Dear Parishioners,
In our Gospel scene Jesus returns to Nazareth and speaks to the assembly gathered in the synagogue. He reads a passage from Isaiah that mentions proclaiming “a year acceptable to the Lord.”
This passage comes at a fitting time because the Catholic Church has declared 2025 an “acceptable year.” Or, in official terms, a Jubilee Year. This happens every 25 years in the Church. The Church takes this custom from the ancient Israelites, who had a special Jubilee Year every seven years. During this year the Israelites would not farm the land, but let it lay fallow. Slaves were supposed to be set free, debts forgiven, and land restored to its original owners. It was like the whole nation was to imitate God’s mercy.
In Catholicism there are some special customs we have in the Jubilee Year. The Pope walks through the “Holy Door” in the major basilicas in Rome. Various churches in dioceses across the world are designated as special places of prayer with opportunities for Reconciliation, indulgences, and other events meant to revive one’s faith. And the Church, in general, focuses in a special way throughout the year on prayer, forgiveness, and healing.
This last part I think is most essential: prayer, forgiveness, and healing. These are three very difficult things for most people, especially forgiveness. Everyone of us has been hurt or wounded in some way. Some people are very aware of these wounds. They can remember the hurtful action(s) and who is responsible. Other people are hurting, but they don’t realize it. They’ve either blocked out a memory or haven’t looked introspectively into why they act a certain way.
This reminds me of one of my favorite songs: “Cowboy in Me” by Tim McGraw. It came out when I was in high school in 2001 (I guess it’s now an oldie), and I still enjoy playing it on guitar. The song opens, “I don’t know why I act the way I do…like I ain’t got a single thing to lose…Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy…I guess that’s just the cowboy in me.”
This is the time to look at our wounds, at the cowboy in each one of us. What are our “sinful” behaviors and what causes them? If we don’t know ‘why we act the way we do,’ now is the time to ask God to show us.
But this is only half the equation. We then need to forgive. Think of the person or the situation that has hurt you. Commend them to God. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to feel all warm and fuzzy towards that person or place, nor does it mean you have to no longer be hurt. You can still feel the pain and you can still hold some caution or reservation towards that individual. But anger and resentment and bitterness is not what’s feeding your soul. What feeds your soul instead is a confidence that you are beloved by God.
Often what makes forgiveness so hard, and why we resort to anger, is because the wound we experienced has told us a lie that we are ugly, undesirable, unintelligent, useless, or some other self-condemning characteristic. The person has hurt us, we think, because we were deserving of that hurt. But this is not true. The issue wasn’t with us. It was with that person. But we don’t realize this. We believe the lie, and anger and holding a grudge is our outlet.
In forgiving others what we are really doing is seeing ourselves as God sees us: as beautiful, gifted, and chosen men and women. These are the “glad tidings” Jesus proclaimed in that Nazareth synagogue and what he wants to say to us 2025 years later.
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We celebrate Catholic Schools Week throughout the Archdiocese and nation this week. Thank you to all who make St. Paul of the Cross School a tremendous success, from our principal, Dr. Erika Mickelburgh and her staff and teachers, to our students, parents, and alumni. We will have our annual Celebrate the Spirit School Gala on Friday, February 7th. This is our school’s 100th Anniversary, so congratulations to all on a great century of Catholic education.
This Thursday we will host another Candlelight Rosary in the Church at 7:30 p.m. On Friday our Men’s Club will have its annual Bocce Tournament at Mazzine-Verdi Club in Franklin Park.
Looking ahead to next week, Monday, February 3rd is the Feast of St. Blase. We will bless throats at the 6:25am and 8:30am Masses that day. However, if you would like your throat blessed on Sunday, February 2nd, please reach out to one of the priests after Mass.
Enjoy your week and stay warm.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. James Wallace
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