On Comings and Goings

We welcome Bishop Michael Warfel to our parish faith communities this week-end. With respect and keen interest, we shall listen to what he says, and enjoy his warm friendliness. As St. Benedict writes in his Rule, “Let every guest be received as Christ.”  Recently I came across a thought in an English poet, to the effect that every human being bears the image of God our Creator, but it is especially in the poor that one meets Christ, who made himself poor for our sakes. To carry the burdens of office is a sharing in the poverty of Christ. Now we are entering the darkest ten weeks of the year, marked and celebrated by the winter solstice, and with the great Feast of Christmas bringing light and joy into the darkness of nature and wintry hearts. Approaching Christmas, we will hear stories about the end of the world, destruction, and warnings to “prepare to meet our God.” And in the midst of reflecting on things to come, we will keep the feast of Christ the eternal and rightful ruler over all. Mass readings and prayers will also remind us to remember those who have died, and those who are near death now, and to be mindful of our own passing from this world into the unseen God. Like Christ himself, we are all ever coming and going. Bodily we have been born once, spiritually we must be born again and again by the divinizing power of faith working through love. And we are ever leaving this passing world, as St. Augustine wrote, “through the affections of our hearts,” through our growing union with God beyond death. We await and receive the God who comes to the poor in spirit, to the humble, to those who mourn and are heavy-burdened, to those who suffer out of love. Recently, God has come and taken to himself a number of our beloved brothers and sisters in our faith communities. To some extent, our love for them carries us with them, across the threshold of eternity, into the silence and peace of God. And as we remember them and thank God for their lives, they come to us in thoughts and remembered experiences, bringing us hints of divine joy. Without destroying our uniqueness, but perfecting each creature, Love draws us into Itself, into the unfathomable depths. The tide goes out, and we feel it drawing us, slowly, steadily, away from what we have known, into the divine mystery. With Job we experience loss, change, strangely new comings, and we pray: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I return. The LORD has given, the LORD has taken away: Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

November: The Month of Remembering Those Who Have Died

To remember: to bring back into consciousness what has been known, and has been fully or partially lost from consciousness, or “forgotten.” To remember: to allow something or someone to live in one’s mind again, consciously, willingly, deliberately. When we forget, we no longer attend to a part of reality of which we had been more or less conscious.   Grace builds on nature. The Catholic faith is rooted in nature, for “grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it,” in the famous formula of St. Thomas Aquinas. In the northern hemisphere, for centuries the only home of the Catholic faith, we know what to expect in November: a seeming dying of nature, a shutting down of earth’s visible life, a withering away of what was so evidently full of life. As nature appears to die in this month, we are asked to remember our dear ones who have died in their bodies, and are now at home in God alone. During November, following ancient pagan and Catholic traditions, we are encouraged actively to remember our beloved deceased, entrusting them to the LORD. Our loved ones, and many generations of human beings, have died; they are not “dead and gone,” but they live in God. And they live in our minds and hearts if we lovingly remember them. Our dear ones who have died have given us many life-enriching experiences, many blessed and precious memories. Now we bring these experiences back into consciousness, not letting them just slip away into the land of oblivion, and we thank God for these memories, and especially for our beloved friends and family members who gave us these experiences, before slipping behind the mask of death. Within a span of 5-6 days, three of our parishioners died this week: Randy Mundt, Ora Kleffner, Mary Lou Streifel. We ask our parishioners to remember these good and precious human beings, and entrust them lovingly to our merciful, life-giving God. We also keep in mind and heart their family members who just experienced the shock of death and painful loss. Families of Ora, Mary Lou, and Randy need and deserve our kindness, thoughtfulness, prayers. We offer them our quiet support and friendship. Above all, in prayer and especially at the Eucharist we offer Randy, Ora, and Mary Lou lovingly to God, to whom they have returned. During November, we choose to remember and to thank God, entrusting those whom we love to the LORD, in whom alone “we live, and move, and have our being.”

Thoughts For My 25th Anniversary of Ordination: "What's In A Name?"

