“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” (Lk 10:41)  The words that Jesus speaks to Martha in this Sunday’s Gospel can easily apply to us.  If you are like me, there is usually a list of things that cause anxiety and worry in our lives.  Whether it’s related to our families, our job, our health, the state of the world – there are so many things that we tend to worry about, things which rob us of peace.

How do we handle anxiety and worry in our lives?  Certainly, we stew over those anxieties more than is healthy, in many cases.  We think about what might happen, generally focusing on the worst possible scenario, which only intensifies our worry.  We might bring those worries to a family member or friend, hoping to get some encouragement or advice on how to resolve our worries.  There may be a place for that, though we need to be careful there too, for sometimes sharing our anxieties with others will increase their anxieties, or it may introduce new worries into our already troubled mind.  This is not to say that we should not share our fears and frustrations with good and trusted individuals, it is just a caution to not put too much hope in others to solve our problems.  So what is one to do?   We look to the example of the other person in the Gospel, Martha’s sister Mary.  Where is she?  She is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him.  Did she have some worries and anxieties?  Most likely.  But her being there close to Jesus shows that first and foremost, she brings what she has to Him.  Jesus’s words to Martha are not necessarily a rebuke, but an invitation to come and spend time in His presence, to pause her thoughts, her activity, and just be with the Lord who already knows her worries, and who desires to speak peace into her heart, as He was doing with Mary.

This is a beautiful model for us to follow.  When we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed with our many worries, how quick are we to place ourselves in the presence of the Lord, to be still and let Him be present to us?  We can do this anywhere but coming to the Church to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is a very privileged place to do so.  I am not guaranteeing that just coming before the Lord will remove all the problems in our lives.  But bringing those worries to Him gives us the opportunity to be reminded that the Lord is near to us.  He knows what unsettles our hearts and He wants us to invite Him into those places of worry.

As I thought about this topic, a prayer came to mind that I was only recently made aware of – The Surrender Novena.  Each day has a short reflection and at the end of each reflection the person praying the Novena is asked to pray the following line 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”  Perhaps that prayer, said even just once in the presence of the Lord, can bring us great peace in the midst of those anxieties that bother us.  Why not give these words a try at some point this week?  What do we stand to lose?  Nothing.  What do we stand to gain?  Peace! 

Father Alford

Since priest assignments were announced this spring, I have been asked many times by parishioners, students, family, and friends, “Why are you studying Canon Law?” Fr. Peter Chineke and I will both begin programs of study in Canon Law this fall, with Fr. Peter studying full-time at Catholic University in D.C., while I will be studying online through St. Paul University in Ottawa in a part-time capacity. 

First, I’ll address the question, “What is Canon Law?” Canon Law is a collection of laws of the Catholic Church; the current edition was promulgated by the pope in 1983. Every society or group has laws, rules, and regulations; the Catholic Church is no exception in this regard. It may be surprising that the Church’s laws are relatively simple compared to other bodies of law! There are 1752 “canons” (a word that comes from a Greek word for law) in my Canon Law book. Pope Francis has updated some laws recently, so I will need to purchase an updated edition soon. Sometimes the Catholic Church is criticized for having too many rules, but in reality, the Church’s legal system is extremely simple compared to our state or national laws. Consider that the Catholic Church has over a billion members, and one small book contains the laws that help to keep the Church functioning smoothly!

I often refer to the final Canon of the Code, which reminds us all why Canon Law exists in the first place. In part, this Canon reads, “having before one’s eyes the salvation of souls, which is always the supreme law of the Church.” Over 2000 years, the Church has a lot of experiences in her collective memory, and the Church has made certain rules to better foster encounters with God, which bring about the salvation of souls! When I was in the seminary, one of our favorite professors was our Canon Law teacher. Just like any legal study, Canon Law can sometimes be known for being boring or tedious. However, our professor, Msgr. Ramacciotti, was a very engaging and hilarious teacher. He would come up with funny and memorable examples, and we discussed a lot of hypothetical marriages between “Joe Catholic” and “Mary Methodist.” There was once a big lecture at the seminary by a visiting bishop, and the topic was Canon Law. Msgr. Ramacciotti introduced the lecture and questioned how anybody could think Canon Law was boring. Citing the final canon of the code, he asked us, “why do you think the salvation of souls is boring?!” 

A practical reason that Bishop Paprocki has asked Fr. Peter and me to study Canon Law is that our diocese will eventually need more canon lawyers. Currently, there are four priests in our diocese who practice Canon Law. Two of these priests finished their studies relatively recently, while two of them may be described as more “experienced”! I have heard from canon lawyers that much of their time is spent investigating marriage cases. You may have heard about declarations of nullity in the Catholic Church, when a Church tribunal declares that a supposed marriage was actually invalid from the beginning, thus freeing the person to enter a true marriage with somebody else. Although marriage law is only one small part of Canon Law, it demands a lot of attention because of the current state of marriage in our culture, and the practicality that many Catholics in our diocese are married or have been legally divorced. 

Some parts of Canon Law apply to all Catholics, while other sections may apply only to those in religious vows, clergy, or those accused of canonical crimes (Ouch!). One of my favorite sections of Canon Law when I was in the seminary was the section on the College of Cardinals and how they relate to the pope. The whole world watches the Vatican when the Cardinals convene to elect a pope, and Canon Law directs a lot of what goes on during that time. 

Canon Law can actually be some interesting reading. I would encourage you to read some of the laws regarding the sacraments, especially the Eucharist! Go to your search engine and look up “Canon 897, Code of Canon Law,” and that is the beginning of the section on the Eucharist. Unlike some legal systems, Canon Law is easily understood, and not much technical training is required to benefit from reading parts of it. I know this topic is not of interest to everyone, but to those who have read this article, thank you! Please say a prayer that Fr. Peter and I will be good students in Canon Law, to help in our local church’s goal of working for the salvation of souls. 

Feast Day: July 21^st | Patron of his hometown, Brindisi, Italy | Often pictured in Capuchin habit, writing with a quill, holding the baby Jesus, or carrying a crucifix.

Lawrence is one of those hard saints to emulate.  Born to devout parents, he grew up an intelligent and pious boy and by the age of 16 entered the Capuchin order and quickly mastered not only those studies but he also easily became fluent in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French. While still a deacon his preaching was so moving that he was asked to travel all over Italy preaching in the largest and most popular cities in the country, something he would continue to do after he was ordained a priest at the young age of 23. It was said that he had memorized the entire bible, in its original language, and so over the course of his life he would be called to preach all over Europe, bringing countless people back to the true faith by his clarity, depth of scriptural and patristic insight, and capacity to relate his sermons to the varied congregations he addressed. Over the following decades, he would hold many of the highest positions in the Capuchin order and on one famous occasion also rode out in front of Christian armies defending Hungary against a Turkish invasion. He carried only a crucifix, but came away without a scratch, and the Christian armies faced 4-to-1 odds against them, but came away with the victory.

How can you or I emulate that?! Where in our lives do the graces – of fluency in language, ecstasy at Mass, defense amidst battles, eloquence and knowledge and convincing words … – where in my life would those graces even go?  I don’t even ask for such tremendous gifts, sticking with just requesting the graces needed for my daily duties. “Give me this day my daily bread”: the basic grace of being patient, attentive, generous, and faithful … of perseverance in prayer, of trust in God, of love of neighbor. I struggle to carry my daily cross enough even without 80,000 Turks bearing down on me. I struggle to communicate the Gospel to one person in spiritual direction, much less to crowds who don’t want to hear it.  I struggle to stay prayerful when saying Mass for the nuns, ecstasy and sublime contemplation seem unlikely.

