Thursday, June 30, 2011

Fireball


“Then there seemed to be a fire in my heart...” - Jeremiah 21:9
The prophet Jeremiah here is a figure for Christ.  Jesus is the ‘man afire with love’.  His Sacred Heart is depicted afire.  Aflame. 

This is the eve of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Every year it is celebrated the second Friday after Pentecost.  This year it happens to fall on Friday, July 1st . Its feast is very special to me.  First, it acts as a reminder of our Bishop (Most Rev. Robert Harris) - as he was installed on this feast as the Bishop of Saint John on June 15, 2007.  Secondly, it is a reminder of my own ordination - since it was May 30th, 2008 on the Feast of the Sacred Heart that I became 'a priest forever.'

Fire.  It is the symbol that Catholic art depicts engulfing the heart of Christ.  The heart of Christ is not only alive...it is aflame.  And, like flame, whatever gets close to it is changed.  May His heart be given permission by you to draw close to yours. 




Wednesday, June 29, 2011

60th Anniversary

As the world turns, today is Father Joseph Ratzinger's 60th anniversary of priesthood.

He says the following, on this special day:


Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Non iam dicam servos, sed amicos”  - “I no longer call you servants, but friends” (cf. Jn 15:15).
Sixty years on from the day of my priestly ordination, I hear once again deep within me these words of Jesus that were addressed to us new priests at the end of the ordination ceremony by the Archbishop, Cardinal Faulhaber, in his slightly frail yet firm voice.  According to the liturgical practice of that time, these words conferred on the newly-ordained priests the authority to forgive sins. “No longer servants, but friends”: at that moment I knew deep down that these words were no mere formality, nor were they simply a quotation from Scripture.  I knew that, at that moment, the Lord himself was speaking to me in a very personal way.  In baptism and confirmation he had already drawn us close to him, he had already received us into God’s family.  But what was taking place now was something greater still.  He calls me his friend.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Fellowship of the Light-Hearted

I forget who said it, but, the world needs more court jestors.

Followers of The Way need to remember this: With issues like abortion, euthanasia, declining numbers of priests, scandals, and personal failures - the present-day Christian, alive in faith, can become a downcast, morose person who sees the world through very unhopeful goggles.  In such a toxic atmosphere, laughter can be good medicine. And good medicine, like any medicine, helps make us more healthy.

Comedic giant Stephen Colbert shared the following observation recently with university grads:
AFTER  I GRADUATED I MOVED DOWN TO CHICAGO AND DID IMPROV. NOW THERE ARE VERY FEW RULES TO IMPROVISATION, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS TAUGHT EARLY ON IS THAT YOU ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE SCENE. EVERYBODY ELSE IS. AND IF THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE SCENE, YOU WILL NATURALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THEM AND SERVE THEM. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU'RE IN THE SCENE TOO. SO HOPEFULLY TO THEM YOU'RE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON, AND THEY WILL SERVE YOU. NO ONE IS LEADING, YOU'RE ALL FOLLOWING THE FOLLOWER, SERVING THE SERVANT. 

YOU CANNOT WIN IMPROV.
---------------

The impulse to win.  An incredible impulse.  And in the fellowship of the Light-Hearted, with such serious issues closing in and such ground being lost - what are we to do?  The impulse is to win.  Win at everything.  Annihilate every iota of personal selfishness, laziness, and sin.  Yet we sometimes forget that we are not the authors of this victory.

I have learned this the hard way: Choking pressure is not a method used by God - it is NOT one of His techniques to help us!

Jesus IS the light-hearted Savior.  He knows our human weakness.  And while we are not to be oblivious to the evil - far from it! - nor are we to become dysfunctional Christians who sow anger instead of joy!
Our Savior is the Divine Fool, who is inebriated with the Fire of Love - so says a doctor of the Church - a woman ~ Catherine of Siena.  Ignatius of Loyola - founder of the Jesuit order, prayed thus "blood of Christ -inebriate me".  Exactly.   
Christ wants to inebriate us.  The Church is the bride of Christ, her lip is tinged with the freeing power of His blood.  
Let us not be like those of old, of whom it was said,
"We played the flute for you...but you would not dance."

Cheers,
Father A




Sunday, June 26, 2011

O.Burn's Ordination

A young man's life is today changed forever.  It all happened in Blackville, NB.  Yeah, that's right, the village of Blackville.  Hundreds of people packed like sardines into Sunday Mass. Owen Burns of Blackville was ordained today.

Blanche would be proud.  She was assigned to pray for him after a daily Mass late last October.  Mrs. Underhill, also a Miramichier from the Blackville area, died in her 90th year earlier this April.  She was, as most Miramichiers are, a breath of fresh air.  Blanche was always able to crack me up with an off the cuff remark from a mind that clearly did not show all the signs of aging one would expect from someone boasting of nine decades of wear and tear.  She was asked to pray for Owen.  She often asked how he was doing.  She never forgot him.  I'm sure she was able to share in the joy of today - since she, by her prayers, helped to keep him clear of some trouble or other I am sure.  After the ordination, I told a group of volunteers staffing the food kitchen area - that he needed prayers all the more now that he is ordained. I hope some of them took me seriously.

The diocese of Saint John has a new deacon.   A diocese is a territory in church-speak.  The diocese of Saint John encompasses three deaneries - that is, smaller territories - of Saint John, Fredericton and the Miramichi.  I live and will forever live as a priest in the diocese of Saint John.  I am wedded, in a sense, to the diocese now.  Hence, we are named 'diocesan priests'.  I have a new brother deacon today.  Owen is ordained to the transitional deaconate as, in a year's time, he will transition into the order of priests.  He will be ordained to sacred orders in due time God willing.  

Owen said that he experienced the call of Christ in his life.  I know that following that call has not been an easy road.  It's not an easy road for anyone that is sane.  There are challenges, made greater by the Enemy who always discourages the heart.  However, in this case, the success belongs to the pull of the Holy Spirit and Christ's Holy Mother Church.  God be praised.  In a world often bereft of 'good news' - this occasion - and the hundreds of people from little parishes like our in New Brunswick - was indeed a deep blessing.  

The atmosphere was electric.  

Today, a young man pledges chastity publicly (read: young man pledges his powerful love for God) publicly - a perpetual promise.  I can almost hear the darkness cringe.  

Good.