The afternoon of recollection for the Priests of the Diocese of Fort Worth, and the Chrism Mass was held on Tuesday afternoon, April 3. The recollection was held at St. Patrick Cathedral's Pastoral Center. The speaker for the afternoon was Fr. Ed Salazar, SJ of Montserrat Retreat House at Lake Dallas. The Diocese of Dallas held their recollection at the same time. Their speaker was Msgr. Michael Olson, S.T.D., Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary and a priest of the Diocese of Dallas.
We all knew that the weather forecasts were not good. Spring in North Texas and Oklahoma is always tornado time, and the month of April usually has the highest occurrence of these storms. However, most of us did not know anything severe was happening until some of us (myself included) started getting emails and text messages from friends and family around the country. The storms were severe, and that afternoon probably something like 13 or more tornadoes touched down in the Metroplex area. Miraculously - and I choose that word deliberately - no one was hurt. Thanks to all who took their time to contact me, and to pray as well... just as the priests of both Dioceses were doing when all of this happened.
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This is the afternoon of the tornadoes. During a
break in the conference, some of the priests
where out checking the sky! |
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Looking the other way from St. Patrick's Pastoral Center,
toward the West and South. |
I based my homily on a meeting that I had on a plane trip earlier this year. It was for me, a good starting point for the Chrism Mass Homily, to thank the priests for their lives, ministry and dedication to people to bring them the Lord - to bring them Jesus.
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| Photo: Kathy Cribari Hamer |
CHRISM MASS HOMILY FOR 2012
Most Rev. Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DD
Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Have you ever noticed that in the moments of life when we need some sign of the Lord’s presence in our lives and ministry, it indeed comes to pass? When we need to sing the goodness of the Lord, as the Psalm says for today’s Chrism Mass, we are given the opportunity to do just that? As we gather once more for the Chrism Mass, to bless and consecrate the oils that symbolically and sacramentally bind us together as the family of God, it is a day when the Liturgy of the Church lets the priests sing the “goodness of the Lord” not only today, but forever - into eternity. And He gives us the ability to speak and sing of God’s goodness in our lives and ministry when we least expect it, but perhaps most need it.
Han notado alguna vez que en aquellos momentos de la vida cuando necesitamos alguna señal de la presencia del Señor en nuestro ministerio, ¿suele ser realizado? Cuando necesitamos cantar las bondades del Se¬ñor, así como nos dice en el Salmo de hoy de la misa del Santo Crisma, se nos concede la oportunidad de hacer exactamente eso. Conforme nos reunimos una vez más para la Misa del Santo Crisma, para bendecir y consa¬grar los óleos que simbólicamente y sacramentalmente nos enlazan como familia de Dios, es un día cuando la Liturgia de la Iglesia permite al sacerdote cantar la “bondad del Señor” no solamente hoy, pero para siempre en la eternidad. También nos concede la habilidad para hablar y cantar de la bondad de Dios en nuestras vidas y ministerio cuando menos lo esperamos.
Not long ago, I was sitting trying to pray my office during one of my travels, when someone across the aisle asked me “Are you some kind of a theologian?” I really didn’t know how to answer that one. And, I felt if I responded that I was a Bishop, well that might be too much… So, I said that I was a Catholic priest. The individual responded by saying “well, I thought so”, and asked me to move across the aisle so I could visit, and pray. As the individual narrated the story of their life, I went from the attitude of “now what” to one of gratitude, as I was reminded once again - or perhaps the Lord reminded me again - of who and what I was. At the end of the trip, this individual, not Catholic nor really religious, thanked me, and said “I thought you were a Catholic priest, and so you could help me pray, and you could be trusted.” That brief encounter - which I initially didn’t want because I was tired - taught me again why I said yes to the Lord years ago, and why all of our brothers here today did as well: They can be trusted to bring God to all moments of life: to the lowly, the brokenhearted, to the mourning, and to replace that with the oil of gladness. Why can they be trusted? Because like the individual said, they are Catholic priests, and represent a history of bringing the presence of Christ in all situations and all moments. In many ways, priests are the superheroes of today, and one recent vocation poster illustrates that point. Priestly ministry in our day and our time, calls for nothing less that heroic witness, and in the moments when we wonder if we can do that, amidst the culture of today, the bureaucracy of today, the sometimes darkness of today, the Lord steps in and says yes, you can. And, he calls us to follow Him again and fall in love once more with our ministry and priesthood. Father Pedro Arrupe once prayed:
“Nothing is more practical than finding God,
that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute,
final way.
What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination
will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how to spend your weekends,
what you read,
who you know,
what breaks your heart,
and amazes you with joy and
gratitude.
Fall in love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.”
No hace mucho tiempo, yo estaba tratando de rezar mi oficio durante uno de mis viajes, cuando alguien sentado al otro lado del pasillo me preguntó “¿Eres algún tipo de teólogo?” En realidad no sabía como respond¬erle. Y pensé, si le respondo que soy un Obispo, tal vez sea demasiado… Así que le dije que soy un sacerdote Católico. La persona me respondió diciendo “bueno, así me imaginaba”, y me pidió de favor que me sentara a su lado para poder visitar conmigo y rezar. Conforme la persona narraba la historia de su vida, me movió de sentir “¿ahora que?” a una actitud de agradecimiento, porque me recordó una vez más – o tal vez el Señor me volvió a recordar – de quién y qué soy. Al final del viaje, esta persona, no Católica ni realmente religiosa, me dio las gracias, y me dijo “Yo pensé que al usted ser un sacerdote Católico, me podía ayudar a rezar y que yo podría confiar en usted. Este encuentro – el cual yo no deseaba inicialmente porque me sentía cansado – me mostró una vez mas la razón que le dije que Sí al Señor hace muchos años, y el porqué todos los hermanos hoy reunidos aquí hicieron lo mismo. Se puede confiar en ellos porque llevan a Dios en todos los momentos de la vida: a los humildes, los quebrantados y los que sufren duelo, y reemplazar esto con el óleo de la alegría. ¿Cuál es la razón que son confiables? Porque como dijo esta persona, son sacerdotes Católicos, y representan una historia de traer la presencia de Cristo a todas las situaciones y todos los momentos. De distintas maneras, los sacerdotes son los grandes héroes de hoy, un punto que es ilustrado en un cartel reciente sobre la vocación. El ministerio sacerdotal en nuestros días y tiempos, nos llama a nada menos que un testimonio de heroísmo, y para aquellos momentos en los cuales dudamos si lo podemos hacer, en medio de la cultura de hoy y la burocracia de hoy , los mementos tal vez oscuros de hoy, el Señor se muestra y nos dice Si, tu puedes. Y nos llama a seguirle nuevamente y enamorarnos una vez más con nuestro ministerio y sacerdocio. El Padre Pedro Arrupe una vez rezo:
“No hay nada más práctico que encontrar a Dios,
Es decir – enamorarse rotundamente,
Y sin ver atrás.
Aquello de lo que te enamores, lo que arrebate tu imaginación
Afectará todo.
Determinará lo que te haga levantar por la mañana,
lo que hagas con tus atardeceres,
cómo pases tus fines de semanas,
lo que leas,
a quien conozcas,
lo que te rompa el corazón,
y lo que te llene de asombro con alegría
y agradecimiento.
Enamórate, permanece enamorado,
Y esto lo decidirá todo.”
Those words can describe so many of the priests that inspired us and asked us to consider the priestly vocation. It certainly describes the heroes of the Catholic priests in this part of the world from people like Archbishop Lamy, Bishop Odin and the first Vincentians, the OMIs on horseback, up to the present day like Fr. Stanley Rother as well. Whether we are at ease with the term or not, we are called to lead heroic lives, and our priests gathered here today, have been and are heroes to so many people. I have heard this myself, because they have helped so many of the people who have crossed their paths to find Jesus present in their midst.
Estas palabras pueden describen a tantos sacerdotes que nos han inspirado e invitado a seguir la vo¬cación sacerdotal. Ciertamente describe los sacerdotes héroes Católicos en esta parte del mundo, personas como el Arzobispo Lamy, Obispo Odin y los primeros sacerdotes de San Vicente, los OMIs (Oblatos) caminando a caballo, hasta el día de hoy como el Padre Stanley Rother también.
The Chrism Mass is that time to renew our priestly commitment, to live that amidst all of the circum¬stances the Blessed oils present to us, and to fall in love once more with our ministry, where the Lord calls us. And, to hear once more the words - or a similar version - that helped me: “I thought you were a Catholic priest. I knew you could help me. I knew you could be trusted. Thank you.”
La Misa del Santo Crisma es un tiempo para renovar nuestro compromiso sacerdotal, de vivirlo en medio de todas la circunstancias que nos presentan los Santos Oleos, de enamorarnos una vez mas con nuestro ministerio, donde nos llama el Señor. Y, de escuchar una vez mas las palabras – o una versión similar – la cual me ayudó a mí: “Yo pensé que usted era un sacerdote Católico. Sabía que me podía ayudar. Sabía que yo podría confiar en usted. Gracias.”
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