Your $.02

After several people mentioned having difficulty with posting a comment, I made a few settings changes that should make everything much smoother.   So now you can more easily comment, ask a question, taunt or tease me, whether you have a Blogger account or not. You know, the way things work in the real world.

Fishers of Men

Tonight I'll be meeting with a group of parishioners to reconstitute the Vocations Committee at Holy Redeemer Parish.

In the past the committee has organized a "Vocations Cross" that different parish families volunteer to take home with them after Sunday Mass - and to pray each night that week for the specific intention of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

After a few months of pretty sparse activity, I'm going to take over and try to give the group new life.  Tonight we'll be adding about seven people - mainly parents from our school - to the original group of four and we'll do some brainstorming about new initiatives we might undertake.

But we'll start the night by watching a twenty minute video called "Fishers of Men."  This DVD was commissioned by the Vocations Committee for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and produced by Grassroots Film Studios in Brooklyn, New York.  You can see a trailer of the movie at the link.  It's simply wonderful and has gotten lots of rave reviews.  The US Bishops have also put together some very nice reflection questions.

My hope is that after showing this to the committee, we can organize several "vocation nights" where we invite young men from the parish and school to come with their parents for pizza in the rectory.  It would be a chance for them to see a little of our life, to watch the video together, and then to have some conversation about it.  I know some of the CSCs out there have done this with great success already.  Hopefully, the same will be true here at Holy Redeemer.

False Alarm

My morning began at 4:07 a.m. when the fire alarms in the school started sounding.  At first I couldn't figure out what the noise was. Then, when I looked out my bedroom window I could see the strobe lights flashing in the windows of the school.

I woke the pastor and went over to the school, checking from outside the building to see if there were any signs of smoke. Finding none, I met Joe and entered to school to see about shutting down the alarm.  

The Portland Fire Department had arrived by then and accessed the main office of the school with their emergency set of keys. Before long, the alarm was off, and the culprit sensor located. It apparently could have been anything from dust to a spider.

So help me God, if I find that dust bunny, or that spider . . . . 

The Reason for the Hope Within Us - Homily for the Sixth Sunday in Easter (A)

“Proclaim Christ the Lord … and always have your answer ready for people who ask the reason for the hope that is within you” (1 Pet 3:15).

As you all know I had the privilege of attending the Papal Visit in New York last weekend. And throughout the Holy Father’s visit both his words and his actions were precisely aimed at fulfilling this line from the Letter of St. Peter: be ready to give the reason for the hope that is within you.

Of course the reason for our hope is Jesus the Christ – whose life, death and Resurrection have set us free. The power to destroy, the power of sin and death never triumph; they are defeated. “This is the essence of the hope that defines us as Christians. The One who shows us the way beyond death, is the one who shows us how to overcome” loss, destruction, abuse and fear: it is Jesus the author and teacher of life – abundant life.

“This proclamation of life, life in abundance, is the heart of the” Gospel message – the “heart of the new evangelization” that Pope John Paul and now Pope Benedict, seek to spread throughout the Church and the world.

That is why the Holy Father said and did what he did during his six-day visit. In particular, that is why he met with the victims of sexual abuse – and why he visited the World Trade Center site in New York City.

Even more than his wonderful words – and I again encourage you to read his homilies – these two powerful actions embodied the hope that life in Christ gives us. Our Holy Father chose to go into in the very depths of these two personal and national tragedies, in order to administer the soothing balm that is Christ Himself.

These wounds – the murder of thousands of innocents in the name of God; and the violation of innocence of youths at the hands of priests – these terrible wounds clearly stifle the hope that is meant to spring up from our life and faith in Christ.

Less drastically, but perhaps more fundamentally, there are in our own daily lives any number of other activities, preoccupations and ways of thinking which present themselves to us and “seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment” but in fact we find that they “end only in confusion, fear” and cynicism – the very opposite of hope.

And so, “at times we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt” the fulfillment of Christ’s promise and to place limits on the hope that should mark our lives. Even as Christians, we sometimes become unable to give to someone who might ask, any reason for hope.

So, how can we sustain the hope that should mark our lives as Christians? How can we see to it that the new and abundant life that Christ gives us, and that we celebrate in a special way during the Easter season, can continue to thrive and bear fruit in our lives?

Friends, the lives of the saints give us four essential means of sustaining hope in Christ Jesus. They are: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocation. I’d like to speak briefly about each of these things:

The first and most essential means of maintaining hope is that we develop our personal relationship with God – a relationship expressed in prayer. Despite some people’s impressions, prayer is the polar opposite of closing in oneself, and it does not withdraw from or ignore the ups and downs of daily life. “Prayer turns us towards God, and through Him to one another.” Do you daily turn to God and speak to Him about your deepest needs, hopes, and concerns?

Essentially connected to prayer is silent contemplation. In prayer, as in any relationship, we must not only speak, but listen attentively to the other. I think it is fair to say that in our fast-paced multi-media society we have lost something of the ability to listen. “Do you leave space in your life to hear God’s voice? Do not be afraid of silence or stillness: listen to God and especially adore him in the Eucharist.” Perhaps as a parish, we might practice this silent listening prayer before the Eucharist as we gather for Mass each week by coming to Mass a few minutes early, refraining from conversation and socializing – opening our inner ear to listen to the word of hope that God wishes to speak to us.

Another means of sustaining hope is the liturgy – which is the whole of the Church at prayer together. “The very word ‘liturgy’ means the participation of God’s people in ‘the work of Christ.’” So whenever you come to Mass, or go to Confession, or celebrate any of the sacraments, it Jesus who is at work drawing and keeping you close to Himself, the very source of our hope. And since we share in this work, we can say that, “the Church’s liturgy is a ministry of hope for humanity and our faithful participation is an act of hope for the entire world.”
We need therefore to be ever faithful to Sunday Mass – even when we are busy and tired, even when we are away on vacation. We need Mass as a source of hope, and the world needs the “work of Christ” that liturgy allows us to share in.

Both private and public prayer become “hope in action.” “The life of faith and hope is always the life of charity.” The more we pray, the more we realize God’s love for us, the more we are compelled to share that love with the many hopeless sufferers in our world and our community. What concrete forms of charity might you contribute your time and resources to? Might you volunteer with Catholic Charities or St. Vincent de Paul or some other worthy organization? “Works of mercy and justice not only become hope in action for others” they also help increase the hope within us as well.

Finally, when our lives are “nourished by personal prayer, prompted by God in the silence of contemplation, and shaped by the Church’s liturgy” we are able to discover the particular vocation that God has for each one of us. For many, it is “the vocation of marriage and the dignity of family life.” For some, it is the call to priesthood or to the consecrated life. Whatever vocation the Lord calls you to “embrace it with joy.” God’s call in your life is not an onerous burden it is a joy and a source of hope. Our fundamental vocation in Baptism is that we shine the light of this hope upon the world - to “show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within” us.

As you know, our Holy Father came to the United States to celebrate an important anniversary in the life of the Church in America: the two hundredth anniversary of our nation’s first archdiocese in Baltimore, and the establishment of diocese in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.

Some might be tempted to think that the best days of the Church in those great cities and in this country have already past. But if as individuals and as parish communities we strengthen our hope in prayer and liturgy, manifest our hope in works of service, and recommit to our vocations then there is no telling what good the Lord could do through us. That is why Our Holy Father had these most amazing words to say at the end of his Apostolic Visit:

Dear friends, this is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you: As ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,’ follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! As heralds of hope, hasten the coming of God's Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left you an impressive legacy. And in our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even now begin to rise! The Church in America will know a new springtime in the Spirit, and point the way to that other, greater city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

Let us hope, and pray, and work in order to answer this challenge well, and provide for our nation and the world a “reason for the hope” that is within us.

(The quotations within this text and its theme and structure are taken or adapted from the homilies of Pope Benedict XVI during his Mass at Yankee Stadium and his visit with youth at St. Joseph's Seminary.)

Lidia Bastianich Cooks for the Pope

Okay, so in the week or two I've been working on this thing I've posted quite a bit about food, and about the Pope's visit.  So I couldn't resist passing along this article on, you guessed it, the food the Pope ate during his stay in NYC.  The best line: "After the goulash, the pope said to Lidia, 'These are my mother's flavors.' Lidia said she almost cried when she heard this."  Who could blame her.  What a compliment!

Should Have Known Better

On my flight back from Newark I had a long layover in Denver and needed another book - after thoroughly devouring and enjoying Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential."

Having just seen Pope Benedict XVI, I was filled with a certain Papal excitement. Unfortunately, in this excitement I refrained from reason just long enough to purchase Thomas Cahill's biography of Pope John XXIII.

This is of course the "historian" made famous by his best-selling tribute to the Irish: "How the Irish Saved Civilization."  

Here, he uses his significant abilities in polemics and shoddy-history to advance Catholic liberalism.  Even Christopher Ruddy of Commonweal writes that this book is only enjoyable for those

"who like their biography Manichean-style.” In this case, it’s Good Pope John XXIII against Evil Pope John Paul II. 

With the Church I believe John XXIII to be a saint.  And with the faithful of the world, and Pope Benedict XVI I might add, I believe the same to be true of John Paul II.  I tire therefore of the "liberal conventions that only demean John XXIII by making the case for his greatness dependent upon denigrating the greatness of John Paul II" (so says Richard John Neuhaus in First Things).

What's worse, Cahill wields Scripture like a sword, dismissively asserting that every pope before and since John XXIII has failed to read the Gospels well enough - and then conveniently forgetting the Scriptures when it suits him . . . like, say, when celibacy was the topic. The great irony, of course, is that this animus "violates the gentleness so characteristic of Good Pope John, and fails to exhibit the ‘primacy of charity’ that Yves Congar held to be the first condition for all true reform in the Church” (Neuhaus again).

Do yourself a favor.  Just skip this one. 

"The Future of the Church in America Must Even Now Begin To Rise."

Sunday was, of course, the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium. Although I had a ticket to join the OLQP group for the Mass, I accepted an invitation to assist with the distribution of Communion.  So on Sunday morning I drove to St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie (Yonkers) to receive instructions and head to the stadium with the 500 other priests either concelebrating or distributing Communion.

We were all shown a video about how to distribute Communion in our sections, and were then given our section assignments, our credentials to enter the stadium, and our stole (which we were given to keep as a gift from Cardinal Egan).  We then boarded eight buses and were escorted by New York's Finest to the House that Ruth Built.

Once at the stadium, we went through security and had a quick sandwich in the Yankee Club Room.  Then we were divided into section crews and headed up to our part of the stadium. (The sections of the stadium were assigned by the priests' date of birth - so the youngest of us had the steepest sections, and the eldest priests had the easier sections closer to the field.)  We had some time to rehearse the faithful in our section and to meet our "guides."  These were NY Police, Knights of Columbus or West Point Cadets who assisted us with crowd control.  (I had a really nice conversation with one of the cadets and had a couple of really good laughs with the cops in our section.)

The pre-Mass "Concert of Hope" was highlighted by Harry Connick Jr.  But for me, the "soundtrack" of the day came from the youth choir "Libera."  

Of course, when the Holy Father entered the stadium and drove the warning track in the Popemobile, the crowd went insane.  And throughout the day there were plenty of chants of "Benedetto" and "Viva il Papa."  But in testimony to the power of Pope Benedict's teaching, what I will really remember from the day was his homily.

It didn't hurt that yet again the liturgy felt especially directed at me (isn't that how we're all supposed to feel all the time?!):

• The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounted the selection and ordination of Stephen and the other deacons.

• The Mass was intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the elevation of Baltimore to the status of Archdiocese and the erection of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville as diocese . . . so American Catholic history was a prominent theme.

• The Holy Father spoke about Catholic education in terms that were reminiscent of Blessed Basil Moreau's writing . . . "to know God, to love Him and to serve Him."

• Pope Benedict quoted Dante's wonderful line - "His will is our peace." Which also just so happens to be the episcopal motto of the bishop who ordained me, Bishop Daniel Jenky, CSC.

But much more than that, Pope Benedict's homily (again, do yourself the favor of reading it) laid out a challenge to the faithful in America, especially the youth:

And this, dear friends, is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you today. As "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation", follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the coming of God's Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left you an impressive legacy. In our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even now begin to rise!

And, I think, if you look at what else he said and did, in this homily and throughout his visit, he laid out an agenda to make this happen:

• He spoke of true freedom and the requirement it places upon us: "'Authority' … 'obedience'. To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a 'stumbling stone' for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. But true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves."  

• He spoke of the proper relationship between our faith and the public square: "reject a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, "there is no human activity - even in secular affairs - which can be withdrawn from God's dominion"

• He called upon young people to discern their vocation in the Church: "Young men and women of America, I urge you: open your hearts to the Lord's call to follow him in the priesthood and the religious life. Can there be any greater mark of love than this: to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for his friends."

• And finally, he gave us encouragement and hope in this mission: "Dear friends, only God in his providence knows what works his grace has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the Church in the United States. Yet Christ's promise fills us with sure hope. Let us now join our prayers to his, as living stones in that spiritual temple which is his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let us lift our eyes to him, for even now he is preparing for us a place in his Father's house. And empowered by his Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread of his Kingdom." 
  

As I say, I think the fruit of this Papal Visit can grow in the Church in America for years to come if we take up the challenge and the promise of this "new springtime."  Let us pray and work so to be faithful to this commission.

Without Reservations

We interrupt this review of the Papal Visit to bring you a book review:  

A few months back when I was visiting Kevin and Jeanette Haley in Texas, Kevin introduced me to Chef Anthony Bourdain's show on the Travel Channel: "Without Reservations."  

Since then I've become totally addicted to the show.  It combines two things I'm really interested in: travel and food - and it does so with the most delightfully obnoxious (and yet sentimental) NY/NJ attitude. It's perfect.

So, as I prepared for for my recent trip East I picked up a copy of Bourdain's memoir, "Kitchen Confidential," at the famous Powell's Books here in Portland. I devoured the book on my flights to and from Newark - pun intended.

It's a no holds barred look at all that goes on behind the scenes in culinary schools and restaurant kitchens across the country. And from what some "cookie" (that's the term he uses for chef-types) friends at the University of Portland say, he captures the truth better than anything else out there.

If you're at all interested in things culinary you'll thoroughly enjoy this book.  I recommend it; you guessed it; without reservations.  

"That Other, Greater City, The New Jerusalem"

As promised, I'm going to post a bit about my trip home for the Papal Visit.  The only problem I'm having is that as the time goes by I find more and more meaning in what happened, and in what the Holy Father did and said.  Trying to capture it all will be impossible - but I'll try:

On Friday morning I got up at about 4:30 and walked up to OLQP, where I met Fr. Pancrose. With another diocesan priest we drove to Blessed Sacrament Parish (where I was baptized, incidentally) and prepared to board buses into the city.  

The only problem was that we were short a bus!!  Eight of us were left on the sidewalk, and made plans to drive to the Staten Island Ferry.  Four guys did in fact drive off - but thankfully the other bus arrived before the car I was in had departed.  We quickly got onto the bus and were underway.  (Thankfully we met up with the other four men in the city - they had indeed been able to make it!)

After a tense drive through New Jersey (some poor soul had jumped off the Goethals Bridge which delayed us a bit) we made it to Midtown and to the hotel across from the Cathedral where we vested.  Leaving the hotel and going through a security station set up on Madison Ave., we accessed the Cathedral through 52nd Street where the bishops were lined up preparing to process into the Cathedral:

Once inside, I found the pew I was assigned to by my ticket.  It wasn't a bad seat . . . but the pew was full!  Spying one of the Cathedral ushers, looking dapper in their gray tuxedo tails, I asked for some advice.  The usher immediately escorted me to another pew with an open seat - this one with an even better view of the sanctuary.  

I was in a pew in the main nave, twenty or so rows back, and a few seats off the side aisle.  As I was on the west side of the nave, I could not see the cathedra - but I had a perfect view of the altar:

As we awaited the arrival of the Holy Father the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg was publicly thanked by one of the Auxiliary Bishops.  The Mayor then spoke briefly, and was applauded loudly.  He then went to the doors of the Cathedral to join the welcome party.

All of us in the Cathedral knew when the Holy Father had arrived in his Popemobile because the crowds outside were audible through the huge doors, pinned open for the welcome.  The Holy Father walked up the center aisle, into the sanctuary, and then underneath the high altar to the sacristy to vest.  All the while all these vested priests and habited sisters stood on pews, snapped photos, hooted and hollered.  It was surreal.

As the procession began for Mass, Danny Tuite (a fellow Sea Viking and OLQP parishioner studying for the priesthood at Dunwoodie) led everyone down the side aisle right past my seat. It was funny to watch the expressions on the cardinals' faces as they processed past.  My favorite was the newest cardinal, Cardinal DiNardo: he said hello to the priests as he walked by, and was singing lustily.

You've already seen my picture of the Pope as he passed within a few feet of me.  That's the closest I got throughout the weekend. My impressions?  He is shorter than I expected.  And those shoes are REALLY red.  Yes, I have more profound impressions, but those will come later.

I knew that since this Mass was for the priests and religious of the nation, I would be particularly interested in what the Holy Father had to say at this Mass.  I was also moved by the fact that at least two of the hymns were personal favorites of mine: "O God Beyond All Praising" which was the Opening Hymn from our Final Vows, and Franz Biebel's "Ave Maria," which is my favorite setting, and the one used by the Notre Dame Glee Club.

When the Holy Father began preaching, though, I really felt like he was talking directly to me . . . and Joe Reimer was apparently thinking the same thing (thanks, Joe!).  I say that because in is homily the Pope used the architectural image of the Cathedral itself to make his theological points!  This was right up my theological alley . . . and Benedict's I might add.

Two of those points stand out to me:  First, that like a Gothic cathedral the unity of the Church is not based on uniformity but on the creative tension of various interconnected parts.  And second, that like the stained glass windows of a cathedral, which look dark and imposing from the outside, but light and beautiful from within, the Church's glory can only be appreciated from within.  It was a magnificent homily - do yourself the favor of reading it at the link above.

My favorite moment, however, came at the end of the Mass. After Communion was finished, Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State stood and congratulated the Holy Father on the fourth anniversary of his election to the See of Peter.  It was mentioned that, in fact, it was the very hour that the conclave had chosen Josef Ratzinger as the Successor of Peter.

Pope Benedict then gave an impromptu thanks for the thunderous applause he received.  He said:

At this moment I can only thank you for your love of the Church and Our Lord, and for the love which you show to the poor Successor of Saint Peter. I will try to do all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord’s grace, the Successor of Peter.

It is also your prayers and your love which give me the certainty that the Lord will help me in this my ministry. I am therefore deeply grateful for your love and for your prayers. My response now for all that you have given to me during this visit is my blessing, which I impart to you at the conclusion of this beautiful Celebration.

That was when I fought back tears.  What a profoundly humble and beautiful thing to say.  It was completely revelatory of the essence of this man: humility, prayerfulness, obedience to God's will, gentleness and erudition.  

As I said at the beginning of this post, there is simply so much to say about the Papal Visit and the fruit that the Church in America should seek to draw from it.  I'll say more on this in my post about the Yankee Stadium Mass, but my overall impression of all the major events of these past six days was that of a tremendous pep-rally:  The Holy Father confirming us in faith and hope, even in the midst of serious trials, so that, like our ancestors in the faith we can continue to build the Church in this country . . . and so that we can prepare ourselves for that city greater even than New York. 

Jog-A-Thon, then Marathon

Under cold gray skies, the children of Holy Redeemer School ran their Jog-A-Thon today. Some of the teachers joined in, as did Fr. Joe and I.  Here the younger kids are running their laps around the school parking lot . . . 

. . . and then being marked as they completed each lap:

The older kids then ran around the full city block.  By then I had headed inside to warm up before meeting with a family to prepare a funeral, getting to the local Catholic Radio station, KBVM, to be interviewed about my pilgrimage to see the Pope, and finally preparing for a marriage preparation meeting this evening.  All in a day's work!

The Shadow of Peter

"More than ever believers were added to the Lord.  And they carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he came by." (Acts 5:15)

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, voicemails and emails!  It was a truly wonderful weekend for me personally.  And I think that the overwhelming reaction is that the Pope's visit exceeded everyone's expectations.  I hope, and trust, that the "shadow" of Peter's visit to the US will have long and lasting effects.  

I look forward to telling you all about it soon - in person, and here on the blog.  Be sure to stay tuned for posts and pictures.

(Here's the first of my pictures.  At the Mass at St. Patrick's I was just a few feet from the Holy Father as he processed down a side aisle at the beginning of Mass.  I know this is from behind, but I didn't want to be looking at him through a camera when I saw him up close . . . and I think it kind of fits this quote from Scripture quite nicely)

Have Ticket Will Travel

Sorry it's not the best quality picture, but here is my ticket for the Papal Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  I've also received instructions for distributing Communion during the Mass at Yankee Stadium. (The stoles we will use are a gift to us from Cardinal Egan . . . that's awfully nice!)

Obviously security is a MAJOR concern, so there will be plenty of time spent waiting between our arrival and security check, and the arrival of the Holy Father.  No bother - something tells me it will all be well worth it.

I depart Portland tomorrow morning: updates when I return next week.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Easter (A)

This coming Tuesday April 15th at exactly 4 pm EST the control tower at Andrews AFB in Washington DC will announce: “Shepherd One is clear for landing.” And for only the ninth time in history, the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, will set foot on American soil.This upcoming Apostolic Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States is a moment of tremendous historical importance. And it has been planned to mark a very special anniversary: the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Baltimore as the first archdiocese in the United States, and the establishment of new diocese in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.

But it is much more than a historical moment, or even a political moment. The Holy Father’s visit to this country is a uniquely spiritual moment – an opportunity for the faithful of this country to renew their hope in and commitment to the message of Jesus Christ.

I mentioned just a moment ago, that when the Holy Father flies the plane that carries him is always called, in English, “Shepherd One” – because that is precisely what the Holy Father is. He is a shepherd in the model of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd – and as the successor of St. Peter, the Pope continues to answer the command first made by Christ to Peter: “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

Though they are the readings predetermined for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, our readings this weekend connect perfectly and beautifully with our preparation for and anticipation of the Holy Father’s visit.

In our first reading, St. Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit stands in the Temple before all Israel and fearlessly proclaims that Jesus the crucified is indeed the Messiah and Christ. And rather than scold or admonish the people for having put Jesus to death, Peter calls them to repentance and gives them hope, saying: “you will receive the Holy Spirit, for the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off whom the Lord calls.”

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI is the successor of St. Peter and during his visit to the United States he too will stand before all the people and preach the message of hope that comes from God’s promise to us.

The secular media has already, and will continue to view Pope Benedict and his visit with their own categories and through their own chosen lenses. They will refer to Pope Benedict as the “Rotweiller” and the “Panzer,” and they’ll talk about how he is here to admonish priest for the abuse crisis, or Catholic schools for not being Catholic enough, or the faithful for not following the Church’s teaching, or the president for the war, or whatever.

But please do me a favor. Don’t just listen to the headlines and the sound-bites. Take a moment and read what the Holy Father actually says in his speeches and homilies during his visit. Nowadays they are all printed in full on line, and are broadcast on cable TV.

And I promise you, that if you do that, you will see and hear that while these other matters are certainly not unimportant, the Holy Father’s true reason for being among us is to speak the same message of hope that St. Peter proclaims in our first reading. That’s why the theme of the Pope’s visit has been chosen from his recent encyclical on hope, “Spe Salve.” The theme of the Pope’s visit is: “Christ Our Hope.”

Friends, this should not come as any great surprise to us, even if it does seem to surprise our fellow citizens at CNN and the NYTimes. Yes, the shepherds and pastors of the church, the bishops and priests, help the faithful to do what St. Peter says in the first reading: to “save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” And so, yes, the Church offers the faithful the ethical and moral guidelines that are necessary to do good and avoid evil.

But these are not, and have never been, aims in and of themselves. They are a means to an end. The end is Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life. And Jesus Himself says in today’s Gospel: “I came so that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.”

So the true mission of the shepherd, the true mission of the priesthood, the true mission of the papacy is to continue this mission of Jesus Christ – to bring people the life and hope that comes from knowing and following Jesus Christ. And everything else – the moral doctrines, the social justice teaching – all of that flows out of our relationship with Jesus Christ, and returns to Him, giving us not mere “No’s” and negative precepts, but giving us even more hope and more life.

Throughout this week, let us fulfill Pope Benedict’s request to pray for the success of his visit. And once his visit is completed, let’s evaluate its success not by the response of university presidents, or politicians or pundits – let’s evaluate the import of his visit by the increase of faith and hope within our own hearts and minds.

Welcome, Holy Father!

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has arrived for his six day Apostolic Visit to the United States.  When he was greeted at Andrew's Air Force base by the President, the marching band from Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland provided the music for the occasion.  Bishop McNamara is run by the Brothers of Holy Cross.

Here at Holy Redeemer, as at thousands of churches and cathedrals across the country, our church bells tolled for ten minutes in celebration of the Pope's arrival on American soil.  I joined several of our classes as they watched the Pope's landing live on television.  The children here have also joined Catholic school students around the nation in pledging to do hours of community service in honor of the Pope's visit and his 81st birthday tomorrow.  Nationwide, nearly 1 million hours of service are being promised in honor of the Pope!

I have the privilege of concelebrating Mass with the Holy Father at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Saturday, and again at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.  Stay tuned for posts and pictures of my trip!

Simpatica

To celebrate the first anniversary of our ordination, Jim Gallagher and I were joined by Josh and Stacey Noem for dinner at Simpatica Dining Hall this past Friday.  USA Today's Food and Wine Review called Simpatica the "surprise of the year," and Bon Apetit Magazine describes it as "one of the ten hottest restaurants in the country."  For a more detailed explanation of this trendy supper club see this review.

Simpatica has only one seating per night for about 50 people, and only serves dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings.  The fixed-price menu of four or five courses is, in my opinion, fabulously reasonable at $35-$40 a person.

Here was the menu for Friday, April 11, 2008:

Marinated Prawns with Garden Mizuna, Breakfast Radishes, Crostini and Herbs

Cardoon Fritters with Black Olive Aioli

Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops with Avocado Risotto

Lemon Curd Tart with Chocolate Gelato

After our thoroughly edifying table conversation, Josh, Stacey, Jim and I compared notes on the meal.  We all enjoyed the hints of citrus in the prawn marinade, but agreed the crostini were a little too hard.  We all found the cardoon fritters to be a pleasant surprise.  And the scallops were cooked to absolute perfection - personally, I've never had better. 

Only a few of you will appreciate how perfectly Providential it was that the desert for the evening was Lemon Curd Tart . . . an inside joke that had the four of us dying with laughter.  It too was delicious, but the heavy coffee taste of the gelato seemed an odd pairing to us.

As you can see in the pictures above, the setting is simple but fun - perfect for a lively urban dinner-party experience.  And of course the company couldn't be beat - truly simpatico!  So from start to finish the evening was wonderful and I look forward to another reason to celebrate!

Bandon-by-the-Sea

After returning from South Bend, I was here in Portland only for a week before I hit the road again.  This time a driving trip, five hours to the south of Portland, to a little coastal town called Bandon-by-the-Sea.  

Fr. Heiko Junge is the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish there and he is by himself. Holy Redeemer is a rarity in this diocese because we have two priests here - so in order to give some of the diocesan priests a relief we like to help out when we can.

Bandon is famous for its golf courses, including the Bandon Dunes Golf Course which is a championship quality course. But other than that it is a pretty sleepy little coastal town. While the parishioners were very kind, I was blown away how small the congregation was (three Masses a weekend, no more than sixty people at any one Mass).

As beautiful as the northern Oregon coast is, the coast near Bandon is simply spectacular for its rugged beauty.  Of course it rained the entire time I was there, so I really didn't have the chance to enjoy the outdoors - but right before I left on Sunday afternoon the sun came out and I took these pictures.  First, from the front porch of the rectory, overlooking the river and Pacific:

And then this picture of the beaches on the Pacific itself:

Fr. Heiko is being transferred at the end of the year and several parishioners jokingly offered me the job.  As beautiful as it is, I told them I am simply too much of a city boy!

"You are a Priest Forever."

Just after Easter, I traveled back to Notre Dame to celebrate the ordination of two of my brothers in Holy Cross.  On Easter Saturday, Fr. Drew Gawrych, CSC and Fr. Steve Lacroix, CSC were ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

This was the second priestly ordination I attended since my own.  The first was the ordination Mass for the Archdiocese of Portland-in-Oregon in May of last year.  But since this was a Holy Cross ordination, in the Basilica where I was ordained, and I know these two men so well, I will certainly remember this ordination as a milestone.  

  

As at my own ordination, the laying on of hands was a particularly powerful moment. (Above is a wonderful picture of me laying hands on Fr. Steve Lacroix, CSC.  My classmate, Fr. Pete McCormick, CSC is next in line. See the Holy Cross vocations website for even more great pictures.)   This is the ancient sacramental gesture by which all deacons, priests and bishops in the history of the Church have been ordained . . . and whichever end of the gesture you're on, you can physically feel the import of that unbroken succession.   It is a powerful and beautiful thing.

Congratulations to Fr. Drew and Fr. Steve!  Ad multos annos!

Foodies

I had the great good fortune of growing up in a family that took meals and food seriously. Pretty much everyone in the family, men and women, have considerable ability in the kitchen and all our family gatherings seemed to take place around a table.

I guess you could say that I was born a "foodie."  But since coming to Portland that has only become more and more true.  Portland is a great food town (check out the NYTimes article on the Portland food scene) and I have really enjoyed exploring its many culinary and gastronomic offerings.  This is all by way of warning:  More than a few of my blog posts are likely to include some reference to a new restaurant or bar that I recently visited with members of the NPSC (more on that later).  

So, here we go.

On Easter Tuesday, after recuperating from the Easter Triduum, Josh and Stacey Noem and I made good on a Christmas gift we had promised each other: we took a cooking class at Sur La Table in Portland's Pearl District.  The class we picked was called "French Dinner Party" and our teacher was chef Tselani Richmond, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.  She was joined by her French fiancee, so we had two teachers for the price of one!

There were approximately a dozen people in the class and everything was taught "hands-on." I felt like a beginner, but it was funny how several of the older women in the class were surprised by my culinary skills . . . and by the fact I was a priest!

Our menu included a French onion tart (Pissaladiere) that was out of this world.  We also made Potage Germiny (a cream of sorrel soup), Entrecote Bearnaise (a pan-seared rib-eye steak with Bernaise sauce), Aligot Gratin (a mashed potato with tons of cheese) and apple Tarte Tatin. After all the prep work was done, we had the chance to go shopping in the store.  That's when Josh and I found some kitchen gadgets we just had to have . . . 

Once everything was done in the kitchen, and we had spent all our money on gadgets, we all got to enjoy the meal we had prepared.  Josh, Stacey and I all thought that the Pissaladiere was the highlight of the menu, but everything was very good . . . except the Tarte Tatin, which was bitter.  No problem, we just went back to the Noem home for crepes!  

From start to finish it was a great experience that we are definitely planning on repeating.

" . . . Imitate What You Celebrate."

It's hard to believe, but today is the first anniversary of ordination to the priesthood for me and my classmates.  So much to be grateful for - starting with the three best classmates a guy could have. 

In the ordination rite of priests, the bishop exhorts the elect to "know what you do and imitate what you celebrate: model your life on the mystery of the Lord's cross."  A beautiful piece of calligraphy art with that quote hangs on the wall across from my desk - the gift of my rector and friend Fr. John Conley, CSC.  I think of this quote often as I hear Confessions, Baptize, and especially when I celebrate the Eucharist.  More than anything else, it is Jesus in the Eucharist who is the gift and mystery of our lives.

This quote also helps explain the name I chose for this blog: "Gift and Mystery."  It's the same name that Pope John Paul II used for the memoir he wrote on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination.  He writes:

At its deepest level, every vocation to the priesthood is a great mystery; it is a gift which infinitely transcends the individual.  Faced with the greatness of the gift, we sense our own inadequacy.

My hope is that this blog will allow me to share some of the amazing experiences I am able to enjoy all because I have been invited into the great gift and mystery that is the priesthood.  And maybe that will help me, and you too, to be ever more grateful for the gift and mystery that is life itself.

Deo Gratias!

Getting Started

Well, I went ahead and did it.  

After debating whether or not to start a blog for quite some time, I finally decided to bite the bullet and enter the blogosphere. 

Ultimately, I decided that this is the perfect way for me to share photos, quick stories about what I am up to, and homilies with family and friends scattered around the country.  So that's what I plan on using this blog to accomplish.  

Commentary on things political or ecclesiastical will be kept to a minimum.  Although you know well that I never lack an opinion, or the willingness to share it, I don't have the time to run a news service or moderate a discussion board.  Besides, there are plenty of other websites and blogs you can find that at - just check some of the links to the right.

Over the next several days I plan on learning the ins and outs of Blogger and getting a few posts up on things I've been doing recently.  In the meanwhile, Welcome!