Merry Christmas: JOY, JOY, JOY

Christmas takes on many meanings and has many messages.  As Christians we associate Christmas with happiness, celebration, and love.  It is all of those, but the central and most important message and meaning of Christmas is, “joy!”  In the Gospel of Luke he writes, “The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11)

Christmas is about joy!  But, I ask you, “What is joy” Some answer, “Happiness,” others, “peace,” while others, “contentment.” Joy is all of those things. The best biblical definition that I have found for joy is that it is an abiding happiness and when one finds this joy the person is in peace, in contentment, and most of all happy.  So, the greater question is, “do we have joy?”

Obviously Christmas brings us joy, we find it in the love we share with family, friends, in the exchange of gifts, coming to mass, etc.  We also experience joy throughout our lives, when we accomplish something noteworthy, if we marry, enter priesthood, find a great job.  As joyful as those experiences can be, there is still a greater joy.

People crave that inner joy that is abiding happiness.  Sometimes we look for it in the wrong places.  Money, gifts, and things bring fleeting joy, for they grow old fast.  People bring us joy, but even that is not perfect.  So where then can I find this all elusive joy?

The joy the angel spoke of can be found in a small town called Bethlehem, in a manger, found in a little baby called Immanuel, for God is with us.  The Christmas message from God is that His Son is our joy - abiding joy.  That joy is found today in its introduction in the world, but it must move from the manger into here (point towards the heart). 

This joy is also found at mass.  We find it together every week, right here in this place, because at mass we celebrate Christmas and Easter every Sunday.  That is why our Lord left us the Eucharist so that we can experience His joy always.

The joy that was found by the shepherds, the farm hands, and eventually the wise men from the East was something that penetrated right to their hearts and forever changed them.  They realized that they were gazing upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and in the process they felt the happiness we all crave, a happiness that becomes our very disposition.

If you seek this happiness open your hearts right now to the Lord, He is welcoming us all.  He is innocent and inviting, He is the infant child whom the angel beckons us to go and see.  The angel as he told the shepherds also tells us, ““Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”

Merry Christmas

Called and Sent

In today’s 2nd reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans Paul calls himself an “apostle,” for he writes, “Through Him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith.” Last week in our RCIA class a discussion arose regarding who is an apostle and what is the definition of an apostle? I will attempt an answer.

When we think of Apostles we usually think of the twelve apostles and rightly so, they are the foundation on which Christ would build His Church. They have a place that no others have as their names will be written along with the twelve tribes of Israel along the walls of the New Jerusalem. They also were given a specific office, an office of leadership in the Church. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, Jesus says to Peter, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:17-19) Peter is given authority, not simply an honor, but an authority to keep the Church as one. This authority Jesus wanted shared, so he also appointed the other eleven apostles a place – an office, for in Matthew chapter 18, Jesus says to them all, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt. 18:18) This authority is played out in numerous places throughout Scripture. In Acts chapter one, after they have received the gift of the Holy Spirit the Apostles choose a successor to Judas. In Acts chapter 15 they call the very first Church Council which determined acceptance of the Gentiles into the Church. There are many other such examples and all of them clearly show the Apostles were to lead the Church. Knowing that they could not be Apostles forever, since men die, they began to ordain others to succeed them; therefore our very own bishops today are Apostles with the charism of leadership.

With all of that, which was a mouthful, we must also remember that those with an office of apostleship are not the only apostles, we too are apostles. For by definition an apostle is anyone who is called by name and sent, c.f. “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.” (Is. 43:1) and, “Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 10:5-7) And in another Gospel Jesus sends out seventy two. So, being an apostle is not just for the twelve, but for all of us.

The confusion sets in because we only think of the twelve as being apostles, but St. Paul calls himself an apostles and he was not part of the original twelve. Barnabas is also referred to as an apostle along with Paul as Acts 14:14 tells us. We understand that Paul, Luke, Barnabas came after and it is easier for us to refer to them as apostles since they were saints, but we still have a difficultly in referring to ourselves that way. That difficulty should not exist.

For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise. (Gal. 3:26-29) Even though the Twelve Apostles have a special place and role as do their successors (our current bishops), we nevertheless, all of us together belong to Christ. All of us are apostles and we become so at our baptism, that is when we are called and sent. We may not realize the “sending part” until we mature in faith, but we are sent each and every one of us.

