Look To Him

I woke up feeling moody and grouchy this morning, both tired and discouraged immediately upon arising before I even began my day. I didn't have the energy to fight off the ugliness and I was quickly caving into gloom.

I lector at daily Mass three days each week and today was one of them. As I approach the ambo I usually whisper a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking Him to speak through me and allow everyone present in church to be moved by the words of scripture as I proclaim them. But today I only muttered a half-hearted prayer to Jesus as I bowed to His presence in the tabernacle asking, "Please, help me get through this."

The readings were so beautiful on this Feast of St. Martha and despite my lack of fervor in prayer, I quickly felt the love of the Lord through the words I was reading. Who couldn't feel His love when reading 1 John 4:7-16, this beautiful passage about the love of God? But although I could sense His love, I was still distracted by my emotions and I lost my place which resulted in me reading verse eight twice: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." My mistake brought about the heat of an embarrassed blush quickly rising in my face.

By the time I came to the psalm, however, my embarrassment proved to be unfounded, for there I was reading my favorite scripture passage from Psalm 34: "Look to Him, that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush with shame."

God's timing is amazing, is it not? Despite my negativity and my half-hearted attempt to proclaim His word, He would not allow me to forget His great love for me and maybe it was His doing after all, that caused me to repeat verse eight today. I think He had a message in that passage that He wanted to drive home to me; He wanted me to know that in my contrariness I was failing to love, failing to look to Him and know Him.

Through His amazing providence and His perfect love, all shame and embarrassment is cast out, all moodiness, fear and hate are gone. I will always look to Him and know that

God is love!

Ascension

She stands outside the tomb of death
crushed by loneliness
and desire; selfishly
clinging to a memory.

He speaks-
"Touch me not.
I have not yet ascended
to my Father."

And in a mixture of
loving anguish and joy
she backs away
and watches Him
as He leaves her side.

How can she begin to fathom
that her patient waiting-
her surrender to His plan-
will result in unimaginable
joy for not only herself
but for all?

Without fully understanding
His words, the saint accepts them
and lets go of her loved One.
She surrenders to His divine will,
bravely sets aside her grief
and embraces a greater love
for the common good.

She lets go...
and He ascends.

Same Mass-Deeper Meaning

The following is an educational piece that I wrote for our parish newsletter about the upcoming changes to the Roman Missal...

Same Mass-Deeper Meaning
The Roman Missal Third Edition

When the new church year begins this coming Advent the Universal Church will notice some significant changes to the words we pray at Mass. The revision of the Roman Missal from which all of the Mass prayers are taken has been a long time in coming as is true of all changes occurring within the church. In fact, the revised Missal was first announced during the jubilee year of 2000 by Pope John Paul II and the work of translation from Latin to modern languages began in 2002. Based upon information from the Roman Missal Formational Materials provided by the Secretariat for the Liturgy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2010, this third edition of the Roman Missal “contains prayers for the celebration of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass.” This new edition of the Roman Missal is not the first time that the Missal has gone through adaptations; in fact, it has been adjusted numerous times through the centuries to meet the particular needs of the Church at differing times in history.

In the very earliest years of Church history, there weren’t any books of prayer to follow, but collections of prayers were gradually brought together and assembled into a singular format called a sacramentary. Yet, even these books of prayer were not complete and differed according to their use; that is, whether they were meant for a monastery or were used at a local church.

According to the 2010 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “the first true liturgical books which would be called “missals” were found in monasteries beginning around the 12th or 13th centuries. A missale contained not only prayers but the biblical readings, the chants, and the rubrics for the celebration of Mass.” Then, in 1570 at the Council of Trent, Pope Pius V called for a uniform Missale Romanum that was required to be used throughout the Latin Church.

The current translation of the Missal was a process which involved several groups including the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) whose work required final approval by the Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican. “The purpose for the new translation was to bring the Universal Mass to more closely align with the traditional Latin translation while restoring biblical and poetic images. The long-term goal of the new translation is to foster a deeper awareness and appreciation of the mysteries being celebrated at the Mass. The axiom lex orandi, lex credendi—“what we pray is what we believe”—suggests that there is a direct relationship between the content of our prayers and the substance of our faith.” (USCCB website)

While most of the words of prayer that will change during the Mass involve the prayers of the celebrating priest, the faithful participants at Mass will notice some obvious changes in their prayers as well, including changes to the liturgical music that is used. For example, in the Introductory Rites when the priest says “The Lord be with you,” the response of the people will change from “And also with you,” to “And with your spirit.”

At the time when the changes in wording will take place, the USCCB will distribute cards to all churches to assist the congregation with the revised responses. It is hoped that these cards will only be needed for a short time as the new translation will become second nature to those who attend Mass each Sunday.

Change can be challenging, it’s true, but it can also be rejuvenating, calling us all to participate more fully in the Mass, to truly take the words we pray to heart, and to use this time to embrace the Catholic faith and the liturgy that we all love. When we fully participate in the Mass by embracing the changes to the Roman Missal, we will be uniting our hearts to the heart of Christ who, as we all know, underwent painfully dramatic change for our benefit. What a beautiful opportunity we have to show our gratitude for God’s love by gracefully accepting these changes to the liturgy and doing our best to make the Mass an act of love each and every time we attend and celebrate the greatest prayer of the Church, the Holy Mass.

To learn more about the Roman Missal Third Edition and to see the specific changes that will occur, please visit the USCCB’s website at: www.usccb.org/romanmissal.

Love Never Fails

(Photo credit: Rick Wood, JS Online)

It was the most beautiful experience of my life and I will never be the same for having been present at the ordination of Fr. Don Hying to the episcopacy, and really, I have never been the same since God blessed my life with the friendship of this holy man four years ago. I just couldn't believe that Fr. Don had actually invited my husband and I, such ordinary nobodies, to his Ordination Mass, a ticketed event to which he was only allowed to invite 120 people of his own choosing. On this extraordinary day, Wednesday, July 20th, 2011, ninety-five degree heat with humidity could not keep eighteen bishops and 900 priests, religious and lay faithful from attending the Ordination Mass for Bishop Donald Joseph Hying. To see my holy friend enter the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Milwaukee as a humble and beloved priest and in that place become transformed into a revered bishop is an honor that I will never forget!

The Ordination Mass was absolutely gorgeous and being there was the most memorable gift I have ever been given. Throughout the two hour Mass, I was overcome by my emotions and was wiping away tears of joy again and again, and looking around at the faces of the others at Mass, I could see that I was not the only one smiling through the tears. But the most beautiful smile of all was the one that was on the face of Bishop Hying as he joyfully accepted his new role in the Church.















(Photo credit: Rick Wood, JS Online)

I will forever cherish the sight and sounds of Bishop Hying lying prostrate before the altar as the entire church chanted the Litany of the Saints. His microphone was turned on and his breathing could be heard over the voices of the choir and congregation. The loud rhythm of what seemed to be his breath moving in and out of his lungs sounded like the thumping of a heartbeat and I couldn't help but think that it must have been the very heartbeat of God that I was hearing united with that of a man who is so very in love with God and His Church. I was keenly aware of God's presence at that moment and knew that He is deeply in love with Bishop Hying and is overjoyed with his appointment to the episcopacy, after all, it was His will that brought this to fruition.

I was deeply moved to see Bishop Hying kneeling before Archbishop Listecki while two deacons stood beside him holding the book of the Gospels over his head, to see Archbishop Listecki pour the Oil of Chrism into his hair and finally to see the Archbishop crown him with his golden mitre. At that moment, I looked over to my husband and saw him just grinning with joy and in fact, everyone in church was grinning at the sight of our beautiful new bishop in his mitre with his crozier and his ring, which had been a gift to him from Archbishop Dolan.

That ring, which I had the great honor to kiss at the reception following Mass, was an image of the crucifix with Mary and St. John standing at the foot of the cross. To think that the simple and wonderful act of kissing Bishop Hying's ring could have the power to shave some time off from the purgation that will be my due after death just astounds me! How I love being Catholic!

At the end of the day as dusk was falling and Paul and I were leaving the celebratory dinner at the seminary, the darkness was punctuated by the flickering of thousands of fireflies dancing in joyous celebration along the seminary's tree lined drive and in the surrounding fields. Even nature rejoices at the glories of God and his love for us, especially on this day when His love was shown in the lifting up of a kind and holy soul to the position of Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

For his episcopal motto, Bishop Hying chose "Love Never Fails" and I know that God's unfailing love is clearly evident in the life of Bishop Hying. I join in with the voices of exultation in the Archdiocese, the voices in human form, heavenly form, and those of the elements of nature, in praising God for this precious gift of the loving friendship, and what is sure to be the inspired leadership, of Bishop Donald Joseph Hying.

More Poetry from Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald, SP

Words of Fr. Fitzgerald, SP that move my soul...

St. Margaret Mary












There were so many thorns
about his brow,
so many red lips
to prove the reality
of His love,
so little fertility
in the soil of
His creature's affections,
so much of Winter everywhere:
need we be surprised that
when the Gardener
found a rose
fragrant with remembrance
He should lift it
to His Heart?

~Paths from Bethlehem

Snowdrops

The lesson of the snowdrops is this: Listen, for I am going to let them speak to you.


Dear little one, you love us, do you not? And why do you love us? Because you see that we are sweet and fair; and we are sweet and white and fair because we have lifted our white heads up and hold them up bravely above the damp clay of Mother Earth's dark breast. Do you want to be loved, too? Do you want God and His Blessed Mother and His angels and saints to look on your soul and smile with pleasure upon it? You do; of course you do. Then you have only to imitate us. Lift your soul off the earth; lift it up, bravely, calmly. Do not let its fragrant petals drag in the soil; do not let selfish hands pluck you. Be not afraid that you will be crushed under foot. A Divine Gardener watches with jealous love over your growth, refreshing you with the gentle dew of His Heart's Blood, while he warms the Golden Mantle of His grace. It is true that we are on earth, but our souls are made to be lifted up, up from the earth to God. If you lift your soul up to God, He will use your life even as he has used ours; only yours in a nobler manner, to bring happiness to other lives and the fragrance of God's Love and the sweetness of God's beauty into the cloistered garden of a Christian home.

~Letters of Father Page

I Have Peace

disquiet overcomes
and irritation prevails
the pangs of pride
control me
taking over my peace

and He calls to me
bids me to come to Him
and I am drawn
to Eucharistic Adoration
falling on my knees before Him

praying for the peace
that comes from humility
I empty my soul
of all that torments
and release it to His love

arriving home
I see a rainbow in the clouds
His colorful covenant
of love for this unworthy
prideful creature

He called to me
He emptied me
He loves me

In the midst of my ugly pride
He gives me a rainbow of love
and I have peace
I have peace

All-Love, loving

I've been reading a wonderful book, A Prophet for the Priesthood: A Spiritual Biography of Fr. Gerald M.C. Fitzgerald by Fr. John Hardon, SJ. It's beyond amazing to read a book by one great and holy priest about another great and holy priest who devoted his life to praying for and helping all priests, but especially for those who struggled in their vocation. In today's world when we hear of one priest after another falling from grace, it's so hopeful to know that this isn't something new and that there is someone who cared enough to build a lasting religious order to combat the temptations and trials that beset the priesthood.

Fr. Fitzgerald was the founder of the Society of the Paraclete for priests and the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, an order of contemplative nuns who devote their lives to supporting and praying for priests. He worked tirelessly to promote Eucharistic Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I found the following quote to be particularly poignant:

"Even if you had the happiest of human homes, even if you had the great sense of security, the love of the finest earthly husband and children, it would only be for a few years...The shadow of the cross lies over every life. It can't be otherwise because only by the cross can we be redeemed. And the cross is terribly hard unless we love the Corpus on it. The Blessed Sacrament is for us the Corpus on the Cross.

It is for us Mother and Father, and brother and sister, and Bridegroom and Bride. It's All. Here is all the tenderness of the Eternal Father. Here is the source of that little mysterious throbbing of your heart which means that you are living.

O Lord Jesus, like a child who only knows that the Blessed Sacrament is Jesus, teach us that which is the supreme wisdom of all the Catholic philosophies. St. Augustine was a lover. That is the secret of sanctity, to be a lover of God. Here in the Blessed Sacrament is everything. Here is All-Love, loving."

And this quote about desiring good will is very moving:

"Beg God to give you a good will. We recognize it in others, do we not? We are lost, we get nowhere unless there is good will. That is all that God has blessed on earth, is it not? He made that careful distinction and had His angels express it at the moment when heaven was radiant in its own generosity, when the night was filled with the music of the angel choirs. And what was it that they are proclaiming? Not peace on earth to everyone but only peace on earth to men of good will."

To learn more about Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald, a priest of very good will, visit the Handmaids of the Precious Blood.