MILL POND REFLECTIONS

“THAT ALL MAY BE ONE”

Considering the Presidential Inauguration held on Monday, January 20th, we take a moment to reflect on this great nation, America the Beautiful. With the mixed emotions of joy and concern that people may have about what has been and what is to be for our nation, let us adhere to the words of Nehemiah: “Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). 

With the strength of the Lord, we redirect our efforts to reflect on what our nation cries out to us for in the here and now. I would say UNITY. We need unity to promote peace, prosperity, and progress. “Every kingdom divided against itself cannot stand” (Matthew 12:25). Our nation is not an exception to this biblical truth. 

In his prayer at the inauguration, Cardinal Timothy Dolan profoundly recalled Abraham Lincoln’s words at Lincoln’s second inaugural: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.” These words offer us a road map to unity. Also, St. Paul reminds us that as a body is one, though it has many parts, so are we who make up the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, St. Paul reminds us of these three truths: everyone is necessary, everyone is different, everyone is intended by God. 

May the Spirit of the Lord be upon us, as it was on Christ, that our lives may bring glad tidings of unity to our nation. Join me in praying this song:

God bless America, land that I love 

Stand beside her and guide her 

Through the night with the light from above 

From the mountains, 

To the prairies, 

To the ocean white with foam 

God bless America, 

My home sweet home.

In God, we trust!

Fr. Collins. 

Weddings, Baptisms … Sacraments

Dear Parishioners,

This week we read about Jesus’ presence at the wedding feast. We know that Jesus’s presence always makes a difference. God had given us instructions in the Old Testament regarding what marriage should be, and now Jesus makes it an occasion of God’s action. Any action from God, who is Love, will necessarily be an action of God-love.

Just as we saw last week when Jesus transformed baptisms from a purely human ceremony of pouring water and being called to repent into an action of God and the infusion of the Holy Spirit, once again, God-love, pure and simple.

Every Sacrament is an action of God-love. We prepare for that love acting in our lives so as not to allow it to degenerate into a simple ritual or a contractual arrangement. How sad it would be to enter into such an action and miss the love, seeing only the obligations.

And so, we do prepare. In this parish Deacon John and his wife, Ellen, lead our Pre-Cana program so that couples prepare to truly allow their love to be infused with God-love and not be a simple contract as when people do not recognize His presence in the Church or in their own love. We prepare.

When parents come to have their children baptized, we give a class so that they can recognize the action of God on their children and not reduce it back to a purely human ceremony.

Our Religious Education program attempts to prepare families to recognize the sacraments, the actions of God, for what they truly are; infusions and displays of His active love in our lives. We prepare for first Reconciliation, we prepare for first Eucharist, we prepare for Confirmation so that they be seen for what they are – God love.

And we pray. We pray that we not strip the beauty of the Sacrament; which is love, that the best part not be taken away so that all that remains is a contract. We still consider every Sacrament as a sign of God's love for us, and not as a contractual obligation imposed on Him or on His Church - not by the civil authorities, and not by us.

We pray that all couples bring their marriages to Church. We pray that all parents recognize the God love being directed at their children in the conferral of the sacraments. We pray that we still recognize the incredible love of God displayed at each and every Mass.

We are in this together, and He is with us. Help us to recognize your love.

Fr. Holz

Dear Parishioners,

This week we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. The Epiphany is God’s revealing of Himself to us; it is His revealing to all who seek Him. It is not so much that they were so wise, it is about the fact that they were led by Him. It is about the fact that, even as a child in a manger, it was revealed to them…by God, by the star that He placed for them to follow. God LED them. Not by human resources. Even King Herod did not know where he was to be found. 

These three, Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar, are specifically identified as outsiders. Jesus reveals Himself to all, but these outsiders will recognize Him before many of His own people do. This is something for us to consider as we strain to recognize Him in our lives. These three wise men followed a star. What were they seeking? The answer may be found in the gifts they brought. They were seeking a king, therefore the gold tribute. They were seeking the divine, hence the frankincense. They were seeking a man, therefore they myrrh, ointment for burial. Seeking all three in one, and seeking by following a star. Upon finding Him, they themselves, these outsiders, became light for others.

Whom do we seek? What do we bring? One of the advantages that we have over the three kings is the advantage of knowing Jesus’ human life. By following His example, what are the gifts that I might bring?  Do I offer Him my prayers, recognizing His divinity? Do I bring that prayerful attitude to Mass, from the beginning of the first prayer, (Opening Hymn) to the end of the last prayer (the Recessional Hymn)?  Do I acknowledge Him as my king, and offer to Him my obedience to His word, following His instructions in the beatitudes and commandments? Do I know the beatitudes and the commandments?  Do I offer patience to others, for His sake, recognizing my own humanity as well as that of those who try my patience? 

This week let us prayerfully consider the gifts that we bring to God. Let us consider whether we are a light to others, reflections of the true light. Reflections of His light. We are a good group, we are better together!

God bless,

Fr. Holz 

MILL POND REFLECTIONS

Feast of the Holy Family

With my mom arriving this weekend from Ghana for the first time for a visit, I am reminded of the beauty of family life and the joy it is when families stay together.  Celebrating the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph this weekend is a joy. I find it intriguing that throughout the gospels, there was never a time that Joseph or Mary was mentioned without reference to Jesus. We think of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation, the Flight into Egypt, the Finding of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, the Foot of the Cross, and the Resurrection of Jesus.

Theirs was a Holy Family that stayed together amidst moments of joy and sorry, with Christ at the center. This was a Holy Family of simplicity, obedience, patience, reconciliation, suffering, and trust in the Lord’s promises. At the heart of all these was love, a willingness to sacrifice and fight for each other, not with each other, with mutual respect and understanding, to persevere through trials together.   

 Pope Francis at the Angelus last year on the Feast of the Holy Family had this to say: “How is it that Jesus’ Family, the only family in history who can boast the presence of God in flesh and blood within it, be poor instead of rich! Rather than having things easy, it seems that this family meets obstacles! It is immersed in tremendous sorrows instead of being free from hardship!” It tells us that “God, whom we often imagine to be beyond problems, came to live in our life and its problems…. Christ tells our families: “If you face difficulties, I know what you are experiencing. I experienced it. I, my mother and my father, experienced it so we could tell your family too: You are not alone”!

How’s your family doing? Or do you feel you don’t even have one? What do you love most about your family? What or whom do you find lost in your family that needs to be found? Where do you wish to see your family in the coming year? Like Mary, let us ponder and bring our thoughts to the Lord in prayer. We have the Holy Family as our model and intercessor.

As members of the household of God, make Christ the capstone of your family, through whom the whole structure of the family unit is built and held together into a dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:19-22). In happiness, may your family praise the Lord; in sorry, may you seek Him out; may you have the joy of His presence to assist you in your toil, and know that He is near to comfort you in your need.

Peace,

Fr. Collins ***Love is all you need*** 

Mary set out in haste, to her kinswoman Elizabeth

Dear Parishioners,

Mary was with God. Jesus was within her. This week we see that her immediate concern was for Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. Mary’s love of God was evidenced by her love of Elizabeth. One of the best indicators in our lives of our own relationship with God is our concern for others. How good is my relationship with God? We know by looking at how deep is my concern for others. How well do I show my care for those He loves? My relationship with Him cannot be very deep if I do not care about those whom He cares about.

Once again, we are in this together. Just as Jesus came to us, just as Mary reached out to Elizabeth, so we too, reach out, in concern, for each other. We try to do this here each week. We support and encourage each other. We avoid gossip and backbiting. These can only harm our relationship with each other, and our relationship with the God who is love. In a few days we will have the opportunity to show the depth of our relationship with God by our welcoming of so many people to our worship who may not be “regulars.” We show them what we have by our welcoming of them. That joy, that fulfillment, is what will attract those who may only be here a few times a year to want to come more often. They will want what we have; they will want what our faith, as evidenced by our actions, has to offer.

We see that Mary went “to her kinswoman.” I believe there are times when this can feel even more difficult than reaching out to a stranger. The ethereal “poor” or “immigrant” of course need help and we have many avenues to provide what we ae able. But what will be seen is how we treat each other. In our biological families and our parish family. We encourage and inspire, not carp and complain.

People will probably not return simply because of a specific hymn or a particular homily or because of an individual. They may come back if we show them what we are really about; a congregation that knows the love of God because we know the love and support of each other. We can do this because it is who we are. We can do this with Him, and with each other.

God Bless,

Fr. Holz 

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is Lord alone.  Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you strength.” Deuteronomy 6

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we continue our journeys of faith together, I thought it might be appropriate for us to reflect upon the commandments of God, those laws that He has given to us as a sign of his loving concern for us.  In daily life, we sometimes experience people who give us commandments because they want to dominate us, or for their own selfish motives.  This is not the case with God.  After all, God is supreme, He has all of the power whether we obey his commandments or not, so it is not out of a grasp for power that God offers us commandments.  He offers us commandments because He wants the best for us.  He wants us to avoid the pitfalls of life and traps of the evil one that can ruin our lives.

We have a vibrant and active alcoholics anonymous program that meets in our parish.  I am sure if we surveyed those in attendance, the vast majority would tell us that they wish they had never taken that first drink.  Unfortunately, alcohol started to rule their lives.  The ten commandments are sort of like God’s way of trying to protect us from that first drink.  If we follow them we will find our lives are not always easy, but they are easier and free of the guilt that comes from sin.

Jesus summarized the ten commandments by putting two texts of Scripture together, the one above from Deuteronomy 6 and from Leviticus 19, which read together “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  The first letter of St. John makes this so clear: “If someone says, ‘I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a lair; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?  And he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  (4:20).  We remember that out of all of creation, it was man and woman who were created in the image and likeness of God.  If we don’t love God’s image and likeness, how can we say we really love God?  At the same time, if we don’t love God and acknowledge his sovereignty, we are unable to love human beings with the dignity that comes from originating in that perfect God and being a part of God’s plan.   

Think about the 10 commandments we find in both Exodus 20: 2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.  The first three of the commandments have to do with love of God.  We honor Him as well as His name and we pause to give Him praise on the Sabbath.  Then you have the remaining seven which deal with our relations with our neighbors.  We do not bear false witness to them, we do not steal from them, we do not murder them.  While we have these commandments codified in the 10 commandments, we believe they are also etched on the human heart.  There is something about them that is inherently right, whether we hear them spelled out or not. God created us with a certain sense of right and wrong we call natural law.  The 10 commandments really are just the natural law written down for us.

The final thing that I will write about the 10 commandments is that their order is important.  The first one, I am the Lord your God and you shall have no strange gods besides me, is the pivotal one.  We follow the commandments because God is God, and God is telling us to do so.  In the end they rest on His authority.  The first one is probably also the hardest to follow.  How many times have other things competed for God’s place in our lives?  Perhaps it is money, or material things, or popularity, certain addictions or even other human beings, that can sometimes try to take God’s place in our hearts.  Yet all of those things will in the end disappoint us, because nothing and no one is perfect, with the exception of God.  Let us try to do our best to remember that, so that we can live the lives God wishes us to live to the full.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Father Walter 

“Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always.  I shall say it again: rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I hope that the holiday rush has not gotten you down and that you are spiritually preparing your hearts for Christmas even more enthusiastically than you are preparing your presents and home for the holidays.  Sometimes it is hard to remain calm when the clock ticks away and the pages of the calendar whisk by.  However, as Christians we are called to be calm and reflective.  As Christians we are called to observe Advent with a spirit of prayer.

I must admit the busyness of the season has gotten to me.  This past week I was able to take a day off and used part of it to get some shopping done.  After getting a few items for myself I went to the shortest line I could find.  I was standing behind a young fellow who had a couple of packages of Christmas lights and what looked like a few toys for his son under his arm.  We waited on line.  And waited.  And waited. 

The woman in front of us had a lot of things she wanted to buy.  She wanted to debate about some of the prices of her items.  She wanted to use her debit card but kept on putting in the wrong pin number.  As all of this was going on I looked and saw that the line next to us was getting shorter.  In fact, one lady had just walked away from the cash register and the one coming up only had one item.  It was perfect.  Here was my chance to get out of there. Yet something inside of me just said, “what about that guy in front of you?”  He was there first. 

I chose to ignore that annoying voice and walked over to the other line.  I was set.  As I stood on the line the young fellow looked over to me and said, not with anger nor in an accusatory way, but more in a way that sounded like he regretted not doing it, “oh, you are the smart one.”  Well, that I must admit was enough for me.  I proceeded to tell him, “come on, get in line ahead of me.” 

The fellow was quite surprised and asked, “really?”  I said yes and finally he got on the line.  I told him my conscience got the better of me and I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had just ignored him.  Then he thanked me and shared with me that he was on his lunch break and soon would get in trouble if he didn’t get back to work.  I on the other hand was on my day off and was in no rush.  I felt more ashamed when after his purchase he looked back at me and said “thanks again.”  I should have listened to that annoying voice in the first place.  That annoying voice was God’s voice.  It was my conscience kicking in and telling me to do the right thing. 

We cannot allow all of the “things” we have to do during Advent to distract us from what is most important.  What is most important is that we have a God who loves us beyond our capacity to understand.  What is most important is that God calls us to live in this love in terms of the way we treat one another.  We need to remain calm and listen carefully to what the voice of God in our consciences tells us to do.  In fact, not only do we need to listen to it, but we also must follow it.  Let us pray that we might be able to follow the Lord with all of our hearts as we continue to live out our faith during this Advent season.

Yours in Jesus through Mary,

Rev. Walter F. Kedjierski,

Parish Administrator

The days are coming

Dear Parishioners,

We begin Advent as a time of eager expectation. Jesus is coming. We look to the threefold coming of Jesus. We look forward to the celebration of His coming among us, as one of us, through the Blessed Virgin Mary. We look forward to His coming to THIS mass, and to each and every mass, in His word, and in the sacrament of His Body and Blood. We look forward to His second coming, when there will be a judgment and when He will be all in all. We look forward, the days are coming.

We begin our season of Advent with a spirit of anticipation. This is where our regular, sustained growth during ordinary time has, or should have, led us. We anticipate the coming of the Savior. We anticipate in a deeper, more profound way.

This is not a time of idle waiting; there are preparations to be made. We must prepare not only for the external celebrations, but for what should be an internal celebration, with God, for each of us.

We pray “God, in this season where my focus should be most intently directed at YOUR coming, please don’t let me get sidetracked. Please don’t let shopping, or dinner plans, or the logistics of the day overshadow the reason for the season. Help me to prepare, not only my house, not only my lists, but help me to prepare me!”

Jesus told us He was going to prepare a place for us; am I doing as much for Him? Am I preparing? Or am I just waiting? He told us that in His house were many rooms – one specifically for each of us. In my house, in my soul, in my heart, do I have any place prepared for Him? Or have I allowed them to be cluttered or fouled with resentments, or anger, or unforgiving, or judgments, or anything short of love? Do I have a room for Him?

I may truly need to make some preparations now. So, I pray. I ask for help with my preparation. “Jesus, help me to prepare an appropriate place for You inside of me. Help me to clear away some of the attitudes or habits or procrastinations which have taken up space in me. Help me to have a worthy place in me that You will be comfortable in. Help me to become the person that You always intended me to be, the person You came to be with, the person You came to save.”

We prepare for the first coming remembering the love that brought Him to be with us. We prepare (really prepare) for His coming at the Mass we are attending – prepare through our prayers and preparation before Mass even begins. We prepare for His second coming by checking our lives and attitudes and how they stand up to His judgment. (Reconciliations available!)

How will that preparation look for each of us? The entire Church will be celebrating the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mother on December 9. (Talk about someone perfectly prepared!) Here at our parish, we will have opportunities for external and internal celebrations. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration, will help us in both forums, internal and external.

Once again, in thanksgiving to God for our parish,

Fr. Holz

MILLPOND REFLECTIONS

SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING - HE IS OUR THANKSGIVING

When I arrived in the U.S. fifteen years ago, the first holiday that made me fall in love with this great nation was THANKSGIVING DAY. I spent my first Thanksgiving with an American family of nine in Virginia. It was fun and wild. I saw the abundance of food, gratitude, and love, and I knew I would never go hungry for these essentials of life. This called on me to never lack in gratitude because…

A grateful heart is a cheerful heart

A grateful heart gives back

A grateful heart never lacks but receives more

A grateful heart sees life and its lessons as a gift

Remember to add yourself as you go through the list of things and people for whom you are grateful. What a gift you are to our parish family, your family, this great nation, and yourself. The best gift you can be to yourself and others then is to have an attitude of gratitude. Even in the dark nights of life, be grateful for the bright stars that shine through the darkness. Look for the stars with faith and gratitude; you won’t miss them. Let gratitude be your companion to keep hope alive.

On this Solemnity of Christ the King, may I propose to let Christ be your Thanksgiving. We are grateful to have Him as Our King, whose throne is the cross, and His crown, the crown of thorns, a King who continues to lay down His life in us to save us all. We owe Him a debt of gratitude that we cannot pay. Yet, as a token of our gratitude, could we allow Him to reign in EVERY aspect of our lives? Could we not let anything and anyone extinguish our quest to belong and remain in His Kingdom, to listen to His voice?

Every Eucharist we celebrate is a Thanksgiving, be it a joyous occasion like a wedding or a sad occasion like a funeral, for in all things, we give thanks. I can’t think of any better way to show your gratitude to God than to come to Mass and encounter Him in the Eucharist.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fr. Collins

~~~love is all you need~~~ 

In God We Trust…Religious Liberty

“If I have found favor with you, O King, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life.  This is my petition.  And spare my people – this is my request.  For I and my people have been sold for destruction or slaughter and annihilation.” Esther 7:3-4.

Recently, I was reflecting upon a book in the Old Testament, which is brief yet intriguing – the book of Esther.  To summarize it, the Jewish people are under a foreign government which expected the people to bow down and worship the king.  One man, Mordecai, refuses to do so, because he is a Jew and believes in only One God.  This causes a stir and retaliation against the Jews. Queen Esther happens to also be Jewish.  Mordecai urges Esther to use her influence over the king to get him to spare the lives of the Jews.  I will not tell you how the story ends – pick up your Bible and read the Book of Esther.

The question presented in this book is one that has been asked for generations – which is greater, the law of God or the law of human beings?  Even the ancient Greeks struggled with this question, as we can observe from such plays as Sophocles’ Antigone.  Jesus also addressed this question when he said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) In other words, when you can, you certainly should obey human laws; but remember that the laws of God are greater.

 The situation is rather complicated for us today, as we live in a highly pluralistic society, with differing views about God and His law.  Conflicts can and do develop between people when they attempt to co-exist in a diverse society.  Interestingly, the Church has already reflected upon these conflicts and what Catholics should do about them in this day and age.  The Second Vatican Council produced an outstanding document on religious freedom called Dignitatis Humanae, which addressed a lot of these issues.  The Church made it abundantly clear that freedom of religion is a fundamental right for every human being to exercise, whether they believe in God or not. 

“This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom.  This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such ways that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits.”

People should not be forced to act or not act in ways they consider to be a violation of the will of God or their consciences.  Pope Francis, speaking with reporters while visiting our country a number of years ago, spoke of the importance conscientiously objecting when it comes to people being asked by their governments to do things contrary to their deeply held religious beliefs.  The Washington Post quoted Pope Francis saying, “Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right, a human right. . .Otherwise we would end up in a situation where we select what is a right, saying ‘this right that has merit, this one does not.’ It is a human right.”

Indeed, people that have different values in our society.  It may be inconvenient for me if I ask for a ham sandwich at a kosher deli, or my Hindu friend may refuse to eat hamburgers I serve him because of his respect for the sacredness of cows, but I personally am willing to deal with such inconveniences.  I believe that defending the right of people to act according to their consciences is a far greater value than any inconvenience it may cause. We should want people to be able to act as their consciences dictate.  Doing so indicates that we are a moral society which upholds basic human rights such as the right to religious liberty.  Let us pray that no one anywhere might be forced to act against his or her conscience due to any group or societal structure.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Father Walter Kedjierski

The Widow’s Mite

Dear Parishioners,

This week’s readings focus on giving of ourselves. In the first reading, Elijah asks the widow to give from the very last of what she had. The widow in the Gospel gives from her livelihood, from what was sustaining her, not simply what was left over. In the end, she was sustained as well as Elijah! In the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is held up, not as the one who sacrificed the blood of others, but His own blood for His people. Each gives from what was truly themselves, each offered, not simply what was left over, but what was crucial.

How do we fit into that picture? Am I really investing from who I am into my faith, into my church? The whole point of the widow giving TWO coins is to show that she could have held back one but didn’t. She might have said, seemingly justifiably, “I need to keep this one for other things.” She did not.

While the obvious (and easiest) focus might seem to be treasure, we are also asked to look at our gifts in terms of time and talent. On my judgement day, if our first justification is “Do you know how much I gave?” I believe that Jesus will respond with this reading. The question for each of us will be “How much of YOU did you give?”

How much of my time is dedicated to God and to His church? How much of me is involved in the time I do give? How much of my energy is like the second coin which I may have decided to keep? Ask any minister or catechist who is giving of their time, most of whom did not believe they had the time to spare at the beginning, and each will tell you that they receive more than they give. Do I really give time to Him or does the church get relegated to “in my spare time” or what’s left over? How do we spend family time? Possibly more time in the religious education with my children. The best incentive is doing it together.

Time, treasure and talent. Each of us has abilities that not all of us have. We pool these abilities for the good of the church, for the good of the parish. Are our abilities in the financial realm, or the legal arena, or in editing our booklets, or in planning events, or in consoling or simply listening to others? There is a need for each one’s ability, just as there is a need for each one to share it.

This week may each of us consider just how much of “me” is in the service of His church.

God bless,

Fr. Holz

Veterans’ Day

Finally, we wish to thank all the Veterans we honor this week. An incredible type of person willing to risk themselves, to give of themselves, to safeguard and protect our way of life.

THANK YOU

“And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son your sins are forgiven thee.” Matthew 9:2

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

Throughout my years of priestly ministry I have come to realize that one of my favorite ministries is ministry to the sick.  It is an amazing thing to visit the homes of people who are seriously ill and talk with them and their families.  Many times I feel as if I get far more out of those visits than those to whom I am sent to minister.  Even though they are truly “walking in the valley of the shadow of death” so many of those I visit have deep and serious faith. 

More than once, when I have visited the sick, they come out of their unconscious states for a few moments to say the “Our Father” with me or to make the Sign of the Cross even though they haven’t moved for weeks.  Even if it is not something so extreme, I have never visited a sick person and not had a sense, in one way or another, that the person knew what was going on when I prayed over him or her.  It is a truly powerful moment.  It is an honor that words cannot describe to bring the Sacraments to people so that they can be aided on their final journeys in this life to the next. 

It is also a unique joy to visit people in hospitals.  Hospitals are places that can be emotionally traumatic to people and even lonely at times even though they are full of people.  When I visit the sick in hospitals many times the sick are dealing with basic existential questions about such issues as life after death, the meaning of purpose of life, whether or not their lives are worth very much.

Those are discussions I find intriguing and usually leave with some profound insights from the sick.  I never feel more like a priest than when I visit a person in the hospital.  We priests have something to offer that no other professional in the hospital can offer.  We offer hope for a better and renewed life that is not dependent upon the survival of the physical body.  We offer hope in God’s compassion and mercy. 

Even when not visiting the sick, when I come to the hospital I am always on call, because family members who struggle with the sicknesses of their loved ones will many times see me and whisper, “Could you hear my confession?” or even medical professionals who have helped people after horribly traumatic events seek the comfort of the Lord.  When we priests go to hospitals we are at the service of all.

Please make sure if you know someone who is seriously ill that you encourage the person to see a priest.  If it is a member of your immediate family give us a call.  It is very sad when people come to me after their loved ones passed away to say they never thought of calling the priest.  I assure them that the Mass will now help their loved ones, but it is very difficult to console people in such moments.  Do not let that happen to you.  When in doubt, give us a call.  God bless.

Yours in Jesus through Mary,

Rev. Walter F. Kedjierski

MILLPOND REFLECTIONS

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Imagine trying to get someone’s attention or to listen to you for the longest time, and finally, the person turning around to ask you with love: what do you want me to do for you? What a great moment of relief that is. At that point, you might not even know what to say. What a great gift you can offer to that person who has been waiting for you for some time now.

Before Jesus asked Bartimaeus this question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus overcame many obstacles: his blindness, the crowd rebuking him and asking him to be silent, and the temptation to feel as though the Lord is not listening, so why bother any further? Yet, he overcame these obstacles with faith and perseverance.

He, who had been begging for maybe food or money or clothing in his blindness, could see with the eyes of faith that Jesus had something more to offer. He begged first for mercy – “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” He first desired to be healed of his spiritual blindness. In his eagerness and urgency, Bartimaeus cried out all the more against the voice that tried to silence him: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. The Lord, who had heard him from the beginning, lets him cry out even more. The Lord does so with us that we are convinced that we need him. His delay is not a denial.

Finally, Bartimaeus heard those words, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." Bartimaeus listened to this crowd. Then, throwing aside his cloak, he ran in haste to meet His Lord. Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We must get rid of everything that gets in the way.

“What do you want me to do for you?” the Lord asked Bartimaeus. “Master, I want to see,” said Bartimaeus. But the Lord, who always sees our needs from afar and gives us more gave Bartimaeus salvation, saying to him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” But what was that way? It was Jesus himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life. No wonder then, that Bartimaeus “followed him on the way, for there is no other way. Bartimaeus, who was waiting at the side of the way, now finds himself on the way. Only Christ can relocate us this way.

Are you waiting to hear the Lord say to you: “What do you want me to do for you?” What if He is waiting for you also? Jump on the way, especially by joining us at Mass, and ask: “Lord, what do you want me to do for you?”

Peace,

Fr. Collins

~~~love is all you need~~~

Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant

Dear Parishioners,

In the gospel reading this week we see the real humanity of the disciples. In effect, James and John ask not to replace Jesus, but to be put above the others. The others, in their turn, become indignant. They are like children squabbling for His affection. Each wanting to be closer to Him, and each wanting to be recognized, and all missing the point. We will not get closer to Jesus through indignance, we will not get closer through pride, and we will not get closer through frustration with others who are not quite there yet either.

 Jesus responds to this by offering Himself as the example. “Do you really want to be with me? Then do as I do. I will suffer for the sake of others;” He asks them “Will you?”” I am God, Creator of all that is, and yet my goal is to help others to salvation. Is that your mission?” He asks His disciples, and He asks us. We will be truly recognized when we do as He does. The truth of the matter is that we are already recognized by Him, but when we follow properly, we get to better recognize Him, and that leads to our fulfillment.

When we recognize him, then we can, as stated in the letter to the Hebrews “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”

We are Our Lady Queen of Martyrs parish, all of us. We are made more whole as we help each other with their weaknesses, and as we allow others to help us with our own. None of us are perfect, none of us can lay claim to the seats at His right or left. All of us get closer to Him as we help each other get closer to Him. We are Our Lady Queen of Martyrs parish. We are a “community.” We ARE messengers of healing, of community. We are not squabbling children seeking to divide or distance. We are welcoming, to outsiders, AND to our own.

God bless us as we get closer to our goal, and to His,

Fr. Holz   

Golf Outing

WOW! What an incredible day! What an incredible experience, What an incredible sense of community! I can’t let this week pass without an enthusiastic Thank You to all who made it possible! So many people needed to prepare beforehand, and then to make sure things ran smoothly on the actual day. People registering golfers, people setting up prizes, and a million other details which would have been beyond one, or even any handful of people. I am in awe and filled with gratitude. I thank God and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of the day. I thank God and I thank you for allowing me to become part of the parish.

Although I hesitate to list any names, I can’t complete this letter without recognizing the contributions of a few: Mr. Frank Fiore, who in the end pulled the final string that brought it all together. Deacon John who has done this for years and whose experience was a true safety net for the day. For the special volunteers who accomplished more tasks than I can imagine or describe. Of Course, I thank Mr. and Mrs. Tom and Nancy Dufek who have not only given us an incredible example of community, but on this day, allowed us to experience it.

Thank you all,

Fr. Holz

“Father, I pray for them, may they be one in us, so that the works may believe that it is you who sent me”.  John 17: 20-21

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Lord called you to come here to Mass this week.  Perhaps he moved your heart to want to dwell in his presence and celebrate his goodness.  Perhaps he worked through your family when you were young to instill in you the habit of weekly worship.  Maybe he even worked through that nudging parent who insisted you get out of bed! 

Once a mother went into her son’s bedroom and started to yell, “it’s almost time for Mass to start!  Get up!”  He groaned and said to her, “I’ll give you two reasons why I don’t want to get up.  First, those people don’t like me.  Second, I’m not sure I like them!”  She responded, “I’ll give you two reasons you have to get up.  First, you are a priest.  Second, they can’t have Mass without you!” Sometimes nudging mothers can save the day! 

We are a parish community that is called to make God the center and focus of our motivation to come together for prayer and to participate in the parish’s life.  Jesus wishes us to be one just as he is one with the Father.  I think it would be good for all of us to occasionally remind ourselves that we come as an answer to God’s call. 

When human beings come together in any situation there can be conflicts.  Sometimes we misunderstand each other.  Other times we can have serious disagreements.  Yet when we come to Mass we act as one body.  We say the same words, take the same postures, and hear the same Scriptures.  This is a wonderful glimpse of the peace and fellowship we, by God’s grace, will find in heaven. 

Yet we are not in heaven right now.  Sometimes conflicts and hurt feelings come everyone’s way because of something that someone did to us. 

Jesus gave us good advice when it comes to such conflicts.  If we have a problem with something someone did, instead of complaining about it to others and spreading gossip, first go to that person him or herself.   Many times, such arguments are really the result of not listening or misunderstanding others.  Read Matthew 18 for Jesus’ further advice should that not work.

Let us do all we can to build the kingdom here in our parish.  May all who come here experience the unconditional and all-embracing love of Jesus who calls us to be one as he is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  God bless.

Faithfully yours in Christ. 

Rev. Walter F. Kedjierski
Administrator, St. Philip Neri Parish, Northport
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Centerport
Diocesan Director of Seminarians

“And the two shall become one flesh”

Dear Parishioners,

This week’s Gospel message speaks about the permanence of the Sacrament of Marriage. That is the goal, that is what the couple, and we as a parish, pray for. We offer a Pre-Cana program in order that our couples look at the sacrament as participation in the work and love of God, and not simply a contract

We obviously view this union, this sacrament, with a different lens than the larger society views it. With each initial interview with a couple, and then reiterated at each wedding, we identify the three things that a Catholic marriage aims for. I teach the couples the three F’s:

Faithful – to each other. The two become one. All other unions are relegated to a lower place; Not that the two become part of a bigger group, or special among others.

Forever – is intended by each for the other. We don’t enter into the sacraments with any conditions or “except fors.” I intend that my spouse be able to make lifetime decisions based on my promise to be there with them.

Fruitful – open to the possibility of children. Children who will increase the capacity of the love of each, for their children, and increase the love of each for each other as the person who loves their child as they do.

We know that we need the help of God to love in this way, and to love properly. We congratulate those who have completed our programs, and we congratulate all those married couples in our parish setting the example for us.

Unfortunately, many families know the pain when the goals are not achieved or achievable. We understand when people are pained when those goals vanish, because for Catholics the union is intended as a permanent Sacrament of love, not simply a contract. A contract is simply invalidated, but a recognition of a love that was intended but did not come to complete fruition hurts.

If members of our family are going through this pain, our first goal is to let them know they are still loved. They don’t simply become pariahs. We try to avoid demonizing the other partner regardless of the circumstances. Our goal, as always, whether inside or outside the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, is always to increase our capacity to love.

We are followers of Jesus, and we are in this together.

God bless,

Fr. Holz

MILLPOND REFLECTIONS

Are you for Christ or yourself?

(Mark 9:38-48)

Recently, I went to a Christening party for a baby I had just baptized. It was fun and beautiful. I got to meet many lovely people. Being there in the collar attracted lots of faith-based conversations with people. It was not a free lunch, apparently. Many of the people I met started the conversation with: “You know, Father, I haven’t been in Church in a while, but I’m a good person….” Then, the list of their good deeds followed, to which I told them: “Thank you for being the good person you are and the good works you do. Keep it up. But there’s still one more work to be done: to come follow the Lord of all goodness and the Lord of your works.”

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus’ tolerance to those who do his work without formally following him. He reminds us that the power of His Name cannot be confined. Being for Christ involves seeing Him and His works in others. This charitable approach is essential to how we view others who might be different from us. Yet, that should not stop us from drawing them into something more profound: to follow Christ, who gives us rest from our labors. Following the works alone can lead to pride, disappointment, and despair.

 As Christ asks His followers to be tolerant of those who do not follow them, so does He ask of everyone, including those whose beliefs might be different from those of the Church, to show kindness toward His followers, the Church. This, too, is an act of being for Christ and not for oneself.

Notwithstanding, we, the followers, must also look within ourselves. Whatever we can do to support the growth of the Church by sharing the gospel with others, inviting a friend or family to Mass, volunteering, or supporting financially, let us do so. Most importantly, however, Christ calls us to more significant growth – growth in perfection – by avoiding whatever gets in the way of following Him and entering life in God’s Kingdom. That starts with the self.

I share with you a prayer written by Fr. Mychal Judge, a chaplain to the NYC Fire Department, who died while serving on 9/11:

Lord, take me where You want me to go

Let me meet who You want me to meet

Tell me what You want me to say

And keep me out of Your way.

Fr. Collins

^^^love is all you need^^^

“Unless you acquire the heart of a child you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 18:3

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

A friend of mine recently sent me something that she found in a church she visited that I thought was really interesting. It was a message that was printed on a card and placed in all the pews in the church. I thought that the message was so good that I have decided to share it with you this weekend. Here is how the card reads:

“To the parents of our young children may we suggest…

Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house.  All are welcome!

Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what is going on at the altar. They tire of seeing the backs of others’ heads.

Quietly explain the parts of the Mass and actions of the priest, altar servers, choir, etc.

Sing the hymns, pray, and voice the responses. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you.

If you must leave Mass with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.”

Remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the Church, to God, and to one another. Let them know that they are at home in this house of worship.

To the members of our parish….

The presence of children is a gift to the Church, and they are a reminder that our parish is growing.  Please welcome our children and give a smile of encouragement to their parents.”

What a great idea that card is! While it can be disturbing when adults are disrespectful by being loud in Church, I have a totally different feeling when I hear the noise of children. I feel as if we indeed are going to have a future as a church. I feel quite encouraged. Sometimes it is so difficult for parents to get their children up and ready for Mass. Sometimes the children fight them every step of the way. Sometimes parents must deal with dirty diapers and screaming children and a whole host of unpredictable things just to get them to go to Mass. I hope that all of us together can be supportive of the young families in our parish. We have a responsibility to let the children come to the Lord Jesus. God bless you and have a wonderful week!

Yours in Jesus through Mary,

Reverend Walter F. Kedjierski

We demonstrate our faith through our works

Dear Parishioners,

This week we hear St. John remind us of something which at first blush would seem fairly obvious. Who we really are is shown by what we really do. Am I patient?  Am I gentle? How does that look when I am with others? How quick am I with a sarcastic comment, or with a jab disguised as a joke? Do I forgive? Am I tolerant? Or does that only occur when I am with others who are just like me? If we say we are generous, do we give?

How we act is a reflection of who we are, even when that picture is not what I would hope it to be. One of the main points of going to confession is to be sure that I can say “this is what I did, but it is not who I am…yet.”

So our first step is to decide who we truly are, and who we truly wish to be. Firstly, I am a creature of God, made by Him out of love - not by my request or His compulsion, out of love. Secondly, I recognize all that God has made, and He has made all that is, He made out of love. Again, GOD LOVES ALL HE HAS MADE. I recognize that He has made me in His image and given me a free will. He has given me the opportunity to be as He is, (“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”).  Therefore, as God is love, our primary duty is to love Him AND EACH OTHER - “on this the entire law and the prophets depend”

I need my works to show that I do love God. I need them to show devotion to Him through my prayer, devotion to His word by reading the bible, devotion to His Church through closeness to the sacraments. I need my works to show that I can love my neighbor. Naturally this starts with family. I NEED my actions to demonstrate my love for them. This will include making sure that I introduce them to Him in the same way I know Him – in my prayer, my bible reading, in my closeness to the sacraments. True love will always desire for the other what is true, what is beautiful, what is good. Parents may know this better than all other lovers, that when those who are loved desire anything but the best, our love cries out that they receive the best.

Love of each other must be based in the truth. Love of each other means never abandoning each other (‘I will be with you always, until the end of the age”)

This week we ask God to help us to discern His truth, in His love, that we may properly give the best to those we love. We ask His help that what is demonstrated in our lives is His love. And we do this together.

God Bless,

Fr. Holz

Catechetical Sunday

As I say at the parent meetings for the children enrolled in our Religious Education program, our program is designed to assist them in their seeking the truth of our faith for their children. The parents will always remain the primary catechists, which is as it should be. We know that our faith is true, it is beautiful, it is good, and that is what we want for our children. The primary catechesis for children will always be how that is lived by their parents and by their families. Our program is intended to assist parents in this responsibility.

We are so very blessed here to have catechists  who volunteer, out of love for their faith and love for the people of the parish who courageously pass on the beauty of the truth. These are people who are in fact showing who they are by what they do. Rather than wait for someone else to take up the cause, these men and women, some with family in the program, many who do not, allow the love of God to flow through them to others; to the children, to adults, to those seeking marriage preparation, to our parish. We stand in awe of what you do. We are filled with gratitude for who you are. We are in this together, and we thank you.

Fr. Robert Holz

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today I would like to reflect with you upon the importance of all of us accompanying each other in our following of the Lord Jesus.  Pope Francis spoke about the idea of spiritual accompaniment in his January 3 2023 General Audience.  He offered us a shining example of one who accompanies in the Blessed Mother:

“The Virgin Mary is a great teacher of discernment: she speaks little, listens a lot, and cherishes in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19). The three attitudes of Our Lady: she speaks little, listens a lot, and cherishes in her heart. And the few times she speaks, she leaves a mark. For example, in the Gospel of John there is a very short phrase uttered by Mary which is a mandate for Christians of all times: “Do whatever he tells you” (cf. 2:5). I

It is curious: once I heard a very good, very pious elderly woman, who had not studied theology, she was very simple. And she said to me, “Do you know what Our Lady always does?” I don’t know, she embraces you, she calls you… “No, the gesture Our Lady does is this” [points with his finger]. I didn’t understand, and I asked, “What does it mean?”. And the old lady replied, “She always points to Jesus”.

This is beautiful: Our Lady takes nothing for herself, she points to Jesus. Do whatever Jesus tells you: that is what Our Lady is like. Mary knows that the Lord speaks to the heart of each person, and asks for these words to be translated into actions and choices. She knew how to do this more than any other person, and indeed she is present in the fundamental moments of Jesus’ life, especially in the supreme moment of death on the Cross.”

We, my brothers and sisters, as baptized Christians, like the Blessed Mother, are called to speak little, listen a lot, and cherish the image of God before us in the other. Our Blessed Mother walks with everyone, and it seems as if, during his apparitions, she has always chosen to walk with those the world ignores.  Think about the simple peasant in Juan Diego.  Our Lady spoke to him in his native dialect and dressed like a simple woman of his people, not a sophisticated lady.  Think about the three simple children of Fatima.  Think about St. Bernadette, a child of impoverished parents who lived in a dingy, tiny space that was declared unfit even for prisoners. 

One of the things that endeared this mysterious lady to St. Bernadette was that she was the first person in her life who spoke to her with courtesy and kindness.  Everyone else in her life was incredibly rude and cruel to her.  Our Lady chooses to walk with the downtrodden and forgotten, something Pope Francis has been especially insistent that all of us do.  In Fratelli Tutti he urged us to bravely walk into the periphery, like St. Francis of Assisi walked into the lives of the lepers of which he was so afraid.  We are called to do likewise.. 

Who is on the periphery right here, in front of us?  Who feels unwanted or unloved?  Who does not know what next steps to take after the death of a loved one, or a divorce, or a bad report from a doctor?  If we espouse the spiritual attitudes of the Blessed Mother, we will undoubtedly find people with these challenges.  When people struggle in such situations to make sense of it all and find Christ, we are called to allow his presence to shine within us and embrace them.  Let us begin today!

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Rev. Walter F. Kedjierski