Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Homily for Oct 17 - St. Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr

In the second century, the Roman Empire had a growing problem.  There were increasing numbers of these "Christians" everywhere, and they just would not cooperate with how the Empire did things.  And the Romans simply could not understand why the Christians held themselves apart like that.

Emperor Trajan
About the year 106, the Emperor Trajan, in thanksgiving for a great military victory, passed a law that all the people of Syria should offer a sacrifice to the traditional Roman gods.  But in the middle of Syria was the capital, Antioch, and the Bishop of Antioch was Ignatius.  St. Ignatius preached loudly, in his pulpit and in the streets, that Christians could not obey this law.

The Romans simply did not understand this.  Why couldn't the Christians do what everybody else did - offer the public sacrifice once, and then go home and follow their own religion in private?  Why couldn't the Christians compartmentalize their faith, like everybody else?

In our own time, our government increasingly acts the same way toward Christians.  There are many examples, but one of the most important instances is the HHS Mandate: that all employers must offer their employees, in their health insurance plans, the benefits - and "benefits" are in quotation marks - of contraception, sterilization, and chemical abortions.  And our government simply doesn't understand why we Christians cannot compartmentalize our faith, and perform our economic duties over here, in accordance with the law, and our religious duties over there, in private, however we want.

In the Gospel today, Jesus teaches us that, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a grain of wheat.  But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." (Jn 12:24-5)  St. Ignatius used this very Gospel passage in a letter to the Church in Rome.  He pointed to himself, saying, "I am the grain of wheat."  He called the teeth of the wild animals which would kill him in the arena, the "millstones" grinding the wheat into bread, a bread like Christ's own Body, that would nourish the faith of others.  He wanted to be that bread, to nourish the Church and to change the Roman world.

St. Ignatius in the arena
And that's exactly what he did as a martyr.  The witness of his death for the crime of being a Christian and not committing idolatry nourished the faith of others.  It took two hundred years, and thousands of martyrs dying for Christ, to change the Roman Empire, but it happened.  In the fourth century, the Roman Empire became the Christian Roman Empire. 


That's why, when our own government was founded in the 18th century, it could be founded as a Christian government.  But if we want to keep it a Christian government and a Christian country, we need to change the hearts and minds of our neighbors, by the witness of our lives.  We may not be called to "red" martyrdom, but we still preach about Christ, or not, by the actions of our lives every day.  Our actions show what are our priorities, and the daily witness of our charity shows whether we love God and neighbor. 

We are the only Christ, that those who don't yet know Him, can learn about Him by.  We are the grains of wheat, and our daily witness for Him grinds us into bread.  Will we be a tasteless and worthless bread of no value?  Or will we be the bread that we really are as the Body of Christ - the bread that nourishes the faith of others?

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Year of Faith - some online resources

The Year of Faith begins today!  Here are some online resources that might be useful.

The Vatican's webpage for the Year of Faith

The Diocese's webpage for the Year of Faith

Bishop Nickless's Prayer for the Year of Faith

A Year of Faith Facebook page

A collection of videos for the Year of Faith at the USCCB

The Catechism of the Catholic Church at the Vatican website

Read the Catechism in a year, with a daily email or app


Friday, October 5, 2012

Plenary Indulgences for Year of Faith announced - (Corrected)

The Year for Faith is a time for Catholics to Indulge!!  National Catholic Register is reporting the announcement of special opportunities for plenary indulgences (more on indulgences) for the Year of Faith:

"Each time they [the faithful] attend at least three sermons during the Holy Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of the Council or the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in church or any other suitable location. [There will be various programs and lectures on the CCC in our diocese, including all the study for the Catechist Certification program that many of our schools and parishes are beginning this year.]

Each time they visit, in the course of a pilgrimage, a papal basilica , a Christian catacomb, a cathedral church or a holy site designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith (for example, minor basilicas [several nearby, which might be so designated: Conception Abbey's Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (pictured here, courtesy of the same link), Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, Basilica of St. John in Des Moines, Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart; plus at least three in Chicago] and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Apostles or patron saints), [Trinity Heights and the Grotto in West Bend will probably be so designated, I believe] and there participate in a sacred celebration, or at least remain for a congruous period of time in prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, depending on the circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and patron saints.

Each time that, on the days designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith, ... in any sacred place, they participate in a solemn celebration of the Eucharist or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding thereto the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form. [With Bishop's approval, we can meet this requirement on our formation days.]

On any day they choose, during the Year of Faith, if they make a pious visit to the baptistery, or other place in which they received the Sacrament of Baptism, and there renew their baptismal promises in any legitimate form.”

The statement added that diocesan or eparchial bishops, and those who enjoy the same status in law, on the most appropriate day during that period or on the occasion of the main celebrations, "may impart the papal blessing with the Plenary Indulgence".

In addition to the above, we're promoting the praying of the Rosary during the Year of Faith.  A plenary indulgence can be gained by praying the Rosary in a church, as a group, out loud.  A partial indulgence can be gained by praying the Rosary in any other circumstances.  One must actually meditate on the mysteries (which is the point, after all), and not just go through the motions.  All the usual conditions apply; namely, the normal requirements for any indulgence are:
  • To attend Holy Mass and Confession within a week (before or after) of the event the indulgence is attached to,
  • To be free of all attachment to sin, and
  • To pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
  • No more than one indulgence may be gained per day, either for oneself or for others*, including the dead in Purgatory. *Correction - Indulgences may not be applied to other living people, only to oneself or to the dead; see Can. 994.  Unfortunately, CCC #1471 is more vague than this, saying only "Indulgences may be applied to the living or to the dead."  This is correct but incomplete. Thanks to T.H. for catching my error.