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

 

Until We Meet Again

 

St. Thomas More

As I sit down to write my final letter as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, many emotions pass through my entire being.

First is the sadness of not being with my people, my parishioners, on a regular basis. I have become fond of seeing you from week to week, in some cases day to day. I have never been one to display my emotions visibly. You might say I sometimes have a poker face. However, this does not mean I don’t have and experience feelings deep inside. Sadness is real. Separation is hard. Leaving brings things to the surface.

Starting again somewhere new causes me feelings of anxiety and apprehension. I recall when I arrived here in Cherry Hill we were in the midst of a “pandemic.” People were not coming to church, were wearing masks and I knew practically no one. During this time I became gravely ill and was hospitalized. Afterwards, I was very much isolated in my rectory. This was not a great time in my (or anyone’s) life. I never want to go through this type of situation again. Moreover, as an introvert by nature, meeting new people is not easy. Over the years I have worked hard to overcome this, but it is real nonetheless.

But enough about me. I take this time to express my gratitude to all of you for your love, kindness, generosity and support. I have made many more friends and I have enjoyed being your pastor for these past six years. Whether it was at Mass, at dinner, in the confessional, in the hospital, at the grocery store or in some other circumstance, I will miss you. Life is short and every person we meet and situation we experience is meant for a reason. Hopefully, we learn from all of them.

My apologies to anyone whom I may have hurt or offended in any way during my time here. Priests are all too human. We make mistakes. We are not gods, although we should strive to be Christ-like. Please pray for me to become more like Christ every day.

Some priests are very good, timely and regular in saying “thanks.” This has not been one of my better qualities over the years. I put off and forget to send “thank you” notes. I am sparse in my compliments. I admit I am deficient in this area. Period. However, I take this time to thank anyone who has helped me or the parish in any way during my time here. Thank you, thank you, and thank you! I am grateful for all that you have done.

Finally, I thank God for allowing me 39 years of priestly service. (Unfortunately, I will not be here to celebrate a milestone year next year.) I especially thank the Blessed Mother for being my Spiritual Mother during these years. Her example of unselfish obedience to the will of God continues to guide and inspire me.

At the end of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye (the main character) has to say goodbye to one of his daughters (Hodel) who is leaving for a distant place (Siberia). The dialogue goes something like this: “Papa, God alone knows when we will see each other again.” Tevye then says to her: “Then we will leave it in His hands.”

Fortunately, I do not depart for some distant land. I am only going to Brigantine—a beach town about an hour away. Maybe I will see you there! We will leave that in God’s hands.

Be kind to Fr. Matveenko.

Please pray for me as I will pray to you!

Fr. Ed Namiotka   

Father's Day!

Dear Parishioners,

First of all, I pray for all fathers today—living and deceased. I lost my father many years ago in 1995 when he was only 64 years old. His love and concern for his wife and family are memories that cannot be easily erased from my mind.

As I was preparing to write for Father’s Day, I primarily want to address the men of our parish and community who are honored this day. While I do not have any biological children myself, I can still understand some of the obligations and duties of fatherhood since I am a spiritual father for the parish as priest and pastor. After all, I am called “Father” on a daily basis by young and old alike.

When I was teaching the Family Life class in high school, I would remind the students that it was relatively easy for most men biologically to have a child. No one has to teach the various animal species of the world the process of mating. Animal instinct will generally take care of that. However, to serve as a father to a child involves a lot more than the biological act of mating.

Fathers have the responsibility to love and care for, to feed and clothe, to educate and teach their children. More than that, however, fathers are to be the spiritual leaders of their homes—their domestic church. Every father is a type of priest for his home. He is the moral leader and exemplar for his family. Remember that when we call God “Our Father” as Jesus taught us, it is practically impossible not to have our own earthly fathers somewhat in the back our minds when we think of the concept of fatherhood. Earthly fathers should seek to be an example of the unconditional love that our Heavenly Father has for us.

Too often in our society and sometimes in various cultures, men do not accept the responsibility to be the spiritual fathers for their families.  We will have various women in a parish who become “church widows” since their husbands do not come regularly to church. This also leaves any children that they have as spiritual orphans since their dads are teaching their children that there are other things more important in life for them than God and Church. Remember that true fathers teach by both word and example!

Do I ever see dad pray?  Does dad ever volunteer his time at church?  Does dad go to confession regularly?  Does dad go to Mass and receive Holy Communion each week?  These are questions that might be going through your children’s minds. How will these questions be answered?

I propose St. Joseph as a role model for all fathers. God chose him to be the father-figure for Jesus on earth and he was His legal father (foster father) in worldly matters. While we have no spoken words from him in Sacred Scripture, Joseph is known as a “righteous” man (Mt. 1:19), obedient to the will of God. His concern and love for the Blessed Virgin and Jesus becomes apparent by his actions on their behalf.

I realize that some of the dads who need to hear this may not be in church to read this bulletin. Calling all church widows and spiritual orphans: please bring this bulletin to your husbands and/or fathers for me special delivery. I would be anxious to see the expressions on their faces.

For those many men who are faithfully trying to do a good job for their families: “thank you, dad!”

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place my Trust in Thee

Dear Parishioners,

In the Catholic Church, the month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I think it is no mere coincidence that the secular world puts an emphasis on something contrary to Christ and the teaching of His Church. Rebellious human beings would rather act defiant to God’s design and try to tell God how they should be allowed to live and act. The first deadly sin—pride—once again rears its ugly head.   

For fourteen years of my life I had worked at a high school named for Our Lord’s Sacred Heart. The motto of the school was: Fac Cor Nostrum Secundum Cor Tuum. (The translation of the Latin:  Make our hearts like unto Thine or Make our hearts like Your Heart.)

The image of the Sacred Heart centers on a devotion to Jesus’ physical heart as representing His Divine Love for all humanity. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light. It is bleeding, pierced by the lance-wound, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and surmounted by a cross. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of Christ’s love.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart. She entered the Visitation Convent in 1671 and six years later Christ appeared to her in a vision in which she said: "I could plainly see His heart, pierced and bleeding, yet there were flames, too, coming from it and a crown of thorns around it. He told me to behold His heart which so loved humanity. Then He seemed to take my very heart from me and place it there in His heart. In return He gave me back part of His flaming heart."

In all, there were four revelations, during which the now-familiar Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart were made:

1.       I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

2.       I will establish peace in their homes.

3.       I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4.       I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5.       I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6.       Sinners will find in my Heart the source and an infinite ocean of mercy.

7.       Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8.       Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9.       I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.

10.   I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11.   Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.

12.   I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. 

The last of these promises is responsible for the nine First Fridays’ devotion. Also requested by Jesus was the establishment of a feast in honor of His Sacred Heart. We now celebrate this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Friday after the octave of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This year it falls on June 12, 2026. Bishop Williams intends to consecrate the Diocese of Camden to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at St. Mary’s Church, Gloucester City, NJ on this day. Additionally, we honor the Sacred Heart every first Friday of the month. It is also a Catholic tradition to have an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned in the family home.

Below is the Prayer of Consecration presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (U.S.C.C.B.):

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:

You know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.

From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst.

Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you.

We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation.

May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.

May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign, pointing all people to your infinite love.

O Desire of Nations and Center of History, we ask you to bless these United States of America.

Who live and reign with God the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Now that you have a brief history, what truly matters is whether or not we are becoming more Christ-like and whether our hearts reflect Christ’s love for us.

The simple prayer said — Make my heart like Your Heart — should remind us of the task in front of each of us.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ "A" (Corpus Christi) - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, otherwise known as Corpus Christi. This is a solemnity that is transferred from Thursday (the day on which the Holy Eucharist was instituted) to Sunday in the United States and other countries. In Rome and various places throughout the world, however, it was celebrated this past Thursday.

As Catholics we are called to look at and adore the great gift that we possess in the Holy Eucharist.  We believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Let me be very direct and clear:  not all Christian faiths believe the same thing about the Holy Eucharist. Some believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol or blessed bread. Other denominations believe that the bread and wine become Christ while the service is going on but return to bread and wine after the service is ended. Some hold that the Eucharist is a sacrament, while others do not. There are many varying points of view.

The Catholic Church believes and teaches that the bread and wine truly become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. It is truly Christ present on our altars and in our tabernacles. We take Christ at His word when the words of consecration are spoken: “This is my Body . . . This is my Blood.”

That’s why it’s frustrating to me that some people can be so cavalier about this essential belief of the Catholic faith. For some to say things like: “It’s all the same” or “One religion is as good as another” or “I’ll just go over to the nearby Protestant church” misses the point about what we have held as a core belief in the Catholic Church: We possess the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Yes, it’s good for us to get down on our knees to adore and worship Christ truly present at every Mass and in our tabernacles. He promised to remain with us always: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20)  We believe that he kept this promise in the Holy Eucharist.

We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

 

The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1382)

I suggest that we all make an effort to be more intentional in the following matters when receiving our Lord in Holy Communion:

• Receiving Our Lord in the state of grace (not conscious of any serious or mortal sin, including deliberately missing Sunday Mass or Holy Days). The Sacrament of Penance is necessary when mortal sin is involved.
• Fasting from food and drink for a minimum of an hour beforehand (no gum chewing, etc.)
• Receiving Our Lord with utmost reverence and respect (no talking or other distracting behavior).
• Making a proper thanksgiving afterward (adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication or acts).

May we always realize Who we have before us on our altars and in our tabernacles and Who we are privileged to receive in Holy Communion:  Jesus, the Son of God.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the Ascension of the Lord "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Holy Trinity

Dear Parishioners,

Whenever we look at the mystery of the Holy Trinity, we should realize that this is not something that we could figure out on our own without God revealing this to us through Jesus. If our explanation of the Trinity were merely one opinion among many of the inner make-up of God, then God could be just about anything that any one of us thinks or believes. One Person? Four persons? However, as Catholic Christians we believe that Jesus—the Son of God and one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity—revealed to us the mysterious inner-workings of God.

God exists as three Persons in relationship. Jesus often spoke of God as His Father. He taught us to pray the prayer we call the “Our Father.” He told us that “whoever has seen (Him) has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). He told us that “the Father and I are one” (Jn. 10:30). We begin to recognize this unique Father-Son relationship through Jesus.

But Jesus did not stop there.  He also began to speak of another—an “Advocate” (Jn. 15:26), “the Spirit of Truth”, (Jn. 15:26), the “Holy Spirit” (Jn. 14:26). With time the Church began to understand a little bit more about this third Person as “the Lord, the Giver of Life” who “has spoken through the prophets” (cf. the Nicene Creed).

It must have been very hard for many of the Jewish followers of Jesus who were strict monotheists to try to comprehend how God could be one, yet three at the same time. Why should this be surprising to us since we still fumble at various explanations to try to articulate this profound mystery?

As a teacher, the best analogy that I have used over the years that helps people comprehend this mystery of something being one and three at the same time is the analogy of ice, water and steam. All three have the same chemical composition (H₂O) and thus have a certain oneness, yet there can be a manifestation in different states (ice, water and steam) depending on temperature. While all analogies ultimately fall short of the reality, this analogy still gives us some insight into this profound mystery.

Then some insight might be given by the example of a human family where a relationship of two people in love with each other (in this case, husband and wife) can produce a third person (baby or child) who is both complete (a person) and entirely distinct from the other two. The family of this world may indeed reflect, in an analogous way, the mystery of the Holy Trinity—three unique and distinct Persons in one Godhead, eternally in love with each other.   

Trying to figure out God’s make-up is one thing. Having a personal relationship with each of the Persons of the Trinity is something else entirely. Jesus put a human face to God for us by taking on a human nature. And he also told us about the unique relationship that He has with the other Persons in the Godhead. Now we need to seek out each of these Persons of Holy Trinity in prayer and grow in our love for each of them—three Persons in one God.

On Trinity Sunday we rejoice in the fact that God (through Jesus) has revealed His inner make-up to us!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Pentecost

Dear Parishioners,

Today in the Catholic Church we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost comes from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth day.” In the Jewish tradition, Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks celebrated the time between Passover and the giving of the Law (Torah) to Moses on Mt. Sinai, a period of 50 days. It was the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews who referred to this feast as Pentecost.

In the Christian tradition, however, the meaning is different. Fifty days after Easter, Christians celebrate Pentecost as the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles (See Acts 2: 1-41). Pentecost has been referred to as the birthday of the Church.

Knowing the history of the Apostles and their actions / reactions to the Passion and Death of Jesus is significant here. Judas betrayed Christ and then hanged himself (Mt. 27: 3-10). Out of fear, Peter denied Christ (Mt. 26: 69-75). Also out of fear, all of the other Apostles (Mt. 26:56), except for John, fled from the cross. Yet, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter, acting as the spokesperson for the other Apostles, addressed the crowds fearlessly:

You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it . . . . God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses . . . . Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2: 22-24, 32, 36)

Obviously, something significant changed Peter and the other Apostles. First, they experienced the Risen Lord Jesus. They saw that He was alive despite everything that was done to torture and kill Him. He is alive. Next, they were filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. They received supernatural gifts to strengthen them with their mission of preaching, teaching and witnessing to Christ’s Resurrection.

I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit can be responsible for the growth of the Church against all odds from its seemingly impossible beginnings to become a Church of over a billion today worldwide, can we underestimate what that same Spirit can do to renew the face of the earth? Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength. Pray for the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to be more fully present in your lives.

Don’t ever underestimate what the Holy Spirit can do if we invite Him into our lives (give Him permission) daily.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor