Consider it all Joy
by Bishop James A. Murray
July 2008






Recently more than 25,000 people gathered for The 49th International Eucharistic Congress held in Quebec City last month. It was a week of celebration and adoration, catechesis and cultural events, fraternity and charity. The faithful were attracted both to show and to strengthen their faith in the Eucharist.

In our diocese there are signs that are both disturbing and encouraging regarding Eucharistic faith and devotion. On the negative side regular Sunday Mass attendance has declined in recent years. Also in decline, in some parishes at least, is the attitude and spirit of reverence and respect for the Real Presence of Jesus. While not something new, there is a failure on the part of some Catholics to participate actively in the Mass. Of great concern to all of us is the shortage of priests. As Pope John Paul II wrote in his Encyclical letter on the Eucharist:
“Parishes are communities of the baptized who express and affirm their identity
above all through the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. But this requires the presence of a presbyter, who alone is qualified to offer the Eucharist in persona Christi…how distressing…is the situation of a Christian community… (which) does not have a priest to lead it.” (#32)

On the positive side, I can point to the parishes and priests who strive for excellence in the planning and celebration of the Liturgy— especially the Sunday Mass — so that it is truly the heart of Sunday — the Day of the Lord. As I go about our diocese, I have noticed how the liturgical reforms of the 2nd Vatican Council and the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” are faithfully followed. Impressive indeed are the two parishes which have inaugurated the beautiful practice of perpetual adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the 29 parishes which regularly observe special Eucharistic Days
on a weekly or monthly basis.  

Fifteen priests and 25 permanent deacons have been ordained for our Diocese in the past eight years and currently 18 young men are studying for the priesthood. Wonderful as all this is, we can not afford to be content. We must continue to pray for more vocations.  We must ask God to deepen, to strengthen our faith in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Parents must do all that they can to make their home true domestic churches
for their families. They must lead their children by example to restore Sunday as the Lord’s Day – a day on which they are “instructed by God’s word and…nourished at the table of the Lord’s Body”. (Vat II Sacrosanctum Concilium #48) as the Fathers of the 2nd Vatican Council urged us all – especially families. The words of the Council in 1963 are even more applicable today:

“The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this
mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators. On the contrary,
through a proper appreciation of the rites and prayers they should participate knowingly,
devoutly and actively…they should learn to offer themselves, through Christ…they
should be drawn day by day into ever closer union with God and with each other — so that finally God may be all in all.” (#48 S.C.)

It is so reassuring to be able to resonate easily with statements by saints of the past even though separated by centuries:
In the 5th Century, St. Augustine, the patron of our diocese, told us how we should be properly disposed to receive the Eucharist:
“This heavenly bread demands that the interior (person) hunger for it, and it satiates such only as render themselves worthy of it by the fervor of their desires.”
In the 13th Century, St. Thomas Aquinas with his characteristic directness wrote:
“The proper effect of the Eucharist is the transformation of man into God.”  
And in our own time our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI said in his recent Corpus Christi homily:

“Adoring the Body of Christ means that there in that piece of bread, Christ is really there and gives true sense to life…adoration is prayer that prolongs the celebration of the Eucharistic communion and in which the soul continues to be nourished: it is nourished
with love, truth, peace, it is nourished with hope, because the One before whom we prostrate ourselves does not judge us, does not crush us, but liberates and transforms
us.”

As I have mentioned before I appreciate so much the Amish traditions as documented in the recent book: Amish Grace – How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy. Much of the attention has been paid to their approach to forgiveness yet another practice struck me as well. One part of the book describes the Amish “communion” seasons which occur twice each year. The communion season is a month long. They celebrate the Eucharist only on two Sundays each year but they prepare themselves for four weeks – during which they ponder on the 18th Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel and Jesus’ response to Peter’s question:

“Lord, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?”
During those four weeks, the Amish leaders encourage the people “to forgive one
another and purge their hearts of bitterness, to confess their sins, to forgive (all) others, to give themselves up completely to God…” so that they can celebrate harmony in the
communion service four weeks later.

Too often many of us fail to prepare as we ought to receive Holy Communion. We can learn from the Amish. For the Amish communion is essentially a celebration of the unity of (their) Church as the people of God As we continue to strive to strengthen our Catholic faith and our reverence to the gift we have in the Eucharist it’s best to keep Jesus’ very words on the subject first and foremost:

“I am the living bread come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51)

