Lent & Liturgy

Dear Parishioners,

What is Lent?

Lent is intended to strike out on a 40-day journey which is intended to bring us all closer to Christ. We are being called to participate in the three focused works of prayer, fasting, and alms giving. Liturgically, in order to help focus our attention, the Mass is pared down, the penitential color of purple is adorned, and the rest of the environment is sparse. All of this is intended to help us with these three foci in our preparation for the greatest even of all history: Christ’s Paschal Mystery, his suffering, death, and resurrection.

Lenten Practices

I hope you are also able to take part in “The Search,” the online seven-part video series via our FORMED account. I am looking forward to it. As you journey in Lent, we offer each Friday the Stations of the Cross. Different ministries will host it in the church with versions that either express their own ministerial focus or personal preference. So, each time you come, the way the stations are offered may differ. These all begin at 6 PM followed by a Spanish version at 7 PM. While the Church always encourages us to obtain from meat on Friday’s throughout the year, there is a special emphasis on this practice as a way to memorialize that Jesus gave up his flesh on a Friday. 

It is a tradition that Catholics give up something for Lent as way to gain mastery over ourselves, reduce those things that are not good for us, and potentially replace it with something that is good for the soul. Think of it as fasting and feasting. Give up something and add something. Due to the pandemic, maybe watch less news and write some encouraging letters to others you know. Maybe refrain from drinking that special latte and give that money to Operation Rice Bowl or any other non-profit in which you believe.

Translation Correction

If you did not noticed, beginning with Ash Wednesday, the opening prayer at Masses ended differently than we are used to. Instead of ending with “one God for ever and ever,” the priest now says “God for ever and ever.” One word has removed, and that word is “one.” This comes after guidance was offered from Cardinal Sarah from the Vatican’s Office for Divine Worship, agreed upon by the United States Council of Bishops, and ratified by the Carinal Prefect. While the 2011 ed. of the Roman Missal made a broad range of changes in order to be a more authentic translation form the Latin, this change was purposefully left out. The latin text is, “Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum.” In this text, there is no mention of the phrase “one God,” but simply, “God.” So, as of this past Ash Wednesday (the Church loves to make liturgical changes in a way pairs up with a change in liturgical seasons.), this change has become part of our Missal which we priests use to offer Mass.

The previous translation was also theologically problematic, according to the Welsh bishops who wrote, “The addition of 'one' before 'God' in the conclusion of the Collects could be construed as mistaken and problematic. 'Deus' here refers to the earlier mention of 'the Son' and is a Christological, anti-Arian affirmation, and not directly Trinitarian in this context.” Arianism is an early heresy which claimed the Jesus was not fully divine, but somehow less divine than the Father. A correction became the fruit of the Council of Nicaea where we get our Nicene Creed we proclaim every Sunday.  In other words, the use of “one God” in this context could lend people to understand that Christ is one God amongst many, and that the Trinity is actually three gods. That is not orthodox, so this change helps preserve any erroneous ideas going forward. It also preserves the focus on Jesus who is the second person of the Blessed Trinity and not an additional God.

So, as we priests get used to this change, please be patient if we mess up. I’ve heard “one God” all my life and have been using it for all 20 years of my priestly ministry. So, we are bound to forget, goof up, or what have you. However we offer the prayer, please be patient as we settle in with the corrected translation.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Maranatha! Come Holy Spirit!

Dear Parishioners,

Maranatha! Come Holy Spirit! Through the Holy Spirit, our Lord fulfills his promise not to abandon us. He gave us the Holy Spirit who has permeated the Church with his Divine presence to be our advocate, our helper. We Catholics don’t talk as much about the Holy Spirit, but focus more on Jesus. That’s not a problem, but our Orthodox brothers and sisters are much more focused on the Holy Spirit. Did you know that? Yes. It is true. Their theology is more “pneumatic” (Spirit-centered). Catholic theology is more Christocentric (Christ-centered). It’s understandable since Jesus was the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity who came to us so that we could see, talk, and touch him. His words are written in our Scriptures. He is even called, “The Word.” Curiously, we have no specific “words” from the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, but certainly the Holy Spirit directed the first Apostles and Disciples in their missionary work as well as forbade some from preaching or traveling to certain places. When the Apostles and prophets spoke, they were communicating the desire and will of the Holy Spirit, so in this sense, the Spirit “spoke.” Today, this still occurs through many people in the Church. Of course, much discernment must be applied when someone “feels” guided by the Spirit. One simple guide is to test whether that which is being spoken is in line with the Bride of Christ: the Church. 

We have descriptors in the Bible where the Holy Spirit appears in various visible forms such as flames or a dove. The Holy Spirit is the abiding presence of God which warms our hearts, lifts us up, and guides us to the Truth. It is the Holy Spirit who also guides the Church on her pilgrim way. In all the Church’s Sacraments, the Holy Spirit is present. Can you see where? Maybe list them out and see where you might be able to see the action of the Holy Spirit. Consider that some homework!

