Bishop LaValley's Homily from Rite of Election (2025)

 On the first part of the journey, I was looking at all the life. There were plants and birds and rocks and things. There were sand and hills and rings. The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz, and the sky with no limits and no clouds. The heat was hot and the ground was dry, but the air was full of sound. I dabbled through the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to be out in the rain. In the desert, you can't remember your name, because there ain't no one for to give you no name.

My sisters and brothers, a few years ago, I reflected on these lyrics at Mass, and I thought a renewed consideration would be helpful for Lent 2025, because we believe here at home. Now, I have a pretty good idea of your age if you recognize any of the lyrics of this hit tune by America called A Horse With No Name. Now, why in the world would the bishop call our attention again to this old-time classic on this first part of the journey of Lent? Furthermore, what did the songwriter mean by A Horse With No Name?

It’s reported that he said, "This anonymous horse was a vehicle for me to get away from all the confusion and chaos of life to a peaceful, quiet place." The rain symbolized all his problems. So he goes to the desert, where none would expect all this rain—personal problems—to follow. The desert was a gateway place for him, a place for thinking and exploring who he was.

It's appropriate that our Lent begins with a story in the desert. Perhaps it's not feasible for most of us to visit a geographical desert. But we do have Lent, which serves as a sort of desert of time rather than of place. And if we want to remember our name, explore from the depths of our being who and whose we are, we can make Lent that vehicle—the time for self-reflection.

At our Baptism, the deacon or priest asks our parents, "What name have you given your child?" Names are important. At our Baptism, we claim the name of a Christian. And that makes all the difference in the world today and beyond.

We know that the Church describes Lent in many ways. We compare our 40 days in the desert to Christ being in the desert for 40 days. We speak of fasting and abstinence. We understand Lent as being a time of self-sacrifice. Interestingly, the word Lent itself means "spring."

Despite our descriptions, Lent is not intended to be a bleak and dark time in which we match our spiritual mood with that of the darkness of winter. No. Lent is intended to be a new beginning. A new springtime in which we reinvigorate our faith. Fasting, abstinence, self-sacrifice—these are not the goal of Lent. These traditional disciplines are the tools of Lent to help you and me explore who we are and how we might grow closer to the One who is the source of all our blessings.

Our task in Lent is like that of Israel's 40 days in the desert. It’s an opportune time to take a good, hard look at ourselves, our lives, and our behaviors, especially because we owe absolutely everything. Sadly, in this entitlement age, we forget that all is a gift.

During Lent, we are encouraged to put aside all else and devote ourselves to concentrating on our relationship with God and the temptations in our lives that threaten to harm that relationship. So we use fasting and self-denial to do this. Notice that the remedies for the three temptations that Jesus encountered in the desert are addressed with the three practices that our Church invites us to take up during this Lenten season: fasting, almsgiving, and prayer.

By fasting and other acts of self-denial, we learn self-control. By almsgiving, we practice detachment from material things and avoid creating false means for ourselves. By prayer, especially using the Scriptures as Jesus did, we humble ourselves before God, relying on His grace. Again, these disciplines are tools to help us focus and claim our identification as Catholic Christians.

At Mass, when we bring up our gifts of bread and wine, let us make a conscious effort to also bring our Lenten sacrifices to the altar. When we're talking about Lenten participation at Mass, fundamentally, that’s what we're talking about—how we, cleric, religious, or layperson, offer ourselves with Jesus to the Father.

So when the priest prays that the Lord accepts the sacrifice, and prays in the glory of His name, let us be focused on the mystery of the moment, joining our own daily sacrifices with the sacrifice of Christ Himself to the Father. I hope that all the liturgies, prayers, acts of mercy, and classes that the parish offers you this Lent will help you stay focused on your relationship with Jesus.

It's important, too, to remember to have patience with ourselves and with our neighbors as we all struggle, and sometimes stumble and fall, on our Lenten journeys. Again, Lent can be a time to usher in a new springtime in our lives of faith—a new commitment to the Church and parish. A renewed enthusiasm to worship and praise the God who has spared nothing so that we might enjoy eternal happiness.

Can there be a better reason to be a true Pilgrim of Hope? This is truly a grace-filled time and a testament to remember who you are and to respond to God's awesome gifts.

As we set out on this first part of our journey in Lent, we welcome you, our Catechumens and Candidates, to our beautiful Cathedral for this Rite of Election. Again, it truly is a day of blessing for the Diocese of Ogdensburg.

Dear Catechumens and Candidates, with the continued guidance of your parish's OCIA team and staff, please make these days of intense prayer a privileged time of personal encounter and shared joy with Jesus Christ. We are so grateful to all those who, in your faith journey, have been faithful companions—your family members, fellow parishioners, pastors, and members of the parish OCIA team.

Thank you again for coming to St. Mary’s Cathedral this afternoon to be counted among the elect. I pray that as you continue your pilgrimage of faith, you develop the spiritual discipline of always being attentive to the blessings you have received in life, and then give praise and honor to God, the source of all blessings.

Through your compassionate works of mercy and, of course, in your participation in this great prayer of Thanksgiving, I hold you, in Christ, all tremendously important, just as the Apostle Paul did.

As sisters and brothers in the Lenten season, we can remember our name. We can reclaim it and celebrate it.

O Christian, O disciple of Jesus, Pilgrim of Hope, child of God, may God be praised forever. May God be praised.