What Erodes Our Humanity
Fr. David Barnes • June 25, 2025
Dear Friends in Christ,
Some years ago in a previous parish, I moved a crucifix that had hung for a century on a piece of beautiful fabric in the church sacristy. When I took down the crucifix, I was surprised to see the real color of the fabric. Decades of sunlight, heat, and incense had caused the surrounding fabric to fade, but behind the crucifix, the real rich color had been preserved.
Sometimes when we go about our life we do not realize just how significantly we are affected by the culture around us. Like the fabric in that sacristy, the change is not always immediately perceptible. It is gradual.
We live at a time when the culture around us has changed dramatically. Things that would have been universally condemned sixty (or even ten) years ago, are now widely accepted. Things that would have been universally acknowledged as good sixty (or even ten) years ago, might now be looked upon with suspicion or derision. (I should add that there are many wonderful things about the present culture that we should rejoice in, but today I am focused upon those things that erode our own humanity.)
The disintegration of the family, the ubiquity of pornography, the presumption of cohabitation before marriage, the acceptance and promotion of abortion, and a host of other factors have left their mark on our culture. Similarly, the culture of, what I might call, harshness has become the new normal. Social media often makes people forget the humanity of others. People are told that they should be perpetually angry about everything. It affects the way that people communicate with one another. This harshness dehumanizes the person on the other end of the phone or on the receiving end of an email.
In the midst of all of this, the Church remains steadfast in its defense of the human person. In our present moment, governments are opting to allow the killing of the sick. The Church stands in absolute opposition to this because Jesus tells us to visit and care for the sick, not eliminate them. It is a grotesque distortion to call the killing of the sick a form of mercy.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that:
“Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the fifth commandment: ‘Do not slay the innocent and the righteous.’ The deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human being, to the golden rule, and to the holiness of the Creator. The law forbidding it is universally valid: it obliges each and everyone, always and everywhere.”
In a culture where it is becoming increasingly acceptable to think that suicide and euthanasia are legitimate options, it is good for us to remember that the Fifth Commandment absolutely prohibits them. Those who suffer from physical ailments, old age, or from mental anguish must never be encouraged to think “it would be better for everyone else if I’m not here.” As Christians, we cherish human life and do not determine for ourselves which lives are worth living.
Another topic I want to mention (and yes, I know it is a political third rail these days) is the issue of the treatment of people present in our country whose legal status is questionable. Every country has a right to establish and enforce laws that regulate immigration. Reasonable people may disagree on what those laws should entail and how they should be enforced. My purpose in writing here is not to impose on anyone else my opinions on how the immigration situation should be resolved in its specifics. Rather, I want simply to mention that in our culture, there can be a tendency to dehumanize immigrants. Many people who entered the country unlawfully did so to escape violence and poverty, and to make a better life for their families. I cannot help but think how terrifying it must be for a man or a woman who is raising a family to wonder if they will be suddenly arrested one day.
In a culture that tends to demonize people and dehumanize them, Christians are called to love them and to promote their human dignity. When we are at Mass, none of us looks around and thinks, “I will love that family over there once I know their immigration status.” In the same way that none of us looks around and thinks, “I will love that family over there once I know if they’ve been completely honest each time they’ve filed their taxes.” We love them because they are made in the image and likeness of God and are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
A Christian culture–when it saw human suffering–built orphanages, hospitals, adoption agencies, soup kitchens, mutual aid societies, St. Vincent dePaul Societies, homeless shelters and so on. In a culture where Christianity is fading, so is the dignity afforded to human life. We live at a moment when the unborn, the poor, the infirm, the immigrant etc. are often viewed as problems to be eradicated rather than human beings to be loved and protected.
What can we do? We can live in the midst of our culture as disciples of Jesus Christ. We can place ourselves firmly in the shadow of His Cross. We can live as a sign of contradiction. In the midst of a culture that increasingly devalues human life and dignity, we can be true disciples of the Lord who radiate His love to all, especially to the vulnerable and the suffering.
Decades of intense light, dirt, and heat eroded the brilliance of that piece of fabric, but behind the image of the Crucified Christ, its glory was preserved. At the moment, cultural forces can cause the brilliant dignity of human life to become less apparent. Without Christ, the world tends to become gray, cold, and harsh. It is only in Christ that the full dignity and beauty of life is truly discovered. The more we live in Christ and follow Him, the more we become in a faded world a sign of contradiction and a witness to hope.
Your Brother in Christ,
Fr. David Barnes
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Pastor's Notes
There are certain kinds of conversations that I had more patience for when I was younger. I describe them as the “drunk philosopher” kind of conversation. The image I have in mind is standing at a bar with someone who has had way too much to drink. They begin to say nonsensical things as though they were the most profound utterances ever made by a human being. A good example might be when they say something like, “Well, who is to say that we are really here now talking with one another? Maybe this isn’t actually happening.” Usually, words like this are spoken with a self-satisfying nod and an attitude of intellectual superiority. At a certain age you realize that debating an inebriated person who questions whether we are even having a conversation is not really a fruitful use of time. In fact, the person has given you the best out possible. If this conversation isn’t actually happening, then it’s not rude for me to walk away from it! The “drunk philosopher” syndrome is not isolated to late-night barrooms. It happens even among the sober. It happens in an educational style that is deconstructive. It happens, for example, when a young person goes off to high school or college and some teacher basically says, “Well, you’ve been taught all of these things by your parents, but all of those things are wrong.” The problem with this is that rarely do those persons ever help the young person to make sense of life in any comprehensible way. Instead, they basically say, “Well, you really can’t know anything. You can’t know what is good and evil. You can’t even know if you are a boy or a girl. There is no cohesiveness to life. It is all just random, arbitrary, and ambiguous. Have a nice life. And please spend the next decade paying off the debt you incurred so that I could tell you that you can’t know anything.” This kind of glibness can also be present in a certain elitist form of theology. Some who consider themselves “on the cutting edge” fancy themselves as too clever to accept or believe what previous generations of Christians held and believed. They like to disrupt the placid faith of others and inject doubt. It is almost always presented with condescension. “I am one of the enlightened ones who really knows.” The pure faith of a believer is treated as quaint, but foolish and uneducated. When I was younger, such things really irritated me. I think it mostly irritated me because it always seemed to come from people who ought to know better. I think it also irritated me because the person usually looking down upon the pure Catholic faith of others often would sound like the drunk philosopher who thought himself to be a shining light of intellectual genius. As I get older, it does still annoy me to see someone attempt to undermine the placid faith of another (especially the young), but the fact is only the truth has grace. When we see someone who lives out of a pure faith, it is far more convincing than all of the pseudo-intellectualism of the deconstructionist. Just a couple of examples. Last week at one of our Masses, there were all of these infants! The presence of these young families is a far more powerful testimony to the truth of what the Catholic Church teaches and believes than any damage that can be inflicted by those who seek to sow doubt. When you see those families, your heart knows you are seeing something true. Similarly, at that same Mass, I watched one of our parishioners in her nineties make her way up the stairs to the church. I’m sure it wouldn’t even occur to her that her example confirms others in the faith, but it does. You look at her fidelity (and the fidelity of so many others) and you think, “That’s what I want to be because I know that is true!” The first reason we attend Mass on Sunday is to fulfill our obligation to offer God the worship to which He is due. This worship of God, however, adds nothing to His greatness. It does, however, benefit us in all sorts of ways. One thing it does for us is to strengthen our own Faith. Chances are, we spend most of our lives surrounded by “drunk philosophers.” Whether it is in our jobs, on our computers and phones, in the media, or in the culture around us, we are bombarded by unserious ideologies that relentlessly oppose the Truth. The Sunday Mass becomes a place where our confidence in the Truth and in the Faith are restored and strengthened. In the witness of those who surround us, in the beauty of their lives and in the purity of their example, our confidence in the Faith is restored. In the faces of those who surround us, our inner peace and faith are strengthened so that we can say with ever firmer hearts, “I believe.” Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
This week, just some scattered thoughts: On Tuesday I attended the end-of-the-year celebrations for the preschool children at St. Patrick School. There was a lot of singing, dancing, and pure joy. As I write this, I am still smiling. I mentioned at one of the Masses last week that there are a lot of necessary repairs on our horizon. Last week a coil on one of our air conditioner units broke. The replacement cost of the coil is $11,000. At this point, we are trying to determine whether to fix the coil or replace the whole unit because the unit (like all of our units) is over twenty years old. We signed a contract last month to replace the system controls for the building. That is over $100,000. We are looking into repairing the front steps of the church. They look (and actually are) in terrible condition. It kills me to have to spend money on stairs that never get used, but there really isn’t an alternative. There are lots of other projects needed too. I just want to keep you in the loop. There is a group of women who every week get together here and knit prayer shawls and lap blankets. Besides being a wonderful group of women, their prayer and kindness is deeply appreciated by so many people who receive those shawls and blankets. For people who are experiencing illness, loneliness, or some other suffering, it is a great consolation to them to realize that their parish was thinking about them and praying for them. I know that this small gesture of kindness can be like a ray of light entering into what was dark, burdensome, and lonely. I just want to say “Thank You,” to these agents of mercy. St. Patrick Parish has had a long history of very generous donors. The generosity of the parishioners who came before us enables us to have the parish that we have. Many parishioners in the past have remembered St. Patrick Parish in their wills. Please consider remembering St. Patrick Parish in your will. But, you don’t have to wait until then to be generous!! We appreciate all of you who are so good to this parish. Thank You. Above I mentioned some nuts and bolts kind of things that we need to do to the physical plant. I also want to mention some pastoral plans. Recently I have begun discussions with an organization that trains and provides missionaries to work in parishes. The work of these lay missionaries is to form intentional disciples of the Lord and to send them out to win over new disciples. My instinct tells me that St. Patrick Parish is a ripe place for such an endeavor. For now, it is still in the “thought stage,” but please keep this intention in your prayers. We would only be able to move forward with it if we can afford it, but I think it has the possibility of adding something really unique and transformational to our parish and taking us to the next level. The other evening, I stopped into a small group bible study of a few high school men and Fr. Patrick. I cannot begin to tell you how amazing and refreshing it was to witness these young men growing in faith together, praying, and speaking from the heart. Please keep in your prayers this endeavor. Other small group bible studies for high school students will be beginning soon. Fr. Sijo’s retreat last Saturday was well-attended and, I know, helpful to many people. Blessed be God. This year we added a confession slot to our schedule on Mondays thru Fridays from 11:15-11:50am. At first, we would get one or two. I am happy to report that while rarely there are days with just two or three penitents, most days we hear a full thirty minutes of confessions. Some are parishioners and some are people who simply come here because we offer it. Many young people. It is so great! Recently someone left me a voicemail inviting me to lunch. I wrote the name and number down, but lost it! If it was you, call me back! Speaking of inviting me . . . One of the greatest joys of priesthood for me has been sitting at the dinner table of married couples and families. Just saying. I am grateful for all the Lord is doing among us. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
He is Risen! Fifty days ago we began our celebration of Easter, and today the Easter Season comes to its culmination on the Solemnity of Pentecost. The Preface of every Mass since Easter has included the phrase, “overcome with Paschal Joy.” The Risen Lord bestows on His People, now something transitory, fleeting, or shallow. The joy he gives is abiding, sustaining, and touches us at the very depths of our soul. To be a Christian is to be overcome with Paschal Joy. Until next Easter, today is the last day the priest prays the words, “overcome with Paschal Joy” during the Preface. I will miss saying it. “We are”, however, as St. John Paul II once said, (drawing upon St. Augustine), “an Easter People and Alleluia is our song.” Although we celebrate Easter most intensely during this season, we are always an Easter People. In the midst of sorrows, sufferings, and tribulations, the Christian People are sustained by Easter Joy. We know that Christ has conquered sin and death. We know that the victory is already won. The Holy Spirit, poured out upon the Church at Pentecost, constantly reminds us of Christ’s victory. He teaches us to remain sure-footed and stable in the Truth. He breathes Divine Life into us and binds us together as one. The Holy Spirit sustains us in Easter Joy throughout our life and makes us witnesses to the world of the good news that Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. Allow me to share with you some times during this past week when–here at St. Patrick Parish in Stoneham–I was overcome with Paschal Joy. Last Sunday at the Ten o’clock Mass, two children were baptized and one of them was confirmed and received First Holy Communion. After that Mass, our young couples and families group hosted coffee and doughnuts in the hall. It was so wonderful seeing so many people, young and old(er!) enjoying each other’s company. Catholics spending time with one another rather than rushing out of Mass to get on to the next thing is a sign of Christ’s Presence for me. After that, I had the Noon Mass. Not sure why, but last week, the Noon Mass was packed. It is always so much better when a Sunday Mass is filled. As I offered that Mass, I was convinced of Christ’s Presence among us. After that Mass, I went to the rectory and discovered that a toilet on the second floor overflowed down through our dining room ceiling. Yes, we live in an imperfect and fallen world! But, in the midst of that, I watched charity action. Fr. Patrick and Thien–our newly arrived seminarian–jumped into action and saved the day. Even in the midst of such unpleasantness, Christ’s Presence was evident in their charity. On Monday evening, we had a Mass and a dinner for many of our parishioners who serve in various capacities in the parish. One minute before Mass began, one of our staff said to me, “Make the Mass as long as you can because the caterer lost our order and there is no food!” Forty-five minutes later, as Mass was ending, our staff was racing into the kitchen with trays of food. They had gone to BJ’S, Anthony’s in Reading, Bacci’s, Gaetano’s, Farmland in Wakefield, and Angelo’s here in Stoneham to get whatever they could. They frantically worked to serve a full meal that they had assembled in forty-five minutes. It was unbelievable! Since I arrived here two years ago, I have been continuously struck by the charity, generosity, and organization of our parish staff. When that epic event was over, Fr. Patrick said to me, “Well, not many parishes could have pulled that off.” The staff here is a sign of Christ’s abiding Presence. (As an aside, I want to thank Anthony’s in Reading, Gaetano’s, Farm Land Bakery, Bacci’s, and Angelo’s for coming to our aid in our hour of desperation! We are so grateful to them!) On Tuesday we had a Eucharistic Procession. It was beautiful! All of the children from our school followed behind the Blessed Sacrament as we processed around outside the church, singing hymns praising the Blessed Sacrament. That is an image of what the Church is. We are a pilgrim people, following Christ through this world until we arrive in heaven. It was such a great day! The Eucharist is the abiding Presence of Christ. As I write this, Fr. Sijo is preparing his healing retreat for June 7th. The Christ who healed in the Gospels continues to heal today. He continues to dwell among us. While we will now leave the words “overcome with Paschal Joy” behind until next Easter, the Holy Spirit keeps that Paschal Joy still in our hearts. Thank you to all of you for helping me to be overcome with Paschal Joy. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
He is Risen! Liturgically, we find ourselves today at an “in between” time. On Thursday we celebrated the mystery of Our Lord’s Ascension. Now, the Church gathers in a period of intense prayer, begging for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (next Sunday). So much of life is spent in “in between” times. We mark time by the commemoration of big events. Memorial Day, for instance, tells us summer is here and Labor Day marks its end. The days in between, however, (except for July 4th) we do not tend to think much about. We all treasure memories from Thanksgivings and Christmases, but not so much the days in between. But, most of life is spent in between. Being in between can sometimes fill us with anxiety. Being in between jobs, in between two family members or friends in a dispute, in between a medical test and awaiting its result, in between choosing one thing over another, or being in between a rock and hard place all can cause fear and anxiety. Often when I pray, I think about what the “in between” times with Jesus and the apostles must have been like. The gospels preserve for us many of the things that Jesus said and did as he formed the apostles, but I like to think about what all the other hours and days with the Lord must have been like. They spoke along the way from one village to another with him, enjoyed meals together, asked questions, found things to laugh about, and shared life together. Liturgically, we not only celebrate particular mysteries of the Faith, but we also prepare for them. Even though the culture begins to celebrate Christmas the day after Halloween, the Church recognizes that we need time to prepare. Lent prepares us for Easter. The days after the Ascension prepare us for Pentecost. The days in between our baptism and our death are given to us to prepare us for eternal life. We tend to rush from one thing to the next, but it is good for us to savor the in between times. During vacations, I have visited many beautiful places in my life, but the places are not what I really hold dear. It is the time spent with the ones I traveled with that is most memorable for me. It was the meals, the car rides, and the conversations in between destinations that were the real treasures. The in between times are not superfluous to our lives. In fact, they constitute the majority of life. In the spiritual life, the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of the Lord shape us. They are not merely one-off celebrations each year. They are meant to shape and transform every other moment in our life. Their memory and their graces are intended gradually to permeate our entire life. In these days between the Ascension and Pentecost, the apostles gathered with Mary in the Upper Room in anticipation of what was coming. They stayed with one another and prayed. In doing so, they teach us how we should live the “in between” moments of our own lives. In the company of fellow disciples, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the memory of all the great things the Lord has done for us, and with confidence in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we fully anticipate that the favors of the Lord are not exhausted. We await a new heaven and a new earth. He who has done great things for us will renew the face of the earth. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
He is Risen! When I was an altar boy, an elderly gentleman who was the church sacristan gave me a little paperback book of devotions. That book became for me a real source of spiritual growth. Among the many devotions contained in that little book were various prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As we approach June, the Month of the Sacred Heart, I wanted to take a moment to encourage you to cultivate, if you do not already, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There was a time when every Catholic home had an image of the Sacred Heart displayed. The image comes from an apparition of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun in the 1600’s. The image represents the human heart of Jesus, broken, but filled with love for us. His heart is aflame with burning charity for us. Although the image comes from the apparition in the 1600’s, devotion to the Heart of Jesus is an ancient devotion. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is always celebrated on the Friday following the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This year, that will be Friday, June 27th. There are many prayers, litanies, and devotions that are associated with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. One popular devotion is the First Friday Devotion. Jesus revealed to St. Margaret Mary that he wishes souls to be consecrated and devoted to His Sacred Heart. One way of doing that is on the First Friday of nine consecutive months to 1. Go to Confession; 2. Attend Holy Mass; 3. Receive Holy Communion. For those who keep the First Friday devotion, the Lord made several promises: I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life. I will establish peace in their homes. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. I will be their strength during life and above all during death. I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy. Tepid souls shall grow fervent. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who receive Communion on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. I remember reading those promises as a young boy and thinking, “Wow! I want that for me!” As we begin the Month of June, I encourage you to consider cultivating a devotion to the Sacred Heart. I encourage you to go to Mass on June 27th (put it in your calendar!). I encourage you also to put into your calendar a reminder to fulfill the First Friday devotions. Read those promises above again! Don’t you want that for yourself?! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in thee! Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
He is Risen! Last week Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and greeted his flock and the whole world. It was touching to see him so moved by the experience. At the very beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo has emphasized the centrality of the proclamation of Jesus Christ. He invites all of us to direct our attention and our whole lives to Christ. Quite happily, I have to admit, things are quieting down a bit in the parish as we have Lent, First Communions, Confirmations, Religious Education, and the school year mostly behind us. With the gradual slowing down (I hope) of a lot of events, summer months provide for a little space to think about our parish life and to mull over what might be fruitful for the year ahead. It always feels like we do not have enough calendar space, physical space, or mental space to attend to all the things that we would like to do in the parish. Although our building looks big, we are always struggling to find “good spaces” to have events. Our administrative staff have a tough job trying to keep some sense of planning and order. I have to admit, every time I walk out my front door, I agonize that the parish sold the land on Pomeworth Street! All that space!!! One of the projects that we hope to begin working on is the Youth Ministry Room on the basement level of the church building. As we look to begin a youth ministry program in the coming weeks, our hope is to provide some warm, welcoming, and less “institutional” looking spaces. This room isn’t exclusively for the youth, so the hope is that it will also provide a place for other groups to use. (Speaking of “warm,” we recently signed a contract to purchase for our whole building a new systems control. The system we currently have is over 20 years old and no longer works. That means that the heat and/or air conditioning are all over the place. Some rooms are freezing while others are stiflingly hot. In the next few months, we hope to have that resolved.) This all brings me back to what I began with. Pope Leo XIV began his pontificate directing our gaze to Christ, and he reminded us that God’s love is for everyone. During these weeks of relative quiet, I want to think about how we as a parish can focus more upon Christ and how we can help everyone to know that God’s love is for them. Because we are such a large parish, it sometimes can feel like we are going from one thing to the next, but not with a lot of intentionality. We are scrambling to see to it that everything gets done, but that sometimes doesn’t leave a lot of time to take a bird’s eye view and wonder, “Are all of these things contributing to the true mission of the parish? How well and effectively are each of these activities helping people to encounter Christ and to grow in the love of God? Who are we forgetting? Do we have opportunities for everyone–whatever stage they might be in their life of Faith–to be welcomed and to grow?” It can’t be just a matter of having more events in our limited times and spaces. It has to be a more intentional and focused use of our time, space, and energies. In any event, these are the things that I am thinking about. I am very grateful for the many people in this parish who keep the whole thing going, and also for all of those who have a heart for evangelization and are inviting and welcoming others and who are committed to providing opportunities to help others encounter Christ and to know the love of God. Our work as a parish belongs to each one of us. Lastly, over the summer, we will be welcoming two seminarians, Thien Ngo and John Manning. Thien will arrive in June and John will arrive in July. Elsewhere in the bulletin, there is a brief introduction to Thien. We are very happy to welcome them. I do not know if there are any other rectories in the Archdiocese that will have five people living in them with an average age of 36! (I used to be the guy who kept the average age in a rectory down. I don’t know how the tables flipped on that one.) Thanks again everyone for all that you do to make this parish great. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
