St.
Leos’
Parish Community FOOD FOR THOUGHT MINISTRY:
Living out a Corporal Work of Mercy by Feeding Those in Need
A
s the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us, the Corporal Works of Mercy are ways we can help our neighbors “as if they were Christ in disguise.” One of the Corporal Works of Mercy is to feed the hungry. Here in Grand Island, food insecurity is a major issue — one that often impacts children. The Food for Thought Ministry is a way to live out a work of mercy and meet this need by feeding children throughout the community. During the school week, children receive a healthy lunch — however, that food isn’t there on the weekends. Sixteen years ago, Verna Haberman and a group of social workers noticed this issue as students were loading up on food at school lunch. So, they sought to bring some relief with a bag Food is delivered to area full of food to send home with kids on the schools by St. Leo’s volunteers. weekend. Holly Boeselager, the homeless coordinator for the Grand Island Public School System, coordinates this group. Each Friday of the school year, students in need receive a bag. The bags are packed by a class at the school and are delivered to other Grand Island area schools by volunteers from St. Leo’s and other organizations. “Children have no control over if there is food for them to eat or not,” says continued on page 5
Inside AUGUST 2021
2
Living According to God’s Will Forming a Conscience and Moral Code
3
What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?
4
Ministers of Hospitality Offer a Warm Welcome in Faith to All Who Enter Our Church
6 Pope St. Pius X: A Modern Traditionalist 7 The Importance of Attending Mass From Beginning to End
LIVING ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL Forming a Conscience and Moral Code
A
s Christians, it is important that we recognize the difference between right and wrong — both morally and ethically. Sometimes, though, this line can become blurred. Many situations we encounter in our lives include variables that can leave us internally conflicted and unsure of how to move forward in accordance with God’s will. So, how do we work through these moral conundrums? One way is to develop a solid Christian conscience. A moral conscience exists in the heart of every individual. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking. Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed” (1777, 1778). Think of your conscience as the “angelic” version of yourself sitting on your shoulder, giving you sound advice. While everyone is blessed with a conscience, each individual has a responsibility to develop this conscience from the time they are young. Parents obviously play an important role in developing their children’s consciences. As the primary educators of their children on ethical issues and the Catholic faith, parents have a responsibility to teach virtue to their children and help them to avoid fear, selfishness and
pride. As we grow older, we take on the lifelong challenge of continually forming our own consciences and establishing a moral code that enables us to make the proper judgments. One valuable tool in forming a conscience is the practice of introspection. “It is important for every person to be sufficiently present to himself in order to hear and follow the voice of his conscience” (CCC 1779). In contemporary society, where there are so many distractions and routines, it is extremely important that we take the time to look inward and truly listen to what our inner voice is telling us. Another way to ensure we are developing a good moral code is by conforming to the mind of Christ. God the Father gave us Christ, physically present on this earth and recorded in Sacred Scripture, as the ultimate example of what to do and how to behave according to God’s will. In turn, when we act in loving imitation of Christ, we are certain to make practical judgments of conscience. The next time you are faced with a moral dilemma, take some quiet time to look inward, weigh the positive and negative outcomes, and listen to the voice of your conscience. Read the Gospels for examples of Christ’s teachings. By making this a regular practice, you will find that the voice of your conscience will come in louder and more clearly than you may have initially expected.
The next time you are faced with a moral dilemma, take some quiet time to look inward, weigh the positive and negative outcomes, and listen to the voice of your conscience. Read the Gospels for examples of Christ’s teachings. By making this a regular practice, you will find that the voice of your conscience will come in louder and more clearly than you may have initially expected. 2
A Letter From Our Pastor
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE? Dear Parishioners,
W
e are called to be the disciples of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is our calling — stewardship is the way we are to live the life we have been given. I don’t think we believers would or should argue the point. It begins with our Baptism and our new life as members of the Church. There are no questions about it, even though we may not always remember that we have been called to discipleship — it is a lifelong process, and we are all works in progress. But please remember, we are God’s “works” that evolve moment by moment, day by day, and year after year. To get more specific, we need to not only understand that stewardship is the expression of discipleship, but it is also the way in which we are to live our life. It is not a program — it is a way of life. I suppose at least once in our lifetime, we have been asked, “What are you going to do with your life?” Usually, that will happen at graduation, and how many of us have followed the path we thought we would at that time in our life? Perhaps we replied with a certain profession that may have interested us at the time. But there is always more to our answer than the title of a profession, just as there is more to our lives than just breathing. How do we use the gifts God has given to us? How we do so will define the life we live for God and the Church. That is our call to discipleship. It is how we should understand stewardship. Many people ask me why I am so convinced that stewardship is a way of life. The simple answer I give is always the easy one and the most practical. My life as a faithful steward makes sense. The story of Christianity is filled with people like you and me who wonder and desire how to live as a disciple of
Jesus Christ. It is what we are to do with our lives. Our attitude must be formed to spend the time and the talents we have, to do our part for God’s Church. When does that become our priority? When does it become our way of life? These are the questions any believer must ask themselves when we think about our relationship with God, His Church, and the people around us. But, throughout my time in life as a priest, stewardship as my way of life makes sense and is more than possible with what God has given me to work with. It is the same with each of us. I am grateful for what God has given me and thankful I can live my life as His disciple. I say that not just as a priest, but as a baptized member of His family. I am thankful my parents brought me to be baptized a Christian and begin a life that would lead me, like all of us, to be the disciple we are called to be. When we were baptized, no one asked us, “What are you going to do with your life?” If my parents and Godparents understood why we were all there, it should have been clear that we are all to be faithful stewards of all that God provides, beginning with the gift of life. That is why stewardship as a way of life is in my mind, heart and soul. That, too, was a gift from God for which I am most grateful. This is my calling, and “this” is what I am going to do with the rest of my life. What will you do with yours? Sincerely yours in Christ, Rev. Donald A. Buhrman Pastor 3
MINISTERS OF HOSPITALITY Offer a Warm W
hether we are regular parishioners at St. Leo’s or whether guests are entering our church, we are always welcomed by the members of our Ministers of Hospitality ministry. However, there are more hospitality ministers in our parish other than those specifically trained for their work. “Every registered parishioner at St. Leo’s is considered to be a minister of hospitality,” says Rita Hemmer, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. “It’s not just those trained and on the ministry schedule — it is every single parishioner’s responsibility to welcome others at our Masses. Everyone that comes through our doors should feel like they belong and that this is their church family. All of our visitors and guests should feel the love of Christ when they attend our parish and that is the responsibility of every single parishioner.” An important part of the ministers’ training explicitly tells them they are charged with the responsibility of recognizing their fellow Christians, not just as part of a crowd, but as part of the living Body of Christ assembled to hear God’s Word and to share His life. “Our training sessions include the following statements from our Catholic faith regarding hospitality — St. Paul instructs us, ‘Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you’ (Romans 15:7),” Rita says. “By receiving people with simple love and graciousness, we model the spirit of Jesus and the love He has for each of us. If you are the first point of contact, stay in touch with any individuals who have contacted you.” The Ministry of Hospitality can also play a major role in our parish’s ability to offer evangelization. During the ministers’ training, they also learn that hospitality is an important element in evangelization. “The entire parish community, especially the parish leadership, must foster a spirit of hospitality and welcome,” Rita says. “The training emphasizes that this sense of hospitality extends beyond those who participate in formal ‘welcome back’ programs. 4
Sue and Doug Whitman serve as ministers of hospitality.
It includes Catholics who approach the Church at key ‘teachable moments,’ such as couples seeking the Sacrament of Matrimony, parents who have children in Catholic schools or parish-based religious education programs and are bringing their children for sacramental preparation, and Catholics who seek assistance from parish social ministry programs.” Sue and Doug Whitman serve as ministers of hospitality and share their thoughts behind their service. They understand that their service is that of stewardship.
Welcome in Faith to All Who Enter Our Church “Stewardship is taking care of our church family,” Sue says. “We do this by helping people feel comfortable and welcome to our services, whether they are a church member or a stranger. We are taking care of the church family God has given us.” “Stewardship is about hospitality, which is offering everyone a safe place where God can speak to them,” Doug adds. “And maybe they will see God in our face. The people that enter St. Leo’s may forget the readings and maybe forget the homily, but hopefully, they will not forget how we made them feel. Hospitality is simply an opportunity to show love and care.” A spiritual benefit the couple has experienced is
the growth of their own faith. “We have grown in our own faith by witnessing all the people that come to Mass and participate,” Doug says. “Serving as ministers of hospitality is an opportunity to put our faith into action. And I think our faith grows when we can serve others.” By taking part in parish life this way, the couple believes they have encouraged others to serve in other ministries. “Our efforts have helped others to consider being more involved in church ministries,” Sue says. “It doesn’t take a special person to help; it simply takes a willing heart. I think other parishioners are happy to see a familiar face welcoming them.”
If you would like to be trained to be an official Minister of Hospitality and placed on the ministry schedule, please contact Rita Hemmer at rita@saintleos.org.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT MINISTRY Donna Douglass, who helps coordinate this ministry at St. Leo’s. “We can impact the lives of children, and maybe even entire families, by helping them get nutrients during the weekends.” As with many needs throughout our community, the COVID-19 pandemic made the problem of food insecurity more acute. An empty stomach makes it hard to learn, concentrate and excel. This is just one way to give local students a better chance of doing their very best. Donna invites any parishioner to get involved in this important ministry. Volunteers are needed to deliver the packed bags to a few schools.
continued from front cover
“This is one small way to help out families who are struggling to feed their children,” Donna says. “When you deliver these bags and know that you could probably go to your own cupboards any day and fill a bag like that — to the family in need, it may just be all the food that they have. It is a wonderful and humbling experience.” This ministry is one simple way to give of your time, to benefit those who need it. Donna says we all need to get involved to honor the fact that all we have and earn belongs to God. “When you share of yourself, you are giving others a little bit of God’s mercy,” Donna says.
This ministry is coordinated through the parish Human Concerns Committee. Volunteers are given a schedule and directions for the deliveries. Food bags begin going home with students the week after Labor Day weekend. To get involved, please contact Donna Douglass at 308-382-4753 or donna@saintleos.org — she is happy to accompany first-time volunteers. 5
POPE ST. PIUS X:
A Modern Traditionalist
O
n Aug. 21, the Church commemorates the feast of a great saint — St. Pius X, the peasant boy who became the Vicar of Christ. St. Pius X is a wonderful saint for our times because he effectively and definitively worked for a balance between upholding the Tradition and Faith of the Church and adapting to the Modern Age. St. Pius X — Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto — was born in 1835, one of eight children in an impoverished peasant family. He pursued God’s call on him to the priesthood from an early age. Even as a young priest, he possessed great personal and pastoral skills. In addition to his deep holiness and virtue, St. Pius had a passion for defending and preserving the truth of the faith, which he carried with him into his pontificate. As pope, he gave as his motto: “Instaurare Omnia in Christo” — “to restore all things in Christ” — a mission proclaimed not a moment too soon. Already in Europe, secular governments, social institutions, and the mass media were driving the faith out of public life and education, all the while upholding individual freedom — understood as unlimited license — as the ultimate good. Worst of all, these philosophies had made their way into the minds of many clergy and Catholic laity, who claimed that modern science had discredited many dogmas of the Church. They proposed a new Christianity based what they called the “religious experience,” a continually changing and evolving human experience that would in turn continually transform the meaning of Catholic teachings. The problem was that the new teachings proposed by these 6
modernists contradicted the very foundations of the faith established by Jesus Christ. Fortunately, the Holy Father saw through the modern theories immediately and exposed the false doctrines, all the while acting with extreme discretion and pastoral charity. Pope Pius X reminded us that God, the Author of both faith and reason, and in Whom there is no contradiction, cannot allow science and true religion to contradict. Moreover, he declared that all the essential teachings of the Catholic faith and of Scripture could be defended rationally, and he encouraged the faithful to study the faith and read the Scriptures daily. While Pius X spent much of his pontificate defending Catholic dogma from the threat of Modernism, he recognized the need for legitimate modern reforms within the Church. For instance, he initiated the codification of Canon Law, because the laws of the Church had little organization up to that time. He reformed the administrative offices of the Church. He also reformed the Liturgical Calendar, giving precedence back to the Sunday liturgies, which were too often being trumped by celebration of the daily saint’s feast. Pius X initiated a renewal in liturgical music, as well, bringing back Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony to their primary place within the liturgy. Two of this saint’s most noted acts are reassigning the time of First Communion of children to the age of reason (about 7 years), and of advising and promoting daily Communion, saying, “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTENDING MASS FROM BEGINNING TO END
T
here seems to be an epidemic among Catholics in some parishes: they receive Communion and rush out the door, sometimes even before others have received the Eucharist. Some may remain, but often they, too, may depart before the final blessing, even before the celebrant priest processes out. This is an unfortunate circumstance – it is not that there is never a reason for an early departure, some sort of family emergency, a medical issue, or an unruly family member. However, assuring that you are the first out of the parking lot, being first in line at the local restaurant, seeing the kickoff of the football game, or getting to the golf course seem a bit trivial in relation to the beauty, the glory, and the significance of the Mass and the Eucharist. Rather than focus on the motivation for leaving before Mass is completed, we need to initially consider why we are even in attendance at Mass. The high point of the Mass is the reception of the Eucharist. Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He held up the bread and said, “This is my body,” and then He held up the cup and said, “This is my blood.” The Catholic Mass is an awesome event for us as Catholics. Jesus Christ becomes truly present in the Eucharist. We gather at Mass to receive this gift, but we also gather in community to offer praise and worship to Him, to be spiritually fed, as well. The Code of Canon Law makes it clear that we are to attend Mass – “On Sundays and other holy
days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (1247). It does not say “in part” or “in parts of the Mass.” The expectation is that each of us as Catholics will attend a complete Mass. That, it would seem, is a sticking point with some. How often have we heard or participated in a conversation, the gist of which is, “What constitutes a complete Mass?” We are all familiar with the various answers, no doubt. However, it is not stated officially that Mass is completed once we receive the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Some maintain that Mass is completed upon the closing blessing and the dismissal by the celebrant. Others say it is not complete until the celebrant has processed out. Still, others say, “Not until the recessional hymn has been completed.” The point nonetheless is that Mass is not finished upon receiving Communion. There are so many considerations and perspectives about this issue. We might consider some of the counterarguments. For example, only one person left the Last Supper early – Judas Iscariot. Jesus has invited us to a banquet. Would we go to a meal with someone else and suddenly get up and leave after we had eaten? That would seem to be a bit rude. Are we truly there to be part of our faith community? If so, should we not as a community begin and end together? The official General Instruction of the Roman Missal says that at the end of Mass, we are “sent continued on back cover
7
2410 S. Blaine Street Grand Island, NE 68801 (308) 382-4753 | www.saintleos.org
MASS FROM BEGINNING TO END to do good works, while praising and blessing the Lord” (90). Our task as Catholics does not end with Mass. Christ has called us to mission – a mission of proclaiming God’s Word and serving others. There are 168 hours in a week. Even if we consider our Sunday Mass to be a two-hour commitment, that is a mere 1.2 percent of our total week. We cannot give God that much time and that much commitment? After the Last Supper, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He took with Him the Apostles Peter, James, and John. However, when He returned to where He had left them, He found them asleep. His exact
continued from page 7
words to Peter were, “Could you not watch with me for one hour?” That is a question and a challenge evidently for some of us, as well. Are we not at Mass because we love the Lord, and we care for those in our community? Or are we there for some personal and selfish reason? We reiterate that there may well be legitimate reasons for leaving a Mass before it is completed. God understands that. Nevertheless, we need to make sure that our reasoning is indeed sound and not something petty or minor. After we receive the Lord at Mass, we are, in effect, a walking tabernacle. Something to think about next time we consider our own Mass habits.
LITURGY SCHEDULE Daily Mass: 9 a.m., Saturday: 5 p.m., Sunday: 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Confession: Saturday 4 - 4:30 p.m. Adoration: First Friday of the Month, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Abide Adoration: Fourth Sunday of the Month, 7 - 8 p.m.