Taking solace in music

I'm a person who believes that music has the power to reach the very core of our being to move our hearts and bring comfort when nothing else can. I sympatize with St. Augusting of Hippo who said that music is prayer twice; first in the sounds, then in the words. I have, therefore, been listening to music in an effort to come to understand why God does things like allow a tsunami killing millions. Or, why he allows some babies to wake up from their naps and others don't. I've been listening to the song,"The Prayer" by Andre Bocelli with the hope that someday we will understand.

http://english-cards.qatar4us.com/the_prayer/

Please pray for Baby Jacob

I just found out from a couple of college friends, Tony and Tricia, that their baby died yesterday of SIDS.Jacob was not quite 3 months old. They are, undoubtedly, devastated and confused, as is their older boy, Joseph. No words can console us in these times. Instead, we draw on each other and the love we feel for each other. We ask that Christ draw Tony, Tricia, and Joseph close to his heart as well as little baby Jacob.

What would they do if....

Imagine if you were part of a club or organization. Let's say you bought a Membership to the YMCA or had a share in a timeshare vacation house. Now, imagine that you found out that someone was getting the same priveleges to the services that were provided you in those places without having to pay or be committed to them. For instance, you talk to the person swimming next to you and find out that, even though he or she hasn't been to the Y in years, he or she was allowed use of the facilities because their parents were members once. Or, worse, you go down to your summer vacation spot and find out that you can't use it because a family that isn't a part of the agreement, though they were at one time and they still have friends who are, were using it for the day. I imagine most people agree that these situations would be aggrivating. So, why should Catholic Churches do weddings and funerals for people who never come to church and don't contribute a dime? Why should I have to tell one family that wants to use the church and that come to church every week and give of their time and talents toward making the church exist each week that they can't have a wedding because Nina Nonbeliever wants to have a pretty church wedding in a church with a long isle? Yet, Catholic priests continually not only bend over backwards to make the couple happy but, in the end, ask for such a small contribution that the weekly faithful end up paying for part of Norman Nonbeliever's wedding. We need to be more just with some of this stuff.

The snow's a comin'

Ah, yes. It's the first real snowfall of the year. The only problem is that it's still four hours away from starting. But, by all accounts, it is going to be one of those four to six inch events. I went over to lunch with the grade school kids and they are all excited. I'm not sure if they're hoping for a free day of school tomorrow or if they are just hoping to finally be able to drag out their sleds and go flying down a snow-packed hill. I love the first real snow of the year. Right now, my life is a bit hectic. It would be good if something were to force me to slow down and take it easy for a little while. I think it would probably be good for everyone to have a day where the only thing we can do is sit in our warm homes and watch it snow. If only the weather men would get it right when they predict these things.

Christmas Cards

I'm working on my Christmas cards. I know what you're thinking. Shouldn't I have been doing that about a month ago? Yes. But, in the Catholic Church we refer to the time before Christmas as Advent and from Dec. 25 until we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. So, I have five days to get it done. It's nice to recieve the cards from parishioners and hear from old friends but it's also hectic to answer them back. I can't wait until Sunday is over and we put away the trees for another year.

Standing up for a few things

As a Catholic priest, there are a few principles that dominate my life. The first is that God is the author of human life who decides life and death. An offshoot of this principle is that life needs to be treated with respect. We need to give respect to people because they are created in the image and likeness of God. Using people as objects denigrates the respect that we need to have for them. That’s why the Catholic Church opposes Pornography: because it transforms someone from a person with dignity into an object whose only dignity is my sexual gratification.
Nonetheless, we can’t look at this principle too restrictively. It seems to me that, while pornography is one thing, MTV’s “Boiling Points” objectifies people in the same way using a different principle. If you’ve never seen “Boiling Points” before, the basic premise is that one person develops a scheme to aggravate another person. Maybe a customer pays for something and doesn’t get the right product. When the person complains or asks for his or her money back, the person behind the counter who is trying to aggravate the person, refuses to do so. The person who is being aggravated has a certain time limit until the scam is revealed. If they don’t get angry and walk away, they win $100. The problem I have with this whole premise is that, despite the mistaken belief that MTV is really trying to get people to be more patient, they are really using money to justify using people as objects of pleasure. We laugh as they get mad when, in truth, the audience knows that it’s all a sham. How would we feel if we were the person who asked for a muffin and got a half eaten one instead? We need, as a society, to ensure that we don’t support these shows that exploit other people.

