The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph

December 29, 2013

Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.  When his parents saw him, they were astonished.  His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this?  Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."  "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them.  Then he went down to Nazareth with them, and was obedient to them.  But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.  And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.   Luke 2:47-52

Christ is born, God is with us.  This remarkable occurrence brings together families and spurs us to confession, Mass and prayer.  But this fervor always seems to wane.  It's much like this passage.  We are amazed at the power of God, at the blessing in our life, and then we go searching where Christ is not to be found.  Jesus reminds us that He is here, he is present in the church.  We also see that Jesus himself grows in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man.  We have the opportunity to do the same.

I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities offered here to delve deeper into your faith. The Catholicism series on the New Evangelization will be offered here.  The parish book program kicks off with a new book.  Opening the word continues.  Jon Leonetti will be here February 6th.  The bulletin will have the details for all these, and more as the year continues.  Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, let's not just settle for stature.

There is an urgent need for spreading the doctrine of Christ.  Store up your training, fill yourself with clear ideas, with fullness of the Christian message, so that afterwards you can pass it on to others.  Don't expect God to illuminate you, for he has no reason to when you have definite human means available to you: study and work.  - Saint Josemaria Escriva

- Father Benjamin Green

Prayer 101

I am not good at praying.  I remember being a student at St. Thomas Aquinas and going to Adoration.  As I was supposed to be praying for world peace and other noble causes, I typically was counting bricks on a wall; I used to try to find ones that looked different from the rest.  After I completed that task,  I would generally look to see if anybody kneeling in front of me had a dress code violation.  If somebody did, I would think how lucky they were that they went the entire day without getting caught.  Then I would try to look at the alter and say a few prayers, but of course, my mind would wander to how they made the monstrance that holds the Eucharist, how much it cost and if the priest dropped it and it shattered, would he really have to pick every piece of the Eucharist out of the glass and eat it before they swept up what was left of the monstrance.  Of course, if I needed anything, like a good grade on a test, I prayed like you would not believe.  I am bold enough to say that I could have even given a few saints a run for their money with how well I could pray in a time of need. 

            I graduated STA and went on to Kapaun Mount Carmel.  I just knew that since I was older and in high school, prayer would come easier; I was wrong.  If anything it became more difficult because there were more distractions.  My senior year rolled around and I was accepted into Rockhurst University.  I was excited to move away from home and be independent.  Along with many exciting times and obstacles, came the challenge of prayer.  I figured that since I was older coupled with attending a Jesuit University, prayer would come easy.  Sadly, it didn't.  I remember a professor of mine, who happened to be a Jesuit priest, told me that prayer is not always kneeling in church. He told me I was making it more complicated than it should be.  He said there are many different ways to pray;  I was stunned.  He said if I see a sunset that is particularly moving and it makes me think of God, to just whisper a few words, even just say “thank you” and that can be considered a prayer.  If I came across somebody less fortunate, whisper the words “please help them” and that can be a prayer.  To say this new way of praying opened up doors for me is a gross understatement.  It was Prayer 101 for me and it became the foundation of which I try to build upon to this day.  Now, did this solve my problems and make me a praying machine?  No, of course not, but what it did is give me something to fall back on when everything else seems to be failing.  I just whisper “thank you” and  “please help them” and at least it is something. 

            I am in awe of people who can just keep focus and maintain deep prayer.  I remember I was helping to clean the Church of the Blessed Sacrament one Saturday morning and had gone into the Adoration Chapel to fill the holy water.  I saw a lady laying prostrate on the floor in prayer.  My first instinct was to run up there and help her, I thought she had passed out.  It never occurred to me that anybody could be moved by prayer that much that they would actually lay down in front of the Eucharist.  That image stuck with me for many reasons, but one was because it made me look at my own prayer life.  After trying different prayer books, I finally gave up and decided I was not meant to be one of those people and decided to take a different route.  I quit trying to pray and just did what I liked, which is helping people. As time went on and the deeper I got into helping others, a funny thing happened; I found myself praying for those less fortunate and it was actually coming naturally. 

            I am not encouraging anybody to stop praying, but to simply cut yourself some slack and maybe go a different route.  I am most definitely a work in progress; I have no idea where this journey will take me or how it will end.  Even though I try, I am far, far away from where I should be and ultimately want to be.  For those reading this who are good at prayer, thanks for being such a great example to the rest of us who can't figure it out and please, pray for us.  :)  To the people who are in my boat, I have faith we will get it one of these days.

-Gina Adams

Third Sunday of Lent, December 15, 2013

Greetings!
It is hard to believe that we are merely two weeks away from Christmas.  Last weekend, we heard John the Baptist speak fiercely about the need for repentance and conversion of life.  On this, the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Jesus arrives on the scene to fulfill the words of the desert prophet.  All of John's teaching was oriented to preparing the way for Jesus.  It is important that we not become complacent in our preparation for the Lord's coming at Christmas.

One of the best ways that we can respond to John's preaching on the necessity of preparation and repentance during the Advent season is to make a good sacramental confession.  Confession of one's sins to a priest is a special encounter with the Lord that revives the soul.  Moreover, the sacrament of confession has a special place in the New Evangelization.  In the recent Synod for the New Evangelization in October of 2012, the bishops stated, "In this sacrament, all the baptized have a new and personal encounter with JEsus Christ, as well as a new encounter with the Church, facilitating a full reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins."  (Proposition, 33)

Pope Francis has shared some special remarks that really hit home on the sacrament of confession.  In his address to young people on the occasion of World Youth Day, he stated, "Put on Christ: he awaits you in the sacrament of Penance, to heal by his mercy the wounds caused by sin.  Do not be afraid to ask God's forgiveness!  He never tires of forgiving us, like the father who loves us.  God is pure mercy!"

Wow, God never tires of extending forgiveness!  This is not an invitation to be complacent or presumptuous about God's mercy.  He takes it very serious as he sent his Son to pay the debt of our sins.  His eagerness to so willingly forgive our sins is divine hospitality born of a Father's love.  I think that all of us would do well to make a sincere and well-prepared confession during this Advent season in order to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus.

This Monday, December 16th at 7PM, we will host our annual Advent Penance Service.   There will be eight priests available to extend God's mercy in the sacrament of confession.  I hope to see you there!

Ad majorem Dei gloriam,
Fr. John F. Jirak

Opening The Word Scripture Study

Join us Saturdays and Sundays during Advent in the Bishop Gerber room for the Opening the Word Series! Saturdays: 4:30-5:10PM and Sundays: 8-8:50AM and babysitting will be provided for the 10-10:50AM session.

Catholics today are hungering to understand the Bible better - especially the Sunday liturgy!  Opening the Word will help you unpack the Sunday reading and you will be able to apply it to your life in a profound way!  During Advent, join us.  We will read the Sunday readings, watch a short video related to the readings, use a prayer journal for reflection and resolution, a small group sharing then all wrapped up with a closing prayer.

This 2nd Sunday of Advent, learn why the Church includes the reading about considering our sinfulness - for it it the Holy Spirit who breaks through the walls of our sinfulness and pride and illuminates our hearts.  It is only through this illumination that we are able to set our feet on a new path, which leads to the abundant life that Jesus has promised is waiting for us. 

In small groups we will ask why repentance is an essential part of faith.  What it means to "return to the Truth".

Opening the Word app is now available.  With this app, you will have the Sunday scripture reading for the entire liturgical year in the palm of your hand! You'll have commentary from scripture scholars revealing the messages and helping you. 

Click here to register.  If you want to learn more about Opening the Word, click here.

The First Sunday of Advent

"Advent, like its cousin, Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts.  Since it comes at winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent.  If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly change our hearts.  Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time" (Edward Hays)

I smiled when I read this quote because of how cold the church will be this Advent.  It will be a physical reminder for us, to stoke that inner fire.  The temptation that hits us every year is to go right to Christmas. Have plans made, the gifts bought, so that Christmas isn't a monstrous holiday.  Christmas music hits the radio waves and we are supposed to be all holly jolly.  Many people transform Thanksgiving into preparation for black Friday.  The meal with the family becomes a carbo load for the next day.

This year I invite you to approach Advent through the Old Testament.  Imagine these few weeks a a people awaiting God's promise.  Pray as though you are awaiting Christ to come into your life, so that you can experience His birth, His presence in your life in a new way.  We have Christ, we have the truth of His resurrection, but before Christmas the chosen people were waiting.  Waiting expectantly.  This is the heart of Advent.  Perhaps the presence of Christ in your life has appeared to diminish, or there are worries that you have not yet laid at His feet.  Advent is a great time to reflect on the patience of God's people, waiting for their Savior.

If you are looking for suggestions on how to go about this, perhaps look to the book of Isaiah for Advent.  Reflect on chapters 40, 42, 43, and 60.  Take a chapter and break it up during the week.  If you don't think you can do something like that use any of the many Advent resources out there, we gave three at mass on November 24th. The point is to make Advent a time of prayer and preparation.  To stoke the fire, to desire Christ in your life in a new way.  Gifts are nice, food is wonderful, but if you don't prepare for Christmas spiritually it's just a nice day.  Christ is the reality of hope.

"Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man.  Advent's intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child.  This is a healing memory; it brings hope.  The purpose of the Church's year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart's memory so it can discern the star of hope...It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."  (Cardinal Ratzinger, "Seek That Which is Above")

 - Fr. Benjamin Green

The Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Do nothing out of self ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others" (Phil 2:3-4)

Seminary was an interesting place.  I guess it's to be expected when you are in a group of more than 150 characters.  I noticed early on there was something that could really set people off; sitting in their spot.  We had mass every morning, and after a few weeks guys settled into a routine, they had a place they gravitated to, the same for evening prayer.  If you took someone's spot, you got the sighs, the glares, even the guys that would sit uncomfortably close so that you knew you were on their territory.  I was a bane to some of them because I bounced all over the place.  I didn't really understand what the big deal was until they changed the crucifix in St. Bernard's Chapel.  It was like someone had come and changed my room

There is something comfortable about having a spot, having a routine, being in familiar territory.  The parish mission is coming up, November 19, 20 and 21.  I'd like to ask you to brace yourselves, not only to brace yourselves, but to embrace the inconvenience.  It's my great hope that the parish will be packed.  I hope there are people from all over the diocese that get to share in the joy of having a guru of the spiritual life share his knowledge.  With all these unfamiliar faces there is going to be an adjustment.  Somebody will be in your spot.

Take the opportunity to sacrifice for our guests, make sure they get a seat, help them navigate our campus, generally be a friendly face to those that join us.  I don't want you to be scared off when I say there will be a crowd.  This is your parish, this is our Parish Mission.  You should be there.  Just remember that they are in even more unfamiliar territory than your, and your response makes a lasting impression.  Hospitality is the first pillar of stewardship for a reason.

"Do not forget to show hospitality for strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (Heb 13:2)

November Stewardship

Gratitude forms the core of a steward's life.

As we gather together, we thank God for all the remarkable gifts of life
and for the privilege to share them with all those whose lives we touch.

"I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings."

Celebrate 30 Years of Our Adoration Chapel.

November 3, 2013: All Parishioners are invited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Blessed Sacrament's Adoration Chapel. We were the first Parish in the Diocese of Wichita to offer Perpetual Adoration.  

Solemn Holy Hour begins at 3PM in the Church.

Reception begins at 4PM in Bishops Hall.

Pillar of Hospitality

Mission Of The Family - By Jon Leonetti

We Want To Hear From You!

Click HERE to send us an email! 

The Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

On October 4th, the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, I enjoyed presiding over our first
annual Blessed Sacrament pet blessing. Around 20 dogs and one cat paraded their owners
around in the Douglas Street parish parking lot as ominous clouds threatened to change our
plans and reduce the ritual to the shortened form, i.e., without the readings. I was hoping
that the rain would stay away long enough for us to celebrate the entire blessing, including
the readings from scripture and, of course, my homily. I even had doggy treats ready to share
with the shaggy group. Well, God’s providence prevailed, as it always does, and we were able
to celebrate the pet blessing with scripture, homily and all. Happy day!

Honestly, my interest in the pet blessing was highly motivated by the acquisition of a dog
named Daisy from the Humane Society. If you have been attending Mass at B.S. over the
past several months there is no doubt that you have heard me mention the name of Daisy.
Daisy is a three-and-a-half year old Dalmatian and Australian Cattle Dog mix. She used
to be the only dog living at the rectory with Fr. Green and myself until Fr. Green acquired
Hobbes, a purebred lab. Hobbes has been nick-named “Chaos”. Need I say anymore?
We all know that St. Francis of Assisi had a great solicitude for the entirety of God’s
creation. " is was one of the reasons that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio chose the name Pope
Francis I on the evening of his election as the 266th Pope, or has he refers to himself, the
Bishop of Rome. In Pope Francis’ homily for the Mass beginning his Petrine ministry he
stated, “It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis
tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and
respecting the environment in which we live.”

The ritual blessing for pets includes several scripture readings about God’s creatures and
their place in this world. In my homily I referenced the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
which speaks beautifully of the relation of animals to human beings. The catechism states,
“Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere 
existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the 
gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals” (CCC,
2416).

The word that caught my attention from the catechism was “kind.” Because animals are
created by God and give glory to God by their mere existence, we owe them kindness.
Although we certainly embrace a hierarchy of life and being, kindness must be a primary
virtue in our stewardship way of life. " is is certainly a challenge in what Pope Francis calls
a “throwaway culture.” Based upon God’s command to give dominion over the entirety of
creation, e.g., you might say that kindness is the cardinal virtue of a Christian steward.
I hope to see you and your pet at next year’s pet blessing on the Memorial of St. Francis of
Assisi. Daisy will be ready to greet you.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam,
Fr. John Francis Jirak

Time, Talent & Treasure

I had one month to find schools for my 3 kids when I moved to Wichita in the summer of 2012.  I had heard a rumor that the Diocese of Wichita graciously and generously funds their Catholic schools; all of them, through the stewardship of Parishioners. Not really knowing what that meant, I marched into the office of Brandon Martin and Renee Riter to register for the Parish as a family and get my kids in the schools.  I truly believed I would write a check for the 2012-2013 school year but also get a “break” on tuition if I was a part of Blessed Sacrament and I continually tithed 10% of our income each week.  This was simply not to be.  There was something much bigger and better in store for the Marino family.

I grew up in Connecticut and moved around after college through work, the most recent city being Cincinnati, Ohio.  The Dioceses in each city I have lived in could learn a lot from Wichita. Catholic schools are being shut down everywhere. The cost of a Catholic school in Greenwich, Connecticut is around $28,000 a year.  Many families just cannot afford to put their children in Catholic schools.  But, here? The Catholic schools are THRIVING.   Since 2002, all of the Dioceses’ schools are without tuition.  11,000+ kids are being educated by 120,000 (and growing!) Parishioners.  This is incredible.

Renee Riter heard that I owned a social media company and asked if I would consider using my “talent” as my stewardship at Blessed Sacrament – keeping up with Facebook.  This, plus, our 8% tithing would cover my 10^th, 8^th and 4^th grader tuitions.  I jumped at the chance – but not sure that I could live up to the expectations….in fact, I wasn't even sure what I would be posting about. Didn’t think I could ever live up to the families in this Parish.  NO way. 

I grew up Catholic.  But, the minute I went off to college, I turned from the church. Back and forth I would go – depending on what I ‘needed’ in my life.  Married.  Baptisms.  First Communions. Confirmations. Kids to CCD on Sundays. Maybe take them to Mass.   Never taking it seriously until my family went through hardship 5 years ago.  My home away from home became St. Gertrude’sChurch in Cincinnati, Ohio and after my first confession since 2^nd grade, my favorite Priest said, “Welcome home”. I haven’t looked back.

Still, not that religious, I am learning. I still fumble at what the readings mean, or what is meant to be learned. It’s very humbling. In the past year, I have put BS on facebook, twitter, Instagram, google+, tumblr and Pinterest.  My mission statement (to myself!) is based on the fact that the Parishioners of Blessed Sacrament are already in love with BS. I want to reach people like ME, who left for one reason or another and are on the fence about coming back. I want to reach them through social media. OH!!  I want to move the Parishioners, but I want to make the person on the street, who may see us on any of the social platforms, stop in their tracks.  Think.  Stop in.  Test it out, again.  Meet Father Jirak or Father Green.  Fall in like and then in love. 

I have taken this “job” very seriously. I want to introduce every corner of this Parish to the world. If you are in charge of a Ministry, I want your picture.  I want your story.  I want your background. Just short blurbs to throw out there! I want people to feel that they “know” you and can shake your hand; join your group, simply from the smile in your picture.  I have been known to show up at your meetings, rosaries, Christmas parties and watch you smoking hams.  I have been called the “Parish Stalker” and that’s GOOD.  I want to showcase this Parish, and I want people to feel like they simply “MUST” be a part of our family. 

Join me, in lighting a fire in Wichita and beyond!  We are a lucky group of people and because I am new to town, I can see it and don’t take it for granted.  Not one day do I not thank God for putting me right in the middle of College Hill, Blessed Sacrament and all of you.  How very lucky my children are to be educated by such a fine group of people.  Thank you.  

~Randi Marino / randi222@gmail.com

The Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

"I can see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity.  I see the church as a field hospital after battle.  It is usless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else."
~ Pope Francis, "America" interview. 

It's actually been kind of interesting for me to read "Pope Approves Gay Marriage" or "Why Pope Francis May be a Catholic Nightmare".  I think that a talent all humans have is hearing what they want to hear.  Pope Francis is stirring the pot, but he's not teaching anything new, or contradicting our founder.  Reading his famous quotes from the plane interview, and the very well written "America" interview, I am struck by this incredibly intelligent and humble man.

How is Francis stirring the pot?  Well, no one can read his comments honestly without feeling a twinge of guilt.  For those that seek to further an agenda Francis reminds us, "Ours is not a 'lab faith', but a 'journey faith', a historical faith.  God has revealed himself as a history, not as a compendium of abstract truths.  I am afraid of laboratories because in the laboratory you take the problems and then you bring them home to tame them, to paint them artificially, out of their context.  You cannot bring home the frontier, but you have to live on the border and be audacious"  For those that write columns in bulletins, or try to synthesize the rich quotes of our Holy Father, "when it comes to social issues, it is one thing to have a meeting to study the problem of doing drugs in a slum neighborhood and quite another thing to go there, live there and understand the problem from the inside and study it."  He is hitting people on every frontier, and reminding us not to limit ourselves to a few issues.  "Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads, that is able to step outside itself and go to those who do not attend mass, to those who have quit or are indifferent"  The ones who quit sometimes do it for reasons that, if properly understood and assessed, can lead to a return.  But that takes audacity and courage."

The Pope is making news, stirring hearts, and prompting questions; these are not bad things.  It is important that we hear what he says, not what we want him to say.  If you have 15 minutes, read that interview in America Magazine.  I think you will find that Pope Francis is not out to make headlines, or to cause scandal, he is searching for God and leading us as well.  I look forward to more from him. 

"Christian hope is not a ghost and it does not deceive.  It is a theological virtue and therefore, ultimately, a gift from God that cannot be reduced to optimism, which is only human.  God does not mislead hope; God cannot deny himself.  God is all promise." ~ Pope Francis

-Fr. Benjamin Green

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I had the privilege this past week to attend the ICSC Stewardship Conference with
seven of our parish stewards.  ese types of opportunities are a great way to refl ect
more deeply upon our mission and to discern what is working and not working in our
quest to be a stewardship parish inspired by the spirit of the New Evangelization.
On Tuesday I attended a session given by a parish who won an award for their
exemplary living out of the stewardship way of life. It was a genuine presentation, but
I was caught by a defi nition of evangelization given by the group.  e presenter defi ned
evangelization as “how you live your life.” I thought to myself, “how you live your life”
really defi nes stewardship. We live our life as a grateful response of a cheerful giver who
recognizes and receives God’s gifts and shares them in love of God and neighbor. You
have undoubtedly heard that before. Evangelization, on the other hand, is why you live
“how you live your life.”

Evangelization is the personal encounter with the love of God that inspires a passionate
and personal response. It can be borne through prayer, a talk, a book, a conversation, a
video and even a revelation.  e encounter happens in various degrees and can happen
daily or, if we are not properly disposed, rarely. For example, at a homily during the
conference, a bishop described in a very personal manner how stewardship living is
closely related to the way in which we relate towards our own family members. In
our good moments, more than likely there is nothing we wouldn't do for our family
members. I thought of my own love for my family members and how I would
do anything for them--well, most of the time.  is inspiration led to a renewed
understanding of the nature of stewardship. I was touched by the familial connection
that the bishop made to our own stewardship living. It was more than just head
knowledge, it was an understanding that touched my heart and I felt myself more open
and receptive to God and life.

Recognizing when we are evangelized, whatever the instrument, leads to a more
invigorated living of the stewardship way of life. It leads to a more passionate “yes”, to
“how you live your life.”

As we come closer to our annual stewardship renewal, considering how we live our life
of time, talent and treasure. Let us pray that we might be evangelized by the love of God
that captures us through the action of the Holy Spirit and leads to a grateful response.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam,
Fr. John F. Jirak

The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Nothing we do to defend the human person, no matter how small is every unfruitful or forgotten.  Our actions touch other lives and move other hearts in ways we can never fully understand in this world.  Don't ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life work" 
~ Archbishop Charles Chaput

Mark your calendars for October 6 from 2-330PM on the SE corner of Central and Rock Road.  Blessed Sacrament is standing proud for life in the annual Life Chain.  If you need a little incentive, I have heard rumor that Magdalen thinks they will have more people there.  I hope that you can give some of your time to remind Wichitan that there is still a great tragedy occurring in our country.  Abortion is still legal, and more than 48 million people have been killed since the Roe v Wade decision.  If you are unable to attend this event, I encourage you to make time to pray for life.

From Evangelium Vitae (8): "At the root of every act of violence against one's neighbor, there is a concession to the 'thinking' of the evil one, the one who 'was a murderer from the beginning'".  As the Apostle reminds us, "for this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother" (1 Jn 3:11-12) Cain's killing of his brother at the very dawn of history is thus a sad witness of how evil spreads with amazing speed; man's revolt against God in the earthly paradise is followed by the deadly combat of man against men.  It is hard to proclaim the dignity of life from the womb to the tomb in the face of the culture of death, but it is necessary. We shake our heads and pray for the victims of yet another deadly shooting spree in our country, and wonder how things have gotten so bad.  It starts with the devaluing of life in the womb.  A couple hours in October may not seem like much in the face of such great evil, but we cannot know the impact of our witness and prayer.  If nothing else, it is a witness to our own children that life is sacred and we are willing to stand publicly for this truth.  Hope to see you there.

"I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.  And if we can accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tel other people not to kill one another? ... Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want.  That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion" ~ Mother Theresa, February 5, 1994, Washington DC

-Fr. Benjamin Green

- THE TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“Never again war.  We want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace.”
 (Pope Francis 9/1/13)

Pope Francis recently called for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for peace Sept. 7th.  His request comes as the world faces disturbing events in Syria.  It is also a great reminder for us.  World peace is not just something beauty pageant contestants wish for, it is something we should all be actively working towards.  The Pope set up a prayer vigil for 5 hours in Rome on the 7th, but peace is not easy to achieve, we can continue the petition here.

People are heeding the call of our Holy Father.  The Franciscans have extended to hours at the tomb of St. Francis for pilgrims praying for peace.  Our diocesan priests are praying for peace at their Masses.  It is a worldwide movement, and it is not just Catholics.  Peace benefits all, and I encourage you to invite those that are not praying for peace, no matter the denomination, to join you.

Prayer and fasting are our most powerful weapons of peace.

Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and whenever it seizes him it dashes him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.  I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were not able.  His disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:17-18,28-29)

May Christ, the prince of peace, bring fruit to our petition.

“Peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs all of humanity!  I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of confl ict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace.”
(Pope Francis 9/1/13)

-Fr. Benjamin Green

THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A parish thrives or diminishes in direct proportion to its focus on the Mass. At the recent Synod for The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith the synod fathers presented the following proposition to the Pope: “The Eucharist must be the source and summit of the New Evangelization. The Synod Fathers urge all Christ’s faithful to renew their understanding and love for the Eucharistic celebration, in which their lives are transformed and joined to Christ’s offering of his own life to the glory of God the Father for the salvation of the whole world” (Proposition 34).  The synod fathers are saying that the vitality and growth of the Church depends on the Mass. This brings us to the importance of Mass for the parish.

Since the parish is where the Church is experienced in neighborhoods it naturally follows that the thriving of a parish falls and rises with the celebration of the Mass (Proposition 25, Synod).  The connection between the Mass and parish is even more pronounced at our parish where we identify ourselves as The Church of the Blessed Sacrament. Once we realize the link between the vitality of a parish and the celebration of Mass, it becomes clear where we need to be generous with our stewardship of time, talent and treasure.  The more we can come together for “ full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations, the greater we will realize the dynamic presence of Christ transforming our hearts towards one another (Sacrosanctum Concilium [SC], 41).  In the Mass, love of God meets love of neighbor.  When this encounter occurs the result is a thriving parish community. As we begin a new school year, I would like to propose that we dedicate ourselves to full, conscious and active participation at the parish Mass each Sunday.  We have already begun to mobilize our eff orts to help in this regard.  Within the next two months we will be replacing our Mass hymnals.  Th e Gather and Worship hymnals will be replaced with one hymnal and a supplement.

The new hymnals will provide an opportunity to better realize this full, conscious and active participation at Mass called for by the Second Vatican Council. We are also focusing our eff orts at the parish school on the centrality of the parish Mass.  This year the children will participate in all school Masses on Mondays and Fridays.  Monday’s Mass will be without music and Friday’s Mass will be with music.  Moreover, during my class visits at the school, I will be teaching about the various parts of the Mass in greater detail.

We are The Church of the Blessed Sacrament!
The Council speaking about the importance of sacred music states: “Th e musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater that that of any other art” (SC, 112).

Ad majorem Dei gloriam, -Fr. John F. Jirak, Pastor

A parish thrives or diminishes in direct proportion to its focus on the Mass

At the recent Synod for The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith the synod fathers presented the following proposition to the Pope: “The Eucharist must be the source and summit of the New Evangelization. The Synod Fathers urge all Christ’s faithful to renew their understanding and love for the Eucharistic celebration, in which their lives are transformed and joined to Christ’s offering of his own life to the glory of God the Father for the salvation of the whole world” (Proposition 34).  The synod fathers are saying that the vitality and growth of the Church depends on the Mass.

This brings us to the importance of Mass for the parish.  Since the parish is where the Church is experienced in neighborhoods it naturally follows that the thriving of a parish falls and rises with the celebration of the Mass (Proposition 25, Synod).  The connection between the Mass and parish is even more pronounced at our parish where we identify ourselves as The Church of the Blessed Sacrament.

Once we realize the link between the vitality of a parish and the celebration of Mass, it becomes clear where we need to be generous with our stewardship of time, talent and treasure.  The more we can come together for “full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations, the greater we will realize the dynamic presence of Christ transforming our hearts towards one another (Sacrosanctum Concilium [SC], 41).  In the Mass, love of God meets love of neighbor.  When this encounter occurs the result is a thriving parish community.

As we begin a new school year, I would like to propose that we dedicate ourselves to full, conscious and active participation at the parish Mass each Sunday.  We have already begun to mobilize our efforts to help in this regard.  Within the next two months we will be replacing our Mass hymnals.  The Gather and Worship hymnals will be replaced with one hymnal and a supplement.  The new hymnals will be a provide an opportunity to better realize this full, conscious and active participation at Mass called for by the Second Vatican Council.

We are also focusing our efforts at the parish school on the centrality of the parish Mass.  This year the children will participate in all school Masses on Mondays and Fridays.  Monday’s Mass will be without music and Friday’s Mass will be with music.  Moreover, during my class visits at the school, I will be teaching about the various parts of the Mass in greater detail.

If you have some ideas on formation and inspiration to refocus our emphasis on the parish Mass, please shoot me an e-mail at jjirak@blessedsacramentwichita.com. 

We are The Church of the Blessed Sacrament!


Ad majorem Dei gloriam,
-Fr. John F. Jirak, Pastor

Radiate Christ

“We ask only one thing: that you reach out! And that you go and seek out and encounter the most needy.  But not alone, no.  With Jesus and San Cayetano. Does this mean going to convince someone to become Catholic, no no no.  You are just reaching out to meet him, he is your brother.  That is enough.  You reach out to help them, the rest is done by Jesus, but the Holy Spirit.”-Pope Francis from a video talk to Argentines on the feast of St. Cajetan

It’s tempting to become a Catholic salesman.  We have a rich, storied and fantastic faith and in our zeal we want others to have this.  We are called to share our faith, but we don’t have to sell it.  The church isn’t a commodity, we don’t have a corner on the power of God.  I was struck by this address because I have been hearing this reality from people I have had the privilege to talk to this past week.  People aren’t drawn to a church, or faith by the remarkable system we have set up.  They are brought by the joy and zeal they see in others.  They are brought by an encounter not just with a person, but with a person that radiates Christ.

The urge to learn more about the Church, or how Catholics tick is not something we can give, that is from God.  How do we radiate Christ?  Well I would say three things.  The first is to ask Him.  When you are experiencing the adventure of discipleship there comes that moment when you don’t know what to say or do.  Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, sometimes we may be called to shut our mouths and let our actions speak.  Second you have to practice.  You have to practice giving, you have to practice gratitude, these things just don’t magically happen in your life.  It’s a concerted effort.  Finally, we have to see as Christ sees.  The majority of people that are disgruntled at the church, or with God aren’t really mad at God, they are mad at someone or something that happened in their life.  It’s not something that we can just fix, and when Christ looks at them He sees the wound not the anger.  He doesn’t put up walls or excuses, He waits for them to let Him heal.  He looks at them with incredible love.  The remarkable thing is that when we look at someone as Christ would He is looking at us through them with the same love.  Inviting us to step out of our comfort zone.

“When you meet those most in need, your heart will begin to grow bigger, bigger and bigger.  Because reaching out multiplies our capacity to love.  An encounter with others makes our heart bigger.  Take courage!  “I don’t know what to do on my own” no, no, no.  With Jesus and San Cayetano.” -Pope Francis

-Fr. Benjamin F. Green

Catholics...Come Home!

Two clips really worth sharing, from one of our favorite sites:CatholicsComeHome.org. Need recommendations for more Catholic resources? Check out Blessed Sacrament's favorite links on the right side toolbar of this blog!

The Parish is your Family

Several weeks ago I mentioned in a homily that the parish is not a sacramental Pez Dispenser.  Several people noted the metaphor and I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the image in more detail.  Growing up I remember taking candy from the plastic, mechanical dispenser.  It was so cool to pop the head back on the Pez and shoot a piece of candy into my mouth. 

I mention the instrument of a Pez Dispenser in relation to a parish because a number of Catholics look to the parish as a mere functional dispenser of the sacraments and once the sacrament is received the parish has served its purpose.  The Pez Dispenser model of the parish is extremely functional and impersonal.  It doesn’t matter where I go to Mass on Sunday, rather, the objective is to go to the dispenser or distribution center, i.e., the parish, and receive the required Sacrament. 

The Pez Dispenser model of the parish misses out on a very important component of what it means to be church.  In Pope Francis’ first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, The Light of Faith, he states that “Faith is necessarily ecclesial; it is professed from within the body of Christ as a concrete communion of believers” (Lumen Fidei, 22).  The word ecclesial literally means a people called out to be a community.  We use the word church for this community.  The parish is where this community gathers and it is at Sunday Mass where the parish takes the “concrete” form of its highest expression.

At the 2012 Synod for the New Evangelization the bishops gathered and affirmed that “the parish continues to be the primary presence of the Church in neighborhoods, the place and instrument of Christian of life, which is able to offer opportunities for dialogue among men, for listening to and announcing the Word of God, for organic catechesis, for training in charity, for prayer, adoration and joyous Eucharistic celebrations” (Proposition, 26).

The parish is just as much a “concrete” community of faith as it is a distributor of the sacraments.  To neglect the communal component of the parish is to miss out on the vitality that comes from being a known member of a family of faith.  By regular attendance at Sunday Mass in our own parish we come to understand what it means to be a living member of the Body of Christ that comes to receive the Body of Christ.

Pez Dispensers are old school anyway. :-)


-Fr. John F. Jirak, Pastor

The Church is our Home

“The chapel at Sheldon Point was especially dear to me, because that part of the land is easily the most desolate.  It is a piece of land that juts into the Bering Sea and is surrounded by absolutely barren flats...In the afternoons the children were gathered for catechism and stories.  In the winter we huddled around the stove, in the summer we would go out on the grass, avoiding ponds and mud.  In the evenings I built a fire and sat close to the altar to transact business with the Lord.  If there wasn’t something specific to transact, I just sat there loving Him in silence.  If I tired of sitting and kneeling, I got up and walked back and forth.  That place was loved by the Lord, so it should be loved by me to.”
(Memoirs of a Yokon Priest)

This place is loved by the Lord, and it should be loved by us too.  How do you we know this.  Well first and foremost we have the Eucharist, present in our tabernacle, present in our adoration chapel.  This alone is enough to prove the Lord’s love for this place.  But we have even more.  We have generations of families that call this their home.  We have a remarkable school.  We have a bustling campus that is used everyday.  There are many ways that the Lord shows his love for Blessed Sacrament.

How do we show our love?

This is really what the church asks of us.  To see this place as a home, an earthly dwelling, and to treat it accordingly.  To care for the buildings and the land.  To respond to the needs of the community as we would our own family.  To be hospitable to the visitor.  To gather here together.  We are called to love this place because the Lord loves it, and love is sacrifice.

I leave the answer to that question to you.  It’s yours to answer, because the Lord has given you each what you can offer.  I will continue to “transact business” with the Lord for this parish, for this community.  In a special way I will be praying for you to discern how the Lord is calling you to love this place, because He is.

“Christian faith, inasmuch as it proclaims the truth of God’s total love and opens us to the power of that love, penetrates to the core of our human experience.  Each of us comes to the light because of love, and each of us is called to love in order to remain in the light.” (Lumen Fidei 32)

-Fr. Benjamin F. Green

Get into spiritual "shape": PRAYER

The beginning of the new sports season has already started.  NFL Football camps have begun, colleges are beginning practice for fall sports and high schoolers are beginning two-a-days.  Even our junior high football team has begun practicing!  I bring up the theme of sports because Pope Francis I at a vigil for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, used the sports field as an analogy for the spiritual life.  In other words, the Holy Father was teaching that sports can be understood as a metaphor for the spiritual life.  Of course, he spoke about European football, i.e., soccer. :-)

Telling the youth that “Most of you love Sports!”; he asked, “what do players do when they are asked to join a team?”  He continued, “They have to train, and train a lot.”  Pope Francis stated that is the same for those who wish to be disciples and that we have to get ourselves into shape.  The training: PRAYER! 

Carrying the metaphor of sports and training into the spiritual life leads to the conclusion that a solid routine of prayer is necessary to be a true disciple.  This means more than just the token Morning Prayer and Blessing Before Meals.  Pope Francis is referring to extended prayer where we dialogue with questions to Jesus such as “Jesus look what I have done, what must I do now?”; and, “Father, are you asking us all to pray?”

To start this “training” in prayer the Pope offers an examination of oneself with the following questions: “Do I pray? Do I speak with Jesus, or am I frightened by silence?  Do I allow the Holy Spirit to speak in my heart?  Do I ask Jesus: what do you want me to do, what do you want from my life?  This is training.” As our sports culture begins training for the Fall sports season, let us all start training on the “spiritual” field.  We can begin with the questions that the Pope offered to the youth listed above.  This is a great starting point.

One thing that I will promise you, if you schedule out a sustained amount of time for prayer each day, at least 15 continuous minutes, you will be surprised at the change in your experience of daily life.  You will get more done and you will experience more peace.  Why?  Well, because you are training the spiritual field of your soul to be a disciple of Christ who continuously strengthens us.


Ad majorem Dei gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God),

Fr. John F. Jirak, Pastor

World Youth Day

The Holy Father Francis, desiring that young people in union with the spiritual aims of the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, might obtain the hoped-for fruits of holiness from the 28th World Youth day to be celebrated from 22 to 29 of the coming month of July in Rio de Janeiro, whose theme is: “Go and make disciples of all nations”, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Major Penitentiary on 3 June, expressing the maternal heart of the Church, from the Treasury of the rewards of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the Saints, has permitted that the youth and all the faithful who are properly prepared may receive the give of the Indulgences as follows...
-Decree of Special Indulgence by the Apostolic Penitentiary

A plenary indulgence can be gained by those who participate in World Youth Dayand fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, receiving the Eucharist, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions)  A partial indulgence is gained by any of the faithful who pray the World Youth Day prayer and invoke the Blessed Mother under her title “Nossa Senhora de Conceicao Aparecida” (this is Portuguese roughly translated “Our Lady of Conception who Appeared), and fulfill the normal conditions.

I encourage you to gain the partial indulgence and to pray for all those participating in World Youth Day.  It’s a tremendous thing to have so many of the world’s Catholic youth gathered together, excited for their faith, and given special attention and care by their Holy Father.  Apparently there was some prince born across the pond, but in other news somewhere between 1 and 2.5 million young Catholics are expected to be in Rio with the Holy Father.  Every charter bus in Argentina is booked for the event in Brazil.  The church is very much alive and excited.  There are ways to catch some of the event online, and it would be a great thing to be united in prayer with so many young faithful.  I still remember seeing John Paul II in St. Louis, and Benedict in Washington DC, it’s a powerful experience to be gathered with so many faithful, and to be in the presence of the successor of Peter.  Even though we aren’t there, we can share in the excitement, and the grace that comes with so large a gathering of the world’s faithful.

Oh Father, You sent Your Eternal Son to save the world, and You chose men and women, so that through Him, with Him and in Him, they might proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to all nations.  Grant us the necessary graces, so that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the joy of being the evangelist that the Church needs in the Third Millennium may shine in the faces of all young people.Oh Christ, Redeemer of humanity, the image of Your open arms on the top of Corcovado, welcomes all people.  In Your paschal offering, You led us, by the Holy Spirit, to encounter the Father as His children.  Young people, who are nourished by the Eucharist, who hear You in Your Word and meet You as their brother, need your infinite mercy to walk along the paths of this world as disciples and missionaries of the New Evangelization.O Holy Spirit, Love of the Father and of the Son, with the splendor of Your Truth and the fire of Your Love, shed Your Light upon all young people so that, inspired by their experience at World Youth Day, they may bring faith, hope and charity to the four corners of the earth, becoming great builders of a culture of life and peace and catalysts of a new world. Amen.
-Official Prayer of World Youth Day 2013

-Fr. Benjamin F. Green