Sometimes “religion” and believing in God can have a rather spotty start up. Or maybe there was little religion taught when you were young. Each person is left on their own to formulating their own philosophy of life. So where does one go to have a discussion about God and the purpose of life? It’s not something you bring up at a party or a family gathering.

Isn’t there a place where I can ask questions and give my thoughts about a topic that concerns everyone? Someplace safe where I’m with other people who have the same questions and are seeking answers just like me? Yes there is!

There’s something happening this Fall at Holy Trinity Parish that may be a help to you.

There will be a gathering of adults who want to talk about finding God in their life. These are not particularly “religious types”, just regular people who want to make some sense of their lives and see where God may be found. Let’s call them “searchers”.

Each Sunday at 12 noon we gather for one hour. Fr. Tim or Fr. John will speak on a particular topic for about 15 minutes. Topics like: Can we know God? Did God create us? Do I have a purpose in life? Who is Jesus Christ? What do Catholics believe?

It’s a lively discussion with no indoctrination. Our job is to share with you what the Catholic Church teaches and the solid reasons behind it. Over the Fall and Winter we will examine many of the spiritual gifts and teachings of the Church.

Over time, some discover a desire to join us in our community of Faith. This happens on Easter Sunday when members of the group are baptized or receive Holy Communion for the first time.

Would you like to join us? I promise you’ll meet some wonderful people who, like yourself, just want to make some sense of this life on earth. There will be no secret attempt to “get you to be Catholic”. But I’m confident you will be touched by what you learn.

So give it some thought. Talk it over with a friend or loved one (bring them along if you like!)

Mary Kramer is our Co-Ordinator for the “Searchers Group”. (Also called the RCIA   Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Give her a call at (585) 943-0372 or email: mary.kramer@dor.org OR – – JUST SHOW UP!!

We start Sunday, September 25 at 12 noon. Join us in church. We’ll guide you from there.

Hope to see you. God bless you always.

Fr. Tim Horan, Pastor, Holy Trinity Church

PS Please share this with someone you know who may be searching.

If you’re over 50, you were brought up with a pretty clear idea about sin. Quite simply, it was doing something “bad”. Lying, cheating, stealing, lusting . . . are the first things that come to mind. And when we did any of these things, we pictured a “black mark” on our soul; some dirt or mud that covered our former innocence. To this day I don’t think that’s a bad start (at least for children) in realizing the damage sin causes.

But let’s go deeper. What IS sin? Does it exist? Can you hold it in your hand? The answer is “not quite like that”. It exists in a negative way. Let me explain.

Evil (another name for sin) can only be detected in the presence of Goodness. Think of the bright sunlight that falls on your apple tree. Both the sunlight and the tree have their proper being and purpose. There is a positive “good” to them. But there on the ground, is a shadow.

The shadow only exists because of your lovely tree. The most that can be said about shadows is that they lack sunlight! Shine a light on them and they disappear! Theologians say sin/evil is a “privation”, a “lack of being”. Something is wrong, only in light of what’s true. That’s why the devil is called the Father of Lies.

Many other images help us picture the negative nature of evil. Rust holes on your car’s fender, a vacuum that sucks up oxygen, a hole in a perfectly good pair of socks!

So what does sin lack? That’s simple . . . goodness. Another way to put it, sin lacks love. And what is the source of all love? God. And so, finally, we can come to an adult understanding of sin as “that which offends against God who is love.”

You can see now why the 10 Commandments are couched in negative terms, “Thou shalt not”. In other words . . . refrain from doing what is lacking in love.

And that’s why “confessing our sins” is not a matter of finding the times when we “broke the rules”. It’s recognizing when we have injured goodness as it exists in truth.

What does Jesus tell us about sin? Without abandoning “the shalt not” of the commandments, Jesus gives us a new law based on the positive. “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34.

So two things are at work here: refrain from doing evil, but also to DO good. A good check on ourselves and our actions is to ask the question, “What would love do?” St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is a reminder of what love DOES. (1 Corinthians 13).

