The Light is on for Confession

My latest for the Catholic Telegraph:

This coming March 18, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is participating for the first time in a national campaign simply entitled ‘The Light is On for You.’ Begun in New York, it is a night where every parish throughout the Archdiocese will have confessions offered from seven to nine in the evening. It has met with great success in areas that have conducted the program and we are excited to bring it here, too!

As a priest, the ability to hear confessions is at once both awe-inspiring and fear-inducing. It is awe-inspiring in the sense that it is often the time when you are able to the see the Grace of God most visibly active in a persons life. It takes a great deal of humility and emptiness to come to a brother in Christ to admit the wrongs that have been committed while seeking not just the priest’s forgiveness, but the forgiveness of God Himself! The words of absolution still strike me, even after nearly ten years as a priest and countless confessions, as one of the most beautiful prayers that the Church has passed down to us.

However, the act of hearing a confession is also fear-inducing in the sense of trying to find the right words to help this person who is before to experience that unique love of the Lord available in this Sacrament. In fact, it is that initial love of the Lord which itself spurs that call to conversion! As I enter the confessional, I always try to say a prayer that I might be a good and holy confessor, a wise and prudent steward of the mysteries entrusted to me, a priest.

Because of the intimate and delicate nature of what is celebrated in this Divine Encounter, the training to conduct the Sacrament is deferred to our very last years of seminary formation. After all, this Sacrament draws on every other aspect of our training: knowledge of Scripture to see the ongoing call to conversion that is throughout the Bible; knowledge of theology to understand the implications of what we are doing; training in pastoral counseling so that we are able to engage the penitent where he or she is and draw them closer to Christ; and even knowledge of our own weaknesses so that we never forget that, as priests, we are first and foremost wounded healers who are also in need of forgiveness and mercy.

Uniting all of this together is practice. During our course on the Sacraments of Healing, we undertake practice confessions with our classmates so that once we sit on the other side of the screen, we might have some idea of what to do. Our professor then guides and rehashes how we did in those moments so that we can continue to learn from them. (In fact, that particular class when we practice can often be the most fun as we either try to outdo our classmates in ‘sins’ we have committed, or come up with some outlandish scenarios.)

Yet, Confession is not meant to be something difficult and drear, but an encounter with the Living Christ who calls us all. Confession is to help us overcome our weaknesses and failings in order to recognize that Jesus Christ still calls, despite our sins, despite our faults, despite our failings. He waits and challenges us to move forward and to confirm once again, “Yes, Lord, You know everything; You know that I love.”

Our Lord waits with innumerable graces to pour out upon those who come to Him in their need. As priests, we wait to be doctors of the soul. If you have not been in a while, now is the perfect time to come to Him and to hear those most powerful of words: ‘Through the ministry of the Church, I absolve you of your sins…’

Meet Jesus, Don't Just Talk About Him

My latest Missive for the Catholic Telegraph

At the initial meeting I have with an engaged couple to begin their preparation for married life, I always start with how they met and why they are now sitting across from me thinking about getting married.  It is enjoyable to me to hear their stories and to see in them the way that God truly has brought them to this point, sometimes after long and intertwining paths to reach this point.

Part of the conversation also turns to why they want to get married in the Catholic Church, which also involves their Mass attendance in the recent past.  During a recent meeting, the couple admitted that they did not attend Mass very often at all and our discussion centered around how and why this happens, for it happens all too often among young adults these days.

In reflecting with them, we centered on two ‘causes’ of this backsliding that so many of my generation fall into.  On the part of the young person, in many ways, it just sort of happens.  Entering college, they miss Mass a few times that initial year, then a few more the next year and by the final year of college, they go to Mass when home with mom and dad and well, then, the ‘habit’ is broken.  By the time they settle into a working career, so many young adults no longer have the pattern of Sunday Mass into their weekend routine and just stop altogether.

But is this solely the fault of this generation?  In reflecting on the work I see being done with young people today and the focus that many youth ministers are bringing to their work, as aspect that was sadly missing in previous generations has finally been rediscovered.  In my own faith formation, it seems that we talked about Jesus a great deal, but the key component that was missing is that we were never actually introduced to him.  There was never an encounter with the Living God so that our lives were changed by Him.

However, all is not lost!  The good news is that there is a strong contingent of young adults who have had this encounter with the Living Christ and wish to fervently share this encounter with our young people!  Even more exciting, so many of our young people (teens and high school students in particular) have also had this encounter and are leading a revolution in their families, schools and among their friends.  They have found the pearl of great price and are willing to sacrifice everything they have and are to not only keep that pearl, but to also share it with their peers.  The vibrancy and energy that they are bringing to the Gospel is powerful!

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, this might be a chance for a renewed focus on not only how we are forming our young people in the academic life, but also how we are forming our young people in Christ!  Our Catholic schools have small signs in each classroom that is a reminder that Jesus is truly the reason for our schools, the unseen teacher of all that we do.

But our challenge is to make Him more than just unseen, but to help all of our young people to know and realize the unique and dynamic love that He has for each one of them; all the while helping our young people to return that dynamic love back to Him as well.

Also, this is a challenge that is not just for our Catholic schools, it is for every Catholic to embrace.  The more that schools, parishes, youth ministry programs, families, and diocesan offices are able to work together with the focus of truly presenting Christ in all that we say and do, the more we can help fight back on the ways the culture has infiltrated our efforts to spread the Gospel message.

As we do so, surely Christ will bless these efforts, for He truly does desire for us to find that unique happiness and joy that comes from knowing, serving, and most of all loving Him in both this life and in the life to come.

Good Bye to a Brother Priest

My latest missive for the Catholic Telegraph:


As I write this, the parish where I reside is preparing to say good-bye to a brother priest.  Fr. Bob Wolfer had lived in residence at Our Lady of Lourdes in retirement with his brother who was also a priest.  Over the last few years, he was in residence at a nursing home prior to being called home by Our Lord here in middle January.  I am sad to say that I never really knew either of the Frs. Wolfer, as we were of a different age cohort, and by the time I was on the scene at Our Lady of Lourdes, they were already well into their eighties and needed full time care.

However, as Fr. Bob Wolfer neared his death, calls came in to the rectory for the priests to visit him and prepare him for his final journey home.  Fr. Sunberg, the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, visited him, anointed him, gave him Absolution and the Apostolic Pardon and one last reception of Holy Communion to be his strength along this final journey.

