Praying for the Dead

Dear Parishioners,

As we approach the month of November, we should consider the importance of remembering and praying for the dead. We begin with two notable liturgical celebrations—All Saints and All Souls days. St. Paul reminds us . . . Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Phil. 3:20)

Saints are destined for heaven. Once their lives are finished on earth they will spend eternity enjoying the Beatific Vision—the "Face" of God—in God's time and according to God's plan. Many saints will not be officially canonized and placed on the church calendar. However, the Solemnity of All Saints reminds us of all those intercessors in heaven closely united with God who pray for us. (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, #956)  Where they have gone, we hope to follow someday. They have been called the Church Triumphant. Just as we may ask a friend here on earth to say a prayer for us, we can ask the saints in heaven to pray to God for us. Once they reach heaven, they no longer need our prayers but they can certainly pray and make intercession on our behalf.

While we may hope that our deceased relatives and friends are in heaven, we do not have that absolute certainty simply because of our hoping or desiring it to be so. While our Christian funerals are meant to strengthen our hope in eternal life, they are not meant to be canonizations.  Only God knows the ultimate destiny of any soul as he alone knows the disposition of the person when he or she dies. Did the person die in the state of grace or not? We can only hope and pray. We should pray.

Still, we can take great consolation if a person receives the last rites of the church—the sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation, the Holy Eucharist and the Anointing of the Sick. I remind people constantly that the sacraments are for the living and we should not wait until a person dies (if at all possible) to call for the priest. If the person is homebound, elderly, on hospice, in the hospital, terminally ill, etc. let the priest know so that a pastoral visit can be arranged. Moreover, we should all try to be living continually in the state of grace and not be conscious of any mortal or serious sin. The sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (confession) is the ordinary means that we have to keep the fullness of God's life (grace) alive in us. God's mercy will be given if we but ask for it!

All Souls Day reminds us that we should pray for the dead. Our prayers can help them if they are in a state of purification that we call purgatory. Remember that if someone is in heaven, they do not need our prayers. If they die not in the state of grace, being unrepentant, obstinate, and alienated from God—thus being in a state of hell or eternal separation from God—our prayers cannot help them. Church teaching encourages us to pray and to offer Mass for the dead. The greatest spiritual gift that we can give to our deceased loved ones is to have a Mass offered for them. The Catholic Mass is a re-presentation of the offering of Jesus himself on the cross. We have no better intercessor with the Father than Jesus who suffered and died for us.

Souls in purgatory, in a state of cleansing or purification—what I like to refer to as the fringes of heaven—can pray for us as we can assist them on their eventual journey to heaven. They have been referred to as the Church Suffering, in regard to their temporarily being kept from the fullness of heaven.

Finally, members of the Church on earth all are saints-in-potential. As baptized Christians, part of the Body of Christ, while we are alive in Christ Jesus, our ultimate destiny is heaven. Only our choice to sin gravely, to put ourselves out of the state of God's life, His grace, will keep us from that path. We are the Church Militant, currently battling sin and evil. 

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones [saints] and members of the household of God. . . . (Eph. 2:19)  May we live up to our calling!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Caritas Christi Urget Nos

Dear Parishioners,

To keep Jesus’ commandments of love of God and love of our neighbor (see Mt. 22: 34-40), we should first reflect on our relationship with God. The Holy Trinity is a unity of three Divine Persons who perfectly love. The essence of the Trinity is love—God is love—as St. John teaches (see 1 Jn. 4: 7-12). We are invited to share in their love. This is God’s desire for us for all eternity.

As Christians, I am convinced that we need to pray and worship God in a disciplined manner each day. If we do not find the time to give God a minimum of fifteen minutes in dedicated prayer daily, something is severely wrong. If we regularly fail to worship God (in the Mass) as Jesus’ commanded us—Do this in memory of me—we do not give Almighty God what is due to Him in proper worship. These two acts (prayer and worship) are the bare minimum. Ultimately, God deserves so much more.   

When I first heard the words Caritas Christi Urget Nos years ago they made a solid impression on me. “The love of Christ impels us . . . .” (2 Cor. 5:14)  It is the love of Christ which compelled St. Paul to do all that he did. It is the love of Christ that should be our motivation, our source of strength, our desire, and our guiding force. Christ’s love is essential for the life of any Christian.

Interestingly enough, the word love [αγαπη (agape) in Greek / caritas in Latin] is often interchanged with the word charity. 

I think that it is beneficial to see if our actions are motivated by love/charity or by something other. Jesus pointed out that “. . . every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” (Mt. 7:17)  The fruit of our actions should be Christian love. Remember what they said of the Christians of the early Church (according to Tertullian): “See how those Christians love one another.”   

Ask yourself a few questions:

• Do my actions towards others show love/charity?
• Are my words about others or towards others ever mean, bitter or uncharitable?
• Does my time in prayer motivate me to acts of service (charity) towards my brothers and sisters?
• Am I highly critical always trying to find the faults in others instead of trying to see and find the good in others?  Do I see Christ in others?
• Do I make an attempt to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me? (see Mt. 5:44)
• Have I tried to forgive or seek forgiveness from those whom I may be alienated or estranged?
• Do I compliment and encourage others for things that they have done?
• Do I thank others regularly?
• Do I tell my spouse or children that I love them on a regular basis? 
• Do I try to build up others rather than tear down or belittle them?

In essence, is my life one that speaks of Christian charity?

It is rather easy to see if a person has made significant progress in the spiritual life by seeing if love or charity is apparent in that person. 

Think about it.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Miracle of the Sun

Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta

Dear Parishioners,

Each year October 13th marks the anniversary of the miracle of Fatima, Portugal.

Our Lady was reported to have appeared to three shepherd children, Jacinta (7), Francisco (9) and Lucia (10), once every month beginning on May 13, 1917 and ending on October 13, 1917.

On 13 May 1917, ten year old Lucia dos Santos and her younger cousins, siblings Jacinta and Francisco Marto, were tending sheep at a location known as the Cova da Iria near their home village of Fatima in Portugal. Lucia described seeing a woman "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal ball filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun." Our Lady subsequently exhorted the children to do penance and to make sacrifices to save sinners. She also requested that the Holy Rosary be prayed daily—for world and personal peace—and that the Brown Scapular be worn. She asked that we pray for the conversion of Russia. (It should be noted that the beginnings of atheistic communism were starting to appear in Russia at the time.)

It was claimed that the Virgin Mary had promised a miracle for the last of her apparitions on October 13th, so that all would believe. What transpired became known as the "Miracle of the Sun." A crowd believed to be approximately 70,000 in number, including newspaper reporters and photographers, gathered at the Cova da Iria. The incessant rain had finally ceased and a thin layer of clouds cloaked the silver disc of the sun such that it could be looked upon without hurting the eyes. Lucia called out to the crowd to look at the sun. Sometime while Lucia was pointing towards the sun and claiming to have visions of various religious figures in the sky, it is believed that the sun appeared to change colors and to rotate like a fire wheel. Then it seemed as though the sun would crash down to earth. For some the sun appeared to fall from the sky before retreating, for others it seemed to “dance.”

An atheistic reporter commented on the event at the time: "One could see the immense multitude turn towards the sun, which appeared free from clouds and at its zenith. It looked like a plaque of dull silver and it was possible to look at it without the least discomfort. One might have thought an eclipse was taking place. But at that moment a great shout went up and one could hear the spectators nearest at hand shouting: ‘A miracle! A miracle!’ Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose aspect was Biblical as they stood bareheaded, eagerly searching the sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws - yes, the sun 'danced'!"

Many of the onlookers were terrified that the sun would crash down upon them. Then, as the sun returned to normal, each person in the crowd realized that they were completely dry despite being soaked from the rain just minutes before.

While the “Miracle of the Sun” was seen and experienced by so many, the miracle more importantly is certainly meant to draw attention to the message: prayer (especially the Holy Rosary), penance and conversion. It seems that Our Lady, as a most-loving spiritual mother of us all, tries to warn us and to lead humanity back to her Son, Jesus.

Perhaps you may want to read one of the many books about Fatima or watch one of the movies The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952) or the more recent release Fatima (2020) to become more familiar with the entire story.

In the meantime, please remember October is the month of the Holy Rosary and it is also Respect Life Month (from conception until natural death). Please try to pray the holy rosary every day as per Our Lady’s request!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Poland - April 13 to 24, 2027

Interested in a trip to Poland in April, 2027?

www.polandwithfatherednamiotka.com

 

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

A Parish Update

 

Dear Parishioners,

This week I write to inform you of some current news about our parish.

First, we welcome Bishop Joseph Williams this weekend for my installation ceremony. A parish will typically see their bishop visit a couple times during the year—perhaps at confirmation or some special parish event. We asked that our bishop come for this Mass and installation ceremony after Labor Day when the crowds would be less and we not be rushed during Mass because traffic, parking, etc.

Next, I thank those who have responded to my request to reinitiate an active parish council. I set the deadline for consideration as a member for the end of September. I will now begin the process of contacting and organizing those who showed interest or were nominated for consideration. A parish council serves in an advisory capacity to the pastor as he sees necessary.

Looking ahead, I have asked a friend to preach next year’s parish retreat and he accepted. Captain Francis P. Foley, a priest and pastor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and former chaplain for the Naval Academy at Annapolis, has agreed to come to St. Thomas next summer. Father Foley brings a wealth of experience and knowledge with 27 years of military service and is known as a skillful orator. Father is currently pastor of St. Timothy Parish in Philadelphia.

Next year we will also have a celebration in honor of the 100-year anniversary of our church building. If you take note of the cornerstone, it reads 1927. So, the plans, at this point, are to combine our parish retreat, church building anniversary ceremony and chicken barbeque into a weeklong celebration for our parish. Please save the date for the week of July 25, 2027, as a special time of celebration for our parish community.

During the next months, I plan to meet with the members of our various parish committees and ministries. It takes time for me to become more aware of all the things going on in the parish, who is responsible for them and how best the people of St. Thomas can be served by them. I have refrained from making any sudden or drastic changes, knowing from experience that it is best for me to see first how things currently operate. With time, I will inevitably make adjustments as I see necessary.

This past weekend, by the change in the attendance at the Masses, I witnessed how the bad weather and the diminished summer crowds can affect the parish. Shore parishes typically tend to slow down in the winter months. It does not necessarily mean, however, that there are no homilies to prepare, no sick or dying to visit and anoint, no weddings, funerals, baptisms, confessions or many other tasks/duties to keep a priest busy. It simply means the pace of life changes for a time. I hope to have more time to read, pray, exercise and get to know all of you a little better.

Please pray for me as I do for you. Together may we grow in holiness.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Thy Will Be Done

Dear Parishioners,

If we pray regularly, we probably recite the words thy will be done quite a few times daily. It is one of the central petitions of the Our Father.

Do you ever stop to think about this prayer-petition? Do we really think that God’s will is not going to be accomplished in the end? I don’t think so. After all, God is, well, God. At God’s command absolutely anything can be achieved before we could even grasp what was happening. 

Do we think that God Almighty actually needs us, needs me, so that He could be more all-powerful, more all-knowing, more all-loving, more all-just, more all-whatever? On the contrary, God would be quite self-sufficient without any of us. God created ex nihilo—out of nothing. There was a time when nothing else but God existed. So, obviously, God could get along quite well without us.

The fact of the matter is that God created out of love. He brought into existence that which previously did not exist—the entire universe, our world and us. His greatest achievement was the creation of the human person, made in His image and likeness.  We were given intelligence and free-will like God. Amazingly, God chose to become one of us as evidenced by the Incarnation of Jesus.

So, when we pray that God’s will be done, we must realize with ultimate humility that in the end we are not in charge. God will always be in charge. Always. His Will is going to be done with or without us. And we, as humans, must conform to His Will, not the other way around. God is creator and we are creatures. Period. End of story.

What is so mind-boggling is that God has invited each of us into a personal relationship with Himself. We can either accept the invitation or reject it. We can believe or not. We can cooperate with His plan or foolishly think that we can do whatever we want without consequences. The choice will always be ours because God willed it so.

With this in mind, my personal prayer consists of a variation of this petition. When I come before the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament I simply pray: I want what You want. I sit and give my time over to the Lord. I submit my will to His. I realize my place before Almighty God.

Perhaps each of us could ask ourselves a few questions to evaluate where we are before God: Does God really have control of me and my life? Do I love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and strength? Do I desire to do His Will? Do I foolishly think that I am in charge?

In the 1960’s Paul Anka wrote the lyrics to a song popularized by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and various others entitled My Way. I beg to differ with them with a rebuttal composition of my own: 

The Final Exam

“And now the end is near,

And so I face the final curtain”—

But after all life’s tests I’ve had,

Of little or nothing I’m certain!

Yet still, dear Lord, I ask your help

To guide me day to day—

And may the priv'lege be always mine

To say I did it Your Way.

© 1981 Edward F. Namiotka 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Forgiveness

Dear Parishioners,

Throughout my life, there have been a number of inspirational examples of forgiveness that stand out for me. 

Undoubtedly the first example is Jesus’ words from the cross:  “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”  (Luke 23:34) 

Next, was the example that Pope St. John Paul II showed when he visited his attempted assassin, Mehmet Ali Ağca, and forgave him. 

Third, was the occasion of meeting the mother of a Polish priest, Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko.  He was brutally murdered by three members of the Polish secret police for his activities with the Polish Solidarity movement. When asked about forgiving her son’s murderers she said the following in my presence:  “How could I not forgive when Jesus forgave the thief on the cross?”

Finally, there is the example of Vicki Schieber, the mother of Shannon Schieber who was brutally raped and murdered in 1998 while she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Mrs. Schieber visited Sacred Heart High School in Vineland while I was principal there.  Rather than demand the death penalty for the person who raped and killed her daughter, Mrs. Schieber (and her husband) said there was no way they could demand the taking of another life. “The death penalty wasn’t going to honor Shannon’s life and it wasn’t going to bring her back . . . I thought about everything we ever taught Shannon to believe—to turn the other cheek, to show compassion and to be forgiving,” Mrs. Schieber said. “If you have a set of principles and then don’t live by them when you are tested, were they ever your principles to begin with?”

Christianity is about love, forgiveness and mercy—not hatred and anger. Whenever people foster attacks and retaliation—an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth mentality—no genuine, lasting good will usually come from the situation. Forgiveness, on the other hand, shows love accompanied by the supernatural gift of God’s grace.

I again reflect on the words of my patron saint, St. Maximilian Kolbe: “Only love is creative.”

When we or those we love are hurt, it may seem difficult or impossible to forgive. It is at times like these that we must pray for the grace of God knowing that all things are possible for God—and for us—when aided by His supernatural grace.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko

Political Correctness vs. Moral Correctness

Dear Parishioners,

Unfortunately, we live, at times, in a politically correct world. The legacy news media and advertising often drive it. We have become so cautious not to offend anyone. We do not want to be cancelled. As a result, we may wind up compromising what we truly believe in the name of tolerance. There have been rumblings among the populus, however, and ever-more people are becoming fed-up with what is going on.

What if the early Christians acted in the same manner? Would they have been so cautious not to proclaim Jesus is Lord in the face of torture and death? I think about how the early Apostles were willing to die rather than compromise their beliefs. How easy it would have been to acknowledge that Caesar was divine (as was demanded at the time) and go on living. Couldn’t Jesus just be acknowledged as one god among many other gods? After all, the Greeks and Romans were polytheistic cultures and would more than likely tolerate one more god. It would be the politically correct thing to do at that time. Instead, the early Christians bravely faced torture and death in their unwavering proclamation that Jesus is the Risen Son of God. For them, there was no other option.

Today, we may not say certain things are objectively wrong for fear of offending someone: 

• Abortion is not killing an innocent human being—dare I say murder?—but a woman’s choice.
• Marriage (the permanent, exclusive, open-to children union between a man and a woman) is redefined not according to timeless, divine principles but as we enlightened humans currently see fit.
• We don’t call co-habitation fornication, but a trial marriage.
• Euthanasia (killing the elderly) is mercy-killing.
• Adulterers are swingers.
• The difference between partial-birth abortion and infanticide is negligible.
• Homosexual acts fall into the category of an alternate lifestyle.
• Artificial contraception is never wrong or sinful in many people’s mind.
• There is no longer a proper understanding that we have a moral obligation to God to attend Mass weekly.   

Wrong becomes right. Right is no longer right. The world is horribly confused. And this confusion does have serious, eternal consequences.

God in timeless wisdom and with apparently incredible patience looks at us and, I suspect, desires that we would listen and obey. There is a law written in your hearts. I sent you the prophets. I even gave you my only Son as my definitive Word. You have centuries of saints and martyrs witnessing to the truth by their lives. My gift of the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church. Please listen. Don’t delay.

I trust that God is all-merciful. There is frequently an emphasis on His mercy. I also believe that God is all-just. God’s justice is tempered by His mercy. (See James 2: 12-13) Mercy is offered to us so that we admit our sinfulness, desire to change our erring ways and completely conform our lives to the teachings of Christ. Mercy is not like a get out of jail free card. We can’t just continue with our sinful ways assuming God to be some pushover—some lenient parent—who will continually let us do whatever we want without consequences. We are all going to Heaven despite what we do here on earth. Not really. Why would Jesus have suffered and died in such a horrible manner if we all just go to Heaven no matter what we think, say or do? No, if we refuse mercy, if we refuse to listen, if we fail to change, then God remains all-just. We will get what we actually deserve. And it wasn’t because God did not try to get through to us time and time again.

If political correctness blurs our moral correctness then I would suggest that we make the necessary adjustments to our thinking and acting. We need to realize that the truth—the objective moral teachings given by Jesus Christ and faithfully proclaimed by His Church—are the means given us for our eternal salvation.

 And eternal does mean forever.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor