From our Pastor

Latest notes from Fr. Sheridan

The Beautiful Gate

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The readings at daily Mass in this wonderful season reflect a variety of stories of the early Christian community coming to grips with the astonishing news that Jesus Christ is alive! The Risen Christ appears to His disciples in various places and gently He urges them not to be afraid and to prepare to go forth.

Our Church was born from very humble beginnings. That small group of frightened men hiding in the upper room for fear they might be called upon to share the same fate as Jesus, eventually became emboldened and courageous.

In fact, one scene that jumps out at me is described in the Acts of the Apostles (3:1-9) when Peter and John are going up to the temple at the 3 o’clock hour for prayer. As they approach the Beautiful Gate, they encounter a crippled man who daily sits there begging. The man looks to Peter and John for some money and Peter addresses him, “Look at me. Neither silver nor gold have I, but what I have I will give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk.” Peter gives the fellow a hand, literally, and the fellow gets up, jumps and dances and praises the Lord!

I wonder sometimes if I am like that man sitting at the Beautiful Gate. I wonder if you are like him as well and maybe even the entire Parish and Church are too. I mean, we sit each day looking for whatever we think we need to go forward in life: money, health, relationships, success in whatever form. And maybe we are even a bit crippled because we think we are lacking in that something. Our focus is on getting that THING and we think ourselves disabled until we do.

Perhaps in our daily prayers, we are inclined to ask God for all that STUFF that we think we must have in order to no longer be crippled. Just like the man sitting at the Beautiful Gate, when God calls us, we look intently at Him expecting that we are going to get our STUFF. In fact, God’s response may be that we should listen to Peter: “Hey, look at me! I don’t have that stuff, but what I do have, I freely give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, GET UP – GET GOING!”

The Easter message is one for all of us to cherish as we listen to the Alleluias and Hosannas, and sit by the Beautiful Gate.

Fr. Ronan

Darkness Vanishes Forever

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The great hymn sung at the Easter Vigil is called the Exultet. It is an ancient piece and arguably one of the greatest proclamations that has ever been compiled about our salvation and the meaning of Easter. After the dramatic entry of the priest and ministers into the darkened church on Saturday evening and the lighting of the Easter candle, the priest sings out, “CHRIST OUR LIGHT!” – to which the people respond, “THANKS BE TO GOD!” The Easter Vigil has begun and the community celebrates the truth of Christ’s Resurrection.

The implications of the Resurrection are proclaimed in the Hymn that invites the world and all creation to rejoice because “Christ has conquered … and Darkness vanishes forever.” The beautiful chant reviews all of salvation history remembering the fall of Adam and Eve and proclaims it a “Happy Fault, a Necessary Evil – which gained for us so great a Redeemer”. “This is the night …” is proclaimed over and over in a style that emphasizes the immensity of the event.

In truth, the moment is too huge for us to capture. We live so deeply in our own skin and sinfulness that it is almost impossible to imagine freedom from the power of darkness in our world and in our lives. The powers of darkness have so creatively and effectively duped us into believing in a God who is limited in love and mercy that we don’t get the full impact of the Easter message. We see ourselves and not the God who created us as the center of this drama. With ourselves at the center-point we believe that all love and mercy must be somehow filtered through our senses and abilities.

The Easter proclamation denounces this self-delusion: “The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy.” The freedom that is offered us tonight can change our lives – can make everything different! For it is in Jesus Christ, in and through our baptism in the Son of God that we are free.

The Church teaches that we are “An Easter People”. What does that mean? For me this message gives to each of us the capacity to say NO to darkness; to hunger, violence, injustice and all of the “isms” of our time that diminish the dignity of people near and far. Not only does Easter give me a personal hope for tomorrow, it compels me to make tomorrow other than it would be if Christ had NOT risen from the dead!

With Christians throughout the world this Easter we proclaim, “Father how wonderful your care for us! How boundless your merciful love!

May the Hope that is ours in and through the Resurrection of Christ shine brilliantly in your life and through you, lessen the darkness of this world.

Fr. Ronan

Climbing Up to the City

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Most of the roads that lead up to the ancient city of Jerusalem seem to drop off from the hills surrounding it into a valley and then climb up toward the walls that once protected it from enemies. The site of the city on a hill is striking from the nearby hills and is one of those scenes I easily recall when thinking about Jerusalem. It is from one of these very hills that Jesus looked over the beautiful city and wept at the lack of faith of those who dwelled within it. He wept at the history of the city filled with violence and betrayal as well as promise and hope.

The symbol of the dignity and hope of the Jewish people is this magnificent city. Founded by the great king, David, and seen as an expression of the elect status of this noble people, Jerusalem has always played a significant part in the history and destiny of this people, even to this day. Jesus is fully aware of this history and, in fact, aware that He is entering the city on this day as the proclaimed king and messiah who will also, in a few days, be arrested, tortured, and murdered.

Yes, Jerusalem is a city of paradox: a place of the hope of the people and the place where that very hope is crushed. In many ways, Jerusalem is symbolic of our human condition, our own cities, and our lives. We are the blessed and chosen people baptized into life in Christ Jesus. The Church is a New Jerusalem and the hope of the ages. She is the sacrament of God’s enduring love for us and the way by which we come to faith.

At the same time, she is you and me and thus, she is a sinful institution. She struggles against the forces of evil and speaks against a culture of death. Her sacraments bring us faith and life. The Word proclaimed within her nourishes us for life’s journey. The Eucharist celebrated in the heart of the life of the Church is the food of life today and forever. The teachings of the Church guide us and enlighten us as we make our choices in life each day. Finally, the communion we share with one another and with our God in the Church sustains us in good times and in bad.

On this Palm Sunday, we celebrate the grand entrance of Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem and recall, through symbols and liturgy, the deeper meanings of this day. It is a day laden with significance, exposing the fickle and weak nature of the human condition. It is also a day that contains the hopes and dreams of a people searching for meaning and truth. What we find on this day is Jesus. The same One who was born in poverty in Bethlehem, fled for His life to a foreign land, and returned to grow up in obscurity in Nazareth.

From before there was time, Jesus was preparing for this entrance into Jerusalem. It is an action undertaken freely and lovingly. You and I are the observers of this entrance. We remember it and are in awe of the simple proclamation that this Jesus is the Son of David and Messiah. We are shocked to remember that this is the One we will watch as He endures betrayal, torture, and death in the week ahead. We sense the paradox and we see the parallels in our world around us. Yet it is in the events of next Sunday that our hopes rest. Sin and death are conquered by the Risen One. To Christ we can look for deliverance from the tragedy of Jerusalem. For in this Holy City we find the hope of all the ages fulfilled.

Fr. Ronan

Look for Signs

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As I have come to know myself over the years, I know that when I think of someone or something intermittently over a period of time, that is a sign that I need to stop what I am doing, pick up the phone, open the email or get a card and a stamp – whatever seems right – and make contact. I am surprised at how often this happens. And when I follow through, invariably the reconnecting is significant in some way. So I guess the point is, it seems important to listen to one’s inner promptings. Come to think of it, the “prompting” may not be inner; it can be outer, as well!

Not long ago a friend mentioned a book to me that she thought I would find interesting. A week or two passed and I received something in the mail from another source – speaking about the value of this book. Walking down the street the other day, a parishioner stopped me to speak enthusiastically about the same book. Now I know I have to go out and buy that book!

All of us have similar experiences – signs of one sort or another that point us to some issue, person or place. Do you suppose such experiences can be chalked up to happenstance, serendipity? Perhaps once in a while; but I am more inclined to think that God’s loving Spirit moves through our lives and pokes us – sometimes in the most unlikely ways and places. God has a plan! The plan is totally unique for each of us in our own lives and, yet, the plan has the same end for all of us. God wants for each of us an ever deeper more intimate relationship.

There is a wonderful theological teaching: Grace works through nature. God is always at work in our world and lives – and signs of God’s Spirit appear in countless ways. The popular word for trying to figure out where God is working is “discernment”. To discern is a process of reflection, or pondering and, sometimes, of conversation with a trusted advisor in order to identify God’s hand in some moment or event. A person seeks to discern God’s will – what does God want for me, in this place, at this time … Now this is not an exact science, for everything has to be filtered through our own eyes and experiences, our own thoughts, desires, hopes and fears.

