16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 (1)
Ephesians 2:13-18
Mark 6:30-34
July 18, 2021

Jeremiah served as a prophet of the Lord in the time leading up to and including the start of the Babylonian Exile.  God allowed the Israelites to be defeated by their enemies.  Why?  Because they had sinned.  Some of this was because of their own choices.  Some of it was because there were bad shepherds.

Thus, the Lord says, “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.”  The shepherds were those appointed to be either secular leaders or religious leaders. 

How did they mislead the people?  The religious leaders have done this by distorting the Law.  This doesn’t necessarily mean they were deliberately misleading the people.  Perhaps they were misled themselves. 

The religious people might cause others to “scatter” by burdening the people with more strict laws that what God offered. 

Both the religious and secular leaders sometimes led others astray by their poor example.  Did they practice what they preached?  Or they drive people away with burdens and hypocrisy? 

Fortunately, God always has a plan.  God had a plan to bring those who were far from him back to him (something we need to do today).

God says to his people, “I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them.”  When we think of God appointing shepherds, we probably think of church leaders, especially our bishops who carry a crozier, a shepherd’s staff.  We need to pray that all those called to be shepherds in our Catholic Church are those called by God.  For instance, I am not a priest because I want to be a priest.  I accept priesthood as a calling from God.

Likewise, we need to pray that those elected to secular government are those who God chooses. 

We also need to pray for both church and secular leaders already serving to always seek to follow God’s will.

If we let him, God will work through us but ultimately it is God who saves us.  It is God himself who “will gather the remnant.”

Yes, it is the Lord we need.  For as the 23rd Psalm says, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”

We can count on the Lord to guide us.  If we fully and truly follow the Lord, we will not want.  However, that does not mean we get everything we want.  If we truly follow the Lord, we can find ourselves wanting less.  In giving our lives totally to God we often come to find some things that we wanted just aren’t that important. 

When we face great difficulties in life, we might fear what lies before us.  With the Lord at our side, we hand our fears over to him as He gives us comfort and hope leading us to have the courage we need to endure. 

How might the Lord be calling you to help shepherd his people?

For me, I serve our parishes as the religious leader.  I am the ordained priest but God has also called our deacons as well as our staff to help lead our parishes.  We also have parishioners who serve on councils who assist in the leadership.

Maybe you are not called to a leader (shepherd) in our parishes but God may still be calling you to serve in our parish.  God calls some to be lectors, others ushers or greeters, and musicians.  One of these days we will resume using altar servers and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.  Maybe you are called to help with faith formation, our Community Table, or special projects.  Maybe God is calling to a ministry of prayer.  God calls some to be shepherds.  God calls all of us to contribute in some way of our time, talent, and treasure.

Much of the same is true regarding service in our community outside the church.  Some are called to hold government office as leaders/shepherds.  Others can volunteer with organizations like Catholic Charities or the food pantry. 

Even in the home we have shepherds.  Parents are called to be shepherds of their children, leading them in following the Lord’s Way.

Last week we heard of the first time Jesus sent the Twelve out on a mission.  Before they were sent out they spent time learning from Jesus as their shepherd. 

Only then did they go out.  Did they go out and never return? 

Isn’t that what some people do?  They come to church and religion classes till they are confirmed.  Then they go out and don’t return.

The Twelve did return.  They came back to Jesus and “reported all they had done and taught.”  They had cured many people and drove out demons.  They also taught. 

They came back to Jesus to continue their learning from him.  They kept coming back to encounter Jesus.  We need to keep returning to Jesus.  The learning we do about our faith leading up to Confirmation is just the beginning. 

We come back to be fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.

We come back to be fed with the Word of God found in the Bible.

We back to be taught more about Jesus as the way and the truth and the life.

We should never lose sight of the desire to come closer to Jesus.  We are created to know and love God. 

Jesus was moved with pity for his people.  This will lead him to feed his people with bread in the multiplication of the loaves.  That comes after today’s gospel passage.

Today, He was moved with pity for the people “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.”  They needed guidance.  God wants to guide us.  Thus, moved with pity Jesus began to teach them, feeding them with his Word.

