As I mentioned over the last two weekends, the Gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Two weeks ago we heard about the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes. Last week we heard Jesus raise the bar and describe Himself as the “Bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna from heaven of the Exodus. This Sunday Jesus starts facing detractors, followers who reject his audacious claims, and He “ups the ante” once again: “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Have you ever been hungry and not know what you were hungry for? You might want something to eat, but you’re not sure if it’s a po-boy or a snowball or some fruit. And you ponder it a while. This hunger can be somewhat similar to stages in our life when we wonder “what it’s all about.” We might have questions about our jobs or our relationships or our friends. And we think: “Why am I doing this? What do I want in life?”

Jesus understands both feelings. His human nature got hungry for food like we do. And He understood that those feelings can serve as metaphors for a deeper type of spiritual hunger. We might hunger for a “change” or “something better” or “something new,” and deep inside this hunger is a desire for something greater than ourselves. It’s a desire for eternity, a desire for wholeness; it’s a desire for love.

Nothing in this world can satisfy the deepest longings of our soul. Only God can do that. And since we cannot get to God on our own, He sent His Son down to us to feed us with the Father’s love and to call us to continue to reach for eternity. God has something in store for each of us that is greater than the world can give. And when we have that “something,” we have what the world cannot take away.

So how do we get it? It’s only given to us through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the means by which we have access to the Father. We come to Him in Word and Sacrament, and express to Him our great hunger for that “something” that we don’t have: that eternal life of happiness and love.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

Monday, June 29, is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. And it is an important day for the Church Universal as well as for our new Metropolitan Archbishop, the Most Reverend Gregory Aymond.  On that date he will be at the Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican to receive a very special vestment from His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.  The vestment is called a “pallium,”

(plural is “pallia”) and it is a narrow band of cloth woven of white lamb’s wool with a ring in the center which rests on the shoulders of its wearer.  The narrow band falls down the front of the chest like a necktie and goes similarly down the back. It is decorated with six black crosses, one on each tail and four on the loop.

The pallium has its origin as a liturgical vestment of the Holy Father since at least the 4th century, and it has been given to each Metropolitan Archbishop since at least the 9th century.

The shape and size of the pallium has changed over the centuries.  The pallium of the sixth century was a long, moderately wide, white band of wool, ornamented at its extremities with a black or red cross, and finished with tassels.  It was draped around the neck, shoulders, and breast to form a V in front, and the ends hung down from the left shoulder, one in front and one behind.  In the eighth century it became customary to let the ends fall down, one in the middle of the breast and the other in the middle of the back, and to fasten them there with pins.  The present circular form originated in the 10th or 11th century. Two early examples are preserved in the Archdiocese of Cologne.  The two vertical bands of the circular pallium were very long until the 15th century, but were later repeatedly shortened until they now have a length of only about twelve inches.

Worn by the pope, the pallium symbolizes the plenitudo pontificalis officii (i.e., the "fullness of Pontifical office").  When worn by Metropolitan Archbishops, it signifies the power which the Metropolitan, in communion with the Roman Church, has by law in his own province.

The liturgy for the conferral of the pallium provides for its bestowal at the beginning of the Mass in which the Archbishop takes possession of his Archdiocese.  However, the recent practice of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI has been to summon the new Metropolitans to Rome to receive the pallium directly from the hands of the Holy Father.

The story of how the pallium is made gives clues to its symbolism.  The wool comes from lambs raised by Trappist monks.  On, January 21, the Feast of St. Agnes (“agnes” is from the Latin word for lamb), the lambs whose wool is destined for the making of the pallia are solemnly blessed at the Basilica of Saint Agnes.  However, during the last three years, the Holy Father has blessed these lambs himself at the Vatican.  Wool from these lambs is then given to the Benedictine nuns of the Basilica of St Cecilia in Trastevere, and they weave the pallia.  The new pallia are solemnly blessed at the Basilica of St. Peter after the Second Vespers on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and are then stored in a special golden chest located directly above the original tomb of St. Peter.  It is called the “Niche of the Pallia.”

