Columns

A time to reach out

It may seem counterintuitive to suggest that now is a time for reaching out. Just when it seems that the COVID-19 threat is diminishing somewhat, at least in New York State, why take chances?
Calling sinners in

“Wait till your father (mother) comes home…” It’s an age-old parental “cop-out.” Tell the kids to stop it, of course. But then wait for the “cop” to arrive and enforce the law.
Which Jesus?

Peter had just hit a grand slam. Jumping right up to the plate when Jesus asked his team to give their best shot on what they thought of him, who he really was, in spite of the local gossip, Peter made his famous declaration that Jesus was “the Messiah, the son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).
The real deal

What ails you? I thought I would get right to the point. Something is probably bothering you, isn’t it? Please forgive me for being so bold, but don’t you get tired of how typical greetings begin: “How are you?” “I’m fine.” It’s sad to have to begin a conversation with a lie. What if you were really able to tell the truth? “How are you?” “I am not so well, and this is what is really on my mind ...”
Prayer isn’t everything

“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and your religious act like religious.”
The sense of our faith

Lies! No one likes being lied to — except if it is to confirm one’s own chosen self-deception.
Fear not
The other side

Years ago, probably decades by now, I remember reading a story of how an old bottle was found, washed up on a beach somewhere, containing the proverbial message from “the other side.”
Dialogue or tyranny

Journalists and chronologists seem to take a special pride in characterizing and pronouncing judgment on the Zeitgeist or spirit of different historical periods. Terms like the “Dark Ages” or the “Age of Reason” are familiar, not to mention the “Gay Nineties” and the “Roaring Twenties,” which today would carry very different connotations.
God friends us

Bad news, sad news, fake news … it’s all old news! And it’s been around for centuries. So many of the battles we are fighting now have been going on throughout the sordid history of a humanity repeating the sins of our ancestors.
Essential role of Church for a free society

If you follow my thoughts regularly, you will have noticed that I rarely mention the names of partisan political figures. I do not and will not tell anyone for whom to vote.
Things that are true

As I have just completed six years as Bishop of Albany (April 10) and near the 47th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood (July 2), I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings in my life, the people God has sent his Holy Spirit into, “to teach and remind” me, which is what the Spirit does for all of us (Jn 14: 26), if we open our hearts in faith and trust.
Keep telling the good news

The title of this article may seem to beg the question: is there any good news to tell. Or, if there is good news, why is it so hard to find. Neither question is really relevant to the existence of good news. If it is there — and it most certainly is — then its existence cannot be denied just because it is not being told or because someone is not hearing it.
United in prayer

Throughout our beautiful state, people of faith are uniting this week in prayer. Chastened and humbled by graphic reminders of our spiritual, social and physical vulnerabilities and the evil of which human beings are capable, the best in us and among us — dare I suggest, the life that God has breathed into us — is alive as we come together to praise and give thanks to the God of life.
Keep the calm

“We got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July.” No, this is not a prophecy or a warning from the CDC. No one, but no one, can predict the future. Jesus himself, when questioned about the last days, or even his own personal destiny, refused to reveal what only the heavenly Father knew. His whole life was only of complete trust in the will of God.
The holy coach

This week we commemorate the Ascension, when the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus cease so that he may become more immediately present to all who wish to receive him into their hearts. He has prepared his disciples by promising them another “advocate” — he is the first — which they will learn is the Holy Spirit.
For God, no one is non-essential

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” wrote poet Robert Frost of non-essential boundaries that neighbors maintain to reassure themselves of the lines that keep them safe from one another. His poem, “Mending Wall,” is a reflection on a springtime ritual whose meaning and utility he begs to question even as he admits that winter rituals — hunters’ romps for one — have left gaps.
Mary’s month — our month

She does everything for her family. The sacrifice a mother will make for her child knows no bounds.
Love finds a way

Could it be that the more we feel separated from God, the closer God is drawing to us?
To tell the truth

Just when things are going well, catastrophe strikes, and suddenly everything seems to collapse. Conversely, when our world seems to be falling apart, it may only be beginning. To tell the truth, things are not always as they first seem.
An Easter story

The Holy Spirit is on a roll! An out-of-state friend of mine — a tuition-paying parent whose three children attend Catholic schools — texted me that his young daughter is “having a meeting with her classmates in our living room.” This sentence struck me because it’s packed.
God never gives up on us

Like never before, the whole world is united, at war with a common enemy.
Comfort food, spiritual and physical

Yes, this is serious. Yes, it is deadly for some. No, we should not go out and about as usual, and congregate in groups of more than 10. Follow all the state (and, mostly, common sense) imposed regulations. Etc. Etc.
PASTORAL LETTER FROM THE BISHOP

With those struggling with coronavirus fears, Bishop Scharfenberger offers reassurance that ‘God is with us.’
Loving our families through pain

Are you afraid? Maybe not for yourself, but with so much uncertainty in the world today — even about what is real and not real — how can we keep our families safe without terrifying them? With the specter of Covid-19 — the dreaded Coronavirus — said to be all around us, as much harm, potentially, could come from panic in the face of fear than from the ravishes of the disease itself.
Walking Lent together

Suffering can be a lonely journey. Nothing can isolate us more than illness or disability. Even surrounded by well-intentioned caregivers, the patient or anyone being “treated” can feel more like an object poked and prodded. Worst of all is the sense of confinement, whether due to being bound to a bed, a chair or a tube, or just waiting for an authority to tell you that you can be “discharged” or, even less personally, to sign a “release.”
A passion for holiness

Something I have only recently become more aware of is how our sacramental rituals contain numerous prayers and litanies for deliverance from sin and the evil influences.
Speaking of God

When Jesus says something, you can take it to the bank! Of course, you understand, that’s a metaphor, a figure of speech that is not to be taken literally, but is meant to communicate something true. In this case, the image is quite close to the reality.
Real life is sacramental

Have you ever noticed that every Sacrament involves a touch? One of the signs that a person is even alive is the ability to feel something — to respond to an aural or visual stimulus, for example.
The poverty of wealth

There is too much truth, goodness and beauty in the world to ignore it. But every day we do. Why? Obviously, no one wants to be miserable. No one wants to see ugliness, sin and decay. It is uncomfortable to look at and brings us much pain and grief, even as we want to extend our compassion to those who are suffering. The word compassion itself conveys the beauty of how pain, shared personally among companions, somehow eases the burden on everyone.
To God, Who gives joy to my youth

Among my happiest memories are grammar school years in Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal parish in Ridgewood (Queens). Church, school, home and play — the people they included — were somehow all related. TV (black and white) and music (45 rpms), picnics and sports were all in the mix, but not allowed to supplant Mass or family meals.
Do not be afraid to answer

One of the first casualties that beset Adam and Eve after the fall was their fear of being summoned by God’s voice.
Every day a new year

“Just” is one of the most damning words.
The Light that dawns in the dark

The mad rush to Christmas is over. Time to give yourself permission to forget the cards never sent, the present to be exchanged, the unreturned text, the engagement that did not happen. If only for a day. All will be well. It’s okay to relax and rejoice. But why should it be just for a day?
Why can’t every day be Christmas?

While the historical question about the actual birthdate of Christ remains unresolved, some have been intrigued by the coincidence (or perhaps not?) of that date with the arrival of the winter solstice, the time when sunlight begins to increase perceptibly.
The family down the block

My family just got bigger. A call from the Papal Nuncio a few weeks ago confirmed that Pope Francis has sent me to help our family down the block in Buffalo until the Holy See appoints a successor to Bishop Richard Malone, who stepped down on Dec. 4.
The child in all of us

Confirmations inspire me. That’s what they are supposed to do, of course, for all who attend: candidates, congregation and celebrants. After all, they are all about the coming of the Holy Spirit — God’s Advent — into our lives and all of the gifts God is just longing to pour into our hearts.
Four steps to finding the treasure of Advent

Finding the treasure of Advent is the key to getting into the Christmas spirit. With Advent starting this Sunday, claiming the time to accept its graces will deepen both the joy and peace Christmas promises.
MY MEETING WITH POPE FRANCIS

Bishop Scharfenberger takes you inside his 'ad limina' meeting with the Holy See.
Resisting evil

Have you noticed it’s not a perfect world yet? Does the prevalence of so much that is not right stir you to want to do something about it, or have you found yourself just getting tired or even depressed, wondering if anything can be done?
Divining the occult

Halloween has had its run. Best to let go. Yet ghouls and goblins — ghosts from the past? — may still haunt the memories of those spooked by ugly graphic images, whether invoked, imposed or imagined. But remember, if beauty, as is often said, is only skin deep, so also is ugliness as much in the eyes of the beholder.
God or garbage: The things we put God through

Are you ready for grace, for God’s favors? Are you prepared to grow spiritually, for your heart to be stretched?
Home mission

Mom was right. Charity begins at home. Such sound advice that we grew up with is something that can continue to inspire and motivate us as we seek practical ways to raise our children well in the light of our Gospel mission
Impelled to be missionaries

Did you know that St. Térèse de Lisieux — the Little Flower — dreamed of being a missionary? She had the true evangelical spirit: the love-drive. It was love that impelled her
Chaos of me

Habits can make life easier. They can also drive us crazy. A good habit, freely chosen, can become a virtue, as when one decides to develop an attitude of gratitude — to God and others — and practices it to the point of it becoming a mark of one’s identity: that is, a grateful person, or a kind or a gentle or a compassionate one, as the case may be. Good habits free us to be who we are called by grace to be.
What will next year be like: Too early to pray?

My basil plants have not yet gone to bud. Not a snowflake in sight. And first frost is still well beyond the meteorological horizon. It’s the 24th week in Ordinary Time and, though September is half over, I like to think of this as the 7th week of August with some summery days still ahead of us.
Searching for a spiritual home

No generation perhaps has been more unkindly stereotyped than the so-called millennials, the “Gen Y” demographic cohort — born roughly between the early 1980s and just after the year 2000 — that writers, researchers and certain self-appointed savants generically disparage as self-centered, lazy and entitled.
Justice restored

The best intentions behind the Child Victims Act (CVA) are to offer survivors of child sexual abuse a chance to tell their story and a measure of justice long overdue. Hoping to find healing — and with great courage — many are called to come forward, but few will be chosen.
Bishop Scharfenberger’s letter to the faithful during this challenging time in our Church
Something you can try at home

It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time! I hesitated to begin with this assertion because my purpose is not to make anyone angry. On the contrary, my hope and prayer is to bring at least a brief oasis of peace into an atmosphere that seems so full of confusion and anger these days.
Fearless faith

As a young priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn, I was told of a remarkable story of contemporary martyrdom, the kind to which many of us are called to today.
Our common mission

Sin hurts. Our mission together as disciples of Jesus Christ is the salvation of every human person from our sins and doing that justice which brings mercy and healing to all wounded by sin.
It’s more than the chicken soup

How do you please a guest? The Martha in me, and no doubt many of us, usually goes immediately to the tangible.
Even “nones” are called by name

The struggles and faith journey of Kateri Tekakwitha (pronounced ‘gaderi dega‘gwita) are quite relevant to the experience of many today, especially our young people.
Kateri: Our first “millennial” saint?

Much as I eschew the assignment of labels by psycho-social theorists to entire swaths of people, the title “millennial” seems particularly appropriate as a way to approach an understanding of St. Kateri Tekakwitha's journey of faith.
Holiness in the service of justice

It is not enough just to DO good. We are called to BE good, to become the very righteousness of God (cf. 2 Cor 5:21)!
Growing our gardens of faith

Agricultural metaphors abound in the Bible. Among the parables of Jesus, farmers figure prominently. Mary Magdalene even mistook Jesus for the gardener as she wept at the empty tomb on Easter Sunday (Jn 28:15).
The wounded heart of Mercy

Our faith is a friendship offered to us from the heart of God, who is the Holy Spirit. It comes from Love and for Love.
A time to choose

Nothing is more central to our faith than Jesus — to believe God loves us in him — personally.
God’s Spirit within us

Sometimes I wonder how, in the face of the shame and scandal we face these days in our Church and the headwinds in so many aspects of our lives, any of us manage to maintain a deep sense of peace and confidence on our road ahead.
The God factor

The core truth of our Christian faith is, in fact, that God IS Love.
Let us walk together, saying never again

It is with deep sorrow that I listened to the gripping stories of three survivors of sexual abuse today. What courage it must have taken for them to come forward and I am grateful to them and those assisting them in doing so.

It is with deep sorrow that I listened to the gripping stories of three survivors of sexual abuse today. What courage it must have taken for them to come forward and I am grateful to them and those assisting them in doing so.

It is with deep sorrow that I listened to the gripping stories of three survivors of sexual abuse today. What courage it must have taken for them to come forward and I am grateful to them and those assisting them in doing so.
The Church as wounded healer

A recurrent Gospel narrative is how Jesus meets each of us exactly where we are.
Survivors are wounded healers

Last Wednesday, May 1, I participated in a ground-breaking dialogue between some U.S. bishops and survivors of sexual abuse.
Divine Mercy Evangelizes the Heart

If someone were to ask me, what is the Divine Mercy all about, I would start by saying it is all about evangelization — or, as I like to call, “gospel-ing.” It’s about spreading the Good News effectively.
Living in the reality of eternal love

What if everything that I thought was wrong with the world suddenly was made right?
The Way like none other

Grammarians debate which phrase is correct: “like no other” or “like none other.” Normally, the former would be correct, if “the way” in the title of this article were referring to a thing, a path or a procedure. “None” is a contraction for “no one.” So “like none other” means “like no one other.”
The Church is always to be reformed

Ecclesia semper reformanda est — the Church is always to be reformed — is a much-appropriated, though not universally defined term familiar from Vatican II days.
The joy of being forgiven

Everyone has a desire to be independent of feeling bound to please or placate some other person or agency, a need to be debt-free.
Questioning Jesus in an unsettling Gospel
Loving through times of suffering

As we read every day about corruption within our religious institutions and brutal acts of violence against those seeking merely to worship God peacefully, we come to realize how difficult it is to love in such a sinful world.
Where every traveler finds a home

In last week’s column, I spoke of “spiritual networking” or friendships that can assist those who are facing difficult challenges or transitions in their lives. Nowhere do we see that more obviously these days than online.
Spiritual Networking

Networking is a word that was coined in the late 1960s.
Courage and concreteness

What happened during, or will come out of, this meeting can hardly measure up to the enormity of the evil we must confront.
Open the doors of life to everyone

Our mission as God’s people is to open the doors of life to everyone on life’s journey, especially the most vulnerable — physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Welcoming everyone to the table of life

Anger and outrage over the recently enacted “Reproductive Health Act” (RHA) is no surprise for those who foresaw its damaging consequences.
The world belongs to everyone

This can’t be right. You feel it in your gut. States touting as “progress” legislation abolishing any protection for infants born alive during a late-term abortion. And now no physician need be present for any abortion. Isn’t that something Roe v. Wade (1973) was supposed to guarantee?
Church and school: stronger and holier together

I am proud to stand in support of our Catholic schools and our students who are growing every day in their faith and a love for learning in the very challenging world they live in.
Giving thanks is way to evangelize

Gratitude is the most personal, powerful and perfect prayer; in fact, the word “prayer” in this sentence is almost superfluous. For there is no way that gratitude cannot be a prayer — if taken to its logical goal: God. In that sense, whenever I give thanks, I give praise to God.
Following the love you long for

One thing you can be sure of. God is after you! Which means you have a calling, a vocation.
Little Christmas offers season of meditation

'To be humanized we must become divinized. What other faith or fancy lifts the
human race up so highly, one person at a time?
It is the humble reality of the child of Bethlehem, born as animals looked on...’
Not tomorrow, now!

If there is any “golden age” of God’s presence in our lives, it is now or never!
Finding truth in a culture of memes

Unlike the written word which, read, chewed and digested, commands the reader’s active, sometimes reactive engagement, graphic images enter our consciousness unfiltered: they leave their imprint in our mind, swallowed whole, before we can even decide whether it is good for them to be there
Advent’s buried treasure not found in the crowd

No one really likes crowds, but they seem hard to avoid this time of year. Yet, to make a good Advent, we have to find some time away from the crowd.
The Catholic thing

If there is one thing that unites us, it is the realization that all of us could fill at least one waking day with acts of thanksgiving.
Christian sexuality: sign of hope

The denigration and, one might even say, desecration of human sexuality that we have become so painfully aware of in our time has roots that go right back to the fall in the garden of Eden.
Alert to God’s answer

We are quickly approaching the end of the liturgical year. Sunday Scripture readings will be reminding us about being alert to God, especially in consideration of our preparedness for God’s coming — not if, but when.
God wants us

It keeps coming back: the prodigal son and the son who is always at home...Martha and Mary...the Apostles fighting among themselves about who is the greatest. Different people, different settings, but the same issue: How can I earn God’s approval?
Praying with passion

“Why isn’t God answering my prayers? Am I not praying right?” These are very serious questions and deserve honest answers.
Mary’s appeal

Mother, model or mentor, there is something about Mary that has always evoked the highest of human aspirations. Her image is probably among the most artistically rendered throughout the course of Christian history, leading some to wonder whether Mary is even more important than Jesus to Christians.
Bringing God’s peace to those who suffer in silence

“Mens sana in corpore sano” — “a sound mind in a sound body” — was the ancient Roman ideal of good health or, from that dualistic viewpoint, a life worth living.Christians have always embraced an even broader and deeper perspective on the value of every human life.
Unite in prayer

Writing as I am on the feast of the Archangels and as the month of October is upon us, I am thinking of the words of Pope Francis on “Ha-Satan” — the Great Accuser — who “prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” You may recognize this reference to the one of the so-called Leonine prayers, once said at the end of Mass.
God desires our happiness

How many times have we heard, "Jesus Christ suffered and died for us." How important it is to look at the cross and thank him for this. It is only right to thank someone who loved us so much that he gave up his very life.