Catechetical Convocation

Something like 1800 of the faithful gathered for our annual Catechetical Conference this year on September 15 at the McAllen Convention Center. This is one of our largest events during the year, and a testament to the dedication of so many catechists working throughout the Diocese. The occasion gave me an opportunity to say some things about the Year of Faith.

We celebrated the Mass, at which I spoke about how our commitment to the Lord is always also a commitment to his people, which is to say, the Church. After Mass I handed out awards to many of our veteran catechists, and then addressed the Catechists about the importance of what they do, for indeed to believe in the love of God shown us in Christ Jesus is the hope of the world. Our very talented communications folks in the Diocese put together a UTUBE video of the morning's events. You can find it here:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FstMVmc3QPM&noredirect=1

Here, I offer a Spanish version of what I attempted to say, but if you want to read the English version, simply scroll further down.

Renovados en el regalo de fe

El Santo Padre ha pedido un Año de Fe empezando este octubre 11 y continuando hasta noviembre 24 del 2013. Recientemente compartí lo que pensaba sobre el Año de Fe con más de 1, 800 catequistas que asistieron a la Convocatoria Catecúmena el 15 de septiembre.

El trabajo de nuestros catequistas, como maestros de la fe con adultos, jóvenes y niños es de vital importancia para la Iglesia y para el mundo. Lo que ellos hacen cambia vidas. A través del curso del año tendremos distintas actividades, presentadores y Misas en la diócesis, todas enfocadas en los diferentes aspectos del Año de Fe, pero lo que realmente hará fructífero el año será el trabajo diario con el que nuestra fe se renueva y se profundiza.

Durante este Año de Fe, mi esperanza y oración es que se nos conceda la gracia de contemplar más atentamente el rostro de Cristo. De esta forma seremos renovados en el regalo de fe que Él nos da. Exhorto a todos los catequistas, líderes de parroquia y religiosos, diáconos y sacerdotes a buscar esta renovación de fe al enfocarse en los aspectos esenciales de nuestra fe en Jesucristo: la Encarnación, la Crucifixión y la Resurrección de Hijo de Dios.

Primero, el mundo necesita saber que el amor de Dios es concreto. No es solamente una idea. No es sólo un concepto abstracto. El amor de Dios bajó del cielo. Se mostró en carne y sangre.

El mundo tiene una idea vaga y general del amor, pero nosotros hemos visto, como nos dice San Juan en su primera carta, “hemos visto con nuestros propios ojos, hemos tocado con nuestras propias manos, la Palabra de vida.” Entonces, ¿en qué creemos? Lo decimos cada domingo en el Credo, “Por medio del Espíritu Santo se encarno de María la Virgen y se hizo hombre.” La fe nos guía a apreciar que el amor de Dios en Cristo es muy concreto, es muy real. Celebramos esto a través del año, pero en especial en la fiesta de Anunciación, durante el Advenimiento y la Navidad.

¿Qué es más hermoso que dejarle saber a la gente las buenas nuevas de que Dios mismo bajo para estar con nosotros? Esto es exactamente lo que nosotros creemos y lo que enseñamos. Por medio de esta fe nos mantenemos firmes en la esperanza, porque Dios mismo se ha acercado a nosotros. “Si Dios es por nosotros,” como dice San Pablo, “¿Quién contra nosotros?”

Segundo, durante este Año de Fe, me gustaría que mantuviéramos en mente que creemos que Jesucristo, quien es Dios mismo que bajo del cielo, fue llevado a la cruz y ha sufrido la muerte. Una vez más, profesamos esta fe salvadora cada domingo cuando rezamos el credo, lo celebramos durante la celebración de cada Misa, y solemnemente recordamos este misterio de amor cada vez que entramos como Iglesia en los misterios de la Cuaresma y Semana Santa.

Debemos reenfocar los ojos de la Iglesia en la belleza de la cruz como el mayor símbolo de amor. El amor de Dios se ha mostrado fiel aun en el momento extremo de la Cruz. Debemos compartir la belleza de este regalo de todas las formas posibles, con la gente joven, con la gente mayor, con todas las personas. Con la fe en la Cruz, somos renovados en la confianza de que el amor tiene la fuerza de aguantar todas las cosas. El amor de Dios en Jesucristo sobrepasa  todos los obstáculos. El amor se encontró con todos los pecados humanos en la Cruz, todas las mentiras, cobardía  y calumnia, y el pecado fue vencido. El pecado y la muerte perdieron su fuerza cuando Cristo acepto amarnos desde la Cruz. Contemplamos la Cruz y somos movidos por el amor en respuesta.

Tercero, creemos en la Resurrección de Jesucristo de la muerte. El pecado y la muerte pueden crucificar la carne de la Palabra Encarnada, pero no pueden mantenerlo en la tumba. Él ha resucitado. Creemos esto con todo nuestro corazón, mente y alma. ¿Por qué es tan importante compartir esto? Seamos francos: vivimos en un mundo en donde es posible algunas veces dudar seriamente que al final la verdad, la bondad, la vida y el amor ganan sobre los poderes que se oponen. Entramos al internet, o prendemos la televisión y vemos todo tipo de malas noticias. Violencia, muerte y codicia desenfrenada en cada esquina. Nosotros y nuestros vecinos, podemos desanimarnos, y tal vez hasta angustiarnos sobre el poder de la bondad.

Es por esto que profundizar nuestra fe y compartir la fe es tan vital hoy en día. Nosotros,  nuestros vecinos y todo el mundo necesita ser renovado en la esperanza de que sí es importante ser bueno, y sí importa el perseverar en amor, a pesar de los obstáculos. En Jesucristo, nosotros sabemos que el amor gana. Sólo si creemos en la Resurrección de Jesús de la muerte, nos es posible encontrar la fuerza y el valor que necesitamos para vivir esta vida con confianza en que el poder de la bondad, la verdad y el amor triunfan sobre el pecado y la muerte.

El mundo necesita escuchar lo que nosotros sostenemos con fe, para que el valor de vivir con esperanza se pueda renovar. Sin esperanza, nos damos por vencidos y cedemos a lo que nos aflige. Y lo que más nos aflige hoy en el mundo es la falta de confianza en la bondad de la vida.

Nuestra gente joven necesita saber que está bien tener esperanza en algo mejor. Que no tiene que ser todo mentiras, poder, control y dinero. Hay cosas más importantes en la vida. Si no promovemos y avanzamos el culto de amor hacia el Dios viviente, y la veneración del triunfo del amor sobre la muerte, la única alternativa que se presenta al mundo es el crecimiento del culto de la muerte. Tristemente, sabemos que es verdad lo que digo.

Lo que nuestros catequistas hacen es muy importante porque sin el conocimiento de la fe que ellos comparten, la esperanza falla y el amor se vuelve frio. Su trabajo revitaliza nuestro sentimiento de haber sido amados por Dios en Jesucristo. Esto hace posible que nosotros lo amemos a él y los unos a los otros en cambio. Y en esto depende nuestra vida y la vida del mundo.

El próximo mes, compartiré con ustedes algunos pensamientos sobre cómo podemos ser renovados durante el Año de Fe en nuestra celebración de estos misterios del amor de Dios.  

And here follows the English version:
Renewed in the Gift of Faith:

The Holy Father has asked for a Year of Faith beginning this October 11 and continuing through November 24, 2013. Recently I shared some of my thoughts about the Year of Faith with more than 1,800 catechists who attended the Catechetical Convocation on Sept. 15.

The work of our catechists, as teachers of the faith with adults, young adults and children is vitally important for the Church and for the world. What they do changes lives. Over the course of the year we will host different activities, speakers and Masses in the diocese, all focused on different aspects of the Year of Faith, but what will really make the year effective will be the day-to-day work by which our faith, as a people is renewed.  

During this Year of Faith, my hope and prayer is that we will be given the grace to gaze more intently upon the face of Christ. In this way we will be renewed in the gift of faith which He gives to us. I urge all catechists, parish leaders and religious, deacons and priests to seek this renewal of faith by focusing upon the essential aspects of our faith in Christ Jesus: the Incarnation, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of the Son of God.

First, the world needs to know that the love of God is concrete. It’s not just an idea. It’s not just an abstract concept. El amor de Dios bajó del cielo. The love of God came down from heaven. He showed himself in flesh and blood.

The world has a vague, general idea of love, but we have seen, as St. John tells us in his first letter, “we have seen with our own eyes, we have touched with our own hands, the Word of life.” So what do we believe? We say it every Sunday in the Creed, “by the Holy Spirit he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” Faith leads us to appreciate that the love of God in Christ is very concrete, it is very real. We celebrate this throughout the year, but especially at the Feast of the Annunciation, during Advent and at Christmas time.

What is more beautiful than letting people know the Good News that God himself came down to be with us?  This is exactly what we believe and what we teach. Because of this faith we never lose hope, because God himself has drawn so very near to us. “If God is for us,” as St. Paul says, “who can be against us?”

Secondly, during this Year of Faith, I would like for us to keep in mind that we believe that Jesus Christ, who is God himself come down from heaven, has himself taken the cross, and has suffered death. Again, we profess this saving faith every Sunday when we pray the Creed, we celebrate it every Mass, and we solemnly recall this mystery of love every time we enter into Lent and Holy Week.

We must refocus the eyes of the Church on the beauty of the cross as the highest sign of love. The love of God has shown itself faithful even to the extreme moment of the Cross. We must share the beauty of this gift in whatever ways we can, with young people, with older people, with all people. By faith in the Cross, we are renewed in the hope that love has strength to bear all things. The love of God in Christ Jesus overcomes all obstacles; Love met all human sin on the Cross, all lies, all cowardice and calumny, and the sin gave way. Sin and death lost their force when Christ accepted to love us from the Cross. We contemplate the Cross and we are moved to love in return.

Thirdly, we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Sin and death can crucify the flesh of the Word Incarnate, but they cannot hold him in the tomb. He is risen. We believe this with all our heart, mind and soul. Why is it so important to share this? Let us be frank:  We live in a world where it is possible sometimes seriously to doubt that in the end truth, goodness, life and love win over the powers that oppose them. We click on to the Internet, or turn on the television, and see all sorts bad news. Violence, lies, and unbridled greed at every turn. We, and our neighbors, often can get discouraged, and perhaps even despair over the power of goodness.

This is why deepening our faith and sharing the faith is so vital today. We, our neighbors, and the whole world need to be renewed in the hope that it matters to be good, and that it matters to persevere in love, despite all obstacles.  In Christ Jesus, we know that love wins. Only if we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is it possible for us to have the strength and courage we need to live this life with confidence in the power of goodness, truth and love to triumph over sin and death.

The world needs to hear what we hold in faith, so that courage might be renewed to live in hope. Without hope, we give up and give in to what afflicts us. And what most afflicts us in the world today is a loss of confidence in the goodness of life.

Our young people need to know that it’s ok to hope in something better. That it doesn't have to be all about lies, power, control and money. There are more important things in life.

If we do not promote and advance the cult of the living God and vernerate the triumph of his love over sin and death, the only final alternative left for the world is the cult to deathel culto de la muerte. Sadly we know this to be true. What our catechists do is so very important because without the knowledge of the faith that they share, hope fails, and love turns cold. Their work revitalizes our sense of having been loved by God in Christ Jesus. This makes it possible for us to love him and one another in return. And upon this depends our life and the life of the world.

Next month, I will share with you a few thoughts about how we can be renewed during the year of Faith in our celebration of these mysteries of God’s love.

Special Thanks

Special Thanks to Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller for having come to the Diocese of Brownsville to celebrate our annual Red Mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Having celebrated the Mass and addressed the participants at the banquet, the Archbishop of San Antonion left early the next morning from Brownsville to make his way to Rome. He will be participating in this year's Synod on the New Evangelization, called by Pope Benedict XVI. It was an honor to have him with us, and to know that he takes a part of the Valley with him as he goes to Rome.

The Red Mass Committee is also to be congratulated for preparing such a beautiful celebration, and for planning the banquet  after the Mass, at which the Archbishop spoke.  Every year the members of the legal community both plan and gather for the Red Mass. We ask God's blessing upon all those involved with the administration of justice in the Rio Grande Valley. This year the celebration took place in Cameron County. And, as is our custom, next year it will be celebrated in Hidalgo County.

A World Undone

I am slowly reading a one volume history of World War One, entitled A World Undone. It is written by G.L. Meyer, and I am finding it very informative. I am also reading the second book of the Hunger Games, called "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins. I have found the Hunger Games to be a moving and provocative narrative. In a recent sermon to some high school students at Juan Diego Academy, I described the Hunger Games as set in what the world would have looked like if Mordor had won the battle for the Ring. It is an ugly world, with dark and extravagant extremes. Power and entertainment dominate the landscape of human relations. Death is a game, and the powerful control the society by combining fear and violent entertainment. Young people are placed in the middle of this macabre dance of socially sponsored death and games. But the young can be heroic, and Katniss the heroin of the tale, restores by her humanity in an inhuman situation, a genuine sense that things need not go the way of blood and power. Beauty is possible in a soul.

I am also reading the Son of Neptune, Rick Riordan's second volume in the Heroes of Olympus series. Designed for a younger set of readers than The Hunger Gmes, it is a series I have enjoyed thus far (one of my nieces urged me to read the Percy Jackon series, which is how I got hooked). Still, like the Hunger Games, the plots of the Percy Jackson series move because there is a threat that the world is set to destruction because of sinister and chaotic forces. And young people respond heroically to hold things together. What? You ask, the bishop spends his time reading childrens books? Well, I read lots of things, mostly at airports and on airplanes. It's good to know what young people are reading, and to learn a little from authors who seem to be in touch with what their fears and hopes are. Reading these two series you might be justified in thinking that many young people fear a world on the verge of falling apart, or governed by chaotic forces of death and control. You might even call it a fear of A World Undone. You might also find that many young people yearn for a nobler more heroic way to live a human life. 

I am also reading La isla de la Pasion, by Laura Restrepo. Before you jump to conclusions about what the title might suggest about content, let me say it is really a historical novel set on the island of Clipperton, out in the Pacific Ocean. When Clipperton was discovered by the Spanish explorers a couple of hundred of years before it was named La Isla de la Pasión. The island is the setting for a small crew of Mexican soldiers and their commander, and his wife. They are sent at the end of the Porfiriato to defend the island from a real or imagined threat of French invasion. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Some Nice Things I Missed

The title of a Sinatra Album, c. 1973. Not his best, but still better than anything else put out that year. Anyway, I take "some nice things I missed" as a title for a post with a few pictures highlighting some events that I have been graced to take part in this summer. As my posting has been a bit sparce of late, I thought I would wrap some shots into one.

On July 21 I was able to go up to Rio Grande City to visit the Monastery of the Good Shepherd. I spent some time with some extraordinary young women from the Valley who were participating in a in a religious vocation discernment weekend. We had Mass, and meals together that day, and I was able to give a few thoughts to them about how to discern the call to the Consectated Life.

On July 18, I had a great time with about 500 of our middle-school age young people from the Valley who gathered on the campus of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valley, at the Diocesan Pastoral Center . We had a "Catechesis on the 10 Commandments with the Bishop" day. Our young people came from all sections of the Rio Grande Valley, and I was able to share a cathecesis with them on the decalogue. Boy was I impressed with how well prepared they were! They practically taught the sessions themselves, because they knew all the answers to the questions I was asking! We also had lunch outside, pictured above. We made Rosaries together, and at the end of the day we all prayed the Rosary together.

We had a tent set up outside for music and snacks, and it served its purpose for about half the day. Then we had a little drama, and got hit pretty hard with a thunder storm, so we all had to run inside. Most of us got soaked, but it turned out that we were better able to pray the Rosary, knowing that the Blessed Mother was protecting us from the storm.

And, around July 10, I went to a place west of Uvalde, Texas, to participate in a retreat. The terrain was beautiful, and made for a nice setting to pray.

Saint Benedict Parish, San Benito, Texas: 100 Years!

Saint Benedict Parish in San Benito, Texas, celebrated 100 years as a parish earlier this summer. It was a beautiful celebration of the Holy Mass, and music and much food afterward! Congratulations to all who made the event such a beautiful moment in the life of the Diocese of Brownsville.

The occasion spurred me to write the following reflection on the blessing of parish life. The Spanish version is futher below.

On the 13^th of July God granted me the blessing of gathering with the faithful of the Saint Benedict Parish in San Benito, Texas, to celebrate 100 years of parish life. Clergy members, religious women, and parishioners of the community congregated around the Lord’s altar along with the bishop to offer God the Father the sacrifice of praise and gratitude. Congratulations to the parish of San Benito for completing 100 years of service to the Lord!

And what does it mean to belong to a parish? It is a basic question for a Catholic and deserves our reflection.  Jesus Christ invited his first disciples to share the grace of his amicable presence as members of a community. Belonging to the community is an essential aspect of being followers of Our Lord. Jesus preached and instructed the disciples as a group. The preaching of the Lord had the purpose of softening the hearts of those who listened, instilling in them that warmth of soul that opens the way to the love of God and of neighbor. Isn’t the love towards God and one’s neighbor what encompasses the mystery of the Gospel that the Lord preached?

We read the Scriptures and we realize that the disciples advanced slowly in this journey towards authentic charity. They themselves experienced envy, jealousy and rivalries, and fought over who was more important in the kingdom. But the progress they achieved in the journey with Jesus Christ advanced forward precisely because they listened to the lessons of Jesus in the context of every day life with the other the disciples. They couldn’t avoid the lessons on humility, forgiveness, and generosity because they encountered real life situations to live these virtues of the kingdom in every member of the community. This means that the community itself, stable and focused on the person of Christ, forms the school of charity. Peter learned to love his fellowman because he could not avoid dealing with the imperfections of the other apostles.

In our parishes we form a stable community, focused on the lessons of the Lord. We listen to the same Gospel that the first disciples listened to and we find the same interpersonal difficulties that were presented to them and that offered to them the opportunity to apply the lessons of the kingdom. And why does the parish have to be a stable community? Because if we don’t commit ourselves to cultivate a Christian life with a particular community, we’ll be going every Sunday to Mass without knowing the people with whom we listen to the Lord. As a result we will never encounter the difficult circumstances that are inevitably presented within the members of the community, the experiences which serve to refine the quality of charity. If one asks the Lord for the grace of living what we listen to in the Gospel, then generosity, forgiveness, and humility will grow with each trial we encounter. Remember this when you are working together for the festival or the kermes of your parish!

But there’s more. The heart of the parish is found in the main altar of each Church. The disciples would gather around the Lord to ask for the grace needed to live what He was preaching. As a community they were gathered around the table at the Last Supper, the table which a few hours later took the form of both cross and of altar. They gathered with Him with only one thing in common: Each listened to the word with the need to receive the salvation and the strength that only the Lord Jesus Christ could give, and this through his sacrifice. In the same way, our communities are very diverse and every member has his or her history and path, but we gather around the altar to ask the Lord what only He can give us: the grace to live in the communion of the kingdom. The sacrifice completes the preaching of the Gospel in this sense: living the charitable love towards God and one’s neighbor requires the grace that the Lord pours forth from the Cross. Therefore, this same parish community, after having heard the Gospel, turns its attention to the Lord’s altar because from the altar comes to us the precious Blood that gives life to souls. The sacred words pronounced by the priest reverberate in our parish communities, and they offer us the nourishment of salvation along the path towards the fullness of life: Take and eat; this is my Body. Take and drink, this is the chalice of my Blood.

The Lord gives us new life, life in his instructive word, and life in his holy sacrifice. This life is found in the stable context of the parish community. What a blessing!

La Parroquia: Comunidad y Altar

El día 13 de Julio Dios me concedió la bendición de poder reunirme con los fieles de la parroquia de San Benito en San Benito, Texas, para festejar cien años de vida parroquial. Miembros del clero, religiosas, y los feligreses de la comunidad fueron congregados alrededor del altar del Señor junto con el obispo para ofrecerle a Dios Padre el sacrificio de alabanza y de agradecimiento. ¡Felicidades a la parroquia de San Benito por haber llegado a los cien años de servicio al Señor!

¿Y qué significa pertenecer a una parroquia? Es una pregunta básica para un católico y merece nuestra reflexión. Cristo Jesús invitó a sus primeros discípulos a compartir de la gracia de su presencia amistosa como miembros de una comunidad. Pertenecer a la comunidad es un aspecto esencial de ser seguidores de Nuestro Señor. Jesús predicó e instruyó a los discípulos en común. La predicación del Señor tenía el propósito de suavizar los corazones de los oyentes inculcando en ellos aquella ternura de alma que da paso al amor hacia Dios y hacia el prójimo. ¿Acaso no es ese amor hacia Dios y hacia el prójimo lo que encuadra el misterio evangélico que predicaba el Señor?

Leemos las Escrituras y nos damos cuenta de que los discípulos avanzaron despacio en este camino hacia la caridad auténtica. Ellos mismos experimentaban envidias, celos y rivalidades, y se peleaban sobre quién era el más importante en el reino. Pero el progreso que lograron en el camino con Jesucristo se precipitaba precisamente porque escuchaban la lección de Jesus en el contexto de la vida diaria con los demás discípulos. No podían evitar las lecciones sobre humildad, perdón, y generosidad porque en cada miembro de la comunidad encontraban las ocasiones reales para vivir estas virtudes del reino. Esto quiere decir que la comunidad misma, estable y enfocada en la persona del Señor, formaba la escuela de caridad. Pedro aprendió a amar al prójimo debido a que no pudo evitar las imperfecciones de los demás apóstoles.

En nuestras parroquias formamos una comunidad estable, enfocada en las lecciones del Señor. Escuchamos el mismo Evangelio que escuchaban los primeros discípulos  y encontramos las mismas dificultades interpersonales que se les presentaban a ellos y que les brindaban la oportunidad para aplicar las lecciones del reino. ¿Y por qué la parroquia debe de ser una comunidad estable? Porque si no nos comprometemos  a cultivar la vida cristiana con una comunidad en particular, nos iremos cada domingo a Misa sin conocer a las personas con quien escuchamos  al Señor. Resulta que nunca nos enfrentaremos con las circunstancias difíciles que inevitablemente se presentan entre miembros de la comunidad, las experiencias que sirven para acrisolar la calidad de la caridad. Si uno le pide al Señor la gracia de vivir lo que escuchamos en el Evangelio, entonces  la generosidad, el perdón y la humildad crecen con cada prueba. ¡Hay que recordar esto cuando ustedes están trabajando en común para la fiesta  o  la kermese de su parroquia!

Pero hay más. El corazón de la parroquia se encuentra en el altar principal de cada templo. Los discípulos se congregaban alrededor del Señor para pedirle la gracia necesaria para vivir lo que Él les estaba predicando. Como comunidad fueron congregados alrededor de la mesa de la última cena, mesa que pocas horas después tomó forma de cruz y de altar. Se reunieron con Él con una sola  cosa en común: Cada uno era un oyente de la palabra  con necesidad de recibir la salvación y la fuerza que solo el Señor Jesucristo les podía dar, y eso por medio de su sacrificio. Del mismo modo,  nuestras comunidades son muy diversas y cada miembro tiene su historia y su camino, pero nos reunimos alrededor del altar para pedirle al Señor lo que solo Él nos puede dar: la gracia para vivir en la comunión del reino. El sacrificio completa la predicación del Evangelio en este sentido: vivir el amor caritativo hacia Dios y hacia el prójimo requiere la gracia que derrama el Señor desde su Cruz. Por eso, esta misma comunidad parroquial, después de escuchar el Evangelio, vuelve su atención al altar del Señor porque desde el altar nos viene la Sangre preciosa que da vida a las almas. Reverbera en nuestras comunidades parroquiales las palabras sagradas pronunciadas por el sacerdote, las cuales nos ofrecen el alimento de la salvación para el camino hacia la plenitud de la vida: Tomen y coman, esto es mi Cuerpo; Tomen y beban, este es el cáliz de mi Sangre.

El Señor nos da la vida nueva, vida en su palabra instructora, y vida en su sacrificio santo.  Esta vida se encuentra en el contexto estable de la comunidad parroquial. ¡Qué bendición!