Let us pray that we allow God to be our shepherd, that He guides us and feeds us with his Word and the Eucharist.

Catching Up

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Since I haven’t posted anything on my blog since Sunday, I thought those of you who are regular readers might be wondering if I am too busy in my new assignment to have time to write. I do find myself busier, more so as the only priest in the two parishes I serve than being the priest in charge. The former means I preside at all the Masses. I actually enjoy having more Masses to say. Currently, I say one daily Mass four days a week. On the weekend, I say one Mass Saturday evening for Sunday and then three on Sunday (there is currently an additional Mass to allow people space to practice social distancing). We also have First Friday Adoration all day here. I have presided at one wedding Mass and been at two funerals. This I enjoy.

Now to the latter, work associated with being the Parochial Administrator (in charge). Yes, this also means additional work. Some of it can seem like pure administration. However, it is part being the spiritual leader of the parish. Someone needs to be in charge and that is me. I favor a collaborative leadership style. This can mean more meetings but meetings, if done well, are important for me to the necessary information to make good decisions. The meetings can be two-way conversations where I take the time to listen to others. These conversations are also my opportunity to help others understand my perspective and decisions so that we can all work together.

So, yes, I am busier here than in my last assignment. However, that is not the direct reason I have not posted any new articles here in a few days. The basic reason that I haven’t written a new article is that I haven’t had an idea to write about.

While I was unpacking, I wasn’t reading much. As reading is one of my main sources of information, I wasn’t getting new ideas that way. Having finished unpacking, this week I have done more reading so maybe some ideas will come from there.

As I adjust to the new assignment, I haven’t had much time to work on what I will be doing for adult faith formation presentations in the fall. That work also sometimes provides me with inspiration for articles to write here. Incidentally, the ideas I am thinking about for the fall include a one-time presentation on the two saints for which the churches here are named for (St. Mary’s and St. Benedict’s), a presentation or short series on prayer, and something on Catholic vocabulary. The idea for the last is something that will help people understand what “church words” like “mystery”, “transubstantiation”, and “consubstantial” mean. Of course, the Holy Spirit may lead me in another direction. I welcome ideas.

So that’s where I am at. As I settle in I hope to resume my normal writing frequency here.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Chosen

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One of the things that is different for me in my new assignment is that the parish has three deacons. They each have a turn in preaching on Sunday. Currently, I will be preaching every other weekend. They each take a turn on the other weekends. Today is the first time one of the deacons preached so I did not prepare a homily this week. However, I still spent some time this week reflecting on the readings. The following is not a fully developed homily but it does share a little of my thoughts this week in prayer.

Today’s gospel reading begins with Jesus summoning the Twelve and sending them out. This happens on Jesus’ initiative, not theirs. We might want to do things our way but we need to be followers, allowing Jesus to lead us.

The Twelve were Apostles. The word “apostle” means sent. The Twelve went sent in a particular role. They were not just “apostles” with a lowercase “a”. They were “Apostles” with an uppercase “A.” Today it is the bishops who serve as successors to the Apostles. They did not apply for the job. They were chosen by God.

We are all chosen. God has a role for each one of us to play in fulfilling his plan. However, we are not all called to the same role (see Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12). In our prayer we need to ask God to lead us to the role He has for us. It might surprise us. Amos “was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores” when the Lord took him and made him a prophet. Since a prophet delivers God’s message, one might expect that a prophet should be a highly educated theologian. Certainly, such theologians are important in teaching about our faith. However, in Amos’ time God didn’t need a highly educated theologian who might deliver his/her own message. God wanted a prophet to deliver the message that God would give.

In Baptism we are all called to be priest, prophet, and king. How might you be a prophet? Maybe God does want to you teach others about our faith. For parents this starts with teaching your own children about our faith. God calls some to teach religion classes. You can also be a prophet by sharing with others why your faith is important to you. You can tell others that Jesus loves us so much that He willingly lays down his life for us.

You might feel unworthy. Don’t worry. If God is calling you to a task, He will make you worthy. You can trust him.

In the gospel today, Jesus instructs the Twelve to “take nothing for the journey but a walking stick, no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” This is poverty but it is more than that. It is trust. Do we trust God to provide what we need?

