"We Have seen His Star in the East!"

"We have seen His Star in the East,

and have come with the gift of our lives,

to worship the Lord!"

....We Norbertines chant that antiphon coupled with the Benedictus and Canticle of Mary during the Epiphany days of Christmastide. That beautiful chant came to mind as I drove from the West to the East on Highway 29, coming back to DePere tonight after an all-too-quick visit home. As I looked East, I noticed bright lights in the sky as I headed from home to home: No, it was not the Northern Lights, it was not some sort of miraculous Epiphany, nor was it the orange glow of street lights glowing in the Green Bay sky's. Rather, it was lights covering the football gridirons of Shawano -- and eventually Pulaski -- as I progressed eastward.

As you've read in these accounts over the years, I love Sunday afternoons at Lambeau Field and, to a lesser degree, as the Pack heads to other stadiums (which in my biased estimation, pale in comparison to Lambeau.) Sports enthusiasts may be surprised that my excitement over the games is not over X's and O's and Special Teams, or even the end result after 1 hour of play. But the game is at its best when, for me, it becomes personal! Personal, as I get to know the players and cheer for their good, just like we did in high school days.

That's why I am only interested in watching sports teams in which I have some sort of connection; or else, I simply am not at all plugged into the play! Therefore I will root for, support and attend not only Packer games, but certainly any Green Knight team -- like you, Joe and Joyce(!), but also the Notre Dame Tritons (Norbertine affiliated teams), the West DePere Phantoms and DePere Red Birds (parishioners), and surely the Antigo Red Robins (always the home team) .... without question.

And over the years, I have found that the NFL is also a very truly small world; as such, I have become friends with players and coaches at all sorts of other teams for whom I also support -- at the threshold of a new NFL season, it's best that I not reveal all of the teams at this point! Suffice to say, if I know the people and players and coaches involved, I watch and support the teams. Otherwise, my interest is somewhat limited, for better or worse!

But through it all, I really must confess (and I suspect that professional football coaches and players would also agree) that I have the most fun at Friday night football games. Amidst the changing Fall colors, and while seeing my own breath while navigating rickety high school bleachers, watching high school football really tops the athletic experience for me.

This season, I hope and pray for a few free Friday nights that I might be able to experience a little athletic experience in one of it's purest forms -- coming to a high school near you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYN4jnA8fKs

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111 And Still Counting!

I'm headed out to Phoenix a little later this morning, but first I wanted to share a letter I placed in the parish bulletin. Life's getting crazy in Packerland these days, specifically at Saint Norbert as we being our 111th year together. I hope our paths cross there at some time. Until then, off to the desert once again!

WELCOME TO OLD SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH
The Heart of Saint Norbert College

It was twenty-five years ago this weekend that I walked into Old Saint Joseph Church for the very first time – “Freshman Orientation 1984!” We did not have the mid-summer orientation sessions back then as we do today. One’s entrance into college life simply began once you had the car unpacked and the closets stuffed far beyond capacity. Because my sister was a year ahead of me at SNC, we had a nice sized moving van ready to drop us off at Sensenbrenner for Teresa and 3M for Yours Truly! Once Dad built the lofts and Mom made the beds, we were off for a “Cubs Run” to make sure we had enough canned food to stock our limited shelf space. That was it for parents’ orientation; ours wasn’t much more detailed, either.

In the midst of the welcome weekend, I eventually made my way to Old Saint Joe’s for the 10 AM Sunday Mass. The 1969 church architecture and environment appeared to be much more ‘groovy’ than I had experienced at home. The presider was certainly a live-wire of sorts, also a bit different from the style of priesthood to which I was accustomed. And the involvement of the laity taking part in Mass was intense; this did not reflect the more quiet and passive liturgical experience that was a way of life for my first 17 years, either.

In some ways it was so different; yet it was the same ritual capturing and expressing the same hopes and dreams of those who gathered generations before that moment -- and still today: a celebration of the Good News that Jesus is present to us and with us on our Christian journey whether it be here at Saint Norbert College, in Antigo, Wisconsin, in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Chicago or across the world.

