Pastor’s Corner — June 18th, 2023
Restoring the Fullness of Fatherhood: 10 Paradoxes of Fatherhood
I thought it fitting on Father’s Day to publish a short list of paradoxes on fatherhood that illustrate the dynamic quality of fatherhood taken from a good article by Donald Demarco.
Fatherhood means being
1) An authority without being authoritarian.
2) A leader without being a frontrunner
3) A visionary without being arrogant
4) A servant without being servile
5) A lover without being sentimental
6) A supporter without being subordinate
7) A disciplinarian without being punitive
8) Merciful without being spineless
9) Humble without being self-deprecating
10) Courageous without being foolhardy
Restoring the Chalice at Two Masses: A Test Period
I’m happy to announce that beginning the second week of July we’ll be restoring offering Holy Communion in the chalice at two of the Sunday Masses (Saturday 5pm and Sunday 7:45am) for a trial period. (We will not be offering this at other Sunday Masses outside of special solemnities) This temporary restoration will be a time of discernment to help the priests, deacons and Nancy Coffey (Liturgy Coordinator) determine whether we should do this long term.
The main points of discernment are some of the reasons that I previously cited as to why we haven’t yet brought back Holy Communion in the chalice: 1) longer Mass times (increased time for purifying chalices), 2) lack of extraordinary ministers available to serve, 3) overly congested Communion line flow patterns, 4) troubling frequency of spillage of the Precious Blood. While it’s not common in the Church outside of the United States to offer Holy Communion in the chalice outside of special solemnities and while priests have a duty not to unnecessarily multiply the number of extraordinary ministers at Mass, the option of distributing Communion in the chalice is allowed by U.S. Bishops to happen more frequently as a way of expressing the full sign of sharing in Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion.
Therefore, given the tremendous significance the value of this sign is for some our parishioners, I believe it’s at least worthwhile attempting to restore this at a couple Masses on the weekends in the parish.
An important note: As I’ve mentioned before the Church teaches that Jesus is present fully (Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity) in both forms of Holy Communion. Therefore, if one only receives the Sacred Host or only from the chalice, he or she is not missing out on any grace from the Lord by not receiving Holy Communion from the other. We’ll revisit a long-term decision in mid-fall.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the L.A. Dodgers, and Prayers for Reparation
Many of you probably have been following the terrible news about the Los Angeles Dodgers and the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence”. If you haven’t, I invite you to read the USCCB News Release on it and pray with me an act of reparation. From the USCCB:
“On June 16, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, joined by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, have called on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and make an act of reparation—an act offered to the Lord with the intention of repairing the spiritual damage inflicted by sin.
The bishops’ invitation to the faithful follows:
“Catholic Christians traditionally recognize June as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. During this time, we call to mind Christ’s love for us, which is visible in a special way in the image of His pierced heart, and we pray that our own hearts might be conformed to His, calling us to love and respect all His people.
“This year, on June 16—the day of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a professional baseball team has shockingly chosen to honor a group whose lewdness and vulgarity in mocking our Lord, His Mother, and consecrated women cannot be overstated. This is not just offensive and painful to Christians everywhere; it is blasphemy.
“It has been heartening to see so many faithful Catholics and others of good will stand up to say that what this group does is wrong, and it is wrong to honor them. We call on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on June 16, offering this prayer as an act of reparation for the blasphemies against our Lord we see in our culture today.”
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias