Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Good People of Saint Mary,

Greetings from Rome! It had been my plan to send you greetings aer I had the opportunity to aend Pope Francis’ audience on Wednesday morning but just realized it has to be done and submitted earlier this week. So I just walked up to St. Peter’s Piazza and took this picture. It is the best I’ve got at the moment.

It is Monday night as I write this and I wish I had more to tell you about right now. You know, you land a little tired to start with… and then you just walk. First, to St. Peter’s Piazza. Then today we went across the city through Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, a dozen churches, the Campdoglio, a dozen other churches, a tour of the Colloseum, a half dozen churches. We just ran into our seminarian, Joe Farrell, walking home from classes in one of the streets. Then a big plate of carbonara and tiramisu. Traveling is so difficult!

Tomorrow we hope to have Mass at a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica. Then, guess what? Probably a dozen more churches tomorrow. It has been quite a long time since I had a vacation, and I’m grateful that you let me get away for a few days.

But I was reading an account about how our Holy Father seems to have reached out again, literally, to someone disfigured by sickness and has spoken Christ to the world. The account that I read asked the question whether or not this could possibly just be a publicity stunt? Such things are so common today, nobody would be surprised. They said immediately – no – it was simply too real: “Charity and humility and love really are Christian ideals, and for someone in the pope’s position of power to so graphically express them is full of concrete meaning. Be like Christ: identify with the outcast. This pope’s idealism is so clearly readable in his actions that it is missing the point to call him a clever communicator. He knows that he is a living symbol and that by identifying with this man he is making the church itself grow more human.”

For some, this kind of outreach threatens what they perceive as the noble dignity of the Church. It seems that some may think that the Church needs to stay more aloof, dress up and preserve the dignity of the greatness of the Church. As if such things were actually communicated in life by things.

But it occurs to me—and this is why I’m so anxious to see him—that this Pope has begun to do and say things that haven’t been said so eloquently (simply) or profoundly (humbly) for about 2,000 years. And the One Who said them first is so evident in the one who speaks now. I pray this is true, and that we can all see a new way of life here. As one bishop told me shortly aer Francis’ election as Pope, the bishops of the Church – all of them – are challenged to reconsider many things, and to return to the roots of what all of this is about: a leadership that is Christ, nothing more, nothing less. It isn’t in the externals, or even the choice of words: it is in the action of love and the heart that lies at the root of this new evangelization.

Constantly we speak with leaders of other Christian churches – even leaders of non- Christian religions – in Virginia. Isn’t it interesting that they so commonly refer to Francis as “our Pope.”

If I get a chance, I will certainly tell him you all said hello, and that we would love for him to come and visit us in Fredericksburg.

God bless you.

Dear Good People of Saint Mary,

It’s always the same when I’m trying to get ready for a trip, to be away for even a few days. I worry about all the stuff that still needs to get done, it is hard to sleep and even to see beyond the moment of departure. Once I’m on the plane usually I’m fine, and I have the sense that I did what I could in order to be on my way. But up until that point I find it hard to go.

I imagine getting to heaven to be most like that moment when you lift off from the runway and there is a kind of peace that settles in. We did all we could, let the anticipation of what is about to happen open up before us. Still, departures are just so hard.

You will see in the church our version of scrolls which include the names of all those deceased loved ones for whom we provided services since last November 2, All Souls’ Day. We include their names so that we will remember to pray for them. I’ve heard it said that we most hold on to our grief at the loss of someone we love because we are afraid that we will forget them. It is in the offering of the Mass, though, that we gather together all those who have lived before us, all present, and all those yet to come into one eternal self-emptying act of love to God the Father, in remembrance. His body is made up of all: Jesus Christ is mercy, because his Communion isn’t just the glorious assembly of the saints in heaven, but also us sinners here on earth, and the sinners who have already died and await that glory. As Christ we offer that body of faith, hope and love every time we gather for liturgy. Our perfection on this earth is in our hoping.

We celebrate during the month of November all those who have gone before us, , but we also reflect this month on how we are preparing ourselves for the journey – how are we making arrangements, what are we packing, how are we saying goodbye? Are we leaving a culture of reconciliation and love behind, in the expectation of discovering the perfection of life to come? Have we lived so as to fulfill God’s plan and our potential in a way that is truly full, active and conscious? On a most basic level, I think that involves a goal being able to see what is true, beautiful and good in ourselves, but even more importantly finding it in others. Looking not in a mirror, but to the horizon.

This week I’m headed to Italy. The ultimate reason for this trip is a wedding this coming weekend in Florence, for the daughter of some good friends. While there, it makes sense to look around a little before and after, right? So, I’ll be in Rome for a couple of days, hopefully aending Pope Francis’ audience on Wednesday. Then a couple of days in Florence and Tuscany. I’ve never been to Lucca and the coast of the Cinque Terre, so I thought maybe I’d check that out. After the wedding, a few days with the bride’s family in Siena. By the time you get the next bulletin I’ll be back already, so I’ll say goodbye and hello right here since deadlines are early. But I want you to know that you are remembered in prayers and Masses throughout the trip, especially Masses at St. Peter in Rome, early in the mornings on Monday and Tuesday when I am there. I will offer Mass for all of you near the tomb of Peter. Because we always have to remember to pray for the living, too.

It so happens that while I’m gone this weekend we welcome Cross Catholic Outreach for their presentation on the missions and how we can be involved in their work. Please respond generously as you are able for all the good work they do and the missionaries they represent. Then we come to the Solemnity of Christ the King, and the end of our church year of 2013 and the annual unfolding of the Mysteries of Christ begins all over again with the Year of Grace 2014 with the First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 1.

I guess that, too, is a moment of “lifting off” to a new year, filled with anticipation and joy.

God bless you.

Dear Good People of Saint Mary,

On one of my trips to Bethlehem several years ago, I had the good fortune to arrange a visit to the Tent of Nations in the Judean hills south of the city. I have been to Bethlehem probably eight times over the past 12 years, oen on trips which are scheduled around meetings such as this one, in which we met Daoud Nassar, a man whose family has lived on his land for centuries.

He survives on a hilltop, surrounded by lands that have been occupied illegally by Israeli selers. This was the cold truth we discover each time we go (from the Tent of Nations website): “Bethlehem has a centuries- old spiritual, cultural and economic link with Jerusalem, located only a few kilometers away. It is highly dependent on religious pilgrims and tourism for its economic survival. However, the Israeli policy of constructing selements and the Wall around Bethlehem has turned the city from a social and lively spirit to an isolated town from Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. Palestinians are forbidden to move between the two cities, and the service industry in the West Bank has been roughly destroyed, most locals who depend on welcoming visitors are struggling to earn their daily living and their basic needs.”

Daoud has spent most of his adult life with a full-time job of trying to hold onto his land. “Israeli Selers” come into Palestinian territories and take control of lands. Then they start fights. The Israeli police are called in to “protect” the selers, then they build fortified, armed buildings. Lile by lile through intimidation and confiscation, the Palestinians are pushed out. Daoud has, over the years, found support from all churches in all countries who have joined with him in holding onto his land despite the refusal for water and building permits, the harassment, the difficulty. This is the “Tent of Nations.”

This is his story and he is coming on Thursday to tell it. It is a story you must hear. As many of you probably know, about 12 years ago I and some friends started a nonprofit called “Holy Land Christians’ Society” whose purpose was to promote the presence of Christians in Israel-Palestine. We took pictures of the new walls that were going up around the Palestinian territories and took them to Congress to get the story out. We raise money to support tuition scholarships for Christian schools (Catholic and Orthodox) in the Bethlehem area, schools who combine the student population of Christians and Muslims so that peace is something that begins with youth. Each Christmas St. Mary (you) support an orphanage (The Creche) with part of the Christmas collection — a place with limited activities because of the occupation and barriers and checkpoints.

We started doing this because we realized that the Christians in Palestine — that’s right, Christian Arabs — were formerly 30% of the total population and have been run off, now less than 2%. Somebody had to get the story out to a world that wasn’t even aware that there had been Christians living in the land of Christ. Christian institutions — monasteries, schools, hospitals, nursing homes — were in danger of extinction due to lack of mobility and religious Sisters and Priests were not allowed visas, so they could either never leave or be replaced. I traveled once with the director of Catholic Relief Services who told me that the inhumanity in Israel- Palestine is not as extreme as in many places of the world (though thousands are held in undisclosed prison camps) but that what has developed is a culture of fear, which so easily erupts in anger and violence. The work of peace, he said, is nowhere more needed, because the whole world looks to Jerusalem to see what direction their next action might take. An act of violence in Bethlehem is felt around the world — just as the Birth of a King, the Son of God, was a global event.

Come and hear Daoud’s message: “We refuse to be enemies.”

God bless you.

Dear Good People of Saint Mary,

This week we will celebrate the mystery of life and death in a particularly Catholic way: we observe the Holy Day of Obligation, All Saints’ Day on Friday, and the commemoration of all the deceased on All Souls’ Day on Saturday.

You see, all the saints in heaven and all the souls in purgatory have all gone before us, but we would never say they are actually ceased to be, they are just not here. Wherever they are, we still maintain our friendships, because love is stronger than death. And we have the opportunity to form new friendships whose fullness will be experienced on the last day when we will all come together at the fulfillment of God’s creation. But in the meantime, we must pray for one another.

We rely on the saints to pray for us, as much or even more than we rely on one another on this earth for prayer. The saints are the pros, after all, and behold God face to face. The souls in purgatory rely on the saints, as well, and us to help them in the helpless condition where they are now. It is through our prayers and good will and charity that they have hope. Without us, they are lost.

The greatest thing you can do for someone who has passed from this world is offer the Mass. This is why we have funerals. And this is also why not having a funeral is the most tragic decision you can make for a person of faith. The sacrifice of the Mass is the most effective remedy for the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of our souls, our hope of salvation, our foretaste of the kingdom to come. So many people today don’t have a funeral, even when they know that is what their parent or grandparent or loved one would have wanted, because they are uncomfortable. Maybe they haven’t been to Mass in a while, or have even left the Church themselves. Please – allow us to provide the comfort and ease the uneasiness. We will help. It is too important a gift which we are easily able to provide, to pass it up.

So, it is the custom of the Church to celebrate Masses for the intention of all our dead. In this practice, the Catholic Church is the only one which has maintained this ancient Spiritual Work of Mercy. We speak in general terms, because we must pray for all those we know, as well as for those we don’t. We must include our friends and our enemies in this plan. And especially we must not forget those who are forgotten or have no one to pray for them.

Did you know that Halloween began as a special eve (vigil) of all the saints (all the “hallowed”)? It was a holy feastday vigil, far from what it has become today. It is the night before All Saints’ Day and the custom was to dress up as a saint. Popular customs for “the day of the dead” which you might hear about on the news are also cultural adaptations of what used to be a day of prayer and offering to God for the benefit of the poor souls who rely on our help. Many of these customs to pray for the dead were lost in the Reformation after 1517.

Here at St. Mary we will have a special holy day schedule of Masses for All Saints’ Day, with a vigil Mass on Thursday at 6pm and our usual Holy Day of Obligation schedule on Friday. On Saturday, All Souls’ Day we will have our usual Mass at 9am, and a special additional Mass at Noon. At this Mass we will remember in a special way all those who have died in the past year, and pray for them. We have invited the families and friends of all our departed brothers and sisters to come to this Mass.

We will also have a special rosary after the Noon Mass, led by our Magdalenes. Since we know not everyone is able to come to Mass at noon, we ask and hope that everyone in the parish will pray the rosary at the 1 o’clock hour for those who have died. Imagine the power of these prayers of an entire parish to help those souls who are relying on us for the resurrection on the last day.

God bless you.