While the Church was there first, St. Rose of Lima Church is at the head of the Blue Route and at the arc of Interstate 95 as it connects with I-476. So technically, the Tabernacle of the Church is at the crossroads of two interstate highways. The roads lead to the Tabernacle and they extend from it. A beautiful depiction of what happened in Indianapolis last week – the Eucharistic Procession was lead from four corners of our nation to the Eucharistic Congress and the grace of the Congress will go forth from Indianapolis to the far corners of our nation. Things to ponder as you sit in rush-hour traffic.
Tomorrow, 22 July, is the Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene. St. Mary is called “The Apostle of the Apostles” since she courageously ran to The Twelve to share with then the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus. The word “apostle” means “one who is sent.”
Think of the imagery of the highway system around St. Rose of Lima Church and compare it to the mission of St. Mary Magdalene. St. Mary was a witness of the Crucifixion of Jesus and she faithfully remained at the tomb. St. Mary, at the dawn of the Third day, returned to the tomb to anoint the Body of Jesus but she was astonished at what she encountered – the large stone rolled away, angels announcing the Resurrection, and finally a personal encounter with the Resurrected Lord. It was during this personal encounter with Jesus that Mary was warned not to cling to Jesus but to go to the Twelve and to share the news of the Resurrection.
We, likewise. are brought to the Tabernacle each Sunday and are invited to share in the Bread of Life. Like the Congress attendees in Indianapolis who came and then were sent forth, we too come to the Table of Plenty and then are dismissed to share the grace of the Eucharist with all that we are privileged to meet on the journey.
The heart of two interstates merge at the site of the Source and Summit of our Faith. May we imitate the courage of St. Mary and be an apostle to those who are hesitant to believe.
Periodically we will provide updates on the priorities and goals of the Next Generation Parish initiatives. Today’s focus is on our Clergy Visibility.
The altar rail and its gate are physical separations of the sanctuary and the body of the Church. It was a liturgical barrier identifying that special area of the Church where the altar of sacrifice was located. Eventually, the altar rail also became a physical barrier that separated the clergy from the congregation. While the altar rail and the gate have been removed at many churches, the altar rail remains, sans gate, at Our Lady of Peace.
The Clergy Visibility goal seeks to strengthen the relationship between the parishioners and the clergy. While the faithful are always welcome to knock on the sacristy door, or to come to the rectory – it is the parish house after all – it is just as important for the clergy to go beyond these physical structures to be with the parishioners. Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of this: “A priest has to be a pastor in the midst of God’s people because God has chosen him for that.”
Simple steps such as being visible before and after Mass establish this sense of being in the midst. Other visibility opportunities have occurred through our Campfire Catechesis sessions, the stoop spirituality that occurs after the Tuesday evening Benediction and Mass, and of course the monthly Coffee Sundays.
Discussions are underway to create an “Ask the Clergy” program so the faithful can anonymously address questions to the clergy about issues of liturgy, catechesis, Sacred Scripture, Dogma, or the latest developments from the Vatican. The goal for the Ask the Clergy is for its availability both electronically and non-electronically, with the Q&A available for all.
The altar rail serves as a recognition of the sacredness of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the eventually sharing of the grace of that moment through Holy Eucharist. Hopefully, the Clergy Visibility goal will likewise lead to a mutual sharing of grace.