Homily Thoughts for March 29, 2015…Running off Naked

There is a brief detail, almost a footnote, in Mark’s version of the Passion (the story of Jesus’s suffering & death) that is not found in the other 3 gospels. After the last supper, when in the garden, Jesus is arrested. 

But Mark says that there was a young man there who is a follower of Jesus. He was wearing only a linen cloth. But when he is seized by the guards (for being a disciple of Jesus), he left his clothes behind (in the hands of the guard) & ran off naked. What does this mean? Earlier in the gospel, we are told that the 1st disciples left everything to follow Jesus. But now this disciple leaves everything to get away from Jesus.

Many people who want to believe run away from faith when it becomes too difficult, too threatening, too unpopular, too confusing. But those who run away end up spiritually naked. Do we run when faith becomes too hard for us?

Pastor's Column, March 29, 2015

     The funeral Mass for Anthony Mulec was celebrated last Saturday. Anthony’s wife Erma was buried from our church last January (2014) and so we pray that the two of them may join in the praise of God in heaven. We pray for them and for their only daughter Denise, that she may remember the Lord’s promise to his disciples: “I will not leave you orphaned.” 

    As we begin Holy Week, it is good for us to be mindful of those who share in the Lord’s Passion by their own suffering, especially through illness: Betty Jayne Glover, whom I anointed this past Sunday at Broadview Multicare, and Rich Bunosky who was back in Metro hospital this past week. I am also praying for Sandy Chihil who is one of our receptionists in the rectory office. She had surgery and has been on a ventilator ever since. Sandy is a bright spot and is always so helpful and cheerful to the people who come to our rectory office. We miss her & keep her lifted up to the Lord. Finally, I received a note from a parishioner who is asking prayers for his father who is a longtime member of St. Leo’s. His name is Edward P. Gorczyca & is 92 years old. He started the CYO Sports Program here back in the 1960’s under Father Sylvester Lux, the founding pastor of St. Leo’s. We’ve added his name too to our list of people to pray for in the bulletin. As I type this, I just received a call letting us know that Paul Schierbaum died (I anointed him last Sunday as well at Parma Hospital). So many to pray for. Let us remember them and all the sick & homebound parishioners and their caregivers during this most holy week.

    This week we enter the “Sacred Triduum” or the holy three days after Lent which are the most important days of our liturgical year. On Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated at 7pm, when we will wash the feet of some parishioners & then process with the eucharist at the end of Mass. Our Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be at 3pm on Friday (the school will have a Passion Play at noon in the church & we’ll have stations of the cross at 7pm). On Holy Saturday, we will have the blessing of Easter food at 10am & Noon, followed by the feast of all feasts, the Easter Vigil at 8:30 Saturday evening, when we will baptize & receive two adults & several children into our Catholic Faith. Come pray with us!

Homily Thoughts for March 22, 2015…Compunction

There is a prayer of blessing used on Ash Wednesday which asks the Lord to bestow on us a “spirit of compunction.” Since that’s not a word used in my daily vocabulary, I needed to look it up. It means, “a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain.” Synonyms would be contrition, remorse, sorrow for sin.

I hear the spirit of compunction when hearing confessions. People express their remorse for sins they have committed. I myself know the frustration of trying but never seeming to improve in patience and the other virtues. It makes me sad. 

But I have come to see what a great blessing this compunction is because this sadness pushes us to change. Without compunction, we probably would never change because we would feel no need or desire to change. So we ask for it, pray for it. Only if the seed falls to the ground & dies does it bear much fruit.

Pastor's Column, March 22, 2015

     Last Friday & Saturday we celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for Donald Parrish and for Aramita Caraballo. Donald’s wife Dolores (Dee) spoke of him as a very holy man who loved coming to church & confession, who prayed the rosary daily and who loved his wife of 45 years and his daughter Debbie. We trust that Mary prays for him “now and at the hour of death.” Aramita, mother of parishioner Eneida Ramos, suffered from dementia but was taken care of by her loved ones. She was afraid of being alone, as we all are, but is now promised that she will never be alone again. May God receive them both into his loving care. 

    This past week I brought Holy Communion to Sophie Kapral, Sara Grier & Donna Mlady. Please remember them and all of parishioners who are ill in your prayers. 

    The Search Committee for a new principal started interviewing applicants this past week. Please ask the Lord to help us discern who is called to this important leadership position in our parish school. 

    This Sunday I will be baptizing two children after the Noon Mass: Tyler Madej and Emmayln Jo Leuhsler. May the Lord let his light shine upon them throughout their lives. 

    We are looking to have the potholes in our parking lot filled in as soon as possible but we are waiting on the schedule of the company based on the availability of asphalt. In the mean time, you can practice your dodgem skills as you avoid both potholes and parked cars.

    I failed to mention last weekend my appreciation to Macrina Dodson, to Violet Weingard & to the school and PSR faculties for all the good work they have done in preparing our students for the Sacrament of Confirmation, under the leadership of Mrs. Weiss, our School Principal, and Ms. Tonti, our PSR Director. They all use their gifts well in teaching and modeling the faith to our young people.  

    Our Lent edition of the News & Views Newsletter should be reaching your homes shortly. But if you can’t wait on the slowness of “snail mail,” you can hop onto our website & read it from there, or use our mobile app to download it to your smartphone or tablet. Highlights include information on those to receive the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil, a tribute to our Principal, Mrs. Diane Weiss, who will be retiring at the end of this school year, information on our second season of ARISE and on our new Alumni Association. We also hope to print a “special edition” of the newsletter soon which will be my “State of the Parish” reflections on where we’ve been, where we are & where we hope to be in the coming months.

Homily Thoughts for March 15, 2015…The light that reveals all

A woman from the turn of the century decided to have her house wired for a new utility called “electricity.” But she was embarrassed when this new light revealed the soot, the cobwebs & the dirt that was previously hidden in the candle-lit rooms.

“The light came into the world, but people loved darkness rather than light. For all who do evil hate the light & do not come near it for fear their evil deeds will be exposed.” Being invited to come into the light of God’s presence can be a frightening thing for it is easier for us to see all the filthy things in ourselves that we never saw before. Sometimes we’d rather live in darkness. 

And yet, this Light will help us to clean up our lives. We need not fear for “God so loved the world that he sent his only Son—not to condemn the world, but so that we might be saved through him.”

Pastor's Column, March 15, 2015

     I figured it would happen one of these days, but not on a day when the Bishop would be having Mass. You may have heard (or seen) how Ms. Michaela made a cameo appearance during the Confirmation Mass of our young people last Saturday. Someone (the guilty party will remain nameless until they have been proven guilty by a jury of their peers) left the door open to the sacristy. Michaela’s ears are well tuned to any noise in the vicinity & that led her into the church where, much to my surprise, she did not start barking as she normally does upon seeing all those people there (possible threats to the safety & security of her Master). She cleverly escaped the attempts to catch her by those standing in the chapel area taking pictures while the Bishop was confirming in the center aisle of the church. But then she spotted the desire of her heart (i.e., the one who gives her the most treats) and headed for the sanctuary area. Gratefully, *I* was trained on how to handle a dog when I had my first puppy (the trainer’s name was Richard Mann of “Mann’s Best Friend Training Company”…a very clever name). I learned that it is wise to use hand gestures at the same time you issue a verbal command for those times (like at Mass!) when you’re not able to make a loud verbal command but need to control your four-legged friend. Well it worked like a charm. I just gave her the hand signal I always use for “Sit, you’re in trouble!” and sure enough, she sat down immediately behind the altar. I scooped her up and carried her into the sacristy as the photographer got evidence of our leaving during Mass. Gratefully the Bishop, though he knew something was up from the little chuckles in the congregation, was facing the other direction at the time. He took it in good stride and as far as I know, I’m still the pastor of St. Leo.

    Our Confirmation students made us proud by their attentiveness and vocal responses to the Bishop’s questions concerning their Catholic Faith. May they use well the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

    Pray for Aramita Laboy whose Memorial Mass will be celebrated this Saturday, March 14th. Pray also for Brayden Rook who is being baptized on Sunday. May all who are buried with Christ in Baptism rise also to new life in him. 

    I’ll have to share with you sometime how our statue of St. Leo used to be St. Patrick. But for now, let’s all pretend to be Irish as Leo did & enjoy the corned beef on Tuesday.

Homily Thoughts for March 8, 2015…Anger. Right or Wrong?

Aristotle, the great philosopher, helps us tremendously to see if our anger is a vice or a virtue. He wrote, “It is easy to become angry. Anyone can do it. But to become angry at the right moment, to the right degree, for the right purpose, in the right manner, that is difficult.” 

Jesus angry in the Temple because people were selling animals for sacrifice in a way that probably took advantage of the poor. He lashed out against injustice, taking to task the people who used God’s house of prayer as a place to steal and make an unjust profit. 

Some people get angry a lot. Others never seem to get angry. But one is not necessarily sinful while the other is virtuous. What motivates our anger? If I am angry because I didn’t get my way, I am being selfish. However if I don’t get angry at injustice, then I am sinfully indifferent to the suffering of others. Be angry at the right moment, to the right degree & for the right purpose.

Pastor's Column March 8, 2015

Congratulations to all of our young people who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday. My thanks to Ms. Macrina Dodson, the PSR teachers, and all those who helped prepare the confirmandi. We especially thank Bishop Lennon for taking the time to pray with us and proclaim the Faith to our students. 

    I celebrated a Memorial Mass for James Gerity, Jr. last Saturday. Jim was 92 years old, a longtime faithful parishioner who sent his two children to our parish school. I assured his family we would keep him and them in our prayers. 

    We also extend our sympathies to Terry Palowski and her two sons on the loss of her husband Conrad. He was a graduate of St. Edward High School and had a 37 year career with the United States Post Office. May he share forever in the glory of the resurrection. 

    Fr. Carlin, the pastor of St. Charles and Fr. Bouhall, the pastor of St. Thomas More, are giving a talk on the patron saints of their parishes, as I am speaking of St. Leo the Great, our parish patron. This Lenten Mission is a cooperation of three of our cluster parishes and begins with my reflections on St. Leo the Great this Sunday evening at 7pm at St. Thomas More. If you’d like to learn more about our patron saint, and just have another opportunity to do something extra during this Lenten Time, then please join us for one or all three nights. Nancy Zola will also be offering her reflections as a parishioner of St. Leo’s. Learn about how St. Leo contributed so much to the Church by the wisdom of his writings. 

    Of course during Lent we continue to have our Fish Fry's, Stations of the Cross and our ARISE faith-sharing groups as opportunities to join with fellow parishioners during this time of renewal. We also have our baby bottle collection for Womankind and the Have a Heart, Lend a Hand donations provide us with a chance to give alms. The more we allow ourselves to enter the spirit of Lent, the more joy we will experience as we celebrate the meaning of Easter. 

    This is the hardest part of winter…having faced the bitter cold and many days of snow for the last few weeks, we get tired & perhaps sluggish as our energy drains from us. But spring, warmth and green grass are ahead of us, and along with these, the signs of resurrection. Let us endure these days patiently and gratefully, as we put our trust in God’s promise of faithfulness.