As stated in last week’s bulletin Father Leo Patalinghug and Msgr. Nalty came out victorious in their “throwdown” challenge against Chef Bobby Flay. This will be the last bulletin announcement about it, but the episode will run again on Sunday, September 20 at 10:00pm CST on the Food Network (channel 67 on Cox). If you liked it, write the Food Nework and ask for more!

by St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolours. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something for your love. "O Lady," will I say with St. Bonaventure, "if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself without a wound." In fine, O my Mother, by the grief thou didst experience in seeing thy Son bow down His head and expire on the cross in the midst of so many torments, I beseech thee to obtain me a good death. Ah, cease not, O advocate of sinners, to assist my afflicted soul in the midst of the combats in which it will have to engage on its great passage from time to eternity. And as it is probable that I may then have lost my speech, and strength to invoke thy name and that of Jesus, who are all my hope, I do so now; I invoke thy Son and thee to succour me in that last moment; and I say, Jesus and Mary, to you I commend my soul.

“Jesus sat down opposite the [Temple] treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mk 12:41-44)

What a great Scriptural passage to make a pitch for “parish stewardship”! The description of the treasury here shows how the people supported the Temple at the time of Jesus as they had since the building of the temple 960 Before Christ (B.C.). As you might remember, the First Temple in Jerusalem was built by Solomon, and it stood from the time of its completion in 960 B.C. until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. After the Babylonian captivity, construction began on a new temple – called the “Second Temple” – in 535 B.C. The Second Temple was eventually completed in 516 B.C. and dedicated in 515 B.C. As described in the Book of Ezra, Zerubbabel, the governor, showed a remarkable example of generosity by contributing personally 1,000 golden coins, besides other gifts. And the when the people: “arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the family heads made free-will offerings for the house of God, to rebuild it in its place. According to their means they contributed to the treasury for the temple service: sixty-one thousand drachmas of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred garments for the priests.” (Ezra 2).

Certainly, a great deal of that money was used to build the Temple, but money was also accepted to pay for the offerings sacrificed in the Temple, to support the priests and judges and to provide for the poor. Not much has changed since then. We’re still doing the same thing in 2009!

But there’s a deeper context here, as in all of the stories of Jesus. Because the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. And that was the end of the Levitical priesthood, the end of animal sacrifices and the end of “Temple worship” as it existed at the time. Or was it? Not really. It was actually the fulfillment of prophecy in that “the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mt. 27:51). No longer was worship limited to the Temple in Jerusalem. “Temple worship” continued with worship of Jesus, who said that “I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands.” (Mark 14:58). The “Third” Temple is the temple of the Body of Christ.

So back to the poor widow and her coins. Everyone had to make an offering in the Temple. And the poorest put in one coin. But the widow – a woman with no income or means – put in two. She put her complete trust that the one for whom the Temple was built would provide for her. She showed trust. Donating money when we’re poor shows trust. But our ultimate trust points not to the gift or even the giver. It points to our faith that Christ will provide for our needs.

We’ve got a lot of work to do to restore our beautiful Church. But the real importance of St. Stephen Church is that we enter to worship Jesus and to have Him enter the temple of our own bodies. “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” (Mt. 8:8).

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

I would like to thank Mike Diecidue of Dash Lumber for his incredible generosity in donating the materials for the repairs of the Blessed Pauline house, one of our parish properties. By repairing this property ourselves, we are saving ourselves a $20,000 expense that would have come out of the St. Henry Church account.

And also, thanks to Bill Richards for donating his time to assist with the painting of the windows in our church. We have begun the scraping and priming, and painting will begin soon.

Please pray for Bill and Mike and their families in thanksgiving.
We have many projects in the works in our parish, and are hoping to begin more with your help. I am looking for volunteers to assist with some of the painting at our church. I would also like to invite anyone who may feel called to volunteer in any way to please contact me at; or by calling the parish office at; 504-899-1378.

September 8, 2009

The earliest document commemorating the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a hymn from the middle of the sixth century taken from the apocryphal Gospel of St. James. The feast may have originated somewhere in Syria or Palestine in the beginning of the sixth century, when after the Council of Ephesus, when Mary was declared to be the “Mother of God” her pious cult was greatly intensified, especially in Syria. Records of several 8th century sermons by St. Andrew of Crete show the continuation of the feast, but there is not much evidence to show why the September 8th was chosen for its date. It’s possible that the date was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. What is known is that the September 8 date helped determine the date for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Although Sacred Scripture does not give an account of Mary's birth. However, the apocryphal Gospel of St. James fills in the gap. While not a canonical Gospel, it does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account, Anna and Joachim are infertile but prayed for a child. In their prayers, they receive the promise of a child that will advance God's plan of salvation for the world. Such a story (like many contained in the Bible) stresses the special presence of God in Mary's life from the beginning.

St. Augustine connects Mary's birth with Jesus' saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary's Son as the dawn of our salvation and asks for an increase of peace.

These are exciting times at Good Shepherd Parish for religious education. Fliers on the table in the back of church will give you all of the details about our new programs, but here are some highlights:

CCD - Parish School of Religion
CCD will commence in mid-September for children in grades 1-4 who are not in Catholic school. Classes will take place on Sundays right after the 8am Mass and last until 10:20am. We need volunteer teachers who know their faith! There is no fee for instruction and a generous patron has supplied the books!

Confirmation Program
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation will begin in October for all students who are juniors in high school (and not taking part in their high school program). Students will have to attend ten classes, do a service project and attend a retreat. Students are expected to attend Mass every Sunday.

R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)
Classes for RCIA are beginning on Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 P.M. in the meeting room at the rectory. RCIA is process by which non-baptized candidates are received into the Catholic Church. Baptized members of other Christian denominations who wish to join the Catholic Church are not baptized again, but are received into the Church through the Sacrament of Penance, Profession of Faith, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.

Youth Ministry - Dead Theologian’s Society
We are pleased to announce the reinstitution of youth ministry at our parish. The “Dead Theologian’s Society” is a Catholic apostolate for high school age teens. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologian’s Society inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow. Society members meet to learn the lives of the Saints and make use of traditional Catholic prayers, devotions and sacramentals such as Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and more! Dates and times announced soon. For more information on DTS visit their website at: www.deadtheologianssociety.com

For information contact Phillip Bellini at 899-1378 or

The only reason we know about Jesus Christ is that someone told us. More than likely, that person was our parents, but it could have been a priest, a teacher or even a friend. And the person who told us only knew about Jesus because someone had told him or her. And someone told that person, too. And so on. We trace that chain of people passing on their knowledge of Christ back to the Apostles, who were told by Jesus to: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:19-20). This statement of Jesus is called the “Great Commission” - the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his Apostles to spread His teachings to everyone. It is an important tenet in Christian theology emphasizing mission work, evangelism, and baptism; and it is the primary basis for Christian missionary activity today.

The interesting thing about missionary activity is the danger that has surrounded it since the beginning. Out of the eleven Apostles charged with the Great Commission, only St. John died of natural causes. The rest were martyrs. From the first century to the twentieth century, this has stood true. As the theologian Tertullian observed around the year 200 A.D.: “We have become more numerous every time we are hewn down by you. The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” (“Semen est sanguis Christianorum”).

As I stated in a recent weekday homily, one of the problems we face in America is the lack of martyrs. Compared to many countries, we received our Christianity in America fairly easily, and sometimes when things are easily obtained, they’re not appreciated as well. Although we know we’re of the same faith as the martyrs Peter & Paul in the first century and the martyr Maximillian Kolbe in the last century, their tombs are not among us. But we can at least recognize a few, the North American Martyrs, a group of eight Jesuit missionaries who spread the Faith among the Indians of Canada in the 17th century, and paid the price with their lives.

This weekend we celebrate “Mission Sunday,” and on Monday we remember the North American Martyrs: Sts. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions. These early Jesuit missionaries arrived in Quebec in 1625. Initially, their work was with the French settlers and traders and evangelizing the nearby Indians. Soon they extended their missionary efforts to the Huron nation about 800 miles west of Quebec (about 100 miles north of present day Toronto.) In Huronia, the first Jesuit missionaries visited the scattered Indian villages, and were welcomed by several Indian families with whom they lived. As the priests' missionary efforts to the Hurons proved successful, more missionaries arrived, and they decided to construct a Christian settlement in Huronia where Indian converts and the missionaries could live. In 1639, they began building Sainte Marie. The first dwelling was a single bark-covered Huron-style cabin that housed ten Jesuits and five workmen. Sainte Marie grew to a fortified village with a residence for 27 priests and 39 French laborers, a church, storehouses for food and equipment, a hospital, and living quarters for visiting Indians. During the early years, the mission prepared hundreds of Indians for baptism and began constructing churches in the Huron villages.

Trouble soon came from the hostile Iroquois nation to the southeast, which began ambushing the supply route between Huronia and Quebec. In 1642, Father Isaac Jogues and Rene Goupil were captured on a return trip to Sainte Marie from Quebec. Father Goupil was martyred while making the sign of the cross on a child. Father Jogues had his fingers eaten and was enslaved. Although he escaped and returned to France (where the Pope gave him special permission to say Mass without his fingers), he returned to the mission - and was subsequently martyred in 1646 (in present day New York).

By 1648 the Iroquois invaded Huronia. They destroyed several villages, including Teanostaye where Father Anthony Daniel was martyred. That winter, more than 6,000 homeless Hurons would find temporary shelter and food at Sainte Marie. In March 1649, the Iroquois captured Fathers Jean de Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalemant about three miles from Sainte Marie, and took the priests to Saint Ignace where they tortured and killed them. By May 1649, fifteen Huron villages had been destroyed. The survivors fled to Sainte Marie or to neighboring villages. The Jesuits, realizing that Sainte Marie could not withstand an attack from the Iriquois, burned the settlement and sought safety on Saint Joseph Island with the remaining Christian Indians. There they endured a winter plagued by starvation and disease. In December 1649, two more priests, Fathers Charles Garnier and Noel Chabanel, were martyred. In the summer of 1650, the surviving priests with about three-hundred Indians left Huronia. After a forty-nine day journey, they found sanctuary in Quebec.

The North American Martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Their feast day is celebrated on October 19th in the United States. Those of us in the “developed” world would do well to remember these martyrs and the sacrifice of their blood which became the seed for the Church in our own country. And recognizing that the Gospel has not yet reached all nations, it is our obligation to support missionary activity in the “undeveloped” world.

In many parishes, including my home parish of St. Francis Xavier, there is a practice of having a family take a Mass Chalice home for one week to pray each night during that week for priestly vocations.  During this Year for Priests, several parishioners have suggested that we introduce the same devotion, and also to pray for the sanctity of priests.  If you or your family (no matter how large or how small) would like take part in this important mission, please contact the parish office.  Each week’s family will receive the chalice at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday.

An “Epic” journey through Church history in a dynamic course beginning in mid-September!

Where: Good Shepherd Paris, Rectory
When: Thursday nights 7-8:30 P.M. beginning September 10.
Cost: There is no cost for the course. The workbook will be provided at no charge thanks to a generous patron who donated the books!
Contact Phillip Bellini for more information

Do you know your family history? The history of the Church is the story of our family. It is the epic story of our ancestors in the Faith – the heroic men and women who shaped civilization and spread the Gospel throughout the world. Knowing this story is crucial to our identity as Catholics. Just as we would uncover exciting and interesting stories of our ancestors through the study of our family genealogy, we can uncover our Catholic past through the study of Church history. Knowledge of our Catholic story helps provide meaning to the present, and the present determines the future. Learning 2,000 years of history can be a daunting task – but with Epic: A Journey through Church History, you can easily learn the amazing story of the Church.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.” (Mk 5:1-9)

Happy Anniversary of Our Time Together!

It’s hard for me to believe it, but this weekend marks the one-year anniversary of my coming to Good Shepherd Parish. And it has been a very blessed year for me. Of course it has been an adjustment going from working in an office in Rome to ministering in such a complex and diverse parish in a time of transition. But it’s so good to be home. Over the past year, many people have asked me if I “missed Rome.” And my stock answer has been, “I could never miss Rome while I’m in New Orleans as much as I missed New Orleans while I was in Rome.”

Let me tell you a story that illustrates my feelings about being Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish. My vocation to the priesthood goes back to 1985, when a priest first asked me if I’d “ever thought about being a priest.” At the time, I told him that I never had thought about it, unless you count my “playing priest” as a child! But in 1985, I started actively thinking about the priesthood. And I started watching and listening to priests in the environment where I saw them most, which was Sunday Mass in the parish.

Flash forward eight years later when I finally decided that I couldn’t sit on the sideline and watch anymore. I had to give seminary a chance, but I didn’t know where to go. I spoke with some close priest friends, and initially got in contact with a priest from the Congregation of Holy Cross (the priests who run the University of Notre Dame, as well as many other schools). That priest had me fly to San Antonio, and he introduced me to priestly ministry in Texas. I met priests who were doing diverse types of work: they were teaching, practicing law, doing vocational work, helping immigrants, and running a retreat center. I was presented with a variety of possibilities for my potential future priesthood.

A few months later, I was interviewed by the vocation director for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and a Teresian sister asked me: “What do you see yourself ‘doing’ as a priest”?

It was a very confusing question. I didn’t really have an idea about “doing” anything as a priest besides being a priest. And so I told her I didn’t understand. And she continued: “Well, do you see yourself in some sort of special ministry or working in a parish?” Since most of my contact with priests had been at Mass, I told her that’s how I saw myself. “Well, it sounds like you want to be a parish priest.”

When she said that, it was if a switch turned in my head. That’s exactly what I wanted to be! I wanted to baptize babies then give them First Holy Communion when they were seven. I wanted to prepare those same children for Confirmation, and when they got older, I wanted to prepare them for marriage and celebrate their Nuptial Mass. And then in a few years, I wanted to baptize their babies! And in the meantime, I wanted to forgive their sins in Confession, say Mass for them very Sunday (or even daily) and visit them if they got sick. When they were sad, I wanted to weep with them, and when they were joyful, I wanted to rejoice with them. That’s how I envisioned parish priesthood, and that’s what I wanted. I knew it then, and I know it now. I couldn’t think of anything that I’d rather be than a parish priest!
And so I went through seminary, and returned to New Orleans to work in a parish. And somehow along the way, I had learned Italian and Canon Law. And that’s when the vision of my life was changed for me. I was sent to Rome to work in an office of the Vatican. It was a wonderful job among wonderful people, and I learned a lot living in the shadow of St. Peter. Since I made a promise of obedience, it was an easy ministry to accept, and I think I flourished there. But it wasn’t really my own vision of life as a priest. Being a pastor is the “job” that I always envisioned. It’s really my “dream job.” It’s not an easy, cushy ministry, and it’s filled with so many opportunities of grace.

But what I didn’t realize is how much of the parish priesthood is also about being ministered to, myself. In this short year, I’ve been a part of Baptisms, Confessions, First Holy Communions, Confirmations, Weddings, Holy Anointings and Funerals, just like I thought. But I’ve also received more than I ever bargained for in terms of sorrow – most especially at my Dad’s death. And in the end, you – the parishioners of Good Shepherd Parish – have given me back more than I ever believed possible. You’ve rejoiced with me, and you’ve cried with me. And this has been the best year of my priesthood. But I believe next year will be even better. And the one after that even better. Thanks for putting up with me. I am humbled to be your pastor, and I pray daily that I can continue to be worthy of your trust.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

The Feast of the Queenship of Mary – the Coronation – was established in 1954 by Pope Pius XII in a document called Ad Caeli Reginam. The original date for this feast was chosen as May 31st, but was later moved to the octave day of the feast of the Assumption, August 22nd. The Catholic faith states as a dogma that Mary was assumed into heaven, and is with Jesus Christ, her Divine Son. Mary should be called Queen, not only because of her Divine Motherhood of Jesus Christ, but also because God has willed her to have an exceptional role in the work of eternal salvation.

Jesus Christ as Redeemer is Lord and King. The Blessed Virgin is Queen, because of the unique manner in which she assisted in our redemption, by giving of her own substance, by freely offering Him for us, by her singular desire and petition for, and active interest in our souls. Mary was chosen Mother of Christ so she might become a partner in the redemption of the human race.

As Pope Pius XII wrote: “From the earliest ages of the Catholic Church a Christian people, whether in time of triumph or more especially in time of crisis, has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother's solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen.”

The Catechism tells us that “the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” (CCC 966).

All devotion to Mary is intrinsically linked to the worship of Jesus Christ. However, devotion is different than the worship. Because God is infinite, we offer him worship – called “latria” in Greek. Devotion is different. We can be devoted to our parents or our closest friends. And we owe special devotion to the saints who have preceded us to Heaven. But to Mary is owed the highest devotion because of the special role that God chose for her in His plan of salvation. In Greek, devotion is called “dulia” and to Mary we owe the highest devotion or “hyperdulia.”

And as Queen of Heaven, Mary serves as a powerful intercessor for us. This intercession in no way diminishes the unique salvific mediation of Jesus Christ; rather, she reveals to us His power. As she herself states in her great “Magnificat”: her soul “magnifies” the Lord. Just as a magnifying glass doesn’t change the size of the thing it magnifies, but only makes it easier to see and understand, Mary does the same thing for us with Christ. She adds nothing to His greatness but she allows us to understand it and appreciate Him more and more.

“Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” (Mk 10:43-45)

Each of us has a deep longing for God. Despite our “worldliness,” we have a deep desire to encounter God. This is nothing new. It’s been the story of human history since the Fall of Adam and Eve as man has tried to “transcend” (the word means to “climb across”) the difficulties of this earthly life and reach into a higher reality that is God’s peace and tranquility. And that’s why God sent us His Son. Jesus joined Himself to our humanity to give us the capability to “climb across” to our Heavenly Father. Jesus makes God the Father accessible to us.

And so each of us wants to “see” Jesus. It’s the reason we call ourselves Christians. We want to see Jesus here on earth. We want to see Jesus in the faces of those we love and in the faces of those whom are difficult to love. We want to see Jesus in the poor, the sick, the lonely, the homeless, the suffering. We want to see Him in the commandments, which teach us how to love. We want to see Jesus in the beauty of His creation. We want to see Jesus in prayer. We want to see Jesus in the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. We want to see Him in ourselves. And ultimately we want to see Him face-to-face in Heaven for all Eternity.

But we’re often blinded by the things of the world. Sin blinds us. Worries blind us. Pain and suffering blind us. Hatred and prejudices blind us. The inability to forgive robs us of our sight. Even our family and friends can blind us when we are content to focus our human relationships on the fleeting pleasures of earthly things rather than on the higher virtues of faith, hope and love!

Today, the Lord comes to us and asks us, “What do you want me to do for you?” Today we need to respond, each in our individual circumstances, “Lord, I want to see!”  We need to beg him to open our eyes to the things of Heaven by removing from our eyes the things of the world that keep us bound to a lower reality. We need to beg him to remove from our vision the sinfulness of the world so we can live in a more beautiful and holy reality of the world to come. As we get close to the Feast of All Saints, we take the saints as our models of those whose eyes were open to see Christ in everything they did! Lord I want to see!

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Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

“Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:43-45)

Jesus presents us with a paradox in the Gospel today. If we want to be great, we need to be a servant. He turns earthly ideas of greatness on their head.

It reminds me of a story told to me by one of my professors in seminary, a famous author who taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University named Fr. John Fullenbach. One summer, during a break in the university year, Father Fullenbach he decided to spend some with working in Calcutta with Mother Teresa and her sisters. On the first day he found himself walking with a sister through the worst slums of Calcutta looking for dying people. As they were walking, a poor woman begged them to follow her, and she led them down an alley to her dying husband. Father Fullenbach bent down to help the dying man, and the man spit in his face. Father Fullenbach was livid. Here he was a very famous author and university professor doing volunteer work to help the poor, and they weren’t even grateful! Despite his anger, Father Fullenbach cleaned the man and fed him. But he was still furious.

Later that day, Father witnessed a commotion where a young sister was trying to wash a 10 year-old girl. Because she was covered with sores, the water hurt her and made her angry. She kept hitting and splashing water at the sister. At that very moment, Mother Teresa entered the hospital and heard the commotion. “Now we’ll see how a true ‘saint’ handles it,” Father Fullenbach cynically thought!

Mother Theresa walked over the girl, and sent the sister to do other things. The child looked at Mother Teresa and started screaming and soaking her with the water from the bath. Mother just looked at her. After a few minutes of looking, she walked slowly over to the girl, held out her arms and hugged her. The child collapsed in tears into her arms. After a long while, the young girl stopped crying. And then Mother Teresa began to sing to her, washing her sores with tenderness. Who was the real servant here? The one who feigned humility for the sake of satisfying some sort of perceived “duty,” or the one who saw herself as a slave for Jesus Christ. We all have a long way to go, but holiness comes to those who desire it. Desire it!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

“Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mk 10:25-26)

Before I entered seminary, I heard a homily preached on this Gospel passage. The priest explained that one of the gates to enter Jerusalem that was called the “eye of the needle.” Camels could only go through the “eye of the needle” if they were crawling on their knees and stripped of baggage. The implication was that we only get to Heaven “on our knees” and free of attachment to possessions. At the time, it seemed like a good explanation. But when I was in seminary studying Sacred Scripture, I learned there was no such gate. His cute story was a complete fabrication!

However, there are explanations that help us to understand the word usage of Jesus. Think about it. Why a camel and the eye of a needle? Why not an elephant and a keyhole? Maybe a blue whale and a bathtub drain? Well, one reason for the words is that rope was made from camel hair, and the Greek words are very similar: kamilos (rope) and kamelos (camel). Since rope wouldn’t fit through the eye of a sewing needle, Jesus is using both a pun and the literary device of hyperbole It’s actually pretty funny, when you think about it! Since there’s no way that a rope, let alone a camel, can get through the eye of a needle, Jesus is basically saying it’s impossible for a rich person to get to Heaven. And that threw the Apostles for a loop. Riches were supposed to be signs of God’s favor on earth. If someone who was obviously in God’s favor (a very wealthy person) couldn’t get to Heaven, then “who can be saved?” (Mk 10:26). Far from liking the pun or the hyperbole, the Apostles were horrified that no one could be saved.

And that’s when Jesus lets them off the hook. “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” (Mk 10:27). Not only can God get a camel through the eye of the needle, but God can get each of us to Heaven. And His Son came to show us how He would do that. And Jesus revealed Himself as the “way” to Heaven by his life, death and resurrection.

In this week’s Gospel passage, Jesus helps us to understand that Heaven is not “here.” It’s not the material things, the comforts and the pleasures of earth. All of those things are passing away, and they can be actual hindrances to us if we strive for Heaven. They take up our time, they distract us, and they are inferior to the treasures of Heaven. Not everyone is called to voluntarily live a life of poverty, but some people are. And the ones that have done so in the most dramatic way – St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa of Calcutta come to mind – are the ones that point us to share in God’s happiness here on earth rather than the fleeting happiness of earthly things. Jesus Christ gives us a happiness that the world can’t give, and a happiness that the world can’t take away. But we might never experience that happiness if we spend all of our time focusing on the fleeting happiness of created things.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

Excerpts from the MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 83rd WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 2009

On this Sunday, dedicated to the missions, I turn first of all to you, my brothers in the episcopal and the priestly ministry, and then to you, my brothers and sisters, the whole People of God, to encourage in each one of you a deeper awareness of Christ's missionary mandate to "make disciples of all peoples" (Mt 28:19), in the footsteps of Saint Paul, the Apostle of the nations.

"The nations will walk in its light" (Rev 21:24). The goal of the Church's mission is to illumine all peoples with the light of the Gospel as they journey through history towards God, so that in Him they may reach their full potential and fulfilment. We should have a longing and a passion to illumine all peoples with the light of Christ that shines on the face of the Church, so that all may be gathered into the one human family, under God's loving fatherhood.

It is in this perspective that the disciples of Christ spread throughout the world work, struggle and groan under the burden of suffering, offering their very lives. I strongly reiterate what was so frequently affirmed by my venerable Predecessors: the Church works not to extend her power or assert her dominion, but to lead all people to Christ, the salvation of the world. We seek only to place ourselves at the service of all humanity, especially the suffering and the excluded, because we believe that "the effort to proclaim the Gospel to the people of today... is a service rendered to the Christian community and also to the whole of humanity" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1), which "has experienced marvellous achievements but which seems to have lost its sense of ultimate realities and of existence itself" (Redemptoris Missio, 2).

In truth, the whole of humanity has the radical vocation to return to its source, to return to God, since in Him alone can it find fulfilment through the restoration of all things in Christ. Dispersion, multiplicity, conflict and enmity will be healed and reconciled through the blood of the Cross and led back to unity.

This new beginning can already be seen in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ, who draws all things to himself, renewing them and enabling them to share in the eternal joy of God. The future of the new creation is already shining in our world and, despite contradictions and suffering, it enkindles hope for new life. The Church's mission is to spread hope “contagiously” among all peoples. This is why Christ calls, justifies, sanctifies and sends his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God, so that all nations may become the People of God. It is only in this mission that the true journey of humanity is understood and attested. The universal mission should become a fundamental constant in the life of the Church. Proclamation of the Gospel must be for us, as it was for the Apostle Paul, a primary and unavoidable duty.

The universal Church, which knows neither borders nor frontiers, is aware of her responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to entire peoples (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 53). It is the duty of the Church, called to be a seed of hope, to continue Christ's service in the world. The measure of her mission and service is not material or even spiritual needs limited to the sphere of temporal existence, but instead, it is transcendent salvation, fulfilled in the Kingdom of God (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 27). This Kingdom, although ultimately eschatological and not of this world (cfr Jn 18:36), is also in this world and within its history a force for justice and peace, for true freedom and respect for the dignity of every human person. The Church wishes to transform the world through the proclamation of the Gospel of love, "that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working … and in this way … cause the light of God to enter into the world" (Deus Caritas Est, 39). With this message I renew my invitation to all the members and institutions of the Church to participate in this mission and this service.

Missionary zeal has always been a sign of the vitality of our Churches (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 2). Nevertheless it must be reaffirmed that evangelization is primarily the work of the Spirit; before being action, it is witness and irradiation of the light of Christ (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 26) on the part of the local Church, which sends men and women beyond her frontiers as missionaries. I therefore ask all Catholics to pray to the Holy Spirit for an increase in the Church's passion for her mission to spread the Kingdom of God and to support missionaries and Christian communities involved in mission, in the front line, often in situations of hostility and persecution.

At the same time I ask everyone, as a credible sign of communion among the Churches, to offer financial assistance, especially in these times of crisis affecting all humanity, to enable the young local Churches to illuminate the nations with the Gospel of charity.

May we be guided in our missionary activity by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of New Evangelization, who brought Christ into the world to be the light of the nations and to carry salvation "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47).

To all I impart my Blessing.  
Pope Benedict PP. XVI

Welcome to our new Director of Religious Education and our new Building Manager ("Sexton")

It is with great pleasure that I would like to announce that the parish has hired two new full-time employees. They are Phillip Bellini and Liam Cousino. Phillip comes to Good Shepherd Parish after having worked for the last six years at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Kenner. While there he was directly in charge of the CCD program, the RCIA program, Sacramental preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation (for the church and school) and Adult Religious formation. Phillip has a virtually every certification from the Archdiocese of New Orleans to serve as a DRE and a catechist. Some of you may know that Phillip was responsible for bringing the Vatican Exhibit of Eucharistic Miracles to the parish on Corpus Christi weekend. Stay tuned for more details about parish religious education to begin this Fall.

Liam Cousino is originally from French Canada, and is married to Kate, who sings in our choir. They have two boys, Guillame and Pascal. You’ve undoubtedly seen him around the parish, as he’s been a parishioner here since shortly after Katrina when he came to take part in the city’s reconstruction efforts. Recently, Liam has taken charge of the building committee, and through this work Liam has accepted the responsibility for directing the restoration of our church as a full-time employee. Liam is a master carpenter from a family of carpenters, and has a strong background in the craft that was originally used in the construction of the church. This type of knowledge will be crucial in undertaking a restoration that seeks to respect the integrity and wisdom of the older techniques while integrating them with the modern use of electricity, acoustics and climate control.
This weekend both Phillip and Liam will attend all of the Masses in the parish so that you can meet them (if you haven’t already). With these new hires, I am assured that you will start to see progress in our religious education programs and parish building progress. As far as titles, Phillip will be the Director of Religious Education, informally known as the “DRE.” Liam, who comes from the old Anglo-Latin school of Church terminology, will be known as the parish “Sexton.”