Building a Strong Catholic Community

Last Sunday, with the celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Season of Easter came to its completion. In preparation for Easter, we lived the Great Forty Days of Lent. It was a time to prepare our hearts. As I have mentioned before, the way that all of you entered into that season was really moving. I will not rehearse all of the things I’ve said previously, but will simply say thank you for the great example you provided during the Lenten Season. It was extraordinary. Then, Easter arrived. During those seven weeks of Easter we listened to the Acts of the Apostles and heard how the Church at its beginning spread the Gospel to both the Jews and to the Gentiles. The Church grew in numbers and people came alive in Christ. These realities were not simply relegated to the time of the Apostles. We see that same reality present here in our midst. Our Easter began on Holy Saturday night when the numbers of the Church grew through Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion. And now, the Easter Season concluded, the Church moves into what is known as “Ordinary Time.” I’m not sure I particularly like that name. It can give the impression that it is the “blah” kind of time. That is not what we mean when we call it “Ordinary.” That name arises from the latin word, “ordinalis” which simply means a series of numbers. The root word is “ordo” from which the English word, “order” arises. So, that is why we say, for example, that this is the “Ninth Week in Ordinary Time.” We will now be in Ordinary Time until the First Sunday of Advent. (Just to add another layer of confusion, however, even though we are in Ordinary Time now, this Sunday and next Sunday are major solemnities; The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.) The Month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Catholics have long dedicated the Month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This year, on June 11th, the bishops of the United States will consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart. I encourage each family to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart as well. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart is on June 12. Why not come to Mass that day and cultivate a love for the Heart of Jesus? There are various ways to live out Devotion to the Sacred Heart, including the “Enthronement of the Sacred Heart” and the “First Friday Devotion. During June, I hope to provide some information on those things, but you can also just look it up! In other news, this past week, Pope Leo XIV issued an important encyclical letter on Artificial Intelligence. I was struck by the amount of worldwide attention it received. I have only read a third of the encyclical at the time of this writing, but I am looking forward to making my way through the rest of it. From what I have read thus far, the letter draws attention to the centrality of the dignity of every human person and it cautions against anything that might infringe upon that dignity. As Artificial Intelligence continues to develop exponentially, the Holy Father is calling all of us to reflect upon the moral principles that should guide the development and use of these technologies. Technology ought to serve the human family and the dignity of the human person, not attempt to replace them. And, the Holy Father cautions against a sort of idolatry of technology in which we are tempted to place all our hope in false promises. He is not condemning these technologies, but he is insisting that any technology ought to serve the dignity of the human person. Those are just some quick thoughts on what I have read thus far. Lastly, at the Masses I had last week, I invited anyone who is not yet confirmed to contact us so that you can receive this important Sacrament. Why deprive yourself of this great gift? A few people already contacted me about it. So, if you fall into that category, please reach out. Let’s get you Confirmed! And, same goes for baptism. Parents and grandparents: Don’t delay having your children baptized. Sometimes people talk about scheduling the baptism for six months from now when “so and so” will be in town. I know you’d like “so and so” to be there, but it is more important that the baby be baptized as soon as possible. Baptism unites that baby to Christ and makes her a sharer in eternal life. It’s more important to have the baby baptized than it is to find the perfect time for it. Get it done!! Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

