December 21st, A note from Fr. Walt

Waiting with Mary & Joseph 

       On this Fourth Sunday of Advent with just a few days to go before Christmas, I suspect most everyone is still very busy, as the Christmas Carol says, ‘making a list and checking it twice’.  People are busy at wrapping gifts, shopping for the last minute items for Christmas dinner and giving the house a good cleaning.  But what about the Fourth Sunday of Advent?  The gospel for today calls our attention to the event of months ago, the sudden visit of the Angel Gabriel to the young Mary of Nazareth.  As busy as we all may be, take a few minutes out of this day for some quiet reflection.  Sounds impossible?  Why?  Don’t let the sudden rush of Christmas celebration overwhelm you.  Think about those last days for Mary & Joseph as they traveled to Bethlehem to register for the census.

       I’m sure the last thing on their minds was the census, but the law was the law and the journey had to be made.  But what was the journey like for them?  For Joseph, I can picture him turning his head to look at Mary riding on the donkey.  “Are you okay, Mary?  Do you want to stop and rest?”  “No, I’m okay, let’s keep going.  It’s almost evening and we can stop and rest for the night.  Maybe tomorrow we will make it to Bethlehem.”  This kind of conversation was probably repeated in one form or another several times by these two people, each one chosen by God to have a special role in the event that would change the history of the human race.  Couldn’t God have made it a little easier for them, a little more comfortable?  Thoughts like that would never have entered their minds.  Remember what Mary said when the angel said of her, “Hail Mary, FULL OF GRACE.”  Because she was filled with the singular grace God had bestowed on her, her response to the angel’s announcement was, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

       These days were days of quiet as they made their way along the road.  And they were days of worry for Joseph, “How can I provide for her when we get to Bethlehem?  What if the child is born before I can find a suitable place for Mary and the Child?”  Yet Joseph, too, knew that the hand of God was guiding them and would protect them.  God had said to both Mary and Joseph, “Do not be afraid.”  The very special presence of the Holy Spirit was with them.  They had placed themselves at the service of God’s plan, whatever and however that plan was to be fulfilled.

       Take a little time today, no matter how busy you think you are.  Let it be some quiet time.  Pick up one of the Christmas cards you have received, maybe one with a picture of Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem.  Let it speak to your heart.  Let the Lord speak to your hear.

       Oh heavens!  I forgot to send a card to great Aunt Sarah.  Will it get there before Christmas?  Oh Well, I’ll add a little note and tell her I was spending some time with Jesus, and that’s why this card is late.

       My wish for all of you is to experience the peace and love of this very special feast and may the Lord bless you with happiness and good health throughout the New Year.     

December 14th, A note from Fr. Walt

Joy in the Lord – Advent Prayer

       Prominent in the scriptures for the Third Sunday of Advent is the call to rejoice.  Indeed, it is a season for rejoicing as we prepare ourselves for the joyous feast of Christmas and also for the many times that the Lord bestows his joy on us and in countless ways.

       This little anecdote may help illustrate this truth.  A mother of five young children was baking Christmas cookies and her youngest son, we’ll call him Ben, had pushed a chair over to the counter so he could help his mother.  “I want to help, Mommy,” he said with great eagerness.  Mommy said, “But this is a mommy job, Ben.  Why don’t you play with one of your toys?”  “No, Mommy.  I want to help.”  Well, Mommy finally gave in and let little Ben help her.

       All of a sudden there was a whoosh, a white cloud of flour, some of it landing in the mixing bowl, some on the floor and some in Mommy’s hair.  Ben laughed at this, seeing Mommy with white hair.  As you can imagine, this frazzled mother became very impatient, but as she said, miraculously she held it in.  As she looked into a mirror, she saw what made Ben laugh, and she too laughed at the sight.

       The Christmas cookies were finally all made and decorated and later that afternoon as Ben fell asleep in her lap, she had an opportunity to spend a little quiet time before the other children arrived home from school.  She couldn’t help smiling herself as she looked at the very peaceful and beautiful child asleep on her lap.  Her thoughts took her to the homily she heard the day before on the Third Sunday of Advent.  The priest called it, ‘joy Sunday’.  As the thoughts ran through her mind, she could not help but think of the countless times her five children brought joy into her life.  Sometimes the joy followed a moment of impatience, as the episode with Ben making cookies, but joy always won out.

       Not only on this Third Sunday of Advent, but on many of the Advent Sundays and weekdays, we are given the abundance of hopeful and joyful readings from the prophet Isaiah.  He prophesies about our future, what this world can become; he prophesies about the Messiah who comes as the great peacemaker who makes promises to all who will accept the Messiah into their lives.

       Advent is truly one of the most beautiful seasons of the year, awakening in us once again the spirit of awareness that we are being called to make the journey once more, welcoming the Lord into our lives, listening to such uplifting lessons, preparing ourselves and walking with Him as our companion and our Savior.

       May these Advent days continue to hold many blessings for all of you.  Open your hearts and let Him in with his promise of eternal life.  If there is need for the grace of healing in your life, seek it out.  Don’t let this season pass you by.  Give time for prayer and quiet reflection, at least a little every day.  You won’t be disappointed.  The blessings that come from it will be your very best Christmas gifts.     

December 7th, A note from Fr. Scott

          The other day I stopped at one of the churches to get communion for a home visit.  Halfway to the church I remembered I would need keys.  So I walked back to my car and opened the compartment between the front seats where I always store my keys. 

          No keys!  (At least not the ones for which I was looking.)

          “Don’t panic,” I thought.  “Check your coat pockets first.”  I had on my winter coat with the big pockets and I knew I had the keys the day before.  So I searched my coat pockets multiple times.  They just weren’t there.  I went back to the compartment between the front seats, thinking I must have missed them; but, no, they weren’t there either.

          I began to panic.

          But then something nudged me to check my glove compartment.  There they were!  I never knowingly put them in my glove compartment, but after reconstructing the scene from the day before, I realized I had multiple items in my hand when I got into my car.  The keys were to go into the middle compartment, the other item was to go in the glove compartment.  I had absentmindedly reversed them.

          Actually, while I was relieved, I wasn’t surprised.  I’ve been doing that with more frequency as I age.  For example, at home I might put my tea mug in the refrigerator and the lemon juice on the counter, only to realize a minute later something isn’t right.  I imagine it’s a sign of aging as I’m due to enter my seventh decade in the not too distant future.  I imagine also that it’s a sign that I have too many things on my mind and am deep in thought when I do rather mindless mundane tasks.  Absentminded is, I suppose, the polite description.

          I realize we live in an era in which the ability to multi-task is highly prized, but I question the human ability to actually do so well.  Our capacity for attention is only so much; when we try to stretch it beyond capacity then we are unable to do anything well.  Yes, I know today’s young people have grown up bombarded with multiple stimuli (how much quiet fills their day?) and with much more supple minds than mine can no doubt multi-task better than I, but certain tasks require concentrated effort.  For example, I am of the opinion that when one studies for a test while watching TV or playing computer games or listening to music, the end result will suffer because the focus is divided.  Still, maybe that’s simply what happens to me and others may disagree.  

          My fear is that we carry over multi-tasking into our spiritual lives.  Prayer is just one “task” among many.  Ideally, prayer ought not be a “task” at all but a moment of privilege in which we connect with God in a way that improves our life journey—helps us live more Christ-like lives.  It seems to me that the important things of life require undivided attention.  Most of us have had the experience of being in conversation with another person and the other person seems to pay more attention to their phone than the conversation at hand.  (I’m guilty of being that other person at times!)  But what kind of respect are we showing the person with whom we are conversing? 

          It’s the same with God.  If we truly respect God, then ought we not focus our attention on God alone and not on God as one task in the midst of many?  Yes, that’s probably hard to do for many of us as we live life multi-tasking, but it’s not an impossibility.  Change is never easy.

