In the Old Testament reading for this Third Sunday of Lent (Cycle C), we hear God tell Moses (and us!) to remember the name of the Lord through all generations. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we do not know when we may be called back home, that now is the acceptable time to examine our choices and priorities, to repent, to turn to the Lord, and to bear good fruit.  Return to God! Lent is a season of reconciliation: repentance and conversion; Lent is about charity (alms) and prayer. In God’s great kindness and mercy we are continuously offered salvation. What Wondrous Love this is!

On Sunday at the RCIA 9:30am Mass we will use the readings from Cycle A. The RCIA will be at the 9:30am Mass (Scrutiny #1); next weekend (Scrutiny #2) and the following weekend at the 11:30am Mass (Scrutiny #3). This gives more of our Community an opportunity to participate in the conversion process for the Elect, and to be part of the prayer of exorcism, in preparation for the Easter Vigil Sacraments. Whichever Mass you attend (9:30 or 11:30am as is your habit), you will have the opportunity to pray for them and with them. (You might also read both the Cycle A and Cycle C readings the next three weekends anyway…)

The Responsorial Psalm for Cycle A (Psalm 95) is good for any time of the year; and especially appropriate now, too: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” We know that change and conversion is about being open in order to see a different perspective—this is part of the conversion process in Lent or out. This process of conversion is not just for our Elect; it is for all of us. The Cycle C Psalm (which we will stick with today) is: “The Lord is kind and merciful.” This psalm is a great reminder of all God’s gifts and grace—a reminder for us to have an attitude of gratitude in all things. 

Lent gives us a wonderful opportunity to step back and evaluate our place, and to spend time in prayer and worship. Now may be the acceptable time for us to begin this conversion process—or to continue it. Lent is a time to cultivate the ground of our souls, to be rooted in God’s way, bearing good fruit here and later. We need to tend to the tree of our souls in order to bear that good fruit for the Kingdom—even if it means having to step in a little manure along the way!  Here is another true saying: God works through all things for good. I offer here another breath prayer practice for Lent: “God, Father, kind and merciful Gardener of my soul—grant me the grace of all spiritual fruit.” Keep praying! Keep breathing!

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Every time I serve Mass, I go to the altar server’s closet and pull out the same boy’s age 16 cassock and surplus that I finally graduated into as a teen serving in the 90’s.  I stand next to Mr. Conrad who is wearing an imported Italian handmade garment made by the clothier of Popes, Gammarelli’s.  After years of waiting patiently, I used this opportunity to visit Gammarelli’s myself and get my own stylish Altar Server garment. 
After actual years of waiting, this is what happened:

We walked into this closet of a store down a back alley near the Pantheon that looked like Geppetto’s workshop.  Bolts of fabric were waving off of spools and a bright crimson Cardinal’s cassock was waiting to be picked up.  Mr. Conrad was measured first by Ditta Gammarelli himself.  Small talk in broken English was made as he carefully took measurements of every articulating point and described how the fabric will lay based on his selection.  Mr. Conard is done and shoved to the side of the small fitting room.  Next, I am put in front of the mirror to be sized up.   This actually happened, and I am still traumatized.  Ditta, after measuring shoulders, chin to floor, etc. gets to my waist, measures, then walks across to David, and remeasures his waist as if he had to have made some mistake by yards and yards.  Ditta says to me “You Bishop, he Deacon.”  Everyone laughs but me.  He explains how they keep our measurements on file so as we climb up the clergy ladder, they can make new vestments.  (At this point, we had said twice that we were not priests.)  My pride on the floor with the tape measure, I go to pay not having any idea what this is going to cost, except a lot.  I had purchased very little on the pilgrimage up until this point. Everything is hand written in a tablet like the one I used to practice handwriting in first grade.  There is no computer. A boisterous Monsignor walks in at this point and selects a fantastic material for an Easter Alb. Mr. Conrad and I were so curious, we had to touch it.  Behind me I hear “beep, beep, beep” as the sounds of a cash register add up my bill.  And let’s just say that I made no other purchases after this one in Italy.  You will notice a difference when the Gammarelli Twins come walking down the aisle this Triduum.  Please do not ask to touch the garment.

Paul Pyrkosz

The Season of Lent is a gift of our Church—it is our opportunity to deepen our spiritual life and our faith journey. Few would deny that prayer is an essential discipline when it comes to considering our spiritual life. Those who know me, and those who work in my ministry, know that I am all about discipline and practice (in music, anyway…) but I do believe that everything we do is about discipline and practice—so why not prayer, too? 

But what is prayer, and how does one actually practice it? In simple terms, prayer is communication with God that is carried on through words, thoughts, and images (and also in our actions—another topic for another day!). How one prays is another question, and there is a wise saying that “prayer is the school from which no one graduates.” 

While prayer is a profound mystery and may often feel like hard work, I'd like to suggest that our prayer lives can be enriched (and unburdened) by comparing it to breathing. (As a singer, the practice of proper breathing is a regular part of my music practice regimen.)  The analogy of prayer to breathing has been suggested for centuries by our brothers in the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches in a prayer exercise known simply as the “Breath Prayer.” It derives this name because the words for breath and Spirit are very similar in the biblical languages. More importantly, the practice of this kind of prayer enables us in a very real—though perhaps mystical—way to experience what St. Paul had in mind when he says the Spirit prays in us (Romans 8:26-27).

The oldest and most practiced breath prayer combines Jesus’ teaching about prayer in Luke 18 with the earliest confession of the church: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The thought behind the “Jesus Prayer” is that as one recites this prayer, the very depth of our being is penetrated, and authentic Christ-like transformation takes place. Here are a few practical suggestions that some have found helpful in easing into this type of prayer:

Begin by asking for help from the Holy Spirit, remembering that it is only by the work of the Spirit that we can proclaim, “Jesus is Lord.” Next, become aware of your breathing for several deep breaths in and out. You might want to quietly give thanks to God for the breath of life, even though you are mostly unaware of this life-giving gift. Silently say the first part of the prayer as you breathe in: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.” Do this several times, imagining that you are breathing in the love, joy, and peace of the Lord Jesus. After this, become aware of your breathing out and as you do so, silently say, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” Imagine all the impurities, fears, sins that you are putting in the way of God's holy presence—and that breathing them out helps to expunge them from your being. (For those who are visually oriented, some suggest that this type of prayer can be enhanced by gazing at a picture of Christ that ‘speaks’ to you.)

The great thing about the Breath Prayer is that you can do it anywhere, anytime, and in any posture. (BTW, where did we get off thinking that the only posture for prayer was bowed heads and closed eyes ...but that is—again—another topic for another time!) As we practice this important exercise, not only will our hearts be refreshed and our spiritual eyes opened, we may find that St. Paul's admonition to “pray at all times in the Spirit” is not impossible but rather a life-giving joy! What a great start to this year’s Lenten Journey! Keep praying! Keep breathing! Have a happy Lent!

Keep singing!

​JUST a NOTE: By now you may have noticed the changes in our worship space and in the liturgy: no greenery, the liturgical color is the purple of penitence: there are no alleluias, hallelujahs or Gloria. We sing “Praise to you, Lord Jesus, King of endless glory; Savior of the World, Savior of the World for our Gospel Acclamation. Our Eucharistic Acclamations have changed settings; we were singing the Mass of Renewal—now we are singing the Mass of Creation. Our Memorial Acclamation has changed from “When we eat this bread…” to “Save us Savior of the World…” At the Fraction Rite, and for the Lamb of God we will chant the English equivalent to the “Agnus Dei.” 

The purpose of liturgical changes by season is to help us be more committed and engaged in what we are doing/saying/singing during the great prayer of the mass—this is another gift of the Church! These changes are so that we may always be conscious, focused, alert and aware as we pray together—never complacent, bored, day dreaming or inattentive. A good challenge for Lent may be to give yourself over completely to our communal prayer—while at home you practice personal prayer, too. Have a happy Lent! May God grant us the grace of open spirits and minds—and changed hearts!

​Elizabeth Dyc

The First Reading from the Book of Sirach, the Responsorial Psalm (#92) and the Gospel of St. Luke this Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, all use the image of a “good” tree and its fruit—and then likens them to “good” speech and a “good” soul.

​“The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.” (Sirach). The Psalm tells us that it is good to give thanks to the Lord (good speech!) because then we will flourish like a palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall we grow. “They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish…bear fruit even in old age, be vigorous and sturdy…” St. Luke writes what Jesus says in instructing His disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit…and from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” We are shown to be what we are by what we say (and do)—whether from the “store of goodness in our heart, or a store of evil.”

The Living Liturgy writes that we as people sometimes assume masks with each other. Jesus’ message is to be and act consistently with who we are—that ultimately who we are will eventually be clear to all anyway as we go through life together—but it is a metter of choosing, too. Sirach says “When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks…so in tribulation is the test of the just.”  Do your moments of tribulation—of sadness, sorrow, anger, disappointment, fear, injustice, envy and temptation—cause you to step away from your Christian discipleship and mission? This is a good question to ponder as we turn toward the Lenten season this week and turn inward for reconciliation and prayer.

All these readings today speak about the fruit of our words: what we say to each other can kill our spirits, injure our hearts, destroy our relationships, and tear down the very temples of our physical beings. Our words may also show us to be doers of God’s Word: saving and salving our spirits, shoring up the edifices of our hearts, spreading God’s grace and mercy to those around us. A tree is known by its fruit—whether for good or evil. Time to choose…

Keep singing!

​Elizabeth Dyc