Tag: discipleship

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Hearts Afire

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Third Sunday of Easter Mass Readings

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First Reading: Acts 2:14, 22-33
Psalm: Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-21
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042620.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Easter to you on this Third Sunday of Easter! Thank you for joining me on our journey of discovery! Just a reminder, in the notes section I will list the sources I used to develop my reflection. You will also find references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and a link so that you can explore these and other topics on your own. If you have any questions about this reflection or if you have a question about our faith life that you’d like me to research and address, please don’t hesitate to use the comment form on the website or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. Every Wednesday, I tackle your questions in All Things Catholic, and every Sunday we break open the Word.

As usual, we are presented with scripture passages rich in content and meaning, but I’d like to share with you what I believe the Holy Spirit laid on my heart as I prepared this podcast.

In our first reading from Acts, the apostles are preaching the saving message of Jesus Christ. But in the second reading from First Peter, we find that this teaching is not some new fad. It’s old – ancient in fact. The Christian message is rooted in the foundations of the planet herself. And there seems to be some urgency in the readings from Acts and First Peter. They want us to know Jesus.

How is it that we come to know Jesus?

Well, it can’t come from outside of us. What I mean by that is that having an encounter with the risen Jesus Christ can’t be forced on us. Were Christ to be in our presence, we might not see him unless we were willing. Think about the objection of the disciples to Jesus’ preaching when they said, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked, or sick or in prison and didn’t minister to you,” (Matthew 25:37-39). Isn’t it amazing what we allow ourselves to see and not to see as we journey through life?

I would also suggest to you, although with a caveat, that we cannot come to know the risen Jesus strictly through our intellect. Don’t get me wrong, study is a wonderful way to deepen our relationship with Jesus and it is a critical part of discipleship. That’s what the study of theology is all about. But if that study is not rooted in a love for Jesus Christ – not rooted in an encounter with Jesus – then it risks being a sterile, academic endeavor. Thomas Dubay noted in his book, Fire Within, that the great spiritual experiences that come from an awareness of God do not result from reading or reasoning, (Dubay, 86). Indeed, it was intellectual hubris for a US politician to suggest that it’s only through human effort, and not God that the COVID-19 curve is flattening. <1>

Okay, so how then?

We don’t have to travel to some far distant land. We don’t have to live in a place that might seem more conducive to the spiritual life. These experiences may be helpful, but they are not essential. God has equipped us with the capability to have an encounter with the risen Lord. We do this by looking within. That’s what Teresa of Avila was trying to tell us, I think, in her descriptions about the interior castle. This doesn’t require emptying the mind and it doesn’t mean eliminating distractions. But it does mean opening ourselves up to the Holy Spirit. If we allow ourselves to open the door to our interior castles, then we have a chance to see and experience the risen Lord.

I think that’s what’s happening the Gospel from Luke today. We hear the familiar story about two demoralized disciples who left Jerusalem after the crucifixion and are now on the road to Emmaus. On their journey, they encounter a traveler and they journey together. After a while, they come to realize that the risen Jesus Christ had been with them the whole time. When did they figure it out? In the breaking of the bread. Things that they heard along the way sounded familiar and seemed to be pointing in the direction. But it wasn’t until they saw him break the bread that they realized it was Jesus who had been with them. They weren’t forced to see Jesus. They had to accept all on their own that it was Jesus.

You might be thinking, “That’s nice, deacon, but what does this have to do with me?”

We start by acknowledging that everything we have and everything we are flows from the source of life which is God Himself. We have to reject the intellectual arrogance that I am in control and that I and I alone can make things happen. What is it that sets your heart aflame? For example, do you remember the first time you ever held a baby in your arms? Maybe it was your first child or perhaps a new niece or nephew, or your friend’s baby. How did you feel? Take a second and try to connect with that feeling. How would you describe your feelings? Now substitute the words of the Gospel: were are hearts not burning!

My brothers and sisters, every time we’ve experienced love, we’ve experienced the God who is love. I want you to imagine yourself standing at your kitchen counter, for example looking out the window as you come to accept that the love you experience is God. As you imagine this scene, you slowly turn to face the beautiful but not blinding light coming from the center of your home. As Teresa of Avila describes the light radiating from the center of the interior castle, that light is Jesus Christ. Imagine yourself basking in that light.

Jesus left us His church and He empowered the Church with the sacraments to help draw us deeper into that beautifully divine light. But like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he will not force us to accept him. We have to open ourselves to the possibility of an encounter with the risen Jesus Christ. Are you ready?

Homework! After listening to the Word of God proclaimed and making and Act of Spiritual Communion, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.

  1. First, were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke? How do I hear Jesus speaking to me?
  2. Second, what is it about my faith that excites me so much that I want to share it?

I think doing our homework will help us have an encounter with the risen Jesus Christ and engage in the evangelical work of discipleship. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Notes:
<1> Governor Cuomo tells CNN that the COVID-19 curve is bending in New York. I realize this is one tiny quote out of larger interview, but it certainly makes a statement. “Our behavior has stopped the spread of the virus. God did not stop the spread of the virus. And what we do, how we act, will dictate how that virus spreads.” To watch the interview, see Gov. Andrew Cuomo: We have a constitution, not a king. For another take on his remarks, see Bishop Barron on Governor Cuomo and the Nature of God.

References:
1. Dubay, Thomas. Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel—On Prayer. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989.
2. Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2018.
3. Keating, Daniel. First and Second Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
4. Kurz, William S. Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
5. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
6. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Christ is the key to interpreting Scripture, 102, 426-29, 601, 2763
2. Jesus reveals and fulfills Scripture, 112, 555, 572, 601, 652, 1094
3. Calling on the name of Jesus, 432, 2666
4. Jesus, the Lamb offered for our sins, 457, 604-5, 608, 615-16, 1476, 1992
5. Jesus’ signs and wonders, 547-50
6. Culpability for Jesus’ death, 591, 597-99
7. Redemption in Christ, 602
8. Jesus’ body preserved from corruption, 627
9. Jesus appears to Simon Peter, 641
10. The apostles and disciples as witnesses of the Resurrection, 642-44, 857, 995-96
11. Disciples demoralized by Jesus’ death, 643
12. Jesus’ risen body, 659
13. Prophecies of the Holy Spirit, 715
14. Jesus appears in the breaking of the bread, 1329
15. From the Scriptures to the Eucharist, 1346-47 16. Call to holiness, 2012-16

Third Sunday of Easter
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042620.cfm
Lectionary: 46

First Reading
ACTS 2:14, 22-33
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.

“My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father
and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”

Responsorial
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R. (11a) Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Second Reading
1 PT 1:17-21
Beloved:
If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially
according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished lamb.

He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.

Alleluia
Luke 24:32
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us;
make our hearts burn while you speak to us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Luke 24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

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Divine Mercy Sunday 2020

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Second Sunday of Easter / Sunday of Divine Mercy Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47
Psalm: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel: John 20:19-31

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Easter! Today on this second Sunday during the octave of Easter we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. What is that all about? And what’s all this octave of Eater talk?

Let’s get the basics out of the way. Octave means eight. We count the eight days of Easter beginning on Easter Sunday until the following Sunday. This practice started early in the history of the church. The “eighth day” became another name for Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection. While we don’t commonly refer to every Sunday as “the eighth day”, we do treat every Sunday as Easter Sunday. That’s why during Lent, Sundays aren’t counted as a day of Lent. Ok, now that the basics are out of the way, let’s jump into the readings in the light of Divine Mercy.

If you’ve been keeping up with the daily readings since last Sunday, you’ll know that Jesus has already appeared three times to the disciples. As we read these accounts, we journey with the first disciples in the days and weeks following the Lord’s resurrection. Our first reading from Acts helps to paint that picture for us. Now, put yourself in their position for a few minutes.

Everyday that passes, the disciples slowly come to understand what Jesus is teaching them. Jesus is the Savior foretold in the Old Testament. Jesus buys salvation to heal the wrong of Original Sin with His own blood. The full weight of the undeserved and unmerited sacrifice – God’s only begotten Son – demonstrates the full extent of God’s mercy.

What an incredible sacrifice Jesus made for you and for me – His beloved! That’s what we find in or second reading from First Peter. His mercy gives us hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 1:3). So, on this eighth day, we pause to acknowledge the immensity of God’s mercy. But this reading also speaks for trials we might endure to prove the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Let’s look at that in the light of the Gospel.

In today’s Gospel, we find the familiar story of Thomas who refused to believe unless he could touch Jesus’ wounds. Thomas need proof or he says he will not believe, (John 20:25). Isn’t it easy to observe what happens in Scripture in a detached sort of way? For example, isn’t it easy to shake your head, giggle and say, “Poor doubting Thomas.” But I think there’s more to this Scripture passage.

For example, how would you describe your faith life before COVID-19? I don’t mean what you used to do, but what you believed. What does Christian faith mean to you? Is it just a moral philosophy – lessons about how to be good and get along with other people? I mean, that’s not bad in itself, but Christian faith is so much more than that.

The Christianity we find in Scripture and tradition teaches repentance, self-sacrificial love, and purity of heart. It commends joining our suffering to Jesus – carry your cross to follow the Way of the Cross – as the path to God.

I know that for many of us, “staying home” doesn’t necessarily mean we have had loads of time to contemplate the meaning of life, the universe and everything, but hopefully we’ve all slowed down a little. I encourage you to use the opportunity to explore your own faith. Are you like the Peter and the other disciples in Acts who boldly profess salvation in the name of Jesus Christ? Or are you more like Thomas who believes only to a certain point, but when push comes to shove, you got to have proof?

God’s mercy and salvation is available to all believers. But if you don’t believe, if you don’t really believe that Jesus really walked among us, taught and healed, was tortured, crucified and died and then rose from the dead, then are you really a believer? This is wildly important because in Revelation 3:16, Jesus warns that like a beverage that is neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, he will spit us out. Now is the time to recommit yourself to Jesus Christ before life starts to return to “normal”. Now, on this Sunday of Divine Mercy, is the time to open your heart to Jesus Christ. If you don’t have access to a priest or the mass, then ask forgiveness, and make an act of spiritual communion. Say it. Mean it. And from now on, walk the walk.

Homework! I ask you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

  1. In the Gospel we heard, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” What are the obstacles to my belief? How can I help others overcome their doubts?
  2. We also heard, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” How is my faith a blessing to me and my family? How can I accompany those who are skeptical?

I think doing our homework will help us live as Christians resolute in our faith. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

References:
1. Keating, Daniel. First and Second Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
2. Kurz, William S. Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
3. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
4. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015.
5. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Faith and assurance, 163
2. Appearances of the risen Jesus, 448, 641-46
3. Resurrection of Jesus, 651-55
4. Eschatology, 673-74
5. The Holy Spirit and the Church, 737-41
6. Apostles’ teaching, 857
7. Communal life, 949-53
8. Sanctifying presence of the risen Christ in the liturgy, 1084-89
9. Breaking of bread, 1329, 1342
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sins, 1441-42
11. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, 1461-67
12. Our new birth in the Resurrection of Christ, 1988 (also 654-55)
13. Christian spirituality, 2013-16
14. The Sunday Eucharist, 2177-78 (also 1342)
Prayer, 2624-25
15. Blessing, 2626-27
16. Communion of spiritual goods, 2790 (also 949-53, 1329, 2624)

Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy)
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm
Lectionary: 43

First Reading
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves
to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one’s need.
Every day they devoted themselves
to meeting together in the temple area
and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Responsorial
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Second Reading
1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Alleluia
John 20:29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are they who have not seen me, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

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ATC 12 Prostration on Good Friday

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Pope Benedict XVI said, “I shall never forget lying on the ground at the time of my own priestly and episcopal ordination… The fact that the praying Church was calling upon all the saints, that the prayer of the Church really was enveloping and embracing me, was a wonderful consolation.”

He is RISEN! Alleluia! Thank you for joining me for All Things Catholic on this Wednesday within the Octave of Easter. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. Someone asked a question about something they saw on Good Friday that I did not address. They were watching their parish’s Good Friday service and they noticed something. At the start of the service, the priest and the deacon prostrated themselves before the altar. What’s that all about?

I’m so glad you asked! If you have a question you’d like me to address, please use the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

Ok, so why do bishops, priests and deacons prostrate themselves on Good Friday? Well, to answer that question we need to go back to ordination, although this is also true in the consecration of men and women as monks/brothers or nuns/sisters.

Various church documents describe prostration as the ultimate act of humility. Indeed, Scripture describes lying prostrate before the Lord as a position of deep, intense, emotional prayer. Moses lay prostrate before God for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 25-27). Jesus lay prostrate in Gethsemane when he prayed that the cup might pass him (Matthew 26:39).

In a similar way, that time before ordination or consecration is a time of intense, humble prayer. When we lay down, we die to ourselves so that we may rise a new. After ordination or consecration, about the only time most of us will see prostration is at the beginning of the Good Friday service. Although just so you know, if a priest or deacon are unable to safely prostrate themselves, they are permitted to kneel, but prostration is preferred.

At Good Friday, the act of prostration is first and foremost an act of humility. Not unlike who David who lay prostrate before the Angel of the Lord for his sin (1 Chronicles 21:16-17), when the bishop, priest and deacon lay prostrate on Good Friday, it is an expression of the profound grief and sorrow of the Church (that means on all of our behalf) for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Now we’ve already said a couple of times that lying prostrate is an act of humility. What does that mean exactly? Well, the Church teaches that humility is a virtue that enables us to see ourselves as we truly are and to be in touch with this reality as we contribute to what God is doing in the world. Does that mean that bishops, priests and deacons have it more together than everyone else?

No, I don’t think so except maybe in this one way. When we clergy as disciples lay prostrate, we acknowledge that we have given our lives to Jesus Christ. Our act is symbolic of us laying everything down for the Kingdom – and I mean everything. We remind ourselves that everything we are and everything we have is a blessing meant to serve Jesus Christ, His Church, and the people of God – including our very lives. Our story as a people of faith is filled with the stories of martyrs, some clergy and some lay, who freely surrendered everything for the sake of discipleship. That was true then, and it is true now.

Ok, now that we’ve discussed what prostration is from its biblical roots to Church teaching and to the effect it has on the clergy, I’d like to briefly explore what this means in our (all of our) everyday lives. To do that, I’d like to share one of the many COVID-19 stories being shared out there.

It’s about Fr. Jorge Ortiz-Garay of St. Brigid’s in Brooklyn. He was a charismatic and pastoral priest. He served a predominately blue-collar neighborhood. It was not uncommon to see him out on Ash Wednesday walking the streets bringing ashes to the mechanics and other workers who couldn’t get off work to come to mass. I know that some people frown at the idea of drive-thru ashes, but Fr. Jorge wanted everyone to feel connected to the community. He also wanted to send every hardworking person a clear message that Holy Mother Church did not forget them.

Father suffered from bronchitis, so he was not concerned when started feeling a little sick. But he kept on working. In his virtual mass on March 19th, he looked into the camera and said, “There’s no better time than this time of trials, this time of challenges, to fulfill our call to holiness. At these moments of trial and crisis, at these times when maybe we are asking what will happen to us, trust in the Father.”

Not long after, he asked Fr. Joseph Dutan, the junior priest in the rectory, to drive him to Wyckoff Hospital. Fr. Joseph urged Fr. Jorge to fight. He said, “Don’t worry, I am happy. I am not scared because I know the Lord is with me.” Fr. Jorge died on March 27 at the age of 49. He was the first priest in the United States to die of COVID-19.

Fr. Jorge was at higher risk because as a priest he was in a people-facing job and because of his history of bronchitis, but that didn’t scare him. Don’t get me wrong – he clearly took some reasonable precautions like implementing virtual masses, but unlike some people I’ve visited with who are afraid, he didn’t allow the virus to scare him. There’s a lesson there for all of us.

When the clergy prostrate themselves, it’s not just for their own sake. Each and every one of us is drawn into that act of humility. We are all reminded that, like Fr. Jorge, we have nothing to fear because as disciples, the Lord walks with us. If we believe – I mean if we really believe that we have been saved and renewed by the blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side, then how can we be afraid to die? Maybe it’s not death that scares some, but all the unfinished business before us.

This pandemic should give all of us pause. Not only should it encourage us to rethink our priorities, but it should also remind us that there is no better time than the present to set our life in order. Think of all the people around the world who have had to die alone. Now is the time to reach out and say, “I’m sorry,” or “I forgive you,” and “I love you.” While I don’t normally assign homework on Wednesdays, if there is some unfinished business, then I encourage you to get to it. Don’t wait until next Good Friday when you see the priest and deacon prostrate themselves to say to yourself, “Oops! I forgot something!”

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to All Things Catholic. I hope you enjoyed today’s show where we discussed prostration from its biblical roots to Church teaching to the effect it has on the clergy and what it means to all of us in the pews. If you have a question you’d like me to discuss, please use the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again next time and don’t forget to check out the weekend edition where we break open the Word. He is RISEN! Alleluia!

Notes:
<1> Congregation for Divine Worship. Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts. Vatican.va. 1988.
<2> Roman Missal, Study Edition. “Holy Week.” Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2011.
<3> The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.