A visit to friends

Since last Sunday, I’ve been traveling from one place to another. I started in the middle of the state of Iowa and went to see some friends in the middle of the state of Illinois and then back to Iowa and, finally, back to Dubuque today. I’m sorting through mail and coughing from the second head cold I’ve had so far this winter. But, it was a good opportunity to see friends and family. I have a really good group of friends that I made in college. Obviously, they’ve known me since before I was a priest and they know me really well. It is strange, however, to realize how much we’ve changed in the last number of years. My friends, Jed and Jen, for instance, have a ten-month-old baby boy named Ryan. He’s, unquestionably, the best baby in the world. I think that, in the midst of these conversations, I’m reminded that there is a necessary connection between celibacy and marriage. Both involve commitment, but there’s more to it than just that. There is, unquestionably, more that binds the two vocations together than that divides them

a visit to friends

Since last Sunday, I’ve been traveling from one place to another. I started in the middle of the state of Iowa and went to see some friends in the middle of the state of Illinois and then back to Iowa and, finally, back to Dubuque today. I’m sorting through mail and coughing from the second head cold I’ve had so far this winter. But, it was a good opportunity to see friends and family. I have a really good group of friends that I made in college. Obviously, they’ve known me since before I was a priest and they know me really well. It is strange, however, to realize how much we’ve changed in the last number of years. My friends, Jed and Jen, for instance, have a ten-month-old baby boy named Ryan. He’s, unquestionably, the best baby in the world. I think that, in the midst of these conversations, I’m reminded that there is a necessary connection between celibacy and marriage. Both involve commitment, but there’s more to it than just that. There is, unquestionably, more that binds the two vocations together than that divides them.

a visit to friends

Since last Sunday, I’ve been traveling from one place to another. I started in the middle of the state of Iowa and went to see some friends in the middle of the state of Illinois and then back to Iowa and, finally, back to Dubuque today. I’m sorting through mail and coughing from the second head cold I’ve had so far this winter. But, it was a good opportunity to see friends and family. I have a really good group of friends that I made in college. Obviously, they’ve known me since before I was a priest and they know me really well. It is strange, however, to realize how much we’ve changed in the last number of years. My friends, Jed and Jen, for instance, have a ten-month-old baby boy named Ryan. He’s, unquestionably, the best baby in the world. I think that, in the midst of these conversations, I’m reminded that there is a necessary connection between celibacy and marriage. Both involve commitment, but there’s more to it than just that. There is, unquestionably, more that binds the two vocations together than that divides them.

a visit to friends

Since last Sunday, I’ve been traveling from one place to another. I started in the middle of the state of Iowa and went to see some friends in the middle of the state of Illinois and then back to Iowa and, finally, back to Dubuque today. I’m sorting through mail and coughing from the second head cold I’ve had so far this winter. But, it was a good opportunity to see friends and family. I have a really good group of friends that I made in college. Obviously, they’ve known me since before I was a priest and they know me really well. It is strange, however, to realize how much we’ve changed in the last number of years. My friends, Jed and Jen, for instance, have a ten-month-old baby boy named Ryan. He’s, unquestionably, the best baby in the world. I think that, in the midst of these conversations, I’m reminded that there is a necessary connection between celibacy and marriage. Both involve commitment, but there’s more to it than just that. There is, unquestionably, more that binds the two vocations together than that divides them.

