Dear Parishioners,
I have been told at various times
as a priest that I am preaching to the
choir. The phrase seems to imply
that some person or group—represented as the choir—doesn’t necessarily need to hear a particular message. They’ve
heard it all before! They don’t need to hear it again! Blah, blah, blah!
This got me thinking! (Realizing that this could be a dangerous course to navigate), I must
conclude that even the most faithful, participating church members—people like
those who may join the choir—need to
be the regular recipients of the preached Gospel message. Is anyone really exempt from hearing the Good News? I don’t think so.
Beginning with myself, every time I preach, I
preach to the entire congregation. Maybe the reason various people get into
trouble (priests and bishops included) is that they think
that they are somehow above what Jesus has to say. Conversion is something that we must all
desire, pray for continually, and work
at constantly—all of us, without exception!
Priests are required by canon law
(#276.2, 4) to make an annual retreat,
to pray the Liturgy of the Hours
daily (#276.2, 3) and to “pursue holiness” (#276.1). We priests need to work at our spiritual lives constantly lest we become like Peter (denying Christ), Judas (betraying Christ) or most of the
other apostles (fleeing from the
cross) even though they were his personally chosen, intimate band of followers.
Therefore, we need to be
preaching to the choir, and to the lectors, and to the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion,
and to the altar servers, and to the
ushers, and to the sisters, and to the priests and deacons, etc. etc. We need
to preach to those who are here each week and to those who are more sporadic in
attendance. The entire congregation,
making up the Body of Christ, needs
to be fed and nourished by both the Word
of God and the Holy Eucharist. It is Christ—our Head—who feeds and nourishes us, protects us, encourages us, guides
us, heals us, forgives us, etc. etc.
Finally, with reference to the choir,
I thank Mrs. Donna McCarthy for accepting the duty of directing our adult choir. She has been doing a wonderful job with our children’s choir and I have confidence
that she will do an equally fine job with the adults. If you are interesting in joining the choir,
please contact her through the parish office.
I am most happy to be able to
preach to all of you here at St. Joseph’s! (Even those of you who choose
to read this church bulletin during the homily each
week! Gotcha!)
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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