Pastor’s Message

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

During one of my trips home I embarked on a Polish Airlines plane en route to Warsaw. I tightened my seatbelt for what was going to be a bumpy ride. The late-afternoon thunderstorm had been predicted; and, sure enough, the weather reports were accurate. And, as always, I said a prayer for the pilot and the crew. The two women sitting on either side of me noticed my moment of mediation, but they went on with their conversation, which I couldn't help but overhear. They had been to some kind of a Catholic conference in Chicago, and back and forth, back and forth, they talked about the Bible studies and the inspiring speakers and how glad they were to have attended that meeting. When the pilot's voice came over the intercom telling us that we had leveled off at 28,000 feet, that the storm was mostly behind us, and that we could expect a smooth flight over Atlantic, I was relieved and I whispered, "Thank God," and pulled out my breviary. When the flight attendant asked our row for beverage orders, my two traveling companions said, "Diet Coke, please.” But I replied, "White wine," which turned out to be a big mistake. As the drinks were set down on our trays, the lady on my right introduced herself, proceeded to introduce her friend, and then asked me point blank, "Are you a priest?" With my breviary in front of me and the plastic cup of Chardonnay in my hand, I replied, "Well, yes, I am." The woman on my left looked at me and said, "Well, then, you don't need that wine, Father. All you need is to trust the Lord, and He will get you safely to Warsaw." That woman's comment caught my attention. And I share her profound words with you because they apply not only to air travel; those words apply to our journey through life. Jesus said clearly, “Fear "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.” (John 14:1) My guess is we believe those words to be true when the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and there isn't a cloud on the horizon. But when the storm strikes, when the rough winds of failure and disappointment toss us to and fro, when the lightning of sudden trouble or trauma flashes before us and the thunder clouds of pain and sorrow, deceit and dissension, suffering and illness roll all around us, when the storm strikes and we are caught in the middle of it, wondering where to go and what to do, do we turn to God, trusting in our Creator-Redeemer-Counselor to see us through?

In the mid-16th century, a group of 50 Spanish nuns led by the Carmelite Sister Teresa of Avila traveled on foot to a neighboring convent in a rugged storm. Crossing a rickety bridge over a swollen stream, the sisters prayed that the bridge would hold up until they were safely across. It didn't. Near the center it collapsed, spilling all of the nuns into the water. As they managed to swim safely to shore, Sister Teresa raised her eyes toward heaven and said, "Lord, if this is the way you treat your friends, it is little wonder you have so few of them.” Now, Sister Teresa was known for her wit and her sense of humor. She was finally canonized, but she also knew that the God in whom she believed did not keep the storms away. Neither did He play games with the laws of the universe. And yet she trusted God to help her cope with trouble, and she believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that God would see her through.

It is possible for all of us to trust God and one another individually and collectively in the society, in our families, in the communities where we live, the cities and suburbs where we work, as well as in our Parishes and the myriad of institutions that are supposed to hold this nation together. And, yet, we who say that we subscribe to the words "In God we trust," are struggling with a lack of trust that has invaded our society. I believe this lack of trust comes from an erosion of integrity, a loss of respect and civility, and a growing sense of indifference and hostility toward people who are different from us, toward those who disagree with us, toward folks who are riding high and are wealthy or those who have dropped down below the poverty line, toward people, frankly, whom we just don't trust.

With all of that said, you would think that the Church could and would bring hope and healing to our situation. But, unless and until we as Christians, learn to trust others across the street and across all of our human-made boundaries, unless we learn to trust, how can we make our witness to a war-torn, weary world which is broken and hurting and needs the hope and the healing which God has offered us in Jesus? The storms and bumpy rides will come and go, but our faith tells us that we do not face them alone. Jesus Christ, the Lord of life, has come alongside us to show us the way. He has promised to guide us home, where there are many places for us, as well as for those whom we still struggle to trust.

Fr. Marek, Pastor