6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners, 
As a parish priest, I have the responsibility to teach, preach, and guide the souls entrusted to my care in the ways of the Church, to be honest and truthful, and at the same time to be charitable, loving, and pastorally sensitive. This coming May 16 I will celebrate 38 years of priestly ministry, and I have tried to do my best in parish ministry with the help of Christ the High Priest. As such, I try to be faithful to my baptismal and my priestly calls, and all of us who are members of the Church by our baptismal call--clergy, religious, and the laity alike--are called to charity (love), sensitivity, honesty, and truthfulness. For all of us, this is a challenge that we can certainly accept and live if we heed the words of Scripture. The prophet Jeremiah in the first reading this weekend is truthful yet blunt: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings…whose heart turns away from the Lord. Jeremiah is really speaking to those whose turning away from God is a longtime or lifelong state for them – those who have no need or use for God, Jesus, the Church, as shown by their complete neglect of the practice of their Catholic faith, despite the fact that they are baptized, confirmed, and have received the Eucharist in their childhood. In all truthfulness, many times the families of these people arrange for a visitation and funeral Mass in the church when they die. They had no need nor desire for the Church when they were living – why in death now is the Church so important? I’m really trying not to be judgmental, and “deathbed conversions” happen more than we may know, but throughout the illness that may result in their death, the priest/ pastor is not even notified until the person has died or is literally taking their last breath. This is where we are called to move away from hypocrisy as far as we can. Those who are reading this item are not the hypocrites, yet the devil is always trying to lead us all with false and empty promises. The practice of our faith is what protects us from the weak and strong temptations of the devil to hold God at arm’s length because we have better things to do in our lives than to go to church and practice our faith. We don’t know what happens immediately after a person dies and they see Jesus face to face in their personal judgment, but we do know that His forgiveness is endless and generous. Jesus is still our judge as well as our brother, so let us strive to be faithful and consistent followers of Him who constantly calls us to Himself. May we constantly listen to His voice.