Kerygma Series: "Rescued"

This weekend, we continue our “Kerygma” series, and we reflect on the third part, entitled “Rescued.” By way of reminder, Dcn. Brett and I are framing each homily around questions to make it more accessible:

- (Created) Why is there something instead of nothing?

- (Captured)Why is the world so messed up?

- (Rescued) What is God doing about it?

- (Response) What is our role?

Last weekend, Dcn. Brett eloquently shared how we are captured by many things which promise us what inevitably are lies. As such, we then find ourselves shackled to false gods, struggling with sin which binds our hearts and minds, and we are, ultimately, unable to save ourselves from these evils. I pray that Saturday morning’s Communal Reconciliation Service was an aide to you in getting free from these things.

This weekend, I reflect on how great the Good News really is. Our world once had a sense of Christian ethos such that we could even speak of “Christendom.” This is no longer. Our world has removed God from the center and has become captured by Secularism, hedonism, and all their consequences. Pope John Paul II was known for describing our culture as one of death. The results have been catastrophic and horrific, not just bad news. And it is because so many people have domesticated the bad news to be something more akin to a side note, the Good News has been lost, forgotten, or even mocked.

The Good News is the Greatest News ever in the history of all creation! That is not hyperbole. We believe that Jesus came to us, incarnate as a baby, so that he could take on our sins, conquer the powers of darkness and death, and free us from the tyranny of the worst dictator ever, Satan. By coming as man, Jesus, God, became one of us, crushing the evil one, freeing those held captive, and opening the path to heaven! And if that was not enough, he desires to make all things new. Christ’s death was not a defeat nor the end. Rather it brought about the triumphant Resurrection. That cosmic event reoriented everything! Jesus completed the plan from the beginning whereby we share in God’s likeness in our own eventual resurrection.

So, let us rejoice always in the Lord on this Gaudate Sunday weekend. Give thanks for his marvelous deeds which has won for us: a prize of sharing in his awesome presence, transformed into His likeness as was the plan from the beginning of Creation!

Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

BOOK: “Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel” By Fr John Riccardo

Special Convocation/Retreat with ACTS XXIX

Dear Parishioners,

Thank you all for your prayers for all of us priests who attended the special convocation at the beginning of this month. The Surrender Novena was a perfect vehicle of grace targeting our need to submit ourselves to Jesus Christ and let him take over and heal whatever is broken. The convocation was more akin to a retreat, and I believe it was an experience unlike any gathering of us diocesan priests together. 

The event took place in one of the newest and certainly the biggest Catholic church in the Archdiocese. The building was originally the home of New Hope Christian Church and was purchased this past year by of Our Lady of La Vang Parish. After doing some research, is is well double in square footage from the previous location of Our Lady of La Vang Parish. It seats a whopping 2,170 people in their main nave which compares to 575 in their previous church. The pews and seats in the nave are arranged in a semi-round fashion before the sanctuary and has two levels. Let’s just say that there was enough for the each of the 140 priests in attendance for our convocation to have about 15+ feet from the nearest person.

Fr. John Riccardo and his ACTS XXIX team came and offered us some thought provoking talks during the event. I say “event,’ because it wasn’t simply about learning more about our faith, but creating a space and time for us to ponder on our own struggles, suffering, and need for healing. If you would like to get a taste of the first day, pick up a copy of Fr. Riccardo’s book, “Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel.” I used this book in preparation for this past Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil) and Easter Sunday Masses. The rest of the time was marked by time of fellowship and and opportunities for confession, adoration, and quiet prayer. Possibly the highest point came when the ACTS XXIX team offered private opportunities to have hands laid upon each of us priests while lifting us up in prayer, specifically for healing. I’ve been to many gatherings of the presbyterate (diocesan priests serving the Archdiocese), and I have offered a fair number of retreats where we would lay hands on the retreatants, but this has never been the occasion for us priests as a whole. There were a couple times for us to publicly share about the time we were spending together. And let’s just say it was heartfelt, sometimes raw, and some priests truly made themselves vulnerable by taking some risks in their sharing. It was all very healthy. It inspired and challenged me. I had to go to confession twice while I was there due to what they shared and how it revealed things to me. 

Two other highlights were the personal testimonies of faith, conversion, and admission of personal struggles from Bishop Peter Smith and Archbishop Alexander Sample. After Archbishop Sample shared in his closing remarks to us priests, we stood and applauded him for quite some time for being so frank and vulnerable with us. Another priest then shouted out that we should pray over him and as that priest laid hands on the Archbishop, another prayed a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving and aid for our lead Shepherd.

This gathering was the beginning of some healing work for many of us priests, assuming we are willing to do our homework. In the beginning of October, we will be gathering for our normal/annual convocation, and as providence would have it, we will be lead by Dr. Bob Schuchts, the founder of the John Paul II Healing Center. We were given his book, “Be Healed: A Guide to Encountering the Powerful Love of Jesus in Your Life.” Much of his work was presented by the ACTS XXIX team during our time together. So, once again, God is at work doing what he does best. Please continue to pray for us priests, as we do for you. God is great and does amazing things!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor