On June 14, 2022, we installed a new bronze statue of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows on an outside wall of Sacred Heart Church. In the bulletin for June 26, I reflect on the image and the devotion.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows: Sculpture by Joel Ernster

For nearly fifty years, I have prayed with the image of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, the Patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. This image of Mary speaks tenderly to me amid people’s suffering. I have turned to her in times of personal anguish. Her response to Jesus’ suffering helps me stand alongside the suffering of so many people in our parish. Her life helps me know that I am not alone when people experience the death of a child, or loss of a long-time job, or a devasting divorce, or a new diagnosis of cancer.

I have learned in my years of formation in Holy Cross and in pastoral ministry that I cannot control suffering or the reality of loss in our human condition. In faith, I entrust such experiences to Jesus Christ. Mary, along the way, offers a model to all of us to stand with hope, to pray with courage, and to believe that all suffering brings us closer to the person of Jesus Christ.

I recognize Mary’s role in suffering. I live this daily. She did not control suffering. She did not change it. She did not ignore it or wish it away. She pondered it all in her heart. I must believe this, especially in the constant reality of pain over which I have no control. I cannot change such pain. I am called to pray with the reality of what is, and not how I wish life to be. This devotion to Mary is not pious nonsense. Her place at Jesus’ side helps us all to stay involved in human anguish and to remain believers in God who has created us and will never abandon us. Mary stood next to Jesus’ passion out of love. We do the same among those we love. Love is the force that strengthens faith.

In my nine years as pastor, I have spoken many times about Our Lady of Sorrows. I painted an image of her that hangs in our vestibule of Sacred Heart Church. Her heart is painted in the reredos near the tabernacle. So, now I leave you with one more image of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows. This new sculpture created by Sacred Heart Parishioner Dr. Joel Ernster, speaks to our life as a parish community. As we enter the church, we see the invitation to stand among the suffering of people in our world. I leave you with this image as a reminder that we are a community formed by the tradition of the Congregation of Holy Cross. This devotion is not reserved for priests only. This devotion is meant to be lived by the People of God.

I invite you to take Mary to heart. I want you to fully understand Mary’s role in the suffering of her son, Jesus. To do so, you must pray for the real needs of people. We are all faced with public grief. There is so much to grieve in our world today:  mass shootings, wars, violence, heartaches of divisions and neglect, poverty, and mental illness. Life can be overwhelming. However, this is where our faith comes to our aid. The person of Jesus Christ is our center, our way of life. To help us heal, we have Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who walks with us, who shows us we are not alone.  

Why is Our Lady of Sorrows depicted with swords? Well, the image comes from the First Sorrow, the moment of Jesus being presented in the Temple. Simeon suggests to Mary that her life will never be the same. A sword will pierce her heart as she journeys with her son, Jesus. It is a foreshadowing of Jesus’s passion and death.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary are represented in the sculpture by seven swords. These are the seven moments in the gospels that create this devotion. In these seven scenes in the gospel, Mary witnesses the suffering of her son. She holds such suffering in her heart. The Seven Sorrows are: The First Sorrow: The Prophesy of Simeon, Luke 2: 27-35. The Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt, Luke 2:27-35. The Third Sorrow: The Loss of the child Jesus in the Temple, Luke 3:41-50. The Fourth Sorrow: Mary meets Jesus on the road to Calvary, Luke 23: 27-30. The Fifth Sorrow: Jesus dies on the cross, John 19:25-30. The Sixth Sorrow: Mary receiving the body of Jesus in her arms, Mark 15: 42-47. The Seventh Sorrow: The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb, John 19: 40-42.

Please learn these moments in scripture and take them to heart. Know the places in the gospels that are there as scenes of grace to console you. It is worth the time, believe me.

I want you to pray with this sculpture. I want you to use this sculpture as a place for public grief in moments of tragedy.  I want you to find this space outside our church as a place to put flowers or notes or cards or prayer requests. This magnificent piece of art demands a response by us who pray. I leave you this idea and desire for you to pray.

As I ponder the new sculpture outside our church door, a couple of things strike me. First, the image reveals itself in our parking lot. Even as we enter the block, the beauty of this piece speaks to us of faith. As we walk down the sidewalk by Saint Andre House, it keeps revealing something new, in different light. When we approach, the plaque offers us an explanation of Mary. Then, when we get close to the sculpture, Mary’s tear is revealed. I believe the essence of this sculpture is Mary’s tear. When we get close to her in prayer, she also sees our tears. She is one with all humanity. She cares for us who seek her son, Jesus. There is only love in her tear.

On the first day the sculpture was installed on June 14, I came back to the parish after dark to see how the lights of the yard would shine on the art. As I approached the sculpture, there was a man sleeping on the sidewalk. I must believe Mary cares for what we care about, the well-being of all humanity. I leave you, the parish community, under the protection of Mary, Mother of Sorrows.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, console your people.

Dear Believers in the Christ, 

In Luke 9:11b-17, the disciples seem to be in scarcity. They questioned Jesus about how to feed a hungry crowd. They feared for the people who were in need, “for we are in a deserted place here.” It is in this moment of scarcity and hunger that Jesus invites them to see differently. He invites them to believe in him in a deeper, more profound way. 

Jesus says, “Give them some food yourselves.” The disciples were astonished because all they had to offer were five loaves of bread and two fish. With such hunger among them, this would never fill the bodies of so many that numbered five thousand men alone. Jesus invited them to trust. He began an incredible miracle of feeding the vast crowd with leftovers. 

This passage of human hunger is the foundation of the eternal Eucharist. As we gather on Sundays, we are all hungry for not only food, but for justice, for mercy, for forgiveness, for meaning, and for a sense of belonging. The food we receive is from the action of the Eucharistic celebration that feeds us repeatedly with the eternal Real Presence of Jesus Christ. 

This feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ reflects Holy Thursday. On the night before Jesus died, he reminded his disciples of all the moments of abundance they had experienced in his ministry. The food that we share at Mass is his genuine love for us, God’s beloved. This nourishment is also about abundance. The mercy and forgiveness we all desire is eternally extended to us. The Eucharist becomes our identity as Christians. It forms our hearts in need and shows us how to serve others beyond Sunday Mass. 

We become what we eat. We are the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ on earth, for we belong to him through his death and resurrection. God will never leave us to hunger for love and purpose. He feeds us with the scriptures as well as his Body and Blood. The Mass becomes our way of life, the formation of our souls, our hearts, and our actions. 

We become even more of a family after we celebrate Mass. We grow ever more deeply into the mystery of Jesus Christ. We grow ever more deeply into trusting God and the people with whom we celebrate. 

Our identity is to offer one another the hope, the food, the belief, and the love of eternal life. The Mass continues to be celebrated in our actions in the world, well beyond the church door when we leave. 

This Friday, June 24, 2022, is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is the feast day of our parish. In our centennial year, this day is a source of grace. Our celebrations of our centennial are very close, so we have decided not to celebrate this Friday. Please pray for the mission of our three churches as our entire parish is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. We will welcome a new pastor next month, so please pray for Fr. Jarrod Waugh, CSC as we continue the mission of the Mass to offer love, hope, and grace to all. 

The gospel for Friday is Luke 15:3-7, the Good Shepherd who chases down the lost sheep. It is a deep and profound reminder of the love of Jesus Christ for us all. Even in our need, the Shepherd seeks us out. The Heart of Christ is not static. It is not just to be adored. The Heart of Christ is about the mission of forgiveness, gentleness, and love. The broken hearts of people rest assuredly in the Heart of Christ, for we all need God in our lives. God does not abandon us; we are never alone. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a fountain of hope for us, the Church. 

They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. 

God give you peace.

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Today, June 14, 2022, the builders, artist, foundry owner, installed the bronze statue of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sacred Heart Church. The statue is stunningly beautiful, various shades of bronze on the granite color stucco. This is part of our 100th Anniversary celebration in July. Our parishioner, Joel Ernster, artist, sculpted the piece for our centennial. I am so delighted by the outcome. The project took one year to complete. Below is the text from the plaque:

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows

Sculpture by Joel Ernster

Mary, the Sorrowful Mother, witnesses to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ in his suffering, death, and resurrection. The seven swords seen here refer to the seven Scripture stories where Mary stood next to Jesus’ suffering.

Sacred Heart Parish: One Hundred Years 1922-2022

As we celebrate our hundredth anniversary, we honor Mary, who walked with us in compassion and love and hope through each of these one hundred years.

From her own grief and sorrow, Mary stands next to us in our human suffering. She has offered solace and hope in times of great sickness, from the 1918 pandemic through COVID-19. Across the years she has given comfort to parents who sent their children off to war: World War I … World War II … Korea … Viet Nam … Afghanistan … Iraq. She stood next to our ancestors during the Great Depression, and through all the times of economic distress for every generation since. She held back the raging flames of the Waldo Canyon Fire from destroying our faith and conviction, and comforted us in our fear. She knows intimately the pain of grieving parents, and offers consolation when children are lost to violence or cancer or addiction. She provides hope when we face job loss, abuse, anxiety, and anguish, and lovingly holds our suffering. She witnesses to our need for mercy in the sacraments of the Church. She walks with us to hospital beds and gravesites, and challenges us as we serve our poor, our neighbors in need. She is example and inspiration, guiding us to stand with each other as she stands with us, in compassion and love and hope.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

_________________________________

Our Lady of Sorrows is the Patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross, which has served the people of Sacred Heart since 1984. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on September 15.

Dear Followers of Christ,

On this Sunday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We name the God of our faith united in the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are born again in this relationship with God when we are baptized. We even begin every prayer marking on our human bodies the names of the Trinity— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This gesture bears witness to the world that the mark on our souls reveals itself on our bodies and in every action we perform. We belong to God and God belongs to us. 

The very nature of God is relationship. God is in unity. One name for three persons of the Trinity. We are invited into this very nature. Everything thing we do as Christians is rooted in the Trinity. Our prayer of the Eucharist is an action of the Trinity. We stand along with Christ, offering our lives to the Father, being invited by the Holy Spirit to draw closer to the central mystery of the Trinity.

We also serve in response to God’s longing for unity. We engage in love for the poor and the broken, so to offer the love we experience in faith to those who most need us. The action of the Christian is to bring to the world the unity and harmony of the Holy Trinity. Service is the outcome of our faith. It is the fruit of our prayer. It is the essence of our faith to generate faith, hope, and love in our world. We do not pray by our own will; it is the initiative of the Trinity. We do not serve by our own will; it is the generative action of the Holy Trinity that calls us forth into the world. 

In John 16:12-15, Jesus says to us that there is more to come. The Spirit of Truth will guide us to such a mystery. Even in our lives today, there is more to come in the beauty, harmony, and mystery of God. We are called into such beauty and love. In our prayer as the church, we are called to discern our way in the world. We discern our words and actions, our prayers and service for the common good and the rich harmony of God’s plan in the world. 

In our generation, we rely on God to show us peace, even when we think we are powerless in war. We rely on God to show us the dignity of life, even when abortion and the death penalty are real. We rely on God to show us how to understand one another, even when we live in conflict with our family, our neighbors, and other nations. The common good begins with our reliance on the Holy Trinity. Unity and harmony are revealed on earth only when we truly believe we are God’s beloved. We are caretakers of heavenly love in every action and in every issue on earth. The Holy Trinity forms our lives, our faith, our worship, and our ability to live with others. 

Jesus said to his disciples; “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth.”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,

This gospel, John 20:19-23, is one of two options for Pentecost. It is a familiar scene to us since it was proclaimed on the Second Sunday of Easter. It speaks beautifully today of the gift of peace given to us after Jesus’ resurrection. 

Pentecost is the summation of the Easter season. It boldly proclaims the gift of the Holy Spirit that is with us for all eternity. In many ways, Pentecost pushes us out of the nest and into the world to proclaim our heritage of love, peace, and forgiveness. We have celebrated Lent and Easter, the core of our faith in Jesus Christ. This feast now reveals to us how to live and how to be in our very fragile and difficult world. We confidently bring to the world the Holy Spirit that guides us, heals us, and offers us a path to our eternal home. God has promised to never leave us. We belong to Jesus Christ, and he belongs to us. 

Before the gospel is proclaimed today, we pray and sing the Sequence. It is an ancient hymn that connects us to our heritage, the beginning of the Church in the Holy Spirit. The first line of the Sequence is, “Come, Holy Spirit, come!” I am heartened by this text. It gives me great hope to speak these words again in our common prayer in the Eucharist.

I love this feast. Imagine that for centuries, the Church has proclaimed this short and vital prayer. If these four words are the only prayer you ever speak, it is enough. In fact, it is about our relationship with God and God’s relationship with us. We belong to God and the Holy Spirit resides deep within us. From our baptism, we proclaim the Holy Spirit given to us at the loving font. From the creation of the world, God breathed on the earth and creation came about. We are part of God’s breath. We are part of God’s plan and imagination. 

As we celebrate our 100th year, it is crucial that we rely even more on our relationship with the Holy Spirit. For all these years, our communities have proclaimed in good times and bad, our reliance on the healing grace of God’s care and loving presence. The Holy Spirit has opened our hearts to live lovingly in our world and opened our mouths to proclaim our reliance on God. We can’t forage our path ahead without our reliance on God. We can’t walk a path that is ours alone. We need God and God’s creating presence within us. We need to sing, act, serve, and love in God. We can’t become the People of God, called, the Church, without the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, it is up to each of us to renew our lives in the Holy Spirit on this celebration of Pentecost. 

In the gospel today, we hear the first words Jesus spoke after his resurrection. “Peace be with you.” I invite you to take this to heart. When wars and corruption invade your lives, let Jesus offer you peace. When disappointment in family life makes a home in you, know the peace of Christ. When the failure of the Church invades your space, speak peace as a sign of hope to you and others. When questions arise in you about your purpose and plans, send the prayer again to heaven, “Come, Holy Spirit, come.” This will bring peace in the most unbelievable of circumstances. 

Please, let the Holy Spirit rest in you. Acknowledge your place in God’s love. This prayer makes all the difference. 

Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Dear Believers in the Risen Christ,

In today’s gospel, Luke 24:46-53, Jesus describes his mission on earth. He suffered and rose from the dead. Repentance and forgiveness of sins are preached in his name. Then he tells his disciples, “You are witnesses of these things.”

We too, from the depths of our faith and the glorious love Jesus has for us, are witnesses to his life on earth and to his passion, death, and resurrection. This has been handed down to us. We are partakers of such miracles. We have inherited such wisdom from those who first peered into an empty tomb. We hold in our hearts the Holy Spirit who guides us, loves us, and protects us from harm.

On this Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate Jesus leaving the earth and preparing the world for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Risen Christ had to physically leave the earth so the gift of the Holy Spirit could be given to the entire world. We are not alone. We are not abandoned. We are not separate from God. The gifts of God’s love, healing, and hope are made visible in our hearts and in every believer. 

Today, we examine our role as witnesses to Christ. We explore the wonder of Jesus Christ in the very fabric of our existence, in the miracle of being alive on earth. In the complexity of the world, we must believe we are part of a plan to do our part to heal, to forgive, and to work for justice. Each of us holds in our hearts a piece of glory, a treasure of heavenly hope because we belong to Jesus Christ from our baptism. Each week we process down the aisle of the church to receive the Eucharist, to taste for our own lives the incredible beauty and life of the Risen Christ. 

While we are on earth, we hold in our lives the very mission of Jesus Christ. We are to work for the common good, for peace among family, and among all our relationships. We are to seek the love God has for us, to know the wisdom of our ancestors deep within our hearts. We are witnesses to love here on earth. We must never forget our place in the love of God. We must take to heart this responsibility and call to flood the world with the beauty of Jesus’ presence because we belong to such a vision and mission.

Before Jesus parted, he raised his hand and blessed the disciples. We rest our lives under the hand of his blessing. We belong to such a moment when he left the earth and relied on his followers to carry on his mission. Don’t ever forget your call to put love into practice. Don’t let others tell you that you are not good enough for this task. Don’t forget your heart that aches for such beauty and compassion in the Master who healed the sick, forgave the sinner, and opened new paths for the lost. We all belong in him, in the wonder of our Messiah who left the earth so we could carry on his presence in every aspect of the world. All is holy, all is love. You are witnesses of these things.

As he blessed them, he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. 

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

I am delighted to offer another art sale for the benefit of our Saint Andre House construction. You can, “Buy Now” on the parish website if you are out of town.

CLICK here for instructions and to view the 50 pieces of art for sale.

Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,

In John 14:23-29, the gospel prepares us for the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost. Jesus tells his disciples that he will leave them and that he will eventually come back. Jesus prepares us for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will teach us everything. The Holy Spirit will remind us of everything we learned from Jesus. 

Jesus also offers us again the primary gift of the Resurrection, an enduring and lasting peace. Peace is the first word proclaimed after he rose from the dead. Peace is revealed by the Holy Spirit and flows into our hearts and lives if we remain in him. Peace is a gift not yet realized in most human hearts and certainly not in our world. Our ancestors in faith, especially the mystics and saints, offer us stories time and again about how they struggled in life and yet maintained the gift of peace because they trusted in the power of God’s love and in the realization of Jesus’ dying and rising. We may not be saints, but our hearts are also restless. It is our life journey to be instruments of peace in the center of our suffering, our misfortunes, and even on our death beds. Peace is hard to come by, because we must grow into our hearts of faith and that growth takes us an entire lifetime. 

Once again in the Easter season, Jesus also tells us to not let our hearts be troubled. He invites us not to be afraid. This is his message of peace once again. We struggle with faith because we think faith will change us, that God will tell us to live beyond our gifts, wants, and talents. Instead, God is invested in our lives as they are. God uses our gifts and talents for good. The difference is that we understand our lives are in him, for him, and because of him. This is a lifetime of peace. When we can surrender to such beauty and love of God, we become the followers God desires us to be, people who love even in fear, people who imagine even in our stubbornness, and people who believe even in our suffering. 

This Easter season continues to offer us Jesus Christ in images of consolation and wonder. He is the giver of peace. He is the consolation of love even in fear. The Easter season reveals in his resurrection the power of God’s commitment to us. This commitment is in the depths of our baptism. We die to self and live in Christ. We are born again. Easter lives in the connection of our lives as Christians. 

As we approach the Ascension of Jesus and then Pentecost, here are some questions to ask:

How is Jesus inviting you into a greater peace within your own life?

How is Jesus inviting you into a life of less fear, self-hatred, and violence?

How has the Easter season changed your perspective on Jesus Christ and your commitment to him and your commitment within the Church?

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him…”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

I learned yesterday that Jim Telthorst, a priest from Saint Louis died in March. Fred Moleck, (right) also died in 2021.

These two men were champions of Vatican II. I first met them when I was in graduate school at Notre Dame.

Jim lived at Saint Joseph Church in South Bend for five summers while studying liturgy at Notre Dame. He was one of the most profound preachers I have ever heard. When he preached on Sunday, I would sit in the back pew of the church and take notes. However, my heart could not capture his love for God and his enthusiasm for the Church in the era of the Second Vatican Council. He loved people. He loved the gospel. He loved our search for the wisdom of God’s love for us. He was a great mentor.

Fred was an incredible personality. He earned a doctorate in music. The church organ was his home. Our paths crossed many times in our careers. After I left Saint Joseph Church in 1984, he served there as Director of Music. We also lived in Chicago at the same time. His personality was bigger than life. His spontaneous humor, his love for community building through music, earned him much respect by so many people. His was a champion for liturgical music as a vehicle for justice, community formation, and searching for God. His leadership was contagious. I have never laughed so hard as I did in his presence through the years.

I took this photo at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Convocation in Saint Louis in the summer of 2014. The three of us had lunch that day. It was the last time we sat together. I will miss them.

These are just two of the people I have met through the years that instilled enthusiasm for church life and what the church means in the world. I also grieve the loss of such joy and meaning in the church today. We have lost our edge. We have lost our joy in believing the purpose of the church is for people. I don’t think it was just my youthful enthusiasm that caught their friendship. I believe it was the grace of God aching to show us all that life is worth it and that faith is the only way home.

Monsignor James Telthorst, rest in peace.

Dr. Fred Moleck, rest in peace.