The greater question at work here is not so much, “how can I be an apostle,” but rather, “if I am an apostle, for what was I sent?” I will end the homily here and allow you to go home and answer that question for yourselves. You have been informed, you are Apostles, called by name at your baptism, Jesus has therefore sent you on mission, what is your mission? God bless you my fellow apostles.

FJ

2nd Sunday of Advent: The Most Important Announcer

Anytime someone important enters the room, someone is appointed to announce their entrance.  When a senior naval officer enters the bridge, the chief of the boat will usually, in a firm and loud voice say, “Officer on the bridge,” other times, “Officer on deck.”  When we watch the Supreme Court or any court room for that matter, the bailiff enters first and he or she in a loud and firm voice will say, “Please rise for the Honorable . . . such and such.”  When the President enters the House, an announcer comes out first, and he or she as well in a loud and firm voice says, “Ladies and Gentleman the President of the United States.”  We do the same for a bishop, cardinal, and for the Holy Father of course.  Now, the person who is responsible for making the announcement cannot be a timid person with a low manner of speaking, but someone who grabs the attention of those in the room quickly, for instance, “Officer on DECK!”  The more important the person being announced the greater the responsibility of the announcer to get everyone’s attention.  

Today in our 2^nd Sunday of Advent we celebrate John the Baptist as the man who would be the person making the greatest announcement the world has ever known or heard.  His announcement was, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!  Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”  “Behold the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world!”

John the Baptist’s announcement was clearly the greatest announcement ever made and therefore God had to choose someone who could make that announcement clearly and with conviction, who better than John.  We know that John was dedicated to the Lord from an early age.  Tradition has it that he went into the desert to live as a hermit, there were hermit type of Jewish religious communities at the time, one group known as the Essenes, who may have been many groups but referred to with a general title.  John lived very simply, Scripture says, “on curds, honey, and locusts.”  John was a very serious man with very deep convictions.  When he finally came from out of the desert to begin the announcing, he held nothing back.

        

There were two important announcements, the first, “Repent.”  And trust me, John came yelling and shouting, this man was not a timid or quiet type of fellow, rather he grabbed people’s attention because he spoke Truth to them, the truth that as human beings we are wounded and that wound can only be healed by accepting God’s mercy, he was not afraid to call us sinners.  The second important announcement was to make straight the paths of the Lord.  This was not to be taken literally, as in, “move out of the way so He can get by,” but rather, to be taken spiritually, as in, “clear out your heart so that the Lord can move freely within you.”

        

As we continue this Advent season we are to make ready for the Lord, both through repentance but also in clearing up all the junk that his filled our lives, this means all our sins as well as the desires and wants of this world and to make a perfect resting place in our hearts for Christ.  We have examples of this all around us; take a look at all the statues in the Church.  These men and women understood what St. John the Baptist was yelling and screaming about and they repented and put their house in order.  But they also did something else; they also became John the Baptist because they too went forward to announce Jesus.  So, we should not simply just listen to John, but we must also become brave as he was brave and announce the Truth and why we wait in great expectation for that Truth to be born on December 25^th.  Again, not just the 25^th of December, but for the Truth to be born in my heart each and every day so that like John, I too will be worthy to announce, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

Advent: Preparation and Comings

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we heard, “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths.”  And from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus finishes by saying, “So too, you must be prepared, for at a time you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

There are two themes at work here and the Church puts these readings together nicely for the 1^st of Sunday Advent.  The two themes are, “The Coming of the Lord,” and “preparing oneself.”

When we speak of the Coming of the Lord we can be referring to a number of, “Comings of the Lord. The Lord’s first coming was being born into this world as one who is fully human and full divine, i.e. the birth of Jesus the Christ.  In Scripture we often hear two terms, “The Day of the Lord and the Lord’s Day.”  The Lord’s Day is Sunday, which we celebrate every Sunday, in particular the Resurrection.  But, when we refer to, “The Day of the Lord,” it means His Second Coming.  So there are two major comings of the Lord, one when He was born, Christmas, and two when He returns at the end of time.  But, there is also a third coming, for most of us will die, or at least the odds are we won’t be alive for the 2^nd Coming, but then again, you never know.  Anyway, odds are the Lord will come to us when we pass from this life and judgment is immediate, but like last week we pray as did James that mercy triumphs over judgment.

So you just got a mouthful of Eschatology, the theological study of the Last Things.  But, it is the second theme which I believe is just as important, if not more so, and we must prepare for any and all comings of the Lord.  Advent is that season when we do remember all of these comings of the Lord, especially the birth of Jesus in a manger, but also His birth in our hearts.

As human beings all we do is prepare for things all our lives and anything worth its weight in salt will mean that we prepare for a long time and that we prepare well.  We begin preparing right from childhood as grade school becomes this place that teaches us what it means to “practice” and to work hard.  If you want an “A” you got to work.  If you want a 4.0 GPA you have to work.  Many hours are spent reading and rereading, writing, looking up resources, especially in college.  Think of how hard one works for a Ph.D. 

It is not just school where one works hard in preparation, but also in our jobs.  Think of how hard and long one prepares to become a carpenter or electrical journeyman, anywhere from 4 to 5 years of apprenticeship while working.  This is done so that once the person becomes a journeyman he or she is ready to face all scenarios at work, but also to do their job well.  Think of the soldier, especially Navy seals or green berets who train both body and mind to do dangerous work and to be calm and collected while bullets fly overhead.  I recommend the move Captain Phillips; you will be amazed and left in wonder at what our Navy Seals can do, all through exhausting preparation, precision, and unbelievable dedication.  You can’t just show up at Navy headquarters and say, “look here I am, I am Navy seal.”  That won't work nor does that work anywhere, be it for a carpenter, a navy seal, a doctor, or even an RCIA Candidate looking to become Catholic.

Jesus understood that great faith, a holy faith comes with preparation, diligent preparation in fact.  The season of Advent reminds us that just as we prepare for everything in life so too must we prepare for our lives of faith in God.  You may ask, “What must I do to prepare?”  That’s easy; pray, fast, and work.  Prayer keeps our relationship with Jesus active and intimate.  Fasting clears the mind and reminds us that we clearly rely on God as we feel each pang of hunger and working means to visit the sick, help the poor, bury the dead, visit the prisoner, and give people time when they need us.  There are no complicated methods or practices involved in our preparing ourselves during Advent.  Christianity is very simple; it is we who complicate it with one law after another.

Christmas cannot just be about trees, lights, gifts, excess food, and jingle bells, that’s all nice, but it has to be about us walking every step with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem as we go into our four weeks of Advent.  Mary and Joseph prepared themselves well for the coming of the Lord, they were people of great faith, spending much good quality time in prayer and doing good for others, we too are called to do the same during Advent.  Let’s begin our preparation right here and right now, Bethlehem is not close but if we walk it with fasting, prayer, and works of charity when we arrive there on the 25^th it will truly feel like Christmas.  God bless you, FJ

Jesus The KING!

A good king is a king that is righteous, one that judges the scales perfectly – delivering justice and mercy, he shows no partiality between the rich and poor, he loves his subjects even with his very life.  This kind of king we would lift on a high throne, we would honor him, pay tribute to him, and we would be his loyal subjects – because of his goodness.  We love to have these kinds of qualities in our leaders.  When we think of the great ones throughout history, Kind David, King Solomon, Caesar Augustus, Charlemagne, George Washington, and there are others, there is this natural longing in our hearts that we be led by virtuous and great leaders.  The problem here is twofold, the first is that God did not want us to have demi-god type of leaders but rather that decisions be distributed equitably, i.e. judges.  The second problem, which is unavoidable is that leaders always fall short.  Lets take a look at the first problem, God reminding us that He alone is our King.

In his old age Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel. His sons did not follow his example, but looked to their own gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice. Therefore all the elders of Israel assembled and went to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, like all the nations, to rule us.”   Samuel was displeased when they said, “Give us a king to rule us.” But he prayed to the LORD. The LORD said: Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king. They are acting toward you just as they have acted from the day I brought them up from Egypt to this very day, deserting me to serve other gods. Now listen to them; but at the same time, give them a solemn warning and inform them of the rights of the king who will rule them. Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king. He told them: “The governance of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry. He will use your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials and his servants. He will take your male and female slaves, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work. He will also tithe your flocks. As for you, you will become his slaves. On that day you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.” The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “No! There must be a king over us. We too must be like all the nations, with a king to rule us, lead us in warfare, and fight our battles.” Samuel listened to all the concerns of the people and then repeated them to the LORD. The LORD said: Listen to them! Appoint a king to rule over them. Then Samuel said to the people of Israel, “Return, each one of you, to your own city.” (1 Samuel 8:1-22)

This warning was given to us by God because He never wanted us to forget who the real King was, He is the King of kings, and yet we did not listen then nor do we take heed now.  God knew that we would replace Him with a human being (king).  If you don’t believe it, let me ask you this, “who gets more air time in today’s media, both by those who deliver it and those who receive it, Jesus or the human leader, king, or president?

The Lord relented and gave in to the people of Israel and gave them their king, now we live with the consequences.  I don’t want to paint a dire picture, for we do have good and great leaders from time to time, but even the best of them fall short, they are sinners – as is everyone.  God desired that people share responsibility in smaller groups making up the whole; it makes things more equitable, both in economic terms but also in shared responsibility for all of society.  God did not want us to become indebted to one person, as we are when we appoint a king over us.

The second issue is this, man is imperfect, therefore no matter who is king we will not be satisfied.  Even King David, and even the saintly Abraham Lincoln had strong detractors, people who wanted them dead.  King David’s life was threatened numerous times and we know that Abraham Lincoln was indeed assassinated.  As sinners ourselves we denounce all our kings, even today we still do this.  No matter who is president we are never happy, we always complain, complain, and complain.   We put so much trust in our leaders and we back our party, right or wrong with a fierce determination and then we crucify the other party and eventually our own when the king does not live up to expectations.  We will find fault with everyone and no system of government will ever be perfect.  This has been going on since the very first appointment of a king in this world and it won’t stop until the King of kings returns.

The Good News today is that there is one we can put all our faith in as our leader, as our King.  God reminds us, “I AM your King.”  We can put that faith in Him because He is without flaw, prejudice, favor, or even any vice.  He judges perfectly, keeping justice and mercy in perfect balance.  He leads by example being a servant King - loving His own subjects so much so that He gave His own life for them, even though He had the power and right to wipe them from existence for their treason.   This is whom we should put our trust in; He will not fail us nor will be disappointed, for Jesus Christ is true King, a King of Kings, one whom we can follow without disappointment.  So yes, we are to be obedient to who God has appointed as our rulers, but they are not to become king in our hearts, for that belongs to Jesus alone.  All the rest will fall short and disappoint us but Jesus Christ the King of the universe will never fail us.  Praise be to Jesus King of the Universe.  Peace, FJ

Life in Heaven: Resurrection and Relationships

There are three ideas or questions that come to mind from today’s Gospel from St. Luke.  Is there a resurrection and what is it?  And are people still married in heaven?  Lets deal with the last question \ idea first.

Before answering whether people are still married in heaven, we have to understand, “what is marriage.”  Marriage is the sacramental bond between that of one man and one woman, which takes place when both exchange vows in the Church and afterwards when the two become one flesh in the act of consummation.  I leave that to the parents to explain to their young children.  Marriage is a holy bond often depicted analogously with Jesus’ love for his bride, the Church, with whom He is one with (c.f. John chapter 17).  Nothing can separate this bond – union, unless the marriage had been unlawful from its beginning or death.  When one spouse dies the sacrament no longer exists, the widow or widower is free to enter into another sacramental marriage.

The Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, wanted to know whose wife she would be since she had seven husbands.  She would not be wife to any of them in heaven, she is no longer married.  This does not mean spouses do not recognize one another or have forgotten that they were married, it’s simply that the sacrament is no longer binding, “since there is no longer any marriage or giving into marriage in heaven.”  This sounds disappointing, but in reality spouses will love each other even more deeply in heaven as all love will now be clearer and face to face with Christ.  If marriage still existed in heaven this poor woman be wife to seven men all of whom are brothers, according to the story.  The primary goal of heaven is to be with God, not my parents, not siblings, not my children, not even my spouse, as much as we love them and we are to love them greatly, we are to love God more.  This is hard for us to hear and you may be thinking Fr. John has not brought us Good News today.  Listen to Jesus’ words, not mine, “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Lk. 14:26)  Jesus is trying to make a point; everything you have is from Me anyway.  Whom do you love more, the gift or the Gift-giver?

Finally, is there a resurrection and what is it?  We know there is a resurrection from two points in Scripture.  The first Jesus made in today’s Gospel, that God is the God of the living and not the dead, for God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dead and they no longer existed the sacred authors would not have used those terms.  We also know there is a resurrection because Jesus rose first.  Here is another question, “Why do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?  What proof do you have?  The proof rests in the testimony of the Apostles.  But, how we would know they didn’t make it up?  They could have easily made it up in order to keep the movement going.  We do not believe that because the Apostles’ testimony is not just based on their written word, but is also based on their blood – their very lives.  My friends, all the Apostles accepted death rather than renounce what they believed.  In order to do that they must have seen something and we believe they actually saw Jesus after He had died, they saw Him resurrected.  Remember my friends, it is rare or unfortunate circumstances in which a person would die for a lie, but eleven Apostles and the great multitude that followed all gave their lives for the Truth, sounds pretty credible to me.

We know that there is a resurrection, but what is it like?  Well, I can’t answer that fully because I am still here with you.  When I thought about how to answer this I figured why not use one of the men who died for Jesus and his belief in the resurrection to explain it to us.  I close with the words of a great Apostle.

This I declare, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.  And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”  (1 Cor. 15:50-55)  AMEN, FJ

Priesthood: God's Gracious Call

     

       This weekend begins “Vocation Awareness Week” in the Church.  Our bishop, Dennis Sullivan, has asked us to specifically preach on “Diocesan Priesthood.”  There are many needs in the Church for all types of vocations, from religious to diaconate, but it is the diocesan priesthood in particular that is in “crisis mode,” according to Bishop Sullivan.  I for one agree with him, especially since it will be about two years from now when we ordain the next priest for our Diocese.

So, part of what I will be doing today is in some ways turning into a type of college athletic recruiter, recruiting young men to the priesthood, but also sharing some of my priesthood with you as well.

Before I begin a little education is in order because with the priesthood things can get confusing or there may be questions of what does it actually take to become a priest.  Often times we will hear about religious priests and or diocesan priests.  They are all priests, all ordained, except one group (religious priests) belong to a communit such as the Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans, etc.  They are men living in community which have their own structures, i.e. superiors.  Diocesan priests belong to the Diocesan community and do not take any promises or vows to a community, except for the vows we make to Christ in the person of the Bishop, the vow of celibacy and obedience.  Diocesan priests do not make a formal vow of poverty but should live with that spirit.  Diocesan priests are under the direction of their local Bishop and work within those Diocesan boundaries.  Our diocese consists of the six southern most counties in N.J. 

In regards to what it takes to become a priest, well, in one word that would be, “grace.”  As in all things it is God who calls us, we do not call Him.  This is not just for the priesthood, but for the vocation of marriage or religious life and even the single life.  Beyond that, the actual work involved includes about eight years of college.  This includes a Bachelor’s Degree with a minor in Philosophy + an additional 2 courses totaling 24 credits.  That may have gone up since I was in school.  Traditional Seminaries require two years of pre-theology after a Bachelor’s Degree and then a Masters in Theology which could be a Masters of Divinity Degree or something similar which takes about four years to complete.  I did not do pre-theology since my Bachelors Degree was in Religious Education.  As you can see there are quite a bit of educational requirements.  Training does not only consist of education, in our Diocese, the seminarians do a pastoral year after their second year of master’s work.  They work in a parish setting for one year in order to gain experience but to also begin their hands on training.  Every year in the summer they also have some type of ministry - parish experience.

My own experience of priesthood has been a wonderful experience.  This does not mean it has not had its difficulties.  The difference between an athletic recruiter and recruiting vocations is that we have to be honest.  I can only go by personal experience.  Some of the difficult moments for me was even before I was ordained.  As you remember the pedophilia scandal broke in the early 2,000's.  As seminarians we followed it closely.  It was a very disappointing time and some of the fellas left.  Many persevered because we realized we had a calling, a calling to serve even when times may be rough.

When I left religious life and joined Diocesan life I experienced both anger and joy.  The anger was at what sometimes becomes a very bureaucratic - hierarchical - medieval Church, and it did so in my case, I saw and experienced the worst about priesthood, but I also experienced the best of the priesthood and I found that in my brother priests here in the Diocese of Camden.  I found commitment, loyalty, dedication, and most of all genuine friendship and fraternity. 

So yes, there are tough moments, there are also joyous moments.  These moments come from all sides.  But there are moments about priesthood I have not yet mentioned and these are the most powerful, affirming, and amazing moments, the moments when Jesus speaks right to your heart and you see Him at work in His priesthood through you, in this case me.  I will finish with one of those moments in which that happened to me and I ask all those considering priesthood to reflect and focus on these types of moments as they are the moments in which priesthood is truly practiced.

I remember the very first anointing of the sick that I was called to.  It was my first week working in the parish at St. Joe’s Woodstown.  It was a call to a nursing home in Carney’s Point.  When I arrived the man’s wife met me outside in the hallway.  She explained to me that her husband has had dementia for over ten years and that for the last two years he was completely unresponsive, he basically sat in his chair.  His health was also failing and failing fast.  I asked her, “will he know who I am, that a priest is here?”  She replied, “father he doesn’t even know how I am.”  That was very sad to hear.  As I was entering the room I felt in my heart, “o.k. I’m the priest I will bring them all God’s grace.”  When I approached him and said who I was he remained unresponsive.  His sister was also in the room sitting with his wife.  I began to take out the oils and holy water, I got my book ready.  As soon as I began with, “In the Name of the Father . . .” Martin’s head went up and he traced himself with the sign of the cross.  I was left confused since his wife told me he was completely unresponsive.  I could hear both his wife and sister gasp out loud.  I said, “Martin, I am Fr. John I am here to anoint you.”  He looked me in the eyes and said, “thank you Father, please do so.”  At this point his wife almost fainted and his sister was crying very loudly.  I could feel God’s presence in the room and trust me I felt nervous since it was my first anointing, but then quickly a spirit of calm came over me.  I continued with the sacrament of the sick and Martin responded throughout and thanked me when I was finished.  As soon as I ended the rite, Martin went right back into his catatonic state.

The wife and sister followed me out into the hallway, both were crying, but they were tears of joy, my eyes were also swelling up with tears.  I couldn’t believe what just happened, but more importantly the presence of God, it was clearly felt by all of us.  After I said my goodbyes and as I was driving home, my hands were shaking on the steering wheel, not because I was afraid but I realized how unworthy I was and that it was the Lord working through me.  As soon as I thanked Jesus for allowing me to experience His grace, I could hear in my heart, “The miracle you witnessed was not for Martin, but for his wife and his sister, and also for you that you always remember it is my priesthood that you bring to others and not your own.”  I cried the whole way home.  I thanked God for calling me, his unworthy servant to do His work.  

Jesus gives us these moments as priests to remind us of His work in our world, but most of all His love, for those to whom we minister but also to reward us a hundred-fold in this life for the work we do in His name.  Priesthood is not easy and not everyone is called, but if you think you are remember these moments, like I had with Martin you too will experience, and I can think of nothing greater in this life than to minister to God’s people, I pray you feel the same.  

FJ 

    

Return in Kind For the Gifts You Have Received

This week in our parish we are continuing the theme of stewardship.  We began last week when our lay volunteers spoke to you at the end of mass giving you a quick insight to what is going on at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and what they do as individuals.  This week Fr. Nick has asked that he and I continue this conversation – reflection in more depth.

I believe there are three things or better yet three virtues that make a good steward, one) humility, two) charity, and three) perseverance.

In today’s Gospel the tax collector who went up to the Temple to pray knew that he was not worthy to do so.  He recognized a truth\s about himself; he was a sinner who needed God, in particular His mercy.  When God calls us to ministry, to become stewards we must always do so with reverence and awe, realizing that of ourselves we are not worthy to be his stewards.  In another place in Scripture it says, “Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?  So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” (Lk 17:9-10)

God calls us all to a vocation and He also calls us to ministry, not just Sunday mass, as important and vital and life giving that – that it is.  God gives us a job in the Church; it can be from simply praying for everyone to setting up for the Parish Festival.  When He calls us in that ministry we must remember, the ministry belongs to God, it belongs to the Church and I am blessed as an unprofitable servant to be given this task.  The call and the task is all about God’s grace lest I become proud and boastful.

Charity is involved because we have to respond in kind.  God has responded to us in love.  We were dead in our sins or put in a more modern way, "we were dead men walking."  God’s great love was to fill us with life and grace through His Son Jesus Christ.  All of us have been given this gift.  He is right there on the Cross reminding us of the cost of that gift, and He also gives us the gift of resurrection because Jesus is no longer dead.  Since we have received both gifts we also are no longer dead men walking, rather people filled with the Spirit and on fire.

What then will I give; will it just be sixty minutes on a Sunday?  Driving here and back home doesn’t count just like it doesn’t count as time at your job.  So, is one hour a week enough repayment for that (pointing to the Cross)?  No, it is not, God requires the best of us and He requires us all the time.  Granted you are not ministerial priests or deacons or religious and you do not have as much time as we, but nevertheless God calls you.  He knows the busyness of your lives and your responsibilities, they are tremendous and for the Church to ask for more might even sound unfair, but it is not just the Church – meaning our Parish, but God Himself who asks.  God calls us to do more in our community.   In some ways Fr. Nick and I should not even have to ask.  You may think that is bold of me or a little to New Yorkish, but it’s true, God is the one who has been stirring your hearts and it comes from His love.  Are you listening and are you responding?

Finally, perseverance.  This is possibly the greatest if not the most difficult virtues to obtain and perfect.  Now once again, your ministry may be as simple as praying for the Parish if you can do no more, but its not just praying one or two times, but praying for our Church as much as you can and as often as you can, to build up a ministry of prayer.  For those who can do more physically to get involved in a ministry but then to not just show up once, but quite often blessing us with you presence, gifts, and talents, and most of all your friendship.  AMEN!  FJ

The Word of God Cannot be Chained!

In today’s 2nd reading from St. Paul to Timothy, Paul writes, “But the word of God is not chained.” He is referring to his imprisonment, even though the authorities, whomever they may be, can keep him in chains, they can never imprison the Word of God or keep it in chains, it is impossible. The Truth is personified in the 2nd person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. The Word can never be held down, chained up, or put away, rather the Word pierces every human being, and it pierces us like a two edged sword, cutting in two directions, both in and out. Yet, when we refer to the Word, a term we hear often, to what or whom are we actually referring and once understood, what are we supposed to do with that Word?

When we refer to the Word of God we can be referring to 3 different things or all of them at once or in some combination. When we refer to the Word of God we are recalling to mind the Word Himself, (the Logos), Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (Jn. 1:1) A little later in the same chapter John the Evangelist tells us, “And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…” (Jn 1:14) First and foremost the Word is a person. It is with the Word, Jesus with whom we are in relationship. The second way we refer to the Word is the Word we read, and that is the Word of God as well, but in this reference it refers to Sacred Scripture, the Bible. As Christians we believe that in the Scriptures it is God Himself, through human authors influenced (not put under a spell), who speaks to us. The Scriptures are used for many purposes, be it at mass for the readings, be it at home for prayer and study, be it by theologians for scholarship, and on and on. A third way we refer to the Word is the Word we hear. When we listen to someone else read it as we did in mass today it takes on a different aspect, yes it is the same Word but when we truly listen the Word of God comes alive in our audible understanding of it.

So, these are the theological points about the Word of God and you can memorize all of that and compartmentalize it and maybe even use it one day as a master theologian. All of which would be good, but more importantly for us is that we remember the Word of God cannot be put in chains, even though we may sometimes put the Word of God on a shelf and only call on Him when in need just like the ten lepers from today’s Gospel. They called out to the Lord in pity as it says because of their disease, Jesus cured them all, but only one kept the Word alive in His heart, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

The lesson from both St. Paul and today’s Gospel is not to put the Word of God on a shelf or attempt to put it in chains. It won’t work because it will come back to cut us, what I mean here is that the Word of God will convict us in our complacency.

We are to keep the Word of God alive in our daily lives and this is done by reading Scripture at home as often as possible, to listen to the Word of God as we are doing now at mass every Sunday, and most of all to be in a relationship with the Word Himself all the time, not just for sixty minutes on Sunday or 15 minutes on a Monday reading a passage from the Bible, but always in union with Christ, just like the Samaritan who returned glorifying Jesus, so that we too will hear from Jesus as did the Samaritan, “Then he said to him, "Stand up and go your faith has saved you.”  Amen!

FJ

Get Up and Move!

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”  When we hear this statement we sometimes get a mental lapse, i.e. we assume Jesus is speaking figuratively because it’s impossible to make a tree uproot itself and then plant it only in water.  Jesus was speaking literally, in the sense that great faith does move mountains.  It is doubt that keeps the tree where it is as well as the mountains.

In our lives we have all kinds of trees and mountains we want moved or rather to be gone.  These can range from any type of suffering, be it the suffering one experiences in a broken relationship, the death of a loved one, it could be a sin we have been struggling with, be it pride, impatience, greed, lust, abusing drink, food, or other substances not meant for the human body.  Every person wants to be free of these, be it suffering of any kind or the struggle with sin.  Jesus says, “you can be, just have faith.”

The problem lies in the fact that my natural instinct tells me it is impossible to move trees and mountains, therefore the slightest doubt weakens my faith and the trees and mountains remain.

What then must we do to have faith that will move mountains?

1)   We must pray and pray all the time

i.               We get to know someone by talking to them, intimacy begins with conversation, am I in conversation with Jesus all the time.

ii.             People confuse praying all the time with being a hermit or monk, yes they pray often and have opportunity for prayer, but when Jesus asked us to pray always, he asked us ALL, not just his monks and hermits.  We must be practical with our time and prayer

2)   We must humble ourselves

i.               Humility is the hardest of all virtues.  Accepting the will of God is very difficult; especially when I must accept His calling home of one my family.  When my dad died it was not easy to accept that God called him home and that he would no longer be with me as he once was.  I am sure many of you can relate to this, since many if not all have experienced intimate loss.

ii.             Humility requires that I not only accept it but to see it as a good.  Either God works out everything for the good for those who love Him or He does not, that choice is for each of us to decide.

iii.          Humility also requires that I confess my sins and if necessary, over and over, and over, and over, and over again!

3)   Finally we must love without measure or condition. 

i.               God demands that I not only love those who love me but even those who hurt me, be it physically, emotionally and even spiritually.  I must forgive and love them.  I must be willing to let everything go just as Christ did when He carried the cross for me and allowed me to put nails through His hands and feet.

ii.             Love has no value if I only love those who love me.

iii.          When we recall to mind some of the saints in the Church, such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of the Little Flower we can see love personified, come to life actually.  Love moved mountains for Francis and Therese, this is quite obvious both from reading into their personal lives but also the blessings that came even after their deaths, be it miracles through their intercession and the blessings in their communities.

When we think that we “CAN’T” it is really because we “WON’T.”   To have great faith as Jesus demands takes hard work, not just some head belief, but it takes prayer, humility, and a love that knows no limits. 

Struggles are real, be they struggles with suffering or sin.  But we are not a defeated people.  God has given us the means to live lives of joy and happiness, so if there is a tree or a mountain in your way, just tell it to move and it will.  And why will it move?  Because Jesus said it would!

Amen!  FJ

Jesus Welcomes Sinners and Eats With Them

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  This is what we hear about Jesus from today’s Gospel.  I am sure this definitely upset the self-righteous who were in Jesus’ presence when He was hanging out with the sinners and the law-breakers.  Today’s Gospel whether in the short or long form contains the same basic theme and that is that we are all sinners and we need Jesus’ forgiveness to be made whole – to be made holy.

Lets take a look at the characters from all the readings today.  

In the first reading we find Moses.  Moses was an interesting man indeed.  He was born a Jew, but raised as an Egyptian prince.  He lived in that world and it was that world that shaped him, nevertheless he needed God, this is clear throughout his life, e.g. when he killed a fellow Egyptian, when he found God on the mountain, when he destroyed the tablets of the law, when he struck the rock twice and God commanded he do so only once.  Moses, like us needed forgiveness throughout his life and what sets him apart was his humility before the Lord.

The Psalms many of which are attributed to King David or at least speak of him show us a man who fell many times after God had already anointed him both literally and figuratively.  David was a type of savior to Israel, first, when he slayed the giant Goliath and it was from that point in which he received many blessings from God.  However, like the prodigal son, David squandered his inheritance often, taking many wives and concubines, committing adultery with Bathsheba, conspiring to commit murder against Uriah, greed and corruption and dirty politics, none of which David was short on during different moments in his life.  But like Moses, David was also very humble and admitted his guilt and relied on God’s mercy.

St. Paul from our 2^nd reading was also a man who thought he was righteous, and in his ignorance was executing Christians, St. Stephen being one of them, and it would not stop with just one, he wanted to arrest them all and bring them before the Sanhedrin for justice against their supposed false teachings and heresy.  We know the story; St. Paul is knocked to the ground by Jesus because of his great stubbornness and pride.  Eventually he pleads for the mercy of God and we know that from there he goes on to become the Great Missionary.

The stories of Moses, David, Paul, and the sinners who ate with Jesus is the story of us.  We are no different than those men and women before us.  All of us rely on the great mercy of God.

There are two very important things we should take from the readings today.  The first is, never ever become self-righteous there is probably nothing that God hates more and secondly, isn’t it comforting to know that God keeps company with the adulterer (David), the doubter (Moses), the prosecutor of the innocent (Paul), and with us who are also sinners!  It is not that God wishes us to remain in sin for Jesus says, “Go and sin no more.”  But it is reassuring to know that God does not give up on us and He can truly turn sinners to saints, an adulterer into one of the greatest kings of the earth and a man of great faith, a doubter into a man who delivered God’s commands, and a prosecutor of the innocent into one of the Church’s greatest saints.

So too does it go with us, so too does it go with us!

FJ

Picture is of Kind David offering praise to God.