April 30, 2007 - 26 days until ordination

Today is the last day of April. Tomorrow we enter into the very month of my ordination. May is traditionally a Marian month. Mother's Day is within this month as is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 31st of May. Maybe more importantly is that May is the month when nearly all the ordinations to the priesthood, including mine, take place. Priests tend to have a special devotion to Mary. She is the Mother of Christ and we, acting in the Person of Christ, become her sons as well. Mary is an ideal example for the priest. She said yes to God's call for her to devote her live in service to God just as priests devote our lives to the service of God. She taught Jesus, loved him and watched over him. We ask her to do the same for us: to teach us how to draw closer to her Son, to love us with the love of a Heavenly Mother and to watch over us.

Mary was there when Jesus began his ministry at Cana. She was with him during his ministry as we see in various passages of the Gospels. She watched with love and compassion as he carried his Cross. She held his lifeless body when he was taken down from the Cross. She was there when he rose to new life. How could a priest not have a devotion to her.

Mary is present throughout the life of a priest if we just turn to her. She is there when we begin our ministry as often the priest asks for a Marian hymn to be sung at their First Mass (as these thoughts run through my head I think of my sister, Becky, who I asked to sing a Marian hymn at my First Mass. She hasn't revealed which hymn she will sing, but I just hope it isn't Mary had a little lamb!!!). We pray to her throughout our ministry, especially praying the Rosary for the needs and requests of our people. When we have crosses to carry - burdens in our life that all priests face - we can see her with us, loving us and having compassion for us. We turn and ask her to embrace us in our times of struggle when we feel helpless or lifeless. We rejoice in praise and thanksgiving for new life - baptisms, marriages and other joyous events within the Church. The devotion to Mary, for a priest, is not simply a prayer to someone in heaven...it is our calling out to our Heavenly Mother, the mother of Christ, in our joy, sorrow, struggle and grief of being a priest of Jesus Christ.

God is great...all the time. All the time...God is great. Until tomorrow...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 15:12 | link | comments |
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April 29, 2007: Fourth Sunday of Easter - 27 days until ordination

I am at the Cathedral Basilica for the weekend. Simply being at the parish is enjoyable for me, but in these last couple of weeks of my ministry here I find even greater joy and anticipation. I see that this is what awaits me as a priest. I join the faithful in prayer, I reveal Jesus Christ himself in the Blessed Sacrament for adoration by the people. I assist at a baptism bringing a young soul into the Church for Christ. I serve as the deacon at the Mass watching the priest change simply bread and wine into the True and Real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. I assist at a Confirmation when the Holy Spirit strengthens these young adults to be full members of the Church. I even assist at a funeral when we commit the soul of one of God's faithful into His caring hands.

How can these glorious and awe-inspiring activities not fill me with a passion for ordination. They drive me and inflame me with the desire to embrace the sacerdotal priesthood. They confirm my call to serve God as a priest forever.

God is great...all the time. All the time...God is great. Until tomorrow...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 13:56 | link | comments (1) |
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April 27, 2007 - 29 days until ordination

I realized this morning that in just four Fridays from now I will spend my last day as a simple ordained deacon. That next day, by God's grace and te calling of the Holy Spirit I will enter the sacradotal priesthood forever configured as a servant of the people of God. That is such an overwhelming thought that it is almost unfathomable. Simply trying to wrap one's mind around such a mystery can drive one insane. On the other hand, I must recognize the reality of what will happen. It is only when I realize the immensity of this that I am able to realize that only through the grace of God can I embrace this life.

I know that everybody has a moment in their life when they realize the immensity of what they are about to do. A couple, when preparing for their marriage, come to a point where they realize that they are giving themselves totally to each other - heart, mind, soul and body. There is that moment when a person realizes that they are coming to the end of their life, be whether it because of age or disease, and they realize the immensity of dying and eternal life. Both these seem to come together in my realization of what I am about to do. I give myself in heart, mind, sould and body the the Church. At the same time, I will be dying of self and embracing the eternal life as a priest forever. It is both overwhelming and at the same time comforting.

