Month: March 2017

Where Did All the Crosses Go?

As Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum fast approach, we cannot relax our efforts to rend our hearts. Ultimately, it is God who will work the grace of His Death and Resurrection in us, breaking our hearts of stone in order to give us hearts that live (cf. Ezekiel 36:26).

by Rev. Jeff Loseke

In many places this weekend, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the faithful will walk into churches and find that the crosses and sacred images have all been covered or removed Attachment-1from sight.  During Lent, the Church recommends—and even obliges in some matters—that the liturgy be stripped of those elements that communicate the fullness of Easter joy so that the reality of this penitential time might be more apparent.  For example, no flowers are permitted and musical instruments are silenced (except for last week’s Lætare Sunday celebration), the Gloria is omitted, fewer Saints’ days are commemorated, and so forth.  And now, as we enter into the final two weeks of Lent, many parishes will observe the longstanding tradition of stripping away even the crosses and sacred images from the church—a poignant reminder of how Christ Himself shed His heavenly glory to become a man for our sake… even to the point of death.

The church building itself is consecrated to stand in the midst of the local community as a visible image of Christ.  For this reason, its architecture and artistry should stand out from all the ordinary, profane, and secular buildings that surround it.  Indeed, a church’s walls are anointed with Sacred Chrism by the Bishop, signifying that it stands in and of itself as an “anointed one,” (i.e., a “Christ”) for all to see.  During these last weeks of Lent, as the beauty of the physical environment of the church building fades away, we recall the words of Scripture regarding God’s Suffering Servant: “He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye, no beauty to draw us to him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Rather than winding down at its end, Lent intensifies.  The reason is simple: How can there be a Resurrection without first experiencing a death?  As we ritually and sacramentally experience Jesus’ Passion and Death, each of us is called to enter into these very Mysteries and to let them permeate his or her own life.  Just as Jesus was stripped—and now the church stands stripped—we must ask ourselves: What needs to be stripped away in my own life?  How yet do I need to die to my own selfishness?  There is nothing serene or passive about that!  As Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum fast approach, we cannot relax our efforts to rend our hearts.  Ultimately, it is God who will work the grace of His Death and Resurrection in us, breaking our hearts of stone in order to give us hearts that live (cf. Ezekiel 36:26).

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

Art: Photography – Golgotha Crucifix, Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (Wikimedia Commons)

Time Magazine, Marriage is a Sacrament – Not a Science

Watch what you read. When it comes to sacred topics – particularly marriage – you may want to seek answers from among the great annals of wisdom available within the Church. For only in union with Christ can marriage achieve its true fulfillment.

time

I just picked up Time Magazine’s special edition issue on The Science of Marriage.

Interesting take. That is, if you detest the institution of marriage and choose to see it through the eyes of an  impassioned skeptic. Here’s the very first paragraph in the issue:


There’s a reason fairy tales always end in marriage. It’s because nobody wants to see what comes after. It’s too grim. Meeting the right person, working through comic misunderstandings and overcoming family disapproval to get to the altar — those are stories worth telling. Plodding on year after year with that same old soul? Yawnsville. – p. 6

A few paragraphs later the attitude doesn’t improve:

Matrimony used to be an institution people entered out of custom, duty or a need to procreate. Now that it’s become a technology-assisted endeavor that has been delayed until conditions are at their most optimal, it needs to deliver better-quality benefits. More of us think this one relationship should – and could – provide the full buffet of satisfaction: intimacy, support, stability happiness and sexual exhilaration. And if it’s not up to the task, it’s quicker and cheaper than ever to unsubscribe. It’s not clear any relationship can overcome that challenge. – p. 6

This is what the world is hearing when it comes to the most beautiful and sacred union available to man this side of heaven.

The article goes on to assert that

“It’s not even clear anymore exactly what couples are signing up for. Marriage is the most basic and intimate of our social institutions but also the one most subject to shifts in cultural, technological and economic forces, many of which have made single life a completely viable and attractive proposition.”

Really? I submit that environmental factors have not lessened the success of marriage. Perhaps one of the problems is a mistaken understanding that marriage can be analyzed in the same way that you analyze a science experiment. That it can broken down into individual ingredients recipe-style; measured and stirred to create a concoction of some sort – whether a happy and fulfilling life enhancer or an abhorrently hideous Frankenstein’s monster, depending on the mix.

To be fair, this issue of Time is not all negative. It is primarily devoted to things like How to Make Your Marriage Last, or The (Real) Key to a Joyful Union – The problem is that these topics are discussed on a backdrop of negative commentary. The entire magazine is full of skepticism. Beauty is nowhere to be found. Yes, they talk about happy marriages; but the talk is pretty cheap. These writers may mean well; but it’s as though they are dissecting a dead body to look for its soul.  You will never find the key to marriage by sifting through all the parts. Nor can you relay an image of a true marital union by starting with a contractual understanding of the relationship. It’s no wonder these writers seem flummoxed.

