A Word from Your Pastor September 29

Dear Parishioners:

This week, I will be away with my brother priests and with Bishop Robert Brennan, for some days of fraternity and planning for the future of the Diocese of Columbus.  I ask you to keep the presbyterate of Columbus – the priests and our Bishop – in your prayers during this important time.  It will serve to set the agenda for the next several months and years in our Diocese.  As you know, these are trying times for the Church.  We priests need to be sure that we are centered in prayer and are united in our vision so that we can serve the People of God entrusted to us.

The Church of Columbus is a diocese that covers 23 counties in the State of Ohio.  At present, we have less than 100 active priests serving the 105 parishes, with the help of retired priests, religious priests and priests of other dioceses who are assigned in the diocese for varied purposes, and our deacons.  There are about 279,000 Catholics in our diocese across the 23 counties.

As you can tell, we have our work cut out for us.  We rely on the support of the whole Church – clergy, religious and laity – all working together to build up the Kingdom of God. 

When we return from the Convocation, no doubt we will be able to share something of Bishop Brennan’s vision for our future.  He has shown such enthusiasm for all that is happening among us.  We have been blessed to have three visits of the Bishop to St. Timothy – once for the School Mass, a second time for my Mother’s funeral, and most recently for the Blue Mass.  Each time, he has expressed his gratitude for the experience and especially the sense of welcome he received.  Pray the he may have the strength and vision to help us to accomplish God’s Will for the Diocese of Columbus.

A Word from Your Pastor September 22

Dear Parishioners:

These days I find myself preaching more and more about the unique relationship God has with each one of us.  In times past, I have mentioned how, as I grew up in a family with 8 children on earth and a sister in Heaven, I became more and more amazed at the way my parents were able to be a different set of parents for each of us.  My parents worked with each of us according to our needs.  When we would complain about another sibling getting a “treat” and Mom, in particular, would just look at us and say, “Do you want us to treat you all the same?” and we would remember the special treatment we received at some point and then have to admit that we were happy being treated differently.

God looks at each one of us and loves us uniquely.  He has so arranged the world that we need one another.  Each one has gifts and talents that are meant for the whole earthly enterprise.  Learning how to cooperate with one another and how to put our unique gifts at the disposal of everyone, we are building up the Kingdom of God together.  The divisions and rivalries that are characteristic of these times are truly pointless.  We are not meant to be competitors or rivals, but rather brothers and sisters who help each other along the way to the Kingdom.

I want to thank all who have offered their gifts and talents for the good of our St. Timothy community.  We want to be sure that everyone is able to contribute.  God has a plan for us together and we can only accomplish that plan when we are all heading the same direction.  Let us work together to create a community that prays together, a family that cooperates and makes use of the gifts of all.  We can truly accomplish great things. 

A Word from your Pastor September 15

Dear Parishioners:

Many of you have perhaps had discussions with Catholics young and old who are not participating in the Sunday Mass even though they have grown up with the knowledge that it is an obligation both of the Catholic Church and from God Himself in the Ten Commandments.  The Third Commandment tells us to “Keep Holy the Sabbath.”  For us, that means very simply that we are obliged to attend and participate in the Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.  When it is impossible, due to illness or some serious reason, obviously it loses the obligation.  But the reasons given by many have nothing to do with possibility.

“I don’t get anything out of it” seems to be the number one reason offered.  This is quite frankly the most ridiculous reason anyone can give.  Obligations and commitments are meant to be followed simply due to the fact that they are matters of obedience and the free choice to live in relationship with the one who has authority over us.  We fulfill something we are obligated to do because it is our duty, our responsibility, and because we have a love for the One Who requires it from us.

But even taking it at face value, here is an answer to the old canard “I don’t get anything out of it”:  “YES, you do!” 

Every Mass always gives you personally four things.  There is no Mass that does not have these given directly to any person of good will who is present. 

1. You always “get” a Welcome.   God is happy you are there.  Your parents and others who know you are pleased that you are there.  Friends and peers who see you – a member of their own age group – are strengthened by your presence and are actually harmed by your choice to be absent if you are not there.
   
   
2. You always “get” a Word.  On Sundays and Holy Days there are three readings and a responsorial psalm and many of the hymns have Scriptural sources.  The Lord has a Message for you personally that comes to you through the readings of the Mass, through the Homily, through the songs, and through the encounter you have with people who are present there.  You will always find that the Lord has something to say to you if your heart is open.  Often, you may discover that everything about that Mass seems like it was designed just for you.
   
   
3. You always “get” to be in the Sacramental Presence of Jesus Christ Himself.   You experience the greatest Miracle available to us on the face of the earth – the transformation of earthly things into the very Presence of God.  Jesus gives you Himself as Food and nourishment for your soul, a kind of Gift that you can “get” nowhere else except through the Mass.  You were so excited about this at your First Holy Communion.  Don’t you remember?  You always “get” to be with Jesus at Mass, even if you don’t receive Holy Communion because you haven’t been to Confession.
   
   
4. You always “get” a Mission from Jesus through the Mass.  The end of the Mass tells you to “Go in peace.”  This doesn’t mean “Go away.”  It means “Go out to share what you have experienced.”  So, if you do not go to Mass, there are others who do not “get” from you what God wants to pass through you to them.  You miss out on your Mission when you are not there.

So, when you hear people say that they don’t go to Mass because they don’t “get” anything out of it, you can tell them that Yes, in fact, they do “get” a Welcome, a Word, the Sacramental Presence of the Lord of Lords, and a personal Mission.  Then, you can share what you yourself “got” from the most recent Mass you have attended yourself.

Every prodigal son or daughter can remember that the Father has a home that is open and eager for his or her return.  The prodigal will always find that even from far off the Father will be there with arms open wide to offer a warm embrace and a welcome like no other.

Don’t argue.  Just tell the soul that has been away that there is always a Welcome, a Word, a Sacramental Presence and a Mission waiting at home.  You only “get” these if you open the door and come in.  We’ll leave the Light on for you.

A Word from Your Pastor September 8

Dear Parishioners:

When we learned to type back in the day (on a typewriter), there was a practice line that was very familiar: “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party.”  This practice was first suggested in 1867, so google says, and the line may or may not have been uttered by the early American patriot Patrick Henry.  Whatever the truth of its origin, the sentiment expressed is certainly a reminder of the times in which we now live.

Now is truly the time for every human being to reclaim the fundamental reality of our unity.  The world around us is on a destructive course of division.  Wisdom makes known to us that this is not God’s intention for us.  We are called to be one with God and one with every son and daughter of God.  As brothers and sisters to one another in Christ, our purpose in the world is to live in such a way as to invite all people to come to know the richness of life in Christ.

There is no human circumstance that puts us beyond the reach of Wisdom.  The Scriptures and the life of the Church through the ages reveal to us the incredible truth that God can bring good out of evil and that we can cooperate with His Spirit to renew the face of the earth.  We can come to the aid of our party now through the practice of our Faith.

Practice of our Faith means being engaged, involved and committed to the common goal set for us by God.  God has set in motion through His grace and through the events of Salvation History all that is necessary for us to reach our goal.  But we have to get on the train!  We have the ticket – given to us at the moment of our creation in our mothers’ wombs and renewed an deepened at the moment of our recreation through Baptism.  If we don’t make use of the ticket by our own choice to be involved in practice of our Faith, we cannot hope to arrive where we are headed.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, said her “yes” to God, fulfilling the purpose for which she was created.   She continued her engagement throughout the life of Jesus and all the way to the end at the moment of His Passion.  She invites us to continue to the end of our journey by responding in word and deed to the grace offered to us, saying our own “yes” to God’s call.  May Wisdom help us to be attentive. 

A Word from Your Pastor September 1

Dear Parishioners:

Our observance of the secular holiday of Labor Day is a good occasion to note the Church’s esteem for the reality of work.  The Benedictines have a motto about their life, “Ora et labora,” which means “Pray and work.”  It suggests that in the pursuit of holiness, there needs to be a balance between the time set aside for communing with God and that given over to labor.

In this world, human beings express themselves through the work of their hands, that is, through anything they do using the talents and gifts that have been entrusted to them as persons.  There is an inherent dignity to work that comes from its association with human creativity and attention.

All too often, when we set our sights only on earthly achievements, work can become a greater burden.  When working conditions and payment for labor are poor, human dignity is wounded and work becomes nothing more than drudgery.  When, on the contrary, we give God His due, setting our sights on our Eternal destiny first, and choosing our work and performing our work in accord with God’s plan, something entirely different happens.

We also want to attend to the fact that there are many who do not manage to find work that is in harmony with their dignity and not a few who have great difficulty finding any meaningful work.  Persons who have been let go from jobs that they have had for many years due to downsizing or changes in technology are often at a loss as to how to move forward.  Fear of being without work can lead to poor decisions concerning lifestyle and to other troubles.

One suggestion that has been found helpful by many is to see time “between jobs” as a time to regroup and to rethink one’s life and livelihood.  Going to daily Mass, taking the opportunity for spiritual retreat and for personal reflection can be uplifting and often serve to open new doors.  God always has something in mind for us to do.  Our value comes not from our function, but rather from our relationship with the God Who loves us.  When we let go of control and put our trust in Him, great things happen.

Enjoy the rest and relaxation that Labor Day brings.  And, give your heart to the Lord Who as some special work for you to do to build up His Kingdom.