Encountering Christ
Fr. David Barnes • January 15, 2025
Dear Friends in Christ,
A couple of weeks ago, a man called the parish emergency line to have his Dad anointed. Unfortunately, there was a glitch with how our emergency line works and the man’s message was never received. Thankfully, the man called back a couple of days later and his Dad was anointed hours before his death. Both when I called the man and when I arrived at his house, I apologized profusely for the error. I felt terrible. The man looked almost confused and kept saying, “Father, I totally understand. Don’t even worry about it. I’m just glad you’re here now.”
The reason that encounter has stayed with me during the past days is because that man’s disposition stands in such refreshing contrast to the current cultural climate of perpetual and dehumanizing anger. The man didn’t presume that there was some sinister plot to ignore his call or a callous disregard for his urgent request. He just called back, pleasantly spoke with someone in the parish office, and treated everyone with kindness. And, in the end, he expressed nothing but gratitude.
What further amazed me is that the man’s mother and father were both dying, one at home and one in a care facility. As I was anointing the Dad, another priest was anointing his Mother. Both died within hours of each other. It would be totally understandable if that man had expressed anger, but instead, he was peaceful, kind, and grateful.
On the cover of our weekly bulletin are the words, “Beauty, Goodness, Truth, and Friendship in Christ.” This, to me, is what a Catholic parish should be. When we encounter Beauty, Goodness, Truth, and Christian Friendship, we encounter Christ. Each of these things opens up our lives and transforms them. Encountering that man’s goodness was like encountering an oasis in the midst of a world that seems to breathe on the poisonous air of anger. Encountering goodness does something to us. It awakens something in us. It also has the power to transform us. It increases our own hunger for goodness and makes us want to live in goodness.
Last Sunday at the Noon, I saw two couples speaking after Mass. One couple’s baby was born a few months ago. The other couple had a baby just six days old! They were talking and conversing with one another and the first couple said, “We’d like to drop some food off at your home this week to help you guys out with the new baby.” There it is. Just pure, beautiful, life-giving, transformative goodness and friendship in Christ. Witnessing that encounter left me thinking, “That’s what a Catholic Parish is.” At that moment, I knew I had encountered Christ. That encounter with the Goodness of Christ and of Friendship with Christ continues to nourish and refresh me long after I witnessed it. I saw that and had this deep-down sense, “That is true! That is what is real. That is what my heart desires.”
What we encounter here each week is intended to transform us so that we can, in turn, bring transformative beauty, goodness, and truth to the world and draw others into friendship with Christ. We are supposed to become what we receive. In the Mass we receive the One who is beautiful, good, and true. And, we are drawn more deeply into His Friendship. This encounter is intended to transform us into Christ so that, through us, others may encounter beauty, goodness, truth, and friendship in Christ. The culture is starving for these things.
Parish life, it is true, involves buildings, heat, (or lack thereof sometimes!), phones, computers, shoveling, finances, logistics, maintenance, parking, scheduling conflicts, and human error. All just part of life. But, at the heart of parish life is the encounter with Christ. When I look out at you each week at Mass, I encounter the beauty, goodness, and truth of Christ and I experience through you His abiding friendship. Those words on the front of the bulletin are not merely aspirational. They are also a recognition of a reality that is already present among us. Or, put better, they are a recognition of the Presence of Christ who–in all of his beauty, goodness, and truth–already dwells among us and is drawing us together into His saving Friendship.
I am so grateful for that.