Prayer and trust are at the foundation of discernment. Praying for God’s help is the first part; expecting God’s response is the second part. Discernment requires both movements. I find the first part – praying for God’s guidance – to be easy. However, once the prayer is made, having a child-like confidence that God hears the prayer and from that moment on, the matter is in God’s hands and I can trust that – ahh – that is another matter!

Finally it seems to me that God is eager to give us signs: signs of love, caring, forgiveness, direction and of God’s very presence in the world and in our lives. Look for the signs – be amazed.

Fr. Ronan

Give Something Up

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The other day I met a friend whom I had not seen in a few months. I commented that he had lost some weight and hoped his health was good. He replied that he was feeling well and that his doctor had put him on a salt free diet. He found that he was eating less because food tasted so unappealing without salt. I quickly wondered if I should cut down or eliminate salt from my diet too!

We live in a crazy, upside-down world where a small percentage of the population is fastidious about diet and weight, spending millions on weight loss products while the majority of the world does not have enough to eat. In the middle of this reality, Lent asks us to fast as one of the three pillars of our Lenten practices.

Fasting usually is associated with weight control and not asceticism. Further, it is almost always about food and drink although the concept behind fasting does not limit its application to this alone. At the root of this ancient practice is the understanding that self denial, sacrifice, “giving something up” that is desirable, are actions that bring us out of ourselves a bit and help us to focus more clearly on God. Fasting gets at the root of our self; the urge for self satisfaction, self gratification and self indulgence. Denial of self has a way of freeing one to become more aware of others and the presence of God in the world.

While fasting usually implies giving something up, it can just as well achieve its end by taking something on. For example, the choice to visit someone in need, thus putting aside one’s own agenda to be of service to another, could include that element of self discipline that helps us grow. Choices that place another’s need over one’s own are similarly incentives to grow in awareness of God and others. One of the most precious commodities that we have is time. To give another time is a huge gift especially when it is time I would rather use for myself.

As the Lenten journey looks ahead, maybe there is a collective “fasting” we can all do together: on Saturday morning, April 13 at 9:00 AM , we are inviting families and individuals to come to St. Mary’s Church for a MAJOR CLEANING (benches, floors, walls, stations, stairs …. everything). We would like to ask folks to come to work together so that every corner of the church SPARKLES on Easter! So, please plan to come join us. There will be coffee and refreshments available from 9 AM on and we hope everything will be finished by noon. Plan to bring clean cloths, good furniture polish and any other cleaning material you have on hand.

On Holy Saturday morning, April 20, we will gather at 9AM for Morning Prayer and then decorate the Church with flowers for Easter Services. We could sure use your help! Refreshments will be available on that day as well. Fasting offers an intriguing invitation to assist us to look more intently and listen more completely to God’s work in our days. May we all learn to look and listen more attentively to our good and loving God.

Fr. Ronan

The Power of Prayer

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One of the most common requests a priest receives in the course of a day is for prayers. The request can happen anywhere: on a bus, at Whole Foods in the checkout line, walking down Main St. and in the back of the church. Sometimes the request comes with an explanation that indicates a family problem, a sickness, or a personal struggle. At other times, there is no explanation, merely a look of sadness or stress in the eyes of the person. In whatever circumstance, I always receive the request seriously and take it to heart.

Over the years, my understanding of prayer for another has evolved. Frankly, I have probably forgotten the exact theological teaching on the matter and simply know in my heart that prayer undertaken in earnest for another is powerful. You see, it is first of all an act of faith. Faith in the power of God to heal, comfort, console, and accompany another in the struggle of life.

Nothing is more powerful than belief in God. Prayer for another is an act of belief in the omnipotence of God and the capacity of God to reach into one’s life and affect the heart, the spirit. We believe that God can do all things and acting on this belief frees God to act. Over and again Jesus insisted on faith. He explained that it was the faith of a person that brought about miracles he achieved. “Your faith has saved you”, He would proclaim after some expression of His omnipotence.

Not long ago, a young woman who had asked for prayer came to me to explain that her cancer had been cured, although the prognosis several months earlier had been dim. She stated emphatically that it was prayer that had brought about this healing. I do not doubt her. At the same time, I recognize there is enormous mystery in these matters and rarely are things the black and white some might like them to be. My faith does not insist that all turns out according to my wishes or intentions. Rather, my faith in prayer takes the person and presents the person lovingly to God with a firm belief that God’s love for the person will bring circumstances to a good end.

In Lent, the Church urges us to embark upon a routine of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These are the cornerstones of our Lenten journey. Prayer has many expressions and a prayer of petition for another is one of them. At its root, it is an expression of my personal faith. So for me, an excellent place to begin this prayer is in the powerful petition of the Centurion from scripture: “Lord I believe, help my unbelief”.

Fr. Ronan

Cardinal Sean P O’Malley Lenten Letter

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Dear Friends in Christ,

As we begin the holy season of Lent, this annual time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving affords us the opportunity to be renewed by God’s love and mercy as we recommit ourselves to lives of prayer and service to others.

This year, Lent has particular significance for the leadership of the Church at every level, local, national and universal. Recently Pope Francis called bishops from every country in the world to come together at the Vatican for the Summit to Protect Children and Minors. The summit included powerful testimony from survivors of clergy sexual abuse, religious sisters and laypersons who made clear that a meaningful and effective response from the Church is long overdue and of critical importance. I participated in the summit as the President of the Pontifical Commission for Protection of Minors and, with all present, was deeply impacted by those who addressed us.

Given the depth and seriousness of the crisis and the failures of the leadership of the Church, the expectations for the meeting were high and people are anxious to see concrete results. I left the meeting convinced that no bishop could possibly say that his diocese is not affected by these issues or that this is not a problem in his country and culture.
Patience among our people and in the wider community is exhausted and understandably the call is rising for effective action.

A dominant theme at the meeting was the need for an effective reporting mechanism when a Bishop or Cardinal has failed in his duty to protect children or has himself abused children or vulnerable adults. Although I believe an effective set of procedures will be developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I nonetheless wish to address this need immediately for the Archdiocese of Boston.

To that end I have decided to implement EthicsPoint, a confidential, anonymous and third-party system, exclusively for the reporting of misconduct by a Cardinal, Bishop or Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. Since 2011 we have utilized EthicsPoint for concerns of potential ethics violations, financial improprieties, and other violations of the Archdiocesan Code of Conduct related to financial matters.

Like the existing system currently in use, this will be web based and have a toll-free hotline to make a report. Reports will be sent to members of my Independent Review Board who will be charged to immediately notify law enforcement for claims of abuse as well as the apostolic nuncio; the diplomatic representative to the U.S. of the Holy See. The system will be hosted on secured servers at the EthicsPoint facility and is not connected to the Archdiocese of Boston website, intranet system or the existing EthicsPoint system currently in use. We anticipate the system being up and running soon and will provide more information at that time.

In January 2002 the clergy sexual abuse crisis was revealed by the media in powerful and compelling reports on the failures of the Church to protect children. Courageous survivors came forward and forced the Church to face the crisis and accept responsibility for the crimes committed against them. That same year the American Bishops implemented the Dallas Charter of Norms. Where it has been faithfully implemented, it has been effective. But we must aggressively build on the Charter to ensure that there are clear paths for reporting misdeeds of the hierarchy by utilizing the expertise of independent lay professionals.

During the meeting in Rome, the most powerful moments were when survivors of abuse spoke to us. This confirmed my own experience. The way forward for the Church is to hold as a priority the voices and experience of survivors, to keep them close to every step we take and make all possible efforts to provide the means for them to be heard. In Boston we will continue to provide pastoral care and counseling for survivors. We will continue to carry out programs of prevention and education in our schools and parishes. We will continue to do background checks annually for bishops, priests, all archdiocesan personnel, and all volunteers who work with children and young people. You may find the depth and breadth of those efforts in the Archdiocese of Boston on our dedicated website at https://commitment.bostoncatholic.org/.

For more than twenty-six years my ministry has involved responding to the abuse of minors by clergy. The crisis of sexual abuse by clergy is the greatest failure of the Church in my lifetime. It has eroded our moral authority, it endangers our pastoral, social and educational ministry, but worst of all, it devastates children and families.

We must face our past with transparency. Those who were sexually abused by clergy, their families and loved ones must always be the central focus of our response to the crisis. Their courage in coming forward has forced the Church to face the crimes committed against them. We are committed to accompanying them on their journey toward healing. Often it is survivors who teach us not to lose hope.

As we strive to live this season with renewed seriousness and commitment we pray and work for renewal in the life of the Church. We are firmly committed to zero tolerance, transparency and accountability, at all times holding survivors as the priority, always being vigilant to do all possible to prevent any harm to children.

With the assurance of my prayers for you and your loved ones,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap.

When the Goin’ Gets Tough – The Tough …

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It’s an old saying and we have all heard it at one time or another. The implication seems clear: when one faces hard times, one shouldn’t cave, whine or falter, rather dig in and get to it! It is easy to like the statement, or at least what it implies. I think I apply it to myself often enough. And yet, there are times when I realize that nothing is as simple as it seems. For example the statement “cut and run” hardly describes the reality of opposing the war in Syria.

Maybe this mind set is really more a veneer than the real thing. For after confronting a challenge and getting a sense of its difficulty, more often than not, I confess that it is too tough for me, and I cannot handle it alone. I need God’s help. Praying when we are in trouble seems as natural as breathing. I think everyone does it. You know the old saying, “There are no atheists in foxholes”. And we don’t need to be in a foxhole to find prayer our response.

This is the first Sunday of Lent. We find Jesus in the desert and being tempted strongly. His response is to point to His Father and remember who He is and from whence comes His strength.

Each of us, on our own journey in life, faces challenges and temptations. True enough, we have to “dig in” and struggle when the going gets tough. Yet the real response of the Christian is not only to dig in, but also to realize a few other things. First, we are not alone in our struggle. We are members of a community, the Church, and we make our journey together with lots of others. We can and should count on others for their prayers and support. Second, Sacred Scripture offers us countless lessons about the kindness, mercy and unconditional love of God for each and all of us. Encountering this reservoir of strength and energy is as far away as choosing to pray.

So, the old saying, when the goin’ gets tough, the tough get goin’, should be changed to something like, When the goin’ gets tough, the tough get prayin. May our journey together this Lent be a time when prayer and closeness to the Lord grows and grows.

Fr. Ronan

LISTENING

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In the course of any parish priest’s day there are many varied activities. Really, from concern over some item of the buildings to time spent with a family grieving the death of a
loved one, the spectrum is broad and deep – and I love it! And often the activity that is the most important and precious is listening. We priests are good listeners – at least we try to be! Now that might not sound like “heavy lifting” – yet there are many times when it is! The issue is around the ma7er being discussed. If it is about the possible retirement of Tom Brady from the Patriots that is one thing; if the subject is a family coping with a loved one diagnosed with a terminal cancer, that is something else.

Listening in any event calls one to offer complete attention to the other – and often we do not listen that way! We hear what another is saying without truly listening. Rather we are inclined to anticipate what someone is saying as we formulate our response before the person has finished speaking! At other times one’s mind is elsewhere while another is speaking. All of us have done this and also have been in conversations when this is common.

Some years ago Carl Rogers, a noted psychologist and prolific author introduced a new way of looking at effective therapy. Among other things, he suggested that what he called; “Unconditional Positive Regard” was crucial to effective psychotherapy. Rogers was talking about how we listen. He taught that when a listener gives his/her entire attention to the other, in a positive and nonjudgmental way, allowing a person to speak and no matter what is said, it is accepted without judgment, in that encounter healing can take place. A person’s hurts, brokenness, shame, anxiety, fear, inferiority, confused identity and so much more, can improve. On the one hand it sounds so elementary and yet in truth, it is so profound.

And this very experience happens all the time, among friends, spouses, colleagues and teachers … It is that phenomenon of one human being caring for another – and caring in such a
way as to make it possible for another to open up and unburden all kinds of trouble and pain that is within. We all need such opportunities and everyone is healthier because of them. At the same time we all know there are some parts of life, some experiences, choices and actions that are very difficult and cannot be spoken about easily. Sometimes a priest can help.

