Wednesday Morning Connection

Sunday, October 11, 2009

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 7:7-11
Hebrews 4:12-13
Mark 10:17-30

A friend at work today was talking about his older brother who retired a few years ago after working for county government for many years. My friend was reflecting on how his brother was now set in his retirement with a generous pension that allowed him and his wife to travel and live comfortably. In the meantime, my friend, who is concerned about his own position, said, “What am I left with? a 401(k).”

In these uncertain economic times, we’d all like to have a little security, whether it comes from a paycheck or a pension. We’d like to know that everything hasn’t fallen apart, and that we can continue on.

In some ways, the man in the gospel is like that. He’s looking for the assurance that everything will turn out all right. In response, Jesus lays out the law, something the man insists he has been fulfilling all his life. There it is, the parameters in which to live that will lead to salvation. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. There is still more beyond the fulfillment of the law, that is, the insecurity of abandoning all that one has to follow Jesus. The implication is that when one leaves behind all that one has, there is nothing left but to rely on God alone. Following Jesus means leaving behind everything else. The calculation is that nothing will be greater than something, and that possessing nothing will, in the end, assure everything.

This Sunday, Pope Benedict will canonize one of those who gave up everything. At the age of 19, Jozef Damiaan de Veuster, more commonly known today as Fr. Damien of Moloka’i, left the family business in Belgium and entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. After he arrived in Hawaii in 1864 he was ordained and served as a “country” priest. In 1873 he answered the call to labor among the lepers of Moloka’i whom he served for sixteen years, dying among them just 120 years ago, in 1889. The official program for canonization describes Damien as a herald of hope-someone who wanted more not for himself, but for others.

The program states:

“The world knows rejected persons of all kinds: the incurably ill (victims of AIDS or other diseases), abandoned children, disoriented youths, exploited women, neglected elderly people, and oppressed minorities. For all who suffer, Damien remains the voice reminding us that the infinite love of God is full of compassion and consolation, confidence and hope, his a voice that denounces injustice. In Damien we can all recognize the herald of the Good News. Like the Good Samaritan, he went to the aid of those whom sickness had cast aside along the road. This is what makes Damien an example for all men and women who wish to be involved in the struggle for a more just, more humane world, a society more conformed to the heart of God.

“Servant of God, Damien is and remains for all the servant of the human person, the servant of a humanity that needs to live, but even more needs reasons for living.” (See: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/libretti/2009/20091011.pdf)

In the gospel, Jesus invites the man who has followed the law all his life to leave behind what he would like to have. What Jesus offers is not things to live for, but rather, reasons to live.

Paul Michaels

Prayer

Father of mercy,
in Blessed Damien
you have given a shining witness of love
for the poorest and most abandoned.
Grant that, by his intercession,
as faithful witness of the heart of your Son Jesus,
we too may be servants of the most needy and rejected.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Notices

CANONIZATION OF BLESSED DAMIEN DE VEUSTER
On Sunday, October 11, Pope Benedict will canonize Fr. Damien at a Mass in St. Peter’s square. The booklet for the celebration is on the Vatican website at: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/calendar/ns_liturgy_calendar_en.html#OCTOBER%202009. Photos of the celebration will be posted in the same location.

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES RESPONDS TO FOUR EMERGENCIES
Within the past week, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) had responded to four emergencies in the Asia Pacific region. The Philippines and Vietnam have been hit by typhoon Ketsana, while a tsunami struck Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, and an earthquake affected the island of Sumatra. CRS is working with Caritas Internationalis to plan for the long-term reconstruction vital to recovery efforts even while providing immediate emergency relief. For more information, and to learn how you can encourage parishioners to help, visit: http://crs.org/.

LPi PARTNERS WITH PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
Liturgical Publications Inc (LPi) has partnered with the Pontifical Mission Societies (http://www.onefamilyinmission.org/) to distribute clip art and cover art in support of the World Mission Sunday Collection on October 19, 2009. To learn how your parish can receive free access to these materials, click here.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Mark 1:40-45

As is clear from this weekend’s first reading, anyone discovered with leprosy in the biblical era was cast out-they were forced to make their abode outside of the camp, bereft of family, community, and social network. Leprosy was a deadly disease in more ways than one. It didn’t just kill the body; it also killed the spirit.

When someone was discovered to be a leper, they became an instant outcast. Indeed, we have come to use that very word as an analogous description of anyone who is shunted aside in society. Google “modern day lepers” and you get 30 million hits, ranging from the mentally ill, to gays, to the homeless, to those who suffer from HIV, to the severely depressed, to the obese, to addicts, to felons, and on and on. You get the idea. It seems that there is always someone to be cast out.

Church-goers may have some small sense of righteousness, generally feeling that they’re not responsible for some of these attitudes. After all, many of us who worship Sunday after Sunday authentically care for the outcasts of society through the many outreach efforts sponsored by the church.

But what are the situations that we do cast out-those leprous affairs that we just don’t want to talk about because it is too difficult, or too sensitive, or too complicated? A preacher may even ask himself what circumstances he has been avoiding, because it seems too awkward to attempt to shine the light of faith on those very vicissitudes.

While no means an exhaustive list, here are a few that came to mind after perusing the headlines of the last week:
1) Racism. The BBC did an insightful story asking the question, “What do you do when your friend makes a racist comment? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7879169.stm
2) Domestic violence. Without judging anyone, the stories of this weekend’s events between Chris Brown and Rihanna before the Grammy Awards at least raise the specter of this issue. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490368,00.html
3) Harassment/bullying. Many teenagers today are plagued by cyber-bullying and often parents aren’t even aware of it. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/business/media/27adco.html
4) Alcoholism/addiction. When’s the last time you heard a preacher raise the issue of alcoholism or addiction and point out the fact that God wants people to be healed from this disease, and that we (the Christian community) are here to help?
5) Mental illness. Maybe one of the most sensitive issues to bring up, because sometimes compassion is sorely tried in the midst of caring for those who are mentally ill. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_41_tue.shtml

You can add your own items to the list of things we don’t talk about-or preach about.

But this Sunday’s gospel is a story of one man’s intense desire for healing. He wanted to be made clean, and he wasn’t going to let his leprosy hamper him from approaching Jesus. He was courageous enough to speak out.

What is a leprous issue in your community-something that you cast aside, put out of sight-that can be brought to light by the truth of the Gospel? What needs to be talked about for the benefit of the members of your community of faith?

The cleansing may not be as immediate as Mark relates in the Gospel. But for the healing to take place, the wound needs to be seen.

Paul Michaels

Prayer

God, who heals all our ills,
we turn to you when our courage fails,
and seek your aid when we have no other succor.
Sustain us with your love.
Renew us in your grace.
Strengthen us with hope in your eternal care.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Notices

CATHOLIC CHARITIES PROVIDES SUPPORT
Individuals can find help in dealing with personal and family issues through Catholic Charities. Many parishes run regular notices in their church bulletin promoting the services offered. Consider contacting your local diocesan Catholic Charities office for help in how to address sensitive situations with parishioners and for ways to help parish members in getting assistance.

OPERATION RICE BOWL FROM CRS-Online Community
Whether your parish participates in Operation Rice Bowl during Lent or not, you can still invite parish members to sign-up for the ORB online community. Each Monday members will receive an e-mail that offers suggestions for prayer and fasting. The online community reflections will be available in both English and Spanish. Send parish members to http://orb.crs.org/community/ to sign up today!

COLLECTION FOR THE CHURCH IN CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
Many dioceses will take up this collection on Ash Wednesday, February 25th. For more information about this collection and resources to help promote it, visit: http://www.usccb.org/aee/.

REFLECTING ON RECONCILIATION DURING LENT
Liturgical Publications Inc is pleased to offer a resource on reconciliation and the sacrament of penance for adult faith formation. Info about Reconciliation: The Unfolding Mystery of God’s Mercy and Love is available at www.CatholicFaithSharing.com. Learn about the program, view sample pages, and order online, or call 1-800-950-9952, ext. 2469.