We're in this together!

Katie, William and I preparing to process at the beginning of the ordination (Photo by: Colleen Bonadonna)

This weekend, I came across the following words from the Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey. It was part of an address he gave to his permanent deacons on October 13, 2012 - the day of my ordination in Richmond, Virginia! I think they reflect the sentiment captured by this photograph perfectly. The only thing I would add is that our children have an integral role to play as well!


"A word about the person who came here with you, the person sitting next to you, the person who shares you with the Church: your wives.

"In addition to loving you — and that is a probably a special challenge in itself — she is called to love your ministry.  Together, you give powerful witness to the Sacrament of Marriage and to family life.  There is a special grace and holiness to that.  The more you grow in mutual love, and love and dedication to your family, the greater the witness you give to the Christian community.  A married deacon cannot do this alone.  You must do it together with your wives.  As a couple you make an incredibly unique contribution to the renewal of married life and love in your communities.  The wife of the married deacon is called to an extraordinary life of faith and fidelity.  Your life as wife and mother goes hand in hand, literally, with the pastoral ministry your husband exercises.  Your love and support sanctifies him and gives the most profound witness to those he serves.  Love, cherish and sanctify her as well."

 - Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey  

Retreat!

Well, I am heading off to the Saint Francis Springs Prayer Center for five days of solitude in the woods of North Carolina. All candidates for ordination are required to make such a retreat before they are ordained (Canon 1039). I have never been on a silent retreat before, so I am really excited to see what God has to say, if I am only willing to let him get a word in edgewise! I promise to keep you all in my prayer this week and ask you to do the same.


A friend described this center as "Frank Lloyd Wright meets the Adirondacks" From their website and Facebook page, it looks like I will have a wonderful experience. In the "It's a Small World" category, the spiritual director on site next week is from the motherhouse of the Sisters of Christian Charity, located in Mendham, New Jersey - my hometown! Since I am a firm believer that God often uses the pseudonym "Coincidence," who knows what He has in store for me!

Promises, promises....

Since deacons are permitted to preach during Mass, and are official representatives of the Church, Canon Law requires that all candidates for ordination to the diaconate must make a profession of Faith and take an Oath of Fidelity in front of the Local Bishop (or his delegate) prior to ordination. Today, I did just that.

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PROFESSION OF FAITH

I, Joseph Marotta, with firm faith believe and profess each and everything that is contained in the Symbol of faith, namely:

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith, I also believe everything contained in the word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church, either by a solemn judgement or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium, sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed.

I also firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals.

Moreover, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act.

OATH OF FIDELITY

ON ASSUMING AN OFFICE

TO BE EXERCISED IN THE NAME OF THE CHURCH

I, Joseph Marotta, in assuming the office of deacon, promise that in my words and in my actions I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church.

With great care and fidelity I shall carry out the duties incumbent on me toward the Church, both universal and particular, in which, according to the provisions of the law, I have been called to exercise my service.

In fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the Church, I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety; I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it.

I shall follow and foster the common discipline of the entire Church and I shall maintain the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, especially those contained in the Code of Canon Law.

With Christian obedience I shall follow what the Bishops, as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith, declare, or what they, as those who govern the Church, establish. I shall also faithfully assist the diocesan Bishops, so that the apostolic activity, exercised in the name and by mandate of the Church, may be carried out in communion with the Church.

So help me God, and God’s Holy Gospels on which I place my hand.

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It was a pretty major step for me, and as you can tell by its length, we are being asked to promise some pretty serious stuff as we embark on a pretty serious job! But it really hit home when I was given a stack of the following announcements:

So folks, mark your calendars! I sure hope someone remembers to mop the cathedral floor!

Pre-Cana, American Edition

A couple of days ago, Deacon Greg lamented the current state of affairs when it comes to Catholics preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony. I came across this video that I think goes a long way to explaining how we arrived at that state. It is a bit on the long side (nearly 15 minutes), but makes an important point in a funny way.

Simply providing more instruction on the sacrament is not the answer. The problem is much deeper than a lack of knowledge. I think we need to reintroduce nearly an entire Church to the concept of marriage as a vocation. So the question really is, how the heck do we do that?

The Sacred Heart of a Parent

Photo by: Mike Baird

Conspicuously absent from the Ten Commandments is any obligation of parent to child.  We must suppose that God felt it unnecessary to command by law what He had ensured by love.  ~Robert Brault

My family spent the past week at the beach. The weather has been great, and I have enjoyed watching my four children play in the surf and sand. It was not too long ago that Katie and I would not even think of allowing them to go near the water without one of us within arm's reach. As their swimming ability improved, so did our comfort level - first ankle deep, then knees, until now we are able to enjoy the sun on the beach as they frolic in the waves. However, we still find ourselves counting heads every few moments... just to be sure. My guess is that we'll do that forever.

