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My Time among You Has Come to an End
Homily (in German) St. Joseph Parish, Detroit
My time among you has come to an end. As you know, this is my last Sunday at St. Joseph parish, in Detroit, and this week I move to three new parishes in northern St. Clair county. Today is in some ways comparable to the ascension of our Lord, not that I am going up into heaven, but that I am leaving and going up north. When I came among you, I came as a priest, with the mission to teach, govern and sanctify you, exercising the sacramental character of the Catholic priesthood. I did not come solicited, but only after being removed from a parish, because when I taught the faith, observed the wise and holy laws of the liturgy and offered my sacramental services, my ministry not entirely welcome in that place. I had to choose between staying where I was and sacrificing my fidelity to Catholicism, or being removed and destined to an unknown parish with unknown circumstances. I chose the harder path, and it was the best path. That led me, through unpredictable negotiations, to offer the same priestly service at the cluster of St. Joseph, St. Josaphat and Sweetest Heart of Mary. Over time, our Pastor decided to collaborate with my preparation to become, myself, a pastor of a parish, by assigning me many of the routine duties of St. Joseph parish. With my personal devotion to St. Joseph, the just and pure guardian of Mary and Jesus, I couldn’t be more delighted. But now my time has come to an end. And now it is up to you to continue the good, forgive the less good, learn from the past, and step up to the plate. That is, the mission is now yours. And therefore today my question to you is this: what will you do? It is important, then, to understand the mission. It is not a mission of social action. It is not a mission of fund-raising. It is not a mission of historical art. It is not a mission of music. It is not a mission to make people have good feelings individually or collectively. The mission of St. Joseph parish is none other than that of the universal Church: the salvation of souls, and the glory of God. The means of this mission are the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and Confession; also the virtues, most especially faith, hope and charity; also a life full of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; and a life of continual penance. If ever you look around you, and you see the collapse of our civilization, the corruption of the Church – both clergy and faithful –, the greed of the powerful, the sensuality of the petty, the arrogance of men, and the mediocrity of souls, do not be distressed. All of this is like much filth and dirt; yet when it is plowed and tended, it can bear fruit from one season to the next thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.[1] You will not find success in this mission by money. You will not find success in this mission by greatness in the eyes of the world. Nor by dissent against Church teaching. Nor by disobedience to Rome. Nor by slavery to the passions. Nor by political activism. Nor by loose tongues, tongues both forked and poisonous, whispering rumors and gossip in dark corners. You will find success in this mission only, only, and only in Jesus Christ, whom you will find crucified on the cross of our salvation. Hail cross, our only hope! If St. Joseph parish is to prosper, it can do so only under one condition: that it dedicates itself to the reason of it’s existence, namely, the eternal salvation of souls. And this condition can only be met when the faithful of this parish attain holiness of life. Holiness is the sap of your lives, and you are branches: how can you bear fruit, if you are dead? Or how can you bear fruit, separated from the trunk, which is Jesus?[2] It is impossible. Therefore, brothers and sisters, on this last Sunday at St. Joseph’s parish, I entrust you to our patron. Be generous with God, and do not live like the majority of men in the world today. Live only for Jesus, and embrace your cross. The saints and angels will help you when you find it difficult. And only when you live for God will your lives bear fruit, and this is the will of the Father,[3] that you go into the world, and bear much fruit. So, go out to all the world, to the whole world, to every person, to each person, to the entire person, and pass on no other message than the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, as he has entrusted it to the Catholic Church. Amen. |