My Dear Friends,

With our ongoing health crisis in mind, I have decided to write our bulletin letters for the foreseeable future. I greatly respect the wisdom of our staff members who, through the years, have shared their thoughts with you in many hundreds of bulletin letters which they have authored. However, in this time of crisis without being able to gather on Sunday morning, I’d like to share my thoughts with you as often as possible. Please note, that I will also share these same thoughts in live fashion on our website.

As I mentioned to you at the beginning of Lent, I wanted to explore the reality of fear in our lives as it is reflected in the lives of those people who populate our Lenten Gospels. The story of Lazarus, which is the gospel for the 5th Sunday in Lent, could not be more appropriate for the present time and the crisis we are living with. The story is simple and to the point. Lazarus is dying and Jesus cannot get there in time. At this very moment, people are suffering with COVID19 in our hospitals and their families cannot be at their side. Indeed, many of our families cannot be present to extended family members who might need them, but must refrain from visitation for their very safety. It is precisely in this situation that our faith is more important than ever. Nothing on earth could have raised Lazarus from death and likewise we find ourselves using all of our science and technology to save our brothers and sisters from a virus that challenges the very nature of modern medicine, but as I mentioned faith triumphs over all.

Faith in Christ by those around Him, who brought Lazarus back from the dead, was a triumphant expression of God’s mercy and healing power. Today that same faith as we experience it in and through the same Jesus Christ is our present-day hope and consolation in the midst of a difficult time. Essentially Jesus, and faith in Him, has been the salvation of the world in all of its darkest moments since God gifted us with the Christ. I am confident that medical science will triumph in the end, but for today and everyday our faith can provide us with a comfort zone and healing consolation like nothing else.

God Bless you my dear friends. My heart joins yours in prayer for the suffering of our brothers and sisters, for first responders, for nurses and doctors everywhere and for those engaged in research. We will get through this and worship together again!

 

Christ be with you,

Dear Parishioners,
 
Jesus is revealing to His disciples, and to us, the limitless possibilities of unrestricted love.  He is reminding His disciples that just when you think you have done enough in the service and well-being of others, there is yet more to do.
 
At every turn the Gospel challenges us to nurture our love for all God’s children and He reminds us that in order to be children of God we must try to apply and live the commandment to love one another as God loves us.
 
The singular phrase “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is powerful language that must cause us to look within ourselves and realize the demanding nature of being a true child of God.  Being a good Christian is easy to say, but hard to live out.  Words can come cheap, but living the Word of God can be very challenging… we are a work in progress.
 
This line in the Gospel reminds us just how hard that work is, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 
 
GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS YOU MY FRIENDS!!
 

In Christ,

The Wisemen were seekers of knowledge in a world where the physical sciences were unknown. It is easy to dismiss such seekers by thinking of them as astrologers or magicians, but that would be wrong. Much of what we call WISDOM LITERATURE in the Old Testament was written by people like them who were trying to figure out the human condition and the meaning of life.

It is strange that for all of our modern knowledge we are still trying to figure those things out. One look at the world today tells us that we have miles to go in doing just that. If we have gained so much wisdom about our world and ourselves, how is it that starvation, violence, poverty and yes - even loneliness still haunts us.

The Wisemen of scripture probably knew they would never find all the answers, but in the Christ child they saw a solution to most of the problems that plague human kind. We don’t need the wisdom that the Wisemen were seeking, but we do need the Christ that they found for in Him wisdom and grace come together. With God’s grace and the wisdom of Jesus Christ no problem is insurmountable, but as God the Father reminds us, who speaks of the Israelites in the Old Testament, our hearts must be opened to Jesus the Savior.
 

May the grace of God and the wisdom of our Lord guide us, and our parish, in the New Year… May we be a source of blessing and hope to the world!

The story of John the Baptist begins the Advent Season by calling us to repentance and preparation… for the Lord our God is near.

Those two words mean different things to different people, but each of us has an obligation to look deeply into our heart and soul and test the waters of forgiveness and reconciliation as they apply to those we love. Is our heart and soul really at peace with those around us or is there yet more work to do in terms of our relationships with others? It is very hard to prepare for the “Way of the Lord’ when there is anger and impatience within us.

The season of Advent, much like the season of Lent, gives us an opportunity to reflect on how well we are prepared to receive Christ at Christmas. Each of us is called to sanctity and make holy a season and a time which has been so secularized. How can we blame the world for using the season to “hawk” its goods while we do nothing to raise the sacred profile of Christ’s coming?

I ask each of us to walk in the footsteps of John the Baptist and prepare the “Way of the Lord” which is our duty and our responsibility, since we too are baptized into Christ just as John baptized so many at the Jordan River.

The story of John the Baptist begins the Advent Season by calling us to repentance and preparation… for the Lord our God is near.

Those two words mean different things to different people, but each of us has an obligation to look deeply into our heart and soul and test the waters of forgiveness and reconciliation as they apply to those we love. Is our heart and soul really at peace with those around us or is there yet more work to do in terms of our relationships with others? It is very hard to prepare for the “Way of the Lord’ when there is anger and impatience within us.

The season of Advent, much like the season of Lent, gives us an opportunity to reflect on how well we are prepared to receive Christ at Christmas. Each of us is called to sanctity and make holy a season and a time which has been so secularized. How can we blame the world for using the season to “hawk” its goods while we do nothing to raise the sacred profile of Christ’s coming?

I ask each of us to walk in the footsteps of John the Baptist and prepare the “Way of the Lord” which is our duty and our responsibility, since we too are baptized into Christ just as John baptized so many at the Jordan River.

Dear Parishioners,

The promise that Jesus made to the repentant thief, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” is the same promise Jesus made to each one of us. But, unlike the thief, we do not know the hour or the day so we had better be prepared by leading righteous lives. Obviously the way to do that is by living the gospel each and every day. It sounds simple, but we all know how difficult it can be.

The gospel does offer us insight—even here Jesus was having the worst day imaginable, indeed the last day of His life. The rulers and soldiers sneered and jeered at Jesus, but in the midst of all that abuse Jesus found time to embrace the repentant thief.

Sometimes we get carried away in bad language and rotten attitude because somehow life has been unfair to us. When that happens, I would remind anyone to read the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. It is instructional and enlightening about the importance of grace, dignity and patience during life’s difficult moments…a message we all need to learn over and over.

 

Dear Parishioners,

The tax collector in this story is a stand-in for us all when he acknowledges, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” A reminder that we are all sinners and how important it is for us to humble ourselves before God.

We live in a society where all too often people seek out their fifteen minutes of fame, frequently at the expense of others. Our prayer life should always emphasize humbling ourselves before God and others. When we allow our lives to be lived in service to others, we are humbled by the mere act of placing their well-being before our own.

Parents know what this is all too well when they are raising children and let them live in their own way through their own accomplishments. Proud parents stand aside and let their youngsters have their many important moments on the way to adulthood.

I have personally seen with sadness what happens when parents live through the accomplishments of their children to make up for some lost childhood achievements. The same is true in our relationships with God. All we have and covet already belongs to God. We are only temporary stakeholders in this world and an attitude of thankfulness and humility should underscore our every prayer so that we are deserving of the last line of this gospel and then we will have true treasure in heaven—all who humble themselves will be exalted.

In Christ,

Dear Parishioners,

This message is clear. The parable is well known. Simply this…be kind and generous as often as you can and never forget that there are so many of God’s children less fortunate than yourself.

I have always enjoyed the imagery put forth by the story. It is totally unambiguous. No highminded theology and no need to interpret its meaning. It exists in plain sight for all to see and it proclaims the essence of who we are as children of God… all equal in his sight. Paul’s letter to Timothy reinforces the parable by virtue of the single admonition, “pursue righteousness”.

I end my thoughts to you, my friends, as Paul ends his letter to Timothy, “To him be honor and eternal power. Amen”.

In Christ,

Dear Parishioners,

The world we occupy today puts a high premium on being first and foremost in every aspect of one’s life but, while we should strive to be the best we can in all walks of life, we must be careful not to ride rough shod over everyone around us.

Jesus gives us the formula for tempering this rush to prominence later on in the Gospel when He reminds us to humble ourselves regarding our approach to living life. He even goes so far as to say, “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Reminding us that we are all equal in the eyes of God and that humility is one of the greatest virtues.

The entire concept is a “hard sell” in our world today, but now more necessary than ever. The pressure put on our young people in particular can be devastating when it consumes people with the obsession to be number one. Rather, we should all recognize the inherent value of the great commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and humble ourselves whenever possible through acts of faith, hope and charity. This will almost certainly make us exalted in the sight of God, which in the end is all that matters.

In Remembrance of Deacon Joe Crowley

It is with great sadness that I write this letter at the loss of Deacon Joe Crowley who passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, August 8 surrounded by his family. Joe was a devoted, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.

The ministry of service through ordination is most profoundly revealed through the call to be an Ordained Deacon. Deacon Joe was ordained as a Permanent Deacon in the Diocese of Paterson in 1999. He served as Deacon in Our Lady of Consolation parish for many years and then with Annunciation Parish up until his passing. As a Permanent Deacon, he was a true Steward of the Lord and an example to others. He not only proclaimed the Gospel, but he lived the Gospel message and brought it to others through how he lived his own life with his wife, Joan, who was always by his side. Both he and Joan shared so much of their faith together. Joe was truly a servant of the Church he loved and a man of great faith.

Deacon Joe and Joan were members of Our Lady of Consolation for many years. Joe attended Mass daily and his help as Deacon was invaluable to me as Pastor. He assisted me at funerals and did many of our Baptisms. His homilies were always thoughtful and very well received as well as an insightful commentary on scripture as it related to the hearts and minds of us all. Joe’s role as Deacon expanded into the community as well and he reached out into roles at the diocesan level as his time permitted. He was involved with Hospice and worked to a great extent with developmentally disabled individuals.

Joe has excelled in all the roles he has lived and through his relationships he has served our Lord with a dignity and a true love of his faith. Deacon Joe Crowley touched the lives of many and he will be sincerely missed by those who knew and loved him. May you rest in peace great and faithful servant and may God provide comfort to Joan and the family in this most difficult loss. God Bless you, Deacon Joe, from all us… Fr. Michael and the people of Our Lady of Consolation Parish

The Gospel this weekend reminds us to consider the age old wisdom, “You can’t take it with you”. Every one of us has known someone in our lifetime that seemed to have everything they wanted only to die lonely and unhappy. God has given us everything we need to live a good life, and yet, for many people. we know what God gives is never enough.

I believe that somewhere, or somehow, early in life children should be taught the difference between needs and wants and that the difference should be reinforced by parents at every stage of a child’s development. It is no surprise that business and industry expend great resources to find out what our individual WANTS are and then pander to those wants everyday of our lives.

The internet has intensified this experience a thousand fold and by the mere click of a mouse those wants can be satisfied at any time of the day or night, anywhere in the world, whether for good or bad. Navigating such a world is increasingly difficult for so many people. The words of Jesus in the Gospel are as timely today as when He first spoke them. Perhaps the wealthy man in the Gospel was a hoarder long before anyone knew what it was.

The lesson is very clear…thank God each day for love in our lives, joy in our hearts, peaceful days and the courage to live a forgiving life and be a witness to this Gospel…

Dear Parishioners,

This is one of my favorite gospels…particularly the part about not cluttering up your life with things, useless talk and gossip. Jesus is entrusting His disciples with the precious gift of the proclamation of the good news and He wants their total attention to be focused on preaching and proclaiming to all whom they meet.

I have often commented and thought about the relevance of the gospel message to our own lives. In this present age, the word I like to use is distracted. We are so distracted by all the noise and activities that permeate our lives every day. I am sure we have often asked ourselves the question—how much of this is really necessary to what I have to do today? The answer is inevitably…not much.

What we wish for is peace and hope for ourselves and for others whom we love. This is exactly the proclamation that Jesus proclaims in the gospel, “Peace to this household.” The key for each of us is to discern the difference between our needs and our wants. We have most of what we need, much of it God given, but wants can be without end because as I often say, “The world wants to sell you stuff.”

Ultimately, our lives should be about fulfilling our needs in union with the creator and enriched through the salvation won for us by Jesus His Son.

Dear Parishioners,

We have many things to give thanks for in light of the recent celebrations that our parish has hosted and been enlightened by. The season of Easter, which really never ends, has made us all more aware of how fortunate we are to be saved from our sins and merit the Kingdom of Heaven as promised by Christ.

Furthermore, the Feast of Pentecost is a yearly reminder of the value of discipleship and continuing to build the Kingdom of God on earth. We are to know, love and serve God while we are in this world.

In addition, the Sacrament of Confirmation, so joyously conferred on our young people on Monday evening, was a sight to behold. Their enthusiasm, reverence and joy were most evident. The Bishop and all in attendance were impressed by the expression of faith that they showed.

Perhaps most important on this day is the remembrance of our fathers. We commend them to God’s mercy and we thank them for the sacrifices they have made so that we might be successful with our lives and walk with joy and happiness all of our days.

Happy Father’s Day and may the Holy Spirit continue to dwell in our hearts and in our parish…God Bless…

In Christ,

As the season of Easter draws to a close, we are once again confronted with the essence of Christ’s message to His disciples and to us. The gospel reflects His emphasis on love and peace and the perfection of these two virtues in our lives. Our ambition to do this is a lifelong pursuit of discipleship. We grow in these virtues regarding our relationship to others, those whom we love, family and friends and the stranger as well.

Jesus would have us rejoice in these things and that is the true nature and purpose of lives lived with Christ and how we journey with Him throughout our lives.

Many years ago, we were described as Easter people. It was one of those new catch phrases to come out of Vatican II and it remains a beautiful and valid expression about the core of our faith.

The Resurrection is the focal point of faith for every Christian denomination around the world. It is a powerful reminder of the unconditional love that God has for each one of us. As Easter people, we are responsible for continuing the saving work that Jesus initiated two thousand years ago.

The celebration of Easter, and all of our religious festivals throughout the year, while they are important, pale in significance to the daily saving work for which each of us is responsible. While we truly enjoy the festive nature of our feasts, the greatest work we do as Disciples of Christ is no less important and it is the work of everyday life in keeping with our discipleship.

It is my hope that Easter will be a glorious and faith filled celebration for us all, that it will also be a potent reminder, as is every Sunday, that our true nature is the lived experience of our Christian faith each and every day.

May God bless you and your family on this beautiful Easter day and may the work of the Lord be shared and lived in the vineyard of your lives.

Dear Parishioners,
  
Jesus once again reminds us, in powerful terms, of the need for repentance in our lives.  Lent is the perfect opportunity to hand over to God our worst fears and sins which keep us prisoners of the heart.  When we are burdened in this manner we turn inward, and that beauty which is part of who we are begins to fade like a candle going out and the darkness taking over.
 
In the gospel, Jesus says, “If you do not repent, you will all perish”.  While we may not physically perish, the very best parts of ourselves can begin to slip away.  How often have we had such moments in our lives when people we love have noticed that we were distant, unresponsive or angry and short tempered and we weren’t even fully aware that we had become that way?
 
It often happens gradually with the heart, mind and soul darkening and can go unnoticed until finally someone, usually someone who loves us, lets us know that we have changed.  I’m sure each of us has gone through such a long dark night of the soul at some time or another.
 
Lent offers us an opportunity to strengthen ourselves against such wrong turns in our lives.  It is God’s desire that we place the cross of salvation directly in front of us so that His unconditional love will uplift and guide us through Lent to the glory of Easter.  The cross represents the completed act of God’s saving love, but for us in the present it is the place where we may leave our anger and our sinfulness and be reborn as God’s beloved children. 
 
May all of our Lenten journeys lead us to this sacred place so as to rise in Easter glory with His Beloved Son.

Dear Parishioners,
 
Jesus tells us, “From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”  I often reflect that the human heart is the receptacle of all we are and hope to be.  So, faith, hope and love should be the primary occupants in all our hearts.  St. Paul lectured us extensively on those three gifts a few weeks ago. 
 
Jesus puts it in stark terms—you can nurture evil in the human heart and be a force for destruction in the world or you can store up goodness and build the Kingdom of God by being a disciple of Christ in the vineyard of life.  Jesus uses the anthology of a good tree that bears good fruit reminding us that the fruit we bear in the world is a tell-tale sign of the goodness we bear in our hearts.  In his many parables and teachings, Jesus highlights many of the evils in the world and the story which begins our Gospel today highlights one of the evils that he hates most hypocrisy.  It is a subtle destructive evil that we are all capable of.  We judge and condemn others without first looking within ourselves.  Jesus even uses the word with great and pointed affirmation, “you hypocrite!”.  How many of us would he say that to?  I would hope as few as possible, but the brief gospel teaching before us reminds us how easy it is to fall into the trap of being a hypocrite. 
 
Let us all reflect and pray, in these remaining days before Lent, that we rise above judgment and condemnation and rather look into our own hearts and continue to build up the store of goodness by which we would most liked to be known and remembered.

 

Dear Parishioners,
 
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus surprises His audience in the Synagogue by reminding them that all people are children of God and that God works through everyone.  The insular nature of society in Jesus’ day would have taken great offense to Jesus’ remarks in this Gospel.  These references are the first, but not the last from His public ministry that all people are called to build the “Kingdom of God” on earth.
 
Later on, there would be stories concerning the Roman Centurion, the Samaritan Woman as well as people who were judged unclean as a result of their diseases and, of course, let us not forget tax collectors and sinners.  These circumstances clearly remind us that tolerance, understanding and openness to those who are different than ourselves are still life lessons for us all.  Our world is now more diverse within the nations on earth and more instantaneously connected than ever before.  Issues such as the status of immigrants and refugees in many nations, both legal and illegal, confront us every day.  The complexities of our foreign policy are overwhelming and are continuously challenging sometimes in life and death struggles in so many nations.  As we have seen, solutions and answers do not come easily.
 
Jesus would have his work cut out for Him were He alive today, but in reality, we are His servants who must engage the world concerning all these issues and hopefully we will be mindful of the wisdom that He places before us.
 

 In Christ,

Dear Parishioners,
 
Like the Wise Men, we too are overjoyed at the Lord’s presence in our world.  The Magi saw the star at its rising and went to do Him homage.  How much more fortunate are we who see Christ in each other and have the opportunity every day to do Him homage in the ways that we love and care for each other…especially at this time of the year.
 
Christ no longer seeks gifts from us, but rather is the gift Himself from Almighty God who sent Him.  Likewise, the treasures that Christ now seeks are not the gifts of the bible stories, but instead the gifts of the human heart and, if we are as “wise” as the Wise Men, we will offer these gifts to one another as frequently as possible.
 

The Magi left the Holy Family and departed for home by another route never to see the Christ child again.  How much more fortunate are we that Christ is present to us in the Eucharist every Sunday and we have no need to depart from Him as they did.
 
Jesus will always be present to us from now unto eternity and that is the true wisdom that the Wise Men sought on their journey…

Dear Parishioners,
 
The most important phrase in the Gospel concerns the name given to the Son of Mary and Joseph, “Emmanuel, God is with us”. 
 
The incarnation is complete and the love of Almighty God is revealed in and through Jesus the Christ.  One has to wonder at how many Christians around the world, who will celebrate Christmas this year, actually understand this fundamental part of God’s plan and how many are willing to live it out each day.  All the historical celebrations of events that have gone by always point to the present and to the future and those who occupy that space and time.
 
As I mentioned in my homily remarks some weeks ago, for us every day is Christmas and Easter, as well as every feast we celebrate, because our faith is a lived experience of the past revelation of God’s love for us.  We are called upon not only to remember, but to vigorously re-imagine ourselves as true children of God.  Faith must be alive, tangible and an everyday experience of living out God’s love for us in the way we love and honor each other.

Christmas gifts are purchased—given—received—and eventually, disappear.  Our relationship with Almighty God, exemplified in the glory of the incarnation, is from everlasting to everlasting… a gift to be lived and celebrated each day.