Waiting for the Lord

Dear Parishioners,

The season of Advent is a time of anticipation. We should be waiting for the Lord Jesus to return again.  Our Nicene Creed tells us: . . . He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead . . . .

When will the Lord return? I don’t know . . . and I refuse to speculate. It tends to get a person in big trouble.

The fact that our Lord will return should be sufficient for us.

Many years ago, my spiritual director in the seminary suggested and encouraged the practice of centering prayer.  He was basically trying to teach me how to wait for the Lord in prayer.

What happens with this type of prayer?

Instead of talking, reading or meditating on something, I simply enter into the presence of the Lord and wait. I personally like to do this before the Real Presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. I sit quietly trying to empty my mind of thoughts and distractions. I wait and listen for the Lord to speak to me. He is in charge. I submit my will entirely to Him.

What do I hear? Sometimes nothing. Sometimes I get distracted and start thinking about or worrying about various matters.  At these times—when I find myself distracted—I simply repeat the name of Jesus slowly and quietly.  This practice helps me to return to a quiet, inner place of peace.

There have been times when unbelievable inspiration has come during this prayer.  Some powerful homilies and insightful writings have developed when simply waiting for the Lord.

More important than looking for any spectacular results, there needs to be a fidelity to the Lord—a finding quality time for Him—as part of my daily prayer routine. I need to go to prayer even when nothing at all seems to happen. I need to go to prayer especially at those times when I don’t feel like it or I tell myself that I am too busy to pray right now. I need to go to prayer simply because prayer is what I need. The Lord Jesus is who I need.

To many, this waiting for the Lord may seem foolish or even a waste of valuable time. Many actually waste more valuable time in front of the TV, surfing the web on the computer, playing video games, or by any number of unproductive or unrewarding activities. I never see spending my time waiting for the Lord as wasted time.  It is valuable time that I spend with the One whom I love and have chosen to serve as a priest. It is His time. He can do whatsoever He wills with my time. I give it to Him.

This Advent, why not try waiting for the Lord in prayer? You might be quite surprised at what happens.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

   

My Definition of an "Uphill Battle"

Dear Parishioners,

I have been ready to put up the white flag of surrender for decades now.  Christmas is upon us already—at least according to the American consumer mentality—and yet Advent has not even begun. Santa was doing his thing in the mall for some time now. In fact, Thanksgiving wasn’t even here yet. We just barely got through Halloween (not to mention the Summer).

Advent. Why bother even to have such a liturgical season? By the time the Christmas season actually begins—according to the Church anyway—people are ready to take down the tree and the decorations. Christmas is over psychologically. We will have been celebrating it for months now. Christmas parties were held. Gifts were purchased, then wrapped. Pollyannas (Secret Santa gifts) were exchanged. Christmas (holiday) shows and concerts were attended. Cards were sent and received. Cookies were baked. Stockings were stuffed. Traditional and not-so-traditional songs of the season have been playing on the radio. Etc., etc., etc. 

Then Christmas actually arrives, and it’s all over by the next day. Let’s get to the retail stores to see if there are any after-Christmas bargains. Maybe there are also some end-of-the-season deals online. And don’t forget we still have to return those unwanted gifts.  

It is obvious who has won this battle. It wasn’t the Church. Preparation for the Coming of Christ? Yes, we may spot a few of those Keep Christ in Christmas signs occasionally popping up on lawns or displayed on the back of cars. But they really don’t influence the vast majority of people. Perhaps, they may make some of us think a little, but they probably won’t change the behavior of the typical consumer. Christ might have gotten an ever-so-slight bit of attention in between Rudolph, Frosty, Santa, the Grinch, Charlie Brown, Scrooge, Ralphie Parker (from the all-day Christmas marathon “A Christmas Story”) and the host of countless others who are “popular” and “new” and with whom I am currently too out-of-touch to even name.

The Christmas season begins with the first Mass of Christmas (Christmas eve) and extends to January 8, 2024—the Baptism of the Lord. Advent originally had a penitential nature, with a  two-fold preparation for the celebration of Christ’s Birth and in anticipation of His Second Coming. There actually was fasting involved at an earlier point in time. The modern Advent wreath that many of us are familiar with in churches and in homes is a rather recent development, being attributed to a 19th century German Protestant pastor.

      

Christ’s Incarnation and Birth, next to His Death and Resurrection, is the most significant event in salvation history for all humanity. God became one of us. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became a man. The Creator humbles Himself, empties Himself (see Philippians 2: 6-11), to become a creature, a human. He allows Himself to suffer and die. All of this for us.

Jesus’ human beginnings sadly were met with little gratitude—no room in the inn. A stable was provided. There was a feeding trough for animals in which the Son of God could sleep.

Sadly, I do not think the level of gratitude for all He has done has changed much over time. It seems to be greatly overshadowed by the materialism and consumerism that our modern Christmas has become.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Advent is Near!

Dear Parishioners,

It’s hard to believe that another liturgical year begins next weekend—the First Sunday of Advent!

Advent is a time of commemoration, anticipation and preparation. We recall the Birth of Jesus Christ while the Church reminds us that Christ will come again. When? This has been an unanswered question for the last two thousand years.

Hopefully, we as Christians have not become too complacent or even indifferent towards this teaching of our faith. What if Jesus did return in glory to judge the living and the dead tomorrow, next week or next month?

I guess some people would panic: “When was the last time I was in Church?” “I haven’t been to confession in years!”  “My life is not really in order right now!” “I never did forgive my dad!” “I haven’t spoken to my sister for decades!” “I’ve been preoccupied with so many things and never take the time to pray!” “I really do not know Jesus Christ.”

Jesus warns us: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:33) We are told by St. Paul that the day of the Lord “will come like a thief at night. “ (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

I do not want people to become fanatical like those who run around with signs claiming that the end of the world is near. However, as Christians we need to live continually in the presence of the Lord. Christ is always aware of us and is, in fact, there for us at all times, whether we realize it or not. Unfortunately, as humans we do not consciously focus on His presence in our lives at every moment, nor do we always live appropriately, even if we believe He is there.

Advent is here. Don’t waste the time by getting caught up in all of the materialism that the world is concerned about and sells relentlessly. Take time for your spiritual life. As humans, comprised of body and soul, we require both physical and spiritual nourishment. It seems almost rediculous to remind Christins to make time for Jesus Christ. Keep Christ in Christmas?

Personally, I find that when my spiritual priorities are in order and Christ is forefront in my life, everything else mysteriously seems to fall into place. I may have to learn this lesson over and over again, but someday I may finally get it right. One can only hope!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

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

 

Giving Thanks

Dear Parishioners,

With Thanksgiving approaching, I think it is always a good practice to take the time to say “thanks” to God for the many gifts and blessings that we have in life.

First of all, I thank God for what He has done in my life. I thank Him for the gift of life itself, for health, for family, and for the gift of the ministerial priesthood. I also give special thanks for you, my parishioners, whom I have the privilege of serving in St. Thomas More Parish. 

For almost 20 years, my family has joined me for Thanksgiving dinner at whatever rectory where I have resided as pastor. This year, however, there will be an exception. We will be celebrating both Thanksgiving and my mom’s 90^th birthday at my brother's home. My brother asked that the annual dinner be moved to his house and I was glad to accommodate his request. This year someone else will have the job of cooking for 25-30 people!   

I think that there is no better way to give “thanks” to God than by joining together for the Eucharist—the most perfect offering, the most perfect prayer of thanksgiving to God. What a privilege to receive the precious Body and Blood of Jesus our Savior! We remember Him at every Mass when He took ordinary bread and wine and changed these elements into the inestimable gift of Himself for us! Please make it a priority to join our parish family each week around the altar to give thanks. Please join us for Mass on Thanksgiving Day (9 AM) as well!

The 1^st Sunday of Advent begins on December 3^rd and the new liturgical year commences. While the Christmas season does not actually begin until Christmas eve, we are unfortunately driven by the consumer mentality that starts selling Christmas items as early as late summer. By the time Christmas arrives, people are ready to take down decorations when the actual Christmas season is really just beginning. Incidentally, the Christmas season ends on January 8^th with the Baptism of the Lord.

In conclusion, it is a good practice to take an inventory of the things in our lives that we might take for granted or fail to fully appreciate each day. A statement that I heard quite some time ago seems to put things into proper perspective: “I used to complain about the shoes I wore until I met the man with no feet.”

• Am I thankful for that fact that I am alive?

Aborted babies never had that opportunity.

•  Do I thank God every day for my health?

The hospitalized and homebound might long for days without pain and the ability to get out of bed.

• Do I take my faith for granted?

There are places in the world where people suffer and die for being a Christian.

• Do I go to bed each night with a roof over my head and a full stomach?

The homeless and those in line at the soup kitchen are probably envious.

• Do I have a family with whom to spend the holidays?

The orphan, widow / widower, soldier in a foreign land, or prisoner might not have such good fortune.

• If I can read and understand what this reflection is all about, am I truly grateful?

The blind, the mentally ill, a person with Alzheimer’s, or simply an illiterate person might not be able to do what you are doing right now.

Need I say any more? Please give thanks. 

On behalf of the priests, sisters and staff, have a happy, blessed Thanksgiving with your families!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Eucharist Means "Thanksgiving"

Dear Parishioners,

At this time of Eucharistic Revival in the Catholic Church in America, we certainly should do some reflecting on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. First, I bring to your attention the meaning of the word Eucharist (eukharistia) from the Greek, meaning thanksgiving.

In the Novus Ordo Mass, the second major part (after the Liturgy of the Word) is referred to as the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It includes the Eucharistic Prayer when the unleavened wheat bread and grape wine are consecrated and truly become the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This mystery has been explained using the term transubstantiation, meaning the substance of bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus while the accidents (the appearance of bread and wine) remain the same. The Catholic Church teaches that this change is not merely symbolic but actual or real. Hence, we speak of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament or Holy Eucharist.

As Catholics, we should reflect on the Mass / Holy Eucharist from various viewpoints including: as a Sacred Meal (from Jesus' actions at the Last Supper), as an Unblemished Sacrifice (from Christ's death on the altar of the cross) and as a Sacrament (an outward sign which gives us God's Grace).  

We hear words beginning the preface of the Eucharistic prayer urging us:“Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.” We also hear about Jesus taking bread, saying the blessing / giving thanks, breaking the bread and giving it to His disciples. We believe what Jesus declares (“This is My Body / My Blood”) literally happens. It is what occurs at every Mass when the priest stands in for Christ (in persona Christi) so that it is actually Christ who performs the action through the instrument of the priest. That is why the constant teaching of the Catholic Church has been that the priest must be male because the priest stands in place of Christ who was male. We believe this Ministerial Priesthood is Divinely established and is therefore not open to change. Pope St. John Paul II made this clear in his Apostolic Letter ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS:

“Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force. 

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.”

Making a proper thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion is something that also needs continual emphasis and reinforcement. We see people leaving Mass early (sometimes directly after receiving Holy Communion) and it is natural to wonder if there was adequate time given to praise / adore, to thank, to petition, and to ask for forgiveness from (reparation) Our Lord. After all, we have just received God Himself (Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity) and we have been united with Him in Holy Communion. Doesn’t this deserve a few moments of quiet, intimate reflection and prayer? Sometimes bad habits—like leaving Mass early—are hard to break! 

I also realize that not everyone is able to receive Holy Communion. Those in this situation should make a Spiritual Communion instead.

Remember to give thanks to the Lord, especially at this time when our nation celebrates Thanksgiving, and please attend Mass weekly with your family!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

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                       

Halloween and Praying for the Dead

Dear Parishioners,

November is considered the month of the Holy Souls. Following the Catholic teaching and practice that it is good to pray for the dead, allow me to make a few suggestions:

• Visit a cemetery and pray for a deceased loved one
• Have a Mass offered for a deceased loved one
• Pray a rosary or Divine Mercy chaplet for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
• Take an occasion during the day to pray the prayer for the Holy Souls:

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Halloween, sometimes with a rather disproportionate fascination with matters dark and even sinister seems to have gained tremendous interest in our society. Far gone seem to be the days to dress up like a saint (which I actually did in my Catholic elementary school days) to honor a holy, heroic person and his or her virtues. From a Christian perspective, it could still be a beautiful preparation for All Saints Day. But things have certainly changed over time. 

Ghosts, witches, vampires, mummies and werewolves were scary enough when I was growing up. Then came figures on the order of Jason (from the Friday the 13th movies), Freddy Krueger or some other mass murderer.  The theaters have seen their share of zombies, exorcisms, psychopaths and doom's day or end of the world movies to chill and/or terrorize.  Memories of Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) seem almost tame. A scary thought in more ways than one!

It is the subtle (and not so subtle) de-sensitization of our youth to the presence of violence, evil, and cruelty that continues to disturb me. We need to be extolling positive virtues, goodness and holiness to our young—the good, the true and the beautiful! Yet, too often our young are exposed to just the opposite. The media lets us know often enough how certain young minds are no longer innocent and pure but can become warped and capable of acts far beyond what was ever thought possible (remember Columbine or Sandy Hook?). 

I can’t begin to list all of the negative factors over the years from gangsta rap, to violent video games, to graphic movies and pornography, to access to just about anything on the Internet and social media that bombards the young constantly.  Put on top of that the lack of knowledge and practice of the Catholic (or any) Judeo-Christian faith, a declining moral code in society and the general absence of God and prayer in many peoples’ lives today.  It makes for a type of perfect storm!  And people wonder why we have problems?

Today's parents definitely have their work cut out for them.  Parents remain the first teachers of their children in all things—especially faith. 

Those raising children today certainly have my prayers.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Fr. Edward Namiotka