tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88999630293556349832024-02-07T23:27:59.896-07:00Risen Savior's 3-Minute CatechesisRisen Savior Catholic Community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a dynamic and inclusive parish based firmly in the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. Neither adding to, nor taking away from, the beauty of the Faith, the Mass, or the Rituals handed down to us.Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-61061835481174270952016-02-07T08:00:00.000-07:002016-02-07T08:00:00.147-07:00Our Lady of Lourdes<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On Thursday, February 11th we celebrate the Feast of
Our Lady of Lourdes. 158 years ago the
Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant girl by the name of Bernadette Soubirous
(Sew-be-roos) at Lourdes in Southern France.
Between January and July of 1858 a woman, dressed in white, belted in
blue, with yellow roses at her feet and a golden rosary in her hands, appeared
to this simple 14-year-old girl eighteen times.
Just like the woman wearing a belted dress with roses who appeared to
the peasant Juan Diego in Mexico 300 years before, the Lady who appeared to
Bernadette asked for a church to be built on the site.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Only a few years before, Pope Pius the ninth had
proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception as an infallible
teaching. The vision Bernadette
encountered told her “I am the Immaculate Conception.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Bernadette was a sickly child of poor parents. Their
practice of the Catholic faith was scarcely more than lukewarm. Bernadette
could pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Creed, but little more. Through this humble girl, a girl of about the
same age that she was when she bore the Lord, Mary revitalized and continues to
revitalize the faith of millions of people.
Within just a few years of the apparition, people began to flock to
Lourdes from other parts of France and from all over the world. The Feast of
Our Lady of Lourdes became worldwide in 1907.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For a century and a half Lourdes has been a place of
pilgrimage and healing, but even more of faith. Of the 30 or 40 cures reported
annually, Church authorities have recognized over 60 of them as
miraculous. There still may be people
who doubt the apparitions of Lourdes, and it is not necessary for our faith to
believe. Perhaps the best that can be
said to them are the words that introduce the film The Song of Bernadette: “For
those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not
believe, no explanation is possible.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-18279135503985960972016-01-31T08:00:00.000-07:002016-01-31T08:00:02.858-07:00St. Blaise<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Suffering and illness have always been among the
greatest problems that trouble the human spirit and the blessing of the sick is
a very ancient custom, rooted in imitation of Christ himself and his
apostles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Christians feel and experience pain as do all others;
yet our faith helps us to grasp more deeply the mystery of suffering and to
bear our pain with greater courage. Part of the plan laid out by God's
providence is that we should fight strenuously against all sickness and
carefully seek the blessings of good health, so that we may fulfill our role in
human society and in the Church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Here in the United States the annual blessing of
throats is a traditional sign of the struggle against illness in the life of
the Christian. This blessing is ordinarily given on February 3, the memorial of
Saint Blaise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Saint Blaise was the bishop in Armenia during the
fourth century. Very little is known about his life. According to various
accounts he was a physician before becoming a bishop. Veneration of Blaise
spread throughout the entire Church because he was reputed to have miraculously
cured a little boy who nearly died because of a fishbone in his throat. Details regarding the miraculous healing of
the boy vary. One account relates that the miracle occurred during the journey
to take Blaise to prison when he placed his hand on the boy's head and prayed;
another that the miracle happened while Blaise was in prison when he picked up
two candles provided to him and formed a cross around the boy's throat. From
the eighth century he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those
afflicted with illnesses of the throat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The blessing of throats is normally given by a
priest or deacon who touches the
throat of the one being blessed with two candles which were blessed the
day before on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) and which
have been joined together in the form of a cross and tied together by a red
ribbon, the color or martyrdom.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The following blessing is
said: "Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may
God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The
Feast of St. Blaise is celebrated on February 3rd. </span>Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-59336723612968716122016-01-24T08:00:00.000-07:002016-01-24T08:00:12.296-07:00Ministry to the Homebound<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Every week Ministers of
Holy Communion from Risen Savior take the Eucharist to parishioners who are
either homebound or in nursing homes within our parish boundaries. Currently there are some six nursing or
skilled care centers along with dozens of private homes which have been
converted to serve as long-term care centers, in the parish. These, combined with individuals living in
their own homes and parishioners who are experiencing short-term stays in the
hospital, means that we are taking Holy Communion to literally hundreds of
individuals each week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To assist our priests and
deacons a small, but faithful, group from the parish visits the shut-ins each
week. However, the number of ministers
is dwindling and the need grows larger with every passing month. We are actively searching for new ministers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This ministry is for
those called by compassion to be the presence of Christ to the most
vulnerable. The ministry to the sick and
aging is one of attentive listening and presence, giving the Eucharist and
sharing prayer. It is the ministry of
the Body of Christ taking the Body of Christ to the Body of Christ and is,
perhaps, the earliest ministry in the Church, dating back to apostolic times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ministry to the homebound
is both challenging and rewarding. Confirmed Catholics are encouraged to join
the ministry. There is a short training
program and you will be mentored by an experienced minister. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Won’t you search your heart
and pray whether God is calling you to become a part of this incredible
ministry? For more information please
contact Deacon Mark or Kevin Newman at the parish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-85383652143826960742016-01-17T08:00:00.000-07:002016-01-17T08:00:18.649-07:00Holy Doors<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Most of us have probably
heard that Pope Francis has declared this year a Jubilee Year of Mercy. The year, which began on the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception on December the 8th, is a call for each of us to deepen
our gratitude for the loving mercy of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Why a year of mercy? Pope Francis envisions a year when people
will become more merciful in their own lives and bring God’s mercy to
others. The Holy Father asks Christ to
pour out his mercy on the entire cosmos.
He writes, “How much I desire that the year… will be steeped in mercy,
so that we can go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness and
tenderness of God!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A Holy Year provides an
opportunity for each of us to participate in and experience the healing
Sacrament of Reconciliation. After
having confessed our sins and received absolution, we may also receive a
“plenary indulgence,” which lessens the effects of our sins here on earth. Pope Francis explains, “To gain an indulgence
is to experience the holiness of the Church.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Every Catholic is invited
to participate in a holy pilgrimage during this year, either by visiting Rome
itself, or by visiting and passing through the doors of specially designated
parishes in their own diocese. Here in
the Archdiocese of Santa Fe we may participate in the pilgrimage by visiting
one or all of nine parishes. In
Albuquerque those parishes are the Shrine of the Little Flower – St. Therese of
the Infant Jesus, the Shrine of St. Bernadette, Sanctuario de San Martin de
Porres, and Santa Maria de La Vid Abbey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What’s the significance
of “holy doors?” Opening and walking
through a holy door invites us to recall that the doorway to salvation is Jesus
himself. Christ is now open and waiting
for every person. During the Holy Year
of Mercy, we are called to pray that our own personal shut doors of sin and
temptation may be opened and that we open our hearts to everyone, especially
those on the fringes of society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This year of mercy is an
invitation to experience the awesome power of God’s mercy at work in our own
lives. Make the journey and walk through
a Holy Door this year. Give yourself the
gifts that only Christ can give – the gifts of grace, salvation and peace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If you would like to
learn more about the Holy Doors or would like the list of all nine parishes
designated as sites for pilgrimage for the Year of Mercy in this diocese, pick
up the “Holy Doors” brochure available in our parish lobby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-63631730531882032692015-11-29T08:00:00.000-07:002015-11-29T08:00:03.498-07:00First Sunday of Advent • Calendar Crunch<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
live in an era when calendars seem to rule our lives—the office calendar, the
school calendar, the holiday calendar, the social calendar. Not surprisingly,
many of us rely more and more on technology to help us keep track of all our
various obligations and responsibilities. The new Church year begins today and
the scriptures invite us to pause, slow down, and consider some of our core
priorities as disciples of the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"></span>Statistics show that,
more than any previous generation in human history, we have disposable time to
use how we choose. We are not tied to the unrelenting agricultural calendar of
traditional farm work or to sixteen-hour days in factories, yet we often feel
rushed and over-committed. This all comes down to how we use our God-given
time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"></span>The readings today
declare that God will fulfill the promises that God has made. Until that time
of perfect justice, righteousness, and salvation comes upon us we are asked to
do four things: to be alert at all times, not to give in to worry and
distractions, to pray for strength, and to care lovingly for one another. So,
as we prepare to celebrate again the coming of the Savior, think about the
stewardship of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"></span>Think back to third
grade when we learned the difference between needs and wants, and realize how
much the line has blurred between the two since then. Is your calendar too
full? Streamline it by looking at it with an informed eye: What must you do and
what would you like to do, and how can you put God first this Advent? </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Copyright © 2009, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 160%;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: 'Gill Sans MT'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 160%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-11994019984362313782015-11-22T08:00:00.000-07:002015-11-20T11:57:17.840-07:00Liturgical Year and Colors<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
occasionally see the term “Liturgical Year” in our bulletin. This week we are celebrating the Feast of
Christ the King which is the last Sunday in our Liturgical Year. What exactly does Liturgical Year mean?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Beginning
with the First Sunday of Advent and ending with the Feast of Christ the King
the Church celebrates the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The year itself is broken down
into three distinct periods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
first of these periods is Advent and Christmas.
We anticipate then celebrate God coming into human history. The second period is Lent and Easter where we
enter into the events that lead up to Jesus’ death and then celebrate his
resurrection and ascension into heaven.
The final period we call “Ordinary” Time, but there’s nothing ordinary
about it. The word “Ordinary” comes from
the word “Ordinal,” which is how the weeks are numbered: first, second, third,
etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Each
of these seasons have a different feel to them and we can recognize the change
of season by the different color vestments the clergy wear as well as the
colors of our banners and altar decorations.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
use of colors to differentiate the liturgical seasons became a common practice
about the fourth century. At first,
usages varied considerably but by the 12th century Pope Innocent III approved
the use of five colors: Violet, White, Black, Red and Green. Today, four colors are used to express the
emotions and ideas that are associated with each of the seasons of the
liturgical year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Violet
is the ancient royal color and therefore a symbol of the sovereignty of
Christ. Violet is also associated with
repentance from sin. We see that
connection in its use during Advent and Lent as we acknowledge our sinfulness
and prepare for the Lord and his resurrection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">White
reminds us of the brightness of day and that Jesus is the Light of the
World. We wear it during the Christmas
and Easter seasons as well as for the great feasts of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Red
evokes the color of blood, and is the color of martyrs and Christ’s death on
the cross. But it is also the color of
fire and remembering the tongues of fire that hovered over the Apostles it is
also the color of the Holy Spirit and feasts of the apostles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And
the rest of the year, when we’re counting out our Ordinal time? We wear green which represents living things
and the promise of new life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Every
year we cycle through the life, death and resurrection of Christ and every year
we are changed by that journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-55155893493138722502015-11-15T08:00:00.000-07:002015-11-15T08:00:06.447-07:00Water and Wine<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 27pt;">Before
elevating the cup a little and blessing God for the gift of wine, the Deacon,
or in his absence the Priest, pours a few drops of water into the chalice or
flagon of wine.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 27pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 27pt;">As he does this, he says
quietly:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “By
the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of
Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Because
of the distance from the altar and the quiet, almost silent recitation of those
words, most of us may hardly notice and certainly not understand either what
was said or the significance of the action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">An
ancient rule during Christ’s time required that some water must be mingled with
the wine. In those times all wine was
heavy and thick and no polite person ever served it uncut. Today’s wines already come watered down, so
the reason we do this at Mass has been lost.
But over the centuries the action took on new symbolic meanings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
meanings include the wine and water being like Jesus and us, together and
indivisible – the close bond between Christ and His Church. And the one that most of us probably heard in
grade school: it can be seen as
representative of the water and blood which flowed from Jesus’ side as he hung
from the cross. One can see that while
the mixing of the water and wine is a minor action, the symbolism can be very
great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
there are several cups, as happens here at all of our Masses, the water is
normally poured into the flagon that comes up with the gifts and then the wine
is poured into the separate cups. Some
suggest that the water be placed only into the principle chalice that the
priest uses – because that was the practice prior to the Second Vatican Council
– but that was because at that time, only the clergy received the Precious
Blood and there would have been only one chalice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">However
the water gets into the wine, the action today is one of symbolic gesture – a
gesture that reminds us that just like the water and wine, we are all
commingled, combined into the mystical Body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-41071065644423438222015-11-08T08:00:00.000-07:002015-11-08T08:00:01.954-07:00The Offertory<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For
the past several weeks, with some detours, we have discussed only the first
part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word.
Today we begin discussing the Liturgy of the Eucharist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our
Eucharistic celebration begins with the Offertory. In the Middle Ages the faithful would bring
their gifts of offering forward and place them on the altar. These gifts would have included bread and
wine, along with produce and small animals such as chickens and pigs. The larger animals would have been placed in
a side chamber before Mass began.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
deacon of the Mass would have taken aside an amount of bread and wine that
would be suitable for the Mass and the remainder of the gifts would have been
put aside for the care of the clergy and the church. Now you know the reason that Father washes
his hands following the prayer of offering our gifts to God – he would have
just finished handling the animals that had been offered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
priest then takes the gifts and offers them to God. We hear this happening as Father lifts the
bread toward God and says in a formulary that is faithful to our Jewish roots,
“Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, for through your goodness we have
received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it
will become for us the bread of life.”
After blessing God, which in this context means “praising,” and offering
the bread, the wine is offered in a similar formula. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Today,
we don’t individually bring our gifts to the altar. A couple of people or a family is chosen from
those attending Mass to represent all of us.
And instead of us bringing bread and wine, or grain or livestock, we
offer a monetary gift to support those in need and the Church’s needs: be that bread and wine for the Liturgy or
electricity so that our worship space may be kept a comfortable temperature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Of course, it is not just the bread and wine
and the gift of our monetary resources that is offered to God. We are also bringing ourselves to the altar,
offering ourselves, consecrating ourselves to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At
Risen Savior, we invite all of our families to be “gift bearers.” If you would like to bring up the gifts at
any of our Masses, please contact our Liturgist, Kevin Newman at 821-1571 ext.
122 or knewman@risensaviorcc.org. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-83432221968044808902015-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:002015-10-25T08:00:03.972-07:00The Intentions of the Mass<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
a priest presides at the Mass he has three objectives: First, to offer the Mass
in union with and for the good of the whole Church; Second, to offer the Mass
reverently; Third, to offer the Mass for a particular intention, such as the
repose of the soul of someone who has died. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Right
before Mass begins, our announcement reader tells us for whom this Mass is
offered. These most frequently are the
deceased members of our parish family, but on occasion the Mass is offered for
someone’s birthday or anniversary, or for someone who is facing a particular
trial in life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Praying
for the dead began long before the early stages of Christianity. The earliest Scriptural reference to prayers
for the dead comes in the second book of Maccabees, written some 150 years
before the birth of Christ. The book tells how Judas Maccabee, the Jewish leader,
led his troops into battle. When the
battle ended he directed that the bodies of those Jews who had died be buried. As soldiers prepared their slain comrades for
burial, they discovered that each was wearing an amulet taken as booty from a
pagan <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city>.
This violated Jewish law and so Judas and his soldiers prayed that God would
forgive the sin these men had committed (II Maccabees 12:39-45). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is the first indication in the Bible of a belief that prayers offered by the
living can help free the dead from any sin that would separate them from God in
the life to come. It is echoed in the New Testament when St. Paul reminds us
that Jesus is the “Lord of the living and the dead” (II Timothy 4:1).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
cavelike tombs under the city of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place>,
which we call catacombs, bear evidence that members of the Roman Christian
community gathered there to pray for their fellow followers of Christ who lay
buried there. By the fourth century,
prayers for the dead are mentioned in Christian literature as though they were
already a longstanding custom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Praying
for the dead also has roots in our belief in the communion of saints. We who are living often assist each other
through prayers and other forms of spiritual support. Christians who have died
continue to be members of the communion of saints. We believe that we can
assist them by our prayers, and they can assist us by theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-2830573407593745322015-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:002015-10-18T08:00:01.742-07:00The Prayers of the Faithful<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
deacon says, “For our Holy Father and all the leaders of the Church, we pray to
the Lord.” And all of us immediately
know to respond by saying: “Lord, hear our prayer.” This form of prayer was new to Catholics
after the Second Vatican Council, but now the response is almost
automatic. The danger with automatic
responses, of course, is that we tend to forget the deeper meaning of what we
do and say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
petitions that follow the Creed are called the Prayers of the Faithful or the
General Intercessions. Each name tells
us something important about this prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s
called the Prayer of the Faithful because this prayer is said by those who are
baptized. As Christ prayed for the good
of the people, so we are called to offer prayers and intercessions for the
needs of all people today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The General
Instruction of the Roman Missal says that this prayer generally includes four
main categories of intentions: “for the Church, for public authorities and the
salvation of the whole world, for those burdened by any kind of difficulty and
for the local community” (#70). There
may be more than one petition in any of those categories, but these general
areas remind us that the prayer is to be universal in scope. It seeks to address the needs of all people,
near and far. Thus the prayer is also
called the General Intercessions – because they are general in nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While
they are general in scope, the petitions are also current and local. They address the needs of our world in our
own time, and they reflect local needs as well as global ones. The rest of the prayers at Mass are
prescribed in the official books – we are not free to rewrite or create
them. In the Prayers of the Faithful, in
contrast, we are expected to write our own – otherwise they could not reflect
what is happening at this particular time in this particular place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
what do we mean when we say, “We pray to the Lord?” This statement requires us to remember that
the Church teaches that we are the Body of Christ. When we ask Christ to care for the ill, or
end war and poverty, we are also taking on the commission of doing so ourselves. We are not passive. We understand that faith is a verb and we are
all called to action when we say, “Lord, hear our prayer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-48687382921305107992015-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:002015-10-11T08:00:02.114-07:00One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Every
time we’ve prayed the Creed we’ve professed our belief in the “Marks of the
Church.” The essential characteristics or “Marks” that distinguish the true
Church from other groups are expressed in our statement of belief in “one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the first article of the Creed we express our belief in One God who is
undivided and indivisible. Our
expression of belief in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">One</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place> does not deny
diversity. Nothing in the New Testament
suggests that uniformity is an ideal.
The Second Vatican Council in their document The Light of the Nations
teaches us that the Church shines forth as “a people made one with the unity of
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
say of the Church that it is “holy” because there is holiness both of and in
it. We do not claim that the church is holy
because we, collectively, are a holy, sinless people. The Church’s holiness is the expression of
divine love that will not allow itself to be defeated by human willfulness and
weakness. The Church is not holy
because of us, but in spite of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
word “catholic” derives from a Greek phrase that means “on the whole.” The first recorded use of the word seems to
have been from St. Ignatius of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Antioch</st1:city></st1:place>
in the early 2nd Century when he wrote, “Where the bishop appears, there let
the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic
Church.” He was saying that the church
had reality, life and power only to the extent that it formed part of the
universal church in union with its spiritual head. When we speak of being catholic we are saying
“the Church is one, not a union of parts but a unity of many.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
last Mark of the Church is that we are “apostolic.” As <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">St.
Paul</st1:place></st1:city> said in his letter to the Ephesians, “You form a
building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.”
The apostles were first and foremost what Jesus refers to them as being,
“witnesses.” Our faith is built upon the
Apostles, who witnessed to what they had seen, heard and experienced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
you put these four Marks together we can see that the Church is from God and
for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-63696791111823713622015-10-04T08:00:00.000-07:002015-10-04T08:00:00.744-07:00God's Spirit<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit it uses a variety of metaphors and images
to describe the Spirit’s activity in the world.
But even the word “Spirit” is a metaphor. The term began as an image rather than a
concept. Spirit is the modern
translation of the Greek word “pneuma” which names invisible forces that are
real without being tangible and, though intangible, are felt without people
being able to see or control them.
Pneuma is the word for wind – the fresh breeze of a spring day or the
fury of a tornado. Pneuma is also breath
– the breath of life that gives life.
Whatever image we use, spirit implies something dynamic – energy,
activity, life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the Creed we say with firm conviction that the Spirit is the “Lord, the Giver
of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” By doing so we are saying
that the Spirit is also God – in the same way that the Son is God. But this one phrase, while making a unifying
statement about who God is – is the divisive statement between the Latin
Church, of which we are members and the Orthodox Churches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
original language of the Creed, still maintained in the Orthodox churches says
that the Spirit comes from the Father only.
The statement we in the Latin Church recite is that the Spirit comes
from both the Father and the Son. This
idea began in the 8th Century in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region>
and within a few hundred years had swept through the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Western</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Pope Benedict the ninth had the phrase added
to the Creed and recited in churches in the 11th Century. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Both
the Latin and the Orthodox churches are endeavoring to do the impossible –
describe God – so neither can be exactly correct. Both are mankind’s attempt to put a handle on
God. The Latin Church says, “three
persons in God” and the Orthodox says, “one God in three persons.” By doing so we emphasize the unity of the
divine nature while the Orthodox look at the individual persons and emphasize
how they function in perfect unity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">However
we describe the Spirit, we are saying that it is the Spirit we acknowledge when
we say, “with the Father and the Son He is adored and glorified.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-79141124557584022442015-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:002015-09-27T08:00:01.949-07:00On the Third Day<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christians
are by definition an “Easter people;” our faith rests on the reality expressed
in the creedal statement AND ROSE AGAIN ON THE THIRD DAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
SCRIPTURES. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It
is a mistake to read THE THIRD DAY as a simple reference to earthly time as if
one were dating the resurrection event seventy-two hours after Good
Friday. The phrase is filled with deeper
meaning. It is an end-time expression
linked to the saving action of God in the person of the crucified Jesus. To the Jewish way of thinking, “the third
day” or “after three days” had a special significance even in everyday
speech. It represents a turning point in
the course of human events. In no less
than thirty places the Hebrew Scriptures employ the phrase to indicate a
critical moment when one thing is definitively concluded and a new thing
begins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Lord instructs Moses to have the people, “… ready for the third day.” “On the third day” Esther begins her task of
delivering <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, and “on
the third day” <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
expects God to raise the people up “to live in his presence.” That Jesus rises from the dead “on the third
day” marks a focal point in salvation, not in time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Creed goes on to say “HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END.” This phrase was added specifically to condemn
those who said that Christ would come again to set up a </span><b>worldly,
political kingdom based in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">. From there, He would rule the earth as king of
a physical realm and the world would enjoy unprecedented peace and prosperity
for one-thousand years. Then, after a </span><i>millennium</i><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">was
complete, Satan would be loosed for a time and would make war upon Christ and
His Kingdom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Those
who signed on to this heresy saw the reign of Christ as being composed of two
kingdoms: an earthly one that would last for a thousand years, and the second
and eternal one to follow the final defeat of Satan. The Council of Nicaea rejected this notion
outright.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
understand and believe that when Jesus comes again it will be to usher in the
end-times where he WILL JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-49703250632318415272015-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:002015-09-20T08:00:02.461-07:00Why Did God Become Man?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Last
week we talked about our belief in Jesus Christ who is both fully human and
fully God. In the Creed we say, “For us
men and for our salvation he came down from heaven.” But why did God become Man and what is
Salvation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
everyday language the verb “save” is used in a couple of ways. We save for
something – like for our retirement and we are saved from things – like from a
disaster. In the language of faith, it
seems that salvation most often implies being saved from something. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the Hebrew Scriptures God is seen as the salvation of the people of
Israel. God delivers them from mortal
danger time after time. In the Christian
tradition we understand that we are being saved from our sin through the love
and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sin
is a failure in human relationships – the relationship between ourselves and
others and our relationships with God. Like
the old “chicken or the egg” riddle, we find ourselves with an unanswerable
question, “which is first, the fact of sin or the act of sin?” Are we sinners because we sin, or do we sin
because we are sinners? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
an autobiographical passage which almost all of us can make our own, St. Paul
recognizes the power of sin in his life when he writes in his Epistle to the Romans,
“I am weak flesh sold into the slavery of sin.
I cannot even understand my actions.
I do not do what I want to do but what I hate... But if I do what is
against my will, it is not I who do it, but sin which dwells in me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul
talks about sin as having a life of its own.
Other biblical writers speak of it as “the power of darkness,” and “sin
of the world.” In that sin, as St. Paul
suggests, “resides” in all of us, it is called “original sin.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Until
we become aware of the power of sin that is at the root of all evil in the
world, we cannot fully appreciate the significance of Christ’s death and
resurrection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why
did God become man? The best answer is
that in becoming one of us He could fully understand the influence that sin has
upon us. And by not sinning he shows us
that we do not need to become mastered by sin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-55133465940591021142015-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:002015-09-13T08:00:03.331-07:00Who Do You Say That I Am?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
questioned the Apostles and asked them, “Who do people say that I am?” The question continues to be asked today and
touches the very core of the Christian message.
The Creed is our way of answering the Lord’s question. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By
the beginning of the fourth century a heresy began creeping throughout <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
and spreading through Churches in the east.
This heresy was begun by a bishop by the name of Arius, who taught that
Jesus was not God, but was a creature that God had made. Now Arius was willing to admit that Jesus was
the highest of created beings, but a creature nonetheless. To be precise, Arius claimed that Jesus was
a supernatural being not quite human and not quite divine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Even
though Arius was condemned by the Church and had to leave his office of bishop,
he wandered through the Holy Land spreading his heresy through powerful
preaching and even song that children could be easily taught. The Christian Emperor, <st1:city w:st="on">Constantine</st1:city>,
called a council of all the world’s bishops to be held in the city of <st1:city w:st="on">Nicaea</st1:city> in what is now modern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region>, in the year 325. The bishops condemned Arius and the heresy
which became known as Arianism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Instead
of seeing Jesus as a not quite human, not quite God, supernatural being, the
council fathers reaffirmed what had been taught back to the time of the
Apostles, that Jesus is of the same substance as God. They used the word “consubstantial” which
means “of the same stuff,” to describe the relationship between the Father and
the Son. That is reflected in the meaning
of the words the council fathers crafted to describe the relationship of Jesus
with the Father:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,<br />
the Only Begotten Son of God,<br />
born of the Father before all ages.<br />
God from God, Light from Light,<br />
true God from true God,<br />
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father,<br />
through him all things were made.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These
44 words are very important because through them the council fathers in no
uncertain terms tell us that Jesus is God and God is Jesus – they are one in
being. When we profess this in our
Sunday Liturgy we are standing with all those who have come before us and the
entire Communion of Saints in saying, “Jesus Christ is God.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-90211971902131837002015-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:002015-09-06T08:00:03.838-07:00God the Father<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One
can make the case that the most distinctive tenet of Christianity is its
teaching about creation. From Genesis,
where the first words are “In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth,” to the Book of Revelation which says to God, “For you have created all
things; by your will they came to be and were made,” we find reference to God
who created everything out of nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the second Christian century a heresy developed which we now call “Gnosticism”
(Nŏs-tǐ-cism). The Gnostics believed
that there were two Gods – an inferior one who created, and the Supreme Divine
Being who was remote and unknowable.
According to the Gnostics, while we humans contained a spark of the
divine because the lesser god had made us, the Supreme Deity never intended to
create a universe of matter. It was a
mistake, the fault of the lesser god. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Gnostics
compared and contrasted the creator god they saw in the Old Testament, whom
they saw as the eye-for-an-eye god of justice, and the loving Father proclaimed
by Jesus in the New Testament.
According to most Gnostics, Christ came into the world as the agent of
the Supreme God, revealing the true knowledge which was the way of escaping the
flesh. It goes without saying that they
had no place in their system of belief for the resurrection of the body –
Jesus’ or anyone else’s, because they believed that matter imprisons the soul
and is bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
primary importance of God’s role as creator is reaffirmed in the first article
of the Creed when we say of God that He is the MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, OF
ALL THINGS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE. This
is the basic belief from which flows all else that we say about God, about the
universe we live in, about our history, our destiny and our hope. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Because
we understand that God, who is good, made heaven and earth, the Catholic-Christian
tradition looks at the world and all that is in it in a positive manner. The physical world, the human body, the
thirst for life and human relationships are all good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
first article of the Creed can be summed up in this way: there is no god but God. Just like the Jews profess their belief when
they say “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one.” We profess the same belief… there are not a
multitude of gods, there is only the One who made it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-87190690169174949152015-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-30T08:00:04.010-07:00What is Belief<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Last
week we talked about the usefulness of the Creed in helping us to share the
same understanding of who our God is.
Beginning this week we’re going to spend some time looking at each section
of the Nicene Creed to learn what it means and why it’s included.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Before
we can begin to talk about what we believe, we must take a moment and discuss
what it means to believe. Literally, to
believe means to “hold dear.” It has a
sense of “preference” or “allegiance.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One
of the earliest examples of the English word “belief” is found in a medieval
homily that warns Christians not to set their hearts, as we might say today, on
worldly goods. The actual phrase is
“should not set their belief” on them.
So, literally, the homilist was saying that the faithful should not give
their allegiance to worldly goods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Belief
is also tightly connected to the word “faith.”
The English language does not have a verb form of the word FAITH. The word faith is a noun, but faith itself is
an action, so English translators usually use the word “belief” instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Christian act of faith is not a solo; it is made in communion with the
confession of faith sung by the whole church.
The “I believe” of baptism becomes the “we believe” of the community
which gathers in faith. The Christian
community is the “we” of faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
reciting the Creed, Christians declare, individually and collectively, our
faith before both God and the world. So
the purpose of our confession of faith is two-fold: Before God it is an act of praise and
thanksgiving, through which we thank God for all that he has done in creation;
and before our fellow human beings, we declare publicly that our allegiance is
to God and not to the things of this world.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Creed echoes the faith of the early Church.
By it the individual Christian follows in the centuries-old tradition of
the baptized who confessed their faith just moments before being changed by the
waters of baptism. Today we profess our
faith just moments before being changed by a different Sacrament – the Holy
Eucharist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-20170700083749645982015-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-23T08:00:01.861-07:00Identity Crisis<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sometimes
in the course of our lives, we may experience what is called an identity
crisis. Experiencing significant changes
in our lives, like a death in the family or a job loss, we can lose a clearly
defined sense of who we are and what is important to us. It may take a while to find our bearings
again, to realize what is really central to our sense of self and the meaning
of our life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
liturgy invites us each week to reaffirm our Catholic identity when we recite
the Nicene Creed or Profession of Faith at <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mass.</st1:place></st1:state>
Because we say it every week, it can easily become a routine ritual
carried out with little thought. Let us
take a few moments to talk about why we say the Creed each week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Think
about how we recited the Creed on Easter Sunday. Abandoning our usual pattern, on that central
day of the year we profess our faith by renewing our baptismal promises. This reminds us that the Creed finds its home
first in the celebration of Baptism.
Before entering the waters of the font, those to be baptized (or their
parents in the case of babies) publicly profess their faith. In doing so, they claim their identity as
believers in Jesus Christ, called by the Father and guided by the Holy Spirit. They commit their future to sharing the life
of the Trinity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
every week, we renew that commitment. We
publicly profess again who we are and what is ultimately important in our
lives. We do this together, as one
voice, because our faith is a shared faith, not just a set of beliefs but a way
of life, shared with all other members of Christ’s body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the Creed, we use ancient language to profess eternal truths. The words we use most often are the Nicene
Creed. Occasionally, in a Mass said for
children, we might use the Apostle’s Creed instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Both
formulas reaffirm our faith in the Father who created us and all things, in the
Son who redeemed us by His death and resurrection, and in the Holy Spirit who
guides us and unites us in the Church.
Thus we identify ourselves as children of the Father, redeemed by the
Son, striving to live in the Holy Spirit.
We base our lives on belief in the Trinity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Creed comes just after the readings and the homily. It stands as a communal response to God’s
word. We hear what God has done for us
and then we express our faith in response.
Of course, the words only matter if we live by them. By proclaiming the Creed, we commit ourselves
to live every day in the love of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-84026690841513696612015-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-16T08:00:03.844-07:00Leaving Mass Early<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Once
upon a time, some people claim, a parish church during Mass was a quiet and
orderly place.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">People arrived before
Mass began and stayed until it was over.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Once in the pews, few people left them until it was time for Communion,
unless they had a medical emergency.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Those
days, if they ever existed, are long gone.
Some Sundays, our church seems nearly as busy as Grand Central
Station. Some people arrive five or ten
minutes after Mass has begun. Some leave
as soon as they’ve received Communion, and many others bolt for the doors when
they hear the first note of the recessional hymn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
might raise some questions about the disrespect for the Eucharist that such
behavior expresses, but our focus today is on those people who are told to
leave before Mass is over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
are three such groups in our parish. The
first is composed of children ages six to 12 who leave the assembly after the
opening prayer at our Sunday 9:00 and 11:00 AM Masses. They go to another room for the Liturgy of
the Word presented at their level. They
return during the Presentation of the Gifts and stay for the rest of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Mass.</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Another
group is dismissed after the homily.
They are the catechumens, those adults who are preparing for baptism and
those who are preparing for full communion with the Catholic Church. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
calls for them to be dismissed from the assembly every week until they are
baptized or received into the Church. Here
at Risen Savior dismissal normally happens at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sometimes
people wonder why we are so inhospitable to these folks. Why can’t they stay for the whole Mass? There are two ways to answer that question. Those who are not yet baptized or received
into communion are not able to join us at the table for Eucharist. That necessary exclusion could seem
inhospitable if they were to stay. The
more important reason they are dismissed, however, is so that they can reflect
upon the Scriptures and homily and share their thoughts about what they’ve
heard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
third group that is dismissed from the Mass are the Extraordinary Ministers of
Holy Communion who are taking Communion to the homebound. In a tradition that goes back to the very early
Church, they are taking the Body of Christ to those who could not attend our
worship: taking Christ not only in the Host, but also in their own
presence. They are dismissed prior to
the rest of us so that they can begin their journey and their ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
much like Grand Central Station, there are always people coming and going, but
all of us are really moving in the same direction… moving closer to Jesus and
His kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-67271556822923025912015-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-09T08:00:01.831-07:00Nuestro Padre San Francisco de Asis <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i>This
article was written by Fr. Bill McNichols, <br />the artist of the icon of St.
Francis in the Church</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is
not an exaggeration to say that Francis was probably one of the few true
fundamentalists that ever lived. Following his conversion at age 25, the Gospels
became his road map. Because Jesus said
"Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me,"
Francis named his group the Frati Minori, meaning “the Least Brothers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By
the time Francis was in his early 40s he felt like a failure. His Least Brothers had grown from 12 to over
3,000 and he could no longer guide or control them. Following a dream, he surrendered his Order to
the Pope and went to Mount La Verna, north of Assisi, to bemoan the sins of his
failure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While
on the mountain, Francis asked Jesus to grant him two graces in order that he
might completely follow the Gospels.
First, he asked to feel in his whole being the pain that Jesus felt as
he died on Mount Calvary. Secondly, he
asked to experience the depth of the love that Christ had that made Him capable
of forgiving our sins even as he hung from the Cross.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Francis
had a vision of a six-winged angel, a Seraph, coming from the sky; the angel
appeared as the crucified Christ. In
answer to his prayer he felt both the pain of the Cross and the love of
Christ. Francis lived two more years
bearing the physical wounds of Christ – he was the first person ever to receive
the stigmata. During those brief years
he continued to heal with his wounds. When
the brothers would wash out the bandages, the rinse water would be used to heal
sick animals and people. For me this is the most beautiful part of the story as
we are all asked to continue to work with and heal with our wounds; they don't
disappear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I've
lost count of how many times I've drawn, painted or created icons of the love
of Francis for and with, his Seraphic Lord Jesus. It's a meditation and contemplation
I never tire of bringing to life; these wounds so ever-present in all of us
that Pope Francis has referred to the Church as a "Field Hospital"
where we tend to one another, as if on a field of continuing battles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
hope this image brings you hours of meditation and joy and that it sends you
back into the world to share in Jesus' Healing Gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-15742079162901461002015-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-02T08:00:03.363-07:00Preaching At Mass<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Have
you ever heard anybody complain about the preaching in the Catholic
Church? Have you ever voiced such a
complaint yourself? I’m sure no one in
this parish would ever be disappointed by the preaching here, of course, but I
suspect you’ve heard such complaints somewhere sometime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s
easy to complain, of course, but much harder to improve the situation. Most people who complain about the quality of
preaching are quick to agree that they wouldn’t want the job themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Preaching
is always a challenge. It requires
finding useful connections between the Word of God and the people to whom it is
addressed. It means figuring out how the
word of the Lord applies to our own time and what it might say to the people
assembled for the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mass.</st1:place></st1:state><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Of
course, those people who make up the assembly are often quite diverse. They range in age from one to a hundred. They are male and female. Some are highly educated and others less
so. There are both the wealthy and the
poor. Some are liberal and other
conservative. Some are eagerly attentive
and others wish they were anywhere but here.
Trying to speak one message to such a diverse group is never a simple
undertaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It
might help to realize that the task of the preacher is also the task of those
who listen. Together we must figure out
what God is asking of us. Together we
must make the word of God come alive in our own time and in our own lives. Perhaps the main function of the preacher is
to be a catalyst who prompts everyone to grapple with this shared task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
used to call what the preacher does the “sermon.” In the Catholic tradition the preaching at
Mass is more properly called a homily. A
sermon can be on any topic the preacher desires. A homily is based on the readings of the day,
the feast being celebrated, or some part of the liturgy itself. Its ultimate goal is to help us enter more
deeply into the Mass and thus to draw closer to the Lord who speaks to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One
of the primary purposes of the homily is to help us all become more aware of
how God is at work in our world and in our lives. The homilist tries to name what is happening
at the time, to lift it up for us to see it more clearly, and then to challenge
us to respond to God’s action. Being
aware of the ways that God is present among us day by day should lead us all to
a sense of gratitude for God’s presence and gifts. Thus the homily helps us to prepare to give
God thanks and praise and leads us into the rest of the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mass.</st1:place></st1:state>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Yet the
work of the homily is not finished when the preacher sits down. The value of a homily depends on those who
hear it. Do we listen attentively? Do we try to remember a key idea or word that
struck home? Do we use the silence after
the homily to try to figure out how we will respond? The real work of the homily begins when we
walk out the church doors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-17689516865730569832015-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:002015-07-26T08:00:04.447-07:00Who's the Most Important<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Have
you ever wondered why we sit for the first two readings at Mass but stand for
the Gospel? This is one of several ways
that the liturgy gives special significance to the portion of the Bible that is
found in the four Gospels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
believe that Christ speaks to us in all the readings. Because He is the Word of God made flesh,
whatever God says to us comes to us through Christ. Yet there is something exceptional about
those four books that give us most of our information about Jesus Himself. The Gospels reveal Him to us, recounting His
teaching and His miracles; His journeys and His encounters with the people of His
time; His death and His resurrection. It
is in the four Gospels that we find the fullest picture of Jesus and His
meaning for our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
are several ways that the liturgy reminds us of the supremacy of the Gospels. Before the Gospel is proclaimed, the deacon
expresses the hope that the Lord will be with us, and we respond in kind. This reminds us that the Lord is present in
the Gospel in a unique way. On special
occasions, the deacon will incense the Book of the Gospels to express our
reverence for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Risen
Savior, like many parishes, uses a Book of the Gospels for this proclamation which
is carried in procession at the beginning of Mass and placed on the altar until
the time to proclaim the Gospel reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
main expression of the Gospel’s importance, however, is the Gospel procession after
the second reading. Following our shared
silence, we all stand and sing the Gospel Acclamation. The deacon goes to the priest and asks for
the grace to proclaim the Gospel well; the priest blesses him by saying, “The
Lord be in your heart and on your lips that you may proclaim his Gospel worthily
and well.” The deacon then goes to the
Book of the Gospels and raises it high for all to see and acknowledge. Flanked by the candle bearers, he processes
to the ambo while the whole assembly acclaims Christ and welcomes Him in His
Word by singing the Alleluia. After the
deacon proclaims the Gospel, he says, “The Gospel of the Lord,” and while we’re
replying, “Thanks be to God,” he kisses the book and says, “Through the words
of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All
of this attention is intended to open our minds and hearts in a special way to
the words of the Gospel. That is why
after the deacon tells us the name of the Evangelist whose Gospel we’re reading,
we make the sign of the cross on our foreheads, asking God to keep Jesus’ word
always on our minds. We cross our lips
to remind ourselves that our Christian duty is to spread the Gospel, and we
cross our hearts as a reminder to keep the Gospel as our center. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Hearing
the Gospel is only the first step. Once
we have heard the words, we have to figure out how to live them. Through the Gospel, Christ challenges us to
imitate Him and walk in His ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-20258818165425926002015-07-19T08:00:00.000-07:002015-07-19T08:00:02.204-07:00Dividing Scripture<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider
this challenge: Take the whole Bible and
figure out how to cut it up into bite-sized pieces that can be used over 156
Sundays, plus a few dozen major feast days.
Take into account the seasons of the liturgical year, as well as 2000
years of previous ways of doing the same thing.
When you have all the Sundays and major feasts figured out, divide those
into a three-year rotation. Then, decide
how to divide what’s left into about seven hundred weekdays to create a
two-year list of readings for daily Mass.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the process, of course, you will have to decide which verses of the Bible are
most important. You have to determine
how long each reading should be and where to start and stop each passage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These
were just some of the challenges faced by those who created the book of
readings that we call the Lectionary. In
making their decisions, the Church used two main patterns for choosing
readings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Generally
the first reading is from the Old Testament, though during Easter season it
comes from the New Testament book of Acts.
The second reading is from the New Testament letters or the Book of
Revelation, followed by an excerpt from one of the four Gospels. For the seasons
of Christmas and Easter, the readings are chosen based on the feast, so they
all fit together well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
Ordinary Time, a different principle comes into play. We read through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark
and Luke, one each year, in what is called a semi-continuous reading. We don’t read every verse, but we work the Gospel,
chapter by chapter. John’s gospel is
used most often during the Easter season in all three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
first reading is chosen to relate to the Gospel passage, and the psalm is
chosen to respond to the first reading.
The second reading is not necessarily linked to the other readings but
gives us another set of ideas to ponder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
goal of this rather complicated structure is simple: to expose us to more of
the Bible than we used to hear in Church.
Before 1970, the Lectionary had only one year’s worth of readings and we
heard about 10 percent of the Bible proclaimed at <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mass.</st1:place></st1:state>
Today’s three-year cycle allows us the opportunity to listen to some 60%
of Sacred Scripture read at <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mass.</st1:place></st1:state><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Back
in 1893 Pope Leo XIII (13th) reminded Catholic Christians that we have a holy
obligation to study Scripture. It’s not
enough for us to hear the Word proclaimed at Mass, but to go home, open our
Bibles and read the Word of God, allowing it to become part of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-43066969837083573612015-07-12T08:00:00.000-07:002015-07-12T08:00:05.832-07:00Listen Up<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
would happen if Jesus came to church next Sunday? I mean, if He showed up in his first-century
garb – robe, sandals, beard – and walked up to this ambo and began to
speak. What would you do? How would you react?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I suspect
it’s a safe bet that all of us would have our eyes fixed on Him and our ears
tuned to every word He spoke. Of course,
someone would probably be on a cell phone, alerting the media!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Such
an event should not strike us as unusual, however, because Jesus comes here
every Sunday to speak to us. That’s what
Catholic tradition teaches – that when the word of God is proclaimed in our
midst, Christ speaks to us today. He
comes in disguise, we might say, speaking through the lectors and the deacons
and priests who proclaim the readings.
The Second Vatican Council put it this way: “[Christ] is present in his
word, since it is he himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in
the Church.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Most
of us are aware of Christ’s presence in the presider as well as in the people
gathered for worship. Jesus’ presence in the word is yet another way He reveals
Himself to us. Reverence for Christ
present in His word calls us to attentive listening. Many of us have developed a habit of following
along in the missal, a habit we should try to break! The proper response to Jesus who is present
is to put down the books and listen with open ears and open hearts to what the
Lord is saying to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Listening
does not mean being passive, however.
Truly listening is a very active response when someone speaks to
us. We show respect for anyone who talks
with us by looking at the person and concentrating on what he or she is
saying. That takes effort on our part,
not allowing other thoughts or external distractions to claim our attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It
may be helpful to realize that our primary task is not to get every word that
is spoken, but to listen carefully to whatever word the Lord wants each of us
to hear that day. This will vary from
person to person, but Christ offers each of us the message that we really need
to hear. It’s a good idea to read the
readings at home before you come to Mass; that’s why we print the Scripture
references in the bulletin each week.
Then when the word is proclaimed, we can allow Christ to speak directly
to us through the readings and the homily.
If we are touched by one word or phrase or idea every Sunday, and
nurture that word in our heart through the week, then God’s word will be
effective in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the silence after the readings and after the homily, we might ask ourselves two
simple questions: What did I hear Jesus
say? And how will I live that word this
week? The answers to those questions have
the power to change our lives!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899963029355634983.post-9042309591646155442015-07-05T08:00:00.000-07:002015-07-05T08:00:04.662-07:00The Sounds of Silence<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It
seemed like a typical Sunday Mass in a typical parish.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The opening hymn was joyful, the Penitential
Rite was reverent, and the Glory to God was sung by all with vigor.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Then the presider said, “Let us pray.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Then nothing happened.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Ten seconds became fifteen, then twenty.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">People began to look around nervously and wondered:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">What’s wrong with Father?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Did he fall asleep?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
fact, he was simply doing what the liturgy intends. The missal says that, after the priest says,
“Let us pray,” the priest and people “pray silently for a while.” In some parishes that “while” lasts only a
few seconds, but it is intended to be a brief yet significant pause for
prayer. This is an appropriate time for
each of us to recall our needs and hopes and present them to the Lord. The priest then gathers our prayers into one
opening prayer – a prayer sometimes referred to as a “collect” because it
collects our prayers together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is one of several places in the Mass that silence is encouraged. The liturgy is always a blend of sounds and
silence. Since Mass is communal worship,
it is natural that most of the time we are together will be filled with spoken
and musical prayer. Yet there is also a
need for moments of silence to allow ourselves to enter more deeply into the
worship we share.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">During
the Liturgy of the Word we are also encouraged to enter into moments of silence
after the readings and after the homily.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal calls for such silences so
that “the Word of God may be grasped by [our] heart.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
are also called to share a time of silence after we have all received Holy
Communion as a sign of our unity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These
times of silence don’t work automatically, of course. It takes a deliberate effort from every
member of the assembly even to allow silence to occur. The priest and deacon up front may be quiet,
but shared silence also requires the assembly to embrace it. Sometimes we seem a bit uncomfortable with silence,
because we live in a world of almost constant noise. We need to learn how to be silent together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And
in the silence, each of us must decide whether to engage in sincere prayer or
just to daydream. If we embrace these
times of silent prayer, however, we can enrich our experience of the Mass,
drawing us closer to Christ and to one another as we worship together.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Risen Savior Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939195712346549767noreply@blogger.com0