Jesus Christ "Superstar"

Dear Parishioners,

On Easter Sunday eve, a live performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar was aired on national TV.  Before I watched it, I wondered if I should put on some bell bottom pants and a tie dye t-shirt to get in the mood.  What’s the buzz? . . . Tell me what’s a-happening . . . .   Perhaps a bit dated.

The fact that two musicals about Jesus (Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar) came to the big stage at about the same time (c. 1971) tells us of the continual curiosity and fascination with the identity of Jesus Christ and his Gospel message.  Every generation must ask itself what it makes of the person of Jesus and his claim to be the Son of God.

Jesus Christ Superstar may contain some catchy, vintage tunes, but it misses the mark as a statement of faith for Christians.  It is simply too shallow in its understanding of many mysteries of our Christian faith and its core beliefs.

First, depending on the visual interpretation, the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalen has regularly been questioned as inappropriate.  I Don’t Know How to Love Him can certainly imply something more than simply a platonic relationship between the two.  Granted, secular societies cannot grasp the value of celibacy and chastity and wonder if it is even possible. Does everyone have someone on the side? Was Mary Magdalen romantically in love with Jesus?  I am sure that Jesus loved Mary Magdalen in the way that God loves us all.  But to imply something further—even sexual—seems to cross the line.

The portrayal of Jesus’ apostles and disciples might be categorized as ignorant buffoons.  Judas, however, seems to be the one carefully calculating, deliberately questioning and generally pragmatic in his approach to Jesus.  The request by Peter and Mary Magdalen near the end (Could We Start Again Please?) seems reminiscent of a child’s do-over, once they realized the error of their ways.

Where there is an obvious lack of understanding by the creators of this musical is in the portrayal of the institution of Holy Eucharist.  For all you care, this wine could be my blood . . . For all you care, this bread could be my body.  While the next few lyrics become more definitive, the initial use of the word could leaves a person questioning and with some uncertainty about what just transpired.  The treatment of the Holy Eucharist, in my opinion, is horribly deficient and lacking mystery.

Finally, the premise of the entire show questions whether Jesus was indeed some Superstar.  Tragically, there is avoidance of any definitive statement concerning his Resurrection from the dead, and any definitive identification as the Son of God.

I realize that the creators of the musical were probably more concerned with its entertainment value and overall popularity more than any statement of faith. Jesus was portrayed like any important, influential, historical figure.  However, for a believer, the musical leaves one hungering for more substance, more understanding, more faith.  

To achieve this, I suggest reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures instead.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Attention All Fence-Sitters!

Dear Parishioners,

During this season of Lent, there have been a few readings that particularly caught my attention.

Jesus is quoted as saying to the Pharisees (Tuesday of the 5^th Week of Lent):  “For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” (Jn. 8:24)  What did Jesus just do here?  He associated Himself with the Divine Name given to Moses in the Burning Bush!  (See Ex. 3:14).

In the readings for the day before, Jesus spoke of God as His Father.  (See Jn. 8:16-19)  

In the Gospel of the Transfiguration (on the 2^nd Sunday of Lent—Mk. 9: 2-10), the voice from the cloud instructs:  “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Then there is the occasion during the Sermon of the Mount (Friday of the 1^st Week of Lent) where Jesus gives a command that apparently supersedes the Law of Moses: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors You shall not kill,  . . . but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” (Mt. 5:21-22)

If we search the Sacred Scriptures we will see Jesus saying things like:  “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6); “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (Jn. 11:25) and “Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (Jn. 6:53)  

I could certainly go on with similar quotes.

My point is that Jesus made some pretty bold, definitive statements challenging all people to decide regarding His identity:  Is He the Son of God or not?  If we say yes, then we had better pay attention to what He said and follow His commands. We need to be a disciple.  If we say no, then, like the Jewish authorities who accused Him of blasphemy and sought His death, He was no more than a liar, a fraud, evil, etc. 

This is how British writer C.S. Lewis described this situation:

              

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’  That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952

As we approach Palm Sunday and begin the sacred days of Holy Week, may we all acknowledge and follow Jesus as our Lord, God and Savior.  

Christian discipleship requires a life-commitment to Him!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The 2018 "House of Charity" Appeal: Walk With Me

Dear Parishioners,

It is once again that time of year when our bishop, as spiritual leader of the Diocese of Camden, makes an appeal for our help with the various ministries and programs of the diocese.  The operation of a diocese is very much like the operation of a parish, only on a much larger scale.  Essentially, we—as a parish or as a diocese—can only do the things that our financial means allow.  We depend on the generosity of our parishioners to support both.

The House of Charity-Bishop's Annual Appeal has been made in the Diocese of Camden since 1964—for 54 years now!  So it should come as no surprise to any of us.  Since we know that this appeal will be made annually, I ask that each of our parishioners/families prepares or budgets for it.  Again, it should come as no surprise, like an emergency collection would be after some natural disaster.

There are those among us whose financial means allow them to make a most generous gift.  I am extremely grateful for what they can do.  However, so many of our financial resources often come from the sacrificial giving of the average parishioner or family.  Remember the story of the widow’s mite (See Mk. 12:41-44 or Lk. 21:1-4)— the two small copper coins—from the Gospels?  Jesus praised her sacrificial giving even though it seemed minuscule in the eyes of many. 

Let me break this situation down a bit.  If I put aside less than $20.00 per month, I could easily make a $200.00 contribution annually.  Many of us probably could do substantially more, if it were truly sacrificial giving.  The average gift within the diocese last year was about $365.00.

This weekend (February 3-4) we will show the 2018 House of Charity video at Mass, followed by an “in pew” solicitation.  Please help us as a parish and as a diocese with this appeal.  You can make an outright gift or make a pledge which can be completed over time.  We ask you please to act this weekend if possible to save us time and money by having to send out additional letters or to make additional follow-up phone calls.  Please think and pray about this appeal and I request that you make your decision and commitment as soon as possible.

There is a saying that all politics is local.  Remember, when we reach this year’s goal, we will receive 10% of what is collected for use back here in our parish.  Additionally, 75% of all funds received above our parish goal is returned to our parish.  This year's parish goal at Holy Angels is $170,456.49.

So, on behalf of our diocese and our bishop, I humbly ask for your assistance with this appeal.  As my parishioners, I hope you realize that I infrequently ask for money.  I am generally uncomfortable with this task.  However, there are many who will undoubtedly benefit from our financial gifts and sacrifices and I appeal to your generosity on their behalf.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan

Catholic Schools Week!

Dear Parishioners,

We begin our annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week (January 28-February 3, 2018). 

We are happy to announce that Bishop Dennis Sullivan will celebrate Mass for the school children during this week! 

I write here to share with you my belief in the importance and value of our Catholic Schools. Although this letter is addressed to all parishioners, I particularly hope that those of you who are parents of school-aged children might rethink the possibility of a Catholic school for your children.  I admit that I write with a certain bias towards a Catholic school education having attended Catholic schools for over 21 years (from kindergarten through seminary and graduate school.)  Subsequently, I had been a teacher and/or administrator in Catholic schools for 20 additional years.  I value each of these 40+ years and hope to have many more working for and with Catholic Schools.    

What does a Catholic school have to offer?  The simple answer is the integration of faith, morals and the love of Jesus Christ as part of the life of the school.  If this is not the top priority of any particular Catholic school, then I will be the first in line to see it close.  Catholic schools need to be more than just academically sound but also truly Catholic.  Our faith is that important!

On the elementary level, the administration, teachers and staff of Holy Angels School are working very hard to accomplish this task.  Together with strong parental support the school is an extended family.  I have witnessed the school community living out its faith, constantly improving its academic curriculum and developing new programs while it is experiencing a renewed, strong interest by many families in our area.  I am very proud to be the Pastor and partner of this wonderful, truly Catholic school. 

We are also fortunate to have numerous diocesan and private Catholic high schools in our proximity:  Gloucester Catholic, Camden Catholic, Paul VI, and Bishop Eustace.

Over the years I have found that not everyone's needs can always be met in a Catholic school.  I also realize that no Catholic school is perfect because they are made up of imperfect human beings.  Yet, if the students are supported by loving parents who practice their faith and those students try to live out the teachings of their faith as articulated every day in the classroom, then I think that Catholic school graduates are as well-prepared as anyone to face the challenges, trials and tribulations that life may present.  I encourage families who have not seriously considered a Catholic school to pray about it, make an appointment to visit or attend an open-house and see if a Catholic school may be the right fit for your child(ren).  

Yes, the added expense of tuition is difficult.  (Limited tuition assistance may be available for needy families.)  Yet, isn’t sacrifice usually a necessary part of obtaining something truly valuable?  There is no better short or long term investment you can make than in the education and spiritual formation of your children.  

My thanks to those parents who currently make the sacrifice to send your children to a Catholic school and to those who take the time to consider one!

Fr. Ed Namiotka    

Pastor

Whatever Happened to . . . Advent?

Dear Parishioners,

This time of the year always seems to be so much of a hassle.  What used to be the beginning of the Christmas shopping season with Black Friday, now has moved even earlier and earlier.  Many worry about sending Christmas cards, baking Christmas cookies, decorating, cleaning the house for guests, putting up the Christmas tree, buying gifts, (and wondering how I am going to pay for all those things that are now on my credit card!)

What does any of this really have to do with Christmas—the birth of Christ?

If you are honest, wouldn’t you just love to forget about all of the social pressures that are placed upon us by a consumer-driven society and all of the commercialism that eclipses this sacred season?  I still love A Charlie Brown Christmas because it reminds us all of this very point.

Advent is meant as a time for spiritual preparation for Christmas—four weeks of spiritual preparation!  Most of us are not even aware of this preparatory season let alone take the time to observe it.  The Christmas season doesn’t really begin until Christmas Eve.  Soon after people are already tired of Christmas and begin taking down the decorations and the tree.  The (ever-more secular) Christmas songs disappear from the radio and the Valentine’s Day displays start appearing in the stores (right behind those huge after-Christmas sales!) 

I have a suggestion for you.  Cut back on the materialism.  Don’t buy into the consumer mentality.  Buy a few less gifts. (Who needs those outrageous credit card interest rates anyway?)  Bake fewer cookies. (My bathroom scale has continually reminded me that while they may taste good, I really don’t need their residual effects hanging around my gut for prolonged periods of time!)

Rather, do something spiritual that helps to focus on Christ.  Pray a bit more. Go to confession.  Help someone unfortunate.  Visit an elderly person.  Read the Bible.  Keep Christ in Christmas.

I can’t take away the stress that often comes this time of year.  But by following my advice you may help to reduce it slightly.  (And save a few bucks as well!)

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

A Thanksgiving Reflection

Dear Parishioners,

With Thanksgiving approaching, I ask that you take the time to consider and reflect on the things for which you are thankful.  Most of us will find times when we like to moan, groan and complain about many things.  However, 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 still 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 or widower, soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, or person in prison 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.  

I thank all my parishioners (current and former), and my family and friends for your continual, loving support.  (I apologize for any time when I failed to thank you or may have taken you for granted.)  

To me, there’s no better way to give thanks than by participating in the celebration of Mass on Thanksgiving Day.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

My Observations and Recommendations (So Far)

St. Patrick Church (Woodbury)

Dear Parishioners,

Some time ago, I mentioned in one of my weekly letters that I would be looking at the overall situation here at Holy Angels Parish and then get back to you with my observations.  So, what has become apparent to me in the time since I have arrived here?

First, I realize that I have had to make some personal adjustments to my style of ministry.  I was used to being very present at church each weekend.  I would be at the back of the church after most (if not all) of the Masses in Somers Point.  It was my opportunity to meet and greet the parishioners regularly.  However, I only had a single church building to go to and it was adjacent to the rectory.  Now I have three churches and a worship center being used regularly.  Having failed in any attempts at bi-location in the past, I know I just can’t be everywhere at once.  How can I possibly be at the 9 AM (National Park), 9:30 AM (Woodbury), 10 AM (Woodbury) and 10:30 AM (Westville) Masses, even if it is just to say “hello” to the people.  It’s a physical impossibility.

Then came my health issue (heart attack).  Perhaps, it is God’s subtle hint (or not-so-subtle hammer to the head) telling me to slow down and re-prioritize what I am here to do.  You are not in Kansas anymore Toto.  I can’t be present everywhere.  I need to pick and choose what a priest/pastor needs to do and allow someone else to do the other things.  Easier said than done at times!

Second, there is a need for a continual outreach to the children and young families within the parish.  From my rather high vantage point (6’6”), the backs of too many heads are greying and it is noticeable to me that the young are not present weekly in any healthy and vibrant numbers.  Minimally, the young and their families need to be evangelized or re-evangelized and helped to understand the importance of being at Mass each week.

Third, the physical plant of the parish is simply overwhelming.  With about a dozen buildings and their surrounding grounds to maintain, I am proposing the creation of a Building and Grounds Committee to assist me.  I had such a committee in some of my former parishes comprised of general contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters, etc. who volunteered as parishioners to evaluate and make a long-range plan of what needs to be done with the parish facilities.  If you are interested or know someone who may be well-suited for such a task, please contact me at the rectory.  This could conceivably remove a considerable amount of stress from my life.

Next, I propose expanding the Bereavement Committee of the parish.  Three aspects of this ministry seem very important to me when someone dies:  those who can comfort and help plan the funeral liturgy, ministers to be present at the funeral liturgy itself to greet, serve, read, etc. (as needed) and ongoing personal follow-up as time passes.  In my past parishes, some of the most effective and helpful ministers have come from those who have suffered the loss of a loved one and want to help others with their grief and loss.

The above observations and suggestions are just the beginning.  Your input, insights and suggestions are certainly welcome!

        

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Tying Up Loose Ends

Dear Parishioners,

Do you have a “to do” list?  Very often there are things in our lives that we push aside until later, when we have time.  Perhaps, there may be some issues that we just don’t want to face right now.  Putting these matters into a spiritual context, I compiled a list of some questions that we might ask ourselves to see whether or not there are some unresolved concerns in our spiritual lives:

• Should I be taking more time to pray each day?
• How often do I open the Bible to read and to reflect on the Sacred Scriptures?
• Have I been meaning to get to Mass more often and on a regular basis?
• Has it been too long since I made a sacramental confession?
• Do I volunteer my service to my church in some capacity or do I wait for someone else to do it?
• Do I tell the members of my family that I love them often?
• Do I pray for my spouse and my children (or my parents)?
• Do I take my spouse (or family) for granted?
• Am I holding a grudge against anyone?
• Have I forgiven someone who has hurt me or asked forgiveness from someone whom I have hurt?
• Have I recently visited that family member or friend who is homebound or institutionalized?
• Is there someone from my past who I have lost contact with and never taken the time to get in touch with again?
• Have I made that donation to charity that I had intended to do?
• If I am struggling with some issue, have I sought out professional help or someone qualified to assist me, or do I choose to go it alone?
• If I have failed at something, have I prayed for the courage and strength to begin and to try again?

I realize that there are times in all of our lives when we may feel overwhelmed, out of control, down in the dumps or just simply tired.  Personally, I have found that when my spiritual life is in order and I minimize any unresolved spiritual issues, the other matters in my life seem to fall more into place.

Jesus gave us two great commandments:  to love God "with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind" and to love your neighbor as yourself (see Mt. 22: 36-40).  Let’s try not to complicate matters and work to keep the spiritual things in our lives in proper perspective and in right priority.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

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!)

“Father, I’d Like to Buy a Mass” (Masses and Mass Intentions)

Dear Parishioners,

Occasionally, someone will come into the parish office / rectory with the following request:  “Father, I’d like to buy a Mass.”

Quite frankly, I would have to respond, “Sorry, they’re not for sale.”  We are not in the business of buying or selling sacraments or spiritual things.  This is referred to as simony.  We read the following about Simon the Magician (from whom this practice gets its name) in the Acts of the Apostles:

When Simon saw that the Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of God with money.” (Acts 8: 18-20) 

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered to God, the Father.  It is the re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Jesus, begun at the Last Supper and completed on the Cross.  Each Mass is usually offered with both general and particular intentions.  Members of the faithful can ask to have their particular intention(s) included in a particular Mass—what is commonly referred to as an announced Mass.  The Mass is usually offered for a deceased person or for the intentions of someone still alive.  In our parish, the intention is announced in the church bulletin, at an appropriate point during the Mass itself or both.

Then there is the issue of the Mass stipends. 

It is the Church's constant practice, as Paul VI wrote in the Motu Proprio Firma in Traditione that "the faithful, desiring in a religious and ecclesial spirit to participate more in intimately in the Eucharistic sacrifice, add to it a form of sacrifice of their own by which they contribute in a particular way to the needs of the Church and especially to the sustenance of her ministers." (Decree on Mass Stipends, Congregation for the Clergy, Feb. 22, 1991)

Mass stipends are intended to support your priests.  At various times and in different cultures, these donations provided entirely the means of support (for the basic necessities) that a priest needed in order to live.  Today, in our society, priests receive a salary.  The stipends, however, are still regarded as an offering (donation) by which the parishioners continue to share in the sustenance of the priests.

Requesting to have a Mass offered is the greatest spiritual gift that we can give to anyone—living or deceased.  It shows our belief in the importance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in Jesus’ saving action.  It joins our particular intention to the greatest, most efficacious, salvific work singularly accomplished by Jesus Himself—His Passion and Death on the Cross.

I encourage you to have a Mass offered regularly for your deceased loved ones and for various special intentions for the living (especially the spiritual well-being of family members and friends).  

As pastor, I remember you in all my Masses and particularly in the pro populo Mass that I offer for you, my parishioners, weekly.

You can’t buy a gift like this!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor