February 25 - 26, 2012 Dear Cathedral Community, As we observe the First Sunday of Lent, I want to share with you an inspiring message from one of the great Fathers of the Church, Pope Saint Leo the Great. “Dear Friends, at every moment the earth is full of the mercy of God, and nature itself is a lesson for all the faithful in the worship of God. The heavens, the sea and all that is in them bear witness to the goodness and omnipotence of their Creator, and the marvelous beauty of the elements as they obey him demands from the intelligent creation a fitting expression of its gratitude. But with the return of that season marked out in a special way by the mystery of our redemption, and of the days that lead u to the paschal feast, we are summoned more urgently to prepare ourselves by a purification of spirit. The special note of the paschal feast is this: the whole Church rejoices in the forgiveness of sins. It rejoices in the forgiveness not only of those who are then reborn in holy baptism but also of those who are already numbered among god’s adopted c children. Initially, people are made new by the rebirth of baptism. Yet there is still required a daily renewal to repair the shortcomings of our mortal nature, and whatever degree of progress has been made there is no one who should not be more advanced. All must therefore strive to ensure that on the day of redemption no one may be found in the sins of a former life. Dear friends, what the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now with greater care and devotion, so that the Lenten fast enjoined by the apostles may be fulfilled, not simply by abstinence from food but above all by the renunciation of sin. There is no more profitable practice as a companion to holy and spiritual fasting than that of almsgiving. This embraces under the single name of mercy many excellent works of devotion, so that the good intentions of all the faithful may be of equal value, even where their means are not. The love that we owe both God and our brothers and sisters is always free from any obstacle that would prevent us from having a good intention. The angels sang: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all people on earth. The person who shows love and compassion to those in any kind of affliction is blessed, not only with the virtue of good will but also with the gift of peace. The works of mercy are innumerable. Their very variety brings this advantage to those who are true Christians, that in the matter of almsgiving not only the rich and affluent but also those of average means and the poor are able to play their part. Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal in the love within their hearts.” By way of reminder, don’t forget that we will begin our practice of Lectio Divina (praying the Scriptures) on the first sunday of the month next Sunday, March 4 at 5 PM in the Cathedral. All are welcome. Bring a friend. Get a good start to your week. Sincerely yours in the Lord, Father Noah
February 18 - 19, 2012 Dear Cathedral Community, We are grateful to have Bishop Coyne presiding and preaching among us today. He will also have the Rite of Election this Sunday afternoon which makes us especially grateful for his time with us Sunday morning. As Lent approaches with Ash Wednesday this week, I want to say a few things about the observance of Lent. This season, originally oriented toward those preparing to enter the church at the Easter Vigil, now affords us all the opportunity to review our efforts at personal and communal conversion. Because of our membership in the family of God, our personal efforts always take place and find expression within the larger community of the Body of Christ. One enhances the other. The three traditional pillars of Lenten renewal are: PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING. The opportunities for prayer are many. Please consult in another part of the Bulletin the Lenten Devotional opportunities in addition to the regular liturgical schedule of Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. These are the prayer opportunities: Eucharist: Ash Wednesday: 8 AM, Noon and 5:15 PM. As usual, Monday through Friday: 8 AM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 5:15 PM Reconciliation: Tuesday evenings following 5:15 PM Mass, and Fridays at Noon. Please Note the Communal Rite of Reconciliation scheduled at St. Mary Church on March 29 at 7 PM Way of the Cross: Friday evenings at 5:15 PM in the Cathedral. Lectio Divina (Praying with Scripture): 5 PM on the first Sunday of the month. Evening Prayer: 5 PM on Sundays March 11, 18 and 25. Fasting is an ancient practice of doing without so as to experience more of Christ. We are, of course, obligated to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as well as to abstain from meat and meat products on the Fridays of Lent. Fasting might be something to consider one day a week as part of your Lenten asceticism. There are numerous opportunities for almsgiving. Many offer support to our parish outreach to the poor that includes St. Vincent de Paul and our Cathedral Kitchen. Throughout the Lenten Season there are several “additional collections” for various causes as noted in our contribution envelopes. I would also recommend the monastic practice of going through your clothing at home, and consider what you might want to recycle for someone else’s use. The norm? If you haven’t worn it in the last year, pass it on. Please note the BONA OPERA FORMS in the bulletin. Bona Opera means “good works”. If you are interested, please note on the form your Lenten Intentions, and place your folded Bona Opera Forms in the basket on Ash Wednesday as you come forward to receive the Blessed Ashes. These forms will be kept in a container at the Altar throughout all of Lent. Simply follow the instructions on the Form. Additional forms may be found at the doors of the Cathedral and the Chapel. Let us remember to pray for one another during this Holy Season, and especially for our Candidates in the RCIA preparing for Reception into the Church. Sincerely Yours in The Lord, Father Noah
February 11 - 12, 2012 Dear Cathedral Community, Soon the holy season of Lent will be upon us. ASH WEDNESDAY IS FEBRUARY 22. LITURGIES THAT DAY WILL BE AT 8:00 AM, 12:00 NOON, AND 5:15 PM. I have offered a particular spiritual practice in the past known as The Bona Opera, or “Good Works” for Lent. There will be a Bona Opera form in next weeks Bulletin. If you wish, you can use this as part of your Lenten asceticism. It simply means you mark down your Lenten intentions, that is, what you are hopefully adding or omitting to your usual prayer observances. The form may be folded, placed in an envelop and placed in a basket when you come forward to receive the Blessed Ashes on Ash Wednesday. Extra forms will be available at the doors of the chapel and the Cathedral. These Bona Opera forms will be kept in an appropriate container near the altar for the duration of Lent. Please see the form in next weeks Bulletin. Lent is also a good time to do some focused spiritual reading. Selecting a book of the Bible is often helpful. For example, selecting one of the Gospels and reading it through the season of Lent offers an wonderful overview of the life of Christ. Perhaps making an effort to read the weekly Scriptural commentary in THE CRITERION, or dedicating some time each day to reading the Lectionary readings from the liturgy would both be beneficial. In next week’s Bulletin, you will find that list of times for Lenten liturgies and devotions like the Way of the Cross. Sometimes omitting things is as helpful as adding things. Omitting gossip, bad language, or other bad habits is helpful. Omitting an hour of mind numbing television watching in favor of doing some helpful reading could add a lot to your spiritual development. Lent might be a time to check out programs at Fatima, Our Lady of Grace or Saint Meinrad. I want to thank you for your kindness and prayers offered for my Aunt, Mary Casey Leen, who died last week in County Kerry, Ireland. Father Pat Beidelman and I made a quick trip to Ireland for her funeral which was very beautiful. Your prayers meant a lot to us and to her two daughters and their families. Please pray for Bishop Coyne as he is in Rome for the ad limina visit required of each bishop every five years. A massive report on the state of the archdiocese was submitted to the Holy See in December and reviewed. Each bishop accompanies the other bishops of the region to meet with the various Vatican offices, and to have a session with the Holy Father. Bishop Coyne hopes to share more of this report with us in the near future. Keep an eye on THE CRITERION. We are very grateful to Bishop Coyne for presiding at various Sunday liturgies at the Cathedral. He enjoys being with us. Beginning in later February, however, the usual busy schedule of Rites of Election and Confirmations will begin, and the Bishop will be quite busy with those celebrations. Sincerely yours in the Lord, Father Noah
February 4 - 5, 2012 Dear Cathedral Community, Recently, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, gave a wonderful message on the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales, the patron of communications. He has been emphasizing over the past year the need for greater evangelization. In this most recent message, the Pope eloquently made a correlation between the necessity of silence and the role of evangelization in the world. At first impression, a teaching about silence may seem an odd way to talk about the communication of the Gospel. However, upon further reflection, the role of silence in evangelization and in the world generally is most appropriate. "Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves. By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately tested. In this way, space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible. It is often in silence, for example, that we observe the most authentic communication taking place between people who are in love: gestures, facial expressions and body language are signs by which they reveal themselves to each other. Joy, anxiety, and suffering can all be communicated in silence – indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression. Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication, requiring sensitivity and a capacity to listen that often makes manifest the true measure and nature of the relationships involved. When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary." This message of the Holy Father can inspire us to examine the role of silence in our own lives. Silence is the frame around the portrait of our lives. It allows the message of what is seen and heard to leap off the canvas, and fill our minds and hearts with meaning. Sincerely yours in the Lord, Father Noah
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