Lastly, in going to confession, certainly there are things that we have done that are “bad” and for these we are sorry. But let’s begin to see these sins as lacking what love wants us to do. And in seeking to love as Christ has loved us - – – we grow in our union with God.

Lord, show us the way to your Peace.

Fr. Tim

One of the first prayers we learn as children is the Hail Mary. It’s a simple praise of the Blessed Mother and a request for her prayers. Did you ever wonder where the prayer came from?

The first part comes from the Gospel of Luke where the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary to invite her co-operation with God’s plan in sending His Son into the world through her. “Hail Mary full of grace”, he says, “Blessed are you among women . . .” The second part, also in Luke, is Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary as the expectant mothers meet in Mary’s visitation. “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

This prayer is on the lips of young children as they go to sleep at night and years later in the final breaths of those about to die – – – “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” In their visits to the hospital, priests come upon people barely conscious who haven’t spoken for hours. Simply bending close to their ear the priest whispers, “Hail Mary full of grace . . . “ and with that the patient begins to mouth the words of this holy prayer. Next stop, heaven!

But there’s more to Mary than her prayer. In Jesus’s last words before he died he gave his mother to us as our mother. To John and Mary at the cross Jesus said, “Woman, there is your son. There is your mother.”

But what does this mean, “your mother”? I guess it’s for each of us to search our hearts for what “mother” means. On a natural level it means someone who gives us birth. Someone who gave us every cell in our body. Someone who watches our first steps and rejoices as we grow into maturity. And perhaps most comforting, someone who loves us as her very own child.

Each day the Church urges us to turn to Mary – – the real person who gave birth to Jesus; the woman who has us as her children. – – turn to her for her encouragement and prayers. She’s real.

Sometimes in the spiritual life we feel confronted by the big and imposing figures of God the Father and Jesus, the Son of God. (I’m speaking psychologically now). They “reign in heaven”, “They will come to judge the living and the dead.” Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords. ”It can be intimidating.

Not with Mary. She’s not there to judge. She’s there to nourish, to comfort, and to gently point the way to Jesus. She wants nothing more than for her children to find their happiness and, as a mother, she knows this can only occur when we love and follow her first born son.

Mary doesn’t take away the challenge of following Christ. (She herself bore this at the foot of the cross.) What she provides is a little shade on the journey with Christ; a little space to gather ourselves under her veil of womanly grace. Once renewed, we begin again.

So if praying to God the Father and Jesus is a little scary sometimes, if you feel “They’ll only be disappointed in me”. Talk to Mary. She knows you. She’s your mother. Something like:

“Oh Mary. I know God loves me but I just can’t face him right now. Please tell your Son I love him and I’m sorry for being so weak. Take my case to God, tell God I’ll try again. Right now I need your loving way with me, not your judgement. And please help my spouse/child/friend who’s just as weak as me.”

Dear Mary. Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Fr. Tim

I mentioned to you several months ago that the church and sanctuary renewal is not done yet. So I thought it was time to update you on the plans going forward.

First off, we need to renew the large sanctuary floor. There had been talk of wood flooring with only accent carpeting near the altar. Various reasons (noisy footsteps) have led to the decision to carpet all steps and floor. We’ll be picking the color and fabric soon.

Next. There have been more than a few people who have commented about Mary and Joseph’s statues. The old stencil behind the statues (added @ 1940) were recolored with the new pallet. As handsome as it is, it proves to be too strong and obscures the figure of Mary and Joseph. A new design by Swietek is in the works and will be reviewed by the consulting committee when it is ready.

Lastly, we are looking into some interior accent lighting for the church walls and into the nave ceiling. You may have noticed that during the day sunlight fills the church through the stained glass windows. At sunset this light source goes away. The lighting in the ceiling is all pointing down leaving the walls in shadow.

Rambusch, Inc. (they refitted all our lights to LED about 6 years ago) are proposing three or four sconces to illumine the walls and several uplights into the loft of the blue ceiling. This will brighten the church after sunset.

Just a word about the design teams that are working on these new additions. The carpeting is the work of Bero Architecture, Inc. They specialize in restoring and renewing historic buildings and have a great sensitivity about color and how it should compliment the space. (They did the building design and color scheme of our new Trinity Hall).

The church painting design was created by Swietek Inc. They are a firm out of Buffalo which specializes in renovating church interiors. (I’ve worked with them on 3 projects prior to Holy Trinity.)

I mention these two to let you know how important it is to deal with professionals skilled in their craft. I am very confident in both these firms.

Of course, their ideas have to fit the spirit of Holy Trinity. This is where the Consult Committee (parishioners chosen for their appreciation of interior design and color) weighs in on the proposals and changes them if we feel it necessary.

You have been most gracious in this whole process of renewing our worship space. Many times when change occurs, people get anxious and frustrated. I know the new interior is not perfect and to everyone’s preference. (The above additions are meant to address some of your comments). But overall, you have been remarkable in keeping a positive attitude toward the renovation.

I hope we can have the whole project completed by Thanksgiving. But as Fr. John says, “We plan. God laughs.”

Thank you again for your comments and support. They will help us give proper honor and worship to the Lord.

Summer’s been great!

Fr. Tim

Theology is described as “Faith seeking understanding.” That means Faith comes first – – in the form of trust in what has been revealed. But then equally important, is the search for “a reason” for this trust. My reason won’t allow me to believe in something absurd.

So theology, trusting the Church which states that Faith and reason cannot contradict one another, has found good reasons for our belief. There we find in writing some of the “fundamental principles” that help explain the Christian Faith.

Let’s look at one of these defining principles . . . . Freedom. What is it exactly?

For a twelve-year-old, freedom means “staying up late because there’s no school tomorrow!” Or . . . summer vacation starts this Friday! Or . . . no homework. For a child, freedom means “not having to do something”. In fact, we all have this initial experience of being “set free”.

On closer look, however, things go much deeper. Human freedom is what sets us apart from everything else in creation. Think of it. Every creature you see, whether (as we used to say) animal, vegetable, or mineral, is harnessed to a natural order which totally determines what it becomes.

The flowers in spring, the geese flying south in a wing, that stone at the end of your driveway, are all part of a natural order. This “order of nature” requires flower, goose, and stone to be in a particular, predetermined way in order for them to be what they are. (Beware! The goose that stops by your kitchen to have coffee with you is really not a goose!).

The human being, however, is a different kind of creature. We are set in “openness” to becoming.

That means we are free to construct our own story as a “person”. Our freedom is not “freedom from” but “freedom for”. Our daily choices and habits add up over time. We become “truth tellers” or “generous” or “patient” or “forgiving”.

Or, equally possible, we can become “liars”, “greedy”, “unforgiving”, etc. It’s up to us. We’re free. This is the wonderful dignity of the human being as created by God. God has made us co-creators of ourselves. Our actions put into history who we are. We “become”. And because it was done in freedom . . . we become “responsible for it”.

Why would God do this? Why would He wait for our response without forcing us to do His will? Because that’s how love works. It can only exist in Freedom.

Some people don’t like this. It’s too heavy. “I just wanna be. Go with the flow. Chill out. I can spend my life anyway I want. I’m free.”

Our human nature, as created by God, has a purpose. It is to share in His nature! God created us to have His love as our meaning. Like a fine crystal goblet, we can hold the sacred wine of God’s life. But here’s the kicker. We are free. We can accept this gift . . . or not.

God revealed it in Sacred Scripture. What does the bible tell us about ourselves?

• 1. We are made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis).
• 2. We are God’s children. “What we shall become . . . when Christ appears (the Day of the Resurrection) . . . we shall become like him, because we shall see him as he really is.” 1 John3: 1-3
• 3. Ireneaus said it centuries ago, “the glory of man is to see God.”

So what are we to do with our freedom? Simple. Love God with all our heart. And love our neighbor as Christ has loved us.

Let’s get to work!

Fr. Tim

We seem to have developed a renewed love and fascination for dogs over the past few years. Certainly you’ve seen the television ads where the family dog sits with everybody on the couch watching TV. Or, the adorable puppy that cuddles with its owner and plays with the children on the carpet. Our hearts are touched.

But did you know that millions of dogs run wild in this world? They gather in packs to raid livestock and threaten humans when approached. They’re called “feral” or wild dogs. There are no rules in their pack food and breeding are what drives a feral dog. You wouldn’t want one on your couch.

What makes them wild? They lack a master. Someone to teach them to live with humans. Someone to demand certain behaviors that make them loving pets for owner and children. And when trained, they experience a dogs life that is the envy of any wild dog.

Got the picture?

It’s a bit of a stretch I know, but the same thing applies to us humans. St. Paul says we have a master. It is the Lord. We were created by God unlike any other creature. We weren’t made to sit on His lap, or lick His face; no, ours is a far greater privilege   we were made to be God’s children. To live in His Kingdom. To love and be loved as Persons. Through Christ’s humanity we now actually share in God’s divinity.

But here’s the rub. We have to have a Master.

Someone to show us the way. Someone who becomes a rule for our life. Without that we become feral.

Many will say, “We have our science and technology to improve our life. We have our reason to solve problems. We have the rule of law to govern us. We are our own master.” Yes, but WHO created us with these powers? And is there no one to whom we are responsible for how we use them?

Our brilliance learned to split the atom. Yes, and now there is a source of unlimited power. But this same knowledge enabled us to make the atom bomb. Human genius invented the combustion engine (Yay!) and now we have global warming (boo!). We have unlocked the human genome and now we have the power to clone human life. Who is our master? No one. We become “intelligent animals”. Feral humans.

Please don’t think I disparage the amazing advancement science and civilization have made in human history. (Psalm 8 says it so beautifully, “What are humans that you care for them. . . . yet you have made them little less than a god. You have given them rule over the works of your hands. Put all things under their feet.”)

This is all great news about us humans    so long as we recognize God as our Master. And what kind of Master is our God? Some stern and joyless King? Some faceless power that set the laws of nature and now sits back to judge?

No. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He died that we might know God’s love for us. And once we know the love of God . . . we can bend our knee and cry out . . . “My Master!”

Bless you. Child of God.

Fr. Tim

This gets a little complicated. Stay with me.

Who are you? This is a question that has many layers.

One level is simple. For example, I’m the child of Philip and Rosemary. I am a Catholic priest, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, etc. The next level might get into one’s personality. (I’m an extravert, I like to talk. I enjoy golf and reading, music, and kidding around with Fr. John).

Going deeper someone might reveal their likes and dislikes (are you a Bills fan? Like to travel? Love your time alone?); deeper still, you could share your hopes and dreams for life. Lastly, one must share what they love and why.

Certainly we don’t go there when some stranger asks the innocent question, “who are you?”. These deeper levels of our personality we keep to ourselves or share only with those closest to us.

But there is another level of “who we are”. It’s who we THINK we are. And here is where we can develop a “False Self”. You see we all live in the world. We are affected by what we see around us. The culture in which we live has certain messages about what constitutes beauty, success, happiness, etc. And we are prey to this message. We want to be loved, admired and accepted.

So over time, we unconsciously develop an image of ourselves that tries to fit people’s expectations of success, beauty, etc. We all do it! It’s a hunger for acceptance and love from the very culture that can’t give us what we really need. (How many teenagers have been devastated by the mean comments from trollers on social media? How they look, what people are saying about them, etc.) We’re looking for an acceptance of who we are by creating a persona or mask we hope will satisfy.

Thomas Merton writes, “Alienation begins when culture divides me against myself, puts a mask on me, gives me a role I may or may not want to play. Alienation is complete when I become completely identified with my mask.” Literary Essays of Thomas Merton.

“This “mask person” is a person who cannot exist, because God doesn’t know anything about him.”

So who are you really? Merton goes on, “There is a paradox that lies in the very heart of human existence. It must be understood before any lasting happiness is possible in the soul of a man or woman. Man’s nature by itself can do little to solve our deepest questioning . . . because in the concrete order of things God gave man a nature that was ordered to a supernatural life. We are created with a soul to be perfected by Him in a way infinitely beyond human powers. We were never destined in God’s plan for a purely natural happiness.” The Seven Story Mountain (Merton).

Bless You.

Fr. Tim

“His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned.” Mt. 9:36. This happened while Jesus was making his way through many towns and villages. He saw people with no direction, no plans for life, and no one to show them a better way.

Ever feel that way? With a little wisdom and age there comes a way of seeing life that eluded us when we were younger. All the bright and shiny things we thought would bring us happiness, all the places “we just had to be”, the things we just had to experience . . . we see them now for what they were   – – – passing fashion, temporary amusement.

Fun and fashion are perfectly acceptable if we see them in their proper perspective. But they are NOT the meaning we all hunger for. They are NOT the key that unlocks a world of happiness and fulfillment.

Seeing this was the cause of Jesus’s sorrow. He saw people placing their hopes in things that disappoint and there being no one to show them a better way (sheep without a shepherd). So, “moved with pity”, Jesus instructs us to pray that God will send workers into the vineyard. “The harvest is rich but laborers are few, so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for the harvest .”

Most times this prayer was seen as asking God for more priests and sisters (professional religious). Everyday people saw themselves as part of the harvest. We waited for the priest to “come and get us”.

That thinking greatly limits the power of Christ’s message. St. Paul says it clearly  we are ALL “Ambassadors of Christ . . . entrusting to us the message of reconciliation, as if God were appealing through us.” 2 Cor. 5:20.

YOU are a laborer in the Lord’s Vineyard!

• Parents. It is your duty and privilege to shepherd your children. You show them what brings goodness. You train them to avoid darkness and evil. You are a beacon of Faith in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom to come.
• Grandparents. You are that “safe place” for children when their parents have temporarily lost their voice or their patience. You are Christ’s voice for them.
• Teenagers. Your gift of Faith gives you the eyes to see the world in a deeper way than many of your classmates. Help them discover that Faith in God opens our eyes to see “God’s way” and seeing life like that we have Hope. When it’s appropriate, tell your friends, “I’ll say a prayer for you.”
• Employees. Bring your Faith to work by how you treat coworkers, how you protect the work environment, (keep from gossip, honesty with superiors, diligence and patience with others). Keep a little crucifix or holy picture on the desk if you’re allowed.
• Young adults. Don’t be afraid to express your belief in God and in God’s way, even when it’s unpopular. Be ready to explain WHY you believe.
• Tell people in your own words what feeds your spirit, what gives you strength and hope. They’re looking for what you’ve found. God will give you the words to speak about your Faith.

God is full of surprises. Conversations and encounters you never dreamed could happen can occur at the oddest times. Be open to God using you. Be yourself.

Beautiful Summer days we’re having.

Fr. Tim

They asked a famous concert pianist about their practice habits. “Do you ever miss a day practicing?” His answer was interesting: “If I miss a day, no one notices. If I miss two days, I notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices.” The point is: every day matters if you want to keep or increase a talent or skill.

Why? Because everything in life is fluid and changing. If you’re not feeding, strengthening, watching over the house, the garden, your finances, your children, your job, your marriage, your Faith, . . . it diminishes. Nothing stays the same.

The dark auburn hair you had in your twenties is turning grey or leaving all together. The physique you had on the swim team has “matured”. The Spanish you spoke pretty well in high school, and haven’t used, has gone away. Your garden hasn’t been weeded since last June and it’s a mess. Thank heaven you can still ride a bike! (That will go away someday too.)

What are we getting at here? Simply put: if you don’t use it, you lose it. Why? Because things tend to fall apart. That’s just the way it is.

So, if you have something important to you, take care of it.

This applies to our spiritual lives (our life of Faith). We are given this gift at Baptism. It is nourished in the weekly Eucharist and practiced in acts of kindness to others. Or not.

