Saint Pius X - July 15, 2012 - Eric

What's Happening:
Hello again. Mass Chaos is back after a six month absence. In some ways it seems like a different world. In December we were all worried about the changes to the Mass and how it was going to affect our church experience. Now, Catholics find themselves squarely at odds with the government. Pressure is mounting on American Catholics to compromise ancient teaching and conform with what the world has to offer. All these challenges can seem overwhelming.

Lost in all this is that nothing has changed as far as our calling. We are presented with the same challenges that we have had since the moment we decided to live our faith. We still have to approach every person with love and respect. Although this is simply said, it is hard in practice, and it calls for prayer, faith, and God's word.

We do need one more thing, we need each other ... for encouragement. I was reminded of this while writing this, because I read something that was pretty hateful and discouraging. My first thought was to contact someone, anyone, who I know prays for me. While I did not do this, having the assurance that someone would be there for me raised my spirits up immediately. If you're one of those people that lift me up, thank you. Encourage your family, encourage your friends, encourage all.

Frank, Teri, me, Marilou, Sarah, and Joe.
We're standing in the same spot we were in week three of the original Mass Chaos.

The Church:

What a fabulous remodel! The new interior is warm and intimate, the sound system is state of the art (Father gave us a tour), and it retains a few elements of the old to go with the new. It was my first church with the new camera, so I'm not sure if everything came out well, but here are all the pictures.

Gospel:
"He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” Mark 6:8

I'm not this brave. I would be terrified walking out the door without means for eating and shelter, without a map, and without a plan. Is this too much to admit? Terrified is exactly the right word. I had enough of an issue trying to keep my head together from doing the original Mass Chaos tour and not panicking.

I don't know how I'd ever get over myself and my own issues to be able to go on a journey somewhere. I bet the apostles felt the same way. The lesson here is trusting in God's plan. Not everything went well for the apostles, in fact, it didn't end well for them on this earth. Our goal is heaven, and this is God's goal for us as well ... this is God's plan for everyone. The apostles fears and doubts were blessed, and they were able to overcome them by trusting in Jesus by simply putting one foot in front of the other. They didn't just journey by themselves to heaven, they brought millions of people with them.

I pray that I am brave enough to just make it out the door.

Saint Philip Neri - December 18, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
I spent the past weekend, Monday, and Tuesday with a four and a half day migraine. I hate migraines. Unfortunately, they are a fact of life for me, and while I appreciate the people who are empathetic towards me, and those who pray for me when I'm in the middle of one, it is I who have to deal with them and overcome them.

Those who are close to me can see when I have one, I'm sure I look like I'm unhappy or some other external sign that I'm not getting along too well. Or maybe I'm just crabby to them. People who don't know me probably think I'm an idiot, a jerk, or both when I'm in pain. If I've treated you like this, I'm sorry, please have patience with me.

It's not always easy to see when someone is in pain or suffering. Consequentially it is not always easy to deal with them. Our call is still the same, to help without enabling, to lift up, and to help to bring everyone closer to Christ. Pray my friends that we can be ready to help, regardless of how we feel when hear the call.

Maggie, me, Beth, Sarah, Joe, and Marilou.

I wasn't the only one, but I stayed out too late the night before, so I went right home after Mass, everyone else went out to eat. I'll be compiling all of the photos from this mini-tour here.

Gospel:
"Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ” Luke 1:30

God knows the plan, but he needs to communicate it to Mary. He sends his angel to visit her. Surely a visit from an angel is going to be perplexing, and probably might cause a little fear. The angel announces to Mary that she has been found with favor by God. The angel speaks to Mary, but it we who have our fear removed, the miracle of Jesus birth is coming, and it is we who are saved. Our fear turns to hope, then to joy.

"...a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices"

This part of the tour is finished, and I'll be stepping back from blogging for a little while. I hope to see you all at Mass. Merry Christmas!

Holy Family Shrine - December 17, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
This past Wednesday I had dinner with a friend of mine from high school. We went to Marian Central Catholic in Woodstock, Il. Tony and I were two of four friends who hung out all the time. We talked about church, and we talked friends and family, and we talked about some the dumb things that we did as kids. We were your typical suburban teens; full of pride, listened to no one, didn't care about anyone's feelings, and did what we wanted to do ... yet somehow we made it through. My friends, I was an idiot, and I'm sure I wasn't alone. Do I want to be remembered for the stupid things I did almost three decades ago? No, I don't. Not everyone responds to God's call with change, but we have to encourage them to do so, to give them the opportunity to do so. Does this mean that we should put ourselves in harms way? Probably not, but it isn't always the safest thing to deal with people living in sin and/or crisis, but it is still our calling to help. God offers redemption to all, let us be remembered for choosing Him and helping others, rather than being remembered for the sins of our youths.

Me, Marilou, Beth, Ronny, Tom, Frank, and Joe.

I love Holy Family Shrine, it is so easy to feel at peace there. It is also easy to get very good pictures. It's not so good if you want to pay attention at Mass; I get caught up in watching the cars go by on the highway, or looking at the wonderful view of the Platte River valley. You can see all the pictures from our Advent Mass Chaos tour right here.

Gospel:
"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham...” Matthew 1:1

God is thorough. His son could have been born to any person in any generation and still made the difference in the world. However God wanted to make certain that we, frail and question humans that we are, had no way to point away from, or question the authority of Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of the all the prophets and kingship of David. Saint Matthew wants this to be obvious from the very beginning of his gospel. Jesus is the heir of David, the king above all others, and our Lord.

Saint Margaret Mary - December 8, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
As I've remarked before, happiness + peace = joy, it's easy to understand this formula. Happiness comes from the enjoyment of God's creation. Peace comes from being close to God. Joy is not the normal state of humankind, although we can certainly seek happiness from God's creation (although we tend to mess it up), our sinful nature keeps us from peace, so it's hard for us to get to joy. I find it easiest to overcome myself and enter into joy by keeping the moment I am having right now in front of me and thanking God for it.

I encountered joy in the parking lot of Saint Margaret Mary Thursday after Mass. I was running through the snow with Marilou and her daughters. I'm sure some might call my childlike behavior 'undignified' or 'immature', but I know joy when I encounter it. Do not be afraid to love the life that is right in front of you, right now.

From our visit to Saint Margaret Mary on September 26, 2010.

I took no pictures ... who knew it was possible. We had Rich, me, Joe, Sarah, Patrick, Jen, Marilou, Rebecca, Morgan, and Chad there, I'm going to throw in Ronny just for good measure, 'cause she says she wants to go, and she was there. I'll be compiling all of the photos from this mini-tour here.

Gospel:
"Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38

The Old Testament is full of crotchety, sinful men who crankily get to do God's will in a roundabout way, or only after repenting from their sins. Mary, in contrast, is none of that, merely saying yes. Mary is the example, for every generation, of how to respond to God's call. Without regard for our own desires and without regard for what others may think, but only trusting in God. Our reward is not here, but it is in Heaven and being with God forever, where our joy will know no end.

Next week:
Sat, Dec 11 @ 11:00am - Dowd Memorial Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Boys Town

Saint Bridget - December 3, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
Giving up is not an option. I have to laugh every time I give people advice like this. Indeed, giving up is not an option, however having the wherewithal to change your goals is an excellent ability. I find myself at a fork in the road, and really don't particular like either path. One is familiar, but apparently loops around back to this same spot, the other path means going into the unknown. I'm not particularly frightened, but choosing the unfamiliar path means letting go of something I have wanted for a long time, and I already know where the familiar one leads.

I had a close friend that used to to say "I'm not selling out, I'm buying in." It's a phrase about attitude, and there in lies my issue. I don't necessarily have the best attitude about the whole thing. In fact, it can occasionally be really crappy. I feel like I letting go of what I want is being disloyal, that I'm selling out.

In fact what I'm doing is adapting. My plan A didn't happen, so I should be on to plan B. My inability to let go means two things, that I'm putting more value on loyalty than doing what I think is right, and more importantly, I am not trusting God and the path He wants me to go on. The former should probably be well thought through, the latter, however, should not be. Change is not easy, but we should be ready to turn away from what we're doing, and towards what God wants for us.

From our visit to Saint Bridget on December 3rd.
Me, Patrick, Jen, Sarah, Maggie, Nancy, Beth, Marilou, Luke, and Joe.

I only took a few photos, because we have been to this church before. I'll be compiling all of the photos from this mini-tour here.

Gospel:
"A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” Mark 1:3

Why is a voice crying out in the desert? Why not a dense woods, or a lush field, or beautiful coast. A voice cries out in the desert because that is where we are. Without God, we exist in a desert, we are without water, we are without nourishment, we are without shade. Without God, not only do we not have anything, we don't even know what we are missing. Saint John the Baptist came to herald the coming of God's son, our Savior, the one who will lead us out of the desert in to a life of abundance.

Suddenly in the midst of our wanderings, we hear a voice, and we follow it. The voice is that of Saint John, the other saints, angels, and even each of us is capable of making this call. We suddenly realize there is more, so much more, than we are capable of imagining. How do we react? Some, out of fear, or pride, or jealously, react poorly, and reject the call. Some of us however, are drawn towards the voice. We encounter Jesus, and we follow Him. As we travel, our mountains are made low, our valleys are filled in, our paths are made straighter. The voice leads us to paradise, my friends, follow it.

Next week:
Thu, Dec 8 @ 7:00pm - Saint Mararget Mary - 6116 Dodge Street, Omaha
Sat, Dec 11 @ 11:00am - Dowd Memorial Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Boys Town

Saint Bernadette - November 27, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
The long discussed changes to the Mass are upon us with the beginning of Advent 2011 and we, the Mass Chaos group, gathered again as a group to support each other through these changes. There will be people who don't like the changes, and those of who are living should and do have a say in the ways of the church, but we belong to the church, not the other way around. The church belongs to God and all generations of believers. I like the ancientness of the church. I like that changes take place and are tweaked on century long time frames. Forty years has passed, and two generations of believers got to try out the changes coming out of Vatican II to see how it works. A good amount of time has passed, and now is the time to check the translation against the original document, and improve on the way we do things.

My first thought is: I appreciated the cue cards in the pews to help us through the Mass, now if I actually read them. I don't think that the changes are that significant, other than trying to get through saying "and with your spirit" instead of the old way. I really like the ending to the Nicene Creed.

"...I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen."

Beth, Ben, Maggie, Nancy, me, and Joe.

I only took a few photos, because we have been to this church before. I'll be compiling all of the photos from this mini-tour here. I also added a visit to the Holy Family Shrine on Saturday, December 17.

Gospel:
"What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:37

Jesus tells us to watch.

As I read through the Gospel, I ran through what I have been taught about this reading, but then I considered something a little different. We need to be ready to watch for Jesus in every encounter that we have, in every person. He will come again in glory, but we can encounter him in the here and now in Communion and in the people we meet. We treat everyone else with dignity and respect because Christ came to save those people equally as much as He came to save us. He is here. Are we watching? Are we ready?

Lord Jesus, help me to be watchful for you in all that I do.

Next week: Sun, Dec 4 @ 11:00am - Saint Bridget - 4112 South 26th Street, Omaha

Mass Chaos Returns!

Mass Chaos returns! Since there may be some trepidation with the changes to the Missal starting the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, we figured what better way to feel foolish and lost than if we all felt foolish and lost *together*. Brilliant, eh? This tour will cover five churches in the four weeks of Advent plus the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

The Plan:
Sun, Nov 27 @ 11:00am - Saint Bernadette - 7600 South 48th Street, Bellevue
Sun, Dec 4 @ 11:00am - Saint Bridget - 4112 South 26th Street, Omaha
Thu, Dec 8 @ 7:00pm - Saint Margaret Mary - 6116 Dodge Street, Omaha (subject to time change)
Sun, Dec 11 @ 11:00am - Dowd Memorial Chapel of the Immaculate Conception - BoysTown
Sun, Dec 18 @ 10:30am - Saint Philip Neri - 8200 North 30th Street, Omaha