An Eternal Exchange of Love

Dear Parishioners,

On this Trinity Sunday, I share some reflections on the Holy Trinity—a most profound mystery of our faith.

First, we should realize that Jesus opened up for us the inner life of God. He revealed that God was a Trinity of Persons. Recall, the Jewish people are strict monotheists—Hear O Israel!  The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! (Dt. 6: 4)—and they held on to this belief despite being surrounded, invaded and conquered by various polytheistic cultures (e.g., Rome). However, Jesus began to teach his disciples God is Father—His Father—and this must have caused significant concern for those around Him. He equated Himself with God, His Father:  The Father and I are one. (Jn. 10:30) What exactly does He mean? He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples once He was gone: But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you (Jn. 16: 7). There is no natural way that we could figure out on our own that God was a Trinity of Persons without Jesus revealing this mystery to us.

Next, we are told that God is love (1 Jn. 4:8) Therefore, the experience of love itself seems to indicate that there should be a lover and a beloved. Within the Trinity, the Father loves the Son from all eternity and the Son loves the Father from all eternity. The love between the two is also a Person: the Holy Spirit. 

God's very being is love. By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC # 221)

I contend that things in this world reflect and model for us certain eternal truths—albeit imperfectly—and help us to understand some mysteries of our faith better. Take the example of a family. A husband loves his wife and the wife loves her husband. Their love for each other can be manifest in a child who is the result of their love for each other. In essence, there is a type of a Trinitarian love involved here: the love between husband, wife and child. Again, the example is not perfect as God is uncreated, but it does shed some light on an otherwise complicated topic.

Another example from our life experience helps us with our understanding the Trinity. Take H₂O which can appear in nature as water, steam or ice. All three have the same chemical composition but can appear in different forms depending on temperature. This helps us to see how something can be three and one at the very same time. Our belief in the Holy Trinity teaches that there are Three Divine Persons in the One True God.

Every time you make the Sign of the Cross, think about how we acknowledge our belief in the Holy Trinity. By God’s immense love for us, we are invited to share in the life of the Trinity and to dwell one day within that eternal exchange of love. 

The whole idea can indeed be mind-boggling.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for Pentecost Sunday 2025 - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place my Trust in Thee

Dear Parishioners,

In the Catholic Church, the month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I think it is no mere coincidence that the secular world puts an emphasis on something contrary to Christ and the teaching of His Church. Rebellious human beings would rather act defiant to God’s design and try to tell God how they should be allowed to live and act. The first deadly sin—pride—once again rears its ugly head.   

For fourteen years of my life I had worked at a high school named for Our Lord’s Sacred Heart. The motto of the school was: Fac Cor Nostrum Secundum Cor Tuum. (The translation of the Latin:  Make our hearts like unto Thine or Make our hearts like Your Heart.)

The image of the Sacred Heart centers on a devotion to Jesus’ physical heart as representing His Divine Love for all humanity. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light. It is bleeding, pierced by the lance-wound, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and surmounted by a cross. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of Christ’s love.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart. She entered the Visitation Convent in 1671 and six years later Christ appeared to her in a vision in which she said: "I could plainly see His heart, pierced and bleeding, yet there were flames, too, coming from it and a crown of thorns around it. He told me to behold His heart which so loved humanity. Then He seemed to take my very heart from me and place it there in His heart. In return He gave me back part of His flaming heart."

In all, there were four revelations, during which the now-familiar Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart were made:

1.       I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

2.       I will establish peace in their homes.

3.       I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4.       I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5.       I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6.       Sinners will find in my Heart the source and an infinite ocean of mercy.

7.       Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8.       Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9.       I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.

10.   I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11.   Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.

12.   I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. 

The last of these promises is responsible for the nine First Fridays’ devotion. Also requested by Jesus was the establishment of a feast in honor of His Sacred Heart. We now celebrate this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Friday after the octave of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This year it falls on June 27, 2025. Additionally, we honor the Sacred Heart every first Friday of the month. It is also a Catholic tradition to have an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned in the family home.

Now that you have a brief history, what truly matters is whether or not we are becoming more Christ-like and whether our hearts reflect Christ’s love for us.

