Lincoln's Log 12-11-11

It has been quite a while since I have written a “Log” for the bulletin or posted to my blog “Exploring the Kingdom ( http://etk-essays.blogspot.com/ ). The bulletin has been pretty full and we wanted to publish many of Sr. Anne Rehraur's columns on the new translation of the Roman Missal.

Lots of good things are going on in our community and there are lots of important questions facing us as we welcome the new translation. So, where are we headed?

Bishop Ricken's recent Pastoral Letter “Parishes: Called to be Holy, Fully Engaged, Fully Alive” is providing a foundational structure for our pastoral planning. This year, both the staff and the Pastoral Councils will be reading through this document as we plan for the future. If you would like a copy of if for yourself, you can find one in the back of church. The Bishop's document has 6 focus areas and we have been asked to take one or two of these areas each year to focus on and work on developing our ministry in that area. The areas are:

1. Evangelization
2. Youth, young adults, and family
3. Leadership
4. Education
5. Eucharist
6. Dignity of Human Life

These focus areas will help set the agenda for the next 5-7 years. This year, in light of the new translation, we are engaging in the area of “Sunday Eucharist and Sacramental Life” as a pastoral focus area. Bishop Ricken has asked us to begin making plans to have kneelers put into the worship space at St. Rose. We have begun that process. Another issue we discussed at our annual meeting was the placement of the tabernacle at St. Rose. We are having Sr. Anne come out after the first of the year to discuss this with us. St. Mary's is continuing to discuss how to best take care of our sanctuary and stained glass windows. As we also look beyond issues of brick and mortar, in what other ways can we make Sunday the “highlight of our week” as Bishop Ricken recommends? How can we better become parishes that are “Holy, Fully Engaged, and Fully Alive”? This is our task. How are we doing?

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln’s Log 3-13-11

This week's Gospel, Mt. 4:1-11, recounts Jesus temptation in the wilderness. He has just been baptized by John and heard the voice from heaven tell him, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Right after this, Jesus is led by the Spirit in to the desert to tempted. These temptations will serve the design of the Spirit. The devils own tool of temptation will be used for the Spirit's purpose. That purpose: to clarify for Jesus (and us) what it means to be a beloved child of God.

So what do we learn from these temptations? Jesus is tempted by the devil to think that being a beloved child of God means:

1. He will have his fill and never be hungry (Mt. 4:3-4).
2. He will be safe and never be hurt (Mt. 4:5-7).
3. He will have power or his life and the lives of others (Mt. 4:8-10).

But Jesus has a deep sense of what it means to be a beloved child of God. The Spirit dwells within him and as the Eternal Son of God, he knows who he is. The forty days of desert fasting have prepared him to withstand these temptations. He is human. He fully accepts his humanity and as a human being, he knows that he will:

1. Experience emptiness and hunger
2. Experience fear and suffering
3. Experience powerlessness over his own life and those whom he loves.

Prayer, fasting, and an openness to the Spirit have taught him these lessons. The Spirit has taught him that these experiences will not separate him from God. God's beloved children will suffer, but the Spirit of God will not abandon them.

As we begin our lenten journey may our prayer and fasting teach us the same lesson. Through our baptism we are united to Jesus and because of this we are beloved children of God. Nothing can separate us from His love. Thanks be to God!

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln’s Log 3-6-11

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

This past weekend I had the pleasure of being with the young members of our community who are preparing to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. We were on retreat together at Camp Tekawitha. During the retreat we played games, listened to music, prayed, celebrated the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, reflected on God's love for us and his call to discipleship. It was time away from the daily activities of life to reflect on who we are as disciples of Jesus. It was a time of prayer, a time of play, and a time of reflection. We were building our youth (and even this old Parish Director) for the future.

Many of the more powerful moments of the retreat came through the witness talks given by members of our community. I am amazed at how faith-filled this community of disciples is. Several of you came up to Camp Tek to share your experience of being a disciple with these young people. That is how we build our youth for the future. By honestly sharing our gifts and struggles we grow deeper as disciples. Together we build our community. Together we face the future.

And the future (like the present) needs strong disciples. We need disciples who are clear-headed enough to see the challenges facing us. We need disciples who are strong enough to resist the temptations facing us. Most importantly, we need disciples who can love radically enough to overcome whatever we face. We need disciples who build our life on the rock of Jesus' teaching (cf. Mt. 7:24).

The youth of our parish are seeking authentic faith. They are wise and compassionate beyond their years. They are concerned about the future. They are filled with the Spirit of God.

Together with these wonderful candidates for Confirmation, we are building our community for the future. As disciples, we build each other up and face the future together.

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln's Log 2-27-11

As the events surrounding the Budget Repair bill continue to unfold, Ive been struck by the balance being called for by our local bishops in the state of Wisconsin. A call for a focus on the common good balanced with the dignity and rights of workers needs to be explored. In a letter released by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, Archbishop Listecki of Milwaukee writes:

"The Church is well aware that difficult economic times call for hard choices and financial responsibility to further the common good. Our own dioceses and parishes have not been immune to the effects of the current economic difficulties. But hard times do not nullify the moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers. As Pope Benedict wrote in his 2009 encyclical, 'Caritas in veritate':

"'Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labor unions. Hence traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church's social doctrine, beginning with 'Rerum Novarum' [60], for the promotion of workers' associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past, as a prompt and far-sighted response to the urgent need for new forms of cooperation at the international level, as well as the local level.' [#25]

"It does not follow from this that every claim made by workers or their representatives is valid. Every union, like every other economic actor, is called to work for the common good, to make sacrifices when required, and to adjust to new economic realities.

"However, it is equally a mistake to marginalize or dismiss unions as impediments to economic growth. As Pope John Paul II wrote in 1981, '[a] union remains a constructive factor of social order and solidarity, and it is impossible to ignore it.' ('Laborem exercens' #20, emphasis in original)

"It is especially in times of crisis that 'new forms of cooperation' and open communication become essential. We request that lawmakers carefully consider the implications of this proposal and evaluate it in terms of its impact on the common good. We also appeal to everyone – lawmakers, citizens, workers, and labor unions – to move beyond divisive words and actions and work together, so that Wisconsin can recover in a humane way from the current fiscal crisis."

Today's Gospel reminds us that “No one can serve two masters.” Only by moving beyond ideology and genuinely exploring “new forms of cooperation” will we be able to move through the current crisis and face the future with hope. The common good needs to take center stage once again!

Peace,

Lincoln

LIncoln's Log 2-20-11

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.” (Mt. 5:38)

Its not always easy to find the Good News in a passage like this. Where is the Gospel? “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other one as well.” This doesn't sound like Good News. It sounds like a way to insure that you get beat up.

But there is Good News here! The Good News is that the world is not about tit for tat. There is more to morality than justice. The cycle of violence and escalation is broken and those of us who are disciples of Jesus are called to live our lives in a different way. We are no longer bound by the law of karma (You get what you give.)

By the power of Jesus death and resurrection, the law of karma is transcended. As Asla n says when he explains his own return from death in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,

“It means,” said Aslan, “that though the Witch [who killed him] knew the Deep Magic [of justice], there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge only goes back to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”

As disciples of Jesus we live a life filled with this “deeper magic.” Our hearts are called to act with justice (deep magic) but due to Christ's resurrection, we are empowered by a deeper magic which allows us to “turn the other cheek” and not fear suffering and death.

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln’s Log 2-13-11

“I have come not to abolish [the Law] but to fulfill.” (Mt. 5:17)

This week's Gospel continues Jesus teaching on discipleship found in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). After proclaiming the grace of discipleship in the Beatitudes and teaching the necessity of sharing God's blessing with others, Jesus moves on to consider the role of the Law (Torah) in the disciple's life.

The “New Law” of Christ is the fulfillment of the old law. It recognizes that the Law is a gift of God that has been placed in the disciple's heart. The Catechism states,

“The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity an, finally, lets us pass from the condition of a servant who 'does not know what his master is doing' to that of a friend of Christ – 'For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you' – or even to the staus of son and heir.” (CCC 1972)

Love, grace, and freedom. These are the gifts of the New Law of Christ. Following Jesus' as a disciple demands a lot. In fact, being a disciple demands everything. Discipleship is a new way of life. A radical way of life that struggles to bring justice, love, and peace into a broken world. The demands of discipleship are written on our heart and come to us through the voice of conscience. By following these demands we are empowered to love and ultimately set free from our own selfishness.

The New Law of Christ is a gift. It is the way to joy and freedom.

Peace,

Lincoln

P.S. For a fuller discussion of the role of conscience in guiding the life of a disciple, see an article by Cardinal Pell at: http://www.ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/ZPELLNEW.HTM

Lincoln’s Log 2-6-11

“You are the light of the world...“ (Mt. 5:14)

This Sunday's Gospel (Mt. 5:13-16) continues Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This “sermon”: is found in Matthew 5-7 is the clearest teaching of Jesus on discipleship.

As in the beatitudes proclaimed last week, Jesus begins his teaching on discipleship with a clear reference to the goodness (Blessedness) found dwelling in his disciples through the grace of God. “You are the light of the world.... “ We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) in the image of God (Gn. 1:27). But now Jesus moves that teaching a step further.

Sin is recognized as the enemy of grace. The profound grace God has given us is not meant for the individual. It is meant to be shared. God's grace, given to us, “cannot be hidden.” The gift that we have received demands to be shared. God's grace bubbles over and cannot be contained in our small hearts, but overflows. The flow of grace must not stop in the disciple. It is a gift given to be passed on. God's grace must not be kept for ourselves, It must be given away. As disciples of the one who lays down his life for his friends (See. Jn. 15:13), we are also called to lay down the gifts we have been given and use them for the sake of others.

If we fail to share the gifts we have been given as disciples of Jesus we block the flow of grace. We sin. We put the gifts we have been given under the “bushel basket” of sin and selfishness. Whenever we do this, we are hoarding something that is meant to be shared and are “no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Mt. 5:16).

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln’s Log 1-30-11

“Blessed are you... “ (Mt. 5:11)

This Sunday we hear some of the most familiar words found in the Gospels. I would guess that 90% of the things I've read and heard (and probably the things I've thought and said) about this familiar Gospel has been dead wrong.. Commonly referred to as “The Beatitudes” this Gospel goes to the heart of what it means to be a disciple.

However, most of what I've read, heard, and thought, understands the beatitudes as rules of conduct. We interpret them as commandments. We read, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and immediately we start to think about how we can become poor in spirit. We read it as, “If I become poor in spirit (or meek, or persecuted... ), then I will get blessed.” We make this Gospel conditional and a conditional Gospel is not a Gospel at all.

The key word in the Gospel passage is “blessed.” The passage comes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5. It occurs right after Jesus has called his first disciples and begun his ministry of healing and teaching. Jesus is explaining discipleship. He is telling his disciples that they are blessed. They are the beloved of God, chosen to be his disciples. Their call does not mean that life will be easy or perfect. They will still suffer poverty, affliction, persecution, and loss. But God blesses them in the midst of the mess of life. Contrary to appearances, God's blessing comes in spite of pain.

The Good News of this Gospel is that God's blessing is not conditional. As disciples, we do not have to become poor or grieving or meek to earn God's love. The blessing of God stands at the beginning of discipleship. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, the Beatitudes “proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured... for Christ's disciples.” (CCC 1717). Now that is Good News. God's blessing is beyond condition. “Rejoice and be glad!” (Mt. 5:12)

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln's Log 1-23-11

Budgets.

We hear a lot about budgets in the news: the Federal budget, state budget, budget cuts, school budgets, family budgets and even church budgets. All this talk about budgets is usually very far removed from the life of faith. In today's economic climate, budgets are often framed in terms like “making tough decisions” and “tightening the belt”. Practical concerns dominate our thinking about budgets. For some families and businesses the guiding question for budgeting is “How are we going to get through the month?” If you are the “low man on the totem pole” when you hear decision-makers talking about budgets the reaction is often fear. “Will my job or my hours be cut?” Budgets look to the future and the future can often be frightening.

What does faith have to say about budgets? First, I believe our faith tells us, “Do not be afraid.” (Lk. 1:30; see Jn 14:1). The Scriptures repeatedly remind us that God is in charge and that God loves us. “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Mt. 6:34). While we don't know what the future brings, we can be confident that God has a plan and has prepared a place for us in eternity (Jn. 14:1-3). The future is unknown, but God is waiting for us there and is present there just as He is present here and now.

Budgets also indicate our priorities. Our faith, when it is being lived, helps us to set our priorities in line with God's priorities. The prophets of Israel are continually calling God's people back to a way of life based on God's priorities. High among God's priorities are: respect for life (e.g. Ex. 20:13) and care for the poor. (e.g. Is. 58:6ff; Lk. 3:11). As we look at our personal, state, federal and even our church budgets:

• Do they reflect the key values of the Scriptures?
• Are we planning for the future God intends trusting confidently in the God who loves us?

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln’s Log 1-9-11

“John tried to prevent him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?'”

I can relate to John's confusion in today's Gospel. John has a sense of who Jesus is. He believes Jesus is the Messiah, the one who will come to bring about the Kingdom of God and change the world. Yet, Jesus asks to be baptized by John. What is Jesus doing?

He was already the Son of God; he did not need baptism. He was already free from sin; he did not need baptism. He was the Son of God from the beginning, yet he took on our human nature and humbled himself to be baptized. His solidarity extended so far that he allowed himself to be thought a sinner.

Jesus reverses what we would expect. He makes himself one with us in our helplessness against the power of sin and in making himself one with us he overcomes the power of sin.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners... Already anticipating the 'baptism' of his bloody death. (CCC 536)

In being baptized, Jesus embraced all of us in our sinfulness and alienation from God. By descending into the waters of baptism, he descended into the darkness of sin, our sin, and brought his light there. His baptism reveals Jesus commitment to go to any lengths necessary to free us from our sin. He was counted as a sinner so that we could be free from sin. The baptism of Jesus leads us to the cross where his baptism is brought to fulfillment. Jesus was baptized because he loves us and wants to be one with us in all things.

Peace,

Lincoln

Lincoln’s Log 1-2-11 (Epiphany)

There is nothing like Christmas music. Something about Christmas brings out our most beautiful and joyful music. This year, our school's annual Christmas music program was exceptional, the music at our liturgies was excellent, and the combined St. Rose/St. Mary's concert which is coming up on January 9 at 2pm at St. Mary's promises to be a beautiful way to close the season of Christmas.

One of the new songs I heard this Christmas was “Walking Like a Wise Man.” This song outlined how to walk like one of the magi in today's Gospel. The particular line that caught my attention was:

“They walk by faith and not by sight.”

For me, this line captured the essence of wisdom. Normally I think of a wise person as someone who knows what to do and what not to do. That's true, but this song pointed out another important dimension of wisdom... faith. Wisdom is more than simply knowing what to do in any given situation. The wise person knows when to walk by faith and step out when they don't know the final destination.

The magi in today's Gospel possessed this deeper kind of wisdom. They did not know where they were going. They walked by faith. It wasn't blind faith, because they could see the star and knew that God was guiding them somewhere. They just didn't know the final destination. These wise men put one foot in front of the other, trusting that the destination was a good one. Trusting that God was leading them to new life, a better life.

We are also called to walk by faith and not by sight. When we are honest with ourselves, we know that we don't know where we are going. But we can have faith that the destination God is leading us to is a good one. Together, we put one foot in front of the other and walk by faith and not by sight.

Peace,

Lincoln