Spring is a season of milestones.  It is a popular time for a variety of religious events including the celebration of First Communion or the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The Sacraments of Service and Commitment (Matrimony and Holy Orders) are often celebrated in the spring as well.  Stick some graduations into the mix and we have a plethora of milestones we can mark in one fashion or another.

As I get older I realize that I have more and more milestones passing my way.  Each successive birthday seems to be a milestone in its own right.  Sometimes I just can’t imagine that it has been over 35 years since high school graduation or that I have been married for over 25 years.  I just attended a “cancer survivor’s day” at the local hospital this week and realized it has been 28 years as a survivor since the first diagnosis and 13 years since the second time.  Those are some memorable milestones indeed.       

On June 5, 1999 I was ordained a permanent deacon at the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis, Missouri by Archbishop Justin Rigali (now Cardinal Rigali).  Fifteen years have since passed.  I could have never imagined where the road would lead from there but it has been quite a journey.  

The ordination ritual is a powerful experience.  The laying on of hands, being vested, and receiving the Book of the Gospels are all components that remain etched in my mind.  Although I was familiar with the rite of ordination and we had thoroughly rehearsed for this day, I was particularly struck when I approached the archbishop to receive the Book of the Gospels. The reality of ordination really hit me at the moment Archbishop Rigali said, "Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you now are.  Believe what you read.  Teach what you believe. Practice what you teach." Wow!  What did I just sign up to do? The weight of the commitment struck me at at that precise moment. 

If four and a half years of schooling were not enough, I continued my studies for another year following ordination specializing in religious education administration.  I had a desire to pursue full time employment within the Church and I wanted to be as adequately prepared as I was able.  I will readily admit my concern about being ready.  At that point in time I was seriously questioning my ability to fulfill the commitment I had made.  Thankfully, I came to the simple conclusion that there was no doubt I was going to need an abundance of God's grace in addition to the education and formation I had received.

In the last fourteen years I have worked full time for the Church in one capacity or another.  I have been a Director of Religious Education at St. Benedict’s Parish in Florence, Colorado, a Vocation Director and Deacon Director for the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado, a high school theology teacher and campus minister at Valle Catholic High School in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, Coordinator of Religious Education and Principal at Assumption Catholic School in O’Fallon, Missouri, and now the last four and a half years as Director of Pastoral Ministries and Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Cheyenne.

The lessons of life that I have learned during these last 15 years are too numerous to mention, but I will highlight just a couple of things.  The people of God have blessed me abundantly in many different ways throughout my years of ministry.  I am still amazed when an individual or a family invites me into a sacred moment of life.  These can be either joyful or sorrowful occasions.  Celebrating a wedding or a baptism brings one set of emotions.  Joining with a family in prayer as a loved one approaches death brings a different set of emotions.  The heartache of broken relationships, loss of a job, financial struggles, serious illness, or any other traumatic event can bring people to the Church to seek guidance and help.  These can all be graced moments in which we intimately encounter the living God.  I try to never take these moments for granted when I am invited to accompany someone on these difficult paths.  It is a tremendous privilege as a member of the clergy to walk with parishioners in the midst of their pain and struggles.  I am extremely grateful for each opportunity that I have had to pray one-on-one with someone for their specific needs.  God does not disappoint.

Holy people have taught me to pray more fervently and faithfully.  One question asked by a parishioner many years ago still rings in my head.  I was just diagnosed with a serious illness and I was sharing the news with this particular individual.  After I finished my account of what was going on she simply asked, “Are you still praising God?”  That question has forever changed my prayer life.  I am blessed because of her perception and wisdom.  These types of individuals have repeatedly entered my life at just the right time through the years.  That is evidence of God's grace at work.

I have tried to be faithful in my diaconal ministry.  There have been many “successes” in the process, and also many times that my shortcomings have come to light as well.  The areas of achievement deserve a special note of gratitude to Almighty God for allowing me to be an instrument of His love.  The areas of “failure” are simply my own.  Choosing my will over God’s will—that never results in a good outcome.  Thankfully, God is patient and merciful.

As I mark this fifteenth anniversary of my diaconal ordination, I simply offer a prayer of gratitude for all who have touched my life through the years.  Life has not always been easy, but it has surely been blessed.  John’s Gospel chapter 10 verse 10 is real and true.  (Look it up.)  I have seen it demonstrated throughout my entire lifetime but especially during these last fifteen years.

As we approach the great Solemnity of Pentecost let us pray faithfully—COME, HOLY SPIRIT!

(Enjoy the pictures below.  Yes, I looked much younger 15 years ago.  Also, the pictures do not show the technical quality of modern age digital photography.  Along with Cardinal Rigali, the other bishops are Bishop Michael Sheridan--now in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Bishop Edward Braxton--now in Belleville, Illinois.)      

Cold beer here!  Get your cold beer here!  Anyone who has attended a major league baseball game has heard the shouts of the vendors.  Forty years ago today (June 4, 1974) the vendors were very successful in Cleveland.  The Newberg Report gives a detailed account of the event on their website but the first two paragraphs sum it up quite well.

“On Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland, unruly fans stumble onto the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Rangers with the score tied 5–5 in the 9th inning. A rally by the Tribe ties the score in the 9th, before fans pour on the field and surround OF Jeff Burroughs and try and take his hat and glove. Players from both sides then ran to his aid and the forfeit is called. 

The idea behind the promotion was to offer as many eight-ounce cups of Stroh's beer as the fans could drink for just 10¢ apiece, thus increasing ticket sales. However, the stunt also had the effect of slowly turning the calm and orderly baseball fans into a rowdy and raucous crowd devoid of inhibition. Ultimately, the game was forfeited to Texas on the orders of home plate umpire Nestor Chylak because of the crowd's uncontrollable rowdiness, and because the game could not be resumed in a timely manner.”

How often do we come up with ideas that end up not panning out quite the way we anticipated?  It probably happens to all of us from time to time.  Unfortunately, there are times when the consequences can be fairly steep when we make a miscalculation.  In this instance it cost the Cleveland Indians the game plus a whole lot of chaos in the process.  Were the extra sales of tickets worth it?

What are the consequences of our actions when we make miscalculations in regard to our spiritual life? Are we flirting with temptation to sin in a way that leads us to failure?  Are we attempting to live our spiritual life in a minimalist way?  This is not simply a ball game we are talking about—it is eternal life with God that we seek.  Have we truly turned to Christ with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength?  As we approach the great Solemnity of Pentecost let us ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our lives!  That is far better than an outpouring of 10 cent beer.

June 3 & 4 will mark the 25th anniversary of China’s infamous Tiananmen Square massacre. This event in 1989 is said to have defined a generation of activists and shocked the world in the process.

According to Philip Ross, “The series of student-led pro-democracy demonstrations spotlighted the Chinese Communist Party’s shortcomings and exposed deep divides within China’s leadership. Protesters took part in hunger strikes and sit-ins and occupied Tiananmen Square to call for an end to government corruption and to allow for more freedom of speech and press.” 

Party leaders disagreed and viewed the protests as a “counter-revolutionary riot.”  Subsequently, the military took dramatic action to squash the uprising.  On the night of June 3 and the early hours of June 4, the military was ordered to enforce martial law in the country’s capital.  The bloodshed that ensued remains one of the most sensitive subjects in Chinese politics and is something that the Chinese government has seemingly gone to great lengths to try and cover up.  Conducting a search on the internet to find the death toll of this event revealed a wide variety of accounts.  While the actual death toll of the massacre is apparently unknown, estimates place the number anywhere between a couple of hundred to as many as 2,600.

What happened to the "Tank Man" following the demonstration is not known.   According to Wikipedia, the Tank Man, or the Unknown Protester, is the nickname of an anonymous man who stood in front of a column of tanks on June 5, 1989, the morning after the Chinese military had suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 by force. Some say he was pulled away and went into hiding, others say he was executed by the authorities. Time Magazine dubbed him The Unknown Rebel and later named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Not all of the protesters received the recognition and notoriety as did “Tank Man.”  However, this incident touched the lives of a lot of people.  I can only imagine the heartache of family members who lost loved ones during these days in 1989.  The grief must have been overwhelming. 

The freedom we enjoy in the United States of America is not something to take for granted.  There is evidence all around which reveals the delicate balance between freedom and security, sovereignty and service, competition and cooperation, prosperity and philanthropy.  If balance is not successfully maintained and corrupt power takes over, the results are disastrous.  History has demonstrated these ill-effects time and time again.  

I sometimes get questions about the delicate balance of mixing politics and faith.  What is the role of a person of faith in the public arena?  Do we get engaged in civic activities beyond the voting booth?  How do effectively “give to Cesar what is Cesar’s and give to God what is God’s?”  Where do we draw the line? 

Obviously, we each have a responsibility to grow in wisdom and grace before God.  We have a duty to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ.  Thus, I ask you, if people of faith withdraw completely from the public arena what is the impending result?  Do we not want Christian believers to have a role in shaping our society beyond the walls of the local church, or are we content with God being removed from our government, our schools, and other public institutions?  If non-Christians, agnostics, and atheists are the only ones involved in shaping the dialogue for our nation what will happen to the vision of our Founding Fathers?  What will happen to our freedom?

Furthermore, tolerance for aberrant behavior in our country continues to grow and it is actually celebrated and encouraged in many circles.  Tolerance for people of faith, on the other hand, seems to be in rapid decline.  Anyone, especially Roman Catholics and Evangelical Christians, supporting traditional values are frequently maligned, ridiculed, and labeled as haters for expressing their beliefs and opinions.  If this trend continues at the current pace, it won’t be long before we witness a dramatic loss of freedom.  This will go well beyond religious freedom.

The 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square gives us reason to pause, reflect, and pray.  Hopefully, it reminds us of the privileges we enjoy in our country and also of the corresponding responsibilities that go along with it.  May we truly strive to be that which we pledge, “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

It was sixty-three years ago today (June 2, 1951) that Pope Pius XII issued his Encyclical, Evangelii Praecones (On Promotion of Catholic Missions).  Obviously, the Encyclical addressed the prevalent issues of the times, but it is interesting to note how many of those issues are still relevant today.  Apparently, society continues to grapple with some aspects of life one generation after another.

I would like to quote paragraph 70 in its entirety.

70. Venerable Brethren, you are well aware that almost the whole human race is today allowing itself to be driven into two opposing camps, for Christ or against Christ. The human race is involved today in a supreme crisis, which will issue in its salvation by Christ, or in its dire destruction. The preachers of the Gospel are using their talents and energy to extend the Kingdom of Christ; but there are other preachers who, since they profess materialism and reject all hope of eternal happiness, are trying to drag men down to an abject condition.

As we observe contemporary life it is evident that the two opposing camps referred to by Pope Pius XII are still here, and possibly, more entrenched than ever.  A quick glance at the social issues front and center in the news certainly reveals the divide in American culture, and I assume the same can be said for many other countries across the world.  I have two questions for reflection.  The first is my own and the second comes straight from Scripture.

1.     Which camp do we find ourselves located—for Christ or against Christ?

2.     “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  Luke 18:8