(Please enjoy this previous article by Fr. Tim, first published here May 23, 2015)

One of my favorite lines from sacred scripture comes to us in the Acts of the Apostles (17:28). “For in Him, we live and move and have our being.” St. Paul is quoting from one of the ancient Greek poets about the God from whom we come but cannot see. He uses the words, “grope for”, in describing man’s efforts to know the “Unknown God”.

What Paul is struggling to describe is the subtle way God reveals Himself to us. The image is almost like a fish in water. Like that water, God is all around us. He holds us up. Wherever we go, he is there. We breathe him in. We live in him and he lives in us.

But, how do we see God or feel him if he is all around us like water or air? This is where we need help. We need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes of faith. We need the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the quickening of love (“Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7)

St. John in his first letter tells us, “No one has ever seen God.” So, then how will we come to know him by the Holy Spirit? Lacking physical evidence we turn to “Signs of the presence of God”. Scripture again points us in the right direction by giving us signs to look for. They are called the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit.

The Gifts are generally intellectual and spiritual abilities helping us apply the teachings of Christ to everyday life. The Fruits are generally observable states of goodness that have as their source the presence of God.

They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faith, gentleness and chastity.

To each of these I’ll highlight some human moment that gives us a sign of the Holy Spirit.

Love. Any act that places the wellbeing of the loved one before oneself. “Love does not seek its own”. 1 Cor. 13.

Joy. That deep happiness that comes, when in spite of hardships, you’ve “done the right thing”.

Peace. When someone has devoted themselves to reconciling with someone who is estranged. Conversely, to be won over by the loving concern of a “Peacemaker”.

Patience. Your child/spouse/friend disappoints you for the hundredth time. You smile and assure them things will be right someday.

Kindness. So simple; pure goodness for its own sake. Speaks for itself.

Generosity. Giving more than is necessary . . . because you want their happiness.

Faith. Knowing God loves all of us, and as a result, “All will be well.”

Gentleness. A largeness of spirit that can afford a kind word in the face of harshness. Large like God is large.

Chastity. Honoring another person in their body. Requiring sexual desire to serve its Godly purpose (the gift of children and the bond of love) because that is what true love demands.

Here’s hoping you’ve caught a glimpse of the Holy Spirit in your life!! A blessed Pentecost!

Fr. Tim

(Please enjoy this previous article by Fr. Tim, first published here February 7, 2016)

I want to try to share with you a bit of unfailing advice that was given to me some years ago by a holy and beloved priest friend. Like any truly helpful bit of wisdom it’s very simple . . . God’s will is straight ahead.

Let me explain.

There’s something in the way we live our lives that makes us feel like we’re in charge. That’s one of the pleasures of a Saturday morning; free from our jobs, we can pick and choose what our day will be. “I’m in charge. This is my life.”

There’s nothing wrong with living like this. God gave us a “brain”, we are free to choose our actions. Unlike the animals driven by instinct, we humans “decide” how we will live our lives.

However . . . . There’s a problem. When our choices are formed by nothing other than “what I want” we can start to think that our choices have TOTAL freedom in directing our lives. And guess what happens? We get lost. There has to be a guiding point outside ourselves that organizes and focuses our actions.

Think of the ancient sailors out on the ocean. How does a wooden boat get from Spain to the New World when all you can see is water? They had to find a point outside the boat that would tell them where they were . . . the North Star.

So freedom is best exercised when it is done in “partnership” with the One who gave us the gift in the first place . . . God of course. What does this partnership look and feel like?

Surprisingly it’s called THE PRESENT MOMENT. God’s will is in the right here, right now of our life. God’s will is right in front of you, not where you’ll be 6 months from now. And oh, don’t we try to go under or skip over what is staring us right in the face?

We wait till “I’m ready” or “things are just right” or “it goes away.” I’ll do God’s will “when I get ‘over there’”. If something is good, and true, helpful, and prudent . . . why wait?

A good practice to get into is to look at what lies straight ahead. A few examples might help.

Common Sense gives God’s will:

 It’s late at night. You have a busy day tomorrow. God’s will? Go to bed.
 You’ve had two beers at the party. You’re driving. God’s will? No more beer.

 Feel a painful lump? God’s will? See a doctor.  Big test tomorrow. God’s will? Study!
 Mom’s birthday. God’s will? Call her!
 Feel like running away? God’s will? Face it.

Goodness shows God’s will:

Thinking of changing something important in your life? Unless it’s an instance of some kind of abuse, God’s will is more often to stay where you are. To persevere in one’s duty. To embrace the daily grind. Persevere in doing good.

 Sometimes God’s will is to change. But change to what? What school? Should I marry? Have a child? Change jobs? Here is where God has given us right rea- son. Is the choice good in most every way? What would you advise a friend to do with that same decision? What have trusted friends said to you? (God often uses other people to reveal His will.) Choosing Life is always God’s will.

And what are the signs that happen in us when we’ve done God’s will? St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Gala- tians. “But the Spirit (God’s will for us), produces, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, humility, and selfcontrol.” Gal. 5:22

Let’s be ready for God’s will here and now. How? Go straight ahead!

Dear friends in Christ,
Several of you have mentioned to me that I have been looking unwell lately: thin and weary. It turns out that you were right: late last month I was diagnosed with a serious liver cancer that has left me extremely tired and weak. It’s a rare cancer that is impervious to the familiar treatments of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Thank God there is an immunotherapy treatment to address my diagnosis, and I started those treatments earlier this month. I want you all to know how much you mean to me and that I hold you in my heart during this difficult period in my life. Please understand that I am not healthy enough for visits at this time, but if you wish… send me a card, and more importantly, remember me in your prayers. You know I remember you in mine!

Peace of Christ to you all!

Fr. Tim.

“My friend Fr. Peter Clifford, Pastor of St. John of Rochester (Fairport, NY), has written a clear and comprehensive article as to where the Diocese of Rochester and its parishes currently stand in the three year effort to end the bankruptcy process. He’s given me permission to send this along to you. I hope it answers some of your questions about where the legal maneuverings stand.

“September 12, 2021, I wrote a bulletin column with information on the Bankruptcy process. In August of 2019, New York State opened a two year window for victims to make claims which would otherwise have been blocked by the Statute of Limitations being expired. That resulted in some 470 or so claims being presented in those two years. In response to a growing list of claims against the diocese, its parishes and institutions (e.g. Catholic Charities) the diocese declared Bankruptcy. Three plus years of negotiations brought little progress. The Bankruptcy process which is part of Federal Law is intended to protect businesses from collapsing as a result of financial crisis. It is founded on the value that society benefits from such businesses or institutions and is well served by their continued operations. In filing Bankruptcy, our diocese has not and does not contend the tragic reality of sexual abuse which scarred the lives of so many over time.

Neither the diocese, its institutions or parishes could possibly have survived litigating those claims in separate court cases thus the necessity of Bankruptcy.

Recently, the diocese was able to make a significant step forward in announcing a proposed settlement with a committee representing the victims. This has been very long coming and at times seemed out of reach. The diocese, related institutions (Catholic Charities and others), and the parishes negotiated a proposed settlement amount ($55m) and the Victims Committee agreed! The diocese has presented a petition to the Federal Bankruptcy Court asking that this be accepted. The monies to be used to make this payment will come from unrestricted assets. The Diocese, our parish, all parishes, Catholic Charities and other diocesan institutions have over the 150+ years of the diocese accumulated funds from wills and normal operations.

In the case of the diocese its unrestricted assets were not sufficient to respond to the claims presented. Further specific claims were also made against individual parishes where it was claimed abuse happened. Bishop Matano early in this process hoped that the final settlement could be arrived at without the use of parish resources. As the number of claims grew and the atmosphere and circumstances within the negotiations between the diocese and the claimants developed that became more and more impossible.

A committee of Pastor’s representing the interests of the parishes has been meeting with legal representation since early in this process. They determined and the other pastors accepted that parishes would contribute to the settlement amount in order to provide one that is both acceptable to the victims and just in view of the grave damage caused over time.

An essential dimension of this settlement is a guarantee that the diocese, all parishes, and institutions will be protected from any future court litigation of these past claims. This is called a “Channeling Injunction”, that is all the claims against parishes and institutions are channeled into those against the diocese and all are protected from any litigation in the future. This could be thought of as purchasing an insurance policy to protect us from damages. The amount any single parish or institution will contribute would be far exceeded by the cost of going to court over a claim.

While these details are important; most important is our responsibility for justice. Harm was done. Harm was done to many individuals and its effects have rippled through many lives and families over time. As a church we have faced and admitted (far too late), but admitted our guilt and our responsibility. This proposed Settlement process is part of taking responsibility and offering tangible restitution for the damage done. We did not cause this damage and its effects through so many lives. Yet it is our responsibility to do all we can to prevent and protect those entrusted to our care. This proposed Settlement, if it succeeds, there are many steps before this is finalized, is an important and necessary step toward justice.”

I will be communicating Holy Trinity’s financial contribution to the settlement when the numbers are finally determined. Stay tuned. Don’t worry. We got this.

Fr. Tim

Risen from the dead? What does this mean? First of all it’s a fact. Facts create an environment in which we live. One plus one is two. That means two plus two is four and suddenly we have a world so predictable that we can send someone to the moon and back.

Now the Resurrection is not the kind of fact that you can prove with mathematical counting. It’s a fact that can only be known by believing in the testimony brought forward to witness to it. (We do this all the time . . . believe what someone tells us. E.g., the picture on your digital TV comes to you because of a series of 0’s and 1’s. Uh . . . okay. Or, Fr. John has a Grizzly bear paw print in his room . . . these are facts. Really!)

Now the testimony we have about the Resurrection comes to us from the Apostles. “We have seen the Lord! He is truly risen!!” I believe that what they say is true. It becomes for me a fact and I can base my life on it. I live now in a particular way.

But you might ask yourself, “How can I believe this miraculous happening to Jesus?” After all there are no guarantees. We can’t prove he is risen. We can’t see him walking around Webster! And besides . . . there’s so much trouble in the world, “if Jesus were alive wouldn’t he take all that away?” In other words, it’s hard to believe in a Christ who doesn’t live up to my expectations!

I think we all have moments when our faith feels weak and Christ is silent or far away. Like the apostles returning to their fishing boats, we slink back to our former lives where “Jesus Risen” seems like a fairy tale, bigger even than the Santa story.

Sooner or later you have to decide to trust the news about Jesus. Surrender your “expectations”. There comes a point when you gotta jump! Life is a matter of trusting the person you love. Remember the time you “jumped” . …. ?

• A young wedding couple can’t foresee all that life will bring to them but they trust that their love and respect for each other will see them through.
• Having a baby is a huge moment of trust for a husband and wife.
• Putting yourself in the hands of a doctor requires you to surrender to their medical skill.
• Flying to Boston puts you at the mercy of your pilot.
  Facing the end of life requires I surrender myself into the hands of God.

Sooner or later . . . you gotta trust somebody. Here’s some good reasons to trust in the Resurrection.

• The teachings of Christ the man are compellingly true. Who can argue with, ”It’s in giving that we receive”, etc.?
• Jesus proved his love by not turning back. He died as a final witness to how serious he was about “drinking his cup of suffering to the last drop.” You’ve got to take someone’s word pretty seriously when they willingly die for it.
• The Apostles were not men of great courage or brilliance by nature, yet each became masters at teaching Christ’s good news and like their master, they paid the last price for their faith (martyrdom).
• Tens of thousands (children included) have followed to this day to pay the ultimate price for their faith.
• The flowers of Christianity are all around . . . hospitals, universities, scientific method, sublime music, modern art, orphanages and outreach to the poor all got their start within a Christian culture.
• What else is there to entrust your life to? Kodak? Social Security? Your 401k? The Buffalo Bills?

Dear Friends

You have been given Faith (“A certain knowledge of what has yet to be revealed.” Heb. 11:1). Thank God for such a gift and let’s get to work bringing Him to the world that will not know Him without your kindness. Take heart. He is with you.

Easter blessings,

Fr. Tim