In view of the selfishness and self-absorption that pervades our culture, we hear these days about the “Me Generation.” One psychologist, however, refers to it as the “Don’t Blame Me Generation.” She writes, “it is based on a belief system like this: ‘I am more important than most people; I am good; therefore I am incapable of doing bad things.’” What we have, she concludes, is a generation of people who don’t think they need to change anything about themselves.
In today’s gospel, Jesus spoke about another generation of people who didn’t see their need for change. Through his very presence amongst them as the incarnate Son of God, this generation was presented with something far greater than the wisdom of Solomon and the preaching of Jonah. Yet still they didn’t change; they just didn’t see the need. Jesus might very well have directed his words to our “Don’t Blame Me Generation” of today. And indeed he does.
In contrast, the people of Nineveh, when they heard God’s word through Jonah, recognized their need for change. And when they repented in sackcloth and ashes, they learned that God never spurns a humble and contrite heart. You and I will experience this as well, whenever we embrace our need for change and repent. As we celebrated in today’s psalm, God has mercy on us in his goodness; in his compassion he wipes out our offenses; he washes us from our guilt; and cleanses us from our sins. So while “Don’t blame me” may be the cry of our generation, Jesus invites us to make “Have mercy on me” our cry of faith.
Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/031611.shtml
It is often a fact that we have had to discuss difficult subjects on this blog. For, it is also a fact that our culture is in serious trouble. But it is also a notable trend that God is renewing his Church. I am seeing increasing signs of a springtime for the Church, at least here in America.
As I walk past the rose bushes out front of the rectory I see the first red shoots emerging from the pruned stumps. Last October my rose bushes were over seven feet tall. In November they were pruned all the way back to one foot. But, the young red shoots are emerging.
And in this I see an image of the Church. The overall numbers in the Church still seem troubling, especially for those of who remember the days of packed Churches and waiting lists to get into Catholic Schools. In those days, the Church stood tall and proud. But the days of pruning came, as a cultural winter set in, and we have seen closings and very lean years. Yet, the young red shoots of a new season are appearing on this rosebush of the Church, if you ask me.
1. Vocations to the Priesthood in many areas are returning. Here in Washington we are preparing to open a new pre-theologate. Our ordination numbers are up and many superb men are presenting themselves for service of the Church. I am very impressed with our new priests of the last 15 years. They are solid men who love the Church, are obedient to the Magisterium and liturgical norms, and have zeal to proclaim Christ.
2. In my parish the convent became so full the Servant Sisters of the Lord had to seek larger quarters. 25 of them moved. Only four remain in our convent, but I expect the convent to fill again soon. Many Religious orders that have retained their traditions such as the habit, communal life, and a focused apostolate are doing well, if not thriving. The Dominican Sisters in Nashville and those in Michigan are over-flowing with vocations.
3. One of my apostolates is the Traditional Latin Mass and I find an amazing number of young people who are attending. They are also meeting each other and marrying. More than half my weddings these days are from the Latin Mass community. They are solid couples, committed to the Church’s teaching on marriage. A good number of the couples I have wedded have gone on to have nice, large Catholic families.
4. The Catholic blogosphere has lit up with many outstanding, faithful and informative sites. Yes, there are some bad ones out there that feature dissent. But frankly, it is clear that the real energy is at the faithful sites. There is a graying of dissent and a thirst for the truth.
5. EWTN and Catholic Radio have a great presence and authentic voice throughout the world.
6. Great publishing houses like Ignatius Press, OSV, and fine Catholic Publications are available to the faithful in abundance.
7. There are many thriving movements in the Church that both reflect diversity and manifest great devotion for the Lord and the Church.
8. Better sense of the Battle – I think an increasing number of Catholics who remain, (remember only 25% go to Church), have an overall better sense that they are in a battle. They are, increasingly sober and serious about the state of the world and the necessity of being distinct from it. Too many Catholics of the past just wanted to fit in and get along. I think this attitude is beginning to diminish. This is certainly so among the younger clergy and religious and a growing fact among especially the younger faithful.
9. Many younger Catholics are more open to the Church’s teaching. They see the disastrous and often ruined lives of the generation that preceded them and seem more open to admitting the errors of modernist tendencies.
10. There are many new and flourishing Catholic Colleges and Universitiesthat have risen to replace many of the seemingly unreformable ones. Likewise, there are many good movements on College campuses such as Newman Centers, and groups like the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). Groups like these give Catholics a fighting chance on many secular (and even some Catholic) campuses where the moral and academic setting is hostile and poisonous. Other groups such as the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) keep an eye on Catholic Colleges and both praise the good ones and warn parents of the bad ones and bad trends.
11. Open Dissent and Liturgical Abuses seldom go unanswered now. Many Catholics now zelously step forward to set the record straight and demand on-going reform.
Yes, the red shoots are beginning to appear on the pruned rosebush of the Church. My list is just a quick one, anecdotal and incomplete. I would be grateful if you would add to this list. Where do YOU see signs of growth and spring?
Little by little the Lord is raising up men and women in the Church who, by his grace, are ushering in reform and purification. Who do you know like this and what do you see?
I realize that some of you will also want to differ with my view or add areas where we need further improvement (e.g. greater love for and direct service of the poor). Please do so. My picture is incomplete; the rose shoots are just now appearing.
I want to finish with a Scripture from last Saturday’s Mass that speaks with joy of the work of God to rebuild the ruins:
[L]ight shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined homesteads.” (Is 58:9-14)
Photo Credit: Flickr (Right click on Photo for URL)
This video depicts the work of FOCUS, mentioned above. It illustrates well the kind of reform I see springing up in the Church. The Video is very inspiring.
Today, we continued our Lenten Station Masses at Sant’Anastasia. On the way to this church, we walked past the Circus Maximus, a great field dedicated to sporting events in Ancient Rome. Although Roman charioteers would have entertained the crowds in the Circus Maximus, this sight was also the place where many martyrs gave their lives for their faith in Christ.
St. Anastasia was martyred during the Diocletian Persecution in the late third century in what is today Serbia, making the location of this church very appropriate. The church itself was built in the late fourth century and St. Jerome, who came from the same region as Anastasia, is said to have often celebrated Mass here.
While little is known about St. Anastasia herself, it is moving to know that this martyr’s name means “resurrection” and that her feast day was traditionally celebrated on December 25. She therefore connects Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection and shows us the true purpose of our Lord’s coming. It was a nice reminder for us as we entered the church that as we continue through Lent, we do so with the hope of Easter!
Learning how to pray
During the homily, the priest encouraged us to remember the great gift Jesus has given us in teaching us how to pray. We do not pray like the pagans do, hoping that the more we shout the better God will hear us. Rather, we trust in the goodness of our Loving Father who has taken the initiative in meeting us. As the Catechism so beautifully reminds us, “In prayer, the faithful God’s initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response.” In sending His own Son to Earth to suffer, die, and rise from the dead, God has taken the first step in our relationship with Him. Now it’s our turn to accept His invitation and respond with all our hearts.
A familiar expression, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” means that noisy, pesky people usually are heard, and get what they want. Thankfully, as Jesus explained in today’s gospel, we don’t need to be a “squeaky wheel” with God. When we pray, we don’t need to pester God to get his attention; we don’t need to jump and shout or, to borrow Jesus’ phrase, “babble on and on like the pagans,” to get God to hear us. The truth is, God is already listening. He knows what we need even before we ask, because he knows us and loves us better than we know and love ourselves.
Nevertheless, we are to ask God for what we need, simply and honestly, for four reasons:
• First, so that we can learn to depend on God, and not on ourselves;
• Second; so we can acknowledge that all good things come from God, and give him thanks and praise in return;
• Third, so we can share with God, in a relationship of mutual love, those people and situations that are important to us;
• And fourth, because our prayer- really and truly- does change things.
We might say that God loves to hear our voice! We don’t have to raise it or cry out, because we already have his undivided attention. For us, God is “all ears.”
In the last six months, three different friends, two who were newly dating, and one whose relationship was getting more serious mentioned that recent dates had included a visit to Adoration! And what is more interesting, Adoration was the suggestion of the guy. Date night Adoration. Who knew? Just last week, Sarah Yaklic, the coordinator of young adult ministry was sharing with me that the number of young adults coming to our monthly Adoration is increasing. Two different generations of Catholics are rediscovering the grace of Adoration. Growing up I thought Adoration was strictly for grandmothers, then it seemed to have disappeared from parish life. But it’s back!
At Home with the Lord
For me, Adoration is the experience of being “at home”with the Lord. My parents moved into the house in which I was raised a week before I was born and they lived in the house for 45 years. When they were ready to move, my brother and his wife bought the house and so today, it remains in my family. When I visit, I love to walk through each room, though different then when I was living there, it feels like “home” in a way no other place I have lived has felt. For me, Adoration is the spiritual experience of home. Sitting in the presence of the Lord, feeling completely myself with the Lord, allowing that presence to fill me.
A few years back, I discovered a homily on the story of Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary, in which Augustine talks about the meaning of Mary choosing the better part. Augustine points out that Mary, sitting at the feet of the Lord prefigures the experience of heaven. In heaven there will be no more work or service in the name of the Lord, we will live in the presence of the Lord and we will “be” rather than “do.” Augustine suggests that for many of us, this may come as a shock, that we may need to learn how to be with Our Lord. Augustine had my number! I decided that I needed to practice the prayer of being. Now, if it has been awhile since I have made a visit, I miss it, the way I miss quality time with a good friend. Luckily, this Lent, all over the archdiocese, parishes are offering Adoration.
The Light is On for You
Beginning Wednesday, our annual The Light is On Campaign begins. In all of our churches, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Confession will be offered. In many of our churches, there will also be Adoration. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, The Lord is present, watching and waiting for us to come into his presence. Adoration in an invitation to be with the Lord. For many of our parishes, Adoration is also a regular part of parish life. If you would like to find a parish near where you live or work that has regular Adoration, contact my office at [email protected] and we will help you find one.
Today’s station church is significant for the Church of Washington. This past November, Pope Benedict XVI entrusted St. Peter in Chains, situated in the heart of Rome, to Cardinal Wuerl as his titular church. I had the great honor of being the acolyte at today’s Mass. Chris Seith, a Washington seminarian in his first year at the North American College, was the lector.
Two of the church’s treasures brought me to reflect on the meaning and importance of freedom in Christ. The statue of Moses and chains of Peter remind me to allow God to free me, helping me overcome the slavery of sin and self-centeredness in my heart this Lent.
A marble statue of Moses, a masterpiece by Michelangelo, sits prominently on the right side of church. The marble Moses sits majestically – powerfully muscular, bearded, and ready to take on any obstacle standing in the way of God’s people. Just as Moses led his people from the clutches of slavery, so we should follow Jesus who will lead us out of our slavery to sin.
Proclaim the Gospel of Christ
Secondly, hanging in a glass case below the high altar, one can see and venerate the chains that give the church its name. Peter, the first pope, was thrown into prison and locked in these chains. What was his crime? He was spreading the Gospel and its message of freedom in Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:7), we read about Peter’s miraculous rescue by an angel who released him from these chains. The passage says, “And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shined in the room. And he, striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands.” Peter was released so that he could boldly proclaim the message of Christ and continue to spread the Gospel throughout the Empire.
Looking upon those chains and reflecting on the heroism of Peter and Moses, I prayed that God would release me from the chains that hold me back from proclaiming his Word and following him in true freedom. I pray that you, reader, have that experience of freedom from the chains of sin this Lent. I ask that you pray that I receive the grace of this freedom as well.
A youth minister once shared with me how he had led a group of young people in song outside a high security prison. After some time, hands were seen sticking wet pieces of toilet paper on the prison wall’s small slit windows. Letters began to emerge, then a complete message. It read: “Pray for us.” “We went to visit our brothers in prison,” the speaker explained to me, “because Jesus was a prisoner too.”
As I listened to this, I recalled another conversation, this time with a parish volunteer. Her pastor had asked her arrange for parish children to stuff Christmas goody bags of toiletries for local inmates. She was appalled at this suggestion and flatly refused. Those people were being punished for their crimes, she insisted; they didn’t deserve any goody bags.
What a contrast between these two people. Both are committed Catholics. Yet they held very different attitudes about the exercise of mercy. In today’s gospel, Jesus makes clear what he wants our attitude to be. He spoke of prisoners, the sick, the poor, and strangers in our midst – people we might be tempted to judge, condemn, dismiss, ignore, or neglect out of selfishness, indifference, and hardness of heart. Yet Jesus refers to them as his brothers, and explained that we serve him when we serve them. His challenge to us today, then, is to extend mercy to others, just as he has showered his mercy upon us.
One Mardi Gras, Today Show personality Al Roker was broadcasting from New Orleans. He had before him a traditional Mardi Gras king cake, in which is hidden a small baby Jesus. Whoever finds Jesus in his or her slice of cake at a party is declared king or queen for the day, and is expected to bring another king cake to the next Mardi Gras party. As Al Roker was explaining this, he was slicing the king cake before him, looking for the little baby Jesus. As time wore on, he began to slice and chop at his cake with increasing frustration. With a note of mock panic in his voice he exclaimed: “I can’t find the baby Jesus!” When he finally did find it, the cake had been reduced to a crumbled mess. Needless to say, this was not one of Al Roker’s finer moments.
Today’s gospel account of the temptations of Jesus shows how easy it is for us to be unable to find Jesus, or even lose him altogether. When we read the temptation story, it’s natural for us to identify with Jesus, because we’re all familiar with being tempted. But have we ever placed ourselves in the devil’s shoes? We should, because most of us, at one time or another, will make the same demand of Jesus that the devil did, by insisting that he prove himself.
The devil began each of his three temptations by saying to Jesus: “If you are the Son of God…” These were the same words used by mocking bystanders as Jesus hung dying on the cross. But haven’t these same words come from our own mouths? When we’ve been frustrated or in trouble, haven’t we said, “If you are the Son of God, fix my problem now?” Or when Jesus seems to be absent from some situation, like a terrible disaster, haven’t we said, “If you are the Son of God, why did you let this happen?” And when our faith is shaken, and we wonder if Jesus even exists at all, haven’t we said: “If you really are the Son of God, you’d better show yourself more clearly than you’re doing now!”
Throughout his ministry, people were always complaining that Jesus never did enough to show who he really is. Throughout history, we Christians have continued to make the same complaint. So we put Jesus to the test. We ask him to jump through hoops. We throw down the gauntlet, and condition our faith and discipleship upon a set of conditions that we lay out. Jesus needs to play by our rules.
Whenever we fall into this trap, we will lose Jesus. We may seek for him, but we will not find him. We’ll be like Al Roker, frantically chopping at our king cake, but unlike Al Roker, Jesus will not be revealed to us. In his book, Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict writes: “The arrogance that would…impose our laboratory conditions upon (God) is incapable of finding him. For it already implies that we deny God as God by placing ourselves above him. To think like that is to make oneself God.” And isn’t that what the devil wants us to do? Isn’t that what he tempted Eve to do in the Garden of Eden? “Eat this apple,” he hissed, “and you will be like God.”
Now, sometimes the demands we make of Jesus are simply expressions of our fear, frustration, and confusion. Jesus understands that. He knows that we are weak. At the same time, he wants us to appreciate that he was weak as well. Yes, as the Son of God he possesses unlimited, almighty power. And while he was on earth, people wanted him to demonstrate this power all the time. They wanted him to crush their enemies and fix all their problems. They wanted him to use power like the world likes to use power. But Jesus came among us in weakness, not in power. He became weak to share our weakness and save us from the mess our weakness has made. That’s why people got so frustrated with him. That’s why we too can get so frustrated with him. If we had a choice, we wouldn’t want to see Jesus on a cross. We’d want to see him on a throne! But that’s for the end of time. Not now.
Sometimes we just don’t want Jesus to be Jesus. We want him to be our kind of Jesus. Not the kind of Jesus he really is. Which isn’t really fair, if you think about it. Most of us want other people to know and understand us for who we really are. We want other people to let us be ourselves! But do we try to understand Jesus for who he really is? Do we try to let Jesus be who he really is? When we don’t, we again find ourselves in the devil’s shoes. The devil tempted Jesus to be someone other than the real Jesus. He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promised that they could all be his if he would only fall down and worship him. Yet if Jesus were to do that, he would be denying that he is God’s Son. He would be denying himself. But Jesus was true to himself. He always is. And we need to accept that.
This is perhaps the greatest challenge that the temptations of Jesus place before us. They teach us that we’re not to make demands of Jesus; we’re to embrace his demands of us. We’re not to place ourselves above Jesus; we’re to humble ourselves beneath him. We need to let Jesus be Jesus, and not remake him in our image. And we need to follow Jesus, not along a path of worldly power, but the godly path of weakness, sacrifice, and trust. Should we do this, we’ll never have to frantically search for an elusive Jesus. He’ll always be there, at our side.
In view of the selfishness and self-absorption that pervades our culture, we hear these days about the “Me Generation.” One psychologist, however, refers to it as the “Don’t Blame Me Generation.” She writes, “it is based on a belief system like this: ‘I am more important than most people; I am good; therefore I am incapable of doing bad things.’” What we have, she concludes, is a generation of people who don’t think they need to change anything about themselves.