Your Brother in Christ,
Fr. David Barnes
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Pastor's Notes
On the front of our bulletin each week are the words: “Beauty, Goodness, Truth, and Friendship in Christ.” This past week I have seen so many instances of those words being brought to life in our parish. There has been something so wholesome about all that has taken place in these days. Many times this week I had the sense that the Lord is doing something beautiful among us. Last Saturday morning our weekly Men’s Group was well-attended. During Lent the Men’s Group has been doing a study on the Seven Deadly Sins and the opposing Virtues. We celebrated this week both the Feast of St. Joseph and the Feast of our patron, St. Patrick. Last Saturday evening over two hundred parishioners gathered for dinner, dancing, and singing. It was so beautiful to see parishioners in their eighties, only a few weeks old, and everything in between, all enjoying one another’s company. Many thanks to Fr. Harrington, our parish staff, and the incredible parishioners who put the whole thing together. It felt so wholesome. On Monday, the second graders at St. Patrick School received their First Reconciliation. What a beautiful privilege it was to witness the devotion of those children. On St. Patrick's Day I had the school Mass. I was so impressed by how knowledgeable the students were about St. Patrick! During my homily, at one point I asked, “What is the food that strengthens our friendship with Jesus?” A child said, “The Bread.” I said, “Well, it is correct but it’s more than just ordinary bread. What is it really?” Some pre-k four-year-old yelled out, “It’s the Body of the Lord!” Made my day. Also at that Mass, one of our third-graders received her First Holy Communion. After that Mass, the whole school gathered for a celebration of St. Patrick where they put on a play about St. Patrick’s life, saying hymns to St. Patrick, offered prayers, and had a big parade. I was really moved when they were marching to the words, “For God and for St. Patrick!” Again, I was struck by how wholesome it all was. After the Noon Mass on St. Patrick’s Day, we had Irish Bread and tea in the parish hall for all of those who were at Mass. On March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph, the Men’s Group hosted parishioners after the 6pm Mass and provided zeppole. This Saturday Fr. Sijo had a morning of retreat to help people live Lent in a deeper way. I have been very moved by the fidelity of so many of you to our two daily Masses during Lent and to the long confession lines! You’re an impressive lot! And today, of course, we welcome Archbishop Richard Henning for the Noon Mass. In a very real sense, us gathered together around the Eucharistic Altar with our Archbishop is the fullest expression of those words, “Beauty, Goodness, Truth, and Friendship in Christ.” It is in the Eucharist that we encounter the One who is Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. It is the Eucharist that binds us together into a communion of friendship with Christ and His Church. It is such a great joy and gift to be together with our Archbishop today. Repeatedly during these (and many other) events this week, I had that peaceful sense that, “This is just how things are supposed to be.” They were beautiful and wholesome moments. They are signs to me that Christ is here at work among us. Beauty, goodness, truth, and friendship in Christ are not merely words. They are a fact that is present and lived among us. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
I know that I use this column quite frequently simply to say, “Thank You,” but saying it is important. I am not going to list every person because I do not have the space, but generally speaking, I want to thank everybody who makes it possible for so many great things to be happening in this parish. Just this month alone there are so many things happening. All of which require the generosity and effort of many people. Each thing that happens in our parish happens because of the generosity and dedication of many people. Eighty young people were confirmed last week, six people will be baptized at the Easter Vigil, four others will be received into the Church, and a total of eleven will be confirmed. Our second graders at our parish school and in our religious education program will make their first confessions this month. There is the St. Patrick’s Day Party, various bible studies, Fr. Sijo’s Lenten day of retreat, the Saturday morning Men’s Group, the Tuesday Evening Holy Hours, two Lenten reflection groups, Irish Bread and Tea after the Noon Mass on St. Patrick’s Day, and next week the visit of Archbishop Henning for our Sunday Noon Mass with a reception following. And during the month of March, there will be approximately forty hours worth of Confessions heard. And, let’s not forget all of the everyday stuff like those who visit the hospital, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and the homebound. There are those who dedicate themselves to prayer, those who offer their musical gifts to the parish, and those who assist us in various capacities for our Liturgical life, mentor our youth, and serve the poor. I’m sure there are others. It is a lot. And all of that happens because so many people pour themselves out for the sake of everyone else. We can do a lot because we have parishioners and staff who are selfless. Thank you for that! I hope that many of you will be able to join us next Sunday for Mass with the Archbishop and the reception afterwards. It would be great for you to meet the Archbishop and for him to meet all of you. Please keep in your prayers those who will receive the Sacraments of Initiation–Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist–this Easter. I think it is so encouraging to have so many folks coming into the Church at our parish this year. So beautiful. In a parish our size sometimes certain things can slip through the cracks. One thing that we cannot let slip through the cracks is our duty to safeguard the Most Blessed Sacrament. We have many persons who bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound. In order to make certain that the Eucharist is being properly cared for, there will be a mandatory meeting on April 13th. If you are someone who brings communion to the sick and homebound, you must attend one of these two sessions. I have an obligation to make certain that the greatest care is given to the Most Blessed Sacrament. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you to all who have contributed to the Catholic Appeal thus far. If you have not yet donated, please make a pledge and be sure to put St. Patrick Parish Stoneham as your parish on the pledge form. This is how the Archdiocese will know to credit it towards our parish goal. Again, thank you! Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
On Sunday March 22nd, Archbishop Henning will be coming to St. Patrick Parish to offer the Noon Mass and will join us for a reception afterwards. His office called several months ago and expressed the Archbishop’s desire to visit us and celebrate Mass with us. Archbishop Henning is our shepherd and he desires to know us and it would be good for us also to know him. Please make an effort to join us that day for the Noon Mass. This weekend begins the Catholic Appeal. I will speak briefly at all of the Masses asking you to join me in supporting this important effort. The Catholic Appeal provides support for Archdiocesan ministries that provide invaluable support to all parishes throughout the Archdiocese. Every parish in the Archdiocese is required to meet its goal. I would be grateful if we could meet our goal quickly! Please make your pledge today. Before asking you to make your pledge, I have already made my donation. Please join me. For the next several Sundays the Gospel passages we hear will come from the Gospel of St. John. They are lengthy passages that are extraordinarily beautiful and deeply moving. These scenes from our Lord’s life really help us to encounter the Lord in a more profound way. If we take the time to pray with these passages during the week, we cannot help but be drawn more closely with the Lord. We will not simply hear these accounts read to us. We enter into these encounters. This week we are there when Jesus encounters the woman at the well. Next week we enter into the encounter of Jesus with the man who was born blind. The week after that, we stand with Martha and Mary and all the others who were there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Although each one of these Gospel accounts is filled with innumerable points of meditation, today I want to mention just a single theme that runs through all of them. In each of these encounters the person encountering Christ seems to be in an impossible situation. The obstacle to happiness seems insurmountable. The woman at the well was immersed in a life of sin and infidelity. Her shame was great. She was an outcast and seems to have thrown herself ever more deeply into sin. The man born blind suffered not only from his physical impairment, but also from the judgement of others who presumed his affliction was a punishment from God. And Lazarus, well, he confronted the greatest obstacle of all, death itself. Into each one of these situations, Christ entered in and set the person free; the woman at the well from sin and shame, the man born blind from his affliction, and Lazarus from death. This is who Christ is. He saves. He rescues. He has power to overcome what appear to be definitive obstacles to happiness. I know that I speak and write often about the Sacrament of Confession. That is not to place a burden upon you. It is just the opposite. It is because in this great Sacrament, the Lord enters into what seems an impossible situation and he sets us free. The same Jesus who entered into the lives of these suffering people in the Gospels, he is the same Jesus whom we encounter in the Sacraments. We can be free. Freedom is not trying to ignore or suppress our past sins. If you have any conscience at all, these things will always resurface. Past sins tend to blackmail us. They whisper to us that we will always be the person that did “such and such.” Present sins paralyze us and blind us to the love of God. Since they are freshly committed, we are tempted to wait until “some future time” to confess them so that we can feel better when we say, “Well, that was not recently.” (The problem is that when the future comes, we are still ashamed and, in the meantime, we only grow worse.) These obstacles stand in the way of moving forward in our life. Does Jesus want this for us? Absolutely not! Just as he entered the lives of those three individuals and set them free, so Jesus–our Good Jesus–seeks to enter our lives and set us free. The whisper that your past sins are a permanent disqualification from a life of grace is a lie. The whisper that your sins are an insurmountable obstacle that defines your worth is a lie. All lies. In the confessional, we encounter the gentle Jesus. In the confessional, we encounter the Jesus who overcomes the shame, the blindness, and the death that sin always brings. In the confessional, we encounter the Christ who lifts up, who gives sight, and who restores life. No sin has more power than Christ. In this Season of Lent, I encourage all of us to have recourse to this great Sacrament. Jesus loves you and desires that every obstacle in your life be removed by Him so that you can be free. He is Lord. He can do it. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
I think we will run a betting pool to see what date the last mounds of snow around the church will melt. I’m thinking the prime spots will be around the Fourth of July. Speaking of the snow, I want to acknowledge and thank our dedicated maintenance team for the long hours and hard work they’ve put in this winter. Even as the blizzard was in full force, they were suited up for battle and getting our property cleared of snow. I am very grateful for their amazing work. This past week, as I was preparing for our Finance Council meeting, I was thinking about how grateful I am to be your parish priest. You all make it easy and a joy to serve here. It can sometimes be a drain for priests when they offer things for their parishioners and receive little or no response. It can be disheartening. You, however, are always responsive. When various opportunities for formation–holy hours, bible studies, men’s group, book studies etc.–are offered, you show up. I often bring a book with me for when I am hearing confessions, but I never get to read it. We offer confessions and so many people take advantage of it! We ask for food for the poor and you bring it. We mention that Catholic patients in the hospital are in need of the Eucharist, and you respond. In a similar vein, I am grateful that you possess a strong sense of fiscal responsibility for the parish. Over the past few years, each year the weekly offertory collection has increased. Unfortunately, that is not the case in every parish. For a long time, Catholics felt like all they needed to do was “throw a buck” in the collection. That general attitude has persisted in many parishes. People often think of the weekly offertory as “giving what I happen to have in my pocket” on a particular Sunday. That lack of intentionality and lack of a sense of responsibility has destabilized many Catholic parishes. There seems to be a never-ending list of necessary maintenance issues to be addressed on our buildings and properties. Those issues are immediately obvious to us. If the heat, the sound system, or the air conditioning isn’t working, we notice. When the roof leaks, we notice. Those are kind of the “body” of the parish. At the same time, we have to tend to the soul of the parish. These needs are not always quite as obvious, but they are even more urgent. They are about making it possible for as many people as possible to encounter Jesus Christ, especially in the Sacraments and in His Word. This happens through our life together as a parish family. Everybody needs Jesus Christ, whether they know it or not. Everything we do as a parish is ultimately aimed at helping people to come to know, love, and follow the Lord. That is why we have daily confessions, more daily Masses during Lent, and so many opportunities to gather together for formation and friendship. This year, I was particularly moved by the vast crowds who filled our church on Ash Wednesday. I know people sometimes dismiss the once a year people as being insincere, I honestly am amazed by their presence. In a culture that has become so secular and de-Christianized, I think it is an amazing work of grace that so many people are still drawn to church on that day to be told they need to repent. Deep down, they know it is true. That, I think, is why they come. One of my goals as pastor is to find ways to reach those kinds of people; people who are not often here, but who are open to the Gospel. Our attempt to build up our parish is not only for those who are already here. It is also so that those who are looking for something find it here. I know that sometimes priests can feel as though the burden for all these things is entirely upon them. I am very grateful to all of you because I do not feel that way. I feel like all of us are working together–each in his or her own way–to build up our parish and help others to encounter Jesus Christ. This mission that is given to all of us–in different ways–by Jesus Christ becomes a joyful burden. This was a long-winded way of saying, “Thank you for making this a great place to be a priest.” Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
Welcome to Fr. Brian Flynn! This weekend Fr. Brian Flynn will celebrate the Ten and Noon Masses on Sunday. Fr. Flynn is the Episcopal Vicar for the North Region of the Archdiocese of Boston and is the pastor of St. Theresa Parish in North Reading. While Fr. Flynn is saying Masses here, I will be covering his Masses in North Reading this morning. Please join me in giving Fr. Flynn a very warm welcome. The ashes that were placed upon our foreheads a few days ago have now disappeared, but the spirit of sincere repentance with which we received those ashes ought to be carefully cultivated. To repent means to turn away from sin and to turn more decisively toward God. All the things we “do” for Lent are not a mere self-improvement project. Instead, they are like a farmer preparing the land for sowing. In a sense, when the land is ploughed and furrowed, it is like a certain form of violence to the earth. Things are upturned and unsettled. Why does the farmer go through this effort? If it were simply to tear up the ground, it would be a waste of energy. No, the farmer goes through this process in order to prepare the land. He prepares the land to receive the seed and then to bear fruit. During Lent, we do a certain violence to ourselves. We inconvenience ourselves, deny ourselves, interrupt our routines, and carve a place in our souls in order to be prepared to receive. Fasting, for example, is like furrowing the landscape of our soul so that the emptiness created can be filled. This hunger creates a place within us for us to receive the Word and for that Word to grow within us and bear fruit. The disciplines of Lent–fasting, prayer, and almsigiving–are not really ends in themselves. Their purpose is not just to tear up the ground. Their purpose is so that something beautiful and life-giving can grow within us. We, of course, tend to want to avoid this “furrowing!” But, if we do not allow ourselves to be furrowed, how will anything be planted within us? In a sense, the Sacrament of Confession does something similar. For all of us, below the surface, are the sins that we would rather just cover over, pretending that they are not there. There is a real hesitance to go digging around, turning up the earth of our soul, and exposing what lies beneath. When, however, we allow this earth to be upturned in the confessional, it makes space in our souls for the life of grace to take root, to grow, and to flourish within us, bearing rich spiritual fruit. We may be tempted to look over the vast span of our life and see how much land needs to be plowed and furrowed. That might cause us to become discouraged and to give up. This happens to many during Lent. We set out with good intentions, but the sheer size of the project and the hardness of the soil wears us out. We give up. Some do not even begin. Others harden their hearts at the mere suggestion that they need to repent. Others go through the motions, but without ever scratching the surface. As we look at the field of our soul this year, let’s not become paralyzed by how much work needs to be done. Instead, let’s decide to furrow one tiny portion of the field. Take on some small portion of the field and be faithful to that work. Some form of fasting, some form of prayer, some form of almsgiving done with the intention of creating space in our heart for God to plant his grace. In place of our pride, perhaps God will plant humility. In place of our anger, God will plant meekness. In place of our lust, God will plant the seed of a chaste life. In place of our greed, God will plant generosity. In place of our spiritual laziness, God will plant a spirit of zeal, piety, and prayerfulness. Who knows what God will plant? Whatever it is, it will be life-giving and fruitful. Let us encourage one another! We are in this great work together. Look around and see that you are not alone! Everyone has a field in need of tending! We begin this season of ploughing and furrowing together. Each of us has soil to be upturned, rocks to be removed, space that needs to be opened for grace. Do not be discouraged or overwhelmed! Pick one tiny spot in the field of your soul and begin there today. Tomorrow, we plough again. And then the next day. And on Easter, we will see what beautiful things have risen from the land. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
And just like that, Lent begins this Wednesday! Are you ready? Do you have a plan? Do you have a realistic plan? Is this plan actually going to help you grow in holiness and in your relationship with the Lord? The three traditional practices during Lent are Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving. Fasting: Pick something that is doable, but challenging. Fasting can take many forms. We should opt for something that we might actually fulfill. That, of course, depends upon each individual. Some might be able to eat just one meal a day. Others might be able simply to give up snacking between meals. Some might opt to give up some particular food that is a regular part of their diet. I remember when I was at BU, one of the kids gave up drinking anything but water for all of Lent. (That was pretty impressive to me!) Another kid gave up sitting on furniture (except when he was in class)! We can fast from TV, from earbuds, from alcohol, from coffee, from scrolling on our phones etc. etc. I think it’s a good idea, however, to always have some experience of physical hunger during Lent. That growling stomach can remind us that our deepest hunger is for God. Again, don’t pick all of the things I just mentioned, but perhaps pick one or two. It can even be like, “I won’t scroll on my phone until after I’ve prayed in the morning for ten minutes and won’t scroll after 9:00 pm.” Again, make it doable, but challenging. Prayer: There are so many ways to deepen our prayer life during Lent. We could combine, for example, our fasting with prayer. An example of this might be fasting from sleep. No, not no sleep, but deciding to wake up fifteen minutes earlier every day and spending those first fifteen minutes of the day with the Lord. The parish wants to help us all in our prayer life. Like last year, we will add an additional daily Mass during Lent. Almost every day during Lent, there will be a Noon Mass and a 6:00 pm Mass. Last year, numerous people told me that after they attended daily Mass during Lent, they began going all year long to daily Mass. I can think of no better way to grow in the spiritual life during Lent than by attending Mass more frequently. Try to go every day. Maybe that is not possible. If so, commit to going two extra times a week. You’ll never regret it. Adoration: The church is open most of the day, every day. Decide to pay a visit to the Lord every day during Lent. Pop into church and spend some time with Him. Bible Study: On Thursday evenings, after the 6:00 pm daily Mass, Fr. Sijo leads a bible study. Perhaps Lent can be an opportunity for you to come to know the Lord more intimately through the study of the Word. On Friday evenings after the 6:00 pm Mass there are Stations of the Cross. The Stations are a beautiful Catholic custom of deepening our friendship with the Lord by meditating on his Passion. Rosary: Decide to pray the Rosary every day. Maybe you can’t commit to the whole thing. Then, decide to pray one decade a day. Confession: Our parish has abundant opportunities for you to frequent the Sacrament of Penance. Take advantage of it! Almsgiving: Lent is a time to exercise generosity. When was the last time you upped the amount of money you give to the weekly collection? Did you give yet to the parish’s Grand Annual Collection? What are you planning to give to the Archdiocese’s Catholic Appeal? Giving up chocolate is fine, but we do it knowing that in forty days that chocolate is ours again. Giving from our money cuts closer to the bone, doesn’t it? When we give money, we do so knowing that what we give is gone. A good question to ask before Lent begins is what percentage of your income do you give to the Church? Do you consider that to be generous? (And yes, I am asking myself that same question.) In any event, lots to think about before Wednesday! My piece of advice is decide before Wednesday! Don’t put it off. Be ready to begin on Ash Wednesday! Other advice: Don’t make your penance everyone else’s penance. If giving up coffee is going to make you mean to your family, give up something else. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Pick something doable. If you fail once, twice, or seventy times, don’t use it as an excuse to quit. Get up and begin again. All of these are just suggestions. I’m sure you can go online and find many other options. Lastly, I was afforded the opportunity to write a small book of reflections on the Way of the Cross, published by “Magnificat”. We are making the book available to all of you this weekend. I hope that these reflections are beneficial to your own spiritual life. It is my hope that in praying them, you might become more certain of the Lord’s love for you and may, in turn, grow in your love of Him. We have limited copies, so please only take one for yourself. They can also be purchased on the Magnificat website. I look forward to living this Lent with all of you. Can we please all pray for one another during Lent? Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
