Wednesday |
April 5th, 2009
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We have been through a lot this past year. Politically we have changed administrations. Economically many have lost jobs, income, even homes. Personally not a few are hurting, broken, sick. These questions loom large over us: Where is our hope? In what can we believe? Does God really love us?
In the Gospel of Mark the angel tells the women who came to Jesus' tomb, "You are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified." Notice the angel did not ask the women what they were doing. He knew. They were seeking Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified. The women did not know that he had been raised. But they should have. Jesus had told them. Jesus had assured them that after three days he would rise from the dead, he would rebuild the Temple, he would have defeated death forever. "You need not be amazed," the angel said, almost as if chastising them. "Why didn't you believe? You should have. You should have believed his word. You should have come looking for Jesus of Nazareth who has been raised." For his part, the angel had never doubted. He had always believed God's word. It was hard for him to understand why anyone would not trust Jesus, believe his word.
On one hand, I understand well the women's stupor. I too am weak in my faith, slow to comprehend Jesus' promise, hesitant to give myself over to his word. But I understand too why the angel knew exactly what the women were looking for. It is the same thing everyone reading this letter is looking for. It is the exact same thing everyone who came to church today is looking for. It is the same thing even for which everyone who didn't come to church today is looking, although they might not know it or, worse, admit it. You are seeking Jesus of Nazareth. You are desperate for someone in which to hope. I know that you want to believe. But you may be seeking the wrong Jesus, the Jesus crucified, not the Jesus who has been raised. To seek the crucified Jesus is to believe that we ourselves can raise him from the dead, we can remake him in our image and likeness, make Jesus to rise from the dead and live for us as we would command him. "Oh, Jesus, see how good we are in letting you live in our hearts and our world. Now, do whatever we want you to do." But it doesn't work that way. Another has already raised him. The Father has raised him. Jesus is alive. He is alive for Him, and we are to seek him.
In the end, there is nothing else, nada, zippo, nilch, niente but Jesus risen from the dead. Death has its grip on everything else - the economy, politics, entertainment, culture - everything except the Church. Make no mistake about it, death wants you to seek Jesus the crucified. But he is not there, he has been raised.
The angel wants you to seek Jesus who has been raised. So do I!
Christ is risen. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Happy Easter!!!
~ Father Ed
April 5th, 2009
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
American punditry is always inventing ways to sell itself. Several presidencies ago the pundits came up with the 100 days test. A new president has 100 days to settle in, prove himself, and show us where he wants to lead us.
The first fifty days of President Obama's presidency have been enough to show us where he is going. With a pen's stroke he revoked the Mexico City policy and restored federal funding to NGO's that promote abortion and provide abortion education. He restored federal funding for artificial stem cell research, thus authorizing the destruction of countless human embryos for scientific purposes. Last Friday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech at a gathering to honor Margaret Sanger, the woman who founded Planned Parenthood. Sanger, whose vision Clinton 'admires,' was openly sympathetic with Nazi Germany's eugenic practices and was a racist strongly committed to preventing blacks, Hispanics, and the poor from reproducing. In Clinton's speech, which was barely covered by the secular media, she announced that promoting 'reproductive rights' - including abortion - will be at the top of the government's international agenda.
Jesus, who "came that they might have life and have it to the full" (Jn. 10:10), didn't need 100 days to settle in, prove himself, and show us where he was leading us. Not even 50. It took him only three.
May your Holy Week be filled with life!
~ Father Ed
March 22nd, 2009
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I want to share my sabbatical with parishioners. To that end I invite you to join me for an informal sharing of what I experienced and learned while in Israel and the West Bank. I will offer two sessions, namely, Thursday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, April 17 at 11:30 a.m. I will make a presentation of 20-30 minutes, then we can have Q/A and discussion for 60-70 minutes. Both sessions will cover the same material. They will take place in the Chapel of the Word. Bring some sweets to share!
Secondly, I invite you to greet Father Frank and to thank him personally next Sunday, March 29, at a simple reception following the 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. Masses in the Chapel of the Word. Father Frank will be with us through Easter. But it seemed appropriate to extend a formal good-bye to him before Holy Week. Father Frank has been a great addition to our parish. I know that you join me in thanking him for his gentle spirit, his interesting sense of humor (One parishioner told me that "Father Frank can laugh at nothing."), and above all his love for Jesus Christ, the Church, and Our Lady of Loreto Parish.
Finally, I have some very good news to report. As you may know, in 2001 OLOL issued 30-year bonds to finance the purchase of our parish property and construct our church and rectory. Since then we have repaid those bonds at the rate of approximately $820,000 per annum. Last week we refinanced this debt by taking out a bank mortgage. Our new rate of interest is 4.75%, as a consequence of which we will save approximately $135,000 per annum over the 22-year life of the mortgage. This represents approximately $1,800,000 in savings in present dollar values. On page four of the bulletin you will see that our indebtedness has actually increased to $9,340,000. This reflects the inclusion of our closing costs. Before the end of the year you will see our principal balance outstanding fall below $9,205,000, the balance before this refinancing transaction. I want to thank Jim Harrington and the finance council, Sandy Myers, our business administrator, and the Archdiocese of Denver, especially Dave Holden, its CFO, for making this happen for us here at OLOL.
I want to use this opportunity to thank you for your continued generous financial support of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, and to ask that in this economy you not reprioritize the parish, the Church, or the Gospel out of your financial giving. In fact, increase it seriously. Christ and the Church should be the first whom we trust and serve. There is nothing or no one else other than Jesus! Stewardship of time, talent, and treasure should not be added-on's when times are good and all other debts are taken care of. To the contrary, stewardship must be how we say to Christ, the world, and to ourselves that we seek first the kingdom of God because we believe that Christ will give us everything else in return. I am not preaching the gospel of prosperity but faith. Spending more time in prayer, talent in service, and financial tithing are not options for the good times but requirements in the bad. I personally have increased my time in prayer, my commitment to service, and the percentage of my financial giving to OLOL. I can't believe how God continues to pour forth his blessings on me and on you, whom he loves so very much. My brothers and sisters, there is nothing else but Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
~ Father Ed
March 15th, 2009
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Last Sunday I accompanied 63 persons, their families, godparents/sponsors, and catechists to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. There, Archbishop Chaput greeted them, together with thousands of others from throughout the Archdiocese of Denver, welcomed them into the Catholic Church, and blessed them. (Four ceremonies are needed to accommodate everyone.) It is an extraordinary sight. The cathedral is jam packed. The Holy Spirit is felt to be alive and active. Nothing but joy fills the atmosphere.
These 63 persons are an extraordinary witness to us. When many people have written off the Catholic Church, the conversion of these catechumens and candidates testifies to what Jesus himself proclaimed, "The jaws of death shall not clang shut against the Church" (Mt. 16:18). (The Church isn't going anywhere!) They seek to join the Church and be members of our community because they have found here truth, life, faith, holiness, and the credibility of love. I personally can affirm, from speaking with them, hearing confessions, and praying with them, that they are on fire with the Gospel. I am proud of them all.
I will baptize the following catechumens at the Easter Vigil April 11 and I will confirm the following candidates (and some others already Catholic) at the 5:00 p.m. Mass on April 18th. Please join me in congratulating them and assuring them of our prayers.
~ Father Ed
March 8th, 2009
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In October I joined in the celebration of Yom Kippur, or, the Day of Atonement. For Jews it is the holiest day in the year. Practically every Jew in Israel, whether religious or secular, celebrates it. On Yom Kippur Jews beg God for the forgiveness of their sins and for his mercy. They fast completely from food and water from sunset to sunset and spend the entire day in prayer atoning for their sins. No work whatsoever is done, including cooking. (Only the most necessary of all public services are even carried out, and those who perform them receive special religious permission to do so). One may not drive; one may walk no more than 1000 feet from home except to go to the synagogue. It was quite a sight to see an entire country without traffic. One may not use any technology whatsoever. One is completely devoted to God and to family. At sunset family and friends begin to come together. Feasting and celebrations begin. Everyone joins in preparing the food. The belief that God is merciful shines on everyone. The joy of life and of living for another year bursts out everywhere.
Our Lenten season is meant to instill the same religious sense in us who are Christian, with two major differences. First, we atone for our sins in and with Christ Jesus. Although he was sinless, he was tempted in every way that we are without sinning and counted himself among sinners. Second, Easter is the celebration not simply that God has forgiven our sins but that he raised Jesus from the dead who, in turn, promised to raise us with him. If we take Lent seriously, it should be a difficult season. If we really believe that God loves us, Easter should be filled with incredible hope and joy (especially if the economy has tanked). But some don't take Lent too seriously. For many Easter is a nice holiday, but not as nice as Christmas or the Fourth of July. Why not? To admit that we are sinners is really hard, isn't it? It is for me? Our attitude is: we don't want to give our life over to Christ. We want him to leave us alone and yet save us whenever we need him to. We claim to know what is best for ourselves, not he.
To admit that we are sinners means to admit not simply that we have violated God's commands but that we have allowed the evil one to seduce us. That means admitting not only that God isn't in charge of our lives, we aren't either; the devil is. No one wants to admit that. So we just deny that the devil exists, that what we did or didn't do was a sin. (After all, the law permits it and everyone is doing it so it must be okay!) Besides, if we live virtuous Catholic Christian lives we won't really have any fun. And isn't that what life is supposed to be about? Me and fun?
Lent gives us a chance to ask who or what is running our lives. Is it the economy, is it society and culture and fashion, is it work, is it technology, is it another person, is it fear and anxiety? If we do not accept that sin exists and that we are sinners we cannot know love and that God loves us. If we do not go out into the desert with Jesus we cannot know the glory of eternal paradise. The ad says, "What's in your wallet?" Lent is the chance to ask, "Who's in charge here?" Come Easter, let's plan on the answer being: the Holy Spirit.
~ Father Ed