Do you trust God to lead you and to provide what you need to do his will?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Where Do you Go to Find God?

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As I settle into a new rectory, I look to shape the space in which I will pray. This rectory has enough rooms that I am able to dedicate a whole room to prayer and God. Many people may not have that much space. If this is the case for you, I recommend finding a corner or an end of a room as a space for God. In the last rectory I lived in I created a little shrine depicted in the picture below.

Whether you are creating a prayer corner or a whole room, the basic elements are the same. It should certainly have a Crucifix to remind us of how Jesus willingly laid down his life so that our sins might be forgiven (see John 3:16-37, John 15:13). The Crucifix shows us how much Jesus loves us.

A prayer space should also have a Bible. It is God’s Word. We need to read the Bible for it is the story of God’s love for his people even when they sinned (If you need to get a new Bible, I recommend the New American Bible Revised Edition Catholic translation).

A candle can also be an important part of a prayer space. Candles can be used to provide light. In prayer, we also use candles to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world (see John 8:12).

Your prayer space can also include religious artwork with various images of our faith. It might be an image of Mary or another saint who inspires you to follow Jesus. It can include any spiritual writing you use for meditation in your prayer.

Of course, you might use similar religious items throughout your house to remind you that God is everyone. God is in every room in your house.

As God is everywhere, He is also anywhere you go outside. Yet, we might find it easier to be aware of his presence in certain types of places. Having lived almost all of my life (except my time in seminary) in rural areas, it is much easier for me to find God in the woods that downtown in a big city. That doesn’t mean God isn’t present in the big city. He is. In fact, when I was in seminary in Washington, DC, one of the places I would go for a walk to find God was at the national mall where the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, several veterans’ memorials, and some of the Smithsonian museums are located. It is a very busy place with lots of people. Yet, I could go there just to walk out outside and find God. For me, a walk is a great place to find God.

Different people have different styles and things that inspire them in prayer. I know some priests who take an annual retreat at retreat centers located on the ocean because that is where they find God. For me, I like a retreat in a place with woods and hiking trails. Others may find God in a flower garden. It is not a matter of right and wrong. It is for you to find what type of space helps you connect with God.

God is everywhere. Where are you most aware of God’s presence?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Seven Days In

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I am now seven days into my new assignment at St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s. In my first article (“From an End to a Beginning”) after the move, I wrote about the people I was meeting and my first Mass as the Parochial Administrator here.

Since then, of course, there have been more firsts. On Friday, I presided at my first wedding here. I am grateful for the nice couple. It was also the first Friday of the month. Here, that means Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I am so glad that we have Eucharistic Adoration here. I myself spent some time before the Blessed Sacrament in the evening (for more on Eucharistic Adoration see my article “Homily – Why are We Here for Adoration?”). `

I have most of my stuff unpacked. It is nice to have all 20 boxes of books unpacked in my office that I have room to move around, not to mention being able to settle in.

I met with some of the family for the funeral for a funeral I will do this week. Normally, when I begin a new assignment I know no one. That has been very different coming to my home parish. Meeting with this family is no exception. While I don’t know them well, I have met the deceased and her husband in the past. Funeral ministry is very important to me. When the funeral is for people I do know not, it can be a time to build a relationship with the family while giving them hope in eternal life. When I do know the family, it is a time of hope and the conversation involves an established relationship.

Then came my first weekend Masses here as the Parochial Administrator. The Saturday evening Mass is at St. Benedict’s (about six miles from the rectory). In other multi-site parishes I have served in, the first I do when going to one of the other churches is to program my GPS with the address so I know how to get there. This time I started down the road and realized I didn’t program my GPS and I didn’t need to. I have said Mass before at St. Benedict’s. In fact, it is the church where I lectored for the first time.

Does that mean the Mass was without emotional significance for me? No. In fact, just as I did at my first Mass assigned at St. Mary’s last Wednesday, (see my article last week “From an End to a Beginning”) I had goosebumps during the homily. So much so there were times during the homily where I almost had to use my notes.

I have met a lot of people, some who I immediately remember by name and others that look familiar that I need to relearn their names. Of course, there are many new faces to. While it makes the learning curve easier to know many of the people, I am grateful to see new faces. A good parish will always see new faces.

Yesterday brought another first as the Parochial Administrator, my first home visit. It was to a couple that I know of from the past but not real well. So, I am grateful for the time with them and to get to know them a little better.

It has been a busy week. I am grateful that it has been a good week.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Ezekiel 2:2-5
Psalm 123:1-2, 2, 3-4 (2cd)
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Mark 5:7-10
July 4, 2021

Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place.”

Hum…Either God has a sense of humor or I am in trouble!

Why?  For those who don’t know me, I am Fr. Jeff Tunnicliff (I go by Fr. Jeff) and this is my first weekend as the Parochial Administrator here.  Please note that I said “my first weekend as…”  This is my first weekend assigned here but it is not my first-time saying Mass here.  In fact, the very first Mass I presided at was here because this is my “native place.”

So, again, does God has a sense of humor in having this reading come up today or God is telling me I might be in for trouble as I try to minister in my native place?

When Jesus started to preach in his native place, the people were “astonished” but not in a good way.  They thought they knew who he was.  They didn’t believe he would know such things.

Some of you know me from the past.  I used to be an engineer.  After 14 years of priesthood, I have changed some.  Will you listen to what I say?

Jesus, as the son of Joseph, was a carpenter.  I am the son of a plumber, but I am not here to fix the plumbing.  I am here to help you grow in your relationship with God.

Speaking to the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord tells him, “I am sending you to the Israelites.”  God identifies the Israelites as “Hard of face and obstinate of heart.”  God has sent me to you.  I hope you are not “Hard of face and obstinate of heart.” 

How have you changed in 14 years?  I know some parishioners have died.  I even did some of their funerals.  Others have moved away or no longer able to come.  I remember some of your names but please help me to remember.  There are also new people (you’ll need to tell me your names several times as I am a slow learner when it comes to names).

What we have in common is faith in God. 

Jesus “was not able to perform any mighty deed” in his native place because of the people’s lack of faith in who He was.

I am not here to do what you want.  Hearing that you might think that I am one of those people who does what I want.  No.  I am not here to do what I want.

I know I have my weaknesses.  I am not good at everything.  For instance, I know Fr. Steve is a musician.  I am not.  He led the music at some of the Masses.  I will not be doing that.  It is not my strength.  I don’t have the gift of music and I’m not supposed to.  However, I know God has given others that gift.  I know we have some good musicians here already.  I am counting on more to come forth to lead the music that I cannot.  (If you have the gift of music and want to volunteer, please let me know).  God will provide.

If I am not here to do what you want and I am not here to do what I want, what am I here to do?

I am here to do what God wants.  I am here to help you know how God calls us to live not just as commandments but as a way of life. 

Is this easy?  No.  It can be hard.  There is plenty of temptation in the world.  The devil is cunning.  The good news is Jesus wants to save us.

Jesus provides us with the spiritual food we need in his Body and Blood that we receive in the Eucharist.  The Eucharist is God’s gift to us, a gift we very much need.  It is Jesus!  Presiding at the Eucharist is one of my three most favorite things to do as a priest.

How are we to know how God calls us to live?  It centers on God’s Word as revealed to us in scripture.  It also relates another of my three favorite things to do as a priest, to teach.  I love to write articles on my blog and to offer presentations on aspects of our faith.

Do we always succeed in doing what God asks of us?

No.

That brings us to the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness.  This is the third of my favorite things to do.  It is not that I want to hear your sins.  I truly believe God is at work in this Sacrament.  Jesus died for us on the Cross so that our sins can be forgiven. 

Today we celebrate the Fourth of July as a national holiday.  It is a day to celebrate freedom.  One might think that we are free to do whatever we want.  God gives us free will but what do we with it? 

Here, I offer a quote from Pope John Paul II in his 1995 visit to the United States, “Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”

Let us keep our eyes fixed on the Lord.

From an End to a Beginning

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Well, the change has finally taken place. Yesterday, June 29th, with the help of some good friends (a big thank you to them), we loaded my stuff into our vehicles at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish and left there about 9:30 am. At 11:00 am we arrived at St. Mary’s of the Lake in Watkins Glen to unload my stuff in the office and rectory. (Please remember I will be serving two churches, the second being St. Benedict’s in Odessa https://www.stmarystben.org).

So came the end of my assignment at St. Luke’s. In leaving a parish assignment there is always some sadness. I have to come to know people that I will miss. I pray that I did what God wanted me to do there. While there is sadness in leaving, this “end” leads to a new beginning at St. Mary’s and St. Ben’s.

So, how has my assignment at St. Mary’s and St. Ben’s begun? When we arrived the first thing I did was to take the people helping me to show them the inside of St. Mary’s of the Lake Church. As we walked toward the church I found myself wondering who we might find praying inside (please remember this was my home parish before ordination). As we entered the church, sure enough there was someone praying and she looked familiar to me. As soon as she saw me, she knew who I was and welcomed me. She asked if I knew who she was. I told her that after 14 years, she looked familiar but I couldn’t remember her name. She then responded by naming her son who was one of the altar servers when I presided at Mass for the first time 14 years ago here. I immediately remembered who he is, who she is, and, in fact, I also know her parents who are parishioners here. I see this as a moment from God. What would be the chance without God that the first person I see would be part of a family where I know three generations?

Then, my friends and I unloaded our vehicles. I then spent some time talking with staff before I began to unpack. In the evening I met with one of the parish deacons and his wife who is the wedding coordinator (both of whom I have known for years) about a wedding in the parish this Friday before bringing a long day to an end.

Then this morning brought my first Mass here as the Parochial Administrator. I went to the church extra early to get ready. In recent weeks people have been asking me if I was getting excited for the change. Before Mass today the “goosebumps” started. Several of the people who remember me came to me to say hello. There were about 35 people at Mass and I recognized close to half by name with others looking familiar.

Then, during the homily, I started with the gospel and having faith in Jesus. Then, I included mention of today’s optional Memorial for the first Roman martyrs. I told them while it is an optional memorial, it holds a special place for me because it is also the anniversary of my ordination. I had major goosebumps at this point as I see it as another moment from God that my first Mass here would fall on the anniversary of my ordination. To add to this, I told them that the red chasuble I was wearing today was part of a set that they (as a parish) had given me as a gift at my ordination.

After Mass, I talked to more people. The conversations today included a person who was the emergency room physician when I had my appendix out before I belonged to the parish and a woman who I knew some but also knew her mother (now gone home to God, rest in peace). She reminded that before I was ordained, I had served at her sister’s wedding. Perhaps what most struck me in my conversation with her was when I remembered that the first time I accompanied the parish priest responding to a death, it was for her uncle. Another moment from God.

God is good.

Yesterday and today has largely been about my encounters with people I know. I also had parishioners who joined the parish after my ordination introduce themselves. In the coming weeks, I’m sure I will come to know more “new” faces. Please, let us pray that together we do God’s Will.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13 (2a)
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
Mark 5:21-43
June 27, 2021

Why are we here today?

Taking the question literally, we are here to celebrate Mass.  Going a little deeper, what is the point of celebrating Mass? 

The first and primary point of celebrating Mass is not for own benefit.  It is to praise God.  We praise God for rescuing us from the evil one and the netherworld.  We praise God for not acting in anger when we have sinned.  We praise God for rescuing us from our sins through Jesus’ Crucifixion.  We praise God for changing our “mourning into dancing,” giving us hope in the Resurrection.

We praise God for his help in the past and, with an “attitude of gratitude,” we trust God to help us in the future.

We praise God for bringing meaning to our lives.  “God did not make death…he fashioned all things that they may have being.” 

God created us to be “imperishable” in his own image.  Death  came, not through God, but through “the envy of the devil.”  The death that God speaks of is the death of sin.

To live is to live in God.  The death of sin separates us from God.  Separation from God is a terrible thing.  The woman in today’s gospel had been hemorrhaging for twelve years.  She would have been seen as “unclean”, meaning she could not go to the Temple or have relations with her husband.  She would have been separated from it all. 

No doctor could help her.  Hearing of Jesus, she goes to him with faith that He can heal her.  She is indeed healed.  Jesus tells her “your faith has saved you.”  Healed, she would no longer be considered unclean.  She was restored to her proper place.

We also see a great faith in Jesus from Jairus, a synagogue office.  His daughter is dying.  Jairus goes to Jesus for help.  As he is talking with Jesus, Jairus hears that his daughter has died.  What does Jesus do?  He restores her life. 

When we commit mortal sin Jesus can save us.  Jesus was rich in divinity in Heaven but He became poor to be human like us so that through him we can be saved. 

Jesus embraced “poverty” in emptying himself of his divinity so that we might become rich as He gives his life for us.  This is Jesus’ gracious act for us.

Paul writes to the Corinthians inviting them to share in a “gracious act.”  The act of which he speaks is a collection for the church in Jerusalem.  He is calling them to offer their help to others.

We are called to help one another in our needs.  Paul refers to Exodus 16:18 when he writes, “As it is written:  Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less.”

Some may hear this and think it is calling for socialism.  It is not.  The Church does not call us to be socialism.  You can read in the Catechism that the Church does not condemn the ownership of private property.  In fact, it can a good motivator for us. 

It is fine to own private property but not to the exclusion of others who do not have enough.  When we have more than our basic needs, in loving our neighbor, we are called to do Corporal Works of Mercy to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and visit the sick (Matthew 25:31-46).

Are you the person in need or are you the person with surplus that God is calling to help others?

Sometimes we are in need.  Sometimes we are the ones with means to help others. 

Some people think happiness comes in having much material wealth to the point of hoarding all they can.  We are created for love.  We can find great joy when we are blessed with a surplus and use that surplus to help others.  In doing so, we experience the love that we are created for.

This is my last weekend at St. Luke’s.  While I have only been here for two years (and a lot has changed in two years, starting with COVID), I hope I have helped you come closer to God.  That is all I want.

Now, as I leave, I pray for you to know what God’s plan is for you.  I know (see Jeremiah 29:11) that God has a plan for each of you just as He has a plan for me.  God has a plan for St. Luke’s. 

May we have the grace we need to trust and follow God’s plan.

The USCCB and the Eucharist

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You may have heard in the news that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB – www.usccb.org) voted last week at its annual June meeting to approve the writing of a document on the Eucharist. If you have been reading about in the secular news, you may have the impression that the sole purpose of the proposed document is whether or not President Biden (and other Catholic politicians who support abortion) should be denied Communion.

While the subject of politicians who support abortion receiving Communion is likely to part of the document, it is not its sole purpose. It is not about them. (For news stories on this from a Catholic perspective see https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/tags/8285/eucharistic-coherence).

This document is going be on Catholic teaching in general on the Eucharist. It is a much needed document. Just last year there was a study released that said 70% of Catholics do not believe it is truly Jesus that we receive in the Eucharist. I find this sad because it is Jesus’ own words that tell us that the bread and wine become his Body and Blood.

It is also Jesus himself that tells us that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood if we are to have life within us.

(These slides are taken from the third presentation in my series, Sacraments: Channels of God’s Grace.)

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith (see Lumen Gentium, 11). Yet, it remains a mystery in that we do not understand how the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus. We don’t have to understand. It is a mystery to believed in faith.

Knowing it is Jesus that we receive in the Eucharist should naturally lead us ask who is worthy to receive Communion. When I say “worthy”, ultimately it is Jesus who makes us worthy. If we have committed mortal sin, we have broken our relationship with Jesus and are not worthy. What are we to do? We need to go to Jesus to confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If we confess with a contrite and repentant heart, God will forgive us and make us worthy.

This concept of “worthy reception” is not new. Paul writes to the Corinthians about it in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 as follows:

All of us, not just politicians, need to examine our conscience. If we are aware of mortal sins, then we need to confess them before we receive Communion. We must be repentant. This means we must desire to change. In the Act of Contrition we say we firmly resolve to sin no more. Unfortunately, we fail at times. We should not give up. We keep confessing and we keep asking God for the grace we need to stop sinning.

There are those, including but not limited to politicians, who think they can pick and choose what they believe. They think they can decide what is and what isn’t sin. If they don’t think it is a sin, they see no problem in receiving Communion. They see no need to change.

However, it is not for us to decide what it right and wrong. It is for God to determine right and wrong.

I hope what I have written helps you understand what the USCCB is working on in this document. I believe it is a much needed document and I look forward to reading it when it is finished. For now, I leave you with two links:

  1. My third presentation (covering the Eucharist) in my series, Sacraments: Channels of God’s Grace – this is a two hour presentation. Please do not discouraged by the length. It is two hours long because the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you watch it.
  2. My blog articles on the Eucharist

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Seven Days…

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As I write this, I am just seven and a half days from moving from my current assignment as the Parochial Vicar at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in western Livingston County to St. Mary’s of the Lake in Watkins Glen and St. Benedict’s in Odessa where I will serve as the Parochial Administrator. St. Luke’s where I have served for the last two years includes five churches. That means this past weekend began the goodbye Masses that will continue this coming weekend.

As I say goodbye some people express that they are sad that I am leaving. While I do not want anyone to be sad, it is affirming to me to know they are sad that I am leaving. This means they like me. The bottom line is that I want to do God’s Will but, in my humanity, I am happy to hear that people feel they have grown through my ministry.

As I say goodbye people ask me if I am getting excited. The simple answer is yes. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be the leader of a parish again. However, with that comes more responsibility. I embrace the responsibility but, nonetheless, it does come with some pressure. Please pray that I always do what God wants. Please pray that I lead in a way that is inviting and leads the parishioners closer to God.

I also look forward to being much closer to my dad. Yet, it will be different serving in a parish where I was a parishioner. I did not attend Mass after I was confirmed at the age 12 for sixteen years. St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s is the parish I attended when I returned to church. It is the parish where the seed of faith that God had planted in me grew and began to flourish. I became involved in many ways. St. Benedict’s is the church where I lectored for the first time. While I was scheduled to be trained as a lector, this was a complete surprise when no lector showed up. I was very nervous but God was very much present in that moment for me. St. Mary’s is the church where I presided at Mass for the first time. St. Mary’s is also the place where I presided at a funeral for the first time. St. Benedict’s is the church where I presided at a Sunday Mass for the second time. These are just some of the memories. Of course, there are many other memories, including memories of individual parishioners. Some of them have since gone home to God. Many others are still parishioners. I also know that there are new parishioners.

Returning to the question, “Am I excited for the change?,” it will be a relief in that for almost three months my mind and heart have been in both places. I have done my best to remain faithful to my duties and ministries at St. Luke’s while also beginning to get connected to life and ministry at St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s. Please don’t misunderstand this. I will miss St. Luke’s but it will be good to focus my heart, mind, and soul in one place.

Adding to the challenges of the transition from one assignment to the next, there is also all that goes on with the Coronavirus. The good news is things are getting much better. The number of new infections is down greatly. Thanks be to God and for the people that God led to develop the vaccines (and thank you to all the medical workers who worked, and continue to work, hard to care for the sick). However, I have to admit that the last two months have been the hardest for me personally during the Coronavirus. I have not gotten sick. As I far as I know I have never been exposed and I am now fully vaccinated. So what’s been hard? The constant change in precautions and understanding what the current precautions are. I know it is a good thing that precautions are being eased. The changes just don’t always come in a way that makes sense or is clear.

So, now I look forward to a few quiet days before the move. I still have Masses to say but most things are wrapped up at St. Luke’s for me. There will be more goodbyes this coming weekend but there should also be some needed rest.

I look forward to seeing the people at St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s I know from the past and getting to know the new people. I look forward to becoming familiar with the current ministries of the parish. I look forward to working with the parishioners and staff that we may fulfill God’s plan for them. I look forward to helping people grow in their relationship with God. I will continue to write here and I want to continue to offer presentations to help people grow in their faith. I ask you to pray that I am led by the Holy Spirit to know how to best offer the presentations in a way that is best for the parishioners of St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s and still be able to share the presentations on my website. This ministry is a great passion for me.

As I make this transition and I ask you to pray for me, please also pray for both St. Luke’s that I leave and St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s where I go. Please pray for all parishes that face transition in the coming days. Pray that God’s will be done.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff