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Father Barry's Pastor Pages
Parish Lenten Bible Study
This Lent our parish is offering a nationally recognized Bible study which introduces the Bible in such a way that it allows a person to grasp the
"big picture" of the Bible. Many people know individual stories of the Bible but cannot connect them into the larger story of salvation. Jeff
Cavins, a Catholic theologian and author of numerous books, developed a Bible study called "A Quick Journey Through the Bible." The primary goal
is simply to introduce Catholics to Scripture and to make the Bible approachable by explaining the overarching story and showing how the various
books of the Bible fit together. This study accomplishes this by guiding a person through fourteen key books of the Bible which allows a person to see
the bigger picture of how God has been at work throughout history.
"A Quick Journey Through the Bible" combines a review of seminar lectures on DVD along with group discussion and home study. The home study is meant to
reinforce and help a person remember what was heard and discussed at each gathering. By the end of this 8-part series, a person should be able to better
understand the story of salvation by knowing the 12 historic periods. Also, a person will have a better understanding of how God's plan unfolded through
a series of covenants. Furthermore, a person will have a better grasp of where familiar, individual Bible stories fit into the overall story of the Bible.
Most importantly, those who participate in this Bible Study will have a far greater understanding of and appreciation for the Scripture readings
proclaimed at Mass.
This Bible Study will be offered every Sunday evening of Lent (7-8:30 p.m.). There is no cost to participating in this special Bible Study. The
parish has purchased the workbooks for home study. The first gathering will be Sunday, March 13th in the Church. (There is another
event taking place in the parish hall. Subsequent gatherings will be in the parish hall. Each session of the Bible study does build on itself so it is
important to attend at least the first two sessions to get a good start. This is open to parishioners from all the parishes of our cluster.
The word "lent" comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word for springtime, "lencten." This term was used to describe the gradual lengthening
of daylight in the Spring. In the 2nd century the early Church began to develop a tradition of having special days of preparation for the
celebration of Easter. Easter was considered the greatest celebration and holy day in the Church because it was the celebration of Christ's victory
over sin and death, and His promise to us that we too can share in his resurrection. From the 2nd to the 4th century the days
of spiritual preparation for Easter slowly developed into the season we call Lent. By the 4th century Lent was a forty day season of preparation.
The Church settled on 40 days for the season of Lent because of the meanings associated with this number: Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before
he began to publicly minister, Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the ten commandments, Elijah fasted for 40 days on his journey to Mount
Horeb, and the Israelites traveled for 40 years in the desert before arriving in the Promised Land.
Lent has no meaning by itself. It is intended to prepare us for Easter and the celebration of the resurrection. From the earliest centuries of Christianity
and the Church, three themes hold together the 40 days of Lent. The three themes of Lent are: (1) the mystery of Jesus' death and resurrection; (2) the
implications of this mystery for those preparing for baptism and membership into the Church; (3) a spiritual renewal of faith and deeper conversion on
the part of those already baptized.
The atmosphere of Lent takes on a somber mood. At Mass, the joyous Alleluia and Glory to God are dropped or omitted, as well as colorful decorations such as flowers.
The color purple is intended to be a penitential color, inspiring us to reflect on sin and our need for greater conversion of heart. Until recent times, it was
customary to cover prominent statues and crucifixes in church with a purple cloth as a sign of sadness and mourning. Fasting and abstinence during Lent promotes
self-discipline, supports one's prayer, is an expression of sorrow for sin, and helps a person be mindful of the poor, who have no choice but to go hungry.
In the end, Lent is a season that is intended to lead us to a deeper intimacy with God and inspire us to greater service to neighbor.
Last Fall our diocese began its first ever capital campaign, entitled "Yesterday, Today and Forever." Recall the purpose of the campaign is to
establish endowments that will provide a steady source of income for the purpose of seminarian education, care for elderly/retired priests and the work
of Catholic Charities. These endowments were underfunded which is why the diocese decided to conduct a capital campaign. A small portion of the campaign
also funds our diocesan pastoral plan (Stewards of Hope).
I wanted to provide you an update on how the campaign is progressing as it moves across the diocese. The parishes in the eastern portion of the diocese
(including Concordia, Belleville, Munden and Cuba) were part of the first wave of the campaign. The second wave of the capital campaign has begun in the middle
portion of the diocese. Some of the noteworthy statistics include:
- As of last week, the capital campaign has raised $9,140,285 in the First Wave alone. The final goal for the entire diocese is $15 million.
- $7.55 million has been raised in the first wave of parishes. The goal was $6.02 million.
- The number of gifts or pledges is 3,164 and counting.
- 40% of those asked have made gifts/pledges; This exceeds the national average of 25%.
- 24 of the 31 parishes of the First Wave met or exceeded their campaign goal. All the parishes in our cluster exceeded their goal.
- There are anecdotal stories of people becoming re-engaged with the Church, in part due to receiving personal phone calls from fellow parishioners
regarding the capital campaign.
Thank you to all who participated in the capital campaign! Thanks to your involvement the campaign has been a fantastic success and will strengthen our
diocesan Church as we prepare for a hopefilled future.
In one week our Diocese will be without a bishop when Bishop Coakley is officially installed as the Archbishop of Oklahoma City on February 11th.
Shortly after his installation, a group of priests called the Consultors elect a priest to serve as "Diocesan Administrator." According to official Church
law, they must meet within 8 days of the vacancy of the diocese to elect the Administrator. The Administrator has the responsibility of coordinating and
managing the affairs of the diocese while we await the appointment of a new bishop. The Administrator has some of the authority of a bishop but he is
prohibited from doing anything 'innovative' or making major changes in the diocese; He is charged with maintaining current ministries and initiatives.
What is the process for the selection of a new bishop? The Congregation for Bishops, this office of the Roman Curia has the responsibility of naming
the world's bishops. Each year, hundreds of vacancies are effected by death, retirement, illness, or expansion of a diocese, as in the case of a need
for auxillary bishops. The Congregation for Bishops, in conjunction with the papal representative of a country (Papal Nuncio), makes inquiry into the
suitability of one priest or another and submits to the Holy Father nominees for each post to be filled.
It is not as simple a process as it seems. First of all, the congregation must gather information on the exact needs of the local churches (dioceses) so
that any appointment would meet the need of the local church. To do so, the congregation employs priests and religious men and women who gather information
from local ordinaries, bishop's conferences, presbyterates, and laity so that, when a vacancy arises, the congregation will be prepared for an appointment
based upon the needs of the church in that locality. In seeking potential new bishops, bishops within eaach diocese canvass the priests and lay leaders of their diocese to see if they believe one among them to be
worthy of the office of bishop.
As soon as it becomes apparent that one or two persons within a jurisdiction are considered by his peers and by the laity to be worthy of consideration, the
diocesan bishop consults with the metropolitan of the province (archbishop), as well as with his brother bishops of the province, to ascertain their opinions
on any candidates. The name of candidates are submitted to the Papal Nuncio of the country (who serves as a representative of the Pope), who also makes
separate inquiries (via questionnaires) on various candidates. From these consulations, the nuncio begins to compile a list of suitable candidates.
Three names are eventually submitted to the Congregation for Bishops. This list is called a terna, Latin for "three." The terna is ranked by preference of the
nuncio from most likely to least likely for any given appointment. Once the terna has been submitted to Rome, the congregation is free to nominate any one of the
three. For that matter, the congregation may nominate one whose name does not appear on the terna yet who is known to them to be the most qualified for that
vacancy, given the needs and circumstances of the local church. After consultation and investigation within the congregation, the cardinal-prefect, during
his weekly meeting with the Holy Father, submits the name deemed to be most suitable. The pope is not bound by the nomination list of the congregation yet almost
always trusts their competency in these matters.
After the Holy Father has made his decision, the candidate is notified. He is bound by secrecy until the announcement is made at noon on the following (usually a
Tuesday). Once the hour of noon passes in Rome, he is free to break the news to family, friends, and the faithful of the local church. The Holy Father ordains
new bishops in Rome only once a year; This happens on the Feast of the Epiphany. Any bishop nominated at other times throughout the year is traditionally ordained
to the episcopacy at the cathedral of the new diocese he is to lead and govern.
WHAT: The pastoral plan is aimed at re-invigorating the faith of Catholics in our diocese. The title of the pastoral plan is "Stewards
of Hope." The plan has four phases or themes, one for each of the next four years. Each phase or theme addresses some aspect of our life as
disciples of Jesus Christ and as members of Christ's Body on earth. The themes for each year are:
- 2011 - The Spirituality of Parish Life
- 2012 - Formation for Ministry
- 2013 - Life and Family
- 2014 - To the Whole World
One of the central themes during the first year of the p lan is the pursuit of personal holiness. You will be hearing more about the pastoral plan
throughout the year in homilies, the Sunday bulletin, the diocesan newspaper and at parish meetings and other gatherings. Please see the brochure
stapled to the church bulletin this Sunday for a more thorough description of the various themes for each year.
WHO: The pastoral plan is for all Catholics in the Diocese of Salina. The pastoral plan is broad enough to appeal to Catholics of all ages and all
vocations (single, married, widowed, consecrated life and priesthood). Several parts of the pastoral plan challenge and encourage us to reach out to the
broader world with the love and truth of the Gospel. So the pastoral plan is also meant to serve the larger world especially those in our community who are
in need of our assistance - whether it be material or spiritual.
WHEN & WHERE: Implementation of the pastoral plan has already begun in the parishes of our diocese. Parishes or grouping of parishes have already formed
Stewards of Hope Committees to begin planning initiatives and other activities that will accomplish some of the goals of the pastoral plan. A single
committee has been formed for our cluster of parishes (Belleville, Concordia, Cuba, Munden) with representatives from each parish serving as members.
HOW: One of the first events being planned by the Stewards of Hope committee is a parish mission this year for parishioners. Other initiatives will
also assist us to reflect on how we are (or aren't) living the Catholic faith we profess and how we can grow in our Christian faith, hope and love.
When Mary was pregnant with Jesus she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant with a child we would come to know as St. John
the Baptist. When Elizabeth first welcomed Mary into her home, Sacred Scripture tells us that Elizabeth and her unborn child experienced a burst
of joy because they knew they were in the presence of the unborn Lord; Elizabeth exclaimed "For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached
my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy" (Luke 1:44). Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth comes to recognize Mary as the living
tabernacle of our Lord and Savior. Jesus begins his work of salvation in the womb as a child, bringing joy and hope to the world.
Sacred Scripture contains numerous passages which honor children as a gift and blessing. Jesus is recorded as having a special place in his heart
for children, blessing them and holding them up as a model of what it means to be a disciple (i.e. innocent, trusting, open, humble, dependent). During
biblical times children had no rights and so were susceptible to being ignored, neglected and abused. Jesus restored dignity and honor to children
through his actions and teachings. This danger or threat to children remains today; however now the threat is even greater in the form of legalized
abortion, the destruction of children in the womb. The number of abortions has risen alarmingly in the past four decades. Although there are many
threats to life in our society today including war, terrorism, assisted suicide, and capital punishment, Catholic moral theology has always
differentiated the destruction of "innocent life" as particularly heinous and always and everywhere worthy of condemnation. The sheer magnitue of abortions
also makes it an issue that deserves special attention; it is estimated that 46 million abortions are performed worldwide each year. Entire generations
of young people are being destroyed. More children are being killed through abortion than by war or terrorism.
In his message to the World Summit on Children, Pope John Paul II reminded us: "In the Christian view, our treatment of children becomes a measure of our
fidelity to the Lord." If we aren't faithful to our children, how can we be faithful to God, their Creator?
In the event you didn't hear, on December 16th it was announced that our bishop, Bishop Paul Coakley, would become the Archbishop of Oklahoma
City. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City covers most of the State of Oklahoma with the exception of the northeast corner, which is the Diocese of Tulsa. The
Archdiocese of Oklahoma City covers 42,470 sq. miles (our diocese is 26,685 sq. miles) and has 67 parishes and 44 mission parishes (our diocese has
86 parishes counting mission parishes). The Archdiocese has 60 active diocesan priests, 31 religious priests, and 20 priests serving from other dioceses
(our diocese has 41 diocesan priests and 5 religious order priests). In the Oklahoma City Archdiocese, there are 5 Catholic hospitals, 20 Catholic elementary
schools, two Catholic high schools, one Catholic university and 10 college campus centers. Bishop Coakley will be installed as archbishop in a special
ceremony and Mass which will take place on Friday, February 11th. I will be attending this Mass along with several other priests from the Diocese
of Salina.
What this means is after February 11th our diocese will be without a bishop. Usually it takes six months to a year before a new bishop is named.
When a diocese's bishop is appointed to lead another diocese or archdiocese, a priest called an "Diocesan Administrator" is elected to oversee the diocese
during the vacancy of a bishop. The body that elects the Diocesan Administrator is a group called the consultors. The consultors is a group composed of at least
ten priests of the diocese appointed by the bishop. The only reason the group of consultors exists is for this purpose. The Diocesan Administrator must be elected
within 8 days after a diocese is vacant of a bishop. Once elected, the Diocesan Administrator is prohibited by church law from making any innovative changes in the
diocese. This means the Diocesan Administrator may not introduce new initiatives, procedures or policies; he may not appoint new pastors. The Administrator is to
maintain existing ministries and programs while awaiting the selection of a new bishop by the Pope. This means the diocesan captial campaign will continue
as well as the new diocesan pastoral plan (Stewards of Hope) in the absence of a bishop since these began prior to Bishop Coakley's departure.
This Sunday the Catholic Church and many other Christian churches celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. The word "epiphany" comes from the Greek word
"epiphaneia" which means manifestation or appearance. In the Easter Catholic Church the Epiphany of Jesus Christ is considered more important than
Christmas since it represents the manifestation of Christ as savior to the entire world.
St. Matthew is the only Gospel to report the visit of the three magi or kings to the child Jesus. Matthew's Gospel says nothing about the magi's home
country, their status, their religion, their number or their names. The fact that the magi may of been "kings" came about in the 6th century because
of references made in the Old Testament particularly where it says "The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts" (Ps 72:10). The title
"magi" is also Greek and refers to a learned/academic caste in Babylonia, probably astrologers. Although Matthew leaves out many of the details, ancient
traditions attempted to fill in the missing pieces.
In the ancient tradition, Origen (in 3rd century) asserted there were three magi or kings because of the three gifts. And these three gifts presented
to the child Jesus were the three traditional symols of homage in the East: Gold is symbolic of Jesus' kingship, since gold is for royalty;
Frankensense (incense) is symbolic of Jesus' sacrifice; Myrhh was an ointment used to bury the dead and so myrrh is symbolic of Jesus'
cross and death. These three gifts tie together Jesus' birth (Christmas), his death (the Cross) and the resurrection (Easter).
The physical appearance of the three kings comes from legends in the 9th century. They describe the kings as representing the three major races: Melchior
is usually pictured as the elderly white man with a long white beard bearing the gift of gold. Caspar is usually pictured as the youngest of the kings and
has darker, olive-colored skin with the gift of frankensence (incense). Balthasar is usually pictured as the black king offering the gift of myrrh.
This account of the three magi or kings comes to visit Jesus has several meanings for us today. The most ancient one is that the visitation of the three magi
of different races and nations represents how in Jesus Christ, salvation is universal. No one is excluded based on race, creed, color and national origins.
Epiphany is a celebration of the indiscriminate love of God for all the peoples of the earth.
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Pastor Pages Archives
A Quick Journey Through the Bible 3/6/11
Lent Begins in 10 Days 2/27/11
Update on the Diocesan Capital Campaign 2/20/11
Selection of a Bishop 2/13/11
Stewards of Hope 2/6/11
In the event you didn't hear... 1/16/11
Epiphany: Jesus Comes for All 1/2/11
February 2010 Pastor Pages
March 2010 Pastor Pages
April 2010 Pastor Pages
May 2010 Pastor Pages
June 2010 Pastor Pages
July 2010 Pastor Pages
August 2010 Pastor Pages
September 2010 Pastor Pages
October 2010 Pastor Pages
November 2010 Pastor Pages
December 2010 Pastor Pages
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