Sharing Faith

  • God seeking the sinner

    By Msgr. Bruce Piechocki and Elizabeth Fagerberg

    Opening/Closing Song:
    Father, We Thank Thee, Who Hast Planted (Gather Comprehensive No. 568); Hosea (No. 386)
    Opening Prayer:
    Prayer for Priests
    Gracious and loving God, we thank You for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience Your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for Your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

    Inspire them with the vision of Your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of Your divine grace.

    We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.
    (From the Web site: www.catholicdaughters.org)

    Excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to Priests
    The saintly Cure of Ars reflected something of the same idea when he said: “It is not the sinner who returns to God to beg his forgiveness, but God himself who runs after the sinner and makes him return to Him. This good Saviour is so filled with love that he seeks us everywhere.”

    Commentary from Msgr. Bruce Piechocki, Pastor, Our Lady of Good Hope, Fort Wayne
    I live out the words of Pope Benedict both as a minister of Reconciliation and as one who sins. As a minister of Reconciliation, I am humbled by the way in which God uses my clumsy words and efforts to draw people to seek forgiveness. Whether it be in conversation or preaching, it seems so often that words I regard as insignificant are the very words people claim led them to seek God’s forgiveness and healing. During celebrations of the sacrament of Penance, there have been many times I have heard myself sharing words that I would never have thought to say in a million years. I know that it is God at work, not me!

    As a fellow sinner, it is often the words or examples of persons much closer to God than I who open my heart to my own need for forgiveness. The Lord Jesus is not content to let me go my own way. He uses others to get my attention, sometimes even using their faith and lives to give me a spiritual kick in the backside when I am too blind or stubborn to realize that my own need for forgiveness and my complete dependence on God.

    Reconciliation as
    personal encounter
    When we celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation, it is not only our sins that we need to remember but the love of Christ as well. To simply remember our sins and feel bad about our human failures is really only the beginning. We are to grow in awareness that our Father is calling us to a relationship of love with Him. He has so much more in mind for us!

    Pope John Paul II highlighted the sacrament of Reconciliation as a personal encounter of conversion and healing. He insisted on “a rediscovery of Christ as mysterium pietatis, the one in whom God shows us his compassionate heart and reconciles us fully with himself. It is this face of Christ that must be rediscovered through the Sacrament of Penance.” — Nova Millenium Ineunte, n. 37.

    Christ shows us His face so that we can live like Him, and the only way we can live like Him is if He is in us. Becoming holy is a participation in God’s own life, and it begins with our baptism. If we come to believe that Christ is alive in us, then the sacrament of Reconciliation is not just a matter of spending some time with God to “clean the slate,” but it is actually deepening our union with Him. Truth be told, God is giving us His holiness, so we need to give Him our time in prayer and in regular celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

    We must learn to let go of our own mind and our own way of life so that we can take on the mind of Christ. Then we will welcome the opportunities offered in the sacrament of Penance to let Him inhabit us, instruct us, correct us and console us.

    Reflection questions
    Our Father is more anxious to forgive than we are to ask. Why do we find it hard to take Him at His word?
    What hinders us from celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation?
    Do we use the daily opportunities that surround us to practice forgiveness?
    Do we notice when we are being forgiven by others?

    Closing Prayer:
    Lord, our God, help us to walk with You on the pathway of the beatitudes and to live out Your mission in today’s world. Bind us to all men and women so that together we may bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. Open our hearts and our communities to the needy, the afflicted and the oppressed. May we radiate the Living Christ and transform our lives in the hope of the Resurrection. This prayer we make to You, our living God, now and forever. Amen.

    — Prayer for Mission No. 2: adapted from the Web site: www.catholic.org/prayers.

    Posted on February 24, 2010, to:

  • Priests and laity together: One priestly people

    By Linda Furge and Father Larry Kramer

    Opening/closing song: “Song of the Body of Christ” (Gather Comprehensive No. 727); “All Are Welcome” (No. 753)

    Opening prayer:
    Prayer for Priests
    Gracious and loving God, we thank You for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience Your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for Your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
    Inspire them with the vision of Your kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of Your divine grace.
    We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.
    — www.catholicdaughters.org

    Excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to Priests:
    His example naturally leads me to point out that there are sectors of cooperation which need to be opened ever more fully to the lay faithful. Priests and laity together make up the one priestly people and in virtue of their ministry priests live in the midst of the lay faithful, “that they may lead everyone to the unity of charity, ‘loving one another with mutual affection; and outdoing one another in sharing honor.’” — Rom 12:10

    Father Larry Kramer, pastor, St. Paul of the Cross, Columbia City:
    The master teacher Benedict XVI in his letter to priests for the Year for Priests shared some details about the life of the heavenly patron of all priests, St. Jean Vianney, the “Cure of Ars.” They centered around his work as a genuine pastor, not an isolated mystic. Vianney organized help for the poor of that impoverished sector of rural France and developed programs of spiritual development for the lay leadership in his parish. 

    Some time earlier in a part of Italy where the love of God had also been lacking, St. Paul of the Cross anticipated our modern Cursillo, Marriage Encounter, Christ Renews His Parish and similar movements by using lay people in key positions as witness speakers and spiritual mentors (the original and still the main role of godparents) in an era when that was rare.

    Today as a pastor I find myself in a similar position, but as a facilitator rather than an innovator. Even if there were nothing called a “priest shortage,” it has always been true that the priest cannot be everything that people need. People need the example and encouragement of people like themselves if they are to grow in the knowledge and love of God and God’s people. I try to find such people and help them put their God-given talents to work for the kingdom of God. I find that in doing this I receive their help in understanding my own role with them and their value to one another in Christ.

    Called and gifted
    Father Kramer echoes — and lives out — what the U.S. Bishops recognized in Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium: That lay men and women in secular and consecrated life and men in ordained ministry are called to an ongoing dialogue as they take up their baptismal call to holiness, to community, to mission and ministry, and to adult Christian maturity. In “Lumen Gentium,” we learn that, “The forms and tasks of life are many, but holiness is one — that sanctity which is cultivated by all who act under God’s Spirit.” — No. 41. It is through community, ministry and maturity that individuals and groups advance in understanding of their primary Catholic Christian vocation, that of holiness, of  “ever intimate union with Christ.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church,  No. 2014 

    Challenged to respond
    We are asked to respond to these four calls:
    • Through committed relationships of marriage and family and the concrete realities of life. 
    • Through generous service and conscious stewardship of resources.
    • Through participation in a “new evangelization,” sharing the Good News of the Gospel with others with new ardor, new methods and new expressions.
    • Through Christian witness within the family, within our faith communities and within the life of society.

    Our call to holiness through community, ministry and Christian maturity comes from living a life filled with God’s Holy Spirit, living in a spirit of love, joy, peace and courage. Our responses, both lay and ordained, to the call to holiness are a gift to the Church and to the world.

    As the U.S. Bishops conclude in Called and Gifted: “When we embrace our lives, with all their unresolved, mysterious ways, then we are led into the divine embrace of the Mystery that lies as the heart of life. We realize we are called to be faithful, not necessarily successful.

    “It is at this juncture, perhaps more than any other, that the ordained and lay members of the Church can sustain each other in the path of fidelity to Our Lord Jesus Christ. The laity and the ordained need to pray for one another and offer mutual support. (Our) pastoral ministry can be more effective if we become true collaborators, mindful of our weaknesses, but grateful for our gifts. Collaboration challenges us to understand that we are, in reality, joined in Christ’s body, that we are not separate but interdependent.”  — Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium, “A Prayer,” page 24, © 1995, United States Catholic Conference, Inc., Washington, D.C.

    Reflection questions
    • In what ways do you believe you “know” God in ordinary life?
    • What are the most important elements of parish life that foster community for you?
    • In what areas of your life are you responding to the call to ministry?
    • As an adult Catholic, how do you keep growing and maturing in faith — spiritually and intellectually?

    Closing prayer
    God of love and mercy, You call us to be Your people; You gift us with Your abundant grace. Make us a holy people, radiating the fullness of Your love. Form us into a community, a people who care, expressing Your compassion. Remind us day after day of our baptismal call to serve, with joy and courage. Teach us how to grow in wisdom and grace and joy in Your presence. Through Jesus in your Spirit, we make this prayer. Amen.
    —  Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium, “A Prayer,” page v, © 1995, United States Catholic Conference, Inc., Washington, D.C.

