Today, the Church pauses in the midst of its regular celebration of Sunday Eucharistic Celebrations to honor the patroness of our parishes. Today, the Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the celebration of this Feastday, Mama Mary is set before us as the exemplar of the disciples of her Son. Where she has gone, we hope to follow.

Why do we confer such great dignity upon her? Let me pull a few things from the Compendium Catechism of the Catholic Church.
“The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church in the order of grace because she gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, the Head of the body which is the Church. When he was dying on the cross Jesus gave his mother to his disciple with the words, ‘Behold, you mother’ (John 19:27).

After the Ascension of her Son, the Virgin Mary aided the beginnings of the Church with her prayers. Even after her Assumption into heaven, she continues to intercede for her children, to be a model of faith and charity for all, and to exercise over them a salutary influence deriving from the superabundant merits of Christ. The faithful see in Mary an image and an anticipation of the resurrection that awaits them and they invoke her as advocate, helper, benefactress and mediatrix.

Looking upon Mary, who is completely holy and already glorified in body and soul, the Church contemplates in her what she herself is called to be on earth and what she will be in the homeland of heaven.”

Our Parishes are blessed to have such an example and intercessor as our patroness under her titles of Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady of Sorrows. As her sons and daughters may we, in the times of our own sorrows, turn to her intercession with her Son and know God’s mercy. May we stand ready and willing to assist those among us in sorrow with the balm of mercy.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56

A Mary Day

The impetus for the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary did not come from on high. It came from deep in the earth, deep in the human spirit. The groundswell of devotion to Mary has always been with us. By the fourth century Mary was honored as the Mother of God. She was honored by her own son as the blessed one who hears God’s word and keeps it. Today we celebrate the triumph of Mary and of all who hear God’s word and keep it.

Comment

Mary is the first of those who came wholly into God’s presence. In the earliest of the Church documents, we read of the “dormition”–that is, the falling asleep or death–of Mary. Documents dating from the fifth century indicate that the Church in the East celebrated the feast of the Dormition of Mary.

The celebration of her assumption expresses our faith in the saving power of the resurrection of Christ. Celebrations of Mary are at root celebrations of Christ. There is a “proper order” to our celebration, Paul tells us: “Christ the first fruits; and then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.” This is how those who have “fallen asleep” will be raised from the dead. The Church has long known that if anyone belonged to Jesus, it was Mary–although in the natural order of things, Jesus first belonged to Mary; he was her child, after all. That is the focal point of the Gospel reading of the day. And what a child!

Bright and early, we might imagine, Mary was up and off to visit her cousin Elizabeth. This rare down-home story is peculiar to Luke, and we are glad to have it for all days and especially for today. It was by the gift of the Holy Spirit that Elizabeth recognized that the pregnant Mary was to be mother of “my Lord.” Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s faith is the Magnificat. This prayer connects Mary back to another woman of faith, the mother of the judge Samuel. Mary’s prayer draws heavily from 1 Samuel 2:1-8. Mary belongs to the long line of great women of her race.

Reflection

She is also the crown of all women. Mary blesses God, but on this day, we call Mary blessed. We celebrate her as the Mother of God and at the same time the one who belongs to God–fully and at long last. The Church has specially honored Mary, and in the West, she “ belonged to him” from the beginning of her life to its end without end. The feast of the Immaculate Conception in dark winter considers the beginning. As the new Church year begins, we celebrate her. It is fitting that one conceived without sin should bear the sinless one. Now, in high summer’s season of abundant fruits, we pause to celebrate the reflected glory of Christ–first Christ, and “then those who belong to Christ.”
The first reading is a passage from the highly symbolic Book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian Scriptures. Placed here on this feast day, we are invited to regard Mary as the triumphant one, clothed in the colors and surrounded by the creatures that connote the heavens–the stars, the moon. She bore the child who would defeat all sin and evil. Jesus is the one who would save the people from their sins. Business as usual would be upended. As Mary’s Magnificat proclaims, the mighty are cast off their thrones and the lowly are lifted up. The hungry are filled. The rich are sent away empty. The second reading echoes this upending and the triumph of God. The eternal life won by Jesus and given fully to Mary is the manifestation of God’s promise fulfilled.

It’s August folks! I hate to tell you, Fall is just over the horizon. It’s time for us to begin to look to the activities that September will bring.

In particular, I wish to point out that we are actively planning our Sacramental Catechesis for the coming parish year. I am referring to the preparation modules for First Holy Communion, First Reconciliation and Confirmation.

The instructional process for these sacrament is inclusive. By inclusive, I mean that this process of formation for the sacraments is not a strictly academic experience. True, the candidates for these sacraments must have an adequate intellectual grasp of religious knowledge. This is provided through the Religious Education curricula offered in the OLM School of Religion on Sunday morning [for children in public and charter schools] at OLM, at Bible School following Sunday Mass as OLS, and at Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

This academic preparation is the first and most basic step. If you plan to assist your child in the preparation process for First Communion, First Reconciliation or Confirmation your first step is to make sure your child [ren] are enrolled in a religious formation process: Bible School at OLS; School of Religion or Our Lady of Mercy Academy at OLM. There is a requirement that a child must have at least a year of prior academic formation before the child can be considered for candidacy for First Communion, First Reconciliation or Confirmation. For example, a child normally prepares for First Communion is Grade 2. That presupposes the child’s successful participation in Grade 1 Religious Formation.

Since faith formation does not occur in a vacuum but in the midst of believing people, our faith formation process for First Eucharist, First Reconciliation and Confirmation recognizes the two primary communities of faith: the Family Community and the Parish Community. Parents and guardians of candidates for First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, and Confirmation will journey with their children in the formation process. This year, we will extend this formation process to the entire parish assembly through homiletic reflections offered at appropriate time.

I genuinely hope we, as parish communities, can embrace these opportunities for each of us to grow and mature in our individual relationship with God, with our individual families, and with our individual Parish. These processes are not “hoops to be jumped through” so that your child can receive the “carrot prize” of a sacrament. Rather, embracing these opportunities for a deepening of your faith, you and your child as well as all parish members will grow in our knowledge and love of God and the Church.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 [1-2, 8-12]
Gospel: Luke 12:32-48 [35-40]

Faith

Faith is rooted in the heart. It moves on a strong current of trust. In the inelegant words of Yogi Berra, “Someday it wouldn’t hurt to remember stuff like this.” Well, this is the day we’re called to remember.

Comment

The book of Wisdom collects and sets out the long memory of Israel. We read today about the first Passover. We are invited to imagine a people who are not yet free, who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. This enslaved people found courage in their memory of God’s promise to their ancestors. They believed but did not dare dream that God’s promise would finally be realized in them. But the sea was a source of their escape. They did pass over from no life to life as God’s own.

The second reading from Hebrews picks up where Wisdom leaves off. The description of faith applies to the enslaved children of Israel on the eve of their deliverance: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) The author of Hebrews offers a distinguished list of people who fit this definition. The faith journey of Abraham and Sarah was also a physical journey from one geographical place to another. They were confident, though they had their moments of discouragement. So, too, Isaac and Jacob. The fullness of God’s promise was not given to them. Their business was to wait on God’s promise, and they did that. They did it by acting, not just by waiting or passively standing by.

Reflection

The people to whom this Gospel story was initially addressed consciously looked to the second coming of Christ. As might be expected, some preferred to do nothing but wait. We must stay awake and alert, Jesus counsels. We are enjoined to be generous with our goods and responsible with what is entrusted to us. First, it helps to keep in mind that what is entrusted to us is not ours. Not really. The earth is the Lord’s, we are reminded. We are here for a while. When the Lord returns, we should be awake and ready.

And when Peter asks if this is true for everyone or just for the disciples, Jesus’ parable paints a much larger, clearer picture. He speaks of a master who goes away for a long, long time. He entrusts the estate to the servants, expecting them to carry out their responsibilities until such time as he returns.

Those who carry on will receive the reward of their labors. This is what the servants believe, for they trust the master. So it was for Abraham and Sarah, for Isaac and Jacob, for the children of the Passover, for the apostles, and for us. We are in the good company of believers. This company is ancient and new, keepers of the covenant whose descendants we are. God keeps promises and honors covenants, and we are the other party in this covenant, the ones to whom much has been given. Much then is expected. While we wait for the full ripening of the reign of God, our faith requires action. The faith that looks forward to God’s reign lasts just exactly as long as an individual’s life lasts. What we must then do is pass on that faith to others and they must do likewise, until God’s reign is finally realized in all the world.

Yuck! Summer is half over! How did that happen? Didn’t school just close yesterday?

Our little summer monastery has been reduced by two. Father Vic Bendico, our visitor from Capiz, left last Sunday to spend some time with his family who live in Nevada. He will then return to his parish in Capiz. Deacon Dong leaves tomorrow for the Philippines for his three-week vacation.

As we do every summer, we welcome next Sunday a representative of the Foreign Missions sent to us by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. This year we will welcome the Atonement Friars of Garrison, NY. They have a special interest in the ecumenical ministry of our Church. They also lend great assistance to men who find themselves in the grip of addictions and find themselves indigent. Their headquarters are in our neighboring state of New York at Garrison.

I ask that you give some thought to how you can assist these Atonement Friars in their ministry. A representative will speak at all the masses next weekend. A second basket will be at the head of each aisle to receive your stewardly assistance. Please come prepared to help.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

Rich and Poor

Mae West is credited with the saying, “I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” Most people would agree. It is better to have the means to pay for one’s needs. It is better to be able to provide for ourselves and for one another. It helps to have adequate resources to meet one’s needs. But if simple accumulation holds first place, we are in deep trouble. In today’s readings, possessions are not the issue; our attitude toward them is. We need to be very, very clear about this.

Comment

Qoheleth is the speaker in the first reading. The name Qoheleth identifies a person related to a congregation. The message and sayings of a teacher or preacher were gathered into this book called Ecclesiastes in about the third and fourth centuries before Christ. During this time, philosophers were overly optimistic about their abilities to unlock the mystery of God. They conjectured that God perhaps could be defined and understood. But God is beyond human understanding, Qoheleth insists. And as a corollary, God is beyond our control and God’s actions beyond our prediction– thank God!

The opening lines are sobering. They put us in our place. They are not exactly the way to win friends and influence people. They don’t make for strong networking possibilities. This Qoheleth fellow is more concerned about what we know than whom we know. He is not a politically correct, perfectly coifed preacher trying to cajole us into a feel-good faith.

This preacher has seen it all. He is wise enough to know that personal vanity is deeply rooted, and our tendency to accumulate and control is persistent and endlessly inventive. The world, he insists, is fundamentally mysterious, its ways beyond our reckoning. God is the giver, we the receivers. This does not excuse us from active involvement in the world, of course. It helps us make sense of and monitor the quality of that involvement, though.

In the second reading, Paul also offers a worldview. His view is not as world-weary as that of the first reading. Paul’s words are deeply felt and enthusiastic. They are sure and grounded. His faith in the death and resurrection of Christ allows him to see. This faith is where Paul starts. His heart is set; the direction of his life is clear. Paul knows what must be set aside forever and what must be taken up. Sin must be set aside; a new life in Christ must be taken up. Everything else is relative. It’s important, mind you. But it is relative. This includes gender, race, and nationality–not to mention all the other measuring sticks that distinguish this person from that.

Reflection

Wouldn’t you know? Someday, someone in a crowd somewhere would ask an inappropriate question of Jesus. This poor fellow who shouted out his question to Jesus honestly must have expected him to solve his inheritance problem. It was foremost on his mind, and whoever was passing through town–prophet, Messiah, miracle worker–the man’s inheritance was all that mattered. Jesus answered the man’s question as honestly as possible and then used it as an occasion to talk about wealth. When our accumulation of wealth becomes paramount, he says, we run the risks of division. The unfettered drive for wealth can drive a wedge between family members and friends. Accumulation of wealth can divide one’s heart and steal one’s time. The lopsided pursuit of wealth can determine the place and duration of meals, whittle away at weekends, cancel vacations. It can create new barns crowded with new things. It can forge connections that aren’t worth much. It can buzz and ring and beep at us all day long. This kind of wealth is not worthy of the human soul. It is not a worthy expenditure of time and energy.
When Luke writes his version of this story, he has in mind the end times. Members of the early Church were conscious of the Second Coming of Jesus, and they thought it was imminent. This expectation colored their view of life on earth, and it colors this story. Whether or not one is preoccupied with the end times, the parable holds true. It echoes other parables that insist that we be rich in God and consider all other riches in relation to that.

I had a wonderful seven days in Wildwood Crest as part of my vacation. It was refreshing and renewing to step away from the day to day responsibilities and to spend some time by the sea.

I hope each of you has some opportunity during these summer months to do the same. The year ahead is filled with opportunities for us to engage in the ongoing mission of our parishes. To do that effectively some time of renewal is most helpful.

I am very grateful to Father Vic and Father Berman. Their presence among us allows those of us permanently assigned to OLM & OLS to have the opportunity of rest and relaxation.

Although we needed last week’s rain, I hope those of you who are venturing forth to vacation time will find it filled with sunshine and fun.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Genesis 18:1 10a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:2 3, 3 4, 5
Second Reading: Colossians 1:24 28
Gospel: Luke 10:38 42

Hospitality

The art and grace of welcoming another into one’s home run deeply in Hebrew and Middle Eastern tradition. There are endless instances of this in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. In the second law (Deuteronomy) the Jews are advised to remember that once they, too, were a wandering people, and it is their obligation and honor to welcome the stranger and alien among them. Opening heart and hearth and room and board to another is truly a holy act, as we recall today.

Comment

There is a lot of scurrying around in two of today’s readings. In the first, Abram is almost frenetic in his activity. The three men he sees from afar draw him from his tent. He is effusive in his welcome and generous in his hospitality. But my! does he scurry around. First he insists that the three unexpected visitors stay a spell. Then he hastens to the tent to give orders to Sarai, who is in charge of baking the bread. Next he runs off to get a servant cracking. It is Abram who waits on these three, who seem to function as one. Three inquire about Sarai, and one, who is clearly omniscient if not prophetic, knows Sarai wishes for a child and promises one before the year is out.

These visitors remain shrouded in mystery. They may reflect the familiar and casual comings and goings of God, which one finds in the early writings in Genesis, or the three may stand for some kind of angelic presence. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author clearly had Abraham’s visitors in mind when he admonished his readers: “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:1-2). Whoever it was who arrived at Abram’s tent that day and ate a feast in the shade of the tree in Mamre, they certainly received the gifts of Abram and Sarai’s hospitality. And the newly named Abraham and Sarah received an unasked-for gift: the promise of a child, a promise that was fulfilled against all odds.

The Gospel tells of another visitor and two hostesses–Martha and Mary. Martha’s problem is that she is overly fussy about the task at hand–preparing a meal. It probably wouldn’t have made a lot of difference had Mary been at Martha’s side. Jesus wants Martha to settle down, not because her domestic work is unimportant, but because her work seems to have become disproportionately absorbing.

When we come up against a saying of Jesus that seems uncharacteristic of him, we need to check the saying against his whole life. Such is the case here. Clearly he was not against work; we see that he worked hard and steadily. He found time for everyone who came to him. Though he regularly sought quiet times of prayer, he also interrupted the times of prayer when people came to him. (See, for example, Mark 1:35-39.) It cannot be that Jesus categorically prefers prayerful contemplation to necessarily daily work. Some deeper understanding must be intended.

Reflection

Like constant fretful work, prayer can also become a lopsided concern if one uses prayer to avoid assuming responsibility for action when action is called for. Maintaining a balance between the two is a constant concern of the Church. The story of Martha and Mary can help us with this very issue. Truth to tell, Martha usually ends up getting short shrift. She is often seen as the bustling, irritated busybody. Mary, the contemplative one, is always given the highest praise. But it isn’t this easy. We know this from personal experience and from our reading of the history of the Church. Even within the Benedictine community, the problem endures. The monastic order whose ideal is ora et labora, prayer and work, has struggled for over 1,450 years to maintain the balance. Which is an interruption of which? Does one take time out from work to pray? Does one take time off from prayer to work? One feeds the other, of course. But how and in what proportion? This is a good question for us to solve for ourselves. If we are too busy to pray, then we are too busy. If our prayer doesn’t lead to effective action, then our prayer is inauthentic.

Today we have two celebrations converging on one day. The first and primary celebration from the Church Calendar is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Church celebrations, in particular Sunday celebrations, always take precedence in regard to the readings proclaimed and the prayers offered by the Church universal. The second celebration is the 234th Anniversary of the independence of the United States of America.

July 4th, Independence Day, is an opportunity of each of us to lift our minds and hearts to Almighty God for the great freedoms we enjoy living in America. The very freedom to worship as we wish is a great blessing.

Our nation, like all nations of the globe, is not perfect. However, we enjoy blessings and freedom many of our brothers and sister from around the globe long for. Let us be grateful. Let us express our gratitude to the Almighty!

Below is a prayer that may help you do just that.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.
We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope Benedict, the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, John Joseph, all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.

To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Two weeks ago, our World Youth Delegation held a Flea Market in our Maria Room after all the Masses. Thank you to all who participated. I also wish to commend your patience and tolerance for what seems to be an endless appeal for you money in support of World Youth Day. You are most kind.

World Youth Day was the “brain child” of the late Pope John Paul II. From the earliest days of his ministry as a priest, John Paul held young people in his heart. Perhaps because the seeds of his priestly vocation could be traced to his own formative years, he always gave special attention to “youth.”

Almost forty of our young people from OLM & OLS are planning to participate in the pilgrimage to World Youth Day Madrid in August of 2011. They and their parents and support team have been working for the past two years to prepare themselves for this pilgrimage.

Most of you, the parishioners, see only the surface preparation: the fund raising events like the flea market and the lolly pop sales, etc. What you do not see is the hidden or spiritual preparation that accompanies the fund raising. Our pastoral associate for Faith Formation, Tita Jeng Villa, administrates a well organized spiritual formation process to engage our delegates NOW in internalizing the theme of this World Youth Day: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119, 105).

On one level, I think we may have cheated you, the parishioners of OLM and OLS in limiting your participation to financial support. In reality, our total parish communities of OLM and OLS should also be engaged in this theme: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119, 105).

During the summer months, as the rhythm of our parishes slows a bit, the content of the bulletin is reduced. I am going to take advantage of that to share with you an invitation to join our WYD Delegates in the spiritual pilgrimage that will culminate with our union with Pope Benedict in Madrid next August.

I begin this week with a chronology of World Youth Day provided on the Vatican Web Site. I invite you to study and reflect upon the theme used to challenge our Global Youth Community. Perhaps they can challenge the total Church, you and I, as well.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Second Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Gospel: Luke 9:51-62

On the Cheap

It never works. If we do something on the cheap, we end up cheating someone, usually ourselves. Wallpaper won’t mask the deep crack in the plaster. Cramming might get us past the test, but we won’t remember much the day after. A long report won’t make up for a bad one. Today a real, true, genuine call awaits a response in kind. No cheating.

Comment

Take, for example, the call of Elisha. He understood the meaning of the cloak that was so unexpectedly laid upon his shoulders right there in the open field. He felt its weight, and more. The mantle and burden of office were on his shoulders. Elisha knew that his life was going to take an abrupt turn. One can understand his plea for time to go home to tell his parents good-bye. This passing from farmer to future prophet was a surprise. It must have been breathtaking. Having received the abrupt permission of Elijah, Elisha went off to tie up the loose ends. His response to his call is never in doubt, for Elisha returns and dramatically disposes of all traces of his former life. Having done so, he begins his apprenticeship.

In today’s Gospel we see Jesus begin his journey to Jerusalem, where “the days for [his] being taken up were fulfilled.” This journey of his life is complicated by barriers of age-old enmity. Jesus has to seek permission from the Samaritans to pass through their land. This onerous business was the result of a long-simmering resentment between the Samaritans and the Jews. The Samaritans first moved into Israel after the Jews were forcibly exiled to Babylon in 721 b.c. These interlopers intermarried and had for themselves a home and a mixed kind of Jewish religion. After the people returned from Babylon, they found these Samaritans on their land, and great resentments simmered and smoldered. Not surprisingly, permission was not given, so Jesus and his apostles had to take the longer route to get to Jerusalem, where he was determined to go. Nothing would stand in the way of his mission.

As we read on in this Gospel, the connection with the first reading comes clear. The disciples are to follow Jesus unequivocally. He makes this clear to those who asked, lest they be dreamy about his mission. Jesus’ response sounds unduly harsh to our ears. What are we to make of this? Not even Elijah was this harsh, when Elisha asked permission to see his parents one last time. But the two inquiring men were not Elisha, that’s for sure. Jesus must have detected in these two wannabe disciples a lack of enthusiasm or any sense of the cost of discipleship. His blunt response reinforces the sense of determination we see in the opening words of this Scripture passage. We see Jesus begin his journey to Jerusalem by the long route. Samaritan intransigence was no obstacle to Jesus’ work. Wishy-washy discipleship was an obstacle.

Reflection

So was misleading discipleship. In the second reading, unsettling ideas about discipleship upset the fragile apple cart at Galatia. Paul had every reason to assume this community was well on its way. When trouble arose, he must have thought, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.” The thing today is that the people of Galatia were being taught by misguided “Judaizers,” a name given to those who taught that Christians had to abide by Jewish custom and law. This kind of “piling on” of old laws threw the Galatians into some confusion. Paul urges them to resist these free-floating ideas that serve only to fragment and wear down the community and return it to the endless round of debates about law-keeping. He makes it clear that their baptism not only freed them from the law, it freed them for something. They were called and committed to love freely, serve freely, put the needs of the human spirit first. They were urged to love first and then do what love demands. At a later time, Saint Augustine would put it simply: “Love, and do what you will.”

Congratulations to all who organized and oversaw the activities connected with our picnic last Saturday. Unfortunately, my personal schedule prevented me from participating. From all the reports I heard, everyone enjoyed the event. I even learned that Father Manuel earned the distinction of “limbo champion.”

Last Sunday saw the opening of our volleyball season. I am grateful to Father Joe D’Amico and the community of Saint Aloysius for their hospitality and the rental of their gymnasium.

I leave this afternoon for Saint Alphonsus in Long Branch. I am participating as a faculty member of the International Priests Institute. I am privileged to join with colleagues from around the United States in offering a training process for priests beginning the ministry of pastor or those wishing to renew or update their pastoral skills.

Vacation time begins for most of us now. Over these summer weeks you will see our pastoral staff members appear and disappear. They will participate in their well-deserved summer vacation plans.

I hope all of us use this time for some rest and relaxation. Renewal of our minds, bodies and spirits is very integral to our total wellness.

I just ask that you remember two things during this vacation period. First, we do not take vacations from God and from the responsibility of Sunday Worship. Secondly, the financial needs of our parishes do not go on vacation. Air conditioning expenses, school refurbishing, ongoing repairs to our physical plants, etc. are all part of our summer. Please, when you return from your vacation, remember to assist us with your stewardship of treasure.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Zechariah 12:10-11, 13:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
Second Reading: Galatians 3:26-29
Gospel: Luke 9:18-24

Discipleship
Jesus never hung out a recruiting poster. He did not advertise. He did not offer bonuses for joining. He did not have a toll-free number or a web site. He did, on occasion, give out free meals. His pitch, however, was quite simple and straightforward: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Every day. Recruiting incentive? Faith–the get-up-and-go kind of faith that Abraham had, as Paul reminds us in the second reading. Uniform? Paul tells us to clothe ourselves in Christ Jesus, the uniform of the day, every day. The cross and Christ are inseparable. So equipped, we are ready for anything: life or death. However, if we are faithful children of God, it’s not really life or death; it’s life with God, now and forever.

Comment
Although today’s Gospel is familiar, it remains somewhat puzzling. Matthew (16:13-20), Mark (8:27-30), and Luke all record the same incident of Jesus asking the question of his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And then, “Who do you say that I am?” All three evangelists have Simon Peter offer more or less the same response: “The Messiah of God” (Luke’s version). In Matthew, but not in Luke, Jesus confers on Simon the new name Peter (“Rock”) with the promise that this rock will be the foundation of Jesus’ church. And only moments later, in Matthew, Jesus rebukes Peter for trying to talk him out of going to Jerusalem where he would have to suffer and die. Luke skips this focus on Peter to concentrate on Jesus’ suffering, adding that he would be put to death and then rise again on the third day.

The promise of Jesus’ rising is quite significant. Luke and his community can view Jesus’ passion in light of his resurrection, which has already taken place. Thus, they are full of faith and confidence in the dying and rising of the Lord.

But what about Jesus’ saying that any true disciple of his must also suffer, must take up his own cross, and must be willing to die like him? It is one thing to discuss it all in terms of Peter and the original disciples. But by the time Luke wrote, those disciples were gone. So Luke is addressing the need in his own Christian community to accept suffering for and with the Lord–even to death–as present or possible. They are no strangers to persecution. Luke is preparing them and supporting them. It’s a life-and-death situation. Be of good faith, he is saying; trust the Lord who has conquered death, who promised a share in his glory when he said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Reflection
But what of us? Aren’t we also Jesus’ disciples? Aren’t we one with the Lord in his suffering, death, and resurrection? It’s relatively safe in our nation to respond, “Yes.” But such is not the case in all nations of the earth. Likewise, few of us have experienced the religious bigotry most of our ancestors knew. However, there are people in our world–even in our nation–who do know bigotry, who are the targets of prejudice, who are forced to take up their crosses every day. Many of these people, the have-nots of our society, have been rejected by the haves, including some haves who share the same baptism and the same table of the Lord–a living contradiction. The question, then, is how willing are we to share the burdens of those who suffer, to help them carry their crosses, to see in their suffering faces the suffering face of the Lord?

Beginning this weekend, the Parish begins to slide into its summer mode. Our Academy graduation took place Friday evening. Pre K promotion took place last Wednesday and Kindergarten promotion will take place this Tuesday. The remainder of the school receives report cards at the end of this week.

I wish to express the gratitude of our Parishes to Ms. Victoria Hayes our Academy Principal and her extraordinary faculty and support staff. The academic success of our students and graduates is a testimony to the excellence provided by these dedicated professionals.

At our Academy First Friday Mass, I was privileged to announce the recipients of the 2010/2011 Peter J D’Elia Scholarship Assistance. The seventh graders moving to eighth grade who earned this award are Kyle Pulusan, Raphael Talatala, Edward Valencia, and Reinard Cantada.

Our gratitude goes out to the D’Elia Family. Ever since the untimely death of their son and brother, this family has kept up this academic award in his memory.

Our annual picnic celebration for our linked parishes was held yesterday at Corcoran Field. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this event successful.

As we move into full summer mode, let’s remember that we do not take a vacation from God. Sunday worship is still part of the life of every baptized Catholic. Whether you are here in Jersey City or enjoying some vacation destination, remember to include worship in your vacation plans.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11
Second Reading: Galatians 2:16, 19-21
Gospel: Luke 7:36 — 8:3

Forgiveness
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to forgive a little child? A wide-eyed five-year-old looks up at you after destroying his or her room and says, “I’m sorry.” And what happens? You forgive. Add twelve years to that child. Now he or she looks at you after destroying the basement and says, “I’m sorry.” And what happens? Do you forgive? Today’s liturgy presents two cases in which children of God come seeking forgiveness, armed only with “I’m sorry.” Pay close attention to what happens.

Comment
The first reading and the Gospel offer accounts of two great sinners. King David was a pip! In fact, although Scripture scholars generally acknowledge David as the greatest of Israel’s kings, some also regard him as a bloodthirsty tyrant. When David wanted something, he took it without much thought to the consequences, especially their effect on others. Although we have a good deal of information about David, we know very little about the woman in today’s Gospel story, except that she was a sinner and her behavior seemed to be common knowledge. And if it was common knowledge, her sins were most probably public and uncommon. But neither great sin nor great repentance is the key to the stories in today’s Liturgy of the Word. Rather, each story turns on the quick–almost immediate–forgiveness of God. Once David recognizes his sin, God forgives. Once the woman shows that her love is greater than her sin, Jesus announces that God forgives. Each story seems to say that no matter the sin, God loves us. God’s forgiveness does not depend upon repentance. Rather, forgiveness calls forth repentance. Thank God for that.

Reflection
In today’s Gospel story, before Jesus dismisses the woman he says to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” If these words do not call us to think of the sacrament of reconciliation, then we’re not paying attention! These words remind us that sins are forgiven through God’s tender mercy. Our faith, in turn, reminds us that the Lord is present to us through the ministry of the Church and the sacraments.

Reconciliation, then, requires a faith-filled, sacramental action on our part–an act of adoration and worship, a liturgical action. This does not mean that God’s forgiveness is withheld until we celebrate the sacrament, or that it is available only through the sacrament. It does mean, however, that our response to God’s forgiveness results in our prayer and praise and living a life marked by the peace that comes with reconciliation. Reconciliation means more than forgiveness. Reconciliation also means restoration and reunion with the God who so graciously forgives, and with our faith community. Reconciliation results in living the life described by Paul in today’s second reading: ” Christ lives in me [a life of] faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me.”

Reconciliation seems to have been the heart of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus spent his energies in forgiving and drawing all people–all creation–back to God. Jesus also clearly summoned all of his followers to become engaged in the ministry of reconciliation–to forgive again and again. It is not easy for us to respond to that summons. It is difficult to forgive over and over again, especially if we don’t see some reciprocity on the part of the one forgiven. Forgiveness takes patience and practice and faith. If we lose our patience or get out of practice or stop believing it worth the effort, it becomes harder and harder for us to forgive. To counteract this tendency to lose heart, we need to practice patience and forgiveness daily, at home, at work, at play, wherever we encounter other people who, like us, will benefit from the grace of reconciliation.

Youth Ministry Recognition Sunday

At the end of every school year, the parish salutes the high school seniors who have shared their gifts of time and talent to our faith community through their active involvement in ministries. The following have dedicated themselves to their fellow youth for two or more years through their leadership and service in T.O.R.C.H., CONNECT, and Sunday School: Leona Ramos, Keysha Dacasin, Joan Vergara, Armand Campos, Kristal Umali Congratulations! We thank you for your good work and example! Awards will be given at the 12 noon Mass.

Just in case you have not heard, Archbishop Myers assigned Brother (Deacon) Dong to Our Lady of Mercy/ Our Lady of Sorrows for service during his deaconal year. I am delighted with the assignment and the opportunity to continue to participate in his formational process leading to his ordination as a priest next May (God willing).

Thank you to all of you who made the journey to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart last Sunday for Brother Dong’s ordination as a deacon. I proudly observed so many of you there as you came forward in the Communion Procession. Thank you also to all who contributed to the “pot luck” celebration that followed in the Maria Room.

I feel as though things are moving at warp speed as we moved through all of our “Springtime” events. The shear number of these events is testimony to the vitality of our parish communities.

As I celebrate twenty-nine years of priestly ordination today, I lift my mind, heart, and voice in praise of Almighty God for the shear gift of priestly life. Much of the blessing of this life comes from you, the people of God, with whom I am so privileged to share my life. Thank you for being who your are. Thank you for sharing your faith with me.

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

The Most Holy Trinity

FIRST READING: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55
SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

GOSPEL: John 3:16-18

Mystery

We can always draw from the well of mystery. It is an inexhaustible well. There is always something to be discovered. People are mysteries to us, even the people we live nearest and love most and think we know. The fundamental mystery of persons makes life interesting, of course. It also keeps the rumor and gossip mills going. The mystery of the individual and the depth of his or her soul offer us but a faint shadow of the mystery of God, who is three Persons–Father, Son, and Spirit. This is a mystery we will never cease contemplating and celebrating.

Comment

We consider the Holy Trinity today, not as a theological abstraction, but as a mystery into which we are drawn. We know God’s inner life because God has shown and told us. We proceed by way of story. We respond by way of praise.

The first reading carries a sense of awe. Moses, summoned by the LORD, journeys to a high place. This “Lord” descends enshrouded in clouds and passes before Moses. This God not only tells, then repeats, the name “LORD” but offers a description, “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Scholars tell us that the Hebrew words for God’s care are words of deep, visceral feeling. The Lord looks upon and cares about the people with the anxiety and eagerness of a parent. God, the Lord, cannot help but act on behalf of an admittedly stiff-necked people.

To no one’s surprise Moses’ response is adoration. But then he speaks. He recognizes that the transcendent Lord seeks to be personally involved with Israel. Big God looks favorably on little Israel. Moses puts himself on the line and asks God to “come along in our company” and receive an unworthy people as God’s own.

We know that God does just this. All Hebrew Scriptures in one way or another tell how it goes with a people and the God who chose them, small and contrary as they are.

The Hebrew Scriptures were the only Scriptures the followers of Jesus had. They formed the entire backdrop and stage against which and on which the story of Jesus was played out and understood. In the dark night, a troubled Nicodemus came to Jesus. He was a learned man and a ruler. Thanks to Nicodemus, we learn of Jesus’ relationship to the God of Moses, the God rich in kindness and fidelity. We learn the extent of God’s care for the world in the person of Jesus, the teacher. In this story, we learn that Jesus is more than a teacher. He is also the only begotten Son of the Father.

Reflection

The reflection on God–whom we address as Father and Son and Holy Spirit–is set before us today in two narratives: as abiding presence on a high place and as a quiet revelation to a troubled, hesitant Nicodemus. In these narratives we learn that God who is for us is with us in the Son. In the second reading, belief in the presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is evident. By the time this letter is written, the faith of the Christian community is manifest. The blessings of the Trinity–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–flow easily and familiarly. Faith in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is already part of the language and living awareness of the Christian community. Their words and blessings point to the presence of a personal God whose inner life is a community of love, as theirs must be.

Today we come to goal of our ninety-day journey begun way back on Ash Wednesday: The Great Feast of Pentecost! The annual spiritual journey provided us with copious graces. Now the challenge of the wonderful feast of the Holy Spirit is to take these graces and run with them!

Today we also celebrate Rolando Rosendo de Gracia Yadao [Brother Dong]. At noon today, in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, through the laying on of hands by Archbishop Myers and through the invocation of the Holy Spirit he will receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders raising him to the Order of Deacons. We heartily congratulate him and his parents and siblings.

Just as the Church arrived at the destination of the journey begun on Ash Wednesday, Deacon Rolando achieved his goal of ordained service to the Church of Newark in New Jersey. May the Holy Spirit continue to be his companion during the final leg of his journey to priesthood.

Our newly ordained deacon asked me to express his undying gratitude to all who assisted him along the road. In particular he wishes to express his gratitude for the typical OLM/ OLS hospitality extended to his parents as they celebrate with him.

Ad multos annos, Deacon!

My love and prayers,

Father Jack

Update About My Niece: In my own name, that of my sister and my brother-in-law, my niece herself with her husband and children, I am deeply grateful for all your prayers. I am writing this early in the week of the 16th.

My niece underwent an eight-hour surgery on Friday, May 14th at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland. Unfortunately, the surgeons were unable to remove the entire tumor. As of today, Tuesday, she is only able to open one eye and is still seeing “shadows” with the other. Her body has not yet completely adjusted to the evasion of her pituitary gland and hypothalamus.

Yesterday, she was able to sit in a chair for about an hour. This completely wiped her out. Her appetite is not good, so her caregivers are trying to encourage her to eat. She has several IV’s running to replace those “control elements” her body is not yet producing.

I ask the generosity of your continued prayers for my niece, Jean, and our entire family.

Saint John Vianney, pray for our priests.

Pentecost Joy!

When each of us received the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Bishop or Priest said to us as he anointed us with Sacred Chrism: “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit!”

The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Love is the first gift of the Holy Spirit, containing all others. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

The Holy Spirit gives us the ‘pledge’ or ‘first fruits’ of our inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as “God has loved us.” This love is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received ‘power’ from the Holy Spirit.

By this power of the Spirit, God’s children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the virtue vine will make us bear ‘the fruit of the Spirit … love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity.’ We live by the Spirit the more we renounce ourselves, the more we walk by the Spirit.

These ‘fruits’ of the Holy Spirit connect believers to each other. Love, joy and patience support and strengthen our living with each other. Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity and gentleness are gifts opening us to concern and empathy for each other; help us to live justly, treating others fairly. Modestly, self-control, and chastity grace us with right relationships with others and ourselves.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They allow us to be open and readily obeying divine inspiration.

These “gifts” connect us with God. Knowledge, wisdom and understanding help us gain insight into the mysteries of faith and allow us to explain them to others. Counsel assists us in making right decisions. Fortitude strengthens us to held firm even when it is difficult to do so. Piety draws us more deeply into the love God has for us. Fear of the Lord gives the receiver an awareness of the greatness and wonder and awe-inspiring nature of God.

As we celebrate this Pentecost Day, let us truly be grateful!