From the Pastor

16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A

July 23, 2017

This week we honor the sister of Mary and Lazarus, Saint Martha, on July 29 – the only one of the three siblings with a feast day on the Roman Catholic calendar. Why does the Church give a date to Saint
Martha, not Mary, who wisely sat at Jesus’ feet, feeding on His every word … or Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead? Let’s reflect on Saint Martha’s
orations to find out – but first …

The Gospels quote Saint
Martha on two occasions: once, when overwhelmed with the household chores when Jesus came for dinner, Saint
Martha told Him to tell her sister Mary to help her, but Jesus said:“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
[Luke 10:41-42] Then, at her brother Lazarus’ tomb she said: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
[John 11:21-22] When Jesus assured her He is the Resurrection and the Life, and the dead will rise again, she professed her faith: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” [John 11:1-53] Her orations are also based on the simple words, “and Martha served” [John 12:2]
while Mary anointed Jesus’ feet at a dinner at their home with the newly raised Lazarus, a week before our Lord’s own death.

Collect – Saint Martha

Almighty ever-living God, whose Son

was pleased to be welcomed in

Saint Martha’s house as a guest, grant,

we pray, that through her intercession, serving Christ faithfully in our brothers and sisters,

we may merit to be received by you

in the halls of heaven.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

STEP ONE: INVITE THE LORD IN! Would Jesus feel like a welcomed guest in our home, school, workplace and every place we visit? Are His words – spoken in the Bible and in Church teaching – heard and echoed in our
own words and deeds? Do we welcome Jesus in the stranger and outcast, the unborn and unwanted, the poor and needy? For if we hope He will welcome us into His home: our true and eternal home in heaven, we must welcome Him now, in every way He is present to us, into our homes and hearts, our minds and plans.

Prayer over the Offerings – Saint Martha

As we proclaim your wonders in Saint Martha,

O Lord, we humbly implore your majesty, that, as her homage of love was pleasing to you,

so, too, our dutiful service may find favor

in your sight. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

STEP TWO: GIVE GOD THE TIME OF DAY. Very few are called to leave the world, enter a monastery, and live out their entire life in contemplative prayer. Most of us, myself included, are called to do all we do for and with God. While there are times, as the next oration shows, that we must rest from our labors and make time for God, we are called to make God a part of everything we do. And so we ask Saint Martha, patron saint of housekeepers and cooks, waiters and waitresses, servants and laborers, to intercede for us … and help us offer all we say and do as a “homage of love.”

Prayer after Communion – Saint Martha

May the holy reception of the Body and Blood

of your Only Begotten Son, O Lord,

turn us away from the cares of this fallen world,

so that, following the example of Saint Martha,

we may grow in sincere love for you on earth

and rejoice to behold you for eternity in heaven.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

STEP THREE: FEED ON CHRIST’S PRESENCE. This oration is so easy to comment on, since -almost verbatim – many indict themselves when they say things like, “I have no time for Mass or church events; there’s sports and shopping, school and work, travel and vacation, etc., etc., etc.” Would Jesus say that such people have, like Saint Martha’s
sister Mary “chosen the better part?”
Daily responsibilities and earthly needs are important; but our greatest source of strength to accomplish all we must do comes from God … through the Sacraments, especially weekly Eucharist. Do we choose the better part at least once a week? Saint Martha, pray for us.

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A

July 16, 2017

We take a break from our saintly reflections to ponder two of the three options for blessing water. [Next year we’ll review the third option, which is reserved for Eastertime.] Why bless water? We bless ‘ordinary’ things like water, sites, images, rooms, etc., to ‘set them aside’ for a ‘holy’ purpose. Last week we looked at the Introduction and Option A for the Blessing of Water; today we consider Option B.

The Blessing of Water – Option B

Almighty Lord and God, who are the source

and origin of all life, whether of body or soul,

we ask you to + bless this water, which we

use in confidence to implore forgiveness

for our sins and to obtain

the protection of your grace against

all illness and every snare of the enemy.

Grant, O Lord, in your mercy, that living waters may always spring up for our salvation,

and so may we approach you with a pure heart

and avoid all danger to body and soul.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Asperges Me.” ‘Vintage’ Catholics and all who attend the Tridentine Mass [commonly called the old Latin Mass] may recall the words “Asperges me” or “Cleanse me” begin the Penitential Act: “Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” [Psalm 51:9]
What is hyssop? It’s a small bush whose many woody twigs make a natural sprinkler. Hyssop was prescribed by the Law of Moses as an instrument for sprinkling sacrificial blood or purified water for cleansing. [C.f. Exodus 12:22; Leviticus 14:4; Numbers 19:18] Although it is a flimsy, short branch, one Gospel specifies that it was used during our Lord’s crucifixion: “So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to [Jesus’] mouth.” [John 19:29]
Since this is physically impossible, what does it mean?

Scripture scholars say Saint John was teaching a highly significant spiritual lesson: that by Christ’s self-sacrifice – by the blood and water that flowed from His side as He hung upon the Cross – we who eat His Body and drink His Blood – and are sprinkled with holy water – are saved!

Of course, our Lord’s “once for all” [Hebrews 10:10]
Sacrifice does not mean we can sit back and relax as if the battle is over! While the war has been won: Christ has conquered sin and death – each person must continually do battle against the forces of evil, the enticements of temptation, and every diversion, distraction, and detour the devil devises to derail us. It is not enough to say “Jesus is Lord … so I’m saved!”
We must do our part by using God’s countless graces. That’s why the Church offers us the Sacraments, which are the main ways we live out our new life in Christ – and the many sacramentals that help us keep God and our Catholic faith ‘front and center’ in our life.

With what sacramentals have you surrounded yourself? A crucifix or cross? A statue or icon? An outside shrine or religious symbol? A prayer table or sacred spot? A holy card or medal in your car? A small holy water container in your home? Every Catholic Church has a holy water ‘font’ from which you can fill up your own container to bring home. Religious good stores sell simple holy water containers … or just use a cleaned out, empty spice jar. Since we are hit from every side by sights and sounds of what can lead us into sin … give God a fighting chance to help you by having reminders of our Catholic faith everywhere you go.

Finally, some technical terms and customs concerning the use of holy water. There are many acceptable ways to carry and sprinkle holy water. What some call a ‘holy water bucket’
is technically an aspersorium
[ass-per-SOAR-e-um] – but ask any Altar Server or most Sacristans for an aspersorium
… and you’ll be left … high and dry; ‘holy water bucket’
works better! We sprinkle holy water with an aspergillum
[ass-per-JILL-e-um] which has many forms. It may be a metal, perforated ball at the end of a short handle; a broom-like stick that gives a good soaking; or a branch from a tree or bush, like hyssop – which I personally prefer as it better symbolizes ‘living waters.’ It is also a proper pious practice to use water from Lourdes, the Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, or another sacred site. Springs of water, bless the Lord!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A

July 9, 2017

We take a break from our saintly reflections to ponder two of the three options for blessing water. [Next year we’ll review the third option, which is reserved for Eastertime.] Why bless water? We bless ‘ordinary’ things like water, sites, images, rooms, etc., to ‘set them aside’ for a ‘holy’ purpose. Consider some of the ways God used water
in biblical times.

God’s Spirit hovered over the primordial waters
of creation, giving them life; the waters
of the great Flood destroyed wickedness and marked a new beginning; both the Red Sea and Jordan River parted so Israel could walk dry-shod through the waters, freeing them from slavery and death; Jesus was baptized in the Jordan; blood and water
flowed from His side as He hung upon the Cross; and the Risen Lord told the disciples to baptize all people with water.

The sacred liturgy ‘makes present’ or ‘re-presents’ the many ways God worked in times past TODAY – here and now – in the signs and symbols of the Sacraments – and in sacramentals like holy water. So we do not merely ‘dip our finger’ in holy water
or get sprinkled by it. Holy water
enables us to touch the very same waters mentioned above … and then some! Here’s how the Priest begins Blessing of Water
at Mass:

The Blessing of Water – Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters, let us humbly

beseech the Lord our God to bless this water

he has created, which will be sprinkled on us

as a memorial of our Baptism.

May he help us by his grace to remain

faithful to the Spirit we have received.

A MEMORIAL OF BAPTISM. Baptism cannot be redone [it is a once-a-lifetime, once-forever experience] but it can be renewed, as we do on Easter in the Renewal of Baptismal Promises. The Church also ‘swamps’ us [pun intended] with a flood [ditto] of reminders of the waters
of Baptism. Vessels of holy water or stoups, affixed near church entranceways – some with flowing water – date back to the earliest centuries; by the 500’s they started becoming more common; some were even reserved for clergy and nobility only! The optional custom of adding blessed salt to holy water may be rooted in Jesus’ words “You are the salt of the earth.” {Matthew 5:13] but probably served a simple purpose: it kept slime and other things from growing in the font or stoup. Here’s the Blessing of Water
Option A:

Blessing of Water – Option A

Almighty ever-living God, who willed that through water, the fountain of life

and the source of purification, even souls

should be cleansed and receive the gift

of eternal life; be pleased, we pray,

to + bless this water, by which we seek protection on this your day, O Lord.

Renew the living spring of your grace within us and grant that by this water we may

be defended from all ills of spirit and body,

and so approach you with hearts made clean

and worthily receive your salvation.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A LIVING SPRING.
As Jesus told the Woman at the Well: “The water I shall give will become in [you] a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” [John 4:14b]
Option A for the Blessing of Water
[which should sound very familiar … for we’ve used it for years for our Eastertime Rite of Sprinkling … with slight adaptation since the water was already blessed at the Easter Vigil Mass] highlights how holy water has the potential, potent power to help us make our faith come alive. Consider some of this oration’s poetic and theological themes.

With holy water: bodies and souls are cleansed and purified; protection is promised or provided; God’s gifts or graces are renewed; the forces of temptation and of evil are repelled or lessened; our minds and hearts are made clean; channels are opened, through which God’s saving power can quench our spiritual thirsts – and whet our appetite for even help from on high. And you just thought you were dipping a finger into – or just getting sprinkling with – a few drops of water! May our better understanding of our Sacraments and sacramentals help us grow in faith! Springs of water, bless the Lord!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A

July 2, 2017

The Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle is July 3 for Roman and Syro-Malabar [India] Eastern Rite Catholics. [The Bible does not say where Saint Thomas preached the Gospel, but tradition says he went to India.] For centuries Saint Thomas
Day
was [and still is for other Churches] December 21, the day he was martyred, in either AD 53 or 72, by Hindu priests or accidentally killed by a peacock hunter, as Marco Polo [circa 1292] reported. In the liturgical reforms of the 1960’s his Feast Day was transferred to July 3, the day when – since the 4^th Century – they celebrated the transfer of most of his relics from India to Edessa, Greece. In 1258, they were brought to Ortona, Italy, to safeguard them from Moslem invaders, and were enshrined on July 3. Some of Saint Thomas’
relics remain in all three places!

While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke only mention Saint Thomas
by name in their listings of the Twelve Apostles, John’s Gospel mentions him more often – and even quotes him three times. I used a part of each of those three quotes as the basis for my reflections on each of his three orations below.

Saint Thomas, Apostle – Collect

Grant, almighty God, that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas, so that

we may always be sustained by his intercession

and, believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord.

Who lives and reigns … for ever and ever. Amen.

“WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY?” These words were spoken by Saint Thomas
at the Last Supper, after our Lord shocked the Apostles with the news He was going to leave them to prepare a place for them. [John 14:1-6]
In response to Saint Thomas’ question, Jesus proclaimed “I am the way, the truth and the life”
by which Jesus gave us Himself as the map to follow that safely leads to the place He has prepared for us. As this Collect says: Saint Thomas
intercedes for us, hoping we will follow the ‘way’ Jesus left us and showed us.

Saint Thomas, Apostle – Prayer over the Offerings

We render you, O Lord, the service that is your due, humbly imploring you to keep safe

your gifts in us, as we honor the confession

of the Apostle Saint Thomas

and offer you a sacrifice of praise.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“MY LORD AND MY GOD!”

A ‘confession’ is not always an admission of guilt or sin; it can also be a formal proclamation of one’s faith. While Saint Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”
led Jesus to bless Peter: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” [Matthew 16:13-19], Saint Thomas’
confession: “My Lord and My God”
led Jesus to bless us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
[John 20:24-29]
Now we must make our confession by offering God … “a sacrifice of praise.’”

This biblical term does not mean we must offer praise until it hurts; in its original context: “Through [Jesus] let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.” [Hebrews 13:15] it means we must offer all we say and do in union with Jesus … as we do in a unique way at holy Mass.

Saint Thomas, Apostle – Prayer after Communion

O God, as we truly receive in this Sacrament

the Body of your Only Begotten Son,

grant, we pray, that we may recognize him

with the Apostle Thomas by faith

as our Lord and our God

and proclaim him by our deeds and by our life.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“LET US GO TO DIE WITH HIM.” While these words, uttered by Saint Thomas
after Jesus told the Apostles He was going to where the soon-to-be raised Lazarus was buried, and where they had recently tried to stone Jesus [John 11:1-16], are not a bitter, depressed, hopeless resignation of impending martyrdom, they are a statement of profound faith: for unless we die with Christ: die to sin, to our own will, and to our own ways, we cannot rise with Christ to new life! Saint Thomas, Apostle, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

The Most Holy Body

and Blood of Christ

June 18, 2017

Today, on this Solemnity of
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, as we give special thanks for the gift of the Eucharist we prepare to honor Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious, whose Feast Day is Wednesday, June 21. Born on March 9, 1568, the eldest son of an Italian nobleman, and baptized Luigi, he was destined for military service, but from an early age desired the religious life. Saint Charles Borromeo
gave him First Holy Communion; against his father’s wishes, he entered the Jesuit novitiate, and served in a hospital in Milan during an outbreak of the plague, which he contracted. He received what was then called “Last Rites” from Saint Robert Bellarmine, and died at the age of 23 on June 21, 1591.

Here are excerpts from the Office of Readings for his feast day: a deathbed letter to his mother in which he expresses his childlike faith and profound hope: “… Dearest mother, … God … is showing me the path to true happiness … [and] is calling me to eternal rest … [do] not insult God … [by mourning] as dead one living face to face with God, one whose prayers can bring you in your troubles more powerful aid than they ever could on earth. … our parting will not be for long; we shall see each other again in heaven. … when God takes away what he once lent us, his purpose is to store our treasure elsewhere more safely and bestow on us those very blessings that we ourselves would most choose to have … I write all this with the one desire that you and all my family may consider my departure a joy and favor and that you especially may speed with a mother’s blessing my passage across the waters till I reach the shore to which all hopes belong.”

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious – Collect

O God, giver of heavenly gifts, who in

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga joined penitence

to a wonderful innocence of life,

grant, through his merits and intercession,

that, though we have failed to follow him in innocence, we may imitate him in penitence.

Through our Lord Jesus … ever and ever. Amen.

“IF YOU’RE NOT INNOCENT, BE PENITENT!” Some say Saint Aloysius’ self-imposed penances and disciplines were too severe, and he neither looked at nor conversed with women to avoid possible temptation. Even his spiritual director ‘ordered’ him to break his fasts and spend less time in prayer! But haven’t we – who may never have even heard of ‘custody of the eyes’ [i.e., looking away from what attracts us], who deny ourselves nothing, constantly seek pleasure and the ‘easy way out’ – haven’t we gone to the other extreme? As his Collect suggests: “we have failed to follow him in innocence” must do something to “imitate him in penitence.”

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – Prayer over the Offerings

Grant us, O Lord,

that by the example of Saint Aloysius,

we may take our place at the heavenly banquet,

clothed always in our wedding garment,

so that, by participation in this mystery,

we may possess the riches of your grace.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CLOTHED IN OUR WEDDING GARMENT.
The rich biblical image of being clothed in one’s wedding garment is a ‘veiled’ reference [pun intended!] to our baptismal gown. The white alb worn by clergy under their vestments and others, like Altar Servers, is rooted in the Book of Revelation’s image of heaven. All the Saints wear robes made white by washing them in the blood of the Lamb. And those who have soiled their garments by sinning can rewash them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession.

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – Prayer after Communion

Bring us, who have been fed with the food of Angels, O Lord, to serve you in purity of life,

and, following the example of Saint Aloysius,

whom we honor today,

may we persevere in constant thanksgiving.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

HELP FROM ON HIGH. To fight against sin and remain pure we have the Eucharist, the other Sacraments, and this patron saint of teenagers and of all who struggle to avoid sin. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

12^th Sunday in

Ordinary Time – A

June 25, 2017

On June 28,
we honor Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr; we have no proof he was martyred, but he surely suffered for the Faith. We know little of his early life except that he was born in the first half of the 2^nd Century, but we do know he knew and heard a disciple of Saint John the Apostle: Saint Polycarp, who died in 155, which makes Saint Irenaeus
a 3^rd generation Christian and one of the last who knew those who knew the Apostles. In 177 his Bishop sent him as his envoy to Rome, during which his home diocese of Lyons, France, was decimated by violent persecutors. His orations attest that he simply served the Lord by helping the Church overcome internal strife and potential schisms.

Ironically, Saint Irenaeus
has no symbol, but he was the first to use the Old Testament prophecy of the Four Living Creatures
[Ezekiel 1:4-10] to represent the four Evangelists. He saw the ‘Man’
as Matthew, who highlights Christ’s incarnation and humanity; the ‘Lion’
as Mark, who shows Christ the King as the Lion of Judah; the ‘Ox’
as Luke
who often references the priestly sacrifices of old; and the ‘Eagle’
as John, whose Gospel soars to the heights and enables us to peer into divine light without going blind, just as eagles can look at the sun without going blind. Here are the orations for Saint Irenaeus, whose Latinized Greek name means ‘peaceful’
and from which we get the more common feminine name ‘Irene.’

Saint Irenaeus, Bishop & Martyr – Collect

O God, who called the Bishop Saint Irenaeus to confirm true doctrine and the peace of the Church, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, being renewed

in faith and charity, we may always

be intent on fostering unity and concord.

Through our Lord Jesus … ever and ever. Amen.

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. By Saint Irenaeus’ time [130-202] the Church was already struggling with many issues: was Jesus just a man, just God, or both? [You’d better know the answer is both!] Church order was also a hot topic; a dispute over whether all must celebrate Easter on the same day even led Pope Victor to excommunicate Eastern Churches that set Holy Thursday on the night of the full moon, as Jews still set the date of Passover, which put Easter on any day of the week! Saint Irenaeus
got the Pope to lift the ban, restoring Church unity. Do you know what’s ‘optional’ or ‘non-negotiable?’

Saint Irenaeus – Prayer over the Offerings

May the sacrifice we offer you with joy

on the heavenly birthday of Saint Irenaeus

bring you glory, O Lord, and instill in us

a love of the truth, so that we may keep the Church’s faith inviolate and her unity secure.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

INVIOLATE FAITH AND SECURE UNITY.
Saint Irenaeus also contended with the heretical Gnostics, who said they had ‘special knowledge’ about Jesus from ‘secret sources’ unknown to the Apostles. The ‘Da Vinci Code’ and other silly, supposedly ‘true stories,’ are rooted in Gnosticism. But as Saint Irenaeus
taught, orthodox Catholic dogma is passed on by those who can trace their ordination ‘lineage’ and dogma back to the Apostles. This ‘apostolic succession’ is still required of valid Bishops.

Saint Irenaeus – Prayer after Communion

Through these sacred mysteries, we pray,

O Lord, give us in your compassion an increase of that faith which brought glory to the

Bishop Saint Irenaeus as he maintained it even until death, and may the same faith bring to us, who truly follow it, justification in your sight.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ONE AND THE SAME GOD IS IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.
Another ‘hot heresy’ Saint Irenaeus
discredited was Marcionism which taught that the Old and New Testaments are about two different Gods! So in his teachings, Saint Irenaeus
stressed how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy. He was also the first to ‘document’ the New Testament by quoting from all
four
Gospels and nearly
every
Epistle or Letter. So the Scriptures we proclaim and study today have been in ‘print’ [or on ‘parchment!’] for more than 1,800 years! Saint Irenaeus, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

Pentecost Sunday

June 4, 2017

Last Day of

Eastertime

Eastertime reaches its grand conclusion on Pentecost. As the Bible notes, the Twelve Apostles [Saint Matthias was already selected to replace the betrayer, Judas] and our Blessed Mother received the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Filled with the energic power of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit, the Infant Church took her first steps into the waiting world, and the Church ‘went public.’

The following orations are NOT used at Masses on Pentecost
or its vigil, but they help us better understand and ‘live’ Pentecost
and our responsibility to continue what those who celebrated their ‘Confirmation’ [as we now call it] did 2,000 years ago. The orations come from one of the three sets of ‘Votive Masses for The Holy Spirit’ and may be used at so called ‘Red Masses’
that honor judges or lawyers, and for Masses at the beginning of the school year.

The Holy Spirit – A – Collect

O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise

and ever rejoice in his consolation.

Through our Lord Jesus … ever and ever.
Amen.

The Holy Spirit – A – Prayer over the Offerings

Sanctify, we pray, O Lord, the offerings

made here, and cleanse our hearts

by the light of the Holy Spirit.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE HOLY SPIRIT: A GIFT FOR THE HEART.
In a way, we could say all three orations truly get to the ‘heart of the matter.’ For all three highlight the Holy Spirit’s ability to change human hearts. While we ‘see’ our ‘mind’ as the ‘source’ and ‘center’ of our hopes and dreams, the Bible ‘sees’ our ‘heart’ as the pivotal place that determines all we say and do. And while we say we must use our ‘mind’ to get things done, nothing happens until we put our ‘heart’ in to it!

The Collect says the Holy Spirit
teaches us by imbuing our heart with God’s sevenfold gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Lord. The Prayer over the Offerings says the Holy Spirit ‘cleanses‘ or purifies our heart, transforming it into a vessel through which God can work in our world. With our hearts thus ‘taught’ and ‘cleansed,’ God will – and can – “renew the face of the earth” [Psalm 104:30] – through us!

The Holy Spirit – A – Prayer after Communion

May the outpouring of the Holy Spirit cleanse our hearts, O Lord, and make them fruitful

by the inner sprinkling of his dew.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“LIKE THE DEWFALL.” In the desert, water is very scarce; rare rain or snowstorms bring much needed water, but the little water such parched lands receive mysteriously ‘falls’ as dew. Unlike falling rain or snow, falling dew is invisible and undetectable; no one sees the actual ‘dewfall’ – but we do see – and feel – its results. This makes ‘dewfall’ the perfect ‘image’ for the Holy Spirit, whom we cannot ‘see’ – but whose presence and action we can ‘see’ and ‘feel.’

The Bible uses the term ‘dewfall’ in describing how God fed Israel on her 40-year desert journey to the Promised Land: each morning, when the dew evaporated, the dew flakes were collected and kneaded into ‘manna’ or ‘bread from heaven.’ [See Exodus 15:4-15] The Bible also uses the dew that wets the ground every morning as a sign of God’s faithfulness, forgiveness and mercy: Lamentations 3:22-24; Isaiah 45:8; Proverbs 3:20; and Hosea 14:6.

No wonder the revised Roman Missal translation restored what was omitted from the original Latin text in the former Sacramentary. Where we once heard, “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy…”
we now hear “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall.” [Eucharistic Prayer II]
Hopefully the more we learn the reasons for what was changed, and the Church’s intent in the words she uses to hand on these sacred mysteries, the more we will appreciate, with wonder and awe, the spiritual gifts that have been entrusted to us. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love.

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

7^th Sunday of Easter

May 28, 2017

Memorial Day Weekend

We take a break from our saintly reflections to honor all who offered their life in service to their country by reflecting on the Mass prayers or orations that are entitled: “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice.”

In a perfect world, we’d need not lock, monitor, or alarm our homes and businesses, schools and places of worship. In a perfect world, walls and fences, laws protecting the vulnerable or defenseless, and armies would be superfluous. In a perfect world, no one would have to risk or give their own life – or harm or end the life of another – to combat terrorism or hate, injustice or abuse. But we do not live in a perfect world. So we need a day to prayerfully remember those who, like the Lord Jesus, gave their life for the protection of others. Here are the orations that may be used at Masses on Memorial Day.

For the Preservation of Peace and Justice – Collect

O God, who have revealed that peacemakers are to be called your children, grant, we pray, that we

may work without ceasing to establish that justice

which alone ensures true and lasting peace.

Through our Lord Jesus … for ever and ever. Amen.

Or:

O God, who show a father’s care for all, grant, in your mercy, that the members of the human race,

to whom you have given a single origin,

may form in peace a single family

and always be united by a fraternal spirit.

Through our Lord Jesus … for ever and ever. Amen.

ONE FAMILY AROUND ONE TABLE FOR ONE HOLY MEAL.
In the highpoint of God’s plan for the salvation of the human race, Jesus sat at table with His Apostles at the Last Supper and offered His own Body and Blood as our food and drink. This holy meal helps forge the unity of God’s family around His table. For through the Eucharist we can become what we receive – and can be strengthened by Him whom we receive. Until we make and keep God and His blessings the center of our life: personally; as a Country; and as citizens of earth, our efforts to be one people – and to live in peace and harmony with one another – will be hindered – if not doomed – from the start.

For the Preservation of Peace and Justice – Offerings

May the saving sacrifice of your Son,

the King of peace, offered under sacramental signs that signify peace and unity,

strengthen, we pray, O Lord,

concord among all your children.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

WITH GOD AS OUR FATHER … WE ARE FAMILY.
These words, taken from the hymn ‘Let There Be Peace On Earth,’
hold the key to the peace and justice for which we so fervently pray. For only if we are united under, loyal to, and striving to imitate Christ, our King of Peace, will there ever be “concord among all [God’s] children.” Some consider the last words of that hymn heretical, “… and let it begin with me.”-
For God, and God alone, is the source of all grace and blessing. However, through Baptism we become God’s children; receiving Eucharist can make us another Christ; in Confirmation we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. So with all this Sacramental grace, it is God, living and active within us, who makes it possible for peace “to begin with me.”

For the Preservation of Peace and Justice – Communion

Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the spirit of charity, so that, sustained by the Body and Blood of your Only Begotten Son, we may

be effective in nurturing among all

the peace that he has left us.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

WE HAVE LOTS OF LOVING WORK TO DO! The revised orations use the word ‘charity’ for ‘love’
– which is a profoundly expressive form of love. Charity is love
in
action. Until we allow the love with which Christ suffered and died for us to be the
main motivating factor in all our dealings with one another, our hopes and prayers for peace will be dashed by our desire for revenge – and even restitution. For as Jesus said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” [John 15:13]
This is the kind of charity our world desperately needs; this is the kind of love we celebrate in the dead we honor on Memorial Day Weekend. May they rest in peace. Amen.

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

6^th Sunday of Easter

May 21, 2017

What are the chances that a fun-loving, joke-telling prankster would become a Catholic Priest? [I think you know the answer!] But could that same boy, after teaching as a layman for years, and as a Priest for 44 years, known for his comical, light-hearted, laugh-producing homilies and advice – even in Confession – attain Sainthood? Yes! It’s the story of Saint Philip Neri
… and, I hope, at least one other Priest … someday!

Born in Florence, Italy, on July 21, 1515, Saint Philip Neri
was ordained a Priest on May 23, 1551 at age 36. He founded an Oratory or group of Priests and Laity who live, pray and minister as a community, combining the charisms of Diocesan Priests and Religious Order Priests. Ever merry and cheerful, Saint Philip Neri was also quite sickly, yet lived to be 80, dying on May 26, 1595, and was canonized in 1622. Here are Saint Philip Neri’s orations.

Saint Philip Neri, Priest – Collect

O God, who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself, graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire with which he wonderfully filled the heart of Saint Philip Neri. Through our Lord Jesus … and ever. Amen.

IDLE HANDS ARE THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP.
The world in which Saint Philip Neri
ministered was similar to ours: immorality and indecency was rampant; political groups and even Church leaders were corrupt and self-seeking; disease and wars, international turmoil and worldwide poverty plagued every land and nation. However, despite all the negatives, Saint Philip Neri remained positive. Always joyfully upbeat, he offered simple, practical ways to combat evil influences. For example, to keep ‘the boys’ [and ‘girls’] out of trouble during Carnivale [aka Mardi Gras], he promoted healthy, sinless alternative activities, such as recreational games and sports, trips and communal service projects, so ‘kids’ could expend their energies on good, not evil. Today’s youth groups and teen ministry groups, which seek to do the same, need your support – and membership from our own young people.

Saint Philip Neri, Priest – Prayer over the Offerings

As we offer you the sacrifice of praise, O Lord,

we ask that by the example of Saint Philip

we may always give ourselves cheerfully

for the glory of your name

and the service of our neighbor.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A HOLY ‘CHEERFUL’ COMEDIAN.
One of the best medicines is to get people to laugh at their own quirks and weaknesses. Like Saint John Vianney, Saint Philip Neri
excelled in hearing confessions and counseling sinners. But when a boastful, pride-filled Priest bragged about a ‘home run’ homily he preached, Saint Philip Neri
had him give it – as a penance – seven more times – verbatim – so people would think it was his ONLY homily! Imagine if we corrected each other – and ourselves – in such witting ways!

Saint Philip Neri, Priest – Prayer after Communion

Having fed upon these heavenly delights,

we pray, O Lord, that in imitation of Saint Philip

we may always long for that food

by which we truly live.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE BREAD OF LIFE: A HEAVENLY DELIGHT. Knowing that God’s graces do not happen by magic, but that ‘grace builds on nature,’ meaning we must set the stage for God to help us, Saint Philip Neri made the Lord’s Real Presence in the Eucharist the center of his life. He celebrated Mass; he often received Eucharist; and he spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer, communing with the Lord of Laughter. For when Jesus was challenged for not paying the Temple tax, citing that the Son of the King is exempt from paying the tax, he sent Peter fishing with these directions: “go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” [Matthew 17:27]
And some say Jesus has no sense of humor! Saint Philip Neri, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

5^th Sunday

of Easter

May 14, 2017

May 14 is normally the Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, but the 5^th Sunday of Easter takes precedence. Little is known about this 13^th Apostle, who took the place of the betraying Judas, who hanged himself. However, the decision and method by which he was chosen to restore the Apostolic College, as it is called, to 12, is a key moment in Church history. His orations recall this lesson and its importance.

Saint Matthias, Apostle – Collect

O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place

in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love

has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect.

Through our Lord Jesus … and ever. Amen.

CHOOSING NEW BISHOPS.
To prepare for the promised Paraclete, the Advocate, Consoler
or Helper
Jesus would send – aka the Holy Spirit – Saint Peter
was inspired to restore the number of Apostles to 12. For Jesus said: “Go first to the lost sheep of Israel” [Matthew 10:6]
Saint Peter, recalling this prophecy: “Let another take his place” [Psalm 109:8]
sought ‘nominees’ for Judas’ place. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostles to move beyond our Jewish roots; first on ‘the menu’ to go was kosher dietary laws; next they ‘cut out’ circumcision – but before
Pentecost, their goal was replicating the 12 Tribes of Israel
by having the 12 Apostles
for the ‘New Israel’
as the Church is called.

So as Acts of the Apostles 11:12-26 recounts, two men, Joseph called Barsabbas, aka Justus, and Matthias
were ‘nominated;’ then, after prayer, the Apostles
drew lots [a common biblical practice for letting God choose] to select Judas’ replacement. Hence, one of Saint Matthias’
symbols is a pair of dice; he’s the unofficial patron of gamblers. To this day, new Bishops are chosen in a similar way, but Popes do NOT shoot craps!

Briefly, when a new Bishop is needed, all the Bishops
in that area [Diocese or Province], the Pope’s personal representative to that country [the Apostolic Nuncio] and the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops [a committee of about 35 Cardinals and Archbishops
‘nominate’ Priests for the Pope’s consideration. After confidential inquiry from the Faithful, and the candidate’s acceptance, Saint Peter’s
successor, the Pope, appoints new Bishops: a 2,000 year old process!

Saint Matthias, Apostle – Prayer over the Offerings

Receive, O Lord, the offerings of your Church,

reverently presented for the

Feast of Saint Matthias, and through them

strengthen us by the power of your grace.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A WITNESS OF THE RESURRECTION. The main criteria Saint Peter
used for the new Apostle
was that he had to have been in their company from Christ’s Baptism by Saint John the Baptist
until the Ascension. In time, this criteria was no longer possible, as eyewitnesses began to die off. So a new criteria is now sought: a potential Bishop, by his words and deeds, must ‘give witness’ to the power of Christ’s Resurrection in his own life. Would we ‘fit the bill’ by the way we speak and act?

Saint Matthias’
greatest ‘act of witness’ – after faithfully proclaiming the Gospel and willingly suffering persecution – was his martyrdom. It is assumed he was beheaded around AD 80, and he is usually depicted with the instrument of his death: a sword.

Saint Matthias, Apostle – Prayer after Communion

Never cease, O Lord, we pray, to fill your family with divine gifts, and, through blessed

Matthias’ intercession for us, graciously admit

us to a share in the lot of the Saints in light.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A HEAVENLY HELPER.
Saint Matthias the Apostle is a patron saint of alcoholics, carpenters, tailors, people who need hope and perseverance as they struggle with any kind of addiction and their caregivers. Pious legend says his main theme was how – only with the help of the Holy Spirit – can we exercise self-control over unhealthy physical desires and experience good health in both body and soul. Saint Matthias, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS