Messages from the Pastor - Archive
February 28, 2010
My dear parishioners and friends,
When you read these words I will be far from you: I am on a ten-day pilgrimage with 32 other persons to the Holy Land. The trip is one of the periodic pilgrimages sponsored by the Stewardship Office of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Often the destination is Rome, or Lourdes, or some other great center of devotion in Europe, but this time we are returning “to our roots,” as it were.
I have been to the Holy Land before, and I really do recommend that every believer do so at some point in life. That part of the world is sacred to Jews, Moslems and Christians; in a sense it is the homeland of everyone who believes in the One God who created us and reaches out to save us.
The chief benefit of any pilgrimage is spiritual: God rewards those who seek Him, and those who “go to great lengths” to find Him discover special blessings. To be able to pray where Jesus Himself prayed, to be able to study and learn where He Himself taught, to be able to be inconvenienced – we hope by no more than impatient bus drivers and tour guides! – where He Himself suffered so much more, all of these are opportunities to treasure.
One benefit I’ve also found is more practical: the Word of God in the Bible “comes alive” so much more when one can actually see the places where the events occurred. Much of the Holy Land still today is rural and simple: flocks of sheep and groves of olive trees are not far off. The grassy hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee, the dusty roads south to Jerusalem and Bethlehem beyond, and the green of the Jordan River valley nestled amidst arid desert are real places. I know my own “spiritual imagination” is encouraged by such sights. There I can almost see and hear the Lord walking and talking – and every so often looking at me!
Another impressive aspect of the Holy Land is found in its churches and sacred sites. Christians have been pilgrims to the Holy Land for almost 2,000 years now, and many places of worship have been built: these generally are testaments in stone to the faith of millions. Not all are in great shape, but in a sense they’re all the more beautiful when their stones now are “worn down” from pilgrims’ feet, or blackened by the smoke of incense over centuries. The shrines of the Holy Land themselves testify to the depth of faith of those who have visited there.
But as I gaze out over the Holy City of Jerusalem, you may be sure that part of me will be thinking of another “holy city,” our own beloved Baton Rouge. People of faith live here as well, and worship here, and care for each other here. True, more people consider Louisiana a tourist destination for our food and sports and culture, but if they really knew us they would also come just to pray with us and enter into the mysteries of God with us. It is such a privilege to worship with you day in and day out.
So please pray for me and the other pilgrims from Baton Rouge on our trip. I will be doing my best to share with the group some of the historical and Biblical significance of the places we visit. The group too will be praying for families and friends back home, so that the graces of our spiritual discoveries won’t have to wait for our return to be beneficial.
In the meantime, please continue to have a good Lent. May your extra prayer, fasting, almsgiving, mortification and self-discipline be constant and rewarding. And remember, even if you “drop the ball” in living up to your personal commitments – and who doesn’t, sometimes? – all you need to do is try again! Go back to Mass the next day, give up meat (or alcohol or chocolate or whatever it was) another day, attend the Stations of the Cross or pay an extra visit to the Blessed Sacrament another day. As I like to say to schoolchildren, “God grades on effort, not results”: it’s not so much what you do, it’s how hard you try!
One final note: elsewhere in the Bulletin you’ll notice an appeal for new (and more!) choir members. Give some thought to this, please: your presence and voice can help! For years the Cathedral’s been known for the outstanding music which aids our worship. This doesn’t happen automatically: it takes lots of effort, practice and commitment. But there is a marvelous joy that comes from being part of a choir, and I want you to discover it. (I was part of the schola at St. Ben back in my college days, and not only is some of that music a cherished part of my prayer to this day, boy do I miss the “rush” one gets from cooperating with others to produce such wonderful sounds!)
In Christ,
Father Paul
February 21, 2010
My dear parishioners and friends,
Lent has begun. Here in Louisiana we’re famous for our pre-Lenten carnival season. And everyone has to admit this year’s revelry was all the more special because of the New Orleans Saints’ incredible success. The season was great, the playoff games compelling, the Super Bowl incredible and the celebrations afterward overwhelming! Rarely have so many people felt so good!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if here in Louisiana we’d be just as famous once again for the seriousness of our religious practice? The contrast of carnival with Lent should be obvious: now the simplicity and sobriety of Lent should stand out in our lives.
Where to start? We could take a clue from the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent (this year, Luke 4:1- 13), which describes Jesus resisting the temptations of the devil. All of us are tempted to do wrong; it’s part of being human. It would be time well-spent if every day we spend a few minutes noticing what the strongest temptations in our lives are. Then notice which ones we actually give in to the most. Temptations are not sins, but giving in to a temptation always is, even if it’s something minor. Being aware of temptations makes them easier to resist.
The list of things which tempt us is long. So is the list of things we give in to. Most always the sins we commit are sins of selfishness. The urge to gratify ourselves with too much food or drink, with pornography or other improper sexual indulgence, with laziness, lying, gossip or stealing – all of these are, basically, sins of selfishness. Each of us would like to consider ourselves beholding to no one else, able to do as we please at every moment. This not only disrespects other people, it offends God, whose entire Being, purpose and activity is love. God always exalts and assists others to improve, and never acts wholly for Himself. In imitation of Him, especially in Lent, we should do the same.
For the unbaptized, Lent is a time of immediate preparation for joining themselves to Christ. For those of us who are already baptized, it is a season to renew and rediscover Christ. We all seek to conform our lives to be more like Christ, and so we do our best to overcome temptation, just as He did.
The six weeks of Lent invariably test our fortitude and perseverance. Fortunately, we don’t go into them alone. We are surrounded by an entire community of faith, all of us working together to become even better Christians. The crowds at daily Mass are the clearest reminder that “we are all in this together.” At some point during this season, we’ll all confess our sins. Virtually every Catholic is “doing something extra” or “giving something up,” and finding strength for this in everyone’s commitment. Speak about all of this, not to boast but to share a reminder to others that we are together in this. In this way we’ll draw strength from each other. Ask them to pray for you, and remember to pray for them.
In other news, you will want to mark Sunday, April 18, down on your calendar. This will be the annual Bishop’s Day, which we celebrate here at the Cathedral with a special 10 am Mass and dinner at Boudreaux’s following. Not only is it a joyous celebration of our community, it’s also the day on which we honor a few people whose efforts and presence have added so much to the Cathedral Parish.
From the outset the Cathedral’s awards were styled the “St. Joseph Apprentice Awards.” The very name hints at the help these fine people have offered to our community over the years. I’m pleased to announce that this year’s honorees will be Father Gerard Young, Mr. Randy Arceneaux, Mr. Erick Swenson, Mr. Jay Thompson and Mrs. Penny Trepagnier. We would not be the wonderful Parish family that we are without their committed efforts and willingly-shared gifts and talents. You’ll be hearing more about Bishop’s Day in the weeks ahead, and receiving a more formal invitation in the mail. But I wanted you already to draw a big red circle on that day in your calendar, because it’s a good time you won’t want to miss.
In Christ,
Father Paul
February 7, 2010
Dear people of God, friends all,
Thanks for your attention at Mass last weekend! It’s not always easy to dwell on the importance of a good sense of Stewardship, especially regarding Finances. But the parishioners and friends of the Cathedral never shrink from challenges! While not everyone has the heavy responsibility for generosity that goes with wealth, we all recognize our duty to return to God in sacrifice a fair portion of what He’s blessed us with.
Soon – after the Super Bowl, of course! – our attention will move in a different direction. In just ten days Lent will begin. Yet it’s best not to wait until Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17 to make plans for it. Now is the time to give thought about how to make it a powerful time of religious progress.
You know, we usually spend a lot of time thinking of something to “give up for Lent.” That very thought inspires both smiles and grimaces, because so often it ends up being a trivial “penance,” something that’s just symbolic.
Symbols are good but the reality they suggest is always more important. So I urge you to do something more substantial this Lent. Try to come up with some practice or project that really does increase your religious or moral selfdiscipline.
In this vein let me suggest an old-fashioned word: mortification. For centuries the Church has known that grace increases in situations of physical distress. That’s why we fast – not because it’s a diet, but because it hurts! That’s why we should “do extra” for Lent – commitments that are time-consuming and inconvenient and expensive and so forth – because then we will appreciate more what Christ’s death for us means!
One “hard thing” for many people comes when they realize they should resume going to confession regularly. But repentance is perhaps the most classic of all Lenten attitudes, so don’t be afraid to do it! The tips printed below may help you. Also, renewed devotion to Mass and daily prayer is also among the most honored way of rediscovering what’s really important. In any case, please start thinking about Lent now!
I know I usually end my Bulletin column a bit differently, but somehow I don’t think anyone will mind if just this once I pose instead a final question:
Who Dat?
Father Paul