The Advent Season Part One

Dear Friends in Christ,

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Advent Season, the season in the liturgical year in which we prepare for the mystery of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. It is the time of year where Catholics all across the world prepare to welcome Christ, the Messiah. I was reading a little meditation yesterday in an Advent meditation book, and it said something interesting. While I can't quote verbatim, since I don't have the book with me, it basically said that the notion of the Messiah at the time of Christ had become one associated with power, making Israel to be a world power. That was the notion of Messiah. How paradoxical was it to have the Messiah come not with horns blazing, and trumpets sounding, but rather in a manger in Belthlehem, surrounded by sheep and farm animals? For Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and this is reflected even in His birth.

In the Advent Season, there is often the hustle and bustle of rougly a million other things going on. Parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas Cards, caroling, and many other things. To be perfectly blunt, it is the busiest time of the year for most people. As a result of how busy it is, even the most well intentioned people can forget to do things that they are intending. Often, prayer can be sacrificed for another 20 minutes of Christmas shopping, or for your neighbor's party, or for a host of other things which "seem" more important. But really, to get into the Christmas spirit, one must first truly recognize the real meaning of Christmas, and that is that it is Jesus' birthday, the day where the Son of God came into the world, not with horns blowing, but in the most humblest of ways. Once we recognize why we celebrate Christmas, that should move us to reflect more on that, rather than the number of Christmas cards to be sent out.

Now, by saying this, I am not saying that one should forget all of those other things that happen in the Advent and Christmas Season, rather, one should direct all of those fun activities throughout December towards the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Write your Christmas Cards, remembering to give thanks to God for the gift of His Son. Go shopping for gifts for others, remembering that God gave us the gift of His Son for the redemption of man, and that by giving gifts we are in imitation of God. Go to parties and give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus. And remember, please take some time each day reflecting on the real reason of Christmas, and direct all you do to prepare yourself for Christmas. Christmas is the birth of Jesus, and during this time, ask God to give you the graces to make you alive in faith, hope and love. Like Mary cooperated with God to allow Jesus to enter the world, cooperate with God to allow Jesus to enter your hearts.

When Christmas comes, may we be ready. May we be adequately prepared to celebrate that wonderful mystery of God's love. And when we pray, let us remember to keep open the movings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, that we may respond to God's call with eargerness and love.

For information on meditation books for the season of Advent, please contact your parish priest. Most parishes typically have meditation books available in the back of Church, and each daily meditation is typically less then 10 minutes, so it is a good way to spiritually prepare yourself for Christmas. I hope everybody had a joy filled Thanksgiving, and I hope your first week of Advent is one filled with joy and love. Please pray for me, and I will continue to pray for you.

Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood

610-667-5778

www.HeedTheCall.org

Priests exist for the Eucharist

Dear friends in Christ,

Being in my position, the notion of priestly vocations is something that is always on my mind. Mostly, I try to think of and develop ways for boys and men to encounter the living God, for it is through an intimate encounter with God that they start developing the notion of vocation. Vocation is a gift and a calling from God, and every person reading this blog has a vocation, because everybody is called by God to a life of holiness. This is the foreground to the Universal Call to Holiness. We believe that every person has the ability to cooperate with the grace of God to attain sanctity and zeal for the Gospel.

My job also moves me to consider deeper the notion of vocation. It is all well and good to develop programs designed to help men find their vocations, whatever it may be. There also needs to be a teaching and catechetical aspect when talking about vocations. The honest truth is that most Catholics probably do not know what a priest does from day to day. The average Catholic knows that Father Smith celebrates Mass on Sunday, but what does Father Smith do the rest of the days? Further, why does Father Smith celebrate Mass on Sunday?

I offer then, a little meditation on the role of the Eucharist in the life of a priest, and the role of the priest in the life of the Eucharist. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, wrote an annual letter to priests on Holy Thursday. The following passage is from the 1980 letter Dominicae Cenae, or "The Lord's Supper":

"Through our ordination- the celebration of which is linked to the holy Mass from the very first liturgical evidence- we are united in a singular and exceptional way to the Eucharist. In a certain way we derive from it and exist for it. We are also, and in a special way, responsible for it- each priest in his own community and each bishop by virtue of the care of all the communities entrusted to him, on the basis of the solicitude omnium ecclesiarum that St. Paul speaks of" (1980 Letter Dominicae Cenae).

One of the essential elements that the Holy Father is getting at is the reciprical dependence of the priest on the Eucharist, and the Eucharist on the priest. The foremost reason for the priest is for the Eucharist, that life giving Bread, which, at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted. The Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, but NOT in a symbolic way. The Eucharist is truly Jesus. The primary responsbility of the priest is to bring Christ to people, and he does this in a very literal way at Mass, since it is the priest who brings Christ into the world at the Eucharistic Consecration. He then gives Jesus to his flock, nourishing them, but not in an earthly way, but rather in a non temporal, heavenly way. For the Eucharist is truly bread from heaven (See John 6). In fact, I would say that the primary responsibility of the priest is to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, since it is through the celebration of Mass that results in the remission of sin. The Eucharistic Celebration is the Source and Summit of the Christian Life (See Lumen Gentium 11). Since the Eucharist is the Source and Summit, every other avenue of grace would flow from it. The ability to hear Confessions, a sacrament reserved for priests and bishops, flows directly from the life saving notion of the Eucharist. But in order to understand this last place, we must dive further into what exactly the Eucharist is.

When Pope Benedict XVI was just Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, he wrote a book called "God is Near Us". It is a relatively short book on the doctrine of the Eucharist. It taught me an essential element of what the Eucharist really is. God, in being all-powerful, has the ability of granting graces in anticipation of a temporal event. God did this in at least two places in the life of Christ. The first was that he allowed for Mary to be conceived without sin by anticipating graces that would be poured out at the Crucifixion of Christ. The second was that Christ instituted the Eucharist, and it was fulfilled upon his death on Good Friday, so through the Crucifixion, the Eucharist is fulfilled. The Eucharist is a sacrifice, and the sacrifice was fulfilled on the cross of Christ. When the priest celebrates the Eucharist, he is being crucified on the altar of sacrifice. He is acting in the person of Christ (in persona Christi), and every time the priest offers Mass, he is remembering the Last Supper in such a profound way that that same sacrifice is happening. The priest, being in the person of Christ, is offering the Eucharist, the remedy of sin in the world. And that is what the Last Supper is all about. Jesus came indeed to save us from sin because of the sins of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and the Crucifixion undos the sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of his suffering and death, and so this is the source of our salvation. This is why the priest exists for the Eucharist, since it is the ultimate offering of the life of a priest. And the Eucharist is dependent on the priest, since it is the priest who offers it.

The Holy Father John Paul II also says "The priest fulfills his principal mission and is manifested in all his fullness when he celebrates the Eucharist, and this manifestation is more complete when he himself allows the depth of that mystery to become visible, so that it alone shines forth in people's hearts and minds, through his ministry. This is the supreme exercise of the 'kingly priesthood,' 'the source and summit of all Christian life.'" (1980 Letter Dominicae Cenae). So the priest's principal mission is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the remission of sin. The Holy Father calls on the priests here to allow the Eucharist to continue to change their hearts. Any priest can celebrate Mass, but do we not become attracted to a certain priest because of the way he celebrates Mass? When a priest celebrates Mass reverently, it has a profound effect on the flock, as he inspires his flock to live a more Christ filled life because of his example. When it comes to priests, there is a certain quality that should be expected. It isn't just about having the quantity of priests, but rather the quality.

Jesus is calling good quality men to consider a call to the priesthood, and sometimes these good quality men would like to listen, but are so wrapped up with many other activities that sometimes it is hard to hear the voice of God in their lives. Our office constantly looks for busy men, guys who are out in the world making even a small difference, because it is these men who I can have confidence in being a good quality priest. When we present these guys with the opporunity for prayer and silence, they are sometimes surprised at what they hear. So, for you reading this, no matter what you state in life is, whether you are a man or woman, take some time today just to be quiet and be prayerful. Give God the opportunity to talk to you. A good relationship is built on communication; if one doesn't communicate with their wife or husband, then the relationship is in trouble. It is no different with our relationship with God. He is contantly there, ready to talk, but we always have something else to do. And I am at blame as well; how often do I open my heart and close my mouth in order to hear the voice of God? Prayer is that essential element in our lives if we wish to strengthen our relationship with God. Take time today and pray for a few minutes. And try to get into a habit, where every day you take a few minutes to strengthen your relationship with God. Our lives are constant discernment, where we try to discern and figure out the will of God in our lives, and we do this through prayer primarily.

So we go back to Fr. Smith. But who was Fr. Smith before he was called father? He was from a town which is very much like yours, and he may have been a parishioner at your local parish. The point is that every priest was at one point not a priest, and when that was the case, he tried to discern God's will for him. For some, the call comes early in life, and after a period of discernment, the man starts the process of seminary to further discern the will of God. Some men don't hear the call until later on, sometimes into their thirties and fourties. Some men are resistant, probably all men are at some level fearful. My point is that they were probably like you guys reading this blog. They were unsure, nervous, yet they felt that God may have been calling them to the priesthood, or at least to seminary to further consider that call. In short, they were like you. If you think God may be calling you to the priesthood, it is hard not to be a little afraid, but be confident that God's grace will help you along.

May God bless you and all of your endevours. Stay close to Jesus and His Church, and may Mary, the Mother of Priests, intercede for you on your behalf.
O Mary Conceived Without Sin, Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us.
St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.
St. Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us.

Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood
www.HeedTheCall.org

Mary, Mother of Priests

Today our office manager Lucille brought in a beautiful statue of our Blessed Mother to be put on display here in the Office of Priestly Vocations, and it reminds me the role of Mary in the life of priests. Mary is often called the Mother of Priests because she gives a man discerning a priestly vocation the example of what it means to say yes to God. We read in the Gospel of Luke Mary's radical yes, her fiat which allowed for the Son of God to enter into the world.

In this same way, a priest says yes to God every time he celebrates the Mass. The Eucharist is the perfect fulfillment of the life of Jesus precisely because the mystery of Christ can be summed up in it. Let me explain. Most of us know that the Eucharist is actualized as a result of Jesus' Passion and Death; it is through that that we have the Eucharist in the first place.

However, at the same time, the priest who says yes to God by offering Mass is bringing Jesus back into the world through the Eucharist, and in this way, the Eucharist points to the Incarnation of the Lord in a very profound way. So in the Eucharist, we remember the death and resurrection of Christ in a very real and profound way, and we also remember his Incarnation, made possible by Mary. Mary is the mother of priests precisely because she was the first to say yes that allowed for the Son of God to enter the world. The priest does this every time he celebrates Mass.

It is also important in the life of priests to be spiritually devoted to our Blessed Mother. By praying the Rosary, praying fervently for her intercession, and striving to love Mary as Christ loves Mary, the priest (and every person in the world) is calling on the best example of holiness (outside of Christ Himself) as a way to imitate her. When we pray the Rosary, we are praying with Mary, and meditating with her on the life of Christ, for the Rosary, though Marian in nature, is clearly a Christocentric prayer, as it meditates on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Mary wasn't merely a distant observer in the Jesus' life, she was a willing and faithful follower, being with Jesus at every great moment and every harsh reality our Lord went through.

She was with him his entire ministry, from the start of his public ministry at the Wedding Feast of Cana to the Passion, where she humbly sat at the foot of the cross, watching her son die. She was there at every moment of His life, and we can't forget that. We too are called to walk with Christ. We are called though, however, to walk with Jesus in different ways. Some are called to sacrifice themselves for their family, and some for the Church as priests. A vocation is truly the self giving of oneself for the sake of love. This is love of God, and love of His Church. Mary's primary vocation was love of God, which she exemplified perfectly with her example of saying "yes" to God.

May we always follow the example of Mary, our Mother, and Mother of all the Priests of the World. Please pray for your parish priest, and please pray for the seminarians. Also, please pray for yourself that you may come to know more fully your vocation. If you are a young man and single, seriously consider the possibility that you may be called to enter seminary and further discern the Catholic priesthood. If you are a young woman, keep your heart open to the movements of the Holy Spirit, that you may further discern your will, and seriously consider the possibility of religious life. Please know of my prayers for every person who reads this blog in their search for holiness. May God bless you.

Mary, Mother of Priests, pray for us.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us.

Jesus does not call the ready but the willing

The following is a homily given by Fr. Tommy Lane. He is a scripture professor at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg. He is a priest of the diocese of Cloyne, Ireland, and he holds a license in Sacred Scripture and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology in Biblical Studies. It is worth a read by people, especially if you feel like you aren't qualified. This gives you an idea that God doesn't call us to be successful, but rather loyal and faithful. Enjoy.


Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Year C
by Fr. Tommy Lane

Someone suggested that if Jesus had sent his twelve disciples for psychological testing this might well be the reply he would have received: Thank you for submitting the resumés of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have taken our battery of tests. We have run the results through our own computer. After having arranged personality interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant, it is the opinion of our staff that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the enterprise. They have no team concept. Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has no qualities for leadership. The two brothers James and John place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas shows a skeptical attitude that would tend to undermine morale. Matthew has been blacklisted by the Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, definitely have radical leanings, and registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale. One of the candidates however, shows real potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man.(Anon)

That assessment of the Twelve Apostles gives hope to us because if they could go on to accomplish great things for the Lord then so also can we. We are each called by the Lord at baptism and confirmation to be his “Thirteenth Apostle” so to speak. No one can say they are not suitable. If Jesus could use the apostles with their obvious weaknesses, he can also use you to advance his kingdom. God calls you to make a difference to the world, God wants to use you in his plan for the salvation of the world. Paul, who had been a persecutor of Christians and watched Stephen being stoned to death, wrote in our second reading,
“I am the least of the apostles...I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace he has given me will not be fruitless.”(1 Cor 15:9-10)
Will you allow God to use you in his plan for the salvation of the world? Will you make a difference?

Jesus called his apostles and they weren’t who we might consider to be likely candidates. Their weaknesses are so obvious as we read Scripture. But Jesus knew their hearts and their potential and knew what they could become and do for his kingdom. Jesus knows our potential and what we can do for his kingdom. Let us answer his call.

Jesus chose Peter. Peter later denied Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest (Matt 26:69-75). He wasn’t faithful. He lacked the courage to take a stand in public. Also he was impetuous and would say and do things without thinking.

Jesus chose Andrew, Peter’s brother. In John 6:9, before the multiplication of the loaves and fish Andrew said to Jesus, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Andrew would still have much to learn about Jesus.
Jesus called James and John. They were in a boat mending nets with their father Zebedee. Immediately they left everything and followed Jesus leaving their father in the boat. (Matt 4:21) But we discover later they were following Jesus for the wrong reason, they were looking for their own glory. In Ireland we have a way of saying that, they were only in it for the beer. In Mark 10:35 they ask Jesus, “Teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” Jesus didn’t say he would, he just asked them what they wanted. And then they made their big request, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” What confidence they had. And there was the time (Luke 9:53) when the Samaritans did not welcome the visitors Jesus sent ahead and James and John said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” It is no wonder that they were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder.” (Mark 3:17)

Jesus called Bartholomew but we know no more about him. He is mentioned as one of the Twelve but we are not told anything he said or did. (Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13) Perhaps he was a timid man of few words who struggled to overcome shyness.
Jesus called Matthew (Matt 9:9). Matthew had a past, he was a tax-collector before Jesus called him. If he was like any of the other tax-collectors he would have collected a lot more in taxes from people than he returned to Rome. We can guess that Matthew would have had enemies, many of them.

Jesus called Thomas. But he would only believe in the resurrection of Jesus if he could put his fingers into the wounds the nails made and put his hand into Jesus’ side. (John 20:25) Thomas lacked faith. Where was Thomas on that first Easter Sunday evening? Why wasn’t he with the other apostles?

Jesus called Simon the Zealot. (Luke 6:15) Zealots wanted to achieve Palestinian independence from Roman occupation using military means. Simon did not know that violence achieves nothing but only encourages more violence. He would have much to learn.

Jesus called Judas Iscariot. He later plotted behind Jesus’ back. (Matt 26:14-15) He wanted to force Jesus to bring about his kingdom. He wanted the kingdom on his terms instead of Jesus’ terms. He complained when Jesus’ feet were anointed not because he wanted to give that money to the poor but so that he could steal it for himself. (John 12:4-6)

Today Jesus calls us. Like Peter we lack faith. Like Andrew we have much to learn. Like James and John we are selfish sometimes. Like Matthew we have a past. Like Thomas we doubt sometimes. Seeing that the apostles of limited competence did so much for the Church gives confidence to us. If Jesus could use them he can certainly use us. With the intercession of Jesus for us at the right hand of the Father and by our spending time in prayer with the Lord we too can grow from strength to strength and accomplish great things for God and his kingdom.

Eucharistic Adoration

Suppose a young man is feeling called to consider the priesthood. While there are many challenging aspects of discernment, there are several things that the young man can do to further discern what God is asking of him. One of the greatest ways of doing this is through Eucharistic Adoration. It is in adoration that we see God face to face. As one very wise priest I know once said, Eucharistic Adoration is like marinating in the love of God. The Eucharist penetrates us, and no matter how many road blocks we think we can put between us and God, the Eucharist breaks through all those roadblocks and affects us deeply. There is no coincidence that parishes that have regular adoration offered in their parish are also the parishes that have guys enter the seminary. This fact isn't because there are just more vocations in their parishes; it is that young people have the opportunity to discern that call more often.

What a great treasure trove of graces are waiting for us when we adore the Lord in the Eucharist! For now, I call on a pamphlet written by Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh to assist me in the explanation and catechesis of what adoration is.

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

I encourage the reader of this blog to check out this outstanding article that he wrote. I hope your hearts are moved to consider going to adoration. May you always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. God bless.

A New Beginning

Welcome to Heeding The Call, a blog dedicated to the promotion of priestly vocations, especially in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This is the official blog of the vocation office, located at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Through this blog we hope to do several things.

1. We hope to instruct the readers on the deeper reality of Christian vocation, which is a calling from God to each and every one of us. It is a unique call, and we all strive to seek what he is asking of us.

2. We hope to inform the reader about special initiatives and events designed for the promotion of vocations.

3. We hope to inspire the reader to take some time and consider what God is asking of them. To discern and follow one's vocation is the quickest way to sanctity and holiness, and we pray that this blog will be used as a tool to those people, that through this blog they may come to a reality of what God is asking of them.

We hope to do a lot of great things with this blog, so check in often. Until next time, take care and God bless.