There seems to be within us a gravitational pull towards shallowness. We become anesthetized by superficiality and lulled into a banal existence. It is easier to scroll through endless memes than to spend time thinking about any one thing deeply. It is easier to scroll through endless photos than to visit a museum, to listen to a jingle than to a symphony, to adopt quick and easy political slogans than to wrestle with complicated questions, or to binge watch shows than to read a book. At times, it feels like enormous effort is required to resist the black hole of nothingness that wants to swallow us. There is something in us that is pained by beauty, goodness, and truth. We flee from them because it is as if these things were calling out to us and reminding us that our life–and reality itself–is far deeper and grander than we can begin to imagine. When we encounter beauty, goodness, and truth, they pierce and wound us. They do not solve the ache of our hearts. Instead, they deepen that ache. They awaken in us a greater awareness of the Mystery. They make us long for more beauty, more goodness, more truth. The meme or the slogan basically says, “Here it is. Now you don’t have to think anymore.” Sometimes we seek to be distracted from our heart’s questions rather than living those questions. We are afraid to be with ourselves, so we throw ourselves into a thousand activities. We are afraid of the questions our hearts ask. We see this even in our desire to help others. When someone is suffering or grieving, we tend to want to give them the solution that will put an end to the questions of their heart. We somehow expect that by saying, “Well, she’s in a better place now,” that that should put an end to the person’s grief. Platitudes and moralisms can become, in a sense, the memes of the spiritual life. “Try harder. Be better. Let go and let God. It is what it is.” In our desire to “solve” the questions of the heart, we attempt to stifle the heart. I think this is why at funerals there is such a temptation to declare immediately that every person who has died is in heaven. The grieving heart at the moment of death is filled with profound questions: “What is the meaning of life? Where is God? How could God allow this to happen? Where is this person now? What about the sins this person committed? Will I ever see this person again?” There is always a temptation to eliminate these questions as if the mourner’s heart requires an urgent solution. So, instead of entrusting this person whom we love into the Paschal Mystery and seeking comfort in Christ, we just declare that the person is in heaven now. Instead of allowing Christian Hope to enter and provide its healing balm, we attempt to eliminate the human heart from the equation. We basically say, “Stop asking such profound questions. Let me give you a platitude instead.” Sometimes I watch television shows like “Law and Order.” There’s a predictability about them. There’s a crime, an investigation, an arrest, and a conviction. It all happens in sixty minutes. Everything is resolved. Done. But life would be rather ho-hum and boring if everything were so neatly packaged. Christianity is not a list of moralisms or platitudes designed to silence the cry of the human heart. Christianity does indeed answer the deepest questions of the human heart but not in meme-fashion. Instead of attempting to solve the mystery of our existence, it draws us more deeply into that mystery. Christ did not come to give us the answers to an exam question. It is in and through His friendship that–slowly and over time–our hearts are awakened and our life is revealed to us. Last year, I read a beautiful novel entitled, “Olav Audunsson.” The main character possesses elements of illumined goodness and shadowy darkness. Throughout, the effects of grace, but also of sin are present. Every time the resolution to his difficulties is within reach, it escapes his grasp. God does not magically end the tension of Olav’s life. It is in and through the circumstances of Olav’s life that God works, slowly and over time. Sometimes, we might wish our life were more like the sixty-minute television episode where things are all resolved before the commercial break, but that would get old, fast. Instead, our life is a long novel. It involves twists and turns and elements of light and of shadows, the effects of our sins and the sins of others do not magically disappear. So too, in hidden, unseen ways, grace is at work, drawing us along. As we enter into these beautiful months of the year, let’s pray that we might resist that urge towards shallowness, and instead be drawn by the friendship of Christ into that deeper way of life that truly awakens and answers the cry of our heart. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

During Advent I found myself thinking, “Well, once Christmas comes and goes, then it will quiet down.” It didn’t. Then I thought, “As soon as Lent and Holy Week is over, everything will wind down.” It hasn’t. Now I’m saying, “Once we get through First Communions, end of the school year, and graduations, summer will be quiet.” And I am sticking to it! I am really looking forward to parish life slowing down for a brief time. Here’s hoping! Before that happens, I thought I might extend an offer that I hope some of you will take me up on. It seems that many of our parishioners enjoy planting vegetable gardens. How about inviting me or one of the other priests to come to your home to bless your garden at the beginning of the planting season? I’m always trying to think of ways for us to live the life of the Church together that extend beyond the walls of the church building itself. Speaking of living the life of the Church together beyond the walls of the church building, on May 31st, we will have a parish barbecue. The Men’s Group is sponsoring, organizing, and running this event. It is a time for all of us to be together and grow in friendship. While outside the walls of the church, it will still be on the church property! Another traditional way that we bring our Faith outside the walls of the Church is through a Eucharistic Procession. This Tuesday at 12:45pm, please join our St. Patrick School students as we have an outdoor (weather permitting) Eucharistic Procession around the property of our church. You may recall that last summer two seminarians–John Manning and Thien Ngoc Ngo–were assigned to us. They also were with us during the school year, as well, assisting in our Confirmation program. They have completed their assignment with us. This summer two more seminarians will be assigned to us. Lich Nguyen will be with us for eight weeks and Daniel Zatta will be with us for six weeks. Lich will begin the last weekend of May and Daniel will arrive two weeks later. We are very happy to have them with us. One of the reasons that we are able to provide so much as a parish is because of your generosity. Consistency in our collections makes us better able to budget responsibly. Could everyone make an effort to make a very well-thought out, intentional, and generous commitment to support our parish each year? Signing up for electronic giving, for example, helps us to predict and budget more accurately. For those who visit our parish only occasionally, I encourage you to use the QR Code on the front of the bulletin to make a donation. Especially as the summer months approach and people travel, it is important that our collections don’t take a vacation. I have recently been in touch with Logan Airport and for the foreseeable future, they do not plan on using our parking lot as a satellite runway. That means that we are able to use all of our parking spaces in the lot. When you pull into the lot, please pull as far forward as possible. Some folks leave enough space between them and the car in front of them that we could land a 747 there. This prohibits other cars from fitting into the lot. When I hit the Powerball some day, I’m going to build a parking garage and put a school gym on top of it. (Not, however, before I build a small deck on the rectory so that the priests have someplace private to sit outside.) Until that time, however, please be considerate to others and pull your car as far forward as possible! Do not park your car in the middle or back of the lot if there are spaces in front of you that are open. Thanks! Last Sunday–on Mother’s Day–a friend of mine asked me if I could bring the Sacraments to her gravely ill mother. She thought it would be a wonderful Mother’s Day gift for her Mom to receive the Eucharist. Her family and I gathered around her bed. She renewed her baptismal promises and I gave her the Apostolic Pardon, anointed her, and I gave her Viaticum. I was deeply touched that her daughter had it in mind that the greatest Mother’s Day gift would be Jesus. What a beautiful privilege it was for me to witness their faith and their devotion. Moments such as these confirm in me a certitude about our Faith, a Faith that I am privileged to live with you. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

During the month of May, my mind always returns to Grade 3 Room 8 at Sacred Heart School in North Quincy. Of course, there was always the big May Procession that traveled around the block through Norfolk Downs wherein all of the First Communion children and the whole parish processed with the statue of Our Lady. In Sister Jude’s Third Grade Class, however, there was also a small procession each day during May. One boy and one girl would be chosen each day. The boy would carry the pillow with the crown and, having arrived at the little table in the left corner of the room, the girl would take that crown and place it on Our Lady. Meanwhile, the rest of us would all be singing full-throatedly the hymns that we knew by heart: “Tis the Month of Our Mother” and “Bring Flowers of the Rarest.” Sister Jude probably did that for school children for over 50 years. She introduced thousands of us to what it means to have devotion. Some kept that devotion and allowed it–like those flowers of the rarest–to grow and flourish. Others undoubtedly let that devotion wither. Sister Jude didn’t know what her success rate would be. She simply and faithfully did the work she was called to do. The Month of May–dedicated to the Blessed Virgin–affords all of us the opportunity to renew, deepen, and expand our own devotion to the Mother of God. Have your Rosary beads grown dusty? Perhaps use the Month of May to begin praying them again. Do you have an image of the Blessed Virgin in your home? If not, why not? I am always touched when I pass by a home and see a statue of the Blessed Virgin in the garden. Perhaps you could have a May Procession in your own home? Place some flowers before an image or statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and sing a hymn. For those of you with little children, I can imagine them someday telling their own children about the May Processions they would have when they were growing up. Marian devotion is a beautiful part of Catholic life. I think one thing about it that is so helpful is that it comes from the heart. Sometimes people want to turn devotions into another thing that you must do. Instead of being an expression of tender love toward the Blessed Virgin, it becomes a rigid requirement that lacks a certain sweetness. Growing up, we had a pastor in our parish, Fr. Neil Heery. Every day, he would place a rose before the statue of the Blessed Virgin in the parish rectory. He didn’t do that has a compulsive and rigid requirement. He did it because he was in love with the Mother of God and his mother too. It was his own private and simple expression of love. During this Month of May, perhaps all of us can cultivate a little more Marian devotion in our life. Let’s do it not as another externally imposed rule on our life, but rather because she is our Mother and we love her. Let’s do it because, as Sister Jude taught me, “Tis the Month of Our Mother.” Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

Christ is Risen! The past three weeks' bulletins were all sent off to the publisher several weeks ago because of some vacation time among our office staff. In the days immediately after Holy Week, I just didn’t have it in me to write three columns in a couple of days, so that is why I have not written to you in a couple of weeks. I’m happy to be back in the saddle again and to share a few thoughts with all of you. Fr. Bill Schmidt, the emeritus pastor of St. Patrick Parish, is celebrating Mass here in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the Priesthood. He could rightfully be remembered for overseeing the enormous construction project that built the Parish Center and Hall, and enlarged and renovated the Church. Infinitely more important, however, are all of the baptisms, confessions, marriages, anointings, funerals, and Masses he celebrated over these past fifty years. Today, we give thanks for the gift of the priesthood bestowed upon him fifty years ago and for all the ways the Lord has used Fr. Schmidt’s ministry to sanctify, teach, and shepherd the flock entrusted to him. Ad multos annos! Joining Fr. Bill today at the 1:30pm Mass is Deacon Bob Turner who also served St. Patrick Parish for many years and who is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the Diaconate. As a parish family, we give thanks for the many years of service that Deacon Bob gave to this parish. His legacy of generous service is still remembered with tremendous gratitude by the people of St. Patrick Parish. Ad multos annos! I extend a word of welcome to the many new faces that I have seen at Masses in recent weeks. One of the drawbacks of being (quite happily) a large parish with many Masses is that sometimes a new face can get lost in the crowd. Even if I have not met you yet in person, I just want to tell you how happy I am that you are here. If you are only recently returning to Sunday Mass or are here because you are thinking about becoming Catholic, welcome! Your presence here–especially at this time of year–is a sign to the rest of us of the power of Christ’s Resurrection at work among us. Many people have asked me either, “How was your trip to the Holy Land” or “Did your trip get cancelled?” The trip is not until next April! I hold out hope that things will all work out. I hope that you will consider joining us for that pilgrimage. I have gone once before and it is an amazing experience! On May 8th, the Church commemorates the one year anniversary of the election of Leo XIV. Perhaps we could all put a reminder in our calendar for that day to offer extra prayers for the Holy Father on that day. Maybe take some time that day to pray the Rosary for him, attend Mass and pray for him, or offer some other prayers for him. Let us also pray for all of the children of our parish who receive their First Holy Communion this week. Let’s pray that they always stay close to Jesus. Although most of us see each other at Mass each Sunday, some of our parishioners–due to illness, age, or other reasons–are unable to be here with us. Let us also remember them in our prayers. They are just as much a part of our parish family as are those who sit in the pews next to us. Some of those parishioners receive the bulletin in the mail each week. If you are homebound and are reading this, please know that we all love you and are praying for you! I am grateful for the many ways that the Lord is blessing us and doing something beautiful among us. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes