Archive for October, 2006
Seminarians Ordained to Diaconate
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
“The Catholic Miscellany”
ROME – Bryan P. Babick, Michael P. Cassabon, and Jeffrey F. Kirby, seminarians of the Diocese of Charleston, were ordained to the transitional diaconate October 5.
They were among 27 American and Australian seminarians from the Pontifical North American College ordained by Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, Archbishop of the Military Services for the United States of America and chairman of the board of governors for the college. He ordained these men deacons at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
Before Mass began, the archbishop told the candidates that “from your very beginnings, even before he formed you in the womb, God has taken great interest in each of you. He has been gracing your heart, your soul and your whole self, toward the path of service. From this day forward your whole identity and existence will be in service of others, in imitation of Christ.”
He reminded the men of the need for a personal relationship with Christ “to fulfill your duties at the altar; to be thoroughly a man of charity … and especially be a man steeped in prayer. Unless you prayerfully ponder the Word of God in daily silence, the voice you speak will only be yours, not the voice of Jesus.”
Before their ordination, the seminarians completed extensive studies in both philosophy and theology. In addition to studying at the university, they were given thorough spiritual and pastoral formation, according to a press release sent by the college.
Now that they are ordained deacons, they are commissioned by the church to preach the word of God, minister at the altar, and assist the bishops and priests in ministering to the needs of the community they serve.
The rite of ordination of deacons exhorts the candidates to “receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”
The Pontifical North American College was founded in 1859 and is the American house of studies in Rome. Hundreds of priests have been formed near the heart of the church for service in dioceses around the United States and Australia.
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In Remembrance and Supplication
Friday, October 6th, 2006
Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving
On the Occasion
Of Diaconal Ordination
2 Maccabees 12:43-46; Psalm 143;
John 17:24-26
“In Remembrance and Supplication”
October 6, 2006
Sacred Heart of the Sufferance Catholic Church
Rome, Italy
The Rev. Mr. Jeffrey Kirby
A an elderly woman arrived at the front steps of her local church. There were several steps, and so she asked a young man close by, “Excuse, Sir, could you help me up the steps?” Each step was difficult for her, but she slowly made her way up to the church’s man door. Once she arrived she thanked the young man, and innocently asked, “Sir, do you know who’s preaching today?” The young man was excited, and responded, “One of those new transitional deacons from Rome.” The old woman looked at the young man, and politely asked, “Excuse me, Sir, could you help me down the steps?”
I hope that no one here will have such a response after hearing this first liturgical homily from this transitional deacon.
Yesterday, many of us had the opportunity to tour and pray in the Catacomb of Priscilla. There, we recounted the martyrs and saints, the glorious members of the Church in heaven. We recalled these heroic older brothers and sisters, and reminded ourselves of their enduring presence among us, and of their total willingness to intercede for us and help us to come closer to the Lord Jesus.
Still in the company of this cloud of witnesses above, we assemble here today to remember another portion of Christ’s Church: the members in purgatory. We congregate today for the holy Sacrifice in this beautiful, neo-Gothic church dedicated to the Sacred Heart for the consolation of the poor souls in purgatory. In thanksgiving for a call to the diaconate, and a mutual call to discipleship, we remember these members of the Church and offer them our prayers.
But what is purgatory? And why run the risk of dampening our festive gathering here in Rome by talking of such a place?
It’s worth noting that Pope Leo XIII, the pope who ushered in the twentieth-century, on the occasion of his 50th Anniversary of priesthood, the pope offered all the graces and favors of the anniversary year to the souls in purgatory. He exhorted the faithful of his age, and ours, to – what he called – an “apostolic duty of charity,” to remember the poor souls. He wrote, “We think we can give them no more useful and desirable pledge of Our love than by everywhere increasing the offering of pure libation for them.”
But what is purgatory? Some might suspect that it’s a foreign, pagan insertion into the Gospel; others might argue that it’s an imposing of our human sense of law and punishment onto God, or that it is a sacrilegious system of redemption independent of the Cross of Christ; still others might think that it’s a medieval superstition and fear tactic that was exposed at the Reformation and is best abandoned to history; and, still, a few others might consider it as a mere exaggeration of good will or sentimentality.
Is purgatory an affront to God’s mercy, and a scandalous attempt at self-redemption on the part of humanity? Is it a superstition in league with ghosts and astrology?
No, to believe in purgatory is to understand the constitution of the Church by Christ, her divine Founder. To believe in purgatory and pray for the dead is to understand the fullness of our privilege as baptized Christians, and to accept and apply all the merits of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Simply put, purgatory is the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ washing the human person clean of all temporal punishment and venial sins before entering the All-Holy Presence of God. By analogy, it’s like the shower we’re asked to take before jumping into a swimming pool. It gets us ready, it cleans us up for the party.
Purgatory is not a “second chance.” If one dies away from the Lord, either by mortal sin or negligence, at the time of his or her death, purgatory is not for them. Purgatory is for those who have chosen the Lord and have sought to follow him, and who just need some washing before entering Heaven. Purgatory is not a plea bargain to maybe sneak in, or twist God’s arm. Purgatory is for those who have accepted and desired to cooperate with God’s grace throughout their lives.
Purgatory, however, is not a vacuum. Our loved ones in purgatory are not blocked from us. We pray for one another, and make intercession for one another here on earth. Who among us would refuse to pray for a friend (or, as Christians, for an enemy)? And our capacity to pray continues even after death. We can continue to pray for our loved ones who might be in purgatory. Our prayers console them and assist God in his work of purification. Who among us would refuse this charity to our beloved dead?
We must remind ourselves that Jesus Christ is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the Lord of the living, not of the dead. We see throughout the Old Testament, petitions and prayers being offered for the dead. In Jesus’ on earthly life, as a devout Jew, he would have regularly prayed for the dead.
In constituting his Church, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the covenant of Israel, and by his Resurrection from the dead and the establishment of a new and eternal covenant, he gave a renewed grace and power to our prayers for those who have passed away.
The Lord Jesus made his Church one and arranged it in such a way that we are still all dependent upon each other. By Jesus’ commission and the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive the prayers of the saints and those in Purgatory receive the charity of our prayers. The people of God are one Body each helping the other in Jesus Christ.
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Here, In This Place
Thursday, October 5th, 2006
Holy Hour of Thanksgiving
on the
Occasion of Diaconal Ordination
“Here, In This Place”
October 5, 2006
Catacomb of Priscilla
Rome, Italy
The Rev. Mr. Jeffrey Kirby
Brothers and Sisters, I’d like to offer a few reflections for our Holy Hour today. The late Pope, the Servant of God John Paul II, wrote in his priestly memoirs that, as a student priest studying in this city, he began his experience of Rome with the catacombs.
Knowing his life and teachings, we can understand why the catacombs were the first, and perhaps, one of the more important sites of Rome to our first Polish Pope. I’d like to give some thoughts that might help us to appreciate the catacombs as much.
While there are over sixty catacombs outside of the city limits of ancient Rome, Priscilla is one of only five catacombs opened to the public. And for many reasons, perhaps it’s one of the most important.
Here in this place, in these catacombs of Priscilla, we’ve been able to see the oldest image of Mary; one of the oldest images of the Eucharist; we’ve been able to see the scenes of Susanna, Daniel, Abraham, Jonah, and other Old Testament figures. We could see one of the oldest images of the Magi adoring Christ. And, here in this place, these catacombs, we’ve been able to see the burial places of some martyrs – among whom were popes – and the devotion of the Christian community towards them, especially in the practice of other Christians wanting to be buried very near to them.
Here in this place, we’ve been able to experience – to borrow a term from St. Paul – the “household of faith”; we can see around us the “cloud of witnesses” spoken of in the New Testament; we can behold Mary, who was given to us by Jesus on the Cross and to whom we were given; we can see the Eucharist, the sacrificial meal which St. Luke tells us Jesus “greatly desired” to share with us; and, we can see the early hierarchy taking shape, fulfilling its commission from Christ by exercising the “power of the keys” and “strengthening the brethren in their faith.”
Here in this place, we see so-called “primitive Christianity.” We see a lived Christianity only a few generations after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who are intimately connected to the Apostles and their immediate disciples. A Christian way of life from which we receive the New Testament. The New Testament was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, within a community of faith. Here, in this place, we encounter not only an historic community from by-gone ages, but our own breathing community, which is united and an extension of that early faith community. We are one body, and we are today only because they were yesterday.
Here, in this place, in prayer with our ancestors, we receive the “full Gospel,” which is a treasured inheritance of the Lord Jesus given to his well-beloved Church, and to each of us who are disciples within it.
In 64 AD, when the city of Rome burned and the insane emperor Nero used the Christians as a scapegoat, violent persecutions against Christianity began and continued for almost 300 years. When Nero began the persecutions, the Roman empire looked for the leader of the Christians. Because the Christians spoke of Jesus in the present tense and of his activity among them, the emperor thought Jesus lived in Rome and searched for him. We can only imagine what the emperor thought when he discovered that Jesus had been crucified as a criminal three decades before in Palestine, a backwoods province in the vast empire. Learning of Jesus’ death, the emperor heard of a leader, called a bishop, who led the Christians in Jesus’ name. He looked for Peter, the first bishop of Rome (in the fourth century, we would begin identifying the office with the term “pope”). Not forgetting about the criminal Jesus, the emperor sought to crucify Peter, killing him in the same manner as Christ. And Peter died on the Vatican Hill for the love of God.
Many others lost their lives because they refused to abandon the Christian faith. We call them “martyrs,” a legal term for witnesses in a courtroom, because they stand as witnesses to us and humanity of God’s truth and enduring love for each of us.
Nero’s was the first wave of persecution, many others would follow. One of the bloodiest was Diocletian, to whom most of the martyrs here in this catacomb lost their lives. When the Church was illegal, the Christians met here in the catacombs. Due to the Roman respect for the dead, the Christians were able to have legal catacombs (although the Faith was illegal). They would meet here to offer worship, and study the teachings of the apostles.
In 312 AD, the Edict of Milan gave tolerance to the Christian Faith. Pope Sylvester, the thirty-third bishop of Rome, and thirty-second successor of St. Peter, was pope at the time. He was the first pope not to be a martyr for the faith, and he was reverently buried here in these catacombs upon his death.
This is our history, these are our martyrs and saints. The faith they died for, and that the community here celebrated, is our faith. In the mystery of Christ’s Church, they are with us now, like a zealous audience at a game show, feverishly cheering on the contestants. They are with us, and we are continuing their celebration of the Lord Jesus.
Here, in this place, surrounding our Eucharistic Lord – who is our Good Shephard; in the presence of Mary – who is his mother and ours; and in the company of the martyrs and saints – his witnesses and our friends, we experience our communion as the Church, the Body of Christ, united amongst ourselves in Christ and forever united to Him, who is our Divine Head.
Here, in this place, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we realize how thin the veil of time really is, and how truly powerless death is in Jesus Christ. In this place, united by prayer, we can almost feel the presence of our ancestors in the faith. They are here with us. In our own prayer and actions, in our own worship of the Lord, we see their prayer and know of their worship. We understand that we are all one in Jesus Christ.
Raised to heavenly triumph, the saints and martyrs are still with us. We thank them for their fidelity and example. We ask them to pray for us, and to guide us closer to Jesus.
With all the martyrs and saints, in the company of the angels, let the Church pray together, “Our Father, …”
Brothers and Sisters, I’d like to offer a few reflections for our Holy Hour today. The late Pope, the Servant of God John Paul II, wrote in his priestly memoirs that, as a student priest studying in this city, he began his experience of Rome with the catacombs.
Knowing his life and teachings, we can understand why the catacombs were the first, and perhaps, one of the more important sites of Rome to our first Polish Pope. I’d like to give some thoughts that might help us to appreciate the catacombs as much.
While there are over sixty catacombs outside of the city limits of ancient Rome, Priscilla is one of only five catacombs opened to the public. And for many reasons, perhaps it’s one of the most important.
Here in this place, in these catacombs of Priscilla, we’ve been able to see the oldest image of Mary; one of the oldest images of the Eucharist; we’ve been able to see the scenes of Susanna, Daniel, Abraham, Jonah, and other Old Testament figures. We could see one of the oldest images of the Magi adoring Christ. And, here in this place, these catacombs, we’ve been able to see the burial places of some martyrs – among whom were popes – and the devotion of the Christian community towards them, especially in the practice of other Christians wanting to be buried very near to them.
Here in this place, we’ve been able to experience – to borrow a term from St. Paul – the “household of faith”; we can see around us the “cloud of witnesses” spoken of in the New Testament; we can behold Mary, who was given to us by Jesus on the Cross and to whom we were given; we can see the Eucharist, the sacrificial meal which St. Luke tells us Jesus “greatly desired” to share with us; and, we can see the early hierarchy taking shape, fulfilling its commission from Christ by exercising the “power of the keys” and “strengthening the brethren in their faith.”
Here in this place, we see so-called “primitive Christianity.” We see a lived Christianity only a few generations after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who are intimately connected to the Apostles and their immediate disciples. A Christian way of life from which we receive the New Testament. The New Testament was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, within a community of faith. Here, in this place, we encounter not only an historic community from by-gone ages, but our own breathing community, which is united and an extension of that early faith community. We are one body, and we are today only because they were yesterday.
Here, in this place, in prayer with our ancestors, we receive the “full Gospel,” which is a treasured inheritance of the Lord Jesus given to his well-beloved Church, and to each of us who are disciples within it.
In 64 AD, when the city of Rome burned and the insane emperor Nero used the Christians as a scapegoat, violent persecutions against Christianity began and continued for almost 300 years. When Nero began the persecutions, the Roman empire looked for the leader of the Christians. Because the Christians spoke of Jesus in the present tense and of his activity among them, the emperor thought Jesus lived in Rome and searched for him. We can only imagine what the emperor thought when he discovered that Jesus had been crucified as a criminal three decades before in Palestine, a backwoods province in the vast empire. Learning of Jesus’ death, the emperor heard of a leader, called a bishop, who led the Christians in Jesus’ name. He looked for Peter, the first bishop of Rome (in the fourth century, we would begin identifying the office with the term “pope”). Not forgetting about the criminal Jesus, the emperor sought to crucify Peter, killing him in the same manner as Christ. And Peter died on the Vatican Hill for the love of God.
Many others lost their lives because they refused to abandon the Christian faith. We call them “martyrs,” a legal term for witnesses in a courtroom, because they stand as witnesses to us and humanity of God’s truth and enduring love for each of us.
Nero’s was the first wave of persecution, many others would follow. One of the bloodiest was Diocletian, to whom most of the martyrs here in this catacomb lost their lives. When the Church was illegal, the Christians met here in the catacombs. Due to the Roman respect for the dead, the Christians were able to have legal catacombs (although the Faith was illegal). They would meet here to offer worship, and study the teachings of the apostles.
In 312 AD, the Edict of Milan gave tolerance to the Christian Faith. Pope Sylvester, the thirty-third bishop of Rome, and thirty-second successor of St. Peter, was pope at the time. He was the first pope not to be a martyr for the faith, and he was reverently buried here in these catacombs upon his death.
This is our history, these are our martyrs and saints. The faith they died for, and that the community here celebrated, is our faith. In the mystery of Christ’s Church, they are with us now, like a zealous audience at a game show, feverishly cheering on the contestants. They are with us, and we are continuing their celebration of the Lord Jesus.
Here, in this place, surrounding our Eucharistic Lord – who is our Good Shephard; in the presence of Mary – who is his mother and ours; and in the company of the martyrs and saints – his witnesses and our friends, we experience our communion as the Church, the Body of Christ, united amongst ourselves in Christ and forever united to Him, who is our Divine Head.
Here, in this place, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we realize how thin the veil of time really is, and how truly powerless death is in Jesus Christ. In this place, united by prayer, we can almost feel the presence of our ancestors in the faith. They are here with us. In our own prayer and actions, in our own worship of the Lord, we see their prayer and know of their worship. We understand that we are all one in Jesus Christ.
Raised to heavenly triumph, the saints and martyrs are still with us. We thank them for their fidelity and example. We ask them to pray for us, and to guide us closer to Jesus.
With all the martyrs and saints, in the company of the angels, let the Church pray together, “Our Father, …”
Posted in Sermons and Liturgical Homilies | No Comments »
St. Francis’ Feast Day Time to Reflect on Nature
Sunday, October 1st, 2006
“The Post and Courier”
By Jeff Kirby
This week some Christian churches celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the impassioned lover of God and nature. Famous images of the saint preaching to the birds or caressing the wolf of Gubbio can be seen in garden statues and homes throughout the Lowcountry.
St. Francis’ love, moreover, can be felt in his songs and poetry, especially his “Canticle of Brother Sun.” The saint’s feast day can be a good time for us to reflect on our views of nature and the environment.
Our beliefs on creation can help us to answer some of our basic human questions: Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is our origin? What is our end? Our responses to these questions can be decisive to the meaning and fundamental orientation of our lives.
Our society today is keenly aware and attentive to the environment, and the several issues surrounding it. Sometimes, however, our concern for the world around us seems to lack a certain depth and richness, which the Christian message can offer it.
For St. Francis, love for nature and the environment stemmed from his love for God. He saw creation as a gift from God, which must be cared for and respected. In his worldview, he wouldn’t have been able to fathom the environment without seeing God’s goodness and love. For Francis, nothing would have made sense without God.
Grounded on the belief of creation as God’s gift, Francis could only then adamantly argue and demand a religious reverence for the world, animals, plants, and the greater environment.
Some perspectives, however, dismiss the Christian teachings on environmental stewardship as condescending and belittling. It’s mistakenly thought that the Christian message asserts the role of the human person to the detriment of nature and the environment. It’s suspected that by teaching that the human person is the summit and center of creation, the Christian church sees the rest of the world as having a lesser role and importance.
The authentic Christian understanding, however, knows that nothing in creation is self-sufficient. There is an active interdependence between all creatures, with each one completing the another and living in service to it. This reality gives a breathing solidarity to creation, revealing its inner order and value.
Only after grasping this primary lesson, can we begin to understand the hierarchy within creation. It is a hierarchy of service and complementarity.
Humans stand as the center and summit to serve and sustain creation and its harmony. We can almost liken creation to a republic, with each component having its own dignity and autonomy, and yet a part of a greater whole with responsibilities and a greater identity within the larger entity. Within such a creation republic, the human person lives as a chosen leader for humble service and benevolent governance. This is the
proper order given and blessed by God.
As a consequence of an authentic Christian understanding of the environment, we realize that the human person’s governance of the world is not absolute. It is limited by concern for other human persons and society. It’s humbled by gratitude to God, and tempered by a religious respect for the integrity of creation itself.
The world is not humanity’s to do whatever it wants with it. The world is a gift in which humanity lives, and we have the responsibility to care for, serve, and sanctify it. It is a stewardship and challenge.
Perhaps these thoughts on our world and environment can be St. Francis’ lesson to us as we prepare to commemorate his life and actions. Hopefully each of us can imitate some of his gratitude and passion in our own lives.
Jeff Kirby is a seminarian for the Catholic Diocese of Charleston. He will be ordained a deacon on October 5 in Rome.
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