Rector’s Ruminations, July 31, 2020

 

Rector’s Ruminations

 July 31, 2020

Dear Seminary Community,

As the summer break comes to an end, I have some exciting news to share with all of you. We all know that Ms. Julia Parker can never be replaced but we are excited to welcome to the Seminary community Mr. Nicholas J. Will as the new Seminary Organist and Director of Liturgical Music. He has recently been the Director of Liturgical Music at the North American College in Rome and he is Founder and President of the Saint Gregory Institute of Sacred Music. Welcome Mr. Will!

I am also happy to announce that Fr. Lee Gross will have a special assistant this year in the person of Fr. Diego Ruiz, I.V.E. Fr. Ruiz will be the Assistant Dean of Men, lending a hand to Fr. Gross and sharing the work of the Dean of Men.

If you have been following the Seminary Facebook page, you will know that Archbishop Lori recently received permission from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments in Rome to insert in the liturgical calendar of the Archdiocese of Baltimore the optional memorial of Blessed Stanley Rother. The Congregation has also granted the indult for the Mass in honor of Blessed Stanley to be celebrated in St. Bernard’s Chapel for priests who are part of a pilgrimage or for priests who celebrate Mass for the benefit of the members of a pilgrimage. We are grateful to the Holy Father for this tremendous honor.

Starting Monday, August 3, a group of administrators, staff, faculty, and seminarians will begin a Strategic Planning Summit led by the Center for Catholic School Excellence. We will consider the responses that many of you gave during the multiple focus groups conducted this past year. We will complete our work on Wednesday, August 5, and will produce the first draft of our new five-year Seminary Strategic Plan (2021-2026), which we will be sharing with the Seminary community this fall for your feedback. Please pray for this endeavor.

We will soon be welcoming to Mary’s Mountain many new seminarians and one priest-student – Fr. Juan Garcia. Fr. Garcia has been serving the Hispanic community in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the past few years. He has been assigned by Archbishop Lori to the Mount as a full time English as a Second Language (ESL) student. He will be a member of our community for this year as he experiences a total immersion into the English language, giving him an opportunity to strengthen his language skill so as to better serve both the Hispanic and English speaking communities in the Archdiocese.

After such a long and unusual hiatus, I am looking forward to the Seminary being once again full of seminarians. New seminarians arrive Sunday, August 9, during the afternoon. On Wednesday, August 12, the First Theologians arrive for an integration activity which will take place on Thursday with new seminarians in their class. All other returning seminarians will arrive on Thursday, August 13 in time for Mass at 7:15 pm with Archbishop Lori.  

Life on campus during the next few months will be different due to the various COVID-19 adaptations. As I said to the seminarians in my Zoom meeting a few weeks ago, we are trying to manage the risk and still have priestly formation in person. We have devised many ways to “protect” ourselves and others from the spread of the virus but, as I was praying about the beginning of the semester, I sensed that God was asking us not to forget the power of prayer as a way to protect ourselves. So, I now ask the entire Seminary Community to pray daily (if possible, even more than daily) the Memorare, invoking Our Lady, Queen of the Mount, to protect the entire Seminary community from the virus. Let us pray this prayer until the risk of COVID-19 has subsided:

MEMORARE

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Our Lady. Queen of the Mount, pray for us.

In Christ,

    Msgr. Andrew Baker

Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 2019

Introduction

One of the finest features of this chapel is the large, stained glass window of the Immaculate Conception in the choir loft. I must admit, it is one of my favorite features.

At certain times of the year, the window is clouded in complete darkness as we begin Morning Prayer. As the minutes tick by and we move into Mass the rising sun from the East inches its way above the horizon and the first rays of dawn hit the multi-colored glass. Throughout Mass, the sun slowly reveals the figure of the Immaculate Conception until the entire window is filled with brilliant light that cascades into the nave and sanctuary of the chapel.

Darkness to light

The first noticeable aspect of the window is the movement from darkness to light. God begins His work of salvation – the movement of darkness to light – in Mary.

Our feast today speaks of a special privilege that illustrates the movement from the darkness of Original Sin to the light of salvation.

With the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Church confesses what she has believed from the beginning: Our Lady was “from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”[1]

One of the bishops invited by Pope Pius IX to the declaration of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 was St. John Neumann. Neumann wrote to his father in Bohemia that he was coming over to Europe for the declaration and his father wrote back: “Why do they have to bring American bishops to Rome to tell us that the most holy Virgin was conceived without sin when we have always believed it here?”

In her, the rays of the Son of God first dispel the darkness of sin.

We heard in the first reading from the Book of Genesis that immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve, God declared to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel” (Gen 3:15).

At that moment of darkness, which covered all of humanity because of the pride of Adam and Eve, God does not abandon us. He promises a coming light – a Savior who will strike at Satan’s head. God gives hope to humanity by promising that the light will come through a woman – a Savior will be born of her – and she will be at enmity with the serpent.

In her, we see the divine work of darkness to light.

Full of light - Mary

The second things you notice about the stained glass window is that as the light enters, the figure of Mary becomes clear. God becoming flesh gives meaning to Mary’s whole life.

It is only by way of the light that she becomes illuminated. She cannot be known without the light. She only becomes clear because of the light. She can only fulfill her mission by allowing the light to pass through her.

In our Gospel the Archangel Gabriel reveals the God-given name of Mary. He calls her “full of grace,” kecharitoméne in Greek. The word is difficult to translate and certainly “highly-favored one” doesn’t do it justice. It is the only instance in Scripture in which the name is ever used. The best translation I have seen is “one who has been abundantly the object of grace.” “Kecharitoméne:” It is a unique name, a unique title, for a unique being in the economy of salvation.

Mary can only be truly seen and understood in the light of grace. On her own, she is nothing. She is simply a “handmaid.” She is “greatly troubled” by Gabriel’s greeting because she sees herself as nothing. But grace has enlightened her. Her very figure, her very being, comes to light because the morning sun, the “Son of the Most High,” has become flesh in her womb.

This is her vocation – her reason for being – and it is only known when the light of the world arrives.

In preparation for the light of divine grace to dispel the darkness of sin, God prepared her from the beginning of her existence. He prepared each colored glass, placed them in perfect position, giving her the privilege of being “endowed with the rich fullness of your grace,” as the Preface of today’s Mass professes.

It is grace that gives Mary her vocation and her very name.

Shining on the greatest light - Christ

Finally, the light of day illuminates the figure of Mary and enters the chapel ultimately to shine on the altar. Mary’s whole life is to shine on Christ.

St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians that God the Father “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.” The great privilege of the Immaculate Conception has one purpose. It is not about Mary. It is about Jesus. It is to prepare “a worthy dwelling for your Son,” as the Collect says.

Mary’s whole existence gives way to Christ. She, like to moon, keeps no light for herself but reflects the sun to others. She exists for the praise of Christ’s glory. She gives her “fiat” so that the flow of Christ’s life will shine in this world and illuminate our darkness. Her life is not her own. It is literally Christ living in her.

Throughout her life, Mary will renew her mission to shine on Christ. At the Magi’s visit, she uncovers her Son wrapped in swaddling clothes. She tells the servants at Cana to do “whatever he tells you.” As she stood weeping on Calvary, her tears point toward the salvific suffering of Christ.

The humble transparency of Our Lady constantly points to Our Lord for her whole life shines on Him.

Conclusion

In my position as celebrant or concelebrant in the sanctuary, I can easily see the beautiful stained glass window of the Immaculate Conception during Mass. Unfortunately, most of you cannot. However, this only seems just because the faithful are in a Marian position at Mass. Just as she allows Divine grace to flow through her and directs her gaze toward Him, so too our whole life must do the same.

