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!

Warm Up to New Friends!

Just a quick reminder that we will celebrate Mass this Saturday (2/19) at 5:00pm at Wood Dale Community Church at 206 N Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL.  We have a core group that joins us every time we celebrate.  I would like to invite you to consider becoming a regular attendee, if you’re not already.

The blizzard has melted, thank God!  Now is the time to warm up our hearts, souls, and bodies with the grace of Eucharistic celebration in the company of new friends.  Please join us if you can!

As usual, a group of us will go out for dinner together after Mass.  Join us for that, too!

Candlemas

This Saturday, February 5, we will celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (we are transposing the feast from Feb. 2).  This feast is also known as Candlemas, because it is traditional to bless candles on this day.  This tradition comes from the idea that Christ, the Light of the World, was brought into the Temple on this day.  It is also the traditional end of the Christmas Season.  In honor of this we will bless, and give as gifts, candles for use in church and at home.  You are also invited to bring other candles from home to be blessed.  Please join us!

Mass will again be celebrated at Wood Dale Community Church – 206 N Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL at

5:00pm on Saturday, February 5, 2011.

The symbolism of the candles is described by Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB, in his “Liturgical Year”:

The mystery of today’s ceremony has frequently been explained by liturgists, dating from the 7th century. According to Ivo of Chartres, the wax, which is formed from the juice of flowers by the bee, always considered as the emblem of virginity, signifies the virginal flesh of the Divine Infant, who diminished not, either by His conception or His birth, the spotless purity of His Blessed Mother. The same holy bishop would have us see, in the flame of our Candle, a symbol of Jesus who came to enlighten our darkness. St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking on the same mystery, bids us consider three things in the blessed Candle: the wax, the wick, and the flame. The wax, he says, which is the production of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord; the wick, which is within, is His Soul; the flame, which burns on top, is His divinity.

By Another Way

The Magi have returned home by another way.  We have reached that part of the Christmas Season where most of the decorations have been put away.  The lights no longer burn so colorfully, and the party-wear and gifts are back in their places.  It is so easy for the winter doldrums to set in as the cold continues and the snow builds.

Today I passed a church sign that reads, “We are open between Christmas and Easter!”  While it sounds pretty cynical, the message should not be lost on us.  We need the support of regular gathering as a community to give thanks and remind ourselves of the role of the Spirit in our lives.  The Magi’s star may have faded and the festivities of Christmas may be over, but we need to drink in the message of Christmas still.  In our faith community, we hold to the old tradition of keeping the Christmas Season alive until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord.

We are “another way” to be Catholic.  But we know that we need the tradition of 2000 years to help us on our way Home.  Won’t you consider joining us as we worship, give thanks, and celebrate our faith?  We will have our next public Eucharist -

Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 5pm at

206 N Wood Dale Rd., Wood Dale, IL 60191

What are you doing, O Magi, what are you doing?

“O Magi, are you worshipping a suckling child in a shabby hovel, in shabby rags? Surely ‘God is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven’, and are you looking for him in a shabby stable, in his mother’s lap?  What are you doing offering gold?  Is he then a king? And where is the royal palace, where is the throne, where the crowd of royal courtiers?  What has made these wise men so foolish as to worship a child as contemptible for his age as for the poverty of his family?

They became foolish so that they might become wise.”  Sermon on the Lord’s Epiphany – St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Wisdom – foolishness – worship – farce … yes, our world is filled with dichotomies.  But are the dichotomies real?  Do we try to make the world too black and white?  It has been said that maturity lies in being comfortable with the various shades of gray that make up true reality.  I believe that the manifestations celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany point out that life is simpler than we make it out to be, if we just take a moment to understand.

On Epiphany we remember the visit of the Magi to the Christ child; the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan; and, the miracle at the wedding at Cana.  We have pagan star gazers worshipping a homeless baby, a sinless One enacting a ritual of reconciliation, and a Messiah’s first miracle helping out a less than skilled wedding planner!  Each event is puzzling on its face, but each reveals (manifests) who our God is and who we are meant to be.  The wise ones from the East become foolish (take a risk) in order to seek true Wisdom.  Jesus, stepping out of the “hidden years,” humbles himself before God and man and receives the seal of approval from the Heavens and is called “My Beloved Son.” Christ surrrounded by his new disciples uses a miracle not to garner political power, but to help a friend show hospitality to his guests.  All three situations manifest an attitude of vulnerability, openess, and concern for others.

As we work our way through these winter days and bask in the memories of holiday celebrations, let us take time to quietly understand that life can be simple – we can be gentle with each other – and so many are urgently waiting for us to offer the warmth of our hearts and homes to a hectic world.  Epiphany blessings on all!

Christ Was / Is / Will Be Here.

The season of Advent is usually thought of as a time of expectation.  Indeed, most of us are preparing for our celebrations of Christmas.  We are engulfed in a torrent of activity – gift buying, decorating, parties, etc.  We light our Advent wreath candles and open our Advent calendar windows counting down the time to the Big Day.  And yet, the message of Advent is not “Get Ready!” – the true message of Advent is “Live!“

Christ has already come!  Christ is here!  Christ will be wherever we bring Christ! The star has already shone, the Sermon has already been given, the Last Supper eaten, the rock rolled away, and the Apostles have already spoken for all to understand.  Christ is with us and asks that we slow down, pay attention to the Spirit, and live Christ in our lives.

Advent doesn’t mean ‘expectation.’  Advent does mean ‘arrival.’  We must live out the arrival of Christ in our world.  We must take the time to quietly tune in to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, so that we can become the gift to the world that God, the Creator lives to give.  This Advent let’s take time to see the star that already shines; the gift already given; and be the love that lights up the world!

Let’s prepare for Christmas together!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, decorating is at least well underway – in the hubbub of Christmas preparations here is an opportunity to come together in prayer and remember the reason for the Season.  I want to personally invite each of you to come and celebrate Mass with us.  We are having our next Mass this coming Saturday (12/4/10) at 5:00pm!  This will open our celebration of Advent, a time when we anticipate the coming of Christ.    We would love to have you join us!

We are also happy to announce that we will expand our Mass schedule to twice a month.  Usually it will be on the first and third Saturdays of the month (January will be an exception – 1/8/11 and 1/22/11).  Would you please consider joining us for Mass?  Invite your friends!

Here are the specifics:

Where:  Wood Dale Community Church, 206 N. Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL

When: Saturday, December 4, 2010

Time: 5:00 PM

After: All are also welcome to join us for dinner at a local restaurant.

A collection will be taken to help support the ministry to the hungry and homeless sponsored by Wood Dale Community Church.  We are looking forward to seeing you there.  And if this Saturday doesn’t work for you, please join us when you can.  May God grant you a holy and peace filled Advent!

In Christ,

+David

Bishop of the Free Catholic Diocese of the Epiphany

Will You Be A Saint With Us?

Calling All Saints!

Remember, Saint Paul says we are all saints!

I want to personally invite each of you to come and celebrate Mass with us.  We are having our next Mass this coming Saturday (11/6/10) at 5:00pm!  This will be our celebration of All Saints and All Souls. Please email me the names of all your deceased loved ones, so that we can include them in a Book of Remembrance.  We have been supported by so many who have preceded us in death, it is a privilege to pray for and with them!

Once again, due to the great hospitality of our friends at Wood Dale Community Methodist Church, we have a beautiful and convenient space to use for our worship on the first Saturday of every month.  I would very much like to see this schedule grow, but we are trying to gather some momentum first.  We have had a great start in our first months, but we would love to have even more of our friends attend.  Would you please consider joining us for Mass?  Invite your friends!

Here are the specifics:

Where:  Wood Dale Community Church, 206 N. Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL

When: Saturday, November 6, 2010

Time: 5:00 PM

After: We are inviting all who would like to join us for a “thanksgiving dinner” at a local restaurant.

A collection will be taken to help support the ministry to the homeless sponsored by Wood Dale Community Church.  We are looking forward to seeing you there.  And if this Saturday doesn’t work for you, please mark the future first Saturdays of each month for Mass.  May God grant you abundant blessings always!

In Christ,

+David

Bishop David (Sean) Cronan
Diocese of the Epiphany

Will You Join Us?

I want to invite everyone, especially those in the Chicagoland area, to come and celebrate Mass with us.  We are having our next Mass this coming Saturday (10/2/10) at 5:00pm!  Once again, due to the great hospitality of our friends at Wood Dale Community Methodist Church, we have a beautiful and convenient space to use for our worship on the first Saturday of every month.  I would very much like to see this schedule grow, but we are trying to gather some momentum first.  Last month was a great start, but we would love to have even more of our friends attend.  Would you please consider joining us for Mass?  Invite your friends!
 
Here are the specifics:
 
Where:  Wood Dale Community Church, 206 N. Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL
 
When: Saturday, October 2, 2010
 
Time: 5:00 PM
 
After: Bob and I are having a Pot Luck dinner at our house for anyone interested in continuing the fun after Mass.  Call for info 847-347-0559.
 
A collection will be taken to help support the ministry to the homeless sponsored by Wood Dale Community Church.  We are looking forward to seeing you there.  And if this Saturday doesn’t work for you, please mark the future first Saturdays of each month for Mass.  May God grant you abundant blessings always!

How Will They Know?

Each time I go to officiate at a wedding, I am generally surrounded by people that know nothing about the Free (or Old or Independent or anything other than the Roman) Catholic Church.  Many people have questions.  Some of those people actually approach me and ask questions.  But I know that many more avoid asking unless they are “unfortunate” enough to sit next to me at table or find themselves standing next to me in need of a topic of conversation.  So how will they know about us?  How will more and more people learn that there is another way to be Catholic?  These are some of the questions that are on my mind these days.

This blog is one effort at sharing the news.  Recently, I have started trying to get our faith community, and this blog, listed on various directories of places of worship.  Those conversations at weddings are important for spreading knowledge of who we are and what we offer.  However, we really don’t have the funds to do any direct advertising.  And, while I’m going to try to put together a press release for local newspapers, I suspect that there are better ways to let the world know that we are here.

I believe that there are two ways that will outshine all the other methods of communication.  First, each of us involved or associated with the movement in any way, needs to talk up this expression of Christianity at every opportunity.  We must all commit ourselves to the missionary spirit that has imbued so many of the saints throughout time.  People will be more likely to “try us out” if they know someone involved, or at least have heard first hand from someone they know that this is a good thing – a gift from God! 

Secondly, taking our cue from the old song, “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love,” we must demonstrate out commitment to love and service.  We must take on activities that express our Christian Catholic love to the greater community in which we live.  We need to be involved in an apostolate that is bigger than traditional worship.  We must participate in the liturgy of the world!  Each local community, or even small groups within the local community, needs to identify an action area in which to become involved.

Love is only truly known as authentic when the speaking of it is matched by the concrete expression of it.  Coming to Mass, our regular liturgy, is only a start.  We are called by Christ to be bearers of love to the wholw world.  As the wealthy Magi brought their gifts to the poor Holy Family, we are commisioned in Baptism to bring our gifts and talents to those in need.  We need not travel far to find these opportunities, they are often just outside our doorsteps.

How will they know?  They will know only if we tell them and show them.  St. Francis is often quoted as saying, “Preach the Gospel always; use words only if necessary.”  In today’s age of multimedia, we must use every vehicle of communication available, but still, most importantly, action!  How will you let them know?