Nativity: Scene or Showcase?

This Advent Season I have been directed several times to a site that shows a growing number of rather absurd nativity scenes (http://whyismarko.com/2011/27-worst-nativity-sets-the-annual-growing-list/).  I have always preferred a realistic portrayal of our Lord’s Nativity.  Clearly, there are other artistic preferences out there.  As a child I remember being absolutely fascinated by the elaborate display of an antique Neapolitan nativity set at Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, CT (a monastery of Benedictine nuns).  While the Italianate setting and style of that set was anything but realistic, the colors, shapes, and vast array of figures enticed me to want to climb into the display and play as if they were toy soldiers.  My hometown of Waterbury, CT used to have a nativity display that depicted the whole town of Bethlehem that also captured my imagination.  Of course there are others who like more folksy presentations of the nativity, and still others who prefer nativities that are more ethnically or racially representational of their owners.  In fact, there seem to be no limits on the various ways the Nativity of Christ has been depicted.

From the silly to the sublime, the truly important thing is that there are depictions of Christ’s birth at all.  Each nativity set (from the one made out of bacon and sausage to the museum masterpiece) by its very existence cries out the joyous news that our God became one of us!  Our God took on flesh and blood and walked among us!  Each of us may have our own image of Christ Jesus, but it doesn’t change the reality that Jesus was born, lived and worked among us in time and space.

All of creation is sanctified, is redeemed, by the birth of our Savior.  That birth was only possible through the cooperation of Mary and the protection of Joseph.  This holiday reminds us that we, too, are called to give birth to Christ in all that we do.  We are walking tabernacles delivering Christ in today’s time and space.  Each of us, as varied as the different styles of nativities, in our own way and in our own space and time are “mothers of Christ” bringing salvation to all around us.

We can marvel at the richness of the nativity sets that have been produced.  Art is certainly meant to be admired.  But art is also meant to inspire.  The original nativity was a humble scene.  The true message of the nativity is not meant to be showcased, but it is meant to be lived out.  We are meant to “make a scene,” literally.  The cable channel, Showtime, is currently airing a Christmas movie entitled, “Nativity!”  Watch it, if you can.  It shows how “making a scene” out of the nativity story brings the spirit of Christ back to the centuries old story.  So go and do it!  Make a scene for Christmas!  Bring Christ to your corner of the world this Christmas Season.

May you and yours enjoy the fullness of the blessings of Christ’s birth, now and always.  May God bless you, the +Father, the +Son, and the +Holy Spirit. Amen.

All Saints and All Souls

At one point or another, we all reach the moment where we say, “I just can’t do this alone!”  What a blessed moment that is! It is a moment of truth and enlightenment.  Truly, we cannot do life alone.  That is the central message of the celebrations of All Saints and All Souls Days.  In fact, that is the central message of Christianity.  We cannot do life alone and neither does God want us to try.  So deeply does God not want us to try to do life alone, that our Creator sent the Only Begotten One as Christ Jesus to proclaim by word and deed that we are not left alone to our own devices in this life or the next.  We are always in the company of God’s Spirit.  And, the Holy Spirit always whispers the presence of the entire Body of Christ in all that she does.

We are connected with all of created humanity in ways we can only begin to guess at.  Time and space pale in the face of the great Body of Christ.  All the noble heroes, all the unsung unknowns, and all those in between are connected to us by the love of God.  And that connection is more than just a relatedness, it contains a dynamic energy, care, and concern.  For Christians, the dead live on  much more than simply in the memories of those left behind.  We believe that those who have passed on to the next life are active, creative, caring, and even more dynamic than when they shared this planet with us.  The great Cloud of Witnesses does much more than just watch – they witness to the love of God in which they live!  Their witness is an active, working furnace of devotion to us, to God, and to all God’s creation.

We are called to be part of this dynamic force of care and devotion.  We are invited to communicate with them, to seek their assistance, and to offer our care, prayers, and help to those who may still be in need of us.  Until each of us comes to our own day of passage to the next world, we will not know exactly how the after-life operates.  Neither should we waste much time trying to speculate about what it’s like in Heaven (or, even Purgatory!).  But we can be sure of one thing; we are not alone.  We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses because God does not want us to be alone.  God does not want us to try to do life alone.  God does not want us to leave the dead alone.  We are meant to be together, to live and breath the life of God’s Spirit through all of creation, praising the magnificence of all of which we are a part.

This Saturday, Nov. 5 at 5:00pm we will gather to celebrate liturgically all the members of the Body of Christ: those past, present, and yet to come.  Would you please consider celebrating with us?

Bishop Mary Ann, Rest In Peace

Earlier today (October 8, 2011) surrounded by friends and holding the hand of Abbot Bishop Brian Brown, Bishop Mary Ann Croisant passed into eternal life.  Bishop Mary Ann had been in ill health for some time and spent her last days in a hospice center.  Quite apropos to her life, Mary Ann was as much a minister at hospice as she was being ministered to.  After having spent many years in Chicago, Mary Ann had in recent years moved to Ashville, NC.

Bishop Mary Ann began her faith life as an Episcopalian and even studied for the priesthood at Seabury Seminary in Chicago.  However, before ordination she discovered that a disconnect had developed between her sense of faith and that of the religion that had nurtured her for so long.  She turned to the independent catholic church movement and was ordained a deacon and then a priest.  After years of searching and having been instrumental in founding several different social justice ministries, Mary Ann turned to Abbot Bishop Brian Brown for her final faith home, Christ’s Catholic Church.  On April 18, 2009, Mary Ann Croisant was consecrated bishop for the Diocese of The Road to Emmaus with Abbot Bishop Brian Brown as the Principal Consecrator (both pictured above).  As her residence was in Chicago at the time, that became the seat of the diocese.  Her ministries there included “the Open Cathedral,” a program for feeding the hungry and homeless in Chicago’s Loop, and a cooperative of knitters who produced hundreds of hats and gloves for needy Chicago children.  During that time a diocesan blog was initiated as another form of outreach and several home Masses were celebrated at the home of Fr. David Cronan.  In the fall of 2009, she was elected to be one of the three Convening Bishops of Christ’s Catholic Church, a position she has held until her passing.

In 2010, Bishop Mary Ann moved to the South for family reasons and the Diocese of the Road to Emmaus “travelled” with her eventually ending up in Ashville, NC.  It was Bishop Mary Ann’s move that prompted the beginning of this the diocese.  Mary Ann nominated Fr. David Cronan as the bishop-elect of a new diocese to be formed in the Chicagoland area that became the Diocese of the Epiphany. 

While plagued with failing health for many years, Bishop Mary Ann touched the hearts and lives of people wherever she was and however she could serve.  In her bio on Christ’s Catholic Church’s website, Mary Ann cites the following as her guiding light: “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” MICAH 6:8 NRSV   Those of us who knew her couldn’t agree more.  We will miss her in so many ways.  Please join us in praying for the repose of her soul.  And rejoice with us as we celebrate other saint in the great Cloud of Witnesses who stands ready to support and assist us.  Mary Ann, rest in peace!

A New Symbol for Us

The Catholic tradition stands on the power of symbols.  Our sacraments, the very vehicles through which we most powerfully encounter our God, are built on the concrete symbols of everyday life.  We live in the physical world and we understand even the deepest realities of life through analogy and reference to tangible elements.

In light of this, today the Free Catholic Diocese of the Epiphany adopts a seal to represent the ideals and aspirations of our church community.  The seal follows some of the traditional elements of heraldry that many diocesan seals have used through the centuries.  The center-piece of the seal are the elements contained in the shield of the design.  The ship marked with a cross has been used as a symbol of the Church since early Christian times.  The ship is a place of refuge from the stormy waters and also a vehicle to assist in the pilgrimage of life.  The star of the Epiphany (our diocesan namesake) leads the way of this ship’s voyage.  And the crescent moon reminds us of the Church as the reflected light of God.  The Epiphany star can also be seen as an exalted cross and the crescent moon is reminiscent of a chalice (each symbol representing the masculine and feminine aspects of religion and spirituality).  These elements are surrounded by traditional diocesan elements of heraldry.  The miter and crosier are symbols not only of a bishop but of the diocese the bishop serves.  The key represents our community’s sharing in the power of forgiveness and teaching that Christ gave to the first Apostles.

Lastly, the motto, “Duc in Altum” comes from Christ’s command in Luke 5:4 – “Put out to deeper waters!”  We are encouraged, no, commanded to look deeper, go further.  All in our community started somewhere else on our journey of faith, together we are choosing to go out further, in deeper waters, with this new vessel – with this new set of pilgrims, to find that to which the Epiphany Star points us.

Why not put out to deeper waters with us this weekend?  We will gather for our Eucharistic celebration this Saturday (10/1) at 5:00 pm.  You are very welcome.  Join our voyage!

Emerging from the Fog

The fog became more and more dense as I drove into Chicago this morning.  The gloom of the morning grew as the trip wore on.  Then for one brief moment at a stop light I glimpsed to my side and saw the top of the Willis tower gleaming through the dense pillows of fog.  No sooner did the light change and the beauty of the moment was gone. As I moved on with traffic and my perspective changed, the view became more mundane and soon I was in the office.

This summer has been a bit of a fog for me.  Being one who is not too fond of summer weather, compounded by a very busy work load, most of the past few months have been kind of a blur.  There have been some high points – moments of beauty.  I was honored to witness several weddings this summer.  These are always great sources of joy for me – fun celebrations, opportunities to meet the couples’ families and friends from all over the country.  They are truly blessed events and perhaps more new friends from these events will come to join us in Wood Dale for Eucharist.

Eucharist can easily be a moment ‘emerging from the fog.’  It is a short period of time we take to look up in the midst of our commute through life.  It is a moment of celebration during the heat of daily rounds.  It is hope for a better future and a reminder to continue looking for a clearing in the fog.

We have fiddled with our schedule all summer long.  Now we hope to get back to our predictable routine of meeting on the first and third Saturdays of each month.  This Saturday (9/24) should be our last “off schedule” gathering.  If you can, please consider joining us as we all emerge from the fog and gaze at the glory of God!

Playing with the Schedule

As Spring quickly turns into Summer here in Illinois, we are adjusting our Mass schedule to accommodate our needs and those of our hosts.  So here it is – the new May schedule:

Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011

Please do your best to join us!  We all need the support – of each other, of the quiet time, and of the Sacrament!  June dates also are being adjusted, so please mark your calendars!  Our June dates are:

Saturday, June 4, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011

If you are not a regular attendee, it’s always a good idea to call me if you want to make sure about the details of a particular Mass time.  We do look forward to seeing you at our gatherings!  Let’s continue to celebrate the Risen Christ!

Easter Musings

My excuse for not writing in April and the basis of this reflection are one and the same.  In this joyous season of Easter there are countless themes to reflect on and endless images to reflect the reality of resurrection.  This Easter has been especially powerful for me as a result of two very foundational concerns – life and death – my own!

Less than four weeks ago I experienced first-hand a taste of my mortality.  My Holy Week and Easter-tide have been a celebration of life, love, and resurrection in a way I never would have expected as I wrote my last entry here.  A routine set of medical tests revealed that I was dangerously close to a life threatening event.  Only immediate care saved me from dire circumstances.  As I waited a few short hours until doctors would enter my body with tiny instruments and manipulate the danger zone, I was quickly slapped in the face with the sting of my own mortality.  Life taken loosely for granted, became life firmly held onto and cherished.  How quickly the importance of the presence (and absence) of loved ones became vitally important!  How earnestly did I watch the pained faces and hear the concerned voices of those who cared.  How preciously did I value each moment, each hand-hold, each kiss.  The grayscale of everyday life all at once burst into technicolor and no detail was unimportant or unnoticed.

The medical attention was successful and recovery has been complete.  Aside from some needed lifestyle changes and the help of modern medicine, most of the rhythms of my day-to-day life have returned to “normal.”  And yet, normal now includes the memory of those critical hours and the love that followed.  The outpouring of concern, the follow-up calls, the constant inquiries into my moment-to-moment well being, I can never forget.

Life has come more clearly into focus.  The many ways that God reached out to me in love through his faithful people – my love, my family and friends, helped me to experience Holy Week and Easter in a new and more personal way.  A reminder of mortality has also become a reminder of the immense love that surrounds me and everyone.  The Easter message became for me a reminder to reflect, to magnify, and to share the love that I have been given.  The “new life” I was given must be given to all those who have yet to experience it.  Oh yes, we are an Easter people … and alleluia is our song!  I give thanks to all of you for your love, your faith, and your gifts.  “I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:4).  I give thanks to God for all God has given me.  I sing today the Easter Alleluia a little louder this year and hope you do the same!  Easter blessings be upon you, now and always!!!

You anoint my head with oil …

This coming weekend at Mass we will hear the story of young David being anointed (marked and chosen) with oil by Samuel, the prophet, signifying David’s designation by God as the person to be the next king of Israel.  David becomes one of the major figures of the Old Testament and an ancestor of Jesus.  In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of people being anointed and going on to do great things.

What about you and I?  We, too, have been anointed with the “oil of gladness.”  We are anointed at Baptism and again at our Confirmation.  Those of us in Orders were also anointed during those sacraments as well.  The prayer used to consecrate the Chrism Oil used in these sacraments says:

“And so Father, we ask You to bless ✟ this oil You have created. Fill it with the power of Your Holy Spirit through Christ Your Son. It is from Him that chrism takes its name, and with chrism You have anointed for Yourself priests and kings, prophets and martyrs.”

Through our sacramental anointings each of us is called to share in these roles of Christ  – the roles of priest, king, prophet, and martyr.

As priests, we have the duty to pray on behalf of others and to bring others to God.  As kings, we must be leaders on behalf of goodness and righteousness.  As prophets, we have the responsibility to listen to, and then speak out, the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  And, as martyrs, through Christ’s example, we are taught to spend ourselves in service to others.  These are awesome responsibilities, but Lent is here to remind us that we are up to the task.

Through the anointings at Baptism and Confirmation, we are reminded that we are given the Holy Spirit to inspire and lead us in the roles given to us.  We are not only marked with the oil of Christ, we are incorporated into the very life of Christ – we are part of the Body of Christ.  Each has been marked with the “oil of gladness” and as a result:

“… my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.”        Psalm 23

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

As one who comes from Irish stock, I cannot refrain from celebrating the great apostle and missionary of Ireland.  As a Christian, I look to his inspiring story of faith overcoming suffering.  As a priest, I hope to emulate his life of service.  As a bishop, I pray for his guidance and support as we work together to build up the Body of Christ, the Church.

Our diocese belongs to Christ’s Catholic Church which has roots in Celtic heritage.  As such, March 17 is considered a major liturgical Feast as well as a day of pride of heritage and celebration.  Just as Ireland is a land divided, so too, is our Church.  On this holy day, we pray for a greater sense of unity within faith and creation.

We also pray for those who are suffering through the effects of natural disasters.  We will gather once again this Saturday for Eucharist.  Won’t you join us as we bring all our hopes, aspirations, prayers, and concerns to prayer?  We celebrate life, we celebrate faith, we celebrate our life in Christ Jesus.  Please, come join us and share our celebration.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Holy Apostle of the Irish, pray for us!

Lent – Stop, Look, and Listen!

Do you feel like your life is a train wreck?  Are you bogged down with things to do and not enough time to do them?  Are you ready to scream?

STOP, LOOK and LISTEN is the message of Lent!  We live in a society that encourages us constantly to do more things, want more things, and make NOISE, NOISE, NOISE!!!

The Gospels tell us that Jesus walked into the desert alone and left his family, friends, and society for 40 days.  This Lent why not follow the example of Christ and walk away and let go.  No, most of us can’t walk away from our jobs and there are true responsibilities that we must fulfill.  However, Lent is an opportunity for each of us to look at our life and sift out the unnecessary.  We are called to focus on the necessary, the core of our existence.  The only way we can do that is to give ourselves time and space for reflection – enter our own desert; we need to follow the advice of the signs at railroad crossings – Stop, Look, and Listen.

The traditional practices of Lent are Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.  Each of these is aimed at helping us to let go.  Prayer is the time and space we give to ourselves and God.  It is following the railroad directions: Stop, Look, and Listen.  It is also the opportunity to look at what might be unnecessarily bogging us down – keeping us from being truly free to love.  Fasting is the practice by which we remind ourselves that only a few things are truly necessary.  We don’t really need meat, candy, soda, liquor, or whatever we can “give up for Lent.”  These things aren’t necessarily bad, but they aren’t necessary either.  Do they keep us from doing the right thing or do they keep us from being the best person we can be?  Do they keep us from giving of ourselves to others?  Almsgiving is our practical reminder that love means giving of ourselves and of our treasures to others.  Christian love is measured by how much we give and how gracefully we give it!  We know that we are loved because God gave us Christ Jesus.  God gave and continues to give to us.

We are given Lent to stop, look, and listen to the gifts God has given us, so that we can follow the example of giving.  As we follow Christ into the desert, let us also follow Christ in giving ourselves in love to those around us.  We are meant to be the light in the darkness, proclaimers of the Good News of Salvation.  We are meant to be miracle workers in a world where there are too many train wrecks!