He is Risen!

Dear Parishioners,

Praise be Jesus Christ! He is Risen!

I hope this Easter weekend brings you all a renewed hope in the saving power of God over evil, as he conquered the evil one and opened up the way to eternal life in heaven. This is the Good News, or rather Great News for all time! 

This past year has been full of pain, sorrow, anger, suspicion, violence, and death. All of this is tragic. All of this was darkness and sad. Yet, all of this was known ahead of time by our Lord. All of this was borne upon the shoulders of our Savior on the cross. All of it was joined to His death AND RESURRECTION! Yes! Christ conquered death and is offering us life, hope, and joy beyond and through the sufferings of this life.

This year, I have had a share in my own sufferings, and yet and I continue to be full of hope because of Christ who loves me and accompanies me through it all. Be encouraged! Be lifted up at this new no matter what has happened or is happening now that causes you so much pain. Jesus is our divine counselor and doctor. He knows the depth of it all. His love is complete and full just for you! Let go of anything that blocks his love. Know that he wants you to be with him in eternity, yet has a purpose for you here and now on Earth. Praise be the Lord!

O my Jesus! I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything!

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Relativism, The Truth, and Our Times

Dear Parishioners,

Today, I set out a philosophical/theological reflection about an important topic which we may have forgotten about, but which continues to dominate our culture. What is that, you ask? Pope Benedict XVI nailed it on the head when, prior to being elected pope, he shared:

“We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate standard consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.”

This critique may be one of the most accurate descriptions of how we are handling the challenges of 2020. The foundation of this critique is the loss of truth or the complete absence of Truth in our public discourse and mores. It has been on display in our politics, sexual ethics, interactions with friends and families, racial tensions, and even the pandemic. It has shut down our ability to have civil conversations about issues, and substituted our feelings. All too many are ready to abdicate truth for being nice or shut others down with name-calling. Instead of talking about issues, some are more likely to respond with ad hominem (to the person) attacks. The so-called truth of our culture hasn’t set us free, for Truth has become suspect, relativistic, or non-existent.

People have become afraid to speak Truth to reigning ideologies of our time, for fear of losing jobs or losing their lives. Indeed, be careful what you say, you may be maligned on a social network, the evening news, or worse, physically attacked or killed just for asking a question. The news has become too often infotainment or punditry.

We need to root ourselves in the fact that God has given us truths to which we need to submit ourselves and be strong enough to be humble while talking about issues. In the name of peace, the temptation is to just go with the flow. Yet, if we want [true] peace, St. Paul VI wrote, seek out [true] justice (words in brackets added by me). Yet, there are some who prefer violence as a false means to peace. St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II, Mahatma Gandhi, Dorothy Day, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were among many who sought justice through peaceful means, and their legacies live on as lights in the darkness of the last century. They recognized immutable truths and might be the prophetic voices we need to listen to once again. They were motivated by the truth of the Gospel and not just their egos, power, or fame. Their advocacy for peace and justice through peaceful means came from their understanding of the Beatitudes which Jesus taught (Matthew 5).

The Truth is alive and found in Jesus Christ. He was much more than a prophet or civil rights leader. He is God-incarnate. In order to conform our lives to him, in order to rightly order our lives, we need to submit ourselves to him and what he taught. Clearly Jesus was no relativist. He came to set us free from the sins that bind us and lead us astray. He was not afraid to speak truth to power. He clearly had a mission from which he was not going to be deterred, not even by his fledgling Apostles (remember the “Get behind me, Satan!” response to Peter who tried to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem and be killed?). Truth must come to rule once again if we ever desire to have peace, and only through Christ and living out his Gospel values will we be able to effect the change that our world so desperately needs.

There are many truths about which most of us agree: The unjust killings that have been highlighted in the news and the ugly sin of racism must come to an end. The violence committed in recent riots does not communicate the truth in any way. Gaslighting or name calling does not bring us closer to each other, but warps our communion with each other. Being intolerant in the name of tolerance is an oxymoron and does not make us a more just society. The relativism which demands a tyrannical standard which destroys is not the Way of Jesus. Yet, if we dare stand up for Christ, we will be accused and accursed as bigots and intolerant people. We must be clear about who we are and what God has created. Our calling as people of love and compassion should never abdicate the Truth found in Jesus. As his followers we are to let our “love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, and hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Our commitment to the Truth should motivate us to help transform the world in the image of the Kingdom. Pray. Read the Scriptures. Offer yourself as a sacrifice of praise at Mass every week. Go to confession frequently. And finally, put on the calling you have received to be people who belong to Christ Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Advent Distractions

Dear Parishioners,

Blessed Advent! I hope that this year, Advent will be a time of renewal in faith. Even as we have now closed the Year of Faith, I am impressed with the need to continue the call to deepen our own Catholic Faith within our own church communities and beyond. There are many things that can become obstacles to living our faith, some of which I would like to address here.

