By Father Larry Kramer of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, Columbia City 

For the first time in human history the media are taking the lead in forming public opinion.  The print media have always tried to do this but have often failed because of the fact that readers had to exert themselves a bit more than viewers or listeners.

A “churchy” example of this is the rise of interest in contributing to help victims of very visible natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and floods.  The desire to help is admirable, but how many of us are inclined to check up on the charities that offer the help? Do they offer a financial report like this parish and our diocese do?  What percentage of the money taken in actually goes to the work, compared to the amount spent on publicity and administration?  A widely respected model in this regard is Catholic Relief Services, chosen by the Mormon Church a few years ago as the best world relief group because it helped every kind of disaster victim, regardless of religion or national citizenship.

An example of media neglect is the hundreds of thousands dying in southern Africa from famine and political incompetence.  Another is the devastating flood in North Dakota, which almost wiped out the town of Minot.  What coverage there was quickly faded long before the Souris River even crested.   The future of that community is still uncertain.   But these stories are no longer entertaining and therefore not deemed worth covering in the evening news.

This can be remedied for each of us very simply.  In this day of careful budgeting it is especially appropriate to investigate a charity before contributing.  This would include the many Catholic “missionary” groups that circularize the public.  By the way, if they send along a “gift” like a packet of Christmas cards, feel free to keep them and use them without contributing.  But do help a charity you find deserving.

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By Father Larry Kramer of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, Columbia City

Can there be such a thing as a Resurrection Lifestyle?  There ought to be if Easter is to mean anything.  What would such a lifestyle look like?

One thing it would not be is a denial of suffering.  In fact it would encourage us to continue some of our Lenten efforts to toughen our wills for the challenges of the Christian life we continue to face.  We would also be more inclined to see the unavoidable sufferings in our lives as a sharing in the Passion of Christ, the price paid for our salvation.
On the positive side, we would be able to see that the Lord is winning the battle against evil.  We would see ourselves not as onlookers to this battle, but as fighting and winning along with Him.  On the Sundays of Easter we hear the Gospel stories of Christ’s startling appearances to the disciples, who had been in the midst of adjusting to His absolute defeat, framed, tortured and executed as a common criminal.  We celebrate His Ascension into heaven, His gift to us of the Holy Spirit, the fact that He is part of a They, an interdependent team of three perfect persons, who experience their perfection as working together with us ,their creatures, to bring about the reflection of that perfection in the world around us.
Also in the wake of the great Easter feast we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ, the food and drink that nourish our sharing in this ongoing work of creation.
What a power and what a privilege the Easter Lifestyle is!  And it is ours to share.  

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By Father Larry Kramer of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, Columbia City

With this past weekend, we begin the holiest observance of the whole liturgical year.  The palms remind us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and our own on-again-off-again welcoming of Christ into our lives.  The reading of His Passion brings home what human treachery can do to God’s plan.

Tuesday evening’s Chrism Mass at the Cathedral is a happy interruption of Lenten seriousness as we join the bishop in the blessing of the oils to be used throughout the diocese in sacraments of initiation and healing.  We also witness our priests’ restatement of their commitment to God and to us.
By Thursday afternoon we will have finished the forty days of Lent, the “springtime of the Church”.  An informal fellowship supper at 6:30 p.m. sets us up for the 8 p.m. evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which recalls the lesson of the washing of the disciples’ feet and the institution of the Holy Eucharist.  Extra bread is consecrated at this Mass to be honored  in procession and placed in a special tabernacle or “repository” in the Blessed Sacrament chapel where we may spend time in thoughtful appreciation of the Eucharist in our lives any time until midnight, when the day of the Passion of the Lord begins.
The main body of the church is empty, although people are welcome to drop in for private prayer, until the Good Friday Liturgy.  This is not a Mass, although it concludes with Holy Communion reserved from the Holy Thursday evening Mass.  The main features of this simple Liturgy are the Passion readings and the veneration of the Cross.
Good Friday is a special day of fast and abstinence from meat in preparation for the great Easter celebration Saturday night and Sunday, which will complete the Sacred Triduum (three days) of the Easter festival.
The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night at 8 p.m. is better experienced than described.  The blessing of fire and the Easter Candle, the readings about Baptism, the initiation of new members, the renewal of our own baptism, the Easter Eucharist and the reception afterwards in the parish hall—all provide a great kickoff for the 50-day celebration of the Easter season.
Of all the great feasts of the Church Year, the Easter celebration is by far the greatest.  Welcome to it, and bring a friend!

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By Father Larry Kramer of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church

Part of the job of the news media is to capture our attention. This they do by emphasizing the disasters they report.  Here are some encouraging signs I see among all the tragic events.

Arabic unrest: Although vast numbers of private citizens have insisted on the removal of their dictators, so far none of them has attempted an assassination.  I believe this is a first in human history.

Japan: Although no amount of money can replace even one of the many lives lost, these resourceful people are busy with reconstruction and correction of serious planning errors.  

“Developed” countries: Instead of the usual saber rattling and gridlock, these nations, of which our country is one, are banding together to address the slaughter of populations by their own supposed leaders, and trying to do this by peaceful means.

Indiana legislature: Serious ideological divisions are being addressed with a calm, reasoned approach even amid all the predictable verbal sniping that is such a part of the process.  A surprising number of politicians are willing to work together for necessary compromises.

To hear some radio talk shows, one might be tempted to think that God made a mistake in creating the human race.  God obviously disagrees with this view.  We are still here and, in spite of our many weaknesses, not doing such a bad job after all, thanks to divine grace and our obvious cooperation with it. 

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