Lent - Fasting and Feasting

Dear Parishioners,

Blessed Lenten season! This time of year offers us encouragement to engage in a deeper way the traditions of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. For some, it is a time to give up something. For others it is a time to add something. In countries outside of the U.S, the latter is more their custom than the former. In our culture, giving up something is synonymous with Lent. If you are not sure what you might do in this holy season, may I offer some suggestions.

Prayer

There is no lack of need of prayer for the situation in the Ukraine. I think all our hearts are broken as we stand in solidarity with the people of the Ukraine. Pope Francis encouraged the world to fast on Ash Wednesday, specifically for the tragedy unfolding and the people being impacted by the violence. If you fulfilled that papal request on Ash Wednesday, wonderful! Might I then invite you to extend your intentions of prayer and fasting throughout the six weeks of Lent of peace and conversion of hearts? In addition, please ask Mary, the Queen of Peace and Our Lady of Kyiv, to intercede as she asked us to pray for the conversion of Russia so many years ago. Another Saint you may want to seek out is St. Vladimir I of Kyiv, a convert from paganism who eventually removed all semblances of idolatry in his kingdom and promoted Christianity. The patron saint of the Ukraine is St. Olga of Kyiv. She is considered one of Eastern Orthodox’s greatest saints. Her story is quite dramatic, and I’ll leave it to you to search for her and her story. But, let’s just say that she was no pushover when it came to those who wished evil. You can read more by clicking her link, above.

Fasting

We typically confuse fasting with abstinence. Fasting is the reduction of something while abstinence is the total removal of something. But, sometimes, as I mentioned above, we might focus only on reducing or removing something and forget about adding something. So, consider fasting and feasting in ways that are complimentary. May I recommend fasting from speaking hurtful words or committing violent actions and then feasting on acts of charity especially towards those who have hurt or injured you? Commit to reducing the amount of talking you do and listen more. Stop swearing and offer compliments and blessings instead. When in tribulation, fast from evil thoughts and harsh attacks and instead assume the best of the other, for their behavior may very well have a source of deep suffering, and then offer them comfort and a gentle word of compassion.

Almsgiving

Almsgiving can be a sore point for some. Some cling to or are captured by their wealth or are greedy with their time and talent. Instead of simply offering lenten observances that only impact oneself, maybe consider donating each week or once a day some of money to charity. Maybe give of your time to someone who needs help, a neighbor or maybe a total stranger. Maybe offer transportation to someone or fix something that your neighbor cannot. Maybe you might consider making a donation to Catholic Relief Services for the people suffering in Ukraine.

Whatever you do for Lent, be sure it is done out of selfless love and not self-serving motivations. Remember, this whole season is intended to prepare and train us to celebrate the most important event of all history, Christ’s Resurrection. If you decide to go to daily Mass once a week dedicate it not just for yourself, but for the intention of others. By letting go and removing the obstacles to God while also giving of yourself for the good of others, this Lent may very well change everything.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

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

Encountering God's Grace In A New Year

Dear Parishioners,

Happy New Year!  With the beginning of a new year, we recognize that all time is only possible by the grace of God.  Thus we call 2017, and indeed each year, a Year Of Grace. So, welcome to the Year of Grace 2017! Grace can be likened to the power of God given freely to us.  One writer from Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/tracts/grace-what-it-is-and-what-it-does) called it a “supernatural kick in the pants.”  With such grace available to us, consider making that part of your plan, your new year’s resolution, to encounter God’s grace with ever day that is given, for we certainly need it.  

