The Good Catholic Life

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Msgr. William Fay, pastor of St. Columbkille, Brighton, and co-chair of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission Links from today’s show: Boston Pastoral Planning Today’s topics: Archdiocesan Priests Convocation on Pastoral Planning Summary of today’s show: On December 5, Cardinal Seán and members of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission opened up a consultation process with almost 400 priests of the Archdiocese of Boston, discussing how best to organize the parishes in the archdiocese for evangelization and mission-effectiveness in the years to come. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor welcome Msgr. William Fay, co-chair of the commission, to discuss the convocation and the proposal presented to the priests, which includes grouping parishes and assigning Pastoral Service Teams to them. Later, Scot and Fr. Chris listen to and comment on Cardinal Seán’s remarks at the convocation, including his five mission initiatives and four points he wished to make to priests about the proposal. 1st segment: Scot said today we would review yesterday’s convocation with priests, led by Cardinal Seán, Msgr. William Fay, and Fr. Jack Ahern, to give an idea of the direction the Archdiocese might head in the coming years. Scot welcomed Msgr. Fay back to the show. Scot said a lot has been written in the media in anticipation of the meeting. Msgr. Fay said pastoral planning is about reinvigorating ourselves for evangelization in the archdiocese. Attendance in the sacramental life of the Church is under 16%, which isn’t good for us or those who are not attending. Parishes are struggling for resources and we need to give them a boost. Evangelization takes place in the parishes and we need to energize the staffs by bringing economies of scale to eliminate redundancies. The key idea is Pastoral Service Teams, which would have one pastor for two or more parishes. He’d have a parochial vicar or two, a deacon, pastoral associates, catechists and more. They would look at what it means to do this outreach. These teams would sit down with the members of the parish pastoral council and finance council to develop a plan for the good life in communion for the parish. Scot said this is just the beginning of a consultation, not the presentation of what we’re going to do. It’s the result of months of effort of the pastoral planning commission. He said there’s been misreporting that this is just a new way to close parishes, but it’s not. Over the past two decades about 160 parishes have closed in the archdiocese and we don’t want to close any more going forward. Scot asked how the life of the parishioner would change as a result of this initiative. Msgr. Fay said hopefully they become more engaged and involved in their parish and become excited about their faith. The Church begins in the life of the family and for the Eucharist they come together in the life of the parish. Once we get people to to see what the life of faith is about, we hope they will make a commitment to bring other people into that life with Christ. So they shouldn’t expect much external change in the parish, but they will find some change within themselves and working more collaboratively with each other and nearby parishes. Fr. Chris asked how this plan is different from mergers or closures. Msgr. Fay said when you close a parish, the life of the parish comes to an end and it’s a kind of death. The plan is not to close parishes, but to bring them together in greater relationship with each other by having a pastor assigned to two or three parishes. He becomes responsible for the spiritual life of the parishes and their material existence as well. He is not assigned to a collaborative but to parishes and the parishes are bonded through the pastor in a new relationship. It is hoped that the parishes will then grow to have just one pastoral council, one finance council, and other aspects of unity. He said we’ve been wanting to turn around this downward turn for 20 years by closing parishes. Once we realize that the lack of resources is a lack of evangelization then the whole thing turns and we focus on the 84% who are not living their faith actively. Scot said a lot of our parishes don’t have anyone charged with helping form adults in the faith or young adults of youth. While many parishes have directors of religious education, if you bring the resources of two or three parishes together then there is more of a full complement of resources to assist the pastor to do all we are called to do as a church. Msgr. Fay said over the past couple of years he’s been trying to start an evangelization commission going on his parish council but he’s had no response. But when changed it from evangelization to outreach, people suddenly got involved and came up with all kinds of good ideas. Fr. Chris said there is talk of 125 teams. Why that number? Msgr. Fay said this is a work that has been going on for more than 1 year. We already have collaboratives in the Archdiocese, which are subsets of regions and vicariates. The commission took the work that had been done grouping parishes and looked at them in terms of certain criteria and finding what would be logical in terms of groupings. It became obvious that it would be closer to 125 than 75 or 225. Fr. Chris asked about the content of the commission. Msgr. Fay said Deacon Chuck Clough was asked by Cardinal Seánalong with himself to coordinate. A priest was chosen from each region, plus Bishop Peter Uglietto to represent the auxiliary bishops. Deacon Acampora from Swampscott was selected along with two religious sisters and a group of laity. (The full list of the commission members.) Scot said people fear change and especially fear that it is too top-down, too centralized, that it won’t take into account the particulars of Catholic communities affected. He said that’s not the case here. There is emphasis on a local pastoral plan developed by the parishes themselves. Msgr. Fay said the purpose of the archdiocesan effort is to get parishes and collaboratives to start doing more pastoral planning. The Pastoral Service Team will be responsible for making this work, for strengthening the celebration of the Eucharist, the preaching, the music; educating people in faith formation, children, young adults, adults; outreach to neighboring parishes and those within the collaborative. That local plan will also look at the resources of the particular parish, its assets and how best to use them for evangelization. All these plans will be given to the Cardinal for approval and then become the mission plan for the archdioceses. Scot said one-size does not fit all and there will be great diversity in how to carry out the pastoral priorities the Cardinal has outlined. There are five initiatives and the purpose and end is to pay attention what they are doing at the local level and modify appropriately. Fr. Chris said yesterday’s meeting was also historical because the priests used a special remote control to vote on matters as the day progressed. Msgr. Fay said he has received positive feedback, including 25-40 emails from priests around the archdiocese who are heartened by what happened. He said 392 priests were registered for the meeting. It was clear that the priests liked the voting. He said by the end of the meeting the priests were very interested in using the devices. Scot said the types of questions asked of the priests included how willing they might be to pastor a PST or whether they thought the pastoral team model took us in the right direction. The answers allowed Cardinal Seán and the commission to understand whether the priests believed they were on the right track and the immediate feedback was that they do think so. Msgr. Fay said he hoped everyone realized that this is the first part of proposal and consultation and through the spring everyone in the archdiocese will be able to give their opinion. He said the priests answered the question on whether this was the right direction with a yes by an overwhelming two-thirds or more. Fr. Chris said Msgr. Fay articulated clearly that there is a plan before us that needs some language in it so we have something to talk about and wrestle with. Msgr. Fay said that while this proposal is very clear, it’s not a done deal. They made it so that there could be a fruitful conversation. Scot asked why it was important for the commission to hear from the priests first and what other types of consultation will take place. The cardinal had to go to the priests first because of the sacramental bond with them. They extend his ministry throughout the archdiocese. Msgr. Fay said the deacons also share in that apostolic ministry, but they will also reach out to pastoral associates, catechists and the laity throughout the archdiocese. They’re looking to do this in the second half of January, February and March. Scot described the website that has been prepared with the documents from yesterday as well as videos of three talks, by Cardinal Seán, Msgr. Fay, and Fr. Jack Ahern. Msgr. Fay said the intent is to have a fully transparent process and we all have a stake in it. Every baptized person shares in the mission of the Church. It’s important for them to see what is being proposed and look at it from their perspective and advise the archbishop in how to move forward. What we need are people who want to build the Church, not just to be critical of it. Msgr. Fay said this is a very exciting and grace-filled time of opportunity. We’ve lived through challenging times, not just in the past decade, but throughout the history of the Church. He thinks the attitude, talent, and energy of the people bode well for the future of the Church in Boston. 2nd segment: Scot said there were three addresses yesterday. The Cardinal gave about a 30-minute address in which he framed the entire discussion. 12/05/2011 Strengthening Parishes - Cardinal Seán O’Malley from Archdiocese of Boston on Vimeo. Scot will play two parts of the address and react to them. In the first, the cardinal outlines his mission initiatives: Our evangelization efforts in the Archdiocese of Boston will be rooted in and accomplished through five “mission initiatives” to which I commit the Archdiocese and myself today. The first initiative is becoming a Church that more readily and actively welcomes every man, woman and child to conversion of life in Christ Jesus. Everyone is welcome in the Church, because the Lord offers his gift of salvation to all. Let us each accept and help others to accept the radical and transformative call to conversion of life that is offered to us by Jesus Christ. The second mission initiative is strengthening our parishes as primary communities of faith, communities that have the worthy celebration of the Eucharist as the “source and summit” of parochial life. The third mission initiative is growing the Church through this work of evangelization. Currently less than 20% of our baptized Catholics are attending Mass each Sunday. We need to change this in a dramatic way and we need to begin doing it now. The fourth mission initiative is developing excellence in faith formation for Catholics of all ages. Our people thirst for greater catechesis in the faith. We need to marshal, strengthen and make more available the great resources we have to satisfy that thirst. The fifth mission initiative is re-energizing pastoral leadership. I am deeply aware of how challenging these past ten years have been for you, my brother priests, and how thin you have been stretched. I hope that our work together today indicates clearly to you that I am very much aware of the burden that you carry, committed to discovering ways to lessen the load, and very desirous of supporting and strengthening your love of the priesthood. Scot said we haven’t talked enough about how the Cardinal agreed with his closest advisors on five mission initiatives and received feedback from across the archdiocese on them. The first is becoming a Church that more readily and actively welcomes every man, woman and child to conversion of life in Christ Jesus. Conversion is so important and we are all called to ongoing conversion to grow in holiness. Fr. Chris said if we’re going to welcome others and bring them to the faith, then we have to live lives marked by holiness. It requires conversion of person in the Church in order to go out and reach others. There’s nothing more beautiful than the Catholic faith when it’s lived to its fullest. Scot said secondly everyone is welcome in the Church. Cardinal Seán says the Church is hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. There’s nobody in the Church that doesn’t need to convert themselves. Fr. Chris said we are sinners on the road to holiness. The second mission initiative is strengthening parishes as primary communities of faith. Scot said because we experience our faith the most in parishes, then parishes need the resources to help us grow in our faith. So many parishes don’t have the resources for adult faith formation and many of us didn’t learn our faith as well should have in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. That’s one of the ways to grow to meet objective number 1. Fr. Chris said there’s more we can do even with our young in religious education, we need to inspire others to find the one thing worth dying for in our faith. We need to articular for ourselves what we believe so people will respond to it. Scot said a good habit to begin with is to read one or two pages of the Catechism every night. The third initiative is growing the Church through evangelization. To often we have looked inward and not looked outward. All of us coming to Church needs to better identify those we know who are missing out on the sacramental life and invite them to share in what we have. We are all called to be fishers of men, not keepers of an aquarium. We can’t be content with just those in the pews; we have to be out actively looking. The fourth is developing excellence in faith formation for all ages. There is a general sense our parishes do youth formation well, but not so much for teens or young adults or adults. He wants every parish to have those programs. The fifth is re-energizing pastoral leadership by restructuring how people work with one another. Fr. Chris said if the plan goes through, we will see fewer pastors and more parochial vicars. Fr. Jack Ahern emphasized the beautiful gift of priests living together in community, supporting each other. With one pastor and a team serving three parishes, you will see best practices become shared practices. In the next clip, Cardinal Seán gives four overarching points: Without getting into the detail of the proposal, I want to say four things about it and your ministry as parish priests. First, the proposal does not present a plan for the global closure or merging of parishes. This is not 2004. I am very happy about that. The closing of a parish, however necessary, always involves heartbreak. In the proposal before us, any discussion about the closure or merging of parishes will be initiated at the local level, in the pastoral collaborative. Moreover, by stepping away from closure and merging, the proposal puts the brakes on the large-scale downsizing of the Archdiocese that we have been engaged in since the early nineties – and well it should. A Church that is committed to a New Evangelization and to re-energizing its clergy, lay faithful and parishes is looking at life and not death, growth and not decline. Second, the success of this proposal turns on the success of the PST, the Parish Service Team. While every PST will have a pastor who is ultimately responsible for the spiritual and material good of a pastoral collaborative, the success of the ministry that takes place within a collaborative will be effected and measured by the respectful and enthusiastic collaboration of every member of the PST. I encourage you as clergy to call forth the religious and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese to the highest level of collaboration in your ministry that the Church recommends. Third, with the possible introduction of approximately 125 pastoral collaboratives in this proposal, we face a new reality. Priests who have been living alone in a single-parish ministry would have the opportunity to live together. I want to encourage that. I say this not because I am a religious and consider community life normative. I say it, because my twenty-seven years as a diocesan bishop has taught me that the life of the parish priest can be a very lonely thing. You know that better than I do. By sacred ordination, you belong to “an intimate sacramental brotherhood” (PO 8). I exhort you to use the new opportunities provided by this proposal to choose ways to strengthen and reinvigorate the holy brotherhood that is yours in Christ. Fourth, the biggest question I have heard raised about this proposal is: “There’s a lot involved in this. What kind of support can we expect from the Archbishop and the Pastoral Center?” I want to go on record today as saying to you that I and the staff of the Archdiocese will do whatever it takes to make this work. No doubt, there will be anticipated and unanticipated challenges. We will meet them, one by one, as they arise and try to do this in an organic way, taking the time needed to do this well. Implementation must be slow, deliberate and mission driven. Scot said it was great to hear the Cardinal summarize what he has received from the planning commission in four points. First, it doesn’t present a plan for global closing of parishes. Some have agendas that want to say this is about closing parishes. However, local planning might result in the people deciding themselves to close unneeded buildings or worship sites. But it won’t be done centrally. Fr. Chris said the Msgr. Fay referenced that this isn’t a merger or closure, because if a greater number priests are ordained and people come back, then we will need those churches. It’s a practical plan bringing people to work together for the good of the Church in that area. People will energize their community and bring the Church alive there. Scot said the second point is that we need to take collaboration to the next level. We need to get out act together to provide all the ministries we need. The third is that he wants priests to live with brother priests, that too many live alone. It’s helpful to priests to have others to share life with, to talk to each day, to share struggles joys and victories and defeats, to share a meal together, to pray with. These are crucial to good holy and healthy priestly life. The fourth point is that the Cardinal knows that the planning process will put a lot of work on parishes and that the Pastoral Center staff will go through a lot of work to reorganize themselves to best complement what is happening on the local level. Fr. Chris said the cardinal was clear that he will stand behind the plan when it is implemented. All of these key addresses and documents are available at 2012planning.org.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Mother Maureen, Sr. Evelyn, Sr. Katy, Sr. Janice, and Sr. Evelyn of Mount Saint Mary Abbey, Wrentham, Mass. Links from today’s show: Mount Saint Mary Abbey, Wrentham, MA Trappistine Quality Candy Mt. St. Mary Abbey on Facebook Today’s topics: Trappist nuns who make world-famous chocolate Summary of today’s show: They say it’s the best kept secret in New England and along a quiet, tree-lined road in the rural town of Wrentham sits an unassuming monastery of contemplative women who make chocolate beloved around the world. Scot Landry goes on location to Mount Saint Mary’s Abbey, where the Trappist nuns support their way of life by making and selling Trappistine Quality Candy (perfect for Christmas gifts!) and practice the Cistercian life of liturgy, labor, and lectio divina. Join us on a rare behind-the-scenes look at life in a place where life moves at a different pace. 1st segment: St. Mary Abbey in Wrentham is the first abbey of Cistercian abbey of nuns in the United States. We are on location in Wrentham to share with you their way of life and show Mother Maureen, Sister Katy and Sister Evelyn join us today. Scot asked Mother Maureen about the origins of the Cistercians. The order was founded in 1098 by Benedictines living in a culture that didn’t allow for the full expression of the Benedictine way of life. These monks missed the manual labor as well as the solitude and prayer that comes with less involvement in secular affairs. So they went off into the thick woods of France with the Church’s blessing to work the land and find a purer balance of the Benedictine way of life: Liturgy, labor, and lectio divina. This way of life took off like wildfire. Scot said at some point the Cistercians underwent a reform which resulted in the Trappists, formally called the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Mother Maureen said the order looked back to its roots which helped it to survive difficult times, including the French revolution. Scot said there are other Cistercians abbeys in the US, including 12 for women. Sr. Katy said there is usually a monastery of nuns located near a monastery of women. The Abbey in Spencer, Mass., was already here and then Cardinal Cushing in 1949 asked for the sisters to come from Ireland to found this monastery. The numbers grew very quickly and they began to make foundations elsewhere. The first was in Iowa and the second in Arizona and third in West Virginia. Scot said they take a vow of stability. They promise to stay in the abbey for the rest of their life. Sr. Katy said the exception is if they make a new foundation, but if they come it’s their intention to stay in the community until death. It’s a blessing to have that continuation. It’s a little bit of heaven because we believe after death we will be together forever. She said they never get bored with one another because they’re always changing. Scot said there are 45 nuns in this monastery. Sr. Katy said they’re starting to see young women come to visit again. They don’t like to take them too young because the life is quite radical and so they would like them to have some maturity. Mother Maureen said about 1/4 of the nuns are from New England and 1/4 from the rest of the United States and since the 1990s they’ve had many more from overseas, so about 1/4 are from 10 different countries. And if they count the ones in the cemetery, about 1/4 are from New York state. She said there are more monasteries of men than women and there are some countries with Cistercian monasteries for men, but not women, so women who are interested in the monastic spirituality in the life will seek out the community. Scot said when they make a vow of stability to this community, they are leaving behind their country and they are discerning God’s will that this community is where they will stay the rest of their days. She said when you have people from a number of cultures living together, it relativizes the culture and brings you to the essence of religious life. Scot asked how the diversity of background adds to the life. Sr. Katy said they are gifted and blessed to have so many cultures involved here. God has a wonderful sense of humor and a wonderful treasure he gives to us not just in accepting the other, but in being accepted and being able to live together. You come for one reason: to live for God. Other reasons can include the life of prayer, the life of work, the life of community, but in the end when everything else falls away, the one thing you have left is God. That is proven when you have so many people from so many cultures. Scot said when you live a life of stability with a very regimented schedule, that might not appeal to someone coming from a busy life. He asked Sr. Evelyn as the novice mistress how she helps seekers to adjust to the life of the abbey. She said when someone does come, most of the time they’re very grateful for the simple life and they say to themselves they don’t know how they dealt with the old way. Most who come have already started to live a prayer life outside and have had to give up a lot of their activities so when they come they plunge in. After a while, when you have a routine, you start to live within and the adventure is really within. You realize that God is really the adventure, because he’s speaking to you in this quiet life. Scot asked Mother Maureen how she discerned her vocation. She said her father gave her the book the “Seven Storey Mountain” by Thomas Merton when she was 15. Her dad loved Dorothy Day, who played a big part in Merton’s life. When she finished the book, she realized that it was a mirror of a desire she didn’t know she’d had. When she told her dad, he said it wasn’t why he gave her the book, but it was too late. It was a seed that grew in her. Scot asked Sr. Katy about her vocation. Her parents were very supportive of what she wanted to do in her life. She’d been in an another order for a number of years before coming to the Trappistines. As a little girl she’d wanted to be a sister, but that got put on the shelf during high school. As she came to graduation she felt God pulling her in this direction. She also tried nursing and entered the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and was with them for years. That community would often go to a nearby men’s monastery for Mass and prayers and felt a growing call for the solitude that was there and the vocation came from deep within and there was nothing to do but follow it. She loved the Daughters of Charity, this was the right move to make. She’s never regretted it. Sr. Evelyn is Scottish and came to Canada with no intention of entering a monastery. She got the call as she left Scotland. She desired to love God as much as she could and she went around to all kinds of other active orders, but she had a desire for the contemplative life. The person helping her thought she was too extroverted for contemplative life. The book that really struck her was the book “The Man Who Got Even with God.” She was told that she should go to America rather than stay in Canada because she didn’t speak French. She finally came to the abbey and the day she walked in the door,she knew she was home. Scot asked her how an extrovert can live a life of silence every day. She said the silence was what attracted her because the silence helps her to pray. She’s a talker, but what she really loves most is the silence. 