A 'Bravo' Memory and then some

About this time last Year we were preparing for the upcoming "Bravo" performance.  Fr. Jerry and I had to come up with a comedy act.  Well there are a group of bible jokes that have been around forever.  Some of these were in our act last year and some did NOT make the cut.  Memorize them and impress your friends with your knowledge of the Bible:

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Honda ... because the apostles were all in one Accord.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. 2 Cor 4:8 describes going out in service in a Volkswagen Beetle: "We are pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement."

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. How did Adam and Eve feel when expelled from the Garden of Eden?
A. They were really put out.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to sleep.


Q. Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a slingshot?
A. The thought had never entered his head before.

Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. Because he broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around the Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.

Q. Where is the first tennis match mentioned in the Bible?
A. When Joseph served in Pharaoh's court.

Peace

Christmas trees in the snow already?????

Greetings,

I saw Christmas trees in the front of people's houses ready for pick up.  As a Catholic this surprizes me because Christmas has just begun.   Here is how a Catholic celebrates Christmas:

1.  First of all we celebrate the season of Advent during the month of December.  If you notice, in church we sang advent songs every Sunday, but NEVER Christmas songs.   Advent is a time of preparation.  We decorate our houses with an Advent Wreath, and perhaps we have a Jesse Tree.   This should be preparation to build anticipation.  Christmas is right before us, but we don't have it yet.

2.  Christmas Eve, or some time that week before we begin to decorate.  This enhances the anticipation.   At this time it would be great to have the Christmas Tree finally up, but do not turn the lights on.  Everyone will want it on, but we wait.

3.  Then we go to Mass for Christmas.  Upon returning from Mass the lights go on and Advent is over and we begin to celebrate Christmas.   Now is when we turn on the Christmas Music, and eat the Christmas food, and share the gifts.   It is now Christmas so this is when we celebrate Christmas.  Then after Christmas catholics have the OCTAVE of Christmas, and the Twelve Days of Christmas.

When I was young we never decorated our tree until Christmas Eve.  Sometime in the early 1970s that all changed.

The Octave of Christmas:

Scripturally, there were 7 days of Creation.  Then jewish people rested on the 7th day which was the Sabbath(Saturday).   For Christians, will we often add a day:  the 8th day is when God RE-CREATED the world in the Order of GRACE through Jesus Christ.  We celebrate the 8th day(Sunday, the day after saturday) as our day of celebrating the Resurrection.   Baptismal fonts traditionally are octogons celebrating recreation.   So 8 is the number for the recreation of the universe in the order of GRACE.   Because of this, after certain Holiday we should celebrate them with intensity for 8 days straight.  This is Called the Octave.

There is an The Octave of Christmas begins with Christmas day, and we should celebrate the FEAST every day in a very intense way.  The Octave day(the last day of the octave) is January 1st, the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God.  This was traditionally the day we celebrate Mary naming Jesus(feast of the Holy name of Jesus), but his has been moved recently to January 3rd.  Keep celebrating Christmas in an INTENSE way during the Octave.

The Twelve Days of Christmas:

We know this from the Song.  The 12 days are AFTER Christamas, NOT before Christmas.   It goes from Christmas day to  January 6th, the traditional day to celebrate Epiphany(feast of three kings).  It would be great to keep your celebration of Christmas at least until after Epiphany.  This means that Catholics, if they are living according to the LITURGICAL Calendar would take down their Christmas decorations sometime from January 7th to 9th.

Secular Christmas:

Most people begin to celebrate Christmas at the end of November or beginning of December.  They skip Advent, and are already tired of Christmas by the time it arrives.   This is because STORES want to sell you stuff for Christmas so they begin the celebration as a Marketing ploy to make money.   As Christians we need to ask ourselves whether we celebrate Religious Christmas of the Birth of Christ in a Christian way, or a Secular Christmas revolving around the profit margins of stores.  We all have a choice.  The question is:  What do we choose?

peace

My First Question! BELLS?

My hope for this blog is that I can answer questions that people have.  If you have any questions let me know.  Here is the question I received today:

Today at Mass the altar server rang the bell.  Do we have to ring the bells there?  Why did that happen?

To answer liturgical questions we should go to the sources.  The main source for how to do Liturgy is called "The General Instruction of the Roman Missal".  This will be referred to as GIRM.  The Original GIRM was written in the early 70s, but was recently updated in 2002.  We get Liturgical answers from the 2002 GIRM.

#150 of the GIRM speaks about bells.  It says:  "A little before the consecration, when appropriate, a server rings a bell as a signal to the faithful.  According to local custom, the server also rings the bell as the priest shows the host and then the chalice."

The phrase "When appropriate" is vague, and in the end lets it up to the priest.  Some priests determine that every weekend Mass is appropriate, and others may determine it is never appropriate.  My thinking is that it is appropriate at special times and seasons.  By adding optional things during Special seasons shows that we are in a different time, and we recognize it is special.  This is called:  Progressive Solemnity.

A Little History:

Before the secon Vatican Council in the 1960s they used the bells at consecration at EVERY Mass.  It reminded the people to adore the eucharist if they were doing other prayers.  When the New Rite of Mass was introduced the bells were NOT mentioned in the new instructions.  They were continued in some places and discontinued in others.  It didn't say to do it, so people stopped doing it.  It was NOT mentioned in the first GIRM at all.  However, it is now mentioned again so some Churches are resuming the practice.

Enchanting the liturgy:

Bells add another dimension to the liturgy.  The more sensory experiences we have to say:  GOD is PRESENT, the better.   Not only do we visibly see the Host and worship, when the bell is rung we can here the sign the God is present.  This use of multiple senses, in a way adds new dimensions and enchants the liturgy.  In education it is called multi-sensory learning.

I hope this answers your question.

peace

Happy Birthday HOLY CROSS PARISH!!!

Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian Martyr(December 26).  On this Day in 1873 the Church was dedicated and Holy Cross Parish began.  For over 130 years our parish has been helping people to know and love Jesus Christ. 

Let us Continue to Pray for Holy Cross Parish, and for the Conversion to Christ to all the people of Kaukauna and the Surrounding area.

Peace

Only The Lover Sings

Last night at our Masses the Music was beautiful.   It drew me out of my self and helped to raise my heart and mind to God.

At mass, and other times when we pray music is not just an ornament, but it is integral to prayer. The language of music can open us to the experience of God. Music has always been part of christian worship.

Theology seeks to speak about the the mystery of God, and it is music that helps us to understand, to celebrate and to participate in this mystery, ESPECIALLY when it is united to the Word. Music helps us to enter a place of worship that is difficult for just words. Music is the a specific language, and it is through this language that we can talk about and to God.

As Christians we are called NOT only to sing at mass, but we should sing the mass itself. It is a totally different experience if we sing all the dialogs, sing all our responses. Song speaks to the heart in a way that simple words cannot, and with God it is necessary to speak to the heart.

Only the Lover sings. So as we sing to God, we know that God sings to us.  I would like to thank all the Choirs, cantors, and musicians at Holy Cross Parish for helping all of us in our relationship with God!

In the Zone!!!

4:00 Mass in the gym went very well.  There were many different families and the Mass had a very family oriented atmosophere.  6:00 was truly beautiful.  The music was wonderful, the people all participated and sang.  It was very prayerful.

Then it was back to the Rectory.  My entire family was there.  They went to the 4:00 Mass, and then while I was at the 6:00 the got everything ready for the big Christmas meal.  We ate, we told stories, we laughed, and then we opened gifts.  I am now in that wonderful quiet period.  My family have all gone home, and I have silence as I wait for the midnight Mass. Two hours to wait.  It is a time to pray, a time to listen, and a time to think.  This is a wonderful time because my mind is racing from the beautiful liturgy, and time with family and now time with God.  My soul has been primed, and now God's voice seems louder than ever.  This is a moment of Grace.

In two hours we will begin to pray again.  We will sing, we will worship, and we will raise our hearts and minds to God.   Now for a small piece of Holy Cross trivia.   Watch the chalice I am using at Mass.  It was donated to the parish in 1942.  It has been used at Holy Cross Parish for special Masses for 67 years.  My Grandparents, and parents would have been at Mass with that Chalice being used.  I like to use it every Christmas and Easter as a connection the Past.  It is a way of recognizing that it is not just the people in the Church worshipping God, but rather:  We worship with all the Angels, saints and everyone in heaven.  We all join together as we sing:  Holy, Holy, Holy Lord.

Christmas is wonderful and it begins with Mass.

peace

CHRISTMAS PROCLAMATION!!!

Today, the twenty-fifth day of December,

unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth

and then formed man and woman in his own image.

Several thousand years after the flood,

when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant.

Twenty-one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah;

thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges;

one thousand years from the anointing of David as king;

in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.

In the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;

the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome.

The forty-second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus;

the whole world being at peace,

Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father,

desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming,

being conceived by the Holy Spirit,

and nine months having passed since his conception,

was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.

Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Christmas Eve: Living your inner shepherd.

There are different Readings for different Masses at Christmas.   The Reading at Midnight is about the Angels appearing to the shepherds.  I like to see Christmas Eve is a time to focus on the revelation of Christ's coming to the shepherds, and then on Christmas Day we focus on the WORD MADE FLESH, the Incarnation for all humanity.  The first is more personal and sentimental, the second powerful and transforming.

1.  The shepherds were poor, honest, hard working people.  There is no reason why they should have special revelation.   They show that God did not come just for 'special' peopl, but came into the world world for YOU, and for ME.   The shepherds were at work.   Think of the ways God comes to you in your everyday life.   I hope that you live your faith in away that you would be aware of God, even if he spoke to you at work.  Supernatural grace can break into any area of our life.

2.  The Shepherds were "keeping watch at night".   They were watching, waiting, knowing the silence in th world.  In our modern world the idea of 'keeping watch' or sitting is silence with the expectation that God is there for us is missing.  We often fill every second with sound, noise, communication.   We communicate Constantly, but in our addiction of connectivity, we loose the humanity that real communication brings.  We long for LOVE, but in the end we have tweets.  We should be aware of our inner shepherd and sit down in silence and keep watch.

3.  It says:  “The glory of the Lord shone round about them.”   And the angels sing:  Glory to God in the highest!!!!   God's Glory was seen the cloud over the temple.  We see the light of Glory over the ark of the covenent, and at Mount Sinai when God appeared to Moses.   When you see the Smoke from Incense of Church you should be Reminded of this GLORY of God being present.

4.  Confronted with the Glory of God we see the shepherds were afraid.  We are all afraid of the unknown:  Supernatural reality, Death, Birth, and selfgiving love.   The angels tell us to fear NOT.  We should not be afraid, but rather filled with AWE!!   God is becoming FLESH, there is no more AWE inspiring event in the universe.  In our lives we should know that Awe before God.

5.  Shepherds are practical.  They are Not about the theory, but the practicing.  How do they respond:  They get up and go to Bethlehem.  That is simple:  They God to worship God made flesh.  In your life, our faith is about action:  Just do it.  Set a time to pray every day, and Pray.  Every week go to Mass.  If you sin, go to confession.  Simple:  Just do it-- Love God, and act on that love.  It is simple.

6.  Unlike the kings, they bring NO gifts other than themselves.  I invite you to be like the shepherds on this Christmas EVE:    Go to Mass, Worship God, and give yourself as gift.   Let your inner shepherd show.

O Emmanuel

December 23rd is the last of the O Antiphons.  As I mentioned ealier the O Antiphons are the verses to the song:  O come, O come Emmanuel, which we have been singing for the past 4 weeks of Advent.  In our song book the first verse and the last verse are based on the title emmanuel.   Here is the Old Testament passage we get this title from:

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." Isaiah 7:14

The title 'Emmanuel' means:  "God is with us".  That is exactly what we celebrate at Christmas.   Christmas is not about gifts, or being friendly, or accepting others, or all the other sentimental things that the latest Christmas Special celebrates.   Christmas is about the INCARNATION of God.   The Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.   God becoming Human so that humans can become God.   Now isn't a radical statement.  That is Christmas.    Here is the Liturgical antiphon for Dec. 23:

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Peace

Christmas Colors for the liturgy

Everyone knows that red and green are the secular colors for Christmas.  I was told emphatically by someone that RED is the color of Christmas.  When it comes to the Liturgical colors we go to the documents of the church.   The Liturgical color for Christmas (The priest wears this color vestment) is White.  #346 of the General instruction of the Roman Missal says: "White is used in the Offices and Masses during Easter and Christmas seasons........"   At the end of the same paragraph it also says "Gold or silver vestments may be worn on more solemn occasions in the dioceses of the United States of America."  This means that liturgical color for Christmas can be white, gold or silver.

In the liturgy red is used at very specific times.  In the same paragraph it says that red is used whenever we recall Christ's death in a special way:  Passion Sunday, Good Friday.  Red is also used for Pentecost as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and on the feast days of Martyrs.  Since it is NOT a feast of a martyr or Christ's death, red would not be the correct color for Christmas.

When dealing with the liturgy it is NOT a matter of personal likes or dislikes or tastes, colors have meaning to Catholics.   It is good to know the meaning.

When I was at St. Agnes Parish(Brett Farvre's old parish in Green Bay) parishioners would get angry at Advent when we switched from the Color of Ordinary Time(Green-- Packer color) to the color of Advent (Violet-- Viking Color).

peace

O Rex Gentium

The Old Testament title for Jesus on December 22 is:  O Rex Gentium, or in English:  O King of the nations.

Scripturally, the new King will bring Peace.  I love this passage from Isaiah.  As you think of Jesus as King, meditate on this.

"He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Isaiah 2:4

Here is the Liturgical Antiphone for Today:

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

Peace

Help I'm locked in the confessional!!!!

We have a very standard confessional here at Holy Cross Parish.  It is a small room.  You walk in, close the door, and kneel by the screen.  The only problem is that the door knob does NOT turn.   When you leave the confessional you stand up and just push the door open.  All the regular confessors know how to use the door.  However, if someone does not go to confession often, they will grasp the door knob, and try to turn it.  When the knob does not turn I get their "Father, I am stuck".  "The door does not work".   These are very common.  Almost everyone goes through this at least once in the confessional. 

Every now and again, there will be a panicked half yell  "Help I'm stuck in here".  I will just say push, and I will hear the door open.  Since it is Advent, and I have been heard hundreds of confessions, and this happens over and over and over.  I thought I would mention it.  Why????

1.  So if you go to confession and the door does not open, you will not panic.

2.  I wanted an excuse to talk about the Sacrament of Penance so that I could encourage everyone to receive the sacrament before Christmas:    OKAY everyone:   Its time to go to confession.   If there are no longer scheduled times, then give your priest a call.

3.  I also wanted to show that writing on a blog is more informal than a bulletin article.  I would never have written about getting locked in the confessional in my article.

4.  Lastly, because whenever happens I get a little chuckle.  After 2 hours in a confessional a person tries to find humor in anything.

peace

O Oriens "O Rising Sun"

The Old Testament Title for Jesus for December 21 is "O Oriens".  This has many ways it could be translated:   O Rising Sun, O Dayspring, O Morning Star, or sometimes O Dawn.

This is a beautiful reflection because the Rising sun has always been a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ.  In fact, in worship Christians initially always faced EAST when they worshipped at Mass.  Before 1970 people would say that the priest said Mass with his back to the people.   This was missing the entire point.  What was really happening was the priest was facing the SAME direction as the people.  All the People were facing east to the rising Sun, the sign of the Resurrection.  All the early Churches were built to face east.

Later on when churches where build to fit into city planning they no longer faced east, however the priest and the people continued to face in the same direction to worship God.

Here is the Antiphon for today:

O Rising Sun,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

peace

O Clavis David

This means:  O Key of David.  It is a title for the Messiah from the Old Testament.  It is the O Antiphon for today.  Here is the Full Antiphon.  Use it in your prayer today:

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

peace

O Radix Jesse

This means:  O Root of Jesse.  It is a title for Jesus from the Old Testament.  Jesse was the Father of King David.  The first reading from this Sunday we will hear that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem of the line of King David, from Jesse.  Here are some passages from scripture:

Isaiah 11:1   "A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots."

Isaiah 11:10   "On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious."

In many Cathedrals there are stained glass windows with Jesse at the bottom with a tree growing out of his side.  At the top of the tree in the window is Jesus.

Here is the Antiphon for today:

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

peace

Christmas Mass Times:

At Christmas Holy Cross Parish has 6 masses to choose from.  Here is our schedule:

Christmas Eve:

4:00 p.m Mass in the Gym[all other Masses are in the Church]
4:00 p.m. Mass in the Church
6:00 p.m. Mass
12:00 Midnight Mass

Christmas Day:

7:30 Mass
9:15 Mass

I would like to encourage people to attend Midnight Mass.  Many people like to go to 4:00 Mass before their evening with family and friends, however, the 4:00 Masses are very full-- large crowds, difficulty parking, Mass in a gym.  There is a dynamic excitement that comes with the crowd, but many people do not find it very prayerful.   At Midnight Mass, you are coming after a night with family and friends.  Gathering at that time of night is very specially, and very traditional.  The Music will be very beautiful.   As we pray in the middle of the night we have a special insight into what Mary and Joseph were experiencing in the middle of the night 2000 years ago.  

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas Season, and hopefully that will begin with a wonderful experience of Mass.

peace

O Adonai

Each Day from Dec. 17 to Dec 23 has its own liturgical Antiphon of a Title of Jesus from the OLD TESTAMENT.  Since each Antiphon begins with "O", they are called the "O Antiphons".  The Title for today is:   O Adonai.   This is Hebrew from "O Lord".   Since the Name of God (YHWH) is SO holy nobody was allowed to say it verbally, so when it came up in the biblical text they would say:  Adonai (Lord) in reference to God.

In the New Testament the title Lord was given to Jesus.  In Greek this would have been "Kyrios".   In the Liturgy we will often sing:   Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie elesion:  Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

I would encourage you to pray with the antiphon, and meditaton on Jesus as Lord.  Here is the Antiphon:

O Lord, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

It is good to read this in light of Isaiah 33:22 "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us."

Peace

O Antiphons

Dec. 17 begins a new time of special preparation during Advent. We begin the O Antiphons. These are liturgical antiphons based on titles for Jesus Christ from the Old Testament. These are also the verses for the song  "O come, O come Emmanuel". Today the Title is O Sapientia (O Wisdom).

The Full Antiphon for today is:

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,reaching from one end to the other mightily,and sweetly ordering all things:Come and teach us the way of prudence.

peace

Let the Blog Begin!

In the mid 1800s the Catholics of Kaukauna worshipped at St. John's Parish in Little Chute.  In 1869 a group of parishioners received permission from Bishop Melchor to erect a Catholic Chapel.  The pastor from little chute, who was the vicar general of the diocese, protested and delayed the project. After the appeal they began to build a church.'

On the Feast of St. Stephen, December 26, 1873 Holy Cross Church was dedicated on the parish began.  Fr. Joseph Hackl from Darboy celebrated the first Mass.  An English homily was given by Fr. Ackley of Menasha, and a German homily was given by Fr. Stern.

This was the beginning of our parish.   Our community has been worshipping as a parish ever since.  In 9 days we will be celebrating our 136th anniversary.

peace