Pastor's Letter -- February 6th, 2022

Beloved parishioners,
Some time ago I referenced in a homily a saying on a note I had received from parishioner Kathleen Ferrone. The titanic was built by expert engineers, but the Ark of Noah was constructed by amateurs. While there is something to be said for expertise and technical know-how, this logic does not work in every situation. If I want to build a Cathedral or erect a hall, for example, I will ask bids from the best contractors available. This logic works for temporal matters. But in the economy of salvation, expertise is often not top on the criteria list. When God searches for helpers, he is not looking for the most qualified by human standards. When God wanted to build an ark to save the people in Noah’s days, he used untutored and uneducated men. When Jesus wanted to continue the mission of preaching salvation to the world, he selected a band of uneducated men. God can, and often works with “unfinished” and “rough” materials. He is the Creator; he brings something into existence from what was not. The success that the Lord accomplishes in his work is not contingent on the quality of those called, but in God who qualifies those called. It is God who gives fruitfulness to whatever human effort is put at the service of God’s work.

This is why none of us must boast about our qualifications or consider ourselves unfit for God’s use. God can multiply the little we are capable of giving; in fact, he often does. We see this clearly demonstrated in our readings for this weekend. Isaiah did not consider himself worthy to be in divine presence. He lamented that he was doomed since he, a man of unclean lips and who lived among a people of unclean lips, had the misfortune of beholding the Lord of hosts. Paul did not consider himself worthy to be an apostle or to receive divine revelation since he once persecuted Christians. Peter asked the Lord Jesus to “depart from me for I am a sinful man.” He is very aware of his unworthiness to be in the presence of Jesus. But in all three cases, note that the Lord does not interrupt their declaration of unworthiness, but he does not allow that change his mind about calling them. He cleanses them, makes them fit for his purpose, and then commissions them. Isaiah is to ‘go for us,’ Peter is to catch human beings, Paul is to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. In all three, it was the grace of God at work.

From the above, we can see that it is God who does the good work through us. None of us can boast of any holiness before God. In proportion to God’s goodness, we will always be unworthy and inadequate. Before God, our righteousness are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). But God wants to use those rags nonetheless. God wants to bring about his mission of evangelization through us. All he asks is our availability and he will supply whatever is lacking in us. Our parish has over the years recognized this truth, that we contribute to the work of evangelization by putting our gifts to use in the service of the Gospel. We created a prayer which was prayed weekly to help us internalize what we are about. This prayer calls attention to some of the things we have been called to do in the service of God and of his people. I have reflected on the request of some parishioners who would like the communal recitation of this prayer restored. And in consultation with the Parish Pastoral Council, I have revised this prayer to reflect our parish mission. We would be offering this prayer once again for the parish’s use. Please see the revised prayer below. We will pray it once again before our weekly liturgies to ask for the Lord’s help in our mission, and to remind ourselves that it is God’s work, and we are called to participate in it.

PARISH MISSION PRAYER
Loving God, We, your people at St. Thérèse, Little Flower Catholic Church, accept the call to be the voice, hands, and feet of Jesus in our world today. Be with us as we proclaim the Good News and make disciples, feed the hungry, heal the sick, comfort the suffering, welcome the stranger, visit those in prison and offer friendship to the lonely. Help us to forgive and to ask forgiveness for the sins which wound and divide our world. Open our eyes to see Jesus in all people and to be Jesus to everyone.
Amen.

St. Thérèse, pray for us!

With blessings from my heart,
Fr. Julius