Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Welcome back to another edition of Big City Catholics, our diocesan podcast with Bishop Robert Brennan, the diocesan bishop of Brooklyn and Queens, and myself, Father Christopher Henu, here at the CO Cathedral of St Joseph. This is a Thanksgiving edition. As we prepare ourselves for that great holiday, we'll begin, though, in prayer. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Asking our Blessed Mother's intercess upon us and our families, our diocese, and all of our intentions, we pray. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: In the name of the Father, Son.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: And Holy Spirit, Amen. So we're actually releasing the podcast a little bit early in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday. It gives us a chance to wish everybody a very happy Thanksgiving.
[00:01:01] Speaker A: Not to sound too poetic or sappy, but it's an opportunity for us to talk about what we are thankful for. Every Thanksgiving is an opportunity to do that. I mean, every day, really, as Christians, is an opportunity to give thanks to God. But it's an opportunity for you, Bishop, as this is sort of like that fireside chat you talk about, to kind of speak to the faithful of the diocese on what you're thankful for and giving thanks at this season.
[00:01:24] Speaker B: Well, this weekend, actually, I guess it's Sunday is the 30th, will mark three years that I'm here. And so high on my list of things to say thank you about would be the very gift of being right here in Brooklyn and Queens and the incredible experience that I've had over these last three years, and the incredible experience I have every day of encountering such wonderful people. A church that is so vibrant and alive, but also a church that's holy and dedicated to prayer. I'm thinking of the last year and just some of the highlights, you might say, but even the ordinary things stand out. But, you know, you think of the whole experience of eucharistic revival and the countless numbers of people who worked to put it all together, the pilgrimages and all of that, and all those who came out, these are great, great people who are working really, really hard and making amazing things happen, giving that encounter with Jesus Christ. I give thanks. Last week in the podcast, we were talking about the 125th anniversary of Catholic Charities, and I think of the amazing work that so many people, whether it be in Catholic Charities, in our parishes, or even just as individuals or as groups or prayer groups do to reveal the heart of Jesus Christ to other people by charity, by service, in ordinary and extraordinary ways. The richness of charity that's around here. Just this weekend. Wow. On Saturday, we had a youth conference, and we ended up having 1600 young people. So, first of all, I'm grateful for those young people. And it was an amazing day. It was a great day with the different talks and all of that, but the spirit of the young people can just lift you up. But the thing that amazed me were the people who were working on it. Father Carolli is directing the work of youth ministry. He collaborates with Lucia Morales and so many other people. He has a committee of volunteers who. Who help some of the youth ministers to organize. Father Dwayne Davis and The people at St. Thomas Aquinas, they hosted us. St. Thomas Aquinas, they had the different buildings, so they were able to handle the crowd, the ambassadors. Father Davis, not only in Thomas Aquinas, but he has ambassadors, a youth movement. Man, oh, man, were they amazing in their hospitality. But, you know, here's the thing. The organization, you have to be pretty organized in order to be flexible. And that event started out with the expectations of somewhere around between three and 500 people, which is still a nice. Which is a very nice. It's very respectable. But as the week went on, like the very last week before, it just snowballed and went from that to close to a thousand. I got a text from somebody the day before saying that they were expecting a thousand people. Get up that morning, and something comes across about 1200. I arrive, and they telling me 1400. And when they did the count, it was 1600.
[00:04:17] Speaker A: Wow. That's incredible. As you say, you have to be organized to be flexible, because that is.
[00:04:22] Speaker B: They were. This is why I'm so impressed. And it took a lot of work and a lot of organization. They were unflappable about the whole thing. Okay, let's do this. They had an overflow plan. They moved the overflow to a bigger room. They swapped out so that if you were in the church in the morning, you went to the gym in the afternoon. If you were in the gym in the morning, you went to the church in the afternoon. They had the live stream working with parish volunteers and the Knights of Columbus. I have to say a lot about the Knights of Columbus. They provided food for every one of those kids.
[00:04:52] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:04:52] Speaker B: And it wasn't just catering. You know, sandwiches. They cooked hot dogs and hamburgers and packed them up, wrapped them in foil and had warmers. There and they served warm meals to 1600 children. They first said, one hot dog or hamburger, and then they said, everybody can go back for seconds once we knew that everybody was fed. And then they even had enough that they had thirds for those who wanted. At that point, there were fewer, and they had left over to distribute on the way home. Just to say to people, we don't want to waste food. You know, they were giving it out. It was easily packed. Father Carolli said it wasn't the miracle of the loaves, but the miracle of the hot dogs and the hamburgers, the multiplication of the hot dogs and the hamburgers. It was great. But you see that kind of flexibility rolling with the punches and sense of welcome. That was the message that was sent. We're glad you're here. Not like, oh, no, what are we going to do? It was a real sense of, we're really glad you're here.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: I mean, you notice when it comes to youth events, really, in the diocese, we really. They've been very impressive. The high school graduation Mass, which was the first year that's happened in a while, right? The 8th grade graduation mass here at the Co Cathedral. Standing room only, these events. It is really quite impressive. And I guess my question for you is. You basically mentioned it. One of the messages you wish to get across to the youth is, you're welcome here, you belong here. This is a place for you. But what else do you hope that the youth gain from it?
[00:06:16] Speaker B: Well, yeah, it's that sense of, you're welcome here, you're loved. But it's also a chance to affirm the good things that they're doing. I mentioned 1600 kids, but there wasn't a single problem. One of the things I actually said to them at Mass, it's kind of a variation on that question. People ask me, well, what can young people learn from Carla Wakoudis? And I said, well, you know, I guess there's a lot that young people can learn from Carlo Acutis. But I think St. Carlo Acutis teaches us older folk that we can learn a lot from our young people. And I think that's the other message that I want to communicate to them, that they inspire us and they teach us. There are extraordinary, heroic examples like Blessed Carlo Acutis, but even just the young people themselves, the everyday young people that we encounter, and it's the same thing in the parishes, we have a lot to learn from our young people. That's something that Pope Francis said very clearly in Christus Vivet in his message to the young people at easter time in 2019, that Christ is alive and that they help to witness that in very powerful ways.
[00:07:22] Speaker A: I also think it's just we've mentioned this before and you've said it in just that young people see other young people engaged in their faith and realize, I'm not the only one. You know, I'm not unique in this.
[00:07:33] Speaker B: That's huge. You're right. Thank you for saying that. But, yeah, that is a very important. It's like the World Youth Day message. The young people constantly pounding with the message that, you know, to believe in Jesus, to be a person who lives in the church, makes you, in a sense, an oddball. You're sort of on the fringe, and nobody else really believes this stuff. And yet a day like Saturday, you look around and, you know, these are ordinary, lively, joyful young people. They're also ordinary, lively, but maybe sleepy young people early in the morning, you know, but they do believe they're here, maybe if not out of complete faith, out of obedience, which gives a certain openness. But they're there to encounter Christ. And when you see that you're not alone in it, that can really lift you up, I think.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: You know, of all of our topics since we've begun this podcast, we do kind of COVID major things that have happened in the diocese and behind every one of those major events, you mentioned it, the Eucharistic revival, the processions, the different youth days, the high school things, these things just don't happen. You know, they happen with the help of a lot of priests and lay people in the diocese. And I think, as you mentioned, this is something to be grateful for as well.
[00:08:50] Speaker B: And so, yeah, again, using this weekend, it's all the people who organize the event, but it's the youth ministers who got people to come and the pastors who encouraged it. So, yeah, yeah.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: And even on a regular basis, on a regular day, there's so much happening in our diocese to be grateful for, even just the simple acts of things that are happening on a deanery level, things that are happening in a parochial level, there's so much good that's happening.
[00:09:14] Speaker B: And that's one of the other projects which sometimes can be a little discouraging is our parish partnerships and all of that. But again, what we're realizing is we're stronger together and that sense of collaboration with each other. We're not living in our own separate worlds, but that we are a communion, a family of families, that as a family of families, we're stronger together and God is working through us. So this year, Thanksgiving falls late. It's not unusual that Thanksgiving would be followed by the Feast of Christ the King, which we celebrated last Sunday. This time we go right from Thanksgiving into Advent. So it's not exactly what you would call a restful weekend, not for many.
[00:09:58] Speaker A: Pastors and religious as we get ready for that first Sunday of Advent and start our Advent series. But it is definitely an exciting, exciting time for us. I thought this past Sunday, there's an excitement, but there's an anxiety. There's an excitement that we're nearing the start of Advent, but there's that anxiety also that you say, am I really prepared too, for that season of Advent to prepare myself for the coming of Christ and Christmas? So there's kind of a mix of emotions. So I imagine at every Thanksgiving table, I think of, not to put you on the spot, but the mix of emotions at a Thanksgiving table. This Thanksgiving will be a little different for you as well. Bishop no, the passing of your mother this past year.
[00:10:37] Speaker B: Yes, yes. That's actually for us, that's been a reality the last couple of years through her illness. But there, too, it's a moment for us, we've all talked about it, that this is a moment for us to see the gratitude in her impact in our lives. Over the year, we are going to be doing a lot of remembering. We remember the Thanksgivings when we were all there, when my brothers and sisters, kids were younger and we were all like 30, 40 strong. And on Thanksgiving, for some reason, that was the big feast. And so, you know, their families are starting to grow and they have to be able to gather their families. So there's some change in that. But those memories don't go away, and they kind of inspire new memories. My brothers and sisters carrying some of those things into their families. And my father and I will be with one of my brothers and his family. But, yeah, we give thanks for those experiences. Remembering gives us a sense of gratitude for the experiences that we've had and really connects us with one another, with my mom, I mean, with her in her new life. And, you know, speaking of new life coming into Advent, that's what we're celebrating. You know, one of the things of Advent is that we recall God's favors in the past. The readings of Advent keep bringing up God's promises. And as we look to the fulfillment of God's promise to the end of all things that are passing in this world and the resurrection of the body as we look forward to the promise of heaven, you know, we say Come, Lord Jesus. But we don't do so with the experience of when will you get here? But we do it with the confidence that God is faithful to his promises. God's been faithful to so many promises through the generations that God will be faithful to this promise that we're going to live forever and that his kingdom will have no end.
[00:12:27] Speaker A: And that's where we place our hope.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: That is our hope and Christ is our hope. You know, the Holy Father wrote, I mentioned this last week, the Holy Father wrote the encyclical on the Sacred Heart and really is going to be worth delving into that over the course of this year with the jubilee of the Sacred Heart. The name of the encyclical is he loves us, he loved us. And yet we recall in thanksgiving. But we also recall in hope that he loved us and that Christ is the only hope that will never disappoint. Hope will not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts. The only hope that will not disappoint is Jesus Christ. So we cry out during Advent, come, Lord Jesus, Come, Lord Jesus, be with us, walk with us in this life, but lead us to our final destiny, which is fullness of life in the resurrection.
[00:13:21] Speaker A: That's right. And so it takes on a nice kind of unique. Then that Thanksgiving falls between that Christ the King and Advent. Because you're proclaiming Christ as King, you're also yelling with faith in our hearts, saying, come, Lord Jesus, come as Christ your King, Come to us as that Savior. So it falls in the midst of that and then being thankful, being grateful, that Thanksgiving, that act of Eucharist in the midst of it all. So it is a fine time, really.
[00:13:48] Speaker B: And it gives us a little more Advent. If you remember last year, Advent was three weeks and a day.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: That's right, yeah.
[00:13:53] Speaker B: And this year we at least have. We go into the week. Actually, it's kind of nice. Christmas is midweek, which has a nice rhythm to it. But we'll be doing all kinds of great things during the season of Advent. Again, we don't want to rush Christmas at the expense of Advent. Advent's interesting season. We wear the violet because it is a penitential season. But it's like a joyful penitential. It's a hope filled expectation. And so we're going to be doing, you know, there'll be a lot of joyful things out, tree lighting and the customs that all come out. We'll start to see Brooklyn and Queens come alive with the lights and the different Nativity sets and all kinds of things like that. And the events, we have great concerts.
[00:14:34] Speaker A: Coming up and you know, if I may plug a great Advent concert here at the Koch Cathedral. We have Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger coming on Saturday, December 7th to the Koch Cathedral for an Advent night of worship. And we're hoping that we'll have both young people and old all are welcome to come and experience this praise and worship music, this giving praise and glory to God in the context of Eucharistic adoration, which you'll help lead bishop. And tickets are required. There's more information on our co Cathedral Facebook page and people can call the office if they need any questions. But I'm really excited for that.
[00:15:09] Speaker B: That is he's performed here before and he has a Christmas album and so I will imagine that some of that performance will draw us in and it's a very beautiful, beautiful album. And you know, and he has some of the traditional Christmas hymns. But he's a great figure in praise and worship music. He's probably one of the better well known artists. Many, many of our youth movements and many of our events are familiar with his songs like Lord, I need you. That's right, I need you, Lord, I need you and your grace is enough. These are very, very popular songs. But his Christmas album really is good. A good mix of both Advent and Christ. It gets you that sense of hope filled expectation as we're longing for the coming of Christ and celebrating his coming in Bethlehem.
[00:15:56] Speaker A: Yeah, you mentioned, and I agree with you, the idea of preserving Advent so that it is that season, the penance might be that we try to hold back a little that we're not celebrating Christmas just yet. That could be penitential for some, just sort of wait a minute, don't tear open the presents sort of that way. I just came back from Ireland, Bishop. That's why I was not able to join you last week on the podcast. I led 40 people in a pilgrimage through Ireland. And of course there's no Thanksgiving in Ireland. So usually like Thanksgiving for us here in the States is like that's when immediately after Thanksgiving all the Christmas decorations go up in that kind of secular world. Well, it's up already in Ireland. There are Christmas lights in the town, there's trees up already and like that was mid November, so.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: Well, I got news for you.
[00:16:41] Speaker A: It's happened here too.
[00:16:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it's happened here. I mean it's basically Halloween.
[00:16:45] Speaker A: That's true.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: Leads right into Christmas.
But the sad thing is then it's the day after Christmas, it's all gone. And that is not the case. We want to carry that through epiphany and baptism of the Lord, but we want to celebrate it this year. So listen, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, enjoy the weekend, and may the blessings of Advent give you grace and hope and renewal.
[00:17:10] Speaker A: Thank you, Bishop, and a happy Thanksgiving to you and to all who join us. Bishop, perhaps you could lead us in a final prayer.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: Yes, I would love to do that. So I'll jump into Advent a little bit. It's not a pure Advent prayer, but often we use Loving Mother of the Redeemer. A special prayer, Marian prayer. I call it the Stella Maris prayer. About Mary, the star of the sea. Loving Mother of the Redeemer, Gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen, yet strive to rise again to the wonderment of nature. You bore your creator, yet remained a virgin after, as before, you who received Gabriel's joyful greetings, have pity on us poor sinners. And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain with you forever and ever.
[00:17:59] Speaker A: Amen. Thank you, Bishop, and thanks to all. A very blessed Thanksgiving and a happy first Sunday of Advent, as the next time we come together will be in the great season of adventure. A blessed time to us all. We hope that you'll join us again next week. Have a great week. God bless.
