We Ponder

February 5, 2009

Memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr

You have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24

O God, within your temple we ponder your steadfast love. Psalm 48:10

So they went off and preached repentance. Mark 6:12

Piety

We approach and enter into your temple. Inside, we encounter you. Outside, we encounter you. You envelope us. Everywhere we turn, we encounter the body and blood of Christ in the people we meet. The holiest of holies, the cornerstone of the new covenant. As we gaze upon you and feel your warmth within us, try as we might, your steadfast love – despite all of our sins – is hard to understand. Grant to us such love to bolster us in our humility and obedience as we go off to preach, teach, heal and love, in your name. Amen.

Study

Our Catholic Christian experience is not unlike that which brought together the Twelve. We prepare for our Fourth Day and our Christian life by first answering a call. Jesus called his disciples to be fishers of men. Sometimes, their resolve cracked and they more behaved like we do…as fissures of men.

Second, we need a time of preparation. Call it religious education when we are young. Call it team formation when we are adults. Call it a retreat. Our preparation takes many forms but it is a vital stage that allows us to go to a “deserted” place – a classroom, a lecture hall, a retreat house, a street car and airport, a national park. In the end, we are blessed with a sacrament or provided a mission. This is the stage when piety and study work together to get us ready to go out into the world. The action here is the formation.

The final step is to do it. So they went off and preached repentance.” This is the stage when piety and action work together to support us and others as we fulfill the Great Commandment. The study here helps our continuing education and relationship building with each other and with God.

When we finally head out to fulfill our Fourth Day, we are asked to “fully rely upon God” just as the original Twelve were asked. Take nothing. Stay in one place until you leave…don’t go bouncing around looking for better or more comfortable lodgings. Such an act might embarrass your host who is providing holy hospitality. Such stability also protects you from looking for creature comforts for yourself which might distract from your mission.

Squeezed between the First Reading in which we are terrified and trembling as we approach God and the Gospel of trust, humility and obedience, we have a very interesting choice for the psalm. O God, within your temple we ponder your steadfast love. In the midst of all this action and tension, we are resting in the temple, not in the world, not confronting a burning bush. Not taking on the Pharisees or Sadducees. We are resting in the comfort of the temple preparing for the journey. We are resting in the temple getting refreshed for the next step on the journey.

Often in Mark’s Gospel this year, we hear how Jesus went off to a deserted place to pray. No matter what we are getting ready to do…no matter what we are in the middle of doing, we must remember to rest within the temple and ponder God’s steadfast love…a love we are asked to emulate. The tough love of loving those who persecute you. The tough love of loving your neighbor as yourself. The tough love of loving your enemy. The tough love of loving those who do not love us.

Action

According to former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, more than 2.2 million Americans are in prison or jail. Most will eventually get out of jail. There is a lot that can be done for them while they are still in prison (education, job skills, interpersonal communications). Your simple gesture of hope and concern may be just the “spark of hope that could turn their lives around.”

Look for a prison ministry in your area. Here in the Arlington Diocese, the ministry is coordinated through Catholic Charities. The following is from their web site (http://www.ccda.net/programs_prison.php).

In the Diocese of Arlington, there is a total of 23 jail and prison facilities spread all throughout the diocese. Of this number, 13 are jails, 3 are prisons, and 7 are juvenile detention centers. The relative total population to date is about 7,700 inmates.

Out of the 23 facilities, only 13 receive regular visits by Catholic volunteers. Out of the 13, 5 facilities have regular Masses and enjoy the presence of a priest--some every week, some once in every two weeks, and some once a month. The rest are taken care of by generous and faithful volunteers. Some volunteers have been active for more than 25 years. Many others who are new have joined them and still more others are in the process of coming into the ministry. They are the faithful who believe in the Lord’s words: "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me; I was in prison and you visited Me.."

Volunteering in the prison ministry opens the volunteers to many opportunities of ministering to the inmates. The work that they do includes the following: liturgical presiding, Eucharistic ministry, sacramental preparation, scripture reflection, Bible study, small-group facilitation, one-on-one visitation, mentoring, legislative advocacy, victim support, prayer ministry, and transitional support.

As we can see in the statistics, Catholic volunteers serve only about half of the total number of jails and prisons in the diocese. Yet the fact remains that sooner or later these incarcerated men and women will come back into our community. It is hoped that when they return to us, they will not go back to their former way of life but that they may know how to live as peaceful and productive members of society again. But to achieve this end, they need to be prepared now and the only way to do this is to meet them while they are still inside through our volunteers.

The next question is: Who qualifies for prison ministry? Simple. Anyone can volunteer who sees God in those that he or she encounters; is willing to follow the rules of the prison/jail facilities; is aware of one's own gifts and limitations; and has an open, non-judgmental attitude and spirituality. Anyone who has these qualities is most welcome to join the ministry and may contact:

Sr. Constancia V. Parcasio, SNDS
Prison Ministry Office
Catholic Charities Suite 506
200 N. Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22203
Tel. 703-841-3832
Fax: 703-841-3840