As soon as I saw the white smoke from the chimney from the Sistine Chapel, I  ran to the Cathedral and began to ring the bells.  The bells announced the election of the new Pontiff and those sounds brought joy to many in the Oakland community.  Many came to the Church, the bells informing them we had a new Pope.  It was beautiful to see people gathering to pray for the Church and our new Shepherd. It took anoth er45 minutes, some of us around the televsion in the work sacristy, waiting for the announcement.  And then it came.  Habemus Papam!  We have a Pope.  Cardinal Jorge Borgoglio from Argentina  who had chosen the name Pope Francis I.    His smile lit up Saint Peter’s Square and his words of hope and comfort to all those gathered there and all who were watching on television and following with other means of social communication.  A non-European, from Latin America, that was newsworthy itself.  And so begins a new era in the life of the Church and all of us the faithful lift our hearts in joyful praise to God for sending us such a Shepherd.  We pray that the strength, power, wisdom, courage and joy of the Holy Spirit will come down upon him in abundance!  A man who has chosen the name of a beloved saint of the Church – Saint Francis of Assisi – one who gave himself tirelessly to renewing the Church and sharing with joy the Good News to everyone.  God bless Pope Francis I.  Ad multos annos!

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LENTEN REGULATIONS FOR ALL CATHOLICS

1. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence (no meat).

2. The Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence (no meat).

3. The obligation of abstinence (refraining from eating meat) begins at age 14.

4. The law of fasting (limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals) is obligatory for people between the ages of 18 and 59, but is encouraged for all who can do so without causing harm.  No one should consider this obligation lightly.

5. All the faithful, children and adults alike, are encouraged to do acts of penance and charity during the Lenten season.  This includes “giving something up” as part of the sacrificial nature of Lent and increasing prayers and works of charity as well.

Give something up for Lent; Add something extra to your prayer life; Do an act of kindness each week for someone in need.  Make this Lenten season a time of grace.

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THE FORTY DAYS OF LENT are a time of preparation for the great feast of Easter.  These forty days call to mind for us the 40 days that Christ spent in the desert, praying and fasting.  This is a season of penance, prayer, fasting and works of mercy as the means for interior conversion and growing in holiness and faith.  The Gospel on Ash Wednesday speaks of the three disciplines of the Lenten season that are important ways in which we can prepare ourselves well in this season of grace:  Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.     Lent calls us to deepen our commitment to PRAYER.   The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that we should pray “more often than we draw breath.”   Lent is a good time to increase our prayer life.  Come to Mass more frequently, make a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament once a week or daily, pray the rosary with your family every night at home, read the Bible and meditate on what you read, even for five minutes each day.  Lent also asks that we join ourselves more closely to the Cross and the sufferings Christ endured for our salvation.  FASTING allows us to be detached more from the pleasures of this world so that we can fill it with spiritual realities.  This is why Lent is a time for us “to give something up,” something that we really like and are attracted to so that in its absence we can give ourselves more completely to Christ and our faith.  Abstaining from meat and eating only one full meal on Fridays in Lent are ways to keep the practice of fasting.  But Lent calls us as well to ALMSGIVING or in other words to works of mercy and charity.  We need to use our time, talent and treasure not selfishly but so that we can help others and work to build up the Body of Christ, the Church.  Lent invites us to engage if acts of kindness for others, to be more charitable, to use our financial resources to help the Church and its outreach to those in need.  Each of us needs to make and to keep Lenten resolutions that involve all three disciplines that the Church sets forth for us.

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No doubt we were all stunned this morning with the surprising news from our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that he would resign his Petrine office on February 28.  He has guided the Church for nearly 8 years now with fidelity, courage, and great love.   We already knew that Benedict XVI had a keen intellect and a fidelity to the Church in his service to Pope John Paul II as the leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  But as Pope, Benedict XVI quickly captured the hearts of the faithful with his compassionate heart, his powerful teaching and writings, and his joy as our Shepherd that was so clearly seen.  His steady and confident hand has led the Church forward through joys and struggles, but always a Church that was being purified and strengthened by his watch.  His decision to resign is a great loss to the Church and to each of us,  but in that decision, we can see even more of the person he is – a man of great humility and courage, a man of faith who desires to serve God in all that he does, a man who loves the Church so greatly that he sacrifices himself for the good of all.  Let us keep Pope Benedict XVI in our prayers in a most special way, entrusting him to the mercy and providence of God.

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From the view of our secular world, Christmas is over.  The decorations are done and the stores are moving on to Valentine’s Day and beyond.  But it is not that way with us.  We continue to bask in the light of the Christ-child and celebrate the joy  of this season all the way through next Sunday, The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  How important that we do not hasten away from Chritmas too quickly.  The Incarnation speaks of God’s unconditional love for us and his burning desire that each of us are changed by the living encoutner with his Son, Jesus Christ.  “For God so loved the world that he sent his  only Son, so that everyone who believes in him, might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16).  The shining star reminds us of that gift of God’s saving love, a gift intended for each and every person in every part of our world.  What a magnificent gift to behold but one that invites our response, a response of obedience to God’s word, a response of faith, a response of selfless love for God and neighbor.  The light of this season will continue to shine in the darkness of our hearts and break through the night that so often surrounds us because of human sin and evil.  The Epiphany reminds us of God’s awesome gift of love, the gift of himself in and through his Son, Jesus Christ, the gift that if received will transform us more and more into the person God intends us to be.

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ADVENT BEGINS ON SUNDAY.  This is a season of special grace that calls the faithful to be alert and be prepared for the coming of Christ.  Our minds focus immediately on the coming of the Lord at Christmas as we prepare to commemorate the birthday of our Savior and the mystery of the Incarnation.  Advent calls us to be attentive and to be careful that we keep Christ in Christmas.  All around us are the pulls of secularism, commercialism and materialism.  Our response must be one to remind the world of why we have this season – it is to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ into the world, the mystery of God becoming one like us in all things but sin, so that the darkness of sin could be eradicated by God’s saving power and human redemption won through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.   Be careful not to water down Christmas.  We must unapologetically and forcefully remind the world that Christmas is a Christian holiday – one in which we take great pride in celebrating – because it is the birthday of our beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord of all Life.

I encourage everyone, especially our families, to make this season of Advent a time of holiness and grace.  Prepare well to celebrate the birthday of Christ by growing in faith.  Read the Scriptures; pray the rosary and reflect on the mysteries of Jesus Christ; light the advent candles at home on your table and pray that God’s light will slowly diminish the reality of sin in your own life and in the world; go to confession and receive the healing power of God’s grace to prepare your heart to receive Christ in the Eucharist; attend Mass at least one additional day each week in Advent and realize the fruits that come to those who come to Mass daily. Make this season a time of preparation so the Christ-child will find a worthy place in your heart and home to dwell more completely with his love.

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This week calls out to us, as Americans and Catholics, to lift our hearts in thanksgiving and gratitude.  Thanksgiving Day is an invitation to reflect more deeply on the blessings that we have from God as Americans.  There is a great deal of concern about our country and the threats to our religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, our economy, and many other challenges.  But as we celebrate our National Holiday we can reflect on the abundance of graces that we receive through God’s goodness as Americans.  Our country stands as a bastion of freedom and democracy, as a place where we respect the rights of each citizen and work to protect the common good.  These are values that have been fought for time and time again but so many brave men and women who gave their lives to protect our liberties. 

Take a moment to thank God for his goodness. Recognize the blessings you have in your life, even in the midst of the struggles and difficulties.  Pray for our President and the leaders of our country.  Celebrate all that we have as Americans and may this day help us in our resolve to build a world that protects the freedoms we enjoy as American citizens.  As Catholics we must bring the values of our faith into the public square and stand up for what we believe to be true, right and just.  Let us work together to build a world that reflects the light of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

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