Lord, This is the People That Longs to See Your Face

Posted by on

“Lord, this is the people that longs to see our face.”

This is the responsorial verse for today’s readings.   Today we celebrate the feast of All Saints.  Throughout the year, there are countless saints who are honored with a feast day.  There are many people who have never been declared a saint but are, in fact, saints.  Thus, we celebrate this day to honor all those who have gone home to God’s heavenly kingdom.  All who reside in heaven with God are counted among the saints.

We who are still living the earthly life are the “people that longs to see your face.”  As Christians, our destiny is Heaven.  So, we honor those who have achieved their destiny.  We do not worship the saints.  God is the only one we worship.  We venerate saints. 

We cannot earn our way into Heaven.  We are imperfect and we sin.  Fortunately, Jesus has paid the price for our sins. 

Does that we have it easy now, that we have to do is wait until it is our time?  No, we must strive to life as Christ calls us to.  It begins with the Beatitudes found in today’s gospel.

It is in striving to live the life that Jesus calls us to that we pray for the help of the saints.  However, it is not the saints themselves that answer our prayers.  They cannot perform miracles or intervene in our lives.  As the ones who reside in the Heavenly Kingdom, they pray to God, asking for our help.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

On the Right Team

Posted by on

This morning I joined our parish school children for morning prayers.  Today was ‘wear your favorite team’s shirt day.”  There certainly were a variety of shirts.  Even the principal had his “team” shirt on.  Of course, they were all sports teams.  Before joining the children for prayers, I stopped in the school office where the principal explained it was ‘team shirt day.’

Interestingly, he commented that I was wearing my team shirt – I was wearing the Roman collar.  The collared shirt is a ‘team shirt’ in the sense that it does identify the team I am on.  I am on God’s team and it is not just a game.  God is the owner, providing us with what we need to win.  You might say the Holy Spirit is the coach because of the guidance the Holy Spirit provides.  Another analogy would have Jesus as the coach because he gives us the game plan in the gospels.

Sports players started making so much money that some leagues have instituted salary caps.  On God’s team, we don’t have salary caps because we aren’t in it for the money.  We take a salary to provide for our basic needs.  In sports, the players salaries are determined by how good they are.  On God’s team, we recognize that we are able to do good works because of the gifts he has given us.  When we are behind, it is God himself who steps up to the plate to score the winning plate.  To God be the glory.

Whose team are you on?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Knowing You Are Where You Are Supposed To Be

Posted by on

The last couple of days have been busy days for me; nothing unusual there.  In these busy times I have been blessed with some moments of knowing that I was where I was supposed to be.

Yesterday, I said Mass at the Homestead Nursing facility for 18 or 20 residents, a couple of staff, and a couple of parishioners.  Now, it is not unusual to see fewer people at daily Mass in the parish.  But in the nursing home, sometimes you can wonder if it is worth it.  You don’t know if the people can hear you or know what is going on.  This time, both before and after Mass, I had several of the residents thank me for coming to say Mass.  Of course, they can’t get to church themselves but to have several of them genuinely say thank you tells me that was where God wanted me to be.

This morning I “found the time” to go see a person who has just gone into hospice care.  I had a message that she would like to receive the Anointing of the Sick but anytime in the next couple of days would be fine.  Today was very busy, but tomorrow is going to be busy too so I found the time to go see her.  She was very appreciative that I came and we had a heartfelt conversation.  There conversation showed me I was where I was supposed to be.

This afternoon, I went to our parish school to talk with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders about priests, deacons, and religious.  I was given forty or forty-five minutes.  I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t take any more than 20-30 minutes.  It lasted an hour because they were very interested and asked good questions.  That helped me “get into it.”  Again, I was where I was supposed to be.

How do you know when you are where you are supposed to be, especially when it wasn’t where you planned on being?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Remembering the North American Martyrs

Posted by on

Today (October 19th) we celebrate the memorial of St. Isaac Jogues, St. John De Brebeuf, and their companions.  They are the first North American Martyrs to be officially recognized by the Church.  They are part of our heritage as American Catholics.  They were part of a group of French Jesuits who came to Quebec in the early 1600’s as missionaries to the Native American Indians.  They successfully converted over 7,000 Huron Indians.  Their missionary work let them to enter into New York State where they were martyred by the Iroquois and Mohawk Indians.  They worked hard in the missionary work that God called them to, accepting martyrdom for the glory of God.  You can read more about them at http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1173.

They helped plant the early seeds of the Christian Faith in North America and for this we venerate them as the North American Martyrs.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Why?

Posted by on

Why am I am priest?  Is it worth it?

Let me begin by assuring you I am happy as a priest.  Sometimes it seems difficult but there are also moments of joy.  For example, I think back a couple of weeks ago when I was doing the Sunday morning Mass and there was a Baptism during Mass.  Before Mass I was distracted and taking care of what seemed more like “business” rather than ministry.  As I did the Baptism itself, I felt joy at welcoming a new child into our Church.  Then, as I said the Eucharistic Prayer, I become a little emotional with joy.  Celebrating the sacraments, most especially in celebrating the Eucharist is fundamental to priesthood.

There also the difficult moments, people I want to help but can’t.  Sometimes lack of interest in parish activities can be discouraging.  For instance, we just have three different gatherings for anyone interested in RCIA or anyone who had been away from the church and looking to return.  We had one person come.  It can seem discouraging to only have one person come.  But if we didn’t have the sessions we won’t have even had the one.  And maybe we touched some hearts in our outreach to may not have come to the gatherings but have opened themselves a little to God.

I use my ministry as a priest as an example but we can all have moments of joy and moments with challenge.  We should never give up when we believe it is something God wants us to do.  We may not always see the fruit of our labor but we are always called to do the work God calls us.  We do what we can and leave the rest up to God.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

New York State Elections

Posted by on

Our NYS Catholic Conference of Bishops have just issued a statement, Our Cherished Right, Our Solemn Duty, reminding us of our duty to vote.  Yes, we hold separation of church and state as an important principle.  We, as Catholics, also firmly believe in the duty of each individual to stand up for what we believe in.  One vital way of doing this is exercising our right to vote. 

We vote based on our values rather than our self-interest.  There may not be a perfect candidate but God has given us the gift of wisdom to help us decide which candidate most closely believes in the same values we do.  To do that we must take the time to watch the news, read the newspaper, or search the Internet to find out what we can about the candidates and then make a prayerful choice between the candidates.

For more on Catholic voting principles check out http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

What Does the Word “Church” Mean To You?

Posted by on

Atour Presbyteral Council meeting today, we had a discussion on how to connect to young adults in our ministry.  Each generation has its own way of looking at things.

I ask you “What does the word church mean to you?”  Do you think of the “building” where you attend Mass?  Do you think of the “church” as an “institution” with a hierarchy and a set of “rules”? 

We experience “church” most vividly in the parish building we call a church but that building is not “THE CHURCH.”

As a Catholics we certainly have an institution that we call church but the institution is not “THE CHURCH.”

THE CHURCH is experienced in the physical but it is not the same as the physical.  There are rules in the church but the rules do not exist for the good of the institution.  The institutional church exists to bring us closer to God.  We have rules in the church but the rules does just exist to ensure the survival of the institution.  The rules are to there to help guide us on the path God has laid out for us.  Everything we do as a church is meant to draw us into a deeper personal relationship with Jesus.

The problem is that we get caught up in the rules.  For instance, when we teach religion to children we become focused on teaching them facts, rules, and prayers to memorize but we don’t teach them about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus.  Now, granted little children aren’t going to grasp what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus but that is our goal as the child grows.

As a child grows, do we help them grow from rules that tell them what they should or shouldn’t do to why we should or shouldn’t?  For instance, our sacraments are meant to be an encounter with God where we receive grace.  A child might know that in Baptism we use water, oil, a white garment, and a candle but do we ever talk about why?  God uses the “things” of this world to help us connect to him but it isn’t about the “things.”  Having a personal relationship with Jesus calls us to see what the “thing” represents.

Likewise, we teach little children to know the Ten Commandments.  As the children grow, we need to give them the skills to interpret how the commandments apply in our world today.  If we don’t give them the skills, then our faith can seem irrelevant.

Do you see how our faith is relevant today or does “church” seem like a bunch of rules that don’t mean much today?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Feast of St. Francis

Posted by on

I wrote the following for the parish bulletin this weekend.

On Monday, we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  His father was a very well-to-do merchant who wished his son would go into the family business.  Everyone liked Francis because he was always happy.  He sought glory by becoming a soldier.  He was captured and held prisoner.  Even during his imprisonment he kept on being happy.  

He was freed when the ransom was paid.  He continued to seek glory as a soldier, joining the Crusades, but before he fought another battle, he felt the call of God.  So, he returned home and began to turn his life over to God.  

Francis then heard God telling him to “repair my Church.”  Francis took it literally and rebuilt the local church, only to discover that was not God’s ultimate purpose for him.  Instead, God wanted Francis to help the Church recover from scandal.  

Eventually, he would start the Order of Friars Minor that we know today as the Franciscans.  It was never his intent to start a new order.  What he promoted in his preaching and his lifestyle was living a simple life.  He is now a symbol of poverty and the simple life.  The Franciscan Order formed when a group of men adopted his lifestyle.  

One of the ways that Francis would find the presence of the Lord was in the things that God had created, in nature and animals.  For his love of creation, St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment.  

Following Francis’ love of animals, each year many parishes offer a pet blessing where we ask for St. Francis’ intercession to keep our pets safe and healthy (we had our pet blessing Saturday).  

We also ask for St. Francis’ intercession to help us use wisely the natural resources of the world as created by God.  Each year, our diocesan Public Policy selects three issues to focus on to help the people understand Catholic teaching on the issues.  This year, one of the issues is our energy policies and global climate change.  You can find some information from the diocese at http://www.dor.org/charities/dioprograms/AdvocacyGlobalClimateChange.htm.  

Another good place for Catholic Social Teaching on the environment is http://catholicsandclimatechange.org/.  You can find out about the St. Francis’ pledge at http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/the-st-francis-pledge/.  

I understand that some people are not convinced that we have a “global climate change” problem.  Others may admit there is a small problem but think the Earth can “take care of itself.”  I think we have do have a problem with the way we use our natural resources without concern.  Even, if global climate change isn’t as bad as some say, why would we ever use our natural resources wastefully?  As Christian stewards, recognizing creation as a gift, we should cherish the gift and use it wisely.  What might you do to be a little wiser about how you use our natural resources? 

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Prayer of St. Francis
Lord make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love.
Where there is injury . . . pardon.
Where there is doubt . . . faith.
Where there is despair . . . hope.
Where there is darkness . . . light.
Where there is sadness . . . joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To Be consoled . . . as to console,
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love,
for
It is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

Educating Our Children

Posted by on

The title of this article is “Educating Our Children.”  I was going to call it “Educating the Children” because, as a celibate priest, I do not have children of my own.  But as I thought about it, I realized that I feel a sense of responsibility for “the” children.  The Church declares that the parents are the primary educators of their children.  As a Church, we also understand that our community has a responsibility to ensure the education of our children.

This week I had two opportunities to be at Mass with the children in our Catholic Schools.  Yesterday, I went to St. Stephen’s Church in Geneva for a regional celebration of our Catholic Schools in Cayuga, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates Counties.  Bishop Clark presided and eleven priests, including myself, concelebrated with him.

Today is the Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  Since St. Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of our parish school in Penn Yan and our church in Penn Yan, we did a parish school Mass (open to the public) at 11 a.m. this morning where I presided.

I have to admit that children can be a bit of a challenge for me.  I always wonder if I am talking on their level.  I don’t want to make it to simple for them and I don’t want to make it to hard for them to understand.  In the end, I believe the Holy Spirit always provides.

Even though they can be a challenge for me, I believe very much in doing whatever I can for our children.  They are a precious gift from God.  Without children, there is no future.  We must do what we can to educate our children.  Education, properly understood is not just about teaching facts and figures or “how to do” something.  Education includes good character and understanding right from wrong.  I think one of the assets of our Catholic schools is importance of “character” and to provide an awareness there is more to the world (meaning God) than just what we can see and feel.

I went to public school all my life.  So, I certainly believe that the public schools do produce good people.  But it is easier in Catholic schools to help the children to integrate faith and knowledge.  Whether you send your children to public or private schools, make sure you help them develop a sense of wholeness with God part of our daily lives.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Our Attitude in Giving

Posted by on

This week my diocese began its annual appeal known as the Catholic Ministries Appeal.  Obviously, the goal of the appeal is to raise money to pay for the “work” of our diocese.  However, the appeal is not about money.  It’s about ministry and mission.

Whenever we hear about any charitable organization doing an appeal or a campaign our initial response might be what do they want money for now or how much do they want now?

What does the diocese what money for now?  That’s easy!  To do what Christ asks of us – to care for those in need and to proclaim the good news!

How much do they want you to give?  However much you are able to.  All we ask is that you don’t make an arbitrary decision or just give the same amount you have given for the last several years.  Do what you should with all your decisions – take it to prayer.  But as you think about how much you are able to give, think about your attitude in giving.  Often, when we talk about giving to the church, we do it with a sense of an obligation to give.  I prefer to think about it as an opportunity to contribute, to contribute to the mission Christ has called us to, to proclaim the good news and to care for those in need (To learn what you are contributing to, read the Bishop’s column on the CMA.) and to give with an attitude of gratitude – gratitude for what God has given us and willingness to share it with others.

Christ is our light.  We receive the Light of Christ at Baptism.  We are called to share the light.  The theme for this year’s appeal is Let Your Light Shine.  Contributing to the Catholic Ministries Appeal is just one way to contribute.  How is God calling you to be a good steward, contributing your time, talent, and treasure to fulfill our mission?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

P.S. If you would like to hear about how the funds raised for the CMA are used, check out our diocese’s web page for the Catholic Ministries Appeal.