Since I arrived as pastor I don’t think have received as many compliments about a parish event as I received about the Eucharistic Procession on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The procession was absolutely beautiful, and the fish fry afterwards was great! The list of those who need to be thanked is long and distinguished. My thanks begins with Kathy Fayard, our super chief organizer. Kathy took the lead from day one, and the final product is really a result of her hard work. But Kathy has asked me to thank a few others. Here is her short list: “Hunter and gang for meal/set up and cooking/tent and fans/purchase. Renee and Laura for planning meal and arranging all cooking/dessert making and purchase. Laura for program. Liam for chairs and tables and Mark for take down. Kate and Brian for music selection and choir. Matthew and Lennie donated baskets and ribbon (and scraped rose petals off floor at florist). Joyce set up Benediction. George for incense. Legion of Mary for Rosary in church. 4 canopy holders (Matthew, Raymond Bankston, Mark Zelden and Charles S.). Tyler for cross, 2 candle bearers (Jim and Dominic). The Daughters of Charity for participating in procession. The First Communicants from our parish and our school. Karl Fasold and NOPD friends who volunteered services. Lennie and Betsey for helping flower kids. Gary Scheets and Jim Pilet for photography!* Dixie for all numbers and copies and other info.”

From the day I arrived here at Good Shepherd Parish, I knew that my most important job was to bring Jesus to people. This procession brought Him through the neighborhood!

Click here for plenty of photos of the procession and the fish fry afterwards.

This Sunday’s Gospel passage marks the beginning of the “Bread of Life” discourse from the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel, a chapter we’ll read in its entirety over the course of the next five weeks. This week begins with the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, which makes up the first fifteen verses of chapter 6. It’s a miracle that prepares the followers of Jesus for the words to follow. By revealing that He has the ability to perform miraculous acts, Jesus presents Himself as someone to be believed. But He doesn’t want His followers to settle for earthly food.

Over the course of the discourse, Jesus calls His disciples to a greater reality: the reality that God has come among them and desires to bring them into communion with Him. Jesus recognizes and attends to the earthly needs of the people, but He points out to them that they have a greater need, the need to reestablish the union with God that had been lost by original sin.

Since the people could not reunite themselves with the Father on their own, the Father takes the initiative by sending His only-begotten Son to accomplish the task. By joining God’s divinity to our humanity, Jesus reestablishes what was lost by original sin. And by instituting the Eucharist as the Sacrament of our salvation, Jesus provides the means by which we might enter into communion with Him.

We give the Blessed Sacrament many names. It can be called the Holy Eucharist (from the Greek word for thanksgiving) or the Body and Blood of Christ. It can also be called the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Bread of Life, the Lord’s Supper or the Banquet of the New Covenant. But since the Eucharist is the means by which we memorialize our union with Christ, it is also very fitting that we refer to it as Holy Communion.

Rev. William Farge, S.J. is our guest celebrant for the 4:00pm Vigil Mass and the 10:30am Sunday Mass. As an undergraduate at Loyola in the late 1960’s, then Mr. Farge was very interested in learning about foreign languages and cultures. Upon graduation, he sought admission into the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and requested to be sent to Japan to learn about that country’s culture and language. Father Farge, S.J, completed his theological studies for the priesthood in Tokyo, Japan, and was ordained a priest in 1978. He subsequently taught English and religion at Jesuit high schools in Hiroshima and Kobe, Japan from 1978 to 1990.

Father Farge returned to the States in 1998 and has taught courses in Japanese literature and language to a receptive student body. While teaching at Georgetown, Father Farge was approached by some students who asked him to say Mass for them according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (the pre-1962 Latin Mass). Since moving to New Orleans, he has celebrated that Mass at Loyola and St. Patricks. It is the hope of both Father Farge and Msgr. Nalty that he will soon be celebrating that Mass at Good Shepherd Parish.

What does it mean to be “the best”? Our American society puts a premium on it. If it’s high school, the best student is the “valedictorian.” If it’s high school sports, then the best team is the “state champion.” Pro football awards the “Lombardi Trophy” for winning the Super Bowl, and professional baseball gives the “Commissioner’s Trophy” for winning the World Series. Locally, Gambit Magazine list an annual “Best of New Orleans” with lists of the best restaurants, bars, banks, schools, theater and just about every local food item you can imagine.

But for a Christian, what does it mean to be “the best”? Are you the best if you’re a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Altar Society or the Ladies of Charity? Are you the best if you come to daily Mass, pray the Rosary and attend Adoration and Benediction? What about if you’ve received an important award from the Archbishop? Does that make you “the best Catholic”?

Let’s be honest, we all want to be recognized for doing a good job. We value hard work and dedication, and we admire those who’ve received awards. Heck, I obviously haven’t been shy about telling you how I helped Father Leo to “best” Bobby Flay in our recent fajita challenge! And in my first homily at Good Shepherd, I also mentioned that I wanted our parish to be “the best” in the Archdiocese!

But we have to have a long-term approach to being “the best.” And that long-term approach is the one demonstrated in the lives of the Saints. (No, not the New Orleans Saints! Although we’d like them to be the “best” by winning the Super Bowl, I’m talking about the Saints in Heaven.) The Saints led lives of heroic virtue on earth, and so they have achieved “ the best” that life has to offer: Eternal Life in Heaven.

So once again, what does it mean to be “the best.” Our example is Jesus. His words and actions today speak directly to the Apostles about what it means to be “the best”:  “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mk 9:35)

That’s quite a contradiction. To be the best, Christ calls us to be the “last”? To be the best, Christ calls us to be a “servant”? That’s hard to jibe with our notion of being “the best.” It’s all a matter of perspective. Striving for “the best” is striving for the “best things.” And the best things aren’t found in earthly honors, which are fleeting, but heavenly honors, which last forever.

This weekend, Christ reminds us of his suffering and death. He “bested” sin and death on the cross. And we follow his humble example. Think about it, have you ever said about another person: “he is one of the best people I know”? If you did, you probably weren’t talking about an award, but rather about the way that person lives his life.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

   

Ephphatha. It’s not a word you hear every day. It’s one of the dozen or so Aramaic words that are preserved in the New Testament, along with a number of Aramaic names and places. Most scholars agree that the Jesus primarily spoke Aramaic, with some Hebrew, Greek and Latin. The towns of Nazareth and Capernaum, where Jesus lived, were primarily Aramaic-speaking communities, though Greek and Latin were widely spoken in the eastern Roman Empire.

The Gospels are written in Greek, while most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. But it is interesting that the Greek of the Gospels sometimes transliterates exact Aramaic words to preserve the exact words of Jesus. Most of these are familiar to us, words like “Abba” addressing God as Father, “talitha kum” to the little girl Jesus raises from the dead, and “Eli Eli, lema sabachthani” (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”) which Jesus spoke from the cross. Today He says “ephphatha,” telling the deaf man’s ears to be opened. And opened they were.

The call of Jesus to “be opened” points back to the first reading in Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming of the Lord. And it had such a profound effect on the followers of Jesus that they wanted to reproduce not simply the “meaning” of what Jesus said, but the actual word: ephphatha. And the word points to us in two ways. Most of us heard it for the first time at our Baptism, when the priest – after anointing our head with Chrism – whispered it in our ear and prayed that “our ears would soon be open to hear the Word of God and our mouths to proclaim it.”

And it also points to our present day, to a command that we open our own ears to Jesus and His plan for us. It points to His proclamation of the Kingdom of God. It points to the Beatitudes. And by having this Gospel preceded by the reading from St. James, the Church proposes today we “be opened” to our obligation to care for the poor of the world. As James says: “Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom that He promised to those who love Him.” Our parish does great work for the poor, but we are called to do more. We can’t transfer our personal obligations to care for the poor to others. Each of us must respond to the words of Jesus: “whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” Ephphatha! Be opened!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

This week I read an article about bestselling children's author Philip Pullman, the author of the “Golden Compass.” It seems that Pullman is now styling himself as a theologian, and his new book, due to be published next year, accepts that there was once a holy man called Jesus but asserts that the idea that Jesus was God came from the “fervid imagination” of the apostle St Paul. There’s nothing new with this theory, which is heresy called “Arianism,” and dates to the third century. The problem with Pullman’s theory is that it denies every aspect of the self-revelation of Jesus contained in the Gospel.

