Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

God's Children are Not for Sale

 

Dear Parishioners,

Chances are you may be familiar with the actor Jim Caviezel. He most notably played Jesus in the movie The Passion of the Christ.

However, you may be less familiar with Tim Ballard. Tim formerly worked as a special agent for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but then quit his job there to pursue the rescue of children who are being trafficked in the sex trade worldwide. The organization that he formed is called Operation Underground Railroad about which the movie Sound of Freedom was written.

I saw the movie a few weeks ago and I highly recommend it. The plot surrounds an actual rescue of children that took place in Colombia, South America. The movie respectfully handles a most difficult subject and attempts to make people aware of the extent of human trafficking worldwide and, in particular, the sex trafficking of minors.

I have listened extensively to the interviews of both Jim and Tim on many varying platforms. To hear their personal stories and the background information of the film makes one aware of the evil and the dark forces that do not want this film to be successful or their message about human trafficking to get out to the general public. Just shut up!

The film did not get the backing of any of the normal Hollywood channels and was produced independently by Angel Studios, the same studio that has successfully produced the Netflix series, The Chosen. When I began to notice how much the mainstream media and the Hollywood elites continually try to portray the film, the actors, the subject matter, etc. in the most negative of terms, attached to all sorts of conspiracy theories, I suspect that the makers of the film have touched upon a much-hidden and carefully-protected sore spot among societal elites and various potential predators. Does anyone happen to remember Harvey, Cosby, Spacey, the Me Too movement, Ghislaine, Jeffery and his notorious island, etc. etc.? Or are our collective memories that bad?

When the filmmakers contend that America is the number one consumer of child pornography and that the money generated annually by the sex trafficking of minors and adults is a 150 billion dollar industry, does that bother us?

Remember we live in a culture where the destruction of preborn children is routine, where the sexualization of young children and adolescents is ever more commonplace, where the family unit has disintegrated, where sexual perversion and taboos are advocated and glorified, where pornography is rampant and where the moral compass of the godless does not exist. To quote the line from the Louis Armstrong song: What a wonderful world!

I have stated many times that God is in charge and that nothing happens without His knowing it or permitting it.  However, biblical history has shown that things will only spiral out of control for so long without God's intervention.  Remember Noah?  How about Sodom and Gomorrah? What about the ten plagues of Egypt?

Then there was the great Roman Empire.  I suspect that no one at the time would have predicted its demise.

I am thankful that there are people in the world who are willing to stand up for what is right and good despite the personal cost. I personally think that Jim Caviezel and Tim Ballard fit into this category. While none of us is perfect and without our own sin, we all need to take some responsibility for the sins of our society.  And we need to stand up for and protect our most vulnerable members including the preborn, children, the handicapped, the infirm and the elderly.

I especially echo the theme of Sound of Freedom:  God's Children are Not for sale!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Trying to Take in Some Vitamin D

Dear Parishioners,

By the time you read this message, I will be on vacation at the Jersey shore.

Being raised in Wildwood-by-the-Sea, NJ, I grew up loving the beach and boardwalk. I still like to soak in the sun when I am able, although I get continual warnings from my dermatologist to “be sure to use your sun-block!”  Sometimes, I spend time at the shore with mom. I also like to join friends for dinner and go to the beach with them as my mom no longer is able to do so. So far the weather has cooperated but there is also a prediction of the possibility of intermittent thunderstorms. Oh well!

As a former high school teacher, I told my students hundreds of times that there is no vacation from God—especially during their summer and holiday breaks. Now I find myself on a brief summer vacation while trying to maintain some semblance of a prayer life. I inevitably pack a small “Mass kit” which enables me to offer Mass no matter where I am.  Mass can then be celebrated privately in mom's condo, someone's home or in a hotel room on a daily basis. Thankfully, it is so convenient for my mom (and me) that her son is a priest!  

Maybe I’m strange, but if I were not a priest, Mass would be an important consideration for me as part of my vacation.  I would want to travel where God was not something of an afterthought—just one activity among many. There are various apps that you can download on your phone these days, as well as the web site masstimes.org enabling the traveler to find a Catholic Mass while on vacation. The excuses for not knowing where and when a Mass can be found are becoming more bogus.

Years ago, the summer Mass schedule in Wildwood was unbelievable.  Mass was celebrated almost every hour in St. Ann Church and alternately every half hour in the Wildwood Catholic High School gym and auditorium. There were somewhere around twenty to twenty-five Masses each weekend. If I included the Masses in Wildwood Crest (Assumption Church) the number would be well over thirty each week. The total today in all three locations is less than ten (including one in Spanish).  Do you see any pattern here?  

I walked the boardwalk last night, as I frequently do. The humidity was bad but the ocean breeze helps a little. I love to observe the many people visiting the shore resorts, although I am not always edified by their language or behavior. 

When St. Paul came to Corinth, it was a notorious sea port filled with vice.  When he went to Rome, he had to face the immorality and corruption within the Roman Empire.  All the cities he visited had their own particular problems and degrees of sinful behavior.  To the people of Ephesus, he wrote the following:

   

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Eph. 5: 1-5)

I hope and pray that we all desire to have some inheritance in the Kingdom of God. This means that we all must strive continually to conform our lives to the teaching of the Sacred Scriptures—even while on vacation. 

There is never really a vacation from God!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Some Good Advice

Dear Parishioners,

I wish I had saved the letter.

A now-deceased Trappist monk from the Abbey of the Genesee sent a letter to me while I was in the college seminary.  It was a time in my life when I was seeking some serious direction and advice. I was a bit disillusioned with things that were going on in the seminary and with the moral character of some of my fellow seminarians. I was also disappointed with some professors and their actions. Needless to say, even in a place where men were preparing to be priests, things were far from perfect. The seminary situation proved to be a real testing ground for my vocation.  

Unfortunately, I learned from an early time in my training that not everyone played by the rules and did what they were supposed to do. I knew very well that I was an imperfect sinner as well. (Regrettably, I still am.) However, I was trying as best I could—albeit imperfectly—to model my life and behavior after the pattern of Jesus Christ and His teachings. 

Weren’t we all in this together? Shouldn’t we be helping one another as brothers and strengthening one another rather than bringing others down and even leading others astray? Shouldn’t some of the professors be better examples to the students in this situation?

The words from the monk are ingrained in my mind and heart: “If all the world should go astray and everything seems upside down, you go on faithfully serving the Lord.” He challenged me to live the Gospel and to be a disciple of the Lord while holding nothing back.

Sometimes it may seem that we are fighting an uphill battle. Perhaps it may appear that we are completely alone in our struggles. Yet, I truly believe that there are many, many good people out there who want to follow the Lord and do what is pleasing to Him. We know that even Jesus’ hand-picked followers had their flaws. One of them denied Him and one of them turned on Him in historic betrayal. Perfection was lacking, even among His most intimate followers.

St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians seems to ring true especially today:

 

. . . Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. . . . Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.  (Philippians 2: 12b, 14-16)

We can look at the world today and so often want to throw in the towel.

What can I do with such a mess? Do I still want to follow the Lord and be His disciple?  

Thankfully, I will go on remembering the monk’s words to me. They have proved invaluable over time.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

 

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Being “Connected” to a Parish

Dear Parishioners,

What I have to say here this week is a reflection on parish life that I initially made while pastor of a previous parish. These were/are simply my thoughts on the situation in far too many parishes in our diocese as we move into the future.

One of things I have tried to emphasize over my years as a priest is the importance of being “connected” to a particular parish. (My family, originally from Philadelphia, saw people identifying themselves primarily with their home parish.) I have usually thought a person or family should be anchored or rooted in a parish that they considered their own in order to be spiritually nourished.

Today, many people will more commonly “shop around” to find a church that will suit their needs for a short term solution rather than for a long haul commitment. The typical scenario is that a person, couple or family seeks out a church where they can get married or have their child baptized or have a deceased loved one buried or any of a number of occasions where a church and one of its ministers is needed for a specific time and purpose. If people still go to Mass each week, they may float around to whatever church has a Mass time to suit their current plans/schedule or attend a church where the particular preacher may appeal to them.

The past re-configuration of parishes throughout the diocese—while seen as critical by its leadership so that the entire diocese does not go “belly up” in the future—has not necessarily helped the situation.  People saw their parishes merged and re-named or, in some cases, closed entirely.  Similarly, schools were reconfigured, renamed or closed as well. The parish where parishioners were baptized, received their first Holy Communion, got married, donated a statue, refurbished the stained-glass window, etc., etc., was no longer there as they had known it for years. Any long-term connection was severed and people were told to move on and accept their new situation.

Given the fact that we have, over the years, also lost quite a few generations of Catholics who no longer practice their faith regularly or may have found another denomination that currently suits their needs, many of our parishes continue to struggle for future existence. Numerous younger Catholics don’t see a necessary connection to the local parish, don’t practice their faith regularly, don’t support the church financially, and continue to drift along without a spiritual compass. And we wonder: Why are our young people the way they are today? Consider all of the above factors, combined with the materialistic, hedonistic, egocentric culture in which we live. Additionally, young people have been disillusioned or even scandalized by the poor example of Church leadership. Doesn't seem to be a real rosy picture, does it?

Without an intimate connection to a parish by its parishioners, the future of this or any parish becomes rather tenuous. Certain individuals or certain families may still retain a strong relationship to their particular parish. However, I fear that for the vast majority of Catholics in our area, they will just drift along and wonder "why?" when some of their churches are no longer there for their families and for their spiritual needs in the future.

I pray I am wrong, but I am not currently convinced otherwise.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Another Side of "Sin City"

 Dear Parishioners,

This past week I was in Las Vegas, Nevada—a.k.a., Sin City.  However, as I have explained for the past four decades, I have a friend there from my seminary days, Auxiliary Bishop Gregory W. Gordon.  The bishop and I attended St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia for college and we have remained friends ever since.

The occasion for this recent visit was the 90th birthday of his mother Carole.  His mom and mine are approximately the same age. The last time I was in Vegas was to attend his Episcopal ordination two years ago. He was the first auxiliary bishop ever appointed in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is a part of the country where the Catholic Church is growing in leaps and bounds. A number of years ago, I stood with the then Fr. Gordon as we surveyed the desert land that would become his future parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Henderson, NV.  He had to build it from the ground up. Today it proudly boasts of a parish family in proximity of 10,000 families!  There is also a newly established Catholic school in the parish.  The area has grown so large that another neighboring Catholic parish will be established in the immediate future.

Proof of the continued Catholic growth there is the fact the Las Vegas has recently been elevated to the status of Archdiocese. On June 29th, Archbishop George Leo Thomas, the current Ordinary (head bishop) for the archdiocese, will be presented with the pallium (a symbol of his office) from the Hoy Father. Las Vegas was once part of the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas.  Subsequently, it became its own diocese.  Now it has been elevated to the status of archdiocese and has its own auxiliary bishop.  The rapid growth continues! 

Over the years I have attended various ceremonies within the diocese.  I saw confirmation classes too large to be held in parish churches, necessitating the use of the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer on the south part of Las Vegas Boulevard (the strip). I have offered Mass and heard confessions for huge congregations from many cultures and backgrounds. There is a sizable Latino community.

Vegas has morphed from a small gambling oasis to a large metropolitan vacation destination in a little more than a century! Having personally observed the tremendous growth of Las Vegas over the years, I see how this city and its archdiocese now rivals particular parts of the country where the Catholic parishes have become mega-parishes.  (The state of Florida comes to mind.)  While the northeast part of the country is in noticeable church decline (recall the mergers, closures and sale of church property), other areas are experiencing the need for considerable expansion.

Incidentally, as my plane was landing, the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup.  Who would have ever thought that an ice hockey team would win a championship in the desert of Las Vegas?

Only in Vegas!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration at St. Thomas More Parish

Dear Parishioners,

Next week, we celebrate the feast day of our patron saint, St. Thomas More (Wednesday, June 22). The date is shared with another English martyr, St. John Fisher. At that time, our parish will observe 40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration from Wednesday evening, June 21 to Friday morning, June 23. 

Following an evening Mass at 7 PM on June 21, the Blessed Sacrament will remain continually present on the altar in the church for private prayer and adoration. We will add an extra evening Mass at 7 PM on Thursday evening (in addition to our regular morning Mass at 9 AM). Fr. Nicholas Dudo, the Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Camden, will be the guest homilist during the two evening Masses. The closing Mass on June 23 (9 AM) will be followed by a Eucharistic procession and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. 

I truly believe that when we take the time to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, it is an opportunity for tremendous blessing not only for us as individuals but also for our families and for our entire parish family. I do not ever want us to take for granted the great gift of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Time spent with Him is indeed a grace-filled time. We can express our love and adoration for Jesus, thankfulness for our blessings, and contrition for sin (our own and the sins of others). We can also intercede for one another and petition the Lord for our various needs. It is an invaluable time to spend with Jesus Himself, truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

When we come into the Lord’s presence, Jesus can transform us. Come sit or kneel before the Master and open your hearts to Him. By our very presence there, we give Jesus permission to change our hearts and our lives. We may think that we go to pray, to petition and to worship, or even that we are doing God a favor by spending some of our precious time with Him. Our Lord Jesus truly desires that we spend time with Him, listening to Him. Remember, we are created to spend eternity with God and we can foster that precious relationship now before Jesus' Real Presence. We do not need to worry about what prayers we should say, what spiritual readings we should be reading or what we should be doing in His Presence. Just being with the Lord can be life-changing. He can soften our hearts, heal our wounds, inspire us and guide us. He can give us an inner peace that nothing in this world can match. Making the commitment to spend time with Him is part of the process of falling in love with Him. (Many parishioners have already experienced various spiritual gifts and blessings by spending time with Our Lord daily, during our established adoration time in chapel from 9:30 AM to Noon, Monday-Friday.)

What I am again request from you, my parishioners, is that you dedicate at least one hour sometime with the Lord in adoration during these three days. (Ideally, this should be in addition to any time attending Mass.) This devotion will continue for two nights—around the clock—and I need your help and cooperation in order to accomplish this. Could you please think about dedicating an hour in prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament? Why not encourage members of your family to pray as a family for an hour? Perhaps a group or organization within the parish can make a holy hour together (Small Christian Communities, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Faith and Justice Team, choir, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, etc.) I especially need a few night owls to cover the late hours! We are arranging to have added security at night.

Sign-up sheets will be available at the doors of the church so that we can be sure that there is always present with our Lord. Please assist me in making this a special time for our parish as we adore our Eucharistic Lord. This is certainly an important part of our parish's Eucharistic renewal. 

Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor