A Weight Lifted

It has been a very busy few weeks for me.  Being in charge of RCIA means that I have many things to do leading up to the Easter Vigil and immediately following it.  Now that almost all of those things are finished, I feel like I have accomplished something and a weight has lifted from my shoulders.  When others are counting on you to ensure that events go smoothly, it can be very stressful.  When there is a lot to do, it can become pretty overwhelming.  I have found over the years that I handle situations like this better when I take things step by step and break down huge tasks into smaller ones.  This probably comes from my background as a special education teacher.  Task analysis was a large part of my job working with students with autism.  What parts of a given task are absolutely essential to its completion?  What parts are not necessary?  What parts are nice to do, but not required?  This has been my approach to all of my responsibilities these last few weeks.

And yes, taking a logical approach to stressful situations helps in dealing with them, but often, I feel like I forget the other important approach:  ask God for help.  God is always there, just waiting for us to come to Him during our times of difficulty.  The irony is that these times are often the same times that it is difficult for us to see that path.

Slow down, take a breath, and be still in the presence of God.  He will show you the way forward.

Easter Joy

My reflection on this Easter Day is about my conversation with a man who happened to be a war veteran in Vietnam.

One day, I received an email from one of our parishioners, who requested spiritual guidance.  He asked me if I could help him in his war trauma.  He has been struggling with his life and with his faith for a long time now; he hasn’t shared his dark past with anyone and it has been eating him up.  He felt that our regular weekly hours of confessions would not allow him to confess all his sins, because he had sinned greatly and seeks desperately for guidance.  It has been over 50 years since his last confession.  After he enumerated all his sins, we both took a deep breath and I told him:  If only God had a voice right now, He would wish to tell you; “Finally you are here, welcome back home.”  When he heard that, he wept bitterly and I could not talk anymore.  I had to wait for him to calm down so that I could continue.  After our long and meaningful conversation, I asked him:  “Why did you weep?”  He told me:  “Father, I just couldn’t imagine how God can still forgive me with all the sins I committed.  I just felt I am loved deeply, a very special way that I could not understand.”  He hugged me tight, eyes filled with tears.  He thanked me and left with a great smile on his face.  Since then, he started going to church every Sunday and prays together with his family.

Every war veteran carries with them the scars of trauma.  Men who are emotionally wounded are not good at expressing their vulnerability because of shame or fear of being branded as weak or effeminate.  This parishioner took over 50 long years before having the courage to confront and speak about his past.

The story also reminds me of Jesus’ parable or the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  This story is quite familiar to us all, but having a conversation with this parishioner, created in me a new and profound experience.  This parable does not focus on the immensity of sin but on God’s boundless mercy for us.  Seeing his joyful eyes reminded me how happy heaven is for his return.  “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10).  It is the boundless mercy of God that heals this broken and troubled man!

Every Easter is a celebration of life.  Life cannot be fully celebrated without God.  The man in my story experienced new life and new light after over 50 years of darkness.  I’m sure wherever he may be at this point in his life, he is now enjoying a peaceful and love-filled life with God and his family.

May you and your loved ones experience that genuine kind of Easter Joy!

More than Just a Building

This week the media has been filled with the shocking news of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.  Many have remarked on the timing – the beginning of Holy Week – and how tragic it is that such a disaster should happen now of all times.  Social media, too, has been flooded with people telling their Notre Dame stories, sharing their sadness, and for some, sharing their confusion over why this is a big deal.

It is a big deal.  And it isn’t.  It is a big deal because Notre Dame is a secular cultural landmark as well as a spiritual one in Paris.  It is a big deal because the building has stood for centuries, and for it to be damaged by a mere accident is shocking.  It is a big deal because of how long it will take to rebuild and restore to its former glory.

But this reality of a long period of restoration should give us consolation as well.  In this 21^st-century world, we are so used to getting things done quickly and instant gratification that we forget that our ancestors spent decades, even centuries, erecting the great cathedrals of Europe.  This tragedy gives us a chance to experience what they did:  the fascination and awe of the process of (re)construction of such a building, to the glory of God.

And especially during this Holy Week and coming Easter Season, it gives us a chance to reflect on the fact that the Church of God, with a capital C, is comprised not of a building, but of the people who worship within that building and others.  French Catholics have demonstrated this amazingly this week, gathering to sing, pray, and yes, mourn, together.

I was very lucky to have a chance to go to Notre Dame in 2001, while on a concert tour with the Madeleine Choir School.  In the wake of Monday’s events, I shared this picture on my personal Facebook page:

It has since gathered over 50 likes and has been shared widely, including by the Cathedral of the Madeleine.  This is about as close to “viral” as I get on social media, but it shows the depth of so many people’s emotions regarding this event.

Stay strong, Paris and Notre Dame.  The prayers of an entire Church are with you.

Experiencing God

An author by the name of Jeanette Bakke said, “We may recognize God’s presence in ways that seem exquisitely gentle or almost ferocious.” These words remind me of Elijah’s story wishing to find and experience God in the midst of persecution. He found God not in the powerful wind, not in the earthquake and certainly not in the fire but in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:1112).

God is always present, that was His promise, that He will never leave His people until the end of time (Mt 28:20). His presence reaches out to everyone who wishes to develop a genuine and loving relationship with Him. One can compare God to air. One cannot see the air, but there is no doubt that it exists, because without air, one will surely die. God is like the air, one can sometimes feel the warmth of His love and sometimes, others would say that He is cold, simply because He did not answer one’s prayers or plea. Whatever maybe the case, God’s presence will always be there for His people, everyday and every time, that is why one of His attributes is omnipresence. This attribute of God means He is always present. He is present in one’s joy, pain, suffering, sickness and even death. How can an individual experience the presence of God? In my opinion, by simply being conscious that He is present.

 I once had a rough week because of many scheduled appointments, chores in the rectory and church, confessions, Masses, spiritual direction sessions, counseling sessions, school work, catechism classes and evening meetings with different organizations. It took a toll on me. I felt dry and exhausted. I couldn’t reflect and prepare well for my homilies. And I was distracted in my prayers. After that week I decided to go to Seal Beach to clear my head. This beach was just a 15 to 20 minute drive from the parish. I intend to pray my Liturgy of the Hours and talk to God at the beach. When I arrived, there were only handful of people present, the sun was about to set and the sound of the waves were so amazing to hear. I felt like the waves invited me to listen to their symphony.

With great awe and wonder, I just sat on the clean sand and simply enjoyed the beautiful moment. I was so absorbed that I didn’t realized that almost an hour had passed. I wasn’t able to say my Liturgy of the Hours, I wasn’t even listening to God to what He was about to tell me at that moment and situation in my life. I just know that God was there, silent beside me. It was a very reassuring moment that He was there to love me.

 I went back to the parish smiling and I didn't even know why I was smiling. I felt energized and I felt peace. I know and I simply believe that I experienced God at the beach.

Sadness to New Life

All of us know what sadness is, because all of us have experienced being sad. We all know the meaning of sadness. The meaning that I am referring to is not the meaning that comes from Wikipedia or from a dictionary, but a meaning that comes from our experience of sadness. There are people who claim that priests or single people are sadder than married people. It is because they associate sadness with being alone.

We all know and experience being sad. It is like looking at your email or facebook and there is no message from a person who is special to you. It is like hearing a phone ringing; expecting a phone call from a friend, and then, it is a different person on the line. It is like leaving the garage, knowing that your friend, your wife, your husband would have to be away for a long, long time. We all know the experience of sadness. And Jesus, being truly human knew what sadness meant as well.

The cure for sadness is not being with friends, the cure for sadness is not marriage. The cure to sadness is “time”. We have to be patient. All of us go through sadness. Sadness is not a dead end that we must avoid. Sadness is a road that all of us have to pass through, because at the end of that road, there is only new life. And only people who are willing to face the troubles, the pains of sadness will be able to discover the beauty and power of life. Those people who are willing to walk in the darkness of the night are the only ones who can see the beauty of the stars.

Indeed, sadness is painful, but it is a beautiful pain because it is pain that leads to life. A woman needs to undergo the pain of childbirth in order to give life. Furthermore, let us look on Jesus, He did not escape sadness. In His agony in the Garden of Olives, He said, “Father if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me.” In His agony on the cross, He also cried out: “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Let us all remember that the Heart of Jesus felt that pain of sadness like we all do. He understands what we are all going through. But the heart of Jesus did not run away or escape from sadness. The Heart of Jesus faced sadness with a great amount of courage; and because of that, all of us now are experiencing new life.

What is the Chrism Mass?

You may have heard mention in the last couple weeks of the Chrism Mass.  You may be wondering, what the Chrism Mass is and why you should care about it. 

In the Diocese of Salt Lake City, the Chrism Mass takes place at the Cathedral on the Thursday before Holy Week.  It is a special Mass during which all the priests of the diocese renew their ordination vows, and all of the holy oils (chrism) are consecrated for use in sacraments throughout the diocese in the coming year.  Three different oils are blessed:  the oil of catechumens, sacred chrism, and the oil of the sick.

Each oil has its own purpose and use.  The oil of catechumens is used in the sacrament of baptism, sacred chrism is used in the sacraments of confirmation and holy orders, and the oil of the sick is used in the sacrament of anointing of the sick and last rites with viaticum.

All are invited to attend the Chrism Mass, which takes place tonight at 7:00 pm at the Cathedral.  Candidates for the sacrament of confirmation, and Elect who are concluding their preparation to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil are especially encouraged to attend.

Life-Changing Moments

Life is full of moments.  This is made all the more obvious to us in today’s culture.  Social media gives us myriad opportunities to share even the most mundane occurrences in our lives using “Stories” on Facebook or Instagram, or through the use of dedicated video clip apps like Snapchat and Tik Tok.  With the proliferation of these services, sometimes it can seem like even small events in our lives become big moments.

It is important for us to take a step back and realize that some events really are bigger than others.  Some are truly life-changing.  Getting a first job (or a dream job), getting married, starting a family, etc. are all bigger, potentially life-changing events. 

Working with the catechumens and candidates in RCIA this year, I have been, and will continue to be, witness to several of these moments in their lives.  This past Sunday, we celebrated the Rite of Sending.  This means that we as the faith community of Saint Ambrose are sending the catechumens and candidates to Bishop Solis to become the Elect.  As the Elect, they will be received into the full communion of the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil.  The Rite of Election will be this Saturday at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

For the catechumens and candidates, this Saturday is one of the bigger moments in their lives.  It is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.  We in the RCIA team are here to support them during this time, but they need the support of the entire community of Saint Ambrose.  Please pray for them this Saturday as they enter the final stages of their process of Christian initiation.