New Year’s Eve is a time for looking back over the last year as well as looking ahead to the upcoming year.  Resolutions are frequently made with good intentions, but for the most part, the eloquence of philosophical ponderings near the end of the year quickly evaporate into the harshness of tangible realities we face in day-to-day life soon after the calendar page is turned.  Does this mean we shouldn’t reflect upon life?  Not at all!  It is important for us to reflect upon where we have been to determine where we want to go.  So, what is in store for 2014?

I have frequently started a new year with the intention of getting more physical exercise.  It was at the point when someone informed me that walking from the couch to the refrigerator on New Year’s Day did not count as exercise that I abandoned that endeavor completely.  This year I’ll have to see if I can devise another plan of action to get in better physical shape.  I am guessing that rolling over from my right side to the left side while I am in bed won’t count either.

On a serious note, I appreciate the opportunity that the New Year brings in regard to setting serious goals.  This is especially relevant in regard to spiritual undertakings.  What will I set out to do to grow in virtue through my prayer, study, and action in 2014?

My prayer life can always use an extra dose of faithful discipline.  “Pray without ceasing.”  Okay.  I have a long way to go yet.  What will I do to more effectively open myself to God’s grace through my life of prayer?  What steps will be necessary for me to be more faithful and fervent?  One thing is certain.  I can become discouraged by the lack of fortitude in the past or I can once again seek out the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen me in my renewed endeavors.  I think I will go with the second option.  I know the changes I need to make in my daily habits to create a better opportunity for faithfulness on my part; I will have to trust God’s grace for the other part of the equation.

I enjoy studying and learning about the faith.  I am required to do a significant amount of studying to prepare for preaching and teaching.  However, I would like to spend more time in study as a component of my prayer and meditation.  My experience with this has been very beneficial in the past, but I make time for it too infrequently.  Study conducted as a prayerful pursuit can reap wonderful insights and instill some faith-filled resolutions.  This bears fruit in abundance for a greater depth of wisdom and understanding as differentiated from a simple academic and intellectual pursuit.  This will have to be specifically placed on my list.

Action can be looked at from a multitude of directions.  How will I effectively put my faith into action on a daily basis?  The responsibilities of my position as the Director of Pastoral Ministries certainly lends itself to creating opportunities for action, but this year I want to focus specifically on putting forth effort in both charity and justice.  I want to offer support to alleviate immediate concerns in a spirit of charity while not forgetting the systemic problems inherent in some of our structures and policies that need to be addressed to promote justice.  What are the opportunities for me to be generous in charity and effective in my advocacy for justice?  This will require further reflection throughout the year as issues arise.

Looking back over my personal calendar for 2013 fills me with a deep sense of gratitude.  God certainly blessed my life and ministry over these last 12 months.  I had the opportunity to preach at the weekend Masses in 10 different parishes over the course of the year.  I conducted 17 catechetical workshops, led Days of Recollection for seven different groups, and gave two parish missions which consisted of preaching at the weekend Masses and having three evenings of presentations and prayer.  The other day-to-day responsibilities like organizing pro-life events, promoting opportunities such as Marriage Encounter, supporting our Catholic schools in a variety of ways, and a whole list of other activities simply adds to the sense of gratitude.  It has been a fruitful year in ministry.

Looking at my calendar for 2014 fills me with great anticipation and excitement.  It is a wonderful privilege to minister in a wide variety of settings and parishes, and I have quite a few different events already scheduled.  I will be leading a three night parish mission in Green River in February, preaching at three different parishes in March and April, and finally, conducting several different workshops on catechesis and the proclamation of God’s Sacred Word.  

It is also fun to look ahead quite a few months down the road.  In August I will be leading the Wyoming Catholic Men’s Retreat.  That will be a fantastic weekend and I am sincerely grateful for the invitation to facilitate such an awesome event.   http://catholicmensretreat.org/deacon-vernon-dobelmann  

What is my New Year’s Resolution?  After reflecting upon last year and looking ahead to the next, it is clear that the number one priority is to live my life in a spirit of gratitude.  God has blessed me abundantly.  May I never forget that or take it for granted!  If I can accomplish this one resolution, the others will fall into place.

Happy New Year!        

I will be the first to admit that I am not really thrilled about all of the craziness that surrounds this time of year. Through the years my family has referred to me on a number of occasions as "Mr. Bah Humbug" and "Scrooge."  I think there may have been some other terms of endearment from time to time, but these are probably not worthy of putting in print. You probably get the point, "I am not Mr. Christmas."

Secular society has created an expectation around these days. This includes, but is not limited to, parties, gift giving, more parties, and simply socializing in one setting after another.  Did I mention parties?  I am not anti-party, but I fully recognize that it takes a toll on introverts to go from one social activity to another.  Quite frankly, it is exhausting.  This type of frenetic activity may energize the extroverts among us, but those of us on the other end of the spectrum experience this scenario in a completely different manner.

These days can also be difficult for those who are struggling in one way or another.  Maybe you are celebrating Christmas this year for the first time without a special someone due to a death in the family or a broken relationship.  The sadness can be overwhelming when we focus on the loss, but it can be extremely healing when we focus on the love and compassion of Christ.  Some relatives and friends may be out of town, others may be confined to a hospital bed or nursing home.  Bottom line, may we experience the presence of Christ in one another even if we are physically unable to be together.  My hope is that we are able to find joy, peace, and contentment amid the hurt and pain.

In the midst of the flurry of activity I am grateful for the peace I find in the celebration of the Eucharist on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Midnight Mass is especially conducive to experience this peace, although it gets tougher and tougher as I get older to go out of the house at that time of night for anything.  Once in church the sacred beckons.  The decorations, the music, and the overall atmosphere lifts our minds and hearts to God.  There is heavenly peace--at least for this moment in time.  What a tremendous blessing to gather as a community of believers to celebrate Christmas.  In that setting I am much closer to feeling like "Mr. Christmas."

"Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."  Merry Christmas!

Thomas Paine holds a prominent position in the history of America.  His writings continue to inspire and motivate patriots in current times just as they did back in his day.  His eloquence captures the imaginations of historians and stirs the hearts of those who yearn for profound and powerful exhortations.  A person can easily contemplate the urgent need for some “Common Sense” today, and we may even relate more fully to “The Crisis” as it challenges us to reflect upon our own commitment to a life of service for God and country.

The first pamphlet of “The Crisis” was published on December 23, 1776.  The beginning of the opening paragraph provides an abundance of food for thought.  Thomas Paine wrote:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. 

Paine’s depiction of a “summer soldier” or “sunshine patriot” in the second sentence makes it evident that this is not going to be a warm and fuzzy document.  Using a persuasive appeal Paine utilizes ethics, emotion, and logic to captivate the attention of the reader in an attempt to move the individual into action.  Our society today is in desperate need of such a passionate plea.  Unfortunately, I believe many people in contemporary culture have a severely limited grasp of history, and even fewer embrace the philosophical and theological assertions so generally accepted two centuries ago.  Can a comparison be made today between tyranny and hell if there is no longer a belief in hell by a large segment of the population?

The words of Thomas Paine in this paragraph have the potential to ignite the flame of love in every Christian believer.  Some would say that it is harder and harder to be a faith-filled Christian in our secularized society.  Christians are being pushed further and further to the edges of society and are even being labeled as a hate group when they stand up for traditional family values.  I agree with Thomas Paine that we can take consolation in knowing that “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”  The gift of faith is not something we should esteem too lightly.  Maybe the challenges we face as Christian believers will enhance the dearness of the gift of faith.

During the Advent season we have heard Scripture readings in which John the Baptist has been a prominent figure.  John the Baptist was the “voice” crying out in the wilderness.  One commentary stated that it is the role of the “voice” to awaken us, to startle us.  It is the role of the “Word” (Jesus Christ) to instruct us.  Have we been sufficiently awakened by the “voice” so we can hear the “Word” speak to us?  Has the passion and fire of John the Baptist exhorting us to bear good fruit as evidence of our repentance inspired us to holiness?  Thomas Paine effectively called people to patriotism; John the Baptist reminds us of our ultimate call to sanctity!

On December 18, 1947 Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical entitled, Optatissima Pax; (in English, On Prescribing Public Prayers for Social and World Peace.)  It is relatively short compared to many Vatican documents, numbering 12 paragraphs in all.  Obviously, much more could have been discussed regarding the hope for peace, but in this case, short and to the point was probably a notable approach.

It is a worthy endeavor for us to continue to pray for peace.  The logistics and mechanisms of war have changed through the decades, but the cry for peace amidst advanced weaponry reverberates to this day.  It seems we have struggled to find the key to lasting peace in our world.

In looking at the title of the encyclical letter, I was struck by three different components.  Public prayers, how are we doing in that regard today?  Is the only time we pray for peace publicly when a general intercession happens to appear in a Sunday liturgy?  Have people of faith allowed their freedom to be squelched to a point where public prayers for peace are almost non-existent outside of church walls?  Do we really believe that prayer is beneficial?

Since military conflict has been a constant staple of our consciousness, it may be difficult to even imagine world peace.  What would it be like to live in a world with not simply an absence of war, but a true and lasting peace?  How would that affect our travel times at the airport?  How would it affect our entrance into large auditoriums and stadiums for entertainment and athletic venues?  What would it do for our emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being?  Would it change the way we pray?  Have we simply given up on the possibility of ever experiencing world peace?

I pondered the words “social peace” for quite a while when I first read the encyclical.  What does social peace look like?  As we review all the social problems of modern society it is fairly easy to simply shake our heads in disbelief and give up trying to make things better.  In many ways the challenges seem beyond our ability to effectively make any significant progress in improving life’s dire situations.  What happens to our culture when we lose the theological virtue of hope?

I found it interesting that the pope would state the following in paragraph 5: “Factional strife ‘has been and will be to many nations a greater calamity than war itself, than famine or disease.’”  Wow!  Factional strife may be a greater calamity than war itself.  What have we not learned or achieved in the last 66 years in regard to this one line?  Factions continue to abound in modern times in our political life, our social life, our work life, and even in the life of the Church.  What calamitous results has our world experienced due to factional strife?

We are a week away from celebrating the great Solemnity of Christmas once again.  May our private and public prayers for peace be fervent and faithful!  May the incarnation of Christ the King fill our hearts with joy!  May the Prince of Peace transform our world!

As the president of Yale College (1778—1795), Ezra Stiles gave a major Election Address entitled, “The United States Elevated to Glory and Honor,” before the governor and the General Assembly of Connecticut in May 1783.  I can’t help but speculate about the reaction of the listeners when he said, “The United States are under peculiar obligations to become a holy people unto the Lord our God.”  

How would the elite of Yale University react to a statement like that if it were made today by their president or other high-ranking academic professor?  How would the General Assembly of Connecticut and its governor react if that statement were directed toward them today?  It sometimes amazes me just how far we have moved away from God as a country in just over 200 years.  The reality of the necessity of religious faith to guide us during the formative years of our country was evident.  It is repeated over and over again in numerous documents and inscribed in stone on many of our revered institutions.  Ezra Stiles was not unique in his observations during that era, and yet, in recent decades our leadership has done its best to remove God from all of our public institutions.

Changes in our country are to be expected, and it is really not all that surprising to see us going down the road of secularization, immorality, fiscal irresponsibility, and eventually, chaos and destruction.  Why is it not surprising?  Quite simply, it is evident that we haven’t learned from history.  Subsequently, we will most likely repeat it.  If we examine great civilizations of the past, we can see a reflection of where we are heading.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

~Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV)

Think about your experience of governmental leadership at all levels: city, county, state, national.  You can even break it down to smaller entities such as the local school board, civic groups, and all the other organizations and institutions in which leadership is exerted.  Is the organization thriving with people rejoicing, or do you hear a lot of moans and groans?  The Old Testament Proverb apparently still rings true today.

I wish Ezra Stiles had listed his reasons for asserting that the United States was under peculiar obligations to become a holy people unto the Lord our God.  His clarity of thought would probably be refreshing to read in modern context.  Ezra was a theologian, possessed a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages, and was also trained in law.  Some have claimed that he had the distinction of being one of the most learned men in our country at that time.  What would happen in the United States today if we could hear the call to holiness from our elected governmental officials, the academic elites of our universities, the editors of major newspapers and CEOs of other major media outlets? 

There can be disagreements among liberals and conservatives about what methodologies to utilize in attempting to achieve the common good of our society.  However, one thing that should not be disagreed upon is the need for honesty and integrity amongst our leadership.  What is the basis from which this honesty and integrity will flow?  It is none other than the Christian values upon which our country was established and reiterated so succinctly by Ezra Stiles.  What is the hope of ever getting back to that mindset given how far we have wandered from that perspective in modern times? 

“Man’s pride causes his humiliation, but he who is humble of spirit obtains honor.”

~Proverbs 29: 23 (NAB)

As we continue to prepare the way of the Lord during this Advent season, may each of us who bears the name of Christian be humble of spirit!  Let us be faithful in praying for those in leadership positions.  Furthermore, let us lead by example and become a holy people unto the Lord.

  

On December 11, 1925 Pope Pius XI issued the Encyclical Quas Primas. I reviewed this document today and was struck by how relevant the message is for our current generation.  We certainly need Christ the King to reign in our hearts now as much as ever.

I would like to quote paragraph 18 in its entirety.

18. Thus the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men. To use the words of Our immortal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII: "His empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church, have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ."[ Enc. Annum Sacrum, May 25, 1899] Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved." [Acts 4:12] He is the author of happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation. "For a nation is happy when its citizens are happy. What else is a nation but a number of men living in concord?"[ S. Aug. Ep. ad Macedonium, c. iii] If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ. What We said at the beginning of Our Pontificate concerning the decline of public authority, and the lack of respect for the same, is equally true at the present day. "With God and Jesus Christ," we said, "excluded from political life, with authority derived not from God but from man, the very basis of that authority has been taken away, because the chief reason of the distinction between ruler and subject has been eliminated. The result is that human society is tottering to its fall, because it has no longer a secure and solid foundation."[ Enc. Ubi Arcano]

In our country, how far have we wandered from this very salient point regarding the necessity of the rulers of nations to not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ? Do we see our society tottering to its fall because of a lack of this secure and solid foundation?  The beginning of paragraph 19 sums up what we can expect if we honor Christ as King. 

19. When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.

Unfortunately, it often appears that our society is headed in the opposite direction of experiencing these blessings.  We continue to remove God from more and more of our public institutions and we are subsequently reaping a lack of discipline, peace and harmony.  The polarization of viewpoints on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and religious liberty shows the divide growing deeper and wider with each passing year.  Peace and harmony doesn’t seem to be the main item on the menu in our times.

It is important for people of faith to continue to honor Jesus Christ as King, both in their private life as well as their public life.  The Church needs faithful witnesses.  Obviously, Pope Pius XI recognized some troubling societal signs in his time; many of these signs are still with us today.  We can’t give up hope.  During this Advent season, let us be more diligent than ever in preparing the way of the Lord.  May Christ the King reign supreme in our hearts and homes this day and always.  

Three American Catholic nuns along with a lay missionary were beaten, raped and shot to death by an El Salvador government death squad on December 2, 1980. Over thirty years have passed since that devastating date, but the impact of Sr. Maura Clark, Sr. Ita Ford, Sr. Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan lives on.

In this Season of Advent, are we willing to be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ even if the price is high? 

"Leaders don't force people to follow--they invite them on a journey."
~Charles S. Lauer

Today, the First Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of a new Church year.  Are we fully immersed in the culture of consumerism and chaos recuperating from Gray Thursday, Black Friday, and preparing for Cyber Monday, or have we truly entered into the journey of holiness?

The quote from Charles S. Lauer reminded me that Jesus simply invites us to "Come and See."  We are not forced to follow; we are invited.  The Season of Advent provides an excellent opportunity for each of us to reflect upon our response to the invitation.  In what ways will we effectively prepare the way of the Lord in our individual lives during this Advent Season?

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about."
~Charles Kingsley

Are we enthusiastic about our faith and the Good News of Salvation?