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.

Corpus Christi

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.”

- Siddharta Gautana Buddha (Founder of Buddhism, 6-4 Century BC)

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, “Corpus Christi,” a Sunday which Mother Church sets aside to accent the importance of this greatest Gift, the Eucharist. St. John Mary Vianney said, “When we receive Holy Communion, we experience something extraordinary — a joy — a fragrance — a well-being that thrills the whole body and causes it to exult.” Ever since I was a little boy, going to church on Sunday was the highlight of my week. My Mom often asked me, “Who did you offer your Eucharist for today? A person making a major decision? A person who is hurting? One who is suffering? One who is sick or dying? A soul in purgatory waiting to see God?” After 23 years serving as a priest, that simple joy of participating the Eucharist remains with me, as I now celebrate the Mass for God’s people to grow in the likeness of God. The Eucharist is the heart of Catholic life and worship.

Last week the American bishops held their Spring conference in Bellevue, WA, near Seattle. They were discussing a fifty-page document on the importance of good and effective preaching. I enjoyed listening to the various bishops offering comments, observations and concerns for this important ministry with which we, as ordained clergy, are charged. I was intrigued by Emeritus Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, retired Archbishop of Washington, DC, who noted three reasons to preach: 1) Biblical preaching - breaking open the Word of God to teach, inspire and move God’s people to conversion. 2) Covenant preaching - to lead God’s people more deeply into a covenant of God’s love. God reveals Himself through the divine traits associated with the Covenant: mercy, steadfast love and fidelity. Thus the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist, this two-fold table, feeds us as we seek to live this covenant. 3) Preaching which strengthens and increases faith, the divine communion of relationships - for when faith is fortified and nourished, it strengthens belief, witness and action as Christ’s follower.

In article 1374, the Catholic Catechism explains that in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the whole Christ, is truly, really and substantially contained. Article 1387 stresses that in order to prepare worthily for this Holy Sacrament, the faithful should observe a one-hour fast before reception of Communion. (This fast is one hour before Communion is received, not before Mass begins.) The Catechism further explains that our bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing, appearance), ought to convey the respect, solemnity and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest. Blessed Pope John XXIII said the Blessed Sacrament contains all the splendor of Creation, the Incarnation and the Redemption—the whole life of Jesus. And that priests are to present the Eucharist all to the faithful as their daily nourishment, love, prayer and contemplation.

In the Sacramentary, the book that a priest prays from at the Mass, there are beautiful prayers in Appendix One for preparation for Mass and in thanksgiving after Mass. The following is a prayer attributed to Pope Clement XI, which I thought would be fitting to pray on this feast:

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith. I trust in you: strengthen my trust. I love you: let me love you more and more. I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning, I long for you as my last end, I praise you as my constant helper, and call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom, correct me with your justice, comfort me with your mercy, protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you; my words: to have you for their theme; my actions: to reflect my love for you; my sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me: in the way you ask, for as long as you ask, because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding, strengthen my will, purify my heart and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins, and to resist temptation in the future. Help me to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am: a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me, or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and to reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning, courageous in taking risks. Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer, temperate in food and drink, diligent in my work, firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear, my conduct without fault, my speech blameless, my life well-ordered.

Put me on guard against my human weaknesses. Let me cherish your love for me, keep your law, and come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing, that my true future is the happiness of heaven, that life on earth is short, and the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death with a proper fear of judgment, but a greater trust in your goodness. Lead me safely through death to the endless joy of heaven. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I will be away studying from June 26-July 1 at Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville, MD for continuing education through the International Institute for Clergy Formation of Seton Hall University.

Trinity: Relationships of Love

“To love God you need three hearts in one: a heart of fire for Him, a heart of flesh for your neighbor, and a heart of bronze for yourself.”

- St. Benedict Joseph Labre

What a memorable Pentecost Sunday it was with five “tongues” speaking French, German, Italian, Spanish and Gaelic, all together proclaiming the Gospel of the Holy Spirit from the Acts of the Apostles last Sunday. I mentioned in my homily that I was a “Spirit Baby,” as I was born in 1962, the year Vatican Council II was convened by Blessed Pope John XXIII. A parishioner who later asked me for a blessing mentioned that she, too, was a “Spirit Baby” since Pentecost was her birthday. To see the banners and the candelabra, (a set of 7 candles, sign of perfection), in the sanctuary reminded us it was Mother Church’s birthday, with the Holy Spirit, the Power of God, burning out evil from our hearts, minds and lives. It was wonderful to see many in the assembly who remembered to wear red for the occasion.

I found it heart-warming when a 10 year-old little girl wrote a note saying, “I can’t wait to go to church on Sunday.” That excitement and enthusiasm fanned into flame my desire to preach the Word of God, so that as we trace three crosses on ourselves at the Gospel, Christ may be in our minds, on our lips and in our hearts. And that through embracing the words of the Holy Gospel, all our sins might be blotted out.

Fr. Ronald Lewinski, a pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Mundelein, IL, gave an address at the annual meeting of the Pontifical Mission Society, whose purpose is to promote the universal missionary spirit among all Catholics. His talk was entitled, “Rekindling the Spirit of Mission in Parishes.” He notes that we should not take our faith and Church for granted. We need to transform “parishioners” into “missioners." He notes that in our culture today there are many forces which make it difficult to hear God’s Word and build community such as relativism, secularism, excessive individualism and narcissism. These dark realities make us lifeless. But God’s people are hungry for more of what He has to offer so we must fan into flame the gift of faith which lies dormant in the hearts of our sisters and brothers. The mission of the Gospel is to make Jesus a part of our everyday living, thinking, acting and being. And through the gift of our preaching, the Gospel must serve as a catalyst for engendering a missionary spirit.

Fr. Lewinski remarks, “The parish is not an end in itself. It is meant to be a greenhouse that grows disciples. It’s meant to be a mission school preparing missionaries for service in the world.” In addition to preaching and teaching, our parishes need to provide bold witness through strong, vibrant and exemplary and effective Catholic parishes. There are many parishes that are doing marvelous and beautiful things. The problem is, however, that oftentimes, no one knows about them. Did you know that on April 23 we welcomed 6 people into full communion with the Church through RCIA here at St. Joseph? And that there are 10 more persons registered to enter the RCIA in the fall? Did you know that our Pre-Cana is already full of 45 couples coming on August 27? Did you know that every week we meet the material needs of those disadvantaged of our community through the St. Vincent de Paul Society? Do you know that great donations are given to beautify St. Joseph Cemetery as a work of mercy for the deceased? Did you know that through St. Joseph School, for 58 years, we sent disciples into the world with a foundation of faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit? Did you know that we have 21 cantors, 33 Eucharistic Ministers, 55 servers, 17 lectors and 21 homebound ministers? Did you know that there’s a devoted battalion of money counters who forge relationships of faith for the well-being and continuance of good works in our community? What wonderful servants we have who weekly volunteer time to clean the church and decorate it for our many feasts and celebrations. Did you know that from June 6-12, 311 tuned into our parish web site? Did you know that for 120 years our little parish has served as a beacon of light?

On Pentecost Sunday I met people from Canada, India, New York, Ohio, Ireland and Argentina. It is enriching to see the global Church in a little town of Coraopolis. I was excited to interview a couple for marriage and see that they signed up to help at our parish festival. The couple said that after being members here for just six weeks, they already feel at home.

We don’t have to go to Haiti, or Nigeria or China to carry out Christ’s mission. There is a fertile field in our own family and parish of St. Joseph. I am grateful for the missionary spirit and apostolic zeal of so many individuals that work together through sacrifice, commitment and service, to animate and make this place so very special.

Someone once said, “Reality is God’s home address.” Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Some may think of the Trinity as “up there” or “over there." But the Trinity is really here among us. The Trinity is our home address. Through Baptism, we enter the mystery of the love of the Triune God, (Father-Love, Son-Grace, Spirit-Fellowship). Our God is united to us through grace, love and fellowship, working for our redemption and sanctification. Our God desires to share eternal life with us. The Holy Trinity is Three Persons in One God, a God of relationships, calling us to enter into the sacred relationship of His being. Love is our highest calling. May God bless our fathers on this Father's Day.

Pentecost Reflection

“Remember that you have received...the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength, of knowledge and Godliness, the Spirit of holy fear. Preserve what you have received. God has sealed you; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has given you the guarantee of the Spirit in your heart.”

- St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

This week I baptized three new infant boys, Rocco Salvatore Chenet, Luca Samuel DiCicco and Zachery Peter Teramana, and will soon have completed three funerals: Barbara Chioda (89), Rosina Beam (92) and William Carbino (62). The three newborns are just beginning their walk with Christ in being a Christian, a Church member and a child of God. And the three who have gone before us marked in faith, whose lives have ended on earth, are entrusted to the Lord to receive the fullness of His love in heaven. All of us have this pilgrimage and journey of faith to make, but we do not make it alone. We are members of Christ's family, the Church, both living and deceased. What a marvelous gift the Church is. We celebrate that for 2000 years the same Spirit who filled the upper room in Jerusalem, breathed on the apostles, and filled them with the Holy Spirit is the same Spirit who lives in the Church to this day. The Holy Spirit energizes the Church's faithful to proclaim the Good News to all people.

I recall Sr. Marilyn Hoeying, the former pastoral associate of St. Scholastica in Aspinwall, and long-time diocesan advocate for parish pastoral councils, always reminding us that the Church is a gift, and in order to serve the Church with love, grace and joy, we must pray for it daily — so that the vision of Jesus will be our vision, the teachings of Jesus will be our teachings, the commandments of Jesus will be our commandments and the life of Jesus will be our life. As disciples of the 21st century we have inherited the message and the mission of Jesus. And we must communicate that love to others.

St. Paul, in the 12th chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians, reminds us that not everyone can do everything and not everybody can reach everybody. The gifts and talents that Christ entrusts to us are for the benefit of the whole Church and to build up the unity among all. So if your gift is to sing, sing. If your gift is to cook, cook. If your gift is computers, do computers. If your gift is to work for the poor, serve the poor. If your gift is work with the young, serve as a camp counselor. If your gift is to listen, give your friendship to a longing world. If your gift is to write poetry, share that language. If your gift is to preach, share the Word. If your gift is to be a prayer-warrior, go to daily Mass. If your gift is to be generous, help those in need. If your gift is to garden, enjoy Mother Nature. If your gift is to be a peacemaker, bring forgiveness and calm to others. If your gift is to lead, guide others. If your gift is to teach, instruct others. If your gift is to tinker with your hands, be a Jack of all trades. If your gift is to play hockey, win the Lord Stanley Cup for your city and fans! No matter what gift God has blessed you with, it's not fully a gift until it's shared for the benefit of another. No matter what your gift is, don't stay too long out of your gifted area, or you'll be an unhappy camper.

Perhaps the single greatest community event each year comes in June when we have our parish festival, which takes people of all types to work together with our minds, our hands, our hearts, our spirits and our lives for this annual celebration. As we look at the red and white canopies of the booths, we are reminded of the red of sacrifice and white of new life. Our various contributions to this gathering breathe fresh enthusiasm into the community's living. It's good to see familiar faces and new faces. We each have a special role to play, here in the parish and beyond.

Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives so we can live more fully and faithfully as disciples of Christ, who labor each day to renew the face of the earth. St. Bernardine of Siena gives us these encouraging words, “There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Sprit needed to fulfill the task at hand.”

There was a Baptist leader, Minister Spurgeon, who was once asked why he always preached that we all needed to be filled with the Holy Sprit and he simply replied, “Because we leak.” The truth is, sometimes even our Christian work, ministry and outreach is done in the power of "self" and not in the power of the Spirit. One of the occupational hazards of full-time ministry is burn-out. One must tend the flame of the fire within so that it is not extinguished by apathy, indifference and laziness. St. Padre Pio said, “Go ahead! Courage! In the spiritual life one who does not go forward goes backward.”

Let us go forward then, with the song of the Spirit in our hearts. Let us cry out to Him who is our life and breath, “Come Holy Spirit, come!”

Fire of God, undying flame,

Sprit who in splendor came,

Let your heat my soul refine,

Till it glows with love divine.

Breath of God that swept with power

In the Pentecostal hour,

Holy breath, be now in me

Source of vital energy.

Strength of God, your might within

Conquers sorrow, pain and sin;

Fortify from evil art

All the gateways of my heart.

Truth of God, your piercing rays

Penetrate my secret ways;

May the light that shames my sin

Guide me holier paths to win.

Love of God, your grace profound

Knows not either age or bound;

Come, my heart’s own guest to be,

Dwell forevermore in me.

Easter 7

“Once while preaching in a parish, I suddenly caught sight of a young mother with her child, and you could see the love between them. I was terribly tempted to say to the congregation: 'Forget what I am saying and look over there, and you will see what we mean to God.'‟

- Cardinal Basil Hume

USA Today recently featured a Life Way Research survey which asked 1,000 Americans, “How often do you read the Bible?” The responses were: 53% at least once per month; 22% rarely; 24% never; and 1% didn’t know. The Bible is a love story between God and us. And God wants to tell us about who He is, who we are and the great plan that awaits us. Our Bible study resumes Monday, June 6 at 7:00 PM in Church. Bring a Bible and invite a friend! “Direct my steps by Your Word” (Ps 119:133).

I thought you might enjoy the following article which demonstrates the power of God’s Word to communicate itself with strength despite the humble messengers who bear it.

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The Best Sermon I Never Heard

(Reprinted from Catholic Digest, June 2011)

By Rick Hermann

I had thought the old priest’s sermon was terrible. But apparently, I had missed something.

As soon as the old priest started his sermon, I knew it was going to be boring. He began speaking with a faltering voice and proceeded to tell an obscure story that made no sense to me at all. I was quickly lost and distracted.

This was not my usual church. I was traveling and had just dropped in for evening Mass. But I knew right away that this sermon was going to be one of the worst ever. The priest seemed unprepared, vague, and detached. So I tuned him out and started fuming inside my head. Why didn’t he prepare better? Don’t they train these guys in seminary? Here we are, after 2,000 years of Church history, and our priests still haven’t figured out how to give a decent homily! No wonder our faith is so weak; it’s because the sermons are so bad!

I seethed in silent protest, stupefied and resentful. After what seemed like an eternity, the priest finally ended his sermon. I do not remember a single word he said. It was that boring. Unfortunately, for the rest of the Mass my mind wandered aimlessly along dark paths of indignation and disgust.

After Mass ended, I walked to my car. No longer able to contain my protest, I complained to a man walking beside me, “What did you think of that sermon?”

He gave a gentle reply, “That was the most beautiful sermon I ever heard.”

I was stunned, and looked up at him. His face was tear-stained, and his eyes glistened in the twilight. Suddenly embarrassed, I asked what he meant.

He responded with a smile, “I’ve spent most of my life estranged from God, going my own way and doing my own thing. Last year I found Him, or rather He found me, and now I find Him speaking to me in the most wonderful ways. Like that sermon we just heard. It was all about waking up, and listening, and hearing God in new ways. That describes my life, and the love I have found.” I was speechless. I shook his hand sheepishly and thank him. He may not speak to me, but He speaks to thee, I thought.

As I drove home, I marveled at how God could use such a dull and ordinary priest to speak in such an extraordinary way to one of his beloved. What is meaningless for me to hear, and a cross for me to bear, may be the fruitful words of life to a person sitting near.

Now I am a more humble and appreciative listener. Ever since that experience years ago, I cannot hear a boring sermon without imagining that someone, somewhere out there in the pews, may be wiping a tear from their eye and smiling.

They may be hearing the voice of God speaking directly into their heart, with healing words raining down on them like a spring shower on a dry and thirsty desert.

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I am reading Fr. Jonathan Morris’ new book entitled, "God Wants You Happy: From Self-Help to God-Help." I would recommend this book as a gift for a graduate or anyone. Fr. Morris serves as news analyst for Fox News Channel and also as parochial vicar for St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. You can visit him online at http://www.fatherjonathan.com/. Fr. Morris writes, “We are created by God out of love. He gave us freedom in order that we might choose what’s best for us, to live in friendship with Him in this life and for all eternity. Genuine human flourishing, then, almost always has something to do with our good choices (positive self-help) and always has everything to do with God’s grace (God-help). Any effort to divorce one from the other is a dangerous detour into philosophical narcissism (pursuing self-help without recognition of God), or religious irrationalism (expecting God to do what He wants us to do for ourselves).” God wants us to be holy, healthy and happy -- do our choices reflect that?

A Blessing for Graduates

Before you were even formed, God knew you. While in your Mother’s womb, God named you. At your birth, God’s breath filled you with life. Today we celebrate what you have become at this moment in time. And so we pray: God of our beginnings, we thank You for the gifts of these graduates; their excitement, their awesome wonder and curiosity, their open speech and encouraging words. Their contributions have blessed and challenged us, and we have become a richer and more diverse community because of them. As they step forward into the world that awaits, comfort their fears with the full knowledge of your divine presence. Strengthen their resolve to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as modern-day disciples in a world that needs their spirit. Guide their feet as they move through life, protecting them from the pitfalls of darkness while they help to lead future generations into the warmth and promise of Your light. We ask this blessing upon each of them, in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!