The Holy Cross
This weekend, we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross. This feast, which is always commemorated on September 14th, falls on a Sunday this year and thus
replaces the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This feast celebrates two historical
events. The first is the discovery of
the cross on which Jesus died by St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor
Constantine, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
The second is the anniversary of the dedication of the Church of the Holy
Supulchre which was built on the site of Helena’s discovery.
Another now famous cross was discovered by an ironworker in
the rubble at Ground Zero, two days after the attacks of September 11th,
2001. That cross, a 17-foot steel column
and a crossbeam, became a sign of hope and healing in the aftermath of 9/11. Now that cross and the remembrance of
September 11th will forever be linked thanks to a recent court decision.
In July a federal appeals court ruled that
the cross can remain on display at the National September 11 Memorial and
Museum. The display was challenged by a
group of Atheists who asserted that it was unconstitutional, but the judges
struck down the group’s lawsuit, saying that the purpose of displaying the
cross is to tell the story of how some people used faith to cope with the
tragedy. The judges concluded that “The
Cross at Ground Zero came to be viewed not simply as a Christian symbol, but as
a symbol of hope and healing for all persons.”
As Catholic Christians, we are reminded over and over of the
hope and healing of the cross. In fact,
our faith journey begins when the sign of the cross is traced on our foreheads
before we are baptized. As we grow in
our faith, we sign ourselves with the cross many times both in private prayer
and in communal worship. Through this
simple but powerful gesture, may we become more aware of our share in the dying
and rising of Jesus and thus become an instrument of hope and healing for all
persons who bear heavy and painful crosses in their lives.
iPray
Finding time for prayer and
reflection can be difficult. That’s why
a growing number of websites have created free online resources, including apps
which make it easy to pray on the go.
Here is a look at a few of them.
You can always find
the biblical readings for daily Mass on the U.S. Bishops’ website.
If you want to pray
the Liturgy of the Hours, often referred to as the Breviary, go to www.ibreviary.org. This website
includes the psalms, hymns, readings and prayers for different times during the
day such as morning prayer, daytime prayer, night prayer, etc. It also offers the prayers and the readings
for daily Mass as well as Catholic devotional prayers such as the rosary. This website is available in five different
languages including Spanish and English. www.ibreviary.org is edited by our own Fr. Paul Berny.
From Loyola Press comes 3-minute retreats designed
to help you take a short prayer break right at your computer. These retreats give users a way to spend some
quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
This website was created by the Jesuits in
Australia. It offers a link to the daily
readings and more. There is a “Thought
for the day” which offers spiritual reflections on our human experiences like
failure. “Quiet Space” provides a short
verse or question designed to help readers deepen their spirituality.
And, there is a “Spirituality Feature” which connects
readers to articles about how Catholics are living out their faith in the
world.
These are only some of the online prayer resources
available. If you conduct your own
search, you are likely to find many more.
The point is to find one that inspires you, that stimulates your
appetite for prayer and that nurtures your spiritual life. Thanks to our digitized world, all of that is
now available at the click of a finger.
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign...
The start of the school year marks the end of summer vacation and the close of
the summer travel season. In your travels this summer, you likely drove
past a church or two with an outside sign.
Here are a few of the most popular sayings found on church marquees
throughout the country.
iPod? iPad? Try iPray … God is listening!
7 days without prayer makes 1 weak
A church is a gift from God—assembly required
A.S.A.P.
Always say a prayer
Blesses are the flexible, for they shall not get
bent out of shape!
Call 911!
This church is on fire!
Can’t sleep?
Try counting your blessings
Church shopping?
We’re open Sundays
Courage is fear that has said its prayers!
Do you know Jesus, or just know about Jesus?
Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is!
Filling station
Give thanks for each day. You’ll never get to live it over again
Giving is a joy.
Think what can I share, not what can I spare
God is my soul provider
God wants full custody, not just weekend visits
Heavenly forecast – reign forever!
If God is your co pilot, swap seats
If not today, when?
Jesus is an investment that never loses interest
Know God – Know peace, no God, no peace
Laugh a lot, especially at yourself
Our Church is prayer conditioned
Rule #1, God is in control. Rule #2, see rule #1.
Soul food served here
Sign Broken.
Come inside for message
T.G.I.F - Thank God I’m forgiven
The best vitamin for a Christian is B1
Under the same management for 2,000 years
We don’t change the message. The message changes us
Welcome to our CH CH. What’s missing? UR
Worship is a VERB!
"I do" "I do"
The Vatican is gathering the
results of a survey on Marriage and Family Life as it prepares for its upcoming
Synod in October. The responses to the
survey are showing a clear divergence between what the faithful believe about these
issues and what the Church teaches.
In working with
many engaged couples at my parish, we have also found a clear
difference between what the Church teaches and what the faithful believe
regarding the Marriage ceremony.
Here are a few common
misperceptions:
The priest or deacon marries the couple.
A priest or a deacon serves
as the official witness of the marriage, but the couple marries each other, and
therefore serves as the primary ministers of the sacrament. This is one reason the Catholic Rite of
Marriage directs the couple to walk down the aisle together during the opening
procession.
The father of the bride gives her away.
This came from an ancient
culture when marriages were arranged as business deals. The father would give his daughter away in
exchange for money and other goods. Today,
we trust that the couple comes freely and begins their relationship as equal
partners—another reason the couple walks together during the opening
procession.
A wedding is a private affair.
Sacraments are always
communal celebrations. The love of a
bride and groom is a sign to the whole Church of the intimate, covenant love
God has for each of us. This is why the
Church building is the most suitable place for the wedding. It is in that space where the community
encounters God in many sacred and profound ways. Music is another way in which the entire
community encounters God. Therefore,
music should be chosen which allows everyone to sing in praise to God and in
support of the couple.
The unity candle is crucial to the ceremony.
The unity candle is
not part of the rite. In the eyes of the
Church, it’s the “I do” uttered by the bride and groom that are crucial. Two simple words, one powerful meaning. “I do” says “I am making a covenant to be with
you forever, no matter what.” Nothing
more is needed. Let the party begin!
Hospitality--Everybody's Ministry
In July, we celebrate the memorial of St. Benedict who is called the “Patriarch of
Western Monasticism” because of his influence on monastic communities. Benedict is well known for his famous Rule, a
book of precepts for monastic living.
One of his rules having to do with hospitality is: “Let all guests who arrive be received like
Christ, for he is going to say, ‘I came as a guest, and you received me.’”
(Matt. 25:35).
This summer,
we are seeing a myriad of guests at our parish. How do we receive them? Most Masses are staffed with ministers of
hospitality who welcome and greet the faithful.
But, the work of hospitality is the work of the entire community, not
just a few.
Here are
some ways we can all exercise the ministry of hospitality:
Cultivate
the virtue of hospitality.
Reach out to newcomers and
unfamiliar faces. Seek out someone
you’ve not met before. Shake their hand, introduce yourself, and take a few
moments to welcome them to your parish home, God’s house.
Come early, leave late.
Make the effort to come to Mass
a little early and linger just a bit later.
Make room in your busy life to greet and spend time with others at Mass,
especially people you don’t know.
Help newcomers connect
While you are getting to
know visitors, introduce them to other parishioners as the opportunity presents
itself. Invite visitors to sit next to
you. Practice hospitality in choosing
where to sit. Instead of sitting at the
end of the pew, consider moving into the middle, making room for others to sit
on the end.
Give
visitors information about the parish
After Mass, introduce
visitors to the person at the welcome desk. Invite them to share coffee and
donuts. Ensure that a visitor has a
bulletin and other information about the parish before they leave.
Remember the passage from
Hebrews: “Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.”