This weeks letter from Fr. Donnelly

PAST LETTERS

From the Pastor Jesus’s Sermon on the Plain

Jesus lists the characteristics of blessed people. He lists the attitudes that can be found among the saints, which He and His mother perfectly fulfilled. They are called the “beatitudes”. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke list beatitudes. Luke’s list is shorter. It is the gospel for this Sunday. The first on the list is “Blessed are the poor in spirit”. There is nothing wrong with making money or winning money, but many people are preoccupied with acquisition. Instead of making money to live, they live to make money. Jesus said to avoid greed in all of its forms. Being poor does not make one holy per se. But those who are holy are detached from what they have. They are poor in spirit. There are people who take vows of voluntary poverty to remind the rest of us of the necessity to maintain a spirit of poverty. These are the “religious” (monks and nuns): no personal bank accounts, salaries, automobiles, credit cards, etc. “Blessed are you who hunger now and woe to you who are full.” Beware of gluttony (a capital sin, and a common one). Gluttony does not mean liking or appreciating food. Jesus himself attended many a dinner and was unjustly called a “glutton”. Gluttony is an inordinate desire to eat and drink. Eating and drinking are necessary for life, but we do not live to eat and drink. There is a place for fasting. This will work to counteract gluttony. Many of our people do not know what this is, outside of Lent. “Blessed are those who weep v. woe to you who laugh.” Why would a person who weeps be considered blessed? It depends on why they are weeping. Jesus wept over Jerusalem for its failure to accept salvation. St. John Vianney wept in the confessional because the penitent was not weeping. St. Francis wept because he saw that too many people did not love God. “Blessed are you when men hate you because of me v. when all speak well of you.” If anyone ever persecutes you for being a Catholic, it is a good sign that you are living the faith. Jesus remains a sign of contradiction in the world. Beware of desiring to be well thought of by worldly opinion. The sufferings and privations of the world remind us that Jesus came that we might share in His happiness, a happiness (“beatitude”) that the world cannot give, and which will be fulfilled perfectly in heaven. 

The Resurrection

This Sunday’s second reading is a classic passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. In the passage, Paul reiterates the truth and significance of the death and resurrection of Christ. Everyone should understand this. Without the saving death of Christ, we would still be in our sins. Without the resurrection, we would have no hope beyond this world. Jesus’s death and resurrection, together, allow us to be victorious over sin and death. This should be good news for everyone.

St. Paul asserts the truth of these beliefs. They are not based on wishful thinking. The Church’s understanding of the significance of Christ is a result of Jesus’s own ministry. No one made these things up. To underscore this point, St. Paul states that Jesus was buried (i.e., His death was real), and that, subsequently, the risen Christ was seen by St. Peter, the other apostles, to “500 brothers at once”, and, lastly by Paul himself. (See 1 Cor. 15.) Dead people do not come back to life, after three days in a tomb, but Jesus did. Jesus’s resurrected appearance was not as a ghost, either. He had a glorified body (complete with the salvific wounds which He retained). The resurrection constitutes the confirmation of all Christ’s works and teachings.

Without the resurrection, our faith is in vain. This is what St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15. In other words, without resurrection, the Catholic faith becomes something like an empty package. There is no substance to it. How can we be sure that the resurrection happened? The Church’s very existence is premised upon the reality of the resurrection. Our faith is not a matter of religious opinions. It is a response to the truth. We must be thankful that there is a Church, or we wouldn’t know Jesus. We wouldn’t know anything about the resurrection, and we would have no hope. Why would we have no hope? Because the resurrection of Jesus is the principle and source of the resurrection of the faithful Christian. We begin the resurrected life at baptism. Along with faith (and perseverance in the faith), we live a new life which death cannot overcome.

The day the Church sets aside for celebrating the resurrection is every Sunday. Every Mass puts us in touch with the resurrected Christ because His risen body is made present in the Eucharist. And Jesus said, “if you eat my body and drink my blood you have eternal life, and I will raise you up on the last day” (John 6.54). This is why the Church urges people to live as active Catholics. We need Jesus. We are all going to die. We need His grace to overcome sin and death. Thank God for the gift of Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Immaculate Conception Church is one of the sacred sites in the Diocese of Cleveland for the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025. 

As a Jubilee Parish, you can obtain a plenary indulgence by participating at Mass, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, or by spending time in Eucharistic Adoration and praying an Our Father, the Profession of Faith, and invoking Mary the Mother of God. 

The Church, in her loving kindness, offers a great gift during the Jubilee Year: the opportunity to receive indulgences. a grace that allows us to experience the fullness of God’s mercy. An indulgence remits the temporal punishment due to sin, which we may still carry even after our sins are forgiven in confession. 

The path to receiving an indulgence through a Jubilee pilgrimage is straightforward but requires sincerity, prayer, and faith. To obtain the plenary indulgence when visiting a Jubilee site or area church, the following conditions must be met: 

• Go to Confession: First, you must be in a state of grace. This means you should go to Confession and receive absolution. The Sacrament of Reconciliation restores our relationship with God, and it is through this sacrament that we are spiritually prepared to receive the indulgence. 

• Receive the Eucharist: Participate in the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and through receiving Christ’s body and blood, we are united with Him in a special way. 

• Pray for the Pope’s Intentions: The Church asks us to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, the Pope. This is an expression of our unity with the universal Church and a sign of our communion with the entire Body of Christ. 

• Perform the Pilgrimage Act: Visit the designated pilgrimage site, whether it’s a basilica, shrine, or area church, and offer prayers of reflection, repentance, and hope. The pilgrimage itself becomes a prayer—a journey of the heart and spirit toward God. 

• Live in Detachment from Sin: The faithful must be detached from all sin, even venial sin, as part of the spiritual preparation. This is not about human perfection but about a sincere longing to be free from all that separates us from God. 

This is an amazing opportunity before us this year, and I encourage you to take time to come to ICC or another parish established as a Jubilee site this year to further your spiritual growth in Christ! There are 8 parishes and 3 shrines. 

We will have a special cross on display in the sanctuary for the Jubilee Year, and we will celebrate special Jubilee Masses throughout the year. 

We have a welcome center set up in the Gathering Space which has a welcome guestbook for visitors and information regarding the jubilee. You may obtain a passport and go on a pilgrimage around the diocese visiting the different sacred sites. 

Those unable to participate in these visits to our Jubilee parishes can obtain a plenary indulgence by uniting themselves in spirit with those taking part in person and reciting the Our Father, Profession of Faith, and other prayers while offering up their sufferings or hardships of their lives. The Jubilee of Hope means that God is inviting us to renew our commitment to Him and to each other. This is a moment to reconcile with those we have wronged, to care for the marginalized, and to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, service, and community. For more information see our website at iccmadison.com 

As we journey through 2025, let us open our hearts to the transformative grace of this year, seeking to be instruments of hope, healing, and reconciliation. May we live out the spirit of the Jubilee by embracing God’s mercy and offering that mercy to others. Let us pray for a fruitful Jubilee Year and for all who seek peace, justice, and the embrace of God’s love. Amen.