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

Never Settle for 2nd Best

Often times we want and desire a Jesus who will tell us, “Don’t worry everything is ok, your fine, I love you, kumbaya and all that sort of thing. Nothing wrong with that type of Jesus, for Jesus is merciful, loving, and unbelievably patient and forgiving. But there is also another side of Jesus, the just Lord, one who demands much, one who demands perfection. Today’s readings show us a Jesus that hates sin and wants us to fight it with every ounce of energy we have. Jesus demands the best of us.

In the 1st reading from Ezekiel the Lord proclaims through him that the man of vice is moving towards death, not just physical death, but death towards separation from God. The second reading from St. Paul to the Romans reminds us that love moves us toward life, again not just living physically but moving towards eternal life. Love helps us to fulfill the law for the right reasons. And finally in the Gospel Jesus demands that we hold each other accountable for sinful acts, i.e. go to your brother and sister and offer fraternal correction, if they refuse take a couple of people, if they refuse take the Church, if they continue to refuse, well then – time to show some tough love.

One would think that Jesus is asking us to shun people. He is not. He does not want us, however, to act like everything is ok or that we remain silent when someone is in serious error, if not grave sin. I will give you a personal example. After my conversion in 1995 I could no longer in good conscience hang out in bars. And yet I still went, I was still hanging on to the old wine though I had a new wineskin (no pun intended) Don’t get me wrong, there are reputable establishments with reputable customers, be they bars, restaurants, or anything else, but as we know, nothing good happens after midnight. It took another Christian friend to offer me fraternal correction. He said to me, “John, God has entered your life in a profound way; you are a child of light and have no place there anymore.” I thought about that, because it hit me hard – his words. As I thought about it he was right. Inside those bars people were getting drunk, drowning their sorrows, constant cursing and unsavory talk. This is reality and people don’t want to hear it just as I did not want to hear it. I could no longer frequent these places. Everything that God was calling me to, i.e. disposition of faith, lifestyle, demeanor, conduct was contrary to what was happening there. So, I had to leave.

Again I am not an advocate for not having fun or telling people they can never have a drink, I am talking about over indulgence, inappropriate behavior, and downright sinfulness. What do you think happens in a bar at 1:30 in the morning after people have had numerous drinks? Well, they are not reading Scripture, praying the Rosary, or discussing matters of faith, unless things have drastically changed since 1995, though I doubt it.

Jesus challenges us to be perfect. When Scripture states that Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” he meant it. Some will dumb down or loosen the meaning of that passage. I say they are preaching something false in order to justify their own sinfulness or at least avoid dealing with their own behaviors. What teacher says to their students, “We are all aiming for “B”s this semester, or what coach says, “I want us to finish 2nd.” Or what parent says of their child, “I want him to be half good.” NONE! No different than God. My personal example is just one example. There are many circumstances in which people find themselves trapped in some serious sin\s. Often times they don’t even realize it since they justified it a long time ago.

Here is a good rule of thumb. If what I am doing, would I be comfortable that Jesus was their sharing in it with me or would I be embarrassed. If I smoke cigarettes would Jesus sit with me and light one up? If I do drugs would Jesus be there with me sharing my drugs? If I plan to have premarital sex would Jesus be that friend that encourages me to do so? If I am in the bar at 1:30 in the morning is Jesus sitting next to me ordering up the next round on him? If I am stealing money is Jesus telling me how? If I leave my spouse because I want to be 18 again is Jesus telling me, “Yes be young, recapture your youth, its fine, kumbaya?” I am being sarcastic, but for a purpose. Somehow I do not think Jesus would partake in any of it. And if he can’t then neither should I.

To remind you all, I too am a sinner and struggle in life. I fall just like everyone else, but the first rule to Christianity is honesty, without it we sink. I can justify my behaviors, but I can’t make Jesus justify them and that is what helps us to achieve perfection. Jesus does not say do evil in moderation, rather he teaches us to avoid all sin and to do so all the time. Why? Because he is the coach that says, “We will win the championship;” he is the teacher that says, “You will all get ‘A’”s; he is the parent that says, “You will be good not just half the time, but all the time.” Any other Jesus is a false Jesus and the real Jesus never settles for 2nd place, have we?

Fr. John

image taken from http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Jesus_Pictures/Jesus_Christ_Pictures.htm