a visit to friends

Since last Sunday, I’ve been traveling from one place to another. I started in the middle of the state of Iowa and went to see some friends in the middle of the state of Illinois and then back to Iowa and, finally, back to Dubuque today. I’m sorting through mail and coughing from the second head cold I’ve had so far this winter. But, it was a good opportunity to see friends and family. I have a really good group of friends that I made in college. Obviously, they’ve known me since before I was a priest and they know me really well. It is strange, however, to realize how much we’ve changed in the last number of years. My friends, Jed and Jen, for instance, have a ten-month-old baby boy named Ryan. He’s, unquestionably, the best baby in the world. I think that, in the midst of these conversations, I’m reminded that there is a necessary connection between celibacy and marriage. Both involve commitment, but there’s more to it than just that. There is, unquestionably, more that binds the two vocations together than that divides them.

Christmas Day in Luxemburg

It's Christmas Day and, even though I wrote yesterday that I probably wouldn't write for a week while I'm visiting friends, I'm going to write today. I had an incredible experience of worship at the small, rural community of Luxemburg, Iowa. Christmas Eve masses are just hectic. Everyone comes with the "have to" attitude and just sit like a log throughout the ceremony. Last night in Sherrill, for instance, church was packed when we started but, by the time that I finished distributing communion and sat down, the balcony was nearly empty. But, in the incredibly beautiful church in Luxemburg, I looked out at a bunch of people smiling. At one point, a baby got loose from his father and crawled under a pew to rescue his pacifier that had got loose. Then, when he shoved it in his mouth, he turned around and went under the pew back to his father. Mother and Father were mortified. I just smiled at them. I thought to myself, I wonder if Mary and Joseph chased Jesus when he chased after his pacifier.

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. I'm probably going to have difficulty updating my blog between now and New Years because I'll be away from my office. I hope you joyfully celebrate the presence of the savior of the world today and have a joyfilled and safe new years celebration. God bless you all.

Who put the fun in funeral?

Part of being a priest means doing funerals. Even though I don't always know the person very well, I genuinely like celbrating funerals. There is something about helping a family get some hope in the midst of a terrible situation like death that appeals to me. Today, I had a funeral in St. Francis Parish in Balltown, Iowa, one of the five rural parishes north of Dubuque. It was about a million degrees below zero with a trillion degrees below zero wind chill. But, the family hung together so tightly and supported one another so well that it really was a celebration of a life with the hope that we are celebrating eternal life. It was odd, however, to celebrate this so close to Christmas. I told the family that we are like St. Joseph at the first Christmas, not entirely sure about when Christ will come (again) but certain that we are looking forward to it because we will, hopefully, see their loved one again.

Jews and Christians

Ever since I spent a semester in the Holy Land, my understanding of Judaism has changed a lot. Part of this change came about because of a couple of professors that I had over there. Part of it happened when I took a class about Jewish/Christian relations back in the states. The biggest controversy that still separates Jews and Christians has to do with the idea of the covenant. Jews, rightly, say that if God has annulled the covenant that he made with them, his people, then God is not faithful to the promises he made. But, if there is one thing that we can say about God it is that he is faithful. He demands that we be faithful in our relationship to him so he must be faithful to us.
So, God couldn't have annulled his covenant to the Jews. Jesus himself said that he didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. So, the covenant remains for the Jewish people even though it has been broadened for all of humanity. One analogy I heard about this relationship was to think about two lungs breathing. Both lungs have the same result of oxygenating the blood but they are two separate lungs. And, just as a body cannot function as well without both lungs, so we, Christians, need Jews to remind us of who our messiah really was.

Unsafe travel

I had some time to think about things on the way back to my parish today. It was the first real snow for parts of Iowa today, including part of my drive. At one point, I found myself skidding sideways down the road heading for the ditch convinced that I was going to have to call a tow truck. Thankfully, however, things straightened out and I went on from there. I was really glad as things got clearer and clearer the closer I got to Dubuque until the roads were dry and there was no sign of snow. I keep thinking about the spokesman for the Catholic league, a defensive arm of the catholic church. They have no official standing within the church but they believe themselves to be defensive to the extent that they speak out against anti-catholic bias, of which in our media, there are tons. I'm always frustrated by the sheer number of times that a catholic priest is portrayed as a pedophile. They are portraying the minority of people as the majority, unfortunately. I feel terrible for the victims of priest sexual abuse, I just wish that people would realize that, contrary to stereotypes, pedophilia 101 is not a class we took in seminary. It is not a part of canon/church law. It is not something encouraged by the Bible. It is definitely not part of what a good priest does. Saying that all priests are pedophiles is similar to saying that all asian people are good at math. But, the speaker for the catholic league the other day came out and denounced media coverage. In that aspect, we are in agreement. However, his ugly characterization of the media as being run by atheistic judaism was the stupidest stereotype that he could have employed. If you think that the media is unfair, say that you do and make an intelligent argument for protecting human life from natural conception until natural death or being fair to the majority of priests or protecting legitimate marriage. Don't make ignorant nazi comments that ruin anything productive you have to say. It only makes us look worse.

Family

My family is gathering today in my hometown, Marshalltown, Iowa. I have ten nieces and nephews and I look forward to watching their eyes light up as they open their presents. They teach me so much. I think I've learned a lot about being "fatherly" from my nieces and nephews, though I learn just as much from their parents. In the scriptures there is an emphatic statement from Jesus that we are to call no one, "Father". As a teenager, I remember thinking to myself that, when I became a priest, I wouldn't make anyone call me "Father." In the midst of theological studies, it occurred to me that Jesus was employing a nuance that my teenage mind could not appreciate or understand when he made that statement. I do, nonetheless, think that he wanted us to be careful with authority. There is a blinding nature that comes with power. It makes people think they are indestructible. The truth is that the term “Father” is not given to me by God to be used as power. It reminds me that I’m not the real pastor of this flock. I’m just the guy that God has chosen to stand in for him. He has given them to me and will judge me on how well I take care of them, just as he will do to fathers and mothers of children. It makes me shudder when people call me “Father.”

Homily Preparation

When a non-catholic christian minister prepares their sunday preaching, they usually say that they are preparing their sermon. A Catholic ordained minister, on the other hand, calls it a homily. The difference is about 15 to 20 minutes. A sermon is expected to last between 25 and 30 minutes whereas a homily is more likely to be 7 to 10. I've learned that it takes about one hour of preparation for every minute of preaching so that means that I try to get started early enough in the week to make sure that I'm not singling out seven hours on Saturday to get it all done. Unfortunately it does happen, however, when I can't do it any other time than Saturday, which is what is happening today. I find myself just a few hours away from the time when mass will start hurriedly trying to get my homily done. This week has been filled with reconciliation, meetings, and other stuff, so much so that I just haven't been able to get it done before today. So, I'll keep this short so that I can spend enough time to have a good message.

Day One

Here we are just a few days away from Christmas. It has been an amazing day for several reasons. In my Dubuque parish, we have a catholic grade school. Dubuque is an old catholic town with several catholic churches, at last count there were 11. Beside every church there is a catholic school. At one time, there were more than enough kids to fill these schools. However, things change and we no longer have that. That means, that some churches have had to consolidate their schools, which is an incredibly painful event. Unfortunately, some people have acted very selfishly in the process, not being willing to accept that keeping their parish school open was impossible. It's amazing that, in these situations, it's always the other guy who should have to suffer. So, it's hard for me to appreciate going to our catholic school. It's a reminder of the pain that is going to have to happen as people get angry that "their school" is going to close. However, this morning, we had a communal penance for the school kids. For those of you who don't know, catholics are obliged to go to penance or confession once a year to confess their serious sins. As the kids came over today, I realized that, in neglecting the school, I wasn't punishing the people who were being selfish. The kids aren't being selfish about this, it's their parents who don't have any vision for the future of the catholic schools. I realized that I should seek forgiveness from these kids for giving up on them even as they were approaching this unworthy servant to receive God's forgiveness.