Don't forget...

to turn your clock back one hour!

How great is this? Millions and millions of people conspire to pretend that it's an hour earlier than it is and turn back their clocks, watches, techno-toys and gadgets as part of the game. And we get an extra hour's sleep in the bargain!

It's so sweet tonight... how do we get it so wrong in the spring?

-ConcordPastor

Happy Halloween!

Over my years in Concord I've often suited up for Halloween in a number of disguises. While I've not done that for several years, I've been thinking about those costumes and recall that I've been Charlie Brown, a pirate, the universe, a ghost, Uncle Sam, a beach comber, a skunk and a scare crow. Those were good times!

A few days back my friend the Concord Carpenter, also a lieutenant in a nearby PD, offered these safety tips for those going out trick-or-treating. A quick read of his list will serve you well!

-ConcordPastor

Saints Go Marching In - a la Handel's Halleluia!

There's still time to prepare for Mass this weekend (November 1: the Solemnity of All Saints) by reading over the scriptures for this feast's celebration. The texts, background material on them and hints for helping children prepare to hear the Word can all be found here.

Take a look at this weekend's scriptures: it's a saintly thing to do!

(That's the Canadian Brass in the video above)

-ConcordPastor

USCCB: Campaign for Human Development and Health Care Reform

This week the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued two statements: one a Q and A on their annual Campaign for Human Development, a collection for which will be taken up in US parishes in November; and the other a "nationwide bulletin insert" on health care reform measures coming before Congress.  To the best of my knowledge this "nationwide bulletin insert" is the first of its kind.  Since the USCCB is seeking a wide broadcast of these materials, I'm presenting them here in their entirety rather than just supplying links.

-ConcordPastor

Q and A on CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

What is CCHD?
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development was founded in 1970 by the Catholic bishops of the United States as the Catholic Church’s domestic anti-poverty program. For nearly 40 years, CCHD has helped make long-term changes in the economic condition of communities across the United States.

What differentiates the Catholic Campaign for Human Development from other church charities programs?

CCHD is a complement to the direct-assistance mission of Catholic Charities agencies and other Church emergency relief programs. It helps make long-term changes in the economic condition of communities by supporting projects that address the root causes of poverty, such as racism, unemployment, lack of education and lack of economic opportunities.

What kind of initiatives does CCHD fund?

CCHD funds programs where poor and marginalized people are empowered to make decisions, seek solutions to local problems and find ways to improve their lives and neighborhoods. Economic development initiatives help poor and low-income people develop new businesses, create new jobs and develop assets that are owned by families and communities. CCHD also provides educational opportunities for Catholics to learn about poverty interact with those affected by it and reflect on a faith response to it.

How do initiatives get funded?

Those who seek funding submit their applications through their local dioceses. Diocesan staff evaluate the projects and submit to local bishop for approval. A national team reviews all applications submitted and, in consultation with the dioceses that recommended them, makes recommendations to the Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The Subcommittee decides which ones will receive national funding. Additionally, some projects are funded directly by the diocese from the 25 percent retained by the local diocese for smaller initiatives that are just starting out.

Does CCHD fund exclusively Catholic initiatives?

No, but CCHD guidelines explicitly state that in order to apply for CCHD funding the mission and actions of agencies seeking funding cannot be at odds with Catholic social teaching.

Why doesn’t CCHD fund exclusively Catholic programs or initiatives?

CCHD is deeply integrated into the life of the Catholic community. For example, in 2008, CCHD funded initiatives involved 683 Catholic priests, 776 Catholic parishes, 18 Catholic Charities agencies and 51 religious communities. Some of the programs funded include partnerships with other communities of faith and secular groups. As long as the mission and actions of the groups requesting funding are in agreement with Catholic social teaching, the bishops believe Catholics can partner with others in the community to address the root causes of poverty and injustice, and advance the cause of human dignity and development.

What about recent allegations that CCHD funds groups openly in conflict with positions held by the Catholic Church?

CCHD is always examining ways to strengthen and improve monitoring efforts to ensure that all grantees comply with CCHD criteria. This is an ongoing process, involving both local dioceses and national CCHD staff. We also hear from others who may bring to our attention concerns about groups or initiatives that CCHD is either considering for funding or currently funding. The CCHD Subcommittee and staff take seriously any allegation that groups are not in compliance with Catholic teaching or are participating in partisan political activity. CCHD immediately investigates each allegation in consultation with the local diocese and, if the allegations are confirmed, discontinues funding immediately.

Out of the 250 grantees for 2009, how many groups have been found non-compliant?

Out of 250 grantees in 2009, there were three credible allegations. In one case, a group was found to be in support of abortion and had already been de-funded when an allegation brought their name to our attention. In the other two cases, the groups had taken actions in conflict with CCHD’s guidelines after they were funded. Without the knowledge of the local diocese or CCHD, they produced voter guides that took positions on referenda opposed to Catholic teaching on same-sex marriage and, in one case, on parental notification and abortion. As soon as these facts were confirmed, and after consultation with the local diocese, the groups were de-funded. Charges against two other groups named were investigated and, in consultation with the local dioceses, the charges were found to be inaccurate or based on a misunderstanding. In all five cases prompt and decisive action was taken consistent with CCHD’s policies and practices. In the past, funding also has been withdrawn promptly when allegations of political partisanship or mismanagement of funds were substantiated.

Who is being funded by CCHD?

A list of recent grantees and other information about CCHD is at www.usccb.org/cchd/grants. Persons seeking further information may call the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at 202-541-3210.

USCCB NATIONWIDE BULLETIN INSERT ON HEALTH CARE REFORM

Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding and Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform

Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of

conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.

Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come. None of the bills retains longstanding current policies against abortion funding or abortion coverage mandates, and none fully protects conscience rights in health care.

As the U.S. bishops’ letter of October 8 states:

“No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test…. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

(For the full text of this letter and more information on proposed legislation and the bishops’ advocacy for authentic health care reform, visit: www.usccb.org/healthcare)

Congressional leaders are attempting to put together final bills for floor consideration. Please contact your Representative and Senators today and urge them to fix these bills with the pro-life amendments noted below. Otherwise much needed health care reform will have to be opposed. Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.

ACTION:

Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters.

- To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.

- Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.

- Full contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

MESSAGE to SENATE:

“During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

MESSAGE to HOUSE:

“Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

WHEN:

Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. Act today! Thank you!

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

Saint of the day: who will it be?

In anticipation of All Saints Day this weekend...

The sidebar always includes a link for finding the Saint of the Day. Not every day on the church's calendar is devoted to a particular saint. For example: in November, 14 of the 30 days have no saint assigned on the liturgical calendar.  Saint of the Day "fills in" such days with saints who do not have their own day. Each date on the calendar is hyperlinked to a short biography and comment on that day's saint.

The illustration above is one of the tapestries in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Such tapestries line both side of the nave and give worshippers the sense of being in the communion of saints as they celebrate the Eucharist. (If you are in LA, make sure you visit the cathedral!) The tapestry reproduced here (be sure to click to enlarge and for detail of the saints' names) includes the names of some of those pictured, but not of others. It was the artist's desire to include images of those whom the church has not yet canonized but who are living saintly lives among us. See here for more background on the art and artist and be sure to click on the links at the top of that page to see the tapestries on the north and south walls (and make sure you click to enlarge each one.)

-ConcordPastor

Evangelization of the "digital continent"

Image source: DigistreamSaas

Catholic News Agency reports that this morning Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. In his remarks, the pope urged the Commission to communicate the teachings of the Church on the "digital continent" of today's communications technology. (Benedict first used the image of the "digital continent" in his World Communications Day Message on May 24, 2009.) worldcommunicationsday2010

Reflecting on the role of social networking and increasingly real-time electronic communication, Pope Benedict XVI said on Thursday that "modern culture is established, even before its content, in the very fact of the existence of new forms of communication that use new languages; they use new technologies and create new psychological attitudes.”

"Effectively," he continued, the advent of new technology “supposes a challenge for the Church, which is called to announce the Gospel to persons in the third millennium, maintaining its content unaltered but making it understandable.”

Quoting John Paul II's encyclical "Redemptoris Missio" that affirms: "Involvement in the mass media, however, is not meant merely to strengthen the preaching of the Gospel. There is a deeper reality involved here: since the very evangelization of modern culture depends to a great extent on the influence of the media.”

“It is not enough to use the media simply to spread the Christian message and the Church's authentic teaching. It is also necessary to integrate that message into the 'new culture' created by modern communications," the Holy Father asserted.

Pope Benedict also emphasized the need to promote a culture of respect, a culture aware of the dignity of the human being. He charged those companies and individuals responsible for the development and promotion of new media as ones “capable of developing the gifts and talents of each and of putting them at the service of the human community."

"In this way the Church exercises that which can be defined as a ‘diaconate of culture’ on today's ‘digital continent,’ using its means to announce the Gospel, the only Word that can save the human being,” the Pope proclaimed...

(read the complete report) wcd2010

-ConcordPastor

Another take on a "litany" of the saints!

Here's a smattering of holy pattering!

Gilbert and Sullivan fans will recognize this as the tune for the Modern Major General in Pirates of Penzance.

Enjoy!


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Word for the Weekend - November 1

Image: Tasmission (Click on image for larger version) 

This year All Saints Day falls on a Sunday and this solemnity trumps the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You will find the scriptures for the day and background material on them here and if you're shepherding children to Mass this weekend, you'll find hints here for helping young ones prepare to hear the Word of the Lord.

The first scripture from the Book of Revelation offers us one of John's visions: the 144,000 who had washed their robes clean in the blood of the Lamb of God.  This text is as magnificent as it is mystical - a wonderful challenge for our lectors this weekend!  The gospel from Matthew is another vision of those who are saved, those who are blessed: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness,  the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted.  The second lesson of the day, from John's first letter, names us as the very children of God - and calls us to the purity such a title demands of us.

-ConcordPastor

Taking a first step, even a small one...

Photo by John Moore

The busier I am the messier my desk, my office, my living quarters, my kitchen become! The fall is a very busy time in parish life and the venues where I live and work reflect that in their disarray. And, of course, the messier it gets, the more difficult it is to begin the process of bringing some order to the chaos. As you know, this dynamic applies in many areas of our lives...

So today I took a first step, a small one. I cleaned off the surface of my desk at home, pitching piles of paper no longer of any value and putting in their place some books and cd's. It's only a beginning, a small one - it's not even a large desk - but it's a beginning. In a while I'll be in the kitchen and I'm hoping to do for the table what I did for my desk: cleaning, clearing - it's cleansing for the soul. How about you? Are the places, circumstances, situations in your life in need of a first step, even a baby step in the right direction? I know... that first step isn't easy but it's the necessary one...

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...

Take that first step - today!
-ConcordPastor

Welcome to a blest athiest!

I'm pleased that Elizabeth, the Blest Athiest, has linked to my page and in particular to my Monday Morning Offerings.

Blest Athiest is a remarkable blog and very much worth clicking your way in that direction. So now I've added a blest athiest to my blog roll!

Image: Amazon.com

-ConcordPastor

Health precautions at Mass in cold and flu season

Image: SunCreekUMC

Parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston received word today of further health precautions in the liturgy related to the cold and flu season. It is, of course, unfortunate that circumstances warrant these precautions but they are for the community's safety and, it's to be hoped, we'll soon find ourselves in a more healthful climate.

MEMORANDUM

To: Archdiocesan Parishes and Institutions
From: Rev. Jonathan Gaspar, Co-Director of
Office of Worship and Spiritual Life
Date: 10/26/2009
Re: Archdiocese of Boston Flu Season Directives

The Office of Worship, in consultation with local health authorities and the Archdiocesan Office of Risk Management, continues to encourage the clergy and faithful to observe necessary standard precautions to protect the health of others during this flu season, and especially with the risks related to H1N1 influenza. The best way to prevent the spread of contagious disease is to practice good hygiene. In addition to practicing good hygiene, the Cardinal directs the following for the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and for flu prevention:

• The Holy Water fonts are to be drained, cleaned with a disinfecting soap, and re-filled with holy water on a regular basis. Please note that old holy water should be disposed of in the sacrarium.

• The distribution of the Precious Blood for the faithful is suspended, with the exception of those who must receive from the cup due to medical reasons. The faith of the Church teaches that Christ, whole and entire, is received even under only one species.

• The exchange of the Sign of Peace is to be offered without any physical contact. If the priest celebrant chooses to extend the invitation for the sign of peace, the faithful, instead of a handshake, may bow to the persons nearby.

• While the faithful retain the option of receiving Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand, all ministers of Holy Communion are advised to distribute the consecrated hosts with care, being cautious not to touch the tongue or the hand of the communicant.

• Parishioners should be reminded that if they are ill or suspect they are ill with a contagious illness, they are not bound by the Sunday Mass obligation. They should remain at home and return to church when they are well.

These directives are effective Saturday, October 31, 2009 and remain in effect until the cold and flu season has come to an end. We thank you for your understanding and support of these directives, which aim to protect the health of our people.

-ConcordPastor

Litany of the Saints for November 1, 2009

November 1 is the Solemnity of All Saints and this year it falls on this coming Sunday. As has been the custom in my parish for some time, we will sing the Litany of the Saints on this day. The musical setting we use is the composition of John Becker. Unfortunately, the video above is poor on the visual. The audio, however, is quite clear.

Below are the words for this litany. Praying this ahead of time might be helpful in preparing for this feast even if your parish won't be singing the litany. (Note: singing this litany is an addition to, not a required element of the All Saints Day liturgy.)

LITANY OF THE SAINTS
John D. Becker

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

1.
Mary and Joseph, pray for us.
Michael and all angels, pray for us.
Anna, Joachim, Elizabeth, pray for us.
Elijah, Moses, John the Baptist, pray for us.
Isaac, Sarah, Abraham, pray for us.
Jacob, Joseph, Samuel, pray for us.
Ruth, David and Solomon, pray for us.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

2.
Peter, Paul, Andrew, pray for us.
James, John, and all apostles, pray for us.
Mary Magdalene, Veronica, pray for us.
Barnabas, Matthias, pray for us.
Stephen, Philip, and Cornelius, pray for us.
Prisca and Aquila, pray for us.
Timothy and Titus, pray for us.
Linus, Cletus, and Clement,pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

3.
Lawrence and Chrysogonus, pray for us.
Innocent, and Boniface, pray for us.
Hippolytus and Origen, pray for us.
Athanasius and Basil, pray for us.
Felicity, Perpetua, pray for us.
Cosmos and Damien, pray for us.
John, Chrysostom, and Justin, pray for us.
Lucy, Agatha, and Agnes, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

4.
Jerome and Eusebius, pray for us.
Scholastica and Benedict, pray for us.
Ambrose, Monica, Augustine, pray for us.
Martin and Gregory, pray for us.
Clare, Francis, and Dominic, pray for us.
Francis Xavier, Ignatius, pray for us.
Elizabeth and Catherine, pray for us.
Louis and Wenceslaus*, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

5.
Lord, be merciful, save your people.
From all evil, save your people.
From every sin, save your people.
From everlasting death, save your people.
By your incarnation, save your people.
By your death and resurrection, save your people.
By your gift of the Spirit, save your people.
Have mercy on us sinners, save your people.

Christ, hear us. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer.

(The following section is not included in the video.)
6.
Lord, give new life, hear our prayer.
To these chosen, hear our prayer.
By the grace of baptism, hear our prayer.
O Jesus, Son of the living God, our prayer.
Send your Spirit, hear our prayer.
In its fullness, hear our prayer.
On your sons and daughters, hear our prayer.
Who believe and profess you, hear our prayer.

Christ, hear us. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer.

*In this recording, Wenceslaus is changed to Matthew.

Copyright © 1987 by OCP Publications, Portland, OR, 97213. All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Offering - 69

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

On the garden show on the radio, Lord,
a caller asked about a good time for pruning a lilac tree...

The host quickly cautioned the caller
not to prune at this time of year
because the lilac’s buds for next spring are -
already set...

The buds for next spring are here, even now, Lord:
ready for frost, freeze and a coat of snow
to challenge and chill their fragrant future with icy threats…

The lilacs are waiting, Lord,
and will survive whatever December,
January and February may storm upon them
until buds bloom and we will breathe
in their sweet scent
and praise you for their April beauty…

You have set the buds for the coming spring, Lord,
and they will survive and they will blossom
because you care for them,
in season and out of season…


Photo: Dave Delay

Dare I ask,
can I fail to ask this fall:
what buds have you set in me, Lord?
what promise have you embedded in my heart?
what growth have you already budded
for a springtime past the frost of fear and my winter of worry?

You have set the buds on the branches of my life, Lord,
and you will not fail to see me through these shortened days
and my longing for the warmth of spring…

You will shelter the buds you have set in me
even when, foolishly, I brave the cold
with no coat for my soul,
my stubborn anger frustrated and testing the persistence
of your promise and your tender care,
in season and out of season…

What you have budded in my branches, Lord,
you will bring to bloom and I will know, then,
the sweet fragrance of your presence…

So, I offer you this morning, Lord,
the buds you've set within me: your hand ever shaping,
forming me to be the one you made me to be…

I offer you my desire to be open like a bud in springtime,
open to what you have begun
in these crisp fall days…

I offer you my longing for shelter, Lord,
as seasons change and I cannot see
the promise of spring to lift my spirits, to blossom
in beauty beyond what my heart knows how to trust...

Make me mindful, Lord, of others
who struggle to see through winter’s frosted panes
the light of April, May and lilac trees in bloom…

All this I offer this morning, Lord,
and through this day and into night
and all this week ahead…

Amen.

-ConcordPastor

Homily for Oct 25 - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Photo of Mass at Holy Family Parish: DupontMediaWorld

I will gather you together from the ends of the world...
(Scripture readings for today's liturgy)

(This weekend marks the 5th anniversary of Holy Family Parish, the merger of two other parishes in Concord closed in the reconfiguration of the Archdiocese of Boston in 2004.)

The sign on the lawn of First Parish Church across the street
announces that First Parish was gathered in 1636.
Not established, like a bank; not founded, like an institution
but gathered – as a people.
I love that choice of words!

Indeed, that's the word the Lord used in the first lesson:
"I will gather my people from the ends of the world..."

This weekend we mark a more modest history:
the 5th anniversary of our being gathered as Holy Family Parish.

Of course, Catholics had been gathered in Concord
long before October 2004.
St. Bernard Parish was gathered in 1863
and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in 1907,
adding up to a combined gathering of 238 years
of Catholic parish life in Concord.

There is no doubt about it: the vitality of Holy Family is built
on the firm foundation of two longstanding faith communities
and without that foundation we would not be the parish we are today.

And there’s no doubt about something else, too.
There’s no doubt that it is the Spirit of God who has gathered us
not, as in Jeremiah’s words, “from the ends of the world”
but rather, from both side of Route 2.
(It may have been easier
for the Spirit to gather Israel from the ends of the known world
than to gather us from both sides of Route 2!)

In Jeremiah, the Lord remembers how his people “departed in tears”
when they were exiled from their own place
but he promises to guide and lead them
to a place of consolation and refreshment,
to bring them home to his heart.

When speaking of gathering his people back to himself,
the Lord mentions three particular groups of pilgrims:
the blind; the lame; the mothers and those with child.

The blind: the ones who cannot be sure of what is ahead of them;
the lame: those who might find the journey too difficult to make;
and the mothers: those who care for their children,
and those who carry within their wombs the peoples’ future.

Are we, the people who are gathered by the Lord into our parish,
are we so different?


The gathered tribe of Holy Family Parish after a 9:30 Mass in October: DupontMediaWorld
(Click on the image for a close-up!)

Among those gathered from our parishes of origin,
there are those who find it difficult to see
how and where the Lord is leading us
and what healing the Lord offers us,
even in our loss and anger.

And there are those so wounded by what happened 5 years ago
that they have left the Catholic caravan of God’s people
and have decided to journey with another tribe,
or even to make the journey alone.

And of course there are 1,300 households
of mothers and fathers and families who have,
with all the burdens that family and parish life include,
have committed themselves to making the journey of faith
with this tribe of God’s people known as Holy Family Parish.

Especially significant is the Lord mentioning “those with child”
among the people he leads from exile.
It’s so clear from his words that we who journey with him
carry within us the faith of the generations to come.
Our fidelity to the Lord on the journey he leads
is a gift from us to those who will come after us.
Just as we are gathered on the strong foundation
of our parishes of origin,
so will our young ones, even those not yet born,
so will they build on the foundation of the journey in faith
we’ve made over the last 5 years and all the years
that brought us to this parish and to this anniversary.

The one constant in the journey of Christian faith,
the one moment that marks us for who we are
and who we are called to be,
the one prayer that makes us who we are
is the prayer of this table, the sacrifice of this altar,
the great thanksgiving we offer
through Christ, with Christ and in Christ in the Eucharist.

Only here, together, in this ancient prayer of the ages,
can we find what we find here:
the life of Christ Jesus and our unity in him
who is our Lord and redeemer, who delivers us from exile
and gathers us to his own heart.

The very first thing we did as a new parish 5 years ago
was to celebrate the Eucharist and since then, over 5 years,
we have celebrated the Eucharist more than 2,500 times.

The Eucharist is who we are and what we do,
it is how we know our God
and how we come to know our truest selves.

Here we find the grace of the sacrifice of the Cross.
Here we find food for the journey as we travel with the Lord
who gathers us in from so many places,
with the blind, the lame, the mothers and those with child.

Yes, five years ago we “departed in tears”
but the Lord has consoled us, guided us and led us
to this table of saving grace in the life of our parish.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

-ConcordPastor

UPDATE on Rome/Canterbury post

I recently posted a link to John Allen's report on the Vatican's move to facilitate the welcoming of disaffected Anglicans into communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

(Interested in learning more about the Anglican communion? Here's their website.)

Margaret Steinfels at Commonweal also linked to John Allen and you might want to read the interesting comments on her post, especially Robert Mickens' thoughts (scroll down the comments on Steinfels' post).

In the combox on this page, Irish Gal posted this link to Fr. Dwight Longnecker's blog, Standing on My Head, regarding the same topic.

Looks like we'll have to wait until the Apostolic Constitution on this topic is published before we understand what's happened and what's at stake ecclesiologically, liturgically and ecumenically.

-ConcordPastor

Last chance to ponder the Word before hearing it!

Image: Radiant Light

For this weekend's Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time you will find the scripture texts and background material on them here and hints for helping to prepare children to hear the Word here.

The gospel passage from Mark offers the story of the cure of the blind man, Bartimaeus. The first lesson (Jeremiah) pairs with this story as it references the Lord gathering his own from the end of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst.

The second lesson is another in a series of readings from the Letter to the Hebrews. The text refers to the Day of Atonement which our Jewish friends celebrated just recently.

-ConcordPastor

New York Voices

Image: New York Voices

What a great evening!

Met some friends for dinner at the Green Room in the Cambridge Doubletree before crossing the lobby to Scullers jazz club to hear New York Voices.

For dinner I enjoyed a dish of garlic-rosemary roasted pork tenderloin, cooked to medium rare perfection. The generous portion of pork was served over sweet potato gratin and topped with a small mound of baby spinach. Circling the plate was a cranberry-apricot chutney providing just the right sweet-tart balance to the main dish, garnished with several salty "chips" of thinly sliced and fried sweet potato. A good-but-not-great Caesar salad would have been improved with a lighter hand on the dressing. The salmon dishes and steak salad entree ordered by my table mates looked good and I heard no complaints but that pork dish alone would be enough for me to make a return trip before the menu changes.

After dinner it was over to Scullers to hear New York Voices, a jazz quartet who would put you in mind of Manhattan Transfer but with its own distinctive sound. Check out the NYV web site and you'll hear some of their music. One of the folks I was with is a long time friend of NYV's Kim Nazarian and it happens that years ago I often heard NYV's Peter Eldridge at the piano when he was on stage with my friend Maria Perry.

NYV played to a sold-out club of folks who were there for the music: it make such a difference when the audience is attentive to the performance! I wish I had taken notes so I could list the evening's songs ranging from standards to new compositions, backed by piano, bass, drums and now and again a sax. On their website you can hear Love You Madly, Darn That Dream and Peter's own The World Keeps You Waiting. Two unaccompanied pieces without lyrics (Jobim's Meu Amigo - the other title slips my mind) showed off the group's musicality, leaving you in awe that four human beings can produce such a rich texture of sound and emotion with just the natural instruments God gave them!

And I got to talk just briefly with Peter after the show - what a great evening!

-ConcordPastor

What really happened this week between Rome and Canterbury?

Britain's Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, left, from the Anglican church listens as Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols from the Roman Catholic Church speaks during a news conference in London, held after the announcement of a new church structure for Anglicans who wish to join the Catholic Church. (AP photo)

H/T to Rosemary, a frequent commenter on this page, for suggesting we link over to John Allen's piece in the National Catholic Reporter on the Vatican's announcement this week on welcoming Anglicans into the Roman Catholic communion.

In many ways the MSM's take on this story has contributed to confusion and misunderstanding. John Allen writes in accessible language about church matters and he responds to the frequently asked questions on this issue.

If you want to understand the Vatican's move on receiving Anglicans into the Church and if you're interested in questions now on the table but yet to be answered, then check out Allen's very helpful report in NCR.

-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

Late October verse...

Image by Webecoist

In Hardwood Groves

The same leaves over and over again!
They fall from giving shade above
To make one texture of faded brown
And fit the earth like a leather glove.

Before the leaves can mount again
To fill the trees with another shade,
They must go down past things coming up.
They must go down into the dark decayed.

They must be pierced by flowers and put
Beneath the feet of dancing flowers.
However it is in some other world
I know that this is the way in ours.

- Robert Frost

A new arrival!

I'm pleased to share with you a picture of the newest member of my family: Ruby! She's the daughter of my nephew and his wife in Colorado. Here you see Ruby in her grandmother's arms (my sister) and we all think she is truly a jewel!

(My sister's sweater is not out of season: 10 inches of snow fell in Denver on Ruby's birth day!)

For a close up of Ruby - click on the image above.

-ConcordPastor

A prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know my self,
and the fact that I think am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that, if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will not leave me to face my perils alone.

-Thomas Merton

-ConcordPastor

Word for the Weekend - October 25

Image: Radiant Light

I will gather them from the ends of the world
with the blind and lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng...

Please note that the Word for the Week on the sidebar now links you to the scriptures for the coming Sunday - but I'll continue to write weekly on the Sunday texts as in the post at hand.

For the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time you will find the scripture texts and background material on them here and hints for helping to prepare children to hear the Word here.

The gospel passage from Mark offers the story of the cure of the blind man, Bartimaeus. The first lesson (Jeremiah) pairs with this story as it references the Lord gathering his own from the end of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst.

Locally, these readings come on the 5th anniversary of the founding of my parish, born of the merger of two parishes of origin. I'm grateful that the scriptures will lend themselves so well to our celebration!

The second lesson is another in a series of readings from the Letter to the Hebrews. The text refers to the Day of Atonement which our Jewish friends celebrated just recently.

-ConcordPastor

Swimming the Tiber

Image source: StJohnParish

It's sometimes referred to as "swimming the Tiber," that is, crossing over to Rome from another Christian ecclesial community. Well, Rome is building a bridge for Anglicans - wide enough for married clergy and their families to cross over en masse, so to speak.

Catholic News Service reports:

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has established a special structure for Anglicans who want to be in full communion with Roman Catholic Church while preserving aspects of their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage, said U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada.

The cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said a new apostolic constitution would establish “personal ordinariates” — similar to dioceses– to oversee the pastoral care of those who want to bring elements of their Anglican identity into the Catholic Church with them.

Anglican priests who are married will be ordained Catholic priests, although married Anglican bishops will not be able to function as Catholic bishops in keeping with the longstanding Catholic and Orthodox tradition of ordaining only unmarried clergy as bishops, Cardinal Levada said.

The cardinal announced the new arrangement during a press conference today at the Vatican. He said the pope’s apostolic constitution and norms for implementing were undergoing final revisions and would be published in a couple of weeks.

The new provision does not weaken the commitment of the Vatican to promoting Christian unity, Cardinal Levada said, but is a further recognition that many Anglicans share the Catholic faith and that Anglicans have a spiritual and liturgical life worth preserving.

(read the full CNS report)

Here's the full text of the Vatican report on this move.

-ConcordPastor

Punkatasset morning: October in Concord, MA

Yesterday afternoon, October 18, it snowed in Concord, Massachusetts. Seems to me that such weather should be outside the bounds of natural law! The photo above is what Concord, MA should look like in mid-October (and does, today!) and I'm grateful to MDR for sharing this beautiful image with us.

-ConcordPastor

Monday Morning Offering - 68

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

Sometimes, Lord,
when I look at the day ahead of me
I wonder and worry
how I'm going to make my way to its end...

Sometimes I look at the week or the month ahead
and wonder how I'll get from here to there,
to the other side of what seems immovable,
impassable, impossible...

But day after day, week after week
I get there, Lord, no matter how slowly the day,
the week, the month -even the hour- may pass,
I get there...
and looking back on the path I've walked,
so often the journey seems shorter, simpler, safer
than what I imagined at its beginning...

Help me remember, Lord, at this day's start
and as I survey the week and month before me,
help me remember,
when even the next hour seems too much to bear,
help me remember that my passage will be safe,
my burdens lighter,
the length of my day will be halved
with you in my heart and by my side...

I offer you, Lord, this day, this week
and every hour in it...

I offer you the hours that seem days long,
the days that seem like weeks
and the weeks that have no end...

Help me trust that in your company
I will come to day's end, to Sunday's rest,
and to seasons' change
safe and secure
in your company, in your presence
and in your strength when mine is spent...

I offer you my memories of hours, days, weeks,
months and years I thought I'd not survive but did,
and I pray you refresh in my soul the courage I need
to live my life a day at a time, an hour at a time,
secure in your strong arms...

Keep me mindful, Lord,
of others who stand before this day
not sure of where it will lead and take them:
help us all to be understanding and gentle with one another,
offering support where it is needed,
accepting others' help when when it is offered...

I offer you this day, Lord,
as long or short as it may seem
and pray day's end will find me by your side...

Amen.

-ConcordPastor

A new iPhone app and a big lie

Even Brother Patrick acknowledges that it's been too long since his last post! His reflection on this week's scripture doesn't disappoint: here's a snip...

One of my teachers used to say that we all get scripted, whether we know explicitly what the script is or not, by the story lines at play in our culture. What might that story be in the world we inhabit? In his phraseology, “technological therapeutic military consumerism.” We breathe it in all the time, and the implicit or explicit story it is telling us is that authority-as-domination can make us safe and it can make us happy – buy enough stuff, kill the right people, build enough toys, get the right degree from the right school, and you can make your life work for you. That story is a big lie.

We’re here every Sunday because we think there’s a better story, but we know that we are all mightily co-opted by the big lie, so we have got to keep coming back. We’ve all heard today’s readings a hundred times, but we have a hard time hearing them and an even harder time getting them to stick, when the big lie has so much free air time. Hopefully when we do hear our story we get excited, we’re committed, we’re going to make a fresh start…but that usually works for about three minutes, and then it’s, “Hey, there’s a new IPhone app...”

(read the complete reflection here)

-ConcordPastor

We can! We have! We will! I am! I do!

Image source: MayHeIncrease

Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Scriptures for this Sunday's liturgy)

Do we ever pray as we heard James and John pray in this gospel?
“Lord, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you!”

That’s a bold prayer. It’s a demanding prayer.
And I think it’s often our prayer:
“Lord, this is what I want. This is what I need.
This is what you should do. This is what I want you to do,
for me, for someone I love - and I want you to do it now.”

And what were James and John asking for?
They were looking for a little special treatment –
as we often do when we pray.
They figured that Jesus could get them sky-box seats
in the eternal ball park where your team always wins.
They probably thought Jesus could email or text his heavenly Father
and order up a couple of choice tickets.
But Jesus knew it didn’t work that way.
Even Jesus was going to pay a price, the ultimate price,
for his seat in the Father’s sky-box.
So he tells James and John,
“You don’t know what you’re asking for.
Those seats aren’t free.
Are you willing to pray the price?”
Will you drink the cup of suffering I’m going to drink?
Not really understanding what Jesus was talking about,
James and John answered, “We can!”

And if you think we aren’t just like James and John
in their enthusiastic response, then consider what you said
at your wedding when you were asked these three questions:

Have you come here freely and without reservation
to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Will you love and honor each other as husband and wife
for the rest of your lives?

Will you accept children lovingly from God
and bring them according to the law of Christ and his Church?

You went a step beyond James' and John's “We can!”
You answered those three questions with
“We have! We will! We will!”

And you responded without a clue about what a month,
a year, a decade and more of marriage would bring to your heart,
your relationship, your life...

At my ordination the bishop asked me these four questions*
summed up in these words:

Are you resolved to celebrate the mysteries of Christ
faithfully and religiously…?

Are you resolved… to discharge without fail
the office of priesthood… as a fellow worker with the bishops
in caring for the Lord’s flock?

Are you resolved to exercise the ministry of the word
worthily and wisely…?

Are you resolved to consecrate your life to God
for the salvation of his people…”

And I answered those four questions,
"I am! I am! I am! I am, with the help of God!"

Would I have guessed then
what the last 8 years would bring to ministry
in scandal and parish closings?

And at Easter and at every baptism we celebrate,
all of us are asked,

Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?

Do you reject the glamour of evil,
and refuse to be mastered by sin?

And with equal enthusiasm we respond, “I do! I do!”

But do we? Do we pay attention to what we're saying?
Do we know what we're accepting? pledging? taking on?
Do we have even an inkling of the cup we might be asked to drink
in marriage, in ministry, in the Christian life?

Every married person, every priest, every Christian
has made those same responses,
“I have! I will! I am! I do!”

But I’ve yet to meet a husband or wife, a priest or any Christian
who has not been unfaithful, in smaller and larger ways,
to the promises we made when we were sure
“we knew what we were doing…”

And so we carry in our hearts, in our families,
in the church and in the world not only the joy of our fidelity
but also the weight of our failures
to be faithful to promises we made.

And sometimes we’re not so much like James and John
as we are like the other ten apostles
who are indignant and jealous because
they think James and John are getting the sky-box tickets
while they’re stuck in the bleacher seats.

The Lord makes the same response to the ten and the two
and to all of us. He says:
Ask for what you will,
but know that what you ask for comes at a price.
Don’t compare yourself to others with envy but rather,
serve others
and find the peace that comes
when you are faithful to your word and your responsibilities,
faithful to those in need
and willing to drink the cup that I will drink.
As for sky-boxes - they are not mine to give.
But be at peace with one another in the bleacher seats
and one day the glory of my Father will be yours.

Come, then, to the altar where the Lord of all
makes himself the servant of all and invites us
not only to be like him, but to share in the life and mercy
that are his alone to give in the bread and cup of the Eucharist
at this holy table.

*Here's the complete text of the four questions the bishop asks the ordinands:

- Are you resolved, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge without fail the office of the priesthood in the presbyteral order as a conscientious fellow worker with the bishops in caring for the Lord's flock?

- Are you resolved to celebrate the mysteries of Christ faithfully and religiously as the Church has handed them down to us for the glory of God and the sanctification of God's people?

- Are you resolved to exercise the ministry of the word worthily and wisely, preaching the Gospel and explaining the Catholic faith?

- Are you resolved to consecrate your life to God for the salvation of his people, and to unite yourself more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for us to the Father as a perfect sacrifice?

-ConcordPastor

"Can you drink the cup that I drink?"

Have you taken some time to look over the readings for Mass this weekend? It's not too late! See this earlier post with the scriptures, background material on them and hints for helping children prepare to hear the Word of the Lord.

The question in the title of this post is the question Jesus poses in this Sunday's gospel and the question so starkly portrayed in the image to the left... How will we answer?

-ConcordPastor

Update: Another tragic chapter...

Over at Deacon Greg Kendra's blog, he links to this report in the New York Times. It's about a priest and his ministry, a tragedy on many levels. As Greg invites, please pray for all who live and share the pain of this story.

Update: Deacon Greg offers a link to an update on this situation. The priest in this story has been suspended.

The suspension was effective immediately, Superior diocese spokesman Richard Lyons said.

"He is to step down from active ministry and any involvement in church events until we have a chance to clarify the information that was in the New York Times article today," Lyons said.

(complete story)

-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