Poinsettias in the Sanctuary during Christmas can be purchased in the name of a deceased love one. The cost will be $25.00 per plant, and names will be recorded in the bulletin and on the parish website: www.goodshepherdparishNOLA.com. Please use the forms in the back of church.

A Statement from Most Rev. Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans

At the most recent meeting of the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops, Bishop Roger Morin gave a report on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and addressed the concerns of some people regarding the use of funds to support effectively the mission of the church. The grants are carefully reviewed. No group who opposes Catholic teachings is eligible for funds. If a group violates the conditions of the grant, funding is immediately terminated. Careful attention has been given to this matter.

The teachings of the Church on Indulgences

Many of us have a poor understanding of some of the Church’s teachings on sin, forgiveness and punishment for sins. We know that we sin. And we know that we can be forgiven if we confess our serious sins (which we are obligated to do as Catholics once a year). But sometimes we don’t remember that we will have to suffer some temporal punishment in Purgatory for sins that we have committed – even if we have confessed them. But there is a remedy for that, and it’s a powerful one. Jesus gave the Church the power, through St. Peter and his successors, to take away that temporal punishment. The Catholic doctrine of the Communion of Saints teaches that this work of cleansing or sanctification does not have to be done entirely by the person directly concerned, since all Christians, living and dead, are united as a single body that has Christ as head. The holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus through the communion of saints, recourse not only to the merits of the saints in heaven but above all to those of Christ Himself lets the contrite sinner be more efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.

Jesus told the Apostle Peter that “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:19). When the Church takes away temporal punishment, it is called an “indulgence,” which can be a partial or full (“plenary”) remission of the temporal punishment of purgatory.

In view of the Church's interpretation of the power of binding or loosing, the Church considers that it may administer to those under its jurisdiction the benefits of the merits of Christ and the Communion of Saints in consideration of prayer or other pious works undertaken by the faithful.

There is a common misconception that indulgences forgive sins; however, they only relieve the punishment due because of the sins. A person is still required to have their sins absolved by a priest to receive salvation.

Further, since those who have died are also members of the Communion of Saints, the living can help those whose purification from their sins is not yet completed not only by prayer but also by obtaining indulgences for them. Since the Church on earth has no jurisdiction over the dead, indulgences can be gained for them only per modum suffragii, i.e. by an act of intercession.

Besides special indulgences, which the Holy Father extends from time-to-time, one can always gain a plenary indulgence by some common devotions, including Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist for at least half an hour, the pious exercise of the Stations of the Cross and recitation of the Rosary in a church. And there are conditions: We have to make a good sacramental Confession. We have to receive the Eucharistic. We have to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. And we have to be completely unattached to any form of sin. If you had the chance to remit all of the pains of Purgatory, wouldn’t you want to take it? I know I will! I just need to get a priest to hear MY confession!

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Assumption of Mary
Celebrated on August 15, 2009
After her Son's Ascension, Mary aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers. In her association with the apostles and several women, we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation. Finally 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. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians: In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.

“After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” (Lk. 3:21-22)

Last week we celebrated “Epiphany Sunday” – the visit of the magi to the infant Jesus. But the Church Father’s saw much more in the “epiphany.” The Greek word for Epiphany (ἐπιφάνεια) mean “appearance” or “manifestation.” The point is that the identity of Jesus was “made known” on certain occasions. One of the earliest “manifestations” of Jesus as the King of Kings occurred when He was given homage by the magi, who recognized His glory. But there were other “epiphanies.” Obviously, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph were given an “epiphany” when Jesus was born. The shepherds in the field were given an epiphany when the angel led them to the baby Jesus. But the Church Fathers who wrote in the earliest centuries of Christianity focus on three distinct “epiphanies”: the Visit of the Magi, the Wedding Feast at Cana, and the Baptism of Our Lord. In each of these, Christ was manifested to those present.

In many ways, the Baptism of Our Lord is the most dramatic of the epiphanies. Although the presence of “wise men” in the small town of Bethlehem visiting a baby might have been unusual, the sight of “heavens opened,” the “Holy Spirit descending in bodily form as a dove,” and a voice from Heaven saying ‘You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased’” sends a clear message!