When getting to know a great saint like Lawrence, we are faced with a difficult situation: we must both accept that Lawrence was given graces that we have not, but at the same time we must not give up the call that God speaks to us to live a life of heroic sanctity. How can we stay both humble, and bold?  Both content/trusting, and magnanimous? How is it every “enough” to spend my morning on email and laundry when Lawrence was reading the Old Testament in Hebrew and leading armies into battle?!  May I point out a simple, but transformative, truth? Notice that every one of those wondrous graces in Lawrence’s life was so that he could love. Being a saint is easy, it only requires love. “Love one another as I have loved you.” “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself.” “What you did for the least of my brethren, you did for Me.” “Whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” 

Fr. Dominic Rankin struggles to be a saint just like everybody else. He faces the same attack and same lie that we all do: “you aren’t smart enough … holy enough … productive enough … courageous enough … trusting enough … humble enough … loving enough … to be a saint.” Thing is, the lie is easily denounced: sanctity doesn’t depend on me, it depends on Jesus. And He is enough for me to become a saint.

If you have been paying much attention to the Catholic media (local and national) over the past several months, you may have noticed news about the Eucharistic Revival that is now underway.  This effort, promoted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will take place in a few different phases:

1. Year of Diocesan Revival: June 19, 2022 – June 11, 2023
2. Year of Parish Revival: June 11, 2023 – July 17, 2024 
3. National Eucharistic Congress:  July 17-21 2024 in Indianapolis
4. Year of Going Out on Mission: July 21, 2024 – Pentecost 2025

Here in our diocese, we will observing a diocesan Year of the Eucharist from December 8, 2022 through December 8, 2023, with a very special Diocesan Eucharistic Congress and Mass at the Bank of Springfield Center on October 28, 2023.

So far, very few things have been set in stone with regards to how these various phases and celebrations will take place, but that should not deter us from jumping right in with our participation in this important time of Eucharistic renewal.  One aspect of Eucharistic devotion that has and will continue to be emphasized throughout the revival is the importance of Eucharistic Adoration.  Spending time in the presence of the Eucharist (exposed in the monstrance or reposed in the tabernacle) can have a very profound impact on our lives, deepening our relationship with Jesus and enflaming our hearts with a greater desire to receive Him in the Eucharist.  When I was discerning entering the seminary, I was blessed to live in a parish that had Perpetual Adoration, meaning that I could stop in to visit Jesus at any time.  It was during those visits that I grew more in my faith than the hours I spent reading or listening to Catholic radio.  It is a practice that I pray will increase in the life of the faithful in our parish and our diocese over the next few years.  Currently, we have Eucharistic Adoration at the Cathedral from 4 pm – 5 pm every Tuesday and Thursday.  We are going to look closely at how we can expand these times, but also know that the church is open throughout the day and spending time with the Lord, present in the tabernacle, is equally powerful in deepening our love for the Eucharist.  

Regarding Eucharistic Adoration, I’d like to share the following quote from Venerable Fulton Sheen that I came across recently on the topic of praying a Holy Hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament:

So the Holy Hour, quite apart from all its positive spiritual benefits, kept my feet from wandering too far. Being tethered to a tabernacle, one’s rope for finding other pastures is not so long. That dim tabernacle lamp, however pale and faint, had some mysterious luminosity to darken the brightness of “bright lights.” The Holy Hour became like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world. Even when it seemed so unprofitable and lacking in spiritual intimacy, I still had the sensation of being at least like a dog at the master’s door, ready in case he called me.

May we all come to desire to be “tethered to the tabernacle” during this time of Eucharistic Revival!

Father Alford

This past Independence Day, I noticed in the Ordo (the little book with daily instructions for Mass) that in place of the intercessions at Mass, I could use a version of the prayer that was written by Archbishop John Carroll during the presidency of George Washington. Archbishop Carroll is pictured in a stained glass window alongside Washington in our Cathedral. During the Revolutionary War, Washington sent then-Fr. Carroll along with Benjamin Franklin on a diplomatic mission to Canada, and the Founding Fathers’ respect for Fr. Carroll played a part in his being the first Archbishop of Baltimore. I thought this prayer was a powerful reminder of the duty I have as a citizen to pray for my civic leaders. St. Paul commanded us to pray for our leaders, which is something I need to do more often. Let’s start by praying this prayer for our president and governor by name. 

We pray, O almighty and eternal God, who through Jesus Christ has revealed thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your name.

We pray Thee, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, the pope, the vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, all other bishops, prelates and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct your people into the ways of salvation.

We pray O God of might, wisdom and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.

Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to you, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of your servants departed, who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech you, a place of refreshment, light and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Feast Day: July 14^th | Patron for the Sick, Hospitals, Nurses and Doctors, and those with gambling and other addictions | Often pictured as a priest with a wound on his leg tending an ill person.

In 1575, Camillus, a strapping 25 year old young man, was working at the Capuchin friary in Manfredonia Italy (just north of the “heel” of the boot, on the East coast). He had served in various armies around Italy with his father ever since he was a young man, and had just left Rome’s San Giacomo hospital for treatment of wounds endured in that service. But he wasn’t disciplined, nor a disciple.  Camillus had a stubborn and rebellious streak ever since he was a little boy, saddening his mother who passed away when he was still little, and – always being taller than his peers – had ran off to the army at the age of 13, embracing all the worst vices he could find, cussing and gambling and carousing.  His father also died during those critical years of his young-adulthood and Camillus continued down the deadly game of risking his life, gambling away his possessions, and selling his soul to wherever pleasure was to be found. 

Even nearly losing his life in shipwreck in 1574 did not dislodge him from this way of life, and so it was that he found himself, destitute and injured, working on the grounds of that capuchin friary.  One of the friars had the perception to see in this man a spark of grace that even Camillus’s mother and father were unable to foster. As they made their way up the rugged road to San Giovanni Rotundo (to another friary, where, in a few more centuries, Padre Pio would live), that friar chatted with Camillus and at some point called him out for his sins. “God is everything. The rest is nothing. One should save one’s soul which does not die.” As the rocks of the Gargano mountains scraped the sky above, the reality of God finally pierced Camillus’s heart. He slid from his saddle, threw himself on the ground, and all those unprayed prayers finally broke free: “Lord, I have sinned. Forgive this great sinner! How unhappy I have been for so many years not to have known you and not to have loved you. Lord, give me time to weep for a long time for my sins.”

His prayer was answered. He attempted to join the Capuchins, but his past decisions haunted him. A wound on his leg received while a soldier of fortune would not heal, and with such a condition, he could not be admitted to vows. We can ask why they didn’t allow this converted, convicted, transformed soul into their community? He felt called to become a friar, why would a leg wound exclude him?! How unfair, how unaccepting, how cruel. The unfortunate fact is that each of us can make decisions that impact our future, change our path, limit our options, but they never stymie God!  Camillus could not become a friar, but that closed door was an invitation to deeper surrender. He went back to Rome, returned to the hospital where before he had been kicked out for quarreling with other patients and staff, and began to aid those in the most dire straits. This was a hospital for the incurables, for those with no means, and no hope of recovery, and while the ulcer on Camillus’s leg continued to pain him, he worked to love those others in pain. He found a spiritual director, an awesome priest, Philip Neri, and formed a group of men dedicated to give wholehearted care to the abandoned and neglected patients at this hospital. Eventually, Camillus would be ordained a priest, and the group would become a legitimate religious order. Their symbol was a red cross upon their priestly cassock; their charism was to pour themselves into the care of those who were sick and dying. They would board ships carrying the bubonic plague; they would stand guard over the recently deceased to be assured that they had indeed passed into eternity; they would care for the wounded in the middle of battles, on one occasion, their medical tent and everything in it was obliterated in the midst of things except that red cross. Camillus remained injured his entire life and was known to crawl to the sick when his leg would not support him. He died, still leading the order, and still caring for the sick, in 1614.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin was intrigued to find that 250 years after the Camillians had chosen the red cross to be the symbol of medical care in the middle of disasters, the Geneva convention would choose it for the same purpose. There is no direct connection between their choices, but it is a beautiful thing that one of the most iconic symbols in the world is the Christian cross, once a symbol of death, now a symbol of love, care, sacrifice, and healing.

Here at the Cathedral, we have grown accustomed to seeing faces come and go, particularly with the resident priests and seminarians who have called this place home.  Several seminarians have spent the summers with us, getting some exposure to parish life as they prepare for the priesthood.  Many newly ordained priests have had their first assignments at the Cathedral, then after getting a couple of years of experience, they move on to the next stop in their journey.  All of this turnover can be difficult, both for the priests and the people, but I think there are also many blessings to be found.  Our parish community has had the privilege of getting to know more priests and seminarians than any other parish, which I think has been enriching in many ways.  

Last weekend, we bid farewell to Father Peter Chineke as he prepares to begin his studies in Canon Law at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.  I was very pleased with the number of people who stopped to greet Father Peter after the masses last weekend.  As a parish community, you should be very proud of the role you have played in offering Father Peter some good formation that will serve him for many years to come.  You have welcomed him as you have welcomed every priest and I know he will be forever grateful for his time with us.

This weekend, we welcome Father Paul Lesupati, newly ordained and just home from a trip back to his native Kenya where he spent the month of June.  He will bring unique gifts to our parish that will add to the diversity of our experiences with priests here.  I am confident that you will welcome him with the same joy and support that you offered to Father Peter and to all of our priests.

A few people this last weekend thought Father Dominic Vahling was also leaving.  For the most part, your experience of him will be the same.  He will still be celebrating masses and hearing confessions here.  But now just being “in residence”, he will not be quite as involved in the non-sacramental ministry of the parish, such as faith formation and hospital visits.  The same goes for Father Dominic Rankin.  He will continue to be in residence, though we may even see him a little more regularly for some masses since he will soon be concluding his daily celebration of Mass for the Dominican Nuns.  Their monastery in Girard is nearing completion and they will arrange for a chaplain who will be able to offer Mass for them daily.  Father Rankin will be focusing more of his efforts on promoting vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy matrimony, so that might put him on the road from time to time, but he will still very much be present.

As for me, there is nothing new to report!  As Rector, I enjoy a little more stability with regards to my time here.  I continue my diocesan work as Vicar for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.  And speaking of vocations, I am happy to welcome Phillip Gorrell, one of our seminarians, to the parish for the remainder of the summer.  He has a short introduction later in the bulletin.

As we mark the halfway point of 2022, this gives me an opportunity to remind you to offer those three Hail Marys each day – one for the clergy of the parish (new and old), one for yourself personally, and one for the entire Cathedral parish family.  On behalf of all of the clergy here, past and present, I offer my gratitude for your prayers and support.  We love serving you and we promise you our daily prayers, especially each day at Mass.

Father Alford

Feast Day: June 15^th | Patron for Orphans, the Sisters of the Poor, Puppeteers (along with St. Simeon Salus) and Catechists | Often pictured in birretta and cassock surrounded by boys and girls.

One illustrious member of our parish recently brought to my attention a saint canonized back in May of this year. (I’ll let you attempt to identify said parishioner, though I suspect you may be able to guess who it was based on the saint that he mentioned.)  This saint, a priest, Fr. Luigi Maria Palazzolo, actually had his feast day just a week or two ago, so I decided to introduce all of us to him this week.

Luigi was born the 9^th of 9 boys in Bergamo, Italy (way up in the North of Italy, right at the foothills of the alps) in 1827. His family was fairly well off, but Luigi was the only child of his parents to reach adulthood, and his father died as well when he was 10. His mother, Theresa, valiantly and lovingly raised Luigi as a faithful and virtuous young man despite all those pains that must have crushed her heart. I cannot imagine how much pain she must have endured, and how ineffective she must have felt in being a wife and mother, yet her love, along with God’s grace, was forming Luigi’s heart through the midst of all those trials into a man devoted to the care of impoverished, orphaned, and suffering children. God’s power was holding her, and her son, through all of it!  Only God can bring love out of loss, and a respect for life out of the pain of death – what a miracle he worked, through all that suffering, in Theresa and Luigi!

When he reached adulthood, Luigi quickly followed his heart’s yearning to become a priest. He entered the seminary at 17 and was ordained at the age of 23 or 24, quickly finding a charism for caring for the poor and orphaned children there in Bergamo. Similar to the United States in the second half of the 19^th century, during the first half of that century in Italy there were thousands of abandoned, neglected, orphaned, and starving children on the streets of Italian cities (also because of civil war and economic hardships). Like Don Bosco, who was doing the same work at that time in the nearby city of Turin, Don Luigi befriended these children, gave them food and a place to stay, taught them, and (like Bosco’s magic tricks) put on puppet shows for these, his littlest disciples.  (The puppets are still around!  If you ever get to Bergamo, you can find them in the Palazzolo Museum). He began this work with boys, but found that many girls were in the same dire straits, and so began to take care of the girls too.  

I want to make mention of a truth that Luigi knew, but which we don’t as easily recognize these days. He saw an abject need for poor and orphaned girls to be cared for, but he knew that food and education and a roof over their heads and the occasional puppet show were not enough.  They needed to be cared for by women, who could raise them as young ladies, just as the boys needed the care of a father, who could help them to become good men. Luigi lost his father at the age of 10. He knew the loss that a young man has when he does not have a man to show him how to be a man. Theresa, Luigi’s mother, gave him all the love that a mother could, but she could not replace the love and example of a father, and Fr. Palazzolo knew he could not fully replicate the love of a mother for these girls. So it was that he began to pray and look for a means of giving these young ladies the feminine love of a mother.  

In the 1850s, the bishop of Bergamo, had written a catechism to help teach the faith to the people of his diocese, calling for men and women to assist the Church in addressing the wounds that secularism was already wreaking on the young people of that time. This call captivated Fr. Palazollo and also Teresa Gabrieli, a talented young woman who had lost her own father as a child, and who now also yearned to do something meaningful work for the hurting youth around her. She had not married, and now, with Fr. Luigi, discovered not only a love for his poor girls, but also a call to found with him the religious order, the Sisters of the Poor in 1869. 

And so life spun along. Both grew old and both continued to love those whom God entrusted to their care. The number of sisters grew and started ministries in other cities. In his last day, Don Luigi’s asthma left him sleeping in a chair and enduring the pain and incapacitation of constant sores on his legs. His sufferings were rewarded when the sisters’ constitution was approved, but he died about a month later, on June 15^th, 1886 with the name of Jesus on his lips.  Mother Teresa (not to be confused with her spiritual descendent in Calcutta), continued to care and teach the poor until she suffered a stroke in 1908, dying shortly thereafter (she is now named Venerable). Eventually there would be thousands of her sisters around the world, and of note are the several sisters who would give their lives caring for the sick during the Ebola outbreak of 1995 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and also when the COVID-19 pandemic struck Bergamo in 2020.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin, this week, will be meditating on Fr. Palazzolo’s simple exhortation: “Don’t give only words or superfluous kindnesses, but give bread, wine, fire, advice, real and meaningful helps.” 

At the end of this week, I will be leaving for a week of vacation in Wisconsin with my family.  My parents spend the summer months there as a way of escaping the intense heat and humidity of Houston, Texas where they live for the rest of the year.  I am excited that all of my siblings will be able to be together for a few days, something which has become rare in recent years with everybody living in different parts of the country.  Going on vacation is always a relaxing experience for me, but planning for vacation is not always relaxing!  Most of my planning this year has revolved around retooling my fishing tackle to target walleye which are (hopefully) abundant in the waters of Central Wisconsin.

One aspect of planning for vacation that has become a lot less stressful over the past 11 years is figuring out how to get to Mass while on vacation.  As a priest, I am privileged to be able to celebrate Mass without having to figure out a time and place.  I realize that most Catholics do not have this luxury, but I bring it up as something that all Catholics should keep in mind, especially as many of us may be making plans for our summer vacations.  If it is not already on your list, please put a priority on making sure you know when and where Mass is available so that you can continue to fulfill your Sunday obligation.  The obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation is not lifted just because we are on vacation.  We had a saying in the seminary when we would be off for a break, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.  The saying was: don’t take a vacation from your vocation.  This was meant to encourage us to continue to take time for prayer each day and to attend Mass, daily if possible, as was our practice in the seminary.  Every Christian has the common vocation to holiness, so we must be very attentive to living out this vocation, even while on vacation.  As I mentioned, this means first and foremost planning ahead so as to find a time and place for Mass.  There is really no room for excuses, as I have seen how people on vacation are able to navigate some pretty tricky logistics, like figuring our how to make reservations for parks or other venues, making reservations for shows or dinners, and arranging various other activities while away from home.  Finding a Catholic Church and figuring out their Sunday Mass times is not very difficult, especially with the Internet.  You may also be aware of a handy website that lists Mass times all over the place – https://masstimes.org/ 

In addition to attending Mass on Sunday (or more frequently if you desire) while on vacation, think about those other practices that can help you to live your Christian vocation while on vacation.  If you are driving for vacation, consider praying a family Rosary together.  Bring along your Bible or another spiritual book to read.  As you may know, our parish has a subscription to FORMED, which has a mobile app that gives you access to a ton of great Catholic content.  The Augustine Institute, which is host of FORMED, also has the Amen app which has a variety of prayers.  There is also another great app called Hallow which has a lot of great Catholic content, even with the free plan.  Catholic radio is also accessible through their mobile apps, such as EWTN and Relevant Radio.  It has never been easier to access great Catholic content! 

Now, I am not suggesting that you need to spend all your time listening to Catholic materials while on vacation, but why not spend some of your time being fed with these great resources that strengthen our faith, which will, in the end, make for a better vacation, and a better life.  So as you plan an upcoming vacation, heed that good advice shared with me – don’t take a vacation from your vocation!

Father Alford

It is 2:41 AM Nigerian time and 8:41 AM Central Time now. Most people in Nigeria are sleeping, and many people in Illinois, like Father Alford, are already sleeping. Here on the plane, the lights are out, and I can tell that most people on board this flight are sleeping. I hope the pilot is not! And feeling calmer and mentally more productive at night, I am awake doing some readings and reflecting on my two-week vacation in Nigeria, which just ended.

I witnessed the wedding of one of my closest high school friends and baptized the first child of another high school friend. I spent time with my mom, siblings, nieces and nephews, and some friends who visited. I hung out with some old-time friends and had a good time in the rectory of a great priest-friend. I had the honor of giving a recollection to a group of teenagers. I was also blessed to be served some of my favorite meals almost daily. My mind is passionately ruminating on these things as a thought flashed through my mind….what if the unthinkable happens now?

What unthinkable am I even talking about? Sitting beside the window and looking out into the space, I notice that our flight is about thirty-four thousand feet above sea level on top of the Atlantic Ocean. What if an accident happens now and this flight begins to descend unto the Atlantic Ocean hopelessly and explosively? That would be the “unthinkable.” And the fact that my earthly existence and that of the rest of the people on board, including the pilot, would come to a quick end is hard to think about.

So, what if the unthinkable happens now? Where will I go? Will I be happily welcomed by a host of angels and saints into the communion of the elect? Or will I proceed to purgatory, where I still hope to join the communion of saints after some period of purifying torments? Or will I see myself in a place of endless torments and tortures, with unimaginable pains day and night with no hope of redemption?

While it may be weird to imagine such ugly situations, we know that they do happen. Planes have disappeared from space in the past, and all passengers died and were buried in the bottomless oceans somewhere in the world. Road accidents where people die miserably on the spot are not uncommon. Disasters have happened, and people lose their lives abruptly. People do suffer sudden heart attacks and die immediately. Innocent people have lost their lives to terrorist attacks, gunshots, and natural calamities. We see, read, or hear about these unthinkable things very often. So, we might as well see the need to think about these things and ask the ultimate questions.

Maybe, when we think about these things, the desire to be in a better place when the unthinkable happens will grow. And to be realistic, dying a natural death or being a victim of any of the “unthinkable” does not change one’s destination hereafter. What changes one’s destination in the next life is the conscious decisions we make to choose God and godly lifestyles and the relentless efforts we make in staying true to those choices even in the most complex and challenging situations.