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Mercy Says it All:Reflections on the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy for the American Hemisphere9/1/2016 As I write this on August 31st I am winging my way back home to El Paso from Bogotá, Columbia. As a Member of the US Bishops' Committee for Latin America, which supports many charitable and development projects in Latin American Countries and the Caribbean, I had the privilege to be one of several bishops from our country to represent our nation at the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy for the American Hemisphere. This was a gathering of bishops, religious and lay people from every country in North, Central and South America as well as many countries of the Caribbean. What an amazing gathering! What a great sign of the unity of the Body of Christ, the Church, across borders, cultures, languages and distances! We had a man present (who happened to have been born in Peru but whose family had immigrated to Canada, who is now the bishop in the Yukon Territory. We had other representatives from the southern reaches of Argentina and Chile. Among representatives from Caribbean were two Cardinals from Haiti. From Rome came Cardinal Marc Ouellet who is the head of the Congregation for Bishops, whose important task it is to choose bishops for the dioceses of the world. He is also the one the Pope has asked to be his representative for Latin America. The Cardinal chaired the gathering. We were in session from morning to night hearing from excellent speakers on the Church's teaching about mercy. On the first day Pope Francis gave us a half our video address. We were told it was the longest he has ever done via video message. It was pure Pope Francis! After the Pope's address we heard from the President of Columbia who has just concluded a peace accord with the guerrilla movement in his country with the encouragement of the Church. It is hoped it will bring an end to a conflict in that country that has continued for 50 years and brought death to over 200,000 people. He is aware that only a practice of mercy combined with justice will bring true healing and an end that war. Each day we celebrated Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. One day we celebrated mercy with a Penance Service at which we all had the opportunity to go to Confession, the great Sacrament of God's mercy. There were times for questions and comments from the participants, group discussions, and testimonials. One day we were divided up and each group traveled to separate places throughout Bogotá where organizations sponsored by the Church are involved in offering a myriad of works of mercy, from care for the elderly, to working with children and the sick. We visited ministries that rehabilitate drug addicts and others that train the underprivileged in various trades. My group went to a Food Bank founded by the Archdiocese which receives donations of agricultural and packaged products as well as a wide variety of household goods and redistributes them to organizations that work directly with the poor. The parish priest who oversees the operation impressed us all with his vision and dedication. We were also very moved to see the many college students and other volunteers who give of their time generously in this ministry. There were even young people of college age who are dedicating one or two years of their lives. It would be impossible to sum up these days in a small column such as this but I would like to share a few ideas that struck me: 1) Mercy is not a passing theme for the Church. Mercy is a part and parcel of who the Church is. Jesus himself is the "face of the Father's mercy." 2) Mercy cannot be simply an abstract idea. Just like love, if it is not lived out it is nothing. 3) Unless we recognize ourselves as sinners who first received mercy from God, we cannot be truly effective givers, channels of mercy to others. 4) The Bible, especially the New Testament, from start to finish, is the story of God's mercy. 5) The Mass is filled in every part with expressions of God's mercy. Listen for this pervasive theme sometime. 6) Pope Francis told us: "Wherever Christians can be found people should encounter an oasis of mercy." 7) Pope Francis has also said: "The only force capable of conquering the heart of human beings is the tender love of God." 8) The many saints and martyrs of the Americas were great models of mercy. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a powerful sign of God's great mercy coming to the Americas at a time of great distress within the Church and among the indigenous people. She opened a new and beautifully inculturated way of Faith which continues to draw people, particularly those in this hemisphere, to this day. These are just a few of the thoughts I bring home with me. One of the greatest joys of my time at this celebration of God's mercy was the opportunity to meet so many committed people of faith. The Church in the Americas certainly faces serious challenges, which were often acknowledged, such as secularism, and weaknesses in the Church herself. But in these great witnesses I can see that God's mercy will indeed conquer all. Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, D.D. Bishop of El Paso Ordination Homily for Frank Hernandez Ordination: The Eucharist as the Source of Priestly Identity5/31/2016 Ask anyone, “What does a priest do?” Ask anyone from a child to an adult. The first thing they will tell you is, “The priest celebrates Mass.”
El Sacerdote celebra la misa. (Some have told me that they would love a job in which you only have to work on Sunday.) Many of us priests want to add that we do a few other things. But this common perception about priesthood, that a priest celebrates Mass, still stands as utterly correct. I would go further and suggest, Frank, that as a priest, although you will do many other good things in the course of your ministry, you will find your fundamental purpose and your deepest identity in the celebration of the Mass and the Sacraments. Whatever else you do, if it is indeed the work of a priest, will be a logical extension of what we do at Mass. When we visit the sick, the imprisoned; when we serve the poor and those who need counsel and consolation. All of this is contained and draws its meaning from what we celebrate. The Eucharist is, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, “the source and summit of the life of the Church”. The Body of Christ is formed and comes to life in the Sacraments. The Eucharist nourishes, renews and sustains her. If this is true for the Church in general, then the Eucharist is for the priest, even to a greater degree the source and summit, the nourishment and sustenance, of his life. Each member of the Church from the smallest newborn child to the Pope has a place at the table of the Lord. We are an ordered body and so each has a role and a responsibility to fulfill. The Body is incomplete without all the members exercising their particular calling. The priest is one, as we heard in the second reading, who is called from among God’s people and “made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices.” So it is that you participate in the Sacrament of Order, “Holy Orders”, within the Body of Christ. In your ministry you will re-present Christ, the head of the Body as you lead God’s people in their worship and in life. You will fill this role in the Body of Christ, not because of any innate superiority. You are, as are we all “sinner[s], beset by weakness”, as Hebrews reminds us. In fact this sinfulness you share with the community of the faithful is a requirement for your calling. That way you will remember that you are truly one with those you serve. You don’t stand above them. You know them, as it were, from within. Priesthood is an identity that you could never claim on your own, but as Hebrews reminds us, it is a call from God himself. God is the one who chooses. God is the one who Ordains. God is the one who gives out his Holy Spirit with generosity, sharing His power. God is the one who transforms you into the one who can dare to speak and act in His name, in the person of Jesus, His Son. The Priesthood of the New Testament is essentially different than that of the former Covenant. In former times there were many High Priests who were born into that role. For us in the new dispensation there is only one High Priest, Jesus Christ. Those who are called ‘priests’ are only priests insofar as they have been united with Christ in his priesthood and who have allowed Christ to conform themselves to him to the degree that when they speak, Christ speaks, when they act, Christ acts. Who else is it that Baptizes when they say “I baptize you”, but Christ? Who else is it that forgives saying, “I absolve you”, but Christ? Who else is it that makes Christ present saying, “This is my Body; This is my Blood”, but Christ? Christ is the one who stands before God in a timeless way offering his one great sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. When you celebrate the Mass, Frank, you will unite God’s people to that self-offering Christ made once and for all on the Cross. Don’t be surprised, Frank, if this new reality into which you are being inserted today, takes a bit of getting used to. I remember the struggle I had the first time I went to the Holy Land. I said to myself, this is the place where the Son of God walked. Why is it that the dirt looks just like my dirt at home? It took me a while before the truth could sink in. That is the point of the Incarnation. He entered into my dirt! It was the same kind of struggle I had when I was Ordained and found myself presiding at my first Mass. I still felt just like Mark. Looked just like Mark. Sounded just like Mark. To my great disappointment I was still a sinner just like Mark. Shouldn’t some of that have changed, at least a little, for me to be able to re-present Christ in this awesome way? It has taken me a while; I’m not sure even yet after 36 years that I have fully accepted, that this is exactly God’s point. Of course as a priest you are called to a higher standard. As a priest you have an even greater responsibility to seek to grow in holiness than the rest of the people of God. But you are not a priest because you are holy. You are a priest because God in his mercy has reached into the midst of his people here in the Diocese of El Paso and into the midst of la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Luz and into the midst of the Hernandez family and called a person who is truly one of them that they may be one with Christ. What a mysterious and awesome work of God! What great love God is showing for his people! I want to encourage you, Frank, to go forward boldly, but with great humility. This is all God’s wonderful work and his grace will not be found wanting. Allow God to use you for his glory. As he does so allow him to form you in holiness that will grow each day so that you may be a more and more transparent instrument in his hand. Remember that you will find your true identity as well as your strength in the Eucharist. Make of your life a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered in union with that of Christ. “Pray my brothers and sisters that this sacrifice may be acceptable to God our Almighty Father.” Bp. Mark J. Seitz Bp. Mark J. Seitz Chrism Mass 2016
March 21, 2016 We use blest oil a lot in the Church. Most of the time it seems like a pretty innocuous action. Often it’s even hard to see where the oil was placed. But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes oil can become a weapon. I know of a bishop who always wants an open container of it for Confirmations. No cotton, please. Sometimes the oil placed upon the forehead seems to find its way down the bridge of the nose. I’m sure it plays havoc with makeup. Of course bishops are not simply putting fear into the hearts of Confirmandi; sometimes it is the newly minted bishop that may have the most to fear. In the name of a fuller symbol that fragrant oil of Chrism is poured on the head of the newly ordained—and that psalm about the “oil running down the beard of Aaron” is literally experienced. Of course it’s not only running down the beard. It is running down the glasses, into the eyes, down the back, etc. Just try reading the Missal with that Chrism in your eyes! But, of course, the holy oil used in any Sacrament: Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick or Holy Orders should have an impact. It is, as is the case with every Sacramental Sign, a visible sign of an invisible grace, an invisible power, transforming the lives of those who are anointed. This is true of every Sacrament, but because of the special focus of this night, permit me to focus on what the oil of Chrism helps effect in Holy Orders, when it is used for the Ordination of priests and bishops. Oil effectively communicates what it symbolizes. It seeps into every nook and cranny, every pore. The sweet perfume of the Chrism also permeates. It fills the room with its fragrance. Thus is the effect of the Spirit upon those who are anointed. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me.” We have among us here tonight this great brotherhood of priests who serve the Diocese of El Paso. Considering the number of people they are called to serve they are few in number. But consider for a moment the incredible impact that they have upon our lives and upon the lives of the multitudes that they serve. They are weak human beings with the same struggles as everyone here, but they are men who have consecrated their lives to God’s service. Because of their call and their anointing they have set aside the opportunity to enjoy even certain natural goods, like marriage, for the sake of this radical dedication to building the Kingdom of God. Who among us have not been touched by their ministry? Who has not been moved by the example of their generosity? Who has not found it more possible to accept the sacrifices you have been called to make as you witnessed theirs? Our Holy Father has called us to get back to ideals of Gospel simplicity, of radical commitment to serve the neediest among us even at the cost of our own comfort. He has challenged all the baptized but in a particular way he has called on bishops and priests to return to the fundamentals of their call in imitation of Christ and his disciples. Many have commented to me how admirably the priests of our diocese do that. They have made an observation that confirmed what I have already seen, that we here are very blest. So many of our priests are out there every day, bringing glad tidings to the poor in their parishes and beyond. They bring healing to the sick and sight to the spiritually blind. They restore hope as they announce a year of favor from the Lord. My brothers and co-workers, I am so grateful to have the privilege to share this vineyard with you. I have come to depend upon you a great deal and I take great comfort in knowing that the ministry with which the Lord has entrusted me is not a burden I need to carry alone. Even as we celebrate your gifts we need to be ever alert to the pitfalls to which we can easily fall prey. It is so easy over time in almost imperceptible ways to lose that initial fire and commitment—to seek creature comforts and a soft life as some kind of recompense for the sacrifices we have made. In speaking last month to the Mexican bishops Pope Francis raised a warning that also applies to all of us: “Be vigilant so that your vision will not be darkened by the gloomy mist of worldliness; do not allow yourselves to be corrupted by trivial materialism.” He went on to warn (Please allow me to quote a bit at length.): “Hence it is necessary for us Pastors to overcome the temptation of aloofness and clericalism, of coldness and indifference, of triumphalism and self-centeredness. Guadalupe teaches us that God is known by his countenance, and that closeness and humble bowing down are more powerful than force. As the wonderful Guadalupana tradition teaches us, la Morenita gathers together those who contemplate her, and reflects the faces of those who find her. It is essential to learn that there is something unique in every person who looks to us in their search for God. We must guard against becoming impervious to such gazes but rather gather them to our hearts and guard them.” Only a Church able to shelter the faces of men and women who knock on her doors will be able to speak to them of God. If we do not know how to decipher their sufferings, if we do not come to understand their needs, then we can offer them nothing. The richness we have flows only when we encounter the smallness of those who beg and this encounter occurs precisely in our hearts, the hearts of Pastors.” So as we gather and bless the holy oils once again we once again we rejoice in the way God will use them to permeate the bodies and souls of our people. And we praise God for those who, thanks to their anointing as priests, will generously share these holy instruments of God. Even as we rejoice we also recognize that with great gifts comes great responsibility. As the Pope reminded the Church of Mexico we cannot rest on our laurels. What we have received we must give as a gift. It is not enough to do the minimum and to be satisfied with maintaining our comfort. We have been anointed; we belong to God! He needs lives generously given in His service. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his Blood, who has made us into a Kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.” “Miserando atque eligendo.” This is the Latin motto of our beloved Pope Francis. It refers back for him to the life-changing day in 1953 on the Feast of the Apostle and Evangelist, St. Matthew, when, like the tax collector, the 17 year old Jorge Bergolio experienced the mercy of God in a wonderful way through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
This experience changed his life and served as the root of his call to the priesthood. The phrase, “miserando atque eligendo,” translates roughly to, “by having mercy, choosing him.” This is what Jesus did for Matthew when he was at his tax collector’s table and this is what Pope Francis felt he experienced in his own life. When we consider this, we realize that mercy has shaped our Holy Father’s entire experience of God and his Faith. It has been at the basis of his self-understanding and of his ministry. When asked shortly after his election as Pope to describe himself, Pope Francis had an answer ready at hand. He said simply, “I am a sinner.” Jesus could not have had mercy on Matthew unless Matthew was a sinner. Mercy is not due to someone who has no need. That mercy not only offered Matthew the forgiveness of his sins, it gave him a new life as one who knew he was beloved by God. Such is the case in the life of our Holy Father. Such must be the case for anyone who hopes to be a true disciple of Jesus. Once we recognize this fundamental insight, and the role it has played in the life of this great man who is now Chief Shepherd of our Church, it comes as no surprise to us that he has declared this extraordinary Holy Year of grace in which we are all invited to reflect, pray and practice the transformative gift of mercy. Pope Francis wants to challenge us all to recognize more deeply how wonderfully God’s mercy has entered into our lives and therefore, how great is our calling to practice this mercy in all our dealings with others. But there is a necessary prerequisite that must come into play before mercy becomes the lens through which we see ourselves and others: we must recognize the same truth about ourselves as the young Jorge Bergolio came to know about himself: that we are sinners. This is not simply to acknowledge that we make a mistake occasionally. And it is not to say that we sometimes make bad choices. It is to acknowledge that we are fundamentally flawed; that we have caused great harm to other people and to our relationship with God - and that without the help of God we are utterly hopeless and lost. God’s mercy isn’t therefore just something nice to have in our lives; it is an absolute necessity. God’s saving love is revealed in mercy. When we begin to grasp this truth everything changes. Mercy becomes the guiding light for our life. It is the ground of our relationship with God; the reason for our hope, the secret ingredient sustaining all our relationships, the reason for our joy. Soon we will bless the Holy Doors at our Cathedral and three parishes throughout our Diocese. As we walk in to these churches, there will be opportunities of special grace. All of our Vicariates and parishes will outline special events for this Holy Year, especially the celebration of the great Sacraments of Mercy led by the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I pray that this Year of Mercy will be for each of us and for our whole diocesan community a time of grace and transformation. May we also be brought to the point at which we can declare with Pope Francis, “miserando atque eligendo.” -Bp. Mark When I was installed as Bishop of El Paso nearly 5 years ago now it really hit home to me how big a role retreats play in strengthening, and in many cases, reviving, the Faith of our people here. During my homily I mentioned those whose Faith had grown in charismatic retreats, marriage encounters, evangelization retreats and ACTS retreats. With the mention of each retreat experience the cheers grew until the Convention Center shook with the roar of those who had made an ACTS Retreat. The response left no question in my mind about the essential role these retreats play in our lives today. Finances for the Diocese have been very tight lately but I could not say no, nor could our Presbyteral Council or Catholic Properties Board, when Dr. Mena offered to sell the Holy Trinity Retreat Center at a very favorable price and under very favorable terms to the Diocese of El Paso. This was a place into which he had poured his blood, sweat and finances these last twelve years. After living his own ACTS retreat Dr. Ascension Mena had seen a need for these life-changing experiences to have a home in El Paso. With his skills as an organizer, a businessman and a builder he gathered dedicated men and ACTS brothers and sisters around him to build this impressive facility literally from the ground up. Step by step they added facilities especially geared to ACTS, but useful for any retreat or meeting experience. It was not planned to be luxurious or ritzy but it would provide a place where people could gather and God could work. Many will tell you today how much this simple facility in the desert has meant for their walk with God. We have only in the last few days completed the purchase of the facility so future plans are still in the works. We will certainly need everyone’s support to make this bold new undertaking a success. Stay tuned for exciting announcements as we bring together people with vision to develop the full potential of our amazing new facility! In the meantime start planning your retreats and other church related meetings at your new diocesan home. Just call the Catholic Properties office at 915.872.8406 or 915.355.0978. Bp. Mark Pregúntele a cualquier persona activa, inmersa entre las llamas católicas, joven o de la tercera edad, ¿qué fue lo que encendió su fe? Es muy probable que le diga que tomo un retiro. Pregúntele a un sacerdote o mujer religiosa, ¿qué fue lo que le estimuló a seguir su vocación? Las encuestas han demostrado que un alto porcentaje de ellos comenzó a considerar seriamente la posibilidad de la Fe cuando asistieron a un retiro. Antes de la Confirmación, los jóvenes me mandan cartas solicitando el Sacramento y hablándome sobre su crecimiento como discípulos de Jesús. Con frecuencia hablan del papel transformador que han tenido a través de los retiros, en su vida de fe.
Cuando fui Instalado como Obispo de El Paso, hace ya casi 5 años, me di realmente cuenta cuán grande es el papel de los retiros en el fortalecimiento y en muchos casos, la reactivación de la Fe de nuestra gente aquí en El Paso. Durante mi homilía, mencioné a aquellos cuya fe había crecido en retiros carismáticos, encuentros matrimoniales, retiros de evangelización y retiros de ACTS. Con la mención de cada experiencia de retiro, los aplausos crecieron hasta que el Centro de Convenciones tembló con el rugido de aquellos que habían hecho un Retiro ACTS. La respuesta no dejó dudas en mi mente sobre el papel esencial que desempeñan estos retiros en nuestras vidas de hoy. Las finanzas de la Diócesis han estado muy estrechas últimamente, pero no pude decir que no, ni tampoco nuestro Consejo Presbiteral, ni la Junta de Propiedades Católicas, cuando el Dr. Mena me ofreció vender el Centro de Retiros de Holy Trinity, a un precio muy favorable y en términos muy favorables para la Diócesis de El Paso. Este fue un lugar en el que ellos derramaron su sangre, sudor y finanzas en estos últimos doce años. Después de vivir su propio retiro de ACTS, el Doctor Ascensión Mena vio la necesidad de que estas experiencias transformadoras tuvieran un hogar en El Paso. Con sus habilidades como organizador, empresario y constructor, reunió a hombres, hermanos y hermanas dedicados de ACTS a su alrededor para construir estas impresionantes instalaciones literalmente desde cero. Paso a paso, agregaron instalaciones, especialmente adaptadas para ACTS, pero útiles para cualquier otra experiencia de retiro o reunión. No fue planeado ser lujoso, pero proporcionaría un lugar donde la gente podría reunirse y Dios podría trabajar. Muchos le dirán hoy cuánto ha significado esta simple instalación en el desierto para su caminar con Dios. Solo en los últimos días hemos completado la compra de las instalaciones, por lo que los planes futuros aún están en proceso. Sin duda, necesitaremos el apoyo de todos para que esta nueva y audaz empresa sea todo un éxito. Estén atentos a las emocionantes noticias, mientras reunimos a personas con visión para desarrollar todo el potencial de nuestras increíbles y nuevas instalaciones. Mientras tanto, comience a planear sus retiros y otras reuniones relacionadas con la iglesia en su nueva casa diocesana. Simplemente llame a la oficina de Propiedades Católicas al 915.872.8406 o 915.355.0978. Obispo Mark |
AuthorMost Rev. Mark J. Seitz Archives
May 2020
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