A GOOD SAMARITAN- Plato, Prayer, and Caritas!

Pastor’s Column

SS Medford

15^thSunday in Ordinary Time

July 14, 2019

"Love the Lord with 'all you got' and your neighbor…"

This weekend we hear of one of the most famous parables (stories) that Jesus uses to teach us charity. No, not giving some of our hard-earned money away.  Rather, Caritas, the highest form of love.  Caritas is charity (love) from the depths of our hearts and built primarily on trust in God.

The Good Samaritanhelps the wounded man, despite the hardship that it cost him- delay, loss of wealth, and public disdain.  We must be bold to live the Gospel, and model ourselves after Christ:  Selflessness, inter-dependence and possessing an outward view for the common good.   We teach these values exceptionally well at our Catholic Schools. 

A friend of mine is a priest out in Wichita, Kansas.  Catholic education is free.  FREE! It came about because a priest in the early 1970s constructed a way in his parish to guarantee free Catholic education to all parishioners through tithing. Amazing!!!  To this day, all Catholic education is free, for thousands of students from pre-K through High School in the entire Diocese!

A miracle? Perhaps.  Better yet reasonable prudence half a century ago and the commitment and trust of the people.  Permit me to discuss these relevant truths or good habits over the next few weeks. Primarily we must understand prudence, for this is the first of the virtues.

Prudence is one of the four Cardinal Virtuesor habits of the good life that were developed about two and a half millennia ago through the Academy in Athens.  Imagine, 2500 years ago and 500 years before Jesus Christ.  They were given to us primarily through the work of Plato the great Greek Philosopher in his book Republic:

Prudence

Temperance

Justice

Fortitude

Cardinal means "hinge," literally everything hinges upon our application of these ethical truths.  Prudence simply says, "think before you act," or watch where you are walking (Proverbs 20:7)

Simple right!  Yet it can be so complicated if we allow it.  We must be prudent to build upon the virtues. When we grow upon the virtues or good habits for good life, then we become good.  Once we are good, then we can become holy.  Holiness leads to sainthood.  Together let us become Saints on earth and in Heaven!!!

Yours in Christ,

Father Suglia

N.B.  We have our own Catholic Regional School in Patchogue, Holy Angels.  My initial goal is twofold: to spend at least 2.5 full days there every month and to find a way to send any interested students (families) in enrolling despite any financial hardship.

INDEPENDENCE AND UNITY

INDEPENDENCE AND UNITY

Pastor’s Column

SS Medford

14^thSunday in Ordinary Time

July 7, 2019

Happy Fourth!!!

How did we get here so quickly?  If you are like me, tempest fugittime flies!  I feel like I was just scraping the ice off my car windows!

The 4^thof July is one of the preeminent and great American Holidays and holy days.  Sure, Independence Day is a holiday, but a holy day? Perhaps we could examine the controversy.  You know the one, where many became upset at the perceived lack of reverence for Christian faith at critical times during the year.  We lamented the "Happy Holidays" greeting in place of Happy Easter, for instance.  I must admit, I was one of them.

Let’s look at the etymology of the word, it’s origin:  

“The word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg 

(hālig "holy" + dæg "day"). The wordoriginally referred only to special 

religious days. In modern use, it means any particular day 

of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work or school”  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday).

Hence holiday = holy day

            Happy Holidays = Happy Holy Days

I know, it may not be that simple.  But could it be?  It is possible that every day can be unique or blessed?  Especially when we have extra time to spend on recreation with our beloved?  Something to ponder…I hope you had a restful weekend and perhaps some good fun with family, friends….whomever.

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Today’s Second Reading from Galatians:  “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” -  Saint Paul

Could I ask if you would pray for all of our service women and men, those in the armed forces and civil service- firefighters, police officers—all uniformed personnel.  Please call us or email to let us know who should be included in our bulletin every week.  

We all should celebrate our independence, but as the saying goes, freedom is not always free.  When you think of them or see them, let us try and say a quick Hail Mary or Our Father. This will help us too, in that we can become people of regular prayer.  

The Church has a fancy name for this kind of prayer- Aspirations.  For example, "Dear Lord, protect our uniformed personnel and protect especially those whom they serve.  May justice always prevail and may all who encounter those who serve to be treated with dignity, respect, and love."  Or more simply, “help those whose job is to help others”.

Many have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, going back almost 275 years now.  And many others keep up safe here at home.  We should not ignore that there is also a genuine danger to uniformed personnel as well.  We must never take for granted their service to us and therefore give them our support.

Finally, recently, I have become good friends with a young man who has just begun service in the United States Marine Corps.  He is a parishioner at my last assignment.

I met him at Church one day, and I invited him to come to Mass before boot camp for a special blessing and send off.  He came and continues to come.  His name is PFC Vincent Guidone, and he is in the picture above.

            One of the things we should do is help all of our service men and woman when they return home.  If any of you would like to meet me, a fellow veteran, please call to schedule an appointment.  I think the Holy Spirit can do wonders as we make difficult transitions or are dealing with crises in our lives.  Please call us or email to let us know who should be included in our bulletin every week. 

Finally, let us pray for unity in our great nation.  Our country was founded and prospered when our government has forged Great Compromises.  We need to find a way to be welcoming yet also safe and secure.  Let us pray for all refugees, those who regardless of the situation, find themselves separated from loved ones.  Let us find a way to become genuinely a united country!  Hope springs eternal!

Lord, may we never boast, as Saint Paul teaches us, except in the cross of Christ. May we bear our crosses willingly, knowing they draw us nearer to you.  May we always seek justice and never lose sight that absolute truth and justice resides solely in your kingdom.  Through the intercession of Saint Sylvester, we make our prayer, guided by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

Yours in Christ,

Father Suglia

What a gracious welcome I received last weekend from all of you whom I encountered, my first as your pastor!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I am truly blessed to be a member of the great parish community of Saint Sylvester in Medford!!!  I am the luckiest priest on all of Long Island to be able to say that I am your pastor! Thank you to Fran, Tracey, Lori and Mike, as well as all the volunteers who made the hospitality after the 5pm and 11am Masses possible. 

Last week I thanked Father Tom Coby for his welcome, hospitality and preparing me for what awaited me here (all good).  Additionally, I would like to say what a great staff we have! I was able to meet all of them, both individually and as a group during May and June as I prepared to come to assume the role of pastor for this great parish.  Thanks especially to Fran, Justin, Tracey, Joanne, Estelle, Mike, Theresa, Lori for your welcome and “coaching”.  

Finally, how lucky we are to have three great Deacons: Deacon Joe, Deacon Frank and Deacon George who happily have been showing me the “ropes”.  

DAS+

Underway!

Pastor’s Column

Parish of Saint Sylvester

Medford, New York

Sunday, June 30, 2019

13^thSunday of Ordinary Time

S.S…St. Sylvester….Here we go!

Dear friends in Christ,

The LORD said to Elijah:

"You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,

as a prophet to succeed you."

I grew up on Long Island, down in Southwestern Nassau County in a little community called The Five Towns.  We spent lots of warm Spring and Summer days down at  Atlantic Beach.  There you could see many ships and recreational boats navigating in the Atlantic Ocean with New York's Harbor on the Horizon.

It ”goes without saying” that Long Island has a large recreational fishing community (and commercial one at that, too). I have some "zealous" friends that fish quite a bit.  I am always grateful for some fresh Tuna, Striped Bass, or Fluke when my buddies bring it home.

For me as a kid it was fishing off the surf in Atlantic Beach, or into Reynolds Channel off the jetty.  Although I do not possess the resources nor time to commit to off-shore angling like my "buddies," I still get excited thinking about fishing from time to time.

First Striper, Off of Fire Island NY, 

On SPECIAL Ks

December 2018

This is what is so exciting about fishing, that unseen reality of what lives underneath the sea.  Perhaps also the adrenaline rush when you have a fish on the line and then the catching of something (so long as it is not a crab).   

The Church is like a ship.  This seaward image is meant to tempt our minds to recall Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, the former Carpenter now a holy passenger with the first disciples, yes fisherman!

Jesus says, “Follow Me, I will make you fishers…” in the Gospel.  What does this mean? May I propose a thought or two about His mission call?

The follow him part is easily absorbed by our minds, but not so easy at times to follow with our total being (our souls). However, if we attempt to distill the Gospel down to one thought, it could be this: MERCY (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel).  

It has been said that regardless of what we do or do not do, God’s love for us can never change.  He created us, knitted us in our Mother’s wombs, and loves us into existence.  He seeks solely that we yearn to live with him forever in Heaven.  Complete selflessness. 

Secondly, Jesus gives us some pretty good guidance for living:

Treat others as you wish to be treated. 

Love them as I have loved you.

And then,

Turn the other cheek.

Again, some of these precepts are easy, others not so much.

But the becoming fisherman part should be pretty clear.  We are called to know him and love Him….and teach others to do the same.  We do as much through:

Random acts of kindness

Supporting charitable endeavors

Serving others, especially the poor and marginalized.

And many other ways and works of virtue.

Here we are, we begin again.  From our First Reading today, the Lord called Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor.  Today I am called to succeed Father Tom Coby as your new Pastor.  I would never characterize myself as a "prophet." Preferably instead, as "Just a simple worker in the vineyard of the Lord" (Pope Benedict during his Election to the Pontificate, April 19,2005).

The Parish of Saint Sylvester is a ship in the fleet of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.  Let us begin this journey, one which the Lord God has given us. A voyage where we are asked to encounter Christ in each other, vectoring our lives through sacred work towards the eternal kingdom of Heaven.

We begin again.  "The S.S. Saint Sylvester" is underway.  Let us guide each other to become Saints!!!

Yours in Christ,

Father Suglia (soo-LEE-ya)

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Words cannot adequately express how happy I am to be your new Pastor!   In the coming days, weeks, months, and years ahead, I look forward to meeting all of you and together, forging a bond in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I have to say that I do not know much about Saint Sylvester's…..except that there is a strong legacy of pastors and priests who have served the community in Medford these last years.  A word of great gratitude to Father Tom Coby for his gracious hospitality to me upon my appointment and since in helping me to make the transition here.

Memorial Day: Iwo Jima Marines and Sailors find Sanctity

Reuters

Prince: The Latest Casualty of Secular Relativism

https://ronemyhoustonmajic.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/prince.jpg

The title of Toure’s Op-Ed piece in the NY Times on Sunday, April 24, was  Prince's Holy Lust.  Toure, who authored a biography on Prince, opined about the worthiness of Prince’s “religious expression”.  Toure’ defines this as "Oversexed Christianity", and in a positive way.  The Dictatorship of Relativism and radical secularism are at work here.

A quick glance at the lyrics Prince penned do reveal his imaginative “soul searching”. Perhaps they also reveal his soul searching for a way to cope with a materially overcharged world where hazards are mostly emotional hurdles that can be overcome.

Prince hardly broke new ground there, was unoriginal and seemed confused.  Hedonism and Epicureanism were in use by him as dominant themes and they pre-date Christ. These philosophies are at odds with Christianity because of their focus on the self and pleasure as the supreme good and a careless ethic towards life itself.  Remember any philosophy at its core is essentially a search for authentic truth.  

The reality is that Prince’s death is eerily similar to too many pop-stars who died in or near their prime.  When will it stop and what are we doing to help abet the many nameless young people who succumb to death in much the same manner, whether by suicide or overdose or both?  What philosophies are our teens and twenty-somethings following?  Are they being misled by the lies of materialistic individualism which is so prevalent in American culture?  Is "Holy Lust" now the religion that, in Karl Marx's terms, has become the opiate of the masses?

And then there is Prince's estate and the unfortunate and  mysterious circumstances of his death. Rumors swirl about his legacy and what he has or has not "passed on".

In reality, this will generate a very high, albeit postmortem spike in popularity.  Profits will stream in via "rag-tag" journalism.  The true beneficiaries of his legacy may be music industry executives and estate attorneys.  Will they become inebriated by the financial windfalls that they reap?  Is this the resurrection that Prince imagined?  A legacy of corporate profit and income for the same record company executives he once despised so much so that he changed his name to a symbol?

Where he died is equally tragic.  He drew his last breath on an elevator going up to the bedroom suite in his mansion.  One need not speculate exactly what had happened in the immediacy before he lost consciousness, except to say that his last act was to “punch a higher floor”.

This, ironically can be found in the Prologue to Let's Go Crazy.  We hear Prince's voice asking us to "do" this when we are in despair.  Akin to a Eulogy, and an eerie one at that, the song begins:

And if the elevator tries to bring you down
Go crazy, punch a higher floor

Later in the song we hear- (lyrics)
 “Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down? Oh no, let's go....CRAZY"

Rather then, let us not.

Let's get sane and begin to find a solution for the plague of adolescent and post adolescent mortality, in many cases driven by depression, illicit (and licit) drug abuse and alcoholism.

Prince Rogers Nelson, Requiet en Pacem!

DAS+

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