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Commentaries on the Mass
May 9, 2010
Dear Parishioners:
An Amazing Promise
"Immeasurable,"
"indescribable," "unspeakable" are words Paul uses in writing of the
promise made to us in today's Gospel (John 14:23-29).
This amazing promise states that
Christ and the Father will actually come and
make their home within the hearts of all those who believe and love.
When our
ancestors in the Old Testament wanted to enter God's dwelling place,
they had to go to the great Temple in Jerusalem.
Imagine their astonishment if they had
been told that the day was coming when God's followers would not
have to yearn for the Temple from afar but would have it always with
them--in fact, they themselves would be the Temple… God would come
to them!
Personal, Movable
Temples
Our
Temple, our "holy of holies," goes wherever we go.
It is like the Ark of the Covenant,
which traveled with God's people in the wilderness, always
indicating God's presence among them.
We are now the ark of God's covenant,
taking Him with us, everywhere.
TEMPLUM DEI:
The Sacred Space in which we
worship:
When looking at the front doors of the cathedral church, at the
left, bottom corner of the sacred structure, you will find the
cornerstone of our church.
In August we will celebrate our
83rd anniversary of the
construction of this beautiful, sacred space!
We are
the proud (and fortunate) beneficiaries of the love and
sacrifices of those who founded our parish in 1902 and of those
(25 years later) who had the vision to undertake the task of
planning and then building the beautiful sacred space in which
we gather week after week, where God can be worshipped more
worthily!
We now gladly do our part today to
continue build on our rich tradition with our vibrant expression
of faith.
In No. 35 of
Sacramentum Caritatis, the Pope indicates that "beauty" is inherent
to the Mass.
Beauty does not only mean splendid
sacred buildings and sublime music.
The primary beauty
in liturgy is that of a community united heart
and soul in prayerful celebration of Christ's sacrifice. It is the
beauty of priest and people engaged in full, active and pious
participation in the mystery.
(This beauty is achieved, in spite of a
possible lack of external splendor, whenever the sacred ministers
and each member of the faithful strive to live the liturgy to the
full.)
Even before the
end of the era of persecutions, Christians sought to celebrate the
Eucharist with the finest materials available. It is this same
understanding which led generations of poor immigrants to the United
States to sacrifice so much in order to endow their parishes with
majestic churches filled with the finest of sacred objects for
sacred worship.
Ugliness,
blandness and bad taste on the other hand diminish the liturgy and
betray a lack of appreciation of the mystery and sometimes, alas, a
certain lack of faith.
The Liturgy is essentially an action of
God, which draws us into Christ through the Holy Spirit, and its
basic structure is not something within our power to change, nor can
it be held hostage by the latest trends. (cf: #37)
Next Latin Mass with Gregorian Chant:
Next Sunday, at the 5:30 pm Mass.
We pray for our mothers-to-be, new mothers & all you who are Mothers
and upon all your families.
Happy Mother's Day!
March 21, 2010
Dear Parishioners:
Reliquary -- Relics of Saints
Please visit our Reliquary with First Class Relics of saints that
have been given to St. John's since it was founded, in 1902.
Regarding those saints, we are producing pamphlets with prayers and
information associated with the saint.
We venerate the saints, we honor them, we pray through their
intercession. The relic
as an expression of our piety, not to replace the liturgical life of
the Church but to extend it.
May these relics of saints inspire us to be like the saints.
May they assist us in our pursuit of holiness.
First Class Relics of Saints:
Relic of the Holy Cross
Saint Barnabus, Apostle
Pope Saint Pius X
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Nineteen Jesuit Martyrs
Saint John Berchmans
Saint Therese of Lisieux
Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin & Martyr
Saint William, Abbot
Saint Christopher
Saint Louise de Marillac
Saint Catherine Laboure
Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
Blessed John Cardinal Neumann
more to come
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, after treating the seven
sacraments, the Church has us looking at "other liturgical
celebrations" including sacramentals and popular piety.
These assist our "sanctification."
"Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in
the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church's prayer, they
prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it."
1670
Among the various forms of
sacramentals "blessings (of persons, meals, objects,
and places) come first."
1671
"The
religious sense of the people has always found expression in various
forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as
the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages,...
stations of the cross, ... the rosary, medals, etc."
1674
These expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church.
1675
Most altars have a relic of a saint in them.
Ours has a relic of St. John Berchmans.
When the priest kisses the altar at the beginning of Mass, he
prays: "We implore You,
Lord, by the merits of all Your Saints, whose relics are here, and
of all the Saints, that You would deign to forgive me all my sins.
Amen."
Relics fall into categories: the First Class Relic is the body or a
fragment of the body of a Saint (bone, flesh, or hair).
These are considered so
precious that they are rarely entrusted to individuals, but are
placed in churches, monasteries, convents, etc.
The Second Class Relic is an item or piece of an item used by
the Saint while on the body (clothing, Bible, Breviary, Mass
vestments, & so on). These
too are considered precious. A
Third Class Relic typically is a piece of cloth touched to a First
or Second Class Relic of the Saint.
March 7, 2010
Dear
Parishioners:
It
has done my heart good to see so many of you at one of the daily
masses and at the Stations of the Cross, at the Lenten Mission,
Penance Service, etc.
What inspirational devotions and practices so many of you take up
during this season!
Thanks for taking Lent so seriously!
This
Thursday, we have a guest priest coming to speak to us and offer us
a Healing Service:
Thursday, Mar 11 6:30 - 8:00
pm in Cathedral
Fr. Ubald
Rugirangoga
Rwanda Genocide Survivor - Priest
lost over 70 members of his family
and over 5000 of his parishioners were exterminated.
He escaped by order of his Bishop through the Congo
on foot in the middle of the night.
When he left Rwanda at that time
he made a promise to his Bishop
that he would return to bring healing to his people....
read more on our website.
All are welcome to hear his story
and to participate in the healing service!
Fr. Ubald
has an amazing healing gift and his focus is on healing and
evangelization wherever he goes.
The Government of Rwanda seeks him out for advice on
forgiveness and reconciliation as the country continues to
rebuild after the devastation of the genocide.
He continues to preach healing, forgiveness and
reconciliation in Rwanda, the Congo and Burundi.
He has also traveled all over Europe, the Holy Land and other
parts of Africa. He made
his first trip to the United States in 2009.
When
Fr. Ubald conducts a healing service he prays a full Mass first.
When the Mass is over he exposes the Blessed Sacrament.
He will speak those words of healing to the congregation.
Stations of the Cross with Benediction
each
Friday of Lent at 5:30 pm.
BISHOP DUCA LEADS
STATIONS THIS WEEK!
After the Stations, stay for our Meatless Spaghetti Dinner.
Feb 14, 2010
Dear Parishioners:
What's Wrong with This Picture?
Today's gospel resembles a game sometimes found in children's
magazines: "What's wrong
with this picture?" The
child is challenged to find funny mistakes in a drawing, things
upside down or backwards, objects that don't belong.
Jesus plays the game by drawing word pictures.
In the gospel scene, one person says, "I am rich and well
fed, I am happy and find much to smile and laugh about, people say
good things about me. Oh
woe is me!" The
second person says, "I am poor and hungry, I weep in my sadness,
people insult me and reject me.
Am I ever lucky!"
Our Lord loved to make use of jolting paradoxes:
the last are first, the first are last,
those who save their lives will lose them;
those who lose their lives will save them,
the humble will be exalted the exalted will be humbled,
those who mourn will rejoice those who laugh will cry.
The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, the gentle are
conquerors, the sinners become saints, the dead rise!
Jesus challenges the way we view
god, the world, money
& material possessions, even life itself.
In so doing, He issued the call to us of the Cathedral Parish
and to everyone, to repentance, radical change, a reversal of
ways... to His way.
Lent begins this Wednesday (Ash Wednesday is on Feb 17).
Now is a good time to start prayerfully reflecting on what
your Lenten Resolutions could & should be... what to 'give up' for
the Lord and what acts of charity or corporeal or spiritual works of
mercy to 'take up.' Mark
you calendars now for the Stations of the Cross with Benediction,
the Fridays of Lent, 5:30 pm... join your fellow parishioners for a
meat-less meal after the stations.
Lenten Mission begins in two-weeks time.
This St. Valentine's Day is the day for us in the Church to
commemorate World Marriage Day.
We prayer for all
That all husbands may have the wisdom & courage to help their wife
grow and develop--in all her interests & talents--to become the best
person she can possibly be...
That all wives have the knowledge and the will to encourage their
husband to grow and fulfill all the rich potential that lies within
him...
That all couples may be delivered from the dangers of boredom and
routine which can erode the deepest love relationship...
For those who suffer the pain of a troubled marriage, separation or
divorce, that God guide them into a future filled with hope...
Throughout our diocese next weekend, the
Catholic faithful are being asked to make their gift to our 2010
Annual Diocesan Stewardship Appeal.
Since the creation of our diocese, much of the growth and
success experienced by the Church in this region can be attributed
to the ministries supported by the Annual Appeal.
Let us all take ownership in this cause by providing a pledge
(and help us attain our parish's goal).
With the participation of everyone, whether with a large or
small your gift, we should easily do our part to provide for our
Appeal programs and ministries that are available through no other
source. THANK YOU for
your support last year, and your continued support this year.
May you all have a wonderful, blessed, healthy week!
Christmas 2009 Come to
Christmas Mass ready to sing:
for the glorification of God and
your sanctification
My Dear
Parishioners:
magine a
wedding without music, a birthday, funeral, college football game,
the Fourth of July; imagine practically any human gathering without
music. Imagine
Christmas without music!… Can't do it because our experience
includes both the secular & the sacred hymns of this holy season!
Can't do it because the first Christmas night was a scene of
worship, and it included music:
as Mary and Joseph worshipped the Christ Child and as
shepherds came filled with wonder and awe, angels sang: "Glory to
God in the highest!"
The Church speaks of a
dual purpose of music in the
liturgy: the
glorification of God and the sanctification of the faithful.
Music is that
important! Our
catechism reminds us that our musical tradition is
a
treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other
art…. because the combination of sacred music and words forms a
necessary part of solemn liturgy. 1156
God loves music! He uses all
instruments and voices to bring people to the Himself, to worship
Him. God calls out the
entire orchestra to give Him praise; Psalm 150 speaks of horns, harp
and lyre, tambourines and flutes, strings and cymbals.
The Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy mentions the
special place of all instruments in the liturgy, starting with the
instrument the Church holds
in high esteem, the pipe
organ "for it
is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful
splendor to the Church's
ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher
things." 120
For a Cathedral such as ours, in a beautiful and large space which draws
people from the entire spectrum of the Catholic world, our music
draws us together in worship of our heavenly Father.
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, encourages us to great music:
"Cathedrals are not medieval
monuments, but places where we can meet God and one another.
Great music-- Gregorian chants, Bach, Mozart-- are not things
of the past." May, 2008.
Music evokes the presence and power of God through its beauty; thus,
the active singing of God's people makes us sharers in the mission
of Christ to serve and to witness.
Together
with Msgr. LaCaze and the pastoral staff, I pray that we each take
the opportunity, privately and communally, to realize the Lord's
closeness to us as well as His loving kindness & His providential
care. In this spirit, I
encourage your presence at our liturgies throughout Christmas
Season. Sing aloud:
for the glorification of God and your sanctification.
With
angelic host proclaim,
"Christ
is born in Bethlehem"
Hark the
herald angels sing,
"Glory
to the new-born king".
The blessings of the Christ Child be yours!
October 25, 2009
Dear Friends:
Bartimaeus' call
If I had an instrument to measure "liturgical volume," this Sunday
would qualify as one of the loudest celebrations of the year.
The decibels start increasing in today's first reading which
opens with these ear-splitting exclamations:
SHOUT with
joy for Jacob!
EXULT at
the head of the nations!
PROCLAIM
your praise!
We have something to shout about.
We have news so good that it cannot be muted or mumbled.
Our Good News is this:
The Lord Has Delivered the People!
In today's Gospel, blind
though he was, there was nothing wrong with Bartimaeus' hearing or
his hollering. As soon
as he heard it was Jesus walking by, Bartimaeus bellowed:
"Jesus,
Son of David, Have Pity on Me!" While
the people around him were trying to push the MUTE button,
Bartimaeus cranked up the volume & shouted all the louder: "Son of
David, have pity on me!"
A kind of Calling Contest follows.
After Bartimaeus' call, Jesus stops and says, "Call him."
The crowd calls the blind man over & tells him
Jesus is calling him.
Bartimaeus was so quick to answer Jesus: "He threw aside his cloak,
sprang up, & came to Jesus."
Jesus was s quick to answer Bartimaeus' call, for Mark tells
us, "Immediately he received his sight…"
He Followed Jesus
Bartimaeus did not just hang up when his call was completed.
He followed Jesus up the road.
The echo of Bartimaeus' shouting reminds all of us who
have been called by Christ that follow-up is preferable to
hang-up.
Next Sunday: the
Solemnity of All Saints.
For this special occasion, our Cathedral choir &
orchestra
will offer as the Mass setting: Schubert's Mass in G Major.
The Mass No. 2 in G Major was written in the space of only five
days, March 1815. This is
the shortest of Schubert's seven Masses, intended for performance in
his parish church. Though
very exciting, the Mass setting is conservative in nature,
reminiscent of the classical works of
Mozart or early Beethoven, with those portions of the Mass most
frequently set to music - Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and
Angus Dei - in the original Latin.
St. Teresa of Avila says: In the measure you DESIRE Him you will
find him.
St. John of the Cross says: The desire for God is a preparation for
union with God.
St. Bernard says: The constant will to advance and the steady
pursuit of perfection is accounted perfection.
St Benedict says: Prefer no one and nothing to Christ.
St Teresa of Avila says: The only mistake we make is taking our eyes
off Jesus.
St Bonaventure: if we
know everything but Jesus we know nothing, if we know nothing but
Jesus, we know everything.
October 18, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
Institution
of Mass (part 2 of 2)
from Guardini's
"Meditations before Mass"
The Mass owes its existence not to Christian creativeness, but to
Christ's institution.
It is conceivable that the Lord could have instituted the mystery
and then left it to the pious inspiration of the believers. Had He
done so, it would have passed through history, formed and colored by
the peculiarities of various governments, races, epochs. The
development of its central theme would have been handed over to the
experience and creative powers of the believers. But this is not
what Christ did.
He did not entrust His institution to the freely streaming spirit or
to the religious inspiration of the moment, but to an office which
He Himself established. He wanted His followers to live
not as a loose collection of
individuals with their sundry convictions and experiences,
but as a constitutional
unit, as a Church. ... Consequently the apostles were to have
successors to whom that office could be passed. To this office, to
the Church, Christ's institution was entrusted. Her authority
determines the form and details of the sacred service. Though it has
adapted itself to the characteristics of peoples and periods during
the course of centuries, its core has remained the same, and it is
the Church that has kept it intact. ...
From this we begin to see the attitude that is required of us:
faith, piety, and vital participation. These are not to be shaped
and guided solely by private experience and religious creativeness,
nor are they to be given free rein; they are to be practiced in the
spirit of acceptance and obedience.
When believers attend Holy
Mass they go not to express their own religious emotion nor to
receive direction and inspiration from the spiritual talents of a
man who enjoys their special trust.
They enter into an order
established by God; they go to participate in a prescribed
service.
Criticism of liturgical details may be acceptable, but no matter how
well qualified we might be for fundamental criticism or for
religious self-expression, in all essentials we must renounce both
our private desires and our personal disapproval. This does not mean
that the believer is placed under tutelage; it is simply a
clarification of domains. Criticism is good where it makes sense;
criticism of the Mass makes none. One can very well criticize the
lighting system of a city, but not the course of the sun; one can
find fault with the arrangement of a particular garden, but not with
the natural order of growth, bloom, and fruition. Here it is a
question of something similar, only incomparably greater.
The Lord's institution
belongs to revelation and with revelation to creation itself. To
see this is to possess the key to understanding creation; to accept
it is the first step toward the sanctuary.
October 11, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
Institution
of Mass (part 1 of 2)
from Guardini's
"Meditations before Mass"
RELIGIOUS LIFE is the life which ties man to God. It is not mere
knowledge or experience of God, but
actual union with Him.
God exists. Man also exists, but his existence is only through God
and in His sight. From God to man and from man to God runs a bond
more real and more vital than any bond uniting one being with
another on earth. This bond between God and man, its effects on
man's experience, thought, and action is our religious life.
Religious life can take a
double direction. It can enter into
our daily living and doing
and struggling, into our relations with people and things, into
our work and "works." One man tries to fulfill God's will by
accepting and performing his given job with a strict sense of duty;
another, reluctant to break a divine commandment, refuses to inflict
an injustice; a third practices heroic patience and helpfulness
toward someone in the love of Christ. All this is genuine religious
life. All three attitudes are proofs of religious sincerity. In them
religion has become the soul of daily existence: what Scripture
calls "walking in the sight of God."
But religious life can also detach itself from daily existence and
seek God directly. The
individual believer may turn away from external doings and
happenings to meditate on divine revelation; he may take his
concerns to God; he may appear "before" God to examine his own acts
from God's perspective and renew himself in virtue. Or a whole
congregation may assemble in a room that even externally expresses
its detachment from ordinary life in order to receive the sacred
word, to worship God in common, and to place their intentions at His
feet.
Both forms are good;
indeed they support each other. In the immediate religious act man
collects himself; enlightened and strengthened he returns I to daily
existence with a higher degree of readiness. What he experiences
there in the way of work, struggle, and destiny causes the new need
which sends him gravely back to the sanctuary, there to receive
fresh light and aid. The demands of daily existence on their part
constantly test the genuineness of a man's religion, enabling him to
recognize mere pious sentiment and irrelevant fantasy for what they
are.
Holy Mass
belongs in the second category of religious life. It is not only
"one of the ways" of turning directly to God, but is the heart of
the direct relationship between God and believer.
When the Christian goes to
church, he leaves the world of ordinary human existence behind &
steps into the hallowed spot set apart for God. There he remains
with the others of the congregation, a living offerer of the sacred
service celebrated before God's countenance.
What we do at Mass
does not spring directly from our religious experience or desire;
neither do we all gather in church to express to God our pressing
wants as though in response to a great general need. This too is
possible and natural, and it belongs to the most powerful religious
experiences that a man can have: the united appearance before Him
from whom everything comes and to whom everything returns. What
happens in Holy Mass, however, is different. The Mass is
not the immediate
expression of an existence capable of understanding and redeeming
itself spiritually. It is
not a creation of that power which shaped the word of praise and
the revelatory act from the emotion of the hour, but something long
since independently arranged and ordered and declared valid once and
forever. It does not
arise each time from the individual's or the congregation's relation
to God, but descends from God to the believer, demanding that he
acknowledge it, entrust himself to it, and do it.
It owes its existence not to
Christian creativeness, but to Christ's institution.
September 6, 200
Dear Parishioners:
Charity
in Truth
Do you sometimes worry that there is not enough love in the world?
Pope Benedict XVI recently issued his third encyclical,
Caritas in Veritate (Charity in
Truth), contemplating on the necessity of love and charity in the
development of humanity & a good society.
As individuals and collectively as a parish, we consider the message
of Pope Benedict's encyclical as
it relates to the life of our parish, our neighborhood, the diocese
and the world, and how it might guide us into acts of justice:
-
If we love others with charity, then first of all we are just
towards them ...
justice is inseparable from charity...
-
On the one hand, charity demands justice: recognition and
respect for the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples ...
On the other hand, charity transcends justice and completes it
in the logic of giving and forgiving (JPII,
World Day of Peace).
To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take
effective steps to secure it.
-
The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the
real needs of our neighbors, the more effectively we love them.
Every Christian is called to practice this charity, in a manner
corresponding to his vocation and according to the degree of
influence he wields in the community.
Even today, the words from the responsorial psalm speak to us of
charity and justice: "The God of Jacob ... secures justice for the
oppressed, gives food to the hungry" [Ps 146]; the second reading,
"Did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to
be rich in faith" [Jam 2]; the Gospel tells of Jesus reaching out to
heal the deaf man.
How can we can be more of a reflection of the Gospel message?
Effective
social ministry, when considered an important part of parish
life, can help each of us not only do more, but be
more -- more of a faithful and caring community.
The pursuit of justice and peace is what makes us Catholic!
We seek to become: a community of faith where
social teaching is
central to our parish life, not just on the fringes of it; a
community where social
ministry is considered essential, not optional; a community
where social ministry is the work of every member, not just the
ministry of a few!
While meeting with the heads of Cathedral ministries and the
Pastoral Council last month, one of our topics of discussion was the
Pope's encyclical and what can the parish do to reach out to help
those in need, the hungry, homeless and troubled in our area.
Different avenues are being explored.
One suggestion was to join the Cathedral volunteers
delivering Meals on Wheels weekday mornings! Are you able to help?
Call the Church Office!
August 23, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
Bread of Life -
Take it or leave it?
We're now at the fifth & final week of Gospel readings from John 6.
We take Jesus at His
word, that "My flesh is real food, for the life of the world" as
we hear in today's Gospel reading, & as we hear at the Last Supper,
that bread & wine become the Body & Blood of Christ — Jesus has been
talking about the Bread of Life: God's bread that comes down from
heaven & gives life to the world; the bread that is Jesus' own flesh
for the life of the world; the living bread that enables anyone who
feeds on it to live forever.
Jesus has said everything He could say to explain what He means by
the Bread of Life.
He means what He says: that He is the Bread of Life… anyone who eats
this bread will live forever.
What do we do with that kind of talk?
Accept it or reject it?
Belittle it or believe it?
Let it shake our faith or strengthen our belief?
Complain or proclaim?
Murmur or meditate?
Take it or leave it? We have to decide; not be noncommittal
or neutral.
Jesus does not force us to follow Him, believe Him, love Him.
As we hear in this week's Gospel reading, He offers up the
option to leave: "Do you also want to leave?" (Jn 6:60-69).
Jesus has not formed a chain gang of slaves but a community
of free servants whose motto is "Far be it from us to forsake the
Lord for the service of other God's." (1st reading: Joshua 24)
Peter speaks for all of us when he asks, "Master, to whom shall we
go?" Is there anyone
else who talks so clearly, so powerfully, so lovingly?
Is there anyone else who acts so calmly, so decisively, so
compassionately? Is
there anyone else who could give us more than Jesus has given us?
Who else has both the words of life & the Bread of Life to
nourish us with? Jesus,
it looks as though it's either you or nobody.
The Importance & Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration
From the General Instruction of the Roman Missal
16. The celebration of Mass… is the center of the whole Christian
life… In it is found the high point both of the action by which God
sanctifies the world in Christ & of the worship that the human race
offers to the Father, adoring Him through Christ, the Son of God, in
the Holy Spirit. In it,
moreover, during the course of the year, the mysteries of redemption
are recalled so as in some way to be made present. Furthermore,
the other sacred actions &
all the activities of the Christian life are bound up with it, flow
from it, & are ordered to it.
17. It is therefore of the greatest importance that the celebration
of the Mass… be so arranged that the sacred ministers & the faithful
taking part in it may derive from it more abundantly those fruits
for the sake of which Christ the Lord instituted the Eucharistic
Sacrifice of his Body & Blood & entrusted it to the Church, his
beloved Bride, as the memorial of his Passion & Resurrection.
From "Ecclesia
de Eucharistia"
The Holy Eucharist stands at
the centre of the Church's life, it unites heaven & earth. It
embraces & permeates all creation & it is the most precious
possession which the Church can have in her journey through history.
Liturgy is never anyone's private property, be it of the
celebrant or of the community in which the mysteries are celebrated.
Priests who faithfully celebrate Mass according to the
liturgical norms, & communities which conform to these norms,
quietly but eloquently demonstrate their love for the Church.
The Mass is a sacramental
re-presentation of the Sacrifice of the Cross & that in the most
blessed sacrament of the Eucharist the body & blood, together with
the soul & divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the
whole Christ is truly, really & substantially contained.
The most blessed Eucharist contains the Church's entire spiritual
wealth, that is, Christ Himself, our passover & living bread (Presbyt.
Ordinis, 5).
August 7, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
EVERYDAY MANNA
"Give
us this day our daily bread."
We've said it hundreds of time.
What exactly do we mean?
What are we expecting when we ask for this bread?
More to the point, do we recognize it when we get it?
The Israelites in the desert did not.
Moses had to explain to them that it wasn't just flakes or
hoarfrost God had sent but real bread (first reading: Exodus 16:2-4,
12-15). Only when the
people took a closer look and tasted the manna did they recognize
that God had responded generously to their complaining.
The people in today's gospel (John 6:24-35) had a recognition
problem too. Watching
Jesus feed the crowds, they weren't burning with curiosity to learn
what this extraordinary event might mean.
They wanted free bread.
Jesus hoped that the
miracle would lead them to faith in Him and His message, but it
didn't work. People
wouldn't see behind the surface to the deeper meaning.
To Jesus' disappointment, they cared only about the bread
that is perishable, not the kind that lasts.
Sometimes we have that problem too.
We move along through life seeing only the surface of things.
It doesn't occur to us that there could be any hidden mystery
behind the sameness of our schedules and routines.
We look for no secret meaning in our humdrum lives.
Hoarfrost is frozen dew, bread is yeast and flour with
liquid. Yet, our
ordinary lives are a dimmed version of God's eternal life—what a
thought! Pondering that
could add a little zest to even our dullest times as we open
ourselves to the mystery of the everyday stuff of life.
For us, Jesus is our Bread
of Life. It
is not easy for us to understand how He can be present with us under
the form of bread and wine.
This is something that Jesus' closest followers wrestled with
2,000 years ago, when they said,
"How can He give us His
flesh to eat?"
St. Ambrose states:
"If we believe that God was able to create all things out
of nothing, should we not more easily believe that He is able to
change one substance into another?
If God was able to change
·
Lot's wife into a pillar of salt,
·
the rod of Aaron into a serpent,
·
the waters of Egypt into blood, and
·
water into wine at the Feast of Cana,
why should we doubt His promise that bread & wine become His flesh &
blood? We believe
that Jesus Christ is
really present ‘under the form of bread & wine.'
Explanation of the Mass during Mass –
The importance of the
Eucharist and the importance of the Mass (and why we do some of the
things we do during the Mass).
Aug 8/9
The Celebration of the Mass
Aug 15/16
The ‘Things' of Mass
Aug 22/23
Participation, Gestures, Posture, Etiquette
view
Commentaries on the Mass
July 5, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
Baptisms at the
Cathedral
What do parents want to know about baptism?
According to our Twyla, our experienced director of the baptism
preparation program of our parish, the most common questions that
parents ask are these:
-- Where do we sit in church?
-- Does the baby have to wear white?
-- May we take pictures during the baptism?
-- How long will it take?
Back to the Basics
After answering these common concerns in about 2 minutes, Twyla
spends the remaining allotted time getting back to the basics of
baptism.
Baptism is not bribery to make God love this child.
God already does that for free!
Baptism, rather, is the beginning of a lifelong journey with
Jesus--from birth through growth to death and on to eternal life and
glory. This journey
starts the same way Jesus' journey did, with God declaring, "You are
my beloved child. On
you my favor rests" (gospel: Luke 3:15-22).
The Faith of the Parents
Baptism celebrates the reality of the faith of the parents.
The baby does not know what is happening.
But the parents know and acknowledge that baptism is the
serious, solemn commitment to pass on their faith to this child.
If their faith is weak, now is the time for parents to make
their faith strong.
Christian parenting is a life long commitment to regular Mass
attendance, education in the faith, and a promise too that the
parents will live their Catholic faith every day.
Since the Godparents sponsor the child into the Catholic
Church, only a Catholic can serve as a Godparent; others can serve
as Christian Witnesses.
Going Public
Baptism is not a private party but the public introduction and
initiation of this child into this community of believers, this
church, this parish.
This same community has the practical resources to help both parents
and child grow in their faith, hope, and love.
This is why we of St. John's encourage baptisms to take place
in the context of our community.
Baptism Seminars are offered on the second Wednesday of every odd
month beginning with January, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., at the Church
Office. Parents should
call the church office at least three months before anticipated date
of birth to make arrangements for the seminar.
Both Parents and Godparents are expected to attend.
(Read all about the Preparation and Requirements on our
webpage. Click on
sacraments, then baptism: www.sjbcathedral.org/baptism.htm.)
Next Seminars:
THIS WEEK, July 8, then Sep 9, Nov 11.
June 28, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
"The Year of St. Paul"
June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009
Monday, we conclude the special Jubilee Year, commemorating the
2,000th anniversary of the Saint Paul's birth.
Though the year may end, let us always look to St. Paul as a
personal example. In
the words of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict:
"As in early times, today too, Christ needs apostles ready to
sacrifice themselves.
He needs witnesses and martyrs like St. Paul.
Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell
to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus,
did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed
Him without second thoughts.
He lived and worked for Christ, for Him he suffered and died.
How timely his example
is today!"
As we hear in our 2nd reading today, may we hear St Paul say to us:
"As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all
earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this
gracious act also." (2 Cor 8:7)
May we be able to say with St. Paul:
"We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through
us." 2 Cor 3:20
"I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the
faith… The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.
To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen."
 Glorious
St Paul, most zealous apostle,
martyr for the love of Christ,
give us a deep faith,
a steadfast hope,
a burning love for our Lord
so that we can proclaim with you
‘It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.' Gal 2, 20
Help us to become apostles
serving the Church with a pure heart,
Witnesses to her truth and beauty
amidst the darkness of our days.
With you we praise God our Father
‘To Him be the glory, in the Church and in Christ
now and for ever'.
Amen
June 7, 2009
Dear Parishioners of St. John's and St. Catherine's:
With this edition of the bulletin, both St. Catherine's and St.
John's combine information and energy to compile, edit and publish a
bulletin that will be of interest to all of the Cathedral Parish,
and beyond.
In 1902, the parish of St. John Berchmans was founded. Some 20+
years later, the parish had grown so much to the south that a
worshiping community first gathered together, under the patronage of
Saint Catherine of Siena, in the Cedar Grove area.
It was formed as a mission and entrusted to the care of the
priests of St. John's.
In 1938 St. Catherine's became a parish, located on 71st
St. and Henderson (between Fairfield and Southern).
Several years ago, St. Catherine's returned to mission status
and was re-united with St. John's.
St. Catherine's sends a representative to the Cathedral's
Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council.
Besides sharing the priests and now the bulletin, soon Pam
Shaughnessy, the Parish Business Administrator, while be more
directly involved in the books.
|
Sunday Mass schedule:
8:00
Cathedral
9:30
St. Catherine's
11:00
Cathedral
5:30
Cathedral
|
There are times when one priest must cover the 8:00, 9:30
and 11:00.
|
Holy Trinity Sunday
MYSTERY is one of the greatest beauties of our Catholic
faith, that everything does not have to be understood, to be
logical, to fit in our minds in order for us to believe.
That bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ is
not (and never will be) totally understood by our minds alone.
It takes faith.
I am reminded of what St. Augustine wrote in the 5th century:
God is inexpressible.
It is easier for us to say
what He is not than
what He is...
Nothing is comparable to Him....
If you could conceive Him,
you would conceive something
other than God.
Novena to the Sacred Heart begins June 11 and concludes on
Friday, June 19, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
May
31, 2009
Dear
Parishioners:
Celebrating Mass Well
Question:
Nowadays there seems to be a shift from the spirit of the
liturgy to mechanical and ritualistic performance.
Since our liturgy is dry, many Catholics are going to
Protestant-Evangelical churches where the worship is spontaneous,
meaningful and gives them a sense of involvement and satisfaction.
{cf:
Father Edward McNamara, L.C.}
Answer:
Let's look to the fundamental issues regarding the purpose and
nature of the Mass, of liturgy, presuming that all questions stem
from a sincere desire to celebrate the liturgy according to the
Church's heart & mind. I
do not believe that it follows that an exact and precise liturgical
celebration is thereby a soulless and mechanical ritual. Nor is a
cavalier attitude toward rubrics an inevitable proof of authentic
Christianity. There can
be both good faith and hypocrisy behind both attitudes, but these
are the failings of individual human beings that do not touch the
heart of the question. I
strongly defend fidelity to liturgical norms because I believe that
the faithful have a right to be able to participate in a
recognizably Catholic liturgy, a liturgy that flows from Christ
Himself and is part of the great stream of the communion of saints.
