I am going to do something a bit different with the Pondering during Lent. For Lent, the Pondering will be on the following Sunday’s gospel. This will cause a bit of a problem when we get to Palm Sunday, but fear not, on that day I will ponder about the coming liturgies of Holy Week. It is my hope that this format will help all of us pay more attention to Scripture during Lent.
Next Sunday, the Second Sunday of Lent, the gospel is Mark’s account of the Transfiguration. It invites us to reflect on two aspects of our faith.
The first aspect of our faith is those peak moments when all the pieces fit together; when God seems very real and very present to us; times when the demands of our faith are not demands at all, but rather love responses. We all know the difference between a Sunday liturgy that is endured and one that is joyfully celebrated. We know the difference but often it is difficult to predict which kind of celebration we are going to have. There are times when I am confident that my homily will be very effective, but it is not. There are other times when I am very uncertain about the effect of a homily only to find out that people were very moved by it. It is all part of the mystery of our faith experience. Fortunately, we have all experienced moments when our faith is very focused and all seems right with the world. We need to cling to those memories to get through our less satisfying experiences of both God and our faith.
The second aspect of our faith is revealed when Peter says, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us set up three tents. One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter wants to make the mountain experience permanent. Jesus quietly vetoes that idea. They have to come down off the mountain. They have to get back to reality. We cannot capture God in a bottle. The experience needs to live on in their hearts and help them through other less satisfying experiences. Too often in our faith life we want to follow Peter’s example. We keep repeating the same prayers because once they worked. We want the same songs, the same prayers and the same thoughts. We get to thinking they worked once and they will again. Maybe yes, maybe no. One of the greatest challenges of a vibrant faith is to be open to new experiences. This is where ritual plays an important role. Ritual provides us with a set structure so that new doors and new windows can open and reveal a new facet to our experience of the Almighty.
During the coming week why not call forth from memory one or two strong faith experiences. Thank God for them and dare to ask, “OK God where do you want me to go now?”
Friday, February 27, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
When the Cat’s away…
When our CAT is away, both Fr. Matt and I take care of the Cat’s responsibilities! Matt takes care of any of the sacramental duties, such as daily and weekend liturgy and Anointing of the Sick, if called. I take care of the other pastoral duties of the parish as well as consult with administrative needs. Our normal Monday mornings begin with Joe and me meeting with the Parish Manager and Assistant Manager to go over the week’s obligations. It is from this meeting today with them that I Ponder………..
Did you ever wonder what Beth Hogan and Christine Quigley encounter in the course of the “normal daily routine?” Christine creates the weekly bulletin, which follows a deadline, as well as answers endless phone calls. Christine is the face of the parish, who greets people as they enter the Rectory Office door; she makes counseling appointments, registers new parishioners, schedules mass intentions, and obtains sacramental records, etc., etc.
The phone seems to interrupt every project as Beth keeps our calendar for the week on target. At this time of year, the Catholic Charity Drive has its own demands. Most importantly, as Parish Manager, Beth is responsible for the financial workings of the parish, maintaining the parish books and checkbook. This impacts on all our committees and parishioners and is a huge undertaking. There are myriad duties to be attended to, and she keeps the wheels running smoothly. Beth gently reminds and keeps me focused on the week as she looks at my schedule.
Religious Formation Director Jennifer Marran and Assistant Director Georgann Lardaro, along with Religious Formation Secretary Brenda Tougas, are preparing 76 children to receive First Communion and 80 young men and women for Confirmation. Our CCD program has a total of 760 students. The dedication of this office keeps the meetings, classes, retreats, speakers and teachers focused on the gospel message.
Tom Kendzia and Andrea Theroux spend unknown hours preparing our choir to join us at liturgy to praise our God by sharing their talents. Can you imagine our liturgies without their gifts? Walt Disney conjures up a cartoon in the attic of my mind and I see the CTK mice dancing and playing…however, three evening meetings in five days does not leave much time for “the MICE to play!” We hope the CAT has a great vacation!
Nancy Drennan
Did you ever wonder what Beth Hogan and Christine Quigley encounter in the course of the “normal daily routine?” Christine creates the weekly bulletin, which follows a deadline, as well as answers endless phone calls. Christine is the face of the parish, who greets people as they enter the Rectory Office door; she makes counseling appointments, registers new parishioners, schedules mass intentions, and obtains sacramental records, etc., etc.
The phone seems to interrupt every project as Beth keeps our calendar for the week on target. At this time of year, the Catholic Charity Drive has its own demands. Most importantly, as Parish Manager, Beth is responsible for the financial workings of the parish, maintaining the parish books and checkbook. This impacts on all our committees and parishioners and is a huge undertaking. There are myriad duties to be attended to, and she keeps the wheels running smoothly. Beth gently reminds and keeps me focused on the week as she looks at my schedule.
Religious Formation Director Jennifer Marran and Assistant Director Georgann Lardaro, along with Religious Formation Secretary Brenda Tougas, are preparing 76 children to receive First Communion and 80 young men and women for Confirmation. Our CCD program has a total of 760 students. The dedication of this office keeps the meetings, classes, retreats, speakers and teachers focused on the gospel message.
Tom Kendzia and Andrea Theroux spend unknown hours preparing our choir to join us at liturgy to praise our God by sharing their talents. Can you imagine our liturgies without their gifts? Walt Disney conjures up a cartoon in the attic of my mind and I see the CTK mice dancing and playing…however, three evening meetings in five days does not leave much time for “the MICE to play!” We hope the CAT has a great vacation!
Nancy Drennan
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Super Bowl
I have been thinking about the Super Bowl. Not the actual game, but the event. I am amazed at just how big the event has become.
First there is the two-week build-up. Interviews, analysis and predictions from all sorts of people most of whom have some sort of credentials or experience that say, “Listen to me.” We are literally awash in football talk, which is esoteric except for the most dedicated of fans. I guess I could escape all the hype if I wanted to, but it is like slowing down on the highway to observe an accident. It is something I do that I am not proud of doing.
The game itself usually does not live up to the hype, but that certainly was not the case either last year or this year. I don’t think I have ever watched an entire Super Bowl. Watching the highlights the day after is about as efficient as you can get, but lacks the immediacy of the real event. Efficiency is not always worth what it costs.
The thing that is most amazing to me is that football is a game. The outcome of a game is just that – the outcome. It will do nothing to advance world peace, feed the poor or redress the wrongs of society. It is a game. Games are for fun, they help us pass the time, games are a distraction. For me games are most enjoyable when I am a participant. I don’t like being a spectator.
I enjoy seeing kids wear a jersey or a uniform with their favorite player’s name on the back. I enjoy it even more when the player has been traded to a new team but the kid still wears the old uniform shirt. That always tells me that the parents are teaching those kids one of life’s most important lessons – just because something is outdated does not mean that its usefulness is exhausted. Now when I see adults wearing their favorite player’s jersey or uniform all I do is wonder why. I can see wearing a hat that identifies your favorite team but a jersey or a uniform shirt on an adult, I just don’t get.
In the end, we blow way out of proportion a game. We attempt to give significance to something that is insignificant. Who was the MVP of last year’s Super Bowl? In the end does it really matter who is going to Disney Land? Should we be offended that companies spend 3 million dollars for a 30-second advertisement spot? Or that people go on and on about which ad was the best or the worst?
I know that we all need diversions in our lives, but I fear that some of our diversions have become our raison d’etre. I know this is not a new phenomenon. They used to fill up the Coliseum a long time ago. But as I say frequently in counseling, “How’d that work out for them?”
I’m leaving on vacation this Sunday. After re-reading this Pondering I guess I need one more than I knew.
See you when I get back.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Survey
One of the questions I have been asked quite a bit this week is, “What is the survey all about?” Let me try to explain.
About a year, or so, ago I approached the Parish Council with a concern. The percentage of parishioners who were going to Mass regularly was dropping each year. I wanted to find out why an ever-growing number of people were staying away from Church. This led to the formation of a Mass Attendance Committee. That group met several times to study how best to contact the non- attendees. That led to a long discussion about getting the opinions of those who are still attending as well as those who no longer attend. We researched, creating our own survey and we looked into using one of several surveys created by CARA. In the end, we decided to go with the Gallup people. This survey has been well tested and well received. As I understand it, their theory is that low Mass attendance is a symptom, not the problem.
So for the next two weekends we will take five minutes before Mass starts and ask every confirmed member of the parish and/or every eighteen year and older member of the parish to fill out one of the Gallup surveys. If we are delaying the start of Mass for something, you know it must be important. Especially since that five minutes has to be recouped somewhere and the only logical place is to take five minutes off the homily. Now you know this must be important.
There are two ways to take the survey. One is filling it out in-pew before Masses for the next two weekends. The other is to go on-line through our website and take the survey that way. The more folks who take the survey on-line, the less data entry we will have to do locally.
Once the survey is finished, what happens then? On March 3/4, a representative from Gallup will come to the parish. The representative will make a presentation to the pastor first, and then there will be an evening session on March 3 to explain the results to all members of the parish. On March 4, there will be a half-day presentation to leaders (15-20) of the parish who will have primary responsibility in using the survey data to form the plan to make our parish a more vibrant and active one. Most of the people for the Wednesday meeting have been selected, but if you would like to be considered for that meeting, please contact the office at 783-7459.
There is some expense involved in hiring the people from Gallup. The money spent will be worthwhile if the resulting data makes us more aware of what we need to do to become a better parish. The more people who take the survey the better our data will be.
We have a fine parish and we could rest on our laurels, but that is not what has made us a good parish. Why be a good parish if you have the ability to be a great one?
About a year, or so, ago I approached the Parish Council with a concern. The percentage of parishioners who were going to Mass regularly was dropping each year. I wanted to find out why an ever-growing number of people were staying away from Church. This led to the formation of a Mass Attendance Committee. That group met several times to study how best to contact the non- attendees. That led to a long discussion about getting the opinions of those who are still attending as well as those who no longer attend. We researched, creating our own survey and we looked into using one of several surveys created by CARA. In the end, we decided to go with the Gallup people. This survey has been well tested and well received. As I understand it, their theory is that low Mass attendance is a symptom, not the problem.
So for the next two weekends we will take five minutes before Mass starts and ask every confirmed member of the parish and/or every eighteen year and older member of the parish to fill out one of the Gallup surveys. If we are delaying the start of Mass for something, you know it must be important. Especially since that five minutes has to be recouped somewhere and the only logical place is to take five minutes off the homily. Now you know this must be important.
There are two ways to take the survey. One is filling it out in-pew before Masses for the next two weekends. The other is to go on-line through our website and take the survey that way. The more folks who take the survey on-line, the less data entry we will have to do locally.
Once the survey is finished, what happens then? On March 3/4, a representative from Gallup will come to the parish. The representative will make a presentation to the pastor first, and then there will be an evening session on March 3 to explain the results to all members of the parish. On March 4, there will be a half-day presentation to leaders (15-20) of the parish who will have primary responsibility in using the survey data to form the plan to make our parish a more vibrant and active one. Most of the people for the Wednesday meeting have been selected, but if you would like to be considered for that meeting, please contact the office at 783-7459.
There is some expense involved in hiring the people from Gallup. The money spent will be worthwhile if the resulting data makes us more aware of what we need to do to become a better parish. The more people who take the survey the better our data will be.
We have a fine parish and we could rest on our laurels, but that is not what has made us a good parish. Why be a good parish if you have the ability to be a great one?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Pondering on Pondering
I had a wonderful reminder on Christmas Day of the power of the written word. As many of you know, my father sat down in front of the typewriter every Monday night for more than thirty years and wrote a letter to his children. He started writing when my older brother went to URI. Over the years, the list of recipients grew and grew as other sons went off to college and my aunts and uncles asked to be included. My father used carbon paper to make copies, so if you got one of the last few copies it was a challenge to read the faint print. The contents of the letters were so compelling that the effort was worthwhile.
My father typed using the hunt and peck method. He did not adhere strictly to the rules of punctuation and he made use of hyphens only when he ran out of space on a line. It was not that he did not know the rules of punctuation; he did. It was just that in the family letters he felt a bit of informality was permitted. About twenty years ago, I had all of his letters bound and given to my brothers as a gift.
My father’s letters were a very selective account of the happenings of the past week. They always contained a kernel of truth, but were certainly not slavishly controlled by it. They have a Damon Runyon quality to them. Re-reading them is often more rewarding than reading them the first time.
On Christmas Day, my nephew Kevin brought along one of the volumes and proceeded to read about ten years’ worth of letters that were written following our family celebrations of Christmas. They were hilarious, and many of us were laughing so hard that tears were running down our faces. There was another side effect of the reading of past letters. Two of the people present had never met my father. They married into the family after he had gone to his eternal reward. They never met him, but they could catch a glimpse of him through his letters. This secondary way of knowing him is not as good as meeting him in person, but it is certainly better than looking at a photograph and trying to know him.
So you might be asking yourself, how did this Ponder come to be written? The answer is simple. My father used to say that it was much easier to write a letter when not much happened during the week. When little happened then his creative juices were set free. When the week was busy then it was hard to figure out which event should be highlighted. (Last week was very busy so it was difficult to come up with a theme for this week’s Pondering.)
I’ve been Pondering now for about 25 years. Maybe someday I should go back and re-read some of them.
My father typed using the hunt and peck method. He did not adhere strictly to the rules of punctuation and he made use of hyphens only when he ran out of space on a line. It was not that he did not know the rules of punctuation; he did. It was just that in the family letters he felt a bit of informality was permitted. About twenty years ago, I had all of his letters bound and given to my brothers as a gift.
My father’s letters were a very selective account of the happenings of the past week. They always contained a kernel of truth, but were certainly not slavishly controlled by it. They have a Damon Runyon quality to them. Re-reading them is often more rewarding than reading them the first time.
On Christmas Day, my nephew Kevin brought along one of the volumes and proceeded to read about ten years’ worth of letters that were written following our family celebrations of Christmas. They were hilarious, and many of us were laughing so hard that tears were running down our faces. There was another side effect of the reading of past letters. Two of the people present had never met my father. They married into the family after he had gone to his eternal reward. They never met him, but they could catch a glimpse of him through his letters. This secondary way of knowing him is not as good as meeting him in person, but it is certainly better than looking at a photograph and trying to know him.
So you might be asking yourself, how did this Ponder come to be written? The answer is simple. My father used to say that it was much easier to write a letter when not much happened during the week. When little happened then his creative juices were set free. When the week was busy then it was hard to figure out which event should be highlighted. (Last week was very busy so it was difficult to come up with a theme for this week’s Pondering.)
I’ve been Pondering now for about 25 years. Maybe someday I should go back and re-read some of them.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Lulls Around Us
Things seem to be in a lull.
Politically, we are between administrations. Some are looking forward to January 20, 2009 with what can only be described as schoolgirl giddiness; others are preparing for a root canal without anesthesia. I am somewhere in between. I wish the president-elect well. I hope that his apparent ability to inspire does not dissipate under the burdens of the office because what we need right now more than anything else is to be inspired. It seems like a long time since we have had a leader who can vulcanize the spirit of the American people.
The economy is likewise in a lull (that might just qualify as the understatement of the year). Some folks are holding their breath waiting for the arrival of more bad news. For others there can be no more bad news, only the first baby-steps on the road to recovery. We are certainly in a quagmire of a downward economy. Perhaps we have had it too good for too long. Perhaps it is time to relearn how to live more simply. I just hope that we all remember that together we can always do more than we can do alone. A bad economy can be very bad news for Churches and other organizations that depend on free will offerings of their members. Thus far we have been holding our own and I thank all of you who are living out the call of Stewardship and are cutting back on other items before cutting back on your church giving.
Liturgically we are also in a lull. Today, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus marks the official end to the Christmas season. I’m sure that may come as a surprise to many of us who ended the season prematurely. Now we enter into a real liturgical low point. From now until Ash Wednesday we will celebrate Ordinary Time, but it is not really Ordinary Time. It is just filling in the Sundays before Lent begins.
Lent, which is a liturgical season that fortunately still captures the imagination of Catholics, is going to be a real challenge this year. Bishop Tobin has decided that the Charity Drive will be conducted during Lent this year. I have not yet met with the parish chairpersons of this years drive, so I do not know what we will do, but I am disappointed that the leadership of the diocese does not seem interested in respecting one of the most liturgical seasons of the year. (Needless to say this is not how the leadership sees it but…)
So what do we do with the lulls that are all around us? My recommendation is to celebrate them. Use the lulls as an imposed respite in our otherwise hectic schedules. Recharge our spiritual, emotional and fiscal batteries and get ready for the challenges that are sure to follow.
Politically, we are between administrations. Some are looking forward to January 20, 2009 with what can only be described as schoolgirl giddiness; others are preparing for a root canal without anesthesia. I am somewhere in between. I wish the president-elect well. I hope that his apparent ability to inspire does not dissipate under the burdens of the office because what we need right now more than anything else is to be inspired. It seems like a long time since we have had a leader who can vulcanize the spirit of the American people.
The economy is likewise in a lull (that might just qualify as the understatement of the year). Some folks are holding their breath waiting for the arrival of more bad news. For others there can be no more bad news, only the first baby-steps on the road to recovery. We are certainly in a quagmire of a downward economy. Perhaps we have had it too good for too long. Perhaps it is time to relearn how to live more simply. I just hope that we all remember that together we can always do more than we can do alone. A bad economy can be very bad news for Churches and other organizations that depend on free will offerings of their members. Thus far we have been holding our own and I thank all of you who are living out the call of Stewardship and are cutting back on other items before cutting back on your church giving.
Liturgically we are also in a lull. Today, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus marks the official end to the Christmas season. I’m sure that may come as a surprise to many of us who ended the season prematurely. Now we enter into a real liturgical low point. From now until Ash Wednesday we will celebrate Ordinary Time, but it is not really Ordinary Time. It is just filling in the Sundays before Lent begins.
Lent, which is a liturgical season that fortunately still captures the imagination of Catholics, is going to be a real challenge this year. Bishop Tobin has decided that the Charity Drive will be conducted during Lent this year. I have not yet met with the parish chairpersons of this years drive, so I do not know what we will do, but I am disappointed that the leadership of the diocese does not seem interested in respecting one of the most liturgical seasons of the year. (Needless to say this is not how the leadership sees it but…)
So what do we do with the lulls that are all around us? My recommendation is to celebrate them. Use the lulls as an imposed respite in our otherwise hectic schedules. Recharge our spiritual, emotional and fiscal batteries and get ready for the challenges that are sure to follow.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Doing Things The Right Way
There are many reasons why I love this community of faith. The day before Christmas gave me a wonderful reminder just how special this community is.
Every year on the day before Christmas we decorate the church. In many parishes, because of convenience, the Church is all done up for Christmas by the 4th Sunday of Advent. I understand why this happens, but I disagree with the practice. Yes, I understand that the day before Christmas is very busy and there are all sorts of last minute details that clamor for our attention. I also realize that by waiting until the last day we run the risk of not getting enough people to do the job both well and efficiently.
But there is no risk of that happening here. A small army arrived by 10 a.m. Some of the preliminary work had been done so everyone could get right to work. The tree needed to be decorated, the manger scene had to be placed in the narthex, the altar cloths changed, the blue bows had to be changed to red ones, the candles placed in the windows, the wreathes both inside and outside had to be hung and the sanctuary area needed to be decorated. That may not seem like a daunting task, but trust me there are a lot of moving parts that have to be coordinated. Three different ladders are necessary and some of them have to be shared.
To make a long story shorter, let me just say that by noon everything was done with the exception of the flowers. The decorators had to make due with some poinsettias that had lost some of their luster in the cold. It could have been a disaster but the decorating crew just made the best of less than ideal materials. A very dedicated crew armed with snow shovels and icebreakers attacked the steps and driveway around the church. In case you have forgotten the double snowstorm which ended as freezing rain had left many sidewalks impassable. We had tried to keep up with the snow removal but Mother Nature won out. When you arrived for Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day there was no ice and no snow to be found.
I mention these things because I’m sure a lot of people just showed up for church and give little or no thought to how things get done. I wish I could remember everyone who helped so I could thank them by name, but since I know I would miss someone they will have to remain nameless.
When it comes to liturgy there is the right way to do things and the convenient way of doing things. It is my privilege to belong to a community that does not cut corners when it comes to doing things the right way.
Every year on the day before Christmas we decorate the church. In many parishes, because of convenience, the Church is all done up for Christmas by the 4th Sunday of Advent. I understand why this happens, but I disagree with the practice. Yes, I understand that the day before Christmas is very busy and there are all sorts of last minute details that clamor for our attention. I also realize that by waiting until the last day we run the risk of not getting enough people to do the job both well and efficiently.
But there is no risk of that happening here. A small army arrived by 10 a.m. Some of the preliminary work had been done so everyone could get right to work. The tree needed to be decorated, the manger scene had to be placed in the narthex, the altar cloths changed, the blue bows had to be changed to red ones, the candles placed in the windows, the wreathes both inside and outside had to be hung and the sanctuary area needed to be decorated. That may not seem like a daunting task, but trust me there are a lot of moving parts that have to be coordinated. Three different ladders are necessary and some of them have to be shared.
To make a long story shorter, let me just say that by noon everything was done with the exception of the flowers. The decorators had to make due with some poinsettias that had lost some of their luster in the cold. It could have been a disaster but the decorating crew just made the best of less than ideal materials. A very dedicated crew armed with snow shovels and icebreakers attacked the steps and driveway around the church. In case you have forgotten the double snowstorm which ended as freezing rain had left many sidewalks impassable. We had tried to keep up with the snow removal but Mother Nature won out. When you arrived for Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day there was no ice and no snow to be found.
I mention these things because I’m sure a lot of people just showed up for church and give little or no thought to how things get done. I wish I could remember everyone who helped so I could thank them by name, but since I know I would miss someone they will have to remain nameless.
When it comes to liturgy there is the right way to do things and the convenient way of doing things. It is my privilege to belong to a community that does not cut corners when it comes to doing things the right way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)