Reflection's - May 13, 2012

My Brothers and Sisters,

First of all, my thoughts and prayers are with all mothers of our community on this Mother’s Day Weekend.  Whether our mothers are alive in this life or in the life to come, we owe them our profound gratitude for having borne us in their womb and brought us in the world – literally being God’s instruments in gift of life and, in most cases, being the first to nurture us and teach us the ways of love.  And so we give thanks to, and offer our prayers for, all women who have responded to God’s call to motherhood.  May God bless all who celebrate this marvelous vocation today!

As you are aware, Fr. Will Schmid will soon be concluding his residency here at St. Theresa Parish (along with his full-time ministry at Seton Catholic High School).  In June and July, Fr. Will completes his Master’s degree work at the University of Notre Dame prior to beginning his new position in August as Parochial Administrator of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Gilbert.  Fr. Will is certainly going to be missed (as he has been a part of our parish since his high school days when, as a member of our Life Teen Group and a student at Brophy Prep, he was received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil here at St. Theresa some 12 years ago).  He will always be a “son of St. Theresa” and, I’m sure, you will continue to encounter him from time to time on our parish campus.  Next Sunday, May 20^th, we will be celebrating a “Mass of Thanksgiving and Sending Forth” for Fr. Will at the 11:00AM Mass – followed by a light reception – all are welcome!   I hope that you can make some time next Sunday to offer Fr. Will your best wishes as he prepares to move on to this next adventure in his priesthood.

We also welcome Fr. Benjamin Pantas (or Fr. Benjie as he is fondly called), who moved into the rectory this past week as our new priest-in-residence.  Like Fr. Will, Fr. Benjie has full-time ministerial responsibilities elsewhere (on the staff of our Diocesan Tribunal) but will be assisting us as his schedule permits.   Fr. Benjie has been a priest for 20 years and is a long-time friend of Fr. Bing who – like Fr. Bing – joins us from the Diocese of Naval (“nah-vahl”) in the Philippines.  Fr. Benjie and Fr. Bing came to know one another while in seminary studies together at the University of Santo Tomás in Manila. Fr. Benjie went on to further studies in Rome , acquiring a Doctorate in Canon Law (J.C.D.), after which he served as Judicial Vicar – the bishop’s delegate for matters of Church law – in the Diocese of Naval. Fr. Benjie has also had experience as a parish priest, Chancellor of the Diocese of Naval and has spent a year in ministry in New Jersey following his doctoral studies in Rome. He has a brother and sister who remain in the Philippines, and another sister who works in London as a nurse. Fr. Benjie enjoys tennis for relaxation, and is a welcome addition to our “household of priests” and to our parish community! We’re grateful to Bishop Olmsted for placing Fr. Benjie with us; I know that you will help Fr. Benjie to feel at home here at St. Theresa. 

On this Mother’s Day and within this glorious Season of Easter, we continue to give God thanks and praise for his great love and all the goodness he shows us!

Blessings and peace in the Risen Christ,

Rev. Charles G. Kieffer, V.F.

Pastor

P.S.  We should all be accustomed to this by now, but just a reminder that – in the dioceses of the Western United States (along with much of the Catholic world) – the Solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension has been transferred to replace the Seventh Sunday of Easter.  We will therefore celebrate the Ascension next Sunday – this coming Thursday, then, is not a holy day of obligation.

Reflection's - May 6, 2012

My Brothers and Sisters,

Many of us (especially those who are “into” gardening) have had the experience of dealing with broken branches after a monsoon storm or a strong wind.  It’s sad to see a branch broken away from the trunk of a tree, or even a branch broken on a vine such as a bougainvillea… the branch hangs there, with leaves and blooms drooping and withering in the sun.  All that can be done is to cut it off and throw it away.  Once that happens, it’s likely that the tree or vine will look out of balance or otherwise “different.”

Today’s Gospel (John 15: 1-8) is a familiar one to many of us, whether we’re gardeners or not.  In the Gospel, Jesus reminds each of us: “I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower… I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me, you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither... If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.  By this is my father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Our remaining “connected” to Christ (like a healthy branch remains connected to the vine) is essential to our being able to live the life of discipleship… and essential for us, as Christ’s disciples, to come to the reward of eternal life. 

It’s no surprise to know that a healthy, strong branch on a tree or on a vine is able to remain connected to the trunk even through a monsoon storm.  The weaker, or damaged, branches are generally the ones that break off and wither. 

In a similar way, when we are strong in our prayer life, in our works of mercy and stewardship, when we spend time contemplating God’s word and when we are consistent in our reception of the sacraments (especially the Eucharist)… we build up a bond of connectedness with Christ that is very hard, if not impossible, to break.  We will remain “connected to the vine.”  On the other hand, if we become lazy in our prayer life, indifferent to acts of mercy and stewardship (i.e., sharing generously of our time, talent and financial resources for God’s glory) and only sporadically nourish ourselves with the sacraments… our lives are bound to become more self-centered, less loving and less focused on discipleship.  Thus we weaken our connection with the vine and become susceptible to the “storms of life” – everyday challenges – which can easily break off the weakened branch so that it withers and “is good for nothing but being thrown into the fire.”   As is the case with a tree or vine that loses a branch, so too the Body of Christ – the Church – will be out of balance or otherwise “different,” because each branch contributes to making up the whole and complete vine or tree.  Each branch – each of us – is valuable to the whole, so our “maintaining a strong connection to the vine” is not something we do merely for our own sake, but for the sake of the entire Church. 

As we continue to celebrate these great Fifty Days of Easter, may we grow stronger and bear much fruit as branches connected to the vine, who is Jesus Christ!

Peace and joy in the Risen Lord,

Rev. Charles G. Kieffer, V.F.

Pastor

Reflection's - April 29, 2012

My Brothers and Sisters,

This weekend we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, sometimes known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because the Church always provides us a Gospel this weekend dealing with some aspect of Christ as the Good Shepherd.  This year, we hear an excerpt from the Gospel of St. John (10: 11-18), reminding us that “a good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” The connection with the Season of Easter is unmistakable – Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, has laid down his life for us and has been raised from the tomb as proof that he has conquered sin and death for us.

Truly, there is so much for us to contemplate during this “Great Sunday” – the Fifty Days of the Easter Season – it’s no wonder that the Church gives us such an extended time to be reminded of, and “re-absorb,” the various aspects of the Paschal Mystery: the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In order to help us in this process of contemplating the different facets of the “gem” we know as the Easter Season, we encounter various physical reminders of the Season when we come to Sunday Mass – for instance, the Paschal Candle remains lit next to the ambo (pulpit) throughout the Fifty Days of Easter.  Once Pentecost Sunday is past (and the Easter Season has reached its conclusion), the Paschal Candle appears in the sanctuary only for baptisms and funerals – to remind us that we, who are baptized into Christ, share in his resurrection and new life.

Another physical reminder that we experience during these wonderful Fifty Days is the Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water which takes the place of the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass.  While not mandated for the Sundays of Easter, the Church encourages the use of this rite on the Sundays of the Easter Season so as to remind us of our baptism and the ramifications of that baptism: i.e., that our sins have been forgiven, that we are incorporated into and conformed to the Body of Christ and that we have been given the pledge of eternal life…that we who die in Christ will share in his resurrection to new life. 

The words of the blessing speak eloquently of this reality: “…through water, which Christ made holy in the Jordan, you have renewed our corrupted nature in the bath of regeneration. Therefore may this water be for us a memorial of the Baptism we have received, and grant that we may share in the gladness of our brothers and sisters who at Easter have received their Baptism.” Then, as the priest moves through the assembly sprinkling the blest water, we here the antiphon sung:  I saw water flowing from the Temple, from its right-hand side, alleluia: and all to whom this water came were saved and shall say: Alleluia, alleluia.

So much beauty, so much glory, so much meaning to contemplate during these Fifty Days! 

Grace and peace in the Risen Christ,

Rev. Charles G. Kieffer, V.F.

Pastor

p.s. I’m away at St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, California this week for my annual priest’s retreat –

know that you are in my prayers; please keep me in yours!

Reflection's - April 22, 2012

My Brothers and Sisters,

The Fifty Days of the Easter Season are a joyously busy time in the life of parish priest… even more so when that parish priest serves as a Dean (also known as a Vicar Forane) of the Diocese.  In a nutshell, a Dean is a priest, appointed by the Bishop, to help “make present the Bishop’s ministry” in a specific region of the Diocese.

The Easter Season is the primary “Confirmation and First Holy Communion Season” in the Catholic Church – and here in the Diocese of Phoenix, as many of you already realize – Bishop Olmsted relies on those priests that he has appointed Dean to assist him in ministering the Sacrament of Confirmation around our 44,000 square mile Diocese. 

I see it as a tremendous privilege that our Bishop has asked me to share in his ministry in this way – yet I also realize that my service as Dean of Central Phoenix also requires accommodation on the part of the parishioners of St. Theresa Parish.  This Spring, there are nine Confirmations on my calendar (actually a bit fewer than years past, now that Auxiliary Bishop Nevares is also in the mix of those ministering Confirmation).   This weekend, I’ve had the privilege and joy of celebrating Confirmation and First Holy Communion both at St. Thomas the Apostle and right here at St. Theresa.  Last Saturday, I was at Our Lady of Fatima in South Phoenix doing the same.  Obviously, the time I take in celebrating Confirmation liturgies is time that is largely taken away from my ministry at St. Theresa.  This, along with other aspects of a Dean’s ministry (parish visitation to the eighteen parishes of the Deanery, Dean’s meetings, etc.), my role as a Judge on the Diocesan Tribunal and my “light service” as Canonical Pastor of St. Mark Parish and St. Philip the Deacon Mission causes me to be less present to St. Theresa Parish than I would like.   

On numerous occasions, Bishop Olmsted has expressed his appreciation to you parishioners of St. Theresa for the sacrifice entailed on a parish level by having a pastor who also serves as Dean and in other Diocesan ministries. I add my thanks to that of our Bishop… for your understanding, as members of the St. Theresa community, of these additional aspects of your Pastor’s ministry. I’m also deeply grateful for the ministry of Fr. Bing and Fr. Will, and the weekend assistance of Fr. Lou Bishop and (hopefully soon) Fr. Frank Fernandez, who is currently recovering well from a hip replacement. We are also blest by the dedicated staff members of St. Theresa… whose ministry, along with the priests,  make my “wearing of multiple hats” possible. While I find deep satisfaction in being involved with various ministries at the Diocesan level, I know that such involvement would not be possible without the cooperation and support of a great many people in my primary ministry – that of Pastor of St. Theresa!

During this Easter Season, may God continue to bring to fulfillment the good work he has begun in each one of us!

Grace and peace in the Risen Christ,

Rev. Charles G. Kieffer, V.F.

Pastor

Reflection's - April 15, 2012

My Brothers and Sisters,

On this Second Sunday of Easter – the Octave, or eighth day, of Easter (also known as Sunday of Divine Mercy), we continue to revel in the celebration of Christ’s victory over death.  In fact, so enormous is the mystery of God’s love – and mercy – revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that the Church sets aside a full fifty days (from Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday) for us to contemplate this core mystery of our faith.  In fact, this fifty-day period was known by St. Athanasius and the other spiritual fathers of the ancient church as “the Great Sunday” – one continues period of exultation in, and celebration of, the victory of the Risen Christ over sin and death.

Today’s Gospel is one of several accounts of post-resurrectional appearances of Jesus that we will be hearing through these Fifty Days of Easter.  Our Gospel on this Octave of Easter (John 20:19-31) is the well-known story of “doubting” Thomas and Jesus’ empowerment of his disciples to forgive sin in God’s name.

It seems to me that our attention is often riveted on Thomas’ doubt when we listen to this story – and it can be difficult to avoid a subtle sense of passing judgment on Thomas: “tsk, tsk, Thomas… you should have known better than to doubt.”  But of course, when we pass that sort of judgment, we are (naturally) looking back on the events in that upper room from our 21^st century perspective as people who have been taught from an early age that Jesus indeed was raised from death and that he appeared to his disciples multiple times before ascending to the Father.

Another way we can look at this story, though, is by recognizing that – when it comes right down to it – we are all in the position that Thomas was in on that first evening when Jesus appeared to the others, and subsequently Thomas was told of this – and invited to believe.  None of us has actually seen the Risen Christ… we have been told that he has been raised from death, that he lives… and, like Thomas, each of us has the choice to believe… or not. Belief in something unseen involves risk. What if we’re wrong? Will we look stupid?  And yet, we believe in the unseen all the time. Few of us would question the existence of germs or black holes in space – but who among us has actually seen a germ? Or a black hole? Yet we believe these things are real – as a result of what we’ve been told. 

What about resurrection?  What about new life – eternal life?  For two thousand years, generation has passed on to generation a fervent belief in these realities of faith.  We are invited, right now in 2012, to truly embrace that belief: that God’s love for us is so strong that God indeed raised Jesus from the dead.  That our God, as fount of mercy, does indeed forgive our sins – any and all sin – so long as we sincerely seek that forgiveness.  That God indeed promises each one of us a resurrection like Christ’s… to the fullness of life, love and joy eternal.

No wonder the Church sets aside these Fifty Days to contemplate this message. It’s overpowering, it’s staggering… it’s beyond comprehension.

But so is God’s love for us.

Peace and joy in the Risen Christ,

Rev. Charles G. Kieffer, V.F.

Pastor