God is great...all the time. All the time...God is great. Until tomorrow, God bless.

posted by: crossman at 00:42 | link | comments |
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And then there was one...

If you notice the countdown clock on the left side of my blog, you will see that we have passed the one month marker to my ordination, God willing. One month from today (April 26th), Archbishop Naumann will lay his hands on my head, pronounce the prayer of consecration and call upon the Holy Spirit to forever ordain me a priest of Christ. I will lie prostrate on the floor, symbolizing my dying to a life of self and I will rise again as a servant of God's people giving my life for the Church. The archbishop will anoint my hands with Sacred Chrism forever consecrating them for the ministry of the Church, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist.

All these rituals will occur in less than 30 days, God willing. It is extremely exciting and a little terrifying at the same time. I have huge anticipation for my ordination and just a little fear as well. The responsibility that will be given to me is absolutely immense. It is a responsibility that is very humbling. It is a responsibility that I absolutely cannot fulfill alone. Only by the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can I even begin to assume this responsibility.

Borrowing a major event in the world, I have decided to blog each day from now to the Thursday before my ordination. My blog entries will consist simply of my thoughts and reflections on preparation for priesthood and for the responsibilities I will assume, God willing. This might seem to be rather odd for me to express these thoughts to an open forum, but my hope is that it will inspire others considering priesthood or religious life to have a better understanding of what God is calling them to. This was the original intent of my blog site when I started blogging over 2 years ago. I am not afraid to express my thoughts nor am I hesitant to share them. I only ask that if you wish to comment on them that you do so through my motime email (click on the Contact Me icon below my bio to the left) instead of the comments element of the blog.

Pray for me. Pray that the Almighty gives me the courage to live as a holy priest of the Church. Pray that I may receive the grace I will need to shepherd God's People faithfully. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me and open my heart to the will of God, who is eternally with us. I find great comfort in the wonderful and loving God of us all.

God is great...all the time. All the time...God is great. Pray for me. Until tomorrow...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 19:27 | link | comments |
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Archbishop Burke takes difficult stand

This afternoon, Archbishop Burke resigned as a member of the Board of Governors for the Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation. The foundation supports and raises funds for the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center here in St. Louis. The issue that forced the Archbishop's resignation is the appearance of Sheryl Crow at the Medical Center's charity fund raiser this Saturday. Crow is a very outspoken promoter of abortion and embryonic stem-cell research and was involved in campaigning for Amendment 2 that added protection for human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research to the Missouri Constitution this past fall.

Archbishop Burke held a press conference this afternoon to state his position and the position of the Church. Specifically, he stated that a Catholic institution cannot solicit the services of persons holding beliefs contrary to the teachings of the Church, especially on issues challenging the Culture of Life.

His stance and his actions took great courage. His actions were not only based on protecting the Catholic Church and defending its beliefs, but also were based on his responsibility for the souls of this diocese as its shepherd. The full interview of his press conference can be vied on the KSDK Channel 5 web site. I ask you to pray for him, for the strength to continue to stand up for life. Pray for Crow and those who promote the Culture of Death that God may open their eyes to the sanctity of life. Lastly, pray in thanksgiving that God has given the Church and especially the Archdiocese of St. Louis such a caring, pastoral and upstanding shepherd in Archbishop Burke. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 23:52 | link | comments |
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Gonzales v. Carhart a great battle won but the war goes on...

I am sure many of you are aware of the great step forward for the Culture of Life last week with the Supreme Court upholding the ban on partial-birth abortion in the Gonzales v. Carhart case. This was a great litmus test for our Supreme Court. It was the first Culture of Death vs. Culture of Life case to come before the them since Alito and Roberts were appointed by Bush. All five Catholic Justices voted to uphold the ban. Yet, this doesn't mean that any Culture of Life issues that come before the Court are going to fall this way. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is Catholic, voted to uphold the ban but he is what is considered the "swing vote" meaning that he is sometimes pro-life and sometimes not. The other Catholic Justices - Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, John Roberts and Samual Alito - seem to be solid in their voting for Culture of Life issues.

The reason this vote was important, however, is that it shows that Roe v. Wade is NOT untouchable. If restrictions can be placed on it then it can also be overturned. For so many years, Roe v. Wade was considered an absolute right with no limits because it was an  individual 'choice' one made. Of course, even individual choices have limits to its rights. For example, I do not have the right to choose to shoot the student two doors down from me because he is always playing his music too loud. I might do it (although that might affect my ability to complete my MA hence hindering my ordination - see I am now a priest-elect blog entry) but that isn't a right and as a matter of fact violates another person's rights. While this decision did not go as far as to speak of a person's rights, it did demonstrate that limits can be placed on abortion. That gives hope for the future. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 22:38 | link | comments |
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Celebrating the faith

Today was a very diverse and enjoyable day. I had the privilege of being involved in a number of Church events today. This morning, we had the monthly pro-life Mass at the Cathedral. This Mass occurs on the 3rd Saturday of each month. There is a Mass and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Then the congregation walks down to the abortion clinic that is about a half dozen blocks away. At the clinic, we pray a rosary for the sanctity of life and often some of our trained counselors distribute materials to women entering or leaving the clinic. Then we process back to the Cathedral and have Benediction. It is a very powerful experience and monthly helps me to continue my vigor for the defense of life.

At 10:00 am, we had a Confirmation Mass at the Cathedral. While I didn't serve as deacon for the Mass, I did help in some of the set up. At the same time, at the seminary, Archbishop Naumann had the Mass of Installation of Readers. Both of these events ushers a person into a new stage in their faith. For those being confirmed, they complete the sacraments of initiation and are given the strength of the Holy Spirit to continue growing in their faith as young adults. For those being instituted as readers, this is the first official ministry given a seminarian preparing for priesthood. During the journey to the priesthood, a seminarian is installed as a reader, installed as an acolyte and then ordained a deacon. At Kenrick, a seminarian is installed as a reader at the end of his 1st Year, installed as an acolyte at the end of his 2nd Year and ordained a deacon at the end of his 3rd Year. This was the first step for those just completing their 1st Year.

This afternoon, I had the honor of serving as deacon for a First Communion Mass at Oak Hill School. Archbishop Naumann was asked to be the celebrant and subsequently asked me to serve as deacon for him - probably for the last time prior to his ordaining me. Bishops do not get to celebrate First Communion Masses often and so this was a special treat for him. I had never assisted as deacon at a First Communion Mass so this was a special treat for me too.

What was interesting throughout today was that, although these Masses were celebrated for vastly different reasons, they all revolved around the core of our faith - the Eucharist. At the pro-life Mass, the Eucharist serves as our model for life, specifically eternal life. At the Confirmation Mass, the Holy Spirit is called down to transform the bread and wine into the Christ just as the Holy Spirit is called down on those being confirmed to transform them into Children of Christ. At the Reader Installation Mass, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is united to the presence of Christ in the Word that these newly instituted readers can now proclaim. At the First Communion Mass, these 2nd graders are able to receive the Body and Blood of Christ into their very selves for the first of what I hope is thousands of times throughout their life. All of these events were connected by the Eucharist and the unity of the Church. It was through all of these events today that we celebrated our Catholic faith - diverse and unique and yet all united to Jesus Christ. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 22:29 | link | comments |
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Discernment...

A friend of mine withdrew from the seminary this morning. I was shocked because he had given no sign of struggling with his vocation. It could very well be that he wasn’t struggling with his vocation and there is some other reason. However, I didn’t bring this up to try to figure out his reasons, or the reasons of other entities, for his withdrawing. Rather I bring it up so I can talk about discernment.

You might think that discernment is only something that men or women do when thinking of entering seminary or joining a convent. Yet, we are all called to discernment throughout our lives. As teens, we discerned what occupation we wanted to pursue. Hopefully, even if indirectly, we sought to determine what God was calling us to do. As young adults, many discerned whether to marry a particular person with whom they were in love. But, we also discern things in our daily life all the time. Do we buy a new house? Do I take that new job? Do we try to have a child?

Discernment is not simply making a decision, though. Whether to have chicken or a steak for dinner is not discernment. Discernment entails contemplating a life-changing event in your life. Decisions simply seek to choose your current preference. Discernment, hopefully, entails seeking to determine God’s will for your life.

Seminarians, obviously, discern their calling to the priesthood. But our discernment does not stop at ordination. We continue to discern God’s will throughout our ministry. When you discern whether to buy a house or have a child or change jobs, part of this discernment entails considering how the choice will affect not only your life but also the lives of those close to you – usually your family. The same thing applies to a priest. His discernment affects his family – his spiritual family: his parishioners. The priest may discern whether to build a new parish center. He may discern whether to accept a diocesan position offered to him by the archbishop (when he is given it as a choice and not under the promise of obedience). His choice may affect how much time he may have to be away from the parish. The priest may discern whether to change the weekend Mass times. This might seem like a simple decision, but it is a life-changing choice for his family – the parishioners.

We all encounter events that require our discernment throughout our lives. When we discern whatever we encounter, we must remember two things: a) our choice WILL affect others and b) discernment is something that we cannot make on our own but NEED to turn to God for His help. Discernment entails a decision that is the will of God and part of His plan for us. This means that we rightly place God in the center of and guide for our life. Until next time…God bless.

posted by: crossman at 21:27 | link | comments |
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I am now a priest-elect

There are so many things going on in the world and locally that I am almost overwhelmed at what to blog about. So, with that in mind, I will probably be posting a blog entry every day for the next week or so. I want to continue to discuss the horrible tragedy on the VTU campus. I want to discuss the great pro-life victory involving the Supreme Court upholding the ban on partial-birth abortion. I want to write a short blog on the anniversary of Pope Benedict's election as pope. Lastly, I want to continue to talk about things winding down here at Kenrick. Speaking of which, my class and I made a big step today.

This morning I and my class took our Oath of Fidelity, which is an oath pledging subordination to our bishop, our promise to follow the teachings and laws of the Church. We take this oath at the conclusion of Morning Prayer and the oath is signed on the altar with our right hand on the Book of the Gospels. This is the final act we must complete prior to our ordination. Hence, after signing this document, we are officially considered priest-elect. This means that barring our inability to complete our Masters of Divinity or our apostatizing we cannot be prevented from being ordained to the priesthood. Considering the fact that none of my classmates are planning on apostatizing and the seminary isn't stupid enough to fail us, we are all confirmed for ordination.

With 36 days left until my ordination (see countdown clock to the left) I have reached that final marker. My ordination is guaranteed barring the above mentioned obstacles or me croaking. So...please pray for me in this final month (and miscellaneous days) before my ordination. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 17:35 | link | comments (2) |
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At a loss...

I've been following the latest developments with the VTU shootings off and on today. The news of the video footage sent to NBC and the number of persons who thought this man had mental problems disturbs me greatly. I am at a loss of what to say or even think, but I thought I'd share what I am thinking with my readers.

The first thought crossing my mind is, "how could people NOT realize that this man was a time bomb waiting to go off?" But, the next thought that crossed my mind was, "I wonder how many people DID realize that he needed help and simply didn't take any steps to get him help?" The two thoughts led me to a completely new line of thinking, however. I had to ask myself if there are any persons I know who I realize need some help? I'm not necessarily talking about questioning whether I know anyone who may walk in and start a shooting spree. Rather, I have to question whether there are some people who I associate with that have some need that I am aware of and yet I have not stretched out my hand to help them fulfill that need.

This is an important question for all of us. I'm not saying we should summarily judge everyone we know to determine if they are a threat or not. I am not even saying that because of somebody's fault of not stepping forward that they are the cause of the VTU tragedy. I am thinking more about our own lives and the people we associate with each day. While we shouldn't pass judgment as to whether this person is an idiot or whether that person is crazy or whether that person is a lost cause, we should judge whether a person we see as being preoccupied or otherwise distressed needs any help. We may be told by the person to buzz off or we may be politely shrugged off. However, we also might be the one who helps this person to realize that someone DOES care for me and my needs. We might be that person who, if not ourselves through others, helps that person have that need met, that missing piece found or that heavy burden lifted.

We may not have been able to stop the tragedy at VTU even if we had been there and known this man. Maybe no one who knew this man may have been able to prevent this...I truly don't know. I do know that from EVERY event, even evil, tragic and horrible events like this, we can come away with something that can help us be better Christian persons for ourselves and for others. If we realize that we CAN have a chance of helping someone if we only have the courage to step forward and offer then this event isn't a complete tragedy. We can turn this tragedy into an opportunity to improve this world for the better. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 23:17 | link | comments (1) |
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How could God let this happen?

The title of this blog entry is a question I've been asked by at least a half dozen people in the past 24 hours. Each of these persons are referring to the tragic and horrible shooting spree on the Virginia Tech University campus. What happened is almost surreal and yet we have to come to terms with this event.

The first response is often either to blame God or to wonder if there is a God. We could also respond to the question of why this happened by saying, "I don't know." Maybe this IS a good place to start, however. We don't know why this happened. Why don't we know? We don't know why this happened because we only know the past and the present and even then we often do not know these fully. Whereas we only know the past and present, God knows all of time. He and He alone knows why this happened. We have no idea what may come of this event. That does not make it any less tragic or horrible, but it does help us understand why we don't know what happened. God can and does bring good out of ANY situation, no matter how tragic. We don't know what good will come from this - we may never know the good that comes - but God does.

More concretely, there is another reason that God 'let' this happen. This happened because we have free will. God gave us the free will to make our own choices. As humans, we can choose to do good or to do evil. We all choose evil in our lives when we sin. However, a few persons use their free will to commit horrendous evils. We cannot blame God, however. God gave us free will. He does not interfere with our choice of how to use that free will. If he did, we wouldn't be human beings rather automotons. If we blamed God for not intervening in this case, where would we draw the line to which He shouldn't intervene?

These thoughts do not make everything right and they certainly do not lessen the tragedy at VTU. What they DO is to help us to understand that evil is in the world because humans invite evil into the world. We are not at fault for the killings on the VTU campus, but neither is God. The only person responsible for this tragedy is the man who committed these horrific murders.

I ask my readers to pray for the souls of all those who died, to pray for those wounded who are in the hospital and for the families of everyone touched by this tragic incident. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 19:41 | link | comments (1) |
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Welcome...come on in

At the Easter Vigil last Saturday, persons around the world became members of the Catholic Church. This happens each year and it is a glorious victory for Christ. This year, however, this beautiful rite took on a special significance for my family. Last Saturday, my brother-in-law, Steve, entered the Church.

Steve has been married to my sister, Becky, for 3 1/2 years. They have a little girl - my niece - Bailey who just turned one. They were married in the Catholic Church and they go to church as a family each Sunday. On Saturday, Steve was baptized and confirmed. I was his sponsor, which makes me his Godfather. I am also Bailey's Godfather, which is rather unique. The reason that I bring this up is not just because I am proud of Steve, although I am extremely proud of and excited for, but also to make a couple of points.

First, Fr. Harry Schneider, who baptized Steve, made a wonderful comment at the rehearsal. On Saturday morning he said, "right now and all day today, somewhere in the world, someone is being confirmed and entering the Catholic Church." I thought this was a great comment. Last year, on the Easter Vigil, the Catholic Online Directory showed that 73,684 persons entered the Church. Think about how many new Catholics joined the Church last Saturday. Christ gained tens of thousands of souls for the kingdom. But why did all these people enter the Church? That brings me to my second point.

Everyone who entered the Church last Saturday, to a person, became Catholic because they somehow came into contact with some aspect of Catholicism. Most often, they came into contact with someone. My brother-in-law entered the Church because he met my sister, a solid and active Catholic. He saw the Catholic faith and how it was a core element of her everyday life. If my sister could be such a witness to her Catholic faith just by living her faith each and every day, can't we do the same? Think about the fact that each and every day, if you are proud of and express your Catholic faith in your life, you come into contact with dozens of people who see that faith. If we live our faith each day and bring that faith outside the walls of the church, who know what lives we may touch.

Owning our faith...deciding to be proud of our faith...living our faith in our daily life...being a true Catholic...can be so transforming to our life. More importantly, it can be that one instance in which someone else comes into contact with you and it results in transorming THEIR life. When you live your Catholic faith each day, you not only draw your soul closer to Christ...you may actually save another's soul. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 23:09 | link | comments |
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Forever and ever. Amen.

There comes a point in our life where we come to that all-important fork in the road with a huge choice to make. I am not talking about the fork in the road that entails choosing between chocolate or vanilla ice cream for dessert (take the center road in this choice and have one of each - it IS the Easter season). Rather, I am speaking of that fork in the road where we realize that this choice we are about to make is a permanent and irreversable choice. It is a choice that is for ever and ever until death.

We all come to that fork in the road sometime in our life and maybe we come to other forks in the road just like it throughout life. But it all begins with that one choice.  The choice for some when they reach this fork in the road is whether they choose to marry a particular person whom they are in love with. That decision is for ever and ever - until death do us part. Some come to that fork in the road and must decide whether to enter religious life as a religious brother or sister/nun. Similiarly, some come to that fork in the road and must decide whether to live a holy, single life rather than marriage. Lastly, some of us come to that fork in the road where we must make our choice to enter into the priesthood.

That is the fork in the road that I have come to. It's not like its a difficult choice for me. In fact, I actually made this choice upon my ordination to the diaconate. Yet, I realize that this choice to become an ordained priest of the Holy Catholic Church is an eternal choice. As Scriptures says, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" and so I shall be on May 26th, God willing. We all reach that fork in the road and for most, including me, it is a glorious day with maybe just a smidgen of anxiety mixed in. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 07:26 | link | comments |
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What is a seminarian?

Tomorrow marks one month until I graduate from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. YEA!!!!! Anyway, I thought that over the next thirty days I would try to blog daily about my final days of school, give some reflections about my last month as a seminarian and talk about the upcoming dual transition from a seminarian to a priest and from a student to a teacher of God's people.

Seminary is a place that is transitory by its nature. Men don't go to the seminary to become a seminarian. They go to seminary to become a priest. I actually had a student here who commented that it was sad to hear me say things like, "I can't wait to get out of here" and that I should be happy to be here. What is sad is this person not wanting to move beyond seminary. Someone who is satisified with being at seminary and gets upset at those who are excited about and want to leave seminary concerns me. I think this type of person has some issues and I would question their motives for being in seminary themselves.

Seminary is a latin word meaning 'seed' or 'seed plot' in Middle English. A seed is not meant to remain a seed. It must change and blossom into something more. A seminarian is a 'seed' planted in an educational environment to be nourished and cultivated so as to blossom into a fruitful and productive priest. The seed must be planted, but it is not expected to remain a seed. When a farmer plants seed in his field he expects it grow and become a plant that bears fruit that can feed others. Similiarly, when a bishop 'plants' a young man in a seminary he expects that man to grow and become a priest who will bear spiritual fruit to feed God's people. We enter seminary to be nourished in our faith, to grow in our knowledge of the Church and to be ordained a priest so that we can bring spiritual nourishment, especially the nourishment of the True Body and Blood of Christ, to God's people. We enter seminary not be be a seminarian but to be a priest and, God willing, I am about to make that transition from a 'seed' to a plant that I hope bears fruit for God's people.

That's probably enough of my philosophical ramblings for today. For those who I haven't put to sleep...until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 23:23 | link | comments |
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Holy Week: Easter Vigil & Easter

Holy Saturday is the day Jesus lay sealed in the tomb. It is appropriate for this day to be one of quiet meditation as we contemplate the darkness of the tomb and remember family and the faithful who have died as we await the resurrection. Properly, Holy Saturday concludes at sundown and the Easter Vigil begins in which we anticipate the rising of Christ on Easter morning. Hence, I post this early in the morning on Easter Sunday…as close to sunrise as I could to emphasize the transition from the world of darkness without Christ to our jubilation of the empty tomb and of Christ Risen.

The celebration of Mass is forbidden during the day on Saturday, and is not to be celebrated until at the Easter Vigil after sundown. In the ancient Church, the Easter Vigil Mass began at sundown, with prayers, readings, litanies, intention prayers and continued through the night until the Alleluia was sung at sunrise on Easter Sunday at which time the Liturgy of the Eucharist was celebrated. While this was an absolutely beautiful way to await the resurrection of Christ, it is not practical or healthy in our times. However, there are places, especially in monasteries, that have a modified form of this celebration. For example, when I was at Conception Seminary in Conception, MO, we began the Easter Vigil celebration at 3:30 AM on Sunday morning. We sang the Alleluia just at sunrise and celebrated the Liturgy of the Eucharist. They still follow this practice at Conception.

The Easter Vigil Mass is the most important Mass of the liturgical year as well as the first celebration of the Eucharist during the fifty-day long celebration of Easter. It is marked by the first use since the beginning of Lent of the word "Alleluia." The vigil and Mass itself begins in complete darkness, the lights of the church being off. The priest then blesses of the new fire, lights the paschal candle and the congregation lights their candles from the paschal candle. The paschal candle is processed to the sanctuary where the deacon chants the Exultet. This is followed by the reading of 7 Old Testament readings and the Epistle. The Gloria is then sung with bells rung and then the Gospel is proclaimed. After the homily, there is the blessing of the baptismal font or water. The initiation of catechumens into the Catholic Church takes place during this time with the baptism and confirmation of those who have been preparing for months. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated and Mass concludes with the words, “The Mass is ended, go in peace. Alleluia, Alleluia!”

Good Friday and Holy Saturday are days of mourning a world without Christ, which we are reminded of when we look at the empty tabernacle. The Easter Vigil begins in the darkness of this mourning the loss of Christ, but from the very beginning we recognize that Christ is alive with the lighting of the Easter candle. Throughout the vigil, we move from a state of mourning, to a state of hope and finally to a state of absolute joy as we celebrate Christ Risen and celebrate the Eucharist of His Body and Blood. The Easter Vigil is the high point of the Easter Triduum celebrating the passion and resurrection of Jesus. With a rich display of symbols, rites and readings, the Church expresses her faith in the mystery that brings her into being.

In celebration of Easter, the resurrection of Christ and in thanksgiving for his death that brings us salvation, I give you this prayer to offer with your family:

Almighty God, who for our redemption
gave over your only-begotten Son to the
death of the cross, and by his glorious
resurrection delivered us from the
power of our enemy: Grant us the ability
to die daily to sin, that we may evermore
live with him in the joy of his resurrection
for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

This concludes my reflections on Holy Week. My next blog entry will be on Tuesday after I return to Kenrick. I want to wish all my readers a blessed and glorious Easter. May God bestow His grace, Love and blessings on all your families. Until next time…May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. God bless.

posted by: crossman at 07:59 | link | comments |
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Holy Week: Good Friday

Good Friday is the holiest day of the Church. It is on this day that Jesus suffered, was crucified and was buried. Many believe that Easter is the holiest day in the Church, but without Good Friday there can be no Easter Sunday. Without the death of Christ there can be no resurrection. For this reason, Good Friday is the holies day of the Church because it is the day of our salvation. It is the summit of our salvation. Holy Thursday celebrates the institution of the Eucharist anticipating the death Christ would suffer the next day. Easter celebrates his resurrection - his conquering of death, which he suffered on Good Friday. Because Jesus was on the Cross between the hours of Noon and 3:00 PM, these three hours today are considered the most sacred of all.

Good Friday is the only day in the Church in which it is forbidden to celebrate Mass. Instead a Good Friday service is held in which there are readings, veneration of the Cross, prayer intentions for the world, the people and those in need. The service concludes with the distribution of Communion from the Eucharist consecrated at the Passion of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. Not celebrating a Mass on Good Friday is an extremely ancient tradition in the Church. We have evidence of this in the writings of Duchesne, who in 249 said, "It is merely the Communion separated from the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist properly so called" (Catholic Encyclopedia).

The services on Good Friday are filled with many rich symbols. As the priest and deacon approach the altar at the beginning of the service, they both prostrate themselves at the foot of the sanctuary. This prostration signifies both the humiliation of 'earthly man,' and also the grief and sorrow of the Church. The intentions for the world symbolize that by Jesus’ death on the Cross he united the world and became our mediator for prayer to the Father. The Cross is venerated, usually by a kiss, to symbolize our reverence of the Tree of Life.

On this holiest of days for the Catholic Church, I urge your family to pray the following prayer in front of a crucifix in your home:

Christ humbled himself becoming obedient
unto death, even to death on a Cross.
Therefore God we pray you look upon this
your family for whom our Lord Jesus
Christ allowed himself to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men and to
undergo the torment of the Cross. Grant
us the grace and salvation that Christ
gained for us by his death. Help us to
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and
to embrace him with love and reverence.
We ask all this through Christ our Lord.

May Good Friday be a day that humbles us, graces us with the salvation of Christ and draws us to the foot of the Cross of Christ. Until tomorrow…God bless.

posted by: crossman at 11:44 | link | comments (1) |
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Holy Week: Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday begins the Triduum that includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday. On this day, we begin the journey to the Cross and ultimately to the empty tomb on Easter. Holy Thursday emphasizes the washing of the Disciple's feet by Jesus Christ, the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper and the betrayal of Christ by Judas. The second reading at the Mass of the Lord's Supper accounts the institution of the Eucharist. The Gospel describes Jesus washing the feet of his disciples but it also mentions that Jesus knows who is his betrayer.

 

It is on this day in which Christ said the words, "do this in remembrance of me." The reason these words are so important is that by this command, Jesus establishes the priesthood. Not only does he establish the sacradotal priesthood, but he also give all priests their central purpose and how they should live their life. By his words, he gives priests the authority to confect the Eucharist - to call on the Holy Spirit to transform simple bread and wine into the Real and True Body and Blood of Jesus Christ himself. This is the central purpose of the priest: to bring the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to the people of God. Beyond that, however, he give the priest an example of how they should live. He kneels before each disciple in service and washes their feet. At his greatest hour, he takes on the role of a servant. As priest, we are called to be servants of the people of God. Priests are at their greatest when they are most humble.

 

The Mass of the Lord's Supper is such a beautiful celebration. This Mass is the last Mass that can be celebrated until after sundown on Holy Saturday. The priest washes the feet of twelve parishioners in imitation of Jesus. The priest consecrates into the Body of Christ enough bread to distribute both at this Mass and at the Good Friday service the next day. At the Last Supper Christ says, "I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Likewise, this is the last Mass in which the wine is consecrated into the Blood of Christ until the Easter Vigil, which ends with the Resurrection of Christ - the coming of the kingdom of God. Lastly, after communion the priest places the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance and, along with the ciborium for the Good Friday service, processes from the church to a place where the Blessed Sacrament will be reserved. It is customary to have Eucharistic Adoration until midnight. After the procession, all leave in silence. The altar, credence table and indeed the whole sanctuary is stripped of everything. When the Blessed Sacrament is reposed at midnight, the sanctuary is empty except for the altar and presider's chair. The Lord's Supper has ended and the Passion of Christ has begun.

 

For this special day, I give you this prayer to offer with your family:

 

O Lord Jesus,

in order that the merits of your sacrifice

on the Cross

might be applied to every soul of all time,

you willed that it should be renewed

upon the altar.

At the Last Supper, you said:

"Do this in remembrance of me."

By these words

you gave your apostles and their successors

the power to consecrate

and to the command to do what you yourself did.

We believe that the Mass is

both a sacrifice and a memorial-

reenacting your passion, death and resurrection.

Help us to realize that the Mass

is the greatest gift of God to us

and our greatest gift to God for you

reign with the father and the Holy Spirit

One God for ever and ever.

 

On this special day, may you be filled with the grace of God. Until tomorrow...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 21:46 | link | comments |
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Holy Week: Holy Wednesday

Holy Wednesday is also known as Spy Wednesday, because it is recognized as the day in which Judas Iscariot first conspired with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus for thirty silver coins. The Gospel today is that of Judas arranging the arrest of Jesus with the Pharisees. Jesus and his other disciples now go to a place where they are to prepare and to celebrate the feast of the Passover.