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a feast that calls us to reflect upon the love God has for each of us. The readings proclaimed during Mass today help us in this endeavor. The First Reading - from the Book of Hosea, opens with a reminder that God's love is a parent's love: "When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son...I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks." The intimacy of this passage is quite profound! Our God is no distant deity - his care and concern bring him as close as a parent's affectionate embrace. 

As we grow, we become less and less fond of that embrace. We seek to find our own way, and crave independence. Still, even after our parents relent and allow us to head out on our own, they are usually not far behind - read to pick up the pieces. My kids may think they are on their own in the ocean, but it would only take one big wave to propel Katie and I out of our beach chairs and into the surf. 

And so it is with God. His love for us is not conditioned on our making good choices. He is there for us regardless. Hosea reminds us, "though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer." The Sacred Heart of Jesus is with us whenever we encounter sacrificial love. Whenever we sacrifice for others, we participate in the Sacred Heart. 

As we enter into this Father's Day weekend, I invite us to call to mind all of the sacrifices our fathers made (or continue to make) for us - to provide for our material, emotional and spiritual needs. However expressed, that gift is a constant reminder of the love God has for each of us. No matter how big the wave, there is always a loving arm to keep us safe. 

Joke of the Day

I think having a son named Jack made me giggle all the more at this joke:

Jack's mother ran into the bedroom when she heard him scream and found his two-year old sister pulling his hair. She gently released the little girl's grip and said comfortingly to Jack, "There, there. She didn't mean it. She doesn't know that hurts."

She was barely out of the room when the little girl screamed. Rushing back in, she asked, "What happened?"

"She knows now," Jack replied.

Joke of the Day

Thanks to the Happy Catholic, I came across this site with a few gems, including this one:

A miser had three sons, one of whom became a Dominican, one of whom became a Franciscan, and one of whom became a Jesuit. On his deathbed he called them in and told them that he wanted each of them to place a thousand dollars in his casket to be buried with him.

At the service, the three went up and the Dominican said, "This is a waste of money, Dad, but since you are my father and I owe you your last wishes, I've gotten permission from my Order to fulfill them." And he place a thousand dollars in hundred-dollar bills in the casket.

The Franciscan said, "Dad, it eats me up inside, but there is so much good that could be done with that thousand for people who need it more that I just can't do it: I will not waste it on something so frivolous."

The Jesuit behind him clapped him on the back. "Don't worry, brother, I have you covered." Then he took the Dominican's thousand out of the casket, pocketed it, and replaced it with a check for three thousand dollars.

Prayer of the Week

MY LORD GOD,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

The Annunciation

Today, is the Solemnity of the Annunciation. It is nine months to the day before Christmas. If retailers had any clue about this feast's significance, I am quite certain we would be hearing Christmas carols on the radio and the window displays would be up already!!

Last year, Deacon Greg shared this depiction of The Visitation, painted by John Collier. I think the expression on "Mary's" face is priceless. You can almost hear her say, "Ummm....excuse me?!?!"

I am taking time this lent to read some of my favorite Jesuit authors. This morning, as providence would have it, I came across the following poem by Denise Levertov in A Friendship Like No Other by William Barry, S.J.

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Annunciation
We know the scene: the room, variously furnished,
almost always a lectern, a book; always
the tall lily.
        Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whom she acknowledges, a guest.

But we are told of meek obedience. No one
        mentions
courage.
        The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
                       God waited.

She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.

Aren't there annunciations
of one sort or another
in most lives?
             Some unwillingly
undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.
           More often
those moments
       when roads of light and storm
       open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from
in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.
                  God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.

She had been a child who played, ate, slept
like any other child—but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumph.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.

Called to a destiny more momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
                only asked
a simple, 'How can this be?'
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel's reply,
perceiving instantly
the astounding ministry she was offered:

to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power—
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.
         Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love—

but who was God. 

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And don't forget Canon 1251:

"Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday."

Have a blessed weekend!!

Buon Onomastico!

Growing up, unlike my sister, I never received a St. Patrick's Day card from my Irish grandmother. No, the card I received in the middle of March every year wished me a "Happy St. Joseph's Day". I always thought that was the coolest thing. I had a feast day all to myself! I guess since Jesus' foster-father is actually the patron of the entire Church, that isn't entirely accurate, but a boy can dream, can't he? (Joseph certainly did!)

From the first time I saw it, I have always enjoyed Barocci's painting of the Holy Family. It is called "Rest on the Flight to Egypt" and, although it depicts Joseph taking the Son of God away from Herod's slaughter of the innocents, there is such a serene joy to be found. The smile on his face says it all. Joseph is HAPPY to be a dad!

Here is a little video clip from one of my favorite authors, James Martin, S.J. I have been reading some of his works this Lenten season, and I think he does a great job of painting a portrait of my patron!

Prayer to Saint Joseph for Fathers

Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary,
you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty.
You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands.

Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you.
You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes.
They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them.

You too knew trial, labor and weariness.
But amid the worries of material life, your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother.

Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone.

Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done.

Amen.

-Pope John XXIII

Tolle ... Lege!

A few years ago I wrote about a young woman named Maggie Doyne. She grew up in the same small, wealthy suburb in Northern New Jersey as I. (Albeit nearly a decade later!) When she graduated from high school, she took a different path than the rest of her classmates (nearly all of whom were embarking on four years of parent-funded college education). Instead of studying, she went to Nepal and built an orphanage... using money she earned babysitting to purchase the land! Robert Frost would certainly describe her path as the “one less travelled.” “And that” I am quite certain, “has made all the difference.”

Now, I have never met Maggie, and all I know about her and her work has been gleaned from a couple of newspaper articles and her website (which, by the way, I encourage you to visit). Here is a little snippet:

Kopila Valley Children's Home from maggie doyne on Vimeo.

The lives she and “her” children lead are far from easy, but there is a profound joy is quite evident in their faces.

As I look at the Scripture readings from today and yesterday, a few things strike me.

As we enter into Lent, we ask ourselves, “What will I give up this year?” Isaiah points out, however, that we have to move past the “I.” Instead, we need to look outward: to the oppressed, the hungry, the naked and the homeless. Instead of simply heading off to college, Maggie placed her own education aside and instead devoted her life to the anawim of Nepal. In doing so she has become, in the words of Isaiah, a “Restorer of ruined homesteads.”

Today’s Gospel tells the story of Levi the tax collector. Christ commanded him to “Follow me.” “And leaving all behind, he got up and followed him.” He left one way of life behind, and embarked on a completely different one. Just last week, we heard that after Jesus healed the blind Bartimaeus “he followed [Jesus] on the way.” Unlike Levi, however, Jesus did not order Bartimaeus to follow him; instead he said, “Go your way.” However, after his encounter with Jesus, Bartimaeus’ way was Christ’s way.

Contrast these two stories, for a moment, with a similar one with a very different ending. Not long ago, we heard the story of Jesus and the Rich Young Man. (Luke 18:18-25) This official had done ‘all the right things’: he followed the commandments to the letter and felt quite justified in his life. He wanted to know what he needed to do to earn eternal life. Jesus’ answer was simple: “follow me”. However, in order for the officials’ “way” to be Jesus’ “Way” he first had to “sell all that [he had] and distribute it to the poor.” Well, that was just too much for the man. He was too attached to his old way of life. It was one where he was in control, and he simply had to do the right things.

Letting go. Detaching. Turning away. Once we do that, we are able to start to follow God’s plan, and become one with Christ. Only then will His Way be our way. That’s what Lent is all about. When we focus our efforts on helping others, we naturally turn it away from ourselves. Maggie did, and her life is the richer for it. She is an Icon of the selfless service Christ calls us to offer. In fact, I am quite sure her story is a sacrament of the life offered totally to others.

Tolle ... Lege!

In an attempt to increase the "post tempo" on this blog, I am going to embark on a little project this Lent. In his Confessions, Saint Augustine recounts the story of his conversion to Christianity. He was particularly torn between his licentious life as a teacher of rhetoric and the yearnings he felt to be closer to God. One day, as he struggled to choose, he heard a child’s voice instructing him to “take up and read!” (tolle, lege! in Latin). Believing it was a message from God, he grabbed a nearby copy of Scripture and randomly selected a passage. His eye fell upon Romans 13:13-14:

let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Of course, as we know, the rest is history. As an aside, a professor of mine once commented on how different things might be if he randomly opened to the Song of Songs instead!

In an occasional series, I will attempt to apply this approach in a manner consistent with a quote often attributed to the theologian Karl Barth: “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” I will use the Lectionary Readings for a given day, along with randomly selected newswire sources as my inspiration. Here's hoping that a regular "feature" will encourage me to click "Publish Post" a bit more often.

And, we’ll see where it goes….

Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still...

In the wake of the Haiti Earthquake last January, Diana Macalintal - a colleague of mine from our work with the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, wrote a beautiful prayer. Like a master painter, she used scriptural allusions like so many brushstrokes upon a canvas. Little did she know that a year later, and half a world away, those words would be used to call upon God to comfort those affected by another tragedy.

According to ElesiProductions's (The producer of the video below) YouTube Channel, "The Arch Bishop of Wellington [New Zealand] had sent out a letter to be read out during the liturgy which included a prayer titled "A Prayer After The Earthquake" by Diana Macalintal."

Take a moment (or four) to join your voice in prayer with all those who continue to recover - be it in Haiti, New Zealand, or wherever the "earth refuses to stand still and ... homes no longer exist." Then, take a moment to join with me as I give thanks for people like Diana who give us the words to say when there are no words to say.



A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti

Lord, at times such as this,
when we realize that the ground beneath our feet
is not as solid as we had imagined,
we plead for your mercy.

As the things we have built crumble about us,
we know too well how small we truly are
on this ever-changing, ever-moving,
fragile planet we call home.
Yet you have promised never to forget us.

Do not forget us now.

Today, so many people are afraid.
They wait in fear of the next tremor.
They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.
They roam the streets in shock at what they see.
And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief
and the names of missing dead.

Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.
Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,
and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.

Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.
Console the hearts of those who mourn,
and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.

Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion,
we who watch from afar,
as the poorest on this side of the earth
find only misery upon misery.
Move us to act swiftly this day,
to give generously every day,
to work for justice always,
and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.

And once the shaking has ceased,
the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children
and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.

For though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be tossed to the ground,
your love shall never leave us,
and your promise of peace will never be shaken.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
now and forever. Amen.

Copyright © 2010, Diana Macalintal. Permission is given to reprint for non-commercial use.

A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew...

Quote of the Day

"If we're serious about our responsibility to the church, we must take a restorative approach to help victims and offenders instead of a revenge approach that most always hurts everyone involved."

- Harmon Wray

Quote of the Day

"We have come to know Man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."

- Viktor E. Frankl

Lord, hear our prayer.

A Prayer for Victims of the Earthquake

We mourn the death and destruction, O Lord,
And we pray for those who died in this recent disaster.
May their souls rest in peace.
May their families be comforted.

We pray for the living survivors.
Be with them, Lord, in this traumatic time.
May they experience Your healing,
In their spirits as well as their bodies.

We pray for the communities affected.
May they come together in solidarity
To rebuild and to affirm new life
Amid the ancient stones.

-by Jane Deren

The Feast of Christ the King

Say what you will about liturgical dance, but this will always bring a smile to my face!!!




Although "King of Glory" has fallen out of favor as an Entrance Hymn at mass, I still have memories of many a childhood mass - in a school gymnasium - opening with this song!

M-I-C-K-E-Y .... M-O-U-S-E!

It is four o'clock in the morning, and we are about to board a six o'clock flight to Orlando where we will celebrate the triplets' sixth birthday with our parents siblings Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Pluto!

Although I had been to the Happiest Place on Earth many times before, going with our kids for the first time was a emotional experience. So, as we make our final preparations, I leave you with this reflection from the last time we went:

As a child, my family made the trek to Florida about three or four times. Then, Katie and I made the trip a couple times before we had children. As wonderful, and memorable as all those trips were, they cannot compare with the experience we had when we brought all four children down for their first visit.

It did not even take fireworks to make me tear up! Since we were staying at one of the resorts, we took advantage of the Shuttle Bus service from the airport to the hotel. The bus had little tv's to keep the kids (of all ages)occupied during the trip. Then, as we approached the main gate, the bus driver turned off the monitors.

"Alright folks, here we go! Help me count down.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

I looked over at my six year old son His nose was plastered to the window.

"six, five, four ..."

I thought, how cool to see the excitement in his face.

"three, two, one... WELCOME TO DISNEY WORLD!!!"

I was crying. The joy that I had remembered from my childhood. The magic of those days as a young couple, all the wonderful happy experiences that I associated with Disney World. We were going to be able to share with them as they made those experiences their own.

I could not help but wonder, "Is this how God feels? Is this the kind of joy that he feels when we are able to experience His Kingdom?"

I gave Christopher a huge hug. He looked at me, puzzled, and asked "Why are you crying?" I replied,

"Someday, you will know. Until then, promise me you will never forget this trip."

I know that I never will. I look forward to the day when, nose pressed up on the glass, I will ride into the Heavenly Kingdom and feel the embrace of God.

I just hope that the wait for Space Mountain won't be as long!

"Sometimes I forget to pray. But some days I pray extra if there's nothing good on television."

I came across this interesting story at the Wall Street Journal website. The headline? "In This Picturesque Village, the Rent Hasn't Been Raised Since 1520"

The related article has some great quotes, including the title of this post.