USCCB Blog: Amish, Ok. Catholics, No.

USCCB Blog: Amish, Ok. Catholics, No.: The Amish are exempt from the entire health care reform law. So are members of Medi-Share, a program of Christian Care Ministry. Yet, when t...

He's Not Always Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild!

In today's world most people, particularly those raised on computers, would relate to an icon as one of those little images on a screen that you click to access a particular program. Well, before Steve Jobs or Bill Gates were ever born, icons were a major part of our Christian faith tradition, particularly in the East. A religious icon is a two-dimensional image of Christ or a saint that presents a "picture" that is venerated as representative of that holy individual's sanctity. It's not too distant from the practice of covering our homes with photos of loved ones. If those photos are of deceased family members, they take on even greater meaning and hold even stronger memories. 

There are many “images” of Christ that lay hold to the imagination. Given our life circumstances, I believe, we are drawn to one or another more strongly. Certainly during Lent many call to mind the suffering Christ or perhaps even Michelangelo’s Pieta, with Mary cradling the body of the Lord in her arms after he was taken down from the cross. Some may be drawn to the image of Christ the Teacher, or Christ the Good Shepherd. Others may relate to the weeping Christ or the laughing Christ. There are countless others that have been contributed through scripture, literature, and art to feed our imaginations.

One that  might be a bit intimidating, but nonetheless appears in today’s gospel is what I like to refer to as the “Ticked Off Christ.” (I’m sure there are others who might utilize more colorful metaphors.) Simply put, Jesus is angry. He’s more than angry, actually. We literally read of him turning tables and driving people out of the temple precincts. Surely it wasn’t just that Jesus was having a bad day. What drove him to such a passionate display?

Again, another simple answer: God. His Heavenly Father did it. He couldn’t stomach what was taking place in the temple precincts. There were folks there who had forgotten (or ignored or discounted) the fact that the temple was a holy place, a place of worship. Now, to be fair, the moneychangers weren’t doing anything that wasn’t culturally unacceptable. As a matter of fact, some would argue that they were providing a necessary service in order to conform to the Jewish law that regarded the Roman money as “unclean” and not suitable for paying the temple tax. They would change the Roman money for the people so that the temple wouldn’t be rendered unclean.

But there was more to it, to be sure. Not only were they providing a “service,” they were personally profiting from the exchanges. Anyone who has travelled abroad knows the experience of exchanging money. Not only do you need to calculate the exchange rate, but also the additional fees that are often imposed as well. The temple’s pride, as the center of worship, had been compromised and the merchants had come in and made it into a center of commerce. They had forgotten (or ignored or discounted) God.

Certainly this says something to us about our church building, the place where we come to encounter God. The church is a sacred place, not just by its nature, but by its designation. It is holy because it has been set aside for a sacred function. Our parish church building is among the most active I have experience and I look upon it as a “powerhouse” of prayer (to steal the phrase of one of our archdiocesan shrines). Folks are always here praying, between Masses and throughout the day, spending some time in the presence of the Lord. It makes perfect sense as the church is a shelter that provides some peace and consolation.

But I don’t believe that Jesus was just talking about buildings. Buildings are erected and sometimes fall down. The Church, as Christ’s Body, is much larger than that. As the flesh and blood Body of Christ, there lies a challenge as  to how we allow our bodies (and spirits) to encounter God. Our bodies are the dwelling places of the Holy Spirit. How do we convey that, and honor it both personally and in others? Acts of violence certainly ignore (or discounts) that fact. So does promiscuity. So does hurtful speech. So do all those things that compromise a respect for the dignity of human life and the covenant of love. It’s a powerful image to see this angered Jesus when the dwelling of God was compromised. If only we all could see this reality in our own lives and those of others! Alas, might that be why we have confessionals? And that might be why the Church gives us these forty days of repentance, renewal, and reconciliation.

Climb Every Mountain, But Not By Yourself

Mount Tabor, the Mount of the Transfiguration,
with the valley of Armageddon in the background

My first assignment as a priest took me to Hagerstown, Maryland. Not all that far from there, up on the Pennsylvania border is what was once known as Pen Mar Park. Pen Mar used to be a favored destination of Baltimoreans who would take the train west and stay in one of the many hotels. The park, I believe, used to contain some attractions like a merry-go-round. It was a great weekend excursion to escape the heat. While those hotels are long closed, and the remains of the park's attractions were long ago dismantled, there is one natural one that remains and still draws people to it. "High Rock" is true to its name. It is a rock that is very high. When you climb onto high rock you can get a bird's eye view down into the valley. On a clear day you can see distant towns. During farming season you can see freshly plowed fields. You get a clear vision of all that is below, albeit without the closeup detail.

The mountain is an image used throughout scripture. In countless circumstances, the mountain is put forth as a place where one would go to encounter God. It wasn’t a novel idea by any measure. The ancient Greeks held to the belief that the gods resided on Mount Olympus, and made it a practice to erect major temples at high elevations (such as the Parthenon in Athens). Moses ascended Mount Sinai (Horeb) from which he received the commandments of God. Jesus often retired to the Mount of Olives to pray. In today’s scripture readings Abraham encounters the Lord on the mountain, in this case with the expectation that he would be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice of his son (a foreshadowing of the work that God would ultimately do in offering His Son, Jesus Christ). Jesus and this three closest disciples ascend the Mount of the Transfiguration and the disciples catch a glimpse of the fullness of God’s glory.

This Lenten season the Lord calls us to, at least figuratively speaking, meet him on the mountaintop. Personally, my preferences lie with water and sand, but we all know the perspective that is received when standing on a high elevation. Anyone who has ever climbed a mountain, or scaled any measurable height, knows that it gives you a glimpse of the “big picture.” In Rome, you can climb into the dome of St. Peter’s and view a panorama of the entire city. At the Grand Canyon, depending on your location, you can see the vastness while standing along it’s edge. Having lived for a time in western North Carolina where my father was raised, I embraced a love for the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains. Height, be it physical or spiritual, lends itself to a broader perspective.

My Lenten journey affords me that opportunity to gradually make the climb towards a point of a clear perspective of where I am in relationship to where God would have me be at this point in my life. As anyone who has scaled a mountain could tell you (and I’m not the expert by any measure), the journey can be exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. The higher one climbs the more one is subject to wind and chill. There are moments of peril. Yet, in order to get that full perspective—that is, to reach the peak of the mountain, one must continue to climb and brave those elements and resist the temptation to “settle” on the current view.

Mount Tabor, the mountain of the Transfiguration, overlooks the valley of Armageddon. Pilgrims scale the mountain in buses. Jesus and his three companions hiked it! It's important to recognize that Jesus didn't just send his disciples up the mountain, as if to say "You go ahead, I'll meet you there." He made the journey with them! 

Our spiritual life, rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, pushes us to continue to climb - not alone, but accompanied by the Lord of the journey! I can settle for the view that I have, and even become comfortable with it. But I know there is so much more that God wants to show me. That alone can fill me with anticipation as well as a sense of hesitation at the same time. It’s kind of like the feeling associated with going to confession, isn’t it? Sometimes I hesitate to go because of an awkwardness or hesitation, but I know there is something on the other end of the experience that is better (in this case, the sense of reconciliation and forgiveness through the sacrament). I just have to muster up the fortitude to “make the climb.” 

Lent is a journey; indeed life is a journey that calls us to scale many mountains. Many of this mountains are composed of challenges that we face. Some of them we have constructed by our own struggles, sins, and shortcomings. Yet, we are called to climb them, not just sit in the valley waiting. As we climb them, we overcome them! The disciples learned this lesson. They made the climb and then witnessed nothing short of the glory of God!

Yet their fear at the vision gripped them, almost paralyzing them. They turned their eyes. Yet, when they mustered the courage to finally look up, the scriptures tells us, all they could see was Jesus. So Christ becomes our principle companion on this climb and, ironically, the destination as well!  The disciples were finally content. "It's good to be here, Lord. Now, let's mark the spot with some memorials for you, Moses, and Elijah!" Yet he told them what was important wasn't marking the occasion, but returning to the valley to carry the message and memory with them. So it is with us. We climb the mountain placed in our path and having scaled in, then descend to continue our journey for awhile in the valley until the next mountain comes along. And, indeed, it will come soon enough. But isn't there some consolation in knowing that Christ accompanies us we proceed?

So the question we are confronted with this Second Sunday of Lent is simply, “How is our Lenten climb proceeding?” Keep in mind, we need not climb alone. We do it with Jesus and others as we pray together, learn together, and do good for others together.

"Sobering Up" and Confronting Spiritual Jet Lag

As I write this, I’m experiencing the effects of jetlag following a 9 1/2 hour flight back from Rome, a layover in Philadelphia, and an almost two hour delay (in the plane) awaiting take off for the 20 minute flight back to BWI. The pilgrimage was a wonderful experience. It was great being with fellow pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Baltimore as Cardinal O’Brien received his red biretta (four sided hat) and ring, the signs of his new office as a member of the College of Cardinals, the pope’s closest advisors. It was a week of prayer and celebration (and a lot of walking). Some “war stories” were created as many of us were at St. Peter’s Square before 6 AM waiting for the beginning of the 10:30 AM public consistory, the ceremony where the new members are “inducted,” hoping to get a seat. There were 6,000 seats to be had, yet 17,000 tickets had been distributed. I couldn’t help but wish that such enthusiasm would be present in all our churches on Sunday. It is expected that we will be receiving word about who will become the new Archbishop of Baltimore within the next few weeks.

In any case, it was a memorable experience. But now we find ourselves at the beginning of Lent. In some sense, the Lenten season throws us into a sort of “spiritual jetlag.” We wake up “sober” to the reality that there are things in our lives that need improvement. We wake up to the reality that our sin does cause harm, to others as well as to ourselves. We wake up to the fact, too, that we are preparing to celebrate the greatest of all Christian mysteries, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who offers healing, forgiveness, and victory over sin and death! 

Jesus gave us a model of how to engage in this period of prayerful preparation: his own 40 days in the desert. Fr. Austin Murphy, our archdiocesan Director of Vocations, will be preaching our Parish Lenten Mission to help us get off on the right foot. This is a season that calls us closer to Christ in bearing witness to His love for us as we embrace acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. 

Let our prayer increase, particularly giving ourselves over to personal prayer. If possible, make daily mass a part of your life, or spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament. Read scripture. Get a good Catholic book for spiritual reading: a classic writing of a saint, or a saint’s biography, or a book on prayer. Let’s fast from those things that harm us or others, and turn our fasting into opening ourselves up to give more freely in our almsgiving. Remember the Poor Box which supports our St. Vincent de Paul Society’s mission to the needy in our area. Make a casserole for one of our Soup Kitchens. Donate towards our Jamaica Outreach (they will be offering a Lenten meal on March 30). 

Take the opportunity this season to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, particularly if it’s been awhile since you’ve been to confession. We will have several opportunities offered, including “The Light is On For You” with confessions being heard in church on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 PM. Watch the bulletin closely for other Reconciliation Services with our school and religious education students that are open to all. 

Pastor's Pen, 1/1/2012: A New Year With Some Transitions

Welcome to the beginning of a New Year! As we had a full four weeks of Advent, it makes for an “abbreviated” Christmas season with the feasts of the Holy Family and Baptism of the Lord begin transferred to weekdays since both Christmas and Mary, the Holy Mother of God fall on Sunday this year. I’d like to thank everyone who made a Christmas celebrations so beautiful, particularly our music ministers, under the direction of Jo Anne Ibex, Mary Tamplin, and Barbara Lancaster, other liturgical ministers, and those who worked so hard to decorate the church. Fr. Michael Foppiano did a wonderful job of coordinating. Thanks again to the Knights of Columbus for hosting us on Christmas Eve for the 4:15 PM Mass!

As we ring in the New Year we also welcome a few transitions at St. John’s. First, let’s offer our congratulations to our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, Cassandra Anderson who married Matthew Palmer on Friday, Dec. 30 at Church of the Resurrection, her home parish in Ellicott City, MD. The happy couple should be on their honeymoon as your read this! Cassandra’s husband, Matt, is a journalist and writes for The Catholic Review, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  We look forward to welcoming back our “newly minted” Cassandra Palmer when she returns next week.

Speaking of The Catholic Review, I encourage you to watch their website (www.catholicreview.org) over the next several weeks, as well as read the print edition. Towards the end of the month the paper will take on an entirely new look, but also make more use of a digital format. Plans also include a monthly Review in the Pew that will be distributed via parish bulletins as the paper will be printed every other week. I travelled last year with Chris Gunty, Associate Publisher and Editor of the paper, when I took part in the priests’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He’s a great man and I believe has brought a lot to our archdiocesan paper in his short time in Baltimore. If you’ve stopped receiving the paper, or haven’t been reading it as faithfully, I encourage you to give it another try.

This Tuesday, Jan. 3, our parish will welcome Deacon Fred Passauer as Director of Parish Operations. Deacon Fred, and his wife Kathy, are in the process of relocating to Severna Park, having lived in western Maryland at Deep Creek Lake for several years. He has served as Parish Manager of upwards of nine parishes concurrently for the past several years and brings a strong background in business. Deacon Fred will temporarily live at the rectory, and if we don’t drive him back to the west, Kathy will join him as they move into their new home towards the end of the month.

Deacon Fred comes to us as a parish employee, not in a formal ministerial assignment. For the time being, he will not hold any official deacon assignment, but will eventually be assigned by the archdiocese to either St. John’s or another parish in the area.  We look forward to welcoming the Passauers to our community. When you see him, please extend a warm St. John’s welcome!

May this New Year be one filled with blessings for you, your family, and our entire parish community!

Pastor's Pen, 1/8/2012: Watching for "Epiphanies"

As I mentioned in last weekend’s bulletin, this week we welcomed Deacon Fred Passauer to St. John’s as our new Director of Parish Operations. Deacon Fred is settling into his new office in the Parish Center and getting acclimated to our community. For the time being he is bunking at the rectory until later in the month when he will be joined by his wife Kathy and they will move into their new home in Severna Park. As I mentioned before, Deacon Fred brings a great deal of experience both in the world of business and in church management.  He received his master’s degree in church management from Villa Nova University and served as the parish manager for what were once 11 parishes in Mountain Maryland. The one problematic area that I may personally find challenging is that, hailing originally from Eric, Pennsylvania, Deacon Fred is a (gasp!) lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers! It should make for some interesting exchanges.

Of course, on that note, you can imagine my excitement with the Ravens win last weekend in Cincinnati, crowning them the Division Champs of the AFC North! We now look forward to “Festivus” and, hopefully, a trip to the Super Bowl!

As we begin the new year, I’d like to point out two opportunities for growth in faith. First, many are aware of The Catholicism Project that was put together by Fr. Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Details are in today’s bulletin. This 10-part video series (each segment which can stand alone) approaches the faith through the insights of travel, culture, art, history, and Catholic belief. I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities and come together to watch and discuss each presentation. Secondly, next month, on Saturday, Feb. 18, St. John’s will host a “CHERISH” Retreat for Married Couples. Again, details are in today’s bulletin. This is a great opportunity for husbands and wives to take a respite from daily life and give each other a precious gift: a day of shared prayer and fellowship with other couples seeking to live out the Sacrament of Marriage in its fullness. I encourage you to sign up quickly as there is only room for 25 couples!

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. The word epiphany literally means “manifestation.”  We recall when the Savior was made known to the nations, represented by the magi from the East. Even today, we experience little “epiphanies” of God’s presence in our lives. Sometimes, though, we do have to take on the task of “following the star” and travelling the distance to meet the Lord. While it may not always mean literally physically travelling, sometimes the “star” we must follow is that yearning in our heart for peace, contentment, and grace that come from being in, and recognizing, the presence of God. This is the lesson of the magi applied to our life’s journey. We must always be moving in the direction of the Lord Jesus, to come to greet him, to know him, and ultimately enjoy a relationship with him. Let this new year bring with it many epiphanies as we experience the Lord in the people and circumstances that he puts before us.

The Pastor's Pen, 12/25/2011: Christmas Greetings

                                                                                   

First, let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas! would like to extend a special welcome to those who are visiti ng with us for the celebrati on of the Lord’s birth. It is great to have you with us as we join with Christi ans around the world in worshipping the Lord and offering thanks for the birth of our Savior. Likewise, welcome home to those of you who have been away at school, in military service, or now living away from the area. It’s always good to see your faces.

Christmas is probably the busiest ti me of year across the board for all us. At church we are busy preparing    for large crowds with Masses celebrated at multi ple sites. We all have our share of work-related holiday parti es as well as gatherings with family, friends and neighbors. Christmas itself is a ti me when families are often drawn together. Interesti ngly enough, the very origin of the Christmas celebrati on lies with the forma tion of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Obviously, there was little that was lavish about

that celebrati on. Yet, in quiet simplicity, a child was born that would change the course of human history as God became one with humanity. This we refer to as the mystery of the Incarnati on, when God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the last month we’ve been u lizing the new English translati on of the Roman Missal, the book of prayers used at Mass. Most of the prayers recited by the priest-celebrant have changed with a number of the people’s responses being altered. We’re s ll struggling through the transi tion unti l they become familiar as the former version had, over the course of four decades. Personally, I’ve found the implementa on of the new translati on to be challenging on two levels. First, I need to focus more on the words in the book whereas

before many of those prayers were more or less memorized. Secondly, however, it’s caused me to really think (and pray) about the words we are saying.

Most notably, in the Creed, we have the big theological words such as consubstantial or made incarnate. It’s “higher” language, so to speak, but also should move us to recognize the mystery and the majesty within the sacred acti on in which we parti cipate. On Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 PM in the church, I will be facilitati ng an evening en titled “What Just Happened? A Discussion of the Recent Mass Changes.” I hope that you will come to share your impressions, your experience thus far, and your questi ons as well.

On behalf of the staff, and all who make up the St. John’s parish family, I wish you a joy-filled celebra tion of the holiday season!

Christmas at St. John the Evangelist, Severna Park

Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, but we will still have a SPECIAL SCHEDULE for Masses for Christmas:
Christmas Eve (Church): 4 PM, 6 PM (Children's), 8PM (Contemporary), 10 PM (Choir)
Christmas Eve (Columbian Center): 4:15 PM
Christmas Day (Church): 10 AM & 12 Noon

Be forewarned: The Masses at the 4:00 Hour on Christmas Eve are EXTREMELY crowded, although parking is more manageable with the 4:15 PM at the Columbian Center. Arrive early!
Good Advice: Go to a later Mass on Christmas Eve (8 PM or 10 PM). Masses on Christmas Day are very much like a regular Sunday liturgy with plenty of seats and parking.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE: If you are at a crowded Mass, exercise patience and charity, particularly towards those visiting with us. Let our worship be sincere and not filled with distractions.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

The Pastor's Pen, 12/18/2011: Mary Teaches Us To Say "Yes"

Our Lady of Advent

We are now in the “home stretch” of the Advent season. With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year we enjoy a full seven days for the fourth week of Advent! Of course, many pastors will tell you that Christmas falling on a Sunday, while certainly less stressful in terms of planning, does mean that we “lose” a regular Sunday collection. All I’ll say about that is please consider a special end of the year gift to the parish so that this “fluke” of the calendar doesn’t negatively impact our financial position.

And, while the financial contributions are certainly important, the most important things you can bring to church at Christmas is yourself, and as many family members and friends as you can fit in your car.  Not only will that enhance our celebration, but carpooling will help to alleviate the crowded parking conditions, particularly at the early Masses on Christmas Eve.  Of course, it bears noting, that space is much more abundant at the later Masses on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.

Please take note of our Christmas Mass schedule on the cover of today’s bulletin. Expect the early Christmas Eve Masses to be crowded! Remember we have Mass at 4:15 PM on Christmas Eve at the Columbian Center to ease the crowding, and parking, at church. Note that the last Christmas Eve Mass begins at 10 PM with Christmas Day Masses at 10 AM and 12 Noon.

The central figure in this weekend’s gospel is the Virgin Mary. When you really consider the scene it’s amazing how God put so much trust, and depended so heavily, on a calling he had to a young teenager girl. She was given the call to say the first “yes” to the Savior and she did so without hesitation, abandoning any personal concern and placing all in God’s hands. Let us all say a resounding “Yes!” to Christ this Christmas as we welcome him joyfully!

I would like to thank our Boy Scouts from Troop 450 for again erecting our Nativity Scene along Ritchie Highway. A whole tribe of them were out there last Saturday putting it together, providing a visible witness to our faith to all who pass our property. Guys, our parish community is very grateful to you!

As we look forward to larger that usual Christmas crowds next weekend, might I appeal to your generosity in welcoming our visitors? Please keep an eye out for those who are looking for a seat in a crowded church, particularly the elderly and those with babes in arms. Also, let’s be generous with our Christmas greetings and words of welcome if you see someone you don’t know, or perhaps the neighbor who’s not a regular at weekend Mass. We’ll all be here together to celebrate the Savior’s birth. Come, let us all adore him!