 

We are amused at the little ironies and paradoxes of life. My real first name is William, a name on both maternal and paternal sides of my family. As Christian babies were given the names of saints, I presume the tradition of William in my family goes back to St. William. The foremost St. William was a hermit, living alone in an arid valley in Italy. This man is known as “St. William the hermit.”  The name Paul was given to me by my Abbot in the monastery in 1982, when he clothed me as a monk of St. Benedict; I was given the name of the great evangelist and missionary of the Church, St. Paul, “Apostle to the Gentiles.”   

Although I am a Benedict monk by spiritual formation and vows, I have lived much of my adult life not as a monk, but as an evangelist and missionary in the Church, making the name “Paul” fitting given my vocation. Apparently, such active ministry is not to be the end of the matter. Now, under concerns of my abbot and the English Abbot President, I am apparently to be placed on track to become a hermit in the Church. So I shall gradually grow into the name I was given at birth: William (after William the hermit). Let me add that I am confident that Bishop Michael, my abbots, and I will work out a reasonable course of action, so that I will not suddenly be uprooted from my present assignment.  If I am to become a hermit, however, I better grow once again in my love of silence and solitude.  In the meantime, as a distant disciple of the Apostle Paul, I know that “I have not yet completed the task to which the Lord assigned me.”  I am gladly obligated to tend brothers and sisters in Christ, faithfully presenting the gospel and assisting in growth in union with Christ Jesus.

One of the pastoral concerns on my heart has been our neglect of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I will give the matter thought in coming weeks, and consider ways to offer this beneficial Sacrament especially during November and Advent, then again during Lent. My preference is for parishioners to make an appointment to meet with me for the Sacrament.   

Presently I am not teaching adult faith class because I do not have a suitable question or text in mind. Still, I remain conscious of the need to offer some classes in continuing faith formation. 

Finally, what do I say on my 25th anniversary of priestly ordination?  I feel duty-bound to thank God for the gift of priesthood, and especially for the chance to minister to the faithful in Christ. Being a priest, or a minister, never crossed my mind in childhood or youth; I wanted to be a politician! After my conversion to Christ as a college student, my heart was enflamed to preach, and my mind was inspired to seek to understand spiritual experiences. I became a Catholic with the intention of serving as a priest; and I entered the monastery to live in peace seeking God. This much remains clear to me: Unless I am truly seeking God, what do I have to share with others as a priest in the Church?  For each of us, the longing for God, and responses to His grace, must be the grounding for our various vocations. “Because I live, you live also.”

On the Buildings of Communities of Faith

It is probably apparent to most of us in our parishes that we have spiritual and material strengths, and some weaknesses. For example, Mass attendance, although not perfect, is generally quite good. Considering the size of St. Mark’s and our people’s demanding schedules, daily Mass attendance is excellent. It has been truly heartening to see how St. Mary’s, Raynesford, displays devotion for their small church and for that faith community; indeed, St. Mary’s is so vibrant that although it is a mission in church law, in reality it acts more as an independent parish. This year I plan to offer several special Masses at St. Mary’s, beginning on the Eve of All Saints (Halloween). St. Clement’s needs and will receive considerable effort to build a living community there once the beloved chapel has been removed to St. Thomas Camp. As noted, I will offer Masses there during summer months only. Holy Trinity, Centerville, a truly independent parish, has integrated parishioners from Great Falls with notable warmth and Christian charity. Also, I much appreciate the way parishioners who live in “the Gulch” maintain their facility, and assist the priest in every possible way. Holy Trinity is a wonderful faith community, and I invite all of our parishioners to attend there at least once in the next few months to appreciate them as part of our common community.

Because I live at St. Mark’s, Belt, and because this parish remains our largest in numbers, more services have been offered here.  Perhaps my largest disappointment with St. Mark’s has been the non-attendance of many of our children during summer months. We truly need to encourage better youth attendance. Although it seemed as though we could not offer CCD classes this fall at St. Mark’s, guidance from Lisa Jassen may help us find a good solution. Regarding our week-day Masses in Belt, so well attended, I invite each parishioner to attend on some occasion if at all possible, just to appreciate  the kind of close fellowship we experience in these more intimate liturgies.

What is most needed in our four faith communities, I believe, is ongoing spiritual development for our adults, who will then share their growth with their children and with other people living in this part of central Montana. In addition to our Eucharistic celebrations, I try to provide adult faith formation classes periodically throughout the year. A new series will begin sometime in mid or late fall; to date, I have not decided on our topic or text to study, so suggestions are welcomed. Furthermore, I have asked Fr. Owen to begin the NeoCatechumenate at St. Mark's, and that may happen in January. We will provide information in coming weeks of this program of intense faith-and-discipleship formation.

More is needed. We all need growth in genuine faith, which includes knowledge and practice of our Catholic faith within the context of the Diocese of Great Falls. We also need to develop bonds with Protestant brethren in this area, as we share our love of Christ Jesus.  In coming weeks, I encourage you to share with me thoughts you may have for helping us build up our common life together. Jesus tells us how to proceed:  “Ask, and you shall receive.” 

"Renounce All That You Have To Be My Disciple"

Recently we heard Jesus ask this question: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, rather division....” Although no doubt puzzling to people used to illusions of “world peace,” and the like, a little reflection clarifies, to some extent, the meaning of Jesus’ words: Christ brings peace, but not an end to wars and human divisions; what he brings to a faithful disciple is “the peace of God that surpasses understanding,” and the peace of a cleaned conscience. But he also brings division, for anyone who seeks to follow Christ faithfully will encounter hostility from people who resist God. Furthermore, each of us discovers that as we obey Christ, there is often a division in our own hearts, for we must say “yes” to God and to genuine love of neighbor and “no” to our own selfish desires and strivings for power or prestige. So Christ brings peace to a human soul only to the extent that one is utterly faithful to the LORD.

The saying from St. Luke’s gospel on “renouncing all your possessions” is yet more challenging. It is an absolute demand, for Christ did not say, “renounce your excess possessions,” or “give up luxuries,” but that one must renounce everything that one has--not only luxuries, but all things, even human relationships, and “even his own life.” If a Christian wishes to take Christ seriously, than he or she would have to try to understand his meaning in these absolute demands, and respond accordingly. Christ gives a human being no place to hide from God or from his word. If we take the gospel seriously, we are exposed to the penetrating light of God who gives all and demands all.

 “This is a hard saying. Who can bear it?”  Many hear what Jesus Christ says, and choose to turn away. Others filter out the difficult sayings, and hear only words of “forgiveness,” “mercy,” “love.” To those who want Christ on their own terms, he says: “No one can be my disciple unless he hates father, mother, family, children, even his own life” (Luke 14:26). What does he mean? Does Christ actually want one to hate his own family, and his very life? He is speaking as a Jew to Jews, using a Hebrew form of speech. It is extreme in order to get the main point across without “wiggle room.” To be a disciple, one must choose and love Christ more than his family, himself, his “stuff.” To be a disciple means to place God and Christ first and foremost ahead of anyone, anything. What Christ keeps saying to us is that anything less than complete loyalty to God, perfect love, all-giving, all-costly love, is not genuine.

If anyone of us can hear Christ’s words and feel comfortable or satisfied with the quality of his discipleship, his love of God and of neighbor, he should at least realize that he is spiritually dull or even dead. More to the point, one satisfied with his love of Christ should wonder if he or she really loves Christ at all, but is just playing a religious game. On the other hand, to one who seeks to be an ever-better disciple, who strives to grow in God’s grace, that soul lives in the stream of God’s mercy, and despite failures, keeps on stretching forth into God. To one who “forgets what lies behind, but strains forward” into God, one knows well that in God’s time, everything will be stripped away, and the soul will be found stripped and alive in God alone.

On Following Diocesan Policies

For reasons which should be obvious to all by now, it is highly important that our faith communities follow diocesan policies. If these policies, based on laws of the Catholic church, are not being followed, you should wonder why, and question whether some serious wrongdoings are taking place. Perhaps appointing an Ombudsman to investigate fidelity to diocesan policies would be beneficial. Such an Ombudsman would consult the priest-pastor (Fr. Paul) on any negligences, and inform the Bishop or proper chancery official if serious deficiencies are not corrected at once. I have been informed that for years, St. Mark’s, Holy Trinity, and the two missions did not have a finance council to oversee all parish income and expenditures.  We must be sure that such negligence does not happen again. Parishioners need to be properly informed and protective of the goods of the parishes.

