PASTOR S MEANDERINGS NOVEMBER 2018 SOLEMNITY of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING of the UNIVERSE

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1 PASTOR S MEANDERINGS NOVEMBER 2018 SOLEMNITY of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING of the UNIVERSE SUNDAY REFLECTION On this last Sunday of the liturgical year we look back in gratitude for days that are past and with courage as we journey into the future. May the Lord of strength hold us in strong fingered hands. May we communicate that strength to every one we meet. Eucharist vividly recalls the self-giving of Jesus. It is only against that background that we can fully appreciate the kingship of Jesus. In turn, the bread and the wine are both the challenge and the means for living out the implications of our own royal status. To be son and daughter of God and to be brother and sister of Jesus mean that we must be servants to all of humanity, particularly those who are hurting the most.

2 STEWARDSHIP: Today s second reading reminds us that the sacrifice of Christ frees us from sin and makes us a royal nation of priests in the service of God. How am I using my gifts to serve God and others? Second Vatican Council The Church Christ obeyed even at the cost of death, and was therefore raised up by the Father (Phil. 2:8-9). Thus He entered into the glory of His kingdom. To Him all things are made subject until He subjects Himself and all created things to the Father that God may be all in al. (1 Cor. 15:27-28). READINGS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2 DEC 18 Jer. 33:14-16: I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David God s promise to the Chosen People will be met through David and his house. Ps. 25:4-5, 8-10, 14: 1 Thes. 3:12-4:2: Progress in the Christian life means an ever-deepening care for others in the knowledge that this is to share in God s care for them. Lk. 21:25-28, 34-36: In the middle of chaos and darkness be watchful and stand erect with heads held high confident for the coming of the Lord is near bringing hope and freedom. Second Vatican Council Religious Freedom In the use of all freedoms, the moral principle of personal and social responsibility is to be observed. In the exercise of their rights, individual men and social groups are bound by the moral law to have respect both for the rights of others and for their own duties toward others and for the common welfare of all. Men are to deal with their fellows in justice and civility. CHURCH LITURGICAL CALENDAR / YEAR: The Church follows a Liturgical Calendar that connects the seasons of the year to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, providing us with a framework to enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery of Our Lord. The liturgical year encompasses the rites, celebrations and feasts that take place during the Church year and are highlighted in the Scripture readings and prayers of the Mass. Christ s saving work is celebrated in sacred memory by the Church on fixed days throughout the course of the year. Each week on the day called the Lord s Day the Church commemorates the Lord s resurrection. Once a year at Easter the Church honors the resurrection of the Lord and His blessed passion with the utmost solemnity. In fact through the yearly cycle the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and keeps the anniversaries of the saints. (General Norms for the Liturgical Year 1) The Liturgical Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent and runs through to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Advent Begins at Evening Prayer 1 of the Sunday falling on or closest to 30th November (the First Sunday of Advent) and ends before Evening Prayer of Christmas, on 24th December. There are 4 Sundays in Advent. Advent has a twofold character: first, as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ s first coming to us is remembered; second, as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ s Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation. Since the tenth century the First

3 Sunday of Advent has always marked the beginning of the Church s year in the Catholic Church. (In the Orthodox Church the season begins earlier in November). The beginning of Advent always follows the Feast of Christ the King, so this year, (2018) the First Sunday of Advent falls on the2nd of December. The earliest suggestion of a period of preparation for the birth of Jesus was towards the end of the 5th Century when St Perpetuus decreed a fast three times a week from the feast of St Martin, 11th November, until Christmas. It became a period of penance and fasting of 43 days, not unlike Lent, although somewhat less strict. It was commonly called St Martin s Lent. By the tenth century this period of time became the four Sundays, as we have now, and the rules of fasting were relaxed. The overall theme of Advent blends together a penitential spirit, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event: Week 1 Stay Awake and Watch Week 2 Prepare a Way for the Lord Week 3 Gaudete Sunday Rejoice! Week 4 Mary Will Have a Child Christmas From Evening Prayer 1 of Christmas, (celebrated on the evening of 24 December, the beginning of the liturgical day of 25 December Birth of the Lord) to the Baptism of the Lord (Sunday after the Solemnity of the Epiphany). Next to the yearly celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the Church holds most sacred the memorial of Christ s birth and early manifestations. This is the purpose of the Christmas season: The Nativity of the Lord Vigil Mass Midnight Mass Dawn Mass Mass during the day The Holy Family Mary, Mother of God Second Sunday after Christmas The Epiphany of the Lord The Baptism of the Lord ADVENT Continued Preparing for Advent (Setting the stage for our Advent Journey, before it begins) Getting in Touch with Myself One of the best ways to prepare for the very special season of Advent is to get in touch with ourselves. It may sound odd, but one symptom of our contemporary lives is that we can often be quite out of touch with what is going on in our very own hearts. We are about to begin our Advent, right at the time our Western culture begins Christmas preparations. It is a busy time, and our heads are filled with details to remember. And, it is a time of emotional complexity that is part of this holiday season with all of the expectations and challenges of family and relationships: who we want to be with and who we struggle to be with. So, our hearts are a bit tender, if not completely defended from experiencing anything deeply. We are about to hear some very powerful and stirring readings from Isaiah, the Prophet. We will re-enter the ancient tradition of a people longing for the coming of a Savior. We may remember the days of our childhood when we longed for Christmas to come, because it was a magical time of receiving gifts. As adults, we have to ask ourselves: What is it long for now? the answer won t come easily. The more we walk around with that question, and let it

4 penetrate through the layers of distraction and self-protection, the more powerfully we will experience Advent. Salvation From We are about to read and pray about the expectant hope of Israel, as expressed through Isaiah. The images we will be using are about darkness and gloom about thick clouds covering the people and about hunger and thirst. They are images that attempt to capture a sense of what we feel when we are distant from our God. There are many images about war and conflict. They express the powerlessness and anxiety we experience when we feel vulnerable and defense-less. Most of all, there are images of a future day a day that can only be called the Lord s when all the tears will be wiped away, when there will be plenty to eat and drink, and when there will be no more conflict and no more war. God s salvation will be made known. God s victory will be complete. These are very precious days for us to come into intimate contract with our own need for salvation. It is a time to make friends with our tears, our darkness, our hunger and thirst. What is missing? What eludes my grasp? What name can I give to the restlessness in my heart? What is the emptiness I keep trying to feed with food, with fantasy, with excitement, with busyness? What is the conflict that is eating at me? What is the sinful, unloving, selfcentered pattern for which I haven t asked for forgiveness and healing? Where do I need a peace that the world cannot give? Coming to know where I need a Savior is how I can prepare for Advent I am preparing to listen to the promises, listen to these rich texts announcing the liberation I can truly long for. When my heart is open, when my hands are open, when my mouth is open and ready to ask for freedom, healing and peace, then I am ready to begin Advent. Come, Lord, Jesus. Come and Visit Your People. We Await Your Coming; Come, O, Lord. Isaiah 35 The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; They will see Glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, He comes with vindication; With divine recompense He comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water; the abode where jackals lurk will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus. A highway will be there, called the holy way; No one unclean may pass over it, not fools go astray on it. No lion will be there, nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it. It is for those with A journey to make, and on it the redeemed will walk. Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned

5 with everlasting joy; They will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee... FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING: Continued: The pope also hoped that this new feast would inspire the faithful. He hoped that, in celebrating it, men and women would be reminded that it is to Christ we owe our fealty and that no earthly power can ever surpass that of his eternal kingship. But it is clear, as is seen in the quote below, that the pope did not see this as a passive, personal submission. Instead, he saw a need for the people of God to stand against the wave of anti-christian sentiment that had been rising.

6 This state of things may perhaps be attributed to a certain slowness and timidity in good people, who are reluctant to engage in conflict or oppose but a weak resistance; thus the enemies of the Church become bolder in their attacks. But if the faithful were generally to understand that it behooves them ever to fight courageously under the banner of Christ their King, then, fired with apostolic zeal, they would strive to win over to their Lord those hearts that are bitter and estranged from him, and would valiantly defend his rights (Quas Primas, 24). Pope Pius XI believed the world of his time needed to be reminded of the primacy and Lordship of Jesus Christ, and that the faithful needed to be inspired to go out into the world in Christ s name, under his kingly banner. The Need Hasn t Changed With this in mind, It would be safe to say that we still need this feast today, and that we may need it more than ever. The Church in our modern time does not necessarily face the threat of fascism and soviet communism, as it did in 1925, but instead we face the rise of secularism, militant atheism, and radical Islam. The Liturgy of the Word from Revelation for the Feast of Christ the King reminds us Jesus is... the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord God, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty. Our challenge today is the same as it was in 1925; to live in the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to share the joy of his reign with the world. In the words of Pope Pius XI: He must reign in our minds He must reign in our wills He must reign in our hearts He must reign in our bodies that having lived our lives in accordance with the laws of God s kingdom, we may receive full measure of good fruit, and counted by Christ good and faithful servants, we may be rendered partakers of eternal bliss and glory with him in his heavenly kingdom (Quas Primas, 33). The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God comes as people cooperate with grace, submit to God s will, and act with Christian charity. It is a matter of the heart but has social implications. Pope Francis said in his 2015 Angelus address for Christ the King Sunday, The kingdoms of this world sometimes build themselves on arrogance, rivalry, oppression; the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of justice, love and peace [T]o reign as He does means to serve God and the brethren a service that flows from love: to serve for love s sake is to reign: this is the regality of Jesus (Vatican Radio). Pope Pius XI admonished that the problems of the world can only be solved with recognition of Christ s kingship. Of course, simply speaking it with one s lips is not enough. If we are to promote the Kingdom of God, we must begin with ourselves begin with Christ s rule over our own lives in our thoughts and actions. To acknowledge Christ s rule over creation, we should recognize and point him out in the good, the true, and the beautiful accessible to all. In this regard, we should recognize and build common ground with others in matters of the Moral Law, or the Natural Law. Many of our contemporaries, of course, dismiss the idea of the Natural Law as if it were just part of the Catholic Faith. Still, I believe that there is much room for dialogue. The idea of a core set of moral principles common to all peoples which comes from our Creator is not as foreign to them as it may seem. As for understanding the more difficult points of the Natural Law, this is indeed clouded by fallen nature and hidden even

7 further by our present culture. Our faith and the Magisterium of the Church help to clarify these matters. Finally, we should promote the spiritual Kingdom of God by being like leaven in the world. Always respecting others freedom of conscience, we should preach the Kingdom in our daily lives by word and deed, living out our vocation and engaging in apostolic work as God calls us to it for promoting integral human development and ultimately the salvation of souls. SAINT OF THE WEEK: CATHERINE LABOURE d NOV STEPHEN AND COMPANIONS d. 764 A GROUP OF MARTYRS (INCLUDING Basil, Peter, and Andrew) put to death during the Iconoclast Controversy which troubled the lands of the Byzantine Empire. Stephen, called the Younger, was born at Constantinople about 714 and became a monk and then abbot of the monastery of Mount St. Auxentius before resigning to seek greater solitude and prayer. A determined opponent of the Iconoclast policies of Emperor Constantine V ( ), Stephen was pressured to accept the removal of the icons. When he refused to obey the imperial command, the monastery was burned down, the monks dispersed, and Stephen, was banished to the island of Proconnesus. Two years later he was brought before the emperor and commanded to embrace Iconoclast policies. Again he refused. This time he was flogged, dragged through the streets, and executed with a group of other opponents of Iconoclasm: Basil, Peter, Andrew, and perhaps as many as three hundred other monks. Catherine was a mystic who received a vision of the Miraculous Medal. She was born in 1806 in the Cote d Or, France, the daughter of a farmer, and was named Zoe. Her mother died when she was eight, and she helped raise the younger members of the family. In 1830, Catherine joined the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul at Chatillon. Taking the religious name of Catherine, she was sent to the convent at the Rue du Bac in Paris. There she received visions of Our Lady in the chapel, and she was asked by the Blessed Virgin to strike a medal depicting the Virgin and honoring the Immaculate Conception. Her confessor, Fr. Aladel, secured permission from Archbishop Quelen of Paris, and the first fifteen hundred replicas of the Miraculous Medal were made in 1832 and approved in Catherine performed manual tasks at the Hospice d Enghien until her death, reciting her visions only to her confessor. A few days before her death she made them known to others. She died at the hospice on December 31, and was canonized in FRIDAY EVENING PRAYER AND REFLECTION BEFORE THE EUCHARIST; It had been planned that in September, starting on the evening of 14 Sep. when the Bishop was to hold his Mass of Forgiveness at the Cathedral we would begin a series of evenings centered on adoration of the Eucharist, but including occasionally the celebration of Mass. An important purpose was to pray for healing, purification and reform. For a variety of reasons that plan had to be tabled for a time. With the beginning of the Advent Season it will be introduced here at ST. Stephen Martyr. Next week a schedule and outline of what will take place will be provided to you in the Meanderings.

8 UP-COMING SCHEDULE Saturday 24 Nov Mass 8:30 a.m. Confessions 1:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Vigil Mass 5:00 p.m. Sunday 25 Nov Masses 7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Brig Memorial Mass for Al Robdau 2:00 p.m. Monday 26 Nov Day Off 8:30 a.m. Mass 7:00 p.m. - Brig Tuesday 27 Nov 8:30 a.m. Mass 7:00 p.m. Parish Council Wednesday 28 Nov 6:30 a.m. Mass Confessions between Masses 8:30 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m. PCRS Mass time at school 5 :30 p.m. Indian Creek Correctional Facility Thursday 29 Nov 8:30 a.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. Confessions 6:30 p.m. Mass Friday 30 Nov 8:30 a.m. Mass 9:30 a.m. Inurnment Saturday 1 Dec BEGINNING OF ADVENT 8:30 a.m. Mass Confessions 1:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Vigil Mass 5:00 p.m. First Mass of Advent Season Bethlehem Christians will showing and selling their olive wood carvings the entire weekend Sunday 2 Dec FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Masses 7:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Brig Tuesday 4 Dec 7:00 p.m. Advent Reconciliation Service Thursday 6 Dec 7:00 Advent Day of Reflection FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 8 DECEMBER SATURDAY Vigil Mass Friday 7 Dec. at 7:00 p.m. Day Mass Saturday 8 Dec. 8:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday Dec Advent Retreat Tuesday 18 Dec Christmas Music Conceert HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

9 In the midst of the barrage of reports of the latest evils, and failures of accusations and of counter claims. At those times when we wonder or have our doubts of the Church its teachings and mission we need to remember the words of Pope Benedict XVI

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