As we begin this year, we have hope that it will be a good year.  We must also be aware that it will also bring great challenges.  So, borrowing from a Facebook post (https://www.facebook.com/kyleld) by Fr. Kyle Doustou of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, here’s some suggestions for the new year:

• If you don’t pray, start. If you do pray, pray more. Beef up your devotional life.
• If you don’t fast, start. If you do fast, fast more. Strengthen your will. Get better at saying “no” to your appetites and passions.
• If you’re lax about Mass attendance, get your priorities straight. Go every Sunday and Holy Day – nothing is more important. Nothing.
• If you don’t go to confession, go. Regularly. Stop waiting. Stop making excuses.
• Get more intentional about knowing your faith. Study it. Learn it. Share it. Defend it.
• Spend more time at home with your family. Eat together. Work together. Play together. Pray together.
• Cut out the non-essentials. Simplify your homes and your lives.
• Give more of yourself (your prayers and your time, but also your money and your skills) to those who need help. If you don’t know who needs help, trot down to your local parish office – your priest can give you a list, I’m sure.

A relationship with Christ is not ethereal and it’s not simply an “internal” reality. It is something that is lived out, day by day, in mind, body, and soul. It is not a given and it can never be taken for granted. Now is the time.

So, may the Year of Grace 2017 be a time of encounter and growth in the Lord.  May he enrich your life and vivify you so that the grace given you will shine like a light which draws all to Him!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Lent and Forgiveness

Dear Parishioners,

Prayer.  Fasting.  Almsgiving.  These are called the three pillars of Lent. How are you doing with these observances?  We’re still in the middle of Lent and you can still take some time to concentrate on one of these.  In addition, this week is our chance to attend our Communal Reconciliation service.  At St. Anne's will offer it on Thursday, March 19th at 7 PM.  At St. Patrick of the Forest it will be Monday the 16th at 7 PM.  We will have many priests to assist us.  Lent is a wonderful way to set things straight, repent, and allow God’s forgiveness to penetrate our hearts.

This weekend, we hear from probably the most famous passage of Scripture denoted simply as John 3:16.  But, instead of its context being a football game, we hear it proclaimed in the midst of the assembly at Mass.  God loves all that he has created.  He loves us so much that he gave his only begotten son for our salvation.  We are challenged by the knowledge and testimony of the Scriptures that remind us that while we prefer the darkness of sin, Jesus, who is the light of the world, calls us to live in the light of his truth.  This week’s Communal Reconciliation service is a perfect way to live out this call.  Let the darkness of sin in your life be exposed to the light who is Jesus.  Then listen and experience the forgiveness that can be yours.

For God so loves you that he gave his only Son, so that you who believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life.  Now that is Good  News!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Year of Faith Challenge

Dear Parishioners,

Happy new year!  I pray that 2013 will bring with it an increase in faith and a renewed sense of mission in the Gospel for each one of you.  It is a time of resolutions and new beginnings.  In that line of thought, I would like to bring forward something special for your prayerful reflection for the new year.

In the forthcoming Catholic Sentinel, Archbishop Vlazny will be offering us a challenge in his personal column.  That challenge begins after the Christmas season and continues until the end of our observance of the Church’s Year of Faith.  Simply put, it is a call to prayer. 

In light of the times, that is the threats to human life, marriage, and religious liberty, the Archbishop desires that we all make personal commitments that will help us have the “spiritual stamina” to be “effective and joyful witnesses of faith, hope, and charity as agents of the new evangelization.”  His strategy has five parts:

1. Daily rosary
2. Monthly Eucharistic holy hours
3. Special Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses
4. Fasting and abstinence on Fridays
5. A second Fortnight for Freedom in the summer.

The reason for such a recipe of prayer is for us all to more deeply encounter our Lord so as to become better witnesses of God’s law of love of our society.  Fundamental Christian morality has been ignored or even outright violated which is serving to unravel some of our society’s most basic covenantal unions,  threaten more innocent life, and threatened our ability to freely practice our faith in its fullness.  The Archbishop will more fully explain these in his forthcoming article.  But, I felt it necessary to pre-empt his letter with this encouragement to learn more and read his article when it is published.

We, as a parish and two missions, will do our best to implement all of these directives and will publish the details of these plans once they are fleshed out amidst our current schedule of ministry activities.  In the meantime, I want you to bring to prayer your own personal preparation for this forthcoming program.  A docile spirit and openness to our Archbishop’s pastoral challenge is a good thing for us all.  May we allow ourselves to be “all-in” for this exercise of faith.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor