This past Friday, our parish hosted the Village Interfaith Council Earth Day Service. I was blessed to give the message. Since I know that many of you were not at the service, I want to share a few of my reflections with you.
In my preparation for Earth Day, I read parts of Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si, "On Care for Our Common Home." While it is an important teaching addressed to all Catholics throughout the world, its subject matter truly speaks to every person in the world regardless of race, color or creed. It is something that I was comfortable quoting at an ecumenical gathering, as was Friday's Earth Day service. While everyone has responsibility when it comes to the care of the earth which we inhabit for the span of our lifetime, Pope Francis speaks of a responsbility for the care of the earth that comes from our faith as he quotes Pope John Paul II from his message for the 1990 World Day of Peace. Christians in their turn "realize that their responsibility within Creation, and their duty toward nature and the Creator, are an essential part of our faith." Care for the environment is something for all Christians to take seriously in their lives. It is not just for a few who are zealots in this regard.
Everything that we and others do to care for God's creation, starts with a great respect and awe for the created world that God has given us. As the book of Genesis (1:1 - 2:2) tells us over and over, God found what He created "good" so we and future generations should find the creation that we are born into good, and do what is needed to keep it good or even better than we found it as we leave this created world to go to our eternal home in heaven. We are blessed here in Hot Springs Village to have all around us, God's Creation to appreciate even more deeply and to give thanks to God for, both in voices of praise and thanks, and in actions of care for God's creation.
Pope Francis does speak of practical things that we can do to care for and protect the environment, and I hope to speak about these in the future in this column and in other places. I recognize that our efforts in this regard will be challenging since we have been led to some bad habits that are doing harm to the environment. I pray that we will all be led to change some of our ways and inspire others to do the same. God will bless us and creation for it!
In my preparation for Earth Day, I read parts of Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si, "On Care for Our Common Home." While it is an important teaching addressed to all Catholics throughout the world, its subject matter truly speaks to every person in the world regardless of race, color or creed. It is something that I was comfortable quoting at an ecumenical gathering, as was Friday's Earth Day service. While everyone has responsibility when it comes to the care of the earth which we inhabit for the span of our lifetime, Pope Francis speaks of a responsbility for the care of the earth that comes from our faith as he quotes Pope John Paul II from his message for the 1990 World Day of Peace. Christians in their turn "realize that their responsibility within Creation, and their duty toward nature and the Creator, are an essential part of our faith." Care for the environment is something for all Christians to take seriously in their lives. It is not just for a few who are zealots in this regard.
Everything that we and others do to care for God's creation, starts with a great respect and awe for the created world that God has given us. As the book of Genesis (1:1 - 2:2) tells us over and over, God found what He created "good" so we and future generations should find the creation that we are born into good, and do what is needed to keep it good or even better than we found it as we leave this created world to go to our eternal home in heaven. We are blessed here in Hot Springs Village to have all around us, God's Creation to appreciate even more deeply and to give thanks to God for, both in voices of praise and thanks, and in actions of care for God's creation.
Pope Francis does speak of practical things that we can do to care for and protect the environment, and I hope to speak about these in the future in this column and in other places. I recognize that our efforts in this regard will be challenging since we have been led to some bad habits that are doing harm to the environment. I pray that we will all be led to change some of our ways and inspire others to do the same. God will bless us and creation for it!
One of the recent comments from a parishioner after Mass about the "proper time" to kneel at the end of the the distribution of Holy Communion, leads me to devote this pastor's column to that issue. First, let me say that respect for the Holy Eucharist starts and ends in our minds and in our hearts before, during, and after Mass. I see daily, the respect that people have for Jesus present in the Eucharist in the chapel as people come in 24/7 to pray. There is a reverence and silence in the holy space that is the chapel where Jesus is present in the Monstrance. Some sit and some kneel and some do both during the time (usually an hour) that they spend in the chapel.
During Mass we are kneeling as Jesus becomes present to us during the Eucharistic Prayer. From that moment to the end of Mass, we are normally standing or kneeling. As a common posture is recommended at various times during Mass, the time of the reception of Communion indicates a standing postition until the last person has received Communion. It is at that point that kneeling (or if one struggles to kneel, sitting) is what we are called to do, as we pray silently and quietly in thanksgiving for Jesus coming to us in Holy Communion. There are some (including the bishop) who choose to wait until the Eucharist is put back in the tabernacle before kneeling. If that's what you choose to do (just as there are some who choose to kneel immediately after they retun to the pews after receiving Holy Communion) that is your choice. Nobody whould criticize you for that. If people are still receiving Communion after I finish giving out Communion (at one of our stations), I wait until the last person has received before kneeling down at my chair in the direction of Jesus who is usually on the main altar. It is certainly okay for people in the pews who stand throughout the distribution of Holy Communion, to kneel when I do or wait until the Eucharist has been put back in the tabernacle. Either way, we all need and should be allowed time to pray quietly and privately to the Lord, and I will always strive to give that time before I ask everyone to stand for the praryer after Communion.
During Mass we are kneeling as Jesus becomes present to us during the Eucharistic Prayer. From that moment to the end of Mass, we are normally standing or kneeling. As a common posture is recommended at various times during Mass, the time of the reception of Communion indicates a standing postition until the last person has received Communion. It is at that point that kneeling (or if one struggles to kneel, sitting) is what we are called to do, as we pray silently and quietly in thanksgiving for Jesus coming to us in Holy Communion. There are some (including the bishop) who choose to wait until the Eucharist is put back in the tabernacle before kneeling. If that's what you choose to do (just as there are some who choose to kneel immediately after they retun to the pews after receiving Holy Communion) that is your choice. Nobody whould criticize you for that. If people are still receiving Communion after I finish giving out Communion (at one of our stations), I wait until the last person has received before kneeling down at my chair in the direction of Jesus who is usually on the main altar. It is certainly okay for people in the pews who stand throughout the distribution of Holy Communion, to kneel when I do or wait until the Eucharist has been put back in the tabernacle. Either way, we all need and should be allowed time to pray quietly and privately to the Lord, and I will always strive to give that time before I ask everyone to stand for the praryer after Communion.
This past Tuesday's first reading (Acts 4:32-37) spoke of some of the realities of the earliest post-Resurrection believers, including their generous spirit to provide support for the neediest among them. This is described in terms of the sale of property, with the proceeds being given to the apostles to use as they saw fit. It was, no doubt, the Holy Spirit that inspired such bold and generous actions among the early Christians. Now, 2000 years later, I rejoice that the Holy Spirit is still inspiring actions of generosity in Christ's disciples. I am praying for that inspiration in more of us when it comes to the needs that have been expressed to us through the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal (CASA).
If you have not as yet made a one-time gift or a pledge to CASA, it is certainly not too late to do so. Envelopes can be found in the pews or on the long tables in the narthex. In addition, I know that there is a real need, right now, for more people to make themselves available when they can drive people, who can no longer drive to appointments and perhaps to the groery store, through our Helping Hands Ministry. Our list of drivers has shrunk due to sickness, age and death, and we need MORE.
If the number of parishioners we have, would offer themselves for this work of mercy and charity at least once a month, we would not only meet the needs of our parishioners, but we could also reach out to the larger community and lend a helpig hand, which is something Pope Francis wants us to do (reach out beyond the boundaries of our parish in almost everything we do). Please pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for you and your fellow parishioners in this and in future needs. If you want to share in the Helping Hands ministry as a driver or find out what other ways you can help please call Pat Widlowski at 922-1395 or Cathy Wedwick at 915-8456.
We are once again in need of a person, persons, or even a couple to run our "Singles Ministry" in the parish. If you might be interested and want to get more information about it, please call me at 209-2502. The potential membership in this group is large and the benefits of having opportunites for Singles to get together for fun, fellowship and other purposes, are many. Please, at least, pray that this ministry will have a new leader or leaders soon.
If you have not as yet made a one-time gift or a pledge to CASA, it is certainly not too late to do so. Envelopes can be found in the pews or on the long tables in the narthex. In addition, I know that there is a real need, right now, for more people to make themselves available when they can drive people, who can no longer drive to appointments and perhaps to the groery store, through our Helping Hands Ministry. Our list of drivers has shrunk due to sickness, age and death, and we need MORE.
If the number of parishioners we have, would offer themselves for this work of mercy and charity at least once a month, we would not only meet the needs of our parishioners, but we could also reach out to the larger community and lend a helpig hand, which is something Pope Francis wants us to do (reach out beyond the boundaries of our parish in almost everything we do). Please pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for you and your fellow parishioners in this and in future needs. If you want to share in the Helping Hands ministry as a driver or find out what other ways you can help please call Pat Widlowski at 922-1395 or Cathy Wedwick at 915-8456.
We are once again in need of a person, persons, or even a couple to run our "Singles Ministry" in the parish. If you might be interested and want to get more information about it, please call me at 209-2502. The potential membership in this group is large and the benefits of having opportunites for Singles to get together for fun, fellowship and other purposes, are many. Please, at least, pray that this ministry will have a new leader or leaders soon.