When we received word that he had been called home, a series of events get put into place for that final journey.  Calls were placed to the Archbishop’s Office and the Chancellery to let our brother priests know of his passing that Masses might be offered for the repose of his soul.  Arrangements are made with his family for the funeral Mass.  Vestments are procured so that he might be vested as he lies in state.

It was this last part that I was called in to help.  I was asked to stop by the funeral home that is assisting the family to make sure that Fr. Wolfer is properly vested for his final journey: his cassock and alb were brought over; a chasuble and stole laid in wait for him to wear one last time.  It is the responsibility of a brother priest to make sure that the priest who has passed is properly vested for his funeral Mass, and I was glad to assist in this humbling task.

In so doing, it is realization of Psalm 110 that is prayed every Sunday at Evening Prayer:  “You are a priest for ever, according to the Order of Melchizadek.”  All of these little steps and traditions that get activated when a priest dies reflect that he goes forward not just as a Baptized Catholic, as important as that is, but that he goes forward as a priest.  During his final journey, he is accompanied by the hopes of all the children that he Baptized; by the dreams of all the couples whose marriage he witnessed; the relief of all those whose sins he forgave in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; and the souls of all those he prepared for a happy death in the Last Rites of the Church.

We pray that the good works that he did as a priest might overshadow his human failings, for every priest struggles with the call to perfection while also the reality of being human.  We pray that the homilies he preached continue to echo in the hearts and minds of the faithful who heard them.  We pray that the testimony of his life as an ‘Alter Christus’ might gain him entry to sit at the side of Christ in the Banquet to come.

One of my brothers, one of our Fathers, has died.  We now entrust him to the grace and care of Almighty God, whose minister he was in this life; that Fr. Wolfer might now be with Him forever. 

Eternal Rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may the Perpetual Light shine upon him. Amen.

The only problem is, there are not enough of them!

My latest for the Catholic Telegraph:

There is good news to report: the number of seminarians for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati continues to increase, reaching a high water mark since at least the mid 1990's, if not back to the mid 1980's!  As this academic year began, we have 45 men in formation for the priesthood for the Archdiocese, 28 of whom are in major theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West, 17 are in college formation at one of two houses of formation: Bishop Simon Bruté in Indianapolis or the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus.

These are great numbers, and as Vocation Director, I am very thankful for the help and support that our vocation program has received throughout the Archdiocese; from parish staffs and youth ministry programs, high school campus ministries, young adult formation groups, the excellent faculty and staff at Mount St. Mary's, my colleagues in the Central Offices of the Archdiocese, and certainly my brother priests who are out 'in the field;' all have helped to stem the tide of fewer vocations to the priesthood.

But it is not just the numbers that have continued to increase, but the quality and dedication of our seminarians is also outstanding.  We have men in formation for the priesthood who had many options that they willingly sacrificed to pursue this most noble of callings.  Several of our college men have full tuition scholarships based on academic merit; among our Major Seminarians are men who had offers at the graduate level to the University of Notre Dame, in addition to very successful business careers that were just starting.  Some of our men are very blue collar, born and raised on farms in the rural parts of our Archdiocese, connected to the ground in a way that those raised in cities just could not have.  Yet, they are a band of brothers, united by the Calling from God to lay down their lives for their brothers and sisters in the Lord was stronger. 

It is an exciting time to be working in this field, and not just here locally, but across the country.  Dioceses and seminaries are reporting increases and record enrollments, just as we are.  In fact, some seminaries are reporting that they simply cannot accept more students as their residence halls have been packed full.  This is an excellent problem to have!

Despite the optimism, there is still much work to be done.  Here in the Archdiocese, we need to at least double the number of men in formation from 45 to 70.  This would allow us to begin to turn the tide from shrinking numbers of active priests to actually increasing the laborers in the vineyard.  It is possible and we can continue the trend.  Some parishes within the Archdiocese currently have two or three seminarians just from that parish; if even half the parishes in the Archdiocese supported a son to enter priestly formation here locally, we would have over 100 men in formation.  Suddenly, it does not seem to be so great a task to achieve the goals set forth by Archbishop Schnurr.

On his behalf, I would like to thank one particular demographic for their support in our vocation efforts: the older generation who cannot be as active as they once were, but support the life and ministry of the Church through their vibrant prayer life.  As the prophetess Anna was night and day in the Temple praising God, so many of this greatest generation follow in her footsteps in their devotion to Daily Mass and recitation of the Rosary.  I ask this generation, in particular, to keep the vocation efforts in their prayers!

Finally, vocations to the priesthood and religious life are signs of great blessings and vitality for parishes and dioceses.  May the Lord continue to pour out these rich blessings on our Local Church, and increase the good work He has already begun in our midst.

But First, let me Check Facebook!

My latest for the Telegraph:

As I meet with men who are discerning the priesthood, I eventually get around to the question of how they spend their free time, as it shows where some of their interests lie.  However, over the last three years in particular, the responses have been getting more and more interesting.  Or, rather, the lack of response to the question of free time.  In short, they do not have any.  Young adults go from work, to sports, to play, to friends and back again constantly.  We are constantly plugged in.  (Ask my family about my constant use of my iPhone!)  There is so much ‘stuff’ going on in our lives that it is difficult to find the necessary time for quiet and prayer, where The Call from Christ is heard.

It is not that these things are necessarily ‘bad,’ either.  The young adults I know are involved in excellent apostolates, both within and outside the Church: volunteering at soup kitchens and homeless shelters, praying in front of abortion mills for the end of this heinous practice, serving on Parish councils and boards, dedication to work and family; coaching their children in sports; etc.  This generation, my generation, wants to be active and involved in a wide variety of aspects of community life, and we are.  But what is the cost?

One of the ways this seems to affect the life of young adults is precisely in their faith life.  In the many parishes that I visit, it is interesting that I do not see many of my own peers, those in their 20s and 30s.  It is not that they do not believe, per se, but often I wonder if it is a matter of being too busy with the other things of life that interfere with our faith life, even among ‘Committed Catholics.’

As I write this, one Gospel story comes to mind.  In Luke 9, as Jesus is walking along and making His way from Galilee to Jerusalem, He invites those around Him to “Come, follow me.”  However, He is met with various excuses: “Let me bury my dead father;” “let me say goodbye to my family, first.”  Both of these are not necessarily bad things to do, rather seem to be praiseworthy, yet Jesus rebukes both of them for putting other priorities before Him.  How often do we do the same thing?

As I work with young people, and not just those coming into or discerning the seminary, it seems that the life of faith is slowly, but surely being pushed aside.  But not in an outright, malicious, way.  Rather, it is slowly being shoved further and further into the corners of our calendars, now simply one option among many instead of the bedrock of stone upon which our lives as Disciples of Christ must be built.  It is not that this “pushing aside” is intentional, far from it; it’s just that, “I’m busy.”

So what must we do?  How do we respond?  There are a few simple things we can all embrace to return our faith life to the centrality that it not only needs, but deserves.  First, rediscover Sundays.  As difficult as it can be, do not schedule non-family events on Sunday.  Keep that as a time to reconnect after a hectic week, spend time either with just the immediate family or with the extended relatives.  Second, begin the practice of a Morning Offering, consecrating the day to Our Lord and offering your works that day for Him.  Third, make time, once a week, for a Holy Hour.  My mother has committed, from the time I was in my early teens, to making a weekly visit before the Blessed Sacrament at our home parish.  Despite now 19 grandchildren, this hour is vital to her so that she can be present to each one of them.

These little things can help us on the path of being more intentional about the practice of our Faith, rather than just sliding through the motions and letting other things fill our time.  If we truly believe that Christ is Lord and God, is this not the least we can do?

Following the Footsteps of the Martyrs

The July edition of The Catholic Telegraph was published early to coincide w/ the Fortnight for Freedom.  Hence, my article takes up the theme:

85 years ago, our neighbors to the south were embroiled in a life and death struggle to maintain their freedom to worship as they saw fit.  With laws that the were enacted with the ratification of a new Constitution but never enforced, The Church in Mexico thought it had found an uneasy peace with the government.  However, as President Calles took office, he began a systematic implementation of the rules that previously existed.  This resulted in the suppression of the rights of Catholics to gather for Mass and for priests and nuns to wear religious garb outside of a house of worship.  Also, foreign born clerics were expelled from the country.  (As a side note, this oppression and the resulting heroism is told dramatically in the new movie, ‘For Greater Glory,’ which is currently in theatres.)

Our brothers and sisters to the south did not sit by quietly to allow this oppression to persist, however.  Bishops, priests, religious and lay men and women, Catholic, Protestant and Atheist, even, bonded together in a wide range of efforts to preserve the rights of Mexican citizens to express their religious liberty.  And while it was a long and difficult struggle, eventually the government had to withdraw, eventually the struggle for freedom was won; through the power of prayer and an attitude that they would not succumb to the forces arrayed against them.

The atrocities committed in Mexico against the Church are not the first time in history that civil governments attempted to silence and/or marginalize people of faith.  In the early Church, St. Justin Martyr was a great apologist and defender of the faith, even to the Emperor himself.  During the English Reformation, Sts. Thomas More, John Fisher, Margaret Clitherow, and Edmund Campion stood against the reforms of Elizabeth and gave their lives in witness to the Catholic Faith.  In the missionary countries of Africa and the Far East, the seeds of the Church were sown by the courageous witness of those who challenged the status quo and fought for the freedom to embrace this newly introduced religion, because it was true and resonated deep in the echoes of the heart.

Every time the Church is persecuted, it does not start with a full scale frontal assault, but rather slowly chips away at the fringes before, all of a sudden, there is no longer a freedom to do what our faith impels us to do: care for the poor and the elderly, teach and form the young, preach the Gospel, manifest Christ to the world around us.  All of these are obligations not just of the priest, but of every Catholic.

The comforting aspect is that we do not do this alone.  Recently, a Baptist woman came up to me as I was wearing my Roman Collar and affirmed: I support the Catholic Church!  And we do not stand just in this time, as the saints who have gone before us give us the example and courage to follow in their footsteps, so that there might be raised up from among our very midst saints in the vein of those listed above, from every age and walk of life.

The founding fathers of this country purposely installed religious liberty as our first and most cherished right because they knew the power of a citizenry that was aware of a higher power to do great things.  It is on all of us to embrace that call today.

Vocations Among Us

My latest missive for the Telegraph:

Vocations Among Us

One of the key moments in my own vocation was several years before I even thought about the possibility that I might even be called to the priesthood.  But looking back now, without this event, I would have never even considered the possibility.  At the time, however, it was just another event that I was honored to be a part of.

My junior year of high school, a son of my home town was ordained to the priesthood for the Congregation of the Holy Cross.  As he was my oldest sister's brother-in-law and needed extra servers for his Mass of Thanksgiving, my twin brother and I were volunteered to assist; which we gladly did.  I can still see the joy on the face of a newly ordained priest, years of study, prayer and hard work had culminated in this event; and even though I would not have been able to articulate it at the time, this became a key moment for me in looking towards the priesthood.

A year later, as my class was graduating and heading off to college, I learned that someone I knew from the neighboring town was entering seminary.  Hmmm.....   Men really do still do this.  As I made my way through my own first year of college life, I recognized my own priestly calling through the ongoing example of the priests at the Campus Ministry and entered the seminary for my second year of college.  I never really looked back since.

These recollections are not merely to fill space, but serve to highlight a very simple, yet vitally important point in the cultivation of a spirit of vocations within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  With both Archbishop Schnurr and Archbishop Pilarczyk (and now including Bishop Binzer in the discussion), we are convinced that there are vocations to the priesthood in our midst, sitting near you every Sunday at Mass, passing you on the street corner, riding the bus home from school.  We just need to find them, encourage them, help them to discover this pearl of great price to which they have been called.

With this recognition, throughout the month of January as we went from National Vocation Awareness Week to the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, the Vocation Office has been recognizing the stories of local men and women who have answered the call and are now serving as religious, priests, or still in training to be so.  I invite you to visit www.cincinnativocations.org to peruse these stories.

In reading through them, I am struck that there is no common theme besides faithfulness.  There is no 'magic pill,' as it were, for families to do which inspired a vocation.  There is no simple recipe that will automatically bring your son to be a priest.  In these vocation stories, the life-long cradle Catholic is positioned side by side with converts from atheism.  Families who were wonderfully supportive are contrasted with a few who nearly disowned their daughter or son for entering the seminary or convent.

Yet, even with the disparate versions of these stories, three common themes present themselves: faithfulness, prayer, and trust.  As we move deeper into Ordinary Time and once again enter into the great season of Lent; perhaps these three dimensions are once again being called to the fore in your family as God continues to form us all to be more like His Son.  And if God calls one of your sons or daughters to the priesthood or religious life, trust that He truly does know what is best.
 

The Hidden Sacrifice of the Priesthood

Often when I do presentations on vocations to the priesthood and religious life, the introduction includes the instruction to pray for our priests and religious because they have given up so much in order to respond to their call. While it is true that the life of a priest is a particular form of sacrificial living in giving up the good things of the natural world, there are certainly many blessings that nourish the priest both spiritually and emotionally during the course of his ministry in the Church. I would think, based on seeing so many religious who exhibit that deep seated joy in Christ, that they have a similar experience.


However, there is a sometimes hidden cost of responding to a priestly or religious vocation that becomes quite evident this time of year, but not necessarily for the priest or religious, but for his or her family. Because of our responsibilities and assignments, we often miss family gatherings during the holidays, or when we get there, we are so tired and worn down, all we want to do is sleep; yet nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, parents are all excited to see you and want to hear about what we have been doing.

But especially for members of religious communities, even this is not an option. Often stationed in houses around the globe, families have to make due with a two week ‘home visit’ at different points during the year. In between, hand written letters are often the only means of communication that goes between family and the professed. While the evident joy can temper some of the feelings of loss in the rest of the family, there is still something missing when that son or daughter’s chair remains empty during Christmas Dinner.

On the contrary, there certainly are many blessings that can come to the family of a priest or religious. I know my mother enjoys seeing people she meets make the connection that she is ‘Fr. Schnippel’s mother’ and my father’s favorite pastime is greeting me after Mass with a hearty: ‘Well done, Son!’ (and my sheepish reply: ‘Thanks, Father.’) Plus, family weddings and baptisms take on a special significance when celebrated by your brother or uncle, and it was a particular joy to me to receive my brother’s wedding vows while I was still a deacon.

Despite these great blessings, families of priests and religious can still sometimes feel left out. Perhaps with the upcoming Christmas season, it might make for an excellent awareness to thank those families from among your parishes and friends who have sacrificed in such a way in supporting a son or daughter in their call to the priesthood or religious life.

After all, priestly and religious vocations are not the product solely of one family, but naturally grow forth from a vibrant parish and school life. There is a pride that comes to the whole parish when a son is ordained or a daughter professed; helping a family who greatly loves, yet greatly misses, their child, brother or sister aunt or uncle; is certainly a great way to acknowledge that the fostering of a vocation is too important a task to be left to just one family. It is the responsibility of all.

During this Christmas Season, may Christ richly reward all those who have helped to foster a vocation!

For more on how families and parishes can foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life, please visit http://www.cincinnativocations.org/.

The Scandal of the Cross

My latest runs this week in the Catholic Telegraph:

With the advent of the 24-hour news channels, it seems that there is now a greater desire to, in a way, manufacture news. With 168 hours of news coverage to fill per week, there is a great deal of time to rehash and recover stories that even just 10 years ago might have fallen quickly to the wayside, especially when those stories center around the fall from grace of a public figure who has become bigger than the law, the constituents, the cause which he or she serves.


Recently, Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives over a texting scandal. Hollywood stars and starlets seem to live for the front page of the tabloids. Even the vicar general for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has had pressure applied for failing to uphold his responsibility in the protection of children.

My point in this article is to not argue that a free pass should be offered to anyone, but rather to muse on the question of how it has come to this, specifically in regards to the people involved, and on the phrase from the investment scandals and the bank bailouts which has returned to the front of my mind: “Too Big to Fail.”

Lord Acton’s oft-quoted summary seems to apply once again: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Original sin continues to manifest itself, as the initial refrain from the evil one echoes through the ages: “I will not serve.”

Power, hubris, thinking that one is above the law, all are rooted in the most ancient, yet most modern of sins: pride. It is so easy to read your own press clippings, to ignore the criticisms rightly leveled, to rationalize one’s behavior while scoffing at the right reasoning of others; suddenly, the world does revolve around me and everything should serve my purposes.

As we have found out, even priests are not immune to this trap. We are complimented frequently, people tend to listen to what we say and we can be treated very kindly by strangers for nothing other than being a priest. It is easy to think that I can walk on water, instead of pointing to the One who actually did walk on water.

How is one to combat these temptations to pride? It certainly is not easy, but we have great examples of those who have come before us to follow. In 2 Samuel 16:5 and following, as David is leaving Jerusalem in scandal and fleeting from his son, Absalom, Shimei, a man from the same clan as David’s predecessor, Saul, starts throwing rocks and insults at the downtrodden king. Many who are traveling with David want to rush upon Shimei for these insults, yet David recognizes that he speaks for the Lord God and humbly takes his punishment.

In the New Testament, Peter is often chastised for his hubris before Our Lord, yet he is humbled by his inability to stay true to his promise to be with Jesus ‘even to the point of death’ during His passion and death. Yet, returning to the Lord, has there ever been a greater statement of faith than his pleading: “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you! “(John 21:17)

So many saints who have been wrongly accused, even by the church, responded with a quiet submission and trust in God’s providence and care. They knew it was never about them, but rather always about leading others to Christ. If their suffering helped that to happen, they rejoiced with St. Paul that they had been found worthy to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.

As we all face those temptations to pride, those temptations to hubris, to putting our selves above the law, let us always turn to the cross of Christ, for only in Him do we find our strength. Every saint has lived under some version of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s motto: “All for the Greater Glory of God.” May we, too, echo these same words.

A Personal Relationship with the Living God

My latest runs this week in the Catholic Telegraph.

When I was teaching high school, my final exam question was simple: “In your own words, with support from Scripture, tradition and material gleaned from class, answer the following: Who is Jesus Christ?”

The answers were always enlightening, and while some were certainly profound and showed a remarkable insight, many answers betrayed the current world-view in which we live: no longer is there belief in Jesus Christ as a personal being, He has morphed into some type of cosmic force, something that is “out there” and helps me be a good person but loves me no matter what I do, so it does not really matter.

I bring this forward not to cast aspersions on my students, but rather to point out that this type of spiritual malaise and misinformation is the driving force behind and the interpretive key to Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy. His goal is to re-introduce orthodox Christianity to what has become a post-Christian society.

This plays out in the many arenas that Pope Benedict uses to convey his message — his so far three encyclicals, two exhortations and speeches during his trips around the world. However, the venue in which to see this most clearly is his weekly Wednesday general audiences at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, as they provide a microcosm of his entire papacy.

As he ascended the throne of Peter, the pope continued a reflection on the psalms that was begun by his now blessed predecessor. However, as he concluded those reflections, he began a new tract to highlight those great men and women throughout history who have been friends of Jesus.

Beginning with the apostles and the early church fathers, working through great medieval bishops and writers and concluding with female mystics and later doctors of the church, Pope Benedict proposed these figures as those who can continue to lead us closer to Christ — not to a cosmic being, but in a dynamic relationship with the living and true God.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, the pope brought this to a deeper level as he began a new series of talks during his weekly general audience, now focused on prayer synthesizing all that he has spoken before, he wants to unite these various threads of the call to holiness and sanctity into a “school of prayer,” to respond to the apostles’ request of Jesus to “teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1).

The “Marshall Plan” that Pope Benedict is outlining here is a way to reintroduce Christ to the modern world, through the life and practice of the individual believer. He has held up the example of what we should all strive to be, and now he will be giving us the steps of how to achieve that goal.

For Pope Benedict, for the individual believer, Christianity is never about a blind following of rules or a mindless obedience, but rather a great adventure in the pursuit of orthodoxy, for in coming to know Christ at a deeper and more profound level, we come to know the self at a deeper and more profound level.

As we do so, we continue to grow in love for our Lord, and then, by necessity, also in love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. What would this world be like if we each strove, just a bit more each day, to be a living example of sanctity and holiness? Truly the world would be transformed.

To find Pope Benedict’s weekly Wednesday general audiences, visit http://www.vatican.va/. For more on prayer, see the resources page at http://www.cincinnativocations.org/.

What We Already Knew

My latest runs in this week's Catholic Telegraph:

Every year, the Center for the Applied Research and the Apostolate releases the results of a survey of all the men to be ordained to the priesthood for the coming year. (For those interested, it can be found online here: www.usccb.org/vocations.) For those who work in the efforts of building a culture of vocations in the Catholic Church, the results both confirm the work we are doing and add additional challenges to spur us on further.

While the survey contains enough statistical data to make numbers people go over the moon, there are a few pertinent details that I would like to pull out for further reflection here, and how they reflect the current situation of vocations here in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

As has been the case for the last several years, the average age of the men being ordained to the priesthood is 34, while the median age is 31. This has come down slightly over the last few years and reflects a growing desire on the part of our young people to give back to Christ and to the Church who have given them so much. There is a great passion and zeal on the part of our young people, which I see on an almost daily basis in working with high school, college and post-college men and women, both among those discerning a priestly or religious vocation, as well as among those discerning married life and a secular career. Over the last few years in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, we have striven to increase our numbers of college seminarians, as well as reaching out to current college students, resulting in a significant drop in average age, from the upper 30s when I was ordained in 2004, to now about 30, even.

Interestingly, despite the younger age of men both entering seminary and being ordained, still nine in ten men being ordained to the priesthood this year report some type of full-time employment prior to entering seminary formation, primarily in education. Again, this reflects on the desire of so many of our young people to ‘give back’ to those who have provided so much. There is a willingness to sacrifice, there is an openness to seeing the larger picture than just getting on the corporate grind that those in my generation, just 10 years older, seemed to embrace.

A final point from the data concludes, ‘on average, responding ordinands report that they were about 16 when they first considered a vocation to the priesthood.’ Among those who were major supporters of their discernment were priests (66%), while 71% had support of a friend, parent, grandparent, or fellow parishioner. These influences were much greater factors than any other tool in discernment: websites, videos, radio or television advertising. This stresses that the work of promoting vocations is too great a responsibility to leave to a two-man office in downtown Cincinnati; it is the responsibility of every Catholic!

What this reports stresses, a point which anyone who works with seminarians and those in formation already know well, is that these are regular men, men with many options in the world, yet men willing to give their lives in service to Christ and to the Gospel. They love the Church, they love life, and they wish to pour out themselves in imitation of Christ on the Cross. This report, once again, gives great encouragement to continue the work of the Lord in being fishers of men, but also stresses the need to continue to go out and fish for a larger, richer catch of men who will take up the call to lay down their lives so that others might live.

For more on promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life among your parish and home, visit http://www.cincinnativocations.org/ .

Prayer, the Heart of a Vocation

My latest runs this week in the Catholic Telegraph: I was raised in a very small town, roughly 1,000 people all together, even including the surrounding countryside. To say everyone knew everyone would be an understatement! Despite the small size, and the fact that only 50% of the town is Catholic (Lutherans and Methodists make up the rest), my home parish has sent five sons to the seminary in the last 20 years. Two of us have been ordained, two were in the seminary and left, one is currently in the college seminary. A remarkable feat, which continues to stun me, even seven years after my own ordination. Whenever I mention this fact, people always wonder how this happened. ‘What’s the secret?’ There is no secret, but just a vibrant prayer life within the parish and it is based in two areas. First, my hometown has been blessed with excellent priests, who each brought his own gift to the parish. I vaguely remember Fr. Bastian, from whom I received my First Holy Communion. Fr. O’Connor brought about some changes introduced at the Second Vatican Council, taught me how to serve in the fifth grade, and was a constant, steady presence in the parish. Fr. Trick brought a vitality and joy to the parish, a quick wit and an ability to laugh with the best of them. Fr. Sloneker turned the focus of the parish to youth and the energy they bring to the parish. Fr. Lee has just recently joined up and has the enthusiasm of the newly ordained. But this is only part of the success. Even though my home parish is so small, there is a dedicated army of ‘adorers’ who spend at least an hour a week in front of Our Eucharistic Lord, present in the monstrance. From the close of the last Mass on Sunday at noon through Friday evening, at least one person (and usually two) is scheduled to spend an hour to watch and pray with Our Lord. In no mere coincidence, this dedication to prayer started roughly as this little vocation wave started to take shape. Because it is such a small community, everyone feels an obligation to keep Our Lord company: from the elderly who cover some of the early morning hours while everyone else is home asleep or the midday hours as others work, to students from school who walk over after school to spend an hour with He who created them. Moms and dads of young families take the late evening shift, after the kids have been tucked safely away. Others fill in as they can and are able. From the time this started when I was in high school to today, I know not to call my mother on Tuesday evenings, for she has to keep her hour at Church. As we continue our journey through Lent, we can use the discipline fostered in our prayer life to continue on into the future, instead of sliding back into old habits. Especially in periods of Adoration, we see Christ face to face, as it were, and encounter Him at a deeper level. During these times, are hearts are opened to experience the great love of Christ who came that we might have life through Him. In these moments, the initial stirrings of a vocation are heard, the longing of the heart is kindled, and the soul is strengthened to follow where ever God calls. For this, and so much more, whenever someone asks what they can do to support vocations, I urge them first and foremost to prayer before Our Lord during Adoration. It is a prayer time unlike any other. For a listing of times and locations of Adoration in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, see the ‘Resources’ tab at www.cincinnativocations.org.

