Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Welcome Pope Benedict XVI!

Papal Visit

Welcome Pope Benedict XVI! My prayers are with you on your journey to the U.S. Although your time with us will be short, I pray that your presence will bear much fruit here in our country.

What's the big fuss? Well, it is not common for the pope to come to the United States. Since the first papal visit of Paul VI in 1965, there have been only seven other visits, all by Pope John Paul II. This will mark the ninth time in the history of the Church that a pope steps on our soil. So, yes it is a big fuss!

Pope Benedict's visit has pundits and critics whirling about. Many are critiquing what he should or should not say. Many of these ideas are not part of his agenda. But, one can hardly blame them for raising their hopes. How often has the pope come to the United States? Indeed, there is only one reason for his coming:to sow the seed of faith and hope. His theme is "Christ our Hope." During his noon blessing on April 13th, he summarized his visit by saying " With the various groups I shall meet, my intention is to share Our Lord's word of life. In Christ is our hope." He further commented, "With the various groups I shall meet, my intention is to share Our Lord's word of life. In Christ is our hope... Christ is the foundation of our hope for peace, for justice and for the freedom that flows from God's law fulfilled in his commandment to love one another." He then asked all to pray for the success of his visit that it will be a time of spiritual renewal for all Americans. Since the crisis of the clergy sex scandals, our church here in the U.S. has been deeply injured and we need the care of our shepherd who comes to us in a special way through Pope Benedict XVI.

Media Savvy Church

Prior to his coming, the USCCB, through the funding of the Catholic Communications Campaign, created a special web site for the papal visit: www.papalvisit.org. At this web site one can find the itinerary of events , information about the pope, information about the Catholic Church in the USA, teaching resources, and more. There is even a blog where you can get the latest information and leave your comments. I was delighted to see this site, as it is a sign of how the Church is trying to use new media to communicate with the world. Of particular note, the pope himself recorded a video which has been put on the bishop's web site and has been widely circulated on YouTube. Click here to check it out. I was delightfully surprised to find all kinds of information surrounding the visit and the Church in general. For example, one can find out about the "Popemobile," various liturgical norms for Papal Masses, various facts and figures about the U.S. Church, worldwide and U.S. Catholic populations, and more. There was even a Papal Visit Video contest. Click here to watch the finalist. In order to stay current as things happen, you can subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking on the following link: Subscribe to RSS Feed. To put this feed into your RSS reader, click on the previous link. Then select your reader. To add this feed to your browser, click on "Subscribe" and click on "View Feed XML" then click on "Subscribe to this feed".

Again, I hope that this visit will energize as well as plant the seed of hope for us all. Keep your computer close to the sites above as well as to the news in the coming days to watch the events as they unfold. Welcome Pope Benedict XVI!


Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Don't Be An April Fool

April Fool?

Don't be an April Fool. Instead, be a fool for Christ. Easter gives us a reason to rejoice and be glad in spite of all the destruction and disillusionment that may be around us. Do you have a deep abiding joy that comes from the knowledge of your relationship with Jesus Christ? Does the reality... that's right, reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead speak to your heart as nothing else does? If so, then that is what it means to be an Easter person. We are no April fools. We are fools 24-7 and especially on Sundays. But, if Sunday is the only time which you remember your relationship with Jesus, then now is the time to recommit yourself and spend some extra time in prayer, soaking in God's love. Our lives here on Earth are not the beginning and end of our existence. We know that there is much much more. We are all being called to a profound relationship with Jesus. By nurturing this relationship, we prepare ourselves for heaven.

The image at the left has always moved me. It reminds me of how much Jesus cares and desires to comfort us all, personally and intimately. He knows the depth of each of our suffering. He knows the highs and lows of all our lives. Yet, no matter what we've done, he still loves us. He loves us perfectly. He knows you and has plans for greatness for each of us. That doesn't mean that we will all be the next American Idol or Einstein. In fact, we may have pretty simple and seemingly unimportant lives. But, that is far from the truth. With Jesus at your side, every encounter with another person, every situation with a fellow human being is packed with potential to express the divine mystery that lies in each of us. When we love our neighbor, we are doing the work of God. That was a commandments of Jesus (Matt. 12:31). When we love each other God's essence is present. What could be greater than that? Yet, we struggle to see this mystery in our daily lives. It happens in the ordinary things of our day, not just in the amazing moments that we all strive to have. God is here, now. Simple. He is risen and lives with us. If that is foolish to the world, then so be it. Don't just be an April fool.

Are You Preparing Your Family for Heaven?

Isn't that the question of a lifetime! Often we go about our day consumed by the details of things so mundane that they hardly matter in the big picture. The endless shuttling our children from one event to another can certainly be tiring. Sometime parents can forget about the most essential things. It is so easy. We are all guilty of it in our own ways. Sometimes we just need a wake up call or a loving reminder of the importance of our calling. To this end, we are privileged to receive Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers to St. Anthony's on Tuesday, April 8th from 7 pm to 9pm who will speak to us about what it means to be a Christian parent. Topics such as motherhood, fatherhood, formation and education of our children, family life as a divine calling from God, the threats of a culture of death, the role of a parish and Catholic school in family life, and how the Sacraments not only deepen, but strengthen us through God's grace to prepare our family for heaven.

Again, mark the date: April 8th at 7 pm. Harold is a permanent deacon here in the Archdiocese of Portland. He has a vigorous speaking schedule that keeps him busy all year long. He has authored man books and other articles ranging from the Domestic Church, male spirituality, family and society, sacraments, lay vocations, and many others. He is frequently on EWTN and speaks to thousands of people every year.

Deacon Harold is well associated with a variety of organizations . He holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.T.S. from the University of Dallas. He was ordained in 2002 and is deeply committed to the mission of the Church. Come listen to this motivational speaker who we are honored to host for an evening. Hope to see you there!

Annual Appreciation Banquet

April brings with it the promise of Spring and for many people, the joy which seemed lost in the Winter cold is restored. This helps all the more to celebrate the Easter season where we are reminded that our deepest joy is in the fact that Jesus has saved us from our sins through his suffering, death, and resurrection. As a way of thanking all of those who volunteer in any way at St. Anthony's, I would like to invite you to our annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet. Mark your calendars for April 19th at 7 pm. At that time we will father for food and fellowship. There will be fun and food to warm our spirits. The main dish hasn't yet been determined, but as we did last year, all are encouraged to bring a dish of their delight to share with the community. As more details are determined, I will share them with you. In the meantime, thank you for all you do for the parish. It is working amidst all the selfless people of St. Anthony's that I see the face of Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor