Patience is a Virtue

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They say patience is a virtue.  I agree but I have to admit I am not the most patient person in the world.  Today I was driving to Fairport for a Memorial Mass.  On the way up along Seneca Lake I followed a person for most of the length of the lake who was driving a little slower than I wanted to but they were driving fast enough to not give me a chance to pass them.  So I set my cruise control to match their speed and “impatiently” followed them.  The same thing happened on the way home for twenty miles but this person must not have been using cruise control because their speed varied some so I couldn’t just set my cruise control to match their speed.  Again, I “impatiently” followed.

We don’t like to wait.  We want everything NOW!  Good things come to those who wait.

Sometimes we only have to wait an extra minute or two.  Sometimes, we have to wait a while.  I have been in a waiting mode myself for a while.  When I first came to St. Mary’s where I currently serve I knew it was a three year assignment.  The three years draws to a close at the end of June.  I have had conversations with the diocese about my upcoming new assignment.  Now I wait to hear where the bishop will send me.  As the discussion began I was very anxious to know where I am going. 

Now, I consider this “appropriate curiosity” but it was on my mind a lot and sometimes served as a distraction.  I wasn’t very patient.  Do I need to know already?  I could say I “need” to know NOW so I can make plans for the future (moving, etc.).  The truth is that I don’t NEED to know right now. 

I know I am leaving St. Mary’s at the end of June and that is all that I NEED to know right now.  I would love to know all the details now (I could literally hear from the bishop any day now but it could be a couple of weeks too). 

In the last month, from the discussions with the diocese, I have come to some sense of peace in waiting.  So for now, I pray that the bishop assigns me where God wants me to be.  I could talk about what I think would make a good assignment but ultimately what will make it a good assignment is not what I want but that it be God’s will.

With that in mind I wait.

How are you at waiting?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Evangelization

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After attending an online workshop on the role of priest in the work of evangelization offered by the Paulist National Catholic Evangelizaiton AssociationI have added four new pages on evangelization to my website and a tab for evangelization on the left.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

  • “The Evangelizing Mass”
  • “The Evangelizing Priest”
  • “Evangelization: What Can a Parish Do?
  • “Evangelization: What Can You Do?”

    • Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Dying and Rising

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    We celebrated Easter Sunday last week but our celebration of Easter has not ended.  We celebrate the Easter Season for 50 days until Pentecost.  Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection.  It is the celebration of new life but before we receive new life we must first die to this life.  We must die with Christ so that we might rise with him.

    We can die with Christ in the way we live our lives, handing our lives over to the Father’s will.  We can die with Christ and rise in new life in our celebration of the Sacraments.

    In the Sacrament of Baptism, we are reborn in the Holy Spirit.  In baptism, we say we die to the things of this world so that we may have new life through Jesus.

    In the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.  In asking for Confirmation we say we know we need to be sealed and strengthened in the Holy Spirit so that we might seek the things of God instead of the things of this world.  We need the Holy Spirit to help us be able to die with Christ to the things of this world to rise with Christ.

    In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we acknowledge the sacrifice of Christ when he died for us on the Cross.  In receiving the Eucharist, we profess how much we need Jesus to overcome the things of this world.  In coming to the Eucharist we profess a desire to give up (die to) the things of this world favoring life with Jesus.

    In the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) we admit that we fail to die to the things of this world; that sometimes we give into the temptations of the flesh.  But in seeking reconciliation we also say we want to change our ways.  We seek God’s forgiveness but not just his forgiveness but to be strengthened to do better.  In coming to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we humbly acknowledge our past, seek to die to the past and receive new life.

    In the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick we seek healing.  Certainly, physical healing may be desired but there is also spiritual healing.  Spiritual healing that helps us look beyond the physical illness to see the presence of God in the moment.  This is another dying with Christ to hand over our illness to Jesus.  Remember Jesus’ prayer in the Garden, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

    In the Sacrament of Marriage, two become one flesh.  The couple say we are no longer one.  We come together in love.  Christ is love and to love is look beyond the things of this world (die with Christ) to see new life in God’s eyes.

    In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, one is ordained to serve.  In my ordination I promised to serve God.  I give up some of the earthly things to help bring God’s people closer to him.  I say it isn’t all about me.  Jesus said I came not to be served but to serve.

    May we all follow Jesus’ example of dying so that we may rise to new life with him.

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Easter – Jesus Christ is Risen Today

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    Today we celebrate Easter!  It is a day of Great Joy!  Jesus Savior, our Lord and Savior has risen!

    It had appeared that Jesus was defeated by his enemies who had him arrested, “tried”, and crucified on a Cross but the Resurrection shows us that the Cross is not a sign of defeat.  Christ is victorious over even death!  The Cross is a sign of God’s love for us and his victory over sin.  Jesus was obedient even to the point of death and for this God has exalted him, raised him up in the Resurrection.

    The news gets better.  Jesus promises us a share in the Resurrection!  All we have to do is die with Christ. 

    All we have to do is die with Christ? 

    Now, it is unlikely that any of us will spent the last twenty-four hours of our earthly lives like Jesus who prayed in the Garden, was arrested, “tried,” beaten, mocked, scourged, and crucified but we are called to die with him. 

    Dying with Christ is not a question of the manner of our earthly death.  Dying with Christ is about the way we live our lives.  Think about this – the enemies of Jesus had not been able to capture Jesus before, why now?  Because Jesus handed himself over.  Jesus handed himself over not to his enemies but to his Father’s will.  Jesus gave himself over to the Father’s Will in love.  In fact, Jesus did this not in just his last 24 hours but throughout his whole ministry; his whole life.  Everything Jesus did was about doing the Father’s will and helping (teaching) us to do the same.

    Our dying with Christ begins in our baptism when we are reborn in the Spirit.  But it does not end there.  It is the way we are called to live our lives.  We are called to always seek to do the Father’s Will.  Is it easy?  No.  The things of this world can be tempting.  Things like food and water are necessary for earthly life and are in fact good as the Lord’s creation.  The problem is when we make earthly things more important than God.  That is when we go down the path of sin.

    It is difficult to always life as God calls us.  We can fail and sin.  But there is hope; hope that Jesus gives us.  How?  By dying for us on a Cross, Jesus pays the price for our sins.  We can rejoice in the love that Jesus shows us; a love that is without bounds.  We cannot take this love for granted.  We must always try to do our best.  We must always do what we can to avoid sin, to stay away from the temptations that are too difficult for us to resist; to always strive to do the Father’s will.

    Then, when we do sin, we turn to Christ, who hung upon the Cross, and in the Resurrection proved that he is victorious over even sin and death.

    Jesus Christ is Risen Today!  Alleluia.

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Good Friday 2010

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    Today we celebrate the death of Jesus Christ.  Yes, we celebrate his death.  We celebrate it because Jesus’ death pays the price for our sins and wins for us our redemption.  It is also a sign for us of God’s limitless love for us.  There is nothing God will not do for us.

    The Jews had been expecting a great political messiah who would defeat their enemies in battle.  Jesus was not a political messiah.  The enemy that Jesus defeats for us is sin and death.  It is a battle won not with swords or guns but by sacrifice.  And what greater sacrifice is there than to give up one’s life for a people?

    The Jews expected a political messiah who would be victorious in earthly battle.  Our first reading for Good Friday (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) does not speak of such a political messiah.  Rather, Isaiah speaks of a suffering servant.  There is debate about who the suffering servant is; is it an Old Testament figure; is it Isaiah himself; is it the Israelite people?  In some ways it is all of them but it is Jesus who shows us what it truly means to be a suffering servant. 

    The gospel on Good Friday is always John’s Passion narrative (John 18:1-19:42).  In John’s passion narrative Jesus is very much in control.  He is not defeated by Pilate or anyone else.  What happens is all according to God’s will.  Jesus suffers because he chooses to suffer for our sake.

    When we suffer, we may feel abandoned by God.  God does not want us to have to suffer.  Some of our sufferings are our own fault.  Some of our sufferings are because of choices made by people around us.  Some of our sufferings are not any one’s fault or caused by God.  No matter why we suffer God is right there with us.  God knows what it is like to suffer, even to death.

    At the end of the passion, Jesus lies dead in the tomb.  There is more to come on Easter and what comes fills us with hope.

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Holy Thursday

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    The readings for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated in the evening on Holy Thursday are very appropriate to the occasion.

    The first reading (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14) recalls the original Passover event when God lead the Israelites out of Egypt by the hand of Moses.  It was the Passover meal that Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper.  This is no coincidence.  The Passover was the central event in the history of the Israelite people, celebrated each year to remember what God did for them as a people.  God set them free from the Egyptians.  At the Last Supper, Jesus institutes the Eucharist intimately linked to his sacrifice on the Cross when he sets us free from our sins. 

    The second reading (1 Corintians 11:23-26) is Paul’s telling of how the Eucharist is celebrated in the early church.  At the Last Supper Jesus celebrated the first Eucharist.  He commanded his disciples to “Do this is memory of me” and we have celebrated the Eucharist ever since.  Our celebration of the Eucharist is fundamental to what it means to be Catholic.

    The gospel reading (John 13:1-15) is the story of the washing of the feet.    Jesus is the Messiah yet he is the one washing the feet of his disciples.  He does so to show us what it means to be a “king.”  Kingship in God’s eye is not a question of power or wealth.  Jesus says he comes not to be served but to serve.  In the washing of the feet, Jesus calls us to serve the needs of others.

    The washing of the feet can be a very humbling experience for both the person having their foot washed and the priest doing it.  It can be humbling for the person having their foot washed because we like to do things for ourselves.  We don’t like to depend on other people.  To accept the help of others requires humility.  To be the one washing the feet can be a humbling remind that one is not better than other people.  We are not to consider ourselves “above” such menial tasks.  How is your humility?

    Remember, Holy Thursday is not a day by itself.  It has an importance of its own but it is intimately linked to the events of Good Friday and Easter.

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Holy Week

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    We are in the midst of the holiest time of year.  This Sunday (March 28th) we celebrated Palm Sunday.  We generally remember it as Palm Sunday because of the blessing of the Palms at the beginning of the Mass.  The blessing of the palms and the accompanying gospel reminds us of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for this final week of his life.

    It is also known as Passion Sunday because of the reading of Jesus’ Passion.  Each of the four gospels has a passion story remembering Jesus’ final hours.  On Passion Sunday, we read from the gospel of the lectionary year.  So this year we heard Luke’s passion story. 

    We are called to remember all that Jesus did, he did for us.  He did it out of love for us.  Jesus is an innocent man who pays the price for our sins.

    Today (Wednesday) I presided over a prayer service with the Holy Family Elementary school remembering the events of Holy Thursday and then Stations of the Cross.  Jesus went through so much for us and when I think about the hours he hung upon the Cross I feel the power of God’s love for us.

    On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  On Good Friday we focus on Jesus’ Passion as told in John’s Gospel.  On Saturday night we celebrate the Easter Vigil where the Old Testament readings tell us the history of God’s relationship with his people and the empty tomb leading us to our celebration of the Resurrection.

    These events recall what Jesus has done for us and point to the promise of our sharing in the Resurrection.  I hope you are able to participate in these celebrations.

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Whose Job is It?

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    In years past the priests and the nuns did most of the work in our parishes.  Now, most parishes have lay staff members who are married with families of their own and we could not do all the ministry we do without the help of our parishioners.  Still, there remains something profound about a call to the priesthood and religious life.  It is only the priest who can preside at Mass, anoint the sick and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Deacons and priests can baptize and preside at weddings.  Only a bishop can ordain is the normal celebrant of Confirmation.

    The laity have become much more involved in the ministry of the parish.  Priests have a unique role to play in the spiritual life of the parish but everyone has a call to help spread the good news and to care for the needs of all God’s children.

    Two examples.  First, is our social ministry work.  Here at St. Mary’s we have a committee of about twelve people who plan and organize our social ministry.  As a priest I can contribute in three ways.  First, when I preach, I can help people understand how Jesus calls us to help those in need with food, water, clothing, and shelter.  Secondly, outside of Mass, I have been a presenter at sessions that talk about what Catholic Social Teaching says about particular issues such as the environment and health care (I also use this blog with this purpose in mind).  Lastly, I can help, just like everyone else to be a helping hand to those in need.  Yet, it is not just my ministry to help those in need nor is it the sole responsibility of our committee.  We have person who we can count on for help and our best example is the success of our Christmas Basket program that counts on the generosity of all our parishioners.  The more who contribute of their time, talent, and treasure the more people we can help.

    The other example I want to use here is our outreach to Inactive Catholics.  I have preached on our efforts to outreach to Catholics who don’t come to church.  I have made up brochures and flyers.  I have blogged about it.  I have shared my story with those I encounter.  I have worked with our evangelization committee to reach out to these people.  But it is you who see this people everyday.  I see my role as a “priest evangelizer” as to evangelizer the people who come to church (and those, like you, who read this blog).  When I talk about me evangelizing you I mean to help you grow deeper in your faith and understanding of how Jesus calls us to live.  I hope you in turn live your faith and share your faith with others.  Let others know that your faith is important to you and perhaps they will want to come to church with you to see what it is that motivates you to be a good person.

    We are all called to bring Christ to the world.  How can you help?

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    Sloth – The Last of the Seven Deadly Sins

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    Sloth, in a sense, is laziness but it is not plain laziness.  Catholic Reference Net defines sloth as

    Sluggishness of soul or boredom because of the exertion necessary for the performance of a good work. The good work may be a corporal task, such as walking; or a mental exercise, such as writing; or a spiritual duty, such as prayer. Implicit in sloth is the unwillingness to exert oneself in the performance of duty because of the sacrifice and the effort required. As a sin, it is not to be confused with mere sadness over the inconvenience involved in fulfilling one’s obligations, nor with the indeliberate feelings of repugnance when faced with unpleasant work. It becomes sinful when the reluctance is allowed to influence the will and, as a result, what should have been done is either left undone or performed less well than a person is responsible for doing. Sloth may also mean a repugnance to divine inspiration or the friendship of God due to the self-sacrifice and labor needed to co-operate with actual grace or to remain in the state of grace. This kind of laziness is directly opposed to the love of god and is one of the main reasons why some people, perhaps after years of virtuous living, give up on the pursuit of holiness or even become estranged from God. (Etym. Middle-English slowthe, slow.)

    Now, there is nothing wrong with taking a day off or some vacation time.  God himself rested on the seventh day, appreciating the work he had done in the six days of creation.

    Laziness becomes a problem when it keeps us from doing good works and taking care of ourselves.  As Jesus calls us to help those in need around us, failure to do so when we are able offends God and thus is a sin.  This does not mean that it is always a sin to not help those in need.  Sometimes we are in need ourselves and do not have the means to help others.  God does not ask more of us than we have to give (realizing that we should not put our own pleasure before the needs of others).  Our failure to help others becomes a sin when we could help but decide not to because it would be too much “work.” 

    What about taking care of ourselves?  The definition above from Catholic Reference Net includes not taking a walk.  God has given us the gift of life and we show we value that gift by taking care of ourselves with exercise and avoidance of gluttony.  The definition above also includes “failure” to pray.  Never taking time to pray is like saying it doesn’t really matter.  Are we all experts in prayer and getting the most out of it?  No, sometimes we need the help of our spiritual director.  But a decision not to pray because it isn’t worth the effort offends God and hence is an occasion of sin.

    Lastly, sitting down and watching TV or reading is not necessarily laziness.  First, it can be rest.  It can also be educational.  The place to start if we want to become better people is to focus on patterns of behavior (we should desire to improve all our behavior but start with the bad behavior that we do often).  This is true of all of the Seven Deadly Sins.  Sometimes we even find, that if we begin with sins that we commit often, that as we work to change one behavior others may get better at the same time because they may have the same cause.

    Now, “Go, and from now on do not sin any more” (John 8:11). 

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff

    P.S. Is it ironic that “sloth” is the last of the seven deadly sins covered here?

    A Note About Spam

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    I want to let you know I have been received a significant number of spam comments to this blog.  Of course, I have not allowed those comments to be posted.  Some of the comments have been written beginning with “thanking me” for the writing the blog but then have advertising information in them.  If you have written a comment and I have not posted it, it is because it looked like the spam I have been receiving.  To ensure posting of comments I ask that in your comment you include a specific reference to something I wrote to show its authenticity as a genuine comment and not spam.

    Peace,

    Fr. Jeff