Category: Staff

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

We are in the beginning of a New Year. It is the custom of Catholics to begin and end many things with the Sign of the Cross. I believe that it is good for us to stop and take a look at things that are very familiar to us. There is a danger that they might become too familiar, and easily passed over.

I suggest that when we make the Sign of the Cross, we do it consciously and deliberately. Sometimes, to see the gesture made by some people, we can apply the joking phrase, “the swatting of flies!”  We must not judge, of course, but we can observe.

At the baptism of a child, parents and godparents are invited to sign the child on the forehead with a Sign of the Cross as a way of welcoming the child into the Church. So we are signed with the Sign of Christ from the beginning. It is also a reminder that our bodies, and not only our spirits, are to live in service of Christ in the world.

In normal times, when we enter the church building, we use holy water and sign ourselves as a reminder of our baptism. And so we ought to consciously and deliberately touch our forehead, our chest, and our shoulders, reminding ourselves that, as Christians, whatever we do, it is done under the Sign of the Cross of Christ.

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

One of the central figures in our Christmas celebration is St. Joseph. Yet in the Bible we read no word that he spoke. We are simply told some things that he did.

He is called a “just man.” One way of describing justice is that it involves “right relationships,” giving each person what is due him or her. Joseph is called “just” because of the way he treated Mary when faced with the puzzling situation of her pregnancy. Of course, he gets some divine help through a dream. “Do not be afraid to take Mary,  your wife, into your home.”

I do not get direct messages in dreams or from angels and so I don’t know what this was like for Joseph. But he got the message and followed it. He basically became the protector of Mary and Jesus. He was also probably a practical man, a carpenter, used to working with his hands. So, just, practical, hard worker, loving father: not a bad person to get to know.

From a few lines in the Bible, a great tradition of devotion has developed in the Church. And now Pope Francis has decided to dedicate the coming year to Joseph: a time for all of us to reflect on our experience. How are we doing at justice: treating each person with respect? How are we at paying attention to the subtle hints of the Holy Spirit in our decision making?

How are we at caring for and supporting the people close to us? St. Joseph, be our guide.

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

In the “secular” seasonal song, “The Christmas Song,” it says, “So I’m offering a simple phrase, to kids from one to ninety-two . . .” and it goes on to wish us a Merry Christmas. “Kids from one to ninety-two” includes just about everybody. All us kids.

It seems to me that the things that touch us about Christmas tap into feelings and memories that begin in childhood, where we first learned about Christmas. For children, it starts with the externals: Christmas trees, lights, Santa Claus, “getting” presents, cookies, candy. But if our family was at all religious, soon the basic meaning of the day is woven into the whole picture: the birth of Christ.

Much of my feeling of Christmas is about music, starting with the classic carols. My Mom played the piano and I can still remember the carol book she used at the piano. I imagine I sang along. But there is something nostalgic about Christmas music, especially the religious kind, which tugs at me, and I never tire of it. I’m sure this tugging taps into childhood memories, as well as experiences I have had since.

I would guess that, as we get older, we can become a bit jaded, and tend to set aside “the things of a child.” I would caution against that. I suggest that, at Christmas time, when we get a vague feeling of nostalgia, warmth, a touch of joy, that we pay attention to that and give in to it. Such thoughts and feelings can lead us to further thoughts of the birth of Christ into humanity, and a call to express the Christian qualities of kindness, charity, good will, and true caring for others.

Our world badly needs those expressions toward all our brothers and sisters. They are childlike, but also mature in the best sense.

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

I am writing this on the 57th anniversary of the assassination of John Kennedy. Many of us remember what we were doing when we heard this news. I was doing some cleaning in our seminary. Those were grim days. We wondered if the country was in some danger. I’m sure the military were on high alert.

Now all that is in the past, part of our history. I think of that as we go through our own historical time. The pandemic. We would rather not be experiencing this, but here we are. It is important to note that someday all this will also be our history. Some of you will tell stories to your grandchildren.

In the meantime, we, as people of faith, need to keep our perspective in the present moment. How shall we live our faith in the face of sickness and death and financial struggles? We wonder when this will end. Will there be a “new normal?” Even in this tedium, one friar recently mentioned how quickly the weeks seem to be passing. That may be a perspective of some of us who are older. He is well beyond 80.

In our lives of prayer and spirit, we think of past, present, and future. We look back on the past, remarking how quickly things fade into our history. About the future, we know little and wonder. The teachers of prayer urge us to find the presence of God in our present moment, whatever it is handing to us. We ask for what we need. We find things for which to give thanks.

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

Recently I was struck by a comment from a man on the radio. He was discussing the mood of the country. With some sadness, and maybe sarcasm, he suggested that many people in this country are not all about freedom and equality and caring about their fellow citizens, but that the attitude of many is “No one can tell me what to do!” He suggested that is what it means to some people to be a U. S. citizen: “No one can tell me what to do!”

Of course, there was no scientific survey to determine how many people might think this way, and it was one man’s opinion. But, judging by much behavior reported in the news, the man may be on to something. And if it is at all true among many of us, then we are in some trouble. Well, we have been in some trouble, especially since March, when the world changed.

We, as a country, are badly in need of reconciliation, healing, and acceptance of each other. We are in need of respecting each other, even as we acknowledge our differences. We need to move beyond our tribalism and party loyalty, when the “other side” is always wrong, or even dangerous. “How could anyone vote for that guy?” say both sides.

Even among some who call themselves Christian, we seem to have moved far from “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are the peacemakers” and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

We need to move beyond “no one can tell me what to do” to a spirit of looking around to see what we can do for someone else.

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

The Gospel for Monday of the 33rd Week is the story of the healing of a blind man . The stories of healing the blind are not only about the cure of one person; they are meant to point further to the issue of personal or spiritual blindness.

I can still hear an old recording by Franciscan priest Richard Rohr where he says emphatically, “It’s all about seeing, brothers and
sisters!” And he and other wise people have reminded us that when we look at anything, we see things not so much as they are, but we see as we are. In other words, as we look at the world, at current events, at our relationships, we see from a foundation of our own bias, perspective, and prejudice.

If we want to grow and deepen and mature in our spiritual lives, or in our human lives even aside from religion, we are invited to be aware of our own biases as we look at the world and people around us. We are invited to admit we may not be seeing clearly, with our eyes and our minds. This admission enables us to be open to more learning and understanding.

A classic example is the husband and wife who, after the children have left home, look at each other and say “I don’t know you.” They need to look and look again. The message is there for all of us. We can look and look again at our world, and keep praying the prayer of the blind man, “Lord, please let me see.”

By Fr. Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap.

We are about halfway through November. For many people, this month has two major themes: remembering those who have gone before us and giving thanks.

For Catholics, this month begins with All Saints Day, on which we celebrate all those millions of persons who have gone before us in the Church and who remained faithful in their lives. We honor those whose names appear in the calendar of the Church year. There are many more whose names can be found in collections of the lives of the saints.

Beyond those, there are others who remain anonymous to us, but who indeed lived good and faithful lives. Often these holy ones also suffered much on their life’s journey. Being holy and faithful does not guarantee an easy life!

We can include in the collection of holy people those whom we have known personally, who were our teachers and guides and good example for us along the way.

The day after All Saints is the Commemoration of the Dead, or All Souls Day. It has been Catholic tradition to pray for the dead who may still need further transformation after death on their way to final eternal happiness. This remains in the realm of mystery. But November can be a time of memories about our relatives and acquaintances who have gone before us.

November also calls us to gratitude, giving thanks. That can be a great part of our remembering the saints and our beloved dead. We are grateful to God for them. And then we give a special day to giving thanks. Thanksgiving Day is not a feast of the Church, but in our faith we can easily make it a kind of Holy Day, not by any law or obligation, but simply because we see the value of giving thanks for all our blessings. This year, there may be a certain flavor to our Thanksgiving, because of all that has happened in our world.

But it is part of our life of prayer and worship to be thankful. Eucharist, a word meaning thanksgiving, is at the center of our lives, no matter what is happening to us, good or bad. This year it may take a bit more discipline to find things for which to be grateful, but we are called to do that as part of our faith, not to mention our mental health.

In recent years we have become familiar with the term, “spiritual but not religious.” This refers to people who believe in God or the spiritual realm or the universe, but do not belong to an organized church or religion. There can be many types or degrees of such spirituality.

Some come from families who never belonged to organized religion, but who still show some interest in spiritual things. Some have belonged to a church but have simply drifted away from participation and now vaguely connect with the idea of God or the spiritual realm.

Some others have left organized religion after careful thought and prayer. They may have disagreements with their church, its teaching and practice. They find they are not “being fed” in their personal lives. These can be very active seekers, trying to find meaning and who still may be open to an organized church that appeals to them.

Critics of the “spiritual” people may consider them “flighty” or selfish or wanting to be their own religion. We should be careful in judging. First of all, we who belong to organized churches ought to be careful that we are also “spiritual” in the sense of developing our own personal lives of prayer within our structures. Some of the conscious seekers may be more sincere than some of us.

And we need to be welcoming, when the seekers perhaps approach our church door, that he or she will find the spiritual hospitality they need. There are many paths, many journeys into the truth and light of God.