Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,
Imagine you are loaded into the family station wagon driving south on 95, when innocently enough, your car full of children asks, “Can we go to Hardees? We’re hungry.”  And imagine that because of some wise and loving parental plan, you say, “No.”  But it doesn’t end here.  Your children seize the moment, and start chanting in unison, “CHAR BROILED BURGERS! CHAR BROILED BURGERS!”  And despite you kind and patient exhortations for silence, the chanting continues for 30 minutes.  What would you do?  Ok, sure, my parents gave in and we stopped at Hardees, creating a great childhood memory of the power of unified pestering.  🙂
Analyze the situation: who was obsessed with the burgers?  Nobody in their right mind would say that my parents were the ones obsessed.  And today I am calling out the malarky of a common accusation of the secular world that the Catholic Church is ‘obsessed with gynecology.’  Atheists argue this as proof of the Church’s obsolescence.  Ex-Catholics cite this as reason for leaving.  But frankly it is hogwash.  The Catholic Church isn’t the one using this to sell everything under the sun.  Or demanding that all actions of the lewdest imaginations be celebrated with Pride Parades.  Or profiting over the internet from this obsession.  Or using the topic as fodder for countless jokes at the water cooler.  Yes there is an “obsession with gynecology” but it is not the Catholic Church who is obsessed.
How many references do you hear to these issues at Mass per month?  Now compare that how many contrary references you hear every day?  And the next time that someone says the Church is obsessed, cough loudly and call them out for their “Malarky.” (or whatever more forceful phrase you wish to use)!
This past Wednesday, was the 50th anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae.  Despite the incessant chanting of some Catholics for “Char-Broiled-Burgers,” Pope Paul VI kindly and patiently reiterated the constant teaching of God regarding human sexuality.  I don’t preach on this incessantly because I don’t want parents to have to go home every week retranslating every homily in age appropriate language.  But make no mistake, the world does not show the same restraint.
This coming year, to observe the anniversary, our parish theme will be taken from the constant teaching of the Church (with an tweak for alliteration).  The theme will be FAMILY: Forever, Faithful, Fruitful.  Among several programs that we are planning, this fall I will give a talk on the encyclical, it’s reception, and on the wider moral issues.  This will not be a talk for children, so please don’t bring anyone who is not ready for a frank talk.  God does have a wise and loving plan for human sexuality, we just have to wade through a whole lot of noise to hear it.
pax,
fr mosimann

This Friday, our normal 9am Daily Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Burbidge for the Diocesan Youth on their way to our Youth Ministry Kings Dominion Day!  All are invited to attend!

As a note to our regular 9am Mass attendees, please expect Mass to run a little longer than a normal weekday Mass.

Dear Folks,
What would you do to save your children from slavery?
Anything.
This week I was away at a Scripture conference retreat, and one of the themes was Mercy.  Our notion of mercy is often just too thin: “Lord, don’t give me what I deserve.  You are a nice guy, be nice to me, please.”  It is not just God saying, “that’s ok, I don’t mind.”
In the scriptures, mercy is much, much more.  Mercy is covenant faithfulness.  A covenant is a blood oath bonding persons in a family relationship.  By the blood and water of the cross washing us in baptism, we are made brothers and sisters of the Lord, and sons and daughters of the Father.  The oath that the Father has promised us is to rescue us from slavery.  If we are taken in slavery, he promises to seek us out, and pay the price of our ransom to the slaveholder to set us free.  This is what a redeemer does.
So when we ask for mercy, we are confessing our enslavement to sin, and asking God to remember the promise He made to set us free!  We are asking Him to redeem us by His eternal enduring faithful love because we are His blood brothers and sisters. Every invocation of mercy, is a proclamation of suffering, death, and resurrection of Our Lord and a making present of that mystery.
By remembering the price paid, we can value and treasure the gift of Mercy.
What does the Lord do to save His children from slavery?
You know the answer.  Live accordingly.
pax,
fr mosimann