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#12thandMass
FEAST OF SAINT AGNES Tuesday, January 18, 2022 This Sunday we celebrate, in a special way, Saint Agnes (of Rome), our patroness and intercessor, co-sojourner, sister and divine friend. The early Church assigned her feast to 21 January (we are moving it to our Sunday celebration for communal purposes; she doesn’t mind!). Agnes was born in Rome and raised in a Christian family. She died a virgin-martyr at the age of 12 (or 13) on 21 January 304. She was buried in a Roman catacomb, over which, during the reign of Constantine (306-337), a basilica, Sant'Angese fuori le mura, was erected. The basilica was later remodeled by Pope Honorius (+638) and has since remained unaltered. In the apse is a mosaic showing Agnes amid flames, with a sword at her feet. It is my dream to have a parish pilgrimage to this site. Many have sung her praises and extolled her virginity and heroism under torture. The three oldest written testimonies to her martyrdom are those of Saint Ambrose (d. 397), Bishop of Milan, Pope Damasus (d. 384), and Aurelius Prudentius (d. 413), Roman Christian poet. Prudentius adheres to Saint Ambrose’ account of death by the sword but expands the story: the judge threatened to give over her virginity to a house of prostitution for refusing a fixed marriage. For her refusal of such aggression to her innocence, she was killed. In the end, she remained a virgin and obtained the crown of martyrdom. How the gift of faith can make us strong and faith-full and victorious. Indeed, by it, one can move mountains… Saint Agnes, patron saint of rape survivors, can teach us about the sacredness of the human body and about being single-hearted for the Lord. She is depicted in the mural above our main altar. She is the second figure from the left, and below her are symbolic representations of her innocence and martyrdom: a lamb (agnus in Latin) and a palm branch. Saint Agnes, pray for us. Yours on the faith journey with her, Dominique+ Rector
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#12thandMass
Next week is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This has been an ecumenical tradition since 1908 and is celebrated every year from 18-25 January in the Northern Hemisphere or around the feast of Pentecost in the Southern Hemisphere. It is sponsored jointly by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 was chosen by the Middle East Council of Churches, originating with the churches in Lebanon: “We saw the star in the east and came to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2). “The Magi reveal to us the unity of all nations desired by God,” the Council writes in its introduction to this year’s Week of Prayer. “They travel from far-off countries, and represent diverse cultures, yet they are driven by the same hunger to see and know the newborn king and are gathered into the little house in Bethlehem in the simple act of giving homage and offering gifts.” We ought to be pained by the lack of unity in the Church Universal, in the Body of Christ. After all, as Saint Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians (4:4-6), “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” During this week and beyond it, let us pray that Jesus, by His gracious love, make this oneness a reality for us. May we show a special love for all of our Sisters and Brothers in Christ. Let us pray: Good Shepherd, the fragmentation of the little flock grieves your Holy Spirit. Forgive our weak efforts and slowness in pursuit of your will. Give us wise shepherds after your own heart who recognize the sin of division, and who will lead the churches with righteousness and holiness, to unity in you. We ask you, Lord, to hear our prayer. Amen. Yours in Christ, Source of our oneness, The Rev. Dominique Peridans fellow-pilgrim #12thandMass
January 4, 2022 This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. In the gospel passage assigned for this feast, we “hear” the First Person of the Trinity, God the Father, speak of and to the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, as “the Beloved”. This is very moving. And as incredible as it may seem, the statement also applies to us. We too are the beloved of the Father. This tender language is foreshadowed in the first reading (Isaiah 42:1-9): “here is my chosen, in whom my soul delights.” It reveals that the mystery of God is one of unfathomable intimacy and we are invited to join in this intimacy. Indeed, in our own Baptism, Jesus introduces us into the Trinitarian life. The Carmelite nun, Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity (d. 1906), one of my favourites, writes in a poem that she composed for Christmas of 1901: He comes to reveal the mystery, To share all of the Father's secrets To lead from glory to glory Even unto the bosom of the Trinity. Ponder this and surrender to the Lord with a desire for this—especially when things get rough: the projects seem always to go unfinished, the relationships seem only to get more complicated, the loneliness, the bills, the apparent endlessness of COVID, the physical pain that is too great, the unanswered questions... Let yourself be-loved. Yours in Christ, Dominique+ Child-of-God #12thandMass
Wise Guys December 28, 2021 This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany (transferred from January 6). As many of you know, “epiphany” means manifestation. We celebrate God incarnate, the Word made flesh, made manifest to the Gentiles (“ones who are not Jews”, i.e., those outside Jesus’ community) in the persons of the mysterious Magi. The Magi come reading a star, indicating the birth of a king. They come moved, however, by more than their astrology. It seems that they are given faith. God indeed freely bestows His gifts. Faith enables us to discern mystery from above. Thanks to faith, to the Magi Christ is made known. St. John Chrysostom commented on this gospel of the Magi. Saint John was born in the ancient Greek city of Antioch, died in 407, called “golden-mouthed” (Chrysostomos) to underscore his celebrated eloquence, eventually became Archbishop of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1568, enjoys veneration in the Orthodox (with four separate feast days!), Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Churches. He tells us that If the Magi had come in search of an earthly king, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently, they would have neither adored nor offered gifts.But since they sought a heavenly King,though they found Him in no signs of royal pre-eminence, yet, content with the testimony of a star alone, they adored. “Our light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us” as well. (Isaiah 60:1)Let us rejoice! Yours in Christ, Dominique+ seeker-with-you #12thandMass
December 14, 2021 This Sunday is the fourth and final of Advent. We will be invited to revisit, in faith, the mystery of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. There is more than meets the eye in this encounter. St. Ambrose (+397), Doctor of the Church (a sure guide and companion on our faith journey), traditionally credited with composing the hymn Te Deum, carefully considers this encounter: Elizabeth is the first to hear Mary’s voice, but John is the first to be aware of grace. She hears with the ears of the body, but he leaps for joy at the mystery. She is aware of Mary’s presence, but he is aware of the Lord’s: a woman aware of a woman’s presence, the forerunner aware of the pledge of our salvation. The women speak of the grace they have received while the children are active in secret, unfolding the mystery of love with the help of their mothers, who prophesy by the spirit of their sons. As we approach the Christmas season (Christmas Eve through Epiphany, January 6)! and we are surrounded by the panic of remaining shopping for impossible gifts, and of preparations for holiday entertainment, I invite you to spend some quiet time, close to Mary, asking her to help you, as she does so well, to “treasure all these words and ponder them in your heart” (Luke 2:19), to cherish the presence of the Lord within. In so doing, we purify our hearts and thus prepare for His coming. As the same St. Ambrose so lovingly exhorts, Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each to rejoice in the Lord. Christ has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ in faith. Every soul receives the Word of God if only it remains pure. The soul that succeeds in this proclaims the greatness of the Lord, just as Mary’s soul magnified the Lord and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior. I look forward to celebrating Christmas with you. If you will be traveling, I wish you an abundance of blessings. Trust that the Lord will work in and through you—even in the most complex of holiday situations! The Lord be with you. Faithfully in Him, The Rev. Dominique Peridans fellow-traveler #12thandMass
December 7, 2021 Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) This Sunday, we once again encounter John the Baptist. He is apparently an important figure on our path! As I often say, let us recall that the saints are not distant, pious examples. They are first and foremost divine friends, actively journeying with us. John the Baptist prepares the way for an-other: Jesus, the light of the world. So other-centered is he that, when asked his identity in John’s gospel (1:23), he responds, “I am the voice of one crying in the desert.” Try self-identification like that on your Facebook page! Indeed, in John the Baptist, we see the attitude of heart that we are to have if we really want to discover Jesus and how tremendous He is: a sense of our unworthiness. Indeed, at every Mass, we echo the words of the centurion (professional soldier in the Roman army at the time of Jesus), who asks Jesus to heal his servant, “Lord I am not worthy to that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and my soul shall be healed” (Matt. 8:8). We develop this sense not so much in realizing how imperfect we are, but in realizing how perfect Jesus is, i.e. how unconditional and overflowing is His love. Beyond or deeper than the decorating, shopping, baking and visiting (and the too many “already”-Christmas parties!), such a sense is the right preparation for Christmas. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to awaken this in us. Interior freedom and awe and joy will follow. This is Gaudete Sunday (always the third Sunday of Advent), “rejoice” Sunday. With the eyes of our hearts fixed on our Gracious Lord who gratuitously comes to us in our unworthiness, we are invited to rejoice. Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! (traditional opening words—the Introit—on the Third Sunday of Advent) The Rev. Dominique Peridans Rector  It’s Not Christmas Yet! #12thandMass November 30, 2021 Our Advent journey of spiritual preparation has begun. This is a time of awakening. We awaken our hearts to gratitude for the First Coming of Christ and to eager expectation for the Second Coming of Christ. Such focus can be difficult, however, in our cultural context. So much around us—the decorations, the music, the parties—suggests that no spiritual preparation is needed, that Christmas has already arrived. If we are not careful, by the time Christmas does arrive, we will be suffering from Christmas-fatigue and do as many people do: literally toss the tree to the curb on December 26. Let us bear in mind that the Christmas season runs from Christmas Eve through the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6. For us, the Church calendar has the last word! And let us bear in mind that we are bestowed special grace to live into these holy mysteries in communion with the Church. How are we to stay focused and prepare on this Advent journey? Well, be strategic and prepare only that which absolutely needs to be prepared beforehand for Christmas.
If you struggle like I sometimes do to focus, find help. I find it in the inspiring daily meditations of the English Jesuits. CLICK on the image to the right. We indeed prepare for the culmination of all things in divine love. We do so, trusting in the continued prayer of Saint Paul for us (this Sunday’s second reading, Philippians 1:3-11): that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. With you in eager expectation,  The Rev. Dominique Peridans
fellow sojourner in hope “I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit”. Such is Jesus’ revelation in this coming Sunday’s gospel, from John: amazing and challenging. One focus of Jesus’ discourse is a mysterious fruit that we must bear and do bear if we abide in Him. Indeed, the branches that bear no fruit are cut, to become kindling. Now, two questions (among many!) arise: 1. How do we abide in Jesus so that we bear fruit? 2. What is the fruit that we are to bear? Before answering these questions, note the seriousness of such abiding as suggested in Jesus’ strong statement: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Now, if I were in an ornery mood (which, of course, is not my style ), I might respond, “Oh yeah, watch me do something apart from you. I can do Happy Hour and the lawn and tennis and vacation and...” To which Jesus could respond, “Alright; but can you do eternal things, like love as I do?” We abide in Jesus—after having been grace-fully grafted onto Him—by wanting it. It is a question of desire. But we must keep wanting, because we never fully arrive. The arrival is called heaven, and we aren’t there yet. We’ll know when we have arrived! In the meantime, as Saint Augustine says: “The entire Christian life is in fact an exercise of holy desire”. The fruit that we are called to bear is that of love for one another. To be more precise: the fruit is divine love exercised between us. And the more we allow the love of God in our hearts to flow and to be victorious over anything anti- love—such as envy, prejudice, or greed, the more rooted we are in Christ’s heart, Source of this love and, in turn, the more we love one another. It’s an upward spiral. Yours in this love, Dominique+ fellow-pilgrim The more we encounter our Risen Lord, the more our hearts are transformed. A
transformed heart is a heart that loves more and more generously. St. John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 12:26), knows this; hence, his exhortation: little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action (this Sunday’s second reading, 1 John 3:16-24). In the light of this, St. Gregory the Great (+604), Pope and patron saint of musicians and singers, tells us The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. St. Augustine (+430) asks “What does love look like?” In responding, he points us in the right direction: It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of humanity. That is what love looks like. It is only by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we can love this generously, as Mother Teresa encourages us to do: Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor... Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. Beseeching the Holy Spirit with you, Dominique+ fellow-pilgrim There is a verse in this coming Sunday’s second reading that is, for me, one of the most
moving in the whole Bible: Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) Saint John speaks to us as a friend, “writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (I John 1:4). He reminds us of the deepest reality of who we are. “We are God's children—to which he adds now”. Right now. At this moment. And, he declares this unconditionally, to remind us that this is true no matter what: no matter what we may feeling or not feeling, no matter what difficulty or incredible joy has befallen us. Indeed, this is by God’s gracious doing. Such “divine filiation” (“the deepest mystery of the Christian vocation”, as Pope John Paul II says) is sheer gift. And “the gifts of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). In other words, we will never cease to God’s children. We never need worry. We, of course, must choose to live into this vocation… Saint John also reaffirms the promise of our future final—albeit mysterious—transformation: “When he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is”. “We will see him as he is”—upon our deathbed or at the Second Coming of Christ. And, when we do, we will be fully transformed. We traditionally speak of such transformative vision as “beatific” (from the Latin beatificus, meaning “making happy”). Our God is a supremely happy God, and His only intention is to make us happy in Him. The happiness begins now and no matter what—increasingly to the degree that we let go and let God. One day, one eternity, the happiness will be complete. Our hope is set on this. Sharing in God’s happiness with you, Dominique+ Brother-in-Christ |
THE REV. DOMINIQUE PERIDANS
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