The Beatitudes

 

Sermon on the Mount

Dear Parishioners,

Are you truly happy? Are you blessed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Narrow Gate

"Lord, will only a few people be saved?" [Jesus] answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. . . .” 

(Lk. 13: 23-24)

Dear Parishioners,

For many years this passage from Sacred Scripture has really troubled me.  What if those who find the road to (eternal) life are actually few?  In this day and age when many (most?) people are canonized at a funeral, when society refuses to be told what to do because of a type of unbridled freedom (actually license), when the moral credibility of the Church has eroded to the point of collapse, and when the most severe sin in our culture has become lack of tolerance, shouldn’t we be a wee bit concerned?

What exactly constitutes the narrow gate?  Bear with me as I do a bit of soul searching.  Traditionally, there have been certain sins that by their nature are considered grave matter—one of the three necessary components of mortal sin. Such sins include (but are not limited to) murder, rape, incest, adultery, perjury, blasphemy, idolatry, sacrilege, fornication, masturbation, euthanasia, abortion, apostasy, homosexual acts, prostitution, et. al.  Realizing also that there is the necessity of sufficient reflection (knowledge) and full consent of the will, people who commit these acts risk being in a state of mortal sin.  In other words, if they die unrepentant of these sins they risk eternal damnation (the fires of hell).

Now let’s take a step further into other more common occurrences of potential mortal sin.  The Church has traditionally declared that it is a mortal sin to intentionally miss Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.  What of the approximately 80-90% of Catholics who no longer practice their faith regularly?  A wide path? 

The Catholic Church teaches that the use of artificial birth control is a mortal sin.  Some contraceptives (types of the “pill”) are actually abortifacient in nature, meaning that a fertilized egg (post-conception) is prevented from embedding itself in the mother’s womb.  Hence, a mini or microscopic abortion may have occurred.  Nonetheless, those who use any artificial birth control risk being in mortal sin. One headline I googled while writing this article stated boldly: Most Catholic Women in U.S. Use Birth Control. Another article by the Catholic News Agency (CNA) examined: Why do so Many Catholics Use Contraception? Experts Weigh In. Again, a wide path?

What then do we do with the number of people who use sex recreationally and sleep with each other outside of the context of marriage, or cohabitate outside of marriage, or are in a second marriage “outside” of the Church (divorce and re-marriage without an annulment)?  What about homosexuals who engage in sexual activity, regardless of whether or not they have some “committed” relationship?  What about the rampant use of internet pornography (frequently accompanied with masturbation)?  Sexually active teens?  Sexually active college students?  Friends with benefits?  If all of these people are in grave (mortal) sin, again we seem to have a wide path here.

I conclude this reflection with the scene of the final judgment in St. Matthew’s gospel (Mt. 25:31-46).  Read it when you get a chance.  In essence, the separation of the sheep from the goats involves a condemnation to eternal punishment for failing to do good to/for others.  There is no mention here of any of the grave sins listed above.  Rather there is damnation for what someone fails to do.  Another wide path? 

I suggest we all be a little more hesitant before we assume that somehow we all automatically go to heaven. There is a reason that Jesus called for repentance and conversion.  And this message is meant for all of us!

Enter through the narrow gate . . .

Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor

Out of the Amazon (in Rome?)

Amazon region in South America

Dear Parishioners,

From its inception, the whole thing seemed extremely peculiar to me.  A synod on the Amazon? Its location was not to be in the Amazon region itself but in the Eternal City.  (As a side note, priests of the Diocese of Camden had previously been sent to Brazil as missionaries.  In fact, one of our priests, Fr. Miguel Pedro Mundo, had even become a bishop for the diocese of Jatai, Brazil.)

The pretext of this meeting was ministry to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.  However, its various critics held that it was a means being used to change the Catholic Church radically with a globalist agenda, backed, in large part, by the German bishops.  Some saw Marxist liberation theology rearing its head once again.

The synod began with what appeared to many to be various pagan rituals led by a female shaman.  A figure of pachamama—mother earth—was carried around Rome, brought into Catholic Churches including St. Peter’s Basilica, and even bowed down to at the opening ceremony in the Vatican gardens.  Paganism and idolatry penetrating our Catholic Church?  What do we make of this as it occurred even in the very presence of the Holy Father?

 Pope Francis receiving pachamama

The synod had its various moments of intrigue.  Several of the pachamama carvings were removed from the Catholic Church in which they were kept and then thrown into the Tiber river.  The pope subsequently apologized for what happened, even mentioning the pachamama by name.

The outcome of the synod was presented in a document recommending the following to the Holy Father for his final say on the matter:

·         The ordination of married men (viri probati) in the Amazon

·         Further study of the issue of female deaconesses

·         The creation of a special Amazonian Rite of the Church

What this would mean for the Church at large is yet to be seen.  However, critics warn that it could lead to optional celibacy, female deacons and a rite within the Church that espouses various pagan elements.

Ultimately, the Holy Father has the final say on matters of faith and morals.  However, he can never deviate from the deposit of faith that has been given to us by Jesus Christ and handed down to us through apostolic tradition.  To do so would put his own salvation in jeopardy.

We need to pray for the Church, for fidelity to the deposit of faith, for clarity in teaching and for the Holy Father himself.  There are a few voices in the hierarchy speaking up for truth but far too many worldwide remain silent on any potentially controversial matters.  When there is abundant uncertainty or confusion, we certainly need clarity and not silence.

Let’s begin here:  Commandment #1 - I am the Lord, Your God.  You shall not have any false gods . . . .

Seems abundantly clear to me.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina

Vatican garden ceremony

The "False Gods" We Create

Dear Parishioners,

Sacred Scripture tells us that as humans we are made in the image and likeness of God (see Gn. 1: 26).  We are gifted with intelligence and free will.  We can think and make free choices.  Since Jesus, the Son of God, chose to become one of us—a man like us in all things but sin (see Heb. 4:15)—we are God’s masterpiece, His finest creation.  He came to earth to die for us and for our salvation (see the Nicene Creed).  We are worth not only creating, but also redeeming.  We are that important and precious to God!

This being said, we must always remember that we are NOT God.  We are not more intelligent than God.  (We should be humble about what we think we know.)  We are not more powerful than God.  (We are not the author of creation, but simply its stewards.)  We are not more perfect than God.  (God is absolute perfection and holiness.  We are imperfect sinners.)  We are not unlimited like God.  (We are finite creatures bound by time and space.)  I could go on and on, but we should realize that in a side by side comparison, the scales weigh immeasurably in God’s favor.  We are creatures, pure and simple.

As humans, often because of pride and other defects in our human nature, we create false gods.  We project things on God that we would like to see, but that do not actually reflect the way God is.

The following is a list I created describing some of these false gods.  There may be many more that can be added.  However, we need to eliminate our distorted concepts of god (our false gods) and attempt to grasp the true image of God revealed to us in the Person of Jesus.

Do you ever worship these false gods instead of the real, true God?

• The sports god.  This god is worshipped whenever we prioritize sports above more important matters.  “Father please pray that the Eagles (or Phillies or Flyers, etc.) win today.”  “I couldn’t get to Mass today because I had a soccer game/practice.”  “Dad finds god on the golf course, out fishing, etc.”
• The god of convenience.  This god fits into my schedule only at convenient times.  “I couldn’t get to Mass because I am too busy.”  “We decided to go to church this weekend because we all wanted to go to breakfast together afterward.”   “I go to church only on Christmas and Easter.”
• The god of crisis.  This god is only called upon or, perhaps, blamed when there is a personal crisis.  “God please help me pass my exam!”  “God how could you let this happen to my child!!!!”  “God if you cure me of my cancer, I promise to . . . ."
• The sex god (or the pleasure god).  This god gives sex the highest priority in our lives and capitalizes on base human instincts and drives. It thrives on pleasure as a good in and of itself.  Just consider the gamut from Viagra, to internet porn, to sexting, to the shameless promotion of immoral heterosexual/homosexual acts and lifestyle, etc. 
• The god of addiction.  This god becomes all-consuming of my time, energy, financial resources, etc., over anything else.  Am I controlled or consumed by alcohol, drugs (illegal or prescription), gambling, pornography, smoking, the computer, technology, sex, work, wealth, fashion, prestige, etc., to the detriment of other things in my life?
• The god of power (I am my own god).  Whenever I deny the existence of God, think I know better than God (or perhaps His Church in its capacity as teacher of faith and morals), or live in such a way that God has no real or practical importance/meaning in my life, then, chances are, I have become my own god.  I am all-powerful, all-knowing and the master of my own destiny.  There is no room for a Savior.

The above list is by no means all-inclusive and is from my own limited perspective.  I admit that I am a finite creature and very much in need of a Savior—Jesus Christ.  He is the only true God and Savior that I desire to worship, imperfect as I am. 

                                                                                            

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor