Whenever we come to Mass, we respond to God’s call to gather together for prayer, to listen and respond to His Word, to join in the offering of the sacrifice, to partake of Christ’s Body and Blood, and to be sent forth to do His work in the world. In the annual Chrism Mass, the diocesan church answers this call in a special way by gathering around our bishop to worship God and receive his abundant graces.
Twenty-five years ago, Pope John Paul II wrote that the Gospel of Life is at the heart of Jesus’ saving message to the world (“Evangelium Vitae,” 1). In taking on human flesh, dwelling among us, and sacrificing his very life for our redemption, Christ reveals the profound dignity of every human person. This God-given dignity does not change with our stage of life, abilities, level of independence or any other varying circumstance.
The patristic scholar, Father Boniface Ramsey, remarked: “The (Church) Fathers were the first to face certain problems that Christianity was bound to encounter and continues to encounter, and they provided responses that are classic, if not canonized. The nature of God, God’s relation to the world, the humanity and divinity of Christ, the nature and structure of the church, the authority of Scripture, the moral obligations of the human person: these are among the issues that the Fathers first addressed … ” (“Beginning to Read the Fathers,” p. 15). This subject of the authority of Scripture is inseparable from its interpretation, which is simply the correct understanding and practical application of God’s Word for faith (what we believe) and for morals (how we are to act). On this topic of biblical interpretation, the Church Fathers made a lasting contribution to the Catholic faith by two main patristic “schools”: Antioch in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt. Here is a brief glance at these patristic centers of learning.
This year, religious education in the parishes will be different. Throughout the diocese, directors of religious education and their faith formation teams are ensuring that religious education classes and instruction are offered to all families in a safe and accommodating manner. Each parish has had to evaluate its resources, needs and parishioners’ concerns. Faith formation will look different from parish to parish.
Summer can be an amazing time to relax, leave behind obligations and worries, and enjoy fun vacations with family, or gardening adventures with nature, or better yet, quiet times in the peace of a sunny day to regenerate our spirits.
The feast of the Queenship of Mary is celebrated Aug. 22. The role of the queen-mother has deep Biblical roots that may be best understood in light of the kingdom of God as it is anticipated in the Old Testament.
I’ve tried to keep some sense of normal for my family throughout the summer. I look outside my window and see the bright sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing in a late shower to ease the punishing humidity. It’s been a busy day. My kids have been riding bikes, playing games and eating me out of house and home. With the new school year beginning, we need to refocus on their education. What do we want our children to learn — even beyond their school curriculum?
The world seems a little different of late. Fear, anxiety and anger are growing in the hearts of men, women and children. Fear of losing a job, not being able to provide for the family, paying the bills and ultimately fear of death. Before COVID-19, how often did one contemplate the thought of dying?
In this last month of summer, I pray that, sustained by God’s grace, you will be renewed through prayer, rest and time with family. Yet, we cannot deny that loneliness, anxiety, uncertainty and even despair have arisen out of the coronavirus pandemic, and anger over acts of racial violence. The unique challenges that each of us faces are stark reminders that we are “pilgrims in a strange land, tracing in trial and in oppression the paths that (our Savior) trod” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium,” 7). During this difficult time, we look forward with renewed hope to the upcoming solemnity of our loving Mother.
Every Aug. 15, the church universal celebrates that moment in history when “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Pope Pius XII). Mary’s Assumption (known as the Dormition, or falling-asleep, in the Eastern churches) is celebrated not only because it commemorates the conclusion of her earthly life, but also because her Assumption is what constitutes “our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” In Mary, “we contemplate what the church already is … and what she will be in the homeland at the end of her journey” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 972). Mary is the eschatological icon of the church, the glorified image of what we hope to become after wandering in this vale of tears. She is the first to be divinized, glorified in body and soul. Her own falling asleep in the Lord “is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (Catechism, 966).
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