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By Bishop John, July 9, 2012 4:01 am

The other day I celebrated my 82nd birthday. To me that did not seem all that old. After all, just a matter of months ago I was in my 70’s, but when I mentioned to a friend that I was 82, the person blurted out to me, “You are not only 82 but you are eight years from 90!” I double-checked and the math seemed to be correct. Wow!

When you are in your 80’s, first one and then another of your friends gets a little ahead of you and goes on to God. I have experienced this a great deal of late and I must admit that it makes for calm, thoughtful thinking about God, our lives and how we have lived them.

This got me to start thinking about the Last Rites of the Catholic Church, the meaning and beauty in which they are celebrated in ideal circumstances. I have ministered the Sacrament of the Last Anointing in various circumstances sometimes in rather rushed or awkward manner as on the site of an automobile accident or an explosion. But let’s look at it in terms of the ordinary celebration of Extreme Unction. The person approaching death is laid out in bed in comfort and dignity surrounded by members of the family, sometimes children and grandchildren, sometimes siblings, sometimes the spouse. Beside the bed, there is a freestanding crucifix surrounded by two burning candles and the priest has brought in a container for holy oil, a small locket containing the sacred host, the Blessed Sacrament, the presence in our home of Jesus of Nazareth.

The priest is not just an individual. He represents the Universal Church and he also represents the local Church into which this dying person has been living. As the priest prays over the person, he is thanking God for this person’s presence in the community of faith over the years. He was baptized, made his First Communion, most likely married and worked hard, raised a family and now the end is in sight. Spiritually, the priest and the community from which he has come lift that person up towards God and presents him and his whole life as a gift to God. We ask God to accept this person’s life, reward him for his goodness and receive him into eternal life.

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By Bishop John, March 24, 2012 5:39 am

March 25th, Fifth Sunday of Lent
For all the followers of Jesus who have been making good use of this six week period of prayer and sacrifice the end is now very near. The holy season is approaching and John’s Gospel text, located in the middle of the 12th chapter, tells what is about to happen and what will be the results of this event.

Remember, that last week Jesus compared himself to Moses in the desert saying that, “The son of man must be lifted up so that all who believe may have eternal life in him.” This time we see Jesus dreading the approaching suffering but he recommits himself in carrying out the will of the Father. Jesus says again, “Once I am lifted up…I will draw all men to myself.” He is, of course, referring to his approaching crucifixion.

Sometimes other Christians outside the Catholic fold criticize the constant use of the crucifix in the Catholic Church and its members. We begin every prayer with the sign of the cross. When we bless objects we do it in the sign of the cross. Ideally, our churches are built in the sign of the cross. Many of the rooms in our homes and our classrooms have crucifixes on the wall. In so doing, the Church is not in any way denying the glorious reality of the resurrection but it wants us always to remember that Christ has been lifted up and we are to be drawn to him by that sacrifice.

On to Good Friday!

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