2nd segment: Scot said life in the abbey is about Liturgy, Lectio Divina, and Labor. The liturgical life includes seven times of prayer each day. Mother Maureen said St. Benedict loved the phrase from the Psalm, seven times a day I have praised you. The figurative meaning is giving the life wholly in praise. They rise before dawn, at 3:20am, to begin the day with prayer. This is key to Cistercian spirituality, rising in the night to meet with God. All the activities of the community revolve around those hours of prayer, so each part of the day is blessed by liturgical praise. Scot asked the other times during the day they pray the Divine Office. Mother Maureen said Morning Prayer is a 6:30, followed by Mass. They have three little hours and then a solemn evening hour of Vespers and then Compline at 7:15 at which time they go to sleep. All the prayers are in the chapel in community, except the Ninth Hour, at noon, which is prayed wherever they are working. Scot asked Sr. Katy about Lectio. She said Lectio Divina is one of the most important aspects of their life. It includes Scripture reading. It feeds the heart and soul. It’s different from reading a book to study or for pleasure. It goes to the heart and it’s never finished and can never be replaced by anything else. You carry the word or phrase you receive throughout the day and comes back to you as they day goes on. Some sisters use the readings from daily Mass for Lectio. Not everyone uses the same readings. Scot said his sense is that it’s deep, slow, and short reading. Not a chapter in a book, but a paragraph or sentence. Sr. Katy said it’s important to read it slowly and several times. A word might catch you or a phrase and it’s important to stay with that. Sometimes nothing comes and that’s okay too. God can speak in the silence. Scot asked for what they could tell listeners to integrate it into their own prayer lives. She suggested setting aside a particular time of day, perhaps in the morning. Don’t feel you need to read something in its entirety, take it slow. Read it over and over again. Try to carry it with you throughout the day. Scot asked Sr. Evelyn why Labor is such important part of the life of a Cistercian nun. She said part of their life is to live by the labor of their hands. They’ve chosen that they want to live by their labor and take care of their own needs. Different aspects of life have different labors. There is a prayer in work that reveals what’s going on in your heart. You are in prayer, you are in one place. When you’re in work, it reveals the depth of character, especially when things don’t go well. Being able to see work as a gift and to offer your whole heart in your work can amplify the prayer before or after that. Scot asked what forms of labor there are at the abbey. In addition to candy making, there is the office work they do. They have a flock of sheep to care for and groundskeeping and building maintenance. There is plenty of cooking, housework, and taking care of the sick in the infirmary. They have a bindery and a shoe shop as well. Scot asked Mother Maureen if the sisters rotate among the jobs or stay at one job. She said they do try to have a balance of detachment and using people’s gifts. Some of the work is more technical so a person who has work like that, like actually cooking or treasurer has to have certain skills. It varies, some keep their jobs longer than others. There is a common good and a personal good and they try their best to balance those. Scot asked Sr. Katy how a woman might want to discern whether this is the way of life for them. Sr. Katy would invite them to a monastic weekend, which they offer twice per year. It gives them an overview and closeup view of the way they live. If the woman and the community feel it might be prudent for them, they invite them back to live in the guest house for about a week. The next step is for them to come inside and live with them for up to six weeks. After that would be acceptance into the order as a postulant. She said she makes clear that their number one work is prayer. They don’t work in schools or hospitals. 3rd segment: Scot welcomed Sr. Janice, who oversees the business operations of Trappistine Candy. He said we’ve learned that labor is one of the ways the nuns grow in their faith. He asked her about the candy business here. She said they make a variety of candy and offer them in various combination. Their bestseller is butternut munch in milk chocolate and dark chocolate. They also make several kinds of fudge. They also make milk and ark chocolate squares. Scot asked what makes it unique. Sr. Janice it’s made with love and prayers and when they make it they remember those who supply them with the goods to make it or support them by purchasing it because it supports their life and vocations. People can buy it at the gift store, but they can also purchase it online. Sr. Janice said their candy has gone to every continent, but Antarctica. The bulk of their business is domestic and have many customers who use their candy for gift-giving. Some people from far away have heard about them and found them online and just buy the candy. If people wanted to order the candy, they can go to TrappistineCandy.com or call 1-866-549-8929. They sell well more than 1,000 orders at Christmas. Scot said it’s obviously well more than 1,000 by the humble look on Sr. Janice’s face. Scot asked her what the one thing about she wanted to share about their candy. She said the sisters have a contest to see which state purchases the most candy: It’s usually Massachusetts or New York. New York won once, but Massachusetts has carried the pennant for the past 40 years. 4th segment: Scot welcomed Sr. Pamela and she is the new media expert in the abbey. He asked how embracing new media is part of their work. She handles the website and Facebook page for the abbey. She also troubleshoots anything in the monastery as well. They had their first website back in the 1990s, as soon as it was possible. It’s been important for their work, not just for vocations, but also for supporting the general Catholic population. They have visitors from all over the world and there’s a general hunger among people to find the authentic Christian life. It has helped with vocations. If the website wasn’t there they would think the sisters out of touch. She said, if used properly and with discretion, Facebook is a way to evangelize. They use it to reach not just family and friends, but all people interested in their life. She often posts about events and photos. She posts prayer requests, summaries of homilies, and the like. People sometimes submit prayer requests through the Facebook page and through a form on their website. Scot said they also have a Flickr.com page and there are a lot of photos from recent events at the Abbey. Sr. Pamela said they just opened it this summer. As a Mac user she had been using a .Mac account, but since that is closing, she’s moved to Flickr. Scot said being able to communicate with the outside world connects what they do here in the community with the universal Church. She said when people do come here to visit they often comment on that connection. Mother Maureen finished by saying that every Christian has a call to reflect the life of Jesus in some way, but no person or group can exhaust the mystery of Jesus. They are called to express the love of Christ in their life of community. Each person’s journey in their prayer life is uncharted, but it is all about entering into the heart of Christ and his prayer.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Sr. Olga Yaqob and Susan Horne Today’s topics: Mary, A Woman of Advent Summary of today’s show: For the Mother of Christ, Advent was not a time of Christmas shopping and baking, but the difficult last month of pregnancy made more difficult by a donkey-back ride through hard lands to a strange town to give birth in a stable to the Son of God. How can Mary’s experience of Advent enrich our own experience now? Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell are joined by Sr. Olga Yaqob and Susan Horne to consider Mary as the Woman of Advent in joyful expectation and anticipation with “immensity cloistered in thy dear womb”, as the poet John Donne said. 1st segment: Fr. Mark talked about his experience of the new translation of the Mass. He said it takes him back to when he was first ordained when he had to very carefully read every word and pay attention to pages. He said it also surprised him the first time he heard “And with your spirit”. He doesn’t feel that he’s praying the Mass yet. He’s achieving validity, but it will take some time to get comfortable enough to enter into deep prayer. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed back Sr. Olga and Susan Horne. Sr. Olga said the Holy Family and Nazareth in Christmas are close to her heart as one of the new community of women, the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth. Susan is a director of religious education at St. Joseph, Needham. She’s also a student in the Masters of Arts in Ministry program at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and a student of Fr. Mark. Susan is new in her job as DRE and Scot asked her what it’s like to be DRE at one of the largest parishes in the Archdiocese. She’s surprised by the variety of tasks she has to do and the variety of people she encounters and has gotten to know in the parish. These are about 900 students in religious education students in the parish. Scot said Sr. Olga has a special devotion to the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Her new community os Daughters of Mary of Nazareth and her new convent is St. Joseph’s Convent. It was her idea to enter into the season of Advent by examining it through Mary’s eyes and later this month, through St. Joseph’s eyes. Sr. Olga said we have seen Christmas as a season of joy and celebration, even a season of adoration, like the Magi coming to adore the Christ Child. We get a glimpse of what Mary and Joseph truly lived in their experience. As a woman, knowing many women who have had babies, she wonders how Mary lived those last few weeks before giving birth to the Son of God, praying and anticipating and thinking of her son as the hope of her people, Israel. She felt a sense of responsibility. Sr. Olga said there is so much too learn from her in these last weeks of Advent. Susan said in pregnancy, in the last month, you begin nesting, preparing the home and the nursery. Susan thinks of Mary having to leave the nest and go someplace foreign to her to have the baby. Scot said each of his three children came after their due date like 705 of firstborns. In that time after the due date, there is the expectant hope for the child. “Come on already.” At the same time, the Israelites waited a thousand years for their Messiah, like expectant parents themselves. Sr. Olga said with her own mother, she learned from her how to receive Communion with the motherly desire waiting to hold her child. With a young woman she was with who gave birth, as soon as the baby was born, the woman wanted to hold the baby and just to touch his skin. When she goes to Communion, she longs to touch Christ and to receive him. Mary helps her to remain in Communion with Christ. She asks Mary to help her receive Jesus through Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Fr. Mark recalled a quote from John Donne: Christ is immensity cloistered within the womb: Nativity Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb, Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment, There He hath made Himself to His intent Weak enough, now into the world to come; But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room? Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient, Stars and wise men will travel to prevent The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom. Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie? Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high, That would have need to be pitied by thee? Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go, With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe. Susan thought of expectant wonder. What will this baby bring? As the baby grows within, the mother wonders, what will this person become like? Fr. Mark always enjoys the first Sunday after First Communion to see how the children continue to receive Christ with such wonder and reverence. 3rd segment: Fr. Mark began the segment by reading the John Donne poem. He loves the first line, but the last line gives him pause to think of how it must have hurt her to know Herod pursued her son and how other children were dying by Herod’s hand. Sr. Olga said what was the feeling of Mary that right after the experience of the Annunciatiomn, the angel departed from her and never appeared to her again. Instead the angel only appeared to Joseph, telling him to marry Mary, to take her and Jesus to Egypt, then to come back to Israel. She said Mary never questioned Joseph, to ask why the angel only appeared to him. She was obedient. then think of her traveling nine months pregnant through a desert to Bethlehem. She suffered and continued to suffer through Christ’s passion. Scot said the preparations for your first child are out of control. He went to the hospital a month before the birth and meet all the possible doctors who will be on call, you practice the route, you pack the go bag, you know the phone tree you will call. But here’s the Blessed Mother who doesn’t know where she will give birth.She and Joseph were just looking for a place to lay down after a long journey. Susan said we don’t often think of the day to day elements of Mary’s journeys that help women live their lives as Christian women even better. Meditating on Mary’s life helps her to deal with difficult situations. As a mother, the last thing you want is for your child to be endangered or suffering. She would take the place of her child on the cross. So Mary must have held this pain inside her, knowing this was God’s plan for her family. Fr. Mark told a story of a parish’s Christmas pageant. One boy wanted to be Joseph, but was made innkeeper #2 instead and that made him upset. So when Mary and Joseph came to him, he said, “Sure we have room, come on in.” Connecting to the idea of having no place to give birth while carrying the Son of God, that must have been awful for Mary and Joseph. Scot said Advent helps us to prepare for Christ’s coming in our lives and to prepare for His Second Coming, buy it also teaches us how to deal with waiting for something in our lives. 4th segment: Scot asked Sr. Olga how we can become a living Nativity. She said that we need to be that “inn” for Mary and Jesus. We see people around us who need help, a smile, a word of encouragement, or other simple things. Those little gestures are like making an inn for Jesus, making room for Mary. She is present in every person and we are called to see him in one another. You don’t need to study theology or be a leader in the Church. We are all called to be that living Nativity in the world in those daily simple acts of kindness and charity and sincere love. There are further actions we can do: There are people who cannot afford to celebrate Christmas, or a father or mother are serving overseas, or a parent is in the hospital and can’t do Christmas shopping. We can become that living Nativity to people around us. Sr. Olga said a lot of it is being that living example. susan said one thing that helps her is trying to see another person or situation the way God sees it because we don’t know what’s in the heart of someone. It’s easy to judge. We need to see and hear with the eyes and ears of God. Scot said Archbishop Timothy Dolan wrote a book of Advent reflections, Advent Reflections: Come, Lord Jesus. Scot read a passage from the book, relating people in waiting in anticipation of a difficult situation, that this is Advent for them. Sr. Olga said the book has helped her to pray with Mary and live her ministry through Mary in the service to the people around her. He rexample is in her docile willingness, her belief, and her faith. It’s amazing she went through that. From the moment of the Annunciation to the first miracle of Cana was almost 30 years and almost her whole life was Advent, waiting for the Messiah to come into His own. Susan said in the midst of all the stress and work of preparing for Christmas we should recall the Blessed Mother’s example in turning over all her stress and worries to God. We can offer up those tasks, the extra things were doing above and beyond normal life, to God as an Advent sacrifice. Scot said he often prays for the gift of patience. It’s so easy to grow impatient and how we respond to it is through God’s grace. Sr. Olga said she learned from Mary that patience is the fruit of trust in God. If I trust in God, I will remember that God gave his only begotten Son to us, When we worry, we have to remember to trust in his plan that what is meant for you will come to you. Do we think that the one who gave us his only begotten Son will hold anything back from us? 5th segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. First Reading for December 4, 2011, the Second Sunday of Advent (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11) Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins. A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Go up on to a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care. Gospel for December 4, 2011, the Second Sunday of Advent (Mark 1:1-8) The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Scot said so much of the spiritual is being “all in” for God and here John the Baptist is all in for God. You couldn’t help but notice the messenger sent ahead of his Son. Sr. Olga said what she likes about St. John here is knowing his mission in preparing the way. Often in ministry, we can say, it’s my mission, but John knows he’s just here to lead others to Jesus. He’s full of fiery zeal, but also profound humility. Susan said he also does it with great joy, right from the moment in Elizabeth’s womb when he leaped at hearing Mary’s greeting. Fr. Mark talked about the two aspects of God in the image of his arm. It’s a strong arm, but it also holds the lamb. St. John is a bit crazy, but he’s incredibly strong and bold. He’s completely committed. He hasn’t forgotten what Isaiah’s time was like and how the people lived by Isaiah’s promise. He wants to proclaim it to the world until Christ comes, then he steps back and lets Christ take the center stage. Scot asked how we make straight the paths to prepare for the coming of Christ into our own hearts. As John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan, they were acknowledging their sins. So we make straight the way for Jesus into our hearts, we go to Confession. Sr. Olga asks Mary to help her prepare the way and her heart to bring Christ in. During Advent, Sr. Olga also tries to console Mary in the week’s before giving birth, for her what she went through in the last weeks. Offer sacrifices, prayer, and fasting to console the heart of Mary. Susan said John the Baptist and Mary didn’t feel worthy to receive Christ, but we welcome him. Scot mentioned the Pilot article about the new community Cardinal Seán asked Sr. Olga to found and the Mass coming up next week at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. She extends an invitation to everyone in the Archdiocese to come, because she like John the Baptist she has a fiery zeal for Christ in her heart and wants to prepare the way for the people of our Archdiocese to know how alive the Church is in our youth. “New community prepares for Mass of blessing”, The Boston Pilot, 12/2/11

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese 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: Pastoral Planning in the Archdiocese; the new Roman Missal; new Nuncio in Ireland Summary of today’s show: You’ve seen the headlines about pastoral planning in the Archdiocese of Boston. Now get the real scoop. Scot Landry and Susan Abbott and regular guests Gregory Tracy and Fr. Roger Landry discuss the proposal for restructuring the way parishes are served in the Archdiocese that was leaked to the media ahead of Monday’s priestly convocation, countering the agenda-driven critics in the secular press. They also talk about how the adjustment to the new translation of the Roman Missal went in parishes this past Sunday with priests having to do the most adjusting; that the new papal nuncio to Ireland was Pope Benedict’s “go-to” man at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and that Catholic school enrollment in the Archdiocese is up for the first time since the 90s. 1st segment: Scot said Susan starts a retreat tonight in Narragansett, RI. Diocesan leaders of religious education will be examining the working document for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization for how it affects the work they do as well as personally. Fr. Roger Landry said the document is called the liniamenta. This is the first part of the Synod, a framework which is sent out to all bishops and they respond to it. From that an instrumentum laboris is constructed and will be what the synod works from. Finally, they will Scot said to Gregory Tracy that he just returned from a trip to Guam where a friend who is the godfather of one of his children was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Agana, Guam. While he was from East Boston, his work with the Neo-Catechumenal Way led him to seminary for Guam. The story is in this week’s Pilot. It’s a beautiful country where most of the people are Catholic and they were treated to great hospitality. 2nd segment: Scot said the local coverage in the newspapers today of pastoral planning in the Archdiocese included some headlines biased toward critics. Scot said the planning documents were sent out to priests yesterday morning and some people shared them with the media, breaking an embargo that had been in place. “Critics fear new plan will close churches”, Boston Herald, 12/1/11 “Archdiocese plans to group parishes in large clusters”, Boston Globe “Boston Archdiocese Proposes Broad Parish Groupings”, WBUR, 11/30/11 Scot asked Greg about the beginning of the consultation phase being started right now. Greg said on Monday, the priests of the archdiocese will be gathering with the cardinal to give their feedback on the proposal. Greg pointed out that the proposal only changes how services are rendered in the parishes, not to suppress or merge them. Instead, parish service teams would serve more than one parish and create economies of scale. Scot said after the crisis of 2002, the archdiocese went into survival mode in 2004 with closing parishes to husband resources. Then for the last several years we’ve been in maintenance mode where we haven’t be structured to advance our mission of evangelization and bringing Christ to people and bringing them back to Mass. The changes would provide more resources for missions, streamlining for efficiency. Susan said she was dismayed that the documents were leaked and that it was a breach of trust. She first heard about it on the radio last night on the way home. The story quoted Msgr. William Fay, co-chair of the pastoral planning commission. He said crisis management is not sustainable. He also said a repeat of broad parish closures is not an option and neither is the status quo. Scot said it’s the most significant initiative in the archdiocese of ver the next five years. Msgr. Fay will be on the show on Tuesday to talk about pastoral planning. Listeners can email questions for Msgr. Fay to [email protected] Fr. Roger said most significant in all this is the projections for the number of priests in the diocese in the future. He said something must be done because there won’t be enough priests to do what we do now. He said he was pleased to see the ingenuity of the structure they are proposing for the parish service teams. If they are set up today, then when the real losses occur they will be at full speed and able to maintain things until the increasing numbers of vocations today reverse the current trends. Scot said the real problem we’re experiencing a loss of vocations to priesthood, marriage, and religious life is the lack of people going to Mass. And so we move from maintenance to mission by putting resources toward going to people and encouraging them to come back. Cardinal Seán doesn’t think closing parishes will work. We need to restructure for how we manage our overall resources. Greg said this restructuring is only part of a larger plan to create greater outreach and evangelization. The first step is to ensure the parishes are on a firm foundation because the parishes are where evangelization takes place. It’s where people will go. Scot said Cardinal Sean has established five strategic priorities, including becoming a church that more readily and actively welcomes people to conversion of Christ; strengthening parishes as the primary community of faith; growing the Church through evangelization; developing excellence in faith formation for Catholics of all ages; re-energizing pastoral leadership, not just the priests, but also lay leaders in parishes. Susan said something has to change. We are killing our priests with all that they are being burdened with. Setting these five priorities gives us a road map. Scot added that the secular news organizations quote critics and people with agendas and you’re going to hear that this is about closing more parishes for money and that this is a spin job on behalf of the Church to sugarcoat it. That’s misleading and causing confusion. It’s a lie. This is really about becoming a Church that evangelizes and knows our faith better than we’re currently doing it. Scot said people are doing heroic work today with resources they have, but everyone working in the Church knows we can reallocate our resources to better serve our missions. We can become a stronger Church through this. Susan said she likes Msgr. Fay’s quote at the end of the WBUR story: Borre says he expects the plan will also lead to a number of appeals to the Vatican to stop parish closings. But the archdiocese’s Monsignor William Fay disputes that the plan would close more churches. “Anybody who chooses to spin that in that direction is, I think, more interested in confusing people than helping them,” Fay said. She said people need to wait and read the original documents when they become available on Tuesday during the broader period of consultation . Scot said the plan is that the Cardinal’s address to the priests and Msgr. Fay’s address will be recorded and put on a website for anyone to see. Fr. Roger said of Borre’s comments that they were telling that he doesn’t understand what the Vatican is doing with regard to parish closings. Borre is trying to spin it for his own agenda.Fr. Roger said it wouldn’t be shocking if some of those parish service teams decided to sell some parish buildings to reinvest in the parishes and because those buildings wouldn’t be needed. Those decisions wouldn’t be coming from the top down, but would come from the parishes themselves. He wouldn’t be shocked if there were fewer worship sites in the Archdiocese in 10 years, but it won’t be any as low as 125. Scot said there is a strong hope and plan that focusing more on mission will result in more people coming to church and so there might be more buildings, not fewer. 3rd segment: The page one story in the Pilot this week was how the adjustment to the new Roman Missal went this week. Greg said the broad response was that with all the preparation, there was still a lot of “And also with you” at the beginning of Mass, but by the end people were beginning to get it. Scot said Fr. Philip Conroy was quoted on how much preparation was required for the priests on their use of the missal and finding where everything was. Susan said she noticed at the noon Mass at the Pastoral Center that there was a sense that we’re all in this together. She said whatever negative feelings people might have had going into it, there is now a sense that we’re going to be fine. In the Anchor, many parishioners are quoted as loving the new translation. Fr. Roger said he sent three reporters out to get feedback. He was surprised that almost every was positive. As a priest, his closest experience to this weekend was his first Holy Week celebrating the Masses in German. He’s celebrated Mass 5,600 times according to the old translation and even from as young as 6 he’d memorized the prayers of the Mass, so now he has to concentrate on reading the book to make sure he prays the correct words. It’s going to take a lot of time for the priests especially. Fr. Roger added that the prayers are incredibly beautiful. On Monday, he prayed the preface for the dedication of a church on its anniversary and he almost paused to consider its beauty. As part of his morning holy hour, he’s starting to meditate on the prayers of the Mass before he has to pray it later. Scot said it’s a good time to subscribe to a daily Missal with the prayers of the Mass to use them for meditation. 4th segment: Scot said the Holy Father has appointed a new nuncio or papal representative to Ireland. Rather than choose someone from the diplomatic service, the Holy Father chose someone who worked with him at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Msgr. Charlie Brown is from New York originally. Fr. Roger said the Irish people will like him. He’s very bright who graduated from Notre Dame and Oxford and got a doctorate in Rome at Sant’Anselmo. Many thought he would have become a papal secretary. He didn’t just work with Cardinal Ratzinger; he was the go-to guy for him. Fr. Roger has known him for some years. Pope Benedict has clearly selected him for Ireland because he wanted someone he trusted very much in Ireland because after the clergy sex abuse scandals there, they needed the right guy. The Vatican diplomatic service didn’t have enough native English speakers to choose from, plus his experience at the CDF gives him familiarity with the scandal. Fr. Roger said the Church’s diplomacy is not like regular national diplomacy because first they are sent diplomats for Christ. A restructuring of the diocese of Ireland is widely expected and he will have a role. Scot said there is an article in the Pilot about the founding of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth religious community at the request of Cardinal Sean. There will be a Mass of Blessing at Holy Cross Cathedral on December 9 at 5:30pm. Greg said this is part of Cardinal Seán’s push for a new evangelization. Anyone who knows Sr. Olga knows her great love for Christ and wonderful spirit, which should be a great foundation for this community. Another story in the Pilot is that Catholic school enrollment in the Archdiocese of Boston is up for the first time since the 90s. Susan said a couple of schools are profiled in the article, discussing how they have accomplished this by reflecting their communities and providing unique services. Another article in the Pilot was an obituary for Fr. Edward Gillis, who died one week shy of his 90th birthday. In the Anchor this week, there is an article about a new transgender law passed by the Mass. Legislature at the 11th hour. It was stripped of the worst aspects, such as giving people who consider themselves transgender access to any bathroom they chose. But we could still have transgenders filing lawsuits for discrimination in hiring or housing or other areas. The transgender community is trying to get the American Psychiatric Association to stop calling it a mental illness. There will be a consequence for society if we stop treating these disorders and try to normalize them. Fr. Roger said we want to make sure thye don’t suffer harassment for their psychological illness, but we shouldn’t try to normalize these illnesses.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Brother Rahl Bunsa, General Superior of the Brotherhood of Hope Links from today’s show: Brotherhood of Hope TGCL#140 on the Brotherhood of Hope “A Season of Hope by the Brotherhood of Hope: Rediscovering our Advent Heritage” Audio CD Today’s topics: Advent with the Brotherhood of Hope Summary of today’s show: Put away your Christmas music for now and keep Advent in the season with “A Season of Hope”, a CD of Advent music from the Brotherhood of Hope. Br. Rahl Bunsa talks with Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams about Advent as the season of hope in the Coming of Christ to restore creation to what it was intended to be and to prepare our own hearts to receive Christ ourselves. Enjoy what may be the only musical album of purely Advent music for sale anywhere and enter into the season. There’s time enough for Christmas music once Christmas is here. 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Matt discussed the first two nights of the God of This City tour this week. He said the tour has grown bigger and bigger each year they’ve done it. (Our recent show on The God of This City tour is available for listening online or to download.) He described the talks on the two nights. Fr. Matt also mentioned that George Martell is telling the story of God of This City through photos on the Archdiocesan Flickr page. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Br. Rahl to the show. He said getting into the Advent season usually starts with listening to the Advent CD. Scot said church music helps you enter into the liturgical CDs. He asked why the Brotherhood made their first CD about Advent. Br. Rahl said Advent was their favorite season of the year, because of the theme of hope. But also they noticed that everyone had Christmas music, but not Advent music and yet there is so much very rich Advent music. Scot said his oldest son gets very upset when he hears Christmas music too early. He asks himself why can’t we all wait until Christmas? As Catholics we shouldn’t jump the gun on Christmas. Advent is rich in messages for us and can enrich our spiritual life and deepen our longing for Jesus. Br. Rahl said our parents and grandparents would not have decorated their homes until Christmas Eve and would have used Advent to prepare with Advent calendars and the like. Br. Rahl said of hope that all virtues are to grow in us and with hope, we are to grow in our confident expectation that Christ will come again in glory. And not just a future reality of the second coming of Christ, but also that the many promises of God in Scripture will be fulfilled, like the promise that as we grow in prayer, we will grow closer to God. Scot asked what the difference is between hope and optimism or a positive nature. Br. Rahl said it’s the difference between natural hope and supernatural hope. Supernatural hope is attached the supernatural nature of God, regarding his promises and what he has said. Fr. Matt said he loves the idea of preparing for Christ. In praying the new prayers of the revised Roman Missal this week, he was struck by the opening prayer that asked God to strengthen our resolve to go out to meet him at His coming, equipped with righteous deeds. He said our society has a lot of fear at the coming of Christ, but Christians want Christ to come and save us. It’s a hope-filled calling, that the Lord is faithful to his promises. He is unconditionally faithful. Fr. Matt said many people are turning to pharmaceuticals because they are not living in hope. Br. Rahl said a traditional acclamation of hope is the Greek word Maranatha, which means “Come!” Scot said there’s a nice quote in the CD cover that refers to the two-fold expectation of the coming of Christ. We prepare for the general coming of Christ at the end of time, and we also prepare for our own encounter with Christ at the end of our own lives. The first song on the CD is “Hills of the North Rejoice”. Scot then read his favorite verse from the song. Br. Rahl said it was the first song on the CD because of the exuberance and joy of the song. When people think of Advent, they wanted people to think of the joy of the season. He said the range of the music is everything from contemporary to chant to gospel to regular church hymns. They also had one-third of the songs as ones they wrote, one-third as traditional songs, and then one-third of traditional songs with new accompaniment. 3rd segment: Scot said he learned reading through the prayer booklet with the lyrics from the CD that in Lift up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates, “heads” refers to the tops of the gates. Br. Rahl said he wanted to point out that they had professional musicians in the studio backing up the guitar and voices. Scot said of the hymn Lift Up Your Heads that the widening of the gates for the Savior of the world reminds us of the immensity of the Coming of Christ. So we should “widen” our hearts. Br. Rahl said we can pray to ask the Lord to deepen my heart, deepen my love for you. He also suggested entering into the Church’s liturgy ever more deeply and going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to experience the Lord’s rich forgiveness. Meditating on Scriptures is a great preparation. Many of the songs are direct or indirect references to Scripture. He suggested praying to the Lord to teach us to see his vision and the things of heaven before the things of this world. Fr. Matt said we’re reminded how quickly time passes us by. In the midst of it, we are reminded of our mortality which then points us to our destiny and the things of eternal life. Prayer refocuses us so we remember we were made for more than this earth. Br. Rahl said the booklet for the CD was made to help people with their prayer life. It has meditations, catechesis, background, and lyrics to pray along with. The next song is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. It is the most popular Advent hymn and perhaps the only one most people can name. It’s from the 9th century and people have been singing it for 1,000 years. The song on the CD transitions to another song called “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night”, which is the reference in the Scripture to the watchman looking for the coming of the king and the song is a dialogue between a traveler and the watchman. Scot said “Emmanuel” means “God with us”. We heard a clip from the second half of the song. Br. Rahl said 10% of the net proceeds of this CD are donated to The Village of Hope, an HIV orphanage in Tanzania, Africa, while the remainder supports the Brotherhood’s work in campus ministry in Boston, New Jersey and Florida. 4th segment: It’s time to announce this week’s winner of the WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prizes this week are *“A Season of Hope by the Brotherhood of Hope: Rediscovering our Advent Heritage” Audio CD, Gospel Champions PC game for Windows XP, and a $15 Mystic Monk Coffee gift card. This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Debbie & Chuck Papalia from North Andover, MA. Congratulation, Debbie and Chuck! 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. 5th segment: Scot said we heard a clip from “Revelation Canticle” which is the last song of the CD, which he said is his favorite. Br. Rahl said it comes from the Book of Revelation and has a particularly celebratory and victorious tone to it. He said when Christ defeats Satan and the last enemy, Death, he will raise the dead to new life. Four verse from Revelation make up the entire song, from Revelations chapters 11 and 12. Scot said when you get a song like this stuck in your head, it leads to praying throughout the day. Br. Rahl said he once heard from a religious sister that when she needs to grow in confidence in certain situations, she listens to the song “I am Confident and Unafraid.” They put Scripture to good music in order to get Scripture into people’s hearts and minds. Fr. Matt recalled a monsignor he knew who said he once heard that a person becomes the song they sing. when we worship God, it changes our focus and our attitude and the environment around us. When you have beautiful lyrics tied into Scripture and Tradition, it gives a way to focus on what is really true and lifegiving. Br. Rahl said he once heard from someone at the BBC who played their CD on BBC radio and told them it was a big hit. Many parents tell him that their kids enjoy the music too and even soothes troublesome children. It’s good for anyone seeking to get into Advent and mature into the Lord. He said he hasn’t seen any other exclusively Advent CD for sale. He thinks it’s because often Christmas overshadows Advent and it’s a short season and people don’t have as long of a chance to enter into it. Br. Rahl said most of the songs were a regular part of the Brotherhood’s prayer life long before the CD was recorded. In order to get the prayer booklet that comes with the CD, you must order the CD, but it’s also available through iTunes and Amazon MP3. Scot asked Br. Rahl why they included Alma Redemptoris Mater out of all CDs. They wanted to invoke the assistance of Mary under her title of Our Lady of Hope. She brought forth the Word and pondered the Word of God. Fr. Matt said God is always faithful to his promises and in Advent we the Magnificat and the Canticle of Zechariah which proclaim God’s fidelity. These both point to hope. Br. Rahl said what he loves about Advent is that in the midst of the sadness of the world, the Lord will return and we long for that day. Advent is a season for longing for Christ to restore creation to what it was intended to be. For those interested in bulk orders, contact the Brotherhood directly via their website.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s guest(s): Fr. Richard Clancy, Director of Campus Ministry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Mary Doorley, Vice President of Development for Boston Catholic Development Services Links from today’s show: Archdiocese of Boston College Campus Ministry Tech Catholic Community Oblates of Divine Mercy Fellowship of Catholic University Students Today’s topics: The Cardinal’s Christmas Letter benefits the Office for Campus Ministry Summary of today’s show: Cardinal Seán’s annual Christmas letter customarily urges end-of-the-year support for one archdiocesan ministry and this year he’s asking for help for College Campus Ministry. With 23 colleges and 250,000 students in the Boston area, Fr. Richard Clancy and his fellow campus ministers are bringing Christ to population that is most missing from our parishes and yet are those seeking the truths that Church has to offer. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor are joined by Fr. Clancy and Mary Doorley of Boston Catholic Development Services to talk about engaging in effective campus ministry with limited resources and how even small donations can make a big difference in the life of young people and the future of the Church. 1st segment: Scot discussed with Fr. Chris the new translation of the Roman Missal and how it went for him this weekend. The idea of celebrating a Mass that is both new and still the same was disconcerting. He had the altar server stand next to him the whole time with the Missal. Today, he concelebrated Mass at the seminary and he found himself slipping back into the old, familiar ways, but he believes over time this will be beautiful for the Church. He said the men at Norfolk Prison last night were prepared and raring to go. He said it will be daunting in the seminary because the only group more critical than priests are seminarians because they know every rubric. Fr. Chris said priests also have the added burden of finding their way around the new Missal and so it will be a time of getting reacquainted. He also wished Scot a happy new year with this first week of Advent marking the beginning of the liturgical year. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Mary Doorley and Fr. Clancy to the show. Fr. Clancy has been in campus ministry for 15-1/2 years and he’s been director for 10 years. He grew up in Woburn and was always involved in his parish. St. Anthony. He worked in the rectory, helped the custodian with the grounds, was an altar server and lector. His parents were a good example as we was so involved with the church. He always considered it as a child, but it was when he went to college that it came to the fore. He attended Merrimack College and was very involved in alternative spring breaks and retreats. There were Augustinian brothers who influenced him. Mary said she’s worked at the Archdiocese since the beginning of September. She grew up in a family whose parish the center of their life. That was in Pittsburgh. She has worked in fundraising with many Catholic organizations over the past 25 years. Fr. Chris said he is ecstatic about the Cardinal’s Christmas Letter benefiting campus ministry this year because many of the men in the seminary now started their vocational journey through campus ministry at local colleges. Scot asked Fr. Clancy about campus ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston. He said there are 250,000 students in the Boston area. He added that they have different relationships with different schools. For example, most Catholic colleges provide their own campus ministry and then assist with resources and facilities. At private schools like MIT, many of the resources are partly provided by the archdiocese and partly provided by alumni and donors. At state schools and some private schools, the donations from donors and alumni are the sole support. Scot read a list of colleges and universities that have a Catholic presence on campus. Fr. Clancy said many of these schools used to be mainly for commuters, like Suffolk, Merrimack, or Northeastern. Now most colleges are residential and that increases the dependence on campus ministry even if the overall numbers aren’t that much higher. He said where there are residence halls there is a need for the presence of the Church to aid the students where they are not receiving ministry from their home parishes. There was a discussion of Newman Centers and campus ministry offices and chapels. Fr. Clancy said each school has a different way of relating to campus ministry. At Boston University, for example, they have their own building. In other schools, they might literally have just a table and a chair. Scot said Mary has put together a brochure to accompany Cardinal Seán’s letter, which has various statistics on campus ministry. He noted that 25% of adults under 30 claim no religious affiliation. Mary said we do need to be present on college campuses as well as to celebrate the good things that are happening in campus ministry. She said she’s been amazed by what she hears is happening there. She hopes people will look at the pamphlet they will receive this week. The brochure also talks about how campus ministry can be helped with relatively small funds. For instance, just $5,000 can take 40 students for a weekend-long retreat at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunkport, Maine. Fr. Chris said this is the way the Church can reach out and connect to this generation. When he’s in parishes, he notes that this age group is the one that’s missing, age 18 to 25 or 30. 3rd segment: Scot asked Fr. Clancy what works to connect with young people with their Catholic faith. He said first, you have to build a local community of students, staff, and faculty around the Eucharist. They emphasize the sacramental life of the Church. Everything comes from the Eucharist and returns to it. He said they are on the front lines of evangelization. It is outreach. Campus ministers talk about constructive loitering. Walking around in a Roman collar brings attention. Set up a table and train students to be welcoming and inviting. They then provide ways for students to connect with the Church in addition to Mass. Campus ministry is not just an extension of youth ministry. There is an intellectual component and they want to know. They want documents and experts. There is also a desire to meet other Catholics. Fr. Clancy said more than 50% of young adults are marrying people of other faiths, so it’s exciting for them to see people meeting their spouses in the Catholic centers and going on to leadership in parishes. Something else that works for many students is service by putting their faith into action. They are generous, idealistic and want to make a difference in the world. He sees more and more students volunteering after graduation. Scot said he’s heard constructive loitering described as ministry of presence. He said it’s important that students see a Catholic presence so they might be prompted to ask the big questions, such as why am I here, what does God want me to do? Fr. Clancy said he goes through papal encyclicals and has bible studies and to see them making connections and see the lights go on in their eyes is inspiring. Their faith was their parents’ faith and now it’s becoming their own. He said it’s a lot like being a parent. It’s not just dramatic moments. The foundation for those moments is laid on a daily basis. He told the story of a friend who was a producer for the Oprah Winfrey show. They sent a terminally ill woman on a whirlwind tour with her only daughter, but the daughter said her most important memory was a quiet time in the middle of the night together. This is the important basis for the dramatic times. Fr. Clancy said when you look back, you don’t remember the programs so much as the relationships you had. Fr. Chris said the Church has the truth and the truth is attractive. Young people are adept at sniffing out hypocrisy and untruth, so when we are faithful to the Church’s teaching that is very attractive. He said some of his seminarians spoke so highly of a particular priest as a model for the priesthood. He said his secret was to preach the truth, prayed with them, and celebrated the Mass and that inspired many priestly vocations. Fr. Clancy said there are wonderful and dedicated campus ministers throughout the archdiocese, who work hard and even pay for a lot out of their own pockets. He said they don’t create cults of personality around the campus minister. It’s all about the Lord. They have many opportunities to be with the Lord, to pray, to receive the sacraments. It’s about leading them to Christ and then getting out of the way. Mary said in talking with many college and university public affairs’ office she has found that they value the work of campus ministry and how it enriches campus life. Fr. Chris asked Fr. Clancy for his recommendations to parents of students going off to college on getting them connected to campus ministry. Fr. Clancy said the tricky part is that students have to make their own decisions to go to Mass and get involved. The parents can pray, set a good example, and continually encourage. He said Mass attendance on campus is about what it is in the general society. He said when they come home, encourage them in their faith, take them to penance services et al, and let them know that it’s important to them that the student continue to practice his faith. Scot said over the past five years, Cardinal Seán has used his Christmas letter to encourage extra support for a particular ministry and this year it’s campus ministry. One of the new initiatives is FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, which take newly graduated students who commit to two years of service and send them to campus ministries to work with students about their own ages. This program costs money and so far they have received funding from a foundation. More funding will allow them to expand this ministry. He notes that many of the campus ministers have to take a part-time job to supplement their income. A full-time campus minister makes $35,000 per year. On vast state universities they have one full-time person and that’s just not enough. We need boots on the ground to meet students and we need visibility. Fr. Clancy said the Brotherhood of Hope have been a gift to the Archdiocese with a great charism. They have a new ministry with an outreach to the smaller colleges in the Northeastern University area and collaborating with ministry at Emmanuel College and some of the neighboring parishes. 4th segment: Scot asked Mary about what Cardinal Seán has written in his letter. Mary said the Cardinal asked those who receive the letter to prayerfully consider their giving to the Catholic Appeal and if they have given to the Appeal, to think about giving a little bit extra. Giving to the campus ministry has a wide and immediate impact. Scot quoted from the Cardinal’s letter: In the course of the academic year, this office reaches out to tens of thousands of young adults at critical points along their faith journey through the work of lay ministers, religious, priests, and brothers. During a time of life when many young people drift away from the Church, campus ministers serve the student population by instilling a love of the faith in their hearts and minds. Through campus ministry, students are provided the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation, invited to consider their vocation in life, including the possibility of priesthood or religious life, and their overall educational experience is enriched. This Christmas, I invite you to invest in the future of our faith by making a gift to the Office for Campus Ministry. Gifts to this year’s Christmas campaign will support the Office for Campus Ministry and its programs, helping to ensure sound spiritual formation and prayerful encouragement for the next generation of Catholic leaders. Scot said it’s not just the financial contributions that the letter provides, but also leads to more prayers and an awareness of the many college students who come to our area every year and how we can be an example of Christ’s love to them. Fr. Clancy said his office doesn’t have a lot of resources and nearly every dollar they get is spent on student services. People from all over the country and all over the world send their children to these colleges and the parents entrust their children to them. Parents contact him individually, asking for him to watch out for their students. There is an obligation on us as an Archdiocese because people are sending their children to Boston to go to school and we have to take it as a call from the Lord to care for and be responsible for these students so that when they go home, they kept the faith and it has grown. Mary talked about some of the ministries that can be expanded with contributions. For instance, $75 provides sacramental wine and hosts for one month of weekly student Masses at one college. $100 pays for one Catholic fellowship activity like a spaghetti dinner or pizza. Fr. Clancy said you have to have food at every gathering to get the students to come. Mary said $500 per campus will pay for the purchase or repair of vestments, altar cloths, chalices, and other sacramental items. Scot said gifts from this campaign can also help coordinate helping students to go to the annual March for Life or to World Youth Day. Fr. Clancy said the community that is built is first and foremost. Fr. Clancy thanked Cardinal Sean and all the people in the development office for their help for his ministry. Scot said to donate online go to BostonCatholic.org.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Dr Edward Sri and Fr Brian Mahoney For links from today’s show, see our show notes page on http://thegoodcatholiclife.com. Today’s topics: The New Roman Missal at yesterday's Mass celebrations Summary of today’s show: Scot said he loves new stuff at the start of the show today - and as Catholics we have a double dose of new stuff these last few days. Yesterday not only marks the start of the new liturgical year, but the implementation of the New Roman Missal - a change in translation of our Mass parts - as well. Scot is joined today by Fr Brian Mahoney, Pastor of St Francis of Assisi parish in Dracut, Dr Edward Sri, Provost and professor of Scripture at the Augustine Institute, and regular Thursday co-host Susan Abbott to discuss all these new things, and analyze the changes that every Catholic heard and spoke at yesterday's Mass. 1st segment: Scot welcomed all the listeners back and welcomed today's guests: Fr Brian Mahoney, Dr Edward Sri, and Susan Abbott. Scot asked Dr Sri what he thought the biggest changes to Catholics in the pews were with yesterday's implementation of the New Roman Missal. Dr Sri said it was exciting for him - he went to the Saturday night evening Mass to hear it first. His Church in Denver provided both pew cards and a screen for people to follow along with the new words and responses. As much as he had prepared for it, Dr Sri said he stumbled a few times, even messed up the second reply of "And with your spirit!" (leading to much teasing from his kids). He continued and said that the biggest change was the Creed, but he was pleasantly surprised to hear people following along well and not stumbling too often. Dr Sri said it will probably take a while before we instinctively say "And with your spirit" as a response, but it will happen eventually. Susan shared that at St Theresa's in West Roxbury the Sunday morning Mass at 10:30, the pastor encouraged people to follow along on the pew cards or in their missalette - everyone had something in their hands to keep themselves on the same page. Scot reflected that he and Fr Brian had only known the "old" translation that we used up until last week, and how interesting it was to hear a new one. Fr Brian commented that he thought things went very well at his parish. He attended all the Masses to conclude a series on the new missal that he has been running in the parish for the last few weeks. Everyone at Sunday Mass was saying "And with your spirit," but at daily Mass this morning it seemed some people forgot! Scot commented that many Catholics seem to remember those few little words the most. Dr Sri explained that he views the Latin text of the Mass as a great carrier of our Tradition, and the English reflection of that Latin should do the same. In this case, "and with your spirit" is reflecting the words of St Paul in his letters, but also the significance of the history of the exchange. In the past, Dr Sri said, people said "The Lord be with you" as an invocation of power or to empower people who needed God's help - Moses, Joshua, Gideon, even Mary heard these words. Now when we hear them in the Mass, Dr Sri continued, we should remember that we are called to do something daunting that we couldn't do on our own - encounter God in his Word and in the Eucharist. When the priest says "The Lord be with you," he's almost saying "get ready!" In the same vein, "And also with you" is not supposed to be a "right back at you, Father" response, but rather asking God to bless the identity of the priest - the spirit changed by Ordination that enables him to offer the Mass. When we say "And with your spirit," we are asking God to come upon the priest's spirit as he offers the sacrifice of the Mass. Scot read a quote from Cardinal Burke that said the new prayers were more beautiful and might encourage more Catholics to think about what they are praying. Scot asked Fr Brian which of the new prayers he finds the most beautiful. Fr Brian said the way many of the opening prayers have been re-written express a richer texture that offers more to reflect on. Fr Brian continued and said that his favorite new piece was in Eucharistic Prayer III after the Holy Holy, that we recapture Scripture where the priest says "from the rising of the sun to it's setting" - a direct reference to Malachi. Susan commented that her favorite new change is the lineLord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed," which was contained in this morning's Gospel as well. Fr Brian commented that in the old St Joseph Missal for the Tridentine Mass translates the line the exact same way. Susan continued and said that people who grew up with that Missal or have been away from the Church for a very long time may see some familiar text in the new translation. Scot asked Dr Sri what elements he found most beautiful in the new translation. Dr Sri replied that one of his personal favorites is when the priest holds up the Host and used to say "Blessed are those who are called to His supper," but now says "Blessed are those who are called to the Supper of the Lamb." Dr Sri said he loves it because of the Biblical background of the prayer, which is much of what his work entails - that line is almost a direct quote from Revelation 19:9 where St John has the vision of the Heavenly Liturgy. Scot asked Dr Sri what he thought the best resources to learn more and appreciate more what we pray throughout the liturgy. Dr Sri replied that his book and website are one, and the USCCB's website is a great resource as well. This is a great moment, he continued, to catechize on the Mass like never before. The change in translation will make people more open to learning about what we believe and what the Mass is really all about - and we can easily do this by focusing on the prayers. Dr Sri said that at his presentations around the country he's been surprised by the happiness of Catholics to learn about what the prayers mean and why they're worded the way they are instead of just going through the motions of a Mass. Susan said the Archdiocese has a great website dedicated to the topic, and LifeTeen produced videos aimed at teens as well. Scot noted it's interesting how people process the changes - having followed the changes for the last few months he said he expected people who weren't as in tune with the changes to be asking about the new words. He said that in his subset two things were mentioned the most - the praying of "I believe" instead of "We believe" in the Creed, and saying "the chalice of my blood" instead of "the cup of my blood." Dr Sri and Fr Brian noted that the "I believe" is a long tradition that emphasizes personal belief before the communal belief. The word chalice emphasizes the reverence we have for Jesus' blood made present on the altar. 2nd segment: Fr Brian went back to the "I believe" opening to the creed, and explained it was originally a "heretic detector" of sorts. People who believed in various heresies that conflicted with the creed would refuse to say it - it was how the community at the time knew they needed to counsel and pray with some of their members and whether or not they were in communion with the Church teachings. Fr Brian said that the "I" is still appropriate because as individuals we speak the truth of the Church as both yourself and the singular, unified voice of the Church as well. Fr Brian said it felt odd to pray the new prayers in one sense - he had the old Eucharistic prayers memorized. Having a prayer that isn't completely changed can be tricky, and falling into the old pattern was difficult sometimes. Even though he had studied all the prayers before this weekend, Fr Brian said he still forgot the blessing for the deacon before proclaiming the Gospel and had to fall back on the old one. He said with all of this, it'll take some time to get used to the new flow. Susan commented that Msgr Dennis Sheehan said in a presentation to the Pastoral Center staff last month that the priests have a lot of changes to deal with and will need some time and prayer to adjust. Scot remarked on the clarity of the verbs in the new missal, and that they have more powerful meaning and content for reflection. He read part of Eucharistic prayer II before the Holy Holy and compared the versions: Old Version: Father, it is our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He is the Word through whom you made the universe, the Savior you sent to redeem us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he took flesh and was born of the VirginMary. For our sake he opened his arms on the cross; he put an end to death and revealed the resurrection. In this he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. And so we join the angels and the saints in proclaiming your glory as we say... New Version: It is truly right and just, our duty and salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, yourWord through whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Savior and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin. Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people, he stretched out his hands as he endured his Passion, so as to break the bonds of death and manifest the resurrection. And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we declare your glory, as with one voice we acclaim... Fr Brian said that overall, the new language is much more poetic, but may feel odd to people at first because it's not language we're used to hearing, thinking, or speaking in every day. It's not necessarily an obstacle, he continued, but a challenge for people to overcome. Susan said that the translation is a good "teachable moment" -for example, anyone can be born, but only Jesus could be incarnate of the Holy Spirit. Fr Brian discussed that, in reality, Christmas is a celebration of the revelation or manifestation of the Incarnation, which we celebrate on March 25th with the Annunciation - Jesus was fully human and fully divine from the time he was first in Mary's womb, not just when he was born on Christmas day. Fr Brian said that a good way that he is preparing to use the new texts is to pray over them every day - something he did in the past with the daily prayers and readings, but will now expand to include some of the other prayers the priest says in the new translation. The big part, Fr Brian said, is that he knows what it's about - none of it is theologically new, just semantically new. He said he trusts the Spirit to help him and his congregation to be patient when he messes up. We all have to be patient with ourselves and the community, Fr Brian said, and be comfortable with being uncomfortable for a bit while we all adjust. Susan said that while we may not be as comfortable with the new texts in the next few years as we have gotten with the old texts, it will eventually happen with time and patience. People will catch on pretty quickly, she said. Scot said one of the last changes he noticed was a simple word change - "the fountain of all holiness" in the old translation, and "the fount of all holiness" in the new. Scot continued and said that it is a great example of how the new text teaches the faith. A fountain showers on you, all you have to do is get near it and you'll get wet, and you can be very passive. God as a fount of holiness reminds us that we have to actively seek out the source of holiness to experience his blessing. Fr Brian said that in Eucharistic prayer there are two times where the priest calls down the Holy Spirit - once over the gifts before the words of institution, and once after upon the people. This second "epiclesis" is a beautiful change as well: Old Version: Look with favor on your Church's offering, and see the Victim whose death has reconciled us to yourself. Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ. New version: Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church, and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself, grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ. This small tweaking unites us even more closely to the sacrificial element of the Mass, Fr Brian said - something that was always there, but is more prevalent in the new translation than before. Susan concluded by saying that she loved the options for the dismissal rite - "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord" or "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." She said that she hopes our priests will take these two powerful dismissals as an option.

Today we bring you an encore presentation of Scot Landry’s interview of Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, Priest-Secretary to Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Director of the Archdiocesan Office for Worship, and Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth, Executive Director of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). As we approach the first widespread use of the new translation of the Roman Missal in English this coming Sunday, Scot discusses with Fr. Gaspar and Msgr. Wadsworth the important questions: Why are the prayers of the Mass changing? What are they changing to? How will it affect how we sing at Mass? Is it taking us back to the Middle Ages? All these questions and more will be answered as Scot Landry is joined by Fr. Jonathan Gaspar of the Archdiocese’s Office of Worship and Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, which was largely responsible for this new translation of the Roman Missal. Complete shownotes for this episode may be found at original airdate’s show page.

Happy Thanksgiving! Today we bring you an encore presentation of Scot Landry’s interview with Jim and Terry Orcutt, founders of My Brother’s Keeper, and Jack Shaughnessy Sr. of Shaughnessy and Ahern Hauling and Rigging, about My Brother’s Keeper, a volunteer ministry providing assistance in southeastern Massachusetts. Jim and Terry share with Scot the story of how they started My Brother’s Keeper, a mission to provide furniture and food to the needy in southeastern Massachusetts while preserving dignity and sharing the love of Christ. Jack Shaughnessy, a benefactor of My Brother’s Keeper, also discusses what inspires him about their charity and why he’s involved. Complete shownotes may be found on the original airdate’s show page.

Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Jon Niven and Heather Flynn of LIFT Ministries Links from today’s show: LIFT Ministries God of This City tour Today’s topics: LIFT Ministries and the God of This City tour Summary of today’s show: LIFT Ministries and the God of This City tour present Catholics of all ages with a beautiful and contemplative experience of Eucharistic adoration coupled with energetic and contemporary music and talented and prayerful speakers. While LIFT occurs each month at Fontbonne Academy, for Advent the God of This City tour brings LIFT to all five regions of the archdiocese. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams are joined by Jon Niven and Heather Flynn to talk about the birth of LIFT five years ago at St. Mary parish in Dedham, how it has grown and matured, and how it continues to reach ever wider audiences of people seeking to encounter the Lord in an uplifting environment of praise that complements their experience of the Eucharist at Mass. 1st segment: Scot asked Fr. Matt about the Jesus in the North End event last Friday evening. It’s a monthly gathering of young adults. They start at 7:30 with Eucharistic adoration until 8:45pm. It’s at St. Leonard’s in the North End of Boston. Some stand outside the church inviting people to come in and say a prayer. They’ve been doing these for 3 years. For the first time in 3 years, the Fire Department showed up to have them put out the little fire they light every month in front of the church. Next time, Fr. Matt said they’ll just put up loads of incense smoke. Scot asked Fr. Matt if he’s prepared for the new English-language translation of the prayers of the Mass. He said he’s ready for them. They’re so much more beautiful and richer. The connections with Scripture are beautiful. He’s look forward to it elevating his own prayer life. He noted that Fr. Shawn Carey, who works in the Pastoral Center, is a deaf priest and he was involved in creating the signs in Sign Language for the new prayers of the Mass. Fr. Matt is looking forward to today’s show because he is closely involved in LIFT Ministries and the God of This City tour. 2nd segment: Scot asked Heather Flynn what inspired the start of Lift Ministries five years. Heather and Jon were both working in the Life Teen program at St. Mary’s in Dedham. She’d been feeling God’s calling to expand her ministry beyond the parish and she’s had a love for praise and worship music that she shared with Jon, who was music director for Life Teen at St. Mary’s. They’d heard about a ministry in Louisiana, called Door, that’s similar to Lift. Jon Niven said Lift nights begin with some praise and worship. Then they have a speaker come in, whether a local lay person, a priest, a bishop, or national personality, to speak on a theme. Then there is time for Eucharistic adoration followed by more praise and worship. Jon said the contemporary praise and worship music makes it unique in the Church. He said they’re not changing the Church or her teaching and traditions, but instead are using the means of the culture to say, “Hey, we’re here.” Heather said on an average night it’s about 300 people, but they’ve had up to 800 people. What makes it unique is that while they’re geared to teens and young adults, they do get all ages. Fr. Matt said when Heather and Jon first came to him, as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s, Jon had also gone to Phoenix to see some similar such programs. They approached him at the end of a long day when he was exhausted from work, they told him their idea for a young adult outreach. His first reaction was “Don’t we already do that?” because he was so busy. He “yucked” their “wow”, but Heather in her great charity said they would take him out for lunch another day. He told them he didn’t want to do any of the administrative or planning work, but just wanted to show up and do priestly things. So when he walked in to the first event, he was expecting a garage band. But instead he was impressed by their professionalism. Heather said the goal of Lift nights is to give people an experience of being in heaven, because that’s what worship is. So everything they do in the backdrops and lights and props is trying to give people and experience of what it might be like to be in heaven. Scot said seeing everything done in a first-class professional and beautiful way leads people to that experience of heaven. Fr. Matt said environment helps you realize that there is something special going on here. He said the aspect of praise and worship music comes from our Jewish tradition and the Psalms. They used cymbals and stringed instruments with singing and dancing in the Temple. Those who are in the presence of God are singing unto the Lord and worshipping him. It’s singing hymns of love to the Lord. It starts with praise that is upbeat and then worship takes you into a heart of God. This isn’t liturgy, but it is a form of prayer that ultimately leads you into deeper communion with the Lord, another way of entering into the stillness of God’s love for us. Scot asked Jon what he’s hoping to do so the music leads people to Christ without distracting them from prayer. Jon said the most important thing is to get out of the way. Too many worship leaders try to force worship. Step back an let God shine. From a technical standpoint, it’s simple. There’s nothing complex musically to distract, especially during adoration. As musicians they step back. Scot asked Heather how you prepare an auditorium like one at Fontbonne Academy as a suitable place for adoration. She said they do them in a series over three months with a particular topic. If the topic is the Blessed Mother, they bring in a statue of Mary and flowers, for instance. As we go to break, we hear a clip from Jon’s 2008 album, “Show the World.” 3rd segment: Fr. Matt said Lift for some is an initial outreach to introduce some to the Lord as well as an opportunity for those who already know the Lord to go deeper in relationship with him. Fr. Matt said if you listen to Jon’s music or Matt Maher, the words are beautiful, theologically and scripturally based, help you to prayer, and in a musical setting that appeals to all ages, but particularly young people. He said they are committed to bringing in wonderful dynamic Catholic speakers who break open the Lord’s Word. From there they move into Eucharistic adoration. One of three things happen: they could be in complete silence, Fr. Matt could lead them in prayer, or Jon could play a hymn. Some people want silence. Others aren’t comfortable with silence and need something to help lead them. The mix of prayers helps people to enter into a comfortable attitude of prayer. They aren’t rocking out to music, but praising God in a more traditional manner. Heather said the theme of the most recent season was “Get a Life.” The first night talked about how to surrender our lives to Christ, the tools the Church gives us to help us do that, and how do we listen to God and discern what he’s calling us to. Starting in January will be a series of right to life issues. The Cardinal will be speaking in February. Fr. Matt said this will act as a precursor to the March for Life, which the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults sponsors for youth from Boston. Fr. Matt said they are focusing on respect life issues is partly because of the push to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Massachusetts. He wants to focus young people on this defense of the dignity of human life. Scot asked Jon how Lift has changed in the past 5 years. He said in the beginning they were enthusiastic but didn’t know what they were doing yet. Over the course of five years, they’ve slowed down and started to let the Lord lead, like in choices of music that fit the theme or being in the moment of adoration. They have grown and learned to listen. Also as a band, they’ve learned they’re not just a band. They are called to reflect Christ’s light, so they take the focus off of themselves and re-focus it on Christ. Heather said there are some people who’ve gone to almost every single Lift, but every month they also get a bunch of people raising their hands to show they were new. Scot said George Martell takes photos of each night and posts them on Flickr.com/BostonCatholic. Scot asked why it complements going to Sunday Mass. Fr. Matt said people who tend to go to Eucharistic adoration and develop a love for it, they start going to Mass more than once per week. There is a concern out there that too much adoration puts an unbalanced focus on adoration above receiving communion, but that’s not Fr. Matt’s experience. He said adoration gives an opportunity for silence to reflect on Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, where there isn’t that much silence during the Mass for that reflection. That experience helps people to go to Mass with greater fervor. He said there at least tow men who have entered seminarian after becoming regulars at Lift. They know at least several converts to the faith as well. Scot recalled Jon saying that he’s learned over 5 years to slow down more. However, Mass moves on at a fast clip and you’re already anticipating the next step. Heather said they help people to get a taste of what Lift is like through the video on their website, but it’s hard to convey the experience without experiencing it for yourself. Fr. Matt said you’re walking into an environment of faith, a room filled with people who came to pray, which can have a big impression on someone who’s not yet practicing their faith with fervor. He said in sports, the home team feeds off the fervor of the fans. After the next segment, we’ll hear a clip from Jon’s new song, “Glory to God Forever” which is the theme song for this year’s God of This City tour. 4th segment: It’s time to announce this week’s winner of the WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prize this week is Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues CD with Study Guide and Workbook by Fr. Robert Barron. Join Father Robert Barron for this engaging presentation concerning the Seven Deadly Sins, those great spiritual blocks that inhibit our flourishing in relationship wtih God and one another. Based on Dante’s writings, the seven deadly sins correspond to the seven stories of Dante’s Mt. Purgatory. Pride, envy, anger, sloth, gluttony, avarice and lust are all presented as patterns of dysfunction within us that lead to unhappiness. Father Barron tells us how to counteract these seven sinful patterns through a conscious process of opposition, which are the Seven Lively Virtues. The Seven Lively Virtues offer antidotes to each sin and help set us on the right path to healing and happiness. This CD can be used for personal reflection and examination of conscience or in a class or group setting, followed by discussion or meditation, using the Study Guide and Workbook. This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is John & Mary Rose Sullivan from Woburn, MA. Congratulation, John and Mary Rose! 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. 5th segment: the God of This City tour will take place all next week, Monday, November 28 to Friday, December 2, in a different place each night. The God of This City tour evolved out of Lift and is a collaboration between Lift and Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults. Jon said the first year of God of This City was a song by Matt Maher. Last year was “Our God”. You want the song to be scripturally relevant and true and energetic. The song reminds him to slow down and give it all to God. Scot asked what’s different about God of This City. Heather said it’s pretty much Lift on the road around the Archdiocese. They already do some events of Lift on the road when they’re invited to parishes and schools. The main difference is they’re in churches and so the logistics is a little different. Fr. Matt said they saw that Lift has met with much success and has been a great blessing, but they often hear people say it’s so hard for people to get to Fontbonne Academy in Milton on a Tuesday night. The tour gives them a chance to go to the five regions of the archdiocese. But it’s also a recognition that it’s a powerful ministry that can reinvigorate the faith of everyone. They don’t say who the audience for Lift of God of this City is so everyone comes. Fr. Matt said Pope John Paul II said our parishes must become an all-pervading climate of prayer. On Monday, they will be in St. Mary’s in Dedham with Fr. Matt as speaker whose theme is “Enthroned in Heaven”. On Tuesday, they will be at All Saints in Haverhill where Fr. John Capuci will speak on “Enthroned in the Hearts of His Saints”. On Wednesday at St. Bernadette in Randolph, John Bettinelli will speak on “Enthroned on the Altar”. On Thursday at St. Agnes in Reading, Sr. Florencia Silva will speak on “Enthroned in Our Hearts”. On Friday, Sr. Olga Yaqob will speak at the cathedral on “Enthroned in our Lives”. Heather said they do get some people who go to all five events. She said anyone who goes to all five events, she’ll give them a free t-shirt. Scot asked about the topics which all reference “enthroning.” Fr. Matt said enthroning refers to a king and it marks the beginning of his reign. Jesus is enthroned in heaven, not because of his domination, but because of his humility and self-emptying. He is enthroned in heaven because of his obedience to his Father and all of heaven bows in worship to the Lord. The second night connects to confession. That leads to the Eucharist on the third night. And from there it’s the lives of the saints and the last night, Sr. Olga will talks about bringing Christ enthroned out into the world. This is a preparation for Advent. Jon said leading people who may have not prayed this way involves patience and being willing to teach the people. Jon said the benefit of this style of music is that it’s catchy and very singable so people pick it up very easily. Scot asked about putting up the big screens and setting up the environment in a church. Heather said they visit each parish and figure out how to make it all work and how to do so respectfully. Fr. Matt said they have a great reverence for these as liturgical space and houses of worship. They’re not there to take away from the beauty or meaning of the space, but to help people pray in. Fr. Matt said they also offer confession from 8-9 pm each night. Scot said he tells his friends that if they feel awkward going to confession with their own parish priest, big events like God of This City offer a good opportunity to find a priest you don’t know. Fr. Matt said if you can only come to one night, go to the Friday night at the cathedral.