An Advent Reflection

As some may already be aware, a decision has been rendered in the Ohio 3rd District Court of Appeals regarding our case. For more information, you can go to www.stjameskansas.org. What follows below is a reflection for our weekly prayer service, delivered on Sunday, December 21st.

As we light the fourth candle on the Advent Wreath this morning, I wish that I could stand up here and talk about how we would be back in the St. James building for Christmas. Advent means the coming or arrival of something important; and this is an advent for the next phase of our church life. I’ve received some messages of condolence from several people this last week, and what I have stressed to them is that as far as I’m concerned, this doesn’t change anything for our church community. Our remaining a church family didn’t hinge on whether we had our building returned to us; but it was one of the most paramount missions that we had taken on as it was symbolic of our desire to make the Catholic Church honest in how it conducts itself. I’ve told people that we will continue to have missions, and will remain a church family as those missions come to fruition.

Sometimes Goliath wins. I have no regrets about that; I would only have regret if we never tried. In this case, the Catholic Church has only become more solidified in its determination to commit suicide by a thousand cuts. If that is what they want, we can’t change that for them. What we can do is remain supportive of others who face the same predicament, or face a future without a church in their life. We can stay focused on the truth, and continue to be a community in the body of Christ. I’ve called several different church buildings my church home in my life, and several different congregations have been my church family as well. But the same God was with me no matter where I was worshiping, and God is here with us today.

With the lessons surrounding Advent and Christmas, we are reminded that life was never easy for Jesus either. Even his birth was filled with hardship. Physical hardship, being born in a stable out in the cold, with an animal feeding trough for his first bed. Political hardship, with King Herod sending his minions to find the baby Jesus who was a threat to his political power, and bring him to Herod to be killed. Refusing to die, and choosing to live while faced with hardship is part of following Christ’s example. If we choose to live on, than I don’t understand how we lose; and I don’t see how the Catholic hierarchy in their failure to uphold viable parishes comes out as a winner, or a victor over the St. James Parish. The Catholic Hierarchy has put itself in a strange position; for even if they win this kind of battle, they really haven’t won anything other than their right to lose things or give up on them. If that is what winning looks like, than I don’t want to be on the victorious side in that fight.

Jesus was not a member of the “why bother when we’re just going to lose” crowd. He was a member of the “I’ll do it out of love even though I will be killed for it” crowd. There aren’t very many people that are cut from that cloth. That is a powerful kind of love, the kind that makes sacrificing everything ok, because it makes a difference and it matters. A famous movie once used a line that said “love means never having to say you’re sorry.” John Lennon later amended that to say “actually love means having to say you’re sorry every 15 minutes.” But the kind of love that Jesus showed didn’t have anything to do with being sorry or not being sorry. How many people when they think of the people that they love center their thoughts around whether or not they ever feel sorry? When you love someone, that might mean that you are willing to let that person hurt you, because the prospect of not being involved in this person’s life is worse than severing ties because the relationship is sometimes painful. That is the kind of love that Jesus had for us, and He has absolutely nothing to apologize for.

The love for this church can sometimes be painful. If it were easy, it might not be worth having it at all.

I don’t have a lengthy reflection for you this morning that provides a lot of answers, but I want to provide some of my thoughts on the questions that I’ll be pondering this Christmas. Jesus’ entry into this world was difficult, then followed by an even more difficult life and a horrific death; only to be made alive again, a legacy which is carried by congregations like this one who continue to fulfill the truth of the Gospel. Long after many of us are gone, I want to know that there will be a church where people named Ethan, Eva, Bryceson, Abbey, Noah, Alex, Grant, Allison, Cheyenne, Morgan, Erica, Yanel, Erin, Kelsey, and others whose names we don’t yet know will be filling these seats with their families and friends, carrying on the legacy of Jesus in the St. James tradition. What will I do, and what will we do to make that a reality? What role will I play? What talents do I have that I am not using to make this a reality? And most importantly, what am I waiting for?

And to put my own twist on another well known quote I’ll end by saying, “Merry Christmas to all, but I’m not saying good night.”

We Must Learn to P.U.S.H

One night a man was sleeping in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this man did, day after day.

For years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the adversary, Satan, decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind.

"You have been pushing against this rock for a long time, and it has not moved." Thus he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, "why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but then decided to make it a Matter of Prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said. "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately. "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back is sinewy and sleek, your hands are toughened from the constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition you have grown so much and your abilities now surpass those that you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in MY wisdom. That you have done. Now, my friend, I will move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what God wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him.

By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who MOVES the mountains.

So remember to P-U-S-H: Pray Until Something Happens.

• When everything seems to go wrong, PUSH
  
• When the job gets you down, PUSH
  
• When people do not react the way you think they should, PUSH
  
• When your money is gone and the bills are still due, just PUSH
  
• When people do not understand you, PUSH
  

Pray Until Something Happens.

It Is NOW Time to ACT

St. James in Kansas Ohio is sometimes referred to as "one of the last parishes standing" from Bishop Leonard Blair's parish restructuring project of 2005. It still exists as a faithful community, and the building still stands. The parish community meets weekly for prayer services and carries on in the St. James tradition in every way shape and form. The future of this community is solid, but the future of the property and building in which it has thrived for over 115 years hangs in the air.

There are opportunities to uphold the rights of parishioners for current and future generations. This opportunity exists NOW with St. James. Currently, the parish is preparing to make an appeal of their case.

We faithful parishioners from all over our great nation know that our charitable generosity is what drives the Church in our communities to be a force for good, and a living testament to the Body of Christ. As faithful and practicing Catholics and Christians, we know that our parishes are built and maintained by us so that we may do Christ's work to build His kingdom here on Earth. If we are to do so, we must tell those who act to inhibit our mission and good works in our communities to stop taking what does not belong to them. We know that there are those who believe that what is donated to the Church can be used at the discretion of Church leadership. But how can the larger Church community of faithful people everywhere build up the mission of the Church in their communities when parishioners' talents, generosity, and labor are taken for granted, used for purposes in which they have no say; and squandered on financial endeavors that have nothing to do with Christ's mission for the world community?

Not only must we act, but we must act quickly when we have the opportunity to do so. St. James has this opportunity, but it will not last long.

We are NOW holding a drive to raise $50,000 in 10 days. Should this goal be met, this fight WILL continue. If you are ready to take this opportunity with us, please go to http://www.stjameskansas.org/ and fill out the form on the home page to make a pledge. All pledges will be dedicated to the effort to assert that St. James church porperty is owned by its parishioners, which can help establish by proxy and precedent that all parishioners own their parish property. Any amount in excess of the costs to continue this fight will be dedicated to assisting other 'parishes in peril' who wish to take up the cause for parish ownership.

St. James is a member of a coalition of Ohio parishes called United Prishes. United Parieshes motto is "Together We Can." It is the laity that makes up an absolutely overhelming majority of the Catholic population. If ever there were a place and a time to say "Together We Can," it is right here, right now. Let us pledge not just to unite, but to ACT!.

Property of the people or the parish?

An interesting read in the Review Times. The title of the article is a bit of a misnomer in that we at St. James don't see this case as hinging between the parish or the people. In our case, we see that as one in the same. Also, the spokeswoman for the diocese has misspoken when she contends that no suggestions were offered at the January 2006 meeting. We asked why our initial suggestions were never considered and Bishop Blair said that he would not quibble with us over things that cannot be changed now. The article also references that the funds from St. James Parish were spent to pay for legal fees, but does not mention that they were used to pay the diocese legal fees, not St. James'. That is a significant omission. Otherwise, an excellent article.

Property of the people or the parish?
By STEPHANY SCHINGS
Staff writer
Patience is a virtue, as the old adage goes. For members of St. James Parish
in Kansas, patience is all they can have.
Since filing a lawsuit against the
Catholic Diocese of Toledo in June 2006, the parishioners of St. James Parish
have been fighting for what they say is parishioners' property: the church and
its contents as well as the land the building sits on.

Click here to read the whole story.

In case you were wondering if your closed parish has the means to fight for what belongs to them....

you might like to know that not only could little old St. James come up with the funds for a civil suit to get back what belongs to them, but that they were capable of funding both sides of the lawsuit to do it!

In the article linked below, the Director of Communications for the Diocese says that "in light of the pending litigation …" it is "inappropriate to comment about the meaning of documents exchanged as part of the discovery process - especially internal administrative bookkeeping materials..."

Soooooooo, it is inapprpriate to comment about how these funds are handled due to the pending litigation, but not inapprpiate to spend them even though they are a principle component of the pending litigation. Interesting.


Click here to find out more

Click here to find out how the diocese said they would handle St. James funds

Click here to find out how the diocese actually handled St. James funds

Also, over at United Parishes, there is some information about what needs to take place to protect parishes Take a look there and show your support for Junction in the comments section. They need our prayers and words of encouragement.

Acting on whose behalf?

Recent news regarding the diocese plans for the former school building for Holy Rosary Church needs to be monitored with a watchful eye by lay persons of any parish.

As you may all be aware, both the Holy Rosary Church and school were closed in the project that brought about the permanent closure of 16 other parishes in 2005. The closure of St. James was also a product of this restructuring project. Throughout the administration of this effort, from conception to closure, parishioners from these churches were told many different things about what would be done with the assets that they helped to maintain through generations of Catholic history in northwest Ohio.

As you read the article below, please note that this is nothing less than a re-distribution of the wealth of Holy Rosary parish, Holy Rosary Parishioners, and Toledo tax payers; all in one confounded effort to enrich the diocese. The will of the parishioners in the decision of the fate of any parish or its assets is not considered, even if the diocese claims to ask for the input of those of us who built up what they liquidate.

The role of the Catholic Church in Education

If you should read some statements from the diocese in the near future regarding the future of the Junction St Mary building and/or windows, or the liquid funds of St. James Parish, or the Salem St. Joseph building and/or cemetary funds, remember this article. Should the diocese make referene to any negotiations with parishioners or attempts to solicit their feedback in order to make a decision, keep in mind that Holy Rosary was promised something alltogether different regarding their parish assets and specifically their school.

In case that is not evidence enough, the diocesan statement regarding the suit brought forth by St. James contained these two sentences in the very same document:

"The former parishioners claimed that they were entitled to all parish property, and a request of an accounting of funds, which still remain in a diocesan deposit account in the approxomate amount of $77,957.60. All funds currently in the account of the closed parish were transferred to the diocese to be held until a decision is made between the diocese and former members of the parish as to the disposition of the funds."

"The former parishioners of St. James will receive their personal belongings, and possibly additional requested sacred good if those items are not needed in other parishes, and the funds of the former parish will be properly distributed in the interests of the local parishes" (my emphasis is added)

As the diocese is still attempting to facilitate the aftermath of the 2005 re-organization project, now is not the time for complacency. Somebody better be watching the store.

Taking Ownership Is The Way to Christ

It's like explaining to a bully that they don't have a right to your lunch money. Sometimes you have to force the point home. This is dedicated to all of the "safe" parishes out there. This is what it will take to hang on to what belongs to you:

Paulding County Parish Fights On

Junction, Kansas, Salem, and Perrysburg will never have to take public measures again once the their ownership is vindicated. Until then, you need to re-establish ownership of your parish. If you don't, you may never have to worry about it being taken from you, but the only thing "safe" about a "safe parish" lies in the prerogative of your bishop.

The mission of the Church is to spread the message of God's grace to all of God's children. The vision of Toledo's bishop is to establish religious population centers for the already faithful to travel to by car. Where does the part about spreading the message come into this vision? If your parish is "safe" while such a visionary gap exists, than what is your parish doing to move the Church back toward bringing the message to ALL of God's children?

If you never have to worry about taking back ownership, this question still compels "safe" parishes to take ownership.