Today as you gather here for the first time or for another weekend of your entire lifetime, our church looks considerably different than it did in ’84. That live-wire pastor is still active on campus but is now ministering in a different apostolate; he is now succeeded by his very close friend, and the current pastor shares the providing of pastoral care with a very dedicated parish staff; and the congregation has grown over the years, but the vibrancy offered in prayerfulness, in song and in generous Christian service to others remains consistent!

On behalf of the “Year Rounder” parish members, the Norbertine Community, the friends of Old Saint Joe’s and the parish staff who is here to minister to your spiritual needs, I welcome you to Old Saint Joseph Church, each and every one of you. No doubt our way of celebrating the Real Presence of Christ in our midst will have similarities and differences from the experience of Church that you have celebrated elsewhere. And yet we are One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church – one which welcomes you with open arms, minds and open hearts. That welcome is bold and faithful – not just for a casual weekend experience every now and then, and not just for four years or twenty-five years. We welcome you to a way of life where we celebrate the Good News of Jesus Christ within a caring community of the People of God – with Jesus Christ, himself, truly at our center! Again, welcome!

In Ss. Norbert & Joseph,

Father James Baraniak, O. Praem.,
Pastor

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Embracing the Techno-Evangelist in all of Us!

Well the conversation this morning went fine; in fact, it was an awful lot of fun! Sure, there were certainly plenty of butterflies in my stomach as I waited for the phone to ring from New York, but I calmed down nicely, I think -- that's due to the host's (Gus Lloyd's) ability to put his listeners, callers and guests at ease due to his extraordinarily pleasant demeanor. As early as his introduction, Gus made mention that I am a loyal listener to his program; I also did my part to congratulate him on his apologetic CDs and urged others to tap into his wellspring of Catholic Intellectualism. Please, please check out what he has to offer at http://www.guslloyd.com/. You will be blown away by his clarity of thought and spiritual vision.

No contracts for my own program were signed -- as if you or I ever wondered!!! -- but I did promise that I'd be back, given Gus' kind invitation. We'll hopefully delve into the ministry of CAC as well as prison ministry and all sorts of other things when the opportunity arises and if the ratings did not plummet during his last half hour of work this week! All of this was a wonderful start to the weekend.

While waiting for the call this morning, I couldn't help but think of how much evangelizing we can do thanks to the gift of technology. Now let me first offer a disclaimer: in the confessional, the most frequent issue I deal with is people's abuse of technology. You can imagine what I might be referring to here. The Internet can be used as both a blessing or a curse. Living in the midst of a college environment, I consistently am dealing with young folks who choose freely to go down a destructive path that the Internet offers those who want to go there. Gus might be freaked out just a bit to learn that his name comes up in the confessional quite often. ....Let me explain that one!

When responding to the issues people raise in the confessional, I often state, "Where life was lost, there life must be found." In other words, if one uses the computer as a means or agent of sin, I will more often than not ask them to return to the computer to use the same technology as a means of receiving grace. On various occasions since last May, while engaging in the Sacrament, I have asked penitents to go to Gus' website and checkout his podcasts -- specifically on "Confession" or "Salvation." In my mind, it makes sense to "go to the scene of the crime," so to speak, and use similar means of finding grace where in the past, the same means may have been used to partake in evil. Perhaps in the future, folks might think twice before choosing a path that sucks life out of them and choose instead to take the path that leads to goodness.

When used well, technology can certainly enhance our spirituality, and our Catholicity, specifically. Here's some of the ways that this techno-illiterate has chosen to use the media in new and innovative ways to give and receive life these Summer days:

The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Satellite Radio -- Thank you, Cardinal Egan, Gus, Lino, Greg & Jennifer, Bob, Father Dave, Greg & Lisa, Archbishop Dolan and all the various hosts!

Gus Lloyd's apologetic CDs -- on the trail, in the car, at the desk -- Thank you, Gus!

The newly established Old Saint Joseph Church Facebook Fan Page -- Thank you, Sammy Sleger!

This blog to communicate to you beyond the Sacred Liturgy -- Thank you, Zach Parmeter!

Advertising this blog to places I can't even imagine -- Thank you, Scott Crevier!

Common Prayer Podcasts; recorded Masses; "Welcome to SNC" Video -- Thank you, Shaun Johnson!

Taking a fun trip down memory lane with 70's Church Music -- Thank you, iTunes! (My life hasn't been the same!)

Texting well wishes to others for a little "pick-me-up" when the confessional line is less occupied than during the academic year -- Thank you, Cellcom!

Getting a printout of parishioners' birthdays and anniversaries so I can think of them and pray for their good on their special day -- Thank you, Cathie Puyleart and Parish Data System!

Televising the Sunday Mass for the overflow crowd that gathers in the atrium -- Thank You, Saint Norbert College!

"The Human Experience" -- Thank you, Grassroots Films!

"Lighthouse Catholic Media" stored in the ipod -- Thank you, Robert Hornacek!

All of this stuff excites me greatly, especially considering I still remember land phones, rotary dials and "party lines" while dialing only 5 numbers to connect with others. I'm glad to hear that the Church is keeping up with the times; empowering the flock to become even bigger: "Give it a Shepherd's care!"

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"Gee, That Voice Sounds Familiar!"

I was presiding and preaching at a mini-camp Packer Mass back in April when one of the coaches asked me if I had a radio program on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. At first, I thought the question was a joke, because the Packer Community -- just like the college and prison communities -- know that I have no problem talking, I mean preaching, for a lengthy period of time. Perhaps I became too defensive thinking the question, asked in front of everyone, was a way to suggest that I'd find it easy to fill three hours of airtime each weekday talking about any number of things. Well, I assured the congregation that I did not have a program, but that I am a subscriber and that I listen to satellite radio in my car and at the office quite regularly.

I then told the guys that I found, "The Catholic Channel," on channel 117 ever since Sirius and XM merged. I became a fan of their program quite quickly! In fact, I added that offering the Catholic Channel to the world was ingenious on the part of Edward Cardinal Egan. If he did nothing else in his episcopacy, the founding of that channel in and of itself was pretty darn incredible!

Well the coach mentioned that he was sure that his wife was driving around and either heard me talking on the radio -- pretty scary -- or that folks on the channel were talking about me. Naturally, beyond curiosity, this led to a little obsession on my part -- I've been pretty glued to the channel when not listening to another favorite, "Fox News Channel." They're 'fair and balanced,' you know, so I'm always tuning in!!!

Well guess what, "Where there's smoke, there's fire!"

Tomorrow I will be a guest on "Seize the Day" with Gus Lloyd on the Catholic Channel (Sirius 159; XM 117) at 9:35 AM Eastern / 8:35 AM Central. I have written here about Gus and his program at the onset of this summer --- so it's pretty ironic that I've been called upon to be a guest on his show to talk specifically about my 13 year relationship with the Packer organization and my 2 year relationship with Catholic Athletes for Christ.

The program will be generated out of New York, but the host will enter the airwaves from Tampa and Yours Truly from DePere. Now since the Warren Sapp / Chad Clifton / Mike Sherman incident years ago, I have developed a pretty strong bias against the Buccaneers and our encounters at Raymond James Stadium. However, looking at the calendar, I realize that I'll be back there on November 8th. As such, I'll try to keep much of my thoughts to myself and focus on the works of CAC!

In fact, that's what the conversation will be about on Friday -- the great work and ministry that was undertaken singlehandedly by Ray McKenna. Sure, he's grown the organization quite nicely since its foundation, with all sorts of advisers including bishops, priests, sports figures... ... but it's Ray's good work that allows so much of what we do to take place in the world of sports. (More about that later!)

If the time or interest presents itself, and if I don't bomb completely, I'd like to return again to the program to talk about prison ministry, educational opportunities for young students who are under served, Catholic ministry in a college setting... ... ... Any number of other issues come to mind that are equally close to my heart. Time will tell!

But these days, and especially in these parts, it seems as though thoughts are turning to the football season starting up. Our high school youth are already engaged in team practices as early as yesterday in our neck of the woods. Our Green Knights arrive on Friday, and in Green Bay, well, the brand new Ray Nitschke Field is already pretty warn down from plenty of use. ....Are you ready???....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBG98ksQAg4

For more information on the good work provided by Catholic Athletes for Christ, please check out... ....

www.catholicathletesforchrist.com

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Catching Up Long Enough to Say: THANK YOU!

I'll be presiding at the GBCI Prison [Sunday] Mass on on Thursday, the Mass of the Assumption at Old Saint Joe's and at Lambeau Field on Saturday, and the weekend Mass at Old Saint Joe's and Lambeau Field on Sunday. If you should be on hand and it sounds as though I'm sporting my Antigo homeland accent as I speak, guess what: it just might be a Canadian accent! I just returned to the Priory after having been away with family and friends to preside at my nephew/Godson's wedding in International Falls, Minnesota. ....You know the place! It's often mentioned in the news as the daily "Coldest place in the US," day-after-day-after-day! Nathan was married to Kristin Marantis this past Saturday. At some point, I'll tell you more. It's suffice to say at this point, a nephew/Godson is the closest resemblance to a "son" a priest will ever have. It was a beautiful and emotional experience for me -- to be sure!

Having been away for a while, I have not had the opportunity to mention the new look you are currently discovering at this sight! I owe it all to Zach Parmeter! Remember earlier this summer when I mentioned that his new sight, "Exactlyzach" would smoke mine? Well guess what, he totally reworked the look of this blog. Beyond my consideration of what a stand up guy he is, he's got great eyes -- that is evident in what he presents here as my home page.

How does one best represent a priest's blog? I think Zach did extraordinarily well! The blog you see unrolls as a parchment atop a map of the Holy Land which offers the header similar to the former look: "JAMES THOMAS BARANIAK: A Canon Regular of Premontre." To the left of my name you will see the Coat of Arms of the Norbertine Canonry of Saint Norbert Abbey, my Religious family, which is adorned throughout the abbey and college and high school campuses -- my office and car specifically! To the right of my name you will notice northern Wisconsin, which I have been travelling extensively recently en route to and from the wedding this weekend.

Below the top roll of the scroll, you'll see all sorts of things that make up my life -- those things I cherish most in life which enable me to serve "the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the imprisoned and the free" on a daily basis as a Norbertine Priest. From the left you will see a silhouette of "JB" which is replicated throughout each posting of the blog -- it's what is posted above my SNC office doors in JMS Hall in stainless steel: "JB." Moving right you notice the tip of DePere's skyline on the west side, Old Saint Joe's. Moving beyond my image used by Saint Norbert College, you will see a street sign which identifies the center of the bulk of these postings -- experiences I encounter at SNC, OSJ, SNA/SJP, Lambeau Field, and GBCI. In the background, you will notice the cloister walks at the Vatican coupled with the Papal Coat of Arms. Moving further right, you will notice the Packer "G" which is embroidered on much of my secular clothing and a prison cell block representing my 11-year ministry to the inmates at the Green Bay Correctional Institute. "jb, o.praem.," which is my consistent signature to all people I contact via email, is the bottom line of the header.

Heading south, at the footer of the page you will notice an open New Testament which flops open to the Epistle of Saint James -- a rather "Catholic" book, which opens to one of my favorite passages, "Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:16)!" Between the header, you will notice the Cross of Christ which identifies the date of each posting to the left, and a clipboard of information about the author and the posts to the right.

All of this is the brainchild and creative imagination of Zach Parmeter. Earlier this summer, you may have read that he underwent that eye procedure that so many people have been undergoing to correct their vision. Obviously, Zach's vision was pretty remarkable from the beginning -- as you see here. He did it all with zero prompting!

You see a campaign button that introduces today's blog. In a heartbeat, I'd vote for Zach for anything -- not just for his creativity which you see here, but for his good spirit and strong Catholic values that were a gift to him from his extraordinarily kind parents.

I'll have many things in mind as I preside at the various Masses of the Assumption on Thursday (prison) and Saturday (OSJ & Lambeau Field). One of the thoughts in mind will be the great caliber of students Assumption High School of Wisconsin Rapids has sent to our college over the years -- Zach Parmeter included!

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