Welcome to the Bishop’s Blog!

Each week, Bishop Lucey shares thoughts and reflections regarding the common challenges that we all face.  Framed by the invitation of the Gospel, these sharings seek to serve as a call to action and a message of hope.

 

Week of February 20, 2012

To see and hear him more clearly

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 



When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” — he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”   (Mark 2:1–12)

Yesterday’s gospel presents us with this wonderful healing of the paralytic.  The account is so rich in detail.  The crowds gathered around Jesus, the four friends who carry a fifth to be healed, the opening of the roof, the scribes, the word of Jesus, and the commissioning of the person who was healed.

Where we see ourselves in this picture might determine what we see and hear.  The healing of the paralytic did more than allow him to walk again, it restored him to the community.  The forgiveness of his sins was even more powerful than the physical restoration of his mobility, giving him his life back, making him “clean” and able to function in the community.

So who are we in this scene?  Are we in need of healing, in need of forgiveness, bringing others for healing, part of the crowd watching and wanting to believe, one of the scribes feeling afraid of something new?

Wherever we are will determine how we see and hear Jesus in our lives.

What can we do?

• See more clearly:  As we move toward this holy season of Lent, let us ask God to experience him more clearly in our lives.

• Follow more nearly:  With Lent at hand, let’s use this wonderful time of prayer and penance to follow the Lord more closely.

You are remembered in our prayers as begin the season of Lent.

Bishop George

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

 

Week of February 13, 2012

I do will it.  Be made clean

“A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean . . . He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” (Mark 1:40–44)

In ancient Palestine, leprosy was the most dreaded of diseases.  Besides its horrible assault to the body, it separated the afflicted from family and community resulting in a “living death.”  And to make matters worse, leprosy was frequently believed to be a punishment for sin.

The Levitical law code required a leper to wear torn clothes, have disheveled hair, live alone, and cry out “unclean, unclean” (Leviticus 13:45).  Any contact with a leper rendered a person unclean as well.   And cleanliness was key to direct contact with God through temple worship.   The isolation and shame were unbearable.

It’s against this backdrop that we hear, in yesterday’s gospel, a leper “kneeing down and begging Jesus” to be made clean.  In the story we have a vivid picture of the humanity of Jesus – he is “moved with pity” — he touches the leper, acknowledging their shared humanity and incurring ritual defilement on himself.  The heart of Jesus met the heart of the leper with a touch and a simple exchange: “I do will it, be made clean.”

He directs the leper to show himself to the priest since only the priest could issue a bill of good health and allow him to return to his community and participate in temple worship.

Notice the faith of the Leper.  Like the Mary the sister of Lazarus (John 11:21), he knows that Jesus can will his cure.  And will he did.  The results for this poor man are dramatic: restored health, full reconciliation with the community, and access to temple worship.

What can we do?

• Acknowledge the leper in us:  At times we are like the leper, broken inside and separated from others.  As the Psalmist reminds us, God “knows our thoughts before they are formed,” we simply need to move toward God in faith, and faith will restore us.
• Open ourselves to the leper in our midst:  Let’s attend to our culture that, all-to-often, is quick to ostracize others whether immigrants, gays, the mentally ill, or the elderly.  God’s love has been lavishly shared with us without precondition.  Can we do anything less?

As we walk through the week, please remember the tenderness of Jesus and the whisper that by his Resurrection has made us clean.

Bishop George

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

Week of February 6, 2012

Married clergy – Gospel roots, present opportunities.

“On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her.”
  (Mark 1:29–31a)

In yesterday’s gospel account taken from the first chapter of the first written account of Jesus’ ministry, we learn something very important.  Almost as aside, we hear that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick and Jesus cured her.

This is the same Simon that Jesus would rename as Peter, “the rock,” and upon whom he would build his church (Matt. 16:18).  Again, it was Simon’s mother-in-law that Jesus healed.  Obviously, Simon was married.  And later in Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, we learn that his wife accompanied him on his apostolic journeys (1 Cor: 9:5).

For many church leaders, the realization – made very clear in this text – that the first head of the church on earth was married is more difficulty to believe than the Christ’s miraculous healings.

The importance of this fact can’t be overstated nor its truth overlooked.  The gospel of Mark – written after the fall of Jerusalem in 69 AD – is the first writings of the life and ministry of Jesus.  In the previous 35 years, the story of Christ was retold though preaching and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Yet amide the retelling of the story of Christ through the oral tradition and up to the time of the first written chapter of the first gospel, the early church knew a simple truth – Simon Peter was married.

While some maintain that Jesus pre-ordained a celibate clergy, marriage was an assumed relationship for at least some of those Jesus selected as his followers and who, like Peter, became pivotal leaders of the early Christian community.

The American National Catholic Church continues this tradition.  We enthusiastically welcome married clergy realizing that their lived experience provides an invaluable gift to ministry in that they can identify personally with the joys and challenges of married life.

A February 3rd article in The Two River Times discusses Our Lady of Guadalupe ANCC Church (Long Branch, NJ), a previous Roman Catholic parish, and how the church selected ANCC priest Fr. Anthony Testa as their pastor.   Fr. Testa, a former Roman Catholic priest, has been married for 30 years to his wife Diane and is the proud father of two adult children.

What can we do?

• Realize that God calls us as just we are:  We don’t need to change anything.  God calls, we answer “yes” and the Holy Sprit provides the rest.
• Cherish our relationships:  The love of couples – in whatever form that takes – is a gift directly from the Creator.   Let’s remember that our God is a God of relationships calling us to himself and to each other as brothers and sisters and also as couples.

If we can help you form a vibrant faith-community, rich in the Catholic tradition and relevant to our times, please contact me directly at PresidingBishop@ANCCMail.org.

Have a great week.

Bishop George.

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

Week of January 29, 2012

What is this?  A new teaching with authority.

“Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.” 
 (Mark 1:21-28)

Building on last week’s passage in which Jesus proclaimed the nearness of the Kingdom of God, yesterday’s gospel makes that proclamation real.  Here we see that Jesus’ message is not only one of words but also actions of power and authority making the kingdom of God an experienced reality.

In this text, we see Jesus’ first miracle – an exorcism.  By this act, the announcement of the kingdom becomes dramatically concrete.  There is also another theme here: Jesus’ message is expressed not in dominance but in service.    The man with the unclean spirit is released, and echo of Mark’s theme that “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (cf. Mark 10:45).

The impact of the miracle on the crowd is one of “astonishment,” a theme repeated 36 times in Mark’s gospel.   And their astonishment is to a new teaching, one with power to accomplish what is communicates.   For Jesus’ contemporaries, this teaching was a dramatic shift from the dominant teaching of the scribes – the religious hierarchy of their time – solely focused on the making and breaking of a long list of rules.

In this first “action story,” we are reminded of the central proclamation of Mark:  “The Kingdom, the in-breaking shalom of God, is available now to everyone through Jesus.”

What can we do?

• Walk the talk:  Let’s examine our actions.  Are we living our faith in real ways that bring action to our words?  Christianity is an action-based faith.  As 16^th century St. Philip Neri reminds us: “Remember, you very well may be the only copy of the Gospel that many will ever read.”

As always, you are held warmly in our prayers.  We encourage you to post your prayer intentions on our prayer wall at www.ANCCPrayer.org and join in praying for others.   Have a great week.

Bishop George.

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

Week of January 23, 2012

The Kingdom of God is at hand.

“After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the good news.’” 
(Mark 1:14-15)

Taken from yesterday’s gospel, these are the first words attributed to Jesus by Mark whose gospel is recognized as the first among the four. Like the role of an overture in a great musical composition, this proclamation is the potent summary of his entire ministry.   This is the core and central message of Christ, which is as relevant to us today as it was to those who heard it 2,000 years ago.

As stated so well in The Lost Message of Jesus by Steve Chalke and Alan Mann, Jesus’ life-transforming, though often misunderstood message, is this: “The Kingdom, the in-breaking shalom of God, is available now to everyone through me.”

To first century Jews, the long-anticipated messiah would be one – like David — who would defeat Israel’s enemies who were then Roman dictators, fully restore the Temple, and establish the Jewish nation as ruler over all.  The Kingdom message of Jesus was far more radical yet far more disappointment to them.  Throughout his ministry, Jesus made it abundantly clear that his was a Kingdom far more expansive than Jewish expectation and far more inclusive.

His Kingdom was and remains available to everyone.  One of welcome and acceptance, of forgiveness, and a wonderful new agenda for life.  This is a message of extraordinary inclusion where no one is rejected – an invitation to sinners and tax-collectors and prostitutes and the sick and the blind and the poor.  And the ticket to entry?  Just a simple yes – a turning our hearts over to this great news.

Over the next year, we will walk through the Gospel, story-by-story, looking at the meaning and message of this extraordinary Kingdom at the core of this Jesus we call the messiah.

What can we do?

• Read the Bible:  Nothing takes the place of reading Scripture – nothing.  Set aside 15 minutes each day to listen to the word of God.  Start with Mark’s Gospel and just read two paragraphs a day.  Read both twice, then stop and reflect on the message to you in what you just read.  Be with the silence where God speaks.  Just 15 minutes.  This discipline is often called Lectio Divina.  Check our Sr. Joan Chittister’s easy instructions: here

We invite you into God’s word spoken through Jesus, the Word of the Father.   Our prayer is always the Christmas prayer and the last word of the New Testament: Maranatha!  Come Lord Jesus.

Bishop George.

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

Week of January 16, 2012

Yes, Lord Jesus, Come

In yesterday’s Gospel, we heard Jesus calling the first disciples.  The story is intriguing in that after John the Baptist’s proclamation that Jesus is “the Lamb of God,” these two disciples start to wander behind him to see where he is going.  Jesus turns and invites them to “come” – come and see where he is staying.

This invitation “to come” presents an important model for our understanding of God-with-us, the Christmas promise that we just celebrated.  It is always God who makes the initial move.  It is the Lord who first asks, seeks, and knocks, inviting – never coercing – himself into our very lives.  God is always moving toward us – walking with us as a trusted friend in good times as well as challenging ones.

This is a freely given invitation to enter into friendship with God.  And one that is ours for the taking.  All we have to do is say, “yes” and respond with a faith renewed everyday and made real by our words and actions.

This invitation is so beautifully expressed in the book of Revelation:

“Listen, I stand at the door and knock.  If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them and they eat with me.”  (Revelation 3:20)

What can we do?

• Open our hearts:  Right here, right now.  Say “yes” to God and invite his holy presence into our lives.
• Continue to open our hearts:  Renew that “yes” everyday with a prayer to the Holy Sprit: “Come, Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and awaken in us the fire of your love.

Our prayer today is to respond to Jesus’ invitation asking the Holy Sprit to open in us the gates of God’s kingdom.

Bishop George.

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

Week of January 9, 2012

The incarnate love of God, available to us all

On Sunday January 1st, we celebrated the feast of Mary the Mother of God. Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany.  These Sundays following Christmas provide us with the opportunity to reflect on the human and divine dimensions of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

The gospels for these two Sundays illustrate in important ways, how God’s love comes for all of us, not just some of us.

Last week, we heard the story of how shepherds, following the direction of the Angels, traveled to pay homage to Christ in a humble stable.  Historically, shepherds were at the bottom rung of first century Palestine society.  Yet, they were the first to receive the good news of the Savior’s birth.   We might see in this gospel account God’s preferential option for the poor.

Yesterday, we heard in the gospel of Matthew, the story of the Magi. Like us, these three kings are on a spiritual journey.  And just as the shepherds, they signal that God’s love — incarnate in Jesus Christ — is for all people.  We call this revelation by the Magi the “Epiphany”.

The word epiphany can be translated as “something unknown becomes known.” Perhaps a better translation might be a revealing of the truth that is already present.  Today, we join with the Magi in celebrating the reality of this truth, a truth that is always present among us.  Let us ask God to give us the courage of the shepherds and the Magi to see with the eyes of faith the reality of God in our midst.

Leo the Great, the fifth century bishop of Rome, reflects on the feast of the Epiphany with these words that capture the central theme of God’s bounty multiplied for us in ever generation.

“Although that day belongs to the past, the power of the mystery which was then revealed has not passed away; we are not left with a mere report of bygone events, to be received in faith and remembered with veneration.  God’s bounty toward us has been multiplied, so that even in our own times we daily experience the grace which belonged to those first beginnings.”

(Leo, the Great: Tractate 36, 1-2: CCL 138, 195-96)

What can we do?

• Beginnings – As we begin a New Year, let us take to heart that God’s loves us in an extraordinary way, without reserve, and available to everyone.

Please know that you are held warmly in our prayers.  We wish you every good grace in the New Year.

Bishop George

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

Christmastide, 2011

December 25 – January 7, 2012

“This is what God wants,

to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.

(Micah 6:8)

“I was a stranger, and you welcomed me”

(Matthew 25: 35b)

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Grace and peace at Christmas!

At this wonderful time of birth and renewal, we remind ourselves that the coming of the Savior long foretold by the prophets is finally among us.  The prophet Micah challenges us to remember that with God’s coming we are asked to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God; Matthew takes up the challenge by inviting us to welcome the stranger in Christ’s name.  The consequence of the Incarnation – the in-break of God into our lives – is that we are no longer strangers to each other.

Jesus reconciles us to the Father (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:19), making God our common Father and each of us brothers and sisters.   This new relationship calls us out of ourselves.  We become brothers and sister responsible for one other.  In no uncertain terms, the great judgment scene in Matthew makes clear that God has taken on skin and suffers with us.

We recall Mary’s yes to God, and her total act of faith.  Mary’s faith is a faith opened to truth, no matter what the consequences, no matter where it leads.  Little did Mary realize that the child she held in her arms would be the Jesus at whose cross she would one day stand.

We remind ourselves of the words of 12^th century Dominican mystic Meister Eckhart, “We are all meant to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born.”  God gave us his flesh and we become the flesh of God.

The parishioners, seminarians and clergy of the American National Catholic Church join me in sending you the warmest wishes at Christmas.  As always, you are held warmly in our prayers.

Bishop George

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

Week of December 19, 2011

O Antiphons

O Wisdom

O Sacred Lord of Ancient Israel

O Root of Jesse’s Stem

O Key of David

O Radiant Dawn

O King of All Nations

O Emmanuel (God-is-with-us)

Many of us are very familiar with the traditional Advent chant, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”  The “O Antiphons” are brief prayers recited by monks during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours.  Each “O Antiphon” is prayed separately on the final seven days of Advent leading up to Christmas.

Their importance is twofold.  First, each is a title for the Messiah; we are literally praying the names of God.  Second, each is contained in Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.  Collectively, the O Antiphons express the Church’s profound yearning for the long awaited Savior.

As the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy, Jesus is the realization of the hope of Israel, and by extension our hope as well.  Jesus is God being faithful to his promise, and he is the basis of all hope.

Christ brings us hope that we no longer need to walk in “darkness,” and because of his death and resurrection, he brings us life.  Hope in Christ means living our lives with the confident expectation that good things will come — that things, in the end, work out for the good.  St. Paul calls this living with the “full assurance of hope” (Hebrews 6:11)

What can we do?

• Just consider:  Sit back and realize that we don’t need “to do” anything.  The game has been won; the score settled.  God-with-us is the promise of Christmas and the guarantee of the Resurrection.  God is with us now, and every day.  Just reflect on this wonderful gift.

Our prayers are with you and your family in this wonderful time of expectation.

Bishop George

Need Prayer?  www.ANCCPrayer.org

 

Week of December 12, 2011

ANCC Prayer Request Wall Goes Live – www.ANCCPrayer.org

Throughout Sacred Scripture, we read countless examples of people asking for God’s help in prayer.  The Psalmist tells us “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. (Psalm 145:18a).

And across the Gospels Jesus prayed continually.  We read of Jesus going “up on the mountain to pray” (Matt. 14:24); going “off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35); of how “he spent the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).  The night before he died, he prayed intently in the Garden of Gethsemane (cf. Luke 22:39-46).

When asked how to pray, Jesus taught his disciples the prayer that makes us sons and daughters of a loving Father, and brothers and sisters to each other:

Father, hallowed by your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test. (Luke 11:2b-4)

Intercessory prayer is praying for another and with real hope that God will help.   We are reminded that God want us to ask and ask urgently – and to be persistent and stubbornly ask.   Jesus promises:

“I am telling you the truth, the Father will give you

whatever you ask of him in my name” (John 26:23).

As children of a loving Father who is ever ready to help us, we are excited to announce the launch of our worldwide ANCC Prayer Wall.  Available to anyone with Internet access, prayer requests can be submitted all day, all night, everyday at www.ANCCPrayer.org.

In addition to posting your prayer requests, you can choose to be notified by email when someone prays for you.   We invite you to join our wonderful parishioners, our seminarians, Franciscan brothers, and priests in this ministry of prayer and outreach.

What can we do?

• Believe:  Prayer changes things!  It changes us; it changes others.  It builds the bond of love.
• Let us pray for you:  Submit a prayer intention; come back often.  Bookmark the address: www.ANCCPrayer.org
• Become a prayer partner:  Pray for the intentions that are posted.  Click on the link “I prayed for this” to let folks know that you are in union them.

I leave you with the exultation of St. Paul: “Always seek what is good for each other and for all.  Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing “ (1 Thess. 5: 15b-17).

Bishop George

 

Week of December 5, 2011

The danger in expectation

The season of Advent is all about expectation.   This is a wonderful time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child at Christmas.  Of course, preparation and hope for Christ are essential.   But, amide this season of waiting, I’d like to suggest that there is a danger in expectation.

For so many, much of life is spent locked in the past through guilt and regret or dreading the future through fear and anxiety.  The “now” is totally lost.  Until we can live fully in the present, we aren’t fully alive.

The wisdom of Jesus teaches us to live very much in the now – not caught in the past or the future.  His message is that the “now” is what matters.   In the “Our Father,” he taught us to ask for our “daily bread.” Even in the liturgy, we pray “. . . grant us peace in our day . . . and protect us from all anxiety.”

The central message of Jesus is that the Kingdom of God – the Reign of God – is at hand.

. . . Do not worry about your life, what you will eat,

about your body, or what you will wear. . .

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap,

they gather nothing into their barns,

yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not more important they?

Can any of you by worrying

add a single moment to your life? . . .

Look at the way the wildflowers grow.

They do not work or spin . . .

If God so clothes the grass of the field . . .

will he not provide much more for you? . . .  So do not worry . . .

Your heavenly Father knows what you need.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given you besides.

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

(Matthew 7:25-32)

What can we do?

• Relax:  You’re complete as your are.   God has made us, not as defective merchandise, but as reflections of himself.  We are very, very good (cf. Gen 1:27).
• Celebrate the now:  We are redeemed by the love of God, a God who-is-with-us.  Embrace life.  Have fun; eat desert first.  Love deeply.

As we move deeper into Advent, my prayer is that we remember how we are wonderfully made, and fully redeemed.

Bishop George

P.S. Don’t miss our Advent “mini-retreat,” a daily three-minute reflection for Advent and Christmastide.  Follow the retreat: here.

 

Week of November 28, 2011

Maranatha

Welcome to Advent and the beginning of the Liturgical Year!  On the footsteps of last Sunday’s great judgment scene from the Gospel of St. Matthew (“whatever you did to the least, you did to me”), we step into preparing for the coming of the Christ child at Christmas.

In these two movements – the Lord coming into our lives and the final coming in Glory – we find the bookmarks of our lives.  We live in the “already” and the “not yet.”   That is, in the coming of Christ as we wait for his final coming at the end time.

This “double time” is captured in the biblical word “Maranatha.”  Growing from two Aramaic phrases – it translates in two distinct ways: “Come, Lord Jesus,” and “The Lord Jesus is coming.”

As we step into Advent, our prayer is “Come, Lord Jesus.”  We prepare ourselves – through the penitential acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – for the coming of the child born who would become the promise of the nations and the fulfillment of the Hebrew bible.

Maranatha – “Come, Lord Jesus,” into our lives. Through the very familiar cycle of Advent, we prepare to acknowledge the tremendous event of God coming into our world, of “making all things right” in a very broken world.

Maranatha – “The Lord Jesus is coming,” is our prayer for the final time.  Come and establish your final Kingdom.  Come make us new.  Come fill us up with your love.  Come and live with us forever.

Maranatha – Expresses our very longing – that which is written on our very being – for God.

“God is the rock of my heart,

my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26b)

What can we do?

• Live in hope:  As we live in the “in-between time,” let us live in hope.  But, let us remember that hope is seen in our commitment to building the Kingdom of God by living changed relationships with each other.

My prayer is that the light of the living God shine brightly in your life and light the way to his peace.

Bishop George.

 

Week of November 21, 2011

Endings and Beginnings

Yesterday was the last Sunday of the Church year.  In the Gospel, we heard the great judgment scene of Matthew 25.   Through the poetic imagery of the final judgment, we were reminded that the sole criteria for entry into the fullness of the Kingdom will be how we treat the needy — being ever reminded that “whatever you did to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did to me.”

The Church year begins this coming Sunday, the beginning of Advent.  The word “Advent” derives from the Latin word for coming.  The Lord is coming.  This is a time of preparation – a time of expectancy and joyful anticipation.

In Advent, we recall God’s faithfulness in the Old Testament and how – through prophecy and promise – God prepared the hearts of his people for the coming of the messiah.

From the early Church to today, the time of Advent has been one of penance.  This near month-long period is one in which we prepare ourselves — with the ancient discipline of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – for both the Christ child and for the final coming of Christ the King.

As we take on the Advent spirit, let us listen to the prophet Isaiah:

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.

Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her

That her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated,

That she has received from the hand of the Lord

Double for all her sins . . .

A voice proclaims in the wilderness:

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Make straight in the wasteland

A highway for our God! (Isaiah: 40:1-3)

What can we do?

• Reflect on the Word of God:  Set aside time to prayerfully read Isaiah, chapters 40-43.  Experience meeting God in His sacred word.
• Identify with the Hunger:  Pass up going to dinner a few times and donate the money you would have spent to a program for the hungry.

As we move through Advent, may our hearts be softened to receive the gift of love in the Christ child.

Bishop George

 

Week of November 14, 2011

A joyous welcome to Fr. Testa

Yesterday, it was my privilege to accept Father Anthony Testa into the family of ANCC priests and to install him as the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe ANCC parish in Long Branch, NJ.

What a joyous occasion!  The parish community was out in full support and welcome for their new pastor.   Check out the event pictures: here.

The formation of Our Lady of Guadalupe was in response to the 2009 closing of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Long Branch and by the desire of parishioners to reclaim their identity anew as Our Lady of Guadalupe and join the ANCC.

When called by Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, Fr. Testa responded immediately with grace and generosity to their need for a priest.  He has led the community as their pastoral administrator for the past year.

I think there is an important reminder for us in the journey of both the parish and Fr. Testa.   We need to remember that in even the darkest and most challenging of circumstances, God’s loving presence is deep in our lives, taking on our concerns, working along side us as we discover solutions.

There are no concerns in our lives – whether big or smaller – where God is not concerned and intimately at work.   We believe in a living God, who walks with us in the journey to him.

In thanksgiving for this wonderful presence, I join my prayer to that of the Old Testament writer of the Book of Lamentations – who even after the destruction of Jerusalem – could still pray a message of gratitude and hope:

The Lord’s acts of kindness are not exhausted

His compassion is not spent.

They are renewed each morning –

Great is his faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, I tell myself,

Therefore I will hope in him. (Lamentations 3:22-24)

What we can we do?

• Remember: Even in the most challenging of times, a loving God is walking along our side, working in our lives to find the best outcome.
• Thanksgiving:  As we celebrate the gift of Fr. Testa to Our Lady of Guadalupe, let’s remember to pray in thankfulness for all that God continue to give us.

As Our Lady of Guadalupe begins another step in its journey to the Father, my prayer is that the parish grow in love for one another as it continues its outreach to the least, lost, and forgotten.

Bishop George

“The greatest among you must be your servant”

As presiding bishop, it is with great joy that we announce the ordination of our brother deacons, Rev. Br. Phillip Lichtenwalter, OSD and Rev. Mr. William Freeman to the priesthood of Jesus Christ on November 19, 2011 in St. Louis.  Our press release can be found here.

In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus spoke to the essential nature of the priesthood.   In his critique of the religious leaders of his day, his harshest criticism was of their duplicity:

They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry

and lay them on people shoulders,

but they will not left a finger to move them. (Matthew 23:4)

Unfortunately, far too many religious leaders of our day exact the same toll by the misrepresentation of sacred scripture and a blind adherence to a tradition that has little bearing for our time.  Is it any surprise that so many are turned away from a belief in God?   How can we expect people to believe in a loving God when so many of his messengers are just unbelievable?

If the concept of priesthood is to have any relevance for our day, leaders much live more authentic lives.   In a continuation of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus clearly lays out the standard for any of us who dare to stand as leaders:

The greatest among you must be your servant.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.

But whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11-12)

We of the American National Catholic Church take this leadership standard very seriously.   I want you to know that our selection process is exacting and those we call to priesthood are among the most select.  The people of God are entitled to prayerful, educated, pastorally sensitive, and service-oriented priests.

I can personally attest that Rev. Mr. Lichtenwalter and Rev. Mr. Freeman have demonstrated the composite skills so needed at this challenging time in the history of the Church.   Both are prayerful men and engaged in pastoral ministries that witness to the extravagant love of God.

As we rejoice at the ordination of our brothers, we are reminded that the standard of our ministry must be that of a servant – or maybe by a more contemporary notion of “waiter.”  We wait on others and we wait for the coming of the fullness of the Kingdom.

What can we do?

• Remain humble:  For those of us honored with ministerial responsibilities, let’s remember that our performance standard must be one of service, of being the least, of taking the last seat at the table.
• Demand better ministers:  For those who are to be served, let’s hold our ordained members to a more genuine standard.  Challenge the tired assumption that “you take what you can get.”  Bad leadership is far worse than no leadership.

As we prepare to call two men to priesthood, my prayer is that the people of God will find in the ANCC, leaders of substance, spirituality and simplicity that will gladly serve at your table.

Bishop George

 

Week of October 31, 2011

All Saints

Tomorrow, the Church celebrates “All Saints Day.”  It has a nice ring, but what does this mean?  All Saints Day is a universal celebration that honors all holy men and women, both known and unknown.

For us in the Catholic tradition,  All Saints Day is a time to remember, thank God for, and pray to these holy men and women.  But we need to be careful that our admiration doesn’t become idolatry.  Saints are pointers to Christ – nothing more, nothing less.

In the New Testament, the saintliness of a person – that which makes the person holy – is not their personal sanctity, but the holiness of Christ.  Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross is the source of all holiness.  It was on Calvary that our sins were forgiven – that we were irrevocably reconciled to the Father by the work of his Son.   For individual Christians, this holiness is passed on to us though baptism and by our faith.

In the Catholic tradition, Popes have canonized specific men and women.  John Paul II canonized some 482 saints, more than all his predecessors combined.  Yet we need to remember that the New Testament’s call to personal holiness is an invitation to us all.  Clearly, those formally recognized as saints in the Catholic tradition in no way attempts to count all saints.

I do believe that those recognized by the tradition can have value for us.  They can serve as models of virtue since they often faced the same day-to-day challenges – some big, some small — that we face.  Catholic theologian Lawrence S. Cunningham, in his book, The Meaning of Saints, suggests that the saints also serve as our “prophetic witnesses,” inviting us to live more fully as Christian disciples.

The ANCC honors all saints and finds particular inspiration in the lives of St. Francis and St. Benedict.  Thieir models of holiness remind us of the importance of service and contemplation – two themes that must be a constant in every Christian’s spirituality.

As we celebrate All Saints Day, let us remember two things.  First,we are all called to sainthood through our union in Christ.  Second, saints can be exemplary models and comparisons in our journey toward that union.

Let us be reminded in the words of Saint Paul that we are destined for love and by that love to the sainthood of all believers:

May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more and more and become as great as our love for you.  In this way he will strengthen you, and you will be perfect and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him.  (1 Thessalonians 4:12)

What can we do?

• Ponder:  Amide the hustle and bustle of life, find some time to reflect – maybe at Starbucks or in the grocery line – that everyone around us is also on the road to sainthood.  We are common sons and daughters of a shared Father who loves us passionately.
• Learn: Read more about the saints.  I recommend My Life with the Saints by James Martin and Saints to Lean On: Spiritual Companions for Illness and Disability by Janice McGrane.

As we celebrate All Saints Day, my prayer is that you feel how deeply God loves you and realize the great gift you are to others.

Bishop George 

 

Week of October 24, 2011

Restlessness

I do believe there is a longing, a wanting for more deep inside of me.  I find it so compelling that St. Augustine would sum up his whole life in one line:  “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

There is restless that calls out to the living God.   Some have called this “the holy longing.”  And it is in this longing that our desire to become one with God is clear.  I do believe that we are made from God and are destined for God.  It’s written deep in our DNA.

These are the urgings that bring me to prayer.  These are moments where scripted prayer is found so wanting in my life.  This is the place where silent prayer calls me into the oneness of God.  This is the childlikeness that Jesus spoke so often as the essential requirement of the Kingdom.

In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul speaks so clearly of this urging.

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6)

What can we do?

• Daily Prayer:  Make prayer a daily discipline. When you open your eyes in the morning remind yourself that you are meant for God because God is already inside of you.  Just be still and let God happen inside of you.
• Acts of Kindness:  Our daily prayer must also be matched with an equal commitment to others.  Find a way to be of service.  It can be a simple act of kindness, or an unexpected offer to help.

My prayer for you is that you know in your depths that you are wonderfully made and precious before God.

Bishop George 

 

Week of October 17

Eucharist – A Gift and Challenge

The central feature that makes Catholic churches “catholic” is our shared belief in the Eucharist.  Catholics rightly consider the Eucharist the heart of our belief – the source and summit of our faith.    At the Last Supper Jesus gave us his Body to eat and his Blood to drink with the commandment to “Do this in memory of me.”

But what does this commandment mean?  Is it simply remembering what Jesus did at that Supper and recognizing his “real presence” among us now, or does it have larger implications?

Let me suggest that the “Do This” of the Last Supper is to become the Eucharist, not just celebrate Mass.  This entails far more than just acknowledging that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, as profound as that is.  It means that Christ becomes us – is in us as flesh and blood – continuing his work of healing a broken world, establishing justice, making all things right.  He is doing in us what we cannot do ourselves.

This full meaning of the Eucharist is both a gift and a challenge.  It is incomplete to worship adoringly the savior in the Eucharist.  We must also become Christ and continue his redemptive action.  Eucharist is not a spectator sport.

It is through the Eucharist that Christ is making this new world present:

See, God is now among his people.  He will dwell with them; they will be his people, and he himself will be with them.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.  Behold, I am making all things new. (Rev. 5: 1-7)

What can we do?

• Pray:  Make time to pray before the Eucharist.  Many local communities have weekly adoration hours.  A number have continuous hours.  Check out this directory of churches and chapels  hours with Eucharistic adoration.
• Act:  Join an organization that works for real social change.  Give of our time, talents as well as our money.  The United Way of America is a great umbrella organization supporting thousands of local groups.  Check out this directory to find an organization doing great work in your area.

May the mystery of Christ in the Eucharist be matched by the mystery of what Christ continues to do in his world through us.   And may our lives be a great Amen.

Bishop George

 

Week of October 10, 2011

In a Gentle Whisper

There is definitely something to be said for getting older! In Mychal’s Prayer, Salvatore Sapienza talks about riding a tandem bike with God.  During the first half of life, we’re in the front seat doing the steering.  In the second half of life, when we learn to surrender, we take the back seat, unsure of the direction or the outcome, but trusting in God to lead the way.

This posture of surrender seems so contrary to our time.  We are bombarded by a culture of constant stimulation and overwhelmed by information only made more intense by the immediacy of the Internet.  We are taught to problem solve, to process and to skillfully plan.

Yet the secret to a life in Christ is very contrary to our culture of knowing and doing.  In fact, it’s exactly the opposite.  It is found through the wisdom of surrender.

It is moving from being willful, that is making life decisions based on the best of intentions, to a life of willing surrender.  It’s waiting and listening for the voice of God.   It’s giving up control.

For me, the only way to access the divine will is through silent prayer, particularly before Jesus in the Eucharist.  We of the Catholic tradition have wonderful ritualized prayer.  But one of the areas that we may need to consider is sitting silently – without a prayer script – and listening for “the still small voice of God.”

Let us remember that Elijah discovered God, not in the wind, nor an earthquake or even in fire, but in a gentle whisper:

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face. (1 Kings 19:11-13)

What can we do?

• Be Still:  Spend 10 minutes a day in silent prayer.  Just sit, let your body be still.  Allow thoughts to come and be open to what happens.  God speaks in silence.
• Investigate:  Trappist monk Thomas Keating has written an excellent book on centering prayer.  Why not order a copy.  It’s a great read.

My prayer is that we create the time to discover God in the “gentle whisper” only revealed by surrendering to the silence before the living God.

Bishop George

 

Week of October 3, 2011

Saint Francis and Vatican II

Tomorrow, October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis, our patron, spiritual mentor and model for ministry.

As the son of wealthy merchant, the young Francis lived a life of indulgence. At the age of 20, he took part in a war between Assisi and Perugia, a rival city. He was taken prisoner and thrown into jail where he remained for a year. Ill from imprisonment, he returned to his parent’s estate.

One day during his convalesce and while in prayer at the Church of San Damiano, he asked, “Lord, what do you want of me?” He heard a voice seemingly coming from a crucifix: “Francis, rebuild my church.” Thus began an amazing life.

“Lord, what do you want of me,” is the eternal question of every Christian. And the Lord’s response “rebuild my church” is the perennial challenge before us all.

It has been the joy of my life to live through the Second Vatican Council. Called by Blessed Pope John XXIII, the Council wrestled with the central question of what does it means to be church in contemporary society.

A profound consequence of the work of the Council was the realization that by virtue of our union with Christ through baptism, we all share in his priestly and prophetic ministry.

We of American National Catholic Church, like Francis, are responding to that same call to rebuild God’s church. We believe that we are taking up the same command of Christ to rekindle the image of God’s extravagant love.

As we celebrate his Feast Day, let us join with Francis in seeking what God asks us to do.

What can we do?

• Join Us: We invited you to join the American National Catholic Church either through one of our parish communities or pastoral outreach programs.  Find more info on our website.
• Support Life-Minded Reform: The wonderful work of the Second Vatican Council is being continues through the Voice of the Faithful, and the American Catholic Council.

At this very special time, know that we of the ANCC remember you in prayer as we join together in realizing the promise of the Council. Happy Feast Day!

Bishop George

 

Week of September 26, 2011

Hearing the Message in the Death Penalty

I found last Wednesday’s execution of Georgia death-row inmate Troy Davis very troubling.   For me this is particularly upsetting since seven of the nine key witnesses recanted all or part of their accounts.  Even some jurors had changed their minds about his guilt.

I was equally disturbed by a recent presidential candidate’s comment that he has never lost sleep over executions in his state.  Equally distressing was that the audience broke out in applause at his comment.

As a religious leader, I am deeply concerned by a recent Gallup poll that 64% of Americans support the death penalty.   I find this support deeply troubling when credible evidence strongly suggests that innocent people – so often the poor and people of color – are sent to death row.

We don’t need to look further that to the work The Innocence Project. Dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted death row individuals through DNA testing, over 250 people have been exonerated since 1992.

Can a reasonable person remain complacent of a system that as a matter of practice executes innocent people?   As Christians aren’t we called to a much higher standard?

We cannot on the one hand hold a prolife ethic, and on the other quietly sit by while people are executed.   If we believe that all life is sacred – from the cradle to the grave – then any attack on life is an offence to the Creator.

We would do well to ponder the Old Testament prophet Micah’s admonition:

“This is what God requires of you:

to do act justly,

to love tenderly,

 and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)

What can we do?

• Get informed:  As with any issue, knowledge is power.  The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is a great starting point.
• Get involved:  As Christians we have a moral obligation to work to end the death penalty.  People of Faith Against the Death Penalty is a great advocacy group.
• Donate: Consider a charitable contribution toThe Innocence Project.

As Christians, we don’t have the luxury to sit idle when an issue of such magnitude is before us.   The Jesus of the Gospels was always engaged in the public square, nothing less can be expect of us.

Bishop George