While not
doubting the sincerity of the questioner, I must take exception to
his way of characterizing Protestant-Evangelical worship with
respect to Catholic liturgy.
We are before a question that goes much deeper than external
forms. The crux of the
problem is not that our separated brethren have more exciting
performances but that we have failed to teach our faithful basic
Catholics doctrine on the Mass and the Eucharist.
Any Catholic who
has the tiniest inkling of what it means:
-
to be at Mass;
-
to be present at the Lord's Passion, death and resurrection;
-
to be able to unite his or her prayer presented to the eternal
Father united together with Christ's supreme sacrifice;
-
to offer the thanksgiving He asked of us;
-
to have the possibility of sharing the Bread of Life –
how could such a
Catholic ever compare this privilege to any non-Catholic service,
even though admittedly it might have better music and more able
preaching?
At the same time,
the Church's liturgy is already endowed with flexibility and a
richness that can readily respond to local characteristics. In
liturgy, just as in sports, authentic spontaneity, participation and
creativity are found within the rules and not outside of them.
{cf:
Father Edward McNamara, L.C.}
Therefore if some
of our Catholic faithful are attending elsewhere, we should not
blame the liturgy but rather double our efforts to celebrate it
properly and proclaim the truth of the great mystery of faith.
Thus, we pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all
who minister in the Cathedral Parish and upon all who worship here,
especially during these days of Pentecost.
Father in heaven,
our minds were prepared for the coming of Your kingdom when You took
Christ beyond our sight so that we might seek Him in His glory.
May we of the Cathedral Parish worship You with gratitude for
Your goodness toward us and may we follow where Jesus Christ has led
and find our hope in His glory, for He is Lord for ever and ever...
Amen.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus!
Come, Holy Spirit!
"The
Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new era...
the age of the Church, ‘during which Christ manifests,
makes present, and communicates his work of salvation through
the liturgy of his Church, ‘until he comes'… Christ now lives
and acts in and with his Church… through the sacraments..."
[Catechism #1076]
May
17, 2009
Dear
Parishioners:
Chosen People
There
must be few happier feelings in life than that of being specially
chosen. From the
youngster being called off the bench to join the team to the
marriage proposal being joyfully accepted, it is wonderful to be
singled out by somebody as being special.
Being chosen is even more thrilling when it is not something
we seek and work for, like winning an election, but when it comes
out of the blue, a total surprise.
That's the way God's choosing is.
Chosen People
Being chosen is what we
celebrate in today's readings, where there is a kind of amazement at
how unpredictable and wondrous God's choosing is.
Peter and his fellow believers are taken by surprise that God
chooses Cornelius and his household
(first reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48).
John expresses the amazing truth that God loved and chose us,
not the other way around.
Before each of us was born, God made a choice to love us.
One moment we were not, and the next moment we were!
Why Me?
What in the world could God's reason have been for thinking us
into being, for choosing us?
Jesus explains:
God chose us so "that my joy may be in you and your joy
might be complete," "that you may love one another as I have
loved you," and so that we will "go and bear fruit."
How can we help exclaiming, "O Lord, thank you for
choosing of us!"
Chosen
NEW PRIEST
Newly ordained Fr. Matthew Long has been assigned to Jesus Good Shepherd Church in
Monroe. As he begins his
priestly ministry, we pray for him and those to, for and with whom
he will minister. We
pray as well that more men
will courageously respond to the call to the priesthood.
Our Holy Father has as a special intention this month:
"That the laity & the Christian communities may be
responsible promoters of priestly and religious vocations."
We pray that our parish will continue growing in faithfulness
to the will of God.
Who will be the next seminarian from St. John's?
Thanks to all our nominees
to represent all parishioners on our
Parish Pastoral Council.
Some of the main purposes and objectives of this council
are:
w
To assist the Pastor in facilitating the spiritual
health, operation and growth of the Parish by providing
leadership, direction, education, resources, and encouragement
in accordance with the mission and goals of the parish, the
diocese and the universal Church.
w
To discern the on-going needs, temporal and spiritual, of
the parish, its people, the diocese and the wider community of
which the parish is a part…
w
To formulate and maintain the annual written Parish
Pastoral Plan, which includes a mission statement and which
prioritized goals and objectives.
w
To determine and attempt to utilize and enhance the gifts
and talents of all members of the parish.
A Cathedral – a Chosen Place
More & more parishioners of St. John's are realizing the unique
place a Cathedral has in the life of the diocese and of a city.
How wonderful to have our bishop, the Chief Shepherd, a
successor of the apostles, here throughout Holy Week, for Chrism
Mass, for the ordination last week.
In size, age, location, and impact, each Cathedral has different
strengths & weaknesses…
no two Cathedrals are alike, and yet each Cathedral is
more than just another
parish with its unique place in a local Church.
The Cathedral is the
mother church of the diocese, and insofar as others of
this diocese feel at home at St. John Berchmans, we are living up to
that ideal. Graceful
and exemplary liturgy along with a high standard of liturgical music is expected from a
Cathedral.
The cathedral should
be regarded as the express image of Christ's visible Church,
praying, singing and worshiping on earth….
With good reason,
then, the cathedral church should be regarded as the center of
the liturgical life of the diocese.
The cathedral church
should be a model for the other churches of the diocese in its
conformity to the directives laid down in liturgical documents
and books…
From the Ceremonial of Bishops
As rector of this cathedral church, I want to celebrate the Mass &
Sacraments well & to
foster liturgies of
the highest caliber.
I will continue to
encourage lay participation in all liturgical ministries.
I will continue to maintain & enhance the liturgical
environment so that the
beauty of music,
architecture, and
the arts can deepen our participation in our worship of God!
I recognize the need to make
our bishop at home in his Cathedral, the place from which he
teaches, governs and sanctifies not only our parishioners, but all
the Catholic people of our diocese.
A Cathedral is indeed a chosen place.
The Cathedral Parish looks
forward to welcoming a
Liturgist and additional musician to make our Sunday and Daily
Masses, weddings, funerals, school liturgies and devotions, even
more meaningful and beautiful, true worship, in Him and with Him a
living sacrifice of praise.
Congratulations, Bishop Duca, on your first anniversary as our
bishop!
May 21, 7 pm Mass
All are welcome to a Mass with Bishop Friend who celebrates his 50th
anniversary as a priest !
Bishop Friend will join us here at the Cathedral.
May
10, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
VINE & Branches
History's greatest leaders influence people from the outside in.
With their speech, their ideas, their example, and even their
presence they move and motivate those around them, drawing others
and stirring them to action.
Jesus Christ, however, goes much deeper, influencing
us also from the inside out
·
He not only calls us from the outside,
through the voice of the Church, the actions of Providence, and the
example of his faithful disciples…
·
but He also unites Himself to us so
intimately that His very life flows through our veins.
"I am the vine, you are the branches," He explains in today's Gospel.
Where does a vine stop and its branches begin?
Their union is too complete to tell.
The same sap gives life to the vine and to its
branches. Just so,
grace is God's own divine life flowing through Christ and into
us.
In this way, as in so many other ways, Jesus Christ stands alone
among great historical figures.
Not only does He excel all others in their own game, but He
plays in an entirely different league; He is a leader,
but He is also the Lord.
How grateful we should be that He has seen fit to make us branches
of His vine!
And yet, as human beings we are a unique kind of branch.
We are responsible for keeping ourselves united to the
vine. And if we
don't, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that we will not bear fruit;
we will wither, die, and be burned.
Prayer, the
sacraments, loving obedience, & suffering in union with Christ are what keep the Christian sap flowing in our lives.
They yield the fruit we yearn for:
-
a life that resounds with meaning and
energy,
-
a life that positively impacts others
and exudes joy and enthusiasm,
-
a life that changes this world for the
better in as profound a way as Christ's own life did, and
-
a life whose meaning & impact overflow into
eternity.
This is what God wants for us; this is why Jesus came to earth:
"By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become
my disciples."
We thank God from the depths of our hearts for uniting us to the
vine of Christ.
And when we receive our Lord in Holy Communion, and whenever this
week we pray, let's promise Him that this week we will
make a decent effort to do our part to protect and
strengthen that union.
Jesus' parable of the vine & the branches ties in beautifully with
Mother's Day;
the relationship of a mother and her pre-born child is one of
total dependence. Even
after birth, a human child depends upon his mother for nourishment,
care & education.
We all pray a special blessing upon you who are Mothers and upon all your
families. "Respect for
parents derives from gratitude toward those who, by the gift of
life, their love and their work, have brought their children into
the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace.
‘With all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the
birth pangs of your mother.
Remember that through your parents you were born; what can
you give back to them that equals their gift to you?'" From the
Catechism of the Catholic Church [2215]
May
3, 2009
Dear Parishioners:
IDENTITY CRISIS
The times in our lives we look back on with regret are often the
times when we failed to recognize something: an opportunity when it
arose, the moment when something ended and it was time to move on,
the people who loved and made sacrifices for us, the dangers that
lay along a certain path, or blessings that came in unlikely
wrappings. We feel the
same regret implied in Jesus' words to the woman at the well: "If
only you recognized God's gift..."
(John 4:10)
That is what we feel too: "If only...."
They Failed to Recognize Him
Today's readings underscore the point.
Peter reminds the Jews they rejected Jesus because they had
not recognized Him as the cornerstone
(1st reading: Acts 4:8-12).
John states, "The reason the world does not know us [as
children of God] is that it did not know Him"
(2nd reading: 1 John 3:1-2).
We don't even recognize ourselves or what our great future will be.
Jesus' Identity Crisis
Jesus seems to have had such identity problems all along.
His own people did not recognize Him when He came into the
world. Even John the
Baptist admits, "I did not recognize Him."
After walking along with Him
for miles, the Emmaus disciples didn't recognize Him until they
broke bread together.
And Mary Magdalene, longtime friend, thought He was the gardener!
His Sheep Know Him
Fortunately there were some who recognized both the face and
the voice of Jesus the Shepherd.
These are the sheep of His flock, who know Him in the same
way He and the Father know each other
(gospel: John 10:11-18)
How does this happen?
Why are some able to recognize Him and answer His call?
Perhaps they had the attitude of today's opening prayer, a
prayer we might well make our own, as we ask the Father, "Attune our
minds to the sound of His voice, lead our steps in the path He has
shown."
"Help all of us of St. John Berchmans Cathedral Parish to seek You
without fear. Help us
to recognize You wherever You are!"
Cathedral Parish are welcome attend
the
Priesthood Ordination for Matthew Long
With praise and thanksgiving to
Almighty God
the Diocese of Shreveport
joyfully announces and invites you
to attend the Ordination of
Matthew Tyler Long
to the Sacred Order of the Priesthood
through the imposition of hands and the
invocation of the
Holy Spirit
by
The Most Rev. Michael G. Duca
Bishop of Shreveport
Saturday, May 16, 2009
10:00 A.M.
Cathedral of St. John Berchmans
Reception follows in the Multi Room
February 2009
Dear Parishioners:
Next Sunday, Feb 15, with the Church throughout the world, we
celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.
We
offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for those who are
seriously ill, chronically ill, about to undergo surgery, or frail
because of age, or who simply wishes to pray for the healing of
fellow parishioners.
Calling Catholics Home...
If you or someone you know has left the Church, the Cathedral is
hosting a program
to welcome back
all non-practicing Catholics who may be considering a return to the
Church.
Our program entitled "Calling Catholics Home"
is a six-week series, beginning
Wed Feb 9, 2009 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm.
Schedule:
Week 1
Welcome. Overview of series.
Week 2
Video: "Returning Catholics. Why they leave. Why they return."
Discussion and sharing.
Week 3
The Church today: Changes since Vatican II Explanation of major
changes: Mass in English, Involvement of the Laity, Bible Study.
Week 4
Explanation of the Confession.
Week 5
Walk through the Mass along with explanation and historical review.
Week 6
The Creed: What Catholics Believe.
No matter how long you have been away and no matter the reason, we
invite you to consider renewing your relationship with the Catholic
Church. Please join us! For more information, call the Parish
Office, 221-5296... ask for
Twyla.
Give Peace a Chance
The future is more at stake now than it has been in the past, warns
Pope Benedict XVI. But rather grow discouraged, we should redouble
our commitment to peace - so urged the Pontiff in a
state-of-the-world address to diplomats accredited to the Holy See.
"Peace," he said, "cannot be built when military expenses divert
enormous human and material resources from projects for development,
especially the development of the poorest peoples." In particular
the Holy Father said there is "an urgent need to adopt an effective
strategy to fight hunger and to promote local agricultural
development."
Annual Stewardship Appeal – Education Weekend
Everyone who worships in the Cathedral Parish and throughout the
Diocese of Shreveport is invited this week to learn more about our
2009 Appeal Campaign and all it will do to provide for every
Catholic of our region.
Please take advantage of the material made available to you that
highlight the host of programs and ministries that your charitable
dollar makes possible throughout our diocese.
In the coming week, we will all have the opportunity to be
the body of Christ and make a difference by making a pledge to your
2009 Annual Appeal.
Please consider a sacrificial gift to this worthy cause and
encourage your family members and those you worship with to do the
same. Appeal,
next weekend, Feb 14-15.
January
2009
Marriages and Weddings
Dear
Parishioners:
This time of year, I often get the following question:
"Father, can I talk with you about getting married?"
When I hear these words I feel both hope and concern...
hope for this young, excited couple and the prospects of a happy
future and concern that what they want to plan is a true
Church wedding and not merely a social event.
Many young couples truly understand that a wedding lasts for 45-60
minutes and that marriage is for a lifetime.
Many couples appreciate that the Church is more into marriage
"planning" than wedding planning.
Many couples recognize that my concern is more for marriage
than it is for the wedding.
Unfortunately, not all couples have this understanding or
appreciation. Sadly,
some couples "shop around" to find a church that will give them what
they want rather than hearing what the Church wants of them.
The Church has tremendous concern for the sacrament of
marriage. The Church has
a tremendous concern for the happiness of the couples planning
marriage. The Church has
seen too much of the pain caused by separation and divorce.
In trying to assure true respect for the Church, for the
sacrament of marriage, and for those being married, the Diocese has
certain guidelines and most parishes have guidelines for weddings.
[See the front page of the bulletin for some guidelines… see
especially our website for all the details.]
"But Father, isn't this 'my' wedding?"
Yes and no. Yes,
it is your wedding, but it is your wedding "in the Church".
The Church is not a passive participant or an unconcerned
party to this event.
This is not merely a civil ceremony or a social event in an
auditorium. The "Church"
should not merely be "window" dressing or a way of "making nice" a
wedding. So, no, it is not just "your" wedding.
Marriage in the Church is a privilege and a responsibility as
much as it is a right. We expect couples to have some connection to
and participation in Church and Mass.
Otherwise, why ask the Church to witness your marriage?
We expect couples to participate in marriage preparation both
with the priest doing the wedding and in a parish program.
This preparation requires that the couple see the priest 6
months before the wedding.
Some couples actually come in 12 months before the wedding.
Please, come see the priest before you have booked the
place for your reception.
We expect the ceremony to be religious in nature and
prayerful. It is not to
be a show or a performance.
Thus there are guidelines with regard to music, photography,
size of wedding party, and decorations.
After almost 19 years of priesthood and close to 200 weddings, I
have some stories to tell.
It is great to see so many of these couples at Mass, seeing
how they have grown together in faith and family.
For other couples, those who worried about having a "perfect"
wedding, sadly we find out that they never had a marriage.
The Church wants to work with
couples to assure that their wedding is a memorable day.
But, we expect them to work with us to make it a prayerful
day.
May our Lord bless and strengthen those preparing for and already in
the sacrament of marriage.
See the bulletin regarding upcoming seminars for married couples.
Christmas
2008
Dear
Parishioners:
"I bring you good news of a great joy … for to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke
2:10-11).
Today the mystery of Christmas is renewed: this Child who brings
salvation to the world is also born for all of us in our own time,
bringing joy and peace for all.
We approach the crib with love and devotion.
What is it we do there?
From the spiritual point of view, we contemplate God made man,
divine glory hidden beneath the poverty of a Child wrapped in
swaddling clothes and laid in a manger; the Creator of the Universe
reduced to the helplessness of an infant.
Once we accept this paradox, we discover the Truth that sets
us free and the Love that transforms our lives.
When we see our Cathedral Nativity Scene or any other, we
think back to that Bethlehem Night, when the Redeemer becomes one of
us, our Companion along the shaky paths of history.
Let each one of us take the
hand which He stretches out to us: It
is a hand which seeks to take nothing from us, but only to give.
With the shepherds let us enter the stable of Bethlehem beneath the
loving gaze of Mary, the silent witness of His miraculous birth.
May she help us to experience
the happiness of Christmas, may she teach us how to treasure in our
hearts the mystery of God who for our sake became man; and may she
help us to bear witness in our world to His truth, His love and His
peace.
We pray through her intercession: "Together with you, O Virgin
Mother, may we stop and reflect at the manger where the Child lies,
to share your own amazement at the immense "condescension" of God.
Grant us your own eyes, O Mary, that we may understand the
mystery hidden within the frail limbs of your Son.
Teach us to recognize His face in the children of every race
and culture. Help us to
be credible witnesses of His message of peace and love, so that
everyone we meet may also recognize in the Child cradled in your
arms the one Savior of the world, the endless source of that true
peace for which every heart profoundly yearns."
Words of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI:
Dear brothers and sisters, wherever you may
be, may this message of joy and hope reach your ears: God became
man in Jesus Christ, He was born of the Virgin Mary and today He
is reborn in the Church. He
brings to all the love of the Father in heaven.
He is the Savior of the
world! Do not be afraid,
open your hearts to Him and receive Him, so that His Kingdom of love
and peace may become the common legacy of each man and woman.
Happy Christmas!
Pray for those of our Parish Pastoral Council who are reflecting on
our Cathedral Parish, and reviewing and updating our Five Year
Pastoral Plan: our
parish's goals and objectives and priorities in service to the
parish's mission and vision.
Mindful of our rich tradition and vibrant expression of faith
throughout the life of this parish, this pastoral planning will, no
doubt, have a strong influence on the life of the Church in our
parish and school for many years to come.
This upcoming Sunday, as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family,
we pray for the needs of each of our families, and we pray for our
parish family.
Advent 2008
WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS
Be
on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this
virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with
it in epidemic proportions.
This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a
fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.
Some signs & symptoms of The Advent Virus:
A loss of interest in judging other people.
A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
A loss of interest in conflict.
A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
Frequent attacks of smiling.
An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them
happen.
An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well
as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
This virus can and has affected many people.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - -
There is joy in being invited to a Christmas party… Regarding our
upcoming Christmas Masses, remember to invite someone of your
family or a friend whom you think would like to visit, to worship
with us.
Final Advent Holy Hour and Benediction
(5:30 pm)
Wednesday, Dec 17
(St Michael Chapel)
Visit our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament
Sacrament of Penance leaves
us with joy and better disposed to see Christ in others, to perceive
the beauty of God's handiwork, and to have insight on how to
accomplish God's plan in life.
Thus, Advent is a perfect time to seek out this sacrament of
confession.
Visit a little child; explain why we celebrate
Advent & Christmas.
Visit someone in the nursing home or hospital,
or someone who
can't leave home.
Visit our website for links to:
An Advent Calendar for Families, The Advent Mass Readings,
Daily Meditations, etc.
By our prayer and our preparation for the coming of Christ, we will
make this a wonderfully blessed season of Advent!
Christmas Masses: Dec 24, 4pm, 7pm, Midnight, 11am.
Come early & sing Carols.
November 16,
2008
Dear
Parishioners:
Fears… the cause of spiritual
failure
Today's gospel reading is about a man who disbursed his
financial holdings to his three servants and was richly rewarded by
the wise investments of two of them.
This is not meant to be a short course on revenue, profit,
and loss; rather than
focus on funds, the story really focuses on fear.
What Fear Does
It is fear that is
responsible for the third servant's economic malfeasance.
He admits, "Out of fear
I went off and buried your money in the ground."
Fear had paralyzed the
servant, made him over-cautious, unimaginative, and unproductive.
Fear had forced him to play
it too safe; and fear
finally earned for him the stinging rebuke, "You wicked, lazy
servant!"
Fear, the Cause of Our Own
Failure
Our own fear is so often the cause of our spiritual failure, the
reason for our low and slow returns for all the good things God has
given to us.
w
We are fearful of the past, the present, and the future.
w
We are fearful of changes in the Church & in our country.
w
We are fearful of not being able to please everybody.
w
We are fearful of making mistakes.
Fear takes all the risk, all the joy, all the adventure and surprise
out of life. Fear makes us
clutch and cling to our time, to our talents, and to our
temporalities. We are afraid
that when we do invest our time, our talents, and our treasure in
the service of God and of one another we will soon go bankrupt.
Give and It Shall Be Given to
You
We are afraid to trust the Lord, who continually challenges us to
generosity.
"Give and it shall be given
to you. Good measure pressed
down, shaken together, running over, will they pour into the fold of
your garment. For the measure
you measure with will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38)
Whenever we celebrate the Eucharist we learn the return that Jesus
is able to give. We invest a
little bread and wine in this celebration.
But we receive a
better-than-billion return--the precious Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ! It is this kind of
compassionate, overflowing love that casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
Because of our huge Fall Festival, we are not having a big
Stewardship Campaign this year.
I express my gratitude to you, to all parishioners - both
past and present - whose loyalty, dedication and selfless charity
have helped to shape our parish into a strong Christian presence in
our community and the place we know as our spiritual home.
80 years ago, in January, 1929, our church was consecrated,
and it stands today as a testament to the commitment of generations
of parishioners who sacrificed so that we might worship here today.
Their efforts truly stand as a lasting reminder of what can
be accomplished through prayer and sacrifice.
The campaign to build the church began in 1927 and the pastor asked
each family to contribute one dollar a week.
This may not seem much for the small congregation then, but
this was quite a sacrifice as $1.00 in 1927 = $12.39 in 2008 !
This is still the time for thoughtful consideration of church
support. While it
remains my distinct privilege to serve as your pastor, always
remember that the parish belongs to you, the present generation of
parishioners.
The future of this Cathedral Parish rests in your
hands for you are the future of this parish.
Whether you are new to the parish or have been a long-standing
member, I pray that you will be generous in a manner that reflects
your care and concern for this fine parish.
Remember that the Lord will not be outdone in generosity.
May God bless you.
October 5, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
Respect Life
October is traditionally a time to reflect on issues of life and the
dignity of all human beings at all stages and circumstances of life,
the complete teaching of the Church on the issues of life.
Obviously, every liturgy of
the year, not just October, is meant to call all the baptized to a
deeper respect for life. We
simply highlight it this month.
The Catholic Church upholds a consistent life ethic that can
be outlined in this way:
w
Each human life is sacred and is to be protected and honored,
from the moment of its conception to its natural death.
w
The protection of human life is a matter of biblical justice.
In order for society to be just, it must work for the protection of
life in all situations.
w
All issues that deal with the growth, development and
protection of persons are intimately related to one another and thus
should be addressed as one over-arching issue.
Today, we focus on what we should be doing each day of our lives…
respecting life and working to instill a respect for human life at
all stages. We pray for
and seek to bring about a conversion of heart & mind for all people
to be open to God's special gift of life.
Created in the image and likeness of God, each of us is unique and
special. And, each of us
has a responsibility to God, self and others to nurture, protect and
sustain life at all stages of existence.
Abortion and capital punishment, and increasingly euthanasia,
play the central negative roles that strike against the sanctity of
life.
This day let us all pray that we may be sensitive to life at its
dawning and life in its twilight, sensitive to the rights of the
unborn and the dignity of the age-worn, respecting life from the
womb to the tomb.
We will not see the day when all human life is respected and
defended unless we address a deeper problem. As Pope Benedict XVI
has said:
"If truth does not exist for man, then neither can he
ultimately distinguish between good and evil.
And then the great and
wonderful discoveries of science become double-edged:
they can open up significant
possibilities for good, for the benefit of mankind, but also, as we
see only too clearly, they can pose a terrible threat, involving the
destruction of man and the world. We
need truth" (Homily, Sept. 8, 2007).
Days after Pope Benedict's homily, the New Jersey Supreme
Court claimed to have no way of knowing the truth about "when human
life begins." Dismissing a
lawsuit against an abortion clinic which concealed the truth about
abortion from women, the Court claimed there is "clearly no
consensus" on whether, as matter of "biological fact," the unborn
child is a "human being." The
Court cited "moral, theological, & ideological" disagreement to
ignore biological fact. We
need truth.
Some ethicists suggest that patients who apparently lack
conscious awareness – although otherwise healthy and not imminently
dying – can be dehydrated and starved to death because their lives
are not fully human but "vegetative."
This ignores the insight expressed in 2004 by Pope John Paul
II and recently reaffirmed by the Holy See under Pope Benedict XVI,
that "the intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being
do not change, no matter what the concrete circumstances of his or
her life. A man, even if seriously ill or disabled in the
exercise of his highest functions, is and always will be a man,
and he will never become a ‘vegetable' or an ‘animal'."
We
need truth.
On this Respect Life Sunday, Catholics and all people of good
will must witness to the truth about the incomparable dignity and
right to life of every human being. This
is not just for Catholics. In
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, we
read that the "recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal
and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."
And that is the truth.
{cf: Cardinal Bevilaqua, Philadelphia, 2007}
September 14, 2008
Next Sunday:
Catechetical Sunday
Parents have the primary role in such education;
catechists (the teachers) assist in passing the faith on to the next
generation. Our
catechists strive to make the teachings of our Church alive in the
children's hearts, giving them a strong spiritual foundation that
will last a lifetime. We
pray: Jesus Christ, our
Divine Teacher, Keep all catechists faithful ministers of your
Church, so that, having taught others, they may be found faithful in
your service. Amen.
Another group with a special role in a child's Catholic formation…
Godparents!
From its very title you can see that this role is connected with
"God" and therefore
belongs primarily to the realm of the spiritual and the holy.
It is not a
reward for past deeds, and certainly not connected with civil
guardianship or future care of the child.
The Godparent's role is
a sacred responsibility,
to participate and share in the
godchild's Catholic
life and education. What
a privilege! In the
Rite of Baptism the godparents
are addressed thus:
"Are you ready to help the
parents of these children in their duty as Christian parents?"
Presumably, after due reflection the new Godparent
answers "Yes."
In other words, the role is
to assist the parents in
guiding their child to know God and to belong to
his Church in the
fullest way possible.
Godparents,
how can you nurture & develop this spiritual relationship:
Celebrate each anniversary
of Baptism with a visit, a card, an appropriate gift
(such as a bible, religious books/goods, etc) or a phone call.
Send a kids' Catholic magazine to them...
Mark each sacramental
milestone with a special card or appropriate gift.
Be present for his/her First Reconciliation, First Communion
and Confirmation.
Be supportive of your
godchild's parents
in their role as Christian parents and primary educators of their
child.
Use this wonderful opportunity to review your own faith life and
practice.
Become a model of Christian
living for your Godchild through
daily prayer, weekly attendance at Mass and participation in
the life of your own parish.
Schedule a Mass Intention
for him/her… take them to Mass… tell them about the Baptism;
show the pictures…
When the initial delight & pride of your choice as
godparent has evaporated, you still remain in this
sacred responsibility, a
responsibility you undertook before God and
his Church, in
response to that invitation.
Try to remain faithful to that invitation & active in the
life of your Godchild.
It is after the Baptism ceremony that your real work begins!
July 20, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
Though many people go on vacation these summer months, the number of
new parishioners
continues to grow! Thanks for
making the Cathedral Parish your spiritual home!
[If you have not formally registered with the parish, you
can do so ON LINE… in the left hand column of our website.]
As a parish, we count our
many blessings. Parishioners volunteer hundreds of hours each
month, and for that we are thankful – they help make this a vibrant
parish! So many
generously donate money to the parish throughout the year, and for
that we are thankful, for they help support ministries and
activities in the parish.
And today, thanks to so many parishioners, we continue to
reap the benefits of the newly renovated spaces on campus, all of
which enhance our liturgies, fellowship and education opportunities,
and for that we are thankful!
Regarding our debt, where are
we now?
Since we had set Christmas 2008 as our goal to pay off
the $1.4 million debt, we have made a special push – for BOTH debt
reduction AND special projects around the parish and the school.
Last month, Msgr. LaCaze and I, along with Finance Council
members, invited parishioners and friends of the cathedral to join
us for dinner. I spoke
of ways to reduce the debt
and to raise money for
special projects for this year and next.
Seventeen (17) donations were made, in cash and stocks:
$518,000! (Others
have made nice pledges!)
Now, our remaining debt regarding Renovations of 2006-2008 projects
is at $178,000! We
are confident that we will be able to raise a good amount with our
Fall Festival – an
occasion for fellowship and fundraising in November!
How nice will it be to no
longer have this debt?
Well, did you know:
Each month the parish sets aside a little over $9,400 to meet the
renovation debt note.
Imagine the possibilities once the debt is paid - those funds will
be freed up to do even more in our parish – offer fellowship
opportunities, further develop music ministries, expand our meeting
spaces and so much more.
Help with the Fall Festival… and/or join the list of contributors.
[Several parishioners were able to make sizeable contributions
because of lease money received from the
Hayneville Shale.
On behalf of the Cathedral Parish, a big thanks to all who
give of their ‘first fruits' – who give cheerfully, in gratitude for
their financial blessings.]
Bring binoculars to church.
Aug 2-3…
July 31 = feast of St Ignatius.
The weekend following, after
the 4, 8 & 5:30 Masses
(and at 10:15, before the
11 Mass) we will look at all
our stained glass windows, focusing on the many windows telling the
life of St Ignatius. Fr.
Peter will talk about the art of the cathedral.
40th Anniversary of Humanae
Vitae
On July 25, 1968, Pope Paul VI gave us an Encyclical Letter entitled
"Humanae Vitae" (Latin for "Of Human Life").
This encyclical is subtitled "On the Regulation of Birth."
Pope Paul VI clearly re-affirms the traditional Church teachings on
many issues of human life, most especially the teachings on abortion
and contraception. The
encyclical was written on the heels of the appearance of the first
oral contraceptives in the 1960s, which lead many in the Church to
voice that changes were needed in the Church's teachings.
Pope Paul VI clearly stated that the Church's teachings had
not changed, and encouraged forms of Natural Family Planning (NFP)
which were being developed at that time.
Many recognized a strong link between contraception and
abortion, and NFP could be a solution to both.
Pope Paul VI stated
"an act of mutual love, which is detrimental to the faculty of
propagating life, which God the Creator of all, has implanted in it
according to special laws, is in contradiction to both the divine
plan, according to whose norm matrimony has been instituted, and the
will of the Author of human life.
To use this divine gift destroying, even if only partially,
its meaning and its purpose is to contradict the nature both of man
and of woman and of their most intimate relationship, and therefore
it is to contradict also the plan of God and His will."
And his teachings continue, for shortly after becoming pope, John
Paul II gave a series of talks entitled "Theology of the Body",
which restated some of the teachings of Humanae Vitae, most
especially that the practice of artificial contraception was not
permitted by Catholic teaching under any circumstances.
In recent years, there has been a resurging support of this
topic from well-known speakers who have developed programs based on
Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body.
Want to learn more? Visit: nfpoutreach.org.
June 29, 2008
"The Year of St. Paul"
June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009
Pope Benedict XVI has decreed that the Church will celebrate a
special Jubilee Year, commemorating the 2,000th anniversary of the
Saint's birth. Pope Benedict
said:
"…As in early times, today too, Christ needs apostles ready to
sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St. Paul.
Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell
to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus,
did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed
him without second thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for Him
he suffered and died. How timely his example is today!"
Look for activities, classes, liturgies… Read Paul's letters.
A special spiritual and educational MISSION will be offered
by a Paulist Priest, here, Sep 27 – Oct 1.
(mark your calendar)
June 22, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
Next week begins
"the Year of St Paul"
Pray for our youth and their catechists and all helpers as they
begin VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – June 23 - 27,
9 AM till Noon
As our youth learn about St Paul and his life and writings,
we too, can learn much about this apostle by reading and praying
with Prayers of St. Paul found in Sacred Scripture:
I. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant
you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ
Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... Now may the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:5-6, 13)
II. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in
all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with
the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians
1:3-4).
III. ...making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of
wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the
eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is
the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of
His power toward us who believe... (Ephesians 1:16-19)
IV. ...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner
man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and
depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians
3:16-19)
V. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in
real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the
things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless
until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of
righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and
praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)
VI. ...we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power,
according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all
steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of
light. (Colossians 1:9-12)
June 15, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
"The heart of Jesus was moved with pity"
At the sight of the crowds,
Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled
and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to
His disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so
ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
Of course, by "heart" scripture
doesn't mean the vital organ that pumps blood through the body, but
rather as the seat of the whole inner-life: the inner-person which
God sees – very distinct from the "outward appearance"
man sees. In this
Biblical sense, the "heart" is the abode of the love of God and
neighbor, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, the meeting place
of Jesus and His followers.
Why was the heart of
Jesus moved with pity?
Because the people were like sheep without a shepherd.
Don't just think of this passage as meaning we have
to pray for more priests (which each of us must do, no doubt!)
We are already followers of Christ and are thus already
intimately involved in God's plan.
Christ worked in the harvest.
His followers worked in the harvest.
WE must work
in the harvest.
Working in the harvest is not something
added on to the
normal activity of the Christian; having the compassion signified by
the heart of Jesus is not something
added on to the normal activity of the Christian.
It is part and parcel of the Christian life itself: a loving concern
for family, friends, colleagues, fellow parishioners for the poor,
outcasts – everyone.
May each one of us always remember that this is God's harvest, that
we are a part of His flock, and that He will provide for its
welfare. Part of the way
He has already provided for its welfare is by able, capable people
like yourselves. May we
of the Cathedral Parish cooperate with the divine plan, and follow
the life giving example of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
§ 478 Jesus knew
and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his
Passion and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God ...
loved me and gave himself for me."
He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation,
"is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that ...
love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal
Father and all human beings" without exception.
May 25, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
Welcome
to your Cathedral, Bishop Duca
Over a
year and a half has past without our own bishop sitting in the
cathedra. That changes today, the first Sunday since the
ordination of the second bishop of Shreveport, His Excellency, Most
Reverend Michael Duca.
Since
Bishop Duca was ordained outside his cathedral, a special ritual
takes place today: "The Reception of the Bishop in his
Cathedral Church." This ceremony, before the beginning of
the Mass, is rich in symbolism – including:
·
our new
bishop knocking on the cathedral doors,
·
the doors
opening to him,
·
his
kissing a crucifix,
·
sprinkling of holy water,
·
praying
before the Blessed Sacrament,
·
sitting
in the cathedra while the congregation remains standing.
The
ritual and accompanying prayers are simple and beautiful.
We
welcome our bishop to his new home,
the place
from which he teaches, governs, and sanctifies not only our
parishioners, but all the Catholic people of our diocese. Each
Cathedral is more than just another parish because of its
unique place in a local Church. Given the fact that the
Cathedral is the mother church of the diocese, a Cathedral in
a certain sense belongs to all the people of the diocese, with the
bishop as shepherd. The Cathedral is to be a model for all the
churches of the diocese.
"Hope
in the Lord"
Bishop
Duca
has chosen as his "episcopal motto" a theme that recurs in the
psalms and is prayed virtually every day in the Divine Office: the
theme "Hope in the Lord." So many of the psalms conclude with a
prayer of trusting in, waiting for, and hoping in the Lord. The
phrase allows the one praying to place the emphasis in his life
where it ought to be: seeking God's plan and trusting in the
Lord's power.
"Take courage and be stouthearted, all you who hope in the Lord."
Ps 31:25
The
ending of Psalm 31 introduces two actions to this prayer of trust.
We are invited to take courage and to be "stout of heart" as we
hope in the Lord. Bishop Duca knows that our world desperately
needs men and women of courage and encouragement. I am confident
that the Diocese of Shreveport will experience these blessings to
the full as together,
under the leadership of our new shepherd, we place our hope in Him
who is our Savior and Lord. Let us together pray that we will never
cease to "Hope in the Lord."
The
sheepfold of the Diocese of Shreveport is few in number but great in
need of a message of full of hope. No doubt: If the Lord
is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. We pray God's
choicest blessings upon Bishop Duca who guides us on a path of hope,
who preaches that Christ's promise fills us with sure hope.
It is
with joy and thanksgiving that we welcome Bishop Duca to his
Cathedral parish. He brings his experience in the varied
pastoral assignments he has held as well as his many talents to his
leadership of the Church of north Louisiana. I am confident
that he will appreciate the giftedness of our community as he
shepherds us with courage and compassion.
April 27, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
PROMISES
We've often heard the old adage:
Promises are made to be broken. "I promise I'll call you
before the end of
the week." But the call is not made.
"I promise I'll write you." "I promise I won't tell a soul."
Familiar promises? We make them and then we break them.
Unbroken Promises
In today's gospel (Jn 14:15-21), Jesus
makes 3 promises:
·
First, He promises that He will pray for us ("I will ask the
Father..."). Wow! Who better to intercede for us than
the Son of God, Jesus Himself? And He makes this promise
without our even asking it of Him. No one can top this kind of
promise.
·
Second, Jesus promises to send the Paraclete, an uncommon word in
our vocabulary, to be sure. But Advocate, Counselor, Consoler,
and Comforter are words we often use, and that is what the Paraclete
is. Jesus promises us the Spirit of truth, who will give us
the guidance we need to make difficult decisions.
·
And finally, Jesus promises us that he himself is with us in our
daily lives. We who have faith live in daily communion with Jesus.
We talk to him, listen to him, consult with him, and are guided and
inspired by him.
Jesus doesn't break promises like we do.
He keeps his word. In fact, as John tells us at the beginning
of his Gospel, Jesus IS the Word! Certainly, it is not too
difficult to love and keep the commandments of one who promises us
so much. Right?
Words
of POPE BENEDICT XVI while in USA
"Authority" … "obedience". To be frank,
these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these
represent a "stumbling stone" for many of our contemporaries,
especially in a society which rightly places a high value on
personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ -
"the way and the truth and the life" - we come to see the fullest
meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel
teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God,
is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of
love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly
find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn
away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and
weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness
in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In
his will is our peace".
So let us lift our gaze upward! And with
great humility and confidence, let us ask the Spirit to enable us
each day to grow in the holiness that will make us living
stones in the temple which he is even now raising up in the midst of
our world. If we are to be true forces of unity, let us be the first
to seek inner reconciliation through penance. Let us forgive the
wrongs we have suffered and put aside all anger and contention. Let
us be the first to demonstrate the humility and purity of heart
which are required to approach the splendor of God's truth. In
fidelity to the deposit of faith entrusted to the Apostles (cf. 1
Tim 6:20), let us be joyful witnesses of the transforming power of
the Gospel!
In the finest traditions of the Church in
this country, may you also be the first friend of the poor, the
homeless, the stranger, the sick and all who suffer. Act as
beacons of hope, casting the light of Christ upon the world, and
encouraging young people to discover the beauty of a life given
completely to the Lord and his Church. I make this plea in a
particular way to the many seminarians and young religious present.
All of you have a special place in my heart. Never forget that you
are called to carry on, with all the enthusiasm and joy that the
Spirit has given you, a work that others have begun, a legacy that
one day you too will have to pass on to a new generation. Work
generously and joyfully, for he whom you serve is the Lord!
[After the
"Vice-Pope"
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB wished the pope a Happy Third
Anniversary of his pontificate at the close of yesterday morning's
St Patrick's
Mass, the pontiff offered a spontaneous word of thanks:
]
At this moment I can only thank you for
your love of the Church and Our Lord, and for the love which you
show to the poor Successor of Saint Peter. I will try to do all
that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who
also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the
rock for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual
poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord's grace, the
Successor of Peter.
It is also your prayers and your love
which give me the certainty that the Lord will help me in this my
ministry. I am therefore deeply grateful for your love and for your
prayers.
April 13, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
NEW BISHOP
April 1, 2008, Pope Benedict named
Msgr Michael Duca, 55, the longtime rector of Dallas' Holy
Trinity Seminary, as our new bishop! For the 1st
time in our history, a bishop will be ordained in our cathedral.
(Remember: Bishop Friend had already been ordained when he came to
Shreveport). We expect many clergy of Shreveport and Dallas,
sisters, family and friends of Bishop-Elect Duca, public
dignitaries, & a representation of all parishes throughout our
diocese, thus, FYI: the May 19th ordination itself will
be by invitation only.
Bishop-elect Duca said "I am humbled and
honored by the Pope's decision to appoint me as Bishop of the
Diocese of Shreveport. It is an incredible blessing that I look
forward to!"
We looked for to welcoming the second
bishop of our diocese!
As we experience a shortage of priests,
the Holy Spirit provides us a shepherd who has served as Vocations
Director and as a director of a seminary.
Currently, the Diocese of Shreveport,
with its 27 parishes and 14 missions, has 22 diocesan active
priests, (11 between ages 60-80). Our own Msgr. LaCaze is a
youthful 78 this year! As Msgr. enjoys ‘senior priest' status,
he does not have a term of office. He is free to retire at any
time. (The day may arrive when but one priest is assigned to the
Cathedral Parish and its mission of St. Catherine.)
Pastoral Changes:
Fr. Scully of St Clement in Vivian has retired. Effective May
7, Fr. James McLelland leaves St. Catherine's to care for the Vivian
community (while assisting at Schumpert & Holy Angels). Msgr. &
Fr. Peter take over pastoral responsibilities of St. Catherine's May
7.
Fr. Peter has also been appointed the
chaplain of Loyola, effective June 1, for a term of three years.
Current Cathedral Weekend Mass Schedule:
Sat: 4:00 pm; Sun:
8:30, 11 and 5:30.
Current St. Catherine Weekend Mass Schedule:
Sat: 4:30 pm; Sun:
10:30
We foresee a change in Mass time
soon:
Cathedral 8:30
à
8:00 St. Catherine's 10:30
à
9:30
Thus, one priest is able to cover
the three morning Masses when needed: 8:00 – 9:30 – 11:00.
It is our hope and prayer that these changes will not
inconvenience you too much.
Did you know that Canon Law states that no priest is to celebrate
more than three Masses on a Sunday or more than two on a weekday?!
April 1, 2008
Pope
Benedict names Msgr Michael Duca, the longtime rector of Dallas'
Holy Trinity Seminary, as our new bishop.
more about Bishop-Elect
Easter 2008
Dear Parishioners:
HAPPY EASTER
The Sacredness of the Mass
At each Mass, we commemorate that Christ has died, Christ is RISEN,
Christ will come again. Back in September 2007, I
wrote a pastor's column informing everyone that Pope Benedict XVI
had issued an important letter regarding the Mass, a letter which
permitted the "Latin Mass" as it was celebrated in 1962 at the time
of the Second Vatican Council (extraordinary form of the Mass) AND
which stressed
the sacredness of the Mass that we celebrate today (ordinary
form of the Mass). Our Holy Father says that:
What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great
for us too… It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have
developed in the Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their
proper place.
In this context, the pope exhorts the
whole Church to "generously open our hearts and make room for
everything that the faith itself allows."
What has the pope been doing since then? He appointed a new Master of Ceremonies who
focuses on the reverence and tradition of the Mass. He has
been:
·
wearing more traditional vestments,
·
placing a cross and candles on the altar,
·
referring frequenting to the saints of old,
·
saying Mass with many parts in Latin,
·
offering Mass ad orientem facing East (in same direction as
congregation),
·
highlighting the pride of place Gregorian chant has in the Catholic
liturgy, etc.
Though I know our cathedral parish is not
St Peter's, I have been trying to follow the lead of His Holiness,
to strive to "offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty ‘for the
praise and glory of his name' and ‘for the good of all his Holy
Church;'" to highlight the sacredness of the Mass by reaching
back to our tradition, all to enhance our appreciation for the
"value and holiness" of the Mass when it is "celebrated with great
reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives," and not
subject to arbitrary changes and "creativity" of the priests.
**
What has the regularly attending
parishioner noticed over the past months? Treasures of the
Church's tradition have been highlighted by our
·
use of Latin: Sanctus (Holy Holy), Agnus Dei (Lamb of God),
·
Gregorian Chant,
·
new vestments for the altar servers and priest,
·
cross and candles on the altar,
·
new sacred vessels holding the hosts,
· attention
to reverence by Altar Servers, Lectors & Ministers of Holy
Communion,
·
Mass Programs to aid in our worship,
·
Masses in Latin, traditional postures, novenas, etc.
·
Some have started to learn Mass responses in Latin.
I personally appreciate that we have done
what our pope has exhorted us to do, that we "generously open our
hearts & make room for everything the faith itself allows."
What can parishioners expect over the
next months? More of the same! I can foresee a day soon,
in which the Masses of a given weekend have even more attention to
all liturgical ministries, a Mass in Latin (extraordinary form), a
Mass in English celebrated ad orientem facing East (with the
priest on the same side of the altar as the congregation), etc.
Why?
As the Cathedral, the mother church of
the diocese and a model of graceful and exemplary liturgy, let
us all participate in "[w]hat
earlier generations held as sacred… to preserve the riches which
have developed in the Church's faith and prayer…" This will
afford
the opportunity to attend such a Mass unfamiliar to many of us,
despite being the norm of Christian worship for nearly all of our
history. Let us at least experience practices of our own
tradition that are still allowed; let us continue to respond
to the leadership of our Holy Father, who reminds us that what has
been held sacred by all generations of Christians is to be held
sacred by us. No matter what, let us do what we can to
strengthen our union with the Lord Jesus and deepen our capacity to
worship the Father in Spirit and truth.
I pray that we all remain open to the genuine renewal of the Mass
and that we treasure the sanctity of the Mass.
*Further studies: In Feb 2007, Pope
Benedict XVI published an Apostolic Exhortation on the Most Holy
Eucharist entitled Sacramentum Caritatis in which he
discusses the need for priests to cultivate a proper ars
celebrandi or art of celebrating the liturgy. In that
document, the pope teaches that "the primary way to foster the
participation of the People of God in the sacred rite is the
proper celebration of the rite itself," and an essential part of
that work is removing the celebrant from the center of attention
so that priest and people together can turn towards the LORD.
Accomplishing this task of restoring God-centered liturgy
is one of the main reasons for highlighting the sense of the
sacred at Mass and the need for appropriate reverence, restoring
some of the practices that were lost.
March
9, 2008
Dear
Parishioners:
CATCH YOUR BREATH
Think
about breathing. Think about not breathing. When was the
last time you thought about your breathing? When someone is in
danger of death through drowning or a heart attack, the first
emergency procedure is CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The
first necessity is to restore breathing along with heartbeat.
Breath is
a sign of life. It's a sign that keeps being renewed. We
can't live very long on the breath we just took; we can't live
forever on the next breath. Neither can we live without it.
It is a gift of life that is given again every minute.
God's CPR
The dry bones of Ezekiel's vision are very dead! (1st Rdg: Ez
37:12-14) God tells Ezekiel to call the four winds to
blow over them. Then God promises to breathe life into them,
to breathe into them so that they begin to breathe on their own.
They breathe with God's breath. Their life is given again with
every breath.
The
creation story in Genesis 2 says that we all live by the breath of
God, by the spirit of God. If we don't have breath within us,
if we don't have God's Spirit within us, we are dead. (2nd Rdg: Rom
8:8-11)
The gift
of God's Spirit comes to us through Christ. It is Christ who
restored breath to us when we were dead in sin. It is Christ
who pulled us through the waters of baptism into the breath of new
life. It is Christ who will bring us through death into
resurrection. Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead and
shows that those who believe in Him will live eternally. Jesus
is the Resurrection and the Life. What Lazarus might say to us
are the words Eugene O'Neill put on his lips:
Laugh with me! Death is dead! Fear no more!
There is only laughter! There is only
life!
We
believe that eternal life does not begin with physical death;
eternal life has its beginnings now, and in fact began when God
created our souls at our conception. And eternal death is not
the separation of the soul from the body, but separation of the soul
from God. May we live with eternal life within us and with
eternal life as our goal. Just a few more weeks until our
celebration of the Resurrection! Remain faithful to your
Lenten Resolutions. Have a prayer-fast-almsgiving-filled week.
Miraculous Novena of Grace (March 4 -March 12). See our
website for all the details and prayers.
Thank you
for all who are already contributed to the Diocesan Stewardship
Appeal. This is an important Appeal; and every gift counts!
Ushers & Altar Servers prepare for Holy Week
USHERS MEETING & Appreciation
Dinner
Tuesday,
March 11: 6:00 – 8pm
The usher is the first and last of
the ministers seen at church – they strive to offer a warm
welcome to everyone who enters our beautiful Cathedral.
They seat people at appropriate times, distribute the Mass
Program on the way in and the bulletin on the way out.
They take up the collection and assist with the Presentation of
Gifts. Thank you, Ushers, for your ministry!!
Altar Server Practice
& Appreciation Lunch
Saturday, March 15: 10:00 – 1:00
All
current servers will meet to prepare for the upcoming Masses,
practice using incense and learn some of the minor changes in
serving the Mass.
Our
altar servers have made great strides this year in their
reverent service at the altar.
Thank you, Servers, for your ministry!!
Baptismal Seminar this Wednesday
(each 2nd Wed of odd months) see webpage for all details.
Next
Sunday is Palm Sunday.
Please, return all Operation Rice Bowls to benefit Catholic Relief
Services. Thanks for all the gifts you have purchased to
benefit the Renzi Center !
February 24, 2008
Parish Penance Service – Six Priest Confessors
Tomorrow,
Monday, at 5:30, we have the opportunity to go to confession.
So many of you have already gone this Lent – this service is an
opportunity for those of you who have not yet gone. I can't
help but wonder if people deny themselves the opportunity to
experience God's mercy (and the peace that comes with confession)
because they have simply forgotten what to do & say. So, here
is your Cheat Sheet. Cut it out… bring it with you. Jot
down some sins.
Prepare
for Confession
Step One
Examine your conscience, as well as the recent events in your life;
acknowledge your sins.
Step Two
Make the sign of the cross and tell the priest how long it has been
since your last confession. You might use the traditional opening:
Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been X weeks (mos/yrs)
since my last confession.
Step
Three Confess your sins (not your spouse's
or co-worker's). Do not rationalize away your sins (no need to
justify why you did, just humbly state your sins).
Step Four
Tell the priest when you are done confessing your sins. You might
use the traditional closing: "For these & all my sins, I am truly
sorry and ask for absolution & penance."
Step Five
Receive the penance from the priest, which often involves a number
of prayers or prescribed actions to atone for your sins.
Step Six
Make an act of contrition.
Step
Seven Thank the priest after he gives you
absolution, and then leave the confessional and perform your
penance.
"
" "
" "
" "
"
In the
Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Bless
me Father, for I have sinned. It has been X weeks (mos/yrs)
since my last confession.
These
are my sins. [Confess sins here]
For
these & all my sins, I am truly sorry and ask for absolution &
penance. [When asked by the priest, pray the following, or
something similar:]
Act of
Contrition O my God, I am
heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my
sins because of thy just punishment, but most of all because
they have offended thee, my God who art all good and deserving
of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to
sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
February 10, 2008
Dear
Parishioners:
Led by the Spirit
Imagine
Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert … spending forty days
and nights alone, fasting, deep in thought and prayer about His
life. Even for us, without ever physically going to a desert,
we can imagine ourselves being led by the Spirit to a quiet place,
and just as Jesus did, we take time to reflect on our life and to
pray … the Season of Lent, in a special way, calls us to that
"desert" place, for forty days of reflection and prayer and response
to the call to conversion … and we ask ourselves, what will I be
doing during these next few weeks of Lent?
The
Tempter
After
forty days of fasting, the tempter visited Jesus! Just as
Jesus faced His tempter and temptations, so we must also do.
The season of Lent is a time for us to consider what temptations we
have in our life, and to pray for God's help to face them and then "send them away"! What in our life keeps us focused only on
ourselves and pulls us away from God and others?
Lent - A
Time for Conversion
We are
called to be transformed, as we to turn away from one thing in our
life, we turn to or return to God = conversion. We are
reminded that the message of Lent is one of joyful hope – how can we
joyfully approach the days of Lent? Our priorities and how we
spend our time say a lot about us as individuals and as a Church
Family. During the Season of Lent, the disciplines of prayer,
fasting and almsgiving serve as a guide to how we can spend our
time. How can we put these disciplines into practice?
Are you able to devote an extra hour each week to attend a weekday
Mass? Or Friday Stations of the Cross? Or Wednesday Vespers?
Maybe you have time to devote to those in need in our area?
Pick up a copy of the "Lent at the Cathedral" booklet and consider
how you might live out the Corporal Works of Mercy!
May this
be a Lent filled with joy, conversion, acts of charity, and peace
for you
and your family!
Today is World Day of Marriage – special blessings
to all married couples! Want to learn more about how to enrich
your married life? Visit our website; scroll down, in left column
and click on "For Your Marriage" which will link you to a resource
from the U.S. Bishops, which offer couples guidance to promote and
strengthen marriage!
The
Age of Fundamentalism Classes begins this Wed, Feb 13 (6:30pm,
Library)!
Dr. Huff
will address the significance of the rise of fundamentalist
movements in world religions and the Catholic responses! Call to
register.
St.
John's School Registration continues for Pre-K 3 thru 8th Grade!
Call the school office for information or an appointment for a
private tour, 221-6005.
"The
Seven Last Words of Christ" Lenten Retreat on Sunday-Monday,
March 9 & 10. Our retreat leader, Dianne Rachal, of the
diocesan Office of Worship, will focus on "The Seven Last Words of
Christ"! What a wonderful two evenings of prayer and reflection!
January 27, 2008
Dear Parishioners:
Catholic Schools Week Jan 27 - Feb 3
First of all, a word of thanks for all
who made our School Info Socials the success they were.
We visited St Elizabeth Ann Seton and St Jude parishes. We
found many people responsive and favorable to Catholic education in
general and our school in particular. A number of ‘older'
parents admitted that transferring their children from their current
schools might be too disruptive for their children. The best
response was from ‘younger' parents. I am very grateful
to our parents who continue to send their children to our school.
Several months ago, Pope Benedict XVI,
wrote to the pastors of the world:
"I encourage you to continue your efforts to promote Catholic
schools, which provide an integral education at the service of
families and of the transmission of faith. Their role, despite the
great difficulties they can encounter, is essential to enabling
young people to acquire a sound human, cultural and religious
formation."
So, I continue in my efforts to promote
Catholic education and to promote our school. I am grateful
to my parents for choosing to send me & my four younger brothers
to Catholic schools. In ways I did not know as a student, I
now understand the sacrifices they made because of the cost of
educating us at Christ the King in Bossier (the older three) and
here at St John's (the younger two). How grateful we are that
they set as a top priority our education in an environment imbued
with the faith and values and traditions of the Catholic Church!
SJB is blessed with a principal and
teachers who involve their students in a formation experience to
direct and accompany, in the light of the Good News, their search,
not only for knowledge but also for meaning in life. Only in
the context of faith lived in an atmosphere of love can a person
truly come to know and love themselves as God knows and loves them.
Our school is committed to assist parents, the primary educators of
their children in the ways of faith and life, to acquire the "sound
human, cultural and religious formation" of which our Holy Father
speaks.
The Cathedral Parish is proud of its
59-year tradition of educational and formation of youth. We
are thrilled with all the renewed excitement and interest in our
school, evident by the waiting lists for several grades!
Word is out in the Shreveport-Bossier area about us! They
have heard that we have:
An Environment that Nourishes the Soul
A Curriculum that Enlightens the Mind
Teaching that Excites the Imagination
Strong Foundations that Last a Lifetime
Excellence You Can Believe In!
SJB
Pride!
Join us
for our Open House after the 11:00 Mass today, Jan 27.
Private tours available by appointment with the Principal, Mrs.
Jo Cazes (221-2006).
plenary indulgence
Pope Benedict XVI has extended the
opportunity for the faithful to receive a plenary indulgence on
the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the
Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France.
"In order to draw increased fruits of
renewed sanctity from this holy anniversary, the Supreme Pontiff
Benedict XVI has decided to concede the gift of Plenary Indulgence
to the faithful under the usual conditions (within a week:
sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping
with the intentions of the Holy Father), in the following ways:
1. Visit Lourdes between Dec 8,
2007 & Dec 8, 2008.
2. During the week of the
anniversary of the first apparition, (Feb 2, 2008 through Feb 11,
2008), visit "in any church, grotto or decorous place, the blessed
image of that same Virgin of Lourdes, solemnly exposed for public
veneration, and before the image participate in a pious exercise of
Marian devotion, or at least pause for an appropriate space of time
in prayer and with pious meditations, concluding with the recital of
the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, ... and the invocation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary."
At the Cathedral public veneration of the image of the Virgin of
Lourdes will take place:
·
after the Masses of Ash Wednesday
·
after the Stations of the Cross, Fri, Feb 8,
·
on the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes, Mon, Feb 11.
Confessions
for the Plenary Indulgence will be heard:
·
Sat Feb 2 & 9 (beginning at 3 pm)
·
after the Stations of the Cross on Friday Feb 8.
FYI: There is also a provision for
those who are unable to fulfill the previous two ways of obtaining
the indulgence. Those who "through sickness, old age or other
legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain
the Plenary Indulgence ... if, with the soul completely removed from
attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing,
as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, on the days Feb 2 -
11, 2008, in their hearts they spiritually visit the above-mentioned
places and recite those prayers, trustingly offering to God, through
Mary, the sickness and discomforts of their lives."
ALSO, Feb 9-10, at all the Masses, in conjunction with the World Day
of Prayer for the Sick,
we will offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the
Sick for everyone in the parish who is ill, chronically ill,
about to undergo surgery, or frail because of age.
Please, bring a loved one or a friend for the reception of the
Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist.
Ash
Wednesday
Masses: 8:15, 9:30, 12:05, 5:30
Weds of
Lent: 5:30pm, Solemn Vespers & Benediction
Fridays
of Lent: 5:30pm, Stations of the Cross
Monday,
Feb 25, Parish Penance Service, 5:30 pm
Christmas 2007
Dear
Parishioners:
Merry Christmas
We use so many
words in so many songs, on so many greeting cards, in so many
television specials, and in so many sermons to say what Christmas
is. But only one word is
necessary: EMMANUEL.
That one word "Emmanuel" is heard in today's first reading (Isaiah
7:10-14). It is
the word that the Lord God
speaks through the
Old Testament prophet Isaiah to Israel's fearful, tottering King
Ahaz. God speaks of a
child, a son whose name will be Emmanuel.
That name means "God is with us."
It is the name of life, hope, confidence, trust.
The one word
"Emmanuel" is heard a second time in today's gospel (Matthew
1:18-24). This is the name that the
angel of the
Lord tells Joseph, the name that so clearly and completely sums up
the entire mission and message of Jesus. That name still means "God
is with us." It is
the name of forgiveness, healing, peace, love.
X
Not far away from us, so that we
are all alone.
X
Not way ahead of us, so that we
are breathless, spiritless
from always trying to catch up with Him.
X
Not way behind us, so that we
are lost trying to lead ourselves.
X
Not way above us, so that we
feel insignificant and worthless.
X
Not way beneath us, so that we
feel proud and superior.
X
Not against us, so that we feel
threatened and condemned.
And then we
hear, from the Gospel of the Vigil of Christmas (Matthew 1:21-23):
All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the
prophet: "The virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son,
and they shall call him Emmanuel," a name which means "God with us."
Oh,
what a grand mystery!
A wondrous sacrament!
Animals look at the newborn Lord
lying in the crib.
Blessed are you, O Virgin,
for your womb was privileged
to bear Christ the Lord, our Emmanuel!
May the peace
and joy of Christmas be yours!
Share that
peace with a friend, loved-one, neighbor;
invite them to Mass with you.
Christmas
Eve: 4:00 & 7:00 pm.
Midnight
Mass: 12:00 am.
Christmas
Day: 11:00 am.
Come early & sing Carols.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make our celebration of Christ's
birth as beautiful and meaningful as possible:
thanks to the liturgical ministers, all involved with the
décor and environment and Nativity Scene, our many musicians, etc.
I offer you & your loved ones the following Christmas prayer from an
ancient liturgy:
Awaken in our hearts desires deserving of
fulfillment;
suggest to us words that are worthy to be heard;
grant that our actions may be worthy of blessing.
May your Christmas season and New Year be blessed!
Holy Day of Obligation:
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Mass schedule is:
Mon, Dec 31, Vigil Mass: 5:30
Tu, Jan 1, 10:00 am
Dec 9, 2007
Dear
Parishioners:
PREPARATIONS READY FOR A LEADER'S VISIT
When a world leader plans a visit to
another country, a whole delegation of advance planners go first to
prepare for the visit.
The secret service checks the security of all the areas along the
route and all the buildings the leader will enter.
Another group prepares the arrangements, meals, housing,
local
transportation, and the guest list.
The public relations staff sets up appointments, prepares
announcements, arranges for events that will show the leader in a
positive light. The
press crew does background research, is briefed on the schedule, and
secures good vantage points.
Only after all this preparation does the leader arrive on the scene.
Prepare the Way of the Lord
John the Baptist is press
crew,
secret service, arrangements secretary all in one.
John comes to prepare the people by preaching repentance
(gospel). He comes to
make them eager by announcing the imminent arrival of the Messiah.
John's model is the messenger described by Isaiah (first
reading) who makes the very land level for the arrival of the Glory
of God. Even the city of
Jerusalem is pressed into service as herald of the good news (first
reading).
The Lord Comes
We too join the waiting crowd, encouraged
by those who prepare for His visit, prepared by repentance and good
works.
When the Lord
comes, "He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
Do you want to
be on fire for God ready for the return of the Lord Jesus when He
comes in His glory? John the Baptist's life was fueled by one burning
passion: to point others to
Jesus Christ and to the coming of His kingdom. That same
Jesus is ready to give us the fire of His Spirit that we may radiate
the joy and truth of the gospel to a world in desperate need of
God's light and truth.
Our being on
fire can't help but catch others on fire.
God's word has power to change and transform our lives that we may
be lights pointing others (not to ourselves) but to
Christ.
If John the Baptist were here with us today, in this church, his
mission would be no different – he would still point us to the Lord.
Sun,
Dec 9:
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Lessons and Carols, with the St Cecilia Choral
Society and the Cathedral Choir
5:30
Mass
(with Centenary Chorale)
6:30
Parish Christmas Party
Enjoy some fellowship.
Let us also prepare for Christmas:
Wednesdays of Advent Solemn Vespers (5:30 for approx. one
hour)
Wednesdays of Dec (12 & 19) We will gather in St Michael
Chapel.
Spend a little extra time
with a child;
explain why we celebrate
Advent & Christmas.
Visit someone in the
nursing home or hospital, or who can't leave home.
Do some spiritual reading… visit our website for links to: An Advent Calendar
for Families, The Advent Mass Readings, Daily Meditations, etc.
By our prayer and our preparation for the
coming of Christ, we will make this a wonderfully blessed season of
Advent!
Nov 18, 2007
Dear
Parishioners:
Before the End of Time
There is a
particularly contemporary ring to the words of Jesus in today's
gospel (Luke 21:5-19).
It almost
sounds as though we are listening to a
newscaster on the 6 pm report when we hear Jesus speak of wars,
earthquakes, plagues, famines, fearful omens in the sky, and
people's persecuting one another.
Each November,
as we wind down another liturgical year, we wind up the catastrophe
clock and listen to the ominous tick of the final countdown.
There are those who love to predict the exact year, month,
day, and hour when the alarm will go off.
[Think of all the wasted energy over the beginning of the
year 2000.] To worry
about how much time we have left is really to waste precious time.
The World Will
End Certainly we
accept the fact that the world in general and our individual world
in particular will come to an end.
Only God and God's kingdom will not wear out.
The right question to ask Jesus today is not, "When will this
occur, Teacher?"
because we know His answer:
"As to the exact day or hour, no one knows it, neither the angels in
heaven nor even the Son, but only the Father"
(Mk 13:32).
Rather, the right question to ask is:
"What can we do about it?"
The answer to
that question is at the very end of today's gospel when Jesus says:
"By patient endurance you will save your lives."
These last words of Jesus take us back to the first words of
today's Mass in our entrance antiphon: "The Lord says: my plans
for you are peace and not disaster."
These words give us the true Christian perspective on the end
of the world and the new heavens and new earth that await all who
wait in peace and patience.
May Christ's peace be with you and St. John's parish as we
enter into this holiday season!
We
will welcome into the Church those who will become Catholic next
Sunday and
we congratulate those who will receive the Sacrament of
Confirmation.
(8:30 Mass)
Have you
hugged a musician / cantor / choir member today?
Thanksgiving Day this year is Nov 22, the
Feast of St. Cecelia, the patroness of musicians.
These are ‘un-sung' heroes of the parish. THANKS for your ministry !!!
 Wednesday Nights – Prayer Nights
(5:30 for approx. one hour)
The Catholic Church is blessed with such a rich
tradition of devotions at our disposal:
besides the Rosary, we may not be in the habit of reaching
into that treasury! We
dedicate Wednesday nights to praying according to our tradition:
Solemn Vespers, Adoration and Benediction, Litanies, Novenas,
Devotions, Stations, Rosaries, Chaplets, Office of Readings, etc…
We will start with the first Wednesdays of December (5, 12
and 19) and celebrate Advent Solemn Vespers & Benediction,
lead by me…
We will gather in St Michael Chapel.
Join me for this beautiful Advent preparation for our
celebration of Christmas.
For your Calendar:
Special Masses and other Liturgies
Thurs,
Nov 22: 9:00 am Thanksgiving Day Mass Come join us!
Mon,
Nov 26: 8:15 and 12:05
Feast of St. John Berchmans – Mass in cathedral
Wed,
Nov 28: 5:45 pm
Mass
with bishops, priests, sisters and others who work in
chanceries and tribunals in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
St Cecilia Choral Society will sign.
All welcome.
Sat,
Dec 1:
5:30 pm Mass in Latin, with Gregorian Chant
Mon,
Dec 3:
5:30 pm Advent Penance Service.
Six priests will be present to hear confessions and to help
us prepare a clean heart and soul for our celebration of
Christmas!
Sat,
Dec 8:
Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of Obligation)
Masses on Dec 7 at 5:30 and Dec 8 at 9:00 am.
Come & consider Mary's role in our salvation.
Wednesdays, Dec 5, 12 & 19,
5:30
Advent Solemn Vespers & Benediction
Sun,
Dec 9:
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Lessons and Carols,
5:30
Mass
(with Centenary Choir)
6:30
Parish Christmas Party
Come and enjoy some fellowship.
Prayerful best
wishes to you and your family as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day
this year. Let us approach our God in grateful devotion
for all that He has given to us:
Gracious Father, you
have showered your
love upon us and granted us good things. We bow our heads and fold
our hands, and pledge to you our thanks. For the abundance of food
spread before us, we give you glory. For
the blessing of family and friends, we express to
you our joy. And
for the precious gift of life, we magnify
your name forever. Amen.
Thank you for
participating in our Pledge Campaign… your donation to our parish's
regular collection and to our building fund!
We have had such a great response.
(Not too late to pledge if you have not already done so.)
November 11, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
Explore the Musical Treasury of the Catholic Church
Gregorian Chant & Polyphony –
Sacred Music Workshop
Cathedral of St. John Berchmans
Shreveport, Louisiana
Nov 30-Dec 1
We are
sponsoring a regional
Sacred Music Workshop here!
Dr. Kurt Poterack, conductor of the Schola Gregoriana
at
Christendom
College in Front Royal, VA will be here to lead us.
Whether you are already involved in church music, would like
to be, or just have an interest in it, you will enjoy this workshop
very much. The workshop
includes two days of singing and training, culminating in singing
for the 4:00 pm Saturday Mass in the cathedral… much of the Mass
will be in Latin.
Prior
experience in singing Gregorian chant is not required, although the
ability to read music will prove helpful.
High School students through adults are welcome!
Registration forms are available in the church and
online, on our website and also at:
www.musicasacra.com/shreveport or call Janet Gorbitz at 741-0332.
People from several dioceses are already registered!!
 This is a hands-on journey into the timeless
treasury of the official sacred music of the Church.
The Church's Official Music for the Mass is Gregorian
Chant, written exclusively for the liturgy, and included in the
official books of the Church as the music intended to accompany the
Mass. The Second Vatican Council called for Gregorian chant to have
"pride of place" in the liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concillium
art. 116), and recommended sacred polyphony (motets written with a
number of voice parts in harmony) as being well suited to the Mass.
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI says,
"An authentic updating of sacred music can take place only in the
lineage of the great tradition of the past, of Gregorian chant and
sacred polyphony."
Discovering the tradition of sacred music in the
Mass.
Tell your friends in choirs of other parishes about
this workshop.
Thanksgiving
Day Mass: 9:00 am Come join us!
Thank you for
participating in our
Pledge Campaign… your donation to our parish's
regular collection and to our building fund!
We have had such a great response.
(Not too late to pledge if you have not already done so.)
THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK is be offered, this weekend,
at all Masses, for
everyone in the parish who is ill, chronically ill, about to
undergo surgery, or frail because of age.
Please, make every effort to attend, bring a loved one
or a friend for the reception of the Sacraments of the Anointing
of the Sick and the Eucharist.
October 14, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
"The Tenth
Leper"
There must have been something different about that tenth leper.
Like the nine others, he had been diagnosed with leprosy and
exiled from the community.
Like the others, he implored Jesus for a cure—then, with his sores
still apparent, went off to the Temple to show himself to the
priests. Again like the
others, he was healed "on their way there."
Only of him, however, are we told "he realized he had been
cured" and came back to give thanks (Lk 17:11-19).
He realized.
That's the key to what made him different.
He saw what was really going on.
The other nine happily returned to their families and
rejoiced to be taking up normal lives again.
The tenth leper looked beneath the unimaginable gift of
healing and was drawn back to the Giver.
This led to a further conversation between him and Jesus, and
a heart-to-heart relationship was begun.
There surely must have been a closeness between these two men
after sharing such a sacred event.
It is hard to imagine the tenth leper's life ever being
merely what it had been before.
Something had been added because he came back.
Continued Blessings
Maybe that is why Jesus was so disappointed that the others
didn't return too. Not just that He felt unappreciated, but that He knew the
nine would be missing out on the blessings continuing to flow to the
tenth man. This one's
life was made holy in a way the others' lives were not, because he
was aware and gave thanks.
You've heard of a "vicious circle."
Well, here's the opposite: a "blessed circle."
God blesses us with gifts, we recognize them and bless God
with thanks, God blesses us for our thanks, and we give thanks
again. The blessings
continue to flow, to us and out from us. But first we have to realize. May we of the Cathedral Parish
start seeing God's gifts!
When we truly see, we cannot help but give thanks… and Jesus will
not be disappointed.
God bless you and your loved ones.
Cathedral History
Did you know there is a statue of St. John Berchmans located on the
façade of the church, high above the front doors of the main
entrance?
This statue was dedicated 45 years ago this month ... in
October of 1962!
 Healing
and Holiness, Gift of Self
Mark your calendar!
Seminar offered Nov 1, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
(after the Holy Day Mass).
Read details on our website.
As we journey through life, we learn to see ourselves through God's
eyes and not the world's.
To see ourselves through God's eyes, we need to know who God is, who
we are, and who and what our enemies are that block us from knowing
the truth about ourselves and our God.
With that understanding, we are able to come to a place
of humility, a place where we can offer back to God all of
ourselves, our talents and gifts for Him to use to further His
kingdom in our lives, our families, and our communities.
from the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
1806
The Virtue of Prudence
Prudence is the virtue
that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every
circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the
prudent man looks where he is going."
"Keep sane and sober for your prayers."
Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas,
following Aristotle. It
is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or
dissimulation. It
is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it
guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure.
It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of
conscience. The prudent
man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this
judgment. With
the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular
cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve
and the evil to avoid.
October 7, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
Increase Our Faith
The opening half of today's first reading sounds like a prayer we
could say after hearing the evening news, with its "violence, ruin,
misery, destruction, strife, and clamorous discord."
After such a report, we too wonder,
"How long, O Lord?" (Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4)
The prophet ends by reminding us that all will be well for
those who have faith--not always an easy thing.
Even the apostles felt the need to ask Jesus, "Increase
our faith" (gospel: Luke 17:5-10).
It's an odd request, really, as if they expected Jesus to
touch them on the shoulder and say, "I will.
Be thou increased." Instead He gives them a kind of
non-answer, a reference to the tiny mustard seed.
What did he
expect them to get from that?
Was
he suggesting that
there was something they had to do themselves?
It Takes Action
Jesus is saying that our faith will
"increase" if we treat it like a planted seed--tend it, water it,
nourish it. How?
The essential fertilizer for this frail seed is prayer,
Scripture reading, and careful listening.
With a sturdy faith we can cast the sycamores of our life
into the sea--and even be able to watch the evening news without
dismay.
from the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
1808
The Virtue of Fortitude
Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties
and constancy in the pursuit of the good.
It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations
and to overcome obstacles in the moral life.
The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even
fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions.
It disposes one even to… sacrifice his life in defense of a
just cause. "The Lord
is my strength and my song."
"In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world."
Respect Life...
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
before you were born I consecrated you."
[see Ps 139, CCC 2270]
The first Sunday in October is known as Respect Life Sunday in the
United States. We are
all reminded of the sanctity of all life from conception to natural
death.
Respect Life Sunday is a day on which we focus on what we
should be doing each day of our lives… respecting life and working
to instill a respect for human life at all stages.
We pray for and seek to bring about a conversion of heart and
mind for all people to be open to God's special gift of life.
Abortion and capital punishment, and increasingly euthanasia, play
the central negative roles that strike against the sanctity of life. The heart of the tragedy modern man experiences is the
eclipse of the sense of God and man, Pope John Paul II observes. "Those who allow themselves to be influenced by this climate
easily fall into a sad vicious cycle; when the sense of God is lost,
there is also a tendency to lose the sense of man, of his dignity
and his life."
September 30, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
"This Too Shall Pass"
The poor old rich man in this Sunday's Gospel (Luke 16:19-31) could
have used a ring like the one King Solomon is said to have worn. Engraved inside the ring were the words "This too shall
pass." Or he might have
benefited from reflecting on a little poem with the same message:
God, the sun, the recurrent moon,
Happiness now, sorrow soon.
Sorrow now, happiness soon,
God, the sun, the recurrent moon.
Such a reminder might have helped him keep his wealth in
perspective. While he
was luxuriating in his "purple and linen" and "feasting splendidly
every day," there would have been this little thought hanging in the
back of his head that all this could suddenly be taken away.
A Closer Look
Maybe if the rich man had had his conscience thus prodded, poor
Lazarus would not have been quite so invisible to him.
Knowing it was possible that he could be in such straits
himself one day, he might have taken a closer look, maybe even have
fed the poor man, at least with the scraps from his table.
But he did not see.
He was like the people in the first reading, to whom God says, "Woe
to the complacent" (Amos 6:1, 4-7).
One Main Point
A parable is a simple story that makes one point. Whether or not the small details apply does not matter.
Thus there is no sense in our pointing out that the rich man
did have a charitable thought for his brothers and might have been
saved by that, or trying to picture heaven and hell based on the
images here. The main
point is perfectly clear: there are right and wrong ways to use our
wealth, and our choices are vitally important.
Today's entrance antiphon speaks of God's "unbounded kindness" and "greatness of heart" (a lovely phrase).
That is what we need, too, when it comes to sharing our
possessions. Lord, give us of St. John's a share of your greatness of
heart, so that we will not pass by any Lazarus who enters our life.
from the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
1807
The Virtue of Justice
Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm
will to give their due to God and neighbor.
Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion."
Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to
establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity
with regard to persons and to the common good.
The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is
distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his
conduct toward his neighbor.
"You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great,
but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor."
"Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that
you
also have a Master in heaven."
September 23, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
Volunteers
On Sep 10, Pope Benedict XVI reminded us
that human societies need volunteers.
The Holy Father delivered his discourse after an address from
the Austrian President.
"Love of neighbor is not something that can be delegated," the
Pontiff said. "The
state and the political order, properly concerned with the relief of
the needy and the provision of social services, cannot take its
place… Love of neighbor always demands a voluntary personal
commitment … Volunteers like yourselves, then, are not
'stopgaps' in the social fabric, but people who truly contribute to
giving our society a humane and Christian face."
On October 2, as a way to thank our special office volunteers, the
office staff will offer Mass and then a breakfast to those who
commit hours assisting us around the cathedral.
Thank you to all who volunteer in any way at the Cathedral
Parish!
Speaking of volunteering, so many are working to make the day of our
Parish Picnic a true "family of faith" gathering.
Oct 7
Mark your calendars.
10:00 Rosary Rally (Oct 7 is the Feast of Our Lady of
the Rosary)…
2007
is the 90th anniversary of the apparition of Mary in
Fatima.
11:00 Mass highlighting the cultural diversity of our Parish
12:00 Parish Picnic:
Food and Fun
12:00 Ministries Fair
Some of the groups assisting with this day:
Ministers of Care Altar Society
Young Adult Group
Parish Pastoral Council
St. Vincent de Paul
Lectors
Ushers Greeters
RCIA
Hospitality & Reception Group
Knights of Columbus
Music Ministries, etc.
from the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Virtue of Temperance
"Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of
pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods.
It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps
desires within the limits of what is honorable...." [1809]
"The virtue of temperance disposes us to
avoid every kind of excess:
the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine.
Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of
speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea or
in the air." [2290]
"The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of
the senses with reason."
[2341]
"In themselves passions are neither good not evil.
They are morally qualified only to the extent that they
effectively engage reasons and will...." [1767]
Stewardship Campaign – Pledging
-- all
parishioners will be asked to make their pledges for 2008 in one
month's time. Please
continue to be generous!
Thanks.
Respect Life... We thank God for the very gift of
life! The first Sunday
in October is known as Respect Life Sunday in the United States. We are all reminded of the sanctity of all life from
conception to natural death.
Created in the image and likeness of God, each of us is unique and
special.
And, each of us has a responsibility to God, self and others
to nurture, protect and sustain life at all stages of existence.
Abortion and capital punishment, and increasingly euthanasia,
play the central negative roles that strike against the sanctity of
life.
Make this a great, holy week!
September 16, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
Lucky Sinners
Have you ever told God how glad you are to be a sinner?
Today's gospel (Luke 15:1-32) suggests that sinners are
fortunate folks, and we should be grateful to count ourselves among
them. As usual, Jesus
teaches this startling truth by telling stories.
Also as usual, the stories are prompted by the Pharisees and
scribes, who grumble at seeing Jesus being hospitable to those
despicable "tax collectors and sinners."
Lost and Found
In the two short parables we sinners are depicted as a
lost sheep and a lost coin--take your pick. In both, Jesus describes
the anxious concern of those who search for what is lost. They don't
just put an ad in the paper and then wait. The shepherd follows the
trail far out into the wilderness, suspecting where the sheep might
have wandered. The woman turns on the lights, moves the furniture,
and sweeps out the house. For both it is a "diligent search."
Do the scribes and Pharisees get the point? Are they able to picture
themselves as the lost ones, the repentant sinners? Just in case
they still don't catch on, Jesus tells a more dramatic story, with
an even more vivid picture of the One who finds the lost--the story
of the prodigal son. This is such a fascinating tale that, despite
their hostility, the Pharisees and scribes must feel drawn to
listen.
God, Willing and Eager
Thus they hear the very same story we hear today, with
God portrayed as a Father so loving and forgiving that merely the
distant sight of a returning child is enough to be counted as
repentance. If they do get the message, they must find it quite
scandalous. Imagine depicting God as willing--eager even--to take us
sinners back as full family members, without examining us in detail
about how scrupulously we followed all the rules!
How blessed we are to have such a Father! We actually rejoice to be
sinners who repent and are welcomed home.
Youth Faith Formation (Sunday School Classes) begins this
Sunday…
9:45 – 10:45, in the school.
Parish Picnic – Diversity Sunday –
Ministries Fair:
Oct 7 11:00 Mass
& following.
Mark your calendars (more details to come)
Tues, Sept 11, 2007… Masses at 8:15 and 12:05. As we recall the terrorist attacks
of 9/11, we will pray for our country as well as for all peoples
around the world who unite with us in a joint quest to end hatred,
ignorance, intolerance and strife and to promote peace, justice and
love. Let us remain all the closer in prayer for our
nation and those who stand ready to defend us.
Let us pray that God banish violence from our midst, put down
earthly pride, and destroy war.
R C I A
RCIA is open to anyone who is interested in learning more
about the Catholic faith OR exploring the possibility of membership
in the Church. There is
no pressure or obligation.
If you have an interest or know of someone who may be interested in
the Church, please call Fr. Peter or Twyla as soon as possible, as
we are about to begin new sessions.
See the website for more details.
September 16, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
An Amazing Reminder
What once was lost
Each of us has had this experience – we have lost something and we
go about the steps of trying to find the lost object.
Some objects warrant more
of our time devoted to a search, while others are given up on much
sooner. And what about those times when we give up on something as
lost forever, and lo and behold, it reappears!
Celebration Time
In today's Gospel, we hear of the father celebrating the return of
his son whom he thought was lost forever.
Perhaps the father never gave up on the hope of his son's
return, for what excitement and compassion he showed when his son
returned to be reconciled to him.
Our Father welcomes us
The Gospel serves as an amazing reminder for us all that no matter
how many times we may stray from Him, Our Father will always be
there for us … running up to us and embracing us … welcoming us home
as His sons and daughters.
He wants to celebrate our life!
Celebration of Life
With Catholics across the world, we each are called to celebrate
life
during the month of October, which is designated as Respect Life
Month, a time to celebrate every stage of life, from conception to
natural death, for the unborn, the expectant, the aging, and all
life in between. Mark
your calendars for Sunday, October 7 – we will celebrate our
PARISH LIFE with our Parish
Picnic & Ministries Fair, Rosary Rally & Diversity Sunday.
We will begin the day at 10am with the recitation of the
Rosary; the 11am Mass will include prayers from the different
cultures of our parish; the festivities continue with a picnic,
children's games, and fellowship for the entire parish family!
Make plans to attend!
More October plans
The entire month of October will be a celebration of life at the
Cathedral! On
October 14, Vocations Awareness Sunday, we will celebrate our
vocation in life; our 5:30pm
Mass, the White Mass, will recognize all involved in the health care
industry.
October 21, World Mission Sunday, is a time for us to
remember all with physical needs throughout the world: the hungry,
the unemployed and underemployed. On October 28, the readings
remind us that "The Lord is not deaf to the widow" calling us to
remember the elderly in our midst, and those in need of our care.
Masses will include the Sacrament of the Anointing of the
Sick – please bring those in need of anointing to the Mass that
weekend.
What a wonderful celebration of life
the month of October will be!
More details next week!
September 9, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
"Each One of Those Billions of Persons Is...
…Created for a Glorious Destiny."
Anytime we are tempted to imagine that we are important or
indispensable, all we have to do is study a few scientific facts or
a sheet of statistics.
We will be reminded that each person alive today is just one in a
world population of over six billion.
In the year 1650, scholars tell us, world population was
about 500 million. It
doubled between 1650 and 1850, and has more than quadrupled since
then. Each man and
woman in all those billions has just one life span and then is gone.
After a generation or two, unless we are very famous, we are
never mentioned by name again, just lumped together as "the
deceased," someone else's ancestors.
If we fit that world population into its proper slot in the
universe, we will shrink to even less significance.
The Milky Way, the galaxy to which our Earth belongs, has
more than 100 billion stars.
It is said to be about 100,000 light years across, and one light
year is about 5.88 trillion miles.
Astronomers say they have spotted what looks like millions, or even
billions, of galaxies in the universe.
Mere Dust
The writers of the book of Wisdom (first reading) and the
responsorial psalm for today (Psalm 90) had no inkling at all of
these statistics or scientific speculations.
But they were right on target with their contrast between the
nothingness of the human mind and its life span and the mind of God
the Creator. We are
like dust, they said, like changing grass that wilts and fades in a
day, our minds timid and unsure.
A thousand years for us are like a three-hour night watch for
the Lord.
Now the Good News
Such awesome figures could lead us
to despair if they were not balanced off by an even more awesome
truth: Each one of those billions of persons is, in God's eyes,
vitally important, precious, unique, created for a glorious destiny.
We are not just specks of dust in a whirling universe,
but children of a loving Father.
O Lord, "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain
wisdom of heart" -- wisdom to recognize that although we are mere
dust, we are at the same time your own beloved daughters and sons,
and that you are our refuge in every age.
Have a great week, fellow-child of God,
Youth Faith Formation (Sunday School Classes) begins this
Sunday…
9:45 – 10:45, in the school.
September 2, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
Whenever You Give a Lunch or Dinner ...
Jesus' ideas about hosting a party might not earn many points with
Miss Manners, the etiquette expert.
When it comes to choosing guests, she suggests keeping a
secret book in which people are categorized A, B, or C, according to
certain qualities, and then cross-filed "by occupation and level of
achievement." Jesus'
method of selection is different. He says guests should be "beggars and the crippled, the lame
and the blind" (gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14).
In other places He adds tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners,
all of society's outcasts and undesirables.
The Perfect Host
Even more outrageous was the fact that Jesus actually practiced what
He preached. It is
impossible to overestimate the impact of Jesus' sharing meals with
these poor outcasts. In
His culture it was forbidden for a proper Jew to mingle with known
sinners. When people
saw Jesus sharing meals with these people, accepting them as friends
for all the world to see, He was taking away their humiliation.
He was showing they mattered to Him.
In this shared meal they were released from their shame and
given a sense of dignity.
Even more, in those days people reclined while eating, so there was
probably a good deal of close physical contact. Jesus apparently did not reject this, and it must have made
these outcasts feel very clean and accepted.
No wonder it drove the self-righteous Pharisees crazy!
"Acted Parables"
Those meals that Jesus shared with the poor and undesirable are
"acted parables," lessons taught with actions rather than words.
Jesus was looked upon as a holy man and prophet, so His
sharing a meal with society's rejects would certainly be interpreted
by them at least as a sign of God's approval and friendship.
Jesus was acting out a lesson about the Father's unconditional,
no-strings-attached, indiscriminate love.
Nothing could have taught that lesson better than for Jesus
to eat with the unloved.
We're Invited
At Jesus' meals there were always more good things on the menu than
food: healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, new life, peace,
acceptance, instruction.
At the Eucharistic banquet, He prepares for us in each Mass offered
here at St. John's, He still nourishes us with all these good
things. Miss Manners
would surely approve of such hospitality.
God's choicest blessing upon you
and yours!
August 19, 2007
Dear
Parishioners:
5:30 pm Sunday Mass Gregorian Chant
Beginning this Sunday and throughout the
Fall, at the 5:30 Mass, our Schola Cantorum will sing Gregorian
Chant and other liturgical music to aid in our prayer and worship of
our Heavenly Father.
Though many of the chants are in Latin, this is not considered a
Latin Mass.
"Gregorian chant holds pride of place." It is fitting that we
"know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of
the Mass in Latin…" a most recent Vatican liturgical document tells
us.
[GIRM #41] So,
that's what we are doing.
The Cathedral Schola Cantorum exists to
glorify God through music, beautifying liturgy (especially Mass)
through the chants and liturgical songs that accompany the sacred
rites of the Catholic Church.
The Schola will chant in such a way so as to encourage active
participation of the people in singing.
[GIRM 103]
Chant is eminently suitable for the sacred Liturgy because it is
sacred in nature. That is, its form and structure make it
separate and distinct from the music of the popular culture. Its
sole purpose is to carry the sacred texts, pulling our hearts
and minds away from the mundane and up toward God. Chant is timeless.
A Benedictine Monk
is coming to the Cathedral Parish to offer several events on
Gregorian Chant / Altar Servers / Vocations.
A highlight of September will be a special set of
vocations programs for Catholic School students.
Fr. Godfrey, a Benedictine Monk of St. Meinrad, holds a
doctorate in Liturgy and will also share his extensive
knowledge of Gregorian chant, Friday, Sep 14, 6:00.
Concluding the weekend will be a special gathering of
all altar servers from throughout the diocese at the
Cathedral on Sat, Sep 15 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 pm.
Who prepares the cathedral and the chapel
for Mass,
cleans the sanctuary, prepares the candles, polishes the
sacred vessels, launders the sacred linen, cleans the marble altars
and statues, changes the votive candles, replaces the Holy Water,
etc??
We have a dedicated group of women and men who spend
approximately two hours each week, doing so much behind the scenes
to prepare for our Masses!
A huge thanks to the members of our
Altar Society!
The members thus share more intimately in the benefits of divine
worship, in providing for the needs and maintenance of the altars,
the sacristy, and sanctuary of their parish church.
Parishioners have expressed an interest in being part of the
Altar Society, yet they have been unable to do so because the
group would meet on Friday morning. Beginning Sep 1, the Altar Society will meet on Saturdays so
that more people (working moms and dads) will be able to assist
in preparing the sacred spaces, vessels, linen, etc, for the
Masses. We begin at 9:00 am, with a brief prayer service, and then we
get to the tasks assigned us.
Join us, Saturday, Sep 1, 9:00 am.
August 5, 2007
Dear
Parishioners:
growing
rich in the sight of God
St. Augustine
once remarked to his friends that it is truly sad that humans seem
compelled to love things that cannot last.
We love our "human loves" as though we are never to be
separated. We fight for success in earthly careers as though they
guarantee eternal joy.
Like the poor fellow in today's first reading (Ecclesiastes 1:2;
2:21-23), we work hard to get things, and then we must leave them
behind when we die. "All is vanity!"
Truly it is "to love in vain" when we love earthly things as though
they will last forever.
Living for
Eternity
How much better for us to live for "eternal values" in this
world of passing things and human loves which are destined to
depart. How much
better, even now, to follow Paul's advice: "Set your heart on what
pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God's right
hand" (2nd rdg: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11).
Grace Against
Greed
It is not easy to do.
The person in today's gospel (Luke 12:13-21) was face to face with
Jesus but still worried more about getting money from a
brother than about getting eternal salvation from the Lord.
·
Without God's grace, we cannot detach ourselves from the things we use in our
daily life.
·
Without God's grace, we cannot love our human loves in a sensible way, as
fellow travelers following separate roads on the way to eternity.
·
Without God's grace, we cannot see our earthly careers for what they are--stages
of a journey that goes beyond death.
We dream of
earthly riches… but with the grace of God we can achieve wealth
beyond our wildest dreams, "growing rich in the sight of God"
(gospel).
St. John Berchmans School:
This week we keep in our prayers, all the teachers
returning to school to prepare for the first day of school next
week. As our school
administration prepares for the new school year, we are
encouraged by an exhortation by our Holy Father, Pope
Benedict XVI, (6/22/07):
 "I
encourage you to continue your efforts to promote Catholic schools,
which provide an integral education at the service of families and
of the transmission of faith.
Their role, despite the great difficulties they can encounter, is
essential to enabling young people to acquire a sound human,
cultural and religious formation."
Special blessings upon our teachers and
all who send their children to our school!
Please, consider sending your children to
your
school… There are a few openings left, especially for 3 year olds.
Call the school for registration information: 221-6005.
July 7, 2007
Dear Parishioners:
Apostolic Letter regarding the Mass
Read the
Apostolic Letter and the Cover Letter of our Pope
Our Holy Father has issued a brief
but important document regarding the Mass and allowing the
celebration of the "Latin Mass" according to the 1962 Missal of
Blessed John XXIII. The letter begins:
It has always been the care of the Supreme Pontiffs until the
present time, that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the
Divine Majesty "for the praise and glory of his name" and "for the
good of all his Holy Church."
Pope Benedict XVI says
that the Mass as we know it today (revised by Pope Paul VI) will
remain the "ordinary form" of the Roman Rite while the Mass (revised
in 1962 by Blessed John XXIII) will be the "extraordinary form" of
the same Roman Rite.
Pope Benedict observes
that there is no contradiction between the two forms. He states:
In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress, but no
rupture. What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and
great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely
forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to
preserve the riches which have developed in the Church's faith and
prayer, and to give them their proper place.
Thus he exhorts the
whole Church to "generously open our hearts and make room for
everything that the faith itself allows."
With this apostolic
letter, our Holy Father is responding to three groups:
(1) communities that have left the Church, in hopes to
reconcile them with the Church, (2) those who have remained strongly
attached to rites with which they had become familiar from
childhood, and (3) those young people who "have discovered this
liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of
encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly
suited to them."
I truly hope this
document and all the discussion will have the effect in our
diocese that our Holy Father anticipates, that "the Church of
Christ offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty for the praise
and glory of his name and for the good of all his Holy Church."
While he stresses the sacredness of the
extraordinary form and that it "remains sacred and great for us
too," he strongly highlights the fact that the ordinary rite is
sacred and that it has "its value and holiness… [and a] spiritual
richness and theological depth" when it is "celebrated with great
reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives."
What can we do to in this parish to ‘notch up' the
celebration of the Mass?
What classes can be taught regarding the spiritual richness and
theological depth of the Mass? Do we need to simply take a look at our sacred vessels
and cloths and décor?
The pope says:
"…in many places celebrations were not faithful to the
prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was
understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which
frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to
bear. I am speaking from experience, since I too lived
through that period with all its hopes and its confusion.
And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused
deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the
Church."
Perhaps a
valuable exercise for us would be to talk about our "hopes and
confusion" as well as any creativity and deformations the pope
refers to.
Though I don't
foresee the use of the 1962 Missal to cause "disarray or even
divisions" within the Cathedral Parish, the priests of the
Cathedral Parish cannot say the extraordinary form of the Mass
requires… but we do all have what it takes to focus attention on
the value and holiness, the spiritual richness and theological
depth of the celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of
Paul VI.
In his ‘cover
letter,' our Holy Father speaks of two fears… fears that I
believe exist here in Shreveport.
We are one with Benedict XVI in assuring that this
Cathedral Parish will offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty…
Unfortunately some people hear the word "Latin" and
automatically have bad thoughts instead of an automatic openness
of their hearts to "everything that
the faith itself allows."
How will this
motu proprio affect us here at the Cathedral of St. John
Berchmans at this point in time?
Wanting to "offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty ‘for the
praise and glory of his name' and ‘for the good of all his Holy
Church'" we are
looking ‘to better' the Mass and other liturgies.
We want to offer a stable time for Holy Hour. We want to learn more about the Church's use of the "extraordinary form" of the Mass and how it will enhance our
appreciation for the "value and holiness" of the "ordinary form"
which will continue to unite our parish and be loved by us when
the ordinary form is "celebrated with great reverence in harmony
with the liturgical directives." We are taking a look at some of our arbitrary changes,
shortcuts, and "creativity."
I personally am
looking to attend some liturgical conference to continue my own
formation on this matter.
We are becoming more familiar with the treasures of the
Church's tradition by looking to use Latin for the ordinaries of the
Mass (the Gloria, Holy Holy, Our Father, Agnus Dei, etc.)
Also, in accordance with the liturgical documents, we will
continue to promote a reverence and sanctity through music and a
deeper understanding and appreciation of the Church's sacred music,
most particularly polyphony and Gregorian chant, which has pride of
place in the Church, which will also help unite us with the timeless
musical tradition of the Church, and to give God great glory.
As Pope Benedict XVI (himself a musician) has written, this sacred
music "elevates the senses by uniting them with the spirit."
"Sacred music" is by
definition of a different character than the music that we hear in
the world. The word sacred means "set apart", and in this case different
than the secular music on the radio.
Sacred music is eternal and timeless, not subject to the
trends of pop culture.
Its very purpose is to foster contemplation so as to sanctify the
people and glorify God.
The Church states that
the "supreme model for sacred music" is Gregorian chant,
written in Latin which draws us out of our time and place.
The word polyphony
means "many-voices" and organically grew out of Gregorian chant.
It is a music with several independent lines of voices,
generally soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Like Gregorian chant, it is a music endorsed by the Catholic
Church as most appropriate for the Mass.
I am very pleased that
our choirs, especially the
Schola Cantorum, led by Carolyn
Garteiser, are trying to expose St. John's to these beautiful forms
of sacred music, which will help us to pray better by promoting
stillness and silence, to unite us with the timeless musical
tradition of the Church, and to give God great glory.
As Pope Benedict XVI (himself a musician) has written, this
sacred music "elevates the senses by uniting them with the spirit."
We are looking to
host
a conference on sacred music… opening it up
to all parishes of the diocese.
I pray that we
be open to the genuine renewal of the Mass and that we treasure
the sanctity of the Mass.
In the words of our Holy Father:
May we "generously open our hearts and make room for
everything that the faith itself allows."
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