The angel departs from Our Lady’s presence in today’s Gospel because his mission is over. He asked the virgin’s consent to be the perfect stained glass window for the Son to enter the world. She said “yes” and Christ became flesh. We now ask her to intercede for us. We, unlike her, are not without blemish, but it is still God’s will that we say “yes” to Him and be a stained glass window of grace.

“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

---

[1] CCC, 491

Rector's Ruminations, November 19, 2018

Rector’s Ruminations

November 19, 2018

Dear Seminary Community,

Grátias tibi, Deus, grátias tibi. We have much for which to give thanks and I give thanks for all of you and for the grace that we all have to be here at the Mount.

Much has been happening these past few week, especially last week. We had a beautiful Byzantine Rite Liturgy celebrated by our own Fr. Lee Gross. The Byzantine schola did a fantastic job in leading us in sacred music and chant. Indeed, to echo the words of the delegates of Prince Vladimir of Kiev, “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth.”

Despite the early rise on Friday morning due to “wet steam” causing a steam valve to pour out so much steam that it set the fire alarm off, we had a very prayerful Day of Recollection. We were privileged to have the relic of the heart of St. John Vianney with us for an entire day and we are grateful to the Knights of Columbus, Deacon Andrew St. Hilaire, and Msgr. Cummings for organizing the visit. It was a clear reminder to me of the famous phrase of the Cure d’Ars – “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”

Friday was also the faculty In-Service Day. We had an insightful presentation from Fr. Tad Pacholczyk from the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Humanae Vitae and also on the topic of gender and the many moral and cultural issues surrounding gender ideology which Pope Francis has called “the annihilation of man as the image of God.”

We give thanks to Bishop Mark Brennan, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, who conferred Candidacy on 45 of our seminarians. Moving forward we will follow the practice of conferring Candidacy on those beginning the Configuration Stage of priestly formation in first theology.

This past Saturday the “Go Forth” mission served a record number of households (138) and brought food for Thanksgiving to a total of 369 people. With the help of 48 deliverers, including undergraduates from the iLead program, and $2,250 of donations, many of the local poor received the charity of Christ and sustenance for the holiday. Many thanks to Robby Renner and his organizing team for their hard work.

Msgr. Frontiero, Diane Favret, and I had the privilege to attend the Archdiocese of Military Service Benefit Dinner this past Saturday evening. It began with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Broglio and served by some of our co-sponsored seminarians. Mass was followed by a delicious dinner. Archbishop Broglio gave the Mount a “shout out” when he announced to the attendees that the Mount was represented at the dinner and that we have the largest number of co-sponsored seminarians of any seminary in the country.

After Thanksgiving on the First Sunday of Advent we will begin using the St. Michael Prayer at all Seminary Masses after the dismissal. More than 12 dioceses have instituted the regular praying of the Prayer to St. Michael in order to beg his protection against the evil one and for the protection of the Church. Other dioceses have done so for a specific period of time.

Upcoming events include the cookie baking party on December 1, the Open House and Office of Vigils on December 2, the Christmas Dinner and entertainment on December 7, and, of course, the celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. Unfortunately, I will not be able to join the community for the Christmas Dinner because of a wedding rehearsal for a former parishioner of mine, but I look forward to celebrating the Mass for the Immaculate Conception.

May the Lord continue to bless each of you and your families this Thanksgiving. “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness” (St. Gianna Beretta Molla).

In Christ,

    Msgr. Andrew Baker

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Luke 1: 26-38

Introduction

An orchestra is only as good as its harmony. A single wrong note can completely ruin the beauty and joy of any song. In the Book of Genesis we hear God conducting the harmony of His creation and he introduces two protagonists, Adam and Eve, to whom he gives the ability to follow his musical score and direction or not. Unfortunately, it only takes them until the third chapter of the first book of the Bible to strike the wrong note.

Original Sin

Original Sin is a note of pride, mistrust, and arrogance. It is a note embodying the cry of the serpent, “Non serviam,” “I will not serve.” And it rings out over all creation and into the depths of humanity causing enmity between God and man.

Adam and Eve notice this disharmony in their nakedness. Before sin entered the world, they gazed upon each other with purity of heart. Now their gaze has been distorted – their hearts soiled by sin. As a result, the serpent is sent crawling away and humanity is banished from the garden.

But, in the hands of a master conductor, the wrong note can be the first note in a new song.

Genesis predicts the restoration of the orchestra. “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel,” we hear in the first reading. The plan of restoration and the beginning of a new song for humanity starts in the conception of a young girl by the name of Miriam, the daughter of Joachim and Anne. By way of the future merits of her divine son, Mary begins her existence free from the effects of the wrong note.

She is full of grace, the angel tells us, precisely because nothing of her is in the serpent and nothing of the serpent is in her. She and he are at “enmity.”

God brings about His victory

In Mary, the Immaculate Conception, we see how God brings about his victory and the restoration of harmony through the anawim or holy remnant of Israel.

St. Paul say to the Ephesians that God has had a plan for us “before the foundation of the world.” He destined us to be his adopted children and “to be holy and without blemish before him.” We were meant to be like the lambs of sacrifice which are brought to the Temple without blemish; that is, without sin.

Yet, mankind strayed from holiness. But God will not be defeated. He forms a rescue mission. He has a plan of salvation. He sets apart an anawim – a holy remnant – who remains faithful to Him. The word in Hebrew means “those who are bowed down.”

Mary is the exemplar of this holy remnant. She is the embodiment of the true Zion, the pure living dwelling place of God. She is the perfect house for God. Her life boldly proclaims that God has not failed.

She says “yes” to the Lord and becomes his living Temple. Through her, the Temple presence of God, stifled in the garden of Eden, breaks forth definitively into the world. Her immaculate conception is a living sign and beacon of the new note that God has used to start a new song and restore harmony to his creation. In her begins the glorious victory of grace and holiness.

Sin and death are not the last word. He comes to us through Mary to bear our sins to death. It is through Mary that God takes humanity’s defeat and turns it into divine victory.

Man trusts God again

In Mary, mankind also begins to trust God again.

Adam and Eve think that God, in some way, is taking something away from them. They harbor suspicion and mistrust in the garden. They view God to be a rival. When they taste the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they are reaching out to shape the world by themselves. To make themselves into a god. They trust in deceit rather than in truth.

Mary on the other hand completely reverses this wrong note. She is totally dependent upon God and trusts him implicitly. She gives herself over to him completely and will do nothing but His will – not her own. She profoundly recognizes that her very existence, every breath, is dependent upon Him. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

The non serviam of the serpent becomes the serviam of the handmaid. If we live in opposition to God, if we view him as our enemy, then we end up destroying not only ourselves but the world.

On the other hand, if the devil is at enmity with us and we with him, it means that our friendship with God is governed by our total “fiat.” We love him. We trust him, and we depend on him for everything. This is not only a good way to live our lives. It is a life in accord with who we are. While we say that the Immaculate Conception is an exception to humanity's fate, in fact, the Immaculate Conception is the premier example of what it means to be fully human. In her God brings about his victory and restoration of humanity and, in her, humanity turns back to Him in complete dependence and trust.

Conclusion

On our patronal feast day we give thanks to God for Our Lady. Whenever we look toward the stain glass window which graces the front of this church, we see the brightness of light shining through. We can only make out the image of the Blessed Mother if there is light shining through. It is no accident that the light first hits the choir loft. The light that is Christ shines through the Immaculate Mother in order to restore the harmony torn asunder by Adam’s sin. The light that is Christ shines through the Immaculate Mother in order to raise our voices to heaven. The light that is Christ shines through the Immaculate Mother in order to take the wrong note of sin and death and begin a new song – the song of redemption. 

Bishop Knestout is the new Bishop of Richmond

The Mount Community rejoices in the appointment of Bishop Barry Knestout, a 1989 graduate of the Mount, as the new Bishop of Richmond, Virginia.

http://adw.org/2017/12/05/pope-names-washington-auxiliary-bishop-barry-c-knestout-bishop-richmond/

Homily for the Office of Vigils

Immaculate Conception Chapel

Mount St. Mary's Seminary

December 3, 2017

Luke 24: 1-12

Introduction

Did the deacon make a mistake? It appears very odd that our Gospel for the Office of Vigils – for this liturgical celebration of our preparation for Christmas – is a resurrection Gospel, an Easter Gospel.
Of course, deacons never make mistakes! This Gospel is the one provided by the Church. As we begin our Advent celebration, this resurrection Gospel contains many elements for our consideration in preparing for Christmas.

Keep the end in mind - hope

The first aspect of our preparation for Christmas during the Advent season is to keep the end in mind. It is a word of hope. Whenever we begin a journey, we should keep in mind where we’re going. The reason for Christ’s first coming is the Cross and the empty tomb which was found empty by the women and disciples. We are not preparing simply to celebrate the birth of a famous person but the Lord and Savior of all mankind.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once wrote, “[E]very other person who ever came into this world came into it to live. He came into it to die… The story of every human life begins with birth and ends with death. In the Person of Christ, however, it was His death that was first and His life that was last.” (Life of Christ)

There was only one who came into the world to die and He did so at the first Christmas. We are preparing for the birth of a Savior – THE Savior. We must remember that all-important end. It is the Son of God who comes into the world to save us from sin and death. His birth is the beginning of his earthly journey toward suffering, death, and resurrection.

Is it any wonder that immediately following Christmas we have several days in which we celebrate martyrs? The very day after Christmas we celebrate the Protomartyr Saint Stephen. Two days later we celebrate the Holy Innocents. Advent is helping us prepare for the coming of the Messiah who through his passion, death, and resurrection gives us not a new kind of earthly life but a divine life – a life that comes by way of death. We are preparing for the birth of our Savior whose very death brings forth for us new life, the life which we see revealed to us in the Resurrection.

Tell the story

Another theme for our Advent season that is found in the Gospel this evening is the importance of telling the story. Some have called it the greatest story ever told. It is the most true story in the entirety of human history.

With the tomb empty Luke tells us that certain women try to tell the story “to the Eleven and the others.” To them, “the story seemed like nonsense and they refused to believe them.”

During Advent we must tell the story, the true story, of Christmas. It is not about trees, buying presents, snowmen, Jingle Bells, or even about a fireplace on 4^th floor McSweeny! Christmas is about the truest story ever told. Our secular age needs to hear this story again and again – with boldness.

A few days ago, the Archdiocese of Washington filed a legal action in federal court challenging the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's advertising guidelines. The Archdiocese wanted to put up an advertisement for their “Find the Perfect Gift” initiative. On a blue background there were three shepherds, two sheep, and several stars with the wording “Find the perfect gift.”

Metro wanted nothing to do with this advertisement. Obviously, they hadn't heard the story or, more probably, they don’t believe it. Secularism has gone so far as to reject any public manifestation of the true meaning of Christmas. If Christmas is only about packages and sales, I guess that’s OK to advertise. But if Christmas is about the birth of the Savior, if Christmas is about the greatest True Story Ever Told, then secular society wants nothing to do with it.

We need the boldness of the women who went to the Eleven and others and told them the true story about Christ. It is not nonsense. Even if others refuse to believe us, we should cheerfully and courageously tell about the birth of the Savior.

All good things come in due time

The final element that connects our Gospel with this first Sunday of Advent and our celebration of the Office of Vigils, is Peter’s plight. St. Luke says that Peter went to the tomb, “stooped down but could see nothing but the wrappings.” Peter had to wait to see the Resurrected Lord.

Waiting is difficult in our age. We are fed by the media instantaneously. We have so much at our fingertips. We don't like to wait in line or sit in traffic. We might even be impatient about getting back a paper from class. Although trying to avoid being trite, it is good for us to be reminded that “all good things come in due time.”

Peter had to wait some time before he encountered the Risen Lord. The people of Israel had to wait hundreds of years before the coming of the Messiah.

We use these four weeks of waiting for the celebration of Christmas to live the virtue of hope. This season becomes a practice for our entire lives. Christ has come once, and he will come again, whether that be at the end of time or at our own death. But just as assuredly he came the first time, He will come again. As we wait with patience and hope for the celebration of Christmas, so our lives are a time of waiting. But rest assured, just as Peter encountered the Risen Lord, we will celebrate Christmas in a few short weeks. Likewise, the Lord will come again.

An Easter Gospel tell us much about our Advent season. May we heed the Word of God – a word of hope, of boldness, and of patience – so as to better prepare for the coming of Our Lord and Savior. 

Rector's Ruminations, November 20, 2017

Rector’s Ruminations

November 20, 2017

Dear Seminary Community,

As we head into the Thanksgiving break, I want to let you know how thankful I am to God for the blessing of being here at the Mount. I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill us with the wisdom to see just how God has blessed each of us and how much we are a blessing to each other. May the few days of rest be a time of renewal and joy for you.

Over the past several weeks the fourth theologians have been involved in their Penance practicum. It will continue over the next few weeks. Several priests are taking the role of the penitent with some specific sins and scenarios to relate to the fourth theologians who are taking the role of the priest. I must say that I am enjoying being a penitent to these future priests!

Last Tuesday the Mount sponsored a breakfast at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops General Assembly meeting. We welcomed 15 – 20 bishop to our breakfast and Archbishop Lori and I had an opportunity to highlight the great things happening here.

We congratulate the third theologians who were admitted to Candidacy by Bishop Hartmayer, Bishop of Savannah, this past Friday. As I announced last week, next year we will invite all first, second, and third theologians to petition for Candidacy and the following year the Mount will regularly invite first theologians to Candidacy. I believe this change better reflects the understanding of the Rite of Candidacy as envisioned by the new Ratio Fundamentalis which sees Candidacy as a sign that “the Church chooses him and calls him so that he may prepare to receive Holy Orders in the future” and it is “an invitation for him to continue with his formation, in configuring himself to Christ the Shepherd, through a formal recognition on the part of the Church” (67).

While the seminarians were participating in the Day of Renewal on Friday, the entire faculty was engaged in an In-Service day conducted by Cameron Thompson. Cameron provided us with insights on virtuous leadership and how this approach can be incorporated into the human formation program at the Seminary.

The “Go Forth” Mission for the Poor, conducted this past Saturday, was a great success. 99 bags of Thanksgiving food were delivered to over 250 people by 47 deliverers including many seminarians and faculty as well as some Mount University students. We are grateful to Jim Bors and his core committee for the great work in accomplishing this wonderful work of charity.

Last night we had a wonderful Vietnamese dinner sponsored by a local Knights of Columbus Council. Keep in mind that, for those who will be at the Mount during the Thanksgiving break, the Adamczk family and the Knights of Columbus from Germantown, MD, will graciously host both breakfast and dinner. We are grateful to both of these Councils for their kindness and generosity.

After Thanksgiving we will have a very special visit from one of our partner bishops – Bishop Paul Hinder, OFM, Cap., from the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. This apostolic vicariate encompasses the countries of United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. He has accepted our invitation to speak to the seminarians about his episcopal ministry in a predominately Muslim area of the world on Thursday, December 7 at 4:15 pm in OLH. My regularly scheduled Rector’s Conference will be canceled and Bishop Hinder’s talk will take its place. All seminarians are obliged to attend and I encourage the faculty and staff to join us.

Don’t forget about Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Christmas dinner, and the Talent Show which will take place on December 8. Believe it or not, Advent is just around the corner with the Nativity of Our Lord to soon follow.

In Christ,

   Msgr. Andrew Baker