Remember some of the stories: “The Jews therefore said to Him, “ ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’ Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.” (Jn 8:57-59).

“ ‘I and the Father are one.’ The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?’ The Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.’ ” (Jn 10:30-33)

Jesus’ claim to be God gave his judges three possibilities: (1) He was a liar; (2) He was insane; (3) He was God. These possibilities didn’t leave it open to refer to Jesus as a “holy man,” or a “great teacher.” If He was a liar or crazy, then He coudln’t be either. But if possibility (3) were to be accepted, then He was much much more that simply a holy man or a teacher. And the Jews couldn’t accept that.

Jesus was crucified specifically because He claimed to be God!

This week, Jesus asks his first followers the most important question they will ever be asked: “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter responds: “You are the Christ.” And as Christian people we follow that confession. We are the people who say that Christ is more than just a holy man, more than a great teacher, more than a prophet who announces God’s words, more than an inspiration. We are the people who confess, with Peter, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. This is the faith that brings us together: Jesus is the Son of God, who not only announces the words of God, but is the Word of God.

And that reality is our faith in Christ, which must be more than the confession of our mouth. It must be something confessed by our lives. In the second reading, St. James makes a distinction between dead faith and living faith: “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” If faith remains a theory that doesn’t affect our hearts, our hands, and our choices, then it is dead and has “no power to save us.”

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

This Sunday we complete our five week Eucharistic study of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Four weeks ago we heard about the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes – earthly food. Three weeks ago we heard Jesus describe Himself as the “bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna sent from heaven to nourish the Israelites in their Exodus in the desert. Two weeks ago Jesus starts facing detractors; but instead of backing down, He described Himself as the means by which we have access to the Father. Last week, He mentions that the process of gaining access to the Father through Him is by actually eating His body and drinking His blood. (Jn 6:54). Gone are the references to bread. Now He’s talking about His flesh and blood. And this week, many followers begin leaving Him. It’s too much for them to take. The idea of cannibalism goes against their law, and sounds insane.

But the Apostles remain. They can’t go anywhere because – as Peter says on their behalf – Jesus “has the words of Eternal Life.” What does that mean?

Think about it: the words of Jesus probably didn’t make any more sense to the Twelve Apostles than they did to the others who were walking away. The words would only make sense one year later when Jesus took bread and changed it into His body and took wine and changed it into His blood at the Last Supper, and then allowed the Apostles to eat His flesh and drink His blood for the first time. But in this Gospel passage, a year before that meal, Peter trusted in what Jesus said because he TRUSTED JESUS. Peter understood that a choice for Jesus means a choice to trust in what He says, to base one’s life on Him, and to put into practice what He asks. And most importantly, Peter realized that walking away from Jesus meant walking toward someone or something else that could never offer the hope of Eternal Life.

That’s the key: Eternal Life. Jesus doesn’t offer treasures on earth. He offers treasures in Heaven. He points the way, and provides the means by which we gain access to Our Father in Heaven.

Over the last month, I’ve been saddened by the deaths of many faithful Catholics. But I’ve also heard powerful expressions of hope by those who’ve been left behind. That hope that can only come from people who TRUST JESUS. Even if we don’t always understand why things happen to us in our lives, we know with certainty that trusting Jesus means trusting that He has the words to eternal life.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

As I mentioned over the last three weekends, the Gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Three weeks ago we heard about the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Two weeks ago we heard Jesus raise the bar and describe Himself as the “bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna from heaven of the Exodus. Last Sunday Jesus starts facing detractors, people who rejected his audacious claims, and He “upped the ante” by describing Himself as the means by which we have access to the Father. This week, things get even more challenging. Verses 51-58 connect the “bread from Heaven,” and the “means” by which we have access to the Father” to the actual flesh of Jesus.

All of a sudden, it becomes abundantly clear to the listeners of Jesus that He’s not speaking metaphorically. And they start challenging Jesus, arguing among themselves: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52). At other times in Sacred Scripture, Jesus had described Himself as the “vine” or the “sheepgate” or the “good shepherd,” and no one had protested. No one said, “how can this man be a vine?” or “how can this man be a sheepgate?” or “isn’t Jesus a carpenter, not a shepherd?” At those times, it was clear to the listeners that Jesus was speaking metaphorically. But when Jesus calls Himself the “bread of life,” and then adds “the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world,” there’s a storm of protest. And Jesus does not correct them. Because He’s not speaking metaphorically. He’s telling them His plan in plain and simple language. But these are words that call to mind murder and cannibalism. They’re very very difficult words. Imagine if we had been there at that time. Imagine we’ve seen Jesus perform miraculous cures, and we were in awe. Imagine we’ve been fed by a miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes. Imagine we’ve heard Jesus call to mind the manna that had fed our ancestors in their Exodus out of slavery into the Promised Land. And imagine that now Jesus is telling us that He will give us His flesh as food. I don’t know about you, but I think I would have been a little shocked – and maybe a little disgusted. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge carnivore, but I limit myself to meats like beef, pork and venison. Human flesh is not “what’s for dinner”! And Jesus goes on: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (Jn 6:54).  What a dilemma! I can have eternal life, but I have to eat the flesh of Jesus! How am I going to do that?


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

 

On Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. we will conduct a pro-life workshop in the cafeteria of St. Stephen Central School.

The Sidewalk Heroes workshop is designed to help churches, groups and individuals feel better equipped to be on the sidewalk in front of an abortion mill. This workshop is geared for anyone going out on the sidewalk – whether to participate as a “prayer warrior” or as a counselor – but it can also be a great source of information for individuals who strongly believe in the pro-life movement but have never worked “in the trenches.”

The workshop is faith-based, 3 hours long, and is packed with good information. The information includes the basics of abortion techniques; specific physical, emotion and spiritual consequences of abortions; who is typically seen going in for an abortion; and some of they reasons women feel compelled to have an abortion, and possible alternatives that can be offered. Legal aspects of sidewalk ministry are importantly addressed. And a short “practice” session will be conducted.

There is no cost for the workshop, other than 3 hours of your time. If you are interested please sign-up in the back of church or contact the parish office.

During the months of June and July, St. Stephen School will be undergoing renovations, among which is the removal of asbestos insulation.  For that reason, we will be unable to use the school for any summer activities. Also, parking in the schoolyard will be limited. I would kindly ask that the limited parking places in the schoolyard be reserved to our handicapped parishioners in need of the ramp.

If there’s one thing in the world we don’t like, it’s hypocrisy. I remember sitting next to a man on an airplane one time. When he saw that I was a priest in clerics, he was initially very courteous. He said he was Catholic and spoke about being involved in the Church when he was younger. As our conversation continued, he began to spend a lot of time criticizing the Catholic Church, particularly it’s teachings on marriage and sexuality, a male priesthood, and the war in Iraq. After listening for a while, I asked him where he went to church at the moment. He responded: “Oh, I don’t go to a Catholic church anymore; there are too many hypocrites there.” Nodding at his response, I turned to him and smiled: “Well, there’s always room for one more!”

The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek word “hypokrisis” which means “play-acting” or “taking on a role.” In the Bible, the word applies to people who pretend to be what they are not, especially those who pretend to be pious or virtuous without really being so. It seems that Jesus reserves most of His harshest words for hypocrites, as in this week’s Gospel: “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”

Since Jesus was harsh on the hypocrites, we are usually pretty quick to pile on scorn when people live hypocritically – when what they “preach” differs from what they “practice.” Many a television preacher has caused scandal when it was discovered that his public life was a thin veneer over a private life of immorality.

But we have to remember that Jesus could look into the hearts and minds of those who were “pretending” to be holy and pious, and we can’t. And we also have to remember that each of us falls into hypocrisy. We call ourselves Catholics, and we want to imitate Christ, but we often fall short by sinning.

And thankfully, there is a remedy for hypocrisy. And the remedy is humility. It’s a recognition that our road to holiness is one upon which we’re led by the Holy Spirit. We can only do so much; we need God’s grace. The surest way to receive God’s grace is through the two Sacraments by which we are constantly renewed: the Eucharist & Confession. In the Eucharist we humbly receive Christ, and in Confession we humbly beg forgiveness. I’m glad the Church is open to hypocrites. Otherwise, I might be out in the cold!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

  

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts which assist us in furthering our sanctification and help “complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them.” The term “gift” means that the Holy Spirit bestows them; they are supernatural gifts operating in a supernatural manner. They are not gifts one simply invokes in times of emergency. The gifts are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3.

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are:

Wisdom – The gift of wisdom allows us to see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the joys and sorrows of our lives take on deeper meaning.

Understanding – The gift of understanding allows us to comprehend how we should to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by the conflicting messages in our culture about the correct way to live. Similar to “common sense,” the gift of understanding perfects a person’s speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. St. Thomas Aquinas described it is as a gift “whereby self-evident principles are known.”

Counsel (Right Judgment) – The gift of right judgment allows us to see the difference between right and wrong, and to choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Christ. This gift of truth allows the person to respond prudently and happily to God’s commandments.

The church building is a concrete sign of the Church community, formed from the "living stones" who are the believers, an image very dear to the Apostles. St Peter (cf. I Pt 2: 4-5) and St Paul (cf. Eph 2: 20-22) emphasize how the "cornerstone" of this spiritual temple is Christ and that, united to him and well compact, we are also called to participate in the building of this living temple.

If God therefore takes the initiative to come and dwell among men and it is always he who is the principal author of this project, then it is true that he also does not want to accomplish it without our active collaboration.

Thus, to prepare oneself for Christmas means to be committed to building the "dwelling of God with men". No one is excluded; everyone can and must contribute in order to make this house of communion more spacious and beautiful.

– Angelus Address, December 10, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI

We have been greatly blessed by having such a beautiful church building in which to worship. It is a great gift of posterity and a witness to the deep and enduring faith of those who have gone before us. It is this faith that draws us still to this place. All of the beauty and splendor of this church was intended to draw us to Him whose beauty and splendor surpass all human understanding, God Himself, present here with us in the Eucharist. This truth is our greatest gift, and the knowledge of this is the greatest gift to us from our posterity. This is why I have asked that we gather together to adore Him who's purpose we seek to be about. So that we might not forget in all of the practicalities of our discussion that it is Christ's presence that calls us here and to His honor that we must work.

Over the past sixty some odd years there has been much neglect and many poorly done alterations to our church building. Our task is first to establish a plan for the restoration, in as much as possible, and renovation of our church. Following is a list, though non-exhaustive, of some of the primary issues to be addressed.

~Liam Cousino,  on behalf of the Good Shepherd Parish Building Committee

As I mentioned over the last two weekends, the Gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Two weeks ago we heard about the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes. Last week we heard Jesus raise the bar and describe Himself as the “Bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna from heaven of the Exodus. This Sunday Jesus starts facing detractors, followers who reject his audacious claims, and He “ups the ante” once again: “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Have you ever been hungry and not know what you were hungry for? You might want something to eat, but you’re not sure if it’s a po-boy or a snowball or some fruit. And you ponder it a while. This hunger can be somewhat similar to stages in our life when we wonder “what it’s all about.” We might have questions about our jobs or our relationships or our friends. And we think: “Why am I doing this? What do I want in life?”

Jesus understands both feelings. His human nature got hungry for food like we do. And He understood that those feelings can serve as metaphors for a deeper type of spiritual hunger. We might hunger for a “change” or “something better” or “something new,” and deep inside this hunger is a desire for something greater than ourselves. It’s a desire for eternity, a desire for wholeness; it’s a desire for love.

Nothing in this world can satisfy the deepest longings of our soul. Only God can do that. And since we cannot get to God on our own, He sent His Son down to us to feed us with the Father’s love and to call us to continue to reach for eternity. God has something in store for each of us that is greater than the world can give. And when we have that “something,” we have what the world cannot take away.

So how do we get it? It’s only given to us through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the means by which we have access to the Father. We come to Him in Word and Sacrament, and express to Him our great hunger for that “something” that we don’t have: that eternal life of happiness and love.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty