On this Second Sunday of Lent we hear a familiar Gospel passage from St. Mark that is usually described as the “The Transfiguration of the Lord.” While translations and commentaries vary in their description and explanations of this event, one thing seems to be clear: Peter did not want the moment to end. 

When Peter experienced the presence of the Lord in this place in such a new and powerful way, he seems to be so overwhelmed that, in his typical fashion, he speaks from his heart: “Rabbi, it is good that we are here.” This was a transfiguration for Peter: witnessing the transfiguration of the Lord. We can imagine Peter saying, “Master, this is a great moment! To be here in this moment now is just the best. Could we just stay here? I wish this time didn't have to end.” We, too, have all had those moments that we didn’t want to end!

There may have been other occasions in the New Testament when these words would have been appropriate: when Mary realizes she has been chosen; Jesus as Zaccheus’ dinner guest; when the leper was healed and the blind man received sight.  “Master, this is a great moment!”

We all have moments in our lives when we could say these words, too: a marriage proposed and accepted; the birth of a child; a great vacation; when touched by the Spirit in worship or prayer; when enjoying family and friends. “Master, this is a great moment!”

There are times and events that are so special—so warm and tender, so God-touched—that we do not want them to end. We wish the good feeling to go on and on. We avoid looking at a clock because we do not want to leave or say good-bye. We wish we could sit around the table forever, just one more whatever. We may say then, “Master, this is a great moment!”

The Lord wants to bless us with these great moments—and if we are not paying attention we may miss them. When we are in step with God’s Spirit, however, aware of His presence, we can realize that something special is happening. Even though we may not fully understand all that it means or where such a moment may lead, we can know that we are in the presence of God and squarely in tune—in harmony—with His will. When we do, we should say in gratitude: “Master, this is a great moment!” May God bless us all with a transfiguring moment today that causes us to exclaim: “It is so good to be here!” 

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Today (The First Sunday of Lent) we hear in the Old Testament reading from Genesis the ending portion of the Noah story—where God establishes His covenant with us: His part of never-ending love and mercy; our part to live lives of promise and hope for those who keep His Word. This is not just God’s covenant with us—it is our Covenant with God too! We also have to fulfill and enter in to our part of this covenant: this promise, this agreement—this contract of commitment.

In this new season of Lent there are two ideas to consider: the repentant and renewing nature of this season; and our Baptismal promises. (Obviously these are related!) Lent is the opportunity to be focused and attentive in striving for holiness and eternal salvation. During this season, even our liturgical worship changes in order to help us do this!

The Lenten liturgy reflects the forty days of ‘desert’ experience in that it becomes more simple and sere. There is no greenery or plants in the Church. The seasonal color (for Arts and Environment) is purple—the color of reconciliation. Our Sunday liturgies emphasize the Penitential Rite: we will sing a Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy). We fast from the Glory to God (the Gloria) and all Alleluias. Instead we sing a Gospel Acclamation of remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us: “Praise to You, Lord Jesus, King of endless glory, Savior of the World, Savior of the World.” We will chant the Lamb of God. These liturgical changes will allow us to enter into the spirit of the Lenten Season: one of repentance and reflection, of the covenant and our reconciliation, of the desert and Baptism. 

The flood waters of Noah’s time could not accomplish what the waters of Baptism accomplish—God helps us restore our focus on Him—not through destruction—but through love and hope, and through our promises made at our Baptism. Lent is an opportunity for us to be made new; a season of fulfillment in order to renew God’s covenant with us, and our promises of faith with Him. Now is the Acceptable Time to Turn Our Hearts Around and to look Beyond the Days of Lent; to be raised On Eagle Wings and made more holy. Have a wonderful Lent!

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

The message for this Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time is about the healing power of God. We trust that in His kingdom, all will be made whole!

The First Reading from the Old Testament Book of Leviticus is a graphic description of how the Jews dealt with those afflicted with leprosy. The “unclean” were separated from the Community; a metaphor of how sin may separate us from God. We know, however, that Jesus restores us to ‘health’ since his Passion, Death and Resurrection heals us all from sin and death. He is the ultimate healer of spirits and souls, hearts and minds. 

St. Paul tells us to be imitators of Christ and to “do everything for the glory of God.” We all know that doing the “right” things can make us feel better! As believers, we know we must strive to be Christ-like; this is the call of discipleship—and Christ is the model for a healing touch in the world.

Today’s Gospel story is about the leper who begs Jesus to heal him. Our Lord, in pity and mercy, heals him with a touch of His hand. (Fr. Kevin spoke about touch in the stories he told in his homily last weekend!) We all have times when we need to ask for healing of one sort or another; and we all have times in which healing is asked of us. We are Christ’s hands in the world, and may give healing touches where they are needed. 

Even in the Liturgy itself there are many times that we use touch: the sign of peace, the joining of hands while reciting The Lord’s Prayer, the Sacrament of the Sick, the laying on of hands (Confirmation), the signing of candidates with the cross in the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumans, the joining of hands in the Rite of Marriage, the washing of feet in the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Any of these various ‘touches’ may be a way for someone to experience God’s grace through you. 

This Ash Wednesday our Lenten journey begins. We will fast from the Gloria and from Alleluias. There are other signs in our worship to help remind us of our search for inward conversion: Lenten liturgical purple is used to represent reconciliation; there are no flowers and green plants in the Sanctuary so we may experience the desert journey of Lent. We can only pray that this Lenten Season will touch us with the healing we yearn for in our spirit and life. 

Keep singing!

- Elizabeth Dyc

Refraining from doing a misdeed this Lent is not what I would call a wholehearted exercise in Christian virtue.  One does not develop strength of character simply by following the rules.  While following the rules is an undoubtedly good place to start, coming to maturity spiritually requires more of us, and that more is a word dreaded by many: denial.  Hence the vital importance of one of the three traditional Lenten practices: fasting.  Together with prayer and the giving of alms, the denial called for by fasting helps us develop the strength of character needed to reach full spiritual maturity.  Lent is an opportunity to move away from living the Christian life as one motivated merely by obligation to one more pure: love.  Our model is Jesus, who in denying His very life out of love for us, was glorified, and forevermore is our means to true fulfillment.

What will you deny yourself this Lent - what will you fast from?  “I will not gossip at work” does not suffice, because it is a Christian obligation.  Lenten fasting is not so much an obligation than the voluntary laying down of your rights. No Christian is allowed to gossip. No Christian is allowed to be slothful. No Christian is allowed to lust. These are not rules a man gives himself, but commands of God, which are not up for debate.  So ask yourself, what do you really enjoy; where do your personal freedoms find widest expression?  Write it down.  Now place that piece of paper at Christ’s feet; give that up for Lent.  (I would suggest placing that piece of paper at the foot of your crucifix in your home.)  In this way you will be reminded for what reason you voluntarily laid down that right, and how, keeping one’s eyes fixed on Jesus during the forty days, you will develop a strength of character hitherto thought unreachable.  The fantastic thing about voluntarily denying ourselves the admittedly good things we are gifted with is that the ache we experience in missing them reminds us of the ache we should have for God in our life.  He is the ultimate gift-giver and all good things flow from His beneficence; all things should lead us to Him; our deepest longings and desires should find their terminus in Him alone.

This Lent, do more than merely refrain from misdeeds; voluntarily lay down your rights - deny yourself.  Fast from what you most enjoy, or from what way you most express your personal freedom.  For love’s sake we can do it and develop strength of character.  It is the way of Jesus after all, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24).  To deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence, yet such a fast will make this Lent the best one yet, where with God’s help we can become the best version of ourself.

In denial with you,

- David Conrad

Our Mountaintop Experience
“Go Beyond your Comfort Zone”
A thousand teens from across the Archdiocese had an opportunity to break out of their comfort zone at the 37th annual CYO Youth Conference.  First, let’s take a moment and acknowledge the enormity of this.  Getting a teen to commit to a 48 hour conference to focus on their faith in their super packed schedule is a great feat.  Second, having something like this happen in our back yard is equally astounding.  Very few dioceses are able to pull this off, with a 37 year history, and, instead, have to rely on the national conference which includes great travel expense.  Third, it was a superbly organized event, carried out by a teen leadership team.  If you have a high school teen who did not attend, they really missed out on an opportunity.

I was honored with the request to present a module on Anxiety and Depression among teens. I over prepared and adequately stressed out about the presentation for weeks, learning that all we are doing to make our teens happy, is often setting them up for disappointment.  Thankfully, I was well prepared for what came up in the module, except the moment that I selected a colorblind teen to read a script where the parts were divided by brown and green colors.  The one thing that shocked me was when 2/3 of the teens present admitted to being in therapy or knowing a teen in therapy.   I really thought that number would be much smaller.  At the same time, I was glad, because if someone is suffering, they should seek professional care.  It makes no difference whether the pain is mental or physical.  Conversely, if I polled parents of the same teens, I could guarantee almost no one would raise a hand.  Over 130 teens selected this workshop.  It was the most requested topic, even beating out “Sex and Sexuality.”  I think that should tell parents and grandparents something.  Visit Mayoclinic.com for a great resource for signs of anxiety and depression among teens.  Keep these teens in your prayers.

The Conference experience is something similar to what Peter, James and John experienced when they witnessed the Transfiguration.  Teens sat through keynotes where they walked through their lives with Jesus. They prayed with Him in adoration.  They felt His mercy in reconciliation.  They encountered Him again in the Eucharist and they danced and sang their hearts out in a display of united happiness.  Just like Peter, they wished they could camp out in this spot and enjoy it longer.  And just like Peter, James and John were sent down from the mountaintop, so to were our teens sent out into the world to get to work.  If you read on in the Gospel account they encounter a possessed boy on the mountain and Jesus heals him.   It is my hope that our teens and the teens who attended my module, entered back into their worlds, filled with compassion for those who suffer.   And I hope you will pray with me, that those teens enduring the pain of mental illness will deepen their trust in God through prayer and grow stronger.  It was that same trust that Jesus required to heal the possessed boy.

Thank you to the parish, for supporting our ministry to the youth, making this conference affordable.  Thanks to Fr. Kevin for seeing us off with a special blessing with a unique sprinkling rite.  Thank you to the parents who encouraged their teens to attend.  Thank you to the teens who did some evangelizing and brought others.  And a personal thanks to the Holy Spirit, who was with me during my presentations.  I could not have done that on my own. 

​ - Paul Pyrkosz