Plenary Indulgence

                                                                                                                                                             On Oct 5 2012 , Pope Benedict XVI announced that an offer of a Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment of sins, would be made to the Catholic faithful and also applicable to the deceased faithful, during this" Year of the Faith". This offer of a Plenary Indulgence is extended under several circumstances, including when the faithful during the course of a pilgrimage visits a papal basilica, a cathedral church or a holy site designated by the local ordinary ( for example, churches and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Apostles and or patron saints), and there participates in a sacred celebration or at least remains for a congruous period of time in prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith ( either the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed), and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and depending on the circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and/or to the patron saints.       
Many Catholics, not just pilgrims, probably will ask, what is a Plenary Indulgence and what will it do? Referring to the Catholic Catechism  1471," An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins, whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions thru the action of the Church.  An indulgence is partial or plenary as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sins." The faithful can obtain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.
The next logical question is, What is temporal punishment? The Catechism also answers this question, 1472  - "To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the eternal punishment of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified, either here on earth, or after death in the state called purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the temporal punishment of sin. This punishment must not be conceived as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin."  And from the next section of the Catechism, 1473 - "The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin but the temporal punishment of sin remains." In other words, the Catholic faith believes that we must still be purified before we enter Heaven. If we are not purified before we die , then the purification process will take place in Purgatory. The Apostle John said in Revelations 21:27, "Nothing unclean will enter Heaven." So all must be made clean before entering Heaven.
The good news is that that the Catholic Church provides a pathway to purification not just for the living but also for the souls already in Purgatory, Catechism 1478 - "An indulgence is obtained thru the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Jesus Christ, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. The Church does not want to simply come to the aid of these Christians but wishes to spur them to works of devotion, penance and charity." And in Catechism 1479 - "Since the faithful departed are now members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishment due to their sins is remitted".
A reminder to Catholic pilgrims to remember this blessing from the Church during their pilgrimage in this "Year of the Faith".  Another incentive to make that pilgrimage!
For further information on Plenary Indulgence during this "Year of the Faith" click on

Plenary Indulgence for the Year of Faith

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Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey - Albuquerque

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    I recently participated in daily prayers and attended morning Mass at the Santa Maria de la Vid Church with the Norbertines in Southwest Albuquerque. The Norbertines have established the Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey on a 70 acre parcel of land off South Coors Blvd, on a mesa overlooking the Rio Grande with a magnificent view of the Sandia Mountains. There they have built a chapel, a communal and residential center, a theology library, private hermitages for retreats, prayer chapels for meditation and a trail system.  The Norbertine Abbey in Albuquerque was established in 1985 as the pioneer Norbertine community in the American Southwest. A small group of Norbertine priests and brothers, including Rev. Joel Garner, the current Abbott of the New Mexico Norbertines, relocated from their Abbey in Green Bay, Wisconsin  with the purpose of serving the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, particularly the Hispanic immigrant community and wherever they were most needed. They have served as ministers to the neighboring Holy Rosary Church which is an immigrant rich parish, have been chaplains at Presbyterian Hospital and have worked in prison ministry. They have taught at Saint Pius High School, have established a Master's of Theology curriculum thru their own resource center and in collaboration with Norbertine College in Wisconsin, have initiated ecumenical conferences, and offer spiritual retreats. Notwithstanding these commitments, they live a prayerful, relatively quiet and contemplative life within their Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey.
The Abbey itself is a contemporary Southwestern exposition of the Catholic faith. Outwardly the
entire complex has the appearance of a high desert pueblo with  walls curving into the desert landscape surrounded by colorful desert shrubs and vegetation. The Santa Maria de la Vid Chapel occupies the center of the building complex and is designated by a large cross ascending from the roof into the South Valley skyline. The chapel is approached from the parking lot by walking along a portal with an overhanging grape vine and past the earth-red painted library on the right. There are 2 large but simply designed bells hanging in an arch to the right of the Church doors. The larger bell is rung to welcome Norbertines and visitors for weekday services and both bells are rung on Sundays.
  Entering the chapel building, there is a gathering space with a large fountain rock in the middle, a reminder of our baptism as Christians. To the left of this rock is a life size statue of the pregnant Mary - Saint Mary of the Vine- at the time of her "Magnificat " to her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. A single long line of brown bricks leads from the water rock to the chapel where a white stucco wall with an icon of Mary and the apostles receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost creates  an exterior kiva wall for the worship space. The interior chapel is outlined by a floor cross of brown bricks and chairs are situated circumferential around the cross creating an oval ring with the wood altar at its center. There are wooden arches reaching from either side of the chapel towards a high ceiling skylight. Colored banners drape from these arches presumably to reflect light from the overhead cross bearing skylight and from multicolored small plate glass windows on either wall. The natural light and the colored windows suffuse the chapel with majestic New Mexico colors at both sunrise and sunset. Native American pottery and a Navajo blanket line a shelf above the stucco kiva wall and are a gesture to the original inhabitants of this land and enhance the interior Southwestern design of the chapel.

                                                                                                                                                             

 After morning prayers and mass I walked to the Chapel of the Baptist, a rustic adobe chapel set apart on the North side of the Abbey and housing the Blessed Sacrament. The isolation of this Chapel amid the desert sage and its Southwestern simplicity made it an ideal setting for prayer and meditation. The stark beauty of the surrounding high desert is a reminder of the wonder of God's creation. It calls us to leave the sprawl and congestion of the city, to rest awhile and to meditate on our Creator. The wide open spaces and vistas, the solace and solitude, help to facilitate our search for God, who is always nearby.

I encourage Catholic pilgrims to visit the Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey. Reserve a hermitage, prepare to live simply during your stay and experience a respite of Southwestern desert spirtituality.

For more information on the Norbertine Abbey in Albuquerque, click on

Welcome to the Norbertine Community of New Mexico!

www.norbertinecommunity.org/Cached - SimilarShare

Stations of the Cross

                                                                                                                                                    On Friday evening, I participated in the Stations of the Cross at Saint Charles Borromeo Church. This Catholic church is located at 1818 Coal Place South East, conveniently 3 blocks south of  the University of New Mexico off  University Avenue and also accessible from the east or west off  Lead Street and University Avenue. Adjacent to the front church steps, stands a bronze statue of Saint Charles Borromeo who holds a cross in one hand and extends the other hand as in a greeting to worshippers. Saint Charles Boromeo Church originally served an Italian Catholic community but the demography of the surrounding neighborhoods has changed over the last 50 years such that the current parish is truly a melting pot of Hispanics, Caucasians and Vietnamese. The parish supports a Catholic elementary school so there is a good mix of young families attending services.
The Stations of the Cross were well attended on  Friday evening with a representative group of parishioners. The Stations were led by Deacon John Rysinsky and volunteer members of the parish. Traditionally there are 14 Stations each designated by a separate cross with a Roman numeral underneath. These wooden crosses are located longitudinally in numerical order on either inside wall of the church and are easily visible from any pew. The Deacon and parish members walk along the central aisle of the church, stopping at each of the fourteen Stations to proclaim that Station, sing hymns and recite prayers. The congregation kneels as each Station is introduced, meditates on Christ's suffering at that Station, then antiphonally sings the hymn and recites a prayer in response to the Deacon and parish members leading the Stations.
In numerical order the Stations follow the Passion of Christ: Station I - Jesus is Condemned to Death, Station II -Jesus Takes His Cross, Station III - Jesus Falls The First Time, Station IV - Jesus Meets His Mother, Station V - Simon Helps Jesus, Station VI - Veronica Wipes Jesus Face, Station VII - Jesus Falls A Second Time, Station VIII - Jesus Speaks to The Women, Station IX - Jesus Falls A Third Time,  Station X - Jesus Is Stripped, Station XI - Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross, Station XII - Jesus Dies On The Cross, Station XIII - Jesus Is Taken From the Cross, Station XIV - Jesus is Laid In The Tomb.
Of all the religious observances practiced by Catholics, the Stations of  the Cross require our deepest meditation and prayer. Some time ago during a confession, a priest assigned to me the penance of imagining myself at the foot of the cross, witnessing Jesus suffering and focusing on His words during the crucifixion. I had an obscure image in my mind of Christ's crucifixion until I saw Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion Of The Christ" which was upsetting to view but edifying as set a realistic stage for the crucifixion, enabling me to better visualize Christ's horrific physical suffering. I read Luke's account of the passion of Christ to find Jesus words during the crucifixion which evoke His spiritual dimension. In Luke 34, having been nailed to the cross, Jesus says, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." In Luke 43, Jesus says to the repentant thief, crucified next to Him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise." And in Luke 46 Jesus says, " Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." then takes His last breath.  To me all of these spoken passages confirm Christ's union with the Father and His mission of forgiveness. Christ's passion was a work of reconciliation. It revealed the greatness of Gods' love for man. Alienated from God by his sins, man needed to see how much he is loved by God, so that he would learn to love God in return. The Catholic Church preaches " Christ crucified", that infinite love shines from the cross of Jesus Christ. Our churches prominently display the cross to remind us that Christ's passion is the glory of the believer. So now when I imagine myself at the foot of the cross, I see His crucifixion as an act of  compassion and eternal love for us sinners. 
How can I not urge Catholic pilgrims to participate in the Stations of the Cross this Lent at their local parishes or at any Catholic churches they may be visiting in New Mexico. The Stations of the Cross are the principal devotion that helps us meditate on the passion of Jesus Christ, hence on His divine love for us.
For information on services at Saint Charles Borromeo Church in Albuquerque
click on

St. Charles Borromeo

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For Father Robert Barron's recorded sermon  on Luke's account of the "Passion of the Christ" click on http://c275449.r49.cf1.rackcdn.com/325.mp3
 

 

 

Pecos Benedictine Monastery

                                                                                                                                                            I made a retreat to the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pecos, New Mexico this past weekend. The Monastery is nestled in a scenic valley of the Pecos river at the base of the Santa Fe Mountains. It is located 25 miles east of Santa Fe along interstate I-25. The land on which the 1000 acre property rests has historic roots dating back to the Pecos Pueblo Indians of the early 1200's and later the Spanish colonials, starting in the 1500's. Fast forwarding to the 20th century, from 1908-1947, the land was utilized by the famous Valley Ranch, a dude guest operation, and from 1948-1955 by Trappist monks. The Benedictines first settled here in 1955. They named their possession Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery. From its inception, the monastery has served as a center for retreats. From the start the community was active in Marriage Encounter and family retreats. It also served and a center for charismatic renewal, from 1969 until 1983. It is home to Dove Publications, featuring Catholic religious books and pamphlets.
The Benedictine community residing at the Pecos abbey belongs to the Congregation of Our Lady of Monte Oliveto, an Italian monastic community dating from 1319. The 8 monks and 1 nun who currently occupy the abbey adhere to the rule of Saint Benedict, which was promulgated by the great Saint himself in the 6th century. They abide daily in a life of prayer, silence and listening, community gatherings,  rituals and productive work. "Ora et labora"- prayer and work are inseparable adages of Saint Benedict's rule. They also adhere to Chapter 53 of Saint Benedict's rule  that counsels the monastics, "Every guest is to be received as Christ". Benedictine hospitality is legend. At Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery guests  can come for a day, a week or longer. They are invited to participate in daily prayers, the Mass and community meals. They may also volunteer to work at the Monastery as needed.The Abbey can accommodate up to 50 guests at a time in private rooms or hermitages. Spiritual direction is also available by request.

The highlight of my stay at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery was participation in daily prayers with the monks. The whole practice of interrupting one's day for the purpose of prayer is such a foreign notion to American work productivity but makes perfect sense if we are truly seeking spiritual balance in our daily lives.  The Benedictines come together for prayers and Mass in their chapel 5 times daily, called by the ringing of bells. The morning prayer, "Lauds"  begins at 7 AM and is a song of praise to the Lord. This morning we sang antiphonally Psalms 5 and 19.  Psalm 5 begins " I lift up my heart to you, O Lord, and you will hear my morning prayer" and ends with the verse, "It is you who bless the just one, O Lord, you surround him with favor like a shield."  Psalm 19 contains this verse of praise which has personal appeal for me as a married man and former cross-country runner, " There he has placed a tent for the sun; it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent, rejoices like a champion to run his course".  After Lauds, Mass - a celebration of the Eucharist occurs. The main prayer of the Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer, transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. A bell rings out to mark this transformation, which becomes a transformation of ourselves. When we receive communion, we receive Jesus Christ. From a spiritual perspective we seek to follow the words of St. Paul, who said, " It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Following Mass, the community gathers in relative silence for breakfast. There is time for silent meditation and prayer or community work after breakfast. At 12 noon, the community happily regathers in the chapel for midday prayer. This is echoed in Psalm 26, " O Lord, I love the house where you dwell, the place where your glory abides." And in Psalm 39 we are reminded to pray to the Lord for our needs, " O Lord, give heed to my prayer; turn your ear to my cry; do not be deaf to my weeping."  Lunch follows the mid-day prayer followed by time for reflection or recreation. I was able to walk along the Pecos river to Monastery Lake on the north side of the property. The wind rustled the tall marsh grass and hawks circled overhead - the overriding impression was harmony in nature created for our enjoyment by God. In the evening, a rosary was said at 5 PM followed by Vesper prayers before dinner.  At 7:30 PM the community meets in the chapel for the day's final prayers ,what are called Compline. In Psalm 15 David asks of the Lord for us, " Lord, who may abide in your tent and dwell on your holy mountain?"  And the same Psalm answers, " Whoever walks without fault, who does what is just, and speaks the truth from his heart." After Compline, the bells ring out to mark night and its silence. We retire to our rooms or hermitages where we open our hearts to the Spirit, requesting His guidance and protection, and pray to be worthy of the promises of Christ.
 As I'm preparing to leave the monastery it strikes me that the spiritual balance the Benedictine monks achieve in their monastic prayer life is available to the rest of us outside the monastery walls, if we remain engaged in prayer and always seek ways to please God, be that in our marriages, our parenthood and in our occupations. For Catholic pilgrims, that means asking God daily for His blessing and guidance.
For information on retreats at Pecos Benedictine Monastery, click on

Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey - Pecos, New Mexico

www.pecosmonastery.org/Cached - SimilarShare

For a photographic montage of Pecos Benedictine Monastery click on

Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey - Pecos Benedictine Monastery ...

â–º 2:28â–º 2:28

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