Hungering Hearts: Jesus Alone

The hand of the Lord feeds us; He answers all our needs.

- Psalm 145: 15-16

On Friday, July 22, I attended the Pirates/Cardinals game with my brother and two nephews who were in from Greensboro, NC. They distributed Pirate tee-shirts that evening and there was a standing-room-only crowd of 38,490 people. After a half-hour rain delay and flashes of lightening, the fans settled in for the Friday night game. My nephews Daniel Patrick, 8, and Alex Pace, 5, inevitably asked, “When are we going to eat?” Their dad’s response was, “You can only eat after you find your seat.” We found our way up to Section 310, Row M, on the first base side only to find out that the healthy food is at the lower level. Those in the upper level had to settle for pizza or hot dogs. Then I thought to myself, “Wonder how many hot dogs, nachos and Cokes will be consumed at PNC Park tonight at PNC Park?” Not to mention the Starbursts and Skittles purchased from vendors outside. (Of course the kids wanted cotton candy and Dippin’ Dots, as well.) Although the Pirates lost that night, I treasured the time together with my brother and nephews.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that there are 925 million people, that is, approximately 1 in every 7 persons, who are hungry in our world -- in Asia and the Pacific (578 million), in Sub-Sahara Africa (239 million), in Latin America and the Caribbean (53 million), in the North East and North Africa (37 million), and 19 million in developed countries. The number of malnourished people and those who go hungry is staggering.

Mother Theresa fed 9,000 people every day in Calcutta, India, but she could never have done it without the generosity of countless people across the world, the assistance of her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, and lay helpers. In our Catholic tradition, feeding hungry bodies is one of the corporal works of mercy. No doubt, Jesus was concerned about the well-being of those who were hungry. The miracle of the loaves and the fishes is found in all four Gospels. And it involved a lot more than just giving food to people. It was an expression of the care and the love of God for His people. Jesus did not just feed people’s bodies, He nourished their minds, their hearts, their souls and their spirits.

In some countries today, there is a problem of over-eating and over-consumption where food is plentiful, supermarkets are bulging, fast-food establishments are common place. In other countries, the problem is getting anything to eat at all. And the gulf between the “have” and “have-nots” gets ever wider. Mother Theresa would often comment that the problem with the world is that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. That we are all God’s children, and sisters and brothers of Jesus to one another. It is our native American brothers and sisters who would often say that we can’t really understand another person until we walk in his or her moccasins. The late Fr. Henri Nouwen would say, “The necessary virtue that we must all embrace is that of empathy.” I’ve heard it said that God gave us two hands — one for giving and the other for receiving.

The prophet Isaiah in 55: 1-3 invites us to “Come!” Four times he uses the word. He says, “All you who are thirsty, come to the water. You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, Drink wine and milk ... Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.” Isaiah repeatedly invites us to come, which foreshadows the hospitality and welcome of Jesus Himself. This invitation is to real life, to share an eternal relationship, an eternal friendship and an everlasting covenant with the Lord.

As a people of faith, we come to the Eucharist each Sunday to be nourished with the Word of God and the Bread of Life. As we partake of the Bread of Life on earth, God has invited us to partake of the banquet of eternal life in heaven. In the Holy Eucharist we taste the love of God. And the proof that we have experienced that love is our willingness to share love with others. As in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, each one of us has been given “five loaves and two fish." It may seem a small amount and we can only give in small ways, but through the amazing grace of God and our willingness to share with others, others will be drawn into the circle of His ever expanding love. It is through our simple gestures of love, compassion and kindness that we are drawn closer to Jesus and ourselves. Bread and fish was the basic diet for poor Galileans, peasant fisher-folk of the 1st century Israel. This miracle of the loaves and the fishes is much more than giving food to a hungry, desperate crowd. It is the expression of the care and love of God for His people. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, we are refreshed and renewed so that we can recommit ourselves to Christ and feed others His love.

Recently, while making a visit to the hospital, I met a man sitting in a wheelchair at the entrance doors along with his son. The man asked for a blessing and then asked if I had Holy Communion. We prayed the Lord’s Prayer together, and he, with a sunburst smile, remarked, “It’s a Jesus Day! A perfect day! To receive Jesus makes each day complete.” Would that we had such simple and profound faith. Yes, the Eucharist is the act of giving and receiving, being transformed into the community of Christ’s living body. The Lord can do a lot with a little, a miracle of love.

Poor me, we say, I’m so old, so young, so middle aged.

Poor me, I’m so ordinary, so deprived, so deficient.

Poor me, I’m so weak, so tired, so inferior.

Poor me, I’m a sinner.

But "poor me" is not an excuse for inaction.

In fact, it lies at the very core of my discipleship.

"Poor me" is the really reason I need a Savior in the first place!

Say not: "Poor me!"

Say instead: "Poor me, I need Jesus!"

Lucky me, I’ve got Him!

— Sr. Melanie Svoboda, SND

By the Way: 100 Reflections on the Spiritual Life

Ordinary Time 17

“Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful and more full of joy.”

— St. Thomas Aquinas

On Friday, July 15, I attended the parish festival of Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell Township. That was my first pastoral assignment 23 years ago. When I walked on the grounds, I met my first pastor, Fr. William Kohler. I remarked how great it was to see him and told him that he looks better than when I first met him 23 years ago. He said, “That’s what happens when you’re retired! The weight of the world and the pressure of being a pastor is no more.” Fr. Kohler is a classmate of the retired Bishop William J. Winter, and celebrates his 82nd birthday on Tuesday. He told me he doesn’t take a single pill and that his father died at age 99. As we were “kibitzin” it was good to reminisce and share stories of our ministry together. I always admired that Fr. Kohler completed the “Quick Crossword Puzzle” in the morning Post-Gazette and the more difficult New York Times crossword puzzle as well. I told him that’s what keeps the dendrites in his brain active, what keeps his mind so alert.

I remember Fr. Kohler as a quiet a man of solitude who loved to paint, who loved to read and who traveled more to Hawaii than anyone I know of. The parish named their former church “Kohler Hall” in his honor. His steady, silent and simple presence has guided Our Lady of Fatima for decades. In his unassuming way, Fr. Kohler has been a model to me and to his flock of one who has pursued the wisdom of God for many years. Happy Birthday, Fr. Kohler!

Sirach 1:1 tells us, “All wisdom comes from the Lord and with Him it remains forever.” Wisdom is the application of God’s Word to our daily life. It is sharing in the mind of God. The ultimate source of wisdom is God. In 1 Kings 3, the Lord appears to Solomon, the son of David, in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon did not ask for longevity of life, the gold of riches or the life of his enemies. Instead, he begged God to have an understanding heart to judge God’s people and to distinguish right from wrong. Wisdom is the ability to discern what is of God and what is not, what is God’s way and not our way.

Dr. Robert J. Wicks, a psychologist at Loyola University in Baltimore and author of over 30 books, wrote a book entitled, "Sharing Wisdom: The Practical Art of Giving and Receiving Mentoring." He stressed our need to receive mentoring from parents, grandparents, teachers, family members, friends, clergy, co-workers — those who counsel, comfort, support and guide others. We need people we can trust both to love and challenge us. Mentors are chosen primarily because we respect them. God blesses our journey with wise people who show us the path of life by modeling it for us to grow in God’s ways. “My children, forget not my teaching, keep in mind my commands; for many days, and years of life and peace, will they bring you” (Proverbs 2: 1-2).

Wisdom-people bring us into the presence of God. The greatest wisdom-person of my life is my mother who turned 89 years old this week. We gathered at Mass at 11:00 AM to give thanks to God for Mom’s life and the 89 years of her shared wisdom. Mom taught us not only to read and pray but to love and suffer. I’m grateful for another wisdom-person, Sr. Melanie Svoboda, SND, who rummages through life finding its treasures and sharing them through stories and books. A great teacher, companion, mentor and friend. Another wisdom-person is Bishop Robert Morneau, auxiliary bishop of Green Bay, whose poetic heart and pastoral wisdom and road-map compasses have helped form and guide my discipleship. My youngest brother Dan (15 months younger), a dermatologist in Greensboro, NC who adopted three children, is also a wisdom-person in my life. Dan inspires me to strike a balance between work, leisure, fitness and spiritual pursuits. Another is Fr. John Jordan, a friend for almost 20 years, with whom I spend my day off on Tuesday. At age 65, Fr. John imparts countless pearls of wisdom through prudence, pastoral theology and the wisdom gained through practical experience. I always found St. Francis of Assisi to be a wisdom-spiritual director behind the scenes of my life — a model of renouncing the world, embracing simplicity, humility and poverty of spirit. Although I could not become a Franciscan, I take wisdom from this great saint. I once heard it said to make life worthwhile, one needs a conscience to live with, a creed to live by, a cause to believe in, a love to care for and a dream to strive for.

It was three years ago on July 28, 2008 that I came to serve here at St. Joseph, and I pray daily for the gift of God’s wisdom to lead His people to lives of integrity, authenticity, sacrifice and service of one another. I feel blessed to be your servant in the 120th year of St. Joseph’s existence. The parable of the lost treasure and pearl demonstrate the zeal we must have to pursue the wisdom of the kingdom of God.

Your word, O Lord is wisdom,

Deeper than the sea,

Wider than the heavens.

It reveals to us the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Give us, Lord your wisdom, your Son Jesus.

Your word, O Lord, is a treasure,

More desirable than the gold of the world,

More precious than life.

It enriches our hearts.

Give us, Lord this treasure, your Son Jesus.

Your word, O Lord is a pearl of infinite beauty,

Brighter than the stars,

More radiant than the sun.

It dazzles the eyes of our heart.

Give us, Lord, this pearl, your Son Jesus.

Your word, O Lord, is new and ancient,

Newer than the dawn of the day,

More ancient than the first day of the world.

Give us, Lord, your eternity, your Son, Jesus.

Engrave on our hearts, Lord God,

The face of your Son Jesus.

When your word calls to us on the day of your love,

Recognize in us the face of Jesus,

Your firstborn Son and our brother. Amen.

—Lucien Deiss, CSSp, A Garden of Prayers

God’s Graces Make Us Grow

“Christ sowed the seed of salvation in humanity in order that it might grow especially in each individual soul.”

— St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Recently I was called by a friend to see if I could visit a doctor (age 77) who is in the intensive care in a hospital in Pittsburgh. Before I entered that intensive care cubicle, I had to don a yellow gown and put on blue rubber gloves and I could see by the expression on the man’s face that he was delighted to see me! Since he was intubated (a tube in his throat), he was unable to speak. He had a clipboard with paper and a pencil attached to it to express his thoughts in writing. I said to the semi-retired doctor, “It’s a lot easier being a doctor than being a patient, isn’t it, Doc?” He shook his head in agreement. The first words he wrote in his tablet were, “Fr. Jones, the word-smith.” I was coming to console him and he shared a kind word with me.

When I returned home to the rectory, I looked up in Webster’s Dictionary “word-smith”. It states, “A professional writer who uses language skillfully. A person who coins new words.” Sometimes we can underestimate the potency and the efficacy of the power of words — a word of encouragement, a word of appreciation, a word of gratitude, a word of forgiveness, a word of love. One word can convert a sinner. One word can make a grace-filled day. One word can bring hope where there is no apparent solution. The visit to this doctor made me want to be a greater artisan of the spoken words, written words and lived words that I communicate as a herald of the Gospel.

The prophet Isaiah says in 50: 4, “The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear.” The prophet Isaiah further explains the life-giving movement of God’s Word when he writes 55: 10-11, “For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats — so shall my Word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void but should do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” Thus just as rain and snow have a purpose, to water the earth so that crops will grow and produce fruit, the Lord’s Word has a purpose — to do God’s will, bringing life to those who hear it. The American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) wrote, “A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.”

I was happy to receive an e-mail from parents who informed me that their son whom I baptized 18 years ago has been accepted to enter St. Paul’s Seminary. I was delighted to hear their son is discerning a vocation to the priesthood. The word “seminary” means a “seed-plot, nursery, a place where something develops and grows. A place where persons are trained to become priests, ministers or rabbis.” We must cultivate the gardens that are entrusted to our care whether these gardens are family, parish, work or community.

Before leaving for her vacation, our organist Ginny Ambrose reminded the staff, “Don’t forget to water the flowers and gardens around the rectory while I’m away.” As Ginny is a harbinger of growth of our landscapes, she did not want me to be deficient in my responsibility in taking care of Mother Nature, especially in these humid and hot summer weeks.

As I was walking around the parish grounds with a couple who will be married next July, we witnessed a lady pulling weeds from the stones around the courtyard near St. Joseph’s statue. She told me that she was a parishioner and that she was 96 years old. She said, “Father, I love my church, I love St. Joseph’s and I love my priests.” And I responded, “Your church loves you, St. Joseph loves you and your priest loves you. Thank you for picking the weeds and doing such a beautiful job.” She then informed me, “At age 96 if you don’t keep moving, you don’t move.” This was good therapy for her and she enjoyed tending to the parish grounds. St. Julian of Norwich wrote, “The power of the Lord’s Word enters the soul and enlivens the heart and makes us rejoice in the Lord.”

We have been hearing for several weeks that the Word of God is to the human heart what the seed is to Mother Earth. God’s Word is always a life-giving word, never a negative word. The seed of God’s Word once dropped into the human heart never dies. And it is never too late or one is never too old to act on the Word of God. Just as food nourishes the body, so the Word of God nourishes the mind, the heart, the will and the spirit. God speaks to us in the most hidden part of our being. Growing in wisdom, age and grace is the work of a lifetime. God wants our faith to grow and progress. As I encountered this 96 year-old parishioner, she inspired me by sharing in a simple way her great love of God, church and parish family. We witness to our faith by simply living our faith through good actions and virtuous deeds. When we share our faith with others, ours increases. And we describe how God is working in our lives. God has blessed us, God heals us and God rescues us over the years of our journey. And we invite others to experience His saving love, by walking humbly with one another as companions on the journey.

There are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world today and we are indebted to those first disciples for handing on the faith so that each subsequent generation can receive it and share it. Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston wrote in his Pentecost homily, “Evangelization always seeks to propose our faith, never to impose it.” We have the mission to repair the world by living and sharing the Gospel which will transform the culture and the society in which we live. The seed is the Word of God; the sower is Christ; all who listen to His word will live forever. I recently attended a priest-friend’s 90 year old mother’s funeral in Canonsburg. The couple would have been married 69 years in August. The woman’s priest-son looked at her beautiful, gnarled, arthritic hands and the bunions on her feet and kissed them for the nine decades that she sowed faith with the gift of her hands and the foot-path she traveled. Her son sang the Ave Maria at Communion in thanksgiving to God for the blessing of his mother. Whether age 77, 18, 96 or 90, may we sow God’s seeds of grace in every age.

Ordinary Time 15

“All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.”

- Adeline Stevenson, American Diplomat and Politician (1900-1965)

Be kind to everyone you meet, for you do not know the burden that they carry. In Webster's dictionary, it defines burden as “anything that is carried; load; to bear or put up with; heavy load, as of work, duty, responsibility or sorrow; burdensome, heavy oppressive, hard to bear.”

Many times people will say, “Father, I don’t want to bother you with my request” (meaning “add one more thing to your plate, add one more burden to your back.”) I simply remind them that I was ordained to be burdened, to help share their crosses, problems and sorrows.

Burdens come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big, small, everyday or unforeseen. But burdens have a tremendous effect on our personal well-being and how we relate to others. What are your burdens? For some it may be the burden of the battle of the bulge. To stick to and stay on a diet to trim the waist-line. Some carry the burden of parenting that lasts a lifetime and especially those who have the added burden as a single parent. The burden of a false accusation that has tarnished a name or reputation. The burden of loneliness, where one feels no accompaniment or presence. The burden of grief, as one carries a loss. The burden of guilt, that one carries through regret, shame, and sorrow for one's sins. The burden of secrecy where one is not able to disclose freely their hardship. The burden of unemployment and the emptiness of this aching feeling. The burden of illness, old age and infirmity. The burden of financial debts. The burden that comes with responsibility of office.

It is sometimes said that the fastest growing disease in 21st century America is stress. Because we are human and limited, there is only a certain amount of stress that we can endure. Jesus gently and masterfully reminds us and invites us simply to, “Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).

As a priest, it is a humble privilege to serve as pastor. However, there is a price to pay, like any vocation. The priesthood is not about power or prestige. It is not an office or an occupation. It is a sacrament. And it is a response to God to serve souls. Namely, to be another Christ, as His voice and His hands and His heart.

It was a great joy to be away for continuing education last week at Bon Secours, meaning “good wellness” or “health,” in Marriottsville, MD (about 250 miles from Pittsburgh). There were ten of us present for the week. We listened to such gifted speakers as Dr. Robert J. Wicks, Fr. Jan Michael Joncas, Fr. Joseph Fox, OP and Fr. Dan Crosby, OFM Cap. I met a priest, 51 years of age, from Philadelphia who was diagnosed in 2006 with pancreatic cancer. He had whipple surgery. After breakfast, I thought he was taking his eyeglass case out, only to realize it was his pill box holding the 48 pills he takes daily to stay alive. All of the organs of his body have been reconfigured. He is grateful to be alive despite the weight of his tiredness and challenge of his terminal illness. I spoke with a deacon, 70 years of age, who noted that he had 3 children — a son who was a doctor, another son, a lawyer and his daughter, a superintendent of a school district. He said, “Don’t let that external success fool you. Please keep them in your prayers, as they have their own problems and burdens.”

In ancient times a carpenter made a yoke — a wooden bar or frame over the necks of two animals which allowed them to walk side by side and plow a field. The device changes independence into dependence. The animals depend upon each other to save their own neck. And if one animal balks or runs ahead or sideways, both of them get a stiff neck. They have to carry the weight together. And the yoke must be easy and well-fitted with the correct measurements, adjustments and the right approach. The carpenter must make this tailor-made, custom-made for the animals. If it is not properly fitted, it quickly leads to chaffing, irritation, abrasions, lesions, and can cause ulcers, can cripple and even kill the animal.

As a pastor, the parish is yoked by all the wonderful people who support, sacrifice and help carry the good works of the Church so that they continue. Recently with the crushing change in our parish of the closure of our school, an in-depth consultation with diocesan officials and financial counsel of the parish, it became apparent that we had to shift the weight to carry the freight in order to pay for it. Preaching the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments and visiting the sick is what I was ordained for. However, administration of the business and the management is necessary for stability. Unfortunately, we had to trim the budget to balance the budget and that meant the loss of some devoted and committed personnel.

Our relationship with God must be our top priority. On July 1, also the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a parishioner handed me a book on the visions and promises of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque ("Seemingly Impossible...But True! The Nine First Fridays" by Father Gnarocas). What a refreshing gift it was as I sought and prayed for Jesus' Heart in this most difficult time in our parish life. We must admit that we are all capable of great generosity and down-right mean-spiritedness. It is critical that when our spiritual life is strong, our attitudes toward others are meek, gentle and humble. When our inner life feels nourished, our hearts are open to other people's pain. President Harry S. Truman, 33rd president, said he could sleep at night despite the pressures of his office. “Lord, I’ve done the best I could today. You take over from here.” Or St. Thomas More wrote, “If I am in need of light and prudence in order to discharge my burdensome duties, I draw near to my Savior.” As we celebrated this 235 anniversary as a nation on Independence Day, we celebrated our 120th year of St. Joseph Parish. May we who have been given this torch of faith and freedom, pass to the next generation. May it never go out.