Called to Conversion

The busy Lenten season culminating in the wonderful celebration of the Easter Triduum is behind us.  Hopefully this will leave me time to write more here.  I really just want to post a short note here to welcome my new friends whom I met helping with the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) at my parish both as friends into my life and home to the Church of Jesus Christ.

I apologize for the times I was caught short or seemed unprepared for your questions.  If ever in the future you have questions or concerns about the Faith, feel free to contact me. 

I also want to thank you, for in teaching I learned so much.  You made me delve deeper into the faith with your questions.  This has been a great gift and I don;t know how I can ever repay you for that.

Now the task before you is great.  You must live the Gospel.  To this end, never stop learning, never stop questioning and seeking answers.  You are the heirs of two thousand years of thought pondered by some of the greatest minds the world has known. 

Preach the Gospel.  And, when necessary, use words.

Pray without ceasing.  Remember that our work can be our prayer when we perform our work for the greater glory of God.  Place yourself with Jesus Christ becfore the Father for the sake of your loved ones and the whole world.

Persevere.  My favorite Catholic writer of the last one hundred years, G.K. Chesterton once wrote that "the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, but has been found difficult and left untried."

Finally, know that you and yours are in my prayers daily.  I ask that you do the same for me.

God bless you all, and til next time, all the best.  Joe

Truly, He is Risen!

What an incredible seventy hours the Easter Triduum is! All the mysteries and perplexities, all the hopes and dreams of the Church compressed into a three day period of prayer and contemplation. Numerous reflections have been written on various aspects of the Triduum by better minds than mine, so I won't dwell on any of those right now. I do, however, want to relate to you what, for me, was one of the most moving episodes.

My parish, St Mary's, is an old parish downtown. The population of the parish is about 60% Hispanic, and special Masses are celebrated in both Spanish and English. At the Easter Vigil Mass, the church was filled to capacity and we had failed to reserve enough pews for the RCIA catechumens and candidates and their families, and since I was busy helping prepare for the Mass, I found myself sitting in a side pew by myself. In front of me a sizable Hispanic family filled the pew to overflowing. The oldest son, a boy of maybe 11 or 12, was forced to sit next to me, a stranger. I prepared to be distracted, as one must especially at the three hour Easter Vigil Mass, to be distracted by fidgeting and fussing youngsters. This isn't a complaint, simply an observation. And there was indeed some fidgeting on the part of a toddler, there was a seven year old who made about three restroom trips.

But the boy next to me was the joy of the night. I've never seen such attentiveness and devotion apparent in a youngster, I've seen it very few times in adults. I think my attempts to participate with my weak "liturgical" Spanish were pretty amusing to him and he was kind enough to help me keep up with the readings and hymns. I was amazed, especially during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This kid, this child, was quite clearly in love with the Mass. as we knelt side by side on the bare floor, his eyes never seemed to leave the hands of the priest and he quietly whispered the words of the Eucharistic Prayer along with Father. He was tranfixed by the drama unfolding before him on the altar and through him I too was taken into that mystery. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced.

Near the end of Mass, the strangest thing happened. As the boy paged through our shared missal looking for the closing hymn, I leaned down and barely aware that the words were coming out of my mouth, but not feeling the least bit awkward about it I said, "God is speaking to you. You should think about being a priest." He smiled a broad and beautiful smile and replied, "Thanks, I am."

As the closing strains of Jesus Christ Has Risen Today echoed through the church, the boy turned to me and extended his hand. As we shook hands he said, "Happy Easter. He is risen."

"Truly, He is risen", I replied.

Truly, He is Risen.

Til next time, all the best. Joe