    Posted on February 17, 2010, to:

  • Faith Sharing

    Ambassadors of Jesus Christ
    Opening/closing song: “We Are Many Parts” (Gather Comprehensive No. 727); “They’ll Know We Are Christians” (No. 728)

    Opening prayer:
    Prayer for Priests
    Gracious and loving God, we thank You for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience Your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for Your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

    Inspire them with the vision of Your kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of Your divine grace.
    We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.
    — From the Web site: www.catholicdaughters.org.

    Excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to Priests
    “I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life.”

    Commentary from Franciscan Capuchin Father Ron Rieder, pastor Ss. Peter and Paul, Huntington
    These words of Pope Benedict XVI mean a lot to me: “I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world. …” I have been a priest for almost 47 years, most of them in parish life, 32 of these as a pastor. I have ministered in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and now for the past 26 years here in Huntington, in this wonderful Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

    I have always been impressed, intrigued and amazed at the power of the office, of being a priest, and how people of all faiths have a truly deep respect for the Catholic priesthood. If we use our priesthood wisely and generously, we can do so much good, not only in bringing Christ’s words and actions to our faithful, but also to the non-Catholic world around us. I have always tried to get deeply involved in the “bigger” world around the parish. I have tried very hard not to be a “sacristy” priest. I have always gotten very involved in the civic and social affairs of the community in which the parish exists. This involvement has not taken away from my work as a parish priest, but I feel is an integral part of true parish ministry, reaching out to the whole world, as the pope writes about.

    I feel very strongly that this involvement has been a very positive influence in the larger communities in which I ministered. Much of my ministry has taken place in predominantly non-Catholic communities. I feel the involvement of the Catholic priest does much to give a good impression of the Catholic Church and of Catholic priests.

    A great deal of this ministry is nonverbal, simply good example. St. Francis of Assisi once said to “preach always, and if need be, use words at times.” I have truly tried hard to make people like me, not for my sake, but for the sake of the Church. I believe that if people like me as a person, they will like what I stand for. They know I am a Catholic and a priest. I never hide this fact. I wear my Roman collar at all times in the public arena so the people know who and what I am.

    I am thrilled to be a priest, to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ. I pray that I will always present His words and actions to the people whose lives I touch.

    Common priesthood of our Baptism
    It is through our Baptism that “… all the members of the Church share in the priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priesthood of bishops and priests and the baptismal priesthood of all the faithful participate in the one priesthood of Christ, each in its own proper way.” — U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, 273-4.
    Like Father Ron, we are all called to be ambassadors of Christ. We should follow Father Ron’s lead and “… always present His words and actions to the people whose lives we touch.”

    In the sense that we are all ambassadors of Christ, our common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood are united in purpose, striving to be one with the Lord in thoughts and in will, in sentiments and in lifestyle. The Church — and all its members — is a sacrament, a sign and instrument of God’s salvation.

    The Church as sacrament is based upon the interaction of these two priesthoods, the living expressions of Christ’s ministry to transform the world. This brings us to the heart of the Church’s mission: to spread the Good News of the Gospel message to the world. As Father Ron tells us, we draw others to Christ if we act as Christ to others.

    Both the baptismal and ministerial priesthoods are nourished as they come together for worship at Mass. The laity comes to the Eucharistic community to offer their humanity and their human actions to Christ for the salvation of the world. They come to be nourished by Christ who is present in the word and sacrament made possible through the priest who stands “in persona Christi” so they can “Go forth (once more) to love and serve the Lord.” Laity and clergy alike “go forth” from their Eucharistic celebration — as new creations, a royal priesthood, the people of God — to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world today, ambassadors of Christ, presenting His words and actions to the people whose lives they touch.

    Reflection questions:
    • Do I “wear” my Catholicism at all times? In what sort of situations do I find it difficult to wear my Catholicism?
    • What is my understanding of “sacrament?” How am I a sacrament? How are we, as a church community, a sacrament?
    • What are some ways I non-verbally minister to my family and others? What are some additional ways I can “preach always”? How am I an ambassador of Jesus Christ?
    Closing prayer
    Lord, our God, help us to walk with You on the pathway of the beatitudes and to live out Your mission in today’s world. Bind us to all men and women so that together we may bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. Open our hearts and our communities to the needy, the afflicted and the oppressed. May we radiate the Living Christ and transform our lives in the hope of the Resurrection. This prayer we make to You, our living God, now and forever. Amen.
    — Prayer for Mission No. 2: adapted from the Web site: www.catholic.org/prayers

    Posted on February 10, 2010, to:

  • Be still and know that I am God

    By Linda Furge

    St. Francis De Sales:
    Living a devout life in an un-devout world
    Most of us learned how to pray at a very early age. That is a good thing in that we have grown quite comfortable with prayer since it was incorporated into the very fabric of our lives when we were very young. But since we have been doing it for so long, we may also tend to take prayer and praying for granted sometimes.

    As St. Francis de Sales tells us, we have not been created because God needs us. Rather we have been created … “with an intellect to know him, memory to be mindful of him, will to love him, imagination to picture to (ourselves) his benefits, eyes to see his wonderful works, tongue to praise him, and so on…” (First Part of the Introduction, 10).
    In other words, we pray because our very nature as creatures demands and needs it.

    As always, Jesus is our teacher and role model with prayer and its place in a devout life. Through the Gospels and reflections of great spiritual writers, we learn how to become one with Christ — even as “The Father and I are one.” — Jn 10:30. St. Francis tells us that, just as Jesus did, we should “practice mental prayer” by incorporating it into our daily routines, setting time and distractions aside in a quiet place — wherever we might find it.

    The presence of God
    While we can choose various forms of prayer, such as the rosary, formal prayers like the Our Father and Hail Mary or praying with Scripture, every form of prayer always begins, St. Francis says, by placing ourselves in God’s presence. By that we mean an intentional awareness that God is present to us “… in all things and all places.” (Second Part of the Introduction, 2).

    And so often, just like praying, we may take the presence of God for granted. Along with our first prayers, we learned early on that God is everywhere and “lives” in heaven. We learned that, while God is powerful enough to create the whole universe, God is also very close to us, loves and listens to us, and protects us from all harm.

    It seems hard to reconcile an all-powerful Being who is in heaven (transcendent) and “has the whole world in his hands” with someone who loves you and knows you intimately (immanent) and who even provides for the lowly birds in the sky and the lilies in the fields. While God’s nature will always be a mystery to us, perhaps one way to understand how God’s presence can be both transcendent and immanent at the same time is to make a very human analogy to the air we breathe. Air can be considered both transcendent (“out there”) and immanent (within our bodies as oxygen). We — and all God’s creatures — are solely dependent on air for existence; it is invisible but real; it surrounds and sustains each and every one of us.

    St. Francis de Sales says, “Just as wherever birds fly they always encounter the air, so also wherever we go or wherever we are we find God present.” (Second Part of the Introduction, 2). In the same way that we depend on air for survival, we — and the entire universe — are solely dependent on God for our very existence; God is invisible but we know he is real through the person of Jesus Christ; and God’s love surrounds, sustains and protects each one of us every moment of every day.

    Awareness of God’s presence
    God’s immense and overflowing love created the universe and makes him transcendent from us. And it is that very same enveloping and sustaining love (like the air we breathe) that also allows us to trust that he is very close to us, intimately knowing our innermost being and personally caring about our smallest needs and concerns. In fact, when we consume the Eucharist at Mass, God enters into our bodies and literally becomes a part of us. When we realize and understand the very personal nature of God’s love for us, that, as written in Acts, “in him we live and move and have our being,” we feel in our hearts “… great reverence toward God who is so intimately present in it.” (Second Part of the Introduction, 2).

    Yet another way to become aware of the presence of God is through the realization that we are incorporated into Christ’s body, that wherever we are, there is Christ whom we recognize as present in the persons with whom we interact each day.

    And, finally, one last way to be aware of God in our lives is to remember his promise that he is with us to the ends of the earth and to the end of time.

    Our awareness of the presence of God in our lives is important to prayer in a devout life. In “The Committed Life,” William Meninger concludes, “So you see, my friend, there are many ways in which you can present yourself to the presence of God as you begin your prayer. Indeed, this practice, if it appeals to you, can be your very prayer itself. Just be still and in an awareness of God’s presence. At times nothing more is necessary.”

    Posted on September 9, 2009, to: