Something big, exciting and important is happening in the Catholic Church this week and the next few weeks…it is somethings that goes beyond the scandals and yet, at the same time, speak towards the basic solution to all scandal in the Church and in the world. The big thing is the Synod on the Youth being held in Rome. This follows the recent “V Encuentro” which our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters participated in where they also talked about how to invite the participation of the young in the life of the Church. I won’t go through the numbers but we all know from our own life experience the number of young Catholics is dwindling rapidly as they flow out of the Church and into other faith traditions or become the “nones” with only remnants of faith from childhood. I have spoken with hundreds of distraught parents, brothers and sisters and friends who seek answers to how we can call back these children of God into an active and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thomas á Kempis wrote in “The Imitation of Christ” “Nature is crafty and attracts many, ensnaring and deceiving them all ever seeking itself. But grace walks in simplicity, turns away from all the appearance of evil, offers no deceits, and does all purely for God in whom she rests as her last end.” (#54)
I reflect on the quote above because even though this spiritual master piece was written in the early 15th century, the call to discipleship and the choice to follow Jesus Christ remain the same today. Thomas á Kempis reminds us to beware of the easy answers that the physical pleasures and pains give to us: the quick satisfactions and solutions, the slippery ways and the compromised goals that focus our hearts downward are often viewed today as how we should live our lives. To call others to Jesus is a time consuming, arduous and painful journey. It doesn’t sound fun but for countless Christians we know that this pathway is the only one to true freedom.
How do we pass on this faith? If I had the answer I would be rich beyond measure…not just in the material way but also in the joy of living close to God. I know we must begin with Jesus because any other starting point is fruitless. I also know that because the bad actions of many Christians, especially our bishops and priests, Jesus isn’t always a great place to begin as too many of our brothers and sisters close their hearts to the message when they “sniff” God in the conversation.
I believe this is where the Christian culture of life must become transparent and lived out in our daily actions. In her book, “Immersed in the Sacred” Kathy Coffey offers us this short piece of advice, “Initiation into Christ is a life long process which can occur on a city street with an unknown sponsor. Words like “commitment” may never enter the conversation, and the sacramental link isn’t explicit. No one cites the passage, ”Where two or three are gathered in my name…” But how can we ever understand the capital S sacraments if we don’t live out these surprising lowercase ones? (p 80-81) The conversations becomes infused with the lived faith that is proclaimed in who we are and seen by others as a desirable way to live life. As Jesus reminds us “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) a truth lived out by countless saints throughout history.
Our challenge in proclaiming God’s mercy, love and compassion aren’t better programs but lives lived committed to the Gospel message. We are to keep our eyes focused on Jesus because if we do then we will truly see our brothers and sisters as treasures to be cared for in love. Being immersed in God’s grace is not a departure from the world but entering into the blessings of creation where nature isn’t crafty and ensnaring but becomes the invitation to a deeper more appreciative relationship in Jesus Christ.
To many of us have bought into the lie where faith becomes something to suppress who we are…but true faith is recognizing who we are and how much more God desires us to be in our life and relationships of love.
Kathy Coffey shares with us this piece of wisdom, “In God’s dream, nothing is ever lost. The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins in ”The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo” encourages us to ”give beauty back to God” who will preserve it better than we can… When God starts dreaming for you, look out. You pour out your youth and affect the lives of children.” (p 125-126)
Let us in prayer allow God to dream in us and may we then truly live the life of love.
Please continue to pray for the sanctification, purification and healing of our Catholic Church.
God bless,
Fr. Mark

 

The Poem… “The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo”

https://www.bartleby.com/122/36.html

“Trying to get rich by lying is chasing a bubble over deadly snares” Proverbs 21:6

This past week on Tuesday at Mass, during the 25th week of Ordinary Time, we were presented with a reading from the Book of Proverbs, (much of the weeks first readings were from Proverbs) in which the above quote was proclaimed. Reading this wonderful poetic line of Sacred Scripture has stuck in my head for the days that have followed…and it is here I wish to begin my weekly reflection.
The image of “chasing a bubble over deadly snares” brings up many funny and dangerous pictures in my head. Growing-up reading and watching the comics of 60’s and 70’s with the slap-stick violence that often occurred my mind would wander to images of Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck or the Cat from Tom and Jerry…chasing the forlorn goal of actually catching the Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny or the mouse and quickly finding themselves in a situation that would cause them great physical harm and interrupt their unending quest to capture their prize. And I can do this with a chuckle.
Then I think of this “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) where the deadly snares literally become deadly as we chase after the lies and riches of the world. It is here the chuckles end and the spiritual work begins where I look into my heart, listen to the voice of my sisters and brothers, and look at where I am standing and ask my question, “Am I chasing a bubble?” or more often, “What bubble am I chasing?” I wish I could say that most of the time I answer with a wonderful…”I’m right on track…my God compass is at true North!” sadly the answer more often than not is…”Let me count the ways.”
The hidden traps of sin and temptation are often unnoticeable if we are focused on chasing the things of the world. It is important that as men and women we understand the gifts of the world and how we are called to share, use and celebrate these blessings from God and at the same time making sure these gifts do not overwhelm our sense of thanksgiving and allow ourselves to be controlled and trapped in “chasing the bubble.”
Our Catholic Christian faith offers us several remedies to discover what is leading us over the deadly snares but they are remedies that take practice and hard spiritual work. One of the greatest and easiest way is to have a spiritual friend. A person who believes and listens with love and care. This isn’t spiritual direction but rather a “spiritual friendship” a person who will call our faults out and not allow us to make excuses for our bad behaviors. Second is frequent sacramental confession. This is once of the blessings of our faith…frequent confession helps us recognize the patterns that begin to develop, to receive the graces of God to resist the temptations of how we are chasing our bubble of sin by recognizing how we are being lured into the traps. Third is a nightly examine of conscience. Each night before bed I spend 15 minutes in examining my conscience and offering night prayer. It is a time where we once again can take stalk of how our day was and follow the patterns of life. This practice combined with daily prayer can and will be fruitful. Last but not least is spiritual reading. Whether it is Sacred Scripture or good spiritual books, God speaks to us and often will whisper the warnings we all need to hear.
The best part of this reflection was of course watching a few of the old cartoons on the internet. God is very good.
Please continue to pray for the sanctification, purification and healing of our Catholic Church.
God bless,
Fr. Mark

In an interview Catherine de Hueck Doherty was asked this question, “And where does that faith come from?” Her reply was this, “That faith comes first from Baptism, secondly from falling in love with God. Thirdly, from my family. Fourthly, from my environment. The Russian environment of older days. Right here. It’s very strong in me. But I can give it to you; it’s all yours for the asking.” (p 72)
Who was Catherine de Heuck Doherty? First and foremost she was a woman of great faith. She was a Russian Baroness, a wife and mother who escaped the communist revolution and became the founder of the Madonna House Apostolate. She has been declared “servant of God” as her cause for canonization goes forward.
Her name came to mind earlier this week when I was looking for a book and found Fr. John T. Catoir’s book “Encounters With Holiness” on the shelf. In this book Fr. Catoir interviews different women and men who are example of our Catholic faith. I had read the book several years ago and what struck me most forcibly during my reading of her story was the determination and dedication to living the Gospel message even after the tragedy of loosing all she had in the Russian communist revolution. But I also think that her story gives great hope of how the search and discovery of holiness and joy can transform our lives and the lives of each person we encounter.
Each of her four marks of faith remind us of the need for relationships with God and each other. Baptism is a gift offered, usually by our parents, and nurtured and shared in the growth of family and the greater community . The growth is what connects the first and last mark together as we are united in love of God. It is the “falling in love with God” through relationships of love that is so vital in our time and place. In founding the Madonna House Apostolate she chose to step outside the norms of her time and place and do something greater in seeking to build a place where holiness could be nurtured and sent out as seedlings on the wind to be planted and grow in communities throughout the world.
And while we may believe we could never do what Catherine Doherty has done…that is not the point. The point is choosing to live a life in love with God, (that’s called holiness) and doing so in creating the environment (that’s the community) where all the sons and daughters of God thrive in the joy of love. This should be the goal of each and every Christian: to call forth holiness in our own lives and in the lives of others. I often share this with engaged and married couples that the true work of husband and wife is to bring forth holiness in seeking the very best in their beloved. This is what God does by inviting us into an intimate and passionate relationship of Divine love.
In this time of scandal when distrust in the leaders of our Catholic Church is real and often justified, we can look at the four marks of Catherine Doherty’s faith with hope and joy. She doesn’t say faith comes from a priest, a bishop or any one person but her faith comes from a lived relationship, yes within the Church, but more importantly in love with those in her life as she recognizes the presence of Jesus Christ in each person she meets. During times of stress we often want to isolate ourselves and not talk about the hurt, the pain and the loneliness caused by the grave sin of abuse in our Church but we see the healing only in our relationship of love with God, His holy Church—which is each of us united around the one altar in sacrificial love.
Perhaps, we could take one more peace of advice from this holy women as she is asked, “(W)hat can be done to alleviate the loneliness that many of us feel? Is it talking it out to someone, or listening to someone?” She responds, “That’s it” listening. Listening with love. You don’t have to be a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a consultant…Listen because you love this person.” (p 72)
Please continue to pray for the sanctification, purification and healing of our Catholic Church.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

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Each soul must seek some Sinai
Where God’s great truth are told;
Must find God’s revelations
Writ on shining plates of gold. (from “Some Sinai” by William L. Stidger)

One of the lessons learned early in life, especially as we grow in love of God and neighbor, is the good and bad often stand so very close together in our human experience. The poem, “Some Sinai” that is quoted above reminds us of this in a very real way.
We all know the story of Mt. Sinai. The story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments and the story of the Israelites turning towards the false gods out of impatience and fear. The story of the goodness of God turned away from and then once again received in repentance and forgiveness of the mercy of God. We must all stand at the foot of our own Mt. Sinai in love of God and neighbor. It is an act of obedient and gracious love where we are transformed into a new creation where the love of God becomes the central focus of our lives.
Here we discover a true transformation because we know in every fiber of our beings the truth and will of God but sadly through our sins we act against this truth. When we think of the scandal within our Church we can begin to understand the Sinai moments of pain and sorrow but also the hope of transformative moments of grace and healing.

Each soul must seek some Sinai;
Some vision-haunted place;
Some silent, sacred, singing shrine
To see His lighted face. (from “Some Sinai”)

As the poem ends, we are reminded of our need to confront the “vision—haunted place” in order to fully see the face of our God. As difficult as the next years will be, we must confront this vision and the reality of sin in our Church, family and life. Just as the Israelites wandered forty years in the desert. This truth can be daunting and we may want to shy away from it and even say, “We don’t want to do this any more” and turn away from the difficult and hard journey before us.
But we must remember our Sinai story and the forty years fo growing in purification, holiness and trust in God as we prepare to enter into the holy land of life blessings. And like the desert journey, there will be more sin uncovered, more false steps but there will be healing and peace, because this is what God promises us.
During the desert journey we are reminded that God’s love and hope was shared in the prefiguration of the cross (Nm 21:4-9) as they were healed of the bites of the serpents.
It may sound monotonous, but it is true: the only answer to all the hurts/sins of life are found in seeking the mercy of God found in the Cross of Jesus Christ. As Christians our Mt. Sinai is discovered on Calvary and the sum of the Commandments are seen on the Cross. We discover and live our Mt. Sinai only in prayer, in sacrifice and in service to God with one another.
Please continue to pray for the sanctification purification and healing of the Catholic Church.
God Bless,
Fr. Mark

September 9, 2018 is International Buy Your Priest a Beer Day. What better way to celebrate the Lord’s Day than with a beer given and shared by those around me and all the priests throughout the world. With all the heaviness and hurt that I have been writing about for the past few weeks and I will be writing more about in the future…let’s talk about God, prayer, the spiritual life and beer for this week.
Several years after university my roommate from Holy Names College began the hobby of brewing beer. This was in the first wave of what is now fairly common. Darby living in the basement of his grandmother’s house in San Fransisco was a wonderful friend. Between bike riding, working, studying and the many other things we were doing we found time to brew some wonderful beers. One thing I learned very early on was: I am not a brewer, I’m a taster. It is way to technical and precise for my skill set. I observed that choosing to brew a beer was part technician and part artist. To brew a great beer you must be too precise whereas as a baker (my skill set) is much more forgiving in the creation of a great bread. So, what about the brewing of beer brings us closer to God, helps us to pray, grows our spiritual life and gives us joy.
Beer brings us closer to God: when we recognize a gift as blessing we then begin to understand how God calls us to be united in love. One of the greatest joys we had in brewing the beer was the community and unity of working together. There was a wonderful gift in the community that was formed. Yes, there was the gift of enjoying the product of Darby’s labor but more importantly their was exploration of the art of brewing seeking new flavors to be pulled out of the barley, hops and other ingredients all the while remaining within the boundaries naturally flowing from the act of brewing. In much the same way our faith asks us to joyfully pull forth from our lives the flavors of God’s love for us as we seek to more fully know and understand the truth of Jesus gift of the Cross and Resurrection.
Beer helps us to pray: This is a pretty simple leap…because with each home brew attempt there is a leap of faith necessary. There is the making and the prayers that all has gone well in the first step. There is the bottling and waiting for the fermentation and settling of the beer. There is hoping for the taste and texture dreamed about in the fashioning of the beer. And finally there is the expecting and rejoicing on the day the bottle is opened and the beer is enjoyed. All of these actions are prayerful in nature as we come to God. We must have faith for even the first steps in our conversation with God to begin as we patiently wait and hope in the blessings of life even through the failures (and there were many) knowing the conversation would continue to be learned and joined in a deeper understanding of expectation and rejoicing in the wonder of God’s divine love when we see Him face to face.
Beer grows our spiritual life: Beer grows the virtue of prudence. One of my favorite podcasts is “The Catholic Man Show” and the first part of the show is always a review a “manly beverage” and talk about the flavor of the drink but they also remind us that drinking involves the virtue of prudence. Simply put we are called to govern and discipline ourselves through the use of our reason. Now granted, prudence was not a virtue that I practiced with great discipline in my youth but like all virtues, they are learned through time and practice. Our spiritual life, as St. Paul reminds us (1 Cor 13:11 and 3:2) is being nurtured into a greater understanding and richer blessing of God.
Beer gives us joy for life: At the end of the day, all the work done, the waiting over, the food cooked and the beer opened the circle is complete as the community gathers to share the fruits of the labor. (sounds a little like Mass) We join in the true blessing of God where conversations of life; the joys and sorrows, the happy and sad moments equally gathered and blessed in our gathering where two or three are gathered.
As I finish I know these little thoughts can be applied to many, many things because God’s goodness is in all things when we join together with one another in love. May God bless you and please continue to pray for the sanctification, purification and healing of our Church.
St. Arnold, patron of brewers… pray for us.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Article by Elizabeth Scalia “Why I Won’t Leave…

https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/digging-my-heels-into-light-why-i-wont-leave-the-church/5894/

 

“The most important and basic pastoral challenge facing the priest in the parish is to bring the faithful to a consistent spiritual life based on the principles of Christian doctrine as lived and taught by the Saints… Today, more than ever, prayer, the sacramental life, meditation, silent adoration, talking heart to heart with the Lord, and daily exercise of the virtues which make us more like him must be rediscovered, since these are far more productive than any discussions, and ultimately the necessary condition for all effective discussion.” (from The Priest, Pastor and Leader of the Parish Community #27)

One the constant and important truths emerging from the scandals in our Catholic Church is the renewed call to holiness. In speaking with my brother priests, the parish staff and many parishioners we agree the rules and structures given to us and used by us at the parish level have produced a safer environment for the young and vulnerable of our community…but the greater call is to holiness where we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and call others to live this same gospel message must be what we are about.
This is the positive and holy good news. If we spend too much time dwelling only on the hurts then we begin to miss the blessings and healing that are occurring in our midst. The call to holiness is a call to joy, to peace and to blessing in the Body of Christ. We all suffer injuries and hurts, some very grave like abuse and others less so like the betrayal of friendship, which cause us pain and bring forth sorrow and anger. In each and every case seeking healing and exposing the hurt to the light of healing in Christ Jesus is the important first step.
We do this when we begin to recognize blessings even in the midst of suffering and pain. When we choose to share the feelings of hurt the feelings of blessing begin to unfold in our lives. This past weekend I was on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend and for the first time in the past few weeks was able to speak about my feelings to someone other than a priest friend. With these couples I was able to share me feelings as they listened with compassion and care. As the junk cleared in my soul, heart and mind we were able to laugh and share the good news of the many gifts that surround us. A lightness filled me with joy. This isn’t a plug (at least not to big of one) for Marriage Encounter but is it a reminder of having good friends who believe and share in the mission and goodness of God’s holy Church living these blessings of love with joy and care in all parts of our lives. These conversations of healing are helping me to grow in my ability to simply sit and listen to the hurt and anger filling the hearts and voices of God’s people.
As the above quote reminds us, and me as a priest, we must enter into these discussion with love and prayer if we wish to find how God is calling us to be agents of mercy, compassion and healing. I was reminded of this again when I sat with our Cathecists in the meeting with our new Director of Faith Formation for Children as they shared their stories of faith. Hearing the goodness and desire to bring others to Jesus Christ and the love of God was inspiring and full of grace. Each of these wonderful Catholics were grounded in the prayer and their one on one conversations with God.
As we move through these challenging times remember to not focus solely on the sins of our Church…they are big, ugly and can be all consuming. Don’t hide or ignore them but tackle them with the weapons of prayer and love. This is what we must do because it is what Jesus asks us to do. See the blessings in one another. Receive Jesus in the Sacraments. Celebrate the joy of life. Help to heal our Church.
Please pray for the sanctification, the purification and the healing of our Catholic Church and the world. And yes, please pray for me.
God bless,
Fr. Mark

Three things—on article and two videos

JoAnna Wahlund article about “Should the Bishops Take a Pay Cut?”

Should the Bishops Take a Pay Cut?

Catholic speaker Ken Yasinski seeking Jesus for our fulfillment…holiness is the only answer

vhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROtMhMNkBAU&list=PLPtJlDO3CxNXO3muRyMlV70-jBsKWXUVm&index=2

Bishop Robert Barron “Why Remain Catholic”

The whirlwind of coming back from vacation into the buzz of parish ministry can be a little bit overwhelming at times…add to this the beginning of the parish school year and the many other items surrounding this can be a little bit stressful. Dump on all the normal things the continued revelations and discussions about the abuse and misconduct by priests and bishops and it almost makes you want to not get out of bed in the morning. The reality of the energy draining nature of the sadness of the sins of bishops and priests. The weight, the hurt and sorrow it places on the hearts of so many and the sobering realization that this may only be the beginning (again) is depressing.

How do we live the “Joy of the Gospel” with the weight of these sins upon our shoulders? I use “our shoulders” on purpose because as members of the Catholic Church we bear the weight of our brothers and sisters in both the good and the bad. This is why throughout the story of God’s revelation there is a constant and unmistakable call to the healing of the community and the gathering of what has been scattered. God’s desire is to unite and heal in love. Satan’s desire is to separate and wound ever deeper in hate. This is why the call to unity and faithfulness at this time is so very important. God heals sin. God heals the hurts of those who have been sinned against. God heals the sinner. Once more, please believe me when I say the perpetrators of these sins/crimes must face the legal and civil ramifications of their actions and must repent and choose to abandon their sins and be joined to God’s healing mercy once more. That is our Christian hope. And, our Christian hope is hard to desire at times like these when we would rather see punishment and wrath reign down from heaven on those who acted in such evil that it is hard to describe.

How do we live the “Joy of the Gospel”? Well, we begin as I wrote last week: with prayer and fasting for the healing of the victims and the purification and sanctification of all bishops and priests (and the entire Church for that matter). Many people have loudly complained at this answer and rightly say: Why should I pray and fast? I didn’t do anything wrong. And they are correct in their claims of innocence…but…here is the Christian part…both victim and perpetrator are our sisters and brothers in Christ…we can’t get away from this truth. If we deny this truth, then we begin to deny Christ. How do we know this? Look at the cross. Jesus chose to die for my sins and the sins of the world so that I and the world may be saved. This isn’t marshmallow every thing is okay Jesus. This is the Jesus who carries a cross knowing the sins and unafraid to call them for what they are, acts of evil destroying the Body of Christ.

Praying…the first step…(yes I will talk briefly about prayer) calls us to reach out and be unified. Even when we are screaming and cursing at God in full throated anger at the situations that press upon us we are reaching out to be unified. It is only when we begin to ignore and make God distant that we cease to pray in reality. God is intimate with us as desires us to bring everything…even our full throated roaring. And believe me I have done it many times and God always waits for me to find his silence and to rest in him as he heals and soothes the brokenness that consumes our world. Please pray…please, please, please pray. Don’t give into the ignoring of love.

Fasting prepares us to accept the cross we carry. It empties and strengthens our will to be able to do the saintly, the holy, the remarkable in the world. It allows us to speak against the evil and stand in the face of the winds of hatred seeking to consume the truth. We fast so we may be ready to hold the broken, comfort the grieving and bless those hurt and robbed of innocence.

Please pray for our Catholic Church. Please pray for those victims of abuse. Please pray for the purification and sanctification of our bishops and priests. Please pray for me.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Attached are three things.

Fr. Mike Schmitz video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdR8eyaDCHg
Fr. Mike talks about the scandal from a priest’s point of view

Catching Foxes Podcast http://www.catchingfoxes.fm/154
Two young adult Catholic’s talk about their feelings and effect of the scandal news

3. Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s letter http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org/bishopsletters/7730-letter-scandal.html

“Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.” (Lk 4:1-2)

People ask me many times this question: Why do always go to prayer? The very simple response is this is where Jesus is and this is what Jesus did…so maybe I should be there and do this too. I write this because of the question and anger that has come in the wake of the continued scandal of sexual abuse of our young people. I too share many of the same questions and anger as I work my way through the troubling and horrific news. It is a great sadness, a heaviness and a sense of helplessness and despair invading my relationship with God and this is why I go back to the simple response above.
When I was a young adult and began to take my faith a little more seriously than I had before I was attending a day of prayer when the spiritual director for this day brought forward this small piece of Sacred Scripture quoted above. She reminded us of the need to follow Jesus in all things and first and foremost in his example of prayer. Engaging the Father in conversation for both the strength and direction in doing God’s will. This was a profound and life changing moment and has been at the practice of my spiritual life from that moment forward. Have I practiced it completely and without flaw…of course not…but when I remember to practice it I am a better person, a better child of God.
In this moment I know the only path forward is to unite my life closer to Jesus. It is the first and only answer. I do understand and believe in the processes, the need to find within civil, criminal and canonical tools but always united with our Lord’s call for justice and not simply retribution. So, I would invite us all during this time of pain and doubt to unite our lives more closely with Jesus…through prayer and Eucharist.
One of my goals is to seek ways to renew once more my priesthood, as we should all look to renew our proper vocation as husband or wife, as son and daughter, as single or religious, we are all called to holiness and to speak courageously the call to holiness in our world and especially within our Church.
St. Pope John Paul II in his call to holiness reminded bishops and priests, “Priestly spirituality requires a climate of proximity to the Lord Jesus Christ, of friendship and personal encounter with him, of “shred” ministerial mission, of love for the service to his Person in the “person of his Body and Spouse, which is the Church. To live the Church and give oneself to her ministerial service implies a profound love for the Lord Jesus Christ.” (#13)
In rereading the quote above the words that strike me deeply are “To live the Church” our faith is not something we put on for a moment and take off the next but is truly the call “to live the Church” in all moments and in all times because the Church is the Body of Christ and we are each in our vocations called to become more and more like Jesus in our lives.
Jesus offers us his life in the Eucharist and St. Pope John Paul II continues, “For the priest, the Eucharist must occupy “the truly central place both in his ministry and in his spiritual life, because all of the Church’s spiritual good derives from theEucharist which per se is the source and summit of all evangelization.” (#13) It is a question, “Is the Eucharist central to my faith?” I hope we can all answer in the affirmative because if we can then the doubts, anger and despair that come with crisis in faith finds the peace only Jesus can offer to us as to salve and medicine to heal our hearts.
I have attached our Bishop Patrick’s statement on this awful crisis below and would ask you to pray for good and holy bishops, priests who place Jesus at the heart of their lives before all else.

God Bless
Fr. Mark

Declaraciones del Obispo Patrick J. McGrath
Diócesis de San José en California

La noticia de esta semana sobre el histórico abuso sexual de menores en seis diócesis de Pennsylvania es realmente horrorosa. La confianza fue lo primero que se traicionó a través de estos ataques a inocentes; sin embargo, el encubrimiento sistemático y la reasignación de esos sacerdotes llevada a cavo por sus obispos y superiores religiosos es simplemente imperdonable.

Como he dicho en varias ocasiones, nosotros – la Iglesia y sus ministros – debemos atenernos a un estándar más alto. Estamos llamados a proteger y mantener a salvo los niños, los jóvenes, y todas las personas vulnerables. No puede haber atajos, nada puede excusar estos actos inmorales y pecaminosos.

La Diócesis de San José permanece comprometida a la protección de los hijos e hijas de Dios y a fomentar ambientes más seguros para alabar, aprender y vivir.

Me hago eco de los obispos de Pennsylvania, quienes han pedido perdón. Aunque bien sabemos que el perdón no absuelve a los perpetradores de las consecuencias de estas graves transgresiones contra los indefensos.

Finalmente, les pido rezar por las víctimas y sus familias. Al mismo tiempo les pido también rezar por la vasta mayoría de los sacerdotes – del presente y del pasado – que han sido fieles a su ministerio. Ellos, también se afligen por la terrible mancha de este pecado que a perjudicado a tantos.

Que Dios los bendiga a todos

Agosto 15, 2018

Statement of Bishop Patrick J. McGrath
Diocese of San Jose

The news this week of the historic sexual abuse of minors in six Pennsylvania dioceses is truly horrific. Trust was first betrayed by these attacks on the innocent; however, the systematic cover-up and reassigning of these priests by their bishops and superiors is just as unforgivable.

As I have stated on many occasions, we – the Church and its ministers – must abide by a higher standard. We are called to protect and keep safe children, the young and all vulnerable persons. There can be no short-cuts, nothing that can excuse immoral and sinful acts.

The Diocese of San Jose remains committed to protecting God’s children and to fostering the safest of environments in which to worship, learn and live.

I echo the bishops in Pennsylvania who have asked for forgiveness. Yet we know that forgiveness does not absolve perpetrators of the consequences of these grave transgressions against the defenseless.

Finally, I ask you to pray for the victims and their families. I would also request that you pray for the vast majority of priests – present and past – who have been faithful in their ministry. They, too, grieve for the terrible stain of this sin that has harmed so many.

May God bless you all.

August 15, 2018

My vacation time is quickly coming to an end and I am anxious too get back to the parish and begin working once more as we prepare for the fall season in the parish with the beginning of our school year, the new faith formation sessions and just the rhythm of going back to the “norm.”
This weekend we are pre-celebrating the 60th birthdays of my brother and his wife (their real birthdays are in September) as both sides of the family gather to recognize this joyous time. It’s odd to think it was just a few years ago when we were passing around a silly “40th birthday” hat from sister to brother and down the line or the beginning of the 50th celebrations where our youngest brother made for our eldest sister the “holy cow, Mauna is 50” t-shirt translated into German with the many trips and celebrations that followed as many of us followed in this decade and so now we have the second of the siblings entering the 60’s. (and I am not far behind) Time marches on….
“Do this in remembrance of me.” As Catholics we hear this short phrase each Mass at the end of the consecration prayer and it becomes engrained into our very soul. It is a remembrance of thanksgiving of the gratitude and graciousness of God’s love for us through our memory and participation in the life God gifted to us and shares with us in joy. This has been one of the things I have been pondering during my vacation. In many conversations with family, friends and in the celebration of the Mass the “remembrance of me” has been stronger and stronger. It is not just the good, joyous and celebratory moments that have been remembered but also the struggles, the hurts and the tragedies which make the fullness of life true and honest. These have been the remembrances of grace and filial love.
In many ways, our life, our life of faith, our life of family circle around the ‘remembrance of me’ as we go about the living of life. As I sat with my mom and her friends at the senior citizen lunch the other day they shared many stories bringing laughter to the table and discussing and arguing about the facts, the relationships and the shared histories of friends and family many of them gone for many years and yet the memories of love continue to animate them in the hearts of those who lived with them in community.
It is how we as Catholics are called to remember in the communion of saints, the ‘in remembrance of me’ is the invitation to hold on to the blessing of life where we believe God works in the joys and sorrows of life. It is an invitation into the generosity of God’s goodness where He surrounds us in his eternal creative love.
We are called to be active listeners of life, joyful participants life and gracious servants of life. While I have been on vacation I have been helping out Fr. Paul at the parishes he serves, celebrating Masses and being available. There has been three funerals during this time. Each of the families I have known since childhood but living outside the area for almost 40 years the ‘in remembrance of me’ was listening to the journey of the family and the person who died from those men and women I knew in their late thirties and forties and the journey of life they had shared until the moment when our creator God called them home. Being able to hear their stories was a reminder of our need as Church and as the family of families to focus on the shared story of Jesus Christ and how we are all called to live in remembrance of Him as we share the living memory of our love of one another.
We often forget in our hectic world and in the frantic pace of life to sit down and listen, to joyfully partake and to serve with graciousness those around us as we share to laughter and tears of life. In prayer let us thank God for His gift of life and live it abundantly.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Vacation is a wonderful time…to think. Vacation is an awful time…to think. I like to take time to think and usually during the busy schedule of ministry the “amount of thinking” I get done isn’t what I would like as the doing of ministry outweighs the thinking about ministry. Please don’t think that I solely think about ministry but I truly spend most of my time thinking about God and how many blessings and joys He places into my life on a daily basis…but there are also those times when my thinking about God and all the wonders also forces me to confront the evil and sin of the world.
I have been thinking, reading and praying about the unfolding scandal of the ugly sin of abuse that is engulfing our Catholic Church with former “Cardinal” Theodore McCarrick and the implications it has on the leadership of our Church. I will share with you below a few articles and links from priests, bishops and lay women and men who will write much more eloquently and with greater knowledge than I would be able to do. For me, it is even difficult to read because when you love someone so much, and I am talking about Jesus and his Holy Catholic Church, it is painful and heartrending to read and contemplate the implications of what this all means. It is especially difficult because in many ways, I and all of us, must answer the question: What can we do?
Because it is not as this is a new problem. Growing up Catholic the reality of saints is in the very air we breath. We learn about St. Paul, St. Peter early on and then we find the great saints and teachers like Leo the Great and Gregory the Great as leaders of the Church. We also hear about the reformers like St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Benedict, St. Theresa of Avila or St. Francis of Assisi who call the Church back to order. We don’t really dwell too much on what they are reforming or teaching against. And it is not as if we don’t see and hear about it even in popular culture. When I first read Alexandre Dumas’s novel “The Three Musketeers” in high school I was confronted with the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu that I could put off as just a convenient plot device or later in college when I picked up Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” and found in the first part on Hell, “The Inferno” how many of the named characters were Popes, Cardinals, Bishops and Priests. The didn’t seem to be real because of the fictional nature of the novel or the removal in time and history. And yet, they were very real. And of course, in Sacred Scripture, both in the Old Testament (see Jeremiah 23:1 and Ezekiel 34:2) and New Testament (see Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27) we are warned about shepherds who use their flocks for personal gain and destroy them because of rapacious appetites. So, should we be surprised…on a practical level, maybe not but on a hope filled level…of course we should be. Our Christian witness calls us to see others in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ.
So we get back to the initial question: What can we do?
The answers are not new nor are the fashionable…because we might take St. Catherine of Sienna as our model today…first she lived a life of penance and prayer. She recognized the sins of her time, even though they were not her sins, and chose through penance and prayer to be an example of holiness to those around her. Second, she spoke forcefully about the need for Jesus Christ at the center of life for the leaders of the Church, including the Pope, and the call to holiness against the scandals and worldliness of the leaders. Lastly she gave herself fully to Jesus Christ. The need for holy women religious is vital for the life of the Church and their example and call to holiness of the priests within the Catholic Church. I know my relationship with the Eucharistic Missionaries of the Most Holy Trinity (MESST) during my 13 years as an ordained priest has challenged me to greater holiness through their example of faithful obedience to the call serve God.
What can we do? Pray and live a holy life. Pray for the holiness of your priests. Pray for and encourage vocations for holy young men and women to follow the call to the priesthood and consecrated religious life.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Catholic Bishops statement http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-136.cfm

Pia de Solenni https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column/with-mccarrick-timing-is-everything-3931

Ralph Martin http://www.renewalministries.net/wordpress/dear-troubled-catholics-a-letter-from-ralph-martin-about-the-current-crisis/

Fr. Dwight Longenecker http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2018/07/the-collusion-and-confusion-of-catholic-bishops.html