Spiritual Considerations from my Trappist Retreat

The chapel at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The chapel from outside

Our Lady of the Genesee

In Pursuit of "Truth"

 

Dear Parishioners,

Listening to lies, deceptions, half-truths, cover-ups, etc. can become exhausting. Add to the this the endless political messages this time of year as we approach the election of a new governor (and others) for New Jersey in November.

There’s a tremendous amount of confusion circulating today. My head continues to throb daily as I, like many people, question and seek out the truth. Pilate once questioned Jesus as He stood before him in judgment:  What is truth?  (Jn. 18: 38) It seems we are still looking for the answer to this question.

Going back to my days as a philosophy major in college, truth is defined as the conformity of the mind to reality. Jesus declared himself to be the way, the truth and the life. (Jn. 14:6) If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God Incarnate, then we had better pay close attention to Him and His teaching. Contrast this with Satan who is seen as the father of lies and we can begin to see the battle lines being drawn.

Lies and deception can potentially take place in any situation, circumstance and institution—unfortunately, even in the Catholic Church. That is how we find ourselves in cover-ups and scandals. The reason why a person traditionally was sworn in (with a hand on the bible) when giving testimony or taking an oath of office is to call God as a witness to what is being said “so help me God.”  When someone lies under oath, this is seen as committing the crime/sin of perjury.

Unfortunately, oaths and vows before God apparently are not taken too seriously anymore by far too many. Married couples walk away from their marriage vows exchanged with each other before God. Priests and religious are seen breaking their promises/vows of celibacy or chastity. While people may not admit to lying under oath, they may have lapses of memory, inadequate recall or parse words or phrases. “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” May I remind you of these words from a former President of the United States regarding his sexual indiscretions?

When searching for the truth, we need to look to Jesus.  We need to look to the Gospel and its eternal wisdom:

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. (Jn. 3: 19-21)

When no wrong is done, there is absolutely nothing to hide. There is no need for continual silence, stalling tactics, deflection, or cover-ups. This is true in politics, church management, and in a person’s personal life and morality.

To the faithful Catholics in the pews seeking truth, I predict the days ahead will get even more ugly as various hidden things are brought to light. However, through it all, Jesus and His Church will endure in the end.  He promised it would. (See Mt. 16: 17-19) Unfortunately, it can be relatively certain that there will be many battle scars and casualties. 

There already has been.

Fr. Ed Namiotka 

Pastor

Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Bible on Beads

Dear Parishioners,

In one of my previous parishes, my predecessor, as pastor, put out a challenge to the parishioners to read the Holy Bible each day.  He even distributed bibles to anyone who asked for one. Being a priest who majored in Sacred Scripture in the seminary, how could I not be an advocate of such an initiative as well?

While I still believe in the importance of reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, I also think that our turbulent times necessitate a revival/renewal of an ancient, time-tested practice—praying the daily rosary. After all, these are days of intense spiritual warfare and in such circumstances we need spiritual weapons to do battle.

The history of the holy rosary reveals its power combating heresy (against the Albigensians) and providing victory in battle (the Battle of Lepanto). It was requested by our Lady herself during various Church approved Marian apparitions (Fatima). It has tremendous spiritual benefits for those who faithfully pray it.

Simply stated, the rosary traces the highlights of the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ and the life of his Mother Mary as found in Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition. It is, in a sense, the bible on beads. We can use the rosary to help us spiritually each day as we recall and reflect on various mysteries of our faith and our salvation.

The repetition of the prayers is meant to help us get into a spiritual rhythm and a reflective mindset. The meditation on the mysteries helps us to recall and reinforce essential truths of our faith. The rosary also seeks the intercession of Our Lady who is essential to the plan for our salvation. She is our spiritual mother guiding us and accompanying us on our journey of life.

If you are unfamiliar with the mechanics of praying the rosary or do not know the various mysteries given for meditation, these can be found very easily online and then printed out for reference. The rosary has evolved with time even adding elements such as the Fatima prayer and the Luminous Mysteries.

The challenge that I put out to all of you who will read this is to pray the holy rosary daily. Maybe it has to start with simply praying a decade each day (perhaps, before going to bed?), but I hope that it will grow into a devotion that will bring much peace and consolation to your soul. May I suggest that you pray it with the intention of bringing back to the faith someone in your family or among your friends who has left the Catholic faith or no longer practices it? That intention should keep us all busy for quite some time.

October is the month traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary. It is also Respect Life Month. Why not pray the rosary with the intention of ending the scourge of abortion in our country and throughout the world? We can pray that all human life be seen and treated as sacred from conception until natural death. We can pray for the conversion of the hearts of those politicians who continue to support this unjust practice.

Please take the time to strengthen, renew or begin this devotion in your personal spiritual life and in the life of your family.     

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Our Lady of Fatima and the 3 Visionaries

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

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 Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

“The One with the Man on It”

Dear Parishioners,

Some time ago a person related to me her experience of attempting to buy a cross/crucifix from a jewelry store. As she questioned the salesperson about various crosses/crucifixes that were on display in the store, the salesperson innocently asked, “Do you want one with the man on it or not?”

Hmm. I was left speechless when I heard this story. Sad, I thought. Very sad. Doesn’t everyone know who Jesus is? 

Didn’t this person know what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross?

Truth be told, I really don’t know what the person knew, understood or believed. The experience, however, got me thinking. Why would someone in this day and age—with all of our technology and resources—not know the Gospel message. Why would someone not know who Jesus is and what He did for us? How do we relate to them this Good News?

“Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Rm. 10: 17)

We are currently in a Jubilee Year of Hope.  It is an invitation to have faith and hope in the Person of Jesus. We believe He is the Son of God sent to us to reveal to us the love that God has for us. He suffered and died on the cross for us and for the forgiveness of our sin. Most importantly, He conquered sin and death—giving us eternal life—by His Resurrection from the dead.

That’s the basic Christian message. It’s pretty simple. All people need to hear it somehow.

If a person doesn’t go to church, where the message is routinely proclaimed, then there has to be various other means to get the message out. Besides preaching, I try by putting something out in the church bulletin and on the internet weekly. I also try to live out my faith—albeit imperfectly—in the community in which I live. I certainly need to be a living Gospel message.

In the end, this message of salvation in Jesus Christ has to get out into the world through a united effort—all of us.  It’s not the just the priest’s job. I (or any other priest) can only reach a limited number of people. They are mostly those who are already coming to church.

We all have to be what we say that we are—followers of Christ, Christians. We have to bear witness to others the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Don’t be afraid. Tell them the Good News:

Yes, my friend, I would like a crucifix with Jesus on it. He is truly the Man, par excellence. He suffered and died for me and you on that cross. And I want the entire world to see it and to know it!

As we celebrate the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross this weekend, remember how strange is must seem to non-believers and the uncatechized that Catholics honor an instrument of execution from Roman times—a cross. Hopefully, we understand what was accomplished for us by Jesus’ death on a cross. The Son of God suffered and died on that cross for us and for our eternal salvation.

While to unbelievers Jesus' crucifixion may have appeared merely an execution, to believers it was a redemptive sacrifice of love on our behalf.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time "C" - Fr. Edward Namiotka