WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE?
Father Ron Longero

In the February issue of the Magnificat Father Richard Veras describes how when he was teaching a morality class a student reacted angrily about Fr. Veras’ certainty regarding God’s existence.  Fr. Veras was to meditate upon how best to express the truth of Christianity even to those who were offended by that truth.  What he came up with was a preference test.  The only thing a person had to do was to react to one of two preferences for life based upon what their heart told them.  One such example is as follows:

Which would you prefer? Choose A or B and give a reason for your choice.

A) Your value depends on your abilities.  The greater your abilities are, the more important you are.  You are more important than people who can’t do as much or as well as you.  People who have greater abilities than you are more valuable and more important than you.  When you lose your abilities, your value will diminish.

B)  Your value comes from the fact that there is a God who wants you to exist.  So even when your abilities are not the best and when other people don’t think you are important, he still loves and values you.  Thus, you are always of infinite value.

Which would you prefer? 

If I were to choose ‘A’ I would have to think about which abilities I possessed which were valuable and to whom.  How would those abilities be helpful to myself?  Would those abilities dictate a small sphere of influence in life or a big one?  What about the places where my abilities were of little consequence?  What then about the effects of age and diminishing ability?  Would that mean I was to be shelved, relegated to living only in the past?  Would people even have time for me?

If I were to choose ‘B’ would I even have to answer the above questions?

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
By: Jim Brandmueller

In the mid 1990's it was popular among some church groups to wear jewelry, rubber bracelets and assorted clothing with the letters WWJD on them.  This stood for "What Would Jesus Do?". It was an ethical challenge to people to think about this question before taking action in our daily lives.  In the end, the idea faded as the slogan became co-opted by various other groups to further their specific causes, i.e. What Would Jesus Drive? by a group advocating against the use of SUVs.

The idea, at it's base, is a great one.  Perhaps we need to consider how the early Christians formed fellowships and communities to work toward a common goal and ensure that the needs of each were handled.  Recently, a Church leader was promoting an outreach center where people were directed to the right location to receive government benefits.  Did Jesus direct the needy to Caesar or anyone else?  No, the Christians filled the needs of their fellow men without any questions.  Imagine how it would have been if Jesus had referred the blind or crippled to the proper Roman authorities.  

Think about how we can help meet the needs of others.

"Lord, we ask your help and guidance to serve your people as you would have us do."

So, What’s Your Mission?
During our recent discussions there has been questions about being a “Missionary Congregation”.  Whether or not the parish congregation undertakes missionary goals, objectives or actions does not, however, relieve each of us of our calling to serve God and proclaim him throughout the world.  So, what’s your mission?

Pope Benedict is scheduled to visit Mexico during Lent.  In preparation for that visit copies of a Papal proclamation on missionary work, produced nearly 20 years ago and preached on by the Blessed Pope John Paul II was circulated throughout the congregations in Mexico.  Further, Pope Benedict made further charges to the people that all are called to perform some missionary action on behalf of Christ.

So, what’s your mission?  Missionary work has largely been associated with those who actively go forth to identify disciples (or at least potential disciples) and bring them into the Church.  This requires a special type of person with the right personality and gifts from our Lord.  Not everyone is called to perform this form of work.  This does not, however, relieve us from discerning our individual call, and implementing it in our lives.  Some may do nothing more than facilitate the work of others through their financial support.  Remember, that much is expected of those to which much is given!  Others may receive a call to visit shut-ins, or to volunteer at a soup kitchen.  Recently, a Priest in Los Angeles died who had made a special ministry of handing out dollar bills on skid row.  His ministry reached countless souls and, as we learned, was facilitated by the generosity of a few high profile celebrities who financed the endeavor.  While the dollar bills didn’t do too much for these people, the human contact and knowledge that someone cared about their mere existence was priceless.

A couple of Sundays ago our Vicar, Ron, spoke of a conversation we had about having some means of identifying ourselves as distinctly Christian.  In the ancient Church, shortly after worship of Christ was legalized, Christians wore their baptismal gowns as the symbol that they were baptized into the realm of believers.  In more recent times Christians distinguished themselves by wearing crosses or crucifixes.  This too has become a lost means of distinguishing ourselves as these have become mere adornments and jewelry worn by non believers as well as believers.  Some religious societies have members wearing vestments of various types to distinguish themselves.  This is an issue to ponder.  Yet our acts of Christian kindness and love may be the best way we can unselfishly serve our mission.

I intend to continue on this topic for a few weeks, exploring the possibilities of the ministries of one.  How each of us, working with the gifts God has bestowed upon us individually, can forward Christ’s charge to us.  That we can serve the Church, and mankind as living symbols of our faith.

Please take some quiet time to pray on this, then wait to see what the reply is.  I assure you that there will be a reply and that you will be amazed!

SO, WHAT’S YOUR MISSION, PART 2
By:  Jim Brandmueller

Last week I presented the concept of asking God's direction in developing our individual missions. This week we can review some of the history of the individual commitments and hopefully, be ready to answer our questions.

When the Apostles began to form Christ's Church and to go forth with the Good News, there were essentially three orders of ordained ministers.  There were Apostles, who had been witnesses to Christ and his work, Presbyters who, as the name implies, presided over services, and Deacons, from the ancient Greek word Diaconia, or servant.  Each Church group had one or more Presbyters and generally 7 or 8 Deacons who performed various administrative or other tasks for the Church including security, Catechists, Acolytes, and in the roles we now generally consider diaconal in nature.  Deacons also served directly for the Apostles as their servants and aides.  Early in Church development women assumed many important roles including the addition of non-ordained Deaconesses, who were responsible for the teaching and preparation of women and young people into the faith.  Women were key to the preparation of the premises for the celebration of the Eucharist.  Women were generally charged with the preparation and presentation of the Agape meals which often accompanied worship.

As the Church developed the Apostles found themselves overworked and in need of additional assistance with their tasks.  Thus, the Bishop came into being as the successor to the Apostles. As the Church continued to grow  and Christ's message spread, additional roles came into being with people accepting responsibilities for the building and maintenance of facilities, Monks, Friars and Nuns came into being to provide specialized services.  Early orders provided healthcare, publishing (copying texts by hand), metal smiths who made altar furnishings, vintners who prepared altar wines and so on.

As more modern times came about, less and less responsibility fell to the members of the Church. Most tasks were assumed to be handled by the ordained clergy or hired staff.  Today, however we are undergoing a reflective period where this model cannot function any longer. Costs for building and maintaining facilities have skyrocketed (if you don't believe this, let's talk about the Roman Church in many urban areas of the US and Europe).  Less individuals are responding to God's call and the cost for maintaining traditional clergy situations are very high. The result is a rebirth of the individual mission which we must respond to.  If we do not help to lift the yoke of these duties our community cannot effectively reach our full potential and the needs of the congregants cannot be met.

So, What's Your Mission.
 

"Heavenly Father, help to guide us that we may serve you as you see fit.  That we may serve you and the needs of your people and Holy Church."

SO, WHAT’S YOUR MISSION (CONCLUSION)

By: Jim Brandmueller

I was recently told of a sign located in a Church narthex which greeted people as they exited the Church.  It read "The worship has ended.  You are now entering the mission field."  We conclude this series of messages by examining how we are charged to be missionaries in our Liturgy.  The very last proclamations made in our services are often considered as dismissals but are, in fact, a specific instruction for us to take all that we are and all that we have gained in our service into the world.

Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord!  Alleluia!

Go Forth proclaiming the Good News that is Christ the Lord!  Alleluia!

Go Forth into the World gladly shining the Light of Jesus Christ!  Alleluia!

There are many similar charges which are available for use as a part of the Liturgy.  In the ancient Church this made by the Deacon Doorkeeper.  Today, it is proclaimed by the Deacon or, in the absence of a Deacon by the celebrant.  It is located at the end of the service as a charge of our duty and responsibilities to bring the Church and Christ's message of unconditional Love, absolute Forgiveness, and unlimited Mercy in the world in which we live.  The Mission is not an easy one.  Not all are ready or willing to hear.  Some may never be ready.  But out charge still requires us to carry-out the Mission.

We are all charged to be workers in Christ's vineyard.  Let us joyfully toil at our labors.  We may only plant seeds, but with God's infinite grace, they may be nurtured and grow.

So I conclude with the question, What's your Mission???

"God grant us the peace and wisdom to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord throughout the World!"

Faith First

In the introduction to his book, “The Orthodox Way” Bishop Kallistos Ware writes, “There is only one means of discovering the true nature of Christianity. We must step out upon this path, commit ourselves to this way of life, and then we shall see for ourselves. So long as we remain outside we cannot properly understand.”

This particular passage from the introduction to that book seemed to jump out at me. For some reason it struck a chord with where the landscape of our times seems to be. People seem to want something that they can empirically taste, touch, see, and feel with regards to happiness and security. If someone on the outside of Christianity doesn’t believe the Church is somehow expected to prove and demonstrate empirically (or at least through sound argument) that Christianity is true that Jesus is true.

There are many things Christianity is not. One of them is that it is a religion of provable postulates and precepts via scientific evidence. Rather it is a faith and way of life based upon Revelation. God reveals himself in unique ways to Abraham, Moses, the prophets and so on. Ultimately God reveals Himself perfectly through the Incarnation of His Son. Our faith is one in which we come to meet God personally through His Son. You cannot do that without first taking the step of faith to get to know Him.

Vladimir Lossky, an Orthodox theologian wrote, “One must open oneself to this personal God, to encounter Him in a total involvement: that is the only way to know Him.” In this season of Advent we in the Church look both backwards to the first Advent of Christ and also to the Second Advent when he comes again in glory. The season is once again a prompting by Holy Mother Church to remind us of our need to “commit ourselves to this way of life; to encounter Him (God) in total involvement. Even many of Christ’s own want to see some demonstrable proof that all of this is worth their time and worth turning away from that which is most familiar.

No matter how one wishes to justify their reasons ‘why not’ the truth is that one simply cannot know or understand Christianity apart from faith. For as the Father’s would say, it is faith that illumines the intellect. St. Anselm, a Western Saint, prayed that he might believe so that he might understand. God allows us to approach him only through faith. Reason can lead us to the threshold, but faith takes us through the door.

May this Advent season become for you a renewal of faith so that you can enter more deeply into relationship with the One who came to meet us as one of us.

Blessings,

Fr. Ron