Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

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

 

The Holy Trinity

Dear Parishioners,

Whenever we look at the mystery of the Holy Trinity, we should realize that this is not something that we could figure out on our own without God revealing this to us through Jesus. If our explanation of the Trinity were merely one opinion among many of the inner make-up of God, then God could be just about anything that any one of us thinks or believes. One Person? Four persons? However, as Catholic Christians we believe that Jesus—the Son of God and one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity—revealed to us the mysterious inner-workings of God.

God exists as three Persons in relationship. Jesus often spoke of God as His Father. He taught us to pray the prayer we call the “Our Father.” He told us that “whoever has seen (Him) has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). He told us that “the Father and I are one” (Jn. 10:30). We begin to recognize this unique Father-Son relationship through Jesus.

But Jesus did not stop there.  He also began to speak of another—an “Advocate” (Jn. 15:26), “the Spirit of Truth”, (Jn. 15:26), the “Holy Spirit” (Jn. 14:26). With time the Church began to understand a little bit more about this third Person as “the Lord, the Giver of Life” who “has spoken through the prophets” (cf. the Nicene Creed).

It must have been very hard for many of the Jewish followers of Jesus who were strict monotheists to try to comprehend how God could be one, yet three at the same time. Why should this be surprising to us since we still fumble at various explanations to try to articulate this profound mystery?

As a teacher, the best analogy that I have used over the years that helps people comprehend this mystery of something being one and three at the same time is the analogy of ice, water and steam. All three have the same chemical composition (H₂O) and thus have a certain oneness, yet there can be a manifestation in different states (ice, water and steam) depending on temperature. While all analogies ultimately fall short of the reality, this analogy still gives us some insight into this profound mystery.

Then some insight might be given by the example of a human family where a relationship of two people in love with each other (in this case, husband and wife) can produce a third person (baby or child) who is both complete (a person) and entirely distinct from the other two. The family of this world may indeed reflect, in an analogous way, the mystery of the Holy Trinity—three unique and distinct Persons in one Godhead, eternally in love with each other.   

Trying to figure out God’s make-up is one thing. Having a personal relationship with each of the Persons of the Trinity is something else entirely. Jesus put a human face to God for us by taking on a human nature. And he also told us about the unique relationship that He has with the other Persons in the Godhead. Now we need to seek out each of these Persons of Holy Trinity in prayer and grow in our love for each of them—three Persons in one God.

On Trinity Sunday we rejoice in the fact that God (through Jesus) has revealed His inner make-up to us!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Pentecost

Dear Parishioners,

Today in the Catholic Church we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost comes from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth day.” In the Jewish tradition, Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks celebrated the time between Passover and the giving of the Law (Torah) to Moses on Mt. Sinai, a period of 50 days. It was the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews who referred to this feast as Pentecost.

In the Christian tradition, however, the meaning is different. Fifty days after Easter, Christians celebrate Pentecost as the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles (See Acts 2: 1-41). Pentecost has been referred to as the birthday of the Church.

Knowing the history of the Apostles and their actions / reactions to the Passion and Death of Jesus is significant here. Judas betrayed Christ and then hanged himself (Mt. 27: 3-10). Out of fear, Peter denied Christ (Mt. 26: 69-75). Also out of fear, all of the other Apostles (Mt. 26:56), except for John, fled from the cross. Yet, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter, acting as the spokesperson for the other Apostles, addressed the crowds fearlessly:

You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it . . . . God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses . . . . Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2: 22-24, 32, 36)

Obviously, something significant changed Peter and the other Apostles. First, they experienced the Risen Lord Jesus. They saw that He was alive despite everything that was done to torture and kill Him. He is alive. Next, they were filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. They received supernatural gifts to strengthen them with their mission of preaching, teaching and witnessing to Christ’s Resurrection.

I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit can be responsible for the growth of the Church against all odds from its seemingly impossible beginnings to become a Church of over a billion today worldwide, can we underestimate what that same Spirit can do to renew the face of the earth? Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength. Pray for the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to be more fully present in your lives.

Don’t ever underestimate what the Holy Spirit can do if we invite Him into our lives (give Him permission) daily.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Preparing to Move

 

St. Thomas the Apostle Church

Dear Parishioners,

Yesterday, I started packing some of my stuff. This is not a task I look forward to doing. Sometimes I just sit and stare. Most objects that I own have a memory attached or a unique, personal significance. Everything in the rectory has to be packed and transported to Brigantine, NJ over the next seven weeks.

In case you were not present at this past weekend’s Masses when it was announced, I have been reassigned by the Bishop as the new pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Brigantine, effective July 1^st. I replace Fr. Edward Maher who is retiring. Fr. Michael Matveenko, the current pastor of St. Mary’s Church (on the other side of Springdale Road), will act as administrator of St. Thomas More Parish.

The sad reality we have to face as a parish and as a diocese is the rapidly declining number of diocesan priests. Projections over the next decade indicate that we will have about half of the number of diocesan priests needed to staff our current parishes. Remember the Bishop is only ordaining one priest this year on Saturday. There were two ordained last year. Other years there were none.

Regarding this parish, the number of parishioners and families has traditionally been small. This situation, unfortunately, cannot continue as the number of priests decline. We will need to combine programs and consolidate Masses with our neighboring parishes—particularly St. Mary’s.

Most people, including myself, dread or resist change. We like things to remain the same. However, change can also cause positive outcomes and lead to growth—both personal and communal. We can meet new people, find creative solutions, and help spread the faith to a wider group of people. Without change, we can sometimes become complacent or too comfortable in our lives—even with sin—if we don’t improve or try to grow. Change can be positive.

So as I prepare myself mentally, spiritually and emotionally for another assignment, I pray that I have contributed something positive to this parish and to your lives. No priest is perfect and I have made my mistakes. However, I have tried to do what I thought was best spiritually for my parish and its parishioners. The salvation of souls is and will continue to be my primary concern.

Have I been able to accomplish everything that I wanted to do? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Many plans were left undone. Any unfinished business will have to be left for someone else. Sorry for that. Priests are all too human. We struggle. We fail. We hurt. Unfortunately, we sin as well. I have realized both my fragile humanity and my mortality over these past six years.

On the positive side, I look forward to our Spring Fling parish picnic this weekend. I thank all who organized and helped prepare what was necessary to help strengthen our parish community.

Over the next weeks I will try to enjoy the time I have left as your pastor. The priest needs his people and the people need their priest to act as a spiritual father. Working together, may we continue to help build the Kingdom of God and work together for God’s greater glory.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Ascension, Mother’s Day and Preparation for Pentecost

 

The Ascension

Dear Parishioners,

I am sure that the movement of the celebration of Ascension Thursday to Sunday (May 17th this year) in the state of New Jersey will continue to be confusing for most people, and rightly so. Personally, I did not agree with this move, then or now. People who live in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, right over the Delaware River and those across the Hudson River in the Archdiocese of New York) are still obliged to observe and attend Mass on the traditional day (Thursday, May 14th, 40 days after Easter). A bit of confusion for all, wouldn’t you agree?

That being said, when Jesus ascended into heaven after His time on earth, he never abandoned us. He left us His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. He remains in His words and teaching in the Sacred Scriptures. The ordained priest acts in His very person (in persona Christi) in the sacraments of the Church. He is present where two or three gather in His Name—community prayer, liturgy and worship, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And, as God-Man, He continues to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father.

Our humanity is now elevated in Jesus’ glorious Body and has entered Heaven. The fall and exile of Adam (original sin) is now reversed through the saving action of Christ, the new Adam. Heaven is open to us through Him. As He told us, no one comes to the Father except through Him (Jn. 14:6). This is what we celebrate.

I also wish all mothers today a happy Mother’s Day! For most people there is a special bond between mother and child. Our mothers carry us in their wombs for nine months. They endure the pangs of birth. They feed us, bathe us, clean up after us, teach us, comfort us, caress us and, most importantly, love us. How often they are willing to sacrifice for us!

Thanks moms for your strength, patience and ability to make things better by your calming and reassuring presence. Whenever we take you for granted or forget what you have done for us over the years, we apologize. You deserve better from us. We love you!

For those (like myself) who have lost their earthly mothers, please remember to pray for them and have Masses offered for them. Our faith teaches us, whether they are in purgatory or in heaven, they can pray for us! Let’s aid them in getting to heaven by offering our prayers, Masses and sacrifices for them. 

In addition to our biological (or adoptive) mothers, I think that it is also important to remember to honor Mary, our Spiritual Mother as well, especially in this month of May. We honor Our Lady as our Queen and Mother. She continues to intercede for her children here on earth and we place our confident hope and trust in her. Our Blessed Lady should play an essential role in the lives of Catholics and indeed all Christians. She was given to us as our mother through St. John at the foot of the cross: 

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.  (John 19: 26-27)

Finally, we enter into a period of preparation—originally, nine days of prayer or a novena—for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (May 24th). As the disciples prayed and awaited the promised Holy Spirit, so should we. The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church transformed the lives of early Christians into true believers and bold witnesses to the risen Christ and His teaching.

One might see the obvious necessity of another outpouring of the same Holy Spirit for our times!

 Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

An Honest, Comprehensive Look at Our Parish

Dear Parishioners,

I begin my weekly letter to you with a serious tone because I need to address objectively the over-all situation at St. Thomas More Parish. I also need to put matters here in the context of our diocese and local deanery (group of parishes joined in a particular area).

First, I acknowledge how I have truly grown more in love with you, the people of St. Thomas More Parish, over my past six years as pastor. Honestly, it was not easy being assigned here following the combined retirement of one pastor and then by the unexpected, sudden death of his successor. It was also the time of COVID-19 with its difficulties and societal irregularities. Fortunately, time has helped to heal some of those situations.

On an incredibly positive side, I am grateful for the cultural and ethnic diversity found here as well as the prayerful and cooperative spirit I find in so very many of you! Historically, St. Thomas More has been an intimate parish, and our people enjoy the closeness and camaraderie this small size brings.

However, with a weekly congregation of approximately 300 per week attending the current three weekend Masses, I have found it challenging as pastor to pull together the necessary participants for more large-scale activities or programs. We just do not seem to have the numbers to attempt new or varied things repeatedly!

For example, our First Holy Communion class this year is three, we had no one in the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) preparing to become Catholic, and I have had about six weddings total over the past six years. Parish funerals exceed baptisms annually, our religious education program instructs only about 40 students, and our Confirmation ceremonies are small enough to be held during an ordinary Sunday Mass (without any overcrowding) rather than in a separate ceremony as at most parishes. So far this year, I have had only one infant baptism. I could go on listing similar statistics, but I think these sufficiently illustrate my point.

Now when we consider the priest situation in the diocese, only one priest is scheduled for ordination this May (with eight seminarians currently being trained in various seminaries). Three pastors are retiring this year. There are 62 parishes serving almost one half million Catholics with the number of active diocesan clergy declining annually.

With the above in mind, Msgr. Louis Marucci, the Episcopal Vicar for the Renewal of Structures and our Dean, has been leading a discernment session with a group of our parishioners and me to discuss our parish situation. In the “spirit of Synodality,” through an experience of prayer and planning, Msgr. Marucci continues to facilitate this planning session to discuss ideas and to initiate a conversation on the various possibilities, pathways, and collaborative efforts we might undertake to serve the Catholic families of St. Thomas More Parish, our deanery, and the entire diocese.

If I can be blunt, the status quo will not continue here at our parish, and various changes are currently being considered. We will know more in the coming weeks.

Please pray as decisions are made for the best possible outcome for us as a parish, the good of the entire Diocese of Camden and our local deanery.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

First Holy Communion and the May Crowning

Dear Parishioners,

On May 3, 2026, at the 11 AM Sunday Mass, our parish will witness our religious education children receiving their First Holy Communion. It is a very special time for them and for the entire parish.

 

I began to reminisce when I received my First Holy Communion almost six decades ago. I was in first grade, not the traditional second grade. (Incidentally, the very next year, I received the Sacrament of Confirmation.) First Holy Communion was on a Saturday morning and I received Our Lord as part of a rather large class of students—approximately 50 or more.

Depending on the parish, First Holy Communion frequently is on a Saturday (usually in May) or may also be celebrated at one or more of the Sunday Masses. With our small size, the three First Communicants here will once again be receiving at the Sunday Mass.

It is critical to remember that the two families that should be most important in the children’s lives are their domestic family and their Church family. The parents are the first (and need to be the best) teachers of their children in the ways of faith.  It is also necessary to consider that we are preparing the children to be a part of the regular worshipping community that we call the Church.  While it may look “nice” or “cute” to have all of the children together in one (or two) ceremonies with their classmates and friends, it is much more essential to emphasize for them the bonds of family and Church. Essentially, we are not preparing them to be with their current friends (who may not be their friends past next week), but to be regular, practicing members of the Catholic Church as experienced through their local parish family.

Let me quote from our diocesan guidelines:

Children should be made aware that Eucharist is not a “once and done” sacrament. Therefore, there should be encouragement to the children (and their parents) to form good habits of weekly celebration of the Eucharist.

Although so many Catholics today lack commitment and seriousness when it comes to the Sunday obligation to attend Mass, our requirement to worship God regularly has never changed. With our daily prayer, God deserves our worship minimally once a week at Mass. Amazingly, when we do so, we are often the ones who benefit from hearing the Word of God preached to us from the Sacred Scriptures. We are the ones being fed with Jesus, the Bread of Life, in Holy Communion to aid us in our journey of life.

We all have much to learn from each other and to teach one another. We should rejoice to see our children share in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, as lived and experienced in our parish family. If the faith is not handed on to, experienced and practiced by our young, then eventually our Church will be nothing but a bunch of empty, lifeless buildings.

Congratulations to our First Communicants! My prayer is that your faith in Jesus Christ will grow ever stronger as you receive another important sacrament in your spiritual journey. 

Also, we will be honoring our Blessed Mother Mary after the Mass with the traditional May Crowning led by our First Communicants. Our Blessed Lady is Spiritual Mother to all of us and we publicly honor her as her spiritual children and disciples of her Divine Son, Jesus.

I hope that you can join us! 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka