When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven (Acts 1-9-11)
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, which is the elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in the presence of His disciples. In Sacred Scripture, this occurred on the fortieth day after the Resurrection – which was actually last Thursday, traditionally called “Ascension Thursday.” However, the celebration of the Ascension has been moved to Sunday to encourage a more active participation in the Feast. In terms of modern air travel, I guess Jesus’ flight got postponed for three days!

The Ascension was prophesized by Christ’s own words. In John 6:63, Christ asks the Jews: “What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?” and in 20:17, He says to Mary Magdalen: “Do not touch Me, for I am not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren, and say to them: I ascend to My Father and to your Father, to My God and to your God.” 

Tradition has consecrated the place of the Ascension as Mount Olivet near Jerusalem, since the disciples are described as returning to Jerusalem after the Ascension from “the mount that is called Olivet.” (Acts 1:12). Christian piety memorialized the event by erecting a basilica over the site. The original basilica was destroyed by the Persians in 614, rebuilt in the eighth century, destroyed again, and rebuilt a second time by the crusaders. This second basilica was also destroyed by the Muslims, leaving only an octagonal structure which encloses the stone said to bear the imprint of the feet of Christ. It is now used as a small oratory.

What does the Ascension mean to us theologically? It meant a greater blessing for the Church. While Jesus walked the earth in the flesh, he was only present in one place at any one time. After the Ascension, He could be present everywhere through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel says that Jesus “raised up His hands, and blessed them.” Because of the Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, every priest in the world – configured to Christ through ordination – will raise up his hands this week and bless the people. At Sunday Mass, Jesus will be present when we gather in His Name, in the Word proclaimed, in the Eucharist and in the Priesthood. By the Ascension, Jesus opened the way for us to be present with Him in a much greater way.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

 

Congratulations to our First Holy Communicants

Laci Michelle Barrow
James Haydel Bostick
Madeleine Antonia Chapman
Tyson Victor Chapoy
Brieon Kaila Cooper
Patrick Thompson Evans
Katie Paige Gardes
Robert Andrew Hudson
Ethan Joseph Hutchinson
Mary Grace Jenkins
Tatumn Michelle Kirkwood
Audrey Ker Lemann
Mollie Kate McNulty
TréJaun Aliyah Morris
Donovan Norman Musser
Wilbert Thomas Odem
Patrick Steven Scheets
Jamie Anne Shannon
Emma Royals Singley

On May 1, 2011 at 3:00pm at St. Louis Cathedral, our parishioner Hunter Harris will be awarded the Order of St. Louis IX Medallion by Archbishop Aymond at St. Louis Cathedral. The Order of St. Louis IX award was established more than 40 years ago to honor those members of the laity who have contributed their time and talents to the church. 

Even if you don’t know Hunter, you’ve surely seen his name in the parish bulletin and heard his name at Mass.  Hunter grew up in Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, and has a great love for that church. Even in the midst of the pain of the parish merger, Hunter maintained a strong desire to serve the Church, most importantly in its mission to the poor. That work is most manifest in the St. Joseph Altar (which Hunter organizes with Rosary Henry) and our Outreach Ministry to the poor at St. Joseph Church. Hunter, you deserve this honor. We love you!

This Sunday is the Feast of Divine Mercy It is dedicated to the devotion to the Divine Mercy promoted by St. Faustina, and is based upon an entry in St. Faustina's diary stating that anyone who participates in the Mass and receives the sacraments of confession and Eucharist on this day is assured by Jesus of full remission of sins.

According to the notebooks of Saint Faustina, Jesus made the following statements about this day: "On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity." (Diary of Saint Faustina, 699)

The devotion was celebrated unofficially in many places for some years.  However, on April 30, 2000 (Divine Mercy Sunday of that year), Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina and designated the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday in the General Roman Calendar, with effect from the following year. He also decreed a plenary indulgence associated with this devotion. Pope John Paul II said he felt a closeness to St. Faustina when he was writing his letter Dives in misericordia. He died during the vigil of the Divine Mercy Sunday in 2005.

Instructions on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, using as a Rosary

Start at the Crucifix
Make the Sign of the Cross.
“Thou didst expire, Lord Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.  O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Thyself out upon us.”

(3 times) “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in Thee!”

1. Pray the Our Father.
2. Pray the Hail Mary.
3. Recite the Apostles' Creed.

* On the large bead before each of the five decades (set of ten prayers) say:
“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Thy Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

* On each small "Hail Mary" bead:
“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

* After five decades, conclude by saying three times:
“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

* Concluding prayers:
“Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Thy mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Thy holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.”

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "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.". (Jn 6:51)
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Today’s Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (“Corpus Christi” in Latin) is a fairly recent addition to the Church calendar, dating from only the 13th century. We know that the Body and Blood of Christ are present at every Mass, but this special feast to honor the Body and Blood of Christ owes its existence to the petitions of a Belgium nun named Juliana of Liège from the 13th century. From a young age, Juliana had a great love for the Blessed Sacrament and longed for a special feast in its honor. Her desire was increased by a vision she had of the Church under the appearance of the full moon having one dark spot. The spot signified the absence of a day specifically honoring the Blessed Sacrament. In 1208 Juliana also had a vision of Christ in which He instructed her to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi. The vision was repeated for the next 20 years, but she kept it a secret. When she finally told her confessor, he relayed it to the Bishop of Liège, who subsequently convened a synod in 1246 and ordered a Corpus Christi celebration to be held each year.

The celebration of Corpus Christi didn’t became universal until 1263 when Pope Urban IV (himself also from Liège) investigated claims of a Eucharistic miracle at Bolsena, Italy where a consecrated host had bled. In 1264 he issued a papal bull making Corpus Christi a feast throughout the entire Latin Rite. Corpus Christi was the very first papally sanctioned universal feast in the history of the Latin Rite.

While the institution of the Eucharist is celebrated on Holy Thursday, that particular liturgy also commemorates the washing of the apostles’ feet, the institution of the priesthood and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Corpus Christi was established to be specifically focused on the Holy Eucharist.

A new liturgy for Corpus Christi was composed by St. Thomas Aquinas. Included in the new liturgy were the Pange Lingua, is also used on Holy Thursday during the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose. The last two verses of Pange Lingua are also used as a separate hymn, Tantum Ergo, which is sung at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament along with O Salutaris Hostia, the last two verses of Verbum Supernum Prodiens, Aquinas' hymn for Lauds of Corpus Christi. Aquinas also composed the propers for the Mass of Corpus Christi, including the sequence Lauda Sion Salvatorem, which we sing today.

So we thank Holy Mother Church for the great feast we celebrate today. It’s a feast where Jesus feeds us Himself. Our Lord – the living bread whom we worship – becomes our food. 


(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty

This morning at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, officially declared “Blessed” the late Pope John Paul II.  The choice of the Feast of Divine Mercy, May 1, 2011 is no accident. Pope John Paul II had a deep devotion to his fellow Pole Sr. Faustina Kowalska and to the Divine Mercy devotion identified with her. In August 2002, in Lagiewniki, Poland where Sr. Faustina lived and died, John Paul II entrusted the entire world  "to Divine Mercy, to the unlimited trust in God the Merciful.”

The Decree of his Beatification notes, “Since the beginning of his pontificate, in 1978, John Paul II often spoke in his homilies of the mercy of God. This became the theme of his second encyclical, Dives in Misericordia, in 1980. He was aware that modern culture and its language do not have a place for mercy, treating it as something strange; they try to inscribe everything in the categories of justice and law. But this does not suffice, for it is not what the reality of God is about.”

Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope. (1 Pet. 3:15)
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Our Director of Religious Education, Phillip Bellini, has been running a series of articles in the bulletin on “Apologetics.” Since the word has the same origin as our word “apology,” often time people think that the word means to “say you’re sorry.” That’s not the case, but the origins of the words are similar.

Both “apology” and “apologetics” come from the Greek word “απολογια” or apologia , but the original meaning of the word has changed in our current use of the word “apology.”

In the Classical Greek legal system two key technical terms were employed: the prosecution delivered the “kategoria” which was like “bringing charges,” and the defendant replied with an “apologia.” To deliver an "apologia" then meant making a formal speech to reply and rebut the charges against onesself.
That word “apologia” appears in the Greek of the New Testament when St. Paul uses it in his trial speech: “I make my defense” (Acts 26:2). It’s also used in his Letter to the Philippians as he is “defending the gospel” (1:7 & 17). And it’s also used in the second reading (quoted above) where St. Peter tells the early Christians must be ready to give an “explanation” for their faith.

The word “apologia” in Greek is formed by two words: “apo” (απο) meaning “for” and “logos” (λογοζ) meaning “word.” In it’s most basic form, one is giving a “word” “for” what one believes. In a sense, it’s giving a “word” for the Word made Flesh.

Learning to give a good “defense” of one’s faith means learning about Jesus and what He said and did. But it also means learning how the Holy Spirit has guided the Church over its 2,000 year history. Jesus didn’t leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit upon the early Church at Pentecost, and that same Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church. So even though “apologetics” involves some studying, it must be animated by the Holy Spirit. It must be done in a spirit of charity and compassion toward those who have not come into a more personal relationship with Jesus. And Jesus Himself gives us encouragement and peace. Because He even used the word apology: “When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (Lk 12:11-12).

I hope a lot of parishioners will think about attending the 5 week summer class on Apologetics beginning on Thursday, June 19 and continuing each Thursday until July 14. As St. Peter says, we need to be able to explain the hope that is within us!

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

It’s my birthday!  My name is Joseph Michael and I weigh 7 lbs. 1 oz. and am 21 inches long! Mom took very good care of me!  Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Because you prayed for me, I got the best of all gifts----LIFE!

On behalf of the Good Shepherd Parish Pro-Life committee, I want to thank you for joining us in this journey of life for our spiritual baby adoption.

Stem Cell Research
By Jim and Martha Liston

The subject I wish to discuss this week is far beyond my intellectual capacity to do it justice. I will only attempt to scratch the surface, providing information which you could easily find on the internet. However, I think it is time to set the record straight concerning the basic science of stem cell research.

Whenever I read an article in the paper concerning this subject it rarely defines the type of research being discussed or, and more importantly, the validated merits of the endeavor. They also have a tendency to pit the church against science to somehow say that we, the People of God, stand in the way of progress. Some progress is good and some not so good, dare I say evil.

Do you think the Catholic Church supports stem cell research? If you only get your information from secular sources I would suspect your answer would be, No.  Of course it is a resounding…Yes. As a matter of fact the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences has a working group on Stem Cell Technology and other Innovative Therapies. The group is discussing one of the two forms of stem cell research, the one that has actually produced cures, the one known as Adult Stem cell research.

In the next article we will attempt to define the differences between the two methods of harvesting these cells and the benefits derived from the therapies.  Please stay tuned!

Don’t forget that each Sunday at 10:10 a.m. we pray the Rosary before the 10:30 Mass, in front of the Marian Altar (left of the main altar) for pro-life intentions.

Every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. we will pray the Rosary at the abortion clinic called the Woman’s Heath Center, 3500 St Charles Avenue (on the left of the Capital One bank near Louisiana Avenue).

As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” (Lk 24:28-31a)
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On June 10, 2004 while celebrating the Mass of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Blessed John Paul II announced that the year from October 2004–2005 would be a special “Year of the Eucharist.” Four months later, on October 7, 2004, the Holy Father issued the Apostolic Letter, Mane Nobiscum Domine, declaring the special year and outlining its purpose.
The Latin title Mane nobiscum Domine translates “remain with us, Lord,” and recalls the words spoken by the disciples on the road to Emmaus as they entreated the Lord, hidden in the person of a traveler, to remain with them. The image of these disciples on the way to Emmaus served as a fitting guide for a year when the Church was particularly engaged in living the mystery of the Holy Eucharist.
During life’s trials and tribulations, and even our bitter disappointments, the Divine Traveler continues to walk at our side, opening the Scriptures to us and leading us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God. He desires to be with us not only in eternity but especially today as we respond to the fulfillment of his promise to “be with us always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20).
Amid the darkness of the evening after the Crucifixion, the traveler brought a ray of light that rekindled the hope of the Emmaus disciples, and led their hearts to yearn for the Divine Light itself. “Remain with us,” they pleaded. And the traveler agreed. And soon afterwards, the face of Christ would disappear; yet the Master would “remain” with them, hidden in the “breaking of the bread” which had opened their eyes to recognize him.
As we approach the upcoming Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are called to spend some time contemplating the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. Their journey from disappointment (Penitential Rite), to understanding God’s word (Liturgy of the Word), to seeing Jesus in the breaking of the bread (Liturgy of the Eucharist) to going out and proclaiming that He is alive (Dismissal) is the journey we follow each time we attend Mass.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (Jn 10:1-3)
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This week is the Fourth Sunday in Easter, and it is traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because of the Gospel reading today in which Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. We’re all familiar with the images: Jesus standing, staff in hand, with the lamb across his shoulders. We have a beautiful stained-glass image of this in the stairway leading up to the choir loft. In fact, it’s the screensaver on my phone! Or perhaps we think of Jesus sitting under a tree – a little lamb on his lap. These are beautiful images, but they are incomplete.

For thousands of years, the Jewish people have used the Good Shepherd image to refer to God. It goes back to Genesis 49:24, where Joseph was saved “By the power of the mighty one of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, the God of your father...” Such imagery was used by Moses and most of the prophets. And it was used most familiarly by David in the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

So when Jesus described himself as the Good Shepherd, he wasn’t singling out the nicest herdsmen in the field. He was pointing to the prophecies about Himself. He was revealing Himself as God. But within this revelation was something knew. Jesus says at Jn 10:11 that “A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” Now this might seem a bit extreme. Sure, the shepherd loved the sheep. Sure he protected, fed and led them. But most of us would find it strange to give up our life for animals.

And that’s what happened, and that’s what is revealed in Revelations. “the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them.” So the Good Shepherd is also the Lamb of God. And that Lamb of God lays down his life for the other lambs. The infinite God becomes a lamb, and allows Himself to be led to the slaughter on the altar of the cross. Behold the Lamb of God, slain on the cross to take away the sins of the world!

During the recent remembrance of Good Friday, I described the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. I tried to imagine why would God allow Himself to be so brutally slaughtered by sinful men. The theological answer would be that He did it to show how much He loves us. It’s hard to wrap our minds around a love that strong. I can’t explain the “why” He would die for us. But I know that He did.


Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

 

Thanks to all of the volunteers who greeted pilgrims taking part in the Nine Church Walk on Friday. The pilgrims started arriving almost at the completion of our Holy Thursday vigil at 6:00am, and they continued even into the afternoon and evening. I sat in the confessional from 9:00-12:00 am, and the line was continuous for the entire time. Anybody who doubts the vitality of the Catholic Church in New Orleans need only to have seen the busloads of high school groups, CYO groups, and large families taking part in the walk to have their doubts removed. It was great to see so many devout Catholics, but it made me so proud and happy to be able to welcome them to our beautiful parish. I heard nothing but good reports from the crowds at St. Henry and Our Lady of Good Counsel. I wish I had been able to make it to those churches, but between the Holy Thursday vigil, confessions, the soup service, the 3:00pm Good Friday service and 6:00pm Stations of the Cross, I didn’t have much time to venture out!

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.” (Jn 20:19-21a)
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How do we define peace? Politically, it can defined as an “absence of conflict.” If we are busy at work, it might mean “no interruptions.” Some parents might equate peace with their kids being asleep or at their grandparents for the night. Peace happens to some people when their cell phone finally runs out of batteries or when a power outage knocks out the internet and the television. Oftentimes we actually “seek” peace in different ways. We can seek it by going to a quiet room, finding a secluded tree in the park, or going on a vacation to the mountains or a quiet island.

So why does Jesus say that He gives us peace “not as the world gives.” What does He mean? I guess the obvious thing is that He doesn’t mean it in the ways I’ve described above. Generally, when Jesus says that something is not “of the world,” then He’s saying it’s from somewhere “out of the world”: from Heaven. So what is it about this Heavenly peace? What makes it different from worldly peace? The answer can be found in places where earthly peace meets Heavenly peace. Many of us have gone on spiritual retreats. We know that this time can be important by allowing us to remove ourselves from the world of distractions and concentrate on the most important things. But we don’t just retreat from noise into quiet. We retreat from the temporal world to seek eternity. The peace of Christ isn’t found by an absence of conflict, interruptions, noise or technology. The peace of Christ is a gift given to those who seek Christ.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The peace of Christ comes from Christ. And if we want His peace, it’s there waiting for us in the quiet contemplation of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. On Tuesdays from 4:45pm – 5:45pm in the church, Christ is present in Adoration in the church. On Thursdays from 7:00am – 8:00am, He is present for Adoration in the Rectory Chapel. Before Mass, we can spend some time to experience His peace. After Mass, we can linger and spend some time to experience His peace. Over at Holy Name Parish, Christ is present 24/7/365 in the Adoration Chapel on the corner of Palmer and LaSalle Place.

After you’ve tried all the other ways to peace, seek the peace that the world can’t give. It’s the peace of eternity. And it’s found in Christ. And not only is it the peace the world can’t give. It’s the peace the world can’t take away.

Rev. Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty