The Saturday Morning Post: Requiem Eternam MMXXI

Welcome, God and All...

Once again, the calendar dutifully reminds us of that time when we should remember the hallowed - those who have been called from this world and have experienced, even if only but a moment, the face of God Almighty. It does us well to recall them. Catholics also believe that through our prayers, we can aid in their total liberation from the perils of this world so that their eternal freedom in the risen Christ is assured.

The COVID-19 worldwide pandemic continued to wreak havoc in 2021, claiming thousands upon thousands of lives. Since the beginning a year-and-a-half ago, the number of deaths is over 745,000 in the United States alone. We pray for them all, and that the hand of God may put an end to this brazen and indiscriminate killer. We pray also for those souls who never got to see the light of an earthen day; these, too, defy our ability to number but assuredly rest in the loving arms of God.

The names below, far from an exhaustive list, run across the spectrum of human life. May eternal rest be theirs. May their souls, as well as the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.

2020

October 31 - Sean Connery, Scottish actor (b. 1930)

October 31 - MF Doom, British-American rapper (b. 1971)

November 8 – Alex Trebek, Canadian-American game show host (b. 1940)

November 14 - Hasan Muratović, 4th Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (b. 1940)

November 18 – Umar Ghalib, 7th Prime Minister of Somalia (b. 1930)

November 22 - Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, 7th President of Mauritania (b. 1938)

November 26 - Sadiq al-Mahdi, 7th Prime Minister of Sudan (b. 1935)

November 26 - Tevita Momoedonu, 5th Prime Minister of Fiji (b. 1946)

December 7 – Chuck Yeager, American Air Force officer and test pilot (b. 1923)

December 12 - Charley Pride, American singer, musician, and guitarist (b. 1934)

December 25 – K. C. Jones, American basketball player and coach (b. 1932)

December 26 - Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler and actor (b. 1979)

December 29 – Pierre Cardin, Italian-born French fashion designer (b. 1922)

2021

January 16 – Phil Spector, American record producer and convicted murderer (b. 1939)

January 22 – Hank Aaron, American baseball player (b. 1934)

January 23 - Hal Holbrook, American actor (b. 1925)

January 23 - Larry King, American talk show host (b. 1933)

February 5 - Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor (b. 1929)

February 8 - Mary Wilson, American singer (b. 1944)

February 10 – Larry Flynt, American porn publisher (b. 1942)

February 17 – Rush Limbaugh, American radio personality (b. 1951)

March 6 – Lou Ottens, Dutch inventor of the cassette tape (b. 1926)

March 23 – George Segal, American actor (b. 1934)

March 24 – Jessica Walter, American actress (b. 1941)

March 25 - Beverly Cleary, American author (b. 1916)

April 6 – Hans Küng, Swiss Catholic priest, theologian and author (b. 1928)

April 9 - DMX, American rapper, songwriter and actor (b. 1970)

April 9 - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; husband of Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1921)

April 14 - Bernie Madoff, American investment advisor, financier and convicted fraudster (b. 1938)

April 28 - Michael Collins, American astronaut (b. 1930)

May 1 – Olympia Dukakis, American actress (b. 1931)

May 2 – Bobby Unser, American Hall of Fame racing driver (b. 1934)

May 3 – Lloyd Price, American singer-songwriter and businessman (b. 1933)

May 18 - Charles Grodin, American actor and comedian (b. 1935)

May 23 - Eric Carle, American children's writer and illustrator (b. 1929)

June 13 – Ned Beatty, American actor (b. 1937)

June 23 – John McAfee, English-born American computer programmer and businessman (b. 1945)

June 29 – Donald Rumsfeld, American politician and government official (b. 1932)

July 5 - Richard Donner, American film director (b. 1930)

July 23 - Steven Weinberg, American Nobel theoretical physicist (b. 1933)

July 26 - Joey Jordison, American drummer (b. 1975)

July 28 - Dusty Hill, American musician and singer-songwriter (b. 1949)

August 13 - Carolyn S. Shoemaker, American astronomer (b. 1929)

August 21 - Don Everly, American musician (b. 1937)

August 24 - Don Everly, American musician (b. 1937)

August 29 - Ed Asner, American actor (b. 1929)

September 2 – Mikis Theodorakis, Greek composer and politician (b. 1925)

September 20 – Jan Jindra, Czech rower and Olympic champion (b. 1932)

September 26 – Alan Lancaster, English musician (b. 1949)

October 18 - Colin Powell, American politician, diplomat and general (b. 1937)

October 19 – Leslie Bricusse, British composer, lyricist and playwright (b. 1931)

Until we meet again, may God be with you - and may God have mercy on us all...

+the Phoenix

The Saturday Morning Post: Choice Words

September 4, 2021 

 

Welcome, God and All... 

It’s been a long time since last writing. Too long. Annoying little things like tingling hands and seeing what I'm typing have slowed me down. Oh, and content – yes, coming up with a fresh angle on content has not been easy, making the temptation to avoid writing hard to resist. Mea culpa. I also felt I needed to spend a little more quality time with my son. I’ve taken to put his exercise routine at a different hour of the day so I can participate; he is more likely to do them that way. Previously I had them scheduled early in the morning when I was engaged in spiritual exercises, which I must do first; otherwise to me the day seems fated to go in a poor direction. Again, mea culpa. 

I’ve had a few prompts come to me over my absence from writing. Some of them come at a time when I can’t stop what I’m doing to put down the basic thought. And then it’s gone, almost as fast as it came. This last week, a couple of ideas came up and they haven’t been lost in the shuffle. That’s a good thing. I also took some opportunity to review some of my past reflections. A few were forgettable. There were a couple, though that resounded and were just as important now as they were then. And then that small, still voice whispered to me, reminding me what this was all about and not to pass it off lightly. I’m probably taking more time expressing these last two paragraphs than the reflection material. I’m like that. Mea maxima culpa. So let me set this aside and put on the table a couple of thoughts strong enough not to leave my head. 

Quizzes. They’ve been around forever – or all my life and longer. They’re all over the Internet now, running the spectrum from trivial time-wasters to test preparation, and all the ramifications that come with it. The multiple-choice quiz is very popular. Depending on the number of choices and knowledge of the subject, a person can have as great as a 50-50 chance of pulling the correct answer out of the corners of the mind (or out of thin air, whichever is closer). Sometimes a question has more than one correct answer in the list of choices. Other times, to throw us off a list of choices is given that has no correct answer. What you might see then is something like this: 

1.   

2. A. 

3. B. 

4. C. A and B 

4. D. All of the above 

5. E. None of the above 

I was reminded recently that life is a series of choices. God’s gift of free will, for the most part, gives you and I the choice of how we acknowledge the presence of God among us, and how we shall follow His precepts and obey his commandments. Sometimes there’s a real clear choice. Other times, two or more choices carry equal weight and deserve to be chosen together (as indicated by C and D above). Lately, though, I sense an almost overwhelming movement of rejection of choice, or the choice of ‘none of the above.’ 

This rejection of choosing correctly manifests itself in the New Testament. Jesus relates the parable of the three servants charged with managing a sum of money. Two invest their portion and double their investment; the third buries his share in the ground, presumably for safe-keeping, a fatal mistake. In the book of Revelation the church at Laodicea (3:14-16ff) this is seen as being neither warm nor cold, but bland and indifferent. The Lord’s reaction is to spit them out of his mouth. 

That could be us. For a long time it seems we have been moving away from Christ. In our present time, there is movement; but the trend still appears to be moving in the wrong direction. Cancel culture would just love to live in a false utopia where there is no religion, no faith in God, literally ‘none of the above’ that would benefit us and lift us out of the pit of eternal despair we are so close to. That’s why prayer is so important; why spiritual exercise is just as important (and sometimes as demanding) as physical exercise. If we have any hope of turning the tide, we must put God first and turn to Him. 

My other ‘cause for pause’ came on the heels of prayer. 

As children we’re taught to ask politely for anything from special treats to help with homework. We have special words that reflect that politeness and respect: “Please” and “Thanks”. Scripture is all over the thanksgiving part, and we do need to work on that. Yet as I go through the treasury of prayers at my disposal, I haven’t found any recently – not one – that petitions God using the word “please” in the context we use to ask our parents or friends or spouses to grant favors or offer help. I know that there has to be some use of that word in prayer somewhere – novena prayers come to mind – but I don’t see the word “please” in the major prayers of the Church or in the liturgy. 

Is our corporate prayer sincere? If we’re making faces with the big, longing and loving (?!) eyes and saying “please” and “thanks” when we want an ice cream cone, should we not approach Our Lord and Our Lady with the same childlike demeanor? Could it be that God would turn the state of things around in less than a heartbeat if we’d just say “please” when we pray? I’m beginning to think it would make a huge difference, when we consider our choices and our choice words. 

Until we meet again, may God be with you - and may God have mercy on us all...

+the Phoenix

The Saturday Morning Post: "What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate"

May 29, 2021

Welcome, God and All...

This well-known quote (well, to my generation, anyway) from the 1967 motion picture Cool Hand Luke has been on my mind lately. It seems to particularly apply to one of the dearest things in my life, Holy Mother Church. You'd think by now I'd just chalk it up as 'one of those things' and bear it among some of the crosses in life I should quietly bear. I have...but I also have something of a sense that this contributes to the problem.

The sense of a lack of communication runs through the entire spectrum. That is, it's in nearly everything the Church touches. If your experience is different, you have my attention. Someday you'll have to tell me how it's working for you. As a minister, it can be frustrating at times.

I know that local parishes have to deal regularly with the irregularity of deaths within the congregational family. Parish funeral planners have a very short timeframe in which to contact ministers and to meet representatives of the deceased's family to select hymns and scripture readings for the funeral Mass. On some occasions we get to the afternoon before the Mass before we know what has been chosen. I'll cut the planner(s) a little slack because they're dealing with grieving family members who are possibly in a state of shock and confusion about the whole process and the many details those grieving family members have to arrange including the funeral Mass. That's par for the course, but communication issues run deeper than that.

Annually, the parish staff has to plan for the seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter; and for the celebrations of First Holy Communion, and the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, when the diocesan Bishop (or his designate) visits the parish. I wonder how much and how early priority is given to arranging all of the details. With the sacred days of the Pascal Triduum it's particularly tricky. Will new converts be received into the Church? How is the order of service properly executed? Who takes responsibility for having the right people or objects in the right place at the right time? How much time do they need in understanding their role(s) so that the liturgy runs smoothly?

Now lay the effects of the pandemic on top of this. It seems that the decision to shut down in mid-March last year was made quickly, but how well was that decision made and how well was it communicated? Now that it appears we have survived the worst of it, how well is the message of okay, it's time to come back now being conveyed? What remains different? What precautions should remain in place for those yet unvaccinated, especially children? Or those immuno-compromised? Will they get the wrong message when their diocesan bishop ends the dispensation from required attendance at Sunday Mass?

But hang on, dear reader. The real issue runs deeper than this.

Our Church is meant to run with solidarity. The bishops act in collegiality and communion with each other and with the Pope. If you've happened to follow anything coming out of the Church these days, you will note that there's not a lot of unity. German bishops want to allow same-sex marriage (or at least to bless their secular union). There are groups lobbying for married and even female clergy. And when we start dealing with the Church's hot-button issues - abortion, euthanasia, immigration, religious liberty, environmental stewardship - Pope Francis says one thing, some bishops and priests say another, and many try to avoid saying anything at all.

In just the last week or so, Fr. Michael Pfleger was cleared of abuse charges and will return to his pastorate at St. Sabina Church in Chicago. Those charges were reported in January, so it seems that this was resolved quickly when compared to Australia's Cardinal Pell or America's Theodore McCarrick. Pfleger's case got a lot of attention here in Chicago because of the unique position he's held for nearly the entire length of his priestly ministry - as a white priest and activist in an African-American parish.

Meanwhile, a conservative priest and pastor in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, has been ordered to resign by his diocesan bishop. Fr. James Altman has been quite vocal about how liberal thought and policy are destroying the Church and the fabric of society. Fr. Altman has gone on record against receiving the COVID vaccines. (They have only been approved for emergency use; thus they are considered experimental and anyone taking them is acting as a 'guinea pig'.) He has also gone on record saying that one "cannot be a Democrat and Catholic" - which makes sense, considering the over-the-top political agenda the current administration and Congress are pushing. Compare this to Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin, who is pushing for acceptance of the LBGTQI+ lifestyle as well as gender identity? I don't hear of any superior in the Church suggesting he resign.

Why is it only four of the approximately 300 bishops of the United States made a public point about the promotion of morally obtuse policy by Catholic politicians, particularly President Biden and House Speaker Pelosi? Didn't our Lord Jesus Christ command that they should speak boldly? Do they fear that what happened to John the Baptizer (The Chosen's "Creepy John") could happen to them? In spite of Jesus' frequent reminders of "Be Not Afraid"? (By the way, the call to speak boldly in defense of the Gospel is something all Catholics are enjoined to do.)

So, when all is said and done...and I know the teachings of the Church we honor this weekend and next are difficult to explain; that we give ourselves to ONE God in THREE distinct 'Persons'; and that Catholics believe on faith that the full, True, and Real Presence of Jesus Christ - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - exists in the form of the consecrated unleavened bread and wine. But if we are having this much trouble communicating - if the message isn't strong and clear about what I've written in the last six paragraphs - how can we come to believe in what this last paragraph (and don't forget the commands to "Love one another" and to evangelize) contains???

And...lest I forget...how well do we listen???

Discuss...and, until we meet again, may God be with you - and may God have mercy on us all...

+the Phoenix

The Saturday Morning Post: "We Will Abandon It All..."

 May 22, 2021

Welcome, God and All...

A couple of days ago, I participated in the funeral Mass of a longtime ministry colleague and friend. He and I spent five years together preparing for service. Since we were practically neighbors at the time (living two blocks apart), we traveled together to our formation classes and retreats. This allowed for the two (or three) gathered in the name of the Lord, and His silent inspiration allowed the two of us to engage in the lively art of conversation while we shared this part of our life pilgrimage; not unlike the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24).

I recall as if it were only a short time ago that my friend said that he felt his journey toward God was as if he were alone on a small boat with no oars or sail, taken by the winds and waves of the Holy Spirit to wherever he was being led. I was reminded of that in an episode of The Chosen, where Peter first encounters Jesus on the fishing boat - although there were sails and oars on it, the waters were very still, the winds were calm.

I still look back on diaconal formation and see myself and my colleagues channeling the fabled Three (times four) Musketeers.    All for one and one for all. We would go out and transform the world by being deacons and beacons of light. We were prepared to say yes to God for anything. We were cautioned that it wouldn't be easy, but with Jesus in our corner, that didn't seem to be a great concern. We would learn otherwise quickly.

My story is detailed throughout this blog. I didn't readily consider my young family, and I certainly did not know then that I would be blessed (and I do consider myself blessed) with a son with developmental disabilities. My friend, along with most of the rest of my colleagues, were all older and their children out on their own. Still, both of us were burdened almost out of the starting gate by receiving new pastors who didn't necessarily see themselves parceling out pastoral-based ministry on subordinates. My friend managed to reach the diocesan office for clergy and religious and got himself reassigned until that pastor himself was reassigned a few years later. Me? No such luck - but looking back now, I came to realize that the path on which I now traveled in my pilgrimage was meant for me.

Not long after my son and I moved back to our old stomping grounds, there was a gathering at my old home parish that I attended. It so happened that three deacons (all named Bob) were there for the festivities, and we all gathered with the pastor as an unintended photo op. The elder among us had laid a nephew to rest some years ago. They had both just 'retired' from active ministry as health concerns prevented keeping what could easily have been (as I learn from other 'brothers' in ministry) a very busy schedule. I recall saying that one never fully retires from ordained ministry. I meant that, since there is always the burden of the ministry of prayer. And not unlike swimming against the current, I took to posting  meditations and reflections such as the one you are now reading.

In spite of obstacles, I have been kept busy. Just when life seems to be stalling, God provides. While cautious, opportunities seem to find me, and I find myself accepting the call to serve. At home, I am finding answers to perhaps my biggest challenge; that is, being diaconal to my developmentally challenged son. How it is best to seemingly over-promote encouragement when he remembers to do the simple things many parents would ordinarily take for granted. To guide him, like the Good Shepherd, when he needs direction. To participate in all things in a spirit of cooperation; to prioritize challenges and ultimately release frustration privately in prayer. To allow God to utilize me or set me aside, as He wills. This latter can best be summarized this way: Expect nothing, but prepare for anything.

I missed my friend long ago, when our paths diverged from the common road on which we traveled. I miss him more today, as I know is now among the growing list of people for whom I pray that God has already taken into Paradise. The good news for today is that we recognized that we learned much from each other. This helped us both to grow and mature in faith. It's one of the most important things a person must do with the life and graces God gives him...her...and you...and me.

Until we meet again, may God be with you...and may God pour out his Spirit of mercy on us all...

+the Phoenix

Making The Rough Places Plain: A Public Display of Affection

a reflection from my archives

May 13, 2021 (original date May 13, 2015)

The Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima

Welcome, God and All...

For seven years now, when I enter cyberspace (and in particular, Facebook) each morning one of the first things I do is to acknowledge God's presence. After all, aren't we as Christians supposed to believe and acknowledge that He is everywhere? On some days, I have something on my mind that's come directly from the spirit within me. Those I consider 'original'. Other days, I look to other sources for inspiration. They can be graphics shared by others, Bible verses, even music clips from You Tube. These are prefaced with a simple "Good Morning, God..." and I am then about other tasks. This is not a unique thing - I mean, I am not the only holy fool who throws thoughts, sentiments, and devotion into something short enough to satisfy Twitter (even though I do not use that particular service) and share it across a social media website. Some days I may see a handful of 'likes' and even a comment or two. It's nice to know others are reading these, but I'm not doing this for personal praise or attention. Other days go by with no reaction at all. I'm not a celebrity, world or local leader; and everyone I know has busy lives to live.

So I was a little surprised to see a comment with a question mark after a post one morning in which I shared a verse from Saint Paul; specifically Romans 15:4, in which he states that everything written in the past (here he's talking about the Old Testament and other related texts) was done to teach us in the present, and that through strength and encouragement taught in these words, we might have hope. Hope is something I want to bank as much as possible. In 2014, I lost my main source of employment, my wife, and my mother; all in the span of five weeks. I became a widower at 59 years of age, caring for an autistic adult son; without a lot in the way of tangible resources to sustain us for the long haul.

The question: Why do I talk to God via social media? Why not do this in private prayer?

It is a good question. After all, in Matthew 6:6 Jesus teaches that when we pray, we should "go to our inner room, close the door, and pray to our Father in secret." This in turn is followed by Jesus giving us His own words - the Lord's Prayer. Yet in the previous chapter, Jesus also says that we are the 'light of the world' and that nobody lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket, but rather on a lampstand where its light shines for everyone (cf. Matt 5:14-15). Honestly, this means there is space for both intimate dialogue with God and public displays of affection. Several feeds to which I subscribe like to quote Matthew 10:32-33. Those two verses exhort us to acknowledge Jesus Christ before others; denying Him before others will result in being denied before God. This flows further from verse 27 of the same chapter; what Jesus says in private, proclaim in public. This is my public proclamation.

I started posting these prayers daily initially as a form of spiritual therapy. Because of my losses, I had to hold on to hope. Hope that I could overcome grief. Hope that I could discern where God is leading me next, and the tremendous changes I am undergoing. Hope that I will not lose sight of what is truly important. Hope that I will allow God to lift me and my son up to the next level. All this in a world where self-centered indifference to God has become very much apparent. Once I started I knew I didn't want to stop. It came to me that, while sorting out what I should do next, I should take up the vocation of prayer, public as well as private. The pay is lousy but the benefits are out of this world!

I'm no scholar; no expert on coping with grief. I won't win any literary awards and I'm certainly not vying for the Nobel Peace Prize. Still, I will offer praise to God daily, in a modest public display of affection. Whenever I see a 'like' or comment, I lift up those friends in prayer as well. I don't have to know anything else. You see, I firmly believe that there's nobody - absolutely nobody - that isn't in need of prayer for someone or something. We're supposed to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. As 'light of the world' we're called to be light-bearers, witnesses alive by and for the mercy and love of Christ. No doubt there will be great temptation and pressure to do otherwise. But if that tide can be withstood, even turned, so that more are earnest in prayer and publicly united in Christ, the foundation laid by Jesus is built up and the fog we walk in clears, the crooked ways are made straight, and the rough places made plain.

(c) 2015 Robert P. Balsamo

Making The Rough Places Plain: There's Truth in Reality

 A reflection from the archives of The Saturday Morning Post, April 21, 2018

April 21, 2021

Greetings, God and All...

Three years ago, before there was even a hint that face covering use would become a way of life and there weren't social guides and other sorts of gatekeepers at the doors of the church, mosque, or synagogue of your choice, I had the inspiration to reflect on just how far the faith had made effective use of social media in the mission of evangelization. Even as I was preparing to relocate my son and myself to new and yet familiar surroundings, little did I know then...

Back in my early days, the days before hundreds of television channels via cable and internet streams, the local channels offered programs of a religious genre. The Lutheran Church offered The Lutheran Hour and Davey and Goliath. The Jewish community aired a program for children called The Magic Door. Catholics were treated to Life Is Worth Living, presented by the great orator of the 1950s and 1960s, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Little by little, broadcast regulations changed and these programs were replaced by news programs, extended versions of Meet The Press and similar “panel discussion” programs. Religious programming might have died altogether were it not for people who would finance the evangelical Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the (Catholic) Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and shows by a growing number of non-denominational “televangelists” including Creflo A. Dollar, Reverend Ike, and more recently, Joel Osteen.

EWTN began on a wing and a prayer in 1981. Broadcasting only a few hours a day at first, from the very beginning daily Mass was presented. Locally in Chicago, “Mass For Shut-Ins” was aired on Sunday mornings. It’s bounced across several channels over the years and had a name change, but to this day those who search for it can still find it. In the age of live video streaming over the Internet, it is now possible not only to watch EWTN’s broadcasts, but local churches are presenting their services to the citizens of cyberspace as well. Two of my friends’ churches, as well as the Catholic community at the Marytown shrine in Libertyville, Illinois, are able to be viewed with just a few mouse clicks.

I am a big fan of this accessibility to what I’ll call ‘virtual’ church. For those with limited mobility, this brings the Church home and gives people the opportunity to hear God’s word preached and to pray (often in real time) with a community of faith. It is a boon to the sick and homebound. For me, it is an invitation to create a better prayer environment at home by opening a ‘window’ to an active house of prayer or dedicated chapel for devotion. I use this environment to pray the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) along with audio podcasts of the texts. The devotions of the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy and much more can be found through YouTube, along with beautiful representation of sacred art from paintings to stained glass windows and accompanied by classical sacred music.

My introduction to this online presence came from my late wife, Diane. She came across several devotional websites while researching curriculum for Nick, recipes, handicraft projects, and her own personal studies. I was indeed grateful for her legwork which indicated that some devoted people were indeed making use of modern technology as a resource for anyone able to access it. I continue to look for these and other sites and the treasures they might offer. I’m truly thankful to have this at my disposal.

For all its good and its potential outreach to anyone almost anywhere, however, it should not be considered a sole substitute for active participation in worship or liturgy for anyone apart from those confined for serious reasons. Take enough of the congregation out of the pews of churches, and the virtual outlets will dry up and wither away. Virtual church puts ultimate control of attention to content in the hands of the user. Even in my own experience, there are times where the distractions of time and place take me away from the extended sanctuary I have opened. There is also the danger of turning off preaching that is unsettling or doesn’t line up with an under-formed personal sense of spirituality, even when the source material is as good as it possibly gets.

This takes on another dimension when you consider receiving the sacraments. There’s no way to receive Holy Communion through a TV or computer screen, regardless of denomination. With the Catholic teaching of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine, the graces we seek through reception of this sacrament just aren’t accessible through a virtual environment.

It is important, therefore, to keep in mind an understanding to have a virtual presence available to those who truly need it and can benefit by it. This presence is of great help to sustain us throughout the week when our schedules are full; reminding us that God works 24/7 and that at any given time or place, we can interact with Him. Relying on virtual presence alone, though, leaves us still hungry for the sacred food and drink which sustains us on our pilgrimage to eternal life; and the companionship of other disciples and believers along the way.

---

...How prophetic those words became, so it seems. I was more than willing and eager to participate in the establishing the virtual Church environment, going online months before churches would reopen, with capacity restraints and sanitary guidelines and social guides to oversee it all.

Has it been effective, even as a stop-gap measure?

That's hard to say. I don't have access to the numbers, and they vary from place to place. What I do know, and didn't think of three years ago, is that there's always a cost involved.

The cost, in terms of number of people, is probably negligible. Church attendance, already in a declining slope before the pandemic, has continued to decline, judging by the numbers of users watching services through online livestream. There's a financial cost as well; domains such as YouTube and Facebook are looking to how many users access livestream sites. If a consistent average isn't met over time, content providers (churches, etc.) will have a harder time getting content up and running. Then there's the equipment needed, anywhere from recording on a cell phone to the more sophisticated TV-quality audio-visual equipment and editing software. Plus, any copyrighted content must be properly licensed for broadcast, whether over-the-air or livestream.

For all that, I believe that if it connects one person to a continual nurturing and awareness of the spirit within, it's worth the cost. In practical terms, however, being able to sustain that is a difficult decision; one that few congregations can genuinely afford while at the same time make the push to get people to return to in-person  worship.

Both of the Catholic congregations in which I had worked to provide online access recently stopped doing so. Numbers were flat; costs to livestream would increase; and the copyright license was up for renewal. I can't get upset over the decisions made, especially since most are in agreement that this was supposed to be a temporary solution due to the effects of the COVID pandemic...along with the points covered in the reflection I wrote three years ago.

Other congregations and dioceses continue to offer livestream and see it as an important tool to remain connected, especially to the most vulnerable and the homebound, as well as those who are possibly watching these programs in slots other than real-time. In a media market such as mine in metropolitan Chicago, there are several sources that have been established for a while and these are most likely to remain. Other newcomers to social media may retain an online presence because they see value in it that makes its expense an investment. My prayer is that we are not cutting off access prematurely, as variants to COVID and the uncertainty of many regarding the infection rate and the effectiveness of the vaccines - not to mention the politicization of the pandemic and the response to it - add to the division within our country and our congregations. If the Good Shepherd would leave 99 faithful in His lush pastures to find one lost sheep, then we must take this to heart and continue to show places where access remains to those who seek it.

Until we meet again, may the God of mercy be with you...

+the Phoenix

Making The Rough Places Plain: Reboot, Refresh, or Restore?

April  1, 2021

Stay here and keep watch with me; the hour has come

Stay here and keep watch with me; watch and pray...

(cf. Matthew 26:36 ff.)

"It starts." (Rafiki, The Lion King)

Welcome, God and All...

As spring's coming has breathed some new life into Planet Mother Earth, and the pace of vaccination for COVID-19 has stepped up, we have come upon the sacred days of the Passover and its twin, the Triduum (three days) of the Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection.

I'm hearing something of a relative paradox. Here in my corner of the Kingdom on Earth, churches are reopening; some for the first time in a year. And their leaders are worried, because the metrics on which they decided they could safely reopen - their open window of opportunity - could just as easily slam shut as those metrics are again trending in the wrong direction.

If I understand correctly, two main reasons for this latest disturbing concern stem from a) under thirty-somethings throwing caution to the wind and heading to the Florida and Texas (and probably California) beaches to 'celebrate' winter's end; coupled with b) the aforementioned and half of the rest of us ignoring the mandates to wear face masks and stay six feet away from each other. This issue especially is controversial and has been from the beginning as many do not believe the mandates are needed - and where they are in place, don't have any legal standing behind them.

In short, we are battling ourselves and have yet to understand that as much as this virus mutates, so we must also change our behavior - radically, so it seems - to even stand a chance of containing it.

I also learned this week (it's amazing that these studies and poll results are so perfectly timed) that a Gallup poll has indicated that less than half of the American populace have membership in a church. This is not related to COVID-19; the trend has been heading downward for a long time now. Nearly 75 years ago that number was somewhere around 75 percent. 

To hear that actual attendance is trending upward at the moment understates the facts that in January attendance was awfully low in those places that were open, and of course zero in churches, mosques, and synagogues that weren't. Plus, I must remember that we're under capacity restrictions. The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in our nation's capital has a seating capacity of ten thousand people; yet they're only allowed to admit 250 at present for any given service. One of my spiritual "brothers" recently made the observation that 90 percent of attendees at Mass lately have grey hair. (And the other ten percent have no hair, so I observe.)

Still, it is good to be able to start - somewhere - and I am thankful to God to be allowed the privilege, as it were, to do this year what I could not last year; even if it's only a fraction of what I was doing two years ago in any single place. 

I must also confess something. As a church musician whose livelihood was affected for a time by the onset of the pandemic, I looked wherever I could to stay active. It stems from part of my life's story, detailed elsewhere in these pages, as to the how and why I became a "wandering minstrel" for Christ. The long and the short of it is (and timing is indeed a blessing considered here) that God has granted me the grace to sing his praises in multiple congregations once more. With the continuing approach to using cyberspace and broadcast communication, the effort continues to reach out to many who might not hear the word of God or the prayerful inspiration of the ministers involved.

In my youth I fantasized that I would one day be recognized on public media like TV and radio. I realize that God allowed this into my life in His own way. I have stumbled through this many times. I am thankful that He, the risen Jesus, still raises me up.

Know that the resurrected Lord is still in control here. I don't think I need to go back and recap the story today. I'm not sure there are many people with the patience to listen, even though they should. Go and worship Him with all your being. Attend a service at a house of worship if you can and are able. Take advantage of opportunities that are provided by the media, even if they're not widely publicized (as in ask, and you shall receive). Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Make it loud enough for all around to hear. We can - with God's help - reverse the disturbing trends that plague our time, by turning to the One who turned the world upside down, yet still holds it - lovingly - in His hands.

Until we meet again, know that the risen Lord died for you so that he could be with you...and pray that He continues to have mercy on us all...

+the Phoenix