Parish News

Effective July 1st St. Simon confessions on Mondays will be moved to 

Our Lady of Victory from 7:30-8:30.

I first arrived in the United States in the summer of 1992. I flew into Kennedy airport, NY and from there to Dayton, Ohio. I have to tell you that looking down from the sky, as we passed over vast territories, I was shocked. You see, I had in my mind an impression of what Ohio looked like. To be honest, I thought Ohio would look like the Pacific Northwest – great forests, wide and fast rivers, vast lakes, mountains, and valleys. I expected a wilderness, with occasional settlements, some cities, few roads, and fewer people. Of course, my image of the land came from James Cooper’s 1826 novel, “Last of the Mohicans.” I figured Ohio was next to Kentucky so that made sense to me.

Several things struck me when I got here: how friendly and kind the people were and how polite; how welcoming and accepting people were; how appreciative the people were; and how generous and big-hearted people were.

I realized how vast the country was when I made a trip with my parents from Dayton to the Outer Banks by car, stopping in Washington, DC overnight. I can’t believe that my dad and I could be in a car together that long and both of us survived. To give you some scale, the country of Ireland would fit into the State of Ohio, and there would still be room. In the time it takes us to travel by car from Cincinnati to Cleveland we could drive from the top of Ireland to the bottom of Ireland – if you had decent roads that is.

Another thing that struck me was that the continent of North America, and the country of the United States, is so spacious and vast. It is so vast that one single time zone is not enough to account for the passing of time in this great land. It is surrounded by oceans and has lakes as big as some seas, it has some of the highest mountains on the planet, and valleys that are as deep as mountains are high. It is a country that is comprised of people from many nations, and gives a home to peoples of every nation, language, culture, and color. It is so vast at the one moment it experiences snow and desert, tremendous heat and sub-zero cold, forests and prairies, swamps, and crystal-clear springs. It is at once new and vibrant, and at the same time, makes the past and tradition a living presence and reality. 

All of this is present, here, and now, in this one nation and in this one people.

As amazing as all this is it is not the most impressive things I have experienced in the United States.

I guess what has struck me most about the United States is the character of the people who give the nation of the United’s States, its character, its vision, and its attraction to the rest of the world.

Certainly, people are people, and there are good and bad, everywhere. It is true that many of the characteristics of the people here in the States are shared by people everywhere. Characteristics like generosity, kindness, hospitality, concern for others and for the world, a sense of pride in our culture.

Nevertheless, what I see as unique is the character of a people who absolutely and confidently believe in themselves, a people who see human value as something that is inherent and not handed down and definitely not bestowed from another as a privilege which is handed down and can be taken back. You are a people who don’t live by another’s gift, or good will, but a people who believe in your own right to freedom, self-determination, and independence. You are a people who believe that no man, or the state, or the government, no king, emperor, despot, or president, no congress or senate, has given you these rights. You are not “subjects,” rather, you are “citizens.” 

You, as a people, believe that Almighty God has bestowed on your individual freedom, and that God, not man, nor king, nor government, is the source of that freedom and freedoms. You also believe that you as individual citizens, and as the people of this nation, are the source of human authority bestowed on another, on the government, on the elected not the chosen, for the good of all. This authority is not given away, not traded for the things of this world, the patronage of the political class, the generosity of the wealthy, the promises of the elite, or the will of the powerful. Your idea of government is one that represents not rules. You believe that all people are equal, and as the Rev. Martin Luther King said, the only aristocracy in the United States should be an aristocracy of character. Character is about who we are, what we do, and how we live. 

Self-reliant, but working together, independent but willing to share everything with everyone, powerful but humble, determined, and compassionate, honest, and straightforward, lovers of peace but willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the weak and the vulnerable. This is what I have found in the character of the people I have encountered in my almost thirty years living among you in the United States.

Yet, because people are people, and not angels, we can always fall back into the old ways, and we can either hand our freedoms over, or have them taken from us, by new aristocracies. It seems to me that in 1776 a word was spoken on behalf of all freedom loving people, and all people who desired a new world and the freedom to live life as they wanted, and that word was liberty. Independence meant liberty. Liberty from the old world, the old ways, and liberty to build a new life and a new way. We have inherited that liberty and our future liberty depends on how we safeguard our liberty now, today, in this generation. I think that is what we celebrate on the 4^th of July. It means independence from all those who would steal from us our liberty. Our liberty is not preserved by the government, it is defended, protected, and guarded, and preserved in and by “we the people.”

In the Gospel Jesus asks for complete commitment from His followers. Very often it is those closest to Him who fail to recognize who He is and who sent Him. Very often familiarity breeds contempt and we can overlook the benefits we have, the blessings we have received, and the fruits that are a gift. We can also overlook the source of those gifts. We, the people, can fall into the same failing. Having been blessed for so long with so much we can forget the source of our blessings and the purpose for which God has given them. Let’s not be like the crowd and fail to recognize who has given our nation such great blessings. Let’s not fail to have every one of our citizens, all our people, share in these blessings, and let’s not fail to know that God desires us to share with others the blessings he has bestowed on us. The freedoms we cherish as a people do not come from man but for them to survive, they depend on men and women if they are  to be preserved.

“Your sea, O God, is so great, and my boat is so small.” President John F. Kennedy kept an inscribed wood carving with this old Breton prayer on his desk in the Oval Office. It was given to him by Admiral Hyman Rickover who typically gave it to new submarine captains as they began their assignment. The president quoted it when he dedicated the East Coast Memorial to the Missing at Sea on May 23, 1963. 

We have all lived through storms both actual storms that make you feel the world is coming to an end and the figurative storms of life when we feel overcome by darkness and terror and we seem to be sinking and drowning. There have been times when we have all felt that the waves of life were just going to overpower and sink us.

Just like our personal lives the same feelings can arise for communities, parishes, the archdiocese and even the Church. It can seem, at times, like the storms that beat against us, the winds that prevent us from moving forward, the waves that threaten to sink us are just too powerful and we are going to falter and sink into oblivion. And yet, after all the storms of history the Church is still here. In a storm the crew look to the captain and our captain is Jesus.

In Jesus we find our direction, our hope, our strength, our captain. In Jesus we find the one who calms storms, who settles the waves, and silences the wind. Weather in the Church, archdiocese, our parish, our homes, and especially in our own hearts, it is His voice that we should listen for because His voice calms the storms and silences the wind. Even more, His voice gives us direction, shows us the way, and provide the vision for our future. 

In our archdiocese, in our family of parishes, and in our communities, we are in the midst of a process carefully trying to discern the voice of the Lord Jesus as we look to our future. I realize that there are many mixed emotions as we move forward, anxiety, fear, impatience, excitement, I’m sure we could name the whole range of responses to what is happening in our parishes.  At the same time there is tremendous energy and goodwill exhibited in the process and that is surely a sign of the movement of the Holy Spirit.  

In the midst of the huge and expansive sea the sailors keep their eyes fixed on the heavens and the stars show them the way. Even in the darkness there is light. Jesus is our light, and we need to keep our eyes, our gaze, our vision fixed on Him if we are to find our course. After all, He is “the Way.” So, I’m asking you now to pray to the Lord, to send His Holy Spirit among us, to renew us and to establish among us the community He desires us to be. Please pray every day for the vision to build a lasting, vibrant, faithful, and exciting community of faith. Ask God to give us the courage not to do our will but to do God’s will. Whatever that might be, wherever that might lead, whatever sacrifice that might require.

Thank you again for all your do to build God’s Kingdom here in our communities. It is good to remember that while the sea can suddenly produce a storm, winds, and gales, the sea is also full of all kinds and variety of life, and Jesus loved to be on and near the sea. The sea held no fear for Him, and it shouldn’t hold any fear for us as Jesus is master of the sea and all it contains.

What is Christ Renews His Parish/Welcome?
Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP, pronounced “Chirp”)/Welcome is a Spiritual Renewal Weekend designed to help individuals grow in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to bring members of a parish together in Christ. CRHP/Welcome is an excellent opportunity for Catholics to renew their understanding of the basic beliefs and traditions of their faith.
 
The Weekend Retreat for Mary, Queen of All Saints Parish Family

During the weekend you will listen to parishioners who have volunteered to give a personal witness to the power of Jesus Christ in their lives. Group discussions and responses follow each presentation. You’ll be free to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable. There will be readings of scripture, time for prayer, and time set aside for personal reflection. You and your needs will always be respected.
Sacraments are an integral part of the weekend. There will be an opportunity to go to confession and the weekend will include a private Mass. All experiences shared on the weekend are confidential, unless otherwise expressed by the participants.
 
When/Where/Who?
One weekend for men (3rd weekend in February) and one weekend for women (3rd weekend in September) will take place each year.

CRHP/Welcome is open to all adult parishioners of Mary, Queen of All Saints Parish Family.

The weekend begins Saturday morning and ends Sunday afternoon. The weekend sessions are conducted at St. Simon’s Campus, in Plagge Hall and Main Church.

The CRHP/Welcome weekend is conducted by a team made up of parishioners who have
attended previous weekends and gone through a year of formation following the retreat.
 
Cost/Meals/Sleep
The renewal weekend is a gift from the presenting team and the parish. There is no cost to you. All meals are generously provided by parish volunteers. There will be regular breaks with coffee, soft drinks, and snacks. We will do our best to accommodate dietary needs.
Sleeping accommodations are in the Plagge Hall meeting rooms and classrooms. Cots are provided. You are asked to bring your own sleeping bag or sheets and pillow, along with your own towel, soap, and other toiletries that you might need. We will extend every effort to ensure your comfort.
Though we recommend spending the night for the full retreat experience, you may commute to and from each day of the retreat if you prefer to sleep at home.   What happens after the CRHP/Welcome Weekend? The uniqueness of CRHP/Welcome is in its continuation. Participants are usually so inspired, so renewed, so uplifted, that they are anxious to share their faith experience with others from their parish. Participants have the opportunity to begin planning the next renewal weekend soon after they complete their own, if they desire. They become the “new team.” During this “Formation” time, even greater spiritual growth occurs. The transition between attending a weekend and leading a weekend takes place over a 12-month formation period. Typically 1-2 meetings per month.
 
For More Information
Call Susan Meyer at 513-706-9950 or Deacon Mark Machuga at 513-922-4460 Ext. 8895 to find out more or to sign up for a renewal weekend.

There is just a year and a month between my brother David and myself. I was born on 14^th January 1964, and he was born on 16 February 1965. As we grew up as children we were as close as brothers can be but at the same time we would fight, argue, tease, and annoy each other. It seems, one afternoon, while playing on the street in front of our house we got into a brawl. We were probably eight or nine at the time. This wasn’t unusual but on this occasion my mother heard a neighbor lady exclaim, while leaning out from her upstairs window: “isn’t that terrible, brothers fighting!” Now, her own sons were no saints, but hearing this really annoyed my mother. At that moment another neighbor, Mr. Flynn, happened to be passing, and my mother called out to him: “Pat, grab those two will you!” At which point Mr. Flynn grabbed both of us by the shirt collar, pulled us apart, and delivered us to our mother.

The truth is that on our street, a street of about 70 houses, 70 families, we were never like “sheep without a shepherd.” In fact, every parent, 140 people all considered themselves responsible, in some way, for every child. On that street every child knew the name of every other child and every adult. More importantly, every adult knew the name of every other adult and every child. Everyone was a shepherd, not only for their own flock, but for the entire flock.

Jesus looked at the crowd and He was “moved with pity, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” He turns to his apostles and appoints them to be shepherds for the crowd. Not just shepherds but shepherds after His own heart, shepherds like Him. The apostles are then named, listed, identified, so all can know who the shepherds are. They are identifiable, Jesus points them out, they are assigned a task and the sheep know their names. Pope Francis would say that they know the smell of the shepherds, they are that close to them.

In my youth I would have known, and identified easily, who these shepherds were: they were the pope, the bishops, the parish priest. They were the successors of the apostles, and they led the flock of the Lord. To paraphrase St. Paul, now that I am an old man, I see things differently, I see things more from experience, more from the heart of a life lived. I still believe that the pope, bishops, and even priests (God help us), are shepherds, important shepherds, and while they have a God given mission to lead and care for the sheep, they are probably not the most important shepherds. Maybe it would be better to say they are not the most intimate shepherds.

Everyday of my life I have experiences the love, affection, care, sacrifice and even the discipline of shepherds. Certainly, my parents, who gave me life, who nurtured me, cared for me, loved me, healed me, supported me, and so much more. I also experienced this sort of shepherd in my brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, family, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, the community I was raised in and the people I knew. I see this sort of shepherd in my brothers and sisters now that they are parents, in my nieces and nephews. I also see it everyday here in our parishes, our families, our schools, on the playing fields, in the gym, in the care and compassion that expresses itself every day in so many ways, so many places, so many kindnesses, so much charity, love, generosity, and sacrifice. Everywhere, every day, I see shepherds caring for their own sheep, and for other people’s sheep, and lambs. I’m fortunate, because seeing this helps me realize that we are all called to be shepherds, and I see their wonderful work every day. I am fortunate because I can appreciate what God is doing – in you and through you.

Thank you for all you do to care for the Lord’s sheep, and lambs.

According to Saint Paul God sent His Son Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). A sin is a serious offence against God. Yet it was while we were sinners that God sent His Son. Sometimes it’s hard enough to love a friend, a family member, even a son or daughter, husband or wife even when they have done nothing to offend us, but it is especially hard to love when they have hurt us, failed us, abandoned or betrayed us. We could say that they “sinned” against us. It can be hard, and it can take a long time, to over come some of the deep hurts that we inflict on each other.

Yet, while we were still sinners God sent His only, His beloved Son, to show us how much, how deeply, how completely, our Father loves us. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. In all He said and did Jesus shows us the depth of the Father’s love. In His preaching and teaching, in feeding the hungry, healing the sick, raising the dead, showing compassion to the sinner and searching for the lost, in suffering and in dying – for us sinners – Jesus shows the extent of the Father’s love for His children. God’s love forgives. 

Love can be romantic, and passionate, joyous and tender, but it is also strong, committed, it is a willingness to suffer for the sake of another. Love is willing to make sacrifices because it seeks what is good, and compassionate, and holy, and to spend our energy and our life doing what is necessary for the one we love. But it seems to me that as well as doing good for others the hardest and strongest part of love is that – love forgives. To love one another as Jesus loves us: I wonder what does that love look like in our lives? 

The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross enabled us to receive God’s grace because God was willing to forgive. What healing grace can be released in our lives, and in the lives of our family and friends, if we dare to love each other as Jesus and the Father love us.

A Word of Thanks

I want to thank all those who have helped us to celebrate Easter and the Easter Season with such grace and beauty. Because it all seems to happen around us it can look so effortless, but the truth is, many people work very hard to make our worship of God wonderful faith filled liturgies and parish celebrations. Thanks to all those who served, read, decorated the churches, distributed Holy Communion, prepared bulletins and programs, thanks to the deacons and priests for leading our liturgies, thanks to our instructors and teachers for prepared RCIA candidates and catechumens, our children for confirmation and First Holy Communion, thanks to the grounds keepers and those who set up the paschal fires, thanks to our musicians and cantors. Thanks to all who contributed to our bottom line. Thanks to all of you for your commitment to God, His Church, and our parishes. Things don’t just happen, people make them happen, and you make great things happen in our lives, homes, schools, and communities. God Bless you for all you do. God won’t overlook and God won’t forget.

Fr. Ben

Sr. Francis is an Irish nun I had the good fortune to know many years ago back in Dublin. She was the director of a small “nursery school” but a school with a difference. Many of the children there had been referred for care by the children’s courts, children’s welfare officers or the Gardai (Irish Police). To describe her as bossy, pushy, tyrannical even, would be an understatement, she was a force of nature and a nun to be reckoned with. Some might say, like me, she was a true dragon of a nun. However, I have never come across a more devoted or truer advocate for children and their parents. With the put-upon, the beaten, the outcast, the hurt child, the broken soul, she was as gentle as a lamb. With the negligent, the abuser, the violent, when it came to protecting children and mothers, she was a lion. Sr. Francis was one of the best shepherds I have ever had the privilege of knowing.

There are lots of different sorts of shepherds and Jesus chose this image, above all others, to describe Himself. He also offered it as the preeminent image for those He placed in leadership over the Church; pope, bishops, priests in particular, but not only them. These were to be men willing to die, if necessary, to care for God’s sheep. And yet, the most important shepherd’s in our lives and the lives of our children are not the pope, the bishops, or the priests. The most important shepherds in our lives and the lives of our children are parents. Protecting, feeding, guiding, healing, and even searching for the lost, is all part of the life of the shepherd, and the parent.

Obviously, Sr. Francis didn’t have any children of her own. That didn’t matter, she was a shepherd of other people’s children, as if they were her own, and she was a shepherd to other people. This is the same for us also. Jesus calls us all to be good shepherds, and the good shepherd takes care of all the sheep, not just his/her own. Being a shepherd is a way of life not a job. We are called to be shepherds, in fact, God sends us into the world to be shepherds. A shepherd must be as fiery as a dragon, as strong as a lion, and as gentle as a lamb. Not just for his/her own but for the sake of all the sheep. What a great way to live a life.

The good shepherd is not concerned about him/herself first. The good shepherd is concerned first for the welfare of the sheep. And this is the point – when God sent us into the world, He sent us on a mission, first, to love God and second, to love others. We should not to be the center of our lives or our concerns. Only one who lives generously will find fulfillment in life. A life centered on ourselves is too small a way to live. A life focused on God and others – now that’s a big life and a life worth living. As Jesus said, “give and you will receive.”

Jesus, in a moment of sadness and empathy, said to His apostles: “I look around and I see the people and they are like sheep without a shepherd.” He invites us to be their shepherds, good shepherds, for His, and our, sheep.

A number of years ago there was a phenomenon in Ireland of “moving statues.” It started in 1985 in a place called Ballinspittle, County Cork. However, it was not confined to that place as simultaneously stories of moving statues were reported throughout the country. Some were Marian “apparitions” while others included saints and other Divine figures. Thousand flocked to the different sites but particularly the County Cork site where it was estimated that up to 100,000 visitors came to view and pray. The press, and some bishops, were not only skeptical but mocking in their “reporting” of the phenomenon and the “simple” faith of the crowds. One “expert,” the anthropologist Peter Mulholland wrote , “that the continuing role of Marian apparitions in Irish popular culture is a reflection of psychological insecurity stemming largely from adverse childhood experiences and a concatenation of historical, cultural, political, religious and sociological factors.” (Mulholland, Peter. (2008) ‘Moving Statues and Concrete Thinking’, Quaderns de l’Institut Català d’Antropologia: sèrie monogràfics 23). To quote the even more eminent commentator on the human condition, Buggs Bunny, “What a maroon!”

Such large crowds drawn to the site of miracles, or reports of the miraculous, are not unusual. Interestingly, large crowds gathered wherever Jesus was because of the “signs” he worked. It is estimated that a crowd of 100,000 gathered in expectation of the miracle at Fatima on 13 October 1917, which was prophesied by the three shepherd children. People are drawn to the miraculous and the holy but very often, many, for the phenomenon itself rather than the message it conveys. How many go to visit the Shroud of Turin, or the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, because they are interested in the item, not because they have faith? They leave and return to their ordinary lives because they failed to grasp the reality behind the miraculous, or the holy, they fail to recognize the work of God. They failed to see or experience God, and so, their lives remained as they were – searching but never finding, looking but never seeing. Many heard Jesus and saw what he did but they walked away because it was too much to accept. This is particularly true when it came to His teaching about the Eucharist, when he said: “My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.”

On the road to Emmaus the two disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread! Why? Was it not Jesus Himself who told us why? Jesus said: “This is my body, this is my blood” and “My flesh is real food, my blood is real drink.” At the Last Supper He said to His apostles: When you do this (breaking of the bread) I will be made present. 

People go all over in search of the miracle, the miraculous, the spectacular, and yet, every day, in every Mass, a miracle takes place that we all can be a part of and experience. Bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. And, even more, God then invited us to come forward and receive the Body and Blood of His Son into our bodies and into our lives. The Lord invites us to sit at table with Him and recognize Him in the breaking of bread. 

Now that is a miracle worth seeing and that is a meal worth having. 

“Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” Ezekiel 33:10

When I was in college, I read an article in a psychology journal in which the author said that research showed Catholics were generally more psychologically well balanced than the general population. Generally, Catholics, the article stated, were less likely to seek or to need psychotherapy or counselling. The author went on to say that because of our sacramental system, in particular, our consistent and normative confession of sins and faults Catholics had a tendency to face their demons and receive guidance on a regular basis. The fact that confession required reflection, self-examination, acknowledgement of fault, a firm intention to try to do better and change our behavior, led to dealing with our interior issues. Dealing with our interior issues, naturally, led to changing our behavior. The frequent use of the sacrament of reconciliation, with a deep self-reflection, a recognition of sins and admission of faults, an examination of our intentions and actions, with an intention to live a better life, meant that Catholics were more inclined to live reflective lives, and adjust interior and exterior behavior for the better. This sacramental system guided our human nature, gave us purpose, and formed our way of life leading to a more reflective, purpose directed, and constantly evaluated way of living. Catholics purged their souls, hearts, and minds and had a greater sense of being freed from the festering bonds of sin. Confession moved us from the mediocrity of settling to the purposeful life which was worth living. Consequently, a more well-adjusted psychologically healthy person resulted. 

I’m pretty sure that as Catholics have fallen away from the frequent use of confession the number seeking counselling and psychotherapy has increased. Sad really, when God said through the Prophet Isaiah: Why pay for what is freely available, come to the water and drink (Is 55: 1-2). 

All of this is no surprise to us as we believe that we are not simply a physical being but a spiritual-material being made up of body, soul and spirit. The body and the soul are created to live in harmony with each other and the soul “informs,” or directs, the body, heart, and mind. In the Garden of Eden this harmony between body and soul was perfect but after the Fall that harmony was upset. What was once easy and natural, became difficult. Sin, the turning away from God and therefore turning away from God’s love, grace, light, and our very purpose in life and destiny, weights us down and crushes us benight its terrible weight. Sin never seems heavy when we are being tempted to commit it, but it certainly drags us down when it festers in our hearts and souls after we have given into it.

The human soul, the human heart, is made to be loved by God and to love God. Without this love, cut off from this love, it can never find its completion, it can only fester and waste away. It becomes resentful, bitter, moody, anxious, demoralized, and lost. This is not what God wants for us and so God, a merciful Father, reaches out from heaven and touched our lives so that we might live again as He intended. God does this through His Divine Son, who is God’s Divine Mercy. One of the sacraments of God’s mercy is Confession which restores what is lost and crushed by sin – God’s life of love and grace. In confession God reaches out from heaven and restores us to life. He does this freely – that is mercy – the free compassion and gift from God.

In his book “Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week” the late Pope Benedict XVI, God rest his gentle soul, puts confession within the context of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. From the earliest times the Church understood that before we entered the Eucharist, we needed to confess our faults/sin. In the sacrament of baptism, we are washed clean and are made righteous (restored to God). But we fail to maintain this righteousness so that occasionally we need to be cleansed, but not completely, only our feet. We did not need to be baptized again but we did need to be made righteous, to be made whole. Pope Benedict state: “The point is this: guilt must not be allowed to fester in the silence of the soul, poisoning it from within. It needs to be confessed. Through confession we bring it to the light, we place it within Christ’s purifying love. In confession the Lord washes our soiled feet and over again prepares us for the table of His fellowship” (p. 74). In fact, confession allows us to live again free of the poison and crushing weight of sin pressing us down.

Mercy is a gift of compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation – it is not deserved but freely given and freely taken. In the Merchant of Venice Shakespeare called it “dew from heaven” when Portia said: “The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: It is an attribute of God Himself (Merchant of Venice Act IV, Scene I).

Mercy is a gift from God to us. It is a sign of a great soul when you see a person being merciful to others. Mercy is a “dew from heaven” that we can share with others. 

“Nah, I ain’t movin’ bro.” Rosa Parks

I was a student in Rome when the first Persian Gulf War broke out. It was an interesting time, made more so because there were quite a few men from the United States living at our college and preparing for the priesthood. In the initial few days there was talk of “evacuating” the American students. Questions arose about the possibility of the war spreading to include other Arab States and Israel. People were wondering if there would be rationing and travel restrictions. As it turned out General Norman Schwarzkopf managed to pull off a very quick victory and defeat of the Iraqi forces. One of the most interesting and somewhat humorous memories I have of those days was related to a “peace march.”

At the outset of the military buildup the Italian communists arranged a massive peace march and rally through the center of Rome. Although their country was now at war a couple of students from the North American College (NAC) thought it would be a good idea to join in the march for peace. So, they went and joined the crowd. As it turned out as soon as the Italian communists found out they were Americans they beat them up. I guess they didn’t see the irony in participating in a violent act during a peace rally.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem at the beginning of the last week of His life, he is greeted by a crowd that hails Him as the Messiah, the expected Saviors, the King. Within six days this same crowd will be screaming for His execution by crucifixion. They will beg, intimidate, and frighten the Roman governor into condemning an innocent man. The governor is no better than the crowd, spineless, with a weak character, political and ambitious, he allows himself to be intimidated. But it is the crowd that does the damage.

How quickly the crowd changed. Even as a crowd though, they weren’t united. When they welcomed Jesus, some saw him as a new King, the successor of King David, some saw Him as a prophet, some saw Him as an alternative to the High Priesthood, some saw Him as the Messiah, all saw Him as they wanted to see Him and not as He truly was or who He truly was. They saw what they wanted to see and not what they should have seen.

As we enter Holy Week it is a good idea to ask if we belong to a crowd and what crowd we belong to. What is our expectation of Jesus? Who do we see when we look at Him? Do we make Jesus conform to our expectations? Do we make Jesus and His teaching fit into what we want to hear, how we want to live, and what we want a Savior to be? Are we like the crowd, easily led, and willing to condemn if our expectations are not met?

It is easy to fall into the trap of following the crowd because it is hard to stand alone. Often the one who stands alone is overwhelmed, trampled, crushed, persecuted, and defeated. It can seem that their voice, presence, their stance, means nothing in the face of such a great mob and so many remain silent, fall in with the crowd, or turn a blind eye. It is hard to stand against the pressure of the mob, the crowd, and yet, unless we do so the innocent get trampled and the good are destroyed. Interestingly, when stories are written about heroes, the hero is never the mob, it’s almost always those who stood for something, the story is always about those who stood against the crowd, who raised their voice for the truth, the good, the beautiful, the innocent, the weak, and the persecuted.

I don’t know if the quote at the beginning of this column, in this form and attributed to Rosa Parks, is accurate. Mrs. Parks definitely, courageously, said “no” to giving up her seat on a bus to a white person. However, I know she said this: “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” We have one life to live, it would be a shame to spend it “giving in” to the mob when we could change so much by standing up to it. God sent us into the world to be someone and do something – don’t let the mob stop you from carrying out God’s mission.

Passion Sunday

“Nah, I ain’t movin’ bro.” Rosa Parks

I was a student in Rome when the first Persian Gulf War broke out. It was an interesting time, made more so because there were quite a few men from the United States living at our college and preparing for the priesthood. In the initial few days there was talk of “evacuating” the American students. Questions arose about the possibility of the war spreading to include other Arab States and Israel. People were wondering if there would be rationing and travel restrictions. As it turned out General Norman Schwarzkopf managed to pull off a very quick victory and defeat of the Iraqi forces. One of the most interesting and somewhat humorous memories I have of those days was related to a “peace march.”

At the outset of the military buildup the Italian communists arranged a massive peace march and rally through the center of Rome. Although their country was now at war a couple of students from the North American College (NAC) thought it would be a good idea to join in the march for peace. So, they went and joined the crowd. As it turned out as soon as the Italian communists found out they were Americans they beat them up. I guess they didn’t see the irony in participating in a violent act during a peace rally.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem at the beginning of the last week of His life, he is greeted by a crowd that hails Him as the Messiah, the expected Saviors, the King. Within six days this same crowd will be screaming for His execution by crucifixion. They will beg, intimidate, and frighten the Roman governor into condemning an innocent man. The governor is no better than the crowd, spineless, with a weak character, political and ambitious, he allows himself to be intimidated. But it is the crowd that does the damage.

How quickly the crowd changed. Even as a crowd though, they weren’t united. When they welcomed Jesus, some saw him as a new King, the successor of King David, some saw Him as a prophet, some saw Him as an alternative to the High Priesthood, some saw Him as the Messiah, all saw Him as they wanted to see Him and not as He truly was or who He truly was. They saw what they wanted to see and not what they should have seen.

As we enter Holy Week it is a good idea to ask if we belong to a crowd and what crowd we belong to. What is our expectation of Jesus? Who do we see when we look at Him? Do we make Jesus conform to our expectations? Do we make Jesus and His teaching fit into what we want to hear, how we want to live, and what we want a Savior to be? Are we like the crowd, easily led, and willing to condemn if our expectations are not met?

It is easy to fall into the trap of following the crowd because it is hard to stand alone. Often the one who stands alone is overwhelmed, trampled, crushed, persecuted, and defeated. It can seem that their voice, presence, their stance, means nothing in the face of such a great mob and so many remain silent, fall in with the crowd, or turn a blind eye. It is hard to stand against the pressure of the mob, the crowd, and yet, unless we do so the innocent get trampled and the good are destroyed. Interestingly, when stories are written about heroes, the hero is never the mob, it’s almost always those who stood for something, the story is always about those who stood against the crowd, who raised their voice for the truth, the good, the beautiful, the innocent, the weak, and the persecuted.

I don’t know if the quote at the beginning of this column, in this form and attributed to Rosa Parks, is accurate. Mrs. Parks definitely, courageously, said “no” to giving up her seat on a bus to a white person. However, I know she said this: “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” We have one life to live, it would be a shame to spend it “giving in” to the mob when we could change so much by standing up to it. God sent us into the world to be someone and do something – don’t let the mob stop you from carrying out God’s mission.