New Pastor in Costa Rica Welcomed.

In the Monteverde region of Costa Rica, in a village named Santa Helena, the community of Catholics welcomed their new pastor this past Sunday. Father Juan Carlos, a 40ish Tico has some big shoes to fill.

He replaces Father Oscar a rotund, jovial priest if there ever was one. Padre Oscar´s Masses are joyful, informal and ...long, with lots of singing.  This is a routine reassignment of both priests, though I am not sure the people understand this much.  They did welcome their new pastor with open arms, lining up at the end of the 9 am Mass to shake his hand.  The greeting seemed genuine.

It was interesting to be a small part of this welcome.  I stood in line, me --the only gringo in church--and offered my welcome as a tourist to this beautiful region of Costa Rica.

By the way, he preached very thoughtful homily reminding us that we all have a call from God.  We each have our place in God´s great plan. But, we need to ask Our Lord for the grace to live up to that plan.

I can´t imagine P. Juan Carlos preparing this homily without reflecting on his own place in God´s plan as a new pastor in a new community, one he likely never thought he would shepherd. May God give him strength and happiness as he serves his flock.



 

Pope Francis: Too Many Monsignors.

On January 7, 2014, Pope Francis issued a rule stipulating that priests cannot be given the title of monsignor until they have reached the age of sixty-five. Bishops can only nominate these men for the honor of "Chaplain to his Holiness."

The title of monsignor is honorific, in other words, nice, and, at times, a bit pompous. I remember when I was pastor in a large parish in Las Vegas, a disgruntled guy who did not get the answer he wanted to hear from me, the pastor, turned around as he was stomping to his car and yelled: "AND YOU AREN"T EVEN A MONSIGNOR!"

No, and I never will be either. I belong to a religious community, the Congregation of the Resurrection, and we by church law cannot accept the title of monsignor. Darn it!

A monsignorship is often given to some priest who has done good work in pastoral ministry for a long time. Just as often, the title is given to chancery officials, especially those who hold powerful positions in the bishop's office. Regardless, once a monsignor, always a monsignor. The men who already hold the title, get to keep it for life.

Monsignors used to come in various flavors -- grades of honor-- that would indicate how important a monsignor you were. Also, monsignors wear special robes lined with purple which sets them apart from ordinary priests. But, monsignors have no more authority than other priests. For example, they can't ordain men to the priesthood like a bishop can. But, they can throw their weight around.

Pope Francis is trying to eliminate the sense of lordship that comes with that title. He wants priests to be with their people and work with the poor. 

He wants us to be humble, for heaven's sake.

There are at present disgruntled priests here in the U.S. who now feel cheated out of an honor that they feel they have a right to. This is the precise reason Pope Francis has issued this rule. The title "Father" is going to have to be good enough to last throughout the lives of most priests.

Snowy Epiphany Dawns on Chicago.

Ice and Snow, bless the Lord. (Daniel 3:70)

That verse seems very appropriate today here in Chicago on the feast of Epiphany.  In Chicago, it has snowed off and on since Christmas and it is still snowing.  Stores are mostly empty of shoppers as snow clogs side streets and makes a white wonderland of mall parking lots.  Winter in Chicago.

Snow blankets roofs and trees and cars.  Everything is moving much slower than normal.  Pedestrians are making their way on sidewalks packed with snow, trying to avoid slip ups. It is white, white everywhere, with only the dark skeletons of oaks and sycamores to give contrast to the world as I see it from out my second-floor window.

The people come to pray, though, on this Sunday morning of Epiphany. The snow muffles the engines of their cars and the sounds of their conversations.  Footsteps are silent this morning, but the Epiphany people are coming to the Eucharist.

Through my window, I'd like to see the three wise men trudging through the snow to our church, offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.   I'd like to hope that as dawn breaks on our white, cold world, that the "dawn from on high" would shine upon us who walk in darkness and the shadow of death.

What is Epiphany but a flash of brilliant light in a place of starkness?  So, let celestial angels sing out praise today.  And, in our darkest nights, let a single star like lightning strike the murkiest places in our hearts, leading us to adore Him who is the Savior of the World.


 

Pope Francis Takes Aim at Seminaries.

Pope Francis form a Wednesday audience in October, 2013.
(R.Wasilewski photo)

Pope Francis is strongly urging superiors general to make sure their seminaries are turning out priests who are devoted to the poor.  In an article in La Civilta Cattolica, Pope Francis is quoted as calling some of the recently ordained clergy nothing more than "little monsters."









He reminded the heads of  religious orders and  congregations that priests should be ministering to those on the margins of social life.  His address,  "Wake up the World," challenged them to be prophetic witnesses just as he has told other groups of priests to get out of their sacristies and be with their people.






Clericalism has infected many Roman seminaries and causes Pope Francis to break out in "goose bumps."  He dislikes clericalism as much as he dislikes hypocrisy.







My guess is that there will be a strong reaction to Pope Francis' words, especially to the "little monsters" epithet. I expect resistance to simplicity and service in the ministry because that is not what many clerics signed up for.









It's no secret that many seminaries in Rome are where the elite go to meet.  Pope Francis knows that seminaries in the queen of cities are often bastions of clericalism.  If you thought cufflinks and clericals were going out of style, just drop into any of the major seminaries in Rome to see the flowering of a neo-clericalism that would make the good fathers of the pre-Vatican Church blush for shame.









Expect a huge reaction to Pope Francis' words from Catholic conservatives.

 

2014, New Year's Thoughts on the Seven Deadly Sins.

If 2013 was not a good year for you, here are three reasons to choose hope in the new year, 2014:

1. You woke up this morning.  You are still alive.
2. Where there's life there's hope, right? So, have courage!
3. Take definite steps to make the new year 2014 a better year

 If you have no trouble affirming the first two statements above and want to take a positive step for the new year, 2014, then, take a quick inventory of your conscience. Conscience is that part of you which remembers the bad stuff that you've done.

 Got any of the following depressing  characteristics in your personality: Pride, anger, lust, envy, gluttony, avarice and laziness?  These are the legendary seven deadly sins.

It's likely that there are several of these imps running around in your soul causing you grief and discontent. These guys are the source of your dissatisfaction.  Note their names..They are the crabgrass in your lawn of life as you begin the new year, 2014

 Choose one suspect from the list of weeds in the garden of your heart and decide that with the help of God's grace you are going to focus on pulling up those weeds in whatever form they arise.

Angry all the time? Why? You can't do much about changing  anyone else's behavior' especially those who annoy you, but you can do something about your responses to whatever or whoever makes you angry.

For example, do something simple and good for someone whose presence grates on you.  Do it once.  See how it feels. Don't expect a thank you.  It is you who need to change, so change!

Pray for your detractors. Yep....

Run away from some one who aggravates you, if just for a minute or two.  Get a cup of coffee. Use the rest room. Take a walk.  Tidy up your mind and then get back to being yourself and to doing something productive.

If you can identify your favorite misbehavior, if you know its name, then you can do something about changing it to a good behavior,

Run through the seven deadly sins again. Give this meditation some time.  After all, you have the new year 2014 --every day of it-- ahead of you.

 .
 

New Year's Day 2014 Rituals.

There is something cleansing about putting off the old year and embracing a new year.  Errors, sins, mistakes, faux-pas, wrong turns, accidents, incidents, slip-ups, and other detritus from the last 365 days will die away like an old bonfire as we light the candles for the birth of a the new year, 2014.

New Year’s eve’s rituals are important. So, we get together with friends and family members and do a bit of reminiscing and fond remembering and realize that for better or for worse we are still here. We drink away yesterdays and toast the todays to come.

We’ll get used to writing checks using the New Year, 2014. Our computers will dutifully roll out 2014 without us worrying about setting the time and year.

The tax breaks we took care of had to be completed by December 31, 2013. But, New Year’s Day, 2014 will initiate a new opportunity to give less grudgingly.

American Catholics will bundle up and go to Church on New Year’s Day 2014, though not so much because it is the first day of the year but because it’s the Feast of Our Lady, Mother of the Church. The priests, though, will sneak in loads of fresh Gospel material into their homilies to give us a push into the New Year, 2014.

Pope Francis has called us to teach our children to pray.  God knows the United States needs blessings and direction for the future. I wonder what our children will be praying for In the new Year. 

Despite ourselves, some of us will make new resolutions to start the New Year, 2014. We will resolve to eat less and lose some weight; to exercise; and, make more significant contact with people who mean something to us.

We will resolve not to waste so much time watching videos, playing video games, and surfing the net, or simply pigging out in front of the TV.

This year we will begin to plan the following:

1.       The book that we have promised ourselves to write.

2.       The vacation of a life-time which we have put off for a life-time.

3.        Ways to reconcile with someone with whom we should have made-up with long ago –before it’s too late.

Yes, Santa Claus with his full white beard and his red suit gives way to Baby New Year 2014 who comes with rosy cheeks, a big smile and, a…well… diaper.

Happy New Year, 2014.

 

Pope Francis: What to Expect of Him in 2014.

Pope Francis will certainly continue to be a breath of fresh air in 2014, after a decade or two of stuffiness from the last two popes.

With all their wisdom and kindness duly noted, both John Paul II and Benedict XVI were formal and authoritative.  Nice smiles, though, from both of them.

"Defender of the Faith" would not be the first title that would come to mind when thinking about smiling Pope Francis.  "Pontifex" would be better. 

Pope Francis as Pontifex, is, indeed a bridge-builder.  He continues to make efforts to link the Catholic Church with other religions.  The Jewish Community, Moslems and various protestant churches from Anglican to Evangelical are among the religious groups that have been greeted warmly by Pope Francis in 2013. Pope Francis will continue this inclusive outreach in 2014.

Pope Francis is warm and informal but he clearly loves the Church and upholds its doctrines.  Anyone who reads his writings or listens to his talks can see that this pope is an authentic teacher who defends the Faith with firmness.  Pope Francis is Roman Catholic to his core.

When he celebrates the great sign of the Faith, the Eucharist, we see demonstrated his devotion to Christ and the Church.  When he speaks, Pope Francis upholds the truths of the faith as he sees them --and, lives them.  I expect that in 2014, Pope Francis will continue to challenge Catholics to live authentic Christian lives.

I am still thinking about the remarkable statement he made recently. Pope Francis asked how is it that an elderly man dying in the street is not newsworthy but a two point drop in the stock market is. Quite a question.

In 2014, Pope Francis will continue to make the Church aware of how urgent it is to care for what  the old testament calls the "anawim," the poor of  the Lord.  The poor are suffering throughout the world. Pope Francis sees in these poor, the suffering Jesus. He wants us to see Him, too.