IRAQI PRIEST RELEASED AFTER 4-WEEK CAPTIVITY

Last month I mentioned that an Iraqi priest, Father Hanna Saad Sirop, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Aug. 15. It has been reported that he has now been released.

"Father Hanna is well, he is at home and at last will now be able to resume his work in the Baghdad parish," Patriarch Emmanuel told the Missionary International Service News Agency. The circumstances of his release are still unknown.

"He has been released and is well; this is the only thing that matters now," said the Chaldean patriarch, expressing gratitude "to all those who mobilized to obtain Father Hanna's release."

On Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, Father Sirop, 34, was returning home after celebrating Mass in St. Jacob's Church in the Al Dora district of Baghdad, when he was seized by three gunmen.

Days later, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his closeness to the suffering of Iraqi victims and appealed to the kidnappers for the priest's release.

The ancient Chaldean rite of the Catholic Church is in full communion with our Roman Catholic Church. It is a very small minority in Iraq and has suffered greatly since the fall of the Saddam dictatorship. Many have been forced to immigrate. Please keep them and all the innocent Iraqi civilians in your prayers.

THE BUZZARD, THE BAT & THE BUMBLEBEE

BUZZARD - If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

BAT - The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

BUMBLEBEE - A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely exhausts itself.

PEOPLE - In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.

Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly and Trust in our Creator Who loves us.

WE DO NOT LIVE ON PLANET HEARTH

Last week the September 7 issue of the St. Cloud Visitor, the official diocesan newspaper had a very interesting editorial under the above title. I exerpt the following.

Astronomer Carl Sagan said there are "billions and billions of stars" in our Milky Way Galaxy...Indeed, there is probably an infinite number of stars. Maybe even ...there is an infinite number of universes...In God's infinite creation, surely Earth is not the sole inhabited planet.

Anyway, one of those literally countless numbers of stars is our own sun. Orbiting it is our planet, Earth. A city on Earth, Philadelphia, is the seat of an archdiocese led by Cardinal Justin Rigali.

On Aug. 17, in Cardinal Rigali's weekly column appearing in the archdiocesan newspaper...he addressed a July 31 event near Pittsburgh in which eight women said they were ordained to the Catholic priesthood.

The incident, though "unfortunate," he wrote, "affords us and the media a good opportunity to reflect on the teaching of the Church regarding the ordination of women. ... The Church follows faithfully the example and indication of Christ Himself, who chose only men to be His Apostles and to share in His ministerial priesthood. For 2,000 years, the Church has strictly adhered to this essential tradition, for in it she recognizes the divine plan in which Jesus is related to the Church as a Bridegroom to His Bride. This spousal relationship is spoken of by St. Paul as 'a great mystery.' In the Church the priest acts in persona Christi - in the person of Christ - and is to be an alter Christus - another Christ - in every significant way."

...In his column, Cardinal Rigali lamented that "there remain some people of good will who do not understand the Church's reasons for this exclusion. The Church encourages these brothers and sisters of ours to ask the help of the Holy Spirit. It is He who moves the heart and convinces the mind to embrace the truth."

Meanwhile, billions and billions of light-years away, there exists one of those billions and billions of stars Carl Sagan was talking about. Around it is a solar system that includes an inhabited planet called Hearth. Cardinal Justina Riguyli, leader of the Philasophia Archdiocese on that planet, addressed an event in which eight men said they were ordained to the priesthood.

The incident was "unfortunate," she wrote. The Church on Hearth follows faithfully the example and indication of Christie Herself, who chose only women to be Her Apostles and to share in Her ministerial priesthood. The Church has strictly adhered to this essential tradition, for in it he recognizes the divine plan in which Jesusita is related to the Church as a Bride to Her Bridegroom. This spousal relationship is spoken of by St. Lupa in her epistles as 'a great mystery.'

In her column, Cardinal Riguyli lamented that "there remain some people of good will who do not understand the Church's reasons for this exclusion. The Church encourages these sisters and brothers of ours to ask the help of the Holy Spirit. It is She who moves the heart and convinces the mind to embrace the truth."

As we gather this weekend a woman who is from St. Paul and who attended Cretin Derham High School is circling the globe on the space shuttle and is engaged in space walks to build the space station. We do live in a different universe from 2000 years ago.

WELCOME TO THE FEAST

On this feast day of St. Edward the Confessor, our Patron, we extend a special welcome to all. Edward, an early king of England, in political terms was not the most successful of kings. When he died in the year 1065 he left a kingdom without a successor and therefore civil turmoil and the Norman invasion resulted. And yet he is a saint. His success was beyond earthly accomplishment. One of the great stories associated with Edward is depicted in a 15th century painting where he is shown taking off his ring, the sign of his royal power, and giving it to a beggar (who happens to be an angelic messenger). He was not the greatest king of England but he was greatly loved because of his compassion and care for the poorest of his subjects.

That spirit of generosity continues here at St. Edwards. I am amazed on a daily basis by the generous efforts of our parishioners. We have much to celebrate and much to be thankful for.

And even in the joy of our feast day we have continued concern for the sufferings of those serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, their families and so many innocent civilians. One of reasons the common people so loved King Edward was that he was not primarily a warrior king. In contrast to other rulers of the time, he sought to have a peaceable kingdom. Let us continue to pray and work for peace.

LABOR DAY CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS

For many of us, Labor Day provides a much-needed break from the rigors of our busy work weeks. But as we gather with friends and family this Labor Day, we also are reminded of our Catholic responsibility to honor and support those who work hard to keep our society and our economy healthy-especially those who work hard but remain in poverty.

A special duty to the poor is a part of our Church's tradition called Catholic Social Teaching. As the U.S. Catholic Bishops write, "Catholic Social Teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came 'to bring glad tidings to the poor' (Lk 4:18-19), and who identified himself with 'the least of these,' the hungry and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:45). Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1397)."

In a marketplace where too often the quarterly bottom line takes precedence over the rights of workers, we believe that the economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation.

As St. Paul states, "the laborer is worth their keep." May all who work and those who are retired enjoy the fruits of their labors, may those looking for work be encouraged, and may all who provide work and labor opportunities be blessed.

TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

This weekend as we conclude five weeks (well actually four because of the feast of the Transfiguration falling on a Sunday) reading from the Gospel of John, chapter 6, with the long theological discussion on the Bread of Life, we hear the troubling conclusion that many of the Lord's disciples broke away from him at this point in his ministry. They found his message difficult to comprehend.

As Margaret McDowell stated in her homiletic reflection two weeks ago, what Jesus was saying went against all their historical experience of how God interacted with them. Yes, God at the time of Moses physically fed his people but as Jesus says in today's passage, "It is the spirit that gives life." Jesus was challenging them to a new more spiritual outlook and one that would transcend the cultural and historical boundaries of Israel.

There are few scriptural passages more sad than when we hear Jesus today address the apostles, "Do you also want to leave?" I was reminded of this from a recent news article about a local evangelical minister. During the last presidential election, Rev. Greg Boyd, founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, refused to back a particular candidate or political party that apparently many in his congregation of 5,000 expected him to do. A 1,000 of the members left. Pastor Boyd has since written a book, "The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church."

Pastor Boyd, speaking to evangelical Christians, warns that in aligning Christianity with political ambitions and in trying to reclaim the country for God, Christians are compromising the church's essential mission. "Instead of living to sacrifice for others, we become the official 'sin-pointer-outers.' Instead of gaining a reputation for being humble servants who manifest Calvary-quality love, we gain a reputation for being moralistic and self-righteous. And predictably, we drive away the tax collectors and prostitutes of our day, just as the Pharisees did, rather than attracting them, as Jesus did."

What he says about how churches compromise their fundamental purpose by aligning too closely with political strategies, candidates, programs and parties is a timely warning to all denominations and church leaders, including bishops, and all political points on the spectrum.

Even as we must deal with important decisions of our day, with Peter, we can also look beyond the passing moment, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

CATHOLICS IN IRAQ

Even before Mohammed began the Muslim religion there were Christians in what is now Iraq. At the time of Christ this area was known as Chaldea and as Christianity arose there they became known as Chaldean Catholics. They have suffered greatly the last three years as they are often identified with the western "Crusaders." Many have been forced to flee the country.

Last week the Vatican radio station reported a story which has not been in any local news media. A young priest of the Chaldean Church was kidnapped. Father Saad Sirop of St. Jacob parish in Baghdad's Doura district was on his way home Tuesday, August 15, from celebrating Mass for the Feast of the Assumption in the parish church when his car was stopped by three masked armed men who forced him into their car.

In statements on Vatican Radio, Monsignor Philippe Najem of the Chaldean Church said that it was still not known who kidnapped the young priest. Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly, held a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister to try to find ways for Father Sirop's release.

"The Catholic Church suffers very much and daily, as the rest of the Iraqi people, who also suffer because of the lack of what is indispensable to live: water, electricity, hospital and health services, and especially security," said Monsignor Najem.

Please keep these brothers and sisters in your prayers.