Have You Encouraged a Potential Priest Today? Have You Discouraged One?

After yesterday's post a few people asked me what the total numbers were for the ordination class of 2010. It's a good question, since statistics don't always tell us much. The total size of the class, according to the CARA report is 440 potential ordinands - 339 of which responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 291 are diocesan and 48 are religious order candidates. The total number is down this year from last - 440 versus 465.

There are various reasons as to why this might be - the numbers always fluctuate. One interesting stat to keep track of is that of encouragement and discouragement from following a vocation to the priesthood. The report tallies these factors as well. Of those who responded, 78% (or 264) said their parish priest encouraged them, 47% (159) said a friend, 42% (142) said their mother, 41% (139) said a fellow parishioner, 33% (112) said their dad, and 29% (98) said a teacher or catechist encouraged them to consider the priesthood.

On the flip-side, they also reported on those who discouraged these men to enter the priesthood. That is also to be expected, but what surprised me was where that discouragement came from. Sixty-three percent (214) were discouraged by a friend or classmate. This is probably not too shocking, given the level of understanding of that sort of commitment and religious feeling in general among the young population in general. However, the second highest level of discouragement came from parents or family members - 50% (169). There are various reasons for this sort of response from parents. I have talked about this a little before. But parents might not just discourage for selfish reasons. They could also be genuinely concerned for their son's happiness in a vocation that so often comes under fire like ours does. The report doesn't tell of the level of that discouragement. The best way for us to counter that sort of reaction is, as priests, to joyfully and visibly live out our vocations.

The last stat that struck me particularly hard was that 15% reported being discouraged a priest. That is 51 guys hearing that they should not become what these discouragers are. 51 potential priests - who actually made it through had discouraging words given to them from another priest when they said they felt called to the priesthood. This stat makes me wonder how many good potential candidates actually listened to that "advice."

God's faithful are hungry and looking for more priests. It does not do us any good if those living that vocation are so soured in their ministry that they cannot endorse it for others. The answer? Pray for these priests; pray for those candidates; and pray for our young people, whom God is calling, to have the courage and the support to follow that call.

Counting Up the New Priests

Last week, the US bishops released their yearly profile of the ordination class of 2010. These reports give us a snapshot of the guys being ordained priest each year. This year, we learn such interesting facts as about half of them attended Catholic elementary school, almost one-third of them were born outside the US, and over 90% of them had some sort of "other" work experience prior to seminary. The average age of the ordinands this year is 37, but half of them are between the ages of 25 and 37. Four percent of the new priests studied law prior to seminary, and five percent studied medicine, and 40% of them went into seminary having already earned an undergraduate degree.

The CARA report breaks the data down for us, so take a peek at your new priests. Some might surprise you; some you might even know.

By the way, 19% of new religious priests, and 10% of diocesan ones keep a blog!

More e-Ministry from USCCB

The US Bishops Conference is really going all-out in their efforts to make use of the Internet in being a resource for Catholics. Yesterday, they announced the impending launch of their vocations website, and today they are drawing our attention to their Social Teaching site, Our Catholic Faith in Action. The site presents the wonderful social teaching of the Church in a creative, web-friendly, and - get this - youth-friendly way. Check it out.



Also, I missed the other initiative that mirrors the priestly/religious vocation site for married couples and those preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony. For Your Marriage gives helpful advice and resources for healthy and holy marriages. Again, it's worth a look for those preparing for marriage and those who've been at it for a while.

e-Vangelization

The US Bishops will be releasing a new website to promote vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. The opening of the site is set to coincide with the "World Day of Prayer for Vocations," this Sunday, April 25 - "Good Shepherd Sunday." The site, For Your Vocation, is intended to be a resource for those discerning the Call, as well as for parents and educators. Here's a bit of the press release:

The site has two goals:
To help individuals hear and respond to the call by God to the priesthood or consecrated life, and

To educate all Catholics on the importance of encouraging others through prayer and activities to promote vocations.

The Vocations Website can be found at www.ForYourVocation.org. A Spanish-language site will be available this fall at www.PorTuVocacion.org.

Site elements include discernment resources for men and women, respectively, aids for promoting a vocation culture within the home, and a range of tools for educators, youth leaders and vocation directors including prayers, videos, best practices, lesson plans and vocation awareness programs.

In response to Pope Benedict XVI’s 2010 Theme for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Witness Awakens Vocations, the site also hosts videos of priests and religious men and women giving witness to their vocations, as well as testimonies from family members.

ForYourVocation.org exemplifies the Vatican’s embrace of new communications media. In his message for the 44th World Day of Communications, Pope Benedict XVI challenges clergy to employ the “latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites)” to put the media “ever more effectively at the service of the Word.”

The launch of the site will be promoted through social media forums. Facebook users can become “eVangelizers” for the cause. By becoming an eVangelizer, one can connect others to the Website’s blog posts.

I look forward to being an "e-Vangelizer" along with this site!

Remembering a Shepherd

The Baltimore Sun shares this story about the loss of one of our beloved shepherds:

Archbishop William Donald Borders, who applied leadership lessons learned as a decorated military chaplain while guiding Baltimore's Catholics for 15 years, died Monday morning at the Stella Maris hospice in Timonium, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced. He was 96.

As spiritual leader of the area's half-million Catholics from 1974 until 1989, Archbishop Borders oversaw the division of the archdiocese into vicariates, reorganized Archdiocesan Central Services, and clarified and strengthened the role of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and the Priests' Council.

"It was our loss and heaven's gain," said Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien at a Monday news conference announcing the archbishop's death. "I don't know that there's a replacement for that kind of priesthood."

Archbishop Borders, who had suffered from colon cancer, entered hospice care in March.

"He was a fighter to the end — he was very vigilant and aware of what was going on in the diocese," said Archbishop O'Brien, adding that Archbishop Borders kept abreast of local news, even the reports on his deteriorating medical condition.

Archbishop Borders was known locally and nationally for his unassuming manner.

During Mass at Baltimore's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Monday afternoon, the Rev. Gilbert Seitz incorporated the archbishop's reputation for humility into his sermon, recalling fondly the archbishop's trademark question: "How are you feeling?"

"If you didn't tell him how you were feeling, he'd ask you again," Father Seitz recalled to about a dozen worshippers.

"If I had to describe him, I'd say down-to-earth," said Kathy Wandishin, a Basilica parishioner who was attending Mass and works at the Catholic Center, which shares a building with the Archdiocese of Baltimore's headquarters.

"Sometimes I think the church gets a bad [reputation] because of hierarchy, but he was very humble — a true servant. It was always a level playing field with him."

Born Oct. 19, 1913, in Washington, Ind., the third of seven children in a strong Catholic family, Archbishop Borders lived in his own estimation "an average life," including dating regularly, he said in a 2007 interview.

"I had the example of two young priests who really offered marvelous service to people," he said. After his senior year of high school, he surprised his friends by entering St. Meinrad's Seminary in Indiana. He later completed his training at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

The rest of the story is here. Borders' funeral will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen on Friday.

[Photo from the Baltimore Sun]

"He Listened So That He Could Serve"

A sad day here in the Premier See, as we have heard of the death of Archbishop William Donald Borders, who passed away this morning at the age of 96. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien released this statement at the news:

It is with a heavy, yet grateful heart that I inform you of the death of our beloved patriarch, Archbishop Borders.

Having suffered for several months from colon cancer, Archbishop Borders was called home by the Lord this morning at 10:03 at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. He was 96 years old and is survived by a sister, Janet, and brother, Kenny.

I was grateful for the opportunity these past two-and-a-half years to know better the man so many of you came to love and follow. Having witnessed his gentle demeanor, indefatigable spirit and steadfast faith, it was easy to see why he was so beloved and respected.

I count myself among the legions of Catholics - including clergy, laity and religious - and others, who will dearly miss his presence - something we all seemingly took for granted given his great resiliency and more than 35 years in Baltimore, a place he came to love and call "home."

Archbishop Borders was a gentle soul, a person of good humor and a man who deeply loved the priesthood and the flock entrusted to him. His episcopal motto, Ascultabo ut servam ("I shall listen so that I may serve") was one that he lived out as chief shepherd of Baltimore from 1974 to 1989, as well as in his long retirement. Whenever I saw him, he's have his trademark grin and ask, "Austin, how's your priesthood? How's your ministry?" And although he could hardly hear a thing, he wanted me to reflect back that same joy that led him to ask the question in the first place.

He will be missed. Requiescat in pace.

Learning to Love

Sharing the Word can sometimes be difficult. Often, we can run into a "language barrier" of sorts when we do not know how to meet people where they are. Yesterday, the Gospel gave us an example of this.

When Jesus takes St. Peter aside, we hear Him ask His friend "Do you love me?" In English, this doesn't really seem interesting, aside from the fact that Jesus asks three times. However, the original Greek reveals a very interesting nuance. The first two times that Jesus asks "Do you love me?" He uses the Greek word agapas, which is derived from the word agape, meaning a self-giving, sacrificial love that is given for the good of the beloved. It is the same love that Christ shows us in His gift of Himself on the Cross and in the Eucharist. Both times, Peter responds "oides hoti philo se" - "You know that I love you." The Greek word philo means that Peter loves Jesus, but more "as a friend" or as a preference." It is not a love that is ready to fully abandon oneself for another. Both times, Peter doesn't really answer the question asked. So, the third time that Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, He finally goes to where Peter is comfortable and willing to give: "Peter, do you love (phileis) me?"

Peter is "distressed" for two reasons. One, his friend has to ask him three times if he loves Him; two, Jesus had to lower His expectation of response from Peter. However, Jesus reminds him (and us) that Peter will, in the end, "get it" - speaking of "the type of death by which he would glorify God." Peter finally will understand and respond with the same sort of love that Jesus gave him. In "feeding his sheep," Peter learns how to truly follow the Lamb.

Starting Again

"It is the Lord!"

I should have known!
Our Friend;
My Friend.
How can I wait
for the boat to reach shore?
Splashing through the waves,
I reach Him.

We walk off a bit,
away from the others.
"Simon," He starts,
"do you love Me
more than these?"

Well,
I - uh - I do.
"Sure.
You know I love You."
"Then feed my lambs"

Check.
Feed...lambs.
What next?

"Simon,
do you love Me?"
Again?
What does He want?
Surely He knows.
Do I have to say it?
"Lord,
You know I love You."
"Tend My lambs."

Okay.
Now what?
Surely,
He has taken me aside
for some great task.
I,
His faithful companion,
who stood by Him -
except for...
Oh dear.

Once more,
"Simon,
do you love Me?"

Oh no.
How could I be so stupid?
Three times?
This is my doing,
my sin,
my failure.

But His smile
says more.
It speaks to me
of forgiveness
and love -
love that He has shown us all.

"Lord,
You know all things.
You know that I love You."
I understand now.

"Feed my sheep."

He had to talk to me.
He had to,
because I
needed
Him.

And now,
"Follow me."

Ah, yes!
It begins anew!

Yom HaShoah

Yesterday was the observation of Yom HaShoah, or "Holocaust Remembrance Day," wherein the 6 million Jewish victims of the holocaust are honored. 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps and the end of that horrible chapter in human history.



We do well "never to forget" these poor souls who perished simply because of the hatred of others. We do well to remember, and we do well to continue to be vigilant to see the holocausts in our times as well - Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia, and elsewhere. The biggest tragedy for us would be to simply allow these to continue, and the memory of those lost would no more be honored. Awareness and love are the only remedies.

Going "Gaga" - or Not...

Lady Gaga has "come out" - so to speak. She has announced that she is "celibate." UsWeekly.com gives the scoop:

Lady Gaga is known for her racy, sexually-charged songs. But in real life, the 24-year-old singer (real name: Stefani Germanotta) is celibate.

While recently discussing her role in Mac’s Viva Glam campaign, which supports global HIV and AIDS projects, she told London's Daily Mail she wants her fans not to have sex, either.

"I can’t believe I’m saying this – don’t have sex. I’m single right now and I’ve chosen to be single because I don’t have the time to get to know anybody," she said. "So it’s OK not to have sex, it’s OK to get to know people. I’m celibate, celibacy’s fine."

This story caught my eye for obvious reasons, and I can applaud the message that she is sharing. However, more precisely, the message that she is sharing is one of chastity, rather than celibacy. Celibacy is a lifestyle that puts aside sex in order to focus on something else - in the case of priests, that "something else" is service to God's people with an undivided heart and soul. Chastity is living within one's state in life vis-a-vis our sexual activity - either in marriage or single. Lady Gaga's message is that if one is single, then sex is not appropriate. Love must be part of it; commitment must be part of it; marriage is the place for it.

It's encouraging to see a celebrity be outspoken in these matters for the good of his/her fans. Now, if she would only wear more clothes!

To Be Justified

"Prince Caspian" was on this morning, and I caught a part of it. When Caspian is seduced into asking for help from darker forces and the White Witch makes her reappearance, we see again the seductive power of evil in his temptation to enjoin her help. King Peter as well is caught in her trance, it seems, until Edmund shatters her image in the ice from behind. We saw in the first Narnia film how Edmund the traitor was replaced in punishment by Aslan and reemerged, forgiven, as King Edmund the Just.

More specifically, we should know him as King Edmund the Justified. Aslan's sacrifice and return bring to him and all Narnians a new sense of purpose and power. Edmund draws in that power now to destroy the shadow of the White Witch. It was Aslan who destroyed that power of evil - the witch - in the first film. When Lucy asks how he could let Narnia reach such a deplorable state, Aslan responds that "things don't happen the same way twice."

When we see evil apparently triumphing in our lives, we may often cry out to God - blame Him even - and wonder why He does not act. However, He has acted. The victory is won, and the power of evil is illusory. We are justified, and this justification is a sharing in the power and victory of God.

Love Remains

I’ve never actually seen him, but I know that he’s there – each day, every day. Usually it’s around lunch time, when he fixes himself a sandwich and hops into the car to make his trip to the cemetery. He and his wife would have been married fifty-six years this year, but she died last year. And now, almost every day, he goes to visit her, to share his sandwich and remember all those wonderful years. Many times, after standing at the grave, he returns to the car and cries – sometimes briefly, sometimes a little longer. Then he goes home. It’s been his ritual for several months.

Perhaps you know someone like him; perhaps you are someone like him. The love of all those years just doesn’t “go away,” no matter what folks say, no matter how well you “deal with it.

Love remains.

Today, as we celebrate Easter Sunday, we encounter Mary Magdalene. She loves our Lord, and even though he has died and been buried, she returns to the site of his grave. There’s really no particular reason for her visit – Jesus is placed in the tomb; his body has been anointed and wrapped; he is gone. But even so, Mary goes to the place where they laid him – out of love.

Love remains.

This past week, we have celebrated the most significant events of our faith, beginning with Christ’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem; through his gift of the Eucharist and Priesthood, where we learn that “love gives” of itself completely; to his total sacrifice on Calvary, where we see how much “love hurts.” Now, after we have heard of the death and burial of the Lord, we come to this place to celebrate – celebrate the love of God that is stronger than evil, stronger than hate, stronger than sin, stronger even than death.

It is this love that calls us to look back at those events of that first Easter. Just like Mary, we look to the tomb out of love for Jesus, and we experience the wonder at finding it empty. That same love is what helps Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved to overcome their fear and rush out into the open to go see for themselves. And, when they leave behind their fear – which was a fear that the power of sin and death brought upon them – they “see and believe.”

And there’s the significance of that love. Love does not simply brood over the past; it does not remain locked in the defeat of disappointment, of doubt, of death. Love brings us to the one who is loved. This love makes the events of that first Easter present now. That’s why we’re here.

Yes, we celebrate Easter today, and we remember those past events. However, this is exactly what we do every time we gather and celebrate this Eucharist – week after week. Jesus’ gift of love to us – his gift of himself – calls us to make present the love of God that is our love too. Love is always present, because love remains.

In our world, we see many examples of the apparent victory of evil, hatred, sin and death: wars, genocide, poverty and injustice. These could seem like “distant” events that have no real connection to us. However, as Christians, we are called to be involved out of love with all those who suffer and feel the effects of this hatred and sin. That love does make a difference, because that love unites us all.

Mary went to the tomb out of her love for Christ. It didn’t matter to her that he was dead. She trusted him – all that he said and taught – all that he did for her. That love did not die; it remained. He had said that all this would happen; he had promised eternal life, and victory over death. Her love brought her to the tomb and it drove her to share the news of the empty tomb with the others. That faith – the faith of the Church – began to go out right there – with her.

When that man makes his visit to the cemetery, he is not simply remembering a love that died some months before. No. He is loving his wife still. His faith tells him that this love does not go away, does not die. Rather, in faith, he trusts the promise of Jesus that those who believe in him have eternal life. This is not just some nice thing to say to comfort us; it is true, because it has been given to us by Truth himself. We are united with Christ in his victory over sin and death through our baptism. That first Easter is the same as this Easter, because we are people whom God’s love brings together. This is the love that destroys death and all the power that hate, evil and sin can have over our world. When we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, we celebrate also our resurrection.

No matter how far off these events may seem, it is the love of God, and our love of Him that brings them into our present and makes them real. The resurrection is real. Jesus’ victory is real – right now, among us – for us. It is love that connects our experience and the experience of Christ. This is what we come here to celebrate – love.

A love that remains.

"This Day"

This day
has come.
This day
I have dreaded
since they caught me
in my crime,
in my sin.
And now,
now I hang here
on this cross,
a public spectacle,
along with these others -
a fellow thief,
and This Man.

But who is He?
What has He done?
Nothing,
from what I hear.
But the crowds mock Him,
much louder than us.

"Come down,"
they say.
"Save yourself!"
Even that other,
from his cross,
dares to mock -
"Save yourself -
and us!"
He must be crazy
from the pain.

"Be still,"
I shout -
the pain of drawing breath
rips through me.
"Have you no fear of God?"
(Silently, He still hangs there)
"We deserve this;
but This Man,
This Man has done nothing wrong."

It hurts to turn myself to see Him,
but I must.
"Jesus,"
I wheeze,
"remember me
when You come into Your kingdom."

And then He stirs.
His blood-stained face
turns to me
(is there a glint in His eye?).
"This day,
you will be with Me
in paradise."

It is so dark now,
so cold.
This is it.
This is the day.
But today,
for some reason,
I can still hope.

Holy Thursday

“He loved his own in the world, and he loved them to the end.”

With these words, we enter into the gospel for this Holy Thursday, when we reflect on the great gifts of Christ to his Church – the priesthood and the Eucharist. Jesus, on the night before he was to show us the depth of God’s love for us on the cross, first desired to share the Passover meal with his friends. But here, at this particular Passover, he goes farther. He celebrates that feast wherein the Jews remember their deliverance from slavery in Egypt but transforms that celebration into something even more spectacular, something more significant.

When he gathers in the Upper Room with his disciples, he chooses to celebrate the memorial of which we hear in the First Reading. Exodus commands: “This day shall be a feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution.”

The Passover and the Eucharist. Here, on this day, in this place, we find the Old and the New Covenant coming together, the one completing the other, and the Eucharist perfecting God’s promise to His people.

In the Passover, which our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrated the other evening, the Jewish people remember the good things that God has done for them, and recall the promise of salvation that He has given to them as the Chosen People. At that celebration, through ritual action, what God has done, what the people of Israel experienced all those years ago in Egypt, is made real and present again in the midst of the gathering. It is a memorial that in its celebration anticipates the promise and its fulfillment. MEMORY – ANTICIPATION – FULFILLMENT – all tied together through the obedience to the command of the Lord to keep “as a perpetual institution.”

We Christians, too, follow the Lord’s command, as we gather here and “do this in remembrance of me.” We celebrate the memorial of the institution of the Eucharist – a meal that anticipates the sacrifice of the cross – through which we find the fulfillment of the promise of eternal life and resurrection.

As we enter into these holiest days of our Church’s year, we are called to direct our attention, again, toward this MEMORY – ANTICIPATION – and FULFILLMENT. However, now, these three are tied together not by fearful obedience, but by LOVE. In the Eucharist, Jesus shows us how “he loves us to the end.” Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, as St. Paul says, we “proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” In other words, not only do we remember the love that Jesus shows us on the cross, but we make that love present in the Body and Blood of Christ. Our sharing in this Eucharist is our communion with the death of the Lord, and our communion is our promise of eternal life with him, who died that we might live.

The gospel this evening says nothing of bread and wine, body or blood. Rather, St. John chooses to remind us of what the love of Christ means for each one of us. When Jesus kneels at his disciples’ feet, he reminds us of the true nature of love. Last Sunday, as we reflected on the Passion, we saw that “Love hurts.” Today, Jesus points to the root of that love.

Love gives.

For Jesus, love means putting aside all agendas, all presumption, all selfishness, and love gives of who we are. Jesus, our Lord and God, our Savior and brother, the Eternal Son of the Father and the son of Mary, sheds all appearances of power and lordship and humbly shows his friends how love expresses itself. And then, he gives us his command: “As I have done for you, you should also do.”

If we are to love as Jesus does, then we too ought to give of who we are to one another. That’s love. Love gives.

And in giving, we remember the one who gave all, who gave first – Jesus. Here in the Eucharist, this love is made present among us; here, Jesus Christ is truly present. He is here, loving us.

“And he loves us to the end.”

In the End...

And in the end,
the love you take
is equal to
the love you make.




"He loved them to the end" (John 13:1).