From Father Jordan, O.P.
 
My Dear Ones,
 
May the grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
 
The Town Hall Meeting held this past Monday was a very beneficial experience for all who were present. There was a hearty crowd of parishioners, and we were ably led by Sue and Greg Elliott and David Stanford. I found the conversation to be easy, open, honest, and very informative. Personally, I came away with a great deal to think about and consider. As many parishioners remarked, “where do we go from here”; and, “can we meet like this again?” We can certainly gather again. As to where we go from here - - that will be one of the questions on the agenda for our Parish Council, as well as for the Finance Council and Trustees next meeting.
 
Thank you for turning out in such great numbers to send Ms. Marie into retirement “fulltime” on January 6: what a wonderful day! It was very touching to see
parents bring their children to thank Marie; or to see parishioners whose children are away at school or working, but who stood in line to thank Marie for teaching their children: the blessings of Marie’s
ministry will be felt throughout Saint Sebastian for at least the next generation.
 
But, how does Religious Education continue – move forward? For the remainder of this year, Ms. Marie’s responsibilities will be shared between two people.  Ms. Kristen Gold, our First Communion Teacher, will direct events related to First Penance and First Holy Communion, as well as be responsible for any
administrative tasks for the primary level. I am in
conversation with another individual about doing the same thing but for Confirmation, helping with the
Lenten Mission, and the administration for the middle school students.
 
In the interim, a new job description is being
developed. If the budget will allow, I would like to
develop a new position, Director of Catechesis and Faith Formation. This person would over see not only the Religious Education program for our children, but also the Faith Formation program for the entire Parish. This person would help develop appropriate programs for adults like Bible Study, the RCIA, and more. When it is clear what our budget for the next fiscal year will allow, a search committee will be formed, and a wide net will be cast to attract interested candidates. Please keep this intention in your prayers.
 
I hope many of you will be able to attend the Parish Potluck Supper celebrating the Feast of Saint Sebastian next Saturday evening. Sign up sheets are in the vestibule today. I look forward to celebrating our patron with all of you! The 5:00 pm Mass next Saturday is the annual Feast Day Mass – please join us for this as well.
 
And, if it can’t be Philadelphia in the Super Bowl – let’s hope our Patriots triumph over Kansas City this afternoon! ��
 
Until we meet at the altar… O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
 
In the Lord,
Fr. Jordan, OP
 


JANUARY 6, 2019


From Father Jordan, OP
 
My Dear Ones,
 
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
 

A Blessed Feast of the Epiphany! Happy “Little Christmas”! As a child growing up this was a
wonderful day! At Mass, the Children’s Choir would sing all the songs we sang for Midnight Mass; and like our Children’s Choir on Christmas Eve, we would wear our special "Christmas Angel Robes.” Because the Feast was celebrated on its traditional day, January 6, we were often in school. The Sisters made sure it was a special day: the older grades would go and sing to the younger grades and the younger grades had treats for the upper grades. The cafeteria prepared a special “Epiphany Lunch” of traditional ethnic foods. The day would end with an all school assembly during which our Pastor, Father Pekarik, would give a talk about the significance of the Epiphany, and his talk always ended with a “surprise” that like the wise men, we were to find our way home immediately and the school day ended early. Why all this fuss about the Epiphany?
 
Today’s Feast, transferred to a Sunday in the revision of the Liturgical Calendar by the Second Vatican Council, demonstrates to us that although the searching of the Magi was completed when they found the Christ Child, a new - interior journey began in them which would change their whole lives. The Magi went in search of justice because they longed for the renewal of the world. They were pilgrims in search of the justice that they expected from God – the justice that would set right all the wrongs and all the sufferings of their lives. They imagined a King, and they found a Child. And the Child was not even rich, He was so poor they adored Him in a manger surrounded by cattle and lying in straw. How could such a King bring them justice?
 
As the Magi discovered, God is so often manifested in our lives in the way we least expect, not according to our plans or our imaginings. Like the Magi, we discover this difference begins our interior journey. The Child in the manger, God made flesh, asks us to change our ideas about power, about God and about humanity, and about ourselves. The Christ Child asks us to become like Him as we offer Him our hearts and pour ourselves out in loving service for others; no lesser gift is sufficient for Him! The Christ Child asks us to conform our lives to His divine exercising of power, to God’s way of being. Jesus invites us to become people of truth, of justice, of goodness, of forgiveness, of mercy. How does this inner journey take place?
 
Like the Magi, we must “go into the house” and encounter Jesus. To find the Savior, we need to enter the house, which for us is not the manger, but our hearts and the Church. As the Magi encounter Jesus, they fall down in adoration; and their adoration blossoms into acts of faith and love, which acknowledges Jesus, born of Mary, is the Son of God, made man. We experience the same encounter as we come to the manger today and anytime, we enter the Church.
 
I am sure our grade school Sisters wanted us to have this encounter with Jesus as they made Epiphany Day so special. They hoped that this encounter with Jesus would lead us to know, love and serve God with every fiber of our being. What has been your encounter with Christ this Christmas? You need not bring gold, frankincense or myrrh: bring your heart; our Infant King will do all that needs to be done!
 
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
 
In the Lord,
Fr. Jordan, O.P.

December 16, 2018

From Father Jordan, O.P.
My Dear Ones,
 
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
 
In these wonderful days of Christmas, we pause and reflect upon the family – the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Families are wonderful, simple and complex, easy and difficult; joyful and sometimes, difficult parts of daily life.  So often, the difficulties and tense conversations concentrate around our moral lives and how we choose to live our Catholic Faith.
 
I was recently paged to one of our hospitals to baptize a dying – new – born baby. For the sake of anonymity let’s call the baby Sally. Sally’s mother is not yet twenty, and her father one year younger than her mother. It is clear that Sally’s parents are Catholic, and perhaps a bit more than “culturally Catholic”, but not much – they do know their prayers and they were able to make the responses within the Rite of Baptism. Sally is three days old and has a congenital heart defect, no one knows if it comes from her father or her mother. There is a 15% chance Sally will survive the surgery.  To say that this situation is heart–breaking is an
understatement. To say that it is all too often a reality, is devastating.
 
Sally’s parents are dear young people and my heart goes out to them! I want to help them in any way that I am able. But Sally’s parents open my eyes and my heart to see the following: Sally’s parents are victims. Victims of our failure, or unwillingness, or inability to teach our children about the beauty and wonder of sexuality and the virtue of chastity.
 
When I was teaching Moral Theology, one of my colleagues quipped, “face the music: kids are going to have sex: end of discussion”. Such an attitude perpetuates a culture of victimhood and forgets this all-important reality: it is the obligation of parents, teachers, and those who teach in the name Church to teach the truth in love, not to give up in the face of difficulty. In the words of Saint John Paul II, “we must constantly propose and never impose the truth and the beauty of living in and for Christ.”
 
As the Church invites us to live chastely, she offers us important aids to live this way. The aids we are given are the life of virtue, and graces bestowed upon us through the Sacraments. The virtues of faith, hope and charity; prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, enable the faithful to embrace even that which is difficult and aid us in achieving that which we think is beyond us. The Sacraments are the source and
nourishment of these virtues.

Meeting Sally’s parents rekindled within me the Church’s obligation to teach, especially to the poor. Pope Francis has been very clear about this, and he is correct. The times have changed. They have changed so drastically that we can no longer be shy or easy handed; we must be able to have open, clear irenic conversations about sexuality with our children and with one another. In these conversations we need to teach the beauty of our faith, and that grace will perfect our human nature – even our sexual desires that we think rule us. The times have changed: we must face the fact that the Church has lost a great deal of her credibility because of dishonest men. In spite of these who have so failed in their mission, the truth, beauty and love of the Church and her teachings remain true, beautiful, loving and life giving!
 
A Parish like ours is blessed because our families support one another. All families need support to remain safe places that teach the truth in love.
 
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
 
In the Lord,
 
Fr. Jordan, O.P.
 

My Dear Ones,

May the grace of Our Lord remain always with us!

Please join me in thanking Karin Schrott and the members of her awesome committee for all of their hard work, dedication, and self-sacrifice that made the Saint Sebastian Inaugural Christmas Bazaar such a great success! Last Saturday was a truly great day in the life of our Parish: there was a great spirit of friendship and joy; and a spirit of great charity! Praise God! I cannot thank Karin enough; nor am I able to adequately express my deep and genuine appreciation for all the committee did to bring this day to reality! Thank you to all of you who volunteered time to help at one of the stations, or worked in the kitchen, or to greet people as they arrived. And, thank you to all of you who came and shopped and spent your treasure to help keep people warm! I know that God shines His mercy and love upon us for all you did to clothe the naked, and in this case, to keep the poor warm! Thank you, Lord, for a truly great day.

Each day a pastor is greeted with many different surprises: some happy, some not so happy. On Monday of this week, I had one of those not so happy surprises. Ms. Marie and I were having one of our usual Monday meetings. I knew something was not right, and I asked Marie if she was all right. Marie quietly stated that she wants to retire. I am very sad to share this news with you. Both Ms. Marie and I sat in silence for a moment, and we each had tears in our eyes. Ms. Marie’s last day will be on Monday, December 17. First, I thank Ms. Marie for 19 years of service to our community: 12 as the Coordinator of Religious Education and 7 as a catechist in the Religious Education Program. Secondly, I am most grateful for the selfless dedication Ms. Marie has shown to our community. She is punctilious in every detail of her job, and her job was not a job but a ministry. You can mention a name to Marie and she will give you the entire family history. You can ask Marie for a recommendation for someone to do something, and she is able to, as they say, “hit the nail on the head.” Personally, I am most grateful to Marie! When I moved here in June, Marie organized students to help me move into the Rectory. As I have tried to transition and settle into a very different world, it has been Marie who helped me learn about and understand every bit of liturgical history attached to our community. And, Marie has been most open and appreciative of new ideas and fresh eyes: it is an understatement to say that I will miss Ms. Marie! But, the most important aspect of this is Ms. Marie’s happiness and the realization of her desire, “I want to be retired – full-time!” We will honor Ms. Marie with a very special reception on Sunday, January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany, following the 9 am Mass. Religious Education Classes on that Sunday will be joining in the celebration of Ms. Marie.

Today, the Second Sunday of Advent is the first of two Sundays in which our Advent Liturgy focuses upon John the Baptist: the prophet who wore camel hair and ate wild honey; the prophet thought to be out of his mind. It is not easy or fun to be a prophet! 99 times out of 100 a prophet bears a message no one wants to hear!! However, it is only when we listen to the prophets that mountains and hills are made low, rough ways smooth and winding ways made straight. It is only by listening to the prophet’s warning do we find peace! May all of our hearts be open to the prophets God sends into our midst today.

Until we meet at the altar… O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!

In the Lord,

Fr.Jordan Kelly,O.P.
Pastor

December 2nd, 2018 

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May the grace of Our Lord remain always with us!

On this first day of the new Liturgical year, I greet you with several greetings: Happy New Year!; Blessed Advent; and, Come, Sweet Season of the Wonder!

Beginning last Friday, perhaps even before Thanksgiving Day, the great rush towards Christmas has begun! But inside the walls of this Church and every Church—and I pray, within the walls of our hearts— there is the quiet expectation that waits for Christ to come again in glory; to visit each of our lives with His blessed invitation, “Come, you whom my Father has blest, and receive the reward prepared for you since the foundation of the world”; and, to celebrate again the wonder and marvelous exchange that is ours in the Incarnation—Christmas Day.

Each of the three greetings I mention above are important. However, it is the last greeting—Come, Sweet Season of the Wonder!—about which I particularly want to reflect with you.

I first heard these words in a simple piece of music many years ago. The entire text sings:

Come, Sweet Season of the Wonder! Come, to inflame our hearts again! O, Holy Vision, go before us! To earth’s communion, God’s Amen!

Growing up near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Advent was a time of wonder! Whether Catholic or Protestant, the lighting of the Advent Wreath was something that drew everyone together. In my little town of Emmaus, we gathered at the “Triangle” which was the center of town, and sang Advent Hymns as the Advent Wreath in the center of the square was lit. There was also the lighting of the Advent Wreath on the “Hill to Hill Bridge” and the white lights in the windows—glowing lights to guide the Christ Child to our homes—both of which pierced the dark winter’s night. Advent STILL is a time of wonder!

The lights of Advent are only a dim reflection of THEE Light: Jesus Christ. the Book of Revelation tells us, “E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, and night shall be no more; They need no light, nor lamp, nor sun, for Christ will be there all!”

What does this Light do? The Light of Christ inflames our hearts so that we may see anew. How do you and I need to see anew? I offer you the following:

1. This Advent let your heart be inflamed anew as you go to Confession. During Advent, I will hear Confessions for twenty minutes before every Mass: this will result in Confessions being available to you seven days a week! :-) Please, take advantage of this particular Grace.

2. This Advent experience the wonder of this Season by promising yourself and your family that the crazy rush of Madison Avenue is NOT going to take over: pray together; have a family Advent Wreath and light it each evening at dinner; and come to Sunday Mass as a family.

3. This Advent find the wonder of love Incarnate by visiting someone you haven’t seen, or try to heal a broken relationship.

4. This Advent discover the greatest Wonder is Jesus Christ, your relationship with Him, made incarnate in your family and your fellow parishparishioners!

I wish you the most blessed Advent and the greatest Wonder of this Season of Grace: Jesus, the Light of the World! Please know that you are with me every day at the altar, and please pray for me!

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you!

In the Lord,