For example, an operating parish council is recommended in canon law, but not required; a functioning finance council is mandatory for a parish, not only by diocesan policy, but by the laws of the Catholic church. To comply with these important laws, I immediately formed a finance council at St. Mark’s, which includes members from our four faith communities. (Holy Trinity, as a separate parish, may request a separate finance council meeting with me, should their two representatives ever wish to do so.) A typical reason for having an Ombudsman who knows the policies and insists on their enforcement occurred in the case of Holy Trinity, which had not been informed years ago that a priest does not receive a salary from each community he serves. Rather, each priest, pastor, or parish administrator according to diocesan policy receives one pay check monthly, with the amount completely regulated by diocesan policy. A priest with multiple parishes or missions does not receive any extra payment for this duty, as a priest with a very large parish does not receive extra payment, either. Parishioners, or at least finance council/Ombudsman, such know these policies and assure that they are faithfully followed. Furthermore, the claim that the pastor is underpaid, and therefore in need of “supplemental income” from his parishes is simply false.  In addition to our annual salary, we receive housing, a food allowance, and payment of 90% of our auto expenses--if and only if we document all expenses with receipts. Without proof of expenditures, the priest must pay for food, gasoline, or repairs out of pocket.  

According to diocesan policy, accurate records must be kept. It is clearly a serious violation for a priest to destroy, or ask others to destroy, parish records. Our finance records prior to January 2011 have never been found.  As some of Holy Trinity’s Sacramental records seem to have been in the same closet with their financial records, these records, too, disappeared several years ago, during the transition between priests. We are obliged to maintain and to protect Sacramental and financial records. 

Prayer Book of the Church

 Prayer is the life-breath of a Christian’s spiritual life. Without a genuine effort to keep in close contact with God our life, we contract into ourselves.  A self-enclosed, self-contained life soon yields to disordered passions, anxiety, depression, restlessness, mindless TV stupor, endless pursuit of entertainment, and so on. Prayer grounds us in divine Presence, in the reality that says to those who listen, “I AM your salvation.”  Prayer opens us up to the truth of reality.

When I was a young man I asked a friend who had been a Carthusian monk, “What is the prayer book of the Church?” For I was seeking a good collection of Catholic-Christian prayers. His ready reply was: “The Psalms.”  I immediately felt disappointed, because I had often prayed the psalms of the Bible, but thought that Christians could have better prayers than this collection of Israelite and Jewish (Old Testament) songs, hymns, laments.  Over time I came to learn that the Psalms do indeed form the skeleton of prayer life in the Church, especially for Catholic religious and clergy, and as a Benedictine, I have prayed most of the psalms literally thousands of times, using different translations. On the other hand, there are also magnificent prayers composed by devout Christians over the centuries, and some collections may be available. A few of these Christian prayers are known by many, such as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Memorare. One project I have long desired to accomplish is to make readily available to our faithful in parishes a very good collection of Christian prayers. That work awaits me. 

Still, however, the Psalms are indeed the Prayer Book of the Church, used and approved by two thousand years of praying by the faithful. I encourage our faithful to pray the psalms often. One can usefully begin with Psalm 1, and read up to Psalm 150. I have found it beneficial to read the psalms in the order in which we find them in our bibles, an order developed centuries before Christ by Jewish priests and scholars. Over time, one should discover favorite psalms which you “read, mark, and inwardly digest,” using Luther’s apt phrase. In the past, I have listed psalms I especially recommend, and I hope that some parishioners have prayed them. Remember: Jesus prayed the Psalms, and so has the Church over centuries.

There are truly psalms for all sorts of spiritual needs, feelings, problems of life, occasions of thanksgiving. Some of these prayers express joy in God, some are cries from hurting hearts. Many are mixed, often moving from desperate need to thankfulness for the LORD’s tender mercies. The point is: Pray. “Pray as you can, do not try to pray as you can’t.” Spiritual laziness leads to emptiness of spirit and a troubled mind. Pray. If any of you asks me, “Can you recommend a psalm or two for me?” I should be glad to do so.  It would be one way to give you a little practical help in your spiritual life, your desire to grow closer to the God in whom “we live, and move, and have our being.”

(Click here for a collection of previously recommended psalms by Fr. Paul).