WHO the next Pope is, no matter where he was born, no matter his political views,  I am confident that he will be elected by the influence of the Holy Spirit. He will uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ. And the One, True Church of Jesus Christ will continue until Christ returns in glory.

Lord, thank you for giving your Church the gift of Pope Benedict XVI. Bless him in his retirement, comfort him in his afflictions, and fill his heart with the gratitude we, your people, have for his service to us. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit to fill the hearts and minds of the Cardinal-Electors as they prepare to enter the conclave. May the man who enters as Cardinal and leaves as Pope be strengthened by our prayers and by your Spirit dwelling within him as he takes the helm of the Barque of Peter. Amen.

How to Get People to Leave Your Parish in 10 Easy Steps

The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis is a favorite of mine. For those unfamiliar with the book, Screwtape (a devil) sends a series of letters to his nephew, Wormwood ( an apprentice devil), offering advice on wooing the patient (a nominal Christian) away from the enemy (God).

     As you can imagine, the book is awkward reading at first- especially if you are unaware of what Lewis is doing. It is, however, quite insightful- and really gets you thinking!

     In that vein, I offer you…. “How to get people to leave your parish in 10 easy steps.” An effective tool for maintaining the integrity of your parish life and ensuring it doesn’t suffer from the onslaught that newcomers bring.

1.       Discourage ministry participation by anyone new. You really are not in need of any new Extraordinary ministers, lectors, servers, ushers, funeral dinner workers or –gasp!- cantors/choir members. It is rather presumptuous for someone to offer to serve in those ministries without being asked (and you will not ask them). This also applies to helping in Religious Ed, parish festivals, bingo and other events and fundraisers. The parish has managed quite nicely without the newcomers, and will do just fine without them. The nerve!

2.       Never, ever, ever let someone sit in your pew! Arrive early for your spot. If you happen to get there at the same time as someone new (because your fellow parishioners KNOW where you sit), simply keep scooting down the pew until you push them right out. I saw this one expertly executed on February 24, 2013. It was beautiful! The trespasser didn’t even realized what had happened. Flawless!

3.       Be sure the ChriEasters know they are not welcome back. You’ll take their money in the collection basket for the holiday, but let’s not push it. Don’t share hymnals and- for crying out loud- be sure you hug the end of the pews! Scooting toward the middle of the pew so there is room for more people to sit is ridiculous- and might be perceived as welcoming, which can’t be allowed. Besides, it looks good if people are standing for Mass.

4.       If your parish does the Protestant “welcome those around you” bit (shudder!), and you see someone new/ from another parish say something like, “ Oh, are you slumming it today?” or “What are you doing on this side of town?” That way, they get the idea they don’t belong.

5.       Kill creative and/or innovative ideas as soon as they are offered. “We have always done it this way” effectively shuts down most people.  Especially when offered by a new member- or one who rarely offers input- new ideas are a way for them to try to weasel into parish life. Next thing you know, they’ll think they run the place, and that cannot be allowed. Shoot it down quickly. Then, some time later, you can re-present the idea as your own- which is acceptable, since you are an established parishioner. Ideas to draw in young people and young adults must be stopped. You cannot tolerate even more people being invited to the parish, as this is counter-productive. However, you must push “progressive” liturgical ideas- always test the limits on those! If the rubrics don’t specify not to do something, it must be allowed. Try hand washing on Holy Thursday, ribbon-waving processions for Pentecost, so-called liturgical dance in a non-ethnic parish. This will keep away newcomers who are stuck pre-Vatican II.

6.       Criticize any contribution by the young people of the parish. Expect them to be better than adults at any ministry they try. Be sure they hear you. This leaves those spots open for the adults, no matter how poorly those adults fill those ministries.

7.       Question their piety, especially if it falls outside the norms of the parish… and especially if it comes from the person trying to learn more about liturgy/ Catholic faith.  A perfect tool here is to call someone who wants to follow established rules and traditions a Pharisee. They understand this is an insult straight from Jesus! He berated the Pharisees for their exterior observance of the law, without having the love of God at their heart. This, of course, is how these interlopers are- and you know it, too!

