Life is Beautiful

Dear Parishioners:                                

This past Friday, the 51st Annual March for Life occurred in Washington, DC. Thousands of citizens from across the country descended upon the nation’s capitol to call for an end to abortion and the building up of a culture of life in our nation.  Even with the blessing of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court Dobbs Decision, which now allows more freedom at the state level to enact pro-life laws, the necessary work to build a culture of life in the United States is not finished. Rather, it is focused differently.   

Sadly, the number of abortions annually is still well over 900,000 each year. That number is expected to decrease only by roughly 200,000 each year in a post-Roe America. Tragically, in Rhode Island, over 2,000 children are killed by abortion annually.   Many national legislative battles loom, including keeping longstanding Hyde Amendment protections, which limit government funding for abortion on annual appropriation bills. The Hyde Amendment has saved over 2 million lives and is arguably the most impactful pro-life policy in our nation’s history, but now it cannot be taken for granted.    

In Rhode Island, we have one of the most radical abortion laws in the nation. It allows for the direct killing of a preborn child up until the day of birth. Last year, the Governor signed a law that provides state tax dollars to finance abortion on demand for the Medicaid program and the health insurance plans for state employees.

The goal of the National March for Life is not only to change laws at the state and federal level but to change the culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable.   This includes the important work of changing hearts and minds. We must continue to pray, act, and advocate for life. We welcome Bishop Henning to Our Lady of Mercy on Sunday night as he celebrates the Annual Diocesan Respect Life Mass. He wrote in his recent column entitled “Life is Beautiful":

"The Catholic Church consistently upholds the truth of human dignity even in the face of cultural hostility and shifting moral viewpoints. We do so because the Lord himself gave us an example of universal and unselfish love and charged us to love one another as He loved us. We do so because He taught us to be most attentive to the forgotten, the vulnerable, the ‘least’ among us: ‘Whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do to me’ (Matt 25:40).  We do so in the knowledge that we will not be judged by our worldly accomplishments, wealth, or cleverness, but by the quality of our compassion and mercy.

It is a source of deep grief to me that our state has enacted laws that are among the most radical and anti-life to be found anywhere in the world. It seems so out of character in a state with such fervent hospitality and where people so often give and sacrifice for their neighbors.  I am unsure how we reached this point of kindness to some, yet such a merciless stance towards the most vulnerable. Of course, the proponents of such laws argue that they are a matter of freedom and choice. And yet, the exclusive focus remains on the termination of innocent human life. We do not actually give vulnerable mothers a choice. We do not offer her equal resources to bring her child to see the light of day. Our system as it has been crafted brings women to only one choice – a tragic choice that occurs in heartbreaking numbers.
Please help me to communicate to the men and women of this state that the Catholic Church reveres life – each and every life. Any woman finding herself in fear or difficulty needs to know that we want to help her have a full choice and the support she will need to make the choice for life. Go to any parish in the Diocese of Providence, and we will do all in our power to help you and your baby.
I also ask that we call upon our leaders to help women in Rhode Island have a true choice. Every life is sacred; every life is possibility. Where is compassion? Where is mercy? Are there not ways to respect the dignity of the mother and protect the life of her child? Every one of us was once a child in the womb! We will never be mistaken in efforts to preserve life, to nurture and protect life, to revere and celebrate life. Life is sacred, and life is beautiful!”

Pray for an end to abortion and a culture of life in our state, nation, and world. Be well. Do good. God Bless!

Not So Ordinary Times

Dear Parishioners:                                  

Our first snowstorm has come and gone! It didn’t help our attendance at Sunday morning Masses. However, the Vigil Mass on Saturday was very crowded. We must thank Paul Anderson and our OLM maintenance team, who worked hard to clear the snow and enable those who came to Mass to arrive and leave safely.                          

A few people always ask if Mass is still celebrated when it snows. At OLM, the answer is yes! Mass is always celebrated, even in the snow. The commute from the Rectory to the Church isn’t long, and we don’t even have to go outside, so we priests can always make it to celebrate the Mass despite the weather. Some other parishes have multiple locations for Mass; thus, priests cannot always get there in snowstorms. We are blessed at OLM to have two priests and a short commute!

The Church looks bare as the beautiful Christmas decorations and trees are gone. It looks “ordinary,” which befits the liturgical season. It is Ordinary Time when we wear green vestments and celebrate every aspect of the life of Christ. In common use, ‘ordinary’ refers to something plain or unexciting. For that reason, many people hear ‘Ordinary Time’ and immediately think of the season as such. But that understanding doesn’t reflect the true meaning of the season.

Ordinary time should be a time for spiritual growth when the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ. The goal toward which all of history is directed is represented by the final Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Christ the King.

Ordinary comes from the Latin ordinalis, meaning ‘numbered’ or ‘ruled’. This title refers to the ongoing and rhythmic nature of the season. Just like everyday life, there is a rhythm to the days and the weeks. We have holidays and special occasions that we look forward to and change the pace, just like we have holy days and feasts in the Church year. But those special occasions aren’t the whole picture, just like there is more to the life of Christ than what we celebrate in other liturgical seasons. 

The Season of Ordinary Time has two parts, but it remains one season. The first part begins now, right after the feast of the Epiphany. It runs until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. The second part begins the Monday after Pentecost and runs until the First Sunday of Advent. This part is typically about twice the length of the first.  

Like all liturgical seasons, Ordinary Time is meant to be lived! We aren’t passive receptors of the liturgy. We are called to full and active participation in the life of the Church and her liturgy! Our full participation in the Season of Ordinary Time means participating in the everyday life of Jesus.

The Most Reverend Richard Henning, D.D., S.T.D., Bishop of Providence

Next Sunday at the 5:00 pm Mass, Bishop Henning is celebrating the Annual Diocesan Respect Life Mass here at OLM. We gather as a local Church to pray for an increase in respect for all human life from conception until natural death. I hope you can join with Catholics across the Diocese for this Respect Life Mass.

Human life has become cheap in our culture. Attacks upon the sanctity of life are viewed as routine and “ordinary.” This is seen in legal abortion until birth for the unborn, legal assisted suicide and euthanasia for the terminally ill, unjust war and weapons that indiscriminately kill innocent civilians, violent racial hatred and religious persecution, rampant gun violence and crime, growing violence in our schools and sporting events, refugees and migrants left to die and the poor told to fend for themselves. All these things are apathetically accepted as routine.

These comprise what Pope Francis calls “the throwaway culture.” He states: “Human life is sacred and inviolable. Every civil right is based on the recognition of the first fundamental right, the right to life, which is not subject to any condition, of a qualitative, economic, and certainly not of an ideological nature.  Too often, human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. We have created a ‘throwaway’ culture which is now spreading. In this way, life too is easily discarded.” 

   Be well. Do good. God Bless!  Pray for life. 

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

Dear Parishioners:                   

 We've all heard the Christmas carol "Twelve Days of Christmas." Why someone would give someone 23 separate birds, a pear tree, and the services of 50 people over 12 days is unclear to me. Yet there is a liturgical precedent for claiming that Christmas is 12 days long. Twelve days after Christmas is the feast of the Epiphany. This day marks when the magi encountered Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and gave Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

"Epiphany" is a word that means manifestation. The "Epiphany of the Lord" is Jesus' manifestation not only to the three Magi from the East but it's also a manifestation of Christ to the whole world. These Magi, traveling from a foreign land, reveal that Jesus came for all people, and all are called to adore Him. The Magi were "wise men" who studied the stars and understood that a Messiah was coming. God used what they were familiar with to call them to adore Christ. He used a star. They understood astrology, and when they saw this new and unique star over Bethlehem, they realized something special was happening. And yet, what a mystery that the Epiphany of God — his manifestation — is found in a tiny infant.

The Magi bring the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the newborn child. St. Irenaeus says that the gifts signify the mystery of the Incarnate Word (God who has become man): gold, a symbol of royalty, represents his kingship; frankincense, used in worship, points to his divinity; and myrrh represents his humanity, particularly in his passion and death. Pope Benedict XVI, in a homily on the Epiphany, said:

"The Magi worshipped a simple Child in the arms of his Mother Mary because in him they recognized the source of the twofold light that had guided them: the light of the star and the light of the Scriptures. In him they recognized the King of the Jews, the glory of Israel, but also the King of all the peoples."

The Church has traditionally announced the date of Easter and other moveable feasts on the Epiphany. This tradition dates from a time when calendars were not readily available. It was necessary to make the date of Easter known in advance since many celebrations of the liturgical year depend on its date. The number of Sundays that follow Epiphany, the date of Ash Wednesday, and the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost are all computed in relation to Easter.

Although calendars now give the date of Easter and the other feasts in the liturgical year many years in advance, the Epiphany proclamation still has value. It is a reminder of the centrality of the resurrection of the Lord in the liturgical year and the importance of the great mysteries of faith, which are celebrated each year.   For the Year 2024, Ash Wednesday is February 14, Easter is March 31, Ascension is May 9, Pentecost is May 19, Corpus Christi is June 2, and the First Sunday of Advent is December 1. While Lent and Easter are early this year, they are not the earliest. In fact, the earliest date Lent can start is February 4, with Easter falling on March 22. The latest date Lent can start is March 10, with Easter being celebrated on April 25.

Speaking of calendars, I wish to thank Deborah A. Runshe and Betsy M. Harris of the Hill Funeral Home for once again generously sponsoring our beautiful 2024 parish calendars. These calendars were put out last weekend to be taken home.

The new electronic front door of the Church is now completely installed and working well. Large buttons can be pressed, automatically opening the door from the inside and outside. We hope the electronic door in the Candle Room entrance and the new interior doors are soon fully installed. I hope these handicap-accessible doors are a help to those who need them.

Monday is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the end of the Christmas Season. The Church calendar returns to Ordinary Time with its green vestments. Ordinary Time continues until Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Christmas may be over, and the beautiful decorations will be put away until next year. But remember what St. Mother Teresa once said: "It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you." Be well. Do good. God Bless!

Gratitude for the Year Past, Hope for the Yet to Come

Dear Parishioners:                    

Monday is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. It is usually a Holy Day of Obligation. However, as it falls on a Monday this year, we are not obligated to attend Mass. So, on New Year's Day, there is only one Mass at 8:30 am. While not obligated to attend Mass this year on New Year's Day, we should try to attend anyway. I can think of no better way to begin a New Year than coming to Holy Mass and bringing our gratitude, hopes, and resolutions to Jesus, who is truly present in the Eucharist!

As we welcome a new year and say farewell to the old year, we thank God. A Catholic Tradition is to sing or pray the Te Deum hymn in thanksgiving to God for his blessings for the past year. It has been sung on special occasions by Christians for centuries.    The name comes from the hymn's first words in the original Latin: Te Deum laudamus ("You are God, we praise you"). It can be chanted or prayed silently. Ring in 2024 Catholic style by singing and praying the Te Deum!

Midnight Mass at OLM

As we give thanks and praise to Almighty God for the blessings of 2023, we also offer our thanks to the many people who made Christmas so glorious and joyous at Our Lady of Mercy. Our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord was solemn, prayerful, and joyful. Our parish and school staff are to be thanked for all their work for Christmas and during the last year. Their service to our parish and school is exemplary, and we are blessed to have such good people. I thank them for their dedication.

Paul Anderson and our OLM Maintenance Crew worked hard preparing for Christmas. They set up trees and creches, hung wreaths, stringed lights, moved boxes, polished floors, and ensured the entire Church physical plant was ready for the birth of our Savior. Our Church, from the creche to the choir loft, was so stunningly beautiful for the birth of the Savior at Christmas! We thank the band of decorators who joyfully work so hard to bring the beauty of Christmas to life in our Church.

7:30am Mass Usher John Romano celebrates his 100th Christmas!

Our good Franciscan Sisters and Sacristans prepared all the sacred vessels, altar cloths, altar server garments, and vestments. They cleaned, polished, starched, ironed, and pressed with joy. We thank them for their dedication to our parish and devotion to the Lord.

We thank our Music Director, Henri St. Louis, the OLM Choir, and the guest musicians who provided majestic music for Christmas, especially at the Midnight Mass. Also, we thank Shirley Medici and the OLM Children's Choir, who provided such joyous music for the Christmas Vigil Mass. Our Altar Servers served reverently at all the Masses on Christmas. Some stayed up beyond their bedtime to serve the beautiful Midnight Mass. Others awakened very early to serve at 7:30 am Mass on Christmas Day. We also had a team of veteran Altar Servers home from college who expertly served! In your name, I thank them, especially our OLM Master of Ceremonies, Erik Carlson, and our OLM Seminarian, David DelBonis, who make everything run smoothly, reverently, and solemnly.

We thank our many Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Ushers who provide such devoted service to our parish at Christmas and throughout the year. They helped our Christmas worship of the Christ Child and deserve our thanks and praise.

Finally, I thank you, OLM's good and faithful parishioners, for your abundant charity, support, kindness, and generosity. Your faith in the Lord is an inspirational witness and a sign of our parish's vibrant life and living faith. I offer my deep gratitude to you. And offer my praise and gratitude to Almighty God for the unique privilege and abundant joy of serving as your parish priest. In the name of my brother priests, Father Mahoney and Father Connors, I thank the many parishioners who were so generous to us, the parish, and especially the poor and needy this Christmas.

We also offer our thanks for the many beautiful cards and sincere greetings, delicious food and tasty treats, and the most generous and thoughtful personal gifts given at Christmas. Be assured of our gratitude and continued prayers. We wish you a Happy, Healthy, and Holy New Year in 2024! May Almighty God bless you and your family in the New Year with his choicest Blessings! Be well. Do good. God Bless! Te Deum laudamus !

"Peace on earth, goodwill to men!"

Dear Parishioners:                                 

The celebration of Christmas is an occasion for great joy and deep faith. We rejoice in the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. We remember his First Coming in the stable at Bethlehem and long for the Prince of Peace to come into our homes and hearts now.                                                            

This year, we long fervently for the Prince of Peace to return to the land of his birth. Christmas is subdued and solemn in the City of our Savior's Birth. No Christmas tree adorns Nativity Square. The City of Bethlehem, which neighbors Jerusalem in the  West Bank, is just 30 miles from the war in Gaza. So, our fervent prayer this Christmas must be for peace. Peace in our home and country, Ukraine, the Holy Land, and worldwide. Pope Francis said: "Let us pray for peace: peace in the world and in each of our hearts." 

As we look for the meaning of Christmas, we need to unwrap Jesus from all the glitter and tinsel around us. We must see that Christmas is about something other than giving expensive presents or having the perfect meal. Rather, Christmas is about God's precious gift to us, His Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

 With the violence and destruction of war in too many countries today, we need that "peace that the world cannot give." As the Prophet Isaiah reminds us: "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests, They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace." Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, whose birth two thousand years ago, we celebrate at Christmas, is the same God-made -Man who died thirty-three years later upon the Cross. He did so to bring us true peace and eternal salvation.

Christmas cannot be divorced from the events of Easter. Our faith teaches us that Jesus Christ is the One who can bring true peace to the nations and the peoples of the world. And so, as we celebrate Christmas in peace and tranquility amid the security of our homes and the love of our friends and family, let us remember those who have no peace. 

During the First Week of Advent, I made my annual retreat at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. The Monks dedicate their entire lives to ora et labora (work and prayer). Manuel labor daily except on Sundays. Prayer daily, five times a day, beginning at 2:30 am. Yet, to look upon them is to see not only deep faith but also true joy and peace.  

On retreat, I read a published letter from a young monk written to his parents at Christmas. In it, he writes of his first Christmas in the Monastery: "You perhaps cannot comprehend how we celebrate Christmas here; on Christmas Day, we stay in our cell all day, except for communal prayer in church, occupied with nothing but contemplating what happened in the stable near Bethlehem. No Christmas carols, no crib, no Christmas tree (not even a little branch of it), no gifts, and no candles: nothing, quite nothing save what happened at Bethlehem. And yet, I can assure you quite honestly that I have never experienced such a joyful Christmas. Here, the joy is deeper." We don't have to go to a Monastery to find the joy and peace of Christmas.

Look for it amidst the noise and distractions of the holiday. On Christmas Day, contemplate the birth of our Savior quietly and prayerfully. If we do, we can gratefully appreciate, truly comprehend, and joyfully celebrate the gift of Christmas: God's only Son born on that cold and dark night in the stable at Bethlehem so long ago.   Because of Christmas, we can never be alone.

Those who live in war, injustice, and persecution are not alone. Those in hospitals and nursing homes who suffer from sickness and isolation are not alone. Those who are sorrowful, fearful, lonely, addicted, homeless, and hungry are not alone. For "God is with us!" Emmanuel has come! This is the cause of true joy, the joy of Christians.  

Father Mahoney, Father Connors, and I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas. May it be full of joy, peace, hope, and faith!  You and your families are remembered in prayer and at our celebration of Christmas Masses. May the blessings of the Prince of Peace be yours this Christmas and in the New Year. A Blessed Christmas Season. Be well. Do good. God Bless. "Peace on earth, goodwill to men!" 

Rejoice In the Lord Always

Dear Parishioners:                                

Pope Francis celebrates Guadete Sunday in the traditional Rose Vestment.

It’s Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent., The word “gaudete” is derived from the Latin words “gaudium,” joy, and “gaudeo,” to rejoice. The nearness of the feast of Christmas is the reason for this great joy. The Latin word “Gaudete” is taken from the Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” It is often called Rose Sunday because of the color of the vestments.

Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus, his first and second coming. On Gaudete Sunday, we rejoice that “the Lord is near.” This year, Advent is particularly shorter because Christmas falls on a Monday.

  Pope Francis, preaching on Gaudete Sunday, said: “To have this joy in preparation for Christmas, first, pray. Second, give thanks to the Lord. Third, think of how we can go to others to bring unity, peace, and joy. This is the joy of the Christian.”  

We live in a world preoccupied with happiness, not joy. Every decision—even the stupid and sinful—is typically driven by the idea that whatever we do leads us to happiness. There is a good reason: God wants us to be happy in this life and the next. Yet, there is a difference between happiness and joy.

The Lord doesn’t speak about happiness. Jesus speaks only about joy and not simply in passing. In the Gospel of John, we hear the words of Jesus: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  Jesus offers these final words to his apostles at the Last Supper before his Passion and Crucifixion.

A difference between joy and happiness is that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Happiness is not. In many ways, happiness depends on us. But joy, on the other hand, is entirely different. Joy doesn’t come from us. Joy isn’t a mere feeling, a fleeting pleasure, or a momentary emotional response, as is happiness. 

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is active in our lives, we experience joy as well as peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, self-control, and all the other fruits of the Holy Spirit. These are not mere feelings of pleasure or delight. Happiness is but a consequence, not a way of being. Everyone desires to be happy and hopes that happiness might be the final goal in life. But being happy does not lead us there. After all, we can’t practice happiness; either we have it or we don’t.

On the other hand, we can practice joy in our lives thanks to the Holy Spirit. St. Pope John Paul II said: “God made us for joy!” Let us celebrate the coming Feast of Christmas with joy! It will soon be here, as Christmas Day is just a week from this Monday!

When Christmas falls on a Monday, we joyfully attend Mass twice the same weekend, once for the Fourth Sunday of Advent and then again for Christmas. Thus, the Masses next Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, and 10:30 am fulfill the Sunday obligation for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. While the obligation to attend Mass on Christmas begins on Sunday, Christmas Eve, with the 4:00 pm Vigil Mass, preceded by a concert by our OLM School Children’s Choir. The Christmas Mass at night is at Midnight and is preceded by a concert by our OLM Choir and the guest orchestra. It is always a solemn and beautiful Mass, so please join us on Christmas Eve at 11:30 pm for the concert, followed by Midnight Mass. Christmas Day Masses are at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, and 10:30 am. Keep the Mass in Christmas!

“Confession is an act of honesty and courage - an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.”-Saint Pope John Paul II

These Late Advent Days are the perfect opportunity to make a good Confession. Prepare yourself and your soul to welcome the Messiah at Christmas. Welcome Him with a clear conscience and clean heart. Pope Saint John Paul II said: “Confession is an act of honesty and courage - an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.”

This Monday evening, we have four priests, including three Dominican Friars, hearing Confessions from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. And next Saturday, two priests are hearing Confessions from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm. The forgiveness of our sins by the Merciful Messiah makes our Christmas more meaningful and joyful.

Do good. Be well. God Bless. “Again, I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near!”