SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Significant Moments!”
Life has lots of significant moments.
What are your significant moments?
Suggestion: get a paper and pen or use a computer and start jotting down the significant moments of your life.
It will be a powerful and significant moment if you do it – and if you do it, you’ll get a sense which ones are more significant than others.
And if you do this, you can keep on editing it – revising it – clarifying it – and discovering key moments that you might have missed.
Then when you have a lot of your life down on paper or in a computer document, you can ask a second question: “What are the defining moments of my life?” – but in this homily I’m only asking, “What are the significant moments?”
I would also suggest sharing it with your loved ones – at least the moments you want to share.
GOSPEL
The gospels tell us significant moments in the life of Jesus.
Today’s gospel tells us of the baptism of Jesus – and he hears the words, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Hopefully, as we look at our life – as we live it out – especially as we live it out as Christians, starting with our baptism, we will hear in prayer many times, “You are my beloved daughter…. You are my beloved son – with whom I am well pleased.”
STORYCORPS PROJECT
I’m sure some of you have heard about the Storycorps Project that started here in the United States in 2003. People sit down before a tape recorder with a loved one – for example, a daughter or grandson interviews an older person for about 45 minutes. They provide a wonderful list of questions. They have done more than 10,000 interviews so far – and they are being stored in the Library of Congress – and a copy goes home with the participants.
In Barnes and Noble or Borders or on line or wherever you get your books, you can get the book and CD and questionnaire entitled, “Listening Is an Act of Love.”
A family in the parish gave me a copy as a Christmas gift. Thank you. The CD gives excerpts of 10 interviews. You might have heard some of the interviews on NPR, National Public Radio. The book gives excerpts of about 50 interviews.
As I read the stories, as well as listened to them, I cried, I rejoiced, I laughed, I said, “Wow!” over and over again.
The stories are filled with the significant moments in people’s lives.
What are the significant moments in your life?
VOCATION STORY
This weekend here at St. Mary’s Parish we priests are asked to give our vocation story. This Sunday begins National Vocation Awareness Week for the Catholic Church here in the United States. Maybe someone listening will say, “I want to be a Redemptorist. I want to be a priest. I want to be a nun.”
I know I sat in grammar school classrooms at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grammar School in Brooklyn NY in the 1940s and early 50s and Redemptorist priests who were serving in Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, dropped into our classrooms and talked about their adventures in the foreign missions.
This was a way to plant dreams – vocation dreams – in young minds. I used to read Maryknoll Magazine as a kid. Seeing the pictures and reading the stories about foreign missionaries, I felt a desire to go to China someday as a missionary. Then when some Redemptorist asked us in the classroom to think about being a priest in Brazil, that helped refine my dream.
In Catholic families and Catholic parishes back then, the dream to be a priest or a nun was part of the imaginary life of many kids– along with being an athlete or cop or fireman – or doctor or nurse. We were four kids. The two oldest, my brother Billy and my sister Mary got married and had wonderful families. The two youngest entered religious life: my sister Peggy became a Scranton I.H.M. nun and I became a Redemptorist priest.
It was a significant moment when I told my parents this is what I wanted to try. And looking back I always appreciated it when my parents would say when I was home for vacation, “We’re glad you’re doing this, but if you don’t want it, don’t stay because of us.”
So I went to a minor seminary for high school – something that is rarely done today. It worked for me. I continued through college, a year novitiate after two years of college, and then I finished college and started my 4 years of theology in the major seminary. Then after our ordination year, we had 4 to 6 months of further training here at Annapolis – and then we received our assignments.
A very difficult – but very significant and defining moment happened to me here in Annapolis in December of 1966. I know the spot. It’s just outside Father Kingsbury’s office door here in St. Mary’s rectory. The provincial came up to me the night before the appointments and said to me, “Andy,” he used my first name, “you’re not going to Brazil. We need fresh blood on our preaching mission teams here in the states, so we’re going to put you in a parish for a few years so you can come down to earth in dealing with everyday life and its issues. Then you’ll be on the road preaching parish missions full time.”
It was a tough moment – and even tougher when the next day the provincial here in St. Mary’s church read out our assignments and 4 of my classmates went to Brazil, 1 to Paraguay, 4 went to Puerto Rico and 5 of us stayed in the states.
My first assignment was Most Holy Redeemer Parish on the Lower East Side of New York. It was the 60s. It was in the East Village – and the Hippie Revolution was everywhere to be seen. Interesting. It was to be a very fascinating education – but I often wondered what it would be like in Brazil.
I came down to earth – discovering lots of things I didn’t know – discovering that the seminary prepared me for some things – and so many things I had to learn while doing – like every job.
Then that same provincial told me after two years that they needed someone to do high school retreats at our retreat house right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in Long Branch, NJ. So for the next 7 years, that’s what I did during the week – along with hundreds and hundreds of weekend retreats for men and women.
That too was a wonderful education. I also knew I wasn’t reading enough so I went part time to Princeton Theological Seminary for 2 years - on Monday’s – and was able to get another Master’s Degree. That was a significant moment – hearing Protestant theologians – but in my second year they started bringing in Catholic Theologians – one of whom was Avery Dulles, the Jesuit. The course he gave was the book he would publish soon afterwards: Models of the Church. He gave me an A! And understanding his theory – has been very significant and helpful ever since. Not everyone sees the Church the same way. Not everyone comes to Church for the same reason.
After San Alfonso Retreat House in New Jersey, I worked out of Washington DC for a year – working with two other Redemptorists trying to help local communities work together better. It didn’t work – so that team dissolved. Yet that year had a great impact on my life – because of what I learned about communication and facilitation skills.
Then I was assigned to St. Alphonsus Retreat House in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. It didn’t have as much work – so I finished off a third Master’s degree and started writing – as well as preaching parish missions around the country.
I was at that retreat house also for 7 years – and then was assigned to be novice master for our novices in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. That was very significant. In a way I learned what it is to be a parent. I learned what it is to have to cut people – to tell them that we don’t think our life would work with them. It was very difficult. I discovered – after the fourth time it happened – that every January my back would go out. That was the month of the cuts.
Then our province moved our novitiate back east to Esopus, New York, on the Hudson, just below Kingston, NY. So I ended up being a novice master for 9 years. The teacher learns more than the student.
Then I got a 6 month sabbatical. I would love another one. Then for 8 ½ years I worked on the road preaching parish missions with a buddy of mine, Tom Barrett, out of Lima, Ohio. I also got to preach priests' and nuns’ retreats all over the country in the off season from parish missions. Very nice. San Diego is great in December.
Then I asked for parish ministry. By now we could ask. We might not get what we ask for, but we could ask. I asked to be in a busy parish, and St. Mary’s is our busiest parish, so I lucked out. This has been a wonderful assignment. This has been a very significant move.
TRANSITION
I hope, as I’m talking out loud this morning, you are thinking in loud about the changes, the moves, the moments in your life. I have talked about geographical changes – but as we all know, there have been people we met and moments we have experienced in the different geographical places we have been – people and experiences that are priceless – and couldn’t have been planned.
I think of several big parish missions in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio – as well as many, many, many preaching experiences in small farm communities all over Ohio – in towns I had never heard of: Ottoville, Kalida, Fort Jennings, Wauseon, Napoleon, Holgate, Hamler, Deshler, Hicksville, Miller City, Edgerton, Elyria, Cygnet, Leipsic, Gallipolis, Pomeroy. All aboard. As Tennyson said in his poem, Ulysses, "I am a part of all that I have met."
I also think of the moment when Tom, the guy I was working with, was hit by a tractor trailer truck on his way to Paulding, Ohio. We had worked the previous two weeks in Galion, Ohio and used one car. This mission, because it was only a half hour away, we decided on two cars. Tom left after me and was almost killed on an icy road –ending up in a hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 75 days. The experience was very significant for me – very defining for him.
The first significant death I experienced in life was that of my dad in 1970. He died of emphysema and lung cancer. Next it was my nephew’s death with cancer – at the age of 14 – with only 4 days notice. That was very tough on our family – especially my sister and brother-in-law, obviously. My brother’s death by melanoma, cancer, at the age of 51, was also very significant. My mother’s death in a hit and run accident – as she crossed the street on her way to church and then to work at the age of 83 was very significant. I discovered the valuable gift I could be to my family not only at family weddings, but also at family deaths. Let me tell you – this is one of the most wonderful things a priest can do – to be there to help one’s own family when someone dies.
HINDSIGHT AND INSIGHT
Hindsight is very much part of insight. I love the saying, “Don’t write down in your diary what happened that day, you won’t know till next week or next year – or many years from now.”
A lot of us here have lived enough life to jot down the significant moments of our life – as well as see the big picture called “the movie of our life” as it’s being played out.
At times I have said to potential candidates for the priesthood, “Being a priest is a fabulous life. Think about it.” Then I add, “If you can hack celibacy, come into the pool. You’ll love this life.”
Obviously, the pull for marriage and children is the most powerful human pull. Thank God. Thank God our parents married and made love and made us! Pinch yourself and say, “Thank you!”
I am well aware that parents want to see grand kids – and people are having fewer kids. So there will be fewer priests – for as long as we have a celibate priesthood in the Western Church. Moreover, I see the value of celibacy – to have people you can call on when you need us – without worrying about interfering big time in their family life. I also see the value that priests have to come out of non-priestly families. Celibacy can prevent in-breeding.
I call the last two generations, “the clicker generations.” Translation: there are many channels – there are many options – there are many choices – and younger people switch jobs more than older people. I just wish young people would push the clicker and look at the possibility of being a priest as a channel and a choice to view. Yes, and some people have proposed temporary vocations, etc. And many priests who dropped out in the 60s and 70s and 80s certainly made that choice – clicking to a new channel.
I am also well aware that the priest scandal has certainly stopped people from considering the priesthood – or parents pushing it. It has certainly dampened our spirits big time. The last few years have not been easy on us. The only good news about it is that kids are better protected. I heard one priest say: "If by taking the heavy hit we took on this, it has woke parents up to be more vigilant in watching their kids and asking questions – checking if any one is preying on them, then some good came out of this."
We priests, in our conversations with each other, express our anger and frustration at priests who have this problem – and acted out and hurt kids. We know a lot more about all this than we did 25 years ago. We want the world to know that we are below average on this – that the main perpetrators are in families – that it’s kept secret big time – not just by bishops and priests – but by everybody. Times have changed thank God.
I heard that the Maryland Assembly is going to address lifting the statue of limitations on priests – a protection by law for all Americans. I out loud say there could be an injustice there – because people who are long dead can be accused – without a chance to defend themselves. I would also add “in some cases” – and I underline in some cases, “there is money to be made here” – and some dioceses were not vigilant on this – and some dioceses have gone bankrupt as a result – and then folks lose diocesan jobs, benefits, services and programs as a result – and lay people suffer as well. Obviously, life can be messy and the Catholic priesthood took a big messy hit because of a small percentage of priests abused kids.
I would also want to add that I challenge all of you to promote vocations to the priesthood – the push this weekend.
I know there are many more vocations, life choices and options: marriage, government, journalism, teaching, medicine, the economy, foreign service, the military, sports, etc. I also am aware of the diaconate and the many lay ministries in our church.
The stress today is priesthood. So if you want a good sermon and a good liturgy from priests on a weekend, if you want a personable priest at a family funeral and wedding and baptism, if you want a priest who you think will listen to you when you have a problem, if you want teachers of prayer and scripture, if you want priests to preach out for social justice, please challenge people you think would make a good priest to consider the priesthood.
The vocations to the priesthood today are usually coming from young men in their late 20s and 30s and older – after they have tried another career.
CONCLUSION
If you don’t promote vocations, be prepared for a different church – in ways you might not like – or in ways you might like. Obviously, lay ministry has increased big time since Vatican II – and I think it’s marvelous. Bottom line thinking: we need more priests.
However, I hope dioceses and religious orders will cut candidates for the priesthood who will be disasters. It is my opinion that people have been accepted – not because they will make excellent future priests, but because of the personnel shortage. Time will tell if they have accepted priests who will be big time problems down the line. I make this statement and judgment out loud - after thinking about my experience with this question.
Right now – in 2008 - in the United States we have about 30,000 diocesan priests and 15,000 religious order priests. I also assume that somewhere around 2015 the Catholic Church will have to make a major decision about women clergy as well as married clergy for the diocesan priesthood. That will be a significant moment in the Catholic Church – just like Vatican II was a significant moment for all of us here in our 60s. That’s my prediction. I have been wrong in the past – but I’m also predicting the Giants will beat the Packers next week. And if they beat New England in the Super Bowl, now that will be a significant moment.
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