And So it Begins Again....

40 days to change our ways.
40 days to find Him more deeply.
40 days to rediscover who and whose we are.
40 days to share the boundless love that we have been given.
And so, begins the annual journey to the Cross and beyond...

First Sunday in Lent: What We Pray is What We Believe

This Sunday we hear in the Roman Missal how Christ set the pattern for Lent and how we today are to take it to heart. When we really listen to what the presider prays we can learn much about the attitudes and expectations of the season. This is not surprising. Lex orandi, lex credendi is an ancient saying, meaning literally "the law of prayer is the law of belief" - or what we pray (in the liturgy) is what we believe (see CCC 1124.)  Let's take a look at what the texts of the First Sunday in Lent say.

In the Collect, we hear:

Grant, almighty God,
through the yearly observances of holy Lent,
that we may grow in understanding
of the riches hidden in Christ,
and by worthy conduct pursue their effects...

In the Prayer over the Offerings:

Give us the right dispositions, O Lord, we pray,
to make these offerings,
for with them we celebrate the beginning
of this venerable and sacred time.... 

 In the Preface:

...By abstaining forty long days from earthly food,
he [Christ] consecrated through his fast
the pattern of our Lenten observance
and, by overturning all the snares of the ancient serpent,
taught us to cast out the leaven of malice,
so that celebrating worthily the Paschal Mystery,
we might pass over at last to the eternal paschal feast. 

In the Prayer after Communion:

Renewed now with heavenly bread,
by which faith is nourished, hope is increased,
and charity strengthened,
we pray, O Lord,
that we may learn to hunger for Christ,
the true and living Bread,
and strive to live by every word
which proceeds from your mouth... 

Finally, in the Prayer over the People:

May bountiful blessing, O Lord, we pray,
come down upon your people,
that hope my grow in tribulation,
virtue may be strengthened in temptation,
and eternal redemption be assured.

What do we learn? That Lent is about not only right actions, but right attitudes (dispositions). That Christ himself, in his 40 days in the desert, is the model for Lent. That all of Lent is focused toward our celebration of the Easter Triduum (the Paschal Mystery) and that the Eucharist we receive at Mass strengthens and nourishes our ability to live the Cardinal Virtues - faith, hope and charity - as well as our ability to resist temptation. All of this, of course, is with reference to our eternal salvation and the eternal banquet in heaven.

So, convoluted though they may be, the prayers at Mass have a lot of catechesis about Lent in them. Listen this weekend, and take them to heart. How will you allow Jesus in the Eucharist to help you with your Lenten journey?

Ashes - The Sacramental that Points to the Sacraments

Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments: they signify effects, particularly of a spiritual kind, which are obtained through the Church's intercession. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.  (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 60)

We begin Lent with ashes, a sacramental made from the burning of the blest palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday.  By the definition above, the ashes should resemble the sacraments, but which ones?

The cross of ashes on our forehead is placed exactly where the cross of oil was placed on our heads during Baptism and Confirmation. Yet, made from ashes instead of holy oil, this mark is clearly visible - a public statement that we belong to Christ.

When an adult preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation is first signed with the cross, at the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechism, it is an invisible sign, traced on their forehead by their sponsor or catechist: a foreshadowing of the cross of oil they will later receive at Easter. These are the words spoken:

Receive the cross on your forehead.
It is Christ himself who now strengthens you
with this sign of his love.
Learn to know and follow him.  

Words to remember today. The cross of Ashes is a renewed call to follow Christ, who first called us at our baptism and calls us every day of our lives to keep learning to follow him. It is the visible connection to the baptismal character of Lent that that Constitution laid out:

The season of Lent has a twofold character: primarily by recalling or preparing for baptism and by penance, it disposes the faithful, who more diligently hear the word of God and devote themselves to prayer, to celebrate the paschal mystery. This twofold character is to be brought into greater prominence both in the liturgy and by liturgical catechesis. Hence:

a) More use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy; some of them, which used to flourish in bygone days, are to be restored as may seem good.
b) The same is to apply to the penitential elements...   (SC 109)

So today, consider how your Ashes recall your baptismal invitation to follow Christ in everything. It began when oil was used to make that cross on your forehead...

Major Update to My Website

As we approach Lent, I have been inspire to expand this blog's companion site.

The Liturgical Catechist now features resources for liturgical seasons, with a new page for Lent, full of resource links and videos to help catechists of people of all ages.

The video page, too, has been updated, with new categories and separate pages for
General Topics
The Mass
Sacraments
Liturgical Symbols

Take a look!

Spiritual Not Religious: All the Ashes, Without that Pesky Commitment to Church

Oh, you know it had to come to this.   And this.

Check out the reasons why people are liking drive-through ashes, or ashes given out on the street.  No time commitment, no need to be embarrassed about going into a church... Oh my.  Although I personally abhor the Catholic practice of distribution of ashes without Mass, which is only slightly better. At least with that, however, people darken the door of a church.

God IS certainly available on the go - but once a year, wouldn't it be nice to make one's self  available to God?  Wouldn't it be helpful to hear the Word of God, challenging us to spend 40 days reflecting on inner change? Better yet, to hear that AND receive the Eucharist, which is the nourishment which will strengthen us to keep our 40-day commitment to change.  Only then are we fully ready to claim in the ashes our sinfulness and our identity as belonging to Christ, marked with his Cross.

Ashes are NOT simply a blessing, as these Protestant churches imply.   Rather, they are a visible sign of our commitment . Might be nice to have some (commitment, that is). Just sayin' - this is what happens when a symbol gets a divorce from its accompanying ritual. It loses much of its original meaning and becomes something vaguely about "encountering Christ", devoid of its original connection to a concept of repentance. Postmodern reinvention, I guess. Sigh.

Fifth Sunday in Lent: The Discipleship of Love of Neighbor

Here is the last installment of our parish bulletin series for Lent - taken from RCIA 75:

 We have been, through our journey together this Lent, looking at how baptism calls us to be disciples who give a good example to those learning the faith from us: the adults preparing for baptism and the children who were baptized as babies.  Our final element is one of the most important for Christian life – after the example of Christ, we are “to practice the love of neighbor, even at the cost of self-renunciation.”  (RCIA, 75)   A true disciple gives until it hurts. We are asked to love even those who may not love us, who are not our friends or family, who are strangers – whenever they are near us and in need, they become our “neighbor.”  How do we do this? We are called to die to our own desires, so that we may do the right thing for others when they are most in need. Like Lazarus, we will then live.  

This concludes our Lenten exploration of our baptismal call to be disciples.  Next week, we follow Jesus through his Passion to the Cross, the grave, and to the Resurrection at Easter.  When we renew our baptismal promises at the liturgies of Easter, may we be more truly disciples of Jesus Christ – and may those who are baptized and formed in faith in St. John’s community always see the fruits of our discipleship and learn from us.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

Fourth Sunday of Lent: Discipleship of Christ-like Deeds

Here is the installment for the Fourth Sunday of Lent that will appear in my parish bulletin this weekend:

As baptized disciples of Jesus, we should be good examples of mature Catholic faith for adults preparing for baptism and children baptized as infants learning faith from us. We do this whenever we follow “supernatural inspiration” in our deeds. (RCIA 75) What does that mean? It means whenever we face a choice of how to act, we think first about what God would want us to do.  A popular expression describes this as “What Would Jesus Do?”   How do we know what God wants, or would Jesus would do in any situation? Our conscience tells us, sometimes quickly, sometimes after some period of prayer and discernment.  As Christians, our actions should never be ours alone. They should reflect the moral teachings of Jesus, Tradition and the teachings of the Church.   

We are called to be different – to go against the culture of the world in making decisions that are best for God’s plan, not just for “me” right now.  Jesus said it best:  “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)   

This is a call to see as God sees, not as man sees, as Samuel saw the potential king in the young David in the first reading this week. As disciples we need to have a well-trained conscience, know Scripture and Church teaching, and pray for God’s guidance in all we do - to see the right choice – God’s choice, not our human one.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

Third Sunday of Lent: Discipleship of Hope in Christ

The following is the article that will appear in this week's bulletin at my parish, as the third installment of our reflection on the qualities of a mature disciple, as outlined in paragraph 75 of the RCIA.

