"CHRISTMAS VACATION" Where is he?

Unless something of urgency arises between now and Monday morning, this will be the beginning of a hiatus in blog postings. The Pastor, currently a rather tired man, will be away for a week. Where? Well, some are convinced that he will be in the Bahamas. Others think he will be on the ski slopes of Colorado. Some think he will be in Boston. Others have their sites on Key West. If any good pictures develop, you might have a break in the hiatus. It will be a time of rest and a time to recharge the batteries. The next few months are going to be more challenging than most can imagine especially as we come face-to-face with new and exciting issues and challenges. Enjoy the Pastor's absence. Msgr. Duffy will be carrying the responsibilities of the parish while I am away. Be kind to him!

R. I. P.

On Thursday morning, after a lengthy illness, Ada Philbin, long-time parishioners at OLV, died. Ada's mother, Mrs. Sherrier, was one of the founding families of the parish. The Philbin family, Patricia, Philip, Michael and Kevin attended OLV School.

Fr. Dan Leary, pastor of Jesus the Divine Word Parish, and Pastor to Kevin and his wife, Karen, will be the celebrant. Fr. Dan has been very close to the Philbin family in recent weeks following the tragic fire that destroyed Kevin and Karen Philbin's home and killed their wonderful son, Michael, and severely burned Karen. Fr. Foley, the former Pastor, and I will be away at the time of the funeral. The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 10th, beginning at 10:30 AM.

This Liturgy of the Resurrection will serve as the daily mid-day liturgy for Wednesday.

SUNDAY HOMILY: Epiphany, 2007

The celebration of Epiphany is bursting with brilliance. It is littered with light. In the prayers and readings of this feast, there are almost nearly two dozen words that refer to kinds of lighting: resplendent, shines, shining radiance, wonderful light, light shining in the darkness, light from light. And we cannot overlook the shining star, that "star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright." This is the star mentioned in Matthew’s gospel.
In the words of the Creed which we will recite shortly, we say, "Light from Light." This is the Jesus, the child Jesus whom the three magi came to honor. They came to show their respect. Later in his own life, Jesus would accept this identification when he says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life." Here is the therapy, the remedy for the darkness we might go through in the darker days of winter, in the times of depression, in moments when the doldrums take our hearts.
Jesus dares all of us to be light ourselves. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us "You are the light of the world. . . . Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matt 5:14-16)
Did you ever stop to think about the seriousness of that expectation? You are the light of the world! Not just your home, your office, your neighborhood, the group you associate with: not even the light of the city or the state or even the nation – the light of the world. Your light is unlimited ... if you live the life that all of us have been called to live as followers of this same Jesus the wise men came to adore.
We cannot be the light of the world by our own efforts. Not at all. We gather in this church this Sunday and every Sunday as a community of believers. We gather here to strengthen the light of faith that exists within our hearts. This is just one way that we can truly be a light to the world ... sharing our faith with one another, coming together, as a family of believers, to learn how God is calling us in our lives to be what he wants us to be.
But some may ask, just how do we do this? How is this possible, this being a light to the world? In our prayers today in this liturgy, especially in the Prayer after Communion, we will pray for God’s guidance, his guidance with his light. And we cannot forget that it was his light made in the very beginning when darkness was everywhere, his light that broke through the darkness when he said, "Let there be light."

DAILY FREFLECTION: Saturday, January 6, 2007

As we come to the end of the Christmas tomorrow with the feast of the Epiphany, will hear (or read) in Sunday readings the marvels of Jesus "revealing" himself to the magi and to us as well. In today's readings we conclude readings from the 1st Letter of St. John. In these verses we put together three themes evident in Johns literature.

A] The Holy Spirit who testifies to the truth because the Holy Spirit is truth itself.

B] The water which is a symbol to echo John the Baptizer's witness concerning the presence of the Holy Spirit at Jesus' baptism.

C] The blood which is a reminder of the blood that flows from the side of the crucified Jesus Christ.

John writes in essence that these themes serve as a testimony from the Father that Jesus is the Son of God. Those who believe this will have eternal life. John believe that understanding and accepting these themes should evoke genuine faith from the hearer (or reader) In a technical and scientific world , believing is not as easy as John might make it out to be. Some have come to think that scientific proof in the first and foremost proof of anything. For sure our minds might be sharpened but not necessarily our faith.

All of John's theology and its difficulty for some aside, as we conclude another celebration of the Christmas season, what we do come to believe is a simple reality with premises is this: God loved you so much that his son became one like us in everything but sin for one purpose: so that you and I can share in God's eternal life again. Again? Yes, because we were in God's mind for the eternity before we were brought into the world and will return to that same eternity with God after we complete our years in our mortal flesh.

DAILY REFLECTION: John Neumann

No, this is not St. John Neumann. However, it is the closest link I could ever have with the saint we honor today. The man pictured here is the late Msgr. James McGrath. No priest has had the impact in my life as did this genuine priest. For almost thirty years Jim served as the Officialis of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Officialis is the person in charge of the Marriage Tribunal. One of the strange arrangements of responsibilities in our Church is that the Officialis has much to do with the processes that lead to a canonization. There's the connection. For years, at the direct request of his Ordinary, Cardinal John Krol, Msgr. McGrath pursued every imaginable path that would lead to the canonization of John Neumann.

This feast day always reminds me of the many stories Msgr. McGrath shared with me about the investigations, the study of possible miracles and meeting some of the key players in the process.

One interesting fact is that Bishop Neumann changed the spelling of his name when he settled in Pennsylvania. He even had the name redone in the marble wall of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. "Newman" is what he wanted his name to read.

Msgr. McGrath, not tiring from his role in "saint-making," did much before his retirement in gathering information that helped in the canonization of Katherine Drexel.

In addition to this particular kind of work -- researching and examining proposed miracles -- the grand Monsignor was recognized as a genuine creative mind in Canon Law. He was particularly gifted in assisting couples with marriage situations that needed expert direction.

Words from St. John's 1st letter resound the life of Newman: "The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." This is in fact what Newman did. Laboring tirelessly for the Catholics in Philadelphia, he was often on the streets going to visit the sick and to help the poor. He actually died on the front step of a building while on a sick call. His heart gave way.

Newman organized the parochial school system and initiated Eucharistic Adoration and Benedictions in our county. The remains of the "little Bishop," as he was often called because of his no much more than 5 feet in physical height.

This missionary to the USA is surely a marvelous model for us to realize that all of us have a special vocation: to give ourselves as best we can to be a missionary ... most especially in our homes, our families, our communities ... to bring the Word of God to those who truly seek it and those who don't know that they have great need of God's graces.

A footnote: the chalice that I use at the altar is a gift from Msgr. McGrath to me at the time of his retirement. The chalice was given to him by Cardinal Krol at the time of Newman's canonization as a token of appreciation for the many hours of work -- more than 150 trips to Rome to meet with those working on the "cause." The chalice had been given to Cardinal Dougherty, one of Cardinal Krol's predecessors as Archbishop of Philadelphia. Crafted in Germany in 1750, the chalice was given to Cdl Dougherty as a gift of appreciation by a priest of the Archdiocese on a special occasion. Obviously every time I lift that chalice at the Consecration, I recall my dear friend, my brother priest who means so much to me and the Bishop who meant so much to my dear friend.

A BISHOP WORTH HIS MITRE

In an article, Soto Voce, young Rocco, the rising Philadelphia Catholic writer and blogger who gaining daily visits to his site by the hundreds, literally, has introduced me and those of you who chose to visit his blog today to one of the newer episcopal appointments in the United States. At a time when the fellows who wear those funny hats in church are so often berated for weaknesses and failures in their administrative styles, another beacon of hope comes to us ... this time from the "left coast." Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto, diocese of Orange (California) is making waves ... good waves. Check out his picture. Looking at him, I think: is this a big teddy bear you want to hug or is this a man on the march, putting up with no nonsense. God be with you, Bishop. You are on a roll and it might be quite the challenge but clearly you are not afraid! By the way, thanks Rocco for the introduction to this modern day successor of the Apostles!

DAILY REFLECTION: Elizabeth Ann Seton, January 4, 2007

Today we honor one who is truly a mother's model, the example of so many of our mothers.

Elizabeth Seton: convert from her New York Episcopalian roots; wife of William, a serious businessman who had taken over his father's business at the time of his death, (as well as Will's seven siblings); mother of five children (one son buried with other siblings at the Catholic cemetery in nearby Emitsburg graduated from the Naval Academy); widowed at an early age when Will died in Italy of tuberculosis; convert because of Italian Catholic friends who initiated her own RCIA program; religious woman who established a community of woman, the first native American religious community for women; started first Catholic free parish school, the first Catholic orphanage and on and on ... just like so many mothers we have all experienced.

In the "White House" on the grounds of the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity, also located in nearby Emitsburg (and formerly Mt. St. Joseph's College for Women -- which eventually merged with all male college just down the road, Mt. St. Mary's College, she lived and taught many children from the neighboring areas. A worthwhile ride and place to show our young people about an American saint whose remains are buried beneath an altar in the Basilica in Emitsburg.

John's first letter has these words: "No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God's seed remains in him ...." Truly the Word of God was planted in the heart of Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton. You have just read much of what see started. Truly the seed of God's word was planted in her heart and from there it sprouted out in so many different directions.

Having just finished my first year at OLV parish ... with a grammar school, a first for me ... I can see why this noble lady turned from the high society life that was a part of her early life to work with children, especially those who has special needs. "Mother Seton," as she was called once she founded the Sisters of Charity, modeled on the religious community of St. Vincent dePaul and the Daughters of Charity, is truly the genuine mother in so many ways.

For you readers who are mothers, if you ever feel "down and out" this mother can easily lift your spirits.

Dr. Wayne Dyer's calendar has the following sentence for January 4th: Remain humble and grateful for all your accomplishments, and know that a force greater than your ego is always as work in your life. As I looked at the calendar this morning, I said these words so speak to me of Mother Seton: she was always humble, always grateful for what she was able to accomplish and she knew well that God was the force in her life which she experienced through her daily reading of a part of the bible.

A lengthy reflection? Yes .... because the first time I was summoned by my diocesan superior to assume the duties of a pastor, Mother Seton Parish in nearby Germantown was the location where I was missioned by then Archbishop Hickey. What a blessing!

Mother Seton, pray for all of us ... especially those involved in education.

Worthwhile Thoughts for today!

Michaelangelo paints this thought for us:

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.

And another interesting thought (not from the artist):

Studies on longevity show that those who live longer have a strong spiritual belief and a sense of belonging to a community.

DAILY REFLECTION: Holy Name of Jesus, January 3, 2007

From Apostolic times, the name of Jesus was both the source and cause of great devotion. The emblem associated with the name of Jesus appears above. The Catholic Encyclopedia article, Holy Name, gives a brief but packed history. There you will learn -- if the Sisters or priests did not teach you -- that centuries ago Jesus was written as IHESUS and shortened as IHS. St. Bernard of Siena labored to spread an awareness of and devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. Also the name of Jesus was added to the original Hail Mary prayer to intensify the awareness of this sacred name. Almost at the turn of the 16th century (1597) Pope Sixtus V did all he could possibly do to encourage the pious invocation, "Praised be Jesus Christ."

The scripture readings for today's liturgy, Readings , however, do not address the feast. The First Letter of St. John continues the Christmas season theme. In particular the offered verses speak of the impact of God's love poured upon us with the gift of the Incarnation. John wants his readers to realize that being made by God, we are children of God not children of this world. John continues his "teaching" that it is sinfulness that will prevent us from seeing or knowning Jesus who was given to us to take away our sins.

DAILY REFLECTION: Sts Basil and Gregory January 2, 2007

Two leading theologians of the fourth century. Both born in 330. Basil was strong in the defense of the Catholic faith against the Arians and their denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Arianism

Noted for his devotion to the poor. Gregory also born in 330. Eventually became the patriarch of Constantinople. These two men encountered opposition, problems and suffering throughout their lives because they believed. Both attested to the strong attachment to prayer as the source of their strength. Let our prayer in the 21st century be the source of our strength when we encounter the poor and those who are separated from our Church.