The Easter Vigil is my favorite liturgy of the year. Beginning the ritual in darkness and experiencing “The Light of Christ” dawning upon us is powerful. The richness of symbolism and ritual in the Easter Vigil is beyond description. We are blessed as Catholics to have this beautiful liturgical celebration so thoroughly capturing the essence of salvation history.
The rector of the cathedral had an unusual opportunity to be the main celebrant in the absence of having a bishop in the diocese.
Singing the “Exultet” at the beginning of Mass at the Easter Vigil is a tremendous privilege for the ministry of deacon. I am grateful to lead this prayer of praise in my role as deacon.
When I saw the above photo my attention was immediately drawn to the emptiness of the bishop’s chair. There are certain things I have grown accustomed to after serving at the cathedral for more than seven years. The presence of a bishop is one of those things.
Speaking of the bishop, we can now begin preparations in earnest for the ordination and installation of our new bishop on June 5, 2017.
(The above photos are courtesy of the Cathedral of St. Mary.)
Lent was a beautiful journey. As I sit here late on Easter Sunday evening in front of my computer, I am feeling a bit exhausted but filled with joy. My life was truly blessed during these days of Lent. I can picture myself sitting on the beach in a warm climate relaxing without a care in the world, but that will not be a reality any time soon. However, my mind can imagine it anyway.
In the last six weeks I have had the privilege of preaching four parish missions, leading two retreats, and leading two penance services. During the four parish missions I preached at 17 Eucharistic liturgies and gave nine presentations lasting one hour each. The retreats were a total of eight presentations, and I also had the honor of preaching at the two penance services. These events took place in five different cities and towns across Wyoming. It was truly wonderful spending time with God’s people all across the state.
My schedule remains somewhat full for another few weeks, and then more time will be spent in preparation for the ordination and installation of our new bishop on June 5. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make the ordination of a bishop a beautiful experience for the Church. When I arrived in Cheyenne seven and a half years ago, all the preparatory work had already been completed for the ordination and installation of the new bishop which happened just weeks after my arrival. This time I am present to be part of the fun of sharing some of those responsibilities.
I want to take a moment to thank all of the people who helped make my Lenten journey a beautiful experience. Each of the parishes where I led missions welcomed me with splendid hospitality. Your kindness and generosity was overwhelming. The Sacred Triduum at the Cathedral of St. Mary was a powerful expression of prayer. To the many people who had a hand in making that possible, I simply say thank you.
Finally, I say thank you to my family, especially my wife, Margaret. I will soon celebrate my 18th anniversary as a deacon. My family has sacrificed a lot through the years to allow me to minister in the manner that I do. This past Lent was an example of that support of my ministry. I was gone from home for nearly twenty of the forty days of Lent. I could not do the things I do if it wasn’t for the support and encouragement of my wife. That is something I try not to take for granted (but I know there are times that I do).
Where do we go from here? We solemnly celebrate Easter for eight days (octave). Then we continue to celebrate all the way to Pentecost. May these days of celebration open your heart to the movement of God’s Holy Spirit in your life!
THE LIGHT OF CHRIST. THANKS BE TO GOD! This beginning to the Great Easter Vigil should resonate with us all year long. We are committed to our baptismal promises to keep the flame of faith burning brightly in our lives. The virtues developed over the course of our Lenten pilgrimage should remain with us always. We are constantly striving to unite ourselves more fully to our Risen Lord.
Celebrate the fifty days of Easter well. The passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus is not all we have to celebrate. We still have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to experience anew on the awesome Feast of Pentecost. May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion, fellowship, and power of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The Cathedral of St. Mary in Cheyenne, Wyoming has been recording a weekly message during Lent. After I returned from Wheatland, I was asked to record the video for the 5th week of Lent. I was a little reluctant because of the shortage of time to prepare, but I hope the message encourages you to finish out the Lenten journey well.
At the close of the parish mission in Wheatland a couple of second graders shared their thoughts about receiving the Holy Eucharist for the first time in a couple of weeks. The young people preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation came to the mission as part of their class. It was good to see them with the rest of the parishioners in attendance.
