Whispered in the Sacristy

Tridentine Mass: Don't Just Say it ... Celebrate it!

My problem with the return of the 1962 Missal of Pope John XXIII has to do with the lack of training had by the vast majority of priests, ordained since 1970.  Most people have no idea of the precision that is attached to doing the Mass correctly.  Priests spent years preparing to celebrate the Mass, practicing over and over.  It is not just a matter of pronouncing the Latin of the Missal, but the gestures, movements, etc., that are required.  The follow are some sections fromthe web site www.latin-mass-society.org/lowmass

.

As you say, "Oremus" extend and join the hands and then stand erect. Ascend to the middle of the altar while saying secretly the prayer, "Aufer a nobis..." [On the central altar card]. The server moves to kneel on the first step. On reaching the altar, bow moderately with the hands joined on the edge of the altar, with the little fingers touching the front of the altar. Then say secretly the prayer, "Oramus te, Domine...". [On the central altar card]. As you say the words, "quorum reliquiae hic sunt" place the hands separated, palms downwards on the altar, outside the corporal, and kiss the altar. Then join the hands before the breast and go to the epistle corner while finishing the prayer.

.

After the Gloria, or if it is not said after the Kyrie, with hands separated, palms downwards and outside the corporal, kiss the altar in the middle. Then with hands joined at the breast and eyes cast down, turn to the people by your right and as you say, "Dominus vobiscum" extend the hands before the breast and join the hands. Turn back to the altar by your left and go to the missal. As you say, "Oremus" extend the hands before the breast, bow the head towards the cross and join hands. Extend the hands again and say the Collect. Join the hands again at the conclusion "Per Dominum... ", or other conclusion, of the Collect. Bow the head towards the cross at the name of Our Lord, towards the missal at the name of Our Lady or the Saint of the day, even when only commemorated, if any of these occur. (However at the votive Mass of a Saint no bow is made at the name of the Saint.) This rule is observed throughout the Mass.

.

Reading the Gospel: With hands still joined at the breast go to the missal, which the server will have placed diagonally at the gospel corner, and facing the missal say in a clear and intelligible voice , "Dominus vobiscum". This voice is now resumed until noted. During this greeting the hands are not extended as usual, but remain joined, nor do you turn any further round to the people. Make the sign of the cross with the right thumb, first on the missal at the beginning of the Gospel to be read as you say, "Sequentia (or Initium)", the left hand meanwhile being placed palm downwards on the missal. Then, placing the left hand under the breast, make the sign of the cross on the forehead, mouth, and breast as you continue, "sancti Evangelii secundum N.", then with hands joined at the breast, read the Gospel. If a bow needs to be made at the name of Our Lord during the text it is made, by exception, to the missal.

.

Unveiling the Chalice: For the rest of the Offertory until the conclusion of the Secret the secret voice is used. Take the veil, fold it and lay it on the epistle side beyond the corporal and near the back of the altar. The veil should be folded, usually in three folds, so that the outside is uppermost. Take the chalice, with the paten etc, by the node and place it on the epistle side outside the corporal. Remove the pall from the paten and place it on the folded veil or against the corner of the central altar card. Uncover and unveil the ciborium, if there is one, placing the cover and veil separately outside the corporal.

.

Pouring the Wine: With hands joined go to the epistle corner. Facing the altar take the chalice by the node with your left hand and wipe it inside, and outside at the edge, with the purificator. Then holding the purificator, doubled in two, with the thumb of the left hand against the node, take the wine cruet from the server. Pour some wine into the chalice, taking care not to splash drops onto the side. Return the cruet to the server.

.

Offering the Chalice: Standing at the middle of the altar, with the right hand bring the chalice to yourself by the node. Then supporting the foot of the chalice with the left hand by placing the fingers beneath it, raise the chalice and hold it over the corporal, taking care that the top of the chalice is not higher than the eyes. Say the prayer, "Offerimus tibi...suavitatis ascendat. Amen.", throughout which the eyes should be raised to the cross Having finished the prayer lower the chalice to about four inches above the corporal, make the sign of the cross with it over the back part of the corporal, not passing it over the host, and then place it in the middle of the corporal but behind the host..

.

If it’s going to be celebrated it must be celebrated correctly with the precision and reverence intended.  Even Pope Benedict noted in his letter attached the motu propio that it required a knowledge of both Latin and the Rite to be properly celebrated.

.

Harry Potter: Wonderful, Wicked or Wiccan?

I am amazed at all the negative material out in cyberspace and in print with respect to the Harry Potter stories.  The range from thoughtful to hysterical (not in the hilarious sense) boggles my mind:

.

Harry Potter glorifies the occult. God condemns the occult. Should we take a book lightly that endorses what God has so seriously forbidden?

.

Reading is a good thing, but not all is as innocent as Potter fans would have others believe.

.

If your children are already reading these books, then use the books as a tool to teach them from God’s word what He says about the occult. Teach them how to share this information gently and lovingly with their friends. It is essential they be equipped to deal with the increasing acceptance of occultism in our culture.

.

Many children all over the world consider Harry Potter a hero, but in God's eyes his works are abominations (literally wickedness). God is not Potter's deliverer when he gets into tight situations. How could he be, when Potter only uses Satan's devices? The works of darkness is behind both the bad and good guys in this story, and since both use forbidden practices, according to God's word, there is no difference between them. Since Harry practices what God has forbidden (see Deuteronomy 18:9-12), then he is also Satan's servant no matter what he appears to do. In the book of Isaiah it says that occult practices cannot save.

.

God is warning us that evil will come on those who practice their sorceries and witchcraft.

.

For example, what if this Harry Potter was a good Christian, a moral, and kind kid who carried his bible around, (instead of books on witchcraft and spells) this kid would probably be insulted and considered uncool regarding his desire to please God. Society has changed so much into an anti-Christian system, but one thing is for sure, God's word will never change!

.               

To allow a child to dwell on Harry Potter books and other occult influences is like feeding them a little bit of spiritual poison each time they read, until they become numb to the things of God. In our day and age a child needs to be protected by discerning parents.

.               

I certainly am not one who doubts the existence of Satan or devils.  They are very real.  Yet when a writer very clearly draws on a fairy tail world of goblins, elves, giants and unicorns, why does the addition of wizards and witches suddenly shift to satanic. J.K Rowling creates a fantasy world than any child over ten may be intrigued by and enjoys, but is clearly not real any more than the Wizard of Oz or the Chronicles of Narnia (which as I recall has a witch or two as well.)

.

Some of the writing is rabidly narrow and probably represents in some cases people who have never actually read the book but base their criticism on another’s’ writing.  For example:

.

Young Harry is given a strange marking on his forehead. "Through the sacrificial goddess magic of his mother's love, baby Harry is saved and his blood is given magical powers. Unable to kill Harry, in revenge, Voldemort sears a death curse of a lightning bolt on Harry's forehead."

.

“Sacrificial goddess magic”? Surely, mother’s love, but where do we twist that into goddess magic?  It’s surely not in the edition on my book shelf.

.

