After my homily about the Good Samaritan and
immigration last Sunday, several parishioners shared their thanks for hearing this message, but also their great
concern about the conditions of those being detained at the border. A common thread throughout these
conversations is the silence of the church, with a small “c”, and especially the silence of our Church about this atrocity. The Bishops have spoken about the need for immigration reform, but there has not been a great call to action.
Throughout this week I have continued to investigate ways for us to send relief to those living in this fetid squalor. There are many requests to send financial aid, and that is one way of helping. But I think the more
urgent need is to offer physical care and relief to those who are not able to brush their teeth or have clean water to drink. I continue to search for a way to send aid to our brothers and sisters who desire to be with their family, and to live in freedom and peace.
But the lesson of the Good Samaritan and human dignity has again been brought before us this week as we are
subjected to more hurtful and divisive tweets, this time not from a religious leader, but one in government. Again, putting all politics aside, but claiming our common
dignity as people made in the image and likeness of God, as people of faith we cannot support or ignore such
vitriol. Unless it is an objective matter of sin, anything that weakens or divides the union of people and the
dignity of society is itself sinful. In all of the frustration that we experience about malignant tweeting or unjust detention, our language, our thoughts, can never stoop to a lower level. As followers of Christ we are called to take the high road. We take that high road when we pray for the unity of God’s People; we take that high road when we pray for an end to division and seek a way of unity; we take that high road when we pray for those with whom we disagree, and pray for the conversion of our hearts, living the Gospel, being ever more faithfully missionary-disciples of reconciliation and compassion. In the words of Cardinal Dougherty, “may we be found faithful!”
Vacation Bible School
Tomorrow morning twelve children will begin “Traveling Around the World with the Saints” led by Ms. Kristen and Mr. Bob. I hope you are as delighted as I am that we have had such a great response for this new initiative. Thanks to our advertisement in the Rhode
Island Catholic, we also have two students from outside of the Parish. Please pray for the success of our
children’s “pilgrimage” this week; and join me in grateful prayer for Bob and Kristen!
Each One, Reach One
You have heard me say this on a number of occasions, and it is not just a catchy slogan: it is our mission, a way to grow, and a way to remain a viable, joyful, life-giving Parish. We really do have a good thing going here at Saint Sebastian! There are times that we can accentuate what is wrong more than what is going well. When this happens our vision, and our conversation, can become clouded and depressing, and the devil is making his way in. Let’s send him running away! Let’s send him
running and be grateful for the gifts we are given!
Blessings that come to my mind are: we are blessed to be able to disagree and keep talking with one another; we are blessed to celebrate the Liturgy with love and
devotion; we are blessed with people who are concerned for one another; we are blessed with new life, both through the miracle of babies that fill our Masses, and the gift of welcoming new parishioners. We are blessed with children to be formed in the faith; we are blessed with a loving concern for the poor and the
marginalized; we are blessed with a beautiful physical plant, and a stunning Church; we are blessed! But most of all we are blessed by God’s abiding presence in Word, in Sacrament, in song, and in one another!! All of these blessings are a great invitation to invite others to join us to celebrate what we have seen, heard, and touched here at Saint Sebastian. Invite a friend to Church!
Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived
without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
Fr. Jordan, OP
JULY 14, 2019
From Father Jordan
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
May the Grace of Our Lord remain always with us!
It is difficult for me to believe that it is over month since I wrote a column for the bulletin! You heard from Father Bernard in my absence, and then there were the weeks with early deadlines, and my inability to type due to some minor hand surgery. I am
grateful to write to you today.
Summertime… and the living is easy
These lyrics from George Gershwin’s classic “Porgy and Bess” seem apropos for our life together during these summer days. We all relax from the regular hectic pace of the fall, winter, and spring and we rush to have time away. Yes, I said rush to have time away. I’m with you as we all work in advance to be away and find ourselves rushing around to pack and to get to wherever we are going and…. collapse. If only the summertime was truly easy!
A Spiritual Reality and a Perennial Call
Do you remember our Lenten Introit: If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts…? I believe that these words also ring true in this vacation season! The Lord calls us to step back, be with our families, and breathe! We need to breathe the air of relaxation and peace; to breathe the air of being together and creating new memories; to breathe the air of
reconnecting, forgiving, and recharging our batteries for the year to come. Lent in the midst of summer!?! Do you hear the Lord’s voice saying to you, “SLOW DOWN!”? May our hearts be soft and open to His call!
Life at 67 Cole Avenue
As summer ushers us into the time of vacation and renewal, life in the Rectory and in the Parish is also a little slower, but everything still keeps going. The summer offers the opportunity to plan for the
coming year, as well as to catch up on work that may have slipped through the cracks during the year.
Here are some highlights of plans for the coming year:
· Bob Short and Kristen Gold are busy preparing Vacation Bible School which will be held from July 22 – 26. See the bulletin for more details.
· Bob and Kristen will send a survey to all parents of students in Religious Education and CGS about the best times for classes.
· The Fall also holds several social opportunities: Fall Festival in late September; Founder’s Day Mass and Dinner in October; and the Advent “Gaudete” Celebration.
· During late September and October there will be parish-wide nominations and elections for the Parish Pastoral Council. Several current members will become officers, and other offices and interest areas (social, liturgy, buildings and grounds, etc. ) will be chosen from newly
elected members.
A great amount of my time is spent working on the budget to close the current fiscal year and prepare for the new fiscal year. The budget is a heavy
responsibility and one that causes me tremendous concern. Although our income is ahead of
projection, this has been a year of extraordinary and often emergent expenses. Our collections fluctuate in such a manner that it is difficult to budget a way to pay bills, make payroll, and put some money into savings. With the joint assistance of the Parish and Finance Councils in the Fall we must address the critical need for an increased offertory. Through the bulletin, you have received the facts and figures of what it takes to run the Parish; you have been shown the fixed expenses over which we have little or no control. Since Easter I have paid a number of bills from my personal money, and I am not taking a salary or receiving any benefits at this time. Your help is needed. No gift is too small, but we need to embrace the reality that this is not about equal gifts, but equal sacrifice. Please consider increasing your weekly/monthly gift. As you travel during the summer please remember Saint Sebastian still needs and depends upon your support. I am happy to talk with anyone about this or any parish issue.
Until we meet at the altar…. O Mary, conceived
without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
Fr. Jordan, OP
JULY 7, 2019
NO COLUMN
JUNE 30, 2019
NO COLUMN
JUNE 23, 2019 GUEST COLUMN
Dear friends,
It’s been a joy to be with you this past week while Father Jordan has been away—thank you for the warm welcome!
When Father Jordan invited me to write a column for today’s parish bulletin, he suggested that you might like to know more about my ministry and
Dominican community life.
I live at Saint Patrick’s Priory in Columbus, Ohio, a house with seven Dominican priests and one
Dominican brother attached to St. Patrick’s Parish. Out of the eight of us, three priests work full-time in our parish, which is thriving. Really it’s a remarkable parish. Probably the first thing visitors notice is that on Sunday mornings the children at Mass
outnumber the adults! Of course this is how all
parishes used to be, but today it is exceptional and striking. The parish does not have a school any more, but we do have a large religious education (CCD) program, scouting groups for boys and girls, and an array of clubs, reading groups, prayer grounds, and active ministries for adults. Since we are in downtown Columbus, in the middle of the business district and just a few blocks from the State capital offices, we do have large crowds for weekday Masses and hours every day given to hearing
Confessions – so while we do have a lot of priests, the number of faithful Catholics means we’re kept busy!
What do the other five friars do? Well, our
non-ordained Brother runs a soup kitchen that our parish helps support. Two priests are full-time
itinerant preachers (meaning they travel all over the country to preach parish missions). And the last two of us are full-time professors at the Pontifical
College Josephinum, a seminary in Columbus that draws its seminarians from all over the United States. I teach theology to the “major
seminarians” (i.e., the graduate students), and the other priest teaches courses at the undergraduate level.
By the time you’re reading these words, I’ll be
driving back to Columbus. As I head back, I want to ask you to pray for all seminarians—and I’ve got three suggestions for making your prayers specific.
First, pray that these men, and others who are called to the priesthood, will receive from God the gift of magnanimity: this is the virtue, crucial for every Christian, by which we expect God to do great things in us; not things that the world considers “great” or “successful”, but truly great things. In other words, it’s the virtue by which we are opened to the way of real holiness and total self-surrender to God.
Second, please pray that your future priests be men of pastoral charity. This is the particular love for God and neighbor that the priesthood calls for, the love of the Good Shepherd Himself. We have plenty of priests who are “nice guys”, and this isn’t at all bad in itself, but I know you’ll agree we’d rather have nice guys who are also men of ardent love for souls.
Third, I’d suggest you pray that our seminarians
receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of Wisdom, to
understand the Faith profoundly and to see how to make progress—and how to help others make
progress—according to the designs of God.
Those are not the only three gifts seminarians need. They also need perseverance, courage, humility, and a love for hard work. Anyway, however you pray for them, do pray for them, if only out of self interest! After all, today’s seminarians are going to be your priests and your children’s priests in just a few years!
Many thanks, again, for your warm welcome, and God bless you!