And that’s the point. Faith can weaken unless it is practiced. I’d like a nickel for every time someone has told me, “You know I was an altar server when I was a kid.” Or, “I made my First Communion right here in this church.” Or, “I still have my child’s prayerbook.”

But, they haven’t seen a church in years. Somehow they think the Faith they practiced as children can deal with the complex problems we face as adults.

St. Paul said it well, “ When I was a child, I thought as a child, reasoned as a child, spoke as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1Cor:13. Childish things had served their purpose    to launch our life of Faith. But now it must be tended and deepened to properly direct us when so many voices call out to us.

Hospital visits often reveal how people can be stuck in a Faith that can no longer deal with life’s circumstances. For example: a doctor has just delivered the frightening news – - “The cancer has reached stage 4. We’ll do everything we can but there is no guarantee.”

What do you do? God’s been off the radar for some years now. Praying seems awkward and somewhat pointless. There’s a feeling like you missed your flight   the ramp is closed and the pilot (God) and the plane have left the terminal. We begin to pray to an unknown God: “God, wherever you are . . . remember me? Once upon a time I was an altar server. Help me!!” Or worse – – - “God how could you do this to me?”

God will help, of course. (“Not a sparrow falls from the sky that is not known by your heavenly Father.” Matt. 10:29) But it’s not the way He wanted it to go down. You see, God wants to journey with us in trust and friendship throughout our life. So that moments like that in the hospital or other times of simple joys or trials would be the ”stuff” we share daily with the Lord.

Because God loves you. “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and they know me.” John 10:11.

See you in Church.

Fr. Tim

The older I get the more interested I am in what moves people to want what they want. What is it that resonates in a person that makes them want to spend their time and money on some object or activity?

It starts with our appetites. Certain things are built into us that create a readiness for something that appeals to the senses or the imagination. Most things come to us this way. Smelling bacon in the morning starts a wonderful process called breakfast.

Other things appeal to our higher senses. Telling the truth. Being faithful, courageous, or generous. These things have True Value as do. . . people, family, faith, country.

Now there’s a problem. Sometimes the “lower senses” of our physical nature can overpower our higher sensibili- ties. (try being patient when you haven’t eaten all day!). Other appetites insist we possess certain things: a new cell phone, laptop, puppy, vacation spot, etc. These can have a certain urgency that creates a “want” before we realize it. So let’s look at Wanting.

What’s wrong with wanting something? Nothing at all. It’s how God made us. The problem comes when “wanting” is for something I “don’t need” or “Shouldn’t have”. This can cause a real tussle. “But I WAAAANT IT!”, we cried as children (as our parents wisely hid the candy, or ordered the TV turned off). And thus began the life long struggle to achieve the proper balance between need and want.

As a priest I get a bird’s eye view of this struggle when hearing confessions. People come to confess their sins. Most often sin starts by “wanting” something that is contrary to what is right and good.

This wanting is VERY powerful; eventually it can outweigh the attraction to the higher good. The good loses its appeal. We fall prey to a desire that takes us away from who (in our right mind) we really want to be.

So how can we stop wanting what is bad for us? It comes in finding something I want more. Something in us has to be bigger than the powerful desires for booze, sex, prestige, beauty, popularity, etc.

The problem is at the feeling level. I can know an ideal is good but not FEEL it. But with, say, pornography . . . your brain knows it’s sinful but there’s a powerful wanting at the feeling level.

What can give us, not just the knowledge about what is right, but the felt “wanting” to do it?

The answer, of course, is love. Love in the form of “loyalty”. Think for a moment of those people who are privileged to have your love and loyalty . . . your spouse, your children, your best friend. Think how many times you walked away from something you really wanted because of your love for them. In most cases it wasn’t even close! (Her need for braces far outweighed your wanting that vacation trip).

Finally . . . God wants to be in that same privileged place as your daughter or friend. He wants us to walk away from some of our wants because of our love for Him. Jesus did this very thing in the garden. “Father please. Take this away…but not what I want…help me to want what YOU want.”

It’s a grace from God to want what He wants. Ask for it. His will for us is our peace.

Fr. Tim