Here at St. Patrick’s Church, our eighth grade students are preparing these final weeks in anticipation of the Sacrament of Confirmaiton, which Bishop Roger Kaffer will confer on them on May 3, 2007. Next week Saturday, these kids will be attending a Confirmation Retreat led by our DRE, Miss Julie Dillenberg, who faithfully has served this community in this position for over a decade. We certainly wish to pray for our eighth graders as the prepare themselves to “be sealed by the Holy Spirit.”

In anticipation of this day, our crack staff has been grilling our kids on the teachings of the faith and the completion of their service hours to the community. As I have been walking through the classrooms, I have been talking to the kids about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the last one – the fear of the Lord – which these children will experience first hand if they do not pass their Confirmation tests!!!

It is this time each year that I give thanks to our eighth grade teachers, especially Mr. Darryl Kelsey (RE) and Mr. Pat Paul (School) who have led our junior high school students through this particilar process for many a year. At least in my way of thought, this rite of change that a child encounters in their early teenage years is one of the most difficult transitions that one undertakes in life in order to establish him or herself in our society. It is at this time in their formation process that kids want to “make their own identity,” so to speak, to find their place in the world and to break out of mold, somewhat, their their parents often try to set for them. Any parent or teacher who voluntarily chooses to walk into this “perfect storm” of adolescence is all right in my book.

For me, I have been trying to instill the same teachings of faith that these young teens have been taught since they entered the world of Catholic Education. I try to teach them that building a relationship with God is like being married or having a very good friend – the joy of the relationship comes from the love and sacrifice that both parties in the relationship make for the sake of the other. The minute that one person pulls back from the relationship and does less work, or none at all, is the minute that the relationship becomes weakened or, in some cases, becomes an abusive one.

I present this analogy to the kids because in two weeks, these eighth graders will be making a promise to invest themselves in this community and be sealed with the mark of the Holy Spirit that strengthens them to do their part in this spiritual relationship. These kids are making a promise to do their part in this relationship – to come to church each week in order to pray at Mass, to follow the precepts and commandments of the Church, and things of that nature. This kids will make a commitment to serve the faithful of St. Patrick’s through their time, talents, and financial resources, investing themselves into the faith community as we have done for them, in God’s name.

However, I think all of this sounds fine and good, but often times the words seem hollow unless someone can see the direct result from their actions. This last week, two experiences crossed my path as pastor of your parish, two significant experiences that were grace-filled because of the sacrifice made by the kids of St. Patrick’s.

Two months ago, a group of eighth graders joined Julie Dillenburg, Darryl Kelsey and me and endured the cold December weather on behalf of Christmas Caroling to the homebound of our community. Walking block to block around the streets of our parish, these eighth graders brought a little Christmas cheer to some folks who needed just that during the weeks leading up to December 25.

Last week, I received a phone call from the wife of one of those homebound parishioners, Mrs. Joan Fenske, who shared with me the grace that filled her husband’s heart during the last couple of months. Her husband, Art Fenske, passed away earlier this month, and as Joan was sharing with me the struggles of this time of trial, she reminded me about the pictures she had taken of the kids singing Christmas Carols to Art in front of her house and how that experience made her husband cry with tears of joy. During a time of great distress, Art Fenske knew that someone in the parish took time out of their lives to spend with him. With him. It was because of the sacrifice of our kids that Art knew he was loved by God and God’s Church.

In another instance, a bunch of our kids from our school decided to do something fun for Valentine’s Day and make cards for our shut-ins as well. The primary school kids of St. Patrick’s excel with this kind of activity, for they are much more likely to write down “I love you” to the people of our parish than our junior high kids probably would. And during the major holidays, Deacon Paul and I carry these bundles of cards and other gifts throughout the city of Joliet, visiting our homebound folks and gifting them with our school kids’ notes.

Last week on Valentine’s Day, Deacon Paul Kolodziej was making his sick-call rounds when he stopped at the residence of Anne Whitgrove in order to drop off her cards and offer her communion. Deacon Paul has been visiting the homebound here at the parish since I’m guessing around the mid-1800s and he often returns back to the parish and waxes philosophical about the lives of the home-folks that he visits. In this particular case, his visit to Anne provided a more poignant story, for Anne passed away later in that day, after she had received those cards from our kids (her funeral will take place next week Friday, with Fr. Jay Comerford celebrating the Mass).

Later in the week, I found out that one of our kindergarten classes wrote those particular cards to Anne and I and spent a little time talking to the kindergarten teacher about the experience. I am not sure how six year olds would comprehend the moment of grace that they offered Ann, but those fifteen minutes that those kids sacrificed in the day for the sake of another may very well have offered Anne 15 minutes of grace or more on the final day of her life on earth.

As a priest, I am honored to witness this kind of sacrifice by myriads of people in this parish who volunteer their time, talents, and financial resources for the sake of others. From those who do their part in supporting our kids at school or religious education classes, from those who help out at our Holy Mass or in service projects in our parish, they have all done their part in contributing to the glory of God. The question is, have you done your part? Have all of us done our part?

Today’s gospel message from Luke parallels Jesus’ same words in chapters five and six of Matthew’s Gospel: “Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” St. Matthew’s Gospel will elevate this thought to a new level on Ash Wednesday, the first day of our Lenten Season. The Jesus of Matthew’s Gospel will tell us not to act like the hypocrites by praying, fasting, or giving alms publicly, but to sacrifice our lives in secret, so that our heavenly Father might repay us for our deeds with much greater measure in the kingdom of heaven.

When we can teach our kids to sacrifice of their lives in God’s name for the sake of others, it is then we prepare them for the eternal sacrifice of Lent we are called to make for the sake of the kingdom and the eternal Easter that awaits us as a response to our sacrifice. The ones who have lived in the world of sacrifice realize that this work is difficult and often seems without reward. At first, so does the suffering and death of our Lord on the cross. But if we can really get our kids to understand what is at stake and what our Lord gives us for our efforts, if we can really get them to learn the extent of love which Christ gave of himself for the sake of these kids, then hopefully the youth of our parish will realize what they must do to uphold their end of this relationship of faith.

Over the 40 days of Lent, St. Patrick’s Church will offer various opportunities for all of us live this life of sacrifice. On the entry tables of our church, we have placed Lenten Calendars with daily reflections, Rosary Guides for those who wish to pray the rosary at home, at “The Little Black Book” from the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan with other daily reflections as well. You are most invited to make a free-will offering in the collection basket to pick up these materials, or to come to the sacristy and make a donation for the World Mission Rosaries that we will use after our daily Masses during the week. We will be celebrating The Stations of the Cross after Mass every Friday in the Season of Lent and we will offer reflections and the Sacrament of Reconciliation every Monday night at 7:00 during our Holy Hour of Adoration and Benediction here at the parish. We have listed most of these activities in this week’s bulletin – I encourage you to take the bulletin home in order to prepare yourselves for what is yet to come.

I would like to conclude today’s homily on sacrifice with the words that Pope John Paul II spoke to those men who were ordained priests during the Church’s millenium celebration in the year 2000. Although the words applied to those involved with sacramental ministry, the theme of sacrifice conveyed by our Holy Father can resonate with all of us sitting in these pews today. Pope John Paul II writes,

In a little while the Church will advise each of you: “Know what you are doing and imitate the mystery you celebrate: model your life on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross” (The Ordination Rite of Priests). Model your life on the mystery of Christ’s Cross!

It is Christ who saves and sanctifies, and you will share directly in his work to the extent of the intensity of your union with him. If you abide in him, you will bear abundant fruit; but without him you can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5). He has chosen you and today “appoints” you so that you will go and bear fruit, and your fruit will abide (cf. Jn 15:16).

Are we producing good fruit with the sacrifices we make at this parish? Look at the results - ask Art Fenske; ask Anne Whitgrove; ask any person in this parish who has received this grace from us in God’s name. May we realize that Christ has commissioned all of us, as confirmed members of the faith, to follow his example of service in our sacrifice for others in God’s name. May we continue to serve others as our Lord has served us. This is our prayer.

“Dan, y se les dará; medida buena, apretada, remecida, y rebosando darán en su seno: porque con la misma medida que midieren, les será vuelto a medir.” (Lc 6: 37-38)

Dentro de poco, la Iglesia les dirigirá a cada uno estas palabras: “Date cuenta de lo que harás, imita lo que celebrarás y conforma tu vida al misterio de la cruz de Cristo Señor” (El Rito de la Ordenación de los Sacerdotes). ¡Conforman su vida al misterio de la cruz de Cristo!

Es Cristo quien salva y santifica, y ustedes participaren directamente en su obra en la medida de la intensidad de su unión con él. Si permanecen en él, dan mucho fruto; por el contrario, sin él no puedan hacer nada (cf. Jn 15, 5). Él les ha elegido, y hoy les “constituye,” para que vayan y den fruto, y su fruto permanezca (cf. Jn 15, 16).