Love of Enemies

Dear Parishioners,

The focus of Jesus teaching was definitively on Love. First, he told us that the greatest commandment in the Law (Torah) was the Love of God: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" [Jesus] said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment." (Mt. 22: 36-38)

Then Jesus took a less prominent precept from the book of Leviticus (Lv. 19:18) and placed it beside the commandment to love God: "The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." (Mt. 22: 39-40)

Most reasonable believers would find that this instruction makes sense. The difficulty that almost everyone would have with Jesus' teaching was when He took matters even further: "To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Lk. 6: 27-28) Now He seems to be going too far, too extreme. How can I possible love an enemy?

Truth be told, it is not natural for anyone to accomplish this task. We would have to do something above and beyond that which we are normally capable as a human. We really can't accomplish such things without the aid of God's supernatural grace.

Throughout my lifetime I have encountered parents willing to forgive the person who raped and killed their daughter (Shannon Schieber), a Polish mother who forgave soldiers who brutally beat her son (Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko) to death, and a pope (St. John Paul II) who forgave his would-be-assassin. I read about how St. Maria Goretti forgave and prayed for the person who stabbed her to death. I also heard how Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide in her book Left to Tell and eventually forgave her family's killers. These and many other stories like theirs (from the time of the earliest Christian martyrs, including St. Stephen) show us all that what seems impossible from a human perspective can come to be with the supernatural grace of God.

Jesus showed us from the cross (see Lk. 23: 34) how He was willing to forgive those who put Him to death. Could He not also assist those who experience unbearable and unspeakable tragedies to find forgiveness, peace and healing? I hope and pray so. I have seen examples of it happening.

I also hope and pray that I may never have to face the tragic circumstances that others have had to because of war, crime, injustice or evil. The world is not fair and bad things happen to good people far too often. Jesus is the perfect example of that. Yet, He still challenges us to rise above the difficult and unfair circumstances of life and to continue to love despite it all.

Easy? Absolutely not.

Possible? All things are possible with God's grace.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?

Dear Parishioners,

I have been involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter for well over to 35 years.  (To see exactly how a celibate priest like me fits into this community, you will just have to make a Marriage Encounter weekend!) The Marriage Encounter community has shaped me as a person and has helped to direct my priesthood and the ministry flowing from it. I have learned (and am still learning) many valuable lessons to apply to myself and my relationship with others as a result of my many years of participation.

For example, one simple lesson is as follows: We can sometimes take people for granted. Those around us every day—whether they are family, co-workers or friends—can unfortunately get lost in the busyness or shuffle of everyday living. We can occasionally assume that others know how we feel about them. We neglect to tell them that we “love” them, that we care for them or that we appreciate them. As a consequence, people can get hurt—albeit sometimes unintentionally.

What can we do to try to avoid this from happening? Take the time to tell your husband or wife that you love him or her. Embrace your children and let them see how much you love them by spending time with them and by telling them that they mean the world to you. Compliment a co-worker. Call a friend and tell him or her how much you appreciate his or her friendship. Don’t take people, especially your spouse, for granted!

We can apply this thinking also to our relationship with God: tell Jesus how much you love Him, His Father and their Holy Spirit. We should try never to let a day pass where we fail to acknowledge the presence of God in our lives!

On another important note, the second Sunday of February (last Sunday) is annually designated as World Marriage Day (having been established by Worldwide Marriage Encounter). In 1983, this day was “designated as a day to honor the husband and wife as head of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life.”

As the traditional definition of marriage is challenged, and there are increasing attempts to redefine it, go back to the teaching of Jesus in the Sacred Scriptures as a point of reference:

Jesus said . . . “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.  (Mt. 19: 4-6)

Marriage is sacred. It is one of the seven sacraments of our Catholic Church. As something divinely instituted, it needs to be respected and defended.

Finally, since theologically, I share the same bride as Christ as His priest (i.e., the Church) I want to make sure that I heed my own advice and not neglect my spouse! I hope that I never forget to tell you this: I love you, my parishioners, my spouse! I also hope that I never neglect you or take you for granted!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

More About The Sacrament of Penance (Confession)

Dear Parishioners,

Continuing with the topic of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), I have some questions frequently asked of me and some personal observations for you to ponder this week.

When is it necessary to go to confession prior to receiving Holy Communion? 

Whenever one is conscious of any serious (mortal) sin, confession should ordinarily occur first. Unfortunately there are some occasions when many people do not think that this rule applies. Let me take the topic of missing Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation. When people do not go to Mass regularly (each week) without a legitimate reason (for example, serious illness, the need to care for an infant or someone who needs continuous attention, etc.), they really should go to confession prior to receiving Holy Communion.

How often should I go to confession?

As often as necessary, but certainly whenever there is serious sin. Church law still requires us to make an Easter Duty which obliges Catholics (who are lawfully permitted) to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during Easter time. This means that first we should be in the state of grace (not conscious of any serious sin). Therefore, confession is usually part of this routine. A good spiritual practice has always been monthly confession.

Does it matter whether I go behind the screen or face to face?

No. One should go wherever he or she can be completely honest and open about his or her sinfulness and actions. Sometimes anonymity helps various penitents with the process.

What happens if I deliberately withhold a sin in confession?

Sins deliberately withheld are technically not presented to the priest (who acts in persona Christi) for forgiveness in the sacrament. Usually this case involves an embarrassing situation (a sexual sin, an abortion, etc.) – something that the penitent thinks that they could never tell anyone about. From my personal experience, often there is more joy over the forgiveness brought to the repentant person than embarrassment from the sin itself. 

There are those times when a penitent tries to sneak things in through the back door: "Father, I am sorry for all of my sins."  or "Father, I have broken every commandment." Still on other occasions people have told me that they do not feel sorry for what they did (and therefore feel no need to confess the sin) although the Church teaches that is it wrong. What I have often found is that people who do not make an integral confession usually wind up carrying the guilt around (perhaps denying it or suppressing it) until they get up enough courage to confess the sin(s) at some later point in time through the grace of God. 

My advice when using the Sacrament of Penance: put all the cards on the table, get everything out, hide nothing and you will experience a peace like never before! Yes, it involves a great deal of trust and a confessor who you can talk to and to whom you can open up your soul.  If you find a good confessor, you have found a priceless gift!

Some personal observations:

A person should go to confession to talk about his or her own sinfulness. Sometimes people want to discuss someone in their family who has problems or even that other person’s sins. This might be something to consider in spiritual direction or counseling, but it is not really what confession is supposed to entail. Confession is about a person looking deep within oneself and honestly admitting before God what he or she has done wrong. The Sacrament of Penance is here for our benefit. It is meant to reconcile us to God and to the Church. It is here so that we can experience the love, mercy and forgiveness of God in this world. Please differentiate confession from spiritual direction, counseling or some opportunity to talk to the priest. Remember others may be waiting in line behind you.

My hope as a pastor is that more people will begin to take advantage of this sacrament on a regular basis. Honestly, I do not usually let a week or two go by without seeking out the opportunity to experience the grace of this sacrament for myself.                                                                                                                    

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple - Fr. Edward Namiotka