          And this Advent portion of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season is a perfect time to try and give God our undivided attention.  Advent is a season of patient waiting for God to act.  The waiting, however, is not meant to be passive.  It’s an active waiting of prayer and reflection, creating fertile ground in our hearts and minds for God to take deeper root in our lives.

          Yes, we are a multi-tasking culture, but what a shame if the culture takes precedence over our faith journey with God.

          Have a blessed Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season . . .  

November 30th, A Note from Fr. Scott

Recently I was in the supermarket waiting in line to check out when two people in the next line began to converse.  I wasn’t paying too much attention and then I heard “Ham?!  You can’t have ham on Thanksgiving!  You have to have turkey—it’s tradition!”

And then I heard, “Father, tell them it’s tradition to have turkey on Thanksgiving!”

I was a bit startled to be invited into a conversation of which I had not been a part, nor of which I cared to be a part.  All I could think was, “Why am I the expert on Thanksgiving traditions?!”

Traditions are a part of life.  We all have them, although our own traditions may be different from someone else’s.  Many years ago I remember meeting with an engaged couple and we were talking about expectations regarding traditions.  In his family, his mother always put up the Christmas tree and decorated it; in her family, her father always put up the Christmas tree and decorated it.  Naturally, their expectation was that the other would take care of the Christmas tree.  (I’m not sure what they did in the end as a married couple: maybe they never did get a tree!)

Traditions bring an element of comfort, an element of stability, to our lives.  That’s why we have traditions.  They’re familiar; they recall pleasant memories of times past. 

There are, however, times when traditions may change.  While the adjustment to a new way of doing things may not feel quite right in the beginning, eventually we embrace this new way as a tradition.  New traditions probably surface most commonly in young married couples who welcome children into their family.  While they still cling to their old traditions somewhat, they begin to form new traditions with their new family.  Actually it’s usually a blending of the new and the old.  And that’s what ought to happen as we journey through life.

Traditions are not just family-centered, of course.  The Church is filled with traditions that bring a sense of comfort and stability to our lives.  This weekend we begin a new liturgical year with the lighting of the first candle on the Advent wreathe.  Each week the light grows with the addition of another lit candle until we arrive at Christmas and celebrate how Jesus is the light of the world.

Jesus is also the light of our lives, in our lives, leading and guiding us to a deeper relationship with Him.  Jesus, the human face of God, reveals to us the depth of God’s love for us.  Even more than our cherished traditions, it is Jesus Who brings comfort and stability to our lives.  We live in a constantly changing world; traditions help anchor us in what is meaningful (as long as the traditions aren’t sinful, of course).  Even more so does Jesus provide an anchor of meaningfulness and purposefulness in our lives.  And we have such wonderful opportunities to connect with Jesus—through our Eucharistic celebrations (Mass), in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in our own personal prayer lives, in our response to the needs of others, in our acceptance of another person’s kindness to us.  Jesus is indeed with us, lighting up our lives, bringing comfort and stability to our lives.

To go back to the supermarket: I didn’t really want to take sides in the ham versus turkey debate, so I simply said that whatever one’s preference is, it’s fine.  (Personally, I’ve never cared much for ham, but it’s a valid preference!)

Have a blessed Advent . . .

November 23rd, A Note from Fr. Walt

Viva Cristo Rey – Long Live Christ the King by Fr. Walt…

       Today, on this last Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.  At the culmination of this entire liturgical year of our worship, we honor Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Kingdom of Justice, Truth, Love and Peace.  Our idea of the Kingship of Christ is that at the ultimate coming of Christ, it will be to claim this world as his kingdom and invite all who profess belief in Him to join him in heaven.

       In our society today, we don’t think in terms of royalty with all its trappings and regal traditions, though many Americans are fascinated to watch the pageantry that takes place in other countries where monarchs still exist.  Well, there are other stories that tell us of how we honor Christ the King and one in particular is connected to the feast of a 20^th century martyr who became a martyr on this date, November 23^rd, in the year 1927.

       His name was Miguel Pro, a native of Mexico, who became a Jesuit priest.  He received his education and training in Europe where, of course, it was the custom for the clergy to wear the black cassock every day.  He did this religiously, but when he returned to his native Mexico, the country was going through a period of fierce anti-Catholic repression.  The clergy were forbidden to wear any religious garb in public.  If they were found out, they might be arrested by the military police.  Fr. Miguel went along with this restriction though he had become very well known as a priest, celebrating Mass, most often secretly, taking care of the sick and dying and teaching the young people about their faith.

     Naturally, he became a target of the anti-Catholic authorities who would love to have captured him; it would be a feather in their cap if they could silence him.  Miguel was a master of disguises and many times walked even in the presence of the police disguised in some way that they never took a second look at him.  This enabled him to go about the city visiting the sick, bringing Communion, hearing Confessions, anointing the sick and bringing comfort to the bereaved.

       His colleagues warned him that he was taking a great risk in his efforts to carry out his ministry in the presence even of the police; they told him that sooner or later, he would be found out and captured and God only knew what would happen to him.

       Well, the inevitable finally happened.  He was discovered and arrested and thrown into a dark prison cell.  He remained there without being formally charged and left wondering what would happen to him and when.  Without any forewarning, the soldiers came to his cell early in the morning of November 23, 1927.  They dragged him up into a courtyard and stood him in front of a firing squad.  They asked him if he had any last requests and he responded that he would like to pray.  When he finished praying, he stretched out his arms in the shape of a cross and shouted out, “VIVA CRISTO REY” …..LONG LIVE CHRIST THE KING!

       Not long before he was arrested, he wrote a letter to some friends.  He ended the letter with the following message, “Adios, Remember me to all, never forget me, and any time you lack someone for whom to say an “Ave,” know that I shall accept it with the greatest gratitude.”     

 
Fr. Walt Wainwright

November 9th, A Note from Fr. Walt

       There are several hundred churches in the eternal city of Rome.  Among them, of course, is the largest church in Christendom:  St. Peter’s Basilica.  Anyone who has visited the Vatican has stood in awe at the

magnificence of this basilica.  Among the other great churches we call basilicas are the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls and the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

       Today, November 9th, we are celebrating one of those basilicas, the one that is dedicated in honor of St. John the Evangelist, more commonly called the Lateran Basilica.  It may seem unusual to us that the celebration of the Dedication of this Basilica should take

precedence over our regular Sunday Liturgy.  Another aspect that may seem unusual is that the feast has the title of ‘The Dedication of the Basilica of the Savior,’ yet it is the one and the same church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist.  It is only occasionally that this feast falls on a Sunday.  We probably wouldn’t take notice of it when it comes on a weekday.   

        So what gives this feast day such importance?  There are a number of reasons, among them is the fact that this particular church is also the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Rome.  Every Diocese in the world has a cathedral.  In Our own diocese, it is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Rochester.  In New York City, it is the more famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  I am sure that in some remote areas of the world, the cathedral church is a very small church, perhaps due to the poverty of the area of its location.

       The significance of the Basilica of the Savior, or St. John’s Basilica, is precisely because it is a cathedral church.  It is the seat of the Diocese of Rome and consequently it is the mother church for the Roman diocese and Pope Francis is its Bishop.  Read over the texts of the scriptures for today’s feast and you will discover the importance of the cathedral church.

       In the first reading from the Book of Ezekiel, the imagery is very rich in speaking about the flowing water that comes out from the temple, running into the sea; and when the rich pure water reaches the salty water of the sea, it gives life to all the creatures of the sea.  The trees and plants that grow along the banks of the river are watered by the life-giving springs that nourish these plants.  Both the water which gives life and the plants that have healing powers represent the sacramental life of the church that nourishes and heals.  The sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, Confirmation and Anointing, all give and sustain life.  The sacrament of Reconciliation brings healing to the sinner.

       In the passage from the Letter to the Corinthians, our second reading today, St. Paul reminds us that we ourselves are the temples of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God dwells in us.  This tells us that we are not only celebrating a structure in today’s liturgy, but the life-giving Spirit of God that is within us.

       Finally the passage of the Gospel, taken from the Gospel of St. John, gives us the scene where Jesus cleanses the temple in Jerusalem.  The words of Jesus give strong evidence for his love for the Father’s house.  “Take these out of here and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” 

        Jesus, by his action, is reminding us that every place

of worship is a sacred place and that we should remember this and remind ourselves at the same time, that we are living temples and the Spirit of the Lord dwells within us.

Fr. Walt Wainwright

November 2nd, A note from Fr. Scott

          Not long ago, I read an article written by a woman who said that when she was young she would read all the Reader’s Digest Condensed Books.  It wasn’t until years later that she realized that “condensed” didn’t just mean “shortened”.  The proper people at Reader’s Digest Condensed Books also removed any offensive material, especially language.  She cited as an example William Shakespeare’s classic “MacBeth” in which Lady MacBeth, overwhelmed with guilt, would cry out, “Out, d___ spot!” (taking a cue from the proper people of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books I will let you fill in the blank).  The Reader’s Digest version read, “Out, crimson spot!”

          As the author of the article recalled the Condensed Books I couldn’t help but think of the time (early 70s) when my mother read the condensed version of Erich Segal’s “Love Story”.  It was a rather sad and moving story and her reading of it made her want to see the movie, so she went with her sisters.  Of course, the original book was rife with vulgarities and the movie followed suit, much to my mother’s dismay: she would have preferred the cleaned-up condensed version.

          I thought of that article while I was on my annual retreat last week.  I go to Stella Maris Retreat Center in Skaneateles, NY, and take part in a silent directed retreat.  Silence is kept except for participation at daily Mass and a daily meeting with one’s director for about 45 minutes.  The rest of the time is spent praying, sleeping, eating, reading, and going for walks around the neighborhood.  (If it sounds like a vacation, it’s not.  Deep prayer is hard work.)  It happened to be a rainy week, so walking around the neighborhood involved avoiding raindrops and negotiating wet sidewalks. 

          One day I went for a lengthy walk up and down the small inclines strewn throughout the area.  As I started down a small incline, I must have been deep in thought, for I didn’t notice that part of the sidewalk was slate or shale or something of that nature—petrology/geology is not my strong suit.  At any rate, whatever it was, it was extremely slippery when wet!  My foot slipped, I lost my balance and subsequently fell to the ground.  (When one is 60ish, falling is not a pretty picture.  I admit I lack the grace of a ballet dancer—or even someone on “Dancing with the Stars”.)  I didn’t fall on my backside, thank goodness, or even face-first—also thank goodness.  I fell on my left knee, twisting my toes in an odd way to prevent further descent, leading to some limping for a few days.  But all in all, my pants took the worst of it, especially around the left knee area: dirt and what looked like black soot.  I decided I would just let it dry and wash it when I got back to Elmira.

          After returning home, I sprayed the pants with “Oxi Clean”, let it soak in for a while, echoed Lady MacBeth’s “Out, d___ spot!”, and then threw them in the washer.  They came out less than clean.  The stains remain.  I don’t know what was on that wet sidewalk, but it was like indelible marker.

          While my pants will no doubt forever be stained, fortunately the Catholic Christian life reminds us that no matter what sins may stain our immortal soul, God is the great stain remover—as long as we acknowledge our sinfulness, ask for forgiveness, and are truly sorry, there is nothing God won’t forgive.

          Years ago I remember reading a spiritual writer who said he tried every religion the world over before he decided which one he would embrace.  He became Catholic, because, he said, it’s the most forgiving of all faith traditions.

          It’s not really a faith tradition that’s forgiving; it’s God that’s forgiving—the Holy Spirit has clearly revealed that to the Church—because God wants to free us from the burdens that sin places on our hearts.  Even if the head denies sinfulness, the heart knows and sin leads to a restlessness of spirit within us.  Such restlessness can stain us for life (we all know people who never seem at peace), unless we turn to God, the great stain (of sin) remover.

          Have a blessed . . . and God-filled . . . week . . .