May this Pentecost bring you a renewal of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. May you be set afire for love of God and his people. May you always be open, especially in times of need, for the in-breaking of the Holy Spirit to give you gifts you didn’t expect. God is amazing and through his Holy Spirit, miracles can and have happened. Will you allow a miracle to be done in you? Some Holy Spirit! Come!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Stained Glass Windows

Dear Parishioners,

Stained Glass Windows

By the time you read this, I hope, our new “Trinity Windows” will have been installed. A big thank you needs to be offered to the family who generously donated to these windows. Also, I want to thank all the donors who gave to make the rest of the stained glass possible which we hope will be coning in March 2020. Here’s some things that are worth noting on the overall designs and then some particulars of the Trinity Windows.

The Windows In General

Almost all the windows will have a frame that looks like a set of pillars. The radius or round topped windows are intended to connect with the doors, niches for our statutes, the top of the pews, the vaulted ceiling, and even the arches on the front and side of the altar. This Romanesque style is intended to tie us into the ancient form that many churches from antiquity have used.  

All the windows will carry the same color scheme with hues of blue with red and gold as highlights and some grey inside the columns. Some of the larger windows will all carry a set of golden rays coming from above, spreading out below, imaging the light, grace, or power of God coming down upon that which is imaged in the window and finally upon the viewer. The background is a random tile-work of rectangular shapes with, again, hues of blue. We thought about having some green in the tiles, but renderings were not pleasing to the eye as the simple blue hues. With this basic framing and background tying all the windows together, each window could then be set off by the images in the center of each window. Generally, we avoided faces, with some obvious exceptions for Jesus, Sts. Joachim and Anne, angels, and children. The use of symbolism, we believed would also allow for more variations in interpretation when gazing upon the windows in prayer. When words are placed in the window, the letters are blue set in a rectangular black background. This makes the words easier to read.

The Trinity Windows

The general theme of the so-called, Trinity Windows, were easily discerned considering that there were three windows which match in space and size. In each window there are images communicating the theme while words coming from the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed, the Father and Son windows coming from the former while the Holy Spirit window draws from the latter. On the top of each Trinity window is a red and green symbol interlacing a trefoil and triangle. There are many ways to symbolize the Trinity, and this was discerned to be the most pleasing treatment for these windows.

The window, “The Father,” is imaged with a hand coming down from heaven. Clouds are a common theological tool to express the divine or heaven. The hand does not point, as in some renditions of this approach, but is mostly extended in a gesture of power and peace upon the world, imaged by the planet earth. We made sure that one could even see Grants Pass if the viewer were discerning enough (grin!). Behind the and are the rays of God which emirate from a red symbol for the Trinity found at the top of all three of these Trinity windows. Behind the rays are the cosmos images in the sun, the moon, and a curving purple wisp of a galaxy with start in and around it as it flows down the window.

“The Son” window carries images that allude to Christ’s Suffering, Death, and Resurrection. The tools of suffering and death are easily seen in the center with three nails (one for each hand and one for the feet) and the crown of thorns. The lily found just beneath harkens to Christ’s resurrection. The curve of the lily curves in order to match a similar movement in all three windows. The text in the window was taken by the third stanza of the Apostles Creed where we recognize and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ, the Father’s only Son, and our Lord.

“The Holy Spirit” window was the most difficult to plan and design, but the ned result, we hope you agree, is full of power and meaning. The text from the Nicene Creed was too short to render in the window, creating an artistic imbalance with the other two windows and simply did not say enough. So, we chose the text from the Apostles Creed which solved both concerns. Significant images are first the dove. The dove harkens to Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22 where the Holy Spirit, imaged as a dove, descends upon Jesus after his baptism.  Behind the head ofd the dove is the traditional symbol for the trinity. The olive branch shaped as a ring, symbolizes peace. This image is used throughout antiquity and can be found as the evidence that the storm of the flood had subsided when Noah sent out a dove which returned with an olive branch in its mouth (cf. Gen. 8:10-11). It was also Mt. Olive that Jesus where Jesus last moments with his disciples took place. Olives, once crushed exude oil which is used for food and healing. Jesus was also crushed and became our food in the Eucharist and healing through his Holy Spirit. The image of fire is multivalent. The Holy Spirit is spoken and seen as fire in several places in the Scriptures (Exodus 3:2, Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16-17, Acts 2:3-4, 2:41). The seven flames harken to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:1-2) that we believe are given to those who are baptized and confirmed. 

Art, Theology, and Spirituality

Stained glass as a form of art has a long tradition in the Catholic Church. It is not an expression of merely art, but also of theology and spirituality. Stained glass windows were intended to help teach the stories and truths of our faith.  When large numbers of people could not read, the stained glass windows helped the faithful know and share the faith. The action of stained glass upon the soul only happens when illuminated by a source. In the case of these Trinity windows, they will be lit by the most powerful light, the sun, which images the Son who is the light of the world (John 1:4). It is our hope that as you gaze upon these windows and the other windows to come, your heart, mind, and soul will be enlightened by the One who give us life and sustains you through times of darkness.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor