June 15, 2007 - Issue #12
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Alaskans look at morality of climate change
Anchorage, AK — Some accuse the Catholic Church of attempting to be trendy by weighing in on global warming, a church official noted at a recent climate change conference in Anchorage.
In fact, the church is actually being fairly conservative and old fashioned, said John Carr, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ secretary for Social Development and World Peace.
"For us this begins in Genesis," he said at the June 2 meeting. "The Lord said the Earth is good. If it is good, then we have an obligation to care for it."
The daylong Catholic Climate Change Conference was the third of its kind this year sponsored by the USCCB. Others took place in Ohio and Florida.
Unlike most global warming conferences, these gatherings explored the specific obligations and duties which Catholics and other religious groups have toward people who are most affected by climate change, namely the poor.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz welcomed the mix of scientists, religious leaders, business professionals, politicians and others who attended the meeting.
Many of those problems especially impact Alaska, where Native groups are forced to relocate as permafrost melts under their homes and sea ice gives way to flooded streets and coastal storms. Melting glaciers, shrinking lakes and increased forest fires are other signs of the times.
"Our state, perhaps more than any other U.S. state is feeling these impacts in dramatic ways," Archbishop Schwietz said, before noting that Anchorage has already hosted a number of climate change meetings in recent months.
"So why have we convened yet another session about climate change," he said. "Because we are discovering that the concerns for, and threats to, the poor people in Alaska and around the world are not well represented in these conferences or public policy debates."
Archbishop Schwietz said he and fellow bishops hope these hearings around the country will help clarify how church teaching should influence public policy.
In his keynote address, Carr listed three traditional Catholic principles that should provide the core framework for any discussion about the moral side of global warming.
Prudence, concern for the common good, and a duty to stand up for people who are most vulnerable are foundational, he said.
"We have to look at climate change from the bottom up," Carr added, noting that poor people suffer most from climate change because they lack the resources to adapt or escape the consequences.
"It’s their lungs, their homes and neighborhoods, their children who are going to pay the price," he said.
The moral dimension of climate change is on the world stage to stay, Carr said.
He noted that the day before the Anchorage meeting, Catholic bishops’ conference presidents from the United States, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Russia, England and Wales urged world leaders at the G-8 summit in Germany to address some of these very issues, especially as they relate to the world’s poorest countries.
Any viable solution must affirm the place of the human person in the world, Carr said.
"We believe the person is the crown of creation but is not separate from creation," he told the audience.
Carr said the Catholic Church has unique assets to address some of the impacts of climate change. For starters, the church has a global presence and well-established infrastructures in many parts of the world.
"We’re everywhere," he said.
Most importantly, though, the Catholic Church has principles about how to treat the human person and the planet, he said. Those truths must be shared."In some ways we are delivering a very old message," Carr concluded. "You might have to moderate how you live. You might have to sacrifice. That’s not a new message for us."
Bush vows to veto stem cell bill
Rep. Young supports measure
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives rejected a bill June 6 that would have allowed human cloning but passed legislation the next day that would promote stem-cell research involving the destruction of human embryos.
Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska joined the majority in support of research that destroys human embryos.
A statement on the congressman’s Web site said he understands "that some people may view this as contrary to my pro-life position, but I would disagree."
Young defends his position by noting that any would-be embryos are excess embryos from fertility clinics.
He said "these cells" would otherwise be discarded anyway.
"Rather than destroy these potentially life-saving cells, it makes far more sense for them to be donated and used by federally funded researchers in their quests to discover therapies and cures for countless diseases," Young stated.
Young joins both Alaska Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski in supporting legislation that destroys embryos for stem cell research. Stevens and Murkowski supported a similar bill in April.
President George W. Bush vowed to veto the stem-cell measure, however, saying it "puts scientific research and ethical principle into conflict, rather than supporting a balanced approach that advances scientific and medical frontiers without violating moral principles."
Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, had urged the defeat of both bills in a June 6 letter to House members.
"Embryonic stem-cell research has been as disappointing in its results as it has been divisive to our society," the cardinal wrote. "Pursuit of this destructive research will almost certainly require you to embrace more and more egregious violations of moral norms in the effort to bring its ‘promise’ to fruition."
He said the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 was erroneously named and showed "the direction in which the embryonic stem-cell agenda is now taking us." The House defeated that bill by a 204-213 vote late June 6.
Although the legislation "may be promoted as a ban on human cloning, ... it is exactly the opposite," Cardinal Rigali wrote. "This bill ... allows unlimited cloning of human embryos for research — and then makes it a crime to transfer the embryo to a womb to allow the new human being to survive.
"Such legislation is not a partial ban on cloning, but is worse than doing nothing at all on the issue," he added.
The Stem-Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, approved by the House 247-176 June 7, passed the Senate April 11 by a 63-34 vote.
"Ethically sound research using nonembryonic stem cells has continued to advance, helping patients with over 70 conditions in clinical trials," Cardinal Rigali said in his letter. "Since Congress debated this issue last summer, further evidence has emerged on the versatility of adult stem cells and on the ability of adult cells to be reprogrammed to rival the flexibility of embryonic cells."
An article published June 7 in the international science journal Nature reported on research by three different groups that showed skin cells of mice could be reprogrammed back into embryonic stem cells. The new method, which the Nature article described as "surprisingly straightforward," could end the need for creation and destruction of human embryos for stem-cell research.
Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, welcomed the report, saying the advances "would be a gain for science, ethics and society.""Because adult cell reprogramming does not pose the moral problem of creating or destroying embryos, it may offer a way for people of all faiths and ethical backgrounds to use, subsidize and enjoy any benefits from ‘pluripotent’ stem-cell research," he said.
Octogenarian priest refuses to retire under the midnight sun
Fr. Clementich keeps motivated 50 years after ordination
Father LeRoy Clementich is a spry 82-year-old priest with a love for books and a passion for writing.
This month, the white-haired yet energetic Holy Cross priest marked his fiftieth year as a priest.
"People ask me why I don’t just retire. I have no desire to sit on the couch in the afternoon and watch Judge Judy," he said in an interview with the Anchor last month. "That would drive me crazy. I have to be out doing something creative."
And that he does.
Whether pounding on a massive typewriter or clicking away on his office computer, Father Clementich turns out volumes of written prose every week. He writes an award-winning Scripture column for the Catholic Anchor newspaper, composes weekly homilies and refines essays for his personal Web site. Through it all, he enjoys wrestling with the often-tricky intersections of Catholic faith and modern culture.
It wasn’t always this heady for the oldest of eight children – a boy who grew up on a North Dakota farm in the 1920s and 30s. That was a simpler time for Catholics, Father Clementich recalled – a time when the faithful dutifully followed orders and young men joining the priesthood was not uncommon.
"Back then, the idea that you would become a priest was no big thing – there were dozens of others doing the same," Father Clementich said. "In those days, it was nice for every Catholic family to at least have one boy who went to seminary and one daughter who went to the monastery."
Father Clementich doesn’t recall setting out to be a priest. Rather, key moments in his young adult years lead him towards ordination.
At a Catholic senior high boarding school he first saw the human side of priests.
"That was kind of a turning point in my life," Father Clementich said. "I had never known priests before except for Mass on Sunday."
During high school, he went hunting with a priest friend and even borrowed his car for the junior prom.
He also found himself attending Mass almost every morning.
"I just got used to that spiritual context," he said, while noting that seriously consideration of the priesthood was still a ways off at that point.
"I was more interested in girls, dating, football and track," Father Clementich said.
That began to change in 1945, when he went oversees to serve with the U.S. Army in Germany. There, he worked in an Army post office in Berlin, where a Catholic Army chaplain regularly came by to get mail.
The priest also happened to celebrate Mass a couple blocks from the post office.
"Funny thing is, I did the same thing I used to do in high school," Father Clementich recalled. "I used to go down there everyday for Mass."
Then one day, the chaplain asked him to be an assistant, to help prepare for Mass and other activities.
Father Clementich accepted and served under the chaplain for the next three years.
By the end of his tour, the chaplain asked if he’d ever thought of becoming a priest himself.
"I never told him that I was interested – I didn’t even know if I was interested," Father Clementich recalled.
A year later, however, the prospect of ordained life was still on his mind and he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame with about 250 other young men.
After earning a philosophy degree in 1953, Father Clementich headed to Washington D.C. where he was finally ordained in 1957.
The years since have been full of adventure – physical, intellectual and spiritual. Father Clementich has served all over the country, from the District of Columbia to Oregon and from Texas to Alaska, with many stops in between.
The academic life is a thread woven through most of Father Clementich’s ministry.
Teaching at high schools and universities, he has tapped into his own deep love for learning.
About 15 years ago, Father Clementich started visiting Alaska for a few weeks each summer.
"I used to come up here and go fishing just for the heck of it," he said.
During each short visit, he offered to celebrate a few Masses in the state.
"I did that for about three years in a row and the last time I came up here, (Archbishop Francis Hurley) asked me to stay and help out," Father Clementich said.
In 1993, he received permission from his Holy Cross provincial to live and work in Alaska.
"My provincial said he would let me know if he ever wanted me back and he’s never called," Father Clementich said.
But he didn’t move north to settle down or fade into the midnight sun. A pilot since 1972, Father Clementich flies up and down the South Central part of the state celebrating Mass from Valdez to Kenai. He also takes commercial flights to Catholic communities along the Aleutian Chain.
Last month, Father Clementich headed back to Notre Dame to celebrate 50 years of ordained life with some of his fellow priests.
"You know when you celebrate 50 years, you’re not celebrating that you’ve lasted 50 years," he told the Anchor. "It’s more what you have become in those years and how the depths of your spirit have been shaped by what you’ve thought and what you’ve done and the people who have come into your life."
The 50-year mark is also about recalling how the world has changed due to your work, Father Clementich added."It may not be radical but the fact that you’ve been in a place and you’ve been with people and you’ve taught or counseled, that is where great satisfaction comes. I want to keep that going as long as God lets me."
Theology of the Body: We all have ... a sex
"Who in this room has sex?" the speaker asked a room full of teens.
Thirteen Catholic youth promptly stared at their feet and weathered a painfully long pause.
"We all have sex," Father Tom Lilly finally broke in to answer to his own question. "Sex is a noun and we were all given a sex."
Speaking June 5 at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Father Lilly tried to drive home the point to a group of teens attending the Alaska Catholic Youth Conference.
The fact that we are sexual beings is a gift from God, he explained. It is the perversion of that gift, however, that wreaks so much havoc on individual lives and the larger culture.
"Our sexual desire is good because it was made by God," Father Lilly continued. "God could have had us procreate in any way he wanted but he chose a way that makes us feel phenomenal."
The teens listened closely as the energized priest offered a vision of the human body and sexuality based on Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, "Theology of the Body."
The 50-minute talk aimed to unpack a small slice of the late pontiff’s sweeping work on the theology of the human body.
"What kind of clothes did Adam and Eve wear in the garden?" Father Lilly prompted once more, before answering himself. "They didn’t wear anything at all. They were naked without shame."
That’s because they were a physical likeness of the invisible God, he said.
But a radical shift occurred when sin entered the world, Father Lilly continued.
"As John Paul II said, when sin entered the world, lust entered and we began to see other people as objects of our desire rather than as the image of the invisible God," he said.
Father Lilly acknowledged that the teens live in a culture that plays on their longings and desires. Often, this results in vulgar displays of the human body, he said.
"Sex sells and in our culture we are bombarded by hundreds of thousands of sex-saturated images," he said. Movies, music, videos, magazines – look at the Internet for crying out loud. You are one click away from Satan entering your heart."
But there is still great hope, the priest added.
The challenge is to never settle for lust rather than love – to never view another person as simply an object for gratification, he said.
Date rape, premarital sex, abortion, sexual diseases and many other ills are products of treating others like objects, rather than as people who are the very image of God, Father Lilly concluded.
He urged the teens to buck the tide and work hard to see human beings as they really are.
He encouraged them to avoid compromising situations by dating in groups and challenged them to be honest with members of the opposite sex.
"Look them in the eyes and get to know their soul," Father Lilly implored.
It may be difficult to resist the dominant flow of culture but not impossible, he said.
And for those who are struggling?"Go to reconciliation. Go seek forgiveness and pardon – you can change," Father Lilly said.
Young Dominican nuns give all their love to Christ
Sisters call teens to be authentic young Christian women
The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia are one of the fastest growing religious orders in the Catholic Church, and if Sisters Anna Wray and Marie Dominic are any indication, it is easy to see why.
The two young women (both 27 years old) radiated energy and upbeat optimism during a recent talk on the Catholic view of women at this year’s Alaska Catholic Youth Conference in Anchorage. Their June 6 talk exuded a noticeable delight in their vocation that energized the room full of teens at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Anchorage.
"I just wanted to comment on how impressed I am watching the two of you and your joy," a young woman attending the workshop said.
"People always say that about our order, Sister Dominic responded. "I think part of that stems from knowing truth and doing God’s will. You can’t help but have that joy!"
Sister Wray agreed. "Joy comes from being authentically free."
That joy is actually part of the mission of the sisters’ order. According to their Web site they "pride themselves on a strong spirit of joy and camaraderie." Based in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dominican sisters are a contemplative and apostolic order, rooted in the classical Dominican charism. Apostolically, they focus on youth and education. They also place an important emphasis on the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, looking at the Mother of God as a model of "humility and a true sense of what it is to be a woman."
These ideas served as the basis for the recent talk, entitled "The Catholic view of women", or as Sister Wray put it, "Will the real women please stand up!"
So what does an authentic Catholic woman look like? The sisters referred the teens back to God’s original plan of creation — looking at how humans were created in the divine image. That image, the sisters said, is not complete without both men and women.
Men and women are created equal but they have different roles, much like the different parts of the Trinity have different roles, the sisters said. The role of a woman is seen as the receiver — but both men and women still give and accept love.
Together men and women complement each other and thereby answer the call to love. This mirrors the outpouring of love seen in the perfect relationship of the Trinity, the sisters added.
For women, part of the outpouring of love comes from the call to motherhood, the sisters explained.
Ultimately all women are called to motherhood, they said, either actual or spiritual motherhood.
Both sisters said they initially felt called to raise a family, before realizing that they were called to a spiritual motherhood. Sister Wray said she understood that most clearly when she saw how intense her love was.
"I recognized that I wanted to give of myself so much that only God would do," she told the teens.
Sister Dominic echoed her fellow nun.
"When I entered the convent I encountered real women … and have learned what it means to be a true spiritual mother," she said.
Both sisters say they experience joy like no other from embracing their vocational call and attempting to live as authentic Catholic women.For more information on the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, visit www.nashvilledominican.org.
Monk calls on young guys to become "strong men of God."
About twenty young men gathered in a circle — more like a football huddle — to listen to a lanky athletic monk talk about what it means to be a "strong man of God."
Brother John Mary Ignatius, of the Society of Saint John, spoke to the teens on June 5, during the 2007 Alaska Catholic Youth Conference at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Anchorage.
Brother John played off the image of a huddle as he spoke about growing up in the football-crazed state of Texas.
"On the football fields, I grew up chanting, ‘only the strong survive’, year after year after year," he said.
That rallying cry became a way of life, he added. It is similar to what many young men hear from contemporary society, and while that mentality may work great for the football field, it doesn’t hold true in a young man’s day-to-day living, Brother John said.
So what does the strong man of God look like? Where are the examples? Brother John pointed back to the very first man — Adam.
Adam serves as a role model to young men because of his mission from God to order and name creation, Brother John explained. Ordering life is crucial today and young Christian men need to have a healthy order and approach to life, he said.
Modern-day examples of ordering are seen in what sites you visit on-line or what you do with your free time, Brother John told the teens.
Brother John cited King David as another man of God who lived in freedom and love for the Lord, Brother John said. David was not afraid to express his love for God by dancing in the street, he added.
"You knew his wife had to tell him — you’re a goof, why are doing this?" Brother John said, as laughter filled the room.
"But you knew that David’s response was that he didn’t care what people thought. His response and attitude was one of focusing on worshipping God," Brother John explained, before highlighting that David also had the ability to work through peer pressure.
David was not afraid to admit his weakness and repent after facing great temptation, Brother John said.
And then there is Christ, the greatest role model of all.
Brother John told the young men that the greatest attributes they could ever have come from Jesus in Matthew 11:29, "Follow me for I am meek and humble of heart".
"If you want to become a man you have to die on a cross, simple as that." Brother John said. That is best done by recognizing and embracing your weaknesses and fears, he added.
Brother John told the teens that the real measure of a man is seen in how he reacts to a weakness. Recognizing shortcomings and unveiling them to God, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation makes a man spiritually strong, he said.
Brother John added one more person to the list of godly men.
"Adam, David, Jesus and yourself," he said. "Not a bad list. It’s a tall order to fill, but with the help of a strong community and role models to help guide you, it’s not an impossible task."
News & Notes
Historic crucifix hung at Holy Cross
The first crucifix in the history of Holy Cross Church in Anchorage was recently hung in the parish sanctuary. The new crucifix was hand carved in Italy and mounted in place by Holy Cross parishioners.
World Refugee Day Picnic scheduled
Catholic Social Services will celebrate World Refugee Day June 20 with a picnic at the Lion’s park in Mountain View at 3 p.m. For more information, contact Katie Bender at 222-7338 or email her at tkbender@cssalaska.org.
Volunteers needed for H.U.G.G.S.
Volunteers are needed to help distribute school supplies and coats to children from low-income households during the first week of August. For more information please call the H.U.G.G.S. hotline at 644-8477.
Discernment Day set for vocations
The Daughters of Charity are sponsoring a vocation discernment day for single women between the ages of 18-45. For more information please contact Sister Kathleen Powers at (907) 333-5283
30-Day Individually Directed Retreats
Jesuit Fathers Nigro and Beuzer and Rosemary Insley are offering a 30-day spiritual retreat based on Saint Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, at the Holy Spirit Center from June 25 to July 25. The cost of the retreat is $1,995. For more information and for registration forms, log on the Holy Spirit Center’s Website at: www.holyspiritcenterak.org.
Film explores the lives of monks
The Bear Tooth Theater and Pub in Anchorage will show the award-winning documentary "Into Great Silence" on July 11-12. The film, by German documentary filmmaker Groning explores life inside the Grand Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps, where Carthusian monks practice a rigorous and ascetic monastic form of life. For more information call, call the Bear Tooth at (907) 276-4200 or visit www.beartooththeater.net
Three-day retreat starts in July
The Holy Spirit Center is offering a three day individually directed retreat from July 30 to August 2. The cost of the retreat is $275. For more information, log on the Holy Spirit Center’s Website at: www.holyspiritcenterak.org.
Columns
Climate change responses must address the needs of vulnerable human beings
Several years ago, the bishops of the United States issued a major statement urging the Catholic community to initiate a more civil, thoughtful and sustained dialogue on climate change and to emphasize the moral implications of a warming planet for all life, especially the poor and vulnerable. In that statement, we suggested that the old fashioned virtues of prudence, the search for the common good, and a priority for the needs of the poor guide the debate and decisions on climate change.
With this backdrop, the Roman Catholic bishops of Alaska convened an extraordinary meeting on June 2 to learn more about the issue. We brought together environmentalists and scientists, energy company executives and other business leaders, Native Alaskans, government officials and researchers. Our focus was not simply on science and solutions but we sought to discover climate change’s impact on people and to begin to discern a distinctive and authentic role for our faith communities in this ongoing debate.
Our convening was unique because it was a prime example of how debate and decisions about climate change (indeed any issue with implications for human life and human dignity) should reflect the pursuit of the common good, rather than the search for economic, political or other narrow advantage.
While almost all climate scientists have come to agree that human activity is a primary cause for global warming, what seems less certain are the consequences of that warming — for God’s creation, for human health, for economic life and for how we live together on this earth.
Today, many responsible leaders in business, human services and health care, researchers and government officials, environmentalists and economists and yes, communities of faith are taking greater notice and calling for prudent and effective action. Representatives from many of these sectors participated in the recent climate change conference in Anchorage. They brought a variety of views about what we face and what we should do.
While some people may call for dramatic action to immediately reduce greenhouse gases, others warn that sweeping and quick action could produce serious harm to the economy and potentially hurt the very people we in the Catholic Church are especially concerned about — the poor. While our dialogue at the climate change conference could never fully solve these global problems, we believe it is important to focus on them so we can make wise and necessary choices.
We came together to learn from one another and to listen and learn as a community of faith, not another interest group. We came together as people of faith, and not just environmentalists or scientists, businesses or service providers, government officials or researchers.
This type of dialogue may not please or satisfy the already polarized and powerful interests, but we believe our role is to raise different questions: What is the right thing to do? Who pays the price for climate change and the policies required to mitigate and adapt to it?
As a pastor, teacher, bishop and resident of this beautiful and vulnerable state, I am no climate change expert but I have witnessed some of the impacts in Alaska. Our state, perhaps more than any other U.S. state, is feeling these impacts in dramatic ways.
Conferences and hearings on climate change are not new to our state. It seems that at least a half dozen such meetings have taken place in the past year. Many were focused on threats to wildlife and our way of life. So why have we convened yet another session on climate change? Because we’re discovering that the concerns of and threats to poor people in Alaska and around the world are not well represented in these conferences or the public policy debate.
The way forward is to engage in a series of important discussions about what might be appropriate steps for the Catholic community in Alaska to take. The dialogue in Anchorage this month was the third such event this year and more are being planned around the country. Taken together, our hope is that these hearings will help the bishops and the broader Catholic community define more clearly and precisely what our faith teaches us and demands of us. In the weeks and months ahead we hope to begin defining practical and public policy actions that make the most sense in advancing the principles that we believe are central in this debate, namely, prudence, poverty and the common good.
The writer is the archbishop of the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Why does God delay?
King Belshazzar was throwing a party. Not only had the Babylonians defeated the kingdom of Judah and made them captives but Jeremiah’s prophesy of release from captivity after 70 years had come and gone. According to their calculations, the Jews had believed in vain.
They brought out the gold and silver vessels stolen from the temple in Jerusalem and began to use them as dinnerware. Wine was flowing; people were dancing and praising the gods of gold and silver.
Then a hand appeared and wrote the words, "Mene, Tekel, Peres" on the wall. Not only was the interruption a major letdown but the words didn’t make any sense to the king or his guests. The words were in Aramaic, which was the common language, but they basically named amounts of money and didn’t make sense in themselves.
Belshazzar’s queen suggested they bring in a Jewish man of some interpretive renown. His name was Daniel. Summoned to the party, he delivered the words of God to King Belshazzar, that his kingdom had been weighed, measured, and brought to an end. The Medes, having dammed the Euphrates, were already pouring in, which would lead to deliverance for the Jews.
But, before King Darius and the Medes arrived, the Jews in Babylon had been calculating too. They knew about Belshazzar’s feast and knew why the Babylonians were celebrating. It was humiliating that the prophecy had come to naught. Even though they despised and persecuted Jeremiah in his time, they were clinging to his words as they neared the expected end of captivity. Hopes were high. Then, the 70th year passed without release. They must have been crushed. The days rolled on and by the time Medes arrived, I’ll bet hope had left the building.
As far as history goes, this is where the story focuses on Jerusalem. We should pause in Babylon for just a moment longer. Christ is here in the land of Abraham’s father to answer and bear witness to his coming incarnation five centuries later. Why didn’t rescue come when it was promised? Why were the Jews permitted to suffer the disappointment and agony of hopes dashed? Why does God delay?
The answer comes in silence — a lonely heartbeat after all our plans and calculations have come to naught. This is the domain of the God of Sinai. This is the domain of a cross on a hill. St. John of the Cross calls this "the dark night of the soul". That moment when you are stripped of all your fig leaves — the patches that cover the God shaped hole in your heart. They must be removed if you wish to enter the presence of the Lord. God was showing the Jews in Babylon what his coming would look like. No armies, no cavalry, no fuss, not even a sound. Just a man on a cross, forgotten and forsaken, then the tomb, but that was empty too. That’s what victory looks like to God.
The writer teaches church history at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River.
Celebrating Mass: ‘So when does Mass actually begin?’
Last time we talked about how the Mass is a true sacrifice and a shared ritual meal. This week, we begin to explore actual parts of the Mass.
As any altar server can tell you, the Liturgy has four key elements: Introductory Rites, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist and Dismissal.
The Catholic Church teaches that Christ is actually present at the Mass in several different ways: when the people gather, in the Word proclaimed, in the priest who celebrates the Mass, and especially in the Eucharistic species (the bread and wine which become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ).
So when does Mass actually begin? Perhaps it is when the second person arrives. Christ says, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst" (Mt. 18-20). Gathering together is the first act of worship, so the way we gather is very important.
Good hospitality is a sacred duty. If you notice someone with a quizzical look on their face, they may be visiting or new. Take a moment to properly welcome them. It can make all the difference.
Once we are gathered, what brings people together better than singing? Good music makes for a unified celebration. Posture is also important. Out of a sign of respect, we stand as the procession makes its way to the Altar.
In whose name are we gathered? The priest answers that question with the Sign of the Cross. We gather "In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Then the Penitential Rite follows. Why? Because the church is a hospital for sinners not a rest home for saints! Together we acknowledge our need for God’s grace and forgiveness in our lives. The words of absolution by the priest have real power for us to enter fully into the reality of the reconciliation won for us by Christ on the Cross.
That done, we sing an ancient hymn of praise, the Gloria. Take a moment to look at this hymn, which dates back to the second century — it is truly beautiful.
Finally, the priest intones, "Let us pray." A sacred silence follows as we pray. This silence is an opportunity to raise in your heart intentions for that Mass. After a few moments, the celebrant will collect all those individual prayers into the Collect or Opening Prayer and offer them to God.
After the Collect, the Introductory Rites are over and our posture changes to a sitting position as we prepare ourselves to listen to the Word of God.
In the next issue we will share our story — the Liturgy of the Word.
The writer is pastor at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River.
John the Baptist: A religious misfit
There is a major personality in Scripture that has fascinated me through the years. A cultural icon and a religious misfit, John the Baptist stands out.
Every Advent season he appears in our Catholic liturgies, and, for the most part, we remember him by what he wore and what he ate, namely, camel’s hair and dried insects. Not only that, we remember him because he went about insulting and threatening people who imagined that they were religiously upright!
Of course, he is also remembered most clearly as the Baptizer, because that is what he did, if not for a living, at least for a cause.
What then went "wrong" in John’s young life? He was, after all, the son of pious parents; his father Zechariah was a priest at the temple. Even his birth was in some manner miraculous. According to Scripture, his parents were "advanced in age" when he was conceived. What, then, made John so antisocial, so antireligious? Were his parents negligent in his upbringing?
I have no particular insight in all of this, other than to tell you that he is an example of a justly angry man, indeed, so angry at society, religious and secular, that he was willing to lose his head over it, which, of course, he did!
What we are dealing with here is an iconic prophet, a man who was not willing to admit that all manner of things in the world were fine. To his mind, life was short and there was only so much time to put things back in order.
Thus we have the opportunity in the heat of our summer to celebrate his birth in our liturgy. The feast gives us the opportunity to reflect a little about prophets and prophecy. We might like to believe that prophecy is not as frequent today as it was in biblical times. Nonetheless, prophets are present among us, but we have the tendency not to think of them because they bother us too much.
My thought, however, is that prophets are important to their times for the reason that most of us might prefer to "live and let live." If something isn’t broken, don’t bother fixing it. The prophetic person, on the other hand, has the sense that some things in the world are broken. There are broken issues affecting us all, particularly the vulnerable in our midst and those without advocacy. Prophets, therefore, have the courage and brassiness to remind us that even though many situations in the world do not affect us personally, they affect somebody, and, after all, we are members of same human family.
The one quality, however, that true prophets seem to possess is the cosmic notion that many people have been left out. In other words, the entire human community is the prophet’s concern.
Finally, what seems characteristic about prophets is that they generally seem to be lonely people, lonely from our point of view because they are willing to alienate themselves from the ways of the rest of society, from what is "normal", all for a cause that they feel cannot be left unnoticed.
So, are we any better for having such folks among us? I would like to think so. Although I myself do not have much stomach for prophesying, I am happy to know that there are a few crabby individuals out there who are willing to disturb my peace and upbraid my lethargic conscience. I draw the line, however, at wearing camel’s hair and eating dried insects.
The writer is archdiocesan director of Pastoral Education. He also serves as canonical pastor and coordinator of parishes without resident pastors.
Liturgy of the Hours – The untold treasure (part three)
The church recommends we pray the Liturgy of the Hours at their appropriate times. In Alaska, this can be quite challenging as Lauds are supposed to be said at sunrise and Compline at sunset. After discussing this issue with my parish priest, I decided to say Lauds upon waking and Compline before bed.
There are numerous other options when praying the Hours as well. Options for the first prayer of the day and options for the many hymns that open each Hour. Additionally, one can add an optional Marian prayer at the end of the Compline.
As one might suspect, all of these options and more, combined with a new liturgical calendar every year, make praying the Hours a little challenging at first.
It took me about three months to feel comfortable with the structure and format.
If I had consulted a Priest or Deacon, I could have saved considerable time in learning to pray the Hours but I taught myself. Furthermore, I took a gradual approach to the Liturgy of the Hours. In the first year I said the Hours of Lauds, Office of Readings, and Compline. This past Lent I added Vespers to the routine. Nonetheless, after 18 months, I can enthusiastically say that the effort is well worth the reward.
As a father of four, who works 50-70 hours a week, I can only meet Christ’s command to "Pray without ceasing" by following the Jesuit mantra and making my life a prayer.
This is easier said than done. After 10 years of earnest effort, I felt I had come no closer to that goal than when I started.
Just 18 months ago, I all but considered St. Ignatius’ mantra an unachievable ideal. Through the Liturgy of the Hours, however, the unexpected occurred. I actually began to see the ideal as obtainable.
The Hours gave me the tools to actually progress in making my life a prayer. Through praying the Hours, I honestly began to see my thoughts, other people, and my activities in the eternal light. No longer was my faith in the background. The Hours moved my faith into the heart of my day. The frequency of the Hours allowed the prayer to reverberate throughout my entire day.
I still have a long way to go in aligning my thoughts and actions with God’s will but I rejoice that I clearly see before me the path I must take to get there.
This path involves the sacraments but I found that my openness to receive God’s grace in the sacraments is directly related to the effectiveness of my prayer.
For those considering the Liturgy of the Hours, I heartily recommend the following Web site: www.universalis.com. This online version of the Hours, is somewhere between 75-90% complete. I found Universalis to be very helpful in explaining specifics about praying the Hours. If you initially find the Hours too big to tackle, I encourage trying the "Magnificat" (www.magnificat.com). This prayer book mirrors much of the structure of the Hours of Lauds and Vespers but includes Daily Mass and is much simpler and shorter to pray. For those interested in more details about the history of the Liturgy of the Hours, please email me at rickeileen@hotmail.com. I will send you a PowerPoint file I developed for a recent class on the Hours. God Bless!
The writer is a parishioner at St. Michael Church in Palmer.
Anchorage cloister continues to serve the church but needs more sisters
Might it be called a coincidence of grace? Two groups of women, thousands of miles apart and on two different continents, were at the same time going through the same spiritual experience, namely, to start a religious community of sisters dedicated to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In addition to that, they ended up claiming the same founder.
This is the story of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, who have a monastery here in Anchorage just off Lake Otis Boulevard at 72nd Avenue.
Last month, I was invited to Mexico to attend the 200th anniversary of the founding of the communities by Mother Mary Magdalene of the Incarnation. I accepted immediately for two reasons. I could pay tribute to the founder, while also making a direct invitation for some sisters from the roughly 50 monasteries they have in Mexico to become part of the monastery here in Anchorage.
Those familiar with our Blessed Sacrament Monastery in Anchorage know that the number of sisters there is down to five. When I brought the sisters to Anchorage just over twenty years ago there were seven. Two eventually returned to Mexico and in the last two years two deaths and serious illness have left only four still active.
The mother superior, Sister Maria de las Victorias, is apprehensive about the future. We all are. There have been no local vocations in all these years. Time to look back to Mexico.
At the celebration in Mexico, I appealed to the sisters. There were about 150 sisters there, representing about 50 communities. They all showed concern. Most convents do these days. Several spoke to me privately. All promised their prayers and said they would bring our concern back to their monasteries for consideration.
While in Mexico for four days, I learned of the extraordinary life of Mother Mary Magdalene. As a young Italian girl in the 1880’s she seemed committed to marry a young neighbor, to the delight of both families. According to her biography, one day as the young Catherine was looking in a mirror to see her fine clothes and "the image of herself began to blur and change and soon there appeared in her mind’s eye the image of her crucified savior hanging from the cross. At that moment, an irresistible voice spoke within her spirit and called her to a life of exclusive love and devotion." That moment lead to the new community of Perpetual Adoration.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean in Mexico, a group of women felt called to form the same type of religious community. One of them approached their bishop. He referred the group to the community just formed in Italy and approved by Pope Pius VII. The bishop explained that if the Mexican women copied the style and documents of the new Italian group, they would move very quickly through the approval process in Rome.
Some of the Mexican women visited the Italian group and the rest is 200 years of history.
Before I left Mexico, the sisters gave me a beautiful statue of Mother Mary Magdalene to present to the Sisters here in Anchorage. Mother Mary Magdalene endured many trials on behalf of the community because of the turmoil affecting the Church in the time of the famous and infamous Napoleon in the 18th century. It is expected that Mother Mary Magdalene will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI next year.
In the meantime we pray that some of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Mexico will feel a call from God to come north. These sisters are cloistered, enclosed in their monastery all the time. The are also contemplative, meaning they are committed to a life centered and surrounded in prayer to the Lord and, in our case here, to the on-going adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Everyone, laity as well as religious, is welcome to visit the monastery and its chapel anytime during the day and evening. There could be other coincidences of grace, when God inspires and consoles all who stop by.
To learn more about the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Anchorage, visit their Web site at www.monestaryoftheblessedsacrament.com.
The writer served as archbishop of the Anchorage Archdiocese from 1976 until his retirement in 2001.
The pursuit of happiness: It can’t be bottled or sold
The United States Declaration of Independence says we have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
In my pursuit of happiness, I worked for a successful television show in Hollywood. I met many celebrities and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Donald Trump, Lindsey Lohan, and Clint Eastwood.
It was my initial opinion that these men and women would surely possess the secrets to life’s deeper questions. To my surprise, even with money, prestige and power, happiness was not guaranteed.
In the past, I’ve ignored the wise man and followed the proud. I’ve preferred opinion to the truth. I’ve joined billions in the blind-march, trying to find this magic potion or high achievement that would mark the completion of my happiness.
All around me people searched for the same thing, trying everything from drugs to deception, from politician to philanthropist, from lust to illusion. We always seem to begin again with salty lips, thirsting for our own mirage of "happiness."
As Americans we have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." But how can we pursue happiness if we don’t know what life is about?
This I know: when I chose to use my gifts for me, my happiness began in fireworks and ended in smoke.
I lived for happy hours and ignored the hangovers. I tried to live in perfection and ended in up judgment. I trusted false friends who continued to betray, and I chose the biggest mistake of all, to ignore this man Jesus — the very breath of my life.
One night, things changed and I understood everything and nothing at the same time. In a simple glance, my world changed. I saw this man on the cross staring at me. I never cared to see it before.
In that brief moment, I realized this world is fleeting. No matter what the achievement, the acclamation or what others thought of me, this world would never complete my happiness.
In essence, I had not lived a worthy life. I was dead, blinded with a hardened heart and a self-absorbed outlook on life. That evening, Jesus mesmerized my heart with his words that were written in my soul, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). How could I pursue happiness, if I continued to ignore him?
When I turned my back on Jesus, I became like Judas. I betrayed the one who gave me everything, for a couple gold coins and a few applauds. When the coins were spent and applauds hushed, what was left?
I saw that life is about surrendering to the one who surrendered his life for mine. Only then did I have the liberty to pick up my cross and pursue true happiness in Jesus.
So yes, as Americans, we have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but in my experience, Jesus is the life. We have a free choice to either embrace the cross or to ignore the deepest desires of our soul. The longer we ignore Jesus, the longer we betray the purpose of our existence and true happiness will never find us.
Our culture seeks pleasure, but Jesus is the one who gave us his great gift of peace that this world cannot buy or bottle.
The writer works at Holy Spirit Center in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
A reporter once asked Pope John Paul II (then Cardinal Wotjyla) if it was unbecoming for a Cardinal to ski
"It is unbecoming for a Cardinal to ski badly," he said.
This little remark shows both the late popes enthusiasm for the outdoors and his wit. An avid outdoorsman, he spent many hours skiing, kayaking and hiking. A quick search on the web turns up countless pictures of him meditating in the midst of God’s great creation.
As another glorious Alaska summer unfolds, it seems right to reflect on the teachings John Paul left for young people about nature and creation. In his apostolic letter, Dilecti Amici, he says "And so my hope for you young people is that your ‘growth and stature in wisdom’ will come about through contact with nature. Make time for this! Do not miss it!"
Why was his statement is so adamant? He answers this during an Angelus he gave in 1993.
"Today there is a greatly felt need to slow down the sometimes hectic pace of our days. Contact with nature, with its beauty and its peace, gives us new strength and restores us. Yet, while the eyes take in the wonder of the cosmos, it is necessary to look into ourselves, into the depths of our heart, into the center of our being where we are face to face with our conscience. There God speaks to us and the dialogue with him gives meaning to our lives."
God provided an abundance of beauty and wonder in Alaska — the peace, however, we need to help foster. John Paul suggests a very purposeful encounter with creation; an interaction that is not distracted by toys that make lots of noise, our technology, or even goal-oriented recreation such as reaching the summit of a certain mountain or catching our limit for the day. Instead, the pope exhorts us to go out into nature solely to ponder God and to meditate on his love for us — a love reflected in the majesty of his creation. John Paul then emphasizes why it is important to meet God in nature without worldly attachments: "The soul’s ear must be free from sounds to hear this divine voice that resounds in the universe." That’s the hard part for many of us — leaving the iPods, cell phones, and other toys at home. May you find time to encounter God in his creation and experience the inspired words of the Psalmist, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).
The writer is part of the Anchorage Archdiocese Youth Evangelization Team.
Editorials
I’m honored for the chance to serve the Anchor
I’ve always been intrigued by a good story, not a merely entertaining one but a story that forces you to think and look beyond yourself and ultimately to the ethereal. From a very early age I loved hearing and telling stories. Being also drawn to the aesthetic and artistic dimension of life, this love continued through all my formal education in college.
I didn’t plan it but like a good DeCrane, I pursued business. Unlike my three younger brothers, however, it didn’t take. Eventually I met a journalism professor who worked in the field as a photojournalist and was very intrigued by the human condition. That professor and my love of creative expression led me into broadcast journalism.
As a journalist, the stories I most enjoyed telling focused more on social justice issues, such as looking at alcoholism in the rural bush communities in the state. Yes, the thrill of breaking a story or scooping the competition is fun but ultimately it was those social justice stories that really had meaning.
Most recently, I worked for a local television station but I won’t lie, the world of secular media is a dark, shallow one rife with cutthroat competition. I recall a quote from a well-known journalist who once referred to the business as a long, shallow plastic hallway where thieves and crooks revel and good men die like dogs. I feel guilty that ultimately it was the media’s handling of the Virginia Tech Shooting that proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, leading me to look beyond secular journalism to the communication ministry.
I’ve done a lot of discernment in my life. I spent some time discerning a priestly vocation in seminary, which proved to be one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done because it served as a catalyst to force me to look inward. That’s a process that continued especially after seminary. It lead me to realize that happiness and true meaning are spent following Christ, and that I am called to follow him. I feel that God is telling me to continue as a storyteller, spreading the good news of his Gospel through the modern media. I don’t view my newest job as assistant editor of the Catholic Anchor as merely a job but a ministry, as the Catholic News Service says in their mission statement. I like that, because it truly is a ministry to communicate hope to a world desperately in need.
I’m honored for the privilege and opportunity to serve as assistant editor of the Anchor. I see this paper as a vital alternative to Catholics, to take the message of the church, communicating her teachings to help inform and ultimately walk with other Alaska Catholics on the journey towards holiness.
I have a chance to be a true storyteller, following in the footsteps of Christ — the greatest storyteller and author of all.
The writer is the new assistant editor for the Catholic Anchor
A spiritual habit must reflect the soul
A local priest once said, "You can’t be all collar and no soul."
At the time, he was speaking to a group of young men during an Anchorage Archdiocese’s vocation dinner. During that meeting last winter, half a dozen teenage boys asked questions about the priestly life and whether clergy had to wear their black suits and collars 24/7.
Each of the priests gave slightly different answers. Some wore their collars primarily for Mass celebrations; others wore them to grocery stores and about town.
Religious garments were again on full display at the Alaska Catholic Youth Conference earlier this month. For four days, two young Dominican nuns and two religious brothers from the Society of St. John were magnets for many of the 200 plus teens in attendance.
The sisters (both 27 years old), dressed in traditional habits, mingled with teens, laughed, shared meals and gave an inspired witness of religious life. Wherever they went, the nuns were visibly unmistakable and yet their demeanor and approachability drew flocks of youth about them. They spoke of their appreciation for sports and working out and yet they were also consecrated to Christ – having given their whole life to follow and serve their Lord.
During one of the talks, a young woman remarked at how joyful the sisters seemed.
"Joy comes from being authentically free," Sister Anna Wray responded.
But how can freedom come when you’re wrapped up in traditional habits? Don’t the religious brothers and sisters feel set apart and out of place at times?
"In the very beginning you feel a little out of place," Brother John Mary Ignatius told the Anchor. "But that fades with countless interactions."
Brother John, a lanky, athletic 35-year-old, said his habit sparks many philosophical and theological conversations. In subways, pubs, gas stations and other public areas, people are often drawn to his long gray robe and large wooden Rosary.
An ACYC staffer noticed a similar phenomenon this month with area teens. Each night, for an hour or two after the conference ended, youth surrounded the religious brothers and sisters. They wanted to be near these men and women, to ask questions, to see if they were for real.
There is, of course, a danger in being drawn to the outer image and clothing of something that seems to stand against the mainstream, Brother John told the Anchor. American teens tend to be drawn to the radical, he said, which is not bad in itself but it must be purified.
"It takes a while for a typical American to get beyond that to the spiritual experience and depth," he said.
And yet, once this occurs, the habit becomes a witness, Brother John added. It becomes a visible sign of an inner grace.
For many priests and religious orders there is great freedom regarding when and where to don religious clothing. And as many rightly point out, the collar or robe or habit does not make the spiritual man or woman. They are only signs, which can witness truly and powerfully when there is an inspired soul to match the clothes.
Based on the reaction of Alaska teens this month, the spiritual witness of religious brothers and sisters at ACYC went much deeper than their outer garments – and yet for many of the teens that’s where they first took notice.
Letters to the Editor
Editor’s note: In the last issue, we asked readers to weigh in regarding the continuing debate about how the United States should best respond to the issue of immigration and border control. Below are the responses we received as of press time. This issue will likely be on the forefront of U.S. policy debate for much of the year. Additional letters on this issue are welcome.
Current immigration policy a leaky ship
Imagine we are on a 50-person ship that has a bad leak in the hull and there are already 45 souls on board. Then, we come upon 500 people floating on the waves in life jackets who want to come on board to be saved. If we let all of them on, we will surely sink. At most we can take 30 more without sinking. Even then, we would be in no shape to withstand a storm. What are our priorities?
Our first job is to stop the leak in the hull. Second, we must bail out the water that has leaked in. Third, we can then take on the 30 who are closest to us in the water. Fourth, try to alert other vessels that are capable of helping those who are left behind.
Our Ship of State is in a parallel position. Our borders are leaking and we can only take a limited number of legal immigrants. There is a point that we will sink from unlimited open boundaries. With the large number of illegal immigrants we already have on board, we will not be able to weather a storm of unrest.We must stop the leak at the Mexican boarder and allow only those who have obeyed our laws to come in. We must also do our best to help Mexico solve the problems that make most of their people want to come here rather than stay in their home country. Mexico’s internal corruption problems are the base cause of our immigration problems.
Anchorage
Justice shouldn’t be limited to a few
Christ did not assume political boundaries in saying that we have an obligation to care for the poor among us. And our social justice teaching does not ask us to provide for one person before another. In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the story of the first Christian community, where they held all things in common to be shared according to need. The First Things writer assumes that a country creates the context for choosing to treat some people differently — that in essence there is a privileged class of people and those who are without privilege. This does not suggest to me either justice or charity. The values of the United States speak about justice and liberty for all. I do not think our ancestors were thinking only of those who were within our borders, but rather of all those who came to seek liberty and freedom. Christ did not say the "Sermon on the Mount" applied only to a few, but asked that all be invited to the table. Justice in immigration law should support people in respecting their efforts and supporting the need of families to stay together. The challenge for us all is to see what we need to let go of in order to be open and hospitable to all.
Anchorage
U.S. to blame for immigration problems
A guest column addressed this question of immigration last summer by arguing that care for immigrants is the responsibility of individual Americans but not the responsibility of the United States of America. The columnist said we should take Jesus’ warning about how we treat the least of his people "with common sense." In effect, the columnist said we taxpayers can’t afford to obey Jesus.
I say we can’t afford not to. We taxpayers subsidize Big Agriculture, which individual Mexican farmers, unsubsidized by their governments, can’t afford to compete with. Now, tax-and-spend politicians want to solve a problem created by needless government spending by more needless government spending on big walls and more border patrols.
A generation ago, we taxpayers spent millions on Latin American state-sponsored terrorism by murderous dictators. People fled death squads to the United States, only to be turned back at our borders by those who spent taxpayers’ money on creating the problems that drove them here in the first place.We’d solve much of our immigration problem by not spending big bucks on corporate socialists and state terrorists. The issue isn’t whether we can afford to subsidize Jesus, but whether we can afford to subsidize Satan.
Anchorage