8.       Criticize Mass attire- She is overdressed for Mass, he is underdressed for Mass. This one is very easy. Nit-pick. Go ahead. The stability of your parish is at stake. That skirt is a tad too short, his jeans have a spot on them. That young man is wearing a T-SHIRT? Well, I never! See how simple it is?  And don’t forget- head coverings or chapel veils on a woman are a sure sign she needs to be drummed out quickly. That kind of negative influence on the parish cannot be good. She’s a Pharisee, I’m sure! (see #7)  

9.       Gossip. Make it good and juicy so it is good fodder for the rumor mill.  Lies are the best route since in gossip, a person is guilty until proven innocent- and they have no way to prove themselves innocent, because by the time they get wind of the gossip, their reputation has been completely destroyed.  This is one of the best overall methods for parish size reduction, because once they do discover the gossip, they will be embarrassed and humiliated into leaving. This is where the lies are most effective: the innocent person is more embarrassed then a guilty party would be. It is easy prove someone DID do something, impossible to prove they did NOT. Don’t worry about it not being true- God understands you are doing it for the good of your parish. Besides, it might possibly, somewhat, in some small way  be true and you can confess it, anyway. Then you are off the hook AND mission accomplished. What a deal!

10.   RCIA. This is a dicey one. You need RCIA participants, because the Easter Vigil would be so boring without the Baptisms and Confirmations. But you certainly don’t want these people thinking they belong to your parish. Don’t make any effort to introduce yourself to them. Do not attend the welcome reception after the vigil Mass. Resort to starting at #1 above if necessary if the RCIA members actually show up for Mass after Easter. Most of them will quickly become ChriEasters if you are efficient.

There are other avenues to keeping people away. You may need to tailor these to your specific situation. But these are tried-and-true and will keep your parish just as it is for many years to come… or until there is no one left.

Is Catholic What You Do, Or Who You Are?

( Another class paper, presented in December of 2010; the assignment limited me to 1500 words... the topic- How can apologetics increase lay participation in the liturgy?)

A young man genuflects before entering the pew- but the tabernacle is at his back. A young woman eats breakfast in her car in the church parking lot minutes before Mass begins. A young family consistently misses Mass because the daughter plays club volleyball on the weekends. Unfortunately, these are all common occurrences in Catholic churches. Catholics have lost the meaning behind the postures and rituals of the liturgy and in the process have lost an appreciation for the entire experience of liturgy. Apologetics can contribute to bringing Catholics to a full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy.

Liturgy is the work of the people. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL), the fathers of the Second Vatican Council expressed the ideal that, “Christ’s faithful…should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred service conscious of what they are doing with devotion and full involvement.” (48) Paragraph 30 of CSL encourages the faithful to participate in “acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons and songs, as well as by actions, gestures and bearing” in addition to sacred silence.

These are not enough, however. The actions, gestures, and postures are externals and the faithful often go through the motions without any consideration for the meaning behind them either because they have forgotten or were never properly catechized in the first place. They are no different than a child who is repeatedly told to look both ways before crossing the street. The child does exactly as he has always been taught and carefully looks both ways- then darts in front of an oncoming vehicle. Mother never told him WHY he was looking: observe if cars are coming, then make a judgment about whether it is safe to proceed across the street. In much the same way, this generation has been taught what to do but not the meaning behind those actions. With the loss of a sense of purpose behind the actions and gestures of the liturgy something more is lost: the ability to enter deeply into the liturgy.

Part of the beauty of Catholicism is that it engages the entire human being. When a 7^th grader asked if he liked his job, the priest answered, “This isn’t my job. It isn’t what I do. It is who I am.” In much the same way, Catholics must grow to understand that being Catholic is less about what they do and more about why they do it.  In turn they will grow in their understanding that their Catholic faith should involve every part of their lives. Even with the sincerest of intentions, lack of understanding of the liturgy deprives the faithful of the richness of the liturgy and opens the door for well-meaning Protestants to mislead them about the liturgy and their Catholic faith. But how does one reach the average Catholic? A small column in the parish bulletin can offer bite-size catechetics on the liturgy.  That would reach those who actually attend Mass, but how many would actually read it?  A parish mission or educational series is another possibility. The drawback of these lies in asking people to return to church during the week, adding another event to the jam-packed schedules of 21^st century America.  Also, the people most likely to attend such sessions are the ones already actively engaged in both their parish and their faith. How does one educate the marginal Catholic who manages to get to Mass, but is otherwise not engaged in her faith? One priest facing a crisis in his community developed a solution. In the February 1995 issue of This Rock (online at http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1995/9502fea1.asp), Fr. Edward Petty describes how his parish dealt with the aggressive arrival of a Fundamentalist sect bent on luring the predominantly Catholic town to their ecclesial community. Fr. Petty lamented that many of his parishioners were Catholic merely because their grandparents were Catholic. They were cultural Catholics lacking any understanding of what they believed or why. This, he felt, made them “ripe for the picking” by the Fundamentalists who were ready to harvest.

The CSL states that “preaching should draw its content mainly from scriptural and liturgical sources” (35.2). With the consent of his archbishop, however, Fr. Petty and his associate began a homily series wonderfully timed to coincide with both Lent and a door to door campaign by Bible college students from the fundamentalist group. As the homilies progressed through the Lenten season, they covered anti-Catholicism in the United States, the origin of the Bible, proper use of scripture and common accusations and arguments used to lead Catholics away from their faith. The priests heavily pirated and admittedly plagiarized well known apologetic works, with the retroactive blessing of the authors. The parish secretaries churned out over 500 copies of each homily in tract form by the Wednesday following the weekend liturgies.  Members gave these to fallen away family, friends…and the Bible college students knocking at their doors.

One of the most remarkable things about the whole situation happened in the 5^th week of Lent when the parish held their annual 40 hours celebration. They pulled out all the stops for adoration and included longer homilies on the Eucharist. Rather than a blip on the parish schedule, the 40 hours devotion became what it should always be- a celebration of the centrality of the Eucharist in the Christian life. The 1400 seat church was filled to capacity all three nights for the evening services. What an amazing way to take the parish into Holy Week! With the help of their priests, guided from the pulpit, the people learned what they had either forgotten or never knew: God gave us His best when He gave us the Eucharist.

That Midwest parish of 5000 had 75% plus Mass attendance at the time Fr. Petty wrote the article.  The Fundamentalist community had all but disappeared, gaining not one member from the ranks of the town’s Catholics. That says so much, doesn’t it? These were average Catholics, no different than those filling the pews of most Catholic churches today. Had their pastor not been proactive, they easily could have been led away from the one true Church of Jesus Christ by the flashy preaching, contemporary music and warm fuzzy Jesus offered by the Fundamentalists. Their pastor literally shepherded them, guiding them into understanding and appreciation for their Catholic faith. He taught them the background behind the actions and beliefs they had taken for granted for so long. He challenged them to take it to heart, to truly enter into the mystery….and they rose to the challenge.

The Catholic Church as a whole cannot afford to ignore what Fr. Petty encountered and how he reacted. While preaching must remain faithful to the directives established by the Magisterium in her wisdom and authority, there is no reason apologetics cannot be judiciously introduced into Catholic preaching.  It is the most effective way of remedially catechizing the average Catholic and can, as shown by Fr. Petty’s experience, successfully engage the parish. As taught by St. Augustine, fundamental understanding of Catholic teaching leads to a better capacity to believe. Together, they give the faithful the foundation they need to fully enter into the liturgy which in turn will lead to a deeper and more rewarding faith life, one that is not a succession of rote and meaningless actions, but the experience of the presence of Jesus Christ it is meant to be.