An interesting part of the “epiphany” is the words spoken by the “voice from Heaven.” The words come at the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Why is the Father so “well pleased”? Jesus hadn’t “done” anything, yet. The point is that the Father loves Jesus, and that is why He is well pleased. And the moment is a reminder to us. God doesn’t love us because of what we “do.” God loves us. Period. We respond to that love by living lives consistent with the Gospel because that is how we can live the happiest, and God wants our happiness. But the love of God is stronger than anything we “do.” And that’s especially important for understanding God’s love for us even in the face of our own sins. God loves us, despite our sins. Our own Baptism incorporates us into the life of Christ, and our availing ourselves of the Sacrament of Confession restores us when we fall away from Christ and others.

But even in the midst of our sins, God is faithful and loving. We are God’s beloved sons and daughters. We are loved by God. In us He is well pleased.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

Why Does the Priest “have his back to us”?

Those of us who grew up in a totally post-Vatican II environment are accustomed to hearing about the Pre-Vatican II Mass as the one where “the priest had his back to the people.” That’s a true description, but it’s not entirely accurate. The priest only had his “back to the people” in the same sense that the person on the front row of the church “has his back” to the person in the second row of the church, and the person in the second row “has his back” to person in the third row, and so on. In the pre-Vatican II Mass, everyone is facing in the same direction. Everyone in the church is facing east.

Have you ever noticed that the churches in our parish – St. Henry, Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Stephen – are located on the downtown side of the street? For each of these churches, you enter and walk “downtown” as you walk toward the altar. This is no coincidence.  Walking downtown is walking toward the east. Each of these churches is built in an “east-west” orientation.  That word, “orientation,” comes from our word for “east.” That’s why we call the part of the world to the east of us the “Orient.” In the old rite of the Mass, the priest faced “ad orientem,” meaning “toward the East.”

In the Early Church the bodily posture of priest and people at the “Eucharist” was a symbol of Christian hope. Jesus Christ was identified with the dawn and the rising sun. His “dawn” (rising from the dead and then coming in glory) marks the consummation of all things and the restoration of Paradise. In the Bible, even Eden lies in “the east.” And in the Mass, not only the celebrant but the whole assembly, united in the one body of Christ, looked to the risen Lord who shall come in glory to restore all things. The Eucharistic feast is in anticipation of the messianic banquet at the end of time.

And in the pre-Vatican II Mass, celebrating “ad orientem” did not mean that the priest and the other assisting ministers faced East all the time. When they addressed the people, they faced the people. During those times, they acted as messengers from God to the people. But when the whole assembly prays to the Father, they all, laity and priests, face the risen and coming Lord Jesus.
Without getting into the differences between the “old” Mass and the “new” Mass, let’s look at some parts.  Clearly, anyone can understand the reasons why the Homily should be spoken “toward the people.” It’s an explanation of the Gospels or some mystery of the Faith, and as such intended for the listeners present in the church. At many times during the Mass, the priest speaks to the people, such as “[may] the Lord be with you” or “peace be with you.” 

But just as some words spoken by the priest are addressed to the people, many words spoken by the priest are directed to God. The first Eucharistic Prayer begins “We come to you, Father, with praise and thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ, your Son.” The second Eucharistic Prayer begins “Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness.” The third Eucharistic Prayer begins “Father, you are holy indeed, and creation rightly gives you praise.” And the fourth Eucharistic Prayer begins “Father, we acknowledge your greatness: all your actions through your wisdom and love.” Each of the prayers is directed toward the Father in Heaven, not toward the people. In the pre-Vatican II Mass, the sense of facing east in the Eucharist is that the priest and people are facing in a common direction oriented towards the triune God. So ad orientem is not the priest being bad mannered with his back to the people like some sort of actor on a stage, but it is the whole people of God looking with awe and joy at the resurrected Lord Jesus and in expectation and hope looking for his coming in glory.

One of the problems with celebrating Mass ad orientem was that the people often did not know what the priest was saying or doing as he prayed the Mass. That led to people praying the Rosary during Mass or dozing off. One of the calls of the Second Vatican Council was a more “active participation” in the Mass. This does not mean that everyone has a “job,” but that everyone is called to understand, appreciate and enter into the mystery of the Mass. In large churches it could mean having a good sound system (!) so that everyone could hear or preparing worship aids (like missalettes) so that everyone could read the words. But some liturgists thought it would make the whole process easier if people could see the face of the priest as he said the prayers. And so the Eucharistic Prayers began to be prayed toward the people. And unfortunate result of that “orientation” is the loss of the direction of the prayers (toward God) and the placing of the priest in a position where he sometimes feels the need to “play for the audience” who is now looking at his gestures and actions as they would look at the gestures and actions of an actor on a stage.

If you’ve never been to a Mass celebrated in the pre-Vatican II rite, you might experience something different at our 12:30pm Mass this weekend. And don’t think the priest is being rude. He’s just facing the same direction that you are already facing. He’s facing east toward the rising sun. And he’s leading you to Jesus. And the next time you’re on a plane flying to Atlanta, ask yourself this question: Would you rather have the pilot up in front flying the plane, or do you prefer him “facing the people”?

“And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.” (Mt. 2:9-11)

Why were the “wise men” wise? Were they wise because they knew the movements of the stars in the sky? Perhaps. Were they wise because they understood the seasons of the year or the mysteries of nature? Maybe. Or were they wise because they knew how to navigate according to a star. All of that might be true. But the underlying truth is that they were wise because they were searching for God. Their desire for Him meant that they could detect his coming appearance on earth in the appearance of a bright star. Most likely influenced by prophecies in the ancient near-eastern world that foretold the coming of a universal king whose birth would be announced by a sign in the heavens, they viewed the star’s rising as a fulfillment of these prophecies.

But knowing about the coming of a universal king wasn’t enough for the wise men. They were wise because they wanted to encounter that universal king. They wanted to worship him. And the wise men were willing to undergo the sacrifice and dangers of a long journey to do so.

St. Matthew’s Gospel does not tell us precisely where they came from or how long their journey took. All we know is that they came from the East. And a journey to Bethlehem from the East can only mean that they came through the desert. To get to Christ, they sacrificed their time, their fortune and they possibly risked their lives. And when they finally arrived, they gave to Jesus more than gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They gave themselves, falling down before Jesus and giving him homage. And it was all worth it! St. Matthew tells us they were “overjoyed.”

We look to the wise men as examples for us to follow so that we might become the wise men and women of our own day. And we can also follow a star. It might not be one up in the sky, but it’s there in the gentle candlelight of the tabernacle lamp. It points to the presence of Christ because the same Jesus who was held in Mary’s arms and laid in a manger is present to us in the tabernacle.

Sometimes we have to recognize that our world is still a desert. It can leave us hungry and thirsty and exhausted. And we have to travel through it to find the one who can give us food and water and rest. Because Jesus is the “bread of life,” the giver of the “living water,” and the one who “gives us rest.” Today, with the help of the example of the wise men, we can prepare ourselves for an encounter with Christ that is even greater than that of the wise men. For they encountered Him visually with their eyes. But we receive Him inside of ourselves through Holy Communion.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

A Statement from Most Rev. Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans

During this flu season, I wish to remind everyone to use reasonable caution while celebrating Mass.  At the Sign of Peace you may extend your hand as usual or the “Sign of Peace” can be expressed verbally without physical contact.  Those who chose to use verbal expression only, should be treated with respect and understanding.

For communion, Jesus Christ is fully present in the consecrated Eucharistic bread and wine.  Catholics are not required to take communion from the cup.  If someone has a cold or flu symptoms, it would be advisable to refrain from the cup.

I am also asking pastors to make provisions for clergy and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to cleanse their hands before and after communion.

Most importantly, let us pray for those who are ill, that they will know our care and God’s healing power.

The cross now standing in the back of our church (I hope it’s there as I write this!) is the culmination of nearly a year of work. As many of you know, cross now on the steeple lost an arm during Hurricane Gustav. When the arm came down, we found that it had been made of steel piping wrapped with cypress wood and covered with a copper flashing. Although certainly durable and well made, the cross didn’t have any great artistic value. When I arrived here on November 1, 2008 , one of the items on my desk was the insurance estimate for either repairing or replacing the cross in an amount of $30,000. In examining the estimate, I noticed that only about $500 was for the cross itself, and the rest of the money was for the labor and the crane. I thought: “why would we spend $30,000 to replace a simple $500 cross? Why can’t we put something more beautiful on top of our church? I posed that same question to a number of neighbors and parishioners. Enter Thomas Bruno. Thomas is a local artist who has done a number of sculptures for public display, including the bust of Father Harry Tompson, SJ at Good Shepherd School, a Madonna & Child at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Kenner, and the eagle at the Hale Boggs District Court Building. Thomas contacted me, and we began to discuss what I had in mind for the steeple. I gave Thomas a copy of the original Favrot & Livaudais architectural drawings for the steeple which showed the original design of the cross. In our conversations, I grew to admire Tom’s passion for his work. He gave me a proposal, and I told him that I would try and raise the money. The next phase came through some simple bulletin articles and announcements at Mass whereby I invited people to become “Spirit Givers” by donating $1,000 with the promise of having their name on the cross. As some of the school children had said, the cross is “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy.” The “Spirit” arm is missing! As you can see on the previous page, the reaction was an outpouring of generosity that helped it all to come together. And with that generosity came a second decision to spend extra money to cover the cross with gold leaf.

Of course, plans for construction always involve unexpected detours, and our plans have had their share! We had to make an unexpected “exploratory” crane trip to find out the condition of the top of the steeple. We had to get an engineer involved to determine the mounting. And we didn’t realize how incredibly time consuming it would be to hand engrave all of the names and lay on the gold leaf. The last detour resulted in our having to postpone the raising of the cross at the last minute due to fears that the sizing for the gold had not sufficiently cured.

The design for our cross has Irish or Celtic origins. Although legends abound that this style of cross was introduced in Ireland by St. Patrick in the 5th century to counter some sort of pagan symbol, there are many other theories about its origin. There is a possibility that the Celtic cross has its origins in the vision of the entwined Chi-Rho (the first two letters of Christ in Greek: XP) seen by the Emperor Constantine which began the legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire.  This symbol was widely circulated on coins in the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries. However, the connection is far from certain. Many experts believe that the circle served primarily as a means of providing structural strength to the arms which in Ireland were originally made of stone. The Christian meanings that are usually attached to the circle on the cross include the unity and eternity of God. Celtic crosses in Ireland were made as early as the 7th century, but ceased being produced after the 15th century until the Celtic Revival in the mid-1800’s. It’s possible that our cross was part of that Celtic Revival.

In terms of construction, our cross is made to last! It was cast by Thomas Bruno out of bronze, a material with remarkable durability. After grinding down the rough edges and some light polishing, the names of the “Spirit Givers” were hand engraved into the upright beam of the cross in a script engravers font that has its origin in the 17th century. After the names had been carved, the cross was covered in a primer so that the gold could be applied. On top of the primer was applied gold “sizing,” which then cures for 12 hours. After that, 4 inch square sheets of 23 karat gold leaf were applied by hand and joined to the sizing with a special brush. Although the gold leaf on the cross is expected to last up to 60 years (depending, of course, on weather conditions), it cannot be touched by the fingers, since the gold will damaged by the oil in our hands.

Finally, the last detail is the inscription, which is listed below. In keeping with tradition, it is written in Latin. Since we are “lifting up” the cross, we used the Scriptural quote about the “lifting up” of Jesus: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:14-15) The second part indicates that the cross is being blessed on the Solemnity of Christ the King. DNIC is an abbreviation for Domini Nostri Jesu Christi – “of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” and Regis Universorum is “Universal King.” The third part is the name of the Archbishop and the Pastor (P.P. for parochus or parish priest) at the time of the blessing.

Ita exaltari
oportet Filium
hominis (Io 3,14)

In sollemnitate D.N.I.C.
Universorum Regis
A.D. MMIX

Gregorius M. Aymond
Archiepiscopus
C.H. Nalty, P.P.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 )

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family this weekend, it is good to reflect upon our family lives, and to examine whether we’re being good family members. When we contemplate the Holy Family, we note the fact that when the \ God became man - when the Word became flesh - He became flesh as a little child within a family. That was a divine choice, because Jesus could have chosen any way he wanted to manifest Himself. He could have arrived on earth as a 33 year old adult or an 80 year old man.

But Jesus was conceived and began his existence in Mary’s womb, and was born as a baby in a family. It’s not hard to understand what He was doing. He wanted to redeem all of human life, which meant redeeming the family first. The family is the cornerstone of society. As the importance of family disintegrates in the modern world with unmarried people living together and children born outside of wedlock, our society is weakened. Families needs to center their lives around Christ, just as Mary and Joseph did. If our families are centered around the television, or sports, or work schedules, then we can get lost. Mary and Joseph were poor, but it didn’t matter, because they were centered on Christ. The family centered on Christ will be a family that prays together. “The family that prays together stays together,” as the Servant of God Fr. Patrick Peyton and Blessed Mother Teresa never tired of saying. It’s not enough for the members of the family to pray individually, they have to pray as a family at every chance they get.

My earliest childhood experiences were of praying the blessings before each meal, of kneeling down in the living room as my Mom and Dad led us in the Rosary, and of attending Mass together as a family. These were formative experiences that helped me to understand the “normality” of prayer and the importance of Jesus. And these experiences formed me in what Pope John Paul II called the “first seminary” – the domestic seminary of the family home.

Christmas is a time when we naturally come together as a family to celebrate the holy days. Let it also be a time when we recommit ourselves to place Christ at the center of our families by praying together!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty