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This ministry “would draw on the help of our parish community to help a releasing person rebuild a new life.”

– Fr. Bill

 One Parish, One Prisoner

Last weekend, Joe Cotton, Director of Pastoral Care and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Seattle, shared a reflection on the Sunday’s gospel of the prodigal son and a statewide program called One Parish One Prisoner. This ministry seeks to equip faith communities to build supportive pre-release relationships with one person returning to their community from prison. A group of St. John the Baptist parishioners have asked to begin this ministry. They would form a team and begin a two-year journey of relationship building, release planning, and holistic re-entry support for one person ending his/her incarceration. He/she would draw on the help of our parish community to help rebuild a new life. The Parish Leadership Team wanted to let the parish know about this ministry and have the opportunity to share any comments or concerns. You can read more about called One Parish One Prisoner at

https://nwcatholic.org/voices/joe-cotton/catholic-voices-one-parish-one-prisoner and

https://undergroundministries.org/opop.

Please share your comments or concerns with either Andrea Mendoza, Pastoral Assistant for Social Outreach at andream@sjtbcc.org or myself at billm@sjtbcc.org. Feedback is due by Monday, April 11.

“Whereas sin is destructive, a penance can be constructive and bring healing to others harmed by one’s sin.”
– Fr. Bill

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Our communal Lenten reconciliation service with individual confession and absolution will be Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 am. In preparation, I would like to repeat a series of bulletin articles I did for our Advent reconciliation service.

It is the Holy Spirit who moves the follower of Christ who has sinned to come to the Sacrament of Penance. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we seek deeper and deeper conversion to God. This process of conversion through the Sacrament of Reconciliation has four elements: contrition, confession, penance, and absolution.

In previous articles, I have examined contrition and confession. Now I would like to focus on the element of penance. Sin is destructive. It can harm self, others, the community, and creation. When I was a child, the common act of penance the priest gave us was to pray three Hail Marys and one Our Father. While prayer is always good, I often did not see the connection between what I confessed and the penance that was given. Today, the focus is on a penance that can really be a remedy for sin and a help to renewal of life.

Sin can easily become habit forming, even addictive. A penance can help one break a bad habit by developing a good one. One can push against a sin by choosing to do the opposite. In suggesting a penance, I often give the opposite of a sin confessed.

The penance can also help repair an injury sin has caused to another. Whereas sin is destructive, a penance can be constructive and bring healing to others harmed by one’s sin.

While the priest suggests the penance, the penitent has to agree to it. One can always ask for a different penance if the one suggested is impossible or too difficult to carry out. Sometimes the penitent even can suggest a penance they believe will be a true remedy for their sin.

This Lent, since we do not have permission to celebrate Reconciliation with a general absolution, we do have the opportunity to be more intentional in offering a penance that truly addresses the sins being confessed. The whole purpose of a penance is to bring healing. True conversion is completed by acts of penance.

“When we feel the loving presence of God more deeply, we also are more aware of our sin and the need for God’s cleansing love.”
– Fr. Bill

Sacrament of Reconciliation

In preparation for our communal celebration of Reconciliation with individual confession on April 2, I am repeating a series of articles I used for our Advent Reconciliation.

It is the Holy Spirit, who moves the follower of Christ, who has sinned to come to the Sacrament of Penance. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we seek deeper and deeper conversion to God. This process of conversion through the Sacrament of Reconciliation has four elements: contrition, confessions, penance, and absolution. Contrition is the most important element. Without it, the sacrament cannot happen.

Contrition is heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed together with the intention of sinning no more. This heartfelt sorrow flows from awareness of God’s love, made manifest in Jesus.

In the revision of the ritual from the Second Vatican Council, prayers focusing on fear of hell were replaced by prayers focusing on God’s love for us and our love for God. People my age and older may remember memorizing that Act of Contrition that included, “I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell.” While a few still use that prayer, the new Act of Contrition (from 1973) acknowledges “I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things.”

I like to use the analogy of a window. On a cloudy day, the window looks ok. However, on a bright sunny day all the dirt is more visible. When we feel the loving presence of God more deeply, we also are more aware of our sin and the need for God’s cleansing love. Contrition is not based on fear; its source is love. Fear could be based on an image of God as harsh judge. Love flows from an image of God as a loving parent who wants the best for us.

Next week, I will focus on the element of confession. This may be a new element for some, since the parish has a long history of general absolution without individual confession. The archbishop has not granted me the necessary permission to continue that practice. This does give us the opportunity to take a fresh look at this sacrament.

“I hope this will give us an
occasion to revisit this ritual of
forgiveness and explore anew
the nature and effects of this
sacrament.”

– Fr. Bill

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Our communal Lenten reconciliation service, with individual confession and absolution, will be Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 am. In preparation, I would like to repeat a series of bulletin articles I did for our Advent reconciliation service.

The Second Vatican Council decreed that the rite for Reconciliation be revised to “more clearly express the nature and effects of this sacrament.” In 1973, a new ritual was promulgated that not only revised the rite for individual confession, but also added a rite for reconciliation of several penitents with individual confession. This emphasized the relation of the sacrament to the community. The revision also added, for special occasions, a rite of reconciliation of several penitents with general confession and absolution.

Over the years, as general confession and absolution became more frequent, the Church began to limit its use. The concern was that it was replacing individual confession as the primary way of celebrating this sacrament of God’s mercy and love. Now, use of general confession and absolution requires the permission of one’s bishop.

Our parish has had a long history of celebrating general confession and absolution during Advent and Lent. Hoping to continue this custom, I requested permission from our archbishop to use this form of the sacrament. He has written, “While I appreciate your pastoral sensitivity in this matter, I do not believe this rises to the level of pastoral necessity for me to grant the requested permission.”

While some will be disappointed, I hope this will give us an occasion to revisit this ritual of forgiveness and explore anew “the nature and effects of this sacrament.”

“When we see the words on the screen that is your cue to sing!”

– Fr. Bill

As we enter into March, our Synodal journey is taking a new turn. We are now in the process of inviting our faith formation families and youth to join us in these sessions. Our parish-wide sessions ended in February, with almost 200 parishioners participating! We are most grateful for their shared responses! Fr. Bill is looking forward to collaborating with our Parish Leadership Team to review and summarize all of the feedback to forward to our Archdiocese. This information will also be very helpful as the parish looks ahead to our future goals and planning. So, please stay tuned. The journey continues and we look forward to experiencing the fruit of our parish engagement in the months and years ahead!

The Second Vatican Council spoke of both “internal” and “external” participation in the Mass. Internal participation is an openness to what you see and hear: the prayers recited by the priest, the readings, and the singing of the choir. It is a listening with your heart and mind, letting the words resonate within you. This sort of listening is an art that takes practice and discipline. External participation includes actions, gestures, bodily attitudes, acclamations, responses and singing. The quality of our participation in sung praise comes less from our vocal ability than from the desire of our hearts to sing together of our love for God.1

Both our internal and external participation in the liturgy expresses and strengthens our faith. During Covid, in regards to singing, we have had to move from external to more internal participation. We are now able to return to more external participation in song, singing the shorter acclamations and refrains. The longer hymns will still call for internal participation as we let the cantors and musicians stir our hearts. We have decided not to purchase the annual paperback hymnals we once used. This annual subscription was rather expensive and we are still not at the point of re-handling common material. We will begin projecting the words of the common acclamations and refrains on the screens for all to sing. This will include a common refrain for the opening hymn, the penitential rite (Lord have mercy), the responsorial psalm and gospel acclamation as well as the Eucharistic acclimations. When we see the words on the screen that is your cue to sing! God dwells within each human heart, in the place where music takes its source. Indeed, God, the giver of song, is present whenever his people sing his praise.2

 St. Augustine says, “Singing is for the one who loves.” Song is, therefore, a sign of God’s love for us and of our love for God. When you see those

words on the screen, SING!

– Fr. Bill

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1 Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, United

states Conference of Catholic Bishops, #13

2 Sing to the Lord. #1.