Priestly Vocations

Newest priests for the Diocese of Camden

Dear Parishioners,

This year five ordinations to the Priesthood for the Diocese of Camden are scheduled for May 14th.  We congratulate and should pray for: Paul Abbruscato, Christopher Myers, Logan Nilsen, Cesar Pirateque and Stephen Robbins. Ad multos annos!

However, for the next two years there are no scheduled ordinations.  It should lead us to ask "why?"  I know that it is probably one of the most difficult times for the Sacred Priesthood with all of the scandalous behavior of clergy and hierarchy being made manifest.  However, Jesus intended from the earliest days of the Church that there be priests and that they model their lives after Him.  Shame on any of us ordained clergy who do not live up to that call.

When was the last time that we had a vocation to the ordained priesthood from our parish?

I know that we do not do the “calling”—God does.  I also realize that we do not have control over how a person who hears the call responds—free will is always involved.

Yet, I think there are things that can be done to foster vocations that may be present among the young men of our parish:

1.       Continue to pray fervently for vocations to the priesthood.  There are more things accomplished through prayer than we might imagine.  We are commanded in the Gospel to "Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." (Mt. 9:38)  We need to pray that those who hear the call of the Lord may have the courage to respond to that call.

2.       Encourage young men to think about the priesthood.  I was asked by someone in high school if I had ever thought about becoming a priest.  People told me that they thought that I might make a good priest.  I heard many homilies in my home parish encouraging young men to become priests if God is calling them.  In a secular, materialistic world there are many things working against a spiritual life or vocation.  We need the people of the parish to give some positive reinforcement to the value of priesthood.

  

3.      Do not discourage people from following the call.  One of the most disheartening things that was said to me when I initially told people that I was going into the seminary to study to be a priest was: "You don’t want to do that.  It’s such a lonely life."   This commentary came from a couple that I knew.  They were not priests.  How did they know so authoritatively that it would be a lonely life?  I have since known various married couples who suffer loneliness (or even unhappiness).  After 35 years of priesthood, I can truly say that I am basically happy each day.  While there may be some times of loneliness—I think all people have them—this is not and has not been a consistent characteristic of my life as a priest.

4.       Realize that priests are not perfect.  As the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: "Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people."(Hebrews 5: 1-3)  Sometimes young men think that they are not worthy of such a call.  Who is?  Those of us who are ordained priests did not do anything to deserve the "call" from God.  We have just followed it, discerned it and accepted it.  You don’t have to be perfect to be a priest (but we do have to strive for holiness and to become more Christ-like every day!).

We need priests especially to celebrate the Eucharist, to forgive sins in the sacrament of Penance, to anoint the sick and dying—to be Christ’s presence in the world.  Please pray that priests will come from our parish and throughout the diocese.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

My "Mom" Song

My Mom with Her 4 Sons and Daughter (several years ago!)

Dear Parishioners,

I want to tell you about a song I had written about 10 years ago.  Please indulge me for a moment while I familiarize you with the details.

Each month, when I have a day or two off, I try to spend some time with my mother at her condo at the Jersey shore.  She and I have grown rather close over the years, especially since the passing of my father in 1995.  We have vacationed together, enjoyed many dinners and shows out and about, and simply talk about everything and anything.

While I was visiting mom one Tuesday afternoon, my sister arrived at my mom’s home with her youngest son.  He was cranky after just getting up from a nap and I watched as Cathy held him, tried to cheer him up and simply gave him her time and attention.  The moment was priceless as I looked at the young mom (my sister Cathy) take care of her then two year old and the slightly older mom spend her time with her then fifty-two year old son.

On the way back to my rectory I thought about the experience and I wanted somehow to capture this moment.  I also thought of a very special image of a Mother to me—the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  I give a brief description of the icon’s meaning:

It represents the Mother of God holding the Divine Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are presenting  Him the instruments of His Passion. . . . His passion is represented by angels holding instruments of His passion, most often the cross, the lance, the sponge, and the nails. . . . The Child Jesus is shown with an adult face and a high brow, indicating His divine Mind of infinite intelligence.  As God, He knew that the angelic apparition was prophetic of His future passion.  Yet in His human nature as a small child, He is frightened and runs to His Mother for protection.  Our Lady hastily picks Him up and clasps Him to her bosom.  This action is indicated by the fact that the Lord’s right foot is nervously curled about the left ankle and in such haste that His right sandal has become loosened and hangs by a single strap.   Further action is indicated by the way the Child Jesus clasps His Mother’s right hand with both of His, holding tightly to Our Lady’s thumb. (Catholic News Agency)

A song began to come to my mind while driving in my car with a simple melody and lyrics that I thought just about anyone could sing—especially a young child.  When I arrived at my rectory, I put my words to paper and sang the basic tune into my smart phone, using an app that I had on my phone for recording messages and talks.

I employed the help of my long-time friend Julie Linn, who was the music/choir director and vocalist from my former parish (and now, once again, holds that position here at St. Thomas More Parish). With Scott Armato, whose creative genius was responsible for the piano accompaniment and harmonies, the song Mom took its current shape. It was sung by select children (now grown) from five different schools combined into a single choir, we called Pure Jerzy Kidz. The students came from five South Jersey schools:  Edgarton Christian Academy, Newfield; Cleary Elementary School, Buena; Main Road School, Franklinville; St. Joseph's Regional School, Somers Point; and Joy D. Miller School, Egg Harbor Township.

  

The song is meant to honor all moms with the inspiration coming from three moms in particular:  my own mother, my sister Cathy and Mary, the Mother of God.

The song is available on iTunes, Amazon, and other digital music stores.  It is also available as a CD single.  In addition, a music video can be found on YouTube.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

These are the lyrics to my song:

MOM

She wipes away my tear;

Provides a listening ear;

Her smile’s a work of art;

She holds me in her heart.

When I think about her, such joy comes to my face.

Everything about her is filled with love and grace.

She’s the one I run to in times both thick and thin.

            She’s my best friend

            Like no other

            She’s my mother!

She shows me how to love,

Tells me ‘bout God above.

Finds sunshine in the rain,

Kisses away all pain.

When I think about her, such joy comes to my face.

Everything about her is filled with love and grace.

She’s the one I run to in times both thick and thin.

            She’s my best friend

            Like no other

            She’s my mother!

Having a real bad day,

She makes it all okay!

Whenever I’m afraid

The worries quickly fade.

When I think about her, such joy comes to my face.

Everything about her is filled with love and grace.

She’s the one I run to in times both thick and thin.

            She’s my best friend

            Like no other

            She’s a godsend,

            That's my mother!

            She’s my best friend

            Like no other

            She’s my mom!

            ©2012  Edward F. Namiotka

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

 

The Mercy of God

Dear Parishioners,

Have you ever taken the time to think about the many times we ask for or refer to the mercy of God in our liturgy?

• May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to eternal life. (Penitential Rite)
• Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  (Kyrie)
•  Lord Jesus Christ . . . you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; . . . you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.  (Gloria)
• To us, also, your servants, who, though sinners, hope in your abundant mercies . . .  (Eucharistic Prayer I)
• Remember . . . all who have died in your mercy . . .   Have mercy on us all, we pray . . .  (Eucharistic Prayer II)
• For you came in mercy to the aid of all . . . Grant, O merciful Father, that we may enter into a heavenly inheritance . . .  (Eucharistic Prayer IV)
• Deliver us, Lord, we pray . . . that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin . . .  (Prayer following the Our Father)
• Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  (Agnus Dei)
•  May the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in mind and body and a healing remedy. (Priest’s Prayer in Preparation for Receiving for Holy Communion)

While mercy in our contemporary thinking may be associated with an act of pardon from punishment, in Catholic theology there is much more to it.

 

Divine Mercy is God’s Love reaching down to meet the needs and overcome the miseries of His creatures.   . . . Divine Mercy, therefore, is the form that God's eternal love takes when He reaches out to us in the midst of our need and our brokenness.  Whatever the nature of our need or our misery might be — sin, guilt, suffering, or death — He is always ready to pour out His merciful, compassionate love for us, to help in time of need . . . . (Dr. Robert Stackpole, STD)

The Sunday in the Octave of Easter is called Divine Mercy Sunday.  On April 30, 2000 (Divine Mercy Sunday of that year), Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament and designated the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.  According to the notebooks of Saint Faustina, Jesus made the following statements about this day:

On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open.  I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.  The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.  On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened.  Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.  My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.  (Diary of Saint Faustina, 699)

Devotion to Divine Mercy is also associated with an image painted as Jesus wished, based on descriptions by Saint Faustina.  The words that accompany the image are "Jesus, I trust in Thee" ("Jezu, Ufam Tobie" in the Polish).  The rays coming from Jesus' body represent the blood and water that poured forth from the wound He suffered when pierced by the lance.  The devotion is practiced by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena to the Divine Mercy – both of which may be prayed at any time, but especially at "The Hour of Great Mercy" – 3 PM, the hour our Lord died, and in conjunction with Divine Mercy Sunday.  

May the Lord Jesus have mercy on us.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

St. Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament

Homily for Easter Sunday 2022 - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for Good Friday 2022 - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the Mass of the Lord's Supper (Holy Thursday)

 

Homily for Palm Sunday "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Easter Joy

Dear Parishioners,

As I get older, I increasingly realize a certain void left in my life as a result of the death of relatives and friends.  I am no longer able to pick up the phone to say “hello” or to stop over to visit with them.  I tell myself that someday I hope to see them again, but I don’t have ultimate control over when, where, how—or if.  I have to wait, hope and trust.

Can you imagine what the apostles went through at the death of Jesus?  Did all of their hopes and expectations die with Him on the cross?  They saw their leader, their teacher, their rabbi, mocked cruelly, beaten mercilessly and then put to death.  I suspect they feared for their very lives.  Perhaps they recalled some of the things that he had told them to keep His memory alive.  The events of Good Friday did not present any apparent hope or future possibilities.  Death seemed so callous, cruel and final.  Death seemed triumphant.

Then came Easter.  Everything changed.  He is risen!  Somehow, despite the horrible things that were done to Him, He is still alive—miraculously!

For us Christians nothing is really as important as Christ conquering sin and death and rising from the dead.  Easter is about Resurrection.  It is about eternal life.  It is about hope and joy.

Unfortunately, we all will face the Good Fridays of our lives.  Death will come to each of us and to the ones that we love.  It may seem cruel, unfair, and so permanent.  We may not know what we are going to do or where we should turn.  We may even be on the brink of despair.  However, in these darkest of hours, turn to Jesus.  Trust Jesus.

I can only imagine the inexplicable joy that the apostles had when they saw Jesus alive again.  I am sure that it surpassed their greatest expectations and gave them a faith in Christ that they would subsequently take to the ends of the earth.  They would live and die for Christ, trying to spread His message of Good News—the Gospel.  They would speak about resurrection and eternal life.  They had their hope restored and they attempted to give others this hope in Jesus.

This Easter I pray that you experience the joy of the Risen Christ.  May your faith in Him and love for Him increase and radiate from your entire being.

 

He is not dead but very much alive!

I thank all who work so hard and who are so generous in helping to strengthen our Christian faith community here at St. Thomas More Parish.  Be assured of my daily prayers and Masses for all of you.

May I ask a continued remembrance in your prayers and Masses as well? 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor             

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