Hope Springs Eternal

Here it is, 4 short weeks till OPENING DAY! My latest missive runs in this week's Telegraph:


As a long, hard winter comes to a close, four words can always elevate my spirits: ‘Pitchers and Catchers Report!’ This simple phrase indicates the boys of summer are heading to the sunny paradise of either Florida or Arizona to work out the kinks that settled in during the long winter months. Pitchers are stretching out their shoulders, catchers hone the throw to second, and position players come into camp a few days later to adjust the timing on the swing and relay throws, practice fielding the slow bunt roller, and generally get into shape so that as April rolls around, Opening Day will dawn with the Local 9 in tip-top shape.

It is a hopeful time as off-season roster moves are analyzed, new players fit into the regular rotation, and the prospects of a playoff run are discussed by more talking heads than we care to acknowledge! As Spring Training winds down and the season heats up, some of that hope starts to be tempered by reality of a long and grinding baseball season.

As I was getting excited about the start of the baseball season and looking forward to another (hopefully) run by the Reds through the National League Central, I began to wonder about how this longing for a successful season parallels our longing for God.

Throughout our life of faith, we have a multitude of options in following God. During Lent, we have times to hone our mechanics, as baseball players do during Spring Training. We have that long drawn out season of Ordinary Time, in which if we get left behind by the front runners, it is easy to slide into temptations of backing off, taking it easy, waiting for next season, so to speak, instead of striving for excellence here and now.

As we turn to once again enter into the great season of Lent, perhaps it is time to ramp up our spiritual training regimen, so that we might be prepared for the long haul of our pilgrimage of faith. The three distinctive elements of Lent help give us the frame work of how to do so:
First: fasting, not just from sweets point of view, but from all those things that keep us from growing closer to God. What are those particular sins that you have confessed time and time again, yet might not want to really give up? How do they keep you from living to your fullest in God? These are things to offer to Him so that we might be a living sacrifice of praise before God in all things.

Secondly: prayer, as a priest, I notice that the attendance at Daily Mass during Lent increases, and what a wonderful thing that is! But do not let it stop just there, but rather use times of personal, private prayer; prayer as a family; or times of Adoration as ways to increase your involvement at Sunday Mass. To help enter into Mass more fully, preview the Readings that will be proclaimed, if possible, look at the unique prayers for the Priest on that Sunday, as well. What do these prayers say about what we celebrate during Lent?

Finally: almsgiving, as a natural outgrowth from our relationship with God. We do not give because the recipient is Catholic, but because we are. We give because we are thankful of the many gifts God has given to us, and we simply return them to Him.

Like the baseball player honing his skills for the long haul of the season ahead, training our hearts and wills through these practices in Lent helps to follow through with a successful season and summer ahead. Let us prepare so that we might hit Easter in fine spiritual shape so that we might also enjoy our pilgrimage through life to the promised land of heaven.

As a welcome back....

my latest runs this week in the Telegraph.

Anna as a Guide for Advent

My latest missive runs in this week's Catholic Telegraph. Fighting the secularism of the lost season of Advent, the Prophetess Anna provides an excellent model of how to prepare for Christmas. A snippet:


As the days continue to shorten and the weather turns colder, we prepare once again for the coming of the Christ Child. His birth had long been foretold through the prophets of Israel, but they had fallen silent over the past 200 years or so. Into the silence, the angel Gabriel steps into human history to announce tidings of great joy: the Messiah is on His way!

As we go through Advent, we must still have this awareness, but with the rampant commercialism that has become of Christmas, it can be hard to recognize His coming. Between Christmas music starting before Halloween, loud sale advertisements filling TV and radio waves and the necessities of trimming the tree and decking the halls, it can be very easy to miss the deeper meaning of this holy season: Christ is coming to bring us salvation!

In the midst of the sometimes chaotic nature of this season, the prophetess Anna, mentioned above in the infancy narrative from Luke’s Gospel account, presents a model of how we should anticipate the Lord’s coming. It is based in three things: prayer, fasting, and sacrifice.


More.....

God makes the Simple into the Profound

My latest runs this week in Cincinnati's Catholic Telegraph:


In the Catholic Church, spring brings not only ‘wedding season,’ but in dioceses throughout the United States, men, who have completed their training. are called forward to be ordained to the priesthood. In rites as ancient as the Church herself, those being ordained are consecrated for a higher purpose: to lay down their life in service of the Gospel, in service of Christ. Those who experience an Ordination to the Priesthood for the first time are universally struck by the power of the symbols and the beauty of the prayers. The entire rite speaks to so much of what makes us Catholic; it lifts the heart and mind to God in a great hymn of praise.

As the ceremony progressed and I watched now Frs. Muhlenkamp and Ralston move from the Order of Deacon to the Order of Presbyter, many thoughts played through my head. What awaits these two men in their priesthood? What challenges will God lead them through? Where will their future assignments bring them? How many lives will they touch as priests? Certainly these are questions that only God can answer at this point, but needless to say that their lives will be interesting from this moment on.

Thinking back on my own six years as a priest, I continue to be struck by how God is able to do so much from such a mundane source. Those called to the priesthood are not called because of some great talent that they possess. Rather they are called out of a deep love for Our Lord, a love which fosters a desire to lay down one’s life so that others might live. What is required for one who is called is simply a heart willing to serve. That willingness is transformed into something other-worldly as these newly ordained priests stepped to the altar the first time to utter the words of Consecration, words so powerful that Our Lord comes to dwell on this altar at their command.

Even the bread and wine offered at Mass reflect this simple, yet profound awareness. They are staples of our diet, just as they were during the time of Jesus. He took these two common items and left them as very uncommon realties: that of His True Presence. In our modern culture, perhaps we have lost something of the importance in these two common items, though. In bread, many kernels of grain are crushed, kneaded together and baked to form one loaf. In wine, many separate grapes are crushed and fermented to become a vat of wine. The work of human hands turns these simple elements into something more. In Mass, the work of priestly hands turns what is simply bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord.

To those who have been Catholic for many years, it is so easy to overlook how profound this truly is: a basic staple of life is turned into something dynamic. Tuning our eyes into this mystery of Christ’s presence in the Eucharistic species, we start to see miracles not just there, but anywhere we look. God’s handiwork surrounds and he recognition dawns: our God is truly a wonderful and mysterious God!

Turning back once again to the two men ordained for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati this spring, yes, they are just like any other man. Yet now, as priests of Jesus Christ, they have been given a supernatural power. In the economy of salvation, God continues to transform that which is simple into something much more profound. Let us continue to praise Him for His marvelous works are beyond compare.

Holy Week and the Priesthood

My latest ran at Catholic Exchange over the weekend and will appear in The Catholic Telegraph this week:


This week is a study of contradictions. We begin the week we call ‘Holy’ by welcoming Christ triumphantly into Jerusalem. Just a few short moments later, we proclaim the story of his Passion from one of the Synoptic Gospels. Holy Thursday begins the final moments of Jesus’ earthly life, while also marking the beginning of our entrance, through Him, into Eternal Life. Good Friday’s solemn veneration of the Cross and Holy Saturday’s Proclamation of the Exultet continue the contrast right up to the end, as we proclaim the ‘happy fault of Adam that earned us so great a Redeemer.’ Prayerfully re-entering these mysteries year after year, we know that these events had to come to pass so that we might be able to enter into a deeper communion with God, the Father, who loves us so much that He sent His Son for our Redemption.

In the life of a priest, this week also contains many contrasts. Lent is a mad dash of penance services, RCIA rituals and rehearsals for the Triduum. Then Holy Week itself dawns: Palm Sunday, the Chrism Mass, the celebration of the Triduum; taken together, they present a microcosm of the priest’s life: ups and downs, running from one thing to the next, hardly a chance to breathe and take in the mysteries that we celebrate, until the morning of Holy Saturday stirs quietly, as the parish sits awaiting the Light’s appearance at the Vigil.

In the midst of this chaos, a detail is easy to miss: Holy Thursday is the anniversary of our priesthood. Even though we were each ordained on different dates, we all share in the one eternal priesthood of Christ, who ‘ordained,’ as it were, the Twelve as the first priests of the New Covenant as He simultaneously established the Eucharist. These two Sacraments, the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, are intricately bound together in the mind of the Savior and are primary instruments in the plan of salvation He has laid out before us.

As Pope John Paul repeatedly pointed out in his annual ‘Letter to Priests’ for Holy Thursday, what we enter into over these days is the great banquet of Love. Not the false saccharin sweet notion of love that our modern culture presents, but the tough, dynamic true Love that desires a sacrifice of self so that others may live. During the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, Jesus looks into our eyes with a love that is so powerful, personal and profound, that he goes forth to offer himself for each one of us. He loves us so much, he is willing to die that we might be with Him.

This cuts to the heart of the matter as to why a priest, as a living symbol of this death out of life, wears black. The priest is a living sign that directs others to the redeeming death of Christ. But the priest is also called to follow in the footsteps of the Master, as Jesus promises: ‘They have persecuted me, they will persecute you also.’ Therefore, his garments are also a constant reminder that he is to die to this world to live in the next.

But this embrace of the Cross is not out of a morbid fascination with suffering and persecution. As always, the priest is the example for his people. If he shies away from a willing suffering for the sake of the Gospel, how will his people embrace their cross? If he is unwilling to die to earthly joy, will his people ever taste the glory of heaven?

In these days that we call ‘Holy,’ take extra time to pray for your priest. Pray not that he be a good priest, but that he might be an excellent priest, a holy priest, an inspiring priest.

Then, hopefully, we might all enjoy the true fruits of this season: the joy of the Resurrection to new life, in a deeper, more profound, way; for Jesus Christ continues to be present among us, and we thank our priests for helping to make this so.

The Bishop as Steward

My latest runs this week in the Catholic Telegraph:


In a gathering, once upon a time, a Catholic priest was getting a good-natured ribbing from a friend. “You Catholics,” the friend quipped, “divide the world to conquer it.”

“It’s true,” the priest answered back. “We feel like we own the whole world!”

There is a measure of truth in this short back-and-forth among friends. As the church spreads to new territories and lands or grows in existing areas, these new territories are divided among dioceses, and a bishop is placed in charge to erect a new local church. In fact, the last Latin-Rite diocese to be erected in this country is the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, which was established in 2000, having been split from the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

A bishop does not erect the diocese of his own accord, but rather, as a direct commission from the Holy Father, for the bishop exercises his authority only in collegiality and partnership with the pope. As we have discussed in this column before, this is another example of the way in which the authority of Jesus, which He rightly claims as the Lord of the universe, is passed down to our very day through the laying-on of hands and apostolic succession.

In his mandate as a bishop, the leader of a local church has a responsibility to order all things not according to his own wishes, but in accord with the wishes and dictates of our God in heaven. As such, he is not just responsible for the souls of his Catholic parishioners, but for every soul that has residence within his diocese. As Uncle Ben reminds Peter Parker in the first Spider-Man film, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It is also a reminder as to why the pope and bishop are prayed for by name at every Mass.

Certainly the governance of a bishop is directly commissioned and guided by the dictates of our faith, for the bishop becomes the primary representative of Christ among the lay faithful in a certain diocese. It is the dictates of the faith which guide his establishment of parishes throughout his diocese, that the Gospel may not go unheard. The faith guides his teaching and preaching, how he interacts with his priests and parishioners and how he sees the world. And, his priests and faithful give assent and agreement to his leadership, for it is as if Christ were leading us.

However, there is another source of authority that the bishop rightly claims as his own: the dictates of natural law. Through our reasoned study of the universe, we are able to discern the fingerprints of God found written on the human soul, in the mysteries of creation and in the stirring of the spirit. It is here that the bishops find the universal aspect of their teaching authority. It in the dictates of natural law that the bishop is able to comment on the constructs of the world, for natural law applies universally.

But this governance, whether by mandate of the Gospel or dictate of reason, is not for its own sake. Rather, this governance is entrusted to the bishop, who shares it with his priests so that he may offer all things back to the Father in heaven. All that we are given is but a mere gift, a loan entrusted to us, and happy that man whom the master finds waiting and expectant upon his return, as Jesus instructs us in His parables.

The bishop governs so that he may sanctify. The goal of what we do here below is not merely social justice, it is not merely the education of children or the celebration of the sacraments, as important as each of these are. The goal is to make the Gospel known to all people, to go forth and preach, teach and sanctify, and by this to aid in the establishment of the kingdom of God in our world, in our day and age.

The Ministry of Jesus through the Office of the Bishop

My next article in the Catholic Telegraph runs this week:

Jesus’ very last words in the Gospel of Matthew form a basis for the foundation and structure of the Church: “Behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” As He says these words to the Eleven, He is taken back up into the glory of Heaven, entrusting His closest collaborators with continuing the mission He had been given by His Father from the foundation of the world. The Eleven (who soon return to Twelve) are to go forth and ‘teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’

What we see developing in this passage is that the authority that Jesus has exercised throughout his public ministry is now shared and passed on to the Twelve. They are able to do great things, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles, not on their own, but through their ongoing connection with Jesus Christ. Through His power, we see Peter, James and John curing the sick, performing miracles and even raising people from the dead.

This authority did not die with St. John, the last of the Apostles. Rather, we see in the later stages of the Acts of the Apostles and in the writings of St. Paul that this authority was handed to their successors through the laying on of hands: St. Matthias is made one of the Twelve through this ancient sign in the first chapter of Acts; Timothy and Titus are established as ‘Episcopoi’ or Elders later on in the same book. These early Elders pass on their authority to their successors, and it has been handed down right to our very day through this same sign of laying on of hands by at least three of his brother bishops.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church picks up these themes in discussing the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Paragraph 1536 states: ‘Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate.’ Through the leadership of the bishop, his coworkers in the priests and the assistance given by the deacons, Christ continues to lead and shepherd His Church.

This leadership is exercised in three ways by our bishops, who delegate some of their authority to their priests: to teach, to sanctify and to govern. The Catechism continues, in paragraph 888, that the bishop’s first responsibility is to preach the Gospel to all people, not just the faithful. He, together with the entire college of bishops and united under the leadership of the Holy Father, has been entrusted with caring for the deposit of faith, and his task, as commissioned at Vatican II, is to “present Christian doctrine in a manner adapted to the needs of the times.”

The Decree concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops continues that this pastoral ministry of teaching is not just for Catholics, but for all. The Bishop has a responsibility for every soul that resides in his diocese, ‘whether they be believers or not.’

In our world today, this is an area which modern society has sought to relegate the teaching office of the bishops to the side. During political debates; pundits often remark that the bishops should stick to their own matters in the faith. Yet, before God and men, they have the responsibility to lead the faithful in their apostolates of converting the world into a closer resemblance to the Kingdom of God.

Finally, this concern for the salvation of all souls in the diocese has a familial dimension. The Church is identified as the living Body of Christ, one family united in prayer before God. The leadership and pastoral care of the bishop enables this unity to come to fruition. Therefore, it is the responsibility and task of all the faithful to pray for their shepherd, that he might be a good and worthy steward of the gifts entrusted to his care.

The Call of Parents

My next article for the Telegraph runs this week...

As we once again journey through the Advent season, at least part of me always wonders what was going through Mary’s mind during that journey. The somewhat haunting refrain of a popular carol asks: ‘Mary did you know that your baby boy would someday walk on water?” “That this child that you delivered will soon deliver you?” While we can never truly know the thoughts of our Blessed Mother, it certainly invites some speculation during the run up to Christmas.

Perhaps the easiest thing to surmise is that her conversation with the Archangel Gabriel was running over and over in her thoughts. From the moment of her conception, she had been prepared to be the Mother of God, and now it was about to happen. She would be responsible to bring Jesus up, to teach Him to pray, and to form Him to be able to accept the mission that had been prepared for Him from the foundations of the world. It is a wonder she had any sleep at all!

Mary and Joseph’s role in raising the child Jesus to fulfill His mandate is something that is shared by all parents. The final blessing of the Rite of Baptism bears this out. In the prayer over the father, they are reminded that the parents “are the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith. May they be, also, the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith in all that they say and do.”

The Church takes this commissioning of parents very seriously and counts on parents to be the best of teachers, going so far as to call the home the ‘domestic church.’ It is in the home that children are taught to pray, to love and serve God, to overcome difficulty, and, perhaps most importantly, where they are formed to be Christian disciples in this world. It is this call to discipleship where each child, as he or she grows into adolescence and young adulthood, should begin to realize that God has called him or her to do something special, something unique. The mission of parents is to enable their children to accept this God given mission with all their heart, mind and soul.

Despite this commissioning that was received at their child’s Baptism, in my work as Director of Vocations, I sometime run afoul of parents. I will talk with a young man interested in the priesthood or a young woman interested in religious life, and their response is tragic: “Father, I feel called to this, but my parents will not allow it.”

I often wonder what goes into this denial. Perhaps it is a desire for grandchildren on the part of the parents; perhaps it is fear that their son or daughter will be lonely in ministry; perhaps there is a fear of ‘what happens if he does not like the seminary?’ I have a feeling that it is a combination of all three, and truly driven out of love for their child.

To this last, I respond that as much as they love their child (who is now a young adult), God loves him or her even more and if He has placed this on their heart, God will give them the strength and courage to be able to respond. God does not set someone up for failure, but rather gives them the gifts that they need to succeed, just as He gave Mary and Joseph the gifts they needed to be worthy parents of Jesus.

During this Advent season, I invite parents to pray for their children, but not just in a generic way. Rather, pray specifically for two things: help in discerning the unique gift and talent that God has given to each of your children, and how is He asking me to nurture and develop those gifts, so that when this child leaves the home to enter the world, they will do so with the confidence that comes from being a convicted child of God.

Forming our children with these two questions in mind will ultimately lead them to follow wherever God might be leading them in the Church and in the world.

For information on how to share the Faith with your children, see www.cincinnativocations.org