Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

For some weeks now, we will be worshipping together in Ordinary Time until February 22, which, as I always like to say, is far from ordinary!

The word “ordinary” is often misunderstood when used in Church circles. It doesn’t mean, as the first definition of the Oxford Dictionary, “with no special or distinctive features, normal.” Well, perhaps “normal” in the sense of normative is nearer the truth. And “extraordinary” doesn’t mean “better,” it means simply outside the norm.

Our bishop is known as the “Ordinary” of the Diocese because it is from
him that order is determined. This is Oxford’s second definition: “exercising authority by virtue of office, not by delegation.” Bishops aren’t plain or common, or even typical. The first is an adjective, and the second is a noun.

You may have heard the Mass of the Council of Trent, up until the Missal of 1962, referred to as the “extraordinary form” of the Mass. It isn’t that it is more special, it simply is outside what the Church considers normative since the reforms of Vatican II.

But “Ordinary Time” is a little trickier. If you read ordinary as an adjective, it can be confusing. But if you see both words as one noun, suddenly it might make clearer sense. Certainly, Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas are sometimes referred to as “privileged” seasons in the hierarchy of feasts, but the green season is the one where so much of our everyday life and growth takes place. It isn’t a less important time when celebrating Word and Sacrament at Mass is less required!

I was mentioning to David Mathers last week how we are hearing the Gospel of John the Baptist calling out Christ in the crowd, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” yet again this week. I should find the time to look and see how many times this account in the four Gospels appears in the three-year cycle! But this event also seems to blur the lines between what is considered “common,” and what is considered normative.

We already know how the story ends, but what if you didn’t, and were there at the Jordan that day, following the Baptist, when he suddenly points at this ordinary guy and makes such a claim? What? Him? How is that possible? Jesus’ life is suddenly, radically changed. After his baptism he goes immediately into the desert for forty days, then is confronted by the world’s evil one, then goes right to work with his public life, seemingly without looking back. In that sense, Jesus was ordinary, common, no different than you or me, hard-working, empathetic, and kind.

But it is exactly that humble humanity that he defines as normative for the work of salvation. In his humanity, he is exercising authority by virtue of office given to him by the Father. Because of this moment, we can look to each other and say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” We can look at every person in the world, no matter how joyous or sad, troubled or confused, even those who have seemingly lost their way... and say, “Behold.” There’s an ordinary vocation for all this time in-between.

The Lord be with you,

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Epiphany of the Lord


 Please join Bishop Michael Burbidge on Sunday, January 15, as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at our 11 am Mass. A light reception will follow in the school cafeteria..

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

It was probably a dozen years ago we were looking into the Called and Gifted Program, to see if it was something we would like to bring to the parish at Saint Mary. Rick Caporali and I were in Houston for CADEIO meetings, and we heard that there was going to be a Called and Gifted Workshop offered to the seminarians at Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary.

I remember walking into the first conference Friday evening (it formerly was an evening and the following day conference – now it’s only one day) and saying to Rick, what if I discover that I have no gifts?

Some people might find that absurd, but even at that time, when I was 50, I had never really done any introspection to consider particular gifts that I might have received from God, nor had I considered what those gifts actually are. I had thought generally of myself as a gifted person, but never really took the time to think about it carefully.

That first Workshop for me was an eye-opener and I walked away feeling like I knew myself a whole lot better. I understood where those gifts might be used more effectively in my work as a priest, one who serves. Small group meetings for the next six weeks provide a context as well as the conversation to share and give feedback to each other as you “experiment” with the gifts which surfaced in the Workshop.

You see, God gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation to personally grow into the Body of Christ as a person, but he also gives a lot of gifts through baptism to all the faithful, gifts which are intended to build up the Church, to serve one another, not ourselves. And it’s these gifts that the Called and Gifted Workshop explores.

Now, don’t think that this is some sort of scheme to grow volunteers. We’ve heard it said before: there’s no such thing as a volunteer in the Body of Christ. All are called, all are gifted, all have a place. It’s a vocation, not something that we choose to do. But to use these gifts for the purpose they are given can bring you great joy, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are following God’s will.

If only the whole parish would attend this Workshop! Certainly I want all our faculty and parish teachers and staff to come. It is through the recognizing of each others’ gifts and providing positive feedback that we learn to grow as a community, not just a collection of individuals trying to get what they want. It is a type of rediscovery with the generosity of God at its heart.

Consider it an opportunity to explore the basic building blocks of community as God intended his kingdom to be, which we know starts here, with us.

We will host presenters from the Catherine of Siena Institute on Saturday, January 28, from 8:30am to 5pm in the cafeteria of the school. I hope you will join us. You can register on our website.

The Lord be with you,

STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Solemnity Mary, the Holy Mother of God


 There will be no 7am morning Masses the week of January 2, 2023.

 Parish Offices will reopen Tuesday, January 3 at 8:30am.