Spiritual Considerations from my Trappist Retreat

The chapel at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

I am writing this column as I attend my annual retreat, again with the Trappist monks. A silent retreat affords me much time to think and pray.  My stay at the monastery is often described as a type of desert experience, withdrawing from the world and primarily praying the Liturgy of the Hours (also sometimes called the Divine Office or Breviary) and concelebrating daily Mass with the monks.

Away from my parish routine, I realize just how noisy our world is. We seem to be controlled and dominated by the internet, the television, the radio, our cell phones, etc. These factors make it very difficult to listen to God. Silence is very necessary to our daily lives if we want to have a serious spiritual life. Noise often distracts us from the quiet voice of God.

What does God say to me in the silence? I will try briefly to summarize my various ongoing thoughts. I heard these words read at night prayer this evening:

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith . . . .  (1 Peter 5: 8-9)

We are in a period of intense spiritual warfare and confusion in the world. If we just ignore the signs of the time and go on with our routines, at some point—perhaps at a time of sickness or death—we will have a serious spiritual awakening. We need to pay close attention to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and to the over 2000 years of rich tradition faithfully handed down to us in the Catholic Church.

Satan is very real. He is a fallen angel, a spiritual being.  As God is the essence of love, the devil, in contrast, is pure evil. He hates humanity. He tries to destroy it, debase it, confuse it, cause it to abandon the true God and serve false gods. Satan is not our friend. In fact, he seeks the following:

• The destruction of humanity.  Think of the destruction of our preborn children by the millions. Think of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Pay attention to the contraceptive mentality when it comes to families. Consider the continual violence, war and terrorism throughout the world.
• The debasement of humanity.  Pornography reduces the human person to base animal acts rather than life-giving love. Artificial contraception and abortion throw human fertility back in the face of God claiming a type of absolute control of our “reproductive rights.” The rampant addictive behavior (drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, etc.) of so many illustrates a loss of control within human nature.
• The confusion of humanity.  We have faced many scandals in the Church, the undermining of the moral credibility of the church hierarchy, the questioning of traditional institutions such as marriage and family, etc. People embrace the delusion that they can identify as whatever they want, even if it directly contradicts God's design for us.
• The abandonment of the true God.  Consider the outright denial of God, the apostasy in the Church, the lukewarm or abandoned practice of the faith by the majority, religious indifferentism (one religion is as good as the next), etc.
• The serving of false gods. Materialism, secularism, the “sports” god, hedonism, the “sex” god, etc. have all taken the place of the true God for far too many.

Humanity, as a whole, is not in a good place in its relationship to God. Yes, there are some (a faithful remnant) who take the message of the Gospel seriously and repent. However, for far too many there is indifference, apathy, ignorance, or outright opposition to God. 

During this month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary, may I recommend that we pick up our rosaries and seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We, no doubt, need supernatural help in this cosmic battle!                                                              

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The chapel from outside

Our Lady of the Genesee

Thoughts from the Monastery

 

Sanctuary at the Abbey of the Genesee 

Dear Parishioners,

I recently returned from my retreat at the Trappist monastery, the Abbey of the Genesee, in western New York State. I spent the week with two of my priest-friends in an atmosphere of prayer and peaceful silence. I now share with you some of my personal observations and thoughts after this time away from the parish routine.

Temporarily leaving the world and entering the spiritual desert, you first begin to slow down from the pace of life with which we have become too familiar. The traffic, the lines in the grocery store, the crowds at sporting events, the constant need to do something, all cease when you enter a place of solitude like a monastery.

You experience silence. You can begin to hear yourself think. Even more importantly, you can hear God speak. The silence can sometimes be deafening, especially in the middle of the night. You stop hearing all of the man-made noise and begin to hear the birds and the crickets chirp, the bees buzzing, the wind blowing and acorns falling to the ground. You experience the night sky and the stars in a darkness away from the city lights.

God speaks to you. Whether it be in thought or imagination, in reading of the Scriptures or a spiritual book, in praying the rosary, in a moment of Eucharistic adoration or during the daily Mass, God is speaking ever-more loudly and clearly. He speaks particularly when the psalms are chanted by the monks throughout the day and night.

You begin a process of introspection. You examine your conscience. You think about what I have done and what I have failed to do. You prepare to meet God someday face to face. Sometimes the events of your life pass before you again and you get to see the mistakes you made and/or your proper decisions.

You think of and pray for those you promised to pray for, those who have asked for your prayers, those you should be praying for and even those who have no desire to pray. You pray for the living and the dead. You pray for your parishioners, past and present. You sometimes even may pray for your enemies and those who persecute you, have betrayed you, lied about you and hurt you. And you beg forgiveness from God if you have done such things to anyone else.

You confront your demons. Just as Jesus was tempted by the devil three times when He went into the desert, so temptations and the demons behind them may rear their ugly heads. It is at these times you realize that the spiritual battle continues and that the final victory in your life is far from achieved.

You may experience some dryness in prayer or moments when God seems extremely close and real. You may hear God urging the heart to something more or hear nothing at all.

Each time I have visited the monastery, God is there waiting and watching. Some may think that such a retreat is a waste of time and this time can be better spent in some other manner.

I beg to differ.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Exterior of the Abbey of the Genesee

The Monastic Retreat

Dear Parishioners,

As you read this, I am preparing to leave for a Trappist monastery—the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY—making my annual, canonical retreat. Please be kind to Fr. Norris, Fr. Perreault and Fr. Coronado (my bullpen) while I am away.

The retreat I choose to be on is mostly silent. I speak with others briefly when necessary. The first prayers of the day (Vigils) currently begin at 3:30 AM. The day ends with Compline (night prayer) at 7:30 PM. The monks chant the psalms each day and rise early to keep watch and to wait for the Lord’s return. The monks work and pray (Ora et Labora) all day long. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the central point of the daily routine. The schedule is relatively the same every time I am here.

While I miss the daily routine and people of the parish, I realize the importance of making a good retreat. Priests need to be men of prayer and to follow the example of Jesus who frequently distanced himself from the crowds to find time for intimate communication with His Father in prayer. Jesus went into the desert, up the mountain and to the seashore to pray frequently. He would spend entire nights in prayer.

What exactly will happen to me during this week? I am never really sure. I am simply called to listen for the Lord as He speaks, when he speaks. It is ironic that the quieter the atmosphere, the louder the Lord seems to speak to the heart. There is definitely time to read, to pray, to think, to meditate, to rest and to listen. Sometimes I am inspired to write or compose.

From a worldly perspective, people may not see value in what I am doing. However, those who experience the touch of the Lord in their lives usually hunger for more . . . and more . . . and more. At least I do. Being busy all of the time may seem productive, but life without prayer and intimacy with God frequently becomes shallow or even empty in so many ways. Prayer puts things in perspective and refreshes, often inspiring and motivating a person to cooperate more fully with God’s will. 

You will be remembered in my prayers and Masses during the week. As you come to mind each day, I will ask the Lord to be gracious to you and to bless you. He certainly knows best what each of us needs the most in our lives.

Please pray for me as I once again journey into the desert. That is how a monastic retreat is often described—like going into the desert. However, don’t forget that when Christ went out into the desert, He encountered various temptations from Satan. Spiritual warfare continues. Your prayers are much needed and certainly appreciated during this time.

When I return back to the parish, I hope to be able to share with you some insights, thoughts and experiences that were the fruit of this monastic endeavor. I never quite know the outcome. All I can do is watch and wait like the monks, seeking Jesus with my whole heart.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

   Main Church at the Abbey of the Genesee

Some Good Advice

Dear Parishioners,

I wish I had saved the letter.

A now-deceased Trappist monk from the Abbey of the Genesee sent a letter to me while I was in the college seminary.  It was a time in my life when I was seeking some serious direction and advice. I was a bit disillusioned with things that were going on in the seminary and with the moral character of some of my fellow seminarians. I was also disappointed with some professors and their actions. Needless to say, even in a place where men were preparing to be priests, things were far from perfect. The seminary situation proved to be a real testing ground for my vocation.  

Unfortunately, I learned from an early time in my training that not everyone played by the rules and did what they were supposed to do. I knew very well that I was an imperfect sinner as well. (Regrettably, I still am.) However, I was trying as best I could—albeit imperfectly—to model my life and behavior after the pattern of Jesus Christ and His teachings. 

Weren’t we all in this together? Shouldn’t we be helping one another as brothers and strengthening one another rather than bringing others down and even leading others astray? Shouldn’t some of the professors be better examples to the students in this situation?

The words from the monk are ingrained in my mind and heart: “If all the world should go astray and everything seems upside down, you go on faithfully serving the Lord.” He challenged me to live the Gospel and to be a disciple of the Lord while holding nothing back.

Sometimes it may seem that we are fighting an uphill battle. Perhaps it may appear that we are completely alone in our struggles. Yet, I truly believe that there are many, many good people out there who want to follow the Lord and do what is pleasing to Him. We know that even Jesus’ hand-picked followers had their flaws. One of them denied Him and one of them turned on Him in historic betrayal. Perfection was lacking, even among His most intimate followers.

St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians seems to ring true especially today:

 

. . . Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. . . . Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.  (Philippians 2: 12b, 14-16)

We can look at the world today and so often want to throw in the towel.

What can I do with such a mess? Do I still want to follow the Lord and be His disciple?  

Thankfully, I will go on remembering the monk’s words to me. They have proved invaluable over time.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

 

Taking the Dirt Nap

The cemetery at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

Almost a decade ago, when I was walking with my mom near her home, we passed an elderly gentleman working outside.  Politely I asked him, “How you doing?”  “Still above ground,” was his quick-witted response.  Still above ground.

The incident reminded me of a line from a movie I like:  Sleepers.  In it, one of the characters, a gangster figure, refers to death as “taking the dirt nap.”

Death is not a topic any of us likes to bring up in everyday conversation.  Too many of us like to imagine that we have plenty of time left.  However, it is something that we all have to face sooner or later.  The fraternal motto of the Knights of Columbus to which I belong reminds us bluntly: Tempus fugit, Momento mori  (Time flies, Remember death).

Inevitably, I have a bit of time to think about death when I am on retreat with the Trappist (Cistercian) monks.  I usually visit their cemetery, praying for the deceased monks who had given their lives in the service of God and the Church.  Their graves are marked by a simple wooden cross.  This seems to me a stark reminder of death’s finality for them and for us in this world.

During the month of November, we are asked to pray for the Holy Souls. We begin the month with All Saints Day followed immediately by All Souls Day. Have you considered having a Mass offered for your deceased loved ones? There is no greater prayer and offering that we can make on behalf of our deceased loved ones than to join our prayers for them to the offering of the Mass. We should realize that the Mass is a re-presentation of Jesus’ Last Supper and His Sacrifice on the Cross on our behalf. It is a continual sacrificial offering of God’s only Son, Jesus, made in reparation for our sins to God, His Almighty Father. There simply is no more perfect sacrifice that can be offered.

The Church has continually taught that our prayers and especially the offering of the Mass can assist our deceased loved ones in their journey to Heaven.

I think of it this way: I suspect that most of us die imperfect. I hope that we are not so evil that we deserve the eternal punishment of hell. At the same time, we are probably not so perfect that we deserve to see God immediately without some type of purification or purgation first. Following the ancient practice of the faithful praying for the dead (see 2 Mac. 12:46), the Church teaches that there is a period of cleansing that we call purgatory.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1030:

All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

When I die someday—when it’s time for me to take the dirt nap—I hope that someone prays for me and has Masses offered for me that my sins will be forgiven. Skip the flowers and the other worldly gestures of sympathy. I know that there’s nothing more beneficial than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for my (or your) soul.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

A "Different" Trappist Experience

 

Dear Parishioners,

I am writing this letter to you while I am on retreat with the Trappist monks at the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY.  I have been coming to this monastery, on and off, since I was 19 years old.

This year, however, it was a bit different.

Since many of the monks are elderly, all visitors are required to wear a mask when attending Mass or at times of prayer.  For me, it is uncomfortable attempting to chant the psalms throughout the day while wearing a mask.  Masks limit my breathing (which you know I have had a hard time doing lately) and can lessen my intake of oxygen.  I complied but did not enjoy it.  My usually frequent communal participation lessened, as I found it much easier to pray alone without a mask.

Next, since the retreat house had been closed throughout the pandemic, there is currently no cook for the retreatants.   Each of the houses on the property is responsible for itself.  While it is more inconvenient than anything else, this is a different situation than in past years.

I also had been able to interact with more of the monks in previous years, even having helped in the bakery, but this was not to be the case this year.  Only one day during the retreat was a priest available for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and there were no optional conferences of which I was aware.

Lest anyone think I am complaining, I look at it as par for the course with the many things that have been going on in the world.  Things have certainly changed as we encounter various restrictions on our activities and behavior.  This virus has often caused separation and isolation of peoples, rather than bringing them together.

My two priest friends and I have been able to offer Mass and pray together, but it was more in the guest house than in the monastery with the monks.  Yes, the experience here this year was unlike the decades of retreats I had attended here in the past.

Nevertheless, know that you are remembered in my prayers and Masses, and I am feeling better and growing stronger each day.  I just can’t believe how long is seems to be taking for me to recuperate completely.  I know that I still am not there yet!

The bakery here at the monastery is still open and I plan to bring a few loaves of the Monks’ Bread home with me.  What started primarily with their raisin bread has morphed into many different varieties over time.  Each monastery supports itself in various ways (making vestments, producing honey, making caskets, etc.) and the Abbey of the Genesee has done this with its bakery.

Many years when I have made a retreat here, I have tried to visit the abbey cemetery to pray for the deceased members of the community.  Since it is November—the month of the Holy Souls—this would be most appropriate.  I hope to do this before I leave.

See you when I get back!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Time for the Annual Retreat

 Church at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

I was able to say a public Mass in our church yesterday, (Monday, November 8, 2021).  For me, this was an important accomplishment since I had not been able to do so for about a month.  After my hospital discharge, I was gradually able to say Mass in the rectory, mostly sitting down.  Not yesterday.  I was able to say Mass once again in the church.  May God be praised!

As I tell people, I am not 100% yet.  I still get winded at times.  I am still dealing with some unusual fatigue.  I have been told by many people who have had Covid-19 that it may take much more time than I would think or want.

At any rate, I am back in the saddle.

Months ago, before I ever imagined getting sick, I had made arrangements to go on my annual retreat.  Canon law requires priests to make a five day retreat annually.  My tradition has been to join the Trappist Monks for some time of silent prayer.  (To be honest, I have had an over-abundance of silent prayer lately!)

So if you do not see me for a short time, I did not have a relapse.  I am simply away with a few of my brother priests on retreat and then taking a few days together for a brief vacation.  I will be back in time for Thanksgiving.

Fr. John O’Leary, a priest whom I have known since I was in high school, will be staying at the rectory and covering for me while I am away.  He did the same last year, so I could get away.

I will be staying at the Abbey of the Genesee, in Piffard, NY.  I have previously related how the monks bake Monks’ Bread there to help sustain their monastery.  The monks keep a strict prayer regimen in the monastery, praying seven times a day.  I am not sure to what level we are currently able to participate since many of the monks are elderly and there have been restrictions on visitors.

Know that I will be praying for you!  May I ask that you remember me next week, with a special prayer for my physical and spiritual health?

While I am on the topic, retreats can be very beneficial for us all.  I have known various groups of men who are Men of Malvern, annually attending the retreats provided at the Malvern Retreat House in Malvern, PA.  Others attend San Alphonso, a retreat house run by the Redemptorists in Long Branch, NJ.  There are a number of such places in our area and throughout the country.  Maybe one would be good for you!

As I mentioned, I will return in time to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with my family at the rectory.  My brother and I will be cooking!

With my continued prayers,

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

A Different Kind of Spiritual Retreat This Year

 

Dear Parishioners,

By the time you read this, I will have completed my annual retreat.  Unfortunately, this year it was not made at a Trappist Monastery, as has been my frequent custom.  In fact, the monastery that I have visited for the past 40+ years—the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY—is not receiving visitors at this time due to Covid-19 restrictions.  Many of the Trappist Monks are elderly, some even infirm, and I can understand their caution in not accepting retreatants at this time.  Maybe next year?

This does not mean that I do not take my annual retreat seriously, despite the unusual circumstances.  I have told some that my first month in my new rectory was like being on a 30-day retreat already.  The rectory had no TV or internet for about a month after I first moved in.  Moreover, in my last assignment I lived with three or four other priests.  Suddenly, I was all alone.  I knew hardly anyone in this new assignment.  People were (and still are) wearing masks so I could not see their faces or observe their expressions.  Attendance at Mass was unprecedentedly low.  I, for a time, felt like St. Thomas More all alone in the Tower of London awaiting execution.  Thank God I was able to keep my head through it all!

Two of my priest-friends, who usually go on retreat with me, joined me this past week in my rectory.  We prayed together, watched some pre-recorded spiritual talks on video, offered Mass and enjoyed some camaraderie and fraternity.  Everyone knows how unusual 2020 has been, and making an annual spiritual retreat was not exempt.

As I related in an earlier bulletin message, I now have a small chapel in the rectory for prayer and reflection.   I am really never alone with Jesus here in the Blessed Sacrament.  No matter what part of the day it is—even on those nights where I may have some difficulty sleeping—I can make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament for some peace and solitude.

As Advent progresses, please remember to be counter-cultural and not be celebrating Christmas before it is time to do so.  Advent is for spiritual preparation to watch and wait for Jesus.  It has been a blessing for me to begin this new liturgical year with some time for prayer and reflection.

The Trappist monks, who begin their daily prayer with Vigils, get up when most of us are still sleeping (3:30 AM) and keep watch for the Lord Jesus in communal prayer.  It should be a consoling thought that there are contemplatives throughout the world like them who pray for us and the world.  Despite their mostly hidden lives, they are active in prayer and manual labor (ora et labora).  The monks at the Abbey of the Genesee have supported the monastery by baking bread (Monks’ Bread) and other baked goods. Maybe you would like to check them out online: (https://www.geneseeabbey.org/ or https://monksbread.com/)?

Besides the opportunity to pray and worship with the monks, I will miss not being able to bring home a few loaves of Monks’ Bread this year! 

Oh well!  My stomach does not need the additional carbs anyway.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Some of the Monks' Bread products

Thoughts (Worries) from a Trappist Monastery

Dear Parishioners,

As I write this letter to you I am on retreat with the Trappist monks at the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY.  Mass has just finished and I grabbed a few pieces of toasted Monks' Bread (the major means of income for this monastery) before I sat down to write.  I will be working in the specialty bakery (where they bake items like biscotti and other specialty items) later today.

There are some practical matters that I must tend to, even while on retreat.  As with all of the other parishes of the Camden Diocese we have recently begun our Catholic Strong campaign.  You might have noticed the banners or signs around some of our buildings and grounds.  Like many of my fellow priests, I enjoy being a priest and taking care of my sacramental duties.  However, the cross that most pastors must face is the everyday administration of the parish.

Let's face it, who would want to take over a parish that currently has 12 buildings [3 churches and a worship site, 3 rectories, 2 school buildings, a ministry center (former convent or carriage house), a  convent, a recently purchased property (81 Cooper St.) intended as a future parish office building] and 2 garages.  The parish also has $2.5 million in current debt. 

To remedy some of this situation, we are under contract to sell the entire campus of the former Most Holy Redeemer Church.  This sale will lessen our total buildings by 4 and help to reduce some of the accumulated debt. 

Next, concerns how our Catholic Strong campaign is vital to the future of this parish.  Many of our building are old and in need of repair.  The roof in St. Patrick Church is leaking near the area where the choir sings.  Heating and air conditioning systems (HVAC) are antiquated in various buildings.  For instance, the rectory at 64 Cooper St. is steam heated with a boiler nearing the end of its life.  Various sidewalks and driveways need repair.  Please note the driveway heading into the school property from Green Ave.  The retaining wall around St. Matthew Church is falling down.  The newly purchased building at 81 Cooper St. needs considerable work before we can completely move in (some construction and repair including replacement windows, bathrooms, internet access, security cameras, phone system, furniture, etc.)  This is just some of what we know needs to be done.  What about the unexpected?  Need I go on?

Bishop Sullivan set up the Catholic Strong campaign so that 70% of all money raised stays in the parish for its use.  This is unheard of as diocesan capital campaigns go.  The remaining 30% goes to support diocesan programs intended to directly aid the parishes.  This is not the same as the annual House of Charity appeal which is geared primarily towards various diocesan programs.

Does it seem like a great time to be asking for your financial help?  Are you kidding me?  Of course not.  However, there is far too much to be done at the local parish level that will only get worse if it is continually neglected.  I can only make my case and trust that you will consider what you have to do in your own homes regarding regular maintenance, upkeep and repair.  Now multiply this by about a dozen or so aging or antiquated buildings and you see what the parish is up against.  Moreover, in terms of parish ministry, we want to put some money aside for the evangelization and support of youth and young families.

If I or one of the members of the parish team calls to ask for your help, please take the time to listen and respond.  I hate asking anyone for money.  However, it is on behalf of your parish and our future that we ask your financial help.

Now I need to get back to some serious prayer.  Please pray for me as I will for you.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor                 

I Must Be Crazy

Newly Renovated Chapel at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

I certainly must be crazy getting up at this time of the day.  2 AM!  Everyone, who is still sane, is probably in bed comfortably rolling over.

Yes, It's around 2 AM.  I am getting ready to join the Trappist Monks for their first office of daily prayer--Vigils.  Here at the Abbey of the Genesee the official schedule begins at 2:25 AM. People elsewhere have just gotten into bed or have recently fallen asleep at this hour.  Most of the college students down the road at SUNY Geneseo are probably still frolicking out and about as are many of the nocturnal creatures that lurk throughout various college and university campuses. 

Not the monks, however.  They are just starting their day at the monastery.  Pretty early for most of us?  Absolutely!  Yet, they do this each and every day as a matter of routine--freely chosen routine.

Not only are we encouraged to get up early to pray with the monks, but the retreat I am on is silent.  No frivolous talking or conversations are allowed.  No TV or radio in the retreat house.  Obviously, I brought my laptop so that I could write a few reflections such as this throughout the week.  Finding a Wi-Fi connection to post them to the internet is another story.  Mobile hotspot?

Granted, the monastic life is certainly not for everyone.  However, it can teach us many valuable lessons.  The monks' radical lifestyle is a profound witness to something beyond this world.  They search for God in silence.  Their serious, intense, deliberate prayer reminds me of how little time I actually give to prayer each day.  Material things that I/we may cling to are just not that important here.  A basic white habit with a black scapular and belt on top of some work clothes is pretty much the norm.  No fashion statement.  Prayer, work, reading, study, self-denial, a personal relationship with God, are apparently what matters.  Simplicity to the extreme.  My room has a chair, desk and bed.  No private bath.  Certainly not some luxury hotel or spa.  Pope Francis would be proud. 

I have found that the spiritual life is filled with paradoxes and mysteries.  Why would anyone deny oneself?  Why give up having a family and home?  Why pick up the cross and be a disciple?  Why bother? 

. . . To learn to love deeply, to open the heart for God, to find peace and joy, to answer the call to discipleship, to know and love Jesus . . . .

My past experiences at the monastery have been some of the most profound, life-changing, rejuvenating times throughout my life.  I keep coming back, since I was 19 years old.  The monks are getting older, as am I.  Some faces change.  Much remains the same.  The chapel here was recently renovated and is brighter and more inviting.

What God has in store for me this visit is beyond my limited knowledge or foresight. 

Yet, I keep searching.  I keep getting up at 2 AM.  I keep following that mysterious "call" that has led me here once again to seek the Lord in monastic solitude.  Come. Lord Jesus!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

 Pastor

PS, You are remembered in my thoughts and prayers! 

Room at Bethlehem Retreat House

50 Shades of "Insanity"

Dear Parishioners,

No, I did not read the book.  No, I have no intention of seeing the movie.  Really, I would rather not bring attention to this insanity at all.  However, before viewing another film (The Imitation Game) on a recent guys night out, the trailer for a soon-to-be released—just in time for Valentine’s Day!—movie appeared.  The coming attractions for 50 Shades of Grey, in and of themselves, made me quite nauseous.  This trailer unfortunately led me to investigate things that I would rather not even think about—ever.

I read a synopsis of the book.  I discovered that it was part of a trilogy.  I had to put  together only a few pieces of the puzzle to realize that I was dealing with the glorification of abusive relationships and extreme sexual perversion.  I was encountering things so dark and demeaning, so sexually distorted and offensive that I dare not describe them here.  Ironic, isn’t it, how President Obama and a victim of sexual abuse, Brooke Axtell, recently appeared during this year’s Grammy Awards to denounce violence against women?  Meanwhile, a novel like 50 Shades of Grey sells over 100 million copies worldwide and is translated into 52 languages.  Global insanity?  You betcha.

Today’s culture has so many radical distortions of the true beauty and meaning of human sexuality.  Do we remember at all that God is the author of life and of the very manner in which we reproduce?  Sex is part of His plan and it is holy and good in its proper context—marriage. 

What’s the big fuss about sexuality, Father?  The Church needs to stay out of the bedroom!  After all, you priests are part of the problem!  Clean up you own act first!

Mea culpa. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. (Sin is still sin no matter who commits it.)

The crux of the problem, as I see it, is that the bedroom is far from private these days.  It is literally in our faces.  It is seen explicitly on television, On Demand, in the movies, in books and magazines, on the internet, etc., etc.—in the most graphic and obscene ways.  More and more perversion, deeper and deeper darkness, the glorification of sin and recreational sex, no traditional moral guidelines, further and further down the rabbit hole . . . .  How bad is it going to get?  I thought that we hit rock bottom years ago!  Foolish me.  (And it severely damages the entire culture—including its priests and religious.  We do happen to live in the same world, don’t we?)         

   

A few years ago, when I talked to a Trappist monk, Fr. John Eudes Bamberger, OCSO, the retired Abbot of the Abbey of the Genesee (Piffard, NY) while on retreat, he said something to me that I ponder regularly:  “Our world is gravely sick with perversion.”  He was well aware of this fact even from behind the cloistered monastery walls, living as a hermit!  The cancerous cells of sin have a strange way of attacking—seeking to damage and ultimately to kill any and all organs of the body—even within the mystical Body of Christ!  

Ash Wednesday begins another season of Lent.  It is a time of repentance and a call to follow the Gospel.  

Jesus brings sanity and healing to our world.  He brings truth, clarity, and meaning to our lives.

Hopefully, we all will realize it before it’s too late!

Fr. Ed Namiotka, Pastor

A Journey of Faith . . . beginning a Year of Faith

Martyrs' Shrine (Midland, Ontario)

Dear Parishioners,

Last week I made my annual retreat. As in many years past, I went to the Abbey of the Genesee (Piffard, NY--in the northwest part of the state) with the Trappist Monks for a week of prayer and solitude. I am truly grateful for this time to be spiritually renewed. It helps to put so many things into proper perspective. Be assured that I prayed for you during this sacred time!

I also began to prepare spiritually during the retreat for the upcoming Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013) declared by Pope Benedict XVI.

After the retreat, my two priest-friends and I decided to take a few days travelling together somewhere mutually agreeable. This year we continued our spiritual journey by visiting some of the holy shrines located in New York state and Canada since we were already up in the area.

Our first stop was the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario. The Shrine honors the eight Jesuit saints who lived, worked and (some of whom) died there almost 400 years ago. Jesuit missionaries, Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, and their companions were responsible for bringing Christianity to Canada over 380 years ago! A magnificent twin-spired church sits on 75 acres of hallowed ground.

Nearby was a reconstructed village—Sainte-Marie among the Hurons—which claims to be Ontario’s first European Community. This village was the headquarters for the French Jesuit Mission to the Huron (Wendat) people. In 1639, the Jesuits, with French lay workers, began construction of a fenced community that included barracks, a church, workshops, residences, and a sheltered area for native visitors. 

Also in this area were monuments commemorating St. Louis and St. Ignace, two settlements where the French Jesuit missionaries Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were captured and subsequently martyred in 1649.

It was a considerable drive through the night to Montreal, Quebec to visit the Oratory of St. Joseph. This oratory, standing atop Mount Royal, was completed in 1967 and is the largest (basilica) shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph. It is here that the remains of Saint (Brother) André Bessette are entombed and reverenced.

Brother André (known as the Miracle Man of Montreal) was a humble, illiterate lay brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Among other tasks, he served as porter (doorkeeper) for Notre-Dame College in Montreal for approximately 40 years during which time construction of this magnificent shrine began. He was known for his hospitality and compassion for the sick and thousands of miracles and healings are attributed to his intercession. On October 17, 2010 he was canonized a saint by Pope Benedict XVI.  His feast day is January 6.

St. André Bessette

St. Joseph Oratory, Montreal

(To be continued)

The Search for God

Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

Recently I came back from a retreat with the Trappist Monks.  For me, spending time with them is spiritually renewing.  There’s plenty of time to read, to think, to pray and . . . to be quiet.

The former abbot, Fr. John Eudes, gave us a series of talks during the week.  He is definitely one of the most intelligent men that I have ever met.  In the course of the talks he showed a proficiency in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, theology, Sacred Scripture, various complex sciences, philosophy, history and other general information.  He is a medical doctor, a psychiatrist.  And he is quite sharp—even at 85!

It was not necessarily what he said that impressed me the most.  It was more awe at his commitment to serve the Lord as a monk for over 62 years!  And now he is a hermit, living alone, seeking God in the woods of upstate New York.

What leads him—leads us—to seek God?

I remember what one of my seminary professors once taught:  we are wired to seek God.

From our very early days we question things:  Why?  What’s that?  What are you doing? Where are you going?  We want to know things.  We want information.  We seek knowledge.

At the same time, we pursue things in life that seem to bring us happiness.  We desire friendship.  We want to be intimate with others.  We long to be loved and to love.

We are wired so that our intellect seeks knowledge and our free will chooses love.

Where do we find something or, better yet, someone who has the fullness of knowledge and love—who is all-knowing and all-loving?

If you choose God—then you choose correctly!

St. Augustine said this many years ago and it still rings true:  “Thou hast made us for Thyself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

Whether we think about it or not, we all go about life searching for something or someone to fill a void, an emptiness in us.  A lot of things that may appear “good” and may temporarily bring us pleasure, don’t satisfy completely or totally in the end.  We still carry about an emptiness longing to be filled.

And so we will go on searching . . . searching . . . searching . . .

. . . until we one day find . . .

. . . and are satisfied completely and totally . . .

. . . by God!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

(Retired Abbot) Fr. John Eudes Bamberger, OCSO