On Regrets

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been."
--John Greenleaf Whittier

Unless we live in the now, we are in danger of suffering the agony of regret. We can't spend all our time thinking "life's not fair." We cannot afford to excuse everything with "what ifs?" We used those words constantly during the years we wasted on obeying compulsions we knew could destroy us.

We remember the years before and accept them as object lessons of what it could be like again if we become careless or complacent. But we don't regret them. Regret only leads to depression and perhaps a return to an unhealthy life. A good friend of mine once remarked that a regret is only a desire for a better past. The past is the past.

We must stop dwelling on the impossibility of undoing the wrongs of yesterday. Instead, we must begin enjoying the "right things" that are now possible in when we are being honest.

It is impossible to relive my past. I can only create a good past now by living this day the best way I can, so that tomorrow I can look back without having to say "It might have been."

We Belong to Christ

Good Day, Church,

Posting from Flin Flon, MB where I have been for the weekend. I am remaining here this evening to celebrate the end of the year wind-up for the Catholic Women's League of St. Ann's Parish.

I had good cause to reflect today on the feast the Church most recently celebrated: The Ascension. It would seem to me that the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven is connected intimately with the feast we are inching towards this coming weekend: Pentecost.

The two celebrations invite us, as Church, to move towards a re-commitment on our behalf to follow the promises that were made at our baptism: to reject sin and so to live in the freedom of God's children.  When we do this we are opening ourselves up to being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ Jesus. We are then engaged in living as Jesus willed the world to live.

These last weeks of Easter have been about renewing ourselves in the mystery of our faith. We need ever remember that Jesus in continuously calling each of us by name to live as He lived.

Let us remember this as we walk towards this Feast of Pentecost this weekend: we are Christ's; we belong to Him.

A blessed day, one and all.

Pontiff Warns of Temptation to Make God "Comprehensible"

Benedict XVI says there is a constant temptation in the spiritual life: to try to construct a "comprehensible god" that corresponds to one's own plans and projects.

The Pope made this reflection today as he continued with his general audience catecheses on prayer. Today, he turned to Moses, saying he "carried out his role as mediator between God and Israel ... I would say especially, by praying."

The Pontiff looked at at Moses' prayer, as narrated in Exodus 32.

This chapter relates how Moses had gone up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments when the Chosen People below make their search for a "comprehensible god" who conforms to their plans, and ask Aaron to build the golden calf.

God reveals to Moses what the people are doing and sends him back down the mountain.

"Now therefore let me alone," he tells Moses, "that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them: but of you I will make a great nation."

In recounting Moses' response, Benedict XVI paralleled it with his teaching on Abraham from two weeks ago.

"In reality," the Pope explained, "this 'let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot' is said precisely so that Moses might intervene and ask him not to do it, thereby revealing that God's desire is always to save. As with the two cities in the time of Abraham, punishment and destruction, in which the wrath of God is expressed as the rejection of evil, point to the gravity of the sin committed; at the same time, the intercessor's request is meant to manifest the Lord's will to forgive.

"This is the salvation of God, which involves mercy but together with it also exposes the truth of the sin, of the evil that is present, so that the sinner, aware of and rejecting his own sin, can allow himself to be forgiven and transformed by God."

Benedict XVI observed how "Moses' prayer is wholly centered on the Lord's fidelity and grace."

The Pope recounted how Moses reminds God that he cannot allow the work of salvation to be left unfinished: "[God] is the good Lord who saves, the guarantor of life, he is the God of mercy and forgiveness, of liberation from sin which kills. ... If his elect were to perish, even if they are guilty, he might appear incapable of conquering sin. And this is unacceptable."

"Moses had a concrete experience of the God of salvation; he was sent as a mediator of divine liberation, and now, with his prayer, he voices a twofold concern -- concern for the fate of his people, but alongside this, concern for the honor that is owed to the Lord, for the truth of his name," the Holy Father reflected. "The intercessor, in fact, wants the people of Israel to be saved, because they are the flock that has been entrusted to him, but also because, in that salvation, the true reality of God is manifested. Love of the brothers and love of God interpenetrate in intercessory prayer; they are inseparable. Moses, the intercessor, is a man stretched between two loves, which in prayer overlap into but one desire for good."

Transformation

When Moses will return again to the mountain after he has destroyed the golden calf, he tells the Lord, "But now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -- and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written."

The Bishop of Rome noted how the fathers of the Church saw here a prefiguring of Christ, who "with his pierced heart," is, in fact, "blotted out." "His intercession is not only solidarity, but identification with us; he carries us all in his body. And in this way his whole existence as man and as Son is a cry to the heart of God, it is forgiveness, but a forgiveness that transforms and renews."

"I think we should meditate upon this reality," the Pope invited. "Christ stands before the face of God and prays for me. His prayer on the cross is contemporaneous with all men, contemporaneous with me: He prays for me, he suffered and suffers for me, he identified himself with me by taking on our human body and soul. And he invites us to enter into his identity, making ourselves one body, one spirit with him, because from the heights of the cross he brought not new laws, tablets of stone, but rather he brought himself, his body and his blood, as the new covenant. He thereby makes us one blood with him, one body with him, identified with him."

The Holy Father reflected that Christ "invites us to enter into this identification, to be united with him in our desire to be one body, one spirit with him. Let us pray to the Lord that this identification may transform us, may renew us, since forgiveness is renewal -- it is transformation."

New Mass Set for Implementation on November 27th, 2011

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has received recognitio for all sections of the English translation of the revised Roman Missal for use in Canada. The Permanent Council has agreed that the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011, will be the date for the implementation of the English translation of the Missal. The official decree for this date has not yet been published, because our Conference is still clarifying the exact wording of one of the adaptations for Canada.

This process of clarification will not in any way slow down the preparation of the English translation of the revised Missal for Canada. Both the English Sector National Liturgy Office and the CCCB Publications Department are busy preparing the new publication and their work is proceeding on schedule.

As well, the National Liturgy Office is preparing to start the launching of the catechetical material it has already prepared. The resource Celebrate and Song, which contains the parts of the Mass spoken by the people, as well as three newly composed Mass settings and the ICEL chants, is now finished and will be available from the CCCB Publications Service during the first half of April. This resource, which contains the texts of Eucharistic Prayers I-IV and 40 hymns not currently found in the Catholic Book of Worship III, will be available from the Publications Service at http://www.cccbpublications.ca/.

Starting the first week of April, the National Liturgy Office will begin posting texts and power-point slides to be used for workshops at the local level – including workshops dealing with the theology of Eucharist, the process of translation and revision, and the history of the Eucharist. These will be available on the website of the National Liturgy Office, http://www.nlo.cccb.ca/.

Two DVDs will also be produced by the National Liturgy Office in collaboration with Salt + Light TV. These will be ready for distribution by the end of August. The first will be a two-hour presentation on the theological emphases of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The second will be an hour-long presentation with a teaching DVD on the structure of the Mass and the meaning of each part of the Mass. The National Liturgy Office will provide a packet of material including suggested workshop formats and questions for discussion at the parish level. Early in September, the National Liturgy Office will have CDs ready with a cantor singing a dozen or so of the new prefaces to assist priests who do not read music but would like to sing the prefaces.

Thought for the Day: Listening to God's Voice

We need to listen to one another.
--Chaim Potok

Listening is an important skill to cultivate. We need to sit in our healing circles and lovingly listen and learn from each other. We are each other's teachers. Our friends listen to our troubles, and we listen to their suggestions. We pray to God and then meditate, a form of listening, from which we develop conscious contact with our God and His will for us.

Listening is one of the gifts we give to each other. Listening is also one of the gifts we give to ourselves. As we listen to others and learn from them, we stop thinking we are the center of the universe. Listening to others - to truly hear what they say, to learn from them - helps keep our egos in check. We should frequently ask ourselves, "Am I practicing the skills of active listening?"

Loving God, today I pray that I may open myself up to hearing Your voice in the words of others. Allow me to see the people around me as teachers. Help me stay open to being taught.

Honey, I'm Home....

Good Morning, Church,

It has been far too long and I apologize for the lack of posting. It has been a remakable few weeks and I am just beginning to get back in touch and to return to my usual posting.

To many of you - words of gratitude and thanks for your letters, cards and notes of encouragement over these last few weeks.

For those who have not heard I have been appointed as Pastor of St. Ann's Parish in Flin Flon, MB.  This came as a surprise to me as I was not anticipating a move this year. Nevertheless, God's Holy Spirit guides the Church and I remain open to wherever the Spirit calls me to serve.

It has been a few weeks of letting go of my feelings and moving beyond my comfort zone. It is always difficult to say goodbye and these next few months will be emotional ones for myself.

That being said, I welcome the challenges of meeting a new parish and growing in God's spirit of hospitality in a new home.  

I thank you all for being so supportive and loving of me and my shortcomings. It speaks of God's Spirit of hospitality in your lives and of forgiveness and understanding.

I will reflect more on this move in my life in the later weeks ahead.

For now...be assured that these pages are back and running and that I am looking forward to journeying with you throughout the summer months.

Prayerfully,

Father Paul

Prayer for Mother's Day

 A blessing for all Mothers, living and deceased...

Before our God, and before one another, we want to honor you
and the work you do. For we live in a society that overlooks and
belittles your God given status. But we say that you are blessed.
For you have been called, set aside, commissioned to bear fruit –
fruit that will last.

We declare that your work is holy work. It is sacred. It is Christ-like.
For we recognize that you lay down your lives for others, that you
give without thought of cost or repayment. You serve above and
beyond what is seen or asked for. You bless and you love in ways
that words cannot capture. Your thinking is so often of others, your
time spent on others, your prayers spent on others. You are a
blessing to others. You have indeed laid down your whole lives.

This is a high calling. To nurture and shepherd God’s own children.
For this we honor you. And in this calling we bless you.

We bless you to be wise. To see what is hidden, to hear what is not
said, and to do what has been undone. To know when to speak
and when to listen.

 
We bless your discernment. May it be sharpened. May your
prayers be arrows in a bulls eye. May you hear the whisper of God
on behalf of His children.

 
We bless your words. May you speak goodness and kindness into
your children. May you strengthen, encourage and comfort with
great skill. May your children thrive in your praise and correction.
We bless your time. May God bless your sleeping and your waking.
May you have the time you need. May you have time to laugh and
time to reflect. May you have time to share deeply with dear friends,
to walk closely with your God.

 
We bless you to be free. Free from the expectations of others and
the eye of the world. May you be free to be yourself and free to
enjoy all that God gives you. May you be free to allow your children
the freedom to discover their call in God.

We bless the work of your hands. May you find God in the
mundane and know Him in the business. May your homes be
blessed with peace and love. May they be places of light and joy.
We bless you to be a reflection of God. To reflect to others the
meaning of love, of truth and hope, of faith and trust, and grace, of
generosity and humility. To embody these before us. May your
children see you walk the narrow way, may your investment in them
be not just for this age, but also for those to come.

We bless you: Name by name

Come Holy Spirit. See these anointed ones. We ask that you would
increase your anointing on them.

We ask that God would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in your inner
woman. That Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, that you,
being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend
together with all the saints, what is the width and length and depth
and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
That you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We set you aside. You are a blessing to your families, and a
blessing to this church. Thank you. Well done. And may Christ be
with you.

Snow???

Good Afternoon, Church

Your author finds himself in Flin Flon, MB for the weekend liturgies. It is Mother's Day Weekend and one in which I had hoped to see the beginnings of Spring.

Alas, Mother Nature is working her magic and we all woke up to more snow this weekend. It seems that Spring is still a little way off as of yet and like the rest of the province of Manitoba we need to take our turn in waiting.

A blessed weekend one and all.

On the Road to Emmaus

 

This Sunday marks the third Sunday of Easter and offers us a chance to reflect on a Resurrection passage from St. Luke's Gospel (24.13-35) which is the story of the Road to Emmaus.

A great deal has been written about this account of Jesus with two of his disciples. I encourage you to listen attentively at mass this weekend. It is a beautiful story of God meeting humanity where we are at: broken, wounded and often in grief.

It is by far one of my favourite accounts in the Gospels and it speaks to me of an 'embracing' God who seeks me out when I need God most.

The disciples were not unlike us: they were griping among themselves over a situation that had befallen them. Things had not worked out the way they wanted them to. They had not gotten their way. If they had gotten their way, Jesus would be alive instead of dead and laying in the tomb.

They were so entrenched in their grief that they could not see the risen Lord in their very midst. 

How often am I so encompassed and occupied with my troubles that I fail to recognize the goodness of the present moment? That I fail to recognize Jesus in my midst? Far too often, I am afraid.

This Sunday offers us an opportunity to let go of our sufferings, our grief and our preoccupation in favor of recognizing the Risen Christ in our midst. A Christ that touches us and embraces us where we are at. No strings attached. We are as we are. Beautiful in God's sight.

Join me in celebrating this tremendous gift of God's love in our midst by letting go of pride and sinfulness and allowing ourselves to be embraced by God's love....the love of our Christ Jesus who blesses us and makes us whole.

Thought for the Day: Touching God

God insists that we ask, not because He needs to know our situation, but because we need the spiritual discipline of asking.
-- Catherine Marshall

An omniscient God must know what we desire before we ask. God knows that what we really need most is reliance on God. And how do we develop reliance? Like most other things, by practicing.

If it weren't for the need to remind us daily or hourly that all power flows from God, we could just say a quick prayer at the beginning of each week, or each year, and be done with it. Surely God could fill our requests a year ahead of time. But getting our wishes granted isn't the purpose of prayer. Getting to know God is the purpose.

I need to be in touch with God every hour of the day.