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21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - Homily

8/24/2014

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            What was, or is, your favorite character from Walt Disney Productions? The character I have always liked is Donald Duck. He is short tempered but has also a positive outlook on life. He is funny even when he is awkward. However let me ask you a question: Have you ever seen a duck behaving like Donald? Have you ever seen a duck wearing a sailor suit, a cap and bow tie? So, why does Donald do these things? Well, imagine watching movies every day about what real ducks do. I don’t think that the series would survive long. The character created by Disney isn’t a real duck. It is a bird that has been made to behave like a human. That’s why people enjoy watching Donald Duck. It is easy to understand his behavior as it is so human.

            My Dear friends! Donald Duck is going back to my bag but I would like to take you on an excursion to a pretty place now. It is called Caesarea Philippi. That’s where today’s Gospel took place. What can we say about the place? Well, let me use this comparison: Caesarea Philippi was like Gold Cost, a perfect holiday destination. Most of Israel is a dry and hilly desert but when you get to Caesarea Philippi you feel like in a paradise: it’s green, fresh, lots of pretty creeks etc. However to get a better picture of the place let me ask you this question: “If you wanted your son or daughter to become more holy, would you send them to Gold Cost on their own?” It is a pretty place but not a very holy place though. Caesarea Philippi was also pagan. In that small area there were 15 pagan temples dedicated to various gods. What do you know, my Friends, about those ancient religions of Greeks and Romans? If you do some research you discover that heaven was like Gold Cost with one but significant improvement: drinks and food wouldn’t run out. What about their gods? They were basically like super humans with some super powers and of course immortal. They were drinking, eating, and having fun but because it is hard to keep having a good time without getting bored of having a good time, so gods from time to time would fight with each other. That divine world was like another version of earth because those religions were made up by people who sensed that there is something more than life on earth and they tried to imagine it. Basically what they did was what Walt Disney did with Donald Duck: they made it more human so that it could be easier for people to understand.

            In the Gospel for this Mass we have an explanation about God too. Peter said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus reaction to that is something we should always remember: “Peter, what you said is not made up by a human mind but it comes from my Father in heaven.” That what we can say about our Christian religion: it is not the invention of humans but it is a revelation from God, who has revealed to us the mysteries of heaven. That’s why at times we find it difficult to comprehend it because it comes from another world which is still a mystery to us. But even if you find some things difficult in our faith, persevere and keep on praying, and one day it will be given to you. It is not simply about getting the right answer but it is about giving your life to the right person – Jesus Christ. Can you recognize the person of the screen? You are right it is President Barack Obama. But because you have got the right answer, does it mean that you want to give Obama your life? Don’t think so. Now, look at another slide. Who is the person? You are saying that it is Jesus. That’s the right answer but I am praying now very hard so that you could also say: IT IS THE ONE WHO I WANT TO GIVE MY LIFE TO.
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10 years in Down Under

8/22/2014

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PictureOne of my first mates
On the Day when we honour the Queen of Heaven and Earth I also recall that feast day in 2004 when I came to Australia. 10 years ago it was Sunday. After a long flight from Europe, which was my first flight ever, I began my ministry in the country which then I found so different to Poland. I think that I was more blessed then convicts as I had a very warm welcome from Fr Bill who came to pick me up from the Tullamarine Airport. Poor Fr Bill didn’t know how to spell my name (I used to think that Szewc was easy) so on a piece of paper he wrote OMI (it stands for Oblates of Mary Immaculate). Although after 10 years lots of memories of those beginnings in Oz have faded away I still remember some. The first thing that hit me was the smell. As I was walking out of the terminal I said to myself: “This place doesn’t smell home at all.” However I had a bigger problem: I didn’t know whether I liked the smell or not. Wisely I decided to sort it out later. Very chatty Fr Bill tried to fill me in on many useful tips about my new home not realising that I couldn’t understand what he was telling me. I still regret that due to my bad English I missed on so many pieces of advice he was giving me that day. After we arrived to the Provincial House I managed to explain that I hadn’t celebrated Eucharist that day yet and I would like to have Mass. Fr Bill understood me and very kindly prepared the chapel for me to celebrate Mass. After I got vested and approached the altar I had the panic of my life, the Missal and the lectionary were in English. I hope that the Dear Lord understood more from what I was trying to read from those books as I understood very little. Even if the beginnings were scary I cherish that first Mass in English I was celebrating than. I also remember the intention of the Mass: It was for the people I was going to meet during my time in Australia. Today as I reflect on my ten years here I can simply say that the Lord Jesus has been very generous with me by sharing with me his friends. Those people changed my mind so much that today I can say: I LOVE THE SMELL OF AUSTRALIA. IT DOES SMELL HOME.
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Queen of Heaven and Earth

8/22/2014

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PictureLourdes
         On August 22, we honour the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This liturgical feast was instituted by Pope Pius XII on October 11, 1954. That year marked a centenary of proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. As the Holy Father stated: “We do not wish to propose a new truth to be believed by Christians, since the title and the arguments on which Mary's queenly dignity is based have already been clearly set forth, and are to be found in ancient documents of the Church and in the books of the sacred liturgy.” As the Church honours the Queen of heaven and earth she also professes that Mary is Queen because her Son, Jesus Christ is King. It is noteworthy that the Pope linked this new feast day to Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Our Lady doesn’t need a promotion but her life exemplified perfectly the message of Jesus’ Kingship. Jesus is the King who came to serve not to be served and in the life of his sinless Mother we can see an example of service offered to God and to the human race. Her whole life was the life of service, that’s why she can be called Queen as she reflected the way Jesus exercised his Kingship.
          From the early days of Christian Faith there has been a strong believe that Mary is Queen. St Efrem in the 3rd century wrote: “Majestic and Heavenly Maid, Lady, Queen, protect and keep me under your wing lest Satan the sower of destruction glory over me, lest my wicked foe be victorious against me.”
          St. Alphonsus Ligouri, after researching ancient traditions of the Church wrote:  "Because the vVirgin Mary was raised to such a lofty dignity as to be the mother of the King of kings, it is deservedly and by every right that the Church has honoured her with the title of 'Queen'.
          From the 11th century Catholics have been singing Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) while Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) was introduced in the 12th century.
         This belief has been also expressed in the tradition of crowning some images of Our Lady. In 732, Pope Gregory III offered a golden crown for an image of Mary in Rome. St John Paul II just before his death blessed the crowns for Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland as his gratitude for Mary’s protection.
         In the same encyclical letter Ad Caeli Reginam Pius XII also wrote: “We likewise ordain that on the same day the consecration of the human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary be renewed, cherishing the hope that through such consecration a new era may begin, joyous in Christian peace and in the triumph of religion.”
         I would like to share with you the consecration prayer St John Paul II prayed in 1984 in front of the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima brought for the occasion to Rome:

“O Mother of all men and women, and of all peoples, you who know all their sufferings and their hopes, you who have a mother's awareness of all the struggles between good and evil, between light and darkness, which afflict the modern world, accept the cry which we, moved by the Holy Spirit, address directly to your Heart. Embrace with the love of the Mother and Handmaid of the Lord, this human world of ours, which we entrust and consecrate to you, for we are full of concern for the earthly and eternal destiny of individuals and peoples. In a special way we entrust and consecrate to you those individuals and nations which particularly need to be thus entrusted and consecrated. ‘We have recourse to your protection, holy Mother of God!' Despise not our petitions in our necessities."
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New Heart

