The Beatitudes

 

Sermon on the Mount

Dear Parishioners,

Are you truly happy? Are you blessed?

Let’s be brutally honest for a few minutes. The world (secular society) holds up certain things for us and tells us we will be happy if we have them and miserable without them: pleasure, power, wealth and fame. Preachers of the “prosperity gospel” tell us that we are blessed by God when we are showered with a type of earthly success—primarily money and health. While wanting to have a good, happy life in this world is not a bad thing in and of itself, whenever we place our desire for things or on self above our love for God, we create a type of false god.  Pleasure, power, wealth and fame can all become false gods in our lives.

What does Jesus teach us in the Sacred Scriptures? Let’s begin with a very difficult statement about the cross in our lives: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt. 16: 24-25)

Moreover, the Beatitudes (Mt. 5: 3-12) seem to contradict what the world touts as essential for happiness. Blessed are the poor is spirit seems to rail against a call to accumulate material wealth. Blessed are the meek seems to undermine those seeking to obtain power over others. Blessed are they who mourn seems far removed from those who seek pleasure as their motivation. And blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me doesn’t seem to command the respect and honor craved for by so many. In fact, Jesus points out that those persons are blessed, when the direct opposite of what the world propagates is practiced and lived.

Why is this? First, worldly vision is shortsighted. Eternity and even God are seen as some pie in the sky ideas and we are told that we must live for this world only. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die! I remind everyone that heaven and hell are eternal, not this world. In addition, Jesus demonstrated for us a sacrificial love (picking up a cross) which, unfortunately, requires some degree of pain and suffering. A cross was a means of public execution and the early Christians needed no reminder of its brutality. Yet, God freely chose it as a means of our redemption. Jesus accepted His cross.

The ultimate decision which we all must make is whether we choose to live for this world with its temporary pleasures and sorrows or to live for eternity and to desire union with God. It requires a modicum of faith to see things with the proper perspective. It also requires the support of a Church and its sacraments to strengthen our resolve and keep us on the right path. God’s grace is available, if we chose to accept it.

It has always intrigued me how many accounts of the martyrs tell how they sang, prayed and bore final witness even when facing brutal torture and death. Self-giving, sacrificial love can be contagious when we witness it. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15: 12-13)

I dare say that too few of us have come to such a realization in our lives.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Intentional Disciples

Dear Parishioners,

In the coming months you will be hearing about a specific path the Diocese of Camden will be taking regarding the task of evangelization. We will be examining the thoughts of the author Sherry A. Weddell and her book Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus. Bishop Williams has asked all of his priests as well as parish staff members and others throughout the diocese to read and discuss this book. I bring this to your attention as an invitation for anyone interested to join us.

It is well known that there are too many Catholics who may be baptized and have received their sacraments but are no longer practicing their faith or consider themselves Jesus' disciples. People say things like they are spiritual but not religious and ever-more-increasingly declare no formal affiliation to a church or religious denomination.

The main question pursued in this book is: Are we intentional disciples of Jesus? Do we know Jesus personally and are we committed to a radical lifestyle (discipleship) specifically following His teachings?

Bishop Williams has seen positive results back in his home Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and wants to replicate their success here in our diocese. With the help of Sherry Weddell and another Catholic evangelist and author Jeff Cavins, our diocese is fostering this journey towards an intentional discipleship of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Some of the topics along the path to intentional discipleship discussed in the book include trust, curiosity, openness, seeking and conversion. The meaning and understanding of God's grace and its fruitfulness (or lack thereof) is treated as well. The specifics of the book make good topics for discussion and are thought-provoking with the intended purpose of bringing more people to know and love Jesus as His disciples.

The Gospel for this Sunday (Mt. 4: 12-23) shows Jesus calling His initial disciples, who were fishermen, to become "fishers of men." In fact, by our baptism we should all seriously consider the task of making other disciples as He commanded His followers at His Ascension:    

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Mt. 28: 18-20)

I have stated before that Christianity is not like a spectator sport in which we simply watch others perform from our seats (or pews). True disciples have to take on difficult tasks such as pick up our crosses daily, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, repent and make other disciples.

Whether we are ultimately successful in this or any task will be left for God to judge. However, I think it is important for us continually to try to bring people to Jesus. To do nothing is not an option. The words of St. Teresa of Calcutta seem appropriate: “God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful.” 

Be faithful to the Lord as His disciple! It is always our personal (intentional) choice to do so.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Concern for the Most Vulnerable

 

Dear Parishioners,

Thursday, January 22nd, is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. I wonder how many people are actually aware of this.

When Roe v. Wade was officially overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, I stated that the battle for the rights of unborn (or preborn) children would need to continue on the local (i.e., state) level. New Jersey and its current majority of legislators are, sadly, by no means “pro-life.” Rather, the call for the protection of so-called “abortion rights” unfortunately continues. Do we ever seriously contemplate the rights of all the vulnerable children yet to be born?

In actuality, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is clearly stated in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Our founders recognized that people have a right to live in this world. Logically, if humans create a new human life, then that new person now has a right to exist. (This is abundantly clear even before we intensify matters by bringing any mention of God or morality into the picture.) From a merely human perspective, innocent, vulnerable human life needs protection in similar manner to various legislation enacted to protect the bald eagles' eggs, baby seals, elephants from being hunted for their tusks, dogs from being used in deadly dogfights, etc.

As Christians, we take this situation a step further by realizing that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. We believe that God elevated our human dignity by becoming one of us in the Incarnation of Jesus. We acknowledge that every born or preborn baby has both a developing body and an immortal soul destined for eternity. We hold to timeless precepts such as Thou shalt not kill. We believe that medicine and technology minimally should do no harm to the patient (human person), and certainly not deliberately destroy him or her in the womb.

The problem now exists where people have become much too comfortable in their sin. What might have seemed so obvious in the past—a grave sin or repulsive evil—is now accepted or even glorified. Sin dulls the conscience and blocks the intellect. The lies that have been uttered over and over again begin to be believed and then held as “truths” and “rights.” Good becomes bad and bad becomes good. Our world winds up upside down.

Unfortunately, too many people do not want to upset the status quo. Keep your mouth shut! In many cases you would seriously risk being cancelled. I hope people are beginning to wake up and not fear to speak up! Free speech is something guaranteed in our Constitution—in the Bill of Rights, to be precise.

Yes, we have a long way to go before things change for the good. However, left without resistance we see evil advance in (formerly, obviously repulsive) acts like infanticide, euthanasia, the acceptance of pedophilia or ephebophilia, a distortion of marriage, recognition of sodomy (and other acts) as sexual alternatives, dissatisfaction with one’s gender, propagation and use of artificial contraception and various abortifacients, a flourishing pornography industry, etc. etc. This could never happen in an enlightened, civilized society, could it? Just look around you. Our societal values resemble godless, pagan and not Christian cultures.

While the message of the Gospel is suppressed, minimized, mocked, and seen as outdated and irrelevant, what will it take to bring people to their knees and acknowledge the need for Jesus Christ and His true Church? 

I truly fear to ask this question.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

                       

Baptism of the Lord

Dear Parishioners,

If the Lord Jesus was without sin, why would He ever need to be baptized by John the Baptist?

The most direct answer to this question is that Jesus did not need to be baptized.  So then, why did it happen?  Let’s first look at what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on the topic:

Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to "fulfill all righteousness." Jesus' gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying.  The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his "beloved Son." Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1224

One way to think of Jesus’ baptism was that it is an anticipation of what He would do for us later on the cross. He would take upon Himself our sinfulness. Just as He did not die on the cross for His own sin, He did not receive the baptism of John to repent for His own sinfulness. We might rather say that Jesus made holy the waters of baptism by His own baptism. In addition, His Baptism in the Jordan River, like His Epiphany as a child to the magi, was another divine manifestation of Jesus’ true identity: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt. 3:17)

Jesus’ Baptism should make us think about our own baptism.  St. Paul’s words to the Romans are instructive:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  (Rom. 6:3-4)

Baptism gives us new life—eternal life.  Baptism forgives our sinfulness—both original sin and any personal sin (once a person has reached the age of reason and is no longer an infant). With baptism we are adopted by God through Christ as His children. We become temples of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us. God’s own life now dwells in us—the life of sanctifying grace. We become a member of the mystical Body of Christ, the Church, and the doorway is now open for us to receive the other sacraments of the Church. All of these wonderful things and many other blessings (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1262ff.) occur with the simple pouring of water (or an immersion into it) combined with the baptismal formula: N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Catholics should be aware that in the case of an emergency or danger of death any person can baptize. The Church primarily wants the salvation of souls and provides such an opportunity so no one would be lost!

 

Every time you bless yourself with holy water, remember that this sacramental is a reminder of your baptism into Christ Jesus who suffered and died for your salvation.  

I remind you to keep some blessed holy water in your homes.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor     

Two Saints in the USA

 

St. John Neumann (above) and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (below)

Dear Parishioners,

This week we honor both St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Jan. 4^th) and St. John Neumann (Jan. 5^th). I proudly admit that I have a personal devotion to both of these “American” saints.

Frequently, when I am in Philadelphia, I visit the church of St. Peter the Apostle (5^th St. & Girard Ave.) where the remains of St. John Neumann are kept in the lower church. He was a remarkable man who came from Bohemia (currently the Czech Republic) to America because of an over-abundance of priests in his homeland during the 1830’s. John was ordained a priest by Bishop John Dubois of New York and assigned to work with German immigrants, initially in the Niagara Falls and western New York state area. He was a man gifted with languages and could hear the confessions of people spoken in at least six tongues.

Being lonely and seeking some fraternal camaraderie, he joined the Redemptorist Order (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or C.SS.R.). Later, when he was appointed the 4^th Bishop of Philadelphia, he established and organized the Catholic School system there, increasing their numbers from two to about 100 schools. In addition, Bishop Neumann notably fostered the 40 Hours Devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist, established and built many parish churches and founded and/or invited various religious orders of sisters to work in his diocese.

As a seminarian, I completed my studies at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Buried in Emmitsburg are the remains of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Elizabeth, a native-born American, grew up in the wealthy part of New York society. Married with five children, her husband died of tuberculosis while they were in Italy. Influenced by her stay there and moved by an ever-increasing love for and belief in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, she converted to the Catholic faith (from Protestantism).

Elizabeth later became an educator of children, was instrumental in the establishment of free Catholic schools, and is the foundress of the Sisters of Charity—from which six separate religious congregations trace their origin. She is honored by the Church as wife, mother, educator and foundress. She was the first canonized American-born saint.

It is important that we know our local Catholic history. I also find it invaluable to visit, whenever possible, the shrines where these saints are buried. We can learn so much from them.

These two faith-filled people are part of our Communion of Saints whom we one day hope to join forever in Heaven. Get to know them! You will be glad that you did!

 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Remains of St. John Neumann

Homily for the Epiphany of the Lord 2026 - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Epiphany of the Lord

Dear Parishioners,

We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar.

As far as I can remember, this popular carol, referring to the three kings from the East, has been sung annually during the Christmas season. The carol itself was written in the 19^th century by the Rev. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., an Episcopalian clergyman. Popular folklore has grown over the years regarding them, although the Sacred Scriptures dedicates only twelve verses to them in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 2: 1-12).

First of all they are actually called magi in the bible—not kings. Speculation has it that they were astrologers, although the term itself sometimes refers to a magician or a Zoroastrian priest. In any case, they were observing a star in their pursuit of the newborn King of the Jews. There is no mention that there are actually three of them, but the number of gifts seems to lead people to draw that conclusion.

With time the magi have been given names—Caspar (Kaspar), Melchior and Balthazar—although there is no biblical basis for this either. We are told that they brought three special gifts to the Christ Child—each seemingly with a unique significance: gold, frankincense and myrrh. While there are varied interpretations of the meaning of these gifts,  gold is usually seen as a royal tribute paid to a king, frankincense as a sign of divinity and myrrh as an embalming oil as a symbol of death or, perhaps, healing.

In the Roman or Latin rite of the Catholic Church, Epiphany (a manifestation) celebrates the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God. It focuses primarily on this revelation to the three kings, wise men or magi, but it also focuses on Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and at the wedding feast at Cana. In the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church, Theophany—as Epiphany is known in the East—commemorates the manifestation of Jesus’ divinity at his baptism in the River Jordan.

What is the spiritual significance of this event known as the Epiphany?  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. The magi’s coming to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations. Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as Son of God and Savior of the world only by turning toward the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 528)

In Spain, the Philippines and various other countries throughout the Spanish-speaking world, various traditions have sprung up surrounding the Three Kings with forms of gift-giving attached. In a European tradition, the initials of the king’s names are marked in chalk above the doors of homes (for example, C+M+B or K+M+B) as a blessing for the New Year. Other cultures celebrate the kings with a special ring cake concealing a figure of the baby Jesus inside.

No matter what traditions surround the celebration of the Epiphany, we need to remember always that Jesus Christ is King! 

O come let us adore Him!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor