Rev. James M. Daprile, Jr. Ph.D.
| Rev. James M. Daprile, Jr. Ph.D. |
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2005 Columns
January 2005 IT WAS A JARRING PHOTO—sunbathers on a Thai beach as relief workers cleared debris from the recent tsunami disaster. While I recognize that countries like Thailand and Sri Lanka rely on tourism as a primary source for their economies and that tourist income will generate funds for recovery efforts, nonetheless I wished I had seen a photo of tourists volunteering to clean up the beach and bury the dead rather than cavorting in the sun. I have already sent a large personal check to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as they respond to the devastation of the December 26 tidal wave. I hope you will consider responding in some fashion as well. We can be proud of the efforts of CRS: they are internationally recognized as an effective disaster relief agency and 94.2 percent of every dollar is spent on direct services to those in need (only 5.8 percent is used for operating costs—one of the best!). EMMANUEL—GOD-IS-WITH-US, that is the good news we have been celebrating these past few weeks. And, I have seen many instances of God’s continued dwelling in our midst: IN SERVICE: Many parishioners responded to the Advent program Warmed by Love, which provided residents of Omni Manor warm and comfortable clothing. Members of the Social Concerns committee and the Youth Group distributed bags and bags of your gifts. During Christmas week Mary Ann Peters, Teri Laret, Angie Phillipone, Mary Kachmer, Mary Alyce Kinnick, Dolores Snyder, Mary Morley, Fred and Mary Capogreco, Vicki Luther, Muriel Galias, Val Holcomb, Lorrie Durkin, Jerry and Amy Kernan, Fred and Shirley Merlo, Annie and Tom Snyder, Hannah and Mariah Snyder, Andrea Neff, Patricia Chaffee, Janette Koewacich, Mike Infante, Gerry and Lou Miller, Melva and Jim Minnie, Mickey Patrick, Don Sheryl and Mary Bizzari volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen. This effort was coordinated by Judy Lazar. Wonderfully, ten more folks offered their services and were not needed: Betty Fowler, Cathy and Ed Gries, Al Mihalik, Cindy and Carrie Rockney, Jerry Beene, Barb and Bill Dunlap and Nancy Bielik. Wow! The semi-annual Bucket Brigade spent several hours polishing the church: Marsha Robinson, Sonny Lazar, Dolores Campbell, Mary West, Fran Mihalik, Lou Miller, Rita and Dick Flora, Gerry Miller, Joan Lawson, Nancy Bielik, Dorothy Sammartino, Barb Dunlap and Mary Morley. Next week, I’ll continue how God-is-with-us IN SHARING and IN SONG. Where are the photographers when we really need them?
GOD-IS-WITH-US and manifested in so many ways this past Christmas season. Last week I noted how Emmanuel was revealed in our midst in service. Here are a few more examples: IN STITCHES The beautiful 14’ angel with golden trumpet banner was painstakingly crafted by Gerry Miller and Veronica Grossi, and after a pattern created by Kathy Baytos. It is a magnificent banner and was another herald of glad tidings. The glorious red streamers on the windows were crafted by Nancy Bielik and hung by her husband Ed. They were radiant. IN SONG The music was splendid. Both the seasonal adult choir and our weekly Sonshine choir practiced long and praised well. We are always appreciative of the efforts of the directors, Monica Lileas and Geri Jacquet. And during Advent, Stephanie Oleary accompanied our singing of O Come, O Come Emmanuel with her flute. IN MINISTERIAL SERVICE Always our lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, ushers, children’s liturgy of the Word and hospitality folks are gracious and prayerful in their service around the altar. Thanks to our seminarian, Paul Marich, who was MC for the Christmas Eve Masses. The Liturgy Committee spent many and long hours making preparations and executing the details. Thanks to Mark and Deb Flora the co-chairs. IN SHARING Wednesday night before Christmas a merry band of parishioners gathered to decorate the church. Faster than a twinkle poinsettias were set, a manger erected, and red bows (thanks Patty Infante) festooned the garland. And thanks to John Coudriet and Mark Flora for crafting the “hood” for the Holy Family statue so that a background for the nativity scene could be created. Thanks to those who brought cookies, fudge, fruit, kolachi, biscotti, wine and sweets to the rectory. Thanks to the rectory staff who are always attentive and gracious (Fran Warino, Fran Mihalik, Becky Miller, Margaret Paglia and Carol Martin) and to our maintenance staff who are always ready (Steve Inglis and Randy Bennett). And thanks to our many parishioners and friends who celebrated the Birth of our Savior and who support our parish through their financial contributions and many forms of service. The star may be put away for another year, but our EMMANUEL is with us forever.
WINTER RUMBLINGS AND REFLECTIONS QUESTION: Why didn’t we cancel Masses last weekend because of all the snow? There are several reasons. Our faith is stronger than the mail carriers motto (neither rain, nor sleet will keep me from my appointed rounds). We keep our practice of the faith whether convenient or inconvenient, states St. Paul. Also, I didn’t notice doctors’ offices or hair salons canceling appointments. People get to where why want to be regardless of circumstances. Any if anyone wants more of an explanation, I’ll refer you to the several parishioners who made it to church and who were elderly and walked with the assistance of a cane! OVERFLOWING MASS ATTENDANCE Christmas and Easter, unfortunately, are the only faith occasions where most Christians come to Mass in great numbers. While I was on vacation I went to Mass in central GILEAD A CHILD’S LETTER Dear God, is Father Daprile a friend of yours, or do you just know him through the business? Donny
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February 2005 FEBRUARY IS OFF WITH A BLAST: Catholic Schools Week (with a Spelling Bee—congratulations to Anthony Bowell our intermediate champion and Natalie Smith our primary champion, special reading visitors, tsumani awareness presentation and collection), Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Friday fish dinners and Stations of the Cross, Lenten Penance Service, Rite of Sending, festival meeting, World Marriage Day, combined PARISH MISSION, Chinese Auction, and the ordinary slew of meetings, sharings and gatherings. I met an old family friend walking around Wick Park and I commented on how good he looked. Al replied, “If you don’t run with the world, you rust.” This month there is a lot of running with the parish. THANK YOU to the SCHOOL REGISTRATION The school office sent home packets of re-registration forms to parents this past week. In the cover letter, Mrs. Ekis and I wrote, “The past few months have be difficult for all of us who love St. Brendan Parish School. “There are significant challenges before us. Our costs continue to rise beyond our budget and our enrollment must be stabilized. To address these and other serious concerns, we are working with Bishop Tobin and a steering committee formed by the Office of Catholic Schools to explore every option to continue Catholic education at St. Brendan Parish School. We anticipate a decision about our future and status before Easter. “We recognize that this process has caused a lot of anxiety. Nonetheless, we ask that you play a critical role in our future by constant prayer, continued support and especially re-registering your child(ren) for the 2005-06 school year. “Our hope is to encounter the necessary changes with a positive attitude as a community of faith. With your support and prompt re-registration, we will be able to keep our focus on our mission to educate our children in Jesus Christ! “The most critical role for families is to promptly complete the attached re-registration papers. Please read the enclosed forms and return them to the School Office by If I can answer any questions about registration or our school situation, please do not hesitate to contact me.
LENT 2005 FASTING & FEASTING is more than a time of fasting; it can also be a joyous season for feasting. Lent is a time to fast from certain things and to feast on others. Fast from judging others Feast on the Christ dwelling in them Fast from emphasis on difference Feast on the unity of life Fast from apparent darkness Feast on the reality of light Fast from thoughts of illness Feast on the healing power of God Fast from words that pollute Feast on words that purify Fast from discontent Feast on gratitude Fast from anger Feast on patience Fast from pessimism Feast on optimism Fast from worry Feast on Divine Fast from complaining Feast on appreciation Fast from negatives Feast on affirmatives Fast from unrelenting pleasures Feast on unceasing prayer Fast from hostility Feast on peace Fast form bitterness Feast on forgiveness Fast from self-concern Feast on compassion for others Fast from personal anxiety Feast on trust Fast from discouragement Feast on hope Fast from acts that tear down Feast on acts which build up Fast from thoughts that weaken Feast on promises that inspire Fast from idle gossip Feast on purposeful silence Fast from problems which overwhelm Feast on prayer that under girds
February 20, 2005 WHAT’S A COUPLE OF DECADES? Can imagination and persistence override bureaucracy? The artist Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude did not let time or obstacles deter them from their latest project of installing 7,500 saffron-colored gates stretching out over 23 miles in New York’s Central Park last weekend. Christo is known for his “wrapping” buildings in fabric (like in Paris or Berlin), or his “planting” umbrellas in a 12 mile-long valley in Japan, or “erecting” a waving fence in California. I read this article about Christo and his portals as we began our annual Lenten journey of 40 days. During this time—perhaps early and often inconvenient—we are called to be artists of the heart in our preparation for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. We are called, like artists, to dream and persevere in our efforts of prayer, fasting from sin, feasting on goodness and active charity. Perhaps then on Easter, the portals of our hearts will be open and there will truly be a lasting and faithful installation of the OUR JOINT PARISH MISSION begins this weekend. I truly hope that you will take full advantage of this opportunity to be reflective and renewed. I also hope that you will be willing to not only be present at St. Brendan’s but also to travel to IHM on Sunday and Wednesday evenings and to travel to St. Patrick’s on Tuesday evening. Sometimes we let our fears (isn’t that a bad side of town?) or inconveniences (I’m so used to my own parish) keep us from doing what is good and right. Let’s be a Christ light in our own neighborhoods and city. OVER 30 PARISHIONERS attended the recent Diocesan Liturgy Day held at St. Charles Parish Center. It was an inspiring morning as we were reminded that we are to remain close to one another because of the unity and reconciliation afforded by the Eucharist. I appreciate the efforts of Joan Lawson to organize this and to motivate so many to take the time to grow in their love of the Lord and in the exercise of the parish’s ministries. JERUSALEM STATIONS OF THE CROSS are prayed on Friday nights during Lent at 7:00 pm. There are new prayer books this year with a slightly different format: richly biblical, revised text for the Stabat Mater and interactive. The Congregation on Divine Worship reminds us, “The Via Crucis is a journey in the Holy Spirit, that divine fire which burned in the heart of Jesus and brought him to Calvary. This is a journey well esteemed by the Church since it has retained a living memory of the words and gestures of the final earthly days of her Spouse and Lord. In the Via Crucis, various strands of Christian piety coalesce: the idea of life being a journey or pilgrimage; as a passage from earthly exile to our true home in Heaven; the deep desire to be conformed to the Passion of Christ; the demands of following Christ, which imply that his disciples must follow behind the Master, daily carrying their own crosses.” (133)
February 27, 2005 THE CRUCIFIX stands stark and unadorned in the sanctuary as a poignant reminder of our Lenten discipline to follow in the way of Jesus through prayer, fasting and sacrifice. Frederick Buechner (Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, 1973) offers this timely reflection for us: “Two of the noblest pillars of the ancient world—Roman law and Jewish piety—together supported the necessity of putting Jesus Christ to death in a manner that even for its day was particularly loathsome. Thus the cross stands for the tragic folly of men not just at their worst but at their best. Jesus needn’t have died. Presumably he could have followed the advice of friends like Peter and avoided the showdown. Instead he chose to die because he believed that he had to if the world was to be saved. Thus the cross stands for the best man can do as well as for the worst. ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Jesus died in the profoundest sense alone. Thus the cross stands for the inevitable dereliction and defeat of the best and the worst indiscriminately. For those who believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead early on a Sunday morning and for those also who believe that he provided food for worms just as the rest of us will, the conclusion is inescapable that he come out somehow the winner. What emerged from this death was a kind of a way, of truth, of life, without which the last two thousand years of human history would be even more unthinkable than they are. A six-pointed star, a crescent moon, a lotus—the symbols of other religions suggest beauty and light. The symbol of Christianity is an instrument of death. It suggests, at the very least, hope.” A second Lenten reflection comes from insights from Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa (God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time, 2004): Although we might prefer that suffering not have a place in our journey toward the hope that God offers, sometimes suffering serves a significant purpose. Tutu points out that prior to rising to the office of President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela first spent 27 years in prison. Tutu believed that those 27 years served the purpose of tempering Mandela’s steel and removing his dross. Finally, as a result of the suffering he endured, he achieved a level of authority and credibility that could not have been achieved any other way. Perhaps this week our faith acclamation, “Dying You destroyed our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus come in glory,” might have more meaning.
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March 2005 March 6, 2005 CHANGE is probably one of the hardest things to do. It is like the title of the off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Change is resisted, delayed, fought, belittled and protested. Yet, for people of faith, for people of the Spirit, change, movement, development, dynamic energy and growth are characteristic elements of our lives. The closing of St. Brendan School will require many changes in our parish and I hope we all are praying for the strength, hope, patience, cooperation and renewed faith to embrace a different future. Cardinal John Henry Newman penned in An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1845) a classic text on the way ideas, faith, life are revealed rather than obscured by change. Here is the passage for your reflection: It is indeed sometimes said that the stream is clearest near the spring. Whatever use may fairly be made of this image, it does not apply to the history of a philosophy or belief, which on the contrary is more equable, and purer, and stronger, when its bed has become deep, and broad, and full. It necessarily rises out of an existing state of things, and for a time savours of the soil. Its vital elements need disengaging from what is foreign and temporary. . . . It remains perhaps for a time quiescent; it tries, as it were, its limbs, and proves the ground under it, and feels its way. From time to time it makes essays which fail, and are in consequence, abandoned. It seems in suspense which way to go; it wavers, and at length strikes out in one definite direction. In time it enters upon strange territory; points of controversy alter their bearings; parties rise and fall around it; dangers and hopes appear in new relations; and old principles reappear under new forms. It changes with them in order to remain the same. In a higher world it would be otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often. I also think of the Lenten hymn by Rory Cooney we have been singing these past few weekends, Change Our Hearts (1984). Remember the refrain? Change our hearts this time, Your word says it can be. Change our minds, this time, Your life could make us free. We are the people Your call set apart, Lord, this time change our hearts. The tune is catchy and the words flow easily but the reality is difficult. Change, repentance, metanoia. For a Christian these are inescapable realities, especially in our preparations for the paschal feast. Let’s pray and be a people changed in the Spirit. March 13, 2005 WONDERFUL MEOLDIES filled the church last weekend as the seminarians from our diocese (and two others) attending the Josephinum College Seminary in Columbus, OH joined us in worship. I was amazed that so few voices could create such harmony and beauty. Imagine what could happen if we all used our gifts accordingly! I am grateful to Paul Marich for organizing this musical treat for the parish. The seminarians were grateful for the financial support shown them for their European choral trip this summer. I AM CONFUSED AS MANY OF YOU ARE with the notice that the 250 Raffle and Dinner has been canceled and that refund checks were issued. Without contacting me—in any fashion—or other members of the Endowment Fund, it seems several folks took it upon themselves to cancel this event. I found out by accident and after-the-fact. And it seems that everyone who paid for their ticket has received a notice and check, all, that is, except me! But there is a silver lining: many parishioners have endorsed their checks back to the parish and have asked that the funds be used for the present school needs. I am grateful for this generosity and support, and will endorse mine if I ever get it! HOLY WEEK, THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM and EASTER are fast approaching. I’d like to encourage your faithful participation in these holy and life-giving days and ceremonies. Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil are the core celebrations and realities of our Christian faith as we remember the Lord’s last supper, passion, death and resurrection. These are beautiful days and beckon our conscious and deliberate faith involvement. Remember to wear something red to church on Palm Sunday. Rice Bowls will be collected during the Holy Thursday Mass. If you would like to participate by having your feet washed, ushering for Good Friday, or bringing up the Eucharistic gifts of bread and wine, please contact Mark and Debora Flora or Fr. Daprile. THE RAISING OF LAZARUS occasions this joke: A dear old lady knew that she was about to die and hence asked her pastor to give her the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. After being anointed she said: “Soon I’ll be rocking in the bosom of Moses.” “No dear,” corrected the pastor, “the Bible says the bosom of Abraham.” She replied: “Father, at my age, you don’t care too much whose bosom it is!”
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April 2005 APRIL 3, 2005 THE BEAUTY OF OUR EASTER FAITH was wonderfully expressed not only in the ceremonies of Holy Week but in the holy people who participated in the liturgies and activities. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday was a moving service with the reception of the Holy Oils, the foot washing and the reverent reception of the Eucharist especially in the sharing of both the Body and Blood of the Lord. At the Holy Saturday morning Paschal Egg Hunt, our Confirmation students transformed Maxwell Hall into a hiding place for the multi-colored eggs. A few creative young people taped eggs on their foreheads, tied eggs in their shoes and used the hoods of their sweatshirts as egg nests. At the Easter Vigil the church loudly echoed the strains of the “Litany of the Saints” and all were touched as the waters of baptism flowed over the head of Barbara Luman. On Easter Sunday morning I saw Tyler, one of our altar servers, come flying to the sacristy on his skateboard and we had a global perspective as Rev. Robert from Uganda prayed with us. For me, the most poignant moment was the Veneration of the Crucifix on Good Friday. At the end of the long procession of parishioners, Mrs. P, with determination and difficulty, came from the back of the church, climbed the sanctuary steps, inched toward the crucifix and with crippled fingers touched the pierced foot of the Crucified Christ. Our liturgy was a living lesson in faith and passion. Alleluia!
Thanks to everyone who served so tirelessly: the lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, hospitality folks, ushers, money counters, sacristans, Bucket Brigade, choirs and musicians, Vigil reception committee, church decorators, liturgy committee and flower donors. Thanks also to those who sent cards and helped me keep a healthy and tasty Easter. Alleluia! DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY REFLECTION: One night in 1935, Fiorello H. La Guardia, mayor of New York, showed up at a night court in the poorest ward of the city. He dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench. One case involved an elderly woman who was caught stealing bread to feed her grandchildren. La Guardia said, "I've got to punish you. Ten dollars or ten days in jail." As he spoke, he threw $10 into his hat. He then fined everyone in the courtroom 50 cents for living in a city "where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat." The hat was passed around, and the woman left the courtroom with her fine paid and an additional $47.50. AND MAYBE NOT SO DIVINE: Three blokes lost their way in the desert when they got captured by an Egyptian tribe. The tribal counsel said they would spare them on one condition. They sent them to the food store and asked them to select five of any one fruit type and return. The first man to return had chosen apples and he was told that he must swallow all the five without making any kind of facial expression or noise. As he swallowed the biggest apple as number five, he screamed in pain and so he was executed. The second man had wild berries. He was going fine. As he had the last berry halfway in, he burst out laughing. Before he was executed he was asked why he laughed. He pointed to the third man who has just appeared carrying five pineapples!
APRIL 10, 2005 NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY, we cannot avoid change. And this week, we are keenly aware of that: the death of Pope John Paul II occasions the cardinals to gather and select a new pope for the universal church, the transfer of Bishop Thomas Tobin to Providence, RI means another episcopal leader will be named to teach, sanctify and govern the Diocese of Youngstown, and the closing of our school will mean new directions for our parish. Every level of our faith life is being touched and we are called to respond, likewise, in faith: as people emboldened by Christ’s Resurrection, as a community empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let our Alleluias resound.
OUR FESTIVAL PREPARATIONS are picking up steam. At the last meeting we had 24 enthusiastic folks attend. It was a great showing of parish support. There will be a few new aspects or changes this year: fireworks will return to Sunday night at 10 PM, Bingo will be held only Saturday and Sunday only due to restrictions in the Ohio Revised Code, Clear Channel will be broadcasting live on Friday night, and the festival will be four great days (June 2-5). We could still use more volunteers and very soon you will be receiving your raffle tickets. Let’s keep up the good energy.
APRIL17, 2005 FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN CELEBRATING EUCHARIST for the first time next Sunday have worked on a few projects together in preparation for this special celebration. One of the projects was to write or draw reflection statements – one from the child and one from the whole family.
These reflections yielded some thoughts and insights that can strengthen all of us in the Body of Christ: FROM THE CHILDREN [Jesus teaches me] “To love everyone in the world and care for them all.”
“Jesus teaches me to be forgiving and sharing.”
“I want to receive the body and blood of Christ spiritually.”
“I want to receive Jesus in Eucharist so I could be like Jesus.”
“The Last Supper was Jesus’ last meal with his friends and family and he washed their feet because he wanted them to know how to treat each other when he wasn’t there.”
“When I get communion Jesus will come into my heart.”
“Jesus has sacrificed so much to give me the values and hopes to live by.”
“Jesus teaches us to share and love one another.” FROM THE FAMILIES: “In preparing for … Eucharist we have learned that God is still working on us.”
[Before bedtime we] “Talk about the day and for what each of us would like to pray.”
“I think what I do sets the tone for what my children will do today and tomorrow.”
“We know that we can pray together whenever we need to talk to God.”
“God’s presence is in our homes, and God’s will is in our daily lives.”
“We are proud to raise [our child] in the Catholic Church, it offers us great strength in tough times and celebratory outlets in good times.”
Please pray for the First Communicants in a special way this week that as they enter into a life spent in Eucharist they will grow always in faith, hope, and love.
April 24, 2005 IN A LETTER TO PARENTS, our Director of Faith Formation, Joan Lawson wrote, “First Communion Day is special because it is the first of their lifetime of sharing in communion. The focus of our gathering is Christ’s presence among us—God’s true presence in the Word, in all the people gathered, and in the offering and sharing of the bread and wine that becomes the Body and Blood of the Lord. The children were gathered into the Body of Christ when they were baptized. Now, their experience of the Body of Christ will be intensified beginning with their First Communion and growing throughout their lives of participating in the Eucharist. This day is holy. It is with joy that the whole parish welcomes them into communion.”
And so, we welcome—today and every Sunday—to the Table of the Lord:
Angela Bowell Derrick Longo Nicholas Calderon Hunter Longo Giacomo Cappabianco Mitchell McBride Stacia Czifra Hunter Miller Brandon Good Ian Mueller Warren Grist Jonathan Swoboda Madison Gulfo Kari Tarr Scott Lendak Zachary Venzeio Samatha Welch THE FEAST OF ST. BRENDAN—Monday, May 16th—will be the occasion for our parish to celebrate the legacy of St. Brendan Parish School. Mass will be planned by our teachers and students and will be celebrated at 10:00 am. All parishioners and alumni are invited. The school staff is doing their very best to locate and invite past teachers, sisters and priests. Mark this date. CPPCD is the acronym for the conference on pastoral planning that I attended in Milwuakee. Here are a few tidbits that I picked up:
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May 2005 May 1, 2005 WHY BENEDICT? Why did Cardinal Ratzinger choose the name Benedict XVI when he was elected pope? The Vatican website (www.vatican.va) has not yet given an official reason. And so, maybe I can speculate (with the best of the commentators) and recall the original St. Benedict to find some inspiration and meaning. St. Benedict was born in 480, in Nursia, a small Umbrian village, of a distinguished family and educated in Rome. Disgusted by the moral squalor of his fellow students he abandoned his studies, gave up his inheritance, and devoted himself to the quest for God.
He began a life of penance and solitude but, against his will, was pressured to preside over a nearby monastic community. In 529, as a monastic town was being built for Benedict and his monks on the brow of Monte Cassino, Plato’s Academy closed in Athens. George Weigel remarks (The Cube and the Cathedral), “As a great embodiment of classical culture shut its doors, the academy of Christianity was being established.”
And a good thing, too. The Roman Empire was in rapid decline, beset by wars, economic dislocation and social disorder. The civilization represented by Plato’s Academy could have been lost. That it did not had a lot to do with Benedict. His monks not only preserved critical elements of the civilizations of Athens and Rome during the Dark Ages; they transformed that civilization by infusing a biblical understanding of the human—person, community, origins and destiny—into the classical culture they preserved for future generations in their libraries and scriptoria.
In a 2000 interview with the German journalist Peter Seewald, Cardinal Ratzinger commented on the Benedictine motto: Ora et labora, pray and work. He said, “Turning the world into a garden and the service of God were fused together and became a whole . . . Worshiping God always takes priority . . . But at the same time, it’s a matter of cultivating and renewing the earth in an ethos of worship. This also involves overcoming the ancient prejudice against manual labor . . . Manual labor now becomes something noble . . . an imitation of the Creator’s work. And along with the new attitude toward work comes a change in our ideas about the dignity of man.” Weigel carries this thought further: “Thus the culture of the classical world was not only preserved; it was transformed into a culture of freedom.”
St. Benedict and his monasteries presented an alternative world, governed by the spirit of Christ. At a time of extreme social hierarchy, they presented an ideal of equity. At a time when manual labor was derided, they affirmed the value of work. At a time of cultural disintegration, they maintained islands of wisdom. At a time when violence was commonplace, they lived by the motto of Jesus’ Peace. Perhaps in a world out of kilter, St. Benedict’s vision can be relevant today and Benedict XVI can challenge our human adventure with the call to sanctity.
May 8, 2005 WALL INSPIRATION In the school hallway I found these wonderful (and colorful) reflections by our fourth graders.
Next week I’ll print the rest of these reflections from our budding theologians.
AND A MARIAN PRAYER FOR THIS DAY AND MAY: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
May 15, 2005 The gift of wisdom: A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because many people are sleeping." The gift of understanding: A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew pictures. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's artwork. As she came to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, "They will in a minute." The gift of counsel: Just after receiving his driver’s license, a Lutheran minister’s son wanted to talk about using the family car. “I’ll make a deal with you,” his father said. “Bring your grades up, read your Bible more often, and get a haircut. Then you may use the car once or twice a week.” A month later the question came up again. “Son,” the father said, “I’m proud of you. I see you studying hard and reading your Bible every day. But you didn’t get a haircut.” After a moment’s pause, the son replied, “Yeah, I’ve thought about that. But Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair.” “True,’ the father replied, “but maybe you noticed that they walked wherever they went.” The gift of fortitude: A mother refused to permit her little boy to go for a picnic with his class mates. On the day of the picnic, however, she changed her mind and gave him permission. But he sighed and confessed, "It's too late Mummy, I've already prayed for rain on the school picnic day!" The gift of knowledge: Abraham wants to upgrade his PC to Windows 98. Isaac is incredulous. "Pop," he says, "you can't run Windows 98 on your old, slow 386. Everyone knows that you need at least a 486 with a minimum of 16 megs of memory in order to multitask effectively with Windows 98." But Abraham, the man of faith, gazed calmly at his son and replied, "My son, God will provide the RAM." The gift of piety: The Rabbi, the Cantor and one member of the congregation were the only ones present for the service. The Rabbi intoned, "Adonai, before you I am as nothing." The Cantor intoned, "Adonai, before you I am less than nothing." The member of the congregation intoned, "Adonai, I too am nothing and less than nothing." The Cantor looked at the rabbi, and gestured toward the member of the congregation. "Look who thinks he's nothing!" The gift of fear of God: Do not ride in automobiles: they are responsible for 20% of fatal accidents. Do not stay home: 1% of all accidents occur in home. Do not walk on the streets or sidewalks: 14% of all accidents occur at such times. Do not travel by air, rail, or water: 16% of all accidents happen on planes, trains or boats. Only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Hence the safest place for you to be at any time is at church! Come, Holy Spirit : Fill the hearts of your faithful people and fill them once again with the seven-fold gift of your presence. Give them the gift of wisdom so that they can see with your eyes, hear with your ears, think with your mind, feel with your heart. Give them the gift of understanding so that they can experience and judge life from the point of view of other people. Give them the gift of counsel so that they can share the story of their faith and thereby strengthen their fellow parishioners. Give them the gift of fortitude so that they may stick to the task of living their faith and sharing the Gospel whether convenient or inconvenient. Give them the gift of knowledge so that they can read the signs of the times and figure out how to respond in faith. Give them the gift of piety so that they can be true friends with you whether in prayer or in a good moral life. Give them the gift of fear of the Lord so that they can respond to your presence in church, at home, and on the street. May these gifts bring about in our parish true conversion, honest community-building and effective evangelization. May our response to your gifts bear fruit in our lives with an abundance of charity, joy, and kindness, patience, peace, and purity of heart, goodness, generosity, and gentleness, meekness, self-control, and faithfulness. This we ask of you, Spirit of God, in the name of Christ Jesus for the honor and glory of God the Father. Amen.
May 22, 2005 WE CELEBRATE THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY this weekend. There is a very old story about one of the intellectual giants of the Church, St. Augustine, a great theologian and a Father of the Church (354-430). He was walking by the seashore one day, attempting to conceive of an intelligible explanation to the mystery of the Trinity. As he walked along, he saw a small boy on the beach, pouring seawater with a shell into a small hole in the sand. "What are you doing, my child?" asked Augustine. "I am trying to empty the sea into this hole," the boy answered with an innocent smile. "But that is impossible, my dear child,” said Augustine. The boy stood up, looked straight into the eyes of Augustine and replied, “What you are trying to do - trying to comprehend the immensity of God with your small head - is even more impossible.” Then he vanished. It was an angel sent by God to teach Augustine a lesson. Later St. Augustine wrote: "You see the Trinity if you see love." This means that we can understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity more readily with the heart that is filled with love than with our feeble minds.
A contemporary theologian, Catherine LaCugna in her book God for Us, 1973, reminds us that the doctrine of the Trinity is a practical doctrine with radical consequences for Christian life. Trinity is the specific Christian way of speaking about God and it is a shorthand way to describe what it means “to participate in the life of God through Jesus Christ and in the Spirit. The mystery of God is revealed in Christ and the Spirit as the mystery of love, the mystery of persons in communion….Jesus Christ, the visible icon of the invisible God, discloses what it means to be fully personal, divine as well as human. The Spirit of God, poured into our hearts as love (Rom 5:5), gathers us together into the body of Christ, transforming us so that ‘we become by grace what God is by nature,’ namely, persons in full communion with God and with every creature.” When we celebrate the Trinity we celebrate the mystery of God’s love-relationship with us through Jesus Christ and in the Spirit and our love-relationship with one another in the Triune God.
A from a Jewish perspective, the philosopher Martin Buber offers this insight: “Where is the dwelling of God?” This was the question with which the Rabbi of Kotzk surprised a number of learned men who happened to be visiting him. They laughed at him: “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole world full of his glory?” Then he answered his own question: “God dwells wherever people let him in.”
And a spring reflection: When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on. When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with. Remember: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take - but by the moments that take our breath away.
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June 2005 June 5, 2005 AS WE MOVE BACK INTO ORDINARY TIME in our liturgical calendar, there are lots of news notes for our attention. CONGRATULATIONS to Joan Lawson, our Director of Faith Formation, who earned her Master of Arts in Theology from Loyola University of New Orleans through the university’s extension program LIMEX. We are proud of her accomplishment and are confident she will continue to share her wisdom and insights with us all. MANY HEARTFELT THANK YOUS to Rick Myers who has volunteered for over 13 years and has been the chairman for the last 6 years of our parish’s Bingo games. My calculations indicate he has given up over almost 650 Saturday nights and helped (and through the generous efforts of so many other parishioners and volunteers) close to $1 million for our parish’s ministries. DISMISSAL & FAREWELL RITUAL As our final school year winds down, parishioners and alumni are invited to celebrate the last all-school Mass on Wednesday, June 8 at 8:30 am. That same morning the school buzzer will sound for the last time at 11:00 am. The students will leave their classrooms and assemble around the main school doors. When everyone is out, Mrs. Rose McChristian (who was a student in the first-first grade and is an alumna from 1933) and I will lock the school doors, say a prayer of thanksgiving and tie a blue and gold ribbon over the door knobs. Then, I’m sure with a tear of sorrow and a heart of gratitude, we will all depart to Mill Creek Park for a picnic and celebration. Hope you can join us. ST. BRENDAN ROCKS! Have noticed the four stone boulders on the lawn between the church and rectory? These will be used to mark the legacy of St. Brendan School. The center rock in the trio cluster will have chiseled into it a bear claw of the school’s golden bear mascot. On the isolated rock, the present school children will leave their hand prints in multi-colored paints. Keep an eye out for these developments. I want to thank Deb Brown and Al Mihalik who scoured the city looking for big rocks. And they found some. However, I am grateful to the A.P. O’Horo Company and Thomas Metzinger (Vice President and Project Manager) for providing, transporting and placing these huge stones on our property. It was quite an undertaking and I appreciate their goodness and generosity. Within minutes of the rocks being “planted,” the second graders found them amenable for climbing and Mrs. Ekis found them perfect for posing class pictures. Thank you. SUMMER MASS SCHEDULE As we did last summer our Mass schedule will change to Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 9:45 am on the weekend of June 26/27 (the weekend after Father’s Day). Mark your calendars and clocks! PARISH FESTIVAL IN PROGRESS There is still time to sell a few more raffle tickets, bake a cake for the cake booth, clean up after the fireworks and enjoy the festivities. Thanks to all the volunteers so far, and let’s make our 39th festival a huge success. REPAIRS The maintenance of the parish facilities is an ongoing and often expensive task. Recently, there have been some drain and sewer issues. Plumbers and drain experts have been flushing and cleaning to the tune of $2,926.30. And the job is not complete: there is still a leak in a waste pipe embedded in concrete and a manhole connector is broken. Secondly, the roofs over the church sacristies and the Glenellen church entrance have a multitude of problems. The two estimates project a repair cost for the 4 roofs of about $4,400.00. Thirdly, the breaking apart of the front sandstone church steps is presenting a safety concern and is in serious need of replacement. It was a hard winter on them. Ideally, this might be part of a comprehensive project: replacing and updating the front steps according to city code, reframing and replacing the church doors and releading the stained glass windows, constructing a barrier free entry (for those with difficulty walking, wheel chairs, and caskets), and widening the driveway to facilitate wider vehicles and walking space. We have a little seed money from the Capital Improvement Campaign ($12,000.00). And lastly, the garden circle in front of the rectory garage needs attention. The wooden retaining wall is rotting and splitting. It is unsafe and unattractive. And the 20 year old Japanese weeping cherry tree in the center has seen better days. A close inspection reveals that it is dying. SUBCOMMITTEE WORK The Finance Council has created a subcommittee to examine and explore future use/leasing of the school building. At the last Coffee and Conversation, I shared information on the five unsolicited requests for leasing the school building and those attending expressed concern about an empty building. The subcommittee is digging into these matters.
June 12, 2005 ST. BRENDAN ROCKS! The huge rocks outside the front church entrance have come alive with a bear claw chiseled into one and the hand prints of the last student council members on another. This is another way to remember and give thanks for the wonderful legacy of St. Brendan School. We are very grateful to Gary Ventling of Ventling Memorials (Austintown) for the fine and quick engraving. Thank you very much. DREAMY POEMS The seventh graders wrote poems and chalked them on the sidewalks on the parish grounds. Here’s a few: “Dreamer” Yes, I am a dreamer. No greed, no anger. No murder, no danger. No prejudice, no sinners, No losers, all winners. -Jacinta Joyce
Life is all a dream, It’s like a calming stream. A life that never ends, With exciting twists and bends. -Taylor Plesea
“Dreams and Life” My dreams dance in my head each night. They are a guiding light. When you are young your dreams are big You act them out in dress up clothes or a wig. Then you start to grow and change Your dreams become realistic and you rearrange. Then you age even more Have a chance to live and go out the door. You have a chance to live that dream You get more each night dreams like a wild running stream. Don’t ever stop dreaming or believing Think of each dream as a feather on your wings Wings to take you a new place Wings to fly into open space. -Mercedes Campbell
June 19,2005 In May 2004, a Spanish newspaper carried a poignant story about a father and his son. It went like this. A teen-aged boy, Pacos and his very wealthy father had a falling out and the young man ran away from home. The father was crushed. After a few days, he realized that the boy was serious, so the father set out to find him. He searched high and low for 5 months to no avail. Finally, in a last, desperate attempt to find his son, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read, "Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper's main office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Signed, Your Father". On Saturday, in front of the newspaper office, believe it or not, over 800 Pacos showed up, looking for love and forgiveness from their fathers!! What a magnet that ad was. Over 800 Pacos!! Tell me, what will the child in this little scenario remember? The family goes to Mass every Sunday and on all the holy days of obligation. They say the Rosary and talk about Christian values at dinnertime. Then, on Saturday night, when they go out to the movies, the father tells the cashier that his son is "under 12", when, in fact, he's already 13. Now, tell me, what will make the biggest impression on this young man? What he's heard all week or what he sees on Saturday night? Happy Father’s Day to all who have fathers, who had fathers or who are fathers! These holidays of our culture are not exactly high holy days of the church, but they do give us reason to pause, to pray for and reflect on our fathers whom we honor. Modern America appears to be unique in its honoring of fathers on a special day. Many of you fathers here today are role models like St. Thomas More and Louise Martin (father of the Little Flower), heroes of our faith. You work diligently. Even in these days, fathers are expected to be the providers for and the protectors of the family. They are also supposed to be attuned emotionally and spiritually to their spouses and children, and to be able to balance careers with family life perfectly, if possible! As fathers, you struggle to overcome temptation and conflict. You make sacrifices day after day for your families. You try to give your youngsters that kind of model that surely they deserve above all else, a model of goodness, a model of holiness, a model of faith, a model of trust in God, a model of fidelity to the teachings of the Church. This is what, it seems to me, Father's Day should remind us most of all. This is a time for all fathers to reflect upon their duties as responsible and well-integrated men. Our nation has an urgent need that all fathers, be they heads of families, parishes or dioceses, be true and loving men who will give themselves unconditionally to their natural or spiritual families until the day the heavenly Father calls them to their heavenly home for their eternal reward.
June 26, 2005 THE SUMMER MASS SCHEDULE begins this weekend. Last summer the weekend Masses were wonderful: the pews were filled, singing was robust, participation was faith-filled and there was an evident sense of community. This summer is again filled with promise. The decision to have one Mass on Sunday is driven by several issues. Diocesan directives require that we examine our Mass schedule, especially when attendance falls below 50% capacity at any given Mass over a period of time. We experience that especially in the summer when vacations and travel change our usual patterns. Also and unfortunately, over the last several months our attendance has dropped:
Pre-Easter Mass attendance averages 4:00 pm 8:45 am 10:45 am 192 149 213
Post-Easter Mass attendance averages 4:00 pm 8:45 am 10:45 am 169 140 175 The church has a concern for quality worship not merely convenience or even numbers. Vatican II described the Eucharist as the “summit” toward which we strive and the “source” of all our Christian activity. We approach the Eucharist not as spectators or scratch it off as an external duty done, but we engage the Eucharist with “full, conscious and active participation” as an act of praise and thanksgiving. There must always be a critical and on-going self-reflection of why and how we gather as the Sunday assembly. We are called to give our best to God, the source of all blessings.
Cruising the Caribbean, a ship’s captain spied smoke coming from one of the three huts on an uncharted island. When the crew went ashore to investigate, they were met by a shipwrecked survivor. “I’m so glad you’re here!” he yelled. “I’ve been on this island for five years.” “If you’re alone,” the captain said, “then why are there three huts?” “Well, I live in one and go to church in the other.” “What about the third hut?” “Oh,” the man said. “That’s where I used to go to church.”
“In public prayer and worship the church makes its identity known. It tells the world who it is by doing what it does best. Inviting the hurt and hungry, the least & little to that bountiful Supper of the Lamb, where the oppressive old order collapses, pain and mourning cease, tears are wiped away and death is no more.” By Nathan Mitchell
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July 2005 July 3, 2005 STEWARDSHIP One of our parish goals is to develop stewardship as a way of life, in our hearts, our homes and our parish. In order to achieve this goal members of our Stewardship have been attending national and international conferences to learn, share and embrace the values and perspectives of stewardship. This year, Barb Perry, Rose Dunlap and Nancy Bielik attended the Stewardship-in-Action Conference in Hershey, PA on Monday the 19th and Tuesday the 20th of June. Sixty-six churches and seven religions were represented by the approximately two hundred-fifty people in attendance. Nancy Bielik offers us this summary: “I would like to touch on a smidgen of what we experienced: Bishop William Burril, a retired Episcopal Bishop now residing in Phoenix, spoke about how life is a gift and how God entrusted us to take care of all the gifts He has given us. He explained that God did this by making us in His image and, since His image is that of a loving, giving God, it stands to reason that He made us to be a loving, giving people. He pointed out that we are happiest when we give of ourselves because we WANT to. Loving and wanting to give and share is the way God wants us to show that we were made in His image. Rev. Dale Shaw, an Evangelist, talked about hospitality. He told how important it is to welcome everyone, everywhere and everyday, not only as they enter our churches. We need to be the loving people God meant for us to be. Bishop John J. Snyder, a Catholic, talked about his own conversion toward becoming a steward in his church. He said it is all about putting God first in our lives. It is about realizing that everything belongs to God and He is the One who gave it all to us. We need to thank God everyday of our lives and to live to the best of our ability and to make good use of the many blessings He has provided us. Various speakers addressed the concept of time, talent and treasure. Come to the Stewardship Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 6 at 6:30 pm if you want to hear more or to join. |