Because they are made of wool, the symbolism of the pallium is connected to the figure of the Good Shepherd carrying the lamb on his shoulders, so common in early Christian art.  And since the pallia sit over the Tomb of St. Peter and are worn jointly by the Holy Father and the Metropolitan Archbishops, their distribution symbolizes the unity of the Church (with the Successor of Peter) and the universality of the Church (as the Archbishops go out to the entire world to spread the Gospel).   At present only the Pope and Metropolitan Archbishops wear the pallium.  No other bishops, even non-metropolitan Archbishops or retired Metropolitans, are allowed to wear the pallium unless they have special permission.

If you’re ever at St Louis Cathedral on a Sunday, notice the Archbishop’s pallium. It’s a great reminder of the universality and long history of our Church.

Over the last several months, we have experienced a large increase in the number of requests for financial assistance. We provide assistance in the form of help with electricity and rent bills, canned goods and small gift cards to area food stores. Since Lent is a season to practice almsgiving, please consider making donations at the St. Anthony Statue on the right rear of the church, or by increasing your offerings in the envelopes. There are a lot of poor people in our area, and Jesus told us: “to whom much has been given, much will be expected.” Whatever we do for the poor of our parish, we do for Jesus. Thank you!

Please excuse me if I have been a little unavailable over the last week. The death of my Dad came at an unexpected time, and being his only child in New Orleans (and a priest) thrust me into the center of the funeral preparations. It also placed a heavy burden of grief upon me that – while not unexpected – was more physically challenging than I would have anticipated. I couldn’t believe how exhausted I became over the time that I heard about Dad’s death on July 16 ( the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel ) and even up until two days after the funeral. Giving the homily at the funeral on Tuesday was one of the most difficult things I’ve done as a priest, but it was also a time when I experienced God’s grace working through my weakness.

The day before Dad’s funeral was probably the most difficult for me. I was the point person for all of the vigil and funeral preparations, but I was also very involved with trying to bring Dad’s body back from Alabama and to get it prepared for the burial. Adding to the things needing my attention were details of hospitality for visiting friends and family, the reception, myriads of emails and phone calls and my own tremendous state of grief. At one point, things reached a point where I knew that I was being overwhelmed. It was at that very moment that my Mom told me: “We need to go over to the funeral home and see the body.” I’m not sure how I would have been able to deal with these circumstances and still lead a vigil service and write a funeral homily had I not had the support of a number of priest-classmates from seminary. We all went into another room, and sat in quiet prayer. They asked me what I needed, and I told them I needed to spend some time with the Lord. The five of us went over to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Francis Xavier Parish and prayed a Holy Hour together. Only in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament was I able to receive the grace that gave me the strength to go forward.

I guess I’m fortunate for taking my own advice. You know how frequently I write and speak about the great gift of the Eucharist. If we truly believe what the Church teaches about the Blessed Sacrament, then how can we not go to Adoration to receive the riches of grace? If Jesus is present in the Eucharist, how can we fail to go Him when we’re overwhelmed by the burdens of life?

On this weekend, the Gospel is about the multiplication of the loaves. This miracle – the only one recounted in all four of the Gospels – is a prefigurement of the Eucharist. Jesus comes to the people in humility and poverty, and fills them with superabundance. And that same miracle takes place every time that Mass is celebrated. Small pieces of bread and minute quantities of wine are consecrated and become the Body and Blood of the Lord. May we always remember this precious gift, and work throughout our lives to grow in our understanding of the riches we have received.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

As I mentioned last weekend, the Gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Last week we heard about the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes. As I said, that miracle – the only one recounted in all four of the Gospels – is a prefigurement of the Eucharist. Jesus comes to the people and fills them with earthly food. This weekend we read verses 24-25 of the same 6th Chapter. We hear that the people who had been fed have searched and found Jesus again. And the first thing he gives them is a rebuke: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” It’s an almost shocking statement, isn’t it? Since we know that Jesus loved those people, it sounds harsh that He would chastise them for coming to see Him again. And that’s when we realize that Jesus has a deeper message He wants to impart. And He adds that in the next sentence: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” The point that He is making is that He didn’t come just to provide a permanent earthly source of life (i.e. the bread and fish). In other words, He didn’t come to comfort us here. The reason Jesus came is to lift us up to the Father in Heaven. He came for the express purpose of bringing us into an Eternal Banquet with the Communion of Saints in Heaven. And since Heaven is the goal, and Jesus is the means, this important chapter of John’s Gospel helps us to understand how we are called to respond. And the first way to respond is to believe in Him.

Oftentimes, we can look to the Lord and the Church as disappointing in that we don’t get what we want. We didn’t like the homily, or we didn’t like the teaching with which we disagreed, or we didn’t like the ministries that the parish offers. And that can be natural. We might keep coming to see what we can do to make it better. But we should always remember that Jesus came, and established a Church, so that we could continue to grow in our knowledge of Heaven – our Eternal Home.

You might remember that I often write homilies and bulletin articles relating the Gospel to what I need to hear. How encouraging to me that the Church has given us this Heavenly reminder so soon after the death of my Dad. I need to keep my focus on the Heavenly Banquet so I don’t get so discouraged about the times that I’m going to miss dining with my Dad during the rest of my earthly life.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

 

Over the past week, a scandal has ripped through the heart of Spanish-speaking Catholicism and spilled over into the national network morning television programs.

At the center of it is Fr. Alberto Cutié, a telegenic 40 year-old priest of the Archdiocese of Miami, who, though largely unknown to most English-speaking Catholics, has for a decade been the country’s most well-known Spanish-speaking cleric. He has been dubbed “Padre Oprah” for his work as a host of television talk shows on Telemundo, weekly programs on EWTN Español, call-in shows on Radio Paz and Radio Peace, syndicated advice columns in Latin America newspapers, and best-selling Spanish self-help books.

Last week, Father Alberto’s parish and priestly apostolates were thrown into chaos as 25 paparazzi photographs of him amorously interacting with a 35 year-old divorced woman on a Miami beach appeared in a Mexican entertainment magazine. He was immediately relieved of his parish assignment and archdiocesan duties by Miami Archbishop John Favalora and given time and space for him to pray about his future. In a public statement, Fr. Alberto acknowledged the scandal and apologized to all those whose faith had been hurt by his actions. He seemed to recognize the truth of the old Latin aphorism corruptio optimi pessima, “the corruption of the best is worst of all,” and that his fall from grace is more than just another tale of a priest unfaithful to the promise of chaste celibacy.

Our Lady of Good Counsel is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary after a miraculous painting found in the Augustinian church at Genazzano, Italy. According to tradition, during festivities for the Feast of St Mark in 1467, the townspeople suddenly heard “exquisite music.” A mysterious cloud then descended and obliterated an unfinished wall of the parish church. The cloud dissipated before the people, and a beautiful fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Child was revealed. The image received its papal coronation on November 17, 1682 from Pope Innocent XI. A report written five days later describes the image as touching the wall only at the upper edge and unsupported by other means. Eyewitnesses testify to extraordinary phenomena regarding changing features of the image. Since that time, many privileges and honors have granted to the shrine. Pope Pius XII dedicated his papacy to Our Lady of Good Counsel and composed a prayer to her. On April 22, 1903, Pope Leo XIII included the invocation “Mater boni consilii” (Mother of Good Counsel) into the Litany of Loreto. Our Lady of Good Counsel, pray for us!

This coming July 3 is the tenth anniversary of my Ordination to the Priesthood. It is a blessing to me that only two weeks beforehand, on June 19, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the period from June 19 until June 11, 2010 as a “Year for Priests.”  The year coincides with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Marie Vianney, whom Pope Pius XI declared in 1929 to be the patron saint of parish priests. This year, Pope Benedict will also name him patron saint of all priests. The inauguration on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart was particularly appropriate because St. John Vianney once famously said that the priesthood is “the love of the heart of Jesus.”

The Year of the Priesthood arrives at an important time. Over the last few years, the whole Church has suffered as a result of the shame of the clergy sexual abuse scandals. The sins of a few have been translated into the tendencies of all, and good priests have suffered thereby. While this suffering pales in comparison to the suffering of victims and their families, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the image of the “holy priest” has been grievously damaged, and it will take generations of faithful priests to recover it.
The Year for Priests is an opportunity for the Church to renew its understanding of the priesthood. Throughout the year, the Church aims to rediscover the identity of the priest, to celebrate the gift and mystery of his vocation and to help each priest to be faithful to his holy mission. The attention to priests isn’t an attempt to divert attention from the types of hard reforms that need to occur, but it is itself a recognition that every true reform in the Church has begun with a reform of the clergy. Cardinal Claudio Hummes, the Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy recently stated that the purpose of this priestly year is: “to encourage priests in their striving for the spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends.” At the same time, the Holy Father recognized “how important the holiness of priests is for the life and mission of the Church.”

In his letter opening the year the Holy Father wrote: “Priests ought never to be resigned to empty confessionals or the apparent indifference of the faithful to this sacrament. In France, at the time of the Curé of Ars, confession was no more easy or frequent than in our own day, since the upheaval caused by the revolution had long inhibited the practice of religion. Yet he sought in every way, by his preaching and his powers of persuasion, to help his parishioners to rediscover the meaning and beauty of the Sacrament of Penance, presenting it as an inherent demand of the Eucharistic presence.

On June 21, 2009, two days after the inauguration of the Year for Priests, Pope Benedict XVI addressed a crowd at the tomb of St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo. Once again he urged priests to pay attention to the Sacrament of Confession:“Like the Curé d'Ars, Padre Pio also reminds us of the dignity and responsibility of the priestly ministry. Who was not impressed by the fervor with which he re-lived the Passion of Christ in every celebration of the Eucharist? From his love for the Eucharist there arose in him as the Curé d'Ars a total willingness to welcome the faithful, especially sinners.”

So what we have is a strong realization that priests need to be urged to holiness of life so that the Church might be strengthened in life and mission, and that an important part of growing in holiness is frequent confession!

In upcoming bulletin articles, I will try to reflect more on the Year for Priests in order to understand what the Holy Spirit is asking for priests through the words of our Chief Shepherd. But the first thing I know is that after ten years of the priesthood, I need to make myself available for more hours in the Confessional. And I mean on both sides of the screen!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

“Fatherhood” is something to which we’re introduced to at a very young age. While not as “immediate” as motherhood (we’re in our mother’s womb for 9 months!), our father is one of the first people to whom we’re “introduced.” But fatherhood can’t be reduced to simply begetting a child. Fatherhood is one of the most important relationships in our entire earthly society; fatherhood points to our relationship with God. One of the most important models of fatherhood is St. Joseph, the “foster father” of Jesus. Although very little is said about St. Joseph in Sacred Scripture, there’s something very profound about the relationship between Jesus and St. Joseph. As a young boy, Jesus would have addressed St. Joseph as “abba,” a name still used by most Semitic children for their father. It combines some of the intimacy of the English word “papa” or “dad” while retaining the dignity of the word “father.” It’s informal and endearing, yet respectful, and it’s among the first words a child learns to speak. Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus used a word to address the first person of the Most Holy Trinity, He chose to use the same word that He first used to address St. Joseph? Abba, Father. And that is the same word that we use each time we pray at Mass: “Our Father.” That’s what makes fatherhood so important. Our relationship with our earthly Dad has an effect on how we understand God as Father!

Unlike my Mom, my Dad never gave me the option of finding a new one at Dorignac’s! He was Dad, and that was that. “Why can’t I do that, Dad?” we’d ask. “Because I say so.” He never needed to add: “and I’m your Father” because we knew who was boss! Isn’t it the same with God? Or we’d ask: “Dad, can you please buy me some Levi’s, because all Mom will be get me are J.C. Penney perma-press jeans.” And Dad would take us to Maison Blanche on Saturday without Mom knowing. Doesn’t God answer our prayers? And how many times did my brother and sisters tearfully say “Dad, I wrecked the car. I’m so sorry.” And how many times was he happy we weren’t hurt and told us: “I forgive you.” Doesn’t God forgive us when we ask? My Dad is strong, but compassionate. He’s smart, but not stern. He has richly provided for me, but doesn’t seek anything in return but my love. And best of all, he loves my Mom more than anything. That’s probably the best gift he ever gave me. Seeing the Sacramental life of my parents’ marriage helps me to understand the Sacrament by which people call me “Father.”

Every father knows that one day his son will follow his example rather than his advice. And I’m happy to be a living example of that. My Dad is a lawyer who became a permanent deacon (Happy 35th Anniversary, Dad!), and I was a lawyer became a priest. And our relationship, like every relationship between a father and his son, has changed over the years – much like my continually changing relationship with God. But it’s a relationship that matures and grows and gets better and better like a fine wine, which is a good analogy for me and my Dad: two oenophiles!

So on this Father’s Day, I’m happy to say that I’ll take up a chalice of sacramental wine, say the words of consecration and offer the Blood of Christ to God the Father. And at some point over the weekend, I’m sure I’ll share a glass of Nalle Zinfandel with my Dad. Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

In terms of a feast in the Catholic Church, today’s Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ  (“Corpus Christi” in Latin) is a fairly recent one.  We all know that the Body and Blood of Christ are present at each Mass, but the addition of this special feast to the Church calendar was primarily due to the petitions of a Belgium nun named Juliana of Liège who lived in the 13th century. From a young age, Juliana had a great love for the Blessed Sacrament and longed for a special feast in its honor.  Her desire was increased by a vision she had of the Church under the appearance of the full moon having one dark spot.  The spot signified the absence of a day specifically honoring the Blessed Sacrament.  In 1208 Juliana also had a vision of Christ in which He instructed her to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi. The vision was repeated for the next 20 years, but she kept it a secret. When she finally told her confessor, he relayed it to the bishop. 
Juliana petitioned a number of bishops and priests to institute the Feast, including Robert de Thorete, the Bishop of Liège. Since bishops could order feasts in their dioceses, Bishop Robert convened a synod in 1246 and ordered a Corpus Christi celebration to be held each year.

The celebration of Corpus Christi became universal only after Juliana and Bishop Robert died. In 1263 Pope Urban IV (also from Liège) investigated claims of a Eucharistic miracle at Bolsena, in which a consecrated host began to bleed. In 1264 he issued the papal bull making Corpus Christi a feast throughout the entire Latin Rite.  This was the very first papally sanctioned universal feast in the history of the Latin Rite.

While the institution of the Eucharist is celebrated on Holy Thursday, that particular liturgy also commemorates the washing of the apostles’ feet, the institution of the priesthood and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Corpus Christi was established to be specifically focused on the Holy Eucharist.

A new liturgy for Corpus Christi was composed by St. Thomas Aquinas. This liturgy has come to be used not only on the Feast of Corpus Christi itself but also throughout the year at events related to the Blessed Sacrament. The famous hymn that Aquinas composed for Vespers of Corpus Christi, Pange Lingua, is also used on Holy Thursday during the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose. The last two verses of Pange Lingua are also used as a separate hymn, Tantum Ergo, which is sung at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament along with O Salutaris Hostia the last two verses of Verbum Supernum Prodiens, Aquinas' hymn for Lauds of Corpus Christi. Aquinas also composed the propers for the Mass of Corpus Christi, including the sequence Lauda Sion Salvatorem, which we sing today.

So we thank Holy Mother Church for the great feast we celebrate today.  It’s a feast of food! I’m not talking about today’s fish fry; Jesus becomes our food!

www.goodshepherdparishnola.com

Friendship and love are the keywords in the Gospel this weekend.  Even before Christ, these were heavily discussed topics among Greek philosophers and Roman orators. Friendship was so important to Cicero that he once said “Without friends no one would choose to live, even though he had all other goods.” But what is friendship? The Greek philosopher Aristotle mentions three “types” of friendships:  the first type is where there is a quality in a person which gives me pleasure (I like this person because she’s funny), the second type is where the other person is useful to me in some way (I like this person because he takes me fishing), and the third type is when I recognize the goodness in another person that causes me to desire to be that person’s friend.  In the first two types, I am really concerned about whether the other person is either pleasurable or useful to me. The “friendship” is directed toward how the friendship affects me.  In the third type of friendship, it is not the pleasure or the usefulness that I desire, but the person that I love.  That’s true friendship, and that’s where we find love.

Over the centuries, many writers have tried to make distinctions about the various words that the Greeks had for love: eros, philia and agape. They tried to put them into categories, saying that eros meant erotic love, philia meant fraternal love and agape more closely meant the love that is God. In reality, the use of these words overlap throughout Sacred Scripture.  Love is a very difficult thing to define. We say that “God is love,” and be correct, but the truth is that we see love more easily in actions: the acts of showing love.

In a recent encyclical, the Holy Father gives us two words that show love: “compassion” and “consolation.” Both of these words come from Latin words with the prefect “con/com” meaning “with.”  Since “passio” means “suffering” and “solatio” means “alone,” then compassion means “to suffer with” and “consolation” means “to be with someone who is alone.” As Christians, each of us has an obligation to give to the poor and to support the mission of the Church with donations, but love is most perfectly demonstrated in our individual actions toward others. And more often than not, actions of love involve a sacrifice on our part.  Being with people who suffer – either physically or mentally – and spending time with those who are alone are two important ways of showing love.  And sometimes that means loving someone who we don’t consider “loveable.” That’s when we can reflect on a prayer I recently heard: “Love me when I least deserve it, because that’s when I need it the most.” Love someone who needs it this weekend.  In doing so, make God present.  Because where love is, there is God.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. In the early days of the Church there was no special day to honor the Holy Trinity, but that changed in the 3rd century when the Church was confronted with one of the first great heresies: Arianism. Although this heresy would seem strange to us today, it basically stated that God the Father was always existing but that He was separate from the lesser Jesus Christ, who was created by Him. Then, the Father, working through the Son, created the Holy Spirit, who was subservient to the Son as the Son was to the Father. This belief was definitively declared to be false by the Nicene Council in 325 A.D.

Without going into too much theological depth about the controversy, we can simply affirm the Nicene Creed which we recite each Sunday. In the Creed we declare that we believe in one God: “the Father, the Almighty”; his Son Jesus Christ, who is “God from God” and “one in being with the Father”; and the Holy Spirit who “proceeds from the Father and the Son” and who “with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified.” But this isn’t the only time we proclaim the Trinity. In fact, each time we make the sign of the Cross we are praying “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Notice that we use the singular case for “the Name.” This is our declaration of our belief in the Holy Trinity: One God in Three Divine Persons.

The Holy Trinity can seem like a difficult concept to contemplate, and it is best described as a mystery. But this shouldn’t trouble us, because the infinite grandeur of God is obviously so much greater than our finite minds can comprehend! However, the Holy Trinity is revealed to us in God’s plan of salvation to bring us back into the relationship we had with Him before the Fall. And the “agent” of that plan is none other than Jesus, the only Son of God, who became a man, suffered, died and rose again to bring mankind back into a perfect relationship with the Father in the embrace of the Holy Spirit.

There is no greater place to contemplate the Holy Trinity than in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. When we pray before the exposed Blessed Sacrament (as on our weekly Tuesday Holy Hours or at next week’s Corpus Christi Procession) we pray in union with Jesus Christ asking the Heavenly Father to grant us the gifts of the Holy Spirit. That places us on earth within the Divine embrace of the Most Holy Trinity!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

www.goodshepherdparishnola.com

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Pentecost:

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Acts 2:1-4

Pentecost commemorates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, an event which occurred fifty days (including Easter Sunday) after the Resurrection. Historically and symbolically, Pentecost is related to the Jewish Festival of Weeks, celebrating the day (occurring fifty days after the Exodus) on which God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. Recalling the Exodus, Jesus gave us freedom from slavery to death at the Resurrection. Fifty days later, the Holy Spirit writes the law on our hearts. The word “pentecost” is actually a Greek word meaning “fiftieth.” In the past this Sunday was also called “Whitsunday” because of the white garments worn by those who were baptized on the vigil.

The celebration of Pentecost is often referred to as the Church’s “birthday,” and its celebration goes back to Apostolic times. St. Irenæus wrote about it in the early 2nd Century, and Tertullian spoke about it as being well established around the year 200 A.D.

In parts of Italy it is customary to scatter red rose leaves from the ceiling of churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues. It is even called Pascha rossa because of the red colors of the vestments used on Pentecost. In some places in France it is customary to blow trumpets during Mass, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Spirit.  We might not have trumpets for Mass, but we certainly have the red vestments. Thank God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Happy Birthday!


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

This week we celebrate “Independence Day,” the “birthday” of the United States of America.It’s a day when we celebrate our “Freedom.” The Declaration of Independence was the document by which the people of the New World cast off the “yoke of slavery” of their former ruler – the King – and formed a government based on very important truths: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I’m sure we all have fond memories of celebrating this day with fireworks, hot dogs, picnics and family.But it’s always good to remember the spirit behind the Declaration. Freedom is ultimately rooted in God-given truths, and apart from them there can be no authentic freedom. As Jesus said: “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8:31-32).

Neither an individual nor a country that does not remain rooted in objective truth can live in true freedom. If we are serious about our faith and our citizenship as Americans, we should understand the Christian concept of freedom: “Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude [true happiness]… Freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach.The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin.”(Catholic Catechism, 1731-1733)

One of the most common errors of our time is to confuse true freedom with “license.” L icense means doing whatever one wants, regardless of whether it is right or wrong.But we are not morally free to do whatever we want. Only when rooted in truth and acting in truth can we hope to be free. I remember the famous “Russian” comic from the 1980’s, Yakov Smirnoff.He used to say (in broken English): “What a county, America! We have choice!” And he was right.But our choice must always be directed to what is good and just. Choosing to do evil is not freedom. Some choices are wrong. On this Independence Day weekend, let's thank God for our freedom, but let's not sit idly by while the forces of darkness divorce freedom from truth. Let us live as Christian people with true freedom by doing good and avoiding evil. By doing so, we are being the most authentic Americans possible – those committed to those inalienable rights from God: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.May God bless America!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, which is the elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in presence of His disciples. In Sacred Scripture, this occurred on the fortieth day after the Resurrection – which was actually last Thursday, traditionally called “Ascension Thursday. However, the celebration of the Ascension has been moved to Sunday to encourage a more active participation in the Feast. In terms of modern aviation, I guess Jesus’ flight got postponed for three days!

The Ascension was prophesized by Christ’s own words. In John 6:63, Christ asks the Jews: “What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?” and in 20:17, He says to Mary Magdalen: “Do not touch Me, for I am not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren, and say to them: I ascend to My Father and to your Father, to My God and to your God.”

Tradition has consecrated the place of the Ascension as Mount Olivet near Jerusalem, since the disciples are described as returning to Jerusalem after the Ascension from “the mount that is called Olivet.” (Acts 1:12). Christian piety memorialized the event by erecting a basilica over the site. The original basilica was destroyed by the Persians in 614, rebuilt in the eighth century, destroyed again, and rebuilt a second time by the crusaders. This second basilica was also destroyed by the Muslims, leaving only an octagonal structure which encloses the stone said to bear the imprint of the feet of Christ. It is now used as a small oratory.

And next Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost, which occurred nine days after the Ascension (and is the origin of the word “Novena,” for nine days of prayer), when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Mary. As part of our Pentecost celebration, we will welcome to our parish Father Paulinus Iwuji of the Order of the Sons and Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy (SMMM) as part of the Archdiocesan Missionary Plan. The purpose of the plan is to educate us regarding the missionary work of Christ, to solicit prayers and financial support for the missionaries, and to harmonize missionary efforts and guarantee a fair distribution of aid. Father Iwuji is part of a growing religious order with over 80 seminarians serving in Africa, and he will be here to help us to understand his mission. In doing so, he will also help us remind ourselved of the universality of our church and our own responsibility to take part in the Universal Mission of Christ to bring the message of Christ to all of the nations of the world (Mt. 28:16-20). Pray the Novena this week! Come Holy Spirit!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

www.goodshepherdparishnola.com

“Lamb of God” is one of the titles given to Jesus in the New Testament by John the Baptist. It refers to Jesus' role as a sacrificial lamb atoning for the sins of man, harkening back to ancient Jewish Temple sacrifices in which a lamb was slain during the passover (the "Paschal Lamb”), the blood was sprinkled on the altar, and the whole of the lamb was eaten. As we prepare for Holy Week, we’re called to reflect upon Christ as Lamb of God.  The link between the Paschal Lamb and Christ is made explicit in 1 Corinthians 5:7. For Paul, Christians are saved by Christ as their true paschal lamb.

The Old Testament also testifies to the earlier practice of sin offerings as a possible means of atonement. Lambs could be used in these offerings (e.g. Leviticus 4:32-34 and 5:6), and this link is strongly suggested by John 1:29 and 1 Peter 1:19. Just as in Judaism sins could be forgiven through the offering and the pouring out of the blood of an "unblemished" lamb, so Christians are freed from sin by the blood of Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God.

As we approach the days of the Passion of Christ, we are also reminded that Jesus is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, who remains silent “like a lamb led to the slaughter” (53:7) and “gives his life as an offering for sin” (53:10). Acts 8:32 specifically cites Isaiah, and strengthens the idea of Jesus as a sin offering.  And don’t forget that the offering of Mass is the Sacrifice of Christ. Remember to “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”  Happy are those who are called to His Supper. And what is our response?  “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed.”