I have a story to share with you. This story is shared with the same intensity and directness that you heard in the second reading. That’s when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he said words such as, “I handed something to you... you can take this to the bank because it is completely true. This is what you need to consider AND ACT ON for your salvation.”

My wife and I lived for two years in Ocala, Florida -- we started going to a church called Queen of Peace. The parish started really small -- and I’ll come back to that in a minute. By the time we started going to Queen of Peace -- there were some 4,500 or more families -- with a significant number of vibrant ministries. The ministries were all run by the laity -- with only steering and direction given by the pastor. It was a marvelous parish to belong to if you wanted to become a real Catholic -- a faithful, active, practicing and believing Catholic. Long before we joined, when the parish was getting its start -- they didn’t even have a building. I think they had about 250 families at that time -- mostly retirees who came down from the north. They met in an all purpose hall in an assembly building in a retirement-oriented, large-scale housing development.

If you happen to know the area -- that Florida development is called On Top of the World. The pastor’s name was and is Patrick J. O’Doherty.... I talked with him a couple days ago. In fact I did a recorded interview with him for a program we were doing on the internet on the subject of TRUTH. ( www.catholicvitamins.com ) Fr. Pat is fiercely truthful -- especially on matters of pro-life... marriage and the truth of God found in Holy Scripture.

One of the early gifts to the new church was a large reproduction of a scene from today’s Gospel. It was a picture of Simon and his co-workers pulling up empty nets. They had been fishing -- fishing long hours and not catching any fish.

020710 5th Sunday in OT On Humility Does that not sound like the words of Peter from tonight’s Gospel? Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing. That’s the image on the large wall hanging that Fr. O’Doherty inherited when he took over this fledgling, startup church. And meeting in a hall -- it must not have seemed much of a church to the retired people coming to fulfill their weekly obligation for Mass. Father O’Doherty used to come ahead of the time for Confessions and Masses... he would sit before that picture and he said he used to pray about his little church in Ocala: Lord -- I’m fishing and my nets are coming up empty... there isn’t much life here.. no one is joining this church... I’m like Peter who catches nothing... absolutely nothing. Imagine how that feels to a priest who is in love with Jesus and in love with the Church.

Now fade from this image of a pastor praying before the picture in the assembly hall church. This will seem like a change of subject -- but it isn’t. Fr. O’Doherty gets notified by the bishop’s office that he has to attend a mandatory retreat for the priests of the diocese. Father didn’t want to go because he wanted to be working on his new church. And in a way, to make matters worse, the retreat leader was going to be a nun. Her name was Sister Briege McKenna....who as it turns out is a world-traveled speaker and

has a great devotion to the Eucharist and to priests. Fr. O’Doherty later told us he wanted nothing to do with leaving his new parish -- and he certainly didn’t want to go to a retreat led by a nun. But in obedience -- he goes to the retreat -- he listens to a couple talks with Sister Briege McKenna. Father O’Doherty had never met the nun before, but he decides he wants to talk to her. So he arranges for a meeting with Sr. Briege... and when they get together... Sr. Briege told Father she wanted to pray over him. She lays hands on him and she sat in silence -- one hand on his head.... one on his shoulder. 020710 5th Sunday in OT On Humility.

And then Sister McKenna said to him.... I see a picture of you sitting and praying before a picture of Peter and his companions and their nets are empty. They aren’t catching any fish... I see that you are worried about your own fishing and that you aren’t catching any fish in your nets.’ I’m here to tell you to keep doing the will of God... Keep preaching Truth and proclaiming Jesus Christ... and your nets will be overflowing.’ This story happened to the priest who prayed before the picture -- telling God that he needed help... that he was a sinner and a weak or poor shepherd... and as I’ve already told you -- this Queen of Peace parish that started with something like 250 families is now 4,500 families with one of the most beautiful and traditional Catholic Churches you’ll ever see in America. It’s this parish, there are so many ministries and services that it is amazing to see it all working. They record all of Fr. O’Doherty’s homilies and they make them available as CD’s or audio tapes... they have a group that assembles St. Therese of Lisieux Sacrifice Beads and they’ve sent out over 75,000 of them throughout the United States and to many foreign countries. They have a gorgeous adoration chapel that’s open and with people present before the Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fr. O’Doherty is the first visitor from Queen of Peace to visit those in hospitals & nursing homes. I’ve gone with him on prison visits... He still goes and blesses the homes of newcomers. 

So what is the point of this story? Well - someone might take offense and suggest it’s a knock-down of our parish here? Not so. 

This parish also does good things here. Some might

want to compare Fr. O’Doherty to the priest we have here or the ones that have gone before the pastor. My answer? Not so -- we’ve had a pastor here who died several times from liver failure and he’s now faithfully saying Masses seven days a week.... he’s anointing the sick... and repairing damages of time and inattention to this parish complex. 020710 5th Sunday in OT On Humility So what is the point? There are several. One point is that there are priests who believe they are doing God a favor by being priests and saying Masses. There are laity.. people who work around the Church who believe they are doing God a favor by some ministry or other. Inside, they may think to themselves, ‘this couldn’t run without me.’ And then we have shepherds like St. Peter... or like Fr. O’Doherty who fall on their knees and say, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Humility is the difference in real leadership.

In my own preaching, I’ve told of going to Queen of Peace church and hearing Fr. O’Doherty saying ‘My name is Fr. Patrick J. O’Doherty, and I’m a recovering sinner.’ And he meant it. I’ve not heard hardly any priest or the laity share with me how much their sin weighs on them. I’ve had plenty who suggest in one way or another how large and in charge they are. On a related point, the readings today deal with three saints. They are the prophet, St. Isaiah, then Paul in the second reading – St. Paul, and then St. Peter in the gospel. There are things they hold in common. And the same things that held them in common are the same things that should hold us in common with them. Each one of them had a humungous sense of their own unworthiness – they knew that apart from God, they were nothing. We hear in the first reading Isaiah cry out “woe to me – woe to me for I am a man of unclean lips – I live amongst a people with unclean lips…" That means I am a sinner. In this day and age, I wonder how many people come to Church feeling they are sinners? Not so many would be my guess. These days, many people prefer to go to Joel Osteen type churches where they tell you everything is okay -- and God wants you to be happy and He wants to make you wealthy. This is one of the travesties of the broken family of Christianity. It’s people who want a sort of deodorized Christianity. 020710 5th Sunday in OT On Humility Some of you know that I am also a fan of Fr. Larry Richards from back in Erie, PA. I use his CD’s and videos -- and I borrow from his thoughts... About this topic area and about humility, Fr. Larry says, “You will never be a great saint, unless you know that you are a great sinner.” Let me say that again – You will never be a great saint, unless you know that you are a great sinner.

A sinner has that form of subtle pride... the kind that gets in there and robs us of salvation... because it’s the pride that said I want to do things my way... I’m darned good.” I have seen it in priests. I’ve seen it in parish staffs and volunteers. Sadly, I’ve seen it and gone to confession about it in my own life. Fr. Larry spoke about this when he said, “Let me give you a hint – God doesn’t need you and He doesn’t need me! Sometimes we think He does! God doesn’t need you or me – BUT He has called us. And when you and I come before Him and acknowledge who I am without Him – then He can do great things for me and with

me. And one of the ways that we can do this – basically – every day – throughout the day – is learn the Jesus prayer. I don’t know if you know the Jesus prayer – it is ancient and it’s been taught almost from the beginning of Christianity. The early mystics taught and said the Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ” – “Son of the Living God” – “have mercy on me” “a sinner.”

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner ” In Florida, Fr. O’Doherty’s version was simpler: “Jesus, I love you. Possess me.” He said it hundreds and hundreds of times a day. It’s hard to be proud and arrogant when you sincerely pray for

Jesus to take possession of you... So If, like me - you struggle with puffery or arrogance, remember these prayers -- or the Litany of Humility. It’s on the internet. If you can’t find it, ask me or email me and I’ll get you a copy.

We know it isn’t politically correct to judge people and circumstances these days. And yes, the strongest directive that Christ and Scripture gives us is not to judge others. These things

said, let me violate these instructions for the sake of making a teaching moment out of this column.

I can’t (won’t) go in to details or circumstances in this. Recently I was able to spend a little time with some people -- a family including three children. On the surface, this home is typical upper mid-level Americana: fenced yard, nice landscaping, good sized garage... inside there are four bedrooms, a large, mostly unused living room, a separate family room and a wonderful kitchen. There’s a large high-def television with an oft-used DVD player, a Nintendo Wii... and loads... absolutely loads of video games available through the Wii or hand-held types. The bedrooms for the kids have lots of Better Homes and Gardens appeal... colorful and stylishly decorated. The walls and shelves in various parts of

the home have loads of motivational sayings and homey-type pictures.

What was missing -- what is missing is virtually any indication of or awareness of the Lord. There is some (non-Catholic) faith- practice with this family. The kids aren’t faith-formed. They are Wii and DVD and ‘what’s-on-the TV?’ formed. If they go to a church service -- I’m understanding that it is one of the ‘fun-room’ type faith practices with maybe a little family time for songs and a closing prayer.

Now mind you -- I think there are a lot of Catholic families that have the same sort of home environment -- where church, if practiced, is something that is fully relegated to 50 minutes on Sundays. Many Catholic families search for or want the same sort of feel-good faith practice as suggested above. Here me - hear me please. These are God-less homes. The less said about God... the less God is a daily part of life... the less the word Jesus is mentioned... the less that grace before meals is said (except perhaps on Thanksgiving Day)... the more comfortable the residents will be.

In the town where we live -- most every -- and I mean virtually all non-Catholic churches were closed on Christmas Day. Imagine -- the reason for the season -- His name is the first syllable of Christian faith and the churches which proclaim this name -- the most holy name of Jesus Christ -- they remain closed on Christmas Day. Now this sounds like I’m making a direct link between the family home picture I’ve shared above -- that this is caused by non-Catholic churches. I don’t mean that at all. But I am making a case that we have God-less homes because we have become more God-less in our places of worship. Unfortunately this even happens in many of the 45 minute Sunday Mass Catholic Churches 

We have homes with no crucifixes.... no pictures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus... no pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are homes where if it happens at all -- kids are told to say their prayers by parents who don’t come in and join with them. Now if you visit our home -- you might say something like, "Gosh did you see his office? He’s got a dozen crucifixes." (Well yes, but I do collect them and have a small area of wall-display of them.) I also have pictures of the Blessed Virgin, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and some of the couples I’ve married. I’m comfortable about being around ‘love.’ And Jesus and His Mother and His crucifix are signs of love. So too are the people who are at their happiest -- in their new love just after they have been married. 

I don’t think many people would want to decorate their home or office the way I have. Yet I’ll tell you there was a time that we were a completely God-less home. God was waiting for us to open our hearts and home to Him. Once we did that He moved in. And we no longer are a God-less home. If you live in a God-less home -- and if this column invokes a desire for change -- pray about it. Start slowly. But start to invite the founder of our faith and the center of our lives into that position in your home. 

Blessings. 

Deacon Tom