Some of you may be aware that last year, I purchased an older fishing boat.  This acquisition turned into quite a project, one with many lessons learned!  Shortly after bringing the boat home, the priests of the house asked if I had given the boat a name, which to that point I had not even though about doing.  At our annual Fishing with Father event at the Villa Maria, some of our youngsters offered recommendations.  But the name that I finally decided on stems from my love for the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The name I chose was Stella Maris, which is Latin for Star of the Sea.

Just a few weeks ago, I did some winterizing of the boat so that it will (hopefully) be ready for action next Spring when the weather warms up.  It got me thinking a little bit about the title of Mary as Star of the Sea.  Perhaps that title does not immediately evoke thoughts of Christmas, the Octave Day of which we celebrate today, but there is a connection to this title that is very much in the spirit of this season.  The connection is to be found in the hymn to Mary under this title, Ave Maris Stella (Hail, Star of the Sea).  One of the verses goes like this:

Show yourself a Mother,
may the Word divine
born for us thine Infant
hear our prayers through thine.

This verse draws our attention to Mary in her role of giving birth to the “Word divine”, this claiming the rightful title as Mother of God.  In her closeness to her child, we turn to her in confidence asking that she would pray to Him with us and on our behalf.

What strikes me about this verse is the first line: “Show yourself a Mother.”  This is a phrase that I use from time to time when I turn to Mary, asking for her prayers for some particular situation or need.  It could be something that I am struggling with, such as a difficult situation, or the discouragement at not advancing more quickly in the spiritual life.  I ask Mary to show herself to be a Mother to me, helping me with her encouragement and prayers.  As I encounter the sufferings and struggles of the people whom I serve, I sense their need for consolation and peace.  And just as children we turn to our mothers to find that, I ask Mary to show herself a Mother to those individuals in their needs.

On this day when we celebrate Mary’s greatest title, that of being the Mother of God, we also take consolation in the fact that she is also our Mother.  As Jesus was dying on the Cross, He entrusted Mary to us through the Apostle St. John when He said to him: “Behold, your mother.” (John 19:27)

As we look to the year ahead, we have no doubt that there will be joys, but what will prevent us from fully experiencing those joys are the disappointments and setbacks that we will face due to our weaknesses, or due to factors outside of our control.  As we make our way through the potentially rough waters of the sea of life, may our eyes turn to Mary, Star of the Sea, asking her with faith: “Show yourself a Mother.”  Through her prayers, she will help to keep us safe with her Son in the Church and continue to guide us to the safe harbors of eternal life where she awaits us.

Father Alford    

We begin every new year fittingly by celebrating Mary’s motherhood – first of Jesus, but also of each one of us who are part of the Body of Christ! As Jesus told St. John from the cross, “behold your mother.” One of my favorite illustrations of Mary’s maternal care is how she interacted and cared for St. Juan Diego and his uncle during the appearances on Tepeyac hill in 1531. Mary is known from these apparitions as “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” I would like to share a few examples of her words to St. Juan Diego. The main point of her message was that Juan Diego was to ask the bishop to build a church on Tepeyac hill, where she was appearing. Mary said in the first apparition,

I want very much that they build my sacred little house here, in which I will show Him, I will exalt Him upon making him manifest, I will give Him to all people in all my personal love, Him that is my compassionate gaze, Him that is my help, Him that is my salvation. Because truly I am your compassionate Mother, yours and that of all the people that live together in this land, and also of all the other various lineages of men, those who love me, those who cry to me, those who seek me, those who trust in me.

Juan Diego faithfully transmitted the request to the bishop, but he was dismissed and told to come back another time. Dejected, Juan Diego received another apparition from Mary. He suggested that she send someone else. She said,

Listen, my youngest son, know for sure that I have no lack of servants and messengers to whom I can give the task of carrying my breath, my word, so that they carry out my will. But it is necessary that you, personally, go and plead, that by your intercession my wish, my will, become a reality. And I beg you, my youngest son, and I strictly order you to go again tomorrow to see the bishop. And in my name, make him know, make him hear my wish, my will, so that he will bring into being, build my sacred house that I ask of him. And carefully tell him again how I, personally, the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, I, who am Mother of God, sent you as my messenger.

After a second visit to the bishop, he was still not convinced of the authenticity of the apparition. Juan Diego encountered Mary a third time and told her that he needed a sign to be convinced. She told him to return the next day to receive the sign. The day of the fourth apparition, Juan Diego’s plans changed. He had found his uncle gravely ill and spent much of the day bringing a doctor. When it was clear that his uncle was close to death, Juan Diego then went in search of a priest. Mary interrupted his journey with the fourth apparition. She said,

Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest son, that what frightened you, what afflicted you, is nothing; do not let it disturb your face, your heart; do not fear this sickness nor any other sickness, nor any sharp and hurtful thing. Am I not here, I who have the honor to be your Mother? Are you not in my shadow and under my protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more?

In this meeting, Mary arranged various flowers in Juan Diego’s tilma, sending these as the sign for the bishop. Of course, the flowers were not the only sign! Mary’s image appeared on the tilma, which is miraculously still in perfect condition five hundred years later, in the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Mary’s maternal love for Juan Diego and all of his people was shown clearly by this series of apparitions. Mary shows this same maternal love for each of us, too! Mary, Mother of God, and our mother, pray for us!

Feast Day: December 27^th | Titles: the Apostle, the Evangelist, the Theologian, the Divine, the Beloved, of Patmos, son of Zebedee, son of Thunder | Patronage: Authors, Booksellers, Editors, Publishers, Scholars, Theologians, Burn-victims, Poison-victims | Attributes: Youth, Eagle, Chalice (with snake), Scrolls, Books

One confronts a unique question when engaging with the character of St. John: what is the best title to give him? As you can see above, he is referred to under many different characteristics and names throughout the New Testament. Glancing at his Gospel, we find that he never names himself, referring instead to the person named John we know from the other Gospels as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, with some of the other titles – apostle, evangelist, theologian, divine – coming from the profundity and intimacy that the 4^th Gospel shows us. “Of Patmos” comes from the end of John’s life, when he was exiled to the island of Patmos (a Greek Island), where he received the visions depicted in the book of Revelation. (There is a final title, “the presbyter” sometimes given to St. John, a character mentioned by the early Church historian, Papias, but this seems unlikely given that he lists a John with the other apostles, and then another John “the presbyter”.)

Though all these titles are ones that would be fruitful to reflect upon, I want to turn first to a funnier name that was given to St. John, a nickname from Jesus Himself. In Mark 3:17, while listing those that Jesus called apostles, we find that Jesus called “James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder).” Mark, helpfully, translates for us the term “boanerges”, which was a term that Jesus coined and isn’t found anywhere else in Hebrew or Aramaic literature. Probably a combination of “ben” [son] and “ragesh” [commotion, tumult], it may refer to James and John’s own vehemence and impetuosity, fitting given their clamoring to call down fire upon the inhospitable Samaritan village in Luke 9.  It could also refer back to their actual parents, perhaps their father (Zebedee) had a temper, or we do know from Matthew 20 that their mother (probably Salome, who we see at the cross, and carrying spices/myrrh to anoint Jesus’ body). She is also the one who boldly bring James and John to Jesus to ask him that they would sit at His right and left when He became king (a request that brings them ridicule and animosity from the other apostles).

Whichever way one interprets this nickname, we glimpse in it a closeness and familiarity that perhaps we don’t always visualize between Jesus and His apostles, or Jesus and ourselves. Our Lord called these two firebrands to follow him, with their crazy family, and all the heartache it would bring to Him, and to the rest of the twelve. He befriended them, knowing the arguments, and hardheadedness, and brokenness they would bring. And Jesus did not just endure them, He wanted to be best friends with them (along with Peter, another broken bloke). These were the three who would be invited to witness miracles and teachings that even the other Apostles would not be given, including the transfiguration, catching a glimpse of Jesus as He truly is, a moment that would stay with them the rest of their lives.

And that closeness transformed him! St. John is the only one to tell us about Jesus’ miracle at Cana and raising Lazarus, His conversations with Nicodemus and the Woman at the Well, Christ giving us Himself as the Bread of Life, or when Our Lord washed the apostles’ feet, and opened His heart to them in the incomparable prayers and words in the Garden before His passion. Think of John witnessing each of those moments, hearing those words, being trusted and loved by Jesus that much… And, it was a final gift of intimacy that fully melted John’s heart. The only apostle at the crucifixion, John left Golgotha not forsaken, but entrusted with an unprecedented gift: Jesus’ own mother. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”

Love transfigured thunder. Friendship beatified brashness. Jesus wants to do the same for you, and me, and He does it every time we come to the foot of His cross, when we see His Blood poured out again for us.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin has his own dose of thunder in his heart and history, BUT every day Jesus just invites me to give all of it to Him again, and become a son like Him.

For the past few years that I have been here as Rector of the Cathedral, one of the great highlights of the year is the Christmas celebration of Mass During the Night, which we often call Midnight Mass since that is the time at which we celebrate this Mass.  Every aspect of this Mass is a source of great joy.  First and foremost, we celebrate this Mass with all the clergy of the parish, under the leadership of Bishop Paprocki, for whom I have a deep respect and appreciation for as a father, a brother, and a friend.  What a great blessing it is to serve with the other clergy of the parish, including our Parochial Vicar, Father Paul Lesupati, celebrating his first Christmas as a priest!  Although they are only technically In Residence, Father Dominic Rankin and Father Dominic Vahling are an integral part of our parish family, and truly a blessing to live with as brothers in the Cathedral Rectory.  I am also profoundly grateful to have two excellent Deacons serving our parish so faithfully, Deacon Larry Smith and Deacon Rob Sgambelluri.

As the Entrance Procession begins, the music, under the direction of Mark Gifford and his choir and musicians, I am reminded of what a gift we have with our Sacred Music here, a comment I hear regularly.  The music as we process in this night certainly lifts my heart to rejoice in this special night on which we remember Christ’s birth.

As the procession nears the altar, I cannot help but notice the many familiar faces present in the congregation.  While some are visitors, many are the families that make up our wonderful parish, and I give thanks to God for the privilege of being a part of this family.  As I mentioned at Thanksgiving, I never really have the opportunity to celebrate holidays with my physical family, but as I am at these Christmas masses, I know that I am celebrating the day with the family that God, in His goodness, has blessed me with, and no gathering could be more important and beautiful than when we gather as a family for Mass.

As the liturgy proceeds, we get to listen to the Word of God, recounting the story of the Word becoming flesh in Bethlehem nearly 2000 years ago, which reminds us of the Good News of great joy that Our Messiah has come to save us!  Then, right before our eyes, the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us in the Eucharist, of which we are able to partake, thus receiving the greatest of gifts.  All serve to remind me of the gift of our Catholic faith in general, and the particular gift of being a priest to preach this Good News and bring the Eucharist to you each and every day.

After the Mass has concluded and everybody has departed to get some sleep, the church becomes quiet and peaceful.  Whether it is before retiring for the night myself, or early the next morning before anybody arrives, I look forward to spending time in the dim light of the church, praying before the beautiful Nativity scene, adoring the newborn King.  And while I have my own personal Nativity scene in my room, I prefer being here in the church, because the Lord is truly present in the tabernacle, there to adore Him in this local Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means “house of bread.”

As we are at the beginning of this diocesan Year of the Eucharist, may we be renewed this Christmas in our love for this great gift which He offers to us, the gift of His very self in the Eucharist.  May we make it our intention to come and adore Him here more frequently, letting His peaceful presence remind us of the Good News that His light is always present to shine in the darkness of our lives and our world, and to know that the darkness will never overcome His light, so long as we stay close to Him.

In addition to the individuals I mentioned above, I also want to take this opportunity, as I do each year, to express my profound gratitude for the following staff members who help to keep our parish running well, so that we can be that welcome home for our parish family:  Bill Vogt, Kim Gunter, Vicki Compton, Jan Sgambelluri, Haley Dutton, Ryan Dufner, Rusty Overturf, and Sue Sandidge.  

From all of the clergy and staff of the Cathedral, we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Father Alford     

Feast Day: December 26^th | Titles: Deacon, Apologist, Martyr, Protomartyr | Patronage: Altar Servers, Bricklayers, Deacons, Masons, Casket Makers, Headaches | Attributes: Wearing Dalmatic; Holding Censer, Martyr’s Palm, Gospel Book, Miniature Church; Surrounded by Stones.

Good King Wenceslas, it is said, looked out on the Feast of Stephen. The famous carol which begins with those words was composed in the 1830s by John M. Neale (an Evangelical Minister, who, loving Catholic Liturgy, Latin hymns, and religious life, was roundly persecuted by his congregation). The aforementioned Good King looked out from his castle in Bohemia in the 930s, and if he had followed his usual routine, would have already attended Mass, perhaps helping to grind the wheat to make the hosts, and had probably given a few hours to prayer earlier that morning in the darkened and unheated church. The Feast of St. Stephen was celebrated throughout the Church by the 330s when we find him included by name (along with St. John, Ss. Peter and Paul, and often St. John the Baptist) in the Eucharistic Prayers of Rome, Egypt, and Byzantium. But St. Stephen himself barely made it into the 030s. 

Stephen, his name meaning “crown” or “wreath” (the word often used to describe someone of honor) was one of the first deacons of the Church, which in those early years had barely yet expanded past the city of Jerusalem. Certainly, many of those who had been converted by St. Peter’s words on Pentecost had carried the Good News of the coming of the Christ back to their homes, but the Apostles were still mostly just preaching in the Temple, and from house to house in the Holy City. It was because they were so busy preaching the Word that they enlisted the help of several men who had known Jesus Himself to be deacons, servants, of the Apostles, directed especially to the care of the poor, and one of those was Stephen.

How did St. Stephen celebrate Christ’s coming? Well, he was not there for Jesus’ birth, but being a friend and disciple of Our Lord, he certainly had pondered again and again the details of Jesus’ death, and the wonder of all the early disciples at His resurrection. Recall Stephen’s words in Acts 7, where he goes back through the entire history of Israel and points out how God had directed their steps all along – Abraham’s sacrifice, Joseph’s survival, Moses’ encounter at the Bush; the Tabernacle in the Desert and the Temple of David and Solomon – and now, Stephen proclaimed, God had intervened and saved, and directed and fulfilled again, in Jesus, and in an utterly unprecedented way. All those previous encounters with God were only a glimpse, an anticipation, of the closeness that He actually wanted to have with His people! God is not content with a relationship of bushes, and tents, and sacrificial lambs.

The Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands. He dwells in us. He dwells with us. He dwells among us. Jesus, Stephen knew, was real, and is real; was alive, and is alive; had come, and still comes. As that first deacon proclaimed this to the astonishment of the bystanders, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see heaven, the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Stephen saw the veil pulled back, and the closeness of God revealed, and notice what happens next:

Not just his suffering, the hurled stones, and Saul standing by, but notice that Stephen plays out in his own life and death, the life and death of His Savior. He, like Jesus, spoke of the Son of Man at the righthand of God. He, like Jesus, for that claim, is made an outcast, and taken out of the city to die. He, like Jesus, begs the Heavenly Father to forgive his persecutors. And he, like Jesus, gives His Spirit over to God.

The coming of Christ is not just about God become like us. It is also about us becoming like God. We cannot embrace the child in the manger, if we will not embrace Christ upon the cross. But if we are willing to go to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, to the crib and the cross, to receive the Spirit and a share in Our Lord’s suffering, then we with Stephen, and Saul, and Wenceslaus and Abraham, will see God with us, not just in the past, nor just in heaven, but with us – with you, and me, and our families – today.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin was ordained a deacon, like St. Stephen dedicated to service of the Church, 5 years ago. It was on the feast of St. Wenceslaus, on September 28^th 2017. He was not martyred after giving his first homily, nor has he hiked miles in the snow to deliver food to the hungry. Thankfully, God can make a saint of him yet.

The two holiest people in the history of the Church were not priests, deacons, nuns, or hermits in the desert. No, they were a married couple – Mary and Joseph! I recently saw a quote to this effect by St. Josemaria Escriva. I can’t seem to find the exact quote at the moment, but you get the drift. Sometimes people wrongly assume that the clergy and religious are the holiest people in the Church. While it’s true that being called to the priesthood or religious life is a great gift from God, and a sign of the kingdom of heaven, this does not mean that married or single lay people are called to holiness any less than the clergy. 

In the last part of this semester, I showed a short video series by Sr. Miriam James Heidland to my students at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School. It was called Behold and was a series of meditations about encountering God in family life. I was struck by the meditations which centered on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. One of the most profound aspects of the Incarnation is that Jesus chose to become a baby in the context of a family, growing up with a mom and dad, and being obedient to them. Maybe this is the lesson that our generation needs to learn from the Christ child. Nobody’s family is perfect, and that’s ok. Our families are an immense gift from God, and our parents are the ones who teach us what God is like – as tender and caring as our mother, as strong and protective as our father. Love starts in the family, and having a faithful family is the best way to pass on the faith to the next generation.

This is my third year of priesthood, and in some ways, it seems like a long time ago that I was ordained and assigned to the Cathedral as a new priest. I probably would not have guessed that I would be here for more than two years, but here I am, and happily so! I am so blessed to be here at the Cathedral with our bishop and three brother priests. We have a great parish staff and parish community to walk with on this journey of faith every day. This year, some of you may have noticed that my responsibilities have shifted a bit. I don’t celebrate quite as many parish Masses as I used to, as I focus my time on ministry at SHG along with studying some canon law online. I still do my best to be present at as many parish events as I’m able to. 

Speaking of families, I have been especially grateful for my family this year. My brother and his wife welcomed their sixth child in November, and I had the privilege of baptizing him on Thanksgiving Day at my home parish! This is now the third niece/nephew that I have baptized. One challenge is that my brother was away for much of this year with the military, so I have had to be more intentional about staying in touch via phone calls. I am blessed to have a sister who lives in town, but I could always be more intentional about staying in touch with family. 

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s give thanks for our families, even if they aren’t perfect. Maybe some forgiveness or even some good boundaries could improve relationships. Whatever the case may be, I invite you to consecrate your family to God in your heart. As you pray, imagine yourself with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the stable in Bethlehem. Allow them to draw you into their communion of love, centered on Jesus. Mary brought Jesus into this world, and Joseph protected them on their flight into Egypt. They intercede for us now from heaven. May Mary and Joseph pray for us to experience healing and wholeness in our families. Parents – don’t be afraid to let some activities go to focus more on family time, especially time together at Mass and in prayer. If your children don’t experience closeness in the family, where will they experience it? If you don’t teach them to pray, then who will? Don’t be afraid to be who God wants you to be. He will help you to do it with his grace! 

May the Lord Jesus bless you all in this new year of growing in his love.