Inside Forgiveness Year of Mercy Houston Campus CC O
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Spring 2016 Inside A C . Forgiveness O Year of Mercy Houston Campus CC BY PHOTO Ministry ANNOUNCEMENT Pope Francis Appoints Fr. Scott McCaig, CC as Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Canada April 8, 2016 t is with great joy and gratitude to God that the Companions of the Cross announce that Fr. Scott McCaig, CC has been named Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Canada by I his Holiness Pope Francis. Bishop-elect Scott McCaig, CC is from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. He entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1987, and after serving with NET Catholic Youth Ministries USA joined the Companions of the Cross in 1989 in Ottawa. He obtained an undergraduate degree in History from Carleton University, a Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Paul, and a Masters of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto (Toronto School of Theology). He was ordained to the priesthood in 1995 by Archbishop Marcel Gervais. He has served as an Associate Pastor, Parish Administrator, Hospital Chaplain and Director of Formation for the Companions of the Cross from 2000 to 2006. He served two terms as General Superior of the Society from 2006 to 2016. Bishop-elect Scott serves on the Board of Renewal Ministries Canada and has participated in missionary outreach to over 15 countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. He also serves on the Board of Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) and is involved in the spiritual formation of members of the movement. He regularly assists with training of missionaries with NET Ministries of Canada and is a co-Chaplain to the Spiritual Motherhood of Priests Apostolate in Ottawa. EN Bishop-elect Scott’s ordination to the episcopate will be at 7:30 p.m. on UD R May 31, 2016 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa, Ontario. G RIE In the joy of the Risen Lord, MA Fr. Mark Goring, CC ANNE Assistant General Superior PHOTO BY BY PHOTO ...................................................... The Companions of the Cross is a quarterly WHAT’S INSIDE Credits publication designed to encourage spiritual growth and to share about God’s movement within a new The Great Gift of God ................................................... 3 Publisher community of Catholic priests, and candidates for Be Merciful as Your Heavenly Father is Merciful .......... 4 The Companions of the Cross the priesthood. The Companions’ ministries are made possible by the prayerful generosity of its “Behold, I have set before you an open door!” Editors-in-Chief supporters, to whom we are most grateful. (Revelation 3:8) ............................................................ 6 Fr. Scott McCaig, General Superior The editorial team welcomes your comments and Overcoming the “Huh?” Factor: Fr. Rick Jaworski inquiries. Clarifying the Jubilee Indulgence.................................. 8 Mailing Address: Managing Editor The Padre’s Picks: On Mercy 11 199 Bayswater Avenue ....................................... Christine Labrosse Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Y 2G5 New Wine For New Wineskins ..................................... 12 Office: (613) 728-3175 From the Shepherds: Preparing Chastely Graphic Design Fax: (613) 725-1590 16 Dyann Bernard 1-866-885-8824 (toll free in Canada) for Marriage .................................................................. Pigs Can Fly Design 1-866-724-6073 (toll free in USA) From the Shepherds: Preaching to Evangelize: [email protected] Web site: companionscross.org 5 Simple Points............................................................. 18 E-mail: [email protected] Publications Mail Agreement #: 40016244 Hitting the Mission Field ................................................ 20 Testimony: Why I’m still a seminarian........................... 22 Community News & Notes ........................................... 23 F EATURE by Fr. Bob Bedard, CC The Great Gift of God This article is transcribed from a homily given by Fr. Bob in 2005 at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, Ontario during a parish reconcilia- tion service. It is presented in the style that he spoke, and is not his typical written work. o come together to share in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is to share in one of the great gifts of God. The Sacrament of T Reconciliation as it’s called right now, was also known as the Sacrament of Penance or Confession. Every sacrament has at least two people in it. There’s no sacrament with just one. And anybody who takes part in a sacrament, anybody, including the one who gives it and the one who receives it, everybody is eligible to receive the grace of God. That’s why for us who are priests, it’s such a blessing to be able to minister the Sacrament of Confession because we are able to receive blessings from the Lord, grace from God, and that’s an incredible blessing. You don’t see it, but it operates in your life none the less. We have to know that’s happening, we have to want But it’s important to confess them to a priest. Because as many spiri- it, and we have to ask for it. I think possibly we forget, and maybe it tual authors have said, any sin that is forgiven and yet not confessed would be good to remember tonight to ask the Lord to pour out the still has a power to have influence over me, even to control me. blessing, the grace that he has available in the Sacrament. It’s important for us to try and understand how sin grieves God. I When Jesus went public with his assignment from the Father to think we’ve all heard the expression, perhaps we’ve used it with preach the good news, he said, “Repent. Repent and believe the children – your sins hurt God. They hurt God. He’s hurt. And we good news because your redemption is near at hand” (cf. Mk 1:15). need to get his forgiveness. Well, that’s not really accurate. Actually, The kingdom of God is close. Repentance is the essence of confes- nothing can hurt God. Nothing. The greatest sins of the world, a load sion. To repent means to change my mind, to change my heart, to of sins, they don’t hurt God, because he can’t be hurt. But what hap- turn things around. It means to return to God if I’ve wandered away, pens is he sees your sins hurting you. And because he loves you so to clean up those things in my act that are not according to God’s much, that’s why he’s hurting himself. It’s because of what you’re loving plan for me, and to ask him to accept my sorrow and my doing to yourself. That hurts. amendment. Part of confession is saying, “Okay, I’m not going to do that again.” Some people are uncomfortable with confession and they stay away. And that’s too bad, because confession is a tremendous blessing. Now, the condition for forgiveness of sin is very simple, it’s sin- And we’re urged to go to confession to celebrate the forgiveness of cere repentance. That’s it. What’s repentance? It’s to say, “Lord, I’m God at least once a month if we can. God himself is a great psychol- sorry about that. I don’t want to do that again.” That’s repentance. ogist and he knows that until I am able to divest myself of some- When I repent sincerely, my sins are taken away, they are forgiven. thing that I have done wrong, I will continue to feel guilty about it. C OMPANIONS OF THE C ROSS S PRING 2 0 1 6 ...............................................................................................................................3 ... Even though I’m saying, “Lord, I want to do away with it, I want to We need to get to confession, to open up to the Lord. We need to be stay away from that sin.” When we are able to tell someone – that’s unfazed by what we have to say, to be untroubled by the things we what confession does – it gives us a chance to divest, to unburden are unburdening. If we’re getting rid of something that’s a burden, ourselves with something that otherwise can be a burden. that shouldn’t be a problem, when you think of it. The Lord who is love and forgiveness does not hold these things against us, as long There’s one other thing about confession. A lot of people are afraid as we are repenting, turning away. God loves a repentant heart. He and they wonder if the priest who is listening to them could remember fusses over them. The angels are singing. their sins. Would they be able to face him after church on Sunday? I was asked that question just the other day by a young man. He said, I had a telephone call the other day. Somebody who hadn’t been to “Do you remember?” I said, “No, frankly it doesn’t mean a thing. confession for 50 years. Would it be acceptable if the person came You and I are both human. We are flesh and blood and we don’t have to confession? Of course! “Have you ever heard of a 50 year lapse?” to be ashamed before each other. We’re all ashamed before God. You “Oh yes, even 70 years.” It doesn’t matter. The details do not matter. are and so am I. But as far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to be The Lord is reassuring us of his forgiveness and his love, and his ashamed before me, and I don’t remember them anyway.” mercy and you and I just simply need to move in and take advantage of them. The Lord is not out to punish us. He’s out to pour mercy Often enough, somebody will come and say, “Father, you know that upon us and blessing and healing.