Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Theotokos

Last night I attended another of my wife's Spirituality Tuesday presentations. I've missed a few because of my crazy work schedule, but I was able to attend this meeting. The speaker was a priest who shares one of the churches in our parish, where he celebrates Mass following the Byzantine Rite.

The Byzantine Rite is followed exclusively by all Orthodox Churches, as well as others, and is sometimes referred to as the Rite of Constantinople. It is, after the Roman Rite, the most widely spread in the world. It is not one of the original parent-rites but is derived from an early liturgy found in Antioch. St. Basil reformed the liturgy of his church, the Church of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and the Byzantine service named after him represents this reformed Liturgy. Since then it has undergone further modification, principally by St. John Chrysostom.

The presentation compared their understanding of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, with our understanding, and explained the various Feast Days of the Holy Theotokos. Theo, or God, combined with tokos, or birther, means God Birther or God Bearer. These feast days are spread through the year and he presented them in the order of their significance rather than in chronological order.

These feasts begin with The Conception of Saint Anna (Dec 7-9). Anna had been unable to conceive a child, and the conception of the Virgin Mary is an important event in the plan of God for the salvation of mankind. This is followed by the Nativity of the Theotokos (Sept7-8). The Mother of God also plays an important role in God's plan for our salvation. In the prayers of this feast day the ever-Virgin Mary is called the Chariot upon which the Son of God came to us, and she is the Door through which He entered the world.

The main theme of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Nov 20-21) is that the Virgin Mary is the true Temple of God. The temple in Jerusalem was made of stone and was lifeless, but Mary is the living temple and her womb is the Tabernacle of the Word of God. The Annunciation to the Theotokos (Mar 24-25), takes its inspiration from the Holy Gospel of Luke, chapter 1. The archangel Gabriel greeted the Virgin, "Hail! O full of Grace, the Lord is with you". He went on to tell her that God desired that she be the Mother of the Word, our Savior. With faith and humble courage she said, "Yes" to God.

This is followed by the Christmas period (Dec 18-26). Before the dawn of time he was begotten of the Father without a mother, now on earth He is born of a mother without a man. The Dormition of the Theotokos (Aug 14-15) is focused on the falling asleep of the Mother of God, and is described as the greatest feast. Her passing is called dormition, or falling asleep, because her body was not subject to decay, but was taken into Glory.

The death of a Christian is called sleep because we who are in Christ will not remain in death, but like the Theotokos, we will be awakened by Him to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.  A star announced the good news to the wise men, while the Angels and shepherds sang the glory of her giving birth, O Woman full of Grace. Rejoice, for your Son has risen from the grave on the third day and has raised the dead. Let all nations rejoice! The oldest surviving written prayer to the Mother of God is from a Syrian, mid-third century papyrus; "Beneath your compassion we take refuge, O Virgin Theotokos. Despise not our prayers in our need, but deliver us from dangers, for you alone are pure and blessed".

Saturday, November 26, 2011

This is the Chalice of my Blood

Excerpts from the book, A Guide to the New Translation of The Mass written by Edward Sri, S.T.D. and printed by Ascension Press in 2011.

While the previous translation of the Words of Institution referred to the cup of Christ’s blood, the new translation renders it chalice. “This is the chalice of my Blood” remains closer to Jesus’ actual words of institution, is a more accurate and more formal rendering of the Latin text of the Mass, and one that underscores the liturgical nature of this vessel.

This is no ordinary cup, but the Eucharistic cup that the Lord consecrated at the Last Supper. This most sacred of vessels has traditionally been called a chalice, and this is the term used in the new translation.

Along with these short weekly posts detailing some of the more obvious changes, I'm presenting an indepth look at the Mass. You can find it below the Written Assignments section in the right hand column.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Christmas Break

For some reason this semester seems to have gone by very quickly; our last class was last Wednesday, and we're on our Christmas break. As we progressed through the various sacraments we've also progressed through various instructors, instead of having just one or two instructors like we did last year. Nevertheless, just like last year the instructors have all been easy to understand and the information has been very interesting. They come from high quality universities as well as the seminary, so their qualifications are excellent.

This marks the middle of my passage through the ILM program; with three semesters behind me and three semesters ahead of me. Unfortunately, I'm involved in a big project at work which has required twelve hour days for the last 4 weeks. I've refused to work on school nights, but I should admit that I'm having difficulty keeping up with the reading. Hopefully, my papers don't reflect that.

Once again it's time to thank everyone who is reading my blog; His blog, I hope, it's not about me, it's about the One who inspires me daily to be the person I am trying to be. I hope that you are learning something too or at least finding it interesting. My desire is to faithfully reflect my belief in Jesus' love for us, my witness of God's grace in my life, and my understanding of the Catholic Church in the world. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Lord God of Hosts

Excerpts from the book, A Guide to the New Translation of The Mass written by Edward Sri, S.T.D. and printed by Ascension Press in 2011.

The opening line of the Sanctus is not taken from a hymn book, but from the angel’s worship of God in heaven. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah was given a vision of the angels praising God, crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts”. When we recite “Holy, holy, holy Lord” in the Mass, therefore we are joining the angels in heaven, echoing their very words of worship.

The previous translation of this prayer referred to the Lord as “God of power and might”. In the new translation, we address him as “Lord God of hosts”. This more clearly echoes the biblical language of the angels in Isaiah and underscores the infinite breadth of God’s power.

Along with these short weekly posts detailing some of the more obvious changes, I'm presenting an indepth look at the Mass. You can find it below the Written Assignments section in the right hand column.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Discussion Group

Tonight the students in our class were divided into four groups again, to discuss our next paper with each other and a trained facilitator. To promote cohesion in the group the same people met in the same groups as before. Two questions are assigned at the beginning of each module, from which we choose one question for our paper. These two questions are to be the basis for the evenings conversation, which is intended to promote integrative learning.

I've chosen to write about reconciliation, by imagining that I am teaching in the parish sacramental preparation program for First Reconciliation. Many parents of the children preparing for the sacrament have not celebrated Reconciliation since their first time. I've decided not to prepare a lesson plan (as instructed) but will instead imagine that I am part of a larger program of preparation for the parents.

My presentation to the parents of children in the first reconciliation class is intended to convey the meaning and importance of celebrating the Sacrament of Penance. This was another paper that was difficult to start, but after doing some research and referencing the Catachism the paper fell together pretty quickly (although not in the way the instructor may have intended).

The discussion process is not simply intended to help us write good papers, but is part of a process to "help us understand the readings and lectures by applying content to practical situations". During these meetings we will be asked to consider the theological and pastoral implications of our papers.

The goals of these sessions are: 1) To help us clarify and probe the material more deeply, especially by seeing how it applies to concrete, pastoral situations. 2) To see the significance of what we are studying for parish life by analyzing various pastoral situations, and 3) To develop the people skills necessary to work with and lead others in improve our pastoral capacity.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Consubstantial with the Father

Excerpts from the book, A Guide to the New Translation of The Mass written by Edward Sri, S.T.D. and printed by Ascension Press in 2011.

The revised translation of the Creed aims at helping us more precisely profess a concept about the nature of the Son and his relationship with God the Father. We now speak of Jesus as being “consubstantial with the Father” instead of “one in being with the Father”. This difference is subtle, but the new wording more closely reflects the theological language of the bishops at the Council of Nicea who wanted to safeguard that Jesus was acknowledged as the eternal Son of God, equal to the Father.

The Council taught that the Son is “God from God, light from light, true God from true God” and “of the same substance” as the Father. Although the term consubstantial might not roll easily off the tongue, its use preserves the theological tradition of the Council of Nicea and invites us to reflect more on the divine nature of Christ and the mystery of this Trinity.

I've been advertising that, beginning on the 5th of November, I'd present an in-depth look at the Mass in a new section below the Written Assignments section in the right hand column. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as I expected, but I've figured out a work around and will present it beginning today.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Sacrament of Marriage

Our class on the Theology of Marriage started without the instructor, so we began by discussing our assigned reading for tonight. Although there is no spiritual basis for marriage, it still makes sense that it should be a sacrament. The relationship between Jesus and church is similar to our relationship between spouses, and even though it has been full of mistakes, the institution of marriage is still intact.

In fact someone pointed out that the Church has referred to marriage as an institution in search of a sacrament. The early church didn't think much about marriage, in the sense that it wasn’t on their mind; marriage pretty much existed outside of the church. Only in the 15th century did the church begin to consider marriage in its own terms.

We are beginning to recognize that the purpose of marriage is no longer strictly intended for procreation. Today it’s more about two people sharing their lives together, as a partnership and as a vocation. One of the students suggested that this idea opens the possibility of same sex marriage.

Once our instructor arrived she began by asking what our marriage questions might be. Of course these questions ranged from same sex marriage, to the focus on procreation vs the focus on relationship. The media’s influence on sexual orientation, the political influence on marriage understanding, and what is expected of marriage. The differences between civil marriage vs sacramental marriage, the early church role and understanding of marriage, multiple marriages, and parish differences regarding marriage requirements. Ultimately, is a loving relationship sufficient for sacrament?

The idea behind Jesus’ admonishment that anyone who divorces another and remarries is guilty of adultery was directed towards men who were in control of divorce. From the beginning the intention was for men and women to be committed. The idea that man and women should become one flesh was intended to declare equality.

Jesus improved the status of women in marriage, and by talking about divorce he leveled the playing field for women. Today annulment means that the elements necessary for sacrament were not present and that the marriage never occurred. The result is officially a “Decree of Nullity” and beleive me, it's a difficult process.

Paul took up the theme of marriage as well. For him, Jesus' covenant with the church is reflected in the covenant between two people. At his time, the Church’s position was that people should not get married, since they expected the immediate return of Jesus. It wasn’t until much later that Augustine showed the way forward for marriage. Eventually when church took over the handling of marriage it adopted much of the Roman law, which was highly developed.

The differences between civil and church understanding is still a problem for marriage. Today there are many places that do not recognize a church marriage, and require a civil marriage for legal purposes. Around the 12th to 13th century the Church declared marriage to be one of the sacraments. Up until then there were many objections to marriage, including things like the exchange of value in a dowry.  How could anything be a sacrament if it involved sex, and how could Jesus institute a sacrament of marriage if it existed long before him?

Marriage was originally a family affair, that later moved to something governed by the state, and then to a sacrament in the church. The Council of Trent required a liturgy and witnesses, and by prohibiting secret marriages they gave the power to the couple alone to commit. Marriage becomes a sacrament when the couple is open to the possibility of commitment and accepts Jesus as part of the union.

This raised an interesting question regarded when the couple is actually married. If the sacrament is satisfied when the couple is open to the possibility of commitment and acceps Jesus into their union, are they then married? The answer was that we as people need to fix a time for this process, which is the marriage ceremony. It was also interesting to note that the Church sacrament includes civil marriage, but that Church annulment does not include civil divorce.

We all agreed that the number of questions and diverse discussions highlighted the reality that there is a lot of confusion about marriage even today. People are basically unclear of the church's position regarding marriage.

We then began a discussion about something referred to as finality. Finality is defined as the orientation that a person (a life, a thing, or a process) has to an end or goal. It’s either horizontal or vertical. Horizontal finality is one dimensional, not jumping to the next higher plane. Vertical finality is about our transcendence in to a life with God. It’s about our participation in a larger, richer, more excellent kind of life.

Finality is our guideline for how we understand marriage and family. In horizontal finality we are concerned with our relationship with our spouse. It includes jobs, friends, and hobbies. In vertical finality we are concerned with how we fit into the parish and our relationship with God.

Vertical finality is not automatic; it means we are cooperating with God's grace in our lives. Sex includes both horizontal and vertical finality. Eating is horizontal in that it keeps us alive, while dining is vertical in that it promotes community. Basically horizontal finality does not include a spiritual dimension, while vertical finality does include a spiritual dimension.

Up until the Council of Trent, the Church considered marriage from the horizontal understanding, and after the Council it understood marriage to have a vertical component. Pope Pius XI was instrumental in changing the understanding and value of marriage. They recongnized a mutual inward molding of the couple, a mutual focus on the needs of others, and changes for the better because of the relationship. I know that I am a better person because of my relationship with my spouse.

Vatican II expanded on this understanding of marriage by focusing on the nobility of marriage and family. The Church’s single purpose for marriage, before Vatican II, is now understood to have multiple purposes. This many faceted love, is structured on the model of Christ's union with the church. Authentic married love is caught up into divine love.

The context for marriage is within the couples love for one another. Christian families share their spiritual riches generously with other families. This love God has judged worthy of special gifts, merging the human with the divine. The unity of marriage radiates from the equal personal dignity of wife and husband.


Children are not a requirement for a marriage to be a valid sacrament. Nevertheless, the Church still insists that “sexual intimacy should always be open to procreation”. Surprisingly, among most religions, it's the Catholics who are the most open concerning homosexual relationships. The challenge today in terms of the theology of marriage is that marriage is a way to holiness.

Vatican II helped us understand marriage as a vocation equal to religious life. As couples we can go forward in building the body of Christ. Sharing the spiritual benefits of sex must be seen in terms of the vertical finality discussed earlier. We can not come into our full human identity without coming into communion with others. This includes loving relationships with and without sex.

In the sacrament of marriage the couple are grace to each other. If we continue to grow in our love for Christ we will continue to grow in our love for our spouse. Christian love instinctively understands that love is greater than death.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Virtues of Prayer

Today’s class began with the usual prayer service although I missed it do to an unscheduled family issue. I arrived about 20 minutes late for class just as the instructor was beginning to discuss prayer.

The prayers, as practiced by the early Christians, have forms based in Judaic practices, including a liturgical space where the faithful gathered for worship. Jesus is our model and teacher. Jesus is our intercessor. “Let us therefore approach the thrown with boldness that we may find mercy in our time of need. We find Jesus praying in consolation and desolation. Jesus teaches us how to pray; “When you pray do not store up treasures on earth”, “Anything you ask the Father in my name", and from others, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner”.

St. Benedict said, “Lecto Divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply and reinforces hearing with the ears of your heart”. The prayer was spoken silently and slowly by the early Monks, focusing on the words in an effort to make Jesus present in their daily lives. Our goal is to reflect on the prayer’s meaning in our specific life and circumstances. Pray and speak to the lord in a natural way, then contemplate the message as grace draws you to Jesus.

The seven deadly sins are anger, gluttony, envy, sloth, lust, avarice, and pride, which is easier to remember with the anachronism AGES LAP. These sins have the power to separate us from god. They are the opposite of the virtues of patience, abstinence, kindness, diligence, chastity, generosity, and humility. We cannot practice virtue without community. Although confession is important, confession is NOT a license to sin. The priest simply represents the community to whom our confession belongs. Today we are much more aware of context. Sin is still sin, but today we see it with more understanding and compassion. There is a danger in compartmentalizing the sin and the sinner, and surrounding them with absolutes.

One of the students defined sin as “an alienation that causes separation [from God] that cascades down through the ages. For me sin is anything that gets between you and God. It's always the small things, because they sneak in as little things that eventually build up and get in the way of your relationship with God. Sin is always a violation of the relationship. Sins against God, sins against family, and sins against neighbors all have one thing in common. It breaks these relationships and separates us from God.

The Sin of the Genesis story was an inordinate desire of humans to be like God and make the rules. As a result we hide from god and must contend with sin (separation from God). The instructor asked the question, “What is a sin? Is it to feel the tendency to sin, or act on it, or live it out? During the discussion, another one of the students asked, “Is it possible to sin against ourselves”, which to me seemed like a strange question. Each of us may not be responsible for our first thought, but we are responsible for our second thought. It’s acting on that second thought, even in our minds, that constitutes sin.

There is a deadening of the sense of sin coming from eastern religions. For instance Buddhism has no deity. Freedom is more important in the West and less important in the East, just as decision making is more personal in the West and more of a group effort in the East. Faith seems to be "on the wane", partly do to the attempt to explain things without the need for a God. Without someone to blame (a personal god) there is no sin, and without sin we don't need God or Jesus.

Assimilation of cultural values on which Christianity can build on remains important. For instance we should follow the teaching of Confucius regarding self examination, and do it three times per day as he suggested. What are the Christian values that Christianity can build on? Today of course we need religion and love more than ever. Love is the key; love of God, love of self, love of neighbor, and love of nature are all part of being human. We are in a battle for our lives and our humanity. The more we are aware of our inner life the more we become aware of what Jesus wants for our lives.

The class separated into small groups to discuss a prayer verse. Our first verse was from Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven”. Each of us had slightly different interpretations (of course) but it seemed to me that the treasures of earth are like the seven deadly sins from our earlier discussion, because we are inwardly focused. The treasures of heaven are like the seven virtues, because we are outwardly focused. We must be focused on heaven, but not at the neglect of the Kingdom of Heaven all around us.

Our second prayer verse for discussion came from Matthew 6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body, if your eyes are healthy then the body is healthy”. One of the people in my group mentioned the idea that “Sin is in the eye of the beholder”. My thought was that how you see what is going on around you (as good or as evil) will either lead you closer to God or farther away.

We listed some of the virtues of prayer, such as “Prayer should be non-judgmental”, “Prayer should be a giving to God”, “God is the object of prayer”, “Dialogue is the purpose of prayer”, “Prayer should not be comparative”, “In prayer we should abandon ourselves to god”, “Prayer should have meaning”, “Prayer should be receptive”, “Prayer should be humble in words”, “Prayer is not about me, it's about God's grace within me”, “Prayer should be other directed”. Prayer is not about a public response (reward) it's about award in heaven.

Whereas virtues are quite often things we have to develop, vises are quite often the things we have a tendency toward. I was intrigued by the idea that forgiveness is NOT forgetfulness. We don’t want to forget because it is part of our journey and God was "in it". Through remembering the event you renew the grace that was God's part "in it".

There is nothing in the Bible about forgetting, and Jesus himself didn't say anything about forgetting. Forgive and forget is not the goal. After Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple, we're told that "Mary pondered all these things in her heart". Nothing suggests that she was trying to forget "all these things". It's about discerning all things and inviting God’s grace to bless us with understanding.

I was also intrigued when someone pointed out that the social networking sites, such as Facebook, are all about "Look at me". During the discussion someone else pointed out that although the Lowercase "i" in ipod stands for "Integrated" device it also invokes the “I” suggesting a personal pronoun. After this, the instructor introduced the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector as the Republican and tax collector which drew a laugh from the class and embarrassment by the instructor.

A student in the class told a story about a friend who had an issue against him and was unable to pray a couple of lines in the Our Father. He would remain silent during the part "to forget our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". This had really brought home the idea of sin against the community since his friend was affectively unable to pray. The student did mention that after reconciliation (and some time I imagine) they were able to resolve whatever it was.

This reinforces the social nature of sin, in that it doesn't occur in isolation; it hurts others. Another interesting point was that the vices take more energy than virtues. It’s harder to be tense all the time! The vices are about taking more for yourself, and the virtues are about more for others. Each of us must embody the virtues, working on them as we can, to grow in faith.

During a segment on the Saints, our instructor pointed out the gifts that have been given to them have in fact been given to us; the Church is an institution, the Church is us, and the Church as community in time and space. It includes all the saints that have come before us and everyone that comes after us.
Saint Francis believed that the Eternal Flame of Love is the energy and power of God that we find throughout the universe. The themes found in the various stories of the book "The Little Flowers of St. Francis" include: Spiritual friendship is essential. It is impossible to navigate our spiritual life without friendship. How we confront our demons is characteristic of our trust in God. Dealing with external monsters is not as important as how we deal with the internal monsters. Betrayal must be confronted. There is a powerful draw to "Go back to Jesus" to see the correct way to live.

A willingness to live for Christ is a powerful witness to others. You may not always know the fruit of your labor. Very often we don't know the goals of God, or the path through which people come to know Jesus. Generosity in all things is the lesson, and is sometimes more important than the story behind the lesson. Your example can inspire others to finish what you start. Nothing is impossible for God.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Sacrament of Holy Orders

Others need to see in us the loving nature of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who is the most definitive and perfect sign of love in the world.

Our instructor paused to tell a quick story. A scientist came face to face with God, and he began to discuss what he did before death. As a biologist he tried to convince God that there was “no need for Him” anymore. Science was capable of doing anything including, creating life. The biologist was so confident in fact that he offered to demonstrate his ability to create life. God agreed that it might be an interesting demonstration and he agreed to let the scientist try. The scientist reached down to grab a handful of dirt, and God said, “Oh no, go get your own dirt”.

Our lives are bound up in love, and why would we want to miss out on that. We've all experienced the feeling of being un-loved. It’s time to wake up and smell the flowers or smell the coffee, as they say. He is real! We are called to be a prophet and speak the truth, and if you have a problem with that then there is something wrong. The brain must be connected to the spirit (the heart) if we want to understand.

At this point one of the students mentioned a (non Catholic) friend who says, "The more you think about something the more you believe it", as an explanation for religion. Although the student understands that this idea is not true, he has difficulty defending his belief. The instructor suggested that a person who says this is at risk. Empirical definitive proof is not going to happen.

We were reminded that sacrament is a sign and also a symbol. At the symbolic level there are many meanings or depths of meanings. Sacramental signs point to the direct meaning and sacramental symbols point to “the rest of the story”.

We are wired for love, we are wired for God, and we are made for God. To put it another way we are wired for the supernatural existential. We have a spirit and we have a soul which is another of the many gifts we receive. What we are involved in is bigger than all of us. Our instructor mentioned that he doesn't believe in coincidences, he believes in Godincidences, which is us being open to what is possible. There is always more. It’s like the best dinner ever, followed by the best Thanksgiving ever, followed by the best Christmas gift ever. There is always more!

The matter of the sacraments is the material stuff, and the form of the sacrament is what you do with the stuff. The water of baptism is the matter. It’s a force to be reckoned with because it is dangerous, it can be destructive, and yet it is also essential for life. It has many meanings; such as being drowned in Christ, forcing us to change the very level of our being. The words of baptism are the form. In the theology of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the matter is the laying on of hands, and the form is the prayer of priestly consecration.

Sacred music leads our hearts and minds to God, so music too can be a sacrament, although now it is called a sacramental. During the patristic age, we had all this great stuff from the great catholic doctors of the church, and with it there were many sacraments. Today there are only seven sacraments, but there is still a world of stuff around us.

We are precious in the sight of God, “Come to me and enjoy your reward”. We are to be a sacrament to the world, but we can not do it if we are in a state of sin. As the blood of our Savior flows through our body, the grace of Jesus Christ ignites a fire within us. It’s part of that ontological change.

From the Seminary, which means seed bed, men come into a process which is nothing more than a catechumenate. There are periods or stages of enlightenment and a sending forth. Taking the raw material of people and forming them into the priest hood of Christ. This is a place where the word of God is planted.
Someone asked the question, “Why is the sacrament of Holy Orders only for men”? Our instructor planned to answer this question later in the lecture, but he ran out of time. He did mention that Holy Orders is an inheritance of the faith. The Church is a church of the Disciples of Christ; we (meaning everyone) are to be One Holy and Apostolic Church. Don’t forget that Jesus had women disciples all around Him.
Don’t hold back the tears in confession, because with the tears you are closer to perfect contrition. Sacraments are supposed to bring about bearing the perfect truth. This is for every Christian because we are to be the symbol bearer for the many meanings of the reality of Jesus Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

You're not going to be at peace until you're on your knees and filled with a deeper longing. It's not "All about me", although Narcissism is growing in the world around us. Remember that Hell is full of anarchists. Pray for the narcissists in our culture, those people who are worshiping the things which you see all around you; be a witness to the values of the gospel. For some people it's almost too late, because they've sinned until their consciousness no longer works. Let them see your holiness.

People need shepherding. By the very remembering celebrated in the Mass, we make the sacrifice memorable and share God's Charity, Love and Truth with others. Who is going to make that happen? It's the simple folks, the people in the pew, and the beauty of God working in the world as found in the book, "This Blessed Mess".

Holy Orders make the priest the official representative of Christ in persona, standing in the place of the church and in the person of Christ. Every one of us must live up to these values. Holy Orders make order in the church, makes the church holy and orders the world according to Christ's demands, who is the focus of the Eucharist. Be thankful to God for who you are, and that our life in Christ is more than what we do; it's about who we are.

There had to be a sacrifice after Adam and Eve, and ever since the fall it’s been too easy to agree with the evil one. Sacrifice is doing the Fathers will, just as Mary said “yes” to the Father’s plan. The affects of original sin remain which is why every time we choose to do wrong we sin, and with every “yes” to sin we say “no” to God. The priest hood within us and others counter acts this tendency. What Jesus did on the cross was offer us charity and love; He loves us and offers us his charity even today.

The reason for the cross is that sin is that bad. Sin is impossible in the kingdom of heaven, and with every “yes” in the name of the High Priest we say “yes” to God.

In Israel there was always a scapegoat. To it was pinned the sins of the nation as it was released into the desert to die. Jesus was the scapegoat for our sin, and we as priests are the scapegoat for our age. As priests we must hand ourselves over for the good of family, friends and strangers. We must live the prophetic dimension and be thankful for today. We as priests are sharing His Priesthood forever. “This day you will be with me in paradise”, is part of who we are.