How Should you dress for Mass in the Summer? (Part 2 of 2)

06-30-2013Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This week I would like to continue to speak about pleasing Our Lord by how we dress for Holy Mass.

I read that Muhammad Ali explained modesty to his daughter this way: "Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at he bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them...Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."

While mothers need to teach their daughters the art of being attractive without compromising their dignity, fathers need to teach their sons how to be gentlemen. Gentlemen do not wear shorts to church or hats inside church. Furthermore fathers need to speak to their sons about how to appreciate the gift of a woman without reducing her to a mere object of pleasure. For example, if a woman fails to dress appropriately the young man needs to learn the value of practicing custody of the eyes. Our Lord has warned us, "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).

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Modesty (Part 1 of 2)

06-23-2013Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

With the hot weather it is a good time to remember the importance of dressing appropriately for church.
Sometimes during the summer people forget that they are going to the Lord's house for worship, and confuse it with a trip to the beach. Therefore, I would like to remind everyone, men and women, boys and girls, about the virtue of modesty.

Modesty is part of the virtue of purity. Modesty may vary from one culture to another, but there is nonetheless a universal "code" that we are to respect the dignity of every person. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of it this way: "Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden...It inspires one's choice of clothing."

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Happy Father's Day

06-16-2013Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we give thanks to God for those who have the special title of father. St. Joseph, the appointed father of Our Lord, teaches us the importance of the role of a father. His steadfast presence as provider and protector for Our Lord and Our Lady are beautiful reminders of a father's love. Those who have experienced a father's love – have experienced a great blessing. For those who have had a negative experience of their earthly father, Our Lord provides us with the answer.

Jesus told us to call God – FATHER. When his disciples asked him to teach them to pray, Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Our Father…' " Our Lord actually went a step further than telling us to call God "Father." He himself addressed God as "Abba." (Mk 14:36). That word is from Jesus' own language, Aramaic. It is the word small children used when addressing their father; it is the word for "Daddy." We don't need to bother asking a little child why he or she calls their father "Daddy." The whole point is that it's not something that has to be thought about: it's a spontaneous expression of affection and trust. It's something a child just does because they simply love and trust.

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Celebration of First Eucharist and Confirmation

06-09-2013Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I look forward each year to the celebration of First Eucharist and Confirmation at St. Joan of Arc. It is a wonderful day of celebrations! We especially welcome all the grandparents and extended family who have gathered to celebrate with those receiving their sacraments. Our first communicants and confirmandi are a wonderful group of people and we are honored to serve them at St. Joan of Arc.

In an encyclical entitled, Sacra Tridentina, published in the early years of the 20th Century, given to us by Pope St. Pius X, he encouraged daily communion in a time when people felt generally unworthy to receive Our Lord because of a heresy called Jansenism. St. Pius called the Eucharist, "the antidote whereby we may be freed from daily faults and be preserved from mortal sin." In other words, yes, we must be worthy to receive the Eucharist having repented from sin. But St. Pius X also believed that regular, even daily reception of communion gives us the grace to avoid sin and remain faithful to Our Savior.

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The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

06-02-2013Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Christ,

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is a special time when Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is offered to Catholics and non-Catholics in the Eucharistic Procession. This is a wonderful opportunity for Catholics to show their love for Christ in the Real Presence by honoring Him in a very public way. According to Canon Law “Wherever in the judgment of the diocesan Bishop it can be done, a procession through the streets is to be held, especially on the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, as a public witness of veneration of the Blessed Eucharist” (Can. 944 §1,2).

This weekend, after all the Masses at St. Joan of Arc, we are given the opportunity to participate in a Eucharistic Procession. A solemn procession with Our Lord is a wonderful way for Catholics to show our love for Our Lord and our neighbors. There have been many conversions of those struggling with their faith because of Eucharistic Adoration in our humble adoration chapel. How many more there would be if we could reach those who only drive by the church? Visible expressions of faith can be so powerful. There were many wonderful comments about the Eucharistic Miracle display offered here a few weeks ago. This display gave many people a chance to grow in their understanding of Our Eucharistic King and the many miracles directly attributed to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. When people are exposed to Our Lord truly present in the Eucharist their hearts can be changed for good forever.

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