Ghosts populate the first book. Each of the four houses at the Hogwarts School

has a resident ghost. Also, Harry sees his dead parents in a special mirror and communicates with them (208-209, 210, 212). The mirror is explained by Dumbledore as something which “shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts” (213) which leaves the question open as to whether Harry really saw his deceased parents. Nevertheless, how will young children interpret this? It is most likely that a child will take this literally, and believe Harry could see his parents, especially since the parents respond. God forbids spirit contact and contact with the dead (Leviticus 19:31, 20:6; Deuteronomy 18: 10-11; Isaiah 8:19); we are told that the dead have departed to either be with Christ or be in a place of suffering and cannot be contacted (Luke 16: 19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-23). (The mirror is later also used for divination).

.   

This is surely a case of making a pig’s ear out of a silk purse.  There’s a wonderful line toward the end of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that fits well here: “Such tricks hath strong imagination, That if it would but apprehend some joy ,It comprehends some bringer of that joy; Or in the night, imagining some fear, How easy is a bush supposed a bear!” 

There are truly a lot of bushes perceived as bears here!

.

I’ll leave the remaining quotes from several assorted sources for the edification and enjoyment of the reader.

.            

Harry attends a school called "Hogwart's School of  Witchcraft and Wizardry". This school teaches no normal courses (such as English or Math), but strictly teaches magic and occult courses. The class curriculum is divination, defense of black arts, transfiguration, history of magic, potions, herbology, flying lessons, charms, and so on. When a child is finished reading a Harry Potter book, they have had a wide education about witchcraft. How opposite these books are to what God desires for parents and their children; "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).

"Harry is magically transported with his friend Cedric to a dark, scary graveyard. There, Harry is tied to the headstone of Lord Voldemort's father's tomb by Voldemort's slave, Wormtail -- a shapeshifter who takes the form of a rat. A slithering snake, synonymous with the presence of Voldemort, circles around Harry. Following an order to kill from a voice of unknown origin, the slave utters a death curse. In shock, Harry witnesses the murder of his friend Cedric."

.

This is a true representation of witchcraft, and the black arts, and black magic. And yet we have people that say this is merely fantasy and harmless reading for our children. Actually, what makes this more dangerous is that it is couched in fantasy language, and children's literature, and made to be humorous, and beautifully written and extremely provocative reading. and it just opens up children to want to have the next one. This is what is so harmful."

.

It is pointed out that Harry Potter represents good fighting evil, and therefore, in the context of fantasy, this is okay. These views, however, raise several questions: Is the sorcery and magic in Harry Potter just fantasy? If not, are fantasy stories using occultism as a model healthy reading? Is it Biblical to accept the use of “good” magical power if it is used to fight evil? Is there such a thing as “good” sorcery? Any popular children’s book set in an occult environment offering a hero who practices the occult arts warrants careful examination and a Biblical response. Occult sources are used for this article to make the point that occultism is real and is part of a serious practice, philosophy and spirituality that is opposed to historic, Biblical Christianity.

.

Note to anyone practicing Wicca/witchcraft and/or sorcery who may read this article: This article is not an attack on you as a person; it is an analysis of the practice of occultism as seen in the light of God’s word. I myself was a professional astrologer for several years and involved in various forms of the occult. It is my genuine desire that you read this article and realize that while God condemns the occult, He has reached out to you in love and grace in offering you forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Christ. As you know, not all Wiccans, occultists, ritual magicians, etc., agree on occult concepts and definitions, so it is unlikely that everyone will agree with how I have presented occult views, although I have quoted from occult sources.

.

         .      

Although Harry Potter attends the Hogwarts Schoolof Witchcraft and Wizardry, what is really being described in the book is sorcery. Sorcery and witchcraft in some cultures are the same thing. According to one source, “European witchcraft grew out of sorcery, the casting of spells and divination,” (Rosemary Guiley, Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, New York: Checkmark Books/Facts on File, 1999, p.315). Since there is no Hebrew word for witchcraft, some Bible translations will use the term “witchcraft” while others will use “sorcery.” Rather than using a label, Hebrew describes the practices of what is translated by each culture as sorcery or witchcraft, such as using potions (or poison), incantations to spirits, communing with the dead, etc. Each culture and its language comes up with the label of witchcraft or sorcery according to particular cultural understanding and practices. [See Note A at end of article for further explanation].

When Harry is buying a wand, many wands pass through his hands until he finally gets the “right” one which causes him to feel “a sudden warmth in his fingers,” (85). In fact, it is not . Harry learns he is a wizard (witch, sorcerer), he visits the zoo and discovers he is able to communicate with one of its residents. Which animal would that be -- a noble lion, a mischievous monkey, a swift gazelle? No, it’s a snake, a boa constrictor. Harry’s actions allow the snake to magically escape after there has been a silent communication between the two (pp. 27-28). It is interesting that it is the snake with whom Harry discovers his magical ability to communicate with animals since snakes have a special place in the occult, usually as symbols for wisdom, enlightenment, fertility, or feminine power ( Jack Tresidder, Dictionary of Symbols, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1998, 184-87). “The snake was above all a magico-religious symbol of primeval life force, sometimes an image of the creator divinity itself,” (Tresidder, 184). It is not suggested here that the author intends these associations, but it is a point of interest considering that Harry is a natural sorcerer.

.

A “sorting hat” is placed on the children’s heads in deciding which of the four houses at the school each child should join. The hat decides this and apparently can read minds (121). Of course, no hat or object can do these things, but the practices are real. The attempt to read minds, telepathy, is a psychic art and is taught in psychic development and other occult classes. Of course, only God is omniscient and knows the minds and hearts of men (Job 38:4, Psalms 44:21, Luke. 11:17, Luke. 16;15) .

.

               

Spells are taught at Hogwarts and are used throughout the book, even when Harry’s friends use a “body-bind” spell on their friend, (273). Interestingly, there is a spell for binding in A Witches’ Bible (141). Interest in spells is promoted as a healthy thing when the children are on the train to Hogwarts and Ron is asked to perform a spell. When he can’t do it, Hermione brags that she’s already practiced spells by doing “a few simple spells” and that they worked (105). Books with spells are easy to find at any bookstore, and even easier on the Internet. They have been seen in magazines for teenage girls. Witches and others do spells today; this is not a charming fantasy (pun intended). Silver Ravenwolf, a witch, has written several books aimed at teens, including 1998’s Teen Witch, which sold so well that bookstores could hardly keep it on the shelves. Teen Witch and other similar books are full of instructions for casting spells. Whether these spells work or not is beside the point; casting spells and sorcery are occultism and clearly forbidden by God (Deuteronomy 18: 10-11; 2 Kings 17:17, 20:6; Isaiah 47: 10-15; Malachi 3:5; Acts 8:11, 13:6; Revelation 18:23, 21:8).

.

References are made to the villain, Voldemort (the last part of this name, ‘mort,’ is French for ‘death’), and others as having gone over to the “dark side,” (54, 110). The implication is that people are not inherently bad, but either basically good or morally neutral, and can go either way (55). This view, based in the idea of polarity, ultimately downplays evil itself and the idea of absolute good and evil. Morality with no absolutes is no morality at all because it changes according to experience, culture, definition, or historical context.

.

Rather than God’s views that all of us having a fallen, sinful nature which is only redeemed through faith in a crucified and risen Christ (John 3:18-20; Romans 3:23-25; Colossians 1:13-14), we have a “dark side” and by choice can be good, totally avoiding the “dark side.” Prof. Quirell, who serves the villain, cannot touch Harry because Harry has been so deeply loved by his mother; human love can ward off evil (295, 299). There is no need for redemption in this worldview. Good and evil are two sides of the same coin, both part of a greater oneness and of each other, so there is no absolute good or evil. Even the villain, Voldemort, who is supposed to be evil, is “not...truly alive [so] he cannot be killed,” (298). In the absence of absolute good and evil, who needs redemption? In the absence of absolute good and evil, at what point does one go over to the “dark side” and who draws the line? The occult, and the book, have no answer for this.

.

A popular claim made by witches today is that they are “white” witches or that they practice “white” magic and use their powers for good. This idea is central in this Harry Potter book, since Harry is learning how to use sorcery in a “good” way. Spells are sometimes used on Muggles (251). Characters in the book use sorcery to fight “dark” or black magic (190-91, 217, 227) and there is even a course at Hogwarts teaching students how to protect themselves against “the dark forces,” (67, 134) all the while they are studying the very stuff of sorcery -- charms, potions, spells, etc. But God condemns all sorcery (see previous passages cited), so there is no such thing as “white” or “dark” magick; it all comes from the same place. The only people who make these distinctions are occultists. Remember, Harry is not learning magic tricks; he is learning magick.

.                

In light of God’s word, how should we view a book where the hero is learning sorcery and which teaches the very principle of “white” magick and witchcraft? If a Christian thinks it is okay for Harry to do “white” magick, then can he/she tell a witch in all sincerity that “white” witchcraft is wrong? To accept Harry Potter as a fun hero for children may make it seem hypocritical for you to criticize contemporary witchcraft, Wicca, and white magick.

.

There is a difference between fantasy and the occult. Fantasy can be used in a way that totally leaves out references to the occult. But this is not what happens in this book; instead, fantasy feeds on the occult and is fueled by it. Yes, this is just a story, but stories can teach and influence. Stories can present ideas and endorse worldviews. Does this book desensitize children to the occult? What happens when they get older and encounter peers who practice magick, cast spells, and attempt spirit contact? These practices are becoming more popular, and are already widespread among adolescents.

.

On Harry Potter

Having just finished the seventh volume in the Harry Potter series at about 5:30 a.m. this morning, I was intrigued by an article that I came across on the Net this morning.  Forgive me if I simply insert some comments as you read along:

.

Missing from 'Harry Potter" – a real moral struggle

Without inner conflict, the hero's tale was hollow.

.

By Jenny Sawyer

.

BOSTON

- If literature truly reflects society, then the end of the Harry Potter series spells trouble for us all.

.

Because, after 10 years, 4,195 pages, and over 325 million copies, J.K. Rowling's towering achievement lacks the cornerstone of almost all great children's literature: the hero's moral journey. Without that foundation, her story – for all its epic trappings of good versus evil – is stuck in a moral no man's land.

.

Pester: I think it’s troublesome to over-think literature into neat cubbies, else we must exclude Gertrude Stein, Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov (I’m thinking of Pale Fire,) Michel Butor, and others.  Great literature has often trail blazed by thinking outside traditional form and style.  I’m also not sure that the Harry Potter is merely children’s literature … although that seems to be the target market.  The writing has grown increasingly adult in each volume, as if aging and maturing along with Harry and his friends.

.

To be clear: This isn't a critique of Ms. Rowling's values. It's a recognition of a disturbing trend in commercial storytelling and Western society.

.

For those who've yet to finish "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," stop reading now: There are spoilers ahead. If you did, however, embark on a Deathly Hallows marathon, you know that the shady Severus Snape died, not in the name of evil, but in the name of good.

.

Oh, yeah. And Harry defeated Voldemort. Good prevailed. The problem is, that's not the moral of the story. Good always prevails. It's the hero's struggle – and costly redemption – that matters.

Classic tales such as J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" set the standard for children's fiction. With their unrelenting drive toward "the moral of the story," they form a golden thread in the West's cultural fabric. And yet, like the society in which we live, storytelling itself has, in recent decades, undergone a radical transformation – sliding toward moral ambivalence with alarming speed.

.

I'm not advocating for the kind of didacticism that dominated Puritan and Victorian children's fiction. Times change. Arguably, postwar, post-Depression America needed the escape value of Disney's adaptations of "Snow White" and "Cinderella." It was a marriage of storytelling and meaning-making quite apart from what the Brothers Grimm envisaged a century before. But while Disney's focus was entertainment, the moral still mattered. And that moral center has all but vanished from much of today's pop culture.

.

Successful storytelling rests on a few basic principles. One of them is this: A story is about someone who changes, who grows through a moral struggle. What is Harry's struggle? Exactly. Throughout the series, but especially in book seven, even Harry's darkest moments – of self-doubt, of disillusionment, of skepticism about his greatest mentor, Dumbledore – never ring true. Was there any doubt that Harry would fulfill the task set out for him?

.

The truth of the matter is that Harry the character had nowhere to go. And thus, the overarching moral dilemma of the series, the compelling inner crisis that begged resolution, had nothing to do with our beloved hero.

.

Prester: Is Harry perhaps a tragedy under semi-Aristotelian rules … the protagonist stumbling unerringly, inevitably to a known end?  Is he a boy denied his youth … forced to be a man before his time?  He longs desperately for what he can not have and only as he prepares to give up his life for the greater good does he discover that what seems lost continues to be still present to us (parents, family and beloved mentors) … a suggested nod to the Communion of the Saints.

.

First principle of storytelling

.

Back to that first principle of storytelling: A story is about someone who changes. And, puberty aside, Harry doesn't change much. As envisioned by Rowling, he walks the path of good so unwaveringly that his final victory over Voldemort feels, not just inevitable, but hollow.

.

But there is one character who does face a compelling inner crisis: Snape. With all the debate – and with all of Rowling's clues – about whether he was good or bad, it's fair to say that the sallow-faced potions professor has entranced many readers. His character ached for resolution.

.

And it is precisely this need for resolution – our desire to know the real Snape and to understand his choices – that makes him the most compelling character in the Potter epic. His decisions, not Harry's, were the linchpin. And his moment with Dumbledore after the death of Harry's parents, not Harry's last duel with Voldemort, is the authentic climax of the series.

.

Prester: One mark of the last volume is the discovery that clay-feet abound … Dumbledore, Snape, etc. Nothings is as it seems at times.  In the clear black and white of good and evil shades of gray are increasing realities.

.

For Harry, there was no choice. The way forward was clear, the conflict – and journey – external. We cared about Snape because this was not the nature of his story. Every action was weighted with the pain and subtext of his choices, or lack thereof. For Snape, there weren't – there couldn't be – any easy answers. And yet, in the end, his moral journey was overshadowed by this fact: It was merely one more plot device to propel Harry toward his pre-destined victory.

.

Snape: the authentic protagonist

.

Rowling has publicly expressed mystification over her readers' fascination with Snape, even suggesting that his appeal is simply "the bad boy syndrome." Instead, her readers, whether consciously or not, have tapped into something that Rowling herself may have failed to recognize. That something was a need for a protagonist who genuinely struggled to define – and do – the right thing. A passive main character with no authentic moral dilemma is not only hard to relate to, he or she is also no guide in circumstances in which right and wrong are anything less than black and white.

.

In a society increasingly steeped in moral relativism, it's not the Harrys of the world who will make a difference. It's the Snapes. It's those who need redemption, then choose it. It's those willing to press on and fail and then to press on again – especially when there are no clear answers. There is much to love about the Harry Potter series, from its brilliantly realized magical world to its multilayered narrative. Unfortunately, Rowling did her readers a great disservice by making the story about Harry when it really should have been about Snape.

.

And yet, it's hard to imagine Snape's story emerging from a society where entertainment is king – and where the moral of the story is that there's seldom a moral at all.

.

• Jenny Sawyer is a freelance writer and children's literature critic.

.

Prester: In my own way, I too find the final volume troublesome, but for my own reasons.  As I enter my sixth decade of life I long for the escapist trappings of children literature past.  The Potter stories grew increasingly dark as they developed, perhaps transitioning from C. S. Lewis to J.R.R. Tolkien and beyond.  The triumph of good over evil seemed to darken and grow increasingly less simple. 

.

On the whole I find the series great reading, increasingly thoughtful and mature, teaching the value of friends and virtues without being clubbed over the head.  I heartily recommend them … to adults and children

.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hospitality seems to be at the heart of both the first reading and the Gospel this weekend.  In fact, it has been a central theme of the gospels for several weeks now.  Hospitality was a cultural obligation not just in Jewish culture but throughout the Mediterranean.

This observance is continued today in many Jewish households when celebrating the Passover.  A place is often set and a door left unlocked for the prophet Elijah, for it is his coming which will herald the fulfillment of the promised Messiah.

The story of Martha welcoming Jesus into her home has a long and popular history.  Medieval commentators saw the story as a comparison between the two great religious traditions … a comparison between the entirely contemplative tradition and the work and pray traditions.  The Carmelite versus the Benedictine.  By and large they favored the contemplative.

But if we look at the broader context, a slightly different slant appears.  Remember that in the Gospel Jesus has just offered the parable of the Good Samaritan in answer to the question: Who is my neighbor? From that we learn that everyone in need is our neighbor and that Jesus is the ideal Good Samaritan whom we are called to imitate.  Here we find Martha truly responding to the needs of Jesus and his disciples as guests.  So what is lacking in her hospitality?

As I explained last week, there was a just reasonable explanation as to why the priest and Levite passed on by: they felt a greater obligation to their service in the Temple than to a man that might already be dead or past saving.  Martha seems caught up in a similar dilemma with the same good intentions.  Anyone who has given a dinner party will sympathize with her problem.  She is so worried about everything to get and be perfect that she forgets her direct obligation to her guests.  The dinner has taken on a life of its own apart from the guests who are the reason for the dinner.  In her own way Mary gets it right.  She is simply and completely present for Jesus the guest, listening and being fed by him.

Of course, it has been pointed out that if were all like Mary, nothing would ever get done and the guests would go hungry.  That’s true … but I think we need to remember that this is more a story about Martha than Mary.  As we are asked to be more like the Good Samaritan here we are asked to respond like Martha, but with the awareness of Mary when welcoming guests who are also neighbors.  It calls us to balance our priorities and concentrate on both the active and the contemplative … being present to the guest and preparing the things that hospitality calls for.  When we welcome people into our homes, do we concentrate on their needs or does our desire to impress or fear that we will not get it right make us forget the real priorities?

The same sort of missing the mark for the best of intentions can happen in our prayer life.  Are we really open in prayer to being fed by Jesus and his word, or do we get lost in our own wordiness and our desire to pray well?  When God seems quiet and a little distant, when His voice gets drowned in the noisiness of our world, do we panic at the apparent silence and take refuge in quantity rather than quality?  Are we sometimes afraid to be alone with God?   Do we come to our Masses and liturgies ready to be open to the Christ who comes to us in Word and Sacrament, in the priest and in the people? Or do our personal preferences, the things that annoy us, our prejudices and judgmental attitudes take over and become distractions?

Like Martha, in the cause of discipleship we all worry about many things.  Like the Good Samaritan, we need to bring ourselves back to focusing simply on what is needed at each moment … and letting go of what we can not do.

Priests' Wages: Too Much or Too Little?

In reading the March 19, 2007 U.S. News & World Report, (page 40) I came across a chart of “The Best Careers for 2007” listing Clergy as having a “GOOD” Job Market Outlook with a median Pay as $78,690.00.  I’m trying to figure out if that included Catholic priests or only reflected the Protestant clergy.

.

I recently came across some letter from the National Catholic Reporter back in 2004.  One from Ohio opined:

.

"[Someone] in the Feb. 20 letters section, wrote that Catholic priests' salaries range from $12,936 to $15,488." I don't have hard facts--I've not heard back from my local … diocese, but I believe our priests make in the $20s. Whatever the official salary of a priest, we need to remember that they get many stipends from funerals and weddings, receive a car allowance, and have free homes and food. I speak from this area of the country, of course. I was shocked to learn that funerals and weddings weren't considered a normal part of the "job" of a priest. So around here I don't feel too badly about the financial status of priests. They have a secure job, good benefits and secure housing. The salary is more than many get, and housing and food don't have to come out of it.”

.

Another wrote: “We are women who have worked in the archdiocese as parish staff members with a combined total of more than 20 years service. In this time we have worked with many good and dedicated priests. However, we take exception to the notion that priests' salaries are the cause of the priest shortage. The author indicates that at the top end these salaries are a bare $3.25 over the minimum wage. For a lay person responsible for a mortgage or rent, food on the table, needs of their children, medical costs, etc., this would be bordering on poverty level. However, our experience has been that food is provided, medical care guaranteed, housing paid and provided for, automobile insurance paid for, continuing education for professional growth is allowed for, not to mention the occasional yet lavish gifts bestowed on these men of the cloth by those they are serving. The salaries that they receive, although they may be lower than the average college graduate, are not needed for the day-to-day necessities of life. Teachers in our Catholic schools often times are in the same salary ranges as these priests, and yet have to provide for all of the above expenses.

.

“In conclusion, we call this a vocation as opposed to a career for good reason. Let us look for the real reasons behind diminishing vocations. They are many, and in our opinion should not be limited to financial concern. One would hope that the young men discerning over the priesthood would be listening to the call from God to enter into a life that is today highly controversial, often lonely, yet so very needed and rewarding in ways that far surpass any amount of financial gains.”

.

A 2004 survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration found the average pastor in the Catholic Church had a taxable income of $31,465, while a Lutheran senior pastor's average income is $76,247.  An Episcopalian senior pastor receives the largest average salary at $110,192.

.

Although there are considerable misunderstandings, it’s really like comparing apples and oranges in many ways.  The fact that 99.9% of Catholic priests are unmarried and not raising families (or at least they aren’t supposed to be,) certainly means that there is less need financially.  Although most lay persons presume that priests take vows of poverty, this is not the case.  Religious order priests (Franciscans Dominicans, etc.) do take vows of poverty, while Diocesan or secular priests are called to a life of simplicity, but they are not part of the promises made at ordination.  It is true that Catholic priests receive housing and food, and are provided with health and car insurance.  There is however one misunderstanding in the first letter.  Weddings, baptisms and funerals are part of the job, and Canon Law is quite clear: Can.  848 The minister is to seek nothing for the administration of the sacraments beyond the offerings defined by competent authority, always taking care that the needy are not deprived of the assistance of the sacraments because of poverty.  There is a tradition of “free-will offerings” for sacraments, but the lack there of can not prevent the reception of sacraments, nor may a priest (or deacon) ask for a fee.   A number of Dioceses have simplified the matter by adding a maximum of  $250 - $300 per month to the priests’ salaries and any offering by recipients of the sacraments goes either to the local parish or to the Diocese.   I know priests that do very well by the generosity of those receiving sacraments.  In my own case, having just filed my taxes, I made an extra $2,400  last year in what are called “stole fees,” free-will offerings of money for the exercise of the sacraments (the exercise of the stole.).  I would actually do better financially in a diocese with the flat rate policy. 

.

As the first writer says, priests do better than many financially, but we must also walk a delicate line between the sacred and the secular, living in the world but not being part of it.  Priests are professionals in that they study for a minimum of eight years of college and graduate school just to be ordained a priest, and as people treat priest less and less with respect due their sacred office, they need to be recognized for their professions just like doctors, professors, lawyers engineers and other professionals.   Jesus says in Luke 10:7: ‘the worker deserves his wagers.” 

.

Priests are obligated to pay social security taxes, etc., usually as independent contractors, including all the benefits such as room and board, car allowance, stole fees, etc.  Also most priests pay quarterly estimated income taxes at a minimum of $1,500, and most more than that.  Clearly we don’t get taxed to death, but we do pay taxes. 

.

The first letter also speaks of job security.  Remember: priests are on call 24/7, work normally six days a week sometimes putting in 10-12 hours days.  As more priests retire or leave the priesthood the job security increases but the amount of work climbs too.  Sometimes job security is not all it’s cracked up to be.  When speaking of minimum wage we need to recognize that a priest rarely works less than 50 hours a week and often more.  I estimate I make just under $6.00 an hour including stole fees and benefits   Of course; I’m a bit of a workaholic even by priestly standards.  I would be paid more for fewer hours if I worked for MacDonald’s for a couple of years.  I might even start at a higher hourly wage if I was hired as an assistant manage.

.

In the second letter priests salaries are compared to what most Catholic school teachers make.  That may be true in some parishes, but in mine all the teachers and even day-care workers start at a considerably higher rate.  The writer is correct in saying that priests’ salaries are sufficient for day-to-day necessities.  The real concern for most priests is retirement.  Retirement benefits added to social security are what concern most priests.  Without putting away money regularly into IRAs, or the like, retirement can be a frightening prospect of bare subsistence living.  There will be no children to live with if things get tight.  Most priests try to continue working even after retirement sometimes simply because it allows them to live independently in retirement.   Although we may not retire (except for medical reasons) before 70 or 75, we know that our retirement benefits and social security, along with Medicaid will not cover long-term-care when/if we become incapacitated.   Our Diocese has been analyzing the prospects of some sort of long-term-care for the past year and have not yet found a workable solution.

.

I have no doubt that the vast majority of existing priests are truly responding to a call from God and are not in it for either financial gain or comfort.  Whether young men today will be able to put aside the worldly concern for financial comfort or success remains to be seen.  I am afraid that many will be like the young man in Matthew 19:21-22: Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

.

Welcoming the Stranger

A colleague of mine shared the following letter with me:

.

Father,

.

My name is P. I'm having some issues with practicing my Catholic faith. I've been a Catholic my entire life and up until I left for college, I went to church every Sunday morning with my father. That was 10 years ago. Last year, I ran in to someone from my hometown church and they asked me to come back to the church and attend St. X’s with them. I've been trying to be a better Catholic and attend Mass every Sunday, but I find it difficult to regain the commitment and enjoyment of coming to church, practicing Catholicism, and being part of "the faith community". This person has also encouraged me to go to confession, but I’m hesitant. I don't even know where to begin. It's been a very long. I know I have sinned, probably more than most Catholics, but when I think about it, it's been so long I can't even remember what all I’ve done or what I’m sorry for. I know the whole point of confession is to confess your sins and ask God for forgiveness. How can I do that when I don't know what all I should feel remorseful for? I guess what I’m trying to ask is, what would be the first step in bringing the Catholic faith back to me, back to where it needs to be? Eventually, I want to be a parent, and I want to be able to set a good example as a Catholic Christian.

.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it.

.

P.

.

My friend responded:

.

Dear P.

.

Let me start by telling you that in my experience of being a Catholic of nearly 60 years and also two decades of being a Catholic “professional” (or is that a “Professional” Catholic?) most young people (about 75%) will wander away from the active practice of their faith between 17 and 25.  The good news is that through the action of the Holy Spirit nearly 70% will return to the practice of the Faith between ages 27 and 35, plus or minus.  What is needed is a level of maturity where the individual becomes aware that there is niche in his or life that only God can fill.  The Holy Spirit is always the one who does the prompting, but we can be helped or hindered by our young experience in a family practice of the Faith.  The more we were exposed to good practices and adult witness as children the more likely we are to return.

.

Always at the heart of the practice of the Faith is what we bring to the table.  Enjoyment comes not from being entertained but from our openness to God and the energy we bring to the celebration.  It also helps to find a Church Community that is welcoming and nourishes our “restless hearts.”  Sometimes you have to do some “church shopping” to find the church and Mass that fits you best.

.

Confession is a good thing.  It is an opportunity to bring healing to hurts, even though a scar may be left behind.  If you come with an openness to the action of the Holy Spirit, confessing all that you can recall, with contrition and an openness reform of life, God will forgive all that is remembered and what is forgotten.  That is part of the wonder of a God that loves us beyond our imagining!  Any priest worth his salt will guide you through the process without judgment or criticism, offering God’s forgiveness (and the forgiveness of one human being) without condition.  Do not presume your sins are greater than anyone else’s.  We all sin and we are all offered the same forgiveness earned for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Always trust that the Holy Spirit will not lead you astray.  Confession is good, but like good medical care, it can be a little painful.  We endure injections, sometimes embarrassing poking and prodding, all in an effort to head off illness and maintain some standard of health.  So too in confession we endure the humiliation of telling our sins, faults and weaknesses to one other human being who sits in “personal Christi” in order that we may be both forgiven and receive Divine Grace.

.

Give me a call at the office, or continue to e-mail me with your more specific questions and we’ll try to work out away to get you back into the regular practice of the Faith as painlessly as possible.  Trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, be open to God’s presence in your life and take time for Him.

In the Abundant Love of the Risen Christ,

.

As Church we have often failed people by being less hospitable and welcoming then we should.  We need to recall that Christ was the one who not only welcomed all, but made welcoming the stranger an imperative in Christian life.  If we mount impossible obstacles to people coming into the Church, if we make the burdens and obligations too difficult, than we are no better than the Pharisees who he said “preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”

.

The style of Jesus was to start with welcome, heal and feed before preaching the Word.  Unless we start in the same way we will return the Catholic Church to the status of an elite club, for the fully initiated and catechized only.

.

Back to ex ecclesia non solis

This past week there was a letter to the editor in the DMN titled: Pope Undoes Ecumenism.  “So Pope Benedict XVI says only Catholic churches have a means of salvation, Orthodox churches are defective and other [Christian] denominations are not true churches.  In short years, he has effectively undone the work of his predecessor, John Paul II.  He should know that Christ had stern warnings concerning such judgments.”

And from another letter to a different publication: “Just a technical note – since this group is not Catholic, they are breaking ground on an inherently defective “ecclesial community” building, NOT a true church building.  No offence is meant by this, even though all the members of this group are going to hell unless they become Catholics.”

.

All this because last week (July 10, 2007) The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued a new doctrinal statement confirming the essential role of the Catholic Church in God's plan for salvation.  The short document, presented in question-and-answer format, addresses questions about the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that the Church founded by Jesus Christ "subsists" in the Catholic Church.  In doing so, many of our “separated brothers and sisters” are going to see the Catholic Church as beckoning with one hand while pushing them away with the other. 

.

Although recognizing that Vatican II "contributed in a decisive way to the renewal of Catholic ecclesiology." and encouraged still further reflection on the nature of the Church, in some cases these reflections have been marred by "erroneous interpretation which in turn give rise to confusion and doubt" about the Church's teaching.

.

"It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them." Nevertheless, only the Catholic Church is characterized by identifying marks of Christ's Church: being one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

.

The CDF confirms that other Christian ecclesial communities, "though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation." These communities can act as instruments of salvation, because of their partial participation in "that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."

.

Nevertheless only the Eastern churches, the document notes, having “true sacraments and above all – because of the apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist," can be validly called sister churches, even if they fall short of universality because of their separation from the Holy See.

.

Here is the full English text from the Vatican web-site:

.

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

RESPONSES TO SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS

OF THE DOCTRINE ON THE CHURCH

.

Introduction

The Second Vatican Council, with its Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, and its Decrees on Ecumenism (Unitatis redintegratio) and the Oriental Churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum), has contributed in a decisive way to the renewal of Catholic ecclesiolgy. The Supreme Pontiffs have also contributed to this renewal by offering their own insights and orientations for praxis: Paul VI in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesiam suam (1964) and John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter Ut unum sint (1995).

.

The consequent duty of theologians to expound with greater clarity the diverse aspects of ecclesiology has resulted in a flowering of writing in this field. In fact it has become evident that this theme is a most fruitful one which, however, has also at times required clarification by way of precise definition and correction, for instance in the declaration Mysterium Ecclesiae (1973), the Letter addressed to the Bishops of the Catholic Church Communionis notio (1992), and the declaration Dominus Iesus (2000), all published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

.

The vastness of the subject matter and the novelty of many of the themes involved continue to provoke theological reflection. Among the many new contributions to the field, some are not immune from erroneous interpretation which in turn give rise to confusion and doubt. A number of these interpretations have been referred to the attention of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Given the universality of Catholic doctrine on the Church, the Congregation wishes to respond to these questions by clarifying the authentic meaning of some ecclesiological expressions used by the magisterium which are open to misunderstanding in the theological debate.

.

RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS

.

First Question: Did the Second Vatican Council change the Catholic doctrine on the Church?

.

Response: The Second Vatican Council neither changed nor intended to change this doctrine; rather it developed, deepened and more fully explained it.

.

This was exactly what John XXIII said at the beginning of the Council1. Paul VI affirmed it and commented in the act of promulgating the Constitution Lumen Gentium: "There is no better comment to make than to say that this promulgation really changes nothing of the traditional doctrine. What Christ willed, we also will. What was, still is. What the Church has taught down through the centuries, we also teach. In simple terms that which was assumed, is now explicit; that which was uncertain, is now clarified; that which was meditated upon, discussed and sometimes argued over, is now put together in one clear formulation". The Bishops repeatedly expressed and fulfilled this intention.

.

Second Question: What is the meaning of the affirmation that the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church?

.

Response: Christ "established here on earth" only one Church and instituted it as a "visible and spiritual community", that from its beginning and throughout the centuries has always existed and will always exist, and in which alone are found all the elements that Christ himself instituted. "This one Church of  Christ, which we confess in the Creed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic […]. This Church, constituted and organised in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him".

.

In number 8 of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium ‘subsistence’ means this perduring, historical continuity and the permanence of all the elements instituted by Christ in the Catholic Church, in which the Church of Christ is concretely found on this earth.

.

It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them. Nevertheless, the word "subsists" can only be attributed to the Catholic Church alone precisely because it refers to the mark of unity that we profess in the symbols of the faith (I believe... in the "one" Church); and this "one" Church subsists in the Catholic Church.

.

Third Question: Why was the expression "subsists in" adopted instead of the simple word "is"?

.

Response: The use of this expression, which indicates the full identity of the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church, does not change the doctrine on the Church. Rather, it comes from and brings out more clearly the fact that there are "numerous elements of sanctification and of truth" which are found outside her structure, but which "as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ , impel towards Catholic Unity".  "It follows that these separated churches and Communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church".

.

Fourth Question: Why does the Second Vatican Council use the term "Church" in reference to the oriental Churches separated from full communion with the Catholic Church?

.

Response: The Council wanted to adopt the traditional use of the term. "Because these Churches, although separated, have true sacraments and above all – because of the apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist, by means of which they remain linked to us by very close bonds", they merit the title of "particular or local Churches", and are called sister Churches of the particular Catholic Churches.

.

"It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches that the Church of  God is built up and grows in stature". However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches.

.

On the other hand, because of the division between Christians, the fullness of universality, which is proper to the Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him, is not fully realized in history.

.

Fifth Question: Why do the texts of the Council and those of the Magisterium since the Council not use the title of "Church" with regard to those Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century?

.

Response: According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "Churches" in the proper sense.

.

The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, ratified and confirmed these Responses, adopted in the Plenary Session of the Congregation, and ordered their publication.

.

Rome , from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 29, 2007, the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

William Cardinal Levada, Prefect

+ Angelo Amato, S.D.B.

Titular Archbishop of Sila

Secretary

.

Protestant leaders have found this offensive and expressed concern that it would hurt inter-denominational dialogue.  described Christian Orthodox churches as true churches, but suffering from a "wound" since they do not recognize the primacy of Pope.  But the document said the "wound is still more profound" in Protestant denominations.

.

But Bishop Wolfgang Huber, head of the Protestant umbrella group Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), said the new Vatican document effectively downgraded Protestant churches and would make ecumenical relations more difficult.  Huber said the new pronouncement repeated the "offensive statements" of the 2000 document and was a "missed opportunity" to patch up relations with Protestants. The hope for a change in the ecumenical situation has been pushed further away by the document published today," he said.

.

A statement from The French Protestant Federation said that while the document was an internal pronouncement of the Catholic Church, it would have "external repercussions".

.

Bishop Friedrich Weber of Germany's United Evangelical Lutheran Church said the pronouncement "makes me sad," adding that the official Vatican teaching did not reflect the grass roots reality of inter-denominational dialogue in many communities.

.

Anglican leaders reacted with dismay, accusing the Roman Catholic Church of paradoxical behavior.

Protestants at the evangelical end of the Anglican spectrum accused the Vatican of a "lust for power" and of using such arguments historically to divide Christians, "persecute them and even put them to death".  They said that the new 16-page document outlining the "defects" of non-Catholic churches constituted a serious obstacle to ecumenism.

.

The statement appears to be at odds with attempts to soften Pope Benedict XVI's image as a doctrinal hardliner and to present him as a more human figure reaching out to other faiths. And it risks undermining his own efforts for Christian unity.

.

Vatican sources said the document was an attempt to resolve "confusion" caused by the apparent conflict between the Pope's assertion on his election two years ago that Christian unity was a priority and his insistence in Dominus Iesus, issued in 2000 when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, that Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox Christians did not belong to "proper" churches.

.

Father Augustine Di Noia, a senior doctrinal official at the Vatican , insisted the Catholic Church was not "backtracking on ecumenical commitment. But it is fundamental to any kind of dialogue that the participants are clear about their own identity."

.

Vatican officials insist the Pope's attachment to bedrock traditional values is compatible with dialogue with other Christians.

.

Yesterday's document said that such dialogue remained "one of the priorities of the Catholic Church".

The document said that the Second Vatican Council's opening to other faiths - including "ecclesial communities originating with the Reformation" - had recognised there were "many elements of sanctification and truth" in other Christian denominations.

.

But it added that other Christian faiths "lack elements considered essential to the Catholic Church".

The Anglicans' disappointment was evident in the response of Canon Gregory Cameron, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams's former chaplain in Wales and a leading canonical scholar who is now ecumenical officer of the Anglican Communion.

.

Canon Cameron said: "It is paradoxical for leaders of the Roman Catholic Church to indicate to its ecumenical partners that it no longer expects all other Christians merely to return to the true (Roman Catholic) church, but then for Rome to say that it alone has 'full identity' with the Church of Christ, and that all others of us are lacking."

.

The Reverend David Phillips, General Secretary of the Church Society, went further, saying: "It does clarify the way in which the Vatican has torn apart Christianity because of its lust for power.  They remind us that in their view, that to be a true church one has to accept the ludicrous idea that the Pope is in some special way the successor of the apostle Peter and the supreme earthly leader of the church.”

.

"These claims cannot be justified, biblically or historically, yet they have been used not only to divide Christians but to persecute them and put them to death.  We are grateful that the Vatican has once again been honest in declaring their view that the Church of England is not a proper church. Too much dialogue proceeds without such honesty. Therefore, we would wish to be equally open; unity will only be possible when the papacy renounces its errors and pretensions."

.

I am certainly not advocating that the Church downgrade, dumb-down or compromise its teaching.  Relativism is not the solution to Ecumenism.  But must we use doctrine to bludgeon those outside the Catholic Church?  This sort of move by the central authority of the Church has the smell of retrenchment born out of a fear of lose of absolute control, monarchism and absolutism that make the Church once again a private country club.  When did we (Roman Catholics) appropriate, patent or copyright the word “church” for our exclusive use?  Doesn’t “ecclesial community” mean church?  And if the Second Vatican Council said that where there was Truth there was Salvation, I don’t understand why we must use our “fullness of truth” (subsist) as a stick rather than as a carrot.  It’s smug and petty and certainly not my idea of how to lead others to the Truth or the Catholic Faith.

.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This parable is well known: it is the parable of Good Samaritan: A man lies on the road, robbed, beaten, near death, and three people come across him, but it is only a Samaritan responds with sufficient compassion to make a difference. This is what one must do to truly love one's neighbor! This is the simple meaning of this parable.

.

But since the parable is a device which used the known to communicate a message about what is unknown, it is important to understand the context, which was much better to known to the people of Jesus’ time than our own.

.

In 922 B.C. following the death of King Solomon, the twelve tribes of Israel divided over political issues into a northern kingdom centered on the city of Samaria, and a smaller southern kingdom, centered on Jerusalem, the Temple and the hereditary line of David and Solomon.  The Samaritans referred in the gospels were the descendants of that ancient northern kingdom, the remnant of the Ten Lost Tribes that survived both the Assyrian conquest in 721 B.C. and the Babylonian conquest of 587 B.C.  Their practice of the Jewish faith rests primarily on a very ancient version of the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, and a worship of God centered on Mount Gerizim rather then the Temple of Jerusalem.

.

(In 2005 there were still about 700 Samaritans, living mostly near the city of Nablus in the West Bank, in Israel.)

.

The two descendants of the original Twelve Tribes treated one another as heretics, and made every effort to avoid one another and any dealings with one another.  They were for all intents and purposes enemies.

.

Here we see a Samaritan, who doesn't observe the same law as the Jews, comes to the aid of this wounded man, thus accomplishing the spirit of the law! What a contrast between, on one hand, the priest and the Levite, obliged to testify in favor of the law but who don't act in accordance with it, and on the other hand the Samaritan, who is not obliged in conscience to observe the entire law of the Jews, but who accomplishes it in all its perfection!

.

The charity of the Samaritan is really overflowing! Not only does he take care of the wounded man, but he provides for all the expenses that might be incurred! The wounded man truly has been blessed! But this wounded man is each one of us! And the good Samaritan is Jesus himself!  Jesus heals all our wounds: he heals us of our sins, and he provides us with everything, entrusting each one of us to the care of the Church. Like the good Samaritan, Jesus also promises us that he will return.

.

Notice that Jesus does not really answer the question of the scholar of the law: "Who is my neighbor?" He reverses the question: “Which of the three proved neighbor to the man on the roadside?” This reversal is the main point. We are commanded to become neighbor to whoever is in need, even our enemies, just like the Samaritan did. We should become neighbor to anyone who needs help. This won't always be a person bleeding by the road. We are called to become a neighbor where another's sickness confronts our health, when another's poverty confronts our wealth, when another's ignorance confronts our education; anywhere another's slavery confronts our freedom.

.

Jesus confirms the scholar in his understanding that God’s law is a law of love because its observance sustains our friendship with him. The example of the Good Samaritan shows that charity’s practice is not bound by historical or cultural barriers. Our practice of charity, in fact, must be universal in order to be recognized by Christ the Good Samaritan whose own gift of redemption was meant for both Jew and Gentile.

.

The State of the Priesthood

There is an item called the Pontifical Yearbook that is prepared as an annual statistical report made to the Pope on the state of the Church.  Presented earlier this year (2007) it reported that there are now 1.115 billion Catholics in the world, up by 1.5% over last year’s 1.098 billion.  Unfortunately the number of diocesan and religious clergy rose by only 0.13%.  (The ratio of priests to people in 1900 was approximately 1:900. In 1950 the ratio was approximately 1: 650. In 1999 the ratio was approximately 1: 1200.) That means that there is one priest for every 2,744 Catholics.  Of course that’s just the average.  Neither priests nor Catholics are nicely divided throughout the world, and that brings us to the reality here in the Diocese of Dallas there is one priest for every 5,686 Catholics.  Of course the number gets worse when you realize that there are priests who are full time teachers and chaplains, retired and otherwise out-of-service.  Add to that an uneven distribution of Catholics throughout the Diocese and you find that there are some local parishes where the ration of priests to parishioners is 1:10,000.

. 

The Diocese of Dallas has the third worst ratio of priests to parishioners in the US currently.  Only Brownsville, with a ration of 1:8,065, and Las Vegas, with a ration of 1: 9,999, are worse.  Now consider that the Diocese of Dallas will likely grown by about 8% to 10% in the next year, only one priest will be ordained and several will most likely retire, and the prospect is a little daunting of not down right frightening.  The Catholic population has increased by 261 percent in this part of the country over the past ten years.  The average age of priests in the United States is 57 years for diocesan priests, and 63 years for religious priests.  Retirement age by Canon Law is 75, however here, as in many dioceses, it is 70.  Unfortunately many priests retire earlier due to ill health.  At the current rate there is a high probability that “burn-out” will result in even more priest retiring early.

.

Presently, 16 percent of all the priests active in parish ministry in the US have come from other countries.  The Diocese of Dallas is blessed with a higher percentage of priests from outside the US.  Were it not for Filipino, Indian and Hispanic (esp. from Mexico and Colombia) priests serving in our Diocese the statistics would be far worse.There is an on-going frustration among priests with administrative responsibilities and the often unrealistic expectations of parishioners, for which seminary did little to prepare us.  Conversely we find we often have less time for the sacramental and counseling aspects of ministry, for which we were prepared. These demands tend to lead to an increased sense of isolation.  What we need is more mentoring from brother priests.  The day of spending 12 to 15 years as an associate in several diverse parishes is no longer the luxury that can be afforded.  Priests can not expect much more than 4 years experience before being made a pastor.
.
The rapid growth of the Catholic population in our area and the decline in other areas, combined with the increased ethnic diversity and an evolving sense of parish life and organization means that parish ministry is far more complex for priests today, than was the case even ten years ago.
.
As priests we are encouraged by the growth in the diaconate and in parish lay ministry but there needs to be a national-level conversation among bishops that will lead to a more holistic understanding of the issues involved; simply sitting on their hands while praying for vocations is not good enough.    We need to encourage more creative long-term solutions.

.

Today’s priests are on the whole happy with the ministry in spite of statistics, the Clergy Sexual Abuse crisis and the increasing divide between priests and bishops.  We are respected by many of our parishioners even though that respect is no longer automatic and must be clearly earned.  We continue to encourage vocations in spite of a growing resistance among much of the laity.  But we need more support and leadership from our bishops, more opportunities to interact among our brother priests, and great encouragement to network our ministries with neighboring or similar Catholic faith communities. We have a graced future on the horizon, but we must be responsive rather than reactive, forward thinking rather than backward.

.

The Price of Abuse

Side by side this past week was an Associated Press article reporting that the Abuse Crisis was beginning to fade, with an article on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles working to settle 500 remain abuse cases.   It is truly a sad commentary on contemporary culture that in the face of hundreds of unresolved cases that we can speak of the abuse crisis as fading, because the danger remains that complacency will lead to reduced vigilance.  For the next 500 years the Church must be a leading advocate for the safety of children and at-risk adults.  We must not let our guard down … ever!

.

Some passage from “Catholic Abuse Crisis Starts to Fade” by Eric Gorski 07.11.07:

.

The U.S. Catholic Church is quietly entering a new season. … Five years after the national abuse scandal began there, triggering a long season of reflection, the church is moving out of crisis mode.

That isn't to say the scandal is over. Earlier this year, San Diego became the fifth diocese to seek bankruptcy protection. And the financial implications of a huge settlement in Los Angeles, the nation's largest archdiocese, could be far-reaching.

.

"I think the crisis mode is over, and I think that's a good thing," said Robert S. Bennett, a Washington,D.C., lawyer and former member of the National Review Board, a panel of lay Catholics formed by U.S. bishops in 2002 in response to the scandal. "The risk it presents is people will get comfortable, and won't be alert and won't be as responsive."

.

Almost all new cases in the past three years are tied to events from 10 to 50 years ago, and we have most likely not heard from every victims/survivors yet.  Although a survey conducted in October 2005 found 74 percent of Catholics were either "somewhat" or "very" satisfied with U.S. bishops' leadership, up from 57 percent in January 2003 (Georgetown University Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate,) we must not let our guard down, but rather stand up for and end to all child abuse in all its forms, especially with respect to the 80% of child abuse that occurs at home by relatives and family friends.  If we stop at putting only our own house in order we’ll only be (as a priest friend recently said so colorfully) “peeing on a forest fire.”

.

Paul Lakeland, a Catholic studies professor at Fairfield University, has said: "If tomorrow we could declare the sex abuse scandal over, that would not mean that the church was in better shape because the problems of the church are much more deep-seated structural problems with episcopal leadership on a whole host of issues." Not every diocese is fully up to speed on implementing the Dallas Charter program in every parish.  They are working on it, but it is often a process that is resisted, because the attitude remains: It's priests and bishops who were responsible for abuse, not the laity.

.

“Robert George, director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, said that on the whole, U.S. Catholics have been able to separate the failures of church leaders from the teachings of the church. He believes U.S. bishops ultimately did take the issue seriously, even if they needed to be pushed. Some thought that the crisis would lead rank-and-file Catholics to reject the church, but George notes that didn't happen.”

.

Stephanie Innes in a July 10, 2007 article, “Catholic Church Abuse Cases in the News,” says with respect to the nearing settlement of nearly 500 cases in Los Angeles: “The national scandal over clergy abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States peaked in 2002, but its effects linger.”  As well they should.  This has been a shameful time in the history of the Catholic Church, and we must be permanently on guard, vigilant, that it will never happen again.  It has changed our perception of ordain ministry, reminding us to be wary not to place human beings on the pedestals of saints until after this life has been fully accounted.  Human beings will always show feet of clay no matter the quality or cost of the foot wear.  Our human fallibility as a consequence of original sin has been redeemed but not eliminated.  We have begun a new age in the Church where holiness and accountability must walk hand-in-hand.

.