Abbey-Roads2

An explosion of light.

It seems to me very few Americans commemorate this day in memory of the holocaust at Hiroshima.  Elena at Tea at Trianon posted a mention regarding Nagasaki, with an interesting link to a Lew Rockwell piece by Gary Kohls  - which deals primarily with the Nagasaki holocaust a few days following Hiroshima.  As a nation, it is often convenient for us to forget that which doesn’t seem to affect our immediate well being.  (Of course, history reveals that American lives were saved by these actions, and the war came to an abrupt halt.)

It strikes me as rather providential that the radical transfiguration of a city took place so dramatically on this feast day of the Transfiguration of Our Lord.  The successive detonation of two atomic bombs, which leveled these two Japanese cities are credited with ending WWII and saving countless lives.  It is a stunning realization when one considers that Japan was open to negotiating surrender before the bombings, yet the Truman Administration insisted upon an ‘unconditional’ surrender, which the Japanese were not prepared to make.  Amongst the terms insisted upon by the Administration was the demand that the Emperor of Japan renounce his figurehead position as the ruler of Japan.  It appears this is one of the first attempts by the United States to effectively seek regime change in a sovereign country in order to impose our style of democracy. 

I was deeply impressed by a verse in today’s responsorial Psalm from Mass:

“The Lord is king…clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord…” - Psalm 97

Do you ever wonder what sort of end the United States will come to?

[Thanks to Don Marco at Vultus Christi  for the image - I recommend you read his posts for the day as regards the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.]

Personal Jesus. 

There was a time I never minded receiving Communion outside of Mass.  The reception of Communion has always been my focus at Mass, and if I couldn’t make it to Mass that day, I sometimes asked the priest if I could receive afterwards.  In most cases, the priest would oblige me.  Delighted, I spent a very long time in thanksgiving.  I wouldn’t do this now unless I was in danger of death, hospitalized, or homebound. 

Communion outside of Mass is permitted of course, for the sick and the dying, or for someone unable to attend Mass for a legitimate reason.  While still young, shortly after my conversion, and living in a major metropolitan area, I could have easily traveled to several Churches in town where Mass was being celebrated.  Instead, sometimes I just wanted the quiet intimacy of my private, solitary Communion.  I may have missed that particular Church’s daily celebration of Mass, yet requested Communion  nonetheless - my excuse - I had been ’unable’ to attend.  Yes, I eventually came to recognize this as an abuse.  In reality, I wanted Communion without the Mass.  (I am still doing penance for this - even though I was permitted to do it.)

Father’s day-off.

I bring this up because on Mondays, my local parish priest has his day off and he doesn’t live at the rectory, but has his own house elsewhere.  On days when he is absent, we usually have a Liturgy of the Word with Communion Service, conducted by a lay person.  (Often the parish secretary.)  Even though this is permitted, I never go, since the Eucharistic part of the Mass is unable to be celebrated.  In addition I hate seeing a woman dressed in an alb presiding.  Absolutely hate it - so I don’t want to be upset by attending.

If I lived in the country or in a mission field without clergy, then I would have no problem with attending a Liturgy of the Word, even on a regular basis.  Since I’m in a city and can travel to other Churches, I don’t see the need for this.  It seems to separate the reception of Holy Communion from the Holy Sacrifice - at least for me.  Again - there is no abuse here, it is an approved alternative to the celebration of Mass in the absence of a priest.

Father doesn’t live here anymore.

So this brings up another issue: Why don’t priests live at the parish they serve?  Isn’t he the pastor, the shepherd of his flock, the father of the community?  Isn’t a parish a community?  I get up every day and pray, do my lectio with the daily Mass readings, and then go a few blocks to attend Mass.  Doesn’t the priest do likewise?  Is a priest’s day off a day off from priesthood and ministry, or just from parish work?  And is celebrating Mass work, or the primary expression of one’s priesthood?  Granted, if the priest resided on campus, it wouldn’t be a great burden to celebrate daily Mass - or would it?

I have a friend who is a priest, and he lives in the rectory next to his parish Church, but on his day off he doesn’t celebrate Mass at all.  Fortunately, another priest who lives with him does.   Even when he has a cold, he will cancel his Mass and get a substitute.  It’s odd to me.  I never said anything to him but I always thought, ‘couldn’t you just go into Church, say Mass, excuse yourself and return to your room?’  Daily Mass is only 20 - 30 minutes out of your day - he wouldn’t even have to give a homily - so what’s the big deal?

Anyway - my parish priest will be gone again this week - this time on retreat, but thankfully he found another priest who will celebrate Mass everyday for the parish.  I’ll write about all of that in a day or two - but I don’t want to spoil the surprise just now.

Cardinal Lustiger has died in Paris.  Of course I have never met him or even seen him in person, yet I have great respect and love for the man.  He never considered himself anything but a Jew who found the completion of his faith in the Roman Catholic Church.  He entered the Church, receiving Baptism at the age of 14 while living in hiding from the Nazis.  Shortly afterwards, his mother Gisele was exterminated in the Nazi death camps.

He supported the cause for canonization of Jacques Fesch, the “accidental murderer” who had been the last person to be guillotined in France.  He was Cardinal Archbishop of Paris when the Trappist Monks of Atlas were abducted and then beheaded.  He was also the friend and confident of John Paul II, with whom he shared a common Polish heritage.

Some uber-Catholic traditionalists considered him a liberal and were also suspicious of the Cardinal’s insistence that he remained a Jew, understanding his embrace of Catholicism as the fulfillment of his faith.  For me, this is one reason why I loved him so much.

Jean -Marie Cardinal Lustiger  +9/17/26 - 8/5/07+