13 Sunday of Ordinary Time. A June 28, 2020
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
Video of 8am Mass: https://youtu.be/ft07H9ij7Cs
I want to tell you about Fr. Tim. As a child, Fr. Tim was a mystery to me; this foreign priest occasionally present at family gatherings; a quiet man with an accent. I’m not sure I ever had a conversation with him, but it was evident that he was a respected friend of my grandparents and so afforded at least a polite respect from the rest of the family. So he remains a vague part of my childhood memories. A vague, but still very important part.
You see, Fr. Tim was from Sri Lanka, where he once worked in a seminary to train men who wanted to become priests. Upon retirement, he ended up in New Orleans – I’m not sure how. Someone had given him a one-room apartment in their converted garage, but they needed the space back. My grandfather, who owns some apartments, offered him a place to stay. They – and a number of other couples – took turns bringing him out to lunch, bringing him food, getting whatever he needed.
A simple man, Fr. Tim would never need much. He prayed, he filled in for Masses around town and he was one of several priests on a list my grandparents kept – priests they’d call for some event or other: rosary rallies, processions, prayer nights and so on. Perhaps I attended some of the Masses he offered in my grandparents’ home, but I don’t recall. When he passed away, he was found on his knees by the bed. A holy priest if ever there was one. My grandfather still speaks of him with reverence, sometimes exhorting me to follow his example.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but this man’s presence in my family was a massive blessing and certainly played a role in the story that brought me to where I am now, though a hidden one. His example and prayers and simple friendship greatly nourished the faith of my grandparents. Unlike the woman in the first reading, my grandmother had plenty of children, but she also prayed fervently for a priest in the family, which was answered when God called me from my darkness. Surely that intention was known to Fr. Tim who certainly prayed and offered Masses for it.
It’s a lovely story – a tale of hospitality and faith not unlike the one we hear in the first reading, an example of what Jesus meant by his command in the Gospel today. “Whoever receives you receives me.” As a man ordained by a successor to the apostles, Fr. Tim was an agent of Jesus Christ, a sacramental connection to God himself. By receiving him into their lives with generosity, my grandparents received Christ himself as well as the abundant blessing promised to all who show kindness to the little ones – ones like an overlooked foreign priest in retirement.
And truly, every priest depends on the hospitality and generosity of God’s people – all we have we receive from the hands of the people who support the Church, whose donations provide our salary, our homes, our food. For that, I must say thank you. May God reward you! Truly, I often tell people I am spoiled by God and by his people who have given me so much. Thank you again!
More than money, however, it is the hospitality of friendship and human contact that really matters. Jesus wants his people to provide for his servants, but even more he wants them to experience the love that is conveyed in these acts of providence. Plus, as men naturally and supernaturally ordered toward fatherhood, most priests enjoy spending at least a little time with children – playing games, sharing stories, teaching them, or even just watching them in all their energy and joy. Ask a priest about his nieces and nephews and watch his face light up.
That is why one of the greatest sadnesses of the world today is the separation between priest and people. In the wake of terrible crimes, many look at priests with suspicion and many priests are wary. Even when there isn’t a quarantine in effect, there is now a tendency to keep a certain distance for fear of being perceived as too interested or, God-forbid, predatory.
This is bad for priests, but it’s also bad for the laity. Even if a priest is not as holy and worthy as Fr. Tim was, it is still a blessing upon all who show kindness to a priest. Even when the priest is only mediocre in his ministry, it is good for children to see them and, more importantly, to see their parents’ love for them. The problems of the recent past mean we should not be naïve in how we trust priests, never putting them on a pedestal above the possibility of sin and error. Indeed, trusting an abusive priest has the opposite effect on the faith of children and adults alike. But this does not mean we should cage all priests in bars of perpetual suspicion. Odd behavior should be questioned and accountability maintained but treating us all like convicted criminals is no good for anyone.
So yes, this is a homily about how important it is to show hospitality and respect to priests. Yes, this directly benefits me, but I hope you believe me when I say that’s not my motivation for preaching on it. As someone well-provided for and as a natural introvert, it’s actually not always easy for me to accept an invitation. Still, I preach it because it is what Christ teaches us today. I preach it because I really believe and have already seen that people’s kindness to me benefits them. I recall how much it changed my uncle when he cared for an elderly priest whose body was failing him in all sorts of unpleasant ways. My uncle gained for more than he gave in that time. I also know many others have real need of your kindness.
The Family Missions Company in Abbeville, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, NET ministries and many others send missionaries into communities, colleges, and foreign countries. These missionaries – not on a diocesan salary – depend on your hospitality and generosity to survive and do their work.
So, take this week to evaluate how you “receive” the prophets, priests, and little ones of Jesus Christ. Do a little research on groups that need your support and make a pledge. With respect for quarantine requirements, consider inviting priests, religious, and missionaries into your home. And whatever you can do for these servants of Christ, I say to you, you surely will not lose your reward.