8/21/2014

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At Mass this Morning as we listened to the first reading from the Book of Ezekiel we heard these words: “I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you. You shall be my people and I will be your God.”  (Ezek 36:23-28) I love this passage and I have meditated on it many times before.  However what struck me this morning is that the Prophet promises a new heart not to an individual but to the Community of the People of God, to Israel. As this promise was made in the Old Testament we can see its fulfilment in the New Testament when God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to be in the midst of his People, like the heart is in the centre of the body. As this New Divine Heart started beating, the New Promised Community started growing: Mary and Joseph were the first ones and soon more people were drawn to the relationship with Jesus establishing in this way the New Mystical Body, the Church. As I am reflecting on this passage I remember that for us Oblates this year, which is the first stage of the tree-year-preparation for the Bicentennial of the Oblate Congregation, has got its theme: A New Heart: Life in Apostolic Community. In the line of the Ezekiel’s prophesy I can see that the Holy Spirit is guiding us Oblates not to focus on our achievements over the last two hundred years. It is not about putting on a party saying: “Look, we have done so well!” instead, it is the time to focus on this New Heart which has been beating in our Holy Congregation for two hundred years. This Heart is Jesus Christ. Our Oblate Apostolic Community is simply a small version of the Church where, as promised by Ezekiel, God has placed a new heart – his only Son. As missionaries we love preaching Jesus but we also love showing Jesus through the way we live our daily life, not on our own but with our fellow Oblates. I think that it is a prophetic sign for the today’s society where people would like to “posses” Jesus just for themselves. However Christ is the New Heart for the community of followers who are joined to him like various parts of the body are joined to the heart.
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20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

8/17/2014

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Let me start with some statistics:

Australians throw away up to 20% of the food they purchase. It means that 1 out of every 5 bags of groceries we buy ends up in the garbage bin.

Up to 40% of the average household garbage bin is food.

Aussies throw out $8 billion of edible food every year.

Australians waste 523kg of food per household!

If you add up the foods Australia wastes each year, it's enough to fill 450,000 garbage trucks. Placed end to end, the convoy would bridge the gap between Australia and New Zealand just over three times. These are the figures from the government. However there is another figure that the Government seems to overlook. According to what I checked a few hours ago there are 23,566,244 residents in Australia. If we didn’t chuck out 20 percent of good food, 4,713,249 people could come to our shores to live here and have food for free.

My Friends! Just think what can an average Aussie understand when he or she hears stories like the one from today’s Gospel about eating scraps that fall from the table? Probably the answer I would get would be: “Who eats this stuff?”

Let’s go back to the Gospel passage we had a couple of weeks ago about Jesus multiplying bread and food for the hungry. A few times, with various groups, I have done an activity about that passage. I asked people to highlight what stands out to them in that event. I will not talk about what they highlighted but I want to highlight what none of them highlighted. I mean that after feeding the crowds the disciples of Jesus collected the scraps remaining, twelve baskets full. Isn't interesting that the twelve baskets full of scraps collected after the meal didn’t get anybody’s attention? Once even it got worse. I tried to talk to the kids about that and a boy interrupted me saying: “Excuse me Father, when you say baskets you mean rubbish bins, don’t you?”

Let me ask you another question? What do we use napkins for? Well, when you eat you put on a napkin to protect your beautiful outfit from getting dirty, don’t you? However I remember the times when, even going to the fields to work, we would take our napkins with us. When we were eating we would spread the napkin on our lap so that the crumbs of bread, etc. could fall into the napkin. Once we finished our sandwich we would carefully pick up the scraps from the napkin and we would eat them.

I am not here because the Government has paid me for talking to you about the proper food management. I am not talking of the landfills being filled quickly either but I want you to make a connection between the gifts you place on your table and the Giver of those gifts, the Creator of heaven and earth. In the Gospel for this Mass Our Blessed Lord praised the great faith of the woman who approached. Such faith doesn’t come out of blue. It is a gift of God that has been nurtured by long time of faithfulness in small things. The gratitude we show God every day for his generous gifts to us contributes to such faith. Just think whether you say grace before every meal. By the way grace before the meal is not praying not to get sick but it is giving praise and thanks to God for his kindness expressed by the meal that is to be shared. It is one of the small gestures that contribute to faith growth.

In my life I have never met a person who was very respectful when it comes to food and not respectful to the Most Holy Eucharist. On the other hand I have seen many people who would chuck out an unfinished sandwich and they would treat the Body of Christ like a chip. Is it a coincidence?

            My Brothers and Sisters! At Mass you can see that a priest places on the altar a corporal, which can be also explained as a napkin. Why do we do that? Because we believe that even a little crumb of Eucharistic Bread is precious and we don’t want to lose it. When you come to church for Mass pay attention to that moment so that you may grow in your appreciation of gifts God sends you every day like the Church appreciates the gift of the Eucharist.

            I think that not only Catholics should go to Mass. Even unbelievers should come, at least occasionally, to learn how to handle and respect food.
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Mary’s Assumption

8/15/2014

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PictureThe Statue St Eugene prayed before
August 15, is the day when Catholics recall that day when the Blessed Virgin Mary completed her earthly life. What was unique to her was what Pope Pius XII formally defined and promulgated as dogma: “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Although a few places claim that Mary was taken to heaven from there but there hasn’t been a place claiming to be the resting place of the Mother of God.

This day of Mary’s Assumption has been also treasured by the OMIs. The first and the most important thing is that as missionaries offered (oblate) to the Immaculate we are always touched when our Dear Mother and Patroness is praised and loved. The Solemnity has also been part of our Oblate Story dating back to the early days of the Congregation. Six years after Eugene de Mazenod established the first community of missionaries, who were known as Missionaries of Provence, the small group of his companions was going through many trials. In the midst of all these problems St Eugene held a special celebration for the Assumption of Mary. It was August 15, 1822. As one can realize it was a long time before the dogma was promulgated by Pius XII in 1950. It simply means that even before the dogma was defined, the Christian People held fast to the belief of Mary’s Assumption. That Assumption Day in 1822 in the Church of Mission in Aix, St Eugene blessed a new statue of Mary Immaculate. After the magnificent celebration, the crowds went out for a procession through the streets of the town while St Eugene reminded in the church praying before the newly blessed statue. It was then, as he recalled it later, a grace was given to him. He was so overwhelmed that he wrote letter to his first companion and close friend Fr Henry Tempier: “I believe I owe to her also a special experience that I felt today. I cannot describe it too well because it comprised several things but all related, however, to a single object, our dear Society. It seemed to me that what I saw, what I could put my finger on, was that within her lies hidden the germ of very great virtues, and that she can achieve infinite good; I found her worthy, everything pleased me about her, I cherished her rules, her statutes; her ministry seemed sublime to me, as it is indeed. I found in her bosom sure means of salvation, even infallible, such is how they looked to me.”

St Eugene believed that that day Our Lady granted him a special fervor to assure him how pleased God was with this new Congregation of Missionaries. Despite many conflicts and problems the Missionaries were facing, St Eugene was given a spiritual moment of appreciation and support from heaven.

Later St Eugene would come back to the statue to pray many times. In fact the statue of the Immaculate Virgin which channeled that momentous grace has become a precious relict to the Oblates. For some time it was preserved in the Church of Mission in Aix and after the expulsion of the religious from France, the Oblates took the statue with them. Eventually it found home in the Oblate General House in Rome where it is venerated in the chapel there. As St Eugene prayed before her as his successor, Fr Louis Lougen OMI, our Superior General, prays before the statue every day asking for guidance in his leadership position. Today, we Oblates, ask our Immaculate Mother, to grow in our love for the Congregation which has her as the Patroness.
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Church of Mission in Aix where St Eugene received a special grace while praying before the statue of the Immaculate on August 15, 1822.
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The chapel in the Oblate General House in Rome where the Statue of the Immaculate from Aix is venerated
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St Maximillian Kolbe

8/14/2014

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Once St Maximilian Kolbe was confronted by a fellow Franciscan in regards to his plans of evangelization. He was told that he should take it easy because he was a tubercular with a short life ahead of him. After hearing that St Maximilian said: “A painter is the person who can produce a beautiful paining with a brush paint. If one can produce a masterpiece using a broom the person would be the top artist. The Immaculate Mary is such an artist. She can produce masterpieces using brooms like me.”

As the Christian people honour today the Saint who is well known for giving his life for another human being it would be appropriate to acknowledge that what happened in that Concentration Camp wasn’t an accident or a rush decision of a lunatic. On the contrary it was the outcome of years of faithful and committed life to Jesus and his Immaculate Mother. As an Oblate I have a particular devotion to St Maximillian Kolbe who was captivated by the mystery of the Immaculate Conception. As a Seminarian in Rome, together with a few friends they established Militia Immaculatae (MI), a movement that was offered to Mary Immaculate. Later as a young priest St Maximilian started a catholic magazine called Knight of the Immaculate. I think that an Oblate of Mary Immaculate and a Knight of Immaculate have got a very close meaning. The origin of both titles comes from the same source: the distress at the suffering of the Church of God. St Eugene started his Oblates of Immaculate as he was moved by the damage done to the Church by the French Revolution. Under the patronage of the Immaculate he wanted to bring healing and growth to the Church he loved so much. While in Rome for his studies, St Maximillian saw the abuses and ridicules thrown at Pope St Pius X and his successor Benedict XV. He witnessed how some people enjoyed attacking the mission of the Vicar of Christ. Under the patronage of the Immaculate he wanted to support the Pope to continue his mission of healing and unity for the growth of the Church. As St Eugene and his missionaries were tirelessly traveling across Provence to bring the message of the Gospel to the abandoned villages and towns as St Maximillian and his Militia Immaculatae were tirelessly publishing and posting magazines spreading true knowledge of Catholic Faith.
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St Maximilian when he established Militia Immaculatae
As I mentioned at the beginning St Maximillian is known for his sacrifice for another prisoner. He asked to be a replace for the man who would leave behind his wife and children. When asked by the commander while he was doing that he answered: “I am a Catholic Priest.” I treasure and keep reflecting on this sentence as it summarizes the meaning of the Priesthood: “A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” As we pray for new vocations let us pray so those who ponder this path of life may have this understanding of what it is to be a Catholic Priest.
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St Maximilian at the end of his life when he sacrificed his life to save a young father
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I believe in the Resurrection...

8/11/2014

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Recently my dear Grandpa Edward has passed away. I wished I could celebrate his funeral Mass but it wasn’t to happen. I couldn’t go all the way to be with the family. However the first blessing I was given was the spiritual closeness with those at the funeral, as at the time of the funeral Mass celebrated by our PP back in our home parish in Poland I was celebrating Eucharist here in Australia. I could tell how powerful the belief in the communion of Saints is. Although separated by thousands of kilometers I felt as there was no distance between us. The same Jesus Christ around whom my family gathered in Poland was at the altar where I was celebrating the Eucharist. Our Founder St Eugene de Mazenod told his first Oblates to go before the Blessed Sacrament if they felt lonely so that they could experience the closeness with Eugene and all the other Missionary Oblates. The Blessed Sacrament was the means of unity and closeness of those who were separated from each other by big distances. However I believe that the Eucharist also bridges our world and the Eternal Kingdom of the Lord where our departed are. That quiet Mass I celebrated at Midnight was “shouting” about the joy of those who are in heaven and pray for us here on Earth.

A few day ago I was watching of an Episode of “Catholicism Series”. The episode I was watching was about Jesus’ Resurrection. I love the way Fr Barron proclaims the message. It is so passionate and faith-filled. Anyway, I was watching it and reflecting on those great hopes of our life in Jesus when on my laptop I heard the sound of an incoming email. Well, instead of continuing watching the program I went to check my email box. It was a message form a cousin of mine who sent me photos from my Grandpa’s Funeral. My mind and heart were still full of images and message about the Resurrection and eternal life when I started opening files with pictures of the burial. It was the second blessing I was given. I was looking at those photos with such faith. This time the photos were “shouting” about eternal life, about communion of Saints, about communion of those on Earth and those in heaven. As I looked at the picture of my family gathered at the grave where my Dad, my Great-Grandparents and Grandpa Edward are interred my thoughts went to that summer day a few years ago when I was at home and took a picture of the family. I didn’t think about comparing them in terms who is missing but rather I thought of them as expressing the same truth that even death cannot separate those who hold fast to their faith in Jesus.

I think that it is a good way to explain what the evangelization is all about: filling people’s hearts and minds with the images and message of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, so that they could look at various situations in their daily life with hope and confidence which only Jesus can give.
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My Family after Grandpa's Funeral.
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The family a few years ago. If we belief in Jesus there is no missing person and all live in Christ in his Kingdom.
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Christmas 2013. My first Christmas with the Family after 10 years in Australia. I didn't know that it was to be the last time I saw Grandpa.
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2002: the year of my priestly ordination and the year of the Golden Jubilee of my Grandparents. They were blessed to have 61 years together.
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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

8/10/2014

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A billionaire said that he could marry only a woman who didn’t know how rich he was. Otherwise she could marry him for his money. That’s why he had a little house in a middle class suburb where he would socialize with people who didn’t know about his fortune. He said that in that little house he felt that he had friends who loved him not because of his money but because they wanted to love him, and they valued his love for them. We could say that he lived a double life or that he put on a disguise of not being a rich person.
            Do you know how many billionaires there are in the world? According to the Forbes Billionaire List there are 1645 of them. However today I want to talk about somebody who has got more than Bill Gates- the richest man on the Planet, I mean God. As the Holy Bible says: “The heavens are yours and the earth is yours” (Ps 89:11), “All that is in heavens and on the earth is yours” (1 Chr 29:11), “To God belongs earth and all it holds, the world and all who live it” (Ps 24:1). Before the Forbes Magazine started its list of the richest people the Bible had already listed God as the richest person in the whole Universe. I am not sure how long Bill Gates is going to be on the top the Forbes list but I do know that no one is going to replace God.
My Brothers and Sisters!
As you read the Holy Scriptures you discover that right until his death and Resurrection Jesus didn’t reveal himself fully as God. On the contrary even when it could be seen he would stop his disciples from telling people about that; like after the Transfiguration. That day the disciples could see his glory shining like the midday sun. But Jesus said t them: “Don’t tell anybody about that until the Son of Mas is risen from the dead.” Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus: “Making the disciples get into the boat and goon ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away.” The original text is more dynamic as it says: “Jesus forced or pushed his disciples to go ahead to the other side of the lake.” What all this haste and rush about? Because he just has fed thousands of people by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish. Everybody is getting excited about the miracle. They realize that Divine is among them. But Jesus also knows: It is the wrong reason to follow me, to believe. They look at the profit they can make from following me.
Just think how often you find yourself going to God when you need to get something from him. How often do you come to Church without thinking of asking for something but just to spend your time with Jesus?
Imagine someone going to see Bill Gates. I don’t know how pleasant he is to be socialized with, but I presume that he has got more to offer then a cheque for millions dollars. How sad his life would be if he had friends only coming to get something from him.
Sometimes I am asked why God doesn’t give us things we ask for. However my question is: “Do we believe that what he gives us is awesome, like his love for us, his forgiveness, being his children?” I go to God not because he owns so much or he can do so much and I can profit from that, but I go to God because happiness comes from having a person in my life who loves me and who values my love. That’s why I don’t look at God as a billionaire friend but rather I prefer thinking of him in the way Albini Luciani did, who is also known as Pope John Paul I, the smiling pope. His pontificate was very short only 33 days. Once he wrote this: “If God has got an office in heaven and there, in his office, there is his desk I am sure that there is my photo on the desk.”
If this believe, that you are important to God who owns the whole Universe, can’t put smile on your face nothing else is going to brighten up your days.
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The Tomb of John Paul I (Smiling Pope) in the Vatican Grottos
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80 and still going strong

8/4/2014

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PictureFr John
Last weekend we welcomed Fr John O’Doherty OMI who surrounded by many friends from Victoria celebrated his 80th Birthday. Fr John spent many years as a missionary in Indonesia and also worked for number of years in Aix en Provence in France, as an animator of retreats for Oblates coming to our Mother House where St Eugene established the first community of missionaries. Presently Fr John ministers at St Pius X Parish in SA. There was no doubt that our quite seminary became very busy with so many people turning up. As I was talking to them and taking photos it occurred to me that Fr John’s birthday party is a good response to those who feel sorry for Catholic priests for not marrying.  Fr John isn’t even stationed in Victoria but the number of people at his party was an evidence of his friendships with so many: old and young, born in Australia and newcomers alike. It was such an inspiring day to see Fr John allowing us to have an insight into his life. His big heart that treasures so many people shows us that a priest isn’t deprived of loving and being loved. I will particularly remember the days leading to his birthday when some people were coming to set up the party. Talking to them I could get how much they value having Fr John in their lives and talking to Fr John I could get that that feeling was mutual.

I think that those who still feel sorry for Catholic priests should come to Saturday celebration to see for themselves a happy, loving priest surrounded by many friends he has made over years of his ministry.
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