Consider it all Joy
by Bishop James A. Murray
June 2008

This is the tenth year that I have been privileged to confirm the young people of our diocese. At least 13,253 have been anointed with Sacred Chrism, and “sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” At times, some of those whom I confirmed have met me later and mentioned that I had confirmed them — to which I responded by asking, “did it work?”
Often they have looked puzzled as if to say: how can you judge whether or not the deceptively simple rite of Confirmation produced any significant and lasting results? Is it even possible to gauge the effect of this Sacrament in the lives of those who receive it? For the answer, let us turn to Sacred Scripture — to God’s revealed Word. The parables of Jesus are the best place to start for as Pope Benedict wrote in his recent book Jesus of Nazareth:“There is no doubt that the parables constitute the heart of Jesus preaching.”
          The very last of Jesus’ parables in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke leave no doubt that Jesus expects results from our God-given gifts. In the parable, a wealthy merchant went on a lengthy journey — perhaps a business trip. During his absence, he entrusted (in varying amounts) his assets to three servants. Eventually he came back to “settle accounts with them.”
          He commended the first two servants who had doubled the assets entrusted to them. On the contrary, he sternly denounced as “worthless and lazy” the servant who had “played it safe” by burying his master’s money — taking no risk and likewise showing no gain. Jesus Himself gave us the best commentary on the message of the parables when he said:“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Lk 12:48)
          Make no mistake about it! Every single one of us will be held accountable. As       St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans:“For we shall stand before the judgment seat of God…each of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 10 & 12)
          Paul also reminded us that whatever we have worth having is a gift from God when he wrote:“What do you possess that you have not received?  But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?” (I Cor 4:7)
          That thought alone should keep us humble and make us grateful. And of all the people alive today, you and I are among the most gifted — the most blest — gifts of health and intelligence; the gift of life and faith; the gift of friends and family; the gifts of peace and security — the great gift of sharing in the very life of God.
          Many of us, as I did 68 years ago, have received the Gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift that empowers us to witness for Christ by the life we live. The sublime gifts of wisdom and understanding, knowledge and counsel, courage, reverence — wonder and awe in God’s presence.
          Remember what Jesus said to the 12 Apostles as he sent them on their first mission: “The gift you have received, give as a gift.” (Mt 10:8)
          When we are called to render an account of our lives as were the servants in the parable, we will have to show results for the gifts we have received. How generously did we use them especially to help those less gifted? Or did we only use them selfishly for our own ease and comfort?
          Or to use St. Paul’s words to the Galatians:
Did we live in accord with the (Holy) Spirit)? Or did we yield to the cravings of the flesh?
In other words: Did we allow the gifts of the Spirit to produce a rich harvest of holiness? To produce the Fruit of the Spirit —
And as Paul said:
          “The fruit of the spirit is
                   LOVE, JOY, PEACE;
                   PATIENCE, KINDNESS,
                   GENEROSITY;
                   FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS
                   and SELF-CONTROL.”
So if our paths cross again sometime in the future and you tell me that I “confirmed you” I may ask you:
          Did it work? Are you a loving, joyful, peaceful person? How patient, kind and generous are you? Are you faithful, gentle and in control of your emotions, your urges and temptations?
          In a word, Do you try everyday: To live in accord with the Spirit? To follow the promptings of the Spirit?
          If you do — IT’S WORKING!

Consider it all Joy
by Bishop James A. Murray
May 2008

As you read this we have just experienced and shared in Pope Benedict XVI’s historic first visit to the United States. From his first excited steps down Shepherd One to be greeted by President Bush and the First Lady to his farewell wave to the crowds in New York, the media covered every step of the Holy Father’s visit. They analyzed each detail from the significance of his meeting with victims of sexual abuse to the fascination with his shoes and the popemobile.
          Whether he was speaking to clergy, members of the United Nations, Catholic educators, rabbis or young seminarians the Holy Father’s eloquent words were not only instructional but inspirational.
          Along with my fellow bishops I had the opportunity to participate in the Holy Father’s visit as he addressed U.S. bishops in Washington DC. At this address, as well as his others, what strikes me most is a resounding call by the Holy Father for all of us to make Christ and prayer central to our lives.
          Whether he was asked to share his wisdom on the challenge of vocations or the increasingly secular nature of the country, the Pope truly believes in the power of a vigorous and frequent conversation with God. How inspirational it was to witness his own reverence at both masses at National Stadium and Yankee Stadium as well as his heartfelt response to families at Ground Zero and his constant affirmation that we are all in his own personal prayers.
          When asked how we, as bishops, can help cultivate new vocations, Pope Benedict had this to say:   
          “In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers. He even admits that the workers are few in comparison with the abundance of the harvest (cf. Mt 9:37-38). Strange to say, I often think that prayer - the unum necessarium - is the one aspect of vocations work which we tend to forget or to undervalue.
          “Nor am I speaking only of prayer for vocations. Prayer itself, born in Catholic families, nurtured by programs of Christian formation, strengthened by the grace of the sacraments, is the first means by which we come to know the Lord’s will for our lives. To the extent that we teach young people to pray, and to pray well, we will be cooperating with God’s call. Programs, plans and projects have their place; but the discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God’s call.”         
          I will make the assumption that almost every one of us believes in prayer: its power, its necessity. The object of all prayers is God, communion, mystical union with God. It matters not whether the prayer is vocal or mental, private or liturgical, prayer of petition or thanksgiving of adoration or reparation. Any prayer, all prayer is directed at bringing about a close, intimate, personal union with the Lord.
          When we pray, it would be absurd to think that we do so to inform God about something of which He is unaware. It would be inane to think that we pray to change God. No, we pray rather that we be changed, that we be conformed to God’s will, that we be made one with God.
Consider what the Lord has told us through his prophet Jeremiah:
          “When you call me, when you pray to me, I will listen to you.
          When you look for me, you will find me. When you seek me with all your heart,
          you will find me with you and I will change you (Jer 29:12-14).

Whether you watched on TV, listened to snippets on the radio or caught up with video on your computer or actually were in DC or New York, my hope is that the Holy Father’s gracious visit reinvigorated not only your Catholic faith but your excitement to share that faith with those around you and that you begin to strengthen your daily conversation with God through prayer.