Third Sunday of Lent:  The Discipleship of Hope in Christ

At baptism, we were called to become disciples of Jesus.  Adults preparing for baptism and children baptized as infants look to us to teach them how to become people who “in all things… keep their hopes set on Christ.” (RCIA 75)  A true Christian never loses hope, never gives up, because he or she knows that Jesus has already won the victory – that through his suffering, death and Resurrection, Christ has defeated sin and death.   No matter how much we suffer in this life, we know that Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us with God, where we and our loved ones who end their earthly life as baptized, believing disciples of Christ, will live, not die.  Nothing can overcome that promise.  What does that mean for our daily life?  Our baptism calls us to be beacons of hope in a very dark world.  While non-believers point to evil in the world, we must not fear to show that as Christians we are not afraid. 

Look at Jesus, not at the darkness.  Like the woman at the well, know that he is the Messiah, our Savior. Show your children and those preparing to become Christians that this is not a world of despair, but one of hope.  Even in worldly unhappiness, we can have a deep, unconquerable joy because of the “living water” Jesus gives us and because of what He did for us.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

Second Sunday of Lent: Discipleship of Witness

Here is what will appear this weekend in my parish bulletin - the second installment of our examination of the 5 elements of mature discipleship described in paragraph 75 of the RCIA:

As we continue our Lenten journey with those to be baptized at Easter, we are their examples of mature baptized disciples.  RCIA section 75 says that those preparing for baptism learn from the community to “give witness to the faith.”  All the baptized should be evangelists for Jesus Christ in their words and deeds – and give testimony publicly to the goodness of God.  We do that when we live the teachings of Jesus in all our relationships and commitments, but we also should never to be afraid to tell about our faith.  The adults preparing for baptism and the children of our community look to us to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and to learn to speak of it themselves.  Quite simply, this is how the Catholic faith is passed on.  Do you live your faith “out loud?”  Do you talk to your children and friends about how God has helped you?

We learn of Jesus’ Transfiguration in today’s Gospel from the words of the disciples who were there that day and saw what happened. The witness of the Gospel writers, who carefully preserved every detail, has passed the faith down to us.  Our baptism calls us to pass it to others.  Lent is a time to consider how  we can  have the courage to be a witness.

Joyce Donahue, for the St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee

What Good Am I, If... A Cry for Charity and Justice

Just found this powerful song from iconic British pop singer Tom Jones, who has reinvented himself as a gospel singer.  His moving rendition of "What Good Am I" particularly struck me as a powerful call to love our neighbor - to step out of our egocentrism and reach out to help, in charity and the change the lives of the unfortunate by working for justice. A great song to meditate on for Lent.



Here are the lyrics:

What good am I - if I'm like all the rest 
If I just turn away - when I see how you're dressed 
If I shut myself off - so I can't hear you cry 
What good am I? 

What good am I - if I know and don't do 
If I see and don't say - if I look straight through you 
If I turn a deaf ear - to the thundering sky 
What good am I? 

What good am I - while you softly weep 
And I hear in my head - what you say in your sleep 
And I freeze in the moment - like the rest who don't try 
What good am I? 
What good am I? 

What good am I then - to others and me 
If I've had every chance - and yet still fail to see 
With my hands tied must I - not wonder within 
Who tied them and why - and where must I have been? 

What good am I if I say foolish things 
And I laugh in the face - of what sorrow brings 
And I just turn my back - while you silently die 
What good am I? 
What good am I? 
What good am I?

Lent: Reflecting on and Recovering our Baptismal Call to Discipleship

I was very interested to see that Pope Benedict, in his Lent 2011 statement, referred to the baptismal character of Lent - the underlying reality that defines how we should live the season.  He said that baptism is a call to develop "the adult stature of Christ."  

In our parish, it is customary for our Liturgy Planning Committee to determine a focus for each major liturgical season.  Last year, we focused on the baptismal character of Lent, taking an action or symbol for each week from the Rite of Baptism itself and focusing on words from the rite that define our baptismal call: 

• WEEK 1: Exorcism/Anointing: "May you have strength in the power of Christ our Savior"  
• WEEK 2: Chrism: "As Christ was anointed as Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live..."
• WEEK 3: White Garment: "You have become a new creation. and have clothed yourself in Christ"
• WEEK 4: Lighted Candle:  "Receive the light of Christ...This light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly"
• WEEK 5: Ephphetha: "May the Lord Jesus... touch your ears to receive his word, and his mouth to proclaim his faith"

This year, we actually developed the same theme the Pope proposed, how we strive to reach that "adult stature of Christ". We decided to continue our reflection on baptism, this time, focusing on the behaviors a mature disciple of Jesus Christ should be developing as defined in paragraph 75 of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

The following is the focus statement that will appear this weekend to assist our community in reflecting more deeply.

As we begin Lent, our focus at St. John’s will be the call we each received at our baptism to be a disciple of Jesus.  As we walk with those who will be baptized at Easter on the final weeks of their journey to the font during Lent each year, we are asked to re-examine how we are living up to our own Christian initiation. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) describes the process of growing to maturity as a Christian as becoming a person who turns readily to God in prayer, is a witness to the faith, sets his/her hope in Christ, is inspired to Christ-like deeds, and who practices love of neighbor even at cost to self.  The St. John’s Liturgy Planning Committee, a bilingual group of six people who study the readings together to plan our celebrations for upcoming liturgical seasons, has determined that these elements of discipleship will form our focus for Lent this year.

Over the weeks of Lent, we invite you to consider your own call to discipleship. How often and well do you pray? Do you witness to your faith in your family, work and other settings? Are you a person of Christian hope? Are your actions inspired by Christ? Do you love others enough to make sacrifices for them?  Please consider using this list in your personal prayer time, or posting it next to your bathroom mirror, so you are reminded each morning to live up to your baptismal call.  May our Lenten journey together as a parish community be a time to become more truly disciples of Jesus Christ.

Remember....

Lent, as the Pope reminded us in his message for Lent this year, is essentially a time to reconnect with our baptism. We are asked to reconnect to the grace of the sacrament and to our baptismal call, to become the people God wants us to be.  Starting today, for 40 days, we engage in a communal retreat with other people of faith, encouraged by the readings of the Mass and strengthened by the Eucharist.  On our forehead, where once, when we were claimed for Christ at baptism, the oil marked us with the Cross, on Ash Wednesday we receive the mark of our failure to live up to our potential as true disciples.  This video captures the essence of that:

Second Scrutiny - Looking Within to Find the Light of Christ

The two young women stood at the front of the church, motionless and transfixed, their sponsors' hands on their shoulders, as we celebrated the Second Scrutiny with those preparing for baptism this week during the choir Mass. It was a simple and powerful moment, as the commuity embraced them in prayer and invoked the power of Christ to defend them against evil during their final weeks of preparation for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

Our pastor outdid himself in bringing the theme of  the Light of Christ into the homily, connecting it with the words spoken when our godparent lights our baptismal candle: our baptismal symbol of the week, which, of course fit right in with the Gospel reading of the Man Born Blind. The hymn texts were all laced with references to light and darkness as well.  It is truly amazing to liturgy planners when all elements of the Mass fall into place as if naturally on a given theme - and this was one of the best moments I have experienced.

After inviting the two catechumens to the front, and saying a brief prayer, our pastor invited us to recite the Creed - and it instantly made tremendous sense as the community stepped up to the plate -reciting it with more gusto than usual, as if everyone in the room suddenly recognized the privilege of being Catholic and became proud to profess their belief (see my previous post on that topic). We then prayed the intercessions over them, Father prayed the Prayer of Exorcism and the choir and Assemby responded with a hearty rendition of  "Stand Firm."

When the Rites are well celebrated they teach. I hope that everyone there today learned as much as I did from this simple, dignified and heart-felt experience.