Mary Mother of God

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary as the Holy Mother of God, and the New Year as well.  Why is it that we Catholics insist that Mary is the Mother of God?  We do so for three reasons.

1)   We protect the Divinity of Christ

2)    We protect our own nature in and that we are raised up to the Divine nature of God

3)  Because we understand that all our relationships, with both the Church militant and the   Church triumphant are familial.

There are some Christians who shy away from calling Mary the Mother of God or any other title since they think it may impede on Christ or become false worship.  This is not the case or at least as is it needs to be understood.  There are even Catholic who have a hard time with Marian feasts and dogmas for whatever reasons, hopefully I can shed some light on the subject so that we can see that this dogma, “Mary as God’s Mother,” is both reasonable and correct.

All of us agree that Jesus is also God; He has two natures, human and divine.  Both natures are always at work and no one nature supersedes or diminishes the other, both work harmoniously.  Scripture is quite clear, for instance in the Gospel of John it says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1)  Later in John it says, “Before Abraham came to be, I AM.” (Jn. 8:58)  Clearly the Gospel of John indicates that Jesus is Divine as do all the Gospels, especially in Jesus’ miracles.  Never once does He ask for help when He performs a miracle and in those miracles He also shows that He is Lord of nature, i.e. walks on water, raises the dead, etc.

If Jesus is Divine and the 2^nd person of the Trinity then He must have always been the 2^nd person of the Trinity even while in the womb of Mary, therefore Mary is the Mother of God.  St. Leo provided a nice little argument from logic proving that the title of Mary as Mother of God is indeed reasonable and logical.  Leo claimed:

If A is the Mother of B

And if B is C

Then A is also the Mother of C

Mary is the Mother of Jesus

Jesus is God

Therefore, Mary is the Mother of God

This is logic 101.

We also have Mary referred to in Scripture, at least implicity as the Mother of God when Mary visits Elizabeth.  Upon Mary’s arrival Elizabeth says to Mary, “And how does this happen to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk. 1:43)  The Jews would never say God’s name out of reverence, the name Yahweh was sacred so they substituted with Adonai, in Greek Adonai is translated as Kyrios, and in English both are translated as Lord.  Another way the passage can read is as, “And how does this happen to me, that the Mother of my God (Yahweh) should come to me.”

It is not just Mary’s title that we protect; again, we protect the Divinity of Christ, for if one claims that Mary is not the Mother of God ones begins to run into major difficulties explaining the personhood of Christ as regards His Divine nature.  We also run into problems of who we are.  Since God became man, God has lifted our nature towards Divinity, we become gods.  The Eastern Churches have a theological concept somewhat lost in the west which is called Theosis, meaning that when we receive saving grace we are becoming what Jesus is, namely divine.  So that there is no misunderstanding, we are not God, though we grow into what He is, i.e. Divine.  St. Paul says in Galatians 2:20, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  In another place we read, “He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the Divine nature.”  And from the great Church father St. Athanasius who defended the Divinity of Christ at the Council of Nicea from his work “On the Incarnation” says, “God became man so that men might become gods.” (Migne,Patrologia Graeca, 25, 192 B De incarnatione Verbi, 54) 

You can see the intimacy that God has with humankind.  It is one in which He becomes one of us, but also that He resides in us in the most intimate of ways, He mingles His nature with ours.  Mary, His mother shared that in the most intimate of ways, for the Lord’s heart rested in her very womb, hence the new Ark of the Covenant.  And yet, Mary like Jesus does not keep these things for herself, but shares them with us.  She shares her very motherhood with us.  From the Cross Jesus says to Mary, “Behold your son.”  And to his disciple John He says, “Behold your mother.”  C.f. John 19:26-27.  Mary embraces us as a mother, even from the Cross while her own Son is dying.  She does so because she understands that all of us are loved by God and have the Divine spark, but more importantly she loves us, as a dear mother who holds her children close.

Mary is therefore rightly called the Mother of God, not just as another title for herself, but so that we may be able to understand who Jesus is, as well as understanding who we are, all of us are children of God.  It is each day that we become more and more like God for just as God rested in Mary He desires to rest in us and He will in just a few moments when we celebrate the Eucharist.  Therefore, this New Year let us remember that when we receive the Eucharist, we become Jesus’ mother, father, sister and brother, we are becoming like gods.

Hello My Friend, It is Good to See You: Merry Christmas

Christmas, the biggest, the greatest, the brightest, the loudest and most spectacular birthday party in the entire world.  Every Christmas tree is a candle, every light is a flame on top of that candle, and every present is a sharing in the celebration of the most excellent of birthday parties, pretty awesome.  No one else receives this kind of party, simply no one.  Some believe we go overboard, that’s true if we spend beyond our limits or forget the real purpose of Christmas, but I say, “We can never go overboard for Jesus.”  There are not enough lights, trees or presents to fully express the love we feel for our Lord and it is today that we remember that love which broke into human history to save us.  It is beyond imagination that God in the 2^nd person of the Trinity would become one of us, fully human in every respect except sin.  That is the essence of Christmas – God is with us.

Mary and Joseph were the first recipients of God being in their midst, and yet He was still just their little boy.  They were a family, though the Holy Family, a family nevertheless, walking on their own journey of faith experiencing life in every respect which we do, with all of life’s sorrows and joys.  Once Jesus’ ministry went public then many others experienced God among them.  We know the stories handed down of all the miracles, the wonders, the prayers, the sacrifice, the love, all of it quite incredible, but the one thing that is most important and sometimes overlooked is that God, this 2^nd person of the Trinity walked among us as a friend.  The greatest stories, the ones that touch us the most are the ones about relationships, especially relationships that are healed, between sinner and God.

By Jesus becoming a man he takes on our nature.  How much closer can God come to us than that, by becoming what we are, one of his own?  Can we be loved anymore?  God saw our hurt, pain, our sin and the inability to make it right, so He came and made it right for us.  He took our place so that we would not have to suffer both here and after.  God indeed is love and the only reason we can love and know love is because He has given us Himself both in a manger in Bethlehem, but also in a manger in our hearts.

Remember as you open each present, exchange gifts, light the Christmas trees, turn on the outdoor lights, and everything else that goes with this day, that our Savior is being glorified, not just for his being born and his birthday, but that He is our friend, God came into this world so that He can sit with us and have fellowship and to say to each one of us, “Hello my friend it’s good to see you, it’s reallygood to see you.”  Merry Christmas Lord!

Fr. John

picture from: http://www.spirituallycomplete.com/2011/12/11/the-christmas-story-of-the-birth-of-jesus/

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Open Wide Your Hearts

           The time for Jesus to enter into human history is close at hand and that is why the Gospel today is from St. Luke on the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel to Mary.  Just as it was close then, the breaking of God into human history – in the literal sense, so too now in a figurative way, since Christ was already born, but still looking to be born in our hearts in the right here and right now.

          

          We have been celebrating Advent in order to open wide our hearts for Christmas day.  We open them wide not simply for presents, both in the giving and receiving, nor for all the Christmas lights, decorations, and everything else that goes with the celebration – yes those things are nice and even good, but there is something much more important and that is, allowing Jesus into my heart fully and completely.

          

          If we reflect on the Gospel it is clear that Mary does just that, allowing the Holy Spirit into her completely and without reservation, she opened heart wide.  She allowed no barriers to be raised or any type of blockage to interfere in her relationship with God, regardless of what God asked.  That is why the angel says, “Hail, full of grace.”

          

          Mary was blessed, this goes without saying, and more importantly are her responses to God when asked to prepare a place for Him in her heart.  Mary’s first difficulty was in her giving birth to Jesus.  Most women and families throughout history will find help and places of comfort in delivering a child, for Mary she was asked along with Joseph to press on through the streets of Bethlehem until finally arriving at a manger.  What was going through her mind as her birth pains increased and yet they still could find no place?  The next thing we hear in Scripture of Mary is when she and Joseph bring the child to the temple for circumcision in order to fulfill the law, a beautiful moment for a family, similar to our own baptismal celebrations.  For Mary though it was quite different.  Simeon prophesied that Jesus would be the reason for the rise and fall of many and that a sword would pierce her own heart.  Not the words a mother wants to hear at a time like that.  It would happen again when Mary and Joseph lost Jesus in Jerusalem for three days.  In finding him he simply responds, “You know I had to be about my Father’s work.”  Mary is already being asked to let go and begin allowing her Son to follow his road, one in which would lead to crucifixion and finally resurrection.

          

          In all of these Mary opened her heart and trusted God.  We give Mary many titles, and rightly so, she is the best example of a human being paving and making straight the path to her heart so that it could be open for God.

          

          The same applies to us.  If Mary is truly a Mother to us and the most excellent of examples among the Saints then we must try to imitate her and do so to the best of our abilities.  God is asking something of each of us.  Are we opening wide our hearts?  This is the time to do it.  Christmas is one week away and Christ will be born in us.  If there is anything I need to have removed, cleansed, paved away the Lord is asking us to do it right now, for remember, “Today is the day of salvation, today is the acceptable time.”  So, open wide your hearts!

Fr John

picture from http://freechristimages.org/biblestories/annunciation.htm

           

Thank You Brothers and Sisters

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As we watch and wait for the coming of Christ in the celebration of his birth St. Paul in his 1^st letter to the Corinthians reminds us, “to rejoice always, and to pray without ceasing.”  We do this, rejoice and pray always, not just to await Christmas, but to await our ultimate meeting with Christ, when He calls us from this life to the next.  The Church provides liturgical seasons as reminders to pray and to prepare; the seasons reflect the rhythm of life and even death.

My dad passed away on Nov. 28^th, 2011.  One never imagines their loved one dying, one never believes it will happen, regardless of when and circumstance, hence Jesus coming like a thief in the night was not exaggerated by him.  I think Jesus allows us to believe that we are safe and that it doesn't hit home in order to keep us sane and to live with enthusiasm and vigor, but when He does call that we will not be completely off guard, therefore in some way we need to reflect on death, but to do so not with fear, but with longing to meet our Lord.

           

My dad was not caught off guard, but was awaiting His master with diligence and more importantly with love.  Since I can remember my dad lived Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time, etc., always.  He prayed upon waking, would stop in his tracks at 12pm to recite the Angelus, he prayed the rosary often, read Scripture and the Catechism often, viewed religious programs and movies, attended daily mass and exceptionally loved Sunday mass.  One would think he was a priest.  In many ways he was, though not ordained he lived out his baptismal priesthood (royal priesthood) with all care and love.  He did so through prayer, devotion to family and friends, and in complete surrender to the Lord on the day of his surgery.

            

I want to take this time to thank the great and good people of Elmer, Woodstown, and Mullica Hill of the Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit Parish who have shown my family great kindness, generosity, and prayers during our time of mourning as well as rejoicing. “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the Lord.” (Job)  Your support and kindness has overwhelmed me and brings me to tears.  I will pray for you and I ask that you send me your prayer requests so that I may begin a 30 day novena for you all, please email me at fr.johnpicinic@holyspiritweb.org.


I also wish to express a big thank you to Fr. Tony, my pastor, Deacon Bob and Deacon Steve Theis, all who traveled a long way to be with my family.  I also thank Fr. Gio and Deacon Anton from St. John the Baptist Church in Fairview, NJ.  I thank all my brother priests and deacons from the Diocese of Camden who sent condolences to my family.  


I also thank all my dear Aunts and Uncles, cousins, and close friends who supported us and continue to pray for us, you are in my daily prayers. 

Looking forward to seeing you all this Sunday.  I pray that God blesses you all with abundant graces and good health.  God be with you!  FJ

Prayers for my Dad

Friends, my dad will be going in for bypass surgery on Monday the 28th, please remember him in your prayers, his name is Ivan. I will resume reflections on the 2nd week of Advent, God bless you, FJ

Change: The Inevitable

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day or the hour.”  The readings today, especially St. Paul’s 1^st letter to the Thessalonians and the Gospel of Matthew speak of the 2^nd coming of Jesus.  The Second Coming of Christ is a topic that draws much curiosity, speculation, and even debate among Christians who vary in their beliefs regarding some of the particulars.  Some sects will even go so far as predicting dates, not just once, twice, but even three times or more.  My reflection will not focus on the surface subject matter of the end of the world, as described in today’s readings, but rather our own individual ends.  All of us will meet Christ in the face, either for ill or good, and I pray for the good for us all.

Death is not an end, but a change.  Recently we celebrated seven funerals in about two weeks.  With Fr. Antony being on vacation Fr. Tony and I had more work than usual since we cover Mater Dei and all the sick calls.  There were days in which both of us had three or four services covering three sites plus funerals.  And yet, the Lord sustained us so that we could be strong for those families that needed the Good Lord’s grace and compassion.  Reflecting on those two weeks when so many funerals came through I could not help to think about death.

In a conversation with a good friend we spoke of change in life, sometimes change being very difficult.  Things will happen to us in our relationships, physical problems and emotional problems arise, there are hurdles to overcome, we are called from one job to another, etc., all of it demanding change.  Think of our merger and the great demand that brought and continues to bring.  Nevertheless, part of us must die to what was before otherwise we cannot be ready for what is to come.  Most changes are for the good though we cannot see it when going through it. Some want to hold onto the old, thinking - it was better the way it was, not just in parish life but even in my own personal life.  Though God is making us ready for what is to come we remain resistant.  We do not want to let go of what is comfortable.  That is why death is the greatest change, since it demands the greatest and ultimate letting go.

My friend and I shared that all the changes we go through in life are meant for our good both here and in heaven.  All the changes we go through have two purposes, one, so that God can put us on the right road, and two, to get us used to change in order to prepare for the final sacrament, death, again the ultimate change.  Jesus says, “He will come like a thief in the night, be prepared.”  This saying signifies that we do not predict our own death, that being the case like a good steward we must always remain faithful.  How can I be prepared in order to live like a good and faithful steward? 

One is prepared by submitting to God’s will, to accepting the change that comes before us.  Look around you, everything changes, nothing stands motionless.  Those who resist change get left behind.  Not just in a parish, but at school, work, even within families and friends.  You don’t have many of the same friends you had when you were 5 or 10, or 20, or whatever age you are at now.  It has all changed.  If I cannot accept change now, how will I accept the Lord when he calls me home to that final change, from this life to the next?  I pray for us all, that even though change is difficult we must submit to God’s will, it is always for the best, regardless of what I may think.  That also takes trust and it is easier to trust a man when he backs up his promises with action.  In our case the Lord backed up his promise by spreading his arms on a cross.  Change was tough for him as well, but look at the good it brought about, salvation.  So too does our change bring about the good, it’s simply a matter of letting go and trusting that the change is not for the ill, but for the good and so that we may be prepared be it our own individual death or the Lord’s actual return in glory.  Amen!

Fr. John


picture taken from http://lifentechnicolour.wordpress.com/

All Saints Day: Just Like You and Me

This Tuesday will be the feast day of “All Saints” in the Roman Catholic Church. This is a great feast day for us since we celebrate our name sakes as well as some of our favorite saints and local patrons. So, happy feast day to you all.

The Catholic Church celebrates and lifts up those persons who exemplified extraordinary virtue in their lives. They are persons the Church declares as immediately upon death entering into heaven, no further cleansing or purging as St. Paul puts it is necessary (c.f. 1 Cor. 3:15 and following).

Their lives bear the fruit of a holy life as can easily be observed, i.e. the Apostles, John the Baptist, Augustine, Aquinas, Therese, etc. They are our Hall of Fame Inductees.

This does not mean that we are not saints; anyone who believes is a saint, already being given God’s grace. The saints we mention now and celebrate are canonized saints (declared so by the Church). These declarations either come immediately, as is usually the case with martyrs, the people raising their voices to declare saints, and with final investigation, inquiry, and proclamation of the Church.

We too, like our Hall of Fame inductees are called to the same type of virtue and holy life. Sometimes as Catholics we tend to believe that the life of a saint is not for me, it’s something rather for priests, nuns, religious, old people, and real saints, I’m just a regular person. Nothing can be further from the Truth.
The first 12 Apostles were no different than you or I.

They were actually a rag-tag lot. Many of them were fishermen, one a tax collector, and another zealot. On one occasion James and John had their mommy go to Jesus to see if they could obtain places of honor when Jesus entered into his glory. Another time the apostles asked Jesus to rain down fire and thunder on a town which did not accept their message. Jesus once rebuked Peter, “Get behind me Satan, for you are not thinking as God thinks, but as man thinks.” Peter also denied Jesus after everything he witnessed and the rest ran with their tails between their legs when Jesus was arrested. These are our Hall of Fame Inductees.

Not to be too hard on these good folks, we are no different; we are made of the same stuff. We are also called like they were, by name and then sent to our vocation by God. What makes the Apostles extraordinary, holy, and canonized saints is the fact that they ran the race, they competed well, and they ran to win, as St. Paul eloquently tells us. Every time they fell they got up and when put to the ultimate test they witnessed with their blood. Their holiness is handed down to posterity. A bunch of fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots with their blood sanctified by Christ have helped Christianity spread to well over 1.5 billion followers and growing. Again no different than you or I, but the difference in their getting inducted is that they conformed their wills more and more towards God each and every day and the fruits of their labors are easily recognized. This goes for any canonized Saint, be it Saint Padre Pio, St. Thomas More, St. Catherine, or St. Vincent Pallotti.

What draws us to them is that we crave that same life, one that is close to Jesus, one that desires holiness and virtue above all else. We can become that; don’t sell yourself short for once you do you will only achieve 2nd best. Let us ask our own name sakes, our favorite saints to pray for us that we will grow closer to God, that we will live lives of compassion in order to be saints just like them, no different than let’s say a fisherman, tax collector, or a zealot.

Fr. John
picture taken from google search for all saints image

Tim Tebow: Hudzpah and Mojo Baby

There has been so much media frenzy and discussion over Tim Tebow that I cannot remember that ever being the case for any quarterback in his 1^st and 2^nd year in the NFL. Why is there so much attention, so much so that it has become ad nauseam, and here I’m adding to it? It is very likely that the Tim Tebow mania will not end any time soon. Some may believe this puts even further undo pressure on the young quarterback, but quite the contrary is true here. Anytime someone is talking about you means that you are relevant, once the talking stops you fall into obscurity and are on the way out of the league or already out. The greater question is, “Why all the talk?”

There are many reasons for all the talk surrounding Tim Tebow, one obviously being that he is one of the most decorated and successful college football players of all time. When you have that kind of resume coming out of high school and college people will naturally talk about you. Watching Tebow play at Florida regardless if one is a professional scout or just a fan one could easily see, here is a player with grit, determination, courage, natural athletic abilities, even though unorthodox in his mechanics as a prototypical quarterback. The scouts picked up on this unorthodoxy and quickly began to make predictions – projections about his future success or failure based simply on his mechanics and being a system quarterback, working solely out of the spread. The great majority of analysts did not see a future for Tim, or if he would have one it would take five years to get him ready or that he would have to move to another position. Well, none of that has happened, rather he is still at quarterback and is now playing.

So now the talk has taken on more life for the simple reason that the analysts are now drooling at the prospects of seeing him fail, not because he is Christian, not because he is a good kid, not because he was a great college quarterback, but simply because they do not want their original prediction to be wrong otherwise their assessments of Tebow could somehow discredit their abilities to project as an analysts. That’s it in a nutshell.

Some feel that all this talk brings undo pressure, I beg to differ. As I stated before Tebow is relevant. The analysts are actually helping his popularity. I guess Tebow is living out the Scripture passage, “be as gentle as doves, but as cunning as snakes.” His message continues to spread as the analysts continue to throw him under the bus. I also think Tebow as gentle as he is – is a smart kid.

The analysts who have thrown him under the bus are supposed experts in their field be it if they are former NFL stars themselves or radio \ tv personalities who have been in the business. They feel strongly that he will not succeed and if he does it will be a long time coming. They fail to take into account that he has what are Jewish brothers and sisters call chutzpah (hudzpah in the vernacular) or what Austin Powers called, “Mojo baby.” You could see that mojo working in the final five minutes. I don’t care if it was vs. Miami, I don’t care that other quarterbacks throw the ball better, or that Tebow played poorly for three quarters, he came through in the end. Does this mean he doesn’t need to improve? No, he still needs to improve, as does everyone in the league and Tebow still has much to learn and to tweak, but nevertheless the kid is a winner. Just because he doesn’t fit the mold of the analyst’s doesn’t necessarily mean he will fail. More times than not the analysts are closer to being right than wrong, but not in this case, they will be proven wrong. I am going out on a limb here, I am not a scout, I am not an analyst, I never played college or nfl ball, but he passes the eye ball test, not for mechanics (and by the way neither did Michael Spinks who won a light heavy weight title and heavy weight title in boxing and was extremely unorthodox) but for grit, determination, and spunk, and most of all for his infectious ability to win, which is priceless, just ask his high school teammates and college teammates who now have state championships and national titles. It’s only a matter of time before that happens in the NFL as well. Remember analysts, “Hudzpah and Mojo baby!”

Fr. John

A Love That Gives All

There is no trick to the Christian faith, nor is there some difficult assignment to figure out. Jesus will not give us a dogmatic exam prior to entering heaven. So be at ease, you will not be asked to explain homoousios, theosis, or transubstantiation vs. consubstantiation. We are simply judged on one thing and one thing only, Love!

Jesus reminds all of those listening that one must love God with his or her whole heart, soul, and mind, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. That’s it, no real trick to it. Jesus has made it quite simple. And yet, it is so difficult. The difficulty arises out of expectations and our desire to move in our own direction.

All of us have expectations of God as well as our neighbor. We naturally expect God to take care of us and when something goes wrong or goes bad our expectations of God change, or at least we begin to ask questions, such as, “How can God let this happen, is God really good, why did he allow evil, etc.?” We feel as if God let us down. We also carry the same expectations of our neighbors. We feel that those around us, especially those we love will keep trust and faith with us. If it is broken then it becomes harder to love them. We also begin to have our own ideas, some of which are good and some of which are not. We begin to move in our own direction away from God through sin and we also move away from neighbor because we begin to think of ourselves, rather than the good. Some of this is just outright sin, while some of it is just honest journeying through life.

Jesus wants us to stay focused on what matters. What matters most is love. Jesus talks about love quite often. One place where he does that rather profoundly is in John chapter 15. “There is no greater love than this then to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We must lay down our lives for the Lord and for one another. We must do so for everyone, not just my family and friends, but even the stranger, and even and more so the persons who have hurt us most in life. There is the real difficulty. Maybe we’d rather take that dogmatic test, a few hours of study and in we’ll be fine, because this love thing is quite difficult indeed. I’m afraid to say it, knowledge is wonderful, but love is greater.

Knowledge is wonderful and the Lord raises up people to plunge the depths of his wisdom, i.e. Paul, Luke, Augustine, Aquinas, etc. All of it for the Church’s benefit so that we may search the deep riches of God’s infinite person and wisdom. Yet none of it is worth anything without love, c.f. 1 Cor. Chapter 13. Even St. Thomas Aquinas when asked the value of his life’s work on the Summa Theologica responded, “It all seems as straw compared to what I have seen.” Thomas may very well have seen God in some sense and realized it is all about love.

I guess Lennon and McCartney were right after all, “All you need is love.” All kidding aside, it is true. Think for a moment if all people did everything they could to follow Jesus’ two simple commandments? The world would be a better place. It has to start somewhere, so why not right now? Pray with me that all of us will love God above all else and that we will truly love our neighbors as God desires, that our love will be a reflection of Jesus’ love, a love that gives everything, even our very lives. Amen!

Pay unto Caesar, Pay unto God!

I have consciously tried to avoid discussing politics in my homilies, bulletin reflections, and blogs. As a Christian and as a priest I understand that I am called to something beyond the body politic to that which is greater – the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is made up of justice and charity. It is justice and charity that permeate throughout the Church, both triumphant and militant. Therefore our Church or Heavenly Society (our call) transcends beyond what we construct here, be it capitalism, socialism, communism, fascism or any other “ism.” Those systems are based on control.

In capitalism, the means of production, that which is produced is done so privately with the goal being profit. However, the control of this private sector is held by very few, for instance the wealthy control the market. You may ask, “Who are the wealthy?” The wealthy are the politicians, the bankers, and corporate big wigs.

In socialism a false premise exists, that the people have cooperatives into which they equally contribute and benefit from, they are self managed since they collectively contribute to the economy, but that is just a shadow as not everyone has the same access to the same resources, therefore they are not true or just cooperatives.

Communism is basically a more radical form of socialism in which there are no longer classes to society or any private ownership of property, all own everything, but the catch is that no one really owns anything especially those who are not high up in the food chain within the government. These major forms of government\economic systems are deficient, since they are not based on justice and charity as is the kingdom of God.

And yet, Jesus calls us not to abandon human form of government but to continue to meet our obligations for the common good, i.e. “Pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s and pay to God what is God’s.” I wonder if Jesus was taking into account a government that protects the rich at all costs and continues to assist them even when they fail, but does not assist the common man, who is the greatest contributor to society since the common man makes up the greatest majority of society. It is the common man that builds highways, byways, railroads, automobiles, farms, technological equipment, and any and everything which we use in our day to day lives. So why is it that large banks can be bailed out but not the restaurant entrepreneur or the owners of a mom and pop deli shop? Do they have less dignity, worth, or value than Wall Street, car manufacturers, or large banks? It is easy to see the flaw in capitalism as the wealthy continue to receive assistance at the greatest level while the common man continues to struggle and in the process a middle class that is shrinking. Still, there is Jesus demanding that we live honorably and continue to do our duty to country. I wonder if He meant even when a nation becomes unjust as was the case with Rome in its oppression of Israel. Something inside of me is saying, “Yes, even when a nation is unjust.” Does Jesus demand that we be good, docile, and almost seemingly lay down in front of injustice? When we respond as Christians we are preaching the Gospel and it effects people more than just by our words alone, our actions when grace filled move people, maybe not right away, but hopefully grace will begin to take hold and stir the human heart and move the good that is in everyone, even those who take, take, take.

God will, however, raise up men and women from time to time who challenge the body politic to be more just, but when doing so they themselves still remain charitable and act justly. We have seen these great folks in people like Dorothy Day who began the Catholic workers movement in NYC, Mother Teresa who made people take a good hard look at themselves in how they treated those who were the poorest of the poor, Pope John Paul the Great (JPII) who along with Ronald Regan brought down communism in Poland, Germany, and Russia without ever firing a single shot, and who can forget Oscar Romero who in the face of certain danger stood up to the oppression of a Salvadorian government which persecuted the Church and kept the poor down trodden, it cost him his life which he gave at the altar of Christ.

We too are called to have prophetic voices and challenge the body politic when it goes off kilter, but like our holy brothers and sisters to remain in grace and go about our business with a clear conscience. The problem in our day is that our American society, the body politic has been unjust and the injustice has nothing to do with being democratic, republican, or of the tea party persuasion since many of them have contributed to the machine of a select few rich who control the market, property, and even laws, they are all friends, since like attracts like. There is a vicious circle within government and it is made up of the select few. The rich contribute to the persons whom they want in office and since it was the rich who got them into office those who now occupy those offices must support their benefactors otherwise their time in office will be short, hence they are all friends. That is why they bailed out their friends, both republican and democrat alike.

I do not like the fact that I have become a pessimist when it comes to our government and our form of economy. The original idea was good, not perfect, but good and working, yet somewhere along the line we have gone astray. Jesus asks that we pay our dues both to society and God. He is right, we must, as did Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, and all prophetic voices that stood up and pointed out injustice, yet still continued to live honorably and continued to pay their dues. Therefore, since I love this country I too will continue to pay my dues, to give to Caesar what belongs to him and to give to God what belongs to him. We must never stop being compassionate, just, good and obedient servants. I pray for our leaders and all those that seek office that they are blessed with wisdom, courage, and fortitude and I also pray that they remember us.

A great example of someone who protested injustice (in his case through silence) was St. Thomas More so I will leave you with his final words before his execution, words that have come to mean so much to me, they are the words of Jesus from today’s Gospel just said a little differently, “I have remained the King’s good servant, but God’s first!”

Fr. John Paul Picinic

Picture of St. Thomas More confronting Cardinal Wolsey on a matter of just law.

Crossing Over the Double Yellow Lines

A number of years ago I had the privilege of meeting John Ferraioli at the inception ceremony of David Brennan as a Luitenant in the Fairview Police force. Dave introduced me to John that evening. We had a great conversation. As they say you can know someone in 90 seconds or less. And in a short time I knew that the man in front of me was genuine, sincere, and plainly put – good.

I remember that his concern was for his cousin who was suffering from cancer. He asked me to pray for her, which I did. But it was in the way he talked about her that moved me. He was very concerned and it was easy to see that this man had a big heart. I was also surprised that as a cop and as a man that he would be that open in a first conversation. Usually as men, let alone police officers we have an image to maintain, one that society has imbedded in us, and yet John was free and caring about who he was as a Christian man and not embarrassed to show his love for his cousin. I remember praying that night and thinking about how many good people God has put in this world and John was one of them.

I would talk with John on occasion and he was always pleasant to talk with. Each and every time we spoke he always made prayer requests, mostly for his cousin, but also for all his family members, fellow friends, and his brother police officers. He never asked once for any prayers for himself. I thought this unusual, but I’ll get to that soon.

John and I had one funny run in. I was home visiting my parents for a few days. Every time I am home my mother puts me to work, lo and behold once a son always a son. My assignment that day was to take my mom to the Shop Rite in Palisades Park. It was about noon. I dropped her off and then went to grab some lunch at Donnas’ (still not better than Vincent’s in Cliffside Park J) I ordered two slices to go and then headed back to the Shop Rite parking lot. As I was pulling out I noticed no traffic on Broad Ave., so I did a no – no. I crossed over double yellows being too lazy to go to the intersection if front of me. I thought I was in the clear. Lo and behold as I made the right the lights went on. I was being pulled over. I thought, “Ok, I’m not wearing my collar, but I’ll say I know John Ferraioli, I’m his priest.” Well, the police officer made me wait quite a bit, I was getting nervous. I figured, let me get my paperwork ready, as I was doing that all of the sudden there was John with a big grin on his face and he said, “Father, you crossed over double yellows on Broad Ave.” I said, “Officer I know this great cop named John Ferraioli, he will vouch for me.” We both got a good laugh and I remember now not to cross over the double yellows, not yet anyway.

Even then on the side of the road, John was putting in prayer requests for all his family members. I could not refuse since he let me slide on the ticket, I would have said them anyway.

I know that only very few people know this, but on occasion John would send in significant donations to my parish, simply because the Church needed it. He asked for no recognition, except again, prayers for others. What an amazing man, always praying for someone else.

John soon after left this world and I am sure that in the end the one prayer that was always on his heart and lips, that of love itself, greeted him and rewarded him for his generosity. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God . . . and your neighbor as yourself.” John lived this commandment because his concern never pointed inward, but outward.

I know that my friend John now prays for me, and how can God refuse the prayers of someone so caring, generous, and compassionate? I know John continues to pray for his family and friends and what an advocate you have! John my friend I miss you, but my faith tells me that the time you pulled me over in Pal Park will not be the last time we meet, but when it is my turn I hope to see the lights come on behind me and that it is you guiding me home, even if I have to cross over the double yellow lines.

Fr. John Picinic

28th Sunday in OT: Many are invited, but few are chosen.

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus says, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” The story Jesus provides is one that helps us to reflect on many levels. One level is salvation itself. “The many” here refers to all of mankind, “the few” refers to those who are saved. We don’t like this passage because Jesus is holding us accountable, just as we did not like it when teachers, parents, coaches, mentors, the next door neighbor held us accountable. But can it be true that only a few will be saved? I say we leave that to the Lord to sort out and that we just continue to desire and pray that the all who are invited will also be the all that are chosen.

Another level this passage works on is not just in the grand scheme of who will or will not be saved, but also of opportunities that God invites us to all the time, each and every day, opportunities that are grace filled, that allow our relationship with him and others to grow. These opportunities come in many shapes and sizes, they can be direct opportunities in which we have spiritual fellowship with another person, i.e. prayer, reading and discussing Scripture. It can come for the student in a class room or parents with their children. God is constantly inviting us to accept the road in front of us, to work things out, with the many gifts he provides.

I wish to flesh out a couple of examples, everyday ones in which we can see God’s hand, sometimes acting on it, other times becoming the person who is invited but not chosen, or one in which I am invited to act Godly in a certain circumstance but do not.

Parents are always invited by God to raise their children in a Godly fashion, teaching them justice, mercy, prayer, and a love for the virtues. Often times parents will do the right thing, however, sometimes they will not. As a parent how would you deal with the following? You have a son who is on the debate club, the mentor or coach of this club is especially hard on your son, at least that is the perception you have from how your son describes his coach-mentor. You can do two things, one – intercede for your son by sitting down with the coach and interjecting your professional opinion on how the coach needs to tone it down, if not you will issue an ultimatum. Another way to approach it is to allow your son to talk with the coach himself, allowing your son to experience adversity, even loss so as to learn about life, to begin to grow while you yourself remain encouraging, supportive, and loving. God provides these difficult moments to help mold and shape us, but sometimes parents jump off the deep end in protecting their children. They will remove them from difficult situations in order to avoid pain, but sometimes pain is good. What will happen when they are 26 years old and are reamed out by their boss or he or she is making life very difficult for them. You can longer interject and they will still rely on you to get them out of trouble. Sometimes grace is given not to run away but to work through it. On rare occasions grace is given to walk away since all possible means of reconciliation between student – teacher, coach or for adults with a supervisor have been exhausted and it would be unhealthy to remain in that situation. You can clearly see how in each case God invites us to live Godly – to choose wisely.

As a priest I am often presented or in situations with other Christians who have various understandings of theology and Church. I hate to use these words, but some are more liberal than me, while others are more conservative than me. In my own selfishness I sometimes think that it is my way that is “the way,” of properly understanding the Church and theology. Often times the Good Lord will send people my way who differ in thought and understating than I do. A majority of the times, say 60%, I do remain open, listen, reflect, and learn. And about 40% of the time I dismiss others as too conservative or too liberal, because you see, me and God don’t agree with them. I guess it’s just the pride in me. I thank God that I recognize this, though I don’t always catch it. In these moments God is asking me to listen, but more importantly to continue to love others and remember that the boundaries in the Church are pretty wide. Sometimes we pigeonhole people into camps. I wonder what Jesus is thinking when he sees us doing this kind of thing.

Jesus was trying to get the people of his time and of all time to see God’s hand working in everyone and in every situation. God is constantly inviting us, not just to eternal life, but to every day circumstances that can be Godly. My friends we have been invited, therefore we must respond, because when we do we are not just invited, but chosen. AMEN

Fr. John

picture from http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Jesus_Pictures/Jesus_Christ_Pictures.htm

Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit Youth Group Trip

Youth Group Trip

to

St. Elizabeth Anne Seton Shrine/Basilica,Emmitsburg, MD

and

Gettysburg Civil War Battlefield and Museum

next Saturday, October 8th

Participants will depart from the Mullica Hill Parish

Center at 7:30AM and return approximately 9PM.

Parents are welcome to attend. The day will begin

at Mother Seton’s Shrine with a tour and Mass, and

if time permits, will include a visit to the National

Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes adjacent to Mount

St. Mary’s University. The day will continue with a

tour of the battlefield at Gettysburg and a visit to

the museum. Participants should bring a bag lunch,

and dinner will be provided by the Youth Group.

Transportation will also be provided by the Youth

Group. Contact Fred Hendrickson at

267-250-5510 or fredingermany@yahoo.com to

register and to get release forms.

The Pain of Discipline or the Pain of Regret

How many times as a kid did I say yes to my parents when responding to a request they made of me, i.e., clean up your room, take out the garbage, do your homework, etc? Sometimes my “yes” was really “no” since I would not do the thing they asked. Other times when I felt bold and full of bravado I would say “no” to things they asked, feel guilty afterwards and then go do what they asked.
Our own lives are not so different from the Gospel characters Jesus refers to in his story about the person who says, “yes” but really means “no” and the person who says, “no” but really means “yes.” We are both characters in the story, sometimes we are virtuous and sometimes we are not. If we do not avoid the task at hand we feel better upon its completion, however if we avoid the task altogether once the opportunity has passed by we feel regret – pain.

I recently heard a quote from a former NFL Coach who placed a sign above the locker room which read: “Pain of Discipline or Pain of Regret.” He challenged his players to accept the pain of working hard or suffering the pain of defeat. No different for us as Christians, we can either accept the pain of disciplining ourselves, by doing what God asks, i.e. to be holy or we can choose to say no and sin, and then feel the pain of guilt.

St. Paul tells Timothy, “Discipline your life for the purpose of Godliness.” (1 Timothy 4:7) What is Godliness, well; it’s simply not just cleanliness. It entails much - much more.

The Greek word for Godliness is Eusebeia and in the koine Greek it means spiritual maturity, inner piety, something in the core of the person that permeates one’s whole disposition, i.e. a man of God, a woman of God.
One does not simply wake up one day and become Godly. One must work at it. This work is not done to earn something, especially salvation, but it is done because one recognizes that everything good is from God, therefore it’s logical and more importantly, vital to my happiness to seek and do the things of God.

The first thing one must do is to seek God in prayer, then more prayer, and then some more. Communication is vital for a friendship to flourish. For us Catholics prayer takes up many forms, Scripture reflection, meditative prayer, contemplation, novenas, rosary, adoration, and simply just speaking with Jesus.
The most vital for us Catholics is our public prayer of the mass. In it we receive and hear God speaking to us through Scripture and then Jesus making a home within us in the reception of the Eucharist. Sometimes mass and prayer feels like discipline and we on occasion want to avoid discipline, so we do something else, e.g. take little Cindy to her soccer game, go on vacation where there are no Catholic Churches for 500 hundred miles, etc. Afterwards we feel the pain of regret, we could have gone Saturday night or we could have drove 5 miles to the Church while we were on vacation or little Cindy who is 6 years old and her parents who project her to be the next Hope Solo really needs to take a break and get to mass.

Married couples will work real hard developing their relationships and if you speak to people who have been married for a while they will be the first to tell you that marriage is not just about feelings, but also about discipline, love is hard work, don’t be fooled by Hollywood’s concept of being swept off your feet and that you will be in total euphoria for the next fifty years of your marriage, it also takes work to be happy. The same is true for us in our relationship with Jesus. Many times we feel like we are swept off of our feet by his grace and love, and then others time we grow tired in which we say, “Yes, I will do that Lord,” but then we do not and then we feel the pain of regret. Now, some have numbed themselves completely from this regret, formulating their own dictates outside of the body of the Church, e.g., I do not need to go to mass, I am spiritual, I pray at home. I wonder if these so called spiritual persons actually spend even five minutes in prayer, they have numbed themselves from the pain of regret, moving away from Godliness and being spiritually mature.

The Lord is constantly giving us daily tasks, not simply busy work, but doing so to build up virtue in us. The thing he desires most is relationship with us and that happens through mass and prayer. In order for us to yes, really mean it, and then actually do what is asked takes courage, hard work, discipline, and when accomplished we feel good. It is not just a fleeting feeling, but one that moves us at our core, since it is there that God resides - in my doing, in my being virtuous. So, who will you be? Will you accept the pain of discipline or the pain of regret? I pray for us all that it will be discipline.

Fr. John

Gospel Reflection for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In light of today’s Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16, 25^th Sunday in OT) allow me to put a number of scenarios before you which are similar in nature to today’s Gospel. These cases are rare and exceptional, yet they do happen sometimes.

Jane a senior at the local high school is a good soccer player. She is committed, hard working, disciplined, a great teammate, and produces on the field. However, as the soccer season begins the coaches have a dilemma, there is a freshman girl who plays the same position, and she is a soccer phenom as they say. She is clearly better than Jane, and not only does she have talent but she is like Jane in many ways, also a great teammate, hardworking, etc. The coaches think about moving Jane to another position, and yet, those positions are secured as well. What are the coaches to do?

The coaches sit Jane down explain the situation and decide to start the freshman and will substitute Jane in at different intervals. Jane is upset, as any good athlete would be, but she humbles herself and thinks of her team and dedicates herself even more to becoming a better player.

Case number two: Michael has been working for a large reputable corporation for twenty five years. He is on the cusp of middle management, seeking a promotion thereto. He is one of three leading candidates. The other candidate will likely receive a promotion in another department; the final candidate is twenty eight years old has been with the company for three years, and is quite educated possessing two master’s degrees as where Michael only has one Bachelor’s Degree. Michael, however, is not that concerned that his education is not as extensive as his competition, his 22 more years experience will carry him to the next level. Eventually, however, the company decides to go with the younger candidate, citing to Michael that the younger candidate has had better success in his three years, his ideas are closer to what they need in that department whereas Michael may be needed in another area but he will have to wait another year for that position. Michael leaves work upset, after so much good effort, dedication, and love of his job it seems the company is saying, “Out with the old and in with the new.” Michael becomes indifferent, he harbors some resentment but decides to continue at his company but his effort becomes stale and he does enough just to get by until retirement, never achieving his dream or that promotion.

Case number three: A priest who has been ordained for 15 years, currently a pastor, well liked and a good reputation within the diocese is being considered as a Monsignor and a job at the Chancery Office. He feels he is a shoe in; he has friends in high places. However, Bishop decides on someone else. The priest is very upset. He is angry at his Bishop; his brother priests whom he believes failed him. This priest becomes bitter, and his bitterness is taken out on his parishioners, brother priests, and he becomes miserable all the time. His priesthood is not based on service but on accolades. Somewhere along the line he traded in service for ambition or at least the two became entangled and left him caught in a web.

Each case has something in common; all three folks are challenged with humility and forced in some way to look at the bigger picture. The girl handles it best, the manager is so-so, and the priest’s reaction is worst. I bring these cases up because they reflect the Gospel, but they only reflect it in shadow, because the Gospel is much more serious than playing on a soccer team, being promoted to middle management, or becoming a monsignor, it has to do with salvation and that God is willing to give it to whomever may ask for it. It does not matter if they lived holy lives for a hundred years or even for a couple of seconds, all receive the same wage – eternal life.

This seems very unfair in our society of paying people fairly for their work, assuming that we do, which I doubt – pay people fairly that is; nevertheless we do not like the sound of it. It seems unjust. Our goal is to be in relationship with Christ and help others to do so. Our objective is to be with Christ always that means our desire is to see God face to face in heaven and be there with him forever. That desire carries over to our neighbors, and our neighbors are everyone, REPEAT – EVERYONE.

We get caught up to often in what belongs to me, what I deserve, that’s mine, all of it based on the most evil sin there is, PRIDE. Should we rather not be cheering for the soul who steals heaven in the last few seconds of his life, or do we really desire that people go to hell. Stop and think for a moment how long eternity really is. Do I want anyone to go there? Is that what God desires or does not God rather desire that the sinner turns from his evil ways and lives, (c.f. Ez. 18:23, 31)?

Pray then for your own salvation, do not stand off on the side of the road waiting to be hired, the Lord is passing by and looking for workers to work his vineyard, get on board, get to work, it doesn’t matter when you arrive, but just remember the day’s wages are all the same, heaven!

Fr. John

Forgiving Even the Seemingly Impossible 911

All of us can remember where we were when the planes began to hit the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and finally the crash of United 93 in Shanksville, PA. I was in the seminary at the time. I was having coffee with some of the brothers getting ready to begin my daily chores for the day, when our rector came and told us a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. My first thoughts were, “it’s probably a little piper plane or something of that nature and probably lost control.” However, when we went to watch the news it sure didn’t look like a piper plane. Shortly after another plane hit the second tower. I thought I was watching video replay. I was in shock, as all of us were. I had so many feelings running through me, sadness, shock, anger, and even rage. I had a typical male response in my heart, “Someone will pay for this, and we are going to war.”

After 10 years my thoughts have changed in and that I do not so much think of revenge, but rather, the unbreakable strength of Americans, or of any human being for that matter who tries to live virtuously. I think now of all the brave firemen, police officers, and first responders who gave so much to save others. I think of all the civilians who were lost that day, and the many of them who helped others to safety at their risk of their own safety. I think of all of our soldiers who have been serving and continue to do so and the harms way they put themselves in for me whom they don’t even know. And I also think about forgiveness, the most difficult thing that Jesus asks of me. I beg him not to ask this of me. I can forgive being made fun of, being the jest of a joke, ridiculed, or even betrayed, but not this. In a great movie, Star Trek II, Wrath of Khan, Kahn says to Capt. Kirk, “Revenge is dish best served cold.”And for my enemies I wanted that dish to be freezing. And yet, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves” (Confucius).

The Gospel today tells us I must forgive not once or twice, but always. And what must I forgive? We must forgive all, even the worst of crimes. Please do not misunderstand me. If someone is guilty of a crime, we must judge and meet out the appropriate sentence. Jesus wants us to keep order in society, to keep society safe, we must be just. What Jesus is demanding is that we make no eternal judgments on someone’s soul and that we do not harbor vengeance. The typical human response or instinct is to think of oneself or one’s own group as innocent. We, for the most part do not place ourselves in the biblical stories that we hear or read as the ones who are being corrected by Jesus or the ones who are guilty. We are not totally free from sin or totally innocent. What would American Indians say of us, especially the ones who lived between the 17th and 18th centuries in North America? We were guilty of some terrible atrocities. After we were attacked by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor they became out mortal enemies and we exacted much more than tooth for tooth, eye for eye, they dropped conventional bombs – though cowardly, but we dropped atomic ones. Somehow though we are now friends, they are our allies as we are theirs. If Japan were attacked we would respond quickly and they for us. How did that happen after we both proclaimed the other to be our mortal enemies? Forgiveness!

If were we to ask a person from Japan or an American, say back in 1950, “Do you think we will ever be allies, and not only allies but good friends one day, what do you think their response would have been?”

I want to share with you a story about unbelievable forgiveness, almost unimaginable. St. Maria Gorreti died from multiple stab wounds at the hands of Alessandro Serenelli, the man who tried to rape her. She died a martyr because she refused to have relations with him for love of Jesus. Serenelli was a minor at the time and was only given a 30 year sentence. Eventually he began to pray and upon his release he visited Maria’s mother asking for forgiveness. She granted it because her daughter on her death bed granted Serenelli forgiveness and the mother felt she could do no different. Serenelli himself entered a monastery and devoted his life to prayer for his sins and he prayed to Maria, whom he called, “my little saint.”When Maria was canonized a saint, Serenelli was there standing with her family and going to mass with her family side by side receiving our Lord in the Eucharist. The reason there is such great love here is because a little girl poured out her soul to Jesus, not only for herself but even for her murderer. “As Maria lay dying, when the parish priest of Nettuno brought her Holy Viaticum and asked whether she forgave Alessandro, she replied, “Yes, I forgive him and want him to be in paradise with me one day.” From the mouths of babes! Jesus himself from his cross cried out, “Forgive them Father for they do not know what they do!”

Jesus demands the same of us. Jesus demands forgiveness since we are all sinners. I know we did not fly planes into buildings, nor torture anyone, nor murder anyone, but there is one thing we did do that was worse. You and I drove the nails through Jesus’ hands and feet, we placed the crown of thorns on his head, we opened up his side, we made him carry that cross and eventually die on it. Yes, you and me. Again, I am not saying that we should do nothing. I am not a total pacifist. If you fly planes into buildings there will be repercussions, justice will be served. What I am saying is that at some point we must begin to forgive, even when people do not ask for it. Serenelli did not ask Maria for forgiveness, but she gave it while dying. We did not ask Jesus for forgiveness, but he gave it. Look at the power of forgiveness, it is immeasurable. Who would ever have thought that we and the Japanese would become good friends? Somewhere down the line people began to forgive and the power of forgiveness began to transcend a cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor and even transcend the unjust atomic bombings on Japan. I struggle like you to forgive and I wish Jesus did not ask this of me, but he has. What must we do? It is very difficult to even think it, but the same was true for a young girl named Maria, it was also true for a young man named Yeshua (Jesus), and so too for a people called Americans during and after 911, but if we do forgive the mercy and grace poured will be beyond our imaginations just as it was for Serenlli, as it was for our parents who lived through World War II, and hopefully the same will be true of us when the next generation looks to the example we will leave behind. Fr. John