Holy Week at Home

I’ve read several thoughtful articles in the past few weeks about the importance of living eucharistically in a time when we cannot physically receive the Eucharist. We are called to be people of service and thanksgiving. We are—more than ever—called to be people of love.

In the same way, as we enter this holiest of weeks, most of us are without public liturgy and ritual, without sacraments, and without a robust, physical community of worship and fellowship. Yet there is still so much we can live and experience. There is so much liturgy, worship, and ritual we can still embrace.

This Holy Week, we can still greet the Lord as he passes by. We can still wash the feet of the people in our lives. We can still adore the Cross in every place we find it. We can hold silence, and keep vigil, with the dead body of Christ. We can—we will—find joy, and hope, and new life.

Like you, I’ll be praying and pondering these mysteries during the week ahead, and looking for ways to live them. And like you, I’ll be finding ways to celebrate and worship in my home—alone at times, and with my family at times. I’m thinking about hanging small numbers on the back fence, where the roses are starting to bud and the clematis is just showing green, and walking the Stations with my sons. I’m thinking of the cross I will take down from the wall, and dust carefully, and display lovingly, so we may venerate it. I’m thinking of the fragile eggs that we will dye, and how some will crack in the hands of a child, and how each one will be beautiful, colorful, and new.

As we pray together and apart this Holy Week, there are many wonderful resources available to help us. I’d like to share one with you that I plan to use in my own home. John Kyler, one of my colleagues at Liturgical Press, has written a beautiful series of prayer services for Holy Week. They incorporate many of the rituals we love such as the washing of feet and the veneration of the Cross. These prayer services can be found by clicking here (see “Holy Week at Home”). Please feel free to share this free, printable resource with others who may like to use it as they pray through Holy Week either alone or with their families.

We may be surprised how meaningful these days can be in the quiet of our own hearts and homes.

Blessed Holy Week, friends.
Amy

Sadao Watanabe, Stencil print. Courtesy Sacred Art Pilgrim.

Assurance of my prayers....

Hello, friends!

First, an announcement. As I’m sure you would expect, the Lenten Evening of Music and Reflection that I notified you of in my last blog post has been canceled due to coronavirus precautions. Peter, the Saint Ann Choir, and I are disappointed not to be able to be with you, but we look forward to seeing you next Lent!

How are you all doing? It has been a strange time, hasn’t it?

Here at our house we are juggling working from home, school closings, cancellations of everything from soccer seasons to college visits, and a general inundation of information from schools, employers, organizations, and every retail outlet I have ever purchased anything from! We will settle into a new rhythm, but the adjustment is challenging.

I don’t want to add to all the “messaging” coming your way about the coronavirus and how it is affecting our lives. I have no profound words to offer, only prayers for and solidarity with you during this time. For this year, this is our Lenten journey. And even when we cannot or do not gather together, we are still one Body—the Body of Christ. And we’ll keep walking together, one foot in front of the other, toward the cross and resurrection of Jesus. I will meet you there!

May Jesus the Healer bless and comfort us. May his hand be on the sick and those who care for them. He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Love,
Amy

Rembrandt, Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law, Courtesy WikiArt

Save the Date: Lenten Evening of Music & Reflection

THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELED — We look forward to being with you next year! Prayers and blessings, Amy

Lent is around the corner, and I wanted to share this upcoming program with you in plenty of time to save the date! Please join me, Peter DeMarco, and the Saint Ann Choir for our yearly Lenten Evening of Music & Reflection at Saint Ann Church in Milford, CT (Wed., Mar. 18, 7:00 p.m.). If you’ve never experienced the Saint Ann Choir, they are well worth the drive to Milford! This wonderful parish choir can raise the roof and open your heart. So come, reflect with me, sing with the Saint Ann Choir, and be with Christ crucified, the goal of our Lenten journey. All are welcome!

Guest Blogger: My Dad

The Conscience of Franz Jägerstätter:
A Homily by Deacon Tim Vineyard

“Jägerstätter reasoned that, since God gives us free will and a conscience,
God holds us responsible for what we do.”

This past summer when I was home in Texas, I heard my dad preach this homily. It was pretty long for a homily, but you could have heard a pin drop. As the story built and the courage of Franz Jägerstätter came to life, we all got wrapped up in this story—this witness—of the power of human freedom and conscience.

One of my college professors, a Cistercian monk who himself had escaped an evil regime in Hungary, told us that the human will has limitless power. He said, “The whole universe could blow up in your face. You can still be saying ‘no.’” Franz Jägerstätter said “no.”

Thanks Dad—for preaching and sharing this homily, and for being a man of conscience in my life.

* * * * * * * * * *

The German army invaded Austria in 1938. The Austrians didn’t offer any resistance. Many Austrians actually welcomed the German invasion! At that time, there was a lot of support for the goals and aims of the Nazi movement in Austria.

Hitler was greeted by enthusiastic crowds waving Nazi flags and giving the Nazi salute. Afterward, some 70,000 Austrian political opponents of the Nazis were arrested and Hitler ordered a universal vote in Austria on the issue of the unification of Austria with Germany. A Nazi-led propaganda campaign supported unification. The Catholic hierarchy advocated a “yes” vote. In the end, the Nazis claimed that Austrians overwhelmingly favored the dissolution of Austria and its becoming a part of Germany. Hitler then began the process of the deep humiliation of Jews and, with the cooperation of the locals, ran many Jews out of Austria.

Franz Jägerstätter was an Austrian farmer. He married a woman who took her Catholic faith seriously. His marriage to her changed him, and he, too, became devout in his Catholic faith. He voted in the German/Austrian unification plebiscite but, unlike his countrymen, he voted “no,” rejecting the Nazis. Due to the subsequent German annexation of Austria, Jägerstätter became subject to the German military draft. Would he serve as a soldier in the Nazi army?

Jägerstätter was happily married and had young children. The last thing he wanted was to put himself or his family at risk.  But he carefully examined the morality of the German war. He witnessed the suppression of the church—the churches had to fly the swastika flag and pray for Hitler; priests were jailed. He saw the Germans take over other countries for no just reason. He heard reports of the beginning of the Nazi Jewish genocide program. For him, it all came down to this question: “Should I be a Nazi or a Catholic?” Jägerstätter recognized that to support the Nazi movement was to oppose Christ and his Church.

He met with his bishop to discuss what his response should be, but the bishop refused to discuss the matter with him. Several well-meaning priests tried to talk him into cooperating with the Germans. There was a great deal of discussion about the morality of a decision to refuse to serve as a combatant in the Nazi-led military. This decision was punishable by death; did it amount to suicide? Some questioned the morality of such a decision in light of his family responsibilities. But Jägerstätter wondered how good a husband and father he would be if he chose social conformity over obedience to Christ’s teaching.

Jägerstätter reasoned that, since God gives us free will and a conscience, God holds us responsible for what we do. He believed that people can’t escape personal responsibility for their actions simply by arguing that they were following the orders of their government.

When he was required to serve in the German army, Jägerstätter said a final good-bye to his wife and children and refused to serve as a combatant, offering instead to serve as a medic. He was promptly beheaded and forgotten.

In 1964, Gordon Zahn published a biography of Jägerstätter, In Solitary Witness. His story circulated among those participating in the Vatican II Council, which was in progress at the time. Jägerstätter’s life and writings made a significant impact on what the Catholic Church teaches today about war, peace, conscience and individual responsibility. His life had a significant impact on the 1965 Vatican II document entitled The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Jägerstätter was declared a martyr in 2007 and beatified in the same year.

Looking back, we think everyone should have seen things the way Jägerstätter did. Why would anyone want to participate in the Nazi movement? But when you’re living in the middle of a national crisis, things get complicated fast. Really complicated. Even in our day, such complications can lead us to think and act based on fear, pride, confusion, fatigue, anxiety, and the desire to conform. Jägerstätter was able to see past all of that because his heart and conscience were fixed on Jesus Christ above all else. Naturally, such a path will not be taken by everyone; it takes conviction and courage to lay down your life for what you believe. Perhaps this is why Jesus said, “Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Luke 12:51).

Today we face issues that will affect the lives of thousands of people in profound ways. We don’t respond out of mere human pragmatism, fear, pride, or a desire to conform. We’re not confused. Instead, we listen to our conscience, which is formed by the Gospel, and we face the current issues with our hearts firmly fixed on Jesus Christ above all else. As the Body of Christ, this is what we do.

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, pray for us.

* * * * * * * * * *

There’s a movie out about the life of Franz Jägerstätter called “A Hidden Life.”
Here’s a preview:

5 Bible Facts for Advent....and other news

Hello, my long lost friends! And blessed Advent to you! I pray that you all are well in this season of hope and light, even in the midst of winter’s dark and cold days. Please enjoy the article below, “Five Bible Facts for Advent,” which was originally published in Catholic Digest. Below the article are some announcements and tidbits.

Advent is the perfect time to learn more about the Gospel stories of Jesus’ conception, birth, and infancy. We call these stories the “infancy narratives.” We are already quite familiar with these stories, but you may find something new or surprising in this month’s list of five!

1. Only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell us about Jesus’ birth. While all four Gospels tell us about the death of Jesus, only two of them tell us about his birth. Mark’s Gospel launches very quickly into the ministry of Jesus with no mention of his birth or origins. John’s Gospel describes the preexistence of Jesus with God, and he does say that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (1:14), but John does not provide any details about the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. Interestingly, only the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke are devoted to the stories surrounding the conception, birth, and infancy of Christ.

2. Matthew’s infancy narratives tell us more about Joseph, while Luke’s tell us more about Mary. Although Matthew and Luke both tell stories about the birth of Jesus, they tell these stories in very different ways. For example, in Matthew the Annunciation is made by an angel to Joseph, while in Luke the Annunciation is made by an angel to Mary. In Matthew’s Gospel, we are told that Joseph has dreams that reveal God’s will and allow him to keep Jesus safe from those who wish him harm. In Luke’s Gospel, we are told a great deal about Mary: She visits her cousin Elizabeth, sings a canticle of praise, receives foreboding words from a prophet, and “[keeps] all these things in her heart” (2:51). Joseph’s name peppers Matthew’s account, while Mary’s name is mentioned 12 times in Luke’s account!

3. Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus is dark in tone, already foreshadowing the cross. Another way Matthew’s infancy narratives differ from Luke’s is that they are very different in tone. In Matthew’s account, the cross—an event which we do not typically associate with the birth of Jesus—already looms over his infancy. A decidedly dark note is sounded in the jealousy of King Herod, who wants to “destroy” Jesus when he hears of the “newborn king of the Jews” (2:2; see 2:13). In a horrifying and violent scene, Herod orders the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem age two and under. The jealousy, deception, and death of innocents highlighted in Matthew’s account all foreshadow the cross of Jesus. Of course the Resurrection is also foreshadowed: The infant Jesus is saved from destruction by the plan of God and lives on to become the savior of his people. As usual God has the last word, and it is a victorious one.

4. Your manger scene at home is likely a combination of details from Matthew and Luke, as well as some traditions that are not in the Bible. If you’re looking for an interesting Advent activity, read the infancy narratives (Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2) and compare what you read with what you see in your manger scene. Which Gospel mentions a stable? Which one mentions the Magi? What about shepherds, camels, angels, a star, and a manger? You’ll find that many of these things are found in one Gospel but not both. You may even find that a few items in your manger scene are not mentioned at all; for example, your Magi may be wearing crowns, but there is no mention of “three kings”! This can be a fun and informative activity for families. It helps us distinguish between the two different accounts of the birth of Jesus and enhances our awareness and appreciation of the diversity found within Scripture.

5. Jesus was born into a family. We may take this fact for granted, but it is worth some reflection this Advent season. Jesus did not appear on earth out of nowhere. He wasn’t like Superman, landing in a pod sent from another world. Rather, the Son of God was born of a human mother, emerging from her womb and into her arms just like every other child, just like each of us. He felt cold and hunger; he cried for his mama just like we did. Jesus is one of us. As St. Paul wrote, “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). It is this reality—God with us—that is at the heart of the Advent season. 

(This article, which was originally published in Catholic Digest’s Bible in 5 column, is reproduced with the permission of Bayard, Inc. Reproduction of this material, in any form, requires the written permission of Bayard, Inc.)

Announcements:

• As many of you know, I’m taking a year off from speaking engagements, but I will be giving an Advent Evening of Reflection (with music by Brian Rucci) at St. Robert Bellarmine Church (52 S Elm St, Windsor Locks, CT) on Wed., Dec. 11, from 6:30-7:45 p.m. All are welcome! There is no cost and no need to RSVP.

• Sr. Lany Jo Smith, ASCJ, will be offering an Advent Afternoon of Reflection entitled “Mary: The Heart of Advent” with the Saint Ann Choir at Saint Ann Church (501 Naugatuck Ave, Milford CT) on Sun., Dec. 8, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. She’s a beautiful soul, and they’re a beautiful choir. You can’t go wrong here.

• Speaking of beautiful souls, if you’re looking for a nice Christmas gift for yourself or someone else, consider Benedictine Sister Macrina Wiederkehr’s new book The Flowing Grace of Now: Encountering Wisdom through the Weeks of the Year. If you’re familiar with Macrina’s work, you know she’s a fine teacher, a clear writer, and a mystical, prophetic voice. This is Macrina’s first book in a decade, and there’s no better time to start reading it than at the start of a new year. Sr. Macrina selects “52 Teachers”—one for every week of the year—to guide you to recognize and live the “flowing grace of now.” The teachers are biblical and creative—like blindness, simplicity, and silence. Weekly prayers and inspiring spiritual quotes finish out this beautiful little book. Find it here, and learn more about Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr here.

• And my Advent book is available on the Little Rock Scripture Study site with free shipping through Dec. 13 and bulk rates on 6+ books! Here it is.

• From my home to yours, may your Advent season be one of peace. May every light, and every gift, and every quiet moment, remind you of Christ.