Bishop Robert Barron: Faith Questions
What do you call a priest in a hat?
..."Father" always works! With so much to take care of day-to-day at a parish, our priests end up "wearing a lot of hats." But what is at the heart of a priests' role in our lives and the life of the church? And why does that purpose land him the name Father?
Bishop Barron lays it out for us—and for the newly ordained priests he was speaking to—in this quick clip...
Lord God,
We know you call each and every one of us to holiness in our own way.
We pray that you bless those men whom you call to serve you in the priesthood.
Give each of them a heart of courage.
Give each of them the heart of a father.Give each of them a heart like yours to love your people and to call us into deeper holiness and deeper relationship with you.
Amen.
Fr. Godfrey's Homily
OT 11B 2021
St. Benedict Cathedral
Eight years ago today/yesterday, a wide-eyed 47-year-old arrived on the scene at St. Benedict Cathedral to be the rector. Several months before, at Mass here I thought, “This place is huge. I’m glad I’m not responsible for it.” Ha! I saw quickly some of the great gifts God had in store for us. God has taken this parish’s faith and grown an even more amazing community here. Together, we’ve encountered that flourishing growth. And that’s what God does: He takes what is simple and grows something amazing!
A mustard seed wouldn’t ordinarily mean much to anyone. It wouldn’t really feed anyone or do anything on its own. But with Jesus’ teaching, we see explosive potential in a simple seed. We see impending growth, protection, life, beauty in what does not look like much of anything.
Sisters and brothers in St. Benedict, Jesus teaches us today just how much He dreams for us. In the midst of our simple lives, He imagines eternal life for us. When we are challenged, when we feel defeated, when we believe we can’t go on, He sees what we cannot. Whether we’re nursing a loved one with Alzheimer’s, finding our way through cancer, trying to love a child or spouse or neighbor, struggling to figure out how to make our finances work, or facing any difficulty in life, let’s dream like the Maker of the mustard seed and trust in faith in a future full of hope. He has great things in store for us!
General Dispensation Lifted--June 11th
The celebration of the Eucharist at Mass is the source and summit of our life and mission as Catholics.
Since March 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all Roman Catholics throughout the entire Province of Indianapolis, which comprises all five dioceses of Indiana, have been dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. However, with the decrease of cases in our state, the widespread availability of vaccines and following the guidance of public health officials, we are now able to safely accommodate more parishioners for Masses. Therefore, effective June 11, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass is hereby lifted throughout the state of Indiana.
Except for the unique situations as described below, those who are otherwise healthy are obliged to return to Sunday Mass by the weekend of June 12-13, 2021:
· Those who are seriously ill, exhibit flu-like symptoms and/or may have a contagious disease (including quarantine due to exposure).
· Those who are unable to attend Mass through no fault of their own (e.g. transportation issue).
· Those who are homebound and/or incapacitated due to age, infirmity and/or medical restrictions.
· Those who have compromised health conditions and/or at high risk of contracting the virus.
· Those who are caretakers of person who are sick or of persons at high-risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19 virus.
If you have any questions about any specific needs, concerns or protocols, you are advised to contact your parish directly. Your pastor, who has the authority to dispense in individual cases, may be helpful in addressing individual fears and concerns.
The obligation to attend Mass is a joyful one, reflecting the very character of who we are as Catholics. We look forward to welcoming our parishioners each Sunday and Holy Day to worship God as a community of faith and to celebrate the presence of the Risen Christ among us in Word and Sacrament.