This isn’t the typical “we’re gearing up for another year of ministry” article! It may seem that we are gearing up, because a lot of activity in Southern Arizona does take a break. So much of life in the desert seems to come to a close when summer comes around. Traffic lightens up; check-out lines don’t seem to be as long. School zones disappear from morning commutes. It is possible to drive through neighborhoods near the college campuses like the University of Arizona without stopping as often, or for as long. Temperatures rise, to be sure, but the everyday hassles seem to lessen.
Those who looked beneath that slowed pace found that life continued. No one knows this more than the good people who worked in parishes. Sacristans still prepared for the liturgy. Lectors still proclaimed the Word of God. Eucharistic ministers still assisted the presiders at liturgies. Ministers to the homebound still brought the Eucharist to those who could not be present with the community at our worship. Funeral lunches were prepared and served to comfort families and friends. St. Vincent de Paul volunteers still helped those who were hungry. Hunger certainly does not pay attention to the calendar. Casa Maria, the Poverello House, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic, and other sources of relief can attest to that.
So even while the streets seemed a little emptier, ministry continued. Lay women and men, deacons, sisters, priests, God’s people continued through the summer heat to look into each others’ eyes and see the face of Christ. In ministry they acted as the Body of Christ, caring for the Body of Christ. What hope springs from these many acts of faith and love!
And yet as Fall comes closer the tempo of parish life will increase as all of the programs switch into high gear. If we are not careful, our ministry can become just another program. The program may be very good, and some people may benefit from it. But we need to remember always that the heart of our ministry is Jesus Christ. We serve one another in Christ. We share faith, hope, and love of Christ in one another and for one another. In the day to day workings of parish life we can sometimes forget why we do what we do; we forget who it is that we serve. We serve one another; we serve Christ in one another. That is why we serve, and it is also how we have the strength and the fortitude to serve. So, let’s be good to one another, we minister to, we are the Body of Christ!
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( 3.1 / 14 )By REBECCA PINA-CAMMAROTA
The Jordan Ministry Team is celebrating 10 years of Catholic education and spiritual formation for adults in the Diocese of Tucson with a fundraising gala on Nov. 19.
With the support of Society of the Divine Savior and Sisters of the Divine Savior, and our diocese, JMT has been able to provide workshops that lead to certification for catechists and Catholic school teachers, and others in leadership positions.
JMT also offers retreats for parishes and faith groups as well as liturgical ministry formation and sacrament preparation. Every program is tailored to meet the needs of the particular parish or community.
The gala evening will be a premier of Father Joe Rodrigues’ new Christmas CD titled “Spirit of Christmas,” which is also the theme of the fundraiser. This event, at Skyline Country Club, will include dinner, inspirational live music, dancing, fellowship and fun.
We have invited Bishop Kicanas, who has put this event on his calendar.
Advance tickets are available for $60 until Oct. 15 and after that for $75. To purchase tickets, call 520-623-2563 or visit www.jordanministry.org.
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( 2.6 / 24 )By Sister Jane Eschweiler, S.D.S.
The other day I was recalling some significant moments during a retreat I facilitated for Catholic women in Sierra Vista. The rhythm of the day included short times of input, group and individual reflection time, experiences of various forms of prayer, and one morning period of silent prayer. The participants chose several locations to spend their alone time. I sat with those assembled in the dining room, where they faced their chairs outward, toward the bright windows, taking in the warmth of both the Son and the sun. I sensed a deep communion – each of us with our God and all of us with each of us-- by the very presence of this shared silence. It was a profound time, and it didn’t take us long to reach that place.
Savoring the memory of those moments set me thinking about silence—that sacred pause which is neither interruption nor distraction, but a time for restoring balance and retrieving energy. During those pauses, no matter their length, we savor the gift of the absence of activity in favor of stillness.
Psychologists say when we reach mid-life we become more thirsty for these moments, more desirous of the kind of time-outs that result in wiser decisions and kinder words. How many times have we acted compulsively or made hasty remarks that hurt those we love because we failed to take a sacred pause? How many times did our early afternoon fatigue persist because we didn’t choose to take a restorative breath before engaging in our afternoon tasks and appointments?
For some mystics and saints, sacred pauses became a lifestyle. Communing with God became more essential than frenetic activity. For us, ordinary mystics whose days can be frantic with busyness, the same communion can result if we will choose even momentary silence:
We’re stopped at a red light. Some drivers around us are furious and impatient. Can we still ourselves in that space, refreshing instead of resenting?
We’re waiting in line to pay at the grocery store or gas station. We could be fuming at the inconvenience. Can we instead pause to become grateful for the nourishment and mobility we are about to receive?
We’re sitting in a crowded medical office. Can we pause to appreciate whatever degree of health we enjoy, rather than grab a magazine and glut ourselves with Hollywood images or glitzy advertisements?
We arrive at church early for Sunday liturgy. Do we survey the brochure rack or read the parish bulletin while we wait, or do we sit, grateful for the quiet reflection time before Mass starts?
Friendship and good liturgical celebration are better with sacred pauses. If we trust and love someone, we can enjoy a shared silence. The rhythm of our Mass is intentional: action/pause/action/pause. Its rich words and music have to be savored to take lasting root in our hearts.
Sanity and sanctity are both desirable for Catholics, however we define these. Sacred pauses help us toward both of these. As summer approaches, let’s take advantage of the change of pace to choose more frequent and enjoyable silent communing. We’ll become the kinder, gentler people we long to be, and others wish we were!
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( 2.9 / 47 )By Fr. Joe Rodrigues
Can you imagine living a dedicated life
as an apostle and missionary of Christ and
people only remember you for being a
doubter? Do you blame Thomas’ reaction?
All he is asking for is a sign to prove to him
what seemed impossible. Would we be any
different? I know I would have reacted the
same and I am not skeptical by nature. The
other apostles probably came down hard
on him for not believing, but hey, those
are the same apostles that didn’t believe
the women when they returned from the
empty tomb.
We tend to associate doubt with the
weak and spineless as if it were a character
flaw. It is important for us to see that
even though Thomas doubted, he still can
be seen as a model apostle for us today for
many reasons.
Alfred Tennyson said: “There is more
faith in honest doubt, than in half the
creeds.” He said this because he, with many
people of his day, struggled with his faith.
There were so many scientific advancements,
discoveries, and new insights
being gained regarding the bible, history,
psychology and theology which challenged
their long-standing beliefs. Not
unlike us today.
We can become very uncomfortable by
“honest doubt.” There is something deep
inside us that desires to be sure about everything.
And if someone suggests another
way of looking at it, we panic. We feel that
our faith is threatened. It happens in our
families often. Sometimes a son or daughter
or spouse may have challenging questions
about our faith tradition. They may
question beliefs during their own struggles
to believe. We then sound the alarm
asking, “How could a child of mine question
our faith?”
Even when we find ourselves doubting at
times of crisis, we tend to feel guilty about
even raising the questions that rock our
own belief system. In our heads we hear,
“But isn’t that the way it has always been?”
That is not necessarily true, if at all.
In that respect, Thomas serves to remind
us that the darkness of unbelief is natural,
even for people who walked with Jesus. In
fact, this doubt is actually calling us into a
deeper insight into our faith. It can move us
from a point of naïveté to maturity with a
new sense of responsibility and conviction
that comes from the inner wisdom of the
heart. It may lead us into a more grounded
understanding of who God is in our lives
and our relationship to God. A God we
came to see who is compassionate even in
our doubt, just as Jesus was to Thomas.
Faith is a process. As the disciples in
Jesus’ day, we may be at a point in our faith
lives that we have locked the door to our
heart (“credo” which means of the heart)
because we are afraid or have become cynical.
The Gospel of John reveals to us that
no barrier or shield against hurt, change, or
revelation are obstacles to our risen Savior.
Christ will seek us out.
Rest assured that Jesus’ undying love will
continue even today to enter the “upper
room of our soul” until we are ready to
respond. For parents who struggle with
the pain of seeing their children doubt the
faith they have nurtured within them, it is
important not to be too preoccupied and
distraught. It can be more an act of faith
on our part to simply to be loving, compassionate
and understanding as they seek to
deepen their own relationship with God,
wherever it leads. Here we must trust what
we have shared, and through prayer, our
God in mysterious ways will reveal Godself
in God’s time, not ours. The question is not,
“What did I do wrong?” The statement is,
“I did everything I could and I leave the
rest to God.”
Unfortunately we forget two important
things about Thomas, the doubter. It
was Thomas who rallied the apostles with
courage to follow Jesus to Judea, “that we
may die with him,” and he makes the most
complete affirmation of Christ’s nature,
“My Lord and my God!” Nowhere in John’s
Gospel does anyone utter such a statement
of faith. Go figure.
I once heard it said that “faith is the
capacity to bear your doubts, to deal with
your uncertainties, and to believe firmly
enough to live with your questions. Without
such questions, there is no faith!” So
let us pray and unabashedly profess, “Lord,
I believe! Help my unbelief!” And Jesus
said to them, “Peace be with you!”
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( 2.9 / 83 )By Peggy Guerrero
There’ no time like the present, Alleluia! Alleluia!
“We remember how you loved us to your death. And still we celebrate for You are with us here. And we believe that we will see you when you come in your glory, Lord.
We remember, we celebrate, we believe!”
This song composed by Marty Haugen is profoundly suitable for our Easter season. All it needs are several “Alleluias!” at the end. He is able to capture in those four lines what it is we celebrate not only during this Easter Season, but at every Eucharist.
We Catholics have an unusual way with words. We say that we “celebrate” Holy Week. We walk with Jesus through his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We remember and do as he told us to by sharing the bread of life and the cup of salvation. We watch with him in the garden, we walk with him along the road to Calvary. We stand by the cross with Mary. We lay him tenderly and sorrowfully in the tomb. And we wait.
The remembering is so much more than recalling to mind. Our community remembering allows God to break into the present moment, to be fully present to us in the sacramental bread and wine, which becomes Jesus’ own body and blood. The faith of God’s people, cooperating with God’s Holy Spirit, brings the past to us in the present. Bread is more than bread. Wine is more than wine. We are more than individuals gathered in a building. We are the Body of Christ.
And there is more! Just as our remembering is more than simply recalling the events of the past, we look to the future with more than faint hope. Even as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we live and move and place our whole being in the conviction that we too are called into eternal life. Celebrating the Eucharist brings together our past, our present, and our future. So, just as our remembering is more than simple recall, our waiting is more than biding our time. We don’t just wait; we wait in hope for the coming of the Kingdom of God, building even as we wait. No wonder this is the season of Alleluia!
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