Laetare!

Well, seems we got a little Rose Sunday Surprise from Above this morning:

Did someone forget that Lent is the Church's Springtime?

Halftime!

Congratulations!


We made it!
Well, at least we have made it thus far.
We have come to the halfway point in Lent, 2019.
Thursday of the Third Week in Lent marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and Holy Thursday, the ending of Lent.
And, of course, reaching this mid-point also means that Sunday is Laetare Sunday, Laetare coming from the Latin word meaning to rejoice.
In the middle of Lent we can already see the greatest of our days looming on the horizon and so,  even now, with still more of Lent to come, we cry out, "Rejoice!"
That also means that in some places, at least, the somber violet vestments will be set aside and a giddy rose-colored vestment will be the order of the day.
That rose color, by the way, really comes from a very ancient tradition of ours. Dating back to the eleventh century almost every year on Laetare Sunday, the pope would bestow a very ornately crafted golden rose on some individual, institution, church or such. It is a very significant honor. The most recent has been in 2017 when Pope Francis bestowed the Golden Rose to
The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.
Actually, this Golden Rose was given in October of 2017 rather than on Laetare Sunday and it seems that in recent times the tradition of the Golden Rose has often become separated from Laetare Sunday.
But the award still bears the title "Laetare."
There is another, more local Laetare Award. This one has been given since the late 1800's by the University of Notre Dame. Originally, it was meant to be a reflection of the Laetare Rose given in Rome. However, again in more recent times this award has also become separated from Laetare Sunday. It is now a part of the commencement ceremonies in the spring at Notre Dame. (This year's recipient has not yet been announced.)
Last year Notre Dame presented the Laetare Award to Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J., herself a child of immigrants, acknowledging her work among the immigrants at the Mexican/United States border and by this also acknowledging our duty as Christians to compassion.
"Scripture comes to life and our faith becomes flesh, " Sr. Norma Pimentel said, "It is not until you find yourself in front of the face of the immigrant child or mother that you will understand this. It is a moment of realizing that we are all one human family."
Words of wisdom!
So, with Notre Dame giving its Laetare Award at the time of the commencement and with the Vatican  at this point not having announced a recipient for a Laetare Rose this year, we come to Laetare Sunday.
Rejoice!
And if you can look back on the first half of Lent and feel pleased with your journey thus far, or better yet, if you can look back and believe that the Lord is truly pleased with your journey thus far, go out and buy yourself a rose and enjoy it this weekend!
Or at least give yourself a great big smile!
And Rejoice!
It's Laetare!


Added item: THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DETROIT OBSERVES ROSE SUNDAY

It's "That" Time of Year for Us

"No,

 not this week.
The first Scrutiny is next Sunday."
As I walked into the sacristy (Google that if you don't know!) last weekend at the parish where I was helping out, that is what I heard one sacristan telling the other. The whole conversation was as casual as two people talking about the weather or the Michigan State basketball game. OK, maybe the game might generate a bit more emotion, but there these two were, talking about the coming Scrutinies.
I have been thinking about that conversation this week.
I can remember a time when the word Scrutiny was not a part of the average Catholic vocabulary. Say, "Scrutiny," and expect in reply, "What?"
We didn't have Scrutinies. We didn't know Scrutinies. We had lost them somewhere in our history well over a thousand years back.
Scrutinies were gone. The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) was gone. A huge part of our ancient heritage had just disappeared.
But not totally.
We had hints and fragments of ancient writings. We had hints, strong hints that things had not "always been this way."
It was only as we approached the Second Vatican Council that the scholarship and research behind the scenes was producing for us more than just a glimpse of the way things used to be. We were gaining a clear picture of a different time and a far different way of forming Christians.
There began to emerge the foundations for that RCIA and, I would suggest, those foundations are still emerging. I may address that particular comment at another time but for now let's go back to those words overheard in the sacristy.
It told me that the average woman and man in the pews were beginning to be increasingly aware of the RCIA and all of its parts.
And one of those key parts begins to unfold in parishes this weekend - Scrutinies.
We are learning or have learned the word.
Now the times comes to unfold the power of Scrutiny.
For the next three weeks each Sunday the assembled People of God will pray over and for those seeking the Waters of Baptism as we enter Easter.
For the next three Sundays we will have our chance to witness that we stand together as a community and we will profess our commitment to those about to join us - we will support you with our prayers and our example. That is what our praying those Scrutinies proclaims.
And for this time of Scrutiny we will publicly acknowledge that there is a force called "Evil" present strongly and seeking to destroy all that is truly of value. Evil does not want to see anyone washed in that life-giving Water of Baptism.
This thing called Evil sought on a Friday long ago to destroy Goodness Himself.
Evil lost then.
Ultimately, it can never win.
Our ancestors in faith crafted Scrutinies to lead us to those days of Death/Resurrection.
We have discovered that treasure.
We have reclaimed it.
It's "That" time of year for us.
It is time for The Scrutinies.
We are remembering anew who we are.
We are remembering anew the price God was willing to pay out of love for us.
We are confronting the forces that would seek to destroy us.
And we stand hand in hand at the foot of the cross. Hand in hand - a community and not isolated individuals.
We have learned the word.
Scrutinies.
Now let's learn and live the action!

Borrowed go Bragh

OK!
So all of you can "borrow" him but just remember that he does belong to us!
Of course I am speaking of SAINT Patrick.
Catch that word, his recognized title - SAINT.
That means that he belongs to us. We, Catholics, have saints. We recognize people of all eras in history and of every geographical place and at every stage in life as having lived exemplary lives, holy lives. They may not have at all times been holy but holiness became and was the hallmark of their lives. They show us what in means to live in union with True Holiness, namely God.
In our "family," we, Catholics hold these sisters and brothers as models for us to imitate. We also trust that they care about us and truly want to see us becoming holy as well. They know that joy of holiness.
And Patrick is one of them - a SAINT!
And this weekend so many, even those not Catholic and even some who do not even believe in Jesus and maybe even some who do not believe in anything at all but themselves, will be celebrating.
And it will be all about SAINT Patrick.
Our guy!
So, OK, you can borrow him for the weekend but just remember he does belong to us.
And as you borrow SAINT Patrick, it occurs to me that you are getting good at borrowing from us. I even suspect that deep down you may like us.
Last month you were borrowing someone named Valentine, and that is SAINT Valentine, you know.
Yep! Another one of ours.
And you really get into borrowing Christmas from us. You go all out for that one.
And while remembering Christmas, it seems that you also attach someone named SAINT Nicholas to that!
And recently another borrowing has been gaining popularity. Early October we remember SAINT Francis and in his honor we have taken to blessing animals. After all he does remind us that our lives are blessed by the presence of animals.
This was a "Catholic thing" but recently this practice has been gaining in popularity among others of our Christian sisters and brothers.
So borrow away!
But just remember, these are ours.
And by the way, check out our calendar. We have a whole lot more for you to look at. Why, we have saints for everyday of the year! And celebrations too!
We, Catholics, know how to celebrate.
And you know, you could just stop borrowing and link up with us.
We would be happy to welcome you.
And in our Family you would find brothers and sisters to help you to holiness.
And do have a very Happy SAINT Patrick's Day!

Back when ...

As we enter the First Week of Lent,



I can remember back when. In my early days, and that is way back when, in those days before every home had a tv set and McDonalds was still a dream in someone's imagination, back that far, the arrival of Lent meant that many of our evenings and even Sunday afternoons would be claimed.
By Church!
In our parish Wednesday and Friday evenings meant Stations of the Cross and Benediction. (Google these if you do not know what I am talking about!)
Seven o'clock we were in church and that was that. And the church was crowded. Slowly, the mini-procession - cross bearer, two candle bearers, likely still another server or two and the priest - made its way around the church, pausing at each station for song and reflection and prayer. It was our devotional journey of prayerful reflection on the price of God's love for us.
On Sundays there were also the Stations only this time in mid-afternoon, at three as I remember.
As an added "bonus," because we were youngsters and students in a parochial school, we had Stations of the Cross for Children on Friday afternoons before we were dismissed from school for the weekend.
We got a lot of Stations of the Cross growing up.
But we had more!
The Feast of St. Joseph was a big deal especially in our parish where our pastor's first name was Joseph. This provided a special treat in that every year we had March 19th as a free day - no school! However, even that came at a price. On that day we had to show up for Mass. The sisters warned us that we had no assurance that Father was going to give us that free day, so come to Mass and be prepared for a school day. But every year Father came through.
Oh, there was also another slight fee to that "free day."
We had a Novena to St. Joseph with special prayers, public prayers, I might add, every evening at seven and on Sunday at three. On the days we had Stations, the novena prayers were added to the Stations. This meant nine days more in church.
And as if all of this praying was not enough, back then we had a Feast in honor of Our Sorrowful Mother, Mary. It came the Friday before Good Friday and, yes, it came with its own novena!
That was nine days more in church.
And just imagine when Lent came early in the year and we were "blessed" with a convergence of all three! Stations followed by the Novena to St. Joseph followed by the Novena to Our Sorrowful Mother! And then Benediction!
Giving up candy for Lent back when was no problem. We were in church so much that we didn't have time for candy!
Giving up movies for Lent back when was no problem. We were in church so much we had no time to go to a movie!
And looking at this on the serious side, yes, indeed, we were in church a lot praying together as a community. We were gaining a large part of our sense of being The Church from the fact that we took the time to pray together as Church - young and old, haves and have nots, from all sides of the political spectrum. We prayed together and from that emerged a sense of more than neighborhood. We were a community, and perhaps even more, a family.
Praying together bonded us together.
And when we consider today's sense of individualism - well, is it any wonder we seem not able to get along anymore?
We don't even pray together!

Remember, you are . . .

Dust!


Yes, we hear those words once again and it is almost as if we want to hear them, perhaps even need to hear them.
Ash Wednesday is "Go to church" day. It truly seems that this is one occasion, ranking right there with Christmas, when people feel the need to go to church. And it is not just Catholics who
see this as a go to church day. Most mainstream Christian denominations are also doing the ashes.
I got to thinking about how this day and that marking with the ashes seems so critical to so many. It is not and has never been a day of obligation. We don't have to go and we don't have to get marked with those ashes.
But we do it anyhow.
It is like we are somehow wired within to need this.
And may I suggest that we do, indeed, need this.
Life can get so demanding, so complex, so filled with so much. And as we feel ourselves pulled this way and that, we can even start to think of ourselves as somehow indispensable. Why, without us, the world would likely collapse!
But the ashes call us back to reality.
You are dust and to dust you shall return.
It's like the Voice of God calling us back to reality.
Dust!
Frail and fragile, weak and even broken, sinful and failed!
Dust!
Every last one of us.
That panhandler on the corner and that Bishop of Rome - dust!
That immigrant, making that perilous journey, hoping for a chance at something better and that one who actually rules that land the immigrant hopes to enter - dust the both of them.
We need to face reality, to remember who and what we truly are for it is in that remembering that we begin to question where, truly, we acquire our value, our worth.
Who is it that formed us from this dust?
Who is it that has chosen to breathe life into each one of us?
Who is it that had chosen to love what has been called into being even though it is flawed, failed and sinful?
Who indeed?
It is in that "Who" that we can then begin to discover the true source of our worth and the true meaning of our life.
And until we make that discovery and unless we continue to renew our awareness of that discovery, we remain dust, one day returning to dust.