When marriage is described as a crap shoot where you throw yourself in and who knows what you’ll get, it’s bound to draw disdain. But for that matter, if it’s described as a science, wherein you’ll get the outcome you want, provided you do a, b and c, there is something hollow in the advice. Either perspective is a sure sign that marriage has been horribly misrepresented and people are being duped  by the unpredictable “science” of love.

No doubt this secular perspective is the reason fewer Americans are tying the knot (20% of adults age 25 or older have never been married, compared to 9% in 1960). No longer is marriage seen as a Sacred Union, but rather as an individual choice, not unlike one’s choice of career. Gone are the days when marriage is universally presumed to be “’till death do us part.” In fact, this Time Special Edition, while sharing much data that demonstrates the benefits of marriage – greater happiness, health, wealth and stability, child development  (in all areas) – also includes a section called The Good Divorce. Including the words “good” and “divorce” in the same header misses the point of marriage entirely.

If you want to learn more about marriage, focus less on the science and more on the Sacramental. Even the Source and Summit of our Faith – the Holy Eucharist – has been referred to as “a nuptial sacrament,” in effort to illustrate the amazing union it confers between ourselves and Our Lord. A oneness akin to the sacred union that takes place between a man and his wife.

A sacramental marriage is a “fountain of grace,” according to Alice von Hildebrand in her introduction to (her husband) Dietrich von Hildebrand’s, Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love:

As a Sacrament, marriage gives people the supernatural strength necessary to “fight the good fight.” Every victory achieved together over habit, routine, and boredom cements the bonds existing between the spouses and makes their love produce new blossoms.

Also, because it explicitly and sacramentally unites the spouses with the infinite love that Christ has for each one of them, sacramental marriage overcomes the tragic limits of natural marriage and achieves the infinite and eternal character to which every love aspires. – p. xiv

Dietrich von Hildebrand asserts,

No natural human good has been exalted so high in the New Testament. No other good has been chosen to become one of the seven Sacraments. No other has been endowed with the honor of participating directly in the establishment of the Kingdom of God. – p. 3

And because of this amazing gift, we who are privileged to take part are called to a higher level of sacrifice:

In the supernatural sphere, God gives mankind grace in different measures and demands more from them according to the measure of grace received…So, too, marriage demands more from the husband and wife in the measure that their marriage as such approaches the ideal, and the more they harmonize as characters…

…Every hour they must recall anew the unspeakably precious gift which God has given in the form of the soul of the beloved. Never must they lose their sense of the wonderful mystery that the other person whom they love loves them too, that the other lives for them, and that they own something far above all other earthly possessions. – p. 35

But we get something priceless for all our efforts:

Let us add that Christian marriage also represents for both consorts a way to attain an ever-increasing union with Jesus. As the bond has been concluded in Jesus and toward Jesus, the increase of conjugal love also means a growth in the love of Jesus. The unique abandonment to the beloved, the life of love which one lives and should live, opens the heart and enables it to love more and more. – p. 75

And about the indissolubility of marriage:

It is considered by many as something oppressive and dispiriting, something which deprives love of its wings and gives it a coercive character. They think that love would vanish with the knowledge that the tie is binding whether love persists or not. But nothing is less true. For the real lover, the consciousness of being indissolubly united with his beloved in Christ, of forming an objectively indissoluble community whose validity is beyond all wavering and all human frailties, is a source of the highest satisfaction. For he wants to be one with his beloved, and he is grateful and happy that this unity can be realized to so great a degree and that it rises above all emotional changes. – p. 59

We are human beings. As such, we are bound to be affected by the words we read, as well as the examples we witness. Which words above call you to a higher appreciation for marriage as an institution? Which passages inspire you to love more, to give more? Which passages inspire a profound awe of your God-given vocation?

The bottom line? Watch what you read. When it comes to sacred topics – particularly marriage –  you may want to seek answers from among the great annals of wisdom available within the Church. For only in union with Christ can marriage achieve its true fulfillment, and only an understanding of that truth can allow for any accurate commentary on the subject. Case in point – Archbishop Fulton Sheen so accurately entitled his treatise on the sacramental nature of marriage, Three to Get Married; but if you ever hear that same phrase in the secular culture, you can be pretty sure the reference will be sacrilegious rather than sacramental.

If you’re looking for an accurate view on Marriage, skip the Time Magazine commentary and check out a few of these amazing resources:

Love and Responsibility by Pope John Paul II
Familiaris Consortio by Pope John Paul II
Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love by Dietrich von Hildebrand
Three to Get Married by Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Covenanted Happiness by Cormac Burke

Reconciliation: Don’t Wait to Rejoice!

