In New Orleans Archbishop Aymond calls for a year of renewal; focus on the Mass

'Do This in Memory of Me': A Pastoral Letter on the Mass by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond

Thursday, 01 December 2011 12:53 | Written by Clarion Herald | |

To the Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
“On Sunday, stop by for a visit before the game. Sincerely, God.”
I remember seeing this billboard several years ago. It captures in a humorous way the importance of Sunday Mass. As I reflect with you on the Mass, we are mindful that on November 27, 2011, the Catholic Church in the English-speaking world embraced some changes in the Mass and began using the new Roman Missal.
As we have experienced, there are changes in many of the prayers and in the Profession of Faith. Blessed John Paul II called for the changes several years ago because they provide a more accurate translation from the original Latin texts. While some of the prayers have changed, the actions of the Mass and the ritual remain the same.
A Year of Renewal
We will observe from November 2011 through November 2012 in the Archdiocese of New Orleans “A Year of Renewal: Offering a Worthy Sacrifice of Praise.” There will be many archdiocesan and parish programs that will provide opportunities for us to nurture a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Mass.
Why Sunday Mass?
When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the Third Commandment was: “Keep holy the Lord’s Day.” In this commandment, God calls us to make holy the Lord’s Day by worshipping God and by building up our own families and communities of faith through our actions. This is specific in the laws of the Church: The First Precept, “You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation and rest from servile labor…” Both the Ten Commandments and the Commandments of the Church remind us that as Catholics we should observe this holy day by celebrating Mass with the Catholic Christian community. In our time, this command of Jesus and of his Church has not been taken to heart and is sometimes not practiced. Surveys in the United States show that only about 30 percent of the members of most Christian denominations go to church on Sunday.
In addition to worshipping at Mass, the Church also encourages us on Sunday to abstain from unnecessary servile work. The reason for this encouragement is that Sunday should be primarily a day to worship God and spend quality time with family. In this spirit, we should try to limit activities planned by schools and organizations which take parishioners away from their parish community and their family.
Hopefully, this “Year of Renewal” for us in the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be an opportunity to take more seriously this command of God to worship every Sunday and to come to a deeper appreciation of the Mass. At the baptism of their child, parents promise to raise their children in love and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his church. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents not only to go to Mass, but also to provide an example for their children on Sunday.

‘Do this in memory of me’
Why is the Eucharist so important? The Gospel tells us that Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my body which will be given up for you.” He took a cup of wine, blessed it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the chalice of my blood…” Immediately after Jesus gave his Body and Blood to the apostles he then said: “Do this in memory of me.” In the same way he commanded his apostles to celebrate the Eucharist, he commands us to continue to celebrate this meal in his memory.
“The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words ‘until he comes’ does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what he did, it is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the Apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, and of his resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1341). The Mass is for us a participation in Jesus offering himself to the Father as a sacrifice for us and remains for us a family meal where we gather to be fed by the Body and Blood of Christ. It is a most sacred moment when we unite ourselves to Christ and offer ourselves, all that we are, and all those whom we hold in our hearts, to the Father.
In our own day and time, hopefully we will come to a deeper appreciation of this great gift. It is easy with our busy Sunday schedules to nudge God out of our lives. This may call to mind the question that Jesus asked the disciples in the Agony of the Garden the night before he died: “Could you not spend an hour with me?” (Matthew 26:40)
The Church calls us to celebrate the Mass not simply because we should get something out of it, but because it is our opportunity to be humble and, in a spirit of thanksgiving, to give praise and thanks to God for all that he has given to us. Likewise, we ask for God to strengthen us through the nourishment we receive in the Word of Scripture and in the Eucharist for our journey in the coming week.
Prepare for Mass
Because the Eucharist is so important, we must prepare in order to celebrate worthily. The Church still asks us to fast for an hour before Communion from all food and drink except water. This is to remind us that as we hunger for love, people and many things on this earth, our greatest hunger needs to be for God and for his presence in our lives.
In preparation for Mass, it is always helpful to arrive early (to avoid the rush) and pray quietly in order to be truly open to God. For this reason, the church building should be quiet in order for people to prepare for the liturgical celebration.
Two parts of the Mass
There are two parts of the Mass that are interrelated. The first part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Word, whereby God speaks to us through the Scriptures. It is not the word of a human being, but the Word of God calling us to accept his love, to be faithful to him and to follow Jesus. The Word of God is meant not just to be heard with our ears, but it also is intended to penetrate our hearts and become flesh in us, thus affecting our words, our actions and our attitudes. We should listen attentively to God’s Word as it is proclaimed. For this reason there should be no movement in the church while the Scriptures are proclaimed but complete focus on God speaking to us as a community of faith. Having been nourished by God’s Word in the Scriptures, we then turn to the Altar of Sacrifice and our family table. Through the Eucharistic Prayer, the great prayer of thanksgiving, simple gifts of bread and wine, signs of our lives, become the Body and Blood of Christ. As Christ offers himself to the Father, we unite with him in that offering. The gifts of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Real Presence of Christ
There is sometimes a misunderstanding of the Catholic belief of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The bread and wine, fruit of the field and the work of human hands, become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. They do not just point to Christ or commemorate the Last Supper. Through the calling down of the Holy Spirit in the Eucharistic Prayer and the words of consecration, the simple gifts of bread and wine become the Lord Jesus Christ and give us a share in his life, death and resurrection. How blessed and privileged we are to be able to not only speak to our God, but also to receive from him the gift of his own Son in the sacrifice of the Mass.
In both the Body of Christ, as well as in the Blood of Christ, we receive the fullness of Jesus Christ. The Church does encourage, when possible, that Communion be given both as the Eucharistic bread and the Eucharistic cup.
Active participation at Mass
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy from Vatican II reminds us that the church earnestly desires all the faithful be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations (#14). We do not “go to Mass” in a passive way but are called to pray, listen and sing with the faith community. Though many Catholic devotions are valuable and a part of our long tradition, they should not be prayed during Mass. The Mass is not my private prayer, but God’s community gathered as a family praying in one voice with one heart.
Vatican II also states: “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium #11). The other sacraments and all ministries of the church are connected to the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.
As we celebrate this Year of Renewal, I implore all of us to spend time in prayer and in our religious education efforts to read about the importance of the Mass and the great gift that is given to us in the Eucharist. Perhaps during this year, we can also make a more firm resolution to celebrate Mass at least each Sunday even when our schedules are crowded. When we are tired and many other responsibilities weigh heavily upon us, it is in these moments that we should be at Mass and bring to God all that we are, both our joys and all that burdens us, in order to be fed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks
We are mindful that there are many people who give of themselves generously in preparing for our Sunday Eucharist. I extend gratitude to my brother priests for their careful celebration of the Mass and for their preparation of the homily in striving to feed God’s people by breaking open the Word. Likewise, I thank our deacons who assist the priest at Mass, proclaim the Gospel and also preach God’s Word. We are very blessed and fortunate to have young women and men who serve at Mass. I am always inspired by our young church and their desire to be close to the Lord’s Table and the Eucharist. I am especially inspired when I see young adults in high school and college still giving of themselves as men and women of faith and serving at the altar. To the parish choirs throughout the archdiocese, we thank you for leading us in song and for giving us the opportunity to praise God with great joy and reverence. Thanks to the readers who carefully prepare the Scriptures and proclaim them to us. The Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, through prayer and their own devotion to the Eucharist, have the privilege to give Communion to the community of faith as they come forward to be fed with the Body and Blood of Christ and to bring Communion to those ill and homebound. The ministers of hospitality (ushers) show that we are a welcoming community. Aside from the above-mentioned ministers, there are many people who work behind the scenes – the sacristans, altar society, liturgy directors and so many others – who make our celebration more pleasing to God. Please accept my sincere gratitude for all you do in order that the community can offer a worthy sacrifice of praise.
Eucharistic Adoration
This special year is an opportunity for us to be mindful of the presence of Christ in the tabernacle and grateful to those many parishes who offer eucharistic adoration. There are 13 parish communities in our archdiocese who are able to offer perpetual adoration and six others who have daily adoration for several hours. In those quiet moments before Christ in the Eucharist, we come to focus on who we are and allow our hearts to be touched by Jesus Christ who says: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28).
Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord
In conclusion, let us remember that what we celebrate is called the “Mass.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, we call it “Holy Mass (Missa), because the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished, concludes with the sending forth (Missio) of the faithful so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1332). From the Mass, we never simply depart, but we are sent. St. Augustine reminds us that we must become what we have received in the Eucharist. In the Mass we receive the Word of God and the Body of Christ. We must become his word and his presence in our world today. We certainly are called to do this with our families, neighbors, parish communities, but also we are sent to the poor, the forgotten, the sick, those with disabilities, those who are discouraged, depressed and have lost a sense of God’s love. To them, we must become that word of hope and the presence of Christ who calls them forth in love. In the new Roman Missal, the priest or deacon says: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” or “Go in peace, glorifying God by your life.”
Thank you for joining me in observing “A Year of Renewal: Offering a Worthy Sacrifice of Praise.” May it be a blessed time for us as we fulfill the command of Jesus, “Do this in memory of me.”
Wishing you God’s blessings, and with the promise of daily prayers for our local church, I am

Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend
Gregory M. Aymond
Archbishop of New Orleans

The Doctor of Christian Art

St. John of Damascus

St. John of Damascus

Feastday: December 4
b. 645 d. 749

Saint John Damascene has the double honor of being the last but one of the fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little that is authentic is known of his life. The account of him by John of Jerusalem, written some two hundred years after his death, contains an admixture of legendary matter, and it is not easy to say where truth ends and fiction begins.

The ancestors of John, according to his biographer, when Damascus fell into the hands of the Arabs, had alone remained faithful to Christianity. They commanded the respect of the conqueror, and were employed in judicial offices of trust and dignity, to administer, no doubt, the Christian law to the Christian subjects of the Sultan. His father, besides this honorable rank, had amassed great wealth; all this he devoted to the redemption of Christian slaves on whom he bestowed their freedom. John was the reward of these pious actions. John was baptized immediately on his birth, probably by Peter II, bishop of Damascus, afterwards a sufferer for the Faith. The father was anxious to keep his son aloof from the savage habits of war and piracy, to which the youths of Damascus were addicted, and to devote him to the pursuit of knowledge. The Saracen pirates of the seashore neighboring to Damascus, swept the Mediterranean, and brought in Christian captives from all quarters. A monk named Cosmas had the misfortune to fall into the hands of these freebooters. He was set apart for death, when his executioners, Christian slaves no doubt, fell at his feet and entreated his intercession with the Redeemer. The Saracens enquired of Cosmas who he was. He replied that he had not the dignity of a priest; he was a simple monk, and burst into tears. The father of John was standing by, and expressed his surprise at this exhibition of timidity. Cosmas answered, "It is not for the loss of my life, but of my learning, that I weep." Then he recounted his attainments, and the father of John, thinking he would make a valuable tutor for his son, begged or bought his life of the Saracen governor; gave him his freedom, and placed his son under his tuition. The pupil in time exhausted all the acquirements of his teacher. The monk then obtained his dismissal, and retired to the monastery of S. Sabas, where he would have closed his days in peace, had he not been compelled to take on himself the bishopric of Majuma, the port of Gaza.

The attainments of the young John of Damascus commanded the veneration of the Saracens; he was compelled reluctantly to accept an office of higher trust and dignity than that held by his father. As the Iconoclastic controversy became more violent, John of Damascus entered the field against the Emperor of the East, and wrote the first of his three treatises on the Veneration due to Images. This was probably composed immediately after the decree of Leo the Isaurian against images, in 730.

Before he wrote the second, he was apparently ordained priest, for he speaks as one having authority and commission. The third treatise is a recapitulation of the arguments used in the other two. These three treatises were disseminated with the utmost activity throughout Christianity.

The biographer of John relates a story which is disproved not only by its exceeding improbability, but also by being opposed to the chronology of his history. It is one of those legends of which the East is so fertile, and cannot be traced, even in allusion, to any document earlier than the biography written two hundred years later. Leo the Isaurian, having obtained, through his emissaries, one of John's circular epistles in his own handwriting -- so runs the tale -- caused a letter to be forged, containing a proposal from John of Damascus to betray his native city to the Christians. The emperor, with specious magnanimity, sent this letter to the Sultan. The indignant Mahommedan ordered the guilty hand of John to be cut off. John entreated that the hand might be restored to him, knelt before the image of the Virgin, prayed, fell asleep, and woke with his hand as before. John, convinced by this miracle, that he was under the special protection of our Lady, resolved to devote himself wholly to a life of prayer and praise, and retired to the monastery of Saint Sabas.

That the Sultan should have contented himself with cutting off the hand of one of his magistrates for an act of high treason is in itself improbable, but it is rendered more improbable by the fact that it has been proved by Father Lequien, the learned editor of his works, that Saint John Damascene was already a monk at Saint Sabas before the breaking out of the Iconoclastic dispute.

In 743, the Khalif Ahlid II persecuted the Christians. He cut off the tongue of Peter, metropolitan of Damascus, and banished him to Arabia Felix. Peter, bishop of Majuma, suffered decapitation at the same time, and Saint John of Damascus wrote an eulogium on his memory. Another legend is as follows: it is probably not as apocryphal as that of the severed hand: -- The abbot sent Saint John in the meanest and most beggarly attire to sell baskets in the marketplace of Damascus, where he had been accustomed to appear in the dignity of office, and to vend his poor ware at exorbitant prices. Nor did the harshness of the abbot end there. A man had lost his brother, and broken-hearted at his bereaval, besought Saint John to compose him a sweet hymn that might be sung at this brother's funeral, and which at the same time would soothe his own sorrow. John asked leave of the abbot, and was curtly refused permission. But when he saw the distress of the mourner he yielded, and sang him a beautiful lament. The abbot was passing at the time, and heard the voice of his disciple raised in song. Highly incensed, he expelled him from the monastery, and only re- admitted him on condition of his daily cleaning the filth from all the cells of his brethren. An opportune vision rebuked the abbot for thus wasting the splendid talents of his inmate. John was allowed to devote himself to religious poetry, which became the heritage of the Eastern Church, and to theological arguments in defense of the doctrines of the Church, and refutation of all heresies. His three great hymns or "canons," are those on Easter, the Ascension, and Satin Thomas's Sunday. Probably also many of the Idiomela an Stichera which are scattered about the office- books under the title of "John" and "John the Hermit" are his. His eloquent defense of images has deservedly procured him the title of "The Doctor of Christian Art." The date of his death cannot be fixed with any certainty; but it lies between 754 and before 787.

LSU recovers powerfully; beats Georgia; wins SEC and is playing for BCS Glory

A lot of LSU haters must have been hyper-ventilating in the first half.  No offensive production, heck, no first downs and a defense that was being moved on.  If Georgia receivers would just catch a few balls it might be even worse.  Even though nothing went right, LSU remained calm.  This is indeed LSU, the #1 team in America for many weeks now.  This is the same LSU that is 12-0 and has defeated more nationally ranked teams than, well anybody.  LSU surely wanted to play better, but early on there was no panic.  The players and the coaches seemed of one accord and they knew they could put it together.

With a 10-0 deficit and Georgia dominating, LSU first saw a resurrgent defense.  Even the CBS commentators said LSU defense is getting it's legs.  And then a big QB sack by LSU forced Georgia to punt and Tyrann Mathieu worked his magic with another breathtaking punt return.  Now by this time in the evening, I'm sure many of you have seen the slow motion replays that indicate no TD because the honey badger flipped the ball to the referee a split second too early.  Oh well, no call; Touchdown!

Now it is 10-7 and Georgia still had hope; which soon turned to hopelessness.  After all, LSU is LSU.  They have beaten all comers and outscored their 12 opponents by like 300 points.

We begin the second half and it is all LSU; I mean all LSU!

Playing like the champions they are, LSU outscored the Georgia Bulldogs 35-0 in the second half. 

With Georgia getting the kickoff they have the chance to set the pace but LSU defense forces the turnover, the Tigers get a quick score and let the crying begin.  As usual in 2011, LSU's defense starts wearing the other guy out and the offense goes into another gear.  Just incredible. 

Case in point, LSU pancakes Georgia's defense, the honey badger returns another incredible punt and LSU runs right at Georgia and the Bulldogs have no answer.

The rest is history as LSU wins 42-10 with complete and total second half dominance.

LSU secures the SEC championship today and raises the record to 13-0.  There is, at this juncture, no national championship to claim because that game is left to play.  It is outstanding to know right here today that LSU is in the game with an opponent to be named.  Everyone thinks Alabama.  Well tonight, Oklahoma St. puts an absolue butt whipping on Oklahoma; a 44-10 wipe out that wasn't even that close.  Does the BCS give Alabama a shot at redemption or do they honor Oklahoma St.'s equally impressive 1 loss season?

LSU is the dominant and elite football program in the United States of America.  Les Miles is the coach of the year.  And I'm proud to be a LSU fan and continues to grieve for any Louisiana idiot who don't love em too!

Awesome story of adoption, love and life

For River Ridge couple, each new child is 'a natural extension of our love'

Published: Sunday, November 27, 2011, 8:00 AM

By Bruce Nolan, The Times-Picayune NOLA.com For days before Thanksgiving, the aroma of Royanne Avegno’s freshly baked bread filled her home in River Ridge as the loaves cooled atop the hand-built kitchen cabinets fashioned years ago by Ashton, her engineer-husband. The bread and other homemade dishes were for the 30 relatives who gathered there on Thursday, a smaller group than normal.

View full sizeChris Granger, The Times-PicayuneOver the course of their 40-year marriage, Bubby and Royanne Avegno have adopted seven children. Photographed with them on Thanksgiving were Jennifer, left, Jeremy, back, Meg, and Benjy.

This year it was Royanne’s mother, sisters and brother, as well as the families of four of the Avegnos’ five surviving children —­­­­ all but one delivered into the hands of a couple who, in the course of a 40-year marriage, adopted seven children.


In time, Ashton and Royanne Avegno would bury three of their kids, each severely damaged by physical infirmities or psychological injuries inflicted before finding some period of peace in the Avegno household.
Yet they consider themselves blessed. ­­
“This is our holiday,” said Ashton, known as “Bubby” to friends.
At 61, the Avegnos have launched their children, all now in their 30s.
They enjoy the fruits of retirement: decent health; a little travel; Ashton’s new interest in wine tasting; Royanne’s volunteer work at a local hospice and with a student book club at Dominican High School, where she taught Spanish and Catholic social justice doctrine for years. She still serves on its board of directors. Occasionally there is baby-sitting duty with grandchildren.
Their home, like others, is decorated with a certain amount of religious imagery — the Blessed Mother holds a place of prominence — and with pictures of their children, who present an international exhibit of family life.
Of the adopted seven, young Ashton, or “Benjy” to the family, was their single traditional adoption. He came into the family after Royanne gave birth to a stillborn second child, Laurie, and learned that Jennifer, their first-born, would be their only biological child.
Greg, malnourished and psychologically scarred by privation, came from Korea. Meg and Jeremy, mixed-race children who were both hard to place, came when the Avegnos said yes to adoption agencies’ pleas.
They were in court completing Jeremy’s adoption when, out of the blue, a Jefferson Parish judge asked whether they would consider taking Matthew, a profoundly brain-damaged newborn. The Avegnos discussed it over lunch, and they said yes a few hours later.

View full sizeChris Granger, The Times-PicayuneRoyanne and Bubby Avegno, bottom left, and top back right, feed family and friends on Thanksgiving at their home in River Ridge.

 

The following year, among the pictures of hundreds of children in an adoption registry, one of Katie, a Chinese orphan, touched them deeply. She soon arrived from Hong Kong, at age 11. And two years later, an inconspicuous notice at an adoption conference in Chicago alerted them to Gabrielle, another homeless newborn like Matthew, bearing catastrophic genetic abnormalities.
That extraordinary period of hospitality lasted about 10 years, from the mid-1970s to the mid-’80s. It gave the Avegnos a certain public profile as word spread of their open-heartedness. Adoption agencies learned to go to them with hard cases.
“For a while it was like we had a sign in front of the house: Suckers live here,” Ashton said with a chuckle.
In public outings, the Avegnos seemed to shepherd a small cross-section of global humanity, with children of every color and various degrees of health or injury.
It was remarkable to everyone else, but felt completely natural to them.
Indeed, said Ashton, “The most important thing for us was to be viewed as normal.”
Although she held a master’s in Spanish, Royanne stayed home to care for her children, especially as those with special needs came into the family. When the kids were a bit older, she went to work as a teacher, and she became known among her students for her ability to identify, chapter and verse, any quotation of Scripture.
Ashton, meanwhile, built a local engineering firm. Equipped with some carpentry skills, he eased the financial burden a bit doing most household modifications himself.

View full sizeChris Granger, The Times-PicayuneA family photo of Bubby and Royanne Avegno and all their children in the 1980s sits on a table at their home in River Ridge.

 

At first, Royanne remembered, their approach to adoption was typical. “Our motivation was purely selfish. There was nothing altruistic about it in the least. We wanted another baby.”
But the arrival of Greg, their third child and second adoption, was a revelation.
After the first eight months of life in Korea, he arrived malnourished and, even in infancy, psychologically scarred by hardship. He would later hoard food, Royanne said.
“He was the one who made us realize that adoption could mean the difference between life and death for a child. And that changed our whole perspective.”
Yet the Avegnos say their adoption decisions were never solely, or even mainly, about child rescue.
Rather, they were much more organic, usually rising out of a sense that the moment was right to accept another child, and most important, that their family had more to give.
“We weren’t there to rescue or save those kids. We were there to add to our family. To love, and allow our family’s love to spread a little further,” said Ashton.
In fact, the Avegnos said the judge’s unexpected request to take Matthew, the disabled newborn, yielded the only formal, deliberative discussion of their special needs adoptions.
At lunch that day, Ashton said, he and Royanne took a sheet of paper and listed the pros and cons.
The “reasons against” column was the longer; the “reasons for” were shorter. But it was topped, Royanne said, by the scriptural injunction in Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
“It’s how, without really thinking about it, we want to live our lives,” said Ashton. “I think we’re living the Gospel call, or trying to, but that’s not why we’re doing it. It was just natural for us. It was the natural extension of our love.”
As it happened, Matthew would defy expectations and live 14 years, unable to walk, talk or sit, but aware of his surroundings. He died in 1996.
“He had the most lovable personality; he could melt anybody,” said Royanne, who occasionally took him to Dominican so her students could meet him.
Gabrielle died in 1987, having lived through two and a half years of constant, intensive home care. Katie died of natural causes at 23, a few months after Matthew. She was undergoing psychiatric care, struggling with emotional scars from her early years of institutionalization in Hong Kong.
“They’ve gone through profound grief. They’ve buried three children, the most staggering thing a parent can do,” said Daniel Hines, a family friend who served as Gabrielle’s godfather. “But they’ve been sustained through their faith.”
“What we got out of it was more than we could ever expect to get out of it: the love the kids gave us and continue to give us,” said Ashton. “And now we have grandchildren.”
There are six: three each from Jennifer, an emergency room physician in New Orleans and Ashton, a construction manager who lives in Ponchatoula. Meg, a property manger, and Jeremy, a trucker and deejay, live in New Orleans. Greg manages a car wash in California.
Hines said the couple’s faith in action challenges him, but not in a way that’s off-putting. Although they sound intimidating, among those who know them well, the Avegnos make comfortable friends, he said.
“We’re each in a different position,” Hines said. “We each have gifts and opportunities to use them. These were the gifts God gave Ashton and Royanne, that’s all. And they’ve tried to develop them.
“With them, every child is allowed to be fully themselves, whatever they can be. As a society we can be hardened. We can become immune to suffering, callousness.
“They don’t.”

Bruce Nolan can be reached at bnolan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3344.

>>>Saw this over at Opinionated Catholic

>>>Also, kudos to this frequent column of faith and the outstanding author, Bruce Nolan

Are you ready for round 2?

Unless you are one of those lucky enough to attend daily Mass, this weekend brings round 2 of the season of the new Roman Missal.  So much preparation was put into place to be ready last weekend, and so many prayer aids were also in place as we arrived for Mass.  My question today: how prepared are we for weekend #2?

Seems to me that over time, the faithful may lapse back to not using the missalettes and prayer cards and forget to respond with the new responses.  I believe it will be incumbent on the presider to remind us, for some time, about using the aids and being united in our new responses.

It also seems to me, from my own limited experience and from shared experiences on the internet, that the most common areas of missteps are the following:

And with your spirit combined with more than a few and also with you...
Not sure if the Deacon gets the "and with your spirit" as he begins the Gospel...
Remembering to say I believe instead of we believe at the start of the Creed...
Including HOLY church in the prayer after the Priest washes his hands...
The most evident for me; the prayer right before we receive Jesus in Holy Communion...Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

And I'm sure there are many more and I am sure that the Priest and Deacon messed up along the way.  These errors in responses are truly the by-product over over 40 years of praying the Mass one way and then it becomes rote.

It's high time, just 1 week in, to put all the hand-wringing and complaining behind us and embrace the new translation of the great gift of the liturgy.  We will improve in our ability to deliver the prayers and responses.  For now, embrace the missalettes and handouts and aids in your pew.  It's ok!

The Mass is still what is most important; the source and summit of our lives.  To be able to be in one place, gathered in community, to hear the Word of God and receive Jesus in Holy Communion should be the pinnacle moment of our lives; the highlight of our week and/or day depending on our personal attendance at Mass.

One of the founders of the Jesuits

St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier

Feastday: December 3

FRANCIS XAVIER, ST. (1506-1552). Born in the family castle of Xavier, near Pamplona in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre on Apr. 7, he was sent to the University of Paris 1525, secured his licentiate in 1528, met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at Montmartre founded the Society of Jesus. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice, from whence they all in tended to go as missionaries to Palestine (a trip which never materialized), was ordained there in 1537, went to Rome in 1538, and in 1540, when the pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. King John III kept Fr. Simon in Lisbon, but Francis, after a year's voyage, six months of which were spent at Mozambique where he preached and gave aid to the sick eventually arrived in Goa, India in 1542 with Fr. Paul of Camerino an Italian, and Francis Mansihas, a Portuguese. There he began preaching to the natives and attempted to reform his fellow Europeans, living among the natives and adopting their customs on his travels. During the next decade he converted tens of thousands to Christianity. He visited the Paravas at the tip of India. near Cape Comorin, Tuticorin (1542), Malacca (1545), the Moluccas near New Guinea and Morotai near the Philippines (1546-47), and Japan (1549- 51). In 1551, India and the East were set up as a separate province and Ignatius made Francis its first provincial. In 1552 he set out for China, landed on the island of Sancian within sight of his goal, but died before he reached the mainland. Working against great difficulties, language problems ( contrary to legend, he had no proficiency in foreign tongues ), inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance, from European officials, he left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. F.

Advent and First Friday

I love First Fridays and I especially love the First Friday that falls in December.  Of course this First Friday is the only one of the year in the liturgical season of Advent.  Tonight, with the Advent wreath and the colors of the season, we gathered in Most Holy Trinity Church to worship and adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament concluding the evening with Benediction.

At Advent, where we prepare for both Jesus coming to us in the form of a babe at Christmas and for his second coming, we can ponder the beauty and simplicity and magnificence of the Eucharist.  Just like Jesus of Advent, where he came to us as a man in the womb of His mother Mary, Jesus comes to us in His precious Body & Blood in the small host that is the Blessed Sacrament.

Even though Jesus is God, to the average human being he looked like a baby, then a child and a man.  Even though Jesus is God in the Eucharist, to the average human being he looks like a tiny circular piece of bread.

But we know that the child Jesus that grew to be a man and died for us on a cross, was, is and forever will be God!  And we know that the host, a baked piece of bread, was, is and forever will be the Eucharist, God present in the Blessed Sacrament; body, blood, soul & divinity.

May we, on this First Friday of Advent, be ever mindful and ponder fully how God comes to us and cares for us and gives us His all.  Do we give our all to Him??

Bishop instructs his faithful; stop holding hands during the Our Father

Actually Bishop Foy has plenty to say in his letter to the flock of the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky but the one that will catch the most headlines is no holding hands at the Our Father.  The many blogs who have already picked up this story have also picked up some very pointed comments, indicating that we Catholics are all over the place on things like this.  As for me, I just say read the attached memo.  And focus on what we are truly called to do in Mass.

Here is the entire instruction from Bishop Foy:

http://www.praytellblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011-Pastoral-Letter-with-Decree-Bulletin-Insert.pdf

Remembering World Aid's Day

December 1: World AIDS Day

"My thoughts and prayers go to every person afflicted by this disease, especially the children, the very poor, and all those who are rejected. The Church does all it can to fight AIDS through its institution and staff. I urge everyone to make their contribution with prayers and actual care so that those suffering from the HIV virus may experience the presence of the Lord, source of comfort and hope. Lastly, I hope that, through more coordinated efforts, we may be able to stop and eradicate this disease."   - Pope Benedict XVI

Every year on December 1st the world remembers those afflicted with AIDS.  The Catholic Church has long ministerd to those with this horrible disease despite the political and fundamental religious concerns about this disease.  When it comes to treating or praying for/with someone with AIDS, the focus must always be on the patient; on the human being!

Caritas International provided us with some startling information last year that points to the Catholic Church as the world's forerunner in assisting those with AIDS.  In fact, as of a year ago, 1 in 4 people afflicted with AIDS received their health care and support from the Catholic Church.

On this World Aids day may our prayer unite with Pope Benedict and the Church for a cure, for compassion and for understanding!