2020-11-22 _ 34 Sunday
● Ezekiel
34:11-12, 15-17 ● Psalm 23 ● 1 Corinthians
15:20-26, 28 ● ● + Matthew 25:31-46 ●
Title: Catholic.Apostlic.J-C-King (2020-11-22, Sunday – 34)
[_01_] It just so happens that on this Sunday November 22nd – which is the feast of Jesus Christ the King –the– our Archbishop of Newark – Cardinal Tobin – will visit Our Lady of Lourdes to pray and speak with some of the priests of the Archdiocese, right here in our church.
Lourdes was selected for this honor of this visit. I am grateful to several parish faithful
volunteers and our parish staff by whom I have been helped to welcome the
priests and our archbishop, for this – his first visit – to Our Lady of
Lourdes.
While this visit will be in the late afternoon after all of
the Masses are completed, I know the Cardinal will offer his blessing and
prayers to you and for your, the people of God of Our Lady of Lourdes.
[_02_] As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (B16), the task of Cardinal Tobin
continues the biblical tradition of the shepherd who cares for the flock. It
challenges Cardinal Tobin to heed the voice of the Lord for responsibility, for
unity and that unity extends to you and to me.
(Benedict XVI (J.
Ratzinger), “Bishop and Church”, Dogma
and Preaching, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011, p. 229)
I was reminded of this unity many years ago when I was
ordained a priest, the connection of the Archbishop of Newark to Our Lady of
Lourdes.
Just before I was ordained a priest, the evening before, the
Archbishop of Newark at the time arrived at the seminary (at I.C.S, Seton Hall,
South Orange) with several of his priests to meet with each of us to be
ordained. The purpose was to meet with each of us and explain where each of us would
be assigned geographically to a parish. It was all shrouded in mystery like the
question on Final Jeopardy or the last present under the Christmas tree.
I was handed a letter that read “Our Lady of Lourdes, West
Orange.”
I had very little time
to think about this because as soon as I walked out of the meeting, I
encountered Monsignor Joe Petrillo who worked for the archbishop at the time
and was also the pastor of Lourdes. So, the connection was clear from
archbishop to pastor to priest and to you.
I seem to recall that Father Joe (Monsignor Joe Petrillo)
could not stop talking the whole evening. He was being very cordial and
friendly. I knew, from the start, that we were very different. That difference
was often a good thing. I learned a great deal from Monsignor Petrillo, whom so
many of us remember fondly.
[_03_] The image of the shepherd is read, sung, and proclaimed in the
23rd psalm this Sunday. The
shepherd image was emphasized by Jesus who said that the Good Shepherd is one
who would lay down his life for his sheep.
B16 ∑ à we are all called to emulate and follow Jesus the Good Shepherd
which means “the work of keeping the flock together [is a project that] can please neither the wolves nor all of the
sheep all of the time.” (Benedict XVI (J. Ratzinger), “Bishop and Church”, Dogma and Preaching, San Francisco:
Ignatius Press, 2011, p. 229)
[_04_] I bring this up
because the very idea of a bishop and archbishop because it very much
concentrates and focuses us on what it means to be Catholic.
In the Creed that we will say in a few moments – don’t
stand yet for the Creed – we say that the church is one, holy, catholic and
apostolic.
We’ve got the words memorized, but I’d like to touch on the
last two.
[_04.01_] 1st. “APOSTOLIC”. This means that we are the church that
continues the faith of the apostles, that a bishop is meant to be in unity not
just with the last AB (archbishop), or the last 2 or 3 AB or the AB that I
liked or you liked, but he is striving to be in unity with the true faith
taught by Jesus to Peter and the apostles. To be apostolic means to be
“inter-generational”, inter-generational”, to respect your elders, to respect
the whole family.
The church is not just here today but also because of
yesterday and tomorrow. (Benedict XVI (J.
Ratzinger), “Bishop and Church”, Dogma
and Preaching, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011, p. 230)
We come to church to pray for our loved ones who have died,
and to pray for our loved ones who have not been born and who will follow after
us.
With long-term view from the into the future, we take care
of our church building, roof and the parking lot. I know what you’re thinking,
“you are crazy, Ferry, for mentioning the parking lot again!”
But, we do have a long-term view of our physical structures
and we are also called to pray with a long-term vision. We are
intergenerational.
[_04.02_] 2nd. “CATHOLIC”
There is also the word “Catholic” which does not simply mean
kneeling down, or burning incense, or saying the Hail Mary.
“Catholic” in Greek means “universal”. Or, I’d like to say it
means “international.”
To be Catholic means you are Catholic everywhere. I am also called to remember that I am a
priest – everywhere – whether I am “recognized” or not.
There is a Mass being celebrated right now – in this same
style with the same words (perhaps in a different linguistic translation), but
with the same readings, in a different time zone and continent – probably with
a better homily ! – and in every place they are praying for … “Francis our
Pope”…and for the local bishop. In our case, he is Joseph, our bishop.
[_05_] Right now, we might fear both
the world and church have troubles, anxieties, uncertainty, but it is the
intergenerational and international nature of the Catholic church that will
stabilize and ground the church.
I believe it is also the international nature of our parish
of you. We are people of every ethnic background, every continent, every
socioeconomic level, every type of work, every family that makes our Lady of
Lourdes truly Catholic.
The AB may declare the parish Catholic. He visits because
we are Catholic. You make the church Catholic by your faith and works.
[_06_] Being both intergenerational and international
in our faith reminds us that our real faith and confidence is in our Lord and
Savior whom we meet when we
FEED THE HUNGRY
VISIT THE SICK
CLOTHE THE NAKED.
It is very simple – in accord with Matthew 25 – to be a
Christian means to be part of the flock with these actions which also have
ethical implications not only in the way we treat total strangers but in the
way we love and care for our own family.
We’re called to recognize that Jesus is everywhere.
Because he has died for our sins and risen from the dead, he is
the reason we are concerned spiritually not only for own generation and our own
nation – in November 2020 – but that by following the Gospel, all generations
and all nations will be blessed by God.
To be apostolic and
to be catholic, is not simply the calling of an AB or priest or religious
sister or brother.
It is the task of every one of us. For by your prayers and your
actions, you participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice on the altar. Remember
these words that demonstrate your own intergenerational and international
faith, the prayers of both the priest and you:
“Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be
acceptable to God, the almighty Father.”
“May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our
good and the good of all his holy Church.”
Lord, Jesus Christ, King and Good Shepherd, Pray for Us !
[_fin_]
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