Do not wait to take advantage of the opportunity to know God’s mercy as soon as possible, to live in His light, and to experience His joy right now!

by Rev. Jeff Loseke

This Sunday, Lætare Sunday—whose name comes from the first words of the Entrance Antiphon at Mass, Lætare Ierusalem (Rejoice, Jerusalem)—marks the halfway point in Artgate_Fondazione_Cariplo_-_Molteni_Giuseppe,_La_confessioneLent and invites us to begin experiencing the joy of the Resurrection even as we continue our journey to the Cross.  Hopefully, our Lenten practices and penances have been chipping away at our hardened hearts so that they are already being freed from temptation and slavery to sin through God’s grace.  Our works alone are incapable of effecting this interior change, however.  Only in cooperation with God’s work do we experience the movement from darkness to light.

Were an athlete or a musician to wait until the last minute to begin practicing for a contest or performance, he or she would not likely perform to the best of his or her ability.  All the weeks and months of potential growth would have been squandered through procrastination.  I would suggest that we ought to consider our spiritual life with a similar mindset, especially during Lent.  Too many Catholics, perhaps, like to wait to the last minute to go to Confession before Easter so that they will be “squeaky clean” for Easter Sunday.  Unfortunately, by putting off the Sacrament of Reconciliation to the last minute, one is left to struggle through Lent without the particular help of that sacramental grace.  While on the one hand, Confession in the eleventh hour will bring us full forgiveness of sins prior to the Easter Mysteries, on the other hand, it leaves us potentially in a state of sin now, stymieing the effects of sanctifying grace, which could have been growing in us over time.  The fullness of our Easter joy is potentially stunted because of our tardiness in choosing to be freed from sin as soon as possible.  The earlier we are freed, the longer we walk in grace and grow in joy.

Almost everywhere you go, a number of extra opportunities are being made available during Lent for the faithful to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Do not wait to take advantage of the opportunity to know God’s mercy as soon as possible, to live in His light, and to experience His joy right now!  Had the Prodigal Son not waited so long to return to his father’s house, he would not have had to face starvation and destitution.  Why, then, should we wait to be forgiven?  Rather, we should be running to our Savior, who cannot wait to give us the fullness of His joy.  Therefore, with the whole Church we cry out: “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her.  Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.

 

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

 

Art: The Confession by Giuseppe Molteni, 1838

Pain: A Path Leading to Virtue

Learning such a love does not necessarily come easily. Indeed, the acquisition of virtue is often—if not always—a painful process.

by Rev. Jeff Loseke

When a child is brought to be baptized, the  parents and godparents are reminded over and over again by the Church’s minister of their responsibility to teach their son or daughter Ste-therese-on-deathbedhow to love God, how to love their neighbor, and how to constantly practice their faith.  These exhortations always remind me that, because of our fallen human nature and the inclination to sin (i.e., concupiscence), the love to which God calls us must be learned and practiced over time.  Learning such a love does not necessarily come easily.  Indeed, the acquisition of virtue is often—if not always—a painful process.

For those engaged in the practice of Christian love and virtue, it is not uncommon to experience painful emotions such as shame, shock, anger, discomfort, confusion, and so forth.  As an example, think of the person who goes on a mission trip for the first time.  His or her encounter with poverty, injustice, suffering, and other evils can be difficult to process at first.  The experience of negative reactions and emotions, however, should not be interpreted as a bad thing or as a moral evil.  Rather, this painful path is more in accord with Aristotle’s theory that those being schooled in the virtues do not actually enjoy practicing them.  Nevertheless, the path of pain leads a person to see things more clearly and to recognize what it true within oneself regarding his or her complicity in the injustices and sins of the world.  In reflecting upon the path of virtue through pain, I am reminded of something C. S. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain: “Pain insists upon being attended to.  God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”.

While the process of growing in virtue—especially in the virtue of justice—may be painful or uncomfortable, I firmly believe that it should not be avoided.  The challenge to parents, educators, and all who guide others, however, will be to provide the tools and the resources to help learners process their painful experiences in order to grow from them.  As a spiritual director and confessor, I often have to challenge my directees and penitents to delve more deeply into the shadows, the brokenness, and the pain in their lives in order to arrive at the deepest level of truth about themselves.  Walking with them in order to help them face those difficult emotions, feelings, and spiritual realities is part of my ministry as a Priest.  Even more, it must be part of our lives as Christians.  Jesus reminds us in the Beatitudes that we are blessed when we mourn or suffer pain.  He also reminds us that we are blessed when we work to alleviate such pain by working for a more just world.

 

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

 

Art: St. Therese de Lisieux on her Death Bed by Anonymous, 1925 (Wikimedia Commons)

Follow these Tips to Stop all that Complaining and Negativity – Your Soul will Thank You (and so will your loved ones)!!!

Sacred Scripture makes it pretty clear that our tongues were meant for building up the Kingdom – not for tearing it down; and yet, have you ever noticed how much conversation in a given day focuses on the negative?

Do everything without complaining or arguing. – Philippians 2:14

Sacred Scripture makes it pretty clear that our tongues were meant for building up the Kingdom – not for tearing it down; and yet, have you ever noticed how much conversation le_malade_imaginaire_argan_a_hypochondriac_complaining_of_wellcome_v0015124in a given day focuses on the negative?

So Many Complaints, So Little Time

Here is just a brief brainstormed list of conversation topics I have overheard or participated in on any given day. How many have escaped your lips today?

bad weather
bad service
bad food
bad leaders
poor sleep
lack of sleep
late nights
early mornings
lack of exercise
lacking the will to exercise
poor diet
lack of self-discipline
sickness
aches and pains
blemishes
messy home
too much to do
strained relationships
ugly culture
bad government
poor entertainment
cultural demise
your mistakes
the mistakes of others
your faults
the faults of others
obstacles in our day
financial difficulties
unmet goals
unattained dreams
disrespectful kids
frustrating neighbors
annoying relatives
your fears
your doubts
news
news
and more news

None of us likes to spend time with chronic complainers. They bring us down, and they tend to make for pretty miserable company. So given that we are readily annoyed when we spend time with friends or family who pour their energy into all that’s wrong with the world, why do we spend so much of our time on complaints and negativity?

Maybe because they work – in the short run.

Have you noticed that a negative comment can drive a conversation like nothing else? Try announcing at your next meeting that you arrived on time, without incident and even enjoyed a lovely prayer during the drive. Chances are, you’ll get a few smiles, and “That’s nice.” Or, depending on the culture in which you work, everyone may look at you like you’re nuts, even raising an eyebrow or two, before turning back to the more stimulating conversation at hand. However, when you rush in, complaining about the five car pile-up that stopped traffic for 30 minutes or you rue the horrible weather and the terror you experienced as you nearly ran off the road, people will hang onto your every word, riveted by all the excitement.

When you go negative, you have the floor.

In addition to offering something exciting to a conversation, doesn’t it seem that negativity provides a give and take of one-upmanship – often boiling down to a tennis match wherein we try to “outdo” others in sharing the trials and tribulations of life?

The 24-Hour News Cycle

It doesn’t help that the media provides us with fodder for negativity 24-hours-a-day. Clearly they “get” that our attention is riveted to the negative.

Once I heard a French priest talk about why he never listens to the news. “It take my joy,” he’d say in his beautiful accent. “Same news. Every day. Always sad. I no listen. But I pray. I know there is death. I know there is crime. I know bad things happen. I pray. But I no listen. I keep my peace. I keep my joy.”

I should take that advice. I’m sure my husband rues the day I learned I could have a News App on my phone – complete with notifications. It never fails that we’ll be enjoying a peaceful moment together when the familiar “ding” of a notification comes in, followed by my voice: “Oh my goodness! Violent protests to block free speech at X University?! Are you kidding me? What is this world coming to?!” Then comes my diatribe about youth of today and the horrors of our education system.

And of course, a story about protests inevitably leads to a discussion about politics – the ultimate in negativity.

Politicians Digging up Dirt

Think about all the ugliness in the political world this past year and a half. Campaigns seem to run on negative energy. And in each cycle someone ups the ante – the contest for who is most qualified to represent his fellow countrymen becomes a game of Who Can Dig up the Most Dirt. We, as citizens, express our utter shock and dismay – and then we turn around and talk about it with all our friends and acquaintances.

Politicians get it . And they capitalize on it. Rahm Emanuel, the Mayor of Chicago, once slipped, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste.” Sure, we all complain about campaign seasons or the media’s obsession with finding a new low (yet one more thing to complain about, of course); but secretly, we seem to relish in the latest gossip about the campaign antics of the day.

I don’t know about you, but I left this past election cycle with a nasty taste in my mouth. And today,  with all the talk of protests and anger in the streets, it seems to me that there is a distinct relationship between negative talk and negative action. What are we teaching our children with all this negativity?

Peace Amidst the Storm

Which begs the question – does all this negativity bring peace?

Does complaining or negativity improve our lot one iota?

I submit that the French priest spoke for me when he said, “It take my joy.” Negativity and complaining take my joy. And I’m willing to bet they take yours too. Yet even though we know all the negativity isn’t good for us, somehow we are drawn to it. And just like any bad habit, we need to take proactive steps to make changes…

Put the Power in the Positive

I wonder what the world would be like – what our souls would be like – if each of us stopped complaining? If we filled our minds and hearts with positive messages?

It’s almost daunting to think of centering our world on the positive. But let’s see if we can do it. Let’s start small. One day. We can all do one day, can’t we?

Here are a few suggestions to get us started:

1.Be Grateful.

First and foremost, gratitude brings peace. And how can we possibly complain about something for which we are grateful? It helps to remember that everything that happens – from our alarm clock failing to go off to a burnt dinner or a messy house – is allowed by God for His good purpose. And He assures us, that, come what may, we have reason to be thankful.

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests by made known to God. -Philippians 4:5-6

2. Say less. Listen more.

Maybe it’s just me, but in order to go through a day without mentioning any of the above, I might just have to be silent. Could it be that God had our temptation toward the negative in mind when he gave us the Psalms:

Set a Guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips! -Psalm 141:3

Or Proverbs:

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. – Proverbs 17:28

Instead of focusing on things to complain about, use that silence for prayer. The more you unite yourself to Christ, the more peace you are bound to find.

3. Turn off the news.

Spend the time you gained on spiritual reading. Spiritual reading has a way of bringing peace that we cannot find in the world, perhaps because of all the negativity inherent in the culture. In my new book, How to Read Your Way to Heaven, I talk about how spiritual reading “arms us for battle:”

…the more we fill our hearts with the love of Christ, the greater the light we bring to the darkness around us. Spiritual reading arms us for all those daily battles with negativity, temptation, and sin, filling our minds, hearts, and souls with truth, building us in Christ, and strengthening us for combat. (p. 16)

4. Disengage.

If your “friends” on social media engage in negativity or if they spew cutting remarks, sarcasm, block them or log off. And even if they don’t, Lent is a good time to get rid of excess “noise” and rest in the quiet of the Lord. You might be surprised at how much time you have to reflect in gratitude on all the gifts you’ve been given if you stop comparing yourself to your neighbor.

Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

5. Avoid words like “Don’t.”

In my world, negative topics are not the only problem. Unfortunately, I even find myself saying the simplest things in a negative way. Whether telling my kids, “Don’t leave the door open” rather than saying, “Shut the door, please.” Or “Don’t eat with your mouth open, please” rather than “Chew with your mouth closed.” I heard once that when you direct your child in a negative way, it’s more difficult for them to obey because you force them to double think. First, they have to think about what you’re telling them not to do; and then they have to process the opposite; finally, they have to do the opposite. Way too much work.

6. Do something positive.

If the world is falling apart, don’t tell people about it; do your part to help put it back together. Think of that one thing that causes you the most frustration. Now do something about it.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.- Matthew 5:14-16

 

Note: Need Biblical inspiration? Check out these verses and replace all that complaining with something positive: Philippians 2:14; Ephesians 4:29; James 5:9; Numbers 11:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 10:10; Exodus 16:8; Philippians 4:11-12; Philippians 2:12-16; Isaiah 53:7; Proverbs 17:22; James 1:2-4; Colossians 3:12; Philippians 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 25:28; Colossians 3:17; Psalm 95:2-3; Colossians 2:6-7.

 

Art: Le malade imaginaire: Argan, a hypochondriac, complaining of his ailments to his nurse. ; Pen and ink drawing by L. Frölich, 1859.

Our Mission – like Saint Paul’s – is the Salvation of the World

More than daily monotony, each moment is laced with the potential to change the world by changing those whom we encounter.

by Rev. Jeff Loseke

More often than not, the Second Reading at Mass each Sunday comes from one of the letters of St. Paul.  In many ways, he is a model for us to embrace and to follow, especially 470px-DUJARDIN_Karel_St_Paul_Healing_the_Cripple_at_Lystrain our own identity as Christians, who, like Paul, never met Jesus in the flesh.  There can be no doubt that Christianity would look very differently today—if it existed at all!—without the efforts of St. Paul and his companion missionaries.  For this reason, the  Church has always regarded St. Paul as a model for evangelization and as one of the principal architects of the Church.  Saint Paul’s missionary strategy (i.e., establishing a communal identity among new believers) is precisely what the Catholic Church has always understood as “Sacred Tradition.”  Saint Paul and the other Apostles modeled their style of leadership after that of Jesus Christ and passed it on in a living Tradition.  Jesus gathered His closest followers around Himself and, for a period of about three years, established a way of life that would give them their identity as His Apostles.  He did not hand them a book of instructions; rather, He enjoined upon them a way of life, a communal identity, a Sacred Tradition.  They in turn passed it on to the next generation.

We ourselves should be very aware of this communal aspect of the Sacred Tradition, especially in the weekly ritual of Sunday Mass.  In the Church, there is an old adage: lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi.  In essence, it declares that what we pray is what we believe, and what we believe is how we live.  Ritual, belief, and way of life are intimately tied together.  I know that part of my role as a Priest is to help men and women discover who they are in Jesus Christ.  In so doing, I realize that I am helping them to be defined by their faith in God, which ought to have a concrete effect on their lives when they leave the church building.

At the end of Mass, we are instructed by the minister to go forth and to spread the Good News by the way we live our own lives.  In essence, we are sent out on mission, just like St. Paul for the salvation of the whole world.  This is certainly something we must reflect upon in our daily lives, especially in moments of difficulty or tedium.  We ought to be reminded just how important each and every opportunity is.  More than daily monotony, each moment is laced with the potential to change the world by changing those whom we encounter.  I imagine St. Paul and his companions recognized this when they chose to do very ordinary things in quite extraordinary ways, thus breathing new life into Christianity.  Why should one think that today we are any less able to have as profound an effect on the world as St. Paul did if it is the same Jesus Christ at work in all of us?  With St. Paul, we too can say, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20a).

 

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

 

Art: St Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra by Karel Dujardin, 1663 (Wikimedia Commons)

Why Stations of the Cross Should be Part of Your Lenten Journey

The Stations of the Cross are an excellent way of not only retelling the story of Jesus’ Passion but also entering into dialogue with the One who gave Himself up for our sake.

Introducing Rev. Jeff Loseke

I first heard Fr. Jeff when he was the pastor of Holy Trinity in Hartington, Nebraska. He is full of wisdom and has graciously agreed to post some of his insight for your benefit. In fact, this column marks the beginning of a weekly contribution by Father Jeff to Pelican’s Breast. Please spread the word! 

Why Stations of the Cross Should be Part of Your Lenten Journey

When one examines the four Gospels in the New Testament, one cannot help but notice that within each account the Passion narrative is the most detailed part of the entire simon_pomaga_kristusu_nositi_kriz_19-_stGospel.  In fact, the amount of space in each Gospel that is given to the three days of Jesus’ Passion (20%-30%) is inordinately disproportionate to the space given to all the preceding events that make up the other three years of His life.  This tells us just how significant Jesus’ Paschal Mystery was to the faith of the Evangelists and the early Christian communities.  More than all of His miracles, teachings, and parables, Jesus’ Passion stands out as the single most important thing He did on this earth.

The first Christians shared the account of Jesus’ Passion and death through the oral and written traditions in order to give subsequent generations the experience of being with Jesus as this great drama unfolded.  This encounter with Jesus helped to personalize the love the Savior shared with us throughout His suffering and death.  How much more important it is for us today, living some 2,000 years later, to make that personal connection with Jesus through meditation on the events that saved us.

The Stations of the Cross are an excellent way of not only retelling the story of Jesus’ Passion but also entering into dialogue with the One who gave Himself up for our sake.  The Stations allow a person to make a spiritual pilgrimage along the path of Christ’s suffering without having to travel to the Holy Land itself.  Each station hanging on the church wall marks a particular “place” on the road to Calvary where we are to move ourselves interiorly.  This interior movement is the ultimate goal of the Stations: to bring us closer to Christ and to grow in our love for Him.  Of Christ’s Twelve Apostles, only John the Beloved possessed the kind of passionate love that gave him the courage to walk the journey with the Virgin Mary alongside Jesus all the way to Calvary; the others either betrayed Him or fled in fear.  I have good memories of attending the Stations of the Cross on Friday nights with my own mother when I was young, and so I extend a special invitation to each of you, especially to you who are parents with children: Try to take part in your local parish’s commemoration of the Stations of the Cross to walk with Jesus along the journey of His Passion and, in so doing, to experience the profound love He has for us.

 

The Reverend Jeffery S. Loseke is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and is currently the pastor of  St. Charlccn_father-les Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska.  Ordained in 2000, Fr. Loseke holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome and is working to complete his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in interdisciplinary leadership through Creighton University in Omaha.  In addition to parish ministry, Fr. Loseke has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, taught high school theology and college-level philosophy, and has been a presenter for various missions, retreats, and diocesan formation days across the country.

 

Art: Simon pomaga Kristusu nositi križ; 19th Century (Wikimedia Commons)

Guest Post: Finding Your Little Way -Rhymes & Riddles and Role Models for Lent

Put some lift in your Lent by solving some riddles that point to some excellent examples of “saintly” devotion.

Paula Zwenger has a lovely way of using rhyme to bring joy and inspiration to any subject – Hopefully her guest post of rhymes and riddles will liven up your Lenten journey. Find more of Paula’s wordplay at RhymeLovingWriter.com.

Lost and Found

Have you ever arrived at what you thought would be your intended destination only to find it had moved? Perhaps a favorite store expanded into a larger space, or an office found more favorable rental terms and relocated? Surely a practical minded person would double check on a detail like this before striking out to travel any appreciable distance, wouldn’t they?

Well, maybe – or maybe not. My husband and I recently scheduled an appointment across town, approximately a forty minute drive from home. Having been to this particular location several times in the past, we confidently left plenty of time to account for possible traffic jams.

Except when we arrived, with minutes to spare, the business we sought was empty. The main sign still displayed on the outer street marquee, but the office space stood unoccupied.

Thankfully we had a simple cell phone and contact number, so quickly called the business. We learned that they relocated three weeks prior (yes, they’d mailed a notice but we’d both missed it somehow). We then used that most ancient of all devices, a paper street map, to chart our course to the new location.

Although potentially embarrassing, the experience provides fodder for reflection. In today’s age of advancing technology, there seems little need to do advance planning. You research your intended destination from home to get a drive-time estimate. As for particular turns or detours, those take care of themselves with smart phone updates as you travel.

Unless you don’t have a smart phone or app that provides that service – then what happens? How will you travel in a good direction and arrive at your desired destination? Is the newest technology necessary to make for smoothest transition between point A and point B?

Sometimes old ‘tried and true’ methods hold merit worthy of examination.

Tis’ the Season

We’ve begun again – the wonderful, penitential season of Lent, gifted to us through the wisdom of Holy Mother Church. These forty days before Easter afford time for renewal and repentance, manifested through disciplines of prayer, fast, and almsgiving.

We travel, as did our forefathers in faith – as did Jesus – through the desert. We prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the Paschal mystery and renewal of Easter promises. One step after another, we surrender to grace.

We won’t fall into developing good habits by accident. Instead of ‘business as usual’, resembling a slip into minimal awareness of our dignity as God’s chosen people, we focus with intent on all we can become, by His grace. One thing that helps focus our efforts is a plan, a road map of sorts, to provide direction.

Where there’s a Will – There’s a Way

Beyond general guidance and minimal requirements proscribed by the Church, she encourages us to choose activities which help us center ever more closely on taking up our cross and following Christ. These choices entail a certain amount of sacrifice.

Sacrifice is a personal thing. What works for one person may be inappropriate for another. What sufficed for a child no longer challenges as an adult. How do we decide each year which particular disciplines honor God at this point in our spiritual journey? Certainly, the counsel of a spiritual director or wise Christian friend helps us discern possibilities. Whether found via a search on a smart phone or within the volumes of pages published on the subject, numerous Lenten guides are available as well.

One other possibility holds promise – learning about choices made by our older brothers and sisters in faith – the Saints. Though unique to each, as is our particular call and path, we find inspiration and perhaps discipline for adaptation in their ‘tried and true’ life stories.

Five Little Ways in Rhyme

The following rhymed riddle verses hint about particular Saints and how each followed a distinct path to take up his/her cross and follow Christ. Try to puzzle out who each verse marigold_garden_pictures_and_rhymes_1910_14566514398describes. (If you get stuck, answers are listed at the very bottom of this post.)

Perhaps you’ve already determined and implemented your plan for the 2017 Lenten season. If not, maybe the footsteps of those who successfully lived lives of heroic virtue point to a new ‘little way’ of inspiration.

 

 

 

She faced an illness, then was cured; devoted to His holy Word
Her mother died at tender age, yet never against God did rage
Instead she focused all on Him, with disregard for selfish whims
She died on Holy Saturday in passion’s ecstasy displayed
From Lucca was her hailing place; accomplished all through God’s own grace
“Daughter of Passion” once was known – surrendered life to build His throne
A victim soul, for all repents – now known as patron of students
Christ’s Passion did become her all – she answered Him with Love’s own call

~~~~

This man became a priest though weak, His served the Lord in all ways meek
Though Satan often battered him, His faith in God would never dim
He’s known for gift of ‘reading souls’, confessing hours on end untold
He’d bi-locate and counsel give, to souls in need so they could live
Though Rome showed care in early days, to sanctity his cause was raised
The stigmata his sign to bear; with other crosses hidden there
A hospital was built nearby to help the poor to heal or die
His motto – it is said to be : was ”Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry”

~~~~

A powerhouse of Godly strength, this woman’s life of shortened length
Mere years of thirty-three she spent, yet nearly all showed heaven’s bent
From tender age she vowed so pure to live for God alone, so sure
was she about this calling true; it focused all she chose to do
Though born a twin, her sister died in infancy, but she survived
Her writings now, prolific then; give stir to hearts of many men
She counseled popes; she served the ill; She’s known for her persuasive skill
Dominican and mystic both, to Jesus Christ she was betrothed

~~~~

Next comes a man, from France he hailed; a holy man thought sometimes frail
His Latin teacher had a chore to help him reach some passing scores
Yet holiness and love for God were central to the way he trod
Though drafted for the army range he never served for reasons strange
Then after war and amnesty he finished up seminary
Then sent to a small town to preach; his heart for all set him to teach
So many came – forgiveness sought; in confession God’s graces wrought
We celebrate his August feast; and hold him patron for our priests

~~~~

This final riddle of a saint tells of a person some found quaint
Yet as a child so sensitive, her youngest years were tough to live
Her mother died, some siblings too, though older sister helped her through
Her Mom made lace, the best around, her father’s work with watch renowned
She often struggled as a child, to find a way so meek and mild
She even asked the Pope to give permission so as nun she’d live
He said to wait, and so she did; but soon enough she would be bid
to join Franciscans, as was planned; though short, her time with them was grand

~~~~

So think on these, some ‘little ways’, which could become your own one day. 
A life inspires if lived full well – and every life a tale can tell.
Will ours unfold as holy too? Let’s pray for Love to see it through.
We’ll pray and live as Saints have done – the cross of God’s redeeming Son.

 

 

Answers:

St. Gemma Galgani
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Catherine of Siena
St. John Marie Vianney
St. Therese of Lisieux

 

Art: Marigold garden; pictures and rhymes  Greenaway, Kate

This Year – Give Dandelions to God

Whatever you offer to God this Lent, may you present it with all the awkward generosity, sincere devotion and loving desire of a child.

There is something precious about a three-year-old presenting his mother with a bouquet of dandelions. No matter that the flowers handed over are a crushed and virtually the_fountain_-_with_jets_of_new_meanings_1870_14595484249unrecognizable sweaty clump of weeds. There is a sacred element to the gift as a result, not of its quality, but of the depth of the child’s desire to please. That desire is evident in the exuberant bounce of the step, the excited thrust of the gift into her open palms, the devoted gaze and the joyful anticipation of mother’s reaction as she receives such a loving gesture.

When we think about Lent, doesn’t it seem likely that this is what God desires for us as we approach this sacred season? For our own sakes, He doesn’t want  us to approach Lent with a show of indifference, where we give up something like caster oil or spinach and call it good.  On the other hand, He isn’t looking for heavy sighs and feigned martyrdom when we consider what we’d like to offer God this year. He doesn’t want us to spend the next 40 days trudging from here to there with gritted teeth, downtrodden expressions, sunken eyes and never-ending groans of agony until Easter morning. That said, He also isn’t looking for us to beat ourselves up because we commit to a mountain of resolutions and then fall short.

He wants the simple but joyful sacrifice of a child. More than anything, He is looking for the genuine desire to give what we have to Our Lord for his pleasure.

Lent is a call for penance, fasting and abstinence. Not for His sake, but for our sake. Just as a grateful and generous child grows in virtue in the very act of giving, Christians develop virtue and grow in holiness when they generously offer penance, fasting and abstinence as loving gestures in order to please God; not merely to fulfill an obligation.

It is no coincidence that Lent falls shortly after we celebrate the greatest gift of all time – the gift of the Incarnation, wherein God condescended to become Man in order to lead us to Himself. What is Christmas but the beautiful celebration wherein Christ offers himself as a gift for all mankind. According to Jean Danielou, S.J. in The Angels and Their Mission,

The true mystery of the Nativity is the self-abasement of the divine Person of the Word, a “little lower than angels” (Hebrews 2:7), p. 41.

Webster’s Dictionary defines self-abasement as “voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrong-doing. Synonyms are “self-mortification, penance.”

From the moment of the incarnation, Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice. Lent, in a very special way, calls us to a new springtime of union with Him. A union wherein we cooperate in His sacrifice by giving of ourselves.  Where in all weakness and humility, we try to offer back to the God who has given so much to us. By His example and through His grace, we are able to offer our own self-mortification and penance. During Lent, we are given an opportunity to sacrifice.

What does it mean to sacrifice? Saint Teresa of Calcutta said it best:

“A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves.”

These are words we should keep in mind as we approach Lent.

But there is a difference between emptying ourselves, and letting everyone know the cost of the emptying. Lent is about offering gifts to God. As is evident when we gaze upon a crucifix, the greatest gifts often come at the greatest cost. But when we offer ourselves and our gifts in love, we don’t count the cost.

When one loves, one does not calculate – St. Therese of Lisieux

Have you ever received a gift from a reluctant giver? Or from a giver who goes on and on about the cost or challenge in obtaining or sharing the gift? More often than not, most of us would rather that person had kept his gift than that he bemoan the difficulties sustained in its presentation.

Lenten resolutions bemoaned and endured turn us into victims. Resolutions offered in love, no matter the cost, are called sacrifices. Through a willingness to carry our crosses, we unite ourselves to Christ on His Cross. By eagerly giving of ourselves, our offering becomes united to His Offering. Our love is united to His Love. Our sacrifice is united to His Sacrifice.

Imagine the reaction when we run to God with our gifts, no matter how small they may be? Imagine His joy when we thrust them into His wounded palms, His pride at our humble willingness to look like fools for God – that our desire to give far outweighs our desire for perfection. Our desire to look good. Our desire to win.

Whatever you offer to God this Lent, may you present it with all the awkward generosity, sincere devotion and loving desire of a child.

 

 

 

 

 

Artwork: from The Fountain: with Jets of New Meaning, 1870