Actually it is better to say, all the time, God can help. And God has chosen, for God’s own reasons, to be present to us in countless ways and through the Sacraments of the Church,
in very specific and deeply helpful ways. The Sacrament of Penance, Confession, is one of these gifts. The fact that few use the Sacrament in these days does not diminish its value and
its availability to be a source of Grace and healing for those who approach this precious gift.

Since my Ordination as a Priest in June, 1982 to this present day, I am in awe of how God uses this sacrament to bring His love to people in these moments. Further while I am well aware
of the effectiveness of counseling and therapy – the listening that happens in this Sacrament occasions a time of Grace: God is present and the Priest serves only as an instrument of this Grace in ways that are far beyond understanding.

During Lent, Confession will be available in churches and chapels throughout the Archdiocese every Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00. In our Parish there will be a priest at the Parish Center on Winthrop St. Also a priest will be available every Saturday afternoon from 3:15 – 3:45 in the Confession corner in the upper Church. Further, there will be a parish wide Lenten Prayer and Penance Service on Monday evening, April 15 at 7:00. Also any person can contact the Parish Office to set up an appointment to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance.

Rogers is right – lovingly listening to another can be a wonderful and healing experience. Imagine how much more such a moment can be when one seeks God in the Sacrament of Penance
and the fruit of that is forgiveness, healing and consolation. This Lent the Light is On for You.

Fr. Ronan

Why Would You?

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My friend told me the conversation went something like this: “So I know you are a Catholic and go to Church, but how can you continue to do that with all that is going on in the Catholic Church?”

It is not the first time folks have spoken with me about trying to answer similar questions. Many Catholics feel they have to defend the practice of their faith in these turbulent times. Point is, the abuse of children by anyone and certainly by clergy is so utterly disgusting, who would not want to turn away from anything connected to that. In addition, when the abuse is compounded by cover-up and dishonesty on the part of religious authorities, it is even more outrageous. So walking away seems like an obvious, understandable human response.
The Church is a human institution with all of the reality that includes. Sinners and saints both find a home in the Church. In fact, it is one of the most purposely inclusive institutions I can think of. The welcome sign on the front of our Church is not atypical of other faith communities. So the people who form the Church, clerical, vowed religious, and lay men and women are a slice of humankind. And even with all that includes, this people seek to find and build a community around their shared faith.

It is precisely that faith that brings us in the door in the first place: a belief in God – a Creator, a Redeemer and a Sanctifier; a belief in the infinite mercy and love of God, the omnipotence and kindness, the faithfulness, goodness, and understanding of God; a belief in Jesus Christ, the God/Man born of Mary in Bethlehem who came to manifest the love and truth about God and make real and possible the immortal destiny of us all.

My faith in God, in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit is not conditional upon the sinful nature of some priests and bishops. For 2000 years, this Church has held onto and offered the truth of this faith to countless billions of persons. This gift of faith is now, has been, and will always be a source of consolation, guidance, and joy to all who receive and practice the faith even in the midst of its sinfulness.

I do not have a simple answer as to the why of the present crisis. I do know that in the Catholic Church, the responses that are being hammered out are calling for vigorous transparency, close alliances with law enforcement officials, better screening and educational models for seminaries, and highlevel involvement of lay men and women with oversight authority in key areas.

The Catholic Church is universal, and seeking a plan that cuts across all cultures and peoples will not be simple, although from our point of view in North America, it may seem like it
ought to be. Nevertheless, because of all that has been done in our country, I am confident that in every institution, including the Church, children are safer than ever before.

For anyone facing the question about why practice your faith in the Catholic Church in these times, perhaps your response is not to seek to defend the Church, for the mistakes that have
been made are indefensible and those who are suffering as a result of them are legion. Rather, validate their struggle, lend them a listening and compassionate ear and heart, and let them truthfully know that what is going on is difficult for you as well.
Then give witness to the importance of your belief in God, your relationship with Christ, the significance of the centrality of the Eucharist in your life, and the rightness of living this faith in a community of believers. And most assuredly, make it clear, that you stand in solidarity with the victims who have been abused and their families and friends.

Fr. Ronan