Fr. Tom’s Letters
Each week Fr. Tom writes a letter to parishioners in our bulletin. Every letter is comprehensive, including current information about the Parish, an explanation of Scripture for that Sunday, and an invitation to become more engaged in the life of the parish.
February 9, 2025
Dear Parishioners,
Today at the 10:00AM Mass we are praying with Fr. Nicholas as we express our gratitude to him for his five years of priestly ministry with us. He celebrated Mass, baptized our newborns, prayed with families at funerals, shared his faith with bible study groups, and visited our school children and faith formation classes. Fr. Nicholas was extraordinarily attentive to visiting the sick and homebound and in this ministry formed strong friendships with these parishioners. We are very grateful.
Today’s gospel of “putting into the deep” is often cited as a gospel to encourage vocations to the priesthood. This gospel is so appropriate as we bid farewell to Fr. Nicholas as he returns home to Ghana. Fr. Nicholas preferred to remain here on Long Island offering his priestly ministry, but to be obedient to the immigration laws and process, he needs to return to Ghana to renew the process of seeking a visa so that he might come back to Long Island to work as a priest. We hope that the process will proceed well for Fr. Nicholas and we enjoy again his priestly work on Long Island.
PARISH PILGIRMAGE OF HOPE
We are continuing our pilgrimage of hope during Monday evenings at 7:00PM in the church. These evenings conclude at 8:00 and include exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a decade of the Rosary, and Benediction. Also included is a reflection on the Psalms and the wisdom, inspiration, and instruction of Pope Francis. While I have been leading these Monday evenings so far, our leader this Monday, February 10, will be Father Steven, our recently arrived Associate Pastor. Sr. Judy will lead our gathering on Monday, February 24. Usually about 20 persons have been participating in the prayer and reflection; please know that all parishioners are invited as we journey through this Jubilee Year of Hope.
A RECOMMENDATION
So much is happening in the world and in our nation! Employment issues, economic policies, immigration procedures, health practices, justice decisions, education debates, and other topics are impacting many persons. Some find it confusing trying to keep informed about all that is happening. Where there is disagreement on each of these issues, legitimate arguments can be cited on both sides for these issues. Sometimes we can wonder if the information we receive from various sources is accurate or truthful.
In the debates of our day, much attention is given to polemic. Polemic is defined as “a written or spoken attack that forcefully defends or criticizes a belief, opinion, or practice.” It is noteworthy that the “word comes from the Greek word polemos, which means war.”
As I navigate through the many issues of the day, I am often reminded of the belief of Aristotle, expressed religiously by St. Thomas Aquinas that “virtue lies in the middle.” Seldom do the extreme views communicate truth, virtues, or an unbiased point of view.
The debates of the 21st century on topics that impact on our lives often raise the question “What is the Catholic viewpoint, understanding, or teaching” on a particular topic. Catholic teaching has much to say on healthcare, education, economics, employment, immigration, and many other topics. Church teaching clarifies the confusion we may feel. There is a treasury of Catholic social teaching that is available to those who seek to know Church teaching. There are statements that come from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. There are letters and encyclicals from our Bishop and from popes throughout the centuries. There is the most recent edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of Canon Law. Very importantly, there are the Scriptures, the psalms, the Commandments, the gospels and Letters of St. Paul.
We are truly blessed at this time in the life of the Church with the wisdom, inspiration, and guidance of Pope Francis. Understood as the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Pope Francis is our shepherd and teacher. A serious Catholic needs to listen and take seriously the writings, letters, homilies of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis recently gave to us another treat in the long list of gifts he has given to us. Recently published, his autobiography entitled Hope.
Hope is a wonderful volume that weaves together events of the Pope’s life, reflections on his experiences that shed light on experiences of others. He writes of family, vocation, employment, immigration, friendship, faith, and sports (and I have read only the first four chapters!) The book is very readable and gives a great perspective on so many human experiences. It is a wonderful introduction to understanding Pope Francis.
One benefit of the autobiography, it gives a context for us to understand Pope Francis’ teachings and exhortations on topics that Pope Francis addresses as part of his many contributions to Catholic social teachings on topics about which there is so much debate today. Most likely, I will continue to share with you teachings and inspiration from Pope Francis as we navigate so many important and sensitive issues in these changing times. I highly recommend Hope: The Autobiography of Pope Francis.
Have a peace-filled week!
Fr. Tom
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