September 27, 2007
Focus: Teaching and Preaching
Dear Friend,
As many know I’m teaching homiletics at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Roland Park this semester. After four weeks of classes, I’m pleased to say how much I enjoy doing it. The men are open and very desirous of learning how to become better preachers and in teaching, I myself am being taught.
One of the main insights I have tried to convey is that an effective homily is comprised of two critical parts. The first is a good text, that is, a well-prepared homily, and the second is a dynamic delivery. Without an excellent text you’re only an entertainer. Without a dynamic delivery, you’re a “dry-as-dust” classroom teacher.
The preacher, whatever his style – and there are three classic styles: the Herald, the Pastor, and the Poet/Story teller – must recreate in the hearer the excitement and the discovery that he experienced in preparing the presentation. The homily truly becomes a homily only in the interaction with the assembly of believers.
As I write and peer out the window of my study, I see that the leaves are beginning to turn and I also realize that we are officially in autumn. What a beautiful harvest moon we had last evening! Enough of my daydreaming; back to work!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Weekly THIS AND THAT for September 30, 2007: The Church Exists to Assist Us in Knowing Jesus Christ
This and That:
The Church Exists to Assist Us in Knowing Jesus Christ
On the weekend of September 16th, Father Nick preached at all the Masses inviting all to prayerfully consider making a pledge to this year’s Annual Offertory Renewal. The homily he gave follows.
Introduction
A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. The pastor took her by the hand and brought her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy she went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, the little girl lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor to handle the final arrangements. On her was found a worn red purse that seemed to have come from some trash dump. Inside it there was 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.” Reading the note, the Pastor knew instantly what he would do. He told his congregation the story of her unselfish love and devotion and he challenged his people to raise enough money for a larger building. A wealthy realtor offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When he heard that the church could not pay that amount, he offered to sell it for … yes, 57 cents. Inspired, church members began giving and within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000, which was a huge sum for that time in the late 1900’s. Her belief that (1) The Church was needed to help others to know Jesus Christ and (2) Her willingness to give sacrificially, paid off in large dividends.
First Reading
The need for a community of faith to support us in our relationship with God is so evident in the first and second readings. In the first, from the Book of Exodus, you have Moses as head of the community going to the Jewish People because they have become depraved. They’ve given up their belief in God, turned from worship, and are now bowing down to idols, in fact, a golden calf. They have become “stiffed necked,” that is, resolute in their wayward ways and unwilling to hear the Lord and Moses pleads with God to hold off his punishment. He goes to the People to bring them back to worship of the God of their fathers. Without a community of faith and without the leadership of a Moses’ it is very easy to go adrift and become lost.
Second Reading
Paul, in his Letter to Timothy, is praising God for the ministry of the Church. In his own words he has gone from “a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogant” to a life full of grace, faith and love. As a sinner then, he knows firsthand, through the community of believers, God’s tender mercy and outstanding patience, and for that experience he’s willing to give God the honor and glory that is rightly due him. Paul’s testimony is that what God has done in him through grace, has been done so others might see! And it takes a Church to see that going on. It takes a Church to name it. It takes a Church to proclaim it as we do today.
Application
Last week I sent you a letter to share what the Church, as our parish, has done and what it needs to do this year to continue being the Body of Christ in this community. This week you will be receiving a second letter from me asking for your support through regular, weekly, Offertory giving that supports our worship, programs, and services done through our 60 ministries. In the letter will be a commitment card that helps you understand your commitment in relationship to the gifts that God has given you. And just as it took a community of faith to draw the Jews back to the faithful worship of God, and again, it took a Church to turn the likes of a St. Paul around, so it takes a parish to do the same for us and for others today.
Conclusion
The next time you are in Philadelphia, you might look up the Temple Baptist Church. It now seats 3,300 people and the Sunday School building adjoining it houses hundreds of children. And in one of the rooms you will find the picture of the sweet little girl whose 57 cents made such a difference. What the story of that little poor girl continues to tell us all is that (1) The Church exists to assist us in coming to Jesus Christ and (2) For that we need to give thanks. Let our generous response to the Annual Offertory Renewal be a symbol of that thanks.
Gratefully,
Father Nick Amato
The Church Exists to Assist Us in Knowing Jesus Christ
On the weekend of September 16th, Father Nick preached at all the Masses inviting all to prayerfully consider making a pledge to this year’s Annual Offertory Renewal. The homily he gave follows.
Introduction
A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. The pastor took her by the hand and brought her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy she went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, the little girl lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor to handle the final arrangements. On her was found a worn red purse that seemed to have come from some trash dump. Inside it there was 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.” Reading the note, the Pastor knew instantly what he would do. He told his congregation the story of her unselfish love and devotion and he challenged his people to raise enough money for a larger building. A wealthy realtor offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When he heard that the church could not pay that amount, he offered to sell it for … yes, 57 cents. Inspired, church members began giving and within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000, which was a huge sum for that time in the late 1900’s. Her belief that (1) The Church was needed to help others to know Jesus Christ and (2) Her willingness to give sacrificially, paid off in large dividends.
First Reading
The need for a community of faith to support us in our relationship with God is so evident in the first and second readings. In the first, from the Book of Exodus, you have Moses as head of the community going to the Jewish People because they have become depraved. They’ve given up their belief in God, turned from worship, and are now bowing down to idols, in fact, a golden calf. They have become “stiffed necked,” that is, resolute in their wayward ways and unwilling to hear the Lord and Moses pleads with God to hold off his punishment. He goes to the People to bring them back to worship of the God of their fathers. Without a community of faith and without the leadership of a Moses’ it is very easy to go adrift and become lost.
Second Reading
Paul, in his Letter to Timothy, is praising God for the ministry of the Church. In his own words he has gone from “a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogant” to a life full of grace, faith and love. As a sinner then, he knows firsthand, through the community of believers, God’s tender mercy and outstanding patience, and for that experience he’s willing to give God the honor and glory that is rightly due him. Paul’s testimony is that what God has done in him through grace, has been done so others might see! And it takes a Church to see that going on. It takes a Church to name it. It takes a Church to proclaim it as we do today.
Application
Last week I sent you a letter to share what the Church, as our parish, has done and what it needs to do this year to continue being the Body of Christ in this community. This week you will be receiving a second letter from me asking for your support through regular, weekly, Offertory giving that supports our worship, programs, and services done through our 60 ministries. In the letter will be a commitment card that helps you understand your commitment in relationship to the gifts that God has given you. And just as it took a community of faith to draw the Jews back to the faithful worship of God, and again, it took a Church to turn the likes of a St. Paul around, so it takes a parish to do the same for us and for others today.
Conclusion
The next time you are in Philadelphia, you might look up the Temple Baptist Church. It now seats 3,300 people and the Sunday School building adjoining it houses hundreds of children. And in one of the rooms you will find the picture of the sweet little girl whose 57 cents made such a difference. What the story of that little poor girl continues to tell us all is that (1) The Church exists to assist us in coming to Jesus Christ and (2) For that we need to give thanks. Let our generous response to the Annual Offertory Renewal be a symbol of that thanks.
Gratefully,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly HOMILY for September 30, 2007: How Much Is Enough?
26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
September 30, 2007
Focus: Responding to the Lazaruses in our day
Function: To give people ways that empower them to respond to the needs of the poor
How Much Is Enough?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
What Is Enough?
Several years ago, I was leading a men’s Scripture group and we were talking about this Gospel that we just heard.
One of the men in the group – Rob – asked: “What is enough? How do you know when you have enough?”
Rob has a good job. He and his wife are working hard to put some money away for the college education of their two children and, more long range, for their own retirement.
They live in a nice home, but by no means outlandish. They take vacations each summer as a family.
And Rob asks: “How much is enough?” In other words, when do you know that you have enough and ought to be giving some, or more, away to help those in need?
That Scripture group wrestled with this and we never did come up with an answer for it is a difficult question.
Now years later, I’m confronted with the same Gospel. I have thought and prayed over the question and, while I do not have a simple answer, I do have some guidelines that might help.
These are guidelines, not for knowing when we have enough, but rather for responding to the Lazaruses of our own day.
1. Never Forget Where You Came From
First, whenever my brother, sister or I would be crying or whining over not having something a friend had, my father always used the occasion to say, “Never forget where you came from.”
For him it meant being looked down upon because he and my mother were Sicilian immigrants; it meant the depression when food was scarce and pasta and beans was a frequent dish on the table; it meant not owning a home or a car of their own for several years into their marriage; it meant walking the 20 blocks to work in order and save the $.15 bus fare.
Of course his thought was that the three of us would never know the harder times that he had known, but he did not want us to take what we had for granted. He wanted us to appreciate what we had and to be sensitive to those who did not have enough.
“Never forget where you came from” was his guiding principle to us then and it remains one for me today. It could serve you as well.
2. Keep Your Eyes Opened
A second guideline for responding to the Lazaruses of our day is to keep our eyes opened.
The rich man in today’s parable apparently did not really see the poor man Lazarus. Oh, yes, he may have seen him with these (point to eyes), but not with the eyes of his heart. The eyes of his heart would have seen the reality of Lazarus’ hunger and misery.
We need to be sure that we see the Lazaruses’ of our day.
Perhaps it is the widowed man or woman next door who just needs someone to talk with for a few minutes,
Or maybe it is the estimated 32,000 children who are dying in our world each day from starvation.
Or perhaps the teenage son or daughter we don’t have time for.
We need to keep our eyes opened to all in need of our presence, love, and support.
3. Do Not Judge
A third guideline for responding is simply to refrain from judging or stereotyping.
In the parable today, the only thing that Jesus says about Lazarus is that he was poor, not that he was virtuous or not virtuous. And the only thing he says about the rich man is that he was rich, not that he was good or bad.
In the afterlife, the life beyond physical death, the rich man does not fare well for one reason and one reason only. He failed to assist Lazarus in his plight.
So, we need to respond with appropriate assistance to the Lazaruses of our day. We need to refrain from judging and from using our judgment as an excuse not to come to their aid.
4. Promote the Common Good
Fourth and finally, we need to promote the common good.
The common good is a traditional principle of our Catholic moral theology. To state it very simply, it means: to promote what is best for the greatest number of people.
Promoting the common good does not necessarily mean promoting what is best for me? It does mean that I favor public policies and laws that that look out for the well-being of the greatest number of people possible.
It means that sometimes, I am willing to sacrifice what might keep more money in my pocket or what might be better for me.
Yes, we need to promote the common good.
Conclusion
So, how much is enough? When do I know I have enough? The answer: I don’t know.
But I do know that living with certain guidelines or mindsets will steer us in the right direction: (1) Remember where you came from, (2) Keep your eyes opened, (3) Do not judge, and (4) Promote the common good
These guidelines will help us in sensing when we have enough and in moving us to share with the needy.
Our Lady of Grace
September 30, 2007
Focus: Responding to the Lazaruses in our day
Function: To give people ways that empower them to respond to the needs of the poor
How Much Is Enough?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
What Is Enough?
Several years ago, I was leading a men’s Scripture group and we were talking about this Gospel that we just heard.
One of the men in the group – Rob – asked: “What is enough? How do you know when you have enough?”
Rob has a good job. He and his wife are working hard to put some money away for the college education of their two children and, more long range, for their own retirement.
They live in a nice home, but by no means outlandish. They take vacations each summer as a family.
And Rob asks: “How much is enough?” In other words, when do you know that you have enough and ought to be giving some, or more, away to help those in need?
That Scripture group wrestled with this and we never did come up with an answer for it is a difficult question.
Now years later, I’m confronted with the same Gospel. I have thought and prayed over the question and, while I do not have a simple answer, I do have some guidelines that might help.
These are guidelines, not for knowing when we have enough, but rather for responding to the Lazaruses of our own day.
1. Never Forget Where You Came From
First, whenever my brother, sister or I would be crying or whining over not having something a friend had, my father always used the occasion to say, “Never forget where you came from.”
For him it meant being looked down upon because he and my mother were Sicilian immigrants; it meant the depression when food was scarce and pasta and beans was a frequent dish on the table; it meant not owning a home or a car of their own for several years into their marriage; it meant walking the 20 blocks to work in order and save the $.15 bus fare.
Of course his thought was that the three of us would never know the harder times that he had known, but he did not want us to take what we had for granted. He wanted us to appreciate what we had and to be sensitive to those who did not have enough.
“Never forget where you came from” was his guiding principle to us then and it remains one for me today. It could serve you as well.
2. Keep Your Eyes Opened
A second guideline for responding to the Lazaruses of our day is to keep our eyes opened.
The rich man in today’s parable apparently did not really see the poor man Lazarus. Oh, yes, he may have seen him with these (point to eyes), but not with the eyes of his heart. The eyes of his heart would have seen the reality of Lazarus’ hunger and misery.
We need to be sure that we see the Lazaruses’ of our day.
Perhaps it is the widowed man or woman next door who just needs someone to talk with for a few minutes,
Or maybe it is the estimated 32,000 children who are dying in our world each day from starvation.
Or perhaps the teenage son or daughter we don’t have time for.
We need to keep our eyes opened to all in need of our presence, love, and support.
3. Do Not Judge
A third guideline for responding is simply to refrain from judging or stereotyping.
In the parable today, the only thing that Jesus says about Lazarus is that he was poor, not that he was virtuous or not virtuous. And the only thing he says about the rich man is that he was rich, not that he was good or bad.
In the afterlife, the life beyond physical death, the rich man does not fare well for one reason and one reason only. He failed to assist Lazarus in his plight.
So, we need to respond with appropriate assistance to the Lazaruses of our day. We need to refrain from judging and from using our judgment as an excuse not to come to their aid.
4. Promote the Common Good
Fourth and finally, we need to promote the common good.
The common good is a traditional principle of our Catholic moral theology. To state it very simply, it means: to promote what is best for the greatest number of people.
Promoting the common good does not necessarily mean promoting what is best for me? It does mean that I favor public policies and laws that that look out for the well-being of the greatest number of people possible.
It means that sometimes, I am willing to sacrifice what might keep more money in my pocket or what might be better for me.
Yes, we need to promote the common good.
Conclusion
So, how much is enough? When do I know I have enough? The answer: I don’t know.
But I do know that living with certain guidelines or mindsets will steer us in the right direction: (1) Remember where you came from, (2) Keep your eyes opened, (3) Do not judge, and (4) Promote the common good
These guidelines will help us in sensing when we have enough and in moving us to share with the needy.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Weekly MESSAGE for September 23, 2007: Priests' Day of Enrichment
September 20, 2007
Focus: Priests’ Day of Enrichment
Dear Friend,
Last evening I returned from our annual Priests’ Day of Enrichment. It is a time for all the priests of the Archdiocese to gather to hear a speaker, share fellowship, honor jubilarians, and remember those brother priests who have died that year. Of course, the two events that loomed large were the retirement of Cardinal Keeler and the welcome of Archbishop O’Brien.
The speaker for the day was Father Paul McPartlan, a professor at Catholic University in Washington, DC, on the topic: “The Current State of Ecumenism.” He was both interesting and informative. What I found intriguing is that Catholics tend to think of the Eucharist in terms of “I” (me and Jesus in the Eucharist), “Christ” (that the words of Consecration make him present), and “Past” (that the Eucharist was a past act that we simply repeat).
A fuller, more biblically based, way of looking at it is to say not “I” but “We, the Church” (It’s the Body being fed, not an individual); not to view that the words of Consecration as the primary act that makes Christ present, but instead, the calling down the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine. Finally, rather than limit the Eucharist to simply an event in the past that is repeated, view it as opening and empowering of us to the future, as Jesus himself assured us, “The Holy Spirit will lead you to truth.”
Once we are able to stretch our minds and hearts in this regard in dialogue with other Christians, we can return to the question of what the Eucharist means to each group respectively by approaching from a shared understanding of “We,” “Church,” and “Future” and who knows it could become the basis for Inter-Communion and eventual unity.
A very provocative day!
Best regards,
Father Nick Amato
Focus: Priests’ Day of Enrichment
Dear Friend,
Last evening I returned from our annual Priests’ Day of Enrichment. It is a time for all the priests of the Archdiocese to gather to hear a speaker, share fellowship, honor jubilarians, and remember those brother priests who have died that year. Of course, the two events that loomed large were the retirement of Cardinal Keeler and the welcome of Archbishop O’Brien.
The speaker for the day was Father Paul McPartlan, a professor at Catholic University in Washington, DC, on the topic: “The Current State of Ecumenism.” He was both interesting and informative. What I found intriguing is that Catholics tend to think of the Eucharist in terms of “I” (me and Jesus in the Eucharist), “Christ” (that the words of Consecration make him present), and “Past” (that the Eucharist was a past act that we simply repeat).
A fuller, more biblically based, way of looking at it is to say not “I” but “We, the Church” (It’s the Body being fed, not an individual); not to view that the words of Consecration as the primary act that makes Christ present, but instead, the calling down the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine. Finally, rather than limit the Eucharist to simply an event in the past that is repeated, view it as opening and empowering of us to the future, as Jesus himself assured us, “The Holy Spirit will lead you to truth.”
Once we are able to stretch our minds and hearts in this regard in dialogue with other Christians, we can return to the question of what the Eucharist means to each group respectively by approaching from a shared understanding of “We,” “Church,” and “Future” and who knows it could become the basis for Inter-Communion and eventual unity.
A very provocative day!
Best regards,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly THIS AND THAT for September 23, 2007: The Place of Catholic Schools
This and That:
The Place of Catholic Schools
The following is a letter from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It highlights the role of Catholic Schools and is most applicable to our own parish school as well. As we begin a new school year, with all its hope and promise, the letter touches the values that so many of us espouse.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
We, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, want at the start of this new school year to re-affirm our vision of Catholic education and our commitment to providing Catholic schools. We also want to highlight how successful our schools are and the contribution they make to society in general.
For a very long time now, the Catholic Church has been an important partner with public authorities in the provision of education for the children and young people of England and Wales. Schools with a religious character (which make up over a third of schools) are a sector of public education with proven success; they are diverse and they are much sought after each year by hundreds of thousands of parents.
Recent and current calls from some for the abolition of faith schools, or their curtailment, fail to take account of this rich history of co-operation between Church and State, which has been to the mutual benefit of both. They also fail to take account of the current achievements of our schools. Independent research and inspection conducted by the Governments own offices demonstrate how well our schools perform, academically and in moral and social education; that they are catering for as wide a range of pupils as any other group of schools, whether the measure be ability, poverty or ethnic identity. They also welcome pupils from the wider community, beyond the Catholic Church, wherever there are places available.
Underlying these indications of the success of our schools is their distinctiveness. Catholic schools are guided in all they do by an important and coherent vision of education. This vision is based on the truth revealed by God about ourselves, our life together in community and our ultimate destiny with God. This gives rise to an educational endeavour centred on the person of Jesus Christ, who is our Way, Truth and Life. Over a long period of time, this approach to education has proved to be one that prepares children and young people well for whatever roles they take on in society or public life, as well as for their personal and family lives. The commitment of the Catholic Church to inter-faith dialogue and to working with other Christians provides a further basis for young peoples contribution to peaceful social cohesion.
At times, this vision of education stands in contrast to a secular model of education, based on the values of the prevailing culture, which are often far from clear and not always shared.
Those who choose Catholic schools for their children are, in effect, seeking an alternative model of education. Despite the claims of those who propose a purely secular model for all schools, there is no such thing as a value-free education. Catholic schools are clear and robust in the principles which guide them and the moral framework within which they educate.
Schooling has been, and remains, an important part of the mission of the Church. The aims of our schools are to help everyone within the school community to grow in faith; to make the most of every ability they have been given; to achieve academic excellence and to prepare well for adult life in a modern and diverse society. These tasks are, of course, carried out in close cooperation with local and national government.
From time to time, bishops and diocesan authorities need to review school provision within specific areas, usually in response to population changes. This will bring about changes in the provision with occasional closures as well as the expansion or re-building of schools. Any such changes are always made after careful consideration of all the factors involved, including the impact on both the local Church community and the neighbourhood.
We urge all members of the Catholic community to value our schools. So we encourage Catholic parents to send their children to the local Catholic school and to be actively involved in its life. We encourage people to work in our schools as Catholic head teachers, teachers, classroom assistants or in other roles. We encourage people to serve as foundation governors to continue supporting and promoting the vision of education on which our schools are founded. We encourage teachers, at their union meetings, and parents or parishioners, in their dealings with politicians, to speak up positively, on the basis of evidence, about the achievements and nature of our schools. Funding our alternative model of education is a costly, but worthwhile, exercise and we thank all those who contribute to this.
As the new school year gets underway, we invite everyone in the Catholic community to join us in praying for all those who are involved in the life of our schools. May this be a good year for pupils and staff, parents and governors, and the local community in which each of our schools is set. May God bless our educational enterprise for the good of our society.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Chairman of the Catholic Education Service said: “Catholic Education provides a much needed moral basis for life and clear motivation for working for the common good and cohesion in society today. The publication of a letter in the name of all the bishops of England and Wales is an unusual and important step and it renews our commitment to co-operate with local authorities and central government.”
The Place of Catholic Schools
The following is a letter from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It highlights the role of Catholic Schools and is most applicable to our own parish school as well. As we begin a new school year, with all its hope and promise, the letter touches the values that so many of us espouse.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
We, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, want at the start of this new school year to re-affirm our vision of Catholic education and our commitment to providing Catholic schools. We also want to highlight how successful our schools are and the contribution they make to society in general.
For a very long time now, the Catholic Church has been an important partner with public authorities in the provision of education for the children and young people of England and Wales. Schools with a religious character (which make up over a third of schools) are a sector of public education with proven success; they are diverse and they are much sought after each year by hundreds of thousands of parents.
Recent and current calls from some for the abolition of faith schools, or their curtailment, fail to take account of this rich history of co-operation between Church and State, which has been to the mutual benefit of both. They also fail to take account of the current achievements of our schools. Independent research and inspection conducted by the Governments own offices demonstrate how well our schools perform, academically and in moral and social education; that they are catering for as wide a range of pupils as any other group of schools, whether the measure be ability, poverty or ethnic identity. They also welcome pupils from the wider community, beyond the Catholic Church, wherever there are places available.
Underlying these indications of the success of our schools is their distinctiveness. Catholic schools are guided in all they do by an important and coherent vision of education. This vision is based on the truth revealed by God about ourselves, our life together in community and our ultimate destiny with God. This gives rise to an educational endeavour centred on the person of Jesus Christ, who is our Way, Truth and Life. Over a long period of time, this approach to education has proved to be one that prepares children and young people well for whatever roles they take on in society or public life, as well as for their personal and family lives. The commitment of the Catholic Church to inter-faith dialogue and to working with other Christians provides a further basis for young peoples contribution to peaceful social cohesion.
At times, this vision of education stands in contrast to a secular model of education, based on the values of the prevailing culture, which are often far from clear and not always shared.
Those who choose Catholic schools for their children are, in effect, seeking an alternative model of education. Despite the claims of those who propose a purely secular model for all schools, there is no such thing as a value-free education. Catholic schools are clear and robust in the principles which guide them and the moral framework within which they educate.
Schooling has been, and remains, an important part of the mission of the Church. The aims of our schools are to help everyone within the school community to grow in faith; to make the most of every ability they have been given; to achieve academic excellence and to prepare well for adult life in a modern and diverse society. These tasks are, of course, carried out in close cooperation with local and national government.
From time to time, bishops and diocesan authorities need to review school provision within specific areas, usually in response to population changes. This will bring about changes in the provision with occasional closures as well as the expansion or re-building of schools. Any such changes are always made after careful consideration of all the factors involved, including the impact on both the local Church community and the neighbourhood.
We urge all members of the Catholic community to value our schools. So we encourage Catholic parents to send their children to the local Catholic school and to be actively involved in its life. We encourage people to work in our schools as Catholic head teachers, teachers, classroom assistants or in other roles. We encourage people to serve as foundation governors to continue supporting and promoting the vision of education on which our schools are founded. We encourage teachers, at their union meetings, and parents or parishioners, in their dealings with politicians, to speak up positively, on the basis of evidence, about the achievements and nature of our schools. Funding our alternative model of education is a costly, but worthwhile, exercise and we thank all those who contribute to this.
As the new school year gets underway, we invite everyone in the Catholic community to join us in praying for all those who are involved in the life of our schools. May this be a good year for pupils and staff, parents and governors, and the local community in which each of our schools is set. May God bless our educational enterprise for the good of our society.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Chairman of the Catholic Education Service said: “Catholic Education provides a much needed moral basis for life and clear motivation for working for the common good and cohesion in society today. The publication of a letter in the name of all the bishops of England and Wales is an unusual and important step and it renews our commitment to co-operate with local authorities and central government.”
Weekly HOMILY for September 23, 2007: Spouses As Salt and Light for the World
Marriage of Steve and Jennifer Lammon
(Readings: 7/9/2)
Our Lady of Grace
September 21, 2007
Spouses As Salt and Light for the World
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
NOTE: In lieu of “Deacon Preaching Sunday,” the following wedding homily on how we can be salt and light to others is being shared.
Symbols and Their Role
Salt and light, two very beautiful and disarmingly simple symbols feed our faith and challenge the quality of our discipleship as we gather today for the wedding of Steve and Jenn.
You look at the two of them and you’d have to say, with their years of experience, they are already well seasoned. They are already salt. With their life experience, they’re already lights to us. And that may be true.
But to say that, is to acknowledge already that we understand well the symbols of salt and light.
So I’d like to press the envelope a bit and ask us today, “What might the symbols of salt and light mean for marriage?”
If we take Jesus at this word, then his charge, “You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,” implies that we are to live in such a manner that we impart the services or characteristics of salt and light to those around us.
And in this sense, the two symbols connect their power, which we are able to experience first-hand, to the choices that lie before us. They give us a vision of what needs to be done; they motivate us to act similarly; they hold the goal ever before us.
And they last a long, long time for every time we see salt and light we are reminded again of what we are called to do and the choices we must make.
Symbols – be they the wedding rings of Steve and Jenn will exchange, or salt and light – are profound realities that move us beyond themselves to higher realms of living.
Being Salt
So let us begin by taking a closer look at salt. When properly used, salt lends taste; it enhances without masking, muting or otherwise interfering with the flavors it complements.
When used correctly, salt is unobtrusive, and yet, when salt is not present, its absence renders food bland and virtually unpalatable. Try a bowl of soup without any salt.
Given these characteristics, Jesus’ imperative that his followers be the “salt of the earth” requires that you, Steve and Jenn, carefully and humbly examine yourselves and your contributions to your family, friends, and your workplace.
Do your words and works lend “taste” to how you act as a couple at gatherings, within your families, within your circle of friends?
Do your actions and decisions enhance and complement, without masking, muting or interfering with, the good things that are going on in your lives?
Is there quality in how you care for others, in your forgiving those who’ve wronged you, in being concerned about those in need?
Are your actions unobtrusive and yet necessary for the good of others … and missed when they are not present?
Steve and Jenn, you have certainly chosen a challenging symbol to become. Your faith will help you meet the challenge of the symbol of salt.
Being Light
Besides being the salt of the earth, Jesus’ disciples are also charged with being light for a world that would otherwise be darkened by human sin and selfishness.
That Jesus was well aware of the arduous struggle inherent in being light and of the tendency on the part of some to try to contain or confine that light is evidenced in his directive to “let your light shine before all.”
Steve and Jenn, that freely shining light is comprised of good acts such as those recommended in the Letter to the Hebrews that you have chosen as your second reading.
Your love must be mutual and continual. Honor your own marriage and the marriages of others. Do not neglect hospitality. Be content with what you have.
Only a clear vision and understanding of Jesus as your guide and helper in these efforts will help you not be afraid.
Your inner light does illumine our world by the way it helps you treat each other and your friends and family.
Heaven knows we all need this sort of modeling, for it is not something our workplaces, social or family gatherings will give us.
And the Role of Symbols
Ah, the challenges you have chosen in the images of salt and light!
To be salt, but not to overpower every other nuance of taste; to enable, facilitate, and enhance, but not to control or overwhelm,
To be light, but not to seek the limelight; to illuminate and warm, but not be overexposed,
This, my dear friends, is the balancing act that is the life of the disciple.
May every flick of a light switch lighting a darkened room.... May every shake of a saltshaker...
...be reminders of whom you have chosen to be for each other in marriage and to be for us your family and friends.
(Readings: 7/9/2)
Our Lady of Grace
September 21, 2007
Spouses As Salt and Light for the World
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
NOTE: In lieu of “Deacon Preaching Sunday,” the following wedding homily on how we can be salt and light to others is being shared.
Symbols and Their Role
Salt and light, two very beautiful and disarmingly simple symbols feed our faith and challenge the quality of our discipleship as we gather today for the wedding of Steve and Jenn.
You look at the two of them and you’d have to say, with their years of experience, they are already well seasoned. They are already salt. With their life experience, they’re already lights to us. And that may be true.
But to say that, is to acknowledge already that we understand well the symbols of salt and light.
So I’d like to press the envelope a bit and ask us today, “What might the symbols of salt and light mean for marriage?”
If we take Jesus at this word, then his charge, “You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,” implies that we are to live in such a manner that we impart the services or characteristics of salt and light to those around us.
And in this sense, the two symbols connect their power, which we are able to experience first-hand, to the choices that lie before us. They give us a vision of what needs to be done; they motivate us to act similarly; they hold the goal ever before us.
And they last a long, long time for every time we see salt and light we are reminded again of what we are called to do and the choices we must make.
Symbols – be they the wedding rings of Steve and Jenn will exchange, or salt and light – are profound realities that move us beyond themselves to higher realms of living.
Being Salt
So let us begin by taking a closer look at salt. When properly used, salt lends taste; it enhances without masking, muting or otherwise interfering with the flavors it complements.
When used correctly, salt is unobtrusive, and yet, when salt is not present, its absence renders food bland and virtually unpalatable. Try a bowl of soup without any salt.
Given these characteristics, Jesus’ imperative that his followers be the “salt of the earth” requires that you, Steve and Jenn, carefully and humbly examine yourselves and your contributions to your family, friends, and your workplace.
Do your words and works lend “taste” to how you act as a couple at gatherings, within your families, within your circle of friends?
Do your actions and decisions enhance and complement, without masking, muting or interfering with, the good things that are going on in your lives?
Is there quality in how you care for others, in your forgiving those who’ve wronged you, in being concerned about those in need?
Are your actions unobtrusive and yet necessary for the good of others … and missed when they are not present?
Steve and Jenn, you have certainly chosen a challenging symbol to become. Your faith will help you meet the challenge of the symbol of salt.
Being Light
Besides being the salt of the earth, Jesus’ disciples are also charged with being light for a world that would otherwise be darkened by human sin and selfishness.
That Jesus was well aware of the arduous struggle inherent in being light and of the tendency on the part of some to try to contain or confine that light is evidenced in his directive to “let your light shine before all.”
Steve and Jenn, that freely shining light is comprised of good acts such as those recommended in the Letter to the Hebrews that you have chosen as your second reading.
Your love must be mutual and continual. Honor your own marriage and the marriages of others. Do not neglect hospitality. Be content with what you have.
Only a clear vision and understanding of Jesus as your guide and helper in these efforts will help you not be afraid.
Your inner light does illumine our world by the way it helps you treat each other and your friends and family.
Heaven knows we all need this sort of modeling, for it is not something our workplaces, social or family gatherings will give us.
And the Role of Symbols
Ah, the challenges you have chosen in the images of salt and light!
To be salt, but not to overpower every other nuance of taste; to enable, facilitate, and enhance, but not to control or overwhelm,
To be light, but not to seek the limelight; to illuminate and warm, but not be overexposed,
This, my dear friends, is the balancing act that is the life of the disciple.
May every flick of a light switch lighting a darkened room.... May every shake of a saltshaker...
...be reminders of whom you have chosen to be for each other in marriage and to be for us your family and friends.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Weekly MESSAGE for September 16, 2007: The Little Thinks in Life
September 13, 2007
Focus: The Little Things in Life
Dear Friend,
It was with the tolling of the steeple bell that the children of our parish school and parents and parishioners stood in silence while I knelt before the cross at Mass this past Tuesday. Yes, it was the observance of September 11, 2001, a day that changed the world, and we were commending all those who died that day to the Lord.
A friend sent me the following entitled: The Little Things.
As you might know, the head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident.
One of them missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.
One’s car wouldn’t start.
One went back to answer the telephone.
One had a child that dawdled and didn’t get ready as soon as he should have.
One couldn’t get a taxi.
Then there was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work, but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid and that is why he is alive today.
Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone ... all the 101 little things that annoy me, I think to myself, “This is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment...
Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can’t seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don’t get mad or frustrated; God is at work watching over you.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.
And may we be ready to meet the Lord at whatever hour he comes for us.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Focus: The Little Things in Life
Dear Friend,
It was with the tolling of the steeple bell that the children of our parish school and parents and parishioners stood in silence while I knelt before the cross at Mass this past Tuesday. Yes, it was the observance of September 11, 2001, a day that changed the world, and we were commending all those who died that day to the Lord.
A friend sent me the following entitled: The Little Things.
As you might know, the head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident.
One of them missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.
One’s car wouldn’t start.
One went back to answer the telephone.
One had a child that dawdled and didn’t get ready as soon as he should have.
One couldn’t get a taxi.
Then there was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work, but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid and that is why he is alive today.
Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone ... all the 101 little things that annoy me, I think to myself, “This is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment...
Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can’t seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don’t get mad or frustrated; God is at work watching over you.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.
And may we be ready to meet the Lord at whatever hour he comes for us.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly THIS AND THAT for September 16,2007: Creating a Financially Healthy Parish
This and That:
Creating a Financially Healthy Parish
I was pleased to write you last week regarding the beginning of our three-week Annual Offertory Renewal. In the letter was included a financial report for Our Lady of Grace for the last three years. When you compare the new level of worship, programs, and services with the expenses, it becomes apparent that the ministries have grown, whereas the expenses have not increased proportionately. This can be attributed to new personnel, more responsibilities being assumed by members of our Pastoral Team, and the generous increase in the number of volunteers.
Please also note that while overall revenues have gone up modestly, income from weekly collections over the three years has actually gone down. This week you will receive a follow-up letter requesting that you consider a pledge in your Offertory Collection. Your new pledge contribution will begin November 1, 2007. Regular use of the weekly envelope is the very “blood” that keeps our parish so vibrant as the Body of Christ. Please respond generously and help us “Advance the Mission” of Our Lady of Grace. The financial report follows.
Many new efforts have been planned for our youth programs, our new Lacrosse, Soccer, and Basketball programs, Religious Education, and Adult Faith Enrichment. Like all new initiatives, they will require additional resources.
The characteristic of a Catholic parish is that all are welcome and “the more, the merrier,” after all, that is what “catholic” means – it means “everybody!” As Disciples of the Lord we are called to “Advance the Mission,” the mission of Christ himself, through a lively support of his Church, which is his physical body in the community. Let us all give thanks to God for being part of our parish family.
I personally want to thank you for your generosity in the past and to invite you again to join in our Annual Offertory Renewal Campaign. There can be no “Advancing the Mission” without “advancing the support.”
In parable after parable Jesus makes clear that all we have received from his loving Father, we have received as stewards. And when we choose to give charitably, we give because it is what God has done to us, it is how we are most like God, and it just “feels good;” it is the right thing to do. A pastor-friend of mine suggests to his people that they “Give till it feels good.” I would invite you to do the same.
God bless you for your support.
Gratefully,
Father Nick Amato
Creating a Financially Healthy Parish
I was pleased to write you last week regarding the beginning of our three-week Annual Offertory Renewal. In the letter was included a financial report for Our Lady of Grace for the last three years. When you compare the new level of worship, programs, and services with the expenses, it becomes apparent that the ministries have grown, whereas the expenses have not increased proportionately. This can be attributed to new personnel, more responsibilities being assumed by members of our Pastoral Team, and the generous increase in the number of volunteers.
Please also note that while overall revenues have gone up modestly, income from weekly collections over the three years has actually gone down. This week you will receive a follow-up letter requesting that you consider a pledge in your Offertory Collection. Your new pledge contribution will begin November 1, 2007. Regular use of the weekly envelope is the very “blood” that keeps our parish so vibrant as the Body of Christ. Please respond generously and help us “Advance the Mission” of Our Lady of Grace. The financial report follows.
Many new efforts have been planned for our youth programs, our new Lacrosse, Soccer, and Basketball programs, Religious Education, and Adult Faith Enrichment. Like all new initiatives, they will require additional resources.
The characteristic of a Catholic parish is that all are welcome and “the more, the merrier,” after all, that is what “catholic” means – it means “everybody!” As Disciples of the Lord we are called to “Advance the Mission,” the mission of Christ himself, through a lively support of his Church, which is his physical body in the community. Let us all give thanks to God for being part of our parish family.
I personally want to thank you for your generosity in the past and to invite you again to join in our Annual Offertory Renewal Campaign. There can be no “Advancing the Mission” without “advancing the support.”
In parable after parable Jesus makes clear that all we have received from his loving Father, we have received as stewards. And when we choose to give charitably, we give because it is what God has done to us, it is how we are most like God, and it just “feels good;” it is the right thing to do. A pastor-friend of mine suggests to his people that they “Give till it feels good.” I would invite you to do the same.
God bless you for your support.
Gratefully,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly HOMILY for September 16, 2007: Saved As a People
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Annual Offertory Renewal
Our Lady of Grace
September 16, 2007
Focus: The Church exists to assist us in knowing Jesus Christ and for that we give thanks
Function: To have members of the assembly realize the importance of the Church in their lives and show it by their monetary support
Saved As a People
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Introduction
A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.
The pastor took her by the hand and brought her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy she went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, the little girl lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor to handle the final arrangements.
On her was found a worn red purse that seemed to have come from some trash dump. Inside it there was 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.”
Reading the note, the Pastor knew instantly what he would do. He told his congregation the story of her unselfish love and devotion and he challenged his people to raise enough money for a larger building.
A wealthy realtor offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When he heard that the church could not pay that amount, he offered to sell it for … yes, 57 cents.
Inspired, church members began giving and within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000, which was a huge sum for that time in the late 1900’s.
Her belief that (1) The Church was needed to help others to know Jesus Christ and (2) Her willingness to give sacrificially, paid off in large dividends.
First Reading
The need for a community of faith to support us in our relationship with God is so evident in the first and second readings.
In the first, from the Book of Exodus, you have Moses as head of the community going to the Jewish People because they have become depraved.
They’ve given up their belief in God, turned from worship, and are now bowing down to idols, in fact, a golden calf. They have become “stiffed necked,” that is, resolute in their wayward ways and unwilling to hear the Lord…
… and Moses pleads with God to hold off his punishment. He goes to the People to bring them back to worship of the God of their fathers.
Without a community of faith and without the leadership of a Moses’ it is very easy to go adrift and become lost.
Second Reading
Paul, in his Letter to Timothy, is praising God for the ministry of the Church.
In his own words he has gone from “a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogant” to a life full of grace, faith and love.
As a sinner then, he knows firsthand, through the community of believers, God’s tender mercy and outstanding patience, and for that experience he’s willing to give God the honor and glory that is rightly due him.
Paul’s testimony is that what God has done in him through grace, has been done so others might see!
And it takes a Church to see that going on. It takes a Church to name it. It takes a Church to proclaim it as we do today.
Application
Last week I sent you a letter to share what the Church, as our parish, has done and what it needs to do this year to continue being the Body of Christ in this community.
This week you will be receiving a second letter from me asking for your support through regular, weekly, Offertory giving that supports our worship, programs, and services done through our 60 ministries.
In the letter will be a commitment card that helps you understand your commitment in relationship to the gifts that God has given you.
And just as it took a community of faith to draw the Jews back to the faithful worship of God, and again, it took a Church to turn the likes of a St. Paul around, so it takes a parish to do the same for us and for others today.
Conclusion
The next time you are in Philadelphia, you might look up the Temple Baptist Church. It now seats 3,300 people and the Sunday School building adjoining it houses hundreds of children.
And in one of the rooms you will find the picture of the sweet little girl whose 57 cents made such a difference.
What the story of that little poor girl continues to tell us all is that (1) The Church exists to assist us in coming to Jesus Christ and (2) For that we need to give thanks.
Let our generous response to the Annual Offertory Renewal be a symbol of that thanks.
Annual Offertory Renewal
Our Lady of Grace
September 16, 2007
Focus: The Church exists to assist us in knowing Jesus Christ and for that we give thanks
Function: To have members of the assembly realize the importance of the Church in their lives and show it by their monetary support
Saved As a People
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Introduction
A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.
The pastor took her by the hand and brought her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy she went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, the little girl lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor to handle the final arrangements.
On her was found a worn red purse that seemed to have come from some trash dump. Inside it there was 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.”
Reading the note, the Pastor knew instantly what he would do. He told his congregation the story of her unselfish love and devotion and he challenged his people to raise enough money for a larger building.
A wealthy realtor offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When he heard that the church could not pay that amount, he offered to sell it for … yes, 57 cents.
Inspired, church members began giving and within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000, which was a huge sum for that time in the late 1900’s.
Her belief that (1) The Church was needed to help others to know Jesus Christ and (2) Her willingness to give sacrificially, paid off in large dividends.
First Reading
The need for a community of faith to support us in our relationship with God is so evident in the first and second readings.
In the first, from the Book of Exodus, you have Moses as head of the community going to the Jewish People because they have become depraved.
They’ve given up their belief in God, turned from worship, and are now bowing down to idols, in fact, a golden calf. They have become “stiffed necked,” that is, resolute in their wayward ways and unwilling to hear the Lord…
… and Moses pleads with God to hold off his punishment. He goes to the People to bring them back to worship of the God of their fathers.
Without a community of faith and without the leadership of a Moses’ it is very easy to go adrift and become lost.
Second Reading
Paul, in his Letter to Timothy, is praising God for the ministry of the Church.
In his own words he has gone from “a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogant” to a life full of grace, faith and love.
As a sinner then, he knows firsthand, through the community of believers, God’s tender mercy and outstanding patience, and for that experience he’s willing to give God the honor and glory that is rightly due him.
Paul’s testimony is that what God has done in him through grace, has been done so others might see!
And it takes a Church to see that going on. It takes a Church to name it. It takes a Church to proclaim it as we do today.
Application
Last week I sent you a letter to share what the Church, as our parish, has done and what it needs to do this year to continue being the Body of Christ in this community.
This week you will be receiving a second letter from me asking for your support through regular, weekly, Offertory giving that supports our worship, programs, and services done through our 60 ministries.
In the letter will be a commitment card that helps you understand your commitment in relationship to the gifts that God has given you.
And just as it took a community of faith to draw the Jews back to the faithful worship of God, and again, it took a Church to turn the likes of a St. Paul around, so it takes a parish to do the same for us and for others today.
Conclusion
The next time you are in Philadelphia, you might look up the Temple Baptist Church. It now seats 3,300 people and the Sunday School building adjoining it houses hundreds of children.
And in one of the rooms you will find the picture of the sweet little girl whose 57 cents made such a difference.
What the story of that little poor girl continues to tell us all is that (1) The Church exists to assist us in coming to Jesus Christ and (2) For that we need to give thanks.
Let our generous response to the Annual Offertory Renewal be a symbol of that thanks.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Weekly MESSAGE for September 9, 2007: A New Year of Programs, Services, and Challenges
September 6, 2007
Focus: A New Year of Programs, Services, and Challenges
Dear Friend,
With a new school year and the beginning of parish programs and services come both challenges and signs of hope for each of us. Our new Mass program with an 11:30am Sunday Mass for Youth and the Young at Heart, with all-time record numbers of registrations for Religious Education and youth programs, with a new youth musical soon to have try-outs, with second year athletic programs in Lacrosse, Soccer, and Basketball, we can feel the excitement and promise of the New Year.
The challenges will also be there: our Annual Offertory Renewal and hitting our goal for income, teaching two classes of Homiletics to 3rd year theologians at St. Mary’s Seminary each week, getting ready to leave for Mepkin Abbey on January 1, 2008 for three months and the smooth transition, and caring for parishioners with special needs and concerns – always the greatest challenge!
And with the grace of God and a grounding in daily prayer and meditation, it will be another great year. As I “grow in age and grace” I realize “success” cannot be measured in human terms, but rather in terms of how well we serve, how well we love, how well we forgive. To focus on these values is to already have, as Jesus often assures us, “treasure in heaven.”
Best wishes for a happy “New Year” to each of you and especially to the children, youth, and teens in your lives.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Focus: A New Year of Programs, Services, and Challenges
Dear Friend,
With a new school year and the beginning of parish programs and services come both challenges and signs of hope for each of us. Our new Mass program with an 11:30am Sunday Mass for Youth and the Young at Heart, with all-time record numbers of registrations for Religious Education and youth programs, with a new youth musical soon to have try-outs, with second year athletic programs in Lacrosse, Soccer, and Basketball, we can feel the excitement and promise of the New Year.
The challenges will also be there: our Annual Offertory Renewal and hitting our goal for income, teaching two classes of Homiletics to 3rd year theologians at St. Mary’s Seminary each week, getting ready to leave for Mepkin Abbey on January 1, 2008 for three months and the smooth transition, and caring for parishioners with special needs and concerns – always the greatest challenge!
And with the grace of God and a grounding in daily prayer and meditation, it will be another great year. As I “grow in age and grace” I realize “success” cannot be measured in human terms, but rather in terms of how well we serve, how well we love, how well we forgive. To focus on these values is to already have, as Jesus often assures us, “treasure in heaven.”
Best wishes for a happy “New Year” to each of you and especially to the children, youth, and teens in your lives.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly THIS AND THAT for September 9, 2007: Only 4 Correct and You Are a Success!
This and That:
Only 4 Correct and You Are a Success!
What follows is seemingly the world’s easiest quiz. I wish you the best on this, but you must be honest. You know “Who’s” watching!
And remember, you only need 4 correct answers to declare yourself very bright!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
PS. Scroll down for the answers. No cheating.
(1) How long did the Hundred Years’ War last?
(2) Which country makes Panama hats?
(3) From which animal do we get catgut?
(4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
(5) What is a camel’s hair brush made of?
(6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
(7) What was King George VI’s first name?
(8) What color is a purple finch?
(9) Where are Chinese Gooseberries from?
(10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?
All done?
Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass. Check your answers below.
Answers to the Quiz:
(1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years
(2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador
(3) From which animal do we get catgut? Sheep and Horses
(4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November
(5) What is a camel’s hair brush made of? Squirrel fur
(6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs
(7) What was King George VI’s first name? Albert
(8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson
(9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand
(10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange, of course.
What do you mean, you failed? Me, too! (And if you try to tell me you passed, we have confessions on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm.)
Only 4 Correct and You Are a Success!
What follows is seemingly the world’s easiest quiz. I wish you the best on this, but you must be honest. You know “Who’s” watching!
And remember, you only need 4 correct answers to declare yourself very bright!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
PS. Scroll down for the answers. No cheating.
(1) How long did the Hundred Years’ War last?
(2) Which country makes Panama hats?
(3) From which animal do we get catgut?
(4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
(5) What is a camel’s hair brush made of?
(6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
(7) What was King George VI’s first name?
(8) What color is a purple finch?
(9) Where are Chinese Gooseberries from?
(10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?
All done?
Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass. Check your answers below.
Answers to the Quiz:
(1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years
(2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador
(3) From which animal do we get catgut? Sheep and Horses
(4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November
(5) What is a camel’s hair brush made of? Squirrel fur
(6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs
(7) What was King George VI’s first name? Albert
(8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson
(9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand
(10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange, of course.
What do you mean, you failed? Me, too! (And if you try to tell me you passed, we have confessions on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm.)
Weekly HOMILY for September 9, 2007: Becoming a Full Disciple
23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
September 9, 2007
Focus: Jesus calls us to be full disciples
Function: Through detachment, we will find ourselves going through a process of formation.
Becoming a Full Disciple
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Monkeys: Not Letting Go
A tribe in Africa has an ingenious way for trapping wild monkeys.
They take a large pumpkin and hollow it out completely. Then they cut a hole in the side of the pumpkin that is just big enough for a monkey’s hand to slip through.
Then they fill the pumpkin with peanuts, tie it to a tree and leave. When all is quiet, the curious monkeys come to investigate.
They smell the peanuts and reach through the hole to grab them. The problem is that the hole in the pumpkin is not big enough for the monkeys to pull out their fists that are clenched and full of peanuts.
Of course, the monkeys refuse to open their fists and release the peanuts and you can figure out what happens.
The people quietly move in, pick up the trapped monkeys and ship them off to a zoo.
Jesus: Let Go of …
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to do what these monkeys are unable to do.
He calls us to let go of some things. To use his words, he calls us says to “turn our backs on family, on self and on possessions.”
Now letting go of or “turning our backs on family, self and possessions” is a Hebrew way of expression in Jesus’ day. It is an exaggerated, negative way of saying something positive.
It is a way of saying: prefer or choose or make something else your priority. And then, do everything else guided by this priority or with this priority in mind.
So, in this context, Jesus wants us to love and value our family and friends. But he is also saying that sometimes we may have to act differently from them, if we are really going to be his disciples.
Jesus wants us to take care of and be true to ourselves. But he is also saying that sometimes we will be challenged to change our mindset or do what we would prefer not doing, if we are really going to be his disciples.
And while Jesus wants us to be responsible for our financial and material well-being and even to enjoy the goods of the earth, he is also saying that that we cannot get absorbed in earthly comforts if we are really going to be his disciples.
We will have to let go in these ways, as those monkeys failed to do. Doing this (1) Will not always easy and (2) It will not happen all at once.
In fact, I would hold that becoming a full disciple in the way that Jesus is talking about here is actually a process.
My thought is for you or me responding to Jesus’ call will be a process of becoming (1) First human, (2) then Christian and (3) only then a disciple.
Discipleship: A Process
For starters, we are (1) to become fully human.
Our spiritual development begins with the awareness that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. And so, we are to reverence persons and all created things and not misuse or abuse them.
We are to care for and not curse. We are to protect life and not destroy it.
And as we grow in our humanity and become more and more human, we are also (2) to become Christian.
At this step in the process, we come to identify more and more with the person of Jesus Christ. And so we seek to know God more and more through knowing God’s Son Jesus.
At this stage, we are able to put up with some hardship because we are strengthened by God’s grace especially in the Sacraments. Here we also work at becoming understanding and compassionate persons.
And then, finally, we as human and as Christian are ready to take the next step and (3) become full-fledged disciples of Jesus.
Again, with the image of those monkeys in mind, here we are willing to let go of anything that keeps us from being like Jesus. And so, we try to live the mystery of dying and rising in everyday life – dying to selfishness so that we can come to fuller and fuller life.
At this stage, even though we may have to defend ourselves, we let go of our instinct for vengeance, and seek peace and reconciliation instead. Here we also work to let go of our inclinations toward consumerism and find ways of sharing with those who do not have enough.
Conclusion
This is something of the challenging, perhaps even daunting life of a disciple of Jesus.
It takes a process of growth to get there: (1) From becoming more and more human (2) To becoming more and more Christian (3) To becoming a disciple.
No wonder that Jesus uses such jarring, almost radical expressions today to prepare us for this path of growth.
Am I willing to travel it? It will take opening your fist and letting go of your peanuts!
Our Lady of Grace
September 9, 2007
Focus: Jesus calls us to be full disciples
Function: Through detachment, we will find ourselves going through a process of formation.
Becoming a Full Disciple
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Monkeys: Not Letting Go
A tribe in Africa has an ingenious way for trapping wild monkeys.
They take a large pumpkin and hollow it out completely. Then they cut a hole in the side of the pumpkin that is just big enough for a monkey’s hand to slip through.
Then they fill the pumpkin with peanuts, tie it to a tree and leave. When all is quiet, the curious monkeys come to investigate.
They smell the peanuts and reach through the hole to grab them. The problem is that the hole in the pumpkin is not big enough for the monkeys to pull out their fists that are clenched and full of peanuts.
Of course, the monkeys refuse to open their fists and release the peanuts and you can figure out what happens.
The people quietly move in, pick up the trapped monkeys and ship them off to a zoo.
Jesus: Let Go of …
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to do what these monkeys are unable to do.
He calls us to let go of some things. To use his words, he calls us says to “turn our backs on family, on self and on possessions.”
Now letting go of or “turning our backs on family, self and possessions” is a Hebrew way of expression in Jesus’ day. It is an exaggerated, negative way of saying something positive.
It is a way of saying: prefer or choose or make something else your priority. And then, do everything else guided by this priority or with this priority in mind.
So, in this context, Jesus wants us to love and value our family and friends. But he is also saying that sometimes we may have to act differently from them, if we are really going to be his disciples.
Jesus wants us to take care of and be true to ourselves. But he is also saying that sometimes we will be challenged to change our mindset or do what we would prefer not doing, if we are really going to be his disciples.
And while Jesus wants us to be responsible for our financial and material well-being and even to enjoy the goods of the earth, he is also saying that that we cannot get absorbed in earthly comforts if we are really going to be his disciples.
We will have to let go in these ways, as those monkeys failed to do. Doing this (1) Will not always easy and (2) It will not happen all at once.
In fact, I would hold that becoming a full disciple in the way that Jesus is talking about here is actually a process.
My thought is for you or me responding to Jesus’ call will be a process of becoming (1) First human, (2) then Christian and (3) only then a disciple.
Discipleship: A Process
For starters, we are (1) to become fully human.
Our spiritual development begins with the awareness that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. And so, we are to reverence persons and all created things and not misuse or abuse them.
We are to care for and not curse. We are to protect life and not destroy it.
And as we grow in our humanity and become more and more human, we are also (2) to become Christian.
At this step in the process, we come to identify more and more with the person of Jesus Christ. And so we seek to know God more and more through knowing God’s Son Jesus.
At this stage, we are able to put up with some hardship because we are strengthened by God’s grace especially in the Sacraments. Here we also work at becoming understanding and compassionate persons.
And then, finally, we as human and as Christian are ready to take the next step and (3) become full-fledged disciples of Jesus.
Again, with the image of those monkeys in mind, here we are willing to let go of anything that keeps us from being like Jesus. And so, we try to live the mystery of dying and rising in everyday life – dying to selfishness so that we can come to fuller and fuller life.
At this stage, even though we may have to defend ourselves, we let go of our instinct for vengeance, and seek peace and reconciliation instead. Here we also work to let go of our inclinations toward consumerism and find ways of sharing with those who do not have enough.
Conclusion
This is something of the challenging, perhaps even daunting life of a disciple of Jesus.
It takes a process of growth to get there: (1) From becoming more and more human (2) To becoming more and more Christian (3) To becoming a disciple.
No wonder that Jesus uses such jarring, almost radical expressions today to prepare us for this path of growth.
Am I willing to travel it? It will take opening your fist and letting go of your peanuts!
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