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November 24, 2024Dear Parishioners,
This coming week we will celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a good opportunity to reflect on all
the many things we are thankful for.
Many of you have probably heard me speak about the danger of what is referred to as the “prosperity Gospel.” This distortion of the true Gospel tries to claim that earthly success is a sign of God’s blessing, whereas earthly failure is a sign of his absence or curse. You can see how this would be an easy trap to fall into. New job? God loves me. Was fired? God abandoned me. Lots of money and property? I am “blessed.” Lots of sickness and struggle? I am cursed. Hopefully you can see the problem with this mentality: it fundamentally contradicts the teaching and life of Jesus Christ, who completely upended this worldly way of understanding life. Instead, as Jesus taught us in the beatitudes, Christians who embrace the true Gospel understand blessing in an entirely different way: not measured by earthly prosperity, but by our closeness to God. And Jesus showed us that God is not just close to us when life is going well, but especially when it is not. That is why Jesus embraced and did not shy away from suffering and death: so that we could find him in our suffering and death. So that even suffering and death could, by his presence, become a source of blessing for us.
I bring up this central teaching of our faith in these days as we prepare for Thanksgiving because it directly bears upon how we celebrate a day dedicated to praising God for his blessings and being thankful. Jesus Christ makes all the difference in how we understand blessings, fortune, and success. He changes the kinds of things, people, and events that we are thankful for. A big house, prestigious job, new car, fancy phone, physical strength and beauty, social influence and fame: Christians are suspicious of these markers of earthly prosperity because they can masquerade as blessings, when they are really just passing trivialities. The true blessing in life is love - given and received with God and neighbor - and whatever has helped that love to grow: riches or poverty, good times or bad, sickness or health.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us do so with Christian minds and hearts that have internalized the real Gospel. What are we thankful for? Whatever has made us more capable of giving and receiving love with God and neighbor in this past year. That might be a strange list in the eyes of the world. Certainly, many positive things, like the birth of a child who has made us realize how much love and service we are capable of giving to one small person. Maybe a new job that inspires us and has allowed us to use the God-given gifts that we have been longing to share. But maybe also some things that the world would not consider “prosperity.” Like a very sick spouse whose illness has nurtured in us the capacity for selfless service and caused us to turn to God in fervent prayer. Maybe children whose poor choices have required us to forgive and to persevere in unconditional love and trust in God’s providence. Maybe financial struggles that have helped us to recalibrate our priorities and to focus on the relationships around us. All these things can be and are blessings. In truth, for the Christian who walks within the
grace of Jesus Christ, all of life can be a cause of Thanksgiving. St. Paul urges us in his letter to the Thessalonians: “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
For me, this past year with all its joys and struggles has been a true blessing, helping me to find God’s love and to live it more fully with all of you. I hope that the same is the case for you. A blessed
Thanksgiving to all of you and your families!
Fr. Seamus -
November 17, 2024
Dear Parishioners,
Over the centuries, the Christian faith has inspired countless artists to glorify God through works of art both large and small. In our parishes we are blessed to be surrounded by the fruit of this labor when we come to church each Sunday. Our beautiful buildings and liturgies testify to the impressive artistic patrimony of the Church, which has been a patron of the arts and of artists for many generations and continues to encourage creative work in our own time.
I’ve been giving a series of talks following evening Vespers each Sunday for the last couple of months on the stained-glass windows at the Cathedral. Research for the series has been enjoyable as it has spurred me to investigate the way in which the various moments of Our Lady’s life are depicted in the stained glass designed by the Mayer Company of Munich, Germany over a century ago. One of the things that has impressed me is that the artists who designed and created these windows did not do so in a vacuum, but with reference to longstanding artistic tradition in the depiction of each scene. From the Nativity to the Visitation to the Finding of Christ in the Temple: though the subject matter has stayed the same, the depictions, figures, and composition have changed and evolved over the course of time, reflecting the different cultures and times.
As I announced a couple of weeks ago at Cathedral Masses, this week the Immaculate Conception window at the Cathedral is being removed for repair. The repaired window is scheduled to be reinstalled before Easter of this coming year. It is critical that we preserve and care for these priceless works of art that adorn our churches.
Since we will be missing the window of the Immaculate Conception for this year’s Solemnity on December 9th, this year we are inviting parishioners to create and submit works of art for a special “Immaculate Conception Art Exhibit” at the Cathedral. I hope that artists and aspiring artists will all take a shot at depicting the beautiful patroness of our Cathedral, Diocese, and Country. The key elements of the traditional image of the Immaculate Conception are largely drawn from the books of Genesis and Revelation: a woman crushing the head of a serpent, wearing a white tunic and blue mantle, rays of light emanating from her head ringed by twelve stars and crowned by an imperial crown, the sun behind her and the moon beneath her feet.
I have some brushes and paint that have been sitting in my little art cabinet unused for too long and I plan to dust them off and see what I can manage in the coming weeks. I’m sure it won’t be anything like our beautiful window or the many masterpieces of the Immaculate Conception created over the years, but we do the best we can with what we’ve got. I encourage all parishioners and non-parishioners, young and old alike to join me in putting their creative skills to work in honor of Our Lady. Just like any good mother, she adores works of art that her children make for her. No matter the quality or skill, they all look beautiful to her. There is more information about where and how to submit your works of art on page three. Be assured of my prayers for all of you!
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Rector, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Pastor, Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes
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