The Trinity, Baptism, and Eternal Life

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, 2015:

• Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
• Romans 8:14-17
• Matthew 28:16-20

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The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, 2015

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
May 31, 2015

Today is Trinity Sunday, a Solemnity we celebrate throughout the Catholic world.

Our challenge is to try to put form to the idea of three persons in one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are taught that the Father is the Creator, and at the Word of the Father we have His only Son, with the Love of the Father and Son we have the Holy Spirit. We are also taught that the three persons of God are One. By the way, if you can figure this all out give me a call cause I want to know.

Quite a number of years ago even before I was ordained I either read or heard of a hypothesis that makes sense. And have meditated much on this idea since. It goes something like this.

God, who created all things and has given each of us a body, whether that body is human, an animal's or even plant's. That gives us a good start, at the bottom of the Trinitarian ladder. This idea goes on to claim that each of us whether human, animal or plant are gifted with a soul. Now we might shudder a little bit but hear me out. By this hypothesis the soul gives form and animates the body. Here is where there becomes a distinction between humans and the rest of God's creation. For in order for us to hold to the idea of eternal life there has to be an intimate relationship with the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, that is the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that gives life to the soul.

To clarify: every living thing on earth that has been created by Almighty God will completely return to dust, except the soul of man that has been gifted of the Holy Spirit. The final gift of the Holy Spirit given to man then is the restoration of his body at the end of the world.

I'm sure some of you already thinking, there is something missing? And you are right! The missing factor here is Baptism. In order to give eternal life to the soul one must be Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament of Baptism fills out this hypothesis that could easily be summed up again as: the body created by God is animated by the soul which is given life by the Holy Spirit.

A point to be made about baptism: when we are baptized we are made sons and daughters of the Father with the same hereditary right of his firstborn Son. The point here is to understand that this is our right, given by the sacrament, the right to everything that belongs to the son now belongs to the new baptized. That is Eternal Life. And of course it's good to remind the adult that it is sin that destroys this beautiful gift granted at baptism and can be restored by a good confession.

To my way of seeing things this completes the Trinitarian comparison between God's creation of man and his own Trinitarian life.

I'm not trying to tell you that this is the only way to look at our relationship with the Trinity but I think it's certainly worth our meditation!

So you all be Good, be Holy, preached the Gospel using Words and Holy Actions.

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'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

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More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• "The Trinity: Accepting When I Cannot Comprehend"
  (May 31, 2015)
• "The Trinity: a Divine Unity, and a Mystery"
  (March 8, 2015)
• "Guide, Friend, Counselor, Comforter: the Holy Spirit"
  (May 25, 2014)
• "Trinity Sunday: Our God is a Sharing God"
  (May 26, 2013)
• "The Man Who is Truth"
  (May 26, 2012)

'Just Routine, Nothing Special' — Thank You, Father Statz

Quite a lot has happened, since Father James Statz came to the Our Lady of the Angels parish here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Most of it's routine, like the annual cycle of the liturgical year, some hasn't.

Today is the last time Father Statz celebrates Mass as our parish priest. I'm sorry to see him go, but very glad that he has been here.

Remembering, Mostly 2003

Some of it hasn't been routine, like when the Christmas tree — over a dozen feet tall — fell over behind him. That was in 2003.

I took that photo before the excitement. The choir director had told us that the last song would be "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" when the Christmas tree fell over.

Over a dozen children on the near side of the altar, and probably a few other folks, said "eee!" The tree fell neatly on the altar's far side.

Then we sang "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Nobody was hurt, much, although Father Statz got clipped as the tree went past him, and the deacon was hit by the star.


(Procession of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fr. Statz. Sauk Centre, 2013.)

A Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe came to our area in June of 2003. The image is a full-size replica of Juan Diego's tilma.

The Image's arrival gave the two parishes in Sauk Centre a good reason for our first procession since I'd arrived, back in the '80s. That's Father Statz in the photo, just before we went into St. Pauls that day. More about the procession, and the Missionary Image:

• "Procession of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe"
  Saturday, June 14, 2003; Brendans-Island.com

Our Lady of Angels has become a bit more obviously Marian in the years Farther Statz has been here. The most obvious changes are a mural inside, and a garden.

Tom Kane used Tiepolo's Immaculate Conception as a model for a mural on the half-dome over our altar.

The Marian Garden, between the parish church and rectory, is a restful spot, and new since Father Statz came. I'll probably make it a destination for walking again this summer. (August 18, 2013)


(Marian Garden between Our Lady of Angels and the Rectory, July 2013.)

A less happy break in routine was when Father Statz returned to duty after a stroke could have killed him — but didn't. I was very glad indeed that he survived: and that he could stay with this parish as long as he has.

Lenten Chaplet

(Lenten Chaplet, introduced to our parish by Father Statz.)

This chaplet got started in Venezuela. Father Statz and Father Todd, who have been parish priests here in Sauk Centre, were in Venezuela when they developed this chaplet as a way to encourage prayer during Lent.

The original prayer cords had wooden crucifixes, carved from a sort of tree that grows in Venezuela. The cords were woven from fibers the folks got from the leaves of that tree.

In central Minnesota, our crucifixes have been metal and the cords some synthetic fiber: which is consistent with how our regional culture makes things. Around here, Venezuelan wood and hand-woven cords would be exotic.

As far as I know, what the cord and crucifix are made of doesn't matter, as long as the materials are sturdy and flexible enough to be worn and used for a minimum of 40 days.

There isn't a 'right' kind of crucifix, again as far as I know: the style here has been a little different each year, probably depending on what was readily available at the time.

Knowledge and Comfort When We Needed It

Father Statz talked with me and my wife, after we lost another child.

Miscarriage: Joy

We'd lost one child, several years ago, very early in the pregnancy. The best guess we have is that something went very, very wrong with some basic function in Joy's body. The human body is a wonderfully complex thing: Which means there's a great many things that can go wrong. This isn't a perfect world.

