I wonder if this plate is taken in Massachusetts?

H/T to Deacon Greg (at his new cyber home) for his reader's photo of this license plate.

Full disclosure: I had to look this up, too - but you'll smile if you do the homework!

-ConcordPastor

Word for the Weekend - October 4

Creation of Eve by Michelangelo

Here are the scriptures and background material on them for this coming weekend, the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. For those of you who may be shepherding children to Mass, you'll find some help here for preparing young folks to hear the Word.

The first reading is from the second creation account in Genesis. (It's the first account that we hear each year as the first scripture at the Easter Vigil.) The story of the creation of man and woman is chosen here to pair with the words of Jesus in this Sunday's gospel passage from Mark. The lectionary provides a longer and shorter version of the gospel this weekend. The longer version continues past the marriage/divorce teaching and includes Jesus' words, "Let the children come to me..."

The second scripture is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews. These few brief verses lay the groundwork for understanding the humanity and divinity of Christ.

-ConcordPastor

St. Francis and the Blessing of Animals

Let's face it: not all pets are as pious and prayerful as the pup in this picture! Maybe that why it's customary to bless animals on St. Francis Day. Why on the feast of St. Francis?

Many of the stories that surround the life of St Francis deal with his love for animals. Perhaps the most famous incident that illustrates the Saint’s humility towards nature is recounted in the 'Fioretti' (The Little Flowers), a collection of legends and folk-lore that sprang up after the saint’s death. It is said that one day while Francis was traveling with some companions they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to “wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds.” The birds surrounded him, drawn by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. Francis spoke to them: "My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you… for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore… always seek to praise God."

Another legend from the Fioretti tells us that in the city of Gubbio , where Francis lived for some time, there was a wolf “terrifying and ferocious, who devoured men as well as animals.” Francis had compassion upon the townsfolk, and went up into the hills to find the wolf. Soon fear of the animal had caused all his companions to flee, but the saint pressed on and when he found the wolf he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one...Then Francis led the wolf into the town, and surrounded by startled citizens he made a pact between them and the wolf... In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator...

These legends exemplify the Franciscan mode of charity and poverty as well as the saint's love of the natural world. Part of his appreciation of the environment is expressed in his Canticle of the Sun, a poem... which expresses a love and appreciation of Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Mother Earth, Brother Fire and all of God's creations personified in their fundamental forms. In "Canticle of the Creatures," he wrote: "All praise to you, O Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures." - Wikipedia

So, if your...



needs a little holy help,
attend the Blessing of Animals
in your parish!

PWP's* are also most welcome!
*People Without a Pet, People Wanting a Pet,
People Waiting for a Pet, People Wishing for a Pet

Pope, priests, ministry in the digital vineyard

Image: CBAA

The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world:
New media at the service of the Word

The image above (from the Computer Committee of the Catholic Biblical Association) beautifully communicates the message which Benedict XVI has chosen for World Communications Day (WCD) 2010. Customarily, the announcement of the coming year's theme for WCD is made on September 29, the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Angels are understood to be God's messengers, thus the connection with communications.

Perhaps in 2010 the pope will start blogging! worldcommunicationsday2010

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- For World Communications Day 2010, Pope Benedict XVI has chosen the theme "The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: New media at the service of the Word."

As the church celebrates the Year for Priests, the pope also wanted to invite the world's priests to consider ways they could use digital media in their ministry, said a statement from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The Vatican announced the theme Sept. 29.

If understood and used wisely, new media technology "can offer priests and all pastoral workers a wealth of information and content that was difficult to access before, and facilitate forms of collaboration and greater communion in ways that were unthinkable in the past," the statement said.

While the church also must be aware of and address problems the new digital culture causes, it said, the church should recognize the enormous potential new instruments of communication have in ministry and evangelization.

Thanks to the new media, those involved in preaching and catechizing can now reach individuals and entire communities on every continent using words, sounds and images, it said.

"If used wisely, and with the help of experts in technology and communications, the new media can become a valid and effective tool for priests and all pastoral workers for evangelization and communion that are true and full of meaning," it said.
...

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

-ConcordPastor wcd2010

What is that? (a short film)

(H/T to FPO for the link to this short film)

-ConcordPastor

The "busy season"

Around Christmas, folks often say, "This must be your busy time, Father." In an active parish it's busy just about all the time but at certain times of the year it gets really busy - and Christmas is not the busiest time of the year.

Late summer and early fall constitute one of the busiest seasons in parish life. Although nature is preparing for a long winter's sleep, the gardens and fields of parish ministry are sprouting and blooming like it was spring time. (And of course, south of the equator that's the reality outdoors as well indoors.)

No complaint here: just a statement of how things are in late September parish life.

All of that is by way of introduction to the point of this post. I'm looking forward to things settling down (as they have already begun to do) and for a schedule that will allow me time for writing and posting more than the regular material of homilies, MMO's, Word for the Weekend and the like. Got some topics on the back burner I want to address I'm looking forward to doing so.

In the meantime, please know how grateful I am for your faithfully stopping by this corner of the blogosphere. I know it's a busy time for many of you, too!

-ConcordPastor

Monday Morning Offering - 66

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

I know that much of my prayer
is a kind of give and take:
I offer you something
and then I ask for something...

Today is no different, Lord,
so please be patient
with how little I have to offer
and how much I know I need from you...

I offer you my challenges this day
and pray for strength to accept them...

I offer you my failures this day
and pray for wisdom to rise above them -
and to try again to tomorrow...

I offer you my sorrows this day
and pray that I carry them with grace...

Lord, I offer you my joys this day
and pray I put the happiness of others
ahead of my own...

I offer you my fears this day
and pray for courage
to make it through the night to tomorrow...

I offer you this day's unexpected problems, Lord,
and pray for serenity to cope with them...

I offer you my work this day
and pray I do it well, with honesty
and in fairness to others...

I offer you my laziness this day
and pray you shake and waken me
to this day's opportunities to live fully,
change gracefully
and become the person you made me to be ...

I offer you my eyes, Lord:
let me see as you do...

I offer you my ears:
help me hear the cry of the poor...

I offer you my voice:
use my words for healing
and for making peace...

I offer you my thoughts:
give me your Spirit's counsel...

I offer you my imagination:
keep it true and pure...

I offer you my hands:
work through me for good of others...

I offer you my feet:
lead my steps
on the path you have marked out for me...

I offer you my heart, Lord:
mold and shape it
according to your Word...

I offer you this day, Lord,
for this is the day you have made,
the day you have given me,
the only day I have...

Keep me in today, Lord,
and keep my day in your loving care...

Amen.

(a repost from 9/22/08)

-ConcordPastor

Yom Kippur 2009

Image: The Jewish Federation of San Antonio

On the Jewish calendar, the Days of Awe which began on Rosh Hoshanah come to a close with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In 2009, Yom Kippur begins at sundown today, September 27, and is kept as a holy day through nightfall on September 28.

This video offers the sense and the sound of the seriousness of this day on the Jewish calendar:



The moving meditation below (H/T to Murph) is from Yom Kippur's Kol Nidre service found in Gates of Repentance, the Union prayerbook for the Days of Awe by Chaim Stern, Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Birth is a beginning
And death a destination.
And life is a journey:
From childhood to maturity
And youth to age;
From innocence to awareness
And ignorance to knowing;
From foolishness to discretion
And then, perhaps, to wisdom;
From weakness to strength
Or strength to weakness –
And, often, back again;
From health to sickness
And back, we pray, to health again;
From offense to forgiveness,
From loneliness to love,
From joy to gratitude,
From pain to compassion,
And grief to understanding –
From fear to faith;
From defeat to defeat to defeat –
Until, looking backward or ahead,
We see that victory lies
Not at some high place along the way,
But in having made the journey, stage by stage,
A sacred pilgrimage.
Birth is a beginning
And death a destination.
And life is a journey,
A sacred pilgrimage –
To life everlasting.

For our own moments of reflection and atonement, this beautiful setting of Kol Nidre for cello by Max Bruch serves well...

-ConcordPastor

Homily for the 26th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Today's scriptures

I'm not going to begin by speaking of slicing off body parts
and why Jesus uses such strong language to caution his followers
who are so ready to exclude good people
from the community of disciples --
except to caution you not to try those things at home!

Let’s look at some of the other imagery in these scriptures
which may, at first glance, seem removed from our experience
but which, on closer inspection, may be right up to date.

Consider these images:
- a vision of God appearing in the clouds
- the spirit of Moses anointing a group of elders
- someone driving demons out of the possessed.

Some of the most difficult questions I deal with as a pastor
are precisely the questions these images raise.
As people speak to me of their struggles with the Church
and making choices and decisions,
their underlying questions are these:
- Whose vision of God is the true vision
and who’s to judge what is true and what is false?
- Who is anointed to announce the truth?
- Is there a common, shared truth
or is every individual a prophet of his or her own truth?
- And the business of driving out demons?
What does this mean in an age where one and the same spirit
might be considered a demon by some, an angel by others?
A culture in which the same reality
is understood by some to be a blessing
and by others to be a curse?

Questions like these rise up in our struggles as a Church
just as they do in the social and political struggles of our nation.

Not unlike Joshua in the first reading and John in the gospel,
we are inclined to be jealous and defensive
of our own notions of truth and authority
and dismissive of any who appear to rival or threaten us.
That happens in politics and in religion;
in our church and in our parish;
in our marriages and homes and families;
in our neighborhoods and schools and where we work;
- and even within ourselves.

So, some more questions:
- How is God present in our lives
and who is anointed to speak for God?
- What is true and what is false in the choices and decisions we make?
- What spirits tempt and guide us?
Where are today’s demons and where are today’s angels?
- How are we to know a blessing from a curse
if we’re unsure of what’s right and wrong?

These aren’t easy questions
and most of us will not be easily satisfied by simple answers.

Finding the right answers will demand a certain humility on our part:
a recognition that each of us is not a font of truth and wisdom.
The search for truth has its starting point in our relationship with God
and in our trust that God’s Spirit will waken us to wisdom
and invite us to see and understand our lives through it.
If we begin by acknowledging
that God’s truth is deeper and more reliable than our own,
then we will be better prepared to discern
true from false, demon from angel, blessing from curse.

Any other path will likely lead and leave me to my own devices
and the chaos bound to ensue when my pride and jealousy
limit my vision to my own logic and imagination.

The search for truth begins right where I am
and at the moment I ask:
- What is my vision of God?
And how does my vision of God shape my heart,
my marriage, my family, my work, my faith?
- What are the truths by which I live?
How do I test the depth and strength of what I claim to be true?
What wisdom greater than my own
do I invite to critique my own ideas of what is true?
- What demons and angels compete for my attention?
my time, my energy? my imagination?
Which spirits lead me closer to God
and which spirits lead me away from God?
- Of blessings and curses we all know many.
Are what I name as curses sometimes blessings in disguise?
And what I name as blessings -
might they sometimes be stumbling blocks along my path?

So many questions – and I have no easy answers.
But there is an ever-increasing need for us to ask the questions
– and to work on answering them honestly
until we have arrived at the truth that truly sets us free.

It is so important, then, that every week
we gather here to open our hearts to the Lord’s Word
to the spirit of his truth,
and the blessing of his presence in our prayer
and especially in the sacrament of the this altar.

May Jesus who remained faithful to the truth of God’s love
through death into life
guide us on our search for God’s truth
and give us the blessings promised us in that search.

-ConcordPastor

Blessings prayed and prayers answered...

Last night I had the opportunity to join some folks who drove into Logan International to meet parishioner Mark Merlino upon his return from a year's deployment in Iraq. You might remember the blessing my parish prayed over Mark just before he left. Well, our prayers have certainly been answered with Mark's safe return to his family and friends.








Here's Mark coming down the escalator to the baggage claim area where we were waiting for him - no need to comment on how happy he was to be home!







And here's the joyful crowd Mark encountered - on the right, that's his wife, Sue, running to meet her husband.



Please keep in your prayers those who are still in harm's way in the service of our country. And pray for those men and women who have suffered physically and emotionally as a result of this war - and for those who have given their lives that others might live.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

(Click on images for larger versions; more photos here)

-ConcordPastor

A Prayer for Priests in the Year for Priests

_______-Image by Spreadshirt

Each Friday in this Year for Priests I'll post this prayer and invite you to remember all priests and especially those who have been, who are and who may one day be a part of your life.

Several prayers for the Year for Priests are available through the US Bishops site. As an exercise for myself to enter into the spirit of this year, I wrote the following. For whatever use you make of it on behalf of my brother priests and me, we are most grateful. (Links to other material on the Year for Priests can be found on the sidebar.)

A Prayer for Priests

Gracious God, loving Father,
font of every gift and good,
make of priests for us we pray:

men of faith, men of love,
humble servants of your Word,
prophets of your Spirit’s grace;

men of hope, men of peace,
strong defenders of the truth,
heralds of your holy gospel;

men of prayer, men of praise,
guardians of our sacred rites,
of the scriptures and tradition;

men of changelessness and change,
men who follow you each day,
when and where your Spirit leads;

men of tenderness and strength,
comfort for the sick and weary,
shepherds leading home the lost;

men of counsel, men of wisdom,
gentle guides for the confused,
lights along the darkened path;

men of mercy, patient men,
understanding and consoling
of the grieving and abused;

men of justice and compassion,
reconciling and forgiving,
men of healing in your name;

men of sacrifice and honor,
single minded in your service,
set apart to do your will;

men of holiness and joy,
men anointed by your grace,
men ordained to serve as Christ.

Make us one with them in faith
and in Christ your only Son
in whose holy name we pray.

Amen.

-ConcordPastor

Word for the Weekend - September 27

And it's time again to open the scriptures and begun to ponder the readings for this coming weekend's liturgy for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The readings and background material on them can be found here and if you'll be accompanying children to Mass this weekend, take a look here for hints on preparing young ones to hear the scriptures.

The scriptures today raise the question, "Does God confine the gift of his Spirit to authorized channels?" The day's first scripture from the Book of Numbers and the gospel passage from Mark tell us, in the words of Jesus, that "whoever is not against us is with us."

The last of five weeks of readings from the Letter of James is a stinging indictment of the wealthy, of those who want for little.

As I've mentioned before, I carrry a copy of the readings in a small notebook in my pocket all week long so that I can, on a moment's notice, review the scriptures I'll be preaching and jot down ideas as they come. Looking over the scriptures ahead of time is a great way for preachers and those who hear them to let the Word simmer in our daily lives from Sunday to Sunday.

Still wondering why that graphic is on this post? That means you haven't yet followed the link to the readings!

Image: SmoothOn

-ConcordPastor

Welcome to visitors arriving here via At Home With Our Faith, a newsletter from Claretian Publications.

On the blog for At Home With Our Faith there's a note about and a link to my homily from this past Sunday. AHWOF is a newsletter for nurturing spirituality in the Catholic family and is published nine times a year.

-ConcordPastor

Reflections on ministry in the Year for Priests

I've been remiss in linking you to the fine series on the ministry of priests coming to us from Catholic News Service Blog. These are short essays written by priests on topics that are as practical as they are spiritual - a great combination! Follow this link to find the most recent entries in this series.

-ConcordPastor

Last stand against the fall!

Photo by ConcordPastor

Over the last couple of summers I've written reviews of restaurants where I've dined and a few folks have commented on the absence of such posts this year. In particular, I've not commented once this summer on a caprese salad. Well, I'd not recently had an insalata caprese worth commenting on - until last night!

I had dinner in the home of two good friends and the menu included the very caprese pictured above! The heirlooms were end-of-the-season but beautifully red and tasty nonetheless. The basil was cut before my very eyes from a plant growing on the deck. The presentation was just right and the dish was a welcome treat as summer fades into fall. In fact, the whole menu was one last summer stand against the fall: steak on the grill, perfectly medium rare; ears of corn so sweet you'd have sworn it was late July or early August; and red-white-and-blue dessert of sorbet, ice cream and blue berries.

A great way to wrap up the summer to raise a glass in hopes of at least a few more days warm enough to remind us of what we had.

If you click on the photo above you won't get to taste the caprese - but you'll get a better look!

-ConcordPastor

After Apple Picking by Robert Frost

Image: CatholicCharities

It's the season for apple-picking, a treat New Englanders might take for granted. Apple picking comes at summer's end, as fall begins and nature prepares for her great winter sleep. Children of all ages love to pick, collect and take home the apples for baking and cooking and just plain good eating. Of course, there are shadows of meaning in this season that the truly young might miss as the days grow short.

Robert Frost, poet laureate of New England, wrote of the mysteries of this season. His words follow here and you can you can listen to him read his own poem in the video below.

-ConcordPastor

After Apple Picking

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree

Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, let down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

- Robert Frost

Monday Morning Offering - 65

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

It's a very busy time of year, Lord,
and so I offer you this morning
what brims over and spills from the cup of my day...

I offer you the questions for which I have no answers...
I pray for the wisdom to know how much I do not know
and for the grace to share what is within my ken...

I offer you the problems I cannot solve, Lord -
my own and those of others who come to me with theirs...
I pray for patience as I wait to see how you will move in my life
and I pray for the grace to wait with others
who need company while they wait for you...

I offer you the wounds I cannot heal, Lord,
my own and those of others who come to me for help:
help us to be gentle with one another
and may our sharing be a healing in itself...

I offer you the fear and worry I carry within me...
Help me place my trust in you, Lord,
and when the weight of worry wearies me
remind me that the burden of faith is feather light...

I offer you the work for which I have no time, Lord,
and the time I have for rest and prayer...
Help me do my work carefully and joyfully
and draw me to prayer that refreshes
and rest that makes me strong...

I offer you the unknown and unexpected
of what today and tomorrow may bring...
Make me ready by making sure I trust
that you are always by my side...

Make me mindful, Lord,
of others whose days are filled to the brim
and help me share the burdens
of all whose paths cross mine...

Good God of Monday mornings,
I offer you the overflow of my nights and days this week
and pray you keep me safe and sound
for all the work that's mine to do...

Amen.

-ConcordPastor

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Scriptures for today's liturgy)

Ever hear of Steve Monforto?
He’s a Philadelphia Phillies fan
and he’s been going to Phillies games since he was 3 years old,
always hoping to catch a fly ball hit into the stands.

This past week his dream came true
when he reached over the railing on the second tier of seats
and caught a foul ball which he handed to his 3 year old daughter
who turned and promptly threw it back towards the field!

Watching on a Jumbotron, the whole stadium gasped
and when little Emily Monforto realized something was amiss,
she turned and melted into her father’s outstretched arms.

What she didn’t see
(because she was winding up to pitch the ball back)
- was the expression on her dad’s face.

Over the span of just a few seconds you saw
amazed joy on Steve's face when he caught the ball,
his face beaming with pleasure as he handed it to Emily,
and then his eyes wide with disbelief as she threw it back.
But in the same instant he realized his prized ball was gone
he turned immediately toward Emily just before she turned to him
and a broad loving, father’s smile broke on his face like a sunrise
as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

Emily wasn’t sure what had happened
- she thought she was playing catch -
but all she knew from her father
was the warmth of his smile and the comfort of his arms.

“Taking a child, Jesus placed her in their midst
and putting his arms around her, he said to them,
‘Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me, receives not me,
but the One who sent me…’”

You could see on Steve Monforto’s face the recognition
that his daughter had just thrown away something he valued,
but because he valued his daughter far beyond his prizing a foul ball,
his heart and his arms were already there
to embrace and comfort her.

It just might be that Steve’s heart
is filled with the "wisdom from above"
St. James described in today’s second reading:
a heart that is pure, peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy, constant and sincere;
a father’s heart predisposed, always ready to reach out in love,
to envelop his child in an embrace that is
welcoming, forgiving, comforting and accepting.

And such is the heart Jesus asks us to have as we serve one another.

I know that this sounds too simple.
Of course a father loves his child.
But how could this be a model for us
and how we conduct our affairs day to day?

Are we to love our neighbors as a father loves his daughter?

Yes. That’s exactly the wisdom, the love, the welcome,
the mercy, the comfort, the acceptance
Jesus enjoins us to offer to others in our lives.

To paraphrase today's scripture:
Whoever receives a neighbor as one receives a child, receives me;
and whoever receives me, receives not me,
but the One who sent me…

Little Emily is her father’s child, his flesh and blood,
the apple of his eye, the one he would give his life for
which is exactly how the Lord considers each one of us
and just how he asks us to consider one another…

Such wisdom, such regard, such love
is not something easily arrived at.
It’s a labor of love to come to value others
as much as we value ourselves and our own ideas,
as much as we value our possessions and our money,
- as much as we value a foul ball,
caught in the stands of a ballpark.

A way to begin to deal with the Lord’s call
for us to serve one another with such love
might be asking ourselves,
“What do I value?”

What things, what possessions, what self-interests do I value
more than I value others in my family, at work,
at school, in my neighborhood, my parish, around the world?

Are we more like the disciples,
arguing the value of our own self-importance,
asking, "Who among us is the greatest?"
-- or like Christ, welcoming the child into his embrace?

What do I learn about my life in Christ
when I ask myself, “What do I value?”

We gather at this table every week
to remember the value Christ placed on our lives:
he valued us more highly than he valued his own comfort,
more highly than he valued his own life.

And here, at this altar, he offers us his heart, a heart that is ever
pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, constant and sincere.

We are nourished by the life of Christ’s heart
in bread and cup of the Eucharist
that our hearts might be as peaceable and full of mercy as his.

May the love we celebrate and receive here
be the love by which we live.

-ConcordPastor

L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem! Rosh Hashana

The title of this post translates:

A good and sweet year to you,
may you be written and sealed for a good year!

Rosh Hashanah has begun!

For background on this celebration of the Jewish New Year, take a look at Judaism 101.

A Happy New Year to our Jewish neighbors!

Rosh Hashanah in a Nutshell

• Ten Most Important Things to Know About Rosh Hashanah
• Ten Step Guide to Celebrating Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashanah Glossary
• Rosh Hashana Prayers and Torah Readings
• About Shofar
• About Tashlich
• Rosh Hashanah Food Customs
• Rosh Hashanah Recipes

-ConcordPastor

Prayer for Priests in the Year for Priests

_______-Image by Spreadshirt

Each Friday in this Year for Priests I'll post this prayer and invite you to remember all priests and especially those who have been, who are and who may one day be a part of your life.

Several prayers for the Year for Priests are available through the US Bishops site. As an exercise for myself to enter into the spirit of this year, I wrote the following. For whatever use you make of it on behalf of my brother priests and me, we are most grateful. (Links to other material on the Year for Priests can be found on the sidebar.)

A Prayer for Priests

Gracious God, loving Father,
font of every gift and good,
make of priests for us we pray:

men of faith, men of love,
humble servants of your Word,
prophets of your Spirit’s grace;

men of hope, men of peace,
strong defenders of the truth,
heralds of your holy gospel;

men of prayer, men of praise,
guardians of our sacred rites,
of the scriptures and tradition;

men of changelessness and change,
men who follow you each day,
when and where your Spirit leads;

men of tenderness and strength,
comfort for the sick and weary,
shepherds leading home the lost;

men of counsel, men of wisdom,
gentle guides for the confused,
lights along the darkened path;

men of mercy, patient men,
understanding and consoling
of the grieving and abused;

men of justice and compassion,
reconciling and forgiving,
men of healing in your name;

men of sacrifice and honor,
single minded in your service,
set apart to do your will;

men of holiness and joy,
men anointed by your grace,
men ordained to serve as Christ.

Make us one with them in faith
and in Christ your only Son
in whose holy name we pray.

Amen.

-ConcordPastor

Word for the Weekend - September 20

It's been a busy week and I'm at least a day late in posting this weekend's scriptures and background on them to help us prepare to hear the Lord's Word on this coming 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. (When you consider that there are but 34 weeks in Ordinary Time, it's a bit unsettling to know that Advent is just around the corner!) If you'll be shepherding some young ones to church this weekend, here's some help for preparing them to hear the Word.


In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus embraces a child and tells his friends, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” This scene is preceded, however, by another prediction of his suffering and death and it's that element that drove the choice for the day's first reading from the Book of Wisdom in which the wicked plot the torture and death of the Just One.

The second lesson, from the Letter of James, speaks directly to jealousy and ambition in our lives and in our society with others - a kind of implicit examination of conscience or personal inventory of our motives.

Take even 5 minutes to look over the texts so that you don't hear them "cold" at Mass this weekend. And you might even take one more second to click on the link above and peek at the background on these scriptures. Your experience of the Word and your prayer will be richer on the Lord's Day for having done a little homework!

Image: FanPop

-ConcordPastor

Steve Monforto: A baseball parable in Philly

This is a wonderful video of a dad and his daughter at a ball game. In some ways, this is the parable of the prodigal son, in miniature, told in 24 seconds. The parable in Luke's gospel tells the story of a father's love for a child who has thrown away something valuable -- and what happens when the child comes home to the father's embrace.

Watch the father's face very carefully - it tells the whole story!

(If the video below does not work, try here)



-ConcordPastor

Archbishop Wuerl on Health Care Reform

Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, DC has an op-ed piece at Politics Daily. First thing to notice is the place where Wuerl has made this statement: a smart move for bishops not to rely on their own in-house publications for getting out the word. In addition to the statements and the issue dedicated web page of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on this topic, individual bishops have put their own thoughts on paper and have managed to stir up folks on both side of the health care reform aisle.

Wuerl's statement is concise. Here's a piece of it but I encourage you to read the whole article.

Universal coverage should be universal, including everyone. Health care reform cannot leave people out because of pre-existing conditions, chronic illnesses, their place of work or because they cannot afford insurance. Reform should not leave people out because of where they come from or when they arrived here.

The United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops, following the Gospel mandate to care for the "least of these," urges us to look at health care from the bottom up. A particular gauge against which to measure true universal coverage would be how reform treats the immigrants in our midst who contribute their labor and taxes to our nation, but are at risk of being left out of health care reform.

We need also to find effective ways to bring together public, private and non-profit health care actors in ways that harness their strengths, overcome their shortcomings and, particularly with religious partners, respect their mission and identity.

Image: SocialMedical

-ConcordPastor

Priest Appreciation Dinner in Boston

This evening the Archdiocese of Boston held a Priest Appreciation Dinner with three purposes in mind: to honor the priests of the archdiocese in this Year for Priests; to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ordination of Cardinal Sean O'Malley as a bishop; and to raise money for the Clergy Funds which support sick and retired priests. Over 1,600 people, including some 300 priests attended the dinner. Speakers included: former Mayor of Boston and former US Ambassador to the Holy See, Raymond Flynn; former President of the Massachusetts State Senate, William Bulger, Fr. John McGinnis; Clergy Fund advisor, Joseph D'Arrigo; and Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

Part of the program included the debut of the video above, produced by CatholicTV for the Year for Priests.

-ConcordPastor

Get in touch with God: turn your radio on!

Turn Your Radio On was composed by Albert E. Brumley. The lyrics below are the ones that match the video: for the complete lyrics (and a karaoke opportunity!) check this page. This past Sunday we celebrated our annual outdoor Mass at 11:30 in the backyard of the rectory. Some 350 people came to pray and our choir offered its (a capella) rendition of Turn Your Radio On. Brumley's song offered a message similar to my homily - but in a much more upbeat style!

Enjoy!

Turn Your Radio On

Come and listen in to a radio station
Where the mighty hosts of heaven sing
Turn your radio on, turn your radio on
If you want to want to hear the songs of Zion,
Coming from the land of endless spring,
Turn you radio on, turn your radio on.

Turn your radio on
And listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on and in his glory share
Turn your lights down low
And listen to the Master's radio
Get in touch with God, and turn your radio on.

Everybody has a radio receiver
All you got to do is listen for the call
Turn your radio on, turn your radio on
If you listen in you will be a believer
Leanin' on the truth that'll never fall
Get in touch with God, turn the radio on.

Turn your radio on
And listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on and in his glory share
Turn your lights down low
And listen to the Master's radio
Get in touch with God, turn your radio on.

-ConcordPastor

September 15: Our Lady of Sorrows

Attributed to Simon Bening

September 15 is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Follow the link for some background on this liturgical day.

What are Mary's seven sorrows?

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary which are a popular devotion and are frequently depicted in art. (In the image above, the sorrows listed below begin with the middle image at the base of the painting and move clockwise. For a larger version, click on the image above.)

1. The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Luke 2:34)
2. The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:43)
4. The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Luke 23:26)
5. The Crucifixion where Mary stands at the foot of the cross. (John 19:25)
6. The Descent from the Cross where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms. (Matthew 27:57)
7. The Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40)

From one of the options for today's Gospel at Mass:

Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:33-35

-ConcordPastor

September 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Preface for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.

You decreed that we should be saved through the wood of the cross.
The tree of our defeat became our tree of victory;
where life was lost, there life has been restored
through Christ our Lord...

God of Glory,
the Cross shines as a sign
of obedience to your will
and a symbol of your love
for the world.
Bless us who find salvation
in the cross of Christ;
may we always recognize his glory
in the weak, suffering and condemned of the world.
We ask this through Christ, crucified and exalted,
who is Lord forever and ever.
Amen.

-ConcordPastor

Monday Morning Offering - 64

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

It's September in your parish, Lord,
and everything is starting up,
beginning again, getting in gear,
cranking up to running speed...

That means that life is exciting,
challenging, stressful, promising,
annoying, moving much too slowly,
moving much to quickly and sometimes,
it seems, not moving anywhere at all!

So I offer you this morning, Lord, my anticipation
of work to be done in your name,
for the good of your people
and for the sake of the gospel..

I offer you my worry
that what I do is not enough
and my surety
that I never do enough
and the insecurity
that makes me do more than I need
and my trust
that my mistakes can never shorten
the reach of your arm...

I offer you the frustrations of these days
and ask for patience, gentleness,
a smile on my face and a welcome in my voice
especially when I want to pout or whine or scream...

I offer you my weaknesses,
the ones others see and the ones only you see,
and I ask for your strength to fill in
the gaps, the errors, the mistakes in my work
lest any be harmed or cheated by my carelessness...

I offer you the busyness of these days
and ask you to slow me down
to rest, to pray, to praise you for all you do...

Slow me down, Lord,
that I might see your face in those around me,
hear your voice in other's pleas,
sense your presence in every place I go...

I offer you the best of what my work might yield:
let me not forget that you are the source
of all my words, ideas and gifts,
that your Spirit is the font from where flows
the grace that graces our parish life...

Make me mindful, Lord,
of all who make their way through these September days
and help me to walk with care among the many
whose paths cross mine...

Good God of Monday mornings,
I offer you these days and nights of new beginnings
and pray you bring to fulfillment
the holy work you have begun
in the hearts of all your people...

Amen.

-ConcordPastor

A "little reflection" on today's gospel

Although I wish Brother Patrick would post more often, it's certainly well worth the wait in between his posts when a new one goes up.

It seems that the priest at the Catholic Center at Syracuse University (where BP is a doctoral student) asked him to "do a little reflection" at Masses there this weekend. Taking Jesus' question, "Who do people say that I am?" as his starting point, he offers at least a week's worth of wisdom to ponder.

Here's just a snip and I hope it will lead you to read the rest:

I suspect we all want to maintain a certain psychic integrity, to think well of ourselves and to present an image to other people that we want them to think about us. It’s easy enough to pooh-pooh the obviously superficial stuff as a way of cobbling together an identity – how expensive your clothes are, how perfect your body is, so on. Jesus goes further, though, to root out any places where our egos try to hide: even ostensibly good stuff like getting an education, being religious, can be one more way of convincing ourselves that we have got it together. In fact, it’s insidious, because although I believe religion can be the best thing in the world, it can also be the worst thing when it gives divine legitimacy to inflating our egos. Everything you need is already here – it’s just hard to live out of that because it doesn’t feel like much, because our egos can’t hang onto anything for themselves.

Who you truly are is who you are in God, and nothing more. That sounds hokey, but at least in my own neurotic self, I constantly feel like I have to prove something, earn something, accomplish something, so I can think well of myself, so others will think well of me, so God will think well of me. That’s hard at a place like this and at the age most of you are, because there are so many talented people that it’s easy to covet all the talents and successes you see in other people. But no matter how many books I read, how many degrees I earn, how many good deeds I do or churchy things I attend, none of that can create an identity for me. That’s the bad news: I can’t cobble together an identity like that. The good news is, I don’t have to.

Who I am is who I am in God, and nothing more – there is nothing to prove, no need to deny what a mess I am, no good self-image to project for other people, no need to make it look like I’ve got it all together so that God will love me or so that I can love myself...

Read the whole reflection...

"Who you truly are is who you are in God and nothing more..."

Well, there's my mantra for prayer in the coming week.

Image: Milltown Institute

-ConcordPastor