Lent is Coming!

It is Sunday afternoon after a wonderfully long and exhausting week. There is nobody in the parish offices right now, the hall is empty, nothing going on in the church, and no meetings taking place. The crowd from the Mass and reception with the Archbishop has all gone home. The peace and quiet feels pretty amazing! It was a beautiful day today. The Archbishop’s visit, the Mass, and the reception were all a real time of grace. What a real joy it was to all worship at Mass together and to enjoy such a fun reception. I know many of you spoke to me about how beautiful the Mass and the reception were. In your name and in my own name, I thank the people who are actually responsible for that. The Choir and musicians, the servers, readers, ushers, and clergy all did a great job. I also thank those who worked so hard in providing such a wonderful reception. It was such a great time. Holy Week–which we begin today–is always an exhausting time for those who work at a parish, but this year, I realize that we have been running on high gear long before Holy Week began. There has been so much happening that it is hard some days to remember what day it is and what comes next. The parish staff has been absolutely amazing. They are just so good. They really pour themselves out for all of you. I know you all know this, but they really go way above and beyond for the sake of this parish. They never stop. The many good things that we are able to do as a parish are possible because they are selfless. We are very blessed. They are the best. Speaking of Holy Week . . . and so it begins. This week is the high point of the Liturgical Year. These are the most solemn days of our Catholic life. Please see the schedule of Masses and Services this week. Basically we should all do our very best to be here on Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. The Sacred Triduum is in a league all its own in terms of beauty. Don’t deprive yourself of it. Live it as completely as possible. You won’t regret it! Last Sunday I mentioned at my Mass that when Jesus told them to take away the stone from the tomb, Martha tried to prevent it by quite practically mentioning that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already (and it was hot) so, “There will be a stench.” That certainly was true. But, Jesus came precisely in order to enter into the stench of people’s lives. I mentioned that perhaps someone at that Mass had something in their life that they have buried away, afraid to ever confess it because they were ashamed of the stench of that sin. But, burying it only increases the rot. In confession, we roll away the stone of the tomb and allow the Lord to call us into new life. Jesus wants us to roll away the stone so that we can be set free. His mercy is for everyone. Lazarus was dead for four days and the stench must have been overwhelming, but Jesus is unafraid. He only shows mercy. He forgives. He sets free. After Mass, numerous people confided to me that they might be the person I was speaking to. Good! We are all tempted to bury our sins out of sight and seal them away in a tomb to rot. So, my reason for sharing this again is simply to say to anyone else who has “that thing” buried away that rots away at you, go to confession before Easter. Jesus is not afraid of the stench of our sins. Jesus loves you and wants you to be free. He only brings mercy. He only brings goodness. He only brings life. I look forward to living these beautiful (and exhausting!) days with all of you. Fraternally in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

On the front of our bulletin each week are the words: “Beauty, Goodness, Truth, and Friendship in Christ.” This past week I have seen so many instances of those words being brought to life in our parish. There has been something so wholesome about all that has taken place in these days. Many times this week I had the sense that the Lord is doing something beautiful among us. Last Saturday morning our weekly Men’s Group was well-attended. During Lent the Men’s Group has been doing a study on the Seven Deadly Sins and the opposing Virtues. We celebrated this week both the Feast of St. Joseph and the Feast of our patron, St. Patrick. Last Saturday evening over two hundred parishioners gathered for dinner, dancing, and singing. It was so beautiful to see parishioners in their eighties, only a few weeks old, and everything in between, all enjoying one another’s company. Many thanks to Fr. Harrington, our parish staff, and the incredible parishioners who put the whole thing together. It felt so wholesome. On Monday, the second graders at St. Patrick School received their First Reconciliation. What a beautiful privilege it was to witness the devotion of those children. On St. Patrick's Day I had the school Mass. I was so impressed by how knowledgeable the students were about St. Patrick! During my homily, at one point I asked, “What is the food that strengthens our friendship with Jesus?” A child said, “The Bread.” I said, “Well, it is correct but it’s more than just ordinary bread. What is it really?” Some pre-k four-year-old yelled out, “It’s the Body of the Lord!” Made my day. Also at that Mass, one of our third-graders received her First Holy Communion. After that Mass, the whole school gathered for a celebration of St. Patrick where they put on a play about St. Patrick’s life, saying hymns to St. Patrick, offered prayers, and had a big parade. I was really moved when they were marching to the words, “For God and for St. Patrick!” Again, I was struck by how wholesome it all was. After the Noon Mass on St. Patrick’s Day, we had Irish Bread and tea in the parish hall for all of those who were at Mass. On March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph, the Men’s Group hosted parishioners after the 6pm Mass and provided zeppole. This Saturday Fr. Sijo had a morning of retreat to help people live Lent in a deeper way. I have been very moved by the fidelity of so many of you to our two daily Masses during Lent and to the long confession lines! You’re an impressive lot! And today, of course, we welcome Archbishop Richard Henning for the Noon Mass. In a very real sense, us gathered together around the Eucharistic Altar with our Archbishop is the fullest expression of those words, “Beauty, Goodness, Truth, and Friendship in Christ.” It is in the Eucharist that we encounter the One who is Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. It is the Eucharist that binds us together into a communion of friendship with Christ and His Church. It is such a great joy and gift to be together with our Archbishop today. Repeatedly during these (and many other) events this week, I had that peaceful sense that, “This is just how things are supposed to be.” They were beautiful and wholesome moments. They are signs to me that Christ is here at work among us. Beauty, goodness, truth, and friendship in Christ are not merely words. They are a fact that is present and lived among us. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

