October 24, 2007
Focus: Sports with the Real “Spirit”
Dear Friend,
Last week and this week I have spent some time on the soccer fields as the sun cast long shadows and twilight fell over the parish campus. On both occasions I was there to receive trophies for our newly formed boys and girls Soccer Teams. How proud I am of all the youth involved in our athletic programs.
To say that Our Lady of Grace makes a difference in the way the game is played would be an understatement. A team that was 0 and 15 last year, under a different sponsorship is now 15 and 0. It has to do with the quality of the coaching, the mission of Our Lady of Grace to youth, and the spirit of both parents and players. This came to the fore in discussion with coaches one evening on the different attitude and “feel” of the games in the Archdiocesan Soccer League. What it was specifically, I told her, was the parish sponsored teams answer to a “higher authority” and can use the Gospel to espouse toleration, forgiveness, and team building. For us it is not just a sport. It is teams of believers playing for their respective parishes in a spirit of Christian fellowship.
And that seems to make all the difference in the world!
With our new athletic fields and sports pavilion it is such a joy to drive by almost any afternoon and seeing our youth at play. How grateful I am to our many benefactors who made this outreach to youth possible.
Fondly,
Father Nick
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Weekly THIS AND THAT for October 28, 2007: "Everyone Has a Right to Eat," says the Pope
This and That:
“Everyone Has a Right to Eat,” Says the Pope
Dear Family,
The following insight on the right of all to eat is an issue we need to keep forefront in our minds as we do our small part in helping feed the hungry.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Pope Benedict XVI says that all people have a right to healthy and sufficient food, and that human egotism, more than natural disasters, is the cause of the phenomenon of wide-scale hunger. The Pope stated that position in a message marking the celebration of the World Food Day earlier this month. The day was sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
The Holy Father called for a “consciousness of solidarity” among the community of nations, a consciousness that considers food a universal right for all human beings, without distinction or discrimination.” The Pontiff said he considers the theme chosen for the day, “The Right to Food,” as a tool to aid reflection in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“This coincidence helps us to think of the importance that the right to food has for the happy procurement of other rights, beginning before all with the fundamental right to life,” Benedict XVI said.
The Pope lamented that the number of starving people in the world is not diminishing significantly. He said: “This is due, perhaps, to a tendency to act motivated, solely or mainly, by technical and economic incentives, forgetting the priority of the ethical dimension of ‘feed the hungry.’
“This priority is linked to the sentiment of compassion and solidarity proper to human beings, which brings them to share with each other, not just in material things, but rather the love that all of us need. Effectively, we give too little if we only give material things.”
The Holy Father explained that data show the causes of hunger to be “situations provoked by the behavior of people, which flow from a general social, economic and human deterioration” more than natural disasters or similar causes. And the Pontiff noted “an ever growing number of persons that, because of poverty or bloody conflicts, find themselves obliged to leave their houses and their loved ones to look for survival away from their homeland. Despite international commitments, many of them are rejected.”
He continued: “The objective of eradicating hunger and at the same time, being able to count on sufficient and healthy food, also requires specific methods and actions that permit a utilization of resources respectful of the patrimony of creation … To work in this direction is a priority that implies not only benefiting from the results of science, investigation and technology, but also taking into account the cycles and rhythms of nature known by people in rural zones, as well as protecting the traditional practices of indigenous communities, leaving aside purely egotistical and economic reasoning.”
The papal message concludes considering the particular situation of children, whom the Pope called “the first victims of this tragedy.” He recalled that children’s physical or psychological development is sometimes hampered because of hunger, and noted that “on so many occasions, [children are] forced to work or enlisted by armed groups in exchange for receiving a few bites of food.”
“In this respect,” the Pontiff said, “I place my hope in the initiatives that have begun on a multilateral level to favor school food programs, which allow entire communities whose existence is threatened by hunger, to view the future with more hope.”
“Everyone Has a Right to Eat,” Says the Pope
Dear Family,
The following insight on the right of all to eat is an issue we need to keep forefront in our minds as we do our small part in helping feed the hungry.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Pope Benedict XVI says that all people have a right to healthy and sufficient food, and that human egotism, more than natural disasters, is the cause of the phenomenon of wide-scale hunger. The Pope stated that position in a message marking the celebration of the World Food Day earlier this month. The day was sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
The Holy Father called for a “consciousness of solidarity” among the community of nations, a consciousness that considers food a universal right for all human beings, without distinction or discrimination.” The Pontiff said he considers the theme chosen for the day, “The Right to Food,” as a tool to aid reflection in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“This coincidence helps us to think of the importance that the right to food has for the happy procurement of other rights, beginning before all with the fundamental right to life,” Benedict XVI said.
The Pope lamented that the number of starving people in the world is not diminishing significantly. He said: “This is due, perhaps, to a tendency to act motivated, solely or mainly, by technical and economic incentives, forgetting the priority of the ethical dimension of ‘feed the hungry.’
“This priority is linked to the sentiment of compassion and solidarity proper to human beings, which brings them to share with each other, not just in material things, but rather the love that all of us need. Effectively, we give too little if we only give material things.”
The Holy Father explained that data show the causes of hunger to be “situations provoked by the behavior of people, which flow from a general social, economic and human deterioration” more than natural disasters or similar causes. And the Pontiff noted “an ever growing number of persons that, because of poverty or bloody conflicts, find themselves obliged to leave their houses and their loved ones to look for survival away from their homeland. Despite international commitments, many of them are rejected.”
He continued: “The objective of eradicating hunger and at the same time, being able to count on sufficient and healthy food, also requires specific methods and actions that permit a utilization of resources respectful of the patrimony of creation … To work in this direction is a priority that implies not only benefiting from the results of science, investigation and technology, but also taking into account the cycles and rhythms of nature known by people in rural zones, as well as protecting the traditional practices of indigenous communities, leaving aside purely egotistical and economic reasoning.”
The papal message concludes considering the particular situation of children, whom the Pope called “the first victims of this tragedy.” He recalled that children’s physical or psychological development is sometimes hampered because of hunger, and noted that “on so many occasions, [children are] forced to work or enlisted by armed groups in exchange for receiving a few bites of food.”
“In this respect,” the Pontiff said, “I place my hope in the initiatives that have begun on a multilateral level to favor school food programs, which allow entire communities whose existence is threatened by hunger, to view the future with more hope.”
Weekly HOMILY for October 28, 2007: Love's Three Levels
This was “Deacon Preaching Sunday” and Father Nick did not preach. The following is a wedding homily he preached at a weekend wedding.
Marriage of John and Heather Torosino
(Readings: 2, 5, 6)
Our Lady of Grace
October 27, 2007
Love’s Three Levels
By Nicholas P. Amato
Fiddler on the Roof
In the famous Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye, the father of a Jewish family living in Russia was certainly not the first man ever to ask a woman, “Do you love me?”
Nor was Golde, his wife, the first ever to respond, “Do I love you? For all these years, I’ve cleaned your house, cooked your meals, and washed your clothes. Do I love You?”
You’ll recall it’s not the response Tevye is looking for, “No, no Golde, I mean do you LOVE me?”
Golde replies with still more of the “laundry list.” “For all these years, I’ve walked with you, talked with you, starved with you, slept with you. Do I love you? If that’s not love, what is?”
We’ve all been there when we really want to know deeper levels to this question of being loved.
Love Has Its Levels
That question of higher levels has a fitting place here at the marriage of John and Heather and the reading from Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, which they’ve chosen, helps us address it.
Let’s look at this deeper love Tevye and Paul are raising.
I’d suggest there are three levels of love, and that the first prepares you for the second, and the second prepares you for the third.
Foundational Level
The first level of love is FOUNDATIONAL LOVE. It’s the kind of love Golde talks about with Tevye.
Simply put, the first level of love consists in mutual sharing and fidelity. The mutual sharing and fidelity is the very bedrock of love. Without it, there can be no genuine love.
It’s St. Paul’s “Love is patient, love is kind, not envious, it does not boast.”
And it’s only from working at these tasks of patience and kindness that we get drawn into love expressions that are truly higher.
Joy-Filled Level
The second, or higher level of love could be called JOY-FILLED LOVE.
Here, the lover is not content with mutual sharing and mutual fidelity. At this level the lover wants to do more. The lover searches for ways to surprise and to please the beloved.
This is what we mean by it being JOY-FILLED. It is never satisfied with the bare minimum. It always wants to do more.
St. Paul touches this level in his words, “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” The truth of the relationship has grown and it needs deeper expressions of love to satisfy.
As a spouse no longer rejoices in what is wrong with the other spouse, as two people embrace each other’s shortcomings, as a couple is able in the face of it all to rejoice in the fact that God has joined them together, something begins to happen in the relationship.
Folly of Love Level
The highest level of loving begins. It might be called the FOLLY OF LOVE. It is the most perfect form love there is.
At this level the lover can now do what other people truly consider madness. At this level the lover does what ordinary people cannot understand.
It is important to know that this step into the heights of love cannot be taken without a profound sense of having first been loved by God. For Christians it is an understanding of having been lost and having been found in Christ Jesus.
Without a saving experience of this kind, there is no motivation, no energy, no resource you can depend on for loving at this level of folly for this is the level where I will give up all, including life itself, for another.
That is why the word FOLLY sums it up so well. It is why those who haven’t had the experience can have no understanding of it.
It is the mind of Paul, of a Jesus, all individuals who been there. And Paul’s words are addressed to this highest level of love, “There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
My friends, those words only make sense to one who’s been lost and now is found.
Conclusion
John and Heather, most of us, most of the time, love at the first level and we work at being patient and kind.
And most of us have moments in our lives when we love at the second level, rejoicing in the truth of our relationships with a spouse or friend.
We go out of our way to please or to surprise those we love.
The challenge for you John and Heather, on this day of blessing, is to value and live your love at the third level, feeling no limits to love’s forbearance, its trust, its power to endure.
Doing so you will love in a way that makes non-loving people think you are mad. Yet it’s only this kind of love that is capable of transforming, not only each other, but also ourselves, as well as the world in which we live.
Marriage of John and Heather Torosino
(Readings: 2, 5, 6)
Our Lady of Grace
October 27, 2007
Love’s Three Levels
By Nicholas P. Amato
Fiddler on the Roof
In the famous Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye, the father of a Jewish family living in Russia was certainly not the first man ever to ask a woman, “Do you love me?”
Nor was Golde, his wife, the first ever to respond, “Do I love you? For all these years, I’ve cleaned your house, cooked your meals, and washed your clothes. Do I love You?”
You’ll recall it’s not the response Tevye is looking for, “No, no Golde, I mean do you LOVE me?”
Golde replies with still more of the “laundry list.” “For all these years, I’ve walked with you, talked with you, starved with you, slept with you. Do I love you? If that’s not love, what is?”
We’ve all been there when we really want to know deeper levels to this question of being loved.
Love Has Its Levels
That question of higher levels has a fitting place here at the marriage of John and Heather and the reading from Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, which they’ve chosen, helps us address it.
Let’s look at this deeper love Tevye and Paul are raising.
I’d suggest there are three levels of love, and that the first prepares you for the second, and the second prepares you for the third.
Foundational Level
The first level of love is FOUNDATIONAL LOVE. It’s the kind of love Golde talks about with Tevye.
Simply put, the first level of love consists in mutual sharing and fidelity. The mutual sharing and fidelity is the very bedrock of love. Without it, there can be no genuine love.
It’s St. Paul’s “Love is patient, love is kind, not envious, it does not boast.”
And it’s only from working at these tasks of patience and kindness that we get drawn into love expressions that are truly higher.
Joy-Filled Level
The second, or higher level of love could be called JOY-FILLED LOVE.
Here, the lover is not content with mutual sharing and mutual fidelity. At this level the lover wants to do more. The lover searches for ways to surprise and to please the beloved.
This is what we mean by it being JOY-FILLED. It is never satisfied with the bare minimum. It always wants to do more.
St. Paul touches this level in his words, “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” The truth of the relationship has grown and it needs deeper expressions of love to satisfy.
As a spouse no longer rejoices in what is wrong with the other spouse, as two people embrace each other’s shortcomings, as a couple is able in the face of it all to rejoice in the fact that God has joined them together, something begins to happen in the relationship.
Folly of Love Level
The highest level of loving begins. It might be called the FOLLY OF LOVE. It is the most perfect form love there is.
At this level the lover can now do what other people truly consider madness. At this level the lover does what ordinary people cannot understand.
It is important to know that this step into the heights of love cannot be taken without a profound sense of having first been loved by God. For Christians it is an understanding of having been lost and having been found in Christ Jesus.
Without a saving experience of this kind, there is no motivation, no energy, no resource you can depend on for loving at this level of folly for this is the level where I will give up all, including life itself, for another.
That is why the word FOLLY sums it up so well. It is why those who haven’t had the experience can have no understanding of it.
It is the mind of Paul, of a Jesus, all individuals who been there. And Paul’s words are addressed to this highest level of love, “There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
My friends, those words only make sense to one who’s been lost and now is found.
Conclusion
John and Heather, most of us, most of the time, love at the first level and we work at being patient and kind.
And most of us have moments in our lives when we love at the second level, rejoicing in the truth of our relationships with a spouse or friend.
We go out of our way to please or to surprise those we love.
The challenge for you John and Heather, on this day of blessing, is to value and live your love at the third level, feeling no limits to love’s forbearance, its trust, its power to endure.
Doing so you will love in a way that makes non-loving people think you are mad. Yet it’s only this kind of love that is capable of transforming, not only each other, but also ourselves, as well as the world in which we live.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Weekly MESSAGE for October 21, 2007: Families Must Form Consciences
October 18, 2007
Focus: Families Must Form Consciences
Dear Friend,
This is the time of year that we meet with parents whose children are preparing for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation.
In preparation for the 6th World Meeting for Christian Families, to be held in January 2009 in Mexico, Pope Benedict XVI recently explained his objective for the world meeting: “In these times in which it is notable that there is a frequent contradiction between what is professed as belief and concrete ways of living and acting, the next World Meeting of Families proposes to encourage Christian households in the formation of a right moral conscience that, strengthened by the grace of God, helps in the faithful following of his will, which he has revealed to us through Jesus Christ and which he has sowed in the depths of the heart of each person.”
The Pope said that families, as “domestic churches,” are called to form new generations in human and Christian values so that orienting their lives according to the model of Christ, they forge in themselves harmonious personalities.
As we begin forming our children and their parents to receive First Reconciliation, it is our prayer that our families will develop a right moral conscience and where and when they fail, to learn to appreciate the power of God’s abiding presence in the Church as a merciful Father.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Focus: Families Must Form Consciences
Dear Friend,
This is the time of year that we meet with parents whose children are preparing for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation.
In preparation for the 6th World Meeting for Christian Families, to be held in January 2009 in Mexico, Pope Benedict XVI recently explained his objective for the world meeting: “In these times in which it is notable that there is a frequent contradiction between what is professed as belief and concrete ways of living and acting, the next World Meeting of Families proposes to encourage Christian households in the formation of a right moral conscience that, strengthened by the grace of God, helps in the faithful following of his will, which he has revealed to us through Jesus Christ and which he has sowed in the depths of the heart of each person.”
The Pope said that families, as “domestic churches,” are called to form new generations in human and Christian values so that orienting their lives according to the model of Christ, they forge in themselves harmonious personalities.
As we begin forming our children and their parents to receive First Reconciliation, it is our prayer that our families will develop a right moral conscience and where and when they fail, to learn to appreciate the power of God’s abiding presence in the Church as a merciful Father.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly THIS AND THAT for October 21, 2007: Preparing to Leave Home
This and That:
Preparing to Leave Home
Dear Friend,
This month has the “feel” of August 1959. It was then that I began packing my shinny new black steamer trunk for the State University of New York at Oneonta. Those days were filled with anticipation and excitement of new frontiers for learning, being away from my family, and gaining a new sense of independence at the tender age of 18.
While the black steamer trunk is now replaced with three pieces of luggage, the anticipation and excitement of a life “away from home” is still there. However, the “college” will be three months of silence, work, and prayer at a Trappist Abbey. Of course there will be learning going on, but it will be more about who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m heading in life and in passing over to eternal life.
Lest this all sound too lofty, there are practical questions that need to be answered in the ten weeks that remain before January 1, 2008: How many sets of work clothes do I need to bring? How many sets of casual clothes? Do I need dress clothes or a clergy suit? What do monks wear in the winter in South Carolina for an overcoat; do I need to bring gloves? Do I need a raincoat? One thing I know for certain is that I will not need a bathing suit for there’s no pool and the Cooper River has alligators in it! I saw them, myself. I will definitely be taking some photos of the people of Our Lady of Grace at Mass. What better way to remember you and stay united in the faith?
I have made some decisions regarding communication with the “outside world” while I am there from January 3rd through April 3rd. I will not be doing emails, given the fact that responding to the sixty to seventy that I get each day would occupy a good part of the monastic day as it does presently. A simple message will be sent to each sender: “Father Nick is in a Trappist monastery for three months. His mailbox is not receiving messages until mid-April 2008. If your email is an emergency, please forward it directly to Sr. Mary Therese, the parish Interim Pastor at mwhite@ourladygrace.org.”
One decision I have made is to drop permanently the monthly newsletter that I have been writing since a become pastor 12 and one half years ago. Sister Mary Therese continues to assume many of my responsibilities, e.g. monthly Report of the Pastor, agenda and chairing Pastoral Team meetings, chairing the Search Committee for our new principal, taking part in more and more pastoral issues that come up each week, making decisions jointly regarding the life of the parish, being part of the oversight of the Annual Offertory Renewal, etc. I have to be careful I may work myself out of a job! Of course, I am only joking, but I am confident she will do wonderful work as Interim Pastor for those three months.
One final note on prayer: I will be consecrating the 90 days of prayer, work, and silence to God for the future of Our Lady of Grace School and Catholic School education in general. If you would like me to pray daily for a special intention of yours, please email it to me at namato@earthlink.net and I will keep it in my prayer book. I would, of course, ask you for your prayers that I persevere in my own coming to know the Lord more deeply during this time away home.
The November newsletter will give you an in-depth view of every hour of the monastic day within the cloister from rising at 3:00am to retiring at 8:00pm. Please watch for it. In addition, during the month of December, the kiosk in the Gathering Space will feature photos and excerpts from the monastery home page (www.mepkinabbey.org/)
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Preparing to Leave Home
Dear Friend,
This month has the “feel” of August 1959. It was then that I began packing my shinny new black steamer trunk for the State University of New York at Oneonta. Those days were filled with anticipation and excitement of new frontiers for learning, being away from my family, and gaining a new sense of independence at the tender age of 18.
While the black steamer trunk is now replaced with three pieces of luggage, the anticipation and excitement of a life “away from home” is still there. However, the “college” will be three months of silence, work, and prayer at a Trappist Abbey. Of course there will be learning going on, but it will be more about who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m heading in life and in passing over to eternal life.
Lest this all sound too lofty, there are practical questions that need to be answered in the ten weeks that remain before January 1, 2008: How many sets of work clothes do I need to bring? How many sets of casual clothes? Do I need dress clothes or a clergy suit? What do monks wear in the winter in South Carolina for an overcoat; do I need to bring gloves? Do I need a raincoat? One thing I know for certain is that I will not need a bathing suit for there’s no pool and the Cooper River has alligators in it! I saw them, myself. I will definitely be taking some photos of the people of Our Lady of Grace at Mass. What better way to remember you and stay united in the faith?
I have made some decisions regarding communication with the “outside world” while I am there from January 3rd through April 3rd. I will not be doing emails, given the fact that responding to the sixty to seventy that I get each day would occupy a good part of the monastic day as it does presently. A simple message will be sent to each sender: “Father Nick is in a Trappist monastery for three months. His mailbox is not receiving messages until mid-April 2008. If your email is an emergency, please forward it directly to Sr. Mary Therese, the parish Interim Pastor at mwhite@ourladygrace.org.”
One decision I have made is to drop permanently the monthly newsletter that I have been writing since a become pastor 12 and one half years ago. Sister Mary Therese continues to assume many of my responsibilities, e.g. monthly Report of the Pastor, agenda and chairing Pastoral Team meetings, chairing the Search Committee for our new principal, taking part in more and more pastoral issues that come up each week, making decisions jointly regarding the life of the parish, being part of the oversight of the Annual Offertory Renewal, etc. I have to be careful I may work myself out of a job! Of course, I am only joking, but I am confident she will do wonderful work as Interim Pastor for those three months.
One final note on prayer: I will be consecrating the 90 days of prayer, work, and silence to God for the future of Our Lady of Grace School and Catholic School education in general. If you would like me to pray daily for a special intention of yours, please email it to me at namato@earthlink.net and I will keep it in my prayer book. I would, of course, ask you for your prayers that I persevere in my own coming to know the Lord more deeply during this time away home.
The November newsletter will give you an in-depth view of every hour of the monastic day within the cloister from rising at 3:00am to retiring at 8:00pm. Please watch for it. In addition, during the month of December, the kiosk in the Gathering Space will feature photos and excerpts from the monastery home page (www.mepkinabbey.org/)
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly HOMILY for October 21, 2007: Persistence Makes All the Difference in the World
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
October 21, 2007
Focus: Persistence can make a difference
Function: To show the assembly how to apply persistence in several areas of their lives
Form: The Problem—Solution
Persistence Makes All the Difference in the World
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Introduction
Persistence was once described by Harry S. Truman as a, “vitally important attribute to have for successful living.” “Nothing in the world,” he said, “can take its place.”
That’s a rather sweeping statement, wouldn’t you say?
But hear him out. He goes on to cite that TALENT will not take the place of persistence; after all, nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with great talent.
GENIUS will not take its place. Unrewarded genius exists in most professions from classroom teachers to bright assembly line workers.
EDUCATION will not take its place. The world is full of educated street people.
Maybe Harry Truman is right: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.”
Moses
Today’s first reading and Gospel all affirm the necessary quality of persistence.
In the text from EXODUS, Moses is featured as persevering in the face of conflict with the equally persistent Aaron and Hur.
What the Jewish People learned about God came in the form of a series of miracles, each always precipitated by a crisis.
When they were in need of food, God gave them manna. When they thirsted, God provided water. When they were threatened with hostility – as in today’s reading – God protected them.
So what do I tell the young Middle School person who came to me a while ago about being teased at school?
I tell her the story of Moses in battle. Her life is a similar battle, literally!
But it is precisely in her conflict that God will reach out to her, if she perseveres in prayer and trust of God.
It wasn’t easy for Moses holding up those arms, being overrun by the enemy. It isn’t going to be easy for the Middle Schooler or any of us who feels we’re in a battle for our lives.
The God who delivered Moses will deliver each of us, if we trust and persevere.
The Widow
In the Gospel we see a widow’s power to persist until she is given a hearing by an unjust judge. The story Jesus tells us is meant to inspire the same quality in his disciples.
There are so many causes that need our attention today: global warming, the War in Iraq, capital punishment, the termination of the lives of unborn children, health care for all children, the poor on the streets of Baltimore, and the list goes on.
We are the widows of the Gospel and yet we remain so aloof from the judges and legislators who can change things. We do not advocate for justice in our circles of friends or in our families.
And if there’s nothing we can do, what of simply praying each day with persistence for the victims of injustice?
We need to praying and advocate for justice with the same commitment and confidence of the Gospel widow, the widow who kept coming back, pestering, nagging, cajoling, and repeating her plea before the judge?
This same dynamism should fire every disciple’s hoping, yearning, praying and believing.
Conclusion
Let us take these two images with us this evening/today as we make our way into the coming week.
Let the images of Moses’ trembling arms uplifted in battle and the widow who would not rest until she extracted justice from an unjust judge empower us in our personal conflicts and in acting on behalf of justice.
A wise person once said: “Victory goes to the one who endures to the end.” Because of our persistence, may the victory be ours!
Our Lady of Grace
October 21, 2007
Focus: Persistence can make a difference
Function: To show the assembly how to apply persistence in several areas of their lives
Form: The Problem—Solution
Persistence Makes All the Difference in the World
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Introduction
Persistence was once described by Harry S. Truman as a, “vitally important attribute to have for successful living.” “Nothing in the world,” he said, “can take its place.”
That’s a rather sweeping statement, wouldn’t you say?
But hear him out. He goes on to cite that TALENT will not take the place of persistence; after all, nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with great talent.
GENIUS will not take its place. Unrewarded genius exists in most professions from classroom teachers to bright assembly line workers.
EDUCATION will not take its place. The world is full of educated street people.
Maybe Harry Truman is right: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.”
Moses
Today’s first reading and Gospel all affirm the necessary quality of persistence.
In the text from EXODUS, Moses is featured as persevering in the face of conflict with the equally persistent Aaron and Hur.
What the Jewish People learned about God came in the form of a series of miracles, each always precipitated by a crisis.
When they were in need of food, God gave them manna. When they thirsted, God provided water. When they were threatened with hostility – as in today’s reading – God protected them.
So what do I tell the young Middle School person who came to me a while ago about being teased at school?
I tell her the story of Moses in battle. Her life is a similar battle, literally!
But it is precisely in her conflict that God will reach out to her, if she perseveres in prayer and trust of God.
It wasn’t easy for Moses holding up those arms, being overrun by the enemy. It isn’t going to be easy for the Middle Schooler or any of us who feels we’re in a battle for our lives.
The God who delivered Moses will deliver each of us, if we trust and persevere.
The Widow
In the Gospel we see a widow’s power to persist until she is given a hearing by an unjust judge. The story Jesus tells us is meant to inspire the same quality in his disciples.
There are so many causes that need our attention today: global warming, the War in Iraq, capital punishment, the termination of the lives of unborn children, health care for all children, the poor on the streets of Baltimore, and the list goes on.
We are the widows of the Gospel and yet we remain so aloof from the judges and legislators who can change things. We do not advocate for justice in our circles of friends or in our families.
And if there’s nothing we can do, what of simply praying each day with persistence for the victims of injustice?
We need to praying and advocate for justice with the same commitment and confidence of the Gospel widow, the widow who kept coming back, pestering, nagging, cajoling, and repeating her plea before the judge?
This same dynamism should fire every disciple’s hoping, yearning, praying and believing.
Conclusion
Let us take these two images with us this evening/today as we make our way into the coming week.
Let the images of Moses’ trembling arms uplifted in battle and the widow who would not rest until she extracted justice from an unjust judge empower us in our personal conflicts and in acting on behalf of justice.
A wise person once said: “Victory goes to the one who endures to the end.” Because of our persistence, may the victory be ours!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Weekly MESSAGE for October 14, 2007: Preparing to Leave Home
October 11, 2007
Focus: Preparing to Leave Home
Dear Friend,
This month has the “feel” of August 1959. It was then that I began packing my shinny new black steamer trunk for the State University of New York at Oneonta. Those days were filled with anticipation and excitement of new frontiers for learning, being away from my family, and gaining a new sense of independence at the tender age of 18.
While the black steamer trunk is now replaced with three pieces of luggage, the anticipation and excitement of a life away from home is still there. However, the “college” will be three months of silence at a Trappist Abbey. Of course there will be learning going on, but it will be more about who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m heading in life and in passing over to eternal life.
Lest this all sound too lofty, there are practical questions that need to be answered: How many sets of work clothes? How many sets of casual clothes? Do I need dress clothes or a clergy suit? What do monks wear in the winter in South Carolina for an overcoat; do I need to bring gloves? Do I need a raincoat? One thing I know for sure is that I will not need a bathing suit for there’s no pool and the Cooper River has alligators in it. I saw them, myself! I will be taking some photos of the people of Our Lady of Grace at Mass. What better way to remember you and stay united in the faith.
I have made some decisions regarding communication with the “outside world” while I am there. I will not be doing emails, given the fact that responding to the sixty to seventy that I get each day would occupy a good part of the monastic day. A simple message will be sent to each sender: “Father Nick is in a Trappist monastery for three months. His mailbox is not receiving messages until mid-April 2008. If your email is an emergency, please forward it directly to Sr. Mary Therese, the parish Interim Pastor at mwhite@ourladygrace.org.”
One final note on prayer: I will be consecrating the 90 days of prayer, work, and silence to God for the future of Our Lady of Grace School and Catholic School education in general. If you would like me to pray daily for a special intention of yours, please email it to me at namato@earthlink.net and I will keep it in my prayer book. I would, of course, ask you for your prayers that I persevere in my own coming to know the Lord more deeply during this time away home.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Focus: Preparing to Leave Home
Dear Friend,
This month has the “feel” of August 1959. It was then that I began packing my shinny new black steamer trunk for the State University of New York at Oneonta. Those days were filled with anticipation and excitement of new frontiers for learning, being away from my family, and gaining a new sense of independence at the tender age of 18.
While the black steamer trunk is now replaced with three pieces of luggage, the anticipation and excitement of a life away from home is still there. However, the “college” will be three months of silence at a Trappist Abbey. Of course there will be learning going on, but it will be more about who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m heading in life and in passing over to eternal life.
Lest this all sound too lofty, there are practical questions that need to be answered: How many sets of work clothes? How many sets of casual clothes? Do I need dress clothes or a clergy suit? What do monks wear in the winter in South Carolina for an overcoat; do I need to bring gloves? Do I need a raincoat? One thing I know for sure is that I will not need a bathing suit for there’s no pool and the Cooper River has alligators in it. I saw them, myself! I will be taking some photos of the people of Our Lady of Grace at Mass. What better way to remember you and stay united in the faith.
I have made some decisions regarding communication with the “outside world” while I am there. I will not be doing emails, given the fact that responding to the sixty to seventy that I get each day would occupy a good part of the monastic day. A simple message will be sent to each sender: “Father Nick is in a Trappist monastery for three months. His mailbox is not receiving messages until mid-April 2008. If your email is an emergency, please forward it directly to Sr. Mary Therese, the parish Interim Pastor at mwhite@ourladygrace.org.”
One final note on prayer: I will be consecrating the 90 days of prayer, work, and silence to God for the future of Our Lady of Grace School and Catholic School education in general. If you would like me to pray daily for a special intention of yours, please email it to me at namato@earthlink.net and I will keep it in my prayer book. I would, of course, ask you for your prayers that I persevere in my own coming to know the Lord more deeply during this time away home.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly THIS AND THAT for October 14, 2007: The Duck and the Devil
This and That:
The Duck and the Devil
Once upon a time, there was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but somehow he was never able to hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it right in its tracks! He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile a hundred yards from the house, only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, “Sally, let’s you and I wash the dishes.” Sally thought a moment then said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.” Then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck?” So Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, “I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.” Sally just smiled and said, “Well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” She whispered again, “Remember the duck?” So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”
Thought for today and every day thereafter: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done ... and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face, you know, the lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, jealousy, compulsive behavior, bickering, stealing, etc. whatever it is, you need to know that God was standing at the window and he saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that he loves you and that you are forgiven.
He’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, he not only forgives you, but he forgets. It is by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved from our sins.
Always remember: God is at the window!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
The Duck and the Devil
Once upon a time, there was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but somehow he was never able to hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it right in its tracks! He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile a hundred yards from the house, only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, “Sally, let’s you and I wash the dishes.” Sally thought a moment then said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.” Then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck?” So Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, “I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.” Sally just smiled and said, “Well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” She whispered again, “Remember the duck?” So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”
Thought for today and every day thereafter: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done ... and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face, you know, the lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, jealousy, compulsive behavior, bickering, stealing, etc. whatever it is, you need to know that God was standing at the window and he saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that he loves you and that you are forgiven.
He’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, he not only forgives you, but he forgets. It is by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved from our sins.
Always remember: God is at the window!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly HOMILY for October 14, 2007: Lepers and Our Lives
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
October 14, 2007
Focus: The Scriptures Speak to Us in Specific Ways
Function: To identify with a specific call from God and act on it
Lepers and Our Lives
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Homily Defined
Many of you know that I’m teaching homiletics at St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park this semester.
After six weeks of classes, I must say how much I enjoy doing it. The men are open and very eager to learn how to become better preachers.
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 script – and the second is a dynamic delivery.
If you have an excellent text and a poor delivery, you’re a dry-as-dust classroom teacher. On the other hand, if you have a poor text and an excellent delivery, you’re only an entertainer.
The goal of the preacher, whatever his style, is to recreate in the hearer the excitement and the discovery that he himself experienced in preparing the presentation.
The homily actually becomes a homily only in the interaction of the preacher with the assembly of believers.
Would you agree? Good!
Nexus
Let me share then the excitement and discoveries I made earlier this week regarding two characters: Naaman the Syrian in the first reading and the Samaritan Leper in the Gospel.
In my praying and reflecting I came to several insights – little “aha!” experiences. And each insight applied to me in some way. Of course, that’s probably why it was an insight.
In the end, I was able to embrace one of them as a very personal invitation from God specifically to me. I was able to see that one of them could contribute to my own transformation.
As I share them, you might label each one in your mind as “high,” “medium,” or “low” for yourself this evening/morning.
Love
Here we go. God’s Word to us today affirms the universal concern that God has for all men and women.
Naaman is a Syrian and the Leper, who returns to Jesus, is a Samaritan, yet both of these whom even Jesus considered foreigners were valued and important to him.
Therefore, we must conclude that all persons, regardless of their nationality, gender or ethnicity, should be of value to us as well.
So who is there that you will not allow into your circle of friends? Or who is that you wouldn’t include on your list of people to admire or praise? Or who is the brunt of jokes you tell or listen to?
God’s love is for all. It’s universal; it’s open to all. And our love, as his disciples, can’t be anything less.
How does this notion of love apply to me? High, medium or low?
Sin
A second insight I had on the readings had to do with the fact that the leprosy of Naaman and the Samaritan serves as an analogy for sin. Like sin, leprosy saps the spirit, wounds the body, and effectively alienates persons from one another and from God.
Healing leprosy, of course, is comparable to the forgiveness of sin and the restoration of life, as well as the reconciliation of persons.
So we ask, “What sin or imperfection do I labor under?” “From whom am I still alienated?” “Have I sought forgiveness?” “Talked to a priest?” “Made an appointment with a counselor?”
How does this notion of sin apply to me? High, medium or low?
Gratitude
A final insight centers on the quality of gratitude that is exhibited by both Naaman and the Samaritan.
One healed by God, the other by Jesus, both return thanks and praise to God.
Notice that through their very giving of gratitude, both begin to believe more deeply. Giving gratitude will do that for us.
In their praying and believing, they offer us, whom God blesses with every good gift, a powerful example.
So what is the quality of my gratitude for the blessing of my family, my job, school, health, or friends? Get the picture?
And how does this notion of gratitude apply to me? High, medium or low?
Conclusion
As I said when I began, the preacher to be successful, whatever his style of delivery, must recreate in the hearer the excitement and the discovery that he himself experienced in preparing the presentation.
The homily this evening/morning truly becomes a homily only in the interaction of my written text with you, the assembly of believers.
So which is it for you: love, sin, or gratitude?
The Word of God has drawn you in and shown you what you must do regarding each.
That, my friend, is not just an insight! No, with it comes God’s grace and God’s presence to you in the Eucharist so that insight can make a difference.
Our Lady of Grace
October 14, 2007
Focus: The Scriptures Speak to Us in Specific Ways
Function: To identify with a specific call from God and act on it
Lepers and Our Lives
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Homily Defined
Many of you know that I’m teaching homiletics at St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park this semester.
After six weeks of classes, I must say how much I enjoy doing it. The men are open and very eager to learn how to become better preachers.
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 script – and the second is a dynamic delivery.
If you have an excellent text and a poor delivery, you’re a dry-as-dust classroom teacher. On the other hand, if you have a poor text and an excellent delivery, you’re only an entertainer.
The goal of the preacher, whatever his style, is to recreate in the hearer the excitement and the discovery that he himself experienced in preparing the presentation.
The homily actually becomes a homily only in the interaction of the preacher with the assembly of believers.
Would you agree? Good!
Nexus
Let me share then the excitement and discoveries I made earlier this week regarding two characters: Naaman the Syrian in the first reading and the Samaritan Leper in the Gospel.
In my praying and reflecting I came to several insights – little “aha!” experiences. And each insight applied to me in some way. Of course, that’s probably why it was an insight.
In the end, I was able to embrace one of them as a very personal invitation from God specifically to me. I was able to see that one of them could contribute to my own transformation.
As I share them, you might label each one in your mind as “high,” “medium,” or “low” for yourself this evening/morning.
Love
Here we go. God’s Word to us today affirms the universal concern that God has for all men and women.
Naaman is a Syrian and the Leper, who returns to Jesus, is a Samaritan, yet both of these whom even Jesus considered foreigners were valued and important to him.
Therefore, we must conclude that all persons, regardless of their nationality, gender or ethnicity, should be of value to us as well.
So who is there that you will not allow into your circle of friends? Or who is that you wouldn’t include on your list of people to admire or praise? Or who is the brunt of jokes you tell or listen to?
God’s love is for all. It’s universal; it’s open to all. And our love, as his disciples, can’t be anything less.
How does this notion of love apply to me? High, medium or low?
Sin
A second insight I had on the readings had to do with the fact that the leprosy of Naaman and the Samaritan serves as an analogy for sin. Like sin, leprosy saps the spirit, wounds the body, and effectively alienates persons from one another and from God.
Healing leprosy, of course, is comparable to the forgiveness of sin and the restoration of life, as well as the reconciliation of persons.
So we ask, “What sin or imperfection do I labor under?” “From whom am I still alienated?” “Have I sought forgiveness?” “Talked to a priest?” “Made an appointment with a counselor?”
How does this notion of sin apply to me? High, medium or low?
Gratitude
A final insight centers on the quality of gratitude that is exhibited by both Naaman and the Samaritan.
One healed by God, the other by Jesus, both return thanks and praise to God.
Notice that through their very giving of gratitude, both begin to believe more deeply. Giving gratitude will do that for us.
In their praying and believing, they offer us, whom God blesses with every good gift, a powerful example.
So what is the quality of my gratitude for the blessing of my family, my job, school, health, or friends? Get the picture?
And how does this notion of gratitude apply to me? High, medium or low?
Conclusion
As I said when I began, the preacher to be successful, whatever his style of delivery, must recreate in the hearer the excitement and the discovery that he himself experienced in preparing the presentation.
The homily this evening/morning truly becomes a homily only in the interaction of my written text with you, the assembly of believers.
So which is it for you: love, sin, or gratitude?
The Word of God has drawn you in and shown you what you must do regarding each.
That, my friend, is not just an insight! No, with it comes God’s grace and God’s presence to you in the Eucharist so that insight can make a difference.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Weekly MESSAGE for October 7, 2007: Old Friends, New Relationships
October 4, 2007
Focus: Old Friends, New Relationships!
Dear Friend,
What do you do when you are with a friend for a day? Shop? Golf? Dinner out? Movies?
And when you look back over such days, days when you have both taken some time off from work to just do something different, which are the ones that stand out as extra-ordinary?
Yesterday was such a day for me. If I had to put words to it I’d say it was nurturing, grounding, celebrational – just what I needed in another usually hectic week of ministry.
What may be strange is some of what we did from noon to 8:00pm. We began with prayer, shared the readings for this coming Sunday, and then took a half-hour of silent meditation. We then came back together and shared our thoughts on how the readings were speaking to our lives. And no he’s not a priest.
Then came lunch after which we did some driving through the hills and over the streams of southern PA. The excursion ended with a long walk along the Susquehanna River to the Holtwood Dam. Much of the time was silent with a communion grounded in the earlier prayer, the beautiful surroundings, and the opportunity of having two friends just “being” (versus “doing” something) together.
All it takes for time with a friend to be extra-ordinary is not to have a lot of the “noise” that merely entertains or occupies us, but rather deeper realities of silence, God’s Word, nature, and gentle presence.
As the fall colors begin to blanket the countryside, “dust off” an old relationship and take it out for an airing!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Focus: Old Friends, New Relationships!
Dear Friend,
What do you do when you are with a friend for a day? Shop? Golf? Dinner out? Movies?
And when you look back over such days, days when you have both taken some time off from work to just do something different, which are the ones that stand out as extra-ordinary?
Yesterday was such a day for me. If I had to put words to it I’d say it was nurturing, grounding, celebrational – just what I needed in another usually hectic week of ministry.
What may be strange is some of what we did from noon to 8:00pm. We began with prayer, shared the readings for this coming Sunday, and then took a half-hour of silent meditation. We then came back together and shared our thoughts on how the readings were speaking to our lives. And no he’s not a priest.
Then came lunch after which we did some driving through the hills and over the streams of southern PA. The excursion ended with a long walk along the Susquehanna River to the Holtwood Dam. Much of the time was silent with a communion grounded in the earlier prayer, the beautiful surroundings, and the opportunity of having two friends just “being” (versus “doing” something) together.
All it takes for time with a friend to be extra-ordinary is not to have a lot of the “noise” that merely entertains or occupies us, but rather deeper realities of silence, God’s Word, nature, and gentle presence.
As the fall colors begin to blanket the countryside, “dust off” an old relationship and take it out for an airing!
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Weekly THIS AND THAT for October 7, 2007: Christianity, the Cause of Problems in Europe
This and That:
Christianity, the Cause of Problems in Europe
Dear Family,
I found the following address of Cardinal Kasper very important for European Catholics. His comments would apply to American Catholics as well.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
The divisions between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants are partly responsible for the divisions in Europe and the secularization of the continent, said Cardinal Walter Kasper. Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said this recently at the opening talk of the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly, under way in Sibiu, Romania. “Because of our divisions,” said the cardinal, “we have obscured the light of Jesus Christ for many people and have rendered the reality of Jesus Christ less credible.” He continued: “Our divisions – and history is proof of this – are partly to blame for the divisions in Europe and the secularization of this continent. Our divisions are also partly responsible for the doubts many have about the Church, and their calling it into question. Faced with this situation, in which our Churches find themselves, we cannot say we are pleased; we cannot go on as if nothing is wrong.”
Nature of Church
Cardinal Kasper also mentioned reactions to the recent Vatican document, published in July by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith titled “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church.” The German cardinal said: “I know that many, in a special way our Protestant brothers and sisters, felt hurt by this. This does not leave me indifferent and it is a difficulty for me as well. The suffering and sorrow of my friends is also my sorrow. It was not in our intentions to hurt or debase anyone. We wanted to give witness to the truth, which is what we also expect from other Churches, and as other Churches are certainly doing.”
Despite this, the 74-year-old cardinal continued, the document points out that “Jesus Christ is present with salvific power in the churches and ecclesial communities that are separate from us. The differences have nothing to do with being Christian or the question of salvation, the differences concern the question of concrete salvific mediation, as well as the visible form of the Church,” he explained. In order to overcome obstacles to understanding the Church and the Eucharist, a “purification of the memory” is needed, he said quoting the famous expression used by Pope John Paul II, according Cardinal Kasper. “No ecumenical progress will be possible without conversion and penance. From that will come openness to renewal and reform, which is necessary in every Church and requires that each Church start with itself,” he said. However, he underlined, it is not possible “to build unity; it cannot be the fruit of our work. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit; only he can reconcile hearts. We must pray for this spirit of unity.”
Wake-Up Call
Cardinal Kasper linked the question of the visible and full union of all Christians with the problems facing Europe: “Christian unity is subordinate to world unity and, in particular in our situation, to the unification of Europe.” Unfortunately, he added, “today Europe runs the risk of not only betraying its own ideals but, moreover of forgetting them in a trivial way.” The cardinal continued: “The principle danger is not represented by atheistic opposition but rather by forgetting about God, passing over God’s precepts, by indifference, by superficiality, by individualism and not working for the common good or knowing how to sacrifice oneself to this end. The new evangelization is our task. ... A lived and decisive faith is needed. Europe cannot only be an economic and political entity; if Europe wants a future it needs a common vision and a common system of fundamental values. Europe, and this means we European Christians, must wake up; Europe must side with itself, with its history and its values that at one time gave it its greatness and that could guarantee it a new beginning. This,” he said, “is our common mission.”
Christianity, the Cause of Problems in Europe
Dear Family,
I found the following address of Cardinal Kasper very important for European Catholics. His comments would apply to American Catholics as well.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
The divisions between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants are partly responsible for the divisions in Europe and the secularization of the continent, said Cardinal Walter Kasper. Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said this recently at the opening talk of the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly, under way in Sibiu, Romania. “Because of our divisions,” said the cardinal, “we have obscured the light of Jesus Christ for many people and have rendered the reality of Jesus Christ less credible.” He continued: “Our divisions – and history is proof of this – are partly to blame for the divisions in Europe and the secularization of this continent. Our divisions are also partly responsible for the doubts many have about the Church, and their calling it into question. Faced with this situation, in which our Churches find themselves, we cannot say we are pleased; we cannot go on as if nothing is wrong.”
Nature of Church
Cardinal Kasper also mentioned reactions to the recent Vatican document, published in July by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith titled “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church.” The German cardinal said: “I know that many, in a special way our Protestant brothers and sisters, felt hurt by this. This does not leave me indifferent and it is a difficulty for me as well. The suffering and sorrow of my friends is also my sorrow. It was not in our intentions to hurt or debase anyone. We wanted to give witness to the truth, which is what we also expect from other Churches, and as other Churches are certainly doing.”
Despite this, the 74-year-old cardinal continued, the document points out that “Jesus Christ is present with salvific power in the churches and ecclesial communities that are separate from us. The differences have nothing to do with being Christian or the question of salvation, the differences concern the question of concrete salvific mediation, as well as the visible form of the Church,” he explained. In order to overcome obstacles to understanding the Church and the Eucharist, a “purification of the memory” is needed, he said quoting the famous expression used by Pope John Paul II, according Cardinal Kasper. “No ecumenical progress will be possible without conversion and penance. From that will come openness to renewal and reform, which is necessary in every Church and requires that each Church start with itself,” he said. However, he underlined, it is not possible “to build unity; it cannot be the fruit of our work. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit; only he can reconcile hearts. We must pray for this spirit of unity.”
Wake-Up Call
Cardinal Kasper linked the question of the visible and full union of all Christians with the problems facing Europe: “Christian unity is subordinate to world unity and, in particular in our situation, to the unification of Europe.” Unfortunately, he added, “today Europe runs the risk of not only betraying its own ideals but, moreover of forgetting them in a trivial way.” The cardinal continued: “The principle danger is not represented by atheistic opposition but rather by forgetting about God, passing over God’s precepts, by indifference, by superficiality, by individualism and not working for the common good or knowing how to sacrifice oneself to this end. The new evangelization is our task. ... A lived and decisive faith is needed. Europe cannot only be an economic and political entity; if Europe wants a future it needs a common vision and a common system of fundamental values. Europe, and this means we European Christians, must wake up; Europe must side with itself, with its history and its values that at one time gave it its greatness and that could guarantee it a new beginning. This,” he said, “is our common mission.”
Weekly HOMILY for October 7, 2007: The Importance of Faith and a Vision
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
October 7, 2007
Focus: Without faith and a vision of how things can be, we are left to a meager existence
Function: To show folks how having even the tiniest amount of faith a vision makes all the difference in the world
The Importance of Faith and a Vision
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Seneca
Seneca the Roman philosopher and dramatist once said, “For a ship without a port, any wind is an ill wind.”
That is, unless you have a goal or a vision of where you’re headed, you will surely flounder.
In such situations, opportunities are not utilized; stepping-stones are not realized.
However, with a port in mind, with a destination to which you are clearly heading, you have something beckoning you, and you can pick out and select what contributes to your getting there.
You have something that inspires, something that motivates, and something that gives your efforts meaning and purpose.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk saw the importance of such a vision or such a goal.
He speaks of committing the vision to writing, for in Habakkuk’s time as well as in our own, writing something out is to give something permanence.
And to writing it out he add, “Write it large” which is to say make it public for all to see it as they walked by.
A bit about Habakkuk. Here is a prophet who is burdened with preaching an unpopular message to a “stiff-necked” people.
He was a contemporary of Jeremiah and what has prompted the lament we just heard proclaimed is the destruction of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar to the north.
His people are giving up hope of things every returning to normal and Habakkuk wants to address the situation quickly. He is eminently clear: no matter how things appear or how hopeless they seem, God does indeed see, God does indeed care, and God will indeed act.
It’s just what the people need to hear and their spirits are buoyed up.
Jesus
A vision or goal, with the faith to get us there, is what’s at stake for the disciples of Jesus as well. They plead with him, “Lord, increase our faith.”
Just before this passage, Jesus has been warning them of the danger involved in leading others astray or the importance of forgiving someone we’re wronged “seventy times seven times” – meaning there should be no limit to our forgiveness.
So they recognize the need for such an increase. And what Jesus tells them is that it’s not the quantity of their faith that is important. No, it is the quality of it.
With only a miniscule amount of faith, folks who (1) Listen to his Word and (2) Commit themselves to him can do things impossible to naked human nature.
Application
Two questions arise for us as we hear God’s word: “What is my vision for my life?” and, “What is the mustard-seed faith I have that I bring to that vision?”
For starters let’s look at your marriage. Think back to your wedding day. What was your vision of where you wanted your marriage to be after 10, 20, or 30 years?
Or look at the birth of your fist child. What were your aspirations for becoming a father to that son or daughter?
Or think back the exhilaration or joy you experienced over being offered the job you now hold. What happened to the excitement and the promise your new position held out to you then?
Where have all those visions gone?
Habakkuk would suggest that you dust off those visions and polish up those goals you once had, in fact rewrite them large so all whom you love can see them. Affirm them, speak them to your loved ones.
And know this, Jesus assures us with only the tiniest amount of faith you can get back on the path to the joy and happiness a marriage, your children, or your job can bring you.
Trust in God. Take Habakkuk at his word: no matter how things appear or how hopeless they seem, God does indeed see, God does indeed care, and God will indeed act.
Conclusion
With a vision of how things can be coupled with even the smallest amount of honest, sincere faith, we can achieve great results.
We have the Prophet Habakkuk and Jesus’ word for it.
And it’s not just their word; it’s how things actually work in our world – that is, with faith and with a plan.
Our Lady of Grace
October 7, 2007
Focus: Without faith and a vision of how things can be, we are left to a meager existence
Function: To show folks how having even the tiniest amount of faith a vision makes all the difference in the world
The Importance of Faith and a Vision
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Seneca
Seneca the Roman philosopher and dramatist once said, “For a ship without a port, any wind is an ill wind.”
That is, unless you have a goal or a vision of where you’re headed, you will surely flounder.
In such situations, opportunities are not utilized; stepping-stones are not realized.
However, with a port in mind, with a destination to which you are clearly heading, you have something beckoning you, and you can pick out and select what contributes to your getting there.
You have something that inspires, something that motivates, and something that gives your efforts meaning and purpose.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk saw the importance of such a vision or such a goal.
He speaks of committing the vision to writing, for in Habakkuk’s time as well as in our own, writing something out is to give something permanence.
And to writing it out he add, “Write it large” which is to say make it public for all to see it as they walked by.
A bit about Habakkuk. Here is a prophet who is burdened with preaching an unpopular message to a “stiff-necked” people.
He was a contemporary of Jeremiah and what has prompted the lament we just heard proclaimed is the destruction of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar to the north.
His people are giving up hope of things every returning to normal and Habakkuk wants to address the situation quickly. He is eminently clear: no matter how things appear or how hopeless they seem, God does indeed see, God does indeed care, and God will indeed act.
It’s just what the people need to hear and their spirits are buoyed up.
Jesus
A vision or goal, with the faith to get us there, is what’s at stake for the disciples of Jesus as well. They plead with him, “Lord, increase our faith.”
Just before this passage, Jesus has been warning them of the danger involved in leading others astray or the importance of forgiving someone we’re wronged “seventy times seven times” – meaning there should be no limit to our forgiveness.
So they recognize the need for such an increase. And what Jesus tells them is that it’s not the quantity of their faith that is important. No, it is the quality of it.
With only a miniscule amount of faith, folks who (1) Listen to his Word and (2) Commit themselves to him can do things impossible to naked human nature.
Application
Two questions arise for us as we hear God’s word: “What is my vision for my life?” and, “What is the mustard-seed faith I have that I bring to that vision?”
For starters let’s look at your marriage. Think back to your wedding day. What was your vision of where you wanted your marriage to be after 10, 20, or 30 years?
Or look at the birth of your fist child. What were your aspirations for becoming a father to that son or daughter?
Or think back the exhilaration or joy you experienced over being offered the job you now hold. What happened to the excitement and the promise your new position held out to you then?
Where have all those visions gone?
Habakkuk would suggest that you dust off those visions and polish up those goals you once had, in fact rewrite them large so all whom you love can see them. Affirm them, speak them to your loved ones.
And know this, Jesus assures us with only the tiniest amount of faith you can get back on the path to the joy and happiness a marriage, your children, or your job can bring you.
Trust in God. Take Habakkuk at his word: no matter how things appear or how hopeless they seem, God does indeed see, God does indeed care, and God will indeed act.
Conclusion
With a vision of how things can be coupled with even the smallest amount of honest, sincere faith, we can achieve great results.
We have the Prophet Habakkuk and Jesus’ word for it.
And it’s not just their word; it’s how things actually work in our world – that is, with faith and with a plan.
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