CHARLOTTE — A leading Jesuit liturgical scholar, Father John Baldovin, celebrated Mass and gave a presentation on the liturgy Oct. 29 at St. Peter Church. He is the author of numerous books, including “Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation.” Father Baldovin is a longtime friend of Jesuit Father James Shea, pastor of St. Peter Church.
Father Baldovin serves as professor of historical and liturgical theology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Newton, Mass. He brought his concise, insightful approach from years of teaching to his presentation “Liturgical Prayer: What do we need today?” to more than 80 parishioners in Biss Hall.
In his initial remarks Father Baldovin addressed that St. Peter Church, being a Jesuit-run parish, has a particular Ignatian focus and his approach to the lecture would in some ways reflect that.
“Our inspiration, our own background that the Jesuits share in spirituality and training, is one of the basic things (found in a Jesuit parish). When the Jesuits were founded, St. Ignatius wanted us to become specialists in the ministries of the Word and of confession. That’s always been a very important thing for Jesuits.”
Father Baldovin noted that Jesuit spirituality is very heavy on experience. It is confident that God can be found in the experience of everyone and everywhere. “‘Finding God in all things’ is what we say. God can be found everywhere,” he said.
He noted that discernment is also important to Jesuits and serves as a means to have confidence that we can find God in our lives.
“I don’t want to talk about just what happens at the altar, because liturgy isn’t just what happens at the altar. Liturgy is what happens everywhere,” Father Baldovin explained. “If the liturgy does not end in you and me offering God ourselves, our whole selves, then something is missing.”
He gave the formal definition of liturgy, saying that liturgy is the formal ritual activity of the Christian community which serves that goal of Christian life as worship.
“Liturgy ultimately has a purpose. It is not a tool but it does have a purpose, and that is to serve the goal of us becoming true worshipers of God in spirit and in truth.”
Another key point Father Baldovin touched on is that in the liturgy there is the same basic dynamic. He noted that we read Scripture before we baptize, marry, anoint the sick and celebrate the Eucharist, for example.
“Why? Because God’s gift to us always comes first,” he said. “Liturgy is never just our good idea. It is our response to God.”
The primary focus of Christian worship is always the same, he said. “It is not us, it is Jesus Christ. We use the term the ‘Paschal Mystery.’ It is a way of talking about the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. We celebrate it every Sunday – His triumph over sin and death, and our hope of glory.”
Father Baldovin reminded those gathered that the liturgy is always celebrated in light of the Paschal Mystery. “”That means we are always worshiping the Holy Trinity. Every Sunday is Trinity Sunday (in that respect).”
During his 60-minute presentation, he shared some basic principles of liturgy to remember.
“Liturgy is always God’s act first. Liturgy is always what God is doing in our midst before we respond in gift and response… The word liturgy means work ‘of the people.’ The original meaning of the word in Greek means ‘for the people.’”
He also stressed that context is text. Liturgy is a whole experience. It is not just an experience of a text. “You cannot find the experience of the liturgy just in a text… The liturgy is a whole artistic experience. It engages all of our senses.”
Father Baldovin said liturgy should always be related to ordinary life. “One of the greatest challenges is that we intuitively understand what we do when we come together to worship especially on a Sunday liturgy. We come together as God’s people, the Body of Christ. We intuitively understand that it is somehow related to our life. It is very important to keep on working to make those connections.”
He noted that our churches would see more worshipers on a regular basis if people worked harder to understand that.
“Liturgy is a Christian life in a nutshell. It is the Christian life in a ritual form. That’s why it aids us in presenting our bodies to the Lord. That is why every liturgy relates to our need to do peace and justice.”
He also asserted that liturgy is not a tool for manipulation. “We expect entertainment in every moment of our lives… But we don’t go to church for entertainment.
“Liturgy is not a plaything… The liturgy we have can be done well,” he said. “Sometimes liturgy grabs us. It should grab us.
“Liturgy is not an aesthetic form, it is embodied. It is such an embodied experience. Think of the touch, and movement. There is a kind of choreography.”
Ultimately, Father Baldovin said, liturgy leads to adoration.
“The right name for a human being is ‘the person who adores God.’ That is our ultimate end,” he explained. “There are a lot of steps along the way, but that is our ultimate end. We are made to know, love and serve God. Everything on earth is to be used in order to do that.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Read more
Jesuit Father John Baldovin’s book “Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation” is available at www.amazon.com. His 12-part series on “Understanding the History of the Mass” is available at www.nowyouknowmedia.com.
Deacon Michael Goad
CHARLOTTE — Deacon Michael Goad, who now serves at St. Gabriel Church, was only 18 when he entered the U.S. Air Force in 1979 and found himself stationed 1,100 miles from his childhood home in Aiken, S.C., at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.
During his four years of military service, Deacon Goad worked as a C-130 aircraft mechanic, earning the rank of E5 staff sergeant. He credits his Catholic faith and his time of enlistment with preparing him for a life of service.
“God came into my life and my heart at the age of 10, in what I refer to as ‘my awakening,’” Deacon Goad recalls.
Growing up, he attended Catholic schools staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mercy.
“My faith, taught to me by those sweet Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, didn’t force Jesus into my head, but rather loved Him into my life,” he explains. “The Church was my anchor of familiarity as I made my way out into the world for the first time. The military gave me the confidence to live anywhere.”
He credits one of the nuns with helping him become the man he is today. “Sister deNeri Faase was as tough as nails. She was demanding and expected us to be more than who we were.
“Anytime I encountered a challenging moment while in the service to my country, I’d always in my heart think, ‘What would Sister deNeri expect of me?’ She was my compass during those years.”
From his years of service in the military, Deacon Goad says, he learned a valuable lesson that has helped him in his vocation as a permanent deacon: to lead, one must first learn to follow.
“Looking back on those days, I suppose I have always been a nurturer by nature,” he says. “So being called by the Holy Spirit yet again to a life of service as servant is like wearing old comfortable clothes.”
“I love being a joyful herald of the Good News! As a servant to the People of God, I still cannot adequately articulate this invitation God has invited me into. I still cannot believe I get to do this. God has always been generous to me and I am eternally grateful to be His son.”
He says he is proud to have served in the U.S. military because “as a patriot I owe much to her: my freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I have always felt a deep desire to love and to serve something greater than myself. She deserves my fidelity,” he explains.
“I am proud to serve the Church now as a deacon because She possesses my heart. She reveals to me, in a most profound and meaningful way, God’s loving grace, mercy and forgiveness through the sacramental life of the Church.
“She teaches me how to love others as our Heavenly Father loves each of us. God is good!”
DEACON KEVIN AND THERESA WILLIAMS
When they were in their late teens, Deacon Kevin Williams and his wife Theresa joined the military. Deacon Williams served in the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 1981 as a musician 3rd Class. Theresa served in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 1980 as a specialist 4th Class. The two met in 1977 at the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, Va. Deacon Williams played the trumpet in the Navy, and Theresa was a percussionist in the Army band.
During their enlistments, the couple had different views on the practice of their Catholic faith, with Theresa actively living a sacramental life, while Kevin was not active with his faith.
“My faith played a big role (in my time of service in the military),” Theresa Williams recalls. “I prayed the 23rd Psalm a lot during boot camp. I also had a lot to pray about during the rest of my commitment.”
Deacon Williams admits he drifted away from the Church and did not have an active prayer life when he was younger. “I only went to Mass occasionally with Theresa because it was important to her,” he recalls.
Both are proud to have served their country.
“Not everyone can serve,” Theresa Williams explains. “Some don’t have what it takes. I think serving shows courage and patriotism.”
“There is a camaraderie between all who have served, no matter what they did,” Deacon Williams notes.
He is thankful to serve Our Lady of the Assumption Church as a permanent deacon now.
“It gives me the chance to connect with people about spiritual things, which has become my favorite subject,” he says.
“It gives me the opportunity to try to make a difference in people’s lives, and I think it means I’m following what God wants me to do.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Permanent deacons’ military service
This Veterans Day, we thank in a special way our permanent deacons who served in the U.S. military and shared their service information with us. May God bless them and all those who served from the Diocese of Charlotte for their service to our country:
Deacon Ron Caplette, St. Aloysius Church, Hickory (retired): U.S. Marine Corps, Platoon Sergeant, 1952-1961
Deacon Bob Desautels, St. Leo the Great Church, Winston-Salem: U.S. Army, E4, 1967-1970
Deacon Patrick J. Devine, Charlotte Airport Ministry: U.S. Navy, Petty Officer (3rd class), 1966-1970
Deacon Ralph Eckoff, St. Margaret Mary Church, Swannanoa: U.S. Navy, Yeoman YN2, 1951-1954
Deacon Michael F. Goad, St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte: U.S. Air Force, Staff Sergent (E-5), aircraft mechanic, 1979-1983
Deacon Bill Griffin, St. Matthew Church, Charlotte: U.S. Army, Sergeant (E-6), 1964-1970
Deacon Carl Hubbell, St. William Church, Murphy (retired): U.S. Air Force, Technical Sergeant, 1953-1973
Deacon David King, Pennybyrn at Maryfield, High Point: U.S. Army, Vietnam War, 1968-1972; U.S. Army Reserves, 1979-1989
Deacon Mike Leahy, St. Elizabeth Church, Boone (retired): U.S. Army, 1958-1962
Deacon Paul Liotard, Holy Cross Church, Kernersville (retired): U.S. Marine Corps, Corporal, 1957-1959
Deacon Larry Lisk, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Greensboro: U.S. Marine Corps, Sergeant, 1967-1969
Deacon Scott McNabb: U.S. Navy, Officer, Vietnam War
Deacon Mark Mejias, Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro: U.S. Army under NATO, Corporal (E4), 1974-1976
Deacon Bob Morris, St. Pius X Church, Greensboro: U.S. Army, 1st Lieutenant, Vietnam War, 1967-1968
Deacon Robert Murphy, St. Mark Church, Huntersville: U.S. Air Force, Staff Sergeant (E5), 1959-1967
Deacon Mark Nash, Immaculate Conception Church, Hendersonville: U.S. Navy, HM3, Hospital Corpsman, 1978-1980
Deacon Tim Ritchey, Holy Cross Church, Kernersville: U.S. Air Force, Airman First Class, 1965-1969
Deacon Bill Schreiber, St. Aloysius Church, Hickory: U.S. Navy, Naval Flight Officer, 1979-2002
Deacon Vincent H. Shaw, St. Mary’s Church, Greensboro: U.S. Army, Sergeant (E-5), 1957-1963
Deacon James H. Toner, Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro: U.S. Army, Captain, 1968-1972
Deacon Rafael J. Torres-Rivera, St. Luke Church, Mint Hill: U.S. Army, Specialist 4th Class, Vietnam War, 1965-1966
Deacon James P. Trombley, St. Mary Help of Christians Church, Shelby: U.S. Air Force, Master Sergeant, Vietnam War, Gulf War, 1970-1990
Deacon Richard Voegele, Immaculate Conception Church, Hendersonville (retired): U.S. Air Force, Airman First Class, 1959-1964; N.Y. Air National Guard, Sergeant, 1974-1975
Deacon Ben Wenning, St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte (retired): U.S. Navy, Petty Officer, Air Traffic Controller, 1955-1959
Deacon Kevin Williams, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Charlotte: U.S. Navy, Musician 3rd Class, 1977-1981; Theresa Williams: U.S. Army, Specialist 4th Class, 1977-1980