As I spent some time admiring the stained glass windows in the church, I realized that both of those sacraments were featured in the windows. Many of our Catholic churches tell the story of our faith in the artwork and windows. I invite you to take a good look at the windows, statues, artwork, and other symbols and signs in your local church. Many people have sacrificed through the centuries to provide us with beautiful worship spaces. Take some time to appreciate the beauty of your local church.
It is generally a good sign when the closing night of a parish mission generates the largest crowd. It was wonderful to see a good number of young people in attendance as well. I especially appreciated having the opportunity to visit with many of you after the evening was over. Please know of my gratitude for your kindness and hospitality.
A special word of thanks to the eight year old who invited me to her first coommunion in a few weeks. You touched my heart with your kindness and vibrant spirit. While I will be unable to attend, please know of my prayers for you as you prepare for this beautiful sacrament. May God bless you abundantly!
My thanks to the pastor and the parishioners for a beautiful experience! Finish your Lenten pilgrimage well. May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion, fellowship, and power of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
The fourth and final parish mission of the Lenten season is on the horizon. It has been a fantastic Lenten journey thus far, and I am looking forward to joining the parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima again this year for food, fellowship, and prayer. I really enjoyed my time at the parish last year when we had the mission. This will be a phenomenal way to approach Holy Week. If you live in the Casper area I hope to see you in the days ahead.
My daughter sent me this photo from California and provided no context at all. Thus, I can let my imagination run wild in regard to what was being addressed. Do you get half credit if you use the trash cans but do it loudly?
As we draw near to the Fifth Sunday of Lent, how have you responded to the Ash Wednesday invitation to “Repent, and believe in the Gospel”? Were those ashes placed on your forehead a clear enough sign that you are dust and unto dust you shall return? Be a faithful follower of Christ. Your neighbors will apreciate it whether they realize it or not.
It was another wonderful evening in Wheatland last night. I have especially enjoyed getting to know some of the parishioners on a more personal level since my initial arrival on Saturday afternoon. That is a component that I truly appreciate each time I lead a parish mission. Spending five consecutive days in one location allows for more personal interaction than what I typically get when I just come to a parish to do a one day retreat or workshop.
The drive home last night was a little slower due to the rain and snow. There was a fifteen mile stretch in which the snow was fairly intense for a while. I was grateful for the transition back to rain by the time I reached Cheyenne city limits. Traveling in the spring seems to always be a little on the exciting side. Quite frankly, I am okay without the added excitement.
We will wrap things up tonight with a focus on healing. In most cases I draw parish missions to a close with this same focus. It is extremely important that we truly know of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and compassion in our lives. When we open ourselves to God’s healing grace we are then more fully equipped to go out into the world to bring that same healing and peace to others.
The rug at the entrance of St. Patrick Church in Wheatland gives a powerful message in regard to our purpose and mission. We enter to worship and are sent forth at the end to serve. May we live that well in our own lives!
I arrived in Wheatland yesterday with enough time to get in a brief walk before the start of the parish mission. Rain and/or snow may prohibit that this evening. Hopefully, the weather does not create any treacherous driving conditions for my trip there and back.
Last night I focused on the theological virtue of faith. How do we nurture that gift? Each week when we proclaim the Creed at Mass, or when we renew our baptismal promises during the Easter season, what are we expressing? How do these commitments impact the way we live our day-to-day lives?
Tonight I am going to focus our attention on the theological virtue of hope. How does our faith in Jesus Christ fill us with hope? Do we live our lives with joy? Does gratitude fill our hearts? Does a grateful heart prompt us to be generous in the way we love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength? Does it prompt us to be generous in the way we love our neighbors as ourself? The virtue of hope will play a key role in whether or not we are able to answer these questions in a positive manner.
The focus tomorrow night will be on healing, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. How do we embrace God’s forgiveness and healing in our own lives, and how do we extend that same forgiveness and healing to others?
A thought from St. Faustina: Will you enter through the door of God’s mercy or through the door of God’s justice?
I enjoyed seeing the sights while spending time in Wheatland, Wyoming.
