tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11619699329852986922024-03-13T15:23:33.350-06:00The Reason for Our HopeWeekly reflections on Sacred Scripture
and comment on public issuesArchbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-35118456161773359752019-04-01T13:30:00.000-06:002019-04-01T13:31:05.288-06:00Blog posts have moved<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All new blog posts from Archbishop Smith will now be available at Grandin Media.<br />
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Located at this link: <a href="https://grandinmedia.ca/archbsmith">https://grandinmedia.ca/archbsmith</a><br />
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To subscribe to an RSS feed, use this link. <span dir="ltr" style="-ms-word-wrap: break-word; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "segoe ui"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://grandinmedia.ca/category/voices/voices-reason-for-our-hope/feed/" title="https://grandinmedia.ca/category/voices/voices-reason-for-our-hope/feed/">https://grandinmedia.ca/category/voices/voices-reason-for-our-hope/feed/</a></span>Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-41819675925956463442019-03-25T10:35:00.001-06:002019-03-25T11:18:11.670-06:00Emergency Alert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One night the other week, at a rather late hour, my mobile phone started to make a rather strange and very loud noise. I nearly jumped out of my skin! Turns out, it was the Alberta Emergency Alert system, sending an urgent message to everyone about a child feared to be abducted and in danger. Thanks be to God, the child was found soon thereafter safe and unharmed.<br />
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This emergency alert system, established to send out warnings far and wide when one life or many lives are in danger, is obviously a good thing. It emits warnings that we are glad to receive, however inconvenient, and which we would be foolish to ignore.<br />
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Christians, too, have an emergency alert system. It is called the Bible. Throughout the pages of Sacred Scripture, amidst the many assurances of God’s love, are warnings that our good Lord issues to His people to help them avoid danger. These, too, are a matter of life and death, indeed, of eternal life and eternal death. The warnings summon us to change sinful ways, and thus may be experienced as “inconvenient,” yet we would certainly be foolish to ignore them.<br />
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Such warnings were given to us in the Gospel for this past Sunday’s mass (Luke 13:1-9). As Jesus was teaching, he made reference to two recent events that were apparently on everyone’s mind: the cruel killing of Galileans by order of the vicious governor, Pontius Pilate, and the accidental death of another group caused by the collapse of a tower. Some thought this had to be divine punishment for grievous sin. Jesus clarified that God does not do such things. At the same time he issued a warning: sudden death can come to anyone, for a variety of reasons, so one must be ready through repentance, and for this there can be no delay. The time to get one’s life in order is now. Otherwise, we risk eternal punishment.<br />
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As we ponder this particular warning, at once both stark and welcome, we realize there is another implicit within it, namely, to be sure to treat our individual lives with the seriousness they deserve. This emerges as we reflect upon the encounter between God and Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3: 1-8a, 13-15). God reveals Himself to Moses in two ways: as “I Am”; and as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. In other words, God who is Being itself, who is mysterious, transcendent and in need of nothing, nevertheless chooses, out of love, to involve Himself in the lives of His children in order to reveal His love and invite our loving response. That such a response might be real on our part, God gives us freedom, which He will respect in the act of judgement. The decisions we make for or against God in this life will have eternal consequences. Life is very serious, indeed! One way in which we can treat it frivolously is through the sin of presumption.<br />
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Jesus makes clear in the parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13: 6-19) that, although God is merciful and patient, nevertheless we must not presume upon that mercy. St. Paul makes the same point as he warns against complacency and arrogance (1Corinthians 10: 1-6, 10-12). When God issues His warnings to repent, there must not be any postponement of our response.<br />
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I’m told that, had my mobile phone been turned off, I would not have received the emergency warning. Likewise, we shall miss the salutary warnings issued by God if we keep the Bible closed. May the Lord give us the grace to seek out His Word daily, and to heed with both dispatch and thanksgiving the warnings that He gives us.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-61771462890530881972019-03-18T15:07:00.001-06:002019-03-18T15:09:47.075-06:00Give Up Listening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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“We’re giving up screen time for Lent!” This was what two very excited young children were anxious to tell me at the end of mass recently. For our youth – and perhaps also for many adults – there is probably no clearer indication than that to demonstrate how seriously they are taking the call to Lenten self-denial!<br />
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Since that encounter, I’ve often thought about that choice made by the children regarding what they would “give up” for Lent. Theirs is a very good decision, because it will enable them to stop paying attention to the many voices that come screaming at them during their “screen time”. So many of those voices are not good, to say the least, and can lead our children to some dark places.<br />
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That is true, in fact, for all of us. Our “screen time” takes different forms across the varying instances of print and digital media. Whether it is TV or radio programming, Internet venues, newspapers or magazines, we are all bombarded with a seemingly endless range of voices and messaging, all competing for our attention, and not all good. This leads me to suggest that we, too, can give up “screen time” by determining to give up listening to any voice or message that leads us away from fidelity to Jesus Christ. Instead, we can take up listening to our Lord, who alone speaks words worthy of our trust.<br />
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I was asked by someone just the other day if I thought that, instead of “giving up” something, it would be okay to take up a daily reading of Sacred Scripture. To that, of course, I gave a very enthusiastic YES! That is a wonderful Lenten discipline.<br />
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We need go no further than last Sunday’s Gospel passage (Luke 9: 28b-36) for biblical justification. There we heard the familiar – and always riveting – account of the Transfiguration of our Lord. As his divine nature radiates outward from his body, his identity as Son of the Father is confirmed by the Father’s own voice from heaven. This is followed by the command: “Listen to him!” To show us the way to salvation – to be that way – the Father has sent us His own Son. He hasn’t sent anyone else! So, why would we listen to anyone else as we seek happiness and truth?<br />
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Those two young children are on to something. They’ve pinpointed what is necessary for all of us to do, and not only in Lent, but always. Together, let’s resolve to give up listening to any voice seeking to influence our mindset and behaviour so as to draw us away from Christ, and to take up listening to Jesus, that we might in faith and hope follow wherever he leads us.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-44733125506228768652019-03-11T11:32:00.003-06:002019-03-11T11:33:04.158-06:00Chosen and TemptedThis past weekend we celebrated the Rite of Election. For the last months or even years, men, women and children have been following a catechumenal journey towards full membership in the Catholic Church. Now, having discerned with their sponsors and catechists their state of readiness, they were formally elected – or chosen – to proceed to the Easter sacraments. As I met each of them on the weekend, their joy was palpable! How could it be otherwise? Through the mediation of the Church, they have been chosen by Christ to be members of his Body.<br />
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I often say that the people who journey to the Church via the RCIA are wonderful witnesses before everyone who already are counted among her members. They remind us of the wondrous blessing it is to be chosen by our Lord, something never to be taken for granted.<br />
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The fact of being chosen both gladdens and astonishes. Throughout Scripture, narratives of call invariably recount the wonderment that seizes the one chosen. Think of Moses (“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” – Ex 3:11), Isaiah (“Woe is me! I am lost…” – Is 6:5), or Peter (“Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” – Lk 5:8). As the Lord draws near and makes known to us his choice, we are instinctively aware of our sinfulness and weakness. This, in turn, makes us susceptible to the temptation to turn – even run – away from the call of the Lord.<br />
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On the same day that the catechumens were chosen for the sacraments of initiation, they and we heard the Gospel passage recalling the temptations that Jesus suffered in the desert following his Baptism. He was tempted by the devil in three different ways to surrender his trust in the wisdom and providence of the Father and turn away from the mission he had received. Of course, Jesus would have none of it and sent the devil packing.<br />
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To be chosen to live as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father is to be called to rely in all things upon his mercy and love, and not to rely upon ourselves. It is no surprise, therefore, that the devil will tempt us to run away from our call by substituting reliance upon God with dependence upon ourselves. This leads to disaster. Note well: the name by which the devil is usually called – Satan – means adversary. The evil one is in no way for us but entirely against us. His temptations aim at our ruin. He is also known as our accuser (cf. Rev 12:10), and thus will tempt us to make the reality of our sinful state – rather than the wisdom and mercy of God – the prime determinant of our response to the Lord’s call. With the strength that comes from Christ himself, in virtue of our union with him in Baptism, we can and must resist any seduction that entices us away from readiness, in faith, to accept God’s choice and call.<br />
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It is truly wonderful to be chosen by Christ. It is a joy to experience the healing power of his mercy, by which he enables us to live in accordance with this choice. Life in Christ is not without temptation, so long as we live in a world corrupted by sin. Yet, life in Christ is one in which we live by the power of his victory over sin and death. Therefore, let’s not be afraid. Let us welcome his choice and follow him in joy.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-7694385945213607222019-03-04T16:06:00.001-07:002019-03-04T16:07:20.221-07:00The Annual Checkup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is that time of year again for that annual check-up we call Lent. This is a checkup of the spiritual kind, an examination of the soul.<br />
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When we go to our annual visit with a medical doctor, it often happens that he or she will send us for further examinations. The objective is to “look within” to see what is happening inside the body. This glance into the interior happens through blood tests, x-rays, CT scans and the like. The aim, of course, is to achieve a through and accurate diagnosis, so as to set out a plan for healing.<br />
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But what about the soul? Now, there’s a question we don’t hear posed quite often in popular discourse. There is no shortage of discussions around physical health and how to improve it. Yet, that dimension of our lives which must be healthiest of all – the soul – gets no attention at all.<br />
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Lent reminds us of the need for the spiritual checkup. It calls to mind that the soul grows very ill indeed when attacked by the virus we call sin. Here, too, an interior examination is required, but no lab test or x-ray will give us the information we need. The light that fully exposes our inner truth, and which points the way to both diagnosis and healing, is the Word of God. There we find all the elements of a good medical examination: symptoms, diagnosis and the way forward to healing and prevention of recurrence. <br />
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With regard to symptoms of a spiritual malady, we are invited by the Scriptural passages proclaimed on Sunday to take a look at how we speak and act. From Sirach: “When a sieve is shaken, the refuse appears; so do one’s faults when one speaks.” From Jesus: “for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” What is the quality of my speech? Do I disparage others? Do I use foul language? Do I gossip? These are symptoms that point to an inner problem. We also hear Jesus say, “how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye?’” Am I living with a critical judgmental attitude toward others and not paying sufficient attention to my own need for healing? This, too, is symptomatic of a spiritual problem that needs attention.<br />
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As to diagnosis, we are given this repeatedly throughout Sacred Scripture. The disease is sin, the refusal to live in accord with the teachings of Christ and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and the choice to follow instead my own desires. The remedy is God’s mercy, which restores us through forgiveness.<br />
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To help us prevent recurrence, Jesus poses a question that should awaken in us much reflection: “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” In so many ways there is a blindness to truth and goodness that inhabits us. This can arise from inexperience, from lack of formation or, indeed, from sin. As we acknowledge our inability to see, we recognize the need for a guide to lead us along the right path, but following someone of equal blindness will get us nowhere. Yet, this is what is happening to us in so many ways. We choose to follow the multiplicity of “blind guides” that reach us with their messaging through the modern means of social communication. Anytime a person or message leads us away from the Word of God, we have the proverbial situation of the blind leading the blind.<br />
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The Word of God is incarnate in Jesus Christ. Only he can lead us in life; only with the help of his grace can we hope to avoid a recurrence of the disease of sin. This Lent, let us allow Jesus, the divine physician, to examine us closely by His Word, and then accept gladly and thankfully the medicine of his mercy and his help not to sin again. Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-42540660795693182022019-02-25T12:54:00.002-07:002019-02-25T13:11:40.865-07:00And the Oscar Goes To …<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I awoke this morning to the news that the Academy Awards had taken place last night. In the newspapers and online, headlines trumpeted the winners of the various awards. As I glanced at the names of the actors and films, I came rapidly to the conclusion that I live on another planet. I am not a moviegoer and the names were mostly foreign to me. Clearly, however, this is a big deal for many, many people.<br />
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Hmm. I wonder how many of the people enraptured by the awards ceremony were equally seized by the drama that unfolded in the Gospel passage proclaimed at mass that same day. Hollywood is the capital of the unreal, yet it garners an enormous amount of attention, commentary and money. The Gospel of Jesus Christ centers us upon what is real. The “screen” on display as we read its pages presents the fullness of life itself. What attention are we paying to it? How do we interact with it?<br />
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It is very easy for today’s individualistic mindset to shape our own. This tempts us to write our own “screenplay” and presume to assign to the Lord the role that he should play in our lives and the manner according to which he should act. Yet, Jesus is simply not to be scripted by us. As Word of God, he speaks to us what he has heard from the Father and makes known to us how we are to act in the drama we call salvation history. Moreover, as Word of God made flesh, crucified and risen, he assumes the lead role and thus, as our exemplar, demonstrates clearly how we, too, are to live.<br />
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My suspicion is that many people today, upon hearing the words of Our Lord, might be tempted to play the director and call out, “Cut!” “Do a retake!” “You’ve wandered off script!” Such a reaction likely inhabited the hearts of all those who first heard Jesus speak the words recorded in Sunday’s passage from St. Luke.<br />
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<em>“But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”</em> (Luke 6: 27-31) I’m not so sure the listeners would have awarded an Oscar to Jesus for that! As Our Lord pointed out, we normally script our own lives by loving those who love us and lending to those from whom we are sure to receive back. Nothing extraordinary there, he said. Jesus is calling us to more; much more. Indeed, he is teaching that life in accordance with our identity as his followers will necessarily require a radical re-write of our mindsets and behavior patterns. The script to follow is not one of our own making but that which is given by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.<br />
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A world separated from God will not be inclined to give that script an award of any kind. But recognition of its beauty and veracity was, in fact, awarded when Jesus rose from the dead. That is the headline that should capture – and keep – our attention for all time.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-24383178216114795952019-02-19T10:39:00.001-07:002019-02-19T11:41:52.939-07:00Be Carried by the Tide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the last year and a half or so, I've been reaching out in a number of different ways to the parishioners of this Archdiocese to find out what's on their minds. I've hosted listening sessions for a variety of groups, as well as town hall gatherings on the occasion of parish visits. Weaving its way through everything I’m hearing is deep anxiety.<br />
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People have been sharing with me their concerns about things happening in the Church, our schools and our hospitals, as well as about recent trends in our society. They tell me about challenges at home. Young adults have been very open with me about their fears of not measuring up to expectations, or the angst that arises when they are told they need to create themselves. Of course, the economic challenges facing our province right now are foremost in people’s minds, especially when people’s livelihoods are on the line. These, and other circumstances are causing great and widespread worry. <br />
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At all times, but particularly in moments as difficult as these, we need to guard against an especially debilitating form of amnesia: forgetfulness of the providence of God. The love of God is beyond measure, and Jesus taught us to trust absolutely in the Father’s certain care for our every need (cf Matt 6: 25-34). <br />
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In the last while my mind has taken me back to a beautiful teaching of St John Paul II, in a document I number among my favourites: <em>Novo Millennio Ineunte</em>. In paragraph 38 he says this: “This is the moment of faith, of prayer, of conversation with God, in order to open our hearts to the tide of grace and allow the word of Christ to pass through us in all its power: <em>Duc in altum!</em>” Here is the remedy for our fears. There is at work in the Church and in the world a great “tide of grace.” Our Lord will never abandon us, and without cease pours out his love to carry us along and provide for our needs. Let’s not swim against the tide by self-reliance or by stubborn persistence in sinful patterns of thought or behaviour. Instead, let’s open our hearts to him, listen attentively to his Word, confess our sins, and worship Him alone so that we will know the joy of being carried by this tide of grace to true peace and joy. Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-9876701337735738972019-02-11T10:25:00.001-07:002019-02-11T10:42:25.088-07:00World Day of the SickEvery year on February 11th, feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Church marks the World Day of the Sick. In our churches around the world we offer prayers to Almighty God for healing of those suffering from disease. This day is also an occasion to thank God for the gift of Catholic healthcare, and to ask his blessing upon the countless thousands of people who work or volunteer in our facilities.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary's Grotto Shrine in St. Albert built as a model of Lourdes.</td></tr>
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In Alberta, we owe the beginning of our own provincial hospital system to communities of Catholic Sisters who gave of themselves heroically to establish good quality healthcare, especially for the poor and most vulnerable. Continuing to build upon their foundation today is Covenant Health. Fully integrated into the provincial system of healthcare delivery, it operates seventeen sites in twelve communities, all under the sponsorship of Catholic Health of Alberta. Globally, the Catholic Church manages approximately one-fourth of the world’s healthcare facilities, and is the largest non-governmental provider of healthcare worldwide. Healing, both physical and, above all, spiritual, was central to the mission of Jesus. It remains at the heart of the Church's ministry.<br />
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We ask God to bless the work of our physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers, as well as those who serve through governance, administration and general support. We pray, too, for the chaplains who accompany the infirm with spiritual consolation; for the many priests who, while attending to their parochial duties, are also on-call day and night to respond to urgent sacramental needs; and for the numerous parishioners who volunteer to visit the sick and home-bound with Holy Communion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Nuns Community Hospital is a Covenant Health facility.</td></tr>
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Implicit within the variety of activity, there is one common message that everyone involved in Catholic healthcare brings to any sick person entrusted to our care. It is, in the words we heard from St. Paul on Sunday, "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve" (1Cor. 15: 3-5). In other words, we carry to the infirm the sure conviction that Jesus, whose healing of the sick foreshadowed his definitive victory over sin and death, remains with us always and calls us to surrender our weakness and need to the power of his love and mercy.<br />
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Finally, this day is an occasion for all of us to reflect upon our own spiritual health. In his 2019 Message for World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis praises the selfless generosity of those who volunteer in healthcare, and then turns the focus upon our own condition with this striking statement: "The joy of generous giving is a barometer of the health of a Christian." The good health of a Christian disciple is shown in selfless concern for others; the need for healing of the soul is manifest when we live only for ourselves.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Covenant Health's Misericordia Hospital in West Edmonton.</td></tr>
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As we bring Christ's healing to the infirm, may his grace be a remedy as well for our own spiritual debility. As the Lord himself said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." (Luke 5:31) In one way or another, that's all of us. We find our healer in Christ.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-4443772156477863652019-02-04T14:42:00.002-07:002019-02-04T14:44:07.604-07:00Stay Tuned In!In the course of many parish visits over the last year and a half, I've been repeatedly drawing attention to the message at the heart of the pastoral letter Living in the Word of God. I do this by asking the simple question: "Who are you listening to?" Many voices compete for our attention, but only one is worthy of our complete trust, namely, the voice of Jesus. It is he to whom we must listen, since he alone has "the words of everlasting life" (John 6:68). So, read the Bible; remain focused on the teachings of Christ; allow them to permeate the entirety of our lives, that they may serve as the lamp for our feet and light for our path (cf. Psalm 119:105).<br />
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The Gospel passage we heard at mass on Sunday is a reminder that listening to Jesus will at times be very challenging. Those who were listening to him preach in his hometown synagogue at Nazareth at first were pleased by what he had to say. But then, they turned on him, violently. What happened? His word struck a sensitive nerve as he challenged prophetically certain assumptions they held about what it means to be the chosen people of God and the recipient of divine blessing. His word was a clear and direct summons to a painful self-examination and subsequent renewal of their minds, and they didn't like it. In fact, so intense was their anger that they sought to throw him off a cliff!<br />
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How do we respond when we find our mindsets and behaviour patterns challenged by the words of Jesus Christ, whether we encounter them in the sacred texts or handed down to us in the teaching of the Church? A habit many of us develop in our multi-channel universe is to "surf" through the many messages on offer in order to remain tuned in only to those we find to our liking. Those which displease us are tuned out by changing the channel, moving on in the news or Twitter feed, and so on. When the word of Jesus challenges us, do we stay on his "channel" or switch to another; do we remain tuned in or turn off the broadcast, the digital equivalent, as it were, of casting Jesus aside?<br />
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For help in remaining faithful to the words of Christ, however difficult, it is good to have examples of people who have remained always focused upon Jesus, riveted to his word. I'd like to hold up for consideration the perfect model.<br />
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I just returned from eight days of retreat at the shrine in Mexico City dedicated to our Blessed Mother under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary is a perpetual source of help for the life of discipleship centered on listening to and following Jesus. Scripture tells us that she pondered deeply all that was said about her son during the events surrounding his birth (cf. Luke 2: 19, 51). We can be sure that she continued to ponder deeply all that unfolded in his life, above all his crucifixion and resurrection. No change of channel in her life! She remained always focused on her son, the Word made flesh. Now, in her maternal love for the world, she wants nothing more than that we do the same and be always ready to do whatever Jesus tells us to do (cf. John 2:5).<br />
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Centuries ago, Mary appeared to San Juan Diego. She caused to be imprinted on his tilma an image that presented her son to the Indigenous peoples as the answer to their deepest longings for God. May Mary present him anew to all of us in our own day so that, by her intercession, we will stay focused on his every word as he leads us to salvation.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-51384655304889785602019-01-21T11:21:00.002-07:002019-01-21T11:22:34.876-07:00Justice and Only JusticeWe are now in the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25). The theme for the week of prayer in 2019, "Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue ..." is inspired by Deuteronomy 16:18-20. I gathered on Sunday evening at St John Bosco Church in Edmonton for prayer with ecumenical leaders and members of their communities. It was an opportunity to reflect prayerfully upon the theme in the light of the Gospel, particularly Luke 4: 14-21. In the words spoken by Jesus in his hometown synagogue, we are taught precisely what it means to pursue justice as his disciples.<br />
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“He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” We are all aware of the real poverty that afflicts so many of our brothers and sisters, even in our own city and country: those who cannot find affordable housing, or who are, in fact, homeless; or the working poor who find it almost impossible to make ends meet. Then, too, there is the poverty of loneliness and isolation, especially among the immigrants to our land. Neither can we forget that particularly debilitating poverty that is engendered by the lack of meaning and direction in the lives of many. To all of these we are sent to announce the good news of the wealth of God’s mercy and love revealed in Christ.<br />
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“He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives.” Certainly, there are many who inhabit our prisons and detention. But we can think also of the many today who are locked behind walls of fear and anxiety in the face of life’s many challenges; or the numberless people who are held captive by a lie, or by the many illusions that masquerade as reality. To these we are sent to announce freedom and release; to proclaim that true liberty arises when we place our faith in Christ and live from him who is the truth.<br />
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“He has sent me to proclaim ... recovery of sight to the blind.” The Gospels record many miracles by which those who could not see were restored by Jesus to physical sight. Yet the words and actions of our Lord were also aimed at healing a deeper and more dangerous blindness to moral truth that leaves people unable to discern right from wrong and causes them to present one as the other. Nor can we fail to notice that the mystery of transcendence is eclipsed from the view of many who insist that only what is empirically verifiable qualifies as real. To this darkness, we are sent with the announcement that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the light that enables humanity truly to see the beauty of God, the mystery of creation, and the divine saving plan for humanity.<br />
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“He has sent me to ... let the oppressed go free.” Relief for the oppressed is an urgent concern for the disciples of Jesus Christ. Here the Holy Spirit prompts us to embrace the truth of our solidarity with all of suffering humanity. The Son of God emptied himself and became incarnate so as to enter fully into deepest solidarity with those destined to be his brothers and sisters. He assumed to himself the sin, pain and suffering of the human race, even to the point of death, and revealed by his resurrection the victorious power of love and mercy. Living in and from Christ, therefore, we too must unite ourselves to all who suffer, at home and abroad, and by our acts of mercy give witness to the power of the Cross to overcome evil.<br />
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By faithfully responding to the call that is ours in virtue of our communion with Christ, we seek to bring relief to the poor, blind, oppressed and captive. This is the way we are to pursue justice as the Lord himself would have us do.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-59191746148215098182019-01-14T13:21:00.001-07:002019-01-14T13:47:22.945-07:00Panama Bound!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lots of enthusiasm, to say the least! This was my experience of the pilgrims of this Archdiocese who will be setting off this week for World Youth Days in Panama. We gathered Saturday afternoon to celebrate Eucharist in a final moment of preparation, and at the end of mass I invoked a special blessing upon them to send them on their way.<br />
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They are enthusiastic, yes, but also deeply and prayerfully serious about this pilgrimage. As well they should be! World Youth Days are moments of encounter with the Lord Jesus in the mystery and communion of his Church. It is a joy for the young pilgrims to be together with hundreds of thousands (!!) of their generation, who are enthusiastic about their Catholic faith. It is thrilling to be in the presence of the Holy Father. At the heart of it all is an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. This personal meeting with the Lord at WYD has had an enormous impact over the years since the first International WYD in Buenos Aires in 1987. Countless vocations to priesthood, religious life and Christian marriage have been attributed to what takes place at WYD.<br />
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We can expect the same to arise from this year's event, particularly in light of the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the gathering: "I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. (Lk 1:38)." These are the words by which the Blessed Mother gave her assent to the divine summons communicated by the angel Gabriel. They remain the perfect expression of the "yes" that lies within the heart of every disciple of the Lord.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my favourite paintings
of the Annunciation. It is by Henry Tanner and is dated 1898. I have it as the
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World Youth Days, the brainchild of St. John Paul II and carried on with enthusiasm by Pope Benedict XVI and now Pope Francis, gather young adults from around the globe. When I've asked participants how the experience has affected them, the most common response I've received is: "I realize that I'm not alone." This is usually expressed to me with great joy. A sense of isolation can take over the believer in our current secularizing culture. Western society seems bent on marginalizing and privatizing faith. Sources of entertainment and means of social communication are massively influential, and they often will promote as virtue what Christian tradition insists is vice. Political discourse and trends in legislation are increasingly distant from the Christian teaching which formed our national foundation. In such an environment, feeling alone as a young Christian is not surprising. But it is not true. There are millions of young adults in love with the Lord and his Church and very enthusiastic about sharing the faith with others. This is what is often joyfully discovered by WYD participants, and they return home liberated by this experience of truth.<br />
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Let's be sure to keep our Archdiocesan pilgrims in prayer while they make this faith-filled journey. We can all look forward to welcoming the new enthusiasm they will surely bring to the mission of our local Church.<br />
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Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-60070434388031993932019-01-07T15:05:00.000-07:002019-01-07T15:05:08.585-07:00Surrendering ControlMany people travel this time of the year. In the northern climes in which I live, that will often mean travel disruption. Winter weather will quite often give us flight cancellations or delays and impassable roads. The deepest frustration arises from the fact that we are unable to do anything about it. We are out of control. All we can do is adjust, but the adjustment we make is temporary. We change plans as necessary to deal with the situation, all the while having the intention of re-claiming control and getting back to our normal, or to what we had originally planned. <br />
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The Christmas liturgies of the Church call us to a complete surrender of control, to an adjustment which is both radical and permanent. The summons is to change our plans - our life plans! - in the light of God's will for us. This means accepting, in peace, the truth about just who is in control: Almighty God.<br />
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Much attention is focused in the Christmas season upon Mary, the mother of Jesus. In her we see the perfect example of complete surrender to this truth of God's sovereignty. To say that any plans she might have had in mind were disrupted by the plan of God would be an understatement. Yet her response to Gabriel's message was an immediate and faith-filled acquiescence to the will of God. Mary knew that the only one truly "in control" is God, who guides the course of world events in accordance with his plan, and who calls us to adjust our hopes and desires in light of his saving purpose.<br />
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As we listened on Sunday's Solemnity of the Epiphany to the familiar narrative of the visit of wise men from the East, we heard about individuals whose response to the plan of God was the direct opposite of Mary's. Herod responded with both fear and fury; the chief priests and scribes with astonishing indifference. There was clearly no intention on their part to change their lives.<br />
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These divergent responses direct our attention to the exercise of human freedom. In the Christian worldview, all of history unfolds according to God's plan, and is filled with purpose, namely the salvation of the human race. God is in control; not us. He has the plan and he brings it to fulfilment. At the same time, Mary's surrender to this truth teaches us that the achievement of God's plan somehow mysteriously hinges upon human freedom. Christ has come to set us free from the slavery imposed by sin so that we could freely respond to God, freely surrender control of our lives to his love. How shall we respond?<br />
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The answer that we give to this question is of crucial importance not only for the state of our individual lives but also for that of the world. In spite of the best efforts of world leaders, wars continue to rage between nations, violent protests erupt in our streets, migrants and refugees numbering in the millions are on the move seeking safety and a better life. In answer to the pain and suffering we inflict upon one another, Christianity proclaims with clarity and insistence that it is only when we are in right relationship with God that we shall find the way to peaceful relations with our fellow human beings. Only when the soul is rightly ordered to God will our relationships with one another be ordered in peace. The healing of the relationship with God begins by acknowledging that he is in control, that he is truly sovereign, and then by surrendering to his sovereignty, to his plan for humanity, a surrender that takes place by faith, repentance and obedience.<br />
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This surrender will lead to radical change in the way we live. We are told that the wise men, after offering homage to the Christ child, went home by "another road". So, too, with us. When we bow down to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, when we surrender control to him, our lives will change direction. This is not something to reject in fear but to embrace with joy, because we shall find ourselves on the road that leads not only to peace on earth but also to eternal life.<br />
Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-19262787428797996542018-12-17T11:37:00.001-07:002018-12-17T11:37:54.897-07:00Rejoice When I'm Sad?On Saturday, I made a visit to our Holy Cross cemetery and mausoleum. The occasion was the annual mass I celebrate with families of loved ones who have died. It is a poignant moment. Especially if the family member or friend has died within the last year, making this the first Christmas celebration without them, the pain and grief can be very intense. It is important that we be together not only in shared pain but also in common faith. It helps.<br />
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I was reflecting upon the people I met and with whom I spoke at Holy Cross as I read the summons of St. Paul in the second reading for Sunday's mass (Philippians 4:4-7). It begins: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice." Always? How would this teaching land in the hearts of people who are suffering with deep grief? For that matter, what about people who have just been laid off from work, women and children fleeing domestic violence, refugees not welcome at a border, and so on? The summons to joy in these and similar situations understandably might seem strange and difficult to receive.<br />
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The key is the reason Paul gives for rejoicing: "The Lord is near." We are not alone; we are never alone. Jesus, our Risen Lord, remains always with us in the full power of his love. This leads Paul to counsel further: "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." What we have here is a summons to trust in the love of God for us. Whatever the issue, give it to Jesus, in whom God's love is both manifest and active. He knows what to do; he knows where he is leading us; he knows how to take whatever befalls us and to turn it to our good in accord with the will of the Father. This is the faith that removes fear. This is the faith that gives rise to a joy that takes deep root in the heart and persists, even in moments of sadness and pain.<br />
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Here, then, is a grace for which to pray in the immediate lead-up to Christmas: the grace of authentic joy in the Lord. As we contemplate the mystery of Jesus as God-with-us, Emmanuel, may this wondrous truth of our God who draws near take hold of our minds and hearts. In this way they will be filled, as St. Paul promises, with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.<br />
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Gaudete!Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-83412579852574020992018-12-10T09:53:00.002-07:002018-12-10T10:03:05.519-07:00Grandin Media at OneTime flies, etc. Well, it does, indeed, feel as if time has flown by when I consider that Grandin Media is already one year old. And I do think that the denizens of our Communications Department have been having fun in not only getting this digital news portal launched but also keeping it flying at what is, in my estimation, a very high altitude.<br />
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Grandin Media exists to serve the Church's mission of evangelization by telling stories of how the beauty and truth of the Gospel is "landing" in people's lives and transforming them. Whether in news reports, columns, vlogs and blogs, interviews, social media posts, or quirky shows (have you seen Leftfooters?), Grandin Media seeks to tell the Catholic story.<br />
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One of my principal preoccupations and worries over recent years has been the fact that, even though the Church has an enormously important story to tell, others are telling it, and not always accurately or fairly. We must tell the story ourselves. Of course, Catholic media has existed a long time, and has exercised its ministry with dedication and skill. Indeed, the Archdiocese of Edmonton was blessed for fifty years with the Western Catholic Reporter. Yet, we realized, as have many others, that the time had come to change our approach and embrace the reality of news delivery in an increasingly digital world. From that awareness, Grandin Media was born.<br />
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Grandin's first anniversary falls within the season of Advent. This underscores the urgent necessity of the Catholic communications ministry. On the Second Sunday of Advent, Scripture brought to our minds once again the call of John the Baptist to be a voice crying in the wilderness, summoning people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. That same vocation rests now with the Church of Christ. In the increasingly vast wilderness of the human soul made arid from lack of hope, we, too, cry out and invite people to turn their attention to Jesus and anticipate his transformative coming into their lives through faith. To do this, we must speak in places where people can hear us; we need to be present where people gather. Grandin Media strives to meet this challenge by its embrace of all digital platforms.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop Vital Grandin</td></tr>
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We've moved from snowshoes to cyberspace. The namesake, Bishop Vital Grandin, our first Bishop, went wherever his people were to announce the Gospel. In his day, that meant traversing enormous distances on snowshoe. People now, especially our young people, "gather" in the Internet and there learn what is happening, share their own stories, etc. Bishop Grandin taught us to go to the people, and that is what we've done in our digital presence and outreach.<br />
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I am enormously proud (not in a sinful way, I hasten to add!) of what Grandin Media has accomplished in a short time. In my estimation, their work is world class. Skill and professionalism are present in abundance. What impresses and edifies me most deeply, though, is the faith in Christ and love for the Church that animates all that they do.<br />
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Happy first anniversary! Let's pray that, by God's grace, we shall celebrate many more!Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-90085261262659371462018-12-04T10:58:00.001-07:002018-12-04T16:54:45.461-07:00Cross and AltarThis weekend I had the wonderful blessing of visiting St. Agnes and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishes. On Saturday, at the newly and beautifully renovated church of St. Agnes in Edmonton, I dedicated its new altar. Then on Sunday, while visiting the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sherwood Park, I blessed a stunning new crucifix, recently installed in the church's sanctuary. These events, although distinct, nevertheless were inwardly united because of the inseparable and mysterious bond that exists between the Cross and the altar.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken by Cathy Ehm at St Agnes.</td></tr>
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What I'm getting at here is the teaching of the Church that what happened on Calvary is rendered present at mass. On the Cross, Jesus gave himself for the salvation of the world. His death on the Cross and resurrection from the dead happened once and for all. We are given a share in this victory by participation in the sacraments, in which Jesus, in the power of his paschal mystery (death and resurrection) is present. The supreme instance of this is the Eucharist, in which the very same self-sacrifice of Christ on the Cross of Calvary is rendered present on the altar of the mass. When we receive from that altar Holy Communion, we are drawn by Jesus into his very act of offering himself to the Father. This is so that we, too, - through, with and in him - might make of our lives a complete offering to God.<br />
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When we understand the unity of Cross and altar, we can appreciate the teaching of the Lord we heard in the Gospel passage for the first Sunday of Advent (Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36). There, Jesus is looking ahead to his promised return at the end of time. He prophesies that his Second Coming will be signalled by events that will leave many people terrified. Many, but not all. To those who are his followers he says: "Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (21:28) That is to say, don't be afraid. Since, as Christians, we live from the unity of Cross and altar, we know that his final return is not something to meet with terror but to welcome with joy. Neither do we fear the unsettling events that beset us even now in our daily living.<br />
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When Jesus offered himself on the Cross, he was subsequently raised from the dead by his heavenly Father. In other words, the resurrection was the response of the Father to the self-gift of his Son. On the altar, what is rendered present is the self-same sacrifice of Jesus, who now reigns in heaven as Risen Lord. This means that, on the altar, what is truly present is not only the self-offering of Christ but also the response of the Father! Therefore, when we, by receiving Holy Communion, offer our lives through Christ to the Father, we share also in the Father’s response, His answer of life and hope. Living thus from the unity of Cross and altar, we are enabled to "stand up and raise our heads" no matter what befalls us. Our redemption is always near at hand. Let us welcome it with hope and joy.<br />
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Blessed Advent!Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-6381599281305601752018-11-26T13:39:00.001-07:002018-11-26T14:28:28.758-07:00The Reigning Champion<br />
On Sunday, Edmonton played host to the Grey Cup championship of the Canadian Football League. The days leading up to the championship game were quite the festival! Fans came in from across the country, and Edmontonians, no slouches themselves in the "fan" category, put on a great show, by all accounts. This generous local spirit, while not surprising, is nevertheless remarkable, given that our archrival - Calgary - played for the championship on our own turf, and our Edmonton team didn't. Ouch. And Calgary won. Double ouch. Well, all right - congratulations to our friends in Calgary. But, still. Ow.<br />
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Grey Cup Sunday coincided this year with the liturgical feast of Christ the King. This suggests some instructive comparisons that help us to appreciate who is, really, the "reigning champion" and how we are to understand this.<br />
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At Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, the football players were on display before thousands of people. What was demonstrated was talent, skill, strategy, strength, speed, top physical condition, in short, everything that one would expect of potential champions. At the headquarters of Pontius Pilate, Jesus is put on display before the governor in seeming weakness (cf. John 18: 33b-37). He has been arrested, is entirely in the hands of Roman and Jewish authorities, and will soon be flogged by soldiers and mocked by the crowds. Few could have discerned here the making of a champion in any sense.<br />
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At the football match in Edmonton, one team was victorious by the other going down to defeat. On the Cross in Jerusalem, Jesus won the victory precisely through defeat. In the sporting event, championship and loss are opposites. In the death of Jesus, they unite; defeat becomes the means of victory. By his willing acceptance of death on the Cross, Jesus took to himself the misery of sin and death. By rising from the dead, he rose victorious over the power of evil, so that now he might present to God our Father "an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace" (from the Preface for the Mass of Christ the King).<br />
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</div>Jesus Christ is our King. He is the true champion, who now wills to reign in our hearts. We speak of the Grey Cup victors as reigning champions, but I'm never quite sure in what that "reign" consists apart from holding the title. Well, Jesus holds the title of King and his reign is to consist in real sovereignty over our lives.<br />
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On Grey Cup Sunday, the champion team is "crowned", as it were, there are many celebrations that follow in the immediate wake of the victory, and then life for the fans goes back to normal, unchanged in any substantial way by the event. To acknowledge Christ as King is entirely different from this. It means complete and lasting change in the lives of those who acknowledge and follow him as Sovereign Lord. In practical terms, it means that we allow no sin to rule in our hearts. It means permitting no falsehood to take directive control of our mindset. It means living not in the lie but in the truth and taking all direction for our lives from the One who alone is Truth. "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice," Jesus told Pilate (John 18:37). It is what he tells all of us today.<br />
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The reigning champion is Jesus Christ. May he reign as King perpetually in truth and love in the minds and hearts of each of us.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-54447194451804502692018-11-19T12:48:00.001-07:002018-11-19T12:54:45.583-07:00Proper AlignmentWe are approaching the end of the liturgical year, so the Scripture readings we listen to these days address another end, that of history. They point to that time when Jesus, as he promised, will come again to gather all of his chosen people and bring history to its culmination according to the plan of the Father.<br />
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As we listened to one such passage on Sunday from the Gospel of Mark (13:24-32), typically filled with symbolic apocalyptic language, I was drawn to the signs that Jesus said will accompany his coming: "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken." What is the meaning of this?<br />
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At the time of Jesus, it was commonly held that the celestial bodies (sun, moon, stars) exercised a determinative influence over the course of history. People would observe their alignment and draw conclusions as to what would unfold in their lives. To announce that, at the coming of Jesus, these celestial powers will be "shaken" is to say that they, in fact, have no determining force whatsoever. The power to guide the events of history belongs to God alone, a power he has entrusted to his Son, whom he has constituted Lord of all time.<br />
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This often begs the question: if God guides history, why are we in such a mess? Here we must consider the wondrous truth that the unfolding of history, guided by God, also mysteriously hinges upon the exercise of authentic human freedom. This brings me to the issue of alignment. Whereas the people of old sought to align their conclusions and projections with the alignment of stars, our call is to cooperate with the plan of God by aligning our wills with his. Only in this way will we have hope of seeing history unfold in accord with the divine purpose.<br />
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This insight brings into high relief the drama we are presently living. In our day, the tracking of the stars has been replaced by the monitoring of the self. The multiple messages we receive hourly through the vast panoply of social media platforms unite in a common call: align your life not with the stars, and certainly not with God, but with your own desires. In our age of radical individualism, the human person is understood not only as self-determining but also self-creating. The tragic fallout from this, often lethal, is obvious. If I am entirely self-referential, if I am my own moral compass, then the only way I can relate to others is via a conflict of wills. A profound misalignment vis-à-vis the truth of things is extraordinarily pervasive in Western culture today, and it is causing widespread fracture.<br />
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We need a radical realignment. It begins by aligning myself, in my particular time and circumstance, with the love and vision of Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all time and of every circumstance. In Christian terms, such alignment is called the act of faith, the decision to believe in Christ as Lord, and to surrender the entirety of my life to him.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-50549627625989811252018-11-12T12:16:00.001-07:002018-11-12T13:01:38.026-07:00Remembering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On November 11th, our country united with many others in an act of remembering. We called to mind the millions of men and women who, in the course of war, gave their lives in defence of freedom. They died that others might live. Extraordinary. Rightly do we wish to keep the memory of their sacrifice alive. The preservation of our fundamental freedoms has come at a great price, and we must never forget that. The memory of the great heroism of those who fell in war evokes in us sentiments of silent awe and deep gratitude.<br />
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Remembrance Day this year fell on a Sunday, when the Christian community gathers in another act of remembering. At the heart of the Eucharist we hear the words of the Lord himself, "Do this in memory of me." We remember Christ and the great act of his sacrifice on the Cross, and, in so doing, call to mind the astonishing and steadfast love of God the Father for each of us, his children.<br />
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This, too, is a memory we must keep alive as the source of great hope. Everywhere today we encounter forgetfulness of God and its immediate consequence: fear. Anxiety and dread are gripping the hearts of many people and families. The common denominator lying beneath it all as the ultimate source of this fear is the absence of trust. When God is eclipsed, is there anything else in which we can place our trust with absolute certainty? We may try to rely on money, possessions, reputation, other people and ourselves, but we know the reality of human weakness and often experience the emptiness of what the world offers. Trusting in anything other than the rock-solid love of God gives rise inevitably to deep anxiety, which we encounter all around us and perhaps within us.<br />
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On this same Sunday, we heard the narrative of what tradition has come to call "the widow's mite." It is a striking story, and very instructive for us. When the widow put her two small coins in the Temple treasury, she gave everything she had. It was an act of casting off any and all means of self-reliance in favour of a decision to trust entirely in the providence of God. What lay behind such trust? The story does not give the answer, but I like to think her act of self-abandonment to God was motivated by the memory of all that God had done for his people. God had supported both her and her people in their need, and had thus manifested his steadfast love. She knew she could rely on God never to let her down, never to abandon her, always to be with her, and on this basis made the decision to trust.<br />
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This is the antidote to the anxiety around and within us. Remember the love of God, and allow that memory to give rise to a deep trust in his providence, which does not fail.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-34746748898240871432018-11-05T13:21:00.001-07:002018-11-05T13:34:06.646-07:00Q&A with JesusIn my school visits, I welcome the opportunities for question and answer sessions with the students. It gives me a sense of how they are doing, what their concerns are and how the Church can teach and accompany them. The questions will, of course, vary with the age group. The young ones will wonder about my age, if I have a pet, what my favourite colour might be, and pose such sleep-depriving questions as: "How come ya gotta wear two hats?!" As they grow older the questions become more serious. They want to know about human sexuality, the nature of marriage, issues around sanctity of life, the relation between religion and science, matters of social justice, etc. Quite often my answers to one student will lead to more questions from others who are listening.<br />
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This dynamic of Q&A is at the heart of the Gospel passage we heard proclaimed on Sunday (Mark 12:28-34). A scribe approaches Jesus with what has to rank among the most serious of all questions. "Which commandment is the first of all?" It is clear that obedience to the commandments is important to the questioner. By asking which is first he seeks to know what commandment among all the precepts of the Jewish law gives light and coherence to the whole. Jesus provides the answer by uniting love of God with that of neighbour and asserts: "There is no other commandment greater than these." In his heart the questioner can recognize that Jesus has spoken the truth and voices his acquiescence.<br />
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When I compare this Q&A session with the ones I have with students, what jumps out at me is the response of the crowd that has been listening to the exchange between Jesus and the scribe. Students listening to answers given to a colleague usually respond with their own questions. Not so with the crowd in the Gospel passage. Of them it is said, "After that no one dared to ask Jesus any question." It is important that we understand why.<br />
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Upon hearing the answer of the scribe to his teaching, Jesus looked at him and said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." In other words, "You are drawing near, but you are not there yet!" Jesus had just confirmed for him that God must be loved "with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." Genuine love of God is a total gift of self to God, so to the scribe Jesus is saying that there is more of him he has yet to give. The crowds, hearing this, realize that, were they to ask Jesus a question, he would likely point out to them where they need to change, what more they need to give of themselves if their love of God is to be perfect. So, they fall silent. They choose not to risk the question.<br />
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There are many questions we long to put to Jesus. What has happened to my life? Why is their tension and strife in my family? What is the reason for this anxiety that grips me? How did my life go so far off the rails? What am I to do with this guilt that inhabits me? The Gospel passage invites us to pose the question with serenity and faith, and to accept, in trust and obedience, whatever Jesus will answer. It is sure that the answer of the Lord will always challenge us and call us to deeper conversion. It is equally certain that the Lord's answer will always be given in love and will lead us only toward the good. <br />
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Ask the question. Don't be afraid of the answer. Honest and trusting Q&A with the Lord is what leads us to light and life.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-3411677159110964252018-10-29T14:06:00.000-06:002018-10-29T14:06:55.391-06:00Take Heart!<br />
Halloween happens this week. It's a time when people's attention gravitates toward what is scary. Horror and fright are featured in radio interviews and television programs. Houses are decorated with the obvious aim of instilling fear in the hearts of all who visit, particularly the young trick-or-treaters. Most of this is done in good fun. However, there is a real fear that is gripping the hearts of people today, not only in the period around Halloween, and that is no laughing matter.<br />
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I encounter this constantly. Among young adults, they will speak of the fear of not measuring up to expectations, both real and illusory. In speaking with older adults, I have come across what is referred to as FOMO, the fear of missing out. This is causing considerable angst and tension in many individuals and families. Of course, there are many other things which engender fear: job insecurity, family dysfunction, geopolitical upheaval and so on.<br />
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What frightens you?<br />
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The Gospel passage from Sunday (Mark 10: 46-52) issues a call to each of us as we struggle with fear and anxiety: Take heart! To us who often lose heart because of the difficulties that face us, the Gospel cries: Take heart! In other words, don't be afraid.<br />
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In the Gospel narrative, the words are addressed by the disciples to a blind beggar, Bartimaeus. The encounter between him and Jesus gives insight into how to deal with our fears.<br />
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Bartimaeus at first cries out to Jesus ("Son of David, have mercy on me"). Jesus then calls for him to draw near. At the encouragement of the disciples ("take heart; get up, he is calling you"), Bartimaeus throws off his cloak and goes to Jesus. He asks Jesus that he might see. Jesus restores his sight in response to his faith ("Go; your faith has made you well"). Then, Bartimaeus follows Jesus "on the way".<br />
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This brief episode is instructive. It summons us, like Bartimaeus, to acknowledge at the outset our need for Christ and to cry out to him. When Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, he was casting off that upon which he was dependent. We, too, come to Christ by setting aside all illusion of self-reliance and by casting away all the falsehoods in which we uselessly place our confidence. As we approach the Lord, sometimes we don't know what to say or what we should be asking for. Bartimaeus knew. He asked to see. That, too, needs to be our request. We implore the Lord not for physical sight but spiritual vision. In other words, we ask that we might see the truth of who Jesus is. We want to see that Jesus is not only the Son of David but also the Son of God; that he is the One sent to fulfill God's plan of salvation (Jeremiah 31:7-9); that he is our high priest, who knows our weaknesses because he assumed them himself (Hebrews 5:1-6) and draws near to us in mercy; that this same Jesus is present with us in the sacraments and walks with us in our daily lives. When we see this clearly, what else can we do but follow him "on the way" to our Heavenly Father?<br />
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Following the Lord does not mean our lives will thereby be rendered free from difficulties. When we can see, though, the truth of the presence of Jesus and his love for us, we have found our reason for hope. We have found the antidote to our fears.<br />
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Take heart. He is with us. Do not be afraid.<br />
Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-36629943899705194742018-10-22T13:12:00.001-06:002018-10-22T13:33:27.981-06:00The Vaccine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's flu season again. That means that, once again, a vaccine has been produced to prevent the spread of the virus. On television ads, I've noticed a great push to promote the vaccine and to encourage people to get it. I've also seen on the news reports that not everyone is taking up the invitation.<br />
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This puts me in mind of other viruses that concern me far more than the flu, as serious as that is. These do not circulate in the air. They are not passed on through human physical contact. Rather, they reach us via the many means of social communication. There is, indeed, a vaccine that prevents the contagion, but here, too, the uptake is very low.<br />
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The viruses of which I speak attack not the body but the mind and soul. They are the ideas that seduce us away from fidelity to God and harm the dignity of the human person: God and religion have no place in personal or public deliberation; reality is not a prior given to which we conform but the malleable product of the human mind; the mystery and dignity of the human person is reducible to sexual inclination; truth is no more than opinion; conscience equates to subjectivity; and so on. The symptomatic expression of these viruses, once they take hold, is the widespread anxiety gripping and paralyzing the lives of people today of every age and circumstance.<br />
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How does one inoculate oneself against their spread? The vaccine is the Word of God. It brings us to an encounter with Jesus Christ, in Whom the full truth about both God and the human person is perfectly manifest. By immersing ourselves in the Word, we submerge ourselves in that which alone provides a sure and clear compass for our lives. In it we discover truth, meaning and hope.<br />
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Unlike the flu vaccine, which is administered on an annual basis, "vaccination" by reading the Word of God needs to happen daily. The dosage need not be large - even a few pages of the Gospel will suffice. Yet a daily turn to Sacred Scripture is urgently necessary, since it is every day that we are bombarded with a variety of messaging in the multiple media platforms by which the harmful ideas are carried.<br />
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Moreover, the Word of God serves not only as a "vaccine" but also as an antidote if we do allow the viruses to take hold in our minds. God's Word of truth heals and liberates; it will always win out over evil. Yet, this begs the question: why the low uptake? Why do so few centre their lives not on God's Word but on purely human considerations or ideologies?<br />
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I expect the answer lies in our instinctive resistance to change. When the viruses of our day communicate the falsehoods of radical autonomy, self-creation and self-determination, the summons in Sacred Scripture to accept the fact of our 'creatureliness' and dependence upon God, the call to repentance and surrender, can seem extraordinarily difficult to understand let alone accept.<br />
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I may not like the idea of getting a needle, but if I want to be well I will do what is needed. In a similar vein (pardon the pun), vaccination by immersion in God's Word may not at first seem pleasant, yet it is necessary for both prevention and cure in these days of worrisome viral infections of the mind and soul.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-45630824412344772412018-10-15T10:23:00.001-06:002018-10-15T11:43:59.623-06:00Saint Who?On Sunday, Pope Francis, canonized seven people, thus proposing them to the universal Church as models of holiness. Two among them have long been famous and have thus garnered the lion's share of media attention: Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Oscar Romero. I have great admiration for them both. At the same time, I found myself wondering about the others: who are they; how has God been at work in their lives; how are they an example to be followed? As I read about their lives, my attention was drawn in a particular way to the one lay person among the new saints: Nunzio Sulprizio.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monsignor Romero with Pope Paul VI. Approximately one year before the death of the pontiff.</td></tr>
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Here is the summary of his life as offered by Vatican News last September 19th:<br />
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<em>"Blessed Nunzio was born in Pescosansonesco in Italy in April of 1817. He lost both of his parents while still a child and was brought up by an uncle. His uncle exploited him, not allowing him to go to school, and forcing him to work in his blacksmith shop. Regardless of extreme cold or intense heat, he was forced to carry enormous weights over great distances. He found refuge before the Tabernacle where he would keep Jesus company.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>"After contracting gangrene in one of his legs, he was sent to a hospital for people with incurable diseases in Naples. He suffered tremendously on account of the pain. Yet, he is known to have said such things as:</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>"Jesus suffered so much for us and by his merits we await eternal life. If we suffer a little bit, we will taste the joy of paradise. Jesus suffered a lot for me. Why should I not suffer for Him? I would die in order to convert even one sinner.</em><br />
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<em>"When asked who was taking care of him, he would respond: “God’s Providence”. Once he got better, he dedicated himself to helping other patients. But his health took a sudden turn for the worse. He died from bone cancer in May of 1836 before he reached his 20th birthday."</em><br />
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When we consider the extraordinary witness of such giants as Paul VI and Oscar Romero, we may be tempted to think that sainthood is beyond us. Of course, that is not true. We are all called to be saints, and if we open our lives to the working of God's grace, He will bring that call to fulfillment in us. Saint Nunzio teaches us that God leads us along the path to sanctity by offering us daily opportunities to rely solely upon Divine Providence, to offer our own concrete circumstances - both sufferings and joys - to Him, and to die to ourselves in order to be of service to others. What we do might seem to us to be very little. Often, it is. No matter. It is precisely by what St. Therese of Lisieux called "the little way" that we show ourselves to be disciples of Our Lord and proceed along the way of holiness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church celebrating the canonization.</td></tr>
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The mass of canonization occurs when the attention of the Church is particularly focused upon the needs of young people. The Synod of Bishops on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, is currently underway in Rome. Saint Nunzio, who died at only nineteen years of age, reminds us by his life that the call to holiness of life stands at the heart of all vocational discernment. May the Holy Spirit help us to see how we can help our beloved young people, and how we can help one another, whatever our age, to embrace the call to sanctity.Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-78409384819890413552018-10-09T15:42:00.002-06:002018-10-09T16:35:29.860-06:00Ten Ogórek Jest ZielonyWell, there it is. My first full sentence in Polish. It was taught to me this week by a group of grade-three students at St Basil's school, which runs a Polish-English bilingual programme. Not exactly the most important statement ever uttered (this pickle is green), but, hey, it's a start. In fact, the students gave me a standing ovation, likely due to not only the fact that I encouraged it, but also their astonishment that I could pull it off!<br />
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Standing ovations all around - unforced and entirely spontaneous - are due to three congregations of religious women with whom I was blessed to spend some time over the long weekend. These are women who give voice to what are, indeed, very significant statements, and who, moreover, live out what they say through their daily witness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters of Merciful Jesus at a Mass at St. Joseph's Basilica.</td></tr>
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On Saturday, I visited the Congregation of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus, to bless their new convent and chapel. Their message is to trust always in the mercy of Jesus Christ, and to find therein the source of real hope. Here in this Archdiocese they transform that message into a ministry of accompaniment and assistance among the First Nations peoples of Maskwacis, about one hour south of Edmonton.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3NYLwyT4HfU/W70tDOiGkMI/AAAAAAAACSI/PrPdlQH6v48IcznvOuLHTvymEVBaGeKkACLcBGAs/s1600/MAY04486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3NYLwyT4HfU/W70tDOiGkMI/AAAAAAAACSI/PrPdlQH6v48IcznvOuLHTvymEVBaGeKkACLcBGAs/s400/MAY04486.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f1f0f0; color: #444950; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Sr. Anne Hemstock and Sr. Mary Truong, Sisters of Providence.</span></td></tr>
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Sunday morning was the occasion to gather with the Sisters of Providence to celebrate with them the 175th anniversary of their Congregation. Inspired by their founder, Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin, these women are dedicated to announcing the message of Divine Providence, and to inviting all to place their complete confidence in God, who knows our every need and never fails to care for His children. Throughout the history of this Congregation, word has been translated into action through education, healthcare and outreach to the poor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift shop at Carmelite Monastery with items made by the Sisters.</td></tr>
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Monday was for prayer. For this I spent the day at the convent of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. Their "word" is unspoken, yet it echoes loudly. Daughters of St Teresa of Avila, they are entirely consecrated to the contemplation of the mystery of God. Silence, solitude and stability within an enclosure mark their life, which they offer in love for the good of the Church.<br />
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These three visits took place over the Thanksgiving Day weekend. When it comes to thanking God for his many blessings, where to start??!! He is so very good, and His blessings abound. Among them in this Archdiocese is the presence and witness of women consecrated to God through the embrace of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. We have many Congregations serving the people of the Archdiocese. Like the three I visited these past days, they give voice - in both word and deed - to a message that translates well into any language: entrust yourself to God's mercy, be free of all anxiety, and find in Him true joy and peace.<br />
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<br />Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-13451112785460383922018-10-01T13:52:00.000-06:002018-10-01T13:57:19.824-06:00Lift Me Up<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A couple of
years ago I attended an event for families. I was standing at the back of the
room, listening to a speaker. (What is it with us Catholics and the back row,
pew or whatever? We seem to gravitate there!) All of a sudden, I felt a little
tugging at my pant leg, and looked down to see that it was a little girl - a
toddler, probably no more than two - who was trying to get my attention. When
she caught my eye, she raised both of her arms in the air. She wanted me to
pick her up! I looked around and saw a woman who was identified to me as the
child's mother. She could see what was going on and gave me a nod of
permission. What was I to do? I couldn't say no to the little girl, so... I
reached down and picked her up. She wanted to be carried, so I held her for a
few minutes and then gave her to her mother. It is a precious memory.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhNaoejibNI/W7J70pgBtFI/AAAAAAAACQ4/qWs_l1Lz-igEbmXEcaDft-McXzujJA6QwCLcBGAs/s1600/st%2Btheresa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="478" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhNaoejibNI/W7J70pgBtFI/AAAAAAAACQ4/qWs_l1Lz-igEbmXEcaDft-McXzujJA6QwCLcBGAs/s400/st%2Btheresa.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It is also
a lesson. I'm recalling this event as I write on the feast of St. Therese of
Lisieux. She famously used this image - the lifting up of the arms as a request
to be carried - to describe her relation with Jesus Christ. She knew that, by
her own efforts alone, she could not achieve her life's goal, namely, sanctity
through communion with the Father. She knew, too, however, that, if she asked
Jesus, he would "lift her up" in his arms and carry her to the
Father. Here we have an image, given to us by one recognized as a Doctor of the
Church, to describe what it means to follow the command of Jesus to become like
children if we are to enter the kingdom of God.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">To have
faith in Christ is willingly to allow oneself to be carried by him. Daily we
encounter difficult situations. Rather than let them be for us a source of
anxiety, may we instead recognize in them a gift from God whereby he allows us
to know our littleness and dependence. Aware of our weakness and need, let us
not hesitate to raise our arms to the Lord and ask him to lift us to the
Father, who knows our every need, will never abandon us, and will surely offer
us, through Christ, all that we truly need.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">St Therese
of Lisieux, Little Flower, Doctor of the Church, pray for us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1161969932985298692.post-72623630153289278652018-09-24T10:33:00.001-06:002018-09-24T11:14:38.411-06:00Uplifted by Uplift<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Saturday, I visited the site of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catholic Social Services'</i> annual Day of Mercy, called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uplift</i>. The name is apt. That day, many people were given a "lift up" as they filed through the doors of St Alphonsus church and the community league building next door. In these venues, the people received free clothing, haircuts, bicycle repair and family photos, along with a hot meal.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcrdge4cwig/W6ka6YnVREI/AAAAAAAACPw/QI0N_6W0UF0dYtCOnGxU_iPgLkLKjydoQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcrdge4cwig/W6ka6YnVREI/AAAAAAAACPw/QI0N_6W0UF0dYtCOnGxU_iPgLkLKjydoQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I walked through the buildings, I could see many staff and volunteers giving generously - and joyfully - of their time and talent to give concrete assistance and real hope to adults and children in serious need. I saw, too, the many donations made possible by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Evergreen Catholic Schools and others.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In short, what I witnessed on Saturday was a concrete manifestation of the Church in action, of the Gospel proclaimed in deed.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FoUmExE0tLE/W6kbEDlqVvI/AAAAAAAACP0/p58ND2mGbrMmQp5IU3udOHiVRfsToG7PACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FoUmExE0tLE/W6kbEDlqVvI/AAAAAAAACP0/p58ND2mGbrMmQp5IU3udOHiVRfsToG7PACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The experience was a wonderful preparation to hear the Gospel proclaimed on Sunday. According to the passage from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mark</i> (9: 30-37), Jesus said, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Clearly, the more than 100 staff and volunteers involved in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uplift</i> were deliberately making themselves last, rendering themselves servants, so that persons in need might receive help. By their actions, I myself was edified, uplifted, and thus challenged to make ever more real in my own life the summons of the Gospel to follow Christ through service to others.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In fact, there are many lessons to be drawn from this event. The one that stands out for me is this: small acts of love have a huge positive impact. A fresh haircut, the price of which is often beyond the reach of many; a family photo that could not be had other than through the generosity of the photographer; or a simple bag of freshly popped popcorn were enough to let people know that we recognize and honour their inherent dignity, which no circumstance, however difficult, can ever take from them.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This lesson was further exemplified by the many donations of socks and underwear. A few years ago, as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catholic Social Services</i> was planning to launch this annual event, they asked people living on the street what they needed more than anything else, and the clear answer was socks and underwear. Sometimes we might be tempted to think that there is not much one can do to alleviate the suffering of so many. Not so! The simple act of donating a basic necessity sends the clear signal that those who need it are worthy of our attention and love. This message hits home and gives hope.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We do not need to wait a year before we reach out again. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uplift</i> shows us the way we can make a difference for someone else every day, if we but seek to be aware of the need and ask what simple things we might do to make a difference.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catholic Social Services</i>!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Archbishop Richard W. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01936468721491400080noreply@blogger.com