• Bulletin Board, Announcements, Calendar
• Welcome and Website Protocol
• Editorial - Op Ed
• Article Archive

Print this page

Article Categories

• Book Reviews
• Open Letter
• Editorials
• Notes, Quotes & Comments
• Pastor's Study
• Project Millstones
• Sidebar Comments
• Weekly Message

Links

AMERICA Magazine
A balanced Catholic weekly magazine published by the jesuits of the United States for an intelligent Catholic readership. Go online to subscribe.

Liturgy
This link will keep 'parishioners-at-large' in touch with current creative liturgy sources and resources that respect a variety of 'traditions' within the Church.

Voice of the Faithful
A 'movement' of lay Catholics 'inspired' by the abuse scandal calling for greater accountability of bishops to 'Catholics in the Pew.'

Survivos' Network for those Abused by Priests or Religious
A National Network of self-help support groups for people abused by clergy or religious.

Bishop Accountability
Vital information about the disclosure of sexual abuse and related issues affecting Catholics in the pew and the manner in which Bishops continue to exempt themselves from accountability

National Catholic Reporter
A national Catholic lay newspaper covering events not usually covered or presented with a clerical bias in the local diocesan press or but of concern and interest to Catholics.

COMMONWEAL Magazine
A 'lay' Catholic weekly publication with an accent on an intelligent analysis and commentary on curent issues, trends and concerns of interest to Catholics.

Search

Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

Much ado about nothing or, is there something to it?

Readings: Acts 19:1-8 Psalm 68:2-7 John 16:29-33

Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” [Acts 19:1-3]

Depending on one’s sacramental theology and pastoral practice, this text has been variously interpreted. For example, those who work with the RCIA (catecheumenate) hold that the sacrament of Confirmation should be administered with Baptism as it was in the early Church. It is one of the sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The Eastern Rite of the Roman Catholic Church has retained the tradition of administering all three at Baptism. Yes, the infant receives a small piece of the Eucharist bread. And so in the Eastern Rite, there is no formal celebration of First Holy Communion at the age of reason or Confirmation by the bishop at whatever age the local diocese has determined the age of maturity appropriate for Confirmation. All three sacraments are administered shortly after birth.

Others feel that the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation at a later age ensures the participation of youngsters in parish religious education programs – at least until Confirmation. In this case, many Catholics view Confirmation as the completion of or graduation from religious studies.

In recent years I have become convinced that the RCIA folks and the Eastern Rite Catholics have it right. All three sacraments of initiation should be administered together. First Holy Communion and Confirmation have become more social than spiritual. I do not mean to suggest that there is no connection or that there should be no celebration after sacramental ceremonies but for many, the accent is on the wrong syllable.

The path from Baptism to Christian maturity is life-long and the benchmarks for progress are not easily measured by grouping children by age or grade level for a period of preparation that is largely academic.

This is not to suggest that religious education is optional. Faith development is unique to each person within the context first of family and then of parish. Religious education / formation is intended to provide insight into faith development at an age-appropriate level.

Catholicism has become ‘child-centered’ the result of which, we have an adult population whose religious and spiritual development stopped at Confirmation.

The celebration of Eucharist is the primary setting for faith formation. Religious education is a necessary component but detached from Eucharist, it remain just another subject to master.

Of course this all assumes that the parish celebration of the Eucharist is truly inclusive and meaningful rather than just an empty ritual. The parish at worship should be a rendition of a community of faith that strives to live its faith ‘in the town square’ as I mentioned in Sunday’s homily.

Notwithstanding my commitment to religious dialogue, I do believe that effective dialogue is based on the assumption that although both parties are knowledgeable about the topic. Though they may have different perspectives, they are not based on ignorance of the subject.

First Sunday in Lent 'C'

Saturday February 20, 2010

No better time than now.

In the movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” the depiction of Satan is subtle but interesting. Satan appears first in the Garden of Gethsemane—the antithesis of the Garden of Eden—as Jesus is praying prior to his arrest, but the figure appears several more times at various stages of the passion. At crucial moments when Jesus might be tempted to succumb to the pain and to the power of the crowds, he nevertheless remains faithful to his commitment to life. “He was obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” [Philippians 2:8] The word ‘obey’ comes from the Latin word ‘to listen.’ Jesus was not a subservient slave but a partner with God in the work of salvation—the process of becoming Godlike.

As William Barclay points out in his excellent commentary on the temptations of Jesus, “We must not think that the three temptations came and went like scenes in a play.” His was a long battle that extended the length of his ministry right up to the cross. One of the difficulties with the movie is that Mel Gibson did not establish sufficiently the context of Jesus’ passion and death. It was his mission and ministry, his words and deeds that preceded the anguish of his passion that constitute the essence of who Jesus was for his disciples and who Jesus is for us.

Jesus’ life in ministry was not just a prelude to his passion and death. and it was not God’s will that Jesus should suffer and die but that he commit himself to the proclamation of life throughout his life without compromise to greed, self-doubt and worldly power. From the core of his being Jesus proclaimed that God’s love is indiscriminate, inclusive and surpasses all human boundaries.

In essence his passion was the rejection of his goodness and ‘Godness’ by humanity in the religious and political arena.

On this first Sunday of Lent, we are invited by Moses, Paul and Luke to reflect on the magnanimity of God within the context of our own struggle with compromise.

Moses testifies to the good things that God did for the children of Abraham, our father in the faith, to the Israelites who were freed from the Egyptians with signs and wonders as they struggled for forty years in the desert with the same temptations to greed, compromise and power.

Paul testifies to the unconditional love of God that was made manifest in the inclusive love of Christ Jesus; unconditional because it is not based on any merit of ours; inclusive because there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, Irish or Italian, Republican or Democrat. “The same Lord is Lord of all…. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” In other words, what the eternal God did for our ancestors, God does for us in Christ.

The three temptations recorded in Luke’s gospel speak to three areas of Jesus life but must be connected with his entire life and ministry.

Jesus responds to the first temptation s by telling Satan that we will never find life in material things alone.” Not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Later in Luke’s gospel, Jesus multiplies the loaves and the fishes and in John’s gospel announces that he is the “bread of life.”

The task of Christianity is not about baking more bread, although the weight and voice of the church must be behind all efforts to feed the hungry. Its real task is to produce new men and women and in doing so, the hungry will be fed with bread that nourishes not only the body but also the soul.

The second temptation was to compromise. Compromise is a part of life but it does not mean lowering the bar on our commitment to the essential teachings of the Gospel. Jesus responded, “You must honor God above all things and him alone shall you worship in word and deed.” If God is the center of our lives as he was for Jesus, then we will know when to and when not to compromise.

The third temptation dealt with self-doubt and presumption to which Jesus responded: “Do not play games with God.” Political correctness and religious theological fluff are not good religious practice. To this extent, “The Passion of the Christ” does indeed depict the cost of faithfulness. There are no cheap graces and the cost of unconditional love is sacrificial. Those who are faithful will ultimately pay the price if they are to reap the reward.

Still at the threshold of our Lenten journey, we are challenged to reflect on and revise as necessary our thinking about what drives us as disciples of Jesus. It has been stated wisely that only those who have traveled with Christ all their lives can truly understand the passion at the end of his life and participate in the power of his resurrection.

It’s a “road less traveled” to be sure, but there’s no better time than Lent to travel it together.