The Good Catholic Life

Summary of today’s show: Today, April 2, marks the anniversary of the death of Blessed Pope John Paul II in 2005 and Scot Landry, Michael Lavigne, and Domenico Bettinelli discuss the legacy of the late Holy Father for the “John Paul generation,” including some of their personal memories of the pope they knew for their whole lives. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Michael Lavigne and Domenico Bettinelli Links from today’s show: Biography of Pope John Paul II Today’s topics: Reflections on Blessed John Paul II 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and noted that today is the anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II and we’ll talk about the impact of this Pope on what’s called the John Paul Generation. Scot welcomed Michael Lavigne and Domenico Bettinelli to the show. He said in the past couple months we’ve talked about Pope Benedict and Pope Francis a lot but there hasn’t been a lot of mention of John Paul and we’ll talk about him today. Scot, Michael, and Dom first related the times they first became aware of or encountered Pope John Paul II. Michael did through the book “Crossing the Threshold of Hope”; Dom remembered the visit of Pope John Paul II to Boston in 1979; and Scot remembered when Pope John Paul II was elected and how joyous his Polish neighbors in Lowell were at the election. They talked about his encounter with more than 1 billion people during his pontificate and the millions of who came to see him in Rome. Scot, Dom, and Michael all talked about the saints that Blessed John Paul named, including Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. 2nd segment: Scot discussed his three personal encounters with John Paul II as did Michael. Dom then talked about the story of his brother John and his family meeting the Holy Father, especially his two-year-old nephew. They discussed John Paul as the youth minister par excellence and how he preached to all as if they were themselves youth with profound hope. Scot and Michael and Dom discussed their favorite works by John Paul II: Novo Millenio Inuente, Evangelium Vitae, Familiaris Consortio, and Pastores dabo Vobis. The latter was on the proper formation of priests.

Summary of today’s show: On this Easter Monday, Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor look at Pope Francis’ two major Easter messages for us, his Easter vigil homily and his Urbi et Orbi Easter Sunday message. Pope Francis calls us to seek out the meaning of the Easter event for ourselves, to remember that Christ died and rose for us, to be grateful for the newness of life and grace we have been given, and to seek out, work for, and pray for peace in the world, especially for those suffering the slavery of human trafficking. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Links from today’s show: Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil homily Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi message Today’s topics: Pope Francis’ Easter message of Peace, Gratitude, and Remembrance 1st segment: Scot Landry wished everyone a Happy Easter. Today, Scot and Fr. Chris O’Connor will discuss Pope Francis’ message over Easter. Fr. Chris said Easter sunday was great and even the weather cooperated. Besides St. John’s Seminary, Fr. Chris celebrated Good Friday at St. John’s in Winthrop and on Sunday in Winthrop, East Boston, and Lincoln. They discussed the big crowds and how we should pray for all those who came this weekend who may not be attending Mass weekly that they come back. Fr. Chris said the tradition on Easter Monday in Poland is that people dump water on each other, and he said it has nothing to do with April Fools Day. He added that on Spy Wednesday, last Wednesday, Polish Catholics throw a dummy from the church steeple, representing Judas, and the youth kick the dummy around the town and finally dump it in the closest body of water. Scot said his focus today is thinking about how his life is different today after going through Lent and the Triduum. He should be different than he was before the beginning of Lent. Fr. Chris said we hear the expression that we are an Easter people, a people filled with Christ’s love and joy. We still carry all the same crosses and concerns we did a week ago, but we remind ourselves that Christ conquered all crosses. He said we need to remember that St. Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty. Reflecting on the fact of Christ’s resurrection, how can we not be an Easter people? Scot said there were a lot of changed spiritual and mental habits over Lent and there’s no reason he can’t continue them. He said it might be a good habit on each hour to remember and say, “Christ is truly risen, Alleluia” as a way to have this Easter joy. Scot said as Easter people we reflect on the grace and joy of Easter. Fr. Chris said when we say Alleluia, we are saying Praise the Lord. Saying that over and over changes us and focuses us. 2nd segment: Scot said today we are considering Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil homily and Urbi et Orbi message. First the homily: Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: “What happened?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” (cf. Lk 24:4). Doesn’t the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don’t understand, we don’t know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God’s surprises; we are afraid of God’s surprises! He always surprises us! Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him. Scot said it’s a beautiful beginning to the homily, connecting the Gospel to our own experiences of God surprising us. Fr. Chris compared it to losing a loved one, being dazed and confused, and yet life continues to unfold around us. Here’s he’s saying God has a new plan for us. He said Easter grace challenges us to live in a new way. Scot said the Holy Father asks us a question that we can pray on: What is the meaning of all this? How many times in our lives might we be called to step back and pray over that. Maybe we had a wonderful weekend with family or maybe we had the opposite. Maybe we were alone, maybe we’ve lost someone since last Easter, maybe family gatherings are fraught with uncomfortable moments. We can pray to have understanding and peace in order to do what God calls us to do. Fr. Chris said the pope points out that God is working on us through the Holy Spirit. He says let us not lose confidence, never give up. There are no sins that cannot be forgiven if we turn it over to him. Perseverance is the most important word for us here. But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn’t tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6). What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10). Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive! Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do. Scot said he likes the statements, the calls at the end: If to now you have kept Him at a distance, step forward, and He will receive you with open arms. It’s like children running to their parents. So many of us have kept God at a distance, thinking of him not as a Father, Brother, and personal Savior. Fr. Chris thinks of the Divine Mercy image with Christ coming before us with the rays extending from Him and the words, “Jesus, I Trust in you.” Jesus is alive and He desires our good. To let Him in close, He will make demands of us, like changing parts of our life that are comfortable, but shouldn’t be. Another call was to take a risk because you won’t be disappointed. Scot recalled the Carrie Underwood song, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”. So many of us want to remain in control of our own lives, but we need to let go a little bit and let him guide and push us forward. We actually put our trust into practice and ask Christ to lead us where we need to be for the rest of our lives. Fr. Chris said, “If God is distant, guess who moved.” God is always there calling to us and even if we don’t feel it, that doesn’t mean that Christ isn’t present. Scot asked us to reflect if we’re keeping Jesus at a distance and whether we’re willing to take a risk. There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: “they were terrified and bowed their faced to the ground”, Saint Luke tells us – they didn’t even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith. And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee… And they remembered his words” (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives. On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen. Scot said he thinks about the headline that could be on this homily and “Remember” could be the one-word headline. We need to remember actual grace and actual facts in how God transforms us. Fr. Chris said his word would be “Gratitude”. He thinks both go together and we can’t be Christians without being grateful to God for the fact God walked among us, was like us in all things but sin, suffered, died, and rose again to open the gates of heaven to us that had been closed. We should be grateful to his willingness to interject Himself into our lives. We give thanks to God every day. The word “Eucharist” itself means thanksgiving. Scot said Christ is fully alive today and if we step forward today and are willing to take the next step, Christ is waiting to give us a spiritual “hug”. Fr. Chris thought about the “newness that transforms” and thinks of the sacraments and how God meets us in these all the time. There is newness for First Communicants, newness for Confirmandi, newness for those coming into the Church this past weekend, the newness for a married couple. The newness transforms us from dead people into an Easter people. 3rd segment: Scot said now we’ll discuss Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi message, “to the City and the World” given in Rome on Easter sunday at noon. This is a traditional message each Easter. Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons … Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious! We too, like the women who were Jesus’ disciples, who went to the tomb and found it empty, may wonder what this event means (cf. Lk 24:4). What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom. Scot said the great Christian writers have talked about the spiritual desert where God calls us to the living water that is Jesus Christ.; Fr. Chris said St. John of the Cross talked about the dark night of the soul and that Mother Teresa talked about how she experienced God’s love only once in her life, but it was enough to move her and motivate her for her whole life. Fr. Chris said if we don’t feel the emotion, we just need to look at the cross and remind ourselves that He did that for me. He noted that the Pope said he wants to go to every home, hospital, prison to bring the Easter joy. Most of all he would like to enter every human heart. But Jesus is only going to enter our hearts if we invite him in. Fr, Chris recalled the Pope’s visit to the juvenile prison on Holy Thursday where he told a young man that he came because he felt it on his heart. The Holy Father loves the poor, but most of all he loves Christ. Scot said we should pray for the Lord to enter our heart and transform it. This same love for which the Son of God became man and followed the way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell - to the abyss of separation from God - this same merciful love has flooded with light the dead body of Jesus and transfigured it, has made it pass into eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God and he entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope. This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and his glory is the living man (cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4,20,5-7). Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). Scot said the Pope is talking about the Exodus reading in which God delivered the Jewish people from slavery through the Red Sea and the wilderness to the promised land. Fr. Chris said in Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol we see a radical change in Scrooge when he realizes his love for neighbor. It is through charity for neighbor that we express our love for God and experience a radical newness. Scot said to transform the world, we need to transform ourselves. So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ’s Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish. And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world. Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found? Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear. Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow. Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century. Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation. Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let Israel say: ‘His steadfast love endures for ever’” (Ps 117:1-2). Dear brothers and sisters, who have come from all over the world to this Square, the heart of Christianity, and all of you joining us via communications media, I renew my wishes for a Happy Easter! Bring to your families and your nations the message of joy of hope and peace that each year is powerfully renewed on this day. May the Risen Lord, who defeated sin and death, support us all especially the weakest and those most in need. Thank you for your presence and the witness of your faith. A thought and a particular thanks for the gift of these beautiful flowers from the Netherlands. I affectionately repeat to all of you: May the Risen Christ guide you and all humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace! Scot noted that Pope Francis repeated that human trafficking is the most extensive form of slavery in the twenty-first century and like Pope John Paul’s desire to end the Cold War, this may be Pope Francis’ priority of justice. Fr. Chris noted the emphasis on the Middle East and Africa as especially needing peace. He’s calling the entire world, not just Catholics, to pay attention and pray and work to end these conflicts. Scot said he has gratitude to God that we live in a country that has been blessed with peace more so than many other countries.

Due to some production technical difficulty, the first 1.5 minutes of the show were not recorded today. We apologize for the inconvenience. Summary of today’s show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, and Gregory Tracy review the headlines of the week, including Pope Francis’ historic meeting with his predecessor Benedict XVI; his decision not to move into the Apostolic Palace, but to stay in the simple quarters of the Domus Sancta Martae; his pre-conclave address to the General Congregation of cardinals; the annual recognition of two Boston priests; and reflections on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Pope Francis meets Benedict; Stays in his simple quarters; His pre-conclave remarks to the cardinals; Holy Thursday and Good Friday 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show as we begin the Sacred Triduum with Holy Thursday. Scot welcomed Gregory Tracy to the show and noted that as an adult convert he came into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Scot said the only Mass on Holy Thursday in this diocese is in the evening at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Susan Abbott spoke about her preparations for the Sacred Triduum as well. Scot said the world’s attention is still focused on Pope Francis. He said last Saturday Pope Francis traveled to Castel Gandolfo to meet with Benedict XVI and he commented how frail Benedict looked. He said they prayed together in the chapel and had a private meeting. “Pope Francis meets retired Pope Benedict, says ‘we’re brothers’”, Catholic News Service, 3/25/13 Greg said no other pope has had a predecessor to turn to ever like this. He said in essence, it’s like when a bishop or archbishop has a living predecessor around so it’s not completely unusual. Yet, it’s good to have someone to talk to about a unique circumstance of being pope and the reports say they have talked several times on the phone. Greg said that Benedict looks so frail that he wonders if he was keeping up a brave front, keeping private how frail he was. He also noted how when they prayed, Pope Francis didn’t take his place of primacy in the chapel, but said that as brothers they would kneel next to each other. He said without the secular papal monarchy of the past, it lets him leave behind many of the trappings of monarchy. Scot said another conspicuous element of the meeting in the photos was a big box of papers sitting between them that hasn’t been explained. Some reports have said that it was a 300-page memo that Benedict wrote to Pope Francis, like a transition memo. Susan Abbott repeated that it was startling to see the frailty of Benedict and that it was a special moment between the two men when they knelt together. Scot said Pope Francis didn’t have much time to jump into Holy Week after being elected even as it is the busiest week of the year. “Pope Francis to live in Vatican guesthouse, not papal apartments”, Catholic News Service, 3/26/13 It’s also been announced that Pope Francis has chosen not to move into the Apostolic Palace, where popes have lived since 1903, but to stay in the Domus Sancta Martae. Scot said he was surprised he was going to live in the Domus. Susan said he had said he wanted to live in community and that many parish priests say themselves that living along is very lonely and it must be even more so for the pope. She said a friend has stayed there and reported that it is comfortable but simple. Scot noted that Pope Francis has celebrated Mass there with Vatican gardeners and cleaners and wants to continue to say public Masses. Greg Tracy reported that Antonio Enrique, the editor of the Pilot, once stayed in Room 201 of the Domus, the suite where the Pope is now living. Greg said Antonio was traveling with Cardinal Seán and the other rooms were all filled up and this was the only room left even though it wasn’t supposed to be given out. Greg said there’s a small receiving room with a desk and chair, about the size of a medium-sized office. Right off that is a bedroom and bathroom and that’s it. Very sparse and simple. Scot said we also have to have Fr. Jonathan Gaspar on the show to talk about how he ran into Pope Francis in the Domus and had one of the first private audiences with the Holy Father. Greg said it fits with the personality of the Pope that we’ve learned about, which is that he doesn’t want to be cut off from the common man. He said his concern is perhaps for the Pope’s security. Scot said when Pope Francis was given the tour of the Apostolic Palace he was heard to remark that 300 people could live there. Greg did point out that the Pope will continue to work in the Apostolic Palace each day and give the Angelus address each Sunday from its window. Scot predicted that Pope Francis will be living in the Apostolic Palace within two years for security reasons and for the sake of his successors who will live there one day. “The Last Words of Bergoglio Before the Conclave”, Sandro Magister, L’Espresso In the next story, before the conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio gave a talk to the General Congregations like the other cardinals. Afterward, the cardinal from Havana received the notes he spoke from and after the conclave asked Pope Francis to publish them and received permission. In it, he made four points about evangelization. Evangelizing implies apostolic zeal. Evangelizing presupposes in the Church the “parresia” of coming out from itself. The Church is called to come out from itself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographical, but also existential: those of the mystery of sin, of suffering, of injustice, those of ignorance and of the absence of faith, those of thought, those of every form of misery. When the Church does not come out from itself to evangelize it becomes self-referential and gets sick (one thinks of the woman hunched over upon herself in the Gospel). The evils that, in the passing of time, afflict the ecclesiastical institutions have a root in self-referentiality, in a sort of theological narcissism. In Revelation, Jesus says that he is standing at the threshold and calling. Evidently the text refers to the fact that he stands outside the door and knocks to enter… But at times I think that Jesus may be knocking from the inside, that we may let him out. The self-referential Church presumes to keep Jesus Christ within itself and not let him out. The Church, when it is self-referential, without realizing it thinks that it has its own light; it stops being the “mysterium lunae” and gives rise to that evil which is so grave, that of spiritual worldliness (according to De Lubac, the worst evil into which the Church can fall): that of living to give glory to one another. To simplify, there are two images of the Church: the evangelizing Church that goes out from itself; that of the “Dei Verbum religiose audiens et fidenter proclamans” [the Church that devoutly listens to and faithfully proclaims the Word of God - editor’s note], or the worldly Church that lives in itself, of itself, for itself. This should illuminate the possible changes and reforms to be realized for the salvation of souls. Thinking of the next Pope: a man who, through the contemplation of Jesus Christ and the adoration of Jesus Christ, may help the Church to go out from itself toward the existential peripheries, that may help it to be the fecund mother who lives “by the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.” Scot said it can be seen to criticize the Church today of looking inward to much rather than outward to where people live, in their minds and physically. This must have influenced some of the cardinals in electing him. Greg said he didn’t see it as a criticism. Yes, the Church always has human flaws and frailty, but when there have been problems with the Church we have tended to look to our own interests and our own well-being, rather than to turn outward to go out to the whole world. Scot said Christianity is a movement of coming to Christ and going out into the world, never to be stagnant. Susan said she loves the repetition by the then-Cardinal about “sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing” in the opening and closing of the address. Susan said she was talking to Fr. Paul Soper recently who reflected that the apostles were cowering in fear in the upper room, but when the Holy Spirit came they went out with apostolic zeal and never returned. Scot reflected that many cardinals who weren’t in the 2005 conclave didn’t know Cardinal Bergoglio and so perhaps what he said in the General Congregations made the cardinals think he was the right man for the papacy at this time. Pope Francis said in his Chrism Mass homily to Rome’s priests is that he wants them to go out to where the people are, not just to stay in their churches and rectories. In Buenos Aires, he had encouraged priests to say Mass in places where the people are if they found it difficult to get to the church. The Church needs to go out and find the lost sheep rather than wait for them to come back to the parish. 2nd segment: Scot said earlier this week, Cardinal Seán celebrated Palm Sunday Mass at the cathedral and on Tuesday, the Chrism Mass, along with hundreds of priests and many Catholic school students. Chrism Mass photos by George Martell Cardinal Seán’s Chrism Mass homily Palm Sunday photos by George Martell Cardinal Seán’s Palm Sunday homily Scot said after the Chrism Mass, there is typically the announcement of honors for two priests. Fr. Arnold Colletti, who has served 51 years, is pastor in Lexington, and Fr. John Sheridan, pastor of St. James, Salem, who will be moving to Middleboro-Lakeville-Rochester as part of Phase 1 of Disciples in Mission. Scot read the words of Cardinal Seán: “We honor a couple as a way of saying thanks to all of you for your generous service of God’s people, fur the selfless ministry that makes the Good Shepherd’s love: and pastoral care present and visible among us.” “I thank you for all of your support, fur your prayers. I am so proud co be your bishop and so lucky to be your bishop, and hope that all of you will have a glorious Holy Week. Know that each day during Holy Week, and every day of the year, I lift all of you up in prayer. God bless all of you. Thank you for being Catholic priests,” Cardinal O’Malley said Greg noted that the honors are not for particular acts, but that they have lived the priesthood faithfully and that the honor could go to many more priests. Scot said the priests who win the awards are always holy, happy, and healthy in terms of their relationships with their parishes. Greg noted that Fr. Colletti joked that the award he really wanted was to be the next Archbishop of Boston. Scot said tonight will be the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. On this night, Jesus instituted the priesthood and the Eucharist. He taught us all what it means to be a disciple, not in places of honor, but in places of service. He noted that the liturgy doesn’t end, but that the Eucharist is processed for silent adoration in a place of recession. Greg said growing up he had neither priesthood nor Eucharist and so he has come to understand what a great gift these are. He was given a gift that had always been there but he had never known. Scot said tomorrow is Good Friday, which we call Good because we recognize that through the cross we have received eternal joy. We can venerate that cross ourselves on Good Friday. Susan said we can’t take a shortcut to the empty tomb, nor should we stay fixed on Good Friday. Tomorrow’s The Good Catholic Life will be pre-empted by EWTN’s coverage of Good Friday at the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Summary of today’s show: The climactic moment of not just Holy Week but of the whole liturgical year comes at the Easter Vigil, a liturgy filled with all the richest signs, symbols, and mysteries of the Christian faith. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams talk with Fr. Paul Soper about the four distinct parts of the Vigil Mass: the Liturgy of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. If you’ve never been to the Easter vigil, you owe it to yourself to experience the fullness of the liturgical life of the Catholic faith. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Fr. Paul Soper Today’s topics: Exploring the Mysteries of the Easter Vigil 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and noted that today marks the last day of Lent. Fr. Matt said he thinks of it as Spy Wednesday because the readings focus on Judas’ betrayal. Scot said today’s show will focus on Easter Vigil which he considers the high point of the Church year. This Mass is truly special and we will discuss it with the hope that people who haven’t been or haven’t been in a long time will attend. Fr. Matt said this Mass is our Super Bowl. If you ever wanted to know what it means to be fully Catholic, this liturgy is the one. Scot and Fr. Matt welcomed Fr. Paul Soper to the show. Scot asked him what he loves about the Easter vigil. He said he loves the richness of the symbolism, like a giant bonfire or lots of flowing water for baptisms, the Easter candle, the Exsultet. The readings of Easter night are the best of the whole year. The Easter Vigil has four liturgies. Fr. Paul said it begins with the Liturgy of Light, lighting the fire, blessing the flame, lighting the candles. The liturgy of the Word is seven readings and psalms, the Gloria, a New Testament reading, the Gospel and the homily. Then the Liturgy of Baptism, whether for new people entering the Church or people renewing their baptismal vows. Finally, the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Scot said his kids always sit in the back pew for the Liturgy of Light to get the candles lit first and pass it on to others. Fr. Paul said he loves the big bonfire to represent the love of God bursting into the world, like the stone covering the entrance to Christ’s tomb being blasted off at the Resurrection. Our spreading of the Gospel bursts into a world enshrouded in darkness. Scot talked of the new Paschal Candle that is blessed at the Easter Vigil and how at every funeral over the next year, the casket will be placed next to it. Fr. Paul said death is the fulfillment of the promises of baptism and so all the symbols of baptism are present, like the candle, baptismal water, the white shroud. At the end of the procession with the Paschal Candle, the Deacon or priest chants the Exsultet. Fr. Matt said he’s chanted the Exsultet once as a deacon and then once as a parochial vicar. He talked about practicing it over and over again before his first time so he could sing and pray it from his heart. Scot said the Exsultet is something to think and pray about during the Triduum. Fr. Paul said it is a prayer calling all of heaven and earth to exult in the beautiful events of this night and then focuses on the Easter Candle itself. They then played the Exsultet as sung by Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, Director of the Office of Worship. Easter Proclamation - Exsultet - Sung by Fr. Jonathan Gaspar Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven, exult, let Angel ministers of God exult, let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph! Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal King, let all comers of the earth be glad, knowing an end to gloom and darkness. Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice, arrayed with the lightning of his glory, let this holy building shake with joy, filled with the mighty voices of the peoples (Therefore, dearest friends, standing in the awesome glory of this holy light, invoke with me, I ask you, the mercy of God almighty, that he, who has been pleased to number me, though unworthy, among the Levites, may pour into me his light unshadowed, that I may sing this candle’s perfect praises). (V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.) V. Lift up your hearts. R. We lift them up to the Lord. V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is right and just. It is truly right and just, with ardent love of mind and heart and with devoted service of our voice, to acclaim our God invisible, the almighty Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord, his Son, his Only Begotten. Who for our sake paid Adam’s debt to the eternal Father, and, pouring out his own dear Blood, wiped clean the record of our ancient sinfulness. These, then, are the feasts of Passover, in which is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb, whose Blood anoints the doorposts of believers. This is the night, when once you led our forebears, Israel’s children, from slavery in Egypt and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea. This is the night that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of sin. This is the night that even now, throughout the world, sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace and joining them to his holy ones. This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld. Our birth would have been no gain, had we not been redeemed. O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer! Scot interrupted this first part. He said the last two couplets are his favorite part. Fr. Paul said it’s a starkly honest theology in the midst of this beautiful poetry. We’ve done deadly things and are living under a sentence of condemnation and so what we need is someone to die for us. We’re not afraid to put our history and metaphysics in the same package. Scot added that he loves the repetition of “this is the night”, which reminds us that this was one night that changed the world. This isn’t a myth or fable. It’s a real night from 2,000 years ago. Fr. Matt recalls attending an Easter vigil as an altar server, yet not understanding the Easter joy. It wasn’t until his early 20s that the experience of this holy night was radically changed forever for him. As we come to the point of the darkness of Good Friday and emptiness of Holy Saturday, the light burst forth in the Vigil and changes everything. He said the holy building shakes with joy because it is filled with mighty voices of the people. Fr. Paul said one doesn’t become that by possessing an idea. The early Church were witnesses to an event that changed the world. Fr. Paul said he has a particular fondness for the description of the Easter candle as the work of bees. All of creation has worked together to strive so that God can be glorified. But if I don’t go, then their work is somehow in vain. If I go, it fulfills not just me, but them and what they were created to be. O truly blessed night, worthy alone to know the time and hour when Christ rose from the underworld! This is the night of which it is written: The night shall be as bright as day, dazzling is the night for me, and full of gladness. The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty. On this, your night of grace, O holy Father, accept this candle, a solemn offering, the work of bees and of your servants’ hands, an evening sacrifice of praise, this gift from your most holy Church. But now we know the praises of this pillar, which glowing fire ignites for God’s honor, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious. O truly blessed night, when things of heaven are wed to those of earth, and divine to the human. Therefore, O Lord, we pray you that this candle, hallowed to the honor of your name, may persevere undimmed, to overcome the darkness of this night. Receive it as a pleasing fragrance, and let it mingle with the lights of heaven. May this flame be found still burning by the Morning Star: the one Morning Star who never sets, Christ your Son, who, coming back from death’s domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity, and lives and reigns for ever and ever. R. Amen. Fr. Matt said his favorite part was that our birth would have been no gain if we weren’t redeemed. Jesus was born to die so we could have eternal life. And then: O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! For a biological dad to give away your son in order that everyone could have life would speak to a profound love. That is the love of Jesus Christ and the image of the unseen God. Scot said after the Exsultet is seven Old Testament readings, although parishes can have 3 if they choose. Scot said these 7 readings are the essential readings of Salvation History. Fr. Paul said the readings are from Genesis, Exodus, Baruch, Ezekiel, Isaiah. We start by hearing that God created the world and it was good, which is not always obvious to people. The created world is not evil. The next is the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham showing his faithfulness to God. God stops the sacrifice and will give His own Son for the sacrifice. The third reading is the passage through the Red Sea, which is filled with drama. This evokes the sacrament of baptism. When you go under water it’s like you died and are entombed and then you come up it’s like being alive again. The passage of Israel through the Red Sea is a rebirth. It’s directly connected to the cross. He noted that the Easter vigil is the normative time for baptism. Now we have two passages from Isaiah which have promises made to the people of Israel in exile. There is no temple, no sacrifice, no priesthood anymore. Isaiah tells the people that God hasn’t forgotten them. Then the second Isaiah passage asks why people are running after things that can’t satisfy. The reading from Baruch speaks of the fountain of wisdom and then Ezekiel speaks of a new heart and a new spirit. Scot said at this point we hear the Gloria, which is after the Old Testament readings, but before the New Testament readings. This is unlike other Masses. Fr. Paul said this liturgy reminds us that this moment of the Resurrection is the pivot point of all human history. This is the moment when the church’s lights come on, the flowers are brought out, trumpets are played. The liturgy is the foretaste and promise of heaven. Before it was dark and we were listening in hope and now it is after and we are experiencing the glory. The Epistle to the Romans talks of baptism and the Gospel talks of the discovery of the empty tomb. This is followed by the baptismal liturgy. Fr. Paul said the first experience of the Christian community of the Resurrection was the empty tomb. The Resurrection was not just a spiritual phenomenon, but it was much more. Jesus was dead and now He’s alive. It’s clear that the burial clothes were thrown aside, unlike Lazarus who had been wrapped in burial clothes. Lazarus will die again, but Jesus will never die again. Death has been vanquished. Sin and death are the same reality and the vanquishing of one is the vanquishing of the other. The final power of sin over us has been broken. Scot said as a cradle Catholic, he didn’t choose baptism, first communion, or confirmation, so he loves to see adults who have themselves come to understand the truths of the Catholic faith and choosing to become Catholic. It makes him ask if how he’s choosing to live his own faith. Scot said we renew many of the baptismal promises and things of our profession of faith which is especially significant this year during this Year of Faith. Following all this, we have the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Fr. Paul said the Eucharist derives its meaning from the Easter mysteries. St. John shows this in the scene when the soldier pierces Christ’s side and blood and water is poured out for us. Fr. Matt thought about this as the coming together as the family of God, fed at the table of the Lord, and sent forth to bring that our other brothers and sister so they can take part next year.

Summary of today’s show: The Chrism Mass on Tuesday of Holy Week each year is one of the biggest single gatherings of the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston each year and in it Cardinal Seán often gives a very strong homily to encourage his priests. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor were joined today by Fr. Bill Kelly and Fr. Joe Scorzello to talk about the importance of the Mass to the priests and Cardinal Seán’s reflections on the conclave and comparing it to the openness required of priests who give themselves over to the Holy Spirit. Also, Scot talks to the boys from the Archdiocesan Choir School about their experience singing at the Mass. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Fr. Bill Kelly and Fr. Joe Scorzello Links from today’s show: Cardinal Seán’s homily and photos All of George Martell’s photos from the Chrism Mass Boston Archdiocesan Choir School Today’s topics: The Chrism Mass, the Choir School, and Cardinal Seán’s homily 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross where Cardinal Seán celebrated the annual Chrism Mass with the priests of the Archdiocese. the Cardinal gives a significant homily to the priests and consecrates new holy oils for all the parishes. Scot said this year many Catholic schools were invited to attend the Mass, including The Archdiocesan Choir School. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed the boys from the choir school and music director John Robinson. He asked John where the boys have been singing in this their 50th anniversary year. He said they sing a range of events, including Christmas concerts in Salem, Norwell, Newport, Rhode Island, and even Carnegie Hall. Today the choir school was to sing the Gloria, an Ave Verum Corpus and another, alongside the Cathedral Festival Choir. Christian Landry, Scot’s son who is part of the choir, said it was a great honor to sing for the cardinal’s Mass. He said singing for all the priests of the archdiocese is a little bit of a nerve=wracking experience but will prepare them to sing for large audiences later in life. Christian said he loves the teachers and students. Another student, Thomas Potts, said the teachers push them to succeed and learn. Scot asked John about what it’s like to be the only Catholic choir school in the country. John said it’s an amazing responsibility because they’re training the future tenors and cantors and even boys who will become priests. It’s a model that Europe has shown to work over many centuries. They’re showing it works by the way the boys sing and are being educated. Scot said the school’s annual gala will be June 1. John said it’s a very important evening financially for the school, but it’s great fun as well because the boys are singing in a light jazzy style as well. John said having come into the Church with his wife as an adult, the Chrism Mass is very special for him and especially this year with the Cardinal having come back to us in Boston. 3rd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chris O’Connor to the show. Fr. Chris said it was a beautiful Mass that showed the unity of priests, bishops and laity. Scot welcomed Fr. Joe Scorzello who said it’s one of the largest Chrism Masses he can remember with many older and younger priests gathered together in a sign of unity and a boost for morale. Fr. Bill Kelly, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Dedham, was welcomed by Scot. Fr. Bill said the Cardinal was at the front door greeting each priest as they came in and it was moving for many of them who haven’t been able to see him since the conclave. Fr. Bill said this year the anointing of the oil of the sick was moving for him this year as he recalled all the sick he goes to in hospital and nursing homes, including his own father recently. He said they probably use the anointings more than 100 times per year, including more and more recently to people’s homes. Fr. Chris said in this Mass all of the oils used for all of the sacraments throughout the Archdiocese this year were consecrated today. The men to be ordained in May carried the oils up to Cardinal Seán. All of the catechumens to be welcomed into the Church on Saturday and all the babies to be baptized will have those oils used to anoint them. Another moving moment was when Bishop Robert Deeley read the names of all the priests who died this year, reminding that the bonds of the priesthood never die. The unity among them exists not just among the priests, but among the parishes too. This is a Mass about unity between all and their bishop. All of the priests also renew their vows and stay committed to their promise to remain faithful to the Lord and faithful to the bishop. Fr. Scorzello said the lists of names take even greater meaning as he gets older. He’s known many of them for years and some he was even an altar server for. He said the Mass is usually celebrated on Holy Thursday and by exception on another day and is focused on the presbyterate as Holy Thursday is as well. Scot said outside of ordinations, it’s the largest gathering of priests. Fr. Bill said the Mass and the renewal of vows recalls for him his original vows at his ordination. Like any promise, you don’t know how living those promises will be lived out and so saying it again makes him reflect. He said the closing hymn, “Oh Good Beyond All Praising” talks of all the joys and challenges we have as Christians and has the great line, “yet strive to follow still.” He said he finds it consoling knowing that he will die and is being asked to live his life serving as a priest. Scot said having all the Catholic school kids there made it much like the whole church from young to old and he thought of all the young boys who may one day be priests and one of them may one day be reading the name of Fr. Bill or Fr. Chris or Fr. Joe. Fr. Chris said he was struck by the young woman who did an incredible job proclaiming the Second Reading at Mass. Fr. Bill said the faces on the kids reflected all the hundreds of priests and how they realized that the Catholic Church is so much bigger than they imagined. Fr. Chris said as he saw all the priests and all the young people gathered, he was struck by the Psalm “Forever I will sing of the goodness of the Lord”, particularly for priests to be reminded to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and to tell people even in their darkest hour of the goodness of God. Scot said Cardinal Seán might work on this homily as much as he does on any homily all year. He said Cardinal Seán started with some humor reflecting on the conclave: The whole pre-Conclave atmosphere where I was leading in the Italian polls was quite surrealistic. I thought of St. Patrick who was of a Roman family living in Britain. Patrick was an Irish wanabee, he was actually an Italian kidnapped by Irish pirates. I was worried that the Italians were trying to get even. Actually, I was very touched by the Italian people’s enthusiasm for your Archbishop. Needless to say, I am very happy and relieved to be back home in Boston. The whole experience of the Conclave was extraordinary. I felt very close to all of you. I knew that we were united in prayer, praying that the Holy Spirit guide our Church in this important decision. Like the first Christians praying intensely before choosing St. Matthias to be an apostle, to fill the vacancy and to pass on the office of Apostle. Scot said it’s Cardinal Seán’s first mention of the enthusiasm for him in Italy. He said his own experience in Rome was that the regular folk were all for him. Scot noted that Cardinal Seán told reporters he was most looking forward to going home to celebrate the Chrism Mass. Fr. Scorzello said the theme of the Cardinal’s homily was one of continuity, whether it was the continuity of the papacy or the continuity of the Church in Boston. He also spoke of the continuity of the formation and growth of the priest throughout his life. He said Metropolitan Methodius’ words at the end of Mass was the fulfillment of that continuity. Scot said the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan expressed his hope for unity between West and East. Here in Boston, we must see ourselves as the continuation of the Church of the Acts of the Apostles, with so many dramatic challenges, we must cultivate a deep trust in the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and unite us. As we work to implement the Pastoral Plan, it cannot be just about strategy or techniques, but about our own deep awareness of God’s loving presence in our Church. All of our discussions and planning, like the work of the pre-Conclave Congregations and the Conclave itself, needs to take place in that atmosphere of prayer and trust in God’s love for us. Scot said as he was hearing that, he thought that he wants the awareness of the palpable presence of the Holy Spirit to be part of everything we do in the Archdiocese of Boston. Fr. Bill said when you’re coming to the work of the Gospel from a sense of poverty, you’re depending wholly on the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to get caught up in the mechanics of pastoral planning, but this homily brings us back to the sense of hope and trust and if we do commit ourselves to where the Holy Spirit leads, these other things will get worked out. There’s a deeper power to what the Church has to do. Scot said Cardinal Seán reflected on the uncertainty facing priests with the pastoral plan compared to the uncertainty of the cardinals entering the conclave. As my brother Cardinals and I entered the Conclave, we did not know what the outcome would be or what the future would hold. We were called to make ourselves available for the mission of the Church. Our pastors in the first phase of pastoral planning have likewise been called to make themselves available for mission, without knowing what the outcome would be as once again they responded, “adsum”. The Archdiocese is greatly blessed by their dedication, commitment and example of selfless service as we embark on the journey of rebuilding our parishes and welcoming the faithful back to active participation in the life of our Church. We want our Pastoral Planning, like the Conclave in Rome, to be a Pentecost moment in this Year of Faith. Scot said we like to know that our leader knows what it’s like to walk in our shoes and the cardinal knows that uncertainty. Fr. Chris said the Chrism Mass is usually on Holy Thursday because it’s the day that Christ instituted not only the Eucharist but also the priesthood. When the man to be ordained to the priesthood lies prostrate on the cathedral floor, he is giving himself completely to whatever the Church needs of him, whether parish priest or pope. Scot said it’s tough sometimes for priests to focus on what they know they need to do, but have difficulty finding time to do. Fr. Joe said it’s easy to get busy in the parish, but there has to be time set aside each day for prayer, reflection of Sacred Scripture and study of the sacred sciences. That’s continuing formation that makes them receptive to the Holy Spirit and receptive to receive the will of God as spoken through the Church’s needs. A thing is received according to the ability of the recipient to receive them. Fr. Bill assisted Cardinal Seán in ongoing formation of priests before becoming pastor of St. Mary’s. Scot asked what parishioners can do to help priests work on their ongoing formation. Fr. Bill said encouragement is key. The parishioners who work closest with the pastor who recognize the need of the priest to step back. People need to be understanding of the need of the pastor not to be responsive at every moment. He said he knows a priest who every year those closest to him tell him that he needs to go on retreat. Working in a parish can give you tunnel vision and you need someone to help you see what you need to make time for. Scot said he’ll remember the analogy made by Cardinal Seán between a husband kissing his wife each day with a priest kissing the altar each day, as in celebrating the Mass. Fr. Chris said it brings home to the layman the commitment of the priest to the Church. He liked as well that he referenced the fact that not only is kissing the altar is a public reality, but it’s also a very private reality. The Eucharist should be the fire, zeal, energy for the priest to go out and do his ministry. Once a priest, you’re always a priest. The most important thing a priest can do is reverence the altar and begin the celebration of the Mass. Scot said Cardinal Seán also talked about the priest being a model of the Church’s preferential option for the poor. Fr. Joe said concern for the poor is an Evangelical virtue. It comes out of the celebration of the Eucharist and what it means, the giving over of oneself for everyone. Looking back on the election of Pope Francis and the Italians’ love of St. Francis, what was Francis’ focus but the love of the poor and God’s love of the poor. Francis reminded us of the poverty that Christ accepted when he accepted human nature. We can poor both materially and spiritually. Christ came to save the human person, body and soul. We have to be attentive to all aspects of the person, body and soul. Cardinal ended by imploring all the priests to be unified, not to mention the call for unity with Metropolitan Methodius. We need to continually state the need for unity. Fr. Bill said the Gospel of John reminds us of Jesus’ prayer that we all may be one. That’s not just for ecumenical work, but also within the Church. The idea of the priestly life flowing from the altar holds everything together. Love is unitive. Scot asked what else happens after the Chrism Mass. Fr. Chris said there’s the reality of seeing all their brother priests, working in all places, in all sizes, shapes, colors, and ages, but all called with their unique gifts to serve Christ as priests. Fr. Scorzello spoke of this mother who is 93 years old and he carries the oils of anointing with him all the time because he never knows when she might need him to anoint her. There’s a unity in the sacraments of the Church through these oils. Fr. Bill said he’s a choir school graduate and the song they sang after Communion was the song he was singing when he received his call to the priesthood, “Greater Love” by John Ireland. Fr. Chris said Holy Week is the best week every year.

Summary of today’s show: Cardinal Seán O’Malley started Holy Week with Palm Sunday Mass in which he declared we are all “Ashes and Palms Catholics”. Scot Landry, Fr. Mark O’Connell, and Michael Lavigne reflect on Cardinal Seán’s homily and what it means to live the ashes of sacrifice and the palms of victory from Ash Wednesday to Easter and beyond. Cardinal Seán also reflects on the 30th anniversary of the murder of his friend, Archbishop Oscar Romero in El Salvador and the significance of his sacrifice for today. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Michael Lavigne Today’s topics: Palm Sunday reflection on Cardinal Seán’s homily 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show and noted that today begins Holy Week, which is the biggest week of the year. He said to imagine you have one week to live and how would you prepare and live that week? Today we will begin with hearing what Cardinal Seán at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for Palm Sunday Mass. First, he welcomed Fr. Mark O’Connell to the show, who noted that he celebrated Mass with the cloistered Carmelite sisters in West Roxbury for a nearly two hour Mass. Fr. Mark said he preached two homilies in the Mass, the first on Christ riding into Jerusalem on a colt and the second on the image of Benedict and Francis praying before an icon that evokes John Paul II. He said that he said that John Paul showed us how to die, Benedict showed us how to let go and Francis shows us how to live. He also welcomed Michael Lavigne to the show and asked him what tonight’s Catholic Faith Essentials at http://www.bostoncatholiclive.com will be about at 7pm and Michael said it will be about the Easter Vigil and its place in our life of faith. Scot introduced Cardinal Seán’s Palm Sunday homily. He started by referencing “A&P Catholics”, i.e. Ashes and Palm Catholics. He encouraged people to become frequent flyers at Sunday Mass because the rewards are out of this world. He noted the importance of the signs of ashes and palms to be signs of conversion and our mortality. He said that St. Luke organizes his whole gospel around a journey, of Jesus to Jerusalem. Scot stopped and spoke to any “A&P Catholics” who are listening to invite them to come home, no matter how long it’s been. Fr. Mark said this is an opportunity for those who do go to Mass to practice our faith by evangelizing our neighbor. If we see someone in the church we haven’t seen in a while, then say hello. Greet them. How much more likely are they to come back to Mass if they are treated with a smile. Scot compared it to a family reuniting over Easter dinner for the first time in many years. We shouldn’t be like the jealous brother of the Prodigal Son if someone takes “our” seat in the pew on Sunday. Michael said people are going to looking for seats on Sunday. The churches will be jam-packed with people who haven’t come for a while. He noted how difficult it is for people to find a seat. He encouraged people to slide in their pews, let people know there are seats available and welcome them in. Scot said Cardinal Seán talks of stones in the next section: He talks about the phrase: “The stones would cry out” Hosanna if the disciples did not. This occurred near the Mount of Olives where many Jews are buried and it is Jewish custom to place stones on a grave when visiting them. He talked about stones in the Scripture, like the stones used to kill St. Stephen. The stones might cry out for Jesus or be used to attack. Likewise, the people who were crying Hosanna on Palm Sunday would later either abandon Jesus or themselves be crying out for his death. Scot said as a church of living stones, where called to cry out Hosanna to Jesus as a witness to the world. Fr. Mark said the road of the Christian life is full of joy, but the cross is always at the end of it. He said so many like the triumphal entrance, but a lot of living the life of a Catholic is sacrificial and living the cross that leads to the ultimate joy of heaven. Michael said Pope Francis yesterday offered the three words of joy, the cross, and youth. We need to be people of joy who embrace the cross in our lives and thus we can be a source of hope for people struggling to pick up the cross in their lives. The New Evangelization is one person at a time or one little stone at a time. Scot noted that Cardinal Seán spoke of fair-weather friends of Jesus and we are often fair weather friends, especially when we have other things we’d rather do than be with Christ. Fr. Mark said we’ve been impressed by the faith and humility of Pope Francis and we have learned that he has not had an easy life in Argentina: politics, struggles within the Church, economics, and more. God calls us to be tested and the reward is peace. The next section of Cardinal Seán’s homily concerns St. Peter and his denial of Christ. He said one of the principal tasks of the Petrine ministry is to unite us in faith. Jesus chooses Peter, a simple man, to lead his Church. He chronicles all of Peter’s failings and then how he redeemed himself later in life. Scot said if we think we’re unworthy or should be unwelcome in the church, all we have to do is think of St. Peter. If Jesus can build the Church on Peter, then there is so much than Jesus can do with us. Fr. Mark recalls Peter walking on water to Christ and how he began to sink when he took his eyes off of Jesus. We start on our faith life full of joy and hope, but then we realize that the life of faith is difficult and a struggle and that’s when we could take our eyes off of Jesus. Michael said our faith is a real faith and gritty. God gets in the middle of the muddiness of the world. We often start Lent with great plans, but we can fall off of that plan. The beauty of Lent is getting back up and trying again. Fr. Mark took the opportunity to plug the Scavi tour in Rome. If you visit Rome, make a reservation ahead of time for a tour of the excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica, which is an ancient cemetery in which St. Peter was buried. Scot said to go on the on the North American College’s website and look for information there. Pontifical North American College Information on the Scavi tour Cardinal Seán then continued in talking about the election of Pope Francis. He talked about St. Francis of Assisi as a man of peace and a man who loved the poor. Scot said Cardinal Seán is moved by the choice of the name of Francis and how he has focused on calling us to serve the poor and live as brothers and sisters in Christ. Scot has been thinking more about how he should be doing more to serve the poor. Fr. Mark talked about Pope Francis celebrating Mass for the cleaners and gardeners in the Vatican in the other day and one of them said, “We are invisible, but he saw us.” We are called to seek out the invisible. Michael said we have to stop every once in a while, turn everything else, allow God to transform and convert us, in order to see the invisible around us. Scot said Cardinal Seán reflects on how the Spanish-speaking New World is giving the world its new pope. Scot noted that more than 50 percent of Catholics under the age of 25 in the US comes from a Spanish-speaking household or from a Spanish-speaking country. That indicates that God has a plan related to this fact. Cardinal Seán continued by speaking of ashes and palms. Ashes of repentance and palms of victory. Martyrs are depicted as carrying palms. Martyrs are witnesses to Jesus. He noted that yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, El Salvador, for opposing violence. His funeral was celebrated on Palm Sunday in the largest gathering ever in that country’s history. The army opened fire on the crowd and people ran and all that was left behind in the plaza were shoes, sandals, and palm branches. Cardinal Seán also noted that today’s palms will be burned for next year’s ashes. We are on a journey always returning to the beginning. We can always start again. We relive the sacrifice of Calvary and we relive the joy of Easter, Jesus’ victory over death. Scot talked about Cardinal Seán’s emotion over the death of his friend, Romero. Fr. Mark said the movie “Romero” is incredibly powerful and especially at this time of year. Scot said Cardinal Seán tied that into Holy Week as we read of betrayal and faithfulness and as we come forward to venerate the cross. We call it Good Friday because, despite the death of Christ, Jesus proved how much He loves us and saved us. We may not be called to “red” martyrdom of death, but always to the “white” martyrdom of ridicule and rejection. Michael said he has distinct memories from childhood of the house on Good Friday to be completely silent. They would be called to reflect upon the gift of Christ on the cross out of love for all of us. Scot reflected on the many Christians around the world who today suffer red martyrdom for their faith. Fr. Mark said in his office there is a picture of a woman holding a palm branch and while he doesn’t know her name, he knows she’s a martyr because of that symbol. He added that Peter denied Christ, but that was before Pentecost, while after Pentecost, he did not deny Christ. We are all Pentecost Catholics. Scot noted Cardinal Seán said we should be recommitted to knowing our faith so we can be witnesses and evangelizers joyfully sharing our faith with those who do not know it. It’s up to all of us to be the inviters, evangelizers, witnesses, those who joyfully welcome our brothers and sisters back to the Sunday liturgy. Michael said we must bring the Good News joyfully to others and preach truth with charity. He thinks of those in our lives who don’t engage Holy Week at all, to pray for them to take advantage of that grace and to reach out to them. For many people it will be difficult to attend all the Holy Week services, so he went through the services of the week. On Tuesday, Cardinal Seán will celebrate the Chrism Mass. He said it’s always one of Cardinal Seán’s three best homilies of the year. It will be 11am at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. CatholicTV Photos will be available at BostonCatholicPhotos.com Thursday night will be the Mass of the Lord’s Supper which is where Christ instituted the Eucharist and He taught us to serve one another through the washing of the feet. Afterward, the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a separate chapel where people can spend time in prayer and adoration. On Friday is the Passion of the Lord in which we venerate the Christ and then have prayers for all of creation by name. Fr. Mark talked about the starkness of the church on that day which shows the profundity of the tomb. We enter with an emptiness and a craving for Jesus. Many parishes have services at 3pm and 7pm. Then on Saturday night is the Easter vigil with the liturgy of light in the beginning, the chanting of the Exsultet, readings, baptisms, and all the other joys of Easter. Michael said the Easter vigil is a pilgrimage through our faith in one Mass. Scot said it is his favorite liturgy of the year. They all encouraged everyone to get to that Mass if you can.

Summary of today’s show: The Regina Cleri residence in Boston is a home for 53 of our 268 senior priests to live in community when their parish ministry is done. Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell welcome Stephen Gust, executive director; Laurine Kohler, nurse; and Fr. Joseph Fagan, a resident priest, to the show to discuss the medical and spiritual care provided to the priests who might not have anywhere else to go after a life dedicated in service to the Church. Regina Cleri is supported by the Clergy Funds and the Easter collection at all parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Stephen Gust, Fr. Joseph Fagan, Laurine Kohler Links from today’s show: The Clergy Funds Regina Cleri Regina Cleri at BostonCatholic.org Today’s topics: Regina Cleri Residence for Senior Priests 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Mark O’Connell to show and they discussed that Fr. Mark’s assistant, Jessica McMaster, had their first baby yesterday, Samuel Joseph. Also this week, Fr. Mark preached a parish mission for the three parishes in Braintree for the Year of Faith. Fr. Mark said canon lawyers aren’t often at the top of people’s lists to preach parish missions. Today’s show is about Regina Cleri, the residence for elderly priests when their years of service in the priesthood are done. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Joe D’Arrigo, Stephen Gust, Fr. Joseph Fagan, and Laurine Kohler to the show. Steve is executive director of Regina Cleri. It was founded in 1964 by Cardinal Cushing where senior priests could continue their vocation. It’s in the West End of Boston. They have 52 permanent residents and several respite rooms and they are always full. It is one of the places where senior priests can stay. They have about 47 employees and 2 Sister Disciples of the Divine Master who live on site and are there 24 hours per day. The average of the priests is 84 years old with four men in their 90s. Steve has been at Regina Cleri for 19 years. Fr. Fagan has lived there for 5 years. He retired as spiritual director at Blessed John XXIII Seminary in 2008, but for years he oversaw seminarians doing pastoral service there. He talked about how he still sees people who come to him for spiritual direction, about 15 people. Fr. Fagan talked about how he ended up at Regina Cleri and their other places he’s served. He mentioned the parishes he continues to help at and the retreats and days of recollections he gives. He said he’s known as a commuter who moves back and forth to various places. Stephen said a priest doesn’t retire and 17 men are still in active ministry. they have daily Mass and the rosary and retreats. A big part of Regina Cleri is the involvement in active ministry, whether at St. Joseph’s parish next door or at any of the parishes they have served at in the past. They have a day of recollection every month. Fr. Mark said he did a day of recollection at Regina Cleri when he was 26 and at one point all the men took a nap, leaving him to wait. Laurine said her goal is to provide treatment and care that allows them to continue in ministry. She said new employees get to know the priests and hear their stories of serving the Church in parishes and throughout the world and come to love them and respect them. Scot said this reinforces that the care is done in love. He said they must learn a tremendous amount as they care for them. Laurine said the nurses and aides say they learn as much from them as the care they give. The aides are possessive of the priests as their own. Scot noted many senior priests live on their own or in parishes. He asked Fr. Fagan why it was important for Fr. Fagan to live in Regina Cleri. Fr. Fagan said he’s not shy and loves the diversity of the men. He grew up around nuns and priests and they were very familiar to him. The priests when he was ordained were always taken care of by the people in the parishes. The brothers he lives with are very open and close to him and he is close to them. He loves to hear the stories of the priests from a different era of the archdiocese. Scot said one of out five senior priests live at Regina Cleri, 55 out of 268. Stephen said they have 14 men who have applied to Regina Cleri to llive there. When talking about supporting priests, Regina Cleri is a small part of that, providing support for those most in need. Fr. Mark said there have been positive changes at Regina Cleri, including the purchase of a bus to carry the priests to different parts of the archdiocese. Stephen said these men age in place and one of the hardest things for any elderly person to give up is a car because once they give it up they can become a prisoner of the place they live. The bus gives the men the opportunity to go out and see the younger priests and to feel a part of the brotherhood. They go to Red Sox games, parish functions, and other activities. Sometimes it’s a restaurant, sports games, or even funerals. Fr. Fagan talked about having to be in a wheelchair and being able to get about in a handicapped-accessible van. Stephen said Regina Cleri isn’t just for senior priests, but also for those who are disabled. Scot said priests who have been in the hospital can go to Regina Cleri for recovery. Laurine said it’s called respite services and they have two rooms dedicated to them. It can be anywhere from two days to three months. Some of the priests live in rectories with stairs and after a knee or hip surgery they stay in Regina Cleri until they can navigate the stairs. Recently they had priests in after cataract surgery and surgery on a foot. Stephen said on the second floor of Regina Cleri they have 13 beds for priests who need more nursing care. Their hope is that when priests come in to live there that won’t have to come directly to the second floor. The hope is that they can remain active when they first move there. Fr. Mark asked about Cardinal Seán’s commitment to Regina Cleri and rumors that it should be shut down. Fr. Fagan said with the start of the annual Celebration of the Priesthood dinner, Cardinal Seán has made it clear of the support for the continuation of Regina Cleri. The dinners are a great event for people to express their appreciation for priests directly. Stephen said they host Cardinal Seán twice a year and he has come to know the history of Regina Cleri and to see the unique opportunity it provides for the care of the diocese’s priests, which not all dioceses have. Scot noted that Regina Cleri is about a football field away from Mass. General Hospital. Fr. Fagan said the priests loving in the heart of Boston. He said he goes to a gym nearby— the priests are free members— and a man who had heard of Regina Cleri told Fr. Fagan he’s a lapsed Catholic asked him if he could come talk to someone. Stephen said being in the heart of Boston allows the priests who have given up their licenses to be able to go stores and restaurants. Scot said during the recent blizzard he heard how the staff of Regina Cleri essentially moved in for a couple of days to ensure the priests were taken care of. Laurine said on the first day of the storm people brought clothes and sleeping bags and told family they weren’t sure when they would be home. It was a commitment from all levels, nursing, janitorial, food service. She told how they received an emergency call in the middle of the night at the height of the storm. Their plowing contractor had been coming every hour to clear the driveway so that the ambulance could come right in and they were able to get him to Mass. General within 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the maintenance staff got the sisters and the chaplain over to the hospital to be with the priest. Stephen said it was a testament to the staff’s ability to remain calm in the midst of emergency. He talked about the difficulties presented to the staff in getting into work and dealing with the problems encountered. Stephen said many of us are married and so our children will be there for us when we’re old. But for these priests, the staff and the sisters are there for them in those scary moments. Fr. Fagan told a story of how he needed a procedure and how he was inundated with people coming around to see him. Stephen talked about a typical day, where most people rise by 5am, following by breakfast and Mass. Many go out for ministry, then lunch and naps in the afternoon, followed by Rosary and dinner. They have movie nights on some nights, cocktail hour on Wednesday nights, at least one or two functions out each week. He said most of the funding comes from the Clergy Funds and the Easter collection partially supports Regina Cleri. The Easter collection goes for the needs of all priests, whereas Regina Cleri is taking care of 17% of senior priests. Fr. Mark said every penny in every church in the Archdiocese on Easter goes to the sick and retired priests, as on Christmas. Scot noted that a large part of the Clergy Funds go to care for senior priests, especially those at Regina Cleri. It wouldn’t exist without the generous support of the people of the Archdiocese of Boston on Easter, Christmas, and the June collection. Laurine said she’s been at Regina Cleri for three years and she can’t say enough about how important it is for there to be a Regina Cleri. Where would the priests go without it? They don’t have children or a wife. It allows them to pray together and continue to their ministry at some level with a safety net for their medical care. Stephen talked about the good management practice in place. They have a relationship with Covenant House to ensure they are using best practices in the industry and they are working to maximize the funds they receive. To make a donation to the Clergy Funds, visit the Clergy Funds website listed above.

Summary of today’s show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Fr. Roger Landry, and Gregory Tracy consider the news headlines of the week, including the latest examples of humility and simplicity from Pope Francis; how he chose his papal name; his decision to celebrate Holy Thursday in a juvenile prison; the appointment of five more pastors for pastoral collaboratives as part of the Disciples in Mission pastoral plan; the obituaries of two senior priests; and remarkable pro-life essays from grade school contest winners. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Pope Francis’ humility; choosing his name; new pastors for pastoral collaboratives 1st segment: Scot Landry caught up with Susan Abbott after not being together on the show for three weeks. Scot asked Susan how she watched the events here at the Pastoral Center. Susan said the days all blur together because every day there’s a new story about Pope Francis that captures our attention. She said it was a busy time for everyone in the building on Disciples in Mission and Lent, but when the white smoke came out, there were yells in the halls and everyone stood around a computer watching a webcam of St. Peter’s Square. Everyone gathered in the lobby of the Pastoral Center to watch it on TV. Scot said there’s been a lot to cover since the election a week ago last Wednesday. The Pilot this week has a lot in a special issue this week. Gregory Tracy said they had a 16-page special edition in the center of the Pilot, which makes it almost two papers this week. The focus of the special edition is giving a perspective on Pope Francis and re-capping his first days. Greg said he learned a lot about Pope Francis because Cardinal Bergoglio wasn’t among the most talked-about names. His impression is of his humility and that he is a bit of a free spirit. Scot welcomed Fr. Roger Landry and said his column in the Anchor this week gives his first impressions. Fr. Roger said he’s a pastor more than a professor. He’s obviously intelligent, but brings his experience of being archbishop of Buenos Aires for so many years. One thing that touched Fr. Roger was seeing a boy in the Vatican choir school singing the responsory psalm during the inauguration Mass, which shows how young the Church is. He also notes how serious Pope Francis is in begging for our prayers. At the end of every talk, he asks for our prayers. He shows us what type of reform he’s planning for the Church. When you hear all the talk of reform in the Vatican, people meant administrative and finance and governance issues, but Pope Francis is launching a reform at the root of who he is as a disciple and apostle. He’s set an example of the reform of the priesthood to go out and meet the people where they’re at. He’s going to challenge us by his actions even more than John Paul and Benedict. Scot said he recalled yesterday’s show about the book “Rebuilt” about a parish that went looking for the lost sheep. It’s been clear to Scot that Pope Francis thinks about going out seeking the lost. Scot said it’s clear to him that many people are taking a new look at the Church because of Pope Francis and he’s reaching a much broader audience. Greg said it’s obvious Pope Francis is one who feels the need to reach out and be with the people. He recalled a story in Argentina where he told his parish priests to go out and find those who weren’t coming to church, maybe even opening storefront chapels. His priority is finding souls, not necessarily following all the ways that things have been done. He’s much more concerned with practicality. We had this flow from John Paul, with a great media presence, to Benedict, a great theologian, to Francis who isn’t as great with media or as great a theologian, but is good with both and with bringing those things to the people. Scot said Pope Francis is about making a Church that prays for one another. Susan said that first moment when the Pope came on the balcony and just stood there. But once he got started, he captivated the entire square of 100,000 people and they fell silent. He reminds us to whom we pray and for whom we pray. Scot asked Fr. Roger what he’s learned reading about Pope Francis in Spanish materials. Fr. Roger said he sees how intelligent he is, able to talk about many different issues with deeply Catholic vision. He also struggled with his celibacy in the seminary, falling in love with a girl and deciding to that he loved God more. It’s a beautiful and sincere admission and it allows him to relate to a lot of young people. In another interview, he gives a very strong statement on dealing with priests who abuse children, saying that such priests should be removed because they can’t be reformed and you can’t take chances. As for failures with men or women or alcohol, he is very firm that you can’t serve two masters. His embrace of poverty shows how committed he is personally to this vision even when it was inconvenient. He not only wanted to relate to the poor in material poverty, but also show it’s not an obstacle to following the Lord. While many are focusing on Pope Francis’ tenderness to the overlooked of society, it is a fruit of a lifetime of love for the least, but at the same time he is able to teach with great clarity and firmness. Scot noted in Dwight Duncan’s column in the Pilot in which he related that when Cardinal Bergoglio was named a cardinal, he didn’t want to pay the usual $6,000 for the complete set of vestments, so he bought cheap cloth and asked a religious sister to sew them. Greg said at the conclave he had been telling other cardinals about how much of a deal he got on his airfare and then told Argentinians not to come to his inauguration, but instead to the give the money to the poor. It’s his legitimate way of being, not putting on airs of false humility. People like this, that he’s not so attached to the material things of the world. It’s not a media strategy, but it has a great effect on people. So much of the western world measures us by what we can buy and what we can consume. We trade our dignity for our consumer goods. But this is a sign that you can be the Supreme Pontiff and yet you can be simple. Scot said he’s proven himself to be a pope of gestures. Today it was announced that on Holy Thursday, rather than in St. Peter’s, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be held at a youth prison where he will wash the feet of inmates. It was Cardinal Bergoglio’s custom to celebrate Holy Thursday in hospitals and prisons. Susan said she celebrated with Deacon Jim Greer, head of hospital and chaplain ministries, at the symbolism of this act. She said Pope Francis has also called the owner of the newsstand in Buenos Aires where he used to get his daily paper to thank him for his prayers and tell him he won’t be coming. But Susan said what disturbs her is when this is used to compare him to what came before. This is not either-or, but both-and. Fr. Roger said yesterday it was said announced he had given out 3,000 tickets for the poor of Rome to come to the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica earlier in the day and then going to the prison later. Pope Francis is shining a laser beam on this subset of people of whom Jesus said “I was in prison and you visited me.” There are millions across the globe who will not have Mass on Holy Thursday and this is an extraordinary gesture to them. Scot said on Saturday in the meeting with journalists, Pope Francis revealed how he picked the name Francis. Scot said he had assumed most cardinals went into the conclave with a name in the back of their minds. He was surprised that Pope Francis only picked the name at the last minute. Greg said he had asked Cardinal Seán that very question, comparing it to young couples who marry thinking about names for their children. Cardinal Seán said he’s never given it any thought. Greg finds it reassuring that they didn’t go with a name picked. Scot said before there was a lot of buzz about Cardinal Seán, he joked with Cardinal Seán that there was a pool about whether he would pick Pope Patrick or Pope Francis. He thinks it unfathomable that it wouldn’t come up at all somewhere in the back of your mind. This is a name that will define him for eternity and he picked a momentous one. Susan claims that she had predicted the next pope would be Pope Francis, although she had a different cardinal in mind. Scot said a number of cardinals have talked about their awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence with them as they voted. Fr. Roger said Cardinal O’Brien was on EWTN with him the day after and admitted he’d never really known Cardinal Bergoglio before the conclave and what was remarkable how everyone in the conclave came to know that this was the pope for the Church at this time. Many cardinals said it’s very much like a retreat and they’re not kibbitzing between votes. Pope Francis Timeline “Pope Francis changes Holy Thursday plans to celebrate Mass in prison”, Catholic News Service, 3/21/13 “Portenos paint Pope Francis as kind, outspoken, good administrator”, Catholic News Service, 3/17/13 “Pope explains how he chose St. Francis of Assisi’s name”, Catholic News Service, 3/18/13 “Pope’s episcopal motto comes from homily by English doctor of church”, Catholic News Service, 3/15/13 “Pope Francis will shake up more than Vatican schedules”, CNA/EWTN News, 3/18/13 2nd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Patricia Noone from Stow, MA She wins the booklet “Way of the Cross at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy” and the audio CD “The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality” by Matthew Kelly. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 3rd segment: Scot said locally in the archdiocese, five appointments are announced in today’s Pilot of priests being appointed pastors of new pastoral collaboratives as part of Disciples in Mission Phase one. Fr. Paul E. Ritt has been appointed Pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish and St. Maria Goretti Parish in Lynnfield, effective June 4. He was Pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Chelmsford. Fr. Thomas A. Mahoney has been appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish and St. Luke Parish in Belmont, effective June 4. He was Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Belmont. Fr. Daniel L. Riley has been appointed as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Anne Parish, St. James Parish, and St. John the Baptist Parish, all in Salem, effective June 4. He was Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Weymouth. Fr. John E. Sheridan has been appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Middleboro-Rochester and Pastor of Sts. Martha and Mary Parish in Lakeville, effective June 4. He was Pastor of St. James Parish in Salem. Fr. Brian L. Flynn has been appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and St. Mary Parish in Lynn, effective June 4. He was previously Pastor of St. Mary in Lynn. Three more appointments related to Phase 1 are still to be made. Greg said we’re in the initial stages and this is exactly what the archdiocese said would happen: In some cases the pastors would come from within the collaborative and others from outside. Scot said one of the patterns is that a priest who’s been in the parish only a couple years, they will stay, whereas pastors who’ve been there a long time will be moved to new assignments. Susan said everyone in the Pastoral Center are working daily to support the new pastors and their collaboratives. Greg said when you’re connecting parishes that are near each other, people in recent years have tended to gravitate to the parish they prefer based on how they like the pastor or the music or religious education. When you have someone who’s been in the parish for many years, people become used to him and his style. Meanwhile someone who is new to the area is able to adjust himself to the needs of the area and how they do things. Scot said it can be difficult on a human level to say goodbye to parishioners when you don’t know what your next assignment will be. Fr. Roger said every priest is supposed to be a missionary at heart. At the same time, canon law gives pastors rights in that they don’t have to move except in extreme circumstances, so it shows great obedience and openness to the needs of the Church in offering their resignations. Fr. Roger noted that people wanted to keep Jesus for themselves, but he told them that he needed to go out and preach to others as well. Disciples in Mission Also in the Pilot are the obituaries of two 90-year-old priests, Fr. Joseph Lukas and Fr. William B. O’Connor. In the Anchor this week were the 2013 Pro-Life Essay Content winners, themed “Faith opens our eyes to human life in all its grandeur and beauty”. The contest is open to all students enrolled in diocesan schools and religious education programs. There are winners in the high school and junior high school categories and they are read aloud at the annual diocesan Pro-Life Mass and printed in the Anchor. Susan said the high school is extraordinary. Scot said a week from today it won’t be Lent and so Scot asked everyone how they did on their Lenten resolutions.

Summary of today’s show: Church of the Nativity in Maryland has undergone a remarkable renaissance in the past decade and Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran share the story of this turnaround in their new book “Rebuilt”. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams talk to Fr. White and Tom about changing the consumer culture to one of discipleship; simplifying their mission statement to six words encapsulating the Great Commission; the lessons learned from evangelical mega-churches; developing a profile of the “lost sheep” they were seeking; and how the experience of Sunday Mass has been changed to appeal to the unchurched and to give the sense that the parish is waiting to welcome them home. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran Links from today’s show: Church of the Nativity, Timonium, Maryland Fr. Michael White’s blog “Rebuilt” website Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter Today’s topics: Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and he said he’s looking forward to talking about this new book “Rebuilt” and he thinks this book has the opportunity to change the way we experience parish life. He thinks about 100 of these books are floating around the Pastoral Center. Fr. Matt said it’s a great read. They welcomed Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran to the show. Scot said when they first arrived at Church of the Nativity in North Baltimore, they probably experienced what we would all recognize in our parishes. Fr. White said it was a consumer culture where parishioners were like customers and the church was a retailer. He said they think the basic problem in parishes today is culture and it’s a parish problem. It needs to be fixed at the parish level. Churches all across the country share in this problem. Scot said that culture grew over many decades and those who work for the Church feed that culture. Tom said in their parish they failed in perpetuating the culture. The classic moment from the book were the Family Friendly Fridays where it ended up with people complaining about the free food being served them. Scot said they admit in the book that their eye came off the mission of Jesus, seeking those who were lost. Fr. White said they began a period of examining fruitful parishes across the country, parishes growing intentionally, not just in communities that were growing. That necessitated looking at Evangelical churches, which have cornered the market on this growth. At a weeklong conference at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in California, he was struck by the change he needed personally and the parish needed collectively. Fr. White said they kind of fell into the process. They began implementing items that worked as opposed to formulating a grand strategy. They took the Family Friendly Fridays that felt purposeless and adapted it with the new purpose. They went from 500 people to about 200 people because they made it clear that the intent was to make it about evangelization and volunteering and small groups. When they began to make changes, conflict ensued. Scot note that there was a lot of resistance, especially from parishioners who were being challenged. He said in the Archdiocese of Boston, five out of six Catholics don’t come to church and many parishes don’t do a lot to show they care for that five out of six. Fr. White said it’s hard to stay focused on who’s not there. Plus resources are tight, people are busy, church people tend to be friends who are church people, and it’s uncomfortable and intimidating to look at the prospect of going out to share your faith and inviting people to church. A lot of Catholics don’t even see why there’s a need to do it. When you go down that road, you’re inviting conflict with people in the pews. Scot said he appreciated the mission statement of the Church of the Nativity. Tom said no one at the parish knew their original mission statement, including himself. They kind of pushed against mission statements because Jesus gave us one. So that’s what they used: Love God. Love others. Make disciples. One of the lessons they had learned from others was that the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew was the mission statement. Fr. Matt asked for some background of the parish before and after. Fr. White said the parish is in an affluent community north of Baltimore. It was built in the late 60s with a beautiful campus and facility. It was generally considered innovative for its time in the late 60s and early 70s, but that innovation came to an end and they were stuck in place and aging in place. By the late 90s when they arrived it had become a community devoted to the maintenance of the status quo. Resources were strained and the staff was small and dysfunctional. Most remarkable was that the parish was dying. Over the past 20 years, 30 to 50 per year were leaving the parish and it was shrinking. At its high point, weekly attendance was about 2,000, but had dwindled to 1,300. Today, they have growth in every measurable area. Weekend attendance is about 4,000, with about 4,500 during Lent and Easter. Even more they see people giving and serving and getting involved in small group life. On a single Sunday recently, 1,100 people volunteered to get involved in a ministry. Scot said the purpose of the parish is to help the lost become disciples and help the disciples grow. Tom said a disciple loves God, loves others, and makes other disciples. They want people to develop a personal relationship with God with a person prayer life. They want people to look at all of their life as coming from God, which includes their financial giving, not just to the church, but to the least of our brothers and sisters. They love their families and people around them. And if they love people, they want to invite them into relationship with God. Scot noted Fr. White’s video of his homily inviting people to get up out of the pews and get involved. He said that Fr. White wanted them to get involved because in serving others we grow in our faith. Why is it important not just to come and hear the homily, but to get involved? Fr. White said just coming to Church and consuming is not growing as a disciple. If a child just ate but didn’t exercise, they wouldn’t grow in a healthy way. The only people who don’t serve in a family are babies, so “baby Christians” are okay to sit in the pew and consume, but at some point they’re going to have get up and serve beyond the parish boundaries. Fr. Matt asked how they seek to evangelize their people. Fr. White said based in the Eucharist and the Word of God, the people can go out into the community and do evangelization. That word can mean so much, so they reduce it to the simple strategy of “Invest and Invite”. He’s not sure how many in their community are unchurched Catholics, but everyone in the parish knows them so they ask them to make an investment in those people in their encounters at the PTA or kids’ sports games or the like. Then they ask them to invite others to visit the parish in person or for the events available online. Scot asked where you start to turn a parish around. The book lists three general steps: Define the mission field, describe the lost in the mission field, and devise a simple invitation for the lost. Scot said on that second step, they described the lost in a lot of detail. Tom said they described a man they called “Timonium Tim” and described him as very specific to north Baltimore: Went to Catholic school, went to confirmation classes, and then stopped going when his mom stopped making him. On Sundays he watches football and doesn’t go to church because he says it’s boring and his idea of the Church came from the Da Vinci Code. Painting that picture, everyone in the pews could think of someone they knew who was like that. People now come up to them and say that was them. The parish makes sure to tell them that in general and individually that the parish is glad for them to be there. Scot asked what they changed about weekend Masses to make “Tim” more welcome and want to come back. Fr. White said “Tim” grew up Catholic so he knows the Mass, but doesn’t appreciate it. To get him where he needs to be, they need to focus on those elements besides the Eucharistic Prayer which are going to have traction with him. That comes in three parts: Music, message, and ministers. Music is important for lifting hearts and giving a sense of worship, but they specifically selected music with “Tim” in mind. The weekend experience is a kind of journey on which they’re trying to take people, an emotional and spiritual journey to the realm of higher things. Music is like the water on which that experience sails. It’s incredibly important to someone just back to church for the first time. The weekend message or homily is based in the Scripture readings which is relevant on Sunday mornings for what’s going to happen in their lives on Monday morning. A great compliment is to hear people say they were talking about the message on the way home or later that week. The ministers are the parishioners who serve their fellow parishioners, guests, and newcomers, meeting them at the door and showing they’re happy they’re there. They even have parking ministers greeting people. Scot asked Tom how long it took to get the parishioners used to singing. He said it took a couple of years and it’s still an ongoing challenge. they still have people who walk out church during the closing song. But over two or three years they increased the singing, modeling the behavior or preaching about it. Scot noted that they decided not to have different music at each Mass. He noted that they have several different types of music, whether contemporary Christian music or Gregorian chant. Tom said with contemporary worship music, they started it at their youth Mass and found that all ages were attracted to it. Over time it became obvious that in order to reach the people far from Christ, the music they would want is music that was most like what they would hear on the radio. That was the music that would appeal to “Timonium Tim”. He said it moved to their other Masses. When it comes to chant, he said Fr. White has a great sense of the movement of the Mass. They’ve come to believe that there is a desire for mystery, especially in the emerging generation. There is something mysterious about chant and it makes the Eucharistic prayer stand out from the rest of the Mass. It became part of the Mass organically. Between those two, it represents who they want to be as a parish, dynamically orthodox. Scot said the book indicates three decisions related to how Fr. White would preach. He would preach longer, at least 20 minutes. He would multi-week themes for his messages. He wanted every parishioner to get the same message at every Mass so he preaches at every one. Fr. White said they discovered the idea of message series from Protestant churches, which develop a theme over four to six weeks. As they implemented it, in a liturgical church with seasons and a lectionary cycle, they discovered it makes even more sense because those seasons and themes are already there in Lent, Easter, and even Ordinary time. It’s a great way to keep people coming back and interested. It’s a great to keep everyone on the same page over time. It makes sermon preparation easier as well. He does preach 20 minutes every week.They found that the length of message has the critical mass needed to get a clear strong and relevant message across, giving them time to explore the Scripture in a serious way and make a life application for it. Fr. White said it can be problematic to have multiple homilists over a weekend because people can hear different messages. Sometimes people hear conflicting messages. Recognizing the gift of being pastor and having a pulpit to speak from, he had to renew his gratitude and understanding of that gift. There can be logistical problems in preaching at every Mass when there’s a parochial vicar. In some parishes, they switch off weekends. In others they coordinate a consistent message. Scot said Church of the Nativity has groups of ministers: parking team, ops team, hosting team, welcoming team, cafe team, and more. He said some of the terminology is foreign to many Catholics. Tom said they often hear from people who they felt so welcomed when they came to the church. That’s not rocket science. It’s all very simple and all very hard to implement. The parking ministers don’t just show people where to park, but set the tone that this is a church that’s prepared for an event. These ministries communicate that we expect guests, people who haven’t been here before. The greeters welcome people. The hosting ministers help seat people or direct them to the restrooms and the like. It shows that this place has its act together. He said children’s programs for nursery and kindergarten provide for the people who are coming back to church at this stage. They’re not babysitting, but provide a worship experience for them and then allow parents to have an hour to listen to what God is saying to them without worrying about the children. Fr. Matt asked how the parish cares for a young couple having their first child up through adulthood. Fr. White said they make baptism preparation as more than a class but a celebration of their baby. They connect them to an enthusiasm for faith. When they are successful in getting them to bring the child to the nursery, there are ministers there who introduce the child into a worship experience where they learn, play, and worship together. The kids bring the parents back week after week. Later on, they get the kids in church at Mass and try to have an interactive children’s liturgy of the Word during the 20 minute homily from Fr. White to the adults. They also have student programs starting at middle school, giving them an experience every week of worship, fellowship, and small-group interaction to learn about discipleship. Scot asked about the importance of small groups. Tom said they talk about friends and faith. We need relationships in order to grow in our discipleship to Christ. This is the biggest challenge and toughest hurdle. People understand volunteering for ministries and going to church, but people are still leery of small groups. But it’s absolutely essential so the larger church can become small and intimate and people can share their struggles. Scot recommends listeners to watch one of the Masses on Sunday at 10:30am or 5pm to experience what it’s like.

Summary of today’s show: The Feast of St. Joseph this year was marked by the inauguration of the Petrine ministry of Pope Francis. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor discussed the Holy Father’s newly unveiled coat of arms, which are very familiar, and then talked in detail about his homily for today’s Mass in which he invoked the example of St. Joseph as a protector who acts with tenderness to encourage all of us to protect one another and all of creation. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Links from today’s show: Homily of the Holy Father, March 19, 2013 George Martell’s photos from Rome on Flickr Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube All our updates from Rome Today’s topics: Pope Francis’ Homily for the Mass Inaugurating His Petrine Ministry 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Chris O’Connor to the show and they discussed the treacherous weather and how there’s often a bad snow storm at this time of year. Scot said today our focus will be on the Mass of Inauguration of Pope Francis this morning. Scot said we’ll also discuss the Pope’s coat of arms and papal motto. Fr. Chris said the star represents the Blessed Mother and the plant, nard, represents St. Joseph. The star and IHS is a common representation of the Jesuits, which Pope Francis has been. He noted that the crest is bright blue, which represents both the Blessed Mother, but also particularly the icon of Mary that all Argentinians revere. Scot said both the crest and motto of bishops represent much of who the bishop wants to be. “Pope Francis : “Miserando atque eligendo”…”, News.va Scot said the motto comes from the Gospel of St. Matthew, when Matthew was called by Jesus: “Miserando atque eligendo”. It refers to Jesus calling Matthew in mercy. When he was 17, Pope Francis heard this reading at Mass, and feeling unworthy himself felt called by God and that was his vocational call. Pope Francis seems to be telling others that even if they feel unworthy, God is calling them to bring His love and mercy to others. Fr. Chris said Caravaggio shows this in a beautiful image with darkness and light. Matthew is shown surrounded by his ill-gotten tax collector gains and then the hand of Christ coming in and calling St. Matthew. Caravaggio modeled the hand of Christ on the hand of God in the Sistine Chapel, thus saying that a new creation begins in the call of Christ. Scot said the only people who might not like what Pope Francis is doing is the security people because the Holy Father so often goes off script and out into the crowds. It’s notable that this morning he was riding in the open-air popemobile. At one point he got out of the car to give a kiss to a disabled man he saw in the crowd. Pope descends Popemobile to bless disabled man before Inaugural Mass Fr. Chris said he was struck by the news that Pope Francis called his former cathedral in Argentina before the Mass today and had a message relayed to the crowds gathered outside to watch the Mass. He said one of Pope Francis’ first acts was to ask for prayer and he’s reminding us of the efficacy of prayer and that even the pope needs prayers. Scot said it reminds him of the need to ask others to pray for him in the normal course of his day. He should also be assuring others of his own prayers and doing it. Fr. Chris said one of the important parts of Good Friday is praying for the world by name, atheists and agnostics, Jews, Muslims, and everyone. The Holy Father is showing us the importance of praying for our needs, our daily bread. 2nd segment: Scot said St. Joseph’s Day is special especially for fathers and grandfathers. Fr. Chris also wished a happy feast day to the Sisters of St. Joseph. Scot started reading Pope Francis’ homily: Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude. Scot said the name day, the ‘onomastico’, is very important in Italy. In fact, many Italians celebrate the name day instead of their birthday. Fr. Chris said Pope Francis mentions Pope Benedict by name once again. He’s scheduled to meet Benedict on Saturday and Fr. Chris said it shows Pope Francis’ humility in going to see the former pope. In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: “Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model” (Redemptoris Custos, 1). Scot said St. Joseph is the Patron and Protector of the Universal Church. Fr. Chris said it’s a reminder of intercessory prayer. He said he’s known as the silent saint because no words of his are recorded in Scripture. We see the care, love, and dedication he gave to Mary and the Child Jesus. How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus. Scot said Joseph is a man of action, a man of formation. It shows what a faithful holy man should be about. Fr. Chris said the reasons he’s such a great patron for dads is that his holiness doesn’t come from anything flashy or extravagant, but the day to day work of being a father. Scot recalled a talk he heard once encouraging men to raise their own children in the model of St. Joseph. It is a sacred work to be a dad. Fr. Chris said he sees the choice of this day is Pope Francis giving over his ministry to St. Joseph. How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation! Fr. Chris likes the image begin developed that in order to live out our vocation, we have to follow the example of St. Joseph who protected Christ. It’s a reminder to protect what’s most important, our relationship with Christ, and to keep away from sin and anything that would violate that relationship. We protect time to pray to Christ. How am I protecting Christ in my life? Scot said it brings him back to the Martha and Mary story, where Martha was busy doing, while Mary was at the feet of Jesus. The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts! Scot said in 20 years when people come back to this homily, they will come to this paragraph. Fr. Chris said anyone who comes to Assisi understands the beautiful images and vistas and the wonder of creation that St. Francis loved. Pope Francis is reminding us that all of creation is something sacred and bestowed on us by God, entrusting us with it. Scot said Cardinal Seán speculated that Pope Francis chose this name to emphasize that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, which comes with the responsibility to love and care for one another. Fr. Chris said he thinks it’s no coincidence that he mentions husbands and wives here, their first duty to one another and being the instrument of their sanctification. Scot said in this age of social media it’s much easier to add new “friends” but sincere friendships require deeper trust and protecting them with trust, respect, and goodness. Fr. Chris asked us to imagine a world marked by such friendships. Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are “Herods” who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women. Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness! Scot said we’ve certainly seen “Herods” in our lifetime. Scot noted that there were many people there who are not Christian and who watch who aren’t and he was telling all of us to protect each other and nature. Fr. Chris said we have to watch our hearts and emotions because so often that’s where the protection breaks down. Forgiveness is a choice. We choose to forgive. We can acknowledge our emotions and still choose to forgive. We need to integrate the heart and mind, but have the mind and intellect which elevate us above creation, rule over the emotions. Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness! Scot said so many men he’s known have thought the way to love, particularly kids, was with tough love and discipline. Scot said tenderness and toughness are often put at opposite ends of a continuum. Pope Francis said one way to be a good protector and provider is to show a tender form of love too. He protected Jesus in a tender way. Somewhere along the way we came to believe that the way to be a man is to show tough love and the Holy Father is saying the opposite. Fr. Chris said he was also tender with the Blessed Mother, like when he decided to spare Mary by setting her aside quietly. And then you continue to see the tenderness along with great obedience and strength in responding to God’s will. Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus’ three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect! Scot said this might be the second-most quoted. He’s describing authentic Christian leadership through service. Fr. Chris said Pope Francis tells us why the Church exists because of the holiness and sanctification of all its members. The what of the Church is the Pope, bishops, priests, and deacons and their reason for existence is to serve. If we lose sight of the call to service, that is not of Christ. Christ is found with the poorest of the poor, the sick and lame. Fr. Chris said Bishop Libasci of Manchester, NH, gave a homily at St. John’s Seminary yesterday in which he described a fire-and-brimstone seminarian who was taken aside and told that before you can save the world, you have to love it. We’re reminded of this on Holy Thursday when the priest washes the feet of others in service. Scot said we need to be willing to lay down our lives so we can serve others in tangible, concrete, faith-filled ways. Fr. Chris said only those who serve with love are able to protect. That’s the Pope’s job: the protect the unity of the Church, to protect the holiness of the Church, to protect the catholic nature of the Church spread across the globe and making manifest the fullness of the teachings, to protect the apostolic faith passed down by the apostles and guided by the Holy Spirit. In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, “hoping against hope, believed” (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God. Scot said he can’t not think of how much hope Pope Francis has brought to the Church. He’s heard from people who tell him that Pope Francis makes them want to return to church. Fr. Chris said of the light of hope that in a dark room, one little match is stronger than the darkness and cannot be swallowed by that. Just a little hope in our lives gives us the grace to carry on even in dark and difficult experiences. To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us! I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen. Scot said he will remember about this homily, like he remembers about the balcony of St. Peter’s last Wednesday, is that he ends by asking us to pray for him. Fr. Chris said he’s reminding us that we are on flock and that the shepherd relies on prayers just like the sheep. He talks of protecting all the gifts in our life, but also the gift we have been given in Pope Francis. Scot noted that in the Congregation meetings, Cardinal Bergoglio gave an impassioned talk that we need to reform and purify the Church. Scot said that won’t be easy, especially with the reform of Roman Curia. Scot said harder than starting a business is a reforming a business even while it continues to do its work and that’s similar to what Pope Francis is doing. Fr. Chris said Cardinal Seán in his own inaugural address in Boston in 2003 recalled the San Damiano Cross where Christ called Francis to rebuild the Church. He said he believes Pope Francis has a clear idea of what needs to be done. Scot noted that tomorrow is Fr. Chris’ birthday. He said tomorrow is their annual St. Patrick’s dinner and that’s where they’ll celebrate. He noted the celebrate on Wednesday instead of Sunday because so many of the deacons and faculty are out in parishes on Sunday. The one thing that Fr. Chris has loved so far from Pope Francis is the emphasis on the protector. Scot said he’s loved that he preaches from the pulpit like a pastor and not so much like an academic.