So, the caretakers discovered that,  after they fed the children for the evening, they  would send them off  to bed with  a little loaf of bread to hold in their hands. Clinging to this bread, the children would fall quickly off to sleep,  peacefully , knowing that they would have something to eat for the following day.

This weekend our little children make their first Communion at the vigil Mass on Saturday, April 13th.  They will now begin to have the  Bread of Life which is infinitely more comforting to our anxious souls and hungry hearts than ordinary bread. Holy Communion provides  the ultimate resting place for the human heart.  It is no wonder why Jesus chose to remain with us sacramentally under the appearances of bread, because, just like those orphaned children, we, too, can rest much more peacefully  when we know we have what we will need to face tomorrow.  St. Theresa of Avila says it best at the conclusion of her famous prayer:  The one who has God is lacking in nothing, for God alone suffices

Fr. Edwin L. Gros, S.J.

Pastor

From all observable evidence, his project, his dream had come to a violent and sad demise, and almost everyone he knew ran for cover.

For the first time in a long time, the religious and civil authorities in Judea were able to breathe easy.

But their little worry-free weekend was very short-lived as things got stirred up, and rumors began to fly that Jesus was alive. Even though the authorities had posted guards at the tomb, this new story spread through the community like wild fire.

In no time there was a powerful turnaround in Jesus followers, as they were overcome with an incredible certitude that Jesus and his mission were back in business. And what is more, within the community there was such an interpersonal revitalization that all guilt and shame for having abandoned Jesus vanished into thin air.   Their petty squabbles greatly diminished, and their sense of cohesion as spiritual brothers and sisters was even greater than it was when Jesus walked in the flesh. Almost overnight, a cowardly, self-pitying band of disciples became a Spirit-filled group that took corporate ownership of a new and dynamic, outwardly focused mission.  If the religious authorities thought they had rid themselves of a problem by having Jesus executed, they soon found out that they had made their problem even worse. Something incredible happened the morning after Passover, and events were set into motion that would change the course of history forever.

This dramatic change of events is really the greatest proof of Jesus Resurrection.  Although individuals had wonderful, life-changing experiences of the Risen Christ, and those accounts continue to be foundational for our faith, nevertheless the explosion of energy that burst forth at Pentecost touched the entire believing community. In less than one generation, Christianity transcended cultural, geographical and political boundaries and subsequently produced the largest religious following in the history of the world. To this day, and at this very hour, there are Christians who put their lives in harms way just to testify that Jesus lives, And every day we hear new reports of Christians who make the ultimate sacrifice of shedding their blood so that the Reign of God will be manifest in the world.

The Reign of God is among us, and there is no stopping its

proclamation and its ultimate fulfillment.   What else is there

to live for?

Fr. Edwin L. Gros, S.J.

Pastor

The fact that Easter takes place in springtime is no small coincidence.

For Easter means new life, new possibilities, emerging from the death of winter only to break into the new life of spring.

There is so much broken-ness in our world, and it is a temptation to become cynical about the future, pessimistic about the world, and then callous to the widespread human suffering which surrounds us. We can even allow ourselves to  blame God for many of the situations which we humans have helped to create.

But as the frequently used saying goes: DON’T GO THERE!  Don’t let these demons of discouragement have their way, and allow your faith in God, or your belief in humanity to be diminished.

Let Easter be a rebirth at the level of your deepest attitudes and aspirations. Invite the Spirit of the Risen Christ into your heart so that you can be a bearer of hope. Be light, be warmth, be inspiring to those around you.  As the old Johnny Mercer songs goes: “You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, march on with the affirmative, and don’t mess with Mr. In-between.”

That afternoon, many of us had a hard time focusing on our jobs and responsibilities, as we did not want to miss history in the making. We couldn’t get enough of the coverage, and we went racing through the Internet to learn as much as we could about this Jorge Cardinal Mario Bergoglio, S.J.

Perhaps the most refreshing thing that was reported over and over again, among the many things describing him, was that he is a man of simple lifestyle, one who lives in a humble house, cooks his own meals, rides the bus, and frequently has conversations with ordinary people. We also hear he is passionate about advocating for the poor and the marginalized. The General Superior of the Jesuits, P. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., writes: The name of Francis by which we shall  now know him evokes for us the Holy Fathers evangelical spirit of closeness to the poor, his identification with simple people, and his commitment to the renewal of the church.

He has entered our Church amid much joy and celebration, the same way Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, two millennia ago.  In many ways, the whole world was waving their palms as he entered our world.  Now,  just  as with Jesus, our challenge will be to follow him where he leads us. In Jesus case, we know that, unfortunately, almost everyone, except a handful of dear friends and his mother, deserted him in his most difficult hour.

Now we have a chance to re-write that history with our OWN lives. Let’s NOT run away! Let’s never abandon Pope Francis when he challenges us to live the Gospel more fully. That is the solidarity the Holy Father will need, and the support he asked for when, in those first moments on that balcony, he asked us to pray for him.

Fr. Eddie Gros, S.J.

Pastor

Last Sunday was Laetare Sunday, a term taken from the Latin word meaning to rejoice. We continue to rejoice with each passing day in anticipation of the salvific events which begin in Holy Week and culminate in the victory of Jesus Resurrection. It’s just that now, as we follow Jesus journey, the way of the cross, the going is going to get tougher and tougher with each step Jesus takes toward Jerusalem.

Let us pray that we might truly be DISCIPLES TO THE END, that we not run away, and that we even have the courage to stand there at the foot of the cross with Mary and that special group of disciples, including the beloved disciple.

Just remember that the evangelist John has you and I in mind when he uses that term the beloved disciple.  May we never forget that loving gaze when Jesus tells the beloved disciple, Son, behold thy Mother.

He is speaking to us.

Fr. Eddie

I reflected on my eight years here.  Almost six of those years, I spent as pastor.  I certainly did not gloss over the challenging times or the mistakes that I had made.  To have neglected those two areas would have been entirely foolhardy.  I must, of course, beg pardon for anything that I have done which hurt anyone. 

Overall, however, I consider these last years to have been among the most joyful in my life.  First of all, of course, I had the assistance of a hard working staff, as well as the collaboration of my brother Jesuits, here in the parish and at Loyola, along with the support of Holy Name School.  Then there have been so many members of our parish family who have shown their dedication in so many ways.  Without so many generous and loving Christians, I certainly would have been up a bayou without a pirogue. 

In the last year and a half, without driving and with my physical condition continuing to deteriorate, I simply could not have functioned and carried out my duties without the help of such dear friends.  Words cannot adequately express my gratitude; I can only hope to be more successful with my prayers and remembrances at Mass. 

Father Ed Gros, S.J., officially becomes pastor today.  The official celebration will be next Sunday.  From Father Gros’s years at Loyola and his one year at Holy Name, parishioners know and love him already.  The coming years at Holy Name will certainly be blessed ones.

Let us always pray for one another at the Sunday Eucharist.  After all, we know that we are on a pilgrimage from the Lord to the Lord.

This graduate student was actually one of my examiners.  When I later told a few of my fellow scholastics how I had answered his question, they told me, “You’re wrong!  The Good News has to do with the gospel message.”  For me I had said that the Good News was the Church.  My examiner later told me that I had defended my answer well but that he would never have answered the question in that manner.

Thirty-seven years later, with all sorts of experience under my belt and especially with my much keener awareness of the Church’s mistakes and sins, some of which have been inexcusable and egregious, I still maintain that the Church is Good News.  I am sure that many people who are soured on organized religion would think that I have taken leave of my senses.

The Church is home to so many good people.  Even though we are all sinners, I have encountered so many good people over the years that I am always overwhelmed.  Every time that I celebrate the sacraments, particularly Eucharist and Reconciliation, I encounter good, faith-filled, Christ-like people who, by their example, give me courage to continue to live the Christian life.

Through the Church I have heard the Good News proclaimed.  I certainly would not have become so acquainted with the Scriptures had it not been for the Church.  The Church has had the courage to proclaim God’s word both when convenient and inconvenient.

Then there is the action of the liturgy itself.  For almost thirty-seven years it has been a great blessing and personal consolation for me to see Christ alive in the worship of the Church.  It has been a real opportunity of grace to see how individuals come into contact with the Lord.

Let us encourage and strengthen one another by our prayer for the Holy Name community.  Let us pray that this Lent will be one in which we will come to know our Lord better ourselves and be more able to extend his love to our families, our neighbors, our friends, and our society.   Let us especially pray for one another at the Eucharist, for we are all on pilgrimage from the Lord to the Lord.

Although my parents had known some Holy Name parishioners in the past, my first contact with a Holy Name parishioner came when I listened to the Sunday Mass broadcast on WWL radio during the early nineteen sixties.

“King Edward Cigar time, ten o’clock and time for Mass from the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.”

“Good morning, this is Leo Zinser speaking to you from the sanctuary of the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus on the campus of Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana.”

In a few minutes Mr. Zinser would add, “The lectress [sic] of this morning’s Mass is Miss Evelyn Merritt.”  Fifty years later Evelyn Merritt is still one of our faithful lectors even as I come to the end of my years as pastor.  Evelyn’s dedication and generosity is symbolic of the qualities shown by so many parishioners over the years.

Not only must I thank so many people who have kept this parish alive over the years, but I also think that is necessary for everyone in the parish to come to a clearer realization of how much we all owe to one another.  After all, that is what being a faith community is.

A faith community is not about the priest or priests or not even several members of the parish.  A faith community comes about when all the members of a parish come together in worship, prayer, and good works for the Kingdom of God.

Such a family is not born in a moment.  Its birth and growth take time.  Holy Name Parish was founded in 1892.  We have had one hundred twenty-one years to build our community.  We are not finished yet.  We have months and years ahead of us.

Let us pray for one another at the Sunday Eucharist as we join together in our mission for the Lord.  After all, we come from God and are returning to him.

Let us also bring before God Benedict XVI in his last days as Bishop of Rome and Sovereign Pontiff.  We should pray for the cardinals of the Roman Church as they begin to assemble in the Eternal City and turn their thoughts to election of Benedict’s successor.

Why are the bishops so concerned about the death of man convicted of the heinous crime of killing his stepson by scalding him to death?  His wife, after all, was involved in the murder; but she received a lesser sentence and has already finished her term of imprisonment.  At sixty-nine Christopher Sepulvado is the oldest candidate for execution in the history of Louisiana, a man who has spent his twenty years on “death row” doing penance, in part by trying to help other prisoners.

No statistics show that states with the death penalty experience any decrease in serious crimes.  Statistics for our state show that Louisiana is not only the incarceration capital of the United States but actually the incarceration capital of the whole world.  If the ultimate penalty does not decrease serious crime, then what is the purpose of capital punishment?

It seems to me that capital punishment is a type of societal revenge.  In this instance it appears that lethal injection is society’s payback for what Christopher Sepulvado did to a helpless child. Killing Mr. Sepulvado will neither bring back his stepson, nor will it deter other criminals.  Is societal revenge an adequate motive for this impending execution?

In the persons of the bishops of this state—the metropolitan archbishop and the bishops of the other sees—the Church stands firmly against this execution.  Any Catholic who supports capital punishment ought to examine his or her conscience in the light of the Church’s stance.  Just as a Catholic cannot in conscience support abortion, so, too, every Catholic should experience similar revulsion when considering state-sponsored judicial killing.

The fact that states have consistently searched for more humane methods of execution—from hanging to the guillotine to the electric chair to the gas chamber to lethal injection—shows people do not approve of brutal methods.  If everyone sincerely believed in his or her heart of hearts than capital punishment were justified, then no one would really whether the method of execution were humane or not.

If we intend to be a people of life, then we must oppose every attack on life.  If abortion is sinful, then so are war, capital punishment, embryonic stem-cell research, and euthanasia.  Our defense of life must clearly be universal in character.  Lent is an excellent time for us as a people to reflect on what defending life truly means.  Let us do penance during this season for the sins against life that we as a society have committed.

When we come together for the Sunday Eucharist, let us pray for all of us who are together on pilgrimage from the Lord to the Lord.  We are the family of faith at Holy Name, a family called as a body and as individuals to witness to Christ’s presence in the world in which we live.

We must, in fact, give thanks

• for the six Jesuit Brothers under Brother Joseph Brinkhaus who constructed the original church, known affectionately as “little Jesuits,” and the rectory in 1891-1892, at a cost of $37,000, with the debt absorbed by the Jesuits and not by the parish;

• for Mother Philomene Butler, who floated a loan for $36,000 in order to keep the school open in 1909, and whose Sisters of Mercy then moved into our parish, a familiar presence for the last ninety-eight years (it was years before the parish repaid the debt);

• to Miss Kate McDermott, who gave $150,000 to the Jesuits to build the present magnificent church, dedicated in December 1918, in memory of her brother, sugar broker Thomas McDermott;

• to Archbishop John W. Shaw, whose donation insured that even the Depression could not prevent the completion of a new parish school.

We express our own gratitude in how we reach out to one another with love and in how we reach even to those whom we do not even know but who are in need.  We express our gratitude to the Lord in the way that we form our young people as good Catholics.  There are so many ways in which we can people of the Eucharist.

Now we have the opportunity to take time to reflect on how we live out our following of Jesus.  Lent is the perfect season of the year in which we can examine our hearts and minds and see how well we are following Jesus.   Lent is not a time of sorrow, but it should be a time of self-examination.

We are all on pilgrimage together, from the Lord to the Lord.  Let us do all that we can to support one another, especially in our Sunday prayer together, and live out the mission that Christ has given us.