I know that I use this column quite frequently simply to say, “Thank You,” but saying it is important. I am not going to list every person because I do not have the space, but generally speaking, I want to thank everybody who makes it possible for so many great things to be happening in this parish. Just this month alone there are so many things happening. All of which require the generosity and effort of many people. Each thing that happens in our parish happens because of the generosity and dedication of many people. Eighty young people were confirmed last week, six people will be baptized at the Easter Vigil, four others will be received into the Church, and a total of eleven will be confirmed. Our second graders at our parish school and in our religious education program will make their first confessions this month. There is the St. Patrick’s Day Party, various bible studies, Fr. Sijo’s Lenten day of retreat, the Saturday morning Men’s Group, the Tuesday Evening Holy Hours, two Lenten reflection groups, Irish Bread and Tea after the Noon Mass on St. Patrick’s Day, and next week the visit of Archbishop Henning for our Sunday Noon Mass with a reception following. And during the month of March, there will be approximately forty hours worth of Confessions heard. And, let’s not forget all of the everyday stuff like those who visit the hospital, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and the homebound. There are those who dedicate themselves to prayer, those who offer their musical gifts to the parish, and those who assist us in various capacities for our Liturgical life, mentor our youth, and serve the poor. I’m sure there are others. It is a lot. And all of that happens because so many people pour themselves out for the sake of everyone else. We can do a lot because we have parishioners and staff who are selfless. Thank you for that! I hope that many of you will be able to join us next Sunday for Mass with the Archbishop and the reception afterwards. It would be great for you to meet the Archbishop and for him to meet all of you. Please keep in your prayers those who will receive the Sacraments of Initiation–Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist–this Easter. I think it is so encouraging to have so many folks coming into the Church at our parish this year. So beautiful. In a parish our size sometimes certain things can slip through the cracks. One thing that we cannot let slip through the cracks is our duty to safeguard the Most Blessed Sacrament. We have many persons who bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound. In order to make certain that the Eucharist is being properly cared for, there will be a mandatory meeting on April 13th. If you are someone who brings communion to the sick and homebound, you must attend one of these two sessions. I have an obligation to make certain that the greatest care is given to the Most Blessed Sacrament. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you to all who have contributed to the Catholic Appeal thus far. If you have not yet donated, please make a pledge and be sure to put St. Patrick Parish Stoneham as your parish on the pledge form. This is how the Archdiocese will know to credit it towards our parish goal. Again, thank you! Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

On Sunday March 22nd, Archbishop Henning will be coming to St. Patrick Parish to offer the Noon Mass and will join us for a reception afterwards. His office called several months ago and expressed the Archbishop’s desire to visit us and celebrate Mass with us. Archbishop Henning is our shepherd and he desires to know us and it would be good for us also to know him. Please make an effort to join us that day for the Noon Mass. This weekend begins the Catholic Appeal. I will speak briefly at all of the Masses asking you to join me in supporting this important effort. The Catholic Appeal provides support for Archdiocesan ministries that provide invaluable support to all parishes throughout the Archdiocese. Every parish in the Archdiocese is required to meet its goal. I would be grateful if we could meet our goal quickly! Please make your pledge today. Before asking you to make your pledge, I have already made my donation. Please join me. For the next several Sundays the Gospel passages we hear will come from the Gospel of St. John. They are lengthy passages that are extraordinarily beautiful and deeply moving. These scenes from our Lord’s life really help us to encounter the Lord in a more profound way. If we take the time to pray with these passages during the week, we cannot help but be drawn more closely with the Lord. We will not simply hear these accounts read to us. We enter into these encounters. This week we are there when Jesus encounters the woman at the well. Next week we enter into the encounter of Jesus with the man who was born blind. The week after that, we stand with Martha and Mary and all the others who were there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Although each one of these Gospel accounts is filled with innumerable points of meditation, today I want to mention just a single theme that runs through all of them. In each of these encounters the person encountering Christ seems to be in an impossible situation. The obstacle to happiness seems insurmountable. The woman at the well was immersed in a life of sin and infidelity. Her shame was great. She was an outcast and seems to have thrown herself ever more deeply into sin. The man born blind suffered not only from his physical impairment, but also from the judgement of others who presumed his affliction was a punishment from God. And Lazarus, well, he confronted the greatest obstacle of all, death itself. Into each one of these situations, Christ entered in and set the person free; the woman at the well from sin and shame, the man born blind from his affliction, and Lazarus from death. This is who Christ is. He saves. He rescues. He has power to overcome what appear to be definitive obstacles to happiness. I know that I speak and write often about the Sacrament of Confession. That is not to place a burden upon you. It is just the opposite. It is because in this great Sacrament, the Lord enters into what seems an impossible situation and he sets us free. The same Jesus who entered into the lives of these suffering people in the Gospels, he is the same Jesus whom we encounter in the Sacraments. We can be free. Freedom is not trying to ignore or suppress our past sins. If you have any conscience at all, these things will always resurface. Past sins tend to blackmail us. They whisper to us that we will always be the person that did “such and such.” Present sins paralyze us and blind us to the love of God. Since they are freshly committed, we are tempted to wait until “some future time” to confess them so that we can feel better when we say, “Well, that was not recently.” (The problem is that when the future comes, we are still ashamed and, in the meantime, we only grow worse.) These obstacles stand in the way of moving forward in our life. Does Jesus want this for us? Absolutely not! Just as he entered the lives of those three individuals and set them free, so Jesus–our Good Jesus–seeks to enter our lives and set us free. The whisper that your past sins are a permanent disqualification from a life of grace is a lie. The whisper that your sins are an insurmountable obstacle that defines your worth is a lie. All lies. In the confessional, we encounter the gentle Jesus. In the confessional, we encounter the Jesus who overcomes the shame, the blindness, and the death that sin always brings. In the confessional, we encounter the Christ who lifts up, who gives sight, and who restores life. No sin has more power than Christ. In this Season of Lent, I encourage all of us to have recourse to this great Sacrament. Jesus loves you and desires that every obstacle in your life be removed by Him so that you can be free. He is Lord. He can do it. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes

I think we will run a betting pool to see what date the last mounds of snow around the church will melt. I’m thinking the prime spots will be around the Fourth of July. Speaking of the snow, I want to acknowledge and thank our dedicated maintenance team for the long hours and hard work they’ve put in this winter. Even as the blizzard was in full force, they were suited up for battle and getting our property cleared of snow. I am very grateful for their amazing work. This past week, as I was preparing for our Finance Council meeting, I was thinking about how grateful I am to be your parish priest. You all make it easy and a joy to serve here. It can sometimes be a drain for priests when they offer things for their parishioners and receive little or no response. It can be disheartening. You, however, are always responsive. When various opportunities for formation–holy hours, bible studies, men’s group, book studies etc.–are offered, you show up. I often bring a book with me for when I am hearing confessions, but I never get to read it. We offer confessions and so many people take advantage of it! We ask for food for the poor and you bring it. We mention that Catholic patients in the hospital are in need of the Eucharist, and you respond. In a similar vein, I am grateful that you possess a strong sense of fiscal responsibility for the parish. Over the past few years, each year the weekly offertory collection has increased. Unfortunately, that is not the case in every parish. For a long time, Catholics felt like all they needed to do was “throw a buck” in the collection. That general attitude has persisted in many parishes. People often think of the weekly offertory as “giving what I happen to have in my pocket” on a particular Sunday. That lack of intentionality and lack of a sense of responsibility has destabilized many Catholic parishes. There seems to be a never-ending list of necessary maintenance issues to be addressed on our buildings and properties. Those issues are immediately obvious to us. If the heat, the sound system, or the air conditioning isn’t working, we notice. When the roof leaks, we notice. Those are kind of the “body” of the parish. At the same time, we have to tend to the soul of the parish. These needs are not always quite as obvious, but they are even more urgent. They are about making it possible for as many people as possible to encounter Jesus Christ, especially in the Sacraments and in His Word. This happens through our life together as a parish family. Everybody needs Jesus Christ, whether they know it or not. Everything we do as a parish is ultimately aimed at helping people to come to know, love, and follow the Lord. That is why we have daily confessions, more daily Masses during Lent, and so many opportunities to gather together for formation and friendship. This year, I was particularly moved by the vast crowds who filled our church on Ash Wednesday. I know people sometimes dismiss the once a year people as being insincere, I honestly am amazed by their presence. In a culture that has become so secular and de-Christianized, I think it is an amazing work of grace that so many people are still drawn to church on that day to be told they need to repent. Deep down, they know it is true. That, I think, is why they come. One of my goals as pastor is to find ways to reach those kinds of people; people who are not often here, but who are open to the Gospel. Our attempt to build up our parish is not only for those who are already here. It is also so that those who are looking for something find it here. I know that sometimes priests can feel as though the burden for all these things is entirely upon them. I am very grateful to all of you because I do not feel that way. I feel like all of us are working together–each in his or her own way–to build up our parish and help others to encounter Jesus Christ. This mission that is given to all of us–in different ways–by Jesus Christ becomes a joyful burden. This was a long-winded way of saying, “Thank you for making this a great place to be a priest.” Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes