Coping with the Chaos in our World

 

Dear Parishioners,

With all of the craziness and divisiveness in our world today, I am careful not to become another polarizing figure contributing to the chaos. However, I believe we must always try to speak the truth with love (see Eph. 4:15) as St. Paul encourages.

The recent death and injury of school children trying to attend Mass in Minnesota was tragic and heinous. I dare say it was diabolical. So was the murder of an innocent Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the train in Charlotte, North Carolina. She did absolutely nothing deserving death. Whether a person liked or agreed with Charlie Kirk or not, an assassin’s bullet is never the answer to solve any disagreement. Yet, some people took a type of sick and twisted pleasure in witnessing another human being’s tragic demise. Can’t we see how cheap life has become to various disturbed people in our society?

Moreover, as a remedy to any problem or injustice, people should never riot and destroy property, burn down buildings, loot retail stores, throw rocks at cars, or justify causing physical pain in the name of some cause. We can all remember times in the not-so-distant past when this all occurred. Will pulling down historic statues actually change history or make life better? Will murdering or assaulting people in the cities, towns or villages make people want to live in those areas? Where has the moral compass gone?

The problem with modern society is complex, but underlying it all is a spiritual warfare taking place before our eyes. There is a battle for the soul of each person, the soul of our nation and the world. Chaos, destruction, lies and falsehoods are products of the devil and his legions. Do not deceive yourself. Satan hates humanity and wants to see its utter destruction. In his mind, God was a fool creating us and even more absurd in becoming one of us and redeeming us through the Blood of Christ. Death on a cross? We were never worth the effort. Abortion, euthanasia, a redefined marriage and human sexuality, a self-imposed gender identity, and anything distorting Almighty God’s plan for us are seen as good things—within our “rights” as humans—rather than evil and contrary to His will.

The only lasting solution to our problems is a turning (a conversion) to Jesus Christ and His message of salvation. The Gospel is good news for a reason. And, I did not simply say a return to god, because not all images and understanding of the true God (the Holy Trinity) are equal. There are many, many false gods in the world. Jesus is the Son of God and He came to establish God’s Kingdom on this earth as it is and will be forever in Heaven. He came to do His Father’s will. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide and protect the Church.

The spiritual battle will continue, I fear, because of the stubbornness of our hearts, the abuse of our free-will, the enticements of the devil, our lack of concern or initiative, our pride and arrogance toward God, and many other reasons. However, time will run out for all of us. Whether it be by death (which comes to all) or by the Lord’s return in glory, we will soon be facing God quicker than most of us would like to admit. Judgment and eternity are right around the corner, especially as we age and realize our limitations. Act now while there is time.

The Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and Holy Communion (Mass) are the most important spiritual helps for daily living within the Catholic Church. Participate in them often. Attend Mass in person every week (when you are physically able). Sacraments bring us grace (God’s life) unlike anything else. Yes, we need to pray, to read the Bible, to participate in works of mercy and demonstrate charity as well. We need to be other Christs—Christians. 

But time will run out.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time "B" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Life Beyond the Grave

Dear Parishioners, 

Last night I went to see the film After Death. It was produced by Angel Studios, the same company that gave us Sound of Freedom and The Chosen. This documentary dealt with the near-death experiences (NDE) of people from various cultures and backgrounds. Not only was it thought provoking but it made a strong case for life beyond the grave and the existence of God.

From my high school days I had a serious interest in the afterlife, including aspects of death and dying. This fascination began by reading books for class as a senior by Drs. Raymond A. Moody, Jr. and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Hearing about near-death and out-of-body experiences and the various stages of dying from a medical/clinical perspective sparked my intellectual curiosity and heightened my desire to reconcile my Catholic faith with the reported experiences of science. How did this all fit in with the Church's teaching about the four last things—death, judgment, heaven and hell?

One thing of which I was pretty certain throughout my studies was that the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead was something completely unique. The Resurrected Body was not some out-of-body experience or near-death occurrence like those stories I had read. The Glorified Body was encountered by those chosen disciples after Jesus was unmistakably dead by means of torture and crucifixion. This Glorified Body could now pass through matter such as locked doors (Jn. 20: 19-20) (subtlety). Instantaneously, it could be in various places not necessarily in close proximity like Galilee and Jerusalem (agility). It was frequently unrecognizable as on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24: 13-32) or to Mary Magdalene in the garden (Jn. 20: 11-18) (brightness or glory). It had triumphed over all human suffering (impassibility).

I hope that we never take for granted what occurred on that first Easter morning. Most of Jesus' disciples had fled and were presumably in hiding for fear that what just happened to their rabbi-leader might also happen to them. Women went to anoint the crucified Body and found an empty tomb. Jesus then made His presence known and everything changed! He is risen! No matter what they did to Him, He is still alive! The experience of a Resurrected Jesus led the disciples to be fearless in their preaching and to endure torture and martyrdom themselves.

If we get to a point in our lives where this essential teaching of our Christian faith—the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead—ceases to captivate, to encourage, to foster hope and to motivate, then I suggest that we should probably just stay in bed on Sunday morning. Why bother at all? Life would be pretty empty and meaningless as far as I am concerned. (Unfortunately, I think that far too many Catholics are at this point already.)

However, for Christian believers it is this triumph of Jesus over sin and death that makes all the difference in the world. We hope to share in His Resurrection. We hope to receive a new, glorified body ourselves. We have hope for an eternal life. We believe that Jesus can and does forgive our sins when we repent. We have Christian hope.

During this month of November, please pray for all the Holy Souls and all of your deceased friends and relatives. Continue to have Masses offered for their eternal salvation. We certainly need to trust in the mercy of God, but should never take it for granted. I suspect we will all need a bit of purgatory (spiritual cleansing and purification) prior to seeing God face to face.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor                       

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

A New Year Resolution: Live Like You Were Dying

Dear Parishioners,

There is a tradition in America to make some personal resolutions as we begin the New Year.  From a Christian perspective, this attempt seems to be a  bit misguided as the new “church” year actually began for believers with Advent. This season—Advent—would have been a more appropriate time for us to make changes to prepare for the Coming of Christ. I remind all of us of Advent’s two-fold preparation:  celebrating Christ’s First Coming (the Nativity) and awaiting His Second Coming in glory to judge the living and the dead.

While listening to an online presentation some years ago, one of the speakers mentioned a rather intense and unique spiritual exercise.  Set a pretend date for your own death in a month and then do everything necessary to prepare for that day.  In other words, what would you do if you only had a month to live and you knew you were about to meet God and face judgment—an eternal reward or punishment— in only a month?  What would you do if you knew exactly the date of your own death?

This brought to mind a song released by country singer Tim McGraw back in 2004: Live Like You Were Dying.  The song tries to inspire a person to live life to the fullest in the time remaining on earth.  Activities suggested included skydiving, mountain climbing, bull riding and other bucket-list activities.  I think the song finally reached much more spiritual depth when it spoke about loving deeper and giving forgiveness that long had been denied.  The dying person spoke about becoming the husband that most of the time he wasn’t and becoming a friend that a friend would like to have.  The song goes on to mention reading the good book (presumably the Bible) and ultimately facing eternity.

Well then, let me bring this to a more Catholic perspective.  All of us have limited time.  We have a shelf-life whose expiration date is known only to God.  Even if we are given 100 years or more on earth, what is that brief time compared to e-t-e-r-n-i-t-y?  Eternity is forever.  Remember that! Church teaching prepares us with the instruction that we all will inevitably face death, judgment, heaven or hell at the end of our lives (the four last things).

What would you do if that step from eternity were only a month away? Go ahead. Set the date.  Pretend that it was only a month away.  What would you do to get your life completely in order?  Would you pray and go to Mass more frequently?  Begin now.  Would you make a good, sacramental confession like never before?  Start preparing now.  Would you forgive that person who has hurt you or ask forgiveness from someone you have hurt?  Make the phone call or write the letter today.  Would you find more time for your children or grandchildren?  Start now.  Would you visit that neglected parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend?  Just do it.  What in your life needs to be done so that when you meet God face to face and have to account for your life here on earth you will be ready—completely ready?

Then [the king] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’  Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’  He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.  (Mt. 25:  41-46)

Why not give it a try?  Just think of how much more spiritually mature and prepared you would be after such a month of intense preparation!  It could be like a spiritual boot camp.  

Happy New Year!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Tim McGraw

Homily for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

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

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

Dear Parishioners,

Like all of our lives, the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin Mary had to come to an end.  It makes me think so often about the brevity of life here on earth. Even if we were to live a hundred years or more, what is this brief time compared to eternity?  I often say that life here on earth is like a blink of an eye compared to eternal life with God.

Human beings usually have many questions at the time of the death of a relative, friend or loved one.  Is there a God?  What is God like?  Is there such a place as heaven or hell?  Where is he/she now?  Where will I wind up someday?

I take great consolation in the words from Preface I (of the Eucharistic Prayer) for the Dead:  Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is changed, not ended . . . .  We believe life in heaven with God is without sickness, death, pain or suffering.  It is lived in the presence of the Communion of Saints, those people who have gone before us and who were found worthy to enter the presence of God.

This coming week we will celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (August 15). The Catholic Church teaches that when her earthly life was complete, Mary was taken up body and soul into Heaven.  She is in Heaven with the angels and saints able to pray for us and to intercede for us, her spiritual children.  It makes logical sense that she who was protected from original sin by God from the time of her conception (the Immaculate Conception) and who lived a life of willing acceptance of God’s will—Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)–should now be in Heaven.

 

As a point of clarification, the Blessed Virgin Mary receives special honor/veneration that the church refers to (in Latin) as hyperdulia.  She is the highest of all the saints and angels who also deserve praise and honor that the Church refers to as dulia.  God alone deserves worship or adoration (latria).  If anyone ever questions us as Catholics inquiring why we worship Mary or the saints, the simple truth is that we do not.  As part of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints, they deserve honor, but not worship which is solely reserved to God.

In addition, sometimes people confuse the Assumption (of Mary) with the Ascension (of Jesus).  We believe that both are in Heaven, but Mary was taken up into Heaven while Jesus, as the all-powerful Son of God, had everything that He needed within His power to return back to Heaven to join His Father and the Holy Spirit when He chose to do so.

Mary and all of the saints in Heaven give us something to which we can all aspire.  I hope that we all want to be with God in Heaven for all eternity.  However, most of us are probably not expecting to go right at this moment—but we should always be prepared.  No one but God alone knows the day or the hour.  (See Mt. 24: 36)

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

Some Information on Catholic Funerals

Dear Parishioners,

A few years ago I wrote a column on Catholic Funerals for my previous parish.  Normally, each Catholic parish has a fair number of funerals each year.  The priests and parish staff are acutely aware of our need to comfort families and to provide the necessary spiritual guidance at this most difficult time.

A few trends, however, continue in our society that I think, once again, need to be addressed.

 

First, the norm for a Catholic funeral is at Mass.  It is important that we focus on the saving action of Christ through His Passion, Death and Resurrection.  The Mass itself is the most perfect prayer and sacrifice that can be offered for our loved ones.  Nothing is more efficacious.  It is a re-presentation of Christ’s Salvific Act.  The funeral rite contains such rich symbolism reminding us of our connection to Baptism.  Moreover, we have the opportunity to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus to strengthen us.

Sometimes those who are not familiar with the proper Catholic protocol might encourage simply having a funeral service in the funeral home.  While the service may bring some comfort to the family, theologically it is never the same as having a Mass offered for that person.  Please think of the eternal soul of the deceased and have their funeral rites take place during a Mass.  It is also important to pray and to have Masses offered for the soul of the deceased.  While flowers are a nice gesture, a Mass offered for the deceased is much more beneficial spiritually.

 

Second, it is specifically stated in the funeral ritual that “there is never to be a eulogy” during the funeral Mass (Order of Christian Funerals, #27).  Over time this practice has found its way into our liturgies and has become a somewhat “acceptable” practice.  However, the funeral liturgy should be more about the saving action of Christ than a tribute to a deceased person.  The proper place for such a eulogy is either at the funeral home, before the Mass begins, graveside (weather permitting) or at the meal that is usually served after the funeral.  The Catholic funeral liturgy is not about “praising” and “canonizing” the deceased no matter how good the person was but about us realizing what Christ has done for us by His death on the cross.

Third, the choice of music should always be religious in nature and appropriate for a church funeral.  Secular music (popular or sentimental) is never appropriate during Mass.

Finally, since there are more cremations taking place these days, I remind those who choose this option what the Catholic funeral rite tells us about the proper placement of the ashes or cremains:

The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, and the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires.  (Order of Christian Funerals, #417)

I mention all of the above to guide families with their decision making at this most difficult time.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Dealing with Sickness and Death

Dear Parishioners,

Some questions about ministry to the sick and the homebound came up recently when talking with staff. Consequently, I thought that some clarification for the entire parish would be helpful based on our discussion.

We have a number of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (commonly referred to as Eucharistic Ministers) in our parish.  Besides helping to distribute Holy Communion at the Masses, they may also serve regularly in two other capacities depending on the parish:  bringing Holy Communion to those in the hospital and bringing Holy Communion to the homebound. 

First of all, I note that they are intended as extraordinary ministers.  The priests and deacons are the ordinary ministers.  While we have become very accustomed to seeing the extraordinary ministers at Mass, whenever a priest or deacon is present, distributing Holy Communion is their ordinary ministry and the extraordinary ministers should properly defer to them.

If there is someone in your family who is homebound and is unable to come to Mass, an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion can be assigned to visit the home weekly to bring Holy Communion.  Please contact the parish office to arrange for this.  The minister is then asked to be the eyes of the priest in this situation.  If the person requests the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (confession) or should receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick because of advanced age or illness, the minister is asked to notify the priest and he will visit the home as soon as possible.

Priests are specifically ordained for ministry of the sacraments and should be called especially for confession or anointing.  The forgiveness of sin is tied to these two sacraments and a priest—rather than an extraordinary minister or even a deacon—is required.

At the time prior to a person’s death, a priest has special authority to do what is necessary for the salvation of the person’s soul.  A priest should be called whenever a person becomes seriously ill because the sacraments are intended for the living.  While a priest can always pray with the family after a person has died, he should be called to be present—if at all possible—before death.

Additionally, most hospitals in the Diocese of Camden have a chaplain assigned to them.  However, the patient or the family needs to make the chaplain's office aware of someone wanting to see a priest or to receive Holy Communion.  Please be aware that privacy restrictions (HIPAA) can sometimes prevent priests from finding out information unless they are specifically informed by the patient or family.  Also, while I am glad to visit a parishioner in the hospital, please do not assume that your parish priest automatically knows that someone is there.  The parish emergency number should be used in this instance, usually after an attempt to contact the hospital chaplain, especially in emergency or serious circumstances. 

In one of my former assignments, a religious sister told me about how her father prayed every day for the grace of a happy death and that a priest would be present when he died.  On the day of his death, mysteriously there were so many priests who happened to visit the home, to be in the area, that she knew God answered his prayer with His super-abundant mercy.

Also in one of my former parishes, a scheduled parish appointment was cancelled and I then had the opportunity to go to the home of a long-time friend who had been seriously ill with pancreatic cancer.  When I arrived at the home I could see that he was gravely ill.  He had been given the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and received Holy Communion on almost a daily basis when he was still able to do so.  With the family and the hospice nurse present, I began to pray with him as I held his hand.  I whispered in his ear that it was “okay to go to Jesus.”  Peacefully, he passed.

I believe Jesus was present in that home at that moment working mysterious through my priestly ministry.  Why was my parish appointment cancelled?  Why was I at the home at that particular moment in time?  Was it simply an accident or coincidence, or rather a remarkable act of God’s Providential Grace?

Pray for the grace of a happy death.  Pray and request a priest for family members or yourself when there is any serious illness. 

Time and time again, God is mysteriously present in the sacraments and working through the ministry of His priests.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

   

Facing Death (with the Help of My Guardian Angel?)

Dear Parishioners,

(Summertime and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean once again bring to mind this life-changing event.)

I was going to die. 

I seriously thought that the end had come.  Recalling the situation still produces a cold sweat.

It was September, 1989--sometime around Labor Day weekend.  The storm that was to become known as hurricane Hugo was picking up strength as it approached the Caribbean many miles away.

I was vacationing with a priest-classmate and his family in Sandbridge Beach, VA (just south of Virginia Beach).  He had invited me down to join him for some R & R.

Sandbridge Beach was private and isolated.  No lifeguards.  A few surfers were in sight as the waves were kicking up significantly.  And there was lurking along the coastline a soon-to-be opponent waiting for someone to combat—a very strong, deceptive riptide.

My classmate, Fr. Bob, decided that he was going to go into the ocean.  Not too bright of an idea, looking back.  As I was walking along the beach I saw him swimming and realized that he was having some real problems.  No, he was in trouble, for sure.

Without much thought I jumped in and began to swim toward him.  (Even though I grew up in Wildwood, NJ—a beach resort—I was not a great swimmer.)  I was fortunate enough to reach him, and to give him just enough assistance to allow him to catch a wave and head into shore.

In the meantime, the riptide got me!  It wrestled me down. It pulled me under.  When I surfaced it seemed like I was more than a football field’s length from the shore.  And I began to panic! Seriously panic!

“Help! Help!” I screamed as I waved my hands hoping that someone in the distance would see me.  I was treading water but then I was pulled under once again!  I never was more afraid in all my life.  I am going to die.  Nobody’s here to help me out in the Atlantic Ocean.

When I surfaced, I remembered that I looked down at my Miraculous Medal (an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary) hanging around my neck and resting on my chest.

Soon after I heard a voice coming from my left side.  “Everything will be alright! Stay Calm! Stay Calm!”  Someone was swimming toward me.  A young fellow in his teen age years.

Although he reached out his hand toward me once he was next to me, I didn’t want to take it.  For some reason I recall thinking that if I was going to die I didn’t want to take him down under with me.  I was significantly larger than he was—probably at least 100 pounds.  And I was panicking.  (Funny the things that you remember.)  He kept swimming around me trying to keep me calm and assuring me that everything would be alright.

Meanwhile, Fr. Bob had reached shore and pointed out to some surfers that I was in trouble.  They came after me with a surfboard.  Good thing they did because I felt my body going into shock.  It was as if there were lead weights on my arms and legs making it difficult (nearly impossible) to move them.

Thankfully I was rolled onto a surfboard and pushed to shore.  Fr. Bob, looking exhausted and beat up, was there waiting for me.  I could hardly walk.  I sat down on the beach with my body so tense that every little movement was a major project.

The fellow who first reached me in the water and swam around me keeping me calm was now standing at my left side.  He asked me if I was okay.  I remember saying, “Yes. Thank you so much.”  Then I turned to talk to Fr. Bob for just a moment.  He was sitting on my right side.  When I looked back to the left, my rescuer was no longer there.  Where did he disappear to so quickly?  There were only a few people on the entire beach.  And he was nowhere to be seen. 

That evening Fr. Bob and I celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for having averted a possible tragedy:  the drowning/potential death of two priests.

We asked ourselves a number of questions:  Who was that teenager who swam out to meet me?  Where did he come from?  Why did he not seem to have trouble swimming in those rough waters like we did?  Where did he disappear to all of a sudden, as if into thin air?

I continue to wear my Miraculous Medal every day, faithfully. 

I also believe in guardian angels.  Do you?

Fr. Ed Namiotka,

Pastor

The Pain in a Mother's Eyes

Dear Parishioners,

Last Saturday I concelebrated a funeral Mass. It was a very difficult time for all involved. Katie was only 33 years old. She left behind her husband Todd and three little girls, Natalie, Kelly and Marley Mae (7, 6 and 4). Katie's mother Lisa had worked for me in my last assignment as the parish secretary. Katie, like her mother, usually had a huge smile on display to greet whomever she met. The smile on Lisa's face was conspicuously missing. The inexpressible pain could be seen in her eyes.

No parent expects to lose a child. It is not the way that things are supposed to happen. We usually bury our parents—as sad as this may be—not the other way around. I could not even imagine the grief that Katie's parents, Lisa and Brian, were experiencing. Todd's face had just a blank stare of unbelief.

The funeral Mass congregation packed St. Joseph Church in Somers Point. I was told the viewing the night before went on for hours, with a line of people around the block. People were extremely supportive and empathetic. There are just no words appropriate for times like these. People just feel the sadness and pain.

The Catholic funeral Mass tries to bring a sense of hope to the situation. Jesus' salvific action is once again made present on the altar. We are reminded of His Resurrection from the dead. We, as believers, are told that death and the grave are not final—life is changed, not ended.

As I looked into the congregation from the altar, I saw two other mothers who had experienced the loss of their sons not too long ago. I had been pastor there at the time of both of these funerals. I knew that these mothers knew all too well what it was like to go through this pain.  Somehow their slowly-healing wounds get ripped open once again. Courageously, they were there to support this newly-grieving family.

In the front pew sat the three little girls, too young to realize just how tragic this situation was for them, now and into the unforeseen future. Where's mommy? Somehow children are remarkably resilient. They looked like little angels—pure, innocent and holy. Thankfully, they had each other to hold on to as they watched their newly-born baby cousin, also there with them. The circle of life continues.

We are all reminded, at times like these, just how brief and how fragile life is. Things can change too quickly for any of us.

Personally, I don't know how I would survive without faith in Jesus Christ and His Resurrection form the dead. I know that He knew what it is like to die so young. Wasn't He also approximately 33  years old at the time of His tragic death?

I have once again seen the pain in the eyes of a grieving mother, reminiscent of what it must have been like when Mary met her Son on the road to Calvary, when she saw her Son hanging from a cross.

There really are no adequate words for such times.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Katie

With Sincere Gratitude . . .

Dear Parishioners,

Last week I never got the chance to put my weekly message into the church bulletin.  As I shall explain, there was a very, very good reason for this.

 

On Tuesday morning after I ate some early breakfast, I prepared to concelebrate the 9 AM daily Mass.  However, sometime before Mass I began to experience severe chest pain.  It was as if someone were standing on my chest making it hard to breathe.  The pain shot down my left arm.  I was nauseous.  I sat on my bed at the rectory thinking that I might be having a heart attack.  I had the classic symptoms.  I popped a couple baby aspirin into my mouth and sent a text message downstairs to the parish secretary.  She immediately came upstairs to help me.

To make a long story short, 9-1-1 was called, the ambulance arrived, an EKG was taken and I was quickly on my way to the hospital.  When I arrived at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden, I was taken to the heart catherization lab.  There they discovered that two of my arteries were 100% blocked and the doctors proceeded to place three stents strategically in those arteries after they were re-opened.

It all happened so rapidly.  I was in and out of consciousness.  I remember some of the conversations going on, but not everything.

Subsequently, one of the doctors informed me that there was no major heart damage despite the blockages.  Thanks be to God!  I was back to the rectory by Thursday evening and once again concelebrated daily Mass the next day.

I am a very fortunate man.  There is a history of heart problems in my family.  My father died of a heart attack at 64.  Both his parents died in a similar manner in their early sixties.  One of my younger brothers had a heart attack last year at 52.  Like me, he survived it.  Need I go on?

Incidentally, I have faced my mortality several times in my life.  I almost drowned in the Atlantic Ocean twice.  I could have been killed or seriously injured in a couple of nearly-averted car accidents—one of which saw my car spin out-of-control a full 360 degrees on black ice on a two-lane highway when I was in the seminary.

Believe it or not, I try to be super cautious.  I see my doctors regularly.  I have my blood work done every three months.  My cholesterol and blood sugar are under control.  I had been losing weight, walking and exercising at the gym.  Nobody, including me, saw this coming.  Except God, of course!

I thought of one of Jesus’ parables after all of this happened:

Then [Jesus] told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” (Luke 12: 16-21)

Truth be told, I do not really fear death itself.  What I fear is not being right with God when I die.  How important it is to be in the state of grace!  We are given many tools to assist us:  Confession, the Mass and Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Sick, etc.  Take advantage of them before it is too late!  One never knows.

Hopefully, I’ll be around for many years to come.  There is no absolute certainty, however.  All I can do is go on faithfully serving the Lord, while trusting in His merciful love.

Thank you Lord for some more time!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor                                

(PS, thanks for your prayers!)

Putting Another Nail in the Coffin

Dear Parishioners,

Mother Mary Elizabeth, O.P. entered the Monastery of the Perpetual Rosary, a Dominican cloister in the city of Camden, New Jersey, on September 8, 1941.  Well, strictly speaking, she didn’t enter as Mother Mary Elizabeth but rather as Frances Patricia Coyne.  She was the last of 10 siblings.  The prioress of the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, she spent 70 years in cloistered religious life before the Lord called her back to Himself.

I was introduced to the Dominican nuns well over 25 years ago when I was still a seminarian.  I always found it amusing that Mother Elizabeth, as she was known to me, would remind me that she and the others should be referred to as nuns rather than as sisters.  It was the proper title for cloistered women religious.

I thought about how I would accompany the sophomore class of Sacred Heart High School when they visited the nuns annually.  Years ago I suggested that the students go to the cloister to become aware of the nuns’ unique religious vocation because they obviously could not leave the cloister and visit us.

 

Mother would arrange for the nuns to converse through a metal partition or grate with the students in small groups so that they were able to ask questions.  Inevitably someone fascinated by the fact that they were cloistered would make a remark.  “You mean you never come out . . . for your entire life?” Mother or one of the other nuns would explain the exceptions (doctor's appointments, the sickness or death of a family member, etc.) while trying to shed light on their vocation.  Their lives were spent taking turns praying the rosary perpetually before the Blessed Sacrament--day and night.  This certainly was not something that the students were familiar with from our secular culture!

Mother had a personality and demeanor characterized by simplicity, innocence and purity.  She radiated a certain joy--in all likelihood the fruit of a life filled with inner peace.  I wonder if praying the rosary faithfully as a cloistered nun for 70 years had anything to do with this?

Today (4/16/11) I concelebrated Mother's funeral Mass.  I saw her body for the last time here on earth.  As I peered into the cloistered part of the chapel, I saw just three nuns sitting closely together in a single pew.  (An additional nun was currently away, visiting a seriously-ill relative.)  Something looked strangely out of place.  The structure was obviously intended for many, many more.  I was told that the monastery in its glory days held 60 nuns!

After Mass, Mother's casket was taken down into the crypt below.  While waiting for the body to arrive I noticed the significant number of nuns buried there already!  How many years and years of rosaries were prayed by these women?

Mother's casket was first placed in a wooden vault.  It would then be sealed in a brick tomb with a stone marker closing up the front.

After the casket was in the wooden vault, the lid was positioned on top and the nails were hammered into the wood to seal the vault.  The priests present were invited to hammer in one of the nails.  I had never seen or done anything like this before.  When my turn came I hit the nail on an angle and it bent.  I straightened it out and then finished.

Goodbye Mother.  If you don't make it to Heaven, I don't think that I have much of a chance.  When you get up there please put in a good word for me, won't you?  Until we meet again . . . .  You are one of my favorite nuns!  (I can just see her smile!)

Afterward, I reflected how this experience gave me an entirely new perspective on the phrase putting another nail into the coffin.  Well, in this case it was technically a vault.  And the nail was a bent one at that.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor