Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me. Suscipe St. Ignatius of Loyola
Incarnating Repentance in St. Francis Xavier Community (Part 2 of 2) Last week we began to look at how we might immerse ourselves in the way of humility and repentance a repentance composed not just of words, but of deeds trusting the Spirit who is the source of the Church will act to preserve it. Though there are many ways of approaching this process of reform and reconciliation, we might use the analogy of personal Confession, and the steps involved in that sacrament: I. Acknowledgement: The path to healing and reconciliation can only begin with a true understanding that it is my sin for which I seek reconciliation, not the sin of someone else. Likewise, leaders in the Church cannot merely repent for the sins of the abusers or those who covered up, but must acknowledge that as part of the structural sin we (and I include myself in this) come to the People of God as sinners ourselves. II. Acceptance of Weakness: Having acknowledged our sinfulness our corporate and personal location within the sinful social structure we must then begin the path of repentance and reconciliation by accepting, with honesty and humility, a position of weakness and spiritual vulnerability, without equivocation or evasion. We may not, in other words, explain away our sin by historical reference ("It was a different era"), by relative merit ("We are not as bad as others"), or by later acts of restitution ("This could not happen now because we have policies ). These are my sins, we must say. III. Listening: The process of repentance calls us to open ourselves to the stories of those who have felt the sting of our sin, and demands of us that we come to know, in an authentic way, the experience of alienation suffered by those against whom we have sinned. For all who serve in the leadership in the Church from Pope to pastor such listening means not just assuming we know, but actually listening with an open heart to the stories of the women and men who have suffered direct abuse. Further, it means listening to those who feel alienated by our inactions and by the scandal itself. IV. Penance: In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, penance is an essential component of the rite, not as punishment for the offense since Jesus has already paid the debt of our failures by his own blood but as a means by which the penitent may begin to incarnate the grace desired. If we receive mercy without penance, without the penetration of that mercy into our actions, we easily become like the debtor in the gospel who received forgiveness from his master, but remained rigid towards those who owed money to him. Quite apart from legal sanctions, acts of penance e.g., the giving up of personal wealth, the inclusion of lay women and men in structures of decision making (including the choosing of bishops), the letting go of medieval symbols such as coats of arms are the incarnation of repentance, and are needed in the leadership of the Church before true healing can begin. 2
V. Re-membering of Victims and Survivors: We may all long to finish the process of reconciliation quickly and find the Church restored; to say that we have done the right things and accomplished healing through our noble efforts and our deep piety, through our penances and our processes. But, the humbling truth remains: we are not the heroes of this tragic chapter in the Church s history. In the end, we are merely servants, seeking forgiveness of the People of God and led by grace like Peter at the shore of Tiberius to places that we would often prefer not to go. Our task is to follow Christ, with humility and fidelity, even to the cross: to do all we can to create the conditions for reconciliation, knowing that whatever happens in the hearts of those who have suffered from our sins remains in the hands of God. We must long for them and pray for them and love them with the love of Christ Jesus resisting, above all, the temptation to condemn them for not forgiving us but it is not our place nor within our power to heal them. The scars of sin are not so easily removed. That is a lesson for the whole Church to learn. In a homily long ago, St. Augustine spoke simply and compellingly about humility. For those who would learn God s ways, he said, humility is the first thing, humility is the second thing, humility is the third thing. Learning God s ways means gaining perspective on who we are and who God is: letting go of pretensions about our importance, our achievements, our entitlements, acknowledging that any good we do is really God s doing for the simple reason that any gifts we have are God s gifts. In the coming weeks, I have asked 3 persons to offer their extraordinary gifts by reflecting on Incarnating Repentance after communion, addressing where they find Hope in their lives and in the Church. Additionally, in a symbolic effort not to hold onto to power, position or privilege, I am asking each of my Jesuit brothers to sit in the pews during these reflections and receive with humility what the priesthood of the laity is offering "since the Holy Spirit makes the Church one in communion " through both the ministerial priesthood and the priesthood of the laity." As Catholics, we are a people of ritual and symbol. I pray that this symbolic act of listening reminds each of us that we cannot move to resurrection without the pain and sacrifice of the cross. With each passing month, our ritual of singing the Anima Christi reminds us of this grace. Just as reverent ritual orients us toward what is taking place, deepens its significance, and opens us to the depth of mystery, so to the words we pray/sing capture precisely what is happening in our reception of the Eucharist. Soul of Christ Sanctify me Body of Christ save me, Blood of Christ inebriate me, Water from the side of Christ Wash me, Passion of Christ strength me. O Good Jesus, hear me Within your wounds, O Lord hide me Separated from you let me never be. From the evil one protect me, At the hour of my death call me, Jesus call me close to you, Jesus bid me, that with all the saints I may praise thee, praise you. Praise you forever, Amen. Pastor
Items of Note: Celebrating Sunday all the way home: On the way home from Mass consider asking: Can you imagine being without an eye, hand, or foot? What is the most important sense that you have? If senses are God detectors, then what is your favorite way to sense God? Women's Scripture Study Women s Scripture Study will begin on Thursday, October 11 at 10 am in the Loyola Center, Dave Thomas room. We will be studying the psalms and meet every other week. Blessing of Animals Join us Today! following the 10:00 am Mass as we bless our beloved companions. Do you have a new member of the family? Baptismal Preparation Class Sunday, October 7th If you are expecting your first child or have a little one under the age of 7 seeking the sacrament of Baptism please contact Evie to register 542.0321
Congratulations to - Kaitlin Moe & Eric Delphy who celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage on September 22, 2018. Mara Lyn Goligoski & Michael Harrington who celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage on September 29, 2018. We wish them every blessing. Eucharistic Adoration on 1st Fridays On First Friday - October 7th we will return to Fall schedule 8:30 am until 3:00 pm Couples Corner Hospitality We are fortunate to have a dedicated team assisting our families by facilitating luncheons following a loved ones funeral. We would like to include a few more hearts & hands! Might you consider assisting with setting tables, serving food, tiding up after the reception or by providing a dessert or a salad for the luncheon? Please contact: Margaret Mollberg 208.403.6764 or margmoll@yahoo.com Empty Nest couples are called to new choices, more freedoms, and new ways of loving each other in this grace filled stage of marriage. An excellent book for empty nesters is The Second Half of Marriage by David and Claudia Arp. As a parish, let s work together to support and celebrate healthy marriage! 5 Contemplative Yoga Just think what a midday break from distractions would feel like? Become present and grounded - no experience necessary. Beginning 10/16 from 11:30-12:30 every Tuesday @ Loyola Center Building 430 West Pine (Please bring your own mat, if you have blocks and a blanket terrific) $10 suggested donation, every month a different local organization will receive the proceeds. Please contact Sandy Brosious 406-544-9107 if you plan to attend or if you have any questions. Hope to see you! The Mary Martha Ministry (the knitting group) begins Thursday, October 18 in the Xavier Room in the Parish Center at 11:00. The Mary Martha Ministry crafts beautiful prayer shawls that are blessed then distributed to parishioners who are suffering. All those able to knit or crochet or who want to learn are welcome. Contact: Joan Waters at 406-549-9829.
The Montana Hope Project and Catholic Social Services of MT invite you to join us at Heal the Land and Welcome the Landless by Dr. Patrick T. McCormick,S.T.D. Professor of Christian Ethics, Gonzaga University October 2, 2018 7:00 pm Christ the King Newman Center Pope Francis calls for an integral environmentalism, uniting a care for creation with justice for the poor and welcome for the stranger. Saturday, October 13, 2018 5PM - 9:30PM University Center Ballroom - University of Montana 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812 Tickets are $75 in advance or $90 at the door Which includes Dueling Pianos by DINNER - SILENT AUCTION - RAFFLE - NO HOST BAR recommended attire BLACK TIE AND BOOTS TICKETS AVAILABLE AT Memorial Service The Spiritual Care Department at St. Patrick Hospital has scheduled its biannual memorial service at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 7, in the Broadway Building Conference Center. Family members and the public are welcome to come celebrate the lives of patients who have died in recent months. Please bring a photograph to add to the display during the service. Parking is available in the Broadway Building underground structure. Call 327-1645 with questions. www.montanahope.org www.cssmt.org 2019 Journey The 2019 Catholic Journey formally know as Cursillo is planed for January 2019 at Christ The King Women s - January 10, 11, 12 & 13. Men s - January 17, 18, 19 & 20. For a sponsor or for more information, please contact one of the following who are happy to answer any questions: Bruce Peterson 370.7670, Jeff Morren 396.8409, Al Gillefelin 544.0391 or Doug Gelvanic 544.1386 Rosary Members of America Needs Fatima will gather to pray the Rosary on Saturday, October 13th at Noon by the grotto at St. Francis Xavier. Contact: Linda 406.728.5457 6
September 30, 2018 The Twenty -Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Welcome! We invite you to come and get to know us, may St. Francis Xavier become your home. Collections for Sunday, September 23, 2018 Regular Offering 7662.00 Loose Collections 1685.80 Catholic Home Missions 20.00 Povorello Center 100.00 Maintenance 260.00 Online Giving 1350.10 Prayers May --- Joan Waters, Pat Loran, Carlton Quamme, Pat Loran, Jim Huntley, and Gen Worden receive His healing and consolation. May --- Judy Spores rest in peace in Our Lord s Loving arms. Mass Intentions for The Month of September, 2018 Saturday 9/29 Sunday 9/30 Kathy Oberst Tim Burger For the People* Mick Finn Mass Intentions for The Month of October, 2018 Thank you for your generous giving! For information on Jesuit vocations BeAJesuit.org Monday 10/1 Tuesday 10/2 Wednesday 10/3 Thursday 10/4 Friday 10/5 Saturday 10/6 Sunday 10/7 Mary Thompson* Barbara Arnesen Chuck Turner Raymond Beaver Sr. Pat Colyer Bruno Friia* Jim Scarborough For the People* Dewey Campbell St. Francis Xavier Parish will often use parishioner likeness in print, video, website or in social media sites for the purpose of sharing our church community with others. 420 West Pine Street, Missoula MT, 59802 406.542.0321 sfxmissoula.org 7