My wife and I sealed the results, for testing: but saw to it that Joy was buried, informally and briefly, in hallowed ground. I wasn't sure if that was quite what we're supposed to do, but I figured that 'it's easier to get forgiveness, than permission.' Testing showed no problems, aside from the miscarriage. As the years passed, two more children joined the two we'd been blessed with before Joy.

Stillbirth: Elizabeth

There was no reason to assume that our sixth pregnancy wouldn't end in a normal delivery. This baby was doing fine. We, and our four surviving children, were looking forward to seeing the newest member of the family.

When the contractions started, they weren't quite what we expected, but as I recall they were inside the 'normal' range. When it was "time," my wife and I headed for the hospital.

As nearly as I can tell, Elizabeth died as we were approaching the Interstate exit nearest the hospital. My wife told me that the baby was very active: and then completely still. At the hospital, the nurses could detect no heartbeat. And the delivery was not going well. At all.

Later that night I followed the ambulance carrying my wife to another hospital, about 45 miles away. And was with her when Elizabeth was delivered: beautifully formed; and quite dead. My wife and I took turns holding Elizabeth, as warmth left her body. Later, we learned that the center of the placenta had given way. The medical folks say if the failure had happened near the edge, my wife would have bled to death.

We have photos of Elizabeth, and of an ultrasound: but I haven't looked at those for quite a long time. There's no need. I remember what she looked like, the weight of her body in my arms: and I'm not likely to forget. Besides: God willing, I'll meet her, and Joy, in a few decades.

'Why be miserable?'

Talking over Elizabeth's death with my wife, and how we feel about it, she summed up the situation with something like "why be miserable?" She's a very practical woman. And, I think, she's right.

If I seem 'upbeat' about losing 1/3 of our children: It helps that Elizabeth died eight years ago. I've gone through the 'stages of grief,' more or less. Don't let anybody kid you: it's not an easy process. Knowing what was behind a nervous tic and auditory hallucinations helped me get through those years: but I'd just as soon not repeat the experience.

There will always be an 'Elizabeth size' hole in my heart — matching the one for Joy. But I've gotten used to the situation: just as people get used to their children living thousands of miles away. Besides, being dead doesn't make them less a part of the family. I still wish Elizabeth and Joy a 'good night,' every night, as I do for all our children.

'It's not fair.' So?

Being born with deformed hips gave me opportunities to think about — and meditate on — whether or not expecting life to be "fair" by American standards is reasonable.

I'm convinced that God is just, and that He is merciful: and that I wouldn't understand why things happen, even if He explained His Will to me. So I'm not going to demand an explanation. I've read the book of Job

Hey! This is about Father Statz!

After my wife and I got back to Sauk Centre, Father Statz spoke with us. Nothing earth-shattering, no dramatic revelations. Just words of sympathy and assurance. He also explained the idea of "baptism of desire." (It's nothing new: Thomas Aquinas and the Council of Trent mentioned it.) And, of course, Father Statz was there when we buried Elizabeth.

Some of the breaks in Father Statz's routine have been good news, like the new Marian garden between the church and the rectory.

Mostly, though, Father Statz has been 'just going through the routines:' celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, anointing the sick, that sort of thing.

He's just an ordinary priest, standing in for Jesus in a small central Minnesota town.

Which, when you think about it, is a pretty big deal.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Mary, a Message, and a Mural in Minnesota"
  (August 18, 2013)
• "Life, Death, and a Sore Wrist"
  (April 21, 2013)
• "Lenten Chaplet: From Venezuelan Wood to Metal and Synthetics"
  (March 25, 2011)
• "Catholicism: Ashes, Penance, and Priests on Skis"
  (February 21, 2011)
• "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)
  Particularly
  • What About Unbaptized Infants?
  • Hope, Trusting God, and Curiosity

Background:

• "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Paptised*"
  International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)
• "The Necessity of Baptism"
  Catechism of the Catholic Church
  Particularly
  • 1261 "As regards children who have died without Baptism...."

God's Field Kits: Pentecost Plus Two Millennia and Counting

Partly because of the visual drama, this is one of my favorite scenes from the Bible:

"¹ When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.

"And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, ² and it filled the entire house in which they were.

"Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, ³ which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

"And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, ⁴ as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim."
(Acts 2:1-4)

It's also part of what we read during Mass this morning: Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23.

Trekking to God's Kingdom

(From Thomas Cole, used w/o permission.)

If "a noise like a strong driving wind" and "tongues as of fire" showed up at the corner of Ash Street and South 9th, here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: I'd be flabbergasted. That sort of high-profile display doesn't happen very often: anywhere.

I've received the gift of the Holy Spirit, though, at baptism. That's when I became a "temple of the Holy Spirit," entered the life of the Church, and started on my trek to God's kingdom. I was a baby at the time, so everything I've learned about my faith came later. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 782, 1213-1284)

The Holy Spirit makes folks who are baptized "a spiritual house and a holy priesthood." (Hebrews 5:1-5; Revelation 1:6; Catechism, 784)

That makes it sound like we're all supposed to be clergy. That's not the way it works, so I'd better back up a bit.

One Body, Many Members

(From the Holy See, used w/o permission.)
(The Apostles Creed and The Nicene Creed, in Chinese.)

Catholics are united by common beliefs: like the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed. But our goal isn't being cookie-cutter Christians, trying to fit a single mold.

Some of us get spectacular gifts, charisms, like speaking in tongues. Most of us don't, and that's okay. 1 Corinthians 14:23 is pretty clear about what could happen if an entire congregation was into speaking in tongues.

"Now the body is not a single part, but many.

"If a foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,' it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.

"Or if an ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,' it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.

"If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?"
(1 Corinthians 12:14-17)

Charisms aren't for the benefit of folks who have them: they're gifts that are meant to help "the Body of Christ, the Church:" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2003)

"...Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.⁵⁴"
(Catechism, 2003)

God issues an extensive array of field kits, including prophecy, teaching, healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28)

Administration isn't as glamorous as speaking in tongues or prophecy: but we need administrators, too. (December 9, 2012)

I take speaking in tongues seriously, and may have heard someone 'speaking in tongues.' Then again, maybe the chap simply had a good memory and active imagination. The sounds he made were an awful lot like a paraphrase of the Aramaic quoted in Matthew 27:46: which made no sense in context.

Anyway, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit I'm pretty sure I don't have is tongues. I've read the first half of 1 Corinthians 12:31, "strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts...." but I've read the rest of the book, too.

Instead of griping about what I wasn't issued, I figure a better use of my time is using the equipment I've got. And that's another topic. (September 1, 2013; December 9, 2012; November 23, 2011)

Related posts:

• "Guide, Friend, Counselor, Comforter: the Holy Spirit"
  (May 25, 2014)
• "A Billion Ways to be Catholic, and the Spider-Man Principle"
  (December 9, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Many Parts, One Body
  • High-Profile isn't Everything
• "The Important Idea, Charisms, and Working With What I've Got"
  (June 24, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Being Different
• "Talents, 'the Outer Darkness,' and Interest-Bearing Bank Accounts"
  (November 23, 2011)
  Particularly
  • "God-Given Talents and Mission," and Responsibility
  • Faith and Works
• "Speaking in Tongues and Getting a Grip"
  (June 1, 2011)

Called to Serve the Lord

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2014:

• 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
• Ephesians 5:8-14
• John9:1-41

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Fourth Sunday of Lent 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
March 30, 2014

Many of us have experienced being left out because we are too small for the game, too young for something we want to do, to inexperienced for a job. I remember being told I was too old for the fire department, I think this was the first time I was told I was too old for something, I was maybe in my early 30s.

Sometimes, the best people for a task are those without a lot of letters behind their name. When Samuel comes to seek out the Lord's chosen one in order to anoint him as king, Jesse does not even include his youngest son, David, who was left out, for he was out in the fields tending the sheep. Nevertheless he is chosen by God, and anointed by Samuel, to be king of Israel.

Every disciple of Jesus has been given a place in the saving works of the Church. In every age of life, we are called to serve the Lord. The anointing of Baptism confirms the Grace of God in us, supporting us and our destiny as servants of the Gospel. Discipleship is expensive: we have to lay down our lives for Christ in order to bring life to others.

First, we need our eyes be opened. Christ, the Light of the world, opens the eyes of the man born blind, allowing him to experience life in a new and dramatic way with the restoration of his sight. There's another kind of blindness, blindness of the spiritual life, that plagues the Pharisees. Even those of us who think we are good Christians can be limited and our perception of God's presence.

We continually need to be opened to see where God is present in our daily experiences, and how we can Love Him while serving the needs of others. We need God to open our understanding of morality where we sometimes want to rationalize our actions, or pretend that the teachings of Christ does not applied to modern humanity. This takes humility and openness to change with the movement of God's Grace. When the Light of Christ penetrates our stubbornness and selfishness, it illumines our minds and hearts to see clearly the way to our best selves: by following God in intimate communion.

Jesus delivered humanity from the clutches of darkness by his death and rising. Through the Sacraments, we experience the power of this great mystery at work in our lives. In the Lord, and through our baptism, we are in the Light. We are called, as Paul says, to abandon the works of darkness, exposing them for the lies that they are.

Fellow Christians, live in Light always, do not succumb to the dark forces that are beneath our Christian dignity!

Once we experienced the Light of Christ by humbling ourselves under the power of his Word, that Light makes us a beacon of hope for others. The Light of Christ shines in the words and actions-- even the prayerful thoughts-of his disciples. People can see that we live differently because we have hope in Christ' Light and saving Love. Others may even ask us why we are hopeful in sorrow, why we have certain moral standards, why are we kind in the face of insult. Then, we can be prepared to tell them: we have found Christ, we live in the Light!

Open the eyes of our hearts to see the Lord more clearly, perceiving His will for us. Allow, His Light to penetrate and transform any traces of darkness that remains in us. Be prepared for that Light, to change you into a beacon of Light that gives glory to the Lord!

So, you all be Good, be Holy, preached the Gospel always and if necessary use words.

Related posts:

• "Jesus: Love, Death, and All That"
  (March 16, 2014)
• "Where Past, Present, and Future Come Together"
  (February 23, 2014) Guest post
• "Standing Orders and Spider-Man"
  (June 30, 2013)
  Particularly
  • Jesus in the World
• " 'Follow Me:' A Simple Decision, Not an Easy One"
  (June 2, 2013)
• "Faith, Works, and Spirituality for Dummkopfs"
  (October 5, 2011)
  Particularly
  • John Keats, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Doing the Father's Will

The Man Who is Truth

Readings for May 26, Vigil Mass for Pentecost Sunday 2012:

• Genesis 11:1-9
• Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b
• Ezekiel 37:1-14
• Joel 3:1-5
• Romans 8:22-27
• John 7:37-39

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Pentecost 2012

Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
from Homiletic and Pastoral Review
April 27, 2012

No one likes to be lied to. Even when the truth is inconvenient or uncomfortable, we still want it, on some level. The truth has a charm of its own; all the more, when we are speaking of the truth about the whole meaning of human life and existence, the truth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus promised to St. Peter, and the Apostles, that he would send them the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth. This stable gift of Jesus to his Church is not a thing, but a Person: the Holy Spirit himself. He proceeds from the Father and the Son. He is their eternal, mutual love. He knows the Father and the Son perfectly, and so he alone is able to guide the Church into the full truth.

What is the truth to which the Holy Spirit testifies? Certainly, we acknowledge all the creeds and teachings of the Church to be directed by the Holy Spirit. But we are not looking for just a collection of truths but all truth, that is, truth itself. In fact, Jesus Christ is himself the truth which we seek, the one to whom the Holy Spirit bears witness. All the individual truths of the Catholic faith, then, are not merely individual facts. Rather, they are aspects of the truth about Jesus Christ. When we study the Church's teaching, we are getting to know Jesus.

Since Christ promised to St. Peter, and the Apostles, that he would send them the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth; and since Christ has kept this promise throughout the ages to the Holy Father, and the Bishops, in union with him; why has the world not yet been converted? Why do we still find so much error and confusion? The only answer to be found is the hardness of human hearts, and our own sluggishness and fear. It's not that God is not doing enough; it's that we don't always cooperate with him. The Holy Spirit is not lying down on the job; we are failing to bear witness as we ought.

There are so many ways that we shy away from our Catholic identity. We sometimes fail to do the simplest things to bear witness to the truth. How often have we been too self-conscious to pray grace before meals in a restaurant? Are we embarrassed about some of the Church's teachings, or do we find ourselves ignorant of them? Do we make an honest effort to study and to learn the basics of the faith? If we ought to be willing to give up our lives in testimony to the truth of the Gospel, we must learn also how to testify in each and every aspect of our lives, in every corner of our minds and hearts.

Christ makes us his witnesses to the world, in our family, in political life, in our workplace. Christ also gives us the power to carry out this mission. He knows our weakness, our spirit of indifference and cowardice, and he gives us the most perfect remedy: The Spirit of the living God: Fire, Charity. He, the Holy Spirit, brings with him his sacred seven gifts. He gives us his divine strength to fulfill Christ's divine command.

In baptism, we received the Holy Spirit with his gifts, but our Lord, knowing so well our human nature, and the depth of our fear and weakness, has given us - through the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops - the great sacrament of confirmation. Confirmation, like baptism and holy orders, imprints a spiritual character on the soul. This character is a permanent mark. It is a firm, spiritual power that cannot be taken away. Through the sacrament of confirmation, the Holy Spirit increases the strength of his gifts and the virtues in us.

Those of us who have been confirmed, have been changed forever. We have received a special spiritual power that enables us to testify to the eternal truth in this world that is passing away. We can call upon the Holy Spirit to bring us spiritual life, to warm our frozen hearts, to overcome our fear with the strength of his love. The character that has been impressed on our souls is a guarantee that he will act when we call upon him.

If the Holy Spirit is with us, then we have all that we need. Let us never forget to call upon him, to act in our lives, and to increase in us, the sacred gifts we have received through baptism and confirmation.

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'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

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More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• "Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: Hope, Confidence, and Looking Forward"
  (September 27, 2011)
• "How Could God Floss His Teeth?"
  (July 2, 2011)
• "Speaking in Tongues and Getting a Grip"
  (June 1, 2011)
• "Listening to the Holy Spirit"
  (May 29, 2011)
• "Pentecost Sunday, 2009: A Reflection"
  (May 31, 2009)

Death, Decisions, and a Working Lunch

About two thousand years ago, three women were on their way to deal with a hastily-buried corpse. They were in for a big surprise:

"On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed.

"He said to them, 'Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him.

"But go and tell his disciples and Peter, "He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." ' "
(Mark 16:5-7)

The women eventually passed along the message, my Lord had a series of meetings with his disciples, gave them orders that haven't been rescinded, and we've been on stand-by alert ever since.

A Working Lunch

It seems to me that my Lord went out of his way to show that he was really, literally, physically, alive, after leaving that tomb:

"While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, 'Have you anything here to eat?'

"They gave him a piece of baked fish;

"he took it and ate it in front of them."
(Luke 24:41-43)

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"Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, 'Peace be with you.'

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.' "
(John 20:26-27)

I've been over that before (March 11, 2012)

Decisions

The idea that someone could stop being dead is so unlikely, that folks have occasionally decided they'd rather believe something else. Jesus never having been alive to begin with is a perennial favorite.

So is the notion that professional soldiers didn't know death when they saw it - and that Jesus simply fainted on the cross. And then pushed a good-sized hunk of rock out of the way: with a punctured chest and perforated limbs.

Maybe, but that doesn't explain why eleven men decided to face death, rather than say that they'd just been kidding about my Lord. Applying Occam's razor, I finally admitted that what the Catholic Church has been saying for the last couple millennia is true: and became a Catholic. And that's another topic.

"This is Our Faith"

This renewal of baptismal vows is a Holy Saturday tradition. I like it, in part because it's an excellent set of reminders, and a reality check:

• Do you reject Satan?
  • I do.
• And all his works?
  • I do.
• And all his empty promises?
  • I do.
• Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
  • I do.
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
  • I do.
• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
  • I do.
• This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Amen.
  (source: "Pastoral Visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Sydney on the Occasion of the XXIII World Youth Day," p. 139)

Related posts:

• "Being Catholic: By Choice"
  (March 18, 2012)
• "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
  (March 11, 2012)
• " 'Blessed are You Who Believed' "
  (December 21, 2011)
• "Fourth Sunday of Advent, 2011: John, Jesus, and God's New World Order"
  (December 18, 2011)
• "A Prayer for Clouded Hearts"
  (December 4, 2011)

Backgroud:

• "Pastoral Visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Sydney on the Occasion of the XXIII World Youth Day"
  Liturgical Celebrations of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
  (July 15-21, 2008)
  (from www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/libretti/2008/messale_Australia.pdf (March 7, 2012))

Lent, 2011: Baptism; Gospel Readings; a List, and a Movie

We're at the 'hump' of Holy Week: Wednesday.

Tomorrow is "Maundy Thursday," which has nothing to do with pretending that Monday falls on Thursday this week. I like the Church's ancient traditions and language - I also think it's a good idea to call tomorrow "Holy Thursday." It's my considered opinion that being incomprehensible is not next to holiness - and that's another topic.

Like what "invention" means. Another topic again.

I've done a little better this Lenten season than most, in terms of following through on what I intended to do. No bragging - more like an expression of relief. Taking a book of readings with me to the lavatory, as some fellows do with the sports section, worked: As of today, I've been (on average) keeping up. ("I Read It Where?!" (March 24, 2011))

My family and I will be eating in about 40 minutes - assuming today's schedule goes normally. I'd like to be wrapping up a brilliantly-written, insightful, profound, witty monograph on something spectacularly spiritual. What I'd have settled for was something coherent on a topic that was recognizably 'Lenten.'

What I've actually got is this post.

Excuses, Excuses

I could blame the weather: Today started out gray with light snow, and was gray with light drizzle when I drove to Melrose, some 10 miles down the road, to pick up medications.¹ My mood was a pretty close match with the weather - this hasn't been my perkiest day ever.

I could blame a secularized society.

I could even blame the Mr. Ed theme song. (Which I cited in another blog today: "Lemming Tracks: Soap Operas and the End of Civilization As We Know It," Apathetic Lemming of the North (April 20, 2011)) That would be silly, though. At least I think so.

The bottom line, as I see it, is that I haven't thought of an exciting topic for today's post. Why that's the case might be interesting, from a psychological or metaphysical point of view. But the answer probably has little practical use just now.

20 Minutes Later - and I Still Have Nothing

I'd hoped that rambling on like this might flush an idea out of the labyrinthine corridors and crawlways of my mind. So far, that hasn't happened - and probably won't. Not in a reasonable length of time, anyway.

The weather, by the way, has cleared up: there's a wonderfully blue sky, bright sunlight, and temperatures above freezing.

Earlier this afternoon, realizing that I had about a metric ton of creative block to deal with, I started a sort of task that's helped me before at times like this.

I researched.

Lent 2011, Gospel Readings, Baptism, and All That

A quick look at the English-language section of the Holy See's website brought me to "Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2011," Pope Benedict XVI (November 4, 2010).

News coverage of the upcoming British royal wedding is probably a quicker, easier read than what the Pope wrote last November - but I think you might get more out of that Lenten message.

I hope I remember to go back to "Message ... for Lent 2011," because I definitely didn't 'get' all of what the Pope was saying.

I did, however, gather that Baptism and Lent are connected:

"...In his Letters, St. Paul repeatedly insists on the singular communion with the Son of God that this washing brings about. The fact that, in most cases, Baptism is received in infancy highlights how it is a gift of God: no one earns eternal life through their own efforts. The mercy of God, which cancels sin and, at the same time, allows us to experience in our lives 'the mind of Christ Jesus' (Phil 2: 5), is given to men and women freely...."
("Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2011," Pope Benedict XVI (November 4, 2010))

The Holy Father also discussed the Gospel readings during this Lenten season.

That gave me an idea. Or a council of desperation. I decided to make a list of the Gospel readings for the Sundays of Lent, and the ones coming up in the Holy Thursday-Easter Sunday sequence.

Looking at the result, with the first few lines of each Gospel reading, I see the makings of a sort of epic drama. In a way, it's the greatest story ever told. Someone could make a movie out of that. Come to think of it, someone did.²

• First Sunday (March 13, 2011)
  • Matthew 4:1-11
    "At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil...."
• Second Sunday (March 20, 2011)
  • Matthew 17:1-9
    "After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves...."
• Third Sunday (March 27, 2011)
  • John 4:5-42
    "So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,⁴ near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph...."
• Fourth Sunday (April 3, 2011)
  • John 9:1-41
    "¹ As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'..."
• Fifth Sunday (April 10, 2011)
  • John 11:1-45
    "¹ Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha...."
• Palm Sunday (April 17, 2011)
  • Matthew 26:14-27:66
    "Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, ⁷ went to the chief priests..."
• Holy Thursday | Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper (April 21, 2011)
  • John 13:1-15
    "^{1 2 3} Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end...."
• Good Friday of the Lord's Passion (April 22, 2011)
  • John 18:1-19:42
    "^{1 2} When he had said this, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered...."
• The Resurrection of the Lord | Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter (April 23, 2011)
  • Matthew 28:1-10
    "¹ After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, ² Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb...."
• Easter Sunday: Solemnity of the Resurrection of The Lord | The Mass of Easter Day (April 24, 2011)
  • John 20:1-9
    "^{1 2 3} On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb...."
  • Or Matthew 28:1-10 (same as Saturday's Gospel)
  • Or (at an afternoon Mass)
    Luke 24:13-25
    "^{5 6} Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred...."

Not-completely-unrelated posts:

• "Haiti: T-Shelters, Catholic Relief Services, and Lent"
  (March 30, 2011)
• "Third Sunday of Lent 2011"
  (March 27, 2011)
  • Reflections from Our Lady of the Angels Church: a guest post
• "I Read It Where?!"
  (March 24, 2011)
• "Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Warm Fuzzies"
  (August 8, 2010)
• "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)

Background:

• "THE list again: Fr. Z's 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession (and Fr. Z rants)"
  Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say? (April 20, 2011)
  • A tip of the hat to 4Catholics, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this post
• "Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2011"
  Pope Benedict XVI (November 4, 2010)

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¹ Besides major depression, I'm also dealing with ADHD-inattentive. Or maybe Asperger's syndrome. Both (all?) of which are controlled - finally - with prescribed medicines.

Which is fine, as far as Catholic teaching goes. (I checked (March 4, 2010))

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² The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).

"Baby Joseph" Baptised: My Take

He's sick, and probably won't live. Even if he does, he'll still be sub-standard. He's got a defective central nervous system.

On strictly practical grounds, he should be killed. Or simply not fed, and allowed to die.

Happily, Catholics aren't 'practical.' Not that way. We're told that culling inferior specimens from the gene pool is wrong. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2268) Even if it's 'for the good of the race,' or because the person wouldn't enjoy a 'quality life style.'

The "he" in the first sentences is "Baby Joseph," Joseph Maraachli, an infant with Leigh's syndrome, or Leigh's Disease. Young Joseph is, from descriptions of the disorder, in for a rough life: and a short one.

Even so, I don't think it would be 'humane' to kill him now. I'll admit to a bias: I'm defective, too. Even so, on the whole I prefer being alive. Even with my flaws.

Not that the few decades I've been given is all there is to life. In a way, I can't die. Not permanently. (Catechism, 988-1014, 1020-1050) I've mentioned that before. (February 22, 2011)

Here's what got me started, from today's news:

"Godfather: Baby Joseph's baptism shows life's eternal destiny"
Benjamin Mann, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (March 25, 2011)

"The godfather of Baby Joseph Maraachli, whose fight for life has attracted international attention and support, says the terminally ill boy's recent baptism was a testimony to the eternal destiny of human life.

" 'It's a tremendous testimony to the sanctity of life,' said Jerry Horn, senior vice president of the Catholic pro-life ministry Priests For Life, who was Joseph's baptismal sponsor. 'So many people worked together in concert to bring him here, for a purpose greater than we could anticipate.'

" 'We were doing what we could to save the life of a child – which is why we do what we do, in the pro-life movement,' Horn reflected. 'But God's plan is eternal, and it goes far beyond ours.'

"The 13-month-old boy received the sacrament from a Catholic priest in St. Louis, Missouri on March 18, two days before receiving a tracheotomy on March 21...."

Related posts:

• "Joseph Maraachli and a Second Chance"
  (March 14, 2011)
• "Joseph Maraachli, Medical Ethics, and Making Sense"
  (February 28, 2011)
• "Remember: 'Clinically Dead' isn't 'Dead' "
  (October 22, 2010)
• "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)
• "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)

In the news:

• "Godfather: Baby Joseph's baptism shows life's eternal destiny"
  Benjamin Mann, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (March 25, 2011)

Background:

• "NINDS Leigh's Disease Information Page"
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health (last updated October 08, 2008)

Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything

If you think the Catholic Church claims to know everything there is to know about God: Think again. Take a subject that's very important to me: unbaptized infants.

I'll get to why that's so important to me, later in this post.

Baptism: Yeah, It's a Kind of Big Deal

The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses baptism at some length. (1213-1274, for starters)

The part of baptism that we see is someone getting in contact with water. Sometimes that contact is full immersion. I've yet to see that done, by the way. Generally, around here, we go with a rather lighter touch: the baptizer dips fingers in the water and touches the infant's forehead. (Some of the babies like it, some don't.)

"This sacrament is also called 'the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,' for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one 'can enter the kingdom of God.'⁷"
(Catechism (1215)

So, nobody can enter the Kingdom of God without being baptized: where does that leave unbaptized infants and folks who died before they could be baptized?

That's a good question.

Baptism of Blood, Baptism of Desire, and a Whole Lot of Questions

The answer, as far as we have it, is — people who are not baptized when they die may be able to enter the Kingdom of God through the baptism of blood or the baptism of desire.

Maybe.

Here's an excerpt from a document written in 2007. As usual with documents generated by the Catholic Church, it isn't exactly light reading:

"...Already in the early Christian community, it was accepted that martyrdom, the 'Baptism of blood', was a substitute for sacramental Baptism. Furthermore, there was the acknowledgement of the Baptism of desire. In this regard, the words of Thomas Aquinas are pertinent: 'The sacrament of Baptism may be wanting to someone in two ways. First, both in reality and in desire; as is the case with those who neither are baptised, nor wish to be baptised…Secondly, the sacrament of Baptism may be wanting to anyone in reality but not in desire…Such a man can obtain salvation without being actually baptised on account of his desire for Baptism'.[95] The Council of Trent acknowledges 'Baptism of desire' as a way whereby one can be justified without the actual reception of the sacrament of Baptism: 'After the promulgation of the Gospel, this transition [from sin to justice] cannot take place without the bath of regeneration or the desire for it for as it is written: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5)" '.[96]..."
(International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)¹)

If you think that sounds complicated: just wait. A few acres of text before that excerpt, this came up:

"...[58] The proposals invoking some kind of Baptism of desire or Baptism of blood, however, involved certain difficulties. On the one hand, the adult's act of desire for Baptism can hardly be attributed to children. The little child is scarcely capable of supplying the fully free and responsible personal act which would constitute a substitution for sacramental Baptism; such a fully free and responsible act is rooted in a judgement of reason and cannot be properly achieved before the human person has reached a sufficient or appropriate use of reason (aetas discretionis: 'age of discretion')...."
(International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)¹)

So, an infant who does not receive the Sacrament of Baptism can still enter the Kingdom of God: right?

Like I said: maybe.

Then again, maybe not. Like that document said, the idea involves "certain difficulties."

"...In the Church's tradition, the affirmation that children who died unbaptised are deprived of the beatific vision has for a long time been 'common doctrine'. This common doctrine followed upon a certain way of reconciling the received principles of revelation, but it did not possess the certitude of a statement of faith, or the same certitude as other affirmations whose rejection would entail the denial of a divinely revealed dogma or of a teaching proclaimed by a definitive act of the magisterium. The study of the history of the Church's reflection on this subject shows that it is necessary to make distinctions. In this summary we distinguish first, statements of faith and what pertains to the faith; second, common doctrine; and third, theological opinion...."
(International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)¹)

That's a lot of verbiage. I chose this passage partly because it mentions the view that unbaptized infants "are deprived of the beatific vision," and touches on what sort of a view that is. I'll pull a clarification out:

"...This common doctrine followed upon a certain way of reconciling the received principles of revelation, but it did not possess the certitude of a statement of faith, or the same certitude as other affirmations whose rejection would entail the denial of a divinely revealed dogma or of a teaching proclaimed by a definitive act of the magisterium...."
(International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)¹) [emphasis mine]

(The Bible, Tradition and the Magisterium are very important in the Catholic Church, and I've written about that before.)

What About Unbaptized Infants?

There's hope, as the 2007 document says:

"...Our conclusion is that the many factors that we have considered above give serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptised infants who die will be saved and enjoy the Beatific Vision. We emphasise that these are reasons for prayerful hope, rather than grounds for sure knowledge. There is much that simply has not been revealed to us (cf. Jn 16:12). We live by faith and hope in the God of mercy and love who has been revealed to us in Christ, and the Spirit moves us to pray in constant thankfulness and joy (cf. 1 Thess 5:18)...."
(International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)¹)

The Catechism may put it a little more clearly:

"As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: 'Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,'⁶⁴ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism."
(Catechism, 1261)

Hope, yes. Certainty: no.

Would I like to go to the Vatican.va website and get all the answers? Sure. But that's not gonna happen. I don't think I'm going too far when I say that the Catholic Church, even after almost two thousand years of discussion and study of the Bible and Tradition, still doesn't know everything!

And that's okay.

Hope, Trusting God, and Curiosity

I like answers: I like questions, too. Which is a good thing, since after more than a half-century, I still have more questions than answers. Definite, unequivocal, rock-solid-certain answers, that is. I've got a lot of answers that'll do for the moment: and which I figure are true — probably.

The Catholic Church is very clear, for anyone who bothers to look, about what is "a teaching proclaimed by a definitive act of the magisterium," and what what we figure is true — probably.

I'm willing to hope, trust God to handle what I don't understand, and work at conforming my will to His with things that I've got some sort of grip on.

As for things I don't understand: I keep working at learning and understanding more. God gave us curiosity — so I figure He expects us to use it.

What's the Big Deal With Unbaptized Infants?

The question of what happens to people who die without being baptized is quite important to me. Two of my six children died without getting baptized.

It's not that my wife and I didn't want to baptize them. Each time we were — a little preoccupied. I've written about the situation for Letters to Priests:

Just Routine, Nothing Special

Quite a lot has happened, since Father James Statz came to the Our Lady of the Angels parish here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Some of it hasn't been routine, like when the Christmas tree — over a dozen feet tall — fell over behind him. Or when he returned to duty after a stroke should have killed him — but didn't. Or when he talked with me and my wife after we lost another child.

Miscarriage #1: Joy

We'd lost one child, several years ago, very early in the pregnancy. The best guess we have is that something went very, very wrong with some basic function in Joy's body. The human body is a wonderfully complex thing: Which means there's a great many things that can go wrong. This isn't a perfect world.

My wife and I sealed the mess, for testing: but saw to it that Joy was buried, informally and briefly, in hallowed ground. I wasn't sure if that was quite what we're supposed to do, but I figured that 'it's easier to get forgiveness, than permission.' Testing showed no problems, aside from the miscarriage. As the years passed, two more children joined the two we'd been blessed with before Joy.

Miscarriage #2: Elizabeth

There was no reason to assume that our sixth pregnancy wouldn't end in a normal delivery. This baby was doing fine. We, and our four surviving children, were looking forward to seeing the newest member of the family.

When the contractions started, they weren't quite what we expected, but as I recall they were inside the 'normal' range. When it was "time," my wife and I headed for the hospital.

As nearly as I can tell, Elizabeth died as we were approaching the Interstate exit nearest the hospital. My wife told me that the baby was very active: and then completely still. At the hospital, the nurses could detect no heartbeat. And the delivery was not going well. At all.

Later that night I followed the ambulance carrying my wife to another hospital, about 45 miles away. And was with her when Elizabeth was delivered: beautifully formed; and quite dead. My wife and I took turns holding Elizabeth, as warmth left her body. Later, we learned that the center of the placenta had given way. The medical folks say if the failure had happened near the edge, my wife would have bled to death.

We have photos of Elizabeth, and of an ultrasound: but I haven't looked at those for quite a long time. There's no need. I remember what she looked like, the weight of her body in my arms: and I'm not likely to forget. Besides: God willing, I'll meet her, and Joy, in a few decades.

'Why be miserable?'

Talking over Elizabeth's death with my wife, and how we feel about it, she summed up the situation with something like "why be miserable?" She's a very practical woman. And, I think, she's right.

If I seem 'upbeat' about losing 1/3 of our children: It helps that Elizabeth died eight years ago. I've gone through the 'stages of grief,' more or less. Don't let anybody kid you: it's not an easy process. Knowing what was behind a nervous tic and auditory hallucinations helped me get through those years: but I'd just as soon not repeat the experience.

There will always be an 'Elizabeth size' hole in my heart — matching the one for Joy. But I've gotten used to the situation: just as people get used to their children living thousands of miles away. Besides, being dead doesn't make them less a part of the family. I still wish Elizabeth and Joy a 'good night,' every night, as I do for all our children.

'It's not fair.' So?

Being born with deformed hips gave me opportunities to think about — and meditate on — whether or not expecting life to be "fair" by American standards is reasonable.

I'm convinced that God is just, and that He is merciful: and that I wouldn't understand why things happen, even if He explained His Will to me. So I'm not going to demand an explanation. I've read the book of Job

Hey! This letter is about Father Statz!

After my wife and I got back to Sauk Centre, Father Statz spoke with us. Nothing earth-shattering, no dramatic revelations. Just words of sympathy and assurance. He also explained the idea of "baptism of desire." (It's nothing new: Thomas Aquinas and the Council of Trent mentioned it.) And, of course, Father Statz was there when we buried Elizabeth.

