The Call of the Lord

Several years ago on retreat the Lord gave me the passage of Acts 8:26-40, which is the story of St. Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.  In the passage, St. Philip is called to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the Ethiopian (evangelization), he responds to this call and leads him to Christ, and then St. Philip is called on to the next mission.  This passage had profound significance to me at the time and has continued to speak to me as I was called away from my parish in Central Wisconsin to minister at the Cathedral in Gaylord.  I have heard God’s call in this passage from Acts coupled with Galations 2:20, calling me to put away my own desires for the sake of bringing Christ’s Gospel to those whom He has called me even if it means sitting at the foot of the Cross. I have pledged to go wherever the Lord leads.  This has been my prayer and what I have striven to do to the best of my ability.
When my family and I moved out here last summer, it was with the expectation that we would be here long-term, which is why we moved everything and did our best to buy a home in the area.  Yet, God kept up from “putting down roots” since we were unable to sell our home.  We  have been in a number of temporary houses since we came to Gaylord.  God gave us a sense that we were called to a “missionary” experience of being detached from all of our belongings (most of which are currently still packed in boxes) and helping to bring the Gospel to those in the community of Gaylord.  Perhaps this is fitting as this area was first evangelized by such great missionaries as Ven. Bishop Baraga and Ven. Samuel Mezzuchelli.  The greater the sacrifice, the greater the harvest, right?   And I am grateful that God called us here for this time and for the experiences and harvest this time has engendered.  
Recently, my spiritual director asked me to consider a position in Green Bay.   Though I was not certain I would enjoy working on a diocesan level, Bishop Ricken and the Diocesan Director of the New Evangelization in Green Bay were convinced they wanted me to lead their New Evangelization efforts with young adults (18-39) and become the Diocesan Young Adult Formation & Discipleship Coordinator.  
After a great deal of prayer and discernment I have come to see that this is where God is calling my family and me and I have accepted their invitation.
Bishop Ricken is the head of Evangelization for the USCCB and my particular job will be to implement the New Evangelization in the 18-39 year old demographic.   This position will involve retreats, discipleship, teaching, vocational discernment and working with young families, and college students, all things I very much enjoy doing and by the Grace of God have been successful at.  
I am particularly grateful for the many opportunities and experiences I have been given here under Fr. James’ leadership.  I have been blessed to observe parish life at a Cathedral along with the various workings of the diocese.  These experiences and skills I will take with me into the future.  During my time here I have done my best to lead others closer to Christ and His Church, to facilitate that growth in holiness and the New Evangelization. For my part, I am certainly a stronger man of faith for having been here and been touched by the many souls who I've encountered.    
Practically speaking, my last day at the Cathedral will be April 22nd.  This will allow me to work with the St. Mary High School Senior Retreat (April 19/20) and the final RCIA (April 22nd).   We will then move back to Wisconsin and I will begin at the Green Bay Diocese in the beginning of May.  
The people of Gaylord, and in particular St. Mary's Cathedral have been among the most kind and generous folks my family and I have ever met.  I don’t know that I’ve ever received a more warm embrace from a community.  Thank you again for your kindness and the opportunity to serve the Lord among you.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Phil Lawson

The Sacrament of the New Evangelization

          Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has spoken of Reconciliation as “the sacrament of the new Evangelization.”  He noted the “irony that despite the call of the Second Vatican Council for a renewal of the Sacrament of Penance, what we got instead was its near disappearance.”  Dolan and the Conference of US Bishops spent time discussing this at their Fall 2012 meeting and in fact concluded their meeting with the bishops themselves going to confession.   

         The Catholic Church is just beginning to see a rediscovery of this great sacrament.  Perhaps surprisingly, part of the increase is being driven by the younger generation.  A staple of every World Youth Day is an area set aside for confessions, where hundreds of priests are available (and made great use of!) by the million-plus young people who attend.  Want more proof?  This year, we added the sacrament of confession to the high school retreats we’ve been holding for the St. Mary’s students.  One of their favorite parts, according to the anonymous evaluations they filled out?  Confession. 

         I taught a session for parents of 2^nd graders.  The students are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this spring.  This session was just for the parents, to ensure their own understanding of the sacrament as well as assisting them in their preparing of their own children.  I took the parents through the theology and history of the sacrament.  However, the part they enjoyed the most was when I discussed the practical aspects and questions about Confession.  With that in mind, I wanted to address some of the typical questions here:

How often should you go to confession?

The Church asks that we go at least once a year.  That’s a minimum and essentially “spiritual life-support or maintenance”.  Pope John Paul II used to go every week.  If you want to grow in the spiritual life, a regular practice of confession once a month is a good practice.   We see evidence of that in the lives of the saints, the closer they got to God, the more quickly they wanted to remove anything (even small sins) that would in any way harm that relationship and so they would go to confession with great regularity.  

Can you ask the priest questions in confession?

Yes!  Confession can be a great opportunity to also receive some spiritual direction.  I would caution that if you have many questions, it is better to make an appointment, as there are usually people behind you in line as well.  

Can the priest repeat anything he hears in the confessional?

No.  In fact he can be removed from the priesthood for doing that.  There have been stories throughout the history of Christianity of priests even being put in jail for refusing to reveal what they were told in confession, i.e. the authorities know that a criminal went to confession and want to know what was confessed.  No priest can disclose what was heard in the confessional. 

What will Father think of me, or what if he recognizes my voice?

A priest friend once shared, that far from thinking less of the person after hearing what was confessed, he actually thinks more highly of them.  The fact is we are all sinners.  The difference is the soul who is humble enough to admit it and then seek God’s mercy and healing for those sins.  As this priest described it, he holds those going to confession in very high regard, no matter what they confess.  

What if I haven’t been to confession for a while?

All the more reason to go!  When I came back into the Church as a young adult, I remember going to confession for the first time in a number of years. It wasn’t easy, but it was also beautiful, peaceful, and healing—and therefore completely worth it.

What if I don’t know what I’m supposed to say/do?  

You can find a “step-by-step” guide for how to go at Our Sunday Visitor or search the internet for other guides.  You should also not hesitate to ask the priest to walk you through the sacrament, and they will happily assist.                         

         Pope Benedict, in the opening Mass for the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization stated:  “We cannot speak about the new evangelization without a sincere desire for conversion.  The best path to the new evangelization is to let ourselves be reconciled with God and with each other” (2 Cor 5:20).  Amen!

God bless you!

            Phil Lawson, MTS

            Pastoral Associate

Beautiful Souls

Young people need models of the faith. They need to see “beautiful souls.” I’m privileged in my position of service to the Church to encounter so many faith-filled and beautiful souls, young and old. In the retreats I’ve lead over the years, I’ve done my best to bring these beautiful souls into contact with our young people so that they can see concretely the joy and beauty that is present when one is in deep communion with Christ. We all need models of the faith. They inspire us, challenge us, and encourage us. Blessed Cardinal Newman spoke of the “unconscious attractiveness of holiness.” We are drawn to such examples and inspired to aspire to be the same. Allow me to share just a few examples that I’ve been blessed to see: 

The 17 year old who every day drives a 93 year old to the 7AM Mass. 
The 35 year old husband and father who would come home from his engineering job on his lunch hour to watch the kids so his wife could go spend some time in Eucharistic Adoration. 
The 59 year old man who regularly stops by the chapel as part of his work day to spend some time with our Lord. 
The 74 year old who rises around 430am each morning to pray his Rosary. 
The 17 year old student who turned down a job offer because he would have been forced to work every Sunday, the Lord’s day. 
The 50-60 people who gather each morning at 7AM for daily Mass. 
The 93 year old who leads the Rosary every single day after Mass. 

Thomas Merton had a line “They were all shining like the sun”, as he saw Christ’s presence so beautifully radiated in the souls he encountered. May we each shine like the sun, and in turn see that same Christ-like model in the souls we encounter! And may others be drawn closer to Christ because of you! 
God bless you! Phil Lawson, MTS 
Pastoral Associate

“Christianity shouldn’t be hard.”

            As we enter into Lent, I was reminded of a conversation from several years ago in which a woman said to me, “Christianity shouldn’t be hard.”  The statement surprised me, and I considered asking her if she had looked at a crucifix lately.  Or if she had remembered Jesus’ words, “…if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) and “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”(John 15:20). 

            We live in a world that has in a certain sense “sanitized” Christianity.  I’m chagrined when I see our celebrities wearing large gold or silver crosses, but without any idea of what the Cross means or the suffering it entailed.  The Cross was the most horrific form of death they knew at the time.  And yet, Jesus took it upon Himself out of love for us.   When we look at a Cross we are called to see the fullness of sacrificial love, indeed the perfect model of what total love looks like.  And we see that such love requires imitation and a response.   Let me give an example:  

·       -On March 2^nd 2011, Shabaz Bhatti, 42 years old and the only Christian member of Pakistan’s cabinet, was murdered.  He was an outspoken advocate for religious freedom, especially for the persecuted Christian minority in Pakistan.  He had received numerous death threats over the years from extremist Muslims, trying to silence him.  In 2008, he gave a book-length interview in which he explained why he continued to speak out for the Christian minority, “I want that my life, my character, my actions speak for me and indicate that I am following Jesus Christ….Until I live, until my last breath, I will continue to serve Jesus, to serve the poor humanity, the suffering humanity, the Christians, the needy, the poor.”  He continued, “When I see that Jesus Christ sacrificed His everything and our Lord sent His Son for our redemption and salvation, I ask myself how I can follow that path of the Calvary.  And our Lord said:  ‘Come to me, hold your cross, and follow the path’.”    

As we journey through Lent toward the Cross and the Resurrection, we do well to be inspired by such courageous and faithful witness.  And we can pray for all those, ourselves included, who daily take up their cross, knowing full well that Christianity “is hard”, but through Jesus’ victorious resurrection---completely worth it.  

“Lord and Saviour, You have told us that we too must accept crucifixion if we are to accept resurrection with You.  Help us to rejoice in the sufferings that come with the fulfillment of our daily duties, seeing in them the royal road of the cross to the resurrection.”-From: The Way of the Cross-Prayer for the 11^th Station. 

God bless you!

            Phil Lawson, MTS

            Pastoral Associate

A Time for Heroes

We live in a time that calls for heroes. 

Tim Roach of Fairbault, MN was an out of work electrician.  His unemployment benefits were about to run out when he received a phone call offering a job making  65-70k a year for at least 11 months.  Unfortunately, the job offer was for the construction of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in St. Paul, MN.  (Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in the US).  What did this Catholic father of a 9 year old boy and 11 year old daughter do?  He turned down the offer.  As his wife said, “Through this whole process, our faith has deepened.  We feel like it was a test of our faith.  We chose to stand by our faith.”  Amen!  (Source:  TheCatholicSpirit.com)   Tim Roach and his family are heroes.

            Several years ago, Planned Parenthood decided to build a new abortion clinic in Austin, Texas.  As they began planning for its construction they encountered a problem, no construction company in the area wanted to participate in such a project.  It started with one Christian owner calling his colleagues and urging them to live up to their convictions.  The call kept spreading, and soon not a single construction company within 60 miles of Austin would take on the project of building this abortion clinic.   These construction workers are heroes.

            Many of you have taken part in prayerful vigils like 40 Days for Life (DFL).  We don’t often see the fruits of such heroic witnesses.  Last spring, a woman and her two-year-old stopped by 40 DFL in Milwaukee. She wanted to show sidewalk counselors her little boy, alive today due to pro-lifers’ sidewalk counseling efforts. The mother had gone to the clinic seeking an abortion and had encountered these witnesses to life.   In talking with them, she changed her mind.  This past fall 821 babies were spared abortion through the witness of faithful pro-lifers.  Since 40 Days for Life began 6749 babies have been reported to be saved. And these are only those we know of.   These pro-life witnesses are heroes.

And of course this care for the unborn doesn’t end there.  Jennifer Dunnett, is a member of the Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an apostolate dedicated to the defense of human life.  Jennifer was praying at the abortion clinic in Madison, WI when she encountered a young pregnant couple who didn’t feel they had any other options outside of an abortion.  Jennifer talked to them, loved them, and was able to direct them toward resources that could be of assistance.  Jennifer even helped organize a baby shower for them!  That young couple chose to give life to their baby.  And Jennifer?  The couple invited her to the hospital where the birth of Baby Zion took place.  Jennifer later worked with them to bring their child to God in Baptism.    Jennifer is a hero. 

    Every single one of us has a heroic role to play in what has been called “the defining issue of our day.” There is no age so corrupt that saints can’t flourish.  The examples described, are simply accounts of regular men and women of faith taking a stand in whatever large, or small way, was presented to them.  They are heroes of our time. May each and every one of us do likewise.

God bless you!

            Phil Lawson, MTS

            Pastoral Associate

Married on a Crucifix

I had come across this story some time ago and it seemed like a fitting reflection with Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day both this week. Married on a Crucifix Imagine a world without divorce. Imagine families without separation. Imagine no children or hearts torn apart. by Michael Mullan, LC | Source: Catholic.net

"Imagine a world without divorce. Imagine families without separation. Imagine no children or hearts torn apart. People of one place in this world do not have to imagine. In the town of Siroki-Brijeg in Herzegovina not one of the 13,000 inhabitants can recall a single divorce or broken family. What is their secret? One look at their marriage rite says it all. When the bride and bridegroom go to the church to be married they carry a crucifix with them. The priest blesses the crucifix and exclaims, “You have found your cross! It is a cross to love, to carry with you, a cross that is not thrown off but rather treasured.” When they interchange the marital vows, the bride puts her right hand on this crucifix and the groom puts his right hand over hers. Both are united to the cross. The priest covers their hands with his stole while they pronounce their promises to love each other in good times and in bad. Then they both first kiss the cross, not each other. If one abandons the other, they abandon Christ on the cross. Afterwards, the newly-weds cross the threshold of their home to enthrone that same crucifix in a place of honor. It becomes the reference point of their lives and the place of family prayer. In times of difficulty and misunderstandings, as all human relationships experience, they do not turn immediately to the lawyer or psychologist, they turn to the cross. They kneel, cry and open up their hearts begging for the strength to pardon and implore the Lord’s help. The children are taught to reverently kiss the crucifix daily and to thank him for the day before going to bed. These children dream of enthroning one day a crucifix of their own. The family is indissolubly united to the cross of Christ. Is this simply a morbid outlook on marital and family life? Or is it a piece of wisdom that few in our modern world can understand. Until our world does, it will continue to imagine and long for the unbroken hearth." -Information taken from Marian Observer Feb. 2002. God bless you! Phil Lawson, MTS Pastoral Associate