Commercialism
Advent and Christmastime have been overrun with a commercialism that can really distract us from what it is all about. On may way back from a visit to the hospital, I was delighted to see the Knights of Columbus billboard which read, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Amen to that! It is not that we can’t enjoy some of the secular festivities that also surround us at this time, but the Incarnation of Christ is truly the reason for this season. During this time, the college football bowl season begins. There is nothing wrong with enjoying such entertainment. We simply need to make sure that it doesn’t become our focus or a distraction from our Christian preparation that is Advent. Personally, I enjoy watching football, but must be clear that it is just a game and not let the outcome of such events determine my mood. In fact, the best part of these games are when displays of faith are made and good sportsmanship is present. Yes, I hope for the Beavers, the Ducks, and other favorite teams, but let us set about being Christians first, especially when with our friends enjoying these forms of entertainment.

Skepticism
Often during this season as well as around Lent and Easter, various TV programs air which presuppose doubt about the things of the faith. Just this past week, Pope Francis called for the public display of the bones of St Peter to be made available for the first time ever. Initial digs below the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in the 1930’s revealed various human and animal remains. There was some evidence of the presence of St. Peter’s bones, but it was not clear at that time. However, when further archeological research was done in the 1940’s and 50’s, it came to light that some skeletal remains were transferred in the initial dig and were then being re-examined. The studies that followed led Pope Paul VI to declare that they had truly found St. Peter’s earthly remains. This discovery was highlighted in the March 17th, 1950 edition of Life Magazine. This amazing discovery was held with high esteem among many scholars at the time and since then. However, with the recent event of Pope Francis’ exposition of these relics, the reports I saw and heard mostly revolved around their dubious identity. It is amazing how far we have come in our culture to become so skeptical. It just reminds me of how we need to be careful of how the mainstream media reports issues of our Catholic Faith. Personally, I have found their ability to accurately report on the things of the Church to be sketchy at best. So, be ever mindful of this assumption of skepticism that so often permeates our culture surrounding issues of faith, especially during this season.

Religious Misdirection
In the coming days, we have the distinct opportunity to give praise to God for the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary on four different occasions: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 9th this year), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec.12), the granddaddy of them all, Christmas itself, and finally, the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (Jan. 1). A non-Catholic visitor may critique us for giving Mary so much attention and even distraction and misdirection in our faith. So, it is very important that we all understand that while these celebrations bring an opportunity to venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the roles she has played in salvation history, she is, ultimately not our focus. Yes, Mary is the pre-eminent member of the Church and model for us all. Prayer to her and her mediating support has brought about miracles. However, she is not an end unto herself, nor is she competitive with Christ. Rather, all these festivals involving our Blessed Mother are meant to focus us on the things that are critical. Mary, herself, does not desire misdirected attention to be given to her, but rather through the celebration of these mysteries, we offer greater praise to God.

In a way of speaking, all Marian feasts are essentially christological feasts, meaning they are ultimately about Jesus Christ. And we all know that all christological reflections draw us to the Father and the mystery of the Trinity. We seek out Christ through the aid of our Blessed Mother Mary, the model of the Church. Sometimes, this is offered as, “To Jesus through Mary.” Mary is the most pure and blessed “pointer,” if you will, to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. So, be fervent in your prayers. When offering a Rosary, we know that Mary desires that we imitate her example of focus on her Son. When participating in these liturgical feasts give praise to God, thank Mary for her “yes” to God’s plans, and give God all the glory. And when someone challenges you about all this focus on Mary, be prepared to give a clear christological reason for Mary’s presence in our prayers.

Reconciliation
Advent, as a preparation time for Christmas, is a perfect time to re- move the obstacles of sin in our lives. This month, we have many opportunities to receive this Sacrament. At St. Patrick of the Forest we will be offering a communal reconciliation service on Monday, the 16th, followed the next day at St. Anne’s on Tuesday, the 17th. Both are at 7 PM. We will continue to offer the Sacrament on Saturdays between 4 PM and 5 PM. We will also offer a special time for those who cannot get out when it is dark on the Wednesday, the 11th, from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Our sins are the biggest and most dangerous obstacles to faith. I urge you to make a concerted effort to come and celebrate God’s forgiveness in your life. With our hearts cleansed of sin, we will be more open to the awesome power of God in our lives. This can be the most dramatic form of preparation you can do next to Mass itself.

Finally, know that I hold you all in my prayers during this time of Advent. I pray that these feasts will help you to prepare your hearts for the Light of the World. Put up your lights, creche scenes, swags, stockings, Christmas tree, and the like. Make all these things remind you that the darkness has not overcome the light, that Jesus has con- quered sin and death, that Mary is a great advocate in our faith jour- ney, and that Advent is a wonderful time to, once again, make room for God to dwell in our hearts even more than before.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor