Chrism Mass

On Thursday, the priests and people of the Diocese of Salina, Kansas gathered at Sacred Heart Cathedral to celebrate the Chrism Mass. The Chrism Mass can take place on the morning of the Thursday of Holy Week (Holy Thursday). Since priests and people have to travel a great distance, the Chrism Mass can be scheduled at another time. The Diocese of Salina has offered the Chrism Mass the Thursday before Holy Week. The focus of the Chrism Mass is the priesthood and the blessing of the oils- Sick, Catechumen, Sacred Chrism. My first experience of the Chrism Mass was when I was in the high school seminary in Kansas City, Kansas. The Archdiocese would hold the Chrism Mass in the seminary chapel. I always thought the Chrism Mass was a beautiful celebration because you would see all the priests gathered and witness the blessing of the oils that would be used throughout the parishes for the coming year. One year, I had the opportunity, along with some other classmates to fill the oil stocks after the Mass. It was a rewarding time and a great learning experience but it could get a little messy if you were not careful. My first Chrism Mass as a priest was in 1998 since I was ordained after the Chrism Mass took place in 1997. I had the great opportunity to carry the Chrism oil in procession being the newly ordained for the diocese. Now, almost 15 years later, I look back with great fondness to those wonderful memories and I thank God for the gift of the priesthood and for being able to serve the people of God. One of the highlights of the Chrism Mass is the "Renewal of Priestly Commitment" by the priests. Lent is for new beginnings and this renewal is a new beginning for all of us as priests so that we can live our faith and ministry to the fullest. Let us pray for our priests and pray God that you will send more laborers into the vineyard because the harvest is ready! Have a blessed day!!!

Freedom!!!

Freedom is a beautiful gift!!! We hear about it a lot when we talk about the country in which we live, "the land of the free and the home of the brave." Of course, that freedom has been under attack, especially when it comes to religious freedom or liberty. Religious liberty is what led people to travel to the United States and it is what our country is built upon. There are leaders who are trying to tear that liberty down and we cannot stand for it. The Bishops of the United States and other religious organizations have been firm in defending religious liberty and we cannot let our guard down. Our resolve needs to remain firm and we need to build our efforts on the rock of Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone. That leads to where I was heading with the title of freedom. Take the time today to read the Gospel of John, 8:31-42. Jesus says to the Jews in our gospel and to us today, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Jesus Christ is definitely the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All who believe in him will have eternal life. When we listen to the passion narratives during Holy Week we will listen to Jesus say that the reason that he came is to defend the truth. Also in the gospel, Jesus talks about being free from our sinfulness. When we turn away from sin and turn back to God we will truly be free. As Catholics, we experience that freedom in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are hearing a lot about freedom in our present day and it is a gift that we have received. Let us not miss the opportunities to stand up for freedom and to experience the freedom that comes from God's great love and mercy! Have a blessed day!!!

Lift High the Cross

This title is also the name of a beautiful song that is sung during this time of the year. Of course, it is one that we can sing at any time because our focus is to always be on the cross of the Christ. That lifting up is part of our readings for this day, Old Testament and Gospel. The Old Testament reading is from Numbers 21:4-9and it focuses on the Israelite people who were complaining against God and Moses because they were out in the desert with no food or water. In punishment the Lord sent saraph serpents to bite the people. Eventually they relented and asked Moses to ask the Lord to take the serpents away. God's instruction to Moses was, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live." The gospel reading, John 8:21-30, has Jesus telling the Pharisees, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me." Jesus is talking about being lifted up on the wood of the cross. The cross is the tree of life! When we look at the cross we truly know how much God loves us because He sent His only Son to die for our sins and through his resurrection we have new life. Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus tells us that if we wish to be his disciples, we must pick up our cross and follow him. Our Lord will give us the grace, strength, perseverance, and patience that we need to carry our crosses. Let us lift high the cross for in doing so we gain new life! God Bless You!!!

Feast of the Annunciation

Last week, the Church celebrated the Feast of Saint Joseph. To begin this week, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. The normal date for the feast is March 25 because nine months later is December 25. Since the 25th fell on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the feast is transferred to today! It is amazing that in the midst of Lent we celebrate two beautiful feasts. We are preparing to culminate the liturgical year with the glorious Solemnity of Easter, our Lord's Resurrection, but today we receive the gift of where salvation began for us. The Annunciation heralds the beginning of our salvation. By Mary's obedient "Fiat," the earth has become heaven. As Pope Benedict XVI says, "In Jesus, God has placed, in the midst of barren, despairing mankind, a new beginning which is not a product of human history but a gift from above" (Magnificat, 373). This message goes along with the Good Word that we hear in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." Jesus was sent by the Father to be the Savior of the world. To get to the resurrection, we need to have the birth of our Lord and we need to go through the cross. We celebrate today the great message of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she has found favor with God and will be the mother of God's only Son. By her "YES," we have become a blessed and redeemed people. May we follow our Blessed Mother's example by saying "YES" to God's will in our lives and celebrate with joy these events that led to our salvation. Have a blessed day!!!

Fifth Sunday of Lent

We are now a week away from the beginning of Holy Week, the holiest week of the year. Two weeks away from the great Solemnity of Easter and the celebration of our Lord's glorious resurrection. The Year A gospel which you may hear if your parish is celebrating the Third Scrutiny for the Elect is from Saint John 11:1-45. That passage is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The Year B gospel is also from Saint John 12:20-33. This passage is about the grain of wheat that falls to ground and dies and producese much fruit. Both gospels give us a glimpse of the new life that Jesus won for us by his death and resurrection. John, chapter 11, has always been one of my favorite passages because of the discourse between Jesus and Martha. Martha says to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus assures Martha that his brother will rise again and she says, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus responds, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Martha gives a resounding "YES," that she believes. Picture yourself in Martha's place and responding to Jesus. How would you respond? These readings give us hope and they encourage us to renew our faith. May our faith and belief always be strong as we trust in the risen Christ who is the resurrection and the life. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Focus on the Cross!

If you are ever looking for a tool that can help you with prayer and the daily Mass readings, Magnificat, is it. I have received the Magnificat book for a number of years and it is a great resource. In fact, you will notice that I document it quite often in these blogs. During Lent, there are some wonderful quotes that truly make you think and I am looking back over those to mention here. We are two weeks away from Good Friday, but each Friday and each day of our lives is a time to focus on the cross. Here is a beautiful quote from Saint John Mary Vianney: "When we are walking in the streets, let us fix our eyes on the Lord bearing his cross before us" (Magnificat, 93). What Jesus did in carrying the cross and being crucified is the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his very life so that we will have the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life. I also remember a piece that said Jesus is walking ahead of us with his cross and do not think that our cross is greater than his. Jesus tells us if we wish to be his disciples we must pick up our cross and follow him. We know that we carry our crosses but we do not do so alone! Our Lord is always there to give us the patience and perseverance that we need. On that same page, 93, in the Magnificat, there is this beautiful prayer that we can make our own, "Lord Jesus Christ, my crucified Savior, open your Heart and accept mine." Let us pray that the heart of Christ will touch ours and that we can keep our focus on the cross because it is the tree of life! God Bless You!!!

Life-Giving Water!

A key word in our readings from yesterday and today is: Water! On Tuesday, the prophet Ezekiel, 47:1-9,12, was shown water flowing from the temple. As the Roman Missal stated, "I saw water flowing from the temple, and all who were touched by it were saved." From John 5:1-16, Jesus healed the man who had been ill for thirty eight years. He tried courageously to get to the pool of Bethesda but before he got there someone would get in front of him and take his place. The word of the Lord from the prophet Isaiah, 49:8-15, says, "For he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water." I also go back to the Third Sunday of Lent for the First Scrutiny when we listened to the passage about the woman at the well and how Jesus was thirsting for her faith and promised her the springs of living water. All of this imagery reminds us of our own baptism where we were washed clean of original sin and welcomed into the family of God. That life-giving water is still ours for the asking. Let us pray that the Lord will renew and refresh us with the beautiful gift of water for it sustains and gives us life! God Bless You!!!

Saint Joseph

The Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Joseph! A beautiful feast to celebrate during this Lenten Time. When I was in the seminary the Benedictine monks would celebrate patronal feast days because their names in religious life were from saints. That made me think about celebrating my patronal feast which happens to be Saint Joseph. My middle name is Joseph so I have always had a special connection to the great saint that we celebrate today. In fact, Saint Joseph is honored with two feast days, March 19 and May 1, which is the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. As the commentary to today reads, "Joseph the just man, descended from the house of David, inserts Jesus into the line of David. Like his Old Testament counterpart, Joseph's faithful disponibility extended even to his dreams. Joseph took Mary into his home as his wife, and loved her with a love beyond all human limits. 'Joseph looked on the Blessed Virgin Mary as the high priest looks on the Holy of holies' (Jacob of Serug). As a true father, Joseph gave Jesus his name, and rescued his infant Son from the murderous designs of King Herod. Saint Joseph's silent obedience resounds in the Church he protects" (Magnificat, 283-84). A beautiful example for all of us. We thank God for the beautiful model of Saint Joseph and pray that he will continue to intercede for us all! Have a blessed feast day!!!

The Good Word!!!

We have been in situations before where someone will ask you, "What's the good word?" It's the same as saying, "How are you doing?" Before, I never knew what to say when they asked about the good word but that has all changed now. Actually, I learned this a number of years ago and I think it was my dad that told me this. He said, "When someone asks you what the good word is say, John 3:16." That passage says it all and it gives us hope. Have you ever been to a sporting event or watched one on television and invariably someone has a large sign that says, John 3:16. Either those people just want to get noticed or maybe they are being a messenger of hope. We live in a world that needs hope and this passage of scripture gives us the assurance that we need. At Mass this weekend we will listen to the Gospel of Saint John 3:14-21, unless the Second Scrutiny for the Elect is being done, then you will hear the passage of the man born blind and how Jesus healed him. John 3:16 says clearly and powerfully, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." This Lenten Time reminds us of God's love and why Jesus came into the world- to suffer, die, and rise again. We thank God for the gift of His only Son and for the gift of faith that we have received. May our faith always be strong and let us give one another hope as we share the Good Word with them! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Living the Commandments!

The Commandments are the laws of God and we need to live them each day. Of course, we can use the Commandments for our Examination of Conscience as we approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our gospel for today, Mark 12:28-34, highlights the Commandments of Love that Jesus gives to us. As I have said and written before, when we put the Commandments of Love into practice, we are living the Ten Commandments. When you look at the ten, the first three Commandments focus on love of God and the final seven focus on love of neighbor. Jesus answers the scribes when they ask which is the first of all the commandments: "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." As the psalmist says for today, "I am the Lord your God: hear my voice" (Ps 81). When we listen to the voice of the Lord today, especially in Sacred Scripture, what is he saying to us: Love God and Love your Neighbor. We pray for that gift of love each day! During this Season of Lent, let us open our minds and hearts to the love of God and neighbor because that is a gift that will carry us now and for ever! God Bless You!!!

Are We Listening?

Some years ago, when I was in our diocesan vocation office, I had the opportunity to attend a vocation gathering in north central Kansas. One of the speakers was a diocesan priest and he talking about listening and vocations. His comment to those gathered was, "I don't believe we have a shortage of vocations, but we have a shortage of listeners." That was a profound statement and there is truth in it but I think that can apply to all of us as religious people and disciples of our Lord. As I tell people on many occasions, God speaks to us in different ways: through Scripture, through prayer, through the voices of others. God is always speaking to us but the question that we have to ask ourselves is: "Are we listening?" The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this as he writes down what the Lord is saying: "This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper" (Jer 7:23-28). God is wanting the people to listen to His voice but they refuse. This is God's response, "They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me" (Jer 7). The psalmist even picks up on this theme in Psalm 95, "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." The Lord is calling out to us, He is speaking to us, and we need to have the patience to listen because He knows what is best for us. Listening is an acquired discipline! Let us pray for that great gift and use it each day so we can always keep our faces and hearts pointed in God's direction! Blessings to you!!!

Limitless Forgiveness!

When I came up with this title the first thing that I thought about what the limitless buffet line at your favorite restaurant. These establishments always advertise "All You Can Eat." Of course, there is a price with those buffets but when it comes to forgiveness, it is priceless. In the gospel for today, Matthew 18:21-35, Peter asks Jesus this question: "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus responds by saying, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." Just think, if we went by the numbers, how many of us would have surpassed seventy-seven a long time ago. Thank God, there are no boundaries or limits with forgiveness. It is always there for the asking. There is the challenge of forgiveness when it comes to forgiving people. When someone has hurt us we might find it challenging to forgive them. We would rather hold on to the anger or grudge that we have towards them instead of offering them the healing and reconciliation that comes with forgiveness. This is what we receive when we approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God does not hold back His mercy and forgiveness from us. With true sorrow and contrition, we approach the sacrament to receive God's forgiveness and be reconciled with God and the community of faith. We can experience many beautiful things with forgiveness and it is a gift that we need to pray for. Jesus tells us that we need to forgive from the heart. Let us pray for the gift of forgiveness and share that limitless gift with others. God Bless You!!!

Scrutinies!!!

The Church has reached the Third Sunday of Lent!!! These next few weeks of Lent will be important for those preparing to receive the Easter sacraments. Two weeks ago, the group that I am teaching went to the Rite of Election where the Catechumens and Candidates were officially welcomed by the bishop. For those who went, the ceremony was beautiful and impressive. Now, we begin what is known as the "Scrutinies." The handouts that I use for RCIA says this about the Scrutinies: "When we scrutinize something we look at it carefully, examining it thoroughly. The rites called the scrutinies reflect this examination" (Journey of Faith, Liguori Publications). When the scrutinies are celebrated, the people will listen to the readings from the Year A Cycle. The gospels are the key and those will focus on: The woman at the well, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Each of these passages help us to examine our lives and be open to the graces that God provides. Even though we highlight the Elect and Candidates during this time, the scrutinies are for all of us. This is what Lent is about! Taking a good look, examination into our lives to see how we are living our lives and our faith. What do we need to do to become a better person, Catholic, disciple of the Lord. May these remaining weekends of Lent be an important time for all of us as we examine our lives and prepare to celebrate our Lord's glorious resurrection. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Cornerstone!

Look at any church building and you might just find a cornerstone. That stone might give the name of the church and the date the church building was dedicated. It is a prominent stone and the rest of the structure is build around it. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone that we build upon. Our Lord is the most important part of the structure of our lives and our faith. We need to place our total faith and trust in him. Jesus says this in our gospel, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes." God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to be our Savior. Jesus kept telling his disciples what was going to happen to him, that he would be handed over, put to death, crucified, and in three days, rise from the dead. Yes, Jesus is the stone that was rejected, but he is now the cornerstone, and it is truly wonderful. We need to build our lives, our faith on Jesus Christ who is the cornerstone because he will give us the grace and strength that we need. The cornerstone is a very important fixture in our lives. May we let the love and life of Christ always shine forth! God Bless You!!!

Boldness!

There is nothing wrong with being bold because sometimes we need to be when it comes to living our faith, standing up for what we believe. Sometimes there are things that happen and we say to ourselves, "That was pretty bold." This was my initial thought after reading the gospel for today, Matthew 20:17-28. Jesus told his disciples what was going to happen to him. He would be handed over, crucified, but three days later, rise from the dead. After he finished speaking, the mother of James and John approached him with this request, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom." Jesus told her that she does not know what she is asking. Then he asks the brothers, "Can you drink that chalice that I am going to drink?" They said that they could and Jesus said it will be done. However, as for sitting at my right or left, that is for my Heavenly Father to give. The other disciples were upset for sure by what had transpired but Jesus used it as a teachable moment. What our Lord says is important, "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Picking up our cross as disciples of Jesus, being of service to our brothers and sisters, that is being bold in life and faith. Let us aspire for that positive boldness during this Lenten Time! God Bless You!!!

Firmness in Preaching!

The commentary that I used for Mass this morning had some good points that we can think about and one point is clear and to the point. "Be short on speech but long on performance. Don't talk the talk but do walk the walk" (Loose-Leaf Lectionary, 1949). We hear this in Matthew's gospel, 23:1-12, "For they preach but they do not practice." Of course, we are always called to practice what we preach and we need to preach with confidence and firmness, but do so in a pastoral manner. As the beginning commentator went on to write, "Lent is that special time in the church's calendar for aligning priorities. It is that season for recalling (1) the people we have promised or even sworn to help and (2) our actual performance in meeting those obligations. As believers recall these two items, they do well to reflect on the traditional proverb that actions speak louder than words. Talking the talk is patently inadequate. Disciples must make a concerted effort to walk the walk"
(1949). This call to practice what we preach is urgently needed in our present world and society. There are so many attacks going on regarding religious liberty and human life and we need to take a stand for what is right. Do not be afraid to follow the example of Jesus, who is our ultimate teacher and preacher. He did not back down from putting the word into practice and we cannot back down either. Let us pray for the grace to be firm and pastoral preachers as we let our walking do the talking!!! God Bless You!!!

Preview of Glory

Whenever you go to a movie, there seems to be a ton of previews to watch before you get to the main feature. Of course, those previews give us a glimpse of the movies that are coming out. I am sure the people that produce these previews hope to get your attention so you will come back and watch the entire production. Even on television, commercials give you a preview of what is coming on later or news programs will tease a story that is coming up, hoping we don't change the channel. With all of that said, it seems like previews are a part of life. We can even apply that thought to the gospel for this weekend. Mark 9:2-10 is our preview of glory. In this passage, Jesus is transfigured before his closest apostles: Peter, James, and John. During the transfiguration, Jesus' appearance is changed and Moses and Elijah are conversing with our Lord. The sight of all this led Peter to say, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." This is a scene that the disciples did not want to see come to an end but ultimately it did. What happened on Mount Tabor is for the disciples and us. It is our preview of what is to come with the resurrection and the promise of eternal life. Our lives will be changed! However, the mission entrusted to us, by Jesus, continues and that is what we are doing now. Peter wanted to stay in the moment but there is work to be done. We know what is coming, we just need to prepare ourselves and others for that day. During this Lenten Time, we are to be transformed so don't miss the opportunity to grow in faith and holiness because the best is yet to come! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Gift of Reconciliation

During this Lenten Time and beyond, let us thank God for the beautiful gift of Reconciliation. As Catholics, we have the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation to approach and be restored by God's love, mercy, healing, and forgiveness. Jesus speaks so well of reconciliation in our gospel for this First Friday of March in Lent, Matthew 5:20-26. "Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Even though the Sacrament of Reconciliation has many qualities, there are two that stand out, because this is what the sacrament does for us: it reconciles us with God and reconciles us with the community. When we sin we separate ourselves from God and the community. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are brought back into communion with God and one another. The gift of reconciliation is one that we need to live each day of our lives. There are those times when we separate ourselves from family, friends, loved ones, but through reconciliation, those relationships can be restored and healed. Offering forgiveness to others can be a challenge but hopefully we are up to that challenge to grow in that beautiful gift and be on the same page with God and others. Thank You God for the gift of reconciliation! Help me and others to live that gift each day!!! Peace to You!!!

Count on Prayer

We can always count on prayer because it is a beautiful gift that God has given to us. As we have established, prayer is one of the goods of Lent and many people work on prayer during this holy season. However, prayer needs to be a constant in our lives. We need to follow our Lord's example and spend that quiet time with the Father. The readings for today show us that prayer is nothing new and you can always count on it. In our first reading, Esther C:12,14-16,23-25, we see Queen Esther prostrating herself and making her needs known before the Lord. The gospel, Matthew 7:7-12, has Jesus telling his disciples and us, to ask; seek; and knock. When we pray, we do just that. I think the commentary puts it all quite well: "Queen Esther prostrates all her majesty before the Lord and prays, 'Help me, who am alone and have no help but you.' There is no more perfect human gesture than such authentic prayer. Even in our wickedness we know how to give good gifts to our children. Which means that the inclination to pray is something as natural as our heart. Christ tells us to be true to our inborn need to depend: 'Ask, seek, knock. You will find'" (Magnificat, 24). When we pray we do so with faith, hope, and trust. Our answer may not be what we want but it is what God wants for God knows what is best for us. Let us make the most of this holy season as we grow in prayer because it is the gift that we can count on. Bless You!!!