Some of the breaks in Father Statz's routine have been good news, like the new Marian garden between the church and the rectory.

Mostly, though, Father Statz has been 'just going through the routines:' celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, anointing the sick, that sort of thing.

He's just an ordinary priest, standing in for Jesus in a small central Minnesota town.

Which, when you think about it, is a pretty big deal.
(Draft of a letter submitted to Letters to Priests)

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "'Just Routine: Nothing Special' - a Priest in a Small Town"
  (April 30, 2010)
• "Prayer, Medicine and Trusting God"
  (March 4, 2010)
• "Fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, 2010"
  (January 31, 2010)
• "Medical Ethics and Human Experimentation: Why I Take it Personally"
  (February 3, 2009)

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¹ "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Paptised*," International Theological Commission (April 19, 2007)

Fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, 2010

Readings for January 31, 2010, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time:

• Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
• 1 Cor 12:31-13:13 or 13:4-13
• Lk 4:21-30

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Fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, 2010

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
January 31, 2010

Ecclesiology is a big word Father used last week and is from the word Ecclesial pertaining to the Church as the community of believers, with stress on their Faith and union through Love, and on the invisible operation of divine grace among the faithful. I'm telling you this because we had to take a course on the subject before ordination. Our teacher was Abbot Jerome and he gives us this book to read and of course you look who wrote it and it says, Abbot Jerome, so I'm wondering is this the only way to get rid of this book?

As the story goes we are assigned to read the first three chapters for the first class. OK, so I read the chapters and Oh my Gosh, what did he try to say? So the next class I finally raised my hand and asked, "Abbot what were you trying to say in these three chapters?" And he laughed, and said you'll understand the rest of the book, so I said, "why would you write something that no one can understand?" You have to keep your standing in academia somehow, he said.

The point to be made, I think, is that it is not necessary to make Church that complicated. For the most part we are a simple people with a simple Faith hat reflects the Life of Christ in the World.

Some stories are happening right here in our parish: You may remember that some time ago Father had given a very good Homily about being GOOD. Very GOOD and well done. So next week was my turn to preach and so I titled my homily out loud: Good isn't good enough, you must be Holy. So what is come out of that is that as I greet people, I will often say, be good and they will respond, be holy. A simple greeting and yet meaningful. It's amazing how quickly the little kids caught on.

Another happening of late goes like this: I will say to someone, I worry about you! This went one for few weeks when one of the young ladies said, you should worry about him! That was my opening: There were a number of people and so I gathered them around and said to them, that I have a story to share! I said. "when my Agnes died and we gathered here, I walked into the Sanctuary and Bishop was setting in Father's chair, I didn't know he would be here, so I walked over and greeted him and said, we worry about you, and he said don't worry, pray. I responded, oh Bishop, it is a great privilege to worry about the people you Love! So you see, I told them, I worry about all of you because I Love you. If I didn't Love you I surely wouldn't worry about you. St, Paul, today, reminds us that Love never fails. Not only does Love never fail but it can not be made less by giving Love. Love given increases the capacity to Love. So if I say to you, I Love you, that doesn't mean I Love some one else less. Never, never be afraid to say I Love you!

Today's Gospel from Luke begins the story of the journey Jesus must make to instill the Good News of Salvation in the world. This journey of Jesus is the beginning of what was called the Way, well before the title Christian. Maybe the best way to share with you the 2nd half of my homily is to title it:

I WANT TO WALK WHERE JESUS WALKS.

How many times in prayer or meditation have you said to yourself, if only I could walk in the footsteps of Jesus! You will note that my title does not say were Jesus walked, but where Jesus walks. This is from a meditation while I was laying back in my chair trying to say a Rosary.

Be careful now because I have new hearing aids and I can almost hear someone thinking, OH, Oh, we're in trouble now, Deacon is thinking! Listen up, because I bet you haven't thought of this before either. So let us consider our coming here to church after telling someone that you are going to walk were Jesus walks.

First of all, why would you say that and how would you explain it to someone from your own experience? For a moment go back to the beginning of this homily and reflect, CHURCH. Then recall the exchange that Saul had with Christ on the Road to Damascus, From Act, 9, 4-5, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' "Who are you Sir?" The voice answered, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." Father reminded us last week that therefore when you persecute the Church you are persecuting Jesus and when you persecute Christ you are persecuting the Church.

Please understand that because you were Baptized you are the property of the Father, adopted Sons and Daughters. Baptized, priest, prophet and king. You are to be other Christs in the world, to do, to say, to perform the works of Christ. So now we can say without question that were you walk, there walks Christ. Coming here with brothers and sisters you are therefore walking were Christ walks. Consider this: if Jesus can say to Saul, "why do you persecute me", then you, setting here are Church, the very Body of Christ.

Again: where you walk, there walks Christ. Consider this: Father Statz is ordained Priest, that is with a capital P, because of Ordination is in the person of Christ, therefore were he walks, there walks Christ. When he walks down this isle, here comes Christ. When he steps to the altar there steps Christ. I said something like that to a priest one time and he said, don't put that load on me! I answered, I didn't but your bishop did.

The problem with all of this is exactly as Father has been saying, the unwillingness to really believe in the Incarnation. Not only, if that were not enough, that God becomes man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but that God in Jesus comes into us through Baptism and all the Sacraments, with highest value being in the receiving Jesus under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

Why can we not understand and believe that Jesus is who He says that He Is. You know the answer as well as I and know that is sin. I like to tell my 7th graders it is do to the new trinity, me, myself, and I. In other words, my will be done, not the will of God be done in my life. This is another one of these idea's that we come about late or often too late. God has created us individually for a purpose, however with a free will, to except or reject the plan of God in our lives. True happiness is to find that purpose and to fulfill it as best we can as a fore-image of what is awaiting us, Eternal Life with the Father in Heaven.

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More:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of the Angels Church"