The simple prayer said — Make my heart like Your Heart — should remind us of the task in front of each of us.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Ascension of Our Lord "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

40 Hours Devotion and Corpus Christi

Dear Parishioners,

Beginning Thursday night (6/19/25) with a 7 PM Mass in St. Thomas More Church, we will offer the opportunity for prayer and adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament around the clock, commonly known as the Forty Hours Devotion. We will have two Masses on Friday (6/20/25) at 9 AM and 7 PM and conclude on Saturday evening (6/21/25) at the 4:30 PM Vigil Mass for Corpus Christi with a Eucharistic Procession at the conclusion of Mass. I have asked Fr. Joseph Szolack, pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Blackwood, to be the guest preacher. All Masses and Eucharistic Adoration will be in the church, not the chapel. 

This Forty Hours Devotion, which can be traced to Milan, Italy around the year 1530, is a formalized period of prayer and adoration centering on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Prior to this period in the Catholic Church’s history, there were times of exposition and benediction, Eucharistic processions and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle. However, both Saints Philip Neri and Ignatius of Loyola instituted the Forty Hours Devotion (with reference to Jesus’ 40 hours in the tomb and recalling other biblical citations in which the symbolic number 40 was specified) in reparation for sin.

Fr. William Saunders, whom I knew from my college seminary days, wrote a rather thorough article, “40 Hours with Jesus Christ,” originally for his diocesan paper (Arlington Catholic Herald) describing this devotion. I quote from a part of it here:

While the Mass is the central act of worship for us Catholics, an act which participates in the eternal reality of our Lord's passion, death, and resurrection, Vatican Council II upheld and encouraged the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass. Of course such devotion derives from the sacrifice of the Mass and moves the faithful to both sacramental and spiritual communion with our Lord (Eucharisticum Mysterium, #50). . . . Pope John Paul II has repeatedly "highly recommended" public and private devotion of the Blessed Sacrament, including processions on the Feast of Corpus Christi and the 40 Hours Devotion (cf. Dominicae Cenae, #3, and Inaestimabile Donum, #20-22).

It was the 4th Bishop of Philadelphia, St. John Neumann who was a strong promoter of this devotion in his diocese. The practice would also spread to our area of New Jersey and beyond.

After considering this brief history lesson and the official encouragement by saints, popes and church documents, I really think that the essence of this devotion comes down to our belief—our deep faith—in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. If Jesus is really there, why wouldn’t we want to spend time with Him in prayer?

I can simply relate to you from my own personal experience that spending time with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist has been for me my most fruitful times of prayer beyond comparison. I love the Holy Eucharist in all of its dimensions—from offering the Mass to the reception of Holy Communion to adoring and worshiping Jesus’ Real Presence in the tabernacle / monstrance. Jesus is present throughout—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Those that I know (and have known) who have prayed in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament have overwhelmingly come to appreciate what a most precious gift we have. The Mass is so much more meaningful. The reading of the Sacred Scriptures becomes alive and motivating. The inspiration and wisdom that comes from sitting at the feet of the Master is beyond price!

I invite you to come to Mass and to spend some time during these days—June 19th to June 21st—with our Eucharistic Lord. Please sign up so that all the time slots are filled! Our Lord deserves nothing less.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

2025: A Jubilee Year of Hope

 

Dear Parishioners,

Let me begin my writing by expressing my total surprise at the election of Pope Leo XIV. Something I thought absolutely certain was that there would never be an American-born pope in my lifetime. Like so many others, I was completely wrong. With his missionary experience, worldwide perspective, Augustinian spirit, devotion to the Blessed Mother, love of the poor, proven intellect, leadership skills, grasp of languages and gentle, humble demeanor, he appears to be a great choice by the cardinals. The passing of time will truly tell the whole story.

Additionally, our relatively new Bishop Joseph A. Williams is guiding the Camden diocese with an emphasis on prayer as the center of all things, including the search for a Vicar for Prayer. This newly established position shows the priority our bishop has on prayer in the lives of the clergy and the faithful. I am proud to say that we, at St. Thomas More Parish, have a solid group of daily Mass attendees who also pray the rosary afterward and regularly spend time in Eucharistic adoration. I think this is an important step in the right direction and a core group upon which we can certainly build. Moreover, the bishop's concern for vocations to the priesthood and religious life needs to grounded in prayer to the master of the harvest to send out workers (Mt. 9:38) as Jesus taught.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that we are currently in a Jubilee Year of Hope in the Catholic Church. Such a Jubilee Year has its origin in Sacred Scripture, specifically the Book of Leviticus, chapter 25. The ram's horn would sound announcing the Day of Atonement beginning a sacred 50th year of Jubilee for the Jewish people. Characteristic of the year, according to jubilee and biblical scholar Dr. John Bergsma, is the forgiveness of sin, freedom from debt (and slavery), reunion and restoration of family lands leading to the fullness of all prophetic expectations. What is emphasized at this time of jubilee is redemption by God, release from bondage, restoration of family and rest form work.

Think of what Jesus says when He begins his public ministry according to the Gospel of St. Luke:

[Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4: 16-21)

Ultimately, Jesus fulfilled all ancient Jewish jubilee and prophetic expectations  by redeeming us on the cross, releasing us from our slavery to sin and death, restoring our spiritual family relationship through the Catholic Church and providing eternal rest for body and soul.

To benefit from the special graces offered us during this Jubilee Year of Hope we should, first of all, participate in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation frequently. We should become aware and partake in the various recommended actions granting an indulgence to alleviate the temporal punishment for sin—both for ourselves and our deceased loved ones. We can make a spiritual pilgrimage to a designated church or shrine (holy sites). We should engage more fully in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Active participation rather than passive observation should be our goal for this extraordinary year of hope.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter "C" (with 1st Holy Communion) - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

You're Invited!

Dear Parishioners,

On Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2025, after the 11 AM Mass you are invited to attend our Meet the Ministries Luncheon.

Primarily, we want to bring our parishioners together for a social opportunity in which we can meet one another and be introduced to the various groups, ministries and organizations currently active in the parish. In our parish hall (and the adjacent courtyard, weather permitting), we will have tables of representatives from the various parish organizations and ministries explaining who they are, what they do, when they meet, etc. We encourage our parishioners to find out more about the various ministry opportunities currently available in our parish.

Pentecost is seen as the birthday of the Church when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church came alive and began to spread from those tongues of fire which the early Church received from God (see Acts 2 ff.) It is my hope and prayer that the same Holy Spirit will help our parish to grow and flourish in various ways as we join together, first in prayer and worship, then in fellowship leading to ongoing Christian service.

You are invited to hear more about our catechists, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, choir/music ministry, and ushers. You can see what is involved with Faith and Justice, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Small Christian Communities, Spanish Ministry, etc. Maybe you would like to be part of bereavement/consolation, volunteer to work in the parish office, consider preparing the altar linens, be a member of the pastoral/parish council, go on a retreat, help plan a parish picnic, assist decorating the church or see where you might find your particular niche within our parish.

In my various assignments as pastor, people would sometimes say they were “never invited” or that only a “select group of people” did everything. Well, you are hereby invited to come and see. You are invited to join us for lunch. You are invited to meet other parishioners. You are invited to consider getting involved in whatever capacity you may see yourself being drawn.

We all should realize that the Church is considered Catholic or universal for a reason. The Gospel message goes out to all the world and people are invited to respond to the invitation of the Lord. God never forces us to do anything. He freely invites us to “Come and See” (Jn. 1:39) to “Follow Me” (Jn. 1:43) and to “Make Disciples” (Mt. 28:19). As your current shepherd, I should follow Christ’s example. I extend my personal invitation to all my parishioners to help build and grow this parish for the greater honor and glory of God. I cannot do this alone!

If you plan to attend our luncheon, please notify the parish office before June 1 indicating your name and the number of people coming so that we can adequately plan for lunch. We want this to be a memorable time for all. However, I do not have the ability to multiply loaves and fish on the spot as Jesus did, so please let us know you are coming!

May the Holy Spirit continue to build, strengthen and guide the Church and our parish! Please do your part to make this happen!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor