(January 15, 2012)
You don’t need to be a pro-football fan to know what “Tebowing” is. Some of us don’t follow pro-sports because they have all the characteristics of a big business. From a distance, I have been following the rave and the rant over Tim Tebow who plays quarterback for the Denver Broncos. I read about him even before he threw the now famous 316 pass in the final pass to give the Broncos a win over the Pittsburg Steelers Sunday night, Jan. 8 in an overtime.
John 3:16 is one of Tebow’s favorite Bible verses, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” He used to wear this Bible verse on his eyeblack. After a successful play, Tebow will get down on one knee and bow while he gives thanks and glory to God for the play. This is being referred to as the “Tebowing” kneel.
Lots of people are now asking in print and on talk shows whether God is on the side of the Denver Broncos. The results of a survey taken a few days ago indicated that 43% of those interviewed believe that God is on the side of Tebow and the Broncos. Clergy are being asked to give their view on whether God is on the side of Tebow and the Broncos. Did God favor the Broncos over the Steelers last Sunday night? First of all, God does have a sense of humor. My personal view is that it is more important that we are on God’s side than to have God on our side. God does bless those who repent of their sins and follow Him.
Tebow has millions of fans but he also has lots of detractors. He angers the pro-choice crowd when he says that he is grateful that his mother didn’t follow the advice of her doctor to have an abortion when she was pregnant with him. Tebow doesn’t condemn women who have had an abortion. He is simply saying that he is grateful that he wasn’t aborted.
Tebow has used his financial success and influence in setting up charitable organizations to help needy children in this country and in the Philippines. Not everyone who is successful financially has been willing to share their wealth with the less fortunate. Tebow says that he feels that God is calling him to be a role model to young people, and that he has a responsibility to portray values that young people can imitate, with the hope that these values will lead them to God. All of us have the responsibility to portray Godly values to our young people. Tebow’s influence gives me hope that pro-football may become less a major business enterprise.
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Here in the Big Horn Basin, the Knights of Divine Mercy program was introduced to Catholic men a couple months ago. Doctor Bill Evans at Cody introduced this spirituality program at St. Anthony Church in Cody in December 2011. The format is quite simple. The evening begins with a potluck meal at 6:00 p.m. The hosting pastor gives a spiritual talk. There is an opportunity for adoration and reconciliation. The evening’s activities end at 9:00 p.m.
This is for Catholic men, high school age and older. When the gathering was held at St. Anthony Church in Cody, 55 men showed up. In January, about 70 men attended the gathering at St. Barbara Church in Powell. The gathering of Knights of Divine Mercy at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Worland will be held, Fri., Feb. 10, starting at 6:00 p.m.
(January 8, 2012)
The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 and it is also known as Three Kings Day and Twelfth Night. The Epiphany (from a Greek word meaning ‘manifestation’) commemorates the manifestation of God to the world, including non-Jews, by the Magi from the east. The feast is known as Twelfth Night because it is the last of the ‘twelve days of Christmas,’ starting on December 26 until January 6.
The Magi—usually known as “The Three Wise Men,” or “The Three Kings,” from the east had followed the Divine guidance of a star that led them to Bethlehem of Judea so they could give homage to the Christ Child. The account according to the Gospel of Matthew (2:12) tells us, "on entering the house they (Magi) saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
The feast began in the third century in the Eastern Church where it continues to refer to the “manifestation” of God to the world through the Magi and Jesus’ divinity, manifested at his baptism in the Jordan River and the miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana. By the sixth century, tradition named the Kings or Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In some countries the practice of exchanging gifts is on Epiphany rather than Christmas.
A book by Professor Brent Landau, “Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men’s Journey to Bethlehem,” sheds new light on the story of the Nativity of Jesus and the Magi, based on an ancient document found in the Vatican archives. Landau, a professor of religious studies at the University of Oklahoma, spent two years translating the fragile manuscript from ancient Syriac. The original document, which has been in the Vatican archives for more than 250 years, is a lengthy narrative that claims to be the personal testimony of the Magi themselves on the events of Christ’s coming. Revelation waswritten less than 100 years after the Gospel of Matthew.
The number of Magi in Revelation doesn’t say that there were three, but “scores” of Magi. The Magi of the Bible were thought to have been Persian mystics. The Magi in Revelation were descendents of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. They belonged to a mystical sect that believed in silent prayer and they came from a semi-mythical land of Shir, now associated with ancient China.
The star of Bethlehem in Revelation plays an important role in revealing to the Magi not only where the child can be found, but also the star becomes the “star-child.” This “star-child” reveals to the Magi that he is the Son of God but never calls himself by the familiar names of Jesus or Christ.
The Magi, or Wise Men, of the Bible proclaimed that the star led them to the child in Bethlehem and that the child was the Son of God, Messiah and Savior of the world. His name is Jesus, Lord Jesus, or Christ Jesus. Because they were non-Jews, they were the first to learn that salvation was offered to Jews and non-Jews alike. Wise Men still seek Him. The celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany has been moved to Sunday, January 8. The Christmas Season ends Monday.January 9.
(January 1, 2012)
May the Lord richly bless each of you and your loved ones throughout the New Year 2012! You will be remembered at the two Masses I will be celebrating, Dec. 31-Jan. 1, which is the Feast of Mary Mother of God.
The Year 2011 will go down in Catholic Church history in the United States as another major step is taken toward Christian unity. Pope Benedict XVI has given approval to have an Ordinariate (diocese) established in the US to receive former Anglican and Episcopal bishops, priests, religious and laity into the Catholic Church, effective, January 1, 2012. The Pope has given them permission to use the Anglican Mass and other Anglican prayers that conform to Catholic theology and spirituality.
According to the Catholic grapevine, “It is being noised Jeffrey Steenson, the former Bishop of the Diocese of Rio Grande in the Episcopal Church, who was received into the Catholic Church in 2007 and is now a priest, will be named Ordinary of the American Anglican Ordinariate on January 1, 2012.” More news on this topic to follow.
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The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict XVI will be making a pastoral visit to Mexico, March 23-26, 2012. The pope plans on visiting only the state of Guanajuato and its environs in west-central Mexico. Plans are also for the pope to visit Cuba during his trip, the first to both countries since he was elected in 2005. As the Vatican was making these announcements, Cuban President Raul Castro announced his country will free 2,900 political prisoners in the spring, a move he partially attributed to Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit.
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On Christmas morning after the 9:00 a.m. Mass, I helped with the Christmas Dinner for the homebound through People for People. After helping dish up about 35 meals of turkey with the trimmings to be delivered to the homebound, a meal was served to about 45 local people wanting their Christmas dinner in company with others.
Shelley Deromedi and Nancy Madrigal, who are heading up the People for People Food Program in the local community, shared the good news with me that they received a donation of $2,500.00 from the Cheyenne Diocese for the Food Program. They were very impressed with the generous response from the diocese to the proposal I had sent to the diocese in November requesting funding for the Food Program.
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The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano” published the latest findings on the Shroud of Turin believed to be the authentic burial cloth of Christ. “For science, the shroud continues to be an ‘impossible object’—impossible to falsify,” the newspaper said. After conducting five years of advanced laser experiments, a team of experts from ENEA, the National Agency for New Technologies and Energy, concluded that the imprint of a bearded man’s face and crucified body could not be reproduced by modern scientific techniques. The 14-feet-long, 3.5 feet wide cloth was therefore not a medieval fake, the team said. They concluded that the iconic image was created by “some form of electromagnetic energy (such as a flash of light at short wavelength)”.
(December 25, 2011)
May you have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! The intention of my three Christ- mas Masses is for all living and deceased parishioners, relatives, friends, and benefactors. May your Christmas celebration strengthen your family ties and deepen the bonds of friendship!
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Donna Althoff sent me one of her handmade Christmas cards from Tucson where she and Weldon are snowbirds, saying, “This is one of my ‘original’ designs. I’m so grateful to Mary Lou Thornton for teaching and getting me started. It’s (making cards) my favorite past time.” Other parishioners that are students of Mary Lou in this informal class on using a needle and thread to make greeting cards are: Beth Stehlin Norma Fahrenkrug, Bobbie Leseberg, and Alice Schoenberger.
Another artistic talent that can be found among parishioners is the art of crocheting by Wanda McCoy, Hilda Haratyk Alice Schoenberger, and Chrissy Bendlin.
If you attended the Crafts Sale that was hosted by the Knights of Columbus in mid-November, you will have seen the fine finished products of wood crafts by our parishioners: Jim Leseberg, Lambert Guck, Bob Stehlin, and Ray Ferree. Ray also does leather work. Dan Fahrenkrug does wood-working too, but his gift is in metal work. There are other retired parishioners with talents and skills, too numerous to mention.
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Much thanks the parishioners that gave gifts to those selected as recipients of gifts from our Giving Tree during Advent. Recipients this year were two single adult ladies, two young families, the Carmelite monks at Clark, Abba’s House (a pro-life pregnancy Center in Riverton), and Mother Maria who lives a hermit’s life near the Carmelite monastery. The gifts were delivered in time for Christmas. Know that you have helped bring joy and love to those who received your gifts.
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What great news hearing that Pope Benedict XVI declared a miraculous cure through the intercession of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha to have been valid so her cause can now move forward toward canonization to sainthood. Praise God! This is good news not only for American Indians in the United States, but also for all Peoples of Indian heritage throughout the Americas. The canonization of Blessed Kateri can bring about much healing for American Indians who have suffered wounds from prejudice, misunderstanding, discrimination, and racism.
I attended three National Tekakwitha Conferences while I was pastor of an Indian Mission Church on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota at White Shield. I was made an honorary member of the Arikara Tribe, and they gave me an Indian name: He who walks a sacred path.
When I became pastor of St. Francis Church in June of 2007, I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the stained glass windows in St. Nicholas Chapel here at the church has a window dedicated to St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Ours is probably the only church or chapel in the country that has honored Kateri as a saint as far back as in the 1980's, either by mistake or by willful intent.
(December 18, 2011)
The annual round of holding Communal Penance Services at in parishes of the Big Horn Basin started last Wednesday evening at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Worland. Then Thursday evening we were at Sacred Heart Church in Greybull, and at St. Barbara Church in Powell on Friday evening. We had a very good turnout of people at all three churches. Prior to the Penance Services, we priests get together for a meal and priestly fraternity around 5:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for us to catch up on what is happening in the parishes in the Big Horn Basin, and what the latest news is from the Cheyenne Diocese.
Sunday evening, Dec. 18, we will be at St. Anthony Church in Cody for the Communal Penance Service. Usually, a very large turnout of people comes to this Service. Then, Tuesday evening, Dec. 20, we will have the Communal Penance Service here at St. Francis Church at 7:00 p.m. There should be 3-4 priests available to help with Confessions. This is an opportunity for much grace for the confessors and penitents alike. Do take advantage of this opportunity to make a spiritual preparation for the Christmas celebrations by receiving the Sacrament of Penance.
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Very likely, we will have lots of people coming to our three Christmas Masses who attend Mass only once or twice a year. They will not be familiar with the new English translation of the Roman Missal that we are now using. So that they don’t feel lost at the Mass, I purchased copies of pew prayer cards of the new English translation of the Mass which should be helpful to them at the Christmas Masses. By now, the parishioners that attend Mass on a regular basis will feel comfortable enough to follow the Mass with the new English words in the Missal.
This year again, we will be taking up a second collection at the three Christmas Masses for the Living & Giving in Christ Appeal (Bishop’s Appeal). This will give parishioners who attend Mass only at Christmas and Easter an opportunity to help our parish to meet our parish goal for this annual appeal. The Parish Finance Council had recommended this second collection at our Christmas and Easter Masses a couple years ago. We have had a second collection at each of these Masses these past couple years. Over the years, parishioners that attend Mass on a irregular basis do receive some services from our parish, such as, the baptism of a child, a copy of their church records, and a warm church or cool church when they show up for Mass.
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A few days ago, we changed the candle sticks on the main altar in church. We have been using candles that were 51% bees wax and 49% paraffin. Because of the bee disease that has killed off many beehives around the country, bees was is less plentiful and it is now more expensive. Paraffin is a petroleum by-produce, so the cost of candles made of paraffin is getting more costly. Kathy Jones has donated the money to purchase two new candle shells with a follower and draft-protector for the two candle bases on the main altar. They burn ultra pure liquid oil which is odorless and does create soot. Kathy donated the money for these in memory of her mother, Annie Jones, a parish here for many years. Much thanks to Kathy. May Annie rest in peace.
(December 11, 2011)
The Christmas season is rapidly approaching. For Christians, Christ is the reason for the season. Christians celebrate the Birth of the Lord Jesus who was sent by God the Father to bring salvation to the world through His passion, death and Resurrec-tion. For those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, the Christmas season is referred to as a holiday season, and that all celebrations should have a secular theme.
Secularists want to rid us of the belief that celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ is still relevant after 2,000 years. For them, it makes more sense to call the Christmas season a holiday or solstice season, the Christmas tree becomes a holiday tree, a Christmas bonus is an end of the year bonus, and a Christmas gift translates into a holiday gift. Which holiday are they referring to: July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, or Christmas? Christmas Day is recognized as a federal holiday.
If Christ were to be removed from Christmas celebrations, we would be left with two other historical Christian figures that have had a major influence upon our Christ-mas celebrations. One personality was Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Bishop of Myra in present day Turkey. Historians portrayed him as a model pastor who was noted for his charity and holiness of life. Over the centuries , he inspired generosity and joy at Christmas. Saint Nicholas was popularized as Santa Claus (anglicized from Dutch is "Sinter Claus," and from Latin is "Sanctus Nicolaus”).
In one famous story, Bishop Nicholas secretly delivered three bags of gold to a destitute peasant father's home so he could give his daughters dowries so they could marry. This began the Santa Claus tradition of giving. He died around 342 and was buried in his cathedral in Myra. When the Saracens conquered Myra, sailors removed the bones of St. Nicholas and brought them to Bari, Italy in 1087. There they were buried in the Basilica of St. Nicholas. He is also known as St. Nicholas of Bari. It is interesting to note that after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, his first trip away from the Vatican was a pilgrimage to Bari to pray at the tomb of St. Nicholas.
Another historical figure that has greatly influenced Christmas celebrations was Saint Francis of Assisi in Italy. Francis created the first ‘creche,’ which is a French word for cradle. He used real people, a real manger, a real ox and ass, and real shepherds. For Francis, experiencing the Birth of Jesus Christ was a key component in his spirit-uality. He wanted Christmas celebrations to focus on how Jesus as a Divine Person took on human flesh as the Christ Child. For Francis, the Birth of Jesus as God-Man was a miracle. Francis wanted people to see and experience how the Christ Child lay on hay in a manger with an ox and an ass standing by.
It was Christmas Eve in the year 1223. At the appointed time, Franciscan Brothers came to the new Bethlehem. Men, women, and children from the area also came to celebrate. The torches they carried lit up the night as they approached the creche. Once again shepherds were walking in the night to come and adore Him. All tried to capture the mystery of this miraculous birth. And a great tradition began.
For Christians, there is no Christmas without Christ. The Christ Child was God’s Gift to the world. Christ is both the Gift and the Giver. As Giver, He keeps giving to us.
(December 4, 2011)
Thanksgiving Day 2011 is history now, but the memories of celebrations with family and friends over a meal still linger. This was a wonderful opportunity to pause to reflect upon the many blessings we have received individually, as a family, as a parish, as a diocese, as a civic community, and as a nation. The Lord has truly blessed us in many ways. We don’t want to take our blessings for granted. The call to holiness of life challenges us to have an attitude of gratitude on a daily basis.
On Thanksgiving morning, after celebrating the 9:00 a.m. Mass in Church, I helped a group of People for People folks prepare and serve a Thanksgiving meal to about 35 who are homebound, and about 60 who came for a meal. People for People was started in 1982 to provide a hot meal on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter to the homebound and to others in need of a hot meal. They serve about 50 people per Sunday. Contributions come from individuals and corporate donations, revenues from community activities, and individual donations of food. Meat is donated by hunters and from slaughter houses. Twelve teams prepare and serve the food on a rotating basis. The teams are made up of church groups, business groups, and pro- fessional groups. Several parishioners of St. Francis Church serve on a team. We are grateful for their dedicated service to this worthy cause.
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We made two more wish lists to the Giving Tree: Abba’s House (a pro-life pregnancy center in Riverton), and a nun who lives a hermit’s life of prayer at Clark. During a recent phone call, Mother Maria of Jesus said to me that she prays for us every day. The wish lists of others were: a family of 4 children, a family of 2 children, an adult woman between 55-60, an adult woman between 55-65, and the Carmelite Monks. Know that we can bring hope and joy into their lives through our generosity.
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About three weeks ago, Bishop Etienne sent a message to the pastors asking us to identify organizations and institutions within our respective local community that help the needy. The Bishop said that the Cheyenne Diocese has made available funds to make donations to help the needy in our communities. I asked for suggestions from parishioners. Parishioners recommended People for People, H.O.P.E. Agency, and NWBOCES. They also gave me a description of the work they do, and what the needs of each were. These were sent to the Cheyenne Diocese. Thank you for your assistance.
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Several days ago, Deacon Vernon Dobelmann, Director of Pastoral Ministry and Superintendent of Schools for the Cheyenne Diocese, sent a copy of a Youth Ministry Manual to the parishes, which was compiled by the insurance provider of the Cheyenne Diocese. The manual has specific guidelines that we need to follow for Internet usage, the use of Facebook and other social networking sites, or the taking of photos or videos of parishioners, especially children. A photograph and video consent form needs to be signed prior to publishing photos or videos. A copy of the consent form needs to be filed in the parish office as a permanent record. What is behind these guidelines is the need to respect the privacy of others, and to help create a safe environment for all.
(November 27, 2011)
Every year for the past many years, the practice in our parish has been the setting up of a Giving Tree in church starting on the First Sunday of Advent. Attached to the tree, or placed in front of the tree, are slips of paper with the wish lists of needy individuals or families. Parishioners are invited to take a slip, or slips, of paper for gifts to be given at Christmas. This is a wonderful way to bring hope and cheer to those in need.
This year, we have the wish lists of two young families, two single adult females, and the Carmelite Monks at Clark. The wish list of each can easily be identified by different colors of paper. One young family has three boys and one girl. The other young family has a boy under three and a newborn girl. One lady is between 55-60, and the other lady is between 55-65. There are presently 13 monks at the monastery at Clark. The monks assure us that they pray for everyone in the Cheyenne Diocese, but that they have been praying in a special way for our parishioners.
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A couple months ago, I received an email from Tammy Skala that works in the Development Office of the Cheyenne Diocese saying she was organizing a birthday party for a 10-year old boy in Cheyenne, Elliott. Through Make-A-Wish, she asked for my assistance in contacting law enforcement and the fire department in Thermopolis to request a patch or badge for Elliott. Law enforcement in Thermopolis sent two patches, and the fire marshal gave me a badge to send to Elliott. Given below is a thank you note from Tammy, date November 11, 2011.
“Dear Friends: A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who sent in patches, badges, pins, challenge coins and hats for the Make-A-Wish request for Elliott. All of you made a young boy extremely happy.
“I was so amazed at the response I received from across the state. I ended up with almost 70 patches. The patches were from departments within the state such as police, fire, ambulance and sheriff, and others were from departments where an officer had visited or been employed. Some of the patches were from North Dakota, Arizona and I even received some from as far away as Germany. Several patches received were from departments within the police departments such as the bike patrol and bomb squads. I received several baseball hats and even received an actual police dress hat (way awesome). I received several challenge coins, which when I presented these to Elliott I did not even have to explain what they were. He knew as soon as I dropped them into his hands. He put the badges and pins on right away. He was a very proud young man that day, along with his sisters and parents.
“I was very honored to represent the State of Wyoming at this amazing luncheon and to give Elliott all these items from our wonderful state.
“Once the family saw all the patches we collected his sisters decided to